A/N: Here we are - the final chapter! It's been quite a journey, and to be honest, I didn't think I had ten chapters in me at the beginning - but then, my love for Anna/Bates knows no bounds.

I hope all you A/B fans find this finale satisfying :)

Anna lay on her back in the bed, staring up at the ceiling, her eyes focused on one small spot there. She blinked slowly, a few times, and then opened them wide once more. Somehow she wasn't agitated or irritated, hadn't worked herself into bother as she was wont to do so often before. Instead she had surrendered; succumbed without objection to her wakeful state. Lying there, her hands resting upon her stomach, on top of the sheets, she felt a great calm surround her. It had been a long time indeed since she had experienced such a sense of peace. She wasn't sure whether she should have been comforted or alarmed. She pondered for all of a second, before deciding simply to accept the unexplained but pleasant effect. Stop questioning everything so much. It was nice, to relinquish just for a little while. It would do her good. The trick was to notice when it was tipping over the edge, to pull everything back in place before it escaped her grasp completely. She would be able to do that. She thought. She found it hard to think of much just now, except the crack in the ceiling plaster that seemed to be widening by the moment, and how achingly tired she was.

A whole night with the complete absence of sleep. Even with so many restless ones that had passed, she still found herself shocked by the fact. If this was the outcome of an early departure to bed, it was little wonder that her natural instincts had given her a predilection for staying up late throughout most of her life. She would have to lie to Mrs Hughes when she would enquire whether she had been able to find the rest she so sorely needed, though she didn't know quite how she would do so convincingly. In so many years, nobody had managed to become adept at hiding anything from the housekeeper, but she was especially useless at trying. Then, of course, there were the tell-tale signs that she was sure had etched themselves even deeper in the space of these few long, yet fleeting hours. She could feel them even before she had run her hand upon her face; they would be blindingly obvious in the light of day, and more so to Mrs Hughes' meticulous eyes. Anna felt bad that she should be the one to prove her wrong, even if it was over something that wasn't of too much concern. Your wellbeing is of great concern, Anna, and don't you ever think it isn't. It's the things we take for granted that make all the difference, especially in such times. There was too much time. There wasn't enough of it. She'd wasted too much of it, tonight. She was beginning to take it for granted.

Oh, she was exhausted. Just a little bit of sleep was all she asked for right now. Not much, just enough to get her through. If she was no longer permitted to dream then surely, it was the very least she could ask for. Yet whatever power was responsible had deigned her simple request to actually be the most unfeasible of all.

Faint shadows had started to form on the ceiling and walls, appearing to her eyes before she was quite aware. They drifted towards the window. Behind the curtains the earliest light had begun to emerge, breaking through softly yet also with unstoppable force, fighting its way past darkness. Quite soon it would overcome it completely. The swiftness of the dawn should not have surprised her. Days and nights all moved so seamlessly now, merging together with it seemed no point to mark their respective beginning or end. She had stopped discerning the distinction between long ago. Now, the rising of the sun was like a revelation. Her eyes went over to the clock on the wall directly opposite. Nearly quarter past five. Not long at all, and a new day would be heralded in the house. A day that would drag by, but be over too soon. A day that brought her a little closer to the one that was taking ever so long to arrive, but was the one, in all the many that preceded it, that she kept arising, longing and, indeed, living, for.

As the night began to fade, so too did her delirium, and she started to wonder what the day ahead would have in store. It was a few days before the family were due to start making their way back, yet preparations could never commence early enough. Everyone would most likely be set into a flurry of fierce action all at once if Mr Carson had his way – and there was no doubt that he would. There was lots to be done, in every room – even the ones that had long gone unused and unoccupied – to get every little thing in order and up to the usual impeccable standards. In some respect, she was quite looking forward to getting involved and being properly busy once more, but the very thought also made her want to curl up and hide. She was quite sure she wouldn't have the energy to stay on her feet for longer than five minutes, yet at the same time she was quite prepared to carry out more than her contribution.

