Thomas was sitting in the rocking chair in the servants hall when the telephone in his office began to ring. It was getting late and the light was fading from the summer sky outside. Richard had been called upstairs to Lord Grantham a while ago, who it seemed wanted an early night, so Thomas was sitting downstairs waiting for Richard, hoping that they could get home a little earlier too. He reluctantly got up from his chair and went to answer the telephone since no one else appeared to be around. For a fleeting moment he thought it was Richard calling as this was the time he used to ring him, a few years ago when Richard was still in London at Buckingham Palace. Thomas smiled to himself and shook his head as he reminded himself that Richard was only upstairs and that they would go home together soon. These thoughts were replaced by a curiosity as to who would be calling this late. He shut the office door, a force of habit for him and late night calls, and picked up the telephone. "Hello, this is Downton Abbey. Mr Barrow the butler speaking," he said. It was a bit of a mouthful and he often thought just saying a simple hello would be sufficient.

"Oh Thomas I was beginning to wonder if you had gone home."

"Marion?" Thomas recognised the voice of Richard's mother. He thought it was a late time for her to be calling, especially since she was calling at Downton. He felt something was wrong. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh yes Thomas I'm fine-" Marion began. She was glad that Thomas picked up, the phone had rung several times.

"-Is John okay? I could get Richard to come down from upstairs?" Thomas asked.

"Oh he's fine Thomas, don't worry yourself. And no need to disturb Richie from his work. We're fine but we have a friend of yours here who is not," Marion said.

"Oh?" Thomas said, momentarily confused.

"Chris is asleep on our sofa Thomas, John and myself came across him in York earlier today. He was in a rather bad way," Marion said, her voice full of concern.

Richard said he thought it was odd how Chris had taken so long to get home from going to the bank in York, Thomas thought as she spoke. "Is it his leg? How is he hurt?" Thomas asked. He was cursing himself for not thinking that the reason for Chris's absence was that he was in danger.

Marion felt touched by the strength of Thomas's concern. Chris hadn't said anything about it but she reckoned that he held a flame for Thomas. It was something about the way Chris spoke about Thomas. "His leg is hurt, yes, but so is the rest of him I'm afraid. He ran into some trouble after visiting the bank. I've patched him up the best I can. He should have gone to see a doctor but he was adamant that he couldn't do that. I think it would be best that I don't say much more over the telephone about what happened to him Thomas."

That worried Thomas. He now had a pretty good idea of what happened to Chris in York without Marion even having to fully explain. "How badly is he hurt though?"

"He looks worse than he is I think Thomas. He was lucky given what the alternative could have been. But there is no chance of him making it home on his own tonight."

"No I suppose not."

"I know it is a bit of an ask given how late it is but we were hoping Richard and yourself could drive over here and take him home? If it's not possible though I understand and we can put him in Richard's old room for tonight and sort things out tomorrow," Marion asked.

"He wants to get home then?" Thomas asked.

"He does, but he also doesn't want to make you and Richard drive all the way over here," Marion said.

"We'll be there Marion. Tell Chris that we are coming and that he shouldn't feel guilty about something that is not his fault," Thomas said. "I'll have to wait for Richard to finish upstairs and then we'll have to borrow a car but we'll get there."

"Thank you Thomas, tell Richard not to drive too quickly though, won't you?" Marion asked.

"I will, don't worry. Thank you for looking after Chris though and thank your husband too," Thomas added.

"It was no trouble but I wil,l thank you," Marion said.

"We'll see you soon," Thomas said.

"Yes, see you later, bye."

…

"Yes come in," Lord Grantham said as there was a knock at the bedroom door. Richard was a little surprised to see Thomas enter.

"Sorry to interrupt M'Lord but there has been a telephone call from Mr Ellis's mother," Thomas said. He wished then he had phrased things a bit better, as he saw Richard's face pale with worry and then he guessed what Richard must have automatically thought.

