Tag: S/T secret santa 2015

“Best Worst Christmas” by The Yankee Countess
an “S/T Secret Santa” fic for @mimijag

How would you spend Christmas Day, shut up inside, without heat or power?  Drinking whiskey and playing games with your gorgeous flatmate whom you don’t think about in THAT WAY at all, of course!

Chapter Four
Chapter Three
Chapter Two
Chapter One

**images not mine

HERE IT IS AT LAST!

The ULTIMATE master list for the Sybil/Tom Secret Santa 2015 Exchanges, with links to ALL the fanfics, fanart, and blog posts.  

BIG SPECIAL THANKS to @gothamgirl28 and @bleulily for
their help in organizing and overseeing the blogger and fanart
exchanges.  And of course, a big special thanks to everyone who
participated!  

Now go and show some fandom love to everyone! :oP

**Branson family Christmas manip by @piperholmes

image

FANFIC EXCHANGE

“A Winter’s Tale” by @bleulily (for gothamgirl28)

They say the Winter Solstice is full of magic, and perhaps they weren’t wrong.  Fantasy/Fairy Tale AU. Rated M

“Hang on a Shining Star” by @broadwaybaggins (for scathach124)

Each year, the Crawley family hosts a charity event to benefit the local
hospital. This year Sybil had taken over the organization of the event,
opening the house to the public for an Edwardian-era Christmas tea.
It’s bound to be a rousing success…if she can get the house ready in
time. Modern AU.  Rated T

“Happy Accident” by @cassiemortmain (for yankeecountess)

Sybil Crawley is driving up from London to Downton on Christmas Eve, but
a huge, freak snowstorm hits and her car runs off the road. Tom
Branson, on the “emergency shift” at a nearby garage, happens to drive
by and stops to rescue her. Modern AU.  Rated T

“Happy Holidays, Love the Bransons” by @cheesybalone​
(for margodevalois)

The Bransons gather together with friends, family, and children for the holiday season. Modern AU.  Rated K

“Her Man, Branson” by @gothamgirl28​ (for shana-rosee)

Sybil overhears Tom getting asked out by someone and then
stupidly convinces him to go out with the other girl and finds herself
following them on their outing. S2 AU.  Rated K+

“A Christmas Tale” by JessieBess (for mosteyn)

Sybil and Tom try to celebrate Christmas in their own way while living at Downton. S3 AU.  Rated K

“A Dublin Christmas Story” by @katsthoughtsonthingsbigandsmall​
(for mermaidodair)

The Bransons are in Ireland and receive unexpected guests for Christmas
aka the Crawleys along with Rose. Tom’s family isn’t sure of how to
react with Sybil’s family. It all turns out well. Show-Era AU.  Rated K

“Christmas Preparations” by @kidyouhavenoidea​ (for lifeauthoredbymusic)

Sybil
is pregnant with their second child, and Tom insists that HE handle all
the duties of fixing their Christmas dinner. However, it turns out to
be a lot harder than he thought. Show-Era AU.  Rated K

“It Had to be You” by @lifeauthoredbymusic​ (for broadwaybaggins)

London, 1947: Sybil Crawley is an MI6 agent working undercover at the
BBC foreign desk who yearns to get out into the field. Tom Branson is a
G2 agent who wants nothing more than to take down the organisation that
tore his family apart. Infiltrating the IRA should be a dream come true
for them both. The catch: they have to pretend to be married—and they
hate each other. WW2 AU.  Rated T

“Chance Meeting” by @magfreak​ (for katsthoughtsonthingsbigandsmall)

Lady Sybil Crawley is working as a nurse in Dublin weeks after the
Easter Rising and must treat a journalist by the name of Tom Branson who
comes into her hospital after being questioned by the British Army. S2 AU.  Rated T

“A White Christmas” by @margodevalois​ (for zip-goes-a-million)

On
Christmas Eve, after their children have gone to bed, Sybil and Tom
reminisce about Christmases past, while doing some last minute wrapping
of presents and stuffing stockings. Modern AU.  Rated K

