A Rouges Wife (Jack Dawkins x OC)

Epilogue

(Two Years Later)

~Jack's Perspective~

"How are you feeling, Mrs Dawkins?" Jack asked her.

Anya chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Oh shush, Jack, I'm fine." 

They shared a quick kiss, Jack had no regrets when he married her, now they had their first child. A daughter, Elizabeth Dawkins, named after the woman who raise Anya. Jack thought it was nice name so he agreed. He still thought it was funny how he delivered his own child. He'd been many things in this life a common thief, navy surgeon, a surgeon now he was a husband and father. Something he'd never thought possible. 

His daughter looked like him but he also looked like Anya's aunt who was also named Elizabeth. Anya never talked about her because it was too painful. Jack never pushed the conversation farther and figured she'd let him when she's ready. 

~Anya's Perspective~

"I can walk, Jack," she laughed. "I'm not made of china." 

"You both are." Jack stared at her, holding the little baby in her arms, Elizabeth.

Anya sighed and sat on the bed. "Honestly, why do we still live here?" 

Jack smiled at her. "You tell me." 

"I knew we should've left, my aunt is digging her claws into places where they don't belong. I guess Belle and Fanny are alright but I mean... my family's a lot... and they all wanna met you and Elizabeth, I'm just not sure." 

"Your quite serious?" Jack asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Anya said. "Apparently every Nikolova known to man is still alive, my grandmother is still alive, my uncle, cousins and other extended family."

Anya was unsure if she really did want all of them to meet her child and husband, she wasn't embarrassed about them, more worried. People are mean and the Nikolova's are no expectation, they care very much about who you marry, how you dress and presentation, your children's name. Money, politics, social status. Anything that can be judged the Nikolova's will judge it, your house, what country you live in, the weather of said country. Even down to what shoes you wear. 

"Your grandmother?"

"On my mother's side, well, I guess Nikolova's and Vanifour's are pieces of work." She explained. "There's not much family left from my father's side, only my uncle and myself. As for my mother there's nothing much there either." 

~

Somehow Anya let her uncle, the governor talk her into inviting the family to a party or reunion or whatever. She was less than pleased with seeing all of them. They'd turned their back on her when she needed them. Anya had lived with an abusive father who hated her, an aunt who tried to raise her and show her that someone did love her. But her aunt had died of sickness, Anya wasn't sure how her aunt had died. Her mother's sister had turned her back on her as well.

"If we live through this, remind me to thank you." Anya whispered to Jack. 

"We'll be fine," Jack assured her. "Your uncle just wants you to meet your family you haven't seen in 20 years."

Anya sighed. "There's a reason I ran away." 

Jack smiled as he told the story. "I remember the day I first met you, me and the boys were running after I'd stolen something and I ran into you. And then you ran with us, we had agreed to keep you around since you were a good distraction while flogged the jewels."

"I also remember sleeping in cold alley ways in an oversized jacket in the East End of London." Anya countered. 

"Well at least yours fit." Jack added. 

After the party was over all Anya wanted to do was go to bed, her family was exhausting and smiling all day was a chore. Her and Jack pretended to be well off but the truth was they were struggling not horribly but Jack bent the rules so much at the hospital and people began to talk about Anya. Since she was no pure soul there was a lot to say about her.  She also didn't hide her hatred for people, Anya showed people how much she hated them. Dinner proved to be a quiet affair with her uncle, aunt, Fanny and Belle. And Jack of course. Elizabeth was with Hetty because she insisted on it. 

"Anya," Belle said. "How's Elizabeth?" 

"Fine, healthy," she muttered, she had been caught off guard by the question. 

"Well, Belle's only asking since we never see you anymore." Jane added, that made her mad but Anya held her tongue. "I know marriage and children are a full-time job but your always welcome here."

"Why?" Anya asked incredulously, her aunt was not genuine in anyway. "Are you implying something?" 

"No, Anastasia of course not, just telling you your always welcome here." BeforeAnya could talk her aunt continued. "Good lord knows you know how to raise a child."

Anya snapped. "Says the woman who didn't save her sisters child from a monster. My father didn't show me any love or care. All you did was stood by and watched." 

"After your mother died I had no choice but to stay away, your father didn't want anything to do with us. He killed your mother because she could not give him a son. While I agree that is most cruel I cannot change the past. Alexandra knew the sacrifice she made when she married him, none of us had a say."

"You could've stopped her but you were a coward, then you almost ruined Jack's life because he was getting too close to me? Well I'm sorry I'm not perfect! I'm not my father who was a sniveling coward." 

Jane stood up. "Your mother was nothing but a whore! Alexandra knew what she did when your father killed her. He needed a son." 

Anya stormed off and found the stupid portrait of her father in the hall. She yanked it off the wall as she shouted. 

"Damn your ego! Insisting on having a son when you had me! Your own flesh and blood." Tears rolled down her cheeks, Jack had followed her and was consoling her. "My mother loved him and he turned his back on her, murdering her and slandering her. Disowning and disavowing me so that others could forever do the same."

~

"Anastasia." A voice whispered, it as hollow but it was a feminine voice. Anya opened her eyes and saw someone who looked familiar standing there. Her mother. "My sweet Anastasia, look at you all grown up." 

"Mother?" She asked the woman and she just nodded. 

"I'm very proud of you Anastasia, you married for love, something I am guilty of, like mother like daughter. Unfortunately the...circumstances are a little different."

Anya wanted her hug her mother and apologize for all the horrible things she's ever done. "I thought you were here to scold me."

Her mother shook her head. She was wearing expensive clothes and her dress was snow white. "No, never. I always wanted you to marry for love. Just as I did."

"Then... why are you here?"

"I am here because I wanted to see you, I've always hated how your father abandoned you and it was not your fault. It was mine. The accusations against me were false but...there were times when I wondered if I was the problem. But that was never the case, your grandmother had twisted your father's mind for years. Now, I blame the people who raised such a horrible man. But I see the woman you have turned into, a wife, mother, friend. I couldn't be more proud of you Anastasia."