Hey, thanks to everyone who has been reviewing. This is a pretty long chapter. I hope it's worth the read! Please let me know!
Enjoy!
Old Grudges
"Over there." Eleanor pointed and grinned at Stan. "It's really him."
On their way back to the office, Stan had gotten a phone call and the voice on the other end had surprised him. He had never thought he would hear from Marshall again but he had called and asked to meet him at the local park. Eleanor had demanded she go with him, not wanting to miss the chance in case it was the only one they got. Looking around as they walked towards him, Stan realized that Mary was nowhere in sight and begun to worry that something had happened to her.
Marshall was very aware of his surrounding and felt someone approaching him. He turned around and grinned when he saw who it was.
"Marshall!" Eleanor hugged him as soon as she reached him. "It is so good to see you!"
"You too." He returned the hug and then held out a hand to Stan. "I'm glad you both could meet me."
"Are you kidding?" Stan asked, glancing towards the playground when saw Marshall kept looking over to it. "We wouldn't miss it for anything."
"So, where's Mary?" Eleanor asked. "Hope she's okay."
"She's fine." He assured them. "She went to the house to speak with her family."
"We must have just missed her…We were just there."
Marshall frowned in concern. "What for? What happened?"
"They wanted to know more about what happen when you two left…I originally told them that you had run off to be together." Stan told him. "After seeing you in Maine, your father figured out that there was more to it than that…He told them that they needed to back off but that just seemed to make them more determined to make sure you were okay."
"Yeah, I pretty much guessed he knew." Marshall sighed but again his eyes were back on the playground. "It's why we left…Are Mary's family really upset?"
"I think they're more worried but I'm sure now they've gotten a chance to talk to Mary again, she'll be able to reassure them." Stan told him, following his gaze to a little blonde girl sat playing in the sandbox. "And your dad and brothers were trying to reassure them."
Marshall turned his attention back to him quickly. "They're here?"
"Yeah, your mother was determined to find you, with or without your Dad's help." Stan chuckled lightly; the only time he had seen Seth Mann back down was when it came to his wife.
"So, what is this trip about?" Eleanor asked him. "Are you staying? Is it actually safe for you to be here?"
"I don't really know what's going to happen now." Marshall admitted. "We're pretty sure we're not in danger anymore but neither of us are too keen on sticking around too long to test that."
"I also heard my story about you running off to have a passionate affair isn't so fair from the truth…" Stan said. "You two finally wise up and admit your feelings?"
Marshall smiled. "It took a while but yeah….We got there."
Marshall was looking in the fridge, trying to decide what to cook for dinner when he heard the front door open and close. They had been in New Hampshire for almost three months and they were both beginning to settle into their new life.
"I got a job."
He stood up quickly and turned to see Mary stood in the doorway. "You did?"
Marshall had only told her that morning that he had started looking for a job and could tell from her reaction she wasn't too keen on the idea. He guessed she wasn't ready to give up being a marshal but until this was all over, there was no way they could go back to it.
"Yep."
"Where?"
"Lilly's."
Marshall started at her for a few seconds, convinced he misheard her. "I'm sorry?"
"Lily's." She repeated. "That café in town we go to."
"You got a job working in a café? Seriously?"
"Hey, I can do it!" She claimed. "It's just a bit of waitressing…"
"Exactly…Serving customers….being nice to people."
She hit him in the ribs. "I can be nice."
"You do realize all the bad karma that is against you from all those times you never tipped?" He continued to tease.
She rolled her eyes. "This is different."
"Why? Because it's you?"
"Yes."
"When do you start?"
"Tomorrow."
"That's great, Mare." He said but then continued when she looked at him unconvinced. "I mean it, I'm glad you found something."
"Oh…thanks."
"Plus, it'll probably be the only time I can get you to make me coffee." He grinned widely.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "If I were you, I would be worried what else I put in that coffee."
"Ah, there's the Mary I know and love."
"Shut up."
He laughed as she left the room; happy that it was starting to feeling normal between them again.
The next day, Marshall waited until an hour before Mary was due to finish her first shift before walking into the café.
"What you doing here?" She asked.
"I thought I would meet you after you shift finished."
"I've got another hour."
He shrugged. "I can hang around for a bit."
