Author's Note: Thank you all so much for coming back and I really hope that you like this chapter! Happy reading x
The deep ache in his ribs intensified and caused Jack to clutch his side as he reached for the photograph that stood on the nightstand next to his bed, his face twisting into a grimace as he forbade himself to curse through gritted teeth before easing himself back into his pillows again. He sat there in silence for a time after that, taking deep breaths in an attempt to control the pain, and once it had settled a little he looked down at the photograph in his hands and felt a lump come to his throat. There were countless photographs of him and Grace with their parents dotted around the cottage, but he had always loved this one. It was a photograph of the four of them on Grace's first birthday and the smiles on their faces showed how content their family had been.
In the black-and-white image, his mother was holding him in her lap and his father was holding Grace – who had had cake all around her mouth – in his own and the two of them were wreathed in smiles as they gazed into each other's eyes. He doubted that he and his sister could have had a more perfect upbringing. Their parents had loved them – as well as one another – with all their heart and soul and had worked their fingers to the bone to make sure that neither of them had wanted for anything. Even though he had always complained whenever he'd stumbled upon them kissing or cuddled up on the sofa, these days he would give up anything if it meant he could go back in time to the time when his father had been the only man his mother had loved.
To the time when this Mr. Bates hadn't mattered to her in the slightest.
Just thinking about how he had caught him with his hands on his mother last night made him feel sick to his stomach and he wanted nothing more than to rid the image of them kissing from his mind. He realised, however, that he couldn't pin all of the blame on him. He didn't like him one bit and he most definitely didn't like the thought of him being anywhere near his mother, but he couldn't deny that he was just as – if not more – annoyed with her as he was with him. The fact that she had been the one to kiss him when the two of them had been stood together made it obvious that this had been going on for some time and that angered him. She had found another man to fill the void in her heart and welcomed him into her life without even talking to him.
She hadn't even tried to sit down with him and Grace and ask if the two of them were comfortable with the idea.
He understood that she was a grown woman and she was entitled to make decisions about her life without the permission of her children, but he would have thought that she would want to include them both in her decision since it would have an effect on their lives as well as hers. The two of them were still grieving for their father and, even though he couldn't speak for Grace, he for one didn't feel as though he had healed enough to let another man into his life. Some small part of him did sympathise with his mother – she had been so lonely and heartbroken since the death of his father and the prospect of loving and being loved again no doubt filled her with the happiness that she had been craving – but he couldn't see himself coming 'round to the idea.
Mr. Bates, in his opinion, was much too old for her and he doubted that he would have what it took to help to raise him and his sisters.
Sure, he might promise her the world and tell her that he would love him and his sisters as though the three of them were his own, but no-one could see into the future. If things became difficult a couple of months down the line and he, Grace and Lily failed to warm up to him then there was a chance he'd chuck in the towel. He could tell his mother that there was no point in pursuing a relationship with her if her children didn't like him and then he would leave and break her heart all over again. His mother had been unable to find the strength to get out of bed for almost a week after the men from the war office had come knocking, and every time he had gone to check on her or take meals to her there'd been no sign of life in her eyes. She had been broken.
The pummelling he had received from Vincent had been less painful than the thought of seeing her in that state again.
Just as his eyes began to fill with tears at the thought of his mother having her heart broken a second time, the soft creak of his bedroom door made him look up and he blinked the tears away just as his mother entered the room with Lily on her hip and his medication in a cup. 'Look who's awake, Lils,' He heard her croon to his little sister as she padded over to the bed before sitting down on the edge and placing his medication on the nightstand. Once she had slid Lily's pacifier into her mouth and sat her in her lap, she laid her hand on his cheek but he didn't nuzzle her palm as he usually did and when her brow creased he knew she could sense that something was off. 'Sweetheart, is everything all right?' She asked in a soft voice while looking into his eyes.
'Of course, mum,' He lied with a nod. 'Why wouldn't it be?'
