A/N : guess who's back ?

As always thanks to the Mary to my Anna, Becca, who is my incredible beta reader 3

M rated - for smut

Anna woke up, John's arms around her and his mouth pressed against her bare shoulder. Both of them were naked, a result of the love-making session they had the previous night. She loved the sensation of his skin on hers. Sometimes, they would just strip naked and cuddle with each other at night, to revel in the feeling of that skin on skin contact. Flashes of the night came back to her and she felt a warmth low in her body. It had been so passionate, as always. Since they moved in together, Anna had been on the pill. It allowed them to forget about condoms from time to time, enjoying the pleasure of raw passion without the barrier of contraception. They knew it was a risk and were careful to avoid her time of ovulation, but as time passed Anna realized she cared less about the possible outcome of an incident. To be honest, she longed to start a family with John. However, she reasoned that marriage was a stable position to raise children, and she resolved herself to be patient, though dreaming of the day she would finally be Mrs Bates.

She felt her boyfriend stir behind her, his hands slowly sneaking to her breasts, cupping them. He placed a kiss on her neck, making her shiver.

"'Morning" he muttered, her skin muffling his words.

"Good morning, love" she said as she turned in his arms, gazing at him. His eyes were forest green now, and it made her melt. She leaned in, kissing him sweetly. They smiled as they pulled away.

"I hope this never stops," he uttered, stroking her golden locks.

"What ?" she inquired, still smiling.

"That feeling when we're together, the love we have for each other" he said seriously. Anna's heart swelled. She moved her hand to cup his cheek, stroking it with the pad of her thumb.

"I've never loved someone like I love you, John Bates. I know in my heart, the love I have for you is never going to die down" she promised, before kissing him again.

"I love you" he whispered, kissing her deeper.

John was extremely anxious since his mother gave him the wedding ring. He remembered her words 'You shouldn't waste time, Johnny'. Wise words they were. He feared that some time in the future, Anna was going to resent his inaction and leave him. He didn't know why he was still hesitating. They both wanted a life together. Anna had told him so, and by not doing anything about it, he was risking losing her. He knew, this time, it wasn't Anna's traumas speaking but his own. He knew she was nothing like Vera, and wouldn't blame her unhappiness on him, physically and mentally abusing him in the process. He never doubted that, but he was afraid that he had caused his ex-wife unhappiness for real.

As he looked at Anna's backside while she dressed, he knew he had to work on himself. He couldn't disappoint this woman, for she deserved everything nice in this goddamn world. He just needed to stop being a coward.

Later, as they were eating their breakfast, both of their phones vibrated with the notification ring. It was a message from Tom in the Downton Abbey High School group chat.

Sybil and I are getting married. You're all invited, pals.

Anna looked at her boyfriend to make sure she read correctly. He looked at her in the same state of shock which proved to her she did. Responses fused in the group chat.

Mary: what ? Is this a prank Tom ?

Joseph: Wow congrats guys !

Thomas: odd declaration but good for you mates

Robert: beg your pardon ??

Anna couldn't help but laugh at the odd situation. John joined her, imagining his best friend's reaction to his youngest sister's impromptu wedding announcement. A message from Sybil came next.

Tom's drunk. We weren't supposed to announce it like that. We're getting married later this month, in Ireland.

Edith: with whose money ?

Cora: Edith ! Sybil, darling, could you come by the house later ?

Both Anna and John were dumbstruck. They knew the young couple was in for a good ear out by Robert. However, they were happy for Tom and Sybil. They were young but you only live once so, why not ? This upcoming wedding cheered John up. If his niece was strong enough to marry the man she loved without fearing her strict father's scolding, he could fight his own fears and propose to the love of his life.

Back at the Crawley's house, Sybil and Tom were parked in front of the sublime residence. Tom had sobered up. He had been drinking heavily the night before, celebrating the step they were about to take. He thought back on his message to the group chat and chuckled. Sybil gave him a warning look.

"Tom, it's not funny"she scolded him, looking furious.

"Oh sorry, love. You're not too angry with me, are you ?" he rasped in his irish brogue. Her eyes softened a bit, almost forgetting her anger.

"I am not, but only because you've made me an incredibly happy woman last night. However, I would like for you to keep quiet now, while I save your neck from my parents' wrath" she ordered him, kissing him before getting out of the car.

They both got out of the car, walked to the door and knocked. Edith opened it, Marigold in her arms. She greeted her sister and her future brother-in-law with a hug, congratulating them. They were interrupted by a cough behind her, Robert looking at Tom with anger-fuelled eyes.

"Papa" Sybil greeted him.

"Darling" he replied, coldly. Thankfully, Cora entered the corridor at that moment and gestured to them to go to the living room. Once there, Edith left them to give them the privacy they needed. Cora offered them some tea, which they gladly accepted. Tom's head was still pounding from his recent hangover.

