Thanks for the reviews! You guys are awesome. Please enjoy!

December 31, 2014 8pm

He closed the hatch on his truck and turned back to the house, but right before he crossed the threshold, he heard Abigail's car pulling into the driveway. He went into the house and gave it one last look. Apart from the furniture, which he really wasn't going to ask for, all his belongings were now in his car. That thought made him melancholy, he had fought so hard to keep the relationship afloat and in the end it had sunk faster than the titanic.

Abigail saw Marshall walk into the house, she had been happy to see him back but when he didn't really acknowledge her. She couldn't shake that things were still pretty bad. She knew things would be bad, she had accused his best-friend of trying to sabotage their romantic getaway.

She had been pacing the room, expecting Marshall back and soon. If he wasn't, she would have to go back out there and interrupt the little reunion. She really hated Mary Shannon and really wanted Marshall to stop hanging out with her outside of work. She didn't even want them to be partners, let alone friends. Best-Friends.

"Well, not anymore. It's me or her, he has to pick one now. This is ridicu-"…she couldn't even finish her thought when Marshall ran back into the room.

He went straight to the closet and pulled his bag out.

"What are you doing?" she asked angrily. They were not leaving just because Mary had asked him to come back.

"I have an emergency," he didn't elaborate anything else.

"If you leave with her we're through!" she spat. She had had enough of Mary and her bossy nature.

Marshall stopped mid-packing and turned to her, "I have an emergency and you're telling me that I can't go? That I have to stay here and pretend that I don't have an emergency?"

"Yes! I don't think it's too much to ask to stay here with me. It's time to grow up and choose Marshall; I'm not always going to be waiting on the sideline until your precious Mary lets you live your life. Why should I? All I do is wait for you to decide who you want in your life and I'm tired of waiting," she paced with her hands on her hips and stared angrily at him.

"I can't believe you're doing this right now. I have an emergency Abigail!" he said tersely.

"I guess that's my answer," she pulled her engagement off and hurled it at him, this would define their relationship. She was gambling with his love for her, she knew he loved her, but enough to tell Mary to go away and continue their romantic getaway?

He shockingly stared at her and then slowly lowered his eyes to the ring. He took it and tossed it in his suitcase.

Abigail couldn't believe that he had just done that, he had chosen Mary once again. Damn him!

Both jumped into their clothes, Abigail hadn't really unpacked much from her suitcase so she threw in her pajamas before strolling out of the hotel room.

She looked up and saw Mary was walking into the elevator, she hurried her pace so she could give that bitch a piece of her mind, the doors were gliding close when she jumped in.

"What the hell are you doing?" Mary asked confused.

Abigail glared at the older woman, "You know, I always knew you had a thing for Marshall. No don't worry, I didn't tell him and I won't tell him either. You know, you're so pathetic calling him like an obsessed ex-girlfriend. He actually had a chance to be happy, but you have to ruin everything."

She didn't wait for a reply as the doors of the elevator finally opened to the lobby, she strolled towards the door, stopping only when she heard Mary.

"You're an idiot! I didn't come here for my own personal reasons, you really don't deserve to know, but I came because his mother got sick and his family couldn't locate him."

She didn't think twice leaving her bag by the door and running back to the elevator, they easily opened and she jumped in, repeatedly pushing the number to her floor. Looked up as Mary crossed the lobby to the exit door and mouthed, I'm so sorry.

Marshall was waiting by the elevator doors.

"Marshall, I'm soooo s-s-orry!" she walked to him and wrapped her arms around his middle.

He put his hand on her shoulder and stepped back, "I have to go."

"I know about your mom…"

"Yeah, I figured." He stared down at her and shook his head, repeating, "I have to go."

"I can come with you…"

He walked into the elevator and shook his head, "I can't do this right now."

"Please Marshall, I really want to be there with you. They're my family too," she pleaded as the elevator doors slid closed.

She sighed heavily and walked into the house. Marshall stood inside the house and looked at her. His expression very stoic, she walked to him and raised on her toes to kiss him, he moved and her lips landed on his cheek, she closed her eyes and stepped back.

"Hi"

"Hi"

"Did you just get in?" she asked as she stepped back, giving him space. She stared at his eyes, but he was guarded. He was on Marshal Marshall Mann mode.

"No, I got here earlier today. A few hours ago," he shrugged as he stepped away from her.

"Why didn't you call me? I could've picked you up from the airport," she asked patiently.

"I can find my own transportation," he shoved his hands into his pockets and waited.

