I would say enjoy, but this is probably the climax of the entire story. So…prepare for some serious intensity.

Carson gasped and opened his eyes, trying to suck in a breath of air. It was difficult, he found and his head was pounding. Reaching up to touch the side of it with his hand, he sat up gingerly and looked around. He was lying in the middle of the foyer. It was deserted.

Frowning, he went to stand up and found that the walls were spinning around him. He lurched forwards and grabbed onto both of the banisters to hold himself up. He felt incredibly drunk, yet he couldn't recall having any alcohol. Glancing around, confused, he tried to take another deep breath and found he couldn't. He coughed and sputtered. He headed towards the servant's stairs and stopped. He could hear voices, and scared ones. They sounded so familiar….

He felt light-headed but pushed forwards, opening the door a crack. He slowly moved down the stairs, biting his tongue to keep from fainting. It was getting more and more difficult to breathe, as if the house around him was losing oxygen.

He went to open the door and stopped, leaning over to try and breathe. He heard a frightened shout from the kitchen before losing consciousness.

DA

"Carson?" Cora asked again, shaking his arm.

"Robert!" She leapt to her feet and ran over, collapsing in front of her husband. She gathered his face in her hands and shook him slightly. "Robert, Robert wake up! Darling PLEASE!" Nothing.

She looked over at the Doctor, tears pooling in her eyes. "Are they dead?!"

The Doctor bit his lip. He leaned over and felt Mrs. Hughes pulse, the body lying closest to him. He shook his head slowly. "I don't think so I think….I think they are still in Limbo."

"I don't understand!" Cora replied, her voice shaking with emotion. "We came back through the time machine. We listened to what you said we…." She stopped and took a deep shaky breath and found it a little hard to breathe. "Carson was with me he…." She went to take another deep breath and coughed.

"Mama are you alright?" Edith asked, concern etched in her tone.

"Yes, yes I'm alright darling." Cora gripped her husband's lifeless hand in her own.

The Doctor frowned and shook his head, confusion etched across his face. "I'm not sure why Carson is in Limbo. Perhaps it's because he did not return with Mrs. Hughes?"

"But why are they all here?!" Cora gasped out, gesturing to their bodies. "I didn't bring them back with me."

"Lord Grantham and Mrs. Hughes' bodies were still attached to your own," he replied. "Since you left with their bodies, you return with them. But their minds…." He trailed off and then put his head in his hands. "You two came back at the same time didn't you?"

"What do you mean the same time? Of course we did!" Cora stood up, her face now tinged with anger. "Look if you think you can…"

"I told him. You weren't supposed to go through at the same time," the Doctor replied, his voice low and sad.

"I don't BELIEVE this," Cora threw her hands in the air and stormed over to the Doctor jabbing her finger into his chest. "There should not be so many rules for time travel! Now I want my husband back! And I want to know where Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes have gone!"

"I told you they are in Limbo. We can't get them back."

"What do you mean we can't get them back?" She breathed out, her voice now laced with despair.

The Doctor said nothing, dropping his head to look at the floor.

"What do you mean we can't get them back?!" She asked again, her voice growing shill.

When he didn't reply, she grabbed onto the lapel of his shirt. "What do you mean we can't get them back?!" She screamed in his face.

"You would have to go into Limbo!" He shouted back at her, looking up. His eyes were weary and bloodshot. "You can't go back there!"

"I have to!" Cora replied, wiping at the tears in her eyes. "I have to. I can't leave them there."

"Mama, please don't," Mary walked up to her, placing a hand on her arm. "Let me go instead. Or Edith." Edith nodded her head but Cora shook her head vigorously and took her daughter's arms firmly. "No. I was the original one. I was the one that caused this mess to begin with. It needs to be me."

"Mama, it wasn't your fault…"

"I know." Cora looked back over at the Doctor. "What do I need to do? Please, please tell me what I have to do."

"This is incredibly dangerous," he stated, taking her arm gently. "You may not make it back."

"We will. We'll make it back. All four of us." Cora sobbed out, desperately.

He took a deep breath. "I can't let you go…."

"You have to…"

"I CAN'T."

"I HAVE TO," she shouted.

