Author's Note: This story is based on the CBS TV series The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and on the NBC TV series The Facts of Life. As far as I know, The Mary Tyler Moore Show is the property of MTM Enterprises and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, and The Facts of Life is the property of Embassy Television, Columbia Pictures Television, and Sony Pictures Television . No infringement is intended.

I typically wait until I've completed a story before I publish it, and when I first started this story months earlier, that was what I was planning to do. However, I recently changed my mind and decided to start publishing story chapters as I completed them. That's why I'm posting the first nine chapters of this story now and will continue posting new chapters as I finish them. Thanks for stopping by. :)

Chapter Summary: Six months after Marie Slaughter's untimely passing, Murray sends his oldest child Bonnie off to college; Mary realizes that she has feelings for Murray and seeks Mr. Grant's advice about it.

Chapter 1: I Love You, Mary Richards

It was a very bittersweet Saturday for Murray Slaughter as he hugged his oldest child tightly and kissed her goodbye. Eighteen-year-old Bonnie had received a full scholarship to UCLA, and on this rather chilly day in late September, she was standing with her father and his close friend, Mary Richards, in the middle of the airport, saying a long and emotional goodbye.

"I'm so proud of you, Bonnie," Murray told her with a smile as he fought to hold back his tears. It seemed like only yesterday that Murray had held her in his arms for the first time, and now all of the sudden, here she was, all grown-up and leaving the nest. He was indeed very proud of her, but it also really tore him up knowing that his first baby girl wasn't a baby anymore. It had already been a terribly difficult and painful year with the untimely death of his wife Marie, and now that his first baby was heading off to college, his emotions were all over the place. "And I know your mother's smiling down on you from heaven today and that she is every bit as proud of you as I am," said Murray as he barely managed to hold back his tears.

"Murray's exactly right, Bonnie," Mary chimed in with a kind smile. "I just know that your mother is so happy today, looking down on you, at the beautiful young lady you've become. You've made her so proud."

"Thanks, you guys," Bonnie said sweetly. Then in the next moment, it was announced over the loudspeaker that it was time for her flight to be boarded.

"I guess it's time," said Murray hesitantly, clearly not wanting to say goodbye to his little girl.

"I guess it is," Bonnie agreed as she, too, fought to keep from crying. She then gave her father a long, fervent hug and he kissed her cheek. When the embrace finally ended, Bonnie looked into her father's eyes and told him, "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, baby. I love you so much," Murray whispered as tears started streaming down his face. He just couldn't hold them back any longer. "Call me anytime you need me, day or night."

"I will, Dad."

"Enjoy your new life at college, Bonnie," Mary told her with a big smile, and then she gave Bonnie a big hug as well. "I know you'll do well."

"Thanks, Mary," said Bonnie, and then she left them and got in line. A few moments later, just before boarding the plane, Bonnie gave them one last wave goodbye.

"I just can't believe it," Murray said with a sigh later on that evening. After Murray and Mary had said their goodbyes to Bonnie at the airport, they spent the rest of the day together at the movies, and now it was seven o'clock and they were having dinner at a small Italian restaurant that had just opened up in town. "I cannot believe my little Bonnie left for college today."

"Kids really do grow up fast, don't they?" Mary said kindly.

"Faster than I ever dreamed possible," Murray agreed. "I sure am grateful Marie's parents are watching the kids for me today. I think it was easier on all of us to have Ellen, Le Chan, and Susie say their goodbyes to Bonnie at the house and have them spend the day with their grandparents while you and I took Bonnie to the airport."

"Yes, I think it was best to do it that way. I know that Bonnie leaving the nest is a very big change. It's understandable that you'd need to get away from the kids and take a little time for yourself, just to let it all sink in, and I know they're having fun with their grandparents today. Plus, I know that things have been very hard on you, especially after…" Mary started to say, but then she allowed the sentence to trail.

