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Mary hung up and threw her cell phone onto the bed with enough force to make it jump a couple of times. Sighing in frustration she pushed the suitcase closed, seating on it to zip it up. Once that was done, she sat back on the side of her bed and groaned. Damn it Marshall, you wanted to get on with your life without me, now you have your damn cheerleader calling me about your shit, she thought.

The doorbell took her out of her thoughts and she got up, walking to the door and swinging it open. It was Brandi.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be planning your happy family reunion?" she sneered angrily as she turned, walking away from her sister.

Brandi rolled her eyes and walked in closing the door, "Mare, when are you going to stop being pissed at me?"

Mary just walked away, going to her bedroom, her sister followed close behind. She tripped to a stop on the threshold, "What's all this?"

"I'm going on vacation with Bug," she said as she picked up the suitcase from the floor, wheeling it to set it by the door.

"Yo-you're going on vacation?" Brandi asked shocked.

"Yes"

"Where are you going?"

"Puerto Vallarta!" Mary feigned a Spanish excitement.

"Seriously? Cancun, now Puerto Vallarta? You got a thing for those Mexican Cabana boys?" she asked curiously.

Mary rolled her eyes and sighed deeply, "You're forgetting that my daughter's coming with me?"

"Oh, right. So, why Mexico?"

"It's nice and warm"

"And your job?"

"It'll be here when I get back"

"Well, bet you won't last the whole two weeks!"

Mary stopped walking around her room, putting the last things she wouldn't take in the closet, she turned and murmured, "I'll be gone a whole month"

"A month! You won't be here for the New Year?" Brandi's mouth hung open, which Mary closed as she walked by her to take her suitcase to stand by the front door.

"Yup, the shuttle will be here in a bit. So, can you just spit whatever you came to say? I really don't have much time." she stood staring at her little sister with hands on hips.

"I thought I could come by...to uh...try to change your mind" she said sadly.

"Change my mind? Since when do I do that?" she asked angrily.

"Mary, if they enter my life, that means they enter your life by default"

"Don't say default, that's just wrong."

"Be serious Mare"

"If they enter your life, then they enter just your life. Don't include me in your life if they are in it." Mary ran a hand down her face and walked away, going into Norah's bedroom.

Brandi followed her and stood by the threshold, "Mare, how can you say that? You're part of my family and so are they."

Mary had enough, she swirled around and pointed a finger at her, "You will not bring them into my life! I don't want them anywhere near my daughter!"

"Mare, why can't you understand that I want them in my life?"

"Then I guess you have a choice to make, I will not come around if they are involved in your life. It's not a threat" she warned as she pulled her daughter's suitcases out of the room and set them next to hers.

"So that's it?"

"Pretty much Squish." the doorbell rang for the second time that night, she pulled it open to find the shuttle driver standing by the door.

She pointed to the suitcases, which he immediately began to gather as she walked back into Norah's bedroom. She came out with Norah in a car seat hanging off one arm and the stroller being pulled by her other hand. "I'm taking this too"

Mary sat the car seat in the living room and went back into the room, she came out with a diaper bag hanging off her shoulder. Grabbing the car seat, she carried the baby out as she turned to close the door, Brandi standing beside them, unsure of what else to do, knowing she lost the battle before it began.

She turned and saw her sister, "Bye Squish"

Without a hug she carried the car seat to the shuttle van and hopped in, not sparing the younger sister a glance.

Abigail looked at her cell phone and frowned when Mary hung up on her. What the hell's wrong with these two? They act like they broke up, she sat there fuming. Not knowing what to do with Marshall's attitude as of late. He was always upset, heartbroken and she didn't know how to deal with him.

Under the spray of hot water Marshall stood with hands braced against the tiled wall. Head hung letting the water roll down his back, confused and worried about Mary's trip. The fact that he hadn't gotten her itinerary was driving him insane. Damn it Mary, why can't you understand that I always worry about you, he thought as he lifted his face up. The spray now hitting his face.

Marshall finished showering and towel dried his body before wrapping the towel around his waist. With hands on either side of the vanity, he stared at his reflection. He could see the sadness lurking behind his eyes, the loneliness within his soul. I never meant to hurt you Mare, but I had to move on for my own piece of mind. Why couldn't you see that? Where did I lose you?

He finished getting into his PJs and walked out, stopping on the threshold when he spot Abigail sitting on the edge of the bed staring at him.

"Did something happen between you and Mary?"

"Why would you think something happened between us?" he asked with a frown and a touch of irritation that she wouldn't let it go.

"You've been moody since you and her had your 'conversation'," she air quoted looking at him.

"I asked you not to worry about it, why can't you just drop it?" now he was more than irritated, he was on the verge of snapping at her. He grind his teeth and moved away from the door, into the bedroom.

He walked to his side of the bed and flips the covers over to get between them. She stands up and stares down at him. "Are you happy?"

Marshall turns his head to stare at her, surprised that his first reaction to that question was 'no', but he nodded saying, "Of course I am"

"Then why are you always in a foul mood? It seems that since you had that talk with Mary about your relationship you've become…" she frowned as he interrupted.

"You asked me to basically break up with my best friend, and I did, for you! I don't know what else to tell you. Yes, I miss my best friend, that won't change overnight." He argued.

"I didn't ask you to break up with her! I just asked you to make me your first priority!" she defended.

He jumped out of bed and turned to look at her, "Why wasn't this a problem when we first started dating? Even after we moved in together you didn't complain as much, now suddenly because we're engaged, I have to stop hanging out with my best friend"

"My best friend, my best friend," she mocked, "It's like I asked you to break up with your girlfriend!"

Marshall shook his head and turned his back on her, sitting on his side of the bed, elbows on knees as he bend over, resting his head on his hands, murmuring sadly, "Well, you don't have to worry about my best friend because I've lost her. I'll be lucky she'll still want to be my partner"

"What does that even mean? Did she give you an ultimatum? Me or her?" Abigail stood staring at her fiancé, hands on hips.

"It means, you got what you wanted. I won't be spending any free time with Mary. And don't put anything on her, she doesn't do ultimatums, she wished me a happy life." He said between clenched teeth, getting back under the blankets, he turned on his side facing away from her, "Good night"

"So that's it? You're mad at me because she refuses to budge an inch?" she tried to argue.

Marshall closed his eyes and refused to answer. He had lost his best friend, if he continued having this conversation; he would lose his fiancée too. And if he was being honest with himself, he would be more heartbroken about the dissolution of his relationship with Mary, then with Abigail.

"Is she even going to come for the Christmas Party?" she tried to coax an answer from her fiancé.

"No"

"God, is she such a bitch that she would do that to you?" she demanded angrily.

Without looking at her he angrily responded, "Don't call her a bitch!"

"Why not? She's the biggest bitch we know!"

"She's not a bitch!"

Abigail groaned and paced, running her fingers through her hair, "God Marshall, she's been a bitch to you from day one! Why have you stuck around?"

This time Marshall refused to respond, because I fell in love with her, because she's the only one that got me, because she's my partner, because I don't know what my life will be without her and I'm not trying to find out.

She sighed deeply and got in between the blankets, her back to his. They were quiet for a few minutes, then she rolled until she was touching him, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for your friendship to end."

He didn't answer, continued feigning sleep until she rolled back to her side. He squeezed his eyes shut and let a few tears slid free. Unsure what it meant to miss Mary more then he would his fiancée, he lay there a few hours until a restless sleep finally claimed him.

TBC