A/N: Confession time - I'm a huge fan of the TV show 'FRIENDS' and I was watching the episode where Ross marries Emily and says Rachel's name at the altar. My muses woke up and said "What a great idea for an IPS story! What if Marshall did THAT?" This story was originally going to be a crack fic, not to be taken all that seriously. But a funny thing happened while I was writing . . . and this is the result! (Tissue warning - this one is pretty angst-y in parts.)

"A Freudian slip is an error in speech, memory, or physical action

that is interpreted as occurring due to the interference of some

unconscious, subdued, or repressed, wish, conflict, or train of thought."

-Wikipedia

August 11, 2012 (Present Day) – Emily Morgan Hotel: San Antonio, TX

"Come in."

Marshall looked at the door in the reflection of the mirror as it opened and smiled as Mary stuck her head into the room.

"Are you decent in here?"

He turned around with a small bow. "I don't know – do I pass my best woman's inspection?"

Mary rolled her eyes at the title but slipped inside, shutting the door softly behind her. She crossed the room to him in two long strides, her dress boots clicking on the floor tiles. Planting her hands on her hips, she pursed her lips and looked him up and down with a critical eye before nodding. "You'll do – but your tie is too tight. Are you trying to hang yourself, partner? Your eyes will be bugging out before the minister gets to the vows!" She reached out and loosened the knot, patting the tie smooth.

Marshall grinned down at her. "Have I told you that you make one good looking best woman in your suit and tie, Mary Shannon? And I like your hair – you should wear it up more often."

She snorted and reached back to give the crown of her head a good scratch. "Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea how long it took Squish to get it to stay like this – not to mention how many bobby pins I have in here and practically an entire can of hair spray? I'm tempted to just chop it all off as soon as your reception is over!"

Marshall laughed outright. "Remind me to thank her later – and that reminds me, where's my flower girl?"

"You seriously wanted me to bring her back here?" Mary shook her head. "She's perfectly fine where she is. I left her out front with Mom, Mark, and one of the junior bridesmaids. Hopefully Squirt won't knock over any tables or floral arrangements as she's toddling around out there."

Marshall had been fiddling with his watch but Mary's words made him turn back to her with wide eyes. "Norah's walking?"

Mary nodded, a hint of pride in her face. "She took her first steps a few weeks ago. Mark and I have been chasing her ever since."

The smile faded from Marshall's face. "I missed it."

Mary closed the distance between them and placed her hand on his sleeve. "Hey, you've been a little busy planning your wedding. Don't worry about it – Norah's really excited to see her 'unc' today."

He smiled at the pet name Mary's daughter had given him; 'unc' had been her second word, preceded only by 'dada'. Mary had been quite put out that she had had to wait another month before Norah had said 'mama'.

Someone knocked on the door and Stan stuck his head inside. "Fifteen minutes, kids. It's about time to get this show on the road." He flashed them a thumbs up and then he was gone.

Mary rolled her eyes. "Some best man he is! Have you been alone in here the whole time?"

Marshall shook his head. "No – Stan's been in and out as well as my dad and brothers. But they cleared out when they knew you'd arrived so we could have some privacy – so we could-" he broke off, clearing his throat nervously.

"Yeah, I know." Mary stepped back and reached into the pocket of her suit jacket. "Look, I'm going to give you this now since Norah and I are booked out on the flight this evening."

"What? But- there's the brunch tomorrow morning and-"

Mary was shaking her head. "I – I didn't know if I'd be able to do this much, Marshall – be your 'best woman' and – you know." She shrugged. "So, I think it's best if I leave after the ceremony and I'll see you at the office when you get back from your honeymoon."

"Can I open it now?"

"I wish you'd wait-"

But Marshall was already opening the envelope and staring at the picture of the champagne flutes on the front. "This looks familiar – kind of reminds me of the toast I gave at the office for your engagement, remember?"

She nodded, unable to speak, but she was slowly backing towards the door. The silence in the room was stifling and she looked at his face as he read the simple words inside, wondering if he would discern the underlying meaning behind them. Maybe, just maybe, he won't and he'll marry Abigail and I'll go home and cry myself to sleep and by the time he gets back, everything will be back to normal. He still wasn't saying anything and Mary turned to leave when his voice stopped her.

