Thanks for the review! I need to apologize in advance to those who are reading this story. I know I had promised some naughtiness a few chapters back, I promise I'm working on it. But the muse has other ideas, it doesn't want it to happen to fast. It's coming though, I can't say which chapter because I'm working to make sure it come out as a good enough story for you the readers. Sorry again, hope you're all enjoying this.

Marshall woke later that morning went through his morning ablutions before getting ready to go to work. He felt a surge of nervous energy course through his body, today was the day he would be 100% sure that Mary and he were sharing the same dream. As much as he wanted to prove her wrong, it would definitely open a can of something, he just wasn't sure if it were worms or something worse. Or something better.

Mary walked into the office and sat behind her desk, looking over at the Marshall's door.

"He's not in yet," Delia said as she continued to type on her computer as if she hadn't said anything.

Mary shot her a dirty look, "I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to, it was written in your face," countered the younger inspector.

She was going to say something when they both heard the elevator's ding, signaling an arrival, they turned and saw Marshall stroll out of the office on his cell phone.

Marshall looked through the gates and saw both his inspectors looking at him, he smiled tersely and shook the phone by his ear.

Mary release the breath she was holding, the dream from last night still had her on edge, and now after seeing him, she felt her face flush with residual arousal. She sat on her chair and turned her back on the prying inspector sitting across from her, the last thing she needed was the water cooler knowing something that only belonged in her head or in this case, her dreams.

Marshall finished his call and put the paperwork that was needed for a transfer in the very near future, once business was taken care of he walked out the door and straight for a cup of coffee.

He saw Mary rinsing her mug and approached, he felt a sense of something missing, but he pushed it away. He went about his business, prepping his mug with sugar when it hit him, the dream and the proof that he needed to convince her that they were indeed sharing a dream.

The nervous energy that had abandoned him after receiving the new witness transfer call was now back in full effect, "Uh, Mary?"

Mary was drying her mug and turned to look anxiously at him, "Yeah?"

He looked over at Delia and saw her looking at them in her curious nature, that almost made him chicken out, but after carefully analyzing what he was about to say, he knew there was nothing that was going to come out of his mouth that would alert the other inspector to anything she wouldn't understand.

"What color would you say my shirt is?" he had specifically worn his salmon button up for this same reason, she had previously teased him for wearing - what she considered - a pink shirt.

Mary turned and looked at him before looking down at his shirt, with an arched eyebrow she said, "Salmon"

Delia stared at them both as if they were crazy, not understanding what was going on between the former partners, Marshall was aware of her looking at them, but he didn't pay her any mind.

He had chosen precisely that color, because it was a color that was definitely not part of her vocabulary. If he had needed 100% confirmation that they shared the same dream, her look of shocked-horror that froze her face was pretty clear that she knew now.

With Delia close at hand, it was pretty obvious that they couldn't talk about the recent discovery, nothing either said at the moment would be subtle enough not to bring up the red alert to the younger woman.

Mary turned around and practically ran out of the office with a last, "Witness visits"

As much as it was killing him to go after her and talk about the recent development, he turned to his office and shut the door. He would wait for tonight, when they would both fall asleep only to wake up with each other in the dream room.

"This is so fucked up"

"Yeah, I know"

Mary pivoted around but stayed grounded to the spot, it felt awkward to discover they were really both together in the same dream.

"Perv!"

"Wait, what?" Marshall sat on the bed and stared at her in surprise at her outburst.

"I can't believe you wanted to really touch the girls," she admonished as she waved at her chest. "Not really surprised, you've always had on eye on them."

"Eh, I'm a guy, to some extent we're really all perverts in that case," he shrugged and leaned back on the headboard. "To some extent you are just as bad as I am, you let me touch them."

"Because you made that deal, I got a massage and you were going to cop a feel," she protested before pacing the room. "How long have you known this was real?"

He blushed and shrugged, "I don't know, about three dreams ago?"

"Are you asking me? You're the perv that chose to abuse the dream room," she snarled at him, if she was honest with herself, she was angry at herself but needed to blow some steam.

Marshall felt bad now, one thing was to get things get as far as they had gotten, but he had taken advantage of the situation and now she was angry.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking"

"Whatever"

After a while of ignoring each other, Mary began to feel bored and got up off the floor where she usually used to sit on and walked around what was now her side of the bed. Marshall lay on his side, staring up into the top of the canopy, in his own little world.

