Note: This one shot takes place between events in 'Come Away With Me' and 'Days Of Summer'. It could be read on its own but contains some of my original characters and events that are from my other stories.

Phyllis was glad that it was a Sunday. It would have been a shame to have been stuck inside on such a fine day. But since it was a Sunday then she, along with Mr Moseley, Mrs Patmore, Charlotte and Thomas had taken some time in the afternoon to have a picnic lunch on the grass near the river. Richard Ellis, as he so often does, joined them too. About a month ago they had been without their butler for a week, which was a long time considering he usually only ever took one or two days off. A week without a special reason would be almost unheard of for any of them. But after a visit from a Lord who had some past connection to Mr Ellis, Thomas had, without much explanation, been given a whole week's holiday. Thomas had spent a week away with him, just the two of them and a car that Mr Ellis wouldn't stop talking about, in Cornwall. It had been five years pretty much since they first met too, so it was a fitting celebration for them both.

They were always under the pretence of being good friends, and a lifetime of pretending had meant that most of the time they gave no one the reason to suspect otherwise...most of the time. That being said, to those who knew better it was obvious. Richard would go where Thomas went and if Richard was unable to join them this afternoon, then Thomas would likely have declined the invitation to a picnic as well. She looked at them both, sitting on the blanket they had brought with them from their flat above Richard's shop. Perhaps it was impolite to be looking so intently at two men but she had noticed something that she didn't think anyone else present had noticed. The light was just perfect enough to see them- the rings that were hidden below both of the men's shirts as they sat. It was a warm day and so both were just in shirts without any jacket or waistcoat. It was harder to make out on Richard as his shirt was a light blue, but Thomas wore white and she could see the shape of it below his shirt if he leaned forward a bit. She had once seen those rings where they would belong if they were able too. It was Christmas day last year. Richard had arrived late after being stuck in York due to the snow for days. He had walked a lot of the way home before getting a lift on a tractor. They had disappeared into Thomas's office for a while and when they came out they both had rings on their fingers. It was careless of them to wear them so openly but only she, and Mr Webster, had noticed so it was okay. The rings were a promise of their love, a symbol or a visual representation of a promise. She looked up at them again, Thomas had said something and Richard had laughed as he bit into an apple. The rings should be on their fingers now, if the world was a fairer place, but their love didn't need a symbol.

Mr Bates watched from the servants hall table as Richard rushed into the kitchen for some water and then back again in the direction of Mr Barrow's office a moment later. He knew why this had happened, Thomas had been rushing around all afternoon and it was far too hot anywhere in the house to be doing such a thing without taking a break to refresh one's self. Especially when most of their uniforms were black. It did not help and whilst he had told Thomas to slow down, he wasn't surprised when his old foe hadn't listened to him and had subsequently come over dizzy half way down the stairs. Mr Bates wasn't too worried, Thomas was dehydrated and once he had sat down and drank a decent amount he'd be fine again. Trouble is Thomas is stubborn and insisted he was fine, even when he was looking paler than usual. In the end the only person who was able to get him to sit down was Richard Ellis. He had been hanging around downstairs all afternoon, it being a Sunday and his shop being closed. Mr Bates watched as he offered Thomas his hand and pulled him up from the step he was sitting on. He had sat him down in his chair in his office, removed his jacket, and then gone to fetch some water for him. It was so effortless, but that was how it was when two people love each other like they do. No one else would do. They supported each other, held each other up.

There was another moment which he was reminded of then. Last year, in the very last few moments of it in fact on new year's eve. Everyone was gathered on the lawns in front of the house to watch the fireworks going off at the stroke of midnight. He had been standing with his dear Anna, over in a crowd of people made up of the house staff and the grounds staff. He hadn't seen Thomas amongst them, and if he hadn't just happened to look around behind him then he wouldn't have noticed them at all. He and Mr Ellis had been standing a good distance behind the main crowd in the dark. Just the two of them, close together enough to have been touching. He couldn't see them well enough but perhaps they were. Then the fireworks began, bursts of colour flying off above them accompanied by large bangs. He saw Richard jump. He didn't blame him, it was understandable when such noises could be mistaken for other sounds from the past war. He saw Thomas lean closer to him then. If they hadn't been holding hands before, then they were now. He leaned close to speak to Mr Ellis, who shook his head. Mr Bates assumed that Thomas was asking if he wanted to leave. They really were each other's strength.

