A/N: Oh my gosh! I was overwhelmed by all the amazing reviews from both the Banna and Chelsie shippers. So I must apologize for not having more Chelsie scenes in this. I swear a date for them is on the horizon but everyone wanted closure between Anna and her father so I figured I should tackle that first. I'm so glad you all are enjoying this story. A big thanks again to A-Lady-To-Me for helping me out where I was having difficulties with this chapter. Please review.

Chapter 12

John had barely slept a wink that night. He had become quite accustomed to insomnia since he was a child but the exhaustion he felt this morning was more than just physical. Since he had learned of Anna's past, a plethora of questions had gone racing through his mind. How could someone do that to someone else over and over? What kind of man does that to a woman he claims to love? What would compel Anna to stay in a situation like that as long as she had? Numerous times his mind began to tread in troubled waters as he contemplated how he would find the man that did this to her. To his Anna. He didn't think twice about how he would dispense justice himself and make the bastard pay for what he did.

Yet every time he began to lose himself to such dark thoughts he would feel Anna shift violently in his arms as another nightmare took hold of her. She thrashed about with her hands bundled into tiny fists, even managing to catch him in the side once. This continued until she woke up naturally, often in a cold sweat and with tears in her eyes. It served as a reminder that he had to focus on her and not the perpetrator. When she remembered where she was and was ready to receive him, she fell into his open arms and let him lull her back to sleep.

Now he understood why she didn't want Aidan to sleep with her. She didn't want to frighten him or for him to get an inkling that something was terribly off. How she had managed to keep it all together for Aidan amazed him. Thankfully Aidan hadn't asked too many questions that night when he tucked him into bed. But he was sure there would be some when Aidan woke up and realized that he had stayed the night. It was a rule Anna had been willing to bend given the circumstances. It wasn't as if they had slept together, it had been completely innocent. He had fallen into bed with his suit pants, undershirt, and socks still in place. She had insisted he could strip down to his boxers if he wanted, but it just didn't seem right after everything she had been through. At first she had been content just lying in his arms but as the night drew on she clutched at his shirt in her sleep almost to keep him from leaving.

John had fallen asleep somewhere around three in the morning and awoke, still sitting upright as the sun began to peek through Anna's window. His arms still wrapped around her as she slept peacefully. He nearly fell back asleep himself until he noticed the little person staring at him from the end of the bed. "Aidan?" he whispered in a voice still filled with sleep.

The little boy stared back at him unblinking as he fiddled nervously with his bear.

John raised a finger to his lips to indicate to keep quiet so that Anna could sleep a little longer. He slid out of bed undetected and stretched his neck, knowing he would pay dearly the rest of the day for sleeping in such a state. Thankfully they hadn't done anything more that night or Aidan might have walked in on a very different scenario. "What are you doing up little man?"

Aidan looked back toward Anna to see why she wasn't awake yet as she snored gently. He finally looked back at John. "I have school at 8:00," he answered in a small voice.

John rubbed at his eyes and drew his hand slowly across his face. "Right," he said quietly to no one in particular. A quick glance at the clock told him he was supposed to be at work soon as well. There was no way he would be fully functioning today. He would have to call in sick but Anna could use the rest of the day to herself. He picked Aidan up and began to get him ready for school.

As John prepared Aidan for school he was suddenly grateful Anna didn't have a little girl. He wouldn't have known where to begin when it came to styling hair or picking out whatever dress she may have wanted. Instead he let Aidan pick out his clothes, which was actually rather amusing. He even let Aidan dress himself, save for putting the shoes on the wrong foot. John made sure he brushed his teeth and combed his hair as Aidan got himself ready for the day.

John made him some bacon and eggs, which normally Aidan wouldn't eat. But when Aidan found out John would be eating them he immediately agreed to partake in dining on the same food as him. John was rather surprised that Aidan hadn't mentioned anything about why he was there or why he was taking him to school. But perhaps it was best he didn't ask. To be honest he didn't know how he would answer such a question. John slid a small plate with food on it in front of Aidan and poured him a glass of orange juice in a 'big boy' cup. "Now eat up so you can grow big and strong," John encouraged. He turned the burner down and removed the frying pan to one of the other burners to allow it to cool.

