Thanks to everyone that's been reading and reviewing! You're amazing. And a special thank to BuJyo for keeping ground and true to the world of In Plain Sight.

~*~

Giving up doesn't always mean you are weak; sometimes it means that you are strong enough to let go.

~Unknown

Moving on, is a simple thing, what it leaves behind is hard.

~Dave Mustaine

~*~

"You know that you're going to tell me, so make it easier on both of us."

Marshall glared at Mary over the case file that he was reading. It had been three days since the dinner at Mary's house and she was still badgering him about what he and Raph had discussed.

"The answer remains the same and no amount of abuse from you will change that."

Eleanor watched the exchange from the safety of her desk with an amused smile on her face. Marshall had told her the main element of the conversation between himself and Raphael and could understand why he did not want to disclose the information to Mary. Then, as if to add insult to injury, Marshall and his girlfriend had called it off last night. For what reason, Eleanor couldn't be sure, but it appeared as if the poor man just couldn't win.

Mary and Marshall's bantering had escalated to flying projectiles until Stan was hit by a paper ball and banished Mary from the office so that she'd check on her witness and proceeded to go home for the rest of the day.

Marshall waved at Mary as she stomped out of the office, smiling the entire time until the elevator doors shut just to annoy Mary all the more.

**

It was the last stop of the day and Mary couldn't be more ready for it. The stop before, at the McBride residence, had been nothing short of hell. It was three weeks before Iris and Lawrence's wedding, and the house was with flowers and sample cakes lying about all over. Mary swore to herself that she would not let things get anywhere near that disastrous for her wedding.

Sighing, Mary knocked on Karen Sharps door, a.k.a Sophia Colten, to have a boy around the age of eight answer the door. His smile grew as his chocolate hair fell in his eyes when he looked up and saw that it was Mary at the door.

"Miss Karen! It's Mary," he shouted over his shoulder. Mary smiled at the child as he grabbed her hand and dragged her into the apartment. Mary just barely managed to shut the door before he pulled her into the kitchen/dining room.

"Hello, Mary!" Karen said, pulling a cake from the oven that Mary looked at apprehensively. This was a fairly new hobby that Karen had picked up in the last few weeks that should have, in Mary's opinion, been given up at the start. The other two children in the room eyed the cake just as warily as Mary did.

"Well this one looks okay," Karen said, setting the cake down on the counter.

"Yeah, but so did the last one," said the oldest girl from the couch, looking over her book.

"But this one smells like it's alright. Then again looks, and smells, and be deceiving," said the boy slouching on the chair beside the island looking at his sister through his glasses.

Karen sent a scolding look at both of the children as the boy that was holding Mary's hand dropped it and ran over to Karen. "Well at least she's learning something each time she makes one."

"And what's that?" Mary asked leaning against the fridge.

"Yeah, Mikey. What good can possible come from all of today's ruined cakes?" his sister asked.

Mikey smiled and looked at Mary and his sister. "She's learning how not to make cakes!"

At his comment, Mikey had his brother and sister howling with laughter.

"Very well, I do think that that is just about enough from all of you," Karen said, pouting with her arms crossed over her chest. "Marcy, it's almost 7 o'clock. Help your brothers get their things together for when your mother gets here to pick you up."

"Darn's old enough to get his own things and Mikey's things are already in his bag," Marcy companied from over her book. "And besides, Mary just got here. Can't we stay for a while longer?"

"No, sorry, not tonight. Mary and I have some things that we need to talk about."

A few moments later there was a knock at the door and Mikey ran to answer. Soon after, he came scampering back in, his mother towed behind him in the same fashion that Mary, herself, came to be in the room.

"Speak of the devil and may he appear," Karen said with a smile. "Sue."

"Karren," Sue replied, then spotted Mary. "Mary! What have you been up to? We haven't seen you around here in a while."

"Oh, a little of this. Little of that. How's everything going?"

"Better every day." Sue turned to her children and said, "Everyone ready? I'm sure that Karren had seen enough of you for one day."

Daren pouted, "We don't want to go yet. Mary just got here."

Sue, tiredly, told her children to stop arguing with her, grab their things, and get out. Watching each child file out and say their goodbyes, Sue turned to Karen and said, "Thanks for watching them for me again Karen. It really is a big help. It takes a lot off my mind knowing that they're here with you until I can get home."

"Don't worry about it. Just take care of yourself and don't be afraid to ask if you need anything," Karren stated. Sue nodded and then turned to follow her children out of the apartment.

When they heard the front door click into place Mary asked, "Any more trouble with the ex husband?"

