A/N: Here we are, another chapter. Still finding it hard to believe that people are interested in this (not so) little modern story, but I am thrilled you are. Thanks for reading/reviewing - always love to read your thoughts.

Anna liked to think that she was becoming more of a morning person. She knew she never would be completely, but her perspective was certainly different now. It made those unearthly hours infinitely more bearable when John was tucked beside her, lying in their little cocoon, warmer and more content than anything. His bed, her bed; there didn't seem to be much separation now, they were becoming one and the same.

She didn't have to think about how right it was to have him there; it simply was, like the way it should have always been, like she had never known any different. The comfort of his body curved against hers, her shield in the darkness and gentle rouser in the early dawn. She only need reach out the slightest way and he would be there instinctively. More often now she found herself being best able to sleep when she turned into his chest, nestling her head into the crook of his neck and burrowing her arms around him. His arms would slip around her fluidly, making them both comfortable, one slowly sliding up and down her back as they drifted back to sleep. It wouldn't be all that long until they awoke again, gradually. Anna would smile, her eyes still closed to savour their sleepy spooning, pulling herself further into John's encompassing embrace and delighting when his lips brushed over the back of her neck. Other times they would find other ways to wake up together, all of them absolutely wonderful, and Anna found she could certainly appreciate those mornings very much.

Of course, pros were not without their cons, and sometimes she didn't wonder if it only made the predicament worse, especially when one of them would have to rise earlier than the other. She would hear herself whine desperately as her arms winched even tighter around him, trying her best not to let the first rays of the cold daylight tear between them. Even with the duvet almost swallowing her, it could not possibly compensate for the warmth of his arms, and she felt a cavern all around.

Her arms flailed against the sheets that were still warm with his body, and the groan that came from deep within her filled her head.

"Come back," she heard herself say from somewhere far off, "five more minutes yet."

His gentle chuckle resounded from the other side of the room, and through bleary eyes heavy with marvellous sleep she saw him standing at the foot of the bed, almost completely dressed aside from his suit jacket and tie.

"It's been a lot longer than that, my love," he laughed, his voice as soothing as if his arms were still wrapped around her. "You were dead to the world, and I had to leave you be, you looked so peaceful." She watched his fingers carefully fixing the green tie underneath his collar as she came around, her gaze easily transfixed by the smile that had begun to light his face. "I had an easy escape for once."

"Oh, so that's how you see it, is it? I'm sorry you should have such a hardship."

He threw the jacket he was about to put on onto the bed in favour of padding over to her, taking the duvet cover into both of his fists and wrapping it further around her body, making her laugh too.

"Of course not. You know I'd stay here with you all day if I could. I could think of nothing in this whole world that would be better. If only someone would pay me to do it."

"We could live on love alone."

Anna smiled hazily back at his grin, feeling a little revived when one of his hands cupped her hipbone through the covers and the other drifted onto her face. Sweeping her hair out of her eyes he left a long kiss pressed against her lips.

John's smile cracked slightly as he pulled back, noticing her temples that had become even more tightly furrowed.

"Is something the matter, aside from it being far too early for you?" he teased lightly, his tone overridden by the look of concern kindling in his eyes.

She held a hand to her forehead, cradling as if she couldn't dare prise it away. "My head just feels as if it's splitting." Noticing how his expression had immediately shadowed, she was quick to reassure. "It's probably just a tension headache, I think it was starting to come on last night."

"You should have said, I would have made sure we got to bed earlier."

"I wouldn't have complained," she said with as much of a smile as she could muster without feeling as if her skull would break in two. She didn't need to look down to know that he was holding her hand a bit tighter now, his other sweeping over her skin in slow strokes.

"I'll give Mary a call before I leave, tell her that you won't be coming in today."

Anna tutted under her breath. "I'll be fine, a couple of paracetemol will do the trick." She unfurled her hand from his to return the caresses he had been issuing to her. "I'm very thankful for it, but you worry too much."

"Never too much when it comes to you."

She was about to protest, but found she didn't even have half the heart, and especially not when he placed the lightest, most gentle kiss against her cheek. When he began to walk away into the room, she started to smile again, smoothing her hands that already craved him over the bulky covers.

"You know, I think I know what's causing it," she began, unable to resist even when her head was pounding. She let her smile drift when he turned at the waist to catch sight of her, the jacket flaring out a little with his motion. Her fingers crept in a line over the sheets towards him. "It's the effects of you having to go away again. My body just doesn't like it."

