Author's note: If you've been following DA-S4 news, you know that Martha returns and a childhood friend appears. I couldn't help but put my own twist to it in this alt-fic.

"Are you sure you want to wait outside with us?" Mary asked as they walked towards the door to await her grandmother's arrival.

"I'll be fine," Matthew assured her. "That's what the glasses are for."

Mary studied him for a moment before walking out with him to wait for her grandmother with everyone.

The car came roaring in and stopped to deliver Martha and her maid safely to Downton.

"Amidst all the changes around, Downton still remains the same and looks to persevere with another generation," Martha noted as she alit from her car.

"I gather you've seen the changes we've made around the estate," Robert stated before welcoming her with a kiss followed by Cora.

"I've noticed a few and look forward to you showing them all to me," she replied before walking towards Edith.

"Hello granny," Edith greeted her.

"I've been following your column and quite proud of you," Martha said. "You must introduce me to your editor so I can thank him properly for making you a journalist."

"Of course granny," Edith replied happily. "I'll invite him for a day while you're here."

"Mary, motherhood suits you," Martha noted, kissing her. "I can't wait to meet my great grandson and to remind him of his American heritage. You must see the little cowboy outfit I got for him."

Mary resigned herself to Martha's whim.

Martha walked by Matthew and stopped to look him over.

"Welcome back to Downton," Matthew greeted warmly.

"Mary tells me you rescued Downton," Martha said. "I may have been wrong about you after all."

Matthew turned to look at Mary with a wide grin on his face. "Downton is worth saving so you can keep coming back to see us."

"Perhaps," Martha agreed. "But tell me why are you wearing those glasses?"

"We'll tell you all about it inside mama," Cora offered and led the family in.

"I think I should have written that chapter after all," Matthew whispered to Mary when they were next to each other.

"Tell it one more time and I'll write it down for you," Mary offered with a smile.

"I might just take you up on that," he joked. "Just promise you won't get bored when I talk about the mundane parts of my life and there's a lot of that."

"Let me be the judge of that," she countered.

Matthew thought of a nice comeback but was interrupted by Cora who called him to hurry. He turned reluctantly and quickened his pace.

...

"So you decided to get an operation in Geneva all on your own without even informing anyone?" Martha asked pointedly after Matthew had finished.

"Pretty much, yes," Matthew replied.

"And it didn't occur to you that your family would be worried for your well-being? I find that quite inconsiderate of you."

"The important thing is he's back safe and sound," Isobel stated in his defense. "And he has learned from his mistake."

"Excuse me, Mr. Crawley," Carson called his attention. "You have a telephone call."

Matthew was relieved for the excuse to get out of the uncomfortable situation. He made his excuses and left the room to take the call.

"You shouldn't be so critical of him mama," Cora said. "He truly means well."

"And he was actually trying to be considerate granny," Mary said. "He didn't want us to worry about him or give us false hopes."

"Well, just because he has saved Downton, I think you are much too lenient with him."

"Certainly not," Robert and Mary said in unison. Everyone was surprised by their simultaneous response.

"Well, I suppose I'll see for myself," Martha said.

"Was she like this to Robert?" Isobel asked Violet in a hushed tone.

"She still is," Violet replied in similar fashion. "Perhaps we should join forces to help our sons."

Isobel agreed to the alliance since she felt Matthew could use all the help he could get.

...

Matthew had just concluded his call when Mary approached him.

"Who was that?" Mary asked when he looked up.

"It was Murray, he is coming to see me tomorrow," he replied. "We'll go over the estate finances."

"How did he know you're home?"

"I called him yesterday," he revealed. "I wanted to make sure that things were in order."

"So you had time to call him but not me?" she teased.

"I wanted to surprise you, not him," he reminded her, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "And I thought you were on my side, not your grandmother's."

"Well, I hope you've recovered because the children are on their way down to meet her."

Matthew took a deep breath before replying. "Let's just hope she's so fond of William she'll forget all about me."

"We can only hope," she said supportively.

...