Karen shook her head and taking the apron off and hanging it up. "Not that I'm aware of. It appears that she and the children are doing much better, and the restraining order is now in place. I believe he will not be coming around for a while."

"Good. Asshole got off too easy if you ask me."

"Agreed," Karen said, offering Mary a chair. "So is this a routine check up or has something more sinister brought you to my door this evening?"

"The normal shit," Mary replied taking the glass Karen handed to her and setting it down on the counter.

"Easily taken care of. I shan't take up more of your time then necessary. I'm sure that you want to get home to your honey and wedding planning," Karen said taking a sip out of her beer to hide the smile on her face.

"Who the hell says that anymore? 'shan't', is that even a word?" Mary remarked, ignoring the wedding comment.

"Would I use it if it weren't? Besides, didn't Marshall use it the last time he came here with you?"

Mary wrinkled her noise in remembrance. "You too are so alike sometimes it's almost scary. Just don't start puking random crap from your mouth too."

Karen laughed, "I promised that I will try my hardest not to take the spotlight of your annoyance away from darling Marshall."

Mary scowled at Karen, which just served to make her laugh harder.

"How is Marshall, anyway?"

Mary shrugged her shoulders. "Alright I guess."

"Alright you guess?" Karen questioned, her eyes locked onto Mary's in challenge. "And how is Mary, I wonder?"

Mary rolled her eyes, not wanting to rise to Karen's bait. "I'm doing great thanks. What's with the inquiry? I'm here to do that to you, remember?"

Karen smiled and took a drink of her beer. "Yes, I remember. It just appeared that you needed it more than myself at the moment."

"Well I don't," Mary snapped. "And even if I did, I couldn't do it with you."

Karen nodded her head in understanding but a mischievous look on her face. "Very well. Ask away so that we may get you off the job."

"Fine," Mary huffed. "How have things been going?"

"Very well, thank you."

"Any security breaches?"

"Not that I am aware of?"

"How's the therapy going?"

At this, Karen froze, just for a moment before answering, "The therapist says that I have latent anger problems stemming from the attack, but other than that, things seem to be going well. Actually, I believe that if the only after effect of the incident is that I'm a little angry, then I consider myself nearly back to normal."

"Is that the only thing? The anger?" Mary questioned sensing that Karen was keeping some things out.

"Mostly," Karen answered hesitantly. "I still have nightmares sometimes. Though not so many about the incident, and I sometimes find myself more easily startled then I used to, but that's about it."

Mary, satisfied, nodded.

"Was there anything else that you would like to ask me, or is you work day over with now?" Karen asked, shaking off the gloom of the previous conversation.

"You in a hurry to get rid of me? Got a hot date or something?"

"No such thing," Karen said, shoving away from the counter and moving into the kitchen. "It's just that, if you are now off the clock, then I could question and harass you while I make us something to eat."

"Karen," Mary started but was cut off.

"Do not Karen me. One meal will not hurt you and while I would love to get into the deep murky waters of the 'Mind of Mary' we shall keep things light for the night. Unless, of course, we start talking and you feel the need to go for a dive.

"Besides, according to Marshall, what I lack in the baking department, I make up for in the culinary arts and listening department."

"You had Marshall over for dinner?" Mary asked caught off guard.

Karen stuck her head into the refrigerator to grab a few things and answered, "Yes, on a few occasions while he was taking over your caseload after you had been shot." She returned from the fridge to set some items on the counter next to the forgotten cake. "Poor fellow, he took your shooting so hard. For some reason, I am always the last one that the two of you check up on and so one night when he was looking extremely depressed I invited him to stay for supper.

"My Grans always said that food may be the way to a man's heart, but it opens the floodgate to the soul. She was a smart woman."

Mary just nodded her head, trying to hush the green monster that had risen within her.

"He never said anything about it."

Looking over her shoulder from the stove, Karen stated, "Well he wouldn't, now would he?" Mary just stared at the glass in front of her until Karren sighed.

"So how are you doing? Since the shooting, I mean."

"Fine. They finally let me back in the field, as you can see. Took long enough, too. I was ready weeks ago."

Karen smiled. "And the wedding? How are plans progressing?"

Sensing Mary's hesitation, Karen turned around and looked at the other woman.

"No diving. Right," Karren said, taking something out of the frying pan and setting it on a plate, then repeating the action. She then came over to the table and set a plate down in front of Mary. Mary couldn't help but smirk at her.

"Grilled cheese? This is the extent of your culinary skills?"

"You mock, but wait till you try it. It's the best grilled cheese that you have ever had," Karren countered, sitting down to take a bit out of her own sandwich, cheese dripping from it.