He smirked with a quiet satisfaction, then chortled at her words and the little mock pout on her face.

"Is that so? Then we'll definitely have to do something about that."

In a moment he was there again, almost overpowering her but in the best way possible, covering her mouth with his, his hands careful not to bury themselves in her scalp or even go anywhere near her head. She muffled little sighs, fingers slipping over the silk of his tie and the lapels of his jacket, almost ready to sink back against the pillows and bring him crashing with her.

"Tonight I'll pamper you," he kept his eyes on her as he adjusted his slightly ruffled attire. "Warm bath, wine, chocolates…anything you want or desire."

She smiled happily with the thought before bringing him back to his senses. "You're forgetting, it's the garden party."

John made a low, disgruntled groan. "Rob's way of dressing up a barbecue in the back," he said as Anna let out a tiny chuckle. "With a bit of luck, it'll rain."

"That's terrible," she reprimanded. "You know how much he's been looking forward to it." She folded her arms against the duvet, reclining her head. "Besides, you're his second-in-command. He wants to show off to you."

"I know how much he can show off, I've known more than twenty odd years of it," he lifted his eyes to the ceiling, dispelling his irritation before he looked back to her with a soft gaze. "There'll be so many people there, surely they're not even going to notice."

"Oh, I think they will, considering Cora asked me to bring about ten boxes of cupcakes around. It'll be a nice few hours."

John didn't seem entirely convinced, though Anna could tell what was on the forefront of his mind with one glance. She almost had to silently shoo him towards the door and on his way.

"We're not going if you're not feeling alright. They'll just have to starve for lack of cupcakes."

She laughed as he turned around sharply, pointing a finger at her.

"Take it easy and take care. That's an order."

"Okay, doctor."

He left her with a smile so gorgeous it was almost enough to ease the pain on its own.

The tube journey into the city hadn't been too eventful; by some stroke of luck, she'd managed to find a seat with another two empty at either side of her, and there were no major delays. The pain in her head had wore enough away for her to be able to pull out her book, which had gone neglected and unread for too long of late. As she flicked it open, thinking a little about the last time she had ventured to read on the train and been so happily interrupted, she caught sight of a scrap of paper fluttering from her hand. She snapped it up before it managed to escape completely, slightly puzzled at first but then breaking into a smile when she saw what was scrawled upon it. A little love note from John, and on the other side a very official-looking token that was good for one free neck massage with additional kisses. Anna tucked it safely into the pages of her book before she arrived at her stop.

As the almost autumnal breeze wafted upon her face, she was glad to be out in the air once again. It had been a strange morning that had only seemed to have gotten worse when she finally got up out of bed. The headache accelerated, and then merged into her feeling generally out of sorts as she got ready for work. She was more than a little concerned when she had to stop applying her make-up and rush to the bathroom to be sick, but it had passed fairly quickly, leaving her with an underlying sensation of nausea that she reckoned she could deal with. Whatever it was couldn't have been much, and she would probably find it easier to forget about if she was at work rather than staying at home, ruminating on it all, likely feeling much worse as a result. There was a lot on the schedule; a couple of wedding receptions, a few clients with important events coming up, even early Christmas bookings had started to trickle through. As the business had started to take off they had discussed hiring someone else to assist, but for now it was just the two of them and she couldn't leave Mary to go through it all on her own. The size of her to-do list occurred to her out of the blue, and she felt her head begin to spin again slightly.

She didn't consider herself to be a hypochondriac or particularly paranoid about the state of her health, but she couldn't help wondering what had brought this all on. Maybe it was just that she was overtired; even though she had been sleeping a lot better lately, she really had years of missed hours to catch up on. It could have been poisoning from something she had eaten while they had been out last night, but she didn't think it could come on quite so quickly.

The thought occurred; she wasn't sure why it hadn't before, it wasn't unreasonable after all. Far from it. But still, it seemed so unlikely. They'd been careful, she was still on the pill. It wouldn't have failed now, not after all these years. Her head was swirling, the world seemed to be jolting rapidly and turning on its side. She had taken it the last few weeks, she was certain about that. But had she missed one out? She wasn't sure if she remembered taking them to Yorkshire with her, but then she had packed so much, he hadn't stopped teasing her about it…

The ground moved beneath her faster than the pace at which she was walking rather unsteadily; there was a sudden crash and whirl in her head. Before she could tell herself not to or reach out for something, she was wobbling from her feet, not even prepared to brace herself. A pair of arms grabbed onto her waist from behind her, saving her from collapsing to the ground, and she gasped in a breath that made her dizzier as she leaned back, following where they were taking her.

