Belfast, Ireland 1949

She rested her head on the lintel and smiled when a hand massaged the back of her neck. "That feels heavenly."

"I thought you might deserve something nice." John's voice at her ear left a trill up Anna's spine. "Seeing as you've been fighting all day."

"It's just teething. Jack was about this bad." Anna nodded toward the room where a little girl slept. "But she's finally sleeping."

"Then I should help you sleep too." He kissed her neck and she rested back into him. "You've worked so hard today and I think you deserve to relax a bit."

"That sounds spectacularly lovely." Anna turned into him, settling herself in John's open arms. "Jack's at a friend's and we're all on our own."

"Except for her." John whispered, nodding toward the cot in the bedroom.

"She won't know." Anna hissed, smiling at him as they held one another.

"Hopefully not for a few more years." John led her into their room, propping the door open a crack so they could hear any sounds from the other room.

"It was easier with Jack." Anna teased, her fingers slipping John loose from his buttons. "He slept like a dream and your mother usually held him at night because she never slept."

"Was that the only reason it was easier?"

Anna paused, frowning a moment before leaning forward to whisper in John's ear as she backed him up toward the bed. "Well I didn't have my gorgeous husband to seduce me so I guess there was never a worry about waking anyone up."

"Didn't that make it harder?"

"There were times I dreamed about you." Anna eased him out of his shirt, dropping it to the floor. "Times I wished I could curl up next to you when Jack was sick or when I'd wake up from a memory and remember that you were dead."

"Does that mean it's easier for you now?"

"We've got a little girl in the next room with terrible screams when she's finicky so I'd say that's all your fault."

John moved his lips over her neck, fingers gliding over her skin under her shirt as he moved it slowly up her torso. "Why's that my fault?"

"Because without you, she wouldn't be here."

"Oh," John let her shirt drop to the floor, working his fingers around the back of her brassiere to let it fall and join it. "So I'm to blame because I can't keep my hands to myself around my gorgeous wife?"

"Very much so." Anna set her hands on his thighs, leaning toward him to sigh as he let his kisses track the barely visible veins from her neck to her breasts. "If not for you, I'd still be sleeping through the night and-"

Her breath caught as John teethed gently over a nipple. Anna almost swatted his shoulder when she felt him smile around it but then moaned when he sucked at her. Digging her fingers into his thighs, she shifted forward to offer him more.

John moved his hands over her back, smoothing her skin from the line of her skirt to the tops of her shoulders. Anna removed her fingers from his trouser legs and worked her skirt buttons loose enough to shimmy out of it. Her slip fell off next and soon her knickers slid down her legs for her to kick away. She put her hands to his shoulder and pressed forward with her arms to put John on his back on the mattress.

Bouncing a moment, he grinned at her when he laid back against the pillows. Anna ran her hands over his trousers and unbuttoned them before tugging them down his legs. When they caught on his shoes they both laughed until Anna worked them loose. Hollow thumps hit the floor in time with Anna's exploration up his legs. She tickled at the top of his prosthetic before it hit the floor as well.

They stared at one another and Anna held John's gaze when she kissed around the scar tissue. When her nose nudged the edge of his pants she tugged them loose to leave him as exposed as she. Her hands slipped up toward his hips and held there as her lips followed to kiss over his legs.

He shifted under her, reaching to hold at her shoulders when she kissed around the base of his erection. She paused when John gripped harder at her shoulder. Anna frowned and stroked her fingers over him instead.

"What?"

"I thought this was about you relaxing and sleeping."

"I find this relaxing." She paused, nails teasing over his skin to leave him groaning into his hand. "Don't you find it relaxing?"

John could not respond as she licked a stripe over him. His fingers clutched at the sheets under them when she took him in her mouth. Between teeth and tongue she left him wrecked and groaning under her.

Anna worked her way up his body and leaned over to kiss him. His hands tried to maneuver her but Anna shook her head, drawing back. She moved around to face his legs and massaged over his thighs. John's fingers scrambled to reach for her, slipping over her folds while she struggled not to moan. Pressing down on his thighs Anna shifted up and worked her way down his erection until he could go no further.

They both stopped, easing their breathing, and Anna lifted on her knees to sink back down again. John's fingers sank into the flesh of her hips and he worked his hips to thrust upward. Anna groaned in her throat, trying to keep silent, and rocked against him. When she twisted they both grunted.

He sat up behind him, wrapping an arm around her waist to hold Anna to his chest. Leaning her head back on his shoulder, Anna tightened her grip around John with her knees to better control her motions. The slight squeak to their bed only added tempo to their motions and when John bit at Anna's shoulder she sank her nails into his thighs.

With a vibrating groan, John finished first. His final stuttering movements had Anna whimpering and when he added his fingers to her nerves it was all she needed to join him over the edge. They sat there a moment until John leaned back on the bed, bringing Anna with him, and turned to his side so his chest was still to her back.

Anna turned over her shoulder to kiss him, "Thank you. That was very relaxing."

"I'm glad I could be of assistance." John grinned, kissing over her shoulders before returning to her mouth. "I love you."

"And I love you." Anna laid her head on the pillow, pulling his arm around her to intertwine their fingers.

London, England 1953

John waited for Anna to release Jack before offering his hand, the other holding a squirming girl who kept trying to pull her bonnet away from her head. "Congratulations Jack. This is an amazing accomplishment."

"Thanks Dad." He waited a moment for John to shift the little girl to Anna's arms and then hugged him. It was not as long as his with Anna but John relished it all the same. After so many missed years they could hope for this much. "Some friends want to go for holiday, now that we're free, and I hope you won't mind."

"Of course not." Anna smiled, shifting the little girl as Jack bent to kiss her. "She'll miss you terribly."

"And we will too." John added, noting Jack's smile brighten a bit at that. 'Just keep safe."