"Are they okay? Has something happened?" Richard asked, forgetting any formalities and that he was still in the presence of Lord Grantham.

"They are fine," Thomas said. He didn't want to have to discuss this here but they did need to ask for a car so Lord Grantham may as well hear this clipped version of events. Thomas would fill Richard in more later. "They have Chris with them and he is not. He is hurt and they need us to fetch him home." During this brief exchange both Thomas and Richard seemed to forget that they were standing in Lord Grantham's bedroom, Richard was too eager to hear that his parents were okay and Thomas was too keen to reassure Richard that they were.

Richard looked at Thomas intently, wanting to know more. That would have to wait for now though. "Sorry M'Lord-" Richard began, snapping back into professionalism once again.

"-It's fine. If you two are to make it to York soon then you should leave. We are almost done here Ellis anyway," Lord Grantham said. He had watched the conversation between his temporary valet and his butler with interest. He had seen the worry on Ellis's face that his parents might be ill. It was the worry of anyone with elderly relatives they care about. He saw how Barrow had been eager to reassure him that they were fine. Nevertheless, both men seemed to have concern, that they didn't voice, for their friend Chris. He assumed this 'Chris' was the same one who worked with Ellis in his shop.

"Thank you M'Lord," Richard said.

"There is one thing M'Lord-" Thomas began.

"-Ah yes. You will be needing a car I assume? You have my permission to take whichever one you want from the garage," Lord Grantham said.

"Yes, thank you M'Lord," Thomas said. His employer seemed to know him more than he realised.

...

"How exactly is Chris hurt and why is he with my parents?" Richard asked as he walked with Thomas across the gravel outside the house towards the garages.

"Your mother didn't go into much detail. She didn't seem to want too over the phone which worried me. It makes me think that this isn't just Chris's leg playing up," Thomas said. He glanced at Richard as they quickly walked. Thomas had picked up a few blankets and a bottle of whisky that he thought might help Chris with any pain, or if not that just something to provide a bit of comfort. The whisky was technically stolen, but he would make sure no one would miss it.

"You think he was attacked?" Richard asked worryingly.

"I think he was. Your mother said he should be seen by a doctor but he didn't want to go to any doctor. I think he's afraid of who did this to him, but also more likely why they did it," Thomas said.

"He was attacked because of who he is you reckon?" Richard asked.

Thomas nodded grimly. "I hope I'm wrong but I don't think I am. He will know people in York. Someone must have recognised him. I think I understand why he needs to get home to Downton, despite your parents kindness. God I hope he's okay."

They found a car, and to Thomas's surprise, knowing Richard's love of cars, he didn't spend time choosing one, he just found one that had a back seat for Chris and a roof to keep the chill off him. "Hmm, they have so much money they don't even bother taking the key out of the ignition," Richard said mostly to himself as he found the key still in place so anyone could drive off with it. No matter, it would save them having to find the chauffeur. Thomas didn't say anything to that, instead he just got into the car and put the blankets and bottle of whisky on the back seat. Richard got into the drivers side of the car and shut the door. "He'll be fine Thomas. Chris is tough, tougher than either of us and he's a fighter. He'll be fine. Besides he also has my mother to look after him, she used to work as a nurse so she knows what she's doing. He's in safe hands."

Thomas smiled in thanks at Richard's reassurance and at the obvious fact that he could feel his worry for another man. "You don't mind?"

"What? That you care for him? No, of course not. Your concern does you credit Thomas, and I love you for it," Richard said, planting a small and sweet kiss on the side of Thomas's face.

"We should get going," Thomas said, the kiss still sweet on his cheek after Richard's lips had left him.

"Yes, we will need to quickly stop by home though on our way. I need to feed Wilde or else he might decide to feed himself again and we don't need a repeat of that do we?"

Thomas laughed a little. "No we do not."

...