"Woah there! Steady, you want to watch yourself."

She turned around to look over her shoulder, still feeling rather weak, and saw the friendly face of Tom Branson staring back at her. He seemed a little embarrassed when he realised how tightly his hands were still clasped around her middle and relaxed his grip, taking her hand instead to ensure that she was firmly back on her feet.

"You alright?" he asked in his jovial Irish tone.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Anna answered, catching her breath. "I just had my head off in the clouds. Add it to the size of these heels and I'm asking for trouble, really. I should know better than to think I'm ever going to match up to Mary in that department."

"Ah, you're grand. The world wouldn't be much of a place if we were all the same."

Anna smiled graciously as Tom gave a little wink, and she felt secure enough to set off again, him walking alongside her. Unconsciously she held a palm over her stomach, cradling it there lightly as they went on towards the door.

"How rude of me, I should have said it straight away," she said, feeling a bit ashamed. "Thank you."

"It wasn't a problem," he replied with a smile. "My armour's more than a bit rusty, but I suppose I can come in handy when it counts."

He stepped back, holding the office door open for her to enter, and Anna nodded her acknowledgement before she went through.

"Besides, I was really just standing in. I don't know if John would be too happy if he knew I had my hands on you like that."

Anna gave a laugh, gripping onto the stairrail as she ascended, Tom a step or so behind.

"I'm sure he'd be alright with it, given the reason," she smirked, a hilarious and rather delicious thought occurring to her. "Maybe that's what it is," she began, almost not realising she was speaking aloud. "I know he only wears his glasses occasionally, but they could be hiding something…"

"Like he's Clark Kent," Tom carried the idea on as Anna giggled. "Yeah, I could see that. He could probably rock the lycra better than most of us. And I'm willing to bet he's had his pants on over his trousers on more than one occasion. What can I say, it's an Irish thing. After a few pints, admittedly."

She had burst into hysterics, having to hold her hand against the wall lest she tumble down the stairs, this time from her fit of laughter.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Honestly," Anna giggled as Tom caught up with her on the narrow staircase, recovering herself. "Are you coming along tonight then? I suspect you'll be the guest of honour."

"Hardly," Tom shook his head fiercely, and as his gaze fell to his feet Anna suspected it wasn't out of modesty. "He tolerates me, especially now that Sybil and I are engaged, but I don't think Mr Crawley is all that keen on me, still." He looked resigned, not at all like the tenacious character she had been so used to seeing. She couldn't help but feel relieved that it hadn't taken that long for her mother to warm to John. "I don't suppose you've got any tips I could make use of?"

"Well, you could organise an event at the restaurant for him? That might take some of the heat off me," she smiled as Tom looked rather perturbed by the idea, but also like he was willing to give anything a go. "You'll be fine, I think you should give him more credit. He likes you more than you're aware of. Just be yourself, and it'll all turn out okay."

He raised his eyebrows at that idea and Anna herself wondered whether it was the finest bit of advice she had ever given. But what else could he do? There was a heart of gold underneath that rough exterior, and she was sure Robert could see it shining out for himself.

"It can't be long now," she exclaimed, changing the subject onto the cheerier topic of his and Sybil's upcoming nuptials.

Tom's face lit up in response. "There weeks on Saturday."

Anna gasped; she couldn't believe time had gone that quickly, although it was something of a whirlwind wedding. "Wow. I'm so excited for you both. I'm sure it'll be amazing."

"Thanks," Tom smiled almost shyly. "I mean, it's not going to be anything big or fancy, even though her parents probably wanted that. Sybil didn't, and I didn't either. We just want it to be about us, you know?" Anna's heart melted a little at the look that flew up onto his face whenever he mentioned Sybil, a mixture of pride and a love that was overwhelming. "There weeks can't go by quickly enough."

She felt rather sentimental when she looked at him, nostalgic for the future and not the past. "Well, all the luck to both of you, though I know you won't need it. You'll have a wonderful day."

"Here's hoping," he grinned. "Got the stag to survive first. That's one thing Robert – Mr Crawley – should like me for." His expression changed in a split second. "Or on second thoughts, maybe not."

Anna laughed as they got to the top of the stairs, only imagining what could be in store.