Matthew and Mary met up with Anna and the nanny at the bottom of the stairs to take the children to be presented to Martha. William was wearing a crisp white sailor suit while Sybil was wearing an ivory satin dress with floral embroidery.

"Ready?" Mary asked as she carried William towards the drawing room.

"Can I say no?" he joked.

"Unless you want granny to think she's right, you're not skipping this," she warned.

"Then can I have a kiss before we go in?" he requested. He was pleased when Mary turned around to give him one.

"Are you two coming in?" Tom asked when he came out to see what was taking them so long.

"It's easy for you to be in there," Matthew complained jokingly. "She's not picking on you."

Tom smiled before taking his daughter from Matthew's arms. He knew how much pressure that was but was confident Matthew can handle it.

"William, meet your great-grandmama from America," Mary introduce the little boy to her. She placed him on her grandmother's lap and was pleased when he settled in.

"He's a handsome boy," Martha said to his proud parents. "I can't wait to see him in the outfit I brought for him."

"I can have him changed," Matthew offered. "It would be nice to see how he looks as a cowboy."

"Are you trying to make up for your earlier mistake by showing an interest in American culture?" Martha said jokingly.

Matthew wasn't sure if she was joking or how to respond so he turned to Mary for help.

"Actually Matthew is quite interested in American culture granny," Mary said. "He knows much about it."

Matthew took his cue from Mary and started discussing several American topics Martha brought up with her. She clearly was impressed by his knowledge and opinions.

"That was a good move," Cora told Mary when she noticed the two deep in conversation. "I think he'll manage to win her over just as he did you." She couldn't help taking that opportunity to tease her daughter.

Mary knew she deserved that jab because if left on her own, she would never have given Matthew a chance to win her over.

...

"Oh, you wouldn't guess who I saw on the passage over," Martha said during dinner.

"Is it someone important mama?" Cora asked.

"If I remember correctly, he's a childhood friend of Mary's," Martha hinted.

"That doesn't really narrow it down granny," Mary complained. "I would need more clues than that."

"It was Edmund," Martha revealed, deciding not to drag it out. "Do you remember him?"

"Yes," Mary confirmed. "He was Edith's friend, too."

"But he was always more fond of you," Edith noted. She realized she probably shouldn't have said that when she saw Mary glare at her from across the table.

"Was he now?" Matthew chimed in, turning to look from Edith to Mary. "Did he say what brings him to England?"

"I suppose he's looking to find a wife," Martha responded. "He did say his mother was eager for him to start a family."

"I would imagine he could do that back in America if he wanted to," Isobel observed.

"I think Helena would prefer he married an English girl," Robert said. "If she could have gotten her way, they wouldn't have moved to America."

"We should probably invite him for dinner," Cora suggested. "It would be nice to see him again after all these years."

"I already did," Martha said. "I thought he might like to get reacquainted with Edith."

"Is she allowed to do that?" Violet asked Robert in a whisper.

"If it will help Edith settle down, I will allow it," Robert replied.

"Let's have him stay with us for a few days," Cora suggested anew. "It would be a shame if he's only here for dinner."

Once that was settled, dinner conversation went back to the usual themes but Mary was no longer paying attention and she wished her grandmother hadn't brought up that particular topic or Edith reveal his fondness of her. She snuck a quick look at Matthew and although he didn't seem bothered by it, she knew he had questions she would have to answer later.

...

Mary was already in bed when Matthew entered their bedroom. He took off his robe and climbed into bed with her.

"Did you enjoy your chat with granny?" she asked when he settled in. "You seemed to have a lot to talk about."

"Yes, it was quite pleasant," he confirmed. "She has quite an interesting point of view."

"And she is not afraid to express her opinions or act on them," she agreed.

"I suppose by that you mean her decision to invite your childhood friend," he guessed correctly. "Should I dislike him because he is fond of you?"

"His name is Edmund," she reminded him. "You shouldn't dislike him because of that. Didn't you forbid me from judging before I knew someone?"

"Does he have a title?" he asked jokingly. "I would like to know how he was privileged to be your childhood friend."

