AN: Thanks so much to all of you readers and reviewers! It makes my day every time I get a notification for a review! You're all wonderful human beings! This chapter is very long, because it's actually a lot of "mini chapters" of sorts compiled into one. I hope you don't Mind!
(It's been about two months since the last chapter. Edith is Eight (Nearly nine) months Pregnant, Mary and Sybil are both Four months (Though Mary is a tad bit further along than Sybil is), The twins are 20 months, Reggie is 8 months, and so on)
"Would you sit still please Sybil darling? Or we'll never get this picture taken!" Cora insisted.
"I'm sorry Mama, but I just can't seem to find a way to sit that is natural and comfortable!" Sybil hissed.
"There's no need to pose naturally dear, it's for a picture." Mary said through her posed slight smile.
"And could we please get on with it! If I've got to sit up like this for much longer I'm going to cry!" Edith groaned.
"Yes, Yes, alright." Sybil sighed, and sat up a bit straighter.
"Very good Mi'ladies, now just hold...Good!" The photographer said, and then began prepping for a second photograph.
"Why are we doing this again?" Edith sighed under her breath.
"For documentation, or that's what Mama said." Mary whispered.
"Now smile, very good Mi'ladies, and stay...Excellent!" The old chap with a mustache said, and then looked to Cora for approval.
"Yes, Yes, Very good. Now, I want to get a few shots of my grandchildren out in the gardens, if you wouldn't mind. Carson will show you where to set up." Cora instructed and the elderly gentleman nodded, and followed after the old butler. "I'll go upstairs and see that Anna has finished dressing the children for their photographs."
"I hope she realizes that outside, the formal clothes she bought for them will be ruined within minutes. At least I know that William's will be. He never met a puddle he didn't want to splash about in!" Mary laughed when her mother had left the room. "Though, Catherine is quite a prim and proper little lady, even if she will only call herself Kit."
"Now that Belle is walking more, she'll probably insist on walking and stain herself in the grass." Edith sighed.
"At least Reggie may come back clean." Sybil laughed.
"Yes, Unless they leave him on the grass, in which case he will crawl away from them, and roll about in it!" Mary laughed.
"Oof!" Edith gasped, and her sister's instantly turned to her, grasping at her hands and patting her hair.
"What is it? Are you alright? Have you gone into labor?!" Sybil asked, speaking so quickly that it was almost impossible to understand it.
"No, no, nothing like that. Baby just kicked so hard they stole my breath!" Edith laughed airily. "I almost wish I were in labor though. She must be so uncomfortable, or at the very least very cramped!"
"The time will come soon enough." Mary promised her.
"And I pray that this time it goes much more quickly than the last." Edith said with a shudder.
"Me too dear." Mary sighed.
"Does it really hurt so terribly much?" Sybil asked, going a bit white faced.
"Well..." Mary and Edith began at the same time.
"Oh Goodness, It does doesn't it!" Sybil groaned.
"But it's all worth it Sybil, so very worth it to have your baby placed in your arms at the end of it all." Edith assured her. Sybil nodded, and sighed.
"Besides, you don't have to worry about it for five more months. For now just enjoy this experience." Mary advised. "It's actually quite good fun. Your husband doting on you, everybody fawning over you, getting to eat as much as you'd like and not being told you'll bust your corset..." Mary listed and both sisters laughed at the truth of the words.
...(That evening)...
"You know, now that your mother has officially moved out, this is the first time that we've had a real home, all to ourselves?" Mary asked as she lifted a dainty spoon full of soup up to her ruby lips.
"I suppose it is. It's rather cozy isn't it?" Matthew smiled at her as he took a sip of his wine. "Though, it'll be a bit harder now, without a live in grandmother to watch them while we run errands."
"Is that what the kids are calling it now a days?" Mary asked dryly, arching her eyebrow just so, and then giggling with delight when Mathew sputtered, spraying wine from his lips as he shook with laughter.
"You're horrible, darling!" Matthew laughed, and reached across the table to take her hand.
"I'm sorry, I'll try to do better." Mary said with a smirk.
"Don't you dare. I wouldn't have you any other way." Matthew insisted. Before another word could be said, Mosley entered, carrying two plates.
"Thank you." Matthew said as the nervous butler set them down and then exited the room with a solemn nod.
