Thank you all! Good news is that Part 4 isn't quite wrapped up yet, there will be one more chapter than I expected. Enjoy!

Chapter 63

Summer 1971

The love of her life was lying in a bed connected to several wires and cords. Her body looked frail and almost translucent on the white sheets beneath her body. She hadn't moved, hadn't made any sounds to show that she was still here, with her.

Mary wanted to touch her, but she was stuck behind a large glass window, only allowed to look in. It didn't matter that her son was Lord Grantham. That gave Mary no leeway in seeing Anna and being near her. Despite her attempts at using her title and her son's, she was only given a mere nod and told to stay on the other side of the window.

Surrounding her were the children: Johnny, George, and Pippa. Each of them had a hand on her for support. Each of them was just as concerned and worried as she was.

"She's always been healthy," Mary finally whispered. Her hand reached out to touch the glass in front of her. "I…I'm the sick one, not her."

"Shh, Mother," George soothed. "We don't know what it is, yet. She could have just had a spell."

"Then why won't they let us see her?" Mary asked.

"I don't know," Johnny weakly answered. Mary turned slightly to see Johnny. He was staring intensely through the large window. His blue eyes were shining with tears. It only made the lump in Mary's throat grow.

"It's Mama," Pippa whispered. "She has to be alright. She has to be."

"Lady Mary?"

All four of them turned to the doctor who was now standing in the doorway. He was a middle aged man with thinning hair. For some reason, Mary's eyes were drawn to the small tuft of hair that he had attempted to comb over the top to make it seem as though he wasn't balding. It was almost as though she was too afraid to meet his eyes and see the emotion in them that might give way to how Anna was doing.

"How is my mother?" Johnny was the one to speak. The doctor cleared his throat.

Mary was then forced to look at his eyes. Her hands came up, clasped together in front of her chest.

"We still are not sure what has caused her to pass out. We'd like to run some tests."

"Run whatever needs to be run," Mary told the doctor. "Make her better."

The doctor touched the side of the folder in his hand, tapping it lightly.

"I have them already ordered."

"May we see her now?" Pippa asked.

"Yes, but not too long. She needs her rest."

They did not have to be told twice. Mary nearly pushed the doctor out of the way to reach the door so she could get to Anna. She didn't care about how she should act or what anyone in this building might think of her. George swiped his arm under hers to help support her, because she still was unsteady on her legs, as they made their way into Anna's room.

Johnny slid a chair closer to Anna so that George could assist Mary to sit down near her. Then Mary reached out for Anna's hand. There was an IV attached to her, but Mary was careful. She just needed to touch her.

"She feels cold," Mary said beneath her breath.

"The room is cold," George pointed out.

They then went quiet. All of them sat around Anna, praying for her quick recovery. For the past few years, they had all been taking care of Anna since her memory had started to fade. Before then, it was Anna who took care of them. Mary blinked harshly. She brought Anna's hand up against her cheek, missing her touch.

A shaky breath left Anna's lips.

"Anna? Darling?" Mary murmured, pressing her lips against the back of Anna's hand. "Darling? Can you hear us?"

She coughed.

"Mama?"

"Mum?"

"Aunt Anna?"

"Darling?" Mary sat up, moving closer to her love. Her hand brushed along the side of Anna's cheek. Slowly, Anna's eyes fluttered opened.

"Mary?"

1930s – The Ocean Heading Towards America

Mary giggled as Anna's lips kissed along the side of her neck. Here on this large ship, they were given so much privacy. Here, they could stay in bed all day if they wanted with one another. The children were old enough to take care of themselves. It was only in the evenings where they would eat dinner together and check in on how their day had gone.

"This is much different than our last trip to America," Anna whispered into her ear. Mary nodded, before running her hand up Anna's bare thigh. They had not yet changed from their nightgowns and were enjoying a lazy morning in.

"Yes, but it was when this all really began, wasn't it?" Mary asked. Anna smiled against her skin. Her soft lips made Mary close her eyes in bliss.

They then made love, not having to worry about someone knocking on their door or anyone barging in to ask questions. It was the freest they had been in many months, since their visit to the boys at school.

Once they had worn one another out, Anna curled up into Mary and the two of them laid their happily staring out the large window that showed them the vast ocean that surrounded them. Mary's fingers played with Anna's golden locks, as they enjoyed the rise and fall of the waves.

A loud knock on their door made them both jump and eye one another. Mary had specifically told the staff on this boat that she was not to be bothered. Could someone have found them out? Did someone know who they were?

Before Mary could think on it too much, her son's voice rang through the door.

"Mother!"

Mary sighed, but the fear that had etched in her bones eased.

"Mother!" Now it was Pippa.

Mary slid out of bed and threw on her nearest robe. She could see Anna stepping out of the bed and heading into the bathroom. While the children did know about their relationship, they still tried to keep their intimate moments as their own.

Mary inched opened the door.

"What?" She asked, unamused.

"Tell George that he is not in charge of me," Pippa said.

Mary let out another sigh.

"Tell Pippa that she can't go on a date with a boy."

"A boy?" Mary asked, her eyes back on Pippa.

"It's not a date!" Pippa exclaimed. "He only invited me to look at the stars tonight!"

"Mother, really," George said. "She's helpless."

Mary massaged the bridge of her nose.

"I have to agree with George on this one, Pippa. I don't like the idea of you out alone with a boy at night. You are only twelve."

Pippa tightened her lips.

"What if Johnny came along? As a chaperone?"

"Well, then yes, of course. But he needs to confirm with me that he's going. I won't just take your word for it."

"Fine," Pippa replied.

George rolled his eyes. It wasn't something he did often, but when he did Mary could see herself in her son. Otherwise, he looked just like Matthew. Sometimes, now as he got older, it would take her breath away just how much he favored his father.

