A/N: First of all thanks for all the amazing reviews. There aren't any shared scenes with John and Anna in this chapter, but I promise there will be more in the next chapter. This chapter does introduce Mr. Carson to the story though and gives a little insight to Anna's past. A big thanks again to my partner in crime, A-Lady-To-Me. I hope you all enjoy it. Please review.

Chapter 2

John was staring out the window of his new office that overlooked the city, it was a lovely view he had to admit; he could see Big Ben, the London Eye, and the Thames easily from his office. John was now head of the marketing division at Grantham Public Relations firm and was working alongside Mary Crawley to expand their clientele and explore different social media resources as a way of broadening their customer outreach. Her fiancé, Matthew Crawley, who was of no relation but coincidentally shared the same last name, was head of their legal department for all contracts and negotiations. Edith, Robert's middle child, had taken up a position as a writer for their spin team and had some contacts with the who's who of the larger media outlets, allowing them to be ahead of the curve with determining up and coming trends and stories. Sybil, Robert's youngest, was a teacher and co-chaired the company's charities and oversaw event planning with her mother, Cora.

He leaned his palm against the cool glass as he stared off at the skyline and drifted off in his thoughts. He was supposed to be going over some paperwork to prepare for a presentation with Robert on a pitch for a new client. If everything went according to plan, it was going to take their public relations firm to the next level. It was for a Mr. Kemal Pamuk, the son of a wealthy politician who was being groomed to take over his father's spot in the political arena and was supposed to be the key to easing trade negotiations and keeping the peace in the Middle East. John found it hard to believe that so many things could be accomplished by what he could only describe, based off a quick internet search, as a spoiled, playboy that was riding on his father's coat tails and good looks. "Typical politician," John thought to himself. If he could land Kemal as a client and the young man managed to take office it would be great for GPR, but if he actually did something noteworthy to serve the greater good; well then it would place the future of the agency on very solid ground.

John was eager to please Robert as well as the new staff and prove that he was the right man for the job. He knew there had been some resistance to his hiring prior to him even walking through the door by two of the senior staff members, Thomas Barrow and Sarah O'Brian. At a small meet and greet, round-the-table gathering in one of the conference rooms both had refused to shake his hand or offer so much as a 'hello'. Robert quickly assured John that had either one of them been more qualified for the job he would have gone with one of them and not John. John's pull in previous agencies was what had landed him the position and not years of friendship. He smiled when he thought back on their friendship and how it all seemed kismet that he would end up here back where he started all those years ago; back in London, living close to his mother, working side by side with his childhood friend, and single again. He supposed that there was an upside to going back to where you came from and being single was becoming more of a blessing in disguise than it was a blemish in his mind.

He took a sip of the ginger tea that Daisy had brought in at his request and munched on a small piece of toast. Anna had been right; the combination had settled his stomach. As he finished off the cup he looked out the window in the direction where The Shop Around the Corner was located and thought back to their encounter earlier that morning. He wondered if the rest of her morning had gone well and what she was doing right now. He couldn't help but imagine that maybe she was thinking of him the way he was thinking about her. John admonished himself as it dawned on him that he hadn't even bothered to check if she was wearing a wedding ring. "What if this was all for naught?" He slumped back into his big, executive, swivel chair and let the head rest recline a bit before flinging himself forward to let his head hang in his hands just above his knees. His elbows were propped up on his thighs as he rubbed his eyes furiously with his furled up fist and then ran his hands through his hair in frustration. Just then a small knock sounded at the door, "I'm fine with the toast Daisy, no biscuits please."

Robert poked his head in and emitted a small chuckle as he stepped inside John's office. "Well I'm glad to hear you are getting full use of the kitchen staff here," Robert teased as he made his way toward the chair on the opposite side of John's desk. "Just thought I'd stop by to see how you were fairing on your first day."

