William Bates and Sybbie Carson are progressing beyond their ABCs...to matchmaking! Auntie Beryl will lend the wee ones a hand down the road in getting their grandparents, Elsie and Charles, respectively, together. Present day Chelsie set in London.

A modern Chelsie AU. Charles runs a high-class domestic service company; he is smart, successful and single. He reluctantly attends his friend Robert's New Year's Eve party, but things look up when he bumps into property developer Elsie Hughes on the doorstep...

Modern AU: Anna can't believe her good fortune when she lands an interview for her dream job...but when she meets the boss, she's not sure whether her luck is so good after all...

Carson never considered Mrs. Hughes a woman with no standards…

Modern AU: 'When Anna Smith moves to London to start a new job, she has no idea how much her life will change...'

"But maybe it had been a sign from God. A sign to get the hell out of there, and fast." As Elsie Hughes contemplates the difficult situation she is in, she meets Charles Carson, who might just end up complicating things even more.

They all look like normal people getting their morning dose of coffee. Until somebody turns out to be different, and then much more so. Modern AU, Anna/Bates

Modern AU version of 'cooking fiasco'. This is the result of a bet between myself and ChelsieFan. Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Downton franchise...sadly.

Modern AU: EM Hughes is a novelist who writes historical fiction and Charles Carson is a retired cricketer who is now a sports presenter, a color commentary man (whose on air partner is one Charlie Grigg). You will see the familiar characters albeit in different roles. This is the story of how they met and the long road that is their relationship.

MODERN AU The death of his soon-to-be ex-wife brings Charles Carson and his daughter, Daisy, to coastal Maine. Elsie Hughes, nurse at Daisy's new school, is soon placed deep into the Carsons' lives. But can Charles, Elsie, and Daisy - and the small town of Misty Cove where they live - survive the aftermath of what's to come? New role for T. Barrow; stars almost entire DA cast.

Modern AU: Three children grew up on the grand estate of Downton together: Beryl, Charles & Elsie. When one left their world changed, but years later she is back and their worlds are set to change again.

When John's daughter and Anna's son become friends at nursery school, they don't expect their lives to change forever.

Modern AU (2008): Elsie Burns and Charles Carson must make the best of their situations. Rating for language, drug reference, and adult themes. My first Modern AU! :)

This is an AU Chelsie piece set in Reformation-era England at Downton Abbey, a literal Abbey. Carson is a priest and Elsie Hughes is a nun in the era of the English Reformation. They are in love, but can they do anything about it? Will they do anything about it? Rating may increase.

Modern AU. When Anna agrees to help her longtime friend John avoid his ex-wife and navigate murky waters with his family, she never expects to realize she's not quite over her college crush on him. When it turns out that she needs his help as much as he needs hers, will either one of them be able to keep their feelings platonic? Rating change at Chapter 11.

She'd been going it alone so long that she didn't know love until it bit her on the backside. (Modern AU)

A collection of stories based on prompts from the Chelsie Prompts blog on Tumblr. Ratings may change per chapter and prompt. All of the stories will be Charles Carson and Elsie Hughes. Other characters may appear from time to time.

Inspired by an interview before season 5 with Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan. Their stories about their school days inspired this fluffy fic. Rated T mostly for language - they're really young in this story. If you haven't seen the interview, watch it. I didn't make up the part about smoking and playing canasta. Update: Intended to be a one shot, but my brain had other ideas.

A Chelsie fic delving into significant moments of their past at Downton, canon moments and beyond. Begins shortly after Elsie arrives at Downton and will follow through their entire relationship. Other characters appear, but this is most definitely a close-up look at how this relationship and his couple evolved over the decades. A few chapters have mature content

When Mrs. Hughes loses her eyesight, her life as the housekeeper of Downton Abbey is over. Perhaps with Mr. Carson she will be able to realize a new life just beginning. Carson/Hughes.

A place for Chelsie prompt challenges that I've compiled through the years. All are Carson and Hughes focused with the appearance of other characters as necessary. Canon as well as AU.

The first summer after Charles & Elsie wed and Carson heads to London with the family. They exchange letters during their time apart.

