A/N: Working our way towards the end now...just four more chapters to go after this one!

Big thanks as ever to everyone for reading (and even re-reading), reviewing and the nice messages from elsewhere. And I'm absolutely delighted that amongst others, this story has been nominated in the Highclere Awards. It's a great honour and I want to thank everyone who nominated me from the bottom of my heart.

This chapter is dedicated to bracetheace, who has been very patiently waiting :)

On with the story!

If it had been hard for her to get to sleep the night before, in the hours that had just come and gone it had been near on impossible. She had drifted, her head filled with dreams that were firmly rooted in reality, and now Anna was roused, burrowed snugly beneath the covers, an instinctive smile spreading across her face.

Next to where her head lay on the plump pillow, she held her left hand, adjusting her fingers so that she could get a clearer view of the band that rested there. Knowing that it was upon her was enough, but glimpsing it gave her an entirely different feeling altogether. The two small diamonds glinted even in the faint sunlight that was shrouded by the closed curtains. In the hours they had spent laying in one another's arms, Anna's head pillowed on his chest, just talking in the dark and the inner glow of their contentment, John had revealed that the ring had been his mother's, passed down from generations. He had held onto it, believing the tradition would be broken without him having anyone to give it to. As she curled closer to him, inhaling his scent and taking everything about him in, she smiled to feel his mouth meeting her ear.

"Then there was you," he had whispered, so tenderly and full of emotion that it brought tears to her eyes. She wouldn't have traded anything in for the world; this wonderful man had become her world, and she couldn't be happier or any more in love. Yet there was so much more to come for them, and so many more ways that she could fall completely in love with John Bates that she wasn't even able to imagine yet, but the mere thought made her radiate with joy.

In the quiet of their room she wondered if he was yet awake, though she could feel the warmth of his body, a marvellous comforting heat transferring from his naked skin to hers. She smiled and sighed against the pillow when she registered the tips of his fingers trailing softly up and down her back, so soothing. Anna was purring like a cat as he continued his touches, and then began to yelp when one of his hands clamped against her side, tickling her mercilessly. His low chuckles coupled with her delighted giggles within their little cocoon, and she managed to wriggle herself round to face him.

Anna's breath hitched in her throat for a moment or two; it was an effect she was all too aware of now. She loved the sight of him at any minute of the day, but there was something about him first thing in the morning that she absolutely adored. His gorgeous hair mussed upon his head, his glorious covering of chest hair peeking out from beneath the covers. Those utterly entrancing hazel-green eyes coming to life, still left with traces of sleep that spoke of a happy and peaceful night. If he had slept really well there would be faint creases left imprinted upon his cheeks, and she always had the urge to trace them with her fingers. Often she didn't fight the urge at all, making her moves for a little while before he'd still her, kissing the pad of each of her fingers in turn. One hand was always cradled at her hip, stroking softly, as if he still couldn't quite believe that she was there beside him.

She drank the sight of him in, and after a quick and sweet kiss to greet the fading morning and one another, they lay with heads mirroring each other on their pillows and blissful smiles on their faces.

"Did you sleep well?"

John spoke gruffly, his hand slipping from her hipbone and linking with hers underneath the covers. His fingers ran over and lingered on the ring he had carefully placed there only hours previously and Anna could keep him there forever. He wasn't just her boyfriend now, and she always wondered whether that sounded a little silly, even though she loved it and she was sure he wasn't exactly averse either. He was her fiancé. Just saying the word to herself in her head made thrills gather in her stomach, shooting out across her.

"Not too badly," she drawled, not being able to stop herself from staring into his eyes. She didn't care if she never slept again so long as he was by her side. "I think I might still be in a self-induced food coma from yesterday."

He chortled, squeezing her hand and then drawing his fingers softly against her stomach, making Anna gasp and then smile as his palm settled there.

Though neither said anything other than speaking through the way they looked at each other, the sensations surrounded them. Excitement that was still fresh, wonder and delight and sheer elation that could hardly be contained at how they were connected even closer now.

John leant forward, brushing his hand over Anna's cheek before holding the back of her head, guiding her happily towards him. Anna was looking at his lips until the very last second when they moulded with hers. The kiss was slow and languid; Anna got tingles all over feeling his tongue tease her own, her hand fixing upon his chest.

When their mouths broke apart they still remained entwined, gazes locked fast upon one another, faces aglow with happiness.

"I love you," she uttered softly but with all the conviction she had in her heart.

The most gorgeous smile drifted onto John's face, the crinkles at his eyes deepening. Anna shivered as he guided his fingers back over her cheek, the tip of his little finger touching her bottom lip.

