The world did not end. It did not explode. It did not even fizzle.

In the aftermath, especially the investigation into the potentially 'wrongful death' of one Alex Green, Anna sometimes wished it had. The media circus of their exploits finally hit the fan and her building was constantly plagued by reporters and journalists all hoping she felt like telling her story with copious tears and platitudes to the 'millions of readers who deserve to know the truth'. Masses of people who claimed that her private life was now of the utmost interest and importance to a public who, not even two days before, was blithely unaware of her existence and would be so after they skimmed the article that popped up on their homepages.

Sod them. No one deserved to know the truth and Anna told them all just that. And when they tried to argue, tried to fight for the right to invade her privacy, she calmly informed them they could all get stuffed and sicced the doorman on them before issuing threats of siccing other, more intimidating people on them.

They left her alone after that.

Even John had to leave her for a time. Black Mountain's interests in the Evergreen organization took a turn for the better as the death of Alex Green allowed for the complete dismantling of the network. Even Blake took a hand in the process, returning from Hong Kong to handle the clean up on his end while John and his teams went to places they could not talk about for periods of time they could not confirm and would only be released to the public with thick black lines through the important details.

But Anna found her hands full. First with getting rid of the fame seekers and those promising to write her memoirs and then with the Crown Prosecution Service determined to get her back. Barrow and O'Brien tried to get to her first, begging her to take Carlisle's job but when Mary and Branson arrested them for conspiracy to Carlisle's crimes there were, as John had promised, three new spots open at CPS that a great many people insisted Anna should take. She refused and suggested Baxter and Moseley instead.

Blood ran thicker than water when they refused as well and Anna took the special commission to find three good barristers to replace the rotten fruit on the tree. The best part being that it was a literal case of the right hand having no idea what the left hand was doing and the rot ran no further than the three of them. So Anna's attempt to vet the rest of the office proved far better than she expected and, within a month, a mutual friend of she and Mary's ran the CPS and quickly whipped the organization into shape with the help of his wife.

Anna smiled with them on the day he took the job and leaned over toward his wife during the press conference. "I would've thought he wouldn't even open the door for me after how I wiped the floor with him during those mock debates in law school. He swore to hold that grudge forever."

"Tony's not as determined as all that in the end." His wife smiled and waved to him as he searched the crowd for a moment of solace in the midst of flashing bulbs. "I offered to be up there with him but he didn't want to give anyone the impression that I'm the true power behind the throne."

"No one wants to know that kind of truth Mabel." Anna winked at the woman and they both laughed. "But you'll both do an excellent job."

"I was surprised you didn't take it for yourself."

"I can't do good there. Not with all this," Anna waved her hands a bit above her head, as if that could somehow encapsulate the entirety of the situation surrounding her. "Hanging over my head."

"You need to get away then. A nice holiday somewhere warm and far away." Mabel sighed, "We may all need one soon with the way you've set up the pins for us."

"Just doing my job."

"The true power behind the throne."

"Mabel-"

"We all know we never would've gotten here without your work." Mabel ran her teeth over her bottom lip, "Speaking of, where's the other half of your little investigative duo?"

"Someplace he can't tell me until Charles figures the work's done."

"Contracted work is always such a drag." Mabel put her arm around Anna's shoulders. "But he'll come back to you?"

"He's got nowhere else to go. He's living in my flat."

Mabel laughed, "That's one way to force his hand, blow up his house. If he can't go anywhere else then he'll come to you."

Anna laughed with her, "I'll be honest, I didn't know I wanted that until it happened… Well, after I got out of an explosive vest and could actually comprehend it all. It all fell into place after that."

"All of it?"

"Most of it." Anna turned back to watching Tony. "It's all going to be in place before I take that holiday."

"Because you'll take it with him?"

"That's the point of buying lingerie and swimwear," Anna winked at Mabel, "So someone appreciates it. Pointless to wear it if you're alone."

"Sometimes a girl just wants to look good."

"Better to look good for the person you love."

"I couldn't agree more."

Anna's life settled a bit after that. Talbot and Bertie worked out how to get the insurance back on the destroyed safe house and they gave Anna the settlement. She tried to argue that the money should go back into their organization but they ignored her request. Talbot, patting the check on her desk, leaned forward as if he wanted to tell her a secret.

