A/N: This is part of the Secret Santa exchange on Tumblr for eady-of-old. I hope you enjoy this. Thanks to theglamourfades as well with the help as to what to write! It's strange not to have Downton again, but I hope you all thought the finale on Christmas Day was a good ending.

Snowed In

The morning was cool and John could feel the cold working its way into the bedroom as he rolled over, sighing loudly as he blinked awake and accustomed his eyes to the sunlight that shone through the curtains. He grunted and instantly rubbed his feet together, feeling the cold even more as he stretched his arms above his head and felt his shoulders crack, releasing the tension that sleep had brought.

Before John had the time to focus his eyes properly, however, the sound of a light, sweet giggle could be heard, and his early morning pout turned into a knowing smile. He turned his head to acknowledge his wife who was lying on her back, one hand on her growing belly, the other holding onto a book which she had clearly been squinting at to read as he rested. Anna quickly discarded the book on her nightstand, however, and reached her spare hand across to stroke his cheek.

"How kind of you to wake, Mr Bates," Anna grinned, closing the distance between them as far as she physically still could and greeting him with a morning kiss. John took this opportunity to slide his hand from above his head and entwine it with her other hand, resting it atop of where their baby rested.

"How long have you been awake?"

He tried not to sound too concerned, but John also knew that lately Anna had been finding a full night's sleep difficult to come by because of the baby's movements and from her growing size. John often felt guilty for sleeping through the night when he discovered this, while Anna was left awake, but his wife was often quick to soothe his conscience and proposed that he could make up for it when it came to nightly changes, with a cheeky grin. He remembered a saying of his mother's when a neighbour of theirs had been expecting a baby in Ireland that expectant mothers slept fewer hours in the last months as a practice of sorts for when the baby was born, and he supposed now that her saying had been right.

"Not too long, maybe about half an hour. We were too excited to sleep any more." Anna grinned. John mirrored her expression and chuckled, knowing how excited his wife always was for Christmas, and indeed birthdays too. Before he could dwell on his thoughts for much longer, however, Anna had reached over and kissed him once more. "Merry Christmas, Mr Bates."

John smiled into the kiss before he pulled back, looking into her eyes. "Merry Christmas, Mrs Bates. And Baby Bates."

Anna giggled.

"Your son is definitely an early riser, like you." Anna teased. She was sure their baby would be a boy. They had both decided that if it was the case, their child would be called William John.

"Or daughter." John grinned. He was of the impression that their child would be a girl. On the other hand, they had decided to call their child Kate Anna if it was a girl. Both parents had insisted on the other's name, and both had come to a compromise for the middle name.

Anna laughed at his resolute tone.

"Come on, we'd best get moving. We'll miss breakfast otherwise."

Anna was still working up at the Abbey, much to John's chagrin. However, her tasks had been reduced to an almost complete minimum now, consisting of mending at the table in the hall and occasionally helping Lady Mary change if she felt that she could manage the stairs. Her lighter duties had been at the insistence of John, Mrs Hughes and Lady Mary herself, who appeared to be very concerned about her maid's duties as her pregnancy progressed, perhaps due to the problems that she had helped Anna encounter at the start. Anna knew that most of them would have preferred her not to be working at all but, as she had pointed out, it would be safer for her to be up at the Abbey than down in the cottage alone if the labour was to begin.

This meant, however, that their trips up to the Abbey in a morning took a little longer than it used to, both because of her size and because of the cold weather recently which had turned some parts of the road icy.

"Very well," John sighed, sitting up and swinging his legs out of bed in one swift movement. Once he had gotten to his feet, John walked around to his wife's side of the bed and helped Anna up, earning himself a peck on the cheek for the gesture. John smiled and reciprocated the gesture, also squeezing her hand lovingly.

As John started to gather their undergarments from their chest of drawers, Anna waddled across to the window and pulled open the curtains. However, she stopped short of tying them back as she noticed the sight outside, and she audibly gasped.

Her husband turned around instantly. "Anna?"

"Come and look outside." As John reached her by the window, Anna laughed lightly and proposed, "It looks like getting to work might be trickier than usual."

There was a huge layer of snow on the ground outside, although the extent to which it rose was difficult to tell from their position. As far as husband and wife could see, the snow covered the fields and had dusted the tops of the trees. The snow had begun the night before, Anna recalled as she felt John's hand on the small of her back, although it had only started to settle on their journey home thankfully.

