A/N: I have been waiting FOREVER to use this song in this story - since, oh, Chapter 4 or 5? My thanks to the fan who suggested it ages ago, and my apologies for not remembering who that was. The title is "I Choose You" - Sara Bareilles - and it's on my Chelsie Potpourri Spotify playlist (username ChelsieSouloftheAbbey).

Love to brenna-louise who has lovingly read through this, helped with a poorly-worded item, and generally supported me throughout the second half of this entire story. xx

CSotA

There was a time when I would have believed them

If they told me you could not come true

Just love's illusion

But then you found me and everything changed

And I believe in something again

My whole heart

Will be yours forever

This is a beautiful start

To a lifelong love letter

Tell the world that we finally got it all right

I choose you ...

The clatter of the train on the tracks startled Charles awake, but he let his eyes remain closed. His ears picked up on the quiet words of his beloved and their daughter.

My daughter – OUR daughter, he thought with a swell in his chest. At long last. He'd waited almost half his life to think about her so openly and lovingly. The thought made the corner of his lip turn up slightly, but it went unnoticed by both women.

"… and you're sure it'll be alright?" Daisy asked for the thousandth time. "It's only, I don't want to upset her …"

"You won't," Elsie replied firmly, patiently encouraging Daisy as she squeezed her hand. "I've written to let them know we're coming, and she'll have been prepared. They'll have explained it in the simplest way possible, but she will be delighted." Elsie paused, drawing a deep breath in order to master her emotions. "She always wondered, you know … what you'd look like, where you'd end up. Becky forgets many things, but this has always stayed with her. I am sure she cannot wait to see you, my dear."

Charles moved his foot ever so slightly so that it tapped Elsie's ankle, a small sign of encouragement and his message that, while he loved and supported her, he did not want to interrupt their conversation.

It had been three weeks since Elsie and Charles had finally sat down with Daisy, discussing the situation as a whole and attempting to find a way to reconstruct their professional relationship into something more indicative of a family. Daisy had been quite clear in what she wanted: an extended family, a chance to get to know Elsie and Charles as people instead of just as the heads of staff at Downton. She wanted a chance to learn about their lives, about their childhoods and upbringing. She also wanted the same from Mrs. Patmore and Mr. Mason, to some extent, but admitted she already knew quite a bit more about them than she did about her birth parents. She didn't care what other people thought; she'd made it quite well known to her four "parents" that it was up to them what to tell and to whom. Eventually, Elsie and Charles suggested that they make no grand announcements; rather, if they were asked, they would simply answer with the truth. Everyone knew that when that truth was told for the first time, it would spread like wildfire through the Abbey; only then would they address the family and/or the staff as a whole.

And so those past three weeks had seen an increase in the amount of people in Elsie's sitting room at the end of every day. Daisy and Beryl would arrive to take part in a glass of port or a wee bit of sherry, often bringing along a small bite to eat (much to Charles's delight). They shared stories of their pasts, reminisced about favorite celebrations, holidays, and stories of times both funny and sad that they'd experienced together at Downton. They also discussed Daisy's dreams for the future, her determination to sit her exams next year and then see where that led her. She thought she'd like to remain at Downton and take over as cook when Beryl retired, and she'd made no decision about taking over the farm just yet. The three elders advised her to keep her focus on her studies for now, all three keenly aware that the future of Downton continuing as it always had was nowhere near set in stone. Through those evenings they'd built a comfort level with one another – both daughter with parents and parents among themselves – that none had realized they'd been craving until they had it handed to them.

And then, seven nights ago, Daisy had enquired about a shared day off. She wanted to meet her only other living, biological relative: her Aunt Becky.

Elsie was touched by the request, but also quite apprehensive, and she spent a good many hours pondering the best way to go about it. Finally, she just sent a letter to Becky's group home, explaining to them that Elsie would be bringing a young woman named Margaret to see Becky. She knew Becky would recognize the name, that while she might not remember all the details she would know that the only Margaret she'd ever met (aside from their Mam) was the wee bairn who'd been born in Becky's own bed, the bairn who'd gone on to live with the Macinroys many years ago. It wasn't much information but it would be enough to get them started, and then Elsie would hopefully be able to navigate their day from there.

The train slowed and Elsie reached across to nudge Charles "awake." He made a production of stirring and stretching, then looked over to see Elsie still clutching Daisy's hand. He swallowed the lump in his throat and gave them a smile, which both ladies returned in kind.

As they came to a full stop, Charles rose and offered his hand, first to Elsie and then to Daisy, helping them out of the seats before he reached over their heads to gather the basket that Daisy had packed. The plan was to take a picnic with Becky on the grounds of the home. With Elsie's help, Daisy had packed an assortment of luncheon foods and sweets that were Becky's favorites. Charles lifted the lid of the hamper to peek inside, earning him a swat from Elsie.