"I love you," he echoed, bringing her left hand up to his mouth and leaving a kiss beneath the band on her finger. "More than anything else in this world."

She didn't think it was ever possible to feel this deliriously happy.

They shared several more kisses, and when she wasn't gazing at her fiancé – oh god, there it was again, that jolt that sent her heart racing faster than ever before – she was staring at the beautiful ring that adorned her hand, the symbol that would forever tell of their commitment to one another.

"You know, Gwen said that we'd be engaged before the end of the year," Anna exclaimed, unable to keep her joy at the fact out of her voice. She had wondered briefly whether her friend knew something she didn't, but quickly decided there was nothing deeper to it; it was obvious to everyone how utterly head-over-heels in love they were with one another. She began to giggle, her eyes raking over John's body before they finally met his again as they lay next to each other, her foot marking a slow trail up his leg. "I'll have to ask how much I owe her."

She laughed louder as John arched his eyebrows, letting her know how cheeky she was being. Before he could say anything she took him only partly by surprise by fixing another kiss to his lips, revelling in the muffled sighs he made against her mouth as it deepened. It told him without a doubt that everything was beyond perfect, and she wouldn't have changed a thing.

It was a few minutes after that Anna became aware of the time, and she was a bit shocked to see it, her hand raising to her mouth.

"Oh god, it's nearly midday," she exclaimed, pulling back only a little, the covers still held over them both. "I feel like a right lazy bones."

"If we can't be lazy on Boxing Day then there's something not right with the world," John made the very good point, smirking as he moved over Anna, leaving a trail of kisses at her throat and neck before he raised himself. She smiled up at him and the very prominent glint sparkling in his eyes. "Besides, I believe we have yet to celebrate this turn of events properly."

"Well, Mr Bates," she purred, biting her cheeky smile and aiming to look as alluring as possible, snaking her hands over his broad shoulders, "that will never do."

Their giggles were swiftly replaced by a chorus of sighs in unison, as the afternoon whiled away.

The restaurant was full of chatter, laughs and music playing in the background, Cora having gathered everyone there for a celebration to see in the New Year. Robert had closed the doors to the public at ten o'clock after a surprisingly busy evening. With fewer staff than usual John felt that his friend had only been half joking when he turned up early with some of the stuff for the party and was asked whether he'd mind slipping into a waiter's uniform and taking a few orders. He'd deftly avoided the task this time around, but John couldn't shake the feeling that there was a waistcoat, tie and apron with his name on it just waiting for another occasion, possibly Valentine's Day.

Anna never usually cared much for New Year's Eve in comparison to Christmas, most years choosing to stay in with a bottle of wine or two and some nibbles, finding that after the clock struck midnight everything was something of a letdown and not really changed much from the minutes that had preceded it. But this year was most definitely different, full of all the promise of not just what was to come but of everything that already was. Though she could definitely think of other preferable ways that they could see in the year together, she was happy to be here, amongst very dear friends.

They didn't make a big announcement about the engagement, but they didn't really need to; the news just came out naturally. It was rather obvious to everyone when they got close and were able to see the ring on Anna's finger, but could also be observed by the permanent, rather wide smiles on both of their faces, that they hardly left one another's side all night and, added to that, seemed unable to take their hands off each other. The reactions were even more joyous than expected. Robert called for more champagne, enough to fill everyone's glass several times over, wearing a grin that almost split his face. Cora engulfed them both in turn with hugs, quickly followed by Edith and Sybil who shrieked their enthusiasm and promised they would swap notes with Anna. Not inclined to make as much of a show as her younger sisters, Mary gave a smile and a quiet, steady gesture of congratulation in front of everyone else. When Anna tore herself away from John in pursuit of the bathroom, she found herself pulled into a lengthy hug by her friend and business partner, a little surprised but touched to hear the genuine emotion in Mary's voice when she whispered how happy she was for the pair of them.

Anna and John's happiness was buoyed by all of the well wishes they received, and both found themselves wondering when they would ever come down from the remarkable high they were coasting on. Anna's cheeks were aching from the grin that remained pinned to her face, but she was soothed by the balm of gazing into the unending depths of John's eyes, feeling herself acclaimed by all of the adoration within them. Her hand clasped tight in his was even more amazing than usual, their capacity to become one with a single touch seeming to come easier now and meaning so much more. So many people surrounded them, the restaurant was filling to its capacity with associates and distant family members, but it was beyond Anna and John's comprehension; they were simply held in their own little world, only having eyes that could see no further than past the other.

Clinks of champagne flutes hardly fazed them, but Robert dashing through the restaurant like a hurricane did. Before he nearly tripped over his feet in a rush heading towards the staircase, he slapped John on the shoulder.