"Yeah," Murray whispered. "Isn't life crazy? We were just going about our everyday lives, business as usual, when my whole world got turned upside down. We were all so happy to be back in the newsroom again, and we were getting back into our daily routine." Two weeks before that terrible day, Murray, Mary, and Mr. Grant had all been fired by the station's new owner. But after their departure, it only took him a matter of days to realize that he'd made a horrible mistake. He'd foolishly believed that the problem causing the terrible ratings for WJM's news show was behind the camera, when it was very clearly in front of the camera with their grossly incompetent and unprofessional anchorman, Ted Baxter. As soon as the new owner of WJM, Mr. Coleman, realized what a terrible mistake he made, he immediately fired Ted and begged everyone else to come back with substantial pay increases. "Then all of the sudden, that one rainy Wednesday afternoon," Murray continued, "a cop came walking into the newsroom, telling me that my wife had been in a car crash."

"I know," Mary said sadly. "Oh Murr, I wish I had some kind of magic words to say to make it all better. I'm just so sorry that you and the kids have been going through all of this. I know these past six months have been really painful for you guys. I just wish there was something I could do to make it easier."

Murray smiled then and said, "Mary, all you've ever done from day one is make things easier. I would've lost my mind these past few months had you not been there, and I speak for the kids as well. You've been an angel to all of us."

Mary dismissed Murray's praise with a wave of her hand and told him, "I think you're overstating things a little."

"I'm not," Murray insisted. "You've constantly helped me with the kids through all of this. And I know you turned down a date with Andrew to come with Bonnie and me to the airport today. That really meant a lot to me. I want you to know that."

"It was no big deal, Murray. Besides, I wanted to come."

"But still, I don't think I could've taken saying goodbye to Bonnie all by myself today. Having you there was an enormous help."

"Well I'm glad I helped. I really am," Mary said with her typical warm smile as her brown eyes locked with his blue eyes. There was an entire ocean of love for Mary right there in Murray's eyes and she definitely felt it. And for the first time ever in the history of their friendship, it made her heart start skipping beats.

It was then that the waitress brought their food out to them, and they instantly dove into their meal and Mary pushed those thoughts out of her head.

The rest of the weekend passed without anything too earth-shaking happening. Mary went out and played tennis that Sunday afternoon with her new boyfriend Andrew, and even though Murray wasn't wild about the idea, he spent much of the day in church with his kids and Marie's parents. Marie's mother and father had always been very serious about their faith in Christ, and in the last few months of Marie's life, she had come to believe in Jesus as well. She never morphed into an annoying Bible-thumper, but her newfound faith in Christ had had a powerful impact on her life in the months before her deadly car crash, and Murray wanted very much so to do whatever he could to honor her memory and bring comfort to her parents. So even though he did find it all rather tedious, he was glad to start attending church with the kids for their sakes.

However, that Monday night, things got rather earth-shaking again when Murray's youngest child, his eight-year-old daughter Susie, was running around playing with a couple of other neighborhood kids outside in the front yard and she suddenly tripped and fell and twisted her ankle. Thankfully, one of Murray's neighbors was a doctor, and he in fact was the father of one of the children Susie had been playing with that evening, and he was more than happy to make a house-call. He assured Murray that even though she'd sprained her ankle, she'd be fine within about a week or so as long as he made sure Susie stayed off her feet as much as possible and kept ice on her ankle to keep the swelling down. After the doctor and all the other neighborhood kids went home and Murray had Susie all settled in bed, Susie kept insisting that she wanted to see Mary. Murray told her that he'd ask Mary to come home with him after work tomorrow, but the child wouldn't budge, and she kept insisting that she just had to see Mary that night. And even though Murray hated to inconvenience Mary, he just couldn't say no to his baby girl.

It just so happened that Mary had just walked through the door of her high-rise apartment with Andrew that evening when her phone began to ring. Mary hadn't even had a chance to take her coat off yet, much less kiss Andrew goodbye for the night.

"Hello?" she said with her usual friendliness and warmth while Andrew took off his own coat and walked over to Mary's couch and sat down. In the next moment, her face lit up when she heard Murray's voice. "Oh, hi Murr," she said with a big smile as Andrew quietly groaned in irritation. "What can I do for you?" Several moments later, Mary said, "Oh gee, I'm so sorry to hear that Susie sprained her ankle." After another short pause, Mary said, "Sure. Of course I understand. I'll be over there as soon as I can." Andrew then rolled his eyes. "I'm more than happy to do it, Murr. I'll see you in a few minutes. Goodbye."

