Disclaimer: Don't own IPS never have never will.

Thanks to The Dog in the Manger for betaing this story.

Undercover Truths

Stan had been on the phone for over three hours dealing with both the French and U.S. Embassies to arrange for securing the Williams family and bringing them back to the U.S. and into the Witness Protection Program. The family was still in the Hotel Le Meurice in Paris. He needed to get Mary and Marshall into the hotel to gain the trust of the family and make it look like everything was normal. They would need to stay a week and blend in like any other tourist. The problem wasn't with Marshall blending in, but Mary would be the interesting one. With Marshall there he'd get her through it. Maybe their undercover story would shed light on a few things.

He watched from his office as the partners came in picking on each other. The two were in a good mood and Stan couldn't help but wonder how they were going to react to this.

"Mary, Marshall my office."

"Coming, Dad," they said in unison.

Stan rolled his eyes before indicating for them to sit down. This was going to be a long explanation.

"What's going on?" Mary asked.

"The two of you are going to pick up your newest witnesses. They are a family of four. You'll be leaving from here as soon as you're briefed and heading to New York before flying overseas. You will be playing tourist the first week and by the middle of the second week, you'll be flying back with the Williams. You won't need to pack for this trip. The items you'll need will be purchased in New York. You'll be flying on a private jet to your destination as you are going to be undercover for the first week. I want you to get a feel for the location and put together a threat assessment along with escape plans while playing your part," Stan said.

"What is our cover and why do we need one? Where exactly are we flying to?" Mary asked, knowing Stan was putting off telling them something.

Stan reached into his desk and pulled out two passports and handed them to the two inspectors.

"You will be going in as newlyweds Mary and Marshall Miller. You are to maintain your cover at all times," Stan continued, while reaching in again to grab out two boxes and handing them over. "This family comes from money and now so do Mr. and Mrs. Miller. This is why you'll be stopping in New York. I need you in the latest fashions. Mary you'll want to start wearing your rings now. You should have a tan line already from the engagement ring. You will have casual meetings with the family so they know you before you bring them back here. You will go sightseeing and at the very least pretend to enjoy it. While sightseeing take in the streets, side streets and any other information you might find helpful if anything goes wrong. The Police Nationale is aware of your presence, but not who you are. If there is a problem call the embassy and we'll get you help. We're going to have the Williams make and schedule tours for the next three weeks. Some you will go on with them others you won't. I want you to mix up being near them and not look out of place since they're a family and your newlyweds. There are days when you'll need to stay in your room all day. You need to keep up the pretense that you're madly in love with one another. In short form act like newlyweds."

"Out of the country? Where? Why" Mary said.

"Paris, France," Stan replied.

"If they're in Paris then why are we involved? Isn't this something that they would handle?" Mary asked.

"The French government requested us to help them get the Williams out of the country safely. They're unclear if the people that are after them have connections there. They would like us to get them home without incident."

"I'm still a little blurry on this crime in Paris having anything to do with us except for the fact they're Americans," Mary replied.

"The crime was committed at the U.S. embassy with makes it American soil. Therefore the trial will take place here. The Williams family currently has some guards with them, but the agreement between the embassies is to ease them out of the country slowly without sending up any red flags. They are trying to keep this under wraps. No one wants the murder at the U.S. embassy to be called that. Right now the information that came out was that it appears that one of the guests at the function that night died of causes yet to be determined," Stan replied.

"I take it the victim wasn't shot then. How was the victim killed?" Marshall asked.

"Injected with fast working poison. The attacker lured the man to a secluded area and jabbed the needle in his neck. We're not even sure if the Williams were seen by the attacker. One of the kids had wondered off and Mr. Williams was looking for him when he accidentally witnessed the attack," Stan replied.

"So why are we going as a married couple?" Mary asked.

"Did you ever pay attention in school?" Stan asked, looking at Mary like she was nuts.

Mary looked to Marshall.

"Paris is known as the city of love and lights," Marshall replied.

"You will be placed in the Prestige Suite which is near where the Williams are staying. Their guards are the only ones who will know what you look like. After that you will need to introduce yourselves. They won't know any of the details and you need to not only act like tourist, but like a newly married couple. Do you understand, Mary?"

"Why are you singling me out?"

