Fifty Shades Forgiven

Missing

I am consumed in heat, my body is sweaty and sticky and I can't seem to get comfortable. My daughter has what feels like a leg or an elbow wedged under my rib, sending pressurised pain through my right side. I turn my body around, my hand flops on the bed as I go to wrap myself around my husband. My eyes shoot open. Where's Christian? I am alone in the darkness, with just the faint sight of dawn in the distance. Maybe he's up on his piano, it brings back delicious memories of the first time that I stayed the night.

Wandering into the great room I find myself frowning again.. He isn't on his piano, where else could he possibly be? This isn't like my fifty. Perhaps he's in his study, I suppose it wouldn't be the first that he's sat there working at this hour.

I've searched the study, Taylor's office, all of the spare rooms and even the playroom and he's nowhere to be seen. I can't help but panic. Where is he? As I'm walking back downstairs, Mrs Jones is up and is in the kitchen. It now must be around 5:30 and I assume she's up and getting ready to start preparing breakfast.

"Gail, do you know where Christian is?" I ask, consternation evident in my tone. She looks at me with confusion.

"No? Isn't he still sleeping?" Even she looks worried, and I have a feeling in my gut that something is wrong.

"No when I woke he was gone, I've searched the whole house and he's nowhere to be seen." I state matter of factly.

"I'll call Jason" she utters breathlessly as she's scurries off to find her husband.

Minutes later Taylor back with Gail at his side.

"What time did you notice that Mr Grey was gone, Mrs Grey?" His face remains impassive, although I know he's probably frantic.

"Erm, well I woke around five, that's when I noticed he wasn't there, I came to look but I couldn't find him" I affirm. Knowing that Taylor is also worried enchanting the fear tugging at me, even though he's trying to stay calm because he doesn't want me to work myself up. I pull my silk robe tighter around me, as a chill runs through me, giving me goose pimples all over.

"I'm going to look over the cctv footage of the foyer, I'll be in my office, I'll notify you whenever I find something Mrs Grey." I nod, dismissing him, I lean against the kitchen island and put my head in my hands. What if Jack has kidnapped him like he attempted with me? No! Of course not. I'm sure that I would have known if my husband was getting kidnapped in our apartment.

"Ana, can I get you anything?" She quizzes. But I can't eat, my stomach is in knots, and I know she won't approve. Maybe if I just have a tea?

"Just a tea, please Gail" she opens her mouth to say something but wisely holds her tongue.

Just as I am about to sit down with my tea, Taylor appears at the entrance of the great room.

"Mrs Grey, you should take a look that this" he announces and I rush quickly, following him into his office. He takes a seat on his computer and projects the cctv footage that is on his computer screen onto the larger screen on the wall. My eyes must be betraying me. Taylor plays the footage, which shows Christian leaving the apartment via the service elevator at exactly 3:37am. Where would he be going that that time? And more importantly, why would he leave us here alone, when we have no idea of how and why Jack has returned. I shield my mouth in horror.

"What about his cell, can't you track it?" I turn swiftly to Taylor.

"I already tried Mrs Grey, his phone is off and there has been no outgoing calls or messages since he called Welch" he mutters apologetically.

"Okay, please could you call Barney, and check to see if he's in the office?" He nods and I make my way back to the empty room.

Suddenly the world collapses from under my feet. My heart begins to swell with dysphoria. Shit! What if he's left me? Maybe it's because I defied him, he wanted me and Ted to go to Aspen and I told him no. Maybe he wanted me to go to Aspen because he wants to get away from us. No! No, I must not think like that! He loves me. He would never leave me, and he always tells me that he doesn't want me to leave him. I am thinking too deeply into this. I inhale a sharp breath, in attempt to control my wayward thoughts. Again the tears consume me. I feel like, since I've been pregnant, all I do is cry! It's one thing after another. Two steps forward, three steps back. But that's how it's always been with fifty, and we still got there in the end. I know that he has an explanation, I just need to trust that he knows what he's doing, like I did.

The silence and pain ache away inside me and I cannot take it any longer, I need my best friend. I pick up the phone and dial Kate's number in the hope that she will be awake considering it's just after 7am. Maybe she has slept in since Ava is at Grace's.

"Ana? Hey!" She answers. And before I am even able to respond, I begin to sob down the phone.

"Ana! Are you crying? What the hell is wrong" she asks, breathlessly. I sniff and take a deep breath, attempting to keep my tears at bay.

"It's Christian, he left at 3am this morning, I don't know where he is and we can't get I touch with him, his cell is off" I mutter in between sobs.

"Hey don't cry, maybe he had business, or maybe he went for a workout, why are you stressing so much about this Ana I'm sure he's fine" she whispers, sympathetically. Shit. She doesn't know about Hyde.

"Ana?" She prompts, questioning my silence.

"Kate, it's not just that, Hyde is back, he lefts presents for the kids with a note at the baby shower last night" I sigh.

"But if he got in the house then-"

"He's not in the house, the kids are safe, the security did a sweep of the house last night and were there all night monitoring" I interrupt quickly. I hear her sigh of relief.

"Ana, I'm coming over, try not to worry, it's not good for you or the baby, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation, okay?"

"Okay, Thankyou Kate, I'll see you shortly"

"See you soon Ana, and Ana? Relax." I roll my eyes as the line goes dead. I need to get dressed. It's time to face the world.