Chapter Text
Mary awoke the next morning with an ache in her neck and the sun directly in her eyes. She winced and held up a hand in front of her face to block the offending light. As she came to her senses, she realized she fell asleep on the couch in an upright position. Groaning, she moved to stand and stretch out any other kinks her body had acquired but a weight on her lap anchored her in place. She looked down and recognized her partner's dark hair feathered around his ear and forehead, his expression relaxed and peaceful. The events of the previous evening caught up to her: she finally received a text from Marshall with an address after little to no word from him, drove well above the speed limit, pulled into the driveway next to his truck, knocked on the door, only to be welcomed by her bereaved partner, eyes glistening with tears. She was too late. She rushed in and held him as he cried, unable to say anything that would come close to fixing this situation. When she realized he was emotionally exhausted and falling asleep standing up, she ushered him over to the couch and laid him down, covering him with a blanket from the closet. After conducting a quick walkthrough of the house and checking on a sleeping Josie, she turned off the lights and returned to the couch, gently lifting Marshall's head so he could use her as a pillow. After gently running her fingers through his hair for a while, she fell asleep as well.
Stan was going to kill her. Well, he'd probably be mad for all of ten seconds before relenting in understanding. She should still send him a courtesy text just in case. As she reached for her phone, she noticed a small figure standing in front of her, clutching a teddy bear to her chest. Josie.
She could definitely see the Mann family resemblance: dark brown hair, deep sea-blue eyes and that same thin line for a mouth. Where Marshall's features were more angular and sharp, hers were rounded and soft. Mary wondered briefly how much of that baby fat would fade as Josie grew up. She was a pretty little thing as is.
"Good morning," Mary greeted, unsure if the kid could talk at all. Granted, Josie did just wake up to find a stranger asleep on her couch with her uncle's head in her lap. Well, at least she knew Mary wasn't a threat if her uncle was relaxed around her.
"Hi," Josie replied softly, wary but not afraid. She shifted her gaze to Marshall's still sleeping form. Poor thing has been through so much in less than twenty-four hours, Mary thought to herself.
Marshall began to stir. Josie watched as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Hmm? What happened?" he asked groggily.
"Well, good morning to you too, Sleeping Beauty," Mary teased. That earned a small smile from Josie. "I was just about to ask your niece for a marker so I could draw on your face."
Marshall's attention shifted to Josie.
"Oh, good morning, Jojo," he greeted with a smile. "I see you've met my friend, Mary. We work together."
"It's nice to finally meet you Josie," Mary said. Josie simply nodded in response.
"She's shy around new people," Marshall said as Josie stepped toward him and opened her arms with a silent question. He picked her up, settling her on his lap as she wound her arms around his neck, the teddy bear forgotten.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked. She didn't answer and started to sniffle. Marshall sighed in sympathy and gently rubbed her back as her tears soaked his shoulder.
"Does she know?" Mary asked quietly. He nodded.
"She put the pieces together last night," he replied.
"Poor kid," she whispered as Marshall shushed the little girl and pulled her away from him so he could look at her. Her eyes were now red and puffy and snot trickled down to her upper lip. He placed his hands on either side of her face to wipe her tears but she pushed them away. He could tell she was trying one of the breathing exercises he showed her to calm down and stop crying, and he was really proud of her for taking that step. However, he also knew she hated an audience to her cries; oftentimes, the stares upset her even more. Having a stranger be witness to this probably didn't help.
"Okay, sweetheart, how about we get you cleaned up and ready for the day? Is that okay?" he asked. She nodded and he stood up, carrying her to the bathroom. Mary decided to take this opportunity to send Stan a quick text with her whereabouts and that she probably wouldn't be in today.
While waiting for a reply, she stood up to survey the room and get a better look at the house in daylight. Being a single parent with a six-year-old kid, she thought the place would be more untidy and lived in. Everything in the living room, from the TV remotes to some of Josie's school books, were all neat and organized. She inspected the floor and found no stray toys or anything else that would constitute as an obstacle. In fact, the entire house seemed a little barren, except for Josie's room. Marshall's brother must've been a very devoted father.
She felt her phone buzz on her hip. Stan texted back relaying his sympathies, stating he would keep an eye on things and asked them to call if they needed anything.
As she texted a quick reply, she could hear Marshall's voice wafting down the hallway. As she got closer she could hear him sing "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" while Josie softly sang along. She peeked around the corner and saw Marshall brushing Josie's hair while she sat on the counter, performing the lyrics. Her eyes weren't puffy anymore and hid her giggles behind her hands. Marshall could really be a doofus when he wanted to be.
She cleared her throat to announce her presence. Marshall and Josie turned their attention to her as Marshall finished brushing.
"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting. We were just finishing up in here," Marshall said. He turned to Josie's reflection in the mirror. "Alright, do you want your usual big braid?"
"Yes, please," she said quietly.
"I'm glad you're feeling better, Josie," Mary chimed in.
