A/N: There will be some relief from the tension soon as this story finishes its first arc. The difficult labor and delivery was merely a foundation for a tougher ride. I will relieve you though, the "loss" I speak of had nothing to do with the baby. Even I wouldn't do that.

Thanks for reading and taking this long, angsty journey with me. Buckle up because the rise hasn't even left the station.

An early update!

Chapter Nine

Robert stood at the door of the nursery watching the children play. He was tired, but he wanted to see the little ones. Sybbie saw him first and went to hug him, "Donk!'

"Hello, my Darlings!" Robert greeted giving them hugs. "I heard you were studying hard for Nanny and helping Johnny and Maggie. That's made me so proud."

Sybbie smiled as little Johnny approached Robert shyly. No one had told Johnny and Maggie what happened with Anna and the baby. He had to find out, it was scary, but he had to try and find out.

"Uncle Lord Robert," Johnny began. "Forgive me the im…imperence, but do you know where my Mummy and Daddy went?"

Robert smiled at the small boy. He was trying so hard to be brave and stoic like his father, but his fear and worry were written on his face. Robert knelt down to Johnny's level and smiled at him. "It isn't impertinent at all to ask me that, Johnny. And yes, I do know where Mummy and Daddy went."

Robert worried how the boy would react when he told him Anna had to be in the hospital. "Where?" Johnny asked. "Did the baby come out yet?"

Robert nodded, "Yes. Johnny, Mummy and Daddy are at hospital just now. The baby came out but it made Mummy very tired and she's fallen ill. Daddy is with her so he can help her feel better."

Johnny's face fell and his bottom lip quivered. "You know your Daddy though, he will help her get well again, so don't you fret. You just be proud you have a new baby sister. Her name is Elizabeth."

Johnny looked down at his feet and mumbled, "I hate her."

Robert sighed. This was John's territory. In their friendship, John was the one gifted with words. In his marriage, it was Cora. Whenever it came to things like this, he was always finding himself inept.

Robert took a deep breath, "I don't think that's true. I think you love your sister very much, both of your sisters. It's scary, Mummy being ill, and it's lonely being here only with us when you want your Daddy, but I don't think you hate your new sister."

Johnny's tears finally started to fall and he made a pitiful little squeak. "Oh come now," Robert comforted. "Come on, give Uncle Robert a hug. Everything is going to be okay. You'll see. Everything is going to be okay."

Cora stood in the door of the nursery watching Robert comfort little Johnny. He had always been so good at comforting the girls when they were little. She missed those days sometimes when their children were young, but they had so much now they didn't have then, so much experience, so much pain, but so much more joy.

"There we go, my lassie," John cooed to his newborn daughter as he positioned her on his shoulder for a burp with a practiced hand. "That's a good girl. Give your Daddy a little burp now."

The nurse had brought the baby to him, as Dr. Cooke promised, for a feed, but first he introduced the little one to her Mummy.

John laid the tiny baby on the bed beside Anna, positioning his wife so that her arm supported the baby's head. Anna hadn't moved much until then. When John placed Elizabeth on the bed, she moved her head slightly as if to instinctively nuzzle the babe.

Elizabeth made her growing displeasure with the slow speed in which John was offering the bottle known with a few hard kicks to her blanket and a loud, lusty wail. The baby was a good eater, much better than Johnny, who struggled to nurse his first few feeds, and Margaret Mary who spit up half of what she ate. So far, Elizabeth took her bottle and held down most of her food.

John heard the baby make a tiny burping sound then settled in the bedside chair to rock her. "You gave your old man a fright, I tell you. You're a wee lass, what was this business getting stuck, hmmm? You are going to be a challenge, I can tell."

Elizabeth gurgled at John as if to try and defend herself. "I just hope you aren't hurting, Darling girl. That would break my heart more than seeing you Mummy so ill. Don't you worry, Mummy is so very strong. She will be just fine soon enough and she'll be so happy to know she has another precious daughter."

John rocked a bit more as Elizabeth's eyes started to droop. "You are getting tired, my sweetheart. Would you like Daddy to give you a lullaby? Let's see which one will be yours? Your brother and sister each have their own lullaby that I always sing. Johnny it's Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral and Margaret Mary it's Danny Boy…How about this one…

Have you ever heard the story of the Ireland God has made

I'll tell you so you'll understand

No wonder that we're proud of dear land across the sea

For here's the way my dear old mother told the tale to me.

Sure a little bit of heaven fell from out of the sky one day…"

The baby was sound asleep in moments. When the nurses came to get her she was sleeping peacefully in her swaddle with her father's arms around her.

Before taking Elizabeth, the nurse checked on Anna. "She's breathing much easier now, Mr. Bates and her blood pressure is up. That's a good sign that we will see her wake soon. Can I get you anything at all?"

John shook his head, "I'm fine, thank you."

