I deleted my original first attempt at this story. I decided I really like the story I had been working on, but I wanted more feedback from friends before presenting it to the public.

I'm new to this, so please be kind and give feedback. I'd love to hear what you have to say! Hopefully, one day, I'll eventually be able to write as well as some of the other wonderful authors who take on this show.

I wanted to introduce a bit of her family before I brought it well-known characters from the canon, so please be patient!

Disclaimer: In case there was any doubt, I don't own Downton Abbey

Thank you for reading!

May 1896

"Anna. Anna, my love, wake up!"

It was still tar-black outside. No light shone through the tiny window near the top of the room.

"Anna. I've got a surprise for you. Get up!"

The particularly groggy young girl stirred in her bed for a few minutes before finally opening her eyes slowly. Awaiting her was the sight of her father, a tall, pale man, with very blue eyes. She'd only been to the coast once, but Anna thought it reminded her of the sea in the morning.

He gently pushed her long knotted blonde hair out of her face, and kissed her forehead softly. Under her grumbling protests she managed a tired half-smile. He took her by the shoulders and helped her sit up, with her feet dangling over her bed. He helped her rub her eyes, and rise to her feet.

Anna was careful not to wake her two younger sisters by the shift on the bed. Together, they snuck out of the room to the back door where they put their jackets and boots on.

They opened and closed the door quietly, as to not wake anyone else in the house up. Her father lit a cigarette, and took her in towards his side, in almost a half hug. Together they started for the path down to the creek not too far from their terraced house.

The closer they got, the stronger and cooler the early morning wind became. Anna's father offered her his jacket, but she refused, just wrapping herself closer to him inside his jacket.

"Come on. If you catch a chill your mum will never forgive me!" Anna laughed, shaking her head.

"Mum'll have everybody's head if you do!" Anna and her father shared a sense of humor that was often aimed at the attitudes of others, at their expense.

Nearly half an hour later they arrived at the creek. He put a sheet down on the dewy grass, and motioned for his daughter to sit down on it.

The sun was slowly beginning to rise. It cast an orange hue over the creek, and lit up the dark world. Mr. Smith pulled his daughter closer to him, and she put her head on his arm.

"Happy birthday, my love." He pulled out a small brown box-shaped item, wrapped in string. Her face lit up. She looked to her father, almost seeking approval, before ripping into the package as fast as her little hands would let her. Her smile reached from ear to ear as she neared getting all the wrappings off.

It was a copy of The Complete Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales. Anna had been begging for a copy since she was just about old enough to read. The other children at school had been obsessed with it, and she was no exception. She had read it cover to cover many times, but longed for her own copy to leaf through whenever she'd like. Once, when she went into Ripon with her father, she spied a copy with the most beautiful illustrations she had ever seen. This copy.

She leafed through the pages carefully, pressing her ear close to the binding as it crackled like many new books do. Her smile stretched her whole face, and her father chuckled with delight at his daughter's excitement.

"You like it then?" he asked. Anna put the book aside gently and flung herself on her father, nearly knocking him over. She was careful of his gammy leg, a result of an injury he had when he was younger.

"I love it, Daddy. Thank you!" She returned to the book and settled herself between his legs, leaning back onto his chest. He hugged her, looking over her shoulders to see her fingers gently feelings each and every page, drawing over the pictures clumsily.

They sat there together and enjoyed watching the sunrise some more. It had nearly been two years since the last time he took her out like this. It was too far a walk for him to take it as frequently as they used to.

"I love you, Daddy," she whispered behind a toothy yawn. He smiled. "And you love me too." He nodded and mumbled in a quiet agreement.

She never had, nor thought she ever could love anyone more than her father. She looked to him for comfort and safety. She felt safe and important with him. And she made his world complete.

"Shall we go home? You're mum will be worried sick if she wakes up and finds us gone."

She shook her head shamefully. "She'll be cross with us."

"And why's that?" he laughed.

"You've got mud all over your trousers, and I've got it all over my nightie!"

Mr. Smith's face blushed. In the dark, he hadn't realized had set the sheet on a mud puddle. "We'll sneak 'round the back, just incase she's awake. We'll soak them before she's up. Besides, I won't tell on you if you don't tell on me!"

He picked his daughter up with ease, balancing the basket between his fingers. He had a horrible limp, but his ten-year-old daughter was still tiny enough that it didn't bother him too much. On the way home, she fell asleep in his arms, with the book in hers.

"My, my. Where have you been?" Mrs. Smith groaned. Anna was flustered searching for an answer. "And your nightie! It's covered in mud! Your trousers!" Anna thought her mother's screeching could wake the next closest home. Mrs. Smith was more flustered than Anna as she attempted to keep a fire going long enough to make breakfast.

"I took her to the creek, to watch the sunrise for her birthday." Mr. Smith tried to interject.

"No note. No nothing. And you come back with dirty clothes! Birthday or not, this is not acceptable, Reid. Anna, go change." She was so distracted that she hardly noticed when her youngest daughter, Flora, tried to put her hand on the stove. Luckily, Anna smacked it down just in time, and pointed to their bedroom. Flora sulked back to bed.

"I'll wash them." He offered, gesturing to Anna to leave the room, and the conversation. She did so and went to her room to change out of her nightie and into a clean dress. She could hear her parents arguing in the other room, but she knew they'd come to some sort of truce soon.

Her mother wasn't unreasonable, nor her father a rebel, but in their minds, they saw those traits in their spouse, as much as they did truly love each other.

Anna shared a bedroom with her two sisters, Tilly, who was six, and Flora was was four. They shared a bed and a dresser, and there was little privacy at all for any matter of business. Anna blew out the light on the table now that it was light enough. Flora was deathly afraid of the dark and would cry all night, less someone left a light for her.

She put the dress and her new book on the counter and proceeded to change into warm, dry clothes.

"What's this?" Tilly inquired. She picked up the book and began to flip through the pages.

"Not yours. Put it back."

"It isn't nice to keep things a secret."

Anna groaned. "It's private. Not secret. There's a difference." She had been trying to teach her sister this lesson for quite some time. "Besides, it's my birthday present from Daddy."

"Can I please look at it?"

"Yes. But only if you clean your hands- and you sit criss-cross on the bed- AND you-"

"Oh bother. It isn't worth it…" Tilly left the room sulking. She had only managed to button two of her buttons and tie on hair bow in her hair before leaving the room.

Flora looked at Anna who had just finished changing. She held her dress and her bows out to her sister.

"Flora, you're four. You can do this." Flora just shook her head, insisting her elder sister help her. Anna eventually gave it to her sister's act. "Fine, but this is the last time." Anna somehow knew it wouldn't be, but it might buy her some time. "I'm never dressing anyone ever again," she mumbled under her breath. "Not Flora, not Tilly, not even my own daughters. They'll have to figure it out."

She patted her sister's bottom, shooing her out of the room. Anna felt the pages of her new book again. They were so crisp and strong. She wished she could just stay in bed all-day and read, but she knew she'd need to attend school. She wanted to attend school.

In the next room she could smell breakfast: Fruits and oatmeal. Anna loved eating, as tiny as she was, and having fresh fruit on her birthday was always a pleasant highlight. She joined her family at the table, as they all ate together, a rarity considering her father was often off to work so early.

They took turns hugging her and wishing her a happy birthday before her father had to make his way to work, and she and Tilly started for school.

The weather was unusually nice after school. The sun was still out, though it was late into the afternoon: a perk of late spring. Tilly was munching on a carrot she had saved from lunch, trying to skip ahead of her sister.

"Tilly, you need to slow down." Anna shouted, hoping her sister might listen to her for a change. Surprisingly, she did. She grabbed Tilly's opposite hand and swung it forward and behind. Her sister laughed and she tried to keep her arm swinging so fast.

"I wish I was as smart as you." This caught Anna by surprise. She wasn't sure why her sister was in such a good mood, but this comment was very uncharacteristic of her.

Tilly wasn't particularly bratty, but she certainly didn't have a filter. She told everyone what was on her mind, and it was usually pretty nasty. Anna was lucky to get a civil conversation out of her, and even then, it was usually because Tilly desired something of her.

She was, however, very intelligent and helpful. She knew how to suck up to people, but she was a great leader. She could encourage anyone to see her point of view on any topic, and by the end of the evening, they were on her side. Anna admired her this from her, seeing as she was only six.

"And pretty. And I promise I'm not saying it 'cus I want somethin', or I'm just making you feel good 'cus it's your birthday. I mean it."

Anna was flushed. Besides the gift from her father, she couldn't think of anything else she could have ever wanted. "Thank you, Tilly. That's very kind of you."

Tilly was pleased with herself and skipped off, mindful, her sister could see her at all times.

Although she enjoyed everyone's sincere happiness and kindness today, Anna was exhausted. She had been woken much earlier than usual to view a wonderful sunrise with her father.

She happily retired to her room, sticking herself between the wall and Flora. She thumbed through the pages one last time, reading a story to herself by the light before settling in for bed. She fell asleep with the book safely tucked into the pocket of her nightie, which has been successfully cleaned by her father, much to her mother's happiness.

She doubted she could be any happier than she was in that exact moment.