Hey, thanks to everyone who reviewed. Sorry it's taken so long to update. I've lost my way a little with this fic so I hope this chapter is okay. Please review and let me know!

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Unlikely Friendship

Mary decided to take a shower to allow Marshall some space and to have some time with his brother. She took her time getting dressed but when she walked into the kitchen, she found someone other than Marshall sat at the table.

"Um, hi?" He looked at her questioningly.

"Hi." She gave him a small smile. "You must be one Marshall's brother…"

"I am." He nodded once. "And you are?"

"Mary Shannon." She replied. "Marshall's…"

"Marshall's partner." He stood up and carried his empty cup over to the coffee machine.

"Yeah." She glanced around but still couldn't see Marshall anywhere.

"Why are you here?" He turned back to her, leaning against the counter with his arms folded.

Mary was a little taken back by his reaction to her. She had never met any of Marshall's family other than Seth and although Marshall had told her he wasn't like his brothers, she wasn't quite ready for the big difference between them. They were even difference in looks, except for the eyes.

"I'm here for Marshall." Mary answered, standing a little taller.

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. "If you're here for Marshall, then where is he now?"

Mary narrowed her eyes at him. "I took a shower while he came down here when you arrived."

"Richie, leave her alone."

Mary turned at the sound of a female voice and saw a woman enter the kitchen with rubber gloves on.

"Hi, I'm Louise…Richie's wife." She held out her hand put then pulled back when she realized she still had her gloves on. "Marshall has gone out for a run."

"Right." Mary nodded. "Makes sense… His morning run helps clear his head."

"Hmm…" Richie poured himself another cup of coffee.

"I guess the two of you spend a lot of time together…" Louise pulled off her gloves. "Being partners and all…"

"Well, we do see each other every day." Mary said, a little unsure where the other woman was going with that.

"It's just...We're all a little worried about him." She continued. "We know about his break up with Abigail and now with Rose getting sick again…"

"To be honest, there is not a lot I can tell you." She admitted. "You probably know more than me."

"I thought you were his best friend?" Richie commented.

"Stop it." Louise told him warningly. "She's not that one that hurt him."

"How do you know?" He shot back.

Louise sighed and looked back to Mary. "We're just worried about him."

"Marshall is pretty independent when it comes to sorting through his own problems." Mary claimed but as she spoke, she wondered whether she just trying to reason why she had little experience dealing with a struggling Marshall. "I think he needs a bit of space…He's a smart guy, he knows when to ask for help."

"We're not really a family that doesn't get involved with each other's life…" Louise smiled a little. "I wonder if that's why Marshall lives so far away…"

"Maybe it's time he came back home." Richie stated.

Mary scowled. "He's not a little kid...He's a grown man."

"Well, he could do with having his family around him."

"Richie, you know as well as anyone that if you tried to tell Marshall to move back here, he'll probably end up moving even further away." Louise cut in. "Mary is right…Marshall doesn't like people interfering in his life."

"That's worked out well for him so far…"

"What the hell do you know?!" Mary snapped. "Yes, things have been tough for him the last few months but he has a good life…a great career…He has people that care about him…He's one of the best people I know and he doesn't deserve any of what happened but I can guarantee he will get through this."

She saw Richie open his mouth to say something in reply but the sound of the front door opening and then closing stopped him. They were all silent when Marshall entered the kitchen, a little out of breathe. He stopped, looking a little surprised to see them all stood there.

"What?" He asked, pulling his headphones out of his ear.

"Nothing…" Louise smiled at him. "I was just going to start making some breakfast."

He didn't look convince. "Okay…"

"I talked to Dad." Riche told him. "Mom will be home this afternoon."

"She said she wants the whole family here so when the kids get done with school they're going to come straight here." Louise added. "Johnathon, Sophie and the girls will be over in time for dinner too."

"We thought since it's a nice day we might have it outside, fire up the barbeque." Richie continued. "What do you think?"

"Whatever." Marshall answered, opening the fridge to get a bottle of water.

His older brother sighed in frustration. "Could you show a little enthusiasm?"

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Marshall started sarcastically, spinning around to face him. "I didn't realize Mom's death was something we had to get excited about!"

"Marshall." Mary stepped closer to him, noticing that Louise grabbed Richie's arm when he made a move toward his brother. "Come on, you know he didn't mean that..."

Marshall looked at her but before he said anymore his cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, glancing at the caller ID before answering.