He wouldn't confront her about what he had seen the night before.
He wanted her to find it in her heart to tell him about Mr. Bates without any prompting from him.
'It's just…' She paused. 'You just don't seem yourself.'
He shook his head, brushing off her concerns. 'I didn't get much sleep last night and the medication isn't doing much. I'll be all right once I've rested up.'
'I could wring Vincent's neck for what he put you through,' She whimpered. 'I might not have pressed charges, darling, but…but that doesn't mean that..'
'No,' He replied. 'I'd rather not go to the police, mum, and if it came to light that I started the fight then nothing would be done. I'm to blame for this.'
Anna looked at him in silence for a moment. 'I never want to hear those words come from you again, do you understand?'
'It's true,' He reminded her before gasping as pain shot through his ribs when he tried to make himself a bit more comfortable. 'I asked Vincent to fight.'
'You might have asked him for a fight, Jack, but Vincent should never have given you one,' She sighed. 'You are twelve years old and he's nearly an adult, and he knows full well that under no circumstances is it acceptable for an adult to ever treat a child in the way he treated you. He should have acted like an adult and walked away but, instead, he decided to…he decided to do unspeakable things to you until you were barely conscious. I don't doubt for one moment that he wouldn't have stopped if Mr. Davison and I hadn't gotten there, either, and I dread to think what he would have ended up doing to you.'
The walls that Jack had put up the moment his mother had entered the room started to crumble somewhat when he saw the pain in her eyes, and he let out a deep sigh as he laid his hand over hers on his cheek. 'It's all right, mum,' He soothed while running his thumb across the back of her hand. 'You got there in time and there's no point in getting upset about something that hasn't happened. I might have some broken ribs and bruises, but neither one of those things are permanent and I'm going to be fine because I have the best nurse in the world.' He gave her a small smile before sighing when her hand moved around to the back of his head and she slid her fingers through the cropped blonde hair that she discovered there, sheer love for him in her eyes.
'You don't know how much you mean to me, Jack.' Her voice trembled as her eyes swam with tears.
'I do, mum, you never stop telling me.' He teased.
She smirked but shook her head. 'I've, um…I've never told you or your sister about this before, but I had a miscarriage before falling pregnant with you. I lost the baby so soon after getting pregnant that I hadn't even known about it, but I was still heartbroken,' She told him. 'When the doctor told me that I was pregnant with you at an appointment not too long after the loss I wanted to be excited, but I was so scared that it was going to happen again and I would never get the chance to hold you. It wasn't until I felt you kick for the first time a couple of months later that I realised that you were far stronger and healthier than my first baby, and that's when I started thinking about what you were going to come out looking like and what personality you were going to grow up with. I have loved you with everything I am from the moment I learned that you existed, and I've always seen you as my miracle baby.'
'You have?' His voice was filled with emotion.
She nodded and leaned forward to kiss him on the forehead. 'You can tower above me all you like, but you are always going to be my little boy.'
The two of them shared a smile when she pressed her forehead against his for a second before she peeled back and readjusted Lily in her lap with a sigh. Jack felt a wave of guilt hit him as he watched her nuzzle a kiss into the curls on his sister's head. She had spent the past couple of minutes talking about the depth of her love for him, whereas just a short while ago he had been thinking about how annoyed he was with her for what she had done last night. He had been so selfish. She had worked so hard over the course of the past six months, trying her best to make ends meet while doing everything in her power to bring as much happiness back into his and Grace's lives as possible. How dare he moan about her seeking to find a little happiness for herself?
He needed to tell her about what he had seen.
The thought of her being with Mr. Bates still left him feeling rather uncomfortable and he didn't even want to think about the more…private…aspects of her relationship with him, but she was genuinely happy for the first time in months and even his father had said that she was free to love again if she so wished. She was entitled to some happiness after the terrible time she had had, even he could see that, and he wouldn't be the one to take that from her. 'Mum…' His heart began to pound and his palms began to sweat, his nervousness increasing when his mother met his gaze and gave him a tender smile. 'There's…there's something that I need to tell you...' A concerned expression crossed her face and that only caused the knot in his stomach to tighten up.
