"He's opening his eyes."

Anna almost tumbled from her seat at the window to come to the bedside. Her grip on Mary's arm only loosened when the other woman batted her away to grab for a pen light. The same one she shined in the brown eyes Anna feared would never open again.

"Welcome back to the land of the living Mr. Bates." Mary flicked the light off, smiling to herself as John blinked in confusion. "And thank you for testing out our Night-Night bullets. We didn't know if that would work."

"Where…"

"I wouldn't try to talk until your throat and brain realize you're not dead." Mary cringed, "It's like a really bad dose of anesthetic that we're still perfecting."

"How-"

"How long've you been out?" Mary shrugged, Anna watching them both from the end of the bed. "About three days. Enough time for us to make your house a right mess but it'll pass."

"Where-"

"Where are you?" Mary gave another sigh, "A safe house. Now, please shut up and wait for the real doctor to check you out before you keep speaking and risking potential damage to your vocal chords."

She turned to Anna, "Why did I get the job of Oracle?"

Anna shook her head, shooing Mary away as she went to John's side. His eyes focused, the furrows in his brow lessening as he took her into better focus. She slid her hand into his and squeezed until he squeezed slightly back. "Hi."

He only smiled.

"I'm so sorry. I wanted to tell you but…" Anna sighed, "I was going to use the chokehold to put you out, because I knew I wouldn't kill you that way, but you fought me and…"

He nodded.

"We think your house was bugged and maybe they got cameras in there so we couldn't take the chance someone was watching too closely." Anna sat on the edge of the bed, taking John's hand with both of hers. "I thought I killed you in your kitchen and I… I couldn't bear it."

"She's not kidding." Mary came back, passing a glass of water to Anna. "She's been at your side the whole time and barely slept."

John swallowed, taking some of the water from Anna, and then spoke in a voice slightly less hoarse than his earlier attempts. "Why?"

"Because I love you." Anna brought his hand up to her lips, kissing it as his fingers twitched and moved as his range of motion increased. "And I couldn't… I couldn't bear to think that you might've died because I chose my family over you."

"I wouldn't… I wouldn't blame… Blame you."

"I'd blame myself." Anna kissed John's fingers again before putting one of her hands to his face. His other hand shook slightly as he raised it to cover hers. "I couldn't bear the thought of what would happen if I lost you. If I did that to your mother or to Catherine."

"You could've… Could've told me."

Anna shook her head. "No. If you knew then it wouldn't play. Mary insisted that you couldn't be told." She swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady. "It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

"I know." John tucked his fingers around Anna's hand, moving it from his cheek to his chest. "I know."

Anna shifted closer to John, holding his hands with hers, and waited until he fell asleep again before moving. Shifting to the chair next to his bed, Anna watched John sleep until his chest rose and fell steadily. When it remained steady, Anna clocking it with her watch for over an hour, she moved out of the room.

Mary waited there, typing away on a laptop. "He's resting again?"

"Whatever we've got going into those Night-Night bullets isn't exactly kosher." Anna took the chair next to Mary, sighing. "Hopefully he sleeps for a long enough time his voice comes back."

"I can't tell who's nerves are more fried about all this." Mary paused in her typing, turning to look at Anna. "You or him."

"I'm sure once he's fully conscious and not trying to recover the basic ability to breathe, it'll be him." Anna rested her head back against the wall. "He's the one I shot and thought he was going to die."

"That does tend to muddle the psyche." Mary typed a few more keys before closing the lid on her laptop. "I once took three bullets to the chest. Broke four of my ribs and bruised my lungs for a week."

"Yes but it didn't actually render you dead for a minute and a half." Anna put a hand through her hair before pulling it up. "Do you think I should've told him that I killed Green?"

"What would he do about it? We're still trying to get your Mr. Bates to restore basic functions." Mary snorted, "But I did take more than a little personal pride in the fact that we dumped his body on Carlisle's London doorstep."

"Was that not the location where we're supposed to dispose of the rubbish?"

"It made the papers." Mary pulled out her phone and showed Anna the police updates. "They're looking into a gang thing but the fact that his trachea was smashed… They think an expert did it."

"I wouldn't call myself that."

"Neither would the Dowager."

Anna cringed, "I'm not looking forward to my quarterly review."

"I think I've solved that." Mary opened her laptop and handed it over to Anna. "It's your official resignation."

"You're firing me?"

"No, you're firing you." Mary took the laptop back and continued typing. "It'll solve any question as to your loyalties and to your family. You sign this letter, once I finish, and you stay on until the end of the operation. The second we've got Carlisle roasting over a spit then you'll file your final after-action report, receive your severance, and then you never walk the path of this life again."

