Here's chapter 2 - So, what did happen to Nana's box?

"I'll have a Blue Christmas without you
I'll be so blue just thinking about you
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
won't be the same dear, if you're not here with me."

Stan closed the interoffice email and sighed. In years past he had always been excited for the annual WitSec Secret Santa – even dressing up as the big man himself to distribute the gifts at the party. But this year, his festive mood was missing and he didn't know if he could get it back. He looked out into the main office area and saw Charlie sitting in her spot. It didn't matter that it wasn't her desk, or that she hadn't occupied the area in almost a year. What mattered was that when he glanced that way he thought he saw her. When he came in early, he thought he heard the sound of her boots in the small kitchen.

Stan put his head in his hands and took some deep breaths. He had been a fool, an old fool. He had fallen in love – and for awhile he had waited patiently and taken things slowly because she was scared and grieving the loss of her husband. But as time went on, he knew she wasn't going to stay with him – no one had ever chosen to stay with Stanley McQueen. And so last Christmas in a desperate attempt to fight the end he knew was coming, he pulled out all the stops and proposed. By New Year's Day she was gone, her resignation on his desk along with her copy of his house keys.

"I do love you, Stan, but it's too fast, too soon. Please give me some more time."

He snorted into his hands. Time? If he continued to wait he would look like Father Time before he got what he wanted for Christmas. A knock on his door made him lift his head and straighten his shoulders.

"Come in."

Charlie stuck his head into the office. "You ok, Sir? I saw you slump over a few minutes ago and I got worried."

Stan rolled his eyes. "Did you think I was having a stroke in here?"

Charlie swallowed nervously and shook his head.

"I'm not that old, kid; now quit calling me sir and get back to work!" Stan barked.

"Yes, sir – I mean, I'm sorry, chief!" Charlie replied, backing out of the office and returning to his desk at a fast walk.

Marshall paused in his typing to whisper across the floor. "I told you not to go in there."

"I was worried about him," Charlie defended himself.

Mary snorted from behind her coffee cup. "Kid, you're lucky he didn't blow your head completely off. Stan's been in a foul mood ever since Thanksgiving. He's giving me a run for the title of 'Scrooge'."

Marshall cocked his head. "You're right, Mer. Our jolly boss is not so jolly this year – I wonder why? What's different between this year and last?" he pondered aloud.

Charlie ran a finger around his collar nervously. "I'm the new kid on the block – is it something I did?"

Marshall's eyes widened and his hands stilled over the keyboard. "Maybe not what you did but the mere fact that you're here and someone else isn 't!" he whispered eagerly to Mary.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Here we go again with your conspiracy theories, Gidget."

He grinned at her. "Ridicule if you must, but I know what I saw in the office that day – and other days too."

She set her coffee cup down with a bang. "What other days?"

He resumed typing. "I don't think I'll tell you. You always take it to an ugly place."

Charlie looked back and forth between the bickering partners in confusion. "I don't understand – are you guys talking about the Chief?"

Mary shot him a death glare over her shoulder. "Butt out, kid! The grownups are talking."

Charlie flushed dark red and picked up a file folder, burying his face on the other side.

"Mer, that was uncalled for! Don't be so rude to him – he's terrified of you as it is."

Mary laughed as Stan threw open his office door and strode onto the main floor.

"Okay, people listen up. I just received an interoffice email telling me it's that time of year again – time for our annual WitSec Christmas party and you know what that means." He looked around the room expectantly.

Marshall grinned; Mary groaned and put her head down on her desk while Charlie looked at Stan blankly

"Secret Santa, Charlie," Marshall explained.

"Oh!" Charlie nodded. "But there's only four of us – well, five if you count Theresa; and that's not enough people for a really good game of Secret Santa."

"We also have the new marshals from Phoenix in our office who will be participating this year," Stan said.

"And the girls from payroll who sign our checks always join us," Marshall added. "Stan, the party isn't going to be on Christmas Eve, is it?"

Stan shook his head. "No, too many of us are going to be out of town if nothing comes up with a witness. Mary, you'll be able to hold down the fort?"

Mary lifted her head and a paper clip that had been pressed against her forehead fell to the desk top. She rolled her eyes at Marshall's snicker. "Yeah, chief."

"Great." Stan cleared his throat. "So the party is going to be on Friday night, Dec 17th at the Andaluz Hotel."

