A/N: Sorry for the delay on posting this. It was my first time writing a really long scene between Charles and Elsie and I wanted to make sure I got their characterization right in a modern setting. I hope I did it justice and you all enjoy it. I left this on a bit of a cliff hanger as the chapter was getting really long and I had to split it in two, but I should be able to post the other half this weekend. A big thanks to A-Lady-To-Me for helping me out again with this. I'm trying to incorporate other characters from the show a bit here and there. Please review, they make my day and I'm glad to see you all are enjoying the story so far.

Chapter 6

John hadn't seen Anna since that night, but they had managed to text each other back and forth a few times and share a phone call or two over the last three days. They would talk about anything and nothing for as long as they could, both thoroughly enjoying the sound of one another's voice and taking great pleasure in knowing what the other was doing. He even asked how Aidan was feeling and offered to help her in any way he could. As touched as she was by the gesture she was adamant that she could handle it on her own. Anna had still been dealing with Aidan's flu and John was more than willing to give her space to take care of her son while he was sick. He had insisted that as soon as she was free he would take her out for dinner so that they could get to know one another a little more. John even suggested that she could bring Aidan along if it was more convenient for her. It was settled, as soon as Aidan was fully recovered and she was able, they would meet up after work for their first date

"You seem very jovial," Robert said as he entered John's office.

"Do I?" John asked coyly.

"Well, you certainly seemed happier than most during that sham of a contract negotiation meeting. Care to share?" Robert asked.

John pretended to seal his lips with an imaginary zipper and lock it with a key before throwing it away.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with a Miss Anna Smith would it?" Robert prodded.

John sat in his chair shaking his head in a 'no' motion as he refused to give up any information.

"You two looked awfully cozy at the charity ball…or so I heard anyway," Robert teased as he fished for more information. Sometimes he could be as bad as one of his gossiping daughters. John crossed his arms now and put his feet up on the desk holding firm to keeping their relationship private. "Alright, fine. Have it your way. Let's talk business then," Robert said as he sat across from John. He fiddled with his tie for a moment, "Do you think we have any chance at still getting Pamuk to sign on?"

"I don't know, he seems all for it. It's your daughter that I have to wonder about. She hasn't seemed keen to the idea of signing on Pamuk since I first broached the subject when I arrived here. And now that he is seriously considering signing on with us, she seems even more against it," John observed. "She was less than…warming," he said as he chose his words carefully. As much as he loved his friend's daughter, he knew Mary was often the hardest to love. She was always so careful to distance herself.

"Well, that's Mary. You can almost never read her true feelings on any subject matter. God help poor Matthew," Robert said as he headed over to the mini fridge in John's office to pull out a drink.

"I thought you liked Matthew," John said.

"I do. He's a great guy, good head on his shoulders, and he treats Mary like a queen," Robert said.

"So what's the problem?" John asked.

"Look, I love my daughter with my whole heart, but even I know when to admit that she can be stubborn or difficult at times. But, love is blind I guess. Sometimes we are only willing to see what we want to see in people," Robert surmised. "Don't tell Mary I said anything about this to you," Robert ordered playfully, "…or Edith for that matter. My God! I'd never hear the end of it."

"Mum's the word," John responded. Knowing full well how Robert's two eldest daughters would have reacted to their conversation. "Getting back to what you were talking about, I suppose the world would be a very bitter place if only those who were easy to love ended up with one another," John speculated. "Maybe that's why opposites attract. We need someone who is light hearted and full of faith to pull us non-believers out of our miserable slump and teach us to love again."

"Maybe," Robert said as he held the drink in his hand and took a long swig of the ginger ale he'd found in the fridge. "Well, that's enough sappy talk for the day. Are you joining Cora and I for dinner tonight?"

"I'm going to have to decline again," John said as he winced. Cora had always been so good to him, even on his worst days and he didn't want her to feel like he was putting her off. "I promise we will soon, but I have other plans for the evening," John said quickly, hoping he hadn't sounded to giddy to attract his friend's attentions.

"Seeing your Mum again? How is she doing?" Robert asked.

