Thanks for the reviews! A few more...then it's done...:(

At the hospital, she was lucky to have arrived when the hospital was practically empty. As soon as she walked in, a nurse brought her to the back to inspect the injury.

Mary was immediately admitted to the hospital. If she was honest with herself, she was glad for that emergency witness transfer. Even if that meant getting shot in the same arm as her previous injury.

She really didn't want to be in the same city as the damn wedding. How can you see the man that had promised to be there for you forever, promise himself to another woman? She just couldn't.

"Hey Mary, how was the transfer?"

"It went without a hitch"

"When will you get here?"

"Well Stan, it's 3am, we drove all night long. So, Ben and I will stay here until we catch on some sleep." Mary fibbed, knowing if she told Stan that she had gotten shot Marshall would probably fly out to brief her and Ben. Liar, you're afraid he'll send Stan in his place, her conscience mocked.

"Mare, Marshall's getting married tomorrow afternoon."

Sighing, "I can't do it Stan, I just can't see him get married."

Stan nodded understanding, "Are you going to be ok?"

"I don't know" she whispers, hanging up and turned to Ben, he had fallen asleep an hour earlier. No time like the present to get used to not having Marshall in her life.

She lay back on the bed and closed her eyes, immediately falling asleep.

The hurt in his eyes dug a hole right through her. She looked at him with pleading eyes, her lips parted. "No more mistakes. Are you mad I've been waiting?"

She placed her palms on both sides of his face, then ran her thumb over his lips, all while chewing on her own lips in frustration. She could feel him tense underneath her.

"I'm a mistake? Making love to me would be a mistake?"

"No, that's not it" he didn't know how to explain. He tried again. "Things aren't right yet"

Mary's hands rested together on his chest, her eyes as well. She could sense his eyes on her for a long, quiet minute. Slowly she raised her gaze to meet his blue cobalt eyes.

"Things with us are right" that's all she needed to say. She could feel his body relax, knew that the truth had hit him hard. She leaned down and kissed him softly at first, but grew more urgent. He tangled his fingers in her hair and kissed her back with the same passion. Her hands slid down to the button of his pants and she felt it give.

Her mind went blank except for the feel of him. He undid her pants and she yanked them off, too aroused to undress any further. She straddled him, ready and slid down over him.

"Oh, my god" he breathed. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, hanging onto him with the same intensity he felt. They left words behind for moans and groans. At first they were thrusting hard and fast, then she felt him slow his thrusts, pulling her closer to his body. After he slowly pulled her shirt off, she kissed a trail up his neck, to his mouth. She rested her forehead against his and dark blue eyes met aroused green. With a smile, he undid her bra and let if fall free, her breasts spilled into his hands.

He finally caressed her skin, curves, just like her dreams. Skin to skin. She loved the feel of his rough hands caressing slowly up her back.

"I've waited a long time to feel all of you against me" he moaned, wanting to feel every inch of her skin.

"Me too" she groaned, her hands gripping his shoulders as she began to thrust against him. He gripped her hips and began to move her up and down. Their thrusts became erratic and fast. Up and down, up and down. His lips kissed from neck to shoulder to finally her sensitive nipples, he leaned down and suckled as she thrust harder against him. Suck, suck, pull, bite, suck, suck.

She panted against his mouth, then down breathing into his neck for several minutes. She was close, so close...

"Ms. Shannon" a nurse shook her awake. Mary jumped and winced as the pain sluiced down her arm. The dream fading to reality, the reality closing in on her too fast and too scary.

Marshall's wedding day.

Marshall was pacing back and forth in the grooms room. "Where the hell is she?" he couldn't stop thinking of Mary, he couldn't stop dreaming about her. Those kisses, the caresses and her body were driving him crazy. He felt like he would always dream about her and this wedding was going to be the biggest mistake of his life.

Stan walks into the room and stops at Marshall's pacing, "Ah, don't want to wear the carpet down Marshall. I'm sure you're anxious to get married"

"Where is she Stan?" glared at Stan.

Startled Stan looks at him, "Uh, I told you she wasn't coming. She was sorry she couldn't make it out for your nuptials, but duty calls."

