Title: Oath of the Horatii

Artist: Jacques-Louis David

Date: 1784

Medium: Oil on Canvas

On Christmas Day the Molesely family gathered as they always had to celebrate the holiday together at Phyllis and Joseph's cottage.

"Happy Christmas!" Michael screeched as he rushed into the living room holding something haphazardly above his head. "Lizzie! Look at my new truck!"

"Whoa." Elizabeth feigned shock at the dark green truck her nephew now held out proudly in front of him. "What kind of truck is that, buddy?"

"It's a Chevrolet 3100!" Michael replied excitedly. "And it's huge ! All my other trucks fit inside it!"

"That's so cool." Elizabeth shook her head in amazement before turning to his twin sister. "El, Is that a new teddy?"

Eleanor bobbed her head excitedly as she scrambled onto the chair her aunt sat in. "I don't know what to name her though."

"Well I think Eleanor is a pretty good name." Elizabeth suggested with a smirk.

"No!" Eleanor protested through a fit of giggles. "How would we know who Mummy and Mama were talking to?"

Elizabeth squinted her eyes as she seriously asked, "Do you think you and your bear have so much in common that that would be a problem?"

"Well…" Eleanor bit her lip as she tilted her head in thought. "I think we both eat, and sleep, and go potty."

"Ellie!" Michael cried out in disgust, plugging his nose with an exaggerated wave of his hand. "That's gross!"

"She's right though." Sybbie informed her son with a smirk. "Bears and humans both do all of those things."

"How do you know?" Michael challenged as Joseph scooped him up to join him and his wife on the settee. "Have you ever met a bear?"

Joseph grinned as he offered his grandson a reminder. "Don't forget that you've met a bear yourself, Michael."

"Nuh-uh." Michael shook his head in disagreement. "I'd remember that."

"Surely you haven't forgotten our friend Winnie-the-Pooh!" Joseph pretended to be shocked as he leaned forward to retrieve the book in question. "It must be time for a visit to the Hundred Acre Wood."

The Molesley family settled in for the story, the warmth of the fire and a plate of Christmas biscuits keeping the festive spirit as Joseph read the familiar text to his family for what could have easily been the hundredth time.

They had just reached the part of the story where Kanga and Roo arrived in the forest when Eleanor looked up to her aunt and quietly asked, "Lizzie, is your baby coming to visit for Christmas?"

The room froze, both children eagerly awaiting an answer to the question while the other adults cautiously examined Elizabeth to see how she would respond to the unexpected question.

Thankfully Elizabeth was able to keep her panicking to a minimum as she carefully lifted Eleanor from her lap to the floor as she whispered, "Excuse me." before quickly making her exit from the room.

Phyllis had just lifted the blanket from her lap when Joseph stopped her with a hand on her wrist. Quietly assuring her, "I'll go." before handing the open book to Emma on the floor and following his younger daughter up the stairs.

He found her where he expected to, curled up in the corner of her bed with her knees pressed firmly against her chest as she cried.

"Hey Lizabet." Joseph greeted her softly as he approached her through the open door. "Can I sit?"

Elizabeth nodded, sitting up and awkwardly trying to wipe the tears that had gathered on her chin as she whispered, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin Christmas."

"You've ruined nothing. Joseph assured her firmly. "And I never want you to apologize for needing space."

"I just keep thinking it will all go away, you know?" Elizabeth replied tiredly. "And then something brings it all back."

Joseph nodded in understanding. "Your mother is the same way."

"Yeah." Elizabeth sighed as she leaned against his shoulder. "She told me that."

Joseph pressed a soft kiss to his daughter's forehead as she cuddled against him, more than content to be with her as she took the space she needed.

Elizabeth eventually spoke once more, asking a series of soft questions. "What helps? How does she do it? Even after all these years?"

Joseph shook his head as he dismissed the immediate thought of the increased frequency that he'd felt his wife's legs wrapping around him with a whispered request to make her forget over the last several months.

After clearing his throat he managed an even response. "You surround yourself with the people who love you." He offered her a sympathetic smile. "I know that sounds cheesy and unhelpful, but Lizzie I mean it. Everyone in that room downstairs loves you so much. Thomas and Richard and Beatrice too. Not to mention that Johnny Bates certainly has a soft spot for you."

Elizabeth pushed him back lightly as she shook her head in slight frustration. "Don't. We're just friends."

"Sorry." Joseph sobered immediately. "I'm not pushing, I promise. Just know that boy cares for you too."

"I know." Elizabeth smiled softly. "So what? I just be with you and hope that's enough?"

"You can also talk to us." Joseph offered, regretting his words as he felt her tense in his arms. "But only if and when you want to."

Elizabeth sighed in relief, nudging her father's shoulder slightly with her head before asking, "Can we go back downstairs? I want to try being with my people instead of shutting everyone out."

