A/N: And here begins another collab between Handy and Terrie! We are so excited about this story but also so nervous. Hope you all enjoy this new intake on Anna and John's relationship. Let us know what you think of this Prologue :)

Disclaimer: Downton Abbey's characters belong to Julian Fellowes. This fic is based on the movie 'The Road'.

- Prologue -

'Put the knife down! Put it down, or you won't be seeing another day.'

The man trembled at the feeling of the gun against his temple. He heard the click of the trigger - it was ready to shoot. The commanding voice was too sure, he couldn't risk not to abide.

'All right, all right. Don't be nervous. No need for that, we can share.'

'Just do as I tell you. Let her go!'

He nodded then, letting the young woman free; the sweat gathering at his brow even on this cold winter day. Life was precious these days and could be lost in an instant.

'Take off your jacket now! Take it off! Give it to her. Do it!'

'I'll freeze to death!'

The tall, dark haired man held him by the collar then, fury written in his expression. 'Do you think I care? After what you tried to do, you're lucky I haven't kill you! Give her the jacket!'

He handed her the jacket and she put it on as fast as she could muster, shivering with every movement. Hardly believing she was safe...alive.

'Now go. Run! Don't look back or I'll shoot you!'

The man ran then. Oh he ran, without looking back...they would meet again.

xxx

'Tea?'

She shook her head no, covering her cold hands with the sleeves of her new jacket. 'Where did you find the tea?'

'I have some left...I make it last. Are you hungry?'

She nodded.

'Here, eat some.' He handed her a can of heated beans from the fire he had built just a few minutes before. The night had settled in, quiet, still, dead. The wind blew mild, the trees danced with it, a light snow began to fall...it was almost poetic. Morbidly so.

'What? Come on, eat,' he insisted. She was more than hesitant, sitting a good two meters away from him, all her senses on high alert. As they should be ever since. Ever since it had happened. The only thing she cared for - trusted - was the book she held to firmly against her chest.

'How do I know I can trust you?' She asked and he chuckled, eating a spoon full of heated chickpeas. Canned food was a luxury nowadays.

'You're still alive, aren't you?'

'Still.'

'I'm not one of them.' He smiled then, taking pity on her. 'Are you alone?'

'Yes…' she replied sadly, wiping her watery eyes before accepting the can he had offered. 'My brother...he died. It was only the two of us.'

'I see.' He watched as she devoured the beans, clearly realising she hadn't eaten for days.

'What about you?' she questioned, taking a pause to breathe between bites and hastily chewing.

'Only me.' He sighed, putting an end to the conversation and handing her a small blanket he took out of his backpack. 'Now finish eating and then you can sleep. I won't be leaving until the sun rises.'

'You'll leave me alone?'

He looked up at her, to see the source of her desperate question, almost sickly so, and not knowing how to answer that. 'I'm heading South. I don't know about you.'

'I'm just lost. I don't know where to go or what to do. I'd be dead by now if...if you hadn't saved me.'

He took some time to speak again, thinking hard about whether he should offer her his company - if he should allow her to come with him. Two are better than one, that's for sure, but what about the rest? If he died, he died. With her, if something happened to him she would be alone again. With her, he would have to keep her safe, and keeping someone safe in this time and place was nearly impossible to accomplish. In fact, those who did, were them. Them.

'What's your name?' he asked, trying to give himself more time to think.

'Anna. Anna Smith.'

She faced him straight, sure, her eyes almost pleading. Please, don't leave me alone. They were blue, darkening with every minute, with every blazing flame from the fire. For the first time since he had saved her, he allowed himself to take a proper look at her. Blonde hair in a loose ponytail, petite frame, pale skin marked from many days without a touch of water - like his own.

'All right, Anna Smith. If you want, you can join me.'

He saw her smile, and for a second his heart awoke in his chest. He thought it had deserted many years ago, but no. It was still there, beating, surviving, and now he was glad he had invited her to join him on his quest.

'And, what's your name?' she asked him.

'John Bates.'

'Thank you for saving me, Mr Bates. Thank you.'

TBC

Thank you for reading :)