"Mer – what does this mean?"

Mary didn't turn from the door. "It's a Visa gift card – I thought you could use it on your honeymoon – or for something you –"

"That's not what I'm talking about – what does this message mean?"

She shrugged, still addressing the door. "Can't you read, Marshall? It says 'to your happiness' – I should think the words are self-explanatory."

"The last time those words were spoken were at your engagement party – by me to you. You knew damn well how I felt about you, Mary."

Her shoulders bowed as her eyes closed – 'How I felt' past tense. Mary never thought the day would come when the shoe would be on the other foot – or how much it would hurt.

"Yes," she whispered.

"And yet all I wanted was for you to be happy – even if that meant you marrying someone else-" Marshall paused, waiting for her to say something, anything.

"I know."

"Damn it, Mary!" Marshall crossed the room, grabbed her arm and swung her around. "Are you telling me now – NOW – ten minutes before my wedding that you – that you-" he choked on the words.

Mary was shaking her head frantically to hide the shaking of her body. "No, no I'm saying – I'm saying I want you to be happy," her words ended on a sob as she repeated his own words back to him. "You deserve it."

Marshall captured her face in his hands, stilling her movement, and bringing their faces dangerously close together. "So do you – you deserve to be happy too."

Mary tried to smile. "I will be – just not today, ok?"

He frowned. "Why not? Tell me why not today."

She shook her head sadly as she tried to pull out of his hold. "We don't have time for this – Abigail is waiting for you."

"Mer, wait-"

Stan stuck his head into the room and they jumped apart guiltily. "Hey, people are getting nervous out here. Marshall, you're not getting cold feet, are you?"

Mary reached out and straightened the lapels on Marshall's suit jacket. "No, he's fine. Just one last minute pep talk, Stan, that's all. Let's go."

Marshall grabbed her arm before she could follow Stan out the door. "This conversation is not over. I'm still your partner. That's not changing just because I'm getting married today."

Mary gave him a watery smile and preceded him out the door. That's where you're wrong, String Bean. Everything changes after today. Your first priority after today will lie with your wife, not me. Mary worked hard to keep her poker face firmly in place as she took her position beside Marshall at the altar. Why, oh why, did I have to realize too late that I love you? She stole one last glance at her partner, sending him a silent good-bye before turning her gaze to the aisle to watch the procession of the bridesmaids. The junior bridesmaids, Heather and Helen, came in last holding the hands of Norah the flower girl and Mary beamed with motherly pride. The older girls helped Norah drop petals on the roller as the trio came slowly up the aisle. When they finally made it to the front, Norah stopped right in front of Marshall.

"Unc!" she cried, and held up her arms.

Mary bit her lip to keep from laughing outright as Marshall bent down and picked her up. The wedding guests were unable to hold in their laughter as Norah took off her flower crown and put it on her Uncle Marshall's head. The minister cleared his throat in mild reproach and Mary stepped up to Marshall's elbow.

"Sorry," she said to the minister as she took her daughter from Marshall. "You're the one who insisted on having her in the wedding," she chided him.

"Unc!" Norah said again, but snuggled in Mary's arms contentedly.

Mary stepped back into her place as the Wedding March began and the doors at the back opened to reveal Abigail and her father. Abigail, of course, made the perfect fairy tale bride, with her long dark curled tresses and petite frame. Mary fought down the waves of jealousy as she watched the beaming bride come down the aisle to an equally excited Marshall. Mary's mind wandered and against her will she found herself picturing the wedding with herself as the bride. She sighed and shifted a now dozing Norah to her other hip.

"Marshall, repeat after me-"

With a start, Mary realized the minister was already having them recite the marriage vows.

"I, Marshall-" the minister said.

"I, Marshall-" her partner repeated.

"Take you, Abigail-" the minister continued.

"Take you, Mary-"

Mary startled enough to cause Norah to whimper in her sleep. Did Marshall just say my name – not Abigail's?

An awkward silence fell over the room and for several moments, Marshall wondered why the minister wasn't continuing. Mentally, he went back over what he had said and then he felt his blood run cold. Oh my God.