"What?" he asked, a look of innocence on his face.

"What, indeed? Don't you touch those biscuits, Charles Carson," Elsie admonished. "You'll have them all eaten before you even meet Becky, and then you'll have to listen to her complain all day that we forgot to bring any!"

"Oh, not to worry about that, Mrs. Hughes," Daisy said with a smile. She reached into her handbag and withdrew a small box. "I planned ahead for this."

Daisy handed the box to Charles, who opened it to find four generous wedges of his favorite shortbread. He laughed out loud, showing it to Elsie, and then reached over and placed a kiss to Daisy's head – something that startled them all but simultaneously seemed to be the most natural thing in the world.

"Thank you," he said simply. "You know me too well."

"Well, I am trying to," Daisy replied kindly, "and I am enjoying that quite a bit, truth be told."

"Well," Elsie added softly, "let's make our way to the house." She smiled as Daisy took her arm, and her spirits lifted even higher when she felt Charles put his hand at the small of her back. And so together, the family of three made their way to meet Aunt Becky.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Mrs. Hughes, good afternoon," the matron at the desk said.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Arnold. It's so lovely to see you. Might I introduce you to Mr. Charles Carson and Mrs. Daisy Mason?"

"Lovely to meet you," Mrs. Arnold answered, shaking both their hands. "If you'll allow me to gather your coats I'll hang them in our office. Mrs. Hughes knows the routine; you can have a seat in the main hall and we'll have Becky join you as soon as she's ready." She waved a hand to the nearest doorway, and Elsie led them all through.

The building, while not seeming terribly large from the front, extended quite a bit back from where they'd entered. The hall was a long, brightly-lit room, its many windows allowing the sunlight to filter in and the view of the seaside to be appreciated by everyone. Comfortable chairs and settees had been placed all around, some around gaming tables that held playing cards or chess boards. Charles was mildly surprised at this, but promptly chided himself silently; Elsie had explained a to him a bit of how simple Becky was, of what he should expect, but he knew he would be remiss in not considering that the residents of the home were likely to have a wide variety of needs and abilities.

They chose a spot by the window, with the ladies sitting together on a settee and Charles taking the chair directly opposite. After about five minutes, the pounding of feet could be heard coming from the doorway.

"Essie!" Becky shouted, running full-force toward her sister. Elsie managed to stand and plant her feet firmly on the floor just in time to receive a very adult-sized hug from her squealing sister.

"Oh, my lass, how are you?" Elsie murmured, kissing Becky's forehead as she placed her hands on Becky's cheeks. "I've missed you so."

"I've missed you, my Essie," Becky said gleefully, kissing Elsie repeatedly on the cheeks.

Charles and Daisy stood during this exchange, each marveling at the force that was Rebekah Hughes. She was Elsie's height, her long hair in a plait down her back, all grey despite her age. From her round face shone brilliantly blue eyes, wider than even Elsie's, and they danced with merriment. She was currently shaking her hands in excitement, an action that resonated with Charles as it was something he often did when agitated.

Becky allowed her gaze to fall on Charles, but she said nothing to him. She then approached Daisy, and held her hand out to Daisy's face, caressing it as she gasped softly.

"Da," she whispered. "Essie, she looks just like Da. Do you remember?"

"Yes, my darling, I do. And you are right – she looks remarkably like Da."

Daisy stood stock still, marveling at the woman stood before her. Her brain, in searching later on for a way to describe Becky to Mr. Mason, conjured up a combination of Mrs. Patmore and Miss Sybbie: kind and forthright, but with an innocent charm that was usually only found in children. Daisy thought her Aunt Becky was the sweetest woman she'd ever met, and loved her instantly.

"I'm your Auntie," Becky giggled. "Isn't that funny? I've only met you once, a long time ago, when you were just a wee bairn."

"It is a pleasure to meet you again," Daisy said kindly, reaching up for Becky's hand and squeezing it. "I go by Daisy now, though you probably remember me as Margaret."

"Daisy," Becky repeated. "I like that - daisies are very pretty. Like you."

"Thank you very much," Daisy replied. "Essie tells me you like shortbread, is that right?" Becky nodded, smiling brightly. "Well, I've made you some, you know. Shall we sit outside and try it?" She looked to Elsie for confirmation, receiving only a nod in reply.

"Yes!" Becky shouted, squeezing Daisy's hand and pulling her toward the door. "Who's that man?" she asked loudly, earning a chuckle from Daisy.

"Well, you know Essie is my Mam, don't you?" Daisy asked. Becky nodded furiously, giggling still. "Well, that's … Charlie, and he's my Da."

"Oh," answered Becky, "alright then." She accepted that without not so much as a glance but, halfway to their picnic spot, she stopped short, nearly causing Daisy to fall as her arm was jerked back, her hand still clasped in Becky's.