"Marshall knows what romance is. Your version of romance does not meet the needs of the undercover job. Play the part, Mary. Pretend at the very least to be interested in the sites of Paris since it was you who chose the location for the honeymoon. You're going to have to be the girl on this assignment. You've been given a fairly large budget for this since you're staying at a fancy five star hotel you will be living a fancier lifestyle. Don't damage the clothes, car rental or loose the wedding rings. They are all on loan unless you destroy or lose them. Understood?"

"Yes, Stan," Mary and Marshall said at the same time.

"Here are your credit cards. You will be leaving Albuquerque and flying to New York to get ready for the trip. There will be a car waiting for you at the airport to take you shopping where I've arranged to have some one help you with your fashion choices. You will stay overnight and then leave in the morning for Paris. Any questions?"

"No," the partners answered in unison.

"Marshall, could you please stay for a few minutes? I need to talk to you about one of your reports," Stan said.

Mary looked at Stan oddly before heading out.

"Are you really going to be okay with this? I wouldn't have done it, but I need my best inspectors because of the circumstances. That and you're the only one who can keep Mary in line. All of these are unfair to you and I know that. Are you going to be okay doing this?"

"I can do my job, Stan."

"I'm not questioning that, Marshall. I know that you are capable of doing your job or I wouldn't send you. That doesn't mean it's going to be easy on you all things considered."

"All things considered, Mary's made her feelings for me known with every time she's turned tail and run. I know where I stand with her. This is an assignment and will be treated as such."

"Marshall, assignment or not it will be hard on you and I need you to know that wasn't my intention and if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you no matter what time there or here."

"I appreciate it Stan, but I'll be fine."

"The offer still stands. Take care Marshall."

Stan watched Marshall walk out and felt bad and hoped this didn't do any more damage to the two inspectors. They were starting to get back on even ground with everything that has been going on. He was also secretly hoping this might be a chance for Mary to realize what was in front of her. Stan knew he shouldn't encourage a relationship between partners as it was frowned on by the Marshal Service, but the two of them deserved happiness and he was pretty damn sure the only way they would have that is with the other. Now if Mary would only open her eyes, it would make this so much easier.

The only other problem was that if it did nothing for them then Marshall would once again get his heart trampled on by Mary and he wasn't sure that Marshall could keep taking it. At some point in here it would turn into a transfer request that Stan would want to deny, but knew he couldn't, for Marshall's sake. That's why he had to ask. Stan sent up a silent pray for a small miracle on this trip to happen.

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Mary had waited at her desk for Marshall to come out. Something was off with Stan's request and Mary was concerned. The partners had seemed to hit a rough patch the last few years and were starting to finally get back to normal and Mary secretly worried that Marshall had enough of being her partner. He didn't act like it recently, but Stan wanting to talk about a report was a lame excuse to talk to Marshall alone.

Marshall came out of the office and was surprised to see Mary waiting for him.

"What did Stan want?"

"To make sure we could pull this off," Marshall said, not wanting to lie but knowing Mary would be offended by the truth.

"He's worried I'll screw this up?" Mary asked, hurt.

"Stan's worried that you won't know how to act like you're my wife and not my partner."

Mary had to admit it would be weird having to kiss Marshall, but she could pull it off.

"What's the big deal? You kiss one guy; you've pretty much kissed them all."

"That's the problem right there. When you're in love with someone it's like being with someone that is beyond comparison. When you're in a room with that person there is no one that stands out except the one you love. Your eyes only see them and no one else exists in the room but them. For example, if the top model walked in and a man that is so in love with his wife saw her; he wouldn't even think she compared to the beauty that is his."

"Alright, so basically I can only have eyes for you. No wandering looks to anyone hot men."

"You will basically have to forget they are there and let them know you're already taken."

"I can do that. We'll be fine. Let's go," Mary said, slipping her rings on her finger. "If I'm spoken for so are you, buddy. Get the ring on."

Marshall nodded and slowly slipped the gold band on. It was something he was figuring would never be on his hand. It felt like the ring was mocking him. Hell, he was more worried he couldn't do this assignment and come out whole. He knew full well that they'd be kissing and showing public displays of affection. It would be the only chance he'd ever have of any type of intimacy with Mary. Secretly he feared this case would be his undoing. Sighing he started towards the elevator where Mary waited impatiently. He could also feel Stan's eye watching him with what he could only assume was concern and Marshall honestly couldn't blame him.

