Chapter 18

Ever since they had gotten back to the bed and breakfast, John had been distant. Anna noticed it right away. His hands had continually tapped against whatever he was near and his eyes kept glancing out of the windows, as if he was searching for a ghost.

Anna wondered if his behavior was because of how she reacted in the store after seeing the stuffed lamb. Perhaps, he was concerned she was about to break again. At the moment, he was standing in front of the window glaring down at the sidewalk below. His arm was perched up next to the window and his eyes staring intensely. Anna twisted her lips, before gaining up the courage to step up behind him. She rested her hand on his lower back and looked down to where he was looking. The road below was empty.

"John," Anna cautiously asked. Upon realizing his wife was next to him, John straightened up and turned so that he was blocking Anna's view. He forced a smile on his lips and took Anna's hand into his own.

"Yes, my darling?"

Anna's lips fell into a straight, worried line and she cocked her head to the side slightly.

"You're acting as though you've seen a ghost," Anna finally stated. John's head swiftly shook and he led her away from the window.

"Oh no, no. I was just…enjoying the view," he lied. Anna's brows furrowed.

"John, don't lie to me. Is…is this because of how I acted in the shop when I saw the lamb? I…I'm sorry I snapped at you. I just….."

"No," John strongly comforted. "You don't have anything to apologize for. I think that maybe it just hit me strongly, too." And in many ways he wasn't lying. Seeing all of the baby things were a harsh reminder of what they had lost and what his wife had been through. At his confession, Anna stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his broad frame. She tucked her head under his chin and her hands dug into his skin.

"I'm sorry," she whispered against him. "I know I am not the only one hurting." John's hands sought her back and he held her even tighter to him. "You…You loved her and you didn't have to. I….." Anna's words faded into his chest. John could feel his shirt growing damp from her tears.

"I did," John disagreed. "I did have to, because she was yours. I would always love any part of you. I know that with the depths of my heart, Anna."

John felt as Anna's body shook from a harsh sob. She slowly lifted her head up to glance up at John.

"Ours. She was ours," Anna strongly stated and John nodded in response.

"Ours," he repeated. Anna's eyes closed, as her head rested back upon John's chest. Even though they had spoken before of the baby being theirs, today felt different. There was a sort of release of any of the dark ideas inside of Anna's head and Green no longer had any hold of the little girl she held in her heart. His hold on her disappeared.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

That night John couldn't sleep. His thoughts were stuck on Alex Green. Of all the places in the world, why did he have to be here? John worried what would happen if Anna saw him. Anna had come so far, but still had so much further to go. Seeing Green would only make things much worse for her.

Carefully rolling away from Anna, John perched himself up and climbed out of the bed. He watched her cautiously, but she didn't move. Her breaths were still even and he was sure she was asleep.

As he had been doing earlier, John went up to the window and glanced down. His heart tightened in his chest, before it began to race harshly. Alex Green was standing right below and staring up at the building. He knew Anna was in here. John glanced back at Anna and then went to grab his jacket. He couldn't just leave Alex Green alone like this. He wasn't going to allow the man to harass his wife.

"John" Anna groggily questioned, turning in the bed. John quickly peppered a couple of kisses on her cheek and nuzzled his nose against her ear.

"Shh, I'm just going to go to the restroom. I'll be right back." His words seemed to satisfy Anna, because within just a few seconds Anna was back asleep.

John exited their room and locked it behind him. It didn't want to leave any chance for that man to get near his wife again.

As soon as John stepped outside, he was glad to see that Green was still standing outside. His eyes fell to John's and the man scoffed.

"Well, isn't it a surprise to see you here, Mr. Bates," the man said with a sneer.

"You need to go away," John warned. He had promised Anna he wouldn't do anything, so this was Green's once chance to leave. It was taking every ounce of his willpower not to knock his head harshly against the rocky road.

"This is public property, Mr. Bates," Green smirked.

"Leave now, or else…."

"Or else what, Mr. Bates?" John's anger grew every time Green taunted him with his own name. John took a few steps forward and balled his fists up at his sides.

"You will leave my wife alone," John informed Green. "If you even think to come near her again, I will kill you."

Green only grinned. John sighed, but he turned away from Green. He needed to get back up to Anna. But before he could walk away, Green spoke again.

"A man has the right to know about his child."

John tightened his jaw, before turning back toward Green. Anger flashed in his eyes and he took several quick steps toward Green.

"You have no right to anything. You're a coward that enjoys overpowering women." His hand was ready to punch Green in his jaw, but the only thing holding him back was the woman upstairs who needed him.