'Go on…' She encouraged.
He took a second to compose himself before taking a deep breath and blurting out: 'I know that Mr. Bates was here last night. I…I also saw you kiss him.'
All of the colour drained from her face in an instant and when he noticed that her eyes had filled with tears and her bottom lip was trembling a little, his heart ached. 'I didn't mean to see anything, mum, honest! I only got out of bed so that I could close the curtains and that was when I saw the two of you.'
Soft tears were trickling down Anna's cheeks at this point and she had to clear her throat in order to respond. 'It's my own fault. I should have told you.'
'What made you think that you couldn't?' He inquired.
She shrugged. 'I was scared and…and confused. I was developing feelings for him – feelings that I hadn't felt since your father was killed – and I…I loved knowing that he found me attractive and wanted to have me in his life. Jack, before I met him I didn't feel beautiful and I thought I'd been given one shot at love and that was it. He's helped me to realise that I am the kind of woman that a man can look at and see something in, though, and he makes me feel so beautiful when I'm with him. I wanted to sit down with you and Grace and have a proper talk about all of this from the start, darling, but I was scared that you would disapprove. I hate myself for feeling like that, though, because this is a decision that involves you just as much as it does Mr. Bates and I.'
'It just feels a little strange…' He admitted. 'It's hard to think about you loving someone who isn't dad.'
'I understand that,' She reassured him. 'When I first started to have feelings for Mr. Bates, I felt such guilt because I had sworn that I wouldn't let myself fall in love again. There were times when I would feel as though I was turning my back on your father and betraying him, but then his voice would come into my head and he would make me see that I was being much too hard on myself. He would reassure me that, even if I allowed myself to love again, he knows that I'll love him just as much and that I'll never forget him or the sacrifices he made for me. I am in love with Mr. Bates, Jack, I won't pretend I'm not, but you and your sisters will always come first. I'll put an end to all of this right this minute if the thought makes you uncomfortable, I promise you.'
Even though he could tell that she was doing her best to hide it, he could see the sadness in her eyes at the thought of breaking things off with Mr. Bates and feeling as though she was all alone in the world again. He couldn't ask her to do that, not when she had sacrificed so much for him and his sisters in the past, and so he slid his hand into hers and smiled. 'I haven't seen you smile so much since dad passed,' He admitted. 'I might not be 100% sure about Mr. Bates as of yet, but I swear that I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and be civil with him whenever he's around. You deserve to be happy.'
The relief was evident on his mother's face. 'Do you mean that? I don't want you saying that just to please me, I want you to mean it with all your heart.'
'I do, I promise,' He squeezed her hand. 'I just want you to be aware of something.'
She cocked her head to one side. 'And what's that?'
'He'll have me to answer to if he does anything to hurt you.' He told her, the look on his face telling her that he was serious.
'That ought to keep him in line,' She winked before releasing his hand and stroking his cheek with the back of hers. 'Oh, I love you.'
'I love you too.' He smiled, a soft groan escaping him just seconds later when he yawned and his ribs throbbed in protest.
Anna frowned and reached for the cup that contained his pills. 'Get these down you and get some sleep. I'll bring you up a bite to eat around lunchtime.'
Once he had accepted the pills from her and taken his glass of water from the nightstand to wash them down, she got up from the bed and balanced Lily on her hip before carrying her little girl across the bedroom to the door. Before she could open it, however, Jack called for her and so she turned back to him and revelled in the smile that he gave her as he made himself comfortable beneath his blanket. 'Thank you for taking such good care of me.' He said.
'I'm your mother, it's part of the job description,' She smirked. 'But you're very welcome, precious. Now, try and get some sleep.'