"He looks as if he could use a drink." Mary said, and again Matthew laughed. "Well he- oh goodness." Mary groaned as she pushed the plate away and covered her mouth with her hand.
"What is it darling?" Matthew asked, instantly going to her side. Mary shook her head, and then rushed out of the room with him hot on her trail, barely making it to the powder room before she found herself violently sick, with him gently rubbing her back. "What was it this time?" He asked as he poured her a glass of water.
"The ham I think. Even thinking about it..." Mary said, nearly gagging.
"I'm sorry darling, I'll have it cleared from the house immediately." He promised, kissing her forehead as she sipped the cool water.
"No, darling. You should eat your supper, I can just go up to bed and eat something else later when I'm hungry." Mary insisted.
"You think I could enjoy sitting alone eating a dinner that made you ill while you sit up in bed alone?" Matthew asked.
"Well, I suppose when you put it that way, it does sound rather unappealing." Mary said with a smile.
"You go on up to our room, and get comfortable. I'll scrounge up something for the two of us in the kitchen." Matthew said, and then left the room. Mary smiled, and finished sipping her water before she went upstairs. She quickly popped her head in the nursery and saw that all three children were still sleeping soundly, and then tip toed quietly to their bed room. She rang the bell, and waited only a few moments before Anna appeared in the doorway.
"Good evening Mary." Anna said kindly as Mary sat down at the vanity to allow Anna easy access to her hair. "Have you been sick again? You look a bit pale."
"I'm afraid so. It appears that in addition to asparagus, raspberries, gelatin of any sort, cinnamon, and onions, this baby also doesn't like it when I consume ham." Mary laughed half heartedly.
"I'm sorry Mary. Is there something I can do?" Anna asked.
"No, no. It's all fine, Matthew is taking care of everything, or so he says...Anna?" Mary asked, making eye contact with her in the mirror. "How's Mr. Bates?" Instantly Anna's eyes grew moist, and she looked down at Mary's half undone hair.
"He's alright. His sentence has been altered to life imprisonment, so that's something. But we're optimistic about the future." Anna said with a trembling voice.
"I'm very sorry Anna. I know that it must be difficult to be separated from him." Mary said gently.
"I know. And thank you, Mary."
"What ever for?"
"For allowing me to live here at Crawley house, and get away from everyone at the abbey. I love them all dearly- well, most all of them, but they were getting to be a bit...much." Anna explained.
"Of course Anna. I'm glad to have you on here any time- you're much better at doing hair than I am." Mary teased, and Anna smiled at her.
"What would you like to wear this evening?" Anna asked as she walked over to the dresser.
"Just a regular night gown I think. I'm too tired to look nice in any of the lacy ones." Mary laughed.
"Very good." Anna nodded, and pulled a simple white night dress out of a drawer. When Mary was just dressed, Matthew knocked on the door.
"May I come in?"
"Of course darling." Mary answered, and sat carefully on the bed as Anna opened the door, letting Matthew with his tray into the room before she vanished.
"What have you brought for us?" Mary asked- though she had been quite ill not half an hour ago, she now found her stomach growling, her child begging to for her to eat something, anything, so long as it was not asparagus, raspberries, anything gelatin, cinnamon, onions, or ham.
"Nothing fancy darling. Just simple sandwiches. And..." He said, pulling off the tray's cover and revealing half of a chocolate cake.
"Oh, darling, you know me so well." Mary laughed and scooted back so that she was resting against the head board. "What's on the sandwiches?" Mary asked warily before she picked on up.
"No asparagus, raspberries, onions, or ham." Matthew assured her.
"Or gelatin or cinnamon?" Mary asked with a teasing smile.
"Obviously not." He laughed, and watched in delight as his wife took a large bite of one of the sandwiches.
"It's very good darling. Oh, I'm starving." Mary sighed, and took another bite.
"You're so beautiful." Matthew observed.
"Don't tease me." Mary protested as she wiped the edge of her mouth with her hand.
"I'm serious darling. You're perfection here and now. Your beautiful hair falling free around your shoulders, round with our child, in our bed, eating a dinner I made for you..." Matthew said, grinning broadly at her.
"And I'm going to eat a second sandwich now, and you're not allowed to judge me!" Mary laughed, grabbing another.
"I would never. Not when you're pregnant, not even if you weren't." Matthew promised, and took one for himself.
