Okay next Chapter. This one is all modern day, I kinda thought each part would have a letter but this took on a life of its own. Hope its okay all mistakes are mine. Thanks to all the followers and reviewers, it good to know people have an interest in this story.

'Why do you keep staring at me?' she asked looking up from the records book, 'its kinda unnerving'

'Sorry' he said giving his head a shake.

Snap out of it, he thought, she going to think you are mental, you can hardly tell her you think she is gorgeous and that her voice is like melted treacle, which have been your only thoughts for the last fifteen minutes. You only just met, best not to come across as a complete stalker, think man, think you are staring because, staring because..

'You don't find it odd?' he puffed out quickly as his hormone induced coma lifted slightly

'Odd?' she said distracted by something on the page in front of her.

'You? Me?' he gestured between then 'Meeting here, the exact same names as the people we are looking into' she looked at him with a blank look. With disbelief he exclaimed 'No? Nothing?'

'Well I guess' she looked up as if considering his question. 'if you put it like that, it is a little strange, but the way I see it is, you come from the Branson side of the family, one which each generation was male, hence you still being a Branson.'

'Well I yes' he answered slowly

'And Tom guessing... family name, named through the generations, as Sybil is in mine?'

'Correct but still doesn't account for the Crawley, you shouldn't be a Crawley not that you should be a Branson either but' He knew he was babbling but he couldn't quite seem to shake the effect she was having on him.

She smiled up at him, he's cute when he's flustered she thought and it seemed to bring out his accent more.

'Oh but that's the easy bit' she said with a laugh 'My mother married my Father, he had the surname Crawley, no relation believe me its been checked, so here I am Sybil Crawley, I guess it is kinda strange when you think about, but its been my name my whole life.

'I still think it's a hell of a coincidence, but if you let it go I guess I can. I guess we should get back to this' motioning to the book. You find anything out?'

'Well from what I can work out. Sybil and Tom married and had Gran Gran'

'Sorry Gran Gran?'

'Sorry' she said blushing 'their daughter my great grandmother, Sybil Branson. I always called her Gran, Gran since I was little. I think great grandmother was a bit of a mouthful for a four year old and kinda impersonal don't you think?'

She didn't wait for an answer.

'Well, Gran, Gran is the reason i'm here really. She died recently and left me some letters of Tom and Sybil's. For some reason she wants me to learn about their lives. I don't know why really something about me not grasping on to the world or something, anyway' she said shaking her head 'you don't need to know about that, time for me to stop blabbering'

'You have letters?' He asked excitedly

'Yes why are you interested?'

'Well I hoped to find out about Tom but I expected to find facts and figures, it would be great to get some real insight in to who he was. I guess having the same name I have a kinship, I can't explain it really I just feel like I should know more about him'

'Look I've made a few notes on the Crawley side of the family, why don't we grab a coffee and we can exchange notes, I figured I needed to get the family straight in my head before reading the letters, in case they are mentioned.'

'Sure, but aren't you forgetting something'

She looked at him puzzled

'You were in a hurry, on your lunch break, shouldn't you be getting back to work?'

'Oh that' she said at least having the decency to look contrite.

'Yes that' the truth dawning

'Well I wanted to look at the records and you could have been hours'

'You always get your own way don't you?' he said with a laugh

'You have no idea, Mr Branson, no idea at all.' She said walking back towards the records desk.

Boy am I in trouble he thought following, but not before she was far enough in front so he could check out the view. Oh yeah deep, deep trouble.

They found a coffee shop not far from the records office and started to go through the notes. Tom's notes on the Branson side of the family were quite extensive but they soon realised that apart from showing that Tom Branson had been Tom's Great, Great, Great Uncle and of course Sybil's, Great, Great Grandfather, they weren't really going to tell them anything about the letters.

'Well as I was saying before Sybil and Tom had Gran, Gran, hey' she swotted his arms as he smirked at the use of the name. 'i've been using it all my life it's a difficult habit to break'

'I know' he said with a smile 'I think it's rather cute really'

Caught off guard by this she was mesmerised for a moment by the look in his eyes and although she knew she shouldn't held his gaze for a little longer than was needed.

