A/N- It never occurred to me that John might be accused of Michael's murder. I just wanted a 'plot device' to get him out of the story! I know angst is sometimes good to read, but I wanted this story to be fluffy.I planned it when I was going through a rough time (my Mum was ill) and I wanted to cheer myself up. Writing this story makes me happy so it is all basically fluff from here on in.

I do have ideas floating around for stories after this one, another set in modern times and one more set in actual Downton time. I have tried to keep OOML light, but these two will be a little more dramatic. As I said, this was created to help me escape reality for a while.

Not much Banna but some more father/son bonding and Mary and Anna stuff. If ya didn't know, hen night = bachelorette (sp) party, stag night = bachelor party.

Enjoy :)

Disclaimer: Same as the rest of the previous 24 chapters.

John and Anna were questioned by the police later that morning. Anna explained that Michael had become aggressive when she had refused his advances. John came in before events took a more violent turn. Although both having to confirm where they were and what they were doing since Michael had left Anna's flat, it was never in doubt that Michael had died of a drugs overdose.

More details came to light in the aftermath. Although the police insisted Anna not find out about what they found, she still wanted to know. The police learnt that ever since their break up, Michael had become obsessed with Anna. On inspection of Michael's flat, it was discovered he kept newspaper clippings and videos of her. It also materialised he had himself taken pictures of Anna at her home in Yorkshire, yet Anna had never known he was there. A room was set aside in his flat, its walls adorned with images of Anna, and some of Anna and John with John's face blacked out. A diary was found, each date had some comment about Anna and what she had done that day. Written under the date of the day before he committed suicide were the words, 'If I can't have you, no one will.' This chilled Anna to the bone, what might he have done if John and Gwen hadn't come to the flat when they did?

Anna was offered counselling but refused, sure that returning to the north and concentrating on her life ahead would be sufficient therapy. She was right. The summer months arrived and she and Mary threw themselves into organising Mary's hen night. Money was no object as they booked a weekend in Barcelona. Gwen, Edith, Sybil and Cora had been invited alongside Mary. Included in the trip was a visit to a spa and an afternoon cruise on a chartered yacht.

'Come on, Anna!' Mary called from their own private transportation, ready to take them to the airport. Anna was saying goodbye to John, he expecting Robert around any minute to finalise his own stag night. 'Plane leaves at five!'

'Coming,' Anna laughed, looking over her shoulder.

'Have a great time,' John said sincerely, wrapping his arms around Anna's waist. 'Don't let any tall, dark Spaniards lead you astray.'

'Now why would I do that?' Anna asked, brushing her lips gently against his. 'When I have my tall, dark Irishman waiting back home for me.'

'I don't deserve you.' John whispered before meeting Anna's lips with his. Cat calls and wolf whistles were heard behind them, John feeling Anna's mouth turning up into a smile against his own.

'Put him down,' Mary called again. 'You don't know where he's been.'

'You best get going.' John replied, laughing gently at Mary's remarks. 'Just text me to let me know you've arrived safely.'

'One more minute and we're leaving without you,' Mary said impatiently.

'I love you,' John said as Anna took a couple of steps down the garden path.

'I love you too, so much.' Anna smiled.

'We love you, John,' all the girls in the minibus yelled in unison.

'Have a good time, ladies,' John replied, waving at them as Anna took her place in the back.

The door slammed shut, John standing on the doorstep watching the minibus disappear down the road. Looking to his left, John's attention was caught by Robert bounding down the pavement.

'Boy, have I got a treat for you.' Robert exclaimed as he walked up the path.

'Amsterdam?' John squealed. 'As in Amsterdam in Holland?'

'No, the Amsterdam in Suffolk,' Robert said sarcastically. 'Of course, Holland.'

'Hey, that's not a stupid question. There are Amsterdam's all over America. And there is one in South Africa.'

'Well, we are going to one in Holland.'

'With all the... you know. And the... you know.' John mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

'Sex and drugs?' Robert replied broadly. 'Yeah. It's a great place to have a stag night. To enjoy your last nights of freedom.'

'By smoking a joint and cheating on my fiancée?' John said.

