This is my contribution to the Banna Secret Santa 2016- sorry for the delay! This is for to my lovely friend, mr-and-mrs-bates. She asked for something not written here, but just wait for chapter two…I can't promise when I'll get it done, but I will do it before next Christmas! (probably) (I hope). I hope you all had a lovely holiday season.
Please excuse the soppy, terrible pun of a title. My wonderful beta and I came up with it and we couldn't let it go. The first noel of many for John and Anna…
Today was Anna Smith's most favourite day of the year. She had treasured memories of the annual Carol Concert from the tender age of five. The excitement usually began on the Monday afternoon by walking down to the local church, buzzing and ready for the rehearsal. Whether dressed as a star (not the main star, mind you) aged five, in her best concert blacks as a shy but angel-voiced teen or as a chaperone for the students she taught now in her twenties, Anna loved the Carol Concert. And this year, she was sharing it with John.
"Come on, you silly-beggar," she laughed, tugging his hand gently and leading him into the church. He followed, of course. It may have only been months, but he would follow her anywhere.
Their relationship was still new, fresh. Still shy glances and hesitant smiles and tender touches, masking the eagerness of both for more. She had tentatively asked him if he would accompany her to this year's Carol Service at the school where she taught, apologising for the rather unorthodox date. He had smiled and accepted. Only a fool would turn down the opportunity to spend an evening with Anna.
And now, John was beginning to be aware of how much of herself Anna was sharing with him by bringing him here tonight. As the choir continued to rustle, lighting candles behind the font, she began to twist round in her chair, gazing up at the golden organ pipes with awe.
"Isn't it exciting?" she whispered, as she gently lolled her head back into his chest, sighing happily, "Look, the choir are all flustered. I remember my conductor telling us to be careful not to set fire to the person's hair in front."
John heard the smile in her voice, and smiled in return, resting his hand on her hip.
"I wonder how many risk assessments they've got to fill out for this…"
Anna giggled, turning back to him. "Far too many, probably."
"Do they have a class on all that when you do a PGCE?" he joked, "Robert and Mary are always moaning about their blessed risk assessments." Anna rolled her eyes at him.
"I'll have you know that, with the exception of a pile of exam papers, they are the bane of every single teacher's life. The number of ridiculous situations you have to consider...they're children, not monsters," she laughed, "Well, mostly."
"Fire aside, how risky can singing carols be?" John asked.
"You'd be surprised. It is totally plausible that someone may perforate an eardrum by butchering the O Come All Ye Faithful descant," Anna replied with a serious face, "I've seen it happen- or rather, I heard." She shuddered.
He was shocked, glancing warily over at the students, momentarily sizing up their voices. Goodness, he had underestimated their power. However his astonishment was quickly dissolved when he noticed the tell-tale twinkle in Anna's eyes.
"You fibber!" he gasped, as Anna dissolved into giggles. He shook his head, loving the tinkling sound of her laugh. She could tease him always if this was the result.
She paused for a moment, at peace. "Can you pick a favourite Carol?" she asked, "Because I definitely can't. I love the congregational ones but there are so many other hidden gems."
"Hark! The Herald was a childhood favourite, I suppose," John replied. Probably because it signified the end of the service, but he wasn't about to tell Anna that. Judging by her excitement today, it'd be enough to end their relationship altogether.
"And of course some Rutter never goes amiss. Everyone pretends to hate him, but where would Christmas carols be without him?" she shook her head, smiling. John smiled back, completely and utterly nonplussed.
"Ah, of course. Rutter," he nodded, bewildered.
"What's your favourite of his? Angel's Carol isn't terrible, but Candlelight Carol is just beautiful, especially when the little ones sing it," she wittered on, not aware of John's bemusement.
John continued to watch her intently, as she chattered about her favourite carols. He occasionally caught words like 'bleak midwinter' which made perfect sense, only to be quickly thrust back into the dark when she started spilling out words in Latin (Personent Hodie? What on earth was that?). She talked with such passion about these songs, her hands moving animatedly and her whole face lighting up. She worried her lip slightly whenever she paused, caught up in childlike delight and excitement. She really does love this night, he thought.
