Marshall had an early appointment with Shelley today. He actually felt better about himself, as had been talking to his parents and brothers a little more openly then before his parents came to visit. The biggest challenges he faced were trying not to bottle everything up inside and deciding what to do about his relationship with Mary. The latter he knew would take longer to deal with.
In all honesty, he missed his best friend and wasn't sure what that made him. The thought of missing the person who hurt you the most seemed rather masochistic. He was torn about working things out with her. How long before the old patterns started to emerge and how much more could his heart take if she continued breaking it.
Working with Charlie was the break he needed, which would allow him to see if the grass was greener on the other side or only appeared that way.
"Inspector Mann, Dr, Finkle is ready to see you."
"Thank you," Marshall replied, before entering the office.
Shelley watched Marshall, as he entered into the room. His stride was more confident then she'd seen in the last two weeks and his smile seemed genuine when he greeted her.
"Let's start with the accident," Shelley suggested, while Marshall stood in front of the couch before he began pacing as he told her what he could remember of the accident.
"The next few questions are going to be a little more personal. If you were in the field, when Mary and her new partner arrived on the scene, do you think you'd be able to do your job fairly? Or would Mary's presence there cause you undue stress?"
"Mary has never affected my job performance. The safety of the witness comes first. Always has. Whether Mary arrives on the scene or not, it's business as usual. I don't have to like everyone we work with, to maintain my work ethic."
"Do you feel the two of you can be civil to each other in and outside the work environment?"
"I'm not the one with issues of being civil to people. Your biggest concern should be whether Mary can be civil. You're digging to figure out how the two of us would interact or if I'd protect Mary when the situation came up. The answer is that while we may not be friends any longer I would protect her, her partner, the witness or anyone as the regs mandate. Not only is this my job, but I enjoy protecting people. It's what I do best and a big part of who I am. I enjoy my job."
"All right, you said you enjoy helping protect others. In that statement you've included your former partner. Would you be willing to help Mary when we get to that point in her sessions?"
"What kind of help?" Marshall asked, uneasy about this request.
"Once Mary gets to a point in her sessions, she's going to have to deal with what she's done to you and why. In order to do that she'll need to have a conversation with you. Obviously, I can't force you to talk to her, but since the two of you have been friends for a long time, hearing about how everything has affected you will be good for her. Whatever happens, the two of you need to face the issues in order to find the peace you're looking for. You can't keep things bottled up inside or they'll keep eating you up. Eventually, it'll come back to haunt you and you will end up in the same place that you were at Christmas."
"I'll need to think about it. Maybe later it would be easier, but right now I'm not sure how I feel about this," Marshall replied reluctantly.
"Is there anything else that you would like to discuss?"
"Are you going to recommend that I return to field duty?"
"Yes, I will be telling Stan that you're ready. Call me if you feel troubled or need to talk. We can set up an appointment anytime."
"I'll keep that in mind," Marshall replied, heading out the door.
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Stan walked into his office early on Monday, expecting Mary's new partner Hudson Emmett Reed to arrive before her and hoping that their meeting would go smoothly. The last thing he needed was more problems in the office.
Marshall and Charlie would be in before Hudson and Mary arrived. They would spend the better part of the day out with the witnesses, which would allow Mary and Hudson to get acquainted. He really hoped this went well. He needed to bide time for Mary and Marshall to work things out. Shelley was under the impression they both wanted the friendship, but Mary had to make it a two way street or nothing would change, making Marshall leave.
Stan's thoughts were interrupted as Mary came through the door unexpectedly.
"What are you doing here so early?"
"You kept me away for four days of touchy feely crap with Shelley. I wanted to get back to work," Mary said, walking towards her desk, only to notice her things weren't on it. "Where the hell is all my stuff?"
"On your desk," Stan replied, pointing to the new location. "Charlie will be sitting next to Marshall now. You and your partner will be sitting over there. Change the desks anyway you like except moving yours to its old location."
"I happened to like my old seat. Why did you move it?" Mary asked irritated.
"Marshall has seniority, so he was able to choose where he and Charlie sat. In order to work together effectively, partners sit near each other. Since Marshall is no longer your partner so you'll be sitting over there with Hudson," Stan replied, firmly.
"Hudson? When do I get the pleasure?" Mary asked sarcastically.
