A/N: Thank-you for all the reviews! Lots of you seemed to be catching up today, and I am very grateful! I hope everyone is enjoying how this is going so far. I definitely anticipated there being some frustration with Mary, which is totally understandable. I differ from a lot of fans in that I actually prefer Mary to Marshall, which is not to say that there is anything to dislike about Marshall. I just really-really-really like Mary LOL! But, because of that I definitely tend to try and make her more sympathetic whenever possible. Little bit of a different look in this story. ;)

I don't own IPS or McDonald's LOL! (Which, again, not referred to by name, but just the same.)

XXX

"Mare? Mary?"

She'd heard it the first time. It just didn't seem very essential to answer.

"Mary!"

The yelling indicated she ought to tune in. And so, with droopy eyes and a somber expression, she blinked at her little sister from across the booth. She was annoyed; that much was clear. Mary could tell by her wide eyes, the look of puzzlement, and then the irritated huff.

"Where were you?" Brandi asked contemptuously. "I was just telling you about this great commission I made yesterday; you didn't say a word."

And why did Brandi think she'd be interested in that? But, Mary feigned some shame to appease the younger.

"Sorry Squish…" she averted her eyes to the quarter pounder in front of her and thought she might hurl. Even the aroma was enough to send her running for the toilet and Mary suddenly couldn't remember why they'd ever come here.

Brandi softened a little with the apology, "Aren't you going to eat? You only had a few fries."

And the mention of fries just made it worse. She'd had a dull, but nonetheless persistent ache coursing through her lower abdomen since she'd gotten up that morning. It was completely zapping her appetite, making her feel slow and unusually lethargic. She was pretty sure it was stress that was doing it, and knew she needed to learn to cool it so Marshall didn't find out.

"I'm not hungry…" she was forced to admit, shoving the burger at her sister. "Do you want it?"

Brandi definitely became concerned with this, and spared a quick glance to Norah and Robyn in the play place beyond the glass to make sure they were occupied. Max was sitting to her left, mashing his apple slices in his fingers.

"Do you feel okay?" the younger pressed with just a hint of caution. "You're so quiet. Usually even when you're sick you're snarking at me; sometimes even more than usual," a brave attempt at a laugh. "Is there something going on?"

Mary shook her head automatically; she'd never learned how to discuss her problems and now was no exception. She was very accustomed to just getting rid of those that felt the need to pry; it was how she operated best.

"No," she replied blankly. "There's nothing going on. Norah was up during the night; that's all," it wasn't a total lie.

"Are you sure that's it?" Brandi wasn't known for being able to leave well enough alone.

"Yes," Mary was swift at keeping it contained. "I am sure. Come on Squish; you know its hell being pregnant. Search your brain."

Brandi chuckled, "Well, there is that," she admitted, pulling her son up around his belly, which required she fix his hitched up shirt. Placing him on the table, she offered him a fry, "Here Max – you want some?" she crooned. "Norah used to love these when she was your size."

Mary was smiling on the inside even if she couldn't manage to work one onto her face, recalling how Jinx had stuffed her daughter full of the things as an infant. She'd been so afraid that 'people food' would harm her, wanting to stick to strained. She'd come a long way.

"Say, 'yummy-yummy in my tummy…'" Brandi sang, patting Max's stomach which made him giggle around the fries. "There's love in that tummy…" and without further ado, she pressed her lips to his bare skin, making him shriek out loud.

The sound was almost painfully sweet to Mary; such a joyous and effortless noise from her little nephew. Unfortunately, it made her head pound listlessly to accompany whatever was going on in her gut and she began to rub her temple, hoping this would help.

It was inopportune that Brandi noticed, "Mare, maybe we should go home…" she suggested, peering around Max's head to get a good look at her. "The girls can come in early; I can tell that you don't feel good…"

"I can't go anywhere, Squish; not until one…" glancing at her phone, she saw that it was a quarter till. "I've gotta take Norah over to Mark's and he won't be home until then. And you're taking Robyn over to the studio, aren't you?"

"Well, sure…" Brandi shrugged. "But, I could drop Norah with Mark so you could go home and rest. Does Marshall know that you've been feeling like this?"

"Feeling implies it's occurred over some extended period of time…"

"Hasn't it?" Brandi prodded.

"Yes, but…" Mary sighed loudly, surprised at how much harder it was to draw air with her stomach expanding so rapidly. "Marshall doesn't know about today, no. But, it doesn't matter," she insisted. "I don't have time to rest anyway; Stan's coming into town and I promised I'd see him."

"Stan's coming in?" her sister asked curiously, helping herself to Mary's untouched burger while Max continued devouring the fries. "From Washington?"

"No, from Nigeria," Mary quipped. "Yes, from Washington. You know he comes every August if he can."

"How long will he be here?" Brandi ticked on around bites of burger.

"I don't know…" the elder exhaled. "A week or something. He and that lady friend of his – they both had days off or…" she shook her head. "I don't know. I can't remember."

"Lia…" Brandi recalled with a romantic smirk, popping in a French fry of her own. "I can't believe they've stayed together as long as they have with the distance."

"Well, she's kind of freelance…" Mary waved an indistinct hand. "Goes where the wind blows her or some such crap like that…"

"I wonder if they'll get married," Brandi remarked out of nowhere, but to Mary it was like a bullhorn.

She knew Brandi hadn't guessed, that she was just making conversation, but the mention made her feel like she was suffocating. She was bound and determined not to declare that her and Marshall were arguing, and especially not why. Mostly because she knew what everyone would say – Jinx, Brandi, even Norah it seemed. Get hitched. Tie the knot. Buy the rings. Say the, 'I do.' And Mary was in no mood to be told what to do.

