Summary: Theo and Margaret Trevelyan both adored the sweet young woman who lived next door to them. They would do anything for Ana, including help her find employment while keeping her away from her abusive boyfriend. Her circumstances in life made them feel that the poor dear really needed a savior. CG/Ana HEA. Warning: angst & themes of abuse

My Savior
By Strawberry Pajamas

Chapter 1: First Meetings

~3 years ago~

The event had been talked about for weeks around campus, so much so that nearly everyone had heard about it. The campaign team for Senator Thornton, one of the actual senators for the state of Washington, was coming to WSU today to speak with the political science majors. Although the senator himself wasn't coming by, his own personal campaign team coming to give a talk about creating winning political strategies was still a very exciting event to happen to their little, out-of-the-way Vancouver campus.

Today was the day of their lecture, and large swarming groups of students had already gathered in and around the Clark building in anticipation for the event. Many of the surrounding streets were being redirected by the campus security to make way for their elite guests, and most of the professors were cutting classes short that day so they and their students could get good seats.

Ana had no reason or interest in attending this particular event, but her friend Stephanie happened to be a poli-sci major who was reluctantly attending at the insistence of her advisor. Since Ana didn't have any classes this afternoon, she decided to tag along with Stephanie to the Clark building and see all the hubbub for herself.

"...Ugh. Is it too late to switch majors?" Stephanie asked despondently, popping a piece of bubblegum in her teeth as she gazed distastefully at the huge crowd of students and teachers trying to pack their way into the large lecture hall. The two of them were idling in the foyer, which was still bustling with people waiting to get inside.

"We're seniors, so I'm guessing yes," Ana said amusedly, picking up a pamphlet for the lecture on a nearby table, reading over it. "You're free to join us English majors. But just know all we do is hang out in the library."

Stephanie, who had a much more 'punk-emo' vibe than Ana would have ever attempted with her own style, ran a hand through her pixie cut as her heavily-made up eyes squinted at Ana in amusement. "So no parties? How lame," she let out a scoff, and Ana giggled. "Did you want to meet in the library after I'm done with the lecture?"

"Actually, I'm meeting up with Lacey and Jose for dinner in a couple hours," Ana said, checking her watch. "It's in the cafeteria if you'd like to join us there."

"Sure."

The crowd in the foyer was finally starting to migrate toward the lecture hall, and Stephanie let out a huff, rolling her eyes. "I guess I should get a move on if I want to find a seat. I'll see you later Ana."

"See you," Ana waved goodbye.

Stephanie began following everyone into the lecture hall while Ana turned and walked in the opposite direction alone toward the exit. Her eyes were on the pamphlet still in her hand, so when she turned the corner, she didn't see the person she ran into.

"Ooph!"

Ana was almost knocked down, but thankfully the person reached out and caught her before she fell backward and onto the floor.

"Oh my God. Are you alright?"

It was a man's voice, and he was clearly worried she was hurt. Ana finally blinked and looked up into his face.

Oh my. This man was very attractive: he looked a few years older than her, with reddish hair and stubble along his chiseled jaw. He looked very well put-together too, in a charcoal gray suit and dark red tie. He was still gazing down at her in concern, and Ana felt momentarily tongue-tied.

She finally swallowed, forcing herself to speak. "Um, y-yeah," she squeaked out, clearing her throat and straightening up. "Yeah, I'm fine, thank you. Sorry for running into you like that."

"Oh, please. It was entirely my fault," the guy smiled charmingly at her. He finally removed his hands from her, though Ana could have sworn he lightly brushed his fingertips down her arms before bringing them back down to his sides. Ana involuntarily shivered.

"Are you sure? 'Cause I was definitely the one not looking where I was going," Ana smiled back at him, gesturing to the now-crumpled pamphlet still clutched in her hand.

"Well, I was distracted since I'm running late, so I wasn't paying attention either," the guy confessed, nodding toward the lecture hall. "How about we agree we were both at fault?"