"His parents were friends of papa," she explained. "His father, Edward, was papa's classmate when he was at Oxford and Helena was papa's childhood friend."

"So Edward was American then? And I'm guessing he met Helena through Robert?" He was piecing the relationships quickly in his mind.

"Something like that," she confirmed.

"Did they spend a lot of time here at Downton?"

"They were frequent guests while they lived here in England," she replied. "We pretty much grew up together."

"Maybe I should invite my childhood friend to even out the numbers. I'd be interested in catching up with her."

"In case you've forgotten, I didn't invite him," she reminded him. She knew what he was doing and tried her best not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her jealousy.

"I could ask mother to invite her," he continued teasing her. He had to admit he wanted her to be jealous because he was since he heard about Edmund.

"You won't do that because you love me and because you still have to do as I say." She knew the first reason was all she needed but couldn't help reminding him of their arrangement.

Matthew let out a soft chuckle because he knew he had lost the game. "You are right, I won't because I do love you and that's the only reason for it. But I have one question, are you fond of him as well?"

Mary knew that was the question weighing heavily on him since Edmund was mentioned. Given her own reaction to learning of his childhood friend, she knew she had to give him a solid reassurance. She could think of no better way than to give him a sweet long kiss that took both their breaths away.

...

Mary was coming down the stairs to join the family when she noticed Thomas leading a familiar face through the hallway.

"Edmund," she greeted him when they met up at the bottom of the stairs.

"Mary," he greeted back with a ready smile. "You look wonderful as always."

"We weren't expecting you until dinner time," she wondered why he was there early.

"Why wait if I can catch up with you before then," he said with a smile. "It's been a long time since I was last here. I hadn't realized how much I missed it." He looked around the familiar place with nostalgia.

"I doubt you miss it at all since you stayed away for so long," she noted.

"You know why I had to leave," he said defensively.

"Mary," Matthew called out to her when he stepped into the hallway. He noticed she was with a man that he rightly guessed was Edmund.

"Darling, look who's here already," she said with a smile. "This is Edmund Danforth. Edmund, this is my husband Matthew."

"I've heard so much about you," Edmund said extending his hand to shake Matthew's.

"From Mary?" Matthew asked, turning to look at her briefly.

"No, actually it was from Mrs. Levinson. She tells me you're a solicitor; we're in the same field. Where did you read Law?"

Matthew didn't think it mattered but gave a singular reply. "Cambridge." He saw the other man look impressed.

"Have you ever met a Harvard man?" Edmund asked jokingly.

"I suppose now I have," Matthew replied in jest.

"Shall we go in?" Mary suggested, quickly tiring of their banter. She watched Edmund nod and head directly to the drawing room without waiting for an escort.

"Murray will be arriving soon and I wanted to meet him in the library," Matthew excused himself. "He seems to know his way around the house."

"Only down here," Mary assured him. She saw Murray arrive over Matthew's shoulder and alerted him to his guest's arrival.

"Mr. Crawley, it's so nice to see you well recovered," Murray said cheerfully.

"Not quite but close," Matthew replied.

"You must be so glad he is back, Lady Mary."

"We all are and I'm so pleased you can come so Mr. Crawley doesn't have an excuse to go to London."

"I imagined he would be tired from his journey," Murray replied. "Besides, it's always good to breathe in some country air."

"Shall we go to the library?" Matthew prompted to steer the conversation. "There's much to discuss and I wouldn't want you to be late returning to London."

"Of course," Murray agreed and started walking towards it.

"Would you like to join us?" Matthew asked Mary, showing that her support was welcome.

"Shall I fetch papa?"

"He's granted me permission to handle this alone," he replied with a grin.

"Then I'll follow his lead and let you manage it alone," she said with a matching grin. "Don't keep Murray waiting." She saw him hesitate and gently pushed him.

"I suppose you can't keep your guest waiting either," he said jokingly.

"I keep telling you, he is mama's guest not mine since she invited him."

Matthew didn't see the distinction but wasn't about to argue that point with her. He felt a little foolish for acting jealous.

