You Can Breathe Now, a 7th heaven fanfic

A/N: This is a one-parter songifc taken loosely (more loosely than I wanted, I'll admit) from MFEO Part 2 (You Can Breathe) by Jack's Mannequin. I saw them in concert last week and hearing the words sung aloud, in person really inspired me.

This takes place Season 6, pretty much like the day of the episode "Prodigal", where Mary comes back home from Buffalo all unannounced and such.

Lyrics at the end.

Mary rolled up the bottom of her jacket with her hand and rung out the water. She still found it hard to believe she had done what she had. But, nevertheless, there she was, back in Buffalo after leaving for GlenOak only eight hours before.

She had already said goodbye to him. It was one of the hardest things Mary had ever had to do in her life, but she did it. And somehow she survived it. She didn't know how she would be able to see him again, especially after such a short amount of time, and live to tell about it.

She needed him. She hated needing him, she always had, but she did. Even more so tonight than ever.

The airport was deserted, since all the flights were cancelled, and airport personnel were urging people to head on home. Mary decided that was fine, that she didn't want to sleep in the airport anyway, so she took her luggage and went out to get a cab. Only there were no cabs. Buffalo wasn't a bustling metropolis, and even at the airport cabs were few and far between. That, coupled with the torrential downpour and the airport being closed, left Mary stranded.

She had never wished to see The Colonel more in her life, but he was on that stupid camping trip with George and his school. Mary stood out in the rain for a half an hour trying desperately to get a ride home without calling him. Alas, it was to no avail. There was no one around for miles.

She thought about renting a car, but she didn't have that kind of money, especially after blowing $300 on airfare back home, and $100 on the airfare to get there in the first place. Mary took out her cell phone and dialed Wilson's number. She was soaking wet and left with no other option.

The first time he didn't answer. Mary had forgotten that he had Caller ID. He probably didn't want to speak to her. It took her three more times before he finally picked up.

"Hello?" He didn't sound pleased.

"Hi." At this point Mary was crying. She just wanted to be dry.

Wilson heard the pain in her voice. "What's wrong?" He didn't convey nearly as much concern as he would have in the past.

"I'm at the airport. I'm all wet and I can't get home. Can you come pick me up?" It killed her to ask him. "There aren't any cabs. I don't have anyone else to call."

"Wait, what? Are you asking me to drive out to California?"

"No." Her voice quivered. "I'm in Buffalo."

"But didn't you get out all right? I checked the status of your flight and it got in on time."

"Yeah, it did."

Wilson was perplexed as he looked outside to check the weather. Tons of rain. The streets were starting to flood. "I'll be there in a half hour."

Mary was standing in the middle of the deserted parking lot. She was shaking and her giant canvas duffle bag at her side was soaked straight through. Her hair and clothes were stuck to her body. Wilson had never seen such a pathetic and beautiful sight.

"I...I-" she mumbled when he stepped out of the car.

"Shh," he said quietly. "Forget it." He took another moment to take in her appearance. "Come on, get in the car. Your lips are turning blue."

"But I'm going to get your car all wet."

"So? I can't leave you here. Get in." She sighed, unsure. It wasn't that she didn't want the ride; she didn't want the ride from him. She didn't want to sit through Wilson being terse with her all the way back to her grandparents' house, or through his looks of pity. "You're shaking. Now if you don't get in yourself I'm going to pick you up and put you in."

She considered not moving. The thought of him having to carry her to the car actually sounded kind of nice.

Out of nowhere, he picked up her hand and started tugging at it. "Get in. You're hands are like icicles."

She took a deep breath and got in his car. Wilson grabbed her bag and threw it in the trunk before getting in himself. Instead of driving off, he just sat there.

"Why aren't you driving?"

"I'm waiting for you to explain to me why you're back here."

"I got there, to the airport in GlenOak, and I couldn't do it. I don't want to be there; I chickened out. I'm not ready to go back to my family," she lowered her head and looked at her lap, "and I am not ready to let go of you yet."

He thought he might have been the reason she came back. "Mary, we broke up. You kissed another guy and then tried to get me to marry you to make up for it. Do you not remember this?"

She sighed, frustrated. "This is why I didn't want to call you. I knew you were just going to yell at me again. I know what I did was awful. I'm done apologizing to you."

Wilson felt bad for snapping at her. He looked at the back seat and pulled a sweatshirt off the floor. "Here. Maybe if you take your coat off or something and put this on you won't catch pneumonia. It's Billy's, but it's a little big on him. It should fit you well enough."

Mary went to take it from him and their hands touched. She stopped and he ran his fingers over hers, more to console her than anything else. She looked up and into his eyes. They locked and, when they did, something changed. It was at that moment that Mary didn't feel so bad about calling him. It was obvious to her that he was missing her, too. He had just chosen to express it with anger rather than sadness like Mary had.

Never taking her eyes from his, Mary unbuttoned her coat and took it off. Then, hurriedly, she continued with the top she had on underneath- a white turtleneck.

Wilson was shocked at how quickly she could go from being so conservative, a light pink corduroy jacket and a turtleneck, of all things, to being so sexy. His eyes stared at hers. He was afraid to look down. He knew once he did he would lose it. "Mary," he said softly. "What are you doing?"

"I love you."

"But-"

"Don't say anything," she whispered and pulled his face toward hers for a kiss. Her hands went to the back of his neck and pulled him in closer to her.

