Where Were You?, an in plain sight fanfic

A/N Title taken from the Alan Jackson song Where Were You?(When the World stopped Turning).

Where Were You?

Anymore it seemed that once September Eleventh came and went, the day was pushed aside as there were other days to celebrate and/or commemorate. People went on with their everyday lives mostly giving no thought o that day now to be seven years past. But as summer was drawing to a close, the reminders began to make themselves known. Radio stations began playing the songs by Alan Jackson and Daryl Worley as well as other songs written so soon after to remember that fateful day. In the newspapers and magazines and online the day was debated over discusses and remembered.

So on Patriot's Day as it was now officially called, Marshall arrived early at the Federal Building coffee and newspaper in hand. On his jacket lapel he wore a small flag pin and red white and blue ribbon; his own remembrance to the lives lost that day and since.

Stan was already there talking on the phone. "Okay. Just be here as soon as you can," he said and hung up.

"Trouble?" Marshall asked looking up.

"Not really. Mary just called to say she's running late due to car trouble," Stan replied.

"So what else is new?" the younger marshal asked with a chuckle. Catching sight of his supervisor's red white and blue neck wear he added, "Nice tie."

Thanks," Stan answered. "Were you planning on attending the Remembrance Luncheon?"

"I do have a ticket for it. Why? Did something come up?" Marshall asked in return.

"No. Just wondering," Stan replied.

Marshall nodded. Sipping his coffee he skimmed through the paper, looking for the letters to the editor section, curious about what was being said about the day.

The poem was almost the last item printed in the section. It was a simple poem; a comparison of 911 and 9/11 written by someone only referred to as Writer Of Simple Words.

911 And 9/11

When it's 911

We promptly respond to the call

Always prepared

To give our all

Lives are in danger

Do not delay

It's a call for help

The numbers say

And on 9/11

We felt the same

The call went out

The rescuers came

So many heroes

Answered the call

Without hesitation

They gave their all

Now in remembrance

Of that fateful day

May it never happen again

Is what we pray

Mary arrived in time to see her partner bent over the newspaper, his attention clearly focused on something of interest. Moving to look over her shoulder, she asked, "Hey, Doofus, what you readin'?"

He hadn't heard her approach so at the sound of her voice he jerked his head up to look around startled. Seeing her standing there trying not to laugh he stated, "Do not sneak up on me like that again."

"Sorry," Mary said non-contritely. "So what is so damned interesting?"

"Poem that got printed in the paper. Whoever this Writer Of Simple Words is, he/she has quite the grasp of expression," Marshall answered.

"I didn't know you were such a fan of poetry," Mary commented as she read it.

He shrugged his shoulders and replied. "I liker it if it's well written and/or an interesting subject. Besides I've written some pretty fair prose and poetry for school assignments and sometimes just because I want to."

Mary walked over to the coffee pot to get herself a cup. "You a poet? This I gotta see," she said.

"There are still things you don't know about me," Marshall said mysteriously and changed the subject. "I read that for most people they're not likely to forget what they were doing when the towers fell."

"I know what I was doing. I was on one of the planes that got grounded," Mary said, sitting down at her desk.

"So why were you flying that day?" Marshall asked curiously.

"I was flying from Boston to Chicago having been on the East Coast to pick up a female fugitive when we got diverted to the nearest airport.. Of course it wasn't until we landed that the government considered all the aircraft to be potential flying bombs. We hadn't rally known much about the Twin Towers or the Pentagon. Anyway after securing our fugitive in the local lock-up my partner and I just sat and watched the unfolding news footage," Mary said.

"Sounds like it was a scary situation," Marshall commented.

"It was," she admitted. "Watching the footage I kept thinking Oh my God, what if it had been us?" She looked over to Marshall. "And what were you doing?"

"To tell you truth nothing near as exciting as you. In fact I was home sick recovering from the flu lying on my couch with the TV on waiting for the local news when I heard that a plane had hit one of the towers. I remember thinking how unfortunate tragic accident it was, a plane probably veered off course coming in for a landing. But when I heard about the second plane I just knew like so many others that it was a deliberate act," he said. "And like you I ended up watching the news footage all day and wondering what I could do to help."

Stan walked in to hear the end of the statement and ask, "What's going on?"

"We were just discussing where we were on September Eleventh," Marshall replied.

Stan nodded. "You know if there was ever a day that we wish we didn't have to remember it's also a day we should never forget," he told them.

"I agree on that" Marshall said and Mary nodded her head.

I Just got a call that you have new witnesses to pick up," their supervisor said.

"Any idea who?" Mary asked.

"It's a young mother of three preschoolers, one a six-month-old baby girl. Her husband was shot and killed by drug dealers in Las Vegas who thought he doubled crossed them. Turned out to be a case of mistaken identity but the wife saw it all go down," Stan replied.

"When do we leave?" Marshall asked

"In an hour. That means you're going to miss the Luncheon," Stan told him.

"It doesn't matter. I can always see about next year's," Marshall replied as he and Mary got up to follow Stan to his office. "As long as there are people around to remember this day won't be forgotten."