And the countdown to the premiere continues, we're getting close!

Ch. 4: The Problem with Partners

Marshall walked in the back door carrying enough breakfast for the week, much to Jinx and Brandi's delight.

"Where's Mary?" he inquired as he placed the bags on the table and looked around.

"Still sleeping," Brandi answered, eyeing the packages. "There's coffee."

"Really?" Marshall said surprised as held up his cup from the coffee shop, indicating he was already set. He reached into the cabinet for a plate to put the pastries on and turned back just in time to find Brandi about to reach for Mary's favorite treat. His glare had her sitting quickly back down in her seat, empty-handed.

He knew better than anyone that Mary was not a morning person, but it was already after 9am and that was late even for Mary, considering she was in no position to be out partying all night.

"Brandi," Jinx said, "Why don't you go tell Mary that Marshall's here."

"I'm not waking her, Mom. You do it. You know how she is in the morning."

"Please. She know Marshall's coming over, just go tell her he's here. Blame it on me if she gets mad."

"Fine, but I don't know why I always get stuck with the crap jobs around here," Brandi muttered as she stood up and headed down the hall.

From the corner of his eye, Marshall could see Jinx fidgeting nervously with the spoon from her morning coffee. She seemed anxious, even for her, and he wondered what was up. He hesitated to ask after he'd pushed her too hard yesterday. Instead of finding out what had Mary upset, he'd only caused Jinx to flee the scene. This morning, he gambled that if he turned his attention to laying out breakfast and ignored her, she would make the first move.

"Marshall?" she finally whispered, bringing a small grin to his face. Then growing serious, he looked up to meet her troubled glance.

"I…I think something's going on with Mary." She paused and leaned forward before continuing in her loud whisper, "I'm really worried about her and I don't know what to do."

Marshall knew there was only one way to deal with a woman like Jinx, so he relaxed his posture and leaned on the island so that their heads were mere inches apart. Then giving her a small smile of encouragement, he spoke softly saying, "Well, why don't you start by telling me what's got you so concerned and maybe I can help."

"It's just, well, I saw her sneaking back into the house early this morning," Jinx told him.

Marshall didn't know what he had been expecting Jinx to say and he watched her, expression unchanging, but unable to speak for a moment as he tried to process what he'd been told. He knew there was something up with Mary and he had spent the last 24 hours trying to sort it out. Not being able to come up with an answer, he had attributed her behavior to the fact that she was recovering from a gunshot wound and a broken engagement.

The engagement…Raph. A feeling of dread swept over him as the idea of Mary sneaking off to meet Raph formed in his mind. Remembering Jinx was waiting for a response, he took a deep breath and spoke.

"What do you mean exactly when you say she was sneaking into the house? Is it possible she just couldn't sleep and had gone out back for some air? Or taking the garbage out?"

"I saw her put her car keys back in the drawer."

Brandi returned, stopping as she entered the kitchen to the sight of Marshall and Jinx tete a tete across the island. The sight seemed to surprise, and amuse, her.

"Well, well, what's going on in here?" Brandi teased.

With an understanding glance and nod of the head, Marshall reassured Jinx and she relaxed, knowing Marshall would do whatever was necessary to protect Mary. Even if it meant protecting her from herself.

A bleary-eyed Mary rounded the corner into the kitchen in time to catch Brandi's continued badgering of the couple in the kitchen.

"You go, Mom," Brandi cheered.

"Brandi!" Jinx scolded, blushing slightly despite knowing Brandi's comment was out of line.

"What's going on?" Mary asked, obviously not in the best of moods. She looked from Brandi to where Jinx and Marshall were, just as he moved to straighten up.

"I just walked in on Mom and Marshall," Brandi hooted.

"You just walked in on Mom and Marshall what?" Mary asked, looking for clarification and definitely not amused.

"Nothing, Mary," Jinx said, trying to dismiss Brandi's outlandish remarks.

"Didn't look like nothing to me," Brandi interjected.

"Brandi!" Mary and Jinx yelled in unison.