By the time they arrived in York it was almost dark. Richard parked right outside his parents house and before they even set foot in the front garden Richard's father opened the front door. "Hello dad," Richard said as they walked through the gate, Thomas just behind him as he pocketed the car key. Unlike the very first time he had been here, Thomas didn't feel nervous or like he was intruding. He liked Richard's parents, they treated him no different than their son, so he felt part of the family.

"How is he?" Thomas asked as they stepped inside and took off their hats. It was a warm summer's evening so there was no need for coats.

"Sleeping, at least he was when I last looked in on him. I've been having a bit of a lie down myself, it's a bit late for me," John said with a grin.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting dad," Richard said.

"One late night won't hurt me son, and you couldn't have gotten here any quicker if you had tried," John said.

"Oh hello Mum," Richard said as Marion joined them in the hallway from the kitchen.

"Hello Richie, Thomas," Marion said as she greeted them both with a hug. "He is awake now. He heard you. He's just in the living room, we'll leave you three to it as I imagine he will want to talk to you about what happened without a crowd around him. Will you have time for a quick cup of tea? You have driven quite a distance."

"I think we can manage that mum, thanks. I'll come out to fetch it okay?" Richard said.

"No need for that, you need to talk to him, both of you. I can manage a tray of tea dear," Marion said.

...

To Thomas, Chris had always seemed so strong, so confident as if nothing could touch him. Even with his permanently injured leg he didn't let anything stop him. He faced his problems head on, always gave everything his best shot. He was quick with his words too, shutting down people's insults before they had even really begun, quick thinking and eagle eyed at spotting dangers and averting them. Thomas thought back to the time Chris had spotted a potential danger for Stephen and Daniel while they were getting a bit too close to each other in public in the shop. It was teamwork between them to get the young couple out of danger they didn't even know they were in, but it had been Chris who had kept calm and noticed the danger. Thomas admired him for all these things.

He looked pale. That was the first thing Thomas noticed when he saw him. Pale and untidy, neither thing typical of the Chris Webster he knew. He looked tired, but not beaten. Thomas knew what it looked like when someone had given up any willingness to fight. He had seen it in the mirror too many times. Chris winced as he pushed himself up so that he was no longer lying down. "Hello you two, come to rescue me?" he said. His lip was split and he had purple bruises forming on his face in several places, but he still smiled.

"Yep, your carriage awaits outside. All the way from his Lordship's garage at Downton," Richard said cheerily sitting down in the chair that his father typically occupied.

"Well I am honored," Chris said, playing along. He looked at Thomas, who still hadn't said anything. He had been looking at him, observing him while Richard spoke and he saw the mix of emotions on Thomas's face. "Hello Thomas."

Thomas blinked out of his thoughts as Chris spoke to him. He sat down on the arm of the chair Richard was sitting in. "How do you feel?"

"Crap, Thomas if I am completely honest. Less crap than I felt a few hours ago, but still crap. Tired mainly and I think every part of me is bruised," Chris said.

"Not every part Chris," Richard said. "Your left eye doesn't look too bad."

"Oh wonderful," Chris said sarcastically. "Richard you are so much like your father with your humor."

Richard looked pleased. Thomas still looked concerned. He knew what Richard was doing. He was trying to distract them all, especially Chris, from the pain of this situation. Thomas found such humor harder to create however. "Chris what happened really?" Thomas asked. Chris looked a little startled by the suddenness of Thomas's question, even though he knew he would tell them everything that happened anyway. "I'm sorry, but I have a theory in my mind as to what happened and I need to know."

"It's fine Thomas. I was going to tell you both, this joking between us is nice but its not why we're here is it?" Chris asked rhetorically. "How much do you know?"

"That you were hurt after visiting the bank. Mum didn't want to say more over the telephone," Richard joined in.