It had taken them forever to get back home, however, because John had insisted on wrapping his arm around her waist with his spare arm for the entire journey to prevent her from falling. However, they had shared some very lovely kisses on the walk home, Anna thought with a smile, shrouded by the late night sky.

But today it would be a lot more difficult, maybe even impossible, to travel up to the Abbey.

"I can check downstairs, see how it is there. It might look worse from up here." Anna gave him a look that told him he was being extremely optimistic, but he checked nonetheless. Anna followed him downstairs.

John picked up the key from the table in their hallway and unlocked the door, pulling it open. It seemed he had been extremely optimistic. The snow was piled high and had settled outside their door, completely blockading them in. And even if the two of them could have left the cottage, there was no way he would let Anna walk up to the Abbey without causing potential harm to the baby, and there was no way his knee would let him.

John started poking the snow, but it made no difference.

"John, leave it," Anna scolded. "It'll make no difference."

John scowled, feeling helpless in the situation. Anna recognised the look of defeat on his face and smiled lovingly at her husband, stepping forward to take his hand. "Come on, there's nothing either of us can do, close the door before it brings all the cold inside."

John sighed but nodded.

"We'll just have to wait it out here. Thank goodness you stocked up on the coal yesterday."

He followed her into their sitting room, casting a glance over to the fireplace and wondering when he should work at building it.

"What about the Abbey, should we not send word?"

"And how are you planning to do that? Send a pigeon with a note?"

As his face fell, Anna came forward, smiling, and apologised, wrapping her arms around his waist as best she could. "I'm sorry, but unless they send someone down to find us, there really is nothing we can do. I'm sure they'll realise what the problem is."

John stared at her ruefully, giving another deep sigh and looking around their sitting room. Anna was in the process of opening the curtains, although it made little difference to the light in the room. "I do wish we could send word in some way."

Anna turned to look at him and shook her head with a short smile. "So do I. But it's not like we make a habit of just not going into work. They'll know. Thomas will most likely have a few words to say, but there's no harm done there."

John smiled at that, and finally accepted with a nod that there was nothing the two of them could do.

"Come on, let's enjoy our Christmas Day. A very different one to what we imagined." Anna approached him slowly, one hand on her stomach as the baby moved around vigorously. She moved her hands to his shoulders and played with the fabric of his nightshirt. "Can you manage that?" She teased him.

John responded by grinning and dipping to kiss her softly. He explored her lips tentatively before pulling back. Anna smiled at his answer.

"Should I build the fire? We need to keep warm in here."

Anna shook her head. "Not for me. I think I'll head back to bed for a bit."

"Are you still tired?"

"I might grab a couple of winks." Anna reassured him that she was not too tired, although she did feel desperate for another hour or so. It was rather a luxury to be able to sleep in, one that she had not been afforded very much at all in her lifetime. And she had the feeling she would be needing all the sleep she could get very soon. "We could make breakfast afterwards? A proper Christmas morning."

John joined Anna upstairs and ended up reading for the two hours that she dozed off in bed. When she woke up John helped her downstairs and he began building the fire as Anna offered to make them breakfast. John argued and insisted he could manage it, but Anna rebuffed his offer and maintained that she could make them some eggs and toast.

John smiled at his wife's insistence and nodded in acceptance. He started building the fire from the coal he had collected a couple of days ago and soon the sitting room was lit in a soft, warm glow. As he left the fire behind cackling, he entered the kitchen to the smell of eggs and a pot of tea sitting on the table.

Anna was stood at the counter in the process of making the toast, however one her hands attempted to reach her shoulders, rubbing them vigorously before moving to the small of her back. Her neck tilted from side to side, and John took pity on her as he moved forward and gently settled his hands on her shoulders. Anna jumped slightly, and John chastised himself for not thinking. But Anna soon realised it was him and turned her head slightly to smile.

"Does it ache?" John asked tenderly, running the palm of his hands across her shoulders and her upper back.

Anna nodded. "A little."

Without any further instruction John began to massage her shoulders, kneading the aches there as Anna hummed in delight. He had become very adept at this in the last several weeks. He could feel the tension slowly begin to leave her shoulders and was mindful to do this again later on. John moved lower and ran his hands across her back, rubbing gently and pressing harder in other places as Anna's wordless appreciation told him.