Mary's and Marshall's mouths fell open but it was Charlie who spoke. "Is that downtown?"

Stan nodded.

"Allison Pierce approved that? It's a four diamond hotel!" Mary sputtered.

Stan shrugged. "I guess she doesn't want to be shown up by the big boys – wants to give you all a nice Christmas bonus."

"Gee, thanks, a gourmet dinner where the servings are so small that I'll go home hungry and a present from some yahoo that I won't be able to return," Mary muttered under her breath.

"That's my girl," Marshall grinned.

Mary felt something like a warm blanket surround her. It had been so long since Marshall had spoken those words to her – much longer than the six months he had distanced himself from her. She realized with a start that things had slowly been deteriorating in their relationship over the last couple of years. When had it actually started to go south? Was the damage reversible? She shivered as a shadow fell across her.

"Mer? What's wrong – are you cold?"

She looked up into the concerned eyes of her partner as he perched on the side of her desk. She realized that she had missed the rest of Stan's announcement and he had moved off with Charlie to the coffee machine to discuss something more work related.

"I'm afraid I missed the end of Stan's announcement. When do we get the name of our victims?"

Marshall shook his head at her. "Mary, please promise me that you will play nicely with the other children this year. No reindeer poop, or jellybeans that taste like dirt, or actual pieces of coal."

Mary was shaking with laughter as he ticked off her presents of the past. "But, Marshall," she whined. "Buying those kinds of presents is the only thing that helps me get into the Christmas spirit!"

He leaned down and gently pulled a paperclip from the tangled ends of her hair, letting it fall from his fingers as he breathed into her ear, "Well, maybe I'll just have to help you find other ways to get into the spirit of the season."

Mary shivered again as he pulled away and wondered if the heating system was broken as she couldn't seem to get warm. As he pulled away to resume his seat on the edge of her desk she said, "You can monitor my shopping – unless I draw your name, of course."

He rolled his eyes. "That doesn't matter – you get me the same present every year."

Charlie's attention had been drawn by this last statement. "You buy Marshall the same thing every year?"

Mary glared at him but Marshall nudged her knee so she shrugged and answered. "Yeah, a peppermint pie."

"What's so special about that?"

"The special part is – Mary buys it for me and doesn't beg, borrow, or steal a single piece of it. I get the whole pie to myself," Marshall explained with a smile at his partner and Mary stuck her tongue out at him.

Charlie shrugged like he still didn't get it and Stan chuckled. "They've been together for seven years, kid. It's an inside joke – you'll never get it."

"Do you?"

Stan smiled. "Of course – but I'm the man." With one last look at his kids, he went back inside his office.

"So what do you get Mary?" Charlie asked Marshall.

Mary scowled, clearly wanting this conversation to be over so the men moved to Marshall's desk. She bent her head over the paperwork to give the illusion she was working and not listening, but Marshall knew better.

"Mary told me at the beginning of our partnership that she didn't celebrate holidays and didn't want a big fuss made over her birthday either."

"So, you've never gotten her a Christmas present?" Charlie asked, incredulous.

"Correct."

"Wow."

Mary waited for the punch line and Marshall didn't disappoint. "I get her anniversary presents instead. See, Mary and I met on December 9, 2003 and officially become partners on the following Monday, the 15th. When she gave me that speech about holidays and I realized that our partner anniversary was just 10 days before Christmas, I decided to split the difference and call her Christmas present an anniversary present instead."

"That's brilliant!" Charlie was in awe.

"Cheeky bugger!" Mary muttered from her desk.

Marshall turned and grinned at her. "Of course, I knew she'd figure it out eventually – and she did. But I still call it an anniversary present and she pretends she doesn't know what I'm doing."

"So, what have you bought her over the years?"

"Marshall!" Mary growled threateningly.

"Ah, I think I've said all I can on the subject, Charlie," Marshall smiled. "You can come to me for some pointers if you draw her name for Secret Santa."

Charlie gulped audibly.

"Marshall!" Mary hissed.

His answering laugh was cut short by the ringing of his cell. "This is Marshall."

"Hi, Marshall, it's Brandi. Please don't let Mary know you're talking to me!"

"Hey, what's up?" Marshall's eyes flicked nervously to Mary, who had lifted her head when his phone rang and was watching his end of the conversation closely.

"I was wondering if you could come meet me for lunch if you're not busy – and just you, without my sister?"

"Are you ok?"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth he knew they had been the wrong ones to say for now Mary's radar was really pinging and she was halfway out of her chair. He motioned her to sit back down with his free hand.

"Not really – I mean, I'm not in jail or at the police station or anything, I'm just upset. Look, it's about what we were talking about at Peep's the other morning. Please, I need to talk to you to see if you can help me."

Marshall rubbed his forehead and tried to think. The other morning at Peep's – they had talked about Christmas memories: his puppy, Brandi's childhood tree, Nana's box . . . was that it?

"Are you sure we can't talk about this later? I mean, I'll be seeing you-" He stopped before he said the words 'in a few hours' because that would definitely let Mary know who was on the other end of his phone. He heard Mary's cell ring and watched her answer, relieved to have her distracted so he could talk more openly. "Ok, Mary's distracted so I can talk. What's the matter?"

"I asked mom like Mary said and I really need to talk to you – to see if we can help Mary have a Merry Christmas, Marshall." Brandi hiccupped.

"Where are you?" He listened as she gave the name of a small coffee shop that served breakfast and lunch and wasn't too far from the office. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes, okay?" Hanging up, he shrugged into his black long coat and picked up his scarf. Turning back around, he nearly knocked Mary over because she was standing so close to him.

"Who was on the phone?" she demanded, her eyes narrowed. "You're in a big rush all of a sudden."

"Well, it's lunch time and there's nothing going on at the moment so I thought I'd go grab something while it's still quiet."

"I see," she said, her eyes narrowing even further.

"Who was on your phone?" he redirected her.

"Peter – he wants to take me to lunch. He said he has an important matter to discuss with me."

Marshall's eyes widened. "Really? I wonder what that's about?"

Mary shrugged. "He's probably seen the real Brandi Shannon and is ready to boot her ass back on the street if I don't let her move back in with me."

"Mary! I can't believe you'd say that. Peter's a great guy and he loves your sister."

"What does that have to do with anything? Raph was a great guy and he loved me – and look what happened there." She turned away but her movement was halted as he placed his hand on her arm.

He tugged gently until she was leaning back into his coat covered chest. "What happened between you and Raphael – don't you think it was better to have found out before the wedding that you weren't in love with him?"

She looked up at him in surprise. "How did you-" but her words broke off when she saw his smirk. She allowed herself to relax in his hold, resting her head against his shoulder for a moment. "I suppose. But what's so great about love anyway? I lost a great guy because I didn't love him enough." She shook out of his hold and turned to face him. "And I nearly lost my best friend this year too through my own selfish actions."

"But you didn't. I told you – my life sucks without you. So you're stuck with me for the long haul, I'm afraid."

She reached out and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. "Enjoy your lunch, Marshall. Whoever she is, she's a very lucky lady."

As she moved back towards her desk, he opened his mouth to tell her she was wrong, that the lunch "date" was with her sister. But then he closed his mouth and headed for the elevator. Let her keep her assumptions for now. Christmas was the season for secrets and surprises. If he and Brandi were able to make a magical Christmas for Mary, he wanted it to be a surprise – because if she knew and it didn't come to pass, she'd be disappointed. And she'd had too many disappointments in her life. He wouldn't add one more to the list.

Marshall pushed open the door of Lindy's Coffee Shop and was scanning the lunch rush for Brandi when the blonde tackled him in a bone crushing hug.

"Oh Marshall! Thank God you came!" she sobbed against his chest.

"Brandi. Brandi! I can't – breathe!" he wheezed.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!" she cried, releasing him instantly. He staggered at the sudden freedom but she grabbed his hand and led him through the crowd to a booth along the back wall where Jinx was sitting.

Marshall was instantly tense. While he had gotten more comfortable around Brandi, something about Jinx Shannon still set his teeth on edge. Try as hard as he could, he just couldn't seem to relax in her presence. Fortunately, the older woman seemed to be gathering her stuff to leave. As they approached, Jinx stood and pulled on her gloves.

"Marshall! You're looking well – though a bit thin. You need a good woman to fatten you up," Jinx admonished, shaking a gloved finger at him.

"My mom says the same thing," Marshall smiled at her.

"Mom, can't you stay for a few minutes? I'm sure Marshall would like to hear the story from you."

"Look, Sweetie, I told you before I met you for lunch that I only had an hour. I'm doing private lessons now so my students can be ready for their recitals. I have to go." She gave Brandi a kiss and Marshall watched as the younger woman barely returned the affection.