"Not bad," John remarked as he moved the mouse around on the pad for a bit before his computer screen woke up. "I've finished up the power point, I have some figures that I projected we should be meeting for next quarter, and I put together a list of my top ten clients that I want us to go after," John summarized.

"Brilliant! Anyone I know?" Robert asked.

"I'm sure you've heard of them, but I'd be surprised if you knew any of them directly. The way I see it is even if we get half of this list we will be putting ourselves on the map to represent future clients by the start of next year," John said sounding optimistic. "I've got a few athletes, a couple Hollywood A-listers, and some up and coming locales in my sights," John said as he turned the laptop to unfurl the list to Robert.

"Well done, Bates. Well if your intuitions and sights are just as good as they were in the military I say we have a rather big year to look forward to," Robert said as he rose from his seat and extended his hand to John. "So glad we brought you aboard. I just wanted to wish you well before I left for the evening. I have to attend a family dinner tonight so that Cora and Sybil can unveil their next big project for the student-teacher outreach charity we are involved in."

"At least you'll get to eat some real food and not berries and nuts," John said playfully as Robert headed for the door.

"Not so sure about that. As an English man I like to stick with what I know and that includes the food that's on my plate. Sybil picked out some ghastly Indian restaurant on the other side of town where I'll be forced to sit on pillows, with my shoes off, while sitting across from her new beau, Tom Branson," he said with a roll of his eyes.

John couldn't help but laugh in response as he pictured his friend sitting the way he described and forcing the food down his throat so he wouldn't offend anyone.

"I'm already wishing I was eating the nuts and berries instead," Robert said with a sigh.

John was laughing so hard now that he nearly fell out of his chair as he held his stomach with his hand, "Phrasing!."

"Oh do shut up, or I shall force you to come with me," Robert threatened.

"I would if I could, just to watch you squirm," John said as he brushed a small tear that had escaped his eye from laughing so hard. "But I promised my mum that my first night back in town I would spend having dinner at her place," John explained.

"Be sure to tell your mother I wish her a good night then as well," Robert said as he gave John a wink. "It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back," John said with a smile. And for the first time in his life he actually meant it.

Anna stood in the kitchen that she had grown up in, remembering the few times she'd been able to spend with her mother, Alice, in this house before she passed. Not much had changed in the tiny home and Anna had been adamant that the kitchen stay just as her mother had left it unless change was absolutely necessary. Even though she didn't live at home anymore she loved coming to her childhood home to cook dinner for her step father, Charlie; it was therapeutic in some way and made her feel closer to her mother. Anna knew her mum would have been proud that she still kept that bond open and cherished the traditions that she had established of breaking bread at the table.

She began cutting up some tomatoes and carrots as she hummed softly to herself. Occasionally, she would glance out the window that was perched above the kitchen sink to check in on their family dog, Jasper. The poor thing was being teased by a family of squirrels that had taken up residence in the apple trees lining their little yard. He was barking like a lunatic as he ran laps back and forth, intermittently, to squat down in a pouncing position only to thrash his rope toy about wildly in irritation when he couldn't reach them. Anna shook her head in amusement as she laughed softly and remembered how crazy she thought her father was for getting the dog in the first place, but she supposed it had helped him deal with his loneliness when she had gone off to school. Her mother having passed away from cancer when she was only six years old, Charlie was the only father she had ever known. For awhile there had been talks of shipping her off to live with some distant relatives that she barely knew, but Charlie had put his foot down and insisted that he would take care of Anna. He recognized the importance of stability and consistency in the development of a small child and had already formed a father/daughter relationship with Anna in the short time he'd been married to Alice; from then on it had been just the two of them. The loss had been hard on both of them, but he had been a father to her in every way that counted and she would be forever grateful to him for that.

On a trip home for the holidays, to spend it with Charlie, whom she referred to as 'Dad', she had found that Jasper had already made himself very at home in Anna's old room. Charlie had discovered the black and white Australian Shepherd wandering the alley just outside the kitchen of the hotel and didn't have the heart to shoo him away. Anna had always know her father to be a softy, but she was quite surprised that after years of her begging for a pet he'd finally gotten one on his own while she was away. Of course when she had confronted him about the animal he maintained it was meant to be for her, but deep down she knew that Jasper was his dog.

