A/N: This is special present for YankeeCountess birthday. I hope today's been a wonderful birthday for you!
No beta so errors (and they are probably a bunch) are all mine.
They arrive home from visiting her American Grandmother Martha in glee and bliss. Both of them having a hard time pulling apart from each other with the knowledge of their new relationship status: Engaged.
Sybil sighed happily from her spot curled up naked in her fiancé's arms in their comfy bed. Glancing up she spread her fingers across his chest and purred, "So what now Mr. Branson?"
Grinning Tom pulled her hand up to her lips and press a light kiss. "Now we get married."
Pulling her hand away she swatted his arm a smile breakout on her face. "I know that you arse. I meant everything moving up to that. Like telling our parents."
Moving his free hand to her waist he stroked up and down her side. "About that, I was thinking we tell them after we got married."
"After?" She questioned her curiosity peeped.
Tom looked her in the eyes and took a quick breath. Feeling a bit nervous about what Sybil will think of his proposition. "I've been thinking it over and I think we should elope."
"You want to elope?"
"Now here me out. You and I both know that we have a track record when it comes to big events in our relationship…"
Sybil couldn't help but chuckle at that. Remembering their disastrous first date, first Valentine's, and of course who could forget the first time he met her parents? "What about when I proposed? Nothing went wrong with that."
Tom chuckled as his thumb stroked her hip. "About that I may have spent the whole trip trying to propose."
Sybil pressed her hand to her mouth. "Really?" she whispered.
He nodded.
She had assumed that he had bought the ring sometime near the end of their New York visit. Stunned she whispered, "The empire state building…"
He smirked and nodded. "I also tried during dinner, at the park, and when we were dancing at Martha's."
Her heart feeling full of love she laughed. "Alright so proposing is on the list."
"See," Tom teased poking her side. "We're cursed! There are million things that could go wrong during a wedding but if we elope all we have to worry about is our parents when we get back."
Sybil wrapped her arms loosely around Tom's neck. "Well Mr. Branson I must say you make a good argument."
"Sooo?" Tom asked massaging her hip.
Grinning Sybil bit her lip and nodded, "Let's do it." She leaned forward and pressed a deep kiss against his lips. "Let's elope!"
Tom laughed before leaning over her and kissing her with such joy and love that it would be a while longer before they fell their bed.
"You ready love?" Tom asked as he waited by the car putting on his sunglasses on this fine summer morning.
Going through her purse once more to make sure she had everything she needed she grinned. "I believe so."
Walking forward she pressed her hands against Tom's chest and pressed a chaste kiss on his lips. "Did you throw our overnight bag in the back?" Seeing as the trip was a seven hour long trip they had decided to spend their weekend enjoying their honeymoon.
"Of course." Tom smiled wrapping his arms loosely around her waist.
Sybil's eyes beaming at the events to come she softly crooned, "Now come on, let's start driving towards our ever after."
Tom smiled softly as he whispered, "Ever after here we come."
"Tom-"
"No."
"Tom just-"
"No way."
"Pull over!"
"We're not lost Sybil!"
"Yes we are."
"No we're not."
"Yes we are!" Sybil cried in frustration crumpling up his stupid map.
They were four three hours away from their destination when somehow they had made a wrong turn and gotten completely lost.
Seeing what she did to the map he resentfully started to pull over glaring at her. "SYBIL!"
"What?" She glared back.
Pulling the map from her fingers he quickly moved to smooth it back to its original form. "Don't do that! How the bleedin' hell are we supposed to get there if we don't have a map?"
Crossing her arms she hissed, "Oh I don't know maybe with a GPS or our mobiles?"
"Oh yeah," Tom jeered back. "Because the thing I want to do most on my wedding day is get led right into a tree."
"Well I for one love going in circles because my soon to be husband insists on using a map ten years ago!"
"Its two years old thank you very much," Tom growled.
Sybil looked up at the ceiling in groaned in irritation. Taking a deep breath she pressed the balm of her hands against her eyes. "Why don't we compromise? At the next turn we'll pull over and ask someone directions."
Tom looked at her warily.
"It's our wedding day Tom, I don't want to fight over something as silly as directions."
Feeling a bit guilty Tom reached over and squeezed her hand. "Me neither."
Both smiling weakly their smiles became more genuine as they drove forward, her other hand on top of his.
"Blasted old mother fuckin' shite car!" Tom muttered to himself as he tried to fix the car.
They were an hour away from Scotland when the car broke down. Sybil watched in amusement as Tom worked to fix the car for the last twenty minutes. Watching as he stomped angrily towards the back and threw another one of his tools into the back she teased, "Can I call the tow-truck now?"
