Disclaimer I do not own Downton Abbey. Hope everyone is enjoying the new series. Thank goodness for ITV+1 so I can watch Spooks first and then watch this :D Why they put my two favourite shows on different channels at the same time I dunno! Changes made as I got something wrong. Thanks Amy

Recovery?

The late autumn sunshine had always made Mrs Patmore smile. It was as if the winter had been told to leave them alone for a while so that the world could get used to the slightly darker evenings and the change in the world from summer sunshine to autumn rain. She wiped her hands on a tea towel as she watched the trees outside the kitchen window bend in the wind.

"Ee, Daisy." She smiled as the young girl walked in. "It'll be Christmas before you know it."

"I like Christmas." Daisy smiled. "Do you think Anna will be back for Christmas?"

"Oh I hope so, luv. Before that Ethel gets ideas of being Head Housemaid here." She placed her tea towel on the kitchen table.

"Me too." Daisy smiled. "I think Mr Bates will be happier when she is home."

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Anna stared out over the green behind her mother's house. She had played there everyday as a child and couldn't quite believe that she was watching her five year old nephew and six year old niece do the same. The War seemed so far away, the Abbey was a lifetime ago.

"Catherine! Catherine! Put your brother down!" She laughed as she saw the little girl pick up Arthur. The little boy squeeled in delight as Anna shook her head. "Catherine!"

The little girl dropped her brother on the grass and ran towards her aunt as Arthur stood up and rubbed his head. He wasn't particulary happy about his sister winning their game but smiled and waved at Anna before running towards her.

"I landed on my head!" He laughed as Anna reached out her hand to take his.

"Did you?"

"Yes!"

"No harm done!" Catherine laughed. Anna couldn't help but laugh at the banter between the two children. It reminded her of the banter between the maids back at Downton. She began walking the children back towards her mother's cottage as she tried to force all thoughts of her job and the people there to the back of her mind.

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"Lady Violet asked me to tell you she is going into town." John stared at Lord Grantham as he spoke.

"Thank you." He tugged on his tie as he spoke. He could see his valet had been lost since Anna had been sent home to her mother to recuperate. She had been gone for almost six weeks. With every passing day the man in front of him seemed to retreat further and further into his shell.

"Will that be all?"

"No, Bates." He turned to stare at him. "Tell me, what news has there been from Anna? Have we had any inclination as to when she is to come back?"

"No." He paused. "I heard from her sister Louise the week she left. I believe she is well. Or at least better than she was when her brother collected her."

"Good. That has to be good." Lord Grantham smiled slightly. "But is has been six weeks since she left us. If she is not back at Downton soon I shall have to advertise for her replacement."

"She is coming back." John answered with more certainty than he felt. He knew he had no right to presume she would ever think of setting foot in Downton again. He wasn't even sure she had heard him as he had sat by her bedside.

"And she will be more than welcome. But she has not informed us that she is going to come back. Maybe you should pay her a visit? Find out what her plans are?"

"No sir." Bates stepped back as he regarded his boss. "I don't think that would be appropriate."

"Well I do."

"Sir."

"Did you know Cora was married before we met? Of course you do. We served together in the last infernal war. A batman knows everything."

"I don't see what that has to do with Anna's return." He was genuinely shocked.

"And you know that I am older than Cora? There is a good eight years difference in our relationship." He smiled as he saw his Valet look away.

"Again sir."

"John." Lord Grantham smiled slightly. "I have known you for a long time. We have seen the best and the worst of each other. I know what you feel for the girl. I've seen you both together. And your divorce has been finalised? I heard Vera was keen to sue you for divorce on account of your abandonment."

"My abandonment?" He shook his head.

"In all honesty I thought it had more to do with the inheritance your late mother left you."

"I have no money, Sir. I paid for my divorce with it. My mother's house has been sold to pay Vera too." He shook his head, knowing how much his mother had loved the little cottage where he had been born. She had warned him not to marry the Irish woman. He hated to think what she would make of the situation he was in now.

"Does Anna know this?" He looked at him. "No, I thought as much. Bates, I need a decent Head Housemaid. Anna Smith is the best we have had now I am going to tell you this once. I insist that you go to her mother's house on the first available train and bring her home."

"Sir?"

"I have booked a ticket for you for the train leaving at 8 am. I insist that you are on it." He left the room leaving his valet to wonder what he was going to say to the one woman he had been thinking about since she had left the house.

