Hi, i'm not new to fanfic, but this is my first Tom Sybil story, it is a kind of therapy after what has happened, I keep telling myself they are fictional but it's not helping. I hope you enjoy this first part and sorry for any mistakes, this was done late at night. It's set in modern times but as you will see it will have spoilers for series 3.

Family had always been important to Sybil. She came from a family with a rich history, an aristocratic one; one which contained lords and ladies. What she loved most of all was that she came from the rebellious side of that family. She remembered as a child how her, great grandmother loved to tell Sybil the story of great, great grandparents marriage. How her great, great grandmother, Lady Sybil Crawley, who she was named for, had fallen in love with the chauffeur, Tom Branson and run off with him to Ireland, how they had married and had a child and be wonderfully happy.

It wasn't until much later that she found out the real story that her great, great grandmother had died shortly after giving birth not long into the marriage. Leaving Tom to raise the baby alone. She had been grateful to her for that, that she was able to live the fairy-tale at least for a while because let's face it the reality sucked.

It had been a few weeks since her great, grandmother, or gran gran as she had always known her as a little girl had, passed away. Which had left an ache in her heart that she never thought would heal. She knew she had had a good long and happy life but she missed their conversations and her stories about the family. Her great grandmother had gone quickly and Sybil had thought she missed her chance to say goodbye. It wasn't until her parents were sorting out her things, that they found the box with Sybil's name on it, left by her great grandmother. In it she found a stack of letters, one of which was addressed to her.

Dear Sybil,

My darling girl, I guess if you are reading this then I am gone. I hope it was quick, you know how I always hated to hang around passed my welcome. I suppose you are wondering what this letter is about, why I am spookily writing to you from beyond the grave.

The stack of letters you are holding in your hands are from your great, great grandparents and also maybe some others. I know you always loved their story and now I want you to discover it for yourself. I know you have known for some time the true ending rather than the fairy tale I painted, that I grew up without a mother, but I had a wonderful da who told me about her every day and reminded me that she was watching over us. When I was older enough he gave me these letters so I could experience it for myself. And now I pass them on to you. Remember it is not about how it ended sad as it was, but about how it came to be, how I came to be and the magic of that.

I ask you to do this because I worry for you, I worry that you won't open your heart to let the world in. I don't know why but you seem content to let life happen to you, rather than grasping it with both hands. To let others make decisions for you that you should be making for yourself, you know of which I speak. I hope that by discovering their story, her story you will see that the world can be very different if you let it, that nothing is set in stone and that you must always, always follow your heart as she did and fight for what you believe in as he did.

I hope you are not angry with me, I don't wish to part on bad terms, but I'm dead now so I can say what I like and I had to say something my darling, be happy and live true. Remember I will always, always be watching over you.

All my love

Gran Gran

It was because of this that Sybil found herself standing outside the local records office, she wanted to fulfil her Gran Gran's wishes although she didn't see how it could make a difference in her own life, from what she could see nothing was wrong. Okay so life was mundane, there was no big love affair and maybe she was settling. But not everybody got experience the kind of love her great, great grandparents had and to be honest look where it got them. But she still wanted to know their story and do this final thing for Gran Gran. First however she needed to do some research. If she was going to understand the letters she needed to be clear on the family tree, Gran Gran would have grown up with them, so would know anybody mentioned, Sybil wasn't so clear and her mother had been no help.

'Oh, I don't know darling, never really interested me, I wouldn't know where to start, maybe try the library or something'

Hence the records office, she entered and approached the assistant at the desk.

'Good morning, I was wondering if you could help me, I'm looking into my family tree and want to see records, births, marriages, that sort of thing for around the start of the 20th Century. Names of Crawley or Branson'

'You know you are the second person to ask for that just this morning, chap's still here I'm afraid, so I guess you will need to wait.'

'I don't have long, I came in my lunch hour, maybe you could point them out to me and I could see if they are willing to share.' She gave her most flirtatious smile hoping to sway him.

'I shouldn't really….'

'Oh please you would be doing me a great favour'

'Ok he sitting over there by the window, but you didn't hear it from me'

'Your secret is safe with me' she said giving him a wink.

As she approached the desk, she studied the man wondering how best to play it, he was young from what she could see a few years older than her, with light brown hair, as she reached the desk she gave a little cough to get his attention and was greeted with a pair of the bluest eyes she had ever seen. For a moment she was slightly thrown lost in thought, until a voice with a slight Irish accent brought her back to reality.

'Sorry' she said shaking her head to wake it

'I was asking if I could help you?' he said with a hint of a smile on his lips

'Oh sorry, yes it appears we are looking into the same records, and I wondered if I could get a quick look at the records book you have, I don't have much time you see just my lunch break and…..'

'it's fine darling, I'm almost done, here take a look'

He passed her over the book and to her amazement found it was already on the Crawley pages.

'Oh, what a stroke of luck its already on Crawley' she said surprised

'Not really, I'm researching the Crawley's, well I'm actually researching my great, great grandfather's brother who married into the family but it's the same thing' he said with a shrug

She stared up at him wide eyed

'You are researching Tom Branson?' she asked

'Yeah well family history always held an appeal and when you share a name with someone it adds to the appeal'

'Share a name?' she asked still somewhat bemused.

'Sorry I guess I should introduce myself Tom, Tom Branson and you are?' he said reaching out his hand

'Oh yes me its Sybil, Sybil Crawley'

He started for a second

'Oh well that's more than a coincidence, isn't it' he said with a laugh.

End part 1

Hope that was okay, have had this story going round in my head for a while, but realised when i sat down to write it that I hadn't planned how to start it so i'm not completely happy with it, any reviews are gratefully received.