FIC: It All Began at Downton - Part 12 Anna/Bates MODERN AU
A/N: Once again, thank you for all the reviews. Usually I'd reply, but things are so mental, I barely have time to write anymore! So, apologies for any mistakes etc! John gets to meet Anna's family, hope you get the humour, sadly it might be my Yorkshire-ness coming through, and yes, families like this exist. Mine is one of them! HAHA!
Chapter 12:
It was John’s turn to be nervous and worried, standing in Anna’s kitchen he pulled awkwardly at his shirt collar, his face a rather disturbing red colour as the collar slowly choked him. He’d foolishly chosen this shirt as it was the smartest one he had and he was eager to make a good impression. But how he’d cope a whole afternoon wearing it was another thing.
“John, open the collar up,” Anna said, coming into the kitchen tying up her hair into a waterfall ponytail using a gripper.
“I can’t, not with a tie,” John said, tugging helplessly on the tight neck.
“Then take the tie off,” Anna said grinning, she moved towards him and pulled on his tie before loosening it.
“I want to look smart,” he grumbled.
“And you do, John, they won’t bother what you’re wearing!” Anna teased, opening up his top buttons on his collar, the tie cast aside.
He sighed, “I don’t want them to think me untidy.”
“They won’t, they’ll love you!” Anna smiled, reaching up and kissing him swiftly on the lips. “Now, let’s go.”
Anna’s family were based in North Yorkshire, not far from Harrogate. Anna’s father had been in the farming industry all his life, his father before him, and his grandfather before that. But when foot and mouth wiped out his dairy cattle, his farm began to fail. Competition from supermarkets and only a small herd to rely on meant that the farm was running at a loss and could not continue. Thankfully (though not for some people) a housing development company came to the rescue. They made him a hefty offer for his land and though he tried to hang on, he couldn’t deny he needed the money more than his pride. So, with much opposition from local people, he sold out to RedFearn Homes and now where once stood a 200 year old farmhouse and land, 45 townhouses now resided.
Mr and Mrs Smith retired and moved 10 miles down the road to a quiet village where they bought a nice bungalow. Mr Smith kept his tractor and now hires it out for community events and clears the roads when it snows.
Anna explained all of this to John as they took the journey from Leeds to the quiet village of Little Hampton, he listened carefully, taking note of every detail.
“Who will be there today?”
“Mum and dad…and probably my brother, David,” Anna explained. “Oh, and of course, Granny!”
“Ah, the infamous Granny!” John laughed.
“Yes! She’ll give you a hard time, but she means well. My brother will no doubt try to wind me up, but ignore him, I know how to
bring him down.”
The bungalow was quietly situated with a long drive that led them through nicely lawned gardens up to a smart looking bungalow with wide, open gardens both front and back. At the bottom of the garden, a little stream ran and the house was blessed with large bay windows that looked out onto the gardens.
As they got out of the car, the front door opened and Anna’s mother appeared. Smartly dressed, her blonde hair set and curled, she looked very similar to Anna and she was smiling warmly.
“There you are! I was beginning to worry!” Anna’s mother said, smoothing out her white trousers.
“I said we’d be here for two, and it’s exactly two!” Anna laughed, going over to kiss her mum. “Anyway, mum, this is John.”
“Hello, John! Call me Denise,” Anna’s mother said, holding out her hand to him.
After that initial introduction, Denise hurried them inside to meet Anna’s father and brother.
“David’s home…Chelsea’s kicked him out - again….and Granny’s in one of her moods,” Denise explained, then checked herself, turning back to John and changing her voice so that she sounded more posh. “We’re not always like this, John.”
“No, I don’t doubt it!” John added hurriedly as Anna cast him an impish grin.
The house was well laid out, the hallway large and airy, tables adorning corners with lamps that had statues of birds attached to them. By the phone a small photo of a blonde haired girl in a school uniform smiled back, her two front teeth missing and a look of Anna about her.
“That’s Saskia,” Denise explained to John. “Our David’s girl…she’s five and the light of our lives…when David’s not being an idiot and his girlfriend lets us see her.”
“Oh...” John finally managed to say.
“Mum…don’t bore him with tales of David!” Anna scolded lightly.
