A/N- I know, I know, I have two stories on the go already but this is one particular story I have been working on for nearly two years. It's the first time I have written a story in it's entirety before uploading. It's something I have dipped into on and off, and now I have finally finished it so thought why not share it? There are fifteen chapters, not the longest I have ever written but still mostly 2,000 words in length.

I think the reason I have resisted uploading this is because I'm asking for a bit of artistic licence. Upon meeting we have to imagine Anna is the one with the secret. I have tried to keep true to the characters, but I thought it would be interesting to put a different spin on things.

Why Seattle? Well, Frasier mainly which is one of my favourite shows. But my brother (he's the traveller I might have mentioned) went there and absolutely loved it. Geography is not my strong suit, so if there are any glaring errors, I apologise. My guides were Google and TripAdvisor. Also I know nothing about lawyers and their day to day business, I just wanted John in a suit.

So here goes. Please be kind, as you always are but this has been two years in the making so it's quite nerve wracking to finally upload. Depending on the reception this story receives, I was thinking of uploading a new chapter every Sunday and Wednesday unless people would like more sooner. Or even less often. Let me know.

Thanks to my Beta who convinced me this story wasn't too out of the realms of possibility.

Disclaimer: Downton belongs to Julian Fellowes/ ITV/ Carnival.

1

Lifting the coffee cup to his lips, John Bates took a long lingering sip of his drink. Friday night, sitting in a café on one of the backstreets in Seattle that had become his regular, John chanced a glance out of the window. The world was bustling past as he enjoyed this moment of solitude. It had been a long week. The novelty of being a stranger in this town was beginning to wear off now he was well into the task set for him, the reason why he was in America. He was looking forward to a relaxing weekend, hopefully he'd find the time to explore the city, the time that had been in short supply since he had arrived a few months ago.

Turning his attention back to his book- his love for Keats inherited from his mother- John exhaled a heavy, contented sigh before adjusting his thick rimmed glasses. This was bliss…

Suddenly, the door of the café burst open. Lifting his head, John was a little annoyed to have his moment of peace interrupted by someone bustling into the café. Spill The Beans was a hive of activity during the day, but it was quieter in the evenings, a perfect sanctuary on the outskirts of this busy city.

All John could see was a giant rucksack moving its way towards the counter. Pushing his glasses to rest half way down his nose, John watched the stranger, obviously a tourist, over the top of them. It was a woman, John could see her slightly damp blonde hair now she had taken her rucksack off from her back. She turned slightly, and John caught a glimpse of her face. She was pretty, was his initial reaction. He was but a man.

'Excuse me,' she began to speak to the barista, and John lifted his eyebrows in surprise. She was English, Yorkshire. He thought he had heard the tones of a familiar accent when she had first arrived. 'I don't suppose you serve tea, do you? I've just got off a long bus journey and I could murder a cup.'

'We serve fourteen types of tea. Earl Grey, English Breakfast…'

'Are any of them Yorkshire tea, by any chance?' The woman interrupted the helpful young man behind the counter. John smiled. It was nice to hear that accent again.

'No, I'm afraid not.'

'Ahh damn,' the woman cursed, looking up at the menu boards on the wall. 'I suppose I'll have the Earl Grey. Milk in first before the hot water though, please. It doesn't taste right any other way.'

John was finding this woman's whole performance highly entertaining. She was clearly a woman who was confident. However, she didn't seem to notice the barista's confused expression following her instruction, too busy fumbling for something or other.

'Oh fudge,' she said aloud as she lifted her rucksack onto a nearby table, before unzipping the top. 'I can't find my purse.' The woman grimaced as she looked inside her bag. 'I bet it's at the bottom of all of this lot.' She regarded the barista once more. 'I don't fancy unpacking and repacking my bag. I don't suppose you'd take pity on a young woman on her first night as a tourist in your town, would you?'

You had to admire her ingenuity.

'I'm sorry, we don't accept pity as a currency in Spill The Beans.' The barista replied, somewhat sardonically.

The woman accentuated her smile in response. 'Fine, give me a tick.'

As she searched through her bag, a thought occurred to John. He hadn't met many people whilst he had been here, too busy with work and the stresses that came with it. This woman's whole demeanour had intrigued John ever since she had walked in. There was something about her, and it wasn't often John felt like that about anybody, especially on first sight. Before he had a chance to ponder any longer, John was on his feet, walking towards the woman whilst reaching in his back pocket for his wallet.

'I hope you don't mind me asking, but can I get that tea for you?'

Immediately stopping her search, the woman met John's gaze. She had the most stunning blue eyes John had ever seen. He was knocked off stride by their beauty for a moment before she was answering him.

