A/N: Chapter five is here! She is shorter than the rest (which may come as a relief) but this chapter is mostly for moving the story along, so it didn't want too much waffle in it. But fear not, there is going to be some spice in chapter six!

Flux

Chapter five - in which their world changes forever

The end of July approached swiftly, and with it came more trials for Robert and Cora. The latter leant back against the chaise lounge and sighed, it seemed that the only way she could get out was bed rest was by resigning herself to 'chaise lounge rest' – which was just as tedious. She knew she had to, with all of Doctor Clarkson's visits and the way he monitored her so closely, she knew that Robert would chastise her if she thought she was overdoing it…though the two of them certainly had very different definitions of the term. She knew it was for her own good, though; as much of a fighter as she was, she had to remind herself that she was not as young as she once was, and if there was ever a time to listen to her doctor's advice, it was now.

Still, Robert was fair to her, despite his watchful eye. When she was feeling well enough, he would always accompany her on walk around the grounds, and had even conceded that resting on the sofa in the library was just as good as bed rest…although that was mostly because he just wanted to be near her. But all of that wasn't quite enough to keep him from being so jumpy, if only her nausea wasn't so frequent, she thought.

Cora folded her book distractedly, she was hoping that some H.G Wells would keep her spirits up, but it seemed as though she was just not in the mood to read. She wasn't unhappy by any means, simply restless. She had gone eighteen long years without bedrest or fussing, now she felt like she was a young wife again. But she had to remind herself that things were different now, the times may be more modern, but she was older, and getting away from her prescription of forced relaxation would not be an easy feat.

"Ah, there you are" Robert said as he walked into the bedroom, and Cora's eye lit up immediately.

"You didn't think I'd run away, did you?" she teased.

"No" he chuckled, "but I wasn't sure if you'd gone to the library or not"

"I thought I'd try and read for a while, but I don't seem to be in the mood" she said honestly.

Robert moved towards her then and perched on the chaise lounge before kissing her temple sweetly.

"You worry about me too much" she commented as she snuggled into his side and let him hold her gently.

"Darling, as the doting husband of a wife who is expecting, it is my duty to worry"

"You may be right" she replied, and he could hear the smile in her voice.

"I'm not smothering you, am I?"

"No" she assured with another audible smile, "in fact, I quite like all of the extra affection"

"I thought as much" he said with a smile of his own as he pressed another protective kiss to the top of her head before nuzzling into her hair.

"I don't suppose me praising you is enough to get me out of my endless best rest enforcement, is it?"

"No" he chuckled, "that's husband's and doctor's orders. Speaking of which, how was your visit with Doctor Clarkson this morning? I had hoped to catch him before he left, but I think I just missed him"

"It went well, I suppose" she said thoughtfully.

"You suppose?" Robert echoed and he pulled away from the top of her head to look at her.

"I told him about the relative consistency of my nausea, and he says I am definitely suffering from a more serious case of morning sickness, but it's not strong or frequent enough for me to be diagnosed with whatever that condition he mentioned last time was"

"So that's good news then?"

"Mostly" Cora hummed, "he is still going to monitor me heavily, especially my weight and hydration"

"Well, that's something we can keep an eye on too. We'll make sure you're eating and drinking well, and that you're also getting plenty of rest"

Cora smiled warmly at him and took one of his hands in her own.

"You do look after me" she said sweetly.

"Darling, I will always look after you" he assured her – his eyes glazed over with adoration.

"Well, hopefully I won't cause enough problems in order to require constant care" she joked.

Robert smiled at her humour, but then his face morphed into a look of concern.

"You haven't found all of the resting too difficult, have you? Be honest with me"

She exhaled gently and squeezed his hand. He could read her like a book; and clearly, he could remember her detest of forced rest from her previous pregnancies.

"It has been a difficult adjustment" she told him, "It has been so long since I have experienced any of this. Mary and Edith were so close together, and Sybil was so long ago. It just feels strange to go backwards all of a sudden"

"I know, darling, and I do appreciate that"

"I know it's for my own good, and for the good of the baby. Besides, the girls come and keep me company quite often, and so does my wonderful husband"

"He does his best" Robert chuckled.

He was about to kiss her again, when a knock sounded from the door and Cora flashed him a defeated look that told him their time was up. Robert accepted it, of course, and moved off the chaise lounge and stood in a more socially acceptable part of the bedroom.

"Come in" Cora beckoned, and the door opened to reveal an apprehensive Carson.