"To us." Mary said, extending her sandwich like a champagne flute.
"To us." Matthew smiled, and then began eating.
...The middle of the night...
"Lady Mary, wake up!" Anna said in a quiet voice as she gently shook Mary's shoulder.
"Mmm- no, it's still dark out." Mary sighed.
"Yes, I know, but it's urgent. Edith's gone into labor, and she's asking for you now." Anna explained, and Mary's eyes shot open.
"What time is it?"
"Only a bit after three." Anna said, already going quietly about the room to get what Mary would need to go out.
"What's going on darling?" Matthew yawned.
"Edith's gone into labor and is asking for me. So I suppose I must go." Mary told him as she rose from the bed.
"I'll drive you." He said, stretching.
"Don't be silly, it isn't that far, I can walk." Mary said.
"Don't you be silly. It's the middle of the night, I'm not going to let my pregnant wife walk almost two miles on her own." Matthew chuckled, and sat up.
"Well, alright. But once I'm there you must come straight back here, so that you'll be here when the children wake up." Mary insisted.
"I think I can agree to those terms." Matthew said as he rose and went to his dressing room.
"Are you coming as well Anna?" Mary asked as her maid helped her remove her night clothes and dress her in a simple blouse and skirt.
"I don't think so Mary. Lady Edith has you, Lady Sybil, Mrs. Crawley, Lady Grantham, and Gregory there. I feel as though she wouldn't want anymore people about while she's laboring away." Anna explained as she sat Mary down at her vanity and began working her hair into some semblance of order.
"And has Belle been taken care of?" Mary asked, not bothering to stifle her yawn.
"Things are progressing slowly, Or that's what Lady Sybil said over the phone, so for now Belle is still in her nursery. But as things progress, Lady Grantham has offered to take Belle to Downton." Anna said.
"Almost ready my dear?" Matthew asked.
"Just about darling." Mary replied, as she dabbed a bit of cream beneath her eyes. "That's as good as it gets I suppose."
"And still it's better than any other woman any other moment." Matthew said with a grin. She looked up at her husband with a drowsy smile, and he kissed her softly.
"Thank you very much Anna, please get back to bed and get some sleep, you deserve it." Mary told her.
"Thank you Mi'lady." Anna said with a curtsy as she left the room.
"Come on darling." Matthew said and assisted her up.
"I'm so tired. She couldn't have gone in to labor at eight in the morning? Would that have been too much to ask?" Mary laughed sleepily. Matthew smiled at her, and quickly scooped her up in his arms. "Oh Matthew! You're ridiculous!"
"You're tired, You're pregnant, and I will carry you out to the car." Matthew insisted as he slowly carried his bride down the stairs of their home and to the car. "Are you certain you can manage with so little sleep darling? You're having a baby, you do need your rest." Matthew insisted.
"Edith is actually having her baby, she needs me." Mary sighed, and settled herself more comfortably in the seat.
"Alright. But don't over do it dear, you'll make yourself sick with exhaustion." Matthew cautioned.
"Don't worry, it's not going to be over taxing for me dear. All I have to do is hold her hand and whisper words of encouragement." Mary laughed, and scooted just a bit closer to her husband as he settled into the drivers seat. "Edith has to do all of the hard work."
"I know, I worry over much. But it is because I love you." Matthew said as he started the auto.
"I think it's sweet of you Matthew. Now, let's get a move on." Mary yawned, and fought to keep her eyes from closing. "And you're certain you'll be alright alone with the children if I have to stay with Edith for several hours?"
"Mary, I'll be fine. It's not as if I've never been alone with them before." Matthew laughed.
"Yes, But Reggie is much more active than he was the last time, as is William, and Catherine demands so much more attention...are you sure you can manage?" Mary asked.
"I'll be absolutely fine my darling. If things get too bad, I'll bring them to the abbey to spend time with Belle in the nursery, sound like a plan?" Matthew asked, and Mary nodded."Here we are love."
"Thank you my darling, you're right, it's better that you drove me. I love you." Mary said and placed a soft kiss on her husbands lips, which sent a delightful tingle down her spine. Unthinkingly, she deepened the kiss, and felt him groan softly against her mouth.
"Darling, are you forgetting something? Like your sister inside her home, laboring?" Matthew said as he forced himself to pull away from his darling wife.