The tall, slim, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Andrew rose from his seat then and angrily asked Mary, "You're doing it again, aren't you? You're ditching me for Murray yet again."

Taken aback, Mary said, "Ditching you for Murray? What are you talking about?"

"Mary, you're a wonderful woman, and when we met each other three weeks ago and started dating, I was really happy. I was convinced that this really could lead somewhere. But our relationship can't go anywhere as long as you remain torn between me and Murray. You're constantly canceling our dates so you can go running over to Murray's house. I am always being sidelined because Murray needs this or Murray needs that. You know what my career as a concert pianist means to me, and you know that I had a big concert last Saturday afternoon. I really wanted you to be there, Mary. It would have meant a lot to me. But no. As always, Murray comes first. You just had to go to the airport with him to say goodbye to his daughter. And tonight, I really wanted you and me to enjoy a nice, long evening together. But yet again, Murray and his kids come first. I'm sick and tired of this, Mary. You're not Murray's wife, and you're not the mother of his children, but you keep acting like you are. You know I think the world of you, Mary, but you're going to have to make a choice once and for all. Are you going to be Murray's substitute wife or my girlfriend? What's it going to be?"

Although Mary wanted to give in to her anger at Andrew and bite his head off, she couldn't because she knew Andrew was at least partly right. Mary let out a long sigh, and then she ran her fingers through her hair and told him honestly, "I'm sorry, Andrew. I understand why you feel so frustrated. I know I've canceled a lot of our dates because so many unexpected things have come up with Murray and the kids at the last minute. However, I can't help but believe that if things were really meant to be between us, you would understand that Murray and I have been close friends for over seven years now and that it would be heartless of me not to be there for him and the kids at a time like this. Six months ago, Murray lost his wife of over twenty-one years. Bonnie, Ellen, Le Chan, and Susie lost their mother. I'm sorry if you feel like I've been neglecting you, Andrew, but I cannot and I will not abandon Murray and the kids just to make you happy. That's not who I am."

Andrew then let out a long sigh, and he looked into Mary's eyes and told her softly, "So be it. I'll get my coat and head out."

"Yes, please do," Mary said rather icily, and in the following moments, Andrew grabbed his coat and walked out Mary's door.

It was ten-thirty that night when Mary got back home from Murray's house, and as soon as she got her coat off and sat down on the couch, she picked up the phone and called her best friend, Rhoda Morgenstern. They'd met over seven years ago when Mary first moved to Minneapolis, and then around two and a half years ago, Rhoda moved back to New York, fell in love, and got married. Since then, her marriage broke up, and much to Mary's delight, she decided to return to Minneapolis a couple of months ago. An apartment two floors down from Mary's became available soon after Rhoda returned, and Rhoda had been living there ever since. And Rhoda had always been a real night owl, so Mary knew she didn't have to worry about waking her when she called.

"Hey, Rhoda? Would you mind coming up to my apartment for a couple of minutes?" asked Mary. A few moments later, Mary said, "Thank you so much. Bye-bye."

Five minutes later, Rhoda was sitting with Mary on her couch and was more than ready to start discussing her romantic life.

"It was the craziest thing. It just came out of nowhere. I mean, like I told Andrew earlier tonight, I know a lot of unexpected things have come up with Murray and the kids and I don't blame him for getting frustrated, but at the same time, how could he not have an ounce of compassion for what Murray and the kids have been going through these past six months?"

"Jealous, insecure men never have an ounce of compassion, Mar," Rhoda said sympathetically. "Face it. He wasn't the one."

"I know; I know. And I basically told him the same thing this evening. If Andrew really were the man for me, I believe he would have understood why I had to be there for little Susie tonight. I really do."

"So do I. Don't feel bad, Mary. Sounds like you didn't lose much."

"I don't think I did. You know, when I'm dating a guy and we break up, sometimes I feel sad and heartbroken and terrible about it. Other times, I actually feel relieved. Even though I really thought I liked Andrew in the beginning, now that it's over between us, I feel relieved. I think I'm actually glad it's over now."