Jinx pouted. "You gonna be mad at me forever, Sweetie?"

Brandi rolled her eyes. "No, mom, but Nana's box was a family heirloom and what you did broke Mary's heart. It practically threw her into Mark's waiting arms."

Jinx raised her gloved finger again. "I did what I had to for my girls."

"Really, mom? Did all the money go for the bills? Or did some of it go down your throat?" Brandi cried.

Jinx gasped, a gloved hand covering her mouth as she swooned on her feet.

Marshall prayed she wouldn't faint here in Lindy's and cause a scene; besides, he really didn't want to try and catch her.

"I'm sorry, mom, I-" Brandi reached out but Jinx pushed her aside.

"I'll see you later, Sweetie, after you've had time to calm down." With a sob, Jinx fled the coffee shop.

Marshall turned in time to catch a sobbing Brandi in his arms. As he tried to calm the hysterical woman he wondered how his partner's lunch was going.

"So, you're probably wondering why I asked you to lunch."

Mary looked up from cutting her steak. Setting her knife and fork down for the moment, she reached for her water glass and took a long sip. "I will admit that you've piqued my curiosity – I can only assume this is about Brandi."

Peter smiled. "It is."

Mary nodded grimly. "I wondered how long it would take you to realize that you'd made a mistake."

"Excuse me?"

"Moving in with my sister. I tried to warn you, if you'll recall. She's got some real annoying habits and quirks-"

Peter's grin grew. "Don't we all?"

Mary looked at him in confusion for a moment. "I suppose. But Brandi – well, she's needy. She needs someone to look after her and it's a thankless, draining, exhausting job. Believe me, I know whereof I speak."

Peter's right eyebrow rose. "Do you?"

"Of course," Mary popped a piece of steak into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully for a few moments. "So when do you want her stuff out?"

Peter began to laugh. Mary set her fork down and blinked at him in surprise. Had living with Brandi driven the poor man round the bend?

Finally Peter wiped his eyes and took a long drink from his own glass of water. "Oh Mary, I think we have been talking at cross purposes."

"We have?"

He nodded. "I agree with you that Brandi's habit of clipping and painting her toenails in bed is not her most endearing quality – but she has many others that make up for it, believe me."

"Gross, Peter, I'm trying to eat here," Mary made a face as she swallowed a mouthful of baked potato.

"I apologize." He held up his hands in silent appeal. "I also agree with you that she needs someone to look after her, to keep her out of trouble. But I don't find it a thankless, draining, exhausting job. I rather find it a rewarding, replenishing, and refreshing job to take care of Brandi."

Mary's mouth fell open in disbelief. Peter had definitely lost his mind – either that or Marshall was right and the man really did love her sister.

She narrowed her eyes at the man sitting across the table from her.

"What?"

"I can't believe it," Mary said, shaking her head.

"What is it you can't believe?"

"I can't believe that I'm finally having lunch with a man who is madly in love with my sister."

Peter grinned.

"You are, aren't you? In love with Brandi?"

He nodded. "That's why I asked you to lunch, Mary."

She scrunched her brow in confusion. "To tell me you're in love with my sister?"

He laughed. "No. Well, yes, but also to ask for your permission to marry your sister."

By the time Marshall's chicken, biscuits, and gravy had arrived at the table Brandi had composed herself enough to tell Marshall what had happened to Nana's box. Jinx had taken it from Mary's hiding place one day when the girls were at school and pawned it.

Brandi sniffled into Marshall's handkerchief. "Mom swears to me it was to pay back rent and the heating bill but I know that Mary was working herself to the bone at Joe's diner after school and on weekends to pay those same bills. All of her money went to the bills and for groceries. Whatever was left she spent on school supplies for her and me. I remember mom having a boyfriend about that time, one that she was desperately trying to impress – maybe she sold the box so she could pretty herself up for him. I don't know. All I know is when I got off the bus that afternoon, I could hear Mary and mom screaming at each other from down the block. Mary blew past me before I got in the house but mom refused to tell me what the fight had been about. All these years and I never knew!"

"What did you mean when you told your mother that she pushed Mary into Mark's arms?"

Brandi hung her head. "The fight happened in late February – a couple of weeks after Mary's birthday. After it happened, Mary was hardly ever home. She moved in with Sally, one of Mark's band members, but she still continued to send the money from her job home and she still checked up on me. After her graduation ceremony, she and Mark rode off on his Harley and eloped."