The Doctor stared at her for another second before sighing in defeat "Alright. We will need to open a portal back up for you."

"You can do that?" She asked, frowning in confusion.

He nodded.

"You've been able to do it this whole time and you didn't…?!"

"Lady Grantham, you can stand here and interrogate me on time travel or you can try to save your husband and employees. Which will it be?"

Cora tried to take another shaky breath and doubled over in a fit of coughing.

He put a hand on her back and spoke quickly in her ear. "Don't make any sudden movements. You have Limbo sickness. Unless you bring your husband back with you, you will both die. Do you understand me?"

"But I'm not in Limbo," she replied harshly. She eyed her daughters who were still looking at them warily as they spoke in hushed tones.

"No but you're husband is, and the fact that you are here and he is back there is putting on a strain of both of your bodies. You are connected. Unless you…"

"I got it, I got it," Cora stated a little too loudly, pushing him away. "I'm short on time. Just get me out of here."

The Doctor nodded and left the room. "I'll be right back."

Cora sighed and sagged against the wall.

DA

Elsie continued to pace the kitchen, running her hands through her hair. Robert eyed her sadly, but said nothing. Muttering to herself, she stopped and then started pacing again.

"Mrs. Hughes, you are only making me more nervous. Won't you please sit down?"

"We're like sitting ducks here," she replied quietly, with a twinge of paranoia in her voice. "We are sitting ducks and someone is going to come along and…."

"Mrs. Hughes!" Robert interrupted. He had never seen her so agitated in his life and he could feel the fear seeping deeper and deeper into him. As if her worry could permeate his own brain.

She stopped for a moment and sighed. "I apologize your Lordship. It's just that I…"

All of a sudden, she felt as if a hand was closing over her throat. She gasped and shut her eyes, missing Robert's own shocked expression.

She opened her eyes to find Robert leaned over the table, his hands over his ears, and his eyes squeezed shut. She ran over and kneeled next to him, putting her hands on his thighs. "Lord Grantham are you alright?"

He slowly removed his hands from his face and turned fully to face her. "Did you feel that?" He asked, his voice shaking.

She nodded. "Something happened. I'm not sure what but…"

"Maybe they got home," Robert whispered. "Maybe Cora and Carson…"

"I hope so," she sat back on her legs. She went to take a breath and found it difficult to breathe.

"Is it warm in here?" Robert asked her, his face flushing. He glanced around, and the room seemed to be shimmering in front of him.

Elsie got to her feet slowly and tried to take another breath, and coughed. She began to panic. "It's happening…it's happening again…." She tried to get out.

"Mrs. Hughes, we have to remain calm."

"I've never felt so helpless in my entire life" she gasped out, tears gathering in her eyes. "I just wish that…."

Robert suddenly gathered her into a hug. Surprised, she clutched onto the back of his shirt desperately trying to breathe.

All of a sudden, the man re-appeared in the doorway. Elsie shouted and Robert turned to see him grinning. He took a protective step in front of Mrs. Hughes who pointed at him. "Stay away from us. You stay away from us," her voice shook.

He put his hands forward. "Alright, alright. If you say so. I just thought you might want to know there is a man in that stairway over there." He gestured with his thumb towards the servant's steps.

Robert exchanged a glance with Mrs. Hughes and walked towards the stairs. Elsie followed him, but the man grasped onto her arm sharply.

"Lemme go!" She cried, trying to wrench her arm out of his grasp.

"If you forget me, you will regret it," he whispered harshly. And suddenly he was gone again.

Elsie took another sharp breath inwards and started coughing desperately again. Robert turned around and helped her over to the door. He pushed it open to find Carson lying there, unconscious.

"Charles!" Elsie cried. Forgetting herself, she dropped to the floor next to him. The impact of her knees on the ground knocked the rest of the breath out of her but she paid it no mind. She leaned over Carson, grasping his face in her hands. "Wake up!"

"Why is he here?" Robert replied, before letting out a short rattled cough himself. "He shouldn't be here!" He looked over at Mrs. Hughes, his face mirroring her own fear, but she wasn't looking at him. She was gently slapping Carson's face with her own hand. Wiping at the tears in her eyes she leaned over and rested her head on his chest.

