A/N: I do not own In Plain Sight I am just borrowing them for my own enjoyment.

Embracing the Messy

Everything was taken care of, as discussed. Mary was set up in one of the offices in the morgue basement. No windows with a locked door, the office had not been used in some time. It was the perfect place to hide her, at least until they could get her out of here. Marshall was sitting once again by Mary's bedside. One hand entwined with hers and the other flipping though the case file Bobby brought him on Monetti. The man was ruthless to say the least, he is suspected to be involved in the death of seventeen so far, and that was only the ones they knew of. That doesn't include all the people missing.

"Marshal.." Mary's voice snapped his attention to her face, happy to see her awake.

"Mare, how you feeling?" The relief in his voice wasn't missed by Mary.

"Better...less..underwater." Marshall's eyebrow rose at that and his face turned concerned.

"You were conscious the whole time before?"

"Mostly, I couldn't keep my eyes open, but I heard everything. I kept trying to..." Mary was getting upset.

"Don't think about it. It's alright now." Marshall was resisting the urge to hug her. He just gave her hand a squeeze.

"It scared me." Mary looked away.

"Didn't my endless rambling, keep you company?" He was trying to lighten the mood, to calm her down. Her monitors were frantically beeping and he knew it was panic.

"Yeah...it did." Mary looked around for the first time confused. "Where in the hell are we?"

"Somewhere safe."

"Marshall...I obviously missed something." She was staring at him, that stare that said spill or I will shoot you.

"There is concern, that Monetti will come after you." Mary's mouth dropped slightly.

"Shut the hell up...what? why?"

"We aren't one hundred percent sure, you are definitely at risk. We are just being cautious. Monetti doesn't like loose ends or people messing up his plans. You most definitely messed up his plan."

"Well that is just great." Mary's sarcasm was back in full swing and Marshall grinned. "What?"

"Welcome back, Sunshine." He kept grinning at her and she rolled her eyes, eventually smiling as well. Marshall heard footsteps approaching and pulled his gun. Mary froze, hating feeling useless. Whoever is was stopped at the door, they hear a key and the door started to open.

"It's me." Stan stepped in and Marshall put the gun down. Stan locked the door up behind him.

"Hey me." Mary smirked at Stan s whispered entry. He looked like a little kid sneaking in to a movie or something.

"Mary, good to see you awake." Stan smiled.

"Awww...miss me." Mary batted her eyelashes at him.

"That is just creepy." Marshall laughed.

"Shut it, doufus."

"Back to your old self, I see." Stan chuckled. "I actually missed it."

"Wow...Stan, you are a masochist. I knew there was a reason I loved you." Mary grinned and Stan just shook his head. "So I'm in protective custody?"

"Yeah, for now." Stan looked to Marshall to see how much she knew. "You all up to speed?"

"Mary...hasn't been awake that long actually." Marshall's voice was hesitant and Mary picked up on it instantly.

"What? I know that tone." Mary looked between Stan and Marshall. "I am not going to like whatever it is."

"Until we know, you are not at risk, you will be in protective custody. I...since you were originally planned to be on vacation, we can easily get you out of here." Stan was hoping she would go with this, but feared this would take convincing.

"Wait. What? How long?" Staring hard at Stan.

"Doctor is saying, four to six weeks recoup for you. By then the trial should be over and we will have had time to access, if you are in the clear."

"Four weeks!" Mary looked from Stan to Marshall. "You had to threaten me, to take my two weeks vacation. Marshall was this idea yours?" Marshall didn't say anything and Stan looked to Marshall to help.

"Stan, can you give us a few?" Marshall was hoping more then a few minutes, knowing this would be a uncomfortable conversation.

"Yeah, sure I need to check in with Bobby. I will see you both later." Stan quickly vacated the room, leaving Marshall to deal with Mary.