It took her a little while to figure out exactly what day of the week it was. She rubbed at her eyes rapidly, as if the action would somehow help to lift the fog of confusion, and went over the details in her mind. Shepherd's pie for dinner last night, which meant it had been Tuesday night. Wednesday. Her afternoon off. Thank God. She went through the possibilities of how she could spend the precious time. A good few hours in the gardens, picking the flowers before they became victim to the hastening frost; a trip into Ripon if it was really nice. She could be dreadfully and indulgently lazy and return here, use it all attempting to chase the slumber that had eluded her throughout the night. All fine ideas. She knew exactly what she would do. There was something that she'd spotted last week when she was out in the village, an address of a residence in London pinned in a window. It had seemed awfully familiar somehow, and something had struck her immediately when she glimpsed it from the corner of her eye. The early evening bus had arrived before she'd had time to take it down, and all week long it had been running through her head. It was probably the weakest line of enquiry she'd chanced upon yet, but she had already begun to clutch at her fair share of straws without hesitation. She just hoped it would still be there, in the same place as she'd found it. She thought of the long day he would be facing, staring at the four walls that were closing in a little more with each minute; let out for the smallest amount of time amongst strangers, men who were capable of doing God only knows what. His days there were hell, and they had to be over soon. He needed for everything to change. He needed her to be able to make the change.

The rising sun crept underneath the curtains and was sweeping across the bedcovers, bathing her in agreeable warmth. Birdsong sounded in the distance. She was so tired, but she couldn't sleep, not now. The gentle heat resting on her skin was making her drowsy. Soon enough, the knock would come upon the door, as reliable as ever. Time to get up. There was a little time until then, time enough to rest. Her eyes fluttered softly shut against the pale light. She could still behold it behind them. I'll just rest like this for a bit; I won't sleep. Her eyelids shuddered, and the light began to gradually retreat.

She made her way along to the hall, walking with a little more care than usual. It felt quite strange here, somehow, and she wasn't quite sure why. Then again, this simple, short journey had always felt a little disconcerting to her now, filled with the memory of that afternoon. It was cold, and incredibly dark; she could hardly make out where she was going. Someone may have left the lights on, she thought to herself. What time of day it was she wasn't sure. Judging by the lack of people around it was either very early, or very late indeed. There was hardly a sound, from anywhere. It was as if the whole house had been vacated without her knowing and she was the only person left, to face whatever the danger was that had caused everyone else to flee. It was really very unnerving.

As she approached the doorway, there was something. A faint creaking. She stopped short, a swell of fear shooting through her. It was inches away. At once she wanted to run and was compelled to go on. Something else. Sounds she knew. It couldn't be. She held her breath as she tried to discern with her mind before she could see with her own eyes. Just a few steps more, and she would be sure. It was as if she was being held still. Before her eyes blurred completely against the black, she observed a small shaft of light. It was coming from the hall; there was someone there. Half fearful, half fearless, she found herself moving effortlessly all of a sudden, rushing towards the flare. The beaming became increasingly brighter against her eyes, yet they couldn't blind her to the sight that was before her. She felt as if she would drop to her knees.

There he stood, alone, in front of the table. As always. As if he had been there all along, if only she would have searched. Perhaps it was just because she had been too busy looking elsewhere.

"Anna."

Her name, sounding out soft and sure. Like it was the only word that had ever left his lips since. Reverence, in so many respects. He said it as if it were the prayer that kept him living.

Once again, she was frozen. He was there, standing right before her. Her hands had flown to her face in utter disbelief; one was still clamped to her mouth as the other rested above her chest. She could feel her heart thudding through it. He looked ever so different, but just the same as all those years ago. He seemed to glow with the light that lay on the side, a light that he was letting out of himself too, and there was a spark in his eyes that radiated. A spark that had always been there, but had been obscured throughout the darkness that had persisted around them. She couldn't quite take it in. He began to move slowly towards her, smiling softly. It broke the spell. Unable to wait any longer, she hurried to close the small distance between them, running as if she had miles to go. Upon her action, he had opened his arms out to catch her, and she fell immediately into them.