"Of course you are. And do you want to know why?"

"Why?"

"Because your heart was never in it. You were trying to convince yourself it was, but it really wasn't. Your heart never belonged to Andrew, and I think that deep down, you both knew that all along."

After pondering it for several moments, Mary confessed, "You know something, Rhoda? You're right. I liked Andrew, but…I don't know…it's like there was always something holding me back."

"Murray."

"What about Murray?"

"Don't you get it, Mar? Do I really have to spell it out for you?" Rhoda asked with a chuckle.

"I wish you would."

"You haven't been spending all this time with Murray and the kids just because you feel sorry for them after they lost their wife and mother. You've been spending so much time with Murray because you really do have feelings for him."

Mary blushed beet red for a brief instant, and then she said, "Me having feelings for Murray?! Come on, Rhoda! That's ridiculous!"

"Is it? You talk about him all the time. You think about him all the time. And I've seen that little look you get in your eyes whenever Murray comes around here."

"What 'little look'?"

"You know. That cute, giddy little schoolgirl look. Your eyes light up like a Christmas tree whenever Murray's around."

"Rhoda, I would never think of Murray in that way. His poor wife isn't even cold in her grave yet!"

"I'm not saying that you would think of making a move on Murray right now, Mar. I know you have more class than that. But what I am saying is that the human heart has a mind of its own. You can't help it if you have feelings for him. And despite what you say, I believe that you really are falling in love with Murray and you just haven't admitted it to yourself yet."

"And I still say it's ridiculous. Murray and I have worked side by side in the newsroom for nearly eight years now. We've been the best of friends for ages. And in all the time we've spent together, I never once thought of Murray that way."

"You never allowed yourself to think of Murray that way because he was a married man with children and you've always been too sweet and decent to be a homewrecker. But things are different now. What happened to Marie was absolutely tragic and we all feel terrible, but it's a cold hard fact that now, like it or not, Murray is available. Like I said, I know that you would never make a move on Murray right now, and I respect you for that. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't either. But that doesn't mean that you can't allow yourself to admit the truth about how you feel, and wait until a more appropriate time to tell Murray what your real feelings are."

"Rhoda, what you're saying is crazy," Mary insisted. "I am not in love with Murray. I can't be."

"Why not? People always say that opposites attract, but I think it's a load of garbage. I think that in order for a man and a woman to be truly compatible for each other, they have to have as much in common with one another as possible. And just look at you and Murray. You're both sensitive and gentle. You're both intelligent. You both have a passion for journalism and the news. You guys can spend hours on end just talking and laughing together. You two just fit together so well. You're perfect for each other. You're just scared to admit it. You're afraid to face how you really feel inside."

"Okay, Ms.-Know-It-All. Since you seem to have all the answers, tell me this: why am I afraid to face how I supposedly feel about Murray?"

Right on the ball, Rhoda immediately told her, "I'm glad you asked that. You're afraid to admit that you're falling for Murray for two reasons. One, just thinking about it makes you feel guilty because of his wife's untimely passing. And two, you're afraid of change."

"Afraid of change?"

"That's right, Mar. After all, like you said, you and Murray have been coworkers and close friends for almost eight years now. If, say in a few months from now, you were to go to Murray and tell him how you feel and you guys decided to start dating, and then things didn't work out between you, your friendship and your professional relationship could be completely destroyed. Making this kind of a change in your life comes with some very big risks attached, and those risks scare you. You'd much rather just stay inside your nice warm comfort zone where it's safe."

"That is not true!" Mary insisted.

"It's absolutely true, Mary, and you know it."

"Oh, come on! Me and Murray?"

"You and Murray," Rhoda said stubbornly, refusing to back down.

"Rhoda, I can tell you with absolute certainty that I am not in love with Murray."

"I'm in love with Murray!" Mary cried out in Mr. Grant's office that Friday, sitting in her usual chair across the desk from him. "Rhoda and I talked about this Monday night right after Andrew and I broke up, and she told me that the reason why things didn't work out between Andrew and me is because I'm starting to have feelings for Murray. I didn't believe it. I couldn't believe it. But I've been thinking very hard about what she said, Mr. Grant, and I've realized that she's right about everything she told me Monday night."