"You will treat your new partner with respect unless he does something legitimately wrong. He's been in WITSEC for five years and has an impressive record. No more passing paperwork off unless it's okay with him. You need to make this an equal partnership. Get him comfortable with the area and the way you work."
Mary glared at Stan, refusing to answer before moving over to her new desk. She felt like she was stuck in the middle of nowhere with this arrangement. Complaining wouldn't help and if she wanted to get Marshall back as a partner, she'd have to learn to play by the rules.
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Marshall entered the building with trepidation, knowing that Mary's new partner was starting today. He saw her car and hoped things could just go smoothly. Charlie and he had a lot of work to do and wouldn't be at the office for very long.
Curiosity had him asking Stan if the new guy was a rookie or a veteran, relieved to hear that he had been with WITSEC for five years. It would help him in working with Mary. Once they got used to each other everything would be fine. His train of thought was interrupted by Stan walking out of his office, carrying his coffee mug.
"Morning, Stan."
"Marshall, are you ready for your first day of training Charlie?" Stan asked.
"Yes. Once he gets in, I'll take him to see several families. I figured I'd mix the stops to some of the well adjusted witnesses along with a few of the troubled ones. It should give him a good feel for signs to watch and realize that some are easier to deal with then others.
"Sounds good," Stan replied, looking nervously to see where Mary was.
"Not happy about the desk change."
Stan noticed that it was a statement and not a question. The other thing he realized after they moved Mary's desk is that neither would have a clear view of the other. Charlie would be able to see Mary, but Marshall wouldn't. He didn't know if it was on purpose or not. Mary would've made sure she could see Marshall.
"She'll adjust. Just a little bit of a shock. Your protégé had arrived," Stan inclined his head to where Charlie was coming in with Hudson.
"That the new guy?" Marshall asked.
"That is Inspector Reed."
Marshall nodded as the two walked over towards him and Stan.
"Sir," Hudson greeted Stan.
"Please just call me Stan. Everyone else does. Inspector Hudson Reed this is Inspector Marshall Mann."
"A pleasure to meet you," Hudson said, reaching out to shake Marshall's hand.
"Likewise," Marshall said, returning the handshake.
"Alright, let me introduce you to your partner," Stan said, starting to turn.
"Charlie and I are heading out to do witness checks. We'll be gone the rest of the day. Call me if you need us for anything, Stan."
Stan watched them leave and then indicated with an incline of his head for Hudson to follow him. They stopped in front of Mary's desk.
"Mary, this is your partner Hudson Reed."
Mary looked up and nodded while sizing him up.
"I'll let the two of you get acquainted. Mary, catch him up on your witnesses as he'll be shadowing you for a few days to get used to how you work. Hudson, after that, I'll start giving you some of your own witnesses.
"Thanks again, Stan," Hudson said watching the retreating form of his new boss before turning back towards his partner. "Nice to meet you, Mary."
"Sure, grab your things and let's go," Mary ordered.
"Where are we headed?" Hudson asked.
"Shooting range. If you're going to be my partner then I had better damn well know that I can trust you to shoot a target and not me," Mary replied, grabbing her coat, gun and keys before heading towards the elevator.
"Where are you going?" Stan asked seeing the two headed out. He had anticipated them spending more time here.
"Shooting range," Mary said, stepping into the elevator.
Stan rolled his eyes. He should've known. Mary needed to learn to trust someone other then Marshall with her back. She would have to start from scratch, which meant the shooting range. The most important thing for her was knowing that her partner could hit the targets.
Sending up a quick prayer, Stan wished for things to get back to normal quickly. He wasn't sure the office would survive without Mary and Marshall being partners for a long period of time.
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A week passed. Mary stepped out of her office to see Marshall and Charlie sharing coffee and doughnuts while working on paperwork. It left a pit in her stomach. Marshall used to do that with her when they were working together. Hudson had the techniques, smarts and skills to be a great marshal, but there was something about him that nagged at her.
Mary looked at Marshall as she walked towards her desk. Maybe she was just uneasy because he wasn't 'her' Marshall anymore and she kept trying to compare Hudson to him. It was hard to compete when she had already had the perfect partner.
She was still seeing Shelley, forcing herself to talk about her father and the feelings she had after he walked out on her. The sense of loss had always been overwhelming and she had never thought she'd feel that way again. When Marshall asked for another partner that feeling had returned. It was strange he was still here and yet wasn't. Shelley and she hadn't even begun to talk about Marshall. It would take awhile to get through her past.