Anna's work brings her to the Lonestar State. Will she find more then just southern hospitality?

Modern A/U. Different circumstances bring John Bates and Anna Smith to Seattle, Washington. But what if Anna is the one with the secret? Rating will go up as the story progresses.

A follow up to Uncovering Love, we rejoin the Carson family and friends in Halifax, autumn 1953. Their home is lively and happy, but Elsie is suffering from a longing only one thing will sate. Beryl and Bill, Isobel and Richard, Andy and Daisy, and the Crawley family will prominently appear as the little family continues to deal with ghosts from the past and new challenges.

Modern AU. Elsie Hughes is exec producer for "The Granthams," a docudrama being filmed by Crawley Film Productions. Enter one old flame, Charles Carson, plus someone hell-bent on ruining the project ... what could possibly go wrong? Set in the glitz of Hollywood with some filming in Toronto and London. Rated T but a couple M chapters along the way. Chelsie fic w/many DA faves.

Modern AU. If Anna had been told three years ago that the week of her sister's wedding would change her own life for good, she probably would have wondered what on earth they had been smoking. She had longed for more, it was true, but she would certainly not have believed that such a clichéd scenario would have brought her together with the man that she was in love with.

Elsie and Charles are back to work after they got married. Things don't do so well for Elsie and Charles realises what he's done has probably caused this.

The Carson's romance, marriage and battle to have a baby. Set in various times from 1896-1915. A prequel to A Brave New World. Rated M for later chapters.

A look into the world from my fic Jolene, from the perspective of Charles and Elsie's sons. Lots of fluff.

After being injured in the Army, John Bates settles into a new life as a florist at Downton's flower shop. When a simple act of kindness spirals out of control, John comes face to face with a kindred spirit in Anna Smith, a local girl that seems to be shrouded in sadness and just as lonely as he is. Based off of the movie "Bed of Roses".

Charles and Elsie meet by chance on an airplane and immediately like each other. But will their relationship grow? Modern AU.

If all goes well, 8 chapters focused on the Chelsie honeymoon built upon past February prompts, 4 prompts/ chapter. Just like stepping into the water at Brighton, seeking fellow writers' encouragement for my first FanFic.

They've never spoken but their paths cross every day... can you really love at first sight?

A companion to "Managing Love". Charles and Elsie are now married, enjoying life together with their family and friends. The firm of Carson, Crawley & Bates still has its managers, but retirement is calling. Rated M for a reason, but there will be fluff mixed in. I loved these characters too much to leave them alone. Or rather, they wouldn't leave me alone...

Modern AU. Anna Smith thinks she's content with her life, her teaching career the focal point. Then she meets Sergeant John Bates, and soon her feelings of friendship blossom into more. However, the road to true love is never smooth and, sometimes, in the most hopeless of hours, there is a choice between fighting and fleeing which can prove the mettle of what was there all along.

Years after running off to become Cheerful Charlie, Mr. Carson and his family return to his boyhood home.

Decisions are made every single day. Some are harder than others, but all of them are easier with the love of your spouse keeping you steady along the way. Join me as we explore the decisions of Charles & Elsie Carson. Written for the tumblr DAS7 prompt.

A bit of love for our darling Elsie following her husband's retirement from Downton Abbey. Written to fulfull the #unofficialdaS7 challenge by the lovely chelsie fan. Updates every Sunday for nine weeks, and a finale Christmas chapter on Christmas Day 2016.

Set in 1956. Father John Bates is at a turning point in his life when he's offered a chance at a new beginning...but life sometimes has different plans.

A very AU story based on a picture of our very own butler as an executioner in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. What if this executioner met Elsie Hughes under less than favorable circumstances?

A companion to my Chelsie historical AU fic Most Quiet Need. This is intended to be an epilogue to the ending of that story, which is not finished yet, so...if you don't want ANY spoilers, please don't read this. The setting is California, late 1800s.

Elsie Hughes moves to England to study at Westburn University and finds herself drawn to history professor, Charles Carson.

