@christmaswiththebransons / christmaswiththebransons.tumblr.com
Silver Linings A Secret Santa story for @mimijag
When Sybil has a huge fight with her boyfriend, Larry Grey, on the morning of her sister’s wedding, it seems that things couldn’t get any worse. But Sybil’s spirits are picked up by a certain Irishman, who is a staff member at the wedding.
Christmas Eve, 1917 France
There would be no moon that night. The clouds were too thick. Instead of stars shining down, snow fell from the heavens, heavy and white, already creating a thick blanket on the trench floor. Under any other circumstance, this would be a clear annoyance; their feet would be both wet and cold. But perhaps because it was Christmas…the men paid little mind.
"We just received a telegram! Enemy forces are moving right now to aid their dwindling numbers, which means we need to hit them hard again and we need to hit them NOW! Take your positions and be ready!" the Captain commanded, and up and down the trench, men started loading their guns.
A rumble could be heard in the distance; was that thunder? Or explosions? Suddenly, without warning, something flew into the trench further down, and a shout went up from one of the men, as a blast went off. “Bloody hell, they know!” the Captain swore, before taking out his pistol and raising it high over his head. “CHARGE!” he shouted, and a cry went up from the men in the trench, as they took to the ladders and started to climb…
—from Chapter One
"JOYEUX NOEL" mimijag from your fanfic Secret Santa! :oD
"Mmm" Sybil moaned as her fiancé pulled away from the kiss she’d been enjoying.
"Sorry love, but your mother and lady Edith requested the car for ten. I don’t think they’d be happy to catch me kissing you in here instead."
"I know. I just wish it was different."
"Soon, love. Soon." Tom chuckled. "Or we need some inconveniently placed mistletoe. Then I would have to kiss you. Can’t disappoint on tradition. "Sybil reached up to kiss him again, when an idea hit her. “Sybil, I have to go!” Tom protested weakly.
"Okay." Sybil nodded. "I’ll try and come by later." She watched as Tom straightened his uniform and started the car with practiced ease. She couldn’t help but feel proud of him, but also sad that they were stuck in the positions of lady and chauffeur for longer than they’d hoped.He drove off and she wandered back in through the servants entrance, humming to herself. She was lost in her thoughts and practically waltzing back to her room when she bumped into her sister.
"Golly Sybil. Is there any necessity for you to be dancing down the corridor?" Mary complained.
"Oh Mary, it’s Christmas. Can’t I be happy?"
"It’s not Christmas for another two days, and think of poor Matthew."
Sybil frowned. “Matthew survived. He’s lucky. Thousands didn’t… “
"Then think of them! And stop making all that noise!" Mary snapped and walked off, leaving Sybil staring after her. Sybil sighed. It was hard enough keeping the joy of her engagement to herself, but Christmas gave her a let up, and she wouldn’t miss the opportunity. The war was over and to her it was time to celebrate after the stress and sorrow of the past four years. She whirled round to go back to her room.
"Oh!"
"Lady Sybil! I’m sorry."
"No, Jane, it’s okay. I wasn’t looking where I was going. But… is that mistletoe?"
"Yes. Lord Grantham wanted some in the Great Hall."
"Can I possibly have some?"
"What for, Milady?"
"Just a joke for a friend." She assured as Jane was about to apologise for her overly forward manner.
"Very good, Milady." She said and handed Sybil a couple of boughs of the festive plant.
"Thank you!"
Good enough for starters! She thought as she shut the door to her room. She took one small piece and wrapped it up, carefully writing Tom’s name on it so as not to be too personal and set it aside to go with the other presents for the servants. The rest of the mistletoe, she started adding left over ribbon to, so that she could tie it up, given the right moment. If she went out, just before her parents started giving the gifts out, no-one should catch her. She giggled to herself, trying to picture Tom’s face and his reaction when he realised.
~X~
"Where is Sybil?" Robert questioned as everyone was already gathered in the Great Hall.
"We’ll just have to start without her." Edith suggested.
"Anna." Cora had already picked out the first package, when Sybil burst through the door, still with her coat on, and her hair falling out of its pins.
"Sorry I’m late."
"Where have you been?" Robert muttered, and Sybil caught Tom’s expression across the room asking the same thing. She just smiled at them both. Cora picked up another package.
"Robert, darling, who’s Tom?" She asked her husband. Robert frowned.
"Thomas maybe?"
"Mrs Hughes, is Thomas still downstairs?"
"I believe so My Lady."
