I wanted to do something special for MM Celebration Day on Tumblr, so I decided to create a one-shot that continues my modern AU fic "Falling." This story is set after Mary and Matthew have been married for about two years. I've debated continuing the story after I finish "A Good Argument," so this will be a start at least.

Beware of a few spoilers for "A Good Argument" and "Falling," if you haven't read them. And then go read them. :)

Downton Abbey is the property of Julian Fellowes, I've simply commandeered his characters. Downton quotes are italicized.

Enjoy!

Chapter One

"Mary, I know you and Matthew are busy, so I hate to ask you this, but would you mind watching Clara tomorrow afternoon?"

Sybil's plea caused Mary to press her lips together. She was grateful her youngest sister couldn't see her face over the phone.

"I don't know, Sybil," she replied after a moment's hesitation. "I have an article I'm working on and I know Matthew brought home some work from the firm." And she wasn't too keen on watching a two-year-old. Mary knew she wasn't exactly good with children.

"Oh, please," Sybil entreated, her voice becoming more panicked over the phone. "Tom has to go to this blasted, I mean silly, work event and he won't go alone. It's so last minute, I don't think I could find a sitter for her."

As Mary debated her sister's request, her own husband walked into the room, a towel around his waist that indicated he'd just showered.

"Who are you talking to?" Matthew asked, walking over to the refrigerator and peering inside.

"Sybil," Mary murmured to him. "Hold on, let me talk to Matthew and I'll call you back."

"You're a darling," Sybil said.

Mary hung up, Matthew turning to her as he munched on some cold pizza.

"What are you going to talk to me about?" he asked through a bite of pizza. Mary wrinkled her nose at his comfortably barbarous habits.

"Sybil asked if we could watch Clara tomorrow. Apparently she and Tom have some work party they can't get out of," Mary informed him.

"Sounds like fun," Matthew said honestly, causing Mary to frown. "What's with the look?"

"I don't know if we'll be any good at watching a baby," she said. The idea made her anxious just thinking about it, causing her to wring her hands together nervously.

"Oh, come on, she's your niece," he replied, setting his pizza slice on a napkin before moving towards Mary. "Our niece," he corrected with a smile as he wrapped his arms around her. "You've been around children before."

"Yes, but not as the sole responsible adult," Mary said in a tense voice. "And what do you even do with two-year-olds?"

"They play," Matthew said gently, his lips pressing into her hair. "And you play with them. I assure you, they're very skilled at making up games on their own."

Mary sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "Matthew, you know how I feel about children. And how they feel about me," she said in a small voice, pulling out of Matthew's embrace and crossing the room to sit on the sofa.

Matthew watched her sit down, his face falling. He knew Mary said she didn't want children and he almost believed her when they were alone. But every time he looked at her face when they saw parents playing with their kids in the park, or visited Sybil and Tom's and saw Clara interact with them, or watched Sybil's abdomen grow each week with another baby, he knew she was only putting up a front. She wanted a child, but she was afraid. Afraid that something would happen to take them away or that the child wouldn't take to her as she wanted. Afraid Matthew would be the preferred parent or that she wouldn't know what to do.

"Clara adores you," Matthew said after a stint of silence. He approached her, seating himself on the arm of the sofa. Mary scoffed and he reached out to give her shoulder a squeeze. "If only you'd give her the chance, you'd see that."

"She always seems afraid of me," was Mary's reply.

"She's just shy," Matthew insisted. "She only needs a chance to get to know you better."

"Do you promise to help me if I say yes?" Mary asked, meeting his eyes.

Matthew smiled, leaning down to kiss the tip of her nose. "But of course. What are husbands for?" he questioned.

Mary pressed her lips together. "Numerous things, I believe," she quipped, her fingers tracing over the exposed skin at his waist.

"More than just that," he replied with a chuckle as Mary leaned up, kissing him hard on the mouth. "Don't you need to tell Sybil we'll do it?" he asked, tearing himself away from her lips.

"I'll text her later," Mary said, reaching her hands up to rest them on Matthew's cheeks, attempting to pull his lips back to hers.

