I haven't given up on The Other Person, but I had this idea and I couldn't ignore it. Thanks to pussycatwithattitude for being my first reviewer and editor. I hope you all enjoy it.

Disclaimer: Nothing's mine

The restaurant was fully booked for another night, the bustle in the kitchen proof of their success. Ever since Anna Smith became chef, after Mrs Patmore's retirement, the customers kept coming back and brought new ones with them. Robert couldn't be happier with the success and he thought it was the right time to open another restaurant, in the city. He told the staff the day before about his new plans, saying he would bring a new restaurant manager since the current one, Stephen, would move to the city. Situated by the sea, the restaurant specialised in seafood and worked with a set menu every night. Anna looked around satisfied, they were half way through the menu and every single plate came back empty with compliments for the chef.

"Anna, do you know the man Robert is having dinner with?"

Anna rolled her eyes at her sous-chef, "Daisy, we're not here to gaze at the guest of our employer."

"I know, but I've never seen him here before and we know most of his guests." She turned to Anna, "Oh come on just have a look."

She sighed as she threw her towel over her shoulder, "Alright then." She stepped towards the doors and gazed through the small round windows of the swinging doors, separating the kitchen from the dining area. She saw Robert laughing, but his guest was seated with his back to the door, a cane leaning against the back of his chair. She could only see his dark hair, and the flailing of his hands as he explained something. Somehow it seemed familiar, like she had met him before and as he turned to William, their waiter for the night, she could see the outline of his face and she gasped. She was right, they had met before, years ago on Mary's wedding, just before he left for Afghanistan with Robert. There had been a connection between them, alchemy. They had spent the whole evening together talking, laughing, sharing their interests and she could still remember every single second from the moment he brought her back home.

They stepped out of his car and walked side by side in silence, their hands brushing occasionally. Once at her door she turned around to face him. She didn't want to say goodbye, but she knew she had to. He would be gone for about a year, and she would be here, waiting and worrying.

"I've had a wonderful evening Anna, thank you." He smiled and stepped a bit closer, "It'll give me something to think about, while I'm gone."

She felt tears coming up in her eyes, how could this be? They've just met. "Just…" she swallowed deep and looked away for a moment, trying to compose herself, "Just let me know something, let me know how you're doing, else I'll worry."

He gave her one of his half smiles, "Well, we can't have that." He took her hand in his, "I'll write to you, we're not allowed to do anything else."

"I'll write back, I promise," she replied without missing a beat.

"I'll look forward to it." He placed a soft kiss on her cheek and held his head close, "Thank you Anna."

She entwined their fingers on one hand and placed her other on his cheek, caressing it with her thumb and then she pressed her lips softly against his. "Be safe," and with that she turned and stepped inside.

They had written several letters to each other while he was away, but after his injury she had never heard from him again. She knew he had saved Robert's life during an ambush, but they had lost several other soldiers. Mary had told her he had moved to Ireland, going back to his roots, trying to heal himself from the mental images following him. No one had heard anything from him for about 4 years. She never stopped thinking about him though, wondering how he was, what he was doing, why he had stopped writing, and she felt helpless, but in time she realised she would have to put it behind her. She still had his letters, hidden somewhere only she knew. Occasionally she would ask Mary for news, but in time even that had faded and now he was back, sat there in the restaurant she loved, eating the food she prepared lovingly, talking to her colleagues. Daisy brought her back out of her memories.

"Anna, do you know him?"

"Yes, I do."

Daisy's eyes brightened, "So? Who is he?"

She was just about to answer when William came back to the kitchen, "Anna, Robert wants to see you after the last course."

Anna nodded, before turning back to her work. She was glad Daisy got distracted enough by William to forget about the whole situation for a while, so she could process this by herself. The rest of the shift passed by fairly quickly and before she knew it, Anna was on her way to Robert and him.

Robert noticed Anna coming to their table and smiled, "Ah Anna, please sit down." He gestured for the seat next to him, "The food was delicious as usual."

"Thank you Robert." She could feel his eyes burning through her, but she couldn't turn her head, she wasn't ready to look at him.

"I'd like you to meet a very good friend of mine, but perhaps you two already met."

Now she had to turn her head, and when she looked in his eyes she could see he was surprised to see her, but only she could see it. No one knew about their exchange during his absence, she never told anyone and as far as she knew, neither did he.

He quickly composed himself, trying to look as normal as possible, but his heart was beating out of his chest, "Nice to meet you again Miss Smith. Robert was right, it was amazing."

"Thank you Mr Bates." And that was all they said to each other, before Robert's phone interrupted their silent link.

"I'm sorry I have to take this." He got up from the table and stepped outside, leaving Anna and John alone.

John could only stare. He never knew Anna was the chef of Robert's restaurant. Work was the last thing they talked about in their letters. He had tried to forget about her, but forgetting was impossible. How could he ever forget about her? She had been his light in the darkness. He needed to say something, anything, but what would be right after all those years?

