Here is the second part of Edith's birth, inspired by a prompt from Randomabiling. The prompt was "Storm is coming". I used it more as a concept than anything else.

Also, there's never been actual confirmation as to Edith's middle name. One early source suggested it to be Violet, so that is what I have incorporated into my own headcanon.

*One other small note: This isn't exactly a Cobert piece. Robert is mentioned, but does not actually make an appearance.

6 May 1892, 6.05am

"Just a little more, Lady Grantham, and we'll have a baby."

Cora fought to pull in a full breath, her entire body exhausted yet screaming in near-constant pain, the fire between her legs almost more than she could bear. As quickly as her labor had progressed, the last hour had stretched on for an eternity. Now, as another tide of pain washed over her, her body began working of its own volition, and she was bearing down before she was fully aware of what she was doing.

"That's it! Good. The head is born. Now; just take a few moments to catch your breath. Not much longer now."

Easy for him to say. She had no other thought past wanting this baby out and for it all to be over. She felt herself began to push again.

The doctor moved his hand beneath the sheet that covered her knees; Cora felt his hand move alongside the baby's head. She grimaced, though it did not hurt nearly as much as it had earlier when he had monitored her progress. Another pain came, and she once again began to bear down.

"Not just yet, Lady Grantham. I know you're ready for it to be over, but right now I need you to breathe; don't push."

"I—"

"Lady Grantham, I don't mean to alarm you, but the cord is wrapped around the baby's neck. Bearing down might cause it to tighten. I know you're in pain; I know you're tired. But until I tell you to do otherwise, just try to concentrate on breathing through the pains."

Cora gripped her mother-in-law's hand. It was not lost on her, even in her current state of mind, how serious a situation this was. Panic gripped her heart. This couldn't be happening. The baby had to be alright.

As another contraction began to build, Cora began to writhe in pain as she fought against the all-encompassing urge to push. Strangled, guttural sounds escaped her throat, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip as she held back a sob.

"Just a few moments more." The doctors voice reached her ears as though from a great distance. "I'm going to go ahead and cut the cord. That will release the pressure from around the neck, and then with the next pain you can bear down."

"Please," Cora begged, urging him to work as quickly as possible. She felt on the verge of fainting. And just when she thought she actually might, she heard the metallic snip of scissors and the doctor's words that she could once again bear down. Summoning every ounce of strength she had, she pushed as hard as she could.

"Yes! Once more, Lady Grantham. Just once more and the baby will be here."

Nodding, Cora took a deep breath and pulled her knees to her chest, pushing with everything she had in her. After what seemed like an age, she finally felt the baby slip from within her.

"Oh, thank God," she panted as she collapsed against the pillows stacked behind her. She felt Violet pat her hand. A soft crying filled the room, and Cora laughed. To her, there was no sound more beautiful.

"Is it a boy?" she questioned, looking up at her mother-in-law. Violet looked down, and Cora caught her clouded expression. "Oh," she whispered.

For the past seven months—ever since she had learned of her condition—Cora had prayed for a son; an heir to her husband's title and to her fortune. She loved and adored her daughter, and would not have traded her for ten sons, but she knew—had known before she and Robert had even married—how families like this worked. She knew that her main duty, now that her dowry had secured the estate, was to produce a son. She constantly bore the weight of the entail and now, now seeing the look of disappointment that seemed permanently etched into the Dowager's features, she knew that she had failed once again.

She watched on as the baby was washed, as her maid washed her legs and worked to make her presentable. She let them maneuver her around in order to remove the soiled linens from the bed. All the while, she endeavored to keep the storm of her own emotions at bay. She ached to have her child in her arms, to see this little one whose gentle movements she had felt for the last few months. This tiny being who had stolen her heart from the moment she knew that its little heart was beating. But would looking at the baby only remind her further of what she had failed to do?

"Give her to me." Cora held out her arms, wanting desperately to see this life that she and Robert had created; to prove to herself that her baby's gender did not matter, no matter what her mother-in-law—or anyone else—thought or said.

The nurse walked to the side of her bed, and with a whispered "my lady" placed the swaddled infant in her mother's arms. Cora took in the baby's features, noting at once how different she looked from Mary. The smile that spread across her face made her cheeks ache.

"Hello, my Edith", she said softly, running the back of her index finger over the baby's sweet face. She placed a gentle kiss to her daughter's forehead. "My dearest one."

"Edith." Cora looked up at the sound of the Dowager's voice.

"Yes," she replied, holding her gaze. "Robert and I decided on Edith Violet, should it be another girl; after you, Mama." She watched as some of the thunder cleared from the older woman's eyes, being replaced by tears.

"It's a fine name, my dear." Violet patted Cora's shoulder, her voice rather thick with emotion. "A very fitting name." She brushed her hand over the baby's downy head. "She looks a bit like Rosamund when she was a baby; the same light-colored hair."

Cora beamed as she looked back at the baby, who now seemed completely alert and stared at her with curious eyes. "There's a great deal of Robert in her, too. He will be pleased at that. Won't he?" Her initial nervousness over the situation was beginning to creep back in.

"Of course he will, Cora. You've seen how he is with Mary. A more doting father there has never been."

Cora could not help the giggle that bubbled from deep within. Violet was right. And although perhaps things had not turned out as hoped for or expected, she could help the belief that things were just as they should be. Looking into the calm of her baby's face was all the confirmation she needed.