"Call your sister back," he instructed, slipping out of her reach. "I'm going to get dressed."

"Spoilsport," Mary muttered, reaching for her mobile phone as she watched Matthew retreat to their bedroom. He slipped off the towel before he disappeared inside, causing Mary to shout a few swear words at his exposed backside before turning her attention to her mobile. She heard Matthew laugh as she brought the phone to her ear, waiting for Sybil to answer the call.

Matthew watched from the armchair, feeling rather helpless as Mary tidied up the flat, hiding sharp objects in drawers and covering the corners of the end tables with some plushy fabric in the hopes of keeping Clara from injuring herself. The Bransons were set to arrive in only a few minutes time and Mary was frantic. Matthew saw his wife's visible stress and it pained him.

"Darling, please, stop worrying. We'll watch Clara closely and she's almost three and quite intelligent. Not even a child of Tom's would mistake flowers for food," Matthew said as she attempted to find a higher spot for the shrub that usually sat by the window.

Mary looked up, taking a few deep breaths. "I just don't want anything to happen to her," she replied tersely.

"And nothing will," he replied, reaching his hand out to her. "Everything will be fine, you'll see. Now come and kiss me."

Mary smiled in spite of herself, approaching his chair. Matthew pulled her into his lap and kissed her, enjoying the sensation of her fingers tangled in his hair. There was a knock on the door and Mary pulled away, her shoulders tensing once more as she got to her feet. Matthew stood with a sigh, following her to the door.

"Sorry we're late," Sybil apologized, stepping forward to kiss Mary's cheek, her ever-swelling abdomen bumping against Mary. Tom stood behind her, his arms full holding his daughter and a bulky bag containing probably every toy she possessed.

"You're right on time," Mary corrected. Matthew could already hear the caution in her voice, causing him to reach out and rub her back. She cast an apprehensive glance his way and Matthew offered her a reassuring smile.

"This one is a bit of a grump today," Tom warned them as they moved inside. "Aren't you, my wee babby?" Clara responded by burying her face in her father's collar. Tom kissed her dark curls, giving the other adults an exasperated look.

"She woke up when we took her out of the car," Sybil explained. "But she already took a nap today, so she really didn't need another one. There's a change of clothes in the bag as well as anything she could possibly need. Like I said yesterday, if she gets hungry, she likes peanut butter and bananas, but she'll literally eat anything that's edible."

"A human garbage disposal, just like her Da," Tom said proudly. Clara gripped his collar tighter, as though anticipating her parents would depart at any moment.

"So that's where all my food went at uni," Matthew teased as Tom carried Clara over to the sofa.

"Well, so you know it tasted like shi-" Tom began, but Sybil glared at him, anticipating he was about to swear. "It tasted bad." He ruffled Clara's curls affectionately.

"We should get going," Sybil said. "Call us if something happens. We'll be back sometime after ten."

"Be good for your auntie and uncle," Tom instructed Clara, kissing her forehead before getting to his feet.

"Da!" Clara protested, her eyes filling with tears as she tried to wrap her arms around Tom's legs as he moved away.

"She'll be fine," Sybil insisted as Mary shot her a worried look. "She won't cry for long."

Sensing Mary's anxiety, Matthew stepped toward Clara, leading the small girl over to the sofa. "Clara, why don't you show me what you brought for us to play with," Matthew said in a voice that soothed Mary as well as Clara.

"Thanks again," Sybil said, kissing Mary's cheek before disappearing out the door with Tom.

With a sigh, Mary shut the door behind her sister, locking it in case Clara got any ideas about following after them. Mary approached the sofa, her heart warming slightly as she watched her husband interact with their niece. Clara's tear-stained face brightened as Matthew removed a plush toy lion from her bag, imitating the lion's roar.

"What's your lion's name, Clara?" Matthew asked, bumping the toy's nose against the small girl's.

"Sybbie," Clara said with a small laugh, wiping at her face.

"And who named her that?" Matthew asked, his face more animated than usual.

"It was Da," Clara replied, glancing up at Mary who forced herself to smile warmly.

