Hi readers! This chapter is a little bit shorter, but I thought it stands well that way. I thought I would be able to publish more, being off from work for a week, but hey, what did I know. It seems keeping 3 kids from killing each other is as much of a full-time job than my actual work. (In fact I'm starting to look forward to going back to my practice, help me ;D)

Anyway, enjoy, and as always, reviews are very much appreciated.

March-April 2021

- Are you sure you'll be alright love? whispered Anna, fully dressed and on her way to work, to John, who was still in bed. You can still call Mary or the Carsons and let Timmy with them.

John passed his hand in his hair, and offered a still-sleepy smile to Anna.

- Don't worry darling, we'll be just fine. I can take care of him. We'll meet Mary this afternoon in the park. Besides, Timmy would be so mad at me if I dropped him off to someone else when I'm back only since yesterday.

- That might be true, agreed Anna. But don't overdo anything please. You don't need to clean the house or anything, alright. Just look after Timmy, enjoy your day together, that'll be enough.

- Yes Ma'am, chuckled John. Now go or you'll be late for work.

- Yes. Have a good day. I'll see you tonight, she said, bending over the bed to kiss him. God I wish I could stay with you, urgh!

- I wish you could too. But we'll be fine, don't worry. Have a good day too.

Anna left, and John smiled to himself, stirring his limbs in the bed. It felt so good to finally be home. Even if Anna's apartment was not technically his home, it had started to feel like it in the last months. He calculated that it had been more than two months, almost three, since he had gone back to his own apartment, save a few quick times to pick up the mail. He thought about Anna's idea, that they could live together into his mother's house. He felt foolish for not having suggested it earlier. He would sell his own flat, that would make some money readily available to renovate the house. He had already paid all the inheritance taxes. It was a nice three-bedroom house, but it was still decorated in the eighties fashion, when it had been last redecorated. He hoped the lockdown wouldn't make things too complicated, because now that they had agreed on it, he found he couldn't wait to move in with Anna and Timmy for good and proper. Anna was renting her own apartment, so that at least would be quick to manage, she would only need to stop the lease. That would save them a lot of money, not having to pay any rent or mortgage. John was engrossed in his daydreaming about the future, when Timmy appeared at the bedroom door, calling:

- Mum?

John turned towards the door and answered:

- Your Mummy's already left for work lad. It's just you and me today.

- Oh. OK, said the boy, throwing himself on the bed next to John.

- So, did you sleep well, asked John.

- Yes, replied the boy. I'm hungry now.

- Are you? Well we can't have that.

John raised himself on his elbow and lightly tickled the boy's stomach. Timmy giggled and wriggled on the bed:

- Stop it John!

- Oh, are you ticklish? smirked John, intensifying the tickling.

Timmy entered the battle, trying to tickle John too, but soon had to admit that his stepfather was much too strong to compete with.

- Stop, stop! yelled the boy, out of breath with laughter.

- Alright, I win, concluded John. Now, breakfast?

- Yay!

- Let's go to the kitchen then.

x x x x

Anna came back from work at the end of the day, tired as usual, but with a new spring in her step, knowing that John was there waiting for her at home with Timmy. Covid cases in the hospital kept going down, if slowly, and that was another reason to rejoice, even if the situation in the north of England was not as good as in the south and the London area. But things were starting to brighten up, for the first time since the previous autumn. Anna smelt the delicious smell before she had even opened her apartment's door. When she came in, she inhaled and said:

- Oh, lasagna! It's nice to have a cook back at home, she teased, approaching John who was busying himself in the kitchen.

She encircled his chest with her arms and he did the same around her shoulders.

- Hi sweetheart, he said. Are you hungry?

- I don't know who wouldn't be, with this mouth-watering odour! God I missed your cooking.

- I hope it's not the only thing you missed, he pouted, pretending to be hurt.

- Silly beggar. You know what I missed the most, she added, eyeing him cheekily.

- I am feeling used, he said dramatically.

Anna couldn't help bursting with laughter.

- Did you two have a good day?

- We did. Didn't we Timmy? he said, addressing the boy who was finishing a drawing on the kitchen table, where the plates were set for dinner.

- Yes! replied the boy. We went to the park and I played with George, and we played some guitar!

- Nice! I bet Mary was glad to see you? asked Anna to John.

- She seemed to be. We talked a bit about the Abbey, but not too much, because she said I was still on sick leave so she didn't want me to talk about work. But she told me that if the lockdown easing goes ahead, they'll be planning a big reopening charity evening in August.

- Oh. Jesus. August seems centuries away right now. I do hope we'll be out of this mess by that time.

- I hope too. So, shall we eat? It's ready.

- Yes, I'm famished.

x x x x

At the beginning of April, things kept looking brighter on the pandemic front. The vaccine roll-out was going on at full steam, getting younger people vaccinated after the older ones. Anna looked forward to the day when they would finally be able to close some Covid-dedicated units, and she could go back to her usual work, although she felt she would have forgotten everything she knew about non-Covid ICU, having worked with Covid patients only for so long. She hoped that day would come sooner rather than later. Nationwide numbers looked pretty good, although there were still some clusters of Brazilian or South-African variant here and there, and she prayed fervently for those not to get out of hand again as it had been the case with the British variant.

