Final chapter here. Wow this fic has been a journey. I hope you all enjoyed it.

I'll probably be gone from the world of Downton for awhile. I want to try and finish something original, as well as concentrate on my Hunger Games fic. I will, of course, still be reviewing all the other amazing work out there.

When I do decide to come back, what do you say to a South African holiday for the Carsons? I live in a beautiful country, and I would like to share it with y'all.

Anyway, if you have a moment please review. I hope you enjoy this final chapter.

Charles stood in the middle of the grand hall of Downton Hotel and surveyed Cora's work. He had to admit that while she wasn't always his favourite person her sense of style was superb. She had spent the last six months planning this evening with Violet, and after many arguments, break downs and on one occasion ornaments thrown, they had finally pulled together to make the room look like a fairytale.

The room itself had always been cream and gold, but now the hundreds of tables for two were done in gold table clothes, with shining silver cutlery and a red rose at the centre of each table. The lighting had been dimmed, giving the room a more intimate feel, and soft music was playing in the back ground.

The Valentines dinner and ball wasn't meant to start for at least an hour, but Charles had gotten there early to ensure everything was in shape, and to update Robert on his recent trip to New York, which had been more of a success than he had imagined it would have been.

The two men were currently standing on the stage that had been set up in the one corner. A band would be playing after the dinner, but they were still up in their hotel room.

"So you say we should be able to open sometime next year?" Robert asked, surveying his family's work with an obvious expression of pride on his face.

"Providing that they're still willing to sell, and haven't received a better offer by next week then I don't see why not. "Charles answered. Robert nodded, and stepped off the small stage, proceeding to walk around the tables instead. With a sigh, Charles followed him

"It will need a lot of redecorating of course, to bring it up to Downton's standards, and we'll need staff and everything. I would also suggest you hire someone to oversee the remodelling. I can't afford to be leaving my post here every five minutes to fly to New York to check up on them."

"I imagine Alice would be quite annoyed if you were jetting off every other week." Robert remarked with a smirk. "I'm glad to see that leaving early a week ago did you some good, as well as the trip overseas. You finally stopped looking like there's something hiding under your bed. Where is Alice anyway? I would have thought she would be here with you already? Or has she still got something on at the theatre? "

"It was a good trip." Charles answered carefully, choosing to ignore the questions about Alice. He hadn't heard from her since he left, and didn't plan too. In the end, he had asked Tom Branson instead of Robert to go and retrieve his things, as he felt it might be uncomfortable for Robert. He still hadn't gotten around to telling his friend that he and Alice were no more "and the half day off really helped clear my head. Thank you."

Robert didn't answer as he reached up to tug on his bowtie

"I don't understand why woman insist we wear these things." He grumbled. "They're bloody uncomfortable."

"So don't tie it so tightly." Charles chuckled, earning himself a glare from his friend and boss

"If I don't, then it flops to the side and my mother goes berserk. I don't understand what's so important about them. They make us look like penguins, who decided to stop for a drink on the way back to the South Pole."

"Very handsome penguins though, if I may say so." A voice said from behind them "and I'm sure Cora will make it up to you this evening. She must know you hate the things."

Robert turned towards the voice, a welcoming smile on his face which dropped as soon as he realized who had spoken.

"Elsie" he breathed. Charles looked up from where he was inspecting a napkin and spun round.

"Hello Robert." Elsie answered with an uncomfortable smile on her face "you're looking well."

There was a moment of silence as both men took in the woman standing in front of them. She was dressed in a deep red dress, which brought out the highlights in her hair and clung to her curves. It had wide enough straps on the shoulders to hide her scars, and a slit to the knee up the one leg, revealing the sky high heels she had on.

Robert's eyes took in her appearance, before his expression changed to one of fury

"How dare you walk in here after years, years Elsie, of absence like nothing has changed?!" He thundered. Elsie took a hasty step back from him as he continued his tirade "Do you have any idea the hurt you caused by vanishing? The confusion? And now you just waltz in here, like nothing has changed? You've got some nerve my gal. "

"Robert." Charles said, stepping next to his friend, who ignored him

"I think you better leave. "Robert continued, as though Charles hadn't said a word "because neither Charles nor I want anything to do with you. He's moved on, found a lovely girl to settle down with, and he doesn't need you to ruin his life again."

