A/N: This is part 2 of the Secret Santa Fic for thebarefootflapper. I know that we're not suppose to post these in chapters but your premise is made for posting on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day and almost all of it is queued up to post. :)

Not beta'd so mistakes are all mine! Same universe as The Journey to Happiness, Branson and Crawley, Father and Child and Moving Forward but one where Sybil and Matthew live and Edith marries Sir Anthony in 3x03.

Disclaimer: Not mine. All Downton Abbey characters belong to Julian Fellowes and ITV. I'm just playing with them.

Chapter 2: A Fine Christmas Season - 1913 - 1914

Tom stood in line with the other servants to wait for their gifts from Lord and Lady Grantham. This was his first Christmas at his new position and what he received would be an indication of what they thought of his service thus far. As expected, the daughters of the house were helping find the gift on the table by the Christmas tree for the next person in line for their mother to give. The women were mostly received bolts of cloth for new frocks while Mr. Carson received a book.

However, the only person he had eyes for was the youngest daughter of the house. They had spoken about politics and women's rights in the last year after he had taken a chance and given her pamphlets the first time he drove her somewhere on her own. It was these pamphlets, which they later discussed on other excursions. When once he didn't start a conversation on a drive, she had with a twinkle in her eye chastised him for being so quiet.

Focusing on the present, try as he might his glances always returned to her, so he started to try looking at various parts of the great hall to no avail. Fortunately, the whole family was clustered together and most of the activity was Lady Grantham handing the next servant their gift, so it wasn't too unseemingly to look in that general direction. Several times, he caught her looking his way with a smile and it was during one of these that it was his turn to go up for his gift.

"Branson," said Lady Grantham and so lost was he in her smile that the footman standing next to him had to nudge him before he realized it was his turn to go up.

The servants were all lined up in the Great Hall when the family arrived. Sybil and her sisters stood between their parents while their father made his speech about the Christmas season. When he was done, Lady Grantham started to hand out the gifts to the heads of the household staff first. So Carson received his gift first, followed by Mrs. Hughes and then who was next in line. Sybil glanced at the servants occasionally in between looking for the next gift on the table and often they fell on him.

He had spoken to her during her first solo trip to see Madame Swann about the new frock of her choice in the spring. It had been so unexpected that she felt awkward and clumsy in her replies but he took no notice as a good servant ought and had put her at ease almost right from the start, giving her a pamphlet on women's rights. After that, she ordered other pamphlets advertised in the pamphlet he had given her and they had discussed them in further solo excursions.

What she liked about Branson was that he treated her like an adult. Most of the staff still thought of her as the girl in pigtails, but he saw her differently and often consulted and listened to her opinions. It gave her confidence like nothing else did. It made her feel like she had a mature friend.

When their gaze met from across the hall, she naturally smiled and he returned a small one of his own. It had not occurred to her before, but seeing him smile at her made her realize that he was quite handsome. His hair combed just so and his clothes always in pristine condition despite working with engines. The more she thought about it the more she realized that his handsomeness had to do with the sincerity in his eyes when looked at her.

When she found his gift on the table, it gave her a little thrill. She had urged her mother to purchase the book when they went shopping for the servants' gifts. She had noticed that he had signed it out of the library several times over the course of the last six months and thought that he would likely prefer a copy of his own. She had chanced upon it when they were at the booksellers to find a book for Carson and knew it was the perfect present for their chauffeur. Handing it to Edith, she smiled secretly with her eyes downcast, looking at his shoes while he crossed the hall, when he stood in front of her mother, she chanced to look at his profile.

"I hope you'll like the book," said Lady Grantham. "Sybil insisted that it would be the perfect gift for you when we went shopping."

"Thank you your ladyship," said Tom, with a grin. "I'm sure I will." She had found the gift for me herself, so she is sure to have touched it. Looking at Sybil, he smiled. "Thank you my lady."

Sybil smiled and blushed under his gaze. "I had noticed that you had checked the book out of the library multiple times and thought that you might like a copy of your own."

