She turned, whipping her hair across her shoulder, "Wait, you said what?!" She waited expectantly as Marshall clearly tried to formulate the 'correct' response, or at least the response which would get him the least amount of grief that Mary Shannon was capable of providing.

"Just that if the kid was good maybe we could hook him up with a tour of the locker room at the next game."

Mary provided the expression that had come to explain that Marshall was insane. "Excuse me? And who is going to get him this locker room pass, huh Marshall?"

Marshall looked down at the folder in his hand and sheepishly said, "You," as he cleared his throat.

"Yes, Marshall, that's right. Me. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to make the offer myself. If that's not too much to ask." She rolled her eyes and turned back to the ten year old in question. "So, like Marshall Mann was saying, if you're good we just might be able to get you a special pass to get in to see Raph."

"You know him? That's so cool! He's like the greatest minor league player ever! I was so excited when they said that we were gonna get to come to Arizona!"

Mary rolled her eyes with a half smile, "Yeah, yeah…come on, kid. Let's get you set up in the other room."

"Sure. But you're serious about this Raph thing, right?"

Mary glanced up at Marshall just as he was watching her face. She glanced back down and smiled, "Sure, kid, but just for you." She herded the kid into the side room with the long table.

"Good. Cause sometimes adults kinda suck. You know, say somethin' then forget about it or whatever."

Mary nodded, "Yep, I know all about that." She headed back for the door that would put her in the main room that led to the conference room where the kids parents were exhaustedly waiting. She looked up at Marshall. His eyes were glued to her. She could feel half of his questions. The rest were written all across his face, but she knew that like all the other times, he'd never ask them. At least, not right now. She pushed through the door with Marshall a few steps behind with a stack of very large witness agreements in his hands.

Later, Marshall started humming the tune to the song that was playing on Mary's car stereo. It was working today, a nice change. Mary rolled her eyes and sighed as she tried not to comment about the humming and her level of annoyance.

Marshall hummed louder. He knew it was getting to her. He just wanted to get her to blow off some steam. She'd been entirely too pent up lately. Usually she was snippy with everybody. It was what told him that she was okay; that no matter what, some of the stress was being let out of the valve. She'd been too quiet lately and that could mean only one thing: Mary Shannon was going to blow.

"Jesus, Marshall! Knock it off already!"

"What? I like the song."

"You don't even know the song. That's why you're getting every other note wrong. Can you at least find a station with songs you know if you're going to annoy the crap out of me all day?"

Marshall smiled easily to himself. That was the girl he knew and loved. "You don't want to experience new things?"

"If by new things you mean, silence, or a whole day without crisis after crisis, sure. If not, you shouldn't even have to ask."

"Glad to hear that I can broaden your horizons."

"I'm gonna broaden somethin' if you don't knock it off."

Marshall smiled, yep definitely his girl. "Yeah, yeah."

"Thanks." Mary pulled the car into a parking lot and slammed it into park. She didn't bother turning it off, Marshall was staying in it while she ran her mother's payment inside. She shouldn't really call it her mother's payment. The check didn't have Jinx's name on it, it had Mary's name on it. But, like with many, many other things it was Mary who was making the payment on something her mother had done. "Be right back."

Marshall nodded and looked back out the window, unconsciously surveying the area. He didn't even think about it anymore. He noticed the guy selling hot dogs on the corner and his current customer. He noticed the man talking angrily into his cell phone with a leather brief case in his hand. He noticed that Mary had walked into the door for the front of the building, but that there were three other exits/entrances within sight, including one to the basement level which meant that this building had a basement level.

When Mary walked back out, he felt his chest relax a little. He'd been holding his breath. He didn't remember doing that, but who knew with Mary what was going to happen next. She was literally the demonstration of Murphy's law most days. "So, how was the controller today?"

"Busy as hell. It's a good thing I'm a Marshall I'd kill someone waiting in those damn lines."

Marshall smiled. "Yeah, I can see the headlines now. 'Woman loses it in federal building with more dead than a serial killer's score card!'"

"That's way too long to be a headline."

"No it's not. They write them that long sometimes."

Mary's left eyebrow cocked up as her right one dipped and her mouth pursed, "Right."

Marshall had to fight himself to keep from staring at her lips. His mouth watered. "Glad you agree with me."

Mary put the car in drive and they pulled away from the parking spot. "I've got to check in with Casey today. His mom called."

"Yeah? Has he been good?"

"She's worried. She said he's never been able to get along with kids at school, but apparently he's got into trouble with fights lately. She's been getting a lot of questions from the principal about his old school. She just wants to go over things again."

