'You look very nice this evening', Robert stepped towards Cora, complimenting her with the faintest of smile.

Cora stared at Robert, making Robert nervous with every passing second, 'Don't flirt with me Robert, not now'.

She left the library, leaving Robert with a broken heart.

It had been a week since their youngest daughter died during childbirth. Sybil, the sweetest of all. With features just as her mother and believes as strong as her father, a perfect blend of beauty and brain. Robert regretted his decision, cursed himself, he broken down several times when alone. He remembered everything, he recalled each word said, every action that was taken. He should have listened to who proposed an operation in her condition, there was a danger of eclampsia, he put all the facts together and decided to go with the foreign, more experienced doctor, Sir Phillip who guaranteed that everything would go perfectly in the normal delivery and the situation isn't usual. He was sure, wasn't. He had to choose the safer option inspite of Cora's constant reminder that knew Sybil well enough, he chose to go the other direction which took his baby daughter's life.

As a father, he had to choose the option which assured Sybil's safety but things went awfully wrong. He saw Sybil, everything reminded him of her, he wanted to cry, he wanted to scream, he wanted to share his pain with his wife but he couldn't do that. Cora blamed him, he blamed him for his biased decision. She didn't talk to him, nor cried with him. She slept alone even ate alone.

It wasn't until this morning that she herself came to him after receiving the message from Mama, who had called them to the Dowager house that afternoon. He tried for a chat, just to shrink the awkward distance and disturbance between them but she shut him down.

As Cora left, Robert sat on his seat and buried his face in his hands. He had caused so much pain to his family just because of that stupid decision. He wanted to disappear.

Robert entered the adjoining room from his dressing room to his bedroom as witnessed Obrien doing Cora's hair. Cora sat there with not even the slightest interest of what was being done to her hair.

'Will that be all milady?' Obrien asked.

Cora lost in own thougts didn't hear the question nor saw Robert entering the room.

Obrien asked again.

'What?' Cora jumped at her sound.

'Will that be all?'

'Oh..yes. Thank you'

Obrien left the room as Robert attempted to improve his relationship with his wife, once again.

'Ready to go, dear?' Robert asked politely.

Cora stood up from her seat to wear her hat but didn't answer Robert.

'Cora..'

'Robert, please!' Cora cut him off.

'Please don't make this any harder for me. I can't talk to you, I can't look at you. Every time I see you, I don't see my husband, I see the man who didn't even consider my opinion, or anyone's for that matter. He thought that he was right, as always and now he is to blame for my daughter's life!'

Robert's heart was completely shattered at her response. He couldn't believe, Cora said that. His Cora!

Cora looked straight into his eyes, and felt satisfied watching him suffer. He deserved that. He needed to feel guilty.

Without uttering another word, Cora left the room, leaving Robert once again, alone with his suffering.

After reaching the Dowager house, they both saw Mama sitting with .

Cora was surprised to see him and so was Robert. According to Mama he had some news.

Robert stepped forward to apologize for hia behavior on that awful night but cut him off.

'Please, Lord Grantham, if you would just allow me..'

explained them that his recommended treatment didnot guaranteed Sybil's health. That they might have hurried her into the operation and would've caused her less pain but it couldn't have saved her.

Cora felt her eyes swelling up again, her exhausted body was now cold as ice as her lower lip trembled when she begun to speak..

'But...there was a chance', she said in a desperate tone.

The doctor told them that there was a very tiny chance of her survival.

'So Sybil would've died anyway?' Robert asked him, trying hard to control his emotions.

'When everything is weighed in balance, Yes, I believe Lady Sybil would've died'

As the doctor left the room, Cora completely broke down. Robert moves forward to wrap his arms around her and she let him, for the first time since Sybil's death, she let him near her. She shut her eyes in an attempt to lessen her pain and hugged Robert back. They both cried in each other's arms, together, sharing the pain.

Cora stood in the library and looked outside the window. She was exhausted, she hadn't slept in over a week. Her eyes stung of the redness and the swelling she felt dizzy but she didn't want to go upto her room. She knew she wouldn't sleep.

Robert entered the library, and saw Cora's back.

' Cora? My dear, what are you doing here' Robert asked her in a very comforting tone.

'I...I just don't want to face anyone. I need to be alone' Cora replied, still with her back towards Robert.

Robert felt a surge of disappointment and continued.

'Oh, would you like me to leave?'

Cora turned to face Robert. Looking at her face so pale, shrunken body, and red, glassy eyes, Robert felt his heart quench.

'No..don't go' Cora whispered.

'Oh my dear! ', Robert ran towards Cora and cupped her face into his hands. He wiped away her tears and pulled her closer to him for a hug.

Cora broke down again as her face reached his chest. She had cried so much in the past few days, she was surprised that the tears still came.

'I miss her so much, Robert!', Cora sobbed, under his neck as Robert tighten his grip and tried desperately to control his tears. His wife needed him and he had to be strong for her. He couldn't bear her crying, she was his strength and weakness as well.

'Oh, Cora! I miss her too, so terribly much'.

Cora pulled back few minutes after and looked into his eyes.

'I see her, Robert. I can't sleep because whenever I close my eyes, I see my baby screaming in pain and I can't do anything. I lost my baby, my beauty! I hear her voice when I'm all alone, Robert' Cora explained how she felt and Robert realized what a terrible state she was in.

'How will I be able to live, like this? It's like someone took away my heart and tore it.' Cora continued.

Robert couldn't help his tears as they started pouring out his eyes eyes. He pulled her in closer and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

'I see her too, Cora. If there was anything I could've done more...I can't imagine her not being here. Our beautiful daughter has gone' Robert now cried as his body shook.

Cora for the first time, saw Robert crying like this. Her heart broke down at the sight. Her rock was now crumbling.

'How will we ever go through this, Robert!?'

'I don't know but I'm sorry, Cora, I shouldn't have shut you out while deciding. I feel so guilty, I wanted to save her but Sir Philip was so sure and I just couldn't let anything happen to her but I did... '

Robert babbled, and spoke very quickly as Cora cut him off.

'Darling? Darling... Shhshh!'

Cora shook him for his attention. After achieving the task, she spoke.

'I know. And I'm sorry, I shouldn't have blamed you , I take back every thing I said earlier today, I know you were only trying to save her, I know. I reminded you constantly that it was your fault, I left you alone to deal with the pain and I'm so terribly sorry. You were a great father, you are a great father and I know Sybil knows that. Our precious girl knows that and that we love her so much and we'll always will.'

Cora's eyes went glassy as she spoke. Robert was left speechless at her response and leaned in to kiss her.

He kissed her deeply, they tasted each other tears and pulled back only when they needed air.

Robert looked into his wife's gorgeous, occean blue eyes and spoke.

'Thank you. Thank you for saying this. I love our baby girl, I'll always love her and I love you so very much, she was just like you my dearest, so perfect in everything she did. We'll get through this, I promise, we'll bear the pain together, otherwise we will not survive, I need you Cora, please never leave me. We'll go through this together'

Robert said this in the most loving manner, making Cora overwhelmed with emotion and the need for her husband.

She leaned in this time and kissed him again. Robert placed one hand in her hair and the other on her waist. After a long lasting kiss, she pulled back to meet his blues.

'Together', she copied.

With this, they went back to their bedroom, just to find them sleeping after a long time, snuggled into each others arms for support, for bearing together, for love. They were nothing without each other. Fragile, broken and alone. Together they did wonders.