Chris looked down at his hands and sighed. "It would have been something I might have been able to handle. I almost got away rather lightly considering. They were just common thieves. They must have watched me go into the bank and made the conclusion that I was taking money out instead of putting money in. They weren't the smartest bunch I don't think. They ruffed me up a bit, tried to scare me into giving up my valuables, and when I didn't that annoyed them and they took it out on me. I didn't help things, I provoked them a bit I think. Said some things that might have made them feel foolish, a bit like kicking a nest of bees," Chris explained. "They were about to give up and find themselves a more profitable victim when one of them recognised me."

"Because of you having spent a lot of your life in York?" Thomas asked. He had a feeling he was wrong.

"Not exactly. I thought this particular chap looked like he had done time, and I was right. It was hugely unfortunate for me that he had been in jail the same time I was. I had probably seen him before. He identified me as one of the 'queers' that were locked up when he was in prison. That was what started them off on me. I knew I had no chance. Once these types of people get it into their heads that they have a victim who can't fight back or report them for their assault then-" He stopped and looked at his friends faces. Richard looked uncharacteristically expressionless, while Thomas looked like he was trying to suppress anger. "Well, you can imagine the rest. Your parents found me Richard, I never thought I would be so fortunate. I doubt anyone else would have stopped to help but your mother was quite insistent. She patched me up and neither of them pushed me into going to see a doctor or to a hospital and once I explained to them about the reasons why I couldn't, the matter of reporting this to the police was also forgotten. I don't think I've ever met anyone like them. You should be proud of them."

Richard beamed at Chris's praise of his parents. He knew that he was lucky, but perhaps he never knew how lucky until now. Thomas took Richard's hand and squeezed it as he blinked rapidly. "I am," he said simply.

"We'll look after you Chris," Thomas said. "You will want for nothing I promise."

Chris cursed himself that he felt himself blush a little at Thomas's words. "Thank you Thomas, I know you will, but don't feel you have to wait on me hand and foot, I can manage."

"You could, but I insist. I just wish that I was there with you in York," Thomas said.

"I don't. As much as I love your company Thomas it wouldn't have been good for you to have been there. They would have hurt you too and I couldn't bear that," Chris said. Richard heard the tenderness in his voice. If Chris ever falls in love with someone else, and I hope that he will one day, a part of his heart will forever remain with Thomas, he thought.

It was at this moment Marion came in with a tray of tea. She had not intended to stand listening at the door to their conversation, but the last part of it sounded too personal to interrupt at that moment so she hung back. She was almost sure now, after hearing how Chris spoke, that he was in love with her son's boyfriend. It was never straight forward, she thought. "I'll leave the tray with you," she said, placing it on the table in the middle of the room.

"Thank you," Chris said.

"Richie, do you have your key?" Marion asked.

"Yeah, I do. I picked it up when we stopped off home to feed Wilde," Richard answered.

"Oh good. John and I will be turning in soon I think. It's late. Could you lock up when you leave?" Marion asked.

"Sure," Richard said.

"Before I leave you three though I was wondering what you were planning on doing about the few stitches I put in the cut on your chest Chris? I know a doctor is out of the question, but you will need to consider that because they will need removing at some point," Marion said. Chris didn't have an answer. "I know this is difficult."

"I think this can be taken care of easily enough without anyone else having to be informed Marion," Thomas said. Chris and Marion looked at him curiously. Richard glanced a smile up at Thomas as he had a feeling he knew what Thomas was about to suggest. "I can take them out."

"You can?" Chris asked.

"Yeah. I have some medical training from the war and this was part of it. Admittedly, I've not had the chance to practice but I think if I can do it on a battlefield or a field hospital then I can do it now," Thomas said.

"Well, that would be a solution yes," Marion agreed, seeing the proud smile on her son's face.

Thomas looked back at Chris who was looking at him with a slight smile on his face. "As long as you are happy with that Chris?"

"Well I think it's my only option," Chris said. "Sorry, that makes me sound ungrateful. I trust you Thomas, so yes I'm happy with that." Thomas nodded. "Just don't stab me with a needle okay?"

"Right, I'll try not too," Thomas said. The mood had lightened in the room now.

"Good, well I'll say goodnight," Marion said.

