Prompt: Tom and Sybil plus children are trying to have a quiet family Christmas together, but then get invaded by numerous unwelcome guests demanding to be put up over the festive period.

A/N: A S/T Secret Santa Fic, for Mosteyn. The story takes place after Season 5 (3x05 AU, Sybil lives) and, well, it gone a little bit crazy;-) Also English is not your Secret Santa's first language so forgive me if there are any mistakes. I hope you'll like this story! A Very Merry Christmas to you ;-)

Disclaimer: Written for fun, not for profits. I don't own these characters, they belong to Julian Fellows and I thank him for inspirations.

"Tom Sweet Tom"

Christmas, 1924

'Thank you, Pratt' – Lord Grantham turned to his chauffeur as he opened the car door for Robert – 'That will be all. Please pick us up at seven.'

'Certainly, milord' – the chauffeur nodded then got into the car.

Soon it disappeared in the thickly falling snow on its way back to Downton. Lord Grantham warmed on his hand by blowing on them and adjusted his elegant sheepskin coat. There wasn't such a cold Christmas Eve since when he was a little boy. He smiled. This thought made the idea of spending next few hours at his mother's house by the fireplace with his closest even more pleasurable.

'Quick, quick ladies, we do not want to freeze here, do we?' – said Robert cheerfully as he joined the rest of his family at the front door of the Dowager Countess manor.

'Robert, don't you think it strange?' – Cora asked her husband anxiously – 'All the lights in the house are off, nobody greeted us.'

'You' re right, the servants should already be here' - Robert frowned, looked at his wife and then at both of his daughters, who started to shuffle their feet impatiently.

'Mama, nobody's home' – little George knocked lightly on the door. Then the boy came up to one of the windows and stood on tiptoe. He wanted to look through it into the drawing room, but failed because of a huge, snow-covered flowerbed under it.

'Darling, let your Grandpapa try' – Mary took her son by his small hand.

Responding to his eldest daughter request Robert grabbed the knocker in a shape of a lion's head and knocked firmly. Twice. There was no answer.

'This is ridiculous!' – Edith got indignant – 'Marigold is shivering!' – the woman tightly hugged her daughter and pulled the fur cap down over the girl's ears.

Mary was already opening her mouth to comment it witheringly but that was when she noticed a man who was locking the back door. It was Spratt, Violet's butler.

'Spratt! Thank God you're here!' – said Mary and ran to him. Her family followed her – 'What happened? Are you… leaving?' – she added when she saw that the man is holding a suitcase.

'I am, milady,' – said Spratt and tried to go away but Mary stopped him.

'Wait! Where is Grandmamma?'

The butler ignored her question.

'Let us in the house at least' – she added her voice imploring.

'Please forgive me milady but I can't.' – said Spratt in an emotionless tone – 'I've been obliged to lock the house and send the keys to Her Ladyship at her new address in St. Petersburg.'

'What are you talking about?' – asked Cora.

'Her Ladyship moved abroad. Mrs. Denker' – he stopped and swallowed – 'packed all her things in the morning. They had a train at eleven a.m. If you excuse me, milord.' – he nodded –' I should be going. My own train is leaving soon. Merry Christmas.'

And before they knew it he was gone leaving the Crawley family completely stunned.

'Prince Kuragin! Unbelievable!' – Lord Grantham shook his head - 'She didn't tell anything, we were talking yesterday!'

'Can we please discuss the whole story later and decide what is going to happen with us?' – Edith interrupted her father in a desperate voice. It was getting dark and the snow continued to fall.

'Pratt won't be here for at least next three hours.' – Robert spread his arms.

'Even if we managed to get back to Downton there is nobody.' – said Lady Grantham – 'The whole staff is given a free evening before the preparations to tomorrow's Christmas Dinner.'

'Isobel?' –suggested Mary. George looked at his Grandmother with hope.

'Isobel is dining with Dickey Merton' – said Cora – 'There is only a one option for us' – she added after a moment of thinking.

'What do you mean? Making a bonfire?' – asked her husband.

'You know what I mean, Robert' – Cora looked at him seriously.

'It's only slightly over a quarter of an hour on foot. I think we'll manage' – said Edith and looked at Marigold.

'And they will be happy to see us' – summed up Mary.

'Oh, of that I'm sure' – said Robert and added in a lower voice – 'An irony of fate.'

The three woman settled on Lord Grantham their meaningful gazes. Marigold sniffed quietly. Robert sighted.

