This is a sequel to my first story, Perfect Delivery. I would recommend reading it prior to starting this.

SIX MONTHS LATER…

Tom knew that something was wrong as soon as he opened the front door.

He'd had an early morning editorial meeting at the office, followed by a long, frustrating day in and around Westminster, during which very little had been accomplished or written. The Treasury's promised press conference concerning the Bank of England's recent projections had been postponed until the next morning and his Editor had not been pleased about having an eighth of a page to unexpectedly fill. Tom had returned to the office in order to dig out one of his 'page filler' articles, written some time previously for exactly this type of situation. However, it had made what would usually be considered the early shift, lengthen to a 13-hour day, not to mention the unexplained delay during his train home to Clapham. He felt utterly weary.

He had already sent Sybil a text to let her know when he would be home. They had been living together for six weeks, so didn't yet have an established routine. However, often when she returned home earlier than him, she would start making dinner and on the evenings when he was particularly late, may have eaten hers without him. It was now past 9.30pm and he wasn't sure if he even wanted to eat a full meal so late. She would usually call out a greeting from the kitchen or the living room, or on one very memorable evening from the bedroom, but tonight she had anticipated his arrival and was hovering in the hall.

"You OK?" he asked with concern and stepped forward to kiss her briefly on the lips. She nodded and helped take his coat off, hanging it on the hook by the front door. He raised an eyebrow and smiled in amusement; she didn't usually do that.

"Are you going to hand me my pipe and slippers now?"

She gave a distracted smile, indicating that she wasn't really listening, or couldn't concentrate, then walked into the living room in front of him.

"Do you want a beer?" she asked over her shoulder

"Yes please. Have you eaten?"

"No. Sorry, I haven't even cooked, are you hungry?"

"Not really, I'm beyond it…..I had a doughnut at around seven…." He sighed briefly and pulled at the top of his trousers "God…I've got to stop eating those, I'm going to become one of those stereotype journalists that you see in TV dramas, constantly scoffing junk out of paper bags with my waistline hanging over my belt…why haven't you had anything to eat though?"

Sybil returned from the kitchen and held out a bottle of beer.

"Thanks….well?"

"Mary rang."

"Right, so were you just chatting?" he eased himself down on to the sofa and gave an involuntary sound of relaxation.

"No….." Sybil chewed her lower lip in that way she always did when she was considering something, or was anxious. "Apparently, Matthew asked her to marry him the weekend before last."

"That's fantastic!" Tom beamed and leant forward a little. "What great news….he's a dark horse isn't he…..I had an email from him earlier this week and he didn't mention anything about it…."

"That's because she turned him down."

"WHAT?" Tom looked at her incredulously and she made an uneasy face, half shrugging her shoulders to indicate that she couldn't really explain it either.

"Why would she do that…?" Tom continued "Oh God, poor Matt…..I mean, they've been together, what….almost three years?...I thought they were going to start a practice together in York, wasn't that the plan…?"

"Yes"

"So what's changed?"

"Nothing apparently…..in Mary's eyes."

Tom shook his head "I'm sorry, you're going to have to explain that to me….You plan your life with someone, your entire professional future, you live with them and talk about preserving the future of Downton together and then you suddenly decide not to marry them?"

"She says it's not the right time."

"When is the right time?"

"I don't really know…." Sybil gave a heavy sigh and sat next to him on the sofa, comfortably placing a hand on his thigh. "She's always planned her life to the minute and apparently, she doesn't want to get married yet. She still wants to plan for the future practice and for Downton and stay living together, but she doesn't want to marry him yet. She just wants everything to stay as it is."

"On her terms."

"I guess so."

"And how is Matt?"

"He's moved out."

"Oh….for God's sake….." Tom leant back and placed the balls of his hands on his forehead in frustration.

"He's very hurt, apparently."

"Jesus, I'm not surprised. Honestly…." he shook his head, feeling at a loss to verbalise his antagonism towards Mary in front of Sybil. He took her hand. "If I proposed to you and you said no, I'd be…."

"…but I wouldn't…" Sybil interrupted and gave a brief, cheeky grin. He leant forward and gave her a kiss. It was a regular topic of jovial discussion between them, ever since Tom had inadvertently mentioned his likely intention when he had learned that Sybil's father was expecting it. They were so confident nowadays with each other's affections that the conversation held no genuine anxiety for either of them. Sybil was in no particular hurry to have an engagement ring on her finger and he was insistent that any such request would be wholly unexpected.

