A/N: No, readers, this is not a dream. This is most definitely happening. The 'what if' I refer to in the summary is 'what if Marshall was accused of murder but couldn't remember what happened? And what could possibly drive him to commit murder?' You will begin to get hints of an answer to the second question in this chapter. On with the story.
Mary slumped against the hospital wall and let the tears flow. She had never been a woman who cried but ever since the reappearance of her father, James Shannon, in her life four months ago and his subsequent death, the tears just hadn't seemed to stop. Perhaps she had dammed them all up from the time she was seven and she was just now releasing them in one constant dripping mess.
Marshall had been there for her through all of it: by her side, his strong, confident shoulder for her to lean on. She knew that she shouldn't have taken him away from Abigail so much while they were planning their life together but damn it, she needed her best friend. How was she to know that Marshall still loved her?
And then that terrible, horrible night with Kenny and Marshall going over there to confront him and the car accident that followed-
Mary shook her head. Marshall was the one who needed her now. He may not remember anything – but he would sooner or later and they had to present a united front. She knew he wasn't capable of murder- not even on her behalf.
On the job was a different story. She knew that he could and would kill to protect her. He'd done it before and he'd do it again. But those people were criminals, not- she swallowed. Kenny wasn't a criminal, but he had-
"Mary!"
She looked up to see Brandi standing in the doorway with Norah in the stroller.
"Where's Marshall? I got your text that he was awake and I got Norah ready and we rushed right over."
"Sha-Sha!" Norah squealed and clapped her hands.
Mary wiped the remainder of her tears away and stepped forward, unbuckling Norah's straps and lifting her daughter into her arms. "Hi, Bug. Marshall's not here – Dr. Fledgling took him upstairs to run some tests."
Brandi's eyes narrowed as she rubbed her pregnant belly. "What kind of tests?"
"Are you OK, Squish?"
"Don't change the subject," Brandi snapped. "Is Marshall OK?"
"I think so, physically, anyway. But he doesn't remember-" Mary swallowed.
"Well, the doctor warned us there might be some memory loss-"
"It's not just a little, Brandi. Marshall doesn't remember anything – his name, his job, his family – nothing. He's a complete blank slate."
Brandi's mouth fell open and for a long moment she didn't say anything. "He doesn't even know his own name?"
Mary shook her head as she cuddled Norah close.
"What does that mean for – well, everything?"
"I don't know."
Brandi stepped around the stroller and placed her arm around Mary's shoulders. "Let's go get some breakfast and talk."
"I'm not hungry."
"Well, I am and so is Norah. And you need to try and eat something. You've lost at least ten pounds since Marshall's accident- I'm worried about you."
"I'll be OK now that he's awake. It was the not knowing if he was going to wake up that was killing me."
Brandi squeezed Mary's shoulder. "Come on, let's go get a Danish to celebrate Marshall waking up."
Abigail was in a terrible mood by the time she got back to the station. Her head ached as well as her heart; the moment she had seen Marshall awake and talking she had wanted nothing more than to cross the room and throw her arms around him and ask if they could give their relationship another try. She had been so relieved to see him conscious that she had been glad for Mary's presence because it gave her the extra pause she needed to remember that she had been there to do a job and that Marshall was still their number one suspect in Kenny Evans' murder. Deep down, she didn't believe that Marshall was guilty. She knew that Marshall would do just about anything for Mary, but she didn't believe that he would risk his career, not to mention his freedom, for his partner no matter how much he loved her.
"Chaffee!"
She cringed at the bellow from her Captain and set down her bag before turning to cross the crowded floor to his office.
"Shut the door, Detective."
Abigail did and turned to meet the stormy gaze of Captain Cox. "Yes, Sir?"
"You're back from the hospital sooner than I expected."
"Sir, there's been an unexpected development-"
Cox frowned. "Explain."
"Mr. Mann appears to be suffering from amnesia-"
Cox snorted. "Convenient-"
"Sir, if I may continue. The amnesia isn't just limited to the events surrounding the night of the murder – Mr. Mann doesn't seem to recall who he is, his place of employment, or his family."