"So much better, in fact," Marshall interjected, "I was just about to ask what we should do for breakfast." Josie hunched her shoulders and looked down at her hands.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Marshall asked as he tied off the braid. She quickly rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Me and Daddy were gonna go to the store after school yesterday," she explained. "But Grandpa picked me up instead of Daddy." Marshall and Mary shared a brief look.
"That's okay, sweetheart," Marshall consoled as he wrapped his arms around her. "How about this: let's go out and get breakfast somewhere, then we can go to the store later. How does that sound?" Josie turned around and looked up at him, amazed.
"We can go out for breakfast?"
"Of course!" he responded. "How about you show Mary your room and she can help you pick out what to wear today?" He glanced at his partner to gauge how agreeable she felt. He knew she didn't necessarily like kids as much as he did, but he also knew she didn't completely hate them. And if there was any one kid that could get under Mary Shannon's skin, it was Josie.
Without missing a beat, Mary turned on her U.S. Marshal-turned-mother mode.
"Yeah, Josie, let's go see your room. I'm sure it's really pretty." Emboldened by the opportunity, Josie hopped down and scurried to her bedroom door. The partners chuckled at her sudden enthusiasm.
"Thank you," Marshall said quietly.
"Just know you're buying breakfast, pal," Mary quipped as she left the doorway. He smiled.
"As if it would be any other way," he mused to himself.
Within thirty minutes, the trio were out the door and sitting in a cushy booth in a local diner. Josie quickly began warming up to Mary after showing off her room and getting dressed with her assistance. They now sat next to each other, Josie in the window seat, and Marshall sat opposite. Josie kept herself busy with some games on the kids menu the waitress provided with a small box of crayons. They placed their orders and were left alone again.
"How are you holding up?" Mary asked her partner. He sighed deeply.
"Honestly, after the initial shock yesterday, I've been so focused on Josie, I haven't really been able to fully process it," he admitted. "Have you heard from our fearless leader?"
"He's going to hold the fort and wants us to reach out if we need anything. He understands." The waitress brought them two coffees and an apple juice. Marshall leaned back and gazed out the window.
"I still can't believe he's gone, Mare," he said quietly. "I still feel like I'm just babysitting, instead of…" He glanced at his niece, engrossed in her games.
"I know," Mary responded. "I take it the mom's not in the picture?" Marshall shook his head as he sat up again, leaning close with his elbows on the table.
"No, she's not, but believe me, that's a good thing," he said. Mary looked at him a little surprised.
"That bad, huh?" she asked.
"Let's just say she could give your mom a run for her money, and then some," he answered with a hint of malice. Mary stared at him for a moment, not used to seeing a woman anger him this much, except members of her own family.
"Sounds like a piece of work. What did she do?" She noticed Marshall glance over at Josie again, hesitant.
"I don't really feel comfortable discussing this here," he stated. She nodded, sensing it was still a sore topic. Thankfully, the waitress arrived with their food: two omelets with wheat toast and a stack of pancakes for Josie.
"So, what's next?" Mary asked as she dug into her breakfast.
"Well, I need to talk to my parents about making arrangements for the funeral and Josie," Marshall said. Josie perked at the sound of her name. "I called her out of school today but I don't know if or when she'll be going back."
"I won't be going back to school?" Josie asked. It was the first full sentence she uttered since they left the house. Mary was so glad she wasn't a loud, whiny brat.
Marshall turned to Josie while she continued to eat her pancakes. "You'll be back in school, Jojo. We just need to figure out where you'll be staying before then," he explained.
"Can I stay with you?" she asked, hopeful. He sighed, predicting the question without a prepared answer.
"We'll see. Your grandparents and I need to talk about that, but until then, I'll be staying with you at your house." She grinned and danced a little happy dance in her seat. Mary couldn't help but smile.
Josie continued to down her pancakes as Mary and Marshall finished their meals. As expected, Marshall paid the bill but made Mary shell out a tip, albeit small, since he didn't have any more cash. They grabbed their things and piled into Marshall's truck to head back to his brother's house. He refused to spend even one minute in Mary's hunk of junk car when his truck could fit everyone comfortably, especially him.
Mary turned and peeked at the backseat. Josie sat content in her seat, staring out the window at the passing cars and buildings.
"I've never met a kid so quiet before. Did she make a deal with a sea witch?" Marshall chuckled, appreciative of the usual banter.
"No, she's on the autism spectrum," he answered. "Diagnosed when she was four. Didn't really speak before then."
"Wait, autism spectrum like Judy?" she asked, concerned the little girl sitting behind her would grow up to be an emotional robot, despite being a numbers genius.
"Yes and no," Marshall replied. "No two people on the spectrum are alike. Even if they exhibit similar symptoms or features, the severity of those features will vary. I'm hoping to help her develop her social skills further than Judy so she won't suffer the societal consequences."
As they turned the corner onto their block, Marshall immediately noticed a small white car in his brother's driveway. It had been at least a year since the last time he saw it, but he knew in an instant who it belonged to. Judging by Josie's concerned look in the rearview mirror, she recognized it, too.
