A/N: So this is the end! I know people feel like it could go on - I know it could - but to me, if I kept writing this, it would just be another modern story, and the business wouldn't make much sense anymore ;) I hope the last chapter doesn't disappoint. It covers a lot, and it's the longest chapter so far, but I felt like this John and this Anna deserved a proper ending. I hope everyone likes this. I never would have guessed that from that little one shot I was so unsure about this story would be written, and I never imagined it would get so much feedback. So I really, really hope the ending will be acceptable. Since S6 starts soon, I don't expect to write much - perhaps a little one shot or two, we'll see! :) Thanks Terrie for being an awesome editor - and for all the reviewers and guest reviewers so far! Here we go... Please let me know your thoughts on the ending!

X.

When the plane stopped moving and Anna looked out of the window, it was sunny. So much sunnier than the rainy London she had left behind. And when she looked to her other side, and met John's eyes, she felt warm inside. Her new start was beginning now.

She had never been to Ireland, but she found it a bit similar to England, at least during the ride from the airport. She would later learn all the differences between the countries, and John would take her to all the spots she must know as a Dublin resident, but now she had to meet her new home for the first time, or at least for the time being. They agreed she would stay with him, for now at least. The rest they would figure out as it happened. But she was already mesmerised by it all - the docks, the pubs, the parks. She wanted to know this town better than she knew London. Perhaps she would be able to explore it like she never really could explore her previous residence.

Still, her heart was bittersweet for leaving; leaving her home country behind was hard and something she anticipated as being difficult. But she didn't have much family left besides a few distant cousins, and Ethel was moving to live nearer to Charlie's grandparents. When she managed to get herself transferred to Dublin from university, she took it. And just a few days later John was back in England to help her make her move.

His house was bigger than she anticipated. She had expected a bachelor flat, probably some big studio in a trendy place, but instead he took her to what seemed to be a very traditional neighborhood, and when he parked the car she saw many three story terraced houses. His had a dark blue door, and she already loved it. He waved at an elderly neighbor and opened the door for her.

"Welcome to your new home," he said quietly, and Anna entered the house slowly. She smiled at John as she let go of the suitcase she was carrying, and he went back to the car to get her third and final piece of luggage - the rest of her things would arrive this week.

The walls were creamy coloured and the stairs were made of a dark hardwood. She wasn't sure where to go from here, so she decided to turn right and see the ground floor for herself. It was clean and simple - she wondered if he had it specially cleaned for her. A few paintings on the walls, but not much. A black couch and a television - she could see a record player in the corner and a few discs, and that seemed to fit John's character well and she smiled. This was his life, the one she didn't really know yet. And she already loved it.

She heard the front door close and turned around, meeting John's eyes as he leaned against the doorway. He smiled at her, but his voice had a tone of uncertainty as he spoke.

"It's still a bit unfurnished, I'm afraid," he started. "I always intended for this to be an investment rather than a home, but I ended up staying."

"I love it so far," Anna said honestly. His smile got bigger.

"Let me give you the grand tour, then," he said softly, offering her his hand, and she took it.

Despite the living room, the ground floor featured a half bathroom, a rather empty dining room and a big kitchen - she thought she could fit her entire flat inside the dining room and the kitchen and John had laughed at her remark. The middle floor had yet to be properly used - one bedroom belonged to his mother whenever she visited, and Anna had to admit that it felt very much homely, filled with books, a television and even a computer, and she smiled at remembering the lovely lady she had met barely two weeks ago in London. The other bedroom was empty, and the living room was currently being used as a library, though, as Anna noticed, it wasn't exactly organized. John had nearly blushed when they got there.

"I need to settle my office properly, I know," he said a little embarrassingly. It was a big room, and it seemed like he didn't know what to do with all its space.

He had rented the house when he arrived in London, he told her - and when the previous owner needed money and was ready to sell at a very low price, John decided to buy it. The owner had started renovating it, even, but he never got through with it. One of the items that would have been added was a lift, and John had joked that he might need to work on that soon, just as they reached the top floor.

