A quick note – one review questioned the plausibility of getting a dog licensed in a day and the fact that Raph hadn't been hurt. To address that – where I live there is no waiting period to get a dog licensed. You pay the fee, you sign the papers and the dog is legally yours and your responsibility. As for Animal Control showing up – again where I live – they respond to all phone calls about threatening animals as a matter of law and public safety. It doesn't matter if it's the cranky old geezer who lives next door who thinks your Chihuahua is the devil incarnate or if your dog is provoked to violence by an intruder.

Also, Mary uses her real name when talking to the Animal Control Officer. It made sense to me as this is not a witness-related matter and Mary would have had to use her real name to register the dog.

Thank you. ~K


"What is this about?" Mary demanded after she let the man into her house. She knew full well what was going on but needing to hear it nonetheless. Mentally she debated how she should hurt Raph. Maybe tie him naked on an anthill. That particular torture had always sounded implausible but maybe it could work. Doofus came over and plopped himself down between where she and Marshall were standing, waiting for the Animal Control Officer to speak.

"We received a call regarding your dog Ms. Shannon," he stated briefly.

"It's Marshal Shannon," she corrected automatically. The officer looked skeptical, which pissed Mary off for yet another reason. She showed it to the suspicious man currently invading her home wishing she could make him eat it and his skepticism. And then she could feed Raph one of his precious baseballs.

He managed to look abashed for a moment or two before conceding politely, "Marshal Shannon."

He continued speaking, explaining why he was there, "The complaint states that your dog deliberately menaced a visitor in your home and he was in fear for his life. That the dog had to be physically restrained from biting him."

Marshall had been prepared to be furious but the picture being painted didn't allow for it. His mind had automatically provided the image of Raph's head on a chicken's body with Doofus snorting in disinterest and couldn't hold back his mirth. His chuckle caused Brandi to shoot a panicked look at him and Mary to roll her eyes.

"Should I ask what is so funny?"

"Well, the only person who would have filed the complaint would be my ex who took one look at Doofus and freaked," Mary was explaining in her calm, 'there are witnesses so I have to be reasonable and not shoot anyone' voice. Marshall loved that voice because it was so much fun to watch the mayhem that ensued when she reached the limits of her patience.

"The complaint also states that the dog attacked you and, and I'm quoting 'fag who always hangs around'." Oh that wasn't going to sit well with Mary. He wasn't exactly surprised at Raph's opinion of him so it didn't bother him as much. Especially with the memory of what he and Mary had been doing before this particular interruption. "Can you tell me exactly what happened?

"Let's see," Mary began and Marshall smirked as her tone switched from tolerant to condescending explanatory. Yep, this could be fun. "Raph was hostile to Doofus so Doofus growled when Raph came close to him. When we were playing Frisbee in the backyard Doofus and this cowboy next to me collided and fell into the pool. My sister pushed me in after them and we continued to play with Doofus in the water. After that, Doofus was shut in my sister's room while we had dinner. There was an argument at dinner where Raph was threatening and hostile again. Doofus came into the room at the sound of raised voices and moved between Raph and I so he could protect me. The only thing he did was growl."

"The dog didn't snap?"

"Never even barked," Mary confirmed.

"And witnesses?"

"My mother, my partner, my sister and Raph's mother." No one could ever accuse Mary of not being able to get into a patter rhythm.

"Do you know why he would be lying?"

"I could make a few guesses but none of them are very nice."

"Would you all be willing to sign an affidavit to the events of the evening?"

"Sure thing," Mary said, reaching down to scratch Doofus behind the ears. "Anything to clear this boy's good name."

"May I ask what made you decide to get a dog Marshal Shannon?" the officer asked, looking for a hole in the story.

"I had a friend who was moving and couldn't keep him. And he has always been incredibly well-behaved," Mary explained and Marshall was almost disappointed that she was settling back into 'safe mode'.

"And what will happen to the animal while you're at work?"

"I'm home off and on through the day," Brandi volunteered. "Whenever I'm not in classes."

"I'm sorry to have disturbed your evening Marshal Shannon," the officer said, heading for the door. "I'll close the complaint out as a false report, but it will still be in the system that someone has made a complaint. If another complaint is registered by a different party, we may have to consider a full investigation."