“Among Cousins and Bunnies” by @mermaidodair​ (for patanoo)

Eight year old Sybbie Branson is still unsure about her newest cousin, Marigold. But maybe a trip to her Auntie Edith and Uncle
Bertie’s house and the loss of a special bunny can change that. Show-Era AU.  Rated K

“The Secret” by @mimijag​ (for cassiemortmain)

Shortly
after leaving Downton for York, Tom and Sybil embark on a secret (and
forbidden) courtship, and it isn’t long for the passion they feel for
one another to overtake them. Now back at Downton, how can they continue
to keep their secret, when they each long to be together more than
anything? S2 AU.  Rated M

“A Pain in the Proverbial” by Mosteyn (for wslowry)

Its New Year, 1933 and all those Christmases and family holidays at
Downton are finally taking their toll on Tom. Show-Era AU.  Rated K

“In Sickness and in Health” by @patanoo​ (for JessieBess)

Three of Sybil and Tom’s first Christmases, during which nothing could keep them apart. Show-Era AU.  Rated K

“Precious Moments, Special People” by @scathach124​
(for kidyouhavenoidea)

Sybil and Tom Branson have invited the Crawleys, the Pelhams, and their children to Dublin for Christmas. Show-Era AU.  Rated K+

“IKEA” by @shana-rosee​ (for cheesybalone)

Sybil and Tom set-up some IKEA furniture for their their new place and Thomas decides to “help”. Modern AU.  Rated K

“The Stocking” by wslowry (for magfreak)

Dublin, December 1919. It’s the Bransons first Christmas together as a
married couple and rather than spending money, they agree to make each
other gifts. Show-Era AU.  Rated T

“Best Worst Christmas” by @yankeecountess​ (for mimijag)

Tom Branson and Sybil Crawley are two grad students, studying abroad,
and who also happen to be flatmates. On a snowy Christmas Eve, Tom’s
flight home is grounded, and both he and Sybil are “stuck”, spending
Christmas together without much in the way of food, heat, or
electricity. It’s shaping out to be the worst Christmas ever…or is it? Modern AU.  Rated M

“Her First Irish Christmas” by @zip-goes-a-million​ (for bleulily)

Sybil and Tom decide to spend their first Christmas as a couple in Tom’s
childhood Irish home. Sybil must get to grips with the ways of the
Bransons at Christmas and Tom’s mother comes to a heartwarming
realisation about her son’s new relationship. Modern AU.  Rated M

image

FANART EXCHANGE

“Christmas with the Bransons and Crawleys drawing” by @bleulily​
(for destinedtobeafan)

“Modern AU Christmas with the Bransons and Crawleys collage”
by @destinedtobefan​ (for yankeecountess)

“Modern AU Christmas with the Bransons manip”
by @kayjag-kpersonally​ (for whatisthisautumnsorcery)

“Sybil/Tom ‘Period Drama’ AU collage” by @whatisthisautumnsorcery​
(for kayjag-kpersonally)

“The Bransons Welcome the Newest Aldridge drawing”
by @yankeecountess​ (for bleulily)

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BLOGGER EXCHANGE

by @bleulily​ (for coffeebean87)

by @coffeebean87​ (for scarletcourt)

by @gothamgirl28​ (for yankeecountess)

by @obsessivewritingdisorder​ (for gothamgirl28)

by @scarletcourt​ (for bleulily)

by @sybbelle​ (for obsessivewritingdisorder)

by @yankeecountess​ (for sybbelle)

READ!  LIKE!  REVIEW!  REBLOG!  AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

bleulily:

Sybbie Branson’s favourite thing about Christmas wasn’t the presents, nor the food. Her favourite thing about Christmas was the opportunity ti decorate the Christmas tree with her cousins and aunts, with her mother and father cheering her at every moment, with the wonderful joy that was spending time with her family.

For @coffeebean87 from your blogger secret santa.

