A Creature at Downton

by: i-live-for-television

This chapter is dedicated to Flippyspoon for her birthday x

Warning: Strong Horror & Violence! (I'm serious this chapter is intense)

Chapter 3

The hallway was dead silent now. Which surprisingly was much more terrifying than the previous sounds of Thomas shouting for help mixed the unearthly screeches of the monster that took him . At least before he knew that Thomas was still alive. But the silence was something much worse. It was too uncertain.

Jimmy grappled around for the doorknob but struggled to find it in the darkness of the hallway. He heard footsteps from the staircase and in a matter of seconds the light was switched on and Alfred came running in.

"What the hell was that?!" Alfred asked anxiously. Jimmy ignored him and went straight for the door, swinging it open moments later.

The room looked like a crime scene. There were blood spatters leading from the door to what was once a glass window on the other side of the room. The shattered glass broke under Jimmy's feet as he ran to the window and peered outside. His eyes searched desperately for Thomas and the beast that stole him. Everything Jimmy feared had become an unbearable reality. Thomas was nowhere in sight, probably dead and he had no idea where to find him.

"Jimmy, what's going on?" Alfred was in a panic.

Jimmy pushed past him straight to the door. He had to find Thomas. Nothing had ever seemed so important in his entire life.

"Jimmy!" Alfred ran after him.

Before he could register what he was doing Jimmy had already sprinted down the stairs and through numerous corridors. Now standing outside of Downton, without a weapon or light or anyway of finding Thomas. But he had to find him. There had to be a way.

Flashbacks of his previous nightmares flickered into his mind. He saw the forest just beyond Downton. He saw the creature and he saw Thomas who was bleeding, broken and screaming for help. Jimmy's stomach lurched as his whole body prickled and heated up with a mix of anger and fear.

Alfred latched a hand onto Jimmy's arm but let go soon after with a yelp. Jimmy turned to look at Alfred's hand. It was burnt and only newly by the looks of it.

"You bloody burnt me!" Alfred yelled and gripped onto his injured hand. Jimmy looked at Alfred apologetically. But this was not the time to worry about himself or Alfred. He turned and darted off towards the forest. Alfred no longer followed behind him.

The burn on Alfred's hand had released a somewhat locked part of Jimmy's brain, memories of his childhood came flooding back. They were seemingly happy at first; his first bike ride. His first trip to the fair. But they were followed by increasingly violent memories. His father shoving him to the ground and lashing him with his belt. His mother being slammed into the kitchen table while pregnant with what would've been his new little brother or sister. His joy and his mothers devastation when his father was conscripted into the war and then killed only a year later. The next one hit him so hard that he needed to hold stop and hold himself up on nearby a tree.

It was 1917. The summer that his mother had been struck down with the flu. She clung to her bed, writhing in pain and soaked in sweat. Jimmy knew that she was dying but he didn't want to believe it.

"Listen to me my boy. You have a gift. A gift that can do anything. In the future You'll find a man and he'll look after you. But you must save your gift for him, because he's the only one who can save you". And then she was gone and Jimmy was alone.

Suddenly, a rustling came from not far away and Jimmy ran towards it in hope that it was Thomas. He pushed through the trees and jumping and falling over the fallen branches that were in his way, before he ended up in an open part of the forest.

"Jimmy, nice of you to join us" Sebastian's remarked, his naked body illuminated the surrounding trees with the brightest gold imaginable. He held had an exhausted and injured Thomas by the arm like a child would hold a ragdoll.

"Thomas!" Jimmy yelled swallowing his fear at the sight of Thomas's limp body dangling from the hands of Sebastian. He wasn't sure what he was going to do but all he knew was that he had to stop him. Jimmy bit back all of his fear and sprinted towards them.

"Uh uh" Sebastian said as pulled Thomas upwards by his arm and clasped a hand around his throat. "Would you like to watch me snap his neck or would you like to stay right where you are?"

Jimmy stopped immediately. He felt something stir from deep inside him as soon as Sebastian laid a hand on Thomas.