"Fighting? He seemed like a good kid."

"Whatever. Like any kid is really a good kid. That's just something people say when they don't know the kid very well and they don't want to be rude."

Marshall continued looking out the window with a slight smile on his face.

Mary backed into the driveway. He couldn't remember exactly when she'd started doing this, but it had become a constant thing with her.

"I'll just be a minute. You want to wait?"

"Nah, I'll come in too."

"Fine."

Marshall laughed lightly at her exasperated expression. "Just pretend like I'm not even here."

"Sure."

Mary knocked on the door of the small, slightly run down ranch home. Marshall perused the location wherever he could see. A woman answered the door.

"Oh, Mary. I'm so glad you're here. Hello, Marshall."

Mary smiled as she removed her sunglasses and stepped into the small abode. It was Marshall's favorite thing she did all day. He never missed watching her as she entered a room, unless he thought she was in trouble. "Hello, Mrs. Wais. Thank you for having us out to your lovely home." Mary shot him a 'brown-noser' look.

"Shelley, we just need to go over the information again. I can even go over it all with the principal if you would like?"

"No, no. I wouldn't hear of it. I just want to make sure that I don't get things mixed up. This all gets overwhelming sometimes."

Mary nodded, "I know. That's why we're here."

"Good, good. I've got some lemonade out in the kitchen if you'd like some, follow me."

Marshall smiled at Mary as she met eyes with him. Her expression of over joy was readily apparent for all of a split second. She hated it when the newbies tried to be Betty Crocker. They both knew the homemade bricks were next, oops, cookies.

Mary led Marshall into the small kitchen where, low and behold, there was a plate of what had to be rock hard chocolate chip cookies sitting in the center of the table. She took a seat at a side of the four top table. "So what is it that you want to go over, Shelley?"

"Oh, I just wanted to be sure that I don't over step the rules. I know that we stated in the contract that we were all from Cleveland and that Marcus was a good student. I know that the records you provided for him matched his previous grades, but I couldn't remember what the other school information said."

"Well, the school that we had him as enrolled in was Maynard's Junior High. He's got two marks on his permanent records. One is for a short attendance issue due to an unstated illness, because we knew he'd had an ugly bout with the flu and dehydration a few years ago that put him in the hospital. The other was for a pushing fighting in the fifth grade. We didn't want things to match up perfectly to his old life or it might be a means to track him."

Marshall's eyes glanced at Mary before flickering back around the room and through the window at the backyard.

"Oh right. I knew there was something you'd added, and I couldn't for the life of me remember the name of that school you'd put down. So, tell me, what am I supposed to tell the principal?"

The conversation dragged on and Marshall quickly became glad that he hadn't stayed in the car.

The kid came home and cut through the house pretty quick. He made a bee line for Mary. He dropped his bag in the doorway and wrapped tight arms around Mary's neck. "So, are we going to see Raph today?"

Mary smiled reluctantly. "Are you kidding? I hear you've been fighting at school?"

"Ah, it's nothin'. Mom's makin way more out of it than it is. This one kid just wanted to act like he was tough. I totally kicked his aa—butt."

Mary looked at him, clearly disapproving of his new choice of words.

Marshall spoke up, "So, how are we supposed to take you to see Raph if you're beatin' up the bullies?"

"I'm totally getting A's this six weeks. I could get to go for that!"

Marshall shook his head. Mary smiled, "Sorry, kid. No fightin' either. Maybe next grade period."

Marcus looked a little down. "Ok. Maybe."

Mary pulled them out of the driveway as Marshall waved goodbye. "You don't have to be so hard on the kid. He is getting all A's."

Mary shot him a look.

"What? I'm not saying pat him on the back, but the other kid was trying to bully him. You don't want him to stand up for himself?"

"It's not like we're talkin' about our kid here, Marshall, Jesus."

Marshall looked back out the window. They were quiet most of the way back to the office.

Stan was walking out as they were walking in, "Hey, I've gotta run and errand. You two need anything?"

"Nah." Mary pushed past him.

Marshall stopped a step in front of Stan. Stan turned to him, "What's with her?"

"Same thing that's always with her. What do you want me to say, Stanny boy?"

Stan rolled his eyes, "Whatever, I'll be back in an hour."

Marshall nodded, "Yeah. See ya."

Stan walked out the double doors and pressed the elevator button.

Marshall walked into the office area. "You okay?" He casually said as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Yeah. Just got a lot to do before I go save my sister yet again."

Marshall nodded. "That it?"

"Yes." Mary rolled her eyes, grabbed her folder and started toward the conference room.

