Confrontations Ch 7
Grady and Kyle went back to the courthouse to find out what the latest information was. They wanted to gather as much as they could and get back to the hospital to check on Marshall and Mary. This whole case was nothing but trouble and they feared it wouldn't get any better. They were going to have to come up with a better plan for the trial. On their way into the courtroom they ran into the fire chief.
"Sir, what have you been able to find out so far?" Grady asked, showing him his badge.
"The grenade exploded early. It exploded before it got out of the vent. The two they found in the courtroom were lucky that you decided to use the judge's chamber to exit instead of the jury's entryway. They would have been killed for sure. The grenade explosion blew the vent cover off and we've been finding pieces all the way across the room."
"You're sure it was a grenade?" Kyle asked.
"We found the pin in the vent along with some wrappers and other provisions. Your man was hiding in the vent for a day at least. The crime scene investigators already took the evidence to the lab."
"Thank you" Grady said to the fire chief, before turning his attention back to Kyle. "They're going to have to move the trial."
"Yeah, but the question is where and are they going to start the process over? It was a good thing the jury got cleared out fast also. I want to rerun their names. We also need to know what Marshall saw that alerted him" Kyle replied.
"Let's get the rest of the information so we can get back to the hospital. You realize Dad's not going to tell Mom and we're all going to hear about it later" Grady said.
"I don't want her here either. This is not a place to be right now. It isn't safe. They're going to need to close the courtroom off to an even more limited group then before" Kyle replied, before they head to meet with the other marshals.
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A nurse came out to let Mary's family and Stan know that Mary was settled into the room. Stan and Seth led Mary's family towards the door before stopping them just outside of it.
"I'm going to let you sit with Mary for a few minutes, but then the security detail is taking you to a different safe house. Your things have already been moved. I don't want to keep you here any longer then necessary. We don't know what Marshall saw to realize something was happening and there are too many people that come in and out of a hospital for me to feel that you're secure here. Mary and Marshall will have a team outside of the room to protect them and Seth and I will guard them on the inside along with Grady and Kyle" Stan said, leaving no room to argue.
"We understand" Brandi replied, before taking Jinx inside to see Mary.
Mary was sleeping while they were there the five minutes that Stan had given them. He knocked and entered.
"Your detail is here. Time for you to go," Stan said.
"She hasn't woken up yet" Jinx argued.
"I'll make sure she calls you when she does."
"Can't they trace the phones?" Brandi asked.
"Not the ones we'll be using" Stan reassured.
"Mom, we need to go. Stan will take care of Mary and Marshall" Brandi said.
"I don't like this" Jinx replied, but headed for the door.
"Will you keep us posted on Marshall, also?" Brandi asked.
"If anything changes for either of them, we'll let you know" Stan replied, still amazed at times by the changes in the youngest of the Shannon women.
Stan watched the two leave before joining Seth back in the room. Seth was sitting in the seat staring at the spot that Marshall would be moved to.
"Marshall is a lot stronger than you realize. The two of them are headstrong and stubborn when they set their minds to it. They will both come out of this just fine" Stan said.
"The threat is still out there and we don't know what they're going to do with the trial" Seth replied.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Let's just wait to see what Mary, Marshall, Kyle and Grady have to say about everything. We'll put the pieces together and get through this trial."
Seth nodded and waited for Marshall to be brought in while casting glances at Mary. Stan watched this for about fifteen minutes before finally having to ask.
"What are you thinking?"
"I'm trying to figure out what kind of man can bring children into this world and then set them up to die. I realize that my parenting skills were lacking where Marshall was concerned, but I would never do anything to harm him. I love my son. Hell, I love them all and just can't grasp why or how you could do that to anyone."
"The same way he walked out on us. Without a care about anyone but him" Mary's hoarse voice croaked from the bed.
"I didn't realize you were awake" Seth said, feeling bad for bringing it up in front of her.
"I know or you wouldn't have mentioned the moron that is my father. Don't worry about it, I've pretty much lost the delusion of him being the man I thought he was" Mary said, before her eyes started to shift around the room. Looking for the one person she would expect to see by her bed. "Where's Marshall?"
"What do you remember?" Stan asked.
Mary stopped to think. She remembered the smoke and leaving the room. Getting a warning before a body slammed into her.
"Stan, where is Marshall?" Mary demanded, getting worked up.
"Stop it Mary. Marshall is going to be brought in and put next to you. I know better than to keep the two of you separated when you're both injured" Stan replied.
"How bad?" Mary asked, unable to hide the fear.
Stan rattled off both of their injuries. He knew Mary wouldn't relax until she saw Marshall for her self. He decided to distract her by asking questions about what happened.
"Mary, what caught Marshall's attention?"
"Marshall was anxious sitting in the galley. He kept thinking he missed something," Mary started and proceeded to tell Stan about James and what he did to cause Marshall to become suspicious.
"Are you telling me that Rojas didn't set the smoke or the explosion in the vent?" Seth asked.
"I'm telling you that James was looking at his watch and waiting for something. I don't think Rojas was responsible for this incident. I want you to charge him Stan. I want James to be charged for hurting Marshall," Mary said, adamantly. The fact that he was her father didn't matter when it came to Marshall. James could hurt her, but he had no right hurting Marshall. No one was allowed to do that.
"If we find out that he's responsible, I guarantee you that I'll have him arrested and charged to the fullest extent of the law for damn near killing both of you" Seth replied, heatedly.
Stan was about to add something when they wheeled Marshall into the room. All three were silently watching Marshall as they hooked him up to the monitors. Once they left, Seth moved over to Marshall, but made sure to sit on the side opposite of Mary so she could see him.
Stan put an arm on Mary's shoulder to stop her from moving. She had already started to move the blankets back and he knew where this was headed.
"Mary, I'll help you adjust your position in this bed so you can see Marshall from here. You are not getting out of this bed to sit by him until the doctor says it's okay. You were injured too" Stan said, firmly.
"Stan, get me out of this damn bed so I can check on my partner" Mary hissed. She didn't like seeing the paleness of Marshall's face or the lack of movement. It wasn't Marshall.
"No" Stan used his commanding voice. "You are still on oxygen and need to keep it on for the time being. Don't even think about trying to get out of that bed. There will be two of us in this room at all times while you're both here. There will be no sneaking out of bed, no begging, whining, pleading or swearing your way out of it either. You want to help Marshall, then take care of yourself. If you don't he'll put your needs before his own. Do we have an understanding?"
Mary glared but knew Stan was right. If Marshall was concerned about her, he'd forget about himself. She hated sometimes that he felt the need to put everyone above himself.
"I hate you" Mary said, with no real meaning behind it.
"No, you hate the fact that I'm right. Now are you ready for me to adjust the bed or not?" Stan asked.
"Fine" Mary grumbled. "Stop right there." She was finally at a point where she could see Marshall better. Now no one had better get in the way of her vision. Someone had to watch his back while he was unconscious. "Where's my gun?"
"I have yours and Marshall's and will keep them until an appropriate time" Stan replied.
"How do we protect ourselves?" Mary asked, trying to make an argument.
"You don't. We do" Seth said, sternly.
"Besides, I need to be sure you won't shoot any of the staff. You don't play well with others and if you think they're doing something you don't like to Marshall you'll pull the gun. You did it once before" Stan lectured.
"They were causing him pain" Mary reminded.
"It was temporary and it was to help him in the long run. You just lay there and behave. If you don't I'll have Marshall moved to another room and handcuff you to the bed if necessary. We have enough to deal with. I don't need problems from the two of you" Stan warned.
"Who's causing problems?" Grady and Kyle asked entering the room.
"No one yet and we were making sure that Mary knows she won't be" Seth replied, amused at Stan's way of handling Mary. The one person Mary didn't want out of his sight was being used to get her to behave. "Just for the record, she's not allowed any weapons or out of the bed unless the doctor gives her the okay. We'll be trading off who sits with the two of them in here. What did you two find out?"
"How's Marshall?" Grady asked. He listed to the injuries and then filled them in on what they were able to find out.
Mary was pissed at the thought that James was responsible for this. She wanted to speak with him.
"Stan, we need to find out who would help James at the courthouse. We know it wasn't one of his kids" Mary said.
