Love Always

AKA the movie that doesn’t do much to further the plot except perhaps in one way

Let me start by saying, I love Downton Abbey, perhaps not as much as I did while seasons 1-3 were airing, but I still do love the show.  My intention of writing this is not to just hate on the movie.  

But let’s be real, nothing really happened in this movie.  The King and Queen announce their intention to visit.  They are all busy preparing.  They meet people who are rude and the staff stands up for themselves.  Edith is pregnant (I forget how they explain Marigold because her husband says our first child, but whatever).  Violet is dying (probably because Maggie Smith has publicly said Violet should have already died).  Tom has a possible new love interest.  Downton still stands.  The end.

I guess that’s the whole point, that regardless of what happens, Downton will still stand and the Crawley’s will adapt to the times while staying at Downton.  After all, really the plot of the first series (before it became more about the various love stories) was about how the lives of all the characters are shaped by Downton.  So if that was the goal of the movie, to reenforce this idea, good job.

If the point was to further the characters in a significant way to create more content, well, yeah.  Fail.  Did I enjoy it?  Sure.  It was fun to revisit that universe.  Moseley was still, you know, him and all his blundering glory.  Mary and Anna were still besties.  Violet and Isobel were still besties.  Hughes still doesn’t like that Carson is absolutely loyal to Mary.  The couples are as they left them.  Yeah, Tom has a new love interest, but meh.  They speak like 5 times and everyone sees wedding bells.  (Side note: when Henry finally reappears from the wilds of America in the 1920s, I honestly just imagined that it was Matthew doing those things.  Maybe that’s a sign that I’m over the angst that was Mary’s love life after S3.  Or maybe that’s a sign I’m still not over Mary and Matthew.  Given that I still write MM fanfic, its probably that.)

So, yeah.  That’s my take.  Do I love it?  Nope.  Do I hate it?  Nope.  Do I regret waiting for it to come on HBO before seeing it?  Nope.  Saved me money on a movie ticket.  Given that I don’t re-watch the show, I doubt I’ll rewatch the movie.  

I’m going to just enjoy the fanfic as I have been so I look forward to what anyone else still in this fandom is creating.