"Actually, while I'm here, I might as well ask you," Tom went on, turning to Anna with a bit of trepidation. "Would you mind if I borrowed that fella of yours? We'll need someone sensible to keep things in order."

She smiled. "As long as you return him in one piece, of course."

"You have my word," he assured, and for all his fooling around Anna knew she could trust Tom. He looked serious and humble for a moment when he glanced up towards her again. "He's a really good bloke. I'm not just saying that as a fellow Irishman, honest to God. John is a class guy."

Anna felt her heart swell with pride; of course, she thought the world of him but to hear anybody else praise him seemed to make her love him all the more.

They entered the office to encounter a very stressed looking Mary, clutching her mobile in one hand and holding her other against her head.

"Where the hell have you been?" she aimed at Anna, her voice at an almost deafeningly high pitch. "I've had hell with the suppliers all morning, and then that insufferable Charles Blake rang up, insisting he know what was happening with his venue. Seriously, the sheer sound of his voice drives me up the wall…"

Tom shot Anna a look as if to ask whether Mary was like this all the time, and she returned with a silent but defiant answer.

"Give me a minute and I'll deal with it," Anna replied unflappably, putting her bag down before she reached to take the phone from Mary.

"Take it easy on her, she nearly ended up on the floor outside," Tom intervened, gesturing for Anna to sit down.

"It's nothing," she said as Mary fixed her eyes on her markedly. "I've been feeling a little bit iffy this morning, but I'll be fine." She clutched on to the desk as another sudden wave of nausea washed over her, taking a seat. "It's probably just a 24 hour bug or something, nothing to fret about."

"Well, I don't want to catch anything," Mary remarked, managing to keep her distance already. "Matthew is taking me away next weekend and I'm damned if I'm going to spend all the time laid up."

"You're all heart, Mary," Tom cut in sarcastically, making Anna smirk as Mary turned away from her.

"That's just her way of caring," Anna chuckled, catching his eye before Mary pulled him along.

"See, she knows me," Mary said sharply, near dragging Tom from his feet. "Now come on, let's get on with what you wanted to pick up. We haven't got all day," she remarked, even though it seemed to be clear that Anna was going to be doing most of the work.

Before he was marched out of the door by Mary on a mission, he gave Anna a last wave.

"No rest for the wicked, eh?"

"Well, I must have been awful in a past life."

When he called her mobile not that long after lunchtime, she was sprawled out on the sofa, a blanket gathered around her more for comfort than the temperature, which was still warm for the time of year. She had soldiered on through a few calls and some paperwork until she couldn't ignore the sickness any longer, and Mary had shown more empathy than she ever cared for people to know about, making sure Anna was alright and seeing her into a cab back home rather than taking the tube. She wasn't feeling too bad after a lie-down and a cup of mint tea; if anything she was more concerned about John and how he might react than herself.

Answering the phone, she decided to play it down the best she could.

"How are you feeling?" he said immediately, forgoing the normal greeting.

She had to smile against the phone, pressing it closer to her ear.

"I'm alright. Mary sent me home not that long ago, so I'm just being thoroughly lazy right now."

"That's because she has sense," he said seriously, almost telling her off, though she could hear the worry in his voice. "I'm going to ring Rob now, say we'll have to duck out…"

"There's no need for that," she said quickly. "I'm already better for having a rest, and there's hours to go yet. Why don't we just play it by ear?"

She heard him humming reluctant agreement on the other end and shook her head. She could only wonder what he'd be like if this possibility that was still sitting somewhere in the back of her mind turned out to be a reality.

"Anyway, you shouldn't be so much on Mary's side," she remarked with a laugh in her voice. "She doesn't want to get ill before her and Matthew go on a little rendezvous next week, and that's why she wanted rid of me."

John chuckled, and Anna was settled by the sound.

"Well, I'm sure that's what it was, then." He had perked up now, and in turn his tone made her feel livelier. "I was thinking, maybe we should follow their lead. As lovely as it was, I'd like to go somewhere with you where there isn't the risk of your mother watching us all the time."

Anna laughed, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

"That would be good. Maybe in the New Year, after everything calms down at work."

"Sounds like a plan to me," his voice ran through to her soul. "I'll pick up some brochures before I call in on you."

She buried her hand into her scalp. "But you'll see me tonight."

"And that's too long," he replied without missing a beat. "I'll see you soon. I'll try and finish things up early here and bring my stuff around to yours."

"If you insist," she answered as nonchalantly as she could, but was unable to hide the happiness in her voice.