She'd forgotten and remembered instantly just how wonderful it felt, to have his arms wrapped around her, holding her so close to him. Hers circled around him just as intently, and she never wanted to let go. Slight and restrained touches of fingertips replaced suddenly by an enveloping embrace that made up for all the time spent apart. The contact that had been denied for so long was theirs again, sweeter than it ever was. She closed her eyes and savoured the sensation as it washed over her. His hands as they began to drift up and down her back, sending shivers tingling there. Her head clamped itself to his chest, hearing his heart beating steadily. This was real, more so than anything she'd felt in a long while. His hands smoothed over her hair, stroking gently, before he laid the lightest kiss on her crown, as if afraid she would break. She felt herself shake, and the tears come rolling from her eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

She placed her hands upon his chest as she looked up at him. Her eyes became lost in his own, lost in all of the emotion that was surging and surrounding them. Her voice quivered as she gave her reply.

"I don't mind. I'm just so glad that you're here."

He gazed down at her, bringing his hands up to her face. Cupping her chin gently with one, the fingers from his other wiped the tears away from her cheeks, trailing down to trace the curve of her bottom lip with his thumb. She had never felt so much love as she had in that very instant.

He stroked the back of his hand across her cheek, before both travelled to rest on her shoulders. "You haven't been sleeping well," he looked deep into her face with concern as he massaged the knots of stress sitting across her spine.

"Oh, you know me, always staying up too late." She smiled against the sweet sorrow that was still welling within her.

"But I'm the cause." He glanced down ruefully while his hands continued to caress.

She touched a shaking hand to his cheek. "It's fine; I'm fine. Now that you're here…"

The tears had started to gather in her throat again. She still couldn't believe it. It had been so long; she almost thought she would never see him here again. He took her hand from his face and closed it in his own, trying to soothe her as she was still visibly unsettled. Moving carefully, he led them both to sit down at the table, in the places that they had claimed as theirs. She braced her hand against the sturdy wood as she sat, feeling his other hand rest upon her knee. She kept her eyes upon their entwined hands as they lay upon the table. They remained so as she calmed herself; didn't break apart as they sat in comfortable silence, taking the closeness of one another in once again. In those moments she felt the past months, years, slip away. All of the time spent hurt, lost, and alone forgotten about as they were there, together again. Now again, it was just as it had been so many times before. She had finally been awoken from an awful, horrible nightmare that had gone on for far too long. It was over, at last.

As amazing as it felt to have him by her side, his hand in hers, she was puzzled at why he should have chosen to come to her here. The place from where he had been taken away from her. She would have thought it was the last place he would want to be. Whenever she was here, throughout all the days and nights, a shiver would still come over her as she walked through the doorway, as she sat, looking out beyond. The feeling of dread and fear that still hung in the air; the agony that panged deep in her heart. It had been tainted, irrevocably, unfortunately. The place where their happiness and hope had come to such an abrupt end.

"This is where it all it started."

He gave her the reminder, though she had never forgotten. It flooded back to her, their first encounter here in the midst of the night, all those years ago. The beginning of everything dismissing what had been to follow so far away in the future.

"I can't imagine what you must have thought about me then," she remembered how she appeared to him, so terribly flustered and barely being able to disguise the fancy she knew now she had already had for him at that meeting. "Going on in such a way…I look back and think I must have seemed very silly indeed."

"Not at all. You were utterly charming. Perfect; just as you always are."

She looked up to see him smiling at her, and felt the smile on her own face bloom in response to his words.

"I have to say, even though I wish for the opposite for you now, I was very glad you were unable to sleep that night."

"I was too." Her fingers shifted against his, her thumb stroking his palm. She started to giggle as a vision appeared to her. "I can't help but think; what if another person had come down instead while you were there? Miss O'Brien, perhaps?"