"Abigail – I mean, I take you, Abigail-" he stammered, his face flushing to the roots of his hair.

Mary shifted uncomfortably as she felt Abigail's eyes lock onto hers with accusation and Mary suddenly felt dirty – like she had slept with her partner instead of just almost confessing her feelings for him minutes before the wedding. She wanted to kick Marshall for his Freudian slip. She wanted to run down the aisle and go sit in the airport lounge until time for her flight.

But the largest part of her wanted to take Abigail's place at the altar and recite those vows – and that was the part that scared her the most.

So instead she just nervously licked her lips and held her daughter closer, slowly swaying her back and forth, envying her the ignorance of sleep.

The minister looked at Marshall with thinly veiled disgust before he turned to Abigail with a look of sympathy and concern. "Do you want me to continue the ceremony, Miss Chaffee?"

Abigail yanked her hand from Marshall's and took a step back, even as he stepped towards her. "I think we're done here."

"Abigail, please," Marshall whispered. "I didn't-"

Abigail gave him a look that froze him in his tracks. Yanking the veil from her head, she stepped around him and threw the filmy headdress along with her bouquet at Mary. Both items landed at Mary's feet as several people in the audience gasped.

"He's all yours!" Abigail cried, gesturing at Marshall, before she turned and ran down the center aisle.

"Abigail, wait!" Marshall pleaded. He gave a quick glance at Mary before running after his fiancée.

Brandi was by her sister's side in an instant. "Mary! Are you all right?"

Mary thrust Norah into her arms and stooped to pick up the forgotten veil and flowers. "I'm fine, Squish. Why do you ask?"

"Because Marshall just said your name in his wedding vows!"

Mary's heart was hammering in her chest. She wouldn't allow herself to think about what that might mean right now. This wasn't the time or place. Even though she was fighting an internal battle with herself not to find her partner and kiss him senseless right now, to ask him if it meant that he still-

"Mary!"

She jumped guiltily. "What?"

"Are you sure you're all right? You keep spacing out on me – and you had this really weird look on your face."

"I told you, I'm fine."

Their conversation was interrupted by Stan as he came over to whisper in Mary's ear. "What are we going to tell all the guests?"

Mary smiled. "I'll take care of it – you're looking at someone who has experience dealing with weddings that suddenly get cancelled."

"Hey!" Brandi pouted. "Are you ever going to let me forget that?"

Mary shook her head. "If you and Peter hadn't worked things out then maybe," she turned to give her brother-in-law a small wave from where he was sitting next to Mark. "But since he took you back? I'm afraid you're in for a lifetime of teasing, Squish."

Brandi stopped her as she was moving up to the front to make the announcement. "You think Marshall and Abigail can work things out?"

Mary swallowed hard, her poker face back in place. "I don't know – we'll have to wait and see."

Due to Abigail's long dress and train, Marshall was able to catch up before she could lock him out of the bridal changing room. He caught the door just before it closed and slipped inside, locking it behind him. Abigail swung around to face him, fire flashing from her eyes even though the tears were coursing down her cheeks. Marshall's chest tightened at the sight of the pain he had inadvertently caused her and he took a few steps towards her but stopped when she held up her hands.

"What the hell do you want, Marshall? I don't think there's anything more you can say, do you?"

"Abigail, please just let me explain. Mary was upset before the ceremony and we didn't have time to talk about it, for me to find out what was wrong. I guess I was distracted and-"

Abigail rolled her eyes. "Do you hear yourself, Marshall? Mary, Mary, Mary! On what was supposed to be the most important day of our life together, you're standing at the altar thinking about your partner – do you have any idea how that makes me feel?"

Marshall pressed the heel of his hand against his eyes as he felt his own tears rising to the surface. "I'm so-"

"Don't." Abigail whispered. "Don't even say you're sorry."

Marshall removed his hand and met her fiery gaze. "But I am sorry – it was a slip of the tongue, Abigail, nothing more."

