John walked Anna back to her shop, enjoying the stroll in the darkness. "It's beautiful here."

"It's why I love it." She took a deep breath, raising her shoulders with it, and let it out in a dramatic rush. "For as much as I love where I grew up and will always consider myself English, this place feels like where I was always meant to belong."

"I think we've all got places we belong and fewer people than we'll admit actually belong where they grew up." John sucked the inside of his cheek, "It's a poor man that's confined to stay forever in the realm of his nativity and never venture to the see the world just a step farther from his door."

"Who said that?"

"I think I did."

"It's beautiful." Anna smiled at him, "Do you read much poetry Mr. Bates?"

"More than I'd admit in a room where there are men imbibing in alcohols and singing merrily to the more bawdy of songs." John winked at her, "But enough to try and woo a few pretty girls to give me goodnight kisses."

"I hope you weren't bringing that out for me."

"I wouldn't dare suggest you'd kiss a man you barely know." John put a hand to his chest, "I may not stake any claim toward you as yet but I will be a gentleman and defend your honor."

"How noble."

"It's what real men do."

"Protect women?"

John sensed the tease in her comment, noting it in the twinkle of her eye, but he grew serious as he met her gaze and held it a moment before answering. "Respect women, Ms. Smith."

"What a marvelous idea." Anna extracted the key to the door and inserted it into the lock. "I think the men of this town could learn a thing or two from you Mr. Bates."

"I hope to learn a thing or two from them."

"But not as much as you'll learn from me."

"Definitely not." John agreed, stepping closer and lowering his voice. "Has there been anyone visiting your shop that you'd suspect as being against the Crawleys?"

"Those type tend to stay away from my shop." Anna waved him inside, turning up the wick on a lantern and lighting to rest on the table between them. "It's not a secret how I came to own this place and that I continue to respond to their needs as I see fit."

"Where would people like that go?"

Anna scrunched her face in thought a moment, "Ms. Parks tends to take all sorts there. She's a fine enough seamstress but she lives on the gossip more. There's also Ms. O'Brien, the head ladies maid at the Castle, who tends to swap stories there. She and Mr. Barrow, from the mine, are thick as thieves really."

"What would she have against them?"

"In reality the better question is 'what would any of them have against the Crawleys' since this group seems determined to do them harm." Anna sighed, "It's all down to the idea that people will always want what they can't have and endeavor to steal what they want from those who do have it. They desire that all may be miserable like unto themselves."

"Poetic."

"Accurate."

They stood in silence a moment longer until John nodded, "I've an early start and you owe Mr. Moseley his hemmed trousers by the opening of your shop tomorrow."

"I do." Anna sighed, "Though I do wish you and I could take a bit more time to know one another. I think it's been a bit since I had someone to talk to who didn't get nervous being around me or trying to make some sort of advance toward me."

"Given Mr. Moseley's nerves this afternoon I could see that being a problem." John shrugged, "But, for the moment, I believe our relationship will revolve around the mending you'll inevitably have to do for me."

"Inevitably?"

"I'm sure I'll tear some trousers or lose the buttons on a shirt and need you to help me repair them."

"Nature of your business?"

"It's not as gentle as yours."

"I don't know." Anna eyed her shop, "I deal with sharp objects and scissors all day so perhaps not as gentle as you'd think."

"Better than hammers, chisels, and pickaxes I guess." John extended a hand, "Thank you for your aid tonight Ms. Smith and I hope to continue this in the future."

"As do I." Anna gripped his hand, "And come back anytime. I've Mr. Matthew's fitting tomorrow and there's a host of preparations for the wedding on Saturday but otherwise it's all hemming and stitching and mending."

"You make it sound boring."

"It's not exciting."

"I've seen exciting in my life and when I was in the moment I thought it was something but…" John winced, "Too many moments like that and you start to wonder if perhaps the better path isn't the quiet life. One where the simple day-to-day is managed and handled in the same way everyday."

"Spoken like a man who saw the edge and walked back from it."

"Not sure all of me walked back from it but the parts of me that did are glad for it." John realized their hands were still connected and released hurriedly. "Thank you, Ms. Smith, for a very helpful evening."

"It was my pleasure Mr. Bates."

John dipped his head and exited the shop, walking the short distance to his room at the inn. Those still making merry on the ground floor barely troubled him as he ascended the stairs to his room. But when he opened the door his mood fell as swiftly as his smile.

"Hello Batesy?" A woman, sitting on the edge of the bed in just a nightdress stood at his entrance. "Not happy to see me I see."

"No, Vera, I'm not."

"Did you think I was just going to let you get away?"

"I had hoped." John closed the door behind him, "What are you doing here?"

"My cousins weren't willing to keep me in Ireland."

"What did you do to get sent away from them?" John waited, Vera's cold eyes darting away from him. "Did you steal from them too?"

