Disclaimer: In Plain Sight belongs to USA Network...And many excited squees for a two season renewal!
It's an hour past the scheduled arrival time when Marshall finally sees the small commuter plane pull up to the gate at the ABQ airport. He had been waiting for over two hours by that point, but it was all but forgotten when the door popped open, the flight attendant nodding to the ramp technician as he drove the stairs into place.
He ignored the random trivia that popped into his head and stood up, moving towards the door with a flash of his Marshal badge. It wasn't something he was wont to do in normal circumstances, but he didn't regret it even for a second when he saw the blonde head disembark from the jet, tousled and messy hair a match for the wrinkled dress she wore.
She hadn't seen him yet, as she grabbed her duffel bag from the plane-side checked rack, and he suddenly found himself more nervous than he expected. His little speech and her elopement had been easy to ignore via text messages about arrival times and good-natured snarkiness, but face-to-face was an entirely different animal.
"Quit dozing, numbnuts, I'm tired," she said when she had finally spotted him, interrupting his errant thoughts.
He smiled and was prepared to fire back with an inane comment, just the way she liked, when he noticed the fatigue that dulled her green eyes and the limp position of her shoulders. As much as he would have liked to talk right then and there...he could tell it was neither the time nor the place.
So he simply reached out and took the bag from her hands, guiding her out of the airport with a whisper light touch to her back. The ride home was silent and she didn't blink when they pulled into his driveway and not her own. She merely nodded her thanks, something deeper lurking in her eyes, when he bundled her into the guestroom, a fluffy towel and warm shower awaiting her. He smiled, squeezed her hand briefly, and retreated to his room.
Sometimes love was apologies and deep conversation...and sometimes it was knowing when to be quiet and just there.
