As this whole story was inspired by and written for Tee-Cup, and she's never been that adverse to slightly sadistic horror story ideas :') I turned to HogwartsDuo, to whom this chapter is dedicated, for a slightly less horror filled chapter and she's helped immensely with where the story's is going and beta read this chapter.

And I apologise for my inability to update anything, I am just…useless.

Charles stood staring into the darkness, his courage baffled even him but he stood by what he said, he would defend his beloved till his own death – they were to die together, well into their golden years after a long and happy marriage. Now was not her time, to be killed so brutally by a spirit before they'd even had a chance to walk down the aisle, was not how her life would end. Not if he had a say in it.

He was broken from his reverie by a shrill cry from the direction of Lady Edith's room. Running back through the shadows without a second thought.
Entering the room, he saw all three sisters huddled around the bed, Lady Sybil attempting to restrain Elsie who was writhing on the bed crying out.

"Elsie! Elsie!" He shook her shoulders desperately, trying to get her to respond. Her eyes had rolled back leaving them blank and empty. She was writhing under their hands, groaning and crying out, attempting to push them off, even scratching Sybil's arm as she tried to hold her down.

"What's happening to her?!" Mary and Edith were at loss of what to do.

"I don't know!" Sybil was practically in tears; her second mother couldn't hear or recognise her and only saw her as threat – attempting to fight her off as if she was an attacker.

"Elsie…Elsie…please!" Charles leant close to her face, careful to avoid a hit, placing his lips beside her ear, whispering,

"My love…"

Her breath hitched then stopped altogether – they began to panic, her body had tensed and stilled entirely.

Silence.

Charles had stayed near her face, tears forming in his eyes as they met Elsie's lifeless orbs. Beginning to lose faith, he retreated to look down at her.
But as he did, her hand shot out to grab his wrist, in shock he looked up at her face, he was still met with translucent whiteness. But there was more, usually he would use her eyes to gauge her emotion, a sea of blues would normally tell him of her feelings, still tranquil waters when calm, a brutal storm when angry and overflowing waterfalls of hurt and sadness.
But now the sea was dried out, gone, disappeared, replaced with nothing…emptiness. Despite that, there was emotion there, an internal screaming she couldn't voice. Her eyes were pleading, begging for help. All he could do was press his lips to her forehead and hold her hand tightly.

"Come back to me, my love"

She let out a final scream, screwing her eyes shut and arching her back, they watched her with baited breath and wide eyes.
Lying back flat there was a beat before she opened her eyes, a joint breath was released.

"Elsie?" His breath replaced his voice and she only just caught what he'd said.

"Charles" She smiled tearfully and squeezed his hand "What happened?"

"All that matters is that you're alright"

"Charles…"

"Shush my love, you're safe now"

"I feel…I feel it…safe. Like she's gone"

He smiled down at her.

"I made her see my love for you was everything I am, that my whole being is for you my dear. I suppose against her jealous and vain nature, that love was too strong."

Tears had formed in the eyes of everyone in the room, which now included Robert and Cora who'd been alerted by the noise. Charles has not noticed this; he simply sat on the edge of the bed with a tight grasp of her hand and another stroking her hair. She began to softly laugh amidst the tears.

"What is it?" He asked, pressing the barest of kisses beside her eyes.

"Your love…saved me, brought me back to life almost" She was beaming through her tears which has begun to trickle down her cheeks.

He returned her smile when he saw the significance of her words. Through protecting her through the pain and fear he has used his love to save her from harm, as best he could. Now through confessing it, raw emotion already to her, he had helped her overcome her demons and see the light, so to speak. In their case he'd given her no reason to give into the ghost; she was too well respected and loved by the staff and family but by him… his love went far beyond that. She was his reason for awakening every day, his reason for getting up, his entire reason for being – he lived for her and only her. That alone set her apart from the others, she has someone whose life relied on hers being intact, another life physically needing hers and that, had defeated their demon.

He couldn't stop kissing her, peppering her face with the most chaste and reverent of kisses all over, when he wasn't laughing joyfully through tears and repetition of "my love."

The sisters and their parents had stepped out, Sybil offering Edith her room to allow the couple some privacy, only Mary was left, standing alone in the corridor, looking down it, out of the corner of her eye she was certain a shadow had moved, but when she looked again she found nothing, the corridor was bathed in moonlight. Smiling to herself, she headed back to her room feeling safer than she ever had, knowing those she considered surrogate parents, were finally safe and happy.

Inside the room Elsie was sitting up, wrapped in Charles' arms who was sat beside her.

"How are you feeling my dear?"

"Like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders, and filled my heart with love instead" She finished with a radiant smile which he returned enthusiastically with a kiss her forehead.

"My girl, I think we may finally be free."

"I think so too. I have something to live for now."

"You always had something to live for Elsie."

"I've always had you, yes, but now you have given me my reason to live."

He let out a rush of breath against her forehead "my darling..."

The sincerity of his words and the love in his voice caused her tears to fall yet again. She held his left hand to her chest, lacing their fingers together. Silence had filled the house, it was nearly time for the servants to be up but he was sure they'd make an exception for Elsie, allow her to make up for many nights worth of insomnia. And he wasn't quite ready to leave her.

"Charles?" She'd noticed he'd gone quiet, "what is it?"

All he did was simply pulled her closer and rest his cheek on her head. Not pressing him further, she curled up against him instead, enjoying their closeness. Before drifting off she managed to whisper;

"Charles?"

Yes my love?"

"Thank you."

Okay I'm thinking about stopping here, I don't know do you want more? If you do I promise it'll be done soon…ish ;)
I'M ACTUALLY WRITING THE NEXT CHAPTER OF SIMPLY TOO PERFECT SO KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED YOU POOR SHIPPERS WHO I TREAT SO BADLY :/

Anyway thank you for putting up with me through this and for all your kind reviews 3

xXx