"Fetch him here, will you please. Daisy." Cora carried on handing out gifts, while Mrs Hughes ventured back downstairs to find Thomas.
Sybil was barely paying attention, her eyes locked on the clear blue eyes of her fiancee. She wished everyone a merry Christmas, as she was expected to, but nothing more. Even as Thomas passed her.
"Thomas, I know you are no longer in our employment, but this appears to be for you, and we all wish you well." Cora continued. "Branson." Tom took a second to react, but dutifully stepped up to the Earl and Countess. "Merry Christmas, Branson." Cora handed him a package, and finally succeeded in capturing Sybil’s attention.
"Wait! That’s not the right parcel." She whispered discretely.
"It’s got Branson’s name on it." Robert commented dryly.
"And I wrapped it myself." Edith gave Sybil a pointed look.
"But I…" Sybil began looking around desperately and eventually spotted her gift in the hands of Thomas Barrow. "Oh no." She muttered, realising her mistake. She’d been trying to keep her note neutral, not signing off with lots of love or anything, but by doing so she’d forgotten that the others didn’t know him as Tom. Meanwhile Mary had already dismissed Branson, apologising for her sister’s behaviour. Sybil looked at her sister with concern, forgetting her own problems for the moment. Mary was acting more cold and distant by the day. A couple more gifts were exchanged before Robert wished everyone good health and happiness and the family retired.
~X~
Thomas sat at the servants hall table smoking as the others admired their gifts. Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson had disappeared to talk about stores, or whatever.
"Oh Jane, that’s wonderful." Anna gasped as Jane pulled out an expensive looking bonnet.
"They’ve been very generous to all of us this year." Jane deflected the admiration.
"What did you get Thomas?" Daisy asked, looking up from pinning the new material she’d been given. Thomas tapped the ash off the end of his cigarette and looked once again at the odd shaped parcel.
"Dunno."
"Open it then!" Jane prompted. He did and just stared at the foliage that fell out. "Oh." Jane was clearly disappointed. "That’s from Lady Sybil. What’s the joke?"
"Joke?" Thomas queried.
"She said it was a joke between friends."
"Yeah, and it stays that way." He picked up the whole thing and left. Once he was outside Thomas frowned at the present. Something about it was odd, and no-one ever called him Tom. Then there was the note he’d discretely hidden from the prying eyes of the others.
Meet me outside the garage in ten minutes.
Putting out the cigarette, he figured the best option would be to go to the garage and find out what the hell was going on.
"Ah, Thomas!" He was greeted as he neared by Lady Edith, who was conversing with Branson. "I must apologise for the unconventional way of doing this," she indicated to the mistletoe, "but I wondered if you would be interested in learning to drive. I thought, if after New Year you start looking for a new position, it might be a skill that comes in useful. We can do a test drive today if you like, or another time." Thomas looked rather taken aback by her suggestion.
"I… is this a joke?"
"No."
"Then… I suppose another time would be better. Thank you, Lady Edith." Thomas scurried away, and Edith burst out laughing.
"I didn’t think he would look so shocked! But at least that gets us out of doing that today."
"Congratulations milady." Branson joked. Edith gave a mock bow, but straightened up as she heard footsteps.
"Tom!" Sybil called as she ran towards him. "Tom, did Thomas visit the garage? I just passed him on my way out. Your presents got muddled up and I wasn’t able to get away from Mama any quicker." She rambled.
"Love, it’s okay. He did stop by, but your sister…"
"Covered for you. Now, don’t let Mary catch you, and Branson?"
"Yes Milady?"
"Enjoy this harebrained scheme of a Christmas present she’s prepared for you." Edith and Tom both looked up at all the pieces of mistletoe hung around the garage and chuckled.
"Edith, you mean you’re letting us?" Sybil asked, surprised.
"Sybil, you’re engaged. You only get one chance at this." If she was going to say any more she was cut off by Sybil hugging her.
"Thank you Edith!"
"Merry Christmas Sybil."
ALSO available here on FF.net
A s/t Secret Santa fic for pointlessthingsispendmytimeon!
Carson stood up from his chair and passed two thick folders at them. “Congrats Sergeants Branson and Crawley you’re getting married.”
"What?" They said in unison. Both sneakily a glance at each other before glancing away. Hoping the Chief Inspector wouldn’t notice their blushes.
Carson pressed a photo onto the corkboard. “This is Lord Larry Grey, as I’m sure you both know over the last ten years Lord Grey has been in control of London’s drug market. Using his wealth, nobility, and status as bargaining chips to keep his drug ring and all evident of his crimes out of police hands.”
