A/N: I had the idea for a Jack x Mary fic a long time ago and I actually began writing one, but I wanted to do one with a bit more of a plot as opposed to just a collection of one shots. I decided to rewrite it and I think I already love the way this is shaping up. I really hope you all like this. Happy reading!

Rubbing the cream into her hands while Anna brings the brush through her hair again, Mary sighs to herself.

She knows she has no real reason to be feeling like this, not now she knows all about what her darling Henry was really getting up to at those 'rallies' of his. Oh, he attended them, many people remembered seeing him, but it was the evenings he seemed to gain the most pleasure from. He no doubt felt that he was being smart, checking himself into all those hotels under false names, but he was clearly far from smart enough to realize that lipstick stains easily. Admittedly, she had her doubts for a while. He no longer craved her touch when he came home – odd given he would be gone more than a month at times – and he was frequently preoccupied.

It was only when he came home on Christmas Eve to surprise the children, rather a surprise to her too since he seemed to stop caring about them long ago, that she found the proof she needed to confront him at last. When he barely even acknowledged her when he walked through the door, deciding to focus all his attention on the children instead, alarm bells began to ring in her head and louder still when he failed to bring himself to look her in the eye. It was that simple action that made her realize enough was enough and she needed to get to the bottom of what was going on with him. She needed to know for sure if she was right to doubt him.

She went along with things until they were done with dinner and he and her papa went to the smoking room. Him being occupied for the time being meant she was able to go up to their room and take a look in his bag since he'd not had the chance to unpack his belongings, therefore, he'd not had the chance to hide anything from her. Initially, given she found nothing untoward when she began searching, she felt rather guilty about suspecting him of such things. It was then that she pulled another shirt from the bag though and saw a deep red smudge on the collar, a little faded, no doubt from his attempts to get rid of it before he returned home.

It made her feel sick, the thought of him with another woman, his hands all over her.

She thought about waiting to see if he would come clean about his unfaithfulness, if the guilt would eat away at him so much he would be unable to conceal it much longer, but then he came to bed and had the audacity to smile at her. To act like he'd not spent the past three months making love to…well, anything with a pulse, she imagined. It enraged her and she got up from her vanity, stormed across the room to his bag and all but launched the shirt at him before demanding that he tell her the truth. It should have been a relief, really, him coming straight out with it and telling her he had been frequenting courtesans, but it did nothing of the sort.

He said it so calmly, with such little care, that it hit her like a punch in the stomach.

Her knees buckled beneath her, so she was glad of the support from the little chair at her vanity, and all she did for a time was sob. Her heartbreak soon became a blinding rage though and she had no qualms when it came to laying into him. She screamed at him for what seemed like hours, asking him how he could do such a thing to her – to their children – and he merely stood there, unbothered, until she paused to take a breath. He took that moment to admit that neither the act nor the women meant anything to him, all he saw them as was a way to combat his boredom, and all he did was further fuel her rage and push her past breaking point.

It truly felt as though she had lost control as she launched the contents of the bag at him, calling him every name under the sun, and she pursued him when he walked out of their bedroom and headed for the gallery. She screamed at him to get out, hitting him, and the commotion prompted her parents to come racing out of their bedroom to see what was going on. It was only then, seeing them both, that he showed the slightest bit of remorse for his actions and the fact that he could be that way with them and not with her hurt her bitterly.

She still has no idea how she did it, but somehow – albeit rather incoherently at points – she managed to tell them what he had admitted to. She made them well aware of his solicitation and his lies and watched as her father began to tremble with fury. He refrained from shouting because – and it was probably something she should have thought about, truthfully – he knew the children would hear in the night nursery, but he wasted no time in approaching him and all but frogmarching him down the stairs. She crumbled to the ground then and the next thing she knew, her mother was sitting down at her side and drawing her warmly into her arms.

She has been so thankful for the support from both her parents these past couple weeks.

It would appear to some as though she was being hasty, deciding in that very moment she wanted to divorce Henry, but there was no chance she was going to try to make things work with him. She would never be able to trust him again. Of course, she thought about her children too. George has already lost one father and the thought of robbing him of another did, she admits, make her stop and think about things for a time, but her mind remained unchanged. She would much rather him grow up without a father around than have Henry for a role-model. She did quite well with him alone, she feels, in the years prior to Henry coming into their lives.