Anna's hand appeared after a few more minutes, however, and took hold of his, stopping his ministrations. "Toast is ready, best to eat it before it goes cold, as lovely as this was." She teased.

John reached around to kiss her cheek in gratitude and then took both the plates to the table as Anna sat down with a tired huff.

"Delicious," John complimented with a funny smirk on his lips as he watched his wife from across the table.

Anna looked at him and smiled at his strange tone of voice.

"Why are you smiling?"

"I'm spending Christmas Day with my beautiful wife in our home. No one else to distract us."

Anna smiled and tilted her head to one side. "Silly beggar."

They decided to leave the washing up for now, and after Anna left the pan to soak in the sink they moved into the sitting room, now thoroughly warmed up with the fire. John quickly thought to move the settee a little closer to the fire.

"Perfect," Anna smiled. She joined John on the settee and instantly reclined across it and placed her feet in his lap, her head propped up with a cushion. "Ever so ladylike," Anna teased as she rolled her neck tiredly, listening to it click and sighing contentedly.

"You are the finest lady to me," John replied, taking her feet in his hands and noting their swollen state. He began to rub them as he had taken to doing so often now.

"I can't wait until this one is here," Anna spoke after a few minutes, rubbing her belly. "I look and feel like a giant."

John chuckled at her light-hearted complaints.

"You still look radiant to me. You know I'd love you however, whatever, whenever."

Anna smiled at the fond memory and reached over to stroke his cheek.

"And I know we said we were saving money this year, for when the baby comes, but I had to get you something," John suddenly revealed, lifting Anna's legs off his lap and standing to retrieve a collection of packages from one of the cupboard drawers. He turned around with them in his hands, smiling sheepishly at Anna's raised eyebrow and shake of the head.

"Honestly, John Bates," Anna scolded. However, her expression did not last for long, and it soon turned into a tender smile. "While you're on your feet, you can fetch yours. They're in the next drawer along."

John raised an eyebrow, causing Anna to laugh, but fetched them nonetheless before coming back over to sit with her on the settee, moving her feet back into position on his lap. It was just about all he could do at the moment to feel useful, rubbing her feet or making her tea in an evening, as he watched her struggle with the ungainly weight and soreness that came as a result. He could only shudder at the thought of Anna in labour and not being able to minimise the pain.

"Go on, you first." John insisted, placing the gifts down on top of her belly. Anna had to stretch her neck to see over the bump and the gifts until she chuckled and struggled to sit up a little bit more, resting the cushion behind her as one of her hands rested on her stomach, feeling the baby move to find a more comfortable position. She felt a familiar burning pain in the top of her stomach, and made a mental note to fetch herself some baking soda later on.

"Goodness knows the money we'll spend next year on this little one."

John grinned at the thought. "You know neither of us can wait for that." Anna smiled and chuckled whilst feeling the gift between her hands, pulling apart the string that held together the paper.

She opened the first gift and found it to be some of the chocolate she enjoyed, and having been craving sweet foods recently John had made the perfect choice. Anna smiled and thanked him before he insisted she move onto the next gift which was a set of bath soaps. Anna looked up, surprised, aware of how expensive these could be.

"To help you relax," John justified quickly. He then insisted, "You're going to need to." He was thinking when the baby was born, or even after the birth, but he supposed that she needed it now too. She was still working more than he would have desired for her, so she needed as much persuasion to rest as she could.

"Thank you, my darling." Anna reached across, indicating that she wanted a kiss, and John noticed her difficulties in completely closing the distance between them and did it for her, shifting her feet slightly as he captured her lips in a soft, warm kiss that felt just as wonderful as the first ever.

"You're welcome," John was the first to speak after they pulled away. He then brought his hand to the one remaining gift left balanced on her stomach. "Now this one is more of a gift for the baby…"

As Anna smiled she could feel her eyes watering at his thoughtfulness, not that she was surprised. Since she had revealed the good news to John, each time they had made a trip to Ripon or York he had been buying things for the baby, being unable to resist. The nursery was now filling with wooden toys, some story books and a new blanket for the cot they had purchased from the catalogue. Anna knew the baby would have their dad wrapped around their little finger.

John urged her to open it, and as she did Anna unveiled a small stuffed bear. It was a golden brown colour with a red ribbon tied around its neck. Anna could feel the tears falling down her cheeks now, and she had to wipe them away promptly to prevent them from falling onto the beautiful bear.

