I own nothing... Julian Fellows owns it all... I'm a broke ass college student.

From the day she'd been made housekeeper, Elsie Hughes never thought she'd leave Downton Abbey except to retire to a little cottage on the estate. She'd never truly had a desire to leave, the job she loved was here. But it was more Charles holding her here than it was the job for all she loved it. She'd loved him since she was sixteen-years-old. The handsome, broad-shouldered butler who'd only just taken the job on some five months before her arrival.

Still here she stood leaving the place she loved. The man she loved. The time had come for both of them to retire, for all he denied it. Charles was getting on in years, as was she add that to her illness and it was more than time for Anna to step into her place. (No one would willingly have handed the keys over to Miss O'Brien even if she had wanted the job.) The Crawleys could still well afford a housekeeper, and even the cottage Elsie had always seen in her future, but with the staff cut short more and more places were just simply being left open. As hard as the decision had been Elsie had given up the idea of the cottage. She had her sister she could go stay with after all. It seemed her lot in life was to play the elderly spinster aunt for the rest of her life.

Charles may have been the one attached to the family like they were his own, something Elsie could never really bring herself to do but she was attached to a great many of the staff. Leaving Charles would be the worst but she'd be leaving Beryl, she might even miss their bickering over the store cupboard keys, and Mr. Branson, for all he was one of the family now, and even that silly girl Daisy. This house had been part of her life for longer than she'd like to admit. The people in it family and servants alike had become her family.

Elsie started when she heard the door creak open. "Looks odd doesn't it?" Despite herself she smiled when she saw Charles in the doorway. Strictly speaking men weren't allowed in the women's corridor but they'd spent most of the morning moving her things downstairs to go to the train. Rules could be bent if only sometimes. "So bare." All that was left in the room was the bed, chest, a small desk and the like. The linens had already been sent down to the laundry, and nearly all of her things were downstairs.

"Elsie."

She was taken aback. He never called her Elsie unless they were in her parlor and sure the rest of the household was asleep. Never like this with maids and footmen running around everywhere.

"There's something I want- I need to tell you. You know me better than anyone…"Charles' gaze never left her face. It wasn't until he'd been faced with the prospect of losing her that he'd realized just how much he did love her. How much he'd taken her for granted all these years… decades.

When one worked with a person for more years of their life than they hadn't they knew what the other was thinking. Before he could get any further Elsie interrupted. "Charles I believe the thing for you to do is to put this whole thing behind you as quick as you can. I've made a little money, I've danced to the music… it's just time to pay the fiddler, that's all."As hard as it was to say good-bye her time at Downton Abbey had come to an end. It wasn't as if they could have a relationship beyond what went on behind the closed door in her parlor and his pantry. They couldn't have anything more than talks and sharing the last of the wine bottle after dinner. Housekeepers and butlers didn't get to have happily ever afters.

Fairy tales were for children.

He shook his head. Charles knew he was going to sound like an old fool for saying it but he couldn't help it. "Elsie we've known each other a long time."He'd loved her most of those years. Despite the bond between them neither had ever said a thing about whatever it was they had, not really. They couldn't. A love affair or god forbid god willing a marriage would have meant both of them losing their jobs. Where would that have put them? Out on the streets without a character reference? They'd have little choice beyond his going back to the stage and Charles was not about to do that again even for his Scottish lass.

The ever confidant butler's nerve was faltering somewhat, he glanced down at his shoes. "Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself. So you know how hard this is for me to say." After a long pause he finally said it. "I love you."

Another pause, "Will you marry me?"

Her breath hitched. Now?! He asked now? After all this time? Now he asked!? Despite everything inside her begging her to say yes, to throw her arms around him out in the open at long last Elsie shook her head. She couldn't. She couldn't tie him down to an old sick woman for the rest of his life. It wasn't fair to him… to her. Heavens knew if Dr. Clarkson's diagnosis was right or if the doctor in Ripon was. Either was she wasn't about to put his heart on the line like that. "I think I've spent half my life waiting for that question but I can't Charles. I've thought about leaving for a long time and it's the only option. As much as I'd love to stay here and retire to that little cottage we've talked about for so many years but I can't. It's not meant to be."

"Elsie."

"No. It's always going to be like this. The world hasn't changed that much."

—

Loganites I'm sorry. Make that anyone who ships Elsie/Charles and is not one of us I'm SORRY! Blame my iPod. Seriously. "I Will Always Love You" from "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" came on and Mona no sooner got through her last line before the song (have a cut from the movie) and muses went ELSIE/CHARLES! Dolly Parton has ruined me! I was bawling the entire time I wrote this. I fudged a few details but it's fanfiction afterall… so what if Elsie started as underhousemaid.

PS Julian Fellows if you read this NO GETTING IDEAS! We need Elsie in season 4!

AND I borrowed some dialogue directly from the movie if it's word for word it's italics.