A/N: My attempt to Terriejane and awesomegreentie challenge on Tumblr.
Big thanks to lemacd123 my beta. She is incredible, but all the mistakes are mine.
I will thank lemacd123 again, because this one is the right version.
I hope you all like it, and if you do, please let me know. (If you don't like it you can tell me too.)
#1 - A Banna one-shot that includes a bouquet.
"Stop brooding."
"I'm not brooding."
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm not." Anna said impatiently dropping her hands on her lap. "You are the brooder here, not me."
"That's exactly why I know you are brooding." John said teasingly looking at her. He found the way her eyes opened up attentively so adorable while her mind formulated a hundred possible case-scenarios.
Anna looked back at John. He was smiling, that cheeky-beggar smile of his that still made her heart flutter faster.
"Keep your eyes on the road, and stop teasing me." She could be a little bossy, when she wanted. "I'm nervous, ok?" Anna sighed lightly. "I just want her to like me."
"She already likes you, Anna. I don't know why you are so nervous, you have met my mother before."
That was true. Anna met Helen Bates a few years before, when she was looking for John. They had been working together at the Grantham Hotel for a long time, and developed a strong friendship. When his ex-wife threatened him, John ran away from England, obeying Vera's wishes. Anna knew something was wrong, she knew John better than that and she knew he would never leave without an explanation. So she went after his mother, searching for any clues that could lead to his whereabout.
"It was different. We weren't together back then."
"Perhaps. But you made a good first impression."
For a while, after John got back, his mother tried to figured out more about the petit kind woman who came all her way to London looking for him. John never said a word. He didn't find himself worthy of her, Anna deserved someone better than him, and soon his mother gave up asking.
Five years later, he still couldn't understand what a woman like Anna was doing with him. But they were together, and he loved her more than words could ever explain and that was enough.
"Yes, but your mother is catholic and she won't like to know..." Anna looked through her window.
"That's something I should be worry about, not you. It's not your fault, anyway." She looked at him again. "It's not anyone's fault." Their eyes met, she had an eyebrow raised. "Ok, it's our fault, but it's not a fault. What I am trying to say that we don't have any reason to regret, have we?"
"Of course not. No." Anna put her hand on his thigh. "I didn't mean like that. I love you, and I can't regret anything we've lived together." John caressed Anna's hand with his own.
"I don't regret either. And I know what you mean. I don't know if she will like it, but... Perhaps... I think..."
"You think..."
"She will talk about marriage."
"Ok." Anna answered calmly.
"Ok?"
"Yeah, ok. I mean... We've discuss this. You know I don't need a paper to say I'm your wife. You already are stuck with me, Mr. Bates for good and proper." John squeezed her hand tightly.
Of course he wanted to marry Anna, he wanted to marry her ever since they shared that first kiss outside the hotel. However it took him long years to get a divorce, and now the Crawleys were going through a hard grief after Sybil's death. It wasn't the right time for them. They had talked a lot about it, especially in the latest months, and they were fine for now. They were living in the 21th century, after all, they didn't need to be married to be happy together.
They stood in silence for the following ten minutes. Both of them lost on their own thoughts, filled with promises and hopes to a future they were curious and afraid of. They've been through a lot, as a couple. First John's attempts to move Anna way, not believing she could be really interested on him. When he surrendered and accept her love (he have loved her for a long time secretly), Vera showed up and ruined everything. Then, when John got back, Robert asked him to be the manager at the new company branch in Ireland. It took them more two years and a half to be properly together. Now, it was their time to be happy, together, even if their plans hadn't work out, they would stick together, no matter what.
"Stop the car" Anna said louder than she intended.
"What? Why?" She didn't gave him an explanation. As soon as the car stopped, she grabbed her bag and jumped out. "Anna, wait. Where are you going?"
John thanked God there was a spot there, and parked the car. He got out the faster he could, following her.
"Anna, what are you doing?" She was already inside the flower shop, searching for something with those curious eyes of her.
"Your mother likes lilies."
"You don't need to get her anything. It's just a dinner."
"Hi, can I help you?" A young girl behind the counter asked.
"Yes. I am looking for lilies for my... my mother-in-law." John smiled hearing that, Anna had never called his mother that way out loud. He could get used to it.
"Right, follow me." He let her follow the attendant as a flyer got his attention. It was a little paper, holding the meaning of each flower.
"Anna, darling." John went after her, with the flyer still in his hand. She was choosing with the attendant some white lilies from a basket. "Are you sure you want to give my mother lilies?"
"Yes, they are her favourite. You told me that."
"Yes, they are, but... I don't think there is any need to..."
"John, I just want to give her something. Make things easier with her."
"I know but..." Oh, mother, why you have to like lilies? "'Christians hold the lily as a symbol of chastity, innocence, purity and piety.'"
"What?" Anna asked surprised. "John, what are you talking about?"
"Here" He gave her the flyer. "I'm just saying that give my catholic mother the symbol of purity is not a great idea when we are about to tell her that I got you pregnant before the wedding."
"Oh..." Anna said looking from the flyer to John and back to the flyer. "Right. Definitely not a great idea."
"May I suggest the violets?" The seller broke the silence with a kind smile putting the lilies back in its place. "Their meanings are devotion and faithfulness, but most of the mothers like for its beauty."
"Sure." Anna answered smiling.
"I will get them for you." The florist left, leaving the couple alone.
John approached Anna with a boyish grin on his face.. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, her expression not that relaxed anymore.
"Do you think your mother will be angry with us? Because of the baby?"
"No, I don't think she will be angry." John caressed Anna's upper arm trying to comfort her. "You know, when I got the divorce my mom was a little upset. She told me that marriage was a serious thing, a covenant with God and the woman I truly loved and I should have listened to her before marry the first one I met in a bar. But then, she told me she was glad, because I was doing what was best for me, and that's all she ever wanted, my happiness." Anna relaxed a little under his touch. "And, darling, believe me, I couldn't be happier than I am right now, right here, by your side."
Anna felt her eyes tearing, the biggest smile on her face, unstoppable. She loved John more she could ever express in words, and even if she wanted to say something as beautiful as he had just said to her, all she could do was whisper
"I love you." A tear felt on her cheek and John took away with his thumb fondly.
"I love you too, darling. I love both of you." He caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers before joining their lips in a quick sweet kiss.
Dinner that night went better than Anna had expected. Mrs. Bates loved the bouquet of violets, commenting something about their meaning. Later, Anna figured out that she was a flowers lover, and she thanked John again for not bringing the lilies.
It was him who broke the news. He held Anna's hand assuring her it would be fine, whether her mother liking or not. Although she knew Mrs. Bates approval was important to him.
"I will be a grandma…" Helen said in a low voice for herself, trying to process what had been said. When she looked up back to the couple, there were tears on her eyes. "I thought I would never hear those words."John and Anna shared a look, smiling. Mrs. Bates wiped away her tears, before getting up from her chair. "You better make a honest woman out of Anna, John Patrick Bates, because now she won't leave this family, whether you like it or not."
"Don't worry m'am." John answered looking straight back to Anna's eyes. "She is stuck with me now, for good and proper."