"Okay, sorry, jeez." Brandi held up her hands in defeat as she sat down next to her mother. "I guess nobody can take a joke around here anymore."

"Well, maybe if someone said something funny," Mary snapped as she made her way over to the coffeepot, snagging the pastry that Marshall was holding out to her as she passed him, glaring for good measure.

"Good morning to you too, buttercup," he sang, watching her hold her breakfast between her teeth as she poured the dark liquid into her favorite mug.

His greeting was met by a series of mumbles and he wasn't sure he really wanted to know what she was saying.

"I said what the hell are you two conspiring about so early in the morning," Mary repeated after removing the food from her mouth.

"It's not early and we're not conspiring," Marshall stated, meeting her gaze.

Mary simply regarded him without responding and then motioned for her sister to get up so she could sit down.

***

The day passed in a series of misunderstandings and arguments for Mary and Marshall.

After breakfast, Marshall cleaned up the kitchen while the ladies of the house prepared for their respective days. Jinx and Brandi, wearing clothes that almost made Marshall blush, left in a frenzy for a shopping spree sponsored by Peter. Calm once again descended over the house as Marshall waited for Mary to shower and dress.

He remained preoccupied with the information from Jinx about Mary's disappearance during the night and the more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that it had something to do with Raphael. It was like a tiny seed had been planted in his head and it was now growing like a vine, infiltrating his every thought, until he couldn't think about anything else. And he felt betrayed.

He had spent all his free time with her since her fiancé had left, making sure she had what she needed and was healing properly. Mary was his best friend and he cared about her, wanted to be there for her. Yes, it was true his feelings for his partner went way beyond just partnership and friendship, but he wasn't some schoolboy and he didn't believe jealousy was the source of his irritation. A true friend wouldn't go sneaking around.

Or would she?

It was then it hit him like a ton of bricks and he was more convinced than ever that Mary was seeing her ex-fiancé again. The only other time in their partnership that he remembered her outright keeping things from him and blatantly disregarding him was when she had gotten engaged and then exposed their positions within WITSEC.

Marshall felt like a fool and then became angry as the thoughts continued to swirl around his head and he knew that the last place he should be, at the moment, was near Mary. But he had promised to be her driver for the day and wouldn't go back on his word. So he bit his tongue and hoped for an emergency at work.

After her shower, she came into the kitchen to find him slamming cabinets and drawers as he cleaned up.

"I don't think that's a fair fight," she quipped as she watched him abuse her kitchen.

"What?" he snapped back harshly.

"What the hell are you yelling at me for asshole? You're the one beating up on my kitchen," she threw back as she stared at him with her hands on her hips.

"Not like anyone would notice," he said under his breath in regards to the fact that she still hadn't made any repairs to her house since the FBI ransacked it.

"Jesus Christ, Marshall. What the hell?" Mary spat in disbelief. "Were you possessed while I was in the shower?"

"I'm fine," Marshall lied, trying to keep his tone in check. "Didn't you say you had errands to run today? We should probably get going."

"Well, I don't want to put you out or anything," Mary said sarcastically as she tried to figure out what had caused the extreme change in her partner's demeanor so quickly. Remembering the scene from breakfast, she began to wonder just what it was he had been discussing with Jinx.

"No, It's fine. I'll wait for you in the truck." Marshall walked passed Mary and outside without another word, leaving her staring after him, dumbfounded.

The rest of morning passed with little said between the partners.

The fact that Mary had been spending her nights obsessing over finding her father and not sleeping had finally started to take it's toll. She was tired and moving much slower today, but refused to let it show. Marshall had made his annoyance with her obvious, but he wasn't talking and she stubbornly refused to get sucked into whatever game he was playing. So she forged ahead, crossing things off her list and trying to get it all done as quickly as possible so she could get home and away from Marshall.

She still had no idea what had caused her partner's attitude, they had been spending all their time together and seemed to be getting on fine. Thinking of their lunch and outing the previous day, a small smile formed which she quickly banished in favor of a scowl.