Cox scowled. "You say 'seem to' – is there some doubt?"
"Well, Sir, he did just wake up from being in a coma for two months – I told the doctor that I'd be back to question him tomorrow. It's possible Mr. Mann's memory might be better tomorrow."
"And it's possible that he might use this as a defense strategy," Cox interrupted.
"I don't think so, Sir. Mr. Mann is an honest person-"
"Speaking from experience, Detective?"
Abigail flushed but said nothing.
"Do I need to remove you from this investigation? I was under the impression that the two of you were no longer engaged. Have I been misinformed?"
"No, Sir, that is correct. Mr. Mann and I are no longer engaged."
Cox frowned. "But you still have feelings for him."
"Feelings that in no way, shape, or form will interfere with this investigation, Sir. I give you my word."
"See that it doesn't, Detective, or you will be removed. Understood?"
"Understood, Sir."
"That will be all."
Abigail backed out of the office, barely holding onto her emotions, her thoughts in a blur as she silently remembered the day it all went sideways.
THREE MONTHS AGO
HIKING TRAIL
"Oscar! Oscar, come back!"
"Marshall, will you just forget about the damn dog for a minute and listen to what I'm saying? This isn't about me being jealous. Don't try and make me into the jealous bitch-"
"No, that's a role you've assigned to my partner."
Abigail reared back. "Whoa, where did that come from?"
He stopped and held up a hand. "Look, I'm sorry, all right? It's just – Mary's been through an awful lot in the last month and I don't want to add to her plate. She needs-"
"What, you?"
He looked down at her, an undefinable expression on his face.
"I need you too, Marshall. That's what I've been trying to tell you, if you'd only been listening to me. We're engaged and I don't think it's too much to ask for you to be there for me when I need you, to want to know when I come first. I know this is lousy timing with her father dying and all, but really, is there ever going to be a good time? It seems like there is always some crisis in Mary's life that she needs you to deal with. I need to know that you can say no to her and put us first – is that something you can do? Can you talk to her about this – for us, please?"
His phone beeped and Marshall fished it out of his back pocket, looking at the screen. "It's work, I have to go."
She sighed. "It's work or it's Mary?"
He reached out and took her hand. "I'll talk to her, Abs."
She shook her head. "No, you won't. You'll start to but something will come up at work or she'll change the subject or-"
"She needs me, Abigail. I can't talk to her about this right now."
"When can you then? After the funeral?"
"I- I don't know."
His phone rang and he answered it on the second ring. "Mary? Whoa, slow down. You found what? OK, I'll be right there." He ran a hand through his hair. "I have to go – we'll continue this later."
"Of course, she calls and you run to her."
"It's not like that."
"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?"
For a long moment he looked at her before nodding slowly. "I'm sorry, Abigail. I never meant to hurt you."
She flinched as she slipped the ring off her finger and held it out to him. "I know. I just hope she realizes the good man she's got."
Present Day
Lindy's Coffee Shop
"Please, Mary, eat your Danish."
Mary grimaced but took a bite, trying not to gag on the overly sweet confection. "Happy, Squish?"
"Are you?"
The words conjured up a memory from the past of her and Marshall sitting in this very coffee shop, the day she had broken the news of her engagement to Raph and Marshall asking her if she was happy about it. Mary shook the memory away and managed a weak smile. "I told you, I feel better now that he's awake but I won't be happy until this whole nightmare is behind us."
Brandi snorted. "I can't believe that the APD, let alone Abigail, believes that Marshall is a murderer."
Mary shook her head. "I don't think Abigail does – not really. But she has a job to do, just like the rest of us."
"I never thought I'd live to hear you defend her-"
Mary shrugged. "She's not all bad – she just wasn't right for Marshall."
Brandi smirked. "And I suppose you know who is?"
"I need to call Seth, Marshall's father and tell him that he's awake," Mary effectively steered the topic away from Brandi's matchmaking.
"Seth already knows."
"What?"
Brandi shrugged. "He called the house this morning – he usually does, to see if there's been any change-"
"You've never told me."
