As per, I haven't really checked this. Hopefully this is angsty enough for you all. This chapter concludes this story, which was wonderfully inspired by The Yankee Countess. I hope you've enjoyed this story, and I'd really appreciate a review if you have.

Natural Love: Chapter 3

After their first blissful night together came many more. They were spending more and more time together and were slowly becoming inseparable. After only a month of being together, Tom decided to move in with Sybil. Her house wasn't any bigger than his, but if he lived with her, he would only have to share with one other person, rather than four. His theory was that having more space would keep his head clearer in the run up to the final exams of the year. That is, if he could keep his mind off Sybil.

The two of them seemed to have found a good work-life balance. They spent their days either at university lectures, in the library or revising at home with each other. The fact that Tom was studying history and Sybil was doing medicine made no difference. Some of the time they revised in silence, sitting next to one another, and some of the time they would test each other on their respective subjects. To give themselves breaks from revising, they often spent their time doing chores around the house, though they remained practically attached at the hip. They both worked incredibly hard for their subjects, which meant that they were usually tired by the end of the day, but rarely so exhausted that they would pass up a round or two of sex to finish off the night.

Sybil and Tom were wrapped up in each other's limbs one evening after one such round, with the duvet twisted around them. After sex they often spoke to one another about their childhoods. It was from these conversations that Sybil found out about Tom's life in Ireland and Tom found out about Sybil's life at Downton. Knowing about their pasts made them feel closer to one another. Even they couldn't deny that their relationship had escalated very quickly and they didn't really know each other as well as they should. Knowing about each other's childhoods comforted them by giving the illusion that they had known each other for longer than they truly had.

"My uncle lived half way up a mountain," Tom said, as he held Sybil in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. "He lived about three hours' drive away, so we didn't see him that often, but when we did go and visit, I'd spend all my time walking up the mountain, usually on my own. I liked making new paths and finding different routes that nobody had ever walked before. They were hardly direct routes to the top, but I liked the time with just me and nature."

"Didn't your parents wonder where you were?" Sybil asked softly.

"At the beginning they did. But I loved it up in the mountains so much that they got used to the fact that I would be gone for hours at a time and would walk back to the house when I got hungry enough," Tom said with a nostalgic smile.

"It sounds lovely," Sybil said.

"I could take you up there at some point. I'd love to show you part of my childhood."

"I'd like that," Sybil said. "I could take you to Scotland, too. We have family who live up there and when I was little, my whole family would go on long walks. My sisters and I called it marsh-hopping because my dad would be the one leading the group, but he usually lost his bearings and we'd end up walking through marshes. As soon as we got ourselves out of one, he'd lead us into another!" Sybil remembered fondly.

"Here's an idea," Tom said. "After we've graduated, why don't we hike around the UK? Just us. We can spend a month or so hiking the length of Britain and Ireland. I can show you the hikes I know and you can show me what you know and we can find new places to hike together. You know, make it our thing?"

"I love that idea," Sybil said. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Sybil and Tom had finished their final exams, but hadn't returned home to their families yet. They had decided that they would rather spend some quality time together without the interruption of revision, rather than go their separate ways back to their families for the summer quite yet. Besides, some of their friends hadn't finished all of their exams yet, so by staying at university, they could wait for their whole group of friends to finish and then spend some time together as an entire group to celebrate the end of the academic year and the beginning of their summer holiday.

One Friday, a few weeks after their exams were finished Tom spent the day helping his history professor with an open day. It was late in the year and Tom had agreed to help prior to beginning his relationship with Sybil. He couldn't get out of it now, but Sybil didn't mind. Even with a relationship as good as theirs, they still needed some personal time every now and then.

After an entire day of trying to make the history department look good, Tom came home tired, but cheerful. He found Sybil sat on the sofa with her knees brought under her chin, staring blankly at the wall.

"Are you alright, love?" Tom said, walking towards Sybil and kissing the top of her head.