It pained her, but it seemed like she had to make the first step to reinitiating contact with him. She wasn't mad with him but really didn't want him to know, yet.

"It really wasn't all that bad," she said as she climbed on the bed and leaned on her bed post. "I mean, you give a mean massage."

"Yeah, you really liked them," he rolled to his side, holding his head with his hand.

"Uh-huh, and I don't hate you for milking the moment," she blushed not meeting his eyes.

"Could have been worst," he murmured. "You could've been sharing a dream with Stan or better yet, Delia"

Mary looked at him and shuddered, "I don't need the visual, but thanks"

"Does this mean you're not mad at me?" he asked hopeful.

"Something like that, I don't know, this is pretty confusing," she exhaled and shrugged, "Less mad at least, but really bored."

He chuckled, "Of course"

"Seriously though, we should just forget about, it never happened," she said hurriedly, her face turning all shades of red.

"Sure, maybe that would be best," he sat up and stretched before pushing himself up into a sitting position against the headboard. "It won't be easy, but I'm sure we can get past this."

He felt defeated, he knew it would come to an end once she knew, both realizing they were in the same dream together, night after night. He couldn't help but feel as if he had lost it all, at least they were starting to open up to each other.

"Awww, little pervy upset you won't get to feel me up anymore?" she couldn't help but tease him, she didn't know what she could gain from it. "They are pretty amazing, you're lucky I let you touch them."

He glared at her out of principle, but knew her well enough that she was teasing, she was always trying to one-up him in the rile department.

Marshall shook his head and looked away before he gave himself by looking at her breasts again, he teased right back, "Careful, you'll tempt me into doing something stupid just for the pleasure of touching them again."

She laughed, more like snorted, "Ha! What makes you think I'd let you?"

For a moment they stared at each other to see how the other would react towards the challenge she had thrown out there.

"I already told you, I'm stronger than you," he said. "You know I am"

She arched a challenging eyebrow at him, "Maybe you are, but I'm smarter, so suck it!"

Mary knew she was baiting him, but she wasn't sure for what exactly, the nervous adrenaline now surging through her system wouldn't let her stop to analyze the situation.

"Mare, I'm not playing this game with you," he turned his back to her and muttered, "You know it won't end well."

"Chicken," she murmured in the ultimate challenge, now she needed him to do something, anything.

He stood up and she followed him, backing off the bed, in order to keep their eyes locked, "Cut it out."

"Make me"

"Seriously Mare…"

"Bawk bawk…chiiiken"

Marshall jumped on the bed so quick that he caught Mary unawares, but still wasn't quick enough to catch her. Even though she had been surprised when he jumped, she knew all his moves and she planned to stay one step ahead of him.

"Cut it out"

"Or what? Would you like some more cheese with your whine?" she laughed in joy, she hadn't done that in some time. She knew she was digging herself into a whole as she continued to tease him. She ran backwards and smiled at his expressive face.

He lunged but she dodged his attempt to grab her, she stuck her tongue out at him while she danced away. As much as she ran, she knew he would eventually take her down, but she continued to taunt him.

Marshall slowed down enough to make her believe that he had given up, she wasn't the only one that knew his every step, he knew hers better. He would have to play smarter, which wouldn't be so difficult for him.

Mary finally slowed her pace and the teasing and taunting went down as she wind down, she was about to tease him one last time, but she saw it coming too late when he reached out and grabbed her wrist. She twisted to get away from him, but his other arm wrapped around her waist, with the struggle they both went down. She gasped a second before she fell face first onto the carpeted floor.

"Ah!" she screamed and sat up, rubbing her face. She was breathing heavily, almost as if she had been truly running around, getting chased by Marshall. She swore softly and flopped back on her pillow, beating the bed with her fists as the frustrating situation they were in.

She hated feelings this sense of urgency, she had hoped Marshall had caught up to her and pinned her down like he had done before. She groaned in frustration.

Marshall woke as he rolled around in his bed, he stopped on his back and stared at the ceiling, he was panting, he had tried to not fall on her when they went down, but woke up in his bed.

"Damn, I should've known this would happen," he sighed heavily and groaned.

TBC...I'll know for sure in the next chapter when the M rating will be.