A/N: This chapter is littered with quotes from the show, I wont deny it. So I will give Fellowes credit for that and the amazing characters he created that inspired me to write this. This chapter is a little angsty but ends happily and I promise it will get much better from from here in terms of fluff. For those of you who are still sticking with this story I appreciate it and hope you enjoy the chapter. Please review, I appreciate each one. And big thanks to my buddy A-Lady-To-Me for helping me edit this bad boy.

Chapter 21

Second Chances

They both stood there, unmoving, separated by the asphalt that divided them. He hadn't expected her to be still waiting for him; he didn't know what to say. A million different thoughts were running through his head, but he was too terrified to speak, worried that one misstep could send her away forever. He wasn't even sure how long he'd been standing there but he knew that as long as she was waiting on the other side of that street he would have waited forever. With every passing second, John became less optimistic. What if this was the final nail in the coffin? What if she had simply come back to ask for his keys to her apartment and return the last of his things? He wasn't sure if he had longed for this moment or dreaded it. What had started off as a beacon of hope was quickly turning into a bleak omen. A car passed between them and the gust of wind that came off of it brought John back to reality. If there was one thing he had learned in the short time that he had known Anna it was that the universe was not such a horrible place. That even the most worst off individual was deserving of love and that sometimes it only took two broken souls to make a whole one again. He had never been more certain that Anna was destined to be his other half. John felt a familiar warmth envelope him and he knew it wasn't the summer sun that loomed over head. It was his Anna.

He strutted toward her with purpose and conviction and dropped his bag as soon as he reached her. He scooped her in his arms and wrapped her in his strong embrace as he pressed her firmly against the door of the truck. To hell with anyone that saw them as far as he was concerned. Anna was the only person he cared about and he'd be damned if he lost her. She looked incredibly gorgeous with her hair hanging down loosely and simple white blouse that complimented her figure-hugging jeans. "I'm so sorry," he whispered as he pressed kisses into her hair and his stubble lightly grazed her cheek.

"No, it was my fault. I should have said something to my parents sooner," she insisted as she ran her fingers through his hair and inhaled his scent. She didn't think it was possible but in the short amount of time between him storming out of her house only hours before and now, she was worried she'd never see him again. She thought she'd never get a chance to smell the intoxicating mixture of smoke, soap, and aftershave. She made a mental note to herself never to scold him again for leaving his duffle bag in her hall closet, even if it did stink it up. She pressed her lips against his with a passion that was immeasurable and took pleasure in the way his mouth melded with hers. His lips beckoned her; reassuring her in ways that his words couldn't. They were firm yet supple, and when he licked them in between kisses they were slick like rose petals covered in morning dew.

His hands were still tangled in her hair, afraid that if he let her go this would all prove to be unreal. "I wouldn't blame you if you were embarrassed of me," John stated. He finally let a hand fall down to rest on her hip and pulled her in closer to him. "I know I'm not every parent's dream for their daughter," he said.

"Is that what you think?" she asked. He opened his mouth, about to speak, but instead let out a sigh and closed his mouth again. Anna ran her hands up and down his chest, hoping to coax the answer out of him. She took comfort in his solid and broad figure beneath her finger tips. Her eyes were still fixed on his while her hands explored the planes of his upper body; internally she was mapping out every last one of his features and committing it to memory. The possibility of losing him, no matter how short the time, made her realize she had taken him for granted. In the last few months she had grown so accustomed to his declarations that he would be lost without her, that she had never fully realize she would be just as lost without him.

"Did you think that I was ashamed of you?" she asked. The tone of her voice was almost accusing and when her eyes searched his for answers, he didn't have to say a word; his averted gaze told her everything she needed to know. She lifted his chin with her index finger so that he was looking her in the eye. "John, I didn't tell them about you because I was trying to protect you. I was trying to shield us and what we share. I couldn't watch them spoil another thing." She took a deep breath and shuddered as she let the breath back out. "My parents…they can be very judgmental…I couldn't risk them doing to you what they did to Ethan," she explained as her hands flailed for a moment. "I wont let them make you think less of yourself or drive you to drink again," she managed to get out without crying.

