I was inspired to write this fanfic by the good people over at the Television Without Pity site.

This fanfic is not based on one specific episode, but rather on a string of different plot lines we've seen over the years. I have always preferred Mary to Lucy in the 7th Heaven series, but lately the writers have turned her into such a bimbo that she's ridiculed by everyone, most of all her family. This work is focused on Mary and I've tried to being some humanity back to her.

None of these characters belong to me,  they are sole property of the WB or Brenda Hampton. Yadda, yadda, yadda…

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CHAPTER FOUR

          That night Mary lie awake thinking in her bed. It was around 3am when she and her father had arrived home. Matt had been waiting for them half-asleep on the couch.

*****

          "So how's Lucy," asked Matt, "and where's Mom?"

          Eric replied only, "She's sleeping at the hospital tonight. We'll talk about the rest tomorrow morning."

          "Oh, well maybe I should head over to the hospital to be with Mom tonight, then. I don't think she should be alone at a time like this, do you?"

          "I really don't think it's necessary Matt. She's got the whole hospital staff to look after her," replied Eric ironically. "Now let's get to bed. We've all had a tough night and there's just more to come tomorrow morning."

*****

          Mary couldn't believe her father hadn't told Matt the truth about what had happened at the hospital. She thought about how Matt would take the news of Annie's "breakdown." She also wondered what she was going to tell him tomorrow morning. Should she tell him the whole truth about what happened and risk his judgment of her? Would Dad tell him everything behind her back? