A/N:Good evening, friends :D We want to thank you all for the support you showed us in the Prologue. We are equally excited and nervous about this fic. We hope you enjoy this version of Anna and John's story. You will notice in this first chapter that the updates will be shorter than usual but we feel it makes more sense this way, especially in this universe.

Let us know what you think! A new adventure is about to begin :D

Terrie & Handy xxx

Disclaimer: Downton Abbey and its characters belong to Julian Fellowes.


Heading South - Chapter 1

x

It had been gradual. Tremors, large and small, shook the land every day -and still did. Continents approached, some came together, others grew apart. Islands grew bigger; others disappeared forever. Then the rains came. For days, weeks, even months. Thunder and violent winds. The world became a dark place, under an impenetrable cloud of dust and ash. An endless night had settled in. The dusky light that did reach the land was barely life-sustaining. Animals died, perishing from the lack of a chain to follow, of light, food, the right to exist in the depths of human despair. Even people had lost the will to live. Those who did were only just surviving, only trying their best not to die at the hands of others. Mothers took the drastic step of ending their children's lives to protect them from something worse, and then wanting it all to end, took their own lives.

What remained? Dead trees in dead forests. Abandoned cities and villages. An everlasting cold. Silence. Numbness. Evil men roaming the land to enslave; in search of something to eat. And what was left to eat? You don't want to know...

xxx

'Anna…'

In her dream the sun sat high in the sky, it's brilliant rays warming her cheeks - memories of long ago. Memories which had never been hers. Mostly just tales told by older folk, by her father many years ago - those lucky enough to have known this world in its most glorious days.

In her dream there was a dog barking, birds singing, his voice a tender whisper against her ear. There were green leaves on living trees, flowers, millions to be picked and admired. The scent of nature, of warmth, of a breeze, gentle enough to feel good, to feel safe.

In her dream, the only darkness was that of a night yet to come.

'Anna?'

'Hmm…'

'Anna, wake up. It's late; we have to go.'

Gently, he touched her shoulder, shaking her awake. It was later than he liked, than he had planned, but for some reason he hadn't the heart to call her earlier, she was just...so peaceful in her sleep.

'I was dreaming…' she frowned, still trying to remember what had happened the day before, opening her eyes to face him looking down at her. She sat up at once, searching for her book, which he handed to her immediately.

She smiled at him.

His hair was damp, dark, unevenly cut, and his beard had just been trimmed shorter. She looked around and spotted a pair of scissors on the ground, next to a steaming pot of water. He was tall; she already knew that - so much taller than she was - but only then did she notice the bright hazel colour of his eyes. Gentle, but furtive; a wild, tender soul.

'It's good that you were. Dreaming is good.' John smiled handing her a tin mug with hot tea. 'No eggs or toast, I'm afraid, only beans.'

'Believe me; I wouldn't trade these beans for anything in the world.'

'Well, you're lucky then! Beans are what we have to eat, at least for the next couple of days.'

'Thank you again, for everything,' she said, as he began to pack up.

'Just eat. We have to leave. He'll be back, and when he is, he won't be alone.'

'I know. I know that.' Anna nodded worriedly, sipping on her tea. 'It's still so dark.'

'It's dark, not late. Sometimes…' John sighed, looking up at the grey sky. 'Sometimes I doubt the sun will ever shine again.'

x

'Why South?' Anna asked him as they walked down the snowy path between ancient oak trees and pines. Their steps had to be carefully made, their senses always on alert. Trees would fall without warning, lifeless, their roots rotten, especially every time the land began to tremble.

'There's a colony down South, or so I heard,' John replied eyeing the old map he carried, together with a compass. The backpack he carried was large and heavy, filled with necessary items. 'Near the sea. I'm trying to get there. I'm tired of living like this. Of only just surviving.'

'A colony? My brother told me it was only a rumour. That there's nothing there, just the hope of those who want it to be.'

It was hard for her to follow him. He walked fast and took long strides, no time to lose. The long stick in one of his hands helped him to step out of the snow. For her, it was more difficult. She was short, and she was weak...her breathing became heavy, her nose red from the cold.

'A rumour? Well then, you're wasting your time coming with me,' John told her shortly, stopping in his tracks. He studied the map over and over again.

'I'm a hopeful kind of person, Mr Bates, and I'm going with you.'

The decision in her voice made him look up and face her, and slowly a smile began to grow on his lips. 'Don't feel obligated to, Miss Smith.'

She smirked, eyeing him almost daringly. 'I don't.'

They continued walking after he decided the route they should take. The wind was strong, burning the skin of their faces to an almost frozen state, and the sun too weak to peek its way through the clouds and treetops. For years - many, many years - the days had been an endless twilight, as if a shadow had taken over the land, the sky, over everything that still stood, that still drew breath. And always cold, so cold. Winter reigned.

'Where are you from?' Anna asked him a moment later, her voice sounding loud in the silence - a piercing silence. The sounds of nature, the singing of birds had ceased to exist long ago. Nowadays, only the wind, rain or snow were the signs these days still existed.

'I was born in London, but I was living with my mother in Scotland... until a few years back.'

'I see...I'm from Yorkshire. Lived all my life there.'

'Here,' he told her, looking around. 'We're still in Yorkshire.'

'Are we?' she asked, quite surprised.

'Yes.'

'I didn't know…' She smiled, feeling almost comfortable to be in the place where she was born. Not that it made much difference. 'I was so lost. But then, I didn't know much apart from my house and then, the places where we stayed.'

'And where were you staying until now?'

'There was an abandoned house with a pantry with some food,' Anna pursed her lips to disguise her sadness. 'But I had to leave; I didn't feel safe after seeing some people around the area. Before that, my brother and I just tried to find food and a place to sleep overnight.'

'And when did he die?'

Anna stopped, thinking back on that day. She tried so hard to forget. In times like these, those memories were futile and only got in the way of things. Mourning only makes one weak, and when you're weak, you're easy prey. 'A month ago today,' she replied, cleaning away the trail of tears from her cheeks and holding the book she carried tightly to her chest. 'I still keep track of the time. I write down the days.'

'I'm sorry,' he said, turning around to see her, again, meters away from him. 'I didn't know it was so recent…'

'It wasn't bad.' She managed a small, sad smile. 'He was sick for a long time. At least he died on his own with me by his side, and not killed by them.'

'Yes. It's better to die that way.' He took a deep breath before resuming his endless walking - the map always in his hand. That's when she noticed the two pistols hanging at his sides, and a shotgun tied to his backpack. A fourth weapon, she could not see lay in the pocket of his jacket; that one had a specific task.

'Where did you get those guns?' she asked running to him, trying to keep up with is hurried steps.

'I was in the army. I was able to get some before leaving. Unfortunately, I've already spent half of the ammunition I had.'

'Hopefully you won't need to use it anymore.'

'I wouldn't trust that.' He smiled when he saw her by his side, and consequently he slowed down. She seemed stronger than he had initially thought, and for that he was glad. Maybe she would help him on his journey; maybe they could even become friends.

'Here.' John took off the scarf he was wearing then - old, made from wool - and wrapped it around her neck, bringing it up to her face and over her head. 'I don't want you to get sick,' he said, brushing her hair inside the wrap he had made; his gloved hands making the task a bit difficult. That made her giggle, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

'Thank you,' she replied against the woolen fabric, her breath instantly becoming warmed. John couldn't see her smile, but it reached her eyes, and he answered just the same.

'We'll slow down once we get to the road. I promise,' he told her and began to walk again, with her following a few meters behind.

To Anna, he was already her friend. More than that, he was also her saviour.


TBC

Thank you all for reading :)