Hello all. First fiction since a few years, so thought I'd start with a nice bit of Bates/Anna fluff. This is in my imagination, a year on after Vera's death (S2 E6) and things are starting to look very good for the pair. This piece ships Anna/Bates, Robert/Cora, Mary/Matthew and O'Brien/Bitchiness.
Disclaimer – I do not own any of the Downton Abbey franchise. Unfortunately, Julian Fellowes got there before me.
It had been hard. Both of them could say that. Interference after interference had set them back, but they had pulled through. After Vera's death, they had both worried that Mr Bates would indeed be charged with murder, which would have definitely contributed to yet another interference…but the blisteringly hot Summer of 1919 had almost lazily passed by and still Mr Bates and Anna continued to be together without prison, threats or hatred leering at them.
The pristine, well-kept grounds surrounding Downton Abbey on a beautiful August day looked breath-taking. The grass was a glistening emerald against the sapphire sky, completely cloudless and endless. Mr Bates, Anna and indeed the rest of the servants downstairs had earned themselves a day off due to the death of one of the Dowager Countess' closest friends, George Montgomerie, the 15th Earl of Eglinton. The staff had all found it rather peculiar, as they were only granted half a day off once a fortnight, the Crawleys usually requested extra work such on such events such as a death or tragedy, and finally, the Earl of Grantham and the Earl of Eglinton had never really been close friends, or even acquaintances to that extent. However, the didn't complain. They sat on the worn, softening bench outside their cottage, just outside the grounds.
'Beautiful day, isn't it.' Bates said it as a statement, rather than a question. He turned from looking at the view appreciatively to his wife. She was looking in the complete other direction, towards some thick, burly pine trees.
He sighed. She had barely spoken to him since they awoke, and her eyes were unusually distant every time he attempted to meet them.
'Anna, what's wrong? You can try and deny it all you like, but I know you, as a matter of fact I know you well and I know something is bothering you.'
She turned around slowly, and looked at him with a peculiar expression. 'John', she started. At this, Bates raised his eyebrow slightly. It had taken her a long time to adjust to calling him by his first name, after six years of referring to him as 'Mr Bates'. The only time she called him John was when she was irritated or yearning for some…private time with him. He could tell it wasn't the latter.
'I heard Miss O'Brien talking the other day,' she said slowly, her eyes big and full of unidentified emotion. 'And she didn't think I could hear. She said that…' she paused, considering whether to say what she was worrying about.
'Go on,' Bates urged gently.
'She said that one day soon, you're going to lose your temper with me like you did with Vera and that we can't have our little image of happiness forever. Well what if I want forever?'
She said the last sentence with some forceful determination.
Bates sighed.
'Anna. You know what happened with Vera anyway. As much as I grew to loathe the woman, I wouldn't have dared to murder her. Besides, you're everything that Vera wasn't. She was greedy. Selfish. Trouble. You're…' he paused, blushing slightly. They had been wed for months now but he still got a fluster of butterflies when he made his feelings public. 'You're…well you're just perfect. Kind. Selfless. Completely beautiful, inside and out.'
She grinned, and took his hand. 'Sometimes, I find it hard to believe that we've only known each other a few years rather than a lifetime.' She planted a kiss on his slightly bristly cheek. He had cheered her massively, and although she didn't usually let Sarah O'Brien dampen her mood, every time Vera was brought up, it made Anna uneasy. In her and Bates' world they entered in their cottage away from everything else, Vera Bates never existed. But occasionally a mention of her would make her feel uncomfortable. And competitive. She knew that Bates' first marriage was something of a disaster, so the mention of Vera Bates often made Anna want to secure her position as a wife was being well fulfilled.
They smiled at each other, something that they liked to do to pass the time on days when time was something they could pass rather than manage. Anna broke the silence after a few seconds.
'Do you think we'll ever have children?' she asked.
They had discussed this many times before. Both were keen, and undeniably they had now had a lot of practice, but they had both admitted parenthood scared them slightly.