The hall gave way to a large living room, the bay window its main and most impressive feature. A large cream leather sofa ran down
one side and two huge leather armchairs bookshelved each end.
In the armchair nearest the door a man was sat, well-built and bald, his attention was fixed on the football on the television.
“Pete! Turn that off!” Denise cried, “John’s here!”
The man turned and looked at John and Anna. “Aye, so he is!” he said in his thick Yorkshire accent.
“Hello dad,” Anna grinned, stepping forward and leaning down to kiss her father on his head.
“Alright, love?” he asked affectionately.
“This is John,” Anna said, raising an eyebrow at her father to signal him to be polite. Turning back to John, she said, “My dad, Pete.”
“Alright?” he asked John.
“It’s nice to meet you,” John said, a little unsure of how to take this brusque man.
“Aye, well….the lass don’t tell us much, so yer’ll have to forgive me my ignorance!” Pete said, looking John up and down.
“Sit down, sit down!” Denise bustled, pushing Anna and therefore John further into the room. As they settled themselves onto the sofa, she suddenly screamed out, “DAVID! Your sister and her nice man are here!” John nearly leaped back off the sofa in fright at Denise’s screech.
“Bloody hell woman!” Pete cried. “Poor bloke nearly shit himself!”
“I am sorry,” Denise said, blushing a little. Again, she called out, this time in a sing-song voice, “DA-VID!”
Somewhere in the distance a voice answered, “I’m coming!”
Anna’s mother quickly vanished out of the room and Anna turned to John with a reassuring smile before glancing at her father. He was glued to the television, but sensing her watching him, he looked across and grinned wickedly.
“Hope yer’ve warned ‘im ‘bout us!” Pete said.
Anna grinned back, “No…not really.”
“Poor sod!” Pete chuckled. “I hope yer’ve a strong stomach for this!” he said, aiming his words at John. John managed a bleak smile.
Another door opened and a younger version of Pete walked in. Wearing a t-shirt that said, “I’ve used all my sick days, so I’m phoning in dead!” on it, baggy jeans and pair of dirty white socks on his feet, he rubbed his own bald head and grinned at Anna.
“Yer alright, sis?”
Anna got up and grabbed her brother, pulling him into a hug, “I am!”
“This yer fella then? ‘bout time yer got one!” David asked, winking at Anna.
“David, this is John.”
After the necessary greetings, David sat in the other armchair, legs up and gawping at television.
“Mum says that Chelsea’s kicked you out again, what for this time?” Anna asked.
David sighed, “Do you remember Danno?” Anna nodded and David continued, “Well, he sent me a few pics like, on me phone, of
his new bird,” he gestured vulgarly over his body and Pete laughed with a shake of his head. “Chelsea were searching me phone and she found ‘em.”
“Bloody fool” Pete laughed. “Trick is not to keep ‘em! Delete ‘em, aint that right, John?”
John shifted uncomfortably and looked at Anna for help, but David cut in.
“She bloody don’t give me a moment’s peace! Now she’s thrown me out, burned all me clothes and won’t let me see Sas,” David said. “She’s nuts in the ‘ead.”
The kitchen door opened and two dogs suddenly ran in. One, a large black and white collie dog that made its way straight to John, muzzle high, sniffing wildly, the other, a small beige Chihuahua that yapped and ran about in mad circles, teeth bared.
“Lie down, Chip!” Pete roared and the Collie instantly flattened itself to the floor, the Chihuahua still racing about. “Bruce! Bloody thing.”
“Mum always wanted one,” Anna explained to John as Bruce the Chihuahua leapt up onto the sofa, clambering wildly over both John and Anna.
“Nasty bloody things,” Pete exclaimed.
The kitchen door burst open again and Denise appeared backwards, her hands full of bowls filled with crisps and olives, Chip the Collie slid out of the room, but Bruce remained, nestled between Anna and John, licking at the leather sofa.
“Bloody hell, woman!” Pete cried as Denise entered the room, “What the hell are yer bringing in now? Aint we eating soon?”
“Yes, yes! But, we want John to feel at home, don’t we?” Denise said, waving the bowls in John’s face. He tried to politely refuse, but Denise was having none of it, so finally John accepted a few crisps.