"But still….I feel ill just thinking about it….poor guy…"

"Anyway, Mary's pretty upset about it all…."

"Mary's upset…..?!"

"Well she wasn't expecting Matthew to leave like that."

"What was she expecting then?"

"That they would just carry on as they were."

"Until it suited Mary to get engaged?"

"I guess so."

"So she rang you for some sympathy then?"

"To talk to me about it, yes…she asked me if I'd go up there at the weekend."

"But you can't!" Tom turned in alarm, but Sybil shook her head reassuringly.

"Don't worry, she'd forgotten about Fiona and Niall's wedding, but….."

He looked warily at her. "But, what?"

"I said that I could go the following weekend….just Saturday and Sunday" she added hurriedly.

"But that's your birthday weekend!" he protested.

Sybil edged towards him on the sofa and put her arms around his neck, leaning forward and giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. "It's only Saturday and Sunday" she whispered "One night…..we'll come back from Dublin on the Thursday afternoon, then have all day Friday to ourselves and then I'll be back in plenty of time to spend my actual birthday with you on the Monday before we go back to work."

"But I wanted us to have the whole weekend together…" he was aware that he sounded like a spoiled child as he spoke.

"She's my sister and she needs me…." He raised his eyebrows briefly "…she hardly ever asks for my help…you know what she's like, she doesn't like to show weakness, but she has asked and I want to be there for her…come on Tom, you'd do it for one of your sisters…."

He slumped a little in his seat, indicating defeat. Of course he would, hadn't he practically offered to bring up his nephew, taken on all the parental responsibility involved with his sister's ante-natal care and be Aiden's primary male role model through his formative years? However, as he often reflected, his promises had all been made before meeting Sybil and he sometimes felt that they must now appear a little hollow. He visited regularly; they both did and enthusiastically took Aiden out at weekends in order to give Edie a break. However, the reality was that Aiden probably saw more of his Uncle Kieran than Tom nowadays and it made him feel guilty.

Kieran had moved down from Liverpool in May, having secured a job at the garage in which Tom had once worked. He'd spent a couple of weeks on what was then Edie and Tom's sofa bed before finding a flat share through the local paper, a couple of streets away. Tom had remained until Aiden was almost six months old, at which point Edie had joked that she needed his room; the little man was going through a restless stage and woke every time his mother turned over in bed. He'd hesitated, despite his overwhelming desire to move in with Sybil, feeling as if he was abandoning her, although he was still paying half of the rent. However, Edie had insisted that it was time for her to get used to the realities of being a single mother.

"OK, fine…" he turned to Sybil and offered a reassuring smile.

"Are you going to contact Matthew?"

"I don't know what to say, really. I mean, does he want me to know about it?"

"He'll know that we're all going to find out."

"I mean, we get on and everything, but I don't usually talk to him about my innermost feelings, so I'm a bit reluctant to contact him and ask him if he wants to talk…"

"What did he email you about earlier in the week?"

"Um…" he leant his head back and thought…"Liverpool's appalling defence last Saturday…that typing error in my article last Wednesday that I pointed out to you…..oh and that he might possibly be in London within the next two or three weeks…I haven't got back to him yet, so perhaps I'll suggest that we meet for a beer, if it's after we get back from Dublin."

"Well if we each find out what the other one is thinking, then maybe we can help them?"

He smiled fondly at her and squeezed her hand "Maybe….but we might just need to accept that we can't. They're both grown-ups. Let's just see, eh?"

He got up and went into the kitchen, sticking some bread in the toaster and pulling the butter out of the fridge. Sybil followed him.

"Can you put some in for me too please?"

"Sorry, yes….I'd forgotten you said you hadn't eaten either…so what do you want to do for your birthday, then?"

She shrugged "I don't mind, really. Just a nice meal somewhere?"

"No party?"

She shook her head determinedly. "There's nothing special about being 23."

"Do you want to invite anyone…Anna?...Gwen….girls from work?"

"No…I just want to spend it with you, really….I haven't had a birthday with you before."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and she laced her fingers behind his neck, reaching up for a long kiss.

"It'll soon be a year…Syb"

"I know" she smiled "when is our anniversary then?...the date of the first time we went out, or the first time we kissed….not the first time we met at the hospital…."

"…or the time you bit my head off at the garage…."