Pippa and George left the doorway, and Mary closed the door, locking it behind her. She rubbed the bridge of her nose again.

"A boy?" Anna walked forward, closing her robe in front of her. "Pippa likes a boy?"

"I don't know," Mary said. "She is going to spend the evening with a boy tonight, but I said Johnny had to go along as a chaperone."

Anna's brows knitted, as she frowned.

"She's only twelve."

"It's likely nothing, Anna. I'm sure she believes this boy wants to look at the stars with her and discuss what she can read in the stars. Pippa loves to learn. But the boy, I don't know if we can trust him. That's why I'm sending Johnny."

Anna's frown deepened. Mary realized what she didn't mean to imply and saw how Anna's cheeks had paled.

"Yes," she croaked. "That's a good idea."

"Johnny won't let anything happen to her," Mary assured Anna. "And I'm sure this boy was just hoping for a stolen kiss under the stars. But he'd be shocked when Pippa ended up punching him in the nose instead."

At that, Anna lightened and chuckled.

"Yes," Anna agreed. "I don't think Pippa is ready for boys, yet."

"No, not quite yet."

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

Pippa kicked a stray rock that had somehow ended up on the deck with the toe of her shoe. She watched as it skipped over the wood, hit against the side of the wall, and then fell behind a small bench. Her lips curled downwards, before letting out a low sigh.

"I'm sorry," Johnny said beside her. They continued down the path on the large deck. It was lit up by small lights.

"I don't care," Pippa lied. The boy, Billy, had canceled their look at the stars when he found out her older brother would be coming along. It seemed he hadn't just wanted to look up at the sky and discuss the history that went along with the stars. Boys were stupid. She wasn't about to tell George that he had been right, though. He would never let her live it down.

"I'll look up at the stars with you," Johnny offered. "But I really don't know much about them."

"That's alright. I'll probably go to bed soon," Pippa said. "I want to read some more."

They turned the corner and walked back inside. It was there that they saw their mothers from a distance. Anna was sitting by Mary inside of the restaurant. They were both smiling, but maintaining a safe distance from one another so that someone looking on couldn't tell they both were in love. Normally, she and the boys would be eating with them, but this evening they got to eat alone.

"What's it like?" Pippa asked Johnny.

"What is what like?"

"Getting to have her as your mama, always," Pippa said. Her eyes were on Anna.

Now, things were different. Now, she knew who her mama was and she was able to call Mary- Mother out in the open at the Abbey and around Downton. And it was wonderful. She knew who she was. But she still couldn't openly call Anna her mama out in the world. She hadn't been able to have her as her mama growing up. She didn't get to have Johnny as her brother, not in the way that others got to have a sibling, not really.

"She's wonderful, of course," Johnny answered. They kept walking and could no longer see Anna or Mary.

"Yes, I know that," Pippa said. "But what was it like?"

John shrugged slightly.

"It was like having a mum. I really don't know how to explain it."

"I bet it was nice," Pippa stated. "That it is nice."

"It is," Johnny agreed. "I do wish things were different for you, for us."

"Yeah, me too." Pippa glanced up at the ornate staircase before them. "But my life hasn't been all too bad. I get to be the ward at Downton Abbey. Have you ever been jealous of that?"

Johnny chuckled.

"No."

"No," Pippa said, now laughing with him. "You don't care for the lavish things in life. Mama says you take after your papa in that way."

Johnny looked pensive.

"Yes." He had never been one for many words.

"I bet things would be different if your papa hadn't died, or George's," Pippa thought on it. "Ah, look at that, all our fathers are dead. Though, it's sad yours and George's is, not that mine is."

"You're a strange one, Pippa," Johnny said, but he was smiling.

"But you love me."

"I do. You're my sister."

They continued to walk towards their bedrooms. Very little else was spoken between them. Pippa did enjoy walking with her brother. He was very different than her brother, George. He was quieter and always contemplative. She knew he was always there if she needed him. She also knew that while he wasn't jealous of the life she led, he did get treated differently than her at the house. That he sometimes heard Granny and Donk speaking about him as the maid's boy and how that bothered him. He was always working hard to prove that he was worth all the things Mary gave him in life.

"Good night," Pippa told her brother. He had brought her right to her room. She had a room to herself, but it was connected to her brothers and mothers by two doors on either side. She wasn't really alone.

"Good night."

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

The next morning, Pippa sat down at the table with her brothers for breakfast. She tried knocking on her mothers' door, but she heard her mother call out to leave them alone, they wanted to sleep in.

George grabbed a sausage from her plate, and she glanced up at him- glaring.

"Sorry about last night," George said. "Johnny told me."

Pippa tightened her jaw.

Johnny looked sheepish.

"Sorry, I…"

"Want me to punch him in the face?" George then asked. Pippa smiled.

"No, he's not worth it."

"I quite agree," George replied. Johnny took a sip of his tea.

"How much longer until we're in America?"

"Just a few more days," Johnny answered. "Are you excited?"

"Very."

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

The wind rushed past them, causing some of Anna's hair to come undone. She stood beside Mary and watched as the sun began to rise. Today, they would be arriving in America, so they decided to wake up early to watch the sun come up.

They were the only ones on the deck, and they stood together. Anna's hand rested on the bar in front of hers; Mary's was right beside hers. It was as close as they could get for fear someone else might come nearby.

"Ah, come on, darling." Mary took her by the hand, no longer seeming to care if someone were to see them. Then she led Anna towards the other side of the deck and reached out her hand to point. "America."

To be continued...

There is one more chapter to Part 4. This chapter ended up going in a different direction than I expected, and I let it run its course. So that means an extra chapter coming your way soon. As always, thanks for reading and your support!