"What are the consequences of a false report?" Marshall asked.

"I wish they were as severe as with the police, but they're not. It's normally just a fine," the officer sighed.

"Can I put in my affidavit that Raph screamed like a girl?" Brandi asked, turning a flirtatious smile on the officer now that the situation seemed to have resolved itself.

"He was screaming?"

"His mom was dragging him out of the house by the ear because he was rude and threatening to Mary," Brandi explained and Marshall mentally cheered her. Adding that little detail would definitely discredit Raph in the eyes of the Animal Control officer and reinforce the validity of Doofus' being protective.

"Well, thank you for your time Marshal Shannon. I'll make sure you get a copy of the report." And with that, he was gone and the relief of the Shannon girls was palpable. Exactly how many of their things were taken from them to cover their mother's debts? How often had they had to give up something or go without? Unconsciously, he wrapped his arm around Mary's waist and pulled her into his side.

Mary was startled when Marshall pulled her to him. It was strange how the past few hours had altered so much between them. Even that morning Marshall would have been more careful when initiating physical contact. And he wasn't touching her in a hot and horny way but rather in a comforting way. And it felt better than okay, just not quite normal. Squish was looking at them funny and Mary realized she had two choices. Move away from Marshall and hurt him by pretending they hadn't possibly started something in the kitchen and maintain her façade of tough and untouchable to her sister. Or, relax into the embrace and just deal with Brandi's questions as they came.

"You look more natural him than with Raph," Brandi said simply as if it was perfectly normal for Mary to be in Marshall's arms. "You fit."

"We fit Squish?" Mary asked, relieved her sister wasn't judging her, or worse, gushing about things. She wasn't sure she couldn't handle gushing.

"Yeah," her sister confirmed. "Or maybe you balance each other. I don't know. I just know that Raph made you antsy and Marshall makes you calm."

Doofus added his two cents with a happy sounding bark before flopping down in front of the couple. "Even Doofus agrees," Brandi declared with a mischievous smirk. "But I don't think there's room in your bed for two Doofuses?"

Mary raised an eyebrow at her sister and responded playfully, "One of them is a bean pole so he can't take up that much room. But maybe one of them should sleep with you, just in case."

"Well, I think Marshall likes his women blunt and sarcastic so I'll take Doofus," Brandi smirked.

"Like I was going to give you the other option," Mary shot back, moving away from Marshall only enough to hug Brandi and immediately returning to his side when her sister gave a little wave and encouraged Doofus to follow her down the hall.

"A smart man would worry when two women seem to have plotted out his life for him," Marshall chuckled as Mary turned to face him.

"A very smart man would be grateful," was her tart response and he had a feeling she was letting him wrap his arms around her waist and pull her close again.

"Then I must be a very smart man because I am overcome with gratitude," Marshall murmured before bending down to kiss her, regretting that the interruption had given him time to cool down and reflect. He wanted her more than anything else in the world. But it wouldn't be tonight. Even if he needed her more than air.

Mary could feel Marshall holding back, could feel it in the tension of his body. What could have changed? Was it the reminder of Raph? And then suddenly he wasn't holding back anymore, his hands sliding own to rest on her hips and press her tightly against him. Seriously, how was a geek like Marshall so incredibly sexy? She was so overwhelmed that all she could do was clutch him tightly and give way to the overwhelming desire burning inside her.

Marshall finally tore his mouth away from hers, and put himself at arm's length, panting heavily. "Slow," he growled. "We need to go slow lady love."

"After that you want slow?" Mary asked, incredulous.

"Please not tonight Mary," Marshall pleaded. He needed it not to be tonight. Tomorrow… hell, every day for the rest of his life would be great. Just not tonight.

"Don't you want…" Mary asked shyly.

Marshall pulled her hard against his body, making sure she knew exactly how much he wanted. "I need it to be a different night from tonight. I need it to be about us and only us."

"Okay," Mary conceded, surprising herself by agreeing. "But you are so owe me a night worth remembering."

"That's a promise."

Next time... maybe?