"Good.. now stay there" Sebastian ordered. He looked to his fingers and watched the gold light move and twist around them, distorting the shape and making were inhumanly long and discoloured.

"Don't hurt him.. I'm warning you!" Jimmy shouted. The warm stirring sensation inside him was turning into a slow burn. It started in his chest and expanded rapidly throughout his whole body shooting through his limbs and climbing its way into his head.

Sebastian bared his long pointed teeth as he dragged a dagger like fingernail across Thomas cheek, drawing blood as he went. Thomas whimpered feebly, his eyes staring into space while the blood dripped onto his livery.

"Get you FUCKING hands off of him!" Jimmy yelled. His nostrils flared and his skin itched as the red hot anger seared through him. It was like nothing he had ever felt, an overbearing rage that was taking over every part of him.

Sebastian removed his nail from Thomas' skin and placed it into his mouth tasting the blood.

And that was it. Jimmy lost it. He ran towards Sebastian no longer able to stand what he was seeing.

Sebastian snarled and clasped both hands around Thomas' neck lifting him off the ground with ease. Thomas' eyes shot open and his hands grabbed frantically for his neck. "Jimmy get back!" Thomas choked between gasps for air.

Jimmy and Thomas' eyes connected as he got closer. The look on Thomas's face was unforgettable. He looked terrified but what was more evident than the fear, was the concern in his eyes. Even in his last moments before death the only thing he cared about was Jimmy.

Sebastian's smirk dissipated. He set his eyes onto Jimmy's, holding one hand to Thomas's forehead and the other to the back of Thomas's head. With a sickening crack Sebastian snapped Thomas' neck right in front of Jimmy.

No.

Jimmy watched the life drained from Thomas's eyes while the nauseating sound of bones breaking filled the otherwise quiet forest.

"I did warn you" Sebastian dropped Thomas's body to the ground with a loud thud. "It's a shame too. Feeding from him would've a delicacy. I've never seen a man so miserable".

The sight of Thomas's lifeless body made the stirring inside Jimmy change from a burn into a searing white heat. It lit him up from the inside out. His eyes burned right through to the back of his skull until all he could see was a blue flame lighting up the space around him, he looked at Sebastian. The creature that had murdered Thomas with such ease and thrown him to the ground without a second thought.

Sebastian took a precautionary step back "What are you?" he growled. The bat-like wings sprouted from in-between his shoulder blades. His eyes and hair glowed and his mouth elongated along with his teeth just like Jimmy had seen him in his dream.

But Jimmy wasn't frightened. The only thing he could feel was anger. A burning rage that had taken over him completely. He walked towards Sebastian who screeched in pain as his body continued morphing into a beast.

Sebastian made a run at him elevating himself off the ground with a flap of his wings. Jimmy continued towards the beast. He wasn't scared only livid with a fury so intense that it was almost inhuman. Jimmy raised his hand at the beast whose face crashed into it. Its body fell to the ground and shrieked in pain at its own melting flesh underneath Jimmy's flaming hand. Jimmy's mother's last words replayed themselves over and over as the creature below him turned to ash.

"Listen to me my boy. You have a gift. A gift that can do anything. In the future You'll find a man and he'll look after you. But you must save your gift for him, because he's the only one who can save you".

The creature tried grabbing for Jimmy but the inferno surrounding his body protected him as more and more of Sebastian disintegrated.

'Save your gift for him'

Save Thomas.

Jimmy looked over to Thomas's body and the flames dissipated, leaving a pile of still burning ash on the ground below his hand. "Thomas.." Jimmy could feel a growing lump in his throat and sickness in his stomach that devoured him. He ran to him and dropped down to his knees next to Thomas' head.

"Hey..." He pushed the bloodstained hair away from Thomas' eyes which now bore no resemblance to the bright and intrigued glow they once possessed when ever Jimmy was around. They were clouded now. Empty and lifeless.

