DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of them, I really wish I did. They just won't stay in the boxes I put them in.

A/N: As requested by my dear friend S...here's the beginning of your Robert/Isobel story ;-) 3

It had been three days since the funeral for Matthew, it seemed their house was cursed. As soon as happiness found it's way in tragedy struck. Elsie had walked into the village in hopes of checking in on Isobel, they had become friends of a sort recently and she knew the woman most likely wasn't taking care of herself. She caught sight of Mr. Mosley nearly running up the path stopping herself short of running directly into him.

"OH! Mrs. Hughes! So glad to find you here..." He paused attempting to catch his breath, "I was just coming to find you. She's thrown us all out, I don't know what we're to do."

"Thrown you out? Mr. Mosley slow down. What is going on?"

"Mrs. Crawley, she's told us all to get out. She hasn't even changed clothes or eaten since the funeral. I don't know what to do."

She signed rubbing at her forehead for a moment, "Lets go up and see what I can do. If it comes down to it you'll all stay at Downton for a night or two so go on and gather what you'll need while I speak with her. Tell the others too."

"Alright. Thank you Mrs. Hughes...I knew you'd know what to do." Turning he lead the way back to the servants entrance and gathered the rest of their small staff. He gave the orders and they all scattered to gather their things.

Elsie removed her hat and held it in one hand as she made her way through to the front of the house, following the sounds of Isobel's sobbing. Turning her head only long enough to watch the staff file out of the house at a near run. Drawing in a breath she stepped into the room silently, setting her bag and hat down.

As Mr. Mosley once again ran up the road he was stopped once more, this time by Lord Grantham out for a walk with Isis. Drawing in short bursts of breath he began to speak. "Mrs. Crawley told us all to leave M'Lord. I ran into Mrs. Hughes earlier, she told us to go up to Downton and we could stay there."

"Very well Mr. Mosley, let Mr. Carson know and I'm sure he'll have rooms drawn up for you. Where is Mrs. Hughes now?" Robert glanced between the members of Mrs. Crawleys staff. They were obviously worried, and he had been as well. As his walk began his thoughts drifted to the woman and he'd found himself walking towards the house, hoping to at least check in on her.

"She said she'd see to Mrs. Crawley sir, and that we should go."

Closing his eyes momentarily Robert wanted to throttle the man. Leaving Mrs. Hughes there alone with the very woman who'd terrified them all? Of course, if anyone was going to take Isobel Crawley on, Mrs. Hughes would be the best choice by far. He'd seen the woman go nearly toe to toe with his own mother...and win. "Very well Mosley, go on up and I'll check in on the two of them."

"Th-thank you M'Lord" With a bow he carried on, walking now instead of running.

Turning Robert continued his walk standing in front of Crawley house staring up at the building for a few long moments when the front door slammed and he was greeted with a sight he never thought he would see. Mrs. Hughes was...running from the house, he braced himself for impact just at the right moment, his hands clasping around her shoulders. "Mrs. Hughes are you quite alright?"

"Oh! Your Lordship! I'm so very sorry..." She had a tight grip on her bag in one hand and her hat in the other.

"Please, don't worry about it. Is it really as bad as all that?" He nodded towards the house, glancing down at Mrs. Hughes once more noticing a piece of what looked like glass in her hair. "You've got a piece of glass in your hair Mrs. Hughes."

Quickly she reached up to grab at it only to have her hand stilled, "She threw a tea cup at me, I'm worried she might harm herself."

He caught her hand, worried she'd cut it on the jagged edge, glancing down at her for permission he gently reached up and extracted the piece of glass before stepping back. "I'll check in on her myself then. Go on and get Mr. Mosley settled, the poor man looks as though he may need a drink."

"Yes M'Lord." She began her walk back home, stopping only a step later. "I tried to call on the doctor before coming here, to see if he could recommend anything she might need...he's out at a delivery some ways off the nurse didn't know when he'd return. Are you sure you want to go in there alone? I can stay if you'd prefer..."

"No, no...go on I'll be alright. Let Cora know I've stopped in and I'll call up if I need assistance. I should've never let her go home alone after the funeral."

"Yes M'Lord." Turning again Elsie set off towards home, glancing back over her shoulder once more to see him heading through the very door she'd just come running out of.

Robert watched the housekeeper leave and glanced down at the shard of teacup in his hand. He only hoped that Isobel wasn't armed any longer, or that he hadn't lost all of his agility over the years.

"Isobel? Isobel where are you? It's me Robert...please don't throw anything at me I'm not as young as I once was..." Shutting the door behind him as he spoke, he left Isis laying near the door and set his hat on a hook. He heard nothing in response so he took a few more steps, "Isobel?"

"Leave me alone Robert. I'm not in the mood for company just now." Isobel was sitting straight up in a chair facing the entry way he was about to come through. Thankfully, for him, her hands were empty as was the table next to her. She hadn't changed, her hair was beginning to fall down from it's confines, her hat lay on the floor next to her chair. Had she even moved? She must have but she couldn't remember.

"I'm not leaving Isobel." He appeared in the doorway and it took every measure of restraint he had to not simply rush across the room and draw her to his chest. His heart broke for her, the way she looked made the pain worse. He knew what it was like to loose a child, he'd loved Matthew lie a son as well, but he knew the loss for her was in no way comparable to his own feelings. Loosing Sybill had been the worst feeling imaginable, but he'd had his mother, he'd had Cora and the girls. Matthew was the only one Isobel had left and he knew it. Taking another slow step forward, his eyes never leaving her face. "Isobel, I know it hurts...but you can't do this to yourself. Let me help you."