"I am ever so sorry to disturb you, your ladyship – oh, and your lordship"

"It's no problem, Carson. What did you need?" she asked kindly.

"The Dowager countess is here to see you, milady. Would you like to receive her in the library?"

"You can send her up here, Carson, I don't mind" she told him.

"Are you sure, my lady?"

"I would like Lady Grantham to rest a little longer if possible" Robert added.

"Very good, my lord, my lady" and then he took his leave.

"Hopefully I'm not in for a scolding" Cora joked.

"She won't scold you, she wants you wrapped up and looked after now that you're pregnant"

Cora smiled in agreement.

"You're right. I'm enjoying being on the receiving end of some affection for a change"

"Well, savour it, dear. No doubt you will both find something to fight over when the baby is born" he teased.

Cora couldn't disagree.

O'Brian seethed as she was preparing Cora's bath, she couldn't believe what was happening, to be dismissed so effortlessly after ten years of dedicated service had cut her deep, and beneath her sadness was searing anger. But to make matters worse, Cora spoke about it so openly in front of her, did she not care about respect or decency? How dare she think so little of her, O'Brian thought.

"O'Brian…" Cora began absent-mindedly as she focused on washing herself, "how long do you think it takes a lady's maid to settle in"

O'Brian stopped suddenly – shocked by her brazenness – and kept her back to her employer, afraid that her face would betray her. She considered her answer carefully, not wishing to reveal her anger.

"It depends on the maid, milady" she said stoically.

"Of course it does" Cora agreed.

O'Brian felt another surge of anger crackle through her, and she let out a long and silent breath in order to steady herself. Despite her scheme to be a picture-perfect maid, her heart yearned for revenge, and it was becoming more and more difficult to resist the temptation. It would only take something small for her to ruin her ladyship, to force karma to play its part in this wicked game she was playing…

"I'm sure you heard me talking about it, but the Dowager countess is in search of a new lady's maid and I'm trying to make sure she finds someone who is a good fit for the position"

Without thinking, O'Brian whipped around a stared at Cora – her mouth agape and her eyes wide. Surely she hadn't heard that correctly?

"The dowager countess is looking for a new maid, Milady?"

"That's right"

O'Brian felt her body flood with a dizzying mix of relief and embarrassment; she had been on the edge of doing something drastic, something she never would have forgiven herself for in light of this revelation. She blamed herself for being so volatile, but all of the pieces had been there, and she was so sure that she was in the firing line. If only she hadn't riled herself up, if only she hadn't let Thomas lead her into seeing red…

"O'Brian, is anything the matter?"

"No, sorry, Milady. It's just…"

"Yes?"

"If there is anything I can do to help you find an appropriate maid for the Dowager, please let me know, Milady"

Cora smiled brightly at her maid, a genuine smile laced with kindness that had O'Brian wracked with guilt.

"How kind of you, O'Brian, thank you"

O'Brian gave her a slow nod in response.

"I'll just go and fetch you another towel, Milady"

Once Cora had redressed, O'Brian had made her way to the back of the house and lit a much-needed cigarette. She let the murky smoke fill and twist inside her lungs like a delicious poison before blowing it out in an elegant stream. She felt it relax her instantly and she savoured the way it made the world seem like a shadow.

"What's up with you? You look like you've seen a ghost" came a sarcastic voice from behind her, and she didn't have to look to know that it was Thomas.

"Her ladyship isn't dismissing me" she replied plainly.

"What?"

"She isn't going to sack me"

"You mean she's changed her mind?" asked Thomas as he lit his own cigarette and watched as O'Brian took another long drag of hers.

"She was never going to do it in the first place. All that talk I heard of her looking for a new maid was a favour she was doing for old lady Grantham"

"So, you mean the Dowager is looking for a new maid?"

"Hers is leaving, apparently. And the advertisements her ladyship placed were for a new maid at the Dower house, I just misunderstood"

"Well, that was bloody stupid of you, wasn't it? Getting yourself all angry over something that wasn't even true"

"You believed it too, you rat. In fact, you've been just as foolish as I have!" O'Brian barked.

"How do you make that out?"

"You were banging on about disrespect and teaching her a lesson and all that other nonsense. If anyone is to blame for me seeing red, it's you"

"You just can't admit when you're wrong" Thomas snorted.

"Oh, I know very well that I was wrong, and I have no trouble owning up to it. I'm just glad I found out the truth before I did something that I regret"

"I thought you were going to be the picture-perfect lady's maid?" Thomas sarked.