"Did he name it after your mama?" Mary ventured, settling herself on the corner of the sofa.

Clara laughed as if that was a silly question. "Sybbie isn't her name. Her name is Ma," Clara replied, taking the toy lion in her arms and hugging it to her chest.

"Ah, I see," Mary said as Matthew unloaded the rest of Clara's toys. He set a few Disney movies on the coffee table and Clara picked up one of the DVDs, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the cover.

"Can we watch, Auntie?" she asked, directing her question to Mary. She looked at the cover, recognizing the film about the ice queen.

"Of course we can," Mary agreed.

Clara smiled, setting the movie back down as she investigated all the toys that had come with her. As this occurred, Matthew's mobile began to ring.

"It's not Tom, is it?" Mary wondered, feeling inadequate, as though her sister didn't trust her to watch her child.

"No, it's the firm," Matthew said, checking the caller I.D. He offered her a sympathetic look, getting to his feet. "I'll just be a minute."

Mary looked rather panicked as he disappeared into their bedroom to answer the call. Feeling as though she'd been abandoned, she frowned. Clara looked up at her, her eyes pooling with tears as she saw her aunt's face. Noticing this, Mary adopted a smile again, settling herself on the floor beside the girl.

"What else did you bring?" she queried. Clara smiled, handing the toy lion to Mary so she could explain all her other treasures.

"This is Isis," Clara said, holding up a stuffed toy dog. "Grandpapa gave it to me at Christmas, I think. And this is Bunny." Mary recognized the plush rabbit she and Matthew had given Sybil at the baby shower before Clara was born. "I love Bunny best."

"And why is that?" Mary asked, touched for some reason by Clara's words.

"Bunny is as old as I am," Clara replied matter-of-factly. "We're cousins."

"Who gave you Bunny?"

Clara shrugged, wandering over to sit on Mary's lap without any cause. She brushed her small fingers over the rabbit's long ears, leaning her head against Mary's shoulder. Mary felt her breath catch in her throat, all her fears about Clara washing away with one small gesture. She rumpled Clara's dark hair, watching as she began to play with the dog and rabbit toys.

Matthew emerged from the bedroom, slipping his mobile back into his pocket as he approached them.

"What did they want?" Mary asked, noticing a pleased smile on Matthew's face. He sat himself on the couch behind her, his leg pressing against her shoulder.

"Milt just had a question about one of our client files. Apparently he couldn't read my writing," Matthew replied, gently massaging Mary's neck with his fingers.

"Tell him to join the club," she retorted, her eyes on Clara as she handed a toy to Matthew.

"I see you girls are getting on well without me," Matthew said, taking the stuffed dog. "It's almost is if you don't even need me."

"Boys," Clara said, with an eye roll that could have rivaled one of her aunt's.

"Yes, Clara, you're quite right," Mary replied, shooting Matthew a playful look. "Boys."

He laughed, offering some wounded dog noises in retaliation. "What do you want to do today, Miss Clara?" Matthew asked, pretending the dog was licking the little girl's face.

"Auntie said we could watch my movie," Clara said, wrinkling her nose in a way that reminded Mary so much of Sybil as a child.

"Well, if Auntie said that, then who am I to argue?" Matthew asked, looking through the selection on the table. "Which one?"

Clara sprung to her feet, pushing Matthew's hands away in order to grab the movie she wanted to watch. "This!" she insisted, shoving it into Matthew's hand. "Can we have a snack while we watch?"

"Naturally," Matthew said, getting to his feet in order to set up the film. "Why don't you and Auntie Mary pick it out?"

Clara gave Mary's hand a gentle tug, encouraging her to get to her feet. Mary smiled, following Clara into the kitchen. The little girl looked around timidly, unsure of where to find the food.

"How about I set a few things out and you pick?" Mary suggested.

Clara nodded, reaching up her hands to Mary, indicating she wanted to be picked up. Mary laughed, pulling the child into her arms and resting her on her hip.

"Sit here and I'll show you what we have," Mary said, settling Clara on the counter. "Be careful."