"I may've done some things that didn't make them very happy."

"I'm sure you did a great number of things that made them unhappy." John shook his head, "Was it your grandmother who finally expelled you or did your cousins find the courage to rid themselves of your toxic presence."

"You always could be so unkind, Batesy." Vera's teeth gritted but John ignored it.

"I'm not trying to be kind, Vera, I'm asking what you're doing here."

"I told you."

"No, you said your cousins wouldn't keep you in Ireland." John shook his head, "How did you even find me?"

"I'm not an idiot, Batesy, I know the moment you had that telegram from your beloved Colonel you'd go wherever he called you."

"If you're about to make a comment about my dedication to my old war commander then perhaps you could remember he was there for me while you weren't."

"You left me for him so I would hope he was there for you given what you gave up to be with him."

"Don't make it sound sordid, Vera, you've not got the moral high ground to justify what you feel." John pointed at her, "Now answer why you're here."

"I'm here because I need a place to stay."

"A place to hide you mean?"

"That's cruel."

"That's truth, Vera." John sighed, "You only ever come to me when your lover abandons you or you need me for something but I'm done with it Vera. Just as I'm done with you."

"The divorce won't go through Batesy."

"It's already filed, Vera, and don't call me that." John moved past her, pulling his tie loose and opening the wardrobe to hang his jacket. "You need to leave and not come back."

"You're still my husband until the court actually gives you the freedom you seem so desperate to find." Vera snapped, "And I've a right to my husband."

"Not since I've already filed proof of your adultery with the court." John nodded at the widening of Vera's eyes. "That's right, I took you up on your taunt and finally obtained the proof."

"You're lying."

"No, I was resourceful." John waited, "I watched and I waited and I realized that there were other men out there who perhaps felt the way I did about you once they realized you did the same to them as you did to me."

"Who was it?"

"It doesn't matter who it was." John hung his jacket in the wardrobe and pulled his suitcase toward him. "All that matters is now you're not my problem."

"And what do I do?"

"I don't know and I don't care." John rested his hands on the back of the chair next to the small desk in the room. "That's… that's cruel."

"Not as cruel as things you've said before."

"I know." John hung his head a moment before lifting it to look at Vera. "Whatever we might've had once Vera we don't have it anymore. We've lost whatever it is that we thought we had and now we've got to move on."

"Where will I move?"

"You could find one of those lovers who might actually want you back and return to him." John pushed off the chair, "Whatever you're going to do, do it far away from here."

"Do you care so little for me?"

"I used to care a great deal for you but we both destroyed that." John shoved the chair back into place and popped the latches on his suitcase. "We're not those people any longer Vera and we shouldn't be those people either."

"Ten years, gone like that?" Vera snapped her fingers and John turned to look at her.

"You're going to make me feel guilty for this given that you're the one who found other people to fill your bed while I'm wasn't there?"

"You left me!"

"I was ordered to!" John shouted back, tossing his suitcase to the side where it crashed against the wall. "I followed the orders of the commanders and the King. That's what you do when you're in the Army."

"You could've left it for me."

"And risked prison?" John barked a laugh, "You left me for anyone when I was gone for a weekend. Do you believe that I would've come back to you, grateful that you waited for me, to see you excited for my return?"

"I guess we'll never know." Vera snatched her dressing gown from the bed and stuffed her arms through the sleeves. "When should I expect to return to the name you asked I leave for yours?"

"A few weeks." John shook his head, "I don't know how they'll tell you but you're welcome to keep my name if you want it."

"I wanted it more once." Vera let out a breath, "Now I don't know if I should've ever wanted it at all."

"We were too young and too impetuous." John muttered but Vera only let the door slam behind her as she left.

Dipping down to pick up his suitcase off the floor, John set it on the bed. He took a deep breath and corrected the contents now jumbled inside the straining constraints. As he filtered through his things he noted the small leather wallet at the bottom. Drawing it out John flipped the folding cover to snort at the photograph inside.

He tossed it onto the desk, "We're not those people anymore."

Anna adjusted the veil and pulled it out from the dress to let it fall softly. She walked around the standing woman, frowning and bending to quickly pull a bit of the fabric up and sew it into place. With a satisfied 'hm', Anna stood and faced the woman. "I think your dress is all ready… Mrs. Crawley."

"I'm not that until tomorrow." The dark-haired woman took a half turn, holding at the dress. "And you're sure Matthew's all ready?"

"I finished his fitting yesterday." Anna adjusted part of the sleeve, "And your dress will be waiting for you tomorrow morning once he's away from the Castle."

"I'm sure you'll get it there without a problem."

"Thank you Mary." Anna turned at the sound of the door, "If you want get yourself free of this dress then I'll deal with them."

