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Love's Journey is a Downton Abbey fan fiction that tells the story and romance of Tom Branson and Lady Sybil Crawley is through a series of letters, diary entries, and personal POV thoughts, spanning from Branson's arrival at Downton in 1913, and ultimately leading to their journey to Ireland.

There is also an interquel called Stepping Stones that tells what happened to Sybil and Branson during the "missing years" between Seasons 1 & 2 (late 1914 to early 1916). Begins right after Chapter 40 of Love's Journey and the end of Series 1.

These are followed up by Love's Continuing Journey about Tom and Sybil beginning their lives in Ireland. It will be discussed elsewhere because it swerves greatly from canon.

Most Downton Abbey tropes are applicable.


Love's Journey provides examples of:

  • Adaptation Expansion: The story actually shows Sybil's time in York at the nursing college and fleshes out Tom's family, as well as Tom having a pair of unpleasant encounters with Major Bryant.
  • Adaptational Explanation: It isn't explained why Major Bryant wound up at Downton in the show. Here, Sybil mentions he suffered a respiratory infection while in the trenches.
  • Adaptational Relationship Overhaul: Since the fanfic was started before Tom's family was fleshed out in the series, his older brother Kieran in Series 3 becomes his cousin.
  • Adaptational Villainy: Major Charles Bryant is a Jerkass in the series proper, but really shows himself to be a nasty piece of work here where he attempts to steal one of Lord Grantham's cars for a joyride, is racist towards the Irish, and hacks up Tom's hands with a knife when the chauffeur tries to make him take responsibility for his child with Ethel.
  • Age Lift: Tom is born in 1885 in the show since it's said he and Matthew are about the same age. Here, he is born in 1890, making him slightly older than Mary (born 1891).
  • Alas, Poor Scrappy: In-universe; Tom doesn't like Ethel, but he still feels sorry for her due to being sacked.
  • All for Nothing: It turns out that Tom and Sybil's elopement would have failed anyways since Sybil's friend Susan writes that Gretna Green requires married couples to be residents of the area for at least three weeks, giving whoever would be chasing them down enough time to find them.
  • All Just a Dream: Chapters 27 and 87.
  • Almost Kiss
  • Ascended Extra:
    • Tom's unnamed cousin who died in the Easter Rising is named Martin and they were very close.
    • Tom Bellasis, the acquaintance of Sybil's who was killed in Series 2, appears in Stepping Stones.
  • A Simple Plan:
  • Belligerent Sexual Tension: Tom and Sybil set this aside many times because they don't want to give the impression they're getting married because she is Defiled Forever.
  • Better as Friends: Tom and Sybil try to be this after his failed proposal but it doesn't last.
  • Blatant Lies: Tom saying he was "just passing" the drawing room window while walking from the garage; the drawing room and the garage are on opposite sides of the house.
  • Boot Camp Episode: Chapters 48-56 is about Sybil in nursing school.
  • Brick Joke: Sybil is puzzled by the color of Tom's eyes in chapter 3 but she "solves her mystery" at chapter 5.
  • Central Theme: The value of patience.
  • Character Tic: Sybil bites her lower lip when she's nervous.
  • Chekhov's Gun: Tom starts using Gwen's typewriter when he starts taking the same correspondence course.
  • Christmas Episode: The Servant's Ball. Tom couldn't attend the one in Stepping Stones because he had to attend his sister's wedding, but he did attend the one in Love's Journey.
  • Cigarette of Anxiety: Discussed in Chapter 19 after the Ripon count where Tom's hands are shaking so badly that he would have asked Barrow or O'Brien for a cigarette.
  • Dance of Romance
  • Dances and Balls
  • Dead Person Conversation: Tom occasionally writes letters to his deceased cousin Martin, referred to as "Letters to Nowhere".
  • Deconstruction: Chapter 20 is basically Sybil giving herself a negative Alternative Character Interpretation.
  • Deus ex machina: Rachel, the girl Martin loved, works in the Swan Inn. Tom sees her as a sign that he shouldn't give up on his love for Sybil just because their elopement failed.
