This is just an introduction to the main story. It includes Mary & Matthew's most important moments. Please R&R. Reviews make my day and they also inspire me to write the next chapter and as a result i post chapters a lot quicker.

Diclamer: I do not own any of the characters, they belong to Julian Fellows.

I hope you enjoy it:)x

-THE PROPOSAL-

Mary and Matthew had decided to go for a walk down to the stables, the weather wasn't very good and the sky was filled with grey clouds but they just wanted to be alone for a while. They were nearly at the stable doors when it started to rain heavily. Mary let out a little cry when she looked down at her already soaking dress. Matthew grabbed her by the arm and pulled her under a large oak tree for shelter.

"Here" he said, taking her into his arms, shielding her from the cold and the rain. "Much better" he added.

Mary looked up at Matthew, rain dripping from his messy hair, his eyes were locked on hers, they were so blue, so beautiful she thought. She was shivering but she didn't feel cold, she was in Matthew's arms, how could she be cold?

Matthew couldn't help but stare at her, all he could think about was how beautiful she looked. Everything about her was perfect, her eyes, they were sparkling, she looked magical. Little strands of her hair were falling down over her shoulders where the wind had blown them loose, out of her bun underneath her hat. Matthew loved her hair down, he loved seeing her long dark brown curls fall around her shoulders. He was memorized by her.

They looked at each other for a while longer before suddenly Matthew released her from his arms and took her hands in his. He kept his eyes locked on hers as he lowered himself to the ground until he was kneeling down on one knee in front of her.

She didn't want him to stop cuddling her, he was keeping her so warm, but when he took her hands in his, she smiled, even his slightest touch kept her warm. When she noticed that he was kneeling down in front of her, she wiped the smile off her face and froze as she realized what his intentions were.

"Mary…" he said nervously "I love you so much, I've loved you since the day we first met. I couldn't believe how beautiful you were when I saw you for the first time, it left me speechless and you've only gotten more beautiful. I simply can't imagine my life without you anymore, I don't want to imagine a life without you. I want you by my side every step of the way, because the day I become Earl of Grantham, I want you to stand by my side as Countess. I can't imagine anyone being more suited for the post as you… I suppose what I'm trying to say… or rather ask is… Lady Mary Crawley, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" he held his breath for a minute, waiting for her response.

Mary couldn't quite believe what she was hearing, every word that came out of his mouth sounded overwhelming. She thought she might be dreaming, but then again, it all felt so real. But what was she supposed to say to him? Nobody had ever said anything like that to her before, he made her feel so special. She felt a tear rolling down her face. She had never felt so happy. She was oblivious to everything else around her; the rain, the wind, the noises. It was just her and Matthew, the man she loved with all her heart, she never thought she could love anybody as much as she did him in that moment. Of course she wanted to marry him! That's all she had ever wanted; to marry for love. She wanted to answer but she couldn't speak for the lump in her throat. So she decided to simply nod. She couldn't stop nodding.

"Yes, yes!" she said, not being able to hold back her tears a second longer. "Of course I will marry you!" She jumped into his arms and cried tears of joy.

"Yes?" Matthew asked, just making sure he had heard her correctly. Seeing the smile on her face he suddenly realized what had just happened and he had never in his life felt happier. He took her in his arms and spun her around.

Mary couldn't have imagined a better scene, this was better than in her novels. The scene must look magical she thought; the fact that Matthew was spinning her around, under an old oak tree, the sun appearing in the sky and making the rain look like glitter falling from the clouds above their heads. How perfect, she thought. She closed her eyes as Matthew spun her. She couldn't believe that they were now engaged and she just wanted to tell the world.

"I love you Matthew Crawley" she said as he put her down.

"And I love you, so very, very much" he replied before pressing a warm kiss to her lips and pulling her closer to him to take her back in his arms.

-THE WEDDING-

"How do I look?" she asked her sisters as Anna took a step backwards to get a better look at her.

"You look beautiful" said Sybil, walking over to her eldest sister and placing a kiss on her cheek.

Edith just stared at her, feeling jealous. Mary was getting everything she had ever dreamt of. How typical she thought to herself.

"Oh my darling, I'm so happy for you." Said Cora as she took her daughter's hands in hers. "I'm glad you and Matthew finally put your differences aside. Your feelings for one another have been clear from the very start."

"Thank you mama, I'm happy too and I think I'm going to be for a very long time." She said, with a big smile on her face.

"Milady, it's time to go down" interrupted Anna as she pointed to the door.

Mary looked around at her sisters and at her mother, took a deep breath and walked towards the door. Sybil and Edith were the first to walk downstairs, and Mary and Cora followed.

"Here comes the bride!" Sybil shouted as she arrived at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at Mary.

