Hey guys! So Ive had this story floating around in my head since I rewatched the first few seasons. This is still a work in progress, so feel free to leave suggestions. Oh by the way, events from the show do not occur in same order in this story. So here we go!

"Marshall? Marshall!" Mary yelled. She stepped out from behind the wall she had used as a shield. That's when she saw her fallen partner on the floor. A hole in his chest.

They had been transporting a witness who had been moved three times previous because militia he turned on had found him. They found him again in Albuquerque so Mary and Marshall were moving him.

They had just transferred custody of the witness to the next marshals. Marshall had noticed a shadow following them but Mary brushed it off. When he saw the figures walk past their window to the door Marshall shouted for her to get down.

"MARY GET DOWN!" Mary was already headed to the bathroom so she spun around the wall, using it as a shield.

Marshall pulled his gun, expecting the men outside to bust the door down. They didn't even try. They just opened fire on the door and window. Marshall was in the direct line of fire.

She ran to his side and landed on her knees. She swallowed as she looked at him. He wasn't supposed to be the one to get shot. He couldn't leave her, he promised.

"Marshall," she whispered. She tried to stem the flow of blood from the left side of his chest.

He coughed and blood stained his lips red. Mary felt the tears running down her cheeks unchecked. There was no hiding her fear.

"Awe… don't cry…I can't bear to see you cry…" Marshall coughed. He used every bit of strength that he could muster up to place his hand on her cheek and wipe her tears away with his thumb. He hated to see her cry. When he saw the tears in her eyes the day he asked to be 'released' he knew he couldn't do it. His and Abigail's engagement only lasted a week longer; he couldn't just turn off his loyalty, care, and worry. He told Abigail that if she couldn't handle Mary as his best friend then things just weren't going to work out. Abigail was moved out a week later.

Mary let out a pained laugh. "Doofus, you are the one dying. I'm supposed to be comforting you. You're not supposed to be the one making jokes." The tears didn't stop. He just smiled up at her and whispered.

"To see you smile, I'd do anything… Absolutely anything." His voice trailed off and his eyes glazed over.

"NO! NO! Marshall!" she screamed. Through her sobs she frantically searched for his pulse, but she was shaking so hard she couldn't find it.

At that moment paramedics burst through the already broken door. They started hooking Marshall up to their machines while Mary held his head in her lap.

"Ma'am, you need to move back."

Mary let out a primitive growl, "NO! You can't have him! He's my partner!" she spat.

"Ma'am if we don't stabilize him, you won't have a partner in a minute." The paramedic stated bluntly. It was just what Mary needed. She needed the straight and honest facts.

Stan and Bobby D walked in as they loaded Marshall on the gurney. Together they held Mary back so the medics could load him in the ambulance.

As they rolled him out of the room Mary collapsed, or she would have if Stan and Dershowitz weren't holding her up.

After a minute she managed to compose herself. She shook Bobby and Stan off and ran from the motel room. She got right into Marshall's SUV and sped off. Where to Stan and Dershowitz didn't know.

Mary drove. She knew exactly where she was going. All she could think the entire way there was about the hell she had put Marshall through recently. He still never left.

He was there when Raphael called off the engagement. He asked to be released and she released him, yet he never left her. He was there when she gave her baby girl up for adoption. He rescued her from the basement and spanky. He was always there, even when he didn't have to be.

These last few months were spent in anger at him. She lashed out at him whenever he got the chance. He still didn't leave her like every other man in her life had.

When she came to a stop she put the car in park and ran inside the hospital.

"Inspector Shepard, I need to know the status on Inspector Miller." Mary demanded from the nurse behind the counter.

The woman quickly typed. "He's been rushed into emergency surgery. I'm sorry, that's all I know for now."

Mary nodded curtly and turned for the Surgery waiting area. She paced the waiting area. She received many odd stares as she was covered in blood.

Stan and Bobby D walked in almost 30 minutes after Mary had. After a while Stan tried to stop her from wearing a permanent rut in the floor.

"Mary, why don't you go home and…" He didn't even get to finish his sentence before Mary turned on him.

"If you think I'm leaving, you have lost what's left of your mind. I. will. Not. Leave. PERIOD!" Mary growled like the exotic animal Marshall once compared her too.

"Mary, I was just suggesting clean clothes, nothing else." Stan continued calmly. He knew Mary was floundering emotionally.

Mary looked at him confused. Stan gestured to her clothes. When Mary looked down and saw all the blood, Marshall's blood, her stomach lurched. She lept and barely made it to the trash can before emptying her stomach.

Stan stepped forward and cautiously patted and rubbed circles on his inspectors back. He hated to see her hurting. He thought of both of his inspectors as his children but Stan had a real soft spot where Mary was concerned.

Stan was honestly surprised that she allowed the physical contact. It spoke to her state of mind.

When Mary moved to a chair Stan followed. Dershowitz stayed close but not too close. He wasn't sure how to handle her emotional outburst.

Mary sat with her head in her hands crying. She was inconsolable at that point. Stan pulled out his phone and dialed Eleanor. She would bring Mary's bag of spare clothes from the office.

Eleanor arrived within fifteen minutes. When she found the waiting room, Mary was nowhere to be seen. Stan directed her to the ladies room.

Eleanor quietly entered the restroom and found Mary leaning against a wall staring off at nothing. She didn't even hear Eleanor come in.

"Mary, I brought you a pair of Marshall's pajama pants and his sweatshirt. I thought they would bring you more comfort than your own clothes." Eleanor held out the clothing. She knew that when her John died she spent more time in his clothes than in her own. She hoped Marshall's clothes would help calm her down while they waited for news.

Eleanor knew about Marshall's feelings for Mary. While he never officially told her, she could tell by his gestures, looks, and the way he protected her. She also could tell Mary had very strong, buried feelings for Marshall; feelings that she refused to recognize.

Mary took them with a sad smile on her face. They were the light blue pants with little airplanes and swirls all over them. The same ones he wore during the Leo Billups case. They were actually one of her favorites even though she ragged on him every time he wore them.

"Thank you, Eleanor." Mary sniffled sincerely.

Mary then did something so out of character it stunned Eleanor for a moment. Mary took two large steps towards her and wrapped the older woman in a tentative hug.

Mary wasn't even sure why she did it. She thought for a split second that maybe Eleanor wasn't as evil as she thought she was.

"Umm, you're welcome." Eleanor smiled uneasily and she fled the bathroom, hoping that never happened again.

Mary undressed and slipped into Marshall's clothes. As she pulled the hoodie over her head she stopped to take the opportunity to inhale deeply. To just take in the scent of him. The safety.

She then took a few minutes to calm down. Having Marshall's scent so close to her, engulfing her, allowed her to channel just a little bit of Marshall's extraordinary patience.

TBC

So what do you guys think?