"Thomas?" Jimmy whimpered. "Please.." Deep down he knew Thomas couldn't reply. He knew that he was nothing but a corpse now, just like his mother who he'd also failed to protect.

"Please don't.. Jimmy's voice broke and quivered as he hunched over to get closer to Thomas. He cupped both sides of Thomas' face with his hands.

"Remember when you said you loved me?..well if you meant it you won't leave..you can't" Jimmy bowed his head onto Thomas' chest with his hands still cupping Thomas' face . The devastation took over him. It churned inside him making him sick with a pain that he'd never felt before. His head ached, His eyes itched and his stomach twisted with overwhelming guilt."Please" Jimmy sobbed. Tears were so unfamiliar to him. He swore he had never shed them before. But now they stung his eyes and run down his cheeks onto the unresponsive body of the man who had caused them. He squeezed his eyes shut and cried into Thomas' chest. He couldn't picture Downton without Thomas. He couldn't even picture a world without him.

Jimmy felt his body warm up again. It was like before but different. He opened his eyes and saw that his arms were glowing with a chaste light blue. He lifted his head up and watched the calming flame coming from his hands dance over Thomas face and neck, slowly returning the colour and mending the wounds. Jimmy sat up but kept his hands on Thomas. He could hear the bones in Thomas's body moving and clicking back into place.

He no longer looked lifeless.

Thomas's body suddenly lurched upwards and his eyes flew open. He choked and gasped for air and grabbed for Jimmy who pulled him into his arms.

"Jimmy?" Thomas said breathlessly.

"I'm here" Jimmy pulled back so he could see Thomas' face.

"Are you crying?" Thomas marvelled at the tears on Jimmy's face.

"Well thanks to you I bloody am!" Jimmy sniffed and stifled the tiniest of laughs. Thomas squinted his eyes at confusedly at him which made him laugh even more.

"Didn't Sebastian kill me?. I felt my neck snap Jimmy...I felt it and what the hell was he? I've never seen something like that before" Thomas asked frantically.

Jimmy winced and nodded "He was some kind of demon and he did kill you.. But I brought you back"

Thomas looked at him with wide eyes "..H-how?"

"..The same way I killed him" Jimmy answered and looked to his hands "I'm not sure what it was..but when I saw you die something happened. My mother told me a long time ago that I had a gift. She told me it could do anything and I had to use it to save him".

"Save who?"

Jimmy took his hand off Thomas and held it in front of them both. He concentrated hard on the moment that he saw Thomas die. Suddenly, the blue flames lit up his finger tips and started spreading over his hand, travelling down his arm in a pure blue fiery glow.

"To save you Thomas"

Thomas gasped but didn't move away "Jimmy you're glowing"

"I know" Jimmy laughed "..And I think it was you that did it"

"What'd I do?" Thomas couldn't peel his eyes from the blue flames that swirled around Jimmy's arm.

"You cared about me.. and you made me care about you" Jimmy said quietly. Thomas eyes shot back up to Jimmy's as soon as he heard that. "And I do Thomas.. I really do"

Somehow the fact that they were still on the ground and in each other's arms hadn't occurred to them. "Jimmy-" Thomas was silenced when Jimmy bent down and kissed gently him on the forehead before leaning his own forehead onto Thomas's. Jimmy ran his fingers through Thomas's hair and smiled at him. Thomas looked surprised but at the same time more at peace than Jimmy had ever seen him. He used his fingers to trace along the minor scar on Thomas' cheek where Sebastian had cut him.

"Jimmy I need you to answer me honestly. Am I dead right now?".

Jimmy scoffed "No I can assure you that you're not dead".

"Have I at least going mad then?".

"Thomas.. you haven't gone mad. Maybe the world has but you haven't" Jimmy got up slowly and held his hand out for Thomas "Come on. Downton will be in a panic when they find Sebastian's room".

Thomas nodded still unconvinced "What should we tell them?"

"Anything but the truth"

Thomas nodded again and they began walking back in close stride.