Canon continuation. Charlie and Elsie's future has become muddled by unexpected circumstances. "I guess a loving woman is indestructible." John Steinbeck

Modern A/U - Anna Smith is an up and coming fashion designer while John Bates is trying to put his life back together while working as a personal assistant to TV Executive Robert Crawley. John and Anna are convinced by their close friends to try online dating in order to find love, but will they be successful?

Modern AU: When Professor Hughes decides she's had enough of being alone and waiting hopelessly for her dear friend to fall in love with her, she sets into motion a chain of events Professor Carson might not be ready for. With Elsie embracing a new 'live a little' attitude, the Downton University faculty will never be the same again but could Charles really lose the woman he loves?

AU. John Bates' only way to divorce his wife and keep his company is to prove she is having an affair. Anna Smith of Carson's Private Investigators goes undercover on the case. What starts out as an infidelity investigation becomes much more and when John finds himself in serious trouble, Anna's skills and heart are put to the test.

In 4x2, Mr. Grigg asks Mr. Carson "why did you never ask about Alice when we last met, before the War?" What might have happened if Mr. Carson HAD asked Charles Grigg about Alice the first time Grigg came to Downton? This story answers that question. AU Chelsie.

A/U Charles ensures that Mrs Hughes always gets the very best customer service available.

At Grantham University, Dr. Elsie Hughes meets Dr. Charles Carson. Their attraction is undeniable, but what she doesn't know about Charles could mean the end of the life she has worked so hard to build. And what Charles doesn't know about Elsie might just mean the loss of the one thing he cannot afford to lose- his heart.

Its three years later. She walked away, and left a hole inside his heart. He can't breath without her. Will he find his missing part again? Sequel to 'Ask Me To Stay'

What if Charles Carson had become a star of the stage? What if he'd fallen in love with a clever, Scottish seamstress? Mostly Chelsie, but other characters will inevitably pop up. Period AU, pre-series, sort-of class-swap, with some canon quotes/events? Honestly, IDFK. Rated M because mama likes her smut.

AU/Modern AU – It's been over two years since Elsie Burns buried her husband. Together with her son, her niece and her cheeky sister, she got her life back to normal. But just then a stranger stumbles in front of Elsie's car and gets knocked out. When he wakes up in hospital he says his name is Charles Carson and insists to have been born in 1856…

Anna Smith was always so very little...

My first stab at a modern Chelsie AU. Charles Carson meets his neighbor, Elsie Hughes, under less than optimal circumstances. Why put your best foot forward when you can plant it firmly in your mouth? Enjoy!

It had been designed to tear them apart, but in the end it had only brought them still closer togther. A story about how love can come from grievous experiences.

Modern AU. John Bates, an eclectic Artist and Dr. Anna Bates, a controlling surgeon meet on Christmas Eve while waiting for news about loved ones in the hospital. They are quickly captivated by one another's kindness and caring ways, but will their polar opposite lives prove to be too much chaos for a chance at real love?

Modern AU. Christmas theme. Robert Crawley is the founder of Downton Academy, an exclusive, traditional, British-style boarding and day school in Chicago. Charles Carson is headmaster for boys, and Elsie Hughes is headmistress for girls.

Modern AU: John enjoys his quiet life. Retired from the military, he supplements his income as a writer by giving trumpet lessons. Anna, excited about getting a fresh start, moves into the apartment next door. Satisfied with their lots in life, she and John have both given up the hope of finding someone to grow old with. But love may be closer than they'd ever thought to look.

Aspiring writer Charles Carson is still healing in the aftermath of WWII. As he begins to construct a book based on a collection of journals left by a distant relative, he uncovers the tale of a secret love just as he meets a woman who has the potential to either fill or break his heart. AU that will incorporate Downton characters. Not my characters, but I love them deeply.

Some holiday indulgences can lead to bad decisions and terrible consequences. A/B Modern AU.

He had been gone for ten months, but it felt like centuries ago. For now, the memories would have to do. Modern AU.

Collection of various fic prompts focusing on Anna and Bates. Ratings will vary, but will most likely remain under T.

