Author's Note: Special thanks to MegManning and JMS529 (and for the catch-ups!) reviews!
QUOTE PROMPT #082 – MARSHALL/NORAH
"We are all just stories in the end."
"Marshall, tell me a story," Norah begged as her step-father tucked her.
"What would you like to hear?" he asked, smiling indulgently. "The Princess and the Frog? Goldilocks and the Three Bears?"
Norah shook her head. "I want to hear about how you and Mommy fell in love."
Marshall's face lit up. "You got it. Once upon a time, there was a princess named Mary and a prince named Marshall. They lived very far apart and while they weren't exactly unhappy, they were both in need of a friend. They met up while chasing a bad man and even though Princess Mary liked to pretend that she didn't like Prince Marshall, he eventually wore her down."
"And they decided to work together," Norah added.
"That's right," he agreed. "Princess Mary moved out to the magical land of Albuquerqueconia. They worked together every day to protect the townspeople from the bad guys that lurk in the forest. It didn't take long, but Prince Marshall fell madly, deeply in love with Princess Mary. She fell in love with him, too, but-"
Norah interrupted him, "-she was too stubborn to admit it so she dated other princes."
Marshall tapped her on the nose. "That's right. A few frogs, too."
"And not the prince kind."
"That's right." Marshall took a deep breath. "So, one day, after Princess Mary went off with the Dark Prince of Denveronian, Prince Marshall decided to look for another princess and found Lady Abigail. Lady Abigail was very sweet and very perky and-"
"-and very young," Norah supplied.
Marshall frowned. "Hey, who's telling this story?" He chuckled when she rolled her eyes. "Yes, she was young, but Prince Marshall did love her. This caused Princess Mary to be very sad, although she wouldn't admit it to anyone, including herself. So, when the handsome Lord Mark came back into her life, she decided to have a little princess of her own named-"
Norah grinned widely. "Norah!"
"You got it. Princess Norah was one of the greatest thing to come into all of their lives. So, Princess Mary settled down with her daughter, Princess Norah, and she was happy, though her heart was still missing Prince Marshall, not that she would ever admit it. Prince Marshall and Lady Abigail decided to marry and Princess Mary met a frog named Kenny that pretended to be a prince. It seemed as if everything would work out, but there was an emptiness in the hearts of both Princess Mary and Prince Marshall."
"But then Princess Norah got sick and the only person that Princess Mary wanted was Prince Marshall and Prince Marshall refused to leave Princess Mary's side. They realized that they still loved each other and decided to get married. They adopted Princess Norah's cousin, Prince Aidan, and they all lived happily ever after," Norah concluded.
Marshall kissed her forehead. "That's right, my angel. Good night, Princess Norah."
Norah snuggled with her teddy bear. "Good night, Prince Marshall."
QUOTE PROMPT #083 – MARY/MARSHALL
"It has been overwhelming and humbling and even painful at times, but I could not stop loving her anymore than I could stop breathing. I am hopelessly, irretrievably in love with her. More than she knows."
"Marshall, it's late. Come to bed," Mary pleaded, walking up to him in the hallway. She placed her hand on his back and leaned against him. He was standing against the door of Norah's room, watching her sleep.
"I know. I just..." Marshall's voice trailed off as he tried to gather his thoughts. "I just can't believe that she's mine. I mean, legally, forever, she's mine."
Mary rubbed his back, smiling. "Yes, she is. She's very lucky."
He sniffled. "I'm not going to let her forget Mark. I won't. She'll know what a good man he was and how much he loved her. I'll make sure she knows."
"I know you will," Mary assured him.
"Are you sure about changing her last name? I mean, I know how important it was for her to be a Shannon when she was born."
Mary kissed him gently to calm his nerves. "I can't imagine her having any other last name."
Marshall turned, pulling her into a tight hug. "Thank you. Thank you for that and thank you for her. Our daughter. My daughter."
"You're welcome." She stepped away from him, tugging on his hand. "Now, come to bed. If you're lucky, maybe we'll make another one."
QUOTE PROMPT#084 – MARSHALL/DELIA/MARY
"After disaster strikes, the important thing is that you move on."
"What are you doing here, Chief?" Delia asked, walking into the office early in the morning to find her boss sitting at his desk.
"I have paperwork to finish," Marshall replied matter-of-factly.
Delia sighed, stepping to his desk. "I'm sure that could wait until Monday. There's no reason for you to be here today, especially after... after what happened."
Marshall paused and looked up at her. "You mean, after my bride-to-be dumped me at the altar in front of all our family and friends? You can say it. I have. Repeatedly."
"Yeah," Delia agreed, awkwardly. "You should take a few days to yourself, get your bearings back."
"My bearings are fine, Delia," he told her. "At the end of the day, I'm actually relieved. I wish she hadn't chosen that particularly venue, but at least she had the guts to voice her doubts, unlike me."
Delia tilted her head. "You had doubts? And you were going to marry her anyway?"
Marshall hesitated before nodding. "I didn't want to hurt her. I thought we could work it out."
"You-" Her voice trailed off when she saw the hurt look on his face. "Still, I think a few days at home would do you some good."
"I know that you're trying to help," Marshall said, calmly. "But this is what I need to do. This is helping me move on. Please, just let me do that."
They both turned at the sound of the door opening. Mary popped her head into the office. She had Norah on her hip. "Thought you might be here. Come on, Chief. You're favorite blond duo is taking you to brunch."
"I-"
"Nope. We don't want to hear any protests, right, bug?" Mary nudged her daughter, who nodded. "Let's go."
Marshall smiled sincerely for the first time as he rose, grabbing his coat. He glanced out Delia. "You're welcome to come."
Delia held up her head. "Another time. Enjoy yourself."
She stood in the doorway as the trio left the office. The last thing she heard as the elevators closed was Marshall laughing as Mary told him, "Just so you know, you're buying."