'That's very kind,' she replied, smiling at John. 'If you wouldn't mind, that would be lovely.'

'Right, great,' John nodded, stepping towards the counter as the barista began to prepare her order. He was glad for the moment to gather himself as the stranger repacked her belongings. She was breathtaking. Her smile was flawless, her eyes burning into his made his cheeks redden and feel warm. John Bates didn't blush. Ever.

'That will be three dollars twenty five please, sir.'

John handed over a five dollar bill as the woman joined him at the counter. She was quite a bit shorter than him, he noted, but his whole right side felt warmer for having her close to him. 'Don't be silly, Bates,' John introspectively chided himself, 'she's only a woman, you are feeling this way because you haven't had sex in nearly two years.'

'Keep the change,' John heard himself saying as he took the hot cup from the counter, it resting delicately on a saucer.

'That's one dollar seventy five you've let him have,' the woman hissed when they had turned their backs.

'You have to tip over here,' John explained, beginning the walk back towards his table.

'Yes, but it's not even Yorkshire tea. I'd have given him fifty cents, a dollar at best.'

John felt slightly awkward, standing in the middle of the café with this woman's tea in his hand. He didn't want to be presumptuous and place it on his table, so he stopped short, laying it to rest on the table across from where he was sitting.

'What are you doing?'

'Putting your tea down,' John answered, returning to his seat.

'Can I not sit with you?' The woman asked before beginning to nod her head. She was looking at John's table, where his book lay open. 'Ahh, you're reading. I'll leave you to it.'

John suddenly felt a little downbeat, closing his book and pushing it to one side. He just couldn't believe someone as beautiful as her would want to sit with him.

'It's nothing that won't wait, please,' John gestured towards the seat opposite. He removed his glasses. 'Join me if you wish.'

'Thank you.' John was sure the woman fluttered her eyelashes a little too obviously. Or it might have been the caffeine affecting him. He had lost count of the amount of coffee he had drunk since arriving in Seattle. She got herself comfortable, pushing her bag under the table before offering John her hand. 'Anna Smith.'

'John Bates,' he replied, taking her hand in his and shaking it gently. Her hands were wondrously soft.

'Now, I'm not a woman of the world but I can tell you aren't a local around here.'

'How perceptive of you,' John chuckled, leaning forward to rest his arms on the table. 'I live in England but I'm from Ireland originally. I was sent over here by my boss for six months. I am usually based in Yorkshire.'

'I'm from Yorkshire,' Anna replied enthusiastically.

'Yeah, I got that when you first walked in. It was quite the performance.'

'Oh, sorry,' Anna grimaced, hiding behind her cup as she took a sip of her tea. 'I didn't mean to interrupt what you were most probably hoping would be a relaxing cup of coffee.'

'It's fine, honestly,' John insisted, meeting Anna's eye 'It's been a nice interruption.'

Their gaze remained locked, and John felt his breathing quicken. Eye contact had never really done much for him, but it seemed no one had ever looked at him quite the way Anna was right now. She was a perfect stranger, this was ridiculous. As she looked away to stir her drink, John was sure he caught a hint of red upon her own cheeks. He cleared his throat before continuing.

'So, what brings you to Seattle?'

'I'm travelling,' Anna replied, reaching into the side pocket of her bag before revealing a guide book. 'I've been in America for the past six months.'

'Wow, that's very impressive,' John replied sincerely, looking at her book. 'Where have you been?'

'Along the West Coast mainly,' Anna explained as she thumbed through her guide book. 'Spent a while in Los Angeles and California in general, then worked my way up and now here I am. I'm hoping to be in this area for a month, then its back home, I guess.'

'And you've done this all on your own?'

'Yeah,' Anna nodded, closing her book and stroking the cover. 'I haven't really left Yorkshire in my life at all, and I just wanted to prove something to myself I guess. That I'm more than Anna Smith, a hairdresser from Yorkshire.'

'Well it's very admirable. I'm not sure I could do it.'

'What?' Anna said through a chuckle. 'You've come over here miles away from home in a foreign country to work. That's something to admire in my book.'

'Yeah, on a trip fully paid for by my boss, living in a luxury apartment he's paying the rent for, as well…'

'It's not about material things though, is it? You've left your comfort zone to do something new.'

John shrugged, not wholly convinced in this glowing testimony Anna was offering him. 'Perhaps.'

'So, what is there to do in this town?'

'I don't think I'm the best person to ask,' John shook his head. 'I can tell you all about the office, or the view from my apartment but that's as far as my knowledge of Seattle goes. Everyone knows about the Space Needle, and the people are friendly.'

