A/N- I haven't abandoned One Day, far from it but this story came to me recently and once the seed was planted I needed to get something down on paper, or a laptop screen as the case may be. I am planning to update it alongside One Day, although my modern fiction is still very much the priority. It's something different I think, I hope it reads okay as a lot is explained in this first chapter. Please let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: Downton isn't mine...

She smiled as she heard the happy voices emanating from the kitchen. Christmas Day, a day for family. Her family, her whole world. She had never known the true meaning of the word family until him, until he walked into her life. The first person to love her unconditionally, the only person who she had ever felt safe with, at home with. Sitting in his armchair, in the living room of the living quarters in the hotel they had bought, she took a look around all they had built together. Their dream.

It was 1960, and Christmas Day had arrived once again. She couldn't believe it was the second without him, without the love of her life. They had many happy years together, she couldn't complain with what life had given her. A loving husband of forty years, two beautiful children, and now four grandchildren, the newest joining the family a matter of weeks ago. She felt her heart ache at that, that he hadn't got to meet his newest grandchild.

John was a number of years older than Anna, deep in the inner recesses of her mind, she had made peace with the fact he would leave her a widow, one day. That day arrived a little over two years ago. He had reached the age of ninety-one, he had lived a long life but that didn't make the blow any easier to cope with. He was gone, the other half of her was gone and although she wasn't in a constant veil of mourning, not anymore, she still missed him. Life goes on, her own mother had said, when she lost her own husband. She still had his legacy, his children, his grandchildren. Hearing the laughter grow louder from the kitchen, a massive part of him still lived on.

The door creaked open, and in bounded little Louise, although she wasn't that little anymore. Nine years old, the eldest daughter of their first born son, Oliver. She had the same brooding nature of her Grandpa, Anna had picked up on that early on in her granddaughter's life. She was running her hands through the hair of her new dolly, a gift from Anna.

'Nanny, I love my doll,' she said in her northern brogue, a product of living in the town she and John had settled in, Whitley Bay. 'She's so beautiful.'

'Just like you, my darling,' Anna replied with a smile, stroking the little girls cheek as she sat beside her chair. 'How are Mummy and Aunty Lizzie getting on with the washing up?'

'They are chatting about stuff I don't understand,' Louise explained, scrunching up her nose as she spoke.

'You should gone for a walk with the men of the house,' Anna said, shifting in her seat so she could better see her Granddaughter.

'It's too cold out there,' Louise moaned, looking over her shoulder out of the window of the hotel that looked onto the main promenade. She preceded to point at the kitchen door. 'And they are boring in there.'

Anna allowed herself a chuckle at that. 'So you thought you'd come and have a chat with your old Nanny, eh?' She sat forward in her chair, pointing at a wicker box on the table. 'Bring that box of ribbons to me, lets see if we can't fashion a new hairstyle on your dolly.'

Elizabeth had come along three years after her older brother, Oliver. Before she fell pregnant with her son, Anna had her doubts if her life would ever be graced with a child. But she didn't allow this to consume her life, consoling herself with the fact she had John, and so long as she had him nothing else mattered.

However, after all the troubles with, that man, she couldn't bring herself to say his name, and John's return from Ireland it had been mere weeks before she was giving her husband the news that they were to have a child.

Anna noticed Louise's attentions were held by the frame on the coffee table, a gift to Anna from her children earlier on in the day. Inside the frame were pictures of her beloved John taken in the early twenties, a picture of the family on the beach just after Elizabeth had been born, and a photo of Anna and John taken on their wedding day. It had been a thoughtful gift, completely taking Anna's breath away upon opening it. The original pictures had worn away as time passed by, but her children had seen to having them restored to almost their original glory.

'Did you meet Grandpa when you were a little girl, Nanny?'

'Oh no, I was in my twenties when I met him,' Anna replied as she carefully ran a brush through the dolls hair. 'Why do you ask?'

'Well, Daddy met my Mummy when they were little. I thought all Mummy's and Daddy's did.'