Mary felt the tension in the truck. "Who's car is that?" she asked as they pulled up along the curb across the street.
"The piece of work," Marshall answered curtly as he parked the truck and unbuckled his seatbelt. It appeared no one was in the car, which meant she must've been inside the house.
He quickly turned to Josie and flashed her a smile, squeezing her knee gently.
"It's going to be okay," he soothed. Then he turned to Mary. "Stay here with her?"
"Yeah, of course. Do you need any backup?" He shook his head quickly.
"I don't think so. Be right back." And with that he opened and shut the door swiftly. Mary knew her partner was tough and brilliant and didn't need much help, but when family got involved – especially former family, event the mightiest warriors could go weak in the knees. She quickly scanned the perimeter for any surprises as Marshall crossed the street. She figured there wouldn't be any, but you could never survive the job on assumptions.
She turned slightly and looked at Josie, noticeably anxious in the backseat. Her eyes were glued to the door, waiting for her bogeyman of a mother to appear at any moment. Mary hated that she could relate.
"Hey kid," Mary said softly, catching Josie's attention. Josie settled her gaze on Mary's jacket instead of her face.
"I promise your Uncle Marshall and I are not going to let anything happen to you. Okay?" Josie nodded and Mary smiled briefly in reassurance.
Marshall's mind switched to badass lawman mode as he approached the front door, which had been left ajar. At this point he would've drawn his weapon but he left it in the lockbox in his truck. He gingerly pushed the door open with his fingertips, gauging signs of life nearby. As he stepped further into the house, he could hear crying in another room. He decided to give his former sister-in-law a chance to collect herself.
"Rebecca?" he called, making his presence known. Suddenly the crying stopped and he could hear the shuffling of various items and footsteps, followed by quiet curses. As the footsteps neared, Rebecca emerged from around the corner with one of Logan's shirts still in her hand. She looked a mess: rumpled clothes, probably worn since the day before; slightly mussed up brown hair; runny mascara stamped on her cheeks. She looked up at him and immediately glared.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed.
"I should be asking you that," he quickly retorted. "This isn't your house anymore."
"Is he really gone?" she asked. He nodded solemnly. A fresh wave of tears emerged.
"I really am sorry, Rebecca, but you shouldn't be here," he said with care. He knew things could get ugly and didn't want to incur any of her wrath.
She wiped her face with her palms. "Where's Josie?" she asked. "I need to see her."
"What you need is to clean yourself up and leave, now," he said, this time with a little more authority, like he would with an unruly witness. He really hoped she wouldn't be so stubborn today.
"Answer me!" she yelled, clearly agitated. "I have a right to know where she is. She must be devastated! I need to see her now."
"That's not going to happen," he stated. This was going to get worse before it got better.
"I am her mother!"
"You gave up that right, remember?" he shot back.
"Only because you and the rest of your stupid family forced the pen into my hand. She is still my flesh and blood, and you can never take that away from me!" Marshall glared at her with a fiery intensity.
"I'm only going to say this one more time: leave now, or I'll have you arrested for trespassing. Don't make me do this the hard way." His patience was running extremely thin by this point, and he was a little surprised at himself for holding out this long.
She scoffed as she grabbed her purse. "Oh sure, hide behind your badge like you and your family always do. I see where Logan got his cowardice from." She wasn't expecting Marshall to practically charge at her like a pissed bull. He firmly gripped her bicep as he threw open the door and practically dragged her out of the house to her car. Mary spotted them coming out and told Josie to lie down on the seat. She could tell Marshall was barely keeping a lid on his anger.
"You're lucky my 'coward' of a father taught my brothers and I never to raise a hand to a woman," he growled at Rebecca. "Now get out of here." She stared at him, still a little in shock, as she blindly found the door handle. She had never seen Logan's quiet, sensitive brother like this.
As she yanked the door open, she whispered, "This isn't over." Without another word, she slipped into the car and slammed the door shut. As she engine purred to life, Marshall glanced at his partner in the front seat, disappointed he couldn't keep this spectacle contained in the house.
Rebecca backed out of the driveway quickly and sped away. Marshall released a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He jogged to the truck and pulled open to reveal Josie, lying on the seat. She sat up and unbuckled her seatbelt, scooting towards the open door. Marshall picked her up and carried her across the quiet street. As soon as he reached the driveway, she wriggled out of his grasp. She sprinted to the front door, quickly disappearing inside the house. He sighed and rubbed his face, heartbroken that Josie had a rough morning and angry at her mother for making it worse. He felt powerless to help ease his niece's grief and suffering, and he hated it.
Mary came up behind him and gently laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, I will be," he responded resolutely. "I need to call my dad and tell him what happened. I figured she would make an appearance eventually, so this just expedites my original plan."
"Which is?" she asked, even though she had a feeling she already knew the answer.
Marshall stared directly at her. "Josie comes back to Albuquerque with us. Tonight."