A/N: And we've officially entered the void of our shows going on winter hiatus - what IS that? Isn't summer hiatus enough? Oh well, enjoy the holidays and another chapter!


11:05 AM

Marshall's hospital/prison room

"I'd like to take your case, Mr. Mann."

He heard Mary's sigh of relief but Marshall squeezed her hand, another concern on his mind. "What about your fees? I'm not a wealthy man, Ms. Stone and I'm racking up quite a hospital bill-"

Rietta waved her hand. "It's been taken care of."

Marshall started. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Rietta smiled. "Money is the least of your concerns, Marshall – may I call you Marshall?"

He nodded.

"I know Stella – she wouldn't have bothered to convene a grand jury on the flimsy evidence of Sugar's eyewitness testimony alone. Now that you've hired me as your lawyer, I can get to work. My first order will be to subpoena all of Stella's records on your case so far as well as file a delay with the court for your trial date. You are in no physical condition to be making court appearances yet."

Marshall frowned. "Who is Sugar – is that a person?"

Rietta glanced at Mary in concern. "The amnesia really is affecting his entire memory, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so-"

"Don't worry – that will actually make filing a delay easier-"

Marshall whistled and both women looked at him in surprise. "Thank you. I am still in the room, ladies."

Mary flushed. "Sorry. He doesn't like it when we talk over him."

Rietta smiled. "Well, who does? Okay, lovebirds, I'm going to get going but I'll be in touch. Peter gave me your numbers and here's my card if you have any-"

The door crashed open and Peter dove into the room, wild eyed and out of breath.

Mary got to her feet, releasing Marshall's hand as she stood up. "Peter! What the hell-"

"Mary – Brandi- water broke- in labor-"

"Fuck!" Mary swore as she grabbed her shoulder bag and dug in it for her cell phone. "It's too early! Was it too much to hope for that one Shannon baby would wait for their due date?"

Marshall leaned over in bed to grasp her elbow before she could escape. "Hey, slow down. She's going to be fine, Mer. She's over thirty-six weeks-"

Mary froze in the act of punching in Jinx's cell phone number. "How do you know that?"

Marshall blinked. "I – don't know. But she is, isn't she?"

"Yes, but-"

He tugged her closer to the side of the bed. "She'll be fine then. Go to her, I'll call Jinx."

She snorted. "You want to call my mother? You don't even remember her, Marshall-"

"I remember how to make a phone call," he argued. "Now go with Peter. Your sister needs you."

Her eyes flicked between him, Rietta, and Peter. "Are you sure?"

His hand trailed down her arm and squeezed her hand before slowly releasing her fingers. "I'm sure. Once my chariot arrives, I'll get Scott to bring me up to maternity."

She leaned down and pressed a kiss on his forehead, the action surprising both of them. Jumping back out of reach before he could reel her back in, she threw her phone at him and he deftly caught it in one hand. "Speed dial 5 is her cell – thank you, Marshall," she spoke the words as she backed towards the door and when she was within reach, Peter snagged her elbow and dragged her outside.

Rietta shook her head. "The jury is going to have a field day with the two of you."

Marshall frowned. "I told you, we are not in a relationship."

"And I'm the queen of England."

Marshall couldn't keep one corner of his mouth from quirking up as he pressed the number five on Mary's phone.


2:30 PM

Waiting room outside maternity ward

Albuquerque General

"I didn't realize you and Ms. Shannon even knew each other."

Seth looked up from the newspaper at his son. Marshall had been dozing in his wheelchair for the past half hour. He had stubbornly refused to go back to his room even though it had been three hours since Brandi's labor had started and it could be hours still before the child was born.

"Don't you think you should go back to your room, Son?"

"Don't change the subject, Dad."

Seth rustled his paper. "I wasn't aware that I was – there's nothing to tell."

Marshall had been speechless when he had finally gotten through to Mary's mother only to find that she had been at brunch with his father. He'd had no idea that the two of them were acquainted let alone friends.

"Our friendship formed while you were in your coma. Ginger has been-"

"Ginger?" Marshall frowned. "Who's Ginger?"

Seth's jaw ticked. "I really hope your memory comes back soon, Sport, because having to explain everything to you is getting old fast."

Marshall merely folded his arms and waited.

"Ginger is Mary's mother – Jinx is merely an unfortunate nickname that she was saddled with in her youth. Ginger is her given name."

"Oh – I don't know that I ever knew that."

"Of course you did – you're Mary's best friend, and when you get your head screwed on straight, you'll be more."

"Dad!" Scott exclaimed as he entered the waiting room with a tray of coffee and jello for Marshall. "I thought we agreed to stay out of Marshall's love life-"

"I never said that – you did. And we both know that Mary's the woman for him – he knows it too."