Robert, who had been stood waiting for them for twenty minutes, quickly turned around to see his eldest daughter walking down the stairs. He just stood there and watched her, she was absolutely stunning. She wore a long white dress that trailed behind her, with lace sleeves and trimmings. In her hair, holding up her veil, she wore one of the family's heirlooms; a silver head piece, filled with tiny diamonds. Although her hair was tied back, she still had a few curly strands hanging down. She was the very definition of perfection. Robert had never felt prouder.

"Papa, will I do?" she asked as she reached the bottom of the staircase.

"You are the most beautiful bride I have ever laid eyes on, I'm so very proud of you Mary." He answered walking over to his daughter and offering her his arm.

She had rode to the church in a carriage, pulled by four white horses. She was surprised to see how many people from the village had come to support her. She waved and smiled as they passed them.

Matthew was anxiously waiting at the front of the church with his best man, Tom, by his side. Tom had been trying to keep him calm but hadn't been very successful in doing so. Tom had already been through all of this with Sybil, but it hadn't been as grand as Matthew and Mary's wedding was. It had only been a little reception in Ireland, this wedding on the other hand had been the talk of the village since the day they announced their engagement. Everybody they had ever met and some that they hadn't had turned up. Tom felt quite nervous himself, never mind Matthew.

As the music started to play, both men stood up and Matthew took a deep breath. This is actually happening he thought to himself, it didn't feel real. He could hear people commenting on how nice Mary looked and he turned round to have a look for himself. His eyes instantly met hers, he felt more relaxed then. Was it possible for a woman to be this beautiful? He thought. She looked absolutely wonderful, like a goddess. Her dark eyes and hair stood out against the white of her dress. She was perfect.

As Mary walked down the aisle towards Matthew, she felt butterflies in her tummy, she felt nervous but so very happy at the same time. She smiled at the guests and wondered why Matthew hadn't turned around yet. But when he did and her eyes met his she couldn't help but smile, she didn't know that one day she would be this happy.

When they finally stood side by side, Matthew leaned over and whispered into her ear.

"You look beautiful" he said and she turned towards him and simply smiled, feeling so very, very lucky.

-MARY IS ILL-

She had been waking up feeling sick every morning. Matthew was starting to worry but she refused to call for Doctor Carson. She just kept telling herself that she had the flu.

Matthew woke up when he heard a door slam, he looked over to Mary's side of the bed which was empty. Not again, he thought to himself. He got out of bed, put on his dressing gown and headed to the bathroom where he knew Mary would be.

When he got there, he pushed the door open and saw Mary leaning over the toilet, being sick whilst Anna sat beside her and held back her hair.

"My darling, I'm going to call for Clarkson today, and I won't take no for an answer." He said as he walked over to her.

"Matthew, I don't like you seeing me like this, please leave" she asked, not moving her head away from the toilet.

"When I was injured during the war, did you leave me side? No, you looked after me every day and tended to my wounds. When I was told that I would never walk again, did you leave my side then? I have the answer to that too; no, you didn't. So if you think that I'm going to leave you while you're clearly not well, then you've got another thing coming." He said, reaching out and stroking her head. "Anna, would you go send for Doctor Clarkson, please?" he asked the young lady's maid.

"Of course, ring the bell if you need anything else." She said as Matthew took over from her.

"Thank you Anna." he said as she walked towards the door.

Later that day, Clarkson came and examined her.

"It's good news" he said, smiling at her. "You are not ill and you don't have the flu".

"Ah, good, that's just what I've been telling everyone but no one seems to listen to m-"

"You've been sick every morning for the past six days, is that right?" he asked, cutting her off.

"Yes, but why does that matter? You've just said yourself that nothing's the matter with me…" she answered back, not understanding what he was trying to tell her.

"My lady, I am very pleased to tell you that you are pregnant" he announced "All the symptoms are pointing towards pregnancy. It's still early days and you will have to take it easy." He added.

Mary hadn't heard anything after the word 'pregnant'. She had only been married two months, it was all happening so quickly. She didn't know what to say, or what to think for that matter.

"Pregnant?!" she asked "Are you sure?"

"Quite certain" he said, without hesitating.

"Oh." Was her only reaction.

"Are you alright, my lady? Should I call for Lady Grantham or-"

"No, I'm quite alright" she said, cutting him off.

"Well then, if you're sure, I'll be leaving now." He added. "If you have any questions, just ask me, I'm here to help" he said, trying to reassure her.

"Yes, thank you Clarkson, goodbye" she said as she watched him walk out of her bedroom. What was she going to do? Was she ready to become a mother? She'd never really thought about it before. Would she even be a good mother? What was Matthew going to say? All these questions were giving her headache so she decided to have a sleep and rest her eyes for a while.

Matthew had been worried about her and when he saw doctor Clarkson leave her room, he quickly walked over to him and asked him what was wrong with her.

"I can only tell you that it is not serious, but you should ask her if you want more details" he told him before saying his goodbyes and walking downstairs towards the door.

