This is my first story, so don't judge too hard. I love reading other writer's Charles and Elsie stories! This idea kept running through my head and I decided to write it down. I usually don't enjoy writing, but I took off with this. Hope you enjoy it! I own nothing!

A small knock reached his ears as he was passing the downstairs servants entrance. If there wasn't a break in the conversation coming from the kitchen, he would have missed it. Thomas sighed with annoyance as he opened the door. He turned his head to the left and right but did not see anyone. Then he heard a sniff and looked down. The sound was coming from the small girl who only came up to his thigh. She was wearing a light blue dress with a small white flower pattern under a green coat. Her deep brown locks curled to her shoulders. Her hair was pulled back from her face with a light blue bow and her black shoes had small silver buckles on them. She carried a small blue calico blanket which she held firmly in both hands.

He starred at her for a moment. "Who are you?" he asked surprised at the guest's size.

The little girl looked up at him through clouded eyes filled with tears. Her eyes were as blue as the darkest sea. Her face was red and puffy from the cold air blowing against it and from her tears.

"I want my mummy," she whimpered in a small voice. She clutched the blanket tighter.

"Your mummy?" Thomas repeated not expecting that response.

"She lives at Downton Abbey." The small voice croaked back as she averted her gaze downwards.

"I think you must be mistaken," Thomas replied, confused by the strange conversation.

Anna was passing by the door with one of Lady Mary's dresses in her hand and saw the girl.

"Thomas, who is our guest?" she asked stepping in the entry.

The girl looked at Anna's kid face and pleaded, "My name is Grace and I want my mummy," new tears forming in her eyes and sobs threatened to emerge.

Anna bent down to her height. "Of course dear, we will help you find her. My name is Anna." Anna took her hand and lead her into the hall giving Thomas a look as she passed. Thomas sighed as he closed the back door.

Anna brought her to the servants hall and laid the dress she was holding over a chair. She helped the girl off with her coat and hung the coat over her arm. She pulled a chair out for the girl and sat her down. The table only came up to the girl's eye level. Grace whipped at her eyes with the back of her hands as she noticed the other people in the room sitting around starring at her. The table was set for their dinner. She looked back up to the nice lady who showed her in and found a friendly face.

"Grace, where did you last see your mummy?" Anna asked sitting down beside her.

"Yesterday, when she came to visit." Grace was still fighting tears.

"I see, and where do you think she is now?"

"She lives at Downton Abbey with my da." Grace's frustration and fear of her situation were evident in her face and voice.

Anna took a breath to try and figure out what this child was trying to tell her. "And what are their names?"

"Mummy and da." Grace cried out with a pouting lip. "I want my mummy." The sobs finally broke through.

The girls sobs reached the steps to the servants hall where the housekeeper was just finishing her evening rounds. Elsie's steps were heavy and her shoulders hunched forward more than usual. Her eyes were dulled from their normal dark blue. The days after her visits were always the longest. She reached the last step and stopped. She heard a small, familiar voice. But it couldn't be. She listened again. 'I want my mummy.' Now there was no doubt.

Her eyes widened and she walked as fast as she could with lighter steps towards the voice calling for her. Her chatelaine clinked with more force than ever before. She took in a breath of panic before calling, "Grace!" and hurrying through the corridor.

Upon hearing that voice call out to her, Grace felt immediate relief. Her head turned toward the sound. She jumped down from the chair and shouted, "Mummy!"

The housekeeper appeared at the servants hall entrance and barely took notice of the entire staff surrounding the table. She only saw one little body running up to her with her arms stretched out.

"Darling," she exclaimed as she bent down to reach the little girl's embrace. She threw her arms around the girl feeling comforted knowing she was alright.

Tears of relief were now flooding through Grace's eyes and she held her mummy's neck in a fast embrace.

All the commotion drew Mrs. Patmore in from the kitchen. She had a smart remark on the tip of her tongue, but was silenced as she saw the entire staff transfixed on the embracing pair.

