A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. School and reading other people's fics have gotten the better of me, but I'm back with another chapter now. It is filler, but it strengthens Mary's love for Ellie and her building a life on her own with Ellie and Anna.

Chapter Eleven

February 9, 1915

Mary usually didn't bring Ellie with her to Downton for dinner. When Mary had moved to Hawton House, there hadn't been a Nanny at Downton anymore, and she knew Anna loved taking care of their daughter and enjoyed that alone time with her on nights when Mary went to Downton. She usually had her sisters over to her house if they wanted to visit their niece, and her parents had never been very involved grandparents. But now that Edith had welcomed a son, Downton had a Nanny again, and her parents had asked her to bring their granddaughter by the house for tea and leave her with Nanny during dinner. She obliged about twice a week and came alone on the other nights where she wasn't at home.

After she settled Ellie upstairs with Nanny, Mary returned to the drawing room to await dinnertime. As she got comfortable on the sofa next to Sybil, her father approached them and looked her in the eye somewhat angrily. "What's this I hear about your daughter calling Anna 'mummy'?" Robert asked.

"'My daughter' has a name. Her name is Ellie." Mary said somewhat exasperated before getting more level-headed. "And you know Anna helped take care of her when I was out of sorts after Patrick's death. They bonded during that time, and Ellie was too little to understand Anna's role in her life. She called Anna 'Anna mummy,' and the name stuck. It's harmless, Papa."

"That's adorable." Sybil chimed in.

"I don't like it. She should be calling her Smith like a proper lady's maid."

"It's much more personable to call her Anna. That's the way things are done in my household, Papa." she stated with a gentle firmness. "I'm a grown woman living on my own now. I would like to do things my own way, be my own person, make my own decisions."

"Alright, alright." Robert acquiesced. "I won't push you to change your home. Just try to keep your way of doing things separate from ours."

"I will try." Mary said before turning her attention to Sybil, Edith, and Isobel to discuss what they were doing for the war effort and how Matthew, Anthony, and William were faring at the front.

May 1915

It was nine o'clock in the morning, and Mary and her wife had had a quiet breakfast together while Ellie had a lie in. She had been awake for some of the night due to a nightmare. Mary had managed to get her daughter back down around seven, but by then she was too awake to go back to bed herself. So, she relished the opportunity to spend a quiet morning together with her wife. Mary went into the sitting room and took a seat on the sofa next to her lover. Anna looked up from her book and saw Mary staring at her. She smiled and playfully said, "What are you looking at, love?"

"My beautiful wife, of course." Mary responded back and gently took the book from Anna's lap and set it aside before taking her wife's hands in her own. "I do love you, you know."

"I love you, too," Anna assured her before asking, "So, was there anything specific you wanted to do today?"

"No, I just wanted a quiet morning at home and maybe a walk with you and Ellie this afternoon."

"That sounds nice." Anna gently took a hand away from Mary's grasp and began to reach for her book before Mary's words stopped her.

"There is something I wanted to talk to you about, though."

"Oh. What is it?"

"I was thinking it would be nice to have a horse, or perhaps even two horses, just for us. I know I can go up to the house and have Diamond saddled whenever I want, but I'd much prefer for us to have our own stable here. I'd like to teach you and Ellie to ride, if you're interested. And it would give me something to do, a form of work. I think I'd rather enjoy that, if I'm honest."

"I think you would enjoy that too," Anna agreed, "But most of the men are off at the front, so the only way you're going to find someone to build the stables is if a farmhand can spare some time."

"I know it will be a big undertaking, and it will be hard to find workers to build the stables. But once they are built and the horses have been acquired, I can take care of them. Not the horseshoes or much of anything related to veterinary medicine, I'll admit defeat on that. But grooming and saddling up are things I can do."

"And who's to go about mucking the stalls?" Anna teased.

"Yes, I can muck the stalls." Mary responded in mock hurt. "I'll need coveralls, but I can do it."

"Coveralls will make your behind look smashing no doubt."

Mary could feel the blush creeping up within her and could see Anna was blushing as well from having admitted that out loud. Mary wanted to scoop her into her arms and kiss her right then and there, but she knew they needed to finish their conversation first. "So, if I can manage to make the arrangements, do you think it's a good idea?"

"Mary, riding is something you enjoy, and I want us to enjoy things together." Anna said. "And it sounds quite nice: raising Ellie to enjoy nature and animals. I think it suits her."

Mary nodded in agreement at her wife's statement. "So, I take it that's a yes?"

"Yes." Anna said. "And if you need any help, you let me know. We are partners, Mary, and that means we encourage and support each other's dreams."

"Oh thank you, my darling." Mary flung her arms around Anna and kissed her cheek as she hugged her. She began to kiss down Anna's neck, eliciting a moan of appreciation from her wife before Anna came to her senses.

"Darling, it's the middle of the morning. We can't, not here anyway."

"The bedroom then?" Mary asked as she continued leaving gentle kisses on Anna's jawline.

Anna felt her resolve weakening as her wife continued her ministrations. "Yes," she breathed as they got up together and headed towards the stairs.