Robert was engulfed in his armchair, eyes like daggers. His glare was fixed on Tom. Cora spoke first.

"My darling, is what you said on the groupchat true ?"

"Yes, Mama. Tom and I are getting married." she proudly stated, taking her fiancé's hand into hers. Robert almost rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry about the way you learned it though" Tom apologized "We'd been celebrating yesterday and I got drunk"

"And you're expecting me to let my 21 years old daughter throw away her life for a drunkard"

"Robert !!" Cora scolded

"He's not a drunkard, Papa !!" Sybil protested, crossing her arms.

"I am not, sir. And your daughter is not wasting her life. We love each other, that's all." Tom defended himself, resting a hand on Sybil's arm.

"And what about med school ? You got that internship at the school because you said you wanted to be a doctor. Did you give that up ?" Robert questioned, his tone cold.

"I can still do it. Nothing has changed. I love Tom, Papa."Sybil stood her ground.

"Why the urgency ?" Robert, insisted.

The two lovers shared a knowing look, which annoyed Robert even more.

"Sybbie, are you sure about this ?" her mother inquired, calmly. Unlike her husband, Cora was taking all of this with a calm and collected manner.

"Yes, Mama. I'm sure" she smiled brightly which caused Cora to reciprocate.

"Why Ireland ?" her father asked as a last resort.

"I promised Tom" Sybil explained, and saw the reprobating look of her father "before you attack him again, he didn't force me. When we met, we had a silly little conversation about getting married in Ireland, that's all"

"It's very romantic" Cora cooed, but her husband rolled his eyes.

"I think it's dumb. And expensive. Who's going to pay ?" he muttered into his beard.

"We put money aside. It won't be that expensive. Tom's uncle knows a priest, and we'll have the ceremony in his dad's pub" she informed them.

"There's nothing I can say to change your mind ?" Robert tried one last time. He knew how stubborn his youngest daughter was.

"No. I just hope I'll see you at the wedding" Sybil replied, her voice faltering a bit at the end.

"Of course, we'll be there," her mom assured her, moving to hug her daughter and her future son-in-law. She knew it would take some time for Robert to wrap his head around it but she knew deep down he liked Tom.

Over the weekend, the news traveled among the staff. By Monday, everyone knew and congratulated the couple the moment they arrived at school. Sybil was still living with Gwen but often spent the weekend at her boyfriend's flat where he now lived on his own since Mary and Matthew's wedding. Some of her friends cooed at the sight of the beautiful emerald engagement ring on Sybil's ring finger. Thomas frankly hugged his surrogate little sister, congratulating her over and over. John was also very emotional. He had known her since she was in her mother's belly, and he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that she would soon be a married woman.

Around 8:30, when the classes started, everyone scattered and went about their own duties. Except for Anna, who didn't have class this morning, but chose to come early to grade some papers before the year end exams. She was sitting at a table in the library storage room, focused on her work, avoiding her boyfriend's persistent gaze. She looked up and mouthed "Get to work !" to him, when she saw Sybil coming her way.

"Hi, Syb. Congrats, again !" she cheered and Sybil smiled.

"Thank you, Ann. Can I talk to you about something ?" her expression was unreadable.

"Yeah, sure" Anna nodded, sensing that her friend needed her help. Sybil closed the door behind her, giving them privacy. "Is everything alright ?"

"Yes. More than alright. You see, I've always felt comfortable confiding in you. You're the wise big sister" Sybil admitted, smiling. Anna smiled back. She dropped her voice to a lower volume. "I'm pregnant."

Anna's eyes widened. She hadn't expected her to say that. She had wondered about the rushed wedding, but she just thought it was the fire of their age. Now, she understood a little more about the sudden engagement. Though it wasn't 1920 anymore and unmarried couples could have children, it was always easier that way. It was part of the reason, she was panicking at a certain time of the month when she realized she was late. She knew John and her would work things out and raise a baby no matter their marital situation, but she was relieved that they still had time to get married before a little one came into their life. Her stunned expression must have shown because Sybil spoke again, trying to justify herself.

"It was an accident. Well, not the part where we made it," she let out a quick giggle. "But we used protection and there was a defect, I don't know… and now I'm two months pregnant."

"Is that why you're getting married ?" Anna asked, softly, understanding her friend's panic.

Sybil nodded. "Not the only reason. I love Tom and I know it's silly, we're young, but he seems to be the one" the younger woman smiled shyly. "I couldn't tell anyone yet, because I know how they'll react. Tom knows, of course. We decided to keep the baby. I always dreamed of being a mom, and even if it's a bit early, I feel ready," she admitted with her usual strong-minded behavior. Anna knew what the young woman was feeling because she felt it too. Since she was a little girl, she dreamed about becoming a mother. When she had been with Alex, that dream went away with all the abuse, but now that she had John, she wanted it more than anything.