  • Dogged Nice Guy: Tom
  • Doomed by Canon: Edward Courtenay, William Mason, Major Bryant, Vera Bates, Lavinia Swire.
  • Don't You Dare Pity Me!: Tom thinks this in chapter 71.
  • Downer Ending: Stepping Stones ends with the news that Tom's cousin Martin was killed.
  • Drill Sergeant Nasty: Nurse Templeton is a nurse variation of this trope who has little patience for young women who don't have the stomach to handle viscera (or even talk about them in conversation).
  • Drowning My Sorrows: Tom and Sybil have this in common.
  • Episode On A Train: Chapter 33.
  • Establishing Character Moment: Sybil using the slang "bloody" in her first diary entry.
  • Eye Scream: Susan's beau James loses one of his eyes and most of his vision in the other due to an explosion.
  • Faint in Shock: Happens to a nursing student named Gretchen when Nurse Templeton asked her if she had ever seen human organs before.
  • Fingore: Tom's brother-in-law Sean loses two fingers in World War I.
  • Formerly Fat: Sybil, which is why she has body issues.
  • Freudian Slip: So many, to indicate Tom and Sybil's growing attachment.
  • Girl Posse: The pack of mean girls who pick on Sybil at nursing school.
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: Tom's uncle Michael flies into rages at the littlest things. It actually caused his death when Martin died and Uncle Michael suffered an apoplectic fit.
  • The Heart: While giving a eulogy at William's funeral, Matthew highlights his role as a source of optimism for the company.
  • Hero of Another Story: The other Downton residents and their storylines are mentioned. Many of those stories are unresolved by the end but we know they'll sort themselves out eventually.
  • Hidden Depths: SYBIL.
  • High Turnover Rate: In the two years between Series 1 and 2, there were apparently a lot of housemaids after Gwen left to become a secretary; Ethel stayed the longest at nearly two years. Tom halfheartedly wonders if Gwen put a curse on the position.
  • Historical In-Joke
    • Chapter 95: Tom accidentally invented the emoticon.
    • Chapter 129: Sybil came up with the bare bones concept of a cellphone.
  • How We Got Here
  • I Have This Friend: Sybil only tries to use her position as an Earl's daughter twice: one for an eye doctor (specifically the one who treated Mrs. Patmore) to help Susan's beau and to put Tom out of the line of fighting by having him be a chauffeur for a general.
  • Impoverished Patrician: This is how the Crawleys' other chauffeur Pratt came to work for them due to a neighboring estate being forced to sell leaving him out of work.
  • The Ingenue: Sybil
  • It Will Never Catch On: Tom's late father didn't believe cars would be so important.
  • Jail Bait Wait: One of the reasons Tom delays his courtship of Sybil is because she's 7 years his junior, so he waits till she's 18.
  • Last Request: William has Tom promise that he'll protect Daisy from Barrow and, if she wants to move up, to help her do so.
  • Like a Son to Me: Reversed with Tom thinking of Mrs. Hughes as a second mother, which leads him to attack Major Bryant after he insults her over the Ethel predicament.
  • Locked Out of the Loop: The author believes that Sybil is unaware of the Pamuk scandal.
  • Love at First Sight
  • Make It Look Like an Accident: After breaking Major Bryant's jaw and some of his teeth, Tom pours alcohol on him to a) wake him up since he has to catch a train and b) make it look like his battered and disheveled appearance is due to drinking.
  • Massive Numbered Siblings: Tom is the eldest of six children, the youngest of whom is 6 when he started at Downton.
  • Milestone Celebration: Invoked. The author calls chapter 100 this when Sybil and Tom have their first lover's quarrel.
  • My Eyes Are Up Here: Sybil dances with a man who is distracted by her cleavage in chapter 27.
    Sybil: They go wherever I go, my Lord, so why don't you ask me that question?''
  • My Significance Sense Is Tingling: Turns out Daisy and Mary aren't the only ones with this. Sybil has a nightmare that Tom dies in the war at chapter 68. She later finds out he's been drafted.
