Disclaimer: Mary and Marshall belong to David Maples. If they hadn't been misused by others I wouldn't be writing this.

Provoked Too– Chapter 3 – Dealing with Delia

Marshall is determined to find out what changed in Mary's life. Her job performance is as good as when they were partners. She's keeping up with her witnesses and all the reports. Is Norah the reason for her positive attitude? This requires sleuthing, and there's no better source than Mary's partner, Delia. There's got to be a way to get the water cooler to spill without making it obvious.

A few days later on a quiet sunny afternoon, Delia and Marshal are just about the only two in the office. Marshall's in need of coffee and meanders out. "Can I get you coffee Inspector?"

"No, thanks Chief. I'm set." She watches Marshall's back wondering what's going on. He hasn't said two words to her in weeks, and now he's offering to get her coffee? She looks around the office. There's no one close enough to notice his unusual behavior.

Marshall returns to Delia's desk, his old desk, and sips his coffee. "It's been a while since the office was so quiet."

Delia leans her chair back and stretches. "Yeah those Phoenix marshals are finally beyond the hand holding stage." She sighs. "About damn time." She watches Marshall carefully. "Ah Chief?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I tell you something? Off the record?"

Marshall had been hoping for an opening to discuss Mary, but this wasn't it. "Sure."

Delia's gaze is direct. "You know you embarrassed the hell out of Mary making her stand up in front of everyone at the staff meeting."

"That wasn't my intention," Marshall protests raising his cup to hide his disappointment. If they were still friends he would have known how she'd gotten in shape. He'd have known about TACFIT. He just wanted to reward her superior performance. Didn't he?

Delia raises an eyebrow. She has her own doubts about his motive. "Mary is a damn good Inspector. I've learned a lot from her. The rest of these bozos could learn a thing or two but they're too busy hating her guts."

"They hate her?" Marshall's voice registers his disbelief. "Why would they hate her? Mary can be abrasive and sarcastic but she knows what she's doing. She has more experience with more witnesses than anyone else in the office." Anyone besides him.

"Well not everyone," Delia concedes. "Charlie doesn't hate her. The rest of them do though."

"Why?" Mary does have a talent for pissing people off but she usually has a good reason. Has she managed to piss off all the other Inspectors? Or do they just not know her? She's not an easy person to know.

Delia lowers her head and looks out of the top of her eyes. She checks to make sure no one is paying attention. "Remember that 'discussion' she had with Caldwell?"

Yes, he does. Caldwell had screwed up almost placing Mary's former witness in an apartment building where a hit man lived. A hit man sometimes employed by the very man the witness is testifying against.

"After that he started – not so much spreading rumors, more like casting aspersions. He'd say things like 'Everyone knows about the Chief and Mary.' See what I mean? He leaves it to their imaginations. And unfortunately, they've been doing a lot of imagining."

"What do you mean?" Marshall splutters. "Do they think I'm giving her preferential treatment? I treat her the same as everyone else." They had been partners and nothing else for years. He tried to make it something more. He finally decided she didn't want what he wanted. With his chance for love and a family slipping away, he patched his broken heart and found Abigail.

Delia gives him her do-I-have-to-spell-it-out-for-you look then decides she does. She looks around again to make sure no one is listening then whispers, "There are rumors that you and Mary have been boinking like bunnies for years."

Marshall's head drooped and his shoulders slumped sadly. This rumor had been going around for so long even he had heard it, many times. Every male/female team seemed to suffer the same accusation, especially when your partner is a hot blonde with curves in all the right places. How ironic, how devastatingly stupid that he would be accused of something he had desired but never done.

Delia holds up her hands in surrender. "Not me. I know better."

He perches on the corner of Delia's desk. "Mary doesn't even speak to me anymore. How do they explain that?"

"A lover's spat," Delia replies promptly.

"Damn long spat!" Marshall grumbles. "How do they explain Norah? What about Abigail, our engagement?"

Delia shrugs. "Some say Norah is yours and that Abigail is willing to cover for you."

"That makes no sense at all," Marshall scoffed. "I've only seen Norah once this year. Abigail and I are planning our wedding for god sake. How could they miss that?"

"Chief? How many photos of Abigail do you have in your office?" Marshall thinks it's an odd question but easily answered.

"I have our engagement photo framed and hanging on the wall for all to see," Marshall states proudly.

"What photos do you have on your desk for you to see?" Marshall has had a small photo of Mary and Norah on the corner of his desk since Norah was born. He used to have one of him and Mary but he took it down when he got engaged.

"Do you see what I'm getting at?" Delia whispers.

Marshall shakes his head sadly. "It still doesn't make any sense."