"Five minutes to midnight, mate. I'm rounding up the troops otherwise that hour I spent figuring out how to time the fireworks to the exact second could have been much better wasted."

He downed the contents of his full glass in record time, earning a smirk from John before ambling away.

"Good to see he's refining his talents," he chuckled, turning back towards Anna. Admiring her once more in her sleeveless black dress, he drew one hand up and down the silky skin of her arm, keeping his other hand circled with hers. "Come on, we'd best get a move on. Don't want to miss the spectacular sight."

Anna gave a nod of her head, not particularly wanting to emerge from the toasty warmth but knowing they couldn't stay away from the festivities that had been planned. She turned her gaze in the direction of the table they had been sitting at on the other side of the room but while she could spot her clutch bag in its place on top of the table, her coat was nowhere to be seen.

"Cora must have taken my coat into the back," she sighed, wishing in that moment she would have worn something a little more suitable. "It'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

John had already taken off his suit jacket and was now standing in his white shirt and jeans, a sight to behold. Anna was stopped still, gazing up at him as he draped the shoulders of the jacket over hers. His hands rubbed her arms through the fabric after he settled the garment upon her, and the smile lit up on his face at the sight of her own, warm and encompassing and sending electricity coursing throughout him.

"I was just remembering, this isn't the first time you've done this for me," Anna's smile was made even more captivating by the look that was settled in her eyes. "And you know, it's more exciting to me now than it was then."

John grinned at that, recalling the freezing misty morning on that football pitch when he would have done anything to impress her, but done so much more to make her feel as special as she should.

"Well, I can't very well stop being the gentleman now, not when we're engaged." He pulled the jacket closed over her, holding the lapels within his fingers, his eyes held to her. "It's my honour to look after you."

"And that you do," she replied with a wider smile, grasping both of his hands in hers. "My perfect gentleman."

His heart leapt in his chest to hear her breathe those words, with such love in her tone. He wasn't sure if he was still worthy of the title, and certainly couldn't fathom how it had been decided that he was worthy of her, but if there was one thing he was absolutely certain of it was that he would be everything to Anna; whatever she needed or wanted him to be, he could transform himself in an instant. It was something that seemed to come naturally.

They managed to bring themselves back to join everyone else out on the roof terrace, the space surprisingly wide enough to hold the entire party. Robert let them all know where the countdown was up to by keeping his eyes trained on his watch and within seconds the shouts had worked their way around, the wave of sound travelling effortlessly. On the precise arrival of midnight, the first fireworks exploded in a burst of colour over the pitch black sky, cascading light over the faces that were held in wonder to behold them. Others however were occupied in quite another way, with couples and secret admirers who had found courage in the spirit of starting afresh sharing midnight kisses.

Anna and John were amongst them, luxuriating in a deep and loving kiss that lasted past the first minute of the year. John held Anna in the embrace of his arms, smiling as their breaths continued to mingle and their foreheads rested together, Anna bunching up her shoulders against the slight shock of the cold wind. As John's large hands travelled across her she felt nothing but warm.

She leaned up to reach his lips for one more kiss and he obliged gratefully, his lips so tender upon hers that she nearly cried with the love she felt for him.

They smiled at each other when they broke apart. Smiles that were knowing but also filled with anticipation, the exciting kind of uncertainty that only the promise of a shared future that was close within reach could bring. What a year it had been, Anna considered happily to herself, and there was an even better one about to unfold.

She found herself reflected in John's eyes as fireworks continued to shower the sky above their heads. He took her hand and kissed it soundly.

"Happy New Year, my love," he whispered as the notes of Auld Lang Syne rang out about them.

Anna beamed back at her fiancé. "Happy New Year."

Even now she wondered how this time in another twelve months she could find herself even happier.

The first week of the year saw them making a trip up to Yorkshire, to see Anna's mother on her arrival back from her cruise as well as to give her the news that John would be her son-in-law soon enough. Anna knew it was only fair to do so in person, even more so given that she hadn't been able to see her mum over Christmas, but beforehand she dreaded it, being quite truthful when she suggested that maybe they could put off going for a few weeks. She just knew of the fuss that would be caused, her mother barely recovered from the last bout of wedding fever that possessed her and thinking it would likely be accelerated this time round when she knew how much more in love Anna was. Even though they had become more accustomed to each other and by all accounts had a good relationship, part of her still worried that her mum somehow didn't think that John was 'right' for her. She knew that he likely wouldn't have been her mother's ideal choice, but Anna couldn't say that she was concerned about what was ideal. John was more than perfect in her eyes, and that was all they had to care about.