'All right. I surrender. Let's go'

ooo

The wonderful smell of cinnamon and dried fruit spread through the kitchen when Sybil opened the oven and took the cake out of it. She carefully put the baking pan on the table and grinned.

'It looks delicious, Mummy!' – said Sybbie enthusiastically. The girl was sitting nearby, decorating the gingerbreads which they had baked earlier that day, with nuts and raisins.

'I hope it will taste equally as good!'

After over four years of running her own household Sybil gained a lot of self-confidence while it comes to cooking but this time she couldn't help to feel under a kind of pressure. Preparing Christmas dishes in a way Tom remembers from his childhood . She and her mother-in-law had been corresponding at this topic for two months.

'Oh, the biscuits look beautiful, Honey' - Sybil kissed her daughter's little head when Sybbie wiped her hands on her apron as the sign that she finished - 'All right, we're ready with sweets. The beef is marinating and the goose…'

'Did someone mentioned the goose?' – interrupted Tom, coming into the kitchen, holding their younger daughter in his arms.

He was already home, Lord Grantham allowed to close the agent office earlier than usually. Tom was trying hard not to wonder if he did it as a Christmas gift for him or because he wanted to make sure that the Bransons manage to prepare the Christmas at their home and are not going to visit his for the next few days.

'The cleaning is finished. Patty and I were decorating the fireplace and lighting the candle in the window but were lured by those magical scents.' – said Tom.

'Your mother recipies plus my own invention.' – answered Sybil with proud – 'But we will taste everything tomorrow. The fast on the Christmas Eve, see? I remember' – she added.

Little Patty snatched from her father's clutch and run to her sister to see her work with gingerbreads. Tom came to his wife and hugged Sybil tightly.

'I can't even express how lucky I am to have you' – he whispered into her ear and kissed her temple.

'Sybbie! Come and see how Daddy and I hanged the stockings.' – Patty pulled her sister firmly by the hand – ' I wish George and Goldie saw them!'

The girls run hopping into the living room hand in hand.

'Isn't it a little bit selfish of me?' – Tom asked his wife.

'The girls will be fine, love' – answered Sybil and stroked her husband's cheek – 'Anyway we are visiting my family next week so no presents will omit them. This is going to be our perfect Christmas.'

'Mummy, Daddy come to us!' - the girls' laughing voices snatched their parents from a kiss.

'Everything is almost done. Let's sit for a while together' – encouraged Tom – 'We deserve some rest.'

Sybil nodded. She took off her apron and followed Tom. They found their daughters in the living room. Sybbie and Patty were peering through the window. The world outside was a real winter wonderland.

'Watch the candle!' –Sybil warned them.

'I've told Patty the story about shepherds who saw the star of Bethlehem' – whispered Tom –'I think she is hoping to see one of them here tonight.'

Sybil laughed. The Bransons sat on their big couch in front of the fireplace.

'Home, sweet home' – sighed Tom contently , stretched and embraced his wife. The daughters immediately joined Sybil and Tom, demanding to cuddle alltogether. Suddenly they heard a loud knocking on the door and all of them petrified.

'The wanderers! The shepherds! They saw our light!' – cried Patty excited, jumped and clapped her small hands.

'Don't be silly!' – scolded her sister. Patty pouted.

'Sybbie! Behave. Be quiet girls.' – said Tom and turned to his wife – 'Love, did you invite anyone?'

'I don't think so.' – Sybil scratched her chin – 'Tom could you go to the hall, hide behind the curtain and carefully look through the small window?'

Tom did as she asked him then come back with a surprised face.

'It's Dr Clarkson standing at the porch.' – he said.

'Oh dear!' –Sybil covered her mouth – 'We were talking yesterday at the hospital. He grumbled about spending Christmas all alone. I might have mentioned that we are staying at home this year and said that he could … come if he wanted to…' – she ended confused.

'I like Dr Clarkson, Mummy' – Sybbie put her arms around her mother's neck.

'Me to' – added Tom – 'After what he has done for the two of you he will always be welcome at my house.'

Sybil smiled.

'Let him in and I'll put the kettle on the stove' – she said and went to the kitchen.

Poor Dr Clarkson, cold and sad, being offered a cup of hot tea with honey, and a friendly conversation cheered up at once. When Sybbie sat him on the armchair and Patty quickly sat herself on the doctor's lap he lost the track of time completely.

'You really don't mind my intrusion?' – asked Dr Clarkson and took a sip of tea. This already was the third cup.