The nurse didn't want to embarass John, but the man was dead on his feet. He hadn't slept, shaved or eaten in a good while, but she knew from Dr. Clarkson it would be pointless to push him until Anna was awake.

When the nurse took the baby back to the nursery, John resumed his steadfast vigil.

Anna came back to consciousness in waves. First she could hear. She heard the hustle and bustle of doctors and nurses going in and out of the room. She heard the quiet coos and mewls of a tiny baby, and she heard a voice, a soft, deep, very sweet voice. That was the most prevalent sound. Sometimes the voice was talking though she couldn't make out the words. Sometimes it was singing soothing melodies , but then it sounded farther away. Sometimes it was crying, imploring, almost praying but not quite. That was the hardest to hear.

Next came feeling. There was the pushing and pulling as if her body was being manipulated in some way, she didn't like this and it made the voice angry.

The nurse was shifting Anna as she changed the bed linen and got her cleaned up the next morning. Anna, who had been giving a few signs of life, made a little cry. She hated foreign touch. John had left orders with Dr. Clarkson Anna was not to be touched when he stepped out of the room to use the toilet and freshen up. He hadn't been gone for five minutes and he walked into the nurse not so tenderly handling his wife.

"Stop that at once!" The fierceness of his tone reminded him of his Sergeant days. "She doesn't like it. She doesn't like a foreign touch. I'll handle it, unhand her this minute!"

Then there was tenderness, movement, but in such a gentle fashion she would think she was a babe being rocked together with a goddess being worshiped.

Then there was weight. The slight, gentle weight against her chest. The voice was there again, soft and gentle as it spoke.

Finally, though there was pain. It engulfed her lower body, her stomach, her back, her private area, even down her legs. Anna tried to shift to escape it but it followed her. She moaned.

Then sight returned. The pain shocked her until her eyes opened and she saw John looking down at her with red rimmed eyes and an expression of true, boundless love.

Anna moved her hand to press against her abdomen, trying to curl herself up. She moaned again as John reached down and took her hand. "Yes, I know that hurts. I know. Ssh…"

Anna licked her lips,"J…John. John?"

"I'm here, love," John replied. "Just lie still, I'm going to fetch a nurse."

"No," Anna murmured. "Stay with me. Don't go, not yet."

John sighed, they had to know she was awake. He reached for the glass of water on the bedside table. "Alright, but you must drink, my Darling. Drink all you can hold."

Anna drank gratefully, her mouth was dry. John supported her head and back until she was done. The water seemed to revive her memory. "Oh God…John…the baby? Where's the baby?"

"In the nursery," John replied quickly. "She was here a little while ago for her bottle. She'll be back soon. Don't worry."

Anna smiled, "She? We have a daughter?"

John nodded, "A precious little bit of a thing. Our Elizabeth Charlotte." John placed a kiss on Anna's head.

"Is she okay? I don't remember if…if she cried," Anna murmured. She was so exhausted but she needed this information about her baby.

"She cried," John affirmed. "She…um…She's okay, she's all right. She has some bruises and bumps, but she's a wonderful baby."

John poured more water and pushed Anna to drink again. The doctor said fluids were important in making up volume of blood. Anna was better, she had stopped perspiring and her breathing relaxed. She felt too cold for John's liking but she was warmer than before.

"What day is it? I'm a little foggy," Anna sighed.

John laughed, "You know, I have absolutely no idea. I think it's Friday."

"Friday, but didn't…you and his lordship go to York to sign the loan papers on Monday."

John sat down on the edge of the bed trying not to wince at the grinding pain in his leg and back. "Yes, love. We did. Your labor started Tuesday morning and you had a very long one. It was nearly a day before you lost the waters. Then it was nearly another one until finally Dr. Clarkson had to go in and take the baby. You were too exhausted and she…and we've been here another day, so it's likely Friday now."

Anna started to panic. Three days. She had been away from her children for three days? Her baby was a day old nearly and she had to seen her.

"Anna," John soothed. "I beg you, my Darling, settle down. You'll rip a stitch. Settle down, it's all right."

"But the children. They must be so scared!"

"I was with the children some when we were still at Downton and I'm sure between Nanny and the family we have some very doted on young ones. As for Elizabeth, you'll see her soon. You will."

John placed a kiss on Anna's forehead. "What if I get a nurse, we get you some tea and toast and then it should be time for Ellie's bottle. Okay?"

John's tone was commanding yet infinitely gentle. Anna relaxed and nodded her head. "You rest, I'll be right back."

John felt his leg cramp and drag as he started to walk. He shifted his weight to his left side and his arm, making his hip burn. He sighed, this was not a time for this to play up. He had a job to do, a wife and family, and at the moment he was the one who had to carry the entire load. He had to safeguard Anna and the children at all costs and that meant standing strong and firm, biting the inside of his cheek, and soldiering on.