Joseph nodded with a warm smile. "That we can definitely do."

Late that night after Emma and Sybbie had taken the twins home Phyllis waited for her husband to come out of the washroom to their bedroom before offering an acknowledgment she'd been waiting to deliver for hours. "Thank you for taking care of Lizzie tonight. You're so good with her."

Joseph nodded before continuing his bedtime routine. Phyllis had refocused on the book in her lap so she missed when his usual movements devolved into pacing around the room until he muttered, "I need to talk to you about something."

"Oh?" Phyllis questioned lightly before looking up to her husband to see his severe expression. "Joseph, what's wrong?"

Joseph sighed as he joined his wife in their bed. "I did something I probably shouldn't have."

"Alright." Phyllis nodded in understanding, shifting over so she could rest her head on his shoulder. "I assume you'd like to tell me what it was?"

Joseph nodded but didn't say anything for some time, afraid that his revelation would at least temporarily lose him his wife's favor.

Eventually Phyllis reached down to find her husband's hand and gave it a slight squeeze before murmuring, "Darling, I know you very well but I can't read your mind."

Neither of them were sure if Phyllis had finished her sentence before Joseph's voice softly croaked, "I confronted Dr. Fox about Elizabeth."

Phyllis sat up instantly, turning to search her husband's eyes for any indication that he was joking as she hissed, "You what? "

"That day I went to London in the Spring." Joseph continued, his gaze refusing to meet his wife's. "I went to the College to get some information, possibly to confront him another time, but what I found… I couldn't just let him…"

Phyllis softened at her husband's obvious distress and she moved to sit cross-legged in front of him and took his hands in her own before gently asking, "What did you find?"

Joseph stared at his wife for some time before finally croaking out, "She's the fifth."

Phyllis's head swayed slowly in confusion. "The fifth…?"

"Barbara Reading, Shirley Oliver, Nancy Wilson, Irene Campbell, and Elizabeth Molesley." Joseph continued nervously. "All five of them were Richard Fox's thesis students. All five of them left the College in their final year of study. All five of them had a child less than six months later."

"No." Phyllis shook her head furiously, her eyes screwed shut in fear. "He can't have… Please tell me those girls didn't–"

"I'm sorry." Joseph stopped her gently. "I've spoken to all of them and I'm afraid that what happened to Elizabeth is something that that man is well practiced at."

Before Joseph could understand what was happening his wife had vacated the bed, quickly rushing into the adjoining washroom to the sink where she proceeded to be sick repeatedly for several minutes. Ever the dutiful husband, he'd followed her as soon as he realized what was happening and within moments one of his hands gathered her short curls together at the nape of her neck while the other rubbed gentle circles into the small of her back.

Once she was finished she pulled back from the sink and murmured, "I'm sor–"

"Don't you dare apologize." Joseph stopped her as he filled the small glass next to the sink to give to her. "You'll want to get the taste out of your mouth before it makes you sick again."

Phyllis nodded, following his guidance without question before following him back into their bedroom where he carefully tucked her back into bed. Once Joseph had settled again next to her she urged him to continue. "You've spoken to them?"

Joseph nodded before sheepishly admitting, "I've been to their homes."

"What?" Phyllis shook her head in confusion. "Why would you–?"

"I wanted to make sure they got their diplomas." Joseph rushed to explain. "I made Dr. Fox confer their degrees. All five of them. I refused to leave his office until they were signed and in my hands and then I… I had to get them to those girls."

Phyllis's head was still shaking, but her expression was now a mixture of amazement and confusion. "How did you find them?"

"Alumni association." Joseph replied simply. "It was concerningly simple, actually. We really should see if we can have Elizabeth's residency info redacted from her file–"

"You got them their diplomas." Phyllis continued to stare at her husband in awe. "Were they okay, those girls? Do they have support?"

Joseph frowned thoughtfully, clearly debating how much he wanted to reveal before shaking his head and stating, "Elizabeth is very lucky to have us."

Phyllis nodded in acceptance of his vague answer, seemingly ready to move on from this part of their conversation before she paled further and anxiously asked, "What about the babies? Are they–?"

"Leo Reading is ten years old and he wants to be a pilot." Joseph replied with a sad smile as he gently pulled his wife into his arms. "Eliza Oliver is seven and she has quite the collection of dolls. Nancy Wilson's little girl Penny was taken in by some cousins in Kilkenny and is reportedly doing very well there."

Phyllis turned to him, her brow furrowed in confusion. "That's only three."

"Irene Campbell had the misfortune of coming down with polio during her pregnancy." Joseph admitted sadly. "She had a rough go of things and as I understand it her baby was delivered stillborn. She's paralyzed from the waist down and is living in a care home."

