Impossibly Possible

Chapter Ten

A/N- Thank you for all of your comments and feedback. I appreciate it a lot.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the show.

Gwen was giddy with excitement as Sybil stood with her a little distance away from the garden party crowd, but as much as Sybil wanted to focus on her friend, she couldn't. Not fully anyway. She kept thinking back to ten minutes ago, when Branson had come out to deliver the news that Gwen's interview had been successful. All she can think about is how she'd been so excited that she'd thrown her arms around Branson, and his arms had slid around her waist. She can still feel his hand as it touched her's after Gwen had been told to get to work. She closes her eyes and she can hear his soft hopeful voice. 'I don't suppose...' and then he'd been cut off by a concerned looking Mrs Hughes, and Sybil had hurried off to find Gwen again.

If they hadn't been interrupted what would he have said? 'I don't suppose you've reconsidered my proposal?' or 'I don't suppose you'd like to take a walk?' or even 'I don't supposed you've decided you could love me.'

She lets out a breath she hadn't known she was holding, opens her eyes and turns her gaze back on Gwen.

'Oh it's going to be so strange leaving here.' Gwen says emotionally, 'But I have to admit I've been feeling...awkward here ever since Branson told me he wasn't interested in me...I made such a fool of myself.'

'You didn't.' Sybil shakes her head.

'He likes someone else...loves actually.'

'He told you that?' Sybil feels her heart quickening.

'Yes,' she nods, 'he told me that he was sorry to hurt me and that I'm a wonderful girl who any man would be happy to marry, but that he was already in love with someone else.'

'I...' Sybil leans back against the tree and closes her eyes again, she'd known of course that he loved her, he'd asked her to marry him after all, but knowing that he'd admitted it to other.

'I was glad he told me, it would have been terrible if I'd stuck around for ages just hoping...it's better that he told me right away that we couldn't be together. It saved a lot of pain.' Gwen says with a slight firmness to her voice, and as Sybil opens her eyes she knows that Gwen has guessed who Branson loves.

'I'm not trying to hurt him.' Sybil promises.

'I know you're not my lady, but it'll be kinder to let him go now, tell him you don't love him and let him move on.'

'And what if I...' her words are cut off by her father's loud voice asking for everyone's attention. Gwen hurries off back to the tent to join the servants, and Sybil finds Mary and Edith.

'Where have you been?' Mary whispers suspiciously.

'With Gwen.' Sybil replies keeping her eyes on her father, who is just about to speak again.

Time slows down for all three Crawley sisters as their father speaks, each one of then having their thoughts pulled in a certain direction. Sybil's goes directly to Branson, and her eyes search him out in the crowd. He's standing with William and Mrs Huges. All three of them looking grave as the news of war starts being talked about through the crowd.

Sybil takes a step in Branson's direction, catching his eye and wanting so desperately to slip away and talk to him. But Mary's hand slips over Sybil's arm lightly.

'Mama will want us with her.' Mary says pulling Sybil gently towards the tent.

War it seems changed everything and nothing at Downton. Walking into the house you wouldn't ever tell that there was a war on, not even now when it was a few months in.

Servants still bustled about getting ready for the charity benefit for the hospital. Edith was walking down the stairs in a gown just as fine as one she would have worn at the before the war, and there were still a good few male servants around.

There were changes though. Matthew was gone, signed up early on and left for war. Thomas was also gone, and a few others as well. There were also a few people in uniform walking around helping carry chairs, and set up other things.

The most striking change though comes from the letter that Sybil is holding in her hand as she comes back from a walk. The walk was supposed to help her clear her head, but she felt more broken up than ever now. Her eyes red and swollen from crying as she runs into Mrs Crawley.

'My dear Sybil whatever's the matter?'

'Tom Ferris has been killed,' Sybil says weakly holding up the letter.

'Oh my dear I am so sorry.'

'I remember him from Imogen's ball. He made me laugh out loud just as her father was about to give a speech.' Sybil shakes her head, 'Sometimes it feels as if every man I ever danced with is dead.'

'It's a terrible thing...'

'I just feel so useless. I want to do something.'

'You've been a tremendous help setting up the benefit.'

'I don't mean making flyers and finding prizes for the tombola. I want to be really useful...do a real job.'

'Well if you're serious what about becoming an auxiliary nurse? There's a training course starting in York next month, I know I could get you a place.'

'Really?'

'It would be hard work, you'd have to learn a lot. For instance do you know how to make a bed, or boil an egg.'

'I...'

'You'd need to learn the basics. It would be good if you knew a little more than nothing when you got there. Why not ask Mrs Patmore to give you some lessons.'

'I will.' Sybil smiles, 'Thank you.'

Branson had grown used to seeing Sybil each day when he came in for a cup of tea in the mornings and evenings, she was always there. Dedicated to learning as much as she could before she left for York.