"I have been. But God only knows the temptation for payback was there"

"You mean you were planning something?"

O'Brian studied him for a moment and knew that she should say no more if she wanted to stay out of Thomas' web of blackmail.

"I planned nothing" she told him, "But I was angry, and I was fuelled by your talk of deserving better from the apparent villain that employs me"

"Well, I can't be blamed for going off the information that you gave me"

"Your problem is that you like to cause trouble. Your own little life is so insignificant that you have to watch everyone else's crumble"

Thomas snarled at her.

"You don't want to get on the wrong side of me, Miss O'Brian" he threatened.

"You think I'm scared of you? I know your game, Thomas, you sneak around and weave webs of lies that all eventually get broken down by the slightest imperfections. And like all webs they eventually disappear, and you're always left chasing your next victim"

"I mean it" he warned.

"Do what you like" she sniffed in disregard, "say what you like. Right now, I have no desire for you or your scheming ways"

She stubbed out her cigarette, turned sharply on her heels and marched back into the house, leaving her colleague to stare furiously into the back of her head.

The beginning of August found Downton in a flurry of activity as the long-awaited garden party was in full swing and the generous sunshine found servants busing themselves with trays of drinks and food, while guests mingled and tried to remember everyone's names before discussing the juiciest topic around, their pregnant hostess.

Cora had been true to a promise she'd made to her husband and enjoyed most of the festivities while sat down. They had made a compromise, she had stood and walked with him when their guests had been arriving in order to greet them properly, but as the party began to settle, she had remained seated in a cushioned chair that had been brought down from the house. But it hadn't been all bad, she ruminated, for being almost entirely contained to a chair had meant Robert had been drawn to her more than he usually would be at a social event. He was never one to neglect her, of course, that would involve him keeping his attention off of her for more than fifteen minutes – something she knew he was more or less incapable of – but a guest at this particular party would find Robert spending most of his time standing or sitting beside his darling wife. And Cora loved it.

"You can mingle if you wish, darling" she said to him softly as he sat down beside her and took her hand, "I won't be offended"

"You'll think me very soft, but I don't seem to have any desire to be anywhere but by your side" he said bashfully.

"I don't think you soft at all. I think it's very sweet of you, and you know that I will always welcome your company. Besides, it saves me from repeating the same pregnancy conversation for the thirteenth time"

Robert chuckled.

"It appears that you've been pinned down by your condition"

"And how!" she agreed, "I know people are being polite, but there are only times I can say 'it was a great surprise for us too' and actually mean it"

"People will do anything to fill their desire for gossip" Robert pondered, "I'm sure I've seen one or two judgemental looks already"

"You haven't?!" Cora gasped, "Oh, why do we invite these people when they can be so unpleasant?"

"Unpleasant lives lead to unpleasant words, I'm afraid. You rarely find people who are happy with their lives in possession of a sharp tongue"

"How right you are. I'm tempted to feign some nausea just so I can step away from it for a while" Cora said offhandedly, and she felt Robert give her hand a caring squeeze.

"You're not actually feeling unwell, are you? I won't think any less of you if you want to go back to the house and rest for a while"

Cora gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, darling. I've been very fortunate with it for the past couple of days"

"What a relief" Robert breathed, ever since her first experience, he had found Cora tucked away in her bathroom suffering dreadfully from her nausea on several occasions. He hated that he could do little to help her other than stay back her side and hold her when she needed it.

Her worst moments seemed to be early in the morning or late at night, but there had been many instances where he'd looked at her during the day or over luncheon and he knew that she was suffering. He admired her for always putting on a brave face, but he wished she would take a break when she needed to.

He watched as her eyes fluttered closed and she let the summer breeze caress her cheeks.

"Are you tired?" he asked her.

"Just a little" she admitted, "just another side effect of this acute sickness, according to Doctor Clarkson"

"And pregnancy in general" he said tight-lipped

"Are you an expert on women's health now?" she teased.

"Far from it. But having seen you go through three previous pregnancies there are a few things I've picked up"

"Ever the observer" she smirked.

"Don't tease me in public" he laughed.

"Why, afraid your friends might see you blush?"

"Does pregnancy make all women so heartless?" he joked.

"Yes, I think it's called revenge"

He opened his mouth to retort, but the pair were interrupted by a gleeful Lady Mellendorf; Cora smiled at her approach, knowing that her bumbling nature always caught Robert off-guard in the most humorous of ways.