"Thomas!" Chris heard Richard call from the kitchen as he sat in the office one morning. "What have you done with the rest of the bread?"

Thomas came downstairs shortly after, dressed for work. Chris had arrived back from the village bakery just earlier and was content eating a pastry of some kind. It was lovely with butter, French he thought. He had thought of having some toast, Richard and Thomas didn't mind if he ate his breakfast in the mornings in their kitchen using their food, but he couldn't find the bread this morning so had gone out and bought something instead. "I finished it last night," he said.

"But you ate at Downton last night, what was the bread for?" Richard asked, sounding a bit irritated.

"For eating," Thomas said. Chris stifled his laugh at Thomas stating the obvious. He couldn't see his friends from where he was sitting with the door closed slightly but he reckoned an argument was about to break out.

"Well obviously! But couldn't you have had something else? You knew there would be nothing left for the morning for me!" Richard said.

"I thought you were going to get more yesterday. I don't keep track of such things you know," Thomas said.

"Right, well what do you suppose I eat now?" Richard asked.

"You could have an egg?"

"Right, and egg and no toast to go with it. Of course, how stupid of me not to think of that," Richard said.

"Well do you want me to go and buy another loaf now?" Thomas offered. Chris could hear that he was trying not to shout at his partner.

"You can't Thomas, you need to go now. I'll deal with it all, like usual," Richard said.

"What do you mean like 'usual'? I live here too, you know?" Thomas said.

"Well yes but I do the shopping," Richard said back.

"Only because I can't be shopping whilst running a large house," Thomas retaliated.

"Well I have a business to run Thomas!" Richard said back.

Chris had listened long enough and decided to step in before they have a relationship break down over a loaf of bread. He pushed the door open, "If I can interrupt your argument, may I suggest that I go and buy more bread and then you two can stop arguing over such silly things and make up?" Both of them looked at him, the argument paused for a while. "Well I'd rather not be around a moody Richard all day and I'm sure Downton would like a happier butler in charge?"

"I wasn't moody," Richard said.

"Right, whatever. I'll fetch the bread okay and maybe some other things. Make sure you two are happier when I get back," he said, grabbing his wallet and heading out the door before either Thomas or Richard could argue. Honestly they are like children sometimes.

When Chris returned he was glad to find that they were both still in one piece and the argument finished. Richard was sitting down at the table, Thomas leaning against the table, right next to him. As he walked in Thomas was just standing up again after kissing Richard on the head. "Thomas you should go, you'll be late," he said, putting the bread down on the table.

"I wanted to stay and apologise Chris, you were right, we shouldn't argue over something so stupid. Sorry you had to step in," Thomas said.

"I'm sorry also Chris," Richard said.

"It's fine, what are friends for eh?" Chris said. It was silly maybe, but Chris was envious of the whole incident. He would love to have someone who he could argue with over such silly domestic things and know that no harm is done in the end. Do they know how lucky they are? he thought. Maybe they do.

Where is Mr Barrow when you need him? Daisy thought as she hurriedly searched through the rooms downstairs for the butler. The delivery man at the backdoor was getting impatient and despite the fact that she told him that she could sign for the delivery, he had not accepted that and then had gone on further with the cheek of saying that a woman couldn't be trusted with handling important delivery papers. What a twat, she thought. She couldn't dwell on that now though as she did need to find Thomas soon. The sooner she found him, the sooner the delivery man could be gone. She would have a rant about it to Charlotte later. "Anyone seen Mr Barrow? He's needed at the door now," she asked as she looked in the servants hall.

"He was going to the boot room with Mr Ellis last time I saw him," Phyllis said.

"Thanks," she said. Of course he'd be with Mr Ellis. Though why Mr Ellis is needed in the boot room when he doesn't even work here is beyond me. The door to the room was slightly ajar and she heard Mr Barrow talking so was relieved to have finally located him. As she approached though she blushed as from where she was standing she could see a hand rather low on Thomas's back. Mr Ellis's hand no doubt. The pair then moved away from the door and Daisy then heard the table creak a bit.