"Oh, right. Yes. I suppose I must go in." Mary said, kissed him once more, this time on his cheek, and waited for him to come help her out of the car. "I'll telephone when I can to let you know how things are progressing..."
"And to check in on the children?" Matthew asked and Mary looked away shamefully. "I know darling, I promise they will be fine, all three of them. You just make sure you care for this one." He laid a hand on her belly, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"I'll do my very best dearest. I love you so terribly much." Mary said with a smile.
"Oh we thought that was you Mary, come on now, stop dawdling in the drive and get in the house!" Sybil called, and Mary reluctantly tore herself away from her husbands warm hands. She looked at her baby sister, with her own hand resting against her tiny round belly, and her hair poking out of its braid. "It's about time Mary! Edith's been asking for you for the better part of an hour!"
"Well, I'm here now dear. How are things progressing?" Mary asked.
"As they should. She's been at it for two hours now, and she's about four centimeters. She's in good spirits as well, much better than she was the last time." Sybil said as they went up the stairs, each of them walking a bit slower than they used to with the weight of a growing baby within them.
"Four centimeters in two hours? My my, it seems as if we may have a little Lowe baby before dawn." Mary laughed and then yawned.
"One can only hope." Sybil agreed, fighting the urge to yawn herself.
...
When the children woke up, the very first thing they seemed to notice was the absence of their mother, who typically greeted them all with a cheerful voice and a kiss. Having Papa there was of course, a pleasant surprise, but they couldn't quite figure out where their Mama had gone. Of course, Papa let them eat their breakfast on the floor of the nursery, and made the best animal sounds, but he was of course, not Mama.
"Mama, where?" Catherine asked, stubbornly refusing the bowl of cut fruit her father had placed before her.
"Mama had to go somewhere, just for a little while. But Papa is here." Matthew assured her as he did his best to spoon a few bits of a golden colored mush into Reggie's mouth.
"Mama Go?" Catherine asked, becoming very alarmed and covering her mouth with her hands as she looked to her brother. "Mama go!"
"Mama?" William demanded, hitting his tiny hands against the floor.
"Don't worry little chap, Mama will be back very soon, I promise." Matthew said, wishing that his twins were old enough to understand what he was saying.
"No Mama? Back Mama!" William said. Matthew stared at him, feeling emotions of pride and confusion as he tried to decipher the exact meaning of his sons words.
"Papa, go Mama." Catherine added, pushing her bowl of fruit away defiantly. Even Reggie seemed to be in on this little rebellion, refusing to open his mouth and staring up at his Papa as if he were a mad man.
"Come on now my darlings, Eat up, and we can go to play outside, and get as messy as you like!" Matthew promised them. "We can look for flowers, or perhaps find a few bugs, perhaps even a snake."
"Flo'ers? Kit find?" Catherine asked, her interest piqued.
"Snake? Snake!" William said stubbornly, and ran to his Papa, spilling his fruit and knocking his young brother's food all over his father's white shirt. Matthew sighed, but put on a smile.
"Yes my darlings, Flowers and snakes. But only if we can manage to get some food into you, instead of just on my shirt." Matthew sighed, and finally, thankfully, the twins sat down beside each other, and began eating from the same bowl.
...
"You're doing well Edith. It can't be too terribly much longer now." Isobel promised her.
"How far is she?" Mary asked, lifting her head up from her hands.
"I'd say a good six centimeters." Gregory said as he caressed his wife's forehead with cool water.
"Only two in the last five hours? Goodness, She was four in two hours, Why on earth isn't she fully dilated!?" Mary snapped, but then bit her tongue. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound harsh, I know that no one can really control this sort of thing. I'm just dreadfully tired."
"Do you want to rest Mary? Seeing as it will be a while? You could take a nap in the guest room, Isobel could wake you after an hour or so." Gregory offered.
"No, I couldn't." Mary protested, but Sybil raised her hand.
"Well, I certainly could. I'm exhausted and I'm not ashamed to admit it." Sybil muttered.
"Both of you...Go sleep please. You're both pregnant, it's been five hours for Mary, Seven for Sybil, Isobel, Gregory, and Mama will take excellent care of me for an hour or so. And I feel pretty good right now, really I do." Edith said, managing a pretty smile as she did so.
"Only if you're absolutely certain you don't mind darling, because if you do, I would stay at your side." Mary said as she went to sit beside Edith on her bed.