"Take care of yourself," he repeated his order from earlier. "You know I only worry so much because I love you?"

She would smile every single time she heard those three words.

"I know. And I love you too."

She felt a million times better when she put the phone down.

John found he wasn't interested in spending his evening making idle chatter or gazing appreciatively at how splendidly the garden had been decked out; somewhere in the distance, Cora could still be seen making orders for a final few garlands and paper lanterns to be hung up. The night had turned out to be warm and dry, and he cursed inwardly that his hopes for an impromptu downpour had come to nothing. Still, those thoughts were the least of his worries.

He turned to his side, his eyes keenly fixed on her once more. She looked as beautiful as ever; a little pale, but much brighter than she had been earlier in the day, her eyes containing more of their captivating sparkle. It was true that she had perked up since he'd got round to her place after work, chatting away about the day and getting excited already about their plans to have a break somewhere. Yet in the back of his mind he hadn't been able to stop fretting about her; he suspected he never would for the rest of his life.

Feeling his gaze upon her, she turned to him, wearing a smile that was designed specially to reassure him before he opened his mouth.

"Are you absolutely sure you're alright?" He sounded like a broken record by now, but he didn't care. "Any time you want to go, even if it's in five minutes…"

"John, don't be silly," she giggled lightly, her hair bouncing a little over her shoulder as she shook her head. "I feel a lot better now." She leaned in closer to him, making him feel a little light-headed. "Especially being with you."

He had to grin at that, taking her hand as she held it out towards him.

"I'm sure I can stick it out until the end," she smiled, turning for a moment to look out at the expanse of the garden.

"You're a trooper," he said in a husk of a whisper, catching the smile on her face with a sense of pride.

He gave her hand a few squeezes, each one a little tighter and containing more love and affection than the last. His eyes were smiling at hers and her gaze didn't leave his. John leaned himself delicately forward, still feeling that she was a doll made of china that could break with too forceful a press of his lips. He was able to brush them to hers for a sweet but all too brief moment, when Robert's voice came closer.

He greeted them both, kissing Anna on the cheek and then turning to John with a wide-eyed grin that was akin to a child waiting for its birthday and Christmas all at once.

"John, mate, you've got to see this new grill. It's an absolute beauty." Robert was almost shaking with excitement, raring to go and close to wrenching him away on the spot. "Honestly, you won't believe how many sausages fit on there."

"I think I can take a wild guess," John said, trying to rouse his interest best he could, but still thoroughly occupied with Anna. She stood with the glass of wine that Robert had brought over in her hands, smiling at his enthusiasm and holding a silent blessing within her smile.

"Well, you definitely need to see that," she uttered, brushing her hand against his arm unseen.

He questioned her with searching eyes, but found his answer in her unswerving, serene expression. Reluctantly he began to follow behind Robert as he impatiently set back down towards the barbecue.

"Actually, I'm not sure I've quite worked out the settings yet, so they might be rather burnt…"

John slowed down his pace as Robert raced ahead, looking over his shoulder to Anna as she was getting further away from him, now accompanied on either side by Sybil and Gwen who were saying things he couldn't hear, excited to see her. Though she was talking back to them, her eyes glimpsed ahead, finding his own and making his heart soar. He mouthed what was in his heart as he went, and even though she may have not been able to see them, he knew she would feel everything with her own, and felt a little more reassured with each step.

After taking some time to figure out the many dials on the mammoth grill, the food ended up being a little charred rather than burnt to a crisp. Robert had been wielding his power, possessive over the barbecue and wearing his comedy apron, and he was still doling out the burgers as the boys remained chatting and cracking open a few more bottles of beer. Having exhausted all topics of sport and the healthy banter that came from it, Tom was now filling everyone in on the itinerary for his stag weekend, and Matthew, Anthony and Evelyn were held riveted by the tales of his escapades visiting Prague previously in his gap year.

John stood a little way away resting against the decking, looking out to where the girls were sat, gathered around and talking just as absorbedly as the guys had been. He still felt a little uneasy that he wasn't by her side, keeping a close eye on her, but she seemed to be more than fine, smiling and talking, leaning against Mary as she looked towards Sybil, who had clearly said something greatly amusing. Though they made up quite a stunning group, Anna's beauty always shone out in a crowd. She was like a beacon, glowing with something even more special than usual, her laughter radiating across to him and the sweet sound filling his head with the most pleasant thoughts.

He was so caught up he almost missed Robert arrive at his side, paper plate in hand.

