A/N: This one goes out to awesomegreentie. I hope this is what you had in mind when you suggested some family/baby bates scenarios. This would fall under the "Bedtime Rituals" story line. Thanks to terriejane for editing through this for me. Hope you all enjoy. Please review

John entered the small cottage and was met with a shrill cry from Charlotte. He would have asked Anna how their baby was faring since he left for work that morning, but he already knew the answer. He had been able to hear her wailing even from the other end of the tiny row of cottages as he made his way home. Their poor baby was just over six months old and was cutting her first tooth. The last few weeks had been a challenge to say the least. Charlotte barely slept through the night and was even less charming during the day as a result. Her fussiness was proving to be a force to be reckoned with. He and Anna took it in turns to do everything in their power to soothe her, but to no avail.

John was exhausted when he pushed in on the door to the nursery and saw Anna walking in circles as she bounced Charlotte up and down and stroked their daughter's back. As tired as he was, at least he had been afforded a break away from their daughter's cries for a few hours. Meanwhile, his poor wife had been cooped up in the house, barely able to get any of the cleaning done around the house. The second she would set Charlotte down in her crib the tantrums only became more vocal. He realized this was all part of being a parent, but if this is what they had to look forward to for the next couple months every time she cut a tooth they were certainly in for a rough time.

Anna looked like she was at her wits end and breathed a sigh of relief when she caught sight of John in the doorway. "Oh thank God," she said as he approached her. Anna looked as though she might break into tears right then and there either from exhaustion or pure frustration. She hated that she couldn't seem to find anything to minimize their daughter's pain. The poor thing had been running a fever on and off the last two days, her gums were bright red and her cheeks were swollen. There was a spot on her dress that was soaked through from Charlotte's tears and drool as she gummed Anna's clothing. "Maybe she'll stop for you. I don't know what else to do, I've tried everything."

John held out his hands for Charlotte and Anna gladly handed her over. "Come here my sweetheart," John said as he took the baby from Anna. He readjusted her against his chest and she immediately began chewing on the padded area of jacket by his shoulder.

She continued to cry but it seemed to have dissipated at the contact with her father. "Dah," Charlotte moaned repeatedly in an attempt to call for her father.

She was clearly past the point of exhaustion. "I know darling, I know," he said as he tried shushing her. John ran a hand over her head and through her dark hair, taking note that she felt warmer than she had that morning. He was sure Anna was aware of this already, but tried not to appear too concerned, not wanting to make his wife panic. "Did you need help with her feed or a bath?" John offered as he sat down in the rocking chair. It was sweet relief on his knee after standing all day.

"I tried giving her a bath already. It only calmed her momentarily and then she started up again."

"What about her feed?" he asked with his eyes trained on Charlotte. He placed a kiss on her head and tried handing her one of her wooden toys that she seemed to love chewing on. Charlotte became silent momentarily as she promptly placed the toy in her mouth but quickly became infuriated with the toy and tossed it to the ground.

Anna broke down into tears and John's eyebrows furrowed with concern. "What's this? It's all right my darling," he said noticing that Anna's cries had only fueled Charlotte's as well. Now both his girls were crying and he was at a loss as to what to do. He motioned for Anna to come closer and let her hand find his.

"She won't eat...not from me and not from the bottle," Anna said hopelessly. Her breasts ached because her baby wouldn't feed, she felt run down and she was sure she looked it. They had always kept a spotless home but it had all fallen by the wayside to Charlotte's cries. She had not fooled herself into thinking being a mother would be easy, but to hear her child wail for hours on end to the point that her voice was hoarse from screaming and her face was swollen broke her heart. She missed John. Even though she knew he was doing everything he could to help while he was home, sometimes she felt like she was doing this all alone.

From across the room he could see the bags that had formed under her eyes. Her hair wasn't pinned up like it normally was and she looked like she hadn't even had a chance to properly change out of her pajamas. It hadn't helped either that they hadn't had a moment to themselves since Charlotte's arrival. It seemed that when they caught a break from their daughter they were either too tired to do anything or duty called at the Abbey.

"I feel like I'm doing something wrong. And all I keep thinking is that she must be starving by now." Anna let her head fall into her hands as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

John ran his hand up and down her arm and continued to rock Charlotte in his other arm, "Anna, don't feel like this is any failure on your part. She'll eat when she's hungry. Maybe we can talk to Doctor Clarkson tomorrow and see if he has any advice on what to do for her and the pain." Anna silently nodded in agreement and let out a small sigh. She was grateful that he was remaining calm through all of this; she needed his support more than ever. "I'll ring up Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes and let them know I'll have to leave in the middle of the day to go to the village with you. I'm sure they won't mind. Well...atleast we know Mrs. Hughes won't and she'll sway Mr. Carson," he said with a knowing smile.

