Thank you for your lovely reviews for the last two chapters! And I'll be really quick about replying!

gothamgirl28: Here's more! =D

GoldenMiniJ-17: I thought she tampered with his report too. There's no proof of it, but how could Tom now have known that he had a heart murmur until that point. Seemed strange…

feminista12: All your questions will soon be answered!

Ducky82: Wait no longer!

shana-rose: 1) Aww yeah! Sybil taking matters into her own hands! 2) YOU'LL SEE!

MTT-VB: You'll get to see Tom's reaction in this chapter! I hope you like it!

The Yankee Countess: Tom is a wonderful father! I think it's very true to his character to constantly worry about her! This won't be a screaming match, but words will be flung.

Angel Bells: HERE MY DAHHHLING!

Y-C-H 3000: I know right! I felt like it came out of nowhere AND remember the doctor said, "I'm surprised they haven't called you sooner." I took it as, "You're perfectly healthy to go to war, why haven't they gotten you yet?"

And now the conclusion to Page 147

. . .

Sybil was the first one in the drawing room.

She watched and waited patiently as first Matthew entered the drawing room, followed by Robert. Cora came in several minutes later with Mary and Edith in tow.

Half an hour passed and Tom still wasn't in the drawing room.

The small talk was draining. Trying to carry a conversation as her mind was racing was unbelievably difficult. Her thoughts were focused on what she would say to him when he came in. All her attention was on the drawing room door, waiting for her husband to walk through. She didn't even realize Mary was talking to her.

"Sybil?" Mary asked, "Darling are you alright? Your head is in the clouds tonight."

Her eyes shifted to her sister sitting across from her. What could she say? No. I'm not alright. Tom and I fought earlier today. Well, it wasn't really a fight. I don't know what it was. I told him I changed his medical when he was called up so he could stay at Downton. He didn't yell or anything. He was unbelievably quiet and then he left the room. Tom always shares his feelings with me and his coldness was not like him. I've never seen him like that before. He's upset, probably much more upset than I think he is. I know he's disappointed in me, but I had a good reason to change his medical. I haven't seen him since or talked to him since this morning. Where is he? Why isn't he here yet? Is he avoiding me? Did he leave? Oh God. What if he's gone? Have ruined my marriage?

Sybil could feel her throat close up and her breathing became shallow. Her fists tightened as she willed herself not to panic. A fresh wave of tears was about to surface, but she fought to keep them at bay.

She did what her aristocratic upbringing taught her. Hold it in and pretend everything is okay.

"Hmm? Oh yes…I just…"

At that instant, Tom came through the door. His eyes scanned the room and landed on his wife.

True to his word, they saw each other in the drawing room before dinner.

Sybil stood up to take him to the corner of the room, but Carson came in.

"Dinner is served."

. . .

Dinner was a quiet affair.

Too quiet.

Sybil tried in vain to bait her husband into some small talk, but he never bit.

"Sybbie's doing well."

She watched as Tom's lips pursed, his eyes never leaving the bowl of soup in front of him.

"Hmm…"

"Will you take her on a walk tomorrow?"

"If you wish."

"Where will you go?"

"Around."

Sybil's heart sunk. She tried to catch his eye, but he avoided her gaze and averted his eyes every time from her general direction.

The family started to notice Tom's coolness towards Sybil. Eyes started to shift between the young mother and young father. They didn't talk much to the others during dinner, mostly keeping the conversation between them, but Tom did not exchange more than a sentence at a time with her, which was unusual considering they never stopped talking or glancing at each other during dinner. Dinner was, to say the least, sufficiently awkward.

Halfway though the fish course, Sybil stared intently at Tom and tried again.

"Are you going to Sybbie's room after dinner Tom?"

Tom took the napkin in his lap and dabbed his lips. He placed beside his plate and stood up, never once looking at Sybil.

"I'm sorry. Please excuse me. I'm not feeling well."

With that, Tom left.

Sybil followed wordlessly after him.

. . .

Sybil found him sitting on the front step of Downton Abbey. He took a piece of gravel from the driveway and flung it into the inky black cover of night.

She slowly walked up behind him, careful not to scare him away this time. He did not turn to face her, but he acknowledged her presence with a sigh and a shake of his head.

