A/N: Thank you all for your responses on the last chapter. I hope you like this one too, and I thank you all for bearing with me in the time it is taking me to get these chapters updated. I've been very stressed and overworked with college, but Downton fanfiction is the best escape in the whole world.

Chapter Ten

September 8, 1892

The Crawleys were on their annual trip to Scotland, and they were thoroughly enjoying it. Robert and Cora loved watching their girls frolick amongst the wild grasses with their cousins, James and Annabelle. They were very proud of how they had adjusted to traveling and being in a new setting as it was their first time making this journey with their parents. Cora had indulged them in a night in bed with her and Robert when they first got here, and that had helped them get used to being in a new place and settle after such a long train ride. Now, they were so at ease, and they loved exploring in the nature which was so different to the outdoors they experienced back at home.

As they sat amongst the tall grass with a picnic spread out before them watching their girls play with their cousins and a nanny in the far distance, they couldn't help but bring conversation towards their family. "You know I'm so glad you gave me those girls," Robert said sincerely, taking Cora's hand in his and stroking his thumb over the back of it.

"We made them together," Cora reminded him, a smile spreading over her face. "And I'm glad too."

"Yes, that part was mighty fun as I recall," Robert said flirtatiously, brushing his fingers along her side in the spot he knew made her ticklish in just the right way.

Cora giggled and pushed his hand away gently before things could escalate. "Yes, it was. And as much as I'd love for it to happen again, we need to wait."

"You mean wait to have a baby or wait to engage in the activity that can lead to one?" he asked.

"Robert!" she exclaimed, blushing furiously. "You know what I mean. Not here. Later."

"Later," he affirmed. "Later is just fine," he said, showing respect for her boundaries, which made her fall even more in love with him as she placed her head on his shoulder. He brushed her hair from her face and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. "I love you, Cora. And any time I get to spend with you is time well spent, no matter what we are doing."

His words spoke right to her heart, and it made her feel so beloved and special. "I love you too, Robert. I love our family. I love that we have built our family together, and I hope we can continue to build it."

"So you do want another baby?"

"I would very much like to have another baby," she confessed. "I just worry what would happen if we have another girl. Your mother has made it very clear she wants an heir."

"My mother wants an heir. I don't care if the baby is a boy or a girl, honestly," he promised, pressing a kiss to his wife's temple.

"Really?"

"Really," he said sincerely, "I would love an heir, but it's certainly not a requirement. I just want to build my life with you. If the future holds an estate passed down to my heir, that's great. If it goes to the nearest cousin, well, at least it'll still be in the family. If Mama is upset, then so be it. But you know I'll defend you, and I also want you to know that I don't really care what she thinks. I love you, Cora, and your opinion is the only opinion I care about."

"And Mary's," Cora teased, noting their daughter was becoming quite a sassy and opinionated little girl.

"Yes, all my girls," Robert confirmed, referencing his wife and daughters, "however many that might end up being." He placed his hand on her stomach, indicating his love for her body. His love for her womb which bore him his daughters and his angel son in Heaven. His love for the woman he had built a life with.

"We love you," Cora said lovingly. "We all love you so very much, and I can promise that of our future children too, however many that may be."

Her statement brought out his desire for her once more, and he couldn't help but bend his neck to kiss her properly on the lips. After a short dance between their lips and tongues, they smiled at each other and settled back into each other's arms to watch the family they had already made in front of them as they dreamed about the family that could be.

While the Crawleys were away, the Carsons took some time to be together as a family. They were often working very hard and only really got to spend time together on their walk home each night and before going to bed shortly upon their arrival home. With their employers away, however, and with today being Lily's birthday, they thought they would spend the day at home. After all, they had already completed most of the chores that needed to be done while the family was away, and the footmen knew where to find them should an emergency arise at the house.

"Mum, can I feel the baby?" Lily asked, as she scooted closer to Elsie on the sofa. Charles was in the kitchen slicing up her birthday cake so they could celebrate with a treat after the lovely day they'd spent together.

"Of course you can, lass," Elsie said sweetly, taking her stepdaughter's hand within her own and placing it over her bump in the hopes she would be able to feel her baby brother or sister.

"Does the baby kick a lot?" Lily asked curiously.

"Well, he or she has certainly made a punching bag of my ribs at times," Elsie answered with a slight chuckle. "But after a meal, they're usually pretty calm. Let me see if I can get a kick out of them," she said, pressing gently on her stomach to try and coax a kick from her baby.

Sure enough, it worked, and Lily got to feel several kicks from her baby sibling in rapid succession. "Wow," she said in awe, "does it hurt?"

"It's uncomfortable sometimes, and it hurts when there is a sharper jab in my ribs or back. But mostly it just feels pretty special," Elsie confessed.

"Well, it is really special that my baby sister is in there," Lily agreed.

"We don't know for sure that the baby is a girl," Elsie reminded her. "We think it might be, but that's about all we can know until she's here."

"I know," Lily responded. "I just want a sister cause I feel like I know what to do with a sister more, but I'll figure it out either way. I can't wait to be a big sister."

"I know you'll be an amazing one," Elsie told her proudly.

