A/N: So while debating better plots for Series 5, my friend HWW gave me this idea. She had thought it all in quite a few details, and gave me permission to continue it - I just had to write it. I consider this set after Series 4, or in whatever time in their lives where they're married and happy. You decide. The story is basically all written so it would be great if you told me what you think of it - so we'll get a new chapter posted maybe in just a few days, if you guys like this. :) Reviews are always very much welcome! And many thanks to Terrie for editing at least two chapters every day! ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Downton Abbey.

For Love by fuzzydream

Chapter One

The wind howled through the streets of London, and it looked like rain would be coming soon. Anna wasn't thrilled at the prospect. She was still very far from Grantham House, and she had quite a few things to do before catching the bus. Still, she felt rather accomplished. She and John had decided to sell his mother's house in London, finally, and today she had signed the contract with an agency that would try to sell it. With the two of them hardly being in London all the time, it seemed like the better option. Now, they only needed to wait.

She also needed to post a letter for Lady Mary, and the moment she reached the post box, the wind tore the letter from her hands. Cursing silently, Anna ran after it; the street wasn't busy and she ran across it in pursuit. Lady Mary wouldn't be pleased if she lost the letter, she was sure, but her hopes were nearly dashed when the wind lifted the envelope into the air and whipped over a fence and out of her reach.

She then noticed what she was looking at; a school of sorts, probably, judging by the children in the little garden. Perhaps ten or twelve of them, small and wearing little uniforms. The letter was picked up, the next moment, by a little girl – who couldn't have been more than four years old, Anna thought –, and who looked at her questioningly from the other side.

"This is yours?" she asked timidly, her small hands tousling the envelope ever so slightly.

Anna smiled at her sweet voice and nodded. "It is."

The little girl raised her arm, and Anna crouched down a little to get the letter back from her. She shook her hair slowly, her blonde hair getting slightly dishevelled with the motion, and her big dark eyes stared at Anna with interest.

"Thank you very much," Anna said brightly, and the little girl smiled wider.

"You're welcome, Miss," she said slowly, as if she had been practising the words, and Anna couldn't help but grin; what a lovely little girl.

A young woman called for the children from a door, and Anna stepped back then. The little girl waved at her and she found herself rooted on the spot, waving back. It was only when the child turned to walk away that Anna noticed it – she had a limp, a small one at that, but a limp nonetheless, and her heart ached at seeing such a young child carrying such a burden. She walked slowly, but firmly – and she had to be reminded of her John, who carried the same walk, though it was much better nowadays.

The children soon left and emptied the small garden, and Anna walked further ahead, to the building's modest entrance. St Anne's House; she frowned. Perhaps it wasn't a school.

Just then, the doors opened and two women came from the inside. Two nuns. As they descended the steps, Anna rather impulsively walked towards them.

"Excuse me," she said softly, and the two nuns looked at her with kind eyes. "I was passing by and… I wondered, is this a school for small children?"

"I'm afraid not, ma'am," the younger woman said. "This is a children's home."

Anna nodded, her heart dropping a little. "Oh," she said after a second, then smiled. "I see. Thank you."

The two nuns nodded and smiled at her, then walked in the opposite direction whilst Anna remembered to cross the street and post the letter. Her eyes automatically searched for the garden she had stood in front of not five minutes ago, and she suddenly felt tears picking at her eyes.

How unfair the world could be for some.

When Anna found herself on the same street the next day, she couldn't help but take a better notice of the orphanage. It wasn't a big building, but it seemed very well taken care of. She could see a nun watching the children in the small garden, and she felt assured for some reason that the children seemed content and fine. It was around the same time as the day before, and she recognised the little girl who retrieved the letter for her. The children were quiet, apparently, except for one little girl who was crying rather loudly. With a heavy heart, she noticed one of the boys was in a wheelchair and another had one of his eyes covered – it seemed that all of the children had some sort of health issue.

She shook her head ever so slightly. So many couples who couldn't have children, so many people with means to provide for children… And so many abandoned children still. Her breath hitched when she thought of herself and John; God hadn't been kind enough to give them a child yet, but they still had hopes. Lately she caught herself wondering if perhaps there was, indeed, something wrong with them… It certainly wasn't for lack of trying, she decided, if they counted the last few months. Perhaps it wasn't to be. Perhaps their chance was gone.

A smile crossed her face when the little girl she had briefly spoken to walked slowly to the crying girl, apparently a little younger, and handed her the small doll she had been playing with. Perhaps their chance was yet to come – she supposed that maybe they could skip the traditional method and think of other possibilities. As much as she longed to carry her husband's child and see a part of him and her walking this earth, she longed to see him being a father – because she was sure he would be absolutely marvellous at it.

With a lighter heart, she walked on, but not before sneaking a quick glance at St Anne's House once more, and being sure that both little girls had smiles on their faces.

If God wouldn't grant them a chance, perhaps they should make one themselves, she decided. At least… it would be good to talk about their options now, and see how they both felt about it.

Anna waited patiently for the kettle and leaned against the sink, a sigh escaping her lips. It felt very good to be home, and she had been glad when Lady Mary decided to retire early for once, as she was exhausted from their trip. It had been a good trip, nonetheless – she had managed to settle everything on the house whilst there, and did some very much needed shopping for her husband, as he did not enjoy shopping at all, but he definitely needed a few items.

