"Bates, you've got a visitor."
A visitor? But no one was supposed to be coming today. Not Anna or his lawyer. Perhaps something happened though? Maybe new information was discovered? Evidence? A suspect?
Hope started to take over his mind. He walked as quickly as he could to the visiting room, excited at the prospect of good news and to get away from his fellow prisoners.
When John Bates walked through the doorway he saw the last person he expected to find sitting across to table.
"Hello, Mr. Bates."
He didn't think he would hear that Irish accent ever again. "Mr. Branson. I almost didn't recognize you."
At first, John was briefly disappointed. Surely Branson would have nothing of great importance to tell him, but the disappointment was quickly replaced by the joy of seeing someone from the outside, someone he supposed he could consider a friend.
"Is it the hair?" Tom ran a hand through his fringe to try and push it away from his forehead, but it almost immediately fell back into place.
John sat down and briefly examined the ex-chauffeur. Maybe it was his hair. That and his ill-fitting suit made him look years younger, a boy really. John wondered if the bit of hair that now fell across his own forehead made him look younger too. He would ask Anna next time he saw her.
"Sybil has pretty much forbidden me from greasing it back like I used to." Tom mused.
John was grateful for a happy subject to talk about. "And how is Lady Sybil? From what Anna tells me, I should be offering my congratulations."
The young man's face instantly lit up. "Yes, thank you. She's doing well. She wanted to come with me, but the rest of us didn't think it was a great idea." Branson then quickly added, "Because of her condition, nothing against you."
Bates shook his head, "No, I understand. I wouldn't have wanted her to come here either. I don't really like Anna being exposed to this God forsaken place. You can tell her that I certainly appreciate the thought."
"So the other big news at the house is the arrival of her Ladyship's mother. What's she like?" John asked. Anna hadn't been able to tell him much about the woman.
Branson smiled, "She's definitely a match for ol' Lady Grantham. I was pleasantly surprised at how progressive she is. Very different from his Lordship's mother." Tom used to think Sybil took after the Dowager Countess; they're both so sharp and strong-willed, but he could quickly see that she is really more like Cora's mother. Not afraid of change or voicing their opinions, while still being very caring people. "One night, after dinner, she sang a song to the Dowager. She has a lovely voice, like Lady Mary. When she finished, the Dowager seemed to actually be at a loss for words. She seemed genuinely touched." Everyone in the room was touched. He recalled how, when Mrs. Levinson started to sing, his wife looked at him and smiled as they heard the first two lines:
I am dreaming Dear of you, day by day
Dreaming when the skies are blue, When they're gray;
He thought of Sybil's blue-gray eyes and he found himself once again praying for the baby to have those beautiful eyes.
Mr. Bates chuckled at the thought of the Dowager Countess speechless. How nice it was to laugh. "What's it like? To be a part of the family now?"
The twinkle in Branson's eye vanished. "Well, I would use that term lightly, or at least they would. It is strange though. Even though some of them are trying to accept me, I still feel like I don't belong. I also don't enjoy the power I now have over everyone downstairs. And they've either ostracized me or simply don't know how to act around me, so they avoid me. Save for Anna, of course."
John gave a tight-lipped smile. Yes, of course. Anna truly is an angel. "You should know, that I would not be so cold to you if I was there. I do not believe you married Lady Sybil for her position."
"Thank you. I do hope you come back soon." Branson paused, having finally breached the subject of Bates' incarceration. "If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know."
"Thank you, Mr. Branson, but I'm not sure what it is you could do, and I wouldn't want to add to your already full plate."
His last words seemed to have struck a chord in the Irishman. Branson looked down, took a deep breath, and ran his hand through his hair, though this time it seemed to be due to nervousness or anxiety.
"Are you all right, Mr. Branson?"
"I'm fine." He quickly answered. Then, as an afterthought, he said. "I shouldn't be complaining when you have it so much more worse than me."
"Don't belittle any problems you may have. Please, give me something else to think about." Mr. Bates assured him.
Tom looked up at him for a few seconds, to make sure he should proceed, and then let loose all that was troubling him. "I worry, Mr. Bates. I worry that being back at Downton, Sybil will realize how much she misses her life there, and yet, a part of me thinks that maybe we should stay here because Ireland has become so dangerous, especially for her. I want to help Ireland win it's freedom though. And I worry about the world our baby will be born into. Split between two worlds with the possibility that it may not be fully accepted in either of them because of who it's parents are."
Now he understood the main reason for Branson's visit. He needed someone to talk to. He must be feeling so lost right now. He's in such strange territory. Even though Anna told him how Branson rarely leaves his wife's side, sometimes you just need another perspective, someone else to assure you that everything will be okay. God knows as much as he loves Anna, he felt like he could use someone else as well.
Now that he thought about it, he and Branson had much in common. Branson had arrived at Downton not too long after he did and neither of them received the warmest welcomes. Branson because of his accent and his political beliefs. Him because of his leg. Both of them pursued relationships that were frowned upon. After all, marriage between members of the staff is not encouraged, and they had, and still have to, overcome various obstacles to be together. Now, they were both experiencing forms of isolation and their wives seemed to be their only lifelines. The last thing they wanted was for those lifelines to break.
"I think I should start off by saying that Anna has told me she's never seen Lady Sybil so happy as when she's with you or talking about her life in Ireland." A ghost of a smile appeared on Tom's face. "Secondly, you must do what you think is best for your family. Although, if you are seriously thinking about staying in England, I would advise you to not make any decisions on your own, but before that, I should tell you not to worry about the state of the world. Even though I'm not a parent," He felt a pang in his heart at the prospect that he might never get to be one. "I think all parents worry about sheltering their children from the evils of the world when it's impossible. All you can do is show them as much love as possible. Love is all that matters, isn't that what all the great poets say?" John had no idea where that all came from, it sounded terribly cliché, but he supposed that was what he would say to himself, or at least should be saying.
Branson nodded his head and took it all in. "I needed someone else to tell me that. Thank you."
"Finish up!" The guard warned them.
They both stood up. John's leg twinged, it would be hurting more later. "Glad to help. It was nice to see you. Very nice. I hope it won't be the last time."
"Me too. And Mr. Bates, if I may give you some advice, it would be to think of your love ones when you find yourself in despair and that patience can be very rewarding."
A/N: The song is "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" which an article said Martha would be singing.
Reviews would be lovely! (Especially about the end, I'm not perfectly happy with it)