"Mr Barrow, you are a temptation aren't you?" She heard Mr Ellis say, which was then followed by the sound of a few kisses.

This situation put her in a bit of a dilemma. She needed to get Mr Barrow now, but she didn't want to just burst in on them like this. She decided the best option was to step back a bit and cough loudly and call out instead. "Mr Barrow are you in there?"

There were a few whispers and some shuffling, she heard the buttons of Thomas's jacket hit the table as he picked it up and put it back on again. He then appeared at the door, smoothing down his hair, an equally ruffled Richard Ellis smirking mischievously behind him. "Daisy, what is it?" Thomas asked.

"There is a man at the door who needs someone to sign for a delivery Mr Barrow," Daisy said. "He is getting rather impatient."

"Well can't you do it?" Thomas asked.

What? Because you and Mr Ellis were otherwise occupied? "I offered Mr Barrow, but apparently since I am a woman I cannot be trusted with important delivery papers," Daisy said angrily.

"What a fool," Richard muttered.

"Alright Daisy, I'll handle this," Thomas said, walking down the hallway in the direction of the back door, Daisy followed him as did Mr Ellis. Daisy didn't linger in view of the door but just around the corner with Mr Ellis, who also seemed to want to listen in. Or maybe he just didn't want to leave Mr Barrow alone just yet. Daisy heard everything Thomas said.

"You in charge here?" the man said.

"I am the butler," Mr Barrow said, Daisy thought he sounded a bit annoyed. It wasn't the first time people thought he wasn't the butler as they always expect them to be much older than him.

"Right, sign these will you?" the man said.

There was silence whilst Thomas signed the papers. "Will that be all?" he said.

"It will, good day," the man said.

Mr Barrow wasn't finished yet. "One thing actually," he said.

"Yes?"

"If you are ever delivering anything to this house again, you should firmly get it into your head that the female staff are just as capable of signing for a delivery as the male staff," Mr Barrow said. Daisy saw Richard grin as he stood beside her listening. There was a silence as the man must have not expected him to say that. "Right, I think we are done here, good day." And with that the door was shut, presumably in the man's face. Daisy reckoned she shared a little of what Richard was feeling right now- pride. "Right then," he said, walking back towards them both. "That's all sorted."

"Nicely done Mr Barrow," Mr Ellis said.

"Thank you very much Mr Ellis," Thomas said back.

"Shall we continue our conversation we were having earlier?" Mr Ellis asked. Daisy saw the look on his face and the look Thomas had too.

"I think we should. Thank you Daisy," he said. That was a hint for her to leave.

Daisy was about to go but then called back after them, "Mr Barrow, Mr Ellis one thing." The two men turned to her. "When you continue your 'conversation' close the door as your 'words' could be heard."

Jimmy loosened his bow tie as he closed the lid down over the piano keys. It was late, or maybe technically it was early and the club he'd been playing at tonight was closing up. He finished his glass and placed it down on top of the shiny black surface of the piano. This was one of the nicest places he had played at. It was a new place in one of the nicer parts of London and therefore attracted people with more money. The tables around the edge of the floor were being cleared by the waiters and the smell of alcohol and smoke hung in the air. He was hoping that the owner of the place would be willing to have him play here again. She had given him a chance, based on the recommendation of a friend apparently. This was such a long way from the life he once had as a footman in Downton. But he still had his connections to that place. The thought reminded him and he took the envelope out of his jacket pocket. "Jimmy! You coming? We're going to get drinks!" One of the guys he played with shouted from the door.

"I'll give it a miss tonight, I have a letter to write and it can't wait," Jimmy replied.

"Oooh, well I hope she's worth it," his friend said.

