Ok so this disregards absolutely EVERYTHING that has been said in the three seasons of this show. This is my own little thing that came to me while writing another chapter for one of my other stories "New Member Of WITSEC". I hope you enjoy, And as always I do not own the characters Mary Shannon, Marshall Mann, or Brandi Shannon. I do on the other hand own the plot and story line. Thank you and reviews are more than welcome.

January 1994

I was on my way to Casper WY, via a gray hound bus from Chicago. I was sitting in the very back right corner, where no one else seemed to want to sit so I had the entire trip to watch the other people on the bus, not that there were many, only me and 6 others.

There was a young man in a Military uniform in the second row, a middle aged couple chatting with each other in the fifth row, A mom with her about 6 year old son sleeping in the sixth row, and a young woman who appeared to be sixteen or seventeen in the last row far left corner, she was staring out the window, watching the passing night.

She was the one who intrigued me the most. For some reason I felt drawn to her, like a moth to flames, or butter to bread, or a fish to water. I didn't know what it was but I couldn't stop looking at her, watching her, analyzing her. Just looking at her made my heart speed up. Even though we had never met, I felt as though we would eventually.

July 1998

As I got off the plain I was on for the last 3 hours, I stretched out. I had finally finished my bachelors from the University of Wyoming and was set to start my Masters at the University of Albuquerque. I was the youngest student attending for my masters in over 10 years, having graduated high school in what was supposed to be my sophomore year. I looked around for any signs saying where to grab my bags. I enjoyed my time on the ranch in Wyoming with my aunt and uncle, but man I was glad I was out on my own.

It was the middle of July and school started on the twentieth of September. I had made sure that I would have enough time to acclimate to the new place, get everything set up with my new apartment, and make sure all of my classes were correct.

I finally found my way to baggage claim after about ten minutes of looking. As I sat there waiting for my bags I looked around and studied the people rushing to get out of the airport.

I was about to turn around when something made me look to the left instead. When I did, I saw the young lady I saw all those years ago on the bus from Chicago. For some reason I remembered her. I suddenly found myself walking toward her. I purposefully bumped into her gently, just so I could talk to her.

"Oh I'm so sorry." I said; as he bent down to help her get her bag that fell when I bumped into her. "Let me get that for you."

"Try watching where you're going why don't ya." The young lady said, looking up at me.

"I really am sorry I'm trying to find my baggage claim carousel, but I am not having any luck. Do you think you would be able to help me? I mean if you wouldn't mind. I just got into town from Wyoming and I have no idea where anything is." I said trying to play it off as if I really was lost.

"Fine, what flight were you on?" The young lady asked as she motioned for him to follow her to a big TV monitor.

"Um. 1994 WYM." I replied following.

"Ok this board shows the arrivals and departures, and it also shows what carousel you will be at. Now let's see. It says here, that you are at 16 which is just about 4 down from where you ran into me."

"Thank you so much, truth be told this is the second time I have ever been in an airport. The first being the one in Wyoming that I left from." I said smiling slightly at the mysterious young woman in front of me. She was at least a head shorter than me, but she seamed a lot taller with how thin she was. She had light strawberry blond hair that went to about her shoulders. She looked almost the exact same as when I first saw her in 1994.

"So why the hell would you want to come to Albuquerque, anyways"? The young woman asked me.

"College, I just got an apartment and am starting at the university in August for my Master's degree." I said while looking for my bags on the carousel that finally filled with bags. "What about you, you sound like you're from Jersey."

"I'm looking for a place to stay while going to the university for my bachelors." She told me. "You're seriously going for your masters? You look no older than I am and I'm 21."

"I'm only 21, and yes I am actually going for my masters. I graduated high school in 1994. Um, this might be a little weird but I am actually looking for roommates. I'm moving into a two bedroom. I already have a years worth of rent saved up so all you would have to pay for is your food and other normal stuff. It's about ten min from the school." I said instantly hoping she would at least conceder the offer."

"Well I guess it won't hurt to look. And I was looking to roommate anyways. But before I even look I have a fourteen year old sister and I would have custody every weekend. Is that ok?" She answered the last part barley loud enough for me to hear.

"Yeah that would be cool." I said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "By the way my name is Marshall Mann."

"Mary Shannon. My sister is flying out tomorrow and her name is Brandi. It's nice to meet you." Mary said looking at my hand on her shoulder for a brief moment before removing it.

August 1998

"So Mary how was your day?" I asked her when picked her up on my way home

"Not to bad, I had two more interviews. I think I might have gotten one of them too." Mary told me as she put the thi take out we picked up down by her feet.

"That's good. Did Brandi get back to Jersey safely?" I asked.

"Yeah she landed about an hour ago and ma has her safely at home." Mary said with a bitter tone.

"Sorry, I know you don't like sending her back to Jinx, but we'll have her back here, where she belongs, at the end of the week." I told her gently taking her hand in mine and squeezing it softly.

"Wait. We'll have her back?" Mary asked smirking at me.

"Ok so she's grown on me. What can I say?" I replied grinning back at Mary.

"I would say so. Hey where are we going, this isn't the way home." Mary asked me surprised that I was not going straight home like normal.

"What I'm not aloud to surprise you?" I asked smirking at her

"I hate surprises." Mary said glaring at me.

