A/N: I kind of wonder if anyone has been paying attention to the dates on the e-mails. They're not exactly important, but telling when you see the time lapse, or how quickly Mary or Marshall answer. ;)

XXX

December 6th

Mary,

I don't even know if you've read my last e-mail, but I couldn't wait for you to respond. It's after midnight here, and so I'm sure you're in bed and won't get both of them until tomorrow if you're lucky not to be so busy. I just don't know what to say or do, or where to go from here, and I need help. I don't know what I expect you to help me with from a thousand miles away, but there's nothing else to be done.

Mary, it was terrible. I still don't know the truth; Abigail wouldn't tell me, and I'm more mixed-up than ever. I did the best I could; I really thought I was being as sensitive as possible, but Abigail flew off the rails before I was two minutes into the discussion. Her reaction leads me to believe she has indeed been sleeping with Cliff, but she never said the words. She wouldn't even focus on herself, because she was so busy casting responsibility onto me, and I am baffled to think I never realized she had such strong feelings of resentment toward me. Six months of marriage, and she's been harboring an anger for longer than I realized. I have been so blind, so unsupportive; I drew the shades and ignored her when she needed me, and I still don't know how to stop.

I am having a hard time typing because I am a little overwhelmed, so I beg you forgive any typos on my end. Abigail isn't here. She stormed out after our fight and hasn't come back, and I don't have to guess to conjure up where she went. It's late and I'm so tired, but I couldn't possibly sleep right now. I can't think of any good way to tell you this, so it's best I just put it all on the table. Abigail thought you and I were having an affair – before Mexico. When your dad showed up, she thought we were lying; she thought all that time we were spending at work was time we were spending in bed. She thought I left our engagement party because I was running off to be with you. I mean, I was running off to be with you, but it was because James had died and you were all by yourself. I couldn't live with the decision to continue having a great time while you were all alone, without any family and that bastard Agent O'Conner. You'd been through so much and you're my best friend, Mary. I couldn't stay away, and Abigail swore to me, after so many conversations, that she'd come to terms with it.

She hasn't, and I don't think she ever will. I tried to tell her how much I love her, that I want to spend the rest of my life with her; that I love her in a romantic way in which I no longer love you. Does having a wife mean I can't have you as a friend? That's a trade I can't make in any capacity. Of course, I would be there for Abigail if she were in crisis; in times of tragedy and in times of triumph, in sickness and in health. I fail to comprehend why I cannot do the same for you if it doesn't affect mine and Abigail's relationship, and it hasn't. I've been away from you for six months, and she can't let it go. Her jealously has reached a level I can't even weigh up. She was so upset; I never even caught what she thought the two of us were doing when we were writing e-mails back and forth. Did she think we were conspiring to get 'back together' on our return to Albuquerque?

Mary, none of this is your fault. It's not your fault at all; she's wrong, and both of us know she's wrong. I refuse to let you go just because Abigail can't accept the truth, but I wish that I knew the truth. Abigail doesn't really have to say it; everything that came out of her mouth indicated that she was having an affair with Cliff because she thought you and I had done the same. Or at least, that's the way she's reasoned her way through it. I don't know if she's attracted to Cliff or if she's in love with him. It's entirely possible she doesn't really think what she says she does about you and I at all – she's making it up to save face, because she's afraid of hurting me even worse than she already has. I don't know what to think, just that I saw an Abigail tonight I've never seen before. Whatever happens tomorrow morning will be the real test. I don't think she'll be able to hide anymore, but I am flabbergasted to think there could be more confessions ahead.

I'll talk to you soon. I hope I didn't mystify you too badly, but I'm so lost right now. I wasn't sure where else to turn.

Love,

- Marshall

X

December 6th

Marshall,

I want you to get to a phone and call me right now, as soon as you can. I need to talk to you about this; we can't do it over cyberspace anymore. What I can say right now is that I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that your marriage to Abigail has suffered through this so early on. It's not fair. It's not fair that she would cheat on you, and it's not fair that she would use us as an excuse to justify it. My only hope at this point is that she'll man-up enough to admit to what she's done and take that guilt off you.

Unfortunately, I don't have a ton of time to talk, which is why I need you to call me. I'm experiencing something of a hurricane in my life as well. Norah took a really bad fall yesterday in the living room, which is why I hadn't read either of your e-mails last night. She and Oscar were sitting on the floor; Norah was playing with her blocks, but she lost one and it went skittering across the floor toward the kitchen. She got up to go retrieve it, only Oscar got up with her (like he always does.) He was behind her, and got a little overenthusiastic and tried to run. He knocked into her on his way and she fell face-first onto the hardwood and hit her head. I was right nearby, but she let out this ultrasonic shriek like I've never heard before in my life. I got her on ice and took her to the hospital; they said she didn't have a concussion, but are worried about how the spot might swell, so I have to keep packing her head with bags of ice and sacks of peas from the freezer. The lump on her forehead is nasty; it looks like there's a purple golf ball imbedded in her right temple. Fortunately, her hair covers it if I brush it the right way, but I can tell its throbbing and it's hurting her. It's not even the pain that seems to be upsetting her though. I'm afraid she got traumatized by the fall, because she will not leave my side, and screams bloody-murder if I leave her alone for half a second. I put her in my bed with me last night, which made for a long evening since I had to keep her forehead from engorging with ice. The only bright spot in this ordeal is that Norah doesn't seem to have noticed it was Oscar that caused her big tumble. He peed all over the floor when she screamed, and if I thought dogs had emotions, I'd think he felt bad he was the root of such a thing. He went cowering away with his tail between his legs, but as I said, Norah is oblivious to that part. I said it was a bright spot because I know Oscar would probably miss her if she wouldn't go near him anymore. Unfortunately, the only one she'll go near at this point is me.

I'm sorry for having made this all about me, Marshall; I just wanted you to know what was going on. Just call me. I'll make sure I answer, no matter where I am or what I'm doing. Right now, I've got Norah on my lap with a sack of Ore Ida frozen fries and she keeps trying to reach the keyboard. I think she misses you too.

- Mary

XXX

A/N: We shall see! Now both of them have issues LOL! Never a dull moment! Hope you enjoy what's to come… ;)