'Not at all' – Sybil assured him.

'The fact that we are organizing our little Irish Christmas here doesn't mean we are not seeing friends.' – said Tom - 'Although in Ireland they are rather coming on the Second Day of Christmas so to speak…' – he added in a lower voice so that only Sybil could hear him.

'Oh I've heard about the tradition' – said the men hearing Tom's words – 'Second Day of Christmas is also a Wren Day*, right?'

'In the south part of Ireland, yeah' – answered Tom.

'Daddy! Daddy! Tell us about the Wrenboys! Please!' – Sybbie and Patty asked excited although they already knew the story quite well.

'Just remember about skipping the cruel part' – whispered Tom's wife as she had done it last year and also the year before.

When Tom saw the three pairs of eyes looking at him with expectation, he couldn't help but sigh heavily, smile and begin to tell the story with an enthusiasm exactly the same as always. He was not even in the half of the story when suddenly there was a knocking at the door.

'The Wrenboys?' – asked Patty silently. Frankly she was a little worried by the idea – 'it's Christmas Eve after all!' – she added to compose herself.

'So maybe this Santa Claus?' –suggested Dr Clarkson with a mysterious smile.

Tom and Sybil looked at each other.

'I'll see what's going on' – announced Mrs. Branson rising from the chair she was sitting at and made her way to the hall.

She had some difficulties with opening the door because of the strong wind blowing outside an when she managed to do it she needed to blink her eyes to see the person who was standing there.

'Oh! Hello Isobel. Come in, come in' – said Sybil and let her cousin into the cottage. The door slammed separating them from the snow-storm.

'Oh Sybil! My dear, I'm so happy that you're at home' – said Mrs. Crawley.

'What happened?' – asked Sybil kindly.

Isobel was standing in the middle of the hall, her coat covered with snow and her face so sad. She was looking as miserable as sin which made Sybil seriously worried.

'I invited Lord Merton and his sons to dine at my place for the first time.'

In fact she didn't need to add anything else because knowing Larry and Timothy well Sybil had already imagined what could have happened. Isobel took an elegant handkerchief out of her coat's pocket and gently dried her eyes that glistened with tears.

'Actually it was the same as during our last meeting at Downton. Not only his sons insulted me but also my servants and suddenly something got into me. I told the three of them to get out of my house at once. Maybe a little to harsh' – whispered Isobel with a little smile - 'As a result I was left on my own with a sumptuous table, my cook really did her best.'

'I'm so sorry Isobel.' – said Sybil and gave her cousin a friendly hug.

'I could have called Violet and invited her but somehow I really didn't want to hear her "I told you so" tonight' – said Isobel when they parted - 'So thinking of a cozy and friendly place I packed the food' – she grinned showing Sybil the two baskets she was holding in her hands - 'and here I am.'

'You did the right thing' – Sybil smiled.

'Please tell me that I don't disturb you.'

'We've already have some company' – said Sybil and took the baskets from her cousin, placed them next to the nearby dresser and hang Isobel's coat. - 'Dr Clarkson is here.'

'Oh, really? How do I look like?' – asked Isobel primping her bun.

'Perfect.' – answered Sybil – 'Let's go' –she added and led the way to the living room.

'Aunt Isobel!' – shouted the girls, surrounding Isobel and hugging her legs.

'Oh Mrs. Crawley… Isobel' – Dr Clarkson stood up, a little embarrassed as he saw his friend.

'Hello girls, Tom.' – she turned to Mr. Branson who also welcomed her –'Good evening Richard.' – added Isobel with a shy smile.

'I'll make some more tea' – said Sybil and went to the kitchen. Her husband followed her. He gave her a questioning gaze and Sybil explained him what has happened at Mrs. Crawley's house.

'You know what I should do right now?' – Tom got annoyed when he heard the story – 'Go and kick those bastard's asses.'

'No need to. In my opinion she is done with the Grey family for good.'

'None of this would have happen if Matthew was here.'

For this Sybil hand no proper answer. There was a silence. When the water boiled she filled the teapot with it.

'Just… that 'Dickey Merton' is a real dic…'

'I know and I agree with you' – she didn't let him finish.

Tom smiled wanly and took the tray with tea from her. They heard laughs from the other room.

'Look on the bright side of it, Tom' –said Mrs. Branson– 'Isobel and Dr Clarkson are keen on each other. We wanted to go for the Midnight Mass. How about inviting them to stay overnight and ask them to look after the girls? '

'You mean killing two birds with one stone? Sounds like a plan' – said Tom.