"Don't worry this one is will be cool. Trust me Mare." I said squeezing her hand one more time. About fifteen minutes later I pulled up in front of a small lake. I made sure to park with the bed of my truck facing the water. "Come on, I'm hungry." I said releasing her hand and getting out of the truck after grabbing a blanket to spread out in the bed of my truck.

"You are one strange man Marshall." Mary told me as she followed me.

"Yes I am, but I am not a fan of sitting on sand in my work cloths." I said to her as she sat next to me, food in hand. "So is this an ok surprise?" I asked taking her hand in mine once more.

"I suppose." Mary said to me while trying to open the food containers with one hand, so I let go of her other one. "So why did you take me on a picnic in the middle of the night?"

"Well, we have been living together for over a month and I feel like I know nothing about you, except how much you love Brandi. So I wanted to take you somewhere we could sit and talk without being interrupted." I told her with a small grin. "And besides, am I not aloud to treat you to dinner every once in a while?"

"Yeah you are. So what do you want to know?" Mary asked leaning against my shoulder as she ate.

"Everything about you, the good, the bad, the scary, everything." I replied

"Ok but you have to do the same." Mary said before starting her story about her life.

An hour and a half later she was finishing up her story, "So here I am going to college for my bachelors in business management."

"That's cool. Though you seem to me the type who would be going into Law enforcement not business." I said, looking at her.

"Yeah well with everything my dad has done I'm not sure that is a good idea." Mary replied looking back at me for the first time since starting her story.

"Hey Mare?" I asked.

"Yes Marshall?" Mary asked me.

"I… Um... Would you mind if I kissed you?" I asked shyly. Her response was to lean in and kiss me softly. When she pulled back we just looked at each other for a few minutes before I leaned down and kissed her a little harder, hours later on found us laying together in the bed of my truck, with nothing on but a blanket, with her head on my chest. Her hand rubbing circles into my abdomen.

"Marshall? What does this mean for us?" Mary asked me so quietly I almost did not hear her.

"Well I think it means that we like each other and we should try a relationship." I told her. "I really do feel for you Mare. Do you remember, and I know this is going to sound weird, in 1994 on a gray hound from Chicago to Boise? You sat in the last row on the far left side of the bus and spent almost the entire trip, before I got off at Casper, staring out the window. I don't know why but ever since that night I felt a connection with you, even though I had never met you."

"I remember the bus ride, but not you. I was on my way to my grandma's house." Mary said gently lifting her head off of my chest. "That's why you offered to roommate with me, because you recognized me from a bus ride six years ago. Wow."

"Yeah well…" I said before she cut me off with another kiss.

May 2003

"Marshall, get in here." My boss said from his office.

"Coming sir." I said getting out of my chair at my desk. "You wanted to see me sir"

"Yes, have a seat inspector." He said. My boss was a man about 40 years old. He was short and almost bald. "You know how Martin Deis is leaving the agency right?"

"Yes sir. He tells me he will be leaving in July sir." I replied

"First stop with sir, it's Stan. Second, you qualified for active field duty so when Deis leaves in July you will be partnered up and officially be able to work in the field." Stan replied.

"Yes sir, I mean Stan. When do I get to meet my new partner?" I said happily.

"She will be here in about two hours. Now I expect you to behave when she get's here. I have been told she has a bad temper and does not work well with others." Stan replied. "Why don't you go get your paperwork finished up then you will have the rest of the day to get to know your partner."

"Thank you." I said as I walked out of his office. 'My first partner and it's a woman with a bad temper. Great.' I was thinking to myself as I got started on the last bit of my work. Before I knew it two hours had passed and I saw a blond haired woman walk into Stan's office.

"Marshall come in here, I would like you to meet your new partner." Stan said sticking his head out of his office.

"Coming." I said getting back out of my chair.

"Marshall Mann this is your new partner…" Stan started before i interrupted him.

"Mary Shannon." I said quietly.

"Do you two know each other?" Stan asked confused as to why I knew her name.

"Yeah from when I first moved down here. We met in the airport." I said

"Hi." Mary said almost in a whisper.

"Hi." I said almost as quietly.

"Well why don't you two take the rest of the day off and catch up." Stan said.

"Sure boss." I said then walked out of his office. I quickly collected my things then walked out of the Sunshine building as quickly as I could.

As I sat next to the building on a bench, with my head in my hands, I felt rather than heard Mary come sit with me.

"Hi." She said again, this time it sounded as though she was about to burst into tears.

"I thought you went back to Jersey." I said trying to hide the sadness in my voice, but apparently not succeeding.

"I'm sorry I left with only a note. I had to get out of here. I'm so sorry." She told me.

"Sorry for what exactly? Sorry for telling me you loved me then leaving the next morning with nothing but a note? Or how about sorry for not calling or email or even a post card in the past 3 years since you left me to wake up and worry that I would never see you again." I replied

"All of it. Everything. I just didn't know how to handle the way I felt about you and I figured if I left it wouldn't hurt as bad. But I was so wrong, just not being around you hurt so badly. I found out that there was a transfer here from Jersey and I asked for it. I needed, need, to be here with you. I don't want to hurt anymore. I want to love you again without being three thousand miles away." Mary replied gently turning my head to her. "Please, I understand if you don't love me anymore. Hell I understand if you hate me. But let me be your partner. Let me have just this little bit of you. I need you still Marshall Mann. And I sure as hell still love you."

"Okay, we can try it but I can't give you my heart again yet Mary. I just can't let you break it again." I replied giving her a kiss on the cheek before standing and walking away.