"So anything you can tell me about my case?"

Mary took a bit out of her sandwich and had to admit, it was pretty damn good, before she answered, "No, not yet, but I should be hearing something soon."

Karren nodded her head in understanding then went quiet, nibbling on her sandwich.

"What are you scheming over there?" Mary questioned.

Karen finished the last few bites of her sandwich and got up to put her plate in the sink.

"Karen?"

Karren turned around and leaned against the counter. "I don't want you to freak out nor do I want you to think that I am ungrateful for all that you and the others have done for me these last few months, but I really don't like it here."

Mary sat there for a minute trying to understand what Karren what telling her then got frustrated and just came out and asked her, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Karen smiled. "When this is over, I'm leaving the program. I never wanted to be in it in the first place and I do not believe that I could stand it for much longer. Simply put, this is not my cup of tea."

"Are you stupid? You are aware that there are people out there that want to kill you?"

"Yes, I am aware of that. More then you are, I think, but this is not the life for me. I have things that I left unfinished and since I've had this time to myself, I have come to understand that there are some things that I am not willing to give up. Something that I want to fight for," Karren said longingly. "Or at least try to."

Mary looked at her in disbelief. "You're going to leave because you have things that you left unfinished? And what could that be? Some guy in Miami that you forgot to screw and now you feel bad about it?"

"No," Karren said giving Mary a look that was between reproachful and understanding. "not exactly. I understand that it is hard for you to come to terms with, especially since when Coleman handed me over to you, he didn't not give you my complete background. You are missing important facts that would make my choice easier for you to understand, but the main fact is, it is still my choice."

"You are an idiot," Mary said slowly, leaning back in her chair.

Karen smiled at her. "That depends on your definition of idiot. Besides, I miss my name."

"You're going to get yourself killed just so you can have your name back? I think that that is a pretty good defining term of idiot."

"I like my name. It was the only thing that my mother had the chance to give me. I miss it," Karen said, defending herself.

Mary stared hard at Karen for a few minutes but when all she did was hold her gaze, Mary finally gave in. She didn't like it, but like Karen had said, it wasn't her choice.

"Idiot," Mary threw out there one more time. "Well are you going to tell me about him?"

"Him who?"

"The guy that is important enough to throw your life away."

Karen sighed. "I am not throwing my life away. There are many things that I need to goes back and finish and he is just one of them."

Mary waited a moment then tried again. "So are you going to tell me about him?"

Karen looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "We weren't together when I left Miami."

"So you're going back for your ex. Isn't that just romantic?" Mary jibed which earned a glare for Karen.

"He is not my ex and it wasn't his fault that we weren't together. It was mine. About a year before this, we had been sleeping together and things were good. Easy, no attachments, but then I started to get the feeling that he might be developing feelings for me. It was something that I didn't want to think about. It isn't the best idea to get involved emotionally with a man in my line of work. To many complications. So when I thought the situation was getting to deep, I called it off. I left town without even telling him. Instead I left him a note."

Mary was watching Karen while all the different emotions filtered across her face while she talked. Wistfulness, longing, hurt, and regret.

"It took him a while, but he found me," Karen continued. "Stubborn fool. He ended up working for the same igetes that I was. I was so surprised when I saw him that I didn't know what to do. What to say. I think that he knew that too.

"Shortly after that, he found a way to get me alone with him. Up until that point I had been ignoring him like the plague, but when he wants something, he can be annoyingly stubborn. He told me that next time I want to run away from him, that I should stick around long enough for him to give me a reason to run.

"I called him an idiot and told him to leave. He didn't. He just smiled that stupid smile and kissed me. I was so surprised that I couldn't move or let what he said process until he left the room. 'What is the one thing you fear the most?' He always spoke like that, with riddles. Said that it was to keep me on my toes."

Karen grew quiet and thoughtful while Mary wondered what the riddle meant.

"To fall in love," Karen said looking out the window. "That was the answer. He knew it and I didn't, that I had fallen in love with him. He knew that was why I had ran. I was scared. He understood that so he chased after me. Told me to run all that I wanted, that he would just follow after me.

I have fallen in love with that crazy, childlike fool and it took me this long to realize it," Karren said thoughtfully. "So I have to go back and see what can come of it. Who knows, I may end up being wrong. Being in love may not be what I think it will. "

"Comfortable and easy," Mary sighed.

"I'm sorry?"

Mary looked at Karen and then to the wall behind her. "I've always had this idea that being in love should be comfortable and easy, you know? Without argument or doubt. Someone that I could look at and know what they were thinking with just a look. That I could trust completely."