Trying to ignore the hurt she was feeling Mary sat at her desk and kept glancing up at Marshall and Charlie. Her attention was distracted when Hudson came in and plopped down in his seat.
"So what's on the agenda today?" he asked.
"We're going to do some rounds and then when we're done we come back and fill out our paperwork."
"So what's the story between you and your old partner?"
"None of your business. Get the list of your witnesses that you need to check on and we'll head out."
"You're awfully sensitive about the subject. I have a right to know especially if it can interfere with a situation out in the field."
"You have nothing to worry about," Mary said heatedly.
"Funny thing about that, partner, word around here is that you couldn't keep your personal and professional life separate, and finally pushed away the one person who could deal with you. I've been around the block a few times, been burned by people I trust and don't intimidate easily. You might want to keep that in mind. I'm going to go check on my witnesses. I'll call if I need help," Hudson replied, grabbing his stuff and walking away from Mary.
Mary noticed Stan in his office and decided they needed to have a talk.
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Marshall had been well aware of Mary's glances in his direction. They weren't making any progress really, but he had found himself coming to terms with what people had been telling him for years about putting himself first and not bottling things inside.
He continued going over the files with Charlie when he noticed Mary walking toward Stan's office. He could see the tension in her shoulders and her stride indicated a purpose.
Ignoring what was going on with Mary, he and Charlie worked through their data. They had a witness transfer coming up which would test Charlie's skills as an inspector. Marshall wanted to make sure that they had all the information down and Charlie knew what he was supposed to do. It would be his first real transfer, and the witness was wanted by some gun runners. These men obviously had the ammunition and resources to send a lot of people after them. In case that happened Marshall wanted to be sure that Charlie memorized all areas of coverage and protection.
A part of Marshall missed working with Mary, especially with this transfer coming up. Charlie was a quick learner, but didn't have the advanced skill set. Marshall was still getting used to how Charlie would respond in a situation and they weren't going to have enough time to hone in on that before the transfer in a few days.
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Mary knocked before entering Stan's office. She noticed the surprised look on his face at the knock, but ignored it.
"What exactly do you know about my new partner?" Mary demanded.
Stan looked up and could see something was bothering her. "Why?"
"Something about him is off. He has the skill set, but I can't help getting a hinky feeling about him. I don't mean just because he's not Marshall. I thought that was it at first, but it's been two weeks and I haven't been able to shake it."
"His file was exemplary. I can ask his former boss more questions, but he gave him a high recommendation."
"What about his other partners? Can you see what they have to say?" Mary asked.
"You're that bothered by it?"
Mary just nodded her head in confirmation.
"I'll do some sideline digging. Let me know if you see any signs of something strange," Stan replied.
"Let me know what you find out," Mary said, before heading back towards her desk deciding to do a little of her own investigating.
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Marshall sat in Shelley's office, knowing the elephant in the room was not being discussed. It was the one topic that they hadn't touched on. Shelley had tried, but Marshall had a unique way of turning the question into something else or about someone else. His thoughts about Mary were still a big mess.
"You can't avoid this subject forever Marshall. It may not interfere with you doing your job, but it's interfering with your life. We've discussed your family, parts of your job, but not a word about Mary or Stan. They both figure into the equation of what happened to get you over the tipping point. Stan and Mary figure into the problems you were having with your family."
Marshall stood up and started pacing. He needed to think before speaking. He still wasn't ready to deal with Mary, but even his problem with Stan was related to the comments he made about her.
"Stan has always been my biggest dilemma and source of confusion."
Shelley almost sighed out loud, but knew that he needed to talk about Stan also. She was going to have to be more direct with Marshall if he didn't start opening up about Mary. The fact was that the two were more alike than even they realized. She hadn't been able to get either of them to talk about the other one, but it was what they needed to move forward.
"Why?" Shelley asked, as Marshall stood with his back to her.
"Stan was always interested or at least seemed to be in who I am. In some ways he was more of a father to me than my own. He took me under his wing when I first started and taught me how to excel in this job. He never criticized my style and offered me pointers on how to use it to my advantage."
"You looked up to him," Shelley said, summarizing Marshall's thoughts. "Did that change after Mary arrived?"
"Stan thought I was nuts to tell him to snap her up. Hell, maybe I was. I don't really know anymore. She was typical Mary, but underneath the brassy, sarcastic and with her against the world attitude was the one who had the compassion to help someone in a difficult situation. I was shocked to hear that she helped my witness make his decision."
