Description: Modern AU. Married life for the Bateses is perfect until, one evening, Anna stumbles across a picture that changes everything. Written for the Banna Secret Santa Exchange 2015.

Warnings: None unless you dislike vaugely Christmas-themed Banna fluff!

A/N: This is my first attempt at a modern AU but it was actually really fun to write! This is for Junior Jeeves so I hope you (as well as everyone else) enjoy this. Thank you to my beta for helping me edit this (especially speech punctuation as it was sadly neglected in my education). Merry Christmas!

Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: Anna, Bates and Downton Abbey all belong to Julian Fellows. I'm only borrowing them for a bit and I intend to give them back!

Acappella

It started off innocently enough. After all, what harm could come from a husband and wife snuggling up together on a rainy October evening? Anna was tucked under John's arm who was running his fingers through her blonde tresses. Anna was scrolling through her phone while her husbanded entertained himself with the more traditional choice of a book. They were a picture of matrimonial bliss.

That was until Anna scrolled across a particular picture on her phone and let a pterodactyl shriek.

"John, oh my goodness, John look at this!"

Poor John, previously sleepy and content, was given such a shock that he dropped his book on Anna's foot. After kissing her as an apology, he took the phone Anna was practically forcing him to hold to see what all the fuss was about.

"It's, um. It's a dog?" The sigh of frustration from his wife prompted him to try again; obviously he'd missed something. John scanned the picture, looking for something, anything that could help him identify the reason behind Anna's reaction. The dog was small (probably a puppy), grey in colour and very, very fluffy. It was, John concluded, exactly the sort of dog that Anna would…

"Darling, no. We've discussed this! We're not getting a dog."

The disappointed pout that appeared on his wife's face was almost enough to make John reconsider but, no, it wasn't possible for them to get a dog – no matter how much Anna might want one. Both had demanding and time consuming jobs which left little time at home for a puppy. It wouldn't be fair on the poor thing and, if John was always one thing, it was fair.

Anna sighed and tucked herself back under her husband's arm. Despite their little disagreement, both knew that neither was in any way cross at the other. It was a rare occasion that they ever were mad but, following advice given to Anna as a girl by her mother, they never went to bed without settling an argument.

A few more pages of John's book were read, punctuated by Anna's yawns. Occasionally he would read a phrase aloud, especially if he knew it would amuse her. It wasn't until John glanced up, upon finishing his chapter, and noticed the silence that he realised Anna had succumbed to the call of sleep.

Every day John would find something new that amazed him about his wife but, perhaps the most surprising, was the amount of space she took up when she was sleeping; Anna was tiny and yet would happily have taken up all the space in their double bed with her spread-eagled positions (had it not been for John sleeping there too). It was therefore impossible to even contemplate the romantic action of carrying her upstairs to bed, so John settled on waking her gently by nuzzling her hair. A soft sigh announced Anna's return to consciousness which prompted John to half lead, half carry her up to their bed. He was becoming more and more concerned about his wife, she seemed to be so tired recently, but he wouldn't have that conversation with her now. She was probably just working too hard. For now, sleep was the most important thing for Anna.

The next morning, like most Sundays for the Bateses, brought a late start followed by brunch. Although Anna did most of the cooking, it was John who was by far the best breakfast maker (she never could get the bacon quite right) and so Anna contented herself with the sight of him bent over the stove frying bacon while she laid places for two at the table. They ate their meal in companionable silence.

The rest of the day was spent lounging around in front of the fire (the first of the year) and catching up on any jobs around the house. They decided, through unspoken agreement, to drop the subject of a puppy for the time being. This unspoken agreement, however, didn't stop Anna leaving pictures of tiny grey dogs all over their house in the coming weeks and certainly didn't prevent John from finding them, picking them up and wondering (before hastily replacing them should Anna get any ideas).