Anna returned the smile and leaned over to place a kiss on his lips, "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked.

"For being my calm in the storm," Anna replied as she grazed his cheek with her hand.

"Always," he answered back.

They sat up a little longer with Charlotte, eventually bringing her to their bedroom to try and settle her. She laid between them through the night as she rubbed her ear and her eyes with her tiny fists. Her cries persisted through the evening but they seemed to lessen when John began to read some of Yeats to her. His face becoming more animated as he drew out the words and recreated the sounds that were being described in the poems. Her eyes were hypnotized by his hands as they flailed with each sentence until she finally succumbed to sleep in the early hours of the morning.

John had already gotten permission from Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson to leave for a few hours to tend to his little family. He even offered to pick up some stamps and run an errand for Mrs. Hughes to show his gratitude. She asked how her goddaughter and Anna were faring and offered to watch Charlotte for them in their next half day if they needed a break away from the baby. He smiled easily and joked that a break might be a ways off, one afternoon with Charlotte might have Mrs. Hughes running for the hills.

Mrs. Hughes gently swatted the valet on the arm and insisted she would do no such thing. "You both need your rest and a change of environment might be all your little one needs."

"Maybe so. I don't know how some people have more than one. Charlotte is more than enough of a handful, " he commented.

"The good outweighs the bad. She's worth it. Once you're past this bump in the road another bairn might not seem like such a crazy notion," she added in her Scottish brogue.

"Let's just take it one day at a time shall we," he said with a weary face.

Sitting in the boot room, toiling away with the brush as it made gentle, even scrapes against Lord Grantham's boots he was sure the sound of the bristles would put him to sleep. His eyes hung heavy, every bone in his body was tired, and he could swear that even within the confines of Downton his daughter's cries were still ringing in his ears. His heart went out to her, the poor little love. Anna had given her some frozen fruit thanks to a suggestion from Lady Mary and that seemed to have helped a little before he headed off to work that morning. But it didn't make the goodbye any easier as she reached for him with her outstretched arms. And then there was Anna, who was never far from his thoughts, he worried about her too. He hoped she wasn't badgering herself for their daughter's ailment. He let out a heavy sigh and put a little more elbow grease into the boot, hoping that the motion would shake the tiredness out of him.

John had become accustomed to sleepless nights ever since he was a boy. Insomnia had always been a friend of his and it served him well both as a soldier and as a prisoner. But even then he would find moments of escape where he might catch a wink or two. This was an entirely different realm of tiredness. When they had lined up for the arrival of Lord Gillingham that morning he thought he would fall asleep standing in place. Or worse, face plant in the driveway again. His body stood at attention but it swayed in the breeze as the Granthams took their time to greet Mr . Gillingham. If it weren't for the accidental push of the car horn by the driver, he would have surely caught a wink or two while standing under the summer sun.

Daisy placed a bowl of oatmeal in front of him when breakfast time rolled around. The soft clank of the spoon against the porcelain as it made contact with the wooden table forced his eyes open once more. He languidly began to shovel the sloppy breakfast food into his mouth. " Are we not meeting your standards anymore Mr. Bates?" Mrs. Patmore asked.

"No, it's fine. Lottie isn't feeling well and kept us up all last night. Well, most of the week actually," he reported tiredly.

"The poor dear. What did the doctor say?" Mrs. Baxter asked with genuine interest. He always liked Mrs. Baxter, she had seemed oddly quiet in her first few weeks at Downton, but now that Mr. Molesley had taken a shine to her and she returned the sentiment she had fallen into a level of comfortability around the rest of the staff. She had been extremely helpful and understanding of Anna's situation after the incident in the boot room.

"We will find out this afternoon. The last time we took her Dr. Clarkson said it was just normal teething. We've tried everything we can think of," he said trying not to disclose too much of their private life. He noticed that a look of disinterest crossed James face and Mr. Carson didn't seem all too comfortable with talk of children at the table. John was surprised that a smart remark hadn't been uttered by Thomas, surely the under butler had some thoughts on what a nuisance children were. Running on what little sleep he had gotten, he dared the under butler to make some sarcastic remark. In any case, he was in no mood for his nastiness today. John kept to himself for the remainder of breakfast and continued to eat his breakfast.

Without complain, John carried out his errands for Lord Grantham and as he was making his way down the corridor to the great hall Thomas stood waiting there for him. "Lord, what was this all about?" he asked himself. Surely there was some unwarranted comment heading his way. He steeled himself and tried to keep his temper even as he closed the distance between himself and Thomas. "And what might you be needing today Mr. Barrow?" John asked sharply with a tinge of annoyance. He shifted the garments in his hand as he awaited the reply from the under butler.