"I'll be damned if I have to climb all these stairs when I'm older," he commented, and she shook her head at him. "If we are to stay here, it's something we will have to consider. My mother complains whenever she visits."

Anna laughed - Maggie Bates had been nothing but lovely to her, but she could see that John's mother didn't think honesty was ever too much.

"We have another empty room there, I'm afraid," John told her as they reached the landing and he pointed to an open door on the left. Indeed, the room was empty save for some curtains on the windows. "There's another bathroom over here and," he continued, walking towards the door in the middle, "this is our bedroom."

Perhaps it was the words he used, or the fact that this room was possibly the most decorated one yet. The bed was big and the dark blue linens gave it a rather manly look but it did not look any less comfortable. It was simple yet beautiful - a painting or two, a few photographs. The walls were a light blue as well, and she liked it. John's hand left hers and his arm went around her shoulders and she leaned into his frame and sighed.

"Everything needs a bit of work, I'm afraid," John let out a sigh as well. "I guess that if I have a partner to work with I'll be able to get things going. What's the verdict?"

Anna turned in his arms, facing him and resting her hands on the back of his neck.

"I love it," she beamed. "All of it. It's lovely."

Perhaps this didn't feel like her home yet, but when she kissed him and his smile reached his ears, she was sure this was her home now. When they were lying together that night, breaths mingling, him moving inside her and she struggling to catch her breath, she was sure that she was home - for good.

He was watching her from the doorway as she danced - she had picked up her huge sunglasses from the coffee table and was now dancing in her pyjamas, her index finger signaling that she wanted him to come closer. He had to snicker at this - perhaps she had drank a little too much wine tonight, but he couldn't help but find her endearing. They had had a full day - he took the advantage of it being a Saturday to show her the city, and they had had quite a bit of fun. It was only her second day in Dublin but he hoped she would soon see it as her home.

"Come on, take my hand," she sang, and this time he walked towards her.

Anna kept singing and dancing, and he simply watched as she laughed and danced around him; he especially gave a hearty laugh when she did the Egyptian move.

"Dance with me," she asked again, but he shook his head.

"You come here," he said, pulling her close, but she twirled then, and he lost his balance, whilst Anna didn't have much of it left herself.

They fell on the couch and a loud crack followed; Anna fell on top of him, and after a moment he only wanted to check if she was alright - her sunglasses had slid to the tip of her nose and her hair was disheveled from its ponytail, but before he could ask anything, she spoke.

"Did we break the couch?" her voice was a slurred whisper.

John nodded. "We broke the couch."

At this, she laughed, resting her forehead against his shoulder. He joined in; the music was still playing from his old record player and Anna was sat above him, giggling like a child. He realised just how much she belonged here, in this living room, laughing over a silly thing. He hoped she would realise it too.

She pulled away from him, looking at him in a most dazed fashion. Her index finger touched his nose pointedly.

"I love you, you know," she said softly, resting her head against his shoulder again. He ran his hands down her sides as she relaxed.

"I know," he said with a smile. "And you know I love you too."

Her response to his whisper was a soft snore against his ear, and John had to do his best not to laugh at this situation – Anna was drunk, they broke the couch, and she fell asleep sitting on his lap. She remained fast asleep for the next few minutes, during which he pondered what to do; he ultimately decided to carry her to bed, seeing as they were both dressed for sleep already. He couldn't blame her for drinking and wanting to have fun; it wasn't easy to adjust to a new life, and he could only hope that Dublin wouldn't be too hard on her.

His breathing was laboured when he finally reached the third floor – really, was the idea of a lift that bad? – and Anna had done nothing more than a groan or two as he carried her. He managed to put her into bed without further problems, and he stopped to watch her for a moment. He knew his house wasn't exactly perfect – it was too big for one person, sparsely decorated, empty in more than one way. But as he watched Anna sleep in her blue flannel pyjamas, wearing a ponytail and looking entirely too content, he decided that his house was slightly less empty with her there – it seemed like she was the missing piece.

A few minutes later, he joined her in bed, turning off the lamp and deciding against reading tonight – he too was tired, and he hoped Anna's snores wouldn't get too loud. She snuggled against him quickly, and he made a mental note to himself to wake her with some tea ready and possibly something for the headache she would surely have. But perhaps next time he could indulge himself and share that bottle of wine with her.

