Barrow's Boy - A Downton Abbey Fanfiction

Once And For All

    It was time. 

    No more resting for Theodore Barrow. 

    There were kids out there. Kids who were counting on him. And he would be damned if he didn't go out to meet them.

     He could hear their chanting outside as he approached the front door of the Abbey. Yes, the front door, because there was no better statement for him to make than to rejoin the group through the doors reserved for the Crawleys and their guests. 

    As he opened the door, the crowd went silent as if holding their breath in anticipation. He opened it slowly, revealing himself to the crowd with a grin on his face. 

    "He's back!" Percy yelled. And everyone else cheered. Theodore found that his grin was only growing as he walked through the door, letting it slam shut behind him.

     "Teddy!" Abi exclaimed, rushing to meet him. He smiled at her, holding out his hand so that she could take it in her own. 

    "I'm back, and the Crawleys are going down!" He replied, looking out at the group around him. They cheered again, and Teddy walked to them.

    As he looked around at the crowd of youth, he tightened his grip on Abi's hand, heart racing. Somehow, he heard her voice through the noise surrounding them. 

    "What are you thinking, Teddy?"

    He turned to look at her, staring at her face for a moment and allowing his heartbeat to venture toward a natural pace before responding. 

     "I just can't believe it." Abi nodded, urging him to continue. "They're still here. Everything that I've believed in and fought for is coming true. The strike is still going and-"

     He smiled at the girl standing by his side, squeezing her hand. 

     "And I somehow have the most incredible person at my side. I guess I just never thought this was possible."

    "Well, you better start believing it," Abi replied, smirking. "Look, Percy's coming now. Show him you believe it, and he still will too."

      Sure enough, Percy approached, Lewis, Eleanor, and Katherine following behind. 

     "What's your order, Captain?" Lewis joked, crossing his arms. "Wilson and I are ready to beat some toffs up. You just say the word."

     "First of all, no captains here. We're a team of equals. And no beating anyone up just yet."

     "We're all counting on you to know what to do next," Eleanor replied. Teddy locked eyes with Percy, who winked at him, a sure sign that what they had discussed a couple of days ago had been arranged. 

     "Just hold on for a little longer. I promise you that a change is coming. We're getting through this."

     "Change, huh?" Lewis repeated, looking at the Abbey. "It's about bloody time."

     Phase one came with Everett, Hazel, and the Wilsons arriving in Mr. Wilson's cart, a stack of papers on it with them.

    "I think we've rendered the old printing press out of commission," Mrs. Wilson joked, hopping down from the cart as it slowed to a stop. "But luckily, we got what you asked for, Theodore."

     "Thank you, Winifred," Percy said to her, a grin on his face. He turned to Lewis, who had been staying at his side, and said something to him. Saffer nodded, then ran off, starting to gather people.

    "He's been rather compliant, hasn't he?" Teddy observed, to which Percy nodded.

     "We've had our differences in the past, but at the end of the day, he's a working-class kid too."