Final chapter! Thank you for sticking with this story, as it tookme quite a while to finish! Hope you enjoy and leave me a fav/follow/review! I don't own any Downton Abbey content or characters.
"Oh, darling!" Cora rushed her daughter and engulfed Mary in a tight embrace. The worry in her disappeared completely, as she saw Captain Redford return with Tom and Mary moments ago. The officers allowed the reunion to take place privately, silently excusing themselves from the living room as the family reconnected after days of endless dread.
Both her daughter and son-in-law looked beaten and worn. Their clothes were ragged, they each were scuffed with bruises and cuts, their wrists were bloody and red, and both appeared utterly exhausted.
"My God, what have they done to you!" she cried.
"It is alright," Tom soothed with a tired smile, "we are safe. That is all that matters."
"George and Sybie?" Mary inquired earnestly.
"Upstairs, asleep," Cora replied, "safe and healthy."
"Thank the Lord," Tom looked to the skies in gratitude, "I am going to go see her if you will excuse me."
"I will join you," Mary agreed, "George must be traumatized after his ordeal."
"He was shaken up once Thomas returned with him," Cora nodded, "but he is young, he will forget. I doubt he even understands the gravity or entirety of the situation."
"That is a relief," Branson sighed, "Thomas…?"
Cora opened her mouth to speak, but at that moment a strangled cry echoed through the halls.
Cora closed her eyes and pursed her lips. Thomas' pained yells had been filling the home for hours now. Dr. Clarkson was continuing to operate on his wounded patient with Robert as his surgical assistant.
Both Mary and Toms' eyes widened in alarm.
"That cannot be…" Mary trailed off.
Lady Grantham nodded gravely.
"Is he going to survive?" Tom asked quietly.
"Dr. Clarkson and Robert are doing all they can to ensure it."
"Can they not transfer him to a hospital?"
"He was too weak to transport, the surgery had to be performed immediately. Any delay would mean his life. Thomas injured himself significantly in his brave return to Downton. He carried George in his arms and informed the authorities of your whereabouts."
"The man is a hero," Tom dipped his head in gratitude, eyeing the sealed doors of the drawing room.
"Perhaps I should go and assist in the surgery as well. My medical experience could be useful-"
"Mary, you are exhausted yourself. It would not do Thomas any good should you collapse in there as well."
"Your mother is right, Mary," Tom sighed, "As much as it pains me to admit, we must allow Dr. Clarkson and Lord Grantham to do what they can."
Mary reluctantly relented.
"Do not delay with the children. Both of you need your rest just as urgently as Thomas. Dr. Clarkson will come and examine each of you once you both have been cleaned up."
Lady Grantham ushered Mary and Tom upstairs. Both young parents entered the children's bedroom quietly, relief flooding through them at seeing George and Sybie once more.
As Tom closed the door behind them, Mary gripped his forearm.
"Thank you, Tom, for rescuing me from that wretched Mr. Stillman."
"No thanks is necessary, Mary. That man - those people - were evil, they had to be stopped. I could not allow him to kill once more, not after Mr. Fox."
Mary shuddered at the memory. She could see the knife in Mr. Fox's chest. The wide eyes and open mouth. The blood spurting from the wound.
"The authorities will want to hear a recounting of our ordeal no doubt," she looked away, "I do not know if I could bear it just yet."
"I am not too keen on reliving the memory of it either," Tom's voice was low, "let us at least find some peace in that they were apprehended and we all made it out alive with Downton still intact."
"Did we…?" Mary stared at him dead in the eyes.
Thomas' cried out again, his excruciating shouts filling the silence.
Tom winced, "Let us hope.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Robert stumbled out of the drawing room in a cold sweat. His sleeves had been rolled to their elbows, but his forearms were slick with blood. Thomas' blood.
"Robert!" Cora intercepted him and led him to the divan, "Thomas, is he-"
"Alive, ma'am," Dr. Clarkson emerged from doorway, "for now."
"Oh, thank goodness," relief flooded through her.
"He will need constant supervision throughout the night."
"Our servant staff can certainly provide that," she replied.
"Very well, I will return in the morning to monitor the wound," Dr. Clarkson nodded, "Thank you for all of your help, Robert, your assistance was paramount."
Lord Grantham stood and cleared his throat, "I should be the one thanking you, Dr. Clarkson. Thomas surely would have perished should he not have been in your capable care."
The surgeon dipped his head, "If you will excuse me, I would like to examine Lady Mary and Mr. Branson."
Mr. Carson escorted Dr. Clarkson up the stairs to the bedrooms.
Dawn was already starting to approach when Dr. Clarkson finished with his examinations, checked on Thomas, and excused himself from the Downton estate with promise to return in a few hours.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Thomas' eyes cracked open to see a white ceiling above him. His body felt ill and weak. He looked down to see he was tucked in his bed, his abdomen tightly wrapped with gauze.