Abigail looked at him for a moment in disbelief before she broke out into harsh, dry laughter. "I don't know who you're trying to fool – yourself or me. That wasn't a little slip of the tongue, Marshall – that was the mother of all Freudian slips. I don't know who's the bigger fool in this room – you for running away from your true feelings or me for thinking that I could compete with a woman like Mary Shannon."

Marshall strode across the room and grabbed Abigail's shoulders, searching her eyes, silently pleading with her to hear and understand his words. "You don't have to compete with Mary, with any woman. It's you I love – it's you I moved in with, proposed to, want to build my life with."

Abigail closed her eyes and for several long moments drank in the sweet words, wanting to believe them with all her heart and yet knowing that she would always take second place in his heart. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and met his blue ones. "I know you love me, Marshall and I love you too-"

He cut off the rest of her words with a kiss that was sweet and tender and Abigail bit back the sob that rose in her throat. With a cry she pushed him away from her, shaking her head.

"But I won't be your consolation prize."

Marshall's hands slipped from her shoulders as he took a step back at her words. "You're not- how could you even-" he stammered.

The tears were coursing faster down Abigail's face. "You've settled for me, Marshall. Your heart has belonged to Mary for years but you've gotten tired of waiting and yet you've never really manned up and laid it on the line for her, have you?"

Marshall was shaking his head, opening and closing his mouth like he wanted to deny her words but no sound was coming out.

"And then I came along and we started to date and you weren't alone anymore – oh, I know you care deeply for me but not like I love you, Marshall," Abigail's voice broke on a sob and she turned away. "The day we announced our engagement at the office, I saw Mary's face and I knew."

Marshall stared at her blankly. "Knew what?"

"That she loved you too."

He shook his head. "No, that's-"

Someone knocked on the door and he turned towards it. "Yes?"

"Marshall, it's me," Mary said softly. "Everyone's just about gone, except for the bridal party and your families. Are you guys all right in there?"

Marshall's eyes swung back to Abigail, who had turned away to the vanity to wipe her eyes. Without taking the time to consider the consequences, he unlocked the door and swung it open to reveal Mary's concerned face.

"Is it true?" he asked.

Mary's eyebrows drew down in confusion. "Is what true?"

"Do you love me?"

Mary's heart plummeted to her toes as her gaze flew to Abigail. The other woman was watching their exchange in the vanity's reflection with an unreadable expression on her face.

Mary pasted a cheery smile on her face as she slugged his shoulder. "Of course I love you, partner."

Marshall's eyes darkened as his voice deepened. "Are you in love with me, Mer?"

Her throat went dry. "I-"

Abigail thumped her palm on the vanity's dresser top, causing both of them to jump. "For God's sake, Mary! Will you stop dancing around the issue and just say it?"

Mary couldn't do it. Not here, not today of all days. "I – I better go see if Stan needs any more help." She turned and fled down the hall as Marshall punched the door frame in frustration.

"Go after her," Abigail whispered. "You'll regret it if you don't."

He turned back to face her. "What about us? We haven't finished our conversation yet."

Abigail turned back to the mirror with a sigh. "Yes, we have."

One month later – Southern Oregon Coast

"I just want to know if you're planning on coming home with our daughter any time soon. It's been a month, Mary. Where are you?"

Mary sighed into the phone as she looked out the window at the waves crashing on the sand. "We'll be home by the end of the week, Mark. And I thought you'd be relieved since your mom went on vacation and we didn't have anyone to take care of Norah until she got back."

"I didn't think you'd just disappear like that after Marshall's wedding without saying anything to anybody!"

"What are you talking about? I told you good bye."

Mark snorted. "Yeah, but again I thought you'd be back in a week – and it's been four. You sure you haven't gone on the lamb with our daughter?"

Mary rolled her eyes as she heard Norah began to stir over the baby monitor. "I have to go – Norah's waking up. I promise we'll be back by Friday, all right?" She hung up her cell, cutting off Mark's last attempt to ask where she was. She resisted the urge to throw the phone across the room just as the front door opened and Stan's sister Phyllis came in, her arms loaded down with groceries.

Mary hurried to her side and took a bag, looking at the contents. "What all did you buy?"

Phyllis laughed. "Oh, just some goodies for supper – is the little angel still sleeping?"