Thankfully if Susan Smith had any misgivings about the degree to which her daughter was serious about John Bates, she didn't let it show. The timing had been her one cause for concern, taken aback by the rapidity at which the wedding would take place. Anna recalled that her mother had made a sour face when she informed her which month of the year it was going to be.

"Anna, haven't you ever heard of the saying?" Susan warned, the sense of superstition barely disguised in her voice. "Marry in May, rue the day."

Anna shrugged off her mother's fears, not one to believe in such things. They'd settled on May when she had worked out that it was when their baby would have been due to be born, and it seemed like a fitting way to mark the occasion neither wanted to forget. Plus it gave them enough time to sort out what they needed to, and for Anna and for John too the sooner was all the better. Already she couldn't wait to start their married life.

"See what you're getting into?" Anna sighed heavily when they arrived back home in London, clutching her hand to her head as John closed the front door behind them, her mind whirling with all of her mother's apparently well-meaning suggestions about the most insignificant of details. "God forbid that I ever turn into my mother. That's what they say eventually happens, don't they?" Her eyes widened with the fearful thought; poor John had no idea what was in store, and neither did she for that matter. "I can only apologise in advance."

He flashed her a winning smile, being careful to stifle his laughter lest she thought he was unfairly teasing her. Dropping their bags, he kept his arms open to let her burrow against him, such a weary and loveable look written upon her face. John smoothed her hair, dropping a kiss onto the top of her head.

"Anna Smith, I will love you whatever or whoever you turn into," he reassured, making her smile against his chest. "Besides, I suspect they might have broken the mould when they made your mother." He couldn't stop his laughter from spilling out. "Just don't tell her I said that, I'm not keen to be in her bad books again."

She gave him a swat on the chest for her mother's sake, but her smirk told him that she agreed with his side of things. Anna smoothed her palms across his torso, letting out little contented sighs while his arms circled around her.

"I won't be going by that name much longer," she remarked happily, looking up at him as the soft smile drifted onto his face, wishing she could make the time fly by.

The day she would become Anna Bates would be the best of her life.

She was glad to be back in the office after the brief trip back home, renewed with a fresh sense of energy and a determination to make this year the year that Downton Associates really took off. They'd already experienced a surge in bookings after a Christmas party period that had been met with much high praise, and she was currently making headway on outlining a lucrative charity ball for one of London society's most powerful women, Camilla Anstruther.

"So, I've added the Carlisles and Bryants to the guest list," Anna spoke from the midst of her desk, already swamped with reams of notes filled with details of tentative seating plans and potential themes for the night. "But I'm not sure what to do with the Duke of Crowborough. He seems like a colourful character by all accounts, and I think we should be trying to stay away from falling into scandal, even if it is by a slim chance."

For all the response she was getting, she may as well have been talking to the wall.

"Earth to Mary, are you still with us Miss Crawley?"

Mary swivelled round on her chair with a start, a magazine clutched within her manicured grasp. "What? Oh, umm, whatever you think is best."

Anna scrunched up her face, tilting her head to the side and wondering precisely what was up with Mary. Ever since they'd opened again she seemed wildly preoccupied, and some might have said that she wasn't on a par with Anna's focus at the best of times. She was just about to go over and enquire whether everything was alright when Mary closed the glossy publication she was holding, waving it in the air in Anna's line of vision. Mary's indifferent expression was quickly replaced with an eager smile, and Anna rolled her eyes up towards the ceiling.

"Mary," she exhaled, clicking her ballpoint pen and placing it down on the notepad in front of her. "We've gone over this. The office is a place for work; anything else can come afterwards."

"Oh, Anna, where's your sense of fun?" Mary shot back, clearly not a bit deterred. "Not every single second of the day has to be dedicated to work, you know. Anyway," her tone began to rise and lighten, "you're the one who's newly engaged. This should all be far more exciting to you than it is to me by now."

Anna narrowed her eyes briefly, but couldn't help breaking into a little smile at Mary's words.

"Of course it's exciting," she affirmed, marking a blank page of her notepad with inky criss-cross kisses. "But I'd rather save it for a time when I don't have to worry about guest lists, and a million other things besides."

As much as she appreciated Mary's sense of shared enthusiasm, the notion was one she wanted to keep clear in her head; event-planning was her career, and it gave her all the more reason not to turn what was going to be the most special day of her life into something that resembled work. The thought that it could quickly do so was more than a little frightening and deeply sad to her.

Mary was shaking her head, not convinced to join Anna in working through their tasks just yet.