"Like you?" Aidan asked.

John had to chuckle at that remark; not thinking much of his physical appearance. But clearly Aidan, and Anna for that matter, saw something he didn't. He figured he had better humor the boy or they wouldn't make it out the door in time. "Well yeah," John answered back as he flexed his bicep for Aidan.

Aidan laughed in response and took a bite of his eggs. John sat down beside him and dug into his own plate before catching Aidan trying to flex his muscles. John lightly squeezed his arm and exclaimed, "Whoa you're already getting bigger!"

"Really?" Aidan asked in disbelief.

"Oh yeah. Growing right before my very eyes," John said enthusiastically. This seemed to satisfy the little boy. John's words elicited a smile from Aidan that reached his eyes as he returned to eating his food.

John looked on proudly as he dabbed at his mouth with a napkin and said, "Aidan, I didn't get a chance to tell you the other day, I was very proud of you. You did a great job at your game."

"I did?" Aidan asked, his voice nearly cracking as his curiosity increased.

"Well of course you did. You helped your team score a goal. That's quite an achievement," John said as his hands waved about wildly. "You should be proud of yourself," John added.

Aidan lowered his head to look at his lap, "I thought I did something wrong."

"Why would you think that?" John asked immediately as he placed a hand on Aidan's shoulder.

"Because Mummy left the game and got angry with you and Grandpa," he reasoned.

He had wondered what Aidan thought about that day. John was sure Anna had done everything she could to make sure he didn't feel at fault, but clearly Aidan still felt partly to blame. "I'm sorry about that kiddo," John said. "I can guarantee, it's nothing you did wrong."

"Was it something you did?" Aidan asked.

"Well, yes and no," John said as he carefully planned how he would explain this to Aidan. John rested his elbows on the table and wove his fingers together as he leaned in closer to speak to Aidan. "I gave you some bad advice at the game the other day that I shouldn't have. And I should have listened to your Mummy."

"Oh," he answered back simply.

"I told you to give as good as you get when that boy on the field knocked you over and that's not the right way to handle ones problems. Now, don't get me wrong I want you to stand up for yourself and not let others push you around. But you should use your words to talk to others and let and adult take charge of the situation," John explained. "Do you understand?"

"Uh huh," Aidan answered back. "But why did Mummy yell at you and Grandpa?"

"She...she was just scared."

"Scared?" he repeated back with wide eyes.

"Yes, scared that Grandpa and I would confuse you and teach you the wrong thing. It's because she loves you fiercely and wants to protect you. You are the one thing that your Mummy is the most proud of, she just wants to make sure you become a respectable young man when you grow up."

Aidan's mouth formed a hard line as he considered what John had just told him. He looked as though he wanted to ask something more but instead picked up his fork and shoveled some of the food into his mouth. They ate in silence for a little while longer before Aidan took a big gulp of his juice and asked, "Is Mummy sick?"

"Well, she's not really feeling herself today," John said. This seemed to concern Aidan as he looked back towards Anna's bedroom. John noticing the change in his demeanor tried to put his mind at ease, "You ever just have a day where you don't feel like going to school? "

Aidan shook his head, "No, I love school."

Of course Aidan did. John smiled to himself, he should have known he wouldn't be let off the hook so easily. "Well are there any kids or teachers you don't like at school?"

Aidan hesitated for a moment then silently agreed with a nod of the head. "Do you wish some days you didn't have to see them and could just stay home? " John asked trying to break this down into the simplest terms he could think of.

Again Aidan agreed as he drank some more of his juice.

"Well Mummy just doesn't feel like leaving the house today," John explained.

"Oh," Aidan replied as he stared at his half eaten plate of eggs. John returned to drinking a cup of tea before Aidan fired off his next question, "So who does Mummy not want to see?"

John furrowed his brow together before answering honestly, "I don't know."