Elsie lifted the girl into her arms and stood after a moment, whispering soothing words into her ear and planting kisses along her face.

"It's alright darling. Mummy's here. Everything is alright."

Grace's sobs became quiet whimpers in her mother's arms and she calmed enough to pull back and look at her mummy's face. "I missed you," she said.

"I know love. I missed you too." Elsie pushed a few curls away from her face, feeling tears come in behind her own eyes.

The staff was silent and had not averted their collective gaze. Mrs. Patmore broke the silence by muttering under her breath, "Well bloody hell." The staff's eyes began scanning the room to gage other's reactions. Anna was shocked but wore a smile and Thomas looked a combination of surprised, disgusted, and delighted in a singular glance. Miss Baxter looked concerned and Mr. Mosley looked confused. Mrs. Patmore's eyes were bugging out of her head and her jaw dropped as she continued to stare at the pair. After a quick double take, she saw the matching hair and eyes between the two.

Elsie's eyes still did not avert from the wee one's in front of her. Grace pressed her forehead against her mummy's to keep as much physical contact as possible.

"Where's da?" Grace asked much calmer and with a growing smile appearing on her face.

"He is upstairs working, love. He should be here soon." She answered quickly without thinking of their audience.

Daisy walked in asking questions about the dinner that was currently quite overdone due to being abandoned on the stove. "What is going on?" she asked looking around at everyone's expressions. She eventually found the elephant in the room and asked, "Mrs. Hughes, who is this?"

The question broke Elsie from her moment in time. A myriad of different emotions crossed her face in that second. She shifted Grace to her right hip.

Grace's head came to rest against her shoulder. She breathed in the scent of her mummy, her security. She snuggled in and gave her mother a kiss on her cheek before looking at all the eyes on her.

Elsie took a breath and gave a small smile, "This is Grace Elizabeth.'

Anna was the first to comment with a glowing face. "It is nice to meet you Grace Elizabeth."

Grace giggled at the nice lady. "I am Grace. Only mummy and da call me Grace Elizabeth."

Thomas entered the conversation taking accounted pausing as he said, "Grace Elizabeth what?"

A door opened and closed at the top of the stairs again. This time heavy footsteps purposefully walked down the corridor towards the servants hall. The dinner service was ending and the family was moving into the drawing room for drinks. The butler immediately noted the quiet atmosphere that enveloped the downstairs. Through the opening to the servants hall, he saw lots of bodies standing, but silent.

In his most authoritative butler's voice he said, "What is going on here? Mr. Barrow, Mosley, are you aware that you are required in the drawing room to serve…"

"Da!" He was cut off by a small bundle launching herself into his arms. Luckily Elsie was holding Grace close to the entrance to begin with, so he didn't have to move to fast to catch her.

"Gracie, what on earth!" he said. His face showing concern for her unexpected presence and joy at being able to hold her again.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and showed no signs of letting go immediately. He supported her bum with one arm and pulled her close to him with the other. He opened his eyes to look at the staff over Grace's little shoulder. The staff's expressions turned from mere shock to astonishment. He quickly closed his eyes to block out all thoughts of the explanations that needed to come later. He slowly opened his eyes again to see that Elsie placed her hand on Grace's back and was slowly stroking it. She still gazed at her daughter with worry.

He addressed the staff next in a calm voice with less authority than usual while still holding tightly to his girl. "Everyone back to work. I know you are due explanations, and you will get them in time."

With the promise of an explanation, the staff slowly dispersed whispering quietly when they were out of the trio's ear shot. It took a pleading look from Elsie to send Mrs. Patmore with a look of bother back to her domain.

"Lets go into my sitting room," Elsie said glancing up at Charles. He nodded and ushered her to lead. Before they could move out of the servants hall, Grace reached out for Elsie again and uttered a small cry. Charles slid her into Elsie's waiting arms. Charles opened her sitting room door and allowed Elsie to go through first. He shut the door behind them.