It was a gradual process, all in all. Anna spent her first week there calling companies and sending curriculums everywhere. She took walks around the neighbourhood and jogged every morning by the river. She made friends with a woman four houses away from them, as she jogged too. Anyone could tell she was English from her accent, but despite a joke or two, nothing bothered her.

It was a matter of knowing John better too; they hadn't really dated before, they didn't really know what they liked to do for fun or what kind of shows they liked. Thankfully, none of that seemed to be a problem; they were similar in so many ways. John was naturally quiet and didn't have many friends around – apart from a cousin he saw regularly, their evenings consisted of sometimes going out for dinner, grocery shopping and the like; most times, they stayed in. Anna didn't mind that at all.

Still, it was quite hard at first. They replaced the broken couch – it was moved to John's office temporarily, and he bought a settee and a couch for the living room downstairs; she helped choosing it. He made sure she was included in such things, and she welcomed that. When asked what he would do with the broken couch, he shrugged.

"I don't know. It was the only furniture I got with my divorce," he explained. "Vera hated it. So I guess it's been hard to let it go."

She learned more and more every day.

He loved cooking, and while she wasn't great at it she could hold her own in the kitchen. Still, his love for it made her want to try new things and it had been an adventure at first. One time, they had to order a pizza because her dinner turn out as planned. She was heartbroken, but John had only laughed and assured her it would be better next time.

He was right, because it eventually was.

School left her quite busy, but without any internship she still had some free time to do whatever she wished. Her classes were close by, and she started using John's bicycle to go to the university – it was a little old, and barely used, she noticed, but it was fun, and she got to know her way around.

He could be incredibly unorganized at times. While the house was mostly tidy, his office was endearingly named the messy room, and she couldn't find it in herself to not agree with him there. Every Saturday he would take her to some different place in Ireland – sometimes within Dublin. Sometimes it would be a restaurant on the edge of a cliff.

On her second month there, she got an internship – again in an accounting company. It was great to have her own money again; John had let her pay for their dinner when her first pay check came, and she bought some flowers for the house with it too. She thought the place could use some life in it, and John had said it was a good idea. The thought of not living with him never really crossed her mind; he was a lovely person to live with, even when he would become a little stressed from work. He was never anything short of respectful to her, and he encouraged her to meet up with the girls from work and to pursue bigger opportunities. It helped that he was also a great roommate.

"Where did you get this?" he asked her one night, his finger tracing the corner of her left eye – the scar she had there. The room was dark around them and his naked chest tickled her breasts as they lay together, bodies cooling off with each passing second.

"Car accident when I was a teenager," she told him softly, "a few centimetres to the right and I would have lost my eyesight."

And she told him the whole story – how the accident ultimately made her and her father go to the hospital, how they were both mostly unscathed, but after some routine tests were made, the results weren't very positive to her father. He had smoked his whole life and didn't want to stop. Less than a year later, he died.

"I smoked," John told her quietly when she finished her story. It was a long time ago. Her dad would have loved John. "After my divorce, it escalated quite quickly."

"What made you stop?" Anna asked him, breathing in his scent.

"You did," his reply surprised her. She pulled away to watch him. "I met you and I didn't feel like smoking anymore. I always knew it wasn't good for me, anyway."

She smiled. "I'm glad you did. I want you healthy and safe here, with me."

Slowly, and suddenly, their walls crumbled. It didn't take too long for her to open up to him completely, and it was such an easy thing to do, really. He was very good at listening. He bought her chocolate when she was upset with something even before he even knew she was upset. His mother taught her how to bake his favourite chocolate cake when she was around one weekend. Little things could make all the difference, Anna remembered her mother telling her. She tried to live by this rule.

Still, things weren't easy. Sharing a life was never easy, and when one had a past like hers, it could be even more difficult. It took him a long time to initiate things between them – he always seemed to be holding back, for some reason. They argued more than once because of this; she didn't feel like she owed him, and she always tried to assure him that she was there because she loved him and that was it. But sometimes he could be so insecure, and it would annoy her so much.

