Special thanks to redbrainbluebrain, JMS529, Meg, and JJ2008 for the reviews! Slight spice warning for the first drabble!
QUOTE PROMPT #061 – MARY/MARSHALL/ABIGAIL/BRANDI – FOLLOW-UP TO #017
"I don't know, I don't know what's going to happen...but I do know how I feel and I feel like I've found something amazing, and I want to be here. I want to get to know you. We cannot be scared. I would hate to miss another boat."
"What the hell!" Mary shouted, walking into Brandi's room. She walked in to find Lucas' blanket, only to find her sister in the midst of what appeared to be a violent orgasm. Between Brandi's legs was Abigail. Abigail looked at her guiltily while Brandi tried to look despondent, but was having trouble holding onto the expression in her post-coital haze.
"Mary, is everything-" Marshall started, hurrying towards her.
"No!" Mary yelled, frantically. She pushed at him to keep him out of the room, but he pushed past her. Marshall froze at the scene in front of him. Abigail hastily scrambled away from Brandi, throwing her shirt back on.
Abigail cringed, Brandi's juices glistening her lips and chin. "Marshall, I-I can explain."
Marshall's eyes traveled from Abigail to Brandi, who stared back at him with regret, to Mary, whose eyes flitted away. "I.. don't think an explanation is needed. How long?"
"What?" she asked, surprised by the question.
"How long has this been going on?" he repeated.
Abigail bit her bottom lip. "Since you and Mary went away two months ago."
Marshall nodded. "Were you ever going to tell me?"
"Yes," Abigail said, emphatically. "I just- I just didn't know how."
"How... how did this happen?" To himself, Marshall's voice sounded far away.
Abigail glanced at Brandi, words failing her. Brandi cleared her throat. "We met up at a bar. I was sober, Mary!" she emphasized when Mary huffed. "I was hanging out with the girls from work when I noticed some guy hitting on Abigail and decided to step in to help." She looked down, ashamed. "It just seemed to steamroll from there."
Marshall took a deep breath. "Mary, thank you for the invitation to dinner, but I believe I am going to decline. It appears that I need to spend my evening packing and searching for a new residence."
"Marshall-" Mary said, reaching out for his arm.
He raised his hands to ward her off. "I'm fine." He turned towards Abigail. "I just ask that you give me until tomorrow morning before you return home." With that, he turned on his heels and walked away.
Mary shook her head. She glared at Abigail. "I want you out of my house and I never want to see you again. As for you," Mary turned to Brandi, "if it wasn't for my nephew, I would kick you out, too. As is, I think you should go stay with Jinx for a few days."
Brandi nodded, sadly. She turned to Abigail as Mary left the room. "We made a really big mess of things."
"We did," Abigail agreed.
"I don't regret it," Brandi told her.
Abigail smiled, relieved. "Me either. I don't know what's going to happen, but I don't think I'm quite done with you."
Brandi moved to cup her cheek. "I'm not done with you yet, either."
QUOTE PROMPT #062 – MARY/MARSHALL/ABIGAIL
"We're going to stumble, make mistakes, I'm sure more than a few before we find our footing. But we're going to learn from those mistakes, that's what being human is all about. I'm sorry you can't see that."
"I don't understand," Mary said, quietly, tears in her voice. "I thought she was doing so well. She had a job. She was talking about going back to school. Lily was thriving. Why didn't I see that she was struggling? Why didn't I see that she was about to run?"
"Come here," Marshall replied, pulling her into a hug. He wanted to tell her that it wasn't her fault, that Brandi was an adult, and that she had to make her own way, but he knew Mary wasn't ready to hear any of that. Instead, he offered her silent support.
"What the hell is this?" Abigail demanded, bursting into Marshall's office.
Mary and Marshall sprung apart. He looked nervously from Mary to Abigail. "Mary's going through something right now and I was just offering-"
Abigail interrupted. "To help? To fix all her problems? To go running off because she snapped her fingers?"
Mary rolled her eyes and shook her head. She opened her mouth to respond, but decided against it. With a sad glance at Marshall, Mary made her way towards the door.
"Mary, wait!" Marshall ordered, reaching out to grab her wrist. He pulled her back towards him before turning to Abigail. "I was offering her support. I was offering her a shoulder to cry on. Mary is my friend, my best friend. If she needs me, whether it's now or at four in the morning, she can call me." He looked Mary in the eye. "I was a fool to ever imply otherwise."
"Unbelievable," Abigail muttered.
Marshall turned back to Abigail. "What's unbelievable is that I ever agreed to pull back from my best friend. If you can't accept Mary's place in my life, then maybe you need to reevaluate your place in my life."
Abigail huffed and pivoted around, storming out of the office.
"Mars-" Mary started after a few moments of silence.
"Save it, Mare," he ordered. "Tell me what I can do to help."
Mary bit her bottom lip, thinking. She closed her eyes before hugging him, relieved when his arms went immediately around her. "For now, this is enough."
QUOTE PROMPT #063 - MARSHALL
"There comes a time when every man needs to make a choice, whether it's a professional choice or whether it's a personal choice. In the end, it's about integrity, and it's about chasing after what you really want, even if that means showing you both care a little."
"I don't know which way to go," Marshall confessed to his mother. Joy Mann patted his head sympathetically. "It just seems that either choice is going to end up with someone hurt."
"Being hurt, Marshall, is part of life," Joy countered gently. "You have to do what you think is right."
Marshall sighed. "But if I choose what she wants, then Mary is going to be angry. But if I choose what Mary wants, I'm going to leave a wonderful girl devastated."
Joy cupped his cheek. "What do you want, my beautiful boy?"
"I want to find a compromise that will make everyone happy," he replied, miserably.
"I think I have an idea," Joy said. She leaned over to whisper into his ear.
Marshall took a deep breath before entering the room. Both females looked up at him expectantly. Marshall fought to control his grimace.
"What did you decide?" Mary asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"A compromise. We go with both." Marshall turned and picked the baby up from the crib. "So, from now on, he'll be known as Joshua Stanley Caillou Mann."
Norah bounced up and down on the hospital bed, clapping her hands. "Yay! Thank you, Daddy Marshall!"
Marshall leaned down and kissed Norah's forehead. "You're welcome, princess." He turned to Mary and raised an eyebrow. "Well?"
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but okay," Mary agreed. She huffed. "It must be the hormones."