A/N : This is a repost because I lost my other account @tabulacarat

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John Bates had finally discharged all his stuff out of the truck into his new flat. Downton seemed like a lovely and serene town, and that's exactly what he needed now. A new start, a new life. He couldn't thank his friend Robert enough for this second chance in life he offered him. After his recent divorce, he would finally be able to mend his life and live his dream…. working in a library.

John had liked books since he was a little child. Back when he had just learned how to read, his mother had a hard time taking him out of his books. He read about mythical creatures, princes rescuing princesses, pirates' treasures. The magnificent highlands of where he used to live paled in comparison to these fairytales in his child's mind. Books had been his shelter for a great part of his life - before the bottle took their place for a while - so now that he was finally free from his toxic marriage, he thought nothing was better than to renew with his old world. Though it was ironic, when all he wanted was to forget his old life but he knew some parts of his life were worth keeping, because they made him who he was.

Speaking of parts of his life worth keeping, he heard his doorbell ringing. He walked - though the way he walked showed how he was affected by his limp - to the door and opened it to discover his best friend, Robert.

"Bates !" the man exclaimed, opening his arms to hug his old friend.

"Rob !" John called back "I'm happy to see you mate"

"So am I, why didn't you tell me you were already here. I would have helped you unpack !" his friend scolded him as he looked around to see piles of cardboard boxes scattered across the room.

"Sorry, I drove during the night and was here at 6 am. I didn't want to bother you so early." John explained.

"Everything fit in your car ?" Robert wondered.

"Well, most of the stuff in our home was Vera's so yeah" John sighed. His friend, sensing he was on the verge of brooding about his old life, tried to lighten the mood.

"What do you say we go pick some coffee ? I don't suppose you have a coffee maker somewhere in there" he asked, nodding to the few boxes - on most of them you could read "books" -.

"Yeah, let's do that," John agreed.

They went to the coffee shop under John's flat. Robert told him the coffee was rather good here. The shop was nice and John felt like he was fitting in there. London had always been too busy and noisy for him. He was only staying there because of his mom - anyway it hadn't been for his ex-wife -, since she was all the family he had left in England. He couldn't understand why she liked it there, she would have been better in the countryside. Maybe he was just too lazy to live in a big city. Downton suited him much better, reminding him of his native Scotland in some ways.

They were waiting to grab their coffee when they recognized someone familiar, who turned around to greet them.

"Papa, Uncle John, I didn't know you were already there" the young woman said, waving at them.

"Mary !" John said as he approached her, Robert was just behind him. He kissed his goddaughter on the cheek to greet her.

"How long have you been in Downton ?" she asked.

"Since this morning, I arrived at 6 am and unpacked until your dad came" John replied, a smile on his lips.

"You should have told us. We would have helped, Anna and I. It's not good for your knee" she scolded him with a gentle smile

"You know how proud he is," Robert told her, rolling his eyes.

"I can manage ten boxes alone, thank you very much. I'm not an invalid" he replied, a little irritated at his friends' remarks. "Anyway, who is Anna ?"

"My roommate and best friend. We live across the road" she enlightened him.

"Oh so you're my neighbor, fantastic" he said with a bit of sarcasm.

"And also your colleague. Deal with it uncle John" she bit back, poking out her tongue.

The barista called their name and they grabbed their coffee and went outside. Mary suggested that they visit the town. Robert excused himself as he needed to settle some business before school started again. John and Mary drove in her car around town. She showed him the shops, the beautiful church, the parks. They barely listened to the radio so Mary decided to make a bit of conversation.

"So, Uncle John, finally got rid of that nasty bitch ?" she asked, referring to his ex-wife. Everyone in the Crawley family was part of her hate club. He wouldn't deny that Vera wasn't very likeable. She had made his life a living hell for almost 20 years.

"Yes. At last" he joked. He was a man of few words but he was really relieved to finally be free.

"She really was the devil. I can't see why you married her in the first place" she confessed.

"I was young and stupid, I guess. Anyway, enough talk of my poor love life. How are things with…uh…what is his name already ?" he asked.

"Matthew. Really, Uncle John, we've been together for 4 years and you still can't remember his name" she tutted.

"Sorry, love. So, still no proposal ?" She shook her head.

"Unfortunately no. Understanding what women want isn't Matthew's forte" she commented.

"I don't know a single man who's good at it" they laughed "So you live with that girl Anna instead of living with Matthew"

"Yeah you know how old school Papa is" she tried not to roll her eyes while saying that. Her dad acted like it was the 1920s.

"Yes. But then I guess our generation is like that" He said.

"You're only in your 40s, stop talking like you're a corpse" she rolled her eyes at him and he laughed "Anyway, we're almost there"

"Where ?" He was puzzled as she parked her car in a gigantic park.

"Your new world" she winked.

He looked up to see where he would be working alongside her tomorrow : Downton Abbey High School. The building was breathtaking. It was a very old one, built at the beginning of the 19th century. It had been a family estate until the middle of the 20th century - it had also been a war hospital at some point - and had been converted into a high school by the last Earl in the 1950s. John felt transported into one of these period dramas he loved - though he wouldn't admit it to Robert or anyone else -. They got out of the car to get closer to the castle. As they did, they saw two people -a tall dark haired guy and a short blonde haired girl - walking their way.

Mary beamed at them. They returned her smile and John deducted she knew them.

"Anna ! Thomas ! What are you doing here ?"

"Came to help your dad prepare the classes" the guy explained, looking at John with a confused face.

"Yeah I wanted to tell you when you came back from Matthew's but you hadn't returned when I left" the blonde girl said. He realized she was Anna, Mary's roommate.