Anna placed the diced vegetables into the bowl full of lettuce as she wiped off the cutting board in the sink and smiled gently when she heard the sound of a child's laughter accompany the joyful barks. She began cutting some onions and a cucumber when the screen door at the back of the house slammed shut, causing her to jump out of her skin. Instinctively she gripped the knife tight in her hand and felt her heart nearly beat out of her chest as she held her breath and tried to push and old memory from her mind. It had just been a flash, but the reminder left her reeling and she could almost feel the sting upon her face as if it had just happened yesterday. She felt a hand on her shoulder and immediately dropped the knife before turning around, but not before letting out a gasp.

"Anna?" the deep, steady voice of her father spoke as he looked down at her with concern.

Anna moved her finger under the faucet quickly and watched the water that spiraled around the drain slowly fade from red to pink. "It's ok, it's just a small cut," she said softly, trying to make light of the situation. Still holding her hand under the water she used a free hand to reach for a kitchen rag draped over the handle of the stove.

Charlie grabbed the first aid kit that was in the cabinet above the refrigerator and pulled the antiseptic out and the band aids. "Here take a seat," he ordered in his sweetest voice as he led her over to the kitchen table. He pulled a chair out for her only to push it in once she was seated and took up a place beside her. He rolled up his sleeves and used a disinfectant gel to clean his own hands. Charlie held out his hand for hers and she reluctantly placed her hand facing up in his palm. "Let's take a look then shall we?" he said with a raise of his large eyebrows that often reminded her of two caterpillars.

Charlie Carson was in his mid sixties and had salt and pepper colored hair. It had at one time been black as night, at least that's how Anna remembered it, when she had first met him as a little girl. He'd always been big to her; standing over six feet tall he had easily towered over her then and was still a good foot taller than her. Though the years had worn on him he was still just as strapping as he was in his younger days and with his broad upper body he could have filled a doorway with ease. Anna had seen photos of him when he used to play sports; he was always the largest player on the team. His hands being much larger than hers could have swallowed them up in his grasp. As a child she had always loved how he would effortlessly hoist her onto his shoulders and would conceal her completely when he held her in his loving embrace. Charlie had always treated her with tender care, she would always think of him as her 'gentle giant'.

"It's really not that bad, Dad," Anna insisted while being mindful of the chicken that was still cooking in the skillet.

He stopped mulling over her cut long enough to say, "Now listen here young lady. I've been tending to your wounds since you were a little sprout and I don't have any plans of stopping now. I haven't lost a patient yet." He'd always had the kindest eyes and the best intentions where Anna was concerned. He sprayed a bit of the disinfectant over the wound and wiped the edges down with a dab of peroxide for good measure, "Well, we won't have to amputate, it's only a minor cut, but I insist that you let me finish doing the cutting for the remainder of the evening."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. You just surprised me," she said as she turned back to look at the vegetables she had been working on before.

"There's nothing to apologize for. Accidents happen," he said and noticed that she winced at his words. He waited a moment as he saw her get lost in her thoughts.

She had heard those words before in a more sinister voice from someone that she had thought she could trust and love. "Accidents happen." The voice played over in her head.

"Are you alright?" he asked in his usual deep baritone

"Uh huh," she replied sounding none too convincing, but Charlie chose not to push the matter. He'd seen her do this before; avoidance was something she had become accustomed to since she returned from university all those years ago. It tore his heart in two to see her like this; she never used to be so skittish or withdrawn. She had always been one to hold her head high, to give off the impression that she could take on the world, and was ready to fight anyone's battles. Somehow along the way, when she left for school that had all changed. It wasn't as if he ignored it. He had broached the subject with her before, but at the mere mention of it she had broken down in tears. That was nearly five years ago. He never brought it up again after that. The passage of time seemed to have improved things, but it certainly hadn't restored her to the Anna he had come to know and love as a child. His Anna, who had embodied so many of her mother's features and qualities; the one who had been so full of laughter and always ready with a wide toothy grin. Nowadays she walked around like she was constantly looking over her shoulder, almost like she was running from something.