'DADDY! DADDY!' – Sybil and Tom heard their daughters loud voices when they got back to the room.

'Oh! What on earth?' – asked Tom.

'The wanderers are coming. And this time that's for sure!' – Patty and Sybbie were at the window again jumping and laughing, pointing at the road leading to the Bransons cottage – 'No! Patty I can see Donk! Look!' – cried Sybbie.

'Good God!' – whispered Sybil.

'A donkey? In the middle of a town? Is that possible?' – Dr Clarkson got curious and joined the girls at the window.

'I'm afraid it is' – murmured Tom and looked at his wife.

'I was convinced that they are seeing Granny this evening' - Sybil looked back at him helplessly.

They came to where the others were standing and there was no doubt. Lord Grantham in person, accompanied by his wife, his daughters and his grandchildren was rapidly marching towards Tom's house.

Being married to Lady Sybil for over five years it was inevitable for Tom to come to terms with the Crawleys family. He couldn't say that heloved them but like was quite a proper world. The Bransons were after all regular guests at the big house and normally Tom wouldn't mind their visits at his house. Announced visits.

To see Sybil's family at the Bransons cottage was however a thing that happened rarely. Edith pooped sometimes in because Patty and Marigold were of the same age and became dear friends. Their relation was making Edith happy because her daughter became more open and sociable. Cora and Mary were there few times after Sybil, Tom and Sybbie moved in when Robert offered Tom a position of the estate manager, or later when Patty was born. Robert had never been to the Bransons house before and, to be honest, that was what frightened Tom the most.

Saying that arrival of Sybil's family turned the house upside down was an understatement.

'Violet left to Russia, can you imagine that, My dear?' –exclaimed Cora when Sybil opened the door.

'We almost froze to death!' – added Edith forcing herself into the house. Marigold squirmed down from her arms.

'I need to go to the toilet' - cried George.

The crowded hall, far too narrow for a dozen of people filled with a mixture of voices. Tom thought that he must dream a kind of Christmas theme nightmare.

'Oh Isobel, you're here!'

'Hello Dr Clarkson!'

'Prince Kuragin? You must be joking!'

'Sybil, take the coats, please.'

'Branson, I mean Tom, where is the telephone? I have to make a phone call to the chauffeur!'

Ignoring the formal tone Lord Grantham addressed him Tom lead his father-in-law to the corner of the hall while at the absence of any servant his wife doubled and tripled up to help everyone undress.

'George! Goldie! Come with us!' – being probably the only people who sincerely were happy because of the family meeting the girls grabbed their little cousins' hands and led them into their room.

'I hope that you haven't started dinner?' – asked Mary sitting on the couch.

'Actually, we didn't plan any festive meal for tonight.' – answered her sister in an apologetic tone, thinking that probably any kind of dinner she could offer won't be impressive for the Crawleys.

'It's settled' – informed Robert who came to the room and joined the rest of his family - 'Pratt will be here at eight'

Cora and her elder daughters smiled with relief at the information. Tom looked at the clock. It was barely five.

'That walk we took in such a freezing weather made me really hungry.' – Lord Grantham moved his hand in a gesture typical for pulling a robe to call the butler but realized his mistake and blushed slightly.

'As I said…' – began Sybil but Mrs. Crawley interrupted her.

'Don't worry ,My dear. I have got everything that we need.'

Sybil eyes widened and then she recalled the food Isobel brought with her.

'Thank God, we are safe' – murmured Tom in all irony wondering how the dinner is supposed to look like with no help and Lord and Lady Grantham forced to serve themselves.

'We'll be delighted to help you Sybil' – said Cora rising from the chair – 'Mary, Edith remember while during the war we were all preparing trays with meals for the solders? Laying the napkins and the cutlery was my strong point!'

Tom didn't like that comparison but bit his tongue.

'Firstly we will need a silver dinner set' – announced Cora.

'What kind of, mama?' – made sure Sybil being afraid that she misheard her mother –' To tell the truth we normally use only four plates.'

Everyone looked at her with curiosity.

'It will be rather hard to make it with only four plates.' – Dr Clarkson stick in.

'Tom' – Sybil turned to her husband noticing his presence for the first time since the family came –' Go to the pantry. I think that the previous estate agent left there some plates, fetch them, please' – she ended giving him a cheering up smile.