"Mum is doing very well thank you. But no I'm not seeing her tonight," John answered truthfully.

"Then where are you headed?" Robert asked.

"I've got a date," John said proudly. "I'm probably speaking out of turn…it's still early and I don't want to jinx it. I can't reveal anything more than that."

"Bravo! She must be something special if you are worried about jinxing it. I won't say another word on the subject but if things go well, I expect to meet this girl. We should go on a double date," Robert proposed.

Knowing full well that if they went anywhere together Aidan would most likely be tagging along, John smirked at his friend's suggestion. "Well, let's just see how this goes and then I can let you know about future outings."

John had no doubt in his mind that things between he and Anna would work out, but he would rather error on the side of caution and continue to move slowly.

Anna looked up at the clock above the swinging door that led to the kitchen for what must have been the millionth time since that morning. It was just past noon and the day was moving at a slow crawl. She was nervous. Tonight was the night. Aidan had been feeling better for two days and she had finally agreed to meet up with John for coffee and see where things went. Sticking with their original plan to take things slow and keep things simple, John suggested he could meet her at the restaurant and they could go to a place of her choosing since she knew her way around London better.

Working hard was not a foreign concept to Anna; in fact, she preferred it to keep her mind from wandering. Yet she found it was doing little good at the moment. She had never really been courted before, certainly not like this. Sure there had been boys that had fancied her as a teenager, but those interactions were always so awkward and hardly memorable. At least, they were not memorable for the right reasons. Both parties were so eager to impress the other that they were more focused on their own actions rather than the other person's. The boys were, more often than not, driven by their hormones and lacking in their ability to express anything resembling a genuine, emotional connection. Anna had decided to give up on dating until she had arrived at university. She had hoped that once there she could finally meet someone that was more her speed; someone who acted more like a man than a boy. She thought she had found that in Henry, he was her first serious relationship. He was also her last.

She was removed from her thoughts when her phone vibrated and she pulled it from her pocket long enough to swipe the screen and saw a text message from John, "Is it just me or is this day going by painfully slow?"

She smiled at the message and quickly typed back, "It is. I feel like a child waiting for Father Christmas to arrive."

Anna collected the last few empty plates from a table and collected her tip when she felt the phone go off again. She waited until she headed to the kitchen so that she was out of sight of the customers. She was thankful she had when she broke into a fit of giggles at his response, "Is that a crack about my age? I'm not that old you know :p" Anna used her hand to stifle her laughter as she held her stomach with the other hand.

"And just what is so funny Miss Smith?"

Anna quickly shoved the phone back into her pocket and looked up to see Ms. Hughes standing in front of her. "Sorry Ms. Hughes. I was just checking my phone, in case it was about Aidan," she apologized. Anna began to grab a fresh set of napkins to set at the table she had just cleared.

"It's quite alright my dear girl. Is he alright?"

"Oh, yes quite. In fact, it was Mr. Bates, the man that…"

"Yes, yes, I know who he is," Ms. Hughes said as she pulled Anna aside like they were two old girlfriends. "He's the one that came in here asking about you and was the one that brought you home the other night. What's he doing contacting you?" Ms. Hughes asked, even though she already had her own theories.

"We're going out tonight," Anna answered back shyly, "He's coming by later to pick me up." Anna now twisted one of the napkins nervously in her hand. "Before you get any ideas, it's nothing serious. We're just having coffee and seeing where the night takes us."

"Nothing serious yet," Ms. Hughes corrected with a mischievous grin on her face.

"I'd imagine things would develop more quickly between you and my father, than they would for myself and Mr. Bates," Anna said in a teasing voice.

"I wouldn't hold my breath," she replied sadly. "Your father…bless his heart…he is a good man, but he doesn't love me that way," Ms. Hughes said. "You have to promise me something, Anna," she said as she held the younger woman's hand in her own. "Don't be like your father in the ways of love, don't close yourself off because you had you had one bad experience. I don't know this John Bates well, but he's certainly off to a good start and you shouldn't let life or love pass you by when it's staring you in the face. Remember your mum was a single mother too when she met Charles."