Mary sensed his feelings and reached up to pull him in for a kiss. "There, will that convince you?" She watched him walk away with a confident smile.

...

"What do you miss most about England?" Cora asked Edmund at the dinner table.

"Fox hunting," Edmund replied. "It's different in America which I would consider more like fox chasing."

"It's too early for that right now," Robert noted. "Perhaps you can visit when it is in season."

"I would like that," he replied gratefully. "I remember Mary is quite good at it; are you Matthew?"

"I'm not as good as Mary," Matthew admitted. "But I think I can hold my own."

"Darling, you don't have to be modest," Mary added. "You are just as good as I am."

"Is he good at climbing trees as well?" Edmund teased.

"What?" Robert exclaimed. "When did you climb trees?"

"It was a long time ago papa," Mary said. "I was just a little girl."

"Why wasn't I informed?" Robert asked, turning from Cora to Edith.

"Robert, it's not like you hadn't climbed trees when you were a little boy," Cora said.

"Certainly not," Violet said. "Robert had no need to climb trees especially not without a ladder."

"Did you climb trees Matthew?" Edmund asked, trying to divert attention away from Mary and back to him again.

"Yes I did," Matthew replied. "I think it's a rite of passage for most children."

"I thought you were more like Robert," Edmund observed, showing doubt that Matthew did what he said.

"He did and I cheered him on," Isobel confirmed. "And not a scratch on him ever. He considered his options carefully and that helped him climb as high as he wanted and back down safely."

"Now that you're a mother, will you allow William to do that?" Robert asked Mary.

"I'll follow Isobel's example and cheer him on," Mary replied honestly. "I would like him to aspire to climb as high as he can."

...

Mary watched Matthew through her vanity mirror and wondered why he was very quiet. She wondered if he was offended by Edmund's jabs at him. She was a bit upset with Edmund because of it.

"You're very quiet tonight," she said when she climbed into bed with him.

"Am I?" he said, stirring from his quiet contemplation. "Did you mean it when you said William can climb trees? I assume you also meant he could aspire to choose his own path, his own profession."

"Of course I meant it," she confirmed. "He can choose any profession that interests him. The only thing he can't change is that he is the future Lord Grantham after you."

"What if he doesn't want to be?" he wondered. "It might be too much for him to take on."

"Why wouldn't he? It is his destiny," she declared. "You've taken it on and it's not too much for you is it?" She wondered if Murray had brought some bad news that has Matthew doubting himself.

"No, it's not because I love doing it for you," he teased. "For us." He corrected himself.

"Then that's what we have to do, make William love Downton as much as we do."

Matthew smiled and knew she was quite capable of doing that. He had to admit that although it was Robert who showed him what the tradition meant, it was Mary who made him embrace it fully.

"What news did Murray bring?" she raised the subject since he hadn't.

"Just some numbers and projections," he replied dismissively. "Nothing for you to worry about."

"Then tell me what's the matter," she insisted. "I know you better than to believe nothing is bothering you."

Matthew took a deep breath before speaking again. "Are you happy with me? I know sometimes I try your patience."

"No more than I do," she argued. "What's brought this on?" She had a suspicion that Edmund had a hand in it.

"Never mind, I'm just being foolish," he dismissed.

"Did Edmund say something after dinner before you came through?" she asked pointedly. "Because if he did, I will forbid him from ever coming back to Downton."

"I don't think you can do that especially since Robert has already invited him to come for the fox hunt."

"I think we have a say on who can come and family always takes precedence over friends."

"You don't have to shield me from him you know," he said. "Let him come and I can handle him. Although he seems to know a few things I didn't like about you climbing trees and swimming in the lake. Anything else I should know before the morning?"

"I didn't know you climbed trees either," she countered. "Anyway, these are details that wouldn't have come up until perhaps William himself was old enough to do. I'm sure we would talk about them then."

"I can't wait for those moments to come," he agreed with a grin.

"Neither can I," she seconded. "Until then, I think we can only wait and get some sleep."