"Through the past years we have tried to get into his organization with no luck but this morning we’ve finally gotten an opening." Carson said with a broad smile. "It’s seems Lord Grey is no longer happy with just London and wants to expand his operations. However, he doesn’t want to work with the current drug lords in other cities. No he wants fresh meat so he can become the head of the entire U.K. drug operation."
"Alright but what does that happen to do with us getting married?"
None of the pics above are mine. Graphic made by Angiemagz.
Written for magfreak for the S/T Fic Exchange!
Magfreak requested a fluffy “Canon fic in which Tom and Sybil never had to leave Ireland and they (and any kids that may be around—leaving that up to the author) travel to Downton for Christmas for the first time as a family.”
Thanks to ms-nothingspecial for looking it over for me as I wrote for my usual beta (and putting up with me spending our whole vacation stressing over writing this thing lol).
Sorry it’s late, hope you enjoy it.
A small patter of feet comes towards him and his daughter kneels down beside him, leaning into his shoulder. Tom places his cane down and feels for the sides of the lid to lift it off.
He grins as there’s another awed intake of breath from the girl.
Little late Christmas fic set in my Blind Tom AU. Thanks to magfreak for the beta. Inspired by this picture of Tom and his daughter decoration the tree together.
My Sybil/Tom Secret Santa Fic Exchange gift for cassiemortmain
MERRY CHRISTMAS CASSIE :)
____________________________________________________________
Story title: "Christmas Is for Everyone"
Summary: It’s Christmas 1931 and Robert Crawley visits his youngest daughter’s family in Dublin; it’s his first visit at the Bransons’ flat. What happens when the Bransons have some additional guests? Set in cassiemortmain’s Erin go Bragh! universe.
Teaser:
"But that’s not what you wanted to talk to me about," Tom reached out for her hand.
"No. Do you remember the O’Donnells?"
Tom sighed. “Of course I do. Patrick O’Donnell’s case was quite widely spoken about at one time, and I even wrote an article about it. He’s imprisoned for beating up and Englishman on the street.”
"Yes. He and his wife have seven children, so the woman can’t work. They’re destitute."
Tom looked adoringly at his wife. “Do you want to help them? You really have a heart of gold, dearest.”
"Actually," Sybil looked her husband directly in the eyes. "I want to invite them to spend Christmas with us."
"But your family is spending Christmas with us this year," Tom whispered in a slightly terrified voice.
"Yes, and it is the first time my father will pay us a visit. But I can’t allow the O’Donnells not to have a proper Christmas."
"If your father learns what happened to the father of the family…"
"I don’t care what he thinks. As your eldest daughter said, Christmas should be for everyone."
Tom’s eyes widened. “And why does it concern Aislin?”
"She returned home crying because of what O’Donnell boy had told her. She couldn’t even enjoy our Christmas decorations."
Tom smiled lovingly. “Aislin’s so like you. So kind-hearted and generous. You’re totally right. We shouldn’t care about what your father thinks. We should care about what is the right thing to do, and inviting the O’Donnells for Christmas is the right thing to do.”
New Year, New World by mosteyn (a Sybil/Tom Secret Santa fic for kidyouhavenoidea)
The Bransons prepare to leave Downton for a new life in America...
Edited…and hopefully working. Sorry…
Written for the Secret Santa exchange for Hetep-Heres. The prompt was : 17-years-old Sybil falls asleep in her nice bedroom in Downton Abbey. But the morning after, she wakes up in a very simple flat in an unknown city. And what is the new chauffeur doing there, dressed only in a pair of trousers and a bodyshirt? (“Erased past years” or “foray into the future”, you choose!) Gwen and William get mentioned.
I hope you’ll like it! I just realised that I may have messed a little bit with the time frame. Sorry for the delay but my beta had some computer issues. And I want to thank her A LOT for her work despite the holidays and her busy life. I’m thinking of her right now and she knows why. *hug* Thank you skinnycat77.
Merry Christmas and happy new year to the whole fandom and my special guest here Hetep-heres. Enjoy! ( I hope so! )
Joyeux Noël et Bonne année!
THE FUTURE OF A HEART
Curled under her heavy duvet, Sybil was slowly awaking from the most peaceful sleep she ever had. Nested in her soft place, she felt safe, happy, and content. She didn’t know why she was feeling that way this morning but still, it felt wonderful. Everything was so familiar: the softness of the bed, the creaking of the fire, the smell of soap…wait!