He gave her a mute nod in response before watching her walk out of the bedroom and, once he was alone, sighing to himself as he let his eyes fall closed and attempted to settle down. He still wasn't comfortable with the idea of Mr. Bates being around all of the time and getting too close to his mother, but he had promised her that he was going to at least attempt to get on with the man and be as civil as he humanly could with him, and so that was his goal.
His mother deserved to finally have some happiness.
And he wasn't going to let anything or anyone stand in the way of that.
The sound of her little girl's congested snores made Anna frown as she laid with her on her chest on the sofa after kissing Grace goodnight and ensuring that Jack had enough medication to last him the night, her fingers teasing the fair curls at the nape of her neck as her forehead was pressed against hers and she grazed her button nose with her own. It had been obvious that she had been coming down with something over the past couple of days, but she hadn't quite known what it was. All she had known was that she'd had a very irritable nine-month-old who had been napping more than usual, refusing to nurse or accept a bottle, and screamed if she had dared to put her down for a second so that she could use the bathroom or make herself a cup of tea.
She had been so worried about her and spent the past three nights just watching her while she'd slept, but that afternoon she had managed to convince herself that all she had was a little cold and would be right as rain again in a matter of days. Of course, her daughter falling ill had been the last thing she had needed since she already had Jack to be taking care of, but it couldn't be helped and she had to admit that she was loving all of these sleepy cuddles. Just as she pressed her lips to Lily's forehead and breathed in the smell of the shampoo she'd used to wash her hair earlier that night, she heard a knock on the front door and was instantly confused. It was almost nine o'clock at night and she was positive that she wasn't expecting anyone at such an hour.
Nevertheless, she pushed herself up into a sitting position with her little girl in her arms and hushed her when she whimpered in her sleep as she stood from the sofa. She breathed a sigh of relief when Lily settled against her again and curled her little fingers into her dress, and once she had snugged her closer to her chest and rested her chin atop her head she began to walk out of the sitting room. It didn't take long for her to walk down the hall and take the key to the front door from the hook, and the moment she unlocked and opened the door her face lit up. She hadn't been expecting him at all, but she was so delighted to see John standing on her doorstep. 'This is a nice surprise,' She kept her voice light so not to wake her baby. 'I wasn't expecting you.'
He chuckled as he took a step closer to her and rested a hand on her waist through her blouse, the two of them sharing a smile before he stooped to kiss her and she tilted her head back to meet his lips. She hummed in satisfaction as their kiss lingered for a time and he brushed his thumb against her side, a soft blush blooming in her cheeks as the smack of their lips echoed in the silence of the night when he brought their kiss to an end. 'His Lordship went to bed after leaving the dining room tonight, so I decided to take advantage of that and come and check on you. I could tell that you weren't the happiest when I left last night, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since I got back to Downton.' He felt his heart race when a smile graced her lips.
'Come inside out of the cold,' She told him. 'I'll lie this little one on the sofa and then I'll make us both some tea so that we can have a talk.'
'I won't object to that.' He admitted before entering the little cottage when she moved to one side.
Once she had closed the door behind him and stepped past him with her daughter still asleep in her arms, the two of them walked back down the hall to the sitting room before heading inside so that she could settle Lily on the sofa. It didn't take too long for her to accomplish that and, once she had placed a cushion beside her to keep her from tumbling off and hurting herself, she approached John and stroked his arm before leaving the room with him and leading him further down the hall to the quaint kitchen. 'Peace at last…' She smirked over her shoulder at him while heading for the stove once they had entered the room, a smile on her lips as she took the kettle and filled it with water before returning it to the stove and igniting the flame so it could boil.
It was then that she heard the sound of quiet footsteps approaching from behind and her heart began to flutter in her chest, and she was unable to keep herself from shivering at the feeling of John's breath on the back of her neck when he stopped at her back and brought his hands to her waist. She stood in silence as he stroked her waist through her blouse for a time, but the longing to have his arms around her soon became too deep to ignore and so she covered his hands with her own and pulled his arms around her middle. The two of them laced their fingers together once their hands had come to rest on her stomach and Anna's eyes fell shut when John kissed the side of her head, the two of them sharing a smile when she leaned back against his chest.