Marshall caught her by the arm. "Mary?"

She shot him her look of pure hatred, but she couldn't hold it. "Let me go, Marshall." She looked away.

"Talk to me, first."

"Bite. Me."

"Yeah, sure." Marshall let her go and turned toward his desk.

Mary walked into the conference room and dropped the folder on the table. Before she could sit down she heard the doors open.

"No, you know what, it's not okay! You've been moping around here for a week now! You've barely said a word to me or Stan, not to mention—"

"Screw you! You think because you—"

Marshall pushed in. His hand moved quickly up the side of Mary's face and his lips were against Mary's.

Mary pulled back, "Baby—" Marshall pushed in again kissing Mary more fiercely now.

Mary twisted out of his hold. "Damn it, Marshall!"

Marshall looked away.

"That's why I've been withdrawn!"

"What?"

"Because you've been—it's getting harder—DAMN IT!!!"

Marshall stood there. "Baby? Since when do you call me 'baby'?"

Mary rolled her eyes at that. "I didn't—"

Marshall shook his head, "You did."

Mary looked back at him. "I—" Her eyes showed the pain that always lie just beneath the surface of her anger. "You—"

Marshall took a step toward her to comfort her like he always did when the pain began to show through again, but she held up a hand. So, he stopped.

Then the most miraculous thing happened…she put her hand on his shoulder and stepped into him. His arms wrapped around her effortlessly. He stood there shocked as his hands pressed against her back and her side. "Mary…"

"Don't," came out with a sob. "Just don't."

"I'm sorry."

"No, no you're not. You've been wanting that for a while. Damn you!"

The pain was showing in Marshall's eyes now he knew, but he'd never let her see how much it killed him when she admonished him for caring about her.

"I wish I could hate you. I wish…"

She cried into his chest as he held her up. He'd known she was on the verge of a break. He just hadn't realized he was too. "I know."

Stan strolled back into the office. His appointment had run longer than he'd thought. He glanced around as he came in figuring that the other two would be gone. With the office manager out for the day, he'd expected to have the office to himself for a little while. So he was surprised to glance in the conference room and see Mary asleep against Marshall's bare chest with his arms wrapped tightly around her.

In fact, he was so shocked he just stood there inside the doors to the conference room, speechless.

Marshall was waking up. "Hey, Stan. This probably looks pretty bad."

Stan furrowed his brow. Then not being able to decide on words, nodded his head.

Marshall grimaced. "Yeah, well, it was eventful after you left. You'll have to give me a minute and I'll explain."

Mary adjusted against Marshall. "It's not what you think. We're not sleeping together." She leaned up, obviously groggy. "Well, I mean we're 'sleeping together,' but we're not sleeping together."

Stan looked unconvinced.

Marshall tried to smile, but only got a grimace out of it. "Look, we'll be in in a minute okay?"

Stan nodded, "Yeah, okay." He stepped out of the conference room and into his office, still a little dumbfounded.

Marshall looked down at Mary. "So, what—"

Mary reached forward and kissed him. "As good as we could be together, you and I both know that we can't actually be together."

Marshall's pain shot through his eyes and he knew that she'd seen it.

"They'd have to get us different partners, which would mean shipping one of us off to another location, and I will never be able to break in a new partner, not to mention I'd be arrested for killing you for trying to leave me…so basically, we can't be together, if we want to be together."

Marshall smiled one of his, you-just-have-to-get-her looks. "Yeah."

"So, we're not sleeping together."

Marshall raised an eyebrow.

"You know, from here on."

Marshall smiled jovially. "Got it."

"Good." Mary started to get up and rearrange her disheveled clothing.

Marshall caught her arm and pulled her in for one last kiss. He lingered there in her space for a second as he looked her in eye. "Not together." He kissed her quickly again. "I can live with it for now."

Mary smiled with one side of her mouth and her eyes, "For now, huh?" She leaned in and kissed him quickly again.

"Yeah." His eyes held his seriousness in them for once. "For now."

Mary acknowledged his changed mood. "Okay, for now." She leaned in one last time, but Marshall closed the remaining distance and locked their lips together as their tongues dueled, just for a moment.

He pulled up and kissed her cheek. "See you in there." He walked out of the conference room sliding his button down back up his arms and over his shoulders.

Mary stood there quietly. Her head was oddly clear. She looked around her. She'd expected to be conflicted. She'd expected that she'd be confused or upset. Instead, she stood there finally feeling like something was right in her life for once. It was an incredibly odd feeling for her. She shrugged and walked out of the conference room.