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Jefferson had been waiting on the far side of the park when he spotted Mary walking into the park with her child in her arms, he hadn't even noticed Marshall by Mary's van on his cell. He got off and stretched a little, he ran around and jumped a few times, trying to look like he had indeed been working out. Once he felt secure that she would believe that he was running in the park, he started to jog towards her, taking the long way there.
As soon as he was besides her he called out, "Hey Mary! Fancy seeing you here. Didn't take you for an outdoor's kind of girl."
Mary froze mid swing push and slowly turned with a scowl and glare towards him, "Are you kidding me? This is called stalking, your job as a detective does not exempt you from the violation. And it's Inspector Shannon."
"Sorry, Inspector Shannon, is this your little girl?" he moved over to the toddler and tickled her side. She squirmed away from him and reached out to Mary, wailing in fear.
"Can you get away from my kid please?" she admonished as she pulled Norah out of the swing and into her arms. Her little hands holding onto her neck, her face burrowed into her shoulder, away from Jefferson.
She couldn't believe he had shown up at the park, the park in which she took her daughter on her days off. Her top blew up, muttering through clenched teeth, mindful of Norah in her arms, "If you come near me or my daughter ever again, I'll get a restraining order. I don't know how much clearer to get, than I don't like you, I don't plan on ever dating you; just leave me the hell alone."
"I would suggest you listen to the Inspector, detective. I wouldn't want to have to call your superiors and exchange words with them about your unwanted attention," Marshall had gone ballistic when he had seen Norah cry out. He had hung up the call from his fiancée and jogged over to Mary and Norah. He caught the menacing words from Mary and he backed her up.
The last thing Marshall wanted was another Kenny in Mary's life, or another man period. After this debacle, there were a lot of things that he needed to clear up with his fiancée and Mary.
"Look, I just wanted to get to know you better," he spoke to Mary without acknowledging the warning coming from Marshall.
"I don't want you to," she spoke brusquely. "Why can't you get that through your thick skull?"
"Why not? Maybe if you…give it a chance," Jefferson advised, looking at Marshall with his peripheral vision. The tall lanky Inspector was looking rather pissed off, which made Jefferson think there was more to it then Abigail was letting on.
"Detective, I think you need to go," warned Marshall from his stance besides Mary, his arm going around her waist possessively, pulling her closer to his body. Claiming her as his with the detective.
Something that didn't go unnoticed by either Mary, which looked up at him with a curious smirk, and the detective, which noticed their interaction.
"I didn't know I was stepping on any toes, aren't you supposed to be engaged to Detective Chaffee?" Jefferson folded his arms across his muscled chest and looked at them with a smug expression in his eyes, like he had caught them cheating.
Marshall released Mary and stepped forward, invading Jefferson's personal space. He stood almost toe to toe with the other man, Jefferson being a few inches shorter than him and warned, "I would think twice before trying to cheapen my relationship with my best-friend."
Jefferson's hands flew up and a blush fused his face, "Sorry dude, I didn't mean no insult. I'm new in town, I really thought the Inspector here and I could've hit it off."
"In your dreams, buddy," Mary muttered as she started to walk away, Marshall's boldness had shifted something inside of her, something that scared and thrilled her at the same time. She wasn't supposed have these feelings for her best-friend, her confidante. He's engaged Mary! That alone makes him off limits.
Jefferson shrugged nonchalantly and started to back away, "Alright then, see you guys later."
"Sure, but only on a case and on the field," Marshall advised at the detective's retreating form. He turned back to Mary and she was already halfway to her van, he rubbed the nape of his head and with his head down followed her.
Jefferson cursed under his breath at being handed his ass in the playing field by a best-friend, something that he was beginning to feel doubtful about. Pulling his cell phone out he dialed Abigail.
Abigail was putting her cell phone back together, she had thrown the phone when Marshall had aggressively hung up on her with a cursed What the hell, which left her to ponder what that had meant. She had gotten so angry for his outburst that she had swung the phone across the room, when she heard it chatter she walked over and inspected the damage.
She groaned and picked up the pieces, it had only come apart, putting the battery back in she turned it right back on. She was about to call him back and grill him when it went off, smiling she answered, "Hello"
"Chaffee, Jefferson here," he was curt.
"Oh, so? Did it work? Are you calling to gloat?" she asked feeling giddy.
Jefferson frowned and muttered, "Hell no! Your boyfriend was here with her and they both got their jabs at me."
"Wait what? My boyfriend? Are you talking about Marshall? My fiancée?" she closed her eyes and tried to think up another boyfriend the detective was talking about.
"Yes, your fiancée was playing house with his Inspector. Baby in tow, I didn't see him at first, but after trying to talk to Mary he came up behind her," he informed annoyed to be in the middle of this drama.