At long last, he found the ability to speak again, "Anna, I didn't know…"

She sighed, "It's alright." She looked around, people were leaving and soon the place was empty, save for the staff cleaning up in the kitchen.

He tentatively tried to say more, "How have you been?"

She smiled, it had been so long since she had heard his voice, and the hesitation in his voice as he addressed her made him all the more endearing to her, "Just great and you?"

"As good as can be," he gave her a faint smile and she knew instantly there was more to it.

"So you're back then, for good?"

John sighed, "He offered me the job Anna."

"Who?"

"Robert, he asked me to take over this restaurant." Anna nodded, but she didn't say anything, so he continued, "I won't take it if you don't want me to."

"What do you mean?"

He lowered his voice, "I'd understand if you didn't want me around here."

"No," she looked away, she couldn't stand the thought of him leaving again. "We're better than this."

"Only if you're sure."

She forced a smile and placed her hand on top of his, "I am."

His breath caught in his throat as he felt her hand on his. She noticed it too and quickly withdrew her hand. At that moment Robert came back inside, Stephen behind him. John tried to compose himself, before they reached him and Anna. He noticed how she quickly turned her head to wipe her eyes as they came closer. He never realised what an effect she would have on him, on the other hand he never thought he'd see her again. When Robert called about the job, he was just glad for the opportunity. As they reached their table, he stood up and shook Stephen's hand, exchanging pleasantries, before something happened in front of him he hadn't counted on – they could have stumped him in the back, it wouldn't have hurt as much. Stephen bent down and gave Anna a soft kiss on her lips.

Through everything happening around her, she completely forgot about Stephen as he bent down to give her a kiss. Before he sat down, she could have sworn she saw John swallowing deeply and looking away. She was more confused than ever and she couldn't really listen to what was being said around her, but she did notice John trying to avoid looking at her throughout the whole conversation. He left as soon as he could, and that's when she first noticed him picking up his cane and limping out of the door.

"Robert, are you sure he's capable of running the restaurant? I mean with his limp."

"Stephen, don't be so mean. I'm sure he can manage." Anna was taken aback by the fierceness in her voice, feeling the urge to defend him.

Stephen kissed her cheek and smiled, "If you say so. Are you going home with me, or do you have some more work?"

She needed to be alone for a while, but she couldn't tell him that, "I still have to clean a bit, I'll be home later. You don't have to wait up for me."

He nodded and left. After cleaning up the rest of the mess, she walked back home. One of the benefits of living near the sea was that she could take a walk there whenever she wanted to. It was the best remedy to clear her head, but when she walked further she saw the one man she was trying to give a new place in her life. He hadn't noticed her yet, staring at the sea, cane in hand, slight bend in the knee. She wanted to turn away and walk in the opposite direction, but somehow she knew she needed to talk to him – she was drawn to him. As she got closer she noticed he had a bundle of letters in his hand and she gasped, realising what they were. She saw him putting them in his inside pocket as he turned, and that's when he caught her gaze.

He felt a bit lost for words, but the primary feelings inside him couldn't deny he was glad to see her. He gave her one of his half-smiles and it was good to see her smiling back. He could never explain why he had stopped writing, she wouldn't understand, but somehow he wanted her to understand. He wanted her to understand that he didn't want her tied down to a cripple, a mess, a shadow of the man he once was. He needed to cut all ties, no matter how painful, in order for her to be free, free of him. But seeing her with Stephen made him realise that his heart still didn't agree with his mind. He closed his eyes as he thought back to that moment where he felt her lips on his, her sweet taste, even if it only lasted for a second, he still remembered every bit. Her voice brought him back to the present.

"You left suddenly."

He sighed, "Yes, I did…" He hesitated, looking around before fixing his gaze on hers, "I needed some air." He stepped closer to her and lowered his voice, "I'm sorry."

As his soft burr reached her ears, she felt tears coming up. Just as she was getting her life back on the rails he reappeared, "Can we talk for a moment?"

"My house is right there, if you want." He used his cane to indicate towards the cottage just behind the sand dunes.

She nodded and they stepped together in silence, she matching his half-step, he cursing his injury. He opened the backdoor for her and she stepped inside, looking around and smiling as she noticed books spread around everywhere. He guided her through to the kitchen and started preparing tea. The letters she had read so many times ran through her head, as she watched him walking around, his cane abandoned against his chair. She couldn't help but wonder where he had been all this time. He sat down, after placing a cup of tea in front of Anna and he waited for her to speak, watching her intently. She looked up at him several times, trying to find the words. She wanted to ask him so many questions, but in the end she realised she was just glad to sit in front of him, sharing a cup of tea, like they had written to each other so many times. He had discarded his jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeves, giving her a look at his strong forearms. She noticed a few scars running from his elbow to his wrist, but she looked away almost immediately, she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable in his own home.

"Why did it take so long for us to get here?"

Her soft voice broke the silence and it pained his heart to hear those words, he looked down, not ready to form a reply.