"You're kicking me out of this as a way to save everyone's skin?"

"Yep." Mary typed for another second before closing the laptop again. "It's our way of tying off loose ends. You do this, our companies merge again, your Mr. Bates leaves his life on the second medical dispensation he'll ever receive, and we only ever meet for infrequent holidays."

"You make it sound so formal."

"That's what it has to be, Anna." Mary set the laptop aside before twisting to face Anna. "Just like you need to decide what you'll tell your family when we get them here from Lagos."

"I don't know how to explain all this to them."

"You'll need to find the words pretty damn fast since their plane lands in a few hours." Mary put her hand over Anna's. "Have you slept at all?"

"You'd know that better than me." Anna dragged a hand down her face. "I don't think I can remember shutting my eyes without immediately opening them."

"Anxiety does that to you." Mary released Anna's hand. "After Matthew died I don't think I slept more than an hour at a time for weeks. It literally almost killed me but that's how it goes."

Anna forced herself to stand, pacing around the chairs for a few minutes before putting her hands on her hips and facing Mary. "Print it and I'll sign the letter. I'll do whatever it takes to not be sitting at the bedside of the people I love, hoping they don't die, ever again."

"How very dramatic of you." Mary grabbed her laptop and stood. "Try to get some rest. We're still coordinating how we'll get our two divisions to make the proper pincer move that'll take out Carlisle. Once we've got that all taken care of then we'll let you know what's required of you."

"Our last jobs then?"

"As I understand it, Mr. Bates has some personal beef with the parties involved and if we didn't involve him in this, there'd be hell to pay from him. Hell I'm not willing to pay." Mary nodding toward John's room. "If you would please get some sleep, now."

"Why are you so concerned about my sleep?"

"Because if you don't then you'll be a mess when your family arrives, you'll tell them everything, and you'll blow our entire operation." Mary shook her head. "I'm not willing to risk that."

"What do I even tell them?"

"I don't know. We've not got a script for that because we're not supposed to be telling anyone about any of this." Mary chewed the inside of her cheek, the laptop tapping against her thighs as she held it. "Do they even have a place to go?"

"You mean somewhere that's not my house that people could be watching?"

"People other than us, you mean?"

"Yeah." Anna paused, "And where the hell were the people Blake was supposed to have watching my family anyway? The ones who were transitory, there to make sure Green couldn't get close to them? The ones who obviously cocked up because I watched a video in real time of my son playing football outside a sodding barbeque where my parents were this close to-"

"And that's why you need sleep?"

Anna took a breath, closing her eyes as the weight settled behind them. "I know. I just… I need answers. I need something to tell them."

"You tell them that Blake's man in Lagos was killed."

"What?"

Mary nodded. "They found him, who knows how, and they killed him. That's why no one was watching your family. Because we, inadvertently, led our enemies straight to them."

"Hence the very generous severance you've offered me in that resignation letter?" Anna waited through Mary's nod. "And what about my house here?"

"It's been swept, watched, and swept again. After we thoroughly checked Mr. Bates's house and found the listening devices there we did the same to yours."

"And?"

"Nothing. It seems the former Mrs. Bates was more interested in hearing her husband's dramatic death in full. They didn't care who did it."

"And O'Brien?"

"Blake and Gillingham picked her up after you delivered Green's body to us. She confessed to her part in it. Baxter and Moseley are now in a safe house outside the city, waiting for it all to blow over as we all await repercussions."

Anna narrowed her eyes, "Are we preparing for an all-out war?"

"We probably should." Mary checked her watch. "Look. Get some rest, eat something more than a protein shake, and I'll get you when your family arrives. We're looking for a good place to keep them but-"

"I've got a place in mind." Anna folded her arms over her chest. "I just need John to wake up first to give his permission."

"I'll keep it in mind." Mary nodded at Anna. "Get some rest. That's the final order I'll give to you."

"I don't expect that you'll enjoy bossing around whoever replaces me."

"Given it'll probably be Baxter, there's little to no chance I'll enjoy that as much." Mary shrugged, "Such is life."

Anna waited until Mary left the corridor before going back into John's room. His eyes opened as she entered and he managed to scoot himself slightly farther up on the bed. "How long was I asleep?"

"Almost two hours." Anna almost sat down on the chair next to him but stopped when he waved her toward the bed. "You should sleep more."

"What about you?" John raised his hand to Anna's cheek, his thumb stroking there a moment before Anna put her hand over his to ease the momentary tremor there. "You've not slept in days."

"That's not something you're supposed to tell a girl."

"It is when you love her and want the best for her." John's voice had Anna pausing, her grip on his hand tightening. "Don't think I didn't hear you earlier."

