Robert had been half awake already, thanks to his youngest daughter constantly pulling the covers off him, but her swift kick to his shin had definitely woken him for good. He couldn't be cross though. As he looked over at his two girls snuggled together, yet somehow with limbs sprawled all over the bed, he felt his heart swell with love. Contented, he closed his eyes trying to claim back a few more minutes of sleep before he'd have to get up. Just as he was about to fall asleep once more, someone slapped him on the forehead. His eyes sprang open to see that Cora, who had been lying on her side, one arm lazily resting across her daughters middle and the other folded above Sybil with her head resting on it, had stretched out her cramped arm and in doing so managed to hit him.

His startled "unff" had disturbed Cora from her slumber. She blinked a few times, her eyes focusing on him. Her face lit up.

"Morning," she whispered, a smile plastered to her face.

"Morning." His smile matched hers. How long they had waited to say that to each other.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Between having the blankets pulled from me and kicked by my youngest daughter and hit in the face by my wife? … yes, not bad really."

"Oh Darling," she sniggered, trying to be sympathetic but the thought of Robert returning only to be abused by her and his daughter caused her to laugh, "I am sorry. This wasn't really the night we thought we'd have was it?"

Robert couldn't help but see the funny side of it all, their night had been quite the opposite of the one they'd planned. "No but how can I be cross when I wake up with two beautiful girls beside me?" Their eyes both settled on Sybil between them. She looked peaceful, a marked difference from how she'd been the night before. "Has this been a regular occurrence?"

"Fairly, poor love. Usually she just needs a pat on the head and some reassurance and she goes back to bed but, well, you saw how she was last night, when she's like that I have her in with me." She stroked her hair, soft in her touch. Robert had always been impressed with Cora's ability to mother.

"Poor girl. Does she remember what the dreams are about?"

"Sometimes, sometimes not." Sybil didn't always remember what it was that she had dreamt of. Cora could never really decide whether these dreams were better or worse than the ones she remembered. At least when she didn't remember what had upset her she couldn't dwell on it but then the unknown could unsettle her just as much as those she remembered.

"What are they about?"

Cora gave him a meaningful look and chewed her lip. "Just things, being chased, monsters, being hurt, her family being hurt- "she trailed off looking back down at Sybil.

"Me?" the pain was clear in his voice. She looked up straight at him. She couldn't bear to tell him out loud. It seemed cruel. He knew, he could see it in her eyes, she didn't need to tell him. Robert was often a feature of Sybil's nightmares, she worried about him. Cora had worried too. Sybil wasn't the only one to have dreamed of him the last year and a half. Thankfully their fears had never come to fruition. He'd return to them safe and sound.

"You're home now."

"I hate that I've upset you all."

"You did what you had to do and we're all incredibly proud of you."

"Sybil wasn't last night." She'd seen the look on his face last night, the way he'd flinched whenever Sybil turned away from him, hiding from him, turning to her. She'd hurt him without even realising. She'd just been a child, upset, scared, seeking comfort from her mother. She wouldn't have even thought about it but it had clearly upset Robert.

"Robert. You've been away for a year and a half, that's nearly a quarter of her life, it's going to take us all a while to get accustomed to each other again. It's nothing personal. She was upset, she's gotten used to it just being me in here." He didn't seem convinced. "I promise you, she's been so looking forward to your return. We all have." Sybil fidgeted, once again kicking her dad.

"Oww!"

Cora burst out laughing, he didn't look amused. "I'm sorry Darling."

"I don't know why you're laughing, you're just as bad as her."

Sybil had woken herself with the kick. Much like her mother, on opening her blue eyes and seeing Robert there, her face lit up. "Papa!" She threw her arms around him.

Robert chuckled at the outpouring of affection. Any worries he'd had from the previous night dissolved instantly. Cora was right, of course she was, Sybil still loved him, she was pleased he was back. The grip she had round him made him feel stupid for ever doubting that. "Good morning sweetheart."

"Good morning Papa," she chimed, pausing briefly, "it's funny saying that."

"Is it?"

"Yes, I haven't said it in a very long time. It's nice."

"Are you feeling better after last night?"

"Uh huh,"

"Do you remember what it was about?"

"No." He hoped above all that it wasn't him that had caused the nightmare.

"Well I'm glad you feel better no. How about, this morning, you and your sisters join me in the dining room for breakfast?"

"Can we?" Her excitement evident in her voice caused Robert to chuckle. Only once before had she been allowed breakfast with her father in the dining room. Usually she ate with her sisters in the nursery.

"I don't see why not. You've all become quite the grown up little ladies since I've been away."

Up until then Cora had remained silent, happy to watch on as her husband and daughter bonded. "Am I allowed to join this breakfast?"

Robert raised an eyebrow, "Do you think you can behave yourself?"

Cora squinted, pretending to be in deep thought, "I think I can try." Sybil giggled, finding her parent's exchange endlessly funny. The joyful sound encouraged Robert.

"Well in that case, if you promise to use your best manners, I'm sure we can find a seat for you somewhere...maybe."

Cora pouted.

"There's some dusty old ones in the cellar I think. We'll get Carson to bring you up one, just watch out for the spiders."

Both girls crumpled up their noses. They were so similar in their facial expression.

"Papa?"

"Yes Sybil."

"I'm quite hungry. Can we have bacon?" She batted her eyelashes in a way Cora had been known to do on occasion when she really wanted to get her own way. He was weak to it when Cora did it and it seemed he was weak to it with Sybil. She'd become amazingly like Cora since he'd been away, more so than he remembered her being.

"We'll see what Cook can do shall we?"

Cora smirked, she may be 6 years old but Sybil had gotten her papa firmly wrapped round her little finger. "You'd better go and get dressed then and tell your sisters and nanny, hadn't you?"

The little one climbed over her mother, bounded off the bed and raced towards the door, skidding round the corner and off down the corridor.

She called after her, "Sybil! Don't run!" but it was no use, she was long gone.

The couple laughed to themselves at the excitement and sheer energy she'd shown so early in the morning. Cora moved closer to Robert now that they were once again alone. She rested her head against his shoulder.

"I know you've just got back but you shouldn't spoil her too much."

"How can I resist?"

"She may seem all cute and lovable but she's able to become a complete little madam when she wants." There spoke a voice of experience.

"Wonder where she gets that from?"

"Well she doesn't get the cuteness from you."

He chuckled, "No that's definitely a gift from you, along with the ability to make me give in to her every demand."

Cora yawned.

"Tired?"

She hummed in response, nuzzling into his shoulder further.

"You could stay here. Go back to sleep and have breakfast in bed as usual." He ran his hand up and down her arm.

"No, I want to be with my family. I'll get up." She showed no sign of moving though with a combination of tiredness and enjoying Robert's touch out weighing her desire to get up.

"You can always have a sleep in the afternoon I suppose." This moved her. She opened her eyes and looked at him mischievously.

"I had been hoping you'd spend some time with me after lunch very much not sleeping."

His eyebrow rose with intrigue.

"I was thinking we could make up for last night."

"I like your thinking." He pulled his wife in closer for a kiss, quickly returning to how they'd been before they were disturbed the night before.

"How long do reckon we have before they coming looking for us?"

"Not long enough," Cora said with a sigh, rolling back onto her back.

"There's three of them to get dressed though," he said hopefully.

"They're much quicker than they used to be though and no doubt Sybil will be chivvying them on to get to breakfast as quickly as possible."

"We'd better get moving then," Robert sat up swinging his legs out of bed, "come on."