"Open Up Your Worried World And Let Me In"

Chapter 1 "Trusting"

[I deleted this and reposted it after noticing some typos that annoyed me. Sorry for any inconvenience.]

Mary watched her witness Tasha with sympathetic eyes as she cried on the bed, wrapped up in blankets, as if they were giving her a comforting hug. Serge, who Marshall had shown a bout of badass-ness cuffing and dragging out, had definitely broken this girl's heart And, Mary knew, that sort of thing would take a while to heal. Maybe it never would, not completely.

"How can anyone trust anyone with their heart?" Tasha asked, her tear-filled eyes boring holes into Mary's, searching, pleading for an answer.

Mary felt her heart sink as she realized that she didn't have one. It was a damn good question, one that she had often asked herself. Mary had never trusted anyone with her whole heart, but lately she had been considering it, with the one person she thought would, and could keep it safe. But that was neither here nor there.

"I don't know. I wish I did." she replied honestly, and regretted that she didn't have a better answer for her distraught witness.

Tasha tore her gaze away from Mary's and looked down, tears streaming. Mary helped her get dressed, but neither woman spoke. Mary figured Tasha needed her space, and Tasha didn't seem to want to talk. But, once dressed, Tasha did ask what was going to happen next.

Mary started to explain how Serge would be handled, but Tasha insisted that she didn't care about Serge. Mary smiled a little, proud of the woman in front of her. She'd heal quickly enough. Mary explained how she'd have to be relocated, with a new Marshal and name. Tasha took it pretty well, Mary thought. So long as silence was a good thing.

From outside came the sound of Marshall taking Serge to the SUV, and both women went to the window, gazing down at men they had trusted (or were considering trusting) with their hearts.

Mary left with Marshall and Serge in the SUV, leaving Tasha to pack and think things over on her own. Marshall drove, and Mary could tell by his white knuckles and stony face that he was still pissed at Serge, who kept protesting and complaining in the backseat.

At a red light, Mary gently put a hand on Marshall's arm to try and calm him down. His head whipped around to look at her, and she smiled encouragingly at him. He let out a sigh, and half-smiled back, getting the "Take a chill pill" message.

But then Serge picked that moment to yell "But you don't understand! I really do love her!"

Mary's bullshit-o-meter went berzerk, and so did Marshall.

"Oh, the hell you do! You lied to her, you cheated on her, you used her to make money by filming the two of you in the bedroom! Not only is that disgusting in itself, but what if someone from Tasha's past had seen her online? They'd find her in no time flat! So don't you dare say that you love her! You don't treat someone you love like that! You-"

"Marshall?"

"-stand by them, help them when they need it, and even when they don't or don't want you to, you-"

"Marshall!"

"What?!" Marshall looked at Mary expectantly.

"The light's green." Mary said softly.

Marshall stepped heavy on the gas, and pulled into the parking lot of a nearby 7-11, and continued his rant.

"You have to actually show affection in ways besides sex. With your words, for instance. But you should damn well mean what you say! Think of someone other than yourself, put their problems first for once. Keep them safe, make them feel wanted, needed. Just fucking treat them right! Tasha didn't deserve to be led on like that, and neither did those other women. I can't believe I ever defended you, you sack of shit!"

Mary glanced at Serge, who looked very much put in his place, then back at Marshall, who was breathing heavily and looking like he had more to say.

"Marsh, we should get going." Mary said tentatively, without realizing it using the nickname that she had mentally given Marshall, but as a rule had never used out loud.

He sighed. "Yeah, okay."

As Marshall slowly calmed down on the ride to WITSEC, Mary watched him, deep in thought.

She was well aware of Marshall's feelings for her. And she knew that if she let herself, she could easily fall for him just as hard. But she hadn't been sure if she could trust him with her heart, which had been bruised so many times before. She was afraid of it finally breaking, and afraid of breaking his on top of that.

She just wasn't sure. Until now. Now she knew that yes, Marshall Mann was definitely someone she could and would trust her heart with. He'd keep it safe, just like he did all he could to keep her safe everyday.

He glanced at her and smiled weakly.

She smiled back and thought, Okay Mary, here comes the hard part. Opening up.