"Fancy another? Of each?"

John shook his head, setting his half-full and now warm bottle of beer aside. "You've done more than enough, mate."

"All the more for me, then." Robert took a bite of the burger, patting his stomach appreciatively as he did so. "Maybe I'll eat enough to happily pass out and get away from all of that."

John followed Robert's gaze as it went towards where Tom was standing, regaling the others with more of his stories, making exaggerated gestures to punctuate what he was saying, ever the showman. He shook his head and let out a deep sigh when he looked back, munching the remnants of his burger with more than a touch of resignation. John had to hide his smirk at his friend's tendency for dramatics, and took a final swig of drink.

"Ah, he's a good lad," he noted as Tom paused for a minimal breath, then went raring off again at full speed. "A little bit full of himself at times, but weren't we all like that at his age? Absolutely harmless. He does support Liverpool, but we've all got flaws in our armour." He stopped chuckling when he saw that Robert still wasn't convinced, his expression set almost as hard as stone. "And you know he would do absolutely anything for Sybil. He'd walk on water if he could."

"He probably believes he can, the way he's going on. I'd like to see him try," Robert smirked, eyeing Tom carefully before he opened another bottle. "You're probably right. I mean, he wouldn't be my first choice for my little girl. If I'm being honest, he wouldn't make the first page of the book." He stopped for a moment, looking out across the garden as John was at that moment, but taking his youngest daughter into his gaze. "But if she's happy, then what can I do?" Sybil certainly looked the picture of joy, and Robert felt sentimental tears spring at his eyes at the sight of her giggling happily amongst her sisters and friends. "I suppose I've done my job now. It's just going to be hard to let her go; she might be in her twenties, but she's still our baby."

"You won't be letting her go," John was quick to offer some comfort to his best mate. "You're always going to be the one that she loves the most, underneath it all. You've done the finest job of all. Three beautiful, accomplished daughters who all adore you. You're a lucky man, my friend."

Robert was misty-eyed as he smiled at John. Watching his daughters, his smile remained but he couldn't stop another sigh from escaping as he raised a hand to his head.

"Three daughters, and three weddings within months of each other. Talk about impeccable timing." He might have been complaining but John knew it was mainly for show; really he couldn't have been prouder. "Be glad you don't have kids. They'll drain you dry, and still be looking for more."

A smile eased onto John's face following the words. He took another longing look at Anna, and though he promised himself he wouldn't contemplate such things for the moment when everything still seemed to be so new between them, he couldn't stop the image from invading his mind. When he thought about it, he wasn't sure he could imagine anything that warmed his heart and made him feel so alive than thinking of Anna with a baby in her arms. He didn't doubt for one second that she would make the most perfect mother, whenever she wanted it to happen. He had known it from almost the minute he had met her; that he wanted to be the father to her children.

"I don't know," he heard himself sighing contentedly, his gaze having not moved from her for a second while he kept speaking to his friend, "you haven't got it so bad."

The grin on Robert's face was wide, knowing and a little surprised; he'd almost given up on hearing John ever speak like that, but he was certainly happy to hear it.

He gave his mate a gentle nudge on the arm, rousing him temporarily from his daydreams of the woman who was yards away. "Are you thinking about it then, settling down with Anna?"

Hearing the words made his thoughts more real, and he knew he was smiling like a fool. Truth be told, he had thought of little else for a while now, certainly ever since Yorkshire. As utterly joyful as it made him feel, a little shadow of trouble veiled his expression.

"It's still early days, there's so much we need to think about yet."

And there was. He hadn't really had much reason before to consider it too much but he supposed he was rather traditional at heart. Even though they were spending more and more time together, they were still living separately, and he wanted to make a nice family home for them before then, one that Anna could be proud of. It really wouldn't have mattered to him if it happened beforehand but he still relished the thought of her in a flowing white dress, a gold ring on the third finger of her left hand and the biggest smile he'd ever seen on her face. Maybe she would be hiding a little bump underneath it, and his heart ached with anticipation for all that was surely awaiting them.

He had to come out of his dream and back to reality. "The last thing I want to do is scare her, or make her feel like she should act out of obligation. With the difference between us…I don't want her to put everything she wants to do on hold just because I'm getting on."

Robert let out a laugh, shaking his head vigorously. "Come off it. I can see you still kicking a ball around the park when you've got your zimmer. And that'll be well after I get mine, at any rate."