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Mary stared out the window as they flew to New York. Marshall had been unusually quiet and she wasn't sure if she should bring it up. He kept staring at the ring on his finger. Mary personally had found the gaudy jewelry to be more of a nuisance that she would have to put up with for the next week and a half.

Mary wondered if the ring reminded him of his failed relationship with Abigail. She knew Marshall wanted to settle down and have a family, but she also knew that Abigail wasn't the right person for him just as she knew Mark wasn't right for her. He hadn't been the first time and she knew it wouldn't have worked if they tried again.

"Marshall, are you okay? I'm serious so don't just say what you think I want to hear. Something is bothering you about all of this and I was thinking that maybe pretending to be married was. I know you were hoping things would work out with Abigail and I'm sorry in one sense they didn't," Mary said, realizing her slip of the tongue too late.

"In one sense?"

"Yes, I know that probably sounds terrible, but I'm sorry that you got hurt and didn't get to start the kind of future you want."

"But," Marshall said, trying to figure out the missing piece.

"She wasn't right for you. Abigail was while semi-nice she still had a lot of maturing to do and was too manipulative for her own good. She was trying to mend you into the role she wanted for you. It's similar to what Raph was trying to do to me. Things were good but they weren't right for spending the rest of our lives together. She had you do things that you didn't want to do by manipulating Stan to give you the time off and drag you to the SPA. I'm assuming you told her there was a reason for it, but she ignored it. Raph wouldn't understand that my job meant the world to me and dangerous or not I didn't want to quit in order to become a homemaker. That isn't who I am."

"Mare, she did that to spend more time with me. While I didn't appreciate the SPA or her using Stan to get what she wanted it was done for me. Raph wanted a whole new you. The two are hardly similar. I should have been able to marry Abigail instead of always looking for the one thing I couldn't have."

Mary felt her heart freeze at those words. There was someone out there that Marshall truly wanted and settling for less currently wasn't an option. Who was that someone and how could they not want Marshall?

"Who?"

"Who what?"

"Marshall, don't screw with me. Who is the person you want?"

"It doesn't really matter, Mare. It's just a dream that will never happen. Let it go."

"But…" Mary started, but Marshall cut her off.

"Let it go, Mary" Marshall said adamantly.

Mary stared at Marshall as he put his headphones on essentially ending the conversation. She ignored the nagging sense that she already knew who that person was because she knew it was wishful thinking on her part. She felt a shiver run up her spine at the thought of Marshall getting married to someone. It would change everything. They wouldn't spend as much time together, she learned that from his dating Abigail and when he had children he would see her even less. That thought hurt more than she cared to admit.

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Marshall had finally been able to check in at the townhouse inn they were staying at in New York. They had been whisked away in separate vehicles when they arrived and taken to several designer name stores to get their clothing for the trip. Marshall had never seen so much money dropped on clothes in his life and knew Mary would be in sticker shock for the rest of the evening.

Everything they now wore was designer and so the charade would start here in New York. This townhouse was sure luxury and definitely designed for intimacy for a couple. Marshall walked around the townhouse. At least they'd only be at this one for a night. The bedroom contained one king bed, there was a Jacuzzi tub facing a fireplace, a galley kitchen and intimate eating arrangement. There was no sofa for him to sleep on so they'd definitely be sharing a bed since it was the only option. Although he supposed that was the idea. It would be the same in Paris.

Sitting on the end of the bed Marshall began to rub his hands over his face. He was going to have to get his act together. Mary was also worried about him and he knew that he wasn't doing a good job of hiding anything at the moment. Taking a few deep breaths he tried to relax and when that didn't work he took out his phone and called his Mom. She was always a source of confidence.

"Marshall, how are you doing?"

"Hi, Mom. I just thought I'd call to check in with you. I probably won't be able to talk to you for a little while."

"Marshall, that's not why you really called, what is going on?"

Marshall took a deep breath and talked about what he could without telling his Mom anything about the assignment.

"Oh sweetie, things will happen the way they were meant to. You just have to stay true to your heart and yourself. It will all work out. I know you are losing hope about having the future you want, but it will come. You just have to believe in it and yourself."