Clara smiled as Mary reached into the cabinet, pulling out some of the kid-friendly food they'd picked up the day before. She pulled out some fruit snacks, a box of biscuits, popcorn, and a few movie theater-style boxes of sweets.

"Can we have some of everything?" Clara asked, causing Mary to laugh again.

"Sure, but you'll have to give me a hand," Mary warned with a smile. "Would you like some juice?"

Clara nodded again and Mary helped her off the counter, handing a few of the lighter packages to her.

"Takes these in to Uncle Matthew and I'll be right there," Mary instructed. Clara toddled away, arms laden with the candy and fruit snacks, leaving Mary to fetch a juice box from the refrigerator before following after her with the rest of the goodies.

"Heavens, are we expecting more company?" Matthew asked as the girls laid the snacks out on the table. He settled onto the sofa, remote in hand as he waited for them to get situated.

"No, it's for us," Clara said frankly as Mary unloaded the snacks in her arms. The little girl crawled onto the sofa beside Matthew. "Sit by me, Auntie!" she entreated.

"Alright," Mary said with a grin, sitting on the cushion beside the girl.

As soon as Mary was seated, Clara climbed into her lap, curling into a small ball as she rested against Mary's shoulder once more. Surprised, Mary glanced at Matthew who was grinning as though he was about to bust. Mary couldn't help but smile back, pressing a kiss into Clara's hair as the movie began.

By the time the credits rolled, Clara had fallen asleep despite her obvious enjoyment of the film. She even knew most of the words to the songs, although she didn't always pronounce them properly or made up a few of her own if she couldn't make the real words out. Matthew couldn't help his gaze from wandering to Mary throughout the evening. Watching her interact with their niece was entertainment in itself, giving him hope that she had warmed to the idea of having children.

"I see you looking at me like that," Mary murmured, her hands gently stroking Clara's back.

"Like what?" Matthew asked, feigning innocence as he shifted closer to them, careful not to wake Clara. He rested his arm across the back of the sofa, playing with a lock of Mary's hair.

"Like you're so smart," she retorted, settling against his side.

Matthew chuckled, brushing his nose against her cheek. "No, no, I'm a fool," he whispered, his lips tickling her neck.

It was Mary's turn to laugh, although it was soft and low as to not startle Clara. "That is true," she replied, her voice catching slightly as she spoke.

Matthew pulled back, his eyes earnest as he waited for her to look at him. Mary turned her head, her lips pressed together as she met his eyes.

"Do you...do you think I could really do it?" she began, displaying the vulnerability she rarely allowed even Matthew to see. "Be a mother?"

He smiled tenderly, smoothing her hair with his finger tips. "Of course I do," Matthew insisted.

"You once called me aloof," Mary teased, remembering that moment so many years ago, before all the heartache and loneliness, before Matthew finally came back to her and they were able to heal together.

"Are you going to hold that over my head for the next sixty years?" he retorted with a roll of his eyes that brought a smile to her lips. "And I was wrong, of course, as I often am. But I'm not wrong about this. You are going to be a wonderful mother."

"How do you know?" Mary asked, her eyes momentarily leaving his as Clara shifted in her sleep. She rubbed the girl's back, returning to Matthew's impassioned gaze once more.

"Because," he began, leaning forward. He brushed his lips against hers before continuing. "Because you're such a wonderful woman."

Mary felt her cheeks grow warm from his compliment, her eyes filling with moisture. "I hope I'm allowed to be your Mary Crawley for all eternity, and not Edith's version or anyone else's for that matter," she replied tenderly, resting her forehead against his.

"You'll be my Mary, always, because mine is the true Mary," Matthew whispered. He brushed her cheek with his thumb, wiping away a tear as it fell through her eyelashes. "Does this mean you want to try?" he asked. "Do you want to have a baby?"

Mary smiled. "I think that perhaps I do," she said excitedly, causing Matthew's heart to leap in his chest.

"Do you ever wonder how happy you've made me? Three years ago, I never thought I'd be sitting with you, my wife, discussing babies," he said, his voice full of emotion.