She couldn't fool him though. John could hear the emotion building in her throat, nearly threatening to choke the voice out of her. "Oh my darling…" John said as the realization set in. Even though Anna had told him everything before, something in him had assumed that Ethan's death had been a result of Ethan putting pressure on himself. He now understood fully, though she was too kind to ever say it, Anna felt that part of the blame lay with her parents. He cupped her cheeks and combed a few stray hairs back into place and tucked a strand behind her ear. John leaned forward and let his forehead come to rest against hers before whispering, "Anna, I don't want to be the reason you don't ever see your parents."

Anna placed her hand over John's and rubbed her cheek against the inside of his warm hand. There was a roughness about it that she couldn't get enough of. She turned her head enough to place a kiss on his palm. "Trust me, you aren't," Anna whispered back.

He smiled meekly, still not completely convinced that what she said was true. "But you could do so much better than me, Anna. Your parents will be able to see that..." he began to dispute.

Before he had a chance to speak any more on the matter she pulled back enough to look at him. "Don't you see? John, there is no better man for me," Anna said as she gently caressed his cheek. "I don't want you feeling that every mistake you make is going to be a deal breaker for us. You never gave up on me and I won't give up on you."

"I just hope you don't live to regret it," he said.

"I couldn't regret it, no matter what comes," she said in an unwavering voice. "I know only that I am now who I was meant to be."

"I'm not worthy of you that's all I know. And people will call me names for dragging you into my troubles. I don't want that for you. Not when I know how noble, generous, and incredible you are," his eyes shone with love and appreciation as he doted on her. She never ceased to amaze him; he didn't think it was possible for so much kindness and compassion to exist within a single person.

"I will always love my parents, but they only know me for who I was before…before everything that happened with Ethan," she confessed. He let his hands slide across her hips before finding each other just above her backside and letting his fingers interlock with one another. Somehow the gesture made her feel steadier, like she was anchored to him. "John, I'm not that same person anymore. You are my whole world now."

"I may not have known you then, but I do believe that our past dictates who we will become. I'm sure you were just as wonderful back then as you are today," he complimented with a boyish grin. "I think I'd love you however, whatever, whenever," he said with a genuine smile.

"I could bear anything, except to be without you," she said decisively. Anna stood on her tip toes then and languidly placed a kiss on his lips as her hands splayed across his back and drew him in so that he was flush against her body. In between kisses she uttered the words, "I love you."

John savored the feel of her lips upon his and the way her tongue lingered after it entered his mouth and massaged his own. Her soft, warm lips tasted like mint from her morning tea. He could feel her smiling against his mouth and it brought out one of his own. His broad smile made the crinkles that framed his pine green eyes, even more gorgeous. Her lips were soft and urgent against his and soon their mouths moved as one. He could feel her heart beating quickly through the fabric of her blouse as her hands clung desperately to his work shirt. There was something so ardent and yet so innocent about it that it was like kissing her for the first time all over again. As he pulled away he asked, "Anna?"

"Yes?" she responded back as she took in the sight of him. He was still in his uniform pants and his work shirt that was causing feelings to stir within her that were impossible to deny.

"Not that I'm not happy about you being here with me…but what happened to your Mum and Dad?" he asked in a low voice.

"They wanted to take me out for my birthday. For the first time in nearly two years they came by to see me for my birthday. What should have been a nice reunion turned into the Spanish Inquisition, so I told them about us," Anna answered back nervously as she bit her lip.

John's eyes widened in surprise and he asked, "Really?"