Anna had her own issues too, even she had to admit it. She didn't like talking about her past, but she found that it often helped her if she did. She never went into details, and John listened. It was more about the situation than the job itself, as awful as that was. But little things crept into her life with him, and she hated it.

"John," she said one Sunday morning as he kissed the back of her neck and his hands stroked her front. She could feel him hard against her bottom. "John, can I turn?"

"Why?" he hummed.

"I like to be able to see you," she said softly, eyes closing on their own accord as his hand stroked her breast.

He allowed her to turn, and she smiled when she did, and his kisses continued and he made love to her like he always would – gently and slowly and bringing her to the edge more than once. But it was afterwards, almost an hour later, when he brought her breakfast in bed and they were having a lazy morning together that the issue was brought up again.

Anna didn't like talking about her past business because she knew he wouldn't like to hear it. She had done many things she never wanted to do, with men she would never have considered. She hoped he understood that, but she also knew it was difficult. Men always wanted to see her back, not her face. They liked to pretend she was someone else. And she wanted to see John and she wanted him to see her too.

"I never pretend you're someone else," he argued, and she didn't doubt that.

"I know that. But I don't... I don't like to be reminded," she said softly.

The rest of the meal was spent in silence, and she was unsure of what to say. When he unceremoniously took the tray off the bed once she was done without saying a word, she got nervous. John was a quiet man, but she could tell this bothered him.

"Darling," she called, and he looked at her from his position at the doorway. "Talk to me. Please. Don't brood."

He was conflicted, she could tell.

"I'm not, I just... I don't like the thought that I can remind you of your job," he said after a moment. "Of other men."

"You don't remind me of other men," she said as he let out a deep breath and placed the tray on the desk next to the door. He sat back on the edge of the bed. "You've never done that."

"But you've been with many –"

"Many men I never really met, many men I didn't care about," she told him, slowly crawling her way towards him. John still appeared confused. She hugged him from behind and fit her chin on his shoulder. "You've taught me so much about... Caring, and loving, and intimacy. You still do, every day. No one hates my past more than I do, but it's there, and it's what brought us together."

He shook his head slightly, placed his hand on top of hers, laced their fingers together. They fit so well – it was as if they were made for each other. Perhaps they were.

He turned his head and kissed her cheek, and she closed her eyes at the feeling of his lips upon her skin.

"I'm sorry," he said in a whisper. She unconsciously nodded. "My darling."

"It doesn't matter who came before me in your life, or who came before you in mine," she told him with a smile. "It matters that we are together now."

John nodded and caught her lips in a sweet, slow kiss. They loved each other more every day and every night.

No silly argument could stop that.

The first thing John heard when he got home was the sound of laughter coming from the kitchen. There was a nice smell in the air, garlic perhaps. He wondered what Anna was up to.

He left his suitcase on the first step of the stairs and took off his suit jacket and tie before going to the kitchen. Indeed, there he found Anna by the counter and his mother sitting at the bar. Their smiles were enchanting enough; Anna had gone to the airport in the afternoon to get his mother and he loved how well they got on. It was never like this with his first wife. Even with Anna's history, his mother did not judge. If it was up to him, he wouldn't have told her, but it was Anna who insisted she know - better to be told by themselves than learn it in some way or the other. His mother was surprised, to say the least - and very much confused that the lovely woman she had met could have such a past. But a few meetings with Anna were enough to make her forget that and focus on the new daughter-in-law she now had - even if it wasn't official yet.

"Hello, Mum," he greeted his mother first, kissing her cheek and giving her a hug. Then, he walked towards Anna. "Darling."

They shared a quick peck and he noticed how lovely she looked with the black apron tied around her waist.

"I'm glad you decided to not stay late at the office and spend some time with your mother," Anna teased, and the wink she sent towards his mother did not go unnoticed.

"You talk as if I spend more time at the office than anywhere," he smiled back at her. "Something smells delicious."

"Don't get your hopes up, it's just spaghetti," Anna laughed, then turned to look at his mother. "John has been trying to teach me how to cook, Maggie."