Just as he suspected, he had managed to slip out of the house and back in undetected. John had felt rather helpless the night before as Anna slept fitfully. He was glad he could at least afford her a proper lie in and a day free from having to take care of Aidan. He even had time to stop by his flat for a change of clothes and grab his doppel bag so that he could take a shower and freshen up. He began to put away the few dishes he had dirtied in his efforts to make Aidan breakfast and got a fresh pot of tea brewing for when Anna woke up.

Suddenly, he felt a familiar pair of hands languidly work their way around his middle only to interlock just below his waist. Her warm body pressed up against him, as her head came to rest on his back. "Well good morning, sleepy head," John greeted kindly as he turned the water off and placed the last dish on the drying rack. "I wasn't expecting to see you awake for at least another half hour," he said. John turned in her arms to face her and Anna looked up at him sweetly as she stood on tip toes to reach up for a kiss. He accepted the soft touch of her lips against his and was mindful of his hands to not pull her in too tightly, lest he scare her off. When she pulled away and he opened his eyes he saw that she was still clad in her navy blue pajamas, with her fluffy, grey robe tied around the waist loosely. Her hair was a little less than kempt, but he rather preferred to see it down than up in a bun or a ponytail as she often did when working at the restaurant. The circles around her eyes were a little less prominent than the day before and her eyes were back to their sparkling selves.

"Actually I have been awake since Aidan came into my room," she pointed out. John looked disappointed that he hadn't been able to keep her from waking up. "It's not your fault at all. The perks of motherhood," she said with a grin and a small shrug of her shoulders. "I can hear him getting out of bed now from down the hall."

"God help him when he's a teenager and attempts to escape for a night out. I hear the warden is a tyrant," John joked. Anna playfully punched his shoulder.

"Yes, she can be. But I hear that letting her sleep in will earn you a lighter sentence," she replied with a cheerful smirk. "It was good of you to offer to take him to school. I was just going to let him stay home with me today."

"I'm sorry. I should have checked with you first."

"It's perfectly fine. He needs to keep to his routine, otherwise he'll begin to ask questions. Questions I wouldn't even know how to begin to answer," she said with a thoughtful look. She was playing with his shirt, tracing lazy circles on his chest that were driving him mad. She was quiet for a few seconds before saying, "I overheard what you told Aidan about the game and about me."

"I guess my days in espionage are numbered then?" he teased.

She giggled slightly and the feel of it her chest vibrating against his was almost too much to bear, but he was so happy to hear it. "I guess so. Double oh seven you are not, my good sir," she replied good-humoredly.

"That's a shame, he always gets the girl," John pointed out as he let his hands rub up and down her arms soothingly.

"Call me crazy, but I think you already got the girl," she replied with tongue in cheek. "Have you seen yourself in a tux lately?"

He had to smile at that before kissing the tip of her nose. He moved a loose hair behind her shoulder and pulled her robe a little more tightly around her to keep her from getting cold.

"Thank you for coming to my defense and not giving me away."

"There's no thanks necessary. You did nothing wrong and there is nothing to defend," John said as he stroked her cheek and kiss her once more.

"I know that it's only a matter of time before he really begins to press for more answers about the identity of his father and why he isn't around. But I am just not ready to answer those questions yet. I don't suppose I ever will be," she said sadly.

"Try not to be so hard in yourself. Aidan is a good boy and he's lucky to have a mother like you."

She couldn't explain why, but even with him standing in her arms she was already dreading when he would have to leave. The last few days at home by herself had been torture; she had resigned herself to the possibility that she had lost John. Now that she knew he was willing to stand by her; the idea of him walking out the door, even to go to work, was a little daunting. "I suppose you will have to be leaving to go to work soon?" she asked nervously.

"No, I called Rob and told him that I would be working from home today," he said.

John immediately noticed how her features lit up at the sound of his little announcement. But almost as quickly as it had happened it faded as she came to a realization and asked, "You won't get into trouble on my account will you?"

"No. The only ones that will probably throw a fit are Thomas and O'Brien. But the rest of the staff will soldier on without me," he explained with a hearty chuckle. Then came the hard part. He hated that it had to come at such an inopportune time, but there was no way out of it or around it. "I have to head out of town on a business trip with Robert in a few days," he said regretfully. "I told him until we leave I would be gathering all my paperwork and putting together all my presentations from home. I want to make the most of my time with you... and the little one of course." He could already see the anxious look settling itself on her face. "Unless of course you don't want me to go."