'If he wants to act like a 2 year old, fine.' She had more important things to think about and forced all thoughts regarding her partner to the far recesses of her mind.

She winced slightly as she climbed up into the SUV after their last stop and ignored Marshall's inquiring glance as to whether she was okay. Instead, she concentrated on her plans for that night, which involved sneaking into the Sunshine Building in order to use a computer to try and track down Lauren, and ultimately, her father.

Earlier that morning, about 2 a.m., after she was sure Jinx and Brandi had gone to bed, she had grabbed her car keys and taken a ride. If she was going to get to the office, she needed to be able to drive, despite the fact that her Doctor's orders restricted her from driving for another three weeks. It was less than a ten-minute drive off-hours and she couldn't see the harm in it, but had taken a test run just to be sure. Arriving home without incident, she had convinced herself she was up for the task, refusing to acknowledge that today's aches and pains could be an indication otherwise.

They arrived back at Mary's in the early afternoon to find Jinx home, alone, since Brandi had gone to show off her purchases to Peter.

Mary, without a word to her mother or Marshall, hurried as best she could through the kitchen and to her room, slamming the door behind her. She collapsed on the bed in exhaustion, fighting back tears of aggravation and pain. Refusing to give in, she slowly sat up and reached for her medication, cursing at the sight of the empty water bottle on the nightstand. As she stood to make her way to the kitchen, she put on a brave face and hoped that Marshall hadn't hung around.

Marshall had gotten out of the truck and followed Mary as far as the kitchen. From there, he heard her bedroom door slam and sighed as he turned to find Jinx looking at him questioningly.

"Are you home for the afternoon?" Marshall asked, frustration evident in his voice.

"I don't have anywhere to be," Jinx responded with a shrug.

"Good. Do me a favor and call me if she tries to leave? I'll have tonight covered so that you can rest without worrying."

"You're not staying?" Jinx questioned, obviously concerned. "Did you find out anything?"

"I'm not sure. Can you just call me?" Marshall wasn't sure how he felt after the long and awkward morning. He knew he was the one that caused things to spiral out of control with his attitude this morning. He was jealous. He couldn't deny that any longer. He was jealous and scared. He didn't know how long he could go on constantly feeling like he was about to lose Mary in one way or another, either to Raph or to…his hands started shaking as they always did when his thoughts turned to her shooting.

Placing his hands on the counter to steady them, he looked over at Jinx as she nodded in agreement to his request.

"I…I just have to go," he said hesitantly as he watched Jinx's eyes widen and focus behind him. He took a deep breath and turned to see Mary standing behind him.

"Well, what the hell are you waiting for asshole, just go already," she spat, refusing to look at him any longer, she slowly made her way toward the fridge.

"Mary!" Jinx hollered, not understanding what was going on or why her daughter would be talking to Marshall that way.

Mary simply scowled at her mother and continued on her mission. She heard her Jinx finally leave the room, but hadn't seen the reassuring glance and nod that Marshall had used to send her on her way.

"Mary…"

"No, I don't want to hear it," she screamed, cutting him off. "I don't know what the fuck your problem is and you know what, I don't really care." Grabbing a bottle of water, she closed the fridge and looked him in the eye. "Whatever's got you so pissed off at me, forget about it. I am not your responsibility and don't need a god damn babysitter!" Taking a breath, she started toward her bedroom and said in a much quieter voice, "Just go, Marshall."

He watched her walk past and was torn. A part of him wanted to stay and apologize, turn the clock back the day before so they could sit and enjoy the sunset, both content just to be in that moment together. But he hadn't forgotten that she was lying to him. Again. And staying and pretending that it was okay, that it didn't matter, wasn't an option this time. It was because of the chaos in his head and softness of her tone that he almost didn't hear her final statement.

"Because you all leave, eventually." The words were left hanging in the air as she disappeared down the hall.

The gravity of the situation hit him and he feared that he might have gotten carried away with his assumptions earlier in the day regarding Mary. He quickly made his way to the edge of the room and could see her nearing her door.

