Matthew and Tom watched as the motley crew gathered near the front of
the house. Sir Richard was making a show of the two pistols he had
strapped to his belt. Mary was wearing perhaps the plainest dress
Matthew had ever seen her wear, and Thomas…well, he was smoking what
seemed to be his third cigarette. The only one who looked capable and
prepared for anything was Anna.

“Believe me, I wish it were you joining me instead,” he sighed, glancing over at the Irishman.

Tom couldn’t help but chuckle and nod his head. “You’ll be in my prayers.”

Matthew
laughed as well, and then sighed while having one last look at the
collection of weapons that they would be taking with them. After the
rather “eventful” morning in the breakfast room, Matthew went in search
of Tom, who he was glad to see still remained on the house. The Irishman
had spent the night in the chauffeur’s cottage, his so-called “prison
cell” for allowing Lady Sybil to join him the other day (at least that
was how Carson had referred it). Matthew told Tom everything that had
happened that morning, and how he was more or less being “forced” to
take Sir Richard with him on his mission to the village. “I’m surprised
they didn’t insist you take me,” Tom remarked after Matthew finished
retelling the story. “I would think they’d be more than happy for some
Walker to burst out from behind a building and eat me alive.”

Despite
the rather ghoulish image, Matthew did find himself laughing with Tom’s
joke. “I think, despite my cousin’s temper, he would regret losing you
more than he would care to admit, simply because you’re probably the
most competent ‘soldier’ we have in this whole bloody place.”

Now
it was Tom’s turn to laugh. “Never heard anyone call me that before,” he
remarked, referring to Matthew’s use of the word “soldier”.

“I told you…we’re all soldiers now, whether we accept it or not.”

Even
though Robert hadn’t “officially” given his consent for everyone to be
trained in how to use a weapon, Matthew wanted to take advantage of this
moment of “consideration”, and have everyone begin training that
day. “It might be a good thing, then, that you’re staying here,” he
murmured later to Tom. “I trust you and William to see that everyone
begins their training.”

Tom shook his head. “It’s going to be
difficult, what with that old codger keeping watch,” he muttered.
Matthew knew Tom was referring to Carson. Indeed, he had a feeling that
the butler would be a great deal more difficult to convince than Robert.
Still, despite what Robert, Mary, and Carson wanted to believe…this
wasn’t the old world anymore; the threat of “being sacked” for so-called
insurrection meant very little anymore. They were all equals now,
trapped in the same nightmare.

“Leave him to Mrs. Hughes,” Matthew assured. “If anyone can get Carson to come around, it’s her. And I know she agrees with me.”

Which
was very true, as the housekeeper gave Matthew the key to the attack,
after he had informed her he wanted to search for anything that could be
used as a weapon. Their search had been most fruitful, as not only did
they find random household objects with various sharp points, but also a
great deal of “old weaponry”, packed away in trunks and boxes for who
knows why, really. Matthew discovered an old cavalry sword, which he
wasted no time in strapping to his belt alongside Reggie’s pistol.

“Well,”
Tom said to Matthew, after they had put the last of the weapons they
would be taking into the car’s boot. “Don’t die on me,” he muttered
under his breath. “You’re the only sane one here, not to mention the
only reason I’m staying.”

Matthew chuckled…but gave his friend a
look that told him he knew better. “I highly doubt that…” he whispered.
“Or…I doubt I’m the only reason.”

Tom didn’t say
anything, although Matthew couldn’t help but grin at the way the
Irishman’s face turned bright red. Would he have said such a thing to
man society deemed as “below” his cousin’s station, if none of this had
occurred? He wasn’t sure. While yes, he knew very well Tom had come from
a working class background, he didn’t see Tom as a “servant”, and
doubted he ever would. We’re all equals now, he reminded himself.

“Are we going to be doing this today, Capt. Crawley?” Sir Richard asked in that snide way of his that made Matthew want to do nothing more than punch the man.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Tom warned under his breath. “Like letting that git get the better of you.”

Matthew
muttered his thanks, and then climbed inside the car. Thomas sat in the
passenger seat, while Sir Richard, Mary, and Anna were crammed in the
back. Robert and Edith stood at the door, both of them wearing different
expressions as Matthew lifted his hand in parting. Upstairs, looking
out at a window was his cousin Cora, clinging to Violet and O’Brien,
looking just as worried as Robert about Mary’s going. Sybil still had
yet to make an appearance. Also standing by Robert and Edith were both
Carson and Mrs. Hughes, and just like his cousins, each of them held
very different expressions.

Matthew turned once again and caught
Tom’s eye, who lifted his hand, before murmuring something that Matthew
hoped was an Irish blessing. He had a feeling he was going to need it.
Without another thought or word, he turned the key and then turned the
car down the lane.

–chapter 17, Downton Abbey & Zombies

**images not mine