"What happened?" She asked concerned.
"Nothing."
"Marshall…"
He sighed, loudly. "I'm so bored."
"What?"
"I'm bored…There's nothing to do at the house other then watch TV and I'm going to go crazy if I don't find something else do."
"No luck finding a job?"
"No, there doesn't seem much work about." He sighed.
"I'm sure you'll find something soon."
"Yeah…"
"Oh yeah, Marshall…" Trudy flashed him a smile as she walked over to them. "It's nice to see you again."
"You too…" Marshall replied but was taken aback by the glare on Mary's face.
"Are you here for a coffee?" She asked. "Because unless you want it black…I'll make it for you."
"There's no need for that…I can handle it." Mary stated.
"If you're sure…" Trudy said too sweetly as she walked into the back.
"What was all that about?" Marshall questioned when they were alone.
"A couple of customers sent back their coffees….apparently they're as fussy as you when it comes to their cappuccinos." She rolled her eyes. "Did you want a drink or not?"
"Uh, sure…Whatever easiest for you to do."
"Great." She reached into the fridge and grabbed a can of soda, throwing it over the counter to him.
He just about caught it before it hit him in the head. "Thanks."
"Someone left this behind earlier…there might be some job advertised in there." She handed him a local newspaper. "Go sit down…I'll bring you some pie over."
He took the paper and gave her a small smile. "Thanks."
After 30 minutes there was only Marshall and another two customers in the café and Mary was starting to get bored. The owner, Lilly was in the kitchen cleaning up and Trudy had thankfully disappeared on a break but it just left Mary and another member of staff, Nicole. She was a nice girl but she did not stop talking and Mary had given up trying to get a word in. She was half listening to Nicole telling her about her boyfriend as she watched Marshall. He was sat in the corner, the newspaper spread out on the table and she knew he would be reading every article that was in there.
She still couldn't believe this was there life now and that it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. It was nice living with someone who didn't require her to do everything for them. They had settled into a routine where they would both make dinner together, working in perfect sync as they moved around the kitchen. Then they would watch a movie or something on TV and Mary couldn't remember the last time she had caught more than one episode of a TV series.
Then there was Trudy, who obviously had an eye on Marshall. Nicole had already warned her that the other woman had a thing for married guys and even after just one day working with her, Mary was ready shot her but knew Marshall would not approve. She knew she didn't have to worry about him and Trudy. Even if they weren't pretending to be married, she knew Trudy was not Marshall's type. It did make her start re-evaluate her own relationship with Marshall though.
They had always been close and she had always known they were closer than most partners and even best friends. She had always avoided trying to think about what her true feelings for him were. She knew she cared deeply for him, she would even admit that she loved him but what she was never sure of was if it was enough to risk losing him. She had always thought the phrase 'it's better to have loved and lost then never to have love at all' was a load of rubbish. The threat that she could miss up so badly and end up losing Marshall was always too much of a risk so she settled for friendship. She knew that he struggled with his own feelings for her but didn't realize how much until she had gotten in engaged. During his toast during the engagement party at the office, when he said he loved her, she had actually be disappointed that he continued instead putting his true feelings out there.
If she was honest, the reason she had agreed to him driving her for the first three hours when she was leaving Albuquerque was because she hadn't been ready to say goodbye to him. Her brain told her it was the safest thing for him to stay away from her but she had planned to use those three hours to get used to it. She should have known that he would have felt the same about losing her and would put up a fight.
Maybe now that they didn't have to think about their jobs and their actions in the last few months had proven how much they cared for each other, maybe it was time they had a conversation about what they really wanted from each other.
"I mean, how hard is to find someone who is capable enough for the job…" Nicole sighed and Mary snapped back to the conversation.
"I'm sorry…what was that?" Mary looked to her. "You said something about a job?"
"Yeah, my boyfriend Billy…He's looking for someone to help down at the youth center." She repeated. "I know it doesn't pay a lot of money but you would have thought it would interest someone…"
"What does this job entail?"
"Organizing and supervising actives for the kids…things like that." Nicole shrugged. "Why? Do you know someone?"
Mary grinned. "Marshall."
"Your husband?"
"Yeah, he's been looking for a new career and he is great with kids." Mary told her. "Plus, he's going crazy being out of work."