"What about the other cartel he was mixed up in? If he gets charged and goes to prison they will probably be concerned that he will testify against them to try and walk" Kyle replied.
"It might be one of his earlier associates. I know that one is still in prison, but there had to be more of them with the types of job they pulled off" Mary said, before a small coughing fit hit.
Stan poured her some water and let her drink.
"Do you know all their names?" Seth asked.
"No, but Jinx would."
"Alright, I'll have the detail with Jinx talk to her about his known associates. We'll look for any of the Mexican cartel members that may have been near the courthouse prior to the trial. The provisions would be one to two days worth. He or she was in the area before the trial. We need to get footage from the courthouse to see who may have gone and hid in the vent" Stan said.
"It was my fault, forgot the vents" Marshall said in a weak voice.
"Doofus, you're awake" Mary said, happily.
"Mare? You okay?"
"I'm fine, but you're not. For the record, it was not your fault. There were plenty of us in the planning and we all agreed that was the best plan. Not a single one of us thought about the vents. It's not on your shoulders, Marshall. We all missed them."
"James, looking at watch. Think he's responsible."
"Yes, genius we know. I told him so now that we have established that it's time for you to be quiet and start to let yourself heal. Everyone has their tasks established so you just heal over there" Mary said.
"Bossy…" Marshall replied, yawning.
"That's right. You do what I tell you until you're healed and we'll get along just fine" Mary said.
"You too or no deal" Marshall replied.
"Since when do I let myself be bossed around?"
"Promise or no deal. I'll do what I want."
Mary glared at Marshall, but knew he wouldn't do what was best for him.
"Fine, but only until the doctor releases me."
"You got the answer you want, now go to sleep son."
"Need to help" Marshall replied, before drifting off.
Seth checked the watch to make sure he knew when two hours had passed.
"Who is going to talk to James?" Seth asked.
"I will. I want to make sure that we have all of our information together. I'm also going to talk to the prosecutor and make sure he's aware of the charges that are going to be brought up against James" Stan replied, stepping out of the room when his cell rang. He returned back to the room a couple of seconds later. "The trial is being moved to the Scottsdale court house. I have units being put inside at all times and they are going over the courtroom with a fine tooth comb. The trial resumes tomorrow. The local police department is adding to the courthouse security. The dogs are going through the courthouse now."
"What time does it start and how soon can you get me discharged?" Mary asked.
"I will pick you up in the morning before the trial. Seth, I want you to stay here with Marshall. He needs to stay. Kyle or Grady one of you will stick to Mary like glue. Her leg injury will slow her down. I'm going to go have a word with your father now. Due to the circumstances he's not only being separated from the criminals, he won't be allowed visitors or phone calls unless authorized by the Marshal Service. We don't want him reaching out to more friends if at all possible. I will see you later" Stan said.
The room went silent after Stan left. All eyes were focused on Marshall. His brief stint at being awake had caused a lot of the tension to be released. Mary observed Seth as he played protector over his youngest.
"Ask whatever it is that's bothering you?" Seth said to Mary, after his oldest boys left to grab something to eat.
"Why don't you show this side of you to Marshall when he's awake? I know that you care about him. It shows in everything you do when he's not able to notice it. You have a wonderful son, but build walls to keep him out. Don't get me wrong I give you a lot of credit for being in your boys' lives, but don't get why you have such a hard time with Marshall. He's the easiest person in the world to get along with" Mary said, knowing it wasn't something she probably be asking, but with the things her father had done she didn't want to see Seth miss out on an opportunity to know Marshall.
Seth debated about telling Mary where to go and that it was none of her business, but he had a feeling that all of this stuff going on with her father was making her question a lot of things. If not for himself then for Marshall he would answer the question. He knew his son would if it meant giving Mary one less thing to concern herself with.
"I don't get Marshall. We were closer when he was younger, but I don't relate to the soft side of him. That is his mother coming out. I love my son and should show it more. Time is a precious gift" Seth replied, unconsciously reaching out and squeezing Marshall's hand. "What are you trying to figure out over there Mary?"
Mary bit her lower lip. What was she fishing for? She knew the answer and apparently so did Seth.
"If you hadn't had Kyle and Grady would you have walked out on Marshall? If you did how would you explain it to him?"
"No, I wouldn't have walked out on Marshall. He's still my son. My flesh and blood and I love him. If I had ever been foolish enough to walk away from Marshall, I wouldn't even no how to explain it at all. A man has a responsibility to his family. I would hope that I would be strong and smart enough to tell him the truth. The fault was mine and not his. A child can't be responsible for the actions of a parent. It's not the child's fault. There is no action or anything that the child can do that would justify the parent walking away from them. The fault is solely with the parent."
"Good. I'd hate to have to hurt you, but I would if you hurt Marshall. Seth, I know it's not my place or my business to interfere, but you and Marshall are not getting any younger and if you don't take the time to get to know him then you both will have regrets in the end. I know you love your sons, but figure out a way to tell Marshall. He deserves it."
"I'll make you a deal. I'll work on my relationship with Marshall and you work on your feelings about your father. It's obvious the man scarred you, but you don't have to let his mistakes ruin your life. You're a damn good Marshal with good instincts. I saw that for myself. Use those instincts to help you make better choices in your personal life. I'm not asking for an overnight change. You have a lot to work through. Talk to someone about it and open your eyes to what's in front of you. Somehow I get the feeling that you don't have the feeling that you'll find happiness, it's staring you straight in the face, but you have to be willing to open your eyes and see it. Mary, I can tell you have a hard time believing this, but you do deserve to have happiness. Don't let your father's mistakes mar your furture. I'm done with my preaching now," Seth said, trying to lighten up the conversation a little. This was both an out of character and abnormal conversation for him to have with anyone, but especially with Mary. He usually preferred to keep his nose out other peoples business unless they were breaking the law, but Mary needed guidance and if he could nudge her in a direction to help herself then he would for both her and Marshall's sake.
Mary looked over at Marshall and then to his father. Seth wasn't much for words, but seemed to make them count when he spoke. She wasn't sure she liked the bargain because it meant a lot of soul searching and touchy feely for her and she hated that, but if it meant a chance for Marshall and his Dad to heal she would make the deal. Seth did touchy feely about as well as she did, so she knew that it wouldn't be easy for him either.
"Fine, I'll accept your deal but it will be null and void if you break your end and I will know if you did," Mary replied.
"Fair enough," Seth said, realizing that he was still holding Marshall's hand. They hadn't done that since Marshall was a child. Funny how these things come back in the worst of times. He and Mary both had a long way to go at fixing things, but it would definitely be worth it for both of them.
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Stan entered the interrogation room to see a disgruntled James Shannon sitting at the table. He took a deep breath to calm down before talking to the man. The fact that he put Mary and Marshall in the hospital infuriated him.
"Who did you hire to cause the commotion at the courthouse and what did you expect to gain from it? " Stan demanded. He wasn't in the mood for pleasantries either.
"You ruined everything. What tipped you off?" James asked.
"My people are good at what they do. Who did you hire and what were you trying to gain?"
"An acquaintance of mine, because if it worked then my family wouldn't be brought in to hear everything" James said. "No harm done."
"Don't you dare give me no harm done. I have two Marshals in the hospital that could've been killed because of your stunt. I want the name of the acquaintance."
"What do I get for that?"
"How many deals do you think you're going to get from this? You're family is being informed of everything as we speak. You won't have anymore secrets. Those secrets are coming out and you can't stop that from happening. Do you honestly believe that you can hide who you are forever? The Griffins are here and ther's no turning the clock back to make that change. They know that you set your original family up to die so you could have the life you wanted. What happens if that life were to fall apart. Do you honestly think they would trust you not to set them up also? You're nothing but a man who puts his needs in front of others and doesn't care who he hurts as long as he gets what he wants. Now, who is the name of your associate?"
"Find out yourself."
"I will. I guarantee you that I will and so will the prosecutor."