'You don't have to partake.' Robert sighed. 'There is beautiful architecture there, museums and culture.'

'Who else is going?'

'I've booked it for the two of us, Matthew, Tom, Joseph and William.' John burst out laughing at Robert's response. 'What?'

'I can just see Joseph Molesley in Amsterdam.' John joked. 'He won't know where to look.'

'He'll be fine. We all will be. The only people free to immerse themselves fully in the culture are Joe and William. The rest of us have significant others. If we stick together...'

'Can you imagine Tom in Amsterdam?' John's eyes lit up. 'He was a bit of a ladies man before he settled with Sybil.'

'Yes, and he will behave himself when we are out there.' Robert said. 'Or he'll have me to answer to.'

'What about Adam?' John asked.

'What, is Adam a ladies man too?'

'No, he can't come to Amsterdam. He's too young.'

'All in hand, Dad.' Robert replied. 'We're having an afternoon of Go Karting the day before we fly out.'

John nodded before looking sceptically at Robert. 'I'm not sure about this. Amsterdam? Really?'

'It's not just about the baser instincts, John.' Robert explained. 'I've organised a day of five a side football as well.'

'I'm still not sure...'

'John, you only get one stag night.'

'Well, this will be my second but carry on with your point.'

'It will be a laugh, Anna knows you won't do anything stupid. Come on, what do you say?'

'Oh alright,' John sighed. 'But no setting me up with a stripper or a lady of the night.'

'Lady of the night?' Robert laughed. 'This isn't the 1900's, John.'

Once they were driven to their hotel, the girls forgot about packing and got changed for a night on the town. Barcelona had a lot to offer with plenty of bars, nightclubs and restaurants. Because she was successful on the continent, Anna was recognised by almost every barman. This meant that her money was no good as each bar gave her and her guests free drinks wherever they went.

This also meant each of them had the mother of all hangovers as Saturday morning came around. Anna couldn't even remember how they got back to their apartments as she awoke to find herself sprawled on the floor, using her handbag as a pillow. She was in her nightclothes, how she got in them was anybody's guess. Blinking hard, she made out Mary asleep at the top of the bed, Gwen hanging off the end. She then looked at her hand to see stamps from the various nightclubs she had visited before some details started to trickle back to her.

Anna remembered a man called David who insisted his name be pronounced 'Darveed,' rather then 'Day-vid.' Memories of a conga line, formed of at least a hundred people she was sure, dancing around a square. Then the unmistakable image of Edith being ill behind a fountain meaning it was time to head home.

As Anna laid her head down once more, a familiar voice began to shrill in her ears and suddenly, the semi light room was bursting with sunshine.

'Rise and shine, girls.' Anna recognised the voice as Cora. She had walked through the door joining the room she shared with Edith and Sybil to Anna, Mary and Gwen's and was opening the curtains. She was already dressed, her appearance impeccable as always and looking like she could run rings around the twenty and thirty something's she was away with.

'What is that bright light?' Mary moaned, as if uttering those words was taking a Herculean effort.

'That my darling, is the sun.' Cora replied, tearing the pillow Mary was resting on away from her.

'That's child abuse,' Mary squealed.

'Why am I on the floor?' Anna questioned weakly before looking beside her at the empty bed.

Gwen began to stir, groaning out loud as the she opened her eyes. 'What time is it?'

'Eleven thirty,' Cora answered. 'I've sent Edith and Sybil down to the restaurant to bag us a table for a light brunch, then we have our cruise this afternoon.'

'I do hope they have sun loungers on deck,' Mary said hopefully.

'You have twenty minutes to meet us downstairs, best get going ladies.'

John stood back and took in the magnificent sight in front of him. Well to him it was magnificent, to those of a different persuasion it would look like any other building. He was at Old Trafford, home of Manchester United and waiting for Adam to finish looking around the megastore. Anna had managed to get two tickets for them before she left for Barcelona, giving John the opportunity to spend some quality time with his son.

'Find anything?' John asked as Adam walked out empty handed.

'Not really, doesn't feel right to buy a United shirt when I'll be playing for Chelsea in the summer.'