"There's a wedding fair at Wembley Arena at the end of the month," she announced; much to Anna's dismay, Mary wasn't willing to let the subject drop just yet. "Why don't we make a weekend of it? There's bound to be so much stuff that we can pick up, and given that you're insisting on doing everything so soon it's all the more reason to get things sorted."

"Things are sorted," Anna's tone became a little affronted, making Mary reel back in her chair. "I mean, there's not that much that needs to be done. We don't want a big fuss or a parade. I know you can't understand that," she smirked as Mary nodded her head, lost in daydreams of the most extravagant wedding there could be, "but for me and John, it's fine."

Mary wrinkled her nose, not in disgust but more in disbelief.

"Anna, do you honestly want your wedding to be 'fine'?"

"Okay, maybe that wasn't the best word to use, but you know what I mean," she replied quickly, a smile curving the corners of her mouth. "For us, a quiet wedding with people we care about around us will be perfect."

"You sound like Sybil did." Mary sulked in her chair, chin planted in the palm of her hand, flicking through the bridal magazine with less fervour than before while Anna eyed her pointedly. She let out a chortle when Mary stuck out the tip of her tongue towards her and then quickly refrained, realising she was being childish. "You can't very well blame me for being excited, anyway. When I finally have someone to talk to and plan these things with."

"You have Edith," Anna pointed out, rolling the pen between her finger and thumb. "You know, your sister."

Mary scowled, and Anna decided it would be best not to go down that road after all. Instead she gave Mary a smile and a furrow of her brow, indicating that she wanted to get at least a bit of work done before five o'clock rolled around.

As she went across the room to grab her coat before heading out for coffees, Mary couldn't have been less subtle if she tried, leaving a hefty pile of wedding-related magazines and other paraphernalia on Anna's desk.

"I have tons more at home. Matthew says he should get me a subscription," she explained with a hesitant smile. "So really, they're all yours."

Anna looked from the cover of the top magazine up towards her friend, feeling that she couldn't be unfair.

"Okay," she relented, "we can go out somewhere and have a look through after work."

"Only if you want to."

Mary was terrible at hiding things.

Anna trudged into the living room, exhaling a sigh with each step as she brought her wine glass and its remnants back with her from the kitchen. John was sitting on the sofa, having washed the dishes while Anna had sat at the table, swirling the contents of her glass around and staring into space. Something was wrong, it was plain to see from the way her body was tensed and how she was wandering restlessly. A troubled thought entered his mind for a moment, one that had slipped through from a place he thought he had barred up by now. He told himself quickly not to be so ridiculous; she was with him and they were happier than ever. Anyway, what was life without the little bumps in the road? God knows they had faced much worse, and whatever it was was more than likely a passing cloud in an otherwise sunny horizon.

"You look as though you could have done with bringing the bottle back with you," he offered with a smirk he knew that she couldn't resist, showing it off quite purposely.

It had the desired effect, and in the next moment she had placed the glass down on the coffee table and was sitting with her legs curled up, snuggled against his lap. Instinctively his hands found their way around her waist, and she sighed out the frustration she had been keeping pent up.

"Nobody wants to talk to me about anything other than the wedding anymore," Anna explained, looping her arms around his neck. "All I get is wedding this, wedding that…it's as if nothing else exists."

"Are you having second thoughts?" he said, raising an eyebrow as his voice became apparently hurt, the smile pulling at his lips hard to disguise.

"Silly beggar," she answered him instantly, assuaging any worries he might have had by planting a kiss on his lips. "Of course I'm not." She wriggled in his lap, and he smoothed one of his palms against her thigh. "It sounds silly, but I just don't want things to get spoiled by overkill. I mean, I was never going to be a Bridezilla…"

He chuckled at the thought of Anna turning into some wedding-crazed woman, and was relieved when she shared his amusement. Even if she had become obsessed, it wouldn't have mattered. She could never be anything less than perfect to him.

"But Mary's at me all the time in the office, and outside of it too. Gwen won't leave off with suggestions for the reception, and you know how many times a day my mother calls. I'm still waiting for her to send her new idea scrapbook through the post."

She slumped against the sofa, and John looked at her longingly while his fingers danced upon her side.

"It's becoming such a headache, and that's the last thing I want. Everything that they mention, it's all just decoration. It's not about us. I know they mean well, but…" Her voice trailed off as she gazed into her lap, and then her eyes were back on John. He smiled as she entwined her fingers in his upturned palm. "Just me and you, that's all I need. I'd marry you this instant, in these jeans and this scruffy jumper, if I could."

The grin he was wearing made his face hurt, hearing Anna say those words with such sincerity. She looked utterly stunning in the slightly bobbly jumper she was wearing, but then again she always did, and the smile she was fixing him with made him dissolve. When she stayed silent, looking him deep in the eyes, he got to wondering if what she had said wasn't just a throwaway comment, albeit one that melted his heart.