"My god." Phyllis swore as she lay down on Joseph's chest. "That could have been Elizabeth."

Joseph nodded as he kissed his wife's hair. "But she's here with us. She and her baby came through as well as we could have hoped."

Phyllis nodded in agreement, luxuriating in the comfort of her husband's arms until suddenly sat up in a panic. "You have to tell her."

Joseph sighed as he sat up himself before verbally agreeing, "I know."

"She's not going to like it." Phyllis continued anxiously, her hands clenched in frustration.

"I know." Joseph assured her.

Phyllis's nails began to cut into her palm as she panicked further. "This has the potential to shatter her trust in you."

"I know." Joseph repeated patiently as he reached out to push his thumbs into his wife's fists as he had many times before. "Please don't hurt yourself, love."

Phyllis sighed heavily as she slumped against him in exhaustion before quietly adding an exasperated, "I love you."

"I know." Joseph smiled as he carefully pulled her into his arms to move them to a lying position. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before now."

"Don't be." Phyllis dismissed him easily. "If you'd told me then I probably would have throttled you."

Joseph snorted before nodding in agreement. "You probably would have."

Phyllis pulled away slightly so she could see his eyes as she asked, "You'll tell her?"

'I'll tell her. Soon." Joseph assured her softly. "I promise."

Nearly a week had passed since Joseph had promised to tell Elizabeth about his confrontation with Dr. Fox and while he'd made plenty of attempts to gain the courage to do so, he hadn't actually managed to follow through.

In an attempt to help both her husband and daughter navigate the impending conversation Phyllis had put her foot down on Joseph talking to Elizabeth on New Year's Eve when she'd asked Emma to spend the night to keep her sister company.

While the plan had seemed reasonable to Joseph when it had been proposed, as the family evening came to a close he found himself dreading the impending conversation he'd be having with his youngest daughter.

He barely registered the cheery chorus of, "Happy New Year!" around the room and it wasn't until Eleanor pulled on his sleeve that he remembered where he was.

"Why are you staring at Lizzie?" Eleanor asked impatiently. "Is she your favorite?"

"I love all of my girls." Joseph assured her as he gave an exaggerated kiss to Eleanor's cheek before turning to the predictably pouting twin next to her and adding a, "And my handsome little boy." with a firm handshake for Michael.

"Alright kiddos." Sybbie moved to collect the twin's coats from by the front door. "It's time to get home and to bed so we can get all rested up for the rest of this new year!"

"Say goodbye to Grandmama and Grandpapa." Emma instructed as she stood to help her wife get the twins ready.

"I'll see you in the morning." Emma assured the twins, offering them each a hug before standing to say goodbye to her wife. "Thank you for letting me stay tonight."

"Oh you know I'll take an early night over a party with you lot any day." Sybbie replied jokingly before pressing a kiss to her wife's ear and whispering, "You're a very good sister, my love."

"Isn't it a bit odd to pretend it's midnight for a couple of five year olds?" Elizabeth asked once the door had closed behind Sybbie and the twins. "Couldn't they just stay up once a year?"

Emma snorted at her sister's lack of experience as she replied, "If you want to handle them in the morning when they wake up at six anyway with half the sleep they usually get."

"Oh we put you to bed around seven on New Year's for years." Phyllis added casually. "It took you much longer than Emma to learn to read a clock."

Emma stuck her tongue out playfully only to earn her a scolding glare from both Elizabeth and Joseph.

"Alright." Phyllis chimed in to interrupt the impending argument. "Em, will you help me out in the kitchen? We've got quite a mess in there to handle this evening."

Phyllis gave her husband a firm glare as she and Emma made their way out of the room prompting him to clear his throat to grab his younger daughter's attention just before she'd reached the door.

"Lizzie, could you stay for a bit?" Joseph called out. "I'd like to talk to you about something."

"Sure." Elizabeth agreed easily as she plopped back onto the settee. "What is it?"

"What I'm about to tell you about happened about eight months ago, while you were still pregnant." Joseph began cautiously. "I didn't tell you at the time because I didn't think you could handle it, but I shouldn't have kept it from you as long as I have."

"You're making me nervous." Elizabeth admitted quietly.

"That's fair." Joseph allowed. "I should warn you that I don't think you're going to like what I have to say."

"Dad." Elizabeth pressed. "Just tell me."

"In April I took a trip by myself to London." Joseph continued to explain the situation. "I went to the Royal College of Art to meet with Dr. Fox."

Elizabeth's eyes widened in obvious distress, but she said nothing in response.

"I couldn't let everything you'd worked for be for nothing." Joseph tried to get some sort of response from her. "Not to mention that I wasn't all that keen on that man being the one to take it away from you."