Marshall heard the door and knew Mary was here.

"I have to go. I'll talk to you in a couple of weeks. Love you, Mom."

Marshall hung up just as Mary entered the room.

"Do you know what they put me through? I've been tortured and told that it was good for me. They made me get a pedicure and a manicure. I'm a freaking U.S. Marshal not a model. None of my choices in clothes were good enough but what they had me spend in designer clothes could pay my house off. I mean really who pays that much for clothes?" Mary complained while wheeling in her suitcase.

"Welcome to the world of living lavishly."

"You seem no less for the wear."

"It's part of the cover, Mare. Just play the part. It's all we have to do until we can go home."

"Wow, nice digs. This I could get used to," Mary said, walking around the townhouse.

"Well don't get too used to it. We're only going to be here for one night. Although luxury living, you can get used to for a few weeks."

Mary sat down next to Marshall on the bed.

"So what do we do now?"

"We eat, sleep and get ready for our flight tomorrow, honey."

Mary smirked at the comment.

"You are so lucky we have to pretend we're hitched, sweetie," she replied, sarcastically.

"Where do you want to eat?"

"The River Café, my brother took my sister-in-law there for their anniversary. It's supposed to be romantic place to eat and the food was really good according to my brother. I actually made a reservation while we were out shopping."

"I take it I have to dress up," Mary rolled her eyes and went to pick one of her new outfits. "Why don't you shower and change first?"

Marshall nodded and moved to gather some clothes to change into. The act begins.

Mary had been searching for what to wear. Finally pulling out a dress she turned towards the bathroom. She heard the shower stop fifteen minutes ago and knew Marshall would be ready shortly.

"Mare, the bathroom is all yours."

Mary looked up from grabbing her shoes and found she was unable to say a word. She had seen Marshall dressed up before, but the tailored black suit with the royal blue shirt made her previous thoughts of her partner look pure compared to what was running through her mind now. She thought he looked good in boots, denim and a blazer but damn was he hot in that suit.

"Mare?"

Mary was still trying to get over the fact that her geeky, tall, lanky looking partner now looked hotter than hell.

"Mare, are you okay?"

Mary had to shake herself out of her stupor.

"I'm fine, just thinking. I'll be out in a few minutes."

Marshall just shrugged, not sure what to make of Mary's behavior as he waited patiently for her to come out. When she did he couldn't help but stare at how beautiful she looked in the dress. It had a violet top with cap sleeves, a black skirt and a black leather belt with a horsebit detail on it. The skirt stopped just above her knee cap and gave him a full view of her legs. Her outfit was topped off with black open toed heels that had a horsebit decoration on them that matched her dress.

"You look beautiful," Marshal said, trying to keep his voice even.

Mary didn't know why but between the way Marshall was looking at her and the compliment he just paid her she felt a blush creeping up her face. She couldn't believe she was responding like a love sick teenager to a few words and a damn fine looking Marshall.

"Thanks," Mary whispered, wondering what the hell was wrong with her.

"The limo should be waiting for us downstairs."

"Limo?"

"Everything is about appearances."

"That it is," Mary replied, taking a more appreciative look at her partner while he briefly turned away.

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Marshall took Mary's hand as she got out of the limo and wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked to the entrance. Mary found it interesting that it didn't bother her when Marshall held her hand or wrapped his arms around her to keep them close. She didn't feel trapped like she usually did when someone else tried that. She tried to rationalize that it was because they were undercover, but she had been undercover as a couple before while working in the FTF and it felt like she was being trapped. Maybe because to her it felt like ownership and she had no intention of being owned by anyone. A little nagging voice in the back of her head was screaming at her that it should bother her then with Marshall doing it.

Marshall had noticed Mary lost in thought as the entered the restaurant. Leaning in close to her ear, he made it look like he was planting sweat little kisses on her neck.

"Where are you?"

Mary felt his closeness and the heat of his breath against her ear and felt her body flush.

"Sorry, lost in thoughts of the past."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Marshall. It's nothing, I promise. This just reminds me of something I did on a case years before I met you. Just finding it odd how different several years can make."

"First case? The one where the butterflies in your stomach make you want to be sick and you pray that you don't screw up and make an idiot out of yourself?"