"Robert." Charles said more harshly, noticing how Elsie had by now wrapped her arms around herself and was awkwardly chewing her lip "I asked her to come."

"I actually cannot believe- I- wait. You what?" Robert said, finally pausing his rant to stare at Charles "When?"

"Before I left for New York." Charles supplied "we...ran into one another."

Robert stared at him in disbelief as the door opened and Mary, Cora, and Violet entered the room. There was a soft gasp from Mary who was taking in the decorations, a muttered curse word from Violet as her dress got snagged on her clutch and a stunned silence from Cora who had spotted Elsie.

"Elsie?" she called, recovering from the shock "is that really you?"

Elsie didn't answer and Cora strode across the room to wrap her arms around Elsie.

"I can't believe it's really you!" she exclaimed, hugging Elsie so tightly she could barely breath "I didn't even know you were coming!"

"I think I better go." Elsie said softly, gently untangling herself from Cora's embrace "It was a mistake to come. I'm sorry."

She backed off quickly as Cora whirled round on her husband.

"Robert, what did you say?"

"What did I say?" he spluttered indignantly "why is it automatically my fault? Maybe Charles is the one who told her to go away! He's moved on."

"I'm sorry." Elsie muttered again, nearing the door.

"Robert. "Charles barked "shut up."

With that he strode towards Elsie, grabbed her arm, and pulled her out of the ballroom, nearly knocking Violet over as he went. He released her once they got into a deserted corridor.

"I'm sorry. " Charles said "I should have told Robert you might be coming. "

"Why didn't you?" Elsie asked, peering up at him from under her lashes. Her arms were still wrapped around herself, and she was chewing on her bottom lip for all that she was worth. Charles sighed, and lent against the wall, privately thinking that he was in desperate need of a drink.

"I didn't want to get my hopes up." He mumbled "I couldn't bare the disappointment of losing you again, when I'd just found you again. Besides, you're early."

Elsie sighed and lent next to him on the wall.

"I know." She said "but I also knew that if I was a minute late, you would think I wasn't coming and I couldn't bare the thought of disappointing you again."

There was a brief silence, before Charles moved to stand in front of her.

"So why did you come Elsie? I know I asked you to come if you thought we had a chance, but I don't want you to run away again. I don't think I could take it a second time."

"I came because I want us to work. "Elsie said quietly "but I can't promise not to run again Charles. I'm broken, and I don't always trust myself let alone anyone else. But if you're willing to try, then so am I. I should never have run away, and I can't promise I won't get scared and run from you again. You have to promise me that you won't let me leave. Carry me up the stairs and lock me in the spare bedroom if you must."

"This isn't going to be easy is it?"

"No, its not."

"We might find we no longer fit into one another's lives like we used to." He remarked

"We might." Elsie agreed "We might also be killed by a bomb, or get hit on the head by a coconut. Its a risk we'll have to take."

Charles smirked slightly and raised an eyebrow

"A coconut, huh?"

"Oh shut up" Elsie said, lightly smacking his chest "I mean that no matter what happens, if you want me, you can have me. Warts and all."

"I want you Elsie." Charles said resting his hand on the nape of her neck and drawing her closer. "very much."

When he kissed her it was nothing like the kisses they had shared a week ago. Those had been rough and angry. This kiss was a promise. A promise that no matter what he would love her until the end of his days.

There would be hard times. The month of the accident was always hard on her, and the year it coincided with Charles's heart attack was the first time Elsie even considered running away again.

Charles never had another panic attack again, until he was in his sixties and they had a month's worth of waiting to find out if his wife had cancer.

It took Robert almost a year to forgive her and welcome her back. But when his son in law was killed Elsie was the first person other than his wife that he turned to.

They both had their scars, on their bodies and their souls but they muddled through together. One day, while sitting on the porch of the small cottage he and Elsie now owned, watching their friend's children and grand children play in the garden he wondered how they had managed to make it work, when at a time it had seemed so hopeless. As he watched her carry out a tray of lemonade the reason suddenly came to him.

Because he loved her, with all her broken pieces.

And she loved him. Because he held her together.

And because neither of them could see a penguin or a coconut without catching each other's eye and laughing.

The End.