"I'm glad you could confide in me. I know you're strong enough to raise that little one. You'll be an incredible mother, darling" Anna assured her.

"Thank you, Anna. You would make an incredible mother too" Sybil reached out for her hand. Her words made Anna's heart clench. She smiled as an answer. "You can tell Uncle John, I don't mind but please don't tell my family nor Thomas or Gwen yet"

"I promise. Your secret's safe with me" Anna winked.

When Sybil left the room, she was followed by John's look over her, wondering what had just taken place then. He went to Anna who looked a bit shaken. She quickly composed herself as she saw him, smiling.

"Everything alright, darling ? What was that about ?"

"I'll tell you later," she dismissed. Right now, she couldn't talk about it with him. She needed some advice. Anna rose from her seat, passed by John, kissing his cheek before walking away. She left the library taking the corridor until she reached one particular office. MRS CARSON ; SCHOOLKEEPER.

She knocked, biting nervously on her bottom lip. She had no idea why she was this anxious. It wasn't a big deal, but Sybil's confession made her feel the need to share what was plaguing her for weeks.

Elsie answered the door, inviting her in, beaming.

"Anna !"

"Do you have time for a chat ?" The younger woman asked nervously.

"I always have time for you, my child," she assured her. Anna felt relief at that statement. Elsie was the mother she never had. Her own mother hadn't been a good one, hadn't protected her when she should have. Elsie had filled the huge hole her mother had left in her life and her heart from the day they met, a decade ago.

The schoolkeeper offered her to sit down, making them some tea accompanied by her homemade shortbread cookies. Anna smiled as a memory came to her mind.

"Those are the same cookies" she stated, a nostalgic smile plastered on her face.

Elsie smiled, the same memory running through her mind. The memory of a younger Anna, crying in a similar office. She had presented those cookies to the young girl before comforting her.

"What is it, mo nighean ?" She asked, seeing the younger woman's gray expression behind her smile.

"You can read me like a book…" Anna huffed, fondly.

"I know you as if I'd made you," Elsie smirked. Anna's eyes filled with tears in reaction to her words.

"You heard about Sybil and Tom ?"

"Yes. A rushed affair but they seem perfect together. I won't judge them for rushing into it, I wished Charles would have done the same," she chuckled.

"I agree," she said, sadly.

"Your time will come, love."

"Will it ?" She asked. She didn't mean to doubt John's sincerity, and she felt selfish for wishing for something he wasn't ready to do, but the longing was getting out of control. "Sybil told me she is pregnant. They've decided to keep the baby, and that's part of the reason why they're eager to get married soon."

"Oh. I see. Congratulations to them. It mustn't be easy, as young as she is," Elsie pointed out. Anna purposely avoided her gaze.

"She made me promise not to tell her family, but I had to talk about it to someone, to hear someone else's point of view on the subject," she admitted.

"Why not Mr Bates ?" She inquired, which made Anna look back to her.

"I don't want to press him…" her voice turned into a whine.

"Anna, have you told him about you wanting marriage and children ?"

"I did. He said he wants the same…but… he isn't ready yet. It's fine, really, it's just…seeing my friends pregnant and engaged or married just makes me long for it even more."

"And there's nothing wrong with that. Has he told you the cause of his hesitancy about marriage?"

"He didn't. But I suspect it has to do with Vera, his ex-wife. She was abusive and made him really insecure."

"So you can understand where he comes from," Elsie said, referring to her own abusive relationship. Anna nodded, shamefully. She hadn't thought about the situation from that angle. John had been patient with her when she had been unsure about going to bed with him after what she lived through with Alex.

"I'm an awful girlfriend," she said, resenting herself for being so thoughtless.

"That's not true, my child. You're going through a really normal process of longing for some women. I know I went through it," Elsie's voice trailed off.

"Why did you give up on having children ?"

"I simply couldn't have them. We tried, God knows for how many years. I was older than most mothers of my time, but I was still in my early thirties. After many years of failed attempts, the doctor told us about my condition, the one preventing me from having children. I was heartbroken, and so was Charles. I thought this would create a rift between us, but he was perfect, comforting me and making sure I was happy despite what we couldn't have. We mourned together, being content with only having the other, until you came along."

"Oh Elsie…" Anna's heart tore at the thought of her friend's unhappiness. Her eyes were glowy from unshed tears.

"You were the daughter I could never have, Anna," she smiled, though tears were rolling down her face.

"And you were the mother I deserved but never had," Anna reached for Elsie's hand, squeezing it.

