"We found her!" screamed the Earl of Grantham.

Sybil and Tom jumped apart, hoping that none of the others had actually seen too much or realized what they were about to do. Having Sybil wandering around at night in her night gown, barefoot, scratches on her face and feet, and in company of the family's chauffeur was enough, there was no need to have them seeing her kissing Tom too.

Neither of them had actually realized how close they had been to Downton, being to concentrated about running first, and then being relieved about the outturning of events. Had they know, they wouldn't have succumbed to their need to stay close and the desire to kiss.

"Sybil! My baby!" her mother hugged her tight. "Thank God nothing happened to you. And Branson we are very grateful that you found her first"

"There's nothing to thank you about. I'm glad that Lady Sybil is safe and sound. Sleepwalking Mrs. Hughes said"

"She had this episodes when she was little. Sybil! Look at your face! Should we fetch Dr. Clarkson?"

"Mama, I'm fine. I just want to go back really, but what happened?" reassured her Sybil.

"Mary heard a noise. She went into the corridor to see and after a while she noticed the open door. She checked your room and then waked us all"

"And you send a search party"

"Don't be rude!" scolded her Robert "What did you want to do? Stay outside the whole night in your nightgown? Freezing yourself to death?"

"Of course not!"

"This didn't happen in years, I wander what caused it. Are you sure that you feel all right?"

Sybil nodded "I just want to go back really. I'm cold and dirty and… I want to go back to sleep"

"Of course my darling. We'll talk in the morning, but are you sure that this is not one of your episodes? You made such a good progress in the last years, it would be a pity if you were going back to the dark days"

"I am not mama. I promise"

Tom was walking right behind the Crawleys. He was relieved that they had come out just now, the timing more than perfect, otherwise they would have found themselves in a situation that wouldn't have been as pleasant. Something also told him that all those people, though they respected the fact that one shouldn't step into the woods at night time, would have thought the whole events just a trick of their minds. Tom was a little upset about the speed of the events he and Sybil had just witnessed, in so little time so many things had happened and his mind was full with questions.

Questions for Sybil, for Mrs. Hughes, and for himself. Questions about what would have happened next, not only regarding the death of Mr. Green and Tom's nature, the result of their actions in the woods, but also between him and Sybil.

Was it weird that one of the most persistent thoughts in his mind was whether or not, what seemed to be like the premise for a kiss just a moment earlier, would have become a real kiss? Would he have been finally able to confess his feelings to Sybil? Would he have had the opportunity to do so?

He hoped so.

Now all the cards had been put on the table, both their secrets revealed, one of the burden he had always felt in the last months vanished. Could he free himself of another by declaring his feelings and perhaps even dare to ask her to marry him? Or was it too much?

"Mr. Branson" Mrs. Hughes called him, just before he could take the path that headed to the chauffeur's cottage

"I'm sorry Mrs. Hughes, I've tried to control it, but I didn't manage. Had I know what would have happened next…"

"It was reckless, and it was even more reckless on Lady Sybil's part. Although she just followed her instincts, you both did"

"Aye. I've told her to go back but she wouldn't go. Mrs. Hughes, may I ask for how long Lady Sybil has…"

"Been a banshee? All her life but I think that she is the only person who can tell the story. What happened in the woods?"

Tom started a summary of the night, not leaving out any detail and asking Mrs. Hughes questions about some of the things that he didn't understand still.

"You've been lucky to make it out alive, both of you"

"It's thanks to Lady Sybil. You should have seen her" Tom paused a moment, the image of Sybil walking towards Green fully aware of herself, standing beside him prisoner of his grip, her dark curls falling down and framing her pale face, the resolution and the awareness of her powers in her eyes "She went to Green deliberately, and then slowly she realized… Her powers… She just started to scream"

"That could have ended badly"

"I didn't want any of this, and I was about to stop her. Even if… She wouldn't have let me"

"No. I'm glad that everything turned out right Mr. Branson, now go"

The housekeeper had just turned around when Tom called her back "Thank you for covering me, with the family"

"Mr. Branson, they were already worried about a missing daughter, there was no need to add another worry to the list. And having you wondering around with lady Sybil in the night would have been reason enough to sack you"

Aye, as having me being friends with her. Being in love with her and with the intention to ask her for her hand.