"Marshall was with Mary and the kid?" she asked once again to make sure she had heard correctly.
"Yes, they were together. I tried to convince her that I was just trying to get to know her, but your fiancée couldn't keep his hands to himself, then he threatened to go to my superiors if I didn't leave her alone. As a matter of fact, I was just calling you to let you know that I won't be pursuing the inspector anymore. I'm through," he muttered angrily before hanging up on her.
Abigail pulled the cell phone away from her ear and stared at it in shock; she couldn't believe that for the second time that morning another man had hung up on her within minutes of each call. She sat on the couch and stared down at her diamond ring, afraid that she had just ruined the best thing that had happened to her. Her jealousy had gotten the better of her and now she was afraid that she would be left to pick up the pieces alone.
Marshall drove the minivan back to Mary's place and helped her get Norah out of the vehicle, they walked into her house and he went to put the little girl down for her nap. He was sitting on the carpeted floor, next to the crib. After whispering to her sweet nothings, she fell asleep.
Mary leaned against the door frame and stared at him in awe, she had never been able to put her down that fast and that easy before. The little girl would always fuss and cry until Mary was near tears herself and gave up, putting her in the playpen, only to have her fall asleep within minutes.
He stood up and stared down at the little girl, to make sure she wouldn't wake. He turned to her and feebly smiled at her, he moved over to her and she straightens up. He stopped a breath away from her and looks into her eyes, "Are you okay?"
She shrugs and nods, "I'm fine. I should be asking you that."
"I'm sorry…" he began.
But she cut him off, "Don't…don't be sorry for something that you didn't cause."
"Well, not directly," he offered with a guilty shrug.
She turned around and walked out of the child's room, she didn't want to have this discussion anymore. He followed close behind, reaching out and grabbing her arm, pulling her around to a stop.
Mary swirled back at being pulled and landed on his chest with a thud, "What?"
"Stop running away," he murmured looking into her eyes, he saw something flicker in her green gaze, but she closed her eyes tight.
He sighed against her face and rested his forehead to hers. And waited.
Mary closed her eyes when he was so close to her, she couldn't deny it to herself any longer. She was in love with her former partner, her best-friend, the best man to ever walk into her life, but she was afraid of the what ifs.
What if he didn't love her? What if he chose the detective? What if it was too late for them? Which she knew would be a big possibility. What if they got their chance and she blew it? Too many what ifs.
She held onto his shoulders as he pulled her in closer to his body, his hands on her waist preventing her escape. He kept his eyes on her face, running his eyes all over her features from this close up inspection. When he couldn't take it anymore, he raised a hand to cradle her face, brushing his thumb across her cheek, causing her to gasp.
Slowly, breathing harsh to her ears, he dropped his lips to her and kissed her. She reveled in the heat of his lips, clutching at his shoulders to keep him close, going up on her toes to be closer to his height. Foregoing her boots for sneakers for their trip to the park, cursing for being a lot shorter than him.
Mary threaded her fingers into Marshall's hair, holding him in place. His lips twisted to apply more pressure. He opened his mouth to deepen the kiss, sucking on her lower lip, she wriggled impatiently. With barely a pause, he dragged in a breath, slid his own fingers into her loose blonde locks, the locks he had dreamed of touching without her scorn, pressed his lips back to hers, eating at her mouth until she thought she might die.
He drew back and she drew in a quick breath, desperate not to miss a moment of this exquisite torture. She had no idea that kissing Marshall could be so eye opening, he kissed like it would never be enough.
Marshall's kissed a trail down her jaw to her throat, before coming back to her lips, like they beckoned to him. He stayed a little longer this time, thrusting against hers as if he wanted to devour her. She groaned, he moaned and pulled her infinitely closer still, an impossible feat since she had her arms wrapped around his neck, he had widen his stance and she was standing between them. Their bodies fused together from lips to hips, making her aware of the state of his body.
His hands had trailed slow caresses from her face down to her waist, wrapping his strong arms around her waist, rubbing a hand down to her bottom and clutching.
She moaned and tore her lips away, she rasped, "We ca-can't…we need to stop."
He groaned as he dropped his head to her shoulder, pulling her bottom up and rubbing his hardness to her soft center.
"I know, but give me a minute," he snarled in frustrated arousal. Both aroused and confused, but never forgot that there was a person that wouldn't let them move forward, Abigail Chaffee.
"Take all the time you need," she murmured into his neck with a smirk. Marshall took a step back and pulled her with him towards the couch, once he lay on it he pulled her to lay next to him. She slid besides him, wrapping an arm around his waist, her leg over his thigh and rested her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her waist.
TBC