Jimmy rolled his eyes after they left and he was alone with only the piano for company. They would assume he was writing to some lady or something. They wouldn't guess the important recipient of his letter was a butler. But he was long overdue a reply and Jimmy felt bad for delaying it any longer. He looked at the letter in his hand. He had read it earlier and had been surprised by what he read. Thomas had to be careful of course with what he said, and Jimmy therefore never kept any letters that gave too much away about his friend and his lover, and so he was reading it one more time before he lit a match under it. It was a shame, but it was safer this way. The letter gave a detailed account of a trip Thomas and Richard had taken to Cornwall for a whole week. Some rich friend of Richard's called Larry Ferroland, had given him and Thomas a holiday at a cottage he owned in Cornwall, complete with a fancy car. Jimmy was rather jealous of that part especially. Thomas's letter was full of stories of walks along cliffs, eating cream teas, chasing Richard across a beach after he caught Thomas's hat as it was blown away in the wind and then wouldn't give it back. Thomas said how the whole trip was sprung on them rather suddenly but how it worked out as being a way of celebrating their fifth anniversary. Jimmy was just pleased that Thomas felt okay with telling him about all this. There was a time where he really wouldn't have been and when he himself wouldn't have wanted to know. But this was so much better, being able to feel his friend's happiness through his words on paper.

Jimmy thought back to when he visited Downton for the first time since he was fired years ago. He had found Thomas ill in bed, after catching a fever when he jumped into a flooded river to save a child from being swept away. He had been witness to how Richard had cared for him, how he had slept by his side, despite the risk to them both. And how he had been patient with Thomas when he got grumpy when he was frustrated about having to lie in bed all day. He had seen the interactions between them both, even subtle looks or touches were full of a tenderness he had rarely witnessed between any couple before. He had seen Thomas smile- properly smile, many times. He thinks maybe that is something only Richard can make him do. He remembered walking into the yard a bit later in the week to find Thomas and Richard outside sitting at a bench, kissing. He had been surprised with himself to find that his first reaction wasn't a feeling of awkwardness (well maybe it was a little awkward but he was getting there with combating that) but one of concern. He felt himself looking around him at all the windows to make sure that no one else saw what he did. He remembered thinking, Is this how it is for them? Always having to watch their every move. It's awful. He had scolded Thomas a bit for his carelessness but only because he cared about him and he thinks Thomas understood that.

He had been happy to find out later that year though that Richard had taken his advice and quit his job in London and moved to Downton. He had sat in their home, and eaten dinner with them and their friend Chris. Apart from the fact that Thomas was living there under the pretence of being Richard's lodger, there was nothing that looked much different from any other typical living room. It was just the same and seeing them together, living under the same roof, and obviously sleeping in the same bed (yes this thought didn't freak him out now either), made it hard to reasonably understand the laws that ban their relationship and nature from existing. "Stupid really," he said out loud, as he took one last look at the letter before burning it in an ash tray, making sure to stay until every trace had gone.

Mathew Tomlinson and his young sheepdog Hector walked down from the fields in the direction of the farm. He had just spoken with Richard Ellis, the man who owned the bookshop in the village. He had met Richard on Christmas day last year when he had been walking through one of his very snowy fields in the direction of Downton. He had walked a long way, and was trying to get back to Downton Abbey in time for the evening meal with the servants. It was a lot of effort just for a dinner, even for a Christmas dinner and when Richard had given away that the special person waiting for him was a man not a woman, Mathew had been careful not to say anything. He pretended not to hear him. He may have been getting on a bit, but his hearing was not that bad. When he dropped Richard off on the road to the village, he had told him to be sure to 'spend some decent time with that man of yours.' After thinking about it, that may not have been the best thing to say. He didn't want to scare him, but it seemed to work out okay as the next day he had witnessed Richard with Thomas Barrow. He had a feeling the man Richard was seeing would be Thomas, and he was glad. What Mr Barrow needed was to be loved and it seemed to be helping him. They were having a snowball fight followed by chasing each other down the snowy field of sheep like children. They looked so alive and carefree.

His conversation today with Richard was confirmation that he and Thomas trusted him with their secret and that meant a great deal to him, especially when they were essentially trusting him with their lives. The law of this country was cruel and wrong and so he was only too glad to help them in any way he can. In this case, it was seeing to it that a field that was out of sight from any roads or paths could be used by Thomas and him, as well as a few friends for a picnic to celebrate Thomas's upcoming birthday. Richard had wanted to ask him well in advance in case those fields were needed for anything. He had also sworn him to secrecy- the birthday picnic was a surprise. Richard had spoken to him in a way that gave little away but it only took a look at his face when he spoke about Thomas to know a simple fact. He loved him more than anything in the world.