"Does she?"

Scott and Seth both turned to look at Marshall in surprise at his utterance. "Pardon?" Seth muttered around his cup of coffee.

"Does Mary know she's the one for me?"

"Well – I –" Scott cleared his throat. "I mean, you broke off your engagement with Abigail, so I just assumed – I mean, you told her how you feel, didn't you?"

Marshall shook his head. "You mean, before my accident? I can't remember but she's definitely acting like there's something between us – not like we were together but not like we weren't either. Am I making any sense?"

Scott shook his head but Seth nodded slowly. "You used to tell your mother that Mary reminded you of a wild, unbroken stallion that someone had tried to break and ride in the past – but she had broken free and was wary of human touch. She wanted it, even craved it, but because of the way she'd been treated, she was afraid to get too close again."

Marshall looked at his father in anger. "Mary is not some wild animal that I want to ride or break in! She's a flesh and blood woman with deep scars and wounds, Dad. I can't just –" He shook his head. "Whoa. Where did all that come from?"

Seth looked at Scott in triumph. "See, I knew if I pushed him about Mary it would trigger-"

"And I warned you not to push him too hard-"

"Damn it, I'm right here!" Marshall bellowed. "Were you just baiting me, Dad?"

"No, Son. You really did talk about Mary with your mother-"

"And compare her to a horse?"

Seth chuckled. "It was an analogy – or one of them other big fancy words you use. It's just the way you talk, Sport. You are the last man on earth who would see women as animals to be dominated and ridden, trust me."

Marshall rubbed his forehead, a sudden headache blooming in his temples. "I suppose that s-s-s"

He gripped the sides of his head.

Scott set down his cup of coffee and crossed to his side. "Marshall? What is it? What's wrong?"

Marshall didn't answer as the world went dark and he slipped from the wheelchair to the floor.

"Scott, what's wrong? What's happening to him?" Seth roared as he fell to his knees beside Marshall.

"Stay with him, Dad. I'm going to get the crash cart and a team."


5 PM

Brandi's hospital room

"Oh Squish, he's perfect."

"Yes, but did you have to have a boy?"

Brandi rolled her eyes. "I didn't really have a say in the matter, Mom."

Jinx frowned. "What do you mean? It takes two-"

"Yes, but it's the man's-"

"All right, can we not have a biology lesson with my little girl and a baby in the room?" Mary interjected softly, cradling her newborn nephew to her chest.

Brandi giggled. "What, you can swear like a sailor and I can't talk about sperm?"

"Squish!"

"Now, girls," Jinx soothed as she took her grandson from Mary's arms and began making ridiculous cooing noises at him. "We have far more important things to discuss – like exactly how long has Peter been back in the picture, young lady?"

Brandi's eyes dropped to the bedspread and her fingers plucked at it nervously. "Not that long."

"Is he the father?"

"Mom!" Mary gasped. "Leave her alone, ok? Squish is exhausted. She can tell us what she wants later, OK? For now, could you please take Norah and go let everyone in the waiting room know about Baby boy Shannon?"

Jinx's lips pressed together, desperately wanting to say more but she passed the baby back to Mary, scooped up a sleepy Norah, and left without a word.

"Whew," Mary breathed out as she perched on the edge of Brandi's bed. "I thought she'd never leave."

"Me either. And Mary? Thanks for not asking – about Peter, I mean."

"It's your life, Squish." Mary shrugged. "I've got enough on my own plate to deal with to worry about you and-"

"Mary," Brandi cut her off mid-sentence. "I know you must be curious – and a bit upset that I didn't tell you we were back together."

The baby in her arms began to fuss and Mary lifted him to her shoulder, patting his little back gently. "So you are together?"

Brandi blushed. "I think so – well, I think we're working towards that. It's hard to tell when I'm – or was, eight months pregnant and the hormones were working overtime."

"Didn't he let you know – give you some sign-"

"He told me we had time to figure things out. As for signs – well, he would hold my hand, and put his arm around me but-" she flushed. "He hasn't kissed me yet."

"And you've been back together for how long?"

"Four months, two days and-"

Mary held up a hand. "I get the idea. Wow. Let me ask you something: Do you love him?"

"I never stopped."

"You should tell him – before he gets away again."

Brandi shifted in the bed and reached out for her fussy baby. "You gonna take your own advice?"

"Excuse me?"

"You gonna tell Marshall that you love him before he gets away?"

She frowned. "Marshall isn't going anywhere – and there is so much more going on right now-"

"MARY!"