"The cinema and kiss, I suppose….as you didn't kiss me that first time we went out…."

"Well, I had to keep trying to reel you in at that point…."

She looked coyly at him and then turned round to pull a couple of plates out of a cupboard. He leant back and smiled indulgently at her as she opened a drawer and took out knives, then set them out at the table. One of the few things which betrayed her aristocratic background was her compulsion to sit down and eat properly at a table; there was no standing up and eating toast, while leaning against the counter, as Tom may have done under such circumstances.

"Well you decide where you want to go and eat on your birthday, then and we'll talk about something special for our anniversary nearer the time."

He was more than satisfied to have her to himself on her special day, but he wanted to ensure that it was memorable, regardless of it being an insignificant age. After all, she had gone to a great deal of trouble for his 30th earlier in the year. It had fallen mid-week, so she had taken him to his favourite local restaurant in the evening, but had booked a function room over a local pub on the following Saturday evening. Banning him from going anywhere near it during the afternoon, she, Mary and Matthew had decorated it with balloons, banners and number 30 confetti spread out on all the tables. She had invited all of his friends from football, a couple of his then very new colleagues at The Guardian and had even managed to organise a babysitter for Edie, who had her first night out since Aiden's birth. Kieran had moved down to London the weekend prior and came along with his new and Tom's former workmates from the garage. Sybil had organised a buffet, a soundtrack featuring all his favourite music and it had been a thoroughly enjoyable evening, making his subconscious dread of hitting such a momentous age rather redundant.

The next morning, Tom sent Matthew an email, confirming the dates in which he would be in Ireland and suggesting that they meet if he was in London afterwards. 'Sybil spoke to Mary last night – we are both very sorry to hear your news.' He considered writing more, expressing his wish to keep in touch regardless. He liked Matthew immensely and had done so from the first time they had met; he felt that they could be friends regardless of their relationships with sisters. However, they had only met a handful of times and he wasn't sure about the practicalities of keeping in touch if he and Mary were to part permanently. In the end, he decided that his offer to meet up for a drink was evidence of his friendship and that he would see how the situation evolved.

That evening, he met up with his brother for a drink in a pub near Clapham Junction station. Kieran was chatting happily to the barman and another customer when he entered, his easy going nature and approachability ensured that he already knew more people in the locality than Tom.

"Thanks" said Tom as Kieran brought two pints over to a table at the back of the room. "You all set for the weekend?"

"Of course. Have you got your speech ready?" In the absence of their father, Tom was giving Fiona away and taking on the other responsibilities for the day.

"Pretty much. I've been practicing…Sybil probably knows it off by heart, so if I'm ill or anything, she can take over…"

Kieran smiled. "It's all quite grown up, isn't it? One of us getting married…"

"Well, Edie's got a baby, I'd say that's more grown up than getting married to be honest."

"Ah….you're all leaving me behind….marriage, babies, living together…..mind you, you've been there before…"

"For God's sake, don't say that in front of Sybil."

Kieran looked at his brother in surprise "Doesn't she know about Charlotte then?"

"Of course she does, but it's a bit of a sensitive subject, that's all."

"Don't tell me there's trouble in paradise, Tom….?"

Tom shook his head. "No, it's fine…..she's excited about us living together and well…..she just doesn't like to be reminded that I've done it before with someone else, that's all…..think it tarnishes it for her a bit." He paused and sipped his pint. "It's completely different for me this time though…..last time it was just a bit of a laugh….and a rent saving device."

"As opposed to not paying any rent at all this time?"

Tom glared at him. "You pay half Edie's rent for her then."

"I'm only joking with you….."

"I know." They paused for a moment or two, before Tom continued.

"So, we'll pick you up at 8 o'clock on Friday to go to Gatwick…..make sure you're ready."

"I will be…I've actually got a date on Thursday night, but it's just the cinema and a drink…I promise to behave."

Tom raised his eyebrows "Who with?"

"A girl…..called Rhian…..she seems very nice."

"So, where did you meet her?"

"At the garage…she brought her car in and was very chatty, then she came back a couple of days later with various questions and I thought 'aye aye, she wants more than her carburettor fixed…'" Tom rolled his eyes and smiled.

"So you worked a bit of your charm, then?"

"Something like that….ah, we'll see, it's only a film and a drink…." Kieran looked down at the table and avoided Tom's gaze.

"I take it that you haven't heard any more from Gwen then?"