"I'm not talking about Eleanor and you know it. Now, where is Mary?"

Resigned Stan shoots Marshall a look of pity, "She's not coming either"

"Not coming!? Why not?" Marshall stared in disbelief, his hands on his hips.

"Look, she won't be able to make it back. She turned in the witness yesterday and she decided to just stay behind and sleep."

"Since when does Mary care to sleep? Are you sure that's the only reason?"

Stan just shrugs and nods.

Marshall paces the room a few minutes then sits down, murmuring "I can't do it"

"You can't do what?"

"I can't go through with this. Not without Mary"

Shocked Stan just stares at Marshall, "I don't know if you're aware, but you're in a tux and your bride is in another room in this church."

Marshall looks at Stan, "Let me borrow your cell phone Stan"

Shaking his head he tries to reason with him, "No, you're getting married in a few hours."

Sighing Marshall pulled out his cell phone, speed dialing 4. The phone rings and Ben picks up on the second ring. "This is Ben."

"Put Mary on the phone."

"Uh, she's unavailable at the mome-" Ben was interrupted.

"PUT….MARY…ON…THE…PHONE!"

Ben stutters, "Sh-she's unavailable, we're actually in the hospital."

"Hospital? What hospital? What happened to Mary?"

"Well, she...we..." he sputtered, then began again. "We got into a little altercation with the men that followed us throughout the transfer. They were at the designated drop off. Long story short, Mary received a gunshot wound to the shoulder. So she agreed to come to the hospital if I didn't tell you, but now she's going to kill me because I told you anyway."

Stan pulls the phone from Marshall's tight grasp. "Ben, what the hell's going on?"

"Oh Stan, I…um…Mary didn't want Marshall to know, she had been shot, and her Doctor says she'll be fine in a few hours. So, she said we'll leave as soon as the doctor takes out the bullet." explained a nervous Ben.

"NO! Stay put, where are you?" Stan hears a muffled yelp

"Sorry Stan, Ben is unavailable for the moment. Hold on," Stan heard her pull the phone from her ear and say, "Don't move. You need to breathe through the pain Ben. That's what happens when you don't listen, just pray you can still father children. OK Stan, I'm back and I'm ok."

"Where are you?"

"Nu-uh, can't give you that Intel old Chief. You will stay put and be there for Marshall."

Marshall stopped pacing and came back to Stan, "Where is she?"

"She doesn't want to tell me"

Pulling the cell phone from Stan's hands he practically growls, "Where the hell are you?"

"Did you know that energy is being wasted if a toaster is left plugged in after use?" she drily commented

"Cut the BS Mary and tell me where you're at!" Marshall practically growled

"Did you know that a lot of lovemaking can unblock a stuffy nose? Sex is a natural antihistamine. It can help combat asthma and hay fever."

"Damn it Mary, stop spewing random crap!" he yelled

Mary stops and Marshall can hear her labored breathing. "So basically when you spew random facts is educational, but when I spew random facts its crap?"

"NO! Why can't you just tell me where you're at?" he sighs in frustration

"I'm sorry Marshall, please go, get married and be happy" she hung up the phone and lay back on the hospital bed. She tucks Ben's cell phone under her pillow. "If he calls back, don't answer."

She falls asleep. Ben sits on the lone chair in the room and closes his eyes as well.

Marshall looks back at Stan, "She hung up. What happened to her?"

"She got shot, Ben brought her to the ER. They were running an IV, that's all he told me."

Stan watched Marshall and looks at his determined face. "What did she tell you?"

"She just doesn't want us to come get her. She said she'll get here when they release her."

"Not right now, before…when she called you?"

Looking confused and shrugs, "Not sure what you're talking about"

"I'm not stupid, when you walked in here you looked sad, with pity for me. Why?"

"Hey, you're getting married. I pity any man getting married, forever tied to one woman" Stan tried to lighten the mood

"Nope, try again" Marshall stood his ground, hands on hips

Stan sighs, "She doesn't want to see you get married"

Frowning Marshall sits on a couch sadly asking, "Why not?"

"She already lost you, she doesn't want to see you give yourself away"

TBC...the end of Abigail up next!