Thomas sat at the fire staring into the flames striving to enjoy a little peace and quiet. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was Downton Abbey's butler now. He couldn't believe it, finally a bit of luck had come his way. He kept expecting to wake up and find it had all been a dream. If only his mother could see him now.

Just then, Anna came in quietly to get some tea for Lady Mary. She had always been quiet but ever since she was raped, she was strangely different. Rape did awful things to people.

Thomas sat on the stone wall after school, watching the other kids play. He was alone ever since his buddy Jack moved away. Jack had been his only friend. Just because he was quiet, no one wanted to hang out with him. It wasn't fair. When he wasn't quiet at home his father beat him, so why was it different here?

As he sat there contemplating with no one around, his hulking older brother Bert walked over with a bunch of his friends. Thomas braced himself, his fingers whitening from clutching the stones so hard. His brother was always so cruel to him, especially when the other bullies at school were there."Hey, runt!" one of them greeted him grinning.Thomas looked at his brother cautiously. What were they planning this time?

He was jolted out of the sudden flashback by Anna tentatively asking him to get a box of tea from one of the top shelves. She was too short to reach it. Pausing, she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Are you alright Thomas? You seemed to be spacing out," she asked curiously.

Thomas looked down and noticed his hands were tightly grasping the arms of his chair. He unclenched them and raised his eyes to meet hers.

"I'm just fine, Anna. Just a bit tired, I suppose," he hurriedly answered, getting up and retrieving the box for her. Why were these memories of his childhood coming back now?

"Oh, yes, I know. Everyone's been so very busy of late. And of course we're all adjusting to the new arrangements. By the way, do I have to call you Mr. Barrow now? It seems so strange."

"Why? I'm perfectly capable of this job!"

"Goodness, I didn't mean it that way!"

"Oh, right. I'm sorry. It's fine if you still call me Thomas, just not in public. This takes some getting used to," he admitted.

At that moment, Andy came in to get a snack. Thomas left abruptly before things got awkward. So much for peace and quiet.