Chapter 2 I don't know what you'll think, I went out on a limb with it all really, this won't be your conventional In Plain Sight fanfiction my friends! Thanks to those who have read and the people who have reviewed! I'll try to keep my updates regular!
I forgot to mention! Italicized sections are MEMORIES!
Mary glanced at the few pictures she had of the family as she made her way through the hall. Norah and Riley. Norah, Riley, Brandi and Mary. Norah and Jinx. Norah, Riley and Marshall.
Marshall was around. Not often, but there enough that Norah had some sort of love for him. He was like an Uncle. It was a lot compared to what they had promised each other on the balcony. And even more than Mary could have wished when Abigail got pregnant.
"Okay doofus, Abs- tell me what you called me down here for, I left Norah with Brandi and you know how iffy that makes me lately, she's already got a lot on her plate with that fuss ball Riley of hers…" she prompted once she made it over to the couple awaiting her in a booth.
"Why didn't you bring her?" Abigail smiled, flashing Mary a disappointed look.
"For some reason I don't think a pub is the most appropriate place for a one year old." She replied sarcastically, eying Marshall suspiciously as he fidgeted in his place, a grin spread across his mouth from ear to ear, "Now spill it you two, I only have time for one drink." Mary waved for the bartender to order a glass of wine as she waited for Marshall to calm himself and clear his throat.
"Well Mare, we called you to come have drinks with us because we have something to celebrate…" he nearly giggled, absolutely turning Mary's stomach. She looked down at Marshall's glass of whisky, on the rocks, his usual. Then she took a look at Abigail's beverage, hoping for an idea of what sort of wine she should order for the unknown occasion, but instead of the normal, fruity, white wine in front of Detective Chaffee- Mann, there sat a glass of ice water.
Her face must have expressed the true, heart stopping surprise bubbling over inside of her, because Abigail could only match Marshall's sheepish grin.
"Abby's pregnant Mare!" he cried, his pearly whites making their appearance in a less goofy more joyous smile.
It was several moments before Mary had composed her thoughts, just enough time for Marshall to twist her reaction, or lack of reaction, negatively,
"Aren't you happy for us?" He questioned, his eyes glittering with potential hurt, a look of a small child's disappointment etched upon his formerly jubilant face.
She found her words as quickly as possible,
"Con- she choked on the beginning syllable of the word at first, but then managed the full phrase, "Congratulations! I'm so… happy for you two."
And then a substantial amount of time after Abigail's miscarriage.
"What happened?" Mary heaved in huge amounts of air, having run from the parking lot to the third floor while simultaneously wondering what the frantic phone call from her new chief had meant.
A distraught Marshall had his thumb and his index fingers jammed into his two eyes, attempting to halt the tears threatening to expel if he were to move them. He chewed his bottom lip to stop it from quivering.
"Ab-b-b-y…" he sobbed.
"What Marshall? What happened to Abigail?" She was nearly frantic, never having seen him that way before. She took him by the shoulders and then when that seemed to be everything but helpful, took his hands away from his face, "Tell me."
"She lost the baby Mary." He quaked underneath her grasp, and with every hope it would stop the shaking she took him into her arms. How long they stayed that way she didn't know, but he wept the entire time.
Mary grabbed a clean pillow case, and straightened a photograph on the wall before she entered her bedroom to attempt rest again. The pictures of James lying in her arms, covered in crimson and making the same promises from so many years ago were still haunting her within the confines of her mind, so sleep didn't come. She tossed and turned, thinking about her father, Marshall, feeling horrible for Abigail. After those two had tied the knot, Mary had nearly no choice but to get along with Southern Drawl Barbie. And she did. Better than expected.
"I know I'm the last person you wanna talk to right now, but Marshall is just out there collecting himself." The inspector admitted for the discomposed Chief, taking a seat beside the hospital bed. Mrs. Mann was red eyed and shaking just as badly as her husband.
"I j-just wanted to give him a baby Mary…" she looked up from examining her I.V.
"Abigail, there's still time, you're so young, my biological clock was screaming, yours is like barely ticking." She had no idea what else she could say, shuddering at the silence, she added, "I'm sure everything will be fine-
"No Mary, nothing will be fine, Marshall wanted children, I wanted children, but now- I can't even carry a child anymore."