"Has he really?" his mother asked as she watched them.

"And she's a great student," John said, sharing a smile with Anna. "Did you have a good flight, Mum?"

"Oh, uneventful, so that's the best kind," his mother told him with a smile. "Do you need any help there, dear?"

"Thank you, Maggie, but everything's under control. I think," Anna said humorously, then looked at John. "Could you set up the table, love?"

"Of course. Do you need any help with the sauce?"

"No, I think it's going okay," she flashed him a smile. He trusted her.

Anna's graduation would be happening next week, and his mother had chosen to spend a few days with them then; while Anna often commented that she was entirely too old to be graduating now, she was still so young, and he was happy that at least one of her dreams was finally coming true.

They had shared a lovely dinner together – Anna's cooking definitely improved from when she first arrived in Dublin. She was thriving, and that was what mattered. The company she had been working for offered her a permanent position and she had friends – probably more friends than he did, honestly. Anna was a much more social person than he would ever be. Still, she enjoyed their quiet evenings in, and it seemed that she took great pleasure in making him join her for her shopping or to explore little antique shops. He didn't mind it at all, not really, even if he pretended to be annoyed from time to time.

Anna retired early – he knew she had had a rather long day – and he was left alone with his mother for some time. They talked about the possibility of her moving back to Ireland – now that he had fixed residence there, and what with Anna now, he didn't think he would leave anytime soon. His mother visited often, even more often now, and it would be good for her if she moved, he thought, to be closer to family.

That night, he snuck into their bedroom holding a small box with a gold band inside it, and thankfully Anna was too sleepy to notice it when he hid it in a drawer with his socks, just so she wouldn't find it. His mind was filled with questions – questions, not doubts – but half of them went away when he slipped beside her in the bed and he felt her arms around his middle, hugging him close.

She said yes on the night of her graduation.

It was always like Anna said – her past would always be there. It wouldn't be a huge part of their life, but it would be there. He knew she worried about it – she worried about his friends finding out. She worried about their children finding out, in a far off future. They both wanted children – he would rather have them sooner than later, as he considered his age; he was now nearly forty-four years old. But Anna was still young – she had just started a new job, and they weren't even married yet. No, he agreed with her, that they should wait a little before considering children. Enjoy life together before tying themselves to children.

They travelled; they went to Scotland, France and Italy. Once, she was able to go to New York with him – he had business there, and she was able to take a few days off work to join him. Hotel nights were different when they were knackered from being tourists all day, but hotel mornings still had some excitement in them – to be able to make love to her and then leave together to spend more time together would never get old to him.

"Do you miss living here?" he asked one night when they got ready for bed, in his mother's house. "In London?"

Anna shook her head. "No, I much prefer Dublin. It's not this big, and not this confusing. I have my job, we have the house," she smiled. The house was much more homely nowadays; Anna found a place where they could fix the broken couch and his office was now very organized – and it even featured two desks, one for each of them. After her graduation, she had a haircut – her hair was now shorter, just above her shoulders, and though he had been sad to see the long locks go, she looked great anyway. "I have you."

He had a feeling she would have him wherever she may go.

While it was easy to forget how they had met, the frustration of the beginning of their relationship, the struggle to be together, sometimes it would catch up with them. They were in London when they found out of Thomas' arrest, and John had read it in his breakfast newspaper. He could tell she was relieved, but at the same time there was the question of an investigation. If it would reach her, if it would want to use her. She was apprehensive.

When the police knocked on his mother's door two days later, Anna told them everything she knew, and he was present through it all. Her testimony would be useful, but not necessary for a trial. He had never heard so many details of his coercion on her – and perhaps if he had before, the consequences wouldn't have been positive for him. He was glad that rat was in jail now, and would likely spend quite some time there. Sometimes emotional abuse could be just as bad as physical.

They were married two days later, in a registry office in Dublin.

They didn't really have a honeymoon, but Anna liked it that way. They had been wondering what to do with about wedding, but the months passed since their engagement and she didn't really want something big and pompous. When the Thomas thing came to light, she decided she would tell John the truth - unless he wanted a big wedding, she didn't care for one.