The sneer on Green's face didn't flinch and he only chuckled slightly under his breath.

"Is that what she told you? Oh my, Mr. Bates. I am sorry to inform you, but your wife was quite the willing whore."

John's anger could no longer be controlled. He grabbed Green up by his lapels and pressed him back against the building behind him. Finally a flicker of fear passed over Green's features.

"You listen, you son of a bitch, you will not come near me or my wife again. Next time, you won't be given a second chance to stay away." John harshly dropped Green to ground and watched as Green struggled to get up and then ran away. He prayed it was enough to keep him far from Anna. The man deserved nothing less than death, but he had promised Anna and right now she needed him.

When John got back to the bedroom, he quickly climbed back into the bed next to Anna. She curled up into him and her hand came up to rest upon the middle of his chest. She froze slightly and her eyes fluttered open.

"Your heart is racing," she said, concerned. John pressed a kiss to the top of her head and shook his head.

"It's alright, my darling. I had to walk the stairs. I'm fine. Go back to bed."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

The next day, John found himself glancing all around to ensure that Alex Green wasn't anywhere nearby. He wondered if he had made the right call by not hurting Alex Green significantly. Perhaps he should have killed the bastard. That was the only way he would have known for certain he couldn't hurt his wife again.

"John?" Anna asked, they were walking down the square. John grabbed Anna's hand and gave it a loving squeeze.

"Sorry, my love. I've been somewhere else these past two days. Would you like to go to a picture?" Anna's head shook.

"No," Anna replied. "I…I think I might like to go back and get that lamb," she admitted. John glanced over at her and offered her a smile.

"You're the strongest person, I know," John sincerely stated. Anna giggled slightly and shook her head.

"Because I'm buying a stuffed lamb?"

"No," John replied, his eyes narrowing. "Because with all you've been through, you still don't give up."

Anna's lips twisted slightly and she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know about that."

"I do," John strongly stated. Anna smiled and the two made their way back to the shop where the lamb was being sold. Anna walked right to it and grabbed it, holding it tight to her chest.

"Is it silly?" She questioned John, with the lamb tight in her hands.

"Is what silly?"

"Buying a stuffed lamb for a child who will never use it?" Her lower lip quivered, as John brushed a stray hair off her cheek.

"Not at all," he assured her. "It's a memory." Anna nodded and then her lips curled up into a small smile.

"For Katie," she said and John smiled. It was the first time she had said her name aloud outside of her nightmare.

"For Katie," he copied. "For our daughter."

"Our girl."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Later that day as the two walked through the square, Anna got excited to find a booth selling penny licks. Anna dragged John over to the booth and insisted they both get one. John chuckled, but couldn't deny Anna. The excitement on her face made his heart burst. It was the happiest he had seen her in a long time. And for a few moments he forgot about the threat of Alex Green somewhere in the area.

He handed Anna hers and then began to eat his own. Anna locked her free arm into John's and happily began to eat her treat.

"I haven't had any of these in ages," Anna informed John. He turned to look at her and chuckled as he saw remnants of it on her cheek. Deciding he didn't care about what was considered decent behavior in public, John bent over and kissed the ice cream off her cheek. Anna heartily laughed. Once again, John's heart burst.

Suddenly, they heard a loud crash and screams across the way. Both John and Anna rushed their steps to see what all of the commotion was about.

When they reached the spot, they saw a man's body on the road.

"He…he just tumbled in the way," an innocent person who had witnessed the event cried. The person driving the bus stumbled out of his door and glanced down at the man with horror on his face.

"You shouldn't have to see this," John quickly said to Anna. But before he could say anything else, someone turned the body onto its back and there staring back at them was Alex Green. He was the one who had been hit by the bus and he was dead.

"Anna…." John murmured, but Anna was already taking a few more steps forward. Her eyes were transfixed on Green's face.

"He…he's dead," she said, not able to look away.

"He is," John agreed. Anna's body shook next to his and he glanced at her, as tears filled her eyes.

"He can never hurt me again," she murmured.

"He can't."

Anna's hand came up to cover her mouth and she slowly allowed her lips to curl into a relieved smile. She then retook John's hand with her own and gave it a squeeze.

"Let's go and enjoy our penny licks down the square."

To be continued...

This story has probably two more parts left. I have debated continuing it through to the end of the series, but I think for now I will end it at the end of the season 4 Christmas special. I just have so many stories going on and I need to focus on those too. Also, this story is about to come to a good stopping point. Thank you! And as always, please let me know what you think!