Usual disclaimer still applies. I don't own In Plain Sight or the characters therein. These tale is meant to fill the void between seasons and I promise to leave them pretty much where I found them... maybe a little worse for wear...

This work is not meant to contest ownership, and as always, no money is made from the writing of this tale.

The final chapter. Warning, there is a hint of Marshal and Isn't - but right now, it's only a hint.

They moved in unison, Mary drawing her side arm as Marshall extended his asp baton. They exchanged a long steady look that seemed to communicate more than words ever could. They held each other's gaze for a moment then separated. Mary worked to circle around to where she could get a shot without putting the protesters in the crossfire, while Marshall took the more direct approach.

Mary wasn't sure she liked the way Marshall's smile gave way to a feral grin, but she knew it merely reflected her own.

They were on the hunt and their prey was in sight.

Marshall closed the distance quickly—he knew Green wasn't going to worry about innocent bystanders or collateral damage as long as he hit his target. He'd already proven that time and time again. The man's attention was still on the departing SUV as Marshall closed to striking distance, but as he raised his baton, one of the protesters noticed and let out a warning.

A cry went out as people assumed 'the man' was about to attack one of their own. They reacted by grabbing Marshall's arm and pulling him to the ground.

A smile flashed across Green's face when he saw Marshall go down. He let out a deep throated chuckle. A sadistic look of triumph flashed in his eyes and he held up the detonator.

It was obvious Green knew Marshall's partner was there somewhere, but it no longer mattered. They had thwarted him for the last time.

Marshall's eyes widened as he tried to break free of the crowd, his only thought was keeping Green from pushing the button, but he was too far away.

Mary moved trying to get a shot, but Green had chosen his spot well. There was no place she could stand that didn't put someone in danger. Worse, they were now surrounded.

Green was using the crowd to his advantage knowing that the marshals would not endanger bystanders.

Mary's eyes widened when she saw the smile on Green's face. There was nothing she could do as he pressed the button.

She ducked as the area was rocked by an explosion.

Marshall felt his breath knocked out of him by the shockwave.

He felt utter defeat as the explosion rang in his ears and he righted himself. Then a primal rage filled him as he thought of Isn't's laugh and smile taken from him before he'd even had a chance to meet the woman behind the smile. She was gone and the promise of 'after' was gone with her.

He pushed his way out from under the crowd that had only moments tried to hold him down. They were now too concerned about their own safety to worry about Marshall and his target.

Mary watched as Marshall stood. There was a fury that burned in his eyes that almost scared her. She wasn't sure if it was the rage behind the look or the fact that her partner, her Marshall, the man who remained calm at all times was out for blood and was not thinking clearly.

She tried to push herself off the ground and stop Green only to find him staring down the barrel of is gun at her.

Mary froze.

Marshall felt his heart racing as Green raised his weapon. He felt a cold chill as he realized Green was about to take Mary from him in a very permanent way.

He growled as he remembered the feel of shattered glass as a sniper's bullet shattered the windshield and pierced the seat where Mary had been a moment before. All the near misses they'd survived, only to end with Isn't gone and Mary about to join her.

He welcomed the flood of adrenalin that coursed through his veins.

Mary met the man's gaze, her expression one of defiance, almost daring him to finish it. If she could keep him focused on her for just a moment longer it might be all Marshall would need to regain his self control and deal with the man.

She could feel her heart in her throat as the man began to pull the trigger and smiled as she saw the ball end of Marshall's baton connect with Green's elbow.

Marshall lost himself in the moves he needed to take Green down before he could hurt anyone else. Muscle memory took over as he grabbed Green's shoulder and struck the man's elbow with the baton.

He pulled back without thinking, his hand now pushing the injured arm down making an opening for a strike to the man's throat. The upward strike held less power than the downward attack, but it was equally effective.

Thoughts of a counter attack were quickly erased by the need to breathe.

Green realized his mistake too late: he had nothing left to bargain with. The man he now faced wasn't interested in negotiation, or surrender. He had had threatened the man's reason for civility and now he wanted blood.

Marshall quickly straddled the man, using his own weight to subdue him and pin him to the ground reason returning as quickly as it had left.

"Mare…"

"Got him," Mary answered as she began cuffing Green.

The two of them working in tandem made quick work of the process. As they pulled him up, all three got their first view of the Suburban.

Green stared in disbelief while Mary smiled and Marshall began laughing as all three realized just how armored the Secret Service vehicle had been.

The vehicle sat, buckled in the middle where the power from the blast had pushed the SUV upward. Smoke was pouring up around the vehicle but the passenger compartment was still intact and its occupants were moving.

As they handed Green off to members of the SOG team Marshal held his hands out in a triumphant gesture.

"What?" Mary asked, sarcasm returning. "It's your job, now go check on your girlfriend."

Marshall gave her a perplexed look, unsure if she was teasing or serious.

"She's not my girl-friend…" he said with a slight snort.

Despite his denial, Marshall had already started to head towards the SUV.

Mary watched him walking away, and eyed him critically. After a pause she gave an approving shake of her head.

"I knew there was a bad assed marshal in there somewhere."

Mary watched as Marshall joked with Isn't, trying to keep her mind off what she and her partner had just been through. It was obvious the woman was far more concerned with her partner's well being than her own and Marshall's presence was keeping her from driving the medics crazy.

They were all too aware of just how bad things could have been, and she found herself very thankful that Isn't was a Secret Service agent rather than a Marshal or an FBI Agent. If she had been, she and her partner would have been in far less protected vehicle.

Behind her partner's banter she knew he was thinking the same thing. She could see the concern as he focused on the injured woman even as he smiled and made her laugh.

We all pretend to be something we're not. We pretend we are brave when all we want to do is hide. We pretend we don't care when our hearts are breaking, because it's what we think people want us to be, because honest emotions scare us.

Albuquerque, NM - Today

Mary sat at the conference table nursing a cup of coffee as she opened the binder in front of her and addressed the room's other occupant: Isabelle 'Is' Manning, soon to be Isabelle Anderson.

"Ms. Manning, this is our Memorandum of Understanding…"

We are all scared, we are all scarred,

Denver, CO – Today

Marshall stood as an orderly pushed a wheel chair towards the door, his focus on the chair's blue haired occupant.

His hopeful smile was replaced with a grin when she ducked her head shyly before smiling back at him.

and we are so lost in our own act that we forget that every one of us is alone in our unified front of pretending we're all right.

- Mary Shannnon

Special thanks:

David Maples, for creating the show

Mary McCormack and Fredrick Weller for giving life to the written word, and giving Mary and Marshall their faces and voices

Aislin - My unidicted co-conspiriator and proof editor

My very own Marshall for being my sounding board and logic check (and warning me not to watch a certain episode of Hawaii Five-O since the ending was 95% of what I'd planned all along... (I did watch it and then I did some quick edits and a lot of thing to figure out replacement twists and turns.))

To BrittanyLS, BuJyo, drheart04,JMS529,Johonna Marie and tilleygirl for regulary comments and reviews.

Closing comments

I have come to the end of the story, but like life, it is only the beginning of a series. The next one (in progress but not ready for posting) deals with some of the fall out from this little debacle. (Let's face it someone's not going to be happy with what happened with their car when they get back to the airport in Arkansas, and we know the who now, but why is another story entirely)

This will be dealt with in"Is you Is or is you Ain't?'

Is you Is, will begin a Marshall/OC pairing (Isn't) which is going to have more than a few bumps in the road and utilimate ... it will lead to Mary/Marshall. But that will be a ways down the road.

Loved it? Hated it? Please let me know- its the closest any of us get to getting paid for doing this.

Peace out!

M