So, this is it, here is the last chapter to this story. As usual I am a bit sad to leave, but I hope I have given our favourite couple closure over their troubled past. Thank you for reading, and please please please leave a review!
April was blooming around Downton estate, and the Bates family was up and about on this early morning.
- Peter, be careful with your pretty clothes! Don't get messed up, we'll be leaving very soon! warned Anna to the boy who was eagerly riding his tricycle on the pathway in front of the cottage.
The inside of the house was packed with moving boxes, as the family relocation into the private lodging of the Grantham Arms was scheduled in a week. After their December visit, they had decided to buy the small hotel, and were planning to keep it closed for a month in order to freshen it up and modernize it before reopening.
- Nana, look, Peter go fast!
- Yes dear, but be careful! You don't want to go all dirty to the church on your Christening day!
The boy was wearing his finest Sunday suit for the Christening ceremony starting in an hour, and Anna was getting worried that this would end into a clothing disaster. She looked up and smiled when she heard John coming back from upstairs, holding four months-old Sophia dressed in the gorgeous white embroidered frock lent by Lady Mary. Both children were being christened that day. Peter had already been baptized orthodox as a baby back in Russia, but Anna had wished to christen him into the Church of England, because she wanted all members of her family to belong to the same Church. In the last four months, the boy had adjusted fairly well to his new living environment. He was a good-natured child, and had developed an affectionate relationship with both Anna and John, but from time to time, one could notice that he was still struggling with memories of his previous life. He had started calling John "Daddy" pretty quickly, but he had a hard time calling Anna "Mummy", as he still remembered his birth mum. That was rather painful to Anna, but she tried her best not to show it, and knew that time was her best ally. For the time being, she was known as "Nana". Peter would occasionally throw major tantrums over the most meaningless reasons. Anna and John had been quite taken by surprise when that had happened for the first time, being rather clueless as to how they should handle that kind of behaviour. But they had slowly learnt that patience was the best tool in those situations, and that after having yelled and kicked at whatever he could, the boy would return back to his usual self. The night crisis were another handful. The boy slept fairly well, but some nights he would wake up screaming and calling desperately for his "Mama" and mumbling words in Russian that John and Anna did not understand. Those were really hard on Anna, because she remembered all too vividly how it felt to wake up completely lost and filled with this primal fear that would overwhelm all of one's senses. She usually ended up holding Peter tight and rocking him gently, crying with him, until they both managed to fall back to sleep. Apart from those difficult moments, settling down as a family had been a daily joy for John and Anna. Sophia was thriving, and Peter was very protective of her. He had been the one who had earned her first laugh a few days earlier. The close bond between the two children made their parents very happy.
- Well, I think this young lady is finally ready! stated John. We should get going, we don't want to be late, darling.
- Yes, let's go, replied Anna, putting her Sunday coat and hat on. Peter! Park your tricycle, we are going dear!
As she put Sophia down in the pram, John grabbed his cane and went outside to collect the boy, and the four of them started walking to the Church.
Isobel Crawley was standing in front of the Church, chatting with Lady Mary and Mrs Hughes when the Bates family came into sight. As she was the reason they had come to meet the children, Anna and John had asked Mrs Crawley to be Sophia's godmother, which she had gladly accepted. Lady Mary had been willing to be Peter's. Anna had hesitated for a long time before gathering the courage to ask her mistress, but she had witnessed the Lady's fond attitude towards the little boy, who had become Georges's well-appreciated playmate in the nursery, so she had finally made up her mind and suggested it. Lady Mary had appeared flattered to be trusted with this role, and she had liked the idea that they would keep some sort of official bond between Anna and herself, even if she would not be her maid any more in a few day's time. John and Anna came to meet and greet all the people present, and the small assembly proceeded to the inside of the Church.
After the ceremony, everyone made their way back to the Abbey, where Mrs Patmore and Daisy had insisted on throwing a fancy luncheon, celebrating the children's christening but also as a farewell party for Anna and John, who were leaving their duties at the end of the following week. The moment had that bittersweet taste to both of them, when one willingly turns a page of one's life, to move on to better things, but with a powerful nostalgia nonetheless. The Abbey had been Anna's home for more than half her life, and John's for more than a decade, and their inhabitants, with their qualities and faults, were the closest thing they had to a family. The Abbey was the place where they had met, and where their love had blossomed, even if there had been so many hardships too. So there were more that one tearful moment, even though everyone kept reminding themselves that they were only moving into the village, and that they would keep visiting every other day. It felt like the end of an era in Downton Abbey's servants' hall, Anna being one of the most ancient servants of the household still in place, besides Mr Carson, Mrs Hughes and Mrs Patmore. But life went on, and it was time for them to start another chapter of their story.
Later that night, when the children had been put to sleep in the nursery, Anna and John were quietly settling in bed. Anna came to cuddle close to John, sighing.
- Isn't it strange, to think that after all this time, we are finally leaving service… I can't really realize that it will soon be over. No more "Yes Mr Carson", "Will that be all m'lady"… Being our own employers, after waiting so long.