Lavinia looked around in awe.  The sun was hanging low in the sky, giving the scene the perfect backdrop.  "Isobel, you did a great job."  She looked to the woman at her side smiling.   "Thank you my dear.  It was my pleasure.  I enjoyed planning it."  "I have never been to such a good block party before."  Lavinia's boyfriend Rick smiled, wrapping his arm around her waist.  "Lavinia almost didn't tell me about it."  He squeezed her gently around the waist. "Yeah.  Me too."  Lavinia said weakly but with a smile. "Gran Izzy!"  A small voice shouted causing Isobel to look up. "Teddy!"  Isobel spied her grandson running towards her, full speed. "Gran!"  Isobel kneeled so she could wrap her arms around the small boy before he all but toppled her over with his momentum.   "Teddy!"  She pressed a kiss to his forehead before looking him over.  "Well, aren't you festive?"  His red, white and blue clothing matched that of the rest of the party goers.  "Daddy dress me.  Said we had to be patrot."  Lavinia stared down at the boy, her long dormant feelings resurfacing.  He looked almost identical to Matthew. It tugged on something she didn't know was still there.  Her children should look like that. "Patriotic."  Isobel corrected. "Yeah."  Teddy agreed, shrugging.  "Ellie didn't wanna." "Where is your sister?"  Isobel asked, looking up to see her slightly harried son approach. "Teddy, don't run off like that."  Teddy turned an apologetic smile to his father before holding out his arms.   "Up Daddy."  Matthew swooped the little boy up into his arms, settling him on his hip.  "Tank you."  Teddy patted his father's cheek in thanks causing Matthew's ire to fall away and allowing him to notice the people Teddy had run towards. "Hi Mother."  Matthew leaned in to kiss her cheek, conscious of Teddy clinging to him. "I didn't know you were coming!"  Isobel felt incredibly happy seeing her son.  "You should have called!" "Last minute thing.  The work that was keeping us home got rescheduled."  Matthew explained.  "Where is Mary?" Lavinia asked, pulling Matthew's attention to her.  She didn't notice Mary approaching, her eyes were solely on her old love. "Hi Lavinia."  Mary answered for Matthew as she came to stand at his side. "Hi."  Lavinia demurred, curling into Rick ever so slightly. "Gran!"  Elinor called out then, drawing the attention down to her.   "Elinor."  Isobel reached down for a hug which to girl rushed into.   "Like my dress?"  Elinor pulled out of the embrace and twirled causing the skirt to flare ever so slightly. "It's very pretty.  As are you."  Isobel tapped her nose and Elinor blushed at the compliment before taking Mary's hand.   Rick looked between the family and cleared his throat.  "I'm Rick."  He held out his hand and Matthew shook it. "Matthew."   "Oh, I'm sorry.  Rick, this is my son and daughter-in-law Mary and their two children Elinor and Teddy."  Mary appraised the man before nodding in greeting. "Nice to meet you all."  Rick sensed Lavinia tense next to him.  "I can't believe you guys almost didn't make it.  Isobel planned one hel-," Lavinia elbowed him, nodding to the children, "heck of a party." "Isobel, it really does look amazing." Mary praised, taking in the scene.   "Up Mommy."  Elinor tugged at the hem of Mary's dress. "You are getting too big for this Elle."  Mary sighed before lifting her.  Elinor ignored that, instead playing with her mother's loose hair. "So Teddy -"  Lavinia tried only to interrupted by the boy himself. "My name is Theodore."  He pouted before hiding his face in Matthew's neck. "Apologize."  Matthew admonished lightly rubbing his back.  A muffled sorry could be heard but he refused to lift his head from Matthew's neck. Matthew began to talk to him quietly, barely above a whisper as he walked off. "Elinor, that's a pretty dress."  Lavinia tried again, this time with more success. "It's like Mommy's."  Elinor rested her head against her mother's shoulder, as if bored with the conversation.   "It is."  Lavinia agreed noticing the similarities in the white sundresses.  "But why aren't you wearing red or blue?" "Cause Mommy's not."  Came her succinct answer as Lavinia almost felt chastised.  Elinor frowned as she stared. "We should go join your brother."  Mary interrupted before Lavinia could say anything more to upset her children.  Mary walked away without another word. "Rude."  Rick whistled under his breath and Isobel ignored it.   "I should have warned you about the name thing.  They are particularly sensitive to it."  Isobel withheld further comment about Rick's statement. "To people using their nicknames?"  Lavinia watched as Mary and Elinor approached Matthew and Theodore.   "To people outside their parents using them.  Teddy, I mean Theodore is okay with me using it but I can't use any of Elinor's." "Strange."  Lavinia looked towards the small family again, their faces were considerably brighter now that they weren't near them. "I don't understand it myself."  Isobel was forced to admit.  "I should go see about the fireworks."  She hurried off, leaving Lavinia alone with Rick. "I don't understand how someone that rude can come from as sweet as Isobel."   "He isn't rude."  Lavinia protested immediately.  Rick's eyebrows raised in suspicion.  "He isn't."   "Seemed rude to me.  His wife especially."  Rick tugged Lavinia to face him when it seemed she wanted to anything but that. "It's --"  Lavinia paused to find the right word to explain it.  "Complicated.  We have a long history." She looked down at her hands, knotting her fingers together.   "Daddy!"  A little girl shrieked in laughter and the resulting laugh caught Lavinia's attention.  It was Matthew, with Elinor, as he swung her around.  Lavinia couldn't help but acknowledge how right, how good the family of four looked together.  The name issue confused her though.   "Yeah, that is strange."  Rick agreed forcing Lavinia's eyes back to his. "What?"  She shook her head confused.   "The name thing.  You said it was confusing."   "I said that out loud?"  She blurted out before biting her lip.  "I just can't help but wonder.  I mean, they have nicknames.  Why can't anyone is them?"   "Because it's something we only usually use in the privacy of our own home or within our family."  Mary supplied as she came to stand beside her.  "I apologize for eavesdropping, but someone here had something to say."  She hustled her son forward. "I sorry Ms. 'Wire."  Teddy shuffled his feet against the asphalt. "I shouldn'ta been mean about my name." "That is perfectly alright Theodore.  I accept your apology."  Lavinia squatted down to meet his eye.  "Can you forgive me for using your nickname before asking if I could?"   "Yea."  He met her eye quickly before burying his face in the folds of Mary's dress.  Lavinia waited to see if the little boy would say anything but it became clear that he wasn't going to so she began to rise. "Thank you Lavinia.  And I'm sorry, I don't think we were properly introduced.  I’m Mary."  Mary held out her hand for Rick.  He took it with some hesitation before quickly retracting his hand.  Mary waited for one of them to speak, running her hand over Teddy’s hair as she stood beside the couple.  