"And what will you do? Leave Robert in the lurch while you stay here and babysit me?" she asked.

"No, I didn't meant it like that," he said.

"I want you to go. You've been working on this for weeks. It's only fair you should give the presentation. If you don't go, then what?" Anna asked. She didn't even give him an opportunity to speak before starting up again. "Thomas will fill in for you and either do a horrible job and you'll lose the client. Or he'll do a great job and come out the hero. Either way it will not look favorably for you," she reasoned.

"I just want to be sure…" he began to speak out of concern.

"I'm not made of glass John. I survived on my own for five years before we were together. I can handle a couple of days," she overruled him. But just to show that there was no hard feelings she pulled him closer and kissed him on the lips once more.

God she could be distracting when she wanted to be. But John wouldn't roll over so easily. "Did you talk to your father yet? " he asked.

Anna's hands froze in place where they had been mindlessly fiddling with John's shirt buttons. "No," she answered quietly.

"Anna," he nearly scolded.

"I will," she argued back.

"He's been worried sick about you," John reminded her.

As if she needed reminding. Her father had been worried about her since she first returned home all those years ago. It had dissipated and he asked less questions, but being a parent herself now she knew the worry had never gone away. "You don't think I know that," she replied back harshly. "It was hard enough confronting you with this and you're the love of my life," she confessed in a feeble tone.

He wanted to smile at that, but couldn't manage one.

"Now I am sure that he knows after years of me hiding the truth from him. What am I supposed to say to him?"

John sympathized with her predicament but he couldn't help feeling bad for Charlie either. The poor man has been left out of the loop for years and all he wanted was to make sure his daughter was alright. "If Charlie is anything like you, you won't have to say a word. He only wants to be there for you. But the only way you are going to begin to heal is to talk about it. No more secrets, love," John said as he hugged her tight. "I need you to promise me."

Anna mulled it over as she melted into his arms, wishing she could bury herself his chest. Even though they weren't in the clear just yet, it felt good to know that John was aware of her situation. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders when John found out and it had been a bigger relief to discover he was still on her side. When she felt his hand against the back of her head she spoke up, "I will. This afternoon after I pick up Aidan. He's long overdue for a visit with his grandpa anyway."

"That's my girl," John encouraged as he kissed the top of her head.

"Now, let's not waste anymore time. I want us to spend as much time together as we can before you have to go," she insisted with a smile.

"You okay?" John asked as they pulled up to Charlie's house.

"Uh huh," she mumbled nervously as she smoothed her skirt. Her eyes remained fixed on the floor of the car the entire ride over. He had noticed she has been fidgeting with the hem of the fabric since they left her house. Her anxiousness had only become more noticeable since they picked up Aidan from school.

Not wanting to worry Aidan, John simply placed his hand over hers as he had the evening before. He stopped her hands from shaking, but she still sounded out of breath and he hated that someone had made her feel so small and powerless. "I'm here with you, every step of the way," he confirmed in hushed tones.

Anna smiled back weakly at him before turning her head to look up at the house she had grown up in. She had never feared this place before, it had always been her safe haven. She knew Charlie was not like Henry, far from it in fact. It was the rejection she was worried about, the fact that trust and honesty between them was gone. She had done that when she had asked Elsie to help keep her secret. He should have been the first person she turned to, but she had been so worried of what he would do to Henry and what would happen to him as a result. She couldn't bare the thought of losing him when she had already lost so much. Now she could only wonder how this would change things between herself and her father, despite John's assurances that things would remain the same, she couldn't help but think otherwise.

"Mummy are we going in yet?" Aidan asked as he pulled at his seatbelt.

She took a deep breath and squeezed John's hand as they prepared to get out of the car. "Yes, sweetheart. Are you excited to see your grandpa?" Anna asked as she unbuckled Aidan from his seat.