"You really think so?"

"Oh, I'm so confident, I'd bet on it," Elsie answered with a loving smile, knowing her words would get through to the girl. She loved Lily with all her heart, and she wanted her to know that she believed in her and would always love her no matter what may happen in the future.

Lily could certainly feel the love as she cuddled even closer to Elsie and kept her hand above the place where her sibling lay. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you both, actually," she said, pressing a soft kiss to Elsie's stomach, which made Elsie smile and tear up with joy.

"We love you too," she said assuredly, "And I can't wait for you both to meet."

"That day will be such a special day."

"Yes, it most certainly will."

October 2, 1892

Harris had a cold, so Elsie was filling in as Cora's lady's maid for the next day or two. Cora had felt bad even asking Elsie because of her pregnancy, but she knew she couldn't fasten up the buttons in the back of her dress without assistance and Robert had gone out on a hunt earlier that morning.

"Thank you so much for filling in, Mrs. Hughes," Cora said with an appreciative smile as she sat at her vanity and looked at Elsie who was laying out her clothes for later across the bottom of the bed. "I really appreciate it, and I hope I didn't put too much strain on you or the baby."

"Oh no, milady, I feel quite well," Elsie assured her. "And besides, the doctor says exercise can be a good thing in a pregnancy. And I don't know what I'd do with myself if I wasn't working. All the waiting around would drive me mad."

Cora chuckled softly with understanding. "It's hard to wait for the most precious miracle there is," she said sweetly.

"It certainly is. I can't wait to meet her," Elsie said, lovingly stroking her hand under her bump.

"You've not got too much longer to wait, have you?"

"No, milady. The doctor said we can expect her to be here by the end of October, the first few days of November at the very latest."

"How exciting!"

Elsie's smile faltered a little then. She was very much looking forward to meeting her child, but she was nervous about the birth. She had never forgotten hearing her mum's wails and moans when she was having Becky. Everything she had ever heard of giving birth was that it was painful and sometimes even traumatic.

"What's the matter?" Cora asked, picking up on Elsie's discomfort.

"It's nothing to bother you with, milady," Elsie said, trying to excuse herself from the room.

"Mrs. Hughes, er Elsie," Cora addressed informally trying to make her feel more at ease, "I have given birth a few times before. If you're worried about something, please tell me what it is, and I can try to use my own experiences to help you."

"Well, I'm just a bit anxious about the labor," Elsie confessed.

"I understand," Cora sympathized, "And it can be quite painful at times, I won't lie to you. There might be moments when you think you can't do it, times when you want to give up. But the moment they place that baby on your chest, you'll realize all that pain was worth it for your child, and you'd do it all again if it meant you got to experience this bond with your child. It is such a magical feeling of love that just washes over you. It is hard to describe, but you'll know it when you feel it. And you'll know there's no greater feeling in all the world."

Elsie saw the way Cora's eyes lit up as she talked about those first few moments with her girls, and she wanted that. She knew she would endure the pain to get to feel that way with her own little one.

"And I have to admit having Edith in the cooler October weather was a much nicer experience than having Mary on a hot day in May. And Robert was with me that time, so it was much easier. I drew my strength from him, and he comforted me through the hard bits," Cora added.

Elsie thought about this. It made sense to her that having one's partner by one's side would help. After all, that is what spouses are supposed to do. They're supposed to be each other's rock in the hard times, supporting and praying for one another. She wasn't sure how Charles would feel about being in the room with her since he had already confessed he wasn't in the room for Lily's birth, but she would ask. And she would take comfort in the fact that he would support her somehow, someway even if he was beyond the doors of the birthing room.

Cora could tell her statement had made Elsie feel a bit better, and she was glad to bring her comfort in some way. She hoped Elsie would have a smooth delivery and a healthy baby sometime in the near future. She decided to bring the conversation back to a slightly lighter tone to help solidify a more cheerful atmosphere before they would go their separate ways for the day. "So, have you and given any thought to names for your wee one? I noticed you mostly only talk about the baby as 'her,' so are you thinking it's a girl?"

"We are. Charles, that is Mr. Carson, insists it's going to be a girl, and even though I keep reminding him that it could very well be a boy, we're both fairly certain it's not. If I'm honest, I've thought we are going to have a girl for the entire duration of my pregnancy."

"My instinct has been right in all of my pregnancies so far," Cora said with an encouraging smile.

"Mother knows best, I suppose," Elsie agreed with a small laugh. "Anyway, we only have a girl name picked, so I certainly hope that's the case."

"I hope so too," Cora said, smiling and giving Elsie's hand a quick, supportive squeeze.

"Thank you, milady," Elsie said with a smile. She felt lucky to have the support of her ladyship, and she also had to admit that their conversation had made her feel a lot better about those little nagging anxieties. Now she just had to wait for Julia May to make her appearance.

October 30, 1892

"Do you need anything, love?" Charles asked his wife as she panted in the bed.

"Water," Elsie requested, still trying to regulate her breathing as she recovered from her last pain. Charles held the glass to her lips so she could take a sip, which she did gratefully.