"Oh, Matthew," Mary said, running her fingers through his hair. "I never wanted to spend the rest of my life with anyone but you. My Matthew. I hope our child has your beautiful eyes and your kind heart."

Matthew returned her smile, kissing her once more. "I fall more in love with you every day that passes," he murmured, his lips pressing against her forehead.

"I'll remind you of that next time I scratch the car," she teased, turning to look at Clara again.

He chuckled. "Do," he insisted. "I give you full permission."

"As though I need it," she retorted, causing him to laugh louder. "Quiet, you'll wake Clara."

Matthew covered his mouth, his eyes apologetic as he tried to stop laughing.

"Well, I can't wait for Tom and Sybil to come back," Matthew said once he'd stopped cackling.

"Why is that?" she asked, marveling at how comfortable Clara seemed to be in her arms. Perhaps Matthew was right. Maybe she could be a mother after all.

"So we can get started on making our little prince," he informed her, his breath warm on her skin as he kissed her neck.

"You're very shocking!" she reprimanded, swatting his hand away.

"Don't tell me you weren't thinking it," Matthew said, tracing his index finger down Mary's neck and across her collar bone.

"I'm afraid we'll have to wait a few weeks for that," she said. "But that doesn't mean we can't practice."

Matthew grinned, understanding her meaning.

"Practice does make perfect," he murmured slowly. "And we're so good at it already."

Mary pulled away from Matthew's lips, shaking her head in order clear out the fogginess that had settled in.

"You'll have to wait," she said authoritatively.

"See, you sound like a mother already," he teased, kissing her cheek quickly. He got to his feet, heading for the kitchen.

Mary watched him go, a contented sigh escaping her lips.

Clara eventually woke up, a little disoriented and cranky, but when she saw her aunt's face, she was calm once more. Mary was amazed by this little girl who'd taken to her so suddenly. The Christmas before at Downton had hardly allowed them a chance to interact, as Clara hid behind one of her parents most of the time or preferred the company of her grandmother, who spoiled her terribly. Mary couldn't have bribed Clara into her lap if she'd tried, although she knew that was partly due to her own coldness toward the girl. She'd always been wary of children, but she sensed most of that fear was dissipating and it was mainly due to Clara's unintentional sweetness.

"Auntie, do you have any children?" Clara asked as she played with her animals on the floor. It was nearing ten and Mary was sad that Sybil and Tom would soon return for their little girl.

Mary laughed. "I'm afraid I don't."

"You know, Ma's going to have a baby. You can probably have him," Clara said seriously.

"I don't think she'd let me," Mary said, unsure of how to explain this to her. "That's very considerate of you though."

She covered her mouth to keep from laughing at Clara again. Matthew returned to the living room, a file in his hand.

"Uncle, why don't you have any babies?" Clara asked, causing Matthew to look up from his work. "I told Auntie you could have Ma's."

A look of surprise crossed Matthew's face, as he was forced to take a seat on the sofa in order to process Clara's words. He looked at Mary and she could tell he was trying not to laugh at the little girl.

"Well, I'm not sure how much your mother would like that idea," Matthew began. "And I'm sure your Pa would be quite against it as well."

Clara sighed, continuing to play with her toys. "I just like the three of us," she murmured. "Do you think Pa will still let me have all the whipped cream from the top of the sundae when the new baby comes?"

Mary smiled, dropping Matthew's gaze in order to scoot closer to Clara. "Of course he will," she insisted. Clara settled against Mary's knee, taking her aunt's hand.

"Will Ma still tuck me in at night?" Clara wondered, playing with Mary's fingers.

"Yes, darling, she will," Mary replied.

Clara snuggled into her arms and Mary kissed her forehead. She glanced up at Matthew, who looked as though he would cry at any moment.

"Clara?" Mary asked, causing the little girl to sit up. "Did you know that Uncle Matthew is very ticklish?"

"No," Clara murmured, an impish look on her face.

"Hey, wait," Matthew protested as Clara got to her feet.