His eyebrows raised in horror. "I suspect I would have been immediately overcome by a very urgent need for slumber. In fact, I wouldn't have been able to climb the stairs quickly enough."

They both laughed heartily. It was impossible for her to imagine not having arisen that night, for things to have happened any differently than they had. The significance of one little split-second decision seemed astounding, yet somehow not at all.

"But if that had been the case, I think it would have happened the same way, sooner or later. I would have made sure of it. Even it meant me sitting up here for nights on end."

He chuckled softly. "I have no doubt of that whatsoever. How unbelievably glad I have been for your patience, your tenacity, over all of these years. I can't consider where I would be without it." A sigh escaped his lips. "I hate to consider where I would be at all, without you. I doubt I would have lasted quite so long here."

She swallowed hard. She couldn't remember Downton before he came there, her life when he hadn't been in it. His absence was all that surrounded her of late. He held her hand tighter in his. It felt like she was holding it for the first time.

"I had thought my life had changed completely, and that it was all of my own doing. How naïve I was," he looked at their joined hands, where his fingertips were sweeping across her knuckles reverently. "It was you that really changed it, beyond all compare. You have given so much of yourself to me, more happiness than I have ever known and could ever dare to hope for. It would take me a lifetime to find the words that would properly express how extraordinarily happy you have made me; that wouldn't be long enough. And as for giving you all the things you deserve so much in return, well…you can see that my attempts have gone very far from how I hoped they would."

"That's not your fault." His eyes turned from her. "You have given me all that I could ever want. More than I ever knew I did." Her eyes bore into him, and brought his own back to meet them.

"I hope so much that you're happy, Anna. The only thing I ever wish for is for you to be happy. It is all that matters to me."

She couldn't look away. "I won't lie and say that I am." His face fell. "But I will be, when you are back to stay. Then I shall be happy for the rest of time."

There was melancholy in his gaze as his mouth quirked into a sad smile. He covered his other hand over both of theirs upon the table. She closed her eyes against the new wave of grief that was arising within her; at once, she felt revived and broken into pieces. The aching within her was too much to bear.

"I miss you so much," her voice came out in a surge of emotion. "I know I can still see you every so often, but it's not the same, it's not enough." She was frustrated, furious; she could not take another second. Everything came rushing from her. "Why haven't you been here? I have needed you so much for so long. Why haven't you been with me when I've needed you here?" Her cries were raw and overwrought; her throat throbbed and she was finding it increasingly hard to catch her breath. "I feel like no matter what I do, I am losing you." The sobs culminated. "And I can't lose you."

He looked down into his lap; she didn't have to observe his expression to know of all the guilt and shame that was held there. She'd seen it many times before, and every time, it broke her heart all over again.

"I have meant to be with you. You must believe me when I say that. I want to be there whenever you need me. Yet I admit, I have been selfish of late."

She caught the desperation within his eyes that he was trying hard to restrain as he lifted his head back up, towards her.

"The days can be bad, certainly. Some much worse than others. I try not to let it show too much, but I suspect you are aware."

She nodded, and her eyes were welling once more.

"Of course you are." He sighed heavily. "But the nights are unbearable. Sometimes I think they will last forever, that I'll never survive to see the other side again. It takes more strength than I possess. So you should know, that when I'm not with you, here, it's because I am keeping you with me. Because I need the comfort, the strength that you are made of. You are what gets me through, night after night."

A tear rolled down her cheek. "Oh, John."

"I haven't been fair to you. I promise, I shall be here much more often from now on." This time, rather than his fingers arriving to wipe away her tears, his lips came to kiss them away instead. She inhaled sharply and stiffened for a second, before her body became softer as he trailed them further down, leaving the imprint of a gentle kiss upon her cheek.

"Though you never need look far for me." His voice was a whisper in her ear. "No need to worry. I'll always be right here, with you."

She brought her hand to his face, her touch far surer now.

"And I shall always be with you. I will stay strong. I will keep fighting. Say that you will too."

"I promise I will."

She knew he was telling the truth and she smiled. Her head bobbed as she fiercely tried to shake away the tears that remained there, tried to portray her conviction in the pledge she had made. His head moved towards hers, and she pulled herself closer to meet it. A tender kiss that she felt with every fibre of her being; a kiss that she had yearned so long for. His forehead rested against hers for moments afterwards, and then his arms came around her again. She melted into the embrace as they sat, not needing to say anything more, just happy to find each other once again. His hand brushed against the side of her face, her shoulder, and then he lay his head there. The same way as he did months before, when they'd last been this close, when forever had seemed to be so nearly over. She smoothed her hands over his hair, across his neck, clasped them against his back. She felt her heart overflow. Light began to flood in through the window, making her eyes hurt. There was a sound not too far away in the distance. She could feel his grip begin to loosen; something was pulling him away from her.

"No, stay with me," she gasped in panic. "Don't leave me; don't leave me here alone. Stay, please."

Her pleas were to no avail; there was nothing that she could do. His head was no longer upon her shoulder, his arms no longer around her. He was not there. All there was was light, white and bright in her eyes, blinding her. Heat washed over her. White all around, until everything went black, and the sound thudded against her ears…

Anna woke to the familiar rap against her door, followed by the call from outside. Adjusting to being awakened once more, she shifted herself underneath the covers and slowly rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She felt flushed with warmth, not uncomfortably so, although a sheen of sweat had gathered on her head. Her heart was beating fiercely within her chest. Sitting up, resting her hands against the mattress as she extended her body, she glanced carefully around the room. She was a little dazed, still very tired, but somehow considerably refreshed too. Content, even. It was quite unusual; she couldn't say she was used to greeting the morning with a great deal of satisfaction, and certainly not after a night with so little sleep. She felt different. At ease. Optimistic.

Climbing out of bed, she walked over to the window. Already she could see and feel the daylight seeping underneath the curtains, but she was still startled when she pulled them back fully. The storm that had passed over the house overnight had left a predominately blue sky in its wake, brushed delicately with a few white clouds. They couldn't hide the sun though, sitting high and majestic and in the very middle of her view of the horizon. The gardens looked greener than ever, the dewdrops resting on the grass sparkling like little diamonds in the light. She rested her hands against the dressing table, and closed her eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath as well as taking in the glorious sunshine. Despite everything, she hadn't lost the ability to notice beauty, to take heart in and be truly thankful for the little things in life.

Having washed and dressed, she was just preparing to go downstairs and face the day when another soft and swift knock came at the door. Before she could move to answer it, it opened from the other side.

"Good morning, Mrs Hughes. I was just about to come downstairs."

"Good morning, Anna," the housekeeper issued. "And there's no need to rush; we're only just getting things underway. I just came to tell you: there's been a telephone call from Mr Crawley. He and Lady Mary have come back from their holiday early, and arrived in Downton last night."

"Oh." A wave of anxiety and energy rushed over her. "Well, I must get everything ready for Lady Mary at once…"

"There's no need. Lady Mary wished to inform you that she will be staying at Crawley House with Mrs Crawley until the week is out. She wanted to ensure that you needn't resume your duties with her a moment before you had to. Who knew she could be quite so thoughtful?"

Anna laughed a little to herself; while she had softened to her over the last few months, given the increased support she had given to Anna, it was fair to say that Mrs Hughes still wasn't Lady Mary's biggest fan.

"So, no need to worry on that front. But Mr Crawley does want to see you."

Now she did become quite unsettled.

Mrs Hughes' face turned serious. "The reason they came back early was because while they were in London, Mr Crawley received a visit from one of his former colleagues. It was regarding Mr Bates."

Anna's heart flew up into her mouth.

"It seems there has been a development – in its early stages, I have to stress – but Mr Crawley thinks it may be linked to something you mentioned a few months ago. This colleague believed Mr Crawley to have been Mr Bates' representative, but he informed him that he couldn't be directly involved in the case. He did pass on a number to Mr Crawley however, and he wanted to come back as soon as possible to give it to Mr Murray, and to put things in motion."