Elsie had gone into labor a few hours ago. When they had come home from work the night before, she had thought she felt something but brushed it off as just pain of the body adjusting as she continued to grow more and more pregnant. She had managed to sleep through most of the night until she was awoken by a pain about an hour or so before she and Charles usually awoke. She laid there quietly and waited for it to come again. It came once or twice more in the hour before Charles woke up. When he did wake, Elsie told him what was going on and insisted he take Lily to Mrs. Patmore and tell them they were not coming in today.

Charles knew Elsie had been adamant about Lily not being present in the cottage and able to overhear her labor, having been quite scared herself as a young girl from hearing the same thing, so he did as he was told even though he didn't really want to leave his wife's side.

After leaving his daughter with Mrs. Patmore, Charles came back to Elsie and had been by her side for every contraction in the 6 hours since then. It was now 11am, and the doctor still hadn't arrived. They figured he must be out at another birth or dealing with some sort of emergency. A pain soared through Elsie again, and she reached for her husband's hand, taking it and squeezing it hard as she began to breathe through the contraction. There was no doubt they were getting closer now, and she was starting to feel some significant pressure in her lower regions and back.

"Oohh oww," she said, gritting her teeth as she continued to breathe through it for another moment. Once she got through it, she looked at her husband, grateful for his support. He looked back at her and felt immense pride well up inside him. Here was this amazing woman going through what was no doubt immense pain in order to bring his child into the world. He couldn't be more proud or in love with his champion of a wife. Tears sprung to his eyes as he thought about how in love with her he was and how much of a miracle it was that she was bringing their child into this world.

"Charles, I can't do this if you're blubbering. It's enough pain on its own without me worrying about your emotions too," she teased with a playful smile before wincing and tensing up in pain once more as another contraction hit her.

Charles placed his hand tenderly over Elsie's clenched fist as she breathed through the pain. She was so strong, and he was in such awe of her.

When she got through the contraction, Elsie looked up at her husband, and she could feel his love for her in his eyes. She knew then that she could not do this without his support. She needed him here, loving her through it so she could push past the pain and focus on the love. The love she had for Charles was the most intense feeling in the world, and the love she had for the baby they had created together was absolutely indescribable. She unclenched her fist and held out her hand to him. He took it, and she gave it a loving squeeze.

"I love you, Charles. I love you, and I need you."

"I'm not going anywhere, love," he assured her, taking her hand and pressing a light kiss to the back of it. "I'm right here," he murmured, letting his lips' caress be a source of calm and confidence for Elsie.

When Doctor Clarkson arrived, he examined Elsie and informed her she wouldn't have to wait long until she could push. Elsie wanted to make a comment about how long she had already waited before he had gotten there, but she held her tongue. Instead, she just nodded and looked to Charles for support as she winced and began breathing through the next pain.

"Ooohh, Charlie, it hurts," she said.

"I know it does, my love. I know. But you are so incredibly strong," he whispered encouragingly to her. "And just think our baby will be here soon. You'll finally get to meet the little one you've been growing these past nine months."

Elsie nodded and kept breathing. Her husband's words were helpful. It gave her something to focus on other than the pain. And he was right. They would be meeting their child soon, and she couldn't wait. Even if she had to endure this pain before she could get there, it would be worth it.

When the contraction was over, the doctor tried to send Charles from the room, but Elsie gripped his hand tightly and refused to let him leave. Knowing he would be fighting a losing battle if he tried to argue with the stubborn Scott's woman, the doctor allowed Charles to stay. After all, even her ladyship had benefited from having her husband by her side in labor, so what harm could it bring for Elsie?

In the end, Charles's presence was incredibly helpful to Elsie. It got her through the excruciating pain of pushing and helped remind her of why she was doing this. Her lovely man had fathered her child, and it was time to meet that child. She used this motivation to power through her labor, and Charles was beyond proud of how tough she had been throughout the whole thing.

When she heard her baby's first cries, she wept. She had never heard a more precious sound. Charles gasped and gave Elsie's hand a tender caress in gratitude as the reality that their baby was finally here struck him.

"It's a girl," the doctor said, before snipping the cord and quickly checking over the baby as he wrapped her in a towel. When he placed her in her mother's arms, she seemed to settle almost instantly. Her crying ceased and she made a tiny noise of contentment as Elsie gently supported her head and brought her closer into her chest.

"Hello there, little one," Elsie whispered, not able to speak at a louder volume lest she break the magic of the moment. "It is so nice to finally meet you."

"Elsie, she's beautiful," Charles said, tearing up as he watched his wife and daughter have their first moments together.

"She's perfect," Elsie agreed, softly running her finger down her baby's cheek. Just then, the baby decided to open her eyes for the first time. "It's nice to meet you, Julie May," Elsie said, watching as her daughter's eyes fluttered as she adjusted to the light of the world around her. Even though she was just minutes old, Elsie knew she couldn't wait to watch her daughter grow up, the love she had for her welling up in her chest more and more with each minute that passed. She knew it would always be like this, and the pain she had endured to bring her into this world would always be worth it for her little girl. Her Ladyship had been right. Mothers would do anything for their children. She understood that now more than ever, and she knew that it would always be.