Not much happened in the first chapter so a quick update for you. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Please keep them coming!

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Family Wars

"I hate birthdays." Mary mattered as Marshall handed her a beer.

"You know this isn't your birthday, right?" He replied.

She rolled her eyes. "At least if it were mine, there would gifts for me."

"Gifts that you could re-gift?"

"Could you for once just be on my side?" She glared at him slightly "Just agree with me?"

"Ah, where's the fun in that?"

"God, you're so annoying…"

"Don't you two ever stop?" Stan said as he reached them with Eleanor.

"He started it."

"She started it." They both said in unison.

"Idiot." Mary muttered, hitting him the stomach with the back of her hand.

He retaliated and within seconds a fight broke out, both of them trying to get the upper hand.

"Alright, you two." Stan pulled Mary back and stepped between them. "Stop before one of you gets hurt."

"Oh please, she hits like a girl." Marshall rolled his eyes.

Mary managed to reach past Stan to land a finale punch on Marshall's upper arm.

"Enough…Don't make me cuff you." Stan warned her.

"You're going to bring out the handcuffs?" Marshall looked at him.

"Getting a bit kinky, aren't you?" Mary added. "That's a little gross."

"Yeah, not cool, Stan." Marshall shook his head, disapprovingly.

"I didn't mean…I'm not…" Stan stuttered and then sighed when he saw them both grinning at him. "I don't know why bother."

"You should be used to their childish behavior by now." Eleanor patted his arm.

"You really should, Stan." Mary added and raised her beer bottle. "Especially when alcohol is involved."

"Amateur move, Chief." Marshall joined in.

"You're all going to drive me into early retirement." He complained but then suddenly remembered something. "Actually, speaking of retirement, Marshall…I heard a crazy rumor the other day…"

"Ha, I knew it…You're actually an old man who's reached retirement age and somehow disguised yourself in a younger man's body!" Mary pointed a finger at Marshall.

"I ran into a friend of your father's…" Stan ignored her and Marshall, who flicked his bottle top in her direction. "Said he's considering an early retirement….Everything okay with him?"

Marshall sighed. "Yeah, he's thinking about it…But I doubt he will."

"I'm telling you, I never thought I'd see the day Seth Mann would take retirement willing."

"About once a year my Mom gets tired of him working all the time and makes a big deal about it…Tells him she wants them to move closer to me and brothers..." He explained. "But then he takes some vacation time so they can discuss it properly and by the end of the two weeks, she's quite happy to send him back to work and out of her way but this time she does seem to feel pretty strongly about it."

"Well, pass on my best wishes, whatever he decides." Stan told him.

"Will do."

"You didn't tell me your Dad was retiring." Mary looked at him.

"Didn't think it was something I had to run by you."

"Please, don't start fighting again." Stan sighed.

"Are they arguing like an old married couple again?"

They all turned at the sound of Bobby D's voice.

"Hey, you got my invite." Mary greeted.

"I did." He nodded his head in acknowledgement to the other three. "I was told there would be free beer and food."

"I was just about to get a drink…I'll grab you one." Stan offered.

"Me too!" Mary said.

"And me," Marshall handed him an empty bottle.

"I'll give you a hand." Eleanor offered after hearing his sigh.

"Mary." Raph approached them with Christina in tow. "This is Christina…I told you about her…She's been working with me."

She remembered him talking about a new girl at work but was surprised that he actually invited her to their house.

"Nice to meet you." Christina held out a hand.

"You too…Didn't realize you would be joining us."

"Well, you invited your friends…" Raph started. "I thought it would be okay to invite mine."

Mary narrowed her eyes a little at him. "Of course it's okay."

"Come on, Christina, let me get you a drink."

"Wow." Bobby commented as they watched them walk away. "She's hot."

"I guess she's cute if you like that sort of thing…" Mary snorted.

"What? Tall with curves in the right places, red hair and a smile that can light the room?"

"Marshall, back me up here…"

"Well…I guess, she's not…un-attractive." He tried his best to be mutual but it earned him another punch. "Hey! What about him!"

"Good point." Mary replied before hitting Bobby.

"OW!" He rubbed his shoulder. "Thanks, man."

"Oh, here comes Raph…" Marshall turned back to the face the other two, trying to act like they hadn't been watching them. "He doesn't look too happy."

"Just what I need." Mary muttered.

"Mary, why is it okay for you to invite people but not me…" Raph said as soon as he reached them.

She sighed. "I didn't mean you couldn't…I just didn't realize you did."

"Well, I like Christina…She's nice." Raph replied. "Don't you think, Marshall?"

He looked up quickly. "You're asking me?"

"Yeah…She's a nice girl." Raph shrugged. "I think you two would hit it off…"

"Uh, thank you…" Marshall looked to Mary before back at him. "But I'm not really looking at starting something…."

"Just have one drink with her…Let me go get her." He rushed off before Marshall could say anymore.

"Did you know about this?" Marshall asked Mary.

"Yeah because spend all my spare time trying to fix you up on dates." She rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you're going through this…"

"Me? Did you not hear me say no?"

"You're a fool…Being set up with a girl like that and saying no…" Bobby shook his head at him.

"I swear god, Marshall…If I hear the word double date…" She pointed a finger at him warningly.

20 minutes later, Marshall was on the other side of the garden, listening to Christina as she told her about working at Alpert's autoplex. To begin with, he went along with it all just to annoy Mary but now he would give anything to get away. There was something about Christina that didn't seem right but he couldn't work out what.

"Aw, look at you two…" Brandi cooed as her and Peter joined them. "You're so cute together."

Marshall's eyes widened a little and smiled uncomfortable as Christina clung onto his arm.

"Could you maybe take a picture of us?" Christina handed Brandi her cell phone and then glanced at Marshall. "You don't mind do you?"

"Oh…No…I guess not." He said but before he could finish the sentence, she had her arms around him, posing for the camera.

Brandi snapped a couple of pictures before handing her back the phone. "Maybe we could all go out one night? Wouldn't that be fun? Us four, Mary and Raph."

"Uh, yeah maybe…" Marshall replied, wondering what kind of reaction the idea of a triple date would provoke from Mary.

"Oh, your drink is empty…" Christina took his empty beer bottle off him. "I'll get you another…"

She was gone before Marshall could say anymore and when Brandi and Peter wondered off, he realized it was the perfect chance to escape. He caught sight of Bobby on the other side of the garden, looking bored. Maybe they could leave and go find a bar somewhere; they could probably convince Mary to go with them.

Christina kept an eye on Marshall as she entered the kitchen. She grinned when she saw the photo Brandi had taken. It was perfect and just what she had needed. She quickly sent the picture, proving that she was in fact with Albuquerque like she had told him when she spoke to him that morning. He hadn't believed her, saying that she was just trying to get his attention but it wouldn't work. He had told her again that they were over… that they were nothing more than a few meaningless nights together but she knew better… She wasn't giving up without a fight and even if it was over, she was going to make him pay. She watched Marshall walking across the garden but was relieved to see Raph stopping him before he could rejoin his friends. She quickly grabbed a bottle of beer, flicking the cap off and looked around before pulling out a small clear plastic package out of her pocket. She tipped the white powder into the beer, swirling the bottle so it mixed together before taking a second bottle of beer for herself and headed outside again.

TBC

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