She'd been so busy with learning, and he'd had extra trips to do for Lord Grantham, that they hadn't had the chance to talk since before the garden party. But it brought a smile to his lips to see her grinning as her cake turned out well, or clapping excitedly when she made a good cup of tea.

Tonight though, the night before he's driving her to her course, she isn't in the kitchen when he comes in for his cup of tea. His heart sinks, and everyone else is too busy with their own jobs to talk with him, so he goes back outside and returns to his cottage.

When he opens the door though the cottage isn't empty. Sybil is there standing at the small stove stirring something which smells really good.

'You're back.' Sybil beams over her shoulder at him.

'You're...here.' He hesitates in the doorway, but she waves him in so he steps inside and closes the door. 'Is everything alright milady?'

'It's my last night here and I wanted to show you what I've learnt, so I cooked you dinner.' She smiles.

'You cooked me dinner?'

'Yes.' She smiles again, pulling the pan off of the stove and dishing out two bowls, 'Lamb stew with homemade bread.' She replies untying the flour covered apron from around her waist, and carrying over the two bowls of stew. Setting one down in front of him, and the other on the opposite side of the table. She then opens the oven and pulls out the freshly baked loaf, putting that in the center of the table and cutting off two large slices.

'This is amazing.' Branson says after taking the first bite of stew, 'Your skills have really come along milady.'

'Please stop calling me milady.' Sybil says between bites, 'I'm not Lady Sybil when I'm here cooking, I'm just Sybil who wants to be a nurse.'

'Very well.' He smiles over at her, 'I could easily get used to this Sybil.'

'So could I.' She looks up at him and for a moment she's breathless. 'I can imagine it...life as Mrs Branson.' She blushes deeply, 'We'd have a little cottage of our own, maybe in Ireland. I'd work as a nurse, and you could follow your ambitions. I'd cook for you and we'd sit together and eat at our little table.'

'Sybil...'

'I've thought about it Tom. It's practically all I've thought about since you asked me to marry you.'

'Does this mean...'

'I do love you Tom. I love you so much that I can barely breathe sometimes. You told me though that I was too far above you, and perhaps socially you were right. My family won't approve and they won't accept us...at least not at first. I can hope that someday they...might.' Sybil shakes her head, 'but the truth of it is I didn't feel like I was worthy of you. How could I expect you to support me, to work and give me the life you want to give me, while I sat at home incapable of making a cup of tea. Now though...I know what I want, and I want to work as a nurse, I want to help the war effort. I want to marry you and be a good wife. I want to live in a little cottage and cook and clean and be useful. I want to have children, but mostly I just want you to know that I could never anyone else. My heart is yours Tom Branson, it always has been.' Sybil smiles brightly, 'So if you'll still have me...'

'If?' Branson is up out of his chair in seconds, Sybil follows and stands in front of him. 'Oh my darling of course I'll still have you? Do you really mean it?'

'Yes.' She smiles. 'Ask me again.'

'I don't have a ring.' Branson shakes his head, 'When I first asked it was spur of the moment, and then you said no and I didn't dare dream that...so I didn't get a ring.'

'I don't care,' Sybil smiles breathlessly, 'as me again.'

'Sybil,' Branson slowly sinks down onto one knee, clasping her hands in his, 'will you marry me? Will you be my wife?'

'Yes!' Sybil smiles and pulls him up. 'Yes I will.'

'I love you.' Branson steps towards her hesitantly, pausing a few centimeters away.

'Yes you can kiss me.' She smiles, 'But that's all until things are settled.'

'Oh Sybil it's enough that I can kiss you.' He says pulling her close and kissing her lips.

'So,' Sybil plays with the small ring shaped piece of metal Branson had gotten from the garage, and which she is now wearing on a piece of ribbon around her neck, as they walk together through the courtyard of the training hospital. They stop under an archway, 'it'll be hard to let you go.'

'Not as hard as it is for me.' Branson says gently.

'It won't be for long, and then as soon as I'm done with training I'll get a few days leave, and we can get married.'

'Will you tell your family?'

'They'll try to stop us.' Sybil shakes her head, 'I'll leave a note when we leave, and then when we return we can tell them together, as husband and wife.' Sybil smiles.

'I promise I'll have a proper ring for you when I next see you.'

'I rather like this one.' Sybil smiles again twirling the piece of metal.

'Still,' he smiles, 'I'd like to get you a real one.'

'I wish I could kiss you goodbye.' Sybil says tearfully, looking around the at the busy courtyard.

'Not long now my darling, and then we won't ever have to hide again.' He promises, giving her hand a quick squeeze. 'Now off you go, we wouldn't want you to be late on your first day.'

'Goodbye Tom.'

'Goodbye Sybil.'

A/N- I hope you like this chapter. I've had that scene with her cooking for him in my head for so long, it's nice to finally see it written down. So please tell me what you think.