"Alone at last." Marshall quipped trying to lighten the mood, but she just stared at him. "Maybe not...look Mare, be logical. You cannot go back to work, because of the shooting anyway. You can be on vacation, relax a non-working trip." He smiled hoping her earlier words would help.

"Or I could be bait. We can use me to try and get the other hit men." Mary was deep in thought, trying to think of how they could work it.

"No." Marshall's heart stopped. "Absolutely not, are you insane?"

"It would be the best way to get me clear of all this." Mary sincerely thought that was the best approach, but the look on Marshall's face made her hesitate. "I get that you want to protect me and I don't want to upset you..." Marshall cut her off.

"Upset me! Upset me...like oops, I spilled coffee." Marshall was pacing, frustration pouring from him, as he raked his fingers through his hair. His eyes were tearing up and he knew he was loosing it. "Mare...loosing you would break me." Marshall turned to face her, his eyes locked to hers, pleading for her to understand. "I cannot lose you...I have almost lost you three times now." Marshall's voice was cracking on the last sentence and the emotion from it shook Mary. 'Jesus, he is in love with me.'

"Ok." Marshall looked surprised and was just staring at her.

"What?" His voice was hoarse.

"I said Ok, right now...it is a bad idea. We will wait and see how this plays out." Marshall looked relieved. "BUT if after four weeks, I am still in protective custody we need another plan. I am a US Marshal, I don't want to be IN Witsec." Marshall nodded, now having to pray that this gets wrapped up in a month.

INPLAINSIGHT INPLAINSIGHT INPLAINSIGHT

It has been two days, since she woke up and that is when all hell broke loose. Marshall and her were kidding around, the Doctor had just been in and said she was healing up nicely. Marshall s phone rang, breaking up there banter.

"Marshall." Marshall's face grew serious and his eye's went to the door. "Done." Marshall hung up and looked to Mary. "We have to go...now."

"What's wrong?" Mary got out of the bed, a bit wobbly on her feet, but stood up.

"Someone is asking staff about you. We need to get out of here now." Marshall grabbed a bag he had packed for her and handed her some clothes. She snorted. "What?"

"Nothing, just haven't seen or worn this in ions." Mary looked at him, waiting for him to turn around. "Unless you want a peep show pervis...want to turn around?"

"Oh yeah, sorry..." Marshall turned bright red and Mary laughed. She pulled on her underwear and the loose fitting pants. Bending down, still hurt like hell.

"Shit." She spit through her teeth as a burning pain hit her.

"Mare?" Marshall was resisting the urge to turn around.

"I'm alright. Just hurts." Mary looked at the bra and winced. 'no way, that will go right over where I am stitched up...hmm tank top and shirt will work' She finished getting dressed and zipped up the jacket. "I'm dressed." Marshall turned around and instantly saw how pale she was.

"You are not going to be able to get out of here quick enough..." Marshall's face lit up with an idea, he knew everything that was in that room from observing while Mary slept. He grabbed an unopen box on the shelf and pulled out a black bag.

"No way...Marshalll." Mary whined

"Sorry Mare, I got no other ideas. At least it's new and not used." Mary actually was thankful for that, but it still gave her the creeps. "Plus it kinda works with what Stan and I already have set up. Trust me."

"I trust you, I just don't like it."

He changed his jacket for an EMT jacket and hat. They changed the bed to lay flat and cleared the sheets. Marshall laid the bag out and unzipped it for Mary to get in it...He knew Mary wasn't comfortable with this, but the site before him...he had to admit disturbed him beyond words. Mary painfully got back onto the bed and Marshall put their stuff in the bag around her to make it less obvious she was breathing.