"Been down that road before, have you?" Mary smiled, Marshall had hit pretty close to the truth. The case where she played the girlfriend was her first case.

"Try having an entire family name to live up to. It adds a whole new level of pressure to the job. Imagine being the son to the legendary Seth Mann," Marshall whispered, so only Mary could hear.

Mary hadn't thought about that. She was busy trying to rid herself of the image of being the daughter of an FBI's most wanted criminal while Marshall was being compared to his father. For her there was only one way to go and that was up; for Marshall the fallout would have been a lot greater. She was about to say something when Marshall moved them forward.

"May I help you?" the hostess asked.

"Reservation for Mr. and Mrs. Miller."

Mary didn't care for the way the lady was looking at Marshall like he was on the dessert menu. She cuddled up to Marshall's side catching him off guard but he recovered in seconds. She smiled as she saw the hostess turn her attention to both of them now.

That's right lady no looking at my husband that way. Geez, why do people think it's okay to stare at someone else's date when it's obvious they're with someone. It's so damn rude. At least she got the hint to back off. Mary couldn't help those thoughts. It was irritating, just like the steward that hit on Marshall when she was sitting right next to him on the plane and they were obviously talking and friendly with each other. Granted they weren't a couple, but he didn't know that.

"Right this way, please," the hostess said leading them to a window seat that had a great view of the Manhattan skyline.

Mary waited until the hostess left. Noting that she took another look at Marshall before leaving the room and it was still irritating her. He was with her and there's a wedding band on his finger.

"I see why your sister-in-law liked this place. The view is amazing," Mary said, trying to distract herself from wanting to say something to the hostess.

"I think it was the first time Jake ever took Amy somewhere fancy. He wanted their tenth anniversary to be special."

"Do you talk to them much?" Mary asked, realizing that she hadn't ever recalled Marshall mentioning names.

"A couple times of year on the phone and of course Christmas with the family. He's busy between work and his family. It's the same with Chase and Linda."

"Are you close?"

"Not like we used to be. I wasn't very athletic and they were. As we got older they preferred to hang around with their friends instead of their geeky brother. They're more like Dad is."

The judgmental type. Mary couldn't help but think.

"Well that's their loss," Mary said, reaching her hand out to Marshall's.

Marshall held her hand realizing they were supposed to be playing a part. He was surprised that Mary had made the first move. He was expecting it would have to be him. His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of their waiter.

"My name is Vincent and I'll be your server tonight. Can I start you off with something to drink?"

"We'd like a bottle of your best champagne," Marshall replied.

"Special occasion?" the waiter asked, making small talk.

"Celebrating our recent nuptials," Marshall replied.

"Congratulations, are you honeymooning here in New York?"

"Just an overnight stay while on our way to Paris," Mary replied.

"I'll be out with you champagne in a few minutes."

"A bottle of your best champagne? Are we trying to bankrupt our funds?" Mary asked, after the waiter left.

"High society, Mary. This is all in the budget. Just remember that everything goes back besides what we eat. Make it count. The odds of us getting this opportunity again are slim to none."

Mary smiled brightly.

"Pay back for some of those lovely hotels we've had to stay in. Marshall, I do like when your devious side comes out to play. I knew I liked you for a reason."

They ordered their food and enjoyed each other's company. When they were finished, Mary excused herself and went to the restroom. When Mary was coming back she saw the hostess had stopped by their table and was openly flirting with Marshall as she handed him his credit card back.

Mary sent a glare her way when she turned around to answer a question. The hostess quickly finished her conversation with Marshall before heading towards the front again.

Marshall stood up as Mary came back to the table.

"Are you ready to go?" Mary asked.

"Sure, the limo is waiting in the parking lot."

Mary had planned to make a comment so the hostess could hear her when they left the restaurant, but was disappointed to see her gone. When they exited the building Mary caught a glance of the hostess watching them. She was obviously on a break.

"Let's walk through the park before heading to the limo," Mary said, even though she could feel the cold breeze off the river.

Marshall saw the goose bumps on Mary's arms and unbuttoned his suit coat and put it over her. Mary smiled at him before hooking her arm through his and leaning her head against his shoulder. He knew she was up to something but what and why had him confused.