'Sssssh,' John hissed before leading his son away from a group of supporters whose ears had pricked up at the sound of Chelsea escaping Adam's lips. 'We don't want those around us to know that, do we?'

Adam didn't reply as John took the tickets from his pocket to see where they were sitting. John started to walk and Adam followed in silence. John could sense there was something on Adam's mind.

'You alright?' John asked as they reached their turnstile. 'You're very quiet. I thought you'd always wanted to see a United game.'

'I have, it's not that.' Adam shook his head as they joined the back of the queue.

'Then what is it, son?'

Adam began to talk before he stopped himself. He looked up at his Dad who was waiting for an answer. John had a look in his eye that said he wouldn't drop the subject until he Adam had told him what the matter was.

'It's Tammy.' Adam finally admitted.

'Ahh, I see.'

'She sent me an email this morning,' Adam continued as the queue they were in began to move. 'The captain of the school lacrosse team asked her out on a date.'

'She said no though, right?'

Adam shrugged. 'She said it made her think whether what we are doing is fair on the two of us. We both live far from each other, we have a relationship based on emails and the internet.'

'How do you feel about that?'

Sighing before he replied, Adam made eye contact with his Dad again. 'There are nice girls at school, but none of them come close to Tammy. I want her to be happy, so I told her to do what felt right. I wouldn't hold it against her.'

'But you want her to reject him?'

'Honestly, yeah.'

John nodded as he thought of what advice to give to his son. He wasn't much of a role model, he hadn't got relationships right until he was in his forties. Adam was young

yet John knew he wouldn't want to hear about there being plenty more fish in the sea.

'Tammy is your first love,' John began. 'And with your first love you feel like there is never going to be anybody else. I've been there.'

'The thought of her holding another guys hand, let alone anything else.' Adam stopped talking before looking away in disgust. 'It just feels horrible.'

'Ads, if Tammy isn't in this for the long haul isn't it better to find out now?' John suggested as they moved closer to the front of the queue. 'If you feel as strongly for her as you are saying you do, maybe you should tell her, let her know your intentions. Because if this goes the distance one of you is going to have to give up everything to be with the other.'

'Well, she'd move here.' Adam replied before John frowned at him.

'You seem very sure of yourself.'

'She'd have to, if I were playing football professionally.'

John smirked at his son as they reached the turnstile. 'Think of it this way, Adam. You assume she'd give up everything to be with you. Why should Tammy be the one to make the sacrifice? Would you do the same for her? I've heard you talking about her, she has dreams of going to medical school. Your dream is to be a Premier League footballer. Would you give that up to move to the States and support her dream of becoming a doctor? Because that is what you are asking of her. To give up her ambitions to support you in your career. If the answer is no, you wouldn't give up your dreams for Tammy, then maybe its not meant to be.'

'Can I check your tickets please?'

John and Adam reached the turnstile, John handing over their tickets to the steward. 'We'd have a great life here. Together. Especially if I succeed.'

'She might not see it that way though, son. You would be expecting a hell of a lot from her.'

Silence fell between them then as they passed through the turnstile. John followed Adam as he walked on, lost in thought. He smiled faintly to himself, his son still had a lot to learn about love and life in general. Adam really thought that when they were old enough, Tammy would just hop on a plane and they would live happily ever after. John knew more than most that life didn't work like that. It was only now as he reached his late forties that things were finally working out for him.

'I'm being selfish, aren't I?' Adam suddenly said.

'Adam, you're 16 years old. Far too young to be thinking about settling down.' John replied. 'Tell Tammy that as far as you can see, you don't want anybody else. Be honest with her. If she doesn't feel the same, you can break things off and see where life takes you. If she does, then you knuckle down, work hard to achieve your dream and hope, when the time is right, she is willing to support you.'

Adam's gaze left his father as he contemplated what John had just said to him.

'Now, the atmosphere has gotten very heavy.' John said. 'Lets get a hot dog, a drink then find our seats and watch United destroy whoever is in their path today.'

'West Bromich Albion,' Adam laughed.

'Well, should be like lambs to the slaughter then.'