She does feel for Caroline though.

Of course, she is only two and her being so young will make it rather easy for her to adapt to these changes, but she adores Henry so much. Her face lights up every time he comes home from a long trip and she would likely spend every waking minute with him if she could. Telling her, along with George, a couple of days ago that Henry was gone and seeing her little face crumple broke her heart. At her age, she can't be expected to understand and there was no way she was going to tell her children everything, but it was clear George had a feeling she was hiding something. He is such an intelligent little boy; he was always going to pick up on that.

He seemed to get that it was far from something she wanted to elaborate on though, so he chose not to ask any questions and merely accepted what she had to say. He reminds her so much of his father in personality.

Matthew truly passed all the good in him onto their sweet boy.

She knows that the next couple of months are going to be trying for all three of them, what with her having applied for the decree nisi now, meaning things will happen rather rapidly, but they are going to survive this.

"Anna, do…" She pauses for a second. "Do you think I'm wrong to go out this evening?"

"Do you want me to say what I ought to say or do you want me to say what I think?" Anna asks.

"I want your real opinion." Mary admits.

Anna nods. "In my real opinion, then, I think you are well within your rights to go out for the evening if you like. No one can stop you and I doubt anyone would feel as though it would be wrong of you. I…I remember when Mr Bates and I were going through similar when we were engaged. He and I never managed to get the decree nisi in the end, but I remember how draining the whole thing was. You need to be kinder to yourself, M'Lady, you aren't the one to blame for this. You aren't the one who should feel bad about moving forward."

"He seems to think I am," She sighs. "He says the whole reason he did it was because I neglected him."

"You neglected him?" Anna scoffs. "If I'm speaking out of turn, forgive me, but he was the one always away."

"I know. I feel there is some truth to it though, I focus so much of my attention on the Estate…"

"Mr Talbot knew what he was getting himself into when you married, M'Lady, you were the agent long before that and you have always been passionate about the running of Downton. He admired that at one point. The only reason he's using that against you now is because he knows he did wrong but can't take responsibility."

Looking at her maid through the mirror, she smiles. "I appreciate that."

"Did you say you and Mr Barber are going to see The Gambler this evening?" Anna asks.

"Yes, the actual premiere for the public is tomorrow night, but he managed to get early access and asked if I wanted to go along with him," She tells her. "I'm actually looking forward to seeing how it all came together."

Anna hums. "I'm glad it all worked out in the end for him. He seems like a lovely man."

"Yes, he does," She agrees. "He certainly does…"

When they make their way through the foyer of the cinema and out to where his motorcar is still parked, she chuckles under her breath and the little smirk Jack gives her when she looks at him does nothing to dull her amusement. She tried her very hardest to focus on the plot, really she did, but all she could think about were all the slight mishaps that occurred during production. Molesley walking right into the scene being filmed at the foot of the stairs, Miss Dalgleish smashing the vase – which, luckily, had been a prop as she hoped – and then, to top it all off, her whole family returning home and waltzing right into the middle of yet another take.

He had to say cut so many times, how he maintained his sanity is still unknown to her.

He opens the passenger side door for her and waits for her to slip into the seat before closing it and walking around to the other side, the two of them sharing a look as he climbs in and shuts the door behind him. "So bad, it's laughable," He moves a hand through the air, feigning a headline. "Grand, should make us millions."

She fails to keep from laughing out loud at that, leaning back in her seat. "No, you made a masterpiece."

"It was you who saved it," He reminds her as he starts the car and pulls away from the curb, driving down the lamp lit street. "It was you who gave me the idea to change it to a talkie and then let us use your voice for it."

"More like I was manipulated into letting you." She teases.

"Manipulation? Me?" He feigns shock. "Not how I remember it at all, to be honest."

She hums in response. "So, you never said my helping you was the only way for you to continue with it all?"

"Oh, that…" He replies. "I prefer to see that more as good negotiation tactics rather than manipulation."

"Call it what you want, still the same thing." She laughs, reaching up to brush her hair gently from her face.

