Another wonderful visit back to the early days aaaah. And you've captured them so well here. So lovely! :)

aaawww, that so sweet, I love Bates! I love the way you portrayed him, sort of conflicted... 333

Thank you so much for responding to the prompt - I really love what you have done with it!

So nice to revisit this period when they were still getting to know one another and were unsure about their feelings. This is particularly grounded in time, as it is during Pamuk's visit and John's attempt to correct his limp. I don't recall seeing a lot of emotion from John toward Anna at this point in the show (or am I just forgetting?), so it is fascinating to think that he might have already fallen for her by this point.

I feel for John, wanting so badly to be like everyone else, wanting his leg to be "normal" again, not wanting to be held back. The pain he is putting himself through must be excruciating. Of course, Anna can tell that something is wrong, and her care and concern are obvious.

I love their conversation - how she reassures him that he needn't fear for his job, that those who matter respect him now - and that they are so comfortable together that they can tease and chide each other, as well as be serious. Anna's comment about keeping him from wallowing is really funny, but also so true, and John's response shows that she is right on target and that he is at ease with her honesty.

Their conversation is realistically complex - when she admits that she more than respects him, her admission causes such mixed feelings for him, and then she retreats back to "You've been a wonderful friend," which is a disappointment to John, but one he tries to convince himself he's glad of. I really like your comparing their relationshp to a growing flower, and that John had always "promised himself that...if things became too dangerous he would nip it in the bud and pull it up by the roots. Was he too late? Had the roots grown stronger than he'd thought, had the flower started to open?"

It says a lot about John's inner conflict that his realization that he's probably fallen in love with Anna is more terrifying to him than the kind of fear he'd felt during the war, during recovery from his injury, when he'd been fired by Robert.

Your last sentence is perfect - that he is able to confess his feelings out loud after she has gone to tend to Lady Mary, "knowing that floors above, separated by brick and wood and unmoveable human impossibility, she would never hear him." So beautiful, poignant, and moving! I can't begin to express how much I love this fic - thanks again for responding to the prompt!

Not to mention that I loved the prompt from the outset, but knowing it was set during 1.3 made me even more excited to read. There was so much more that could have been done with John and Anna around the leg brace, and even though they weren't talking about that (typical John and his stoicism) it was really good to see them at this point in time, when their feelings for each other are breaking through the surface.

I really love that you put those hints about John's attraction to Anna in there so simply. Of course he is enamoured by her appearance, but it runs deeper with the things she says. You've captured both of them so well here, at this stage - Anna being so optimistic and John so unsure. When she tells him she more than respects him and he allows that hope to come to life, with trepidation too, it's exactly what I would expect. "A flower cultivated on inhabitable soil" - wow! So wonderfully introspective. The shift back to 'friendship' is both heartbreaking and really sweet, because that's truly what their relationship is based on.

I also liked the brevity of this fic too - of course, I can't get enough of your writing, but it really reflected the snippet that of time they'd be able to snatch out in the courtyard. To have Anna going back inside and John lingering and brooding is perfect.

Such a fantastic job, as ever.

Well this was adorable. I wish the courtyard was used more often in the show nowadays. Sigh. It's still such a symbol of hope and played a significant part in their journey together that I just swoon whenever it's used so brilliantly as you've done here :)

I love exploring exactly when one or the other knew or thought or guessed or feared they might be in love. I still haven't really pinned the timeframe down for myself, but I think this is as believable as any. And since his overt resistance comes later, the idea of him having to address his own fear (and maybe being immobilized by it for awhile) is interesting.

That was really well done - their personalities, their relationship, the natural way the flit between teasing and serious and potentially romantic and back again, Bates's concerns and Anna's support. Really nice!

I love this. You have a real feel for the characters. :)

I enjoyed it. Thank you.

This was lovely. Thank you.

YES
I love it!
"At times, he'd though he'd caught flashes of something else in her countenance, something untenable, fledgling, in the bright blue of her eyes."
Wonderful.

What a wonderful use of the prompt. I loved the scene where Anna's hand is hovering over John's arm and everything it represents. Anna is John's staunchest supporter, right from day one. He is grateful for her friendship, when everyone else viewed him with pity. Thank you so much for posting!

I love reading stories that take us back to series 1 and of course this one, coming from you, did not disappoint. I just love their easiness around each other, but still so hesitant to talk - still discovering what it is between the two of them, I suppose. It's not often that we see these thoughts from John, as Anna had always seemed more orientated during that time than him, and you speak through him beautifully. You can just sense the right amount of trepidation and even his fear. But of course, there's nothing to be done to avoid it, and indeed his last line just proves us that. Thanks so much for sharing this lovely story. :)

What an absolutely beautiful use of that line. And I'm so happy to see you writing here again. You were my very first favorite author and I've read and loved everything you've written!

This was amazingly done. I love how well it fits into the episode, as though it could have been lifted as a cut scene from the script books. I especially love the restraint in her "more than respect" line. Great job, thanks for sharing.