'Anyway she said looking down at her notes. They had the baby and then she died. Which sucks, I mean you couldn't even write that could you, I tell you if I was writing their story it wouldn't end like that'

He reached across the table and took her hand, stroking it in a soothing gesture. She smiled across at him in thanks

'I know it's silly, that it all happened a long time ago, but it just seems so sad. God what am I going to be like after I have read the letters and know the full story. You must think I'm completely crazy'

'Not at all' he said then as if having second thoughts he said with a teasing smile 'Well maybe a little bit'

'Anyway' she said trying best to ignore the butterflies in her stomach brought on by his smile. Sybil was the youngest of three sisters. The others where Mary, the oldest and Edith. Their parents were Robert and Cora, Lord and Lady Grantham. Mary married Matthew Crawley who was the next in line to inherit, Downton Abbey where they lived, after quite a few convenient deaths' she said with a raised eye brow. I couldn't find anything on Edith's marriage, doesn't mean she didn't get married just wasn't in the records. I guess that's enough to go on at the moment. From what my Gran Gran told me, they spend the early part of their marriage in Ireland and then Tom got in to some trouble and they were forced to flee and stay at Downton

'Ireland was a dangerous place in those days, particularly for a revolutionary like Tom was' He didn't know why but he felt the need to defend his uncle. 'It's what interested me about him. From what I could gather he had great ideals but never seemed to fulfil them. I always wondered what changed. Should of known it was a woman, I guess his dream changed.'

'Look' she said finishing her coffee. 'I know we only just met and everything, but would you like to come to dinner tomorrow night at mine, i'll cook' she asked

'You don't beat around the bush do you?' he said jokingly

'Not like that you idiot' she tried to ignore the disappointment on his face while he tried to hide it quickly. 'I just meant you could come round and we could go through the first letter. I know I should just read them all and not drag it out. But my Gran, Gran wanted me to do this for a reason. I don't want to rush it. It's my last connection to her. When it's over it's like she is really gone.' She said with a sad smile. He was caressing her hand again; she tried to ignore the shockwaves just the small touch of his hand sent through her body.

This is stupid she thought, you barely even know him, but that was the old thing she felt as though she did, had felt a connection the moment she met his blue eyes.

'Are you sure it's wise, inviting a practical stranger back to your flat?' he questioned

'Well no it isn't but you are not a stranger, we are in fact related'

'Only very, very distantly'

'But related' she said with a smile

'And I repeat distantly'

'You seem very keen to make that point very clear, would there be a reason?' she flirted

'No, no' he tried to look innocent. 'No reason at all' he added with a grin. Holding her gaze, a little longer than necessary. He glanced down at his watch, 'Jesus, is that the time?' He jumped up as if brought back to reality. I'm sorry but I'm late, I've got to go. He grabbed a napkin and scribbled down his number. Text me your address and what time I should be there tomorrow.' He paused as if not knowing what to do, finally holding out his hand which led to rather embarrassing handshake. 'Well it was nice meeting you, I'll see you tomorrow' and with that he was off.

She watched him go, telling herself she wasn't admiring the view. She knew she shouldn't be doing this it wasn't fair, to him or to her. But there was something about him that just made her want to know more. She kept telling herself it was innocent. That they just held the same interests. But she knew she was lying and she knew she needed to be careful, before she got in too deep. She looked down at the napkin and reached into her bag for her phone.

He leaned against the wall just around the corner from the coffee shop. He hadn't lied he was late. But he had a few more minutes. He had needed to get out of there. Not because of her she was wonderful amazing, so amazing in fact it scared him. He had never met anyone like her, he needed to be careful, now was not the time to get involved. He had plans, plans that didn't involve sticky relationships. They always started off great but were messy in the end and they always ended. He told himself it was just a project, away to find out about his uncle, nothing more. He laughed at himself and shook his head.

Then why so hung up on the distantly related bit, eh, he thought

Just don't get in too deep. Yeah right no chance of that. With a smile and a shake of the head he took off as a familiar beep sounded in his pocket.

End Part 2

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