Mary nodded as she began to help put the groceries away. "I heard her stir a minute ago but she's still quiet so I don't think she's ready to wake up yet." She pulled out a box of animal crackers and looked at the older woman in surprise.

"What? Norah loves those."

Mary shook her head. "You're spoiling her." Taking a deep breath, she added. "We need to leave this week."

Phyllis' shoulders sagged. "I'll miss that little girl horribly but I suppose you've got to get back to your job."

"Yes."

A wicked smile crossed Phyllis' face as she handed Mary the milk to put in the fridge. "So, you've gotten tired of waiting for him to come after you, have you?"

Mary's fingers tightened on the milk carton reflexively as she set it on the shelf and slammed the fridge door, whirling back to face the other woman. "What are you talking about?"

Phyllis continued to smirk. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. You've been brooding and moody and bitchy ever since you got here-"

Mary grinned, showing her mouth full of teeth. "That's just my winning personality, Phil."

Phyllis shook her head, refusing to be distracted. "And you've been on pins and needles – waiting to see if he would show up, come after you."

Mary blew an exasperated breath through her lips. "Who?"

"The one Norah calls 'unc' – your partner, Marshall."

Mary paled, her bravado vanished. "I- how-"

"Come sit down, honey," Phyllis steered her over to one of the kitchen chairs and guided her into it. Taking a seat across from her, she continued. "Stan talks about the two of you all the time – he loves the both of you like the kids he never had. Says you're the best team of Marshals he's ever worked with – and the most exasperating. He told me once that the two of you have a bond so strong it's like you're married."

Mary's eyes closed and Phyllis watched the emotions play over her face. "Don't-"

Phyllis reached across the table and clasped one of Mary's hands. "You love him, don't you?"

For several heartbeats, Mary fought against the words and then she nodded once, jerkily. She felt Phyllis squeeze her hand and it felt like a restraint; she suddenly felt trapped, like she couldn't breathe. She had to get outside – she needed air. She pulled her hand free from the warm grasp and jumped to her feet.

"I – can you watch Norah if she wakes up? I need to go for a walk."

Phyllis smiled in understanding and nodded.

Mary grabbed her windbreaker off the coat rack and fled.

As Marshall drove down US-101, he couldn't help but shake his head from time to time. What on earth had possessed Mary to run away to the Southern Oregon coast? It was cool and rainy most of the time and wasn't exactly conducive to lying out and working on a tan. But perhaps all she had been looking for was an escape from Albuquerque, from the witnesses.

From him.

Marshall clenched his jaw as he recalled the last time he had seen his partner on what should have been the happiest day of his life – his wedding day. Abigail had told him to go after her, that he would regret it if he didn't. But he couldn't just walk away from Abigail and leave her to pick up the pieces of their day all alone. So he had turned away from the fleeing figure of his partner and returned to his fiancée and together they cleaned up the church and went to her parents' house where they talked late into the night. But in the end, nothing had changed. Abigail was adamant that Mary was the one he loved and in the end, Marshall couldn't deny the truth of her words.

He had returned to Albuquerque alone only to discover that Mary had gone on vacation with Norah. Instead of being angry, a great sense of relief washed over him. He needed time to get his head on straight, to think about things before he saw her again. So Marshall threw himself back into his work with a fury that surprised Stan and Delia.

He hadn't begun to worry until she had been gone for two weeks and no one had heard anything from her – not even Brandi or Mark. Marshall cornered Stan in his office but his boss was cagey - which only sent his radar pinging more.

"You know where she is."

"Yes. She needs some time alone, Marshall."

Marshall digested this information for a moment before he turned to leave. "Well, at least tell her to call Mark. He's worried about his daughter."

By the third week, Marshall was having nightmares. He would hear Norah crying and he would frantically try to find her but couldn't – and Mary was begging for him to help her. Or he would be walking with Mary down the street, laughing and talking, when suddenly she would just disappear.

He would always wake up from the dreams in a cold sweat, panting, reaching for his phone to check for messages and finding none. She had never gone this long without contacting him – were she and Norah all right? Or were his dreams just signs that he feared she had vanished from his life?

