In response to Hannaball13's collection of oneshots, Funhouse, I decided to do one of my own. This is a collection of oneshots for Rodney Atkins' CD, Take A Back Road. Each chapter will contain a few lines from the song it's based on, and they're pretty much all Mary and Marshall. These won't be in order, but they all belong to the same universe, which starts about five seconds after Seth's talk with Marshall about who he'll be there for at three in the morning. Enjoy!

Thanks to Hannaball13 for all her help! :D

Disclaimer: Not mine!

IPSIPSIPSIPS

Then like a memory from your grandpa's attic

A song comes slippin' through the radio static

Changing my mood

A little George Strait 1982

-Take A Back Road

Marshall Mann fumed as he sat in rush hour traffic. Normally traffic didn't bother him so much, but just before he left work, he had gotten into a huge fight with his partner and best friend, Mary Shannon. He hated fighting with her, but it was almost as though she got off on it. She certainly got something out of it, as many fights as she had picked with him. He was a pacifist and hated fighting, especially with her. Things were much easier and much happier when he just went along with whatever she said. But once in a while, she said something utterly ridiculous, and he had to point it out.

That was usually when all hell broke loose.

With an annoyed sigh, he reached out and turned the radio on in an attempt to drown out his brain repeating the argument over and over, like a CD stuck on repeat.

His finger jabbed at the scan button, until he finally found a station that wasn't drenched in static. He had to laugh as he recognized the song that was being crooned by one of his favorite singers, George Strait. He loved country music, and Mary loved to tease him about it. But, as he explained patiently to her so many times, it was the way that the songs spoke to him.

As the music filled his ears, the grip he had on the steering wheel loosened. He let out a slow breath, and his blood finally stopped boiling as the song washed over him.

It ain't cool to be crazy about you

It ain't suave or debonair to let you know

I care like I do

It ain't smart to be so reckless with my heart

Should have known right from the start

I'd end up like a fool

Believe me, it ain't cool

Those simple words held so much meaning for him, and never had he been so glad to be stuck in a traffic jam. He adored Mary, and his devotion to her went far beyond that of a partnership. No, somewhere along the way, he had fallen in love with her. He loved her attitude, her recklessness, her fire and her so fragile heart.

God, he loved her.

With a soft sigh, he reached out and grabbed his cell phone, dialing a familiar number. She answered after the third ring, and the sound of her voice sent him reeling.

"Mary," he finally managed. "I'm sorry I was an ass. Let me take you to dinner tonight."

She could never resist a free meal.

The End.

A/N: Next up, He's Mine. Thanks for reading, and please review!