"Yup!" he said enthusiastically as he tore off towards the house.

John's hand found hers as they walked up towards the house and she felt her breath even out. Perhaps he was right; this wouldn't be so bad.

She stood across the room from him with her arms crossed. Charlie cleared his throat nervously, wondering if he should speak first or if he should give her some space and let her come to him. He took a seat, hoping that by making himself appear smaller it would allow her to come a little closer and open up to him. As he eased into the chair he visibly noticed her shoulders relax and moved towards the chair across from him, but instead of sitting in it she stood behind it using it as a shield. Charlie frowned at this, but tried to keep a smile on his face hoping that it would allow her to continue.

In all her years of knowing him she had never felt so distant from him; things had never been so strained between them. The room was incredibly quiet, almost eerily so, but then she was reminded that life moved on. She could hear Aidan laughing in the backyard, Jasper barking like a lunatic, and John calling after Aidan. John had offered to be there with her when she spoke to Charlie, but she had declined. As much as she appreciated the gesture, she had to do this on her own. She owed her father that much. At the end of the day, she was glad John was there to keep Aidan distracted while she faced her father.

"Anna…" he began to speak, but she quickly stopped him with a gesture of the hand.

"Please, just...just give me a moment...and I'll tell you," she said. A photo on the mantle caught her eye; one of her and Charlie on her tenth birthday. She remembered that day so well, he had taken her to go see 'Swan Lake' at the theatre because she had insisted she was going to be a ballerina. He had gotten her a set of ballet shoes and a leotard so she could start classes. Eventually, she gave up on the dream but that day had always held a special place in her heart. Her father had gone out of his way to make sure she had the best birthday ever and sat through that entire play even though he wasn't a fan of ballet. The photo was one of him standing proudly behind her at a restaurant as she blew out her candles on a piece of chocolate cake. Her hair had been french braided by Mrs. Hughes that night and she had helped pick out Anna's outfit at the department store. Anna had felt so loved that night, that for a moment she had forgotten that her mother wasn't there. Now, more than ever, she was glad her mother wasn't here to see this.

"No amount of apologies can take away the pain and suffering I must have put you through. My secrets and lies have not only created a wall between us but I know it ended whatever existed between you and Elsie. If only I had been braver…" she managed to get out before the tears began to spill out. Anna bit down on her lip, willing herself to keep talking, she really hated the idea of crying again. "I know Elsie told you what happened. And I want you to know that I wanted so badly to tell you everything. But I knew you'd stop at nothing to find the man that did this," Anna said with absolute certainty.

"I wont tell you who he was," she said as an image of Henry flashed in her mind. She shook the thought away and swallowed hard. Anna could tell by the hard line that formed on Charlie's mouth that he wasn't happy with this decision but refused to say anything on the matter. Instead he let her continue to divulge what she felt she could. Anna thought her throat might dry up just thinking about it all. "Only that I met him at school. He was nice, in the beginning, someone I could picture myself spending the rest of my life with," Anna said with a forced laugh. God what a fool she'd been Anna thought to herself. "I didn't think to leave him in the beginning because it started as verbal outbursts and he was always so quick to apologize," she said. "It would be weeks before he'd say or do anything again, I chalked it up to the fact that he was under a lot of pressure at school or that I must have done something to set him off," Anna continued. She wasn't making excuses for him or herself, but Anna remembered John's words. He said she had to come clean to move on.

Charlie found it hard to believe that Anna could have done anything to warrant such a punishment. And even if she had, it wouldn't have excused the bastard's behavior. No one deserved to be treated in such a way. She could barely look him in the eyes as she spoke and that hurt him more than ever. Anna had never had trouble talking to him before and now they may as well have been meeting for the first time. John was right, she had changed in just a few short day; but he wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it for himself. She'd always been thin of course, but she seemed frail and withdrawn. She had flinched when he had greeted her at the door and raised his arms to hug her. He closed his eyes as she spoke, not because he couldn't bare to look at her, but because he was reminded of how she acted when she first returned from school. He knew he should have pressed her for more information then or even during that last visit home during the holidays. Maybe he could have ended her torment sooner.