  • "Near and Dear" Baby Naming: Gwen names her twins Anne and Tom, for Anna and Branson.
  • Nobles Who Actually Do Something
  • Nothing Is the Same Anymore
  • Pet the Dog: In a rare show of solidarity, Thomas acts as a pallbearer for William's funeral alongside Mr. Mason, Tom and Bates.
  • Practically Different Generations: Tom is the eldest of six children, the youngest of which, Moira, is 17 years younger (Tom is about 23 in 1913 when he arrives at Downton, making her six at the time).
  • Running Gag: Sybil throwing her diary when she's angry. Lampshaded in chapter 87.
  • Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: William is the Sensitive Guy and Tom is the Manly Man. William is a footman who's good with animals, more sentimental, takes criticism harder, and less prone to violence than Tom, who's a chauffeur and mechanic who laughs off the White Feather girls and isn't afraid to get in Major Bryant's face more than once.
  • Shadow Archetype: Martin Branson goes back to Ireland without telling the girl he loves how he feels, something Tom decides not to do.
  • Shipper on Deck:
    • Sybil is one for Mary/Matthew.
    • Tom is one for Anna/Bates and even serves as a witness for their wedding.
  • Shotgun Wedding: Tom invokes this by trying to make Major Bryant take responsibility for Ethel's child. It fails.
  • Shout-Out:
  • Side Bet: The servants apparently had one over how long Mr. Lang would last before being fired/resigning.
  • Soapbox Sadie: Sybil reaches this level with her preaching.
  • Star-Crossed Lovers
  • Strange Minds Think Alike: Tom and Sybil often have the same train of thought.
  • Suspiciously Specific Denial: So many. The earliest was in chapter 12.
    Sybil: (Tom's) mind is far too serious to think about such silly, girlish daydreams—not that I daydream about such things, mind you!—why am I even writing this?
  • Tempting Fate: Chapter 18 ends with Sybil excited about going to the Ripon Count.
    Sybil: I have such a good feeling.
  • Un-person: Sybil fears her family will disown her if she marries Branson, and treat her as if she no longer exists.
  • Vacation Episode: Chapters 144-147 is about Tom and Sybil's secret London holiday.
  • Villainous Rescue: O'Brien has one in Chapter 69 when Ethel gets a bit handsy with Tom and O'Brien happens to walk in.
  • Villainous Valor: Tom is astounded that Major Bryant is willing to put himself in harm's way by going to the front lines.
  • War Is Hell
  • Wedding Episode: Stepping Stones chapter 9 is about Gwen's wedding.
  • Welcome Episode: Chapter 2 is this for Tom Branson.
  • What Does She See in Him?:
    • In Chapter 9 Tom wonders what Daisy sees in Barrow.
    • Sybil wonders this about Mary and Sir Richard, noting that she doesn't see the spark in Mary that Matthew brings out in her.
  • What Is This Feeling?
  • Wide-Eyed Idealist: Sybil.
  • You Remind Me of X: Tom says Daisy reminds him of one of his sisters.

Love's Continuing Journey provides examples of:

  • Easter Episode: Chapters 8 and 9 concern the Easter celebrations at the Branson house.
  • Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Tom Branson and his brother Francis. Tom is shown to be a good worker and helped provide for his siblings, Frank is a near-stereotypical hooligan.
  • Historical Domain Character: Irish revolutionary Michael Collins is mentioned popping his head in and out of Tom's newspaper the Irish Republic.
  • Nice Girl: Tom's sister Siobhan is by far the most welcoming member of his family.
  • Obnoxious In-Laws: Tom's family isn't completely welcoming of Sybil, particularly his sister Kathleen. This isn't helped by the fact that Tom and Sybil are supposed to stay with Kathleen and her husband Sean.
  • Promotion to Parent: It's mentioned that Tom and his eldest sister Kathleen helped their mother raise the younger siblings.
  • Stranger in a Familiar Land: A good portion of the story is Tom's return to Ireland and facing scrutiny from everyone he knows from his family to the local priest because of his choice to marry Sybil.
  • You Remind Me of X: Mrs. Branson reminds Sybil of Nurse Templeton.

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