"Who knows?" she managed before her belly was gripped with a particularly strident cramp, pulling tight and tense against her muscles. "Ugh…" was all she could get out, cringing and shutting her eyes; caressing the side of her stomach agitatedly.

Apparently, Brandi's patience had been tested enough and she took charge, shoving all their wrappers and garbage into an empty sack.

"All right; forget it…" she decided before Mary could protest. "You're going home. I'll drop Norah off. Mom can keep Max too; you need to sleep or relax or…"

"Brandi, come on…"

But she was already disposing of their trash, carefully picking out the girls' toys to take home, beckoning with her finger for them to come back inside from the play place. Mary wanted to argue, but found she did not really care at this point. She was too distracted by what was going on with Marshall to waste the energy telling Brandi everything was status quo.

Both Norah and Robyn rushed in, hair full of static from running around, shoeless and nearly skidding in their socks.

"Greetings!" Robyn called with a twirl on the spot making her locks fan out all over, whipping around her face. "Mommy, I've been practicing my act; do you want to hear?"

"You can practice on Jinx, sweetie…" Brandi placated her daughter. "Go grab your shoes, girls. It's time to go."

"Already?" Norah seemed skeptical.

"But I haven't chased the bats out of the tunnels yet!" Robyn declared, gesturing empathically at the complex they had just left. "And I'm the only one who can do it…" it was clear where this was going; she never liked being told she couldn't show off. "I, Robyn Mary Shannon, born on the Fourth of July…!"

"Robyn," Brandi cut her off seriously. "I said wait for Jinx. Hurry up and get your shoes."

Mary's little niece pouted significantly with this command and sashayed, swinging her hips in highly dramatic fashion as she marched back to retrieve her sneakers. It seemed Norah had little objection, but she appeared a bit anxious, not entirely able to forget what had happened the night before.

"Am I still going to dad's?" she asked Mary.

"Yep…" her mother ran her fingers through some of the knots in her hair. "But I'll see you again on Sunday – day after tomorrow."

"Does Marshall know I'm going?"

Mary was thrown, but resolved not to show it, "Yeah. He knows the schedule better than I do," she even tried to joke.

Norah seemed to brighten as she heard this, "Yeah, you always forget in the summer."

"Don't remind me, Bug…" Mary stuck a finger in her daughter's chest, prompting another smile. "And guess what?" she decided to fall back on what she'd told Brandi just as Robyn returned with her shoes, still looking put-out.

"What?"

"Stan's coming to visit today. Better brush up on your Marshal lingo; he'll quiz you next week," Mary said.

This earned her a real smile; Norah loved Stan. Sometimes she had trouble remembering who he was; what he was all about, who he had been to Mary and Marshall before she'd been around. But, the minute he appeared – bald head and all – she didn't need any help with the recollections. He was the closest thing to a fun-loving uncle she could have.

"I brought your shoes…" Robyn informed her cousin in the midst of the conversation, handing her the classic red All Star's.

"Thanks…" Norah was grateful and sat down to put them on.

Mary waited through the girls yanking on their sneakers, Robyn needing some serious help with her laces, feeling thankful for Brandi getting rid of all the food that had made her feel so ill. Once they were up and grabbing their toys, her sister snatched Max and balanced him on her hip with the usual goodbyes.

"I'll call you tonight, okay Mare?" she posed.

Mary wasn't sure why this was necessary, but agreed, "Sure."

"Aren't you coming?" Norah asked, turning over her shoulder to inquire.

"Brandi's gonna take you; come over here and say goodbye…" Mary insisted, waggling her fingers in toward her chest, feeling warmth spread from her fingertips to her feet when her daughter put her arms around her neck. It was a quick hug, but she rarely let her get away without a proper farewell. "You have fun with your dad," she instructed, patting her back briefly before she pulled away. "I'll bind and gag Stan so he can't escape 'till you get back."

"Okay," Norah giggled. "Bye mom…" she waved behind her as she went to join Brandi.

But, it appeared the proverbial 'bon voyage' was not entirely complete. Once Norah was through, it was obvious Robyn could not let the opportunity pass itself by without one of her many attempts to scrounge for her new cousin. With a colossal dive, she flung her arms around Mary's waist, pressing her ear to the bulge as usual.

Fortunately, Brandi was quick, "Robyn, honey…" she seized her little one's arm to get her off. "Leave Mary be; she doesn't…"

It was lucky Mary was quick too and that Norah had interested herself in her knotted laces, because she cast her sister a very adamant shake of her head to get her to shut up.

"…She doesn't need you bombarding her like that," the younger sister covered. "Let's go."

Robyn was noisy the entire way to the door; Mary could hear her bemoaning yet another failed attempt to discover the child beneath.

"I'll never feel her!" still set on female. "She's hiding – she doesn't like me!"

Mary listened to her all the way out the door, her tiny voice finally drowned by the tinkling bell above and the rush of cars on the street, dying completely and leaving the aunt alone in her booth.

But Robyn's words seemed to ring in the space she left behind, and Mary couldn't help wondering with every twist and writhe of her gut if Marshall was thinking the same thing about her.

She was hiding. She was unfeeling. She didn't like him. Hell, at this point, how could he be sure she loved him? It was a vicious, destructive cycle Mary spun into motion just to keep the man from seeing she was still all those things.

Deep down, and underneath.

XXX

A/N: This one was a tiny bit short, but hopefully you guys liked it and…Stan's coming! Yay!