"I assume you called Mary to come get you?" she asked accusatorily.

He shrugged, "Yes, that's always been your problem. You assume too much, thinking too little of me. Does it matter at this point?"

"Of course it matters! It's always Mary getting in the way of our relationship, you could've easily called me to come get you. Or did you forget I'm your fiancée?" her eyes flashed irately.

"Here we go, always throwing accusations without having any evidence to back it up. Mary has never been between our relationship, a relationship that if I recall correctly, being over. Or did you forget that you ended this relationship?" he wasn't about to back down, not anymore. The pansy ass Marshall Mann is over, he thought if he did as she asked that it would keep the peace in their relationship, but it was painfully obvious it was never going to happen.

Abigail stared at him and shook her head, "I didn't end anything! You chose her! You always choose her! Was I ever going to be your damn priority?"

"You were always my priority, I miss one damn appointment and you have my ass! Telling me that I have to cut back on my friendship with my best-friend, which you seem to have forgotten, I did," he ran his fingers through his hair. "This is getting us nowhere. You made it painfully clear it was over if I left with Mary that night."

"I was upset, okay? I have a right to be upset, it just seems like Mary has always been between us. I never thought I was the jealous type, I guess we both learned, huh?" she tried to lighten the mood, but she could see how she was stretching it. She wasn't going to give up without a fight.

"That's the thing, I learned that I can't be like that. I want things back to how they were before I asked Mary to give me space. I don't want that stupid space, I want to be able to go out for a drink or lunch or dinner with my best-friend," he clarified, things were over between them whether she agreed to his conditions or not.

"Honey britches, listen to me. I'll never ask you to change anything again, just promise me that your friendship with Mary will end, she's only holding you back from your potential," Abigail tried to negotiate.

Marshall looked at her stunned, "You amaze me. You still don't get it. Mary and I…how can you think you can dissolve 10 years of friendship? We've been partners…"

"But you're not partners anymore! When will you get that through your thick skull! She's not your partner anymore or ever again. She'll just be a lowly inspector and you will be her boss, that's it!" she was grasping at straws, trying to convince Marshall to see it her way.

He shook his head and chuckled drily, "You will never get it. You can't expect me to just throw away 10 years of friendship, basically kick my best friend to the curb. And to think I thought asking her for space would be enough for you."

"If you love me as much as you say, you would do it," she challenged.

"Are you even listening to yourself? If Mary had been a man, if my best friend was a typical male, would we still be having this discussion?" Marshall couldn't understand why Abigail was so against Mary.

Abigail looked at him, her eyes betrayed the lie that passed her lips, "Of course I would, if you spent every waking moment with the guy."

'You are aware that I can tell when I'm being lied to?" he stared at her in disbelief, had she lied before?

Abigail sat on the couch and leaned her head back, "I can't let you go back to always hanging out with her…"

"You can't let me? I don't recall asking you. I'm telling you how things will be from now on, I don't need your permission," he stared incredulously at her.

"If we're getting married…"

"Married? Us? You decided for both of us that night…"

"That night! That stupid night that Mary ruined everything?" she snarled as she jumped up from the couch, standing toe to toe with him.

He spun away from her, needing space, "It always comes back to Mary with you, you just can't get over your…what is it? Hate? Disgust? What exactly do you have against Mary? It can't just be because of me, could it?"

"It's always been because of you. Everyone told me. They warned me that you already belonged to someone else. Everyone told me you were her lackey and I was stupid enough to think you had a mind of your own. But…I always thought I was the one, the one that could change it. You were a challenge that I lost. I don't think she deserves you," she closed her eyes and the tears fell down her cheeks.

"I was a challenge? I never thought I was a game piece, to move at your will," He stared at her and shrugged, "You can think whatever you want. I think that's all we needed to say to each other."

"Why her Marshall? Of all the women you dated and others that you crossed before and after her, why her?" she asked pleadingly. "Why would you toss our engagement, our relationship away like this?"

Marshall chuckled through clenched teeth, "I didn't do anything. You gave me one ultimatum too many. I wish I could give you an answer, but some things are better left without explanation."

"So that's it?" she looked at him resentfully.

He rubbed his face tiredly and he stood up, "Good bye Abigail."

She watched him go, tears coursing down her face, "Good bye Marshall."

Marshall stepped out and closed his eyes, tears rolled down his face. He never wanted things to end in tears, but he couldn't fight forever. Not over losing Mary Shannon.

TBC...Some M&M time coming up...Please review.