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"So, we are agreed?" US Director Steel asked as he shook her hand in agreement.

Mary nodded curtly, "Yes, we are. Well, I would stay and chat, but I don't want to miss my flight."

"Yes, yes of course. A car will be waiting to take you to the airport. Are you sure that you don't want me to tell Stan and Marshall?" Steel asked one more time, seeing their close connection as a unit.

"It's better this way," she looked down at her wrist watch and nodded towards the door, she didn't want to see Marshall and Stan, didn't want to explain. At least not at the moment, she still needed to think things through. What had happened between her and Marshall had been almost perfect, if not for the pain of losing the other.

"Suit yourself"

Looking towards his desk she pointed to the badges, "Make sure they take them, I wasn't lying before, they are the best that this service can have."

"Yeah, I'll make sure to make them do it, now get outta here," he said, using his more stern voice, the one he had used when they had been planning the trap for The Butcher.

She shuddered at the remembrance of that monster, "Alright, till we meet again."

"I hope it's not under the same or worst conditions," he advised with an arched eyebrow.

"No, I think I just learned a great lesson. Again, thank you for everything," they shook hands again and Mary turned and left the office, leaving Director Steel to pick up her mess.

Mary sighed sadly as the elevator doors slid closed, she would make it up to Marshall, the last thing she had ever wanted to do was leave him to find an empty bed beside him after their night together, but she had to make a decision that would change both their lives.

Marshall rolled over with a groan and thrust his hand out to seek out his bedmate, only to find cold sheets. He sat upright and glanced around the room, he growled as he kicked off the blankets, "Dammit Mare."

He ran into the bathroom and took a quick cold shower, he needed to be fully awake to tear her a new one. Once he was done, he towel dried and jumped back into the clothes he had worn the previous day.

It took him 20 minutes to get to the building and ran into the first elevator that opened, almost pushing people around to get it. The elevator rode at its slowest speed, at least that's how it felt.

Once on the elevator doors slid open on the top floor, he strolled out and came to an abrupt halt when he saw Stan shaking hands with Director Steel and with a quick survey around the lobby, noticed that Mary had taken her transfer papers and fled from them.

Stan's head swiveled his way and frowned, waited for him to join him and Director Steel. Marshall straightened his jacket and thrust his fingers through his hair, gruffly greeted, "Good Morning."

"It seems more like a horrible one for you, if I may say so myself," Steel chuckled as he slapped him on his shoulder.

Marshall winced and drily chuckled back, "Yeah, apparently it is. She's gone, isn't she?"

Stan could only nod as he pulled out something from inside his blazer, "Here you go, we have a plane to catch."

He reached out and saw his US Marshal badge, for once in his life, he wasn't happy to see it. It had lost a bit of his mystery and drive, he nodded his thanks and shook hands with Steel before they both parted.

Stan stood beside Marshall on the ride down and asked, "Do I want to know why you're late?"

He shook his head and his cheeks colored a bit, he kept looking at the countdown to the first floor lobby. The elevator doors slid open and both men stepped off, strolling towards the doors and exiting the building.

"So, that's it? She leaves and we get nothing?" Marshall finally asks as he turns back to his mentor.

Stan shrugs before rubbing his pate, "There's not much we can do to make her do anything our way. You know her, better than even I do. She's going to contact us as soon as she's settled. At least that's what she told Steel."

Marshall turned and walked towards the car waiting for them, he didn't want to talk about it anymore. He just wanted to get home and start to put his heart and life back together, piece by damned piece.

Stan sighed and growled, "Damn it, Mary!"

It took them roughly almost 7 hours to get to Albuquerque, NM. They pulled their carry ons and walked side by side through the terminal. Marshall walked with purpose towards the parking lot, his stance a bit down, but Stan knew that he would have to take some time off to get back in the game.

"You should take the rest of the week and I'll see you next Monday," Stan said as they reached Marshall's truck.

Marshall only shrugged with a nonchalant attitude, the older man could only sigh and hop into the truck. He stopped outside Stan's house and let the Chief out, "You go take care of yourself, call me if you need me. Even if it's to talk, you hear?"

"Yeah Dad, I hear you," Marshall muttered as he nodded at his mentor.

Stan scowled at the nickname they had bestowed on him when he acted parental towards either one of his pseudo children.

Marshall sighed heavily once Stan closed his door and he drove aimlessly home, he really didn't want to go home. It had stopped being home when Mary left him, he didn't know how long he would be able to hang tight in Albuquerque, or for at least Stan, but he wasn't sure he would last long. Damn it, Mary. How could you have just left me like that? Why couldn't you just wait and explain your reasons to me? Maybe I could've come with you. Did you make up your mind because we loved each other?

