Barrow's Boy - A Downton Abbey Fanfiction

Everything in His Head

     Teddy looked up from his mum's journal at the knock on his bedroom door. 

     "One second," he called towards it, quickly sitting up so that he could place the book under the pillow behind him. 

     "It's just me, Teddy," Thomas' voice called from the other side.

     "Oh, come in then." Teddy still ensured that the journal was under his pillow, in case anyone else were to show up, then looked at the door as his father walked in. 

      "I'm glad you're still awake." Teddy was very close to stating that he had just come upstairs but, still unsure of where he and his father stood after what had happened that day, decided against it.  

     "I feel like we should talk," Thomas finished his sentence, sitting on the edge of Teddy's bed. Theodore furrowed his brow. 

     "About?"

     "You said some things were bothering you. What's going on?"

      Teddy's heart rate picked up. He needed an answer. But what explanation could he give?

      It wasn't that he didn't know the answer; he had just given the entire story to Mrs. Hughes. But with her, and Percy, and maybe Anna knowing, that was too many people. He was willing to admit that Green was only part of it. He hadn't lied to Abi when he pinned it on longing for his mum or to Rose when he'd told her about the newspaper. But he knew which of these factors weighed on his mind the most.

     Teddy opened his mouth to respond, then closed it. Instead of answering, he swallowed, looking down. 

     "Theodore?" Thomas prompted, but he got no response. Teddy kept his eyes down, refusing to look at him. "Is it anything I can help with?"

     Very quickly, Teddy shook his head. 

     "Are you sure? Maybe if you talk about it-"

     "No, I'm alright. Just tired, I think." Thomas made a sound of disbelief, but he stood, to Teddy's relief. 

     "I'll let you sleep then since this conversation clearly isn't happening tonight." Teddy shrunk into himself at these words. "Good night Theodore."

     "Night, Dad."

     Teddy was glad to have school the next day. He could get out of the Abbey, away from Carson and Thomas and Mrs. Hughes and Jimmy and Alfred, the latter two likely still curious about his outburst at the butler the day before.

     However, the one person he hadn't been able to escape was Mr. Bates.

     "What do you know?" Bates stood on the staircase, preventing Teddy from continuing to go down it. Although, Theodore had to be glad that he was on the higher stair, putting them closer to the same height.

     "Well, 'good morning' to you too," he responded, adjusting his school books in his arms. 

     "You know something about what happened to Anna." 

     "What makes you think that?" 

     "I've seen the glances, and I know you were downstairs that night. So tell me, what do you know."

     "So much evidence," Theodore replied sarcastically. "Why are you asking me this? Go ask your wife." 

     The look Bates gave him caused Teddy to step back up onto the stair behind him, despite it being in the wrong direction. 

     "All I ask is that you tell me what you know."

     "I don't know anything. Let me by."

     "Don't lie to me!"