A/N: Hello again, so this story WILL have a happy ending for all characters, unlike the previous one I've written. Also updates for this will be a bit slower as I'm not entirely sure where it is heading, well correction I know the destination, I've not yet figured out the journey completely. Enjoy and please review!

Elsie stumbled slightly on the stairs as she exited the wine cellar. Patting her hair back into place, checking the buttons of her blouse to be sure they were all in the correct holes. A misbuttoned shirt would be a dead give-away. She quickly headed back to her panty to simmer down from their afternoon romp, she still had a bit of bookkeeping to do before she left tomorrow.

Charles exited several minutes later, maneuvering the stairs expertly despite the ache in his legs. He was getting older, it wasn't as easy to hold her up against the door as it used to be. He'd much rather be in a nice, soft bed, but such was life. This was likely to be their last encounter for some time, tomorrow he knew she was heading to Scotland for her yearly vacation and for some reason after she returned she would avoid intimacy with him for several months. Though really if he thought about it, it did make sense, he was the reason she had to get away this time of year, what had happened all those years ago, well they needed this time apart. He stopped by the kitchen on his way back to his pantry, a little nice might help smooth his happily aching muscles, maybe it would even nub him to the pain the next few days would bring.

She was walking a bit too quickly, she was still a bit energized from her orgasm, she didn't even notice Anna Bates standing in the hallway until she had practically run over her.

"Oh Anna, I'm sorry!" Elsie said, reaching out her hands to help steady the girl. Anna's new round belly made it rather difficult to maintain her balance even at the best of times and before they knew it they were both crashing into the wall, Anna was able to protect her belly with her arms, but she knees took a bit of a beating as they hit the cement floor. Elsie bottom got the brunt of their fall however, her arms were a bit scratched from hitting the concrete, trying her best to shield Anna.

Thomas had seen the two impact and rushed over to help, pulling Anna up first, then helping Elsie to her feet, very concerned with the pained look on the housekeepers face.

"Are you two alright?" Thomas asked.

"I'm fine." Anna said, rubbing her hand over her belly, the child was kicking furiously now.

"Mrs. Hughes?" Thomas asked.

"I'm fine Thomas, it's a bit harder to get back up when you get older." She said, no need to admit to the boy that her backside had already spent some time today pressed up against a cold wall.

"You were walking rather fast Mrs. Hughes, is everything alright?" Anna asked.

"Oh yes, Anna, just a lot to get done before I leave tomorrow. Are you okay Anna? I know this body of mine is well cushioned but it can pack a bit of a punch."

"Yes I'm fine, baby's still kicking away." Anna said beaming.

"Good" Elsie said, putting her hand on Anna's tummy. The first time the baby had kicked Anna had coming running to Mrs. Hughes, passing John completely by, Mrs. Hughes felt like a mother to Anna, she'd wanted to share every wonderful moment with her.

"Well off with you then, I've a lot to do, I'm not even packed yet!" Elsie said, making her way to her sitting room.

"Mrs. Hughes, why don't you go and pack and I'll finish the invoices? I'll be doing it while you away anyways, this way you can look over my work and make sure it's right before you leave."

"That's not a bad idea, then you can have yourself a bit of a rest as well." Elsie said.

"That would be wonderful." Anna said.

"Alright then, I'll go pack. But I expect all those invoices done before dinner."

"Of course." With that Anna headed towards the sitting room and Elsie upstairs. As she passed by Mr. Carson's pantry an arm came out and pulled her in.

"Are you alright Mrs. Hughes?" He asked, a concerned look on his face.

"I'm fine Mr. Carson, though my bottom will be rather happy if it doesn't hit concrete for a third time today." She said with a chuckle.

"I'm sorry for that." He said sheepishly, he always felt embarrassed after sex. He's start out so polite and kind but by the end of it he'd lost himself completely, driving into her with a mad lust he'd expected to have lost by this age. Perhaps part of him would always be a young man, especially where this woman was concerned.

"Its fine Mr. Carson, it was well worth it. Now I must go pack."

Mr. Carsons day off came three days later, he always asked for a eighteenth of August off. The night before he would take some extra food from the kitchen, his best bottle of wine and spend the next day barricaded in his room. He didn't want to see anyone; he wanted to spend the day with his painful memories, letting his mind wander to what life could have been like, what had slipped through his fingers. She'd have been twenty two, and his life would have been drastically different. If things had gone another way he would celebrate the eighteenth with joy and laughter. Instead he spent it in his room, lying on his bed, trying to get himself drunk before noon. The sooner he got drunk, the sooner the searing pain in his chest would ebb back to the dull throbbing it was every day. It was about half past nine when a frantic knocking came to the door.

"Mr. Carson! Mr. Caron we need your help! Something is wrong with Anna!" Johns voice was panicked like Charles had never heard. He stumbled off the bed and grabbed his dressing gown, tying it around himself, he opened the door.

"What's happened Mr. Bates?" Charles asked, noticing the tears running down John's cheeks.

"She's bleeding! I've called Dr. Clarkson, he's no his way." John suddenly held his head in his hands, openly weeping. "She's bleeding, we need Mrs. Hughes! Can you get her home, Anna needs her!"

Carson stepped forward, putting his arms around John for the briefest moment, then pulled back. "I'll call her sister in Scotland and get her back on the next train. I'm sure Dr. Clarkson will be here any minute. It'll be okay Mr. Bates. It will." Charles said, making his way downstairs. His body filled with a sense of fear and dread he'd felt only one time before in his life, on this precise day, twenty two years ago.