The tall, slender man with slicked back hair took his time in traipsing to the question as John leaned heavily on his cane. "It's not I that needs something Mr. Bates. It's you," Thomas replied in a cool, even tone. His voice laced with smoke as he spoke.

"Me?"

"That's right. You mentioned that Charlotte is having trouble teething," Thomas answered as he fiddled with his hand brace.

"What of it?" John nearly spat out. He was already well aware of the lengths he would go to for Anna. While his limits with Charlotte had not yet been tested, he knew he would go to the end of the earth and back for her. If Mr. Barrow so much as looked at Charlotte wrong he wouldn't hesitate to thrash him against the wall.

"I have something for you," Thomas said mysteriously.

"Oh?" John asked intrigued.

Thomas retrieved a packet from his pocket and handed it to John. "This ought to help with the pain. My sister recommended it when Miss Sybbie was teething."

John simply stared at the packet and back at Thomas. " But...I..." John was moved beyond words by the gesture of the under butler who had made no secret of his disdain for since the moment he walked in through the door.

"Just follow the instructions on the back of the packet."

"What is it?"

"Does it matter? It's a powder. It will help with the pain and allow her to sleep. That's what you want isn't it?" Thomas argued.

"Well yes but...why are you helping me?" John asked seeking understanding.

"I'm not. I'm helping your baby," Thomas groaned with a roll of the eyes.

John was taken aback by his words. Could it be that Thomas Barrow had a heart after all? Didn't he want people to know he helped?"

"If I've learned anything in my time as a servant it's that no good deed goes unpunished. You do one good thing for someone and suddenly everyone is wanting a favor or a handout," he explained. John's mouth formed a hard line as he considered Thomas's words. "You will speak of this to no one. I don't need people thinking I've gone soft," Thomas instructed. He waited for a silent nod of understanding from Mr. Bates before heading back downstairs for his smoke break.

Later that night…

"Mild discomfort?" Anna huffed sarcastically. "Let him sit here and listen to her scream for hours on end and then he can tell me if that's what mild discomfort sounds like," Anna said angrily.

"Would you like to go to another doctor?" he asked.

Anna realized she was letting her emotions and exhaustion get the best of her. She tried to think clearly. "The doctor said this was just a normal phase for babies," Anna reiterated as Charlotte tugged on the collar of her dress with her free hand. "Are we supposed to just wait it out?" she asked John as she rocked her daughter back and forth while patting her bottom. Anna unbuttoned the top of her dress once more thinking that Charlotte was finally hungry, but as soon as Anna's breast was exposed to the baby she immediately pushed her mother away.

John remembered the packet that Thomas had given him as it burned a hole in his pocket. He reached down and traced the edges of it. "I may have something for Lottie," he said seriously. Anna looked up at him with confusion. "Thomas offered it to me this morning before we saw the doctor. He said it helped with Miss Sybbie when she was teething."

Anna placed her finger into her daughter's mouth to munch on and watched as a large trail of drool fell from her mouth. She wiped it clean with a small wash cloth and stared at the packet as John revealed it to her. Anna took a closer look at the label "Steedmans Soothing Powders" it read. "I don't understand. If that works, why hasn't Doctor Clarkson recommended it to us?" she asked.

"Well to be fair, I don't know that Doctor Clarkson always knows best. He's also not the only doctor in the world. Thomas said his sister provided this to him for Miss Sybbie. I think it might be worth a try," he said. But he could tell by the look on his wife's face that she wasn't one hundred percent convinced. "Look at it this way, if it doesn't work we are no worse off than we are now," he said optimistically.

"Can we trust him? Better yet, can you?" she asked her husband eagerly.

"Thomas may be a piece of work, but I doubt he'd give me something that would put our daughter in harms way."

That night Charlotte slept better than she had in weeks and even took her time waking up the following morning. John was surprised she had barely begun to stir when he was already heading out the door. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and did the same for Anna as she snuggled deeper into her cocoon of blankets. He was still tired as he shrugged his coat on but at least he had been able to finally sleep the whole night through.

When he ambled into the servants hall he was met by the curious faces of Daisy, Mrs. Hughes, and Mrs. Patmore. He was happy to report that Charlotte was doing much better and made sure to speak up enough for Thomas to over hear.

"Maybe I should pop over this afternoon to check in on Anna and Charlotte this afternoon and bring a basket of food," Mrs. Hughes offered.

"I don't think that would be such a good idea. I suspect that Charlotte will be sleeping most of the afternoon," he happily stated, looking more alert and cheerful than he had in weeks.