He smiled at her as he spoke, and Ana felt her heart flutter in her chest. She almost wondered if she had actually fallen and knocked her head on the ground, and this was her brain hallucinating. "Oh – you're going to the speaking event?" she suddenly asked, glancing back toward the lecture hall. The large crowd of people was still trying to pack their way inside. "I'm sure you could still try to get a seat… or, er… maybe a place to stand? That might be the only option at this point."

The guy opened his mouth, as if about to say something, but he closed it after a moment. "So are you not going to the lecture?" he asked her, and Ana shook her head.

"I'm not a political science major. Plus, if I'm being honest, this sort of event doesn't hold any interest for me," she said, shrugging. "Politics in general don't really interest me – there's far too much arguing and not enough real problem-solving."

The guy stared at her for a second before letting out a loud laugh, his handsome features only accentuated by his mirth. "I couldn't agree more, Miss," he laughed after a moment, shaking his head. "Honestly, my team would love to face someone like you as an opponent. But that's just the cutthroat nature of politics, I suppose."

Ana was momentarily confused when he said "my team" but then her eyes landed on the little American flag pin on his lapel, and the realization hit her like a bucket of cold water dumped on her head.

"Oh my God, you're –" she stammered, blushing as she brought a hand to her cheek in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize… I-I mean, I just assumed…"

"It's perfectly alright, Miss," the guy smiled, waving off her fumbling apology. "But in case you wanted to know – yes, I am the campaign manager for Senator Thornton. And yes, I am supposed to be speaking in that lecture hall today."

Ana still felt embarrassed by her faux pas, but smiled at him all the same. "Well, at least you don't have to worry about finding a good seat."

"Thank God," he chuckled. "But y'know, I could probably reserve a seat for you if you'd like to stick around and watch the lecture? Assuming you could stay awake for all of it, at least."

He was clearly having fun at her expense, but Ana realized she didn't mind all that much since he obviously wanted to spend more time with her. The thought was rather exhilarating. "As tempting as that sounds," she said teasingly. "I'm actually meeting up with some friends soon. Maybe I could take a rain check?"

"I hope you do," the guy said, his eyes warming as he gazed at her. Ana felt as if he were staring into her soul. "I hope this isn't too forward, but I really would like to see you again after today. Can I give you my number?"

Ana blinked, feeling her heart rate ratchet up to a thudding pound. Wow, did he really just ask her out? Most of the guys she knew would never cut to the chase like that: they would just vaguely flirt and hedge around actually admitting any interest in her. This was a refreshing change, to say the least, but it was still a bit disorienting.

She smiled at him. "You'd like to see me again when we don't even know each other's names? I feel like we skipped a step here."

The guy's smile widened as he continued to regard her. "I suppose we did. But names are just trivial things we can discuss over drinks later. Wouldn't you agree?"

Ana couldn't help but laugh. It was almost ridiculous how charmed she already was by this man. "Well, my name is Ana, in case you wanted to know before knocking back too many martinis."

The guy smiled again before holding out his hand, and Ana took it in her own. They shook, and his grip was strong yet gentle. "And my name is Jack," he said, giving her a wink. "It's lovely to meet you, Ana."

~Today~

One of Margaret Trevelyan's favorite things about her and her husband's Bellevue home was the backyard.

There were many other wonderful aspects about their home too, don't get her wrong: the vast square footage of the house, the nice quiet street they resided in, as well as the short and convenient seven-minute drive to their daughter and son-in-law's house. But Margaret's retirement from teaching several years ago had left her with a desire to fill her time with a meaningful hobby, and from that desire grew a genuine love of gardening.

Margaret now stepped into the backyard, as she did every morning during the summer months, and she smiled as she gazed around at the fruits of her labor. Their beautiful half-acre of land was surrounded by a brown picket fence, and the green grass had been freshly mowed by her husband Theo yesterday morning. The gorgeously colorful zinnias and hydrangeas that Margaret had planted a few weeks ago were blooming in small areas around the maple trees, and she immediately walked over to them with her watering can to give them a little drink of water for the day.