"Does this mean you want to run off?"

She giggled one of those gorgeous little giggles of hers, making his heart flutter. "That makes us sound like we're teenagers going against our parents' wishes."

"You, maybe," he smirked, finding himself lost in her eyes once more. "Elope, then."

She didn't seem to be mulling it over so much as she was enlivened by the prospect, a smile easing onto her face, making her so much more relaxed. He was glad to see it, even if he was just a little bit surprised by the route she had chosen to go down. Yet he rather liked it when she took him by surprise, and he certainly had no complaints.

"All we'd need is the wedding licence, it'd save so much hassle." Everything about her was alight now, the sparkle in her eyes returned from where it had been dulled, and John revelled in the beauty of her right in front of him. "And it'd mean we could do it as soon as we wanted, no need to think about all the things that go along with it."

All the show makes a wedding, not a marriage, that was something his mother always told him. There had hardly been much of a show made before, but a marriage certainly hadn't been the result. It's what he wanted with Anna, and what he knew they would have, however they ended up making it all official.

"I've waited my whole life to be with you," she was saying softly as her gaze was pinned to him, "I don't want to wait any longer to be your wife."

The emotions that were running through him could have made him explode. He looked at her, this beautiful woman before him, and he kissed her before either of them could think about it any further. As the kiss deepened and she brought her body forward towards him, her fingers tugging on his hair, he had the overwhelming urge to carry her over his shoulder and up to their bedroom. He resisted, fixing her with a sweet kiss that thanked her for all of her devotion towards him, gently caressing her cheek.

"Whatever you wish, it shall be yours," he smiled, sinking back on the sofa to appreciate the joyful sight of her. "Although, you might consider me in all this. I was rather looking forward to all the preparation."

Anna wrinkled her forehead, not sure whether she could believe that he'd really be into all the fuss.

"Grand church, little girls with flowers in their hair," he charmed her with all the notions he had; she'd obviously given him less credit than he deserved. "You in a white dress, me looking like a fool."

Her face softened instantly, her eyes seeming to tear up. She reached out her arm, covering his hand with her own, rubbing her thumb against his knuckles softly.

"I didn't think," she said softly, apologetically. "If you want that, we can have it. Don't listen to me."

She had dropped her gaze, and as much as John couldn't bear to be without it, he was unable to bear it more that she thought she might have been letting him down. Gently he tipped her chin upwards, locking their eyes once more.

"I will always listen to you," he affirmed, his voice full of joy for her and the way she had turned his life around. "All I want is you and me too, the vows to be said and the rings on both of our hands. It's all I've ever asked for."

With two smiles and another long kiss, the matter was settled.

London had many perfectly good places to get married, but they figured if they were going to elope they might as well go all out. Time was spent poring over the various brochures John had picked up a while back for their intended break away that had gone out of the window since everything had happened. Wherever they chose to go could also make for a mini-honeymoon, if they had a long weekend away. None of the destinations seemed quite suitable but they didn't lose faith, each promising the other they'd come up with their own ideas. One morning while Anna was on the tube making her way to work, she grinned to herself as she read her usual morning text message from John. Her heart flipped over into her stomach when she took in the words 'It won't be long now'.

When she stepped onto the platform her phone buzzed again in her coat pocket. She got out of the rush and onto the street before she pulled it into her hand. The smile was instantly on her face when she saw it was another message from John.

- Have a look in your bag x

She didn't need to root very long to discover a brochure, curled over so it was able to fit with the rest of her stuff. Anna couldn't quite believe that they hadn't come up with it sooner. It was the perfect place to go.

Filled with excitement and barely being able to cover her smile all day, Anna was relieved when she could leave the office, having dodged questions from an intrigued Mary since the moment she had arrived that morning. She took a little detour, perhaps on purpose, and had to believe it was fate when she spotted the dress in the window of her favourite boutique. Emerging not fifteen minutes later with bag in hand and dress carefully wrapped up, she felt like she was walking on air. Everything was falling into place, exactly how it was meant to have been.

It had been easy enough for John to make his arrangements, saying that he'd be going on a research trip with one of the company's authors. For Anna it was slightly trickier, needing to go off radar in London and also not have the word reach her mother. After some thought she'd managed to come up with something foolproof and before they knew it, Thursday had arrived. They'd make it to Argyll in the evening, able to get married on Friday morning and have the rest of their long weekend to revel in being newlyweds, hoping to enjoy the delights of the Scottish climate but knowing they'd probably be enjoying each other much more. As an extra happy coincidence, Anna had discovered that Argyll was where Mr Carson, the staid but wonderfully kind man who was a figure throughout her childhood and formative years, was now living with his lady friend, and they'd managed to book themselves into the hotel they ran for their stay. Looking it up on the internet Anna had been surprised at how grand it was, expecting a sweet but rather homely little place and instead being met with a sprawling castle that resembled somewhere that rivalled the best stately homes of England.