A comfortable silence falls for a time as he continues driving through the streets and she settles back in her seat, sighing as she looks out the window. She needed this tonight, Anna was correct as per usual. It was so nice to get out of the house for a couple hours, to not have to think about Henry or the divorce or any of the many other things she has going on in her life right now. Of course, tomorrow she'll be thrown straight back into reality, but this evening has given her a little glimpse of what her life is going to look like as soon as the divorce is settled. No more Henry, no more battling, she's going to be able to get on with her life once more.

The drive from Ripon back to Downton is a relatively short one and, before she knows it, they are coming to the little road that will take them to the front of the house. She smooths her hands down her skirt, hoping to make herself look a little more presentable before she goes inside, and she laughs as she recalls the look on Jack's face when her family came home once more. "You are not still laughing. Seriously." He chuckles softly.

"Sorry," She shakes her head. "Only, I keep thinking about the look on your face when my family walked in."

He rolls his eyes good-naturedly as he brings the car to a slow stop on the gravel. "Oh yes…"

"Papa likes his grand entrances, not sure if you could tell."

"Oh, I could tell, believe me."

Neither of them can hold back their laughter, their tiredness from their incredibly late evening undoubtedly making the whole thing seem funnier than it is in actuality, and he smiles when he looks her way once more. That same strand of hair has fallen into her face again and, without thinking, he reaches out to slip it behind her ear. Her eyes close the moment his hand makes contact with her skin and when she leans into his touch, no doubt unintentionally, something inside him comes to life. He lets his hand run tenderly down her cheek when she looks at him again, the loveliest brown eyes practically staring right into his soul, and he swallows.

Truthfully, it barely even registers in his mind that he is leaning in until his lips are merely inches from hers. He stops before he closes that last bit of distance though, remembering her response the last time he asked her if he could do this. She's not shied away from him and he can feel her breath trembling against his face, her lips slightly parted in anticipation, but he still feels the need to ask. "Can I kiss you?" He murmurs gently.

"Yes…" Her response leaves her as a single breath.

He captures her lips with his then, the kiss warm and slow, and when he feels her relax he brings his hand to the side of her neck. His thumb runs across her cheek and he makes a sound in the back of his throat when he feels her bury a hand in his hair, still meeting him kiss for kiss. He feels her tongue against his bottom lip before long and even though, deep down, he wants to give in more than anything, he also wants to take this slow and make sure both of them are on the same page. He wants to be sure she wants this as much as him.

Running his thumb across her cheek again, he kisses her tenderly once more before pulling back only to rest his forehead against her own. Their hot breath mingles, their chests heaving as they attempt to regain some control of their breathing, and when his eyes open again he lets out something of a chuckle at the shy smile on her face. "Doth mine eyes deceive me or is the honourable Lady Mary blushing?" He manages to tease her.

"Well, Mr Barber, when you kiss a girl like that…" She pants.

He moves away from her a little once their breathing has evened out to a degree, both of them now slightly more capable of forming a coherent thought. "Okay…" He starts, leaning back in his seat while she does the same in her own. "Last time I came, I asked if I could kiss you and you refused. What…uhm…what changed?"

Feeling rather ashamed to admit it, though she's unsure why given she knows she has done nothing wrong, she bites her lip and looks away from him. "Henry and I are getting a divorce," Her voice is so quiet she's not entirely sure he heard her initially, but when she looks at him again and sees the look on his face she can tell he did. "I found out when he last came home that he was using those stupid rallies of his to be unfaithful to me. He thought he had a better chance of getting away with it if it happened in another country, I suppose. I had my suspicions for a while, but…but I was still unprepared for him to admit to it with such little remorse."

"Oh, Mary…"

"His admission meant the decree nisi was easy enough to obtain. I only need the decree absolute now."

"And how long do you think that will take?" He inquires.

"I have a hard time remembering how it all works, but I think I remember Murray telling me I have to wait six weeks from obtaining the decree nisi before I can apply for the decree absolute." She admits, sighing deeply.

He reaches out and takes hold of the hand settled upon her knee. "I want to help you."

She smiles sadly. "I wish you could."

"I may not be able to do anything in a legal aspect, but I can be here to help make things easier for you and give you someone to talk to if needed." He points out while smoothing his thumb gently across her knuckles.

