This is set after the final of s4. I hope you like it. Please review and let me know what you think!
Two Marshals and a Baby
"Can I hold her?"
Mary looked up at her partner and rolled her eyes. "You don't need to ask."
"You gave your Mother a ten minute lecture on how she was not doll earlier." Marshall replied, as he carefully picked up Mary's daughter from the hospital portable crib.
"She woke her up after I spent almost 30 minutes trying to get her to sleep." Mary shot back. "Besides, you're different."
Marshall looked up from the baby to his partner but did not comment. It had been five days since Mary went into labor at Brandi's wedding and although Mother and baby were both healthy, the doctor wanted to keep them in hospital as precaution. Marshall shuddered slightly as he thought about that day. All the drama at the courthouse, how his main concern was getting Mary out safely when it should have been about the witness. Then when she had been rushed to hospital, he was so relieved that she insisted he stay by her side the whole time; neither of them giving Mark or Abigail a second thought. That night, he sat by her bedside and watched her cradling her daughter; bonding with her and even though, she had not said it out loud, he knew she was going to keep her.
"So, where's Mark?" Marshall questioned. "I haven't seen him around much the last couple of days."
"He went home…I guess he only wanted to supportive when he thought all he had to do with sign his rights away."
Marshall sighed and sat down on the edge of her bed. "I'm sorry, Mare."
She shrugged and leaned closer to look at her daughter, smiling slightly. "He says he wants to be involved and help out with money but whether he does or not…We don't need him."
Mary settled back again and just watched her partner as he stared down at the baby. When Mark had first said he was heading home, she thought it was because he was upset that she picked Marshall over him but he admitted he was more than relieved that she did not want him in the delivery room. While he was happy that both of them were okay, he was not sure how to be a Father and was glad they had Marshall around.
Marshall had kept his word to stay throughout and although he had to go to work for a few hours during the day, the rest of the time he was there with her or off getting her whatever she needed.
"Abigail can't be happy…" Mary said, carefully. "What with you spending all your time here..."
"You could say that…" Marshall replied.
"Marshall…"
"What do you want me to say?" He turned to face her. "We broke up…It happens."
"You just brought a house together."
He shrugged. "She's transferring and I need somewhere to live so it's a pretty simple solution."
"You're going to live in that big house all by yourself?"
"Well, I figured this one might need a room of her own in case I'm on babysitting duty."
"Hey, be careful what you offer…I might drop her off one night and then not pick her up until she's 18."
Marshall let out a small laugh and moved up on the bed so he could lean back against the pillows, next to Mary.
"I really am sorry about Abby." Mary said softly. "I know you liked her."
"I did." Marshall replied quietly. "But I guess it's for the best."
"Well, at least we still got each other." She led her head on his shoulder.
"And baby girl Shannon." Marshall added. "Speaking of which, decided on any names?"
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that…" Mary started. "With the adoption and all, I had not really been thinking of names then all that stuff happened with Grace and her baby…I mean, Leonard? Seriously? It's 2011 for god sake…"
"Mare." Marshall gave her a look, telling her to get on with it before moving his eyes back down to the baby.
"Right, anyway, I was talking to Delia about it and she said maybe they named him Leonard after someone and it got me thinking, who I'd want to name my baby after…Really there is only one person." She told him. "But to be honest, Marshall doesn't really suit her."
He looked up at her again in surprise but she kept talking.
"Plus how would I introduce myself? Hi, I'm Marshal Mary Shannon and this is my partner Marshal Marshall Mann…I have a daughter Marshall Shannon…blah blah blah…" She waved her hand around. "Too many Marshals…Too many Ms…"
"Mary?" He cut in again.
"Sorry, anyway I want you to name her."
"What?"
"I want you to pick out her name…Well, names actually because she'll need a middle name too, I guess." She told him.
"You want me to name your daughter?" He stared at her.
"I wanted to name her after the most important person in my life but that won't work so I want the most important person in my life to name her."
"What about Mark?"
"That's kind of a guy's name, don't you think?"
"Mary…"
"He shared no desire to name her before he ran out of here so he doesn't matter." She replied. "Besides, you are probably going to be the only good male role model in her life…actually; you'll probably be the only good role model in her life, period."
"But Mary, this is huge…This is your daughter's name..."
"Yes and I decided I want you to choose it…I trust you." She told him. "But don't you dare pick something like Princess Leia or Daffodil…"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Marshall." She insisted. "I know, I just dropped this on you so I don't need a name tonight…"
"Jessica."
"What?"
"Jessica…" He repeated. "Jessica Mia Shannon."
"Mia?" Mary repeated, tears stinging her eyes at the mention of the name.
"Yeah, what do you think?" He asked, hesitantly.
"Jessica Mia." She whispered, looking at her daughter. "It suits her."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah…" She smiled when Jessica yawned and closed her eyes. "So, I get where Mia came from but what about Jessica? Does it hold some kind of historical meaning that I'm going to regret asking about?"
"It was my Grandmother's name." He replied. "You said you wanted to name her after someone who was important…She was important to me. I always wanted to name my daughter Jessica if I ever had one."
More tears filled her eyes. "Damn hormones!"
"Here." He handed her a box of tissues.
"What happens if you do have your own daughter in the future?"
"Then I'll name her Princess Leia or daffodil…" He joked.
"I'm serious."
"Mare, no matter what happens this little girl is always going to mean something to me…I might only be 'Uncle Marshall' but I'm always going to be there for her…I'm always going to love her." He assured her. "No matter what."
"I want you to be her God Father." She told him.
"I'd be honored." He smiled at her.
"Is she asleep?" Mary questioned.
"Yeah, I think so."
"Good…" Mary looked at him and then to the crib, biting her lip, gently.
Marshall looked at her for a few seconds. "You want me to put her in her crib, don't you?"
"She's not a doll!"
He sighed and rolled his eyes. Carefully standing up, he carried Jessica over to the portable crib. He kissed her forehead softly before gently laying her down. "Sweet dreams, Miss Jessie."
"A nickname all ready?"
He shrugged and dropped down in to the chair beside the bed. "By the way, the name Jessica has no meaning and is thought to have been invented by William Shakespeare…For the daughter of Shylock during the play 'The Merchant of Venice'… "
"Oh god…" She groaned.
Marshall grinned and caught the pillow she sent flying at him then placed it behind his head before continuing. "Famous bearers of the name include Jessica Simpson, Jessica Lang and Jessica Alba, also fictional character Jessica Rabbit…"
Possible TBC
Please let me know what you think and If it's worth continuing!