Marshall absorbed this news and continued to eat while Brandi wiped her eyes.

"Do you want your handkerchief back?" she sniffed, holding it out to him.

He looked at the makeup smeared, tear stained piece of cloth and smiled at her. "No, Brandi. You keep it, wash it with your stuff and I'll get it back later."

She giggled. "I swear you and Peter are the only guys I've ever known that actually carry handkerchiefs."

"That's because we were raised to always be prepared to help a damsel in distress," he winked at her before popping a large bite of fried chicken in his mouth.

Brandi sighed. "I just don't understand why my sister hasn't snapped you up yet. Does she think you'll wait for her forever?"

Marshall choked on his food, tears rising to his eyes as he struggled to swallow and then breathe. Brandi rushed around to his side of the booth and began thumping him on the back.

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said something like that when you were eating!"

He had gotten his food down the right tube and was now trying to breathe, the tears streaming down his face. Brandi grabbed a napkin from the dispenser and wiped his face. The coughing fit was passing and he allowed Brandi to guide his head onto her shoulder.

The waitress appeared and in a voice devoid of emotion asked if they needed anything. Brandi glared at her and waved her off, calling her a bitch as she drifted away.

Marshall pulled away from her shoulder and leaned back against the wall of the booth. "Perhaps you are related to that hellcat of a partner of mine after all."

Brandi blushed. "I'm really sorry, are you ok?"

He nodded. "What were you saying before I tried to kill myself? Something about my feelings for Mary?" he looked at her warily.

She bit her lip. "Oh Marshall, don't try and hide your feelings from me – I've known forever that you're in love with my sister, longer than she has, I think."

He sighed and picked up his tea, taking a cautious sip. "You've never said anything to her?"

Brandi shook her head.

"Why?"

"Well, because she was with Raph."

Marshall raised his eyebrows. "She's always with someone, isn't she?"

"She isn't with anyone now."

"I know."

"So, now's the perfect time to-"

"Brandi-" he sighed her name and she stilled on the seat next to him. "I tried, ok? I poured my heart out to her and she ran away to Mexico with another guy."

"Oh. That explains why you guys were acting so weird at Macy's"

"Yeah."

"So, now what?"

"Now, we're back to the beginning – we're rebuilding our partnership and our friendship."

"And that's enough?"

He turned and met her eyes – green, so like Mary's but hers were a bit darker. "It'll have to be. Friendship is all Mary has to give me." With a great effort he shook off his melancholy. "But didn't you ask me here for my help? So far all you've done is tell me what happened to the box."

"And tried to kill you," Brandi added with a smile.

"Not intentionally," he smiled back. "So what do you need my help with?"

"I need your help finding this." She reached into her purse, pulled out a snapshot and placed it in his hands.

He gasped. "Brandi – is this Nana's box?"

She nodded eagerly. "Mom said the jeweler she took it to said it's mid 19th century and that the box is made of rosewood."

Marshall gripped the edges of the photo and tried in vain not to picture his hands around Jinx's throat instead.

"It's beautiful," he breathed.

"Isn't it?" Brandi sighed. "My description didn't do it justice, huh? You have to help me get it back for her, Marshall."

Marshall's head snapped up. "What? Brandi, that's – " he broke off at the childlike hope he saw in her eyes. "That's one tall order, even for Santa."

"But mom gave me the name of the shop she went to and we have the photo and you can blow it up and enhance it and stuff, right? And you're a US Marshal and you have connections, right?" Brandi was bouncing on the seat.

"Brandi, I can't go around abusing my US government privileges!" he hissed.

She stuck out her lower lip. "Not even for Christmas? Not even for Mary?" She placed another snapshot in his hands, this one of a five year old Mary with Nana and the box clasped between them.

Marshall drew a deep shuddering breath. The girl Mary in the photo had the biggest smile on her face and her eyes were lit with childhood innocence – two things that he had never seen on adult Mary's face. What he wouldn't give to see even a glimmer of that light in her eyes or a hint of a true smile on her face.

"All right, Brandi," he sighed. "I'll help you look for Nana's box. But this is our secret, okay?"

"Absolutely!" she shrieked as she hugged him tight.

The plot thickens - can Brandi really keep a secret? Will they really be able to find Nana's box after all this time? Stay tuned. Reviews are LOVE!