"We best be leaving soon anyway," Richard said. "Goodnight mum," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll take the tray out to the kitchen later okay?"

"Thank you. I was wondering if you might want to take a bottle of iodine with you for cleaning Chris's wounds. Come with me while I fetch it will you?" She asked. Richard knew this was his mum's way of wanting a private word with him.

"Back in a minute," he said to Thomas and Chris, as Thomas poured some tea. He followed his mum out of the living room and down the hallway to the bathroom, where she handed him a bottle with an orange brown liquid inside. "You won't need it back?" he asked.

"No, we have another anyway. It's a good thing to keep in the house in case of emergencies," she said.

"I take it you didn't just want to talk to me about medical supplies mum?" Richard asked.

Marion smiled. "No, just something I have been thinking since we met Chris," Marion began. "Now, in truth this is none of my business but I want to put any thoughts in my mind to rest." She noticed how Richard looked a bit worried. "I suspect you already know but I have to ask, do Chris and Thomas have any romantic relationship? They seem closer than friends to me, that's all." Richard looked back down the hallway in the direction of the two people in question and folded his arms across his chest.

"I do know. But it's complicated," he said looking at the floor as if it would give him the perfect words to explain. "They haven't been involved exactly. Chris got arrested before anything could have happened. You know that Chris was the man Thomas left with that night in York five years ago?"

"Chris told us earlier actually," Marion said.

"Maybe nothing would have ever happened between them, but Thomas and I were still trying to figure each other out at that stage. It was early days," Richard said. His mother nodded, leaving him time to continue. "Thomas chose me, I actually don't know if he had feelings for Chris, even for just a moment," he sighed. "As I said, it's complicated."

"Chris loves him," Marion said.

"I know," Richard. "Thomas knows too. But how do you? Did he tell you?"

Marion smiled. "No, not with words anyway. Let's just say with age comes wisdom and I've become good at reading people's faces. He looks at Thomas differently than anyone else. The way he speaks is different too." Richard nodded. "We needn't say more on the matter, except-" She paused.

"Except what?"

"Thomas cares for him," She said. Richard took a deep breath. "Not in the way he loves you, not even close. But he does. They have a connection, but you and Chris also do too." Richard looked a bit surprised. "I mean that you hired him even though you knew he loved Thomas, and anyone knows that could have been a problem." It was for a time, Richard thought to himself, remembering how he disliked Chris for that reason at first. "But you did anyway, and from what I can see, you and Chris are firm friends now?"

Richard nodded again. "I suppose we are. We stick together."

"You do, your actions tonight prove that," She said. "Now you should go and finish your tea and then get back to Downton, and I should get upstairs to sleep before I sleep on the bathroom floor." She gave her son a little friendly push in the right direction. She was pleased, between the three of them, they made a very good team.

...

"It's fine really, I can manage. Ahh! Fucksake!" Chris cursed as he failed to get out of the car without any pain, and with any dignity. He pushed himself carefully out of the backseat and lowered his legs to the ground but as soon as he put weight on his bad leg he felt the pain stab him and to make things worse when he cursed the pain in his chest, where he was covered in large bruises, shot through him. Thomas and Richard both grabbed him before he could fall. It was late now, close to midnight, and he was aware that much more noise would wake his one and only neighbour. Hopefully, she would just assume that he had to much to drink, hence the reason he was being helped out of a car and up his own garden path to his house at such a late hour.

"Chris stop being stubborn. Let us help you," Richard said. He was supporting Chris on one side of him, and Thomas was doing the same on the other.

"You were much less annoying in the car," Thomas said.

"Oh thank you Thomas for the huge helping of sympathy for a guy who had the life beaten out of him," Chris said sarcastically.

"You are welcome," Thomas said. "From what I recall, you are not keen on huge helpings of sympathy?"