"I will get you out of this, as quick as I can." Marshall then zipped up the body bag and opened the door to the room. He looked out and the hall was clear. He wheeled Mary out and down to the rear doors, where they usually sent bodies out for pick up. All was good so far. He wheeled her out to the ambulance waiting there. He pulled open the doors, awkwardly picked the bodybag and put it in the back of the ambulance. He tried to make it look like he wasn t being overly cautious with the body, but also didn't want to jostle Mary too much. He closed the doors and wheeled the bed back into the hospital. He hopped into the front of the ambulance, started it and drove off. Checking the mirrors to ensure they weren't being followed. "Mary, a little bit longer." He drove to another hospital, looked like he was picking up someone else. He pulled the ambulance into the back of the hospital, parking next to the car Stan had waiting. He climbed into the back of the ambulance and unzipped the bag. "You alright?" If possible, she looked paler.

"Never again." She moved a bit too fast, trying to get out of the bag and hissed in pain. Marshall helped her, getting everything they put in there out of the bag, including Mary. He folded the bag, stashing it in a storage bin wanting to lower any suspicion, in case anyone checked the ambulance out. "Where to now?"

"Come on." He guided her to the front of the ambulance and he hopped out the passenger side first, surveying the area. Once clear, he helped her down and had her get in the back of car. "Lay down." Mary didn't argue, which made me grateful and worried at once. He locked up the ambulance and put their stuff in the car. A minute later, they were on the road.

INPLAINSIGHT INPLAINSIGHT INPLAINSIGHT

They were an hour into the drive, Mary still hadn't said a word. Marshall kept stealing glances at her, from the rearview mirror, she was just laying there her eyes shut. He knew she wasn't asleep. He could tell from her breathing, but he decided to give her space. He took Interstate 40 into Amarillo, pulled into a strip mall parking lot.

"This is perfect. Mare?" He turned around and she was looking up at him. "Stay put." He handed her a gun, most importantly her gun and badge. "Just in case, but I think we are fine. I won't be long." She just nodded. 'Not a word, she had me worried before this and now I am really worried. I hate to leave her here.' Marshall grabbed an envelope out of the glove box, got out of the car, locking it up.

He quickly made his way to the strip mall, but walked behind it around the corner was a car dealer. He walked around the lot, waiting for someone to walk up to him. After a few minutes walking around, a salesguy walked up anxious to help. He found a perfect vehicle before he even parked the car, he had noticed it from the road. After some haggling, Marshall purchased a 1974 Ford Bronco, damn thing looked like a tank. He gave the guy cash, temp tags were on and they were set. Once in the truck, he called Stan giving him the information. Stan transferred it to the plates, they had into the trunk of the car, his partner was currently lying in. He parked the truck away from the car, so it wasn't an obvious switch. He got back to the car, and opened the driver door.

"Mare, time to go." She sat up and moved to get out. Marshall grabbed a few more things out of the glove box and popped the trunk. He threw everything in the duffel in the back of the car. Mary was leaning on the car. He locked it up, threw the duffel over his shoulder and wrapped an arm gently around her. She didn't question it, she leaned into him and he led her toward the strip mall to a restaurant. "Let's get something to go, we will leave out the side door." She nodded. "Need you to be less...noticeable Mare."

They walked in and place an order for pizza to go. They grabbed a few sodas and a bottle of water. She sat nuzzled up to Marshall, trying to appear less like she was ready to pass out. Ten minutes later they were walking out the side door to the Bronco. He threw the bag into the back seat and helped Mary into the front. She groaned as he helped her in. Once he was in the truck, he grabbed the medication out of the duffel bag, handing pain meds and antibiotics to Mary with the bottle of water. She gratefully took it downing both pills. 'Shit, she is in a lot of pain, if she didn't protest.' He put the pizza box on the seat between them and started the truck.

"Marshall..." He looked over to her. "Thank you." He smiled.

"Anytime Mare, just relax. Eat and I will drive." She nodded, biting into a slice of pizza. He pulled out of the parking lot and went back onto the highway. "Curious yet, as to where we are heading?"

"Nope, I'm with you...that's good enough." Mary took another bite of pizza, looking out at the scenery fly by.

Marshall felt his throat tighten, more then touched at her words. He just smiled and kept driving. 'Should be an interesting trip...'