'Of course, or at least I hope so. But I don't think that right now is the time,' Bates said fairly.
'I agree completely. Although I was sort of hoping…just so that we don't have to ponder endlessly when the time comes…maybe we could discuss names?' she smiled fawningly. Bates chortled.
'What, as a game or as a serious preparation for the joys that may lie ahead?' he smiled questioningly.
'Both,' Anna grinned, now fully back to her usual self. 'I think I'd quite like a little boy,' she said decisively. Bates laughed.
'Well that's alright, I'll just telegram the 'Baby Factory' now and ask them if they have any lads under the name of 'Bates' in supply.'
'That would be lovely. Anyway, I was thinking traditional, maybe Horatio?'
'What?' Bates snorted. That's awful. I had always liked the sound of Thomas, but then I had the joys of meeting Mr Barrow and my dreams of having a young lad named Thomas faded with every minute I spent with Thomas downstairs.
'Thomas is too common. I want it to mean something. But the person who means the most to me is you, and John Bates Junior is a bit of a mouthful!'
'Well, if we run out of ideas we can always settle with John. I've had a thought! What about George?'
'Oh, yes! George Bates has a nice ring to it, I thin…'
In the excitement of their game, they didn't notice the Earl of Grantham approaching them, arm in arm with Lady Grantham.
'Ah,' Lord Grantham exclaimed awkwardly, looking at the pair who were blushing back at him, the smiles from a few seconds previous still evident on their faces. 'I'm dreadfully sorry to interrupt you both, but I'm afraid I come bearing some bad news. I forgot I was hosting cousin Matthew and Lady Mary tonight, so will unfortunately be needing all of my staff regardless of the death of Mama's dear friend George.'
At that, Anna and Bates caught each other's eyes slyly and tried to surpass matching grins.
'Uh, yes of course my Lord, that's not a problem, we had made no plans anyway,' replied Bates politely. This was in fact, a lie. He had planned secretly to spend some quality time with Anna later on in the day which would be a useful way of producing a George or indeed any child.
'Ah, brilliant. You can still have an hour or so, Mary and Matthew won't be arriving until about seven, but of course I shall need dressing and the kitchen doesn't run itself,' Lord Grantham said apologetically. He paused to take a look at the couple.
He remembered John Bates back when he was injured in Africa, how bitter, how resistant he became. To see his batman, and one of his closest friends, so happy and settled after all of his troubles really did please him. It seemed Cora read Robert's face, and as they dismissed themselves from Anna and Bates' presence, she smiled.
'They remind me of you and I when we were first together, although we didn't have much time to plan baby names, as I was pregnant within a few months'.
Lord Grantham grinned cheekily.
'I never once heard you complaining, besides, I'm sure it was my…performance…that made you love me so,'
'Oh Robert! Let's save this talk for another time, perhaps when we are not walking the grounds?' Cora suggested, half blushing, half mocking.
'Fine, have it your way. Let's retire back to the house,' Lord Grantham replied wryly.
And so off they went.
'It was so lovely to see Lady Mary and Matthew so happy,' declared Anna as she settled down into bed that night.
'It was. Who would have thought that they'd ever make it happen again?' Bates said in agreement.
'I always knew it wouldn't just amount to nothing. I'm a believer. That's why I refused to let go of you,' she cooed softly as Bates began to get into bed with her.
'Thank God you didn't let go of me,' Bates replied seriously. 'My happiness now depends on you.'
Smiling as she moulded her body around him, Anna fell quiet for a moment.
'I know I've said this near enough one hundred times, but every day it gets stronger. I don't ever think I've been as happy as I am when I'm with you.'
Bates grinned, and planted a kiss on her golden tresses. They lay there for a few minutes, partly exhausted from the unexpected work they had just faced, partly just happy to be sharing each other's warmth and breathing each other's scent. Finally, Bates broke the silence.
'So, George did you say?'
Thankyou to anyone who has decided to read this. PLEASE REVIEW and even request some stories, I am a massive Anna/Bates shipper so if you love your fluff I'm your gal!