I've had this on my mind since Mary's BFF (don't forget, you can already re-read it, ;p)

You're my partner. You're my best friend. And I love you...Not like that...I need you to be OK enough for that to happen. Because if you call, I'll come. Every. Time.

So, Mary didn't call...

She didn't call when she stopped dating Kenny, he found out when he was out on a date with his fiancée.

Marshall and Abigail were having dinner at a romantic restaurant when a couple walked in. Being a Marshal, he glanced towards the door and saw none other than Kenny, with a brunette on his arm.

"What's wrong Honey?" asked Abigail looking towards were his eyes were riveted.

He shook his head, "Nothing."

Kenny saw him and smiled, waving as he guided his date with hand on her lower back.

"Wasn't that Mary's boyfriend?"

"Mary doesn't do boyfriends," he commented as he looked down at his food, he ate in silence the rest of the night.

She didn't call when Norah took her first steps. He had to accidentally eavesdrop on their conversation to find out.

"Oh my God, Mary. Norah looks so cute when she walks around," gushed Delia as they looked at a video Mary had recorded on her cell phone.

"Yeah, she walks around like she's afraid to fall on her butt," the partners laughed when Norah looked directly at the camera and grinned.

Marshall stood at the threshold to his office, the pain lanced through his heart. He had missed so many of Norah's milestones.

She didn't call when she fell off the ladder when she was cleaning her gutters on a windy weekend. He found out the following Monday morning when she showed up with a sling and a doctor's note.

Marshall was pouring himself a cup of coffee when he heard Mary grumble a curse as she opened the gate door with her badge. When he turned to chastise her for being late, he almost dropped his mug.

Mary walked in with a sling, holding her left arm up. She waved a paper towards him, grumbling some more as she sat down, "Here, I'm out of commission for a couple of days."

He hurriedly walked over to her desk and pulled the paper from her fingers. "What happened?"

"I had a disagreement and this happened. Now, can we drop it?" she didn't look up at him as she pulled her paperwork in front of her.

"What type of disagreement? And with who?" he grilled her.

"Whom," she corrected.

Marshall narrowed his eyes and rephrased his question, "Whom then?"

Delia chose that moment to walk into the office and straight to Mary's desk, "Hey, partner, how's the arm?"

Mary looked at her and smiled feebly, "It'll hold for a day or two."

"Will either of you tell me what happened?" he asked through clenched teeth, hands on hips, glaring from one woman to the other.

Delia looked up, her eyebrows raised in surprise, "I…uh…got a threat assessment."

She walked away and Mary turned to look at him, she glared right back, "It's a non-work related injury."

Marshall knew what she was doing and as much as he appreciated that she had released him, he hurt that she wouldn't tell him what happened. It was a week later when he finally found out, and only because Delia had let the cat out of the bag.

She didn't call when she kept having nightmares about her father, dreams that haunted her days and gave her insomnia. He found out when he asked Delia directly one afternoon.

"Delia, my office!" he growled as he walked by Mary's desk and noticed the more pronounced scowl on her features.

Mary didn't even flinch, she wouldn't talk to him other than work related matters.

Delia got up and jogged over to his office, "Yeah Chief?"

"Close the door and sit down."

She closed the door and came to sit across from him, "What's up?"

"What's wrong with Mary? And don't say that you don't know." he asked looking at her straight in the eyes.

"I…um…it's personal, sir." she looked at him nervously, biting her lower lip.

"Is it Kenny?" he asked remembering the man from the restaurant.

"Nah, that's been over for a while."

"Then?" he drilled.

"Look, you know better than I that I can't betray her trust." Delia looked out the window and noticed Mary on the phone.

Marshall knew all too well the wrath of Mary, he was living it at the moment, he looked out too and groaned, "Please Delia, she's not talking to me. I know I'm partly to blame, but can't you just hand me an inch?"

"OK, but you didn't hear it from me, she's been having nightmares about her father. She doesn't share what type of dreams, just that they give her insomnia," after she told him that she didn't wait for him to give her his permission to leave. She got up and walked out, leaving the door open.