Lou Grant, the gruff but tenderhearted boss who was a second father to Mary, carefully studied her face and remained calm.

"What all did Rhoda tell you?"

"She told me that I was in love with Murray but that I was too afraid to admit it to myself because it made me feel guilty because of Marie's recent passing and because I was scared of change. Well like I said, I've really been thinking about all of this, and I've realized that Rhoda is right. I am in love with Murray, Mr. Grant. He's so kind and giving and gentle and intelligent and witty. He's got the biggest, most loving heart I've ever seen. He's a wonderful man, and I have so much respect for him, and I know he has just as much respect in his heart for me."

"Let me see if I get this straight. You love Murray."

"Yes."

"You respect Murray."

"Yes."

"And not only do you love and respect Murray. You're in love with him."

"Absolutely."

"And as everyone at WJM already knows, Murray has loved you, respected you, and been in love with you for ages now."

"Well…yes, I suppose so," Mary quietly admitted, feeling guilty because they all knew Murray had developed feelings for Mary long before Marie died.

"Mary, I don't see the problem here," said Lou. "If you had fallen in love with Murray while Marie was still alive, then there would be a problem. But Marie's been gone for months now and Lord knows it's not easy for a single man to raise four kids all on his own. We were all devastated when Marie was killed by that drunk driver six months ago. She was a very sweet lady and she didn't deserve to have her life ripped away by a drunk driver like that. But Murray is a good man and he has a right to move on with his life and be happy, and his children have a right to have a mother figure in their lives who loves them as much as you do. And you have a right to find happiness too."

"But Mr. Grant, there are other things to consider. Besides the fact that I don't think the timing is right, there is our professional relationship that I have to think about. As the producer of our show, I have a responsibility to the newsroom. What if things don't work out? What if Murray and I end up having such a painful, nasty break-up that our professional relationship and our friendship is completely ruined?"

"Mary, you told me one time that you've been dating since you were seventeen years-old."

"That's right."

"You're thirty-eight now. That's twenty-one years of dating and searching for love. If you want to play the 'What if?' game, then ask yourself this. What if, after twenty-one years of searching, it turns out that Murray really is the man I've been looking for all my life? What if Murray and I really could have a beautiful, deep, meaningful relationship that makes us both better people in the process but it never happens because I give in to my fear and allow my fear to rob me of it?"

After a long pause, Mary finally locked her eyes with Lou's and told him, "You're right, Mr. Grant. You're absolutely right. Thank you."

They both got up from their seats then, and Lou said, "Anytime."

Mary smiled, and then she left Lou's office.

After work was over that day, Mary invited Murray over to her apartment for dinner, and naturally, he accepted. He called the babysitter and let her know that he would be late getting home that night and then he followed Mary home in his car. Mary quickly whipped up some dinner for both of them, and the romantic tension between them was as thick as a knife as they both raced through their meal. Murray could feel it in his gut that this dinner between the two of them was not like all the other meals they'd had together through the years. He didn't know what exactly was going through Mary's mind, but he knew something was very different about Mary tonight. And as for Mary, she couldn't help but think back on the time when she'd asked Mr. Grant out on a date. Their evening together had been hopelessly awkward because even though they loved one another as friends, they just didn't have any feelings for each other romantically. This evening with Murray, however, was very different. They were rushing through their meal together because they were both on the same emotional wavelength inside. Murray knew Mary had something important to tell him, and while he didn't know for sure what it was, a part of him was silently hoping inside that they were both thinking the same thing.

After they finished eating, Mary and Murray were just standing together in Mary's living room, and the tension increased even more.

"Murray?" Mary said quietly as her heart pounded away in her chest.

"Yes, Mary?" Murray responded as his heart rate and respiration rate also sped up.

After a long pause, Mary finally said, "Murray, in times like these, I often get nervous and I beat around the bush and it takes me forever to say what I want to say. Sometimes I even stammer."

"I know," Murray said with a smile. "And I think it's adorable."