Charles and Elsie are a divorced couple, who have to cope with an event which will make them closer.

Charles Carson and Elsie Hughes met at university. They fell in love, married, got good jobs and had a family. The perfect life. But sometimes things don't quite turn out the way people plan them... Modern Chelsie AU - a joint venture between theoofoof and RhondaStar47

How could she stay without Becky? How could she leave without Charles? How was she supposed to decide? Mod AU. Warnings inside.

A Christmas Sequel (of sorts) to Easter Break. We revisit Charles and Elsie during December 2018 and find out what's happening in everyone's lives - how has Charles adjusted to being a Grandfather? How are Anna & John coping with the book store? And what is Elsie hiding from the others?

Modern AU. She is still the main suspect of Green's murder, but finally out of prison, at least for the time being. Desperately looking for a job, while trying to put her life back together, Anna meets Mr Bates.

"Please don't take my man." A woman, her husband, and the woman he loves. AU. Inspired by the classic song by Dolly Parton.

Modern AU. The beginning of an affair of convenience and understanding. Anna Smith and John Bates are professionals who live on opposite sides of the globe. When they meet at a conference, things get personal too quickly, and they have to deal with the consequences of a seemingly casual relationship that neither of them was looking for. Prequel to So Long, Lonesome.

Charles Carson and Elsie Hughes work together at Crawley's Wine Merchants - he is head buyer, she is client manager. They've worked together for ten years and are close friends. Deep down both would like to be something more but it's not that simple... or is it? Modern AU. Chelsie.

This little piece of fluff is down to silly begger on tumblr. That'll teach you to put ideas into my head! John and Anna, AU, not so strangers stuck in a lift. Same old same old.

Modern AU — Grey's Anatomy, ER, House MD and all your favorite Downton Abbey characters (including the dead ones!) Kind of a Chelsie heavy tale but there's plenty of Cobert, Banna, Richobel and Baxley tossed in for good measure. Lots of medical drama, cussing and even some sexytimes. Stays close to canon in terms of major events, just transplanted into a modern setting! Spoiler-y?

Modern AU: Bookshop owner Charles and teacher Elsie are finally dating, sharing their first holiday together in Dubai after months building a relationship. Can they navigate their way through the demons of their past to find a way to stay together for the long haul?

Anna is a maid travelling with the Earl of Grantham and his family to Newport, visiting Lady Grantham's family. John is seeking a new life in America, away from his past sins. Sparks fly on the ship of dreams and startling revelations promise to change both of their lives for good, but when the ship hits the ice they are not guaranteed a happy end. Highclere Award '14 nom/winner.

Modern AU: Charles and Elsie are married... to other people. They are part of three couples who are vacationing together in Acapulco. The circumstances change for them and so does their relationship. Based lightly on the 1960 film The Facts of Life.

(Formerly "Saudade") From an "imagine your OTP" prompt. The trouble with falling in love with someone is that they can't always love you back. Modern AU.

Bates and Anna au that takes place during the logging boom in the Santa Cruz mountains of California in the late 1800s. M for mature themes. It is really not as far-fetched as it sounds. Come on, give it a chance. You won't be sorry. Seriously. Read the reviews if you won't take my word for it.

Charles Carson is a widower with a daughter; Elsie Hughes is a maid with a past. Will they be able to overlook their failings and love one another? (Rated M for... monkey business.)

Modern A/U John Bates is an international acting sensation who has just bought a vacation home in St. Andrews. Anna Smith is a grad student at St. Andrews University. When John hires Anna as his house sitter will the two of them finally find forever?

Fic request, based upon the idea that true soul mates will continue to come into one another's lives. Song title is in my Spotify playlist "Chelsie Potpourri" - it's my favorite Melissa Etheridge song.

Charles Carson is lovesick. Elsie Hughes is both the cause of his illness and its cure.

Elsie is a struggling reporter, Charles a retired musician who's ex wife is set to release a tell-all book. What happens when Elsie is sent to get his side of the story by her power hungry boss who has fingers in too many pies? Modern AU

When the past catches up with the present, it isn't always easy to deal with its consequences. Alternate Universe fic, almost spoiler free, includes a very proper Butler and a very different role for the person we normally know as Housekeeper Elsie Hughes. Will often not be safe for work.