Mary walked arm in arm with Marshall until she was sure they were in full lighted view of the hostess. She stopped then turned towards Marshall and pulled his head towards hers before capturing his lips in a demanding kiss. Her intentions of making a statement to the hostess were quickly forgotten as the kiss deepened and the reason Mary had started this in the first place slipped her mind.

Marshall wasn't as surprised as he thought he would be when Mary initiated the kiss. He knew she had been off and was up to something when she leaned her head against his shoulder. Mary Shannon didn't do displays of public affection without a purpose.

The feel of her lips against his sent a raging fire of desire through his veins. He pulled her closer and gently cupped her face with his hand while deepening the kiss. He felt Mary respond and soon they had to separate to catch their breath. Marshall leaned his head against hers before placing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Mary was stunned speechless by the fact that she had just thoroughly kissed her partner and enjoyed it more than any other kiss she had ever had. She had originally just wanted to make a statement to the hostess about proper etiquette. Not that she herself was good at it, but at least she didn't hit on married men.

"We should probably get back to the hotel. We leave pretty early tomorrow," Marshall said, knowing they were both over thinking what just happened.

"Yeah," Mary agreed, trying not to think of the fact that they were going to be sharing a bed.

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Marshall lay in the bed unable to sleep. The kiss was still lingering in his mind and to add to that Mary had come out in a silk gown that accentuated her every curve. There was no way in hell his heart was going to survive this assignment intact. He had debated twice about calling Stan to tell him to get someone else. He just couldn't do this, but he knew it was too late to change the plan. He was going to have to suck it up and take one for the team. The job had to come first since a family's lives were at stake.

Mary knew Marshall wasn't asleep and that something was bothering him, but she couldn't bring herself to ask because she was having her own issues. Her cell phone had gone off while she was in changing and she answered when she saw it was Brandi. She worried about her sister now that her and Peter were over. There would be no reconciling and for that Mary felt bad for both Peter and Brandi. She couldn't fault either of them. Mary thought back to the phone conversation that was causing her to lose precious sleep.

"Squish, what's wrong?"

"We were supposed to go out for drinks tonight. I take it you're busy."

"I'll be out of town for a few weeks. Not sure exactly when I'll be back."

"What's wrong? Marshall okay?"

"Of course Marshall is okay. Why wouldn't he be?"

"You're upset about something and usually that relates back to Marshall being hurt if you're at work."

"No, he's fine."

"Then what's wrong?"

Mary knew she couldn't go into the specifics about the case but she could tell her about the hostess and say they'd gone out to eat. So Mary worked around the case details and stuck to the basics without mentioning the kiss that turned her insides to mush.

'Oh my gosh, you are so jealous," Brandi said.

"I'm not jealous," Mary defended.

"The hell you're not. Mary, you consider Marshall your property. You don't like it when he dates other people. You hated Abigail because he was spending time with her and not at your beck and call. The thought of sharing him with anyone grits on your nerves. Why wouldn't the hostess hit on him? Marshall is a good looking man, has great manners, cares about people and is always willing to help. He's nice and he's smart. I should stress the good looking part here."

"You are so not even going to consider hitting on him. Do I make myself clear?" Mary demanded, bothered by the fact that her sister thought Marshall was hot.

"I wouldn't dare put myself between you and Marshall. I happen to like my body in one piece. Maybe while you're together on this trip you might start thinking about what he means to you, why you're happiest when he's around and why it bothers you so much if someone take an interest in Marshall. Stop living in denial Mary. There is one person that is perfect for you and you know exactly who that is. You just have to admit it to yourself and stop being afraid. He's not Dad. You've given him plenty of reasons to run and he's still there. He won't wait forever, Mary. You'll break him if you keep playing with his emotions. I know that I'm probably not the best person to take advice from but this is the one thing that I know I'm right on. Take care and make sure the both of you stay safe."

"Bye."

Mary sometimes hated having a sister. All of her comments were swirling around in her mind. She couldn't decide what scared her more, the thought of breaking Marshall or the thought of losing him to someone else.

Another hour passed and she finally heard Marshall's breathing evening out and she let herself finally fall asleep.

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Marshall woke before the alarm clock went off. Shutting it off, he headed to the kitchen to get coffee started before heading into the shower. He grabbed a business casual outfit. He really missed his cowboy boots. At least he could be back in jeans part of the time once they started their sightseeing expedition.