"Well not everything of course, I mean I didn't think it fair to reveal parts of your past that you didn't want to share. But I told them that you were more than just a fling. I told them that I love you and that what we have is serious," she clarified. He nodded his head in understanding and smiled at the sound of her words. "I thought it would be better if they got to know you properly before we told them something that might put them off," she grimaced at the sound of her own words. "Uh, that didn't come out right. If they get to know the man you are now…the way I know you…they'll love you and they'll forgive anything that happened in your past." She shook her head in frustration, "Not that you need their forgiveness…never mind. Ignore me. I'm rambling and not making any sense."

John gently gripped the sides of her arms to calm her down. "Anna, it's alright. I understand," he said. John rubbed her arms up and down until he saw her shoulders relax. He leaned his right hand up against the door of his truck while he let his left hand slide down to hold her hand. With their fingers intertwined he said, "I may not be the smartest man, but I know that it's a natural instinct to want to be part of your family regardless of how horribly they treat you. You want them to accept you and you're worried they won't accept me. Am I right?"

She nodded in agreement.

"Then I'll meet them," he volunteered without any hesitation.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Absolutely! I'll do whatever you want me to do, love," John said as he raised her hand to his lips and placed a soothing kiss on her knuckle.

"Thank you," she said with relief. "I feel so selfish. I didn't even ask what happened with Thomas."

"It's a long story, perhaps one I should explain later. Robert is handling things, but for now I'm taking some time off from the station," he explained. Something about the way she looked at him indicated that she was still worried, perhaps wondering if she had somehow cost him his position at the house. "Don't worry, it's nothing bad, they aren't letting me go. In fact, Robert is going to see if he can get my probation with the board to be lifted," he continued sounding more optimistic than he had in years. She did her best to flash a smile at him. As much as it worried her for him to be going back to his position of fighting fires, she knew it was what made him happy. "That's not important now though. Let's take advantage of this time off while you are still on summer vacation. We should arrange dinner with your parents or whatever it is that you feel like doing with them. And then I want to take you somewhere for your birthday to celebrate properly."

"That sounds lovely," Anna replied as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I can't wait."

The next evening John found himself getting ready for a night out with Anna's parents. He didn't know why he felt so nervous. She had made it clear to him that whether or not her parents approved of John, she was still set on being with him; but he knew that deep down Anna wanted their approval. As she continued to get ready in the bathroom he buttoned up his dress shirt as he strutted around the bedroom in his briefs. He stood in front of the floor length mirror and combed his hair back into place using his hands and slung a tie around his neck. He had never been a fan of big formal dinners, but it had been her parents' suggestion and he knew Anna would look drop dead gorgeous in whatever number she picked out to wear for the evening. As he began to loop his tie and straighten his collar he considered putting more deodorant on as he was sure he'd be sweating even more on the car ride over to the restaurant. He dabbed some cologne on his neck and patted his cheeks as he inspected his face in the mirror. Taking a closer look at himself he really had to wonder what it was that Anna saw in him. While he certainly looked better than he did months ago when he was living out of a suitcase and staying in the motel, he was a little worse for the wear with small bags under his eyes and wrinkles that grew deeper with each passing year. John kept an eye on the bathroom door in the reflection of the mirror; he knew if Anna caught him she'd scold him for being too hard on himself.

He took a seat on the edge of the bed and felt the mattress sink in a bit under his weight. Sitting on the bed reminded him of how tired he was, he had barely slept the night before. Anna didn't think she could face dinner with her parents after the abrupt way they had shown up, she wanted to take the rest of the afternoon to prepare herself for the fiasco she was sure was awaiting her. She did her best to prepare him for whatever questions she thought they might throw his way and mentally prepared herself for the conversation she was sure would end up on the table. Ethan. Somehow, it always led back to him. Anna tossed and turned most of the night and he was fairly certain he had heard her crying at one point. He had wanted to comfort her, but when he asked if she was ok she had quickly replied she was fine, and he let her have her space. John slept just as well; he hated that she was upset and he was equally stressed at the prospect of meeting her parents. He stifled a yawn as he began to put his socks on and heard the sound of the bathroom door open. John ventured a glance over his shoulder and felt the breath in his chest leave his body for a moment as he stared at Anna looking lovely as ever.