"We're planning a little European tour, nothing fancy." Jack turned his head as someone called for him. "I'll be back at the hotel for supper and then we're all off tomorrow afternoon."

"Don't late for dinner." Anna nodded at Lizzie before handing her over to John when the girl reached for her father. "Lizzie's been out too long today and if we leave her too late she'll be an absolute terror."

"Ah, she's not so bad." Jack winked at her. "I was so much worse."

"Only when you got old enough to get muddy." Anna kissed Jack's cheek. "Army Medical Corps, what a treat for us."

"It's a way to serve." Jack nodded at them, waving off someone else calling his name. "I won't be late for dinner, I promise."

He bounded off, joining with a few other friends as Anna managed the pram and John shifted Lizzie to his left arm so his right could hold his cane. John came up to Anna's side, nudging him with his arm. "Are you alright?"

"It's just-" Anna stopped, wiping at her eyes, "He's all grown up John."

"He was going to do that." John soothed as Lizzie leaned around him to wipe her tiny fingers over Anna's face.

"Not sad, happy." She urged and both John and Anna laughed.

"I'm very happy sweetie." Anna kissed Lizzie, who giggled and buried her head in her father's shoulder. "Just going to miss him."

"You know," John set the pace, moving Lizzie to her pram when she yawned. "We should take a holiday ourselves."

"Oh should we?"

"Yes," John leaned on his cane. "Now that Lizzie's older she won't be much more for The Gillinghams to handle and Mary's always going on about wanting to take a holiday herself."

Anna laughed, "So you're suggesting we offer a swap. Our Lizzie for a week long holiday and then we'll take their children?"

"Of course."

"They've got four, John. Twins and another two under the age of three."

"Afraid of a challenge, Mrs. Bates?"

"I'm afraid of their children."

John shrugged, "I'll manage them. You've only got to worry about work."

"You'll manage them?"

"I can still move." John knocked his knuckles against his leg a moment, winking at Anna. "And if they misbehave I'll pull this thing off and then they'll be terrified."

"You'll scar those poor dears."

"Better scarred then disobedient." John joked and dodged Anna's half-hearted swat at him. "Besides, it'll give me real experience for when I have to write my memoirs of the war."

"I think you'll find it hard to publish something that needs as many lines to redact as it takes to write." Anna sighed, stopping the pram at the corner, "But you're right, we do need a holiday."

"I'm glad you agree." John grinned, kissing her cheek to whisper in her ear. "Because I know exactly where we'll go."

"Do you now?" Anna raised an eyebrow, "How long've you been planning this holiday?"

"Not long."

"I highly doubt that."

"I don't know…" John crossed the street to the Underground. "How long is long?"

"Why?"

"Because I don't think twenty years is a long time." John smiled at Anna, "Not when I've got you."

Prague, 1954

Anna exhaled, giggling a bit as John nuzzled his nose in her hair. "You've been planning this for twenty years?"

"Well," John propped himself up on one arm, using the other to trail his fingers down her arm. "We did come here once under the guise of being married and it was the most alive I've ever felt."

"I remember how you kissed me then." Anna brought her finger to trace his lips, "It's the same way you kiss me everyday."

"I did say that I'd only ever kiss my wife that way." John's smile fell a bit and the weight of the room shifted. "I promised you we'd be together in another life Anna."

"And we've got that better life John." Anna pushed his hair back from his forehead. "Last time we were in this room I couldn't have seen this as a possibility."

"I didn't either." John pulled her closer, shifting her so her back was to his chest. "But I did promise, last time, that if we'd had more time I wouldn't leave."

"You did." Anna smiled as John's hands worked around her, taking their place on her breasts again to massage there. "And I'm glad you can this time."

"This time," John kissed over her neck and shoulders, allowing the unhurried motions of his hands to leave her sighing with steadily escalating breaths. "I think I'd like to continue appreciating my wife."

"I'm yours to appreciate."

John growled into the skin of her back while the fingers of his other hand moved down her body. His right leg nudged hers apart and left her exposed to the experienced ministrations that had Anna reaching back to rake her fingers through his hair. When he sunk a finger into her Anna turned her head to the pillow to quiet her shrieks of ecstasy.

Soon her body writhed against him, pressing herself back to the evidence of his own arousal. Anna risked a hand to pull John closer, nails scoring a pattern over his ass, and John responded quickly. As he sank inside her they paused, breathing hard.

Anna chuckled, "We're getting too old for this."

"Nonsense," John drew out to thrust back in, "We're just right."

"We didn't need breathers when we did this the last time we were here." Anna almost bit into the pillow at John's next strike, his thumb flicking over her nerves before rubbing counter to his thrusts.

"Death bit at our heels then."

"Not now?"

"Now, we get to bask in one another and enjoy life." John stopped, "Like I enjoy you."

Anna held him close, "I don't fear death right now John."

"Neither do I."

They finished and Anna shifted to look at John. "I'd do it all over again."

"Me too." John kissed her forehead, "If it meant I'd get to have you all over again, I'd endure it all."

"However, whatever, whenever."

John nodded, "But now I've got you to myself, all good and proper."

"For good and proper." Anna rested her head on his shoulder. "To a better life John."

"To a better life." They were silent a moment before John spoke again, "We'll need to actually get our own coffees this time."

"Yes, one for each person." Anna took a breath, "And for our next holiday we need a real beach."

"Hawaii?" John grinned and Anna nodded.

"I could manage a swimsuit for that."

"I was thinking about you out of the swimsuit."

"John!" Anna swatted his shoulder and they laughed together before sobering. "One for each of them."

"One for each." John kissed her hand. "And one for me."

"You?"

"Because I was dead and now I'm not."

"Alright," Anna ran her hand over his face, "And one for you."