Sybil barely moved and didn't say anything.

"Syb?" Tom prompted. He sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong, love?"

"I'm late," Sybil said quietly. She moved so that she was sitting cross-legged and stared into her lap.

"Late for what?"

"My period's late," she said, looking Tom in the eye.

Sybil sensed Tom's breathing increase in pace and his hold on her became more rigid.

"You mean you're pregnant?" he asked with a shaky voice.

"I'm not sure. I haven't taken a test, but I'm two weeks late. I've been a week late before, but never two. I can't think of any other reason for it other than that I might be pregnant," Sybil said, with tears forming in her eyes.

"Oh my God," Tom muttered to himself. He moved so that he could face Sybil more directly. "Sybil…"

"I don't know what to do," Sybil said, bursting into tears and falling into Tom's arms.

"We stick together. That's what we do. That's what we always do," Tom said, trying to comfort her.

"I can't have a baby now, Tom," Sybil said through her sobs.

"Syb, you can't know for sure that you're pregnant. We need to take this one day at a time. You're on birth control, and we always use a condom. Realistically, what are the chances that you're actually pregnant?" Tom asked.

"Like one percent," Sybil said, bringing her head up and looking at Tom, though she hadn't stopped crying. "But somebody has to be that one percent."

"Look, Sybil, nothing's certain," Tom said. "We just have to take it step by step.

"I can't keep it, Tom," Sybil said, wiping her tear-streaked cheeks. Sybil felt Tom tense up again. "Do you want to keep it?" Sybil said in a more accusatory tone than intended.

"I can't tell you what to do with your body, Syb," he said calmly. "Whatever you want to do, I'll be right by your side."

"Yeah, but I respect your feelings. It may be my body, but this is your baby too."

Tom didn't say anything, but he stood from the sofa and began pacing the floor.

"Tom, do you actually want to keep this baby?"

Still Tom didn't say anything in response.

"Tom, you can't blank me on this! We need to communicate if we want to make this work."

"Make what work? You're going to get rid of the baby anyway. It's obvious that you don't want to keep it!"

"But you do want to keep it! We need to find a solution that suits us both. That's what being a couple is about, Tom!" Sybil was now standing opposite Tom and voices were swiftly increasing in volume. "You can't hide your feelings from me, Tom. I need to know. I need to hear you say whether you want it or not."

"Why does it matter? It doesn't matter what I say, you'll go with what suits you best, regardless," Tom retorted.

"Where did you get that idea from?" Sybil shrieked.

"Because it's your body! You're going to be more affected by this baby so your decision has more weight."

"You aren't listening to a word I'm saying," Sybil said.

"Yeah because you're just using me to make this decision!" Tom said.

"No, I'm not! You're the one who isn't telling me what you really want!" Sybil hollered.

"You're impossible, Sybil!" Tom screamed.

With that, Sybil stormed out of the room. Tom could tell by the trail of slammed doors and heavy footsteps that Sybil had taken refuge in their bedroom. He sunk down onto the sofa, rested his elbows on his knees and let himself sob. Upstairs, Sybil was doing the same. She had thrown herself diagonally onto their bed, face down, and was bawling into a pillow.

During their time crying alone in separate rooms, both of their minds were running riot. What they didn't realise is that the two of them were thinking along the same lines.

Our relationship is over. We can't fight like this and stay together.

If one of us wants to keep it and the other doesn't, are we compatible enough to stay together?

If we have this baby, our futures will be forever changed. Our futures will be ruined.

If we don't have this baby, we might regret it forever.

We don't even know for sure whether there is a baby.

We have to fight for our relationship now. We can't let this be over.

Eventually, Tom got to his feet and went to find Sybil. He found her curled in the foetal position on his side of the bed, hugging a toy hippo that her mother had knitted for her when she was a baby. Her tears had stopped, but the evidence of them still remained in the mascara streaks and smudged eyeliner across her face, coupled with the redness of her rubbed eyes.

