A/N: I hope that everyone finds this as cathartic to read as it was to write. Reviews are always appreciated.

Disclaimer: I actually am Julian Fellowes... Ok, I'm not and I don't own DA either.

Midway through the monthly Editors-in Chief meeting, Anna felt her stomach revolt. 'Not now, please little one, not now,' she thought to herself. Her stomach settled for a moment before erupting in a ferocious storm of nausea. She quickly got up and mumbled her apologies to the other editors. She just reached the loo when the inevitable happened. She sagged onto the cold tile and tried to collect herself.

"Anna are you alright," Gwen asked through the door.

"Yes, I must've eaten something that didn't agree with me for lunch," Anna said quietly.

"Can I do anything for you?"

"If you could help get me into my office and on the couch, I'd appreciate it."

Gwen helped her off the floor and they walked slowly to Anna's office. After getting settled on the couch, Anna asked, "could you get John?"

Gwen nodded and went off to find him.

'Oh baby' she thought, 'why must you make mummy feel so rotten.'

"Are you alright," John asked worriedly as he came into her office.

"For now," she replied wryly, "Katherine never had this."

"Can I get anything for you?"

"Just stay with me for a bit," she sighed and closed her eyes.

"Always," he whispered.

As they approached the door of Katherine and Mark's flat, Anna tugged hopelessly at her dress. No matter how many times she did it, she couldn't make the bump disappear. "I don't want to do this," she told John.

"If you don't tell her now, then she'll just find out at the fitting next weekend," John spoke calmly, "would you rather have her reaction be public?"

Anna shook her head and knocked on the front door.

"Anna, John," Katherine exclaimed.

"Hi Katherine," Anna hugged her sister.

"Darling, how are you," Sylvia called out from the kitchen.

"Alright," Anna practically whispered.

Sylvia walked out of the kitchen, "What was that darling?"

"I said that we were alright."

"Why are you wearing a jacket? It's so warm out."

Anna steeled herself and slowly took her jacket off. She handed it to John. After a moment, she looked at her mother. Sylvia's face had gone completely white.

"What is this," she demanded.

"I'm pretty sure that you know what it is mum, " Anna said carefully.

"Yes, my unmarried daughter is pregnant," Sylvia snapped.

"Mum, it's the 21st century. No one is going to think anything of me going down the aisle pregnant."

"That's if he wants to marry you."

Anna felt her rage growing. "If he wants to marry me? What are you getting at?"

"He wouldn't be the first man to get a woman pregnant and then leave her. I bet that he's done it before."

Anna opened her mouth and then closed it. After a moment, "mum, he carried me to hospital when I broke my ankle. He sat with us when Emma had her accident. He was there when Ian was born. He watched Ian when he was teething. Every single day, he's been there supporting me and members of this family. How dare you say that he's going to leave me!"

"I won't be spoken to this way," Sylvia snapped.

"Mum, when have I ever spoken to you this way? I never gave you one reason to complain when I was a teenager. I've done everything that you have ever wanted me to do. I didn't go to the university that I wanted. I didn't study abroad in America. I dated the boys that you wanted me to when I was a teenager. I even let you convince me to have this ridiculous wedding."

"Which is ruined now, with that belly."

"How so? We'll need to find a new dress, but other than that nothing's changed."

"But it has, you just know that your Aunt Rosemary will make snide remarks about it."

"Well you can tell her to sod off then."

"But she'll be right. My daughter will have shamed me."

Anna took a deep breath. "See mum, that's the thing, I haven't."

"But you're pregnant and not married," Sylvia interjected.

"Beyond the fact that this isn't the 1950s, that's only half right."

"Well clearly you're pregnant," Sylvia said, her voice trailing off. "You're married?"

"Yes," Anna said simply.

"When?"

"In February, we went to the register office."

"Why would you do that to me?"

"Do what? Get married? I wonder why. Could it be the dress that you bought for me? Or perhaps the fact that you told Ethel to shove off?"

"I was just trying to give you a beautiful wedding."

"No, you were trying to give me the wedding that you wanted. I wanted a small celebration in a simple dress. You didn't listen and decided to make me into some fairy princess. That's not me."

"I can't believe that you've done this to me."

"Mum, I've gotten married. I didn't commit a crime."

"You always were a selfish girl."

Anna's cheeks flamed. "If that's how you feel, there's nothing that I can do to change your mind. But listen to me now and listen well, there will be no wedding. I'm done with it. I'm married and happy. I don't need a circus."

Sylvia sputtered. Anna walked over to get her jacket.

"If you can't be happy for me, then I don't want to see you. I'm just done with this," Anna said finally. She opened the door and walked out. After a moment, the door opened again. She turned around to see John walking to her. She ran toward him and threw her arms around him. As he pressed kisses into her hair, she started to sob.

"It'll be alright. You're going to be alright," John murmured.

Anna choked back sobs. "I can't believe that I did that."

"Did what? Told your mother how you felt?"

"I did more than tell her how I felt. I yelled at her. I practically told her to sod off."

"Anna, please forgive me for saying this, but if ever there were a woman who deserved to be told off, it's your mum."