They were already acting like a couple who had been married for years on their flight, and it made Anna glow inside, hoping that it was a taste of things to come. She fussed over John in the way that a wife would, checking over and again that he'd got everything and that everything came off the short plane journey with them. He took it just the way she had wanted when she told him that it was all good practise and seemed to relish all the gently-given orders she issued, playfully teasing her with little quips of his own. Both were beaming from ear-to-ear when they arrived in Glasgow airport, counting down the hours and walking arm in arm.

Eager not to stop, they went on the short way to the train station for the next part of their journey but were halted by forces beyond their control. The announcements rang out, confused and annoyed passengers crowding the platforms. High winds and an oncoming storm that was due to make its way through Scotland meant that all trains headed for other parts of the country and beyond had been suspended for the safety of all travellers, and nothing would be arriving or departing at least until the situation was reviewed first thing Friday morning. It was a disappointment to Anna and John, both being desperate to make it to the place where they would be wed as soon as they possibly could, but they rather they both survive in one piece to actually make it down the aisle. The queue to try and obtain hotel rooms for the night was like nothing that had ever been seen, and they didn't manage to make it anywhere near the front when it was announced rather quickly that everywhere nearby was fully booked.

They settled down on a bank of not entirely comfortable seats for the night, bundling up and snuggling against the chill, at least thankful that it wasn't the floor and there was a good supply of hot drinks and amenities nearby to get them through. It certainly hadn't been what they had pictured but nothing could stand in their way, they knew that much, and as long as they had each other they could ask for nothing more. Anna smiled to herself, thinking it rather funny and probably quite fitting; their courtship so far hadn't been all that conventional, so it shouldn't follow that the transition into the next stage would be any different.

"Do you think this is a sign?" she craned her head to look at John from where she was, wrapped in his arms and resting against his chest.

"That we should have got the ferry?" his voice rumbled against her back, and his tone made her burst into giggles.

"Oh god, that would have been worse. I can only imagine the amount of people who would be retching all night with the motion of the waves." Anna scrunched up her nose in revulsion at the image.

"That would have been a lovely soundtrack to upcoming nuptials."

Though the thought was never far from her mind, she beamed once more to realise what was even closer to them now than ever before. It wasn't the biggest hardship in the world that they were facing, but she would have endured anything so long as it meant they would be husband and wife in a matter of hours.

She shifted, sitting up more and turning her body so that she could have the pleasure of seeing his face properly. To her delight he was wearing a smile that matched her own, probably thinking the very same thing as she was, rich hazel eyes roaming over her features.

"You are glad that we decided to do it like this?"

Despite her reassuring him over and over that what they had planned was exactly what she wanted, it was understandable that this little blip had made him worry anew. Anna traced each line in his furrowed brow with her eyes and then ran her hand over his jaw, hearing him stifle a groan at the back of his throat.

"I'm much more than that," she answered with all the confidence and affirmation she possessed in her body, the steady look she fixed him with earning her a twinkling grin. Anna gave a short giggle as he tapped her nose that was glowing red with the cold that was circulating the less-than-insulated station.

John squeezed her hand softly in his, smoothing his fingers over each of hers in turn as she pressed her back against him again, getting comfy once more.

"I promise things will go much smoother when we're married," he assured in a tone that gave her all the faith in the world. Anna relished the secure feeling of his arms hugging around her waist, knowing that she couldn't be safer.

"It's okay, I'm game for the ride," she quipped, smiling at him over her shoulder and sliding one of her hands to cover his. "Just so you know, I'll be expecting a few trips away a year. Along with the standard flowers and chocolates, every other week at least."

She smiled cheekily, sighing a little when she felt his lips brushing against her cheek.

"Duly noted," John replied, holding her closer. "Can't let the spark go out once the day is over."

"Indeed we can't."

Anna couldn't stop smiling, knowing that would never be the case. She'd be happy to spend a thousand nights just like this one, knowing that he would be hers forever.

And forever wasn't far away at all.

