Could'a, Would'a, Should'a

Disclaimer: Mary and Marshall are not mine. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.

Summary: Marshall is feeling guilty about not being there for Mary when it mattered most. Contains spoilers for the season two finale.

Spoilers: Don't Cry for Me, Albuquerque, Stan by Me

A/N: I hadn't planned on writing this, but once the title popped into my head… Well, you know how it is when an idea won't leave your head until you do something about it. Not my best work, but I'm still trying to get back into the habit of writing. Thanks for being my guinea pigs!

All mistakes are mine…

ooooooo

I should have been there for her.

I could have maybe prevented this from happening.

I would have gladly taken the bullet in her place so that she would be okay right now.

I even told Mary that it was a dangerous neighborhood and I still left her to go on a date that wasn't really a date. I should have stayed with them but I really thought Mary would be fine despite what I saw was going on in that neighborhood.

If I had stayed with them maybe I could have prevented the situation from escalating. Or, if things had turned out the same, then maybe I could have seen who shot her. When Raph had said that he wanted the person who did this to Mary to suffer, I couldn't have agreed more. I would have made sure the shooter never lived to see the dawn.

Given Raph's reaction to Mary getting shot, I know now that he really does love her. I wasn't convinced of that before. If I had been there I would have prevented her being shot if I could and I would have taken her place if at all possible. Not only for her sake, but for her family's as well.

Argh! Who was he kidding? Surely not himself.

Yes, I want Mary to be healthy and her usual charming self, but if I'm honest with myself, I would admit that I wanted her to okay mainly for selfish reasons.

I love her and I don't want to go through the pain of potentially losing her yet again so soon. When Mary was kidnapped, I barely kept it together then, but this time I completely and most definitely had lost it – and in front of Stan. I have to wonder what Stan thinks about my reaction….

I know if Mary was privy to these thoughts, that she would berate me and tell me it wasn't my fault. That I had no way of knowing that her getting shot would be the outcome of Francesca moving to that neighborhood.

But it didn't matter. I love Mary and all I want is for her to live. Right now it doesn't matter if she marries Raph as long as she is still around in the future to harass him at work and to be his best friend.

I should have stayed. I could have done something. I would have tried to prevent this from happening to her.

Could'a. Would'a. Should'a.

ooooooo

The end.

ooooooo

Thanks for reading!