"You think he'll be interested?"
"I know he will be." Mary claimed it was definitely something she could picture Marshall doing.
"Well, Billy is meeting me from work…maybe they can talk then."
"Great." Mary grinned. "I'll tell him."
She walked around the counter, seeing Trudy re-entering the café. She ran a hand along the back of Marshall's shoulders to get his attention. He looked up at her in surprise at the affectionate touch.
"So, Nicole's boyfriend is trying to fill a vacancy at the local youth center." She told him. "Figured it might be something that would interest you."
"The youth center?" He repeated, thinking it over. "Well, it's no law enforcement but I guess it couldn't hurt to find out more about it."
"Great…He's meeting Nicole after work so you can ask him about it yourself." She leaned down and kissed his cheek before returning to the counter, leaving him trying not to look to perplex at his 'wife's' actions.
When Billy arrived, he was happy to sit down with Marshall and discuss the job. They got on really well and the more Marshall heard about the job, the more he could see himself enjoying it. Billy seemed to like him too and Marshall was feeling pretty good about it all. He told Billy that he used to be in web design, since he had actually took a course in it back in Albuquerque but was now looking to do something different. When Billy asked why the sudden change in careers as well as moving to a new state, Marshall claimed that 10 months ago he had been in a car accident. He said that almost dying gave him a new lease of life. This way, he had an excuse for his injured arm which was still healing.
"Nic and I are going to for a drink once she's done here, why don't you and Mary join us?" Billy asked.
Marshall first instinct was to refuse the offer but he was still concerned that people would become suspicious of them if they spent all their time at the house.
"I'll have check and make sure Mary doesn't have anything planned but yeah, that sounds good." Marshall agreed with a smile.
When the girls finished, Marshall was stood putting his jacket on when Mary approached him and before he could mention going out with Nicole and Billy, she pressed her lips against his. He blinked a few times in surprise when she pulled back, her hand on his face with her thumb stroking his cheek softly.
"What's going on?" He whispered, looking over her shoulder to see the other couple paying no attention to them while they talked to Lily but he noticed Trudy rolling her eyes.
"Just playing the role of a doting wife…" She murmured, looping her arms around his neck. "So, Red over there doesn't get any ideas and try something with you."
Marshall glanced back at Trudy but she looked away quickly. "You want to put on a show?"
"Just making sure she knows you're not available."
"We were invited out for a drink." He told her, winding is own arms around her waist and wondered how long she would carry on playing this game. "Be rude to turn them down…"
"I could do with a drink." She surprised him again.
"You love birds coming or not?" Nicole called over to them.
Mary pulled away from him but took hold of his hand. "Yeah, we're coming."
"Oh, if it comes up, I used to be a web designer who had a life changing experience after almost dying in a car accident 10 months ago." Marshall told her as walked towards the others.
She looked up at him but knew better than to question it. "Okay…"
Trudy invited herself along with them and Mary refused to leave Marshall's side for a minute. Marshall was pretty sure the other woman knew that she was getting under Mary's skin and was intentionally pushing her buttons. There was a small part of his brain that told him, as her best friend and partner, he shouldn't be letting this happen but there was a bigger part of him that enjoyed the attention…the feel of her hand in his and the comfort of her weight as she leaned against him. He knew it was all part of the game and that he shouldn't be allowing himself to get so caught up in it all but he couldn't help himself.
They stayed longer then they first planned, Mary complaining that Marshall had left the car back at the house. He reminded her that he had been bored and at the time, the hour walk into town was potentially going to be the most exciting part of his day. Nicole and Billy seemed amused, listening to their banter and when it was time to leave, offered to drive them back to the house.
Mary didn't know how she did it but she managed to keep her cool when Trudy tried to sat between the two of them in the back of Billy's car but Mary was too quick for her, slipping in beside Marshall. Marshall was actually relieved when they finally pulled up outside their house. The whole ride up, Mary had her head resting against his shoulder and a hand lightly running dangerously up and down his thigh. He knew they probably needed to have a conversation about where the line was because if her hand went any hirer, he was pretty sure he wouldn't remember what the line even looked like.