She opened her eyes, suddenly very awake. THAT was different. Instead of the usual smell of lavender soap, her room smelled…not bad, but different, the lavender replaced by a mouth-watering smell of baking. The lavender was still present on the sheets but clearly overtaken by the sweet smell of sugar filling the room. How the hell could Mrs. Patmore’s cooking possibly reach right to her bedroom?
Curious, she peeked her head out from under the duvet and her heart almost stopped. Where was she? The soft, yellow paper covering the walls of her bedroom was replaced by walls painted in a light blue and the furniture was different. She shook her head to clear her mind. Surely, she was dreaming or something…Just last night, she had gone to bed so happy after surprising her whole family with her harem pants and so content after her exchange with Tom Branson, the new chauffeur. It was a nice change to have someone who was actually listening to her and ready to share his ideas with her. She was rambling so much about it when she was getting ready for bed that poor Gwen had to warn her about being too friendly with a male employee
Merry Christmas!
This is the prompt I got for the S/T christmas exchange fic and I am very pleased with it, really I couldn’t have asked for a better prompt. This was sent by thecorkrose and I hope I did your prompt justice.
Sybil has always loved to go swing dancing, but Tom, being his stubborn self, has never been willing to go. However, one Christmas, Tom surprises Sybil with his amazing dance skills.
Merry Christmas to you all and have a happy new year!
Merry Christmas, yankeecountess! Here’s your Secret Santa fic: Wherever We Choose to Be (Part 1 of 2).
YC requested an story in which Sybil and Tom come to Downton for Christmas during the S2 Christmas Special.
Sybil pushed herself up on her elbow and looked down on him, pushing his hair back off his forehead with her fingers. “Darling, I know this visit feels like one awkward encounter after another, but how different is it, really, from my first week in Ireland? We made it through that.”
Tom couldn’t stop himself from laughing.
Sybil smiled, happy that she was getting through. “You told me that letting your mother make me uncomfortable was like conceding that I didn’t belong there, so now I will repeat what you said to me: We belong wherever we choose to be. We married because we loved one another, and we knew that the line separating us was an artificial one.”
Tom lifted his hand to caress her cheek. “And we’ll be crossing it everyday until we die.”
Hope you enjoy it!
Name: Holding his hand Author: kidyouhavenoidea Rating: PG Pairing: Sybil/Tom
Part of the S/T Fic Exchange of 2014. Happy Holidays to piperholmes, hope you like this!
A Christmas gift to syblime, as part of the 2014’s S/T fic exchange. As you’ll see it is not totally canon, as at this time Thomas wasn’t working anymore at the castle but had volunteered for the army, yet it’s just a small twist for the story to fit the required specific (“Thomas bantering with someone”)
Giving a hand
"For God’s sake, William, move! You’re in the way!"
Thomas Barrow, footman in Downton Abbey, was busy as a bee, as was the rest of the Abbey’s staff.
"Oh, stop bullying him, Thomas", Daisy told him while threading her way through the crowd of her fellow staff members, a silver tray in one hand and a porcelain sauce boat in the other.
"Oww! Isn’t that very sweet?" Thomas sneered. "Now you’re William’s knight in shining armour, Daisy? Defending him, aren’t we? The scullery maid seems to be growing a spine, after all… Too bad your sweetheart isn’t!"
William took a step forward and was about to finally retort something when Daisy beat him to it, her face beet red with embarrassment:
"He– he… he is not my sweetheart!” she exclaimed, turning an even deeper shade of red at the thought of what the others might think. Of what William himself might think. “B– but… but contrary to you,” she went on stammering a bit, surprised at her own sudden boldness, “he is a true good friend! Now leave him alone and mind your own business, I’m sure you have a lot to do, like the rest of us!”
"And if you don’t," Mrs Patmore put in her two cent, "I sure can find you something to do, there is enough work for twice as much staff right now!"
No one paid attention to William’s suddenly dejected air, least of all Mr Branson, the chauffeur, who had preoccupations of his own on his mind.
He too had his share of tasks on his to do list: granted, his position in Downton Abbey had absolutely nothing to do with preparing or serving meals, but it didn’t mean he could idly peruse through the latest newspapers while his co-workers were busy bustling about. Far from it!
After all, there was only two hours left before the family’s Christmas Eve dinner, and despite their lord and master’s magnanimity that granted them their annual evening off, they still had much to do to get everything ready in due time. Which means that Mr Branson exceptionally had some work to do inside the castle: for instance he had just had to give a hand to decorate the hall, to move some furniture and to go get a few crates from the attic.