Shelley listened to the nostalgia in Marshall's voice. The good news was that he was talking about Mary. She was hoping this would keep him on that path. It's the biggest part that Marshall needed to work out.
Marshall realized that he wandered down the Mary path, but in some ways he knew he would have to. They were linked in some aspects. Taking a breath, he tried to refocus.
"Stan watched the partnership grow and develop. He started ignoring Mary's disregard for rules and covering for her. As the years continued on his covering up for her and comments started to make me wonder if everything he taught me was changing to Mary's ways. He wasn't completely to blame in that. I had a part in it too. We were both trying to be someone that Mary could learn to trust and help with an obvious rough life."
"Did you talk to Stan about it?"
"No, things were still pretty good at that point. Mary and I worked well together. She accepted me for who I was. Teased me some, but I know it was just her way."
"When and why did it get to you?" Shelly asked trying to get to the crust of the problem. She had a feeling the problems were about to combine.
"It really wasn't Stan's fault. It was my own. I never told him about a lot of the things I covered up for Mary. She was careless with things she did while out of town. It never happened on the job as she wouldn't risk our witnesses, at least not at that time. They were always things that occurred off the clock, but could have cost her what she valued the most… her job."
"What changed?" Shelley pushed a little. Marshall needed to get it out in the open.
"The rest of us followed the rules as was expected while Mary got away with doing whatever she wanted. Stan started calling her his best inspector and the resentment started to build. It was like my family all over again. I play by the rules and do my job to the best of my ability and Stan continues to boost Mary's ego, knowing she wasn't following the rules. He didn't know everything of course, but he knew enough. When someone else broke a rule then they'd get dressed down by him. I wasn't the only one who didn't care for it. Stan's a good boss to work for, but he turned a blind eye to Mary's antics. I think he was trying to be the father Mary never had."
"Was he replacing you with her?"
"What?" Marshall asked, caught of guard.
"Marshall, Stan by your words was more of a father to you then your own. Mary comes along and he becomes a father figure to her. How did that make you feel?"
Marshall stared at her in shock.
"I didn't feel anything about that. I never even gave it a thought. Mary needs people in her life that she can trust or respect. She never had a lot of that."
"So you weren't threatened by their relationship?"
"Why would I feel threatened by it?"
"I don't know. Why would you?" Shelley asked, wanting Marshall to answer the question himself.
Marshall stopped pacing and sat down on the couch thinking about the question. Was it his Dad all over? Was that what bothered him? Was he pushed aside for someone who met the ideal fit of what a Marshal stood for? The person who enjoyed the sound of cuffs being slapped on a prisoner as much as his father had. Was he second best again?
"Marshall?" Shelley asked concerned. "Marshall!"
Shelley's sharper tone caused Marshall to look up.
"I'm sorry. What did you say?"
Shelley didn't miss the hurt in his voice and was concerned they just took a step backward after her question.
"I was just trying to get your attention. Where did you go?"
Marshall looked at his watch, noticing with relief that their time was up.
"Our times up. I need to get to work," Marshall said, getting up.
"We can take a few more minutes. Marshall, I really think we need to finish this discussion," Shelley replied.
"We can next week. I really have to go," Marshall insisted.
"Can we bring Stan into your session? The two of you need to talk about this."
"I'd like to think about that and get back to you. I know that you have to report this information to Stan. You can tell him what we discussed, but I need to think about what we talked about."
"Think about it and let me know. Marshall, just remember it's a question about what your subconscious might have been thinking. Don't let it interfere with the progress you've made."
Marshall nodded in acknowledgment.
Shelley sat back at her desk and grabbed her phone, knowing she needed to contact Stan about what happened. Marshall at least gave her permission to do so.
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Stan was at his desk when his phone rang. "McQueen."
"Stan, this is Shelley Finkle."
"What's wrong?" Stan asked, picking up on the worry in her voice.
"We may have a problem with Marshall."
Stan sat up straight. "What kind of a problem? Is he fit for duty?"
"Yes, he can still do his job. But there might be an issue with the two of you," Shelley replied, explaining what happened.
"I'm going to need to talk to him," Stan said.
"Let him come to you or ask if he wants to discuss it. Don't push him, Stan. I'm worried how he's going to process this."