He tried to pull back, but she wouldn't let him. Eventually, he just gave in to temptation. His hands roamed her body, and she was so cold and damp. This was a good a way as any to warm her up.

She pulled him with her to the backseat and tugged at his shirt. He allowed her to take it off, seeing no real harm in that. Mary was dismayed to find that he had an undershirt underneath. When she went to pull that off, too, he stopped her.

"What are you doing?"

She sat back in her seat and moved her hair out of her eyes. "I've had a lot of time to think today, and I want this. I want you. I want us."

"Right now? In the frontseat of my car? Like we're in high school or something?"

"I'm soaking wet and you came and rescued me. What's wrong with now?"

"It's not exactly romantic." She didn't seem to be following him. "You're amazingly beautiful, but this isn't it." He reached for Mary's shirt and handed it back to her, but not before sneaking a peak. Wilson was not about to let an opportunity like this one go to waste.

She seemed very upset. "Drive me home."

He didn't move. "Why? Were you trying to fix things? This isn't how you do that." Mary didn't say anything, but Wilson assumed her question. "You do it by earning back my trust. You-you cheated on me."

Now she lost it. "Will you stop saying that? This-" she gestured around the car to imply she was talking about the situation that had almost occurred, "would be cheating on you. Having pizza and kissing a guy, not exactly cheating. It was one night. You make it sound like I was sneaking around behind your back for months or something."

"So you mean to tell me that if I went out and kissed another woman you wouldn't be as upset as I am with you?"

Her voice iced over. "I would have forgiven you by now." She sighed. "You're all that I have. I can be mad at you and still love you, and still want you in my life."

"I do still love you, and I do still want you in my life, I just don't know if I can take it. I feel like you are trying to push us together so you can escape from the life you left behind when you came out here." She tried to cut him off but Wilson wouldn't let her. "I know you love me, but I think you love the idea of me more- the thought that maybe we could get married and you can just stay in this fantasy world and never have to face your family again because you could just hide with me while we play house. That's what we've been doing for six months. You were sent out here to work on yourself. I think you were doing that until we got involved again."

"So then what do you want from me?"

"I want you to concentrate on you, and if somehow I can fit in with that then great. You have no idea how much I want to marry you, how long I've wanted to marry you for, but this isn't the time… and I know you feel the same way, you're just too scared to say it."

"You think you know me so well, don't you?" Mary hated when he became smug. "I know you, too. I know that if I didn't kiss Ben you would have married me, even if you knew things weren't great with us. And that's what really ticks me off. You make it like Ben was the thing that ruined us. We were slowly falling apart. But you, you would have married me anyway, and we would have worked everything out. We would have been married and I never would have left you, and I know you would have never left me."

"You're right, I wouldn't have. I'm not leaving you now. I'm letting you go."

Tears began to fall from Mary's eyes. "You would have been an unbelievable husband." She paused. "Don't go marrying someone else. Ever. I couldn't take it."

"Same for you." He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"So we're done?"

"For now." He knew she wasn't happy. To be honest, neither was he. "There's too much damage done that can only be fixed by time. In six months, a year, I'd be thrilled to try again with you."

She took his hand in hers. "Promise?"

"Promise."

Mary reached into the pocket of her olive cargo pants and pulled out the engagement ring that Wilson gave her. "Here," she said. "Hold on to this for me then."

He took it from her with sadness. "Sure." Of all the things Mary had done, flying to California and back in one day just to see him had to be one of the craziest Wilson knew about. However, he was happy she came. This good-bye was considerably better than the one from earlier that morning. She wasn't the only one who needed closure. "But will you promise me you'll recreate this little show?"

Mary smiled for the first time all day. "Sure. Now, for the hundredth time, take me home."

Wilson turned on his car, set the heat on full blast, and pulled out of the slick airport parking lot. He'd always had a thing for the rain. This confirmed it.

Please review.

MFEO Pt. 2 (You Can Breathe)

Jack's Mannequin

You can breathe, you can breathe now

You can breathe, but the air is running out

You can breathe, you can breathe now

You can breathe, but the air is running out on you

You waited for me in the rain

In the parking lot

Cold hands, lips blue

Clothes stuck to you

You could have phoned me for a ride

It's a mess out there

You said the rain's the rain

Some air'd be good for you

(you can breathe, you can breathe now)

It'd be good for you

(you can breathe, but the air is running out)

You get in my car

Where it's warm

You cannot forget

Skin new, hands true

My hands all over you

So what's another night

The seats rolled back

We can't see through

The rains the rain

Some air'd be good for you

You can breathe, you can breathe now

You can breathe, but the air is running out

You can breathe, you can breathe now

You can breathe, but the air is running out on you

And you walked for miles down

The shores of California to the

Coast of Mexico where you could hide

And no one'd have to know

You can breathe, you can breathe now

You can breathe, but the air is running out

You can breathe, you can breathe now

You can breathe, but the air is running out (on you now)

You can breathe, you can breathe now

You can breathe, but the air is running out

You can breathe, you can breathe now

You can breathe, but the air is running out on you

Running out on you

(Maybe, we were made for each other)

(You can breathe but the air is running out)

(Maybe, the world'll look like this forever)

(Maybe, we're made for each other)

(You can breathe but the air is running out)

(Maybe, the world could look like this forever)