Disclaimer: I don't own IPS or the characters. I'm just taking them out to play for a bit.

Written for northwester as part of Secret Snowflake 2010 on Mary_Marshall over on LJ.

Prompt: Mary and Marshall in the snow

"Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock..."

"Oh, hell no."

"Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring

Snowin' and blowin'..."

Mary bolted from her chair and turned off the radio with a smack. "Three times today was enough of that already, thankyouveryfriggin'much." She tried a few other stations, but they all seemed to be spinning music from the same holiday playlist. "Why can't radio stations play regular songs in December? Is there some sort of law against it or something?"

The darkened office didn't provide an answer as she stomped back to her desk and settled in to finish up the last of the reports on her visits to Marshall's witnesses. "Damn holiday. People have all gone nuts." She paused. "And now I'm talking to myself. That's just great." Glancing back at the radio, she decided it wasn't worth the aggravation just to fill the silence and went back to regarding the stack of files in her to be processed box.

"Damn reports." The thought prompted a glare toward her partner's empty chair. "And damn Stan and his damned take it or lose it vacation days. Why the hell didn't I wait to take a vacation during the winter?" Thinking back on her expedited escape and the reasoning she'd thought was sound at the time, Mary realized that losing the days would have been her safest bet. Instead she'd run off half-cocked for the sheer sake of running, and it had not been the wisest move. Life during the months since her return had been...tense at best.

"And damn Marshall for not knowing when to keep his damn mouth shut."

Part of her currently less than loved self-conscience chimed in with the thought, Not that it's his fault I acted like an idiot. That one's all on me. "Damn me, too, then."

With a huff she picked up her pen and signed off on the Gardiner file before reaching for the next folder on the stack.

Awhile later her phone buzzed and she quickly grabbed it to keep it from vibrating its way to the floor. Glancing at the screen, Mary sighed when she saw her sister's name. Brandi's first three calls had gone ignored; and, having no intention of answering this fourth, she pressed the button that would send it to voice mail. "Sorry, Squish. But, I am not up for presents, non-alcoholic eggnog and sober caroling."

Christmas Day. Even she realized that wanting to spend the day alone, and filling out reports no less, meant that there was something amiss. That did not mean, however, that she had to act on that knowledge, so a small mountain of backlogged paperwork was completed and filed over the course of the next several hours. The silence in the room broken only by the sound of the heat kicking on and off and the sound of her pen scratching paper. As she signed the last page, Mary glanced out the window at the darkening sky and wondered, not for the first time, if Marshall was enjoying the holiday with his new girlfriend's family. "Not that it matters." To which her inner voice chimed in, No. Of course not. Doesn't matter at all.

Wondering how her own mind could spout sarcastic at her, Mary dropped the tower of files into Stan's in basket, grabbed her coat and left the office to go back to her too quiet house. A drink or three sounding better with each step.

xxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, the sun rising to brighten a cloud streaked sky woke Mary from her alcohol induced slumber on the couch. With a groan and a wish for death she turned her stiff neck to a position that resembled natural and attempted to swing one leg down off the back of the couch. A motion that was quickly aborted as the shift caused her eyes to find a stream of direct sunlight that seemed to pierce through her skull to bounce around joyfully behind her eyes. Allowing her head to fall back softly, Mary realized that there was a reason she usually didn't drink alone when emotionally off kilter.

"Damn alcohol."

Right. Because it drank itself straight from the bottle.

"And damn me. Again."

Damn straight.

"Shut the hell up." … "Jesus, now I'm freaking arguing with myself." She rolled slowly onto her side and sat up, dropping her now dangling foot to the floor. The room tilted, but righted itself instead of starting to swirl. "Progress. That's good."

She was just about ready to attempt raising her head off of her hands when the doorbell rang and someone began pounding on the door with a vengeance. The racket set off an echoing percussion section in her head, forcing a moan from her lips. "Stop. Please stop." Grabbing her head, Mary covered her ears in an attempt to dampen the noise, much like when she was a little girl. It didn't work in the slightest, so she forced herself to her feet and stumbled toward the racket. Yanking the door open, she mumbled, "Where's the mother-humping fire, Squish?"

Brandi huffed and pushed past her sister and into the house.

"Come in?"