"We're swimming in it a bit right now because we've got a lot of work to do so don't you worry about this." He straightened, shrugging, "Invest it in something. Or buy something. Honestly we don't care what you do with the money but it's your money and that's the end of it."

Anna took the money and invested it into Downton Primary. She bought the building and immediately set to work getting builders and an architect to inspect the property. The walk-through with the architect had them both maneuvering around detritus and other debris but eventually finding their way back to the grounds. She turned to him, nodding back toward the building.

"What do you think of the idea Mr. Strallan?"

"I think there's a lot of potential with a place like this." His left arm pointed and then gestured to the whole building. "The foundations are still fine, exceedingly so, which makes it just perfect for the kind of reconstruction you want."

"What about price?"

"There's a danger in so many open spaces, heating wise, but we could work that into the design to make it all work." His teeth grated. "It will be expensive but-"

"Money's not an object if I actually have a price."

Mr. Strallan ducked his head. "You'll have my estimates in the morning Ms. Smith, I promise."

"Thank you." Anna watched him walk away and snorted as Blake walked up to her. "What are you doing here?"

"Wondering the same about you." He pointed toward the building. "Isn't it a bit masochistic to want to buy the place where you endured enough to keep you on Dr. Hughes's couch for the rest of your life?"

"I'll not be there for the rest of my life." Anna sighed, "And it's not for me. It's for people who need it."

"If you wanted to build a half-way house-"

"It's for people like Green." Anna turned to Blake. "People who feel they're ruined for the world and need somewhere where people understand them."

"There's the VA for that. And programs through their different military divisions and other government programs that-"

"They need something else." Anna walked toward the building again, "Somewhere they're not sitting on someone's couch trying to explain sensations no one else knows how to handle."

"Anna?"

Anna peeked over her shoulder at him before standing face-to-face. "When I was taken, the first time, I went through therapy. I spoke to very nice doctors and qualified people all trying to help me get through it but I still had nightmares. I still thought about it all the time."

"And?"

"It wasn't because I was scared or because I needed to have someone to tell about my fears. It was because, for a moment, I stood on the edge of the abyss and I looked over the edge as someone else fell into it." She shook her head, "There's not a certified therapist out there who can tell me how to feel about that if I spent a thousand hours telling them."

"So this is…"

"A place for people with the same feelings and needs can tell other people, who understand them, how it all feels." Anna put her hand on the doorway. "A place for people to come and find help before it's too late."

"Military personnel?"

"Anyone. Anyone abused or neglected or troubled or doubting or frightened." Anna wrapped her arms around herself, managing a little smile. "A place for everyone, really. A place for people like me."

"I could book a room in a place like this." Blake joined her, looking into the building. "I wanted to be the first to tell you, John'll be home soon."

"What?"

"They're almost finished with their work and he's owed quite a bit of holiday, given the hours and the miles he's racked up with us." Blake winked at her, "I'm sure you could help him find a lovely way to spend his holiday."

"I think I could too." Anna nodded at Blake. "What about you? Back to Hong Kong now that it's all wrapped up?"

"No, I'm out of the doghouse." He pushed off the lintel, walking with Anna back toward their respective cars. "They've actually promoted me so I'm working as direct liaison with all of our contracted work."

"Sounds perfect for you."

"It puts me in a position to do good and make sure good is done." Blake extended a hand to Anna. "It's been a pleasure working with you on this Anna. I don't know what I would've done with you."

"Nor I you." Anna took his hand but used it to pull him into a hug, embracing him tightly. "Take care of yourself Charles."

"You know me." Blake held up his hands, getting into his car, "The left hand never knows what the right hand's doing."

Anna laughed and watched him drive away.

True to his word, Blake had John back the next day. And after a full day of kisses, caresses, and cries of pleasure, they finally got around to addressing the continual stream of suggestions about a holiday. Anna rolled toward John, drawing her finger over his chest, and grinned at him. "What do you think?"

"About?"

"A holiday."

John let out a sigh, his chest caving in so Anna could count individual ribs. "I don't know. If we go somewhere I have this feeling that we'll just end up with a shortened holiday."