Anna swallowed hard and felt the nervous feeling that had plagued her stomach all morning melt away for a moment. It was of some comfort to know that in the short time she had shared with her mother she was able to be a great role model. She couldn't have asked for a better mother and her mum couldn't have chosen a better man than Charlie. Perhaps she could take a page from her mother's book and look for those same qualities in John Bates. "Thank you, Ms. Hughes. You've been most helpful," she said sweetly.

Ms. Hughes gently squeezed her hand and gave her an understanding smile. Anna flashed a thankful smile back at the woman whom she had come to love and respect like she would her own mother. The unspoken bond that existed between the two women went far beyond friendship. The truth was it went beyond that of a mother and daughter. There was so much that Anna needed to thank the older woman for that she knew she would never be able to begin to repay or even put into words. Ms. Hughes had always insisted that no thanks were necessary and that she wanted to help, it was her way of honoring Alice.

As Anna began to walk away she felt a bout of dizziness come over her. She clutched onto a door frame with her hand but managed to compose herself when Ms. Hughes asked, "Are you sure you alright?

"I'll be fine," Anna said as she pushed her way through the swinging door.

It was going on three o'clock now. Aidan would be finishing up with school soon and her father would be picking him up to spend the evening at his home. Bustling around the restaurant trying to help Ms. Hughes, Anna wiped at her brow with the back of her sleeve as she felt the sweat beading there. Another customer began to rattle off an order to her, but she was having trouble focusing on his words. She asked him to repeat himself once more and she sped back into the kitchen to hand it off to the cook, Mrs. Patmore. She was about to head back out onto the floor when the assistant cook, Ivy stopped her. "Anna there's a phone call for you," Ivy said as she held the phone up for her to take.

"Thank you, Ivy," Anna said as she held a hand over the receiver. She returned her attentions to the phone once Ivy was out of ear shot. "Hello," she greeted.

"Anna, it's me," Charlie's voice echoed over the phone. He sounded out of breath and flustered, "I can't watch Aidan tonight, I think I've gotten his flu. I'm so sorry. I don't think I'll be able to pick him up either."

"Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that, Dad. Are you alright?" she asked. Her voice was filled with concern and she was already trying to work out arrangements to have Aidan picked up since her shift wouldn't end until five o'clock.

"I'll be fine. I feel horrible though. I promised to take him to the hobby lobby to pick up some more army men," he said and a cough soon followed.

"Oh Dad, you're not to worry. God only knows he's got more than enough army men. I will try to stop by after work to check in on you," she offered. "I can bring you some of your favorite soup and pie," she suggested in a cheerful tone.

Charlie could almost hear her smiling through the phone and it warmed his heart. He treasured the rare occasions when he could hear the happiness in her voice or a hearty laugh. Aidan seemed to have the gift of making her smile at the drop of a hat, but not Charles, not anymore. "I'd like that. But only if it's no trouble. I wouldn't want you going out of your way for me," he said in a regretful voice. "It's just a small fever and a stomach ache. It should go away in no time."

"I'll be there. You can count on that," she said. "I should get going, I need to finish up my shift."

"Of course, I didn't mean to keep you from your work," he said as he prepared to hang up the phone.

"Dad…I love you."

"I love you too. I'll leave the door unlocked for you," he said.

She hung up the phone and Ms. Hughes gave her a questioning look. "Dad's sick. He won't be able to watch Aidan tonight; I'll need to see if Sybil can keep an eye on him after school. After work I'll pop by Dad's to bring him some food and make sure he doesn't need to go to the doctors."

"Do you think it's that serious?" Ms. Hughes asked.

"I hope not. It sounds like he just got the bug that Aidan had," Anna said.

They both heard a familiar ding of the bell go off, indicating another plate was ready for pick up.

"I'll ask Mrs. Patmore to put a meal together for you," she offered.

"Thank you. I better get back out there before my tables start complaining," Anna said. She reached under the heat lamps to pick up the three plates that were ready to be distributed and pushed her way through the door to attend to her tables.