"Is that the way it is with your fiancé?" Karen questioned. Mary didn't answer and Karen, being true to her word, didn't dive into the subject anymore, but ended the conversation with these words. "You know, your idea about love? It reminds me of a partnership, like the one between yourself and Marshall."

The rest of the night at Karen's passed by on a lighter note and Mary left with a better understand of her witness. Even if she thought that Karen was being stupid, Mary could understand where she was coming from. Devotion like that was not something a person came by every day. "Devotion like what Marshall shows to me in every aspect of their partnership," Mary mused to herself.

Karen's observation about Mary and Marshall's partnership reflecting Mary's idea about love was unsettling in the lest. And what did that mean about her relationship with Raph? What did it mean when you didn't feel comfortable with the man that you were planning to marry? When you could only be yourself around your best friend, a man who was not you fiancé?

All these questions were subjects that Mary didn't want anything to do with but if she were honest with herself, they weren't new. Just unopened and ignored boxes that sat in the back of her mind waiting for their turn to be looked through. Thoughts, feelings, and ideals that she was to afraid to look through because if she did, that might mean changing everything she knew. That she might be wrong. That she may have been wrong all along.

It had been something that she had wanted to talk about with Marshall, but for some reason she refused to understand, it felt cruel. Another one of the boxes that she refused to open. One she couldn't bring herself to look at because that would mean changing the rules, and Mary hated change. But maybe now, with a fresh outlook, she could wade through all this shit and get ready to move on to the next stage, leaving all the old shit behind. Move on to a new life in which she was married to a man that didn't hold her whole heart but, maybe, just enough. It would not be comfortable and easy, like she wanted it to be, but something different at least.

"But then again maybe not," Mary thought as she walked into the kitchen to find Raph sitting at the table in the dark looking like he wanted to talk. She couldn't help the feeling of foreboding and panic that welled up in her stomach as Raph started to talk about her not loving him enough and she couldn't help but think, "No, not comfortable and easy, but definitely something different."

**

While the day had ended on a fairly positive note, it had also been a boring one without Mary there to cause little distractions for him throughout all the paperwork. And while the task took up most of his concentration, it left just enough room for his thoughts to wander to Raph's words from the other night; only to have them echoed by his date later the next evening.

He was becoming careless if his feelings were being picked up by those around him, but there was some new information to consider as well. Raph believed that Mary was in love with him; Marshall. He wouldn't miss something that important about his partner, would he? Shaking his head, Marshall grabbed some leftovers from the fridge to warm them up in the microwave.

Something that big, there was no way he would, could, miss something like that. It was just a fool's dream that he could lose himself in from time to time, but, as with every dream, eventually one had to wake up and face the harsh reality of the world that they lived in. Marshall's reality consisted of a love for a woman that he couldn't have because she promised herself to another. And like Marshall had told Raph, Mary kept her promises.

Sitting himself in front of the TV, Marshall planned on chasing thoughts of Mary away with the help of the Discovery Channel and a cool drink.

Two hours and four beers later, Marshall was strongly considering going to bed when the doorbell rang. Thinking it odd for someone to be visiting at 11:30 at night, Marshall set down his beer and went to his side table to pull out his spare gun. Right as he was turning around, he heard the lock turn and the door open.

"Don't shoot, Marshall. Just me," Mary yelled down the hallway. Marshall sighed and turned placed the gun back in the drawer.

"Jesus, Mary! Are you trying to get shot?" he yelled back through the house just as Mary stepped into the living room. There were two things that Marshall noticed right away. The first was that she had her night bag on her shoulder. The second was that she looked as if she had been crying.

"I rang the doorbell," she stated as if he should magically know that it was her from the action.

"You planning on going somewhere?" he asked looking pointedly at her bag.

She dropped it and, not looking at him, replied, "I was hoping here for a day or two."

Marshall took a couple of steps toward her until there was only one left between them. "And why would you need to do that? Did Jinx burn the house down?"

Mary snorted, "I wish. That would be easier to clean up at least."

Marshall took a step closer so that there was only a breath's worth of air between them and raised her head to look at him. "Want to talk about it?"

For a moment Mary looked torn. Between what, Marshall couldn't really say, but it appeared the emotional fatigue won out when Mary started to cry and collapsed into him.

Stunned, Marshall stood there for a moment, then pulled the crying woman into himself, giving whatever comfort he could offer.

"Tell me what you need," he whispered into her hair as she started to calm down, but it only started a fresh wave of tears more violent than the ones before. At a loss for what to do, Marshall led them over to the couch and sat them both down. Just letting Mary cry.