Once they had arrived at Downton, Bates walked speedily towards them "Have either of you seen Sebastian?"

"No" Jimmy glanced over to Thomas

"Yeah..no, haven't seen him either"

"Well something's happened.. you'd better take a look at this" Bates lead them both upstairs and into Sebastian's room.

The first thing Jimmy noticed was the dent in the side of the door frame that Thomas's head was smashed into. The rest of the house had no idea that all of the blood in the room belonged to Thomas. None of them knew that he'd been murdered while Jimmy watched.

"Jimmy?" Thomas watched him with concern "Are you alright?"

It was like he couldn't move. The nightmarish memories had him paralysed. Jimmy hadn't noticed that he was shaking until Thomas tapped him on the shoulder.

"Maybe you should take him outside?" Bates said worriedly "Not everyone can handle blood"

Jimmy stared up at Thomas. There were small healed scars where he'd received the injuries, one on his forehead and that very thin one on his cheek, but other than that, Thomas was fine. Thomas was alive. Without thinking Jimmy moved his hand to Thomas's chin and slowly turned Thomas's head as if to check his neck was still working. Thomas did exactly what Jimmy wanted without a second thought. The fact that Bates was watching them suspiciously had suddenly become irrelevant.

Jimmy's expression changed "I'm fine as long as you are Thomas"

Bates coughed loudly from the window and Jimmy dropped his hand.

"..Do you two have any idea what happened here? Bates asked.

"Maybe Sebastian went mad? he looked like the type" Jimmy snapped.

Bates narrowed his eyes "Where do you think he's gone then?"

"Does it matter? If he's gone he's bloody gone and good riddance" Jimmy turned and left the room hastily with Thomas following closely behind.

"Jimmy, you can't say things like that..It makes you sound-"

"Makes me sound what Thomas? Do you have any idea what I saw happen tonight?.What he bloody did to you? I refuse to act like I care for him."

"I know...I know what he did.. but it makes you sound guilty when you talk like that"

"Mr Barrow. A word please" Carson called as he climbed the stairs leading to the servants corridor.

Thomas nodded at Carson before turning back to Jimmy "I'll work this out okay.. try and get some sleep" he followed Carson down the stairs, leaving Jimmy alone once again.

Jimmy retired to his room shortly after seeing the Hall boys come up with buckets and cloths. He stripped off his uniform and threw on his night clothes before shakily sitting on his bed. He shouldn't have been as worried as he was. Sebastian was gone and Thomas was safe but he couldn't stop worrying about him.

Jimmy laid back on his bed. He knew there would be no sleep had by him tonight, especially if he was forced to stay in a room by himself with nothing but the memories of this evenings occurrences to comfort him. He hoped deep down that Thomas would come to him, just so he'd know that he was safe. But Jimmy knew that Thomas wouldn't. Not after the way Jimmy had reacted last time.

Jimmy heard the buckets being dragged from Sebastian's room an hour later and an hour after that he heard the rest of the servants go to bed, except for Thomas or Mr Carson.

What could they be talking about for that long..

The thought terrified him. What if Carson found out?. What if he's trying persuade Thomas to take me to the police or an institution.

Fuck..

Jimmy shot up from the bed when he heard Carson's muffled voice from the hallway. Another voice sounded a moment later, one that he'd be able to recognise anywhere. He let out a sigh of relief when he heard Thomas. The two men spoke for a few minutes outside Sebastian's room and then said their goodnights before Carson retired to his room and Thomas to the bathroom before eventually retiring to his old room twenty minutes later.

Jimmy sat up for another few hours in hope that Thomas would come in to explain his conversation with Carson.. or for any other reason. He just wanted Thomas to come. But Thomas never did. Eventually he gave up on the idea of waiting and decided to go to Thomas's room instead.

Jimmy snuck out quietly. The Hall was dead silent but he still made sure to be cautious. He knocked very lightly on the Thomas's door. He heard a creak in the floorboards from inside and the sound of footsteps before the door opened seconds later.