"Where have you been? I've been trying to call you since yesterday morning! I thought you were dead!"

Mary turned to find her baby sister standing a few feet away, hands on hips and scowling. Her posture reeked of attitude and, combined with the hangover and her generally dour mood, Mary snapped. Quietly.

"I'm sorry. I'd forgotten that I have to report in to you, Brandi. After all, you've always been the reliable one who was in charge of making sure her mother and sister were alive and well. So in order for you to feel that you've fulfilled your familial duties, be assured that I'm fine." She turned and pulled the front door open. "Now get the hell out of my house."

Jaw dropping, Brandi's eyes widened in shock. "What is wrong with you?"

"Absolutely nothing once you get past the fact that I have a unwelcome guest standing in my home instead of exiting via the nearest door." She gestured toward said open door. "Now go. Back to Peter. Back to your happy, new life. Leave me alone."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

Brandi walked into the living room and flopped down on the couch. "I said no." She leaned over and picked up the empty scotch bottle from the floor. With a cock of her head she stated, "Having a pity party for one, I see."

Mary slammed the door and stalked over to grab the bottle before turning to the kitchen. "What I do is none of your damn business, Squish. If I –"

"Like hell it's not!" Brandi jumped up and followed Mary. "Hasn't this gone on long enough? It was bad enough when you were only ignoring Marshall. But now you're not going to talk to your family? You missed Christmas! You've never abandoned me on Christmas!"

Dropping the bottle into the trash, Mary turned to the sink. Bracing her hands on the counter, she dropped her chin to her chest and willed the world to stop spinning. "I didn't abandon you, Squish. Good God. You had Mom and Peter there; it's not like you were alone. I just... I just couldn't... I couldn't be who you wanted me to be yesterday." She turned around and look her sister in the eye. "I needed to be by myself."

Shaking her head, Brandi took a step forward as though to give her a hug but stopped when Mary backed into the counter and crossed her arms tight across her chest. "Mary –"

"Don't."

With a sigh Brandi took that last step closer and placed her hand on her sister's arm. "Look. I know that I'm not the wise, older sibling. And I know that I've been a fuck up most of my life. But I'd like to think that I've learned a thing or two over the past couple years about being a good person." No response. "You're hurting, and that hurts me. It hurts anyone who cares about you. Would you please just go work it out with him?"

Against her will, a single tear slipped our to dampen her lashes. "Yeah. Like he wants that." Blinking rapidly, Mary looked up. "Besides, I can't. He's in California with Sophia. And since he left without saying goodbye, I'm fairly certain that a call from me is the last thing on his Christmas list."

Brandi's face scrunched up in confusion, but her tone was definitely, "He's not out of town."

"Yes. He is."

"No. He's not."

"Yes..." Mary stopped herself and sighed. "They left last week and won't come back until Wednesday."

Crossing her arms, Brandi trotted out her stubborn face. "You're wrong."

"Jesus, Squish, I think I know when my partner is out of state!"

"Well apparently not, because Peter and I ran into him at the mall on Christmas Eve."

Mary's head snapped up, and she ignored the slight wave of nausea the sudden movement caused. "What?"

"Yeah. We talked for a few minutes about our plans before he said he had to get going." Brandi shrugged. "But he was definitely not in California. And he was definitely alone." She watched as her sister's mouth opened and then closed without making a sound. "I can't believe he didn't tell you."

Thinking back upon months of awkward silences and forced work related only talk, Mary turned back to the window and replied, "I can."

"Mary..."

With a swipe at her eyes, Mary pivoted out of Brandi's reach and crossed the room to once again open the door. "Squish, would you please just go."

"I really think I should –"

"Look, I feel like shit and even I can smell that I need a shower." She looked up, game face on. "I don't say please often. Just go back home, and I'll call you later." Seeing that that wasn't working, she pulled out the big guns. "Maybe we can all get together tomorrow or something for dinner. To make up for yesterday."

With a sigh Brandi realized that she wasn't going to get anywhere by forcing the situation, so she moved to leave. But before shutting the door, she paused long enough to say, "I know you like to handle things on your own, but I am your sister. If you need me, you know where to find me. Okay?" Closing the door softly, Brandi walked out to her car and drove a block or two before pulling over to make a call.