A/N: This takes place right before Marshall s speech to Mary in A Priest Walks into a Bar . In my world Bobby and Eleanor are still there, because it is just fun having them around. I do not own In Plain Sight I am just borrowing them for my own enjoyment. This is my first In Plain Sight fic.
Embracing the Messy
"I don't know. Maybe I should just pick a bar, down some shots and do some cowboy." Mary face took on a look of seriously consideration. Marshall took a breath and walked over to her desk.
"You've done the cowboy. And when you weren't doing the cowboy, you were the cowboy. Like with Raph. You don't need to let off steam. What you need is..." he paused trying to figure out how to convey his hope and Mary was just sitting there looking at him confused. "I get you don't like messy, but maybe messy is what you need. Maybe instead of just anyone, you should be looking for someone. Someone who challenges you, who calls you on your BS, gets in your face and makes you think..." Mary tilted her head looking at him. "What?"
"Nothing. I'm thinking." Mary got up brushing past Marshall and went in with Stan. She didn't see the frustrated look and sadness that hit Marshall as she walked away. Stan closed the door after Mary walked in. "Alright...what? I feel like I was just sent to the principals office?"
"I need a favor. I know you are supposed to start vacation tomorrow, but I need you to delay it a day or two." Stan looked at her smirk, knowing she loved this. "Witness is coming in to testify, I need you with Marshall. I don't want him covering this solo or with out of town Marshals. Witness arrives tomorrow."
"Like you need to ask me, to cover Marshalls back, of course I will." Mary looked at Stan like he was crazy.
"I have two temporary Marshals coming in, covering your witnesses while you are out, so you are free after this." Mary was lost in thought, and honestly wasn't paying attention to Stan. "Mary?"
"Hmm...yeah ok." She looked at him blankly and then he saw that glint in her eye ,knowing instantly she wanted something. "Isn't Marshall due for vacation too?"
"Yes and I was going to force him to take it, after you got back...why?" Stan looked at her wary.
"Can he take the same time as me?"
"What?" Stan looked panicked and looked out his window at Marshall. "Are you two...well you.."
"Nooo...jesus Stan relax." Mary laughed, the man looked like he was going to have a stroke. "We are friends, hell, I was being nice."
"If Marshall wants to then yes, as long as the temporary coverage is here." Mary hopped up and went to leave.
"Great! Don't say anything to him, I will talk to him." Mary left before Stan even had a chance to respond. Mary walked up to Marshall's desk.
"Ready to head out?" Marshall looked at her with a quizzical expression. "What?"
"You have a predatory look, like a Cobra after a mouse." Marshall glanced at Stan who was watching them intently. "What's going on?"
"Let's go." Mary grabbed Marshall ' arm, dragging him to the elevator. Marshall looked back toward Stan wondering, what the hell had gotten into his partner. Mary fidgeted nervous as the elevator doors closed.
"Are you going to tell me or am I supposed to be guessing?"
"Stan asked me to handle a case tomorrow with you. Witness coming in to testify, outside team is bringing them here for trial testimony tomorrow." Mary still wasn't looking at him, just staring straight ahead as the elevator made its slow decent.
"I am aware. And?"
"Nothing numnuts, thought you would want to feed me." Mary grinned at him and Marshall still suspected he was missing something, but went along with it knowing she would tell him when she was ready.
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Mary did not sleep last night. She just lay awake thinking about his words. 'He was all of those things: he challenges, gets in her face and doesn't take her bs. He had to mean him right?' Her alarm went off and she slammed her hand down to silence it. She dragged herself out of bed to a hot shower to wake up.
"Mare, you ready?" She heard Marshall's voice and her front door close.
"I am, if you have coffee!" She grumbled from her bedroom just finishing dressing.
"I'm wounded, you think I would come without caffeine and food." He scoffed at her and she chuckled from her bedroom. 'He knows me too well.' She pulled on her jacket and walked out to meet him.
"I love you like a ten dollar whore." Mary grabbed the coffee from his hand and downed some. "Donuts too...mmm, you do love me." She looked up at him, for a second she could see the comment did something to him. 'He did mean him.' She smiled softly at him, not her usual smirk. "Ready?" Marshall was completely distracted.
"Uh yeah...let's go." Marshall opened the door for her and locking up with his key. Mary just kept walking and climbed into his truck. As he walked towards the truck, Mary watched him. 'Tall, lanky, surprisingly strong, goofy, attractive wonder...what he looks like out of that suit. Oh shit...did I just think that?' She blushed and Marshal got into the car looking at her questioningly.
"You alright?" His voice was genuine in concern.