"I know it might sound crazy, but Charles and I thought about it for years" she marked a pause, seeing Anna's confused face. "We would like to adopt you"

Anna was speechless. She hadn't been expecting this, though if she admitted it, she had always dreamt of the day it would happen. Since she met this woman, ten years ago, she had wished for her to be her mom. She had always been there for her, going as far as to host her in their house when she had nowhere else to go. She had been there for the heartbreaks and the moments of joy, such as her graduation from teaching school. Even more since the death of Anna's real mom some years ago, Elsie had been an important part of her life.

"Oh Elsie… I would love that. You can't imagine how long I've wanted to hear those words," Anna cried in earnest. She sobbed in Mrs Carson's arms, who had embraced her. Now, both the women were sobbing.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. With reluctance, Elsie left Anna's embrace and went to open it. John was standing on the threshold. He looked puzzled by the tear stains he saw on both of them.

"Is everything okay ?"

"Yes. Just an emotional mother-daughter moment," Elsie assured him, the term used not going unnoticed by Anna, who smiled tearfully.

Anna excused herself to Elsie, walking with John back to the library. He couldn't miss the smile plastered on her face, wondering about her sudden change of emotion since she had left the library, shaken.

"What makes you so smiley ?" he asked when they finally reached the library, pushing the door to it. She made sure no one was around.

"Elsie told me she wanted to adopt me. I told you how she had always been more of a mother than my mother ever was."

"Anna. This is amazing news ! You seemed so upset, earlier after Sybil came to talk to you," he said, genuinely happy for her. His comment suddenly brought her back to that state of longing she had been in earlier, but she thought back on what Elsie said. She couldn't be selfish. She needed to be patient with John like he had been with her. Their love was unique. He would be hers for good, one day. It was only a matter of time…and healing. She needed to show John how much she loved him, how perfect he was.

"I had no reason to be upset, nor do I now. Life is only getting better" she said, tiptoeing to press a kiss to his cheek. "I love you."

"And I love you" he replied, joyfully although a bit confused about this whole moment.

The rest of May passed extremely quickly between the wedding preparations and the upcoming final exams. The Crawleys only got Tom and Sybil to agree to delay the wedding a bit to have the time to organize something a bit grander than a registry office wedding. This left the time for everyone to make their arrangements to be there. O'Brien had been invited this time around. Sybil was a nice soul, and she hated for someone to be put aside. Her oldest sister made fun of her for being so good. Even Anna had to admit, she wouldn't invite O'Brien to her wedding for all the gold in the world. Thankfully, O'Brien declared she had better things to do than go to Ireland for a wedding and refused the invitation.

One problem subsisted, however. Robert was still mad at his daughter, and even more at his future son-in-law. John decided it was his role to knock some sense into his best friend. He went to his office, a week before they all embarked for Ireland.

"Whether you like it or not, she's going to marry him. I'd say you better get used to the idea rather than brooding about something you can't change."

"But, John, she's 20 years old !!"

"And so he is, he did nothing wrong. He hardly led her on. They've known each other since high school."

"I still think it's too soon. They're immature," Robert huffed and John had to roll his eyes at his best friend's stubbornness.

"I've known Sybil her whole life, and I can tell you, your daughter is far from immature, Rob. You should give her more credit. She knows her mind, and if she made this decision, she thought it through," John pointed out.

Robert looked down, starting to realize John was right and he had been stupid for reacting badly.

"You like the lad, deep down. I know it. You always knew when men weren't good for you girls. If you stay mad at her for this, you're going to lose her. For the sake of your relationship with your daughter, I'd advise you to take that plane and show up at your daughter's wedding" John advised in a scolding tone.

"You're right, mate. I've been an arse," Robert rubbed a hand over his face, sighing.

"Yes, you have. It's time to redeem yourself" John smirked before leaving his friend's office.

When they embarked onto the plane to Dublin a week later, both Tom and Sybil were glad to see Robert. His own wife seemed surprised, she looked to John mouthing a "thank you" to which he nodded. Most of the gang (the Crawley family as a whole, Anna, John, Thomas, Jimmy and Gwen) decided to make the journey together. The rest would be arriving during the weekend.

They arrived an hour later at the Dublin airport and retrieved their luggage before waiting outside for a taxi. Tom's brother, Kieran, who worked as a bus chauffeur managed to find a mini-bus to take everyone to the bed and breakfast (which was also a pub) the Branson family owned. They were glad they would not have to pay for a taxi.

The bed and breakfast was beautiful. It was on the border of Dublin, and it looked very cozy. Of course, every couple shared a room together, Edith along with Marigold decided to share her room with Gwen to save on chambers for when the others would be there. Gwen was delighted to be able to spend some time with the lovely babe. Everyone at the school was doting on the young girl. She was a celebrity among the school staff. After everyone was sorted out, they had free quarters while Sybil's parents were meeting Tom's. Since it was already 5, Thomas, Gwen and Jimmy decided to head to the pub. Exhausted by pregnancy, Mary decided to stay at the B to rest, her husband obviously staying by her side. Edith, who had only had a few full nights since Marigold's birth, decided to take a nap with her daughter. John and Anna decided to wander the streets of Dublin.