As always when listening to her grandchildren, Anna found herself chuckling at the ideas they had about the world. 'See, Grandpa was a little bit older than me. He was older than you when I was born.' She watched as the girl before her processed this fact. 'I met him in April, 1912, a couple of days after the Titanic had sunk.'

'When you worked in the big house for the rich family?'

'Yes my darling, Downton Abbey. I was a housemaid when Grandpa arrived to be Lord Grantham's new valet.'

Louise looked to the photo again then, Anna following her line of vision. 'He was very handsome.'

'That he was,' Anna agreed with a nod of the head, memories of the instant attraction she felt towards him rushing to the forefront of her mind. 'The moment I met him he captured my heart.'

-0-

It was obvious that he and Lord Grantham had history, if that exchange was anything to go by. Comrade in Arms, they must have fought together. As His Lordship left, Anna slowly reclaimed her seat, looking up at Mr Bates who had remained standing. He was looking around at all the open mouthed faces, clearly staggered that their Lord had greeted this 'stranger' in such a way.

'You never asked,' was his retort, his way of telling these people they shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. Anna promised herself she was certainly not going to fall into that trap.

'So, you were in the army with His Lordship?' Anna asked as he sat, her voice low as the chatter began to build up around them once more. He met her gaze then, and Anna felt a flutter in her stomach, sensations she had never felt before. 'I would have asked you, but didn't want to pry.'

'It's quite alright,' he replied with a warm smile. 'I like to think I am a good judge of character, and in my morning here you are one of the few who has welcomed me.'

'Well, I never like to assume anything about anyone, or to judge anyone because of… because of…'

'Because I have a cane?' He read her mind, Anna relieved she wouldn't have to say the words out loud as she nodded in response to his words. 'War injury, whilst fighting the Boer's as Lord Grantham's batman.'

'So you were his servant?'

'Yes,' John confirmed her observation, reaching forward to pick up his glass of water. 'I saw his advertisement for a new valet and thought I'd chance my luck. And, here I am.'

'Well, if there is anything you need help with whilst you are here, Mr Bates, then please don't hesitate to ask me.'

'Thank you, Miss Smith.'

'Please, you can call me Anna.'

'Alright, Anna. Thank you.'

-0-

'So everyone hated him at first?' Louise asked as she sorted through the ribbons in the box, choosing which colour she would like to use.

'I wouldn't say they hated him,' Anna began before remembering where the majority of the hostility came from when John had first arrived at Downton. 'One or two of the servants developed an irrational dislike to him.'

'Because he had a limp?'

'Not as such, they used that as a reason to try and get him out of the job.'

'But they didn't, did they?' Louise said, looking up at Anna with a bright smile and holding out a pink ribbon for her to tie the plait she had made in the dolly's hair.

'He was all set to leave, actually,' Anna replied, accepting the ribbon and tying it in the dolls hair, as if it were still second nature to her. These skills you never forgot. 'It was very sad, that he should be forced out of his job in that way.'

'What did they do?'

'Well, some very vindictive people felt he didn't belong and prayed on the fact he had an injury, saying he couldn't do his job properly. His Lordship stopped him leaving in the end,' Anna looked at the photo of John on the table, smiling as soon as her eyes made contact with it. 'Thank goodness. I was ever so happy to see him walk back into the servants hall.'

-0-

It couldn't be, could it? As she sat opposite Miss O Brien in the servants hall, the silence was being interrupted by the tapping of wood on flagstones. Whilst Anna's face was displaying traces of hope, Miss O Brien's was anything but. Then he appeared, looking visibly emotional. He was back.

'Mr Bates?' Anna questioned, Miss O Brien immediately turning around to see the valet standing in the doorway. 'I thought you…'

'Evidently, his Lordship doesn't want me to leave after all.'

Anna couldn't explain it, she felt relieved to see the man standing before her. When it had been announced he was leaving, she had felt annoyed, angry, sad even. Anna had enjoyed his company whilst Mr Bates had been at Downton. It had been lovely to discover they shared some of the same interests in books, authors and music and she loved hearing his tales of Africa.