James had a feeling that Stan McQueen would. All the secrets and lies will have been for nothing and he would be alone in this world once his wife learned the truth. All he wanted to do was protect the life that meant the most to him. Mary had been his princess and he still loved her in his own way, but they could never go back to being a family. She could be happy if she let herself. If he were to be honest with himself he knew that most of the problem stemmed from his walking out on her and stringing false hope with the letters he sent her. The problem was he couldn't regret it. He was free from the drama of Jinx and the burden of family responsibility. He never thought he would want that responsibility again until he met Sarah. She had been what he needed and now he was going to lose her. He blamed Mary and her friends for that. He was hoping to keep them distracted with the cartel going after Mary and Marshall at the least. It would have kept them busy long enough for him and his family to leave the country.
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Mary and Marshall were both sleeping. Seth stared at the two and shook his head. A part of him wanted to bash their heads together to get them to admit they loved and needed the other. Marshall he knew had figured it out, but was scared to tell Mary and Mary was hiding behind years of strongly built protective walls. His thoughts were interrupted by a soft moan escaping Marshall's lips.
"Son" Seth said softly, hoping to get a reply as Marshall's eyes fluttered.
"Dad?"
"That's right. Open your eyes Marshall. You can do it."
Marshall wanted to say no that it took to much effort, but he knew better than to talk back to his Dad. He struggled for awhile before finally getting them to open.
"Mare?" he asked.
"She's fine. Finally fell asleep. You kept her safe Marshall. How are you feeling?" Seth asked.
"Head hurts. I'm okay though."
"Your head should hurt currently. You're not okay either, but you will be" Seth said, noticing Marshall trying to look to where he pointed Mary was. "Do you want me to sit you up for a little bit?"
Marshall was about to nod, but decided against it. He had a bad enough headache at the moment. Once his Dad adjusted his bed, Marshall could finally see Mary. He trusted his Dad to tell them him the truth, but really needed to see for himself.
"What are they going to do about the trial?" Marshall asked, focusing back on his Dad and missing the fact that Mary had just woken up.
"Trial resumes tomorrow. Stan and your brothers are taking me, while you and your Dad stay here" Mary replied, happy to see Marshall was awake.
"I'm your partner. I go where you go" Marshall said, adamantly.
"Not this time. Doctor's orders are for you to stay here. We all agree with him" Mary replied, just as adamantly as Marshall.
"I can release myself out of here," Marshall reminded.
"No, you won't. Son, you took a hell of a hit to your head along with everything else. You will stay in this room or I will handcuff you to the bed if necessary. You are still my son and while an adult don't think I won't make you do what is best for your health" Seth replied, sternly.
"Now that we have that settled, we can fill you in on the rest" Mary smirked, telling Marshall what they knew so far.
"Stan went to see who your father hired?"
"Yes, I did. To no avail. He won't give that information up. We're running known associates right now. Jinx gave us a list of names and so did Sarah. How are you feeling Marshall?" Stan asked, grabbing a seat between Mary and Marshall but making sure not to block their view of each other.
"Maybe it's time to have another chat with dear old Dad" Mary said.
"You won't get in to see him. They're prepping him for trial. I sent Marshall's brothers to oversee the sweep of the courtroom and they're making sure every section of that courthouse is safe. We're not having a repeat of today again. The judge has ordered a closed hearing. He will allow the families to be present of course. When your Dad is done then you can have a nice chat with him but until then you're going to have to wait. Once the evidence is collected and we can pin the courthouse bombing on your father then he'll be charged with that" Stan replied.
Mary nodded. She knew a confrontation was going to happen and that it would be less than pleasant but he had a lifetime of questions to answer. That confrontation was getting closer everyday and she wasn't sure that she was prepared to hear the answers. It would be a rough time ahead for all of them. The Griffins would have a lot to deal with, but she couldn't muster the strength to worry about them. James owed them answers, but first he had to explain a lot to Brandi and her. Jinx, she actually understood the reason for his leaving her, but he could've divorced her and given her and ending.
"When can you get us out of here for the trial?" Marshall asked.
"We already had this discussion. You are not going to this trial. You are going to be staying in the hospital where you belong. Marshall, you have a concussion and need time to heal. You're not going because you wouldn't be doing anyone any good. The only thing you will be doing is hurting yourself. I won't let that happen. Stan and your brothers will have my back. I promise that everything will be okay."
"I'm your partner" Marshall insisted.
"If you want to remain so then you'll stay here and recover while your brothers and Stan watch over Mary" Seth replied.
"I'm not a kid that you can boss around any more" Marshall said frustrated.
"You're my son and the day I stop telling you what to do, when you refuse to use that brain of yours, is the day I die. Do I make myself clear?" Seth asked.
"Yes, sir."
"Marshall, it's for your own good. I would order you to stay anyways. I wouldn't risk your health or anyone elses. Mary is only being allowed to go because you blocked her from getting any major injuries other than her leg. It will slow her down, but not impede her. If her injuries were any worse, she'd be staying behind to" Stan said.
Marshall knew that wasn't true. If Mary put up an argument Stan would cave like usual. He was angry, so he did the only thing that he could do to express it. He turned away from Mary and Stan and shut his eyes to ignore his father.
"Marshall" Mary said, knowing full well what that gesture meant.
Marshall ignored her. He wasn't in for the lame excuses or double standards.
"Marshall, stop pretending you can't hear me. I know you're hearing is perfectly in tact" Mary said, heatedly.
Seth shook his head trying to get Mary to stop. He knew full well Marshall would just withdraw further within himself. He just needed time to work through it.
Mary glared at Seth. He wasn't her father and even if he was she still wouldn't be listening to him. She knew full well that he would withdraw if she kept it up, but she had enough issues to deal with already. She didn't need a fight with Marshall to boot, but she also knew that when he was injured and hurt there were times that she couldn't get through to him. He had a stubborn streak that most people would never think possible. Sighing she leaned back against the pillow. Stan pattered her hand and the room went into an uncomfortable silence until both Mary and Marshall were asleep.
"Having kids is never easy" Seth whispered to Stan.
"Somehow I don't recall signing up for children" Stan replied.
"Yet you found yourself with two. I know they are your surrogate children and I'm glad for both their sakes. While I may have never walked out on Marshall, I wasn't the father he needed. You understand him more than I ever have."
"You still can with Marshall. Mary's father won't ever be back in her life again. This was his last chance and he blew it. Selling her out; she could have survived that. The fact that he sold out her mother and her sister were bad enough, but to sell out Marshall on top of that is a crime all by itself in her book. I understand Marshall's need to be there. He's her protector. To not be there is to take away his role and if something were to happen to her again while he wasn't around would devastate him."
"Two parts of a whole. Take one part away and the other is lost" Seth said.
"They'll work it out. Marshall may be a little less friendly for awhile, but he won't hang on to it for long. He's hurt and hurting, plus add the medication and you have a stubborn, hurt and angry Marshall. He knows he's injured, but when the trial is over he will want to be there for Mary. She'll need him even if she doesn't want to admit it."
"The trial is only the beginning for her and the family" Seth said, knowing all of the wounds of the past would be reopened for Mary and her family and that it would happen a second time when James goes on trial for his crimes.
"Unfortunately, yes. There is a rough road ahead for everyone. We'll get through it though with a few more scars, but maybe a few revelations along the way. Mary needs the closure and Marshall needs to help Mary."
"James Shannon is one sick bastard. How did he do this to two families? How do you walk away from your own children and leave them in the hands of an alcoholic?"
With Seth's question the room once again fell silent.
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The next morning Stan came in to pick Mary up for the trial. Seth had stepped out to get a coffee. Marshall still wasn't talking and refused to face them.
"You ready to go?" Stan asked Mary.
"Give us a few minutes" Mary replied, waiting for Stan to leave the room. She moved over next to Marshall's bed and when he tried to turn away from her again she stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.
"I know you're hurt and upset. I know the medications are messing with the brilliant mind of yours. Marshall, you have a concussion and were unconscious from smoke inhalation. You had my back like always. Your brothers made sure every part of that courthouse is safe. You need me to be safe and I need you to be safe. This is what you need to do to be okay. I promise you that I will be safe. I'll let you know if I talk to my Dad. You need to promise me that you'll listen to the doctor and do what he says. I need you Marshall and I'm really going to need you when this is over. The fact that I'm admitting it to you should tell you a lot about how bad I expect this to go" Mary said sincerely. "Marshall, don't shut me out. I promise if you don't then I will make sure that I don't shut you out when I talk to my Dad. You might have to remind me of that because we both know that I will probably muck it up along the way."