"Pessimist." Anna shoved against his side. "Our demons, for the moment, are all in Hell where they belong."

"I don't know." John let his hand travel up Anna's arm. "Barrow might not do so badly in prison. He could find true love there."

"That's horrible."

"I didn't mean it in any way but romantically." John grinned at her, "Where would you want to go on this holiday everyone keeps saying we need to take?"

"Somewhere we'll be out of the way, won't need a passport, don't have to worry about vaccinations, and feels like a slice of home without being home."

"That's rather specific." John's eyes narrowed, "You've already got a plan haven't you?"

"I was thinking about Ireland."

"I like that idea." John scooted closer to her, "But first I'm going to sleep for two days and then eat, shower, and sleep for two more days."

"Why?" Anna watched him curl onto his side, moving his body around hers.

"Because if we go on holiday then we're going to need all the energy we can manage to find for ourselves." John tugged Anna next to him, kissing her. "We're going to do our best trying to wear one another out."

Anna laughed, "Alright then." She snuggled next to him, "We'll rest."

When they finally did manage to get themselves a holiday, John surprised Anna by driving them to a private airfield where a jet parked itself on a runway. He parked the car and helped Anna out before retrieving their bags as she tried to understand the jet. She pointed at it, trying to find words until all she could manage was a grunt.

"What is that?"

"I believe it's a jet." John urged her forward, managing their bags and handing them off to the man who saluted them as they started up the stairs. "Bertie lent it to me for this holiday because he, like everyone else, seems convinced we should've taken a holiday a long time ago."

"He keeps lending us his things." Anna cringed, "Doesn't his wife ever disagree with this?"

"It's not like they're his only cars or jets."

"He's got more than one of these?" Anna pointed to the jet and took to the stairs as John nodded her forward. "What's he doing with them?"

"Occasionally he uses them for our work but tends to lend them to people who need our security services." John stopped at the door, "You should probably take a look for yourself."

Anna walked into the belly of the plane and whistled at the leather sofas, the small kitchenettes, and the large television screen. She pointed to all of it before spinning a circle and putting her hands through her hair. "How much money does Bertie Pelham even have?"

"He's a smart investor so he's got a lot." John took a seat, buckling in and motioning to the chair opposite him. "Come on. Sooner we sit down the sooner we get to start our holiday."

"You mean this isn't the start of our holiday?" Anna took her seat and accepted the drinks the steward offered them. "I'm on a jet that costs more than I could make in my entire life."

"That's not fair."

"It is." Anna sighed, sipping at her drink. "Especially since I've now got that other place to keep up and get running."

John smiled at her, "I liked the idea of that place. Somewhere for people to get the friends and help they need."

"You were the one who gave me that idea." Anna lifted her glass to him, "Although I left the details of how you told me about that idea out."

"Telling someone that you had the idea during sex probably isn't the kind of detail you should include." John settled back in his chair as the plane lifted off the ground. "But I never wanted something like this anyway."

"Like a jet?"

"I'm a simple person." John sighed, "I want to be happy, to find people to be happy with me, and live my life in private."

"Good luck with that now." Anna finished her drink and waited for the sound of the seatbelt sign to turn off. "We're here because people want to know what our story is, they want all the details, and we'll never be free of these people."

"We could just change our names, take up occupations in another country, and move away as quickly as possible."

"I don't think that's the way we should do it." She set her glass to the side and released her seatbelt. "But I'd like to use this beautiful plane to our benefit."

"Our…" John's mouth fell open as Anna reached beneath her skirt to remove her knickers. "This is Bertie's jet."

"We've already discussed that." Anna took the step between them to straddle John's legs so she could lean forward to release his belt. "And it didn't stop us having sex in the back of his car."

"We sank that car in the Thames, remember?"

"Then let's not crash this the way we did the car." Anna bit her lip as she reached a hand inside John's trousers, "Although I don't think we could actually do that, do you? I mean, we're not trying this while flying the plane so we might be better off in this case."

"The people trying to kill us then aren't killing us now so I guess we're alright." John's hips bucked toward Anna's hand when she wrapped it around his growing arousal to squeeze and pull at him. "No rocket launchers."

"No rocket launchers." Anna grinned, leaning toward John for a kiss. "And no helicopters either."