On a bright Saturday, the Carsons had invited Anna, John and Timmy to share a brunch on their terrace, since it was still forbidden to gather indoor with people outside one's own household. The weather was sunny but still quite crispy (after all it was the north of England…), but the Carsons had a very practical summer kitchen, so they could share a nice brunch while being outside under some blankets. Anna and Timmy were so very excited to see the Carsons again, they both had had trouble going to sleep the previous night. Charles Carson was in his front yard tending to his flowers, when they arrived. Seeing him, Timmy ran to the old man, yelling:

- Uncle Charlie!

Charles turned around, beaming, and only had time to get back on his feet before the boy threw himself at him with all his might. Carson took Timmy into a fierce hug:

- M'boy! Oh how happy I am to see you!

Anna pretended not to notice that his eyes were rather bright as he let go of his foster grandson and he turned to her.

- Anna, my dear!

- Uncle Charlie!

Another hug was exchanged, and as they parted, the front door opened, revealing Elsie:

- I thought I heard voices! There you are at last! Oh my God I've missed you so much!

Tears were not withheld this time when Anna and Elsie fell into each other's arms and sobbed their heart out. Never had they stayed several months apart since they had know each other, which was when Anna was a little girl. Those months had felt like a century to both of them. Finally Elsie straightened and wiped her face on a tissue:

- Oh Lord, I'm sorry.

Anna chuckled amidst her own tears:

- Look at us… What that freaking pandemic is doing to us… I've missed you so much too. I've been so scared for you both.

- Well it's alright now, my dear girl, we're both alright and we will stay that way, don't worry.

- I very much hope so.

Although the fear was still there in Anna's heart, about what could happen despite them being vaccinated. She chased those thoughts from her mind the best she could, offering a sincere smile to Elsie, while the old lady bent down towards Timmy:

- Timmy, my lovely boy, oh Jesus how much you've grown! Soon you'll be six years old!

- Yes, my birthday's next month! said the boy proudly, snuggling into Elsie's arms.

All the while, John had stayed a few feet back, not willing to interfere with the family reunion. At last Charles seemed to notice him, and went to him:

- Hello John! he said, extending his hand to him. We're very glad to have you too. Make yourself at home.

- Thank you Mr Carson, replied John politely, shaking the offered hand.

The five of them settled on the terrace, and Elsie served hot drinks to everyone, and the chatter went on merrily. When Timmy had eaten to his stomach's content, he went with John to play on the swing the Carsons had put up years ago for Anna. Elsie seized the occasion when the boy was out of earshot to ask Anna about her mother:

- So, Anna, how did the meeting go with Eileen? If you don't mind talking about it of course.

- No, I don't mind, smiled Anna. It felt a bit awkward at first, but, we did a lot of talking. She said sorry for the past, and we agreed to keep in touch. She said she wants to move back up North. I was thinking of inviting her for my birthday in three weeks.

- Oh, that's nice of you! Do you mind if I call her?

- No, of course not. You're free to talk to whoever you want to, Auntie Elsie.

- So… How do you feel towards her, I mean, after everything that happened? After all they did to you?

- Well… I was mad at her for a long time, but now… I feel I've outgrown that feeling. She never really did anything wrong to me, herself.

- Well, it's more what she didn't do for you than what she did do to you, if you want my opinion, intervened Charles.

- Yes, and I was mad at her for that precisely, for doing nothing against my father. But now I understand she was a victim too.

Charles looked sceptical, and clearly thought Anna was a bit too forgiving in his point of view.

- Hmm, he grumbled. Well, after all, it is between you and your mother, it is not for us to take part. If you find it in your heart to forgive her, very good. If you welcome her back, so will we.

- Well said, Charlie, agreed Elsie.

At that moment, Timmy yelled after his mother, as John was coming back from the swing towards the garden seats where the others were settled.

- Mummy!

- I'm sorry, apologized John to Anna, I'm afraid he requires you to push him on the swing…

- Oh, no problem, I'll go for a while, said Anna, getting up.

When Anna was gone to Timmy, John sat back and picked up his tea, but frowned when he tasted it, and it was cold.

- Oh, wait John, said Elsie, I'll bring back some hot tea.

- Thank you, answered John while Elsie got up to the kitchen.

While she was away, John noticed that Charles was eyeing him with a stern look, as if gauging him carefully. The Carsons and John had met on some occasions at Downton Abbey, but they had never been close before, as the Carsons had gone into retirement shortly after John had taken his job at Downton. However, Charles knew from Robert, whom he kept in touch with, that John Bates was a reliable man who could be trusted, professionally at least. Now he only wanted to know if he could trust him the same with his foster daughter's heart.

- So, John… I hear you've moved in with Anna then?

- Yes, I have.

- Very well, very well. So, you two are really serious I gather?

- Yes, indeed. I think you could say that.

- And… are you planning to make an honest woman out of her?

- Charles! scolded Elsie who was coming back with a full hot kettle. Come on, that's none of our business! You'll have to excuse my husband, John, he's quite the old-fashioned type.

John shook his head and smiled.

- I don't mind. In fact, I would love to "make an honest woman out of her", as you say, but I'm afraid it's her who would need to be convinced. Anyway, it's a bit soon to be talking about that now.

- Exactly, said Elsie.

- Alright, alright, accepted Charles. But it's not too soon to warn you, John Bates: if you ever hurt our Anna, or Timmy for that matter, I will hunt you down, and you'll soon beg me for mercy, said the old man very seriously.

John eyed him for a quick moment, assessing just how serious he was, and understood that he really was very serious. So John chose to answer the humble way.

- I'm very confident that you would, Charles. But I can assure you, I have no intention whatsoever of hurting them. I love both of them very much.

- Good.

And that closed the matter, as Anna and Timmy were coming back from the swing.