Marshall was trying to stay mad, but it he sucked at it especially when Mary was admitting to things she never does.
"You promise?" Marshall said, softly.
"I promise" Mary replied, squeezing Marshall's hand.
"Come back afterwards?"
"Of course. There is no where else I would want to be then by your side. With any luck we can spring you out of here before dinner. Otherwise, I'll see if I can sneak you in some pie."
"Not apple" Marshall murmured.
"Not apple. I'm sure you got sick of that with my apple pie fetish. Marshall, you know that I want you by my side, but I want you healthy more than anything else. You got hurt trying to protect me twice, but now I need you to take care of you. There will be plenty of times in the near future for you to be there for me. I'll need it more than I even am willing to admit."
"Be careful Mare, listen to what Stan and my brothers tell you to do. I know you don't like orders, but I need you to be safe."
Mary couldn't help but smirk at that. Marshall would always be her own knight. Although he was really her tall lanky badass cowboy and she'd take that any day compared to a knight in shining armor. Leaning in she placed a kiss on his forehead.
"I'll see you later, Doofus. Take care of yourself and don't give your Dad a hard time. He cares about you even if he sucks at showing it."
"I will. We'll talk about your day when you get back" Marshall replied.
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Mary entered the courtroom with Kyle on her left and Stan on her right. She noticed that Jinx and Brandi were already seated in the second row with a detail around them and the Griffins in the front row with a Marshal on one side and Jackson on the other. Mary moved into the row with Brandi and Jinx in it.
"Where's Marshall?" Brandi asked.
"Still in the hospital. He'll be okay" Mary said.
The judge came in before Mary and Brandi could say anything else. James was called to the witness stand and began his testimony. Mary watched the proceedings and the reaction of Sarah Griffin. She was the only one who would be in shock by all of this. Mary knew that unlike her family the Griffins didn't know this man. He had kept his past hidden for as long as he possibly could.
Mary listened as her father continued to talk about the crimes that he had helped the Rojas cartel commit. It never ceased to amaze her how much her father had gotten himself into. The barrier between the man her younger self knew and the man he had become were completely gone. As she continued to hear the words he said the more she realized just how big of an illusion she had created about who she saw him as. Yes, a part of her would always love the man she had know when she was a child, but she would never forgive the man he had become.
The prosecution continued to question her father for the remainder of the day. The judge called for a continuation until tomorrow.
"Mary, we'll go from here to the hospital. We'll move your family to another safehouse and keep full time security around the courthouse. Your father's testimony will end tomorrow and he'll be brought back to the federal prison. You and your family will be able to talk to him the following day" Stan said.
"Marshall's probably getting antsy. The sooner we get back to him the better" Mary replied after watching Sarah's shocked face as she was escorted from the courtroom.
Stan watched Mary as her eyes followed Sarah.
"She's a victim here too, you know. Her two kids were involved, but overall they didn't have a clue to all that he had done and what he was capable of doing. It isn't her fault your father walked out on you and started a new family."
"I know that. Doesn't mean that I want to know them, but I know that I don't blame her for this. Not so sympathetic with the two eldest children. Right now, I just want to see my partner."
"Let's go" Stan replied.
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Seth had been sitting with Marshall waiting for word on the trial. He hadn't said much at all.
"For a boy who used to be hard to keep quiet, you seem to be making up for lost time."
Marshall looked to his Dad. "I'm sorry. Lost in thought."
"Want to share with your old man?" Seth asked, hoping to get Marshall to open up. "I know that we don't talk and that I haven't really listened to you when you have. It's late but I would like to try."
"Why now?"
"Maybe I'm finally older and wiser. I shouldn't have caused so much distance between us."
"I'm just worried about Mary. She's dealing with a lot right now. She needs me to be there and not stuck in the hospital."
"You were there for Mary. You protected her when the grenade exploded which is why you're in the hospital. The doctor is talking about releasing you soon. You can be by her side when you're out. You know that. Once and awhile Marshall, you need to put yourself first. With you everyone else comes first. At some point you need to look out for you."
"Dad, I'm fine."
"Well your version of fine sucks. I know that your first instinct is to protect people and that is highly commendable, but son it doesn't mean that you should neglect yourself or your needs."
"I don't neglect myself, Dad."
"Don't you?"
"No I don't, Dad" Marshall replied.
Seth sighed. "You do. I don't mean that you ignore your basic needs, but your emotional needs and what you want those you shove somewhere deep inside of you. You deny yourself the chance for the happiness that you try so hard to make sure that other get."
Marshall didn't know how to reply to that and was grateful they were interrupted by Stan and Mary coming into the room.
"How'd it go?" Marshall asked.
"Typical Shannon family fashion. He admitted to all the crimes that he helped the Rojas with. No shock for us. Not so sure about the Griffins though. I think when he admitted to setting all of us up to die in order to protect his family that Sarah Griffin finally realized that everything we told her was true. Somehow I think she was expecting this to all be a misunderstanding."
"Can you blame her? James was good at keeping them out of the loop," Marshall replied while shooting a glance at his Dad.
"Stan and I are going to get a cup of coffee. We'll be right back" Seth said, knowing Marshall wanted to talk to Mary.
Marshall waited until they walked out.
"How are you really?"
"I'm doing fine for now. I knew what he was going to say. There was no shock factor for me. Actually, I feel a little bad for Sarah Griffin. She wasn't prepared for that neither was the youngest daughter. Tomorrow will be rough. Stan figures the day after that we'll be able to talk to James."
"How does that make you feel?"
"He's not the man I remember Marshall. I don't know what to think right now. When do you get out of this place?" Mary asked, wanting to change the conversation.
"I get another scan and depending on the results I can leave. I'll be back in the courthouse with you tomorrow."
"Maybe you should stay at the safehouse to make sure that you're okay."
"I'm not sitting on the sidelines while this plays out. It's not like Stan is going to let me be an active part of protection detail. I'll just be sitting by your side."
"Fine, but there will be no getting injured or playing hero if anything happens."
"I promise to try not to get hurt. You can at least offer me the same courtesy."
"Fine, Doofus. I promise not to get hurt either."
"Good, we're in agreement" Marshall said, before the nurse came in.
"Time for your scan."
Mary walked with Marshall and waited for them to do the scan. When they were done Marshall was brought back to the room where they waited for the doctor to annouce the prognosis. Stan and Seth appeared a few seconds before the doctor did.
"What's the verdict, doc?" Mary asked.
"His scan looks good, so he can go home. I won't clear him for active duty at the moment. His body still needs time to heal" the doctor replied.
"How long before active duty?" Marshall asked.
"Give it a week to let you other injuries heal completely. He is free to go. I'll have the discharge papers available shortly."
"Thank you, Doctor," Seth said.
"Where are Grady and Kyle?" Marshall asked.
"They're staying with the group at the courthouse. We have twenty-four hour security on the place" Stan replied.
"Can you guys give me a few minutes to change so that we can get out of here when the discharge papers arrive?" Marshall asked.
"We'll be right outside" Stan replied, ushering Mary and Seth into the hallway.
"So back to the safe house for the night? Mary asked.
"A different one. I'm not taking any chances. We've moved the gear to another house. All the family members are being relocated daily as extra precaution. We still haven't found the leak" Stan said.
"At this point, I'm assuming that Rojas knows it's to late to stop his son from going to prison" Seth replied.
"Doesn't mean he won't go for revenge. While the truth about his loyalties came out today, that doesn't mean the word passed fast enough to stop someone from trying anything. He might go after both families just to prove a point. The defense will probably challenge his character to say that he's interested in his own self preservation" Stan said.
"Well, that shouldn't take too long," Mary muttered. "The better question is does this end here. There's still the Mexico cartel he's dealt with."
"I have a feeling your family will be fine. The Griffins are going to be the ones looking over the shoulders for the rest of their life. James made his choice and while crude and cruel; in the long run it might have been the best thing for your family. I don't mean to be cruel here Mary, but it showed who he would go to great lengths to protect," Seth said, not meaning to open the wound further.
"It's not cruel for you to say Seth. It's the truth about what James chose" Mary replied.