The pantry door behind him slammed and Tom ran down the stone stairs. He stopped and breathed heavily, grateful for the moment of silence. There were boxes with plates indeed and also a couple of chairs. He will probably have to come back for them later. Tom unwillingly turned and intended to go back but that was when he heard a murmur behind him. Looking around Tom saw his elder daughter standing in front of him.

'Sybbie' – he touched his chest with an opened palm –'You scared me, Darling. What are you doing here?'

'I came to help you, Da' – she whispered excited, jumped up and sat herself on one of the shelves.

'Thank you, but those plates aren't very heavy' – he smiled.

'Not with the plates.' – Sybbie rolled her eyes –' I have something for you' – she said and took a little object out of her pocket. She showed her father her small hand and in the weak light of lamp Tom saw the keys.

'Aunt Violet gave it to me when we were at her house two days ago. Secretly' - Sybbie giggled and shook the keychain like a Christmas elf jingle the sleigh bells - 'She said: "Sybbie keep it for me and give to your parents in case they need them"'

Tom's eyes widened.

'Since I managed to keep the secret It means I am a big girl, right?'

'You are, Sweetie' – said Tom, waiting agog for his daughter to continue.

'And a big girl can run a Christmas house party on her own…'

'With a little help from her little sister...' – added Tom started to realize what Sybbie is up to.

'I promise to take care of everything and make sure that Patty went to bed not too late! Please say yes!' – the little girl jumped off the shelf and danced a little.

Tom's eyes brightened but he was the one who had to remain level-headed.

'I see you want to get rid of your parents' - he said and gave her only a half-serious warning gaze – 'That means I have to ask Auntie Isobel if she could stay for the night'

If he didn't mind being indulgent or spoiling her fun Tom would have probably gave his daughter the biggest hug ever to express how grateful he was. Sybil saddened slightly for the condition her daddy made but giving it a second thought she decided that it'll rather be scary to be home alone for the whole night especially the Christmas night.

'All right' – she agreed – 'But only if you and Mummy came home right in the morning and we will open the presents Santa brought for us together?'

'That's one thing I can promise to you' – whispered Tom .

The two of them signed their deal with a grin and left the pantry hand in hand coming back to the family with mysterious faces looking knowingly at each other.

Sybbie knew that she must be quiet as mouse so that she won't give anything away for as long as it was possible. However she couldn't help smiling. When she saw Daddy whispering the plan into Ma's ear which made her face brightened and when they told everything Aunt Isobel. When they were leaving through the back door and she was waving them goodbye. Also when Donk and the others asked where Sybil and Tom are.

Later that evening when lying in her bed and telling the whole story Patty, who got so busy by playing with their cousins that she hardly noticed the absence of her parents, Sybbie got the impression that she also made kind of a favor to her Daddy and although she didn't exactly know why she really enjoy the feeling…

ooo

The sky cleared up and the light of the moon was shining through the window of the old Lady Grantham's bedroom. Sybil broke the tender kiss she and Tom were sharing, then popped her head on her elbows and smiled down on Tom who was lying on a huge pillow on his back.

'So much for the Midnight Mass' – he chuckled.

'You can blame me' – said Sybil and tickled his chest gently with her fingers.

'You won't hear me complaining' – whispered Tom - 'Thankfully, Spratt made the fire in the stove before everyone left.' – he added.

'And accidentally there is a double portion of Christmas pudding in the kitchen.' – said Sybil.

'Your favorite?' – asked Tom just to make sure.

Sybil nodded and nestled into his arms.

'Such a coincidence…'

'You are not saying that your Grandma planned everything, are you?'

'Not everything' – Sybil looked up at her husband, her face serious – 'I'm sure she didn't expected us to make this in her bed' – she smirked and Tom couldn't help bursting out with laugh.

His hands drew her closer and he pulled Sybil down for another kiss which soon become quite passionate.

'Ohh' – sighed Sybil a little breathlessly – 'You know that we need to wake up early and manage to get back home before the Santa.'

'As long as we still have a home to go back to since Sybbie took things into her hands.' – he joked and they both laughed loud –'Don't worry we still have plenty of time' – said Tom and rolled them so that his body was on the top.

'Merry Christmas to us' – he murmured and buried his face in Sybil's neck.

'Merry Christmas, my sweet Tom. It's only just begun.'

THE END

*Check the Wren Day if interested, it is a nice Irish tradition

Thanks for reading! Have a great holiday season everyone and a Happy New Year!