They parted and Tom returned to his cottage. He put on some water to boil, having decided to drink a cup of tea before heading to bed and sleep another couple of hours before he had to start his new working day. He was tired and exhausted, that was true, but he was also aware of the fact that he had to free his mind before going to bed otherwise he wouldn't have caught any sleep. he would have just lied there, staring at the ceiling.

Tom was just about to wash his cup when he heard a soft knock on the cottage's door. At first he thought that he had just imagined it, but there it was again, this time a little more urgent and persistent.

He walked to it, mumbling I'm coming, and was completely flabbergasted in finding out that his visitor was no other than Sybil herself. She had cleaned herself, the scratches on her face had been cleaned too and didn't look as bad as they had earlier. She was fully dressed now, and had gathered her hear at the back of her neck.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, looking around for indiscreet eyes "It's risky"

"Afraid that they send another search party?" she joked, though as soon as the word left her mouth she wished she hadn't said them at all. Sybil was aware that Tom was right about the fact that she standing there was risky, especially right after they had found them together in the woods. Even if she would have explained her behavior by wanting to tell him how grateful she was that he had found her, the excuse wouldn't have hold. There was no need to rush to him in the middle of the night! Had they discovered her the fault would have been probably shifted on him, and that would have been the end of him "I'm sorry"

"Do come in"

"Am I disturbing you?"

"No. I was just about to go sleeping but it can wait a moment. Do you want something? A tea. Something to eat… I don't know."

"No, thanks. I'm here for several reasons actually. First of all I want to excuse my behavior earlier, I know that you didn't know the whole truth about why I was there and me not wanting to leave might have been a dreadful prospective"

"If it makes it better, I'm sorry to have yelled at you"

"No need, you were not the only one. I should have told you my reasons, making the whole situation more understandable. And if I did, you wouldn't have been so scared to see me waltz towards Green in that way"

" You made us earn more time, and you saved us. Can I ask you for…?"

"How long it has been going on? I don't remember exactly when it started. I think it was gradually since forever but towards the time I was ten/eleven it started to run out of hands. I had always heard things, murmurs, but with the time they grew louder and louder. I used to wake up in the middle of the night kicking and screaming because my head hurt, or curl up on the floor in my bed room during the day with my hands covering my ears screaming to make it stop"

She went on talking for a couple of minutes more, saying something about how her parents had seen those moments, and how Mrs. Hughes had helped her. She talked with a flat voice, not giving away any emotions just because she had long accepted what happened in the past and didn't want to reopen old wounds.

Tom felt a lump in his throat.

He tried to imagine how it was to grow up like that, but he couldn't. How was it to grow up, feeling, hearing, people suffering and dying? How was to wander every day whether or not a certain noise had been heard by someone else too?

"I'm sorry" he said.

"Don't be. I have figured it out and it got easier after I started to work on it with Mrs. Hughes, my life became more normal than it was before"

She smiled at him, and Tom smiled back.

Sybil stepped closer to him. Their bodies were oh-so-close and their faces only inches apart. The idea of leaning forwards, cup her cheeks with his hands, and kiss her was more than tempting. It would have been so easy and yet Tom didn't find the courage to do so.

"No one's life is completely normal Sybil, even if…" he said instead.

"Tom please pipe down, and could you please kiss me now?" Sybil interrupted him.

It was bold on her part but the eagerness to kiss him was growing inside her, and it seemed that Tom wasn't about to make the first move. Why? When they had been in the woods he had been on the point of kissing her, why the change of mind?

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure that you can kiss me"

Sybil placed her arms around his shoulders. Tom first placed his hands on her cheeks, gently stroking them, but as their mouths met in a passionate kiss, he moved them to her back holding her closer against him. Both of them had dreamed about the moment for years and yet nothing could have prepared them for it. It wasn't how they had imagined it, it was better.

They parted.

"I love you" whispered Tom, while holding Sybil close to him.

"Really?"

"Really. Sybil, I think I have loved you for years"

"Then it's your lucky day, because I love you too" she paused a moment "When we were coming back you were about to say something, what was it?"

I don't suppose. He hadn't just referred to the possibility of him kissing her, at first he had intended it like that but there was a deeper meaning.

He was about to step over the line even more.

"Can you give me a chance Sybil? If you do, I promise to devote every waking minute to your happiness. And you know that I will make something of me, you just have to bet on me"

"I do. I will always bet on you" she promised.

Then they sealed the promise with another kiss.