Thank you all, as always. This chapter is a bit of a reprieve- it's all fluff. So just enjoy after all of that angst.


Chapter 26

Winter 1970

Every year for Christmas, the children and grandchildren came for Christmas lunch and spent the night at Downton Abbey. It was always a big celebration with more gifts than any of them could need and many delicious foods and treats.

Just a few days before, they had sent Maebh back to Ireland to spend it with her own family. Jack and his wife, Linda, ended up staying to help watch over Anna. He had been shocked to learn how Pippa had come to be.

"Robby, Tommy, and I used to joke that you both found her at a rubbish sale."

"What?" Mary had laughed," Why would you think that?" Jack shrugged. "Well, what did your father tell you?"

"Just that she was Gran's daughter, but that you raised her, as well."

Mary mused on what Jack had told her. He guessed Johnny, and likely George, hadn't wanted to bring up that wound for Anna. When the boys were older, they had told them the truth. Mary nor Anna ever wanted to lie to their children, but they had known that some information needed to wait until they were older. Pippa's conception was one of those things.

"Happy Christmas," Anna said, breaking Mary from her thoughts. Mary turned to find Anna standing by the Christmas tree. She wore an afghan around her shoulders, because it seemed that she was always cold lately.

Mary walked to Anna and gave her a soft smile.

"Happy Christmas, darling. Are you excited about lunch?"

"Yes, I can't wait to see everyone."

"Me either."

Just then a knock came at the door. Mary heard their butler open it and the sound of feet rushing in.

"That'll be Pippa's family," Anna stated. Mary knew she was right. Pippa had the youngest of their grandchildren.

And just like that, Violet was the first one in there. She was wearing a beautiful red dress and her hair was pulled up into a beautiful plait with a red bow. Lifting up a stack of gifts, she smiled.

"Happy Christmas!"

"Happy Christmas!" Anna and Mary replied in unison.

"Mother! Mama!" Pippa greeted, entering the room. She was also carrying a stack of presents. Pippa sat them down under the tree, before making her way to her mothers. She gave them both a tight hug. "The other two girls are gathering the rest of the gifts and Douglas will be here shortly. He believes he may have discovered a new bone and he's in the office."

"You two work too hard," Anna murmured, brushing her fingers through Pippa's dark locks. Mary smiled at them both. There were some features that Pippa shared with Anna, but she mainly just looked like Pippa. Thankfully, Mary had never seen any of Alex Green within her. If it was there, they never noticed it.

"We love it, Mama," Pippa replied, placing her hand over Anna's. "But he'll be here shortly. I told him Mother would never let it go if he missed Christmas luncheon."

"And you would be very right," Mary stated.

"Granny, you're so silly!" Violet ran to her and grabbed at her hand. "Daddy says your scary, but I think you're funny."

"Douglas thinks I'm scary?" Mary questioned her daughter, raising her eyebrow. Pippa laughed.

"He doesn't think you are scary; he says you can be scary."

Mary just shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe from time to time."

The sound of more feet let them know more of the family had arrived.

"Ah, Mother! Aunt Anna!" George said, leading the pack. He and his wife, Allison, were here. "The boys should be here soon. Who are we waiting on?"

"Johnny," Anna said, glancing around the room. "Where is my Johnny? He is never late?"

"Mama, it's only noon. Lunch doesn't start for another hour," Pippa reminded Anna, rubbing her upper arm.

"You know Johnny, he's probably double checking that he got everyone the same amount of presents," George added.

"They know their brother," Mary then assured Anna. "He'll be here."

"I just spoke with him," Jack said, entering the room. "He had a flat tire, but he's on the way."

"See, Anna," Mary brought her arm around her love's shoulder. "All of our children and grandchildren will be here to celebrate. Isn't that marvelous?"

"It truly is."

1920s Paris

There were cries and a sound of a door shutting. Anna jerked up, disoriented. Her heart began to race. Where was her baby? Had he stolen her?

"Anna, darling?" Mary's soothing voice helped to bring her back to reality. Anna turned onto her side to see Mary lying next to her. She brought her hand to Anna's cheek and smiled.

"I had a strange dream," Anna quietly said, slowly sitting up. She felt pain in her abdomen and remembered that a day and a half ago she'd had a baby, her baby. She quickly searched to the side and saw the baby girl sleeping contently in the bassinet beside the bed.

"She's still here, Anna," Mary told her, rubbing her back. "Pippa is ours, no one else will take her."

Carefully reaching over, Anna gently touched Pippa's brow. The little girl was deep in her sleep with her lower lip pouted out. Anna was amazed by her dark, thick hair on top of her head. Johnny had been born bald. Anna wondered if her dark hair would remain that way.

"Mama! Mama!" Johnny's loud voice made her and Mary jump. The door swung open to reveal both Johnny and George.

"Where is Brigitte?" Mary asked, standing to try and quiet the boys.

"She's gone. It's Christmas!" Johnny reminded them both. "Father Christmas came!"

"Oh," Mary chuckled. "Did he? Well we have to be quiet because baby Pippa is sleeping." Mary pressed her finger over her lips as a visual reminder. Both boys copied her. Then they tiptoed over to the bassinet to get a look at the new member.