"I'll take your silence as a compliment," Anna said flirtatiously as she headed over to the wardrobe. She made sure to graze John's knee with her thigh as she walked past him. She winked at him as she placed the back of her earring on and moved a loose curl behind her ear.

John smiled up at her warmly and caught her hand to stop her. "You look incredible," he complimented. John rubbed his hand over her fingers and noticed Anna was wearing a ring that Ethan had given her. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was her way of making sure he was a part of the evening and John admired her for thinking of it. "Are you sure you want to go out tonight?" he joked as he eyed her roguishly. His eyes darkened as he smoothed the fabric of her dress and let his hand come to rest on the curve of her bottom.

She wore a little black dress that stopped just above the knee and hung loosely around her hips. The bodice hugged her chest and lifted her breasts, making them appear larger than they were and emphasizing her cleavage. The straps exposed her shoulders and revealed her neckline that served as a backdrop to a diamond pendant that hung from a delicate, golden chain. She had curled her hair and her make-up made her blue eyes pop more than usual.

"I don't know, I'm not sure you could entice me to stay in," Anna teased as she fished through her sock drawer for a pair of sheer nylons with her free hand. She finally found what she was looking for and closed the drawer. She turned back around and leaned her body against the dresser. Anna pretended to be busy untangling the stockings but would occasionally turn her attentions back to John who was wearing a crisp, white, dress shirt with a dark green tie.

"Are you certain?" he asked as he ushered her closer with his hand. "I'm pretty sure I could think of a few things," John said as he reached up and used his thumb and fore finger to straighten one of her shoulder straps.

She pulled away from him long enough to keep herself in check. "I bet you could, you cheeky beggar," she said. "We made plans and my parents are expecting us. Afterwards we can start working on those 'things' you have in mind." He let out an exasperated sigh as he let her return to her task of getting ready. John threw himself back on the bed with his arms behind his head and let his legs naturally spread open. The view from where Anna was standing was very enticing as she stared at his long, hairy legs and muscular thighs. She'd never admit it aloud, but she wanted him more than ever right now. She had been fighting off butterflies all day long and she always felt most at ease when it was just the two of them in her room together. She caught sight of the outline of his length through his briefs and let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in and calmly sat beside him. "I just need to finish putting on my stockings and shoes and then we can get going," she said.

John lifted his head from the mattress in response and his eyebrows rose momentarily, "Ah, something I can help out with." He scrambled to his feet and got down on his knees in front of her as he spread her legs ever so slightly. He placed a kiss on her knee as his hands skimmed her calves, eliciting a moan from her. John looked up and saw that her eyes were half lidded as he removed the nylons from her hand and straightened her leg out to help her put them on. He his hand traveled down to her heel as he bunched the nylons up to slide over her toes and cradled her ankle tenderly just as he had that first night in her home. As he unraveled the stocking and slowly brought it up he let his lips blaze a trail along her leg.

Kiss after blistering kiss sent sensations to her core and the feel of his five o'clock shadow lightly scraping along her smooth legs caused her insides to contract as she gripped the comforter. "John…" was all she managed to say in between moans. The room was so quiet that the only sound she could hear was John suckling on her skin. His soft lips and wet tongue varying in pressure each time they met with her skin. She finally released the comforter and let her fingers rummage through his hair and he chuckled softly against her inner thigh sending vibrations searing to her center.

John could feel his length harden as the sound of her mewls reached his ears. He was thankful that he hadn't gotten around to putting his pants on yet or he would have been very uncomfortable at the moment. He nearly lost control of himself when she tugged at his hair and simultaneously wrapped her legs around his back to draw him nearer. John loved the way her nails felt as they massaged his scalp and he could feel her heavy breath billowing against his dark brown locks. When he reached as high as he could pull her stockings he looked up for silent invitation to lift her bottom slightly and realized she wasn't wearing any underwear. "You naughty girl," he said wickedly. Anna blushed at his words and smoothed his hair back into place. "Someone clearly expected for this night to take a salacious turn," he said.