“What’s an English lady doing celebrating the fourth of July?”  Rick broke the silence, draping his arm over Lavinia’s shoulders.  Mary resisted the urge to roll her eyes.  

“I’m with my family.”  She answered succinctly.  That caused Rick to roll his eyes.  Lavinia looked between the two, hunching her shoulders and then looking down at her hands.    

“Momma, I want a popsicle.”  Teddy broke the stalemate, tugging on the skirt of Mary’s dress.  Lavinia’s eyes automatically looked towards the little boy, and she had to blink back tears at the site of him.  In profile, he looked exactly as Matthew had as a child, with all that blonde hair and bright blue eyes.  

“Let’s go find one, shall we?  Gran Izzy must have one hidden away just for you.”  She took his hand in hers and began to guide him away.  “It was nice meeting you Rick.  Lavinia.”  Mary said as a farewell.  Lavinia muttered a quick “goodbye”, Rick just stood their silently and watched them go.  

“What a stuck up bit-”  Lavinia slapped her hand over Rick’s mouth to stop his comment.  He narrowed his eyes, but gave up as she removed his hand.  “Let’s get out of here.”  He tugged her in the opposite directly.  

She knew she shouldn’t have looked back; there was no good in looking back at them, but she couldn’t resist.  

She was sure that she would forever remember how they looked that day, the family of four sitting at a table, the children with slightly melted red-white-blue popsicles.  She couldn’t process the fact that Rick seemed to be getting annoyed at the attention she was paying to them, nor the fact that both Mary and Matthew seemed to notice that she was staring.  She couldn’t look away.  

July 2016

No one likes to think about their mortality.  Robert sure didn't.  Intellectually he knew he wouldn't live forever, but he didn't think he was at a point in his life where he needed to think of what would happen when he was gone.  That all changed at the worst dinner of his life.   Vomiting blood at a dinner party was one way to make headlines. He had never seen such horrified faces in all his life.  He was mortified even thinking about it.  It didn't help that there was lingering proof in the blood stained dress Cora had been wearing that night.  They were waiting to send it out to be cleaned, so now it hung on the back of the door in their bedroom as a constant reminder of that night.  A constant reminder of his own brush with death.   Who was going to have his title when he was gone?  He knew that Downton would be safe with Mary.  She loved the place as much as he did.  His title was another story.  He refused to be the Earl that let his title become extinct.  He had been raised to believe he only had two real jobs: 1) to maintain the integrity of his family's estate and 2) to ensure his family's legacy by passing down his title to his son.  He had failed in having a son to call his own, but he would be damned before he let the title die without a fight.   Since that infamous night, Cora had been keeping him bed bound, as if coddling him would make his ulcer disappear.  But she was off at one of her charity lunches so he was going to get out of bed and do something about this.  He wasn't content to stay in bed and stare at the proof of his own mortality anymore.  He was going to find his heir, even if it meant going around the world to do it. It took him longer than he cared to admit to get out of bed and to don his dressing gown.  Even longer to get down the stairs.  But eventually, he reached his office.  Picking up the phone, he called the one person who could help him. "Murray?  This is Robert Crawley.  I have something highly sensitive to ask of you." ------------------------- December 2016

