Happy STEAMM day! I decided to celebrate our lovely OTPs with a short multichaptered fic, it will take place in the year of 1925, in this fic, I am using a universe where Sybil and Tom moved back to Ireland after Edith's failed wedding, and are still living there, it will follow cannon, with exeption of the deaths, because I don't think anyone wants a fic where half your OTP dies on the day that celebrates them, other than that, all the things that happened to our poor darling Edith Still happened. And a special thanks to Crystabelshalott who helped me choose a tittle for this story. I hope you enjoy 'Reaching happiness' and I will love to hear your thoughts about it.
And Happy STEAMM day!
Edith had to leave, she needed to start over, leave all the past behind and create a new life with her daughter.
When she told her family she had a daughter everyone was surprised, to say the least. Some people accepted it right away like Matthew and surprising Mary, her mother needed a few hours to process everything, while her father was in such a state it reminded her of the night Sybil told them she would marry Tom Branson, their former chauffeur.
Sybil, her sister Sybil had a new life now, she lived in Dublin with Tom, they had a daughter whom, Edith loved very much and were expecting their second child. When Edith asked them if she could stay with them for a while, start over in a new place they were more than glad to have her and Marigold with them.
"Mam, is aunt Edith coming today?" Five-year old Saoirse asked her father, who was holding her in his arms waiting for the ferry to arrive.
"Aye she is, do you remember what we told you?" Tom chuckled, happy to see his daughters happy smile as they waited for Edith.
"She will bring me someone to play with." She answered.
"She is, your cousin Marigold is nearly here with your aunt Edith." Sybil replied. She remembered when she first received the news of Edith's daughter, Edith had sent them a picture of her and the baby, it was taken after she finally got her back, with a letter telling them everything, everything about Marigold and asking for some advice on how to tell it to her parents, since according to her 'You two know better than anyone how to drop a bomb like that at Downton.'.
"Sybil! Tom!" They heard Edith exclaim and turned to the sound of her voice.
"Edith!" Sybil said running towards her sister as fast as a seven months pregnant could.
"I am so glad to see you two!" She said as Tom took Marigold with him and introduced her to Saoirse.
"How have you been? Oh she is gorgeous!'' Sybil said and Edith laughed.
"She is, Saoirse is so grown up." She replied watching Tom, Saoirse and Marigold talking. They seemed to be in a deep conversation, almost ignoring the two woman near them.
"This is you cousin Saoirse and I'm your uncle Tom" He said smiling, noticing how alike Marigold and her mother were.
"Hi."
"I'm Saoirse and we will have lots of fun."
"Hi." The three-year old answered with a smile to this people she never met before, but loving all the attention and care they gave her.
"We should get home now." Sybil said and Tom turned to her, handing Marigold to Sybil, who took it and smile to the girl, as Saoirse went to her aunt's lap.
"And we will." Tom said happy as he took Edith's baggage "We'll take the omnibus, go home and we will settle you both, you don't mind if Marigold shares a room with Saoirse, do you?"
"Not at all." Edith replied. " I think they will both have a lot of fun together."
"I am sure they will, how are things back there?" Sybil asked as they got in the omnibus.
"Everyone is fine. George is a really great boy, I think all our babies will love each other very much, maybe even cause just as much trouble as we used to." Edith smiled "In fact I think Saoirse looks a lot like you, but she has Tom's eyes."
"These eyes run in my family, every Branson has it." Tom laughed, they talked for the ride home and both Sybil and Tom knew Edith was feeling bittersweet, she looked and seemed happy, but in the end there appeared to be some sadness on her.
"Home sweet Home." Sybil said as Tom opened the door of their small house, it wasn't as luxurious as Downton but it was home for her, Tom, Saoirse, her baby and now home for Edith and Marigold.
"Thank you for letting me stay here, I won't stay for much long, I will find a job and get my house, but thank you two, for all you help. It means a lot to me.'' Edith said after receiving a cup of tea from Sybil, while Tom was playing with the kids.
"You're welcome, you would do the same for us, I am certain." Sybil said softly.
"I think everything just falls out-of-place in my life, like I am never meant to be happy with someone." Edith said, and she felt like it was true, she was never remembered at home, ands when she found happiness with Anthony he left her, and then when it all seemed to work again, Michael Gregson disappeared.
"You still fell something for Sir Anthony, don't you?" Sybil asked, knowing what her sister meant.
''Is it that obvious?"
"Then why don't you try to get him back?"
"He didn't want me before, what makes you think, he'd want me now that I have a child?"
"Because he loves you." They heard Tom said, theyd didn't even realised he was walking to them until he spoke. "I saw the looks he gave you, when you entered the church, that was the look of love.''
''Then why he left?" Edith said, tears forming in her eyes "If he truly loved me why he left?"
''Well papa wasnt' exactly happy with your marriage." Sybil said "Maybe he just succumbed into pressure and he didn't want to separate you from your family, trust us, me and Tom know better than anyone how papa can be."
"If it was that, then he should have talked with me, not left me in the altar." Edith said, now crying as her daughter came over to see her.
"Mama, why?" She said as Edith scoped her and held her.
"It's nothing sweetheart, did you and Saoirse had fun?" Edith asks, trying to hide her tears, she didn't want her daughter to see her sad, not now she had her start over.
"Can you watch Saoirse for a moment, while me and Tom make some dinner?" Sybil asked, trying to hide her smile, she had an idea, but she would need help, and not only from Tom.
"Sure, I will love to."
Sybil and Tom walked to the kitchen and Sybil spoke carefully low enough they wouldn't be heard "We need to help her, it's clear she loves him."
"And I know he loves her."
''I have a plan and you will help me.'' Sybil smiled, as she started to heat the soup she had made earlier. "Grab me a paper and pen."
"What for?" Tom asked, looking for the pen.
"I will write to Mary and Matthew and ask them to make a visit to Sir Anthony."
"We should ask them to convince him he still loves her, if someone could convince him he doesn't, I am sure -"
"He can be convinced otherwise." Sybil finished for him, giving him a peck on the check as she get the paper form his hands and starting to write.
Dear mary and Matthew,
As you know Edith is staying with me and Tom and I couldn't help but notice how bittersweet she is feeling now. that is why me and Tom have made a plan to make her happier, but we do need your help with it. I would be so very grateful if you could pay a visit to Sir Anthony and maybe convince him, that he was wrong and that he and Edith do deserve each other and that they still love each other.
I would like that when you with Edith you do not comment this with her, we are making a surprise. I know you two have your quarrels in the past but please help us.
With love, Sybil Branson.
"It's done, can you please send it first thing in the morning?" Sybil asked, handing him the letter.
"Of course love, we should go now, she may suspect something.'' Tom said.
That night Sybil and Tom knew they could change Edith's life by doing what they were doing, that was part of why they didn't tell her, if he didn't accept to at least talk to her, it wouldn't hurt her, she wouldn't know what their plans were after all and she would be able to carry on with her life.
Ps. I posted the chapter one day earlier because I will have to stay on mobile tomorrow due to a whole day's of family party,but the sooner the better.