"That was before. It's been nice so far," Chris said, enjoying the banter as it took his mind of the pain. "Oh god I hope those bastards didn't steal my key," he said, attempting to free his arm from Thomas's to look for it. As much as it was lovely to have Thomas so close, the pain and the overwhelming desire to lie down outshone any pleasant feelings..

"Which pocket?" Richard asked.

"Left," he said, grimacing once again. Pain was very temporarily forgotten however when he felt Thomas's hand in his trouser pocket.

"Got them," Thomas said. He unlocked the door and switched on a light after the three of them struggled inside.

"Shame you found them so quickly, you hand could have stayed there a bit longer," Chris smirked. Thomas didn't know what to say and Richard laughed.

"I think you should sleep on the sofa downstairs tonight Chris. Neither of us want to come over here tomorrow to find you in a heap at the bottom of the stairs. You should stay on one level tonight I think," Richard said sensibly. Chris didn't object and Thomas and Richard helped him to the sofa, rearranged some cushions and pushed a table out of the way at the end, before setting Chris down on the sofa and letting go of him.

Maybe it was the pain, or the large amount of whisky he had drunk in the car on the journey home, but Chris hadn't finished yet. "You don't have to let go. I was rather enjoying having two handsome men on my arm. I've had you in my arms before Thomas, but Richard...you have nice arms!" Chris said, grinning stupidly up at them as he lay down. "Very nice and tanned," he added before feeling a tiredness take him over. Thomas had gone a bit pink and he looked at Richard who was biting his lip, trying to hold his laughter in.

"He's drunk," Thomas whispered to Richard.

"I know I am, no need to whisper Thomas. It's no secret," Chris said, whilst his eyes were shut.

Richard smiled at Thomas and indicated for him to follow him to the kitchen. Richard filled up a kettle with cold water. "Should be easier if it's already filled in the morning."

"Do you think we can leave him? He's not himself," Thomas asked.

"I think so. Hardly surprising since the bottle is almost empty. It would have helped with the pain anyway and will get him off to sleep quicker," Richard said. "He speaks his mind when he's drunk doesn't he?"

"Yep," Thomas said with a flick of his eyebrows at Richard. "I think he fancies you too."

"Well I won't turn down a compliment Mr Barrow," Richard said.

"True. And he is right, you have nice arms," Thomas said, squeezing Richard's bicep.

…

Later, in the early hours of the morning, Thomas is lying in the dark in bed next to Richard. Wilde, who was not impressed about being left all alone for the whole evening, was curled up on the bed in between them, warming Thomas at the knees. They had left Chris sleeping about half an hour after they got him inside. His flirting with both of them calmed down eventually, Thomas had to admit he rather liked it and he reckoned Richard did too. Chris had spoken sleepily before they left about the shop and how he had concerns about how Richard was going to manage to be a valet and run a shop on his own. It was a problem, but Richard decided the only course of action was to open a few hours later than usual. He reckoned, once people found out Chris was hurt, that they wouldn't mind. Most people would understand that. They would keep the real events surrounding his injury between them and keep explanations brief if people asked though. Chris was then concerned about what he would do with his days. Thomas said that they would come and see him each day and bring supplies which will include plenty of books. Thomas had said that he could actually read some of the books he sells for once. He hoped that this would keep Chris from metaphorically climbing the walls, he knew how he liked to be kept busy in normal circumstances, so this situation would be tricky.

Thomas shuffled as he tried to let sleep take him over. It had been a long day and now he and Richard had very little time to rest before the beginning of the next day. Richard though, apparently was not asleep either. "So I have one question Thomas?" he said.

"Mmm," Thomas murmured into the pillow.

"Since you are going to be seeing to Chris's wounds, does that mean I get to address you as 'Nurse Barrow' as well as 'Mr Barrow'?

"No," Thomas said firmly.

"You sure? I quite like the sound of it," Richard joked.

"Yes. You are not allowed to call me that," Thomas said in mock seriousness.

Richard chuckled, "Whatever you say, Nurse Barrow, whatever you say."