I apologize for not updating again for so long. I had the outline for this next chapter all set, but didn't like how it turned out, so I had to scrap the whole thing and start fresh. I envision a few more chapters for this one, and I promise to try my best to not let so many weeks go by again without updating.

Chapter Ten

John sat on the bed a few more minutes staring dumbly at the note. He was still trying to understand what it said, that Anna had left. He understood her reasoning, she was afraid he wouldn't be able to see his son if she stayed with him. Yes he understood, but he didn't agree, not at all. He loved her and he wasn't going to just let her run out of his life. He looked at the clock. He had been with Vera for about an hour so Anna had a bit of a head start on him. He stood up and headed out of the bedroom and towards the door. He just had to hope time was on his side and she hadn't gotten a flight out yet.

Anna looked at the departure board and sighed as she read delayed for almost every flight. A big storm was crossing over England and most flights had been delayed. She looked at the clock. She had left the note for John an hour ago. He probably read it by now. She fought the tears that filled her eyes as she thought of him reading the note. She knew he would be upset, but she hoped he would realize she was doing what was best for him and his son. That it would be better for them both if she was out of the picture. She quickly blinked away the tears and took a deep breath, closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the chair.

John entered the airport terminal and glanced around the seating area looking for Anna. He released the breath he didn't realize he was holding when he spotted her sitting in a chair, her head back and her eyes closed. He quietly walked over and sat down next to her. He reached for her hand, startling her. She quickly opened her eyes expecting to see a stranger, but was shocked to see John instead. She quickly sat up, and tried to remove her hand from John's grasp, but he didn't let go. He glanced at her before looking straight ahead again.

"Did you really think I would just let you go?"

Anna looked at John. He may have been holding her hand but she could tell by the way he clenched his jaw that he was not happy. She took a deep breath. "John, I only did what I thought was right for you and for Tyler."

John let out a forced laugh. "So I have no say in what is best for me? I don't know of any scenario that is best for me that involves you walking out of my life without a word."

"I don't want to be the reason you don't get to see your son."

John finally turned and looked at Anna. "Why would you think you would be?"

"Vera hates me, she wants you back. She could stop you from seeing Tyler."

"Anna, Vera only wants money. She doesn't really want me back. I have no intention of going back. She has kept my son from me for years; there isn't a judge in England who would look favorably on her for that. It may take some time, and Vera might try and make things difficult but I know that I will be able to see my son."

"But being with me will be the reason she will make things difficult."

John shook his head, and stroked a finger down her cheek. "No, my love; Vera will make it difficult because I won't be giving her what she wants. I won't be her husband. I wouldn't be her husband, even if you weren't in my life. That relationship was toxic and unhealthy. I would never want that again. So whether Vera likes it or not, I will be filing for divorce. I want to get to know my son and I want to be a good father, but being married to Vera would only make us all miserable and I don't want him to see that. So I will fight to see him and it may take some time but I know that I will. And I want;-no I need you to be by my side when I do that."

Anna's eyes filled up with tears at John's words and she leaned over to rest her forehead on his. "I'm sorry; I thought I was doing the right thing."

John placed a kiss on her forehead. "Being with me is the right thing Anna. Will you do that? I know that this is all fairly new to us, and having Tyler is not something you expected, but I know we are meant to be together. So will you take this journey with me? Will you see where it takes us?"

Anna nodded. "I will." John smiled at her words and leaned down to kiss her softly.

"Then what do you say we get out of here?" He reached for her hand and stood up, pulling her with him. They left the airport hand in hand.

John and Anna entered the room and Anna watched as John quickly moved to the in-room phone and dialed a room number. He only had to wait a few moments before the phone was picked up on the other end.

"Vera? It's John. I need to talk to you. Why don't you come up to my room in a half hour?" Anna watched as John shook his head and sighed in exasperation. "Yes Anna is here. Fine. Then I will come to your room in a half hour. Okay fine an hour then." John hung up and walked over to Anna.

"She refuses to come up here as long as you are here, so I am going down to her room. She wants to make sure Tyler is asleep first though."

