A/N: A bit later than usual but here it is. I split it near the end because it felt right to end it there so I'm afraid it's not as long as the previous chapter, but I hope you'll enjoy it all the same as a lot happens in this chapter. Thanks as always to my editor Terrie who did this pretty fast so I could post tonight. I hope to have chapter ten ready soon - tell me what you think of this little turn of events! Thanks for reading. :)


Chapter Nine

The words had nearly left his lips in a hurry, just so Anna would not miss them, but the insistent ring of the doorbell made it impossible for him to do it. Instead, he was left in the kitchen by himself. He barely acknowledged that someone was at the door, really – he was so confused. He didn't know how to prove to Anna that he wasn't the person Vera told her he was. He had been completely honest when he told her that he was never violent, but he could understand how the truth about his current unemployed status made it difficult for her to see it. He only had himself to blame, really.

John took a deep breath and leaned against the counter. It was a pretty day outside. He hoped he would have a chance to explain himself to Anna. Of course he understood that things between them were shaky, but he thought it was due to the beginning of a somewhat untraditional relationship. But to hear her side of it…

He heard voices approaching the kitchen, and turned around automatically, and even though he had no idea of whom to expect, he was definitely surprised.

"We need to go to the hospital," Anna's voice was loud and clear, and he detected a hint of nervousness underneath her practical tone.

"No," her companion said as two people entered the kitchen. "I'm fine, I just need-"

The woman set her eyes on him and went suddenly still. She was blonde, and he imagined she was a beautiful woman, were it not for the bruises and the scared expression on her face. John grew alarmed and his eyes searched for Anna, who barely acknowledged him at that moment. Her cheeks were still wet from tears, but her eyes were much more nervous now.

"That's John," she said shortly. "Sam, who did this to you?"

Sam. It was her sister. Anna managed to set her down and the young woman flinched when her sister touched her face.

"I'm fine. It's just a few bruises. I heal fast," the younger woman said in a somewhat defiant tone.

"It was Graham," Anna said. It was not a question. John felt very out of place, unsure of what to do, but Anna wouldn't even look at him. Before Sam could even protest, Anna spoke. "It's always been him. We have to go to the hospital. We can get you checked out, and they'll call the police. What else did he do?"

"He didn't do anything else. It wasn't on purpose, I'm sure he regrets it already," Sam shook her head. "I just need a place to stay."

"Samantha, he won't stop and he knows exactly what he's doing. Have you looked at yourself?" Anna sighed loudly. "Please. Let me take you to the hospital. You can't let him do this to you anymore."

"It was an accident, he had a bit too much to drink. It's nothing!" Sam insisted. "He would never hurt me on purpose, Anna. You don't know him like I do."

"Sam, he won't stop. It doesn't matter how sober he was," Anna pleaded. "He won't stop. Leave while you can. Please, Sam."

"You don't understand," Sam said. "Look, I just need a place to stay. Mum can't see me like this."

"Mum will know about this," Anna said with certainty.

"Like she knows about Darren?"

Anna froze for a moment. And as if he couldn't feel more like an intruder to the situation, he wished he could help, but he was rooted on the spot, unsure of what to make of the situation. But her sister clearly wasn't willing to understand this, and Anna seemed to be getting nowhere.

"That was different," Anna said sharply. "I'm going to get my things to try to at least stop this bleeding. I think you might need stitches. We'll go to the hospital anyway," she added. Only then, she looked at John. "John, a word."

He was quick to follow her out of the kitchen and into the corridor, having been trapped there since they arrived. For the first time, he noticed Anna was shaking, and he wanted to be able to hold her and help in any way he could – but it was clearly a very delicate situation, and from the look on Anna's face, one that he shouldn't have been present at. Their argument just a few minutes ago was still very raw, and he had no idea where they were at the moment. Anna's voice was quiet but firm when she spoke.

"I think you should go," she said slowly, bringing one hand to massage her temple. "I have to figure this out. I'm sorry you had to see it."

"It's fine," he nodded. "I wish I could help you."

"There isn't much to do. I just need to take her to the hospital," Anna said. "I'll see you around."

Her distance was hard to decipher even now, and she gave him no time to reply as she was already walking up the stairs. He would let himself out. With a sigh, he did as Anna wished. The last thing he wanted was to make things worse for her or her sister. But he wished they could have parted in a more amicable way – everything was so confusing right now. Vera telling her lies, Anna questioning their relationship – Anna's confession. It was all so clear and confusing at the same time.