"No, I honestly wouldn't mind. Please, you can't make yourself over tired on my account. I actually think I may try and sleep for a few minutes my self-" Edith broke off and sucked in a deep breath. "If I can. Now off with the both of you, I won't have it any other way."
"And you promise to fetch us as soon as we're needed? Even if it's only after ten minutes?" Mary asked, and her Mother put her hands on her shoulders.
"Mary darling, We promise. Now, please, both of you go rest. You've got your own babies to think about. Edith is in good hands for now." Cora said and then pressed a gentle kiss against each of her daughter's cheeks. They smiled at her and left the room, and only a moment later Sybil linked her pinkie with her sister's.
"Do you mind sharing the guest room sister dear?" Sybil asked.
"Not a bit." Mary nodded- even if she did mind she was much too tired to protest. And besides that, the simple bed looked heavenly, with it's blue quilt and cream colored pillows.
"Goodnight Mary." Sybil yawned, and was out almost as soon as her face hit the pillow.
"Actually, I think it's good morning." Mary corrected quietly, but found herself quite unable to say anything further as the bed was so, so very comfortable.
...
"No no no Wil'em! No no no!" Catherine shrieked as she ran as fast as her grass stained legs would carry her towards her papa. Of course, she hadn't quite mastered the art of walking, so she tripped and fell, much to little Williams delight as he approached her with a wriggling worm in his hands. "Papa!"
"William, Now, it isn't very nice to torment your sister with worms is it?" Matthew scolded and scooped up his crying daughter.
"No. 's not." William said shamefully, and laid the worm back in the grass.
"Now, I think you must apologize." Matthew said, and turned Catherine to face her brother.
"Sorry Kit...Kit Play?" William asked sincerely. Catherine stared at her brother skeptically before nodding her head, making her blonde curls bob.
"Yes, Kit Play. No bugs. Ick." She said, sticking out her tongue. William nodded, and Matthew, quite satisfied with the turn of events, placed Kit back down on her feet. Instantly her brother embraced her, and took her hand. He pulled her off towards a bush that was growing rather beautiful flowers.
"Now my dear little chap, where were we. Ah, yes, I am Pa-pa. Come on now Reggie, I know that you can say it." Matthew said as he reclaimed his seat and took his little son on his knee. Reggie laughed, and clapped his hands. "Yes, Yes, I know, Pa-pa is very funny, isn't he? Pa-Pa."
"No." The tiny baby voice of his son startled him, so that he had to laugh, even though he wasn't certain he hadn't just imagined it.
"What was that my boy? Come on now, tell Papa!" Matthew said and gently tickled his chin.
"No!" Reggie giggled, and then blew bubbles with his saliva.
"My goodnesss, what a first word. It seems you've been listening to your older brother talk. That's his favorite word, you know." Matthew said, making precise notes of this moment, as to be able to tell his dear Mary everything of it when she got home.
"No." The little boy said again, this time sounding horribly disinterested.
"Though I must wonder if you even know what that means, dear boy. You can't be that smart already." Matthew sighed. "My baby boy cannot be growing up so quickly, it's just impossible."
"No!" the baby in question said in reply, and reached up to grab his father's chin.
"Papa! Papa see Kit!" His daughters voice called. Matthew looked about, and realized that the other two were quite out of his sight. For a moment he panicked, but then he realized that they couldn't have gotten beyond the white fence. He stood up, taking his little Reggie with him, and followed the sound of his children's laughter. When he finally found them, hidden behind some shrubs and flowering plants, he couldn't help but groan.
"Papa see! Kit flo'ers!" Catherine giggled, and pointed to the tangled mess of weeds and blooms that his daughter had somehow gotten in her hair, along with several clumps of roots and soil, not to mention the fact that in the five minutes she'd been out of his sight, she had managed to reduce her skirt to filthy tatters. But William was certainly the worse off of the two. Where his shirt had gone, Matthew couldn't even begin to guess. And he was absolutely covered in mud, from the tips of his hair, to the tips of his toes.
"I let you be for five minutes and this is how I am repaid?" Matthew sighed.
"Yes! Lo' you, Papa!" Catherine giggled innocently, and stared at her, now bare, feet. Matthew smiled at her, and felt all of his frustration melt.