"You know you don't need to do all that right?" Marshall told her, as she pulled him towards the front door. "That even if Trudy did try something, I would never go there…"
"Just shut up…" She unlocked the door and opened it but then turned and put her hands behind his neck, pulling him down to her.
He couldn't stop himself from returning the kiss as she pulled into the house. It wasn't until the door was closed and he found himself pushed against it that he realized what was happening.
He broke the kiss. "They can't see us now."
"That kiss wasn't for them." She stated then kissed him again.
He moaned quietly when he felt her hands sliding up the back of his shirt. He pulled away again.
"Mary…." He started as her lips moved to his neck.
He reached down and caught hold of her arms, forcing them out from under his shirt. He then turned them and stepped back, still keeping her at arm's length. "We can't, Mare…"
"Why not?" She asked confused. "I thought you wanted to…."
He sighed, letting go of her. "We just shouldn't complicate things...I'm sorry."
He had only taken a few steps down the hall away from when he was surprise to hear a small laugh. Not being able to resist, he looked back questionable at her.
"I've lost the job I love and now serve coffee...I'm on the run because my life is in danger, I've probably broken the heart of the man I promised to marry but I'm actually relieved to have gotten out of that….Who knows what kind of trouble my mother and sister will get up to without me there…." She listed. "The only thing in my life that is not one big complicated mess is my feelings for you…"
He stared at her in shock, unsure how to reply.
"You've always been there for me, Marshall…no matter what and you know I am there for you…You're more than a partner…more than a friend." She stated. "We have a new life now….Why are we still wasting time still fighting how we feel?"
Marshall answered with taking a few long strides forward, one hand going to her cheek and his other arm wrapping around her waist, holding her tight to him as he kissed her deeply….
"Daddy!"
Marshall caught Hannah as she threw herself at him. He swung her up, wincing a little as pain shot through his arm as he held her tightly to his chest.
"This is Stan and Eleanor….They're friends of mine and mommy…" Marshall said softly. "Can you say hi?"
"No." She buried her face into his neck to hide.
"She's a little shy." He explained to them, resting his chin on the top of her head.
"She's adorable." Eleanor told him with a smile.
Marshall couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, she's great…"
"I can't believe you two have a child." Stan commented. "We have a lot to catch up to do."
"I'm going to meet Mary now…Why don't you come with us?" Marshall suggested. "I know Mary is dying to see you. "
Stan glanced at Eleanor but knew she wouldn't have a problem with it. All thoughts of returning work for the rest of the day vanished. "We would love to."
"Great."
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Princess?" He leaned back a little look down at her.
"I built a sandcastle."
He looked over the sandbox where she had pointed. "That's great …Good job! High-five!"
Hannah giggled as she hit palms with her father. "Can we get ice cream like we did after building sandcastle at the beach?"
"You're just like your mother." He chuckled lightly and glanced over at Stan and Eleanor. "Do you mind we make a stop on the way?"
"I could go for a little ice cream myself." Eleanor smiled.
"Great." He looked back to Hannah. "Do you think we should buy Mommy some ice cream too?"
"Mama likes ice cream." Hannah nodded her agreement.
"Okay, well let's get out of here." He started to walk towards the parking lot.
"It suits you." Stan said.
Marshall glanced across at him, frowning a little. "What does?"
"Fatherhood." His old boss answered. "It really suits you."
Marshall just smiled in reply and hugged Hannah a little tighter.
XxXxX
"Can we talk?"
Mary had escaped to the kitchen to have a few minutes to herself but Raph had followed her.
"I don't know what more you want me to say…" She sighed. "I'm sorry about how our relationship ended but I'm married now…."
"You were meant to marry me."
"Raph…"
"Tell me you didn't love me…" He challenged as he moved closer to her. "Tell me it was him you wanted all along…"
"It was complicated at the time…" Mary took a step back but found herself against the counter. "He was my best friend…the only person I truly trusted…"
"And what about me?"
"I cared about you, Raph…And I did love you in some way but everything I've been through made me realize I didn't love you enough…not like I should have."
"I don't believe you." He shook his head.
"I'm sorry but that's not my problem." She shrugged a little. "I've moved on…I'm with the right man now."
"I spent the last four years, wondering and worrying about you." He told her. "Not once did I give up on you…on us."
