Author's Note: Special thanks to JMS529, JJ2008, BrittanyLS, ladypuercoloco (thanks for giving the drabbles a chance!), and Jayne Leigh for the reviews!
QUOTE PROMPT #043 - JINX
"All you can do is play along at life, and hope that sometimes you get it right."
"Mary?" Jinx called out in her sing-song voice. "Sweet Pea, are you here? You were suppose to pick up Norah an hour ago. And your car is here so I'm pretty sure you are, too."
Jinx settled Norah into the playpen before venturing through the house. She paused in the kitchen. There was a pizza box on the stove, a collection of beer bottles on the counter, and a bottle of tequila with two shot glasses on the table. Sighing, Jinx wondered just what trouble Mary had gotten herself into.
She had been surprised when Mary called her the previous afternoon and nearly begged Jinx to take Norah for the night. Even though Norah was just over a year and Jinx had spent countless hours baby-sitting, Mary rarely let her watch the baby overnight. Brandi, bless her, didn't have that problem at all as Jinx had Aidan several times a week overnight.
Shaking her head, Jinx brought her thoughts back to last night. She wasn't sure what Mary had to do that had her pleading with Jinx to take Norah as Mary refused to fess up. But, now, looking at the evidence, Jinx was pretty sure Mary had someone rather than something to do.
She snickered at her own joke.
Nearing Mary's bedroom, she noticed that the pictures on the wall were slightly skewed. Jinx glanced down on the floor to a sock, a boot, and what looked like the tattered remains of a shirt. Certainly seems that she had fun, Jinx thought to herself. She peeked into Mary's bedroom and gasped.
Curled up together in the center of the bed were Mary and Marshall. Mary's face was pressed deeply into his chest and Marshall's arms were wrapped protectively around her. Their bodies were covered with a sheet, but Jinx could tell they were both completely nude. Smiling, she turned around and back into the living room.
"Well, Norah, darling," Jinx cooed, picking her granddaughter up and rushing out the door. "I think we're just going to have to wait for your mommy to call in a little while. She just might even have an announcement for us!"
QUOTE PROMPT #044 – MARSHALL/OC DAUGHTER
"Exactly 45 days from now you and I are gonna meet. And we're gonna fall in love. And we're gonna get married and we're gonna have two kids, and we're gonna love them and each other so much. All that is 45 days away. But I'm here now, I guess because I want those extra 45 days with you, I want each one of them. But if I can't have them I'll take the 45 seconds before your boyfriend shows up and punches me in the face. Because I love you, I'm always gonna love you, til the end of my days and beyond. You'll see."
"Daddy?"
Marshall glanced down at his youngest daughter as she grabbed onto his leg, her blue eyes staring adoringly at his. "Yes, precious?"
Sarah smiled at her nickname. "What are we having a party?"
"Well," Marshall began, leaning over to pick him up, "we're celebrating that your mama and I have been married for five years now."
"Grandma Jinx says it's a miracle that you got married at all," Sarah informed him.
Marshall bobbed his head, agreeing with his mother-in-law for a change. "I suppose it was. I had to wait a long time for your mama to say yes."
Sarah hugged his neck. "Are you mad at Mama for making you wait so long?"
"You know, for a long time I was, but…" Marshall trailed off as he looked around the backyard. He saw Norah, Mary's daughter with Mark, and Brandi's daughter, Ava, teaming up to tease Jack, his son with Abigail. He watched as Mary swooped in to distract Jack by challenging him to a game of basketball before he had a change to get upset by the girls. Norah and Ava quickly joined in with Norah taking up Jack's team and Ava siding with Mary. Marshall smiled as Jinx cheered for all three kids equally and Brandi attempted a cheerleading routine from her younger days.
"Daddy?"
Marshall kissed Sarah's forehead. "If things could turn out exactly how they are now, then I would want them to. But if your mama had said yes to me sooner, we wouldn't have Norah and Jack and life just wouldn't be complete without them."
QUOTE PROMPT #045 – MARSHALL/BRANDI
"The truth is: you should consider yourself lucky if you even occasionally get to make someone, anyone, feel a little better. After that it's all about the people that you let into your life"
"Brandi!" Marshall yelled, shaking her shoulder as she laid in her bed with her headphones in. He had stopped by Brandi's apartment at Mary's request, though he knew he was Mary's last choice. Jinx, however, was away at a dance competition, Mark and Joanna had taken Norah back East for a family reunion, and Mary and Delia had been pulled out for an overnight transfer. That left only Marshall to check on the new mother.
He hadn't been to Brandi's new place as his relationship with Mary was strained of late. She hadn't even asked him to help move Brandi. He would be lying if he said that hadn't hurt. So, when Mary asked him to check on Brandi, he had jumped at the chance.
Marshall hadn't expected to be standing outside of Brandi's apartment, pounding on the door. He could hear the baby screaming and the television blaring, but Brandi didn't answer the door. Checking the door, he found it unlocked. He shut off the television and grabbed the baby before making his way to Brandi's room, where he found her curled in a ball with the headphones in her hears to drown out sound.
"Marshall?" Brandi blinked up at him, a vacant look in her eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"Mary asked me to stop by and check on you," he explained as he bounced the baby to calm him down. He glanced around the room, taking in the piles of dirty clothes, dishes, and tissues. "She had to leave town for the night."
Brandi sat up, shaking her head. "You're early. Mary doesn't usually stop by until dinner."
Marshall say carefully on the edge of the bed. He took a deep breath. "Brandi, is everything okay with you?"
"Everything's fine. Why?" Her eyes filled up with tears as Marshall continued to stare at her. Brandi covered her mouth to stop the sob from coming out. "I can't do this. He cries all the time. He's only ever happy when someone else is holding him. I am a failure as a mother. All I want for him to do is shut up!"
"Brandi-"
"No!" She interrupted, jumping out of bed. "You're going to tell me that I just need time; that it's all in my head; that he's a baby and he doesn't dislike me. I'm telling you that I'm done! I don't want him anymore!" She moved close to Marshall again. "You take him. He seems to like you. You and Abigail can raise him."
Marshall grabbed her hand. "Brandi, everything is going to be okay."
She collapsed on the bed, crying until she fell asleep. Marshall tucked her in, careful not to wake her. Marshall changed, fed, and put the baby to bed before setting about cleaning the apartment. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it, but he vowed to both Brandi and the baby that he would pull them through this.