- How do you feel about this? asked John, shifting to face her, stroking her hair.
- I don't know… Happy of course. Maybe a bit scared too. I hope the hotel business will go well. I hope we and the children manage to make a home in that new place. I mean, this was our very first home.
- Sure. But we also had some very hard times here, and at the Abbey, we've faced things no couple should have to face. To be honest I don't mind leaving all this behind and starting afresh. And to me, any place would feel like home, as long as you're in it. My home is right there beside you, he concluded, trailing light kisses along the side of her neck.
She smiled, twisting her neck to grant him more access. A light moan escaped her lips, and she whispered:
- Mr Bates, you silly beggar…
- Yes my darling, your silly beggar. Always, he answered as he intensified his kissing spree.
His hand was starting to undo the front buttons on her nightgown, when Sophia's cry echoed across the hall. John's head fell on Anna's shoulder, defeated.
- Oh Lord we really need to teach that child about timing…
Anna chuckled as she got up. Looking back at him while she made her way to the door, she sent him a saucy wink:
- Don't fall asleep Mr Bates, I'm not done with you yet…
A few minutes later, she was back sitting on the bed.
- So, where were we… Ah, yes, I think I remember you were trying to rid me of this, she said as she pulled her nightgown over her head.
Tossing the gown on the floor, she hovered over John, opening his own night shirt and peppering kisses on his chest.
- Why, Mrs Bates, you'll be the death of me… he laughed as his hands roamed her body.
- Sweet death I hope, she replied with the hottest gleam in her eyes, before claiming his mouth as hers.
x x x x
Two days before Sophia's first birthday, Anna and John were sitting in their private apartment at the back of the Grantham Arms, chatting with Mrs Hughes and Miss Baxter. Anna had kept in close touch with the two women since their move from the Abbey. Mrs Hughes had sort of endorsed a grand-mother role to the two children, and even Miss Baxter felt a bit like an aunt to them. Anna and Phyllis had been close friends ever since their common story more than two and a half years before. Lady Mary also sometimes came to visit with George, and the two boys enjoyed playing together.
- So, how are my two favourite little people doing? asked Mrs Hughes as Anna was serving them tea.
- Good, good, she answered. Peter is growing up so fast, I'm having a hard time keeping the pace to sew him new clothes…
Being adequately nourished had indeed done wonder on the boy, who didn't look any more like the skinny little lad he was when they had met him. He had grown like a wild flower, and was now a sturdy four years-old, with round cheeks and solid limbs. He had also proved himself to be a very clever and intuitive child and never ceased to amaze and exhaust his parents by pestering them with millions of questions.
- And Sophia is about to take her first steps. She keeps pushing chairs around the house, we are spending all day putting them back into their place, laughed John.
- I can't wrap my head around the fact that she's already one year-old, marvelled Phyllis. It seems only yesterday you brought her at the Abbey, this tiny little thing in her pram…
- Tell me about it, replied Anna. It has been one heck of a year…
- But a happy one, makes a nice change for once, said John.
- And with the happiest ending too, added Mrs Hughes. When are you going to the courthouse?
- Actually, later today. We have an appointment at half past four.
Mrs Hughes was referring to the Bates' appointment at Ripon's courthouse, to make the children's adoption official. It had been a year-long process, but they were finally close to being legally Peter's and Sophia's parents. Mr Murray, Lord Grantham's attorney had taken care of the paperwork. John had protested, and demanded to pay the legal fees for the procedure, but Lord Grantham had refused to hear about it, arguing that it would be his leaving present to the Bateses.
Indeed, night had fallen over Ripon and Christmas lights were glowing in the streets, when John and Anna made their way out of the courthouse later that afternoon. Eyes gleaming with joy and cheeks hurting from smiling, they started going down the outside stairs, when Anna suddenly said:
- Let's go celebrate! Let's have a hot chocolate with cake in that nice teashop there, would you like that Peter?
- Yay, cake! yelled the boy happily, clapping his hands.
When they were all settled around a table in the cosy and warm tea-shop, and steaming chocolate mugs were brought to their table, John lifted his cup and announced:
- Right, so let me propose a toast, to our marvellous and now legal children, Peter William John Bates, and Sophia May Bates!
Both John and Anna's eyes were shining with happy tears as they clicked their mugs together. Peter, who had meanwhile dug into his chocolate cake, looked up and lifted his mug too:
- I wanna click too, Daddy!
John clicked mugs with him, when the boy turned to Anna, asking:
- And Mummy too!
Tears were now running free on Anna's cheeks as she happily clicked mugs with her son.
THE END
To those who had not recognized, the title "Into your darkest hour" comes from the Pretenders' song "I'll stand by you", which I think is very appropriate to this story
"Take me in into your darkest hour, and I'll never desert you, I'll stand by you"
I dedicate this story to all the women throughout the world and ages who have had to deal with an unwanted pregnancy (be it from rape or otherwise). I'm glad to live in a country and day that would allow me to deal with it as I wish and safely if I ever found myself in this situation. I wish the same was true for all women, and unfortunately there's still a very long way to go.