"Raph, we're over…You need to accept that." She went to move past him but he blocked her way. "Raph, get out the way…"
"What did I do wrong, Mary?" He asked. "I would have given you the world…"
"Look, I'm sorry I hurt you…I really am but you need to back off." She told him. "If I truly loved you, I wouldn't have found it so easy to walk away from you and have no contact with you for four years."
"But…"
"It's been two hours since I've seen Marshall and I know exactly where he is but all I want is for him to be here." She continued, laying a hand on her pregnant stomach. "We're in the middle of this silly little argument about the sex of this child…He says it's another girl…I say it's a boy but that's purely based on the fact that I want it to be a boy…I want to have his son…I want to have a mini Marshall…"
Raph just stared at her in disbelief.
"Did you ever imagine I was a capable of not only feeling those things but actually admitting them?" Mary asked him. "Because I'll tell you…I never did."
"I think she told you to get out of her way."
Raph spun around and Mary looked over and smiled when she saw Marshall stood in the doorway.
"Hey…" She moved past Raph and this time he let her go. "Where's Hannah?"
"With Stan in the other room." Marshall answered but he was still glaring at Raph.
"You got her to leave your side?" Mary asked in surprised.
Marshall looked down at her when Raph turned and walked over the to the kitchen table, sitting down with his back to them.
"He brought her an ice-cream…gave her the money to pay herself and let her keep the change." He explained, handing her a bag with the ice cream they got for her. "He said, he used to bribe you the same way and figured it might work with your daughter too."
"You know, I would be insulted but I'll forgive you just because of this." She held up the bag.
"You okay?" He asked quietly, his eyes flicking towards Raph.
"I'm fine." She gave him a small smile. "Come on, I want to see Stan."
He followed her out of the kitchen and as soon as they stepped into the other room, they just their families and Hannah was stood with Eleanor; Stan nowhere in sight
"Mama…up."
Mary was surprised that their daughter wanted her but decided not to question it.
"Did you have fun at the park with Daddy?" She asked with a groan as she lifted her up.
"Uh-huh." She nodded then leaned in to whisper something to her.
Marshall was smiling as he watched them but then couldn't help but feel nervous when Mary turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow.
"What?" He asked, unsure. "What did she just tell you?"
"She said your arm was hurting." Mary replied and Marshall sighed.
It had never fully recovered from the shooting and every now and then it was painful, especially if he had been using it a lot. All the travelling and carrying Hannah around had caused it to flare up again. Marshall knew that Mary still felt guilty about it so whenever it was hurting, she would start worrying and fussing; Hannah had seemed to have picked up on it to.
"You little tattletale." Marshall teased Hannah, tickling her, causing her to giggled and squirmed closer to Mary.
"What's wrong with your arm?" His mom asked in concern.
"Nothing…just an old injury...its fine." He answered then looked at Mary and repeated it. "It's fine."
"If you say so…" She replied, not convinced but decided to let it go for now. "Eleanor, it's good to see you."
The other woman smiled. "You too…I'm so glad you're both okay….Stan will be right back…He just had to step out to take a phone call."
"Why don't we all sit down?" Andy suggested. "We want to know what exactly our little brother has been up."
Marshall smiled a little at his brother. He couldn't help but feel lucky. He knew his mom was hurt and confused about their disappearance but at least his dad and brothers seemed to understand. He could tell that Brandi and Jinx were still upset and angry about it all.
Before they could take a seat, Stan returned but stopped when saw Mary.
"Hey, Stan…" She smiled softly.
"Look at you…" He said. "You're…you've got…"
"If you finish that sentence with 'fat' I'm not going to responsible for my actions." She warned, jokingly as she put Hannah down on the floor.
"You didn't think to mention this?" Stan asked Marshall, who just shrugged.
"Thought it would be more fun to leave it as a surprise."
Stan rolled his eyes before walking over to Mary and giving her a hug.
"I really happy for you, kiddo." He said quietly after he pulled away.
Mary glanced across at Marshall. "Yeah, me too."
"Okay, come on…" Rob said. "Tell us what you guys been up to..."
"Yeah…" Brandi added; deciding to follow Marshall's brothers' approach. She had spent the last four years missing her sister… she didn't want to waste time now she was back. "We heard you guys went to France."
