More of Norah, more of Marshall- so much more of Marshall ;)
I'm weary of rating the ENTIRE story rated M, and really it's nothing graphic, so I'll just start ya off with a warning It get's spicy… barely haha! I know some of you will be frustrated with Norah, but I'll address that at the end of the story.

It was about three in the morning when he woke up, Mary still wide awake and wired, running her fingers through his locks of brown hair.

"Damn it. I'm sorry Mare." He whispered, yawning, and rubbing at his raw face with his large hands, lifting himself to a sitting position so Mary could stretch.

"Don't sweat it; you would have done the same for me."

Marshall made a feeble, familiar attempt at a smile.

"Would you mind if I grabbed a glass of water?" He asked clearing his throat, stumbling in the dark toward the kitchen.

"Go right ahead, I'm gonna go check on Norah, turn off her night light, she hasn't been able to sleep without that since you gave it to her." Mary chuckled disappearing into the hallway. She returned in a moment, her thumbs hanging from her belt loops.

"Well, I didn't mean to put you out, so I'll just get going." He said, putting down his glass. He made his way to the door, but as he turned the handle, something compelled her to stop him,

"Marshall you don't have to leave. I mean you can stay with me tonight, you shouldn't have to go home to an empty house…" she tiptoed over to the doorway where he stood, and took the knob from his hand to close off the threshold.

"I don't want to intrude.."

"Don't be an idiot, you're my best friend you're never intruding." She grinned, looking up into his blue eyes playfully, not expecting what came next.

He leaned down, taking her bottom lip and gently kissed her, his hands remaining at his sides, one second went by and he pulled back.

"I'm sorry that was inappropriate." He looked down at the floor, guiltily.

But, Mary recovered from the stun quickly, only to return the embarrassed apology with another, more passionate, longer kiss, pressing her fingertips into his shoulder blades, running her hands down the muscular bulges in his back. At first look, he was a scrawny man, but she found once she got her hands on him, that certainly wasn't the case.

It wasn't long until they had moved to the couch, and were feeling each other up like excited teenagers, and then the suggestion came,

"Bed?" One word. One word can change innocent play into infidelity. There was no guilt in what they did, they simply did it. Mary found herself shedding her shirt, her tank top, unbuttoning his pants, nibbling on his lip, exploring his back muscles with her hands a little more, letting him do what he wished to do to her. It seemed like not even a minute had passed and they were standing in front of each other bare, their eyes blazing with what they desired to do to each other. He was the first to give in, inching closer so that Mary could feel the heat of his body, it took time, but eventually, they were totally against each other. No words were spoken, Mary nibbled at his ear, and he returned the gesture, moments later he was entangled in the sheets of her bed and she was anxious to rip them from him, but he worked quickly, not letting her attention move from their passion. He threw the unwanted covers from the bed and took Mary by her breasts, so she dug her knuckles into his shoulder blades as his hands worked their way down to her thighs. They continued on like this for a long while, but time flew by for both.

How could something so wrong, feel so right? Mary wondered, as Marshall recovered the sheets and the comforter so they wouldn't be occupying her bed, exposed and vulnerable, after the sex they had just had.

She didn't feel guilty, she felt amazing. Not until they were both laying there, their chests heaving up and down their lungs burning for air, did her conscience start to corrode her mood.

"I- she took a deep breath- think you're supposed to have break up sex with the person you broke up with…"

"Well we've never been two to take a normal route in doing anything… why should this be anything different?" he inquired light heartedly and breathless.

"Because… You're married." It sounded more like a realization, like she hadn't known before and had just figured it out.

He was silent, gulping at the lump in his throat, as Mary did. They shared the same lump, the guilt was corroding their airways, it was their own way of punishing themselves for the act they had committed. The sick feeling in Mary's stomach, probably not as bad as Marshall's was bringing her to the brink of tears.

He sat up, slipping on his boxers so he could dress less awkwardly. Mary lay on her side, gnawing on the inside of her cheek, having no idea what she should say. What she had just done was unthinkable in anyone's book and at that moment she made a silent promise that she would forever keep this secret.

"Partner, if your mother asks, just tell her I went to get a few things at the store."

"Are you going to the track Daddy?" she asked, as her father realized he wouldn't be fooling the sly six year old.

"Maybe." He smiled, ruffling her blonde waves, opening the dented door to his work van.

"Why can't I tell Jinx?" she asked stubbornly.

He sighed, jumping from the driver's side, he crouched down on the grass to be eye level with his daughter,

"It's a secret, can you keep a secret?"

"What's a secret?"

"It something you're not allowed to tell anyone partner." he whispered.

"Okay Daddy." She pouted, kicking a chunk of grass out of the ground.

"Take care of your mother until I get back!" And he drove away, leaving her to fend off Jinx, and keep that secret while doing so.

Mary felt a tugging on her foot that made her jump from her bed, startled she let out a yell. Mary realized she had been asleep and Marshall was nowhere to be found.

