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Different Road, Same Journey

"You finished, Princess?" Marshall asked when he saw Ava put down her spoon into her cereal bowl.

"Yep." She grinned up at him.

"Well, why don't you go and get washed up." He cleared away her bowl and cup. "Aunt Kelly will be here in about 10 minutes."

"Okay!" She jumped off her chair and ran out the room.

Marshall moved over to the counter and poured himself another mug of strong coffee. He had no sleep at all during the night. He had left Mary's around 4am not wanting to risk falling asleep and the girls waking up to him not there but once he got back and sent Jack home after an hour of reassuring him, he was okay he found he couldn't sleep at all.

Ava had woken up at 6am and seemed to have forgotten about the night before. He enjoyed a quiet hour, cuddled up with his baby watching and laughing at some cartoons before she announced she was hungry. Now it was almost 8am and Alexis hadn't come downstairs but Marshall was pretty sure she was awake. He was debating with himself if he should go up and check on her. He wanted to let her come down in her own time but he didn't want her to be worried about seeing him. Before he could make a decision, he heard quiet footsteps on the stairs…Too quiet and slow to belong to Ava, who seemed to run everywhere.

"Good morning," he said softly when she appeared in the doorway.

"Hi." She replied shyly, tucking her hair behind her ear, not looking at him.

"Take a seat and I'll get you some breakfast." He told her. "What do you fancy? Toast or cereal?"

Alexis just shrugged as she sat down at the table. "I don't mind."

Marshall grabbed a box of her favorite cereal, putting into a bowl with some milk and then poured her a glass of orange juice. He placed it all down in front of her, dropping a kiss on the top of her head as he did.

"Where's Ava?" Alexis questioned after a couple of mouthfuls.

"She's already had breakfast and is upstairs." He told her as he sat opposite her. "She's going to hang out with Aunt Kelly today."

"Oh." Alexis looked down again. "Am I grounded?"

"No, you're not grounded." He assured her. "But I thought we could spend the day together."

"Just the two of us?" Her head snapped up quickly.

Marshall smiled a little. "Yeah, is that okay?"

She nodded and couldn't help but smile too.

"Okay, well you finish eating while I go help your sister get ready." Marshall stood up and squeezed her shoulder gently as he passed her.

It took him longer then he planned to get Ava ready to spend the day with Kelly. His youngest daughter was a whirlwind of movement most of the time and almost uncontrollable when she excited. It was always a mission trying to get her out of the door since she could become distracted quite easily and he had always been grateful and a little sad that Alexis could be so independent so he could focus on Ava.

"Now, princess, do you remember the rules?" Marshall questioned as he tied the laces on her sneakers.

"Of course…" She replied, wriggling around on the bottom step of the staircase so she could turn around to grab something behind her.

Marshall sighed, letting go of her laces to take her hands gently and turning back to face him. "Princess…"

"Yeah?" She smiled at him and he couldn't help but laugh lightly.

"What are the rules?"

"Um….To always listen?"

"Yep, that's right…You always listen to the adult." He went back to tying up her sneakers. "What else?"

"To hold hands!"

"Good girl!" He praised. "And what about happens at lunch time?"

"I have to eat all my food or I won't get my treat!"

"And?"

"And…." She paused for a moment. "I forgot…"

"When do you use to outdoor voice?"

"Outside!"

"And when do you not use it?"

"Inside."

He smiled. "Well, princess…I think you're about ready."

"Where Lexis?" She frowned.

"Your sister is going to stay with me today and you get to have some fun with Aunty Kelly." Marshall told her, hoping she wouldn't get upset. Normally his youngest didn't mind who she spent time with but after last night, he wasn't sure what kind of reaction he was going to get.

"Oh." She thought about it for a minute. "When is Mary coming over again?"

Marshall was surprised by the question. "Oh, I don't really know, princess…"

"I like her…" Ava claimed and jumped up at the sound of a key in the front door. "Aunty Kelly!"

"Hey munchkin!" She greeted as she stepped into the house. "So, I hear you're coming with me today."

"Huh-uh!"

"Thanks, Kell…" Marshall stood up straight. "Where are Tom and Lizzie?"

"They're both spending the day with friends so I'm glad I get this little one's company." Kelly put a hand on Ava's shoulder, who looked up and grinned at her. "You think you can help me at the grocery store?"

"Can I help push the cart?"

"Well, that's what I need help with…" Kelly said teasingly. "And then after lunch, I thought we could go play on the swings!"

Ava's eyes widen with excitement. "Let's go!"

"Hey!" Marshall called after her in mock offense once she was out the front door.

"Bye Daddy!" she came running back and threw her arms around him.

"Have fun, Princess." He kissed the top of her head. "Be good."

"I'll bring her back sometime around 4." Kelly told him.

"Thanks, I really appericate this."

"I keep telling you, it's not a problem." She assured them, glancing outside and saw Ava was waiting beside her car on the driveway. "How Alexis this morning?"

"Quiet." Marshall shrugged. "We haven't really had chance to talk."

"She'll be okay." She squeezed his arm reassuringly.

"Aunt Kelly!" Ava whined causing them both to laugh.

"I better go." Kelly turned and stepped out of the door.

"Bye." Marshall watched from the doorway, waiting until Ava was strapped into her car seat before waving one last time and closing the door.

When he reentered the kitchen, he found Alexis washing up the breakfast dishes.

"I was going to do that." He told her as he picked up a towel to start drying.

She shrugged. "I don't mind…"

"Well, thanks…" He replied. "So, is there anything you want to do today?"

"I have my English project that needs doing…"

"I didn't think that had to be done right away."

"It has to be in by the end of the month." She informed him.