Since everything had been done rather hastily, they didn't plan for anything. Their wedding evening consisted of a lovely dinner they cooked together, and John even drank a glass of champagne in celebration. Their lovemaking was slow and amazing and familiar, and that was just the way she liked it.

"It's odd," she commented later, as she rested her head on John's chest and listened to his heartbeat. Her rings glistened against the pale light from the bedside lamp - one of them adorned with a single small white rock, the other a simple thin gold band. "I feel as if I've been married to you ever since I came here. But in a way, it feels different."

"You are Mrs Bates now," John said against her ear, and she turned her head to see the smile on his face. "I didn't feel married to you when you first came. But I think I did after our first fight."

"It was hardly a fight. You had that very bad habit of leaving your shoes everywhere," she laughed. "There were six pairs in the hallway alone."

"And that was the moment when I realised I had myself a wife," John chuckled and brought her close. "You don't regret it, do you? Coming here. Living with me."

She gave him a pointed kiss. "I don't. I never did," she ran a hand through his hair. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied, moving them so he was on top of her. Anna gave a little yelp but giggled nonetheless, especially when he proceeded to attack her neck with kisses. "Since you've already had your way with me, I think it's only fair to get started on the other way around."

Anna let out a throaty laugh. "Already? I haven't even rested yet."

"You'll enjoy it, I promise," he said just as he caught a nipple between his teeth.

Anna's breathing stopped for a moment. "You sound so very sure of yourself."

His response was a chuckle, and she didn't even mind that her own words didn't sound so sure; they both knew what he was capable of and less than ten minutes later she was crying out in pleasure.

Perhaps for some living together made it difficult to keep passion going, but it wasn't really a problem for them; they didn't have sex every day or every night, but it happened constantly and sometimes without a warning - it just happened. Sometimes in bed, sometimes on the living room rug and a couple of times in the kitchen.

But while at first it was such a big part of their relationship, it gave away some space for other things as well. Sex was important in any romantic relationship, but so was companionship and trust.

Their marriage had only started, but she looked forward to many years of happiness with John by her side.

One year of marriage went by fast, and it also marked nearly three years of relationship between them. It seemed like a long time, and things were progressing well; Anna got a promotion at work and John added one hotel to the ones he administered in Ireland. His trips to England weren't as common now, but still happened, and Robert would often visit when he was around. One evening, during which they entertained Robert, Cora, a heavily pregnant Mary and her now husband Matthew, the question popped up for the first time.

"You won't wait too long to have yours, will you, Anna?" it was Mary who asked as they sat in the dining room.

Anna smiled gracefully, a little embarrassed, and tried to avoid John's eye. "Well, we haven't really planned yet. We wanted to wait a little at first. I needed to adjust to Ireland first."

"But you seem well-adjusted, and I know your business is going well," Robert chimed in, looking at John. "Don't wait too much, Bates, or you'll be a grandfather to your own children."

They all laughed, but Anna could see John wasn't comfortable with that. Hours later, when they were alone in their bedroom, she would bring up the subject.

"I'm not that old," John had said in response to her comment about Robert. "I'm happy to wait. I'll be ready when you're ready."

"And if... I'm ready now?" Anna suggested from her position on the bed, sitting up against the headboard. John was taking off his shirt. He looked at her with a skeptical expression on his face. "I'm serious. I'll be thirty-one in a few months. Maybe we should consider it."

"You've always said you wanted to enjoy married life," he said as he joined her in bed.

"And you don't think that we do?" she giggled. "It always takes people some time anyway. We might as well start soon. What do you think?"

He remained silent, deep in thought. Anna brushed her shoulder against his and smiled. "We could have fun trying, anyway."

Their eyes met. He smiled. "Alright. But only if you want to."

She kissed him soundly and moved to straddle him. "I do. I'll schedule a checkup with my doctor and make sure we're all good for it."

"You make it sound like a scientific project," John laughed, running his hands over her thighs.

"Half of you, half of me," she kissed him again. "I can't wait."

"Me neither."