On day twenty-seven, Marshall was shopping for groceries and in the frozen food aisle, he saw a carton of chocolate cherry frozen yogurt and nearly lost it as the memories hit him.

"I need chocolate."

"If I help you type your reports, do I get paid in chocolate currency?"

The next day, Marshall stalked into Stan's office and leaned over his chief's desk. "Where is she?"

Stan leaned back in his chair and silently looked his inspector up and down, taking in the dark circles under Marshall's eyes and his slightly unkempt appearance. "You look like hell."

A slight tic appeared in Marshall's jaw. "Where – is –she?"

Stan sighed as he rubbed his balding pate. "Florence."

Marshall reared back in surprise. "Italy?"

Stan shook his head. "Oregon."

Now, as Marshall turned his rental car into the driveway of Stan's sister's house, he still couldn't quite believe that this is where his partner had been living for the past month. Mary was not a people person and to think that she had willingly run away from her familiar surroundings to cohabit with a stranger said quite a bit about her emotional state of mind. As he unfolded his long, slightly stiff frame from the car he saw a lone figure down on the beach. Squinting as the sun made a sudden reappearance from behind a cloud, he shaded his eyes and grinned as the figure turned towards him, offering her profile.

"Looks like I found you at long last, partner."

Mary had no idea how long she had been down on the beach but she knew that she should get back. Norah tended to still be clingy when she first woke up and even though she really liked Phil, Mary felt like she should savor this time with her daughter since it would be ending soon.

It was time for Mary to stop running and go home. She knew that's what she had done – after all, it's what Shannons did best. When Marshall had asked her if she loved him, panic had welled up inside her because she knew he wouldn't drop it. He would keep asking until he got an answer and even though she was dying to tell him the truth she was also terrified to at the same time. Not only because it would change everything if he still felt the same way but because she would ruin him with her selfish, careless ways. Just look at how she had sabotaged his relationship with Abigail. He had been happy – he had told her that Abigail made him happy. And she had ruined that for him with that stupid card and some ill timed words. She had distracted him on the most important day of his life and now that happiness was ruined. What kind of a person did that? What kind of a woman went around and ruined her best friend's wedding because she thought she was in love with him? Shouldn't she have put Marshall's feelings ahead of her own and said nothing – done nothing?

Phil was right. She had been waiting for him to come after her. For him to come and say, 'It's ok, partner, we're still friends.' A tear leaked out and slipped down her cheek. Please, if nothing else, please let us find a way to preserve our partnership after all this when I get back.

"You are one hard woman to find, Mary Shannon. It's lucky for you that it's our business to find people."

Mary whirled around in surprise to see her partner standing not ten feet behind her on the sand, hands in his pockets, a rueful smile on his face.

"You came-" she said lamely, her hair whipping around her face.

He frowned slightly. "You thought I wouldn't? Mer, I've been trying to get Stan to tell me for weeks where you were."

Mary nodded, not trusting her voice, and turned back out of the wind. She began walking again slowly, waiting for him to catch up, knowing that he would.

Marshall fell into step beside her, and breathed easily for the first time in weeks. "So, Oregon? What made you come here? I'd have thought that you'd choose a beach with a warmer climate."

Mary winced as images of her last vacation to Mexico flashed through her mind. "Um, no. Too many bad memories."

The partners shared a look and Marshall nodded in understanding before Mary continued. "Besides, Stan's sister Phyllis was gone for the first two weeks and needed someone to house sit. It was the perfect opportunity to get away without anyone to bother me. We were going to be gone before she got back – but I lost track of time and Phil is really great. Norah loves her."

Marshall snorted. "Norah loves everyone – she must get that from Mark."

Mary gave him a dark look. "Are you saying I don't love people?"

He held up his hands. "I take the fifth."

The two walked awhile in silence before Marshall cleared his throat. "So, why did you come here?"

She shrugged. "Vacation."

"You don't do vacations."

"I thought it would be nice for Norah-"

He grabbed her elbow, stopping them on the sand. "Do I really need to call you on your BS? Why now – right after my 'almost' wedding?"

Her eyes closed in pain. "I thought maybe you and Abigail-"

"No, we called it off."

"I'm sorry."

"Are you?"