She thought she may still be dreaming. She needed to sit down. She didn't notice anything, except the pounding in her ears and Mrs Hughes looking at her with worry.

"Anna, are you okay? The colour has drained from your face."

She took a breath and clasped a hand to her hip. "Yes. I'm fine, Mrs Hughes."

"Mr Crawley should be getting here in about half an hour to meet with Lord Grantham to discuss the matter further. Lord Grantham has spoken to Mr Carson, and says that he wishes you to be there. Mr Carson worried that it might get your hopes up unnecessarily, but from everything that has been said, it seems quite important indeed." Her head leaned a little to one side as she regarded Anna. "But I'm sure Lord Grantham would completely understand if you wanted to be excused, if you felt uncomfortable in any way."

"No; I shall be there. Could you tell Lord Grantham that I will be along presently? I just need a minute or two."

"Of course." Before she left the room completely, Mrs Hughes turned to Anna once more. "I hope to God that it all goes well."

"Thank you, Mrs Hughes. I do too."

The door closed behind her, and she turned back into the room. She caught her reflection in the mirror, and saw herself illuminated by the sunlight that was streaming through the window. The shock subsided, and a small smile settled on her face. She inhaled another steadying breath and smoothed her hand down her apron. Even though she knew it was only the beginning, she sensed the change quite clearly. It seemed the night hadn't been in vain.

The soft strains of the morning light played against her eyes, meaning to prise them open. She welcomed the gentle warmth falling across her face, but she wasn't going to comply just yet. She'd been able to enjoy doing so for a little while, but waking up natural had not lost its novelty for Anna, and this morning she was particularly determined to revel in a gradual awakening. Snuggling her head a little deeper into the pillow, her mind recalled the fragments of a dream that had not long escaped her. From what she was able to make out, it had been a very nice one indeed. She smiled against the cotton pillowcase, keeping her eyes shut in the hope she might bring some of it back. Then a more appealing notion occurred to her.

Shifting onto her other side, she made to snuggle herself into something other than her pillow. She stretched herself out in the bed, a little too easily. Her hands fumbled across the sheets and all she could feel was empty space. Her mind was immediately roused, and panic paralysed her body. The feeling; long forgotten, but all too familiar. In this moment it came over her more acutely than ever before. She flew up suddenly, propelled by fear and confusion.

"Good morning."

She was instantly relieved by the sound of his voice. Her pounding heart began to slow, regulate itself again. Her hands splayed against the mattress, keeping her propped up.

"Hmmm."

Eyes still half-closed, she heard him chuckle at her less than eloquent response. He really had come to know how atrocious she was of a morning, and occasionally took delight in gently teasing her about her grumpiness when he would try to wake her early. Every time, she would hide her face and make a feeble attempt to shoo him away, but he'd simply laugh, stroke a hand across her shoulder before leaving a kiss there. When she would have a full grasp on her senses later in the morning she would get sheepish and a little shamed about her actions, but for some reason he seemed to find it all quite adorable. Leaning against the headboard, she yawned and swiped a hand across her face, blinking in the light and awakening properly.

She couldn't have encountered a better first sight. He was standing at the foot of the bed, dressing for the day. The butterflies that still stirred every time she laid eyes on him fluttered within her reliably, and a smile spread across her lips. She watched his movements carefully; his fingers buttoning the waistcoat, threading the tie, fixing on the collar. It was fascinating to her, and she suspected it always would be. That she was able to witness such an intimate process for herself, and what's more, that she had the sole reservation to doing so – the thrill of it was still relatively new to her, and burned even more fiercely as she regarded him now. Briefly, she luxuriated in the sensation, eyes raking happily over his figure until they drifted up towards the clock that sat just above his head. As she took in the placements of its hands, another habitual shock shot through her.