**Images not mine. Manips made by me.

cassiemortmain:

Happy accident

This story was written as part of the Sybil x Tom fandom Secret Santa fic exchange, convened on Tumblr by the lovely @yankeecountess (thank you for organising it!), based on her own prompt!

Many apologies for being late, my dear – at least I nearly made Orthodox Christmas. 🙂 I hope you enjoy your story and wishing you all the best for the New Year!

***

“Hello? Are you OK? Oh God, look at you… don’t worry, I’m here, it’s all right. Just hold on…”

Sybil felt rather than saw the torch in her eyes, heard a voice speaking in a comforting accent she couldn’t immediately place. Her head was pounding, she felt dizzy, and her whole body ached as if she’d just survived a boxing match.

Where am I?

The open car door beside her was yanked further back, with a couple of jerks to get it over the snow that was drifting beside it, and someone reached across her to undo her seat belt.

Then, she felt herself being scooped up like a child, held against a broad chest, cradled in strong arms. In her dazed state, only one word came to her mind.

Safe…

***

Read More

Click here to see all my Sybil x Tom fanfic.

In Sickness and In Health Chapter 3: Christmas 1920, a downton abbey fanfic | FanFiction

patanoo:

The final installment is up just and the twelve days of Christmas are over! As always, this chapter was written for and is dedicated to JessieBess.

Excerpt:

Truth be told, they hadn’t wanted to hire a nanny at all and had won the battle just to hear Lord Grantham bring the idea back when Sybbie had got ill. They had had more important things to worry about then than to quarrel with Sybil’s father for yet another time and an additional pair of hands to take care of a sick baby hadn’t been really a bad idea, so they had ultimately surrendered.

However, when Sybbie had begun to feel better, the Bransons had wished to dismiss the nanny, but had felt uncomfortable about depriving the poor woman of her work after such a short time, especially since she was a hard worker and was very good with Sybbie. Finally, they had decided for a compromise and kept her on more as a part-time help; sometimes she was free of her duties even without Lord Grantham’s knowledge. Sybil and Tom hoped that Mary would get pregnant soon (and she and Matthew really kept trying, so it was practically certain to happen sooner than later), which would release them of the need to provide employment to Miss Henderson themselves.

But it wasn’t Miss Henderson this time. The person who stood in the doorway was Cora Crawley, and the expression on her face informed the young parents that something clearly troubled her.

“Sybil, Tom, I’m afraid that you’ve forgotten that we’re attending the Cartrights’ Christmas party tonight. I talked to Miss Henderson downstairs and she was completely unaware that she would have to stay alone with Sybbie tonight.”

Both of the Bransons looked at each other nervously.

“Mama… yes, we’ve forgotten,” Sybil began ,“so many things happened in the last few days… we obviously had other things on our minds…”

“I understand,” Cora interjected, “but now that I’ve reminded you of this engagement, can’t you begin preparing for the dinner? Miss Henderson will be here in a moment, I informed her about everything…”

“NO!” Sybil and Tom exclaimed in unison.

“Mama, you must understand us – Sybbie is still recovering from flu, and we just can’t leave her.”

Lady Grantham’s gave a small sigh. “I do understand you. I’m a mother myself, after all. But Sybbie is in no danger now and Miss Henderson always take care of her very well. It’s an important event for you – your first appearance as guests in one of our friends’ houses after your wedding. It’s a big thing that the Cartrights invited you… As such, it’s important to your Papa, and I’m afraid that he may find you both overprotective.”

It was Tom’s turn to speak. “Lady Grantham…”

“Cora.”

“Cora… I ’m sure that I’m speaking for both of us here… It’s our first Christmas as a family and with our little Sybbie, so we would really wish not to be separated on this day, and Sybbie’s recent illness makes us even more insistent on that score.”

“Mama, I agree with everything that Tom said,” Sybil quickly supported her husband.