It took six months before he got an answer.  Apparently, a fire at Downton a hundred years ago made a soggy mess of some of the family records so copies had to be located and then verified.  Robert didn't really ask, just signed the check to the genealogy experts who went to work tracing the family line back generations.   Now, sitting in Murray's office, waiting for the expert to arrive with the information he desperately needed to know, Robert couldn't sit still.  He tried not to let it show how anxious he was, but judging by the look on Murray's face as he sat across from him he wasn't all that successful.  It seemed like an eternity before the knock on the door from Murrary's assistant came, indicating that the genealogist had arrived. Introductions were quick and before he knew it Robert was staring at an updated family tree, the branches of the extended family filled out more than he had ever seen. "Lord Grantham, we had to trace back over 300 years to find a direct male heir that was still alive.  I think you'll find that you actually know him very well."  The genealogist pointed to a name at the bottom of the family tree and it took him a moment to notice the line that was drawn across the bottom to his own daughter's name.   "Matthew?  My daughter's husband Matthew is the heir?"  He had been preparing himself for the worst case scenario, not wanting to get his hopes up that it would be someone he wanted to be his heir.  "This is fantastic news!"  He looked to Murray who didn't seem to share his excitement but was pleased all the same.   "It does make everything with regard to the estate and the inheritance, much tidier."  Murray agreed. "Yes, yes.  But when they have a son, my grandchild will be the heir.  This is the best I could have hoped for."  Robert missed the other papers that Murray shuffled on his desk at that declaration.  He was too focused on staring at the proof that Matthew was his heir to say anything more.  "And my daughter will be the Countess.  Cora will be thrilled."   "With regard to Mary and Matthew, we don't believe there will be any issue with their marriage legally, seeing as they are eighth cousins.  But I wanted to make you aware."   "Yes, yes."  Robert repeated, still too excited to pay much attention to those concerns.  "I'll tell them that when I give them this fantastic news." ------------------------- Eight months earlier - April 2016 Mary stared at Matthew as he stretch out along their couch.  When he had changed out of his work clothes, he hadn't bothered to put on a shirt before joining her, not that she was complaining.  She sensed he did it with an alternative motive, as if she needed that extra motivation.  He wasn't looking at her, but as if sensing her staring, he stretched out, showing off just how toned he was before curling his arms behind his head to act as a make shift pillow.  Mary wasn't ashamed to admit, at least to herself, that she took the bait.   She closed the distance between them and settled herself across his chest, slipping one of her legs between his until she was pressed against him in every way she could without being indecent.  Matthew seemed to be expecting her coming to him, shifting in a way to make her more comfortable and then settling a hand on her back so he could trace his fingers up and down her spine.  She felt herself relaxing at the movement, her eyes becoming harder to open with each and every blink.  "You're making me sleepy." She complained, but her eyes remained closed as she spoke.  Matthew huffed out a laugh and she felt it beneath her cheek where is was resting on his chest.  "I had meant to talk to you."  She continued.   "Mmh.  About what?"  Matthew didn't stop running his fingers up and down her spine, his free hand finding hers and linking their fingers together.   "Do you want kids?"  It came out as more of a murmur.  Matthew's hand stilled momentarily at the question before continuing on its course. "Of course.  Just tell me when."  He pressed a kiss to her hair, tugging her closer to him.  Mary had known that's how we would respond; it's how he responded every time children were mentioned.  What he didn't say was that he was waiting for her to be ready and for that she was grateful.  After all they had gotten married young.  She hadn't been ready to be a mother at 22, but now, five years later, she knew it was the right time to start trying. "How would you feel about now?"  She replied and his reaction was immediate.  His hand stopped stroking her back, the other tightened its grip on her own. "Mary."  He said in a mixture of shock and wariness.   "I stopped my birth control last week."  She explained, sitting up slightly to meet his eye. "I'm not pregnant.  I just thought it might be the right time to start.  Trying that is."  His face was inscrutable as she spoke, his eyes flickering down to their joint hands before meeting her eyes again.   The next thing she knew, his lips were pressed to her as he flipped them, pressing her down into the couch cushions as he hovered over her.  "Are you sure?"  He was out of breath, but he was smiling. "Definitely."  She couldn't help her own smile which was sure matched his own.  "But I have a few rules."   "Alright, let's hear them."  He nodded and brushed his lips against her cheek.   "No talk about getting pregnant each time we have sex.  I don't want us to feel like we are only trying to make a baby." "Agreed."  He pressed another kiss to her skin, this time to her neck. "No mentioning this to the family.  If they know, that's all they will talk about every time we see them." "Definitely agree with that one."  Again, he kissed her, moving lower to the hollow of her neck.   Mary opened her mouth to speak again, but her voice cut off with a gasp as Matthew continued to pepper her with kisses, moving down from her neck and across her collarbone.   "Any more rules?"  Matthew murmured between kisses.  Mary threaded her fingers through his hair and tugged lightly to get his attention back on her face." "I'll think of some more later."  She reached up to fuse their lips together, forgetting about the rules.   ------------------------- November 2016 "I would get sick just as you need to head out of town."  Mary complained as she watched Matthew pack from her position in bed.  She had woken up nauseous all week, thanks to Sybil and whatever stomach flu she had the week before.  "That's the last time I try to nurse one of my sisters back to health."  Matthew just looked at her in amusement as he folded a shirt before placing it in his luggage.  "This is all Sybil's fault."  Mary continued, propping herself up against the headboard.   "I thought Sybil just had a case of food poising after she ate that questionable Thai food the other night?"  Matthew asked as he disappeared into the closet to grab some more clothing.   "Obviously she didn't since now I am feeling poorly."  She rolled her eyes. "Have you considered --" Matthew began but Mary cut him off. "Don't even think about uttering those words, Matthew Crawley."  Mary's posture went from relaxed to tense in an instant.   Matthew but his lip to keep from smirking at his wife.  After all he had agreed to not mention the possibility of her being pregnant as one of her rules when they began trying, and he had been fairly good about not breaking that rule.  But he had been watching her for signs that she could be pregnant since that first month and now it seemed like all the evidence was adding up. However, if Mary wanted to bury her head in the sand a little while longer, he could wait.  For a little bit longer.  At least until he was back from his business trip in two weeks, but he suspected she'd finally admit it by then.  After all, if his calculations were right, she was almost six weeks along already.   "You're making a mess of everything." Mary interrupted his internal monologue, bumping his hip lightly with her own to move him out of the way.  "I thought by now you'd know how to pack a suitcase."   "This coming from the woman who had staff pack and unpack her bags her entire life."  Matthew joked, but he still moved to the side, taking a seat at Mary's vanity as she refolded his clothing and set it in his suitcase.  