"Brandi, hi…Thanks for calling me back." He said, walking out the kitchen and up the stairs.

"Brandi?" Richie repeated, looking at Mary questionable. "There's another girl already?"

Mary was still watching the space where he had just been, trying to tell herself that she had no right to feel betrayed. Marshall wasn't hers and she couldn't stop who he talked to or spent time with.

"Apparently so…" Mary whispered. "Excuse me."

Louise and Richie exchanged looks as she left to go upstairs.

"What the hell happened to him?" Richie muttered, running a hand over his face.

"He got his heart broken." Louise said softly. "And he's trying to his hardest not to let that happen again."

"What do I do?" He asked.

"Nothing." She squeezed his hand. "He'll come to you when he's ready."

XxXxX

An hour had passed and by the time Marshall had had a shower, he begun to feel guilty about how acted. Hearing the news that his mom would be home that afternoon made him feel incredibly nervous. He had spoken to her at least once a week on the phone for the last few months and could tell by the sound of her voice that she wasn't in a good way but the last time he had seen her was over a year ago, before she got sick again. He was scared that being so ill was the way he was going to remember her and he really didn't think he could handle that.

He left his room and was about to go down the stairs when he realized that Mary was sat on the bed in the guest room. He hesitated before deciding he needed to talk to her…he needed to apologize.

He tapped lightly on the open door, causing her to turn to face him.

"Hi." He shoved his hands into his pockets as he eyes fell onto her bag. "I wouldn't blame you for leaving…"

Mary looked at the bag that she hadn't even unpacked.

"I don't know why I did that…" He said quietly, walking to the room and sat on the other side of the bed.

"Did what?"

"Why I acted like a jerk to Richie and Louise…To you."

"Maybe it is best I go…maybe I'm distracting you from what really matters and that's your mom."

"There's nothing going on with Brandi and me." He cut in. "I mean we've talked a bit but…"

"Marshall, you don't need to explain anything to me…"

"I do, Mare…I know you…I know what you must have thought when I took that phone call…I should have never done that to you." He hung his head slightly. "You didn't deserve that."

"Why did you?" She turned again so she was facing him fully. "Have you and Brandi really grown that close?"

"I called her to ask her to look after Oscar."

Mary nodded. "That makes sense…But didn't answer my question."

He sighed. "I saw her at a bar…her friend cancelled on her and she was getting hassled by a guy so I pretended to be with her to get rid of him…We needed up talking."

"Is that where Abigail saw you?"

"I don' know…I don't think so…She mentioned something about seeing us in the park…another coincidence, we bumped into each other, she needed to use the bathroom and I kept an eye on Joey." He explained.

"But she did spend the night at your house?"

"It was the night you guys had an argument, I went to your house to see you but Brandi was so upset…I thought I was doing the right thing." He ran his hands through is hair. "I thought you might appreciate her not being at the house when you got back and I thought I could help her."

"Jesus, Marshall you have so much going on in your life…You don't have to get involved in my family dramas."

"I wanted to help."

"So, that's it?" She asked. "Just the three times."

"Don't be mad at her." He said. "She spent most of the time telling me to talk to you…"

"Did you talk to her? About all this?"

"I kinda of lost it the night she was at my house…" He nodded.

"Why could you talk to her and not me?"

"I don't know, Mare…I didn't just decide too…It just came out." He sighed. "I just…Brandi was going through so stuff too and I guess, sometimes I feel like me and you are too close…"

"And that's a bad thing?"

"No, it's not but I was worried." He admitted. "About what you would do."

"You thought I wouldn't be there for you? That I wouldn't stick up for you?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I thought you would go shot Abigail." He corrected.

"There is still time."

"Mare…"

"You didn't deserve what did to you, Marshall and I cannot believe someone as smart as you can't see that."

"I just feel..." He looked down at his hands. "I mean, you know…you've been through breakups…"

"Yeah but nothing like this….What is it that you feel? And if you say responsible, I might just have to shoot you too."

He smiled a little but she could tell it was forced.

"I feel like everything is falling apart around me." He whispered. "Nothing is going right and it's like I'm stuck in some mud but the harder I try to get out the quicker I'm sinking."

She reached out and placed her hand on top of his. "Then let people help you…Me, Stan, your family…Even Brandi."

He blinked a few times and she could tell he was fighting tears. "I don't know how."

She sighed a little, squeezing his hand. "Yeah, me either but I guess that means we can help each other figure it out."

TBC

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