Disclaimer: I do not own IPS, Mary, Marshall, Stan, etc, etc. Much as I'd like to...

A/N: Started working on this a week or so before the new season aired, and another fic recently got me to get a account, so I figured I'd put it up. School's kept me kinda busy, but I'll update as often as I can ;)

So before you get your hope up here's a lil bit about how my fic is going to play out CONTAINS REAL-STORY SPOILERS! DON'T READ IF YOU'RE NOT UP-TO-SPEED IN THE SHOW!

1. I am a MaryxMarshall fanatic. It WILL, mostlikely, happen in my fic.
2. Now that Mary and Raph have OFFICIALLY broken up IN-SHOW, that saves me the trouble, and Raph may not end up in my fic at all. Sorry, Raph lovers.
3. If Raph shows up, it will to be with Brandi. But I'm not sure ANYONE could ever make that NOT awkward, Mary-wise, so probably still a no-no
4. IT WILL BE GORY AT POINTS. I'm sorry, but that's how it is in my brain, so that's how it will be in text.
5. I'm bringing Elenor back. Suck it.
6. ALLISON PIERSON WILL EITHER NOT EXIST, DIES, OR BE TRANSFERRED. I've NEVER hated a character as much as I do her.
7. I'm sorry, but Faber doesn't exist in my brain. Period.


In Plain Sight –Turnabout's Fair Play – Part I

Albuquerque, New Mexico
Three Months Ago

"You got the coffee this time?"

"Like you would drink it if you had to pay." Marshall said with a smirk.

Mary stood against her half ajar car door, a pensive look on her face. "Fair enough."

Closing the door, United States Marshal Mary Shannon followed her partner into the local Starbucks.

-beedle-deeee- ... -beedle-deeee-

Half-in, half-out of the door, Mary stopped to check her phone. Rolling her eyes at the ID, she swiftly punched the "End" key.

"Your mom again? The usual, please." Marshall asked, doling out dollar bills to the cashier. Turing back to Mary he said "Four times in the past hour, must be serious."

"It's not serious. It's never serious." Exasperated, she put a hand to her forehead and rubbed. "Of all days, why does she have to pick today to bug me at work, too?"

beedle-deeee- ... -beedle-deeee-

Growing ever more annoyed with her mother, she pulled out her phone and hung it up again.

Used to her fuming, but a bit confused, Marshall asked "What's so important about today?"

"Wh-" Mary started, looking at the befuddled look on her partner's face "Wait, you're serious? Don't you understand the witness we have coming in today?"

"Of course I understand. I understand he's just another run-of-the-mill bad guy, determined to extend his life by turning in his boss and co-workers. I understand he's vital to bringing down one of the largest drug rings in the western United States, as well as the fact that his safety, as per our job descriptions, is nigh our sole purpose in life for the next four weeks. What I can't understand," He paused, handing Mary her coffee and bringing his own to his lips, "is why this witness has... so curiously piqued your interest."

"Jesus, Marshall, this isn't just another lowlife, he's one of the biggest players in the ring. He's the guy that managed to make all of LAPD look like a pack of shaking chihuahuas, without even being in the state. I mean he was actually here. In New Mexico, and those little poodles couldn't sniff out a trail to follow!"

"I thought they were chihuahuas."

Mary shrugged "Point is, for 'just another run-of-the-mill bad guy' the guy has some serious cojones, and even I can respect that kind of power."

Marshall smiled jokingly and held the door open, following Mary with a smirk as she passed "There is a fine line between respect and envy."

-beedle-deeee- . . . -beedle-deeee-

Aggravated, she answered her phone, not bothering to look at the screen. "I don't want to talk to you! God, why the hell do you think I've been hanging up every time I see your number on my screen? I swear, you call this number one more time, I'm changing my name and..." She put her hand over the mouth piece, turning to Marshall, "Where do people threaten to move to when they already live in Albuquerque?"

"I dunno but," Shrugging again, Marshall pointed to the phone. "You might want to recant that little statement..."

"Inspector?" The voice from the phone called.