"I figured you had enough to worry about with work, and Marshall, and your own recovery-"
"I am NOT a victim-"
Brandi flinched at Mary's tone of voice. "Mary – I love you and you can't keep denying what happened to you that night. You were nearly-"
"I'm not denying it, Squish. I'm in therapy, remember? I do nothing but talk about it and it doesn't help, does it? Not when every time I close my eyes I see Kenny's face and feel his-"
Mary stopped and gulped, her eyes darting around the near empty coffee shop. "Can we please not talk about this here and now?"
Brandi nodded. "Anyway, Seth called as usual and I told him that Marshall was awake. He said that he'd be on the first flight out – be here around five."
Mary took a gulp of her lukewarm coffee. "Well, let's see if he can jog Marshall's memory."
"I thought you said they weren't close-"
"They're not – but bad memories are still memories."
Brandi frowned. "You think he has bad memories of his dad?"
"Not like ours – but he doesn't have warm, fuzzy ones of Seth, not from the little he's told me. Marshall was very close to his mom, but she died two years ago. He and his dad have never seen eye to eye on most things."
"But he's still Marshall's dad – he came and stayed for three weeks after the accident."
Mary nodded. "Yes, he loves Marshall – in his own crusty, messed up way."
"So we really are Marshall's family?"
"For better or worse."
For a moment, the outline of a foot clearly appeared against Brandi's belly before disappearing. "Hush, jelly bean," she soothed. "I fed us so settle down and take a nap." Brandi rubbed a hand over her belly in circles. "I miss our baby whisperer."
Mary smiled. "Marshall certainly has a way with babies in and out of the womb, doesn't he?"
"Are you going to take Norah to see him?"
"I was but since Seth is coming, maybe one surprise person a day is enough. Besides, I still have to fill in the blanks about work and the murder."
Brandi made a face and rubbed her belly harder. "Do you have any antacids?"
Mary laughed. "I thought you always carried some."
"I ran out."
"Let me check." She opened her large hand bag and began to rummage around in it before giving up and dumping some contents on the table: tissues, wipes, an extra pacifier, sippy cup, and one roll of TUMS. "Here you go."
"Thank you – please tell me the heartburn goes away after the baby is born."
"Mine did."
"Thank God." Brandi popped two antacids into her mouth and crunched noisily. "Have you called Stan?"
Mary nodded. "He was holding down the fort this weekend but he said he'd be able to swing by later today or tomorrow – I mentioned Marshall's memory loss but Stan had to go before I could say how bad it is."
"So he doesn't know that Marshall doesn't know who he is?"
Mary shook her head as she reloaded the items into her bag. "I keep hoping that the next time I see him, everything will be back to normal. His eyes will light up in recognition and we can start forming a game plan for how to deal with this mess. All those hours I spent by his bedside, hoping and praying for him to open his eyes, and when he did-" she shuddered. "It was like he looked right through me, Squish. I was a stranger to him. He's been the most important person in my life for a decade and suddenly – nothing. Two months ago he told me-" she broke off, realizing what she was about to say.
"He told you what?"
"It doesn't matter now. He doesn't remember me, or Norah, or anything about his life. It's more important to bring him up to speed on the murder charge that he might be facing than anything else."
Brandi reached across and grabbed Mary's hands. "What is it? Were the two of you-?"
Mary shook her head slowly. "No, no. We weren't. But he told me he loved me – and he asked me if I loved him."
Brandi barely contained her squeal. "What did you say?"
Mary stared off into the distance as she remembered her words from nearly three months ago. "I said I'd never thought of him in terms other than my partner before and he told me that I'd better start. And then-" Mary's voice trailed off as a shudder went through her body, her eyes falling shut.
"Mary?" Brandi's hands tightened on her sister's. "And then – what?"
The words were spoken in a barely audible voice and Brandi had to lean across the table to hear them:
"And then the earth caved in around us."
A/N: What the *beep* happened to Mary? Will Marshall remember? Stay tuned and reviews are LOVE!