While Margaret loved her flowers, her pride and joy was actually in the garden beds she had built along the fence. Her summer vegetables, which she had planted a few months ago, were now practically bursting with abundance: she had decided to plant heirloom tomatoes, carrots, peppers, zucchinis, and green beans, at the time thinking despondently that she would be lucky if any of them grew at all. She couldn't have been more wrong, however: she now had more veggies than she knew what to do with! She and Theo stored and ate many of them, of course, and Margaret liked giving them away to the neighbors whenever she could. Now, she was wondering if she could sell them at the local farmer's market.

Margaret now set down her watering can and moved over to the hose spool near the side of the house so she could water her vegetables. Just as she picked up the hose, however, she heard the back door of her neighbor's house open and shut.

"Good morning, Mrs. Trevelyan."

Margaret smiled widely as she saw her favorite neighbor walk toward her with a covered baking dish in her hands. "Why, hello Ana. How are you this fine morning?"

Ana Steele was an incredibly sweet and beautiful young woman in her mid-twenties. She was one of those women whose beauty was often overlooked, since she rarely wore makeup and kept her wardrobe modest and simple, but that only made her more lovely in Margaret's opinion. She had the great pleasure of talking with Ana nearly every day since she and her boyfriend moved here a few months ago, but Margaret always had the distinct impression Ana didn't go out much and was rather bored and lonely.

"I'm doing well, thank you," Ana smiled faintly as she approached Margaret at the fence. Margaret thought she looked a bit tired, but didn't comment on it. "I wanted to thank you again for those zucchinis you brought me the other day. I actually made a few batches of zucchini bread last night, and I thought I'd bring some over for you and Mr. Trevelyan."

She held up the baking dish in her hands, and Margaret couldn't help but press a hand to her heart, feeling delighted and flattered. "Oh, Ana – that is so sweet of you! But you didn't have to do that for us."

"Oh please, I was happy to," Ana insisted with a smile, and she passed the baking dish over the fence. Margaret accepted it. "I'm trying out a new recipe, so you guys can be my guinea pigs."

Margaret couldn't help but laugh, looking down at the dish in her hands. "Oh Ana, honey, I don't think Theo and I ever ate food of yours that wasn't delicious. I truly don't know why you don't consider going to culinary school."

Ana's smile faltered a bit, and Margaret instantly felt a bit guilty for saying that. Ana clearly didn't work, and any mention of her finding employment or furthering her education tended to make her evasive and uncomfortable. Margaret suspected her boyfriend had some hand in keeping her at home, though she knew better than to ask.

"Maybe. Jack's been so busy with the upcoming election, I don't think he wants to deal with the added expense of me going back to school right now," she said with a tremulous smile. "Although I appreciate you thinking so highly of my baking skills."

Margaret smiled back, fighting the typical urge she had to pull Ana into a big hug. " Ana, darling, you don't need to thank me for telling the truth. Even if culinary school isn't in the cards right now, I'm grateful you can still treat us all with your delicious food."

Ana smiled again, seeming to relax a bit. "It's my pleasure, Mrs. Trevelyan."

"In fact, would you like to come by the house this afternoon for tea?" Margaret asked. "We can sit down and just chat for a bit, and we can even try your zucchini bread. How does that sound?"

Ana's eyes seemed to light up a bit at that prospect. "That sounds lovely," she said with a small smile, her voice sounding almost wistful. Her smile faded after a moment, however. "But I'm sorry, I can't this afternoon. Maybe another time?"

It wasn't unlike Ana to refuse invitations and not offer any explanation, but Margaret couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. "Of course, dear."

"Thank you," Ana turned back toward the house, waving over her shoulder. "Have a good day, Mrs. Trevelyan. And enjoy your zucchini bread."

"Thank you, Ana," Margaret waved back. She watched as Ana walked into the house, the back door closing quietly behind her.

A/N: And that was the first chapter! Let me know your thoughts so far :)

PLEASE NOTE: While this story will be HEA, it will touch upon topics of domestic abuse, physical violence, and trauma. If those topics are a trigger for you, feel free to pass on this story.

I'll try my best to update once a week. Teasers and updates can be found on my Facebook page - my username is Straw Paj. I am also posting this story to AO3 (Archive of Our Own) if you'd prefer to read it there!