"I was afraid to say it."

"Why?"

"Because of what we do. Of what I did to you. Or what it means." Anna took a breath, "It's not ladylike to say it, even given all that's happened to us and all we've done, but it's true. I love you and I want us to be together. Whatever that'll mean for us in the end."

"Assuming there is an end."

"There is." Anna gave a little laugh. "Mary just showed me my resignation letter and there's a lovely severance package going with it."

"How lovely?"

"Lovely enough to pay for a life outside of this one." Anna pulled John's hand from her cheek and into her lap. "Mostly because they cocked up and put my family in danger and I had to kill Green when he got the drop on them and me."

"You killed Green?"

Anna nodded, "Smashed his wind pipe with a copy of Wuthering Heights… It was satisfying in a way it probably shouldn't have been."

"At least you killed the bastard."

"Yes, but that barely solves our problem." Anna put her other hand on John's chest. "We've still got Carlisle to worry about. He's the last string in this particular case and if I can tie it off nicely then it's all over. I get severance and it's all over."

"And me?"

"Apparently you've got significant skin in the game and you'll get a medical dispensation to get out of this once you've ended your angle on this."

John sighed, "I did tell my ex-wife over the phone, when she taunted me, that I intended on killing her."

"How very macabre."

"I was angry." John winced and put his free hand to a spot on his chest. "But you shot me and now I'm wondering if I should reevaluate my priorities."

"Very funny." Anna put her hand over his on his chest. "How badly does it hurt? Be honest, please."

"I was out for three days so I can't imagine it hurt any less than it does now."

"May I?" Anna nodded at the blanket and John helped her slip the blanket down before lifting his arms above his head. He winced as Anna pulled the shirt over his head and threw it to the chair so she could inspect the bruising on his chest. "John… I'm so sorry."

"I'm sure you're no less purple and yellow."

"You didn't shoot me."

"No, but I didn't take it easy on you either."

"I'm stronger than I look." Anna traced her fingers over the bruising on John's chest. "And I think I fared better than you."

"I already told you-"

"I know you weren't trying to hurt me and I know you went easier on me than you had to." Anna's fingers stopped, her hand pressing close to John's heart. "I don't think I'll ever be able to tell you how sorry I am."

"Then don't tell me that." John tugged on her hand, "Tell me something else."

"Like what?"

"Like how you're tired but you can't sleep." John's tugging brought Anna closer to him. "Like how you want something but you won't say it."

"You're in no condition-"

"I'll decide that." John pushed the blanket down a bit more. "Besides, if you're on top then you do all the work."

"We're in a safe house."

"Then it should be safe enough for us to do this." John nodded at her, "It'll help you sleep, at the very least."

"My sleep isn't important."

"It is to me." John urged her forward. "Please?"

"You're still injured. You could still die."

"Then let me die having enjoyed a bit more of your company."

Anna snorted a laugh and surveyed the room before leaning over to put both of her hands on either side of John's head. "And if I refuse?"

"Then you'll have a little trouble sleeping on that uncomfortable chair."

"Bastard."

"Nope, my parents were married." John leaned up, almost bringing their lips together. "But we could make one of our own if you want."

"How tempting."

"You're thinking about it." John nodded at her. "I can see it in your eyes."

"I am thinking about it." Anna sucked the insides of her cheeks for a second before closing the distance between them to kiss him.

John grinned against her lips but moaned when Anna ran her tongue over his lower lip. The second it took for him to breathe allowed Anna to slip her tongue into his mouth and drag a moan from him. But when his hand moved to her cheek, hoping to spin the kiss further, Anna drew back.

"What-"

"I thought you said you wanted to do something else." Anna leaned back enough to drag her shirt over her head and unclip her bra. "Unless you want to change your mind."

"No."

"Good." Anna let the straps slide down her arms before leaving it on the chair with her shirt. "Because you're right, I do want this."

John breathed out her name as Anna tucked the blankets down by his feet before tugging his trousers down his legs with his pants. Leaving them all in a pile on the chair, Anna shimmied out of the rest of her clothes before straddling John. "This is a little less romantic than the last time we did this."

"I promise, when I get the chance, it'll be the most romantic thing I've ever done with you involved." John's hands settled on Anna's hips, stroking along the bone before moving up to run along her abdomen. "Very romantic."

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"I'll keep this one."

"You're just saying things because you're still delusional." Anna leaned forward, her fingers sweeping through the hair on John's forehead while her other hand rested on his heart. "I think I did more damage to your brain than I did to your chest when I shot you."