It was nearly five o'clock. She had managed to get a hold of Sybil and she agreed to watch Aidan for as long as necessary. She was even kind enough to offer to drop him off later. Anna was grateful for that, it would be hard enough keeping an eye on her father without Aidan running around demanding her attention. Her father was known for being one of the most difficult patients when he was feeling under the weather.

Anna slipped into the freezer for a moment to pull some of the meat out to start defrosting it for the next day. It felt good to stand in there and let the cool air envelop her body; she'd felt like she had been burning up all afternoon. She hadn't even had a chance to call or text John to let him know what was going on. Work had been busy and she'd spent most of her free time trying to arrange for someone to pick up Aidan after finding out Charlie wasn't going to be able to. She retrieved her phone from the pocket of her apron and saw that she had managed to miss a few texts from John and instantly felt horrible for not responding sooner. She scrolled through them.

"I hope you know I was only joking earlier. I can't wait to see you tonight."

That one made her smile inwardly. She stared at it a little longer before scrolling to the next message.

"Are you alright? I haven't heard back from you. You're probably busy with work. I'm sorry I don't mean to be a bother."

She shook her head. The poor man had probably been beating himself up all afternoon.

"I still haven't heard back from you. I just wanted to let you know I might be running a little late. I got pulled into a meeting with a new client. I shouldn't be more than a half hour behind. I can call you as soon as I'm out."

Anna considered his last message. Maybe it would be better to reschedule for another night, but considering she hadn't responded to any of his earlier messages she wondered if he was even still looking forward to tonight. What if he thought she was just trying to get out of it? Was that what she was doing? She was cursing herself now for letting her fears get in the way of what was developing between herself and John. Anna quickly typed out a message explaining what was going on and promised to call him later. Unfortunately, he probably wouldn't get it until he got out of his meeting. Anna exited the freezer and placed the meat on a rack in the refrigerator and felt the day catching up with her. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach and took a deep breath hoping it was just nerves.

Ms. Hughes came around the corner and saw the condition of the poor girl standing in front of her, "Anna, are you feeling all right? You're as white as a sheet."

She tried to nod her head in a 'yes' motion, hoping she could convince herself that it wasn't as bad as she was feeling. But after working herself as hard as she had been and being on her feet all day she found that she barely had the energy to stand anymore, "Actually Ms. Hughes, I don't feel well at all. I think I may have caught what Aidan had. I can make it through the rest of my shift it's only another half hour."

"You most certainly will not. You will head home this instant and get yourself to bed," Ms. Hughes insisted.

"But John is supposed to meet me here…and I still need to stop by my Dad's house to check in on him," Anna argued. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath and held her stomach tightly.

"You call John and let him know what's going on. If he makes it here first I'll fill him in on what happened. I'm sure he'll understand. I can stop by to drop off the food to your father and check in on him," Ms. Hughes suggested.

"You really don't have to."

"I insist."

Anna sighed forlornly, "Alright, I'll go clock out and head home."

"Good girl. I'll call you later to let you know how your father is doing and if you need me to check on you later or watch Aidan just let me know," she said.

"Thank you Ms. Hughes," Anna said as she shrugged her coat on.

The elder woman walked up to her and gave Anna a hug before smoothing out her hair. "It's not a problem. You take care of yourself."

John sat in the meeting trying to concentrate on what Robert was talking about with Mr. Pamuk, but he knew he had already been sitting in the meeting for more than a half hour. As soon as both parties were engaged looking over the proposal John had outlined and the contract that Matthew had written up John used his left had to move his sleeve back far enough to check his watch. Just as he suspected, he was supposed to have left a half hour ago to meet Anna, he was not off to the greatest start with her. And after she hadn't responded to his earlier text messages he was beginning to worry if she was having second thoughts. He stared at his watch a little longer; the meeting was showing no sign of ending soon. John let out an exhausted sigh as he slid his sleeve back into place. He clicked his pen nervously as he looked out the window in the direction of where the restaurant was. If there was any chance she was still looking forward to seeing him, he hoped she wasn't too disappointed that he was running late.