Swiftly, Mary mouthed "oops" and returned to her call, smiling a bit. "Heyyyyy, Stan, what's up?" Suddenly, her grin turned into a grimace. "Right," she said, glancing at Marshall, "We're on our way."

Following a now on-the-move Mary out the door, Marshall jogged to meet Mary at the car. "What's going on?" He asked, concerned at the attitude change the phone call from their boss invoked.

"Someone's been shot." Opening the car door, she slammed the key into the ignition and shoved her coffee cup into the cracked holder, knowing instantly she wouldn't have a moment's rest today to drink it.


Albuquerque Federal Marshal Service Building

"They were scheduled to make a stop here. They arrived..."

-bkz-AAAAANG- Mary and Marshall entered through the noisy security door to the even noisier office.

"Ah, good, my inspectors are here." Stan waved them over to where the group of other busy inspectors stood huddled over a map. "Fill them in, would you John?"

"Right away, Chief." Replied the thin, dark inspector with an American accent so perfect one would never have guess he'd moved to the United States from Jamaica only three years ago. "As I was saying," He began as Stan was called to another table, "The caravan transporting the witness, Alvin Kerowich, was scheduled to make a stop here," he jabbed at a corresponding point on the map "before arriving here in Albuquerque later this afternoon."

"They never showed?" Marshall asked, glancing across the table.

"No, they showed." He said with apprehension, "But when they arrived, Kerowich was driving... with two Marshals in the back, out cold."

Mary sighed "Was he able to tell you the location of the shooting?"

"That's the thing," John replied, "The shooting happened at the gas station." Carefully, he gave Mary a grave look. "He says the Marshals just 'passed out'."

"Poison?" Mary asked.

"That's our working theory, but..."

"But... what?" Marshall inquired, angling a falcon-like stare at the Marshal.

"If someone went as far as to figure out the route for witness transportation of a high-security witness and drug the attending escort Marshals, why didn't they use enough poison to kill them? Why not finish the job?"

"Well let's focus on what we do know." Marshall interjected, pointing again to the map, "You said the shooting happened here? At the gas station?"

"Yes sir, ten minutes after they arrived. The Inspectors standing by at this checkpoint had just removed Kerowich from the car, and were tending to the two in the back when the first shot was fired."

"The first?"

"Of seven, sir. No fatalities, luckily." The young man opened a file, "The two in the back were at the time still protected by the armor of the vehicle. The others didn't get off so nicely. Inspector Mallen was hit twice, once it the right shoulder, one through the same arm. Inspector Skyland twice in his left leg, one in his gut. They removed the slugs and he's in ICU now, stabilized."

"And our star witness? Don't tell me..." Mary prodded as Marshall spun the file so they could read it.

"Nary a scratch on him." He reported, turning to her. The other Marshal watched submissively, trying his best to stand tall.

"Right, sir. The other two slugs have been removed from the body of the vehicle, and have been sent to forensics."

"Geez," Mary sighed heavily, shifting her weight and placing her hands on either side of the file. "Alright, where's our witness now?"

The Inspector on the other side of the table froze up a bit at the question. "He's... in a secure location, ma'am."

Mary grunted a bit in disbelief. "C'mon, guy, I don't have all day. He's my witness so-"

"Technically he's my witness." Marshall commented with his usual look of bemusement and indifference, "My case and all."

Rolling her eyes, she continued at a heightened tempo, "Okay, his witness, but hey, let's be honest, that basically makes him my witness,"

"Hey, now..."

"So you can either tell me where he is and we can get to solving this thing a bit faster, or we can sit here and pretend like nothing's going on and shine each other's heads until our shooters decide that 'Hey, we missed out on killing the Marshals the first go-round, but maybe we'll have better luck if we shoot up the tiny fed building. I mean, come on, they have all their officers and inspectors in one, crowded area, it'll be like a shooting range!' Gimme a break."

John looked around nervously, stepping a little in place. "He's in a warehouse here." He said, "Chief Inspector McQueen told me you two are the best at what you do, so..." He looked over his shoulder, making sure no one was listening. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind having you two on the scene." He gave them a charming wink and walked away, "accidentally" leaving the map in their possession.

Part I End