"Wishful thinking," she said nonchalantly. "It is my birthday after all."

"That it is," he said as he leaned down again to place one last kiss on her thigh before straightening her dress. "I promise I will do this again as I take them off later," he said in a velvety voice that left her drowning in indecent thoughts. "Though I can't promise to be as gentle with your stockings later on," he added to drive the point home.

"You're a horrible tease," she commented as she stood up. She thought to herself how she could get the upper hand in this naughty game they were playing. Anna turned around to ask him to zip her up and he immediately obliged.

He stood behind her to zip up the dress and she leaned back into him, letting his arousal press against her back side. "Sorry," she said feigning innocence. She did it once more for good measure as he moved the zipper up the last bit of her dress and stopped at her bra when he noticed it was a black lace one that he had never seen before. "Something catch your eye, Mr. Bates?" she asked.

"No, you're all set," John said as he cleared his throat. He made his way back into the walk-in closet and rummaged around for a bit. A thought crossed his mind as he picked out a set of pants to wear. "Oh Anna," he said in a sing-song voice.

Anna was sat on the bed again as she slipped her shoes on and caught sight of John moving around in her peripheral vision. John flashed a dangerous smile at her as he poked his head out from the closet. "What?" she asked. "What are you doing?"

"Oh nothing," he said coyly. He crossed the room slowly and stopped along side of her as he lifted his leg on the bed to pull up his sock once more. His package within arm's reach, she stared at him longingly as her own eyes darkened. "What's the matter love? See something you like?" Anna simply stared at him with her mouth wide open. John shook his pants twice before slipping his legs into them one at a time.

Then Anna seized the opportunity to gain the upper hand when she saw John begin to work on his braces. She stopped his hands and began to help with his zipper, taking a moment to linger as she slid along his front side. John sucked in his breath as he clenched his teeth. Anna smiled proudly when she knew she had the last laugh as she slid her fingers down the length of his braces, stopping at the top of his pants and he leaned in to kiss her overpoweringly, but she stopped him with her finger. "John, we'll be late if we don't get going."

They walked into the restaurant hand in hand; a united front. As uneasy as he was about meeting her parents again, John knew it was more important for him to show his support to Anna and ensure she had a spectacular birthday. Anna had her dark grey satin sash shawl wrapped around her shoulders and John had never felt so honored to be on the arm of such an enchanting creature. Not long after glancing into the dining room Anna spotted her parents and pointed them out; John placed a warm palm against her back as he followed behind her. "Here we go," he thought to himself. They weaved their way through the tables and with each step he felt the anticipation threatening to choke the air out of him, just before they reached the table he used his free hand to loosen the tie around his neck and willed his hand not to shake.

It was certainly a fancy restaurant, not a place John would have normally frequented. But he didn't mind taking Anna out somewhere nice for her birthday. There were golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling with diamonds the size of quarters hanging off of their arms, the walls were covered in rich mahogany, and there was even a piano player situated in the corner of the dining room. The waiters were dressed to the nines and one had eyed him like he was under dressed but Anna had brushed their scowls off and squeezed his hand reassuringly as she pulled him along.

"Ah there they are. We were beginning to wonder if you weren't going to show up," George said as he eyed John.

John noticed that neither of them rose to greet them instead they waited for Anna to approach them and make her rounds. Anna made her way around the table, kissing her mother on the cheek and hugging her father. John wouldn't give them the satisfaction but he did offer his hand from across the table, "Sorry, we hit a spot of traffic. Anna tried calling, I guess you didn't receive the message."

George reluctantly took John's hand, but it might as well have been a poisonous snake after the way George stared at him. "No, I'm afraid not."