Stan rubbed his hand over his head. "So sit back and let him come to me or talk to him in private and hope this doesn't blow up in my face."
"Stan he needs to work everything out. I'm worried I took him back a few steps, but in order to fix what sent him running from everyone, you're going to have to deal with all the issues that have built up over the years."
"I understand, but I don't have to like it."
"No, but you're also going to have to deal with the reality of it. Is it Marshall's imagination or did you push him to the side when Mary came along? Were you busy trying to fix her that you ignored him and put her first? Stan, all of you played a part in this and some of it may require the rest of you taking a long hard look at your actions and how they got all of you to this point."
"Thanks, Shelley." Stan said, hanging up and putting his head in his hands.
Stan had to think about what Shelley said. The way she had stated what happened and the conversation reminded Stan of what had happened between Marshall and Seth. Did he do the same thing to him? Marshall wasn't the only one who had to think about what had transpired over the years.
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"Hey Stan, the D.O.J wants us to…" Mary stopped when she saw the look on Stan's face.
"What's wrong?"
"Huh?" Stan asked looking up confused.
"What's going on with you?"
"Just something I need to think about. What were you saying?"
"The D.O.J. wants extra protection on our witness exchange."
"Take Marshall and Charlie with you," Stan replied.
Mary froze at that order. "Are we sure that this is a good idea?"
"They are the only two available and you're going to have to work together at some time. I need to know that the two of you can function with your new partners. Get ready to go. I'll let Marshall and Charlie know as soon as Marshall arrives."
"Did something happen to Marshall is that why you're acting strange?" Mary asked curiously.
"Marshall is fine. Get the information ready so Marshall and Charlie can be prepared for the transfer."
"I will. What is going on with you?" Mary asked
"Nothing that concerns you. Back to work, inspector."
"Stan with everything that is going on, don't lie to me. I know full well that you're worried about something and more than likely that something is my former partner."
"Then it would be between your former partner and me. Back to work, Mary."
Mary knew it was more than nothing, but Stan wasn't telling her what was wrong. She couldn't even ask Marshall. This whole situation irritated her. The only two people that she trusted to talk to about this were the ones she couldn't. Mary rolled her eyes knowing that it meant another conversation with Shelley.
Just then Marshall walked in and sat down at his desk. Mary noticed the way he would periodically look at Stan's office. He was confused and she could tell it from the look on his face. She was going to have to talk to Marshall about the case. Grabbing the file on her desk, she walked over to Marshall's desk.
"Marshall, we need you and Charlie to help with the witness transfer. The D.O.J. wants to have extra protection since they've has some concerns about possible threats coming after them."
"I take it we are your backup. Is the threat assessment done?"
Mary handed him the file she had.
"All the information that we have, including the threat assessment is in the folder. I'll let you and Charlie go over everything and then the four of us can meet up in the conference room to finalize plans."
"Charlie should be here in a few minutes. I'll go over it with him. We'll meet in two hours in the conference room."
"Okay, that will give Hudson time to finish his witness visit and come in."
"Sounds good," Marshall replied, trying to ignore the awkwardness between them.
"I know we're not on speaking terms per say, but are you okay? You seem a little distracted," Mary said, hoping to break the ice.
"I can do the job," Marshall replied, defensively.
"That is something I already know. I was just trying to say you look upset with something."
Marshall studied her face and could tell she was actually concerned.
"Just something that I need to work out on my own. Thanks for asking."
"You know, I realize that we have troubles and that I haven't been the greatest friend, listener or supporter, but if you would like to talk I'm still here," Mary said shrugging. "Never mind that was probably not the best idea I've ever had. I'll see you in the conference room."
Marshall watched as Mary walked back to her desk. It was probably the first time he recalled that she'd offer to listen to him. He wasn't ready for sharing his feelings with her yet, but hoped that maybe her offer was a step in the right direction. His missed having a friend, but he needed one that put his needs first every once in a while.
Mary took a quick look at Marshall before finishing her path to her desk. He was lost in thought and Mary just hoped those thoughts were good ones that would not send them backwards. He seemed to be more like himself albeit without their relationship, but she was glad he wasn't the person who came back from Las Vegas. Seeing him hurting and thinking so little of himself scared the hell out of her. Knowing she was part of what brought him to that point was the only reason why she was still seeing Shelley. Whatever it took at this point to make sure Marshall was okay was her priority, even if it made her work on her problems along the way.