She jumped off the bed at the sound of Jinx's panicked voice coming from the open doorway. "What? What is it?" She crossed the room to stand in front of her mother, who was holding a now wide awake Norah. "Is it Marshall? Tell me."

"He collapsed – Scott and Dr. Fledgling took him to emergency surgery three hours ago-"

Mary looked back at Brandi who waved her away. "Go – we're fine, really."

"I'll be back as soon as I can-"

"Don't worry about me- just go check on Marshall."

Mary ran out the door and down the hall.

"Let us know how he is!" Jinx called after her.


2 AM

Marshall's hospital/prison room

Blood clots.

She shouldn't have been surprised – and on some level, she wasn't. What she was feeling more than anything was anger – at him, at herself. Yesterday during their conversation when he had stupidly tried to get out of bed to comfort her, multiple clots had broken free in his legs and one of them had travelled to his brain. It had taken the quick action and response of both Drs. Mann and Fledgling to save his life and now here she was, right back in the same uncomfortable plastic chair pulled up to his bedside that she had spent the past two months in, praying for him to open his eyes. The hall monitor was still outside and it took everything in her not to scream and tell him to where to go. After all, Marshall was back in a coma – did the APD really think he was a flight risk?

Mary buried her face in her hands even as she felt a warm, gnarled one fall on her shoulder. "My son wouldn't be happy if he knew you were losing sleep over him. Go home, Mary."

She looked up into Seth's face. "I can't – if he wakes up and I'm not here – or if he-"

"You're exhausted. You're of no use to anyone if-"

"Mary-" Marshall whispered.

She gasped and turned back towards the bed. Marshall's eyes were still closed, but his eyes were moving underneath the lids and his fingers were twitching.

"Marshall, I'm here," she whispered, grabbing his hand in hers and squeezing. "Can you hear me?"

"Hm – Mer."

She laughed in relief as her tears spilled down her cheeks. "Yes, I'm here."

Seth squeezed her shoulders. "I'll go get Scott or Dr. F."

She waited until they were alone and then she put her mouth to his ear. "Come on, Marshall. It's time to wake up now. Brandi had her baby this afternoon, a bouncing baby boy – and she won't tell any of us his name until you're awake. So you see, you just can't take another two month long catnap."

"Two months?" he croaked as he opened his eyes. "I was out for two months?"

She smiled. "I know, your memory is a little foggy."

He frowned. "Why – why am I in the hospital?"

Her heart sank. Not again – she had to explain this to him again? Taking a deep breath, she whispered. "You were in car accident, Marshall, and were in a coma for two months – but you woke up yesterday. Do you remember that?"

He shook his head, still staring at the ceiling. "The last thing I can clearly remember is breaking off my engagement to Abigail. Then – it's a little fuzzy."

Her pulse began to quicken. "You remember that?"

He nodded and angled his head so that their eyes locked. Her breath left her body as she realized that this was her Marshall looking back at her: her best friend, her partner, the man she loved.

She lifted a trembling hand to his cheek. "You're back."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "I left? I don't remember going anywhere, Sunshine."

She nodded. "When you woke up yesterday, you didn't remember your name, your life, anything. You didn't remember-" she swallowed, too overcome by emotion to finish.

"You?" he whispered. "I didn't remember us?"

"There is no us," she shook her head softly and tried to remove her hand but he snagged her fingers and pressed them to his lips. The touch of his lips sparked an electric charge up her arm and she flushed.

"The hell there isn't, Mer," he growled. "There has always been an 'us' – and don't you forget it."

Mary felt her last wall crumbling as she wrenched her hand free and lowered her head to his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. "I missed you so much," she whispered, lifting her hands to fist his hospital gown in her fingers, her voice breaking on a hiccup. "I know you don't understand-" hiccup. "That you were asleep-" hiccup. "And you don't remember-" hiccup. "-not remembering-" hiccup. "But it was awful. You weren't you." She shuddered against him.

He cradled the back of her head, smoothing her hair back, making hushing noises. "I'm here, Mer. You know I would never willingly leave you. The only thing that would separate us-"

"Don't!" she cried, sitting up and pulling away from him. She slapped a hand over his mouth. "Don't say it, please. Not now. Not in light of everything that's happened and is happening."

He frowned. "Mary, what is it? What have I missed? What aren't you telling me?"

She didn't know whether to laugh or cry and so the sound that came out of her was a mix of the two. "So much, Doofus. You've missed so much."

He tugged on her arms until she gave in and laid her cheek back on his chest, over his heart. "Well, whatever it is, now that I'm 'back', we can face it together."


A/N: Yay! Marshall is back! But he doesn't remember what happened the night Kenny died - what will it take to jog his memory - or will he never remember? Stay tuned. Reviews are LOVE.