"My, I thought it was much earlier than that…why didn't you wake me?"

Her feet scrambled against the mattress as she made to jump out in a rush; before she could move, he was at her side, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I didn't think you'd appreciate it," he smiled at her, eyes shining. "Besides, there's no need for you to be up. You heard what Mrs Hughes said – she made it very clear that she does not expect, or indeed want to see you before noon at the earliest. And only a fool would dare to question her."

She could feel the exasperation upon her face, before it set into a small pout. Anna knew only too well the orders that had been issued to her, but that didn't prevent her from wanting to defy them. Though she didn't have to, she always liked to go early and accompany him up to the house; it was a routine that made perfect sense to her. Also, she didn't like to think of spending the whole morning away from him; she understood that other people may find it a little silly, after all this time that he'd been back, but she didn't care. They'd been apart for what had been far too long in their life together, and she was not willing to add any more absence onto that unless she absolutely had to.

His hand crept across the covers. "Also, when I woke during the night, I thought you might have been a little restless. At least, I didn't hear you snoring."

"Cheeky beggar. I wish I'd never told you that."

He let out another low chuckle. "It doesn't put me off." Leaning forward a little, he placed a quick kiss on her cheek. "Did you manage to get enough sleep?"

She sighed softly. "A little more than the night before. It probably won't be very easy for a while."

He placed his hand on top of hers before moving it down slightly, to rest upon the neat swell of her stomach. She couldn't help but smile as she watched his fingers stroke gently against it and his head crane down a little.

"You mustn't keep your mother awake all hours, my darling."

She moved her hand against his and gazed downwards, before threading his fingers through hers. "I think this little one is going to take after its parents, having a preference for the night-time. But it'll be an adventure. We'll manage."

"We'll do more than that." He smiled back at her as he brought their hands to his mouth, kissing the soft skin of hers.

Now, she knew that they would. When she'd first discovered her pregnancy, it had been something of a shock. Of course, she was very much looking forward to the day when they would start their family – in her mind, she had longed for it for years - but it had come sooner than she'd really bargained on. Though she knew he wanted a child as much as her, she did worry rather a lot about how John would react. There was no doubt in her mind that he would be a wonderful father, everything the baby and she could ever need and more, but she knew it was still in his nature to be insecure, and he had required more than a little extra reassurance from her in the months since he had been released. She worried that it was not the right time at all, and spent several nights fretting about how he would take in the news of - what she hoped would be - the happy surprise. It had kept her wide awake, staring at the ceiling as he lay resting by her side. As it turned out, there was no need for that particular bout of insomnia. "There will never be an ideal time," he took her hand firm in his, "but that shouldn't stop it from becoming so. And I can think of nothing I want more." It was just a matter of adjusting, as best they could. And that was something that they were definitely used to.

It certainly had taken them time to adjust; perhaps a little longer than she had really reckoned it would. They had not been easy by any means, the days but, more so, the nights. Old habits did not come back quickly, and took considerable coaxing to emerge in new surroundings: the cottage that they could finally call their own. At first she would sit up almost the entire night with him, having to almost pull him down to keep him still, make him rest. There would be tiny improvements that took weeks rather than days, but eventually he was able to spend longer than an hour in their bed, and didn't feel uneasy with her lying next to him. Both still had their share of sleepless nights; the ones where he would bolt up, shaking in sudden terror, a memory he wished he could erase from his mind consuming it completely. She would stroke his back softly, whisper soothing words, guide him gently down and back to sleep. Then there would be the ones that he was unaware of, resting peacefully, as she lay racked with irrational fears of what else would be along next to unsettle their rebuilt harmony. She'd climb out quietly, leaving him in slumber, and creep down the stairs, walking out all of her worry. As soon as she slipped back beneath the covers, his arm would fix itself upon her waist, and she would be calm again. She'd turn over, into his embrace whilst he still slept, and drift off too, leaving her cares to fade. Many other nights they'd mutually delay their sleeping, devoting hours to their new routine: lying there face-to-face in their bed, huddled close, talking about everything and nothing. Sharing all about the days that had been, and the days that were to come. Anna smiled to herself just to think of it; it was her favourite thing to do, and made her look forward to the nights even more.