"All this glitz and glamour and no phone reception, huh," John said casually, but he hoped it sent the message to George. He could tolerate them hating him, but he wouldn't allow them to mistreat or shun Anna. John reached out to shake hands with Elizabeth, but she seemed to take her cue from her husband and waved it off muttering under her breath that "that won't be necessary."

John pursed his lips as he evaluated her response. He pulled out a chair for Anna to sit in and pushed it in once she was seated. John took his place beside her and found her hand under the table to intertwine their fingers. He saw some of the tension leave her face and rubbed the pad of his thumb over her knee.

"Well, I've already ordered myself a Scotch; would you care for some John?" George offered.

John noticed Anna's eyes widen. Tempting as it was he wouldn't be giving in so easily. "Actually, no I don't drink. You'll have to partake without me."

"Don't drink. How odd? Perhaps we could get something else to wet your whistle," George suggested.

"I'll be fine with water," John said as he took a sip from the glass placed in front of him. He felt Anna's hand tighten around his and she seemed a little too interested in her menu as she attempted to hide behind the page. He felt horrible for her, they had barely taken their seats and she already looked as though she wanted to disappear completely. He couldn't help but wonder how she had come to be the person she was after being raised in what appeared to be such a hostile and controlling environment. He realized then that Ethan must have been her only support in that family. They were each other's best friend. He glanced at her from the side and their eyes met for a moment and John gave her a reassuring smile.

Anna returned to eyeing the menu and John whispered, "Feel free to pick whatever you want, love. It's your birthday. Sky's the limit, it's my treat." She blushed at his words and John playfully tugged on one of the tendrils that hung by her ear.

"Actually, Anna, your mother and I are paying for dinner tonight," her father boasted across the table.

John narrowed his eyes and felt his jaw tighten. He wasn't going to engage in a pissing contest with her father so instead he let it go. "Only if you're sure," John offered once more so they wouldn't think he was taking advantage of their kindness, if that's what you would call it.

"Of course. Nothing is too expensive for our Anna," he said.

Everyone else at the table shifted uncomfortably at the table, including Elizabeth. For the first time that evening she engaged in the conversation and asked, "So, John. What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a fire fighter," he stated proudly.

"Well that's an interesting line of work," she said genuinely.

"It is," he replied back with a smile.

"Anna, must be worried about you working in such a dangerous environment," she commented as the waitress came by.

John wasn't sure how to address the probation thing, he didn't want to reveal anything about his psychiatrist or the meetings.

Anna spoke for him, "John is very good at his job. I trust him to make the right decisions and be safe."

The waitress appeared before her mother or father could ask any more questions, "Is everyone ready to order?"

The waitress walked away to place their order and George barely interacted with them at all; in fact, most of the dinner George was consumed with viewing something on his cell phone. John rolled his eye each time he caught him on the phone, but if Anna wasn't going to speak up about it, neither was he.

"I'm sorry; I forgot what we were talking about before the waitress arrived," Elizabeth said as she drank her glass of wine. "Oh right, we were talking about you being a fire fighter."

George interrupted her, "Not much money in fire fighting is there?"

John's jaw nearly dropped, but he kept his composure, "No. But I didn't become a fire fighter for the money."

"Then why?" George asked, feigning interest.

"Just felt like there was a calling for me, to do more after I left the military," he explained.

"Hmmm," her father said with a scowl.

John thought that was all he would say on that and thought it best that he get some food in his mouth before he said something he'd regret. He reached for some of the bread in the basket and began to butter a piece. John had just placed a piece in his mouth when her father asked, "And how do you plan to support my daughter on your meager salary? I mean she isn't making much more than you are as a teacher, I would imagine."

"Dad!" Anna finally spoke up.

"What? It's a legitimate question," he defended himself. "You introduce us to this mystery man that we've never heard of until now and tell us you are serious about him. I want to know how he plans to take care of my daughter."