'Jack knows about us…' She whispered while he played with her fingers.
'You managed to speak to him, then?' He asked.
She shook her head. 'I wasn't planning on telling him about us just yet, but this morning he told me that he'd seen us kissing when he got up to close the curtains last night. I…I honestly thought he was going to lose his temper with me, but he was so mature about it and he ended up giving us his blessing.'
'He did?' He seemed to be just as relieved as she had been while speaking with her son that morning.
She nodded. 'I should warn you, though, that he made it quite clear that he won't hesitate to hunt you down if you do anything to hurt me.'
'I'm not too worried about that.' He tightened his hold of her.
'Oh?' She replied. 'And why's that?'
He brushed the tip of her nose with his. 'Because I love you far too much to ever do a thing to hurt you.'
'That's good to hear…' She reached back with one hand and rested it on the side of his neck so that she could pull him down into a light and languid kiss.
For the next couple of minutes, while waiting for the kettle to boil, the two of them remained in their perfect little embrace and felt the rest of the world begin to fade into nothingness. As expected, though, the whistle of the kettle prompted Anna to break the kiss and remove it from the stove lest it rouse her little girl in the sitting room. She had always been such a light sleeper and the last thing she wanted was for her to throw a tantrum because she had been put down. 'Go and sit at the table while I make these drinks,' She laughed as John refused to take his hand off of her back while she moved to stand at the counter to prepare the tea. 'You're acting as though I'm going to vanish into thin air if you do, and I can assure you that that isn't going to happen.'
'I'd rather not risk it,' He smirked with a kiss to her cheek before chuckling when she gave him the stare he'd once seen her give Grace. 'Okay, I'm going!'
Once he had done as he was told and sat down at the kitchen table it took minutes for her to make their tea and walk over to the table, and once she had sat down next to him she let him take her hand in his and run his thumb across her knuckles. 'I…I think I might have convinced Edward that he can rest in peace this afternoon…' She told him in a quiet voice. 'I visited his grave while Grace was out with her friends and I told him that he doesn't have to be worried about me anymore. Whenever I have a problem, he always comes into my head and helps me find a way to resolve it, and that was something I didn't want for him. I felt that I had to prove to him that I'm going to be okay, so I told him about you and how you brought happiness back into my life.'
John smiled at her. 'Do you think it worked?'
'I hope so,' She looked into his eyes. 'He worried about me more than was good for him when he was alive and I don't want the same for him in death.'
'You are a wonder, Anna Miller,' He shook his head while reaching out with his spare hand to stroke her cheek. 'An absolute wonder.'
She leaned into his caress before lifting her teacup to her lips and taking a sip of tea. 'I haven't managed to speak to Gra…'
Just as she began to tell him that she hadn't managed to talk to Grace about their relationship due to not having the time, the sound of bare feet padding down the hall reached her ears and the two of them shared a knowing smile. Speak of the devil. When Grace wandered into the kitchen she was holding her rag-doll and didn't look tired in the slightest. 'Gracie, what are you doing out of bed? You know the rules – when I put you to bed I expect you to stay there unless you're feeling unwell or need to use the bathroom.' She said once her eldest daughter had come to stand between her and John at the table.
'I tried and tried to go to sleep, mummy, but I'm just not tired!' Grace sighed. 'Can I have some warm milk? That might help!'
'I'll make you some warm milk on one condition. You take it back to bed and don't come down again tonight.' Anna replied.
Grace nodded. 'I promise!'
She then waited for her mother to slide her hand out of John's and leave the table, and once she had climbed onto the chair that she had just vacated she shared a smile with the man she had grown quite fond of over the past couple of weeks. 'Mr. Bates?' She tilted her head to one side as she looked at him.
