3x05 Spoilers in the Author note at the end guys!

Chapter 10

"Charles, I think you are more nervous than I am," said Elsie as she straightened her hat. At long last, the day had come when she and Charles were going to get the result of her newest set of tests.

Her husband did not know how far that comment was off the mark. He knew this was her moment – but she knew the way she was feeling. And that made her confident. It made her sure things were going to go her way. He had no such gage for himself.

"I just want to know it is over for good," he said as he turned to her.

He looked so very scared, she thought to herself.

"It is going to be. You and I have more than had our ration of bad luck."

As their eyes met she saw that was not a lot of comfort to him. As much as he did have faith in her ,she had a feeling he was not going to trust what she was saying until he had heard she was ok from a doctor.

Taking his hands, she sighed. "Shall we go my love?"

He knew they had to go. And if she had the strength to face the day then so did he, but...

"Yes. Let's go and get you in the all clear," he said with more confidence than he felt as he leant in to kiss those lips he loved so much.

"Good luck," Beryl called to them as they passed the kitchen. The two women shared a smile before the Carson's passed out of the kitchen area and out into the grounds.

He had said to her he was sure he was going to be able to get the car from his lordship if she wanted a lift down, but the truth was the two of them had to get used to being servants once more she thought to herself with pursed lips. No one was going to say the Crawleys had not treated her with the up most kindness and respect while she was indisposed, but she was not any more. And she had never been one to take liberties.

Besides, there were many worse ways she could think of than to go down the village on the arm of her husband. Of course, she wished it was for another occasion but beggars could not be choosers she supposed.

"Whatever comes," Charles muttered quietly, as they came to stand outside of the cottage hospital. "I cannot say how proud I am that you are my wife Elsie. And whatever we hear when we got through those doors, we will face it together."

"That is a comfort to me, my love." Elsie squeezed Charles' hand. "Well – standing out here is not going to let me know if I am well again, is it?" – and with that, the Carson's went inside – and heard Elsie's fate.

XXX

Beryl Patmore did not need to be told the news when the Carson's returned. Not in so many words any way. There slightly reddened cheeks suggested they had popped into the Grantham Arms on their return journey. Both had huge smiles on their faces. It was quite apparent that their hearts were so full they were in danger of over flowing.

Beryl offered a smile with raised eye brows before she returned to work.

"Alls well that ends well, Daisy. Alls well that ends well," she said to her assistant.

XXX

When Charles came into her sitting room after supper one night later that week, Elsie knew he was in a good mood. The giveaway was not the smile on his face when he came into the room but the fact that it had been humming rather than footsteps which had announced his arrival.

"If you were the only girl in the world," he whispered to her as he came and stood behind her. "And I were the only boy..."

"What do you want?" she asked turning around.

"What a lovely way to greet your loving husband," Charles recoiled with mock hurt on his face.

"Charles, if you had not noticed I am well once more. I may not have had the strength to protest against your singing to me when I was unwell," she teased "but-"

"As if you would dare," he muttered lowly. Crouching down by her side, he kissed her nose before drawing back. "Come walk with me?"

Sighing heavily in pretend protest, she nodded. "Very well."

Wrapping her new and favourite shawl about herself, she took her husband arm and together, they set off. Neither asked the other where they were going.

They knew.

Arriving at the rose garden, Elsie sighed happily. "I do so love this time of year, with the evenings growing long."

"As do I. It makes the day longer somehow."

"It does – speaking of long days though, on Friday, we are all getting a night off."

"Yes, his lordship said they were off to Loxley. Sir Anthony is giving a dinner in his lordships honour."

Their eyes met. "Barely Charles. We all know whose honour it is in. His lordship just happens to be invited because he is Lady Edith's father." The two of them smiled at one another.

"He is going to cherish her, all his life long."

"So he should. Lady Edith grew up in the war and is a good woman."

"Yes. Yes, she is. It is a good match."

"Though perhaps not quite as good as ours," she sighed as the two of them paused to look at the flowers in bud.

Charles enjoyed the view as Elsie smile at them, the signs of new life thrilling her. He had a feeling this summer would be, if only for the two of them, particularly beautiful.