John heard a tapping and turned his head to his right when he saw Tom Branson pointing to a piece of paper on the table and slid it over. John leaned over to read it, "What's got you so preoccupied?" He looked up to make sure they weren't attracting any attention from Robert or Kemal and scribbled something down on the paper and slid it back.

Tom pulled the paper closer and read, "I'm running late for a date with Anna." Tom nodded his head in understanding and proceeded to scrawl another message down before sliding the paper back once more.

John paused for a moment and feigned writing something down that Robert said before looking at what Tom had written out of the corner of his eye. "Sybil text me earlier to cancel our date. She's watching Anna's son because Anna's father got sick with the flu. Anna was taken ill too." John's eyes widened in response; that must have been why he hadn't heard from her earlier. She had probably tried to call him or text him later in the afternoon, but he'd been stuck in this bloody meeting instead. He couldn't check his phone now. If she was taken ill she must have gone home, rather than wait around for him. He'd have to go there after work to check on her. John looked up at Tom and thanked him with a nod and a smile as he tucked the paper into his writing pad.

Anna had just gotten home and had gotten into her pajamas. The change of clothing had instantly made her feel more at ease. There was a fresh pot of tea boiling on the kettle and she used what little energy she had left to pick up around the house before Sybil dropped off Aidan. After arriving home safely she telephoned her son's teacher to let her know there was no need for both of their date night's to be ruined. Now that Aidan had already gotten past being sick, she wouldn't have to worry about him catching it again. Anna threw a shawl on over her shoulders to keep herself warm. She debated letting her hair down and combing it out, but decided against it, opting to keep it in a loose braid until bed time. She slid her feet into her slippers to protect her against the cool hard wood floors and grabbed an extra blanket from one of the closets so that she could make herself comfy on the couch.

She hadn't been able to get out to the grocery store earlier in the week. "Looks like we'll be eating cereal for dinner tonight," she said aloud to no one in particular as she rustled through the pantry. She knew Aidan wouldn't mind but it wasn't anything substantial, although if she were honest with herself she wasn't particularly hungry at the moment either.

Just then she heard a knock at the door, followed by a very persistent ringing of the doorbell. She'd know that impatient attitude anywhere. She made her way across the flat, hearing the chatter of the little boy through the door and undid the slide chain on the door. She was immediately greeted with a cheerful face and a "Mummy!" as he launched himself into her. The little boy wrapped his arms as tightly as he could around her waist, "Ms. Crawley took me down to the ice cream parlor and the park after school."

Anna looked up at the younger woman with raven hair and kind blue eyes who had doted on her son since day one. She couldn't have asked for a better teacher for her son, always so patient and kind. Even better, was that Aidan loved her just as much as she did. "Well, that certainly was nice of her," Anna said with a smile as she rubbed circles on his back and pressed a kiss into his hair. He was talking a million miles a minute as he recounted every detail of his day to her; Anna could hardly keep up with what he was saying.

"And then she let me ring the door bell!" he reported with a smile.

Anna feigned pain in her ear as she teased him, "Yes, I heard that doorbell from a mile away."

"Mummy, can I show Ms. Crawley my toys?" he asked. She was just about to answer him when Aidan turned his attention to Sybil, "They aren't the new ones my Grandpa promised to get me, but they are still good."

"Why don't we let Ms. Crawley get going and you can show me your toys?" Anna suggested.

"Ok," Aidan replied enthusiastically as he flung his backpack by the door and it fell over with a thud.

He started to run off, but not before Anna stopped him, "Aidan. Shoes."

"Sorry Mummy," Aidan replied as he took a seat on the hardwood floor and began removing his shoes to place in the basket by the door.

"And your backpack goes in the closet little man," she reminded him as she ruffled his hair.

"Yes, Mummy," he said as he chucked the backpack into the closet, and then proceeded to run off towards his bedroom.

Anna rolled her eyes exasperatedly before returning to her conversation with Sybil. "I'm sorry, I hope he wasn't too much of a handful," Anna apologized to Sybil.

