Hi, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas. Here is another one shot, I wanted to post it now, since it takes place around now. Anyway, this is a sequel to one of my other Downton Abbey stories called The Power Grief Has, I would recommend reading that first so this makes more sense. If you guys think I should continue with this series of one shots, let me know, or if you have any other ideas, since I love writing them, but I'm starting to run out of ideas. I don't own Downton Abbey, only the mentioned OC Zachary. As always, please review, it is much appreciated. I hope you all like this.

December 1891

To all appearances Robert and Cora Crawley were happy. Why shouldn't they be, with the impending birth of their second child. Cora was excited, Robert, on the other hand, not so much.

With the possibility of Cora going into labor any day now, Robert packed up and went off to London. He was staying with his sister, Rosamund, and her husband Marmaduke. Robert really had things to do in London, so for the first day and a half, Rosamund had let him be, but after dinner the second night, Rosamund had asked Robert to talk with her in the drawing room.

Sighing, Robert followed his sister into the drawing room and they sat down, facing each other. "I don't mean to be impertinent, but I'm going to ask you a question and I want the complete and honest truth." Rosamund told him.

Robert looked at her confused, but didn't say anything, indicating for Rosamund to continue. "What are you so afraid of?" She asked.

"I'm not afraid of anything." Robert answered, way too quickly to be the truth.

"Robert, you're about to become a father, but you've run away to London." Rosamund said.

Robert jumped up quickly, walking away from Rosamund. "I'm already a father."

Rosamund's face softened. "Of course you are, I'm sorry, but you can't be afraid to have a child just because you might lose it."

"It's not fair that I got a son only for him to die." Robert grumbled.

"It's not fair to never be able to have children." Rosamund fired back. Robert turned to look at her. "I understand that you are sad over the loss of your son, and you have every right to be, but this child will bring you happiness like you've never known, I promise you that."

Rosamund watched as the realization dawned on Robert that she was right. Robert ran his hand through his hair. "I'm a fool. I've got to get back to Downton."

"You can take the train in the morning-" Rosamund was cut off by the arrival of Marmaduke.

"A telegram has arrived for Robert." He informed them. He handed his brother-in-law the telegram, then took a seat on one of the couches.

"It's from Mama, Cora is having the baby, I must return to Downton tomorrow." Robert read aloud. "The baby is to be born soon and I'm not even there." He was clearly starting to panic, so Rosamund stepped in.

"It's alright, Cora will understand. We will go to Downton tomorrow." She explained to him calmly. "Now it's late, let's all go to bed."

That night Robert had not slept well, he was full of worry and excitement. What if this child died like Zachary had? He would never get to meet him or her then. Was it another boy or a girl? Questions had flooded his mind until he was able to doze off.

In the morning Robert, Rosamund, and Marmaduke boarded a train in London for Downton. His sister and her husband talked to each other almost the entire time. Robert didn't mind, he busied himself with looking out of the window and watching the trees and everything else pass by him in a blur. His mind still raced with thoughts of his new child and his wife, who he was very sorry to have left at a time like this.

Robert couldn't have made it to the house any quicker if he had tried. The first thing he did was to get up to Cora's room. He must have surprised her, based on the shocked look on her face when he appeared at her door tired and out of breath and the squeak that had escaped her when he kissed her with as much love and passion as possible.

"I'm sorry, dear, I shouldn't have left." He apologized.

"I'm just glad you're alright, I had no clue as to where you had gone, until Papa told you had gone to London, I was so worried." Cora said.

"Worried about me? No, how are you feeling? What about the baby?" Robert inquired.

Cora chuckled. "I'm fine, and she is too."

"She? It's a girl?" Robert smiled.

"Yes, you're not upset?" Cora questioned.

"No, I'm the happiest a man could be." Robert said with a smile.

That night, Robert was in the nursery getting to know his new daughter, Mary Josephine Crawley. "I may have only known you for only a few hours now, but I love you so much already, just like your brother before you. You may never understand just how happy you have made me, you have given me a second chance to be a father, and I promise to be a great father to you and any siblings you may have in the future."

"I'm sure you will be." A voice interrupted.

Robert turned around to see Cora standing in the doorway. He turned back to the baby laying in his arms. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I wanted to come see Mary." Cora responded. She walked over to her husband, resting her hand on his arm. "Why did you go to London, Robert?"

Robert sighed, placing Mary back into her crib. "I-I was scared about having another baby. I didn't want to lose this baby like we had Zachary. I didn't think I could go through the loss of another child, but I know now that-that even if that were to happen again, I could get through it with you."

"I was scared too." Cora admitted. "But I knew that I couldn't live in fear, and so I turned my fear into excitement. I was looking forward to having a baby again."

"I am too." Robert agreed, taking Cora by the hand and walking out of the room together.

September 1921

Just as Robert had been afraid of Cora giving birth that cold December, he was afraid of Mary giving birth now. He probably wouldn't be if it wasn't for Sybil's death in childbirth just over a year earlier.

It should be funny actually, here he was again thirty years later on a train ride to Downton, staring out of the window, watching the trees and everything else pass by in a blur, while worries of Mary's possible death filled his head.

Robert was shaken from his thoughts when he felt someone grab his hand. He turned to see it was Cora. "Everything is going to be alright." She assured him with a kind smile. Robert nodded in agreement, unsure if his voice would betray him or not. He glanced over at Matthew, who, as far as appearances go, was taking this all much better than himself, or maybe he was just better at hiding it than Robert was.

Going back to the window, Robert tried to convince himself that everything was going to be fine, it was the last time, he has nothing to worry about. Little did Robert know that his worry should not have been for his daughter's well being, but instead for the young man that sat across from him.