"Wait," she said slowly. "Wait ... Essie isn't married, silly! Charlie can't be your Da!"

Daisy looked back at her parents and saw the uncertainty and discomfort on their face. She made a split-second decision, and turned back to her aunt.

"May I call you Auntie?" she asked.

"Oh, yes!" Becky exclaimed, then saw Elsie's pointed glance, gently reminding her of her manners. "I mean, yes please."

Daisy smiled. "Well, Auntie, the way I understand it is this: Essie and Charlie love each other, and they have done so since they met a very long time ago." She glanced at them, at how Charles had reached for Elsie's hand, and smiled. "And we care for each other so much, that we are a family. Do you understand?"

"Like Mam and Da?"

"Just like Mam and Da," Elsie replied softly, approaching Becky and giving her a kiss to her cheek. "Exactly."

Becky pondered this for a moment, and then her eyes grew wide. "Wait! That means Charlie is my brother!" she squealed.

Charles laughed, a deep, rumbling sound that made Becky giggle. "Yes, I suppose that I am." He opened his arms just in time to make room for Becky's enthusiastic hug, and returned it in kind. "And I have always wanted a sister, Becky."

"Good!" she answered. "Now where is lunch?"

Laughing together, the foursome made their way to Becky's favorite picnic spot, spreading a blanket onto which Daisy unpacked their meal. Elsie and Becky sat closely together, Becky unwilling to leave her sister's side as they saw so little of one another, leaving the other end of the blanket for Charles and Daisy. They spent quite a while in silence, Becky concentrating on eating politely in front of her guests, earning her a smile and encouraging nod from Elsie. Daisy gazed out at the water, marveling at how much her life had changed in just a few short months.

"I know it's not right for me to say this," she said, too quietly for Becky to hear, "but in a way I'm glad that that train went off the tracks."

Charles looked up at her, meeting her gaze. "As am I," he replied. "It gave me back my life."

"Me, too," Daisy answered, tentatively reaching out for his hand. He hesitated only a moment before clasping hers, taking a moment to realize how right he felt sitting there with his family.

The meal finished, Elsie packed up their belongings and replaced everything in the picnic hamper. As she did so, she began humming, something nonsensical to Charles's ears but a tune which Daisy and Becky picked up on instantly – a song that reverberated in each of them, a memory of days long since gone. As she hummed, Becky and Daisy added in the words:

I've found the wee brown otter's track,

The otter's track, the otter's track

I've found the wee brown otter's track

But ne'er a trace o' my baby …

Daisy and Becky headed off to gather some flowers for Becky's room, singing away. Charles turned to Elsie, and saw the tears streaming down her cheeks. "Elsie?" he asked gently.

She shook her head. "Full circle, Charlie," she said mysteriously. "My life has come full circle at last, and nothing could make me happier."

"Nothing?" he replied, an eyebrow raised. "Well, there go my plans."

A laugh erupted from her mouth, just before she stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss firmly on his lips. "Well, perhaps one thing … but you've not properly asked."

"Do I need to?" he teased.

"Oh, Mr. Carson, I do believe so."

"I see." He moved closer to her, taking both of her hands in his own. "Well, then."

Daisy and Becky had turned to make their way back, Becky's hands full of wildflowers, but seeing what she thought was happening, Daisy reached out a hand to stop her aunt's progress. "Shh, Auntie. Listen," she whispered.

Charles took a deep breath, and then uttered the words he'd waited years to speak aloud. "Elsie May Hughes, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Of making us a family in every sense of the word? I realize I ask very, very belatedly, but I can assure you that it is my most powerful wish to have you by my side for all our remaining days on this earth."

Daisy and Becky watched in awe as Charles poured out his heart to Elsie, and only when they heard her tearful acceptance of his proposal did they approach the couple.

"Essie and Charlie are getting married?!" Becky shouted.

"Yes, petal," Elsie laughed through her tears, "it appears that we are!" She extended her arms as both girls practically tackled her in an awkward, three-person hug.

"Good!" Becky stated. "Now you will be just like Mam and Da, and we will have a proper family – won't we, Daisy?"

Daisy beamed at her Auntie and then at her parents. She knew a great deal about the road they'd taken to arrive at this day, and couldn't be happier for them – and, she wasn't ashamed to admit – for herself. For Daisy knew their happiness would lead to her own, and that her future now looked very, very bright, indeed.

"Congratulations," she whispered to them both. "I'll no longer be able to call you Mrs. Hughes," she said to Elsie. "Perhaps we can settle on something more … familiar?"

Elsie reached out and pulled Daisy into a proper hug. "Anything you wish, my darling girl. You have no idea how much I've dreamed for this day – for all of the pieces of my life to be woven together at last."

"Oh, I think I do," Daisy answered tearfully. "I think I do."

Tell the world that we finally got it all right

I choose you

I will become yours and you will become mine

I choose you

I choose ... you.

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