Mary didn't even bother to respond, but he could see her eyes rolling in exacerbation.   "Are you sure you'll be alright on your own?  I could call mother and she could stay with you until you feel better."  As much as he knew all the symptoms she was exhibiting were normal for pregnancy, he still didn't like the idea of Mary feeling ill and him not being around to help her.   Mary abandoned packing the bag and moved to stand in front of him, her hands on his shoulders.  His hands automatically reached her her waist, tugging her closer until she was standing in the v of his legs.  "I'll be fine," she assured him, "just, if you have the chance to come home early, take it."   "Absolutely."  He agreed easily.  Due to their height difference with him sitting, he took advantage and pressed a kiss to her stomach.  He heard her huff of exacerbation at his action, but when he stood to properly kiss his wife, he saw she was smiling.   -------------------- Present day - December 2016 Robert couldn't wait to tell the family the news.  He had hoped to use the next weekly family dinner to do so, but Matthew was out of town for work for two weeks so he held off.  He figured he should tell his heir first before he told the rest of his family.  And then when Matthew was finally home, Mary was feeling poorly so they both were absent.  As much as he wanted to shout this exciting news from the roof tops, he comforted himself with knowing that he knew his heir well.  But finally, Mary and Matthew were here for dinner and he couldn't wait any longer.   "Mary, Matthew!"  Robert greeted them as they walked through the front door.  He accepted his daughter's kiss on the cheek and Matthew’s handshake before ushering them quickly away from the door.  "We are still waiting on your sisters, so would you two mind joining me in my study for a few moments?  I have something I want to discuss with you."  He didn't give them much choice as he steered the pair into his study and away from the lounge where Cora sat talking on the phone with someone.   "Is everything alright, Papa?"  Mary seemed concerned.  Instead of taking the seats Robert gestured to she rounded on him, meeting his gaze head on.  "What's this all about?"   "Have a seat, have a seat." He brushed her concern aside, reaching for the drink cart and pouring himself a pre-dinner drink.  "Mary, Matthew?"  He held up the decanter as an offer.  They both refused so he took a generous sip from his glass and took the seat in front of them.  "I have some news about my future heir."   Mary and Matthew looked at each other quickly before turning back to Robert.  "I'm inheriting Downton, Papa."  Mary responded.   "No, no.  I know that."  He waved his hand around in agreement.  "I meant the heir to my title.  The next Earl of Grantham."  He didn't notice the way that Matthew reached out for Mary's hand or the way her skin paled.  "After Patrick, I thought the male line was extinct.  His father James is older than me and not likely to have any more children.  Actually, last I heard he was in hospital for something. And after that incident at dinner months ago, I knew I needed to redouble my efforts to find him."  Mary and Matthew said nothing, just continued to stare at him.   "It's you, Matthew."  Robert didn't know what he expected their response to be, but it wasn't silence.  "You are the next Earl of Grantham." The silence dragged on as Robert waited for Matthew to say something, anything really.  Instead, Matthew looked to Mary causing Robert to do so as well.  Her face was free of any expression as she stared back at Matthew.   "Your mother is here, Robert."  Cora called through the study door, finally breaking the silent stalemate that had fallen over the three of them.  Robert stood, shuffling the papers he had meant to show them in his hands before setting the pile down in front of the couple.   "Why don't you take a look at these?  And if it's alright with you Matthew, I hope to announce this to rest of the family during dinner tonight."  It was impossible to miss the hopeful expression on Robert's face.  Matthew looked between his father-in-law and his wife, unsure what to do. Mary had yet to react forcing Matthew to make a decision.   "Of course."  Matthew ended up agreeing.  The sound of his agreement finally caused Mary to turn towards Matthew, with her expression now hidden in a placid mask.   "Sounds lovely, Papa."  She agreed robotically. "Brilliant!"  Robert clapped his hands together in excitement.  "See you two out there."  He left the room, a decided bounce in his step that left silence in its wake.  Matthew didn't know what to say to Mary and Mary seemed content not to speak.   After a minute of silence from his normally opinionated wife, he couldn't take it anymore.  "What are you thinking?"  He reached out for her hand where it was resting in her lap.  He was encouraged when her fingers automatically interlocked with his own.   "I'm pregnant."  Instead of the happy tone Matthew expected when he thought about how Mary would tell him, it was stated as a fact, as if it were a bad one at that.   "I know," Matthew found himself whispering in response.  "I'm, well, words can't describe how happy I am." "How did you know?  I didn't know myself until yesterday."  She met his eye, and while she still seemed off, like a muted version of her normal self, it was better than the blank expression she had been giving off only moments before.  He just smiled and leaned in to brush a kiss to her lips.  "I just did."   "Well, I'm confirming it now," she raised an eyebrow at him, "because this news changes things." "No it doesn't."  He automatically disagreed. "It does.  We are cousins.  We are related."  Her hand fell instinctually to her still flat abdomen.  "What if he comes out with some rare disease?  Isn't there a genetic phenomenon that when family members marry amongst themselves, their offspring have all these terrible, rare diseases?" Matthew was surprised at the turn of Mary's thoughts.  "We aren't that related.  We're like eight generations apart.  I think that's enough apart to spare our offspring.  Children."  He added at the end, feeling weird calling his children 'offspring'. He grabbed the copy of the updated family tree Robert had left for them to look at and began to count. "Nine generations actually. According to this. I think I feel confident that the baby will be okay. And I am not your cousin." "Well, when he is born with webbed feet, we can just tell him its okay, we aren't truly related." Mary stood, smoothing her dress down from the creases the developed from sitting. Matthew rolled his eyes, standing as well. "The baby won't have webbed feet." He led her to the study door so they could join the rest of the family, but just before opening it he turned to steal a kiss. "But if you are truly concerned we can ask the doctor when we see them for the first scan." He leaned down for another kiss, but it was cut short as he began to laugh. "You know, when I imagined you telling me you were pregnant, I didn't think it would come in a conversation where you were worried that he or she would have webbed feet." Mary just rolled her eyes, but found herself chuckling as well. "We still don't know he won't." She retorted quickly. "You say he, like you know it's a boy. I think I quite like the idea of having a girl, a mini you." Matthew was so wrapped up in his own imagination of having a daughter that he didn't see Mary's smile quickly turn to a frown at his words or hear her mutter “I'd rather have a boy.  Boys have it much easier.”  "Mary! Matthew! Come out of the study!" Sybil shouted from outside the door. "Stop making out and join us at the table! Mama won't let is eat without you!" Sybil's words spurred them into action, finally opening the door and making their way to the dinning room. Matthew stepped into the room first and Mary paused at the threshold. Looking down at her flat stomach, she laid a hand gently over the area that would soon show evidence of their news and sighed. "I pray you are a boy." She murmured quietly. Taking a deep breath, she repeated those words in her mind as she joined the rest of her family. The baby had to be a boy, there was no other option. Not now, not with this latest news. 