"It's fine," Sybil quickly assured her. "Aidan is actually one of my better students; he's just on a bit of a sugar high right now from the ice cream. I'm sure he'll settle down in a few," Sybil said as she hoisted her purse up a little higher on her shoulder. "He's been doing really well with his letters and numbers. He's very advanced for his age. You should be very proud with the wonderful job you are doing," she praised.

"Thanks. I needed to hear that every once in awhile. There are days when I have my doubts," Anna answered back and coughed a little into her sleeve.

"I hope you feel better soon, if you need me to watch him again while you recuperate let me know," Sybil said as she turned to head down the small set of stairs that led from Anna's doorstep.

"Thanks again, Sybil!" Anna called out and waved to her friend.

"Anytime!" Anna shouted back from the car window before driving off.

Aidan came back into the room with a tiny shoe box filled with his most prized collection of toys and picked a spot on the couch to sit beside Anna. He smiled proudly as he lined them up neatly on the table in a specific order before inviting her to join him.

"Well kiddo, looks like it's just me and you tonight," she commented.

"You aren't going out tonight anymore Mummy?"

"No, sweetheart."

"How come?" he asked innocently.

"Mummy wasn't feeling very well and Grandpa got sick too. But we'll both be better in no time my love," she explained and noticed his face had fallen.

"Did you get sick from me?"

Aidan, although a very happy and well adjusted boy, could be very sensitive at times. He was always so intuitive with the feelings of those around him, especially when it came to his mother. His pediatrician had suggested that it may have been caused by excessive stress during her pregnancy. As a result, Anna was always considerate and cautious of the things she said to Aidan; not wanting to cause any further anxiety. She looked into his deep blue eyes and saw that he was already coming undone. She stroked his cheek with the pad of her thumb and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I think so, but it's not your fault. Besides, it just means that now I get to spend time with you watching our favorite movies and working on puzzles or coloring together," she said in the most joyful tone she could muster. "What do you say to having some cereal for dinner?" she asked and a wide grin erupted on his face.

Across town Elsie Hughes made her way across the tiny yard to Charles's door with a bag full of goodies in tow and held her coat tightly to her as the wind whipped about wildly. She was sure her hair would look a mess by the time she reached the door, but she supposed it didn't matter since Charles wasn't interested in her. Anna had told her earlier the door would be left unlocked but that didn't mean she wasn't going to keep some sense of decorum as she knocked politely on the door.

She heard a voice travelling from inside, "I said I'd leave it unlocked!"

As she walked in she averted her eyes just in case, "I just wanted to be sure she called out!"

"Ms. Hughes," he replied as he quickly covered up using his robe. He was only wearing a white t-shirt and some loose fitting pajama bottoms, the former making it very easy to see the hair that was spread liberally across his chest. "I was expecting Anna," he said.

"Yes, well I guess that means she hasn't gotten a hold of you yet. She is also sick. I sent her home early from the restaurant and told her I'd stop by to make sure you had enough provisions to get you through the night," she stated.

"I'm fine. It's just a minor stomach ache and fever. I don't need you hovering around me," he said dismissively.

"That may be, but I made a promise to Anna and a promise I shall keep," Elsie said as she unwrapped her scarf and hung it on the hook of the coat hanger before removing her coat.

"Well, we both know how well you keep your promises don't we," he shot back in an accusing tone.

Under any other circumstances she would have been furious at him for such an implication and would have given her a piece of her mind. But this time she knew she couldn't argue. She had hurt Charles in the past by trying to keep him safe from the truth. She contemplated just leaving the bag there by the door and leaving, but she knew her love for him would prevent her from doing such a thing. No matter how hard he pushed her away, her feeling for Charles would still remain.

"What have you got there?" Charles asked as he gestured to the bag.

She held up her hand to show him the bag of food she had brought over for him, "I've brought your favorite soup, your favorite pie, and some cold cut sandwiches for when you are feeling up to eating more solid food."