Thomas flicked the light on "Jimmy?" he said tiredly.

"Who bloody else?" Jimmy teased."..Can I come in?"

Thomas struggled to contain the small smile that spread across his face at Jimmy's question. "Of course"

Jimmy went straight over to Thomas's bed and sat down. He noticed that the other man was in the same state of undress as himself. Thomas wore night clothes and dishevelled damp black hair that hung messily on his face."So what did you and Mr Carson speak about?"

"Everything. We had to work out a sort of cover story for the whole situation seeing as we 'both' had no idea what happened.." Thomas continued while grabbing the chair from next to his bureau.

"What're you doing?" Jimmy asked bewildered.

"What do you mean I'm getting a chair?"

Jimmy shook his head "Thomas you can't be serious. Come and sit with me it's not like I'm taking up the whole bed or anything"

Jimmy could hear Thomas audible gulp from across the room.

"Thomas, if you're worried about me yelling at you or somethin'. I won't. After all we've been through tonight, I'm pretty sure you can sit next to me on a bed without worrying about it"

Thomas's hand fiddled on the back of the chair for a moment while he mentally debated with himself before eventually deciding to sit with Jimmy.

"See..no yelling" Jimmy grinned and gave Thomas a gentle shove on the shoulder with his own. "Now are you going to tell me what you spoke about or do I have to ask Mr Carson?"

Thomas laughed "Well as I was saying; Seeing as we 'both had no idea what happened..we had to think of something to tell everyone..and it had something believable, which was difficult considering all of the blood and the smashed window. So after a long and terribly boring discussion we finally decided to explain that he'd had some kind of mental breakdown and needed to be institutionalised. It won't go over so well with his Lordship though.. Carson's beating himself up over hiring him in the first place. And of course he knows nothing about you or me. As far as he's concerned, Sebastian's gone and you're just as normal as the rest of us."

Jimmy turned to face Thomas. "She was right.."

"Who was?"

"My Mum. She said I'd find a man that'll look after me". Jimmy smiled affectionately at Thomas. "Isn't it funny though? After everything that happened, we're perfectly fine and Carson's the one that's getting into trouble with his Lordship"

Thomas tried to bite back his amusement but failed miserably and burst out into laughter, taking Jimmy with him into a fit of laughter that had not been shared between them since Alfred's unfortunate teacup incident.

Suddenly, the sound of a floorboard creaking came from the hallway and Jimmy slapped a hand over both his and Thomas's mouths. Jimmy could feel Thomas's warm unsteady breath on his hand as they waited and listened in silence for another creak to come from the hallway. Jimmy slowly lowered his hand after a minute of hearing no other sounds.

"Carson won't be the only one in trouble if we wake everyone up this late at night" Jimmy chuckled at the door. But Thomas stayed silent.

Jimmy turned back to Thomas who was staring down at his leg. Jimmy hadn't realised how close he'd moved towards him or the fact that he'd left his hand on Thomas's upper thigh when he'd dropped it from Thomas's mouth.

Jimmy held Thomas's gaze for a long moment without moving his hand. A new feeling started building in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't remember ever feeling it.. not this strongly at least. Although he knew exactly what it was. The feeling he was suppose to feel with Alice when she touched him or kissed him. This is what it was like. And it was strong. Jimmy couldn't help but glance down to Thomas's lips. He had such a lovely mouth. Much lovelier than Alice's.

Thomas jerked his head away and all but jumped off the bed "Um..I-I think I'll go to sleep now if you wouldn't mind leaving Jimmy" He looked at the floor as he spoke.

"Or I could stay?" Jimmy answered in all honestly. It was true. He really didn't want to go.

Thomas looked at him with a pained expression "Why?"

"..Because I want to"

"No you don't! ..Sebastian must've done something to you because you'd never want to stay around me a minute longer than necessary before and now you're.." Thomas gestured towards Jimmy on his bed. "I don't understand what you're doing..I can't understand any of this"

"And you think I understand any of this?. I don't even know what I am Thomas!." Jimmy almost shouted.