Mary heard the shower running and groaned. She wasn't ready to be up yet, but then the wonderful aroma hit her nose. Thank god for Marshall. The man always knew to have her coffee for her first thing in the morning. It was the one thing she didn't know how she survived without when she was pregnant. She was so glad she could have her sleep deprivation cure now. Not sure what to wear she waited for Marshall to come out while she savored a cup of coffee.

When Marshall exited the bathroom Mary damn near let out a whistle out how good fitted clothes looked on her "husband". They accented the muscular frame that he kept hidden underneath the blazer. Mary couldn't help but hear Brandi's words in her head about Marshall being hot. She wasn't sure if it was the change in clothes, her lack of sex life or the fact that maybe deep down she knew Brandi was right.

"So we're going business casual for the flight?" Mary asked, before she started to go down a path she wasn't ready to just yet.

"We're supposed to be on vacation so I figured business casual for the flight and finally jeans when we go sightseeing. The dressier clothes can be used for going out for dinner, theater, clubbing or whatever we decide to do. I'm assuming we'll spend our first day in the room. We can get acquainted with the area, do a threat assessment and come up with some ideas of what to do while pretending to be busy making love to one another. The next day we can sleep in and then do some sightseeing and shopping if you want."

"More shopping? I'm not sure that I'm up to that."

"Well at some point, I'm assuming that we'd be expected to look at the boutiques. I'm figuring the Williams will be looking to take the kids to Disney so we'll probably end up there."

"I'm supposed to pretend to be enjoying all of this right?" Mary asked, wondering again how bad this was going to be.

"Afraid so. You're going to have to suck up your unnatural dislike for all things fun, crowded or touristy and have a good time."

"I'm so dragging your ass to some dance club to blow off steam. So you better plan on dancing partner and I don't mean the mambo," Mary said, heading towards the bathroom.

Marshall rolled his eyes. Just what he needed dancing Mary's style. Grabbing himself a cup of coffee he began to pack up their things and make sure the bed was messed up so it looked like they celebrated their honeymoon.

Mary looked on in amusement as Marshall started to dishevel the bed. Although when he finished it did look like they had a torrid night of passion. The thought of him knowing how to make it look like they'd had a passionate night together briefly made her stomach churn. It meant that he'd done it before and she didn't want to think of who that might have been. Was she really jealous? Could Brandi be right on that?

"Are you ready to go?" Marshall asked, pulling Mary out of her thoughts.

"Give me a few minutes to pack the necessities. Did you think about leaving a condom in the trash?" Mary asked, noting Marshall's neck turn red.

"How often do married couples use protection on their honeymoon? I have a niece and a nephew to prove how easy it is to do that," Marshall replied.

"Twins or both brothers knock their wives up on the honeymoon?"

"Twins. Linda figured they'd forget the condom and had the birth control patch on before they left in case they got carried away."

"They actually shared this with you?" Mary asked surprised.

"No, Chase was giving Jake crap for one of them not thinking ahead of time."

"Do they regret it?"

"Nope, Cherish and Aaron were their first born. They adore the two although now that they're getting to the rebellious stage they have more complaints. The joys of the teenage years."

Mary nodded as she zipped her suitcase up.

"Why do I have a feeling your brother will nip that right in the bud?"

"Probably because you figure they're more like my Dad. This would actually be a good assumption although all of us have put the reigns on those two at some point."

"No, not Uncle Marshall? You wouldn't do that."

"I definitely have and would again. I may adore my nieces and nephews, but I don't have a problem correcting them if they do something wrong. It's not fun and I hate it, but that is how they learn."

Mary couldn't help but think that had to hurt Marshall more than the kids. She knew he didn't like being the bad guy in things. He liked to work things out as amicably as possible. She also knew that if push came to shove he would definitely be doing the shoving if it meant helping someone out in the long run.

"Come on tough guy, are limo waits. How long is this flight?"

"Around seven and a half hours. You can sleep on the way there. It's a leer jet. We'll have plenty of space to get some sleep. Enjoy the extra space while you can. The return flight is going to be more crowded and the kids will probably end up sleeping on the trip home."

"That flight is going to suck," Mary griped.