She scrambled onto the couch and began tickling Matthew. Mary followed after her, laughing herself as Matthew struggled under the little girl's hands. She knew he was trying to be gentle, despite the fact that his eyes were shooting daggers at his wife.

"Hey...Mary's ticklish, too!" Matthew practically shouted in-between laughs. Clara pulled away, a look of understanding passing between Matthew and Clara.

"No!" Mary said as the pair converged on her, tickling her until her sides hurt from laughing so hard and tears poured from her eyes.

As their tickle fight continued, there was a knock on the door.

"Da!" Clara said happily, leaving Mary in peace in order to run to the door.

"Clara wait," Matthew said, following her to the door. Mary turned to watch them from over the back of the sofa, resting her chin on her hand. Matthew lifted the little girl off her feet and onto his shoulder before unlocking the door and opening it.

"Pizza guy," Tom said, a surprised look on his and Sybil's faces when they saw Clara perched on Matthew's shoulder like a parrot.

"You're not the pizza guy, you're Da!" Clara insisted, practically jumping from Matthew's shoulder into her father's arms.

"Oh, am I? My mistake," Tom said, giving Clara a kiss as she put her arms around his neck.

"Did you behave for your aunt and uncle?" Sybil questioned, giving her daughter a peck on the cheek.

"Yes, Ma," Clara said solemnly. Sybil looked at Mary for confirmation.

"She was an absolute angel," Mary insisted, getting to her feet. She walked to the door, stopping at Matthew's side.

"Well, I'm glad the three of you got along so well," Sybil said. Clara smiled wide.

"I love Auntie Mary!" she said happily. Mary felt tears pool in her eyes, forcing her to look away. Matthew had looked at her after Clara spoke, smiling as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"And what about me?" he asked ruefully as Mary blinked back her tears.

"Auntie Mary is prettier," Clara said honestly, causing Matthew to laugh.

"That she is," Matthew replied.

"Well, we should get going," Sybil said, offering Mary a smile as she looked up.

"Can we come back soon?" Clara asked, tugging rather violently on Tom's collar.

"Whenever you like," Mary said, regaining her composure. Tom laughed.

"As long as you don't strangle me, Clara," he said, setting her on her feet. "Clean up your toys, please."

Clara sighed, but Tom gave her a gentle push and she dutifully cleaned up the living room, with a bit of help from the adults to speed up the process. Soon all the little girl's belongings were back in the bag, except for the rabbit, which was tucked under Clara's little arm.

"Drive safe," Mary said, kissing Sybil's cheek as Tom picked Clara up once more, bag slung over his shoulder.

"See you soon, Auntie!" Clara said, waving her hand happily. Mary planted a kiss on the little girl's cheek, giving her one last smile before Tom and Sybil carried her off.

"My, Clara is certainly taken with you," Matthew said, encircling Mary in his arms once the door was shut.

"Yes, well, she has excellent taste," Mary retorted, touching her hand to her husband's cheek.

"She certainly does," he replied bringing his lips to hers once more.

Mary couldn't keep herself from smiling as Matthew kissed her, a laugh escaping her lips as his tongue moved across them.

"What?" he asked, furrowing his brow as he looked at her face. "Why are you laughing?"

She laughed again, amused by his offense. "Darling, I'm sorry," she said, intertwining her fingers together at the nape of his neck. "I'm just...just very happy."

Matthew chortled, the corners of his mouth turning up, his eyes dancing with their own laughter.

"I'm glad," he said, his face relaxing.

"Are we ready to be parents?" Mary asked, brushing her thumb against his ear.

"Well, it'll be a while, but tonight went really well, I think. Clara only cried twice and both times you made it better by simply being you," he said.

Mary smiled. "You always know just what to say, don't you?" she questioned, resting her hand on Matthew's chest. She played with the buttons on his shirt, looking expectantly into his eyes.

"Kiss me," she murmured softly.

Matthew leaned down, gently touching his lips to hers before Mary pulled him closer, biting his lower lip to keep him from pulling away. His hands were on her back, holding her body against his. She jumped and wrapped her legs around his waist, allowing Matthew to carry her into their bedroom without hesitation.

What do you think? To be continued.