Her eyes flew open, scanning his in shock. "Of course I am! Do you have any idea how guilty I feel? How much I blame myself? God, Marshall! If it wasn't for me you'd be happily married by now!"

"How do you figure that?"

She looked at him like he was an idiot. "Because I distracted you on what was supposed to be the happiest day of your life! Once again, I made it all about me and not about you! I was supposed to be your best woman – focusing on your needs, making sure you had everything you needed on your wedding day and instead I was all wrapped up in me, focusing on how much it hurt that I wasn't the bride, how much I lo-" Mary broke off with a sob and turned away from him, and resumed walking down the beach.

"No you don't!" In one long stride, he caught up to her, grabbed her arm and pulled her against him. "Don't you dare run from me now. Say it. Say it, Mer."

"No," she resisted, twisting her face away into the wind.

"Why not?"

"Because I'll ruin you!" she cried, pounding a fist on his chest. "Don't you see how much happiness I've already cost you? You told me she made you happy, Marshall. When have I ever made you happy?" her words ended on another sob.

He slowly moved one hand from her shoulder up her neck to her cheek in a long caress. "Oh Mer, don't you see? Making you happy makes me happy. It's only being apart that makes us both miserable."

Mary was violently shaking her head. "Don't say that – I can't – you don't really-"

He cupped her face, stilling the wild movement of her head. Then, he leaned down and breathed a kiss against her forehead. "I love you, Mary."

She couldn't fight it anymore – she had to know what it felt like. Mary surged to her toes and pressed her lips against his, finally letting herself get lost in his love. She tasted the salt of the sea and murmured against his skin, "I love you too."

Marshall groaned and pulled her closer to him, gently nipping her bottom lip before pulling back to look her in the eyes. "You've really been beating yourself up all this time about what happened at the wedding?"

Mary nodded sadly. "It was my fault, I-"

He pressed a long finger to her lips. "I was just as much to blame. Abigail pointed out to me that I never actually came straight out and told you how I felt – never laid it all out on the line for you to say yes or no to a relationship."

"But, Marshall – I don't think I would have been ready before. It wasn't until you and Abigail announced your engagement that I realized how much I loved you."

Marshall looked over her shoulder and smiled. "So she was right about that too." He refocused on the woman in his arms. "Wait a minute, are you saying that if it hadn't been for Abigail, you might never have realized-" he left the sentence unfinished and raised his eyebrows.

She shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not."

Marshall snorted. "I don't know how I feel about that."

"Let me see if I can make you feel better." Mary drew his head down to hers and proceeded to thoroughly kiss him, this time pressing her tongue against his lips to really taste him. Suddenly she drew back. "Why do you taste like chocolate?"

He chuckled, running his hands down to her hips. "Probably because I was eating some in the car on the way here-"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Were you going to share?"

He laughed harder as he pecked at her lips. "Yes, I saved some for you."

Mary smiled and grabbed his hand as she began to pull them back towards the house but he stopped and pulled her back to him. "Why do I get the feeling you only love me for my chocolate?"

Mary laughed as her hands framed his face this time and he settled for resting his on her hips. She sobered quickly and looked at him in silence for a moment. "Where do we go from here, Marshall?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

He swallowed thickly. "Well, I was standing at the altar saying my wedding vows just one month ago-"

She nodded. "And I have a fourteen month old little girl that commands most of my spare time and attention."

He nodded in agreement. "So – to answer your question – my plan is to woo you with chocolate kisses and truffles and romantic dates and long walks on the beach and we'll see where it takes us." He pulled her flush against him, his arms circling her waist. "How does that sound?"

Mary crinkled her nose. "Like one of those rom com's you're always trying to get me to watch."

"Oh, did I leave those out?" He said, grinning and she laughed. "What do you think? Can you live with taking it slow for a bit?"

She pulled his head down to breathe against his lips. "As long as some of those chocolate kisses include the French variety, then yes."

"Naughty girl," he whispered, giving her a series of short, sweet kisses.

"Yes I am," she whispered back, winding her arms around his neck. "But I'm your naughty girl."

A/N: Ah, now that's an ending, yes? Please leave a review and feed the Mary muse!