Mary groaned and Marshall grinned. "Ha! Told you that plan would work…Pay up!"
"What?" Mary looked at him, innocently.
"You bet me ten dollars." He stated, holding out his hand. "Did you think I would forget?"
"Fine." She rolled her eyes.
"Hey!" He complained, when she reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out his wallet.
"Remember, what mine is yours and what yours is mine now, sweetheart." She smiled sweetly as she took the money out and handed it to him.
"Yeah, this isn't fair…" He said, taking the money and his wallet back.
"So, you didn't go to France?" Brandi asked, with a frown.
"No, Squish...We never left the US."
"Just another lie they told." Jinx said bitterly.
"What about you, little miss…" Rob decided to move on quickly and crouched down in front of Hannah. "We haven't met yet…but I'm Daddy's brother."
Hannah stared at him for a few seconds before looking up at Marshall, unsure. Marshall smiled reassuringly at her but was happy she didn't back away from Rob.
"He's your Uncle Rob and that's your uncle Andy…" Marshall told her and then pointed to Brandi. "And Aunty Brandi…She's Mama's sister."
Brandi crossed the room to her, holding out a hand. "Nice to meet you, Hannah."
Hannah smiled at them but then quickly turned, hiding her face in Marshall's legs causing them to laugh quietly.
"You excited about becoming a big sister?" Brandi asked and both Mary and Marshall groaned, knowing what their daughter's reaction would be but Brandi didn't notice and carried on. "Do you want a baby brother or baby sister?"
Hannah looked back at her and frowned. "No baby!"
Brandi glanced up at Marshall confused after hearing him sigh.
"There are a few small issues…." He explained.
"Oh come on, bet you'll love being a big sister." Rob smiled at her. "You'll have someone to play with and you'll have so much fun…"
"No baby!" Hannah exclaimed again. "Baby go away! No baby!"
"Sorry, it's been a long day…" Marshall said. "She's tired…."
"Maybe we should put her down for a nap..." Mary suggested.
"She can go in my room." Brandi offered and held out her hand. "Come on, Hannah…How about I take you?"
"No! Daddy!"
"I'll read you the best story…" Brandi added.
"Daddy!" This time she turned to face Marshall, not waiting for him to pick her up and tried to pull herself up on his clothes. "Daddy! I want Daddy!"
"Okay, okay…" Marshall said softly, rocking her gently as she cried. He looked at Brandi apolitically. "I'm sorry, she's not really used to a lot of people…and there's been a lot of change lately…"
"It's okay." Brandi assured him. "I understand…She's only little… Go on, you can still put her in my room."
He smiled again. "Thanks."
"Is she okay?" Colleen asked Mary once Marshall had walked down the hall towards the bedrooms; they could still hear Hannah crying.
"She will be." Mary sighed, sitting down on the couch with a groan. "We're having a few problems with getting her used to the idea of the baby…For the last few months, every time the baby is mentioned she gets upset and only wants Marshall."
"I'm sure she'll grow out of it." Stan said. "I bet once they're here, she'll be fine."
"Yeah, I hope."
Mary spent the next 30 minutes answering their questions but trying not to reveal too much about where they had been and what they had been up. Half way through, Raph had entered the room but stayed by the door in silence. She was relieved when Marshall finally returned.
"She asleep?"
"Yeah…" He sighed, he sat beside Mary. "It took a while…but she settled down eventually."
"I wouldn't worry too much…Its pretty normal." Colleen tried to assure them. "Your brothers acted up when you were first born."
"I remember when they tried to send you away." Seth added.
"Oh yeah…I forgot about that." Rob said.
"Colleen had gone out for a few hours and left me to look after the boys…" Seth started to explain. "Marshall would have only been a two or three weeks old at the time and these two were about six and four….They was playing and Marshall was sleeping so I thought I would read the newspaper…I should have realized that they were too quiet."
"I came home early because I wasn't used to being away from the baby…" Colleen picked up. "I got back and found Marshall outside the front door in his pram, fast asleep covered in stamps."
Marshall glared at his brothers as the others in the room laughed.
"We were trying to send you to Nana and Grandpa…" Andy said a little sheepishly.