Not in the least amused he glared. "I can fix this myself I was a mechanic." He said defensively.
Moving from her spot from the car Sybil walked closer and pressed her hand against Tom's face. "First it was the map and now this? What's up with you today? Usually you're the patient one remember?"
Tom sighed looking down for a moment before speaking, "That's exactly what's wrong. First we get lost and now the car broke down, I'm worried that the curse might mess things ever after all."
"Oh Tom," she replied softly stroking his cheek with her thumb. "Haven't you realized it yet? Yes things go wrong for us along the way but in the end things always go through."
She was right of course. Yes, their first date was a disaster but look at them now, about to get married. "You're right love, as always." Tom replied teasing her with his last two words.
She rolled her eyes. "Now can I call a tow-truck or not?"
"Ten more minutes," pressing a kiss against her hand. "And then you can call I promise."
She groaned. "Fine. Ten minutes but that's it!"
"Yes milady." He replied cheekily.
Now with a calm head on his shoulders Tom was able to find the problem and fix the car rather quickly.
It was the minute they got back into the car when it begin to rain.
"Well rain is supposed to be good luck on your wedding day." Tom joked as he drove forwards.
Finally in Scotland and only an hour later then they planned they decided to drop their things off at their little inn they would be spending their honeymoon at.
The Swan Inn was a lovely and quaint little inn that was only ten minutes away from the wedding chapel. Immediately after bring up their things and Tom changing out of his jeans and into a suit Tom was banished from their room so Sybil could change into her dress.
Tom was nursing a rather good whiskey when his mobile rang. Grinning immediately at the picture of his beloved Sybil he answered, "Ready my love?"
Her response was a hiccup which Tom knew far too well meant she was crying. "Love what's wrong?"
"Can you come up please?" She sniffed into her mobile.
"Absolutely." Putting down more than enough money for one drink he raced upstairs back to their room. Opening the door slowly he quietly called out to her, "Sybil?"
She was sitting on the bed facing the window. Her hair down and her shoulders shaking lightly.
Walking slowly over he called out again, "Sybil love, what's wrong?" His heartbeat moving faster.
"It's my dress," standing up and turning around he gasped at first in wonder of her beauty and then because of huge dark stain on her dress. "I've ruined it!"
Pulling her into his arms he asked, "What happened?"
"I was putting away my make-up when I dropped the open eye shadow box on my lap. Oh and then not thinking I panicked and tried to scrubbed it off with soap and water but I did was seem to make it worst!"
"It's not that bad love…"
She glared at him knowing he was lying.
"Fine, yes it's a bad but the important thing isn't what we wear it's that we love each other, the rest is details."
Sybil nodded yet she couldn't stop the tears from coming out. "I know, it's just-I'm so glad we're doing this Tom, really I am but I wanted to take your breath away and one day tell our children about our wedding and show them my dress like my mother used to do whenever she talked about her wedding day."
Tom pulled her closer to his arms her head immediately going to his shoulder. The idea of her telling her their children about their wedding day warming her heart. "You will love." Quickly thinking he remember a small boutique at the entrance of town. "I think I remember seeing a boutique on the way here. Why don't we check out?"
Smiling softly she nodded her heart against his chest.
Sitting on the bench Tom and Sybil waiting anxiously for their turn. Tom looked over and whispered, "Beautiful," into her ear.
Sybil blushed. Her gown while rather different but equally as beautifully as the one she planned to wear.
"Sybil Crawley and Tom Branson."
Tom squeezed her thigh. "It's time."
Moving forward Tom walked through the sanctuary to where the minister stood.
Sybil stood at the doors nervously. A woman passed her a bouquet a roses and a kind smile before the wedding march began.
Sybil couldn't help but grin at Tom as she walked down the aisle. His face full of excited and love.
As she stood and took his hands she felt a surge of happiness through her. It was happening, they were really getting married. Yet there was a part of her that felt something was missing.
As the minister talked she saw Tom glance at the benches and immediately knew. "Stop."
Tom's eyes snapped back at her words. The minister looking at them as if he experienced these things more than he liked. "What's wrong love?"
"I saw you look over. Are you really happy doing this without your family?" She asked, her eyes searching his.
"Honestly…no."
"I feel the same." Smiling she leaned up and kissed him. "I want it even if everything that could possible go wrong does go wrong. The important thing is that we are celebrating our love with all the people we love and rest is details."
Tom grinned, "Aye the rest is details." He kissed her once more before they ran out the door back to the Swan Inn where they spent the weekend kissing and making love as they started to plan their wedding.