"It's very kind of you to take such notice, my lady." He then gave her a little nod and moved on.

Sybil continued to watch him until he returned to his place across the hall.

Tom finally opened his gift in the confines of his small cottage at the end of the day. It was a translated copy of Friedrich Engels, The Condition of the Working Class in England. He was very pleased that she noticed and remembered that he had signed the version out from his lordship's library several times. Opening the book, he found a small handwritten note.

I wanted to thank you for sharing a new world with me, one that
I would have likely never discovered on my own, but one which
fits my philosophy extremely well. I hope that you will like this gift
since I've noticed that you've signed it out several times since
you started at Downton.

It was not signed, but there was no need. He knew exactly who had written the note. Reverently, he took it out of the book, touched the words on the page and kissed it before placing it in a place of safe keeping. Then he placed the book on the shelf where he stored the rest of this books.

The day of the Servants' ball dawned bright and frosty. Tom had already been helping carry in special food the day before, but he knew that plenty of things needed to be done before the servants were dismissed to change into their attire for the ball at eight. So after dressing in his livery, he walked over to the big house and started his day.

The morning was spent bringing in the musicians from the railway station and more food from from the village. Tom thought that the amount of food he had made special trips for were enough for far more than just those working for the Granthams, but he kept his thoughts to himself. The afternoon was spent rearranging the furniture in the great hall to give the musicians a place to play as well as a setting of small tables and chairs where groups could gather and talk and drink to quench their thirst. Tom could only smile when he looked at the final setting, since he would be dancing with her this evening. That his request for a dance from her would not be out of place made his heart soar.

He knew from the talk downstairs that his first dance was with Lady Mary since his position was one only below that of the butler and his lordship's valet, and he would dance with Lady Edith to remove suspicion if he were to ask Lady Sybil to dance with him. He was also obliged to dance with a few of the housemaids since there were far more servants than family members. Now if he could only remember his dance steps. Dancing was definitely not something that was taught much in Dublin schools, so what he knew of he steps came from when his elder sisters required a partner to practice with and Tom was several stones lighter than Kieran, so that when he stepped on their feet, it hurt less.

Sybil was surprisingly nervous when she put on her silver gown, her first ballgown and one that had been made just that autumn. Since she was not to be presented until the spring, she did not have the number of ballgowns either of her sisters had and in the past years, she was only obliged to wear her best dress for the occasion, but her mother had wanted to see her properly attired for the Servants' Ball as a trial run for her first season and hence had ordered the gown.

When Anna put the final touches in her hair, Sybil stood up and walked over the the mirror to put on her gloves and to look herself over. Mentally, she rehearsed the various dance steps and thought of who she might be dancing with. She was paired with William for the first dance, but after that, any servant may ask her to dance with him. She blushed at the thought that he may ask her and wondered what dances he knew.

When Tom saw her descend the stairs with her sisters in her silver gown, he was mesmerized. She had never looked so beautiful. He was taken out of his reverie when William tapped him on the shoulder, leaned down and said in a low voice, "I wonder if they realize how beautiful they are?"

Tom looked at his fellow servant. "I'm sure that some of them do."

When the music started five minutes later, he remembered that he was to ask Lady Mary to dance after Lady Grantham and Mr. Carson led off. Looking around, he spied her with her sisters on the other side of the dance floor. Making his way over, he had to mentally remind himself to ask the correct sister. It would not do if he asked Lady Sybil first, no matter how much he wanted to do so.

When he reached the sisters, he looked and smiled at Lady Mary. "My lady, may I have the honour of this dance?"

Mary looked at him, smiled and took the arm he offered, "Of course."

He then led her off to the dance floor. Edith was then approached by Thomas and Sybil by William. The dance was agonizing for both involved. Tom stumbled through his steps and trod on Lady Mary more than once. Many apologies were uttered and both were glad when the dance was over.