"Oh yeah, I went to my Uncle John's before. He just moved in just across our street"

"Oh" Anna said, before turning to him, her hand before her "Nice to meet you, I'm Anna Smith. I'm Mary's best friend and roommate"

"Pleasure. I'm John Bates, Mary's godfather, I'm a friend of Robert" he said as he shook her hand. That gesture had a comforting feeling, though he couldn't explain why. She seemed friendly. The same couldn't be said of her friend Thomas who glared at John.

"I'm Thomas Barrow. I'm Anna's best friend too" he introduced him with a monotone voice.

"Nice to meet you, Thomas," John said without really thinking it. He wondered how two people that are so different from each other could be best friends.

"Uncle John is starting here tomorrow" Mary said to change the subject, sensing the tension between Thomas and John.

"Oh, really and what are you teaching ?" Thomas asked with a superior look. He had decided he wouldn't like John apparently.

"I'm not teaching. I'm the new librarian"

"Oh, do you like books, Mr Bates ?" Anna eagerly asked. He smiled at her friendliness. He felt more comfortable than when speaking to Thomas.

"Yes I do, Miss Smith, I like books a lot. I gather you two are teachers then ?"

"We are, I'm the PE teacher" Thomas said, always in the same tone.

"Wow, that's impressive. I wouldn't have thought" John retorted. Thomas widened his eyes, a little offended.

"And I'm the English teacher" Anna quickly said to avoid any fight between the two men.

"Oh, so you're also a literature fan" he commented which caused Anna to smile brighter.

"Yes, I am," she replied. It was his turn to smile. He felt like he had found a new friend.

Thomas quickly escaped from the conversation to return to his work, so did Mary who spotted Matthew in the parking lot. Anna and John were left alone and they kept on chatting together.

"Don't mind Thomas. He's not a bad guy when you know him, even though at first he seems a little wild" she told him suddenly.

"I think he dislikes me," he noted.

"No, don't worry. He's just a little jealous" she said.

"Oh, you two are involved ?" He didn't know why but he was disappointed. He had the feeling she deserved a better man than Thomas.

"What ? No, Thomas' gay ! No he's just a very clingy best friend who doesn't like being friendly when I make new friends" she explained, amused by his mistake.

"How did you two become best friends ? You're quite the opposite" She chuckled.

"Love has its reasons I guess" she replied quickly. He felt like there was something she wasn't telling him but he wouldn't pry. He only just met her and couldn't expect her to tell her deepest secrets to a perfect stranger. He knew he wouldn't.

"Anyway, it's nice to know people other than the Crawleys here," He said.

"You're new to town ?"

"Yes, came from London"

"To Downton ? What a peculiar choice" she asked curiously.

"I feel like I needed a new start" He just said.

"Well, I hope you will like it here !"

"I think so too. I like the countryside far more than London. It's calming"

"It is. You live alone ?" She wondered.

"Yes"

"Well, you can come to our flat if you feel alone or need anything. Mary and I would be glad to have you by, Mr Bates" she informed him.

"Thank you, Miss Smith. But you can call me John" He smiled and she smiled back.

"You're welcome, John. Call me Anna then" she replied with wit.

They talked a bit more before entering the building to help the others with the classrooms until noon. Then all the school staff decided to have lunch together in the school cafeteria. Of course, John joined them. There were little sandwiches and savory cakes. He was famished - having driven all night he hadn't eaten at all -. He took a few treats on the serving table and came back to his chair. He was soon joined by Robert and his wife Cora - who came to help even if she was working at the local middle school in the village -.

"John. It's been a while. How are you doing ?" She asked with her trademark grin.

"Fine, thank you Cora," he smiled back.

"Don't stay in the corner. Go meet your colleagues" she said eagerly.

"Yes, uh, well…" before John could finish his sentence, Robert tapped his spoon against his glass of Coke and asked for silence. Everyone turned to look at John, who felt really embarrassed suddenly. Robert shouted to the small crowd :

"Attention please, this year we'll be joined by a new librarian. My dear friend John Bates. I would like y'all to make him feel welcomed" When he finished his speech, applause fused. John wanted to hide somewhere far from here. He hated being the center of attention.

He was glad to see the Crawley family members. He was greeted by Sybil and her boyfriend Tom, Matthew and a very pregnant Edith which he congratulated. He had heard about her boyfriend's passing and was surprised to see her full with child. Sybil later explained that Edith had learned she was pregnant with Michael's baby the same day he died. John felt terribly sorry for her. He had always been for her. Edith was a nice girl and she deserved happiness. He hoped she would find someone to help her raise the little one. He was introduced to the several members composing the teaching and school team. A lot of them seemed friendly enough like Mr and Mrs Carson, the school keepers, the lunch ladies Daisy and Mrs Patmore were also really nice to him, giving him more food. He suspected it was because he was the boss's friend but he didn't care. It was nice to fit in somewhere.

Of course, he spent most of his lunch time talking with Anna and her friends. Gwen - Sybil's roommate and Anna's childhood friend - was a smart young woman and she seemed to like him. They discussed football teams, apparently something they had in common. Thomas joined the conversation from time to time, though never speaking directly to John. Anna wasn't sharing the same interest in it.

"You don't like football Anna ?" He asked, not wanting Anna to feel like an outsider.

"Not really, I'm more of an intellectual. Books, movies and TV shows are much more my cup of tea" she replied shyly.

"What's your current favorite TV show then ?" And the subject quickly drifted to TV shows and movies. He saw Anna brighten and he was glad. The four of them chatted all afternoon. John realized he had moved in for the best. He was ready for his new life full of opportunities. Nothing could erase the smile on his face, except who just entered the room.

Sarah O'Brien. Vera's friend.