Though the door to their bedroom was open, Tom knocked. He needed to know that he was welcome in the room before entering.

When Sybil heard the knock, she rolled over, sat up and looked at Tom. She smiled at him weakly. That was enough for him to know that he was alright to join her. He sat down on the bed next to her and let out a small sigh.

"Syb, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she said quietly. "It takes two people to end up in this situation.

"Well, that's what I came to talk about. It took two of us to get here, so we're going to stick together. Just like we always do. We're going to take it one stage at a time, together," Tom said.

Sybil fell into Tom's arms, still gripping her toy hippo tightly in her hands.

"I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to break up with me after that row," Sybil said.

"I'm not going to break up with you just because of one argument, Syb," Tom said. "I'd rather face a tough future with you than an easy one without you." He kissed the top of her head.

"I suppose if you break up with me, we'll never get a chance to hike across the country together," Sybil said with a small laugh.

"I'm not giving up on that dream, love, and that means I'm not giving up on us," Tom said, tightening his grip around Sybil's shoulders. "We'll get an appointment with the doctor tomorrow and go from there, okay?"

"Thank you," Sybil said very quietly. "I love you."

The following morning, Sybil and Tom walked the short distance to the doctor's surgery hand in hand. Sybil refused to let go of Tom's hand unless it was absolutely necessary. Tom noticed that she was squeezing it more tightly than usual. Their time spent in the waiting room seemed never-ending. When her name was finally called to go to room 3, she walked down the hall with feigned confidence, which was provided by the knowledge that Tom was right by her side. After explaining their situation to the doctor, Sybil had to provide urine and blood samples for testing, which would be complete within a few hours.

Those few hours were the longest of their lives. They paced around the carpark; they walked up and down all the halls to which they were allowed access; they even walked around the block a few times. Sybil's mind wasn't calm enough for her to just stay seated and wait.

Finally they were called back into room 3 where they heard the words, "You're not pregnant."

Sybil walked out of the building on shaky legs, still tightly squeezing Tom's hands, if only to stop her own hands from shaking. As soon as the two of them rounded the corner, Tom pulled Sybil into a tight hug.

"Are you okay?" Tom asked, genuinely concerned.

"Yeah," Sybil mumbled. "A little overwhelmed. It's just been the most emotional two days of my entire life."

Sybil's feelings were all over the place. She was relieved that she wasn't pregnant, but also a tad disappointed. She absolutely couldn't have dealt with having a child now, but it didn't alter the bittersweet feeling within her. Though Sybil and Tom had argued, Sybil felt that, oddly, this experience had brought them closer together. They were stronger now and even more inseparable than before.

The two of them walked back to the house, almost all the way in silence, but feeling closer than ever.

When they got in the house, they stood in the middle of the hallway, hand in hand, facing one another.

"Sybil, I love you," Tom said firmly. "It doesn't matter what sort of ordeal we go through next, I will always love you."

"You mean everything to me, Tom," Sybil said. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You need to promise me something, Sybil," Tom said.

"Anything."

"Promise me that we'll always stick together. That we can always count on one another and we'll always be there for each other."

"I promise that you will always have me, Tom. And I promise that no matter what is thrown in our path, we'll work hard, together, for a future that's worth having."

Years later, Sybil and Tom left their house with their degrees newly framed on the wall to hike the length of both Britain and Ireland. Tom was introduced into the life of marsh-hopping. He could have sworn that Sybil lost her bearings on purpose just so that she could see him get stuck in a marsh. Sybil learnt all about Tom's childhood adventures at his uncle's house, as Tom led her through all the paths he had forged as a child.

On their last evening in Ireland, before they were to fly back home and return to life as normal, Sybil shared news with Tom that she really was pregnant. This time around there was no arguing, no doubting and no tears. At least, no sad tears. Everything had turned out alright. Everything had turned out better than alright. Sybil and Tom belonged together and at that point, they knew that they were going to be spending the rest of their lives together.