This was more than Mary had expected to hear. She grabbed for Abigail's hand, surprised to feel how cold it was. Her imagination ran wild with what they possibly could have done, what possibly could have happened, but she knew she had pried enough at the Detective in the sensitive, fragile state she was in, so she just spewed out whatever came to mind, whatever sounded reassuring in her head,
"I'm sorry to hear that. If anyone deserves a child, it's you and Marshall. Bu there are so many options you have, ad-
"I really don't want to talk about all of this right now." She interrupted. "Tell Marshall I- I need him. Please?" she pulled her hand away, "Thanks Mary." She choked before Mary exited the room.
She knew as she walked out the door and into the hallway, she had told Abby all of the wrong things. And she knew as she informed her best friend his wife 'needed' him, it was the wrong thing to say, so she grabbed his arm before he could disappear back into his pain.
"I'm sorry Marshall." was the only thing she could bring herself to say when she should have said and done so much more than that.
He nodded, and opened his mouth to reply and quickly closed it. He shook his head again, squeezed her shoulder and feigned a hopeful expression before reentering the room where his mourning wife dwelled.
"How's Abigail?" Mary asked, throwing her coat over the back of her chair while Marshall was pouring his morning cup of coffee.
"She's well. Having a hard time moving on, but the doctors reassured us that getting back to work is the best option for her. Her psychiatrist wanted her back two weeks ago, but she just wasn't ready. She promised me if it's too hard to handle she'll come here and we can talk it over."
"It's been a month, that's not a long time for something like this…" She tried to sound like she knew what she was talking about.
"It's been long enough Mare." He replied sadly, sipping gingerly at the caffeine contained in his cup.
"How are you?" Mary asked, getting much quieter than before even though they were the only ones in the office, Charlie and Delia being out checking on witnesses and the paper pushers being off today.
"I'm fine." He gave her a weak smile, too feeble to even partially convince Mary.
"Like I'm gonna believe that for a second. It's okay for you to be upset Marshall. Abigail's not here, there's no one around you need to fool."
"Mare now's not the time to get into this."
"No. It is. When do you get to grieve? When do you get your time to feel?" she asked him angrily, unsure of why she was enraged about the subject.
"I've been sad, I've been bitter, I've been absolutely terrified of what we should do next! If you don't mind, I just want to be numb for a while okay?" he spat back, slamming the door to his office.
Numb. Now she had been there before. Lately. Three years had passed and she was still reliving her father's death over and over in her dreams. Marshall and Abigail had miscarried their child as quickly as they announced its impending arrival, which was just the icing on the cake. Jinx was still on the right track, teaching more and more classes at the studio as they received influxes of little girls wanting to learn how to pirouette and Mary couldn't be more grateful for that 'three year sober chip' buried somewhere within the depths of her mother's purse. On top of all of that, she was constantly reminded that Norah was growing up and her sister didn't need her anymore.
Mary held Riley in her arms, silently praying that the child would continue her slumber as her own daughter was guided down the wide carpet covered aisle by her mother, chucking handfuls of flower petals of all sorts on the ground. Giggles escaped the one year olds mouth as she was allowed to do one of her favorite things- make a mess.
And then came Brandi. Her dress flowing beautifully over her newly found post-baby curves, carrying a bouquet of a fully in- tact, array of perennials.
He awaited her, his tux creased in all the right places; he smiled beneath the arch covered in vines. His eyes were glittering with triumph, instead of disappointment like the last time Mary had seen him in this very place. She inched backward on the steps to allow room for the poofy-ness of her sister's gown. She shuddered at the thought that these were the very steps Marshall had reassured her everything would be fine as she went into long, terrifying labor for her daughter just a little over a year ago. She looked into the crowd of people seeing so many unfamiliar faces, except for Marshall with Abigail on his arm, standing in the very back.
How she got so lost in sifting through the sea of guests she was unsure,
"I do." And then the sound of breaking glass and Mary was back, smiling, surrounded by jubilation, her sister turned and took the baby from her arms. What she most remembered about that day was a teary eyed Jinx, the wind whipping through Brandi's hair and the way Peter was beaming.
And she had just felt… numb.
I hope no one is angry with me for what I have done. I know most will be offended about the whole Marshall- Abigail thing, but things don't always go the way we hope them to, Mary finds that out the hard way very soon ;) and always has. Please review!