"How was work?" she asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"It was the same as always, just different people staying at the hotel," Charlie replied softly as he looked over the newspaper Anna had left on the table for him. He half heartedly read some of the headlines in the paper as he observed Anna; she had her back to him once again and was focused on the food in the skillet as she checked to see that it was cooked all the way through. "Something sure smells good," he said in a light voice.

"Its Mum's lemon chicken recipe, I pulled it from her recipe box," she said with a smile.

"Ah, one of my favorites," he beamed as he folded up the paper to save for later.

"I know," she said with a loving smile. "I also made a salad to go with it and Miss Hughes sent me home with a Dutch apple pie." Anna looked up this time to see her father's reaction to the comment. "She said she knew it was your favorite."

"That woman is determined to ruin me for all other women," Charlie joked as he lightly patted his belly. "I don't know why she feels she always has to take care of us," he grumbled.

"Well she was good friends with Mum before she passed away; I suppose she feels she's doing what Mum would have done or wanted her to do. She's been like a mother to me and she is Aidan's godmother. She's a kind woman; it's not really any mystery that she feels the urge to reach out and help. Besides, she is sweet on you, you know."

"I highly doubt that. We've known each other for ages. If she wanted more from our relationship she certainly hasn't made it obvious," he said as he stood up and grabbed some lemonade from the refrigerator.

"Hasn't she?" Anna asked teasingly. When her father rolled his eyes at her, Anna shook her head at him in disbelief. If he was being serious he must have been completely oblivious and if he was joking she certainly couldn't understand his reasoning for not returning the sentiment, or at the very least letting the woman down gently.

"Besides, what would she want with an old man like me?" he asked.

Anna turned the chicken once more and added the lemon zest to the pan with a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkled on the salt and pepper. "Oh I don't know," Anna played a long with a teasing tone. "Good man like you, with a good job, full head of hair, and a sense of humor," she added as she smiled back at him. "You're right, the woman should be committed. There are clearly no redeemable or noteworthy qualities there," she said and they both burst into a fit of giggles. Anna turned the burner down to the lowest setting to keep the meat warm and added a piece of garnish. "Enough chit chat, dinner is ready."

"Shall I go fetch them then?"

"Yes, they'll both need to wash up though. They were playing in the mud earlier," she added as she grabbed a stack of plates from the shelf and brought them down to set the table. Anna mixed the salad one last time and began placing little piles onto each plate, then moved on to the chicken to cut up the meat, and pulled the pie from the fridge to place it in the oven and warm it. She grabbed the silverware and placed a set at each chair before grabbing the glasses. Then she heard the shuffle of feet coming in through the laundry room and turned to find Jasper bolting past her to lap up water from his water bowl and proceed to his dog food bowl, only to return right back to Anna with puppy dog eyes, begging for food. Anna looked past him to watch her father come in with a little boy in tow. He was clad in a tiny towel that she had pulled from the clothes line earlier that she had tied around his neck and secured with a clothes pin, "Did you have fun, Superman?"

"Yes, Mummy," he said as he ran to Anna and gave her a tight squeeze around her knees. The top of his blonde covered head barely reached her waist and she stroked the top of it until she had smoothed the hair back into place. She bent down to his level and placed a kiss on his forehead and tapped his nose with her index finger, "What would you like to drink little man?"

"Can I has some chocolate milk? Please Mummy," he begged as he lightly tugged at the hem of her skirt. When she didn't agree right away he looked around nervously as if trying to find some other way to get her to give in to his request. "I won't make a mess," he added to sweeten the deal.

