Here's chapter 25! Enjoy!

"John Bates, I know something is up." Anna was no longer in the mood to play games with her husband, he had been avoiding her gaze all day. At first she'd thought that it was because they'd made love again, that he didn't want to look at her in such a way that the other adults knew what had gone on the night before. But now they were in their room and he was still avoiding her.

"Nothing..."

"Nothing my Aunt Sally." Ann retorted, she cornered John by the dresser, "now, neither one of us are going to move from this spot until you tell me what is going on."

"It's..." John started, but Anna sent him such a severe look that he stopped before he even got the second word out.

"John Bates, this isn't like you, you've been avoiding me."

"Could we sit please?" John asked, "Earlier in the fields, I slipped, my knee."

The request surprised her, John rarely ever told her when his knee was hurting him. It had to hurt quite a bit for him to request sitting down. "Of course." Anna placed a hand on John's arm as they walked to the bed. "What is it, please tell me John, you're scaring me."

"I don't mean to Anna, I'm sorry." He took in a deep breath, as if steeling himself for something difficult. "It's just last night..." he couldn't finish his sentence and in the silence that followed, Anna could only assume the worst.

"Do you regret last night?" when she finally asked the question she sounded tiny, even to her own ears.

"No!" John looked horrified, "Anna, last night was beautiful. I loved every moment of it. I'd want to make love again but my knee won't be able to take it." He took another deep breath, "Last night, after you fell asleep, I-I had a nightmare."

"And it was so horrible that you couldn't tell me about it?" Anna smiled at her husband, relieved that it had been just a nightmare.

"It was you..." John halted. "On the night of the concert."

"Oh." Anna looked down for a moment before she glanced back up at her husband.

"I didn't want to bring back horrible memories for you."

Anna couldn't help but smile at her husband's thoughtfulness. "You're not the one who brings the memories back, John." her voice was soft. "You have brought more happy memories to me then I ever thought possible after what happened."

"You mean the world to me." His voice was quiet.

"And you to me." Anna kissed him, she had simply turned her head, so the kiss landed on his jaw line. John pulled away to look at her, he was smiling at her.

"Mummy!" It sounded like Lily's voice.

"Aunt Anna!" Ruth's voice chimed in.

Anna slipped from the bed and drew her nightgown over her head. "I'll be back." she promised.

Anna went out to the hallway to find Ruth standing at the doorway to her, Lily's and Michael's room.

"Miss Anna!" Lily was sitting up in her bed, crying.

"What is it darling?" Anna sat on the edge of Lily's bed.

"I had a bad dream." She said.

"It's alright." Anna brushed the hair from Lily's face. "It's just a dream."

"Jacob left and he didn't love me." Fresh tears spilled from Lily's eyes.

"That must have been a very bad dream." Anna said, she pulled Lily into a hug, the girl wrapped her arms around Anna.

"Can I see Jacob tomorrow?" Lily asked.

"Yes, there's one more day of the farmers bringing the harvest in and we'll be able to see Jacob tomorrow." Anna promised.

"I'll miss seeing Jacob on Sunday." Lily said, it was Friday night and the farmers wouldn't bring any food in on Sunday.

"I know the Murphy's go to church, perhaps they'll take Jacob with them." Anna said, "and if not, we can go over and visit Jacob after church, all right?"

Lily nodded "All right." The girl laid back down, "Miss Anna, could you sing me a song?"

"Of course." Anna tucked the girl in and glanced over to check on Ruth and Michael, they were laying in bed, looking over at Anna and Lily. "All right," she said, she took in a breath "Sleep, my love, and peace attend thee, All through the night, Guardian and angels God will send thee, All through the night..." By the end of the lullaby Lily was asleep and Anna went back into hers and John's room.

John was reading in the bed and glanced up as Anna walked in. "She all right?" He asked.

Anna nodded, "She had a bad dream. She didn't see Jacob and wanted to."

"She'll be able to see Jacob tomorrow, and maybe she can go to the Murphy's or Jacob can come here on Sunday." John suggested, Anna giggled as she slipped into bed next to John. He blew the lamp out as she lay her head on his shoulder. "I'll ask them when they come in for lunch tomorrow."

John pulled the blanket over the both of them and pulled Anna close. "That's what I told her." They got as comfortable as they could on the single bed. "I love my Mum and Dad and visiting the family, but I can't wait to get back into our bed." Anna said, she let one arm drape over John's torso.

"Me either."

"I love you."

"I love you too." Anna lay her head on John's chest, she could feel John playing with her hair and she giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"You can't keep your hands off of my hair can you?" The giggles told him how much she enjoyed his stroking.

"No, I can't," John's voice was low and Anna could feel John shifting so he wasn't as pressed up against her. She pulled him back against her and smiled as she felt his desire. Her hands started to pull his shirt up, but John captured them and gave her a quick kiss. "As much as I'd love to make love again tonight, I'm exhausted." He gave her another kiss. "Tomorrow night."

Anna nodded, they fixed John's pajama top and got comfortable again. "Good night, my sweet." John was almost asleep when he spoke quietly.

"Good night my love."

Please review!