John nearly coughed up the piece of bread he was chewing on and felt the butter knife shaking in his hand. Of course he wouldn't do anything to her father, but he couldn't believe the gall of this man as he said everything conceivable to make the evening uncomfortable. Anna had mentioned once before that her parents came from money, which is why it was all the more surprising to him when Anna revealed that her brother had started dealing drugs when he couldn't afford to go to law school. Maybe if his parents or at least his father had been more approachable, Ethan would still be here.

"That's no excuse," Anna said as she threw her napkin on the table.

"Anna, it's alright," John said trying to calm her. "If you must know, Mr. Smith. I do still make enough to support myself and Anna on my salary alone. But, if she wishes to continue teaching after we've married I wouldn't be opposed to it. Anna is an excellent teacher," John added with a smile.

"And what about when you decide to have children? Or can I not count on having any grandchildren given that you are older than Anna?" George inquired. "You know it's not too late to get back together with Mark. He's still single."

"That's enough!" Anna nearly shouted. Her eyes were shooting daggers at her father. "I won't have you insulting my boyfriend that way," she said.

Elizabeth spoke in a low voice to her husband, "George, please." She looked over at her daughter as she tried to be more courteous than her husband, "Anna, dear. It's a reasonable question. I'll admit it's lacking in tact. But, his age would prove to be an issue if you wanted to have children."

"Well then we won't have children," Anna surmised. "Or we'll adopt. I'm with John because I love John, not because of some unfulfilled desire to have children."

"I see then," George said in a defeated tone of voice.

John couldn't have been prouder of her for sticking up for herself. He was sorry to see that this is how the night had turned out, but he was happy she wasn't letting them get her down. And he couldn't have loved her more for defending him.

"So fire fighting…," Elizabeth said in an attempt to change the subject, "Is that how you met Anna? I mean at the fire house or answering a call?"

"Sort of. I had met Anna once before, but thought she was too good for me," he answered honestly. "Then we ended up meeting again at her school when I came to instruct her class on fire safety," he said with a smile as he remembered that day fondly. "Turns out one of Anna's students is one of my co-worker's daughters. Sybbie sort of helped bring us together," he explained.

"Oh, that sounds romantic. Was it love at first sight?" she asked curiously.

"It was," Anna said, beaming at John.

He was warming to Anna's mother. Maybe she only seemed so cold because she was in an unhappy marriage with Anna's father. And she did lose her son. He could only imagine that had not been easy to bear; especially if her husband had been as unforgiving and insensitive as Anna had made him seem.

"How did you and Anna meet?" George interrupted.

"Uh, well…" he began to answer.

"John and I met at church," Anna quickly said.

It wasn't a lie. John knew she was trying to protect him. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. Maybe someday they would clear things up with her parents, but today was not the day. He smiled at her gratefully.

"Church? Really? When did you become religious?" Elizabeth asked.

Anna lowered her head and bit her lip as she wiped at her eye, "It was after what happened with Ethan." She managed to reign in her emotions when the waitress showed up.

George lifted his empty glass of Scotch and shook it so that the ice clinked around to indicate his glass was empty. He looked back at Anna momentarily as another waiter came to retrieve his empty glass. "Well, that's nice dear," George offered back casually.

John was flabbergasted, he almost couldn't think of a response. He felt like he was having an out of body experience. The only reason he snapped out of his thoughts was because he noticed the loss of contact when Anna let go of his hand. The waitress was still making her way around the table to place food in front of each of them. Anna slowly shook her head back and forth in disappointment. He couldn't tell if she was disappointed in her father or disappointed for letting herself believe that things could have been different. George's words still hung in the air and had settled over all of them, even Elizabeth appeared to have been stung by what he said. Anna's lips began to quiver and a single tear made its way down her cheek. John was livid now, almost seething as her father continued to swirl his fresh glass of Scotch. John nearly rose from his chair to ask him to step outside, but Anna beat him to it.

She pushed the fresh plate of food away right after the waitress had left, "That's nice?"

"What was that dear?" George said as he scrolled through the phone screen one last time and pushed a piece of rib eye into his mouth.