They were interuppted as Marshall called them back in the room.
"You ready to go?" Mary asked.
"Most definitely" Marshall replied as a nurse entered the room with a wheelchair.
"Sir, what have you been able to find out so far?" Grady asked, showing him his badge.
"The grenade exploded early. It exploded before it got out of the vent. The two they found in the courtroom were lucky that you decided to use the judge's chamber to exit instead of the jury's entryway. They would have been killed for sure. The grenade explosion blew the vent cover off and we've been finding pieces all the way across the room."
"You're sure it was a grenade?" Kyle asked.
"We found the pin in the vent along with some wrappers and other provisions. Your man was hiding in the vent for a day at least. The crime scene investigators already took the evidence to the lab."
"Thank you" Grady said to the fire chief, before turning his attention back to Kyle. "They're going to have to move the trial."
"Yeah, but the question is where and are they going to start the process over? It was a good thing the jury got cleared out fast also. I want to rerun their names. We also need to know what Marshall saw that alerted him" Kyle replied.
"Let's get the rest of the information so we can get back to the hospital. You realize Dad's not going to tell Mom and we're all going to hear about it later" Grady said.
"I don't want her here either. This is not a place to be right now. It isn't safe. They're going to need to close the courtroom off to an even more limited group then before" Kyle replied, before they head to meet with the other marshals.
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A nurse came out to let Mary's family and Stan know that Mary was settled into the room. Stan and Seth led Mary's family towards the door before stopping them just outside of it.
"I'm going to let you sit with Mary for a few minutes, but then the security detail is taking you to a different safe house. Your things have already been moved. I don't want to keep you here any longer then necessary. We don't know what Marshall saw to realize something was happening and there are too many people that come in and out of a hospital for me to feel that you're secure here. Mary and Marshall will have a team outside of the room to protect them and Seth and I will guard them on the inside along with Grady and Kyle" Stan said, leaving no room to argue.
"We understand" Brandi replied, before taking Jinx inside to see Mary.
Mary was sleeping while they were there the five minutes that Stan had given them. He knocked and entered.
"Your detail is here. Time for you to go," Stan said.
"She hasn't woken up yet" Jinx argued.
"I'll make sure she calls you when she does."
"Can't they trace the phones?" Brandi asked.
"Not the ones we'll be using" Stan reassured.
"Mom, we need to go. Stan will take care of Mary and Marshall" Brandi said.
"I don't like this" Jinx replied, but headed for the door.
"Will you keep us posted on Marshall, also?" Brandi asked.
"If anything changes for either of them, we'll let you know" Stan replied, still amazed at times by the changes in the youngest of the Shannon women.
Stan watched the two leave before joining Seth back in the room. Seth was sitting in the seat staring at the spot that Marshall would be moved to.
"Marshall is a lot stronger than you realize. The two of them are headstrong and stubborn when they set their minds to it. They will both come out of this just fine" Stan said.
"The threat is still out there and we don't know what they're going to do with the trial" Seth replied.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Let's just wait to see what Mary, Marshall, Kyle and Grady have to say about everything. We'll put the pieces together and get through this trial."
Seth nodded and waited for Marshall to be brought in while casting glances at Mary. Stan watched this for about fifteen minutes before finally having to ask.
"What are you thinking?"
"I'm trying to figure out what kind of man can bring children into this world and then set them up to die. I realize that my parenting skills were lacking where Marshall was concerned, but I would never do anything to harm him. I love my son. Hell, I love them all and just can't grasp why or how you could do that to anyone."
"The same way he walked out on us. Without a care about anyone but him" Mary's hoarse voice croaked from the bed.
"I didn't realize you were awake" Seth said, feeling bad for bringing it up in front of her.
"I know or you wouldn't have mentioned the moron that is my father. Don't worry about it, I've pretty much lost the delusion of him being the man I thought he was" Mary said, before her eyes started to shift around the room. Looking for the one person she would expect to see by her bed. "Where's Marshall?"
"What do you remember?" Stan asked.
Mary stopped to think. She remembered the smoke and leaving the room. Getting a warning before a body slammed into her.
"Stan, where is Marshall?" Mary demanded, getting worked up.
"Stop it Mary. Marshall is going to be brought in and put next to you. I know better than to keep the two of you separated when you're both injured" Stan replied.
"How bad?" Mary asked, unable to hide the fear.
Stan rattled off both of their injuries. He knew Mary wouldn't relax until she saw Marshall for her self. He decided to distract her by asking questions about what happened.
"Mary, what caught Marshall's attention?"
"Marshall was anxious sitting in the galley. He kept thinking he missed something," Mary started and proceeded to tell Stan about James and what he did to cause Marshall to become suspicious.
"Are you telling me that Rojas didn't set the smoke or the explosion in the vent?" Seth asked.
"I'm telling you that James was looking at his watch and waiting for something. I don't think Rojas was responsible for this incident. I want you to charge him Stan. I want James to be charged for hurting Marshall," Mary said, adamantly. The fact that he was her father didn't matter when it came to Marshall. James could hurt her, but he had no right hurting Marshall. No one was allowed to do that.
"If we find out that he's responsible, I guarantee you that I'll have him arrested and charged to the fullest extent of the law for damn near killing both of you" Seth replied, heatedly.
Stan was about to add something when they wheeled Marshall into the room. All three were silently watching Marshall as they hooked him up to the monitors. Once they left, Seth moved over to Marshall, but made sure to sit on the side opposite of Mary so she could see him.
Stan put an arm on Mary's shoulder to stop her from moving. She had already started to move the blankets back and he knew where this was headed.
"Mary, I'll help you adjust your position in this bed so you can see Marshall from here. You are not getting out of this bed to sit by him until the doctor says it's okay. You were injured too" Stan said, firmly.
"Stan, get me out of this damn bed so I can check on my partner" Mary hissed. She didn't like seeing the paleness of Marshall's face or the lack of movement. It wasn't Marshall.
"No" Stan used his commanding voice. "You are still on oxygen and need to keep it on for the time being. Don't even think about trying to get out of that bed. There will be two of us in this room at all times while you're both here. There will be no sneaking out of bed, no begging, whining, pleading or swearing your way out of it either. You want to help Marshall, then take care of yourself. If you don't he'll put your needs before his own. Do we have an understanding?"
Mary glared but knew Stan was right. If Marshall was concerned about her, he'd forget about himself. She hated sometimes that he felt the need to put everyone above himself.
"I hate you" Mary said, with no real meaning behind it.
"No, you hate the fact that I'm right. Now are you ready for me to adjust the bed or not?" Stan asked.
"Fine" Mary grumbled. "Stop right there." She was finally at a point where she could see Marshall better. Now no one had better get in the way of her vision. Someone had to watch his back while he was unconscious. "Where's my gun?"
"I have yours and Marshall's and will keep them until an appropriate time" Stan replied.
"How do we protect ourselves?" Mary asked, trying to make an argument.
"You don't. We do" Seth said, sternly.
"Besides, I need to be sure you won't shoot any of the staff. You don't play well with others and if you think they're doing something you don't like to Marshall you'll pull the gun. You did it once before" Stan lectured.
"They were causing him pain" Mary reminded.
"It was temporary and it was to help him in the long run. You just lay there and behave. If you don't I'll have Marshall moved to another room and handcuff you to the bed if necessary. We have enough to deal with. I don't need problems from the two of you" Stan warned.
"Who's causing problems?" Grady and Kyle asked entering the room.
"No one yet and we were making sure that Mary knows she won't be" Seth replied, amused at Stan's way of handling Mary. The one person Mary didn't want out of his sight was being used to get her to behave. "Just for the record, she's not allowed any weapons or out of the bed unless the doctor gives her the okay. We'll be trading off who sits with the two of them in here. What did you two find out?"
"How's Marshall?" Grady asked. He listed to the injuries and then filled them in on what they were able to find out.
Mary was pissed at the thought that James was responsible for this. She wanted to speak with him.
"Stan, we need to find out who would help James at the courthouse. We know it wasn't one of his kids" Mary said.
"What about the other cartel he was mixed up in? If he gets charged and goes to prison they will probably be concerned that he will testify against them to try and walk" Kyle replied.