Cora sighed again. “Again, I understand. But I don’t want any tensions between your father and you two again. He’ll not understand this. He will tell you that Sybbie doesn’t know that you’re here anyway. I’m afraid that children do not exist for him properly until they are able to answer back.”

Sybil and Tom looked at each other briefly and nodded in mutual understanding. “We’ll risk Papa being grumpy. And it’s our final decision.”

You can read the first installment here.

In Sickness and In Health Chapter 3: Christmas 1920, a downton abbey fanfic | FanFiction

katsthoughtsonthingsbigandsmall:

At long last I have finally finished my story for the secret Santa exchange. This is for the lovely and patient mermaidodair. I hope you enjoy it and is happy with the outcome and I have given you a little of what you hoped for.

A Dublin Christmas story

This is SUPER sweet, filled with lots of wonderful Branson family moments, Sybil interacting with her in-laws, adorable domestic moments between Tom, Sybil, and their children, and lots of comical moments too, especially when the Crawleys show up ;o)

In Sickness and In Health Chapter 2: Christmas 1919, a downton abbey fanfic | FanFiction

patanoo:

Chapter 2 is posted. Chapter 3 (Sybil and Tom’s first Christmas with their daughter) will be hopefully up at the latest on Epiphany, so that the whole story will have been concluded before Christmastide’s over. Happy New Year to the darling JessieBess! May 2016 be a joyful and lucky time for you, dear 🙂

Excerpt: 

Sybil was very excited at the prospect of having a child with Tom, but she had to admit that pregnancy was sometimes terribly exhausting. When they woke up on Christmas morning, everything initially seemed fine. They stayed in bed for much longer than usual, reading some of Tom’s recent articles, cuddled together and exchanging kisses between each piece. Subsequently, they had a peaceful breakfast without the usual worry that Tom might be late for work, and finally they set out for church where they were to meet the rest of the Branson clan.

It was only midway through the Mass that Sybil began to feel nauseous and pregnancy sickness started to take hold over her day.

It wasn’t the first time that she experienced those symptoms, but this was her first Christmas with Tom as a married couple, which made her feel heartbroken and disappointed, and she regretted that she was pregnant for the first time. Perhaps if they had conceived a little bit later, she could have spent her first Christmas with her husband without feeling weary and aching?

To make matters worse, they had promised Mrs. Branson that they would attend her annual Christmas party, where Sybil was to be introduced to these Branson family members and friends that she still hadn’t met. Tom had told Sybil multiple times how important that event was for their whole circle, and Sybil really wanted to be a part of that community. Of course, most of all, she wanted to be part of two communities and still maintain a connection with her own family and some of her friends, but she understood too well that that wouldn’t be so easy, especially after her father had not attended her and Tom’s wedding. Sybil hoped that he would come round one day, but was too grown-up at that time to know that this might not happen, at least not to an extent that she wished for. She chose to believe the best in her family, but was well aware that the outcome might be the opposite.

As such, they needed to focus on gaining acceptance in Dublin at that moment. They had decided not to make any mystery out of Sybil’s background because it would come out later anyway and it was best to fight for full acceptance from the start. Sybil had to give up her old friends, so it was high time to make new ones.

The new Mrs. Branson hoped that all her ailments would pass before Mrs. Branson’s party, but there was no improvement of her condition. She knew that no matter how hard she would try to force heself to go, she was too weak and vomited too often to attend the event without terrible discomfort and causing a disruption. The only sensible course of action was to stay at home and spend Christmas day dividing her time between the bathroom and her and Tom’s bed. She didn’t, however, wanted to deprive Tom of his family’s and friends’ company. She knew very well that Tom had not seen many of them for years and was very much looking forward to renewing their bonds. The young woman resolved that she would tell Tom to go without her; she expected that he would insist on staying with her, but Sybil was determined not to prevent him from participating in an event that was of such great importance to him.

You can also read Chapter 1 (Sybil and Tom’s first Christmas ever in 1913) here.

In Sickness and In Health Chapter 2: Christmas 1919, a downton abbey fanfic | FanFiction