"Alright. No point in stopping you now you're so messy I suppose. Go on then, have fun." Matthew said, and suddenly he had a twin wrapped around each of his legs, effectively ruining the legs of his trousers.
"Papa go!" William demanded, and Matthew just laughed and took tiny, halting steps much to the delight of his oldest children.
...
"We're up to eight now. Things are picking up quite a bit. Belle has become absolutely restless, so your mother is preparing to take her to the abbey." Isobel explained as she woke the girls.
"Mm, what time is it?" Sybil asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
"It's about half past eleven."
"Do you suppose I could pop down stairs and make a phone call to Matthew? He's probably worried sick, since I've not called before now." Mary laughed sleepily.
"I don't see why you couldn't. But they do have a telephone upstairs, in Gregory's study. I'd suggest you use that one, and avoid taking the stairs as much as you can dear. After all, you are pregnant." Isobel said and kindly patted her daughter in laws hand. "You freshen up a bit, I'll go put the call through, and then we can all go join Edith again." Mary nodded gratefully, and Sybil was busy trying to get her hair back into some semblance of order. Mary rose from the bed, and almost tripped, as she had forgotten that she had fallen asleep with her shoes on.
"I suppose I'll go back to Edith now. I told Tom I'd call him when it was all over, and not a minute before." Sybil laughed. Mary smiled, and nodded as she patted down her hair, trying to keep all of the loose strands in place, but it was no use. She sighed, and walked towards the study.
"Here she is now...Yes, I love you too my dear boy, I'll see you tonight." Isobel said as she handed the phone off, patted Mary's cheek, and slipped out of the room.
"Hello darling." Mary said sleepily.
"Hello my dearest. Mama just gave me a run down of the situation. I'm certainly glad you've gotten some more sleep." Matthew said.
"Me too." Mary giggled. "Now, how are the children Matthew? Still in one piece?"
"Still in one piece. Anna is giving them their baths now, I was upstairs helping before the tele rang." Matthew explained.
"You're giving them their baths now? Isn't that sort of silly, seeing as the twins at least, will be terribly messy by bed time?" Mary laughed.
"Believe me darling, it was entirely necessary." Matthew chuckled, and Mary furrowed her brow. "And don't worry, they're both perfectly fine, a bit sleepy and dirty after playing outside is all. The only casualties were a shirt, a dress, and a pair of shoes."
"And what about our Reggie?" Mary asked.
"Oh, yes, Darling, Reggie said his first word!" Matthew said, suddenly excited as a school boy.
"What?" Mary gasped. "Oh darling, what was it!"
"No." Matthew said.
"You won't tell me?" Mary asked, suddenly quite miffed.
"I did tell you darling, the word was "no". He told me, quite firmly, that I am not funny." Matthew explained, and Mary laughed.
"He's right. You are rather a dull old thing." Mary said.
"That's not what you seemed to think yesterday morning." Matthew said, and Mary's breath caught in her throat."What is it darling, cat got your tongue?"
"My, someone is cheeky this morning. What if someone should hear you?" Mary asked as her cheeks flamed.
"Oh yes, who are you worried will over hear darling? The twins who can't speak in full sentences, Anna who's upstairs with them, or Molesly who's out in the garden?" Matthew asked.
"I suppose you're right. Still, it seems an awfully inappropriate thing to say over the telephone." Mary laughed. "I miss you darling. I know it's only been a few hours, But I do hate to be parted from you, even for a brief moment."
"I know darling. I feel the same-" Suddenly there was a loud shrieking sound, the like of which could only have come from Catherine, followed by peals of giggles and footsteps. "I believe I've got to go now darling."
"What's going on there? I can hear that!" Mary asked.
"Mr. Crawley, the twins've escaped, and they're running rampant about the hallway as bare as they day they were born!" Anna called down the stairs.
"Ah, I see. Well, have fun wrangling them up dearest. I'd best be getting back to Edith now. I love you, and such good luck." Mary said softly.
"I love you too my darling- No, William, you stay up there!" Was the last thing she heard before he hung up the telephone. Mary couldn't help but laugh- of course, it was not the first time the twins had broken away after their baths, but it was the first time that she hadn't been there to help with the after math. She sighed, rose from the comfortable chair, and stroked her hand over her belly, steeling herself for what was to come.
...
"Alright Kit, now be a good girl, and listen to Papa." Matthew said as he laid her in her crib. She stared at him skeptically.