"Is that what that was then? You letting me know you're here to lend an ear?" She manages to tease.

His cheeks heat up as he chuckles. "Mary, I am mad about you. I have been since the day I met you, honestly. You are the most incredible woman I have ever known and by far the most unique. I care about you so much, I do, and I know I have no right to admit such a thing, but I want you more than I can put into words. I know this is the last thing you need right now though, me coming in here and making things more complicated for you than they already are, so I'm not entirely sure…"

Her lips against his keeps him from being able to complete his sentence and he hums into her mouth, lifting a hand to her hair and curling it into the short dark strands. She allows it to linger for several long moments, but eventually pulls away from him and there is the tiniest smirk in the corner of her mouth. "One thing you ought to know about me is that I prefer to be the one to decide what is the last thing I need," She confesses. "I know what you must think of me. You think my wanting you is nothing but an attempt to heal from all that has happened lately, but it is nothing of the sort. To me, my marriage has been done for longer than a year."

"One thing you ought to know about me," He repeats. "Is that I prefer to be the one to decide what I think…"

"And what do you think of me?" She asks him with a raise of an eyebrow.

"I think you felt abandoned when I was here directing The Gambler," He reached out to run a hand down her arm through her coat. "I think, when I asked to kiss you, you wanted to agree. You wanted to agree, but – to your credit – you looked beyond what you wanted and chose to honour the vow you made when you married. You did all that when, like you say, you were unable to even be sure Henry was doing the same while he was absent and I love you for that. You refuse to allow anything to stand in the way of you doing the right thing."

Moved, she has to blink back the tears that gather in the corners of her eyes. "Goodness, you do know me."

"I hope I get to learn everything there is to know about you in time," He brings his hand up to her cheek and runs the back of his palm down it, feeling the love he has for her deepen when she leans into his touch once again. "I love you, Mary. I love you, but I want you to take the time to think before we go further with things."

"And how will I let you know my decision when I make it?" Her brows knit together.

"I booked a room at The Swan in Ripon to save me the long drive back," He says. "You can reach me there."

She hums, nodding. "I promise not to leave you waiting too long."

"Take as long as you need," He shakes his head. "I'm not going anywhere."

Silently, she leans in and gives him a kiss on the cheek before turning in her seat to carefully open the door. "I should get to bed. Luckily, I told Anna to choose something simple for me to get out of to save her sitting up all night waiting," She chuckles at the thought, causing him to do the same. "I had an incredible evening."

"I did too," He assures her. "But, then again, time with you is time well spent."

"Mmm, trying to charm me back into this car is not going to work," She smirks. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." He gives her a slight wave.

She makes her way across the gravel towards the front door as he starts the engine up again, pausing on the doorstep to give him one last wave before he drives away and she enters the warmth of the house. Shutting the door behind her, she presses her back up against it and smiles to herself as she lets her eyes fall closed.

Jack told her to give herself time to think about her choice and, to humour him, she is going to give herself a couple days to properly think things through and come to a proper conclusion. She already knows what her choice is going to be though. He is a wonderful, honourable man. He was incredible with her children when he came to direct his talkie, allowing George and Caroline to look at all the equipment and watch the filming, and even when her son was asking him a million questions he was so patient. Of course, she wants to wait to introduce him to them as a potential suitor for a while. Putting this on them right now would be plain wrong.

Both of them need time to come to terms with the fact that Henry is gone for good and their lives have been altered. Well, can she really say that when Henry was barely ever home to begin with? She honestly isn't sure. It will still be a huge change for them, no longer having a father around, and expecting them both to accept Jack would be incredibly unrealistic. No, she wants to take things slowly and see how things go with her and Jack before she even thinks about telling her children about him. They are her main priority, now and always.

All that being said though, she has very high hopes for their future.

Very, very high hopes indeed.

A/N: Thank you so much for taking the time to read chapter one. I really had a lot of fun writing this - I just adore Jack and Mary together and need it to happen if we are ever blessed enough to receive a third movie - and I really hope you liked reading! I would be so grateful if you would take the time to leave a review to let me know what you thought. Thank you again and see you all soon!