Monday morning, several weeks later, dawned cold but bright which "made a nice change from the overcast skies" as the weather reporter remarked. A hasty decision when filling out her university application had meant a (surprisingly enjoyable) degree in maths, which had led, as maths degrees so often do, to a job as an accountant. Anna genuinely loved her work and the people she worked with, but today she wasn't quite as enthusiastic. Instead, she clung to the thought of seeing John again after his work trip abroad. His flight got in late-afternoon which meant he should be back with her not long after she returned from work and Anna was counting the minutes. They were rarely away from one another and she hated not waking up to her husband in the mornings and falling asleep wrapped in his arms at night.

A day at the office had turned out to be quite the opposite of what Anna had expected and a much happier heart returned home then had left. It wasn't just the news that Mary had told the office during their unofficial but never missed morning tea break, it was what the news could mean for the company.

A vibration from the depths of her bag announced a message from John; he had landed safely and was in a taxi driving home. The first part of the message was no surprise to Anna (she always watched John's planes land online) yet it still relieved her to know that John was really, truly okay. Anticipation turned to excitement as she busied herself around the house, plumping cushions and tidying the coffee table so everything would be perfect for John's arrival. The sound of a car crunching down the gravel lane ended Anna's ministrations as she hastily dropped the magazines she'd been stacking and headed for the front door.

John had barely stepped out of his taxi when he felt a set of arms being thrown around his neck and a voice crying his name. Laughing equally at Anna's reaction and the bemused expression of the taxi driver, he lovingly freed himself from her grasp so he could pay the driver and rescue his suitcase from the boot. Somehow, by the way Anna was pulling at his hand, shirt and anything she could get hold of, John doubted the case would get unpacked tonight.

It was only hours later, lying intertwined with John and thoroughly spent, that Anna remembered her news. For the majority of the day it had been at the forefront of her mind and she had been desperate to tell John but the sight of him, like it often did, had driven any less pleasurable thoughts straight out of her mind. She was halfway through propping herself up on her elbow to face John when his voice broke the silence.

"Anna love, what is it?"

Like always, John had guessed she had something to share. He looked at her face, dreading seeing sadness or regret. The brilliant smile John was treated to ended his fears as he prompted her again "come on, out with it. Or do you need some encouragement?" The treat of John's fingers hovering over her bare ribs (Anna always had been ticklish) was enough to turn her grins to shrieks as she cocooned herself in the duvet for protection.

"Alright, alright, please stop," Anna begged, barely able to articulate the words in between her giggles, "I'll tell you everything."

John stopped tickling but didn't remove his hands, deciding instead to trace patterns across her stomach. Anna, in the interest of actually telling John her news, chose to ignore the action. For the time being at least.

"You know how bad the pipes are at the office?" Anna finally started.

The troublesome pipes were old news to John; many a time had he wrapped Anna in his arms to warm her up after a day at work without any heating or hot water.

"Well," she continued, "they're finally going to do something about it. But the whole office will have to be stripped out and we won't be able to work there for a few months. So we're relocating next week to a new address, about an hour away from where we currently are."

Confusion clouded John's face. How could a ridiculously long commute for months be the cause for so much joy? Realising what this would mean commute-wise for his wife, John's confusion turned to disgust as he interrupted her, "But Anna, love, that'd take you such a long time to get to work every day. You'd have to leave more than an hour earlier than you do already. It's ridiculous! You should resign, I won't have you tiring yourself out over some hot water pipes!"

"John, John shhhhhh," Anna hushed, the indignation in John's voice once more being enough to reduce her to giggles. "Although I love how cross you are for me, I hadn't actually finished speaking yet."

"Oh my goodness Anna, I'm so sorry" John apologised. Forever the gentleman, he was disgusted (at himself this time) for his lack of manners. "Please do go…"

"Shut up then and let me speak you silly beggar!" Anna quipped back. The remark did its job and John shut up, drawing his finger across his lips to show he would keep quiet.