'Yes, Grace?' John hummed before sipping at his tea.
'Why were you and mummy just holding hands?' She asked with inquisitiveness sparkling in her gentle brown eyes. 'Are you boyfriend and girlfriend?'
John felt his cheeks burn as he set down his teacup and when he turned to Anna he realised that she was staring at him with burning cheeks of her own.
'Well, I…I, um…' He stumbled over his words.
'Well, sweetheart, that's what the two of us were wanting to talk to you about,' Anna spoke for him as she returned to the table after managing to collect her thoughts, and after easing Grace out of the chair so that she could sit down she brought her into her lap and wrapped both arms around her middle. 'You know that Mr. Bates and I have been friends for quite some time now, don't you?' She looked her little girl in the eye and brushed a black curl back beneath her ear when she nodded in response. 'Well, we've been talking and…and we've decided that we might like to be a little more than just friends.'
Grace attempted to make sense of what her mother had just told her. 'You want to be best friends?'
Anna and John shared a smile at the girl's innocence.
'Grace,' He took the lead. 'What mummy and I mean is that we…we love each other.'
The surprise was evident on Grace's face as she looked up at her mother for a moment. 'You do?'
'Yes, princess, we love each other very much,' Anna revealed. 'We want to start seeing more of each other, too, but we want you to be all right with that.'
'We do, indeed,' John agreed. 'This is a big decision and involves you, Jack and Lily just as much as it involves me and your mummy.'
Grace sat in silence in her mother's lap for a short time after that, processing everything that she had been told while playing with her hands, before she lifted her head and gave John a smile as she met his gaze. 'I like the idea,' She admitted which caused both him and her mother to breathe sighs of relief. 'I miss having a daddy to give me snuggles and read to me when I'm sad or not feeling very well, and you'll be like my new daddy, Mr. Bates, won't you?'
'I can be whatever you want me to be, sweetheart,' He reassured her. 'You, Jack and Lily are just as special to me as your mummy is, I promise you that.'
When her little girl rested her head on her chest and grasped the front of her blouse in her hand, Anna nuzzled a kiss onto her temple before looking up at John and feeling her breath hitch in her throat at the intense love she could see in his eyes. 'I love you so much…' She whispered as she took his hand.
'And I love you,' He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed the softest of kisses to the back of her palm. 'More than I could ever hope to tell you.'
It was nearing ten o'clock when John pushed open the door to Anna's bedroom and carried her inside while she slumbered in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder as her hand laid on his chest and he held her bridal style. He hadn't intended to be there for so long. He had thought that he would have a cup of tea with her and then walk back to Downton so that she could get some sleep, but once Grace had finished drinking her milk she had asked him to go and sit with her on the sofa for a while. He had agreed, of course, the thought of holding her in his arms far too perfect for him to pass on her offer, but he had underestimated just how exhausted she had been. In a matter of minutes, she'd fallen asleep on him and he hadn't had the heart to wake her.
He had sat with her for as long as he could after that, running his fingers through her hair and pressing the occasional kiss onto her forehead as she had snored, but time had passed far too fast and in no time at all it had been a quarter to ten. If he had started walking back to Downton when he'd seen the time, there was no doubt in his mind that he would have made it back with just enough time to sneak through the back door before it was locked for the evening. He hadn't wanted Anna and Lily to spend all night on the sofa, however, and so he had decided to move them both to the bedroom even though it meant that he'd be late home and have to face Mr. Carson's wrath. He found that he didn't care a lot about that, though. Anna would always come first.
The sound of her stirring in his arms pulled him from his thoughts and he hushed her as he carried her over to the bed in the middle of the room, a faint groan of pain escaping him as he had to hold her with one arm for a moment and bear both their weights on his bad knee while peeling back the covers. It wasn't long before he was setting her down on the bed and tucking her in, however, and once he had managed to convince himself that she was going to be comfortable he leaned down to kiss her hairline. 'Goodnight, sweetheart…' He mumbled against her skin before pulling back from her and turning to walk away from the bed, but before he had managed to take the smallest step he felt his hand being taken and turned back to see Anna gazing at him.