He was pleased to see that John took his remark in good grace, laughing along too. Seeing that he was still entranced by Anna, keen to catch her eye at every moment, Robert wandered away from John, not before patting him on the back.

"I'm more than pleased for you, my fellow. If the time has come then don't be afraid of it. Embrace it with all you have, and save the worries for later."

John smiled, a little amused at Robert's sudden foray into being a wise sage, but his heart told him clearer than day what the real reason for it was.

Before he walked back to his precious barbecue, Robert could hear his friend's reply, and smiled himself.

"There's no 'if' about it."

Mary rolled her eyes heavily, putting her wine glass down indignantly while Sybil simply shrugged and smiled.

"I still can't believe you didn't take up the offer to have the wedding at Granny's estate. I can't think that you won't regret it in time."

"I told you, it doesn't matter to me and Tom. We wanted to keep things simple."

Edith reached over to top her glass up a little. "I don't think Anthony and I will want to be too extravagant, although we'll want to be at the chapel. And probably the hall where Mama and Papa had their renewal for afterwards…"

Mary cut in swiftly, not letting Edith finish her sentence. "Well, I know that when it's my day, I'll be taking everything on offer." She smiled triumphantly, as if she could imagine the whole of London coming to a standstill for her wedding. "I want every single person to know where they were when Mary Crawley got married. And preferably to be admiring me."

The girls laughed at Mary's ambition, half-admiring and half-fearing it.

"And what about Matthew? Doesn't he get a say in the matter?" Edith interjected drily, arching an eyebrow at the others. "It will be his day too."

Mary pursed her lips, straightening her posture. "Of course he will. He'll say whatever I tell him to, because he loves me, of course."

As Edith recoiled in horror, Sybil ignored her sisters' sniping, sitting back where she was between Anna and Gwen and smiling dreamily into the distance.

"And Tom loves me. That's why I had to tell him not to take up Granny's offer, because he thought it might make me happy. I said that it didn't matter where we were or how it happened. That we will be husband and wife is all that matters to me at the end of it all." She caught his eye from across the way, blushing slightly and beaming as he gave her a wink and a wave. "And that's what I think about it, no matter what anyone tells me otherwise."

Anna smiled, not being able to agree more with what Sybil said. Above Edith and Gwen's cooing, Mary's tuts of disappointment could still be heard.

"But Sybil, darling, don't you think you'll look back one day and wish you'd done it differently?" Mary looked genuinely concerned, offering a hand to her youngest sister. "You do only get one day, after all."

Holding her sister's hand, Sybil laughed. "Why, Mary, you are a romantic after all."

"Well, I wouldn't go quite that far," Mary replied, rolling her eyes once more and taking a swift gulp of wine.

"At least you've all got someone to be romantic with," Gwen sighed, nursing her glass. "It's been so long since my last snog with someone, it's actually incredibly depressing."

"Oh, don't worry, I'll find someone to set you up with," Sybil smiled enthusiastically, patting her hand against Gwen's knee. They had become quite good friends since being introduced at another of the Crawleys' little events, and Anna was happy that Gwen wasn't feeling left out as she spent more and more time in this circle. "Tom has loads of very nice, very good looking friends. Maybe I can get you a date before the wedding!" Her curly hair bounced about her shoulders as she almost jumped from her seat. "And who knows, you might even be the next."

Gwen was quick to pull a face. "Umm, how about no."

Anna had to laugh at her friend's reaction; as much as she wanted to see Gwen happy and settled in a relationship, she knew she wasn't quite one for weddings, at least not the traditional kind at any rate. As she took a slow sip from the glass she'd been draining for over an hour, she noticed Gwen's gaze move towards her pointedly.

"I think this one will be the next in line," Gwen said with a glint in her eye. "I'm betting there'll be a ring on her finger before the year is out."

The others' eyes followed Gwen's and landed upon Anna, and she could feel her cheeks heat. She moved her head a little to deflect attention, and inadvertently caught a glimpse of John talking with the other boys on the decking. Her stomach did a pronounced flip-flop and she felt herself feeling quite peculiar.

"I don't know about that," she said eventually, toying with her hair distractedly. "Maybe not that soon."

Gwen didn't have to offer anything in reply, and the two exchanged smiles.