She would never reveal it to anyone else, but on occasion she had caught herself watching him, as he read or whilst he sat and listened to the discussions that echoed around the servants hall. His eyes held a mysterious quality she longed to discover more about. On the rare occasions his smile met his eyes, they crinkling at the side, she felt her heart skip a beat. He said little, but what he had to say was always so articulate. When he spoke to her, for the first time in her life Anna felt like someone was really listening to her, really valuing her opinions on the world.

It might have been just her imagination, but Anna was sure she had caught Mr Bates looking at her at times. Lifting her head from her tasks, be it mending or whatever, he would be staring at her with his deep green brown eyes, averting his gaze awkwardly once hers had come into contact with his. He might have even blushed one time. Anna knew, even though only having known Mr Bates for a few weeks, he was certainly the most endearing man she had ever met.

'I'm ever so glad, Mr Bates,' Anna said breathlessly, ignoring Miss O Brien across the table, rolling her eyes.

'Thank you, Anna,' he replied with a sincerity echoing in his tone. 'If you'll excuse me, I need to unpack then begin for the day.'

-0-

Louise was sharing the armchair with Anna now, her grandmother showing her how to plait the dolls hair. Anna smiled as Louise picked it up with relative ease, she herself now rummaging through the box to find a ribbon to match the one Louise had selected.

'So Grandpa stayed,' Louise said, concentrating hard on her task as she spoke.

'He certainly did.'

'What did Grandpa do?' Anna looked to the door to see her son Oliver, closely followed by his son, her eldest grandson and Louise's little brother, Jack.

Jack's official name was in fact John, although his Grandpa had never been comfortable with the little one being named after him. John had informed everyone that he had been known as Jack back home in Ireland, because his own father was called John, so he would allow them to keep the name John if the bairn was referred to in the everyday as Jack.

'He stayed at the big house,' Louise informed her father, leaning into his touch as he placed a kiss on her forehead. 'With Nanny.'

'Where are Stephen, Arthur and the baby?' Anna asked as Louise still remained focused on her task.

'Stephen met a client just outside the hotel and Arthur took the opportunity to stay out on his bike for a few more minutes.'

Stephen was Elizabeth's husband and the father of their two boys, four year old Arthur and new baby Edward. The two families lived nearby to the hotel, both Oliver and Elizabeth taking over the running of the place so their parents could retire. Oliver's wife, Ruth was the chef at the hotel, in fact they had begin courting when she began working there but had known each other since their schooldays. However, Stephen was a successful solicitor in the town and didn't enter into the family business upon marrying Elizabeth.

As she eyed her son, Anna couldn't help but notice how much he was beginning to look like his father. He wasn't much younger now than John had been when Anna had met him. Oliver shared the same eye crinkles as his father when he smiled, wore his hair in the same slicked back fashion.

'Are you alright Mum?' Oliver asked, catching her eye. 'Having a nice day?'

'Wonderful, thank you my boy.' Oliver leant down to kiss his mother on the cheek. 'I've been teaching that wonderful little girl of yours how to plait hair. She's a natural.'

'Did you used to plait the ladies hair, Nanny?' Louise asked as she tugged the box of ribbons away from her little brother.

'I want one,' Jack argued, reaching inside the box and taking a handful of ribbons.

As Anna watched the two of them bicker, Louise now on the floor beside her brother, she was instantly transported back to when Oliver and Elizabeth were little. She allowed herself a smile as she remembered how John could dissolve their arguments with his tone of voice and the look in his eye. He had been a wonderful father, loving and tender, although he knew how to keep the two of them in line when it was needed.

'Come on you two, it's Christmas Day,' Oliver encouraged as he sat on the floor beside them. 'We can't have disagreements on Christmas Day.' He took all the ribbons in hand before halving them. He gave one pile to Louise, and one to Jack. 'There we go, some ribbons for each of you.'

'Thanks Daddy,' Jack said excitedly, walking over to his shiny new bike in the corner of the room and attempting to tie a ribbon to the handlebar. Louise happily continued to plait her dolly's hair just like Anna had shown her. It appeared Oliver was like his father in more ways than one.