'Don't leave me…' She shook her head while looking up at him through half-lidded eyes. 'Please, I want you to hold me.'
With a sigh, he sat down on the bed and trailed a hand down her cheek. 'I can't, darling, what excuse would I give to Mr. Carson for being gone all night?'
'You'll think of something,' She shrugged as her eyes slid closed again. 'I…I just need you to be here with me tonight.'
He cursed himself half-heartedly for his inability to refuse her anything.
'Oh, all right,' He admitted defeat. 'I'll be back in a minute, I'll just head downstairs and see if I can get through to someone at Downton.'
She nodded her response with a hum, her eyes remaining closed as she rolled onto her side, and he couldn't help but chuckle at just how lovely she was.
What he had done to deserve the love of such a beautiful young woman he would never know, but he was going to strive to be worthy of it.
He smoothed his hand over her hair in a comforting fashion before standing from the bed and walking out of the room so that he could head back down to the ground floor and telephone Downton, rather a large yawn tearing itself free from his throat once he had picked up the telephone and asked to be contacted. 'Hello, this is Mr. Carson, the butler of Downton Abbey. To whom am I speaking?' Mr. Carson asked as he answered the phone sometime later.
'Mr. Carson, it's Mr. Bates,' John replied. 'I'm afraid I've made rather a foolish mistake and missed the last bus back to Downton tonight.'
Mr. Carson was silent for a time. 'What am I to do about dressing His Lordship in the morning?'
'There's no need to worry about that, I'll see to it that I'm back in time. I've found a bed and breakfast hotel, so I'll request a wake-up call.' John told him.
'Very well,' Mr. Carson grumbled on the other end of the line. 'I just want to be quite certain that this will never happen again, Mr. Bates.'
'You have my word.' John reassured him. 'Goodnight, Mr. Carson.'
'Goodnight.' Carson replied.
Once he had set the telephone down after his conversation with the butler, John smiled to himself and ran a hand through his hair before ascending the stairs once again and returning to Anna's bedroom. She was curled up on her side, facing Lily's cot, with her eyes closed and her hand settled beside her head on her pillow when he entered and he felt himself fall all the more in love with her. He closed the door behind him before padding across the room to the other side of the bed and sitting down, his eyes stinging with fatigue as he unlaced his shoes and removed them before ridding himself of his shirt and tie so that all he had on were his undershirt and trousers. 'You,' He crooned in Anna's ear after settling behind her. 'Are going to get me in trouble…'
The soft giggle that came from her warmed his heart and he sighed with happiness when she rolled onto her back and brushed her lips against his own. When the two of them parted from their chaste kiss he moved onto his back and opened his arms to her before she shuffled into them, his nose burying itself into the hair atop her head when she laid her head on his chest and draped his arm over her middle. 'I can't tell you how right this feels…' She said.
'Tell me about it…' He ran a hand along her back while staring up at the ceiling. 'Now, you're exhausted, and you need to get some sleep.'
She tilted her head back on his chest and gazed into his eyes. 'Promise you won't let go of me?'
'I'll never let go,' He shook his head before pressing one last kiss to her lips. 'That's one thing you can be certain of.'
She felt a wave of happiness wash over her as she snuggled into his side and settled in his arms. 'Goodnight, Mr. Bates.'
'John…' He whispered in her ear. 'Call me John.'
'All right…John…' Even though the word felt rather foreign on her tongue, she had to admit that saying his name made her smile. 'Goodnight, John.'
'Goodnight, Anna…' He mumbled into the darkness as his eyes fell closed and he tightened his hold of her. 'Pleasant dreams, my love.'
Author's Note: Thank you all so much for reading this chapter and I truly hope that you all liked it! Please let me know what you thought with a review and I'll see you all soon! x