"We're leaving now," Anna said as she grabbed her clutch.

"They just brought the food out," George pointed out, oblivious to the effect his words had had on everyone else at the table.

"I was a fool to think we could put it all behind us," Anna said in a shaky voice. "I knew things wouldn't be the same as they were before, but I had wanted to make new memories. Good memories."

"Anna, you're making a scene," her father argued.

Clearly her father would not see sense in this, so instead Anna tried to make her mother see reason. "It was lovely to see you again, Mum. For a minute there it felt a little bit like it used to be. I wish you knew how much it kills me that my brother isn't here celebrating with us and that you both weren't there for him when he needed you most. But I will not apologize for what happened to him, it wasn't my fault and I couldn't have prevented it. That much I am sure of. John pulled me from a deep depression that I never thought I'd escape and he's the love of my life. You both should be thanking him that I am even standing here. I didn't know that I ever wanted to see you both again after everything that happened," she took a deep breath. Her parents stood at her unblinking. This time she stared at her father, "I don't expect you to apologize for Ethan and I know it hurt you to lose him. But until you can treat us both civilly I don't think it wise for us to see one another again." Anna got out of her seat and stormed out of the dining room.

John began to get up and felt Mrs. Smith's hand on his arm, her eyes were filled with tears, "John, tell her I'm sorry."

He mustered up a small smile for the woman who looked so much like his Anna, "I will. But I think it would mean more coming from you." John straightened his tie and buttoned his jacket and faced her father with a long, hard stare. "Before tonight I couldn't understand why Anna was so hesitant to see her family again. I thought that it was grief that tore you all apart. Now I see that was just the tip of the iceberg. I never met Ethan, but from what you daughter has told me, I imagine he was a very smart and considerate young man that was full of life. I know it's hard to lose someone…I lost someone close to me. But you still have one child left. A child who is so easy to love, and wants nothing more than to love you back. Fix this before it's too late," John warned. He opened his wallet and left enough money to cover for his and Anna's dinner. "Seeing as how we are walking out on dinner, this should take care of our portion of the tab. Despite what you think I could provide for Anna just fine." With that he walked away.

John walked into the waiting area of the restaurant and couldn't find Anna. He waited to see if she had gone to the bathroom but noticed that her shawl that she left with the coat check was missing. He walked up to the hostess, "Excuse me did you see a petite blonde in a black dress and grey shawl walk out of here?"

"Yes, she walked outside a few minutes ago," she answered back.

"Thank you," John said as he headed for the door.

"And sir," the hostess said as she held out a pack of tissue, "you might need these."

John nodded with a smile and grabbed the pack from the hostess.

Once outside he didn't have to search hard to find her. She was sitting on a bench just a few feet away from the entrance. He walked up to her and took his jacket off to place it over her shoulders then handed her the pack of tissues. "How are you holding up, love?"

"Better than I thought I would," Anna said as she dabbed at her eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"No. I want to forget this dinner ever happened," she said with a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry I made you sit through that."

"My darling it's fine. I'm the one that kept pushing you to spend time with them again. I guess it just didn't make sense to me that a family could be so…"

"Dysfunctional?" she filled in.

"That wasn't quite the word I was looking for, but yes," John said as he took a seat beside her and clasped his hands together. She laughed a little bit and he laughed along with her. "But I would do it all over again if you asked me to," John confessed as he leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"I know you would. And I love you for it."

"I promise tomorrow will be better. It will just be you and me for the next couple days," he said with a wink.

"Sounds great. Now what should we do for dinner?"

"Somewhere that we don't have to wait forever," he said.

"I have an idea. How about we call for pizza to be delivered and we eat at home?"

"I like the sound of that," he said flirtatiously.

"And then perhaps we could get back to those 'things' we talked about earlier," she suggested.

"Whatever the birthday girl wants, the birthday girl gets," John stated as he led her to the car and held the passenger side door open.