"That's very good of you, but it won't be necessary. I'm a grown man and I can take care of myself," he said before letting out a loud cough. He was pounding on his chest with one of his fists in an effort to loosen whatever it was he was trying to cough up. Meanwhile he held up his free hand to keep her at bay so that she wouldn't catch his cold as well. "See, fit as a fiddle," he said in a mocking tone. His hair was a mess and he looked as though he'd been sweating through most of his clothes. He looked pale as a ghost and his the way he stood hunched over made it look as if he'd fall to the floor right now if she wasn't standing in front of him.

"What you need is a nice warm shower to ease any body aches you have and some water or juice. We have to keep you hydrated. If you can do that I'll warm you up some soup and bring you dinner in bed," she said.

"I don't need a baby sitter," he said resolutely.

"I'm well aware of that fact. And I'm not trying to baby you," she countered, "But for heaven's sake will you let me help to care for you." Elsie gave him one of her wicked glares; the kind where her eyes narrowed almost to the point of being closed and her eyebrows bunched together. He was almost certain she was clenching her fist as she held that bag of food. Finally he gave in and headed to the bathroom. She began unpacking the food on the counter and pulled out a pot to reheat the soup when she heard the shower head spring to life.

A few minutes later he called across the flat, "Elsie! I need a towel. Can you please get me one?"

She lowered the heat on the burners to the 'warm' setting and headed back to the other end of the flat. "Grown man my Aunt Fanny," she mumbled under her breath as she opened the hall closet door to find a towel.

As she began to turn the door handle and push in he quickly slammed the door shut, "Excuse me, I'm naked in here!"

"Well cover up for Heaven's sake!" she nearly shouted out of frustration.

"With what? I just asked you for a towel," he shot back.

"Well then it's your own damn fault! You just asked me to come by, how else was I supposed to get the towel in there? Shimmy it under the door?" she argued.

At a loss for words, Charles popped his hand out in the tiny crack between the door and the frame and grabbed the towel from her hands before quickly retracting his arm and the towel. She could hear him muttered some profanities under his breath as she looked to towards the sky and whispered, "Lord give me strength."

It had taken some convincing, but Elsie finally got Charles to climb into bed and eat some of the food that she and Mrs. Patmore had put together. It seemed his fever was getting worse and he was only becoming more irritable. Nevertheless, she stayed and read to him and would laugh softly to herself as she watched him try to fight off sleep. Occasionally, she would stop and insist that he drink some more water or tea, but when he finally dozed off she went on reading silently to herself. Only the sound of the large grandfather clock in the hallway kept her company as the minutes ticked past. The faint muffled sounds that were carried out by the old wooden radio he had in his room played some of the classics that reminded her of better days.

The house was still as Alice had left it, almost everything still sat in the sample place it was in before she passed. It was so quiet that she became lost in her thoughts and mulled Charles words over earlier; she couldn't help but think how they had arrived at this point in their lives.

She missed her friend dearly as she stared at the picture on Charles's bed side table. Alice had the same eyes and hair as Anna, same dainty frame, and was just a little shorter than Anna stood now. She remembered how Charles had always looked like a giant ambling beside her friend, yet there was something about the height difference between them that she always found so endearing. One look in his eyes and you could tell he was absolutely head over heels in love with her from the beginning. Even as tiny as she was, she wore the pants in the family, for a little while anyways. Originally she had only offered to help Charles out of obligation to Alice; she could never have foreseen that her friendship with Charles would grow into something more. At first it had seemed wrong to act on their feelings; he was suffering from a broken heart and raising the child Alice had left behind. And she was engaged to Joe Burns, a country boy that had come from the same town she had and owned a farm in Scotland. She had become so consumed with helping Charles, working through her own grief, and running a restaurant that as the wedding drew nearer, she had no choice but to return the ring. She realized that her heart lay with someone else. She wrestled with her feelings for months after that, Charles had shown no romantic interest in her and she didn't know that she could consider being with a man that had been married to her best friend.

And then it happened. Suddenly all of the pieces had fallen into place. Charles had not settled with anyone else, Anna was full grown and leaving for university, and she had finally moved past the idea of loving the husband of her deceased friend. When Anna left, Charles was utterly hopeless; it was as if he had lost his way all over again. He began coming to the restaurant more often to find a friendly face and talk to someone while he ate. Over time he would stop in, even when he wasn't hungry. They made mostly small talk, but their eyes and gestured conveyed something more. Anna had been gone at school for nearly three years before they began sharing meals on a regular basis. While their rendezvous were becoming more frequent, their relationship was still moving at a snail's pace, but at least it was heading somewhere.