"I'm going, Mare," he called after her, "but it doesn't mean I'm leaving."

He watched her close the door behind her, then turned and walked out of the house.

***

Marshall parked down the street from Mary's house and waited.

As soon as he'd gotten Jinx call that she was heading to bed, he'd made the short trip across town toward Mary's place and hoped to God that he was making the trip in vain. He was still cursing himself for his childish behavior earlier in the day and wished that his partner wasn't so capable of driving him so absolutely insane.

The thought of just how crazy she did make him actually brought a smile to his face as he laughed to himself, but he sobered quickly at the thought of how much damage control was going to be required. There was no way he was getting off easy after today and Mary's comment about him leaving had hurt. He couldn't believe that after everything they'd been through together that she would really think him capable of walking away so easily.

He took a swig of luke warm coffee and tried to refocus. He'd been waiting for over an hour and knew he'd just get himself worked up again if he kept replaying the day in his mind. Instead, he concentrated on his breathing and tried to relax. That was when he spotted the tail lights emerging from Mary's driveway.

Noting the clock on the dash read 12:11 a.m.; he waited until she reached the end of the block before pulling out without turning on his headlights. It wasn't until they had left her neighborhood and were pulling onto the main road that Marshall finally hit the lights. He was trailing far enough behind her and there were enough cars on the road to hide him that he felt comfortable, especially since he didn't believe that Mary would even consider the need to look for a tail.

As they passed the turn off that would have led to Raph's apartment, Marshall could feel the built up tension in his neck ease. He hadn't been aware of it until that moment and enjoyed the sense of relief that swept over him before becoming curious as to Mary's destination.

A couple of more turns and Marshall realized that they were approaching the office. The idea that she could be going to work took him totally off guard and he couldn't imagine what she was up to that she felt the need to sneak into the building in the middle of the night. He watched her pull into the parking lot and then drove past, circling around the block and stopping to make sure she wasn't still in her car before pulling in and parking next to the probe.

Mary's body protested with every step as she climbed the stairs to the top floor of Sunshine Building. She had nearly given up her plan for the night when her aches and pains had made getting out of bed a chore. She hadn't slept, yet again, but she had given in to the need for rest and laid down for a couple of hours. Maneuvering to the bathroom and attempting to dress, she had forced her body into submission and forged ahead with her plot. But now, she was questioning her decision.

Reaching her destination, she stopped to catch her breath before leaving the stairwell and entering the office. She had taken the stairs on the slightest chance that someone may be in the office due to an emergency and didn't want the elevator to alert them to her presence. Thankfully, the office was dark and empty so she swiped her keycard and made her way to her desk. The couple of low lights that were left on at all times gave off enough light that she didn't need to turn on any others. She sat down and signed on to her computer, anxious about what she may find.

After having given Mary a ten minute start, Marshall chose the stairwell for the same reasons she had, but being in good form, took the steps two at a time. Reaching the top, he opened the door only enough to allow him access and he eased quietly into the elevator lobby. He watched her for a minute, hunched over her computer, scanning the monitor for information.

Not wanting the beep of his keycard to alert her to his presence, he leaned against the cool metal of the door and spoke.

"I had no idea you were so dedicated."

Mary physically jumped at the voice and reached for her back up weapon as Marshall keyed himself in and walked through the door.

"Jesus Christ! Are you trying to get yourself killed, moron?" she snapped.

"Me?" Marshall shot back. "I'm not the one that's on leave and sneaking around the office in the middle of the night." His anger was back. Her being there didn't bother him as much as the fact that she was carrying her weapon before being cleared did. It was bad enough that she hadn't been following the Doctor's advice, now she was disregarding policy as well.

"Wait a minute," Mary said, her brain finally registering the fact that her partner was in the office. "What the hell are you doing here? Did you follow me?" She was seething with anger. Marshall had been a total prick to her that morning, then had walked out and left her. But now here he was, following her. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"Are you serious?" Marshall responded to her question with a question and tried to control his tone. "I'm your partner, Mary. Your best friend, for Chrissake. And the fact that you are here in the middle of night, carrying your weapon…Jesus, Mare, just what the hell are you thinking? Are you trying to get yourself suspended? Or worse?"