"Mary, as I'm sure you will be pleased to discover, agrees with you and has said that Joe Molesley and I, until the office moves back to our normal location, can work from home. She knows how far away we live and understands that it is unreasonable for us to travel such a long way to work. I might have to go in for a few meetings every couple of weeks but, apart from that, I'll be at home!"

"I wish you'd tell me where we're going John, I'm quite sure what I'm wearing is totally unsuitable. If I'd have known we were going out I would've made an effort!"

John found her fussing, as always, completely endearing and he shot a sideways smile at Anna in the seat next to him. "I wouldn't notice if you were dressed in an old sack; you look beautiful whatever you wear, besides…" John's attempts at ending his wife's concerns were cut short as she threw him an irritated glare.

But Anna didn't stop there.

"You mean you don't notice what I look like? Are you telling me that I spend so much time getting ready to look really lovely for you and you don't even notice? I mean I know I didn't spend that long today but I wasn't expecting to be going anywhere. Not that it matters as apparently you don't care!"

Sensing a full on meltdown, John interrupted Anna's rant (a risky manoeuvre, especially with the sensitive temperament that she'd acquired recently) to reassure her. "Darling, please stop. You know that's not what I meant. I love it when you dress up, although I love it more when you forgo clothes. Entirely." He risked a glance to see if his comment had had the desired effect and was pleased to see a small smirk decorating Anna's face and a laugh sparkling in her eyes. "You don't need pretty clothes or makeup or the right hairstyle to be beautiful Anna, you're perfect as you are. And, for where we're going, you're dressed perfectly too."

John took one hand off the wheel and placed it on Anna's leg for reassurance which was soon covered by her own hand. Anna knew she was being silly and she didn't know why she'd been getting so stressed recently. After all, she was now working from home and was living a relatively easy life. Perhaps it would be best if she booked a doctor's appointment for next week to see if they could give her anything to control her hormones. It was probably just the change in her work environment – that must be it.

Anna's musing was bought to a halt as John steered the car onto a gravel driveway and bought the engine to a halt. They were outside a perfectly normal house, on a perfectly ordinary street. Anna was almost certain she'd never been here before in her life and she was even more certain that she had no idea why they were there now.

"We're here," John announced. His voice betrayed no reason for their visit yet Anna was sure she could detect a definite undertone of excitement. Taking the lead of her husband, Anna climbed out of the car and followed John to the front door. A bell, attached to a thick, weathered rope, was rung and somewhere inside the house a dog began to bark. Looking over at John and witnessing the excitement on his face was infectious, and thoughts of frustration and worry melted away as Anna anticipated the adventure ahead.

The house's inhabitants were taking a long time to respond to the bell's call. John was in the act of pulling out his phone to check he'd got the details right when the door was opened and they were greeted by a small (but plump) lady with kind eyes and a welcoming smile.

"Mrs Patmore?" John asked hesitantly "Or did I get the wrong…"

"Not at all m'dear, not at all. Do come on in." The lady smiled even wider, "and its Beryl please, no one calls me Mrs Patmore 'cept the vicar and that's only 'cause he thinks its proper like to call a women by her surname. I don't hold with such nonsense!"

As she spoke, Beryl ushered the couple into her home and shut the door firmly behind them. Anna was still at a loss as to why they were here and yet was put at ease by the welcoming behaviour of their host.

"Now," continued Beryl, "what you're looking for is just in here." As she spoke, she led the couple (John first, then Anna) through a doorway that led off the main corridor and into a room lit by the glow from the late afternoon sun. Turning around to watch his wife's face, John was pleased, very pleased, with his decision to bring Anna here. She was gazing, with a look often bestowed on children by their doting mothers, at a puppy.