'I've found that true for most of the American people,' Anna agreed, before lifting her gaze to meet his once more, 'but the first person to offer to buy me a drink is an Irishman.'

'You can't tell me in your entire time here no one has even offered to buy you a drink.'

'No, they haven't,' Anna shook her head. 'I mean, I've met people and made friends for life, fellow travellers. I guess we're all just really protective of our money. You need a lot of it to do what I've just done.'

'I'm sure you do.'

'Anyway,' Anna finished her drink in one long swig, John transfixed as he watched her. She was a northern lass in every meaning of the expression. 'I best get back to the hostel. I don't know who I'm sharing with yet and I want to make sure I get the top bunk.'

John stood before Anna did. She slung her rucksack onto her back and took her book into her grasp before regarding John. 'Well, thank you for the tea. Take care of yourself, John Bates.'

'You too, Anna Smith,' John breathed, smiling before she turned on her heel and left the café.

John sat down and released yet another heavy sigh. She was magnificent. What he thought would be a relaxing Friday night and nothing out of the ordinary had turned out to be so much more.

With no one due to take occupancy alongside her until tomorrow, Anna felt privileged to have her own room for the night. It had been an adventure to stay in hostels, and she had met some amazing people, but it would be nice to have some time to herself.

Once she was settled, she set about connecting her tablet to the WIFI. Her nightly ritual had been to video call those back home. It was early evening here, and the time difference was eight hours. She knew her best friends, Gwen and Mary, would be out, or most probably already nursing hangovers with it being Friday night so she decided to call someone else.

Christopher MacKenzie. Anna's childhood sweetheart. He was gorgeous. Tall, blonde, dashing blue eyes and he worked out regularly. In their little village everybody knew who they were. Anna and Chris, you never found one without the other. He owned a successful car garage, she was manager of the local hairdressers. Two hubs of the community. Their mothers got on famously. Everything was seemingly perfect.

Although it wasn't.

Chris had proposed a year before, and Anna had said yes. She thought it was what she wanted. But as her fiancé got lost in planning a grand wedding, she felt he was completely forgetting about what it actually meant to become man and wife. Everything was for show. Anna knew Chris loved their standing in the community, their status and he wanted this wedding to be, in his words, 'the wedding to end all weddings.'

One night it became too much, and after a heart to heart with her best friends, using her savings she decided upon her trip to America. Anna wanted to experience something before she married Chris, to find out if there was more to life. Her fiancé was obviously unhappy about it, but she told him if they could survive being apart for six months, they could survive anything. Their marriage could survive anything. So Chris had reluctantly agreed to push all the arrangements back.

He answered after a few rings, appearing on the screen with the kitchen in their flat behind him.

'Hello gorgeous.'

'Hello Chris,' Anna smiled, 'how are you?'

'I'm alright.' Chris replied, 'Surviving. I spent an hour at the gym this evening. On top form, so I was.'

'Impressive.' Anna replied, although the sincerity was missing from her tone. He did like to toot his own horn on occasions. 'I'm in Seattle.'

'That's great sweetheart,' Chris said dismissively before holding up a brochure to the screen. 'Rutland Hall has a new wedding package, better than the one we have but the same price, available on the date we want. Is it alright to go ahead and book it?'

Anna felt a little deflated. Chris never wanted to hear about her travels it seemed. 'Yeah, whatever you want.'

'I want nothing but the best for my princess,' Chris continued before pointing at the screen, 'and this is the best. It's going to be an amazing day.'

'I'm sure it is.'

'Look, I'm sorry to cut things short but Andy has invited me out for an early morning run and it's nearly one in the morning here.'

'No, that's fine,' Anna replied, a little relieved she wouldn't have to listen to him talking about the wedding. 'You go, get some sleep.'

'Thank you, my angel. Don't worry about the video calling, it's very expensive. Love you.'

Before Anna had a chance to answer, Chris had disconnected the call. She sighed, placing her tablet on the bottom bunk before reaching for a pouch from the shelf beside her bed. She opened it and took out the diamond ring it held. Her engagement ring. She hadn't worn it throughout her travels, Chris had advised her not to wear it, least she be mugged or anything. He was ever the practical one.

Placing it back in the pouch, Anna buried it at the bottom of her bag. In a few weeks she would be Mrs Anna MacKenzie. And these six months had caused her to wonder whether that was what she really wanted. She loved Chris, but was that enough?

As she turned off the lights before climbing into her bunk, tiredness overcoming her despite the early hour, Anna thought of home. Her father had died a few years ago, but her mother loved Chris, the wedding had all but been paid for. Her life would be comfortable. Did she really have it within her to let them all down?

A/N 2- That's it. How was it?