But in the end, they proved that they could wait. Anna got herself cleared with the doctor, but after a year of trying and no result, another trip to the doctor was necessary - this time, to both of them.

Their diet changed. Tests were made - nothing seemed to be wrong with either of them, but they simply wouldn't conceive. Anna never even had a false alarm that lasted more than one day. All methods of contraception were abandoned a year ago. Alcohol was dropped from their daily life completely and Anna would often take her temperature and get everything down on an app on her phone. Sex became an obligation they both liked to have, but an obligation nevertheless.

But months passed, and nothing happened. They tried not to live by it; their days were still pretty much the same. They did the crosswords from the local newspaper together. Anna bought new flowers to the house often. They took road trips on Sundays to enjoy the good weather when it happened. They dreamed of decorating one of those spare bedrooms in the house.

After a year of that, John proposed they take a vacation. They were both in need of some time off everything - their jobs, their life, the pregnancy attempts. They spent a week in Greece on what John called their late proper honeymoon, and she guessed that all they had really needed was to relax.

A month later, she gave him the happiest news of his life.

In their years together, they had never had to deal with someone from her past bringing old memories to her. They both knew it was a possibility. They both understood it could happen. But it never did, and she guessed they got used to it.

John had an event in London, at the Park Lane hotel - the one they had shared so many nights in. Tonight would be one of those nights. His mother had finally decided to move to Ireland, and was currently living in a lovely flat just a few blocks from their house - John had wanted her to live with them, but Maggie was adamant that she needed her own space. With her house in London now rented, they would spend the night in the hotel, something they hadn't done in a while.

Anna felt slightly uncomfortable. Her feet were swollen and she spent most of the night sitting. She would normally want to have a lovely dance with her husband, but she didn't feel like moving around too much. She felt like a whale, if she were honest with herself. There was a time in pregnancy that she felt like glowing, but now wasn't it. She was more impatient than ever - to meet the baby, see their little face, care for them. In a month the baby would arrive, if everything went accordingly. John had been reticent about attending to this party, but she insisted. It would be a long time before they would go to one of these events once the baby arrived. They should enjoy this time together.

Still, the dress made her uncomfortable, the heels weren't too high and she knew she looked very short next to her husband. But John smiled and kissed her cheek.

"You look lovely," he told her yet again, and she allowed herself to smile.

"When's the baby due, Mrs. Bates?" the wife of one of John's co-workers asked.

Anna rested a hand on her belly and stroked there absentmindedly. "June. So not too long to go."

She had smiled. "So you must be getting impatient."

"Just a tad," Anna said, sharing a look with John.

Before the conversation could go on, a man and his young companion arrived and greeted John. Anna was used to this; John's trips to London were becoming less frequent and he always knew so many people around here. The man's companion - there was no ring in their hands - looked to be very young, whereas he was seemingly older than John.

"This is my wife, Anna," John's voice brought her out of her reverie. Anna smiled politely and offered her hand. "Ed here is one of our main investors."

But the man did not take it right away, and his next words turned her body cold.

"You look familiar."

He took her hand then, but apparently failed to notice the discomfort on Anna's part. His eyes were suspicious. John's arm rested over her shoulders protectively.

"Do I?" Anna asked with a tight smile. She wasn't sure of what to say - perhaps the man looked slightly familiar to her. Everything was so different now - she was older, different. Her hair was different. She was heavily pregnant. Perhaps he was mistaking her for someone else. "Perhaps we've seen each other in Ireland."

"Right, you live in Ireland, don't you?" he looked back at John. He looked terribly familiar. "My old age is probably getting me. We should be going, shouldn't we, love?" he eyed his young companion. "Congratulations on the baby, Bates."

Anna let out a breath in relief. She felt like she could be sick. Five years since she frequented these events, and this was the first time it felt too real. She was almost sure that man had been her client once. Just once - but it was enough. She felt a little lightheaded.

"We should go to our room," John said at once. She simply nodded; words were unnecessary. John offered her his arm and she took it, for both emotional and physical support. They bid their goodbyes quickly and made their way to their room.