"Not at this altitude."

"Then I guess we'll not ruin Bertie's jet." Anna raised herself on the sides of the chair so John could shove his trousers and pants down his legs.

"Not in that way anyway."

Anna only widened her smile and brought their lips together. John's fingers moved over her neck, holding there before shifting into her hair to steer the kiss while Anna's hand continued moving over him. Her thumb caressed and spread over his head to try and make him harder.

John broke the kiss, dragging his lips down Anna's cheek and neck, sucking red marks into her skin before helping her pull her shirt over her head. Anna tossed it away and brought John's shirt over his head as well to spread her other hand over his chest and weave her fingers through the hair there. But as her hand massaged over John's chest, her other still persisting in encouraging him harder and thicker, John's other hand slipped up her legs to her exposed core.

Anna took her turn to buck on him, her breath catching in her throat before John abandoned his touch on her. She tried to frown but John lifted them off his chair and to the sofa. He set her on the edge, helping her out of the rest of her clothes and tossing his to the side before spreading her legs wide enough to fit between them and drag his tongue over her.

Fingers digging into the leather of the sofa streaked and shrieked but John persisted. His fingers smoothed over her legs, massaging and soothing in time with the way his tongue wound her higher and higher. High enough so that his fingers entering her again left Anna no choice but to fall over the edge.

When air could fill her lungs, Anna pushed John away for his second attempt and he landed hard on the floor of the jet. The expulsion of air from his chest only gave Anna a second of pause before she perched on his legs to take him into her mouth. Seeking to replicate the motions he left as echoes on her clit and folds, Anna wrapped her tongue around him and sucked hard. John jerked and bucked under her until his fingers urged her forward from their hold on her thighs.

It took them a moment of maneuvering but Anna sank down on John, sighing as she did so. They spent a moment trying to recover their breath, holding to one another, before moving. John's hands skated over her body until his mouth took possession of her breasts. For a moment Anna remembered the dream before he found her at Downton Primary but then pulled his lips from her breasts to kiss the air from his mouth as they ground and rocked together. The reality of their joining was all that mattered now.

As they lay on the floor, spent and covered with a few of the blankets from the sofas, Anna dragged her fingers over John's chest. "I don't want you to go again."

"Go where?"

"Anywhere." Anna lifted herself to look at him, his fingers tempting her as they stroked rivulets through her hair. "I want you with me."

"I'm not going anywhere Anna." John leaned up enough to kiss her. "I promise you. I'm with you, for good and proper."

She settled next to him, her cheek settling on his chest where she could hear his heart beating while her fingers took up their previous occupation. "Good and proper. However, whatever, whenever?"

"Exactly that." His lips kissed the top of her hair. "Never doubt that I love."

She smiled into his skin and closed her eyes.

They landed at another private airfield in Ireland and John drove them to a house near the cliffs. The crash of waves boomed and sounded far below them as Anna exited the car. She walked to the edge of the cliff, her hair whipping against her face, and closed her eyes to feel it all. From the chill to the sun to the snap of the wind to the calm of the location.

When she turned back, to John, she smiled. "This is the kind of place we could escape to with those new identities you suggested."

"You'd be bored in a week."

"As long as you're here," Anna put her arms around John, hugging close to him. "I doubt I'd get bored."

"Eventually."

"Never." Anna kissed the underside of his chin. "Show me the house."

He showed her the kitchen with the stainless-steel appliances, the sitting room with the large fireplace and sofa that covered three sides of the inset to surround it, the deck that gazed out at the horizon, and the interior wood of the rustic-style. They ascended the stairs to the large master bedroom and the expansive en suite. Everything spoke of solitude, seclusion, and privacy and Anna relished it all.

That night, after dinner, they bundled together on the sofa as Anna used her toe to touch the bear-skin rug. "Do people actually still make these?"

"I think it's synthetic and for show." John waved a hand. "This whole place is kind of for show."

"Why'd you say that?"

"It's for us." John turned to her, taking her hands in his as he shifted onto the floor before her. "This is where we can go to be away from it all."

"What?"

"Because I meant what I said on the plane." John kissed her hands. "I mean for us to be together. To never be apart and have a life together, however, whatever, whenever. For good and proper."