Kieran shook his head and swirled his drink in front of him. "I'm not expecting to now, really….she had her chance."

"I know she's really busy with her studies…." Tom tried to lamely offer a defence but Kieran shook his head.

"I think she just used me, to be honest…." he offered a brief laugh "so there's irony for you…. it's probably karma for my behaviour in the past."

Tom shrugged. "I think she's a bit complicated personally….I don't think it was you…in fact Sybil's sure that she did really like you, but…"

"….oh, whatever." Kieran interrupted him with another shrug of the shoulders. "Time to move on…plenty more fish in the sea and all that….another pint?... have you got a pass to stay out?"

"I don't need a pass…so yes please, but I'll get them…."

As Tom waited at the bar, Kieran fiddled with his beer mat and inwardly sighed. His decision to move to London had been based on his family and previous lifestyle, but the prospect of seeing more of Gwen had seemed an added benefit to the choice. They had got on far better than he had expected when she visited him in Liverpool earlier in the year; once they had got the inevitable sex out of the way, he found that he really enjoyed her company and she made him laugh. He had appreciated the frankness about her ambition and an avoidance of any commitment for the future, in all honesty he had acted in a similar way with girls in the past. When he had come down to London a few weeks later in order to meet Aiden, they had continued where they had left off and he thought that they would probably continue casually, without making demands on one another, if he moved to the capital. Admittedly, he hadn't actually discussed this possibility with her, but then if they had no commitment with each other, then he didn't feel that he was obliged to. Two weeks before he moved, she had rung him on his mobile and aggressively berated his decision.

"I hope you're not coming down here because of me….I told you Kieran, I don't have time for a boyfriend…"

"Don't flatter yourself" he'd replied defensively.

"Well, don't think that we're going to be seeing each other whenever you feel like it…."

"I've got lots of other people to see…" he had taunted.

He had been a little irked, but not irrevocably and had happily forgiven her when she was all over him at Tom's birthday party. He'd ended up paying almost £100 for a hotel that night, as he was still staying with Tom and Edie, but it had seemed to be worth it at the time. He had sent her a casual text with his new address and she had invited herself to see it a couple of weeks later. Informing him that she was giving herself a weekend off her studies, she had stayed for over 48 hours and if he was honest, he had thought that things had moved on by the time she left. They'd spent most of it in bed, admittedly, but they'd talked for hours and he'd discussed his Dad for God's sake, he'd never previously spoken about his feelings concerning his death with anyone except Tom and his Mam. She had been a good listener too; sympathetic without appearing sycophantic and she'd shared some details concerning her life about which she confessed she had only ever spoken to Sybil. "I don't know why I'm telling you all this…" she'd laughed, wiping away her tears with bunched fists and he'd held her and kissed her and told her that her secrets were safe. Honestly, he thought she was great; gorgeous, funny, witty, clever, didn't take any nonsense from him and let's face it, he needed someone to put him in his place at times. Anyhow, she had left on the Sunday evening, kissed him passionately and told him that she would be in touch. Only she hadn't and it was over three months now. He had left it a while, before sending her a text and asking if she wanted to meet for a drink, but had received a short reply saying that she was really busy with her studies. Then he had forwarded her a link to an internet article which he thought would amuse her and had received a one word response – thanks. He had thought about contacting her again, but he knew avoidance tactics when he saw them, he had, after all used them to his advantage in the past. Sybil never mentioned her, he was pretty sure that she felt embarrassed about the situation and he didn't want to put her in a difficult position. So he had decided to move on and banish thoughts about her from his mind. When the pretty Welsh girl came to the garage and showed obvious signs of interest, it had seemed the ideal opportunity to divert his attention elsewhere.

His brother placed another pint before him and he smiled, leaning back in his chair. He was pleased that he had moved to London and enjoyed spending more time with Tom and Edie, not to mention being a devoted uncle to Aiden. He wasn't sure if he was getting old before his time, but it felt as if his family took precedence now. Although he had never been as academic as Tom, he admired his drive and ambition and was pleased that he had found happiness in his personal life. Years earlier, he had been wholly aware that his brother found him annoying and for the couple of years prior to their father's death, they had scarcely communicated. He appreciated the change to their relationship now and their growing friendship. His priorities were changing, but in the meantime, there was a serious topic for consideration.

"Come on Tom, get that down you! We have to get our drinking boots on….we've got an Irish wedding at the weekend!"