"It might be one of his earlier associates. I know that one is still in prison, but there had to be more of them with the types of job they pulled off" Mary said, before a small coughing fit hit.
Stan poured her some water and let her drink.
"Do you know all their names?" Seth asked.
"No, but Jinx would."
"Alright, I'll have the detail with Jinx talk to her about his known associates. We'll look for any of the Mexican cartel members that may have been near the courthouse prior to the trial. The provisions would be one to two days worth. He or she was in the area before the trial. We need to get footage from the courthouse to see who may have gone and hid in the vent" Stan said.
"It was my fault, forgot the vents" Marshall said in a weak voice.
"Doofus, you're awake" Mary said, happily.
"Mare? You okay?"
"I'm fine, but you're not. For the record, it was not your fault. There were plenty of us in the planning and we all agreed that was the best plan. Not a single one of us thought about the vents. It's not on your shoulders, Marshall. We all missed them."
"James, looking at watch. Think he's responsible."
"Yes, genius we know. I told him so now that we have established that it's time for you to be quiet and start to let yourself heal. Everyone has their tasks established so you just heal over there" Mary said.
"Bossy…" Marshall replied, yawning.
"That's right. You do what I tell you until you're healed and we'll get along just fine" Mary said.
"You too or no deal" Marshall replied.
"Since when do I let myself be bossed around?"
"Promise or no deal. I'll do what I want."
Mary glared at Marshall, but knew he wouldn't do what was best for him.
"Fine, but only until the doctor releases me."
"You got the answer you want, now go to sleep son."
"Need to help" Marshall replied, before drifting off.
Seth checked the watch to make sure he knew when two hours had passed.
"Who is going to talk to James?" Seth asked.
"I will. I want to make sure that we have all of our information together. I'm also going to talk to the prosecutor and make sure he's aware of the charges that are going to be brought up against James" Stan replied, stepping out of the room when his cell rang. He returned back to the room a couple of seconds later. "The trial is being moved to the Scottsdale court house. I have units being put inside at all times and they are going over the courtroom with a fine tooth comb. The trial resumes tomorrow. The local police department is adding to the courthouse security. The dogs are going through the courthouse now."
"What time does it start and how soon can you get me discharged?" Mary asked.
"I will pick you up in the morning before the trial. Seth, I want you to stay here with Marshall. He needs to stay. Kyle or Grady one of you will stick to Mary like glue. Her leg injury will slow her down. I'm going to go have a word with your father now. Due to the circumstances he's not only being separated from the criminals, he won't be allowed visitors or phone calls unless authorized by the Marshal Service. We don't want him reaching out to more friends if at all possible. I will see you later" Stan said.
The room went silent after Stan left. All eyes were focused on Marshall. His brief stint at being awake had caused a lot of the tension to be released. Mary observed Seth as he played protector over his youngest.
"Ask whatever it is that's bothering you?" Seth said to Mary, after his oldest boys left to grab something to eat.
"Why don't you show this side of you to Marshall when he's awake? I know that you care about him. It shows in everything you do when he's not able to notice it. You have a wonderful son, but build walls to keep him out. Don't get me wrong I give you a lot of credit for being in your boys' lives, but don't get why you have such a hard time with Marshall. He's the easiest person in the world to get along with" Mary said, knowing it wasn't something she probably be asking, but with the things her father had done she didn't want to see Seth miss out on an opportunity to know Marshall.
Seth debated about telling Mary where to go and that it was none of her business, but he had a feeling that all of this stuff going on with her father was making her question a lot of things. If not for himself then for Marshall he would answer the question. He knew his son would if it meant giving Mary one less thing to concern herself with.
"I don't get Marshall. We were closer when he was younger, but I don't relate to the soft side of him. That is his mother coming out. I love my son and should show it more. Time is a precious gift" Seth replied, unconsciously reaching out and squeezing Marshall's hand. "What are you trying to figure out over there Mary?"
Mary bit her lower lip. What was she fishing for? She knew the answer and apparently so did Seth.
"If you hadn't had Kyle and Grady would you have walked out on Marshall? If you did how would you explain it to him?"
"No, I wouldn't have walked out on Marshall. He's still my son. My flesh and blood and I love him. If I had ever been foolish enough to walk away from Marshall, I wouldn't even no how to explain it at all. A man has a responsibility to his family. I would hope that I would be strong and smart enough to tell him the truth. The fault was mine and not his. A child can't be responsible for the actions of a parent. It's not the child's fault. There is no action or anything that the child can do that would justify the parent walking away from them. The fault is solely with the parent."
"Good. I'd hate to have to hurt you, but I would if you hurt Marshall. Seth, I know it's not my place or my business to interfere, but you and Marshall are not getting any younger and if you don't take the time to get to know him then you both will have regrets in the end. I know you love your sons, but figure out a way to tell Marshall. He deserves it."
"I'll make you a deal. I'll work on my relationship with Marshall and you work on your feelings about your father. It's obvious the man scarred you, but you don't have to let his mistakes ruin your life. You're a damn good Marshal with good instincts. I saw that for myself. Use those instincts to help you make better choices in your personal life. I'm not asking for an overnight change. You have a lot to work through. Talk to someone about it and open your eyes to what's in front of you. Somehow I get the feeling that you don't have the feeling that you'll find happiness, it's staring you straight in the face, but you have to be willing to open your eyes and see it. Mary, I can tell you have a hard time believing this, but you do deserve to have happiness. Don't let your father's mistakes mar your furture. I'm done with my preaching now," Seth said, trying to lighten up the conversation a little. This was both an out of character and abnormal conversation for him to have with anyone, but especially with Mary. He usually preferred to keep his nose out other peoples business unless they were breaking the law, but Mary needed guidance and if he could nudge her in a direction to help herself then he would for both her and Marshall's sake.
Mary looked over at Marshall and then to his father. Seth wasn't much for words, but seemed to make them count when he spoke. She wasn't sure she liked the bargain because it meant a lot of soul searching and touchy feely for her and she hated that, but if it meant a chance for Marshall and his Dad to heal she would make the deal. Seth did touchy feely about as well as she did, so she knew that it wouldn't be easy for him either.
"Fine, I'll accept your deal but it will be null and void if you break your end and I will know if you did," Mary replied.
"Fair enough," Seth said, realizing that he was still holding Marshall's hand. They hadn't done that since Marshall was a child. Funny how these things come back in the worst of times. He and Mary both had a long way to go at fixing things, but it would definitely be worth it for both of them.
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Stan entered the interrogation room to see a disgruntled James Shannon sitting at the table. He took a deep breath to calm down before talking to the man. The fact that he put Mary and Marshall in the hospital infuriated him.
"Who did you hire to cause the commotion at the courthouse and what did you expect to gain from it? " Stan demanded. He wasn't in the mood for pleasantries either.
"You ruined everything. What tipped you off?" James asked.
"My people are good at what they do. Who did you hire and what were you trying to gain?"
"An acquaintance of mine, because if it worked then my family wouldn't be brought in to hear everything" James said. "No harm done."
"Don't you dare give me no harm done. I have two Marshals in the hospital that could've been killed because of your stunt. I want the name of the acquaintance."
"What do I get for that?"
"How many deals do you think you're going to get from this? You're family is being informed of everything as we speak. You won't have anymore secrets. Those secrets are coming out and you can't stop that from happening. Do you honestly believe that you can hide who you are forever? The Griffins are here and ther's no turning the clock back to make that change. They know that you set your original family up to die so you could have the life you wanted. What happens if that life were to fall apart. Do you honestly think they would trust you not to set them up also? You're nothing but a man who puts his needs in front of others and doesn't care who he hurts as long as he gets what he wants. Now, who is the name of your associate?"
"Find out yourself."
"I will. I guarantee you that I will and so will the prosecutor."
James had a feeling that Stan McQueen would. All the secrets and lies will have been for nothing and he would be alone in this world once his wife learned the truth. All he wanted to do was protect the life that meant the most to him. Mary had been his princess and he still loved her in his own way, but they could never go back to being a family. She could be happy if she let herself. If he were to be honest with himself he knew that most of the problem stemmed from his walking out on her and stringing false hope with the letters he sent her. The problem was he couldn't regret it. He was free from the drama of Jinx and the burden of family responsibility. He never thought he would want that responsibility again until he met Sarah. She had been what he needed and now he was going to lose her. He blamed Mary and her friends for that. He was hoping to keep them distracted with the cartel going after Mary and Marshall at the least. It would have kept them busy long enough for him and his family to leave the country.