"Yeah, we figured it would be the best place…they seemed to like you when they visited." Rob added.
There was a knock at the door but they all carried on talking when Raph moved to answer it.
"We eventually came around to the idea of having a little brother." Andy said.
"Well, well, well…Isn't this nice."
Both Mary and Marshall jumped up from the couch at the sound of Robert O'Conner's voice. Marshall positioned himself so he was in front of Mary as well as the hall which led to Brandi's room.
"What are you doing here, O'Conner?" Stan asked, moving to Marshall's side.
"Just some unfinished business." He stated, as his team entered the house as well. "I got a call saying you were back in town…"
"Raph?" Brandi looked over at him, suspiciously.
"He told us to call him if we ever heard from them…." He answered.
"Yeah, I was actually on my way here after he told me they had seen you in Maine…I never thought you would be dumb enough to return here."
"Look, I don't know who the hell you are…" Seth walked towards him and O'Conner pulled out his badge.
"FBI."
"What do you want?" Brandi asked. "We haven't done anything…"
O'Conner smirked. "I highly doubt that's true."
Movement from by the front door caught O'Conner's eye; he and the other agents, quickly drew their weapons.
"Oh look, we're late for the party." Nathan grinned. "Hey, Marshall…How's it going?"
"Just great…" Marshall replied sarcastically but he had never been more relieved to see his friend. "Nice of you to show up."
"Any time, buddy…" Nathan walked fully into the room, with a few of his own agents behind him.
"Who are you?" O'Conner demanded.
"Ah, that's not important." Nathan waved his hand dismissively. "Where's Hannah?"
"Sleeping in the bedroom."
"Go get her."
"He's not going anywhere…" O'Conner cut in, grabbing Marshall's arm to stop him.
Unfortunately, it was Marshall's injured but he managed to resist crying out in pain and instead shoved O'Conner backwards. Nathan quickly stepped between the two men.
"Agent O'Conner, I would think very wisely about your next move…" Nathan advised.
"What the hell is going on?" Colleen asked. "Who are you all? What do you want?"
"I'm here to apprehend a criminal." O'Conner explained and then looked over to Mary. "I guess being on the run, runs in the family, doesn't it Shannon?"
"Marshall, go get Hannah…." Nathan said again.
"I told you, he's not going anywhere." O'Conner stated, indicating for two of his agents to stop Marshall. "This is my investigation you're interfering with and I suggest you back off before you get yourself arrested."
Nathan rolled his eyes. "What investigation? All you have is a grudge against Mary and her family….and I suggest you back before you find yourself in something you cannot handle."
"I don't react well to threats."
"Look, this isn't getting us anywhere…" Stan stepped in. "O'Conner, you have nothing that you can charge Mary with… She witnessed a crime and with the agreement of the FBI, left the state to protect herself…"
"Who said I was here after her?" He smirked again.
"Then what the hell do you want?" Mary glared at him.
He smiled at her before turn to face Marshall. "Marshall Mann, I'm arresting you for the murder…
"What?!" Mary exclaimed.
"Have you lost your mind?" Nathan asked him.
"You're kidding me?" Marshall stared at him.
"For the murder of special Agent Marcus Lewis…" He raised his voice to be heard as two of the other agents took hold of Marshall and handcuffed him, roughly…This time he did cry out in pain.
"No!" Mary moved towards him. "No, you can't do this…"
"Don't do this, O'Conner." Nathan told him. "You have no idea what you're getting involved in…"
"Until you're ready to tell me just who you are and why you think you're so important, I don't think I'll take advice from you." O'Conner replied and looked over at Marshall. "Get him out of here…"
"No! Marshall…" Mary tried to follow him but was stopped.
"Nathan…stay with her." Marshall ordered, as he dragged out the house.
"Don't worry…we'll fix this." Nathan told him.
O'Conner looked at Mary again. "He's going down for this…I'll make sure of it."
Both Stan and Nathan grabbed hold of her when she tried to launch at him as he walked away.
"Mary, it's okay…" Nathan said. "We'll get him out…I promise."
TBC
A nice long chapter ending with a cliffhanger! Sorry, couldn't resist. Been a long time since I've stayed up will 6am to finish a chapter but couldn't stop writing! Please review and let me know what you think!