This didn't calm Matthew down at all, if anything, it made him even more worried. Why couldn't Clarkson just tell me, he thought. Not able to wait any longer, he walked into the bedroom and found Mary asleep in bed. He walked over to her and stroked her head which woke her up. Realizing Matthew was with her, she moved over a little so that he could sit down beside her.

"How are you? What did Clarkson say?" he asked, worried.

"I'm fine, really, there was nothing to worry about." She told him, wondering how she was going to tell him that they were going to have their first baby.

"Well if that's the case, why have you been sick every day for almost a week?" he asked, knowing she wasn't telling him the whole story.

She began to cry, not knowing what to say. She didn't even know how he would react.

Matthew put his arms around her and pulled her closer to him, stroking her head.

"My darling, please tell me what it is" he asked again.

"Matthew, I-I really don't know how to say this, and I'm not even sure how I feel about it, or how you'll feel about it for that matter. I-"

"Mary, you're worrying me now, please just tell me what it is" he said, confused at why she was getting so worked up.

"I'm pregnant, Matthew." She finally told him, bursting into tears.

"Oh my darling! That's brilliant news! Why couldn't you have just told me?" he asked, feeling more excited than he had ever felt before.

"Do you really think so?" she asked, feeling a little bit relieved.

"Of course I do, don't you?" he asked.

"I'm not sure what to think, it's all happening so quickly!" she said before pulling him closer to her and crying on his shoulder.

"Mary listen to me" he said, taking her head in his hands and looking her in the eyes "You are going to have a baby, our baby and you are going to be a brilliant mother, I know you will be and I'm not leaving you, I'm not going anywhere, I'll always be here for you, both of you. I promise, everything will be alright."

"I love you Matthew" she said.

"I love you too my darling".

-MARY GIVES BIRTH-

"I wish I could go upstairs and be with her." Matthew told Robert as the two of them were sat having a brandy whilst the women were all upstairs with Mary as she was giving birth.

"Be patient my boy, it will all be over soon and you can see her afterwards." He told his son-in-law, trying to reassure him.

"I need Matthew, someone get him for me, now!" she said before screaming out in agony again.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea Mary" said Sybil, sticking to the rules for once.

"I need him, please!" she screamed.

"Mary, at the next contraction I need you to push" said Dr. Clarkson who was stood at the end of the bed with Isobel, who had insisted on being there.

"Not without Matthew!" she said stubbornly, trying to control her breathing.

"For heaven's sake! Someone go get him" said Cora starring at her two youngest daughters.

"I'll go…" said Edith walking towards the door. She hurried downstairs and walked into the drawing room where she found Matthew and Robert.

"Has the baby been born? How's Mary? How's the baby?" asked Matthew as he jumped to his feet.

"Is it a girl or a boy?" Robert asked his daughter.

"She hasn't had it yet, she keeps asking for you and she doesn't intend on giving birth without you." Edith told Matthew but before she could say anything else, he had already put down his brandy and left the room. Edith followed.

"Matthew!" Mary held out her arm as he entered the room.

"How is everything?" he asked, taking her hand in his.

"Now that you are here, everything is fine" said Isobel, smiling at her son.

"I need you to push now, my lady".

Mary squeezed Matthew's hand as tight as she could (nearly breaking it in the process) and pushed, using every little bit of strength she had left in her body, causing her to scream into Matthew ears which nearly deafened him. Dear god, is she trying to kill me? He thought to himself but avoided making the remark seen as she was in so much pain and doing so well.

"It's almost here now, I can see its head, one more big push Mary!" said Isobel as she watched her first grandchild being born.

"You're doing so well my darling" said Matthew before kissing her hand.

"How would you know?" she screamed at him, breathlessly.

Charming, he thought to himself, but he only held her hand tighter and whispered words of encouragement as she pushed one last time and the cries of their new born baby filled the air.

"It's a boy!" said Sybil without taking her eyes off her nephew.

"I'm so proud of you my darling" said Matthew as he pressed his lips to hers.

Isobel walked over to the new parents and gently placed their son in Mary's arms.

"He's perfect" Matthew whispered as he took his son's little hand in his.

"He looks just like you, so naturally he is perfect" said Mary, crying tears of joy.

"I love you so very much, both of you." He said as he leaned towards his wife for another kiss.

"I love you too my darling" she answered back.

Matthew sat on the side of the bed, next to Mary as she rested against his shoulder. The rest of the family left the room, leaving the three of them together for the first time.

That's all for the prologue, i hope you enjoyed it. The exciting parts are yet to come though! Please favorite & follow so that you don't miss the next chapters. I'd love to read your reviews too, if you have any suggestions or ideas for any of the chapters please let me know, none of the chapters are graved into stone and i can change them if i like your ideas;)

Chapter 1: Mary & Matthew go out at night in the bad weather...