A moment or so later, she stopped abruptly.
"You have no idea what I'm on about, do you?" she accused lightheartedly, pouting slightly as she regarded him.
"Not really no…" he admitted, running a hand through his hair shyly, "Actually, not at all. I know the common ones but I was never really a choir boy, much to my mother's dismay."
She smiled at the thought of him as a little boy, dark-haired with those inquisitive eyes.
"You were listening so intently, though," she wondered aloud, before she could get too lost in the thought of dark-haired Bates children (was it too soon for that?).
He blinked at her, caught. It should have been easy to shrug off the observation, citing politeness. But as he was fast learning, it was near on impossible to lie to Anna. Something about it did not sit right with him- and never would- he supposed.
"Well," he muttered, almost sheepishly, "I was watching you. I didn't want to stop you from talking, especially when it's about something you so evidently love." He smiled weakly at her, "Plus you look beautiful when you're so passionate about something. I don't know what I've done to deserve a woman like you next to me."
There was a moment of silence. Anna opened her mouth to answer, tears shining in her eyes, but as she did the lights dimmed. Instead of a reply, he was rewarded with a sweet kiss to the cheek in the new darkness, before she turned to watch the soloist, his hand held tightly in hers.
The service passed mostly without incident. The choir were very talented and the carols pleasant. However, having Anna to his left was a definite distraction. John found himself letting the music fade into the background as he watched Anna fondly. God knows, he had a lot to repent for in his life, but it was made all the more easy with Anna Smith by his side.
The last few months had been bliss. The joy of his divorce would have been happiness plenty for John, but as usual, the universe had something else to throw at him. This time, however, that thing was Anna Smith, and John had never felt so blessed. Rob had dragged him on a night out to celebrate 'being shot of that Vera', as he put it, and somehow he had wound up talking to Anna. Then she slipped her hand into his, pulled him to the dancefloor (accompanied by a tipsy giggle) and that was that. He was well and truly a goner.
They had just sat down after a congregational carol (though John spent most of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen watching how Anna's eyes sparkled when she sang) when he realised that the warmth at his side was no longer there. He looked around, confused, wondering where on earth Anna could have got to in such a short space of time. Perhaps she had needed the toilet, but he was sure that she would have let him know (if she had gone at all; something told him that every moment of this service was precious to her).
Before he could ponder further, the next carol began. As the first few notes of Silent Night echoed around the church, he sighed quietly and turned his eyes back to the front-
Oh. There she was.
John looked on, open-mouthed as the first verse began. For there was Anna- his Anna- singing a solo in front of him. And what a voice she had. Soft, rounded and angelic, she recounted the story of mother and child, in time joined by three other teachers and then the whole teachers' choir.
He didn't know why he was surprised. After all, he had caught her singing the descants to all of the congregational carols, and even mouthing a few words along with the choir. But she had never let on that she would be singing anything but that tonight. As the carol drew to a close, John caught Anna's eye briefly. He saw the almost imperceptible quirk of her cheek, and felt it somewhere deep in his chest.
As the carol drew to a close, John could not help but grin like an idiot. The smile did not leave his face, even as everyone rose for the next congregational one (how was he supposed to remember the words to O Come All Ye Faithful now?). When Anna didn't return straight away, he quickly moved into the aisle on the side of the pews, hidden behind a large pillar. Slowly, he inched his way down towards where she was sitting, in the little chapel to the side of the altar.
"You were utterly marvellous," he whispered in a low tone, as she stood up and made her way towards him.
"I'd hardly call it that. Did you hear how sharp we went? I thought the conductor would pass out," she sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before looking up at John, "But I hope you enjoyed it regardless."
He beamed at her, and she returned the gesture. For a moment they were the only two in the world, the organ and congregation sending out messages of adoration to Christ the Lord somewhere in the background. Then, Anna threw himself into his arms, reaching up to kiss him deeply. He wound his arms around her waist, holding her tightly. John was not letting go of Anna Smith any time soon.
Breaking the kiss a moment later, she rested her chin just on his shoulder.
"It was all for you, John," she murmured, "All for you."
Sorry for geeking out carols-wise. I really love those carols and once I started I couldn't stop.