"Oh, Lord and Lady Grantham, I'm glad I caught the two of you alone"

"Is that so?" Robert inquired, "I do nothing is the matter"

"Not at all, the party has been most splendid so far, but I just wanted to extend my congratulations to you in regard to your recent announcement"

"Thank you, Lady Mellendorf – that's very kind of you" Cora said warmly.

"Yes, thank you"

"I must say, though, I was rather surprised when I heard the news, I mean I just didn't think that the two of you- I mean -" the older woman began to stumble over her words, causing Robert to grimace and Cora to bite back laughter, "- what I mean to say is that I was just very surprised"

Cora could've applauded Lady Mellendorf at her rescue of her words.

"Well, it was a great surprise for us too" Cora responded, and Robert shot her a smirk as he watched her utter her new most detested phrase.

"But a welcome one" Robert added with a smile.

"I think a lot of people were surprised" Lady Mellendorf uttered.

"Oh?" probed Robert.

The pair new exactly what she meant; they knew that people had already begun to talk about how improper it was for two people in their forties to still be having intercourse, and of course, babies, but as they had previously discussed, they didn't much care.

"Well, there has been so much ghastly news from overseas with all that talk of war, that I think people were just a bit taken aback when they finally heard a bit of good news" Lady Mellendorf excused and again, Cora wanted to applaud her efforts.

"Well, I'm glad the news of another Crawley child can have such an impact on people" Robert commented, making sure that he didn't mock her too obviously.

"It's quite the blessing you've been given"

"It truly is" Cora nodded.

"And how excited you must be to finally have another chance at producing and heir!"

Cora began to respond, but the reminder of her guilt regarding a lack of air caused her words to catch in her throat.

"You'll have to excuse me if I'm being impertinent, Lady Mellendorf, but Lady Grantham and I are not overly concerned with the gender of this child. We shall be delighted no what the outcome is"

"Oh, I see" Lady Mellendorf stuttered awkwardly as she began to realise the discomfort she had caused, "Oh, you must excuse me, I think I see Lady Campbell over there"

And then she was gone as quickly as she had come.

"I see she's as socially apt as ever" Robert mocked.

"At least she tries not to be impertinent"

"Trying is one thing, succeeding is another"

"Well, we know she means well" Cora thought out loud before they both began to scan their crowd of guests.

"Cora, do you mind if I take a moment to speak with Lord Axel? I haven't seen for such a long time"

"You don't need to ask, darling" she said sweetly, "go right ahead and don't worry about me. I'm sure your mother or O'Brian will be over to fuss me soon anyway"

"I won't be long" he assured her before sneaking a kiss to her cheek and moving out from the marquee.

Cora settled back into the chair after Robert had walked away and she let her eyes fall half-lidded in an attempt to relax. Fatigue had taken a hold of her quite significantly over the last week, it was something she had anticipated when she was told she was pregnant, but what she hadn't expected had been the increase in exhaustion from her morning sickness. Clearly the loss of nutrition and the sleepless nights were taking its tole on her.

It was then that two distant figures caught her eye, and she sat up instantly when she recognised them as her eldest daughter and her almost fiancé. She instantly held her breath and watched with an intoxicating sense of dread as Mary made a decision that would solidify her future.

Their exchange seemed to happen in a flurry of movements, hands slicing through the air, heads whipping around in frustration, and even from a distance she could tell that there was so much anger between them. Her heart ached at the sight of them, she had believed for so long that they would find happiness in each other, but now that it was within their grasp, it seemed as though they were about to lose it all.

Cora didn't know what to think. She didn't know whether she wished that Mary would let her secret regarding Mr Pamuk stay buried so that she could move on, or if she should trust Matthew enough to tell him the truth and let them work past it. She had tried to understand her daughter better, to help them both understand the emotions behind Mary's hesitation regarding Matthew, but ever since that dreadful night, she had been such a closed book.

"But you can't leave Downton!" Mary pleaded – her voice beginning to crack.

"I can't stay. Not now" Matthew said defeatedly, and Mary felt her heart tear in two as she saw the pain in his eyes.

"Well, what will you tell Papa?"

"That I'm grateful for what he's trying to do, but the experiment is at an end. I'm not a puppet. I must take charge of my own life again. Besides, if the child is a boy, then there will be no room for me anyway, so perhaps it's best if I make myself scarce now, at least there will be less awkwardness if and when I have to leave"

"But Mama and Papa won't want that, they'll be devastated if they think you've felt pushed out"

"I haven't felt pushed out – not fully anyway. But without your reciprocation of my feelings, I feel as though there isn't anything left for me here"

"It might not be a boy, Matthew" Mary squeaked in a desperate attempt to reason with him, but he looked so drained that she knew she was losing.

