As the months went on, time really did prove to be the only cure, healing all life's problems and struggles in its due course.

Major changes arose in Downton and the hospital, positively affecting the lives of the hospital staff, emitted patients, but most importantly the lives of Thomas and Edward. All of the significant hospital staff, and previous patients, were moved to a convalescent home in Downton Abbey, shortly after nurse Crawley relayed the tragic story of his near death experience to the family. Within a few months of his attempted suicide, Edward's wrists had healed up enough to no longer cause him too much bother; along with the scarring around his eyes, and his depression which ended the minute he said 'I love you'.

During this time, Thomas and Edward formed a strong relationship, built on the firm grounds of friendship, care, and love. All their free time was dedicated to one another, always working to make the bonds to their shared affections stronger, spending the precious hours they had together stealing kisses behind trees on long midday walks, or enrapturing each other with hugs on midnight health inspections.

Although, all good things must come to an end, and before they knew it, they were lost in a seemingly perfect reality, with the sands of time slipping through their fingers at an ever growing rate. Before they knew it, the days had soon turned into weeks, and the weeks had soon turned into months, until eventually the time came when Edward had recovered enough to go home.


"But I can't possibly leave you" Edward exclaimed with worried hysterics, throwing his hands up in the air, most likely for dramatic effect, to show Thomas how unimpressed he was by the current situation.

"Look, I don't like this any more than you do, but you have to leave. It isn't my choice! Believe me, if it were up to me, I'd let you stay here forever, just so I could look after you, but it's Dr. Clarkson who makes these decisions, and there nothing I can do about it! This isn't to say that this is the end of our relationship just merely an...inconvinience. I'll visit you at home every chance I get, I promise!"

"But you'll never get the chance. You only get a half day off every two weeks, and that isn't enough time to travel to up to Oxford and back to pay me a visit. Plus, my family won't let me out on my own, and even if they did they'd be awful suspicious why I would want to be meeting up with my previous doctor"

Edward screwed his eyes up, looking near tears, as Thomas stroked his jaw line longingly by means of comfort.

"Oh its going to be awful Thomas! Their going to lock me up in the house for the rest of my life, and never let me out, hiring some man to babysit me for the rest of my days! My mother says she's already started looking. Its just an excuse I tell you! Their far too bloody middle class to admit they have a child that isn't societies definition of perfect. Their embarrassed by me, and now they just want to pretend that I don't exist. If they hire someone, then they don't have to ever pay attention to their cripple son because 'someone's looking after him'"

Breathless, he felt himself be pushed into an embrace, as the tears started to stream down his face. Wiping his eyes with the sleeves of his uniform, he tried to conduct himself. He didn't want to look weak and feeble in front of Thomas, especially not with what he was about to say.

"I think its time to call it quits and accept that we've been beaten. There's no way we can stay together, it just wouldn't work, not with the current situation."
Edward said with a sigh of grief, pulling away from Thomas, head bent down to look at the floor, as if in shame for what he'd just suggested.

"don't be ridiculous! Of course we can make it work!"

"but how Thomas? What do you suggest we do? What could we possibly do to make this work. I'll tell you, Nothing! There's nothing we can do"

So much for the depression being gone.

"i'm sorry Thomas but...but, it would be difficult to continue a relationship long distance, with out it looking... Suspicious" Edward sighed, admitting defeat.

Thomas, on the other hand wasn't, frowning for a moment deep in thought.

"Need a valet?"


A/N: So this is the end of the story, as always comments and advice are very much appreciated, and I'd be very grateful if you'd tell me what you thought, and whether you liked it or not or what I could do to improve later on or whatever. Oh and thank you to everyone who followed this story, it means a lot to me that someone would want to read this piece of crap. Thanks.