Growing up as she had, Mary felt like she had built a pretty good radar for detecting insincerity in people.  The first time she was ever aware of it was when Anthony tried to get close to her to get to her father.  She had ignored it at the time, but she remembered the instinct that told her not to trust him.  In the ten years since that incident, she had learned to trust her instincts.  And her instinct right now was telling her not to trust this Edna woman.  When Matthew had reappeared in their bedroom after only moments earlier leaving to greet his friend, she knew something was up.  All she had to do was raise one eyebrow and Matthew blurted it out. “Tom’s girlfriend is here.  She tagged along after she found out his plans.”  Mary didn’t even try to suppress her groan at the news.  She knew what that meant and she forced Matthew to help her out of bed. So that’s how she found herself seated across from the girlfriend, who she now knew was named Edna.“Your home is just so lovely.”  Edna gushed as she accepted a cup of coffee from Sybil.  "It’s just feels so warm.“  Edna paused to take a sip of her drink and Sybil met Mary’s gaze, rolling her eyes.  Mary didn’t have the chance to respond before Edna was speaking again.  "I hope it’s alright that I joined Tom when he visited.  When I heard he was coming here, I just had to tag along and meet you two.  He speaks so highly of Matthew and he values his friendship so much.  I hope we can be friends as well.” Edna was all but ignoring Sybil, her focus firmly on Mary.  “Tom and Matthew seem to have a lot in common.”  Mary said, ignoring the rest of her statement.  “Tom is brilliant at Call of Duty.”  Sybil interjected, saving Mary from having to say anymore.  Edna finally tore her gaze from Mary to look at the younger sister.  "He almost beat me last time.“  Sybil laughed lightly."I detest those games.  Too violent.”  She shook her head, and then immediately glancing back towards Mary to see her reaction.  Mary had none.  She kept her expression free of any expression.  Edna didn’t seem to notice as she continued to look around the spacious room.  “So, what do you do Edna?”  Sybil asked, hoping to break the uneasy silence that had fallen amongst them.  “I’m an executive assistant.”  She said proudly.  Her eyes darted to Mary again, face hopeful.  Again, Mary remained unenthusiastic, but she could see the desire for approval clear in the other woman’s expression.  

