Chapter One.

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I dig my finger nails into my bare legs as the plane takes off, I've never flown before, and I probably never would have. I shake my head, leaning back I close my eyes preparing for the five hour flight ahead of me.

I'm going to Seattle, Washington, to live with my Aunt Elena for the remainder of my senior year. I'm eighteen, and Elena isn't really my Aunt, my parents passed away in January 2010 in a car accident. She offered me a place to stay when the bank finally took the house; to say the least my Aunt Elena is well off. It's August 2011 , and I have finally reached full recovery, which took much longer than I thought. I'm missing the first day of school to fly in and, as I fly, Elena is enrolling me into one of Washington's most prestigious private high schools. She also used one of her many connections to get me a, paid, internship at Grey Enterprise and Holdings Inc. Given that I pass the drug test, which I'm sure I will, but for my own personal reasons I'm not exactly looking forward to it. I will be the Assistant Secretary to Mr. Christian Grey, I haven't talked to him in years; Elena says his bark is worse than his bite, I guess we'll see.

When I open my eyes again my heart instantaneously accelerates, I bite down on my lip, closing my eyes tightly. We hit a few patches of turbulence here and there, and aside from my heart thoroughly lynching itself in my throat, I'd say it went fairly well.

I see Elena right away, once I reach the baggage claim, she aged quite a bit since I saw her on her visit; although I was only pretty out of it. She's still a well kept women, her hair is platinum blonde and she keeps it well trimmed and I don't believe the women ever goes anywhere without her face being immaculately made-up.

"Anastasia!" She says, a broad smile pinned across her face, she hugs me hard. "You dear, sweet, girl, I've missed you so much. How are you? Are you coping any better with losing your parents?."

"I'm fine Aunt Elena, I'm doing much better," I give her quite the generic answer, the same one I give everyone when they ask, I also have to give a great effort to bite back my tears, and offer a smile when she pulls away. We grab my bags, I don't have much, and load them into her car. Elena Lincoln drives horrendously, or maybe it is just the traffic of Seattle at six p.m. Almost every single time she presses on the accelerator too lurch forward, she slams on the brakes.

"How well do you remember the Grey's, Anastasia?" She asks casually, giving me a sideways glance.

"I remember them all, very well." I answer quietly. Grace was such a sweet women, and Christian, her son, was the most quiet eight year old I'd ever met. I was only ten the last time I saw them, but Christian always seemed so lost and broken... I would even to go as far to say he looked afraid. But we got close, he was my best friend, but after my parents divorced, he took it upon himself to severe contact with me a year later.

"They were very surprised by you, Ana. The effect you always had on Christian was quite stunning." Her voice was full of wonder, and a slight hint of something I couldn't quite place... resentment or distaste maybe? But towards what?

"I didn't have an effect," I answer, a sad smile tugging at my lips, "I was simply a child with no comprehension of personal boundaries, let alone his special boundaries, and I gave him no personal space."

Christian simply cannot bear to be touched, and in light of past events, neither can I; however Christian's boundaries go to an entirely new level. I was four and he was eight, in my childish eyes, he was my best friend. The first time I hugged him, my mother always said, he froze but by the time I hugged him for the last time, before we left to live in Virginia, he hugged me back; barely.

"Well none the less, Grace and the other girls are looking forward to seeing you again." Elena continues, seeming to be lost in thought. The car in front of us braked, suddenly, she was in her own world.

"Elena!" I warned very loudly, calling her back to the present. She cursed loudly, slamming on the brakes she jerked the wheel, landing us semi-safely in the next lane over. I'm breathing heavily and both of my arms are extended to the dash, my heart pounding loudly in my chest. I close my eyes in attempts to calm myself.

"Ana, honey, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" She asked, genuinely concerned, for just a moment I'm reminded of my mother, from a happier more motherly time of her life. A silent tear trails down my face, I wipe it away quickly. 

"I'm fine, Aunt Elena." I whisper, then more forcefully. " I mean, I can't stay afraid of cars for the rest of my life, right?"


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