It was only halfway to the car that he realised he had forgotten his car key, possibly on the kitchen table. Cursing himself, John returned to the house quickly. He knocked softly on the kitchen door so as not to disturb them, but when he peered inside he could only see Anna's sister. Anna was still upstairs.

Her sister had tears on her face now, and John politely looked away.

"I'm sorry. I forgot my keys," he said quickly, entering the kitchen and spotting his keys on the table.

"It's all right," her voice was small, and she tried a smile, but failed. "This isn't exactly how I wanted to meet you. Anna mentions you a lot. I'm sorry about this."

"It's not your fault, don't worry," John shrugged. He pursed his lips. "No matter what he says. It's not your fault."

The young woman merely stared at him, and John nodded walking towards the door. As he was about to leave, however, she spoke. "I was stupid," she sniffed. "He was trying to compose and I interrupted him. I knew I shouldn't do that."

"That's not a reason to do this to you. Nothing is," John said quietly. "And Anna is right. He won't stop, and you'll just be more trapped than you are now. It will just get worse. And it will get harder every time. No matter if he's sober or not."

"He says he loves me," her voice was small.

"If he did love you, he would never dare to touch you," John said. "No real man would. I assure you of that."

Sam was silent, and more tears were escaping her eyes. John took a deep breath.

"My… father said he loved me and my mum," he started, pursing his lips. "But he liked to drink a few pints after work and he often came home out of his mind. Or, at least, that's what we blamed. My mum would say that's just how he was, and it was. After a while he didn't need to be drunk to do those things," he took a deep breath. "Just think carefully about it. Think if you can see yourself with him in the future, if you want him to be a father to your children. Because he won't get any better."

She sniffed loudly, her eyes wide as she took in his story.

"I wouldn't know what to do with my life anymore," Sam said rather suddenly, lacing her fingers together in nervousness. "We've been together for so long, I'm not sure I can start over like that. Into a whole new place in my life."

"You can change your life if you want to," he insisted. "Sometimes you have to be hard on yourself, but you can change it completely. Believe me, I know. And if I could do it, so can you."

Before either of them could say anything, the kitchen door swung open, and Anna walked in.

"Sorry, just came back for my keys," he explained.

"It's fine, I-"

"Can you take me to the hospital now?" Sam's voice interrupted them. "I don't… I don't want to change my mind."

But she was looking at John.


Anna walked slowly to the waiting area, and was only mildly surprised to see John still there, sitting on one of the chairs, reading a magazine, which was apparently enough to keep him occupied. She smiled inwardly, and he only looked at her when she sat beside him, too distracted to notice her in the first place. He closed the magazine immediately and Anna let out a sigh.

"She's talking to the police," she said slowly. "They'll take pictures and such. Apart from the stitches on her lip and a sprained wrist she will be all right. Physically, that is."

John nodded. "She'll need some time to come to terms with everything."

"Probably. And who can blame her?" She closed her and sighed again, this time in frustration. "I can't believe I didn't see this coming. I had seen the signs but I guess I didn't want to think of it as a possibility. She would always say he would never hurt her."

It was so clear now; the weird excuses, the fact that Graham was rarely around when she saw Sam, how she would often seek shelter in Oxford for no apparent reason after a fight. Anna felt so stupid – perhaps if she had been firmer with Sam she would have told her the truth before this happened, before they reached a point of no return. Anna could only imagine their mother's reaction to the news.

"Hey," she felt John's hand on her knee and opened her eyes. He had a reassuring smile on his face and suddenly everything seemed a little better. "It's not your fault. Or hers. She'll be fine, you'll see."

"Thank you," she said, as she thought of his words and his touch. "Thank you for being here. You didn't have to come. You can go home, you know."

John shook his head immediately. "Nonsense. I am exactly where I want to be."

"In a hospital waiting room?" Anna chuckled.

He rolled his eyes. "Of course not. I meant here, by your side."

Her heart skipped a beat and her breath caught in her throat, but she managed to recompose herself before he noticed – or so she hoped. Right now, she could barely remember why they fought in the first place, her walls suddenly tumbling down against his sweet words and his presence by her side. She shook her head, and a real smile erupted on her features.

"You do have a way with words," she said. "Have I ever told you that?"

"This is the first time," he said slowly. She caught his hand on her knee and laced their fingers together, his skin warm against hers. He smiled.

"Well, it's true," she started, her eyes meeting his. "And you've made quite a good impression, I must say. Sam seems quite taken by you. What did you say to convince her to come here?"

"I don't think she needed much convincing," John said modestly, and Anna narrowed her eyes. "I mean it. We talked and she decided she wanted to come willingly. I'm sure she would have done it anyway."

"I was sure she would put up a fight," Anna said thoughtfully. "Maybe it was your way with words."