She only indulged herself once, on something she couldn't resist. A dress had caught her eye as well, but they did not have money to spare, and she felt as if the item she had chosen was too much already.

For some reason, she had been distracted by the windows of a toy store, of all things, and her eyes focused on a doll there. Her thoughts drifted to St Anne's House and she sighed – her mind kept thinking about that, apparently. It was hard to forget those poor, little faces; much as she grew up in a simple household with some financial struggles, her parents were very much present in her life until she went to service, and she had never lacked for affection or love from them.

The kettle whistled, and she went on to make herself a cup of tea. The tile felt cold against her feet, even through her stockings, and she rubbed one of them against her calf distractedly, humming a pleasant song. As she tried her tea and smiled against the cup, she decided to take a few biscuits with her to the parlour, and she was already munching one of them when she sat down and heard the key jingling from the door – John was home.

She was smiling when he appeared in the doorway, a minute later, already missing his coat and untangling his tie. His eyes shone with mischief and she nearly giggled at the look on his face – it felt good to be home.

"Good evening, Mrs Bates," he said quietly, walking slowly towards her.

She grinned. "And a good evening to you, Mr Bates."

He leaned down and kissed her then, his lips soft against hers, a little longer than the one they had managed to sneak when she arrived, earlier that afternoon. His hand stroked her shoulder slowly, and he smiled against her lips.

"I've missed you, but that goes without saying," John winked at her.

"It's always good to hear it, nonetheless," she teased him. "I've just made some tea. I thought it would be a while until you were done for the day."

"No, his Lordship didn't retire very late, thankfully," he finished unknotting his tie. "I'll just get a cup of tea and sit here with you."

"I can make you a cup if you'd like," she offered, but he shook his head.

"No, it's fine. You need more rest than I do, I'm sure," he said quickly, and left a second later.

She told him about the business with the house once he came back, and he stole a few biscuits from the plate as well. He discarded his shoes at some point, and unbuttoned his vest and the top buttons of his shirt. It was times like these that Anna came to enjoy the most about their lives – quiet, simple moments, talking with her husband in the safety of their home. Despite everything that had happened to them, she was thankful for having him – this life with him, that once had seemed so impossible to conquer.

"What is it?" he asked after perhaps a minute of comfortable silence. When she looked at him with a questioning glance, he smiled. "You've sighed perhaps four times in the last minute. Did anything happen?"

She could detect a bit of worry in his tone, and shook her head slowly to ease his concern. The frown remained on his forehead, nonetheless.

"It's just," she started, unsure of what to say, "I came across… I came across some children the other day, in London. Lady Mary's letter was taken by the wind and a little girl got it back to me through the fence. They were young children, no older than five, I think. I thought it was a school, but it was a children's home. St Anne's House. The children are not... I think most of them must have been abandoned because of their health. It breaks my heart."

She rested her cup of tea on the little table and chanced a look at John.

"And I, I suppose I wonder if perhaps we should… think about it," she smiled a little, reaching for his hand. He squeezed hers softly. "Because it hasn't happened yet. I can't believe how people would let their children go when so many couples want their own so badly. Like... Like us. And John, if you could see their little faces."

His thumb stroked her fingers. "I'm not… completely opposed to the idea. Much as I'll love to see you carrying our child," John grinned. "But Anna… I'm afraid that wouldn't be possible. There is my criminal record – I am a thief in the eyes of society. That alone creates a barrier for adoption. The expenses would be high, I'm sure, but we could work something out. I just don't think we would be approved for it. I'm sorry."

Anna blinked slowly and nodded. "Of course. I hadn't thought of that."

There was his criminal record. That would never be cleaned out, she knew, and she vaguely wondered what the kind nuns would think of that. That wouldn't do. Perhaps she had let her hopes soar too high.

John tugged at her hand.

"Come here," he said slowly, and she walked willingly the two steps it took to sit on his good leg. His hands came to rest on her hips, strong and warm, even through the material of the dress. She had missed him so much. "Let us not lose hope yet. You said it yourself once, it takes some people longer. We'll get there, you'll see. All right?"

She nodded and smiled. "All right."

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly whilst her other hand played with his hair – he would need a haircut soon, but for now she could enjoy it. She took comfort in his words, and believed him to be right – they just had to try some more.

John kissed her lips next, slowly, tentatively, until she finally deepened the kiss, and their hands grew impatient.

"What is it?" he asked her when she grinned and pulled away, slowly standing up between his legs.

She laced her fingers with his and smiled.

"I was just thinking about how much you'll love something I bought in London," she teased him, and his eyes darkened slightly.

"Really?" his hands stroked the outside of her thighs. "And what would that be?"

"Take me upstairs and you'll see," she whispered, not even bothering to think of their cups in the parlour or his shoes in the corner of the room. His hands moved up slowly until he finally found the garter that was hidden under her dress. He didn't know it was a new one yet, but she was quite sure he would be very pleased indeed.

"Your wish is my command," he said teasingly, standing up and grasping her hips in a delicious manner.

They certainly couldn't mind trying a little harder.