He shook his head at the ridiculous questions and realized that he had made it down his street without a conscious thought, he drove into his driveway, reached behind him for his carry on and hopped out.

He walked into his house and stood in the entrance, looking around to see what had changed, but couldn't put his finger on it. Yet, everything looked different. He dropped his carry on by the front door, tossed his keys onto the table by the door and shrugged out of his jacket, throwing it over a chair before flopping down on his couch.

He reached out for his remote and kicked off his shoes, propping his socked feet on the coffee table, turned the TV on and sat there, not really watching what was on.

He was so deep in thought that he didn't realize one thing, more like a sequence of things.

Mary had jumped off the bed when she heard his truck in his driveway ran into the kitchen and hid behind his island. She was nervous and prayed that she had made the right call. When she had arranged to meet Director Steel earlier than their appointed 8am meeting, she had sighed in relief.

"Well, you got me here early enough, I'm guessing you made up your mind and don't want Marshals Stan and Marshall to be here for the reveal," he asked in a stern voice as he arched his eyebrow in question.

"Yes, something like that. Before you approve my decision, you need to know that my relationship with Marshall has changed," Mary said hurriedly, she had called in her favor with Allison in a big way.

Director Steel narrowed his eyes at her and asked, "How exactly has it changed? Do you not trust him to watch your back? Is he unreliable? Is he not a good partner?"

"No! No, no, no…no to all of the above! I wouldn't trust anyone like I trust him and he's more reliable than I'll ever be. He's the best partner I've had since I joined law enforcement," she said adamantly, annoyed that she would have to defend her partner.

"Then what exactly has changed?"

"We…I mean…" she blushed and muttered, "Our personal relationship has changed into more than best-friends."

"Oh…OH! Well, that definitely changes things, do you think he would change as a partner, now that there's a relationship other than best-friend? Would he put you before any of his witnesses?"

"No, of course not, neither would I," she shook her head and explained, "We've been in tough situation, as you well know from our reports, we take being in WITSEC very serious. The witness come first, than our partner."

"Yes, you two are one of a kind, it's not always easy to find the right partner, but once you have it, you have to keep it together. At least that's how I think and I am the Director, and as such I will make one simple fact clear. Whether you choose to stay or go, I wouldn't separate you or Inspector Mann if you did decide to join him back in Albuquerque, but on the first screw up…" he trailed off, not voicing the threat.

For Mary the fact that she was allowed to follow her heart and keep the career that brought her to Marshall was enough to nod in approval.

Mary heard him drop his keys on the bowl and toss his jacket carelessly on a chair, she reached behind her and slowly opened the fridge, she had wanted to wait for him in bed, but knew that he wouldn't cross that threshold until he was good and tired.

She took two bottles of beer and stood up when she heard the TV turn on, he didn't channel surf so she knew he would be caught off guard when she plotted next to him.

Marshall leaned his head back against the couch and closed his eyes, sighing heavily into the lonely living room. He yelped as he felt something flop next to him, he turned reaching for his gun, but the gun had been left back in his truck.

He finally focused to a smiling Mary, a beer in front of his face, she wiggled the beer until he took it from her hand, reaching over to the coffee table he put it down. He sat up and turned his body towards hers, "What…What are you doing here?"

She shrugged still a smile playing on her lips as she took a swig of her beer, "What are you watching?"

"What am I watching?! You left me in bed alone…"

"Need I remind you whom left whom alone first?" she challenged as she took another drink of her beer, she needed the distraction if was going to have this talk with him. Otherwise, she was sure that she would jump his bones soon.

"That's...I explained why I did it," he said in a low voice full of remorse, staring at her as if she were a ghost.

She shrugged again and put the bottle next to his, she leaned towards him and pressed her lips to his, "Well, let's go to bed to wake up together, that's the only logical thing to do to break that leave-the-other-alone-in-bed curse."

He shuddered a breath against her lips and reached out, his hands in her hair as he brought her against him again; he deepened the kiss immediately and thrust his tongue to battle with hers for dominance.

Marshall stood up and picked her up in his arms, carrying her giggling into his bedroom, where he found the bed unmade by her, "How long you've been here?"

"Since I arrived here earlier in the day, you got a problem with that?" she mock challenged him.

"No, I definitely don't have a problem with that," he muttered against her lips as he set her down in the middle of the bed, him moving over her as their kisses heated their bodies.

Mary kissed him harder, pulling him closer to her as she growled, "I better not wake up alone Doofus!"

"As long as we're together, there won't be a reason why you wake up alone, Mare" he vowed as he worshipped her body and soul.

"You promise?" she croaked as she blossomed under his caressing hands.

"I promise," was whispered into her mouth as he pressed kisses.

TBC...this is it...one more chapter and it's a done deal. Please review!