It was his turn to chuckle, but she knew there was something else there. whatever it was, it didn't matter – he stayed, and she was thankful for that.


Anna closed the bedroom door behind her, relieved that the day was finally coming to an end. Whatever she had expected for today, she had been thoroughly surprised. Right now, even the fact that she had met John's ex-wife seemed far away, something that must have happened ages ago. It didn't matter what she had to say about her husband; now, Anna was willing to learn the little things about John on her own. She could only hope he still felt the same, and she had a feeling he did - he was still here, after all.

She walked down the stairs quietly, not wanting to disturb Sam, and found John in the living room, watching the news. She smiled when she noticed the two teacups on the coffee table - she had put the kettle on before going upstairs and he finished it for her.

"What a day," she said, sitting next to him on the sofa, feeling suddenly drained. He offered her the teacup. It was still very hot. "Thank you."

She eyed him appreciatively when she took a sip and found that the tea he had prepared was just the way she liked it.

"She seemed better during dinner," John commented.

Anna agreed. "She's stronger than I give her credit for. She'll be fine," Anna nodded. "She just called Mum, actually. Which is more than I ever did," she shrugged, then chanced a look at John. He held her gaze. "I know you're probably wondering about Darren. Sam mentioned earlier."

His response was immediate, and just what she expected from him.

"You don't have to tell me anything you aren't comfortable with," his voice was quiet, but resolute. Anna shook her head.

"No, it's fine. It's been a long time, and I think you should know," she smiled. "During the time we were together, Darren wasn't violent. But after we broke up, he became… different. Overzealous, and not in a good way. Always wanted to know where I was. I told you about the restraining order, and that he broke into my flat," John nodded at her words. "He hit me. Just once. Gwen arrived before things got any worse. But it was more than enough for some time in jail and a restraining order. I never told my mum. Sam finding out was an accident. She wasn't supposed to know. I'm glad… I'm glad that she came here for help today."

His free hand squeezed her knee softly and they shared a smile, albeit Anna was a little nervous to bring the next subject up. Taking a deep breath, she made up her mind quite fast.

"I'm so sorry about earlier," she confessed, resting her teacup on the coffee table, suddenly not in the mood for tea anymore. "I shouldn't have listened to your ex-wife. I should be able to trust you and believe you when you say you wouldn't do any of those things. Because that's just not who you are, and I know that. I overreacted."

"You had every right," he shook his head. "You should be able to hear her side of the story and reach your own conclusions, no matter what they are. Vera might have told you lies, but I wasn't completely honest with you either. If I had been honest and told you the truth about my current unemployment, perhaps you wouldn't have reacted that way. I'm the one to blame."

Anna smiled at his words, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "Let's agree that we both made mistakes, then."

He didn't appear very convinced, but he agreed anyway. "Okay. I can live with that, I suppose."

"You'll have to," she winked at him, trying to lighten up the atmosphere just a little. When he smiled, she was sure it had worked a little. She picked up her teacup again, absently staring at the television, enjoying the feeling of John's hand against her thigh, however innocent the touch was. She was just finishing her tea when he spoke again.

"That's a beautiful photograph," John said, motioning at the one small portrait on the coffee table. Anna smiled at it, albeit a little sadly, and picked it up. The braces on her teeth hardly made a good impression, she was sure, but it was one of their last family portraits together. "That's Mum and Dad. Sam is the cute one. I'm the one going through puberty."

John laughed at her remark, shaking his head instantly. "You are adorable, so don't even start it."

"I was fourteen. This was just a few weeks before Dad died," she explained, taking in the details of the scene. They were having a picnic, and her father was thin, but barely looked ill. It was amazing how things could change from one moment to another. John put his arm around her shoulders. "He had got better and was very happy to be out of the hospital. It was a bit chilly but he insisted on us having a picnic. Mum wasn't happy about it - none of us were. But I'm glad he insisted."

"He must have been a remarkable man," John commented.

Anna grinned. "Well, he always had his head buried in a book somewhere. A bit like someone I know," she teased. "But he was a great father. And he would have liked you very much, I'm absolutely sure of it."

"That's good to hear. I just have to make sure your mother likes me, once we meet," he said lightly, but Anna felt a little nervous - a good kind of nervous - at the fact that he wanted to meet her mother.

"You'll have no problem with that, I'm sure," Anna rolled her eyes and reached over to run her fingers through his hair, unable to resist a second longer. "Sam is quite a big fan and she has already told Mum everything she knows about you."

He looked nervous at her comment, and Anna laughed.