"They're just buttons. I can manage those on my own." Mary waved her off, "Go and deal with your other customer."

Anna hurried out from the back room, clapping her hands together to alert the man standing near the window of her shop. "Good morning sir. How can I help you?"

The man turned to her, a smile over his face as he held up a shirt. "I've got a rather large tear in this."

"That's half my work and I won't begrudge it." Anna pointed him to the table and motioned for the shirt. "Let's see the damage shall we?"

With the shirt between them Anna clicked her tongue against her teeth, "This is rather abysmally treated."

"Hazards of my work I think." He managed another easy smile that Anna returned. "But I was told you have the best shop in Cardiff."

"That was nice of someone to say." Anna pulled at the fabric, stretching it and eyeing the rather large injury. "This might be a bit beyond my normal skill but I think I could have it repaired in an hour or so if that's alright."

"That's perfectly fine. I'm not due to need it until tomorrow morning."

"Good to know you've got spares." Anna took the shirt off the table and walked to the counter where she made a note. "I always struggle when men come in here with the only shirt they've got to their name and need it immediately."

"I believe in planning ahead."

"Do you?" Anna pulled the slip of paper loose and slid it over the counter with the pencil. "That's rather daring of you."

"I'm rather daring." He wrote down his name. "Should I let you have it until the morning or return later?"

"I'll be closing early today so I'll have it at noon." Anna took the paper back, "What a lovely name."

"Thank you, it was a gift from my parents."

"After Alexander the Great?"

"I imagined so but they never lived long enough to tell me." Alexander shrugged, "All I've got to remember them is the first name they gave me and the last name I inherited."

"By that last name I'd guess you're not from around here, are you Mr. Green." Anna pined the note to the shirt and laid it on a small pile.

"I'm from London."

"Been here long?"

"Arrived today."

Anna laughed, "And already damaged a shirt. I'd say that perhaps our fair city has something to tell you."

"I did the damage on the way here so I guess this city's my salvation." Mr. Green nodded at her, "As are you. An angel from heaven."

"I wouldn't know about that but I can fix a shirt."

"Given the state of your shop I'd say you do a right more than that."

"Perhaps, in future, you'll see the extent of my skills Mr. Green." Anna nodded at him, "I'll see you at noon with a finished shirt."

"Already looking forward to it." He dipped his head at her and left the shop.

Anna returned to the back, finding Mary carefully placing the dress to the side. "I see you managed the buttons."

"I did." Mary pulled her own dress toward her. "There was a moment of worry but I managed it."

"I guess the good news is you won't be alone to manage it on or off tomorrow." Anna took the dress, "You'll have me for the on and your sisters for the off."

"Edith's not getting near that." Mary pointed a finger at the dress in Anna's arms. "After what she did to that lovely shawl you made for me she's never touching another piece you've made for me."

"It was an accident, Mary."

"Not the point." Mary maintained, "I don't want this dress ripped or torn."

"Not until I rip and tear it to make your babies' baptismal gowns yes?" Anna smiled, patted the fabric. "I'll have it to the Castle this afternoon, after Mr. Matthew leaves for the evening."

"Oh Anna," Mary took a breath. "I'm so nervous about it all."

"I think you're supposed to be terrified." Anna shrugged, "You're about to change your life forever."

"I know but now that it's here I can't…"

"Believe it?"

Mary nodded, "Matthew's a good man and Papa trusts him and I know I made the right choice but, all the same, there's this roiling in my stomach I can't explain."

"Not having experienced the sensation myself all I can say is that you're probably going through the same fears and trepidations that a million women before and after you experience before their wedding."

"And after?"

Anna reddened slightly, "What I know about that I'm not supposed to know and what you'll find out you shouldn't tell me."

"Yes," Mary agreed, "Bad form."

"No go and enjoy your day. This is a time to celebrate."

"And you've other work to do."

"Unfortunately I must maintain this generous gift."

"Gift?" Mary huffed, "It was an equal repayment for services rendered. Who else was I to trust to help me move the body of that man out of my room?"

"I'm not sure but I'd rather you not have to trust me to repeat such an action."

"I'm getting married Anna. The only bodies coming out of my room from now on are those I wanted there in the first place." Mary finished restoring her appearance and took her hat from the chair. "It's just… it's amazing we made it here."

"I think it's a well deserved miracle." Anna led Mary to the front of the shop. "Now remember, enjoy this."

"I will." Mary and Anna kissed one another's cheeks before Mary left the shop, the door closing with a determined snap.

Anna took the dress to a mannequin and arranged it to fall as it would on Mary. Within a moment she had needle and thread weaving their pattern through the fabric, fixing it with the final alterations. As she sat back Anna let the smile go over her face. Her finest work.

"Fit for queen or fairy." Anna pulled at the sleeves, "And certainly fit for Mary Crawley."