Evening had fallen and Anna had just said goodbye to her family. The time was ticking closer to nine, and the kids, in particular Jack and Arthur were exhausted. Walking back into the living room in the hotel, Anna's eyes were instantly drawn to her gift. In the flickering candle light, it was almost like being back in their cottage at Downton.

In the evening time was when she found herself thinking about John the most. The evenings held such a magical air about them, it being the only time in the beginning of their marriage where they were truly alone. Anna admitted to herself to being quite shy once they had moved to the hotel, on a few occasions they had found themselves in the position to 'enjoy each other' at a time that wasn't universally considered appropriate.

Sitting in the armchair, his armchair, which they had brought with them to Whitley Bay, Anna held the photo frame in her hands. There he was, her wonderful, beautiful husband. The photo had been taken just after he had left prison. She had never been more grateful for the changing fashions, with the 1920's brought less pomade and that was fine with Anna.

Christmas with John had always been wonderful, Anna pondered as she looked at the Christmas tree in the corner of the room. In their days at Downton, after the family had eaten more often or not they would escape to the haven of the courtyard to spend some time alone in each other's company. Thoughts of the first Christmas Day they shared after John had been released from prison began to fill her mind.

-0-

'Join me in the courtyard?'

Anna felt John's hand on her hip as she rounded the stairwell, meeting his eyes and wondering what had gotten in to him to be so daring as to touch her in such a way in public.

'I have a few minutes,' Anna replied.

She he followed him down the corridor, shivering as he opened the door and she came into contact with the night air. Anna wrapped her arms around herself. John had turned to look at her by now, placing his hand on her lower back and guiding her to a more secluded spot next to a stack of crates left over from that morning's food delivery.

'It's freezing out here,' Anna gasped, looking up at her husband who's expression was positively breathtaking. And mischievous. 'What is it, Mr Bates?'

'Firstly, I just wanted to do this.'

Anna registered the touch of John's hand on her cheek, her skin warming almost immediately at the sensation. He moved her lips closer to his, meeting them in a gentle kiss. Anna knew better than to deepen it, here of all places but it was enough to leave her wanting more. The end of the evening couldn't come quick enough.

'And secondly?' Anna asked her eyes still closed as John pulled away. Snow had begun to lightly fall in the time they had been outside, dusting John's shoulders. She watched as he reached into his pocket to reveal a dark red box. 'What's this?'

'I know we were going to do presents when we got home tonight, but I couldn't wait any longer.'

He opened the box to reveal a pendant, a blue sapphire on a silver chain. It was beautiful, and Anna suspected, expensive. She couldn't help it, her practical side won through.

'John Bates,' she gasped, bringing her hands to her face. 'How on earth did you afford that?'

He hushed her, turning Anna around and beginning to place the necklace around her neck. She could feel his breath against her ear, warming her from head to toe. His voice was the next thing she could sense.

'I saved up for this,' he rasped, securing the clasp on the back. 'Put away some of my wages for the past few months. I saw it in Ripon, and the blue of the sapphire reminded me of the blue of your eyes almost instantly. I knew I had to buy it for you.'

'It's beautiful,' Anna took the pendant between her thumb and forefinger, looking down at the beautiful stone. 'Thank you.'

He kissed her neck then, and Anna had to close her eyes at the divine sensation, feeling a pang of want in her stomach as she leant back into his touch.

'We best get back inside,' John whispered and then he was gone, although she could feel him taking her hand and grasping her fingers within his.

He lead her to the back door, turning to look at her once they had reached it. He winked at her then, and she really was done for. And the thing was, he knew exactly what he was doing, whipping her up into a frenzy and knowing her desire wouldn't be quelled for a few hours yet.

'Merry Christmas, Mrs Bates.'

-0-

Anna smiled as she remembered their evening back at the cottage that night, when she had thanked John for the wonderful gift. Lifting her hand to her neck, she took the pendant between her fingers, the blue sapphire John had bought her just shy of forty years before.

It had been a wonderful gift.