She supposed that the whole conversation they'd been having most of the evening had got her thinking. Of course there wasn't any question in her mind that that was definitely what she wanted from life. The last few weeks and especially everything that had happened while they'd been in Yorkshire had confirmed it all; John was the one she wanted and intended to spend the rest of her life with. She replayed it in her mind over and over, more often of late. How John would propose to her, or how she would propose to him if it came down to it; she admitted to liking tradition, but she certainly wasn't past taking the initiative if she had to. What their wedding day would be like; all the little details, down to the flower in his buttonhole and how dashing he would look as he stood at the bottom of the aisle, waiting for her. She could hear herself repeating the vows and she smiled even thinking about it, how proud she would be to promise herself to him for eternity, how happy she would be to have his name until the day she died and long after. And everything that would follow; their home, their children…she felt as if she couldn't wait for it all, wished that she could wake up tomorrow and have it all there, as the luckiest woman in the world.

Yet she knew that while he wanted it all too – one simple glance at him at any time of day or night was enough to tell her that – it probably was too soon. Thoughts and hopes and dreams were one thing, and they would still be there tomorrow, and the next day, and for the rest of time until they finally came true. There were so many steps to take first – moving in together, even going away together properly – and she wanted to savour them all. She wanted him to enjoy them too; she knew this was the first time he'd ever been really serious about anyone to this extent, and he needed to have each special moment, without her rushing things and getting ahead of herself.

Another lurch was in her stomach, and she heard it utter a rather disgruntled growl suddenly. She looked up with slight embarrassment.

"Sorry. I clearly haven't had enough of the wonderful food."

"Our ears were burning. It definitely wasn't the burgers."

Tom and John were standing not too far from where the girls were sitting, hands laden with paper plates. Sybil jumped up immediately, running towards Tom and squealing as he nearly threw the food towards her and then looped his arms around her waist. John played it a little more coolly, instead ambling over to where Anna sat, her admiring the stride of his long legs in jeans. As he took his seat next to her, the other girls got up, dispersing themselves amongst the party and leaving them to have a little alone time.

"I hope the boys haven't been getting you too drunk," Anna looked up towards him, her hand planting itself upon his thigh as he sank down by her side.

"Would I ever let them?" he replied with a smile that made her tingle all over. After he placed the plate into her lap, he looped his arm around the back of the chair she was leaning against. "I don't need those kind of pleasures, not when I've got you."

She shook her head lightly, giving him a kiss that was long enough to keep them both satisfied before she tucked into the burger with relish. John couldn't help but chuckle as she devoured it happily, his thumb dabbing a drop of ketchup away from the corner of her mouth.

"You're enjoying that then?" he asked as she finished off the last bite.

"I'm making up for what I haven't had for most of the day."

He smiled, pulling her nearer to him, leaving a kiss on the top of her head as she wrapped her arms about him. After a strange start to the day, the evening had left her feeling peaceful and happy for the laughs she had shared in good company; happier still for the moment she was in right then. Summer was fading fast into autumn, arriving a little later than everyone had expected, and it was likely the last time they'd be enjoying this kind of get-together, at least for this year. She found herself wondering again, picturing herself in a garden where she was making the arrangements for everyone, John fiddling with the music when he wasn't working on the food and not too far from it all, their children were running around and playing games happily. Two boys and a girl, their daughter the apple of John's eye, him stopping what he was doing completely to scoop her up when she ran over to him, covering her in kisses as she giggled cheerfully.

She sighed against him and he shifted his arm slightly from where it was stroking against her.

"What's that for?"

"Nothing," she said, pulling herself up from where she had been slouching, smiling back at him as she sat on the edge of the seat. "I was just thinking. I am allowed to do that as well as you."

He smiled at her cheekiness, a sign that she was feeling back to her normal self. She returned the smile all the more as he laced her fingers with his, and she leaned back, meeting his lips in the kind of kiss that had become effortless to them now, but was just as thrilling for the both of them as ever, perhaps even more so. Anna smiled trying to imagine how many more kisses they would share, finding herself overwhelmed in no time at all.

When the need for air arose, they pulled away, her hands still placed firmly around his middle. He gazed down for a moment and laughed, seeing that she wasn't keen to let him go, and the same smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"I suppose you'll want to stay here until the bitter end," he remarked, standing up as she followed him immediately. "Do you want me to get you anything else?"

Anna shook her head slowly, tracing her fingers over the buttons on his shirt.

"I'm afraid you've misread my intentions completely, Mr Bates," she smiled as her voice got lower. "I do believe you said you were going to pamper me tonight."

Taking her hips into his hands, the silk of her dress cool beneath his fingers, John had to grin unashamedly. "And I'm never one to go back on my word."