You can wander far away from me,

But tomorrow's dressed in our memories,

And happiness is what you make,

It's no mistake,

Why don't you stay?

Half of one is still so incomplete,

Wanting to be you and me,

Three short words you can't repeat,

I love you.

Why don't you stay?

The Crüxshadows - Stay

Tom sat slumped forward over the bar with only the froth left in the glass from the beer he had just downed.

'I'm terribly flattered.'

It was possibly the worst response she could have given. He tapped the glass indicating to the barman to refill it for the fourth time. Sometimes he wished he could get drunk fast like the Downton farm hands. Two beers and they'd be singing and slurring the night away. Still, he would be able to drive back alright, which was probably for the best. The barman partially ignored the request.

"Haven't you had enough of those?"

"No." Tom replied gruffly.

'Flattered.'

"I think you have." The barman tried again.

"Then I'll have a whiskey." The man was clearly going to refuse again when a bunch of girls walked in.

"Millicent!" The man exclaimed, glad of an escape from the brooding Irishman, "I thought we wouldn't be seeing you here for a couple of weeks."

"Well, we're all new together and there's no better place in town to get to know people." The tall, ginger girl at the front of the group spoke with the confidence that only a local lass could.

Tom raked his fingers through his hair. He should probably go soon – well, after he'd had a whiskey.

A couple of girls stood by the bar while the rest settled themselves at one of the tables and soon their excited chatter spread around the room. Nursing. Feck. Tom dropped his head into his hands. The barman was now occupied with their lemonades and ciders. He couldn't leave just yet then.

'Flattered.'

Tom felt a tentative hand on his shoulder.

"You shouldn't be here," he said plainly, without looking up. Her answering gasp told him that she was taken aback.

"How did you know?"

He turned to look at her this time. "You're the only person I know in York. And your companions have made it quite clear that they are on a nursing course."

"Oh."

Silence.

It was too soon. Far too soon for either of them because they were hurting all the more due to the sorry state of the other. Tom was partially drunk and his hair was a mess, falling over his eyes. Sybil looked tearful and lost – both within herself and in her surroundings.

"I should probably go." Tom abruptly stood up, took his glass and walked straight through the gaggle of girls at the other end of the bar. "Forget the whiskey, how much am I owing?"

"Stay here and I'll buy you a drink." Millicent suggestively ran her hand down Tom's arm. Sybil bristled protectively. She had no right to – especially not now - but jealousy was bubbling in her stomach and she was fighting the urge to slap the girl who had brought them here. Tom either ignored her purposefully or was drunk enough not to notice. He handed over the money and walked out.

Sybil ran out after him. "Branson!" His step faltered but he ignored her. "Branson," she called again, her steps closing the distance between them. He was forcing her to lay her ace on the table. 'For God's sake' she muttered before taking the gamble. "Tom, please?" That stopped him. He shut his eyes tightly before he slowly turned to face her. She was closer to him than either of them had really expected.

She lowered her gaze and took a step back. "Will you let me explain myself?" He nodded but otherwise didn't move. "Let's sit in the car." She was losing that sense of lost-ness and gradually becoming Lady Sybil again. They walked the short distance in silence and Tom dutifully opened the car door for her and helped her in. She murmured a thank you, but as he moved to shut the door she stopped him. "This conversation is one we need to have as equals. Please sit with me?"

Part of Tom wanted to argue that he was still in a uniform and sitting in the back of the car would hardly make them equals, but as angry and upset as he was, he found he couldn't deny her. He climbed in and shut the door.

"Why now?" her question surprised him. "Why ask me now? As I'm beginning a new chapter?"

"That's exactly why!" his sudden outburst made them both jump. "During your season in London all the talk at the house was whether you would come back with a beau. The thought alone made me sick. I guess that was when I realised how much I was in love with you. Now you're going off again. I thought if I don't say something now I may never have another chance."

"Oh Tom. You're as bad as my sisters!" her tone was much more light-hearted now. "I'm not here for dinners or soirees or socialising. I'm here to learn. And not just about nursing. I need to learn to stand on my own two feet so that, if I do ever marry, I'll not be a burden. I'll be able to cook and clean and earn a wage. Mama always says 'happiness is what you make'. If I said yes to you now, gave all this up, I'd go back to feeling useless."

"I wouldn't make you give it up!"

"I'm not saying you would, but I need to do this for me. I need to prove to myself I can do this. I need to prove to my family that I can do this." She reached out and took his hand, "let me make something of myself too. I meant what I said – I won't have you lose your job over this, but I can't say yes."

"How about 'maybe'?"

"Tom, this isn't the only hurdle. You know that. I don't want to give you false hope, so I won't give you an answer unless I'm absolutely sure." He nodded. It wasn't an outright rejection anymore and in a way he was overwhelmed at the depth of thought she had put into it, but it was still a long way from the answer he'd been hoping for. "With that in mind I can't ask you to stay. You are a free man, so instead I'll just say 'why don't you stay?'" She smiled at him. That cheeky, aristocratic smile that usually got her her own way.

He chuckled slightly, the tension easing. "Aye, I might just stay. For a bit."