Although it was the middle of summer, the nights were cold. She could see her breath hanging in the air and shivered.

"You knew I wanted to protest the war."

"Tom…"

"Yet you refused to listen to me."

He was right. She didn't listen, but she needed him to understand.

"I'm sorry Tom. I had no choice."

Tom let out a bitter chuckle and continued.

"When you changed my medical, did you stop to think what I wanted?"

She stared at the back of his head. She was dumbfounded. What he wanted? What he wanted would have spoiled everything, their friendship, a chance for a real relationship, their years of waiting. He didn't want that?

"What you wanted? You wanted to go to prison? Did you not realize what that would have done Tom? I was trying to save you."

Tom stood up and angrily stepped onto the gravel driveway. The space between them was ever increasing. He turned around and hollered into the night.

"Maybe I didn't want to be saved Sybil! Did you ever think of that?!"

Sybil felt a pang of hurt deep in her chest. The ache rocked her body, but she stood still. She was in shock. He wasn't saying this to her. He couldn't be.

"What are you saying?"

Tom's eyes were daggers. It was the same look he gave her that very day he told her about his murmur. Chills ran down her spine at the realization that she had caused this. Years and years of waiting without an answer. Playing with his heart. Toying with the idea of the slim possibility that they may one day be husband and wife and cruelly taking it away. Not only did she do all this, she manufactured a plan to keep him here, tied to a position that would get him nowhere in life for her own selfish purposes.

She kept him here for herself.

She deserved his hate.

"You know exactly what I'm saying."

Sybil took a deep breath in. Her aristocratic mask was cracking, giving way to the tears she had held in for so long. She looked down at her hands, ashamed of what she had done. She could not bring herself to look at Tom either, knowing that he was ready to leave her at the drop of a hat. She didn't know what hurt more. Her voice was now only as loud as a whisper.

"You were willing to throw me away."

Tom stood his ground and stared at her. She felt his intense gaze on her shoulders. Every muscle in her body screamed at her to run inside and lock herself in their room, but his gaze froze her.

"Sybil. I needed to leave. I needed to get away. I couldn't stand by and watch soldiers try to fight for you attention when my heart was already yours. You wouldn't let me hand in my notice in York, so I did the next thing I could think of, get fired."

Sybil let out a giant sob and Tom rushed to her, wrapping his arms around her fragile body. She cried into his chest as she clung onto his shoulders and back. As her sobs subsided, she felt his hands gently rubbing her back and stroking her hair. Her ear was pressed to his chest and she felt it rumble as he spoke.

"To be honest, I'm not angry that you stopped me, truly. I'm grateful. You were right. I was stupid, but at the time I thought I didn't have any other option."

"So why are we fighting?"

Tom sighed and let go of Sybil. He paced around before stopping before her, gathering his words. His eyes too were now brimming with unshed tears.

"Were you going to ever tell me or was I supposed to live the rest of my life thinking I was going to drop dead at any moment because of my heart murmur? I think the worst if it is that I was worried that I had passed it onto Sybbie. I was worried sick for months leading up to her birth."

Tom had a wild and worried look in his eyes as he ran his fingers though his hair. His hands were shaking, but not from the cold. Sybil reached her hand up to stroke his arm. "Tom…"

"And when she was finally born, I was so relieved. But Dr. Clarkson said she was small, much too small. He checked her heartbeat and it was beating faster than normal. I told Dr. Clarkson that I had a heart murmur and asked if there was any chance that I had given it to her. He said it was possible but it was too soon to tell."

Tom bit his lip and shook his head. He clutched on Sybil's hand and held it in his.

"I spent the next day with Sybbie, apologizing to her, begging that she would be okay. I was a mess Sybil."

She held out her arms to him and he gladly stepped into them, tightly embracing one another.

"I'm sorry Tom. I'm so sorry."

"Shh…mo stór, shh…I love our daughter so much. She means the world to me. If anything ever happened, I would never forgive myself. I can relax a little knowing Sybbie is going to be okay."

Tom and Sybil held onto each other for a few more brief moments before tiny wails were heard. Sybbie's cries echoed though the great hall and out the door to her parents standing right outside. Tom took her hand and guided her inside.

"Come on love, our daughter calls."