The chartered yacht ride and the fresh air went a long way to ridding the younger ladies of their hangovers. Their own waiters on board kept the girls easily amused, especially with their movie star looks. Being free and single, Edith and Gwen made sure each waiter had their number before leaving the boat. As they pulled back into the harbour, two rounds of shots had been done to ease the girls into the evenings festivities, a guided bar crawl around the city.

Their guide, Jose was a cheerful, if not slightly brave chap for the line of work he was in. It was obvious he had experienced many a hen party and the ladies outfits were nothing new to him. Anna was given a sash with the words, 'Bride to Be' emblazoned on the front and an L plate was hanging on a chain around her neck. Mary had also provided her with a flashing tiara to finish off her outfit in style. The rest of the girls were wearing pink bunny ears and sash's that read, 'Anna's hens.' They really looked the height of sophistication as they followed Jose around the nightspots Barcelona had to offer.

As the evening wore on and they arrived at their last bar, Jose could finally join them in a drink as his evenings work was drawing to a close. Edith and Cora decided to take Sybil back to the hotel, she clearly not coping to well with the amount of alcohol that had so far been consumed. Anna had noticed Gwen walking with Jose as he lead the group from bar to bar, each look between them becoming more longing as the minutes ticked by. Now they were at their final destination, she and Jose were talking intimately, he holding her hand in his.

'They are going to cop off together,' Anna said to Mary as she arrived at the table they were sitting at with a tray of shots.

'I can't believe that Sybil,' Mary said, completely ignoring what Anna had just said. 'She's a lightweight.'

Anna lifted a shot glass triumphantly in the air, Mary doing the same. 'They clearly can't keep up with us. Don't play with the big girls if you, well... what was I trying to say?'

'I don't know,' Mary replied as she waved her shot from side to side above her head, some of the drink spilling over the edge and onto the table below. 'All I know is we are going to down these shots. Then buy some more.'

'Right,' Anna said none too convincingly as she looked at the eight remaining shot glasses on the table. 'Or we could drink these ones then walk back to the hotel and sleep?'

'Yes,' Mary shook her head enthusiastically. 'I like the idea of sleeping.'

'Here girls, I'm going back to Jose's.' Gwen said excitedly as she approached them. 'He lives in the building next to our hotel. Stroke of luck, eh?'

'What?' Mary asked confused before turning to Anna. 'Who is Jose?'

'The man who took us out drinking,' Anna replied before looking at Gwen. 'Be careful, Gwen.'

'Are you two going to be alright getting back?' Gwen enquired. 'You both look like you're going to be suffering again in the morning.'

'We'll be fine,' Anna said, placing a hand on Gwen's arm. Jose was now standing behind Gwen.

'Tell us how he performs, we'll want answers in the morning.' Mary said, pointing at Jose.

'Thanks Mary,' Gwen said, shifting uncomfortably. 'I'll meet you in the restaurant at the hotel in the morning.'

Anna stood up and threw her arms around Gwen. 'I love you. So much.' Anna took hold of Mary and pulled her towards Gwen. 'We love Gwen, don't we?'

'Yes. On a scale of one to ten, we love you nine and a half.' Mary agreed, embracing Gwen as well.

'Why not ten?'

'No one is a ten,' Mary shook her head. 'Except maybe George Clooney. Now he'd be an eleven.'

'Gwen, shall we get going?' Jose asked, looking worriedly in Mary's direction.

'Night Gwen, enjoy Jose,' Anna called after her friend as she left. 'John's a ten.'

'A ten what?' Mary answered. 'Shoe size?'

'No, on your love scale.' Anna replied. 'Maybe even an eleven.'

'Anna, you have had far too much to drink.' Mary said, pulling her friend up out of her seat. 'Let's go into that square again and see if we can find a conga line.'

A walk in the fresh air went some way to sobering Anna and Mary up as they made the journey back to the hotel. After being stopped for some photographs by some British tourists, Mary being the photographer, they stopped and sat on the edge of a fountain. Anna took off her tiara and looked at it in her hands. She smiled as her upcoming wedding came into her mind, she really couldn't wait.

'What are you thinking about?' Mary asked.