"Maybe." John sighed as Anna's fingers went through his hair and she returned the sound when his hands settled on her breasts. "But I'll take the risk."

"Me too." Anna brought their lips together. "I love you John."

They were careful. Between the myriad of injuries molting their skin with purple and yellow, and John's recovery, they kept their movements slow. Kisses spun out longer and longer but their touches remained gentle. Each one tested almost hesitantly before committed to. But once fully appreciated, they sank into one another. John, despite Anna's attempt at an argument, even lifted himself to sit up on the bed to hold Anna closer.

She wrapped her legs around him, her arms around his shoulders, and kissed him as desperately as they could manage. John's hands ran over her skin, splaying over her back when he dipped his head to cover her breasts with adoring kisses. Kisses that had Anna's fingers digging into the hair at the back of John's head. But he persisted, even when her nails dug into his scalp, and change the noises he encouraged from her when his other hand moved between her legs to run over her dampening folds.

Their motions rocked the bed, squeaking the springs a bit but Anna did not care. And, based on the dedication of John's fingers curling inside her and his lips closing over her nipples, John did not give two shits about it either. So they molded closer to one another, ignoring the twinges of pain whenever a muscle twitched or they pressed on a bruise. None of that mattered.

Anna fingers dragged along John's shoulders when his thumb pressed to her clit while his fingers found the patch of skin insider her that set her nerves quivering. She twitched and quivered around him, burying her finishing sounds in the flesh of his shoulder before biting down. All her muscles clenched around John before relaxing as John's fingers slowed, dragging out of her before Anna kissed him.

"I think," Anna pulled back, kissing John again. "It's time for you to get yours."

"Yes, please." John kissed her again, his hands moving to Anna's legs as if to turn them but Anna put the flats of her feet on the bed and tightened her knees against his torso. "What?"

"No." Anna shook her head, "Just like this."

Pressing against the mattress, Anna put a hand between them to sink down the length of John and only settle when their bodies could meet no further. Her hands moved over John's arms and held herself steady, keeping their movements slow. Any time John tried to speed them up, Anna held him in place until he settled. And by those means Anna set the pace until they came together.

They loosened slightly, breathing heavily until they finally settled, and Anna twisted to lay next to John. The small bed provided little space and required Anna to half-drape herself over John's body. She held close to him as they cooled.

"Thank you."

"My pleasure." John kissed her forehead and pulled her closer with his arm around her back. "And, in case you were worried, I love you too."

"Good thing too." Anna smiled against his skin, "Especially if you got me pregnant in your attempt to prove something."

"Prove what?" John snorted, "I've already proved myself to you… A number of times I hope."

"I knew in Shanghai." Anna closed her eyes, "And every time since then."

"Good." John took a deep breath, "Sleep now."

"Only if you do too."

"Maybe next time we'll get a bigger bed."

"Maybe." Anna breathed out. "Somewhere not a safe house."

"Preferably."

Anna smiled and only disturbed from sleep when John shook her later. "What time is it? How long was I asleep?"

"A few hours." John moved, hissing out when Anna pressed on him.

"Sorry."

"No," John let out a slow breath, pulling Anna back toward him when she went to move. "It's fine."

"I need to go."

"Go where?" John purred against her skin, only pausing a second when Anna gently placed her head on his shoulder as his arm wrapped around her waist. "You've still got time. Mary's not come for you yet."

"Then what woke me up?"

"Me." John kissed at Anna's neck. "I wanted to be a bit more romantic."

"You're still injured."

"Then I'll be careful." John's hand stroked up Anna's leg before crossing around to massage at her breasts. "You just can't move very much."

"That doesn't sound like fun."

"You're the one who insisted that we go slowly earlier."

"There's a difference."

"Then just enjoy." John's hands continued moving, urging Anna's leg back over his hip to run the length of his arousal to run between her folds. "I promise you will… As usual."

"You," Anna turned her face to him, kissing as John thrust forward, "Are incorrigible to the point of self-destruction."

"But you enjoy it all the same?" John thrust against her, his arm firming around her torso to hold them closer so he could strike deeper.

"Always."

They finished shortly afterward, falling into a doze until someone banged on the door to rouse them.

"I know what you're probably doing in there but you need to get up. Your family's almost here Anna and there's a doctor coming to give you a check up Mr. Bates so you might want to get dressed… Or showered."

"Back to work then." Anna kissed John before pushing herself out of bed. "Come on, make sure you're going to be all fit and well."

"Why? I did well enough as is." John moved carefully, wincing as his ginger movements disturbed his injuries.

"Because we've still got people in our way that we need to get rid of." Anna tossed John his clothes, heading to the bathroom. "And it's not over yet."