Marshall saw her get up and then, "Going on witness visits."

She didn't call when Brandi gave birth, he had to receive an email from Brandi with baby Kayley's first photo, a week later.

Mary had called out sick in the middle of the week and Marshall had been concerned, but after learning from Delia that Norah and Mary were fine, he let it go.

A week later he walked into his office and opened his emails. He saw one from Brandi and frowned, when he noticed an attachment he proceeded to open it. To his amazement it was a bald little baby, with 'First baby photo' emblazoned over the top of the frame.

He read the email that said: Please help us welcome our new arrival. Kayley Elizabeth Shannon.

When Mary came in that morning he walked out of the office with a scowl on his face, he growled, "I asked you for space, not to push me out of your life!"

Mary jumped up and looked around, saw that no one was around, she turned back to him with a frown and asked, "Where's everyone?"

"I asked them to go to lunch"

"Lunch? At…" she looked down at her computer monitor to check the time, "…8:45am?"

"Yes"

"Oh, I guess I gotta go too," she reached down to grab her bag again when he pulled it away from her grasp.

Mary swirled around and growled, "What the hell's the matter with you asshole?"

"YOU!" he practically screamed into her face.

"What are you talking about?" she was trying to diffuse the situation by ignoring his original question.

"I asked for space, you've done nothing but push me out of your life" he finished with a resigned groan as he stepped back and sat on the desk across from her.

She folded her arms across her chest and lifted her chin, "I released you."

She didn't call when two months after Kayley's birth Brandi took off, leaving a letter that she couldn't watch out for her. He had to find out when he came to her house and found Jinx gardening.

"Hey Marshall, long time no see," Jinx got up from her knees and took off her gardening gloves. She walked over to him and pointed to the back and he followed her to Mary's backyard.

He sat on a chair across from Jinx as she poured them a glass of lemonade.

"Where's Mary?"

"Oh, my poor Mary. She's not here, she actually had to take the little one to the doctor." she said as she took a sip of the lemonade.

"What's wrong with Norah?" he asked tersely, hurting that Mary insisted on pushing him away.

"No, not Norah. Kayley, she's been having really bad colic. Keeps Mary and I up most of the night." Jinx informed him, he looked at the older woman and noticed the dark circles under her eyes. He closed his eyes when he recalled seeing the same dark circles under Mary.

"And I suppose Brandi as well, huh?" he asked curiously.

Jinx snorted and shook her head vehemently, "She ran off, don't even know where to. She left Mary a note about not being able to continue being a mother. I thought...surely Mary told you?"

"Brandi left? And left Kayley in the care of you and Mary?" Marshall stood up and put the glass of lemonade on the table. "No, she didn't tell me."

"I can only do so much Marshall, Mary's been doing most of the work. Hopefully the doctor can give her something for Kayley."

She didn't call when she got a less dangerous job offer, he had to find out when Stan phoned to let him in on it.

"This is Marshall"

"Chief, I think you've earned it, don't you think?" Stan asked amusedly.

Marshall smiled, "Hey Stan, how's it going over in DC?"

"Busy, pretty busy."

"What can I do for you? A new witness?"

"No, have you spoken to Inspector Shannon?"

"Stan, we work in the same office, of course we've spoken. Work-related talk, but talk none the less. Why what's up?"

Stan groaned and asked, "Work-related talk? Never mind, you two are just insane. I meant, has she mentioned anything about a…transfer?"

"Transfer?!" Marshall jumped up and knocked his chair back against the wall. "What do you mean a transfer? Did she request one?"

"No, nothing like that. She was approached about taking a less dangerous Marshal position elsewhere." Stan filled him in. Mary had been offered a position in a courthouse.

Marshall pulled his chair closer and sat heavily on it, "Do you think she'll take it?"

"Well, what I've heard is that she said she would think about it. What do you think?"

"I really hope she doesn't take it Stan, I need her here." Marshall croaked, unashamed that his mentor would hear the sorrow.

