I know I shocked you all with the last chapter, but come on, did you really think I was that mean? Here's hoping you all love this one. =)

Disclaimer: I won nothing. Sad day.

"Raphael?"

"Mary." His face looked as shocked as she felt and for what seemed like a very long moment, they only stared at each other. He looked exactly as he always had, beautiful, brown, and fit. His button down Hawaiian shirt was open, the tee underneath only enhancing just how awesome his body was. Whatever she might say about their relationship and its painful end, she could never deny just how attractive he was. Then she took notice of the laughing woman he'd been dancing with. She was so beautiful it almost made Mary cringe. She was a Latino with long, dark tresses that were pinned up with an exotic flower; her body was small, but very fit, and with just the right amount of curves; her eyes were wide and, oddly enough, green. Like hers.

Mary moved her eyes back to Raph and somehow managed to smile. "Well, isn't this a surprise?" she offered, her voice shaky, her hands fidgeting with her now empty glass.

"Yes," Raph managed, pulling his beautiful partner closer to him. "What are you doing here in Hawaii?"

"Vacation," she managed, swallowing hard. "Stan made me take one. Finally." She laughed, and was appalled at how forced it sounded.

"Good for you. You always work to hard."

"Raphael," the woman next to him broke in, poking him in the side, "don't be rude, introduce us!"

A true smile broke across his handsome face. "Lo siento, querida. Teresa, this is Mary. Mary is my…" His eyes held a trace of panic in them as he looked back at Mary.

"Raphael and I are old friends from Albuquerque," Mary said, catching the relief in his eyes. She stretched out a slightly quivering hand to Teresa. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"And you as well!" Teresa cried happily, taking Mary's hand in both of hers and Mary could feel a ring on a suspicious finger. Her heart stuttered and it took all of her willpower not to drop her hands and stare at Raph. How could he possibly be engaged again so quickly?

"So what brings the two of you to Hawaii?" she asked as Teresa finally released her hands and took Raph's, twining their fingers together, and leaning into him.

"I made Raphael bring me," Teresa said with a laugh, stroking his arm. "We never go anywhere and I said that he could take me now or after the wedding, but he had to take me sometime. And it was better for us to come here now than later, and so here we are!"

"Oh, so you're engaged?" She hoped her voice sounded calmer to them than it did to herself.

Teresa nodded happily and wiggled a finger for Mary to see the ring. "Yes, he asked me just last month. I was so surprised, but how could anyone say no to this man, am I right?" She smiled up at Raph, and he returned it, then kissed her quickly.

"Yeah," Mary said in a soft voice. "No, I get it. Raph and I dated a bit way back, and um, that's quite a catch you've got there, Teresa. Congratulations."

Teresa looked at her in surprise. "No…you're that Mary?"

She froze, and saw Raph go still as well. "I guess that depends on which Mary you mean."

Teresa's grin grew and Mary was nearly blinded by perfect white teeth. "The Mary that introduced Raphael to Peter Albert! You know, the man with the car dealership who put Raphael in the commercial!"

Relief washed over Mary so strongly she had to steady herself against the edge of the balcony. "Oh, right. Yeah, then I'm that Mary."

A girlish squeal came out of Teresa as she reached for Mary's hands again. "I was one of those girls in the commercial with him! That is where we first met! I was too shy to really talk to him then, but who wouldn't be right?" She tossed a loving look back at Raph, who only smiled. "But then a few months later, I saw him again and we started talking and the rest is…" She shrugged.

"Wow," Mary said, looking at Raph, who actually looked embarrassed. "That's quite a story. So what do you do for work, then?"

"Oh, I only did that for a few extra dollars," Teresa said, waving it aside and moving back to wrap her arms around Raph's waist. "I work at a health clinic in South Valley."

"Oh, are you a nurse?"

"She is the Director of Patient Services," Raph answered proudly, rubbing his fiancée's arm lovingly.

Teresa smiled shyly. "He loves to tell people that. He thinks it makes me sound more important than I really am."

"You are important, mi amor," he insisted, kissing her nose, making her giggle.

Mary watched them for a moment, a surge of what felt like a million emotions welling up in her. She needed to get out of here, needed them to leave…

"Well, it was wonderful to meet you, Mary," Teresa said with a very sincere smile. "We should meet up again when we all get back. I want to hear all about Raphael before I met him."

"No, you don't," Raphael said with a laugh. "Mary won't tell you anything."

"Oh, yes she will," Teresa replied, giving him a mock-fierce glare. "She and I are going to be great friends."