The next few minutes consisted of calming her scared, crying daughter,

"I'm sorry Mommy!" she wailed.

"No, Bug, don't cry, I didn't mean to make you sad, you know I didn't mean it." She rocked her back and forth, running her fingers through her hair. Soothing and apologizing the small child in her arms, "I'm so sorry Norah, please calm down!" Her mother begged.

The little girl sniffed, wiping at her eyes, and her nose, switching the subject so fast it almost gave Mary whiplash,

"Was Marshall here last night?"

"Huh Bug?" she asked, trying to fabricate a white lie, but her imagination didn't work quickly enough to match the sharp three year old.

"I heard him talkin."

"Well, mommy can't fool ya Nor. Marshall was a little sad so he came over so I could make him feel better." Mary told her daughter honestly, removing her from her lap, to sit beside her on the bed.

"Why didn't he say 'hi' to me?" She whined.

"You were asleep little one." She grunted as she got to her feet, shedding the sheets. Her pajamas were old and faded, the only ones she could find in the dark last night, because she knew it would have been disastrous if Norah had made her way in only to find her mother only covered by a very thin blankets.

"He could have woken me up."

"Now you know Marshall is much too respectful to wake a little girl from her slumber..." Mary smiled.

Yet again, the child dropped the subject quickly to Mary's relief,

"Mommy?"

"What bug?" She asked, checking her cell phone for any missed calls.

"Can I play soccer?"

"Oh Nor, maybe next year kay? The season already started!"

"Softball?"

"Yes. You can play tee ball in the spring, now how bout' some breakfast?"

"Can we has Pancakes?" Her eyes lit up.

"Yes Bug, we can have Pancakes- shaped like softballs!" Mary played, lifting Norah, so that her little face was just inches from hers, planting a kiss directly on her forehead.

Mary whipped up a quick batch of flap jacks, lined some blueberries up to look like the lacing on the ball and served them up to her three year old, who didn't bother using a fork. The pancake went from the plate to her tiny fist so she could bite off a mouthful and then she would chew, usually talking at the same time.

"Why was Marshall sad last night?"

She stopped, and sat down beside her daughter,

"Marshall was just sad because Abby, that nice lady you met was sad."

"Why was she sad?"

"She was sad because sometimes bad things happen." Mary was trying to be vague, selfishly not wanting to explain a lot today, but her young daughter persisted, almost as if out witting her own mother,

"What bad thing happened to her?"

How the hell could a three year old follow a conversation better than her aunt?

"You're too little to understand Nor." Mary warned.

"I'm not too little." She frowned. The way her eyes shined with an onslaught of tears, Mary realized she was being difficult today.

She sighed,

"Marshall and Abby were gonna have a baby, and now they're sad because they can't."

"Why not?"

"I don't know I'm not a doctor Bug." Mary stated, "Eat your food."

"Mommy?"

"What Norah?" She couldn't help but sound exasperated, and felt bad the moment her daughter recoiled in understanding.

"Nevermind." The little girl whispered.

"No Nor, tell me what you were gonna say."

"Were you happy when I was a baby?"

Mary had no idea where that came from, why it came, how she could even think up such questions being so small.

"Of course I was, you're my baby girl Norah. My one and only forever and ever." Mary replied sweetly, poking her finger into her daughter's belly to hear the perfect little giggle she had.

"A baby?"

"Yes Partner, your mother is gonna have a baby."

"But, I thought you said I was your baby?" Her green eyes were brooding, as her bottom lip poked out to reveal she was about to pout.

"You are. Beautiful you are." He said, taking the six year old by her tiny hands, "But you see, sometimes we have to make room for new babies."

"Do we have to?" she stomped her little foot.

"Yes." He chuckled, "But that's not going to change that you're my baby girl."

"Promise forever?" She asked, chewing on her thumb nail.

"My baby girl, forever and ever." He grinned tugging at her sleeves so she would crack a smile.

"Is Marshall gonna come over again today?" Norah asked happily.

"Probably not." Mary answered, suddenly not feeling well enough to be eating the food in front of her. Her conscience was going to give her a beating, how could she have been so foolish? Abigail was no doubt going to be back to him, they were perfect together, anyone could see that, how could she have been so irresponsible? She could have said no, she could have refused. She took advantage of him. Now she would have to live with it.

"That's too bad. Is he still sad?"

"Yeah Bug, he will be for a little while at least, but he'll get better, Abby and him just have to sort some stuff out."

"Does Abby love Marshall?" Norah asked, chewing on another pancake thoughtfully.

"Yes, very much, that's why they wanted a baby together." Mary looked over, to see the grin on her daughter's face.

"Do you love Marshall?"

"He's my best friend… Of course I love him Bug."

Yes. I know Norah is a smart three year old. But, if you can believe it, I've had similar conversations with my three year old cousin and she followed just as well

Hope that doesn't bother you too much! Thanks for all of the reviews on the last chapter! Hope you enjoy! And hope you review!