AN: Some what AU at this point. A random moment that has been floating in my mind for months now. I hope you will enjoy and comment on it.

No infringement intended of course. I do not own these characters and hope that I have faithfully depicted them for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of others.

Through Brandi's Eyes

Brandi is in her room studying when she hears them enter. Her sister is loud and rushed as always though this time she has Marshall in tow. They must have driven his truck since she hadn't heard the tortured cough of the probe pulling in and dying in the driveway. Why Mary kept that car she was sure she would never understand, one of her sister's many mysteries no doubt.

Bored with her studies she decided to join them in the kitchen where she heard them clattering around. Mary was usually in a good mood when Marshall was present and she'd like to take advantage of that while she could.

She had almost made it down the hall to the kitchen when she heard it; that tone in Marshall's voice that said something wasn't right.

"Let me see it"

"It's just a scratch I cleaned it out at the station and now i just need to put a bandaid on it."

"Sure, but not before I have a look at it"

There was a space of silence where Brandi flinched at just the thought of the glare she knew her sister was giving Marshall now.

"It hasn't stopped bleeding yet Mare, it has got to be more serious than a scratch."

"I'm fine Marshall, don't get yourself worked up about it."

It was Marshall's turn to glare.

"Well its certainly not worth sitting in the ER for hours and filling out all that frickin' paper work."

"Please let me be the judge of that... if it were up to you you wouldn't think anything less than amputation worth going to the ER about."

"I'm fine"

"Mare... please... I can't look out for you unless you let me."

"Fine, Florence"

Brandi could hear Marshall suck in air through his teeth and couldn't resist the urge to edge closer to the door frame and sneak a look at the pair.

To say they looked a little worse for wear would be an understatement. In addition to the short but apparently deep cut over Mary's left eye, she had a split lip and seemed to be favoring her right side. Marshall had the beginnings of a beautiful shiner, the knuckles on both hands were bruised and the pinky finger of his left hand had already been splinted.

They stood by the sink a bottle of painkillers and a glass of water between them. As Brandi watched, Marshall shifted his gaze from the cut to Mary's eyes. The thumb of his left hand curled to caress her cheek its pinky sticking out at an odd angle. the look was pained as if Marshall felt the physical pain of Mary's cut as if it had been his own flesh.

"It needs a stitch" he said at last and the spell was broken. Mary turned away from him and pressed the rag to her eye again.

"A stitch"

"Maybe three... Mare we should go to the hospital"

"For this? can't you do it... you've stitched up things like this before..."

"That was not as deep as this"

"So"

Marshal sighed it was his turn to take a step back.

"We don't have the right painkillers"

A bottle of whisky joined the pills on the counter with a loud thump. Marshall couldn't help but let out a short laugh.

"Yeah that might work but Mare... there are other variables I can't control"

"Like what." It was a challenge that Marshall took too long to answer.

Brandi realized the reason for Marshall's reluctance seconds before Mary did.

"I don't want to hurt you Mary... I don't want it to scar... I..."

"You won't" she counted off fingers as she addressed his concerns; "scars" she shrugged "I trust you and I don't trust hospitals"

"I guess I should be flattered that you prefer me to a licensed physician."

"Or I must really just hate paperwork"

"That too"

Their tone was sarcastic as always but Brandi could tell there was an edge to their words. Mary was asking Marshall to make a choice he didn't like.

"And I couldn't get you to go to the hospital willingly"

"Nope"

"And you'd probably hit me if I tried to force you"

"Kick and maybe even bite"

Had she seen the smile in the corner of Mary's lips when she said that or was she just seeing things now?

Marshall let out a long suffering sigh. "My kit is out in the truck I'll be right back"

"I'll order the pizza"

Brandi backed into the shadows as Marshall passed her on his way to the front door. He was shaking his head and the smile on his lips didn't quite reach his eyes.

Brandi stepped back to her position looking around into the kitchen. After taking a deep breath it was decided, she would let Mary know she was home.

"Hey sis whats up"she said to the back of Mary's head, where she stood at the table finishing the call to the local pizza shack, and feigned surprise when she turned to reveal the damage. It looked even worse up close, no wonder Marshall was worried.

"Whoa... what happened to you- and don't tell me I should see the other guy, he's probably dead"

Mary paled for a moment and then commented "No not dead... though when he wakes up he may wish he was. Junkie jumped me in an alley thought just because he was big he could pick a fight with me. Split my lip and knocked me into a dumpster before he got close enough for me to get my hands on him. Then he got scared went for a bottle started swinging. Managed to do this just before I knocked him out."

"You knocked him out?" Brandi wasn't altogether surprised but the jerk must have been pretty big to get even that close to hurting Mary. "Where was Marshall?"

"Holding off the other guy" Marshall entered with the large black tackle box that served as his first aid kit. Brandi tried to be surprised by his appearance but she didn't have to fake the gasp that escaped her lips at the sight of Marshall's thunderous scowl.

