Sunshine Building

Marshall looked up when he heard the elevator doors open, expecting Mary and Delia back from lunch. When the younger inspector stepped out, he looked behind her to look at what he expected to be Mary close behind. But when the doors closed without Mary's appearance he looked at Delia asking, "Where's your partner?"

Delia frowned and looked over at Marshall, "Mary? Albuquerque PD called about one of her charges when we were about to go to lunch. She had to drive over there."

Marshall's expression had Delia frowning, she had never seen him look as scared as he did at that moment. Then she paused and began to chew on her bottom lip, "Do you think…"

He nodded and then shook his head to clear it. Mary was in Albuquerque PDs office, most likely going to see Abigail and the beginning of World War III. He pressed the bridge of his nose and tried to reason with the situation, maybe Abigail would be out on a case and wouldn't even see Mary. Or maybe they completely ignored each other, not trying to make small talk with her former partner's fiancée, especially if she didn't want to discuss wedding details.

He groaned and stood up, "This is NOT good, I haven't had the chance to tell her. She's going to kill me."

Delia was sitting on her desk as she grew worried that Mary would come off the hinges, by now she had gotten to know Mary better and knew that keeping Marshall at bay had been difficult for the blonde. "What are you going to do?"

He shrugged and tried to chuckled, but it just sounded more strangled, "Join WITSEC?"

She chuckled, "Maybe she'll be too happy to have you back…"

This time he laughed harshly, "Don't count on it."

Albuquerque, PD

Mary was signing a few papers that she had missed last time she had been to the precinct to pick up one of her witnesses. The last place she wanted to be in was Albuquerque PD, but the paperwork wouldn't be signing itself. She had just finished the last paper when she felt the familiar sense of being watched.

She looked up and inwardly sighed when she saw Abigail staring at her, "Hey Detective Chaffey, haven't seen you in a while."

If nothing else, she would play nice for her friend's benefit. She would have to live with her regrets in private, but out in the open, she knew she would encounter the detective in more ways than one and she had to grow up and play nice.

"Uh…yeah, it's been a while. So, what brings you here?" her usual cheery self wasn't present and Mary couldn't really put a finger on it, but she would bet her last dollar that something was going on and it wasn't going to be good.

"One of ours got into a little something and you know the drill," Mary wanted to high-tail it, never good with small talk and the last thing she wanted to do was ask about wedding preparations. But Abigail didn't give her the chance.

"How's Marshall?" her question had caught her so off guard that she looked like a fish out of water, her mouth opened and closed a few times with words unable to form.

She immediately looked down at the detective's left hand and noticed the empty ring finger, she frowned asking, "How long?"

Abigail looked surprised at the question, "He didn't tell you?"

Mary didn't even respond, just stared at the detective, her face set in stone. What the hell is going on? Why the hell didn't he tell me? We spent a whole damn night talking and he didn't bring it up. Why?

"Um…maybe I shouldn't have come up to you. I'm sorry," she hurried off and left Mary looking after her in shock.

She turned and trudged solemnly back to the truck, mixed feelings swirling around. Why didn't he tell me? Did he take his friendship back along with his promise to always be there? Damn it, he doesn't owe me anything. I released him! I guess I can't blame Abigail anymore, she's not the reason he needed space. What the hell is going on? Why didn't he tell me?!

She climbed the truck and gunned the engine; she drove with her thoughts in jumbles. She didn't know what had happened with her former partner and his fiancée, as curious as she always was, this time she wouldn't get the satisfaction of finding out. He wanted space and she was glad that she had kept her word to him. She wouldn't be calling him.

Back in the office Delia kept busy running a threat assessment when she heard the elevator ding with a new arrival. She looked up and bit her lip when she saw Mary pull her key card and swipe it before crossing the gates into the office.

"Hey Mare, how'd it go at the precinct?" she tried to sound nonchalant and praying that Mary wouldn't pick up on her edginess.

Mary looked at her and narrowed her eyes at the tell-tell sign, she felt an automatic betrayal that her new partner had known more about her former partners broken engagement. Not sure if she was more angry that Delia knew or that Marshall had probably entrusted her with the news.

"When did you find out?" she asked without preliminaries.

"Find out what?" asked Delia anxiously chewing on her lower lip.

"How long?"

"I don't know what you're asking Mary, can you please make yourself clear?" Delia tried to develop her Marshal skills because she didn't know how to answer that question.

Marshall chose that precise moment to walk out of his office; he hadn't been able to get out as soon as he spot Mary because he had been on the phone.

"Hey Mare, Delia here said you had to go to Albuquerque PD, everything okay?" when she turned her cold eyes towards him, he knew in his gut that she had seen and spoken to the detective.

"Can we talk? Privately," he nodded back to his office but she shook her head.

"It's Thursday, I'm going to take a long weekend, I'll be back by Tuesday," she said without raising her voice and turned, leaving both Delia and Marshall staring after her.

"Shit! She's not going to forgive me that easily," Marshall raked his fingers through his already disheveled head.

"What are you going to do?" Delia asked looking at him and back to the elevator, hoping Mary would come back and yell at both of them. But that was just wishful thinking and they both knew it.

"I don't know, but I'll fix it," he turned back to this office and sat heavily on his chair. What the hell am I going to do? I have to fix it, we can't end like this. Dammit Abigail, why'd you have to come into our lives? At least we have the dreams.

Mary groaned when she realized she was back in the dream room, the last place she wanted to be was in this damn dream. She turned towards him and glared at him.

"Mare…"

Without saying a word she walked over to him she swung at him.

She woke up in her bed and stared at the ceiling, she would beat him – or try to – every time she woke up in the dream room. She tossed and turned all night long until sleep finally claimed her again without the dream room.

Marshall woke as he flinched to avoid her fist; he pounded the bed because he hadn't been able to talk to her, even in their dream room, "Damn it!"

TBC...Please review!