Now how could she resist a request like that? "Oh all right you can have some," she corrected, "but only because you were such a good boy for Auntie Gwen this morning."

"Hooray!" he cheered and Jasper was immediately jumping around the kitchen as if celebrating a victory with him.

Anna rose to her feet completely and smiled at her father as he began grabbing the plates to serve at the table and mouthed 'thank you' to him for helping her. "Let's take off your cape," she said as she began to help him out of it. "Go take your seat next to your granddad and I'll put some chocolate milk into a big boy cup for you," she instructed and lightly patted his bottom as he ran off to the table.

Anna fumbled with the keys for a moment, nearly dropping them twice as she tried to juggle the load in her hands, before finally getting the door open. Once the handle was turned Anna used her hip and foot to hold it open as she muscled her way in. Anna gently shut the door behind her and slid the chain lock into place before turning the dead bolt as well and set the alarm; she felt herself relax instantly once it was all in place. She slid her flats off with ease and lowered her purse onto a small decorative table by the entry way. Anna still had her jacket to contend with but that would have to wait until she had a free hand. The child still clung to her with his head cradled against her shoulder, his soft snores serving as proof that he was still fast asleep. She didn't dare attempt to turn on the lights and risk waking him. Instead, she resorted to squinting her eyes and prayed that he hadn't left out any toys, even after her earlier sweep of the small flat before leaving for work. It wasn't much but it was a place of their own and they had made it their home. From the paint colors and pictures on the wall to the tiny toys meticulously lined up on the coffee table.

Anna silently cursed herself when she passed the small sofa in the living room and was reminded that a pile of laundry still had to be folded and put away. Toys strewn about had become the norm, no matter how much she tried to pick up after him. She had quickly found that when it came to raising a boy a misstep on a single Lego or miniature army man could be just as painful, if not worse than a broken finger nail. Yet, somehow she managed to avoid his giant toy dump truck and collection of marbles without making a sound or breaking her neck. She also circumvented all the creaky floor boards that would have otherwise roused the child from sleep.

She finally made it to the door of the little boy's room marked in bright, colorful letters with the name 'Aidan'. Anna used her feet to sweep aside any other landmines on the floor that might be lingering about and placed him down on the bed covered in dinosaur sheets and a matching comforter. She fished through his dresser drawers for his favorite army men pajamas and slowly undressed him so that she could slip them on. After tucking him in, she reached for the night light on the side table and turned it on as he had recently developed a fear of monsters hiding under the bed. As she sat there holding one of his hands in her own and stroked his hair away from his face she watched the shadows that danced along the walls; mindful that none of them looked like anything that could be construed as a monster. She silently prayed that the only monsters he would ever come to fear were those in his imagination; hoping he would never learn the truth that the real monsters were everyday people.

Sitting by the side of his bed, Anna stared at him for a moment: rosebud lips, long eyelashes that grazed his cheek, straw thin hair that was straight as a pin, and thin eyebrows. She had been lucky that he had inherited most of her features; even his eyes and smile mirrored her own. His hands and arms still had a bit of baby fat on them and she relished the fact that he wasn't growing up too fast. Of course if she had her way she would keep him like this forever; Aidan was so curious, innocent and full of joy. She went to place a kiss on his cheek and marveled at the way he managed to smell like an interesting combination of cookies and dirt. Anna continued to ponder how she had gotten so lucky to have a beautiful, smart, perfectly healthy, little boy. How something, or rather someone, so indescribably perfect had come from such a rotten situation she would never fathom. But there it was. She couldn't imagine her life without him, no matter how many sleepless nights she had to endure on her own or spilled glasses of milk she had to pick up. Aidan was her light in the dark.

Anna kissed him again and pulled the blankets up around him a little more before picking up Mr. Bear and setting him in his rightful place at Aidan's side. She checked that his bedroom window was locked and closed the closet door all the way before putting away his dirty clothes in the laundry basket. As she began to walk out the door she turned around and stopped to whisper, "Good night my angel. Sweet dreams."