"Kit no nap. Kit big!" The little girl implored.
"Oh are you now? I think Kit is still little enough for a nap." Matthew said as he settled Reggie into his cradle.
"No nap. Go play!" William protested, even as his eyes drooped with sleep.
"Papa could read you a story then, how would you like that? I've got your book of fables here!" Matthew said, trying his best to sound enticing.
"St'oy?" Catherine asked, perking up a bit.
"Yes a story. Let's see..." He began flipping through the pages.
"Mr. Crawley, I hate to interrupt, but Lady Mary just telephoned. The child's been born, and she would like it if you would come to retrieve her as quickly as possible." Anna said.
"Oh, yes, that's fine. But would you mind reading a story to the children? I'm afraid I've promised them." Matthew said.
"I'd be happy to, Mr. Crawley. Now you'd best be going. Lady Mary is going to need quite a bit of rest after the day she's had, I'm sure." Anna said, her voice becoming as authoritative as ever. Matthew nodded, and handed her the book of fables before he dashed away.
...
Mary's foot tapped anxiously against the front steps. She had insisted that she wait outside, mostly because she felt a bit faint and ill, being trapped up in a room that smelled like a mixture of blood and soap. One of the most lovely sights she had ever seen was Matthew pulling into the drive.
"Thank goodness you're here darling, I'm exhausted." Mary said. Matthew climbed out of the car, and quickly made his way to her side.
"Don't worry my darling, the children are in their cribs now, tucked in for a nap with Anna reading to them. When we get home, we'll run you a bath, and get you settled into bed." Matthew said as he walked her to the car.
"You spoil me." Mary laughed, though she didn't object.
"I only give you what you deserve darling. The best." He said, and helped her up into her seat before he took his post at the steering wheel. "Oh, before I forget Mary, what gender is it? Have we a new niece or nephew?"
"A nephew, darling. A healthy beautiful baby boy." Mary smiled. "He's just darling- he's got green eyes, like Gregory, and Edith's lovely hair."
"And did they pick a name for him?" Matthew asked. Mary smiled mischievously.
"His name is Robert George Lowe." Mary said. "Which takes the name Robert quite off of the list of names to consider if this ones a boy. Though we should probably keep it in the mix, perhaps as a middle name."
"Yes, but what of a first name? It's funny, I had been thinking George might be a good strong name for a boy. But I wouldn't want to use that when the babies will be so close in age." Matthew sighed.
"I know what we'll call him if he's a boy." Mary said, and he motioned for her to continue. "We'll call him Matthew of course."
"No, darling. We can't name him after me!" Matthew sputtered.
"And why not? You're their father, it's only fair that one of our brood should be named after you!" Mary insisted.
"Then if it's a girl you wont object to calling her Mary?" Matthew asked.
"No, now, we already have a name for a girl, remember? Esther Josephine. And if it's a boy we'll call him Matthew...And I haven't thought of a middle name quite yet, unless we do like Matthew Robert, which I think has quite a nice ring to it." Mary said happily.
"I still object to it." Matthew muttered.
"I know. But you love me, so you wont fight me on this." Mary laughed, and pressed a kiss to her husbands cheek.
"I hate that you're quite right, love." Matthew sighed. "Fine, if it's a boy we'll call him Matthew Robert, if it's a girl, we'll call her Esther Josephine. But the next girl after her will be called Mary."
"This one isn't even out yet, and you're already picking a name for the next one after?" Mary laughed. "My my, where on earth will we fit them all?"
"We'll make it work, darling, I promise you that. Things will just be a bit cramped, is all." Matthew said as they pulled up Crawley house's short drive.
"And it's your fault. If you weren't so insatiable..." Mary purred, and he put his hand on the small of her back to pull her closer to him.
"I'm insatiable? What about you, you little minx?" Matthew asked, then pressed his mouth to hers until she felt tingles from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes. "Now let's get you in to a nice hot bath."
"Only if you get in too." Mary whispered, and kissed him again.
"I thought you were tired?" Matthew laughed.
"Are you protesting?" Mary asked, arching her eye brow in the way only she could. Matthew shook his head, and Mary laughed. "Come help me out then darling, I do believe the children will only nap for an hour or so."
AN: So here we are, another nice long chapter for you! Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews and stuff! You make my days!