Anna ran a hand through her daughter's downy, soft hair as she latched onto her breast for the first time in days and felt a sense of accomplishment sweep over her. Her sucking sounds filled the silent room and Anna had never heard a sweeter sound. She wanted to cry tears of relief as she felt Charlotte's forehead and noticed her fever had all but disappeared. "Oh my darling little girl, Mummy is so happy you are feeling better. Your Daddy will be too when he gets home." At the sound of John's name, Charlotte gave a sideways grin as she happily guzzled her feed from Anna. She began to drift off as she watched her baby girl, so content, finally. After days of worrying and not getting enough sleep their daughter was somewhat back to normal.

John arrived home and did his best not to disturb the silence that had settled over their home. "Hello," John whispered as he walked into the nursery. Anna gave a silent wave as their daughter slept peacefully in her arms. "How is she feeling?"

"Much better," Anna replied back in a low voice. "She ate today," Anna bragged with a small giggle.

"That's fantastic," he said with a smile. "And how are you?"

"Still very much tired. But so happy that she's found some relief from the pain. Did you thank Thomas?"

"Not yet. I didn't have a chance to get him alone. I know he doesn't want everyone to know that beneath that black exterior beats the heart of a softie," John joked. "Well maybe not a softie, but he has his moments," he said with a chuckle. John stepped forward and tilted Anna's head back to place a kiss on her lips. "I love you."

"What was that for?"

"For being you. A wonderful mother and brilliant wife. You look gorgeous with our baby on your arm and you do an amazing job with her. Never doubt that," he instructed her.

John rubbed Charlotte's tiny hand within his fingers and placed the softest of kisses on her tiny finger tips. He brushed his fingers through her hair and let out a sigh of relief as he stared down at his baby girl.

A few days after John had thanked Thomas, Anna brought Charlotte by the Abbey to visit with Lady Mary and catch up with Mrs. Hughes. John entered the servants hall to find his lovely wife sitting in the place that was once her own beside his assigned chair with their daughter propped up on the table. "And to what do I owe this pleasure?" John asked in his most charming voice.

"We finished up our errands earlier than we thought. Charlotte has something she wanted to show you that couldn't wait until her Daddy got home," Anna explained with a cheerful smile.

"Oh and what might that be?" John asked as he moved closer, his cane tapping on the hard floor of the servants hall.

"Go on love, show your Daddy," Anna encouraged as Thomas entered into the servants hall and took a seat at the far end of the table. He offered Anna a small smile as he took his seat and lit up a cigarette.

Anna tickled the little girl's belly to encourage her a little more and when she opened her mouth towards John he saw what appeared to be the tiniest tooth he had ever seen. A smile broke across his face and he held out his hands to pick her up. Charlotte instinctively leaned forward and Anna loosened her grip so she could go to him. "My darling girl, you have the most beautiful smile Daddy has ever seen. Show me again," John encouraged as he ran his finger on the base of her lip. Charlotte lightly slapped her hands along her father's cheeks and continued to smile back at her father. John hugged her tightly and she laughed aloud.

"What's going on in here?" Mr. Carson asked in a booming voice as he came around the corner.

"Sorry, Mr. Carson. I just thought I'd bring the baby by to see everyone," Anna quickly apologized.

"Oh you have nothing to apologize for," Mr. Hughes insisted as she tickled the little girl's cheek from over John's shoulder. "Look how happy she is. She certainly sounds a lot better than you made her out to be a few days ago, Mr. Bates," Mrs. Hughes said.

"Well we have Mr. Barrow to thank for that," Anna said.

John's eyes screwed shut and he bit the inside of his cheek, having forgotten to tell Anna about his agreement with Thomas. He hadn't expected her to just go blurting it out. His eyes darted towards Thomas as the under butler continued to blow smoke rings.

"Really? Whatever for?" Mrs. Patmore asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"He gave John some powder to help ease the pain when he heard about Charlotte's teething," Anna continued to explain.

"Thomas is this true?" Mr. Carson asked in astonishment.

Thomas sat at the other end of the table, acting as if he hadn't even heard the question. He took one last, long draw of his cigarette and stubbed out the light before saying, "Yes. I only did it so I wouldn't have to hear Mr. Bates moaning and groaning all day long about his baby crying at home and shirking his duties. I thought the point of them moving into the cottage was so their private life stayed at home," he said as he folded up his newspaper and exited the servants hall.

"A simple yes or no would have sufficed," Mr. Carson said as he took his seat at the head of the table.

John noticed the small smile from Thomas before he had stepped out of the room. He supposed they were even now, having helped Thomas once before when Mrs. O'Brien had been blackmailing him.

"In any case at least she is all gummy smiles now," Mrs. Hughes said as she held Charlotte's hand.

"Yes, she certainly is," John said as he placed a kiss on his daughter's head.