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Cora stared in the mirror above her dressing table. She had been worried about Sybil since she had left to start her nurse training. She was proud of her youngest child but that didn't stop her worrying about her. She brushed her hair as she watched her husband walk in the room.

"Robert?"

"Hello." He smiled as he took his robe off.

"Did you talk some sense into the man?" She smiled as he shrugged.

"I don't know." He shook his head.

"Men! You are such stubborn creatures." She turned to face him. "I include you in that. Along with Carson, Bates and everyother man I have ever met. I swear he is as bad as Matthew. How can he not return Mary's affections? Who is this Lavinia girl?"

"Lavinia is his fiance." Robert smiled as he pulled the bedclothes back. "As well you know."

"I just hate seeing Mary so upset."

"She is a strong girl, like her mother." He took her hand and kissed it as he spoke.

"I just hope Bates sees what is right in front of him. I mean if they were to marry there would be no scandal. Not here. And you did say they could have a cottage in the grounds once they were married?"

"Cora." He smiled slightly. "It took me long enough to make you see sense."

"Robert!"

"I dare say Bates is a sensible man. He'll go tomorrow and see how Anna feels now." He rested his head back on the pillows as Cora turned off the light.

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Mrs Smith was exhausted. Having a sick daughter at home as well as two boisterous grandchildren was beginning to wear her out. She carried her shopping towards the small cottage at the end of the lane, knowing that one daughter would be out at work and the other either in bed or walking the grandchildren across the park in a bid to wear them out. Times had been difficult since her son in law had died but she knew what it was like to be a widow and was determined to be there for her older daughter as well as nurse her youngest.

"Hello luvvy." She smiled as she saw a man staring at her front door. "Can I help you?"

"Mrs Smith?"

"That's right." She stared at him as she tried to work out who the stranger in front of her was. "I've paid my rent."

"I'm not here about the rent." John smiled kindly. "My name is John Bates."

"Ah, well in that case I think I'd better put a pot of tea on." She opened the front door. "Well, come in then. I'm not drinking my tea on the doorstep so I suspect you aren't either." She smiled as John realised how similar Anna and her mother really were.

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It was another bright morning as Anna took her now customary seat on the park bench as the children ran. It was still the weekend so neither Catherine or Arthur had to be in school. They relished the freedom a sunny Saturday morning gave them. Anna smiled slightly as she watched them sun across the grass. She could see Catherine deep in conversation with Millie, her best friend as Arthur ran towards a few boys his own age. She had no idea what the children were talking about but she could see that Catherine kept glancing at her, almost as if she was worried that she would be left alone.

"Your auntie looks sad." Millie announced as she played patacake with Catherine.

"She is. She hasn't been well."

"No, sad. Like my mum looked when daddy went to the war and didn't come home. She said God took him because the war was on. Because in France God takes some of the young men but only the best." Millie sighed. "Anna looks like she has been heart broken."

"She is. I heard Granny say to me mum."

"That's a shame. I hope she gets heart mended soon." Millie sighed as Catherine pulled a face.

"No such thing."

"Yes there is." Millie announced. "I just decided."

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"You lead my daughter a dance." Mrs Smith stared at John as he placed his tea cup back on the kitchen table.

"I don't intend to."

"How old are you?"

"45"

"You know Anna is 32. Younger than you by a long chalk. But my Anna. She isn't naieve. You cannot mess her about. I nearly lost that girl and I wont have you break her heart again." She stared at the younger man. "God knows, I'm the only one in her life that hasn't taken her for a ride. I wont be around for ever and I'd like to see her happy and settled, but with a good man that isn't going to hurt her."

"I wont hurt her." He stared at the older woman. He could see who Anna took after. The mannerisms were exactly like the maid he had come to miss so much. "I want to take her back to Downton. If she'll come."

"I think she will." Mrs Smith smiled

"Where is she?" John looked around. "I was hoping to see her today."

"And you will." She got up and walked to the sink to tip her cold tea down the sink. "The green behind my house. She's taken my grandchildren for a walk while their mother is away at work. As soon as you hear a girl screaming and a boy laughing you'll know you are in the right place."

"Thankyou." John stood as she turned.

"Hurt my girl and you will know all about it. She's been through too much."

"I wont. I promise. I'd like to marry her, if she'll have me." John stared at her as she smiled.

"Well, go on then."

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A/N One more chapter to go. Please review.