Tally's first day had been going well. Until she clambered into Daniel while he was coming in through the servants door. Luke warm tea, utensils and plates clattered to the floor, the china smashing into pieces.

"I'm so sorry Tally." Daniel apologized. "I didn't see you."

He and Daisy immediately bent to help clean up the broken shards.

"No, it was me. I'm always clumsy."

Miss Hughes came into the room. "Did someone not mind the servants door this time?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Hughes." Daniel began.

"It was me, Miss Hughes. I should have watched where I was going."

"Well, thank goodness it wasn't hot." Quipped Miss Hughes.

"What about the tea?" Tally protested. "I've ruined it. I ruined their evening tea. Now they'll throw me out." She felt like her throat was beginning to close. She couldn't go back there from where she came. She could not possible survive it if she was put through that sort of environment again.

"No one is going to throw anyone out."

"What's going on here?" Carson's voice boomed.

"Please don't punish me. It was an accident, promise." The young girl seemed to shake at Carson's words, her head down, not making eye contact.

"No one's going to..." Miss Hughes started.

"Please don't punish me."

"We don't punish servants for accidents." Carson said calmly but it did nothing to calm the poor girl. "Steady on." Was all he could say. Situations like this were quite foreign to him. They were staff and weren't meant to be treated with kid gloves. But a part of his heart held sympathy and warmth toward the young maid. She looked a bit older than she appeared but as she coward in fear, she appeared a lot younger. He wished he could show her that she had nothing to fear from him but that was quite difficult without putting his authority in jeopardy. If he showed favoritism in the least, they wouldn't take him seriously.

"It was only an accident." Daisy said to her, stepping in, when no when else was going to. Tally was closer in age to her, maybe that would help. She would want someone to tell her that she wasn't alone neither was she the only when that made mistakes. "It happens to me sometimes. It happens a lot actually, people coming in and out."

"Tally, really, it wasn't your fault." Daniel stated. He couldn't quite get through to her. Daisy's kindness seemed to pennate her wall of fear.

Tally stood up with the assistance of Miss Hughes and Daisy.

"Come on now, dear, let's get you out of those wet clothes." The housekeeper led her to the linen closet and handed her a new uniform.

"Do you mind if I change in here?"

Miss Hughes found it a bit peculiar but didn't protest it. She probably felt embarrassed enough as it was. "Just make it quick." She hesitated at the door, deciding that she should say something. She turned back to her. "Mr. Carson can seem rather frightening at times but he has a big ol' heart, he just doesn't let it be shown. We look after our own here."

"Thanks, Miss Hughes."

Anna was on her way to put the fresh linens in the closet. She opened the door to find the new house maid. She had her shirt half way on, when Anna saw the faint pink scars on her back, some of which were still healing.

They caught each other's gaze. The girl's eyes round as saucers. "What are you staring at?"

Anna pretended she hadn't seen. "I was just putting these away."

She swiftly took the linens from Anna.

Anna told her husband about it, "It looks as if she's been beaten."

"We can't do anything about it, unless she wants us to. Wherever she came, whatever she's been through, Downton is the place for her to heal. Isn't that why we call came here?"

Anna nodded. How could she forget?

"We all have our scars." Her husband continued.

The next morning after their encounter, Tally seemed frightened of Anna. Anna had found it quite preposterous. She wanted to show the young girl that not everyone downstairs was against her. Anna and Daisy showed her the ropes. She was thankful that they were ever so kind.

"I can't be thrown out." She was near tears. "I'm not usually clumsy, just when I'm nervous. And I don't think I'll ever be any good. I can't get set out. I just can't."

"Now, now, it won't come to that." Anna said, resting a hand on the girl's red locks instead of putting her arm around her, being mindful of the cuts.

Normally Tally didn't like anyone touching her. She did not mind it that much this time, perhaps she was too upset to properly care.

"Not if we help ye." This was from Daisy. She was already like an older sister to her.

"Right." Anna replied, not expecting the back up. "It just takes practice."

Tally had not yet met the heir of Grantham. She wanted to make things perfect for him, as she helped with the dinner. She carried entries, dashing and dodging to navigate the crowded kitchen. Her moves were graceful like a dancers.

Daniel didn't believe her to be clumsy. He was such a big oaf just like his cousin Alfred. He worked in a hotel and once he dumped a whole tray on a Lady's lap. Knocking into her had been his fault, he had told her that. He hadn't watched where he was going. He'd been over six feet tall since he was eleven. Here he was at twenty-six, tripping over his own two feet. She was the kindest person he ever met but he was too old for her. She had to be about fifteen, not sixteen as was the required age to work at Downton. It was obvious to him that she had lied about her age. He wouldn't out her and get her into trouble. The only person closest to her age on the staff was Daisy who was twenty-one but he was no where near fond of her as Tally.

Miss Stevens. He corrected.

"I'm sorry we didn't get off on the right start."

"No. I'm really sorry. I try to stay out of everyone's way. I don't want to get in trouble with Mr. Carson again."

"You're not in trouble. Mr. Carson isn't really that rough. It's just how he sounds. All bark."

She would have been punished at Dean Park. He had left before his secret would be discovered. He was still in the clear. His life here so far had been far from fanciful, better than Dean Park by a landslide. One would think it would be if they had no experience. It wasn't all glitz and glammer. His Auntie was a real cheer around this place to prove it.

"It's me that's the big oaf. It hasn't been easier for me either." He told her.

"What do you mean?"

"All's I'm saying is, I want you to feel that you have a friend."

AN: This chapter is more of introduction of new characters, the next chapters will also build on the existing characters to get them where they need to be for this story. I had Anna and Bates already marry, none of the Vera/Sandal nonsense. My cannon for Bates is that he used to be a criminal, used to be a drunk and a thief, hence why his wife divorced him. So Anna is under quite a stigma for marrying a divorced man. But Lord Grantham and Lady Grantham are in his corner and keep him on, giving him a second chance. And of course just like in the show Thomas and O'Brien try to use Bates past of stealing by taking one of Lord Grantham's belonging, stashing it in his room. When that fails, (thwarted by Anna enlisting Mary's help to safely return it with no one's knowledge, try to accuse him of being a drunk by implying he's been stealing the liquor. Of course Thomas and O'Brien's plan unravels and Bates stays. All this takes place in 1914 before the war. Anna and Bates are about a year married by this point.