Not a chance, Mary thought as she smiled. Raph actually looked a little worried, but it vanished quickly. He only shrugged and turned back to Mary.

"It was good to see you, Mary," he said softly.

"Yeah, you too," she replied, meeting his eyes directly for the first time.

For a moment, she thought he was going to hug her, but he only smiled and allowed Teresa to pull him back into the dancing, and soon, both were laughing, and Mary was completely forgotten.

Thousands, millions, of thoughts and emotions swirled and churned and she thought she might be sick. She nearly ran down the stairs to the beach front, her breath coming in painful, shallow gasps. She moved as quickly as she could, unable to bear any more of this god-awful place. She ignored the cheerful cries of hotel staff and locals as she turned away from the beach and headed towards the side entrance of the hotel.

Of all the hotel joints in all the towns in all the world…

She swore viciously, running a hand through her hair as she neared the building. How in the hell could he have been here? How could he have met someone so quickly that he wanted to marry? It wasn't realistic, not if he was the same Raph she'd known and tried to love for so long. It had taken them forever just to be able to admit they were in a real relationship.

But was that his fault? Or was it you?

She swore again, softly and more painfully. Almost without thinking, she grabbed her phone and dialed one of the very few numbers she had memorized then waited impatiently as she reentered the hotel at the opposite end from the party.

"Hello?" the fuzzy, thick voice answered.

"Marshall," she gasped, tears coming fast and strong. "Marshall, I've gotta get out of here now."

"Mary?" he asked, still foggy, but the worry was evident. "Mary, what's wrong?"

She frantically pressed the elevator buttons, desperate for the privacy her room. "Raph…here…fiancée…oh, God…" She sank to the floor of the elevator, and buried her face in her knees, trying not to hyperventilate.

"Mary, Mary, it's ok, slow down, I'm right here," Marshall soothed, completely alert now. "Take a deep breath."

She did so, shaky and weak though it was, then another, and slowly some sense returned to her.

"That's it, that's my girl. Ok, try again. What's wrong? What about Raph?"

"Raph's here," she managed, getting to her feet as the elevator slowed. "At this hotel."

"Of all the gin joint in all the towns…" he murmured. "So you ran into him?"

She laughed humorlessly as she exited the elevator and walked quickly towards her room. "No, technically he ran into me. Spilled my damn cocktail all over my dress. And then he introduced me to his brand new damn fiancée!" She jerked out her room key and jammed it into the lock, swearing when it didn't work. Finally it did and she shoved her way in, heading directly for the closet where her suitcase was.

There was silence from the other end of the line for a long moment, and then, "Wow."

"Yeah, no kidding," she said, yanking her suitcase out and starting to fling clothes in there. "Seemed to think that she and I were going to be best friends. And she's gorgeous, Marshall. We're talking smokin' hot, here. And he adores her. And all I could do was stand there like a freakin' idiot and…and I can't…" She stopped and sank down onto the bed, tears still welling. "I can't do this, Marshall."

"Can't do what? Can't understand? Can't face them again? Can't stay there?"

"All of the above," she whispered, her voice hitching. "I need to leave. Can you get me on a plane home?"

"Absolutely. Stay on the line with me, I'll call the airport on my home phone."

She heard him clicking away at his computer, and sighed. She really didn't deserve him. He was always there for her, even in the middle of the night when she was a wreck. Suddenly, she felt the incredible weight of guilt. Guilt for bringing him into this mess, for asking him to help because she knew he would do it, for everything she'd ever put him through, pushed on him, and everything in between. "I'm sorry," she said softly as she unzipped her dress and stepped out of it.

"For what?" he asked, sounding truly surprised, and a touch distracted.

She felt her lips twitch into a weak impersonation of a smile. Now was definitely not the time to start in on her many needed confessions. That would have to come later, when she was not in an emotional typhoon. "For getting you up in the middle of the night for all of this crap."

He snorted. "Yeah, right, Mare, you're just trying to get back at me for the other night."

Her smile broadened slightly. "Well, turn about is fair play." She threw her wet dress into a plastic bag and tossed it into the suitcase, then fumbled for some sweats. "I really am sorry, though."

"Don't even worry about it. Seriously, don't. Ok, hang on, I'm calling the airport."

She absently listened to his conversation with the airlines as she changed into her comfiest sweats and shirt and finished her packing. She slipped on her sneakers and made a quick scan of the bathroom, then headed out the door.

"Ok, Mare, you still there?"

"Yeah."

"What, no quips?"