Charlie couldn't help himself, he couldn't keep quiet any longer. He had to ask, "I guess I can understand why you didn't come to me. But why didn't you leave him sooner?"

Anna shrugged her shoulders and let out an exasperated sigh, "I wish I knew." She was distracted by the sight of John carrying Aidan on his shoulders as he ran around the backyard with Jasper winding around his legs. Anna worried for a moment that the dog might trip them or that John might drop him on accident, but she had to remind herself that she had never felt safer since meeting John. "You'd probably think me crazy, but the first couple times I believe his apologies, and thought he was serious when he said he'd change for me." For a split second John's eyes met hers through the window and she felt the tension in her chest subside. "Towards the end I wanted to leave, but…"

"But what?" Charlie asked.

For the first time since they entered the sitting room she looked up at him and held his gaze, "I honestly didn't know if he'd let me. I wasn't sure I'd survive."

The weight of the situation hit him like a brick wall, he was at a loss for words. Charles gripped the arm of the chair harder as the tears formed in his eyes. She had been fighting for her life and each time she had put off his visits he had accepted her excuses that she was too busy with school. When she had locked herself away in her room on her last holiday break claiming she was behind on essays and had to study for exams he didn't fight her on the matter. Now he realized she had been avoiding him; afraid he would notice something was amiss or worse that he would see the marks the man who claimed to love her had left behind. "What made you leave?" he finally asked.

"Aidan," she said firmly.

Charles mouth dropped at the sound of her words. Elsie had told him Anna hadn't found out she was with child until after she returned to Downton. "You knew before?"

"I had a feeling. The last time he hit me," she still had to be careful not to say his name. She wouldn't give her father or John any evidence to go on. "I thought I'd lost him...Aidan that is," she corrected herself. "I don't know why but it brought me to my senses that he'd never change. I could never raise a child in that sort of environment. I guess I reasoned that if it was going to all come to an end, at least it would end with me and not with a defenseless child," Anna said with conviction.

Charles looked at her now and all he could see was the shy little girl that he'd first met when she was about Aidan's age. With that Charles could restrain himself no more, he rose from his chair and held his arms open as he walked across the room. "Oh my sweet girl," he said as she stared at him nervously.

Why did it seem harder, having him know more than anyone else? It was because she loved him so much, because he had never turned his back on her or stopped loving her. From the moment he had met Anna, Charles had given her his full heart and gave nothing but love in return. To close herself off from him, even if it was just part of her heart, for all these years had been like an act of betrayal. She didn't feel worthy of his love anymore. And yet here he was saying without words that all was forgiven. No. That there was nothing to forgive. The past was in the past and he wanted nothing more than to right what time had tried so hard to tear apart.

When Charlie finally reached her and Anna felt the comfort and solidity of his frame that was holding her up, she could actually sense her muscles slacken. All the anxieties and negative energy that she had bottled up came rushing out of her and she cried on his shoulder uttering "I'm so sorry, Dad," over and over into his chest. Charles had always been a strong man, but he had never felt so weak and helpless as he did in that moment.

He didn't know what to say, but he knew not responding wasn't an option. Charles wouldn't let her feel alone ever again or like she couldn't turn to him. "It's alright, I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere," Charlie said as he pulled her close. The last time she had ever cried this hard was when Alice had passed. It was after the funeral when the last guest had come to pay their respects, Anna had clambered up onto his lap and cried in his arms asking him to bring her Mummy back. It had eaten him up inside that he couldn't do something more to make her feel better, and today was no different. For the last five years he had convinced himself that if he knew what was bothering Anna he could make things better. How wrong he had been, to think he was capable of such powers. At least now there were no more secrets between them. He would help in any way she asked him to, be it needing more space or more love. Charles would make it up to her somehow.

When John came inside to fetch a jacket for Aidan he saw Anna and Charlie emerge from the sitting room. He couldn't quite read the emotions on their faces but he had faith that Charlie had been every bit the supporting father that he believed him to be. John noticed Anna swiping a tear from the bottom of her eye before giving him a half-hearted smile as Charlie placed a hand on her shoulder and gave Anna a gentle squeeze.

