Starting Forever

A/N- This is an AU Sybil/Branson story, it'll start sometime during the first season, but it will not follow the storyline of the show. I hope you like it.

Lady Sybil Crawley throws one glove across the room, she wishes it weren't so cold outside or she'd leave without the gloves, but it's been getting colder every day and there was frost on the ground again that morning, and so she knows she needs some. She just wishes she could find any! It seems as though Edith or Mary may have taken every pair she owns, and now all that's left is one brown glove and she can't find the other one. She'd just asked poor Gwen to go and see if she could retrieve some from her sisters, a task which she now felt bad for sending Gwen on, because Mary and Edith weren't in a good mood today, and they could easily snap at Gwen for asking. Still she did need some gloves, because if she wasn't downstairs in the next five minutes she would have to go in the second car with her parents, which wouldn't normally bother her and she wasn't really sure why it did bother her so much, other than the fact that she had a small book stashed in her bag, one she hoped to be able to slip unnoticed to Branson, the chauffer who has started working for them a couple of months ago.

Sybil is starting to drift into a daydream about one of her conversations with him, when the door opens and Gwen appears.

'I'm sorry milady but it would seem that your sisters are already waiting by the car, and I couldn't well,'

'They wouldn't stop fighting long enough for you to ask them.' Sybil finishes, glancing with concern towards the window.

'Yes milady, and I asked Anna if she knew where they were, but she thinks that Lady Mary and Lady Edith may have left them somewhere around the house.'

'Honestly they are unbearable at times! Now I see why mama always tries to insist I buy more than three pairs!'

'Shall I look in the drawing room milady?' Gwen asks.

'No, there isn't time.'

'I don't think your parents are leaving for another ten minutes.'

'Never mind about them, I'll go without for today.' Sybil doesn't know what explanation to give to Gwen, so she just picks up her small bag and starts running down the stairs, a strand of hair falling messily from under her hat, and laying against her cheek. Her sisters are already in the car, but they watch her in astonishment as she slides to a stop just outside the door, catching her breath, her cheeks flushed.

'Sybil darling you shouldn't have run down, you could have gone in the car with mama and papa.'

'Well I thought since I was ready now, I may as well catch up and go in the first car.' Sybil steadies her breathing, and catches the light smirk in Branson's eyes, lighting them up as he takes in her slightly dishevelled appearance, and for a brief moment she feels as though he can see right through her, and guess the real reason she'd run down here.

'But Sybil you aren't ready, where are your gloves?'

'That question is better directed at the two of you.' Sybil smiles, while walking towards the car and casting a quick glance at the darkening sky. She'd much rather not attend this ball tonight, and yet her entire family had accepted the invitation and so she must go, and laugh and be jolly, and dance with anyone who asks her. In truth she doesn't mind it too much, not most of the time, but tonight she'd rather sit quietly in her room by the fire, with a book. Or she'd sooner sit on the workbench in the garage, reading aloud from a newspaper while Branson played about with the car, and every so often they'd stop and debate a point, or discuss something that they shared a view on, which it seemed was almost everything.

However she can't do either of those things tonight, she must attend a ball even though it looked as if it would snow at any minute. Suppressing a sigh Sybil accepts Branson's offered hand to help her into the car, an act that has happened many times before, but this time the breath catches in her throat, and her eyes dark to his, and she can tell instantly that he felt it to, the sudden spark as his skin touched hers, and it's only then that she realises that his gloves aren't on either, for a second she wonders why, but before long sense kicks in and she knows her sisters will notice if she stays outside the car, holding Branson's hand, and so she tears her gaze away from his and steps into the car, her heart quickening as she feels him give her hand a small squeeze before letting go. Her cheeks are even more flushed now, and she's suddenly glade of the growing darkness, her eyes flick up and meets Branson's in the mirror, she notices that he's putting his gloves on and she can't help but wonder, did he take them off especially to help her up into the car? But she dismisses the thought quickly, and forces herself to pay attention to her sister's conversation.