Then one night when the engine of her car refused to turn over, he had offered to give her a ride back home. Before they knew it one thing had led to another and they found themselves lying in each other's arms in her bed. It had happened so quickly, that neither could recall how it had started. It was a whirlwind of images: lips crashing upon each other for the first times like waves threatening to sweep them away, hands caressing one another frantically in an attempt to make more contact with bare skin, and clothes pooling upon the floor as they fell scandalously into one another's embrace. Their desperate moans became incomprehensible and their whisper of love filled the air. Charles's large, broad chest pressed up exquisitely against her back; his chest hair producing radiant sensations with each movement he made. When the erotic sensations had worn off, neither of them had any regrets; the curves of their bodies like two perfect circles entwined. So many years of ignoring their feelings for one another had led to that moment and it just felt right, like it was always meant to be.

Charles coughed in his sleep and was mumbling something that she couldn't quite make out. She was pulled from her thoughts for a moment as she looked over at him devotedly. Elsie noticed his salt and pepper hair was in shambles and she leaned over to smooth it out. When she did he turned his head further into her palm and sighed contently with his eyes still closed. His breathing had become more ragged since she arrived and every so often would let out a gentle snore. She removed a glob of Vicks VapoRub from a small canister using her index and middle finger and rubbed soothing circles on his chest. Charles nose twitched in response to the overwhelming smell and he stirred for a moment but fell right back to sleep. Elsie stopped to hold his hand for a moment and noticed he wasn't wearing his wedding band anymore. He always wore that band. He wore it for nearly thirty years. When had he stopped wearing it? What could it mean? Was he still in love with her then? Or did he feel like he had betrayed Alice when they had slept with one another?

She noticed he was sweating profusely from his forehead and his cheeks were turning crimson, she ran off to fill a small bowl with water and ice and rung the cloth of the excess water. She lightly patted his head and the side of his neck and he groaned slightly as his eyebrows knit together. "I'm …I'm sorry…" he said. For a moment she had let herself be fooled and thought he was apologizing for her. "Alice, I'm sorry…I couldn't help it."

Elsie sat in silence, still dabbing at his neck waiting to see what else he would say. She was disheartened; perhaps he really did feel that he had wronged Alice in some way. His eyes were still closed; it was possible he was still dreaming. Unless of course he thought she was Alice. He did have a fever after all, he could be delusional. She debated on whether or not she should respond to him, or try to wake him and correct him.

"I did my best…I couldn't protect her," he mumbled.

Elsie shot him a confused look now. She wasn't sure what he was talking about. "Who?" she surprised herself when she realized she said it aloud.

"Anna," he said clear as day. "I tried, but she won't tell me."

"Won't tell you what?" she asked in a voice no louder than a whisper.

"She won't tell me what happened," he said before succumbing to sleep again.

Elsie bit her lower lip as tears filled her eyes. The silence that filled the room was deafening and was threatening to choke the truth out of her. It broke her heart, what happened to Anna was the beginning of the end for them. She never meant to hurt him that way. By keeping things from him. By lying to him. By avoiding his questions. She remembered it all like it was yesterday.

Even though they had essentially skipped through the first five or so dates before sleeping together, they both felt a comfortable ease with one another. Charles had begun to court her properly after that and they mutually decided when Anna returned from university they would break the news gently. Elsie was certain that there would be no qualms from Anna. The younger girl had been trying to push the two of them together since she was eleven years old. Her mother having passed away nearly five years before and with Elsie being the only mother figure she had ever known, she couldn't understand why her father wouldn't have acted upon asking her out sooner. They would never have a chance to tell Anna about them. When Anna arrived on her doorstep asking Elsie for help. Begging for Elsie to help keep her secret. She had no choice. The one thing she could never tell him, about the person he cared for most in the world, would eventually tear them apart.