"That doesn't matter to me anymore, Mary. All I have cared about for so long has been you"

"Would you have stayed…if I'd accepted you?"

Matthew shook his head in disbelief and a single tear rolled down his cheek.

"Of course"

"So, I've ruined everything?" she concluded as she finally gave in to her heartbreak and sobbed.

"You've shown me I've been living in a dream, and it's time to return to real life. Wish me luck with it, Mary" he whimpered, "God knows I wish the best for you"

Cora pressed a hand to her chest and watched with devastation as Mary became wracked with sobs and Matthew turned reluctantly on his heel and moved away from her. It was over between them, and she felt her body ache as if the loss was her own.

She spotted that Robert was free from the captivity of conversation, rose from her chair and tried not to look too downcast as she moved towards him. She caught his attention by subtly lacing her fingers through his, and though he was pleased by her affections, he was surprised to find her suddenly by his side.

"Cora?" he questioned when he saw the hurt in her eyes.

"I think Mary and Matthew have just broken it off" she said quietly, and they both caught a glimpse of their current heir walking solemnly through the garden party.

"He looks as though he's got the weight of the world on his shoulders, the poor chap" Robert sighed.

"Some of that weight is our doing"

"Life often gives us burdens that have no blameable source, unfortunately for Matthew, he seems to have more than most of us"

"I do hope they'll both be okay. I have a horrible feeling that Matthew will want to go back to Manchester"

"So do I" Robert hummed, "and I fear that the best thing we can do for him is to let him go"

"I thought you might say that, though I know it's not what you want" Cora said softly as she squeezed his hand.

"Whether he remains my heir or not, I want him around. He is a fine gentleman and I feel we are all better for having known him"

"You should tell him that. It may not alter his decision, but at least it will be a nice parting gift if he does decide to leave us" Cora suggested, though she became distracted by the slow approach of Carson who appeared to be carrying their letter tray.

"Perhaps I will. Though words of affection are far less than what he deserves"

They ended the conversation there as Carson finally reached them, and as Cora had expected, there was a small envelope on the tray that he was carrying. Robert released Cora's hand slowly, silently letting her know that he was doing it for propriety and not out of his own want.

"Your Lordship, this has just arrived for you" Carson informed him.

Robert muttered a thank you and took the envelope before slicing it open.

"Oh, and I'm happy to tell you that Thomas has just handed in his notice" he continued, "So we'll be spared any unpleasantness on that score"

"What a relief" Robert replied, his tone wavering on a chuckle.

He took out the contents of the envelope – expecting some apology from a guest for their absence – but as his eyes fell upon the words on the page his entire body went cold. Suddenly his pulse began to thunder in his ears, and it drowned out every shred of noise from the party; soon every inch of his body was coursing with panic and disbelief. He couldn't believe what he had just read. He willed himself to move – his legs rooted to the spot with fear – and he pushed himself across the lawn, waving his hat in the air in a desperate plea for attention.

"Please! Would you stop, please! My lords, ladies and gentlemen, can I ask for silence?"

The party died.

"Because I very much regret to announce…that we at war with Germany"

A deathly silence fell upon the crowd then, as guests and servants alike had the wind knocked out of them. They were being choked by this new reality – a reality that most of them couldn't even comprehend. A war was on its way. In some ways the moment of the announcement was the most terrifying part, when it was all unknown, when none of them knew how many people would die, how many shots would be fired or how many victories would be lost. All they had was the promise of devastation.

Cora caught her husband's eye when he had finished his announcement and instantly felt dizzy. The look he was giving her was one she knew too well, it was one that told her he was bound not by his desires, but by his sense of duty. It was a look neither of them could escape once it had been cast. It took all of her strength to stay upright as the reality hit her: he wanted to enlist.

A/N: And there you have it! So, this was mostly scenes from the show, but I really wanted to move the story along as I have spent so much time filling in missing moments that I realised I hadn't yet reached the ending of the series one finale.

I also decided to change up the Mary/Matthew break up dialogue a bit.

I have a lot more planned for this series, so don't worry, it won't calm down now that war has been announced; and as I said at the beginning, there is going to be some spice as the beginning of the next chapter.

As always, thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. Being able to read your thoughts and opinions is so heart-warming to me, and always gives me a huge boost of motivation. So, as always, please feel free to share your thoughts, and I will see you soon.