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Mary and Marshall were both sleeping. Seth stared at the two and shook his head. A part of him wanted to bash their heads together to get them to admit they loved and needed the other. Marshall he knew had figured it out, but was scared to tell Mary and Mary was hiding behind years of strongly built protective walls. His thoughts were interrupted by a soft moan escaping Marshall's lips.
"Son" Seth said softly, hoping to get a reply as Marshall's eyes fluttered.
"Dad?"
"That's right. Open your eyes Marshall. You can do it."
Marshall wanted to say no that it took to much effort, but he knew better than to talk back to his Dad. He struggled for awhile before finally getting them to open.
"Mare?" he asked.
"She's fine. Finally fell asleep. You kept her safe Marshall. How are you feeling?" Seth asked.
"Head hurts. I'm okay though."
"Your head should hurt currently. You're not okay either, but you will be" Seth said, noticing Marshall trying to look to where he pointed Mary was. "Do you want me to sit you up for a little bit?"
Marshall was about to nod, but decided against it. He had a bad enough headache at the moment. Once his Dad adjusted his bed, Marshall could finally see Mary. He trusted his Dad to tell them him the truth, but really needed to see for himself.
"What are they going to do about the trial?" Marshall asked, focusing back on his Dad and missing the fact that Mary had just woken up.
"Trial resumes tomorrow. Stan and your brothers are taking me, while you and your Dad stay here" Mary replied, happy to see Marshall was awake.
"I'm your partner. I go where you go" Marshall said, adamantly.
"Not this time. Doctor's orders are for you to stay here. We all agree with him" Mary replied, just as adamantly as Marshall.
"I can release myself out of here," Marshall reminded.
"No, you won't. Son, you took a hell of a hit to your head along with everything else. You will stay in this room or I will handcuff you to the bed if necessary. You are still my son and while an adult don't think I won't make you do what is best for your health" Seth replied, sternly.
"Now that we have that settled, we can fill you in on the rest" Mary smirked, telling Marshall what they knew so far.
"Stan went to see who your father hired?"
"Yes, I did. To no avail. He won't give that information up. We're running known associates right now. Jinx gave us a list of names and so did Sarah. How are you feeling Marshall?" Stan asked, grabbing a seat between Mary and Marshall but making sure not to block their view of each other.
"Maybe it's time to have another chat with dear old Dad" Mary said.
"You won't get in to see him. They're prepping him for trial. I sent Marshall's brothers to oversee the sweep of the courtroom and they're making sure every section of that courthouse is safe. We're not having a repeat of today again. The judge has ordered a closed hearing. He will allow the families to be present of course. When your Dad is done then you can have a nice chat with him but until then you're going to have to wait. Once the evidence is collected and we can pin the courthouse bombing on your father then he'll be charged with that" Stan replied.
Mary nodded. She knew a confrontation was going to happen and that it would be less than pleasant but he had a lifetime of questions to answer. That confrontation was getting closer everyday and she wasn't sure that she was prepared to hear the answers. It would be a rough time ahead for all of them. The Griffins would have a lot to deal with, but she couldn't muster the strength to worry about them. James owed them answers, but first he had to explain a lot to Brandi and her. Jinx, she actually understood the reason for his leaving her, but he could've divorced her and given her and ending.
"When can you get us out of here for the trial?" Marshall asked.
"We already had this discussion. You are not going to this trial. You are going to be staying in the hospital where you belong. Marshall, you have a concussion and need time to heal. You're not going because you wouldn't be doing anyone any good. The only thing you will be doing is hurting yourself. I won't let that happen. Stan and your brothers will have my back. I promise that everything will be okay."
"I'm your partner" Marshall insisted.
"If you want to remain so then you'll stay here and recover while your brothers and Stan watch over Mary" Seth replied.
"I'm not a kid that you can boss around any more" Marshall said frustrated.
"You're my son and the day I stop telling you what to do, when you refuse to use that brain of yours, is the day I die. Do I make myself clear?" Seth asked.
"Yes, sir."
"Marshall, it's for your own good. I would order you to stay anyways. I wouldn't risk your health or anyone elses. Mary is only being allowed to go because you blocked her from getting any major injuries other than her leg. It will slow her down, but not impede her. If her injuries were any worse, she'd be staying behind to" Stan said.
Marshall knew that wasn't true. If Mary put up an argument Stan would cave like usual. He was angry, so he did the only thing that he could do to express it. He turned away from Mary and Stan and shut his eyes to ignore his father.
"Marshall" Mary said, knowing full well what that gesture meant.
Marshall ignored her. He wasn't in for the lame excuses or double standards.
"Marshall, stop pretending you can't hear me. I know you're hearing is perfectly in tact" Mary said, heatedly.
Seth shook his head trying to get Mary to stop. He knew full well Marshall would just withdraw further within himself. He just needed time to work through it.
Mary glared at Seth. He wasn't her father and even if he was she still wouldn't be listening to him. She knew full well that he would withdraw if she kept it up, but she had enough issues to deal with already. She didn't need a fight with Marshall to boot, but she also knew that when he was injured and hurt there were times that she couldn't get through to him. He had a stubborn streak that most people would never think possible. Sighing she leaned back against the pillow. Stan pattered her hand and the room went into an uncomfortable silence until both Mary and Marshall were asleep.
"Having kids is never easy" Seth whispered to Stan.
"Somehow I don't recall signing up for children" Stan replied.
"Yet you found yourself with two. I know they are your surrogate children and I'm glad for both their sakes. While I may have never walked out on Marshall, I wasn't the father he needed. You understand him more than I ever have."
"You still can with Marshall. Mary's father won't ever be back in her life again. This was his last chance and he blew it. Selling her out; she could have survived that. The fact that he sold out her mother and her sister were bad enough, but to sell out Marshall on top of that is a crime all by itself in her book. I understand Marshall's need to be there. He's her protector. To not be there is to take away his role and if something were to happen to her again while he wasn't around would devastate him."
"Two parts of a whole. Take one part away and the other is lost" Seth said.
"They'll work it out. Marshall may be a little less friendly for awhile, but he won't hang on to it for long. He's hurt and hurting, plus add the medication and you have a stubborn, hurt and angry Marshall. He knows he's injured, but when the trial is over he will want to be there for Mary. She'll need him even if she doesn't want to admit it."
"The trial is only the beginning for her and the family" Seth said, knowing all of the wounds of the past would be reopened for Mary and her family and that it would happen a second time when James goes on trial for his crimes.
"Unfortunately, yes. There is a rough road ahead for everyone. We'll get through it though with a few more scars, but maybe a few revelations along the way. Mary needs the closure and Marshall needs to help Mary."
"James Shannon is one sick bastard. How did he do this to two families? How do you walk away from your own children and leave them in the hands of an alcoholic?"
With Seth's question the room once again fell silent.
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The next morning Stan came in to pick Mary up for the trial. Seth had stepped out to get a coffee. Marshall still wasn't talking and refused to face them.
"You ready to go?" Stan asked Mary.
"Give us a few minutes" Mary replied, waiting for Stan to leave the room. She moved over next to Marshall's bed and when he tried to turn away from her again she stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.
"I know you're hurt and upset. I know the medications are messing with the brilliant mind of yours. Marshall, you have a concussion and were unconscious from smoke inhalation. You had my back like always. Your brothers made sure every part of that courthouse is safe. You need me to be safe and I need you to be safe. This is what you need to do to be okay. I promise you that I will be safe. I'll let you know if I talk to my Dad. You need to promise me that you'll listen to the doctor and do what he says. I need you Marshall and I'm really going to need you when this is over. The fact that I'm admitting it to you should tell you a lot about how bad I expect this to go" Mary said sincerely. "Marshall, don't shut me out. I promise if you don't then I will make sure that I don't shut you out when I talk to my Dad. You might have to remind me of that because we both know that I will probably muck it up along the way."
Marshall was trying to stay mad, but it he sucked at it especially when Mary was admitting to things she never does.
