Epilogue: A Father Muses

"And they all lived in peace and tranquillity - till the end of their days."

Before Robert could ever finish reading his son a story, Robbie had fallen asleep, tucked up as he was in the crook of his father's arm. When the girls had been small, the earl had not made enough time for them - he had not tucked them in to bed often enough, or so he saw it now. He was not going to miss any more time with his boy and so had taken over night time duties from Cora.

That year, Cora and Robert stayed in the country side at Downton, from January through to December. They'd chosen to skip the season all together. It was not how it had been before the war. Mary and Matthew were having fun in London, but the Strallans and the Branson's were not there with them. Edith due to her tiny son Philip demanding her attention and Sybil and Tom because... well, neither felt it was very 'them'. Sybil had enjoyed it while she had been young but Tom had never been part of that scene.

Nor would he ever be. He may be accepted at Downton, but he did not think society as a whole was going to take to him too well.

Besides, it was not going to be very long now until they had a tiny child of their own to care for.

Robert felt a smile play on his lips as he looked down at the boy in the crook of his arm. He might be his heir but he was first and foremost his son and, for now, at least, he was still his baby too.

Somehow, the war had not robbed him of his childhood which Robert thought was quite remarkable. He had been surrounded by convalescing soldiers throughout, and yet he had treated them as if they were part of the furniture. From what he had been told, they had found his son a rather comical little fellow, not an annoyance.

He was sure Robbie had had his moments. But he was proud of him.

Robert kissed his head as he slide off the bed and made sure the duvet was wrapped tightly about his son so he'd be warm enough. Robert ruffled the boy's hair gently before leaving him to his dreams. With a finally affectionate glance at his son, he left the room and closed the door quietly as to not wake him.

Walking down the corridor, the earl turned into his dressing room, glad to find Bates was there already.

"Her ladyship and I are going to be having an early night."

"Yes, milord," said John with a big smile on his face.

Robert questioned him silently.

"Emily walked for the first time today. Anna and I were both there... it was... a very proud moment. My little girl is growing up."

"That is something to smile about, that's wonderful news Bates!"

"It really is."

"The new generation is manifesting itself," said Robert twenty minutes later as he walked into the room he and his wife shared. She greeted him with a smile.

"It certainly is."

"How were the Strallans today?"

"Edith is a little tired and Philip is a darling. Poor Anthony is running himself ragged over the two of them, but Rosie is being a dear - she absolutely dotes on her baby brother. But she misses Robbie still," Cora added sympathetically.

"The two of them were raised together."

A silence fell between them as they wrapped their arms about one another after he had climbed into bed, a perfect peace and quiet between them.

"Do you think Mary and Matthew are having a good time in London?"

"The letter which arrived today said they were. Oh, and Sybil wrote too. She and Tom will arrive back from Ireland next week. I think our in laws might be coming too." It was high time they met Tom's mother and father.

"She won't be able to travel again before she has the child."

"I know," Cora grinned like the cat who got the cream. That was exactly what she wanted, she mused as he squeezed her. "That was a big sigh," she commented having both heard and felt the vibration through her husband.

Looking up at him, she smiled, a smile that only got bigger when stroked her cheek with his thumb. Hers was the dearest face in the entire world. "I'm just so happy. Our girls are safe and loved. Our son is growing into a fine child... and I have never been as in love with you as I am right now."

Leaning up, she brushed her lips to his. "I love you too."

The same moonlight that flooded their room in that moment also smiled down on the Bates' cottage, where Anna lay in bed with her daughter sleeping in her arms, waiting for John to return. Curtains however kept it out of the Mason's cottage, allowing Daisy and William the privacy they had been denied for the past five years. However, if one stood outside, giggles could be heard.

Ten miles away, Loxley was peaceful, the master of the house asleep in a chair by the fire with his adored daughter in his arms and his cherished son in the Moses basket by his side. His wife stood in the doorway in her nightgown, just smiling loving at her family. Her perfect world.

In Eaton Square, Mr and Mrs Crawley shut their bedroom door and begun to take one another's clothes off eagerly, still very much the newlyweds having returned from a wonderful night out, while in a little room in Dublin, the Branson's smiled at one another every now again as they begun packing to return to England.

"All is well that ends well," Mrs Hughes sighed as she turned the lights off in the hallways downstairs in Downton Abbey. The day and dinner had been a success. It had been a quiet affair, with only three Crawleys residing at Downton now, but it was a small kind of achievement nevertheless.

Reaching out, she intertwined her fingers with those of Charles Carson as he took her hand.

He pressed his lips to her forehead confidently, knowing the hall boys were all in bed already.

"It certainly is, my dear." Stroking the arm of the hand she was holding, she curled into Charles as he headed to his room... and she went with him.

The End

Author Note: You guys did order a Happily Ever After with a big side of fluff right?

Thank you all for reading and reviewing! I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this story and am kinda sad it's over. It was my first Downton plot (I started writing this for Nano 2010!) which makes it my DA baby; I've made some great friends while I've been writing it and you guys have been so supportive! Thank you so much.

I really hope you liked the end!

Headcanons for the future: Tom and Sybil had a baby girl, Rosie was a WAF during the war and aged sixteen, Emily Bates fell in love with Robert Crawley the younger. She would die in 1997, with the full honour owed to her station as Dowager Countess of Grantham.