"Yeah, I'm good. Hot coffee." Mary looked at the window completely embarrassed.
"You sure, you seem off?" He knew something was up with his normally readable partner.
"Let's go, we are going to be late." Mary took to her sarcastic tone. Marshall backed out of the driveway and they were off. They were supposed to meet the other Marshall's at the courthouse. They were about five minutes away and Mary decided to bite the bullet.
"I was thinking..."
"Dangerous...did you hurt yourself?" He grinned
"Shut it numnuts..." She grumbled, before turning to look at him. "Do you want to go on vacation with me?" Marshall could swear his heart stopped, he looked at her and could tell she was serious. He pulled the car over to avoid crashing.
"I'm sorry...what?"
"Vacation, travel somewhere...relax, possibly drink, non working trip..." Mary just rambled, like it was the most normal question in the world, while Marshall just stared at her like she grew a third eye.
"I know what vacation is. You want me to go with you?" Marshall had hope in his voice and it set Mary at ease.
"Yes, that would be the point of asking." Mary waved her arm at the road. "Now, will you drive, we have to protect said witness." Marshall obeyed, pulling back out into traffic but looked to be deeply pondering Mary's question. Marshall pulled up to the courthouse and parked the truck at the back entrance. Before Mary could get out of the car, Marshall grabbed her arm.
"Why?" Their eyes locked and she knew exactly what he was asking.
"Because, I am thinking I need messy." Marshall felt his heart burst from his chest and he was sat there thunderstruck. "Let's talk about this more, AFTER this case, okay." He nodded and they both got out. By the time he circled the car around to Mary he was grinning. Mary caught a glance of him and she smiled knowing she put the grin there.
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"Bobby!" Mary yelled when she saw him.
"Mary, long time no see. Staying out of trouble?" He smiled at her.
"Hey, it is never my fault." Mary quipped
"Sure it isn't." He smirked. "Marshall, how you doing man?" Bobby shook Marshall's hand.
"Good and don't worry, I keep her in line." Mary smacked him and Bobby laughed.
"Stan called me. Asked me to have some extra uniforms here, in case of trouble..."
"Gotta love Papa Stan." Marshal quipped
"Hopefully, you won't need us." Mary smacked Bobby. "Hey!"
"You just jinxed us dammit!" Mary turned and headed for the conference room. Marshall just patted Bobby on the shoulder laughing and then followed her. They waved their credentials and headed into the conference room to meet with the witness. It had been a year or more since Mary had to move her, mob witness, poor woman was relocated multiple times.
"Sara, good to see you again." Marshall smiled at the woman, who looked about to fall apart. Marshall went to talk to the other two Marshals, leaving Mary to get reacquainted. They were to meet them downstairs at back entrance to take her back out and whisk her away somewhere new after her testimony. He and Mary just needed to walk her into court and help get her out safely.
"Mary..." Her voice was shaky and she was panicking.
"Hey it's alright, you are almost there." Marshall looked at Mary loving this side of her. She could always reassure her witnesses. "This is it. You testify and no more court. All we need to do is get you in there, you tell them everything and you are out again." Sara nodded and seemed calmer. A court officer came in telling them she was next. "You stay between us, Marshall you lead."
They had to go up one floor to get to the courtroom. As they approached the elevator, Mary had her back to Marshall and Sara, scanning the surroundings. Bobby was standing with a guy she remembered from his station, a bunch of civilians milling around and there was a uniformed cop off the end of a corridor, who she could not place. As the elevator doors opened, she saw him reach into his jacket.
"Gun!" Mary shoved Marshall and the witness into the elevator. Mary pulled her piece and fired, but not before the perp got in a shot.
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Bobby pulled his gun and fired at the same time as Mary. He saw the perp fall and Mary go down too.
"MAARYY!" Bobby ran over, his gun still trained on the down perp. Mary was conscious, and blood was slowly seeping through her shirt. "McNair! Is he dead?" Bobby yelled to one of his checking on the perp.
"Yes, one in the head and chest, he isn't going anywhere."
"Good. Keep an eye out, he might have friends." Bobby put his gun down, pulling out his phone. "Officer down! I repeat officer down, need an ambulance to courthouse immediately." Bobby put the phone down and focused on Mary. "Mary. Stay with me." Her eyes were unfocused. Pulling open the shirt, he saw the vest. "Good girl, you had a vest."
"Marshall..." Her voice was weak.
"He is ok, you saved him." Bobby pulled the Velcro of vest and pulling it over her head. "Shit." Bobby ripped off his shirt and pressed it on the wound. Mary groaned. "Sorry, bullet went through the vest."