"Is everything alright?" John asked softly.

Anna silently nodded her head automatically as she tugged at the sleeve of her sweatshirt. She sniffled a little bit and Charlie handed her a tissue from a nearby box so that she could dab at her eyes.

John bit down on his bottom lip wanting to say something, but he didn't want to say anything more on the matter in case Aidan came in from the back yard and saw her fall apart again. He had made mention of it earlier in the day that she should see about seeking professional help and she had rebuffed the idea. She insisted that too much time had passed and that she was handling things just fine. While John didn't doubt her strength, he feared that the revelation of her past would open old wounds for Anna and that she would struggle for some time to come. This was particularly worrisome for John when he was reminded that he wouldn't be here with Anna for the next few days. Sure, Charles and Elsie would be on hand to help her, but he also knew that Anna could be especially stubborn when it came to handling things on her own. Perhaps, a little prodding from Charlie or Elsie would get her to reconsider her decision.

"It's almost dinner time, will you be staying?" Charlie asked as he looked down at Anna.

"John brought us here in his car," Anna stated.

"And?" her father asked.

"Well, if Aidan and I stay to have dinner who will take us home?" she asked.

"Why? Does John have to go somewhere?" Charlie asked with a friendly smile aimed at John.

"No," John answered quickly. "But I don't want to intrude on your family tradition either," he said.

"Nonsense. You are Anna's beau and as far as I'm concerned you are already part of the family," Charlie stated firmly. Anna looked up at her father like he had just given her the greatest gift in the world. "So what do you say John? Will you be joining us for dinner?" the older man asked as he extended a hand towards John.

John shook Charlie's hand and said, "I'd be honored, sir."

"Great!" Charlie's voice boomed before erupting into a small laugh. "Well, should we order in or shall I head down to the store to pick something up?"

"I can call in a pizza," John offered.

"I must look a mess. I think I'm going to go to the washroom to clean myself up a bit before dinner," Anna said before exiting the room.

"Is there anything Aidan won't eat on pizza?" John asked.

Anna had to laugh at that, John was becoming quite accustomed to Aidan's finicky eating habits. "You may as well just order him a bowl full of toppings; specifically the cheese and pepperoni. Aidan usually just picks it off the crust and eats it on it's own," she said.

"Okay then. I guess that will be one very plain pizza for his Lordship with extra cheese and pepperoni then," John joked as he tenderly stroked her arm. "And a combination pizza for the rest of us then?" John asked aloud as he surveyed the room.

"That would be great," she said with the first genuine smile of the night. "I'm sure his Lordship will thoroughly enjoy it."

John was going to take Aidan his jacket before ordering the food, but Charlie stopped his hand on the knob of the back door. "I meant what I said. That wasn't just for Anna's benefit. I have seen how you are with her and my grandson and I am thankful she found someone like you to bring joy back to her life."

"Thank you, Charlie. But I could easily say the same about Anna and Aidan. I didn't know such happiness and love were possible. I'd never do anything to hurt them."

"I know you won't or you'll be answering to me," Charlie said jokingly as he patted John on the back. The two men shared in a small laugh, content to know that things were getting back on track for Anna and that they were both able to help her through the veil of shadows.

John lifted Aidan to the edge of the kitchen sink and helped him to wash his hands as they awaited the arrival of their dinner. Anna had managed to open up a little more since they first arrived; John credited Aidan's presence and her talk with Charlie for bringing this change about. When John finished helping Aidan dry off his hands he encouraged the little boy to go and give his mum a hug; which Aidan was all too happy to do.

Anna was smothering him with kisses and tickling his little belly when there was a knock at the door. "That must be our food," Anna said.

"Woohoo! Pizza!" Aidan shouted as he bolted for the front door.

"Hold on there grandson," Charlie said as he picked Aidan up. He let Aidan push the slide lock over and opened the door but was pleasantly surprised to see Elsie standing before him.

"You aren't pizza," Aidan noted innocently.