'The wedding,' Anna replied softly.

'It's going to be a wonderful day,' Mary said. 'Although, it will have to go some to beat mine and Matthew's.'

'Well, that goes without saying,' Anna laughed before turning to her friend. 'I just can't wait to be able to say he's my husband.'

'It's a lovely feeling,' Mary agreed. 'To know the man you love with all your heart is yours and yours alone. You and John are going to be so happy together.'

'I always knew I'd get married,' Anna began. 'I prayed it would be to a man I loved very much and who loved me in return. I didn't believe in soul mates. Then I met John and life suddenly made sense.'

Mary laughed softly. 'Look at us, all grown up and married. Or nearly in your case. Who'd have thought it, when you look back at our time in college?'

'Yeah, especially when we thought our relationships back then were the be all and end all.' Anna agreed. 'Do you remember when I was inconsolable because that chemistry student hadn't text me the morning after our date?'

'Or me following the Italian exchange student everywhere.'

'Following? It was more like stalking.' Anna chuckled. 'Even hanging around outside the men's bathroom if memory serves.'

'Well, I got a date didn't I?' Mary replied. 'Although in the end he was more pony than Italian Stallion.'

Both of them fell about in a fit of giggles before meeting the others gaze. They stopped laughing, simply smiling at each other.

'I know I go on about John making my life complete, but I'd be nothing without you.' Anna admitted. 'You kept my feet on the ground and always supported me.'

'Oh God,' Mary cringed. 'We're not going to have an outburst of Wind Beneath My Wings, are we?'

'I'm serious,' Anna reiterated through laughter. 'I love you so much.'

'I love you too,' Mary replied. 'And I'm so proud of you.'

'Let's get moving, shall we?' Anna suggested, standing up. Mary did the same and linked her arm with Anna's. 'I can't believe we are going home tomorrow afternoon.

'Have you had a good time?' Mary asked as they began to walk.

'The best,' Anna answered truthfully as they continued on their way.

John walked along the landing and heard tapping coming from Adam's room. Gently knocking on the door, he opened it to see Adam typing away on his computer.

'Ad's, it's half past midnight.' John said. 'Go to sleep.'

'Sorry Dad,' Adam replied. 'I'm just shutting it down now.'

John sighed before walking into the room and sitting on the edge of Adam's bed. John watched as the monitor went blank and Adam turned off the power at the wall. No words were spoken as Adam moved around his room, turning on the bedside lamp before turning out the main light.

'Did you have something to say?' Adam asked as he stood beside his bed and looked down at John.

'Chatting to Tammy?'

Adam's face remained blank as he indicated for his father to stand up. John rose to his feet before Adam pulled his duvet back and got into bed. John was still staring as Adam made himself comfortable. Adam met his father's gaze. 'What?'

'Adam.' John said sternly. 'What did she say?'

'She said no.' Adam replied.

'Oh, I'm sorry son.' John said sympathetically. 'Well, it was better to find out now before...'

'Dad,' Adam interrupted. 'She told the lacrosse guy no.'

'Oh,' John said as he raised his eyebrows.

'And guess what?'

'What?' John asked.

'Tammy is hoping to come over to England.' Adam replied. 'For the wedding. If that's okay.'

John inhaled deeply before smirking. 'That would be great, son. Will Sally be coming too?'

'And mum.'

'Your mother is coming to my wedding?' John exclaimed.

'No Dad,' Adam answered. 'They'll come over with Tammy then do their own thing on the day. Tammy will come to the wedding with me.'

'Phew,' John laughed. 'So you're happier now then?'

'Yeah. We talked about the future and everything. Turns out she wants to study in England at some point. It's always been in her plans to live over here for a while.'

'Then maybe it is meant to be?' John wondered.

'Maybe it is,' Adam smiled. 'Leave now. I want to go to sleep.'

'Alright,' John replied. 'No need to be so harsh. Night son.'

'Night Dad, and thanks for today. I had a great time.'

'Me too,' John agreed as he walked to the open doorway. 'I love spending the day with my best mate.'

'That makes two of us.'

John looked back over his shoulder and smiled. 'Sleep well.'