"Anna?" John asked, concerned.

Anna shook her head as if to appease his concerns. "I love it. The baby will love it." She dried her eyes promptly before suggesting, "Here, open yours now."

John smiled and took the packages. He opened them both to discover two new books that he had kept his eye on in Ripon several weeks ago, one a collection of essays and the other a new novel that he had wanted to read.

"They just seem so plain now," Anna complained at her choice, pouting slightly. However, John soon kissed away those worries until he could feel her smiling against his lips.

"They're wonderful. Thank you." John pressed their lips together once more. He continued to do so again and again until Anna burst out laughing, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt as her head tilted back. John smiled at the sound he never took for granted.

Anna rubbed her stomach with a disgruntled sigh. She noticed John watching her with concern and without raising her head, concentrated on rubbing the certain area, "I think it's indigestion again. I'll fix some soda and water, see if that helps."

"Are you sure it's not–"

Anna looked up this time and smiled. "I think we'd know if it was that." She smirked.

"Very well." John smiled. "I can fix that for you anyway, you stay here and rest."

John was soon back with her drink. He handed it to her and settled back into the space beside his wife.

"What do you think they're doing up at the house?"

"Well…" John began. "It's just after twelve, so I imagine it will be all hands on deck right now in the kitchen."

"Daisy will be frightened for her life," Anna chuckled, imagining a stressed out Mrs Patmore readying Christmas dinner for both the family and the servants.

Part of them both wished that they were up at the big house celebrating Christmas with their colleagues - or close friends, really. But another part of them was grateful for the day off, and for the time together before the birth of their first child. Anna had decided she would like to continue working after the baby was born, her desire to stay with Lady Mary meaning that she wished to remain in service for as long as possible. This would mean less time together than it would have been had she decided to leave service upon the baby's birth, and for that reason John and Anna revelled in the time that they could spend alone together. Anna drifted off once more against his shoulder after they had opened presents, with the heat and the cackling of the fire sending her into a peaceful slumber, until she eventually woke up once more and John suggested he draw her a bath with some of her new salts. Anna kissed him in gratitude and wondered what she had ever done to deserve such a thoughtful husband.

Anna came downstairs after her bath with a huge smile on her lips, and headed towards the kitchen. She set about boiling some potatoes and eggs, and also chopping some vegetables with John's help. It was a small and simple Christmas dinner, but a dinner nonetheless with the ingredients they had to hand in thee cottage.

"Not quite a Mrs Patmore feast," Anna teased as they sat down at the kitchen table and tucked into their dinner. Thankfully the snow had begun to melt too, enough for them to be able to walk into work tomorrow.

"But a feast nonetheless." John smiled and started to eat one of his potatoes, drowned in the gravy that they had made from the ingredients left in the cottage. He also had a sweet surprise for Anna later, a cake he had requested from Mrs Patmore because of Anna's latest cravings, but he had decided he would keep that a secret until later on this evening.

The baby seemed to agree with their father as they gave a resounding kick, causing Anna to laugh and place a hand across her extended stomach. Afterwards, however, she simply rubbed her stomach with a tired sigh.

John looked at her, concerned.

"It's nothing," Anna reassured. "I'll be glad when the baby is here." She grinned, holding onto her stomach with a roll of her eyes. He knew she was growing exhausted of her ungainly weight and her inability to move around as before, and of course the pain to her back and feet that he had been more than willing to help relieve.

They finished eating their Christmas dinner and decided to wash up between them to spare the work in the morning. Anna soon grew tired, John noticed, and afterwards he suggested an early night. She was due in fourteen days, and John had vowed to try and relieve her of any duties until then - if his wife allowed it of course.

As they settled down for bed that night, wrapped in each other's arms as they spoke about what the New Year would hold for them both, neither knew that their lives would be changing irrevocably on New Year's Eve. In a matter of days they would both have a son, and their lives would change forever.

The greatest of gifts for the new year and the rest of their lives to come.

A/N: I hope this read OK, because I was worried that it became too narrative in the end. After watching the finale I hoped to fit this in with it as best I could, but I hope it reads well, and that everyone enjoys their Christmas time and the New Year, especially eady-of-old (I've always loved your work, and hope you will continue to write) :)