Next he asked Gwen to dance when he saw that she was sitting at a table. This dance was easier for Tom since he wasn't nearly as nervous as when he danced with Lady Mary. He then sat out the next dance since he wasn't familiar with the tune. Nearly everyone at the ball sat it out, but the eldest Crawley sister did not. Whispers of "Tango" could be heard through the crowd and Thomas danced with Mary while Lady Rosamund's particular friend chose to dance it with her. It had been all the rage in London last summer, but it was still the first time it was danced in the wilds of Yorkshire.

After the performance, the Dowager Countess of Grantham could be heard quipping, "I'm positive that wasn't so much a dance as it was an exhibition. I wonder how your parents could allow your sister to dance it."

"But Granny, it was all the rage in London the last season." Lady Edith could be heard countering. "Everyone danced it at the balls. There were even Tango teas held at the Waldorf Hotel."

"Rage or not, mark my words, it was an exhibition."

The remainder of the conversation was drowned out by the music of the next dance starting. Tom then asked one of the scullery maids to dance.

Sybil had danced her first with William and then a hall boy, then after the Tango, Carson asked for his dance. Before she knew it, she had danced the next six dances straight and begged her next request to sit out one. She then danced with Cousin Matthew, Thomas and her father.

While she danced with everyone, she was watchful of him. He, too, had sat out the tango but had many dance partners throughout the night. At one point, she wondered if he was going to ask her at all.

As the evening wore on, Tom asked Lady Edith, her mother, her grandmother, Mrs. Hughes all to dance as Lady Sybil had been occupied with a number of young men dancing with her. Finally, after depositing Mrs. Hughes at a table, near where Lady Sybil was being escorted off the dance floor, he built up his courage and approached her.

"May I have the honour of the next dance, my lady?" asked Tom with a smile.

"But, of course." Sybil returned his smile and took his proffered arm.

Tom then gallantly lead her to the dance floor and was glad it was a waltz. Despite a number of dances where he hadn't trod on his partner's feet, his nervousness in holding Sybil in his arms made him forget his steps and he managed to trod on her toes more than once at the beginning.

"Did you like your gift?" asked Sybil, trying to put him at ease. "I'm sorry I've not had the opportunity to speak to you since Christmas."

"I did." Tom smiled broadly at her. "I must admit though that I liked the note you included in it better."

"I wanted to ensure you knew how much our conversations have meant to me." Sybil ducked her head and smiled shyly while they danced away. "Not one of my acquaintances has ever broached such subjects with me and yet, the more I read, the more it makes sense."

"I'm glad that you've enjoyed our conversations, as have I." Tom feeling more at ease started to move Sybil across the dance floor.

They spoke of many other things during the rest of the dance and Tom was heady he was able to hold her near him and he was close enough that he could smell the lilacs from her scent that in the end, he forgot most of their conversation. When the music was ending, he was staring into her beautiful blue eyes and wished that it would not end. They stopped with the music but remained looking into each other's eyes until couples started to walk past them and Tom was forced to lead her back to a table. Soon there after, some of the servants started to leave especially the scullery maids who had to rise in another three hours.

Sybil left soon after her dance with him. On the way to her room, she could think of nothing but when he held her during the dance. She felt so at ease with him even when he trod upon her foot, that she thoroughly enjoyed the dance and longed for another. Anna soon entered her room to help her out of her ballgown and to take down her hair and braid it. She was so tired from all the dancing that when she climbed into bed, she went directly to sleep. Her dreams that night were filled with dances with a certain chauffeur leading the way.

After the ball was over, Tom helped return the chairs and tables to where they had been absconded to make it easier for the footman in the morning. When he returned to the cottage, the brisk winter air woke him up somewhat, but still he was tired from a full day of work and such a wonderful evening. He then made himself a cup of tea. Before turning in for the night, he took the book down and read by candlelight for as long as he was able to stay awake and then when he slept, he dreamt many dreams of her.

A/N2: Happy Christmas, thebarefootflapper! I hope you liked this part. :)