"Mama's baby?" Johnny innocently asked, looking over to Anna. Anna inhaled sharply. This was where it got difficult. She didn't want to lie to her son, but when they went to Downton Abbey, they had to keep this secret. Johnny was too young to understand the complexities of this situation.

"She's our baby," Anna settled on. That was not a lie. Pippa was theirs.

"Our baby?" Johnny questioned, puzzled. "Mine, yours, Aunt Mary's, and George's?"

"Yes," Mary answered. She lifted George up from the ground so he could look into the bassinet better. "Now can you two boys go downstairs and sit patiently for us? Then we will open the presents from Father Christmas."

That was enough for Johnny. He waited patiently for George to be sat down, then he carefully took his hand and the two left the room.

"Happy Christmas," Mary said, placing her hand on Anna's lower back

"Happy Christmas," Anna replied back. The words Mary had said to her on the day of Pippa's birth were still floating between them. Anna knew she wasn't ready to say them back, but Mary had already told her there was no rush. She only wanted Anna to say them back when she was completely sure. If she never was, then she never needed to hear them. She knew how she felt.

They leaned forward, their lips meeting in the middle. Anna sighed, pleased. She ran her fingers through Mary's dark locks.

"Today will be a wonderful day."

"It will," Mary agreed. "You, me, and our children, Anna. Today there are no prying eyes, today we can just be us."

"Yes," Anna breathed.

Pippa fussed and both of their eyes turned to the little girl. Anna lifted her up and into her arms, still completely in awe that she was hers.

"Happy Christmas," Anna whispered to her daughter. "Oh Mary, we get to spend her first Christmas together, as a family." Family. The word made her heart flutter in her chest. It was unconventional at best and they would definitely not be accepted by the outside world. The question was: did she care? And she found that she didn't. Being Mary's lady's maid would allow them to get away with more than in any other circumstance.

"Let us go downstairs now. The boys will only be patient for so long."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

That evening, the five of them sat on the large settee in the family room. Anna held Pippa in her arms, as Johnny sat between them, and George sat on Mary's lap. Mary told the children the story of how Father Christmas brought them their gifts the night before. She kept looking over at Anna who was struggling to keep her eyes opened. Mary knew that Anna was still healing from her labor and that Pippa was waking every few hours to eat.

When the story was over, Mary offered to put both of the boys to bed. They happily held each of her hands and Mary led them to the nursery. Johnny jumped right up into his bed and then waited patiently for Mary to place George in his own.

"Aunt Mary?"

Mary turned to him, sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Yes, darling?"

"I love you!" Mary smiled.

"Oh, I love you too," she said, kissing his cheek. "Did you have a good Christmas?" He eagerly nodded.

"'Ove you!" George also exclaimed. Mary's smile only grew.

"And I love you, George," she went over to give him a kiss as well.

Once both boys were in bed, Mary walked down to their bedroom. She found Anna in the bed with Pippa at her breast. Her heart leapt. She wished that this could be their lives from now on, the five of them here away from the world. But she knew that would not work. Eventually there would be questions and eventually, they may not be safe. And they did need to return to Downton. It was their home. However, they could enjoy this time while it lasted.

"I thought we could stay here until the beginning of spring," Mary told Anna, sliding into the bed with Anna.

"Oh yeah?" Anna sleepily asked, her finger stroking Pippa's cheek.

"It would give you time to heal and bond with Pippa, before we headed back. There is no rush to return."

"No," Anna quietly agreed. Pippa finished nursing and Mary offered to take the baby girl. She was still shocked at how much love she held for her. It really was as if she was her own, it was the same with Johnny, as well. Mary was learning how her heart could grow and love.

Mary walked Pippa over to the window, looking out at the snow on the ground. Pippa began to fuss. As Mary truned, she saw Anna was asleep.

"Shh, shh, darling," Mary tried to soothe, but Pippa's cries only grew.

"Lavender's blue, dilly, dilly

Lavender's green

When I am king, dilly, dilly

You shall be queen:

Who told you so, dilly, dilly

Who told you so?

'Twas my own heart, dilly, dilly

That told me so.

Lavender's green, dilly, dilly

Lavender's blue

If you love me, dilly, dilly

I will love you"

At the sound of Mary's singing, Pippa had stopped fussing. Instead, her eyes were wide and on Mary.

"Do you like that, darling? Shall I sing you some more? Lavender's blue, dilly, dilly. Lavender's green….

Winter 1970

"Lavender, darling!" Mary called out to her oldest granddaughter. The thirteen year old was staring at the Christmas tree, touching the ornaments. She was the quietest of all of the children and grandchildren, but she was still fierce. She and Anna always joked that Lavender was one that anyone should be afraid to try and bother, because she was not one to let anyone push anyone around.

"Yes, Granny?" Lavender asked. She dropped her hand and walked over to her. Mary smiled at her granddaughter. She looked so much like Anna from her fair hair and eyes to the features on her face.

"Come on, we're going to sing some carols before opening the gifts."

Lavender wrapped her arm around Mary's and rested her head on Mary's shoulder.

"I really love spending Christmas with you and Gran," she told her. "I love our family."

"Me too, darling, me too."


To be continued...

Next chapter they return to Downton. How will the reception be when Mary returns with a ward?