"I can't believe you did that." Elizabeth finally replied. "What were you even trying to accomplish? Getting yourself killed?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I'm not sorry that I did it." Joseph replied patiently. "I felt I had to do what I could to protect you."

"You shouldn't have." Elizabeth stood from the couch, prepared to storm out of the room until his father's hand caught her wrist.

"It was more than that, Lizzie." Joseph tried his best to keep her attention. "I learned something while I was there and I need you to know that there were four women before you. Dr. Fox is a serial predator."

"Why do I need to know that?" Elizabeth shouted back in disbelief "How does that help me?"

Joseph's brow furrowed in confusion at her blatant dismissal. "I thought you should know that you weren't the first person this man had hurt."

"Why should I give a shit about what you think I should know?" Elizabeth was screaming now. "It's embarrassing enough to be the slut that let her professor fuck her. But one of many? That's humiliating."

"You have nothing to be ashamed of–" Joseph tried to remind her pointedly only to be silenced by a glare from his daughter.

"Don't I?" Elizabeth countered angrily. "The whole village knows I had a baby and that it's gone now. Even Eleanor and Michael know that. I might as well have a red 'A' tattooed on my forehead for all the shame I'm forced to bear."

Joseph shook his head in disagreement. "You are no Hester Prynne."

"Aren't I?" Elizabeth simply stared at him in disbelief. "You want to believe that the world is good. That things have gotten better for women like me over the last century. But they haven't, and I'm terrified they never will."

"You're not wrong about that." Joseph sighed in defeat.

Elizabeth turned to leave once more, only to be stopped by her father again as he admitted, "There's one more thing I need to tell you."

"Can't it wait?" Elizabeth asked exasperatedly. "I'm not really interested in what else you think I should know."

"No." Joseph shook his head firmly. "You should know this now. It's not right for me to keep it from you."

Elizabeth stared at him in obvious frustration while Joseph waited for permission to continue, only for him to eventually nod at realization that he wouldn't get it. He cleared his throat before clearly stating the statement he'd been practicing for days. "Dr. Fox has conferred your degree. I have it for you when you're ready for it."

Elizabeth shook her head in confusion as she stared back at him. "How?"

"I made him make it right." Joseph replied simply. "You don't need to worry about the details."

Elizabeth continued to shake her head in obviously increasing distress. "That man is dangerous . He's evil . I… I never asked you, or anyone else to go anywhere near him. I don't want him angry with me. Are you out of your mind? Who knows what he'll do now?"

"Lizzie, you're protected here." Joseph stood to cross the room to try to reassure his daughter. "He can't get to you. Not that I think he'd try after our conversation."

"Is this a joke to you?" Elizabeth asked as she backed away from him. "He could have… he still could…"

"Lizzie." Joseph tried to comfort her once more only for her glare to silence him again.

Elizabeth was shaking with anger as she backed herself into the wall nearest the sitting room door, her voice filled with venom as she spat back. "I'll never forgive you for this."

"That's okay." Joseph replied evenly. "I can live with that.

Elizabeth moved to leave for a third time, and Joseph let her go without a word.

It was in the wee hours of the new year that Emma woke to a firm shake of her shoulder.

"Emma." Phyllis whispered hoarsely. "Darling, I need to speak with you in the hall."

"Of course." Emma replied, carefully removing herself from her sister's bed and closing the door behind herself only to look up and see tears streaming down her mother's face. "What's the matter? What's going on?"

"I need you to go home and I need you to take Elizabeth with you." Phyllis replied steadily.

"What's going on?" Emma asked again as she shook her head in confusion. "Mum, you're scaring me."

"I'm sorry." Phyllis's voice wavered as she tried to persuade her daughter to follow her request. "I need you to take Lizzie to your house and send Sybbie back to help me."

"Mum." Emma sighed in frustration. "Anything Sybbie can help you with I can too. Whatever it is."

"No." Phyllis shook her head firmly. "I can't ask that of you. Besides, I need you to look after Elizabeth."

"Mum, I'm right here." Emma insisted. "What do you need help with?"

Phyllis choked on a sob as she finally admitted, "My love, I'm afraid that your father has died."

NOTES:

Content Warnings:
Mentions of Abuse & Rape/Non-Con; PTSD/Panic Attacks; Adoption; Major Character Death

Chapter Recap (Contains Spoilers):
Christmas brings the whole Molesley family to the house where they enjoy their day together until Eleanor brings up Elizabeth's baby. Joseph comforts Elizabeth after she leaves the family celebrations. That night Joseph tells Phyllis about his trip to London in the spring and tells her everything he's learned about the other women Dr. Fox assaulted. Phyllis insists he tell Elizabeth. Joseph follows through on his promise to tell his daughter on New Year's Eve prompting a fight between the pair. Early in the hours of New Year's Day Phyllis finds out Joseph passed away during the night.