Branson had been waiting outside the grand house for hours, the house wasn't as grand as Downton Abbey, but it was still an impressive size. The family had gone inside a little over three hours ago, and it was now rapidly approaching midnight, they'd said that they wouldn't be out much before two, and so the other chauffer from the estate had joined countless other chauffer's and went to the pub. He hadn't felt like joining them though, and after half an hour he'd feigned a headache and said he'd rather be outside. In reality he just wanted time alone with his thoughts, thoughts which increasingly seemed to revolve around the youngest daughter of his employer. He knew it was foolish to entertain such thoughts, and yet as his employment had stretched from weeks into months, his relationship with Lady Sybil had grown from employer's daughter and chauffer, into something he hoped could be described as friends. If it were just that he could handle it, and yet whenever he saw her he felt his heart quicken, and a smile come to his face, and tonight when she'd come out of the house, breathless and flushed, with a strand of hair lightly touching her cheek, and her eyes had sought his out, he'd felt a connection so much stronger that friendship, but that was just him, and she wouldn't, she couldn't feel anything more for him than friendship. He'd wanted to see her reaction though, and so he'd slipped his gloves off before helping her up, and as his skin touched hers, as his large hand carefully held her small one, he'd noticed her intake of breath, her pinking cheeks, and a certain sparkle in her eyes, and that's what gave him hope.

Now though standing in a gravel area set aside for the cars, near the house but far enough away so he couldn't hear the music, he had to admit to himself that this was her world, a world of parties and large houses, fine dresses and suitors with money and titles. He could never offer her the life she was used to, or anything close. Yet as soon as this thought pops into his head, Sybil herself rounds the corner, looking stunning in her long blue gown, and without her coat or hat.

'Is everything alright milady?' Branson pushes himself off the car, where he'd been leaning; he scans the space behind her to see if the rest of the family are following.

'It's just me,' She smiles and he wonders again how she always seems to know what he's thinking, 'I couldn't bare it a moment longer, it's so hot and stuffy in there and I swear if another of the old ladies asked me if I have my sights set on any young man, I would have jumped out of the window.' She laughs lightly, 'Do you mind if I wait out the rest of the party here?'

'Of course not milady,' He has to consciously try not to sound too thrilled by plan, but still a small smile creases his face. 'Will you not get cold though?'

'Oh I suppose I might, but I couldn't get my coat and hat without people knowing I was leaving, I just slipped out a side door.' Sybil again laughs, 'I shouldn't be too bad.'

'You're already shivering.' He points out, 'Would you like to sit inside the car?'

'Not really, I'd rather be out in the air.' She steps a little closer to him, 'Aren't you cold?'

'Not really, I faced far worse winters than this in Ireland, and even slept outside in the snow a few times, without a coat.' He doesn't know why he's telling her this, he isn't looking for sympathy and yet it's shining in her eyes now.

'Why? I mean didn't you have anywhere to sleep?'

'My family were going through a rough time, we didn't have much money at all and so I was going to find work, there wasn't any money to stay anywhere along the way, so I slept in a field.' He shrugs off the bad memory.

'That must have been awful.' Sybil steps a little closer to him, leaving just a few inches between them, he turns to face her.

'I lived through it and that's the main thing.' He smiles at her, 'You on the other hand don't have such a resistance to the cold.' Without thinking he reaches forward and takes her hands in his, slowly rubbing them to give them some warmth.

'I suppose I don't.' She looks up at him shyly, feeling as if she's floating, she takes another small step towards him, and to him it seems like she isn't aware of moving, it's as if some part of her brain has been switched off and she's doing it all in a dream.

'Here,' he lets go of her hands and immediately she looks upset by the loss, he quickly takes off his green chauffer's jacket, and wraps it around her shoulders, her smile reappears and she steps between his two arms, for a second he freezes on the spot, the logical side of his brain tells him to step back, but the other side begs him to take this chance, and it's the latter side that wins so he wraps his arms around her small frame, 'There, is that better?'

'Much better, thank you.' Sybil replies, 'Oh I almost forgot, I found a book the other day in Ripon and I thought you'd like it, I've hidden it in the backseat for you.'

'That was thoughtful.' Branson smiles down at her, and she looks up to him, their eyes meeting, both of them remain still. His arms around her waist, his coat draped around her, their eyes locked, her hands lightly resting on his chest, feeling his heartbeat, and then all too soon for the both of them the moment is broken.

'Sybil?' A voice calls loudly.

A/N – I really hope you like this first instalment, if you'd like me to continue please comment.