“Leave him be!” Pete scolded his wife.
Denise grinned and settled on the sofa, turning herself so that she was looking at John fully. After some basic conversation, Denise leading the questioning, John told them about himself. Pete offered a few comments and David was dispatched to sort out drinks.
John managed to sidestep the raised eyebrows when he explained he didn’t drink with the old “I’m driving” excuse. Pete laughed heartily and explained that next time he visited, they’d have to stay and the beers could flow. John managed to grimace a nod.
Denise was fascinated by John and wouldn’t allow him a moment’s peace. She hijacked all conversation, complimented him, talked some more, complimented Anna, questioned him more and then complimented them as a couple.
“For God’s sakes, woman!” Pete finally roared. “Give the man a break! Are we eating today or not?”
“Alright!” Denise laughed, getting herself back up. “It won’t be long!”
Denise grinned at John and headed back towards the door, stopping and turning to face Anna. “Anna, come and help me with the sauce,” she said, with all the subtlety of a brick.
Anna sighed and got up, glancing apologetically at John as she passed him. John stared back with a look of horror on his face, but as Anna approached the door, she heard her father strike up conversation with him over sport.
In the kitchen, pans bubbled and steamed and there was that familiar smell of being home. Anna took herself to the cooker and started to stir the sauce, her mum’s eyes on her the whole time.
“He seems nice,” Denise finally said, her eyes dancing like Anna’s did whenever she was amused or happy.
Anna smiled at the sauce, “He is,” she agreed. “Very nice.”
“So…you like him then? Well you must to bring him here!” Denise asked, moving a pan lid to check the contents.
“Yes, I like him a lot,” Anna said, still keeping her attention on the sauce. “Just...don’t be too….you…he’s a quiet person and God
knows what dad’ll be saying to him!”
“Oh, he’ll be fine! Dad’s under strict instructions, so is David…Granny, however…”
“Where is she?”
“Taking a nap, I’ll wake her in a bit.”
“Please tell her to be…polite,” Anna pleaded.
“I will! I will! You really like him, don’t you?” Denise said, reaching out and stroking Anna’s arm tenderly. “I’ve not seen you like this before.”
“Like what?” Anna asked, finally facing her mother.
“Happy…you just glow….glowing with love,” Denise smiled. “Unless of course you’ve got something else to tell me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well…unless you’re glowing with something else?”
“Oh! No, no I’m not!” Anna chuckled, blushing slightly.
“That’s good, for now at least. Plenty of time for all that!” Denise said with a laugh, placing plates on the opposite counter. “But,
honestly, Anna, I’m happy for you, you deserve some happiness.”
“Thank you,” Anna smiled back at her mum.
“I’d better go and wake Granny; do you want to start serving up?”
Granny was a small, squat woman, her grey, wispy hair pulled tightly into a bun at the back of her neck. They were just all sitting down when she appeared, her apron bulging with what looked to be remote controls and a mobile phone.
Anna beamed happily to see her Gran and greeted her warmly, putting her arms around her before she sat down. Granny greeted her with affection, calling her ‘pet’ as she kissed her cheek and scolding her for not seeing her for so long. Then, pinching at Anna’s waist she complained that she was far too thin and needed to put some weight on.
“So, this is your man is it?” Granny asked, narrowing her eyes at John to study him like someone studies an artefact in a museum.
“This is John,” Anna explained.
Granny moved towards John as he held out his hand, but ignoring his hand she pulled him into a hug and squeezed at him.
“My name’s Marjorie,” she explained as she pulled out of the hug and faced a stunned John. “But you can call me Granny.”
Once they were all settled around the table, the questioning began again, this time David fuelling the fire with amusement.
“How old are you?” Granny suddenly asked John, gazing at him intently. “You look too old for my Anna.”
“Granny!” Anna exclaimed in horror.
“Well…it’s true!”
“I’m 40,” John explained, shifting awkwardly in his chair.
“Likes ‘em young!” David said through a mouthful of food.
Anna spun in her chair and faced him furiously, “Just like you like ‘em old! Remember Mrs Fisher? The geography teacher?”
