A/N: It's been forever but ... life and writing is hard. I am going to finish this. I've just decided to sit down and do it. If you are still with me thank you and if you are new, welcome. Please pardon errors; I just need to get it out there

Charles

Though the distance between Downton Village Workhouse, on the outskirts of town, and the grounds of Downton Abbey are but a stone's throw, for Charles Carson the distance is as far as the east is from the west. His parent's cottage on the estate of Downton Abbey is comforting, a place of solace and he's barely placed his hand to the door before his mother, Addie, flings it open, and pulls him inside.

Addie Carson is a robust woman, tall, with dark eyes lined with thick lashes, her cheekbones high, chiseled, her features refined. Her raven-colored hair is upswept and elegant, her clothing simple and modest, but she's well-kept; a woman who takes pride in herself. Addie is well-read, a devout woman, and well-thought of on the estate and in the village.

"Oh, Charlie, it's so good to see you," she gushes as she sizes him up and takes his bag. "You've not been eating, but it's no wonder …" She trails off sadly. It's been months since the Carson's have seen their son; last seeing him in the immediate days after Sarah and the baby's funeral. The tear that falls from his mother's eye brings pangs of guilt for having secluded himself away behind the walls of the Workhouse using work as an excuse to retreat into his grief.

Before he can object very much Addie has cast aside his bag in the hallway and is already bustling about in the kitchen, reminding him very much of Mrs. Patmore back "home." She's plating up a sandwich and pouring a tall glass of milk and soon she's sat at the kitchen table expecting him to join her.

"Mum, really. You didn't have to go to the trouble." He protests softly, but his mother's countenance brooks no conversation on the matter and Charles tucks into the sandwich and washes it down with a large gulp of milk. He knows that he's being overly sentimental but there is definitely something comforting about having his mother take of him.

"You dad is up at the Abbey, speaking with His Lordship, but he'll be back soon. I know that he'll be glad to have you home for a few days working with him again."

Charles simply nods and gives her a crooked half-smile as he bites off another hunk of sandwich.

He's glad to be home too.

Elsie and Becky

Their rented room at the Fox and the Hare is serviceable, but tiny and dingy and barely big enough for the battered wardrobe and the double bed much less the wash basin that's casually situated in one corner. Renting a room above a public house is not ideal, but Elsie has't much choice considering their circumstances.

The sale of the farm hadn't yielded as much money as Elsie had hoped. Upon listing the farm for sale, she had found out that, after her father's death, her mother had borrowed against the property and was still owing.

The Fox and the Hare isn't a grand establishment by any standard, and it's walls are paper thin. Trying not to think of the familiar voices she hears in the rooms nearby, Elsie tries to ignore the lust-filled voice of His Lordship's second-eldest son and his giggling female companion as they stumble up the stairs and fall into the room next to the one she and Becky occupy.

Thankful that Becky is a sound sleeper, Elsie sighs as she turns over onto her stomach. Try as she might, the couple in the other room aren't shy and their "encounter" keeps her wide awake until the young man falls asleep. She hopes that her appointment at Parkside Hall brings good news and that this is the last night she and Becky spend in this place.

The atmosphere in Mrs. Corbin's sitting room is not unpleasant, but it's decidedly more formal than Parkside Hall's former head housemaid would like. The housekeeper's manner is perfectly cordial, kind even, as she offers Elsie and Becky tea and biscuits, kind conversation, and her sympathies on the loss of their mother; she gives a listening ear. But Elsie senses that the housekeeper is a bit highly strung, as if she's worried about something. But then, Elsie is a bit overwhelmed herself.

"Elsie, I'm sorry," the housekeeper begins quietly, "but as you know that there isn't a place for a housemaid who has family. I took the liberty of approaching her ladyship, but Parkside isn't quite ready for a maid who has family living in or a maid who lives out and comes into work. I'm very sorry." Elsie sees the tears in the old woman's eyes and knows that the words are not hollow, that the sentiment is real.

"I understand." She hears herself say the words and she does understand, though she does not think it fair. How is she expected to support Becky and herself if she cannot do what she is trained to do? Elsie looks over to Becky who sits quietly with a cup of tea and nibbles on a chocolate biscuit, oblivious to their dire circumstances. "I shouldn't have put you in an awkward position Mrs. Corbin, but I'm in desperate need for work. So, if you hear of anything, we are staying at the Fox and the Hare in the village," Elsie finishes quietly as she places her tea cup and saucer onto the table nearby.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I do have a sister who has a hotel in Downton Village and Elsie, I hope that you don't mind, but I told her of your situation. If you're agreeable, there is a position for you."

"I don't know how to thank you," Elsie cries as she reaches out and grasps the housekeeper's hand.

"It's not a full-time housemaid position so there aren't any meals included and you won't live in, but there is a small flat for you and Becky at a reduced cost so that you can stay together."

Elsie is reduced to tears and she cannot quite find the words to express her joy at her new prospects. It's the first good news she's had since before she received the letter from Uncle Rab summoning her home. The job may not be much, but it's a beginning and she and Becky can stay together which is more than she has expected.

A Review would be lovely. It encourages the writer so. Thank you