"We have time to get it finished." He assured her. "I thought we could have some fun today, maybe go to the movies and have lunch anywhere you like."

"So, you don't hate me?" She looked up at him.

Marshall dropped the towel the second he saw her tear filled eyes. "Hey, come here…No, I don't hate…I could never hate you."

He wrapped his arms around her tightly, not caring that she was getting his t-shirt wet as she gripped onto him.

"I didn't mean it…" She sobbed, burying her face into his stomach. "I don't hate you...I don't."

"I know…" He said softly, running a hand gently over her hair. "It's okay."

She pulled back after a few second to look up at him again. "You're really not mad at me?"

"No, sweetheart, I'm not mad at you." He reached down and took hold of her hand. "Let's go sit down and talk…"

She wiped her free hand over her eyes, brushing the tears away as he led her out of the kitchen and into the living where he pulled her down onto the couch beside him.

"I'm not mad at you." He told her again. "I'm a little mad at myself…"

"Why?" Alexis frowned.

"Because you got upset and I was the one who upset you." He explained. "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about Mary before she came over…I didn't think you guys would meet her so soon but I still should have told you about her."

"Are you still going to see her?" Alexis asked quietly.

"Yeah, sweetheart I am." He replied honestly. "But it's not going to cut into the time I spend with you and your sister…It'll be the nights when I finish work late and you guys stay with Uncle Jack."

Alexis nodded a little but kept her head down until Marshall lifted her chin, concerned when she saw the tears reappear.

"Ally-Jo…" He used a nickname he rarely used now after she had announced it was too babyish when she was three. "You and Ava are my whole world… My number priority…Always and forever…Nothing is going to change that."

"I know." She whispered. "But does this mean Mom isn't coming back?"

Marshall sighed. "I wish I knew…She is always going to be your mom, Alexis and I know she loves you in her own way….and maybe she'll come back one day to see you girls but her and me, we're divorced now."

"And you like Mary?"

"Yeah, I do like Mary." He nodded. "But she's not replacing your mom..."

"Don't you have fun with Ava and me?" She asked. "Why do you need her?"

"I love spending time with you both but this is an adult thing…Sometimes I need to do adult things with other adults."

"Why can't you do them with Uncle Jack and Aunty Kelly?"

Marshall smiled a little. "It's complicated."

She sighed. "Fine…"

He reached over and gently wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry I upset you."

"I'm sorry I shouted at you." She moved closer to him and cuddled up against him.

"I also want you to apologize to Ava later." Marshall told her, putting his arms around her again. "No matter how upset you were it was not okay what you said to her."

"I know and I'll say sorry." She agreed.

"Good." He kissed the top of her head. "Now how about we find out what movies are playing?"

She smiled and stood up. "Okay."

XxXxX

Marshall and Alexis arrived back just before Kelly brought Ava back. He had just started dinner when his youngest ran into the house, calling him.

"Hey." He greeted them in the hallway, catching Ava when she threw herself at him.

"Daddy, guess what!" She bounced in his arms.

"What?" He questioned, laughing a little at her excitement.

"I went on the big kid slide!"

"You did?"

"Yep and no one helped me!" She told him. "Tell him, Aunty Kelly!"

"What's going on?" Alexis appeared.

"Your sister went down the big slide at the park by herself." Kelly informed her.

"I wasn't even scared!" Ava added.

"That's great, Princess!" Marshall kissed her cheek.

"Can we go tomorrow so you can watch me?" Ava asked him.

"I think we can fit some time in at the park." Marshall nodded. "Maybe we can take a picnic for lunch…"

"YAY!" Ava cheered loudly.

"Okay, well right now I need to finish dinner." He set her back down the floor.

"I wanna help!" She held her arms up to him to be picked up again.

"Dad and I went to library today and I chose a book for you." Alexis told her and held out a hand to her. "Why don't you I read it to you before dinner?"

Ava looked from Marshall to Alexis and grinned. "Okay!"

"What do you say to Aunty Kelly?" Marshall said, stopping them before they could disappear.

"Thank you, Aunt Kelly!" Ava gave her a quick hug before returning to her sister's side.

"It was my pleasure, Munchkin…"

Kelly followed Marshall into the kitchen where he was cutting up some vegetables.

"So, Alexis seemed okay…" She leant against the counter to watch him. "Did you guys get to talk?"

"Yeah, she had a few questions and I managed to answer them for her…"

"What did you tell her about Mary?"

"Just that I won't see Mary when I'm meant to be with them."

Kelly nodded. "And she was okay with it?"

Marshall shrugged. "I don't know…I think she will be but it might take time for her to get used to it."

"And until then you keep them separate?"

Marshall looked at her. "What does that mean?"

"Just…just be careful." She advised. "You'll be no good to anyone, especially the girls, if you burn yourself into the ground trying to be everything to everyone…"

"I'm fine." He claimed. "I can handle it."

"I hope so but you know where we are if you ever do some help." She pushed herself away from the counter. "Well, I better get home."

"Thanks, again Kelly…"

He walked her to the door and on his way back to the kitchen he stopped to look in on his daughters. His heart almost melted at the sight on them both squeezed into the arm chair. Alexis a book open on her lap, reading aloud while Ava had her head resting on her sister's arm with her thumb in mouth and with Stan the Bear tucked under her arm.

He smiled and just as he stepped back into the kitchen, he got a text message alert. His grinned got wider when he saw it was a message from Mary, asking how his day was and if the girls were okay….

He thought about what Kelly had said about burning himself into the ground and he could understand her concerns but he wasn't going to let that happen, he had to fighting for the girls and for Mary because he couldn't lose any of them.

TBC

So no Mary in this one, really but some Marshall/Daughter time. Let me know what you think! Please review!