"No, I'm not my love," Elsie said with a smile before leaning forward to kiss the little boy on the head. "I guess if pizza is on the way, I wasted my time bringing this by," Elsie said as she held up the bag of take out food. "I didn't realize you'd be having company tonight," she directed her comment at Charles.

"I didn't realize I'd be having any either," he replied with a chuckle as Aidan wiggled in his arms. Gosh, she looked incredible, even though she looked a little run down from a hard day at work. She was always so considerate, knowing that he'd barely been eating with everything going on and here she was bringing him something to eat after a long day of being on her feet.

"I should leave then," Elsie said as she turned around to head down the steps of the porch.

"Elsie."

"Oh, right. Where is my head?" she asked aloud before turning toward him to hand him the bag of food. She hurried to retreat as her cheeks turned red with embarrassment.

He couldn't help but smile at how adorable she looked when she was flustered. "Elsie," he said a little louder.

"Yes?" she replied awkwardly. Elsie turned to face him head on but shifted nervously from foot to foot as she stood on his porch.

"Join us won't you?" he requested.

"Are you sure? I don't want to impose."

"You aren't. I can assure you," he said.

"Yeah come on, Miss Elsie!" Aidan said as he tried to free himself from his grandfather's grip. The term of endearment always managed to brighten her day. When Aidan had been born she didn't want Anna or Charlie to feel like she was trying to take Alice's place and so insisted that Aidan call her by her name. He always sounded so prim and proper when he addressed her in such a formal way. Once he had been placed on the ground Aidan outstretched his arms to reach for a hug and proceeded to lead her into the kitchen to join them for dinner.

Aidan rearranged the chairs around the table. "Now John sits next to Mummy and you sit next to Grandpa. And I'll sit at the end of the table," Aidan instructed as he lifted himself up onto the seat at the end of the table.

As they shared in the feast laid out before them, a combination of Italian food and good old home cooking. Aidan seemed to be directing most of the conversation as he rattled off all the things he learned at school and how excited he was to go back to playing football with the rest of his friends.

The mention of going back to the park made Anna's hand freeze in place as she had been scooping up a helping of salad.

John noticed the expression change on her face and pretended not to notice.

"Mummy, when can I go back to playing football?" Aidan asked.

"Uh," she began to speak but honestly wasn't sure when she'd have enough courage to face all those people that she had her outburst in front of.

"Let's not worry about that now partner," John interrupted him in an attempt to distract Aidan. "How about you take five more big bites and then we'll see about whipping up something sweet?" John suggested.

"Okay," Aidan said as he continued to pick the cheese and pepperoni off of his pizza. He shovelled bite after bite into his mouth before exclaiming with a full mouth, "Done!"

"Chew with your mouth closed, darling," Anna reminded him as she took a sip of her drink. She helped to wipe Aidan's mouth and noticed out of the corner of her eye that Charlie extended his hand over to Elsie's side of the table and tenderly stroked her pinky with his own. To which Elsie erupted into an barely noticeable smile, but it was most definitely there.

Her eyes darted back and forth between them and could now discern that there was something there that wasn't there before. Her father's eyes danced with a sparkle about them that she hadn't seen since her mother was alive. The corners of his mouth were turned up slightly and his large, fuzzy eyebrows looked more relaxed than they had in years. Even his posture, which was normally so rigid, seemed to be swaying so that he could be closer to Elsie. It did her a world of good to see that some things were able to return to normal more easily than others. She had always thought that Elsie and Charlie made a good pair and could never understand why her father had fought the idea for so long. She couldn't help but feel like it had something to do with her and of course bringing Elsie into her web of lies hadn't helped matters.

At least on the surface they looked like they were back on friendly terms; her father clearly forgave Elsie and vice versa. Elsie had barely spoken to anyone else as they ate dinner and only had eyes for Charlie. Anna was overwhelmed with happiness for them, this was the way it was always meant to be. A big family dinner with her father and the only other woman who could have filled her mother's shoes. The man who had one her heart and the little boy who had owned it from the moment she laid eyes on him. They were like shards of broken glass that had all come together in an indescribable way and formed something beautiful. It's what she always wanted. They were a family now.