Reluctantly, he unfurled their hands and placed hers delicately back upon the bed. "I really should go now."

"I'll be up and ready soon, and follow along in about a half an hour or so."

He looked at her with just a hint of disapproval, and a lot of trepidation. "But, Anna…"

"John Bates," she leaned forward and screwed up her face, trying to look as stern as she possibly could. "You know better than to try and argue with me at this time of the morning. And you need to know it's definitely not advisable to argue with a pregnant woman."

A wide smile split across his face, and he kissed her forehead before heading towards the door. "Enjoy your lie-in."

She heard his footfalls upon the stairs, the front door shut behind him moments afterwards, and lay her head on the pillow. Snuggling back down, resting her hands upon her belly, she made herself comfortable amongst the covers. It would be quite tempting to stay here for the entire morning, she conceded. She had been permitted, after all; she shouldn't seem ungrateful by not taking advantage. A giggle escaped her lips as she closed her eyes against the beaming light. Perhaps given a little time she would be able to drift back off to sleep and rediscover the dream that had contented her so, although she was unable to remember much of it now. She knew it involved the both of them, and the baby, not long born, and that they were on their first family holiday, somewhere by the sea. She could feel the cool, fresh breeze on her face; the warm, wriggling bundle of the newborn babe wrapped in her arms, as well as the warmth of his arm circled around her and his breath against her ear. The picture-perfect vision sent a tingling sensation running through her. A dream that not so long ago seemed absolutely impossible was now much closer to reality. Anna smiled at the wonder of it all.

Still wrapped up in her own reverie, the thought drifted into her head of a night from a few months back; one of the first nights that they'd spent lying together, talking, and simply getting used to being with one another in such a way again, after what had been an eternity. As they lay side by side in the dark, he started to speak of the night before the first call came; the call that had been the breakthrough he'd hoped would but feared never could arrive, the beginning of the long journey towards freedom. It had been a particularly troubled evening, with many of the other prisoners being especially unsettled, and him being in a great deal of pain. The night was long and almost devoid of any rest, until, just before dawn, he'd managed to get some sleep. While he slept fitfully, he dreamt. On the nights that he was able to, he would always dream of her; waiting somewhere out in the world, calling to him, pleading with him to remain strong. But on this occasion, the dream was different. He was there with her too, and they were sitting in the servants' hall, just as they had done so often before. As if they would do so again. It was the very first time since his incarceration that he had dreamt of them being together, and of being back at Downton. He had not allowed himself to put so much faith in dreams, but something had felt different about that one. He remembered vividly waking that morning to see a bright ray of light streaming onto him through the small barred window, and feeling, perhaps truly for the first time, a renewed sense of hope. And then, later that afternoon, the call had came. It was very strange indeed, but quite incredible. He could see the tears fill her eyes and stroked his hand across her face. It's okay. His hand came down to rest upon her shoulder. We've got them all back now. Forever could start, properly.

For Anna, it was time for the day to start. She stretched herself, placed her feet on the floor and carefully got out of bed. Just before she reached the wardrobe to collect her clothes, she stopped and gazed down. Smiling, she rubbed her hands over her stomach.

"I see you've gone to sleep now. You are most definitely a night owl."

There would be many more sleepless nights ahead of them in the future, that much she knew. But she could not wait for them to arrive. And after all, it was not like they hadn't had the time to get used to them.

A/N: I know - I just cannot stay away from the fluff when it comes down to it. Have to cushion the blow of S3 before it starts - and just hope that it turns out like this for them eventually (*gets down on knees* pleeeeease Fellowes) (at least give us one more bedroom scene)

This has been a lot of fun to see through. Thanks so, so much to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed and favourited - just knowing you're reading means a lot. I really hope you've enjoyed it.