Modern AU. Life can always come up with a few surprises. (completely A/B, but with other characters' appearances as well)

Modern AU- Charles Carson is a law graduate who has worked in and for charitable foundations for years. He and Elsie Barnes met in Law school where she went on to practice law. Both find each other later in life, at a crossroads, and they rely on each other to decide which way to go next.

Charles and Elsie are back to tackle the law breakers, however what will happen when the firm goes bankrupt in the middle of their wedding plans? Throw in a few exes and we have a right royal mess on our hands. Will our favourite couple survive? Sequel to 'A Misunderstanding or Two'

The Parting Glass AU: Carson is Robert's valet, Hughes Cora's lady's maid and they have married, have a cottage and have a daughter named Aoife (pronounced: "eh'fa"). Carson is offered the position of butler at Downton, and Hughes Housekeeper, but Elsie is torn between the life she wants for herself and the life she wants for her daughter. Pre series, Rated M for SEXYTIMES.

Set in a present day modern A/U- John Bates is a fire fighter struggling with the law and life. After a court order forces him to get the help he needs, John meets Anna, his saving grace. The timing could not be more wrong and John's past continues to haunt him. Plus, Anna has a few secrets of her own as well.

The shelves in bookstores or libraries hold all manner of secrets about their racy readers. John and Anna have some adventures. Slight mentions to M/M. Modern AU. The plot thickens...

Charles Carson and Elsie Hughes work together for Downton Radio, where he has his own show and she is his producer/technician. They have worked together for a great number of years and their attraction is palpable - but will they get together? Modern AU - this story celebrates my fiftieth fic!

Elsie and Charles have been friends since they were young. Their lives have always been entwined, from their marriages to their successes. Will something happen to make them realize that they love each other? That it was always supposed to be them as a couple? Modern AU.

Post S4, mild S5 speculation. Beginning with a garden party, Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes reflect on life and a job well done with the promise of more on the horizon. Together and apart, they learn how to navigate their feelings and places in the world as Downton ushers in a new era. This is the author's first Downton fic.

Sometimes, a little nudge is all it takes to make a butler show a little bit of interest in a housekeeper. The question is ... how will he go about showing her he is interested in more than friendship?

AU: Downton Abbey in 2013. The house is a 5 star hotel run by Claire Crawley and her parents Marjorie and Richard, the Countess and Earl of Grantham. The Grantham's have three daughters. Viola is the youngest at 31 and a journalist for National Geographic. One day she discovers something in the old attic that will change her life forever and allows us to time travel with her.

In the space of a few hours, Anna Smith's life is turned upside down. Can a chance encounter on a Underground train change everything for the better, and guide her to where she is meant to be? Modern Anna and Bates AU, based on the film Sliding Doors. M Rated from Chapter 10. [Winner of 2014 Highclere Award for Anna/Bates Modern AU story]

"Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light." - Helen Keller :: The worlds of Anna Smith and John Bates become unexpectedly entwined, as they both question everything they've based their lives upon. :: Modern A/U

Carson hears disturbing news while in London for the Season...

November 1921- An AU series 4. Sequel to Moving Forward- With the house in mourning, Charles and Elsie consider life together and retirement. How will the rest of Downton be affected? Lots of Cora and Robert and Mary as well. Might go T rating later, but will start out mild.

An AU version of what could have happened if Elsie Hughes had made different choices in her life. Winner of a Highclere Award

Modern story about our favourite Downton couple. John Bates is a history professor who gives a lecture in Ghent. Anna Smith is an actress who's shooting a film in Ghent. The two meet by chance.

Modern A/U. John Bates is a Captain in the British army, about to retire after he has embarked on his final deployment to Afghanistan. Will he and his wife, Anna, get their happy ending?

Modern AU fic in which Charles is a successful hotelier and Elsie a renowned fashion designer. Other Characters of course show up around them, some perhaps in unexpected ways.