His tone had grown harsher as he spoke and he moved toward her, wanting to grab her and shake some sense into that stubborn head of hers. But he stopped short when he saw her take a step back to steady herself. Meeting her gaze, he knew his emotions were starting to get the better of him, but continued anyway.

"God, Mary. You've been kidnapped, shot and almost died in the past year." Marshall started choke on the words. "Maybe you don't care, maybe it doesn't bother you, but do you ever stop to think about the people that lo…" He stopped, unable to finish for fear of losing control.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Marshall. You made your feelings perfectly clear earlier today." Mary's surprise and anger at her partner's presence, along with her quick movements, were causing her head to spin. She had felt light headed as she watched Marshall move toward her and had to step back to steady herself by grabbing hold of her chair. Her vulnerability was making her defensive. "Just leave me alone."

"No way I'm leaving you here alone," he responded, noticing how pale her face looked and how she gripped the chair. "Can you even stand up?"

Marshall reached out a hand to offer some support, but Mary pulled away, not willing to give him the satisfaction of accepting his help. Unfortunately, in her haste, she moved a little too quickly and began to fall. Thanks to her partner's quick reflexes, he was able to get an arm around her and ease her to the floor.

"Mary." Marshall said, kneeling and taking her head in his lap. "Mary, can you hear me?" his voice growing as was his concern when she didn't answer. Getting no response, he checked her pulse. It was slow, but not at a point of being dangerous and she was breathing steadily. After making sure she wasn't running a fever, he decided she must have finally ridden all her defenses into the ground and her body could no longer handle the stress.

He took off his coat and placed it under her head while he printed out the information from her computer. Then, with a few keystrokes he logged Mary off and using an administrative password, he cleared her history and any record of her having been in the office that night.

After grabbing the papers, he scooped Mary up in his arms just as she was starting to come to, but he knew she would be in no condition to fight him. He was not surprised by her attempts, though. And under other circumstances, her weak fist to his chest and groggy orders to put her down would have amused him.

As he carefully placed her in the backseat of the SUV, he could see that she was once again on the verge of losing consciousness. He climbed into the driver's seat and made a mental note to call Jinx in the morning to let her know Mary was with him and to make sure someone collected the probe before Monday morning.

Pulling out of the parking lot, he pointed the truck toward the Interstate and drove west until they reached Gallup, NM. It was 3 a.m. and he'd been driving for two hours, constantly reaching behind him to make sure his sleeping partner was breathing without a problem.

Knowing he needed to get some sleep as well, and not wanting to have a confrontation with Mary in a moving vehicle, he pulled off the highway onto Route 66 and found a motel. He regarded Mary's sleeping form and briefly debated the best way to proceed. The last thing he wanted to do was wake her, but he wasn't going to leave her to sleep alone in the car, either.

Finally accepting that there was no alternative, he was thankful he remembered to request a room on the first floor and he gathered her up in his arms. She started to shift and he was fearful of what may happen if she woke up while in her current position. But instead, she mumbled something unintelligible and wrapped her arms around his neck before drifting off again.

'Damn, she must be really exhausted,' Marshall thought as he lay her down on the bed. Removing her shoes, he decided it was better not to touch her clothing. Instead, he grabbed the extra blanket from the motel closet and draped it over her.

"Sleep tight," he whispered, examining her face as she slept. Even in slumber, she didn't look peaceful and he wasn't happy she hadn't been taking care of herself. As he thought more about it, he just couldn't understand how she'd managed to survive all these years without someone around to keep an eye on her.

Shaking off the thoughts, he left the room to retrieve their go bags from the truck, grateful Mary had kept hers in the probe despite being on leave. Then he headed to the bathroom to clean himself up before crawling into the other bed and passing out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

So, you think Mary's gonna be pissed? And Marshall, he'll probably have something to say too. Push the button, I'd love to know your thoughts?