"We are going to have to talk his lordship and her ladyship about where we are to go now," he reminded her. She stood up, looking quite put out. "It is as you said, you're better. The Somerset bedroom was only ever a loan."

"I suppose," she nodded, placing her hand back in the crook of his arm. "But where are we to go? Not back to the old arrangement?"

"No, we are man and wife. I think we can reasonably demand to share a room," Charles said. "How about a cottage in the estate?"

"Well, I would not say no to my own garden. But – would it not be like putting ourselves on the shelf? We are house keeper and butler at Downton Abbey. We have to live in the house... a cottage is a lovely idea."

"But not for a couple of years yet?"

"My thoughts exactly."

The two of them nodded in unison. There would be no decision that evening – it was a topic best left for another day.

After they had watched the sun begin to fall from the sky and felt the breeze pick up, Charles and Elsie returned to the house, the butler going to finish the little work he had to do. Knowing his wife was waiting for him, by ten thirty he had locked up and headed upstairs.

Elsie had indeed waited up for him, book in hand, though the pages unturned from where she had picked it up near an hour ago. Rather than get under the covers as she was like too normally, she had waited on top of it for him. She watched as he removed his bow tie and his jacket and undress. And then as he dressed in his pyjamas.

She flushed scarlet as she wondered why he had bothered and as he approached the bed, she put her book to one side. She had never thought she was going to feel this way again. And it was thanks to medicine and him that she did.

But mostly him. She did not think she had ever met another man who would care so tenderly for her as he had over the past few months.

She was not the type to say it out loud. He was the one who was big on sentimentality. But she did not think she knew what she would have done without her Charles.

"Well, my darling, another day is done," he said as he laid down and turned off the lamp by the bed.

Not quite, she thought to herself.

He rolled over and took her in his arms as he had done every night since they had been installed in that bedroom. Their lips collided tenderly for their good night kiss before he showed all the signs of being content to merely hold her. As he had always been. But she was not content to simply be held. Not that night.

Shifting closer to him still she cupped his cheek and caressed it with her thumb. His eyes had already begun to close his eyes when she touched him – but it clear that simply action drove all thoughts of sleep away. This was not part of their nightly routine.

"Elsie?" he questioned before being silenced by her lips. She kissed him. Not as he was used to being kissed these days either.

It was deep and passionate and before he knew it, his restraint was gone and he was kissing her back like a teenage lad with his very first sweetheart... how he had longed for her... His hands ran searchingly over her body, her arms, her back, her stomach. Until they got to her breasts. A sensitive area and he felt her freeze for just a moment.

"I do not mean to push you, my darling. We do not have to do this if you are not ready."

"Charles Carson, who initiated this? Of course, the first time is going to take some getting used to again. But I do not want to wait any more. I love you so much – and I want you so much."

Please want me too...

It was quite apparent that he did, she thought. His lips could say the polite gentlemanly thing – but other bodily functions gave him away, quite involuntarily she was glad to see... feel. She was desirable still to him.

"You're quite sure, Elsie?" he asked in between kisses.

"Positive."

"Well, then... do you remember in your letter, you said our nights together in Margate made you blush when you recalled them, my darling sweetheart?"

"I may have written something of the sort," she said, pausing, quite unsure why he had chosen to bring that up right then as she helped remove his pyjama top. It would be sweet to lie skin on skin with him once more.

"Well, I promise you this. They won't after tonight."

Elsie spent the next day red cheeked as she recall how he had kept his promise.

The End.

Please review!

Author Note: I am rubbish at writing lemons so I thought I'd best leave that nights - events - to your imaginations Chelsie shippers. Thanks to all who have read and reviewed this fic. It has been lots of fun to write; especially the fluff and I will miss it. It grew and grew as I wrote it which is the best way sometimes (the original plan was a one shot to be done within the week – 10 chapters and a month later...).

I hope the fluff helps heal some hearts after Sunday. Though we had the beautiful Elsie/Charles hand hold, I must say I am still in mourning and will be for a while. Anyway, I digress.

A very big thank you again to all of you!