"Please, please wake up!" She said desperately.

With a great shuddering gasp, Carson opened his eyes. He blinked a few times before frowning. "Mrs…Mrs. Hughes? Is that you?"

"Yes, yes!" She grasped his hand in her own and brought it to her cheek.

"What happened?" Robert cut in.

"Lord Grantham!" He managed before coughing. "It's…I don't know what happened. We were on our way back home, but I woke up here."

"Back home?" Robert asked eagerly. "You were on your way back?"

"We were in the time machine. Your family they helped us and….she must have gone back without me," he finished.

Robert's face showed relief and tears welled in his own eyes. "You said she…Cora's alright? She made it back?"

Carson nodded. He went to take a breath and his face took on a darker reddish tint. "I…I can't breathe" he finished painfully.

"It will be alright. I'm…I'm sure that Lady Grantham is coming back for us," Elsie replied, wiping his brow with her own sleeve. She turned to Robert. "He won't be able to take it much longer. His heart," she replied pathetically.

Robert bit his lip and turned away to hide his tears.

DA

The Doctor finished wrapping the cord around Cora's middle and secured it. She sucked in her breath slightly at its tightness and that led to another fit of coughing. He hooked on another three strands of rope. "You just need to tie this to each of them," the Doctor stated, "so that we can pull you all back in. Give a tug on the rope to ensure that you are okay. Give two sharp tugs if you need me to pull you from this end, got it?"

"Why do you have to pull us? Why can't you just…?

"You have to travel twice," the Doctor finished. "First you will literally feel as if time around you has stopped but we will all be here. THAT is where the portal will be. You have to cross through that in order to get to Limbo. The rope is to ensure that I don't lose you. Got it?"

Cora nodded mutely.

"Listen to me closely, now" the Doctor took her shoulders. "Your husband is your priority. He is the one that traveled through with you. If you can't bring Carson or Mrs. Hughes back…"

She wrenched free from his grasp. "That won't happen."

He nodded sadly and stood up. "Alright. You are all set. Get in, get out. Are you ready?"

She nodded. The Doctor walked her over to machine he had grabbed from his car.

"If you feel like you're going to faint, or can't make it any longer, keep going. If you sit down, you may never get up, do you understand?" He asked, albeit somewhat harshly.

She nodded again and took a shaking step into the small machine. Her daughters stood a few feet in front of her like blurry mirages, until Cora realized she had started crying again. She heard a noise and then suddenly it was as if time had stopped.

She took a step outside of the machine. The Doctor was frozen, his hand on his machine and Mary and Edith stared back at her, as if they were human sized dolls. Mary had her arm around her sister and both of them had tears frozen in their big, beautiful eyes.

She felt a brief sharp tug on the rope around her waist and she responded with her own to let him know she was ok. He let more of the rope out and she walked over to the side of her bed where it all began. She took a deep breath, and stuck her foot out and saw it disappear. She stepped onto it entirely. She felt a sucking feeling, and then she was gone.

DA

Robert suddenly felt a huge wave of dizziness surge through him and he felt like he was going to throw up. His ears started ringing again and he put his hands over his ears. He looked over at Carson who had shut his eyes tightly.

Mrs. Hughes' eyes were shut as well and she was shuddering. Robert scooted over and removed his hands from his ears, holding Carson's hand in his own and placing his other over Mrs. Hughes hand that was covering Carson's.

Elsie went to take a shuddering breath and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Robert reached over and slapped her face and she came back.

"Are you alright?" Robert asked loudly. He felt like they were in a vacuum of some sort, sounds were fading in and out. And then, suddenly, it was gone.

Robert let go and stood up, taking a deep breath. And another.

Carson took a few shuddering breaths and then began to sit up. "What…what happened?"

Elsie looked between the two men, relief washing over her features. "We've…we are…" she stopped and lifted her head. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Carson responded.

"It sounds like…"

"Shouting," Robert finished looking up. The voice was getting closer and closer and it sounded…

Robert looked, disbelieving at Carson and Mrs. Hughes, before running for the door towards the kitchen. "CORA!" He yelled.