Mary checked her appearance in the bathroom mirror one last time before flicking off the light and entering her bedroom.  She had chosen her attire for bed with particular care and she needed to make sure it looked as good as she hoped it would.  She hated that she had resorted to wearing lingerie to bed in order to get Matthew's attention, but it needed to be done.  In the past, all she had needed to do was look at him and he would be all over her, but now, nothing.  He would kiss her goodnight and then roll over so his back was to her and go to sleep.  It had been happening for a week now, and with each passing day, she was growing more frustrated.  This was her last resort.  (Well, technically, sleeping nude would be the last resort, but since they were currently living at her parents' home until work was done on their flat, she was going to hold off.  She wasn’t that desperate.  Yet.) Matthew was already in bed when she stepped in the room, sitting up against her head board as he stared at something intently on his phone.  As she walked towards the bed, he didn't even acknowledge her, stoking her simmering frustration even further, but she bit her tongue lest she say something that defeated the entire purpose of her attire.   "Must be fascinating."  She said, hoping it came off as teasing more than snarky.  She wanted his attention, but she didn’t want an argument.   "What's that?"  Matthew finally looked up.  His eyes widened briefly as he noticed her attire, before returning to the screen in his hands.  It wasn't the response she hoped for, but it was something.  He hadn't gone off her at least.  Grabbing her lotion, she began to rub it into her skin, slower than what she'd normally do.  There was a part of her that felt absurd for doing all this, but it seemed that Matthew was taking notice, glancing over at her every few seconds.   "What are you looking at?"  She left the question vague and Matthew colored slightly.  She was asking about what was on his phone but if her took it another way, she wasn't about to complain. "Recent verdict on a case similar to one of mine."  He gave up the pretext of looking at his phone as she slipped into bed next to him, turning on her side to turn off the light and revealing the back of her ensemble, or more notably to lack of one.  "Work stuff."  Matthew mumbled as she turned back to face him.  "Mmhm."  She hummed, moving so that he continue to stare at her. "Mary."  His voice was stern.  She blinked up at him from her spot resting against the pillows on the bed.  "Stop." She pondered how to respond; should she play dumb or own up to it?  Playing dumb didn't appeal to her so the latter it was.  "Why?"   "Why are you teasing me?"  He banged his head back against the headboard softly in frustration.   "I'm not."  She denied.  Normally she would have crossed her arms, but that would have defeated the purpose of her wearing this uncomfortable garment, covering up all that it was meant to display.

