Mary stood on the sand, gazing out at the ocean. It was the one thing she missed most about New Jersey, the one thing Albuquerque didn't have, a beach. She'd spent countless hours of her youth on the sand, staring out at the horizon. When you were looking at the vast ocean, miles of water lain out in front of you like a never ending blue blanket, the troubles of everyday life didn't seem so big. What was the pain of her father's abandonment compared to the millions of tons of water that could easily crush her in a single wave? What were the dozen or so empty bottles of liquor that her mother had consumed compared to the gallons of seawater that could fill her lungs if she simply took a dozen steps forward? What was another eviction notice, notice of cancellation, final notice, etc. compared to the majesty of the ocean? When she was young, the ocean had been the thing that kept her sane.

So when Marshall had asked her where in the world she had wanted to spend their honeymoon, she had known without a doubt, that wherever they went, there would be a beach. Marshall had spent his life in the mid-west, born in Texas, brief stays in Oklahoma and Nebraska, now New Mexico. Sure, he'd seen the ocean, lots of travel was one of the perks to being a marshal. But he'd never really had the opportunity to appreciate the shore. And since her seashore sanctuary had been replaced by his living room upon moving to Albuquerque, Marshall becoming the thing that kept her sane rather than the ocean, she knew she wanted to give him an opportunity to experience the waves as she had.

Marshall knew a hundred and one tidbits and pieces of trivia about the ocean, but he had no clue what it was like to stand with the sand beneath his feet and the sea spray upon his face, gazing out over the horizon as the sun set. She intended to give him that.

So here they were: she'd worn the dress, she'd said the vows, she'd even tossed the bouquet. And now she was Mrs. Marshall Mann, and as she looked out at the blue waters of Tahiti, she felt the man whom had so graciously given his name wrap his arms around her. "I get it now. What you were trying to explain to me about places like this. I'm standing here and everything else is just…what's the word…tiny?"

Mary leaned back and placed her head against his shoulder. "No, not tiny. Tiny is the one thing I don't feel right now. How about removed? Like it's just me and you and this beach. Like this moment right here, the way we're feeling right now, it can just extend into infinity, just like the ocean. I want it to stay this way forever."

Marshall placed a kiss on his wife's cheek. "That's the whole point. Forever, I mean, that's why I gave you that ring. I want you to be my forever"

"You're such a girl." She turned around in his arms to face him, "But I like the way that sounds. I want you to be my forever, too."

They stood that way as the sun slowly sank below the horizon. Today had been the best day of Mary's life. Her mind flew back to the moment she had stepped into the aisle, two dozen feet separating her from Marshall. Taking that first step had been hard, not because she was afraid, but because there was still some part of her, the 7 year old girl, who didn't want to make that walk alone. But then Marshall had captured her gaze, and before she knew it, she'd been standing next to him. She'd lost track of the words being said as she'd held his gaze, until he'd opened his mouth to say his vows. Webster's dictionary lists over two dozen definitions for the word love. And there's not a one of them that comes close to defining exactly how I feel about you. Mary Shannon, you are the most incredible woman that I have ever met. I have spent the last nine years by your side, and there's no where else I would rather spend the rest of my days. You've given me more than I thought possible, and I promise to spend the rest of my life showing you how grateful I am for that. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, Mare. His vows were short and sweet, and perfect. She'd taken a deep breath before opening her own mouth, trying her hardest to keep her voice level. I've spent my life putting up walls trying to protect my heart, doing my best to keep everyone around me from getting too close. And I was ready to accept that I would end up alone. But then I met you, and you called me out on my defenses. Since the day we've met, you've been the one person I could rely on, no matter what. When you told me that day in the hospital that the decision was up to me, I knew that there was no real decision to be made. You are my everything, Marsh, my partner, my best friend, my love. I can't promise that this will be easy, in fact I can pretty much guarantee that it won't be, but I can promise you that I will never walk away. I love you, Marshall Mann, and I am really glad I made that bet.

For all the speed of her first marriage and the grumbling she'd done about her last engagement, she'd never really expected to have the perfect wedding day. But, with Marshall, she'd had just that. It was amazing all the things that Marshall had given her. As the last of the sun's rays faded from the sky, Mary pulled away, turning to face her new husband. "Hey, Marshall, happy anniversary."

Marshall leaned forward, capturing Mary's lips in a gentile kiss. "Happy anniversary, sweetheart."

[A/N: So that's it. Thanks for reading and I hoped you liked reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.]