"Try not to move," Anna said softly at his bedside, "you will rip your stitches again."
Thomas turned his head to see the petite blonde woman seated neatly in a chair by the wall. She was watching over him intently.
"Again?" he croaked.
She nodded, "You appeared at the doorstep last night. Dr. Clarkson performed immediate surgery and closed your wound once more with Lord Grantham. He was at your side all night. Lady Mary's stitches seemed to have ripped in your journey home."
"Lord Grantham?"
She nodded, "He assisted in the surgery."
Thomas remained silent, allowing the news to sink in.
"Thomas, what you did...you are a hero."
He looked away. Him? A hero? Men like him were not hailed as heroes.
"Were Lady Mary and Mr. Branson found? Did the officers-"
"Yes, Captain Redford mobilized his forces the moment you arrived. They arrested Mr. Stillman and Mrs. Fox. Mr. Fox was killed in the escape."
Of course, Mr. Fox was the weakest link of the criminal group. He was not destined to survive against the brutality of the other two.
"George?" he inquired.
"Also safe," Anna smiled, "All because of you."
"I did what anyone in this house would have done," Thomas spoke low.
"No, Mr. Barrow, you exceeded the call of duty we ask of our loyal staff of this estate," Lord Grantham's deep voice sounded at the door. His smile was full of elation to see Thomas awake and talking, "I have no way to thank you for saving the lives of my family, but I will spend the rest of my life trying."
He shook Thomas' hand, careful of his wounds.
"Thank you, sir."
"Dr. Clarkson should return shortly to reexamine you. Should you need anything, do not hesitate to ask. We are all at your service."
There was a soft knock at the door before Lady Mary and George popped their heads through the door, "Is Thomas taking any visitors?"
Upon seeing Barrow, the young boy burst into a smile and ran to the man's sickbed. Thomas greeted him warmly, hiding his wince at the boy's tight embrace. Mary pulled him away carefully.
"Now, George, be mindful of Thomas' injuries. He needs time to heal."
"The man can take it," Tom Branson smirked, walking into the bedroom, "he's a hero."
Anna and Lord Grantham excused themselves, leaving Mary, Tom, Thomas, and George.
"What happened with Mr. Fox?" Thomas coughed.
"Originally, he was sent to chloroform us so that we may relocate after you escaped." Mary explained, "However, he unbound our ropes instead. We pretended to remain unconscious as they put us in the back of the cab."
"As they were fleeing," Tom continued, "we surprised them from behind. We were gaining the upper hand until Mr. Stillman stabbed and killed Mr. Fox. We veered off the road, but by then the authorities intercepted us. They caught and arrested Mrs. Fox and Mr. Stillman"
"Who were those people?" Thomas shook his head.
"Professional con artists," Mary sighed, "I should have seen through their ruse."
"You did. You warned us all from the beginning that the cause of their arrival was suspicious. We were too ignorant to heed your advice," Thomas looked guiltily at the floor, "Now, look where we are. One man dead, one man in a hospital bed."
"I'll be alright," Thomas winced as he straightened himself up, "So long as those two rot in jail."
"They will. We are not sure of her real name, but Mrs. Fox often used that title as her alias. She would regularly perform schemes with Mr. Fox, posing as his wife. Mr. Stillman, also his alias, was hired by the two to perform this job. Their newest ploy was against us and Downton Abbey. Apparently, they have been investigating our family and property for quite some time," Mary fumed silently, "they fabricated a letter from Sir John Marriott and tricked their way into the household."
"They originally wanted to only kidnap George, Mary, and myself," Tom continued, "to sway Robert to sign the deed to the estate with a million pound ransom. You happened to stumble upon the trio as they were performing the kidnapping, therefore forcing them to bring you along as well."
"It seems your accidental capture was the key to our freedom," Mary rested a soft hand on the mattress.
Thomas opened his mouth to speak, but winced in pain. A hawkeyed Mary caught this.
"Perhaps we should let you rest," she stood, ushering Tom and George towards the door, "Mr. Barrow needs time to recover."
"I want to stay with Mr. Barrow, Mama," George pulled at the hem of her dress.
"We will come visit Thomas again shortly, my dear," she dipped her head towards a grateful Barrow and exited with George.
As Tom trailed them out and shut the door, Thomas lay back down in bed, feeling the weight of his injuries. His body felt exhausted, the toll of their ordeal sinking in heavily. He knew it would take several long weeks of recovery before he was back to his old self, but he felt content. Downton was his home. It was true, he would gladly risk his life again for Masters George, Mary, and Tom. They were his extended family, those that had remained in his life for so many long, lasting years.
And he was happy to stay for a long while.
The End!