Author's Note: Special thanks to JMS529, MegManning, and JJ2008 for the reviews!

QUOTE PROMPT #007 – MARSHALL/NORAH

"There's some good in this world and it's worth fighting for"

"Why are you talking to me and not Mom?" Seven-year-old Norah asked her step-father.

"Because Mom is at work," Marshall explained, wiping the dirt from Norah's face, "and because she's pretty angry about you fighting again when you promised that you wouldn't fight anymore."

Norah frowned. "But, she also told me that I should stand up for myself and for others."

Marshall nodded. "That's true. But standing up for yourself doesn't have to mean using violence."

"You and Mom carry guns," Norah countered.

"Yes, we do. We also do everything we can not to use our guns. We try to use our words instead," Marshall explained.

Norah looked at him, sadly. "Oh."

He brushed the hair from her forehead. "So, do you want to tell me what you were fighting about?"

"Jeremy Sachs was picking on Harlow again," she admitted. She squirmed under his scrutiny. "He keeps telling her that there's something wrong with her because I have two dads and a mom that love me, but she doesn't have any parents that love her."

"She-" Marshall stopped as his voice cracked. Harlow was Brandi's six-year-old daughter. She had come to live with them permanently when she was three after bouncing around with Brandi for her first three years. "Does Harlow think that there is something wrong with her?"

Norah shrugged. "Sometimes. She says she wishes that you and Mom were her parents instead of Aunt Brandi because then someone would love her like you love me."

Marshall absently rubbed his jaw. He thought they had done so well bringing Harlow into their lives. They loved her just as much as they loved Norah and treated her as their own.

"Marshall?" Norah said. It was obvious from the expression on her face that she had been calling him for awhile. "How much trouble am I in?"

"I'm going to have to talk to Mom, but I don't think you'll be in too much trouble since you were defending your cousin," Marshall told her.

Norah grinned. "Can I go read for awhile?"

Marshall nodded and helped her down from the counter. He stopped her at the edge of the kitchen. "Hey, Norah? What would you think if we made Harlow your sister instead of your cousin?"

"That'd be pretty cool."

"Go read. I'll call you when Mom's home." Marshall chuckled when he heard her singing down the hall. He grabbed his phone to call his wife. "Hey, Mare. Remember when we were talking about formally adopting Harlow? I think it's time."

QUOTE PROMPT #008 – MARY/MARSHALL

"You may think your only choices are to swallow your anger or throw it in someone's face. But there's always a third option, you can just let it go. And only when you've done that is it really gone and you can move forward."

"What do you mean you're not angry?"

Marshall tried to hide the grin on his face that threatened to spill out over the incredulous tone in his former partner's voice. "It was six months ago."

Mary scoffed. "She was your fiancée! Your fiancée that made you give up your best friend. Your fiancée that cheated on you with not just your brother, but his wife as well, destroying their marriage, too!"

"Jack and Meg were already on thin ice. They have been for many years," Marshall countered.

"She still cheated on you!" Mary spun around so that her back was to him. "I don't understand how you can just forget that and move on."

Marshall stepped behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. He turned her. "I haven't forgotten it. If I had forgotten it, we would still be together. But I had to move on; I had to forgive her."

Mary focused her eyes on his top button as she whispered, "Why?"

"I had to let her go, let it go so that I could do this." He kissed her forehead and raised her chin. "I love you, Mary Shannon, and I always will. Whether I just remain your friend for the rest of my life or whether we eventually move onto something else, no one will ever come between us again. I had to let it go so that nothing stood between us; not fear, guilt, or anger."

"Marshall-"

"Ssh." He hushed her with another kiss to her forehead. "The only thing I'm asking is that you forgive me for ever thinking I could let you go."

She grew quiet for a few moments, her gaze falling to the floor. Mary sighed. "I've already forgiven you." She suppressed a smile when she felt him freeze with surprise. "See, if I hadn't let it go then I couldn't do this." She grabbed his shirt and pulled him down for a searing kiss.

"Wow," Marshall gasped when they came up for air.

"Wow," Mary agreed. "You know what I think?"

Marshall tilted his head to the side. "What?"

She smirked. "I think we should head home and see what else we can 'let go'."

QUOTE PROMPT #009 – MARSHALL/OC KID

"If you had never visited us, never chosen this place on a whim. Would anybody here have died?"

"How is she today?" Marshall asked his wife when she walked into the kitchen where he was preparing Sunday breakfast.

Mary shrugged, swiping a piece of bacon. "She doesn't want to talk. Norah has her watching cartoons right now."

Marshall pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head. "How are you doing?"

"Okay, I guess. I mean, it's been over four years. I-"

"Uncle Marshall?" Mary and Marshall turned to find their seven-year-old niece standing in the doorway. Isabella looked up at them with her big, brown eyes. "Can I help with breakfast?"

Marshall glanced Mary. "Absolutely, Princess." He lifted her onto the counter as Mary slipped out of the room. "Want to help with the french toast?"

Isabella nodded. She dumped a few pieces of bread into the bowl before speaking again. "Uncle Marshall, did you know my mom?"

Marshall regarded her for a moment. This wasn't exactly new information. "Yes, I did, for a long time."

"What was she like?" Isabella asked.

"She was a lot fun. She was beautiful. She was funny, caring, and sweet." He tapped Isabella's nose. "No matter what happened to her, she always looked on the bright side of things."

"Like Grandma?"

Marshall nodded. "Like Grandma."

She took a deep breath. "Grandma says that my mom died because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Grandma was talking to you about your mom?" Marshall tensed over the thought. They had asked Jinx not to talk to her alone about Brandi as Jinx had a tendency to upset Isabella.

"No, I asked her..." Isabella's voice trailed off.

Marshall nudged her knee. "What did you ask?"

She scrunched up her nose in a move that reminded Marshall so much of Brandi his heart ached a little. "I asked her if my mom would be okay if I called you and Aunt Mary 'Mom' and 'Dad'."

"And what did Grandma say?" Marshall questioned, cautiously, not sure how Jinx would take that news.

"She said that my mom thought you were the best parents in the whole world," Isabella relayed.

His breath hitched. "What do you think?"

Isabella grinned. "I think she's right. Except for bedtime. I think I should stay up as late as Norah."

"Maybe in a year." Marshall turned the stove off and turned to her. "Would you like to call us Mom and Dad?" Isabella nodded, shyly. "Would you like me to talk to Aunt Mary about it?" Again, she nodded. "You got a deal. Now, go let Aunt Mary and Norah know that breakfast is ready."

"Okay!" She jumped off the counter and skipped away. Marshall stood for a moment and watched her go. His heart felt fuller than he could remember in a long time. He always thought marrying Mary would be his best day after, but today, today, he found life wasn't quite done with good things for his family.