"You should put some ice on that before you're eye starts to close up" Brandi added genuinely concerned for Marshall she considered him part of the family at this point. She knew him well enough she could tell that whatever had happened to he and Mary, which she knew they weren't telling her the whole truth about, he was blaming himself for it.

"I will as soon as your sister lets me patch her up."

"Is that what the box is for?"

"Yes, Dr. Mann apparently makes house calls when stubborn Shannon women refuse to go to the ER like normal human beings."

Brandi expected a retort from her sister and she got it in one word punctuated by a shot of whiskey. "paperwork"

"Where do you want to do this Mare?" Marshall asked the edge in his voice begging her to change her mind. Mary simply pulled a chair away from the kitchen table, straddling it and resting her chin on her hands on the back. Marshall sighed and set the box beside her on the table sitting "properly" in the chair opposite her. He started preparing the supplies he'd need for the sutures. Surgical thread, alcohol swabs, and a curved needle all joined the growing line of medical equipment set precisely across the table top on a sterile cloth.

"This is going to sting" Marshall murmured as he gently dabbed at the cut with disinfectant. Mary flinched at first but noticing Marshall's corresponding flinch, attempted to remain still there after. Brandi settled into another chair at the table giving the partners space to work. After a few moments she was sure they'd forgotten her presence. Finishing with the swab, Marshall reached for the sterile needle and thread that lay ready for him to use. He stopped, meeting Mary's glance with a question which was answered with a silent nod. Mary closed her eyes as Marshall's hand cupped her cheek soft and supportive, the partners inhaled slowly as one. Marshall began to stitch hesitantly at first, choosing each movement and placement of the needle with extreme care. He grew a little more confident with each tiny stitch (in the end there were six) and then the desire to get Mary through this most painful part as quickly as possible exerted more pressure on his actions. As he locked off the stitches they both released a deep sigh a measure of tension rising off of them both. Marshal snipped off the end of the thread returning the needle and scissors to the table before taking Mary's face in both hands. Though she hadn't called out Mary could not hide her pain from Marshall. His thumbs deftly swept away the tears that had escaped her tightly shut eyelids before he leaned forward to place a kiss on her brow just above the new neat row of stitches. Brandi suppressed a yelp as Mary opened her eyes and blinked up at Marshall with a tender smile leaning into his hand she whispered "Thank you, Cowboy." Marshall smiled back sheepishly and the pair shared a long look. Brandi waited, waited for the potential kiss she felt hanging in the air. Were Marshall's lips growing closer to Mary's were Mary's trembling... Brandi would never know for at that moment the door bell rang breaking the spell.

Breaking eye contact and looking away from one another Mary's eyes found Brandi's as Marshall set about the task of cleaning up the medical supplies and preparing a bandage to protect the fresh stitches. Mary reached into her pocket and produced a small fold of bills passing them to Brandi. "Could you get the pizza please, Squish?" she asked as Brandi had already moved toward the front door. Mary's shout "and don't tip him too much" reached the front door at the same time that Brandi opened it to reveal the pizza delivery boy who blushed and studied his sneakers shyly after hearing Mary's comment. Brandi tried to smile as she payed him and thanked him for the pizza. Feeling sorry for the kid Brandi added, as he turned to climb into a car that looked almost as old as Mary's precious probe, "she's like that with everyone, don't let it get to you." The boy looked up and nodded his appreciation waving a bit as he got into his car and drove off.

"You scared that kid sis" she said as she entered the kitchen again setting the large pie on the table and watching as Marshall put the finishing touches on Mary's bandage. Marshall smirked and was about to say something sly when Mary punched him gently in the shoulder leaving him to rub at the spot melodramatically. Mary smiled at his performance before asking "where do you want to eat it, String bean?"

"Couch, Sunshine?" Marshall offered in answer to her question.

"I'll get the plates" Mary stated standing and setting a well practiced routine into motion.

In moments they were settled again in front of the TV Marshall and Mary side by side on the couch with Brandi in the arm chair. They ate and laughed as Marshall, with remote in one hand and ice bag in the other, piloted the remote control through a series of channels that were dismissed for one absurd reason or another resulting in tearful hilarity that made Mary clutch at her bruised ribs. After another half hour Brandi found herself yawning in pleasant weariness, she was ready to call it a night. She bid the pair good night, as they settled into the couch watching a classic action film which flickered and exploded on screen (Mary's choice of course). she noticed fleetingly as she passed around them and out of the room that Marshall had placed himself on Mary's good side and Mary had already begun to sink into him.

It was only a few hours later when Brandi awoke, far too early in the morning in her opinion, to the sound of raised voices and an only too familiar voice shouting heatedly in spanish.

It seemed that Mary and Marshall had fallen asleep on the couch together and Chico had discovered them when he'd come by to pick up the last of his things and officially finish moving out. Raph seemed to think that Marshall and Mary had been seeing each other and, Brandi thought wryly before entering the fray, it seemed neither Mary nor Marshall had seen fit to correct that assumption.