"We'll have to stop and refuel somewhere, but it will probably be in the middle of nowhere for safety reasons." Marshall hoped they slept. He didn't want to see Mary stuck in a private jet with cranky or irritable kids.

"Joy," Mary mumbled, before grabbing Marshall's hand as they entered the lobby.

/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

They left on the private jet and Mary sat in the seat next to Marshall. They were going over the Williams plan schedule.

"Where are we going to meet them for the first time?" Mary asked.

"Your overwhelming desire to go to Disney Paris is going to come in handy for that on week two. Stan arranged for a private set up for all of us to meet at the park. We'll let them know that we're nearby and that we'll be pulling them out a couple days later. Stan doesn't want them to know who we are until then unless there is a problem. There's too much risk of them watching us too closely and alerting someone else of our presence. On the other hand, we're going to meet with the guards they were given so they do know who we are and what to expect if we have a problem."

"What happens if we're out playing tourist while and they run into problems? We won't be there to protect them," Mary reminded.

"The guards have the skills to move them and protect them. They will send us a warning and have a decoy team to make it look like they're being moved to a safer location while the team with them will take them to Le Bourget Airport where the jet will stay while we're here."

"Good, so we won't be leaving from the main airport. That gives us more security."

"The airport is used mainly for business jet and air shows. It is most famous as the landing site for Charles Lindbergh's historic solo transatlantic crossing in 1927, as well as the departure point two weeks earlier for the French biplane The White Bird (L'Oiseau Blanc), an aircraft which took off in its own attempt at a transatlantic flight but then mysteriously disappeared somewhere over the Atlantic."

"I needed to know this because?"

"A little bit of knowledge can go a long way. By the way I got something to help you with this trip."

Marshall handed Mary a wrapped box.

"What's this?" Mary asked, surprised.

"Open it."

Mary ripped the wrapping paper off and read the box. She couldn't help but smile.

"I thought you were going to be my personal translator. Thank you. This is great."

"It will translate what someone says to you and you can type in what you want to say and it will translate it for you."

"Thanks, Marshall. When did you get it?" Mary asked, curiously. There was no way he bought it before leaving Albuquerque.

"While shopping in New York."

Mary looked the device over and actually took the time to read the instructions. If she got separated from Marshall now she'd be able to get information or anything else she needed. When she finished reading she looked to Marshall to talk to him but noticed he had fallen asleep.

Smiling Mary reached up and her and Marshall a blanket. After covering her partner with one she placed the other one around herself before leaning her head against Marshall's shoulder to get some sleep.

/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Marshall woke to feel a weight on his shoulder as the pilot made an announcement that they were beginning their descent into the airport. He looked at Mary's peaceful face and didn't want to disturb the look. It wasn't a look she had often enough and he always hoped that one day he'd be the one to put peace into her life. Shaking his head to clear out the dream that would never come true, he gently shook Mary's shoulder.

"What?" Mary asked groggily.

"Welcome to Paris, France, Mare."

"How long have you been up?"

"A few minutes, I heard the pilot announce our descent. Mrs. Miller."

"Well thanks for the wake up call, Mr. Miller."

"You ready to begin the charade?"

"Are you?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Marshall said as they felt the wheels touch down.

Mary was a little concerned about that answer. Something was bothering Marshall and she had every intention of finding out what and making it better before they left. She didn't like the fact that he seemed down. It wasn't her Marshall. They had at least a week before they'd be meeting with the Williams so it would just be the two of them sightseeing and pretending to be madly in love. She would get him to talk then.

"Let's see what kind of car Stan got me to drive," Mary said.

"Try again, Stan mentioned that the car had to come back in one piece and I had to guarantee him that I wouldn't let you drive."

"What?"

"No driving for you unless it's an absolute necessity. You don't have patience to drive in Albuquerque and he doesn't want to know what you would do in a foreign country. The idea is to not get in trouble."

"Just because you drive like an old man doesn't mean I should have to be punished."

"Apparently, it pays to be the good guy. I get to have the fun on this trip," Marshall said, shrugging.

They exited the leer jet to see a Maserati GranTurismo waiting for them.

"Nice wheels."

"Don't even think about it Mary," Marshall replied, as one of the ground crew handed him the keys to the car.

Marshall programmed the GPS to get them to the hotel and they headed off.