Thanks for the reviews! I think one more after this...

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

"Lost me?" standing right up. "I'll always be here"

Stan rubs his hand over his bald spot, "You are here, but for how long?"

"Always Stan!"

Shaking his head he looks Marshall in the eyes, "Are you sure about that?"

"You promised to always be there, but didn't you re-establish your friendship?"

He was about to deny it then stopped himself, "Yeah, I guess I did."

"On that note, how long will it take your fiancée to ask you to resign? Or move? Her career is just taking off"

Stan knew he said to much when Marshall turned to him, "What? She wouldn't do that"

"So she didn't ask you to re-establish your relationship with Mary?" Stan knew he shouldn't rock the boat, but he felt it was unfair that Abigail had come between two of his best inspectors, best-friends.

Marshall couldn't deny it. She had asked him to choose. How can I marry a woman that asks me to choose?

"I'll be right back!" with a determined look Marshall walked out of the grooms room.

"Marshall, don't do anything you'll regret later. MARSHALL!" but he had already left Stan alone in the groom's room.

With an angry stride he walked over to the bride's rooms. He pounded the door until Abigail's maid of honor opened the door. "What's wrong?"

"I need to speak with Abigail"

"Well, I'm sorry but you're going to have to wait until you meet her at the altar" said the Maid of Honor with a smirk on her face.

He pushed opened the door, Abigail squealed and ran behind the divider, "Honey Britches! You can't be in here, you can't see me in the wedding dress!"

"Everyone out" he growled, "NOW!"

All the women ran out the door and he slammed it shut, "Are you going to transfer?"

"Marshall honey, what's gotten into you?"

"Answer the damn question!"

Abigail looked over the divider and stared at Marshall's tense stance, not sure what was the right answer, so she went with the truth, "Sugar Plum, you know how my career works. If I want to move up in my career I will eventually have to transfer."

"How is this marriage going to work if MY career is HERE in Albuquerque?"

"Your career or MARY?" spewed an angry Abigail.

"Both!"

Forgetting the wedding dress she walks around and throws her hands up, "Again with Mary, can't I ever come first?! No, it's always, Mary, Mary, God Damn Mary! She's a selfish bitch, didn't even want to meet me for lunch or dinner, just because I didn't come to the kid's birthday party. GOD, I went as far as throwing that damn invitation away!"

Marshall froze at the venom in her words and growled, "What invitation?"

'Norah's 2nd birthday party!" Abigail yelled into his face, shaking in rage.

"They were right. You really are trying to push Mary out of my life completely. I thought if I gave her up as my best friend I at least had her as an inspector, but there is no pleasing you."

"What is that suppose to mean?" she challenged

Looking at her he walks over to her and places his hands on her arms, "I can't marry you, I never thought you'd put me in this position. You were right before."

Walking away he stops by the door when she says, "We're about to get married, you can't just walk away. And what exactly was I right about?"

"I'm in love with Mary"

As soon as he closes the door he hears a glass break against it. The women were all standing outside the door, jumping back when he walked out. All women glaring at him. He shrugged and walks over to the church.

He walks up to the front of the church, "Can I have everyone's attention?"

All the excited chatter quiets down and everyone looks at him. His mother and father sitting in the front pew frown at him.

"What's the matter?" asks his father with concerned.

"There will be no Mann-Chaffey wedding. We have decided that this is not what we both wanted. You are all welcomed to go to the hotel, enjoy the food and music."

Looking at his parents he shrugs and walks out the front of the church. Outside to where Stan is waiting with his brothers.

"You ok bro?" asked one of his brothers

Marshall shrugs again, "I will be. Stan did you locate her?"

"She's at Minnesota Memorial Hospital, called and spoke to her doctor. They're keeping her there a few more hours. I booked you a flight, leaves in an hour."

"Thanks Stan, you're the man!" Marshall runs to his truck and speeds away.

Mary woke up to meet her ex-partner's blue cobalt eyes on her, "Did you know a chance of a woman having twins is increased after the age of 35. About 1 in 27 women will give birth to twins after this age. After 50 the chances of having twins is 1 in 9."

Marshall grinned at the shock expression on Mary's face.

At first Mary just laid there staring at him. She thought she was dreaming, hallucinating. He wouldn't just leave his bride, would he? What is he doing here? After staring at him for a few minutes, realization coming in spades. He chose ME!

She immediately grinned right back and shocked him, "I'm not giving you twins!"

Standing he walks over and sits on the bed beside her, hands on each side of her head, leaning down towards her, "Norah can be an only child"

Groaning, "No, she has a little sister. But I'm sure the girls wouldn't mind twin brothers. I'm sure the boys would keep them from becoming brats"

"Hey! Don't call our daughters brats!"

"You see? You haven't been around them and already they have you wrapped around their little fingers"

"As much as their mother" he leans down and presses a chaste kiss to her lips.

When he pulls away she looks around, "Where's Ben?"

Shrugging, "I sent him home. We'll drive back together"

"So, what happened?"

Shrugging again he gets up, but before he can walk away Mary tugs on his hand. He sits back down but she pulls again until he's lying next to her, on his left side. With his right hand he moves a strand of her from her face.

"She just wasn't you"

"Bullshit!"

"You were right"

Nodding sympathetically, "I didn't mean to cause you any pain"

"The thought of you in the hospital reminded me of the last time you were in one. And not when you had Norah." he shuddered at the thought of her not breathing on a gurney a few years ago.

She ran her fingers through his hair, it was so soft. Moving her hand lower, until it reached the nape of his neck and pulled him close. She rubbed her lips over his and closed her eyes, afraid to deepen the kiss. Resting her head against his clavicle.

He murmurs, "I'm sorry I missed Norah's birthday party. I didn't know about it."

Mary just nuzzles deeper into his embrace. Nodding understanding.

They would talk later, for now all Mary wanted to do was cherish the moment. For all she knew, it could all be a nice dream.

TBC...could I be that cruel? mua..ha..ha...you'll just have to wait and see...lol