John's heart swelled as he took in the landscape. Many memories came to his mind as he looked around town. Anna saw some tears in his eyes. She took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. He looked at her.

"I never told you that I lived here for some time" he uttered after a moment of walking in silence.

"No, you didn't."

"My dad was a bad man. He would hurt me and my mom, that's why we moved to Scotland with my grandparents. He had found a…woman…who was probably half his age and didn't search after us so after a while, my mom decided to send me on holidays to my aunt Marie's house in Dublin. I would spend every summer holiday there, I was really close to my cousins, Brendan and Erin. It's through them that I got to know Vera. We were a troublesome little band : me, Erin, Brendan, Vera, Caitriona and Sarah O'Brien" he told her and she listened, fascinated by his childhood tales. She was glad he would share something this intimate with her. Then again, she reminded herself, he was her boyfriend and she had done the same.

"O'Brien ??" She asked with utter shock.

"Yes. This was a mess because I was in love with Vera" he cleaned his throat, ashamed "and she was with me, O'Brien had a crush on Vera, Brendan had a crush on Caitriona and Caitriona had a crush on me" he chuckled at the memory. Anna felt a pang of jealousy, weirdly not directed at his ex-wife but at that mysterious woman who had once had a crush on her boyfriend. She knew this was stupid and childish but she couldn't help it. Then her brain ticked on something else.

"O'Brien had a crush on Vera ?" she inquired and John nodded.

"Yes. She resented me for years for marrying her" John spilled O'Brien's dark secret. Anna couldn't help but nervously giggle. She couldn't imagine the math teacher as someone with such a passion.

"Are your cousins still living here ?"

"Brendan still lives here with his wife. Erin moved to another city." he answered, not getting where she was heading.

"Do you think we could visit them ? Did you keep in contact with them ?"

"It's been a while since I last saw them but we've kept contact through my mom mainly. I suppose I could phone Brendan to ask him. We could swing by my aunt's house too. They'll be happy to know you" John suggested, suddenly really eager to see his family again. Anna nodded in agreement. She rejoiced at the idea of getting to know his family a bit more. She reasoned that one day it would be hers too.

John phoned his cousin, who was really pleased to hear about him. By a fortunate coincidence, his cousin Erin was there too for the weekend, with her husband and her sons, David and James. John hadn't seen them in over ten years. They settled on a date, the day before the stag and hen parties. It was a chance they had booked a whole week for the wedding, John wondered how the groom would walk the aisle on the d-day otherwise. He guessed everyone deserved a well-earned break from the final exam correction period they were in, and what is better than a beautiful irish wedding.

Anna felt anxious about meeting John's cousins. She didn't know why when she had already met his mom, but she was always worried about making a good impression. Mary had often called her a people pleaser, and even though she disliked when her best friend called her that, she knew it was true. It was the reason she had stayed with Alex even though he was awful to her, the reason why she had offered him her first time when she hadn't been ready. She quickly chased away those thoughts. This was the past, John was her present…and hopefully her future. Out of nowhere, she imagined showing her engagement ring to those same people she was about to meet for the first time, and it lessened her fears a bit.

On Friday, they drove to his cousin's house. It was a pretty cottage-like house with a red door and a perfectly maintained garden. It looked magical in this warm summer weather. They were met by John's cousin, Brendan, who looked every bit like him except he was smaller. John had shown her some pictures of the gang when they were younger, but the resemblance hadn't been so flagrant back then. The Bateses definitely had a good gene running through the family, Anna thought, remembering the youth pictures of John's mother. She wondered if they had children, would they take after this side. She was dragged out of her thoughts by Brendan introducing himself.

"Dia duit !" he said, chuckling at Anna's confused expression "It means hello. I'm Brendan. Nice to meet you." He had a strong Irish accent just like Tom and Margaret.

"The pleasure's mine. I'm Anna, John's girlfriend" she held out her hand for him to shake.

"You're even lovelier than Aunt Maggie said you were" he complimented her as he shook her hand.

"Aunt Maggie ?"

"John's mam" he explained, just as a small brown haired woman came behind him. Anna nodded her head.

"Why didn't you tell them to come in, idjit ? They won't stand there all day" the woman scolded, making John laugh. Anna recognized her as Brendan's sister, Erin. She hadn't changed a bit, conserving her youth's beauty.

