Author's Note: Special thanks to JMS529, BrittanyLS, and JJ2008 for the reviews! Prompt #095 is short because I wanted to see if I could write one shorter than the quote. Success. LOL!
QUOTE PROMPT #094 – MARSHALL/JINX – SET BETWEEN SEASONS 4 & 5
"Your mom also said I was ready for fatherhood"
"How is she?" Marshall asked, jumping up as Jinx entered the waiting room.
"She's fine," Jinx assured him. She reached up to pat his cheek. He had remained in the hospital since Mary was brought in. "You're a good friend, Marshall. The best the Mary has ever had."
Marshall smiled, sadly. "She's my best friend, too."
Jinx motioned for him to sit down. "Mary's going to need a lot of support. The baby's in NICU and while, everything looks like it's going to be okay, she's still very small. She named the baby Norah."
"Norah?"
"Yes." Jinx looked at him sideways. "You seem surprised by that."
Marshall cleared his throat. "It's just- That was my grandmother's name."
Jinx smiled and closed her eyes. She had wondered herself where Mary had gotten the name, but was afraid to ask. "I know that what I'm about to ask you is unfair, but... Mary really needs you, even though she says she doesn't need anyone. Mark may be Norah's father, but it's you that Mary's going to turn to for reassurance that she's doing the right thing. Can you be that person for her?"
"Of- of course," Marshall promised. "I will be anything that Mary needs."
"Thank you, Marshall," Jinx told him. She rose to return to Mary's room. "I know that I shouldn't say this, but... I wish it had been you that had been Norah's father."
Marshall stared after her as Jinx quickly made her way out of the waiting room. "I wish it had, too."
QUOTE PROMPT #095 – MARY/BRANDI
"And when those unknowns are too overwhelming, it's the constants that we have to hold onto. Like our friends. The ones who are not afraid to tell us that there's no such thing as normal. The ones who have been in our lives for every minute with you, even the hardest minutes. Like those who could have walked away, but chose to stick around. Even though they had their own lives, families. Their own children. Like our parents, because we wouldn't be here without them. Who pick us up when we fall, who come when we call them, who answer the door when we knock."
"Brad Pitt? Really, Mom?" Brandi laughed.
Mary sighed as she entered her house to find her mother and sister sitting around the kitchen table. It was late and the kids were hopefully asleep. "Hello."
"Hey, Mare," Brandi called out to her. "If you had to get stuck on an island with just one other adult for the rest of your life, who would it be?"
"Marshall," Mary replied without hesitation.
"Oh, really?" Marshall asked, coming around the corner.
Mary jumped when she realized that he had heard her answer. "Well, yeah, who else is going to be my bitch?"
QUOTE PROMPT #096 – MARY/MARK
"The future is scary, but you can't just run back to the past because it's familiar."
"Mary, what are you doing here?" Mark asked, opening the door to reveal his ex standing there in the middle of the night.
"Let's have sex," she replied, simply, marching inside.
Mark ran his hand over his face. "Why?"
She scoffed. "Are you really asking me that? I don't know. Maybe because I have an itch to scratch and I happen to know that you're pretty good at that."
"Mary, I'm not the one you want to sleep with," he told her, plainly.
"Uh, yeah, you are," Mary retorted. "Why else would I be here in the middle of the night?"
Rubbing his neck, Mark answered, "Because Marshall broke off his engagement and you're afraid that it's because of you." He held up a hand when she went to protest. "You're afraid that if he broke off his engagement because of you that he's going to demand that you finally confront your feelings for him and you're not sure that you can do that. So, you think that by running back to me, where it's comfortable, you can avoid all of that."
Mary glared at him. "What are you? A shrink?"
"Yeah, and I specialize in the study of Mary," he cracked. "Mary, I've watched you for two years now and you are head over heels in love with Marshall. Yes, you are. He's free and you're free. March out of this apartment and go get your man." Mark froze. "No pun intended."
"You're an idiot," Mary told him. She took a deep breath, "but you just may be right. Thanks, Mark, and good night."
"Night!" Mark shouted after her as she hurried away. He wished her nothing but the best in her pursuit for her future.