"Are the appliances new?"  Mary asked the realtor, running her hand over the shiny granite of the kitchen countertop.  Matthew watched as the Mary inspected the room with a critical eye only seeming to half listen to the realtor as she droned on and on.  This was the fifth flat she had shown them and Matthew's interest had all but evaporated by the third.  To him, all these places were too much for one person, both in size and more importantly price.  

For the life of her, Edith would never understand her older sister.  

They were never destined to be close growing up as they did.  With all that had happened since, she wasn't holding out expectations that it would get better either.  It was true that with age, they had grown to tolerate each other better.  They both confined their exasperation at the other to eye rolls and huffs rather than snarky comments (most of the time), but it was an improvement.  Neither of them would ever be labeled the 'nice sister’ after all.  That title was reserved solely for Sybil. That being said, she was still confused as to how Mary was able to be with someone as kind and nice as Matthew.  She had no doubt that Mary had told him all about their past squabbles and fights, and surely he took her side, but he had never been anything but kind to her.  He even so much as diverted Mary's ire away from her when a fight was brewing between them.  So how on Earth were Mary and Matthew still together?  Whenever she saw them together, they were usually arguing about something.  Honestly, it's like they didn't agree on anything at all with the way they argued.   That's what she was thinking when she re-tweeted a quote from someone that seemed to fit Mary and Matthew perfectly.  In her tweet, she didn't exactly say she was thinking of Mary and Matthew when she read it, but she alluded to it.  Her followers seemed to realize this and jumped on it, hungry as they were for info about Mary.  (She also didn't understand that, but that was a different issue altogether.) So when Matthew approached her about it, she was a little bit surprised.  Mostly because she was under the impression that both Mary and Matthew were oblivious to her work.  Then again, in retrospect, she shouldn't have been. -------------------- "Edith?"  Matthew called from the doorway to her room.  She looked up from her laptop where she was editing her next video to see him looking at her with a serious expression. "Can I speak with you for a moment?" "Oh."  She was surprised.  He had never really sought her out before, one-on-one.  "Yeah, sure."  She waved him in and gestured for him to sit.  His expression never changed, causing a pit of mild anxiety to form in her stomach.  "What, um, is there something you needed?"   He waited to speak as he crossed the room and sat in the chair she had offered to him.  "It's about your latest tweet.  I would like it if you would delete it.  Mary and I both would actually."   "You're here about my Twitter post?"  She couldn't help how her voice raised with surprise.  "I didn't even know you knew about it." "You spoke about it just the other night."  He said it like it should be obvious.  "At dinner."  He was right, she had to admit.  She had been telling them about how she just got verified.   "Right.  Right.  I just...don't you hate social media?"  She vaguely remembered him saying that.   "Mary hates it.  I, well, I just don't particularly find it helpful."  He explained, shrugging his shoulders slightly.   "Oh."  She didn't know how to respond and she just stared at him silently until she realized why they were having this conversation in the first place.  "I'll delete it." She assured him, pulling up her Twitter account on her phone.   "Thanks."  He stood, finally smiling.  "By the way, I don't know if I said it before but congratulations on being verified."   "Thanks Matthew."  She should have left it at that.  She knew that; but sometimes her mouth acted without her brain.  “I didn’t mean to offend you.  With the tweet I mean.  I was just pointing out the obvious.”  

Matthew had been walking to the door when she spoke and her latest statement seemed to make him stop short.  He turned back to face her, his brow furrowed before smoothing out as he seemed to settle on something.  “Edith, I know you think you know what you are talking about, but I can honestly say, you know nothing about my relationship with your sister.”  He turned on his heel and leaving her room quickly after that.  As a result, Edith didn’t have to muffle her scoff of disbelief.

--------------------

It was an accident.  Edith swore it was.  She didn’t realize that the camera had been on.  She had plugged it in to charge as she was watching TV and forgot it there when she left to do something else.  Now she had twelve hours of recording to sort through and no desire to do it.  

As she fast forwarded through the footage, she cursed her stupidity.  She had hours of video of an empty room.  Such as waste.  She was about to just delete the rest without looking when Mary and Matthew came into the shot; so of course she pressed play.  They were in the middle of a conversation but it was so faint she had to turn up the volume full blast to hear them at all. "I can't believe you got me to see that film."  Mary scoffed, but Edith noted that she was smiling.