"Come in" Brendan gestured with his hand, Anna and John followed him into the house. He led them to the patio where a dark blond haired man was playing football with two teen boys, on the grass. She suspected they were Erin's husband and sons. On a chair around the patio's little table was sitting a tall, dark haired woman. She turned around as they walked by and she had eyes as blue as Anna's, contrasting frankly with her raven black hair. Caitriona. She hadn't changed a bit. She was as pretty, thin and young as in the picture John had shown her. The woman must be forty now but she was clearly putting Anna to shame nevertheless…or that's what Anna thought, self-consciously.

Caitriona rose from her chair and walked over to greet them.

"Johnny !! How good to see you ! It's been too long…" she cooed, hugging him tightly. John chuckled, hugging her back. Anna had to look away, jealousy boiling inside of her. She was being silly, John was her boyfriend. Still, she thought the woman was being too friendly to her boyfriend. She cleared her throat and the two old friends pulled apart.

"Cait, this is my girlfriend, Anna" he introduced her, proudly. Anna linked her fingers with his, possessively, sporting a big smile.

"Nice to meet you ! I'm an old friend of John" she said with a friendly tone. Anna only shook her head as an answer. John raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

They got around the table. Brendan was surprised when his cousin refused to drink beer, but he still served him his lemonade. They chatted as if it hadn't been ten years since they last saw each other. Of course, they had kept in contact through calls and messages but it wasn't the same. Each of them had been busy, and after his divorce John hadn't been in the mood to see his cousins, who had known her well.

"Last time I saw you, you were still with Vera… Tell us more about your new life" Brendan inquired, making John a bit uncomfortable. His cousins had been good friends with Vera and he didn't know how they would react to his divorce. Last time he had seen them, he had confessed to not being as happy as he had once been, but Brendan only believed it to be due to him just being out of rehab. What he didn't know was that Vera was already seeing someone else back then, and that was what hammered the last nail in the coffin.

"My relationship with Vera was always rocky. We were already not doing well when I went back to Downton when I got my injury. I went back here because I needed some time to think. It was better for a while after I got my injury but it slowly turned sour. Vera was meaner and meaner. Last time I was here, for grandma's funeral, she was already cheating on me. We fought about it and separated. I tried to get a divorce, but it took some years because Vera was fighting for money. In the end, I let her get the house. Robert contacted me a few years earlier to tell me he was renting out a flat. I moved this year, got a job at the school he's the director of and met Anna. We've been dating since November" John told his cousin, conscious of his girlfriend's eyes on him. He had told her the whole story but she always felt for him when he was telling it.

"Oh Johnny, I'm so sorry for what you went through, but I'm glad you met this lovely lady," Brendan replied, raising his drink to Anna. The couple smiled at his gesture.

"What about you ? Mam told me you got married a year ago. I have to admit I couldn't believe Dublin's casanova had settled down. Where is the so-called Mrs Clarke?" John teased him.

"Right in front of you, idjit" Caitriona spoke, making both Anna and John turn to look at her, stunned. "I'm the Mrs. Brendan Clarke."

"No. You're having me… I can't believe it" John exclaimed.

"Well, you should. After years of her pining over you, she finally saw the light" Brendan joked, making Caitriona's eyes roll.

"I'm truly happy for you both, guys" John said, genuinely. He moved from his chair to hug them both.

"Thank you, John. We're happy for you too !" Brendan thanked him.

"We are. I hope you'll also be happy to know you're going to have a nephew or niece," Caitriona announced, beaming.

Everyone gasped in shock, yet happiness soon replaced it, and Erin rose to hug her sister in law. Anna couldn't hide her smile either, the happiness was contagious and deep down she rejoiced in the fact that Caitriona wasn't a menace anymore. She felt egoistic to think like that but the jealousy inside of her couldn't be helped.

Later, in the kitchen, Anna joined Caitriona who was doing the dishes, letting the others catch up on lost time. The two women chatted as if they had always known each other. Anna realized how quick she had been to judge Caitriona when she was in reality very sweet. Her eyes were unreasonably drawn to her belly. There was nothing there yet, but she felt the need to ask nevertheless.

"What's it like ?"

"What ?"

"Being pregnant," Anna quickly muttered.

"For now, it's mainly awful because of all the sickness…but this is a sign they're here, safe inside of me," Caitriona answered, beaming. Anna smiled in return, feeling a now familiar sentiment of longing. "Are you trying for kids with John ?"

"Not yet…We want to get married first but…" she trailed off.

"He's scared. Because of Vera" Caitriona guessed. Anna nodded, looking down. "You know, Anna, I never liked Vera. When we were teenagers, I felt like she had stolen him from me but growing up, I realized how awful she was to him. She was constantly berating him… I hated the woman for that because John doesn't deserve that but Sarah told me Vera had some issues. I started excusing her but I didn't notice how much John was affected by how she was treating him. He needed to heal before throwing himself into another marriage…but seeing you two today, I know he's almost fully healed, he's never been as happy with Vera as he is with you."