Slightly stiff and with not that many hours sleep between them, they greeted the morning of what would be their wedding day. It might not have been what they had planned but they had made the best of things as ever, and though they'd spent nights sitting up talking before now they both agreed that such an evening was what all couples needed just before they got married, sharing all their hopes and dreams for the future and finding that most of them were exactly the same. Anna was assured that she knew everything there was to know about John now, and vice versa, and she was more certain than ever that he was the man she wanted to share the rest of her life with, not that she could have been persuaded otherwise.

Within a couple of hours service was back to normal and crowds of people flooded through the station, impatient to be headed for their destinations. Despite their wait Anna and John hadn't been able to make it on the first train that departed for Argyll, and their hearts sunk when they realised the time. They wouldn't get there to make their booking at the registry office. John took Anna's face in his hands, assuring her that they'd get another slot.

"We're not leaving this country until we're Mr and Mrs Bates," he said firmly, and the promise brought the smile back to her face, bigger than before.

The train journey wasn't too arduous, and having telephoned the previous night to explain their predicament a car from the hotel was waiting just outside Argyll station, a pristine uniformed chauffeur standing to store their bags and see them safely inside. They giggled in the back compartment, thinking it was though they'd gone back in time several decades, but Anna would have expected nothing less knowing Mr Carson was behind it all.

Walking into the reception of the hotel, they took a few minutes to simply stare at the wonderful surroundings. The pictures posted online didn't do it justice; looking up there was a sparkling crystal chandelier above their heads and a grand staircase stretched before them, flanked by two grand stone statues standing either side. Anna and John looked at each other, breath quite taken away.

Coming to their senses, they were greeted by an older, very well-dressed woman at the reception desk, which could be hardly called a desk at all. A bunch of keys dangled at her waist, even looking coordinated with her outfit.

"You must be Anna and John," she wore a warm smile, her Scottish brogue unmistakable and with only a slight edge that hardened her otherwise melodic tone. "I'm Elsie Hughes. I'm ever so sorry about your journey, it's been absolutely wild out there. I spent the best part of the night worrying whether some part of the roof hadn't caved in."

Another young man scurried forward to relieve them of their bags and they smiled gratefully as they went towards the counter.

"Charles will be ever so pleased to see you," Elsie smiled towards Anna. "He's seeing to some stock right this moment, and of course you'll want to get settled in before you do anything, but I'll let him know you're here once you've had the time to find your feet, and do whatever it is you have planned for today."

There was a knowing glint in her eyes, and both Anna and John felt themselves turn a little red.

"Thank you, Mrs Hughes," John said, slightly wary of whether he was using the correct address as he handed over the rest of their payment.

"Oh please, no need for formalities, Mr Bates," she replied with a hint of mischief that put an additional sparkle in her eyes. "Elsie will be just fine." Smiling as she handed Anna some leaflets of nearby attractions, she couldn't help but notice the younger woman looked somewhat downcast. "No need to fret, the weather will soon clear up. Sunshine is just around the corner, so they say. In Scotland of all places, wonders will never cease."

More of a smile settled upon Anna's face as she shrugged her shoulders back. "Oh no, it's not that. It's just," she lowered her voice for some reason, though there was nobody other than the three of them standing there and no need to keep things secret any more, "we were supposed to be at the registry office…" Anna let out a huff as she checked her watch, "just around now."

Elsie tilted her head at the sight before her; no bride should have been so sad, especially not one so young and pretty and full of hope.

Anna and John watched as she reached for a book behind the counter, running a finger down the page she had stopped at and hardly holding back a wide smile.

"We're licensed to hold ceremonies here, our last was just at the start of the week," Elsie announced, delighted to see the hopeful smiles reigniting on the couple's faces. "There's a room free all day tomorrow, I can give the registrar a call now but I don't see that he'd be too busy. It wouldn't be anything too grand, I'm afraid, but the offer's there."

They gazed at one another eagerly; it was hard to see how anything wouldn't be grand in these surroundings, the place was absolutely beautiful, much nicer than a registry office.

Almost in unison they gave their excited and affirmative answers.

"Definitely."

"If it wouldn't be too much bother."

"Not at all," Elsie grinned, eyes flitting between the two of them. "It would be our pleasure. You get yourselves sorted, and I'll go and start making the arrangements."

Anna turned to John with a smile pinned upon her face; they'd only known her for five minutes but it seemed that Elsie Hughes was already their fairy godmother, or something in a very similar guise.

"Who would have thought it?" John uttered, fitting his hands around Anna's slender waist. "It really will be hours after all."

Both of their hearts speeded up at the thought, and Anna clung onto John, grinning as she nearly burrowed her face against his chest. He hugged her into a tighter embrace, both of them wildly giddy that fate had taken a favourable turn.

In just hours, they could say goodbye to Anna Smith, and she would become the person she was always meant to be.