Within the hour, the new family were on their way home. It transpired that Mrs Patmore was rather eager to get rid of the little puppy before she got too used to living with her mother and, once all the necessary paperwork had been filled in, a check written and the kind lady informed of Anna's new work arrangement, the puppy was theirs to take home. The moment had almost been ruined when Anna realised that they had absolutely nothing at home for a dog (John knew there had to be something he had forgotten) but, helpfully, Beryl gave them directions to the local pet store.

John had stayed in the car to look after their new charge while Anna had popped into the shop to buy puppy supplies. A short while later she'd emerged, bags on each arm, followed by an employee who'd agreed (after a smile and a flick of her hair) to carry some of the larger items out to the car for Anna (after all, she couldn't possibly have managed on her own). John, astounded by the amount she'd bought, had carefully moved the sleeping bundle of fluff off his lap and jumped out of the car to help secure the bags in the boot.

And now they were driving home, John at the wheel and Anna sitting next to him with the largest grin on her face. John knew that the evening would be an important one with many decision up ahead. The puppy would have to be named and boundaries put in place to stop the little one getting ideas too above his station (and he was sure he'd have very different ideas to Anna on the subject). But, for now, he enjoyed the view of his darling wife and her new baby and the privilege of driving them home.

It shouldn't have surprised him really, Anna's choice of name. She had spent a lot of time recently watching that silly singing film. But seriously, what a name for a dog!

"Acappella, come here honey!" Anna's voice broke into John's thoughts as he sighed at both the name and the animal attached to it (for such a little thing could never own such a name but was completely owned by it). A fluff of grey bundled into his ankles, leaving muddy paw prints on his trousers and across the kitchen floor. Another sigh, this time from his wife, escaped and even John (who claimed to tolerate, not adore the dog) had to admit that the animal looked awfully sorry for her actions.

The run up to Christmas had been largely overtaken with the training of Acappella (or Pella as she'd become known. John really could not bear to shout that name across a crowded park) but no one was really complaining. Anna delighted in the bundle of joy and John delighted in Anna's happiness. Yes, several (previously) prized possessions and been destroyed, the carpet weed on several times over and the Christmas tree decorations had to start halfway up its branches this year but, overall, the little family was happy.

Only one rule about Pella (out of the list created by John) had been kept firmly: no dog in the bedroom. At first, it had been heart-wrenching leaving a crying Pella alone downstairs in her crate with only a hot water bottle and a fluffy raccoon toy for company but soon enough everyone had got used to the routine and it suited all. Pella loved having her own space (especially to use as an escape when the house got busy and too many hands wanted to say hello) and the human Bateses loved being together in their bed. Alone.

One night, upon waking up and finding herself alone in their married bed, Anna guessed that John had gone downstairs to check on the puppy. Despite what he said about Pella, Anna was sure that he secretly had a soft spot for her; certainly she never went without anything she could want or need. Deciding that the bed really was just too cold without her bed warmer, Anna decided to investigate. Padding softly down the stairs, she was surprised to notice the glow of the Christmas tree lights (although Anna soon concluded that they'd probably left them on when they'd gone to bed). Turning the corner into their living room, an unexpected sight met her eyes.

John was lounging in the comfy armchair and, lying across his chest, was Pella. Both sleeping soundly, John's hand was stroking her soft ears and the little dog snuffled and sighed in her dreams. It was a precious moment and Anna couldn't bear to ruin it. Instead, she chose to tuck herself into the chair with the two of them, using her husband as a pillow. John stirred slightly and registered Anna's presence (despite his largely unconscious state). He pulled her snug against him and then placed a hand on each of his girls. Murmuring in a sleepy mumble, he told Anna "this is perfect my dear. Now I'm holding both members of my lovely family." John's left hand was used to continue soothing Pella, running his fingers through her soft fur, while his right came to rest on Anna's stomach, drawing patterns over her silky skin. All were content to slumber under the twinkling lights.

Just before she joined her husband and furry baby in sleep, a thought struck Anna and she smiled. For John (although he didn't know it yet) was actually holding all three members of his family in his loving arms.