Hello everyone!

This will be a short story written around the plot that Cora did not lose her baby. Doctor Clarkson determined that Cora was around four months pregnant when he examined her and she lost the baby very shortly before the start of WW1 in July of 1914. So if she hadn't had her "accident" that would make it in or about a Christmas baby and that is the backbone of my story. This is my first fanfiction so feedback is very much appreciated and please enjoy!

Christmas 1914

Christmas. For many, a time synonymous with joy and bliss, laughter and celebration. But this was Christmas 1914. Mere months ago the nation had been rocked by the shocking announcement that their country was at war with Germany. Throughout the following months, The Crawleys had watched as one by one their young male staff packed their things after receiving the dreaded "calling up" letter and listened with great sadness to the telegrams stating the names of those who would not be taking up their positions again. But even as the world fought around them, joy had still managed to creep its way into the walls of Downton. Cora Crawley, the wife of Robert Crawley the Earl of Grantham, was expecting her fourth child over 18 years after the birth of her last child and was due any day now. This brought great excitement to all the family, even their matriarch Violet Crawley, although she would never let it show. For their dinner they had managed a rather fine bird but as a whole, their Christmas feast was somewhat depleted but that didn't bother them. The ladies had sat down to dinner in dresses of beautifully festive shades of red, Cora positively glowing in a beautiful silk gown and Robert, who looked dashing in his bright red uniform, could not keep his eyes off his stunning wife for the duration of the meal. Isobel and Matthew were also in attendance which made for an evening of entertaining squabbling. They also took the evening as an opportunity to forget for just a moment the horrors unfolding around them. They talked and laughed, recounting memories of Christmas' gone by but also took a moment to bring themselves back to reality and raised a glass to those who would not see this Christmas and for peace for those they left behind. They finished their meal at about a quarter to eight and adjourned to the drawing-room for a light-hearted game of charades, a firm family favorite. Cora perched herself in the comfy armchair right by the fire tenderly holding the hand of her husband seated next to her and watched and laughed as her darling girls tried valiantly to portray their given subjects. She only wanted one thing this Christmas. A boy for her darling Robert. She recounted the births of her three daughters. How every time he had entered the room to take his first look at their new child, his face had dropped slightly upon her announcement that it was a baby girl. She knew he had tried very hard to never show his disappointment but that little giveaway always seemed to slip under the radar. It had always saddened her but the joy of the little bundle in her arms always overrode it and overrode his disappointment too. The twinkle in his eye when she would hand him their new baby was unforgettable and she reveled in the thought of being able to see it again just one more time. Only she hoped that this time it would be unaccompanied by the inevitable disappointment of a baby girl. She looked down into her lap, gazing happily at the bump in her middle. All of a sudden she felt the baby kick hard. She repositioned her left hand to soothe her little one but not before she took her husband's hand and placed it gently on the spot their child had kicked. Robert had turned his head from the ongoing game at the feeling of his hand being moved and she watched in delight at his face lighting up as once again their child gave its mother a swift kick. He leaned over the arm of the chair and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. As he pulled away he whispered in her ear, "Merry Christmas my darling" before reverting his attention to the game. She smiled softly to herself as she too re-engaged in the festivities and gave a hearty laugh as Sybil pulled a funny face in an effort to make her topic known. About a half an hour later the sound of heaving pounding on the front door could be heard echoing through the main hall of Downton. The laughter coming from the drawing-room brought a smile to the face of the family's long-serving butler, Mr. Charles Carson as he made his way down the hall to answer it. It was snowing heavily. So heavily in fact that three beds had been made up for it would be next to impossible for their house guests to travel home that evening so the rapid pounding at the door puzzled the butler. He unlocked the door but as he opened it he was, to his horror, greeted by the cocking of a gun pointed straight towards him and a deep cockney voice stating "Good evening. We're here to see His Lordship".

That's the first chapter! I really hope you enjoyed it and I'll try and have the next chapter up by Friday. Thank you for reading!