"Thank you for cheering me up…You're a nice person, Caitriona. I judged you badly."

"You thought I was still harboring feelings for him" she felt the need to clarify when she saw Anna's ashamed expression "I could see the jealousy in your eyes. I'm glad John finally found someone able to return his unconditional love the way you do." This did Anna's heart a lot of good.

During the trip back to the bed and breakfast, Anna rambled about how much she liked his family. John's heart swelled with love for his girlfriend, extremely happily that she liked his family. He smiled to himself as he thought of how perfect she fit into his world. That thought made him even more determined to propose. He just waited for the right moment. He wanted it to be absolutely perfect because she deserved no less.

"It was nice meeting them. I like them all," she voiced her joy.

"I'm glad of that. I regret not seeing them more often…" John admitted.

"You'll have to make up for the lost time, from now on" she cheered him up.

"Will you come with me ?"

"Of course, I'm your girlfriend. You're stuck with me" she joked. John smiled sweetly. How he loved this woman.

They parked in front of the Bed Breakfast.

"Happily so" he said, leaning over to kiss her, "I love you, Anna and I'm glad you liked them. They seemed to love you as well. I was worried about how it would go, with them being old friends with Vera."

"Caitriona admitted she didn't like her" Anna retorted with jest.

"She grew on you rather quickly. You seemed to dislike her at first" John pointed out. Anna looked down.

"I…I was jealous. I thought she still liked you" she admitted, ashamed.

"Oh Anna…My darling, you needn't be jealous. Since I've met you, you're the only woman I cared about. Even if Cait still had feelings for me, I wouldn't notice. Seeing you with my cousins today felt so perfectly right. You're the best thing in my life, Anna. There's only you for me" he looked into her deep blue eyes with such love Anna almost wept. Once he was finished, they collided in a passionate kiss.

Anna's hands moved to John's hair, grasping fistfuls of it. John's hands roamed Anna's body, traveling from her shoulders to her breasts, palming them. The brush of his finger over her nipples through the fabric of her dress made her moan. She rose from her seat to straddle him. His lips deviated from hers to map her neck. He pulled her close to him, grasping her ass. She moaned in his ear as she rolled her hips against his.

"Anna…We should go inside" he tried to reason with her, slowing down the pace.

"No…I want you now" she whispered saucily in his ear, nibbling at his earlobe.

"But…"

"It's still early. No one will see us" she assured him.

"Let's move to the back. I don't want to compromise you" he teased racily and she rolled her eyes playfully at him.

They moved to the back of the car. She made him lie back down, rolling up her dress so she could straddle him. She moved her hair on one side and resumed their kiss. Their tongues mingled together. The roll of Anna's hips on his middle section made John harder. This wouldn't last long, but he could tell neither Anna nor him cared about that right now as she was unbuckling his buckle and unfastening the buttons of his jeans. His hands which were currently on Anna's breasts moved to her hips, slowly taking off her knickers. She lifted her hips to help him take them off. In return, she slipped his jeans and boxer down. He pulled away, out of breath, to kiss her forehead as she sank down on him with a moan. John groaned as he felt her familiar warmth around his shaft. He couldn't help but roll his hips, making both of them gasp while their lips searched each other again. She moved up and down, quickly going at a faster pace. He thrusted upward to meet her thrusts, now going at a frenzied pace until they both met their climax, gasping each other's name.

Anna fell down exhausted on top of him, and John closed his arms around her back, gently stroking her tousled hair.

"I love you" she breathed, closing her eyes as she kissed him once more.

"And I you" he replied.

The next day, around eight o'clock, everyone reunited at the bed and breakfast bar to dispatch men and women into their respective parties for the bachelor and bachelorette's night. Rose had once again begged to be there at Sybil's hen night, but had been once again denied. She had found consolation in the fact she was going to attend the wedding, no matter what, next Saturday.

The women were led by Gwen and Cora, who had been the ones organizing the party. The women were wearing veils with something written on it. The men were led by Matthew, who was wearing a silly t-shirt. Before parting, John teased his girlfriend about not having too much fun tonight, considering how the last bachelorette's party ended. The boys walked to the nearest pub with the intention of doing a tour of the quarter's pubs while the girls went into a minivan that would take them to a dance club.

Once in the minivan, Cora handed a veil to each of the girls. Mary and her had one with "mrs" written on it, every other girl had "ms" except for Sybil who proudly wore hers with "future mrs" written on it. Anna stared at hers for a long moment, once again pondering on how she wanted her relationship with John to evolve. She put those thoughts aside, resolving to enjoy this evening.