She managed a smile and stepped into the elevator, pushing the button for the main floor. "Oh, sorry, umm….yeah, peabrain, where else would I be? The moon?"

Marshall sighed. "Weak, Mare. Not at all up to your usual meanness."

"I know. I guess I'm just not in the mood." She swallowed and shook her head, willing the further tears away.

He cleared his throat. "Ok, so you're on the 11:05 flight out of Honolulu, bound for Vegas. Now, there's no direct connection from Vegas to Albuquerque, no surprise there."

"Yeah, nothing goes to Albuquerque." Mary stepped out of the elevator and flagged down an employee at the front desk, mouthing that she needed to check out. He looked confused, so she then mouthed "Emergency." He nodded and took her room key.

"So true. Anyway, I have a pilot friend in Vegas, I'm gonna call in a favor and he'll bring you the rest of the way."

"What the hell kind of favor does he owe you that would get him to fly me to Albuquerque?" she asked as she signed the room bill.

"You don't wanna know. Anyway, hang in there just a sec, and I'll be right back ok?"

"Sure."

"Ok?" he asked again, more insistent.

"Yeah, Marshall, I got it," she sighed. "I'll be here."

"Ok, don't hang up."

"I won't!" She rolled her eyes at the employee, who smiled. "Can you get me a cab to the airport please?" she asked him.

He nodded and called for one while she waited, again, listening to Marshall, this time paying attention.

"Tony? It's Marshall… Yeah, I know it's the middle of the night, but it's an emergency. You still flying that little jumper around?...yeah, I know, can you make a trip to Albuquerque in the morning?...uh huh…oh wow, that sounds great, yeah, too bad. Well, let me just call up Derek Trellis and tell him about the time that you…oh, you can after all? That's great, Tony, you're a life saver…Yeah, a friend of mine needs a lift from Vegas to Albuquerque… Right, yeah, she gets in at 7:45. Just wait for her at baggage claim or something. Her name's Mary…yes, that Mary... Oh, well, why didn't you say so?...Yeah, I got it. Thanks, Tony, it means a lot. And because you've been so obliging, I'll get you Karrie Harrison's phone number and give it to you when you get here…Right, yeah, I know. Thanks."

"Miss? The cab is outside now."

She nodded her thanks and walked out, handing her suitcase to the cab driver, then wordlessly sat down in the back.

"Mary?"

"Yeah, I'm here. You get it?"

"Yep. Tony will get you from the airport and fly you here right after, and then I'll pick you up and take you home."

"Thank you," she sighed, leaning back against the seat and closing her eyes.

"Hey," he said softly, "what else can I do?"

"Nothing, you've done enough. More than enough, I owe you pie for a month."

"Mary." His tone told her he wasn't buying her attempt to lighten things up. "What else can I do? What do you need?"

The concern in his voice brought the tears back to the surface. "I don't know, Marshall. I just…I hurt." Her voice broke and she wiped at her eyes with her sleeve.

"What hurts more?" he asked gently. "That you saw him or that he's engaged again?"

She sniffed and stared out of the window at the darkness. "Neither. It's not as much about him as it is about me."

"So…you're not upset about him, but about how he made you feel?"

"I don't know," she murmured, rubbing her forehead. "I don't know what I'm feeling or what to think or why the hell this bothers me. I don't love him anymore, I know that. It's not that."

"Then what?"

She sighed again as they pulled up to the airport. "I gotta go, we're at the airport."

"Not so fast, Mary. Answer the question."

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I dunno, Marshall. He looked so happy with her and I just…I just can't help wondering what's wrong with me. Why couldn't I give him that? Why couldn't I be enough?" The tears were breaking through once more and she knew she would need to hang up or Marshall would worry more than he already was.

"Mary…" His voice was infinitely gentle, concerned, and a little scolding all at once, and it tore at her heart.

"I gotta go," she whispered quickly. "I'll call you from Vegas."

She hung up before he could reply and turned off the phone completely, in case he'd try to call again. She got out of the cab, paid the driver, and hurried into the airport. She nearly flew through check-in and security, and made it to her gate a full fifteen minutes before they were scheduled to depart. She sank down into her seat, which was, thankfully, in an empty row, and stared out of the tiny window.

Only when the plane had pulled away from the gate and started on the runway did Mary let herself feel everything all over again, tears running unchecked down her cheeks, breath catching with every cry. She waved off all flight attendants, and just cried, wishing she were home already.

Wishing someone would take away all the hurt.

See? I TOLD you I'd make it better. Reviews make me happy! More will follow as soon as I can!