The Youngest Crawley (Peter Parker)

Chapter 11 - Silent Hearts

(Warning! Contains detailed mentions of character death!)

(Strap yourselves in everyone, this is going to be rough, just when you thought they where going to tell the family....)

"Is she?" Charlotte asked as her mother came out of the room with a smile on her face.

"The doctor said it was all as it should be, but he's going to do a few more tests." Cora said, engulfing Charlotte in a hug. "Why don't you two go down stairs and do something before bed, you've been up for a while, have some fun before parting?" Cora suggested as Charlotte and Peter looked at each other before nodding and bidding the new grandmother goodnight.

"James, could you bring us up some coffee?" Peter asked the footman as he slightly nodded. "Well that was the longest six six hours of my life." Peter said as they both plopped down on the couch in a slouch.

"I'm just glad it's done and over with, now we can finally tell everyone." Charlotte said, as Peter nodded and pressed a kiss to her palm. "I'm going crazy not telling them."

"What about tomorrow?" He offered as she nodded. They spent a little while talking and playing cards before the clock struck two in the morning and they both decided to split up and go to bed.

"You're up late." Amelia said, helping Charlotte take off her make-up.

"Please don't tell Mr. Carson. He'd disapprove of me staying up this late for a boy."

"What is said in this room stay's in this room." Amelia said, as Charlotte took a deep breath and nodded.

"Thank you Amelia." Charlotte wasn't sure to ask Amelia to come with her when she moved with Peter, she loved Amelia as a ladies maid, but also knew Amelia had friends her at Downton. "Amelia?" Charlotte was about to ask, when she was cut off by Edith running into her room.

"Come quickly, it's Sybil!" Edith said, as both Amelia and Charlotte dashed out of the room.

"Can you hear me darling? It's Tom?" He said, trying to hold her down, she was tossing and turning.

"I should be getting up." She pants.

"All you need to do right now is rest." Tom says as Cora and Robert run into the room, Peter hot on there heels.

"Hey, I was just about to leave, but Amelia quickly stopped me." He said, holding her hand and as they both stood back trying to give Tom and Cora some room. Sybil let's out a painful cry and starts hitting her head.

"My head!" She says, as Cora and Tom look at her in horror.

"Sybil can you hear me?" Mary asked shaking Sybil as she continues to thrash. "What's happening?"

"This is eclampsia, what I warned you about." Doctor Clarkson said, as Doctor Philip looked at Sybil in horror as well.

"It cannot be, Sir Philip, you were so sure!" Robert said looking to the doctor.

"The human life is so unpredictable." Sir Philip mumbled.

"But you were so sure!" Robert yelled pushing Philip aside.

"What can we do? Help her please!" Tom pleaded, as Sybil started hyperventilating.

"Oh, God, no! Dr Clarkson, shall we take her to the hospital?" Robert asked, as Charlotte looked at Matthew with a scared look in both of there eyes.

"There's nothing that can be done. Once the seizures have started, there's nothing to be done." He said, as Charlotte gasped. Nothing to be done? So they were just going to watch her sister die?

"Please don't leave me! Help her! Help her, please! She can't breathe. Please, just breathe." Tom said, slightly shaking her to try and help her breathe.

"Oh no!" Cora sobs, rubbing her arm trying to get her to breath.

"She can't breath!" Mary says, before a look of realization comes to her face and she takes a step back, a look of horror then crosses her face.

As doing so a single tear rolls down Charlotte's cheek as she buries her head into Peter shoulder, not being able to watch anymore. Peter tucks his chin on top of her head and wraps an arm around her.

"No please love." Tom says, holding his dead wife in his arms.

"This can't be, she's twenty-four years old." Robert says as the baby's cries start filling the hallways.

'The poor thing.' Charlotte thinks looking up at Peter who has a stoic look on his face, surely trying to be strong for his fiance.

"Will you take Charlotte out?" Robert quietly asked Peter as he nodded.

"Come on let's go sit outside." He whispered into Charlotte's hair as she nodded. As soon as they stepped foot into the hallway Charlotte started sobbing before the door even closed, making the rest of her family aware of the sadness that had struck her.

"Shhh. I'm here." Peter said, stroking her head. He didn't say it was going to be alright, because he didn't know if it was, but he was going to give Charlotte as much as he possibly could. Matthew was the next to leave the room, Charlotte slowly let go of Peter and wrapped her arms around her brother-in-law, as he quietly sobbed into her shoulder as well.

After a few moments he slowly pulled away and bid them both a good night before making his way back to his room.

"Do you want me to stay?" Peter asked as Charlotte quickly nodded. Peter nodded and started walking towards the downstairs sitting room, where they would sit for the rest of the night.

Whilst siting with Charlotte in his arms, her head asleep on his shoulder, Peter realized that tomorrow probably wouldn't be the best time to announce there engagement. He felt bad, she was so looking forward to telling the family, he was willing to wait, he just hoped that the events of today wouldn't push back there plans to marry in six months.

But everyone heals differently, he'll just have to see how Charlotte heals.

(Words 1000)