"Of course it doesn't. People believe what they want to believe. Caldwell doesn't even believe what he did was wrong and stupid. It's easier for him to blame you and Mary."

Marshall pushes himself off Delia's desk ready to return to his office to think about combating the stupid rumors when Delia coughs. "There's more, isn't there?"

"Uhuh. There's your professional reputations."

After a pause to make sure he's listening, Delia continues. "You and Mary retained more witnesses, brought more witnesses to testify successfully than any other Inspectors. So" she holds up one finger, "professional jealousy. Then there's the fact that Mary's sister was indicted for murder and drugs." Delia raises her hands again holding off Marshall's protests. "Yes, they know the charges were dropped, but no one seems to know the whole story." She holds up a second finger. "Then Mary was kidnapped." A third finger. "And then she survives a gang shooting?" That's four. "She's got quite a reputation Chief, a larger than life reputation. Hard to live up to. Even harder to live down."

The professional jealousy he can understand. The other things just happened. "Mary never talks about any of that. How do they even know? It's not like she pretends to be Miss Congeniality flitting from Inspector to Inspector sharing her life story." That's Abigail's style. Marshall frowns disheartened. "Her accomplishments should be admired, emulated. I never thought they'd be seen like that."

Delia concentrates on her coffee. "Of course you didn't. You're too close."

Marshall sits back down on the edge of her desk, despondent. "Not anymore." He stares into his own coffee. "All I wanted to do was acknowledge her success, and encourage the rest of you to do likewise."

"Yeah well rubbing our noses in it isn't as motivating as you seem to think." Oh God. Of course not. He never appreciated his father praising his brother's football victories or wrestling awards. Marshall drops his head chagrined. "I'm sorry Delia. Thank you for your honesty."

"Pssht. It's okay. We're adults. Well most of us. You'll figure it out. I like the idea of contributing to the quarterly report. Knowing what's going on in the office helps me understand where we fit in the department."

Marshall grins. "And gathering data for the quarterly report gives you say so in protecting your job?"

Delia smirks. "Yeah, there is that."

They sit in silence. Delia is waiting for him to go back into his office. "You know what I can't figure out?" Marshall asks.

Delia quirks an eyebrow sipping her coffee.

"How in the hell did Mary get in shape so fast after Norah? I know she said TACFIT, but Mary isn't disciplined enough to stick to any exercise regimen. She came back to work with some baby weight, then two months later she's bounding in full of energy. And when she takes the PFTB she not only betters her scores from last year, she did better than anyone else in this office. What gives?"

Delia swivels in her chair, holding her cup in both hands. "Maybe it's not my place to say, and Mary hasn't told me anything straight out, but I think," her voice takes on a knowing lilt, "it's the new man in her life."

Marshall blinks. "You mean Kenny?"

"Pfftt." She waves her hand dismissing the idea. "Please. He's old news."

He leans toward Delia. "So who's the new news?" Mary hasn't had a romantic relationship since Raphael. Marshall has known Mary for almost a decade, but their relationship doesn't count, he doesn't count. Not romantically.

Delia stops swiveling and faces Marshall, deciding how much to say. "Look, I've heard her arranging to meet someone at the gym. I get the feeling he's new to Albuquerque because I also heard her telling him about running trails, grocery stores even the balloon festival. And yes, it's definitely a him."

This is disturbing news. Mary has the worst taste in men. "You've never seen him?"

"Nope. And it wasn't for lack of trying. I even followed her to that crappy bar once. She was checking up on a witness," Delia comments disgusted. "I did see her talking to a nice-looking guy, not Halfway's usual clientele. I also saw him talking to her witness. Davey vamoosed as soon as he saw Mary but she and Mr. Good Lookin' were still chatting when I made myself scarce." She gives Marshall a knowing look. "It isn't the kind of place a single woman should linger."

Marshall nods. He knows about that dive and feels uneasy that Mary was there. "I take it you didn't recognize the guy. What does he look like?" He should run a background check. After all the safety of his Inspectors is concomitant with the safety of their witnesses. Or so Marshall tells himself.

"He had the posture and buzz cut of a soldier. I haven't seen him around before. I couldn't tell what he wanted with Davey either, but Mary didn't seem concerned."

Marshall stares off into space. First he gets accused of being Mary's lover now Mary has a man in her life? Mary and Norah have a man in their lives. Norah has a father figure besides Mark. The whole thing made him queasy, then angry. Was she talking to someone about a witness? It wouldn't be the first time she ran counter to WITSEC regulations.

Delia takes pity on him and tries to pull him out of his funk. "How are things with you and Abigail?"

"Uh, fine." He says, distracted.