"You promise?" Marshall said, softly.
"I promise" Mary replied, squeezing Marshall's hand.
"Come back afterwards?"
"Of course. There is no where else I would want to be then by your side. With any luck we can spring you out of here before dinner. Otherwise, I'll see if I can sneak you in some pie."
"Not apple" Marshall murmured.
"Not apple. I'm sure you got sick of that with my apple pie fetish. Marshall, you know that I want you by my side, but I want you healthy more than anything else. You got hurt trying to protect me twice, but now I need you to take care of you. There will be plenty of times in the near future for you to be there for me. I'll need it more than I even am willing to admit."
"Be careful Mare, listen to what Stan and my brothers tell you to do. I know you don't like orders, but I need you to be safe."
Mary couldn't help but smirk at that. Marshall would always be her own knight. Although he was really her tall lanky badass cowboy and she'd take that any day compared to a knight in shining armor. Leaning in she placed a kiss on his forehead.
"I'll see you later, Doofus. Take care of yourself and don't give your Dad a hard time. He cares about you even if he sucks at showing it."
"I will. We'll talk about your day when you get back" Marshall replied.
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Mary entered the courtroom with Kyle on her left and Stan on her right. She noticed that Jinx and Brandi were already seated in the second row with a detail around them and the Griffins in the front row with a Marshal on one side and Jackson on the other. Mary moved into the row with Brandi and Jinx in it.
"Where's Marshall?" Brandi asked.
"Still in the hospital. He'll be okay" Mary said.
The judge came in before Mary and Brandi could say anything else. James was called to the witness stand and began his testimony. Mary watched the proceedings and the reaction of Sarah Griffin. She was the only one who would be in shock by all of this. Mary knew that unlike her family the Griffins didn't know this man. He had kept his past hidden for as long as he possibly could.
Mary listened as her father continued to talk about the crimes that he had helped the Rojas cartel commit. It never ceased to amaze her how much her father had gotten himself into. The barrier between the man her younger self knew and the man he had become were completely gone. As she continued to hear the words he said the more she realized just how big of an illusion she had created about who she saw him as. Yes, a part of her would always love the man she had know when she was a child, but she would never forgive the man he had become.
The prosecution continued to question her father for the remainder of the day. The judge called for a continuation until tomorrow.
"Mary, we'll go from here to the hospital. We'll move your family to another safehouse and keep full time security around the courthouse. Your father's testimony will end tomorrow and he'll be brought back to the federal prison. You and your family will be able to talk to him the following day" Stan said.
"Marshall's probably getting antsy. The sooner we get back to him the better" Mary replied after watching Sarah's shocked face as she was escorted from the courtroom.
Stan watched Mary as her eyes followed Sarah.
"She's a victim here too, you know. Her two kids were involved, but overall they didn't have a clue to all that he had done and what he was capable of doing. It isn't her fault your father walked out on you and started a new family."
"I know that. Doesn't mean that I want to know them, but I know that I don't blame her for this. Not so sympathetic with the two eldest children. Right now, I just want to see my partner."
"Let's go" Stan replied.
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Seth had been sitting with Marshall waiting for word on the trial. He hadn't said much at all.
"For a boy who used to be hard to keep quiet, you seem to be making up for lost time."
Marshall looked to his Dad. "I'm sorry. Lost in thought."
"Want to share with your old man?" Seth asked, hoping to get Marshall to open up. "I know that we don't talk and that I haven't really listened to you when you have. It's late but I would like to try."
"Why now?"
"Maybe I'm finally older and wiser. I shouldn't have caused so much distance between us."
"I'm just worried about Mary. She's dealing with a lot right now. She needs me to be there and not stuck in the hospital."
"You were there for Mary. You protected her when the grenade exploded which is why you're in the hospital. The doctor is talking about releasing you soon. You can be by her side when you're out. You know that. Once and awhile Marshall, you need to put yourself first. With you everyone else comes first. At some point you need to look out for you."
"Dad, I'm fine."
"Well your version of fine sucks. I know that your first instinct is to protect people and that is highly commendable, but son it doesn't mean that you should neglect yourself or your needs."
"I don't neglect myself, Dad."
"Don't you?"
"No I don't, Dad" Marshall replied.
Seth sighed. "You do. I don't mean that you ignore your basic needs, but your emotional needs and what you want those you shove somewhere deep inside of you. You deny yourself the chance for the happiness that you try so hard to make sure that other get."
Marshall didn't know how to reply to that and was grateful they were interrupted by Stan and Mary coming into the room.
"How'd it go?" Marshall asked.
"Typical Shannon family fashion. He admitted to all the crimes that he helped the Rojas with. No shock for us. Not so sure about the Griffins though. I think when he admitted to setting all of us up to die in order to protect his family that Sarah Griffin finally realized that everything we told her was true. Somehow I think she was expecting this to all be a misunderstanding."
"Can you blame her? James was good at keeping them out of the loop," Marshall replied while shooting a glance at his Dad.
"Stan and I are going to get a cup of coffee. We'll be right back" Seth said, knowing Marshall wanted to talk to Mary.
Marshall waited until they walked out.
"How are you really?"
"I'm doing fine for now. I knew what he was going to say. There was no shock factor for me. Actually, I feel a little bad for Sarah Griffin. She wasn't prepared for that neither was the youngest daughter. Tomorrow will be rough. Stan figures the day after that we'll be able to talk to James."
"How does that make you feel?"
"He's not the man I remember Marshall. I don't know what to think right now. When do you get out of this place?" Mary asked, wanting to change the conversation.
"I get another scan and depending on the results I can leave. I'll be back in the courthouse with you tomorrow."
"Maybe you should stay at the safehouse to make sure that you're okay."
"I'm not sitting on the sidelines while this plays out. It's not like Stan is going to let me be an active part of protection detail. I'll just be sitting by your side."
"Fine, but there will be no getting injured or playing hero if anything happens."
"I promise to try not to get hurt. You can at least offer me the same courtesy."
"Fine, Doofus. I promise not to get hurt either."
"Good, we're in agreement" Marshall said, before the nurse came in.
"Time for your scan."
Mary walked with Marshall and waited for them to do the scan. When they were done Marshall was brought back to the room where they waited for the doctor to annouce the prognosis. Stan and Seth appeared a few seconds before the doctor did.
"What's the verdict, doc?" Mary asked.
"His scan looks good, so he can go home. I won't clear him for active duty at the moment. His body still needs time to heal" the doctor replied.
"How long before active duty?" Marshall asked.
"Give it a week to let you other injuries heal completely. He is free to go. I'll have the discharge papers available shortly."
"Thank you, Doctor," Seth said.
"Where are Grady and Kyle?" Marshall asked.
"They're staying with the group at the courthouse. We have twenty-four hour security on the place" Stan replied.
"Can you guys give me a few minutes to change so that we can get out of here when the discharge papers arrive?" Marshall asked.
"We'll be right outside" Stan replied, ushering Mary and Seth into the hallway.
"So back to the safe house for the night? Mary asked.
"A different one. I'm not taking any chances. We've moved the gear to another house. All the family members are being relocated daily as extra precaution. We still haven't found the leak" Stan said.
"At this point, I'm assuming that Rojas knows it's to late to stop his son from going to prison" Seth replied.
"Doesn't mean he won't go for revenge. While the truth about his loyalties came out today, that doesn't mean the word passed fast enough to stop someone from trying anything. He might go after both families just to prove a point. The defense will probably challenge his character to say that he's interested in his own self preservation" Stan said.
"Well, that shouldn't take too long," Mary muttered. "The better question is does this end here. There's still the Mexico cartel he's dealt with."
"I have a feeling your family will be fine. The Griffins are going to be the ones looking over the shoulders for the rest of their life. James made his choice and while crude and cruel; in the long run it might have been the best thing for your family. I don't mean to be cruel here Mary, but it showed who he would go to great lengths to protect," Seth said, not meaning to open the wound further.
"It's not cruel for you to say Seth. It's the truth about what James chose" Mary replied.
They were interuppted as Marshall called them back in the room.
"You ready to go?" Mary asked.
"Most definitely" Marshall replied as a nurse entered the room with a wheelchair.