She felt slightly calmer by the time they reached the lift, but she guessed it more because John's soft lips on her and his quiet voice asking if she was alright. He was always incredibly protective towards her, and the pregnancy seemed to only highlight that. Still, she worried. Maybe he didn't recognise her, but maybe he did. What if he had? Would he have said anything to anyone? John would always say that it didn't matter, but she knew better than that.

When they reached the bedroom, she went straight to the bathroom, eager to put some water on her face and feel a little more comfortable. John did not question her, but they both knew it was a conversation they would have to have. The baby moved slightly inside her - maybe a foot under her rib. The baby was already in position to be born, the doctor had told them on her latest ultrasound. She let out a shaky breath and ran a hand over her stomach.

She brushed her teeth, took off her makeup and combed her hair before making her way back to the bedroom. John had already taken his suit and jacket off, as well as his shoes. He smiled when he saw her.

"Feel any better?" he asked her from his seat on the bed.

Anna nodded and opened the wardrobe to get her nightgown. She was eager to get out of this dress. "Yeah. Someone has been kicking under my rib all evening."

"She may be a football player in the future," John joked, and she laughed as she unzipped her dress. "Let me help you."

She appreciated the help - getting in and out of clothes and shoes was becoming a little difficult now. She wouldn't even think of how it would be in a month. She hadn't put on too much weight during the pregnancy - the doctor told her everything was going as smoothly as possible - but her belly seemed to grow bigger every day. It was a weird but interesting and lovely experience.

John pulled her dress over her head and Anna was glad of it. She sighed when she felt him kiss the back of her neck and slip his hand over her belly.

"You look beautiful," he murmured against her hair, and she closed her eyes. "I mean it."

Anna smiled weakly as he kissed her cheek one more time and let go of her. She reached for her nightgown and put it on - a rather long one, one of the few that made her feel comfortable.

"I think I knew that man," she told John softly, her back to him. "He looked familiar."

"Maybe he mistook you for someone else," John offered her, and she turned around and shook her head.

"We both know that's not the case," she sighed and sat on the bed. "What if he remembered me, John? Properly."

"It's been years. He wouldn't have known your real name," John said softly as he took off his shirt.

"No, but if he knew me," Anna said again, "what would happen to you? Your reputation."

"We are married," John said with a soft smile. "We have a baby on the way. We've been in a stable relationship for almost five years. No one questions that, and they wouldn't even if someone thought they knew you," he explained, sitting beside her. "Don't worry. It's the first time this happened."

"But if it happens again?" she asked weakly. Perhaps the hormones were making her more emotional.

"We'll deal with it. But it won't," he assured her. "You're a wonderful wife, you'll be the best mother in this world. You're an amazing professional and you have a solid career. Don't worry about this, my darling."

Anna nodded, but her doubts weren't completely gone yet. "What if... What if our child finds out? In the future. What will we say when she asks her how mummy and daddy met? What will we say about our relationship?"

"There's no reason why she would ever find out. None of our children will have to know," John said softly, stroking her belly through the material of her nightgown. Anna wiped a tear from her cheek. "About how we met, we'll just say we had business together. And we fell in love in the first meeting conference."

Anna let out a laugh. "Business, huh?"

He kissed her temple. "It's not a lie. Except that it was never business to me."

Anna turned her head to face him. "To me either," he kissed her lips softly. Her heart seemed to be in the right place now - solid and beating to its own rhythm and not too worried anymore. "I love you. So much."

"I love you too," he breathed. They shared a smile. She ran a hand through his dishevelled hair. "Both of you. More everyday."

And there, in the solace of his arms, in an impersonal hotel room, Anna felt reassured again. She knew they could handle whatever came in their way. They had come a long way since those passionate nights - and had many, many more of those, and many others filled with love and companionship and respect. In that moment, she wished for nothing else than to go back home, be with their baby properly. He had helped her achieve so many of her dreams, and this would be the biggest of them all.

It was never just business, but she would never have guessed, after their first night, that they would come this far - and still have so much to look forward to.

* Kind of based the second scene on a scene from the movie The Man From Uncle. The song Anna dances to is Cry To Me by Solomon Burke.