"Which reminds me," she started, "what did you tell Sam to convince her to come to the hospital? Because I know you must have said something."

She didn't want to come out as too curious or too insistent, but he didn't seem to mind her question. He hesitated for a moment, and took a deep breath, but the small smile remained on his lips.

"I told her about my own experience in the matter," he said simply, "and that was with my father. No child should have to live life in fear, and I think your sister realised that."

Realisation hit Anna as well; he had had an abusive childhood, to what extent she wasn't sure about, and she had very nearly accused him of being violent against his ex-wife. Not that she thought of it as a possibility, but it did shake her quite a bit when Vera said so.

"Oh, John," regret flooded her, and she couldn't help but imagine him as a child, or what memories he might have. "I'm so sorry."

His smile was strained, but looked sincere. "It's fine. It was a long time ago. He left us when I was seven, and I reckon that was the best thing he ever did. My mum remarried. I only saw him again a couple of years ago, before he died."

Anna nodded, and blinked heavily, tears threatening to escape from her eyes. It had been such a stressful day. "Still. The things I said to you-"

"We both agreed we were wrong," he reminded her, his hand on her chin, forcing her to look at him. "And that's in the past now, I hope."

She nodded slowly, leaning closer to him as he embraced her fully. It was revigorating just to feel his solid presence around her, supporting her. She wasn't sure she could have handled today without him.

"Stay with me tonight," she whispered, looking up at him. "Please?"

He pretended to think about it, and Anna giggled at his expression. He silenced her with a kiss - soft, quick, but enough to give her the answer she wanted to hear.

They stood up soon afterwards, cleaning up their dishes and then going up to Anna's bedroom. They took turns showering, both wanting to get rid of the horrible hospital smell that seemed to be impregnated in their skin, and Anna was already in bed when John joined her, wearing only his boxer shorts and his undershirt. His arms went around her body and she embraced him too, relaxed for the first time since that morning. She snuggled into him and he kissed her forehead, and she thought this was rather nice - only realising then this was the first time they were settled in bed to actually sleep together. A giggle escaped her lips.

"What is it?" John mumbled.

She shook her head against his chest, savouring the heartbeats she could hear against her ear. "Nothing. I'm just happy you're here," she pulled away just enough to kiss his lips once more. "I should get you a drawer here somewhere so you can keep a few clothes."

"I have worn the same clothes to lectures more than once in a row, I must say," he whispered with a chuckle.

She blinked, her eyes already heavy with sleep, and giggled at his confirmation. "Goodnight, John."

"Goodnight, Anna," he whispered back, and she soon fell asleep.

Not a long time later, however, three simple words were spoken, but she was fast asleep to know that he proclaimed them.


Anna inspected his work, humming appreciatively at it before stealing a small piece of the sauce he had just set aside for their sandwiches. She giggled when he playfully glared at her, then went about setting the table for lunch. Sam had gone upstairs once they got back from the police station that morning, but Anna assured him she seemed fine, much better than yesterday. The case was far from over and they all knew it; even though Graham was arrested in the previous evening, Sam still had go to the police and give a formal and detailed statement. But at least there had been no signs of regret from her so far.

"And here I was, thinking all you could cook was spaghetti," Anna commented. "You keep surprising me."

John snickered. "So long as I'm not a disappointment."

"You aren't," she said, giving him a quick peck on the lips.

She leaned against the counter, watching as he finished another sandwich. He smiled.

"Family recipe," he explained. "Straight from my Irish mother."

"Really?" she frowned, obviously curious.

"No," he said honestly, and she smacked his arm playfully. "I was never too interested for my mother to share this kind of thing with me."

"That's too bad," Anna said. "Well, as lunch is nearly ready I'm gonna go call Sam."

Anna disappeared through the kitchen door, and he hoped Sam would be as okay as Anna thought she was. He set the sandwiches on the table and was wiping his hands when he heard the doorbell ring. Thinking it might be the police, he went to the corridor and stopped at the stairs. Everything was silent upstairs, as Anna probably hadn't heard. He put the table cloth over his shoulder and went for the door; he hoped Anna wouldn't mind him answering her door.

When he opened it, however, he saw a woman, much shorter than him, looking very surprised to see him. Her blonde hair and her eyes held no mistake to whom she was, and for the second time that weekend he was meeting a member of Anna's family he wasn't supposed to meet just yet.

"Hello," the woman said slowly, offering her hand. He shook it. "I'm Helen. Anna's mum. You must be John."


Next chapter: Helen and John talk and he finds a little more about Anna's past. Anna goes to the doctor once again to hear news she doesn't expect. John decides if he'll stay in Oxford or not.