"I know."

She didn't call him to let him know that she didn't take the job, but had seriously considered leaving. He heard the call when she declined the offer.

"Like I said, I appreciate the offer, but at the moment I'll stay put…Yes…I'll call you if I ever change my mind…yeah, don't hold your breath though…OK…I'll keep in touch, thank you," she hung up the phone and he stepped back onto the balcony.

He walked over to the railing and leaned his forearms on it, head bowed down in prayer. Thank God she didn't go. I don't know what I would do without her, even if she doesn't want to be my friend anymore.

Marshall looked into the office and saw Delia laughing with Mary as they both looked at her cell phone. I wonder if its something Norah did, or maybe Kayley?

She didn't call him when one day she looked up and gasped, realizing that she had been sad for the wrong reason. She finally knew what her 'Oh' was meant to be, 'I love you too'. He didn't find out…at least not this time.

"Oh my God, I'm in love," she moaned into her desk as she rested her forehead on it.

"Who are you in love with?" Marshall asked surprised that he still felt jealous, but this time the pang of pain sluiced through his body at high intensity. He had never heard her say those words to anyone in particular. Only that one time when she said she was in love with the stapler.

Mary yelped in surprise as her knee made contact with the corner of her desk. "What the hell?"

Marshall stood by her desk and folded his arms, "You said you were in love, I asked who you're in love with."

She shook her head and groaned as she rubbed on her bruised knee, grumbling, "Are you eavesdropping on my personal conversations?"

"No, stop evading the question and tell me."

"Tell you what?"

She didn't call when she got a call from Delia, letting her know that Marshall and Abigail had broken up. He had to tell her.

The taxi dropped a drunk Marshall on Mary's doorstep. Marshall pounded at her door until Mary swung the door open with a scowl on her face, the words she was about to shout were stuck in her throat.

Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times, then she realized that Marshall was leaning against her doorjamb, swaying back and forth.

"Marshall? Are you drunk?" she asked as she grabbed his arm to pull him in.

She walked him to the couch and he collapsed atop it, resting his head against the back of the couch. Mary sat on the coffee table in front of him, "Marshall, what's wrong?"

Marshall closed his eyes, he croaked, "I miss you so damn much."

"Oh Marshall," Mary moved and sat next to him, he moved and wrapped his arms around her, his face pressed to her neck.

"We broke up," he informed her.

Mary was shocked to say the least, she tried to pry him away from her neck, but he shook his head.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked warily.

He nodded, "You fell in love."

Mary froze, tensing at his confession, how the hell did he find out?

"Marshall, it was never my intention to fall in love with you." she murmured with tears in her eyes, then croaked, "How does that affect your relationship?"

Marshall released her and sat back, "You…you're in love with me?"

Mary frowned at him and asked, "Who the hell did you think I had fallen in love with?"

"I don't…know, but I heard you, in the office, remember?"

She closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of her couch, "Yeah, that day I realized that I had been fighting it for a really long time."

"Mare, look at me please."

She opened her eyes and looked at him.

"I love you"

She gasped.

She didn't tell him she was pregnant on their first year anniversary, he didn't need to be told, he knew the minute that they had conceived.

They went out to dinner for their first year anniversary, leaving Jinx babysitting the girls. After dinner Marshall had taken Mary to the best spot on a mountaintop to view all of Albuquerque and the stars.

"Doofus, I'm glad you brought me here, there's something I want to tell you," she murmured as they stood side by side, looking at the city lights.

Marshall pulled her back to his front and wrapped his arms around her waist, one hand dropped down to her lower abdomen and caressed her, "We're having a baby."

She gasped and turned in his embrace, "You, Mr. Mann are a weird freak. How did you know?"

"No, Mrs. Mann, I just know when I planted our baby in your womb. I love you so much Mrs. Mann," he murmured as he pressed his lips to hers.

She deepened the kiss and wrapped her hands around his neck, "I love you too Mr. Mann."

Hope you all enjoyed this little something.