David blushed and swallowed hard, coughing slightly as Pete laughed. “Low blow!”
“But, my Anna’s only 20!” Granny suddenly piped up. “Old enough to be her dad!”
“Granny, I’m 29!” Anna cried, horrified at this conversation.
“More peas anyone?” Denise asked quickly in a sing-song voice, as if a higher tone would solve the issue.
“You’re not 29!” Granny stated, frowning.
“Yes, I am. Remember?” Anna pressed gently. “I’m 29 and David is 25.”
“Are you really? How did I lose 9 years?” Granny asked her frown deepening.
“Because you’re old, Ma!” Pete said loudly, laughing heartily at his poor mother’s confusion.
“Cheeky bugger! I am not!” Granny said indignantly.
Pete guffawed and winked at Anna and John. Anna gave a silent groan and John shifted again, glancing quickly at Anna.
Conversation remained quiet for a moment until Denise started again, this time questioning John about his job.
“You’re in the army?” Granny asked, suddenly interested. “Been to Afghanistan?”
“And Iraq,” john explained. “I was injured in Afghanistan.”
It was suddenly as if a blanket had been lifted. Pete put down his knife and fork and heartily slapped him on the back, David gave a low whistle and asked him to enlighten them, Denise stopped talking to gaze at John in wonderment and Granny seemed moved.
“My husband, God rest his soul, he fought for King and country and he never came back the same. I respect you all…all you soldiers.”
Conversation remained on the army and John’s experiences, his current role and his own desire to return to Afghanistan one day to see the differences being made. Anna listened proudly, carefully watching her family lap John up.
They had all finished eating and once John had reached a suitable end, Denise gave a little sigh and began to start clearing the plates. John offered to help but she would hear none of it.
“No, no! A man like you shouldn’t need to lift a finger, not in this house!” Denise insisted.
Anna got to her feet and began to help, as she passed her Granny, she poked her in the stomach. “Better get a move on if you’re 29! Time’s ticking, Pet, and this one’s a keeper!”
Anna rolled her eyes and sighed as David snorted with laughter. As she moved into the kitchen she heard Granny speaking to John.
“John, John, later you must come and sit with me, I’ll show you some pictures of my Bert in his uniform. Do you wear uniform? You should have worn it today…nothing like a uniform! I could never resist one! Obviously my Anna is just the same!”
Anna merely groaned out loud.
The afternoon went on rather well. John found a common ground with David when discussing Formula 1 and they discussed the current season for some time over coffee. Pete and John muddled along well, Pete was not a man of many words, but when he spoke, he spoke wisely and together they had a short, but interesting talk on the state of the country (and a sneaky “What are your intentions towards my girl?” talk when Anna visited the bathroom.)
Granny, true to her word, dug out a box of old photos and sat at John’s side, showing him picture after picture. Anna grinned and watched him warmly talk to her Granny and she was sure Granny was falling a bit in love with him too.
It was early evening when they finally decided to leave. After much hugging, back slapping and promises to visit soon, John and Anna finally found themselves in the car on the ride home.
“Well done, you survived!” Anna laughed.
John laughed back, “I wondered if I would at one point!”
“I’m sorry, they’re a bit intense!” Anna apologised.
“No, they’re wonderful. I had a great time.”
“Really?”
John looked at her and smiled. “Really!”
Arriving at Anna’s house, they shared a long and passionate kiss on her doorstep, grinning and laughing over things that had been said that day.
“Now, go!” Anna grinned. “I need to go in and ring my mother so that we can gush about how wonderful you are!” John grinned. “So, be prepared for some burning of your ears!” She reached up and kissed him softly. “Then, you will ring me tomorrow…and then, you will book us a hotel away this next weekend.”
“I will?” John asked with a laugh.
“You will. I don’t care where, anywhere! Just you and me, a whole weekend. This you will do because we deserve it!” Anna said firmly, her eyes flashing with amusement.
John layered kisses to her nose, her cheeks and finally her lips. “And....will you pretend it’s a surprise or are you to be in on this plan?”
Anna pretended to think. “I’ll be in on this one, this time!”
John laughed and leaned down to kiss her one more time. “I’ll think about it,” he teased before turning round and heading back to his car.