Enjoyed your story.

Loved it! Oh, how I miss Tom and Sybil! Thank you for your fabulous stories. Now I will eagerly start your latest creation.

I think I loved it all. There are in it all the things I like in a fic : a little bit of angst, sweet and...smut ! Well done;x

Ok, now I have the time to sit down and review! And let me tell you I am just absolutely blown away by this! I can't believe you got EVERYTHING I wanted to see in here. It was genius to tell it through flashbacks!

Now I really see this story as a three act play.

Act 1: The return to Downton. I absolutely freaking love that you have Tom and Sybil struggling with this. It's so subtle and nuanced (none of the melodramatic pantomime that JFells insisted on in 3X01). You have captured so beautifully and effectively the difficulties of returning home a changed person. I left home for nearly 19 months, lived a totally different life as a missionary for my church, and when I came home it was a SHOCK! It was so weird to be seen as the "old me" when I was so comfortable as the "new me" I don't even have to ask if that makes sense because it is so clear from your story that you understand that. I think of Sybil, and even Tom, who return to where they use to be, to people who expect them to be who they used to be. There is so much conflict there, and they way Tom and Sybil waver in trying to navigate that is so believable and honest! And yet you never go the cliched route, you keep them devoted to each other even in moments of strife; which I find truly believable for their characters. We were shown on the show that they were willing to withstand the storms together and you perfectly communicated that. This line: "It's Branson now," Sybil said, the correction leaving her tongue with umpteenth satisfaction. "And do you even know where the linen closet is?" couldn't have done a better job showing how Sybil is not the same girl she was when she left. She is Sybil Branson now, she knows were the linen closet is, and she's brave enough to challenge her father. And this: "He took off his nightshirt and threw it down to the ground. He didn't care if their room was already a mess of things, as earlier they had forfeited unpacking to instead share in a nap together. The maids, most of them new, would say what they wanted regardless of the state of their room, and he was sure that somewhere downstairs, Mrs. Hughes would give them disapproving looks, proud of the standard at which she held them to, even if it was a higher one than either of them felt they deserved. They were married now, and while she was once the lady of this house, driven around by him, the war had changed this world, and the people in it, all without anyone's direct permission." So much emotion!

Act 2: The flashback. I confess, I may have drooled all over myself. I don't really know what I expected, but it certainly wasn't THAT! And that is why I will be forever grateful I asked YOU for this scenario. I really just thought you'd write some rockin' dialogue (which you did), have Tom and Sybil argue-their emotions just jumping off the page (which you did...and I also want to say I almost asked you for a oneshot about Tom and Sybil fighting because you are the QUEEN of writing contention between them, and you BETTER take that as a compliment because I believe that is a skill few writers master) but I never expected her gesture to him. And as I was reading it, all I could think was "this is totally genius! Absolutely brilliant!" Because it showed that Sybil was truly ready to be with him, if they got caught, then they got caught and she would STILL be with him. And for Tom it showed his willingness to trust and believe in her, even as she led him into a potentially dangerous situation. His devotion and love is NEVER situational, it's perpetual. He was hurt, he wanted action, believed the only solace was to be away from her and she wouldn't let him. She was there waiting for him. Just kills me!

Act 3: The fulfilled promise. Because that is what it truly was. It wasn't about the sexytimes (don't get me wrong I LOVED the sexytimes!) but their passion was about that moment before they knew where their path would ultimately lead them and the faith is given when they can't see. If you really think about Tom's promise, then it's apparent how deep his love for her goes. He PROMISED they would make love in that bed. That meant AFTER they were married. AFTER the family would have undoubtedly rejected them. Yet he promised they'd return. He promised that he would stand up to the Earl, or possibly even endure the Earl's belittling and criticism. He promised that even if they hated him, he would bring her back to them. How humbling is that? Which only lends power to the moment when he fulfills that promise.

Yeah, I don't know if I can ever communicate how much I truly love and appreciate this story. I too am humbled to know you would use your talents and time to write something like this for me. You put so much of yourself into each story, lay bare so many emotions and ideas, and it gives so much life to your stories, and this one is no exception. Thank you, you beautiful beautiful girl!

Elle, this was just as amazing as I thought it would be, from your snippet on Tumblr. You really do come up with some lovely sentences - one of my faves was right near the beginning - "To love and be loved in return, deeply and fully, was a feeling she wished to share with the world, but kept to herself, because she enjoyed the way it sounded being whispered back and forth beneath bedsheets at night." Tom and Sybil's love for each other shone through so clearly in this story - sexy, romantic and sometimes imperfect, which felt really true to life for me and I could see how what happened after the elopement could have helped Tom feel confident that their marriage would really happen after all. Loved it! Thank you.

Great little (well, not so little) one-shot. I can imagine how awkward it would be for him back up in her bedroom (and their first time there, in particular). Loved this line: "I don't want your world. I just want you." I think that pretty much captures his feelings for her.

*Screaming uncontrollably* This was awesome! I loved the tension in the beginning, how Tom felt so insecure about everything here while Sybil just felt angry. The heart to heart was so perfect and the sexytimes after were swoon worth! Now I'm wishing that the flashback was canon!

Gah! That was the best long shot ever! Modern AU or not, you really know how to capture Syb and Tom!

I know it wasn't my birthday bit I feel like that was a gift for everyone!

Just what I needed after a long ass day - a wonderfully fluffy fic, with a wee bit of steam thrown in. I LOVED how you had Tom in her bedroom before, I don't blame Sybil for that to be honest ;)

I made myself laugh though, because after you had Robert say he'll go get her a sheet - Sybil then got nakie and straddled Tom, and I was like, "oh god, please don't have him barge in - that would be AWKWARD..." but luckily you did not go there LOL.

Awesome as always. Was such a nice surprise to see a one shot from you waiting for me when I got home :)