Delia expects him to elaborate – to talk about cutesy things he had done for Abigail. "You know this isn't fair. Here we are dissecting Mary's life and I never hear what's going on with you. How are the wedding plans coming? Last I heard you were meeting with the minister."

Marshall stands and glares over the top of his coffee cup. "I am your boss," he intones in a Darth Vader voice. Then he relents and sighs. "We couldn't get the date we wanted for the reception hall. Abigail has her heart set on the place for a spring wedding. We'll have to wait almost a year to get both."

"That's rough. I'm sorry Chief."

"Maybe it's better this way. Gives me more time to get you all whipped into shape so I can take a month's honeymoon without the office falling apart." The joke falls flat because everyone knows Washington is looking to close WITSEC offices.

Delia pretends to laugh. "You know, when you first became Chief you were a lot more personable. You are allowed out of your cage you know."

"Umm thanks Delia. I'll think about that. I've been concentrating on the administrative end of the job and neglecting the troops. That's one of the reasons I held that staff meeting." He smiles and she knows he means it.

Mary cards herself into the office and her eyes narrow as she takes in the water cooler talking to the Chief. That combination never bodes well. Who have they been gossiping about? It better not be her.

"Hey Mary," Marshall walks over to her desk. "How did things go with Caldwell?" After she reamed Caldwell out Marshall had sent them both to Shelley Finkel to work out their differences.

Mary sets her bag down and burrows to find her phone. She holds up one finger and Marshall realizes she just got a call.

"This is Mary."

"Uh yeah Phil, that's right. If you want to send a letter to anyone from your old life, the Marshal Service can do it so it can't be traced back to you. Who did you want to write?"

There's a pause.

"Uh Phil? Do you really think that's a good idea? I know you were best buddies but you do remember what Barney said? If he had to choose between you or Mostocci, he would choose Mostocci every time. You understand what that means?" She waits for a response. "It means you'd be dead."

Another pause.

"You could do that. Just don't use anyone's real name." Mary's silent again. "Sure, I'd love to see them. It might do you good to get it out of your system. If anyone asks tell them you're taking a creative writing class."

Silence.

"You are? So there ya go. Just be careful not to use details that could be traced back to your old life."

Silence.

"Change 'em up. Make black white, make an old brick building a modern cement one, make a big city a small one. That kind of thing. Use your imagination. Be creative! Isn't that why you're taking the class?"

After a moment spent listening, Mary hangs up and throws the phone on her desk.

"Phil Corwin?" Marshall moves toward Mary.

"Yeah. Every year around this time his separation anxiety kicks in. He hasn't done anything stupid yet."

"At least he calls so you can talk him out of it." Mary isn't known for her tact but she definitely gets through to her witnesses.

Mary's still standing unpacking her bag. She mutters, "He'd damn well better."

"Mary?"

Mary frowns at his use of her first name. She released him dammit. He needs to release her. Maybe it's time she told him.

"Chief" she says quietly. "It's Inspector Shannon, remember? If I have to play by your rules, so do you."

"It's not a rule! You don't have to call me Chief. We're friends." This is exactly what he wanted to talk to her about. Just not in the middle of the office.

She glances up from her bag. "Are we?"

"Of course we are. You don't walk away from a decade of friendship." Marshall's sure that's true for him. Isn't it true for her?

Mary stares at him. He just doesn't get it. Okay, time for some tough love.

"Chief, when you asked me to 'release' you it meant you had to 'release' me." She watches him carefully. "You do get that, don't you?"

"No! Maintaining professional decorum at the office is one thing, but outside of the office, we aren't Chief and Inspector. We're friends," Marshall insists.

Mary sits down, boots up her computer and opens one of the files she just unpacked. She starts typing without looking at him. "There is no outside the office Chief. Get it now?"

Marshall runs his fingers through his hair. "Dammit Mare. It doesn't have to be that way."

Mary's eyes flick between the screen and the file. "Oh hell yes it does. Just ask Abigail."

Heedless of Delia's eavesdropping Marshall retorts, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Mary sucks on her lower lip, runs her finger over a line in the document and continues typing.

Marshall gives up and retreats to his office. He sits down and gets out his phone. "Reservations please. Yes, for two at 7:00? Thank you."

"Hi Abby. No, no emergency. Can you get out early today? You can? Good, good. I made reservations for 7:00 at Antiquity. You deserve to be pampered and I love to pamper you. Uh huh." He ends the call with their usual smoochy saccharin farewell. Now all he has to do is figure out how to get Abigail to tell him why Mary says she can't be his friend.

A/N: Thanks to all who are following this story. I'd love to hear what you think of it.