He dug into his pocket and removed a plain gold band. "I want you to marry me, Anna. I want to make you mine forever and make myself yours."

Anna nodded quickly, her left hand shaking slightly as John slid the finger home there. She only blinked at it a moment before beaming so widely she feared her face would split before taking John's lips with hers. The force of her kiss knocked him back but John caught himself on one hand before lowering them both to the floor.

"I do." Anna whispered, when she finally broke the kiss.

"Is that what that was?" John tried to joke but kissed Anna back when she swatted at him. "Would you believe I was terrified you'd say no?"

"I was worried you'd never propose."

"Never?"

Anna shrugged, her fingers brushing over his sweater. "After your last marriage and how that ended I thought…"

"No." John whispered to her, his hand on her back to turn them so her back was against the fake bear rug. "You're nothing like her and we'll not have that kind of relationship."

"I didn't think so."

"I'm going to love you, Anna Smith, forever." John set to kissing her available skin and revealing more so he could kiss over that too. "Nothing will ever change that. Nothing and no one."

"And I'm going to love you forever." Anna held his face above hers for a moment, "Because I am yours, and you are mine."

"Because I am yours and you are mine." John set to kissing her again and Anna submitted to his dedicated seduction.

She helped them out of their clothes, opened her legs for him, and cried out both times his mouth brought her over the edge. Every brush of his tongue against her had her fingers digging into his hair to bring him closer, urge him faster, or drag him where she needed him. But both times he spun her higher than she thought she could go before letting her break into pieces.

Only then did he think about entering her. But even that he delayed so he could excite her back from the edge and set her fizzing nerves on fire when he dragged the length of him along her to soak himself with the damp already leaking from between her legs. Then he entered her and they sighed together. Sighed and moved like a single soul brought back together.

The night continued outside but the crackling glow of the fire kept them lit. It blushed John's skin golden and left a orange glow over his eyes that pricked where they sparkled and shone toward her. It dyed the tears of joy and ecstasy red for a moment as they came together and settled on the rug.

Anna's hand, the roll of metal on her finger catching on John's skin, held him close while her nails released their dig into him. His weight pressed her into the rug and the individual scrapes against her skin made themselves known but Anna ignored them. She kissed his shoulder, smiling at the thought of the burn over her back matching the drag of nails she left on his back when she came.

Their bodies shifted and both hitched their breathing as the sensitive muscles rubbed for a moment. But they settled back, staring at one another in the light of the fire, and Anna reached her hand to run over his cheek. Her ring caught the light and John turned his mouth to kiss her palm before covering her hand with his own. He smiled at her and Anna scooted closer.

"One day I'll put a ring on your finger and we'll have a matching set."

"We're already a matching set, remember." John kissed her, settling his head on his arm while the other brought her body closer. "You're the only person I've ever really wanted."

"If I had to do it over again, I'd do it all the same."

"What?" John angled his head to see her better and Anna put a finger over his lips, to silence further arguments.

"I'd do it all over again, the same way, but this time I'd find you sooner so I could love you longer."

John took a breath and shook his head. "We wouldn't be the same people in that case. I don't know if you'd love me back then."

"Maybe not." Anna settled next to him. "But we'll never have to know."

"No we won't." John lay back with her, one of his hands running over her abdomen. "But what about loving more people?"

Anna titled her head to see him, "Are you asking for children?"

"We've not been less than ambitious with the process."

Anna laughed, sighing. "Sometimes it takes people longer."

"Even longer when they're using protection."

"How about you marry me first and then worry about giving other people, who aren't me, your last name."

"Maybe I will."

Anna pushed up to kiss him. "I'd love to have your children, John Bates."

"Despite the fact some people still think I'm a murderer?"

"I tried very hard to disabuse them of that notion, I'll have you know."

"How could I forget?" John drew his finger over her lips. "My future wife is my former lawyer and she fought like a lioness for me."

"And I would again. But first," Anna moved above him. "I think we need more practice for when we have those babies."

"I'm at your service."

"And for less than a quid." Anna teased, leaning in for another kiss, "What'll become of us?"

"Good things. Good things from here on out."

"Only good things." Anna kissed him, "Only good things from here on out."