Deciding it would be more secure to have someone sober to make sure everyone got home safely, it had been a chance that Mary, now 5 months pregnant, couldn't drink and was able to be that wiser person. However, Gwen noticed the future bride wasn't drinking either. This prompted Sybil to reveal to her friends that she was pregnant. Cora let out an audible gasp which worried her daughter, who thought her mother was mad at her. But, to her surprise, her mom took it well, congratulating her despite her doubts.

The party ended for both sides around 2 am. John being the wiser person of his group, he made sure everyone made it to the bed and breakfast safely. The couples and singles regained their room, low key stumbling on the way. Edith was careful not to wake her baby daughter, who had been kindly watched over by Tom's mom, Saoirse.

In their room, John watched as his girlfriend fell asleep in his arms. He was happy to see she had enjoyed herself tonight. He wished to see her always as happy as she has been this week-end. As he traced the contours of her delicate face with his finger, he knew exactly what he needed to do in order to achieve that.

The week between the parties and the wedding was greatly appreciated for those with huge hangovers. It also allowed for the rest of the gang to join them. Rose, Joseph, Beryl, Charles and Elsie arrived two days before the wedding.

The long awaited day finally came. Anna, her mother and her sister helped Sybil to dress, gushing over her beautiful cream coloured dress. The whole audience applauded as Tom and Sybil shared their first kiss as husband and wife. Robert even shed a tear, surprising everyone, especially his wife, who still hadn't told him that his daughter was expecting. She didn't know how he would take it and decided to let their daughter announce it herself to her dad. John looked at his girlfriend during the vows, smiling as his heart swelled with love for that woman.

Later at the afterparty, the couple had shared their first dance during a slowed version of "Nancy Mulligan" by Ed Sheeran. After a moving speech from the groom about his new wife, they turned the dancefloor into a karaoke room - a recurrence in the Crawley - Branson household. Mary showcased her incredible singing skills in a beautiful rendition of "All coming back to me" by Celine Dion, almost stealing her youngest sister's thunder. People succeeded to others on that singing spot.

"John, this is your song !!!" Robert called as "I was made for loving you" by the group KISS started playing on the speakers.

"Your song ?" Anna questioned John, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I love this song, don't you ?" John said with enthusiasm. He had had one beer, to celebrate his niece's wedding and Anna could tell that had been enough to make him lose his inhibitions.

"Old man", Mary said, coughing.

"Ahah make fun of me if you want, I don't care, I'm going to sing" he stated, firmly yet joyfully.

"Wait, what ?" Anna said, confused, watching him leave to take his place next to the karaoke machine.

"Oh my god, he's going to sing !" Gwen shouted. Anna's head disappeared in her hands, hiding from the sudden embarrassment she was about to undergo.

"I WAS MADE FOR LOVING BABY YOU WERE MADE FOR LOVING ME" John shouted, believing he was a KISS member. He looked at her all the while he was singing, as if he was singing the lyrics to her. She wanted to hide in a mouse hole.

"Anna, look at your boyfriend," Gwen laughed. Anna blushed even more.

"This is so embarrassing Anna, I'm sorry" Mary said, chuckling while John was trying to make his hair shake like a metal singer.

"The worst is that I'm madly in love with this idiot" Anna said in a giggle, catching John's wink at her. Oh yes, she loved him more than anything. At this moment, she forgot her recent quandaries about marriage. All she could think about was how much she loved the man, who was acting like a rockstar on the dancefloor right now. Her heart almost burst with profound love for him. She watched him in awe, proud to be his. Because, no matter on which legal level, they were each other's.

The night ended with several slow dances and people leaving the party one by one. Sybil and Tom had left among the first, after Cora revealed that she had planned for them to have a proper honeymoon in Ireland. They were treated a full week on the Irish coast. Robert, despite his previous reservations on the groom, had wished them both happiness, although making Tom promise not to hurt his daughter or he would act upon it. All of their friends wished them a great time, as the whole gang would go back home tomorrow afternoon.

John and Anna were the two left on the dancefloor. Her head resting on his chest, as they danced to "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin. She listened to the beating of his heart, reveling in their current proximity. Anna wanted this moment to never end. She wasn't looking forward to going back home to the routine. She wanted to enjoy this night without the longing clouding her mind like it had for weeks now. She had agreed to let things come at their own pace and she was content about that. She tilted her head to catch John's lips in a slow and sensual kiss.

When they pulled away, John rested his forehead against hers.

"I love weddings, don't you ?" Anna uttered, really low.

"I certainly do love them" he replied, thinking back on the ring that was sitting in his desk's drawer at the school. Comment by Becca Bradley: ooo lovely foreshadowing! I'm so happy!

They kissed again and again, thoroughly enjoying the euphoria brought by yet another wedding.