They were silent for what felt like an eternity until Jimmy decided to break it "Look..I may not be sure of much tonight.. but all I know is that I want to make sure you're safe and not being dragged out of a window or murdered by a fucking demon"

"...Again" He added a moment later.

Thomas looked up with the smallest of smiles on his face "Spose that'd put a bit of a damper on your gallant efforts tonight wouldn't it?"

Jimmy chuckled "You could say that"

Thomas nodded and sat back down next to Jimmy. "Alright then..stay if you really want to"

Jimmy grinned "Can I sleep in here too?"

Thomas expression turned serious "Why would you want to do that?" The intention of Thomas's question was obvious. Jimmy could see exactly what he thought Jimmy was implying.

"Oh nothing like that! I-I just.. This is so hard for me to explain Thomas! I've never felt like this before. I just need to be here..I need to be close to you so that no one can hurt you. Do you understand?"

"No I bloody don't. But to be honest I don't really care"

"Good" Jimmy chuckled again. "I'll be back in a moment alright. Get comfortable".

Thomas smiled unable to hide his contentment "See you in a moment then"

Jimmy flicked the light off and ducked out of the room. He went straight to the bathroom where he took the quickest bath possible, brushed his teeth and tried to make his hair look presentable although he wasn't quite sure why.

Wait, why do I even care what my bloody hair looks like. It'll be dark in his room anyway.

Jimmy's eyes widened at his thoughts.

Damnit Thomas. What're you bloody doing to me.

Once he was cleaned up, Jimmy went back to Thomas's room. He opened the door and snuck in, this time without knocking.

In the moonlight Jimmy could see that most of Thomas was underneath the blankets and he was facing the other side of the room. But when Jimmy got closer he turned back to look at him nervously. All Jimmy wanted to do was hug him and tell him that it was okay. After all he was the one that wanted this. Jimmy walked over to the other side of the small bed and got in.

Their faces were barely a few inches apart now. Jimmy could feel how tense Thomas was as their bodies touched. Anyone else it would've been uncomfortable but Jimmy found it extraordinarily comforting to have someone this close to him. His eyes flickered over anxious Thomas's face.

That's when it hit him.

Thomas wasn't strange looking and he definitely wasn't disgusting like Alfred had called him.

His porcelain skin contrasted perfectly with his jet black hair and his icy blue added something incredible to the beautiful mix that was Thomas Barrow. He'd never found someone so striking before this particular moment. How could he have refused someone like this. How could he have hurt him like he did.

"I'm sorry Thomas"

"What for?"

"For everything I did to you last year" Jimmy ran his hand through Thomas's soft clean hair.

How different it feels without all of that bloody pomade.

"Don't worry, I deserved it"

"You didn't. You really bloody didn't." Jimmy stroked along Thomas's jaw. "All you did was care for me and ..I really hurt you"

Jimmy leaned into Thomas's chest. "I never want to hurt you again Thomas"

"Then don't" Thomas wanted desperately to touch Jimmy. But fear held him back, just as it had been doing for the last year.

Jimmy slid his hands down Thomas's face, over his neck and down his arms before finally settling around his waist as he nuzzled into Thomas's chest, breathing him in.

"Try getting taken from me now" Jimmy whispered as his hands ran up Thomas's back.

Thomas chuckled breathlessly, eventually deciding to rest his chin on the top of Jimmy's head.

Their breathing shallowed as they slowly drifted off. Jimmy found it incredibly easy to fall asleep while in the company of Thomas. Everything was going to be easier with Thomas now. and finally Jimmy knew why.

Does he know though?

He must?

Mustn't he?

Jimmy lifted his head from Thomas's chest so that he could face him again.

"Thomas?"

"Yes?"

"You know I love you right?"

A/N: Thank you so very much for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter! :) Just so you know I'll probably write another one to finish this story off, especially if you guys leave reviews for me :D :D