"Duh..." Mary smiled a bit.
"Only you, could joke now." Bobby looked panicked, his mind kept flashing to when she was shot outside Francescas. The blood had soaked through his shirt; she was losing too much blood. Her eyes fluttered shut. "Hey Mary, stay awake!" Mary opened her eyes and looked Bobby in the eyes.
"Tell Marshall...I love messy." Mary smiling slightly, before her eyes fluttered shut.
"Mary! Hey stay with me." Bobby was looking around for the paramedics. "You cannot do this to me twice." He looked down at her and decided to try a different tactic. "Marshal Shannon, open your eyes." Mary opened her eyes to Bobby's order. "That's it. Awake. Stay awake."
The paramedics ran onto the scene, pulling Bobby away. He hadn't caught sight of Marshall yet. He watched them load Mary on the gurney, wheeling her away. Bobby ran after them and jumped in the ambulance alongside Mary.
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A few minutes earlier...
"Gun!" Marshall heard Mary's shout and felt her push him into the elevator. He threw himself over Sara pinning her against the elevator floor. He heard the three muffled shots as the elevator doors closed. He looked up and saw that Mary was not with him. Taking a second to calm himself, he took a breath.
"Sara...you alright?" She looked up from her place on the floor, she was crying, but appeared unharmed and just nodded. "Ok, it's alright. We will get you out of here." Marshall pulled out his phone and dialed the Marshal s waiting below. "Shot's fired, I have the witness and I am bringing her to you." He hung up and dialed Stan. "Stan? Shots fired and I don't know where Mary is ..taking witness to evac point now ..let me know."
"Is Mary alright?" Sara was crying, but worried about Mary.
"I don't know, but let's not worry about that now. Focus on getting you out of here. I will get you word on her somehow. Okay?" Sara just nodded and it was taking every bit of control for Marshall to not panic.
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"Dammit! Dammit!" Stan yelled as he hung up with Marshall, Eleanor ran in.
"What's going on?"
"Shooting at the courthouse, Marshall doesn't know where Mary is." Stan updated her as he dialed Mary's cell. "No answer." He quickly dialed Bobby. "Bobby? Is Mary with you?"
"Yes, in ambulance with her on route to hospital now." In the background Stan could hear the paramedics and shouting.
"How bad?"
"Bad, went through the vest." Bobby had to hang up as they were pulling up to the hospital. Stan looked at the phone and Eleanor walked over to him.
"We have to get to the hospital. I need to call Marshall." Stan's head was spinning. He couldn't believe they were going through this again.
"You call, I will drive." Eleanor always the voice of reason ushered Stan out of the office to her car as he dialed Marshall.
"Stan, I just handed the witness over. I haven't had a chance to talk to Mary yet." Marshall was on his way back upstairs when Stan called.
"Marshall. She isn't there. Bobby is in the ambulance with her now, they are almost to hospital." Marshall didn't speak, he just hung up and ran back down the stairs to his car. "Marshall?" Stan pulled the phone from his ear and saw that it was disconnected. Eleanor was driving like a mad woman to get them to the hospital quickly. "He hung up."
"He is on his way to Mary, we will see him soon." Eleanor's voice was calm as she ran through a red light, leaving Stan gripping the handle of the door.
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Bobby was standing there, staring at the door they just rolled Mary through. He wasn't allowed to follow and he was still in shock. His hands were covered in Mary's blood. It coated his pants, his shoes and left bloody prints showing the path he took in.
Stan and Eleanor saw him instantly as they ran through the emergency room doors. They both looked shocked by his appearance.
"Bobby?" Stan called to him and Bobby turned to him. Stan could tell this took a toll on him.
"They took her straight to surgery..." "Stan!" Bobby never finished as Marshall ran in yelling.
"Marshall, Bobby was just updating us." Marshall looked to Bobby searching his face for some idea of what he was going to stay.
"They took her straight to surgery. Bullet went through the vest." Marshall swallowed knowing that it was bad. "Mary saw the shooter as he went in his jacket, she yelled 'gun' shoving Marshall and Sara into the elevator. She fired and hit him. I got a shot in him too. Dead at scene, but my teams are still canvassing when I left with Mary."
"Was she conscious? Did she say anything?" Marshall's tone was urgent and panicked
"Yes...she didn't lose consciousness till the paramedics arrived." Bobby looked into Marshall's eyes. "She asked about you, wanted to make sure you were safe. She told me to tell you that she loves messy, right before she passed out." Marshall's eyes filled up and he walked away from them, sitting in a chair in the far corner away from everyone, head in his hands and cried.