He threw the door open. She was standing right there.

"Robert!" She sobbed, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Darling, oh my darling!" Robert picked her up off of her feet and whirled her around in a circle. She laughed through her sobs.

"Are you alright, are you hurt?" She placed her hands on his cheeks, and then she was caressing his eyes, his nose, his mouth.

"I'm alright, I'm alright are you?" Robert responded, kissing her cheeks.

Cora nodded again and kissed him full on the mouth wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

Mrs. Hughes turned away and looked over at Carson, who was already staring at her, his own eyes misty. "Mrs. Hughes, I…"

"Ssshhh, shhh" she interrupted him, wiping at her own eyes. She shook her head. "Not now, Mr. Carson." She gripped tighter to his hand.

"Here, here," they were interrupted by Cora who had walked over to them. She handed them each some rope that was dangling from her waist.

"What the…." Carson started.

"We don't have much time," Cora said hastily. "Tie it around your waist, quickly. The Doctor is going to pull us back home."

"The Doctor, who is the Doctor?" Mrs. Hughes asked as she struggled to tie the rope around her waist.

"He helped us get home," Carson responded and leaned in to help her with the rope.

Mrs. Hughes looked away to hide the blush creeping up her cheeks.

"We have to go, now!" Cora responded. She gave a tug on her rope. A few seconds later, a reply tug came back. They headed back up the steps towards the foyer. Cora first, then Robert, Carson, and Mrs. Hughes bringing up the rear. They walked into the lobby and stopped.

Cora turned to them. "We just need to head up the steps and back into the bedroom. The portal is in there and it will take us back."

The other three nodded in response. Cora started up the steps. Elsie sighed and followed them, trudging slowly. They were close, they were so close…"

Suddenly, she felt a hand grab onto her arm and she let out a shout in surprise turning around. Her sudden halt caused the rest of the group to lurch and stop.

The man from the kitchen had a hold of her arm and his face was stormy.

"You promised not to leave without me," he said angrily. "You broke that promise."

"We never promised you anything," Robert replied, moving slowly towards them. "Now let her go."

"Take me with you."

"We can't! We aren't from your time. If we take you back with us, you could die!" Robert responded.

His grip on Elsie tightened and he started to drag her back down the steps. Carson grabbed her other arm. "Let. Her. Go," he snarled.

Elsie let out another shout as they pulled her body between them.

"Robert do something!" Cora shouted. Robert moved quickly down the steps and went to grab ahold of the man's arm but he couldn't get a grasp on him.

"I can't!" He gasped out.

Cora turned around and gave a sharp tug on the rope twice. Suddenly, she felt a sharp strong pull and they all lurched forwards.

Cora screamed and Robert fell backwards, back up the staircase, and landed back between Carson and Cora on the steps.

Another sharp pull came again and they were all lifted off their feet and started falling sideways.

Cora and Elsie screamed again and Carson let out a shout as they all plunged sideways over the bannister into the foyer.

Cora gripped tightly onto the rope. She looked over her shoulder to see Robert, Carson, and Mrs. Hughes dangling over the bannister, saved from falling by the ropes around their waists.

The man still had ahold of Mrs. Hughes and was pulling, pulling. Carson gripped her tightly but his hand was sweaty and the rope was fraying.

"Mrs…Hughes…" he gasped out, looking down at her terrified face.

"Just let go," she responded. "Just let go."

"No…we are not leaving without you…" Robert was pulling at Carson desperately, trying to help. Cora gave four sharp pulls on the rope. "Help, help! Hurry!" She screamed towards the master bedroom.

Another lurch pulled them upwards again, followed by another.

Carson nearly lost his grip on Mrs. Hughes as Cora climbed over the bannister and started pulling at them.

"I won't…stop you…from getting…home…" Elsie grimaced. She gasped as the rope frayed further.

Cora was crying again as she sharply pulled at the rope again, and again, and again…

But it was too much weight. The rope snapped.

"NO!" Carson screamed as Elsie's fingers wrenched from his grasp and she fell.

"ELSIE!" Carson shouted, his voice cracking with grief, as she fell backwards into the foyer and disappeared into thin air with the man.