She took it as a sign to continue, "You know John," he looked up as he heard her say his name, "I never stopped worrying, wondering how you were, what you were doing…" Her voice broke, "I never stopped waiting either."

He closed his eyes, "Anna…"

"No John, I need to say this." She sniffed, before she continued, "I reread your letters over and over again and when the news came of your injury, all I wanted to do was to be with you, but you never came back." A tear rolled over her cheek, "I just want to understand."

It broke his heart to see her this way; he knew he needed to say something. Only now he realised how much pain he had caused her and he hated himself even more for it. He lifted himself up and sat down beside her. He took her hand in his and wiped her tear away with his thumb. "I can't explain, not yet. I…" He swallowed deeply, he had tried so hard to forget everything he had seen, experienced, but it all came back and he closed his eyes, fighting against the memories. "I'm not the same man, Anna." He stood up suddenly, realising he couldn't do this. She had her life, he couldn't drag her down with him, burden her with his troubles, and not while he went through so much emotionally to make sure she could have that life. "Are you happy, Anna?"

Confusion spread around her as she watched him change in front of her, "What?"

"Are you happy with…" It hurt just to say it, "… with Stephen?"

She looked away, "Yes, I am."

He wasn't convinced, but he remained silent.

"John, there's something I need to tell you."

He looked back down at her and implored her with his eyes, to tell him whatever it was.

"Stephen and I…" She avoided his gaze for a moment, trying to gather the courage, before she looked back in his eyes, "… we're engaged."

The silence that followed her confession spoke volumes, they looked straight at each other and she could see John's eyes beginning to redden. He leaned back against the kitchen sink and crossed his arms, processing the news she had just shared. It was what he wanted for her, but why did it hurt so much? He stepped closer to her and sat down in the chair next to her. He cupped her face with both his hands and caressed her cheek with his thumb, his voice thick with emotion, "I wish you all the luck in the world, Anna." He slowly bent forward and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, close to the corner of her mouth.

She felt a tear streaming down her cheek as he pulled away. She quickly took his hand in hers, "We can still be friends, right?"

He smiled, "I certainly hope so. I'll always be here for you Anna, whatever it is."

She embraced him tightly, and smiled, glad to have him back in her life.

"And just so you know, you really are an incredible chef."

She laughed, "Thank you."

"How did you become chef at Robert's restaurant?"

"After Matthew died I wanted to be closer to Mary, so I looked for a job and Cora, who took over the restaurant while Robert was away, took me on. I was Mrs Patmore's sous-chef first, but then she retired and I took over."

"You deserve it." He smiled, "Can ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How come Stephen's leaving? I mean, Robert will open another restaurant and Stephen is going with him, but you're here, so why isn't he staying?"

He looked at her intently, and she knew she could tell him the truth, "I haven't told this to anyone before. To be honest, I don't like working with him, it's just strange. He doesn't take things seriously enough when I'm around. We decided together that he would look for another job and then Robert came with his new idea."

"I see…" He paused for a moment, "Does he know about… us…?"

"No, he doesn't. I never told anyone, you were my secret." She gave him a sweet smile and his heart broke a little further. "Did you ever tell anyone?"

He grinned, "No I didn't, and I never will."

They gazed at each other a while longer, thinking about what could have been. John checked the clock on the wall, "You should go home, you have someone waiting for you."

She nodded and got up. He walked her to the door and she turned to him one last time, "I'm glad you're alright." He smiled and squeezed her hand. She looked at their hands together, marvelling at how well they fitted. She shook her head as if to awake from a daydream and stepped out on the street, thinking about their conversation, the way he looked when she told him she was engaged.

When she got home Stephen was already sleeping and she quickly walked to the attic and took out a small box with a lock from under the dust. She took the chain from around her neck, upon which hung a small key, the key to the box. As she opened it, she could already see his handwriting – the writing that made her day whenever she saw the postman passing by. There was a whole bundle of letters in the box, with a ribbon tied around it. She took the first letter and began reading.

My dearest Anna,

In a few days we're leaving for our last mission and after that I'm coming home. You can finally make me your famous chocolate cake then. I'm afraid this will be my last letter, we can't send mail where we're going now. Please know that I'm thinking about you either way, with or without a letter. Your letters were my piece of home away from home, and I can't wait to come home to you. If all goes well, that will be in only a few weeks. I know this won't help, but I'll say it anyway: Please don't worry about me, I've got Robert with me, we'll be fine.

He can't stop bragging about his soon-to-be grandchild. He said that if all goes well, he or she will be born when we get home. We can have a double celebration then. There's something else I wanted to ask you, (since it's my turn again) please consider it very carefully: Can this old soldier take you to dinner when he's home? Now, before you say no, I want you to know that I know a very special place.

We'll meet again very soon.

All my love,

John

She closed the letter and placed it back with the others as she wiped her tears away. She quietly made her way to the bedroom, wondering what had happened to him.

I hope it was alright. I'll give you another chapter on Friday.