"Mr Branson," Mr Patmore told him, "I know this is not within your job duties, and I also know this is below your position, but could you please bring me the crates of vegetables that have been delivered this morning and are kept outside in the cold? I’m sorry to ask you that, but all the hall-boys are otherwise occupied, and Thomas and William are busy laying the table."
"That’s not a problem, Mrs Patmore, I’ll get them for you. Everyone has his share to do today. I’m at your disposal for anything else, if you need me. Please, don’t hesitate to make use of me for whatever you might–"
"Careful, young man," Mrs Patmore replied with a playful smile in her voice, "I could take your offer at face value… I might be an old woman, I’m a woman all the same!"
Too taken aback to react, Mr Branson didn’t immediately find a witty yet respectful retort to her wisecrack. But Mrs Hughes didn’t miss one single word of this exchange.
"Well, Mrs Patmore", she said, " we’re just lucky Mr Carson wasn’t here to hear that, or we’d have had to deal with a butler’s heart attack on top of everything else!"
"My my my! Mrs Patmore!" Thomas exclaimed, "you’ve been playing your cards close to your chest… All this time and we didn’t notice that you had a thing for much younger men!"
"Fearing competition, Thomas?" she asked in jest. "But more seriously, there’s no harm in some friendly joking. Mr Branson knows fairly well this wasn’t a genuine proposition…"
"How so, Mrs Patmore," Mr Branson answered acting hurt, "you mean this wasn’t a sincere dishonest proposition? You’re breaking my heart," he added, raising his right hand to his chest in a theatrical gesture.
"Toying with men’s hearts, Mrs Patmore?" Thomas teased her. "Who would have thought? I’m sure you let a line of bleeding and weeping male hearts in your wake"
I’m sorry this took me so long to write. I had writer’s block and then a 24 hour headache. I hope you like it and it fulfills everything you asked for.
Prompt: Sybil and Tom have a newborn baby, and Tom is on two weeks paternity leave. He is a teacher, either English or history, in a senior school (teaching ages 11-18) and he comments about how some of the older girls are going to miss him for two weeks as they have a bit of a thing for him, to which Sybil decides to ‘claim him’ as her own.
Friday, 26 September 2014
Tom opened the door to the flat he shared with his wife Sybil and his newborn son Michael, careful not to make too much noise. It wasn’t easy as he was holding a box alongside his tan briefcase. After carefully shutting the door, he walked into the living room and was greeted by one of his favorite sights: his beloved wife feeding their son.
“Good afternoon, love. How’s the little fella?”
Sybil turned her head and beamed at her husband. “He’s great.” She gazed down at their son, her index finger being held in his tiny hand, and added, “He’s hungry as you can see. Aren’t you, Michael?”
Tom went to his family, putting his briefcase and the box on the coffee table. Sitting next to his wife, he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. They watched their son feed for the next several minutes, talking to each other.
Once he was full, Sybil handed the baby and a towel to Tom. He smiled as he placed the towel then Michael on his shoulder. He gently tapped his son’s back, hoping it wouldn’t take him long to burp.
Sybil glanced at the clock. “You’re home earlier than I expected.”
For shana-rosee for the S/T holiday exchange - sorry for the lateness!
AU: London, spring 1924. Struggling journalist and Irish exile Tom Branson crosses paths with suffragist Sybil Crawley, and they spend a most interesting evening together.
He would always begin the story by saying that the rain had worked in their favor. Weather, the most tangible form of kismet, author of so many accidents both happy and tragic. But in the romantic depths of the soul that for years he’d kept hidden behind facile cynicism and sharply turned phrases, Tom would always believe that they’d been fated to meet.
He saw her coming out of the printer’s shop just as the drizzle was turning into a downpour. Her woollen coat was a splash of summer against the charcoal smear of the wet pavements, its cheerful blue mirrored in her eyes as she raised them to the sky in dismay. Her arms were full of bound stacks of paper: pamphlets, it looked like, which would quickly be reduced to pulp if she attempted to carry them unprotected through the deluge. She shrank back against the fogged-up window, underneath the awning.
She hadn’t seen him yet. He’d been attempting to ignore the rain, a buttoned coat and pulled-down hat the only allowance he’d made, but now he thanked whatever God might be listening for the umbrella hooked over his arm.
For gothamgirl28
A Christmas Dinner
Tom and Sybil and their children host a combined Christmas and Channukah celebration with family and friends.
Read it: here.