Anna nodded. She hated that Vera was using her as a pawn to get John to do what she wanted, but she also realized now that by letting Vera get to her, she was letting her win. So she was going to trust and believe John when he said that everything would work out. She realized that walking away had been the wrong thing to do, even though it was with the best of intentions. She loved John and being here with him was where she was supposed to be. She reached up to place a kiss on his lips, using her tongue to glide across his lower lip. John groaned and reached for her, deepening the kiss as he did so. Anna pulled away, slightly breathless and with a smile on her face. "I know of plenty of things we can do for an hour."

John chuckled, "Only an hour? Obviously you need to be reminded of my many talents Miss Smith."

Anna giggled as John reached down for her, pulling her to him and leading her over to the couch. Soon the room was filled with sighs of pleasure and breathless moans as John showed Anna all the talents he possessed.

John knocked softly on Vera's door, not wanting to wake up Tyler. Vera must have been waiting for him as she opened the door quickly, moving aside to let him enter. He walked into the room and turned around to face Vera. "I'm going to make this quick. I want to see my son, and get to know my son, but I will not do that married to you Vera. We don't love each other, hell we don't even like each other and there is no way I would raise a child in that environment. If you aren't going to let me see my son willingly, then I will contact an attorney and fight for my rights in court. You kept him from me for all these years; out of spite. How do you think that will look to a judge?"

Anger flashed in Vera's eyes. She let out a bitter laugh. "I've been a good mother; no judge would take my son away from me."

John took a deep breath to control his emotions. Vera always brought out the worst in him, but this was not the time or the place to let his anger get the best of him. "Vera, I have no intention of taking him from you. I just want to see my son, get to know him, and have the chance to be a good father. The last thing I want is to take him away from his mother, but I will be a part of my son's life."

"And what about that blonde bimbo you are shacking up with?"

Anger flashed in John's eyes, but he kept himself under control. Vera would love if it his anger got the best of him. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction. "Anna is a part of my life and will always be a part of my life. Therefore she will be a part of my life with Tyler."

"I don't think the judge would think too highly of you for cheating on your wife."

John let out a laugh. "Vera, what delusions are you living with? We haven't been together in over ten years. You disappeared off the face of the earth with my son and up until recently had been living with another man for years. Do you really think a judge is going to look down at me for being in a relationship?"

"I won't make this easy on you John Bates. I will make it seem like you are the worst man in the world. I'm a good actress, I can make a stupid judge believe anything."

John walked up to Vera until he was inches from her. He glared down at her. "You try your best Vera, but I won't back down and I won't walk away from my son. I will be a part of his life, whether you like it or not." He stormed past her and opened the door quickly walking out, leaving the door open. Vera walked over to it and almost slammed it before realizing that the sound would wake up Tyler. She quickly closed it and headed for her room. She wasn't going to let John win. She would have herself and Tyler packed and gone in a few minutes. John couldn't have what he couldn't find. She entered her room and shut the door behind her so the sounds of her packing wouldn't wake up Tyler. Because the door was shut, she never noticed the other bedroom door open and the young boy quietly walk across the room and leave, shutting the door behind him.

Anna stood up as John entered their suite. She could see the anger on his face and how tense he was. She knew it must not have gone well. She quickly walked over to him and grabbed his hand, leading him back to the couch where she gently sat him down before joining him. She rubbed her hand across his back. She felt the tension slowly leave his body at her gentle ministrations.

"I'm guessing it didn't go very well?"

John shook his head. "She is going to fight me every step of the way."

"Then let her. You have the truth on your side John. Like you told me earlier, there isn't a judge in all of England who would side with the woman who kept you from Tyler all these years."

John nodded, " I want to believe that, but Vera is sneaky. I wouldn't put it past her to try and make me look bad. It wouldn't be that hard. I was a bitter angry man by the end of our marriage. "

"And a judge will also see the man you are now. You are strong, and brave and kind. The best man I've ever known. There isn't anything that Vera could say that would make those things untrue. You just have to believe it, John."

John looked at Anna and smiled. He placed a kiss on her forehead and pulled her to his side, fighting the tears that filled his eyes. He would never know how he could have gotten so lucky to have her in his life, but he knew he would never let her go.

A knock interrupted his thoughts and he frowned as he disentangled himself from Anna. He stood up, "I wonder who that could be?" Anna shook her head.

John quickly walked to the door and opened it, stopping short as he looked down in shocked disbelief at the person on the other side. "Tyler?"

A little boy with John's eyes started back at him. "Is it true? Are you my dad?"