"Thanks," Mary whispered, and again they smiled at one another, and their eyes locked. Several moments later, Mary said, "Gee, that's funny. I'm not beating around the bush, I'm not talking about other subjects, and I'm not stammering. But still, I'm just standing here, not saying what it is I want to say, and I guess that's just as bad. So, okay. I'll quit pausing and I'll quit putting it off and I'll just shoot straight from the hip and tell you how I feel."

"Okay, Mar," Murray responded as his heart continued pounding away in his chest.

"Okay. Here goes. Murray, you and I have been friends – close friends – for almost eight years now."

"Yes, we have been."

"During that time, you and I have become very close."

"Very close," Murray agreed.

"Oh Murray, I…listen, I realize that this is probably very bad timing. I know that it's only been six months since you lost Marie. But I've just got to tell you how I feel. I can't keep it in any longer. Murray, I'm in love with you. I don't expect you to do anything crazy. I don't expect you to just grab me and kiss me or anything. I don't expect you to want to start a romantic relationship with me now. I'm not telling you this because I want you to start dating me. I understand that this is a very difficult time for you and the kids. I just had to be completely honest with you and tell you how I feel. I just wanted and needed for you to know the truth. And I want you to know that I will always be there for you and the kids. No matter what."

"Mary, I…I don't know what to say," Murray gasped as a solitary tear escaped from one of his eyes. "Had you told me this before I lost Marie, I probably would have run away with you somewhere. I've been madly in love with you for so long. But after Marie died, it began to hit me how unfair I've been to her, especially in the last couple of years of our marriage. Marie was a truly wonderful woman, Mary."

"She certainly was," Mary agreed.

"She devoted her whole life to taking care of me and our children. She loved us with all her heart. She poured everything she had into us. And how did I repay her? I allowed myself to fall out of love with her, and I fell in love with you instead." The instant Murray said that, obvious guilt flashed across Mary's face.

"It was never your fault," he immediately reassured her. "When I admitted to you that I'd fallen in love with you a couple of years ago, you turned me down because you knew how wrong it would've been for us to pursue a romantic relationship. You're a good woman, Mary. You're kind and decent and you're full of integrity. I was disappointed when you told me in so many words that things couldn't go anywhere between the two of us, but I wasn't surprised because I knew you were not the kind of woman to get romantically involved with a married man with four kids. And in fact, although I was disappointed when you turned me down a couple of years ago, it actually made me respect you even more than I already did.

"But since Marie was killed in that terrible accident six months ago, it's made me realize that I didn't give her everything I could have emotionally. Marie was always in love with me and she built her whole world around our children and me and our home. But me? I allowed my affections to become divided between Marie and you, and that was terribly unfair to her. I may have provided for Marie and the kids financially all these years, but I didn't always provide for Marie the way I should have emotionally. I see that now. And even though I am still in love with you, Mary – deeply in love – I can't get romantically involved with you. At least not now. It would just be too disrespectful to Marie's memory for me to start dating you so soon after her death."

Fighting off tears herself, Mary responded, "Murray, you don't owe me any explanations. And like I said, I didn't tell you what I told you just now because I wanted us to start dating. I just simply wanted you to know the truth; that's all."

"I understand, Mary. And I appreciate your honesty. I really do. I have to tell you that after everything the kids and I have been through these past few months, it makes me feel absolutely wonderful to know how much you care for me."

"I'm so glad, Murr."

"I do want us to be together someday, Mary. I want you to know that. I just need some time."

Mary then took a step closer to Murray, took his hands in hers, and told him, "You take all the time you need. I'll wait as long as you need me to."

"I owe it to Marie not to do anything that would disrespect her memory."

"Oh Murray, I understand. I really do. Like I said, you take all the time you need."

"Thank you, Mary."

"Of course."

After a short pause, Murray said, "Hey Mary, can I ask you something?"

"Certainly."

"While you're waiting…you won't date other guys, will you?"

"Of course not."

Murray nodded, and then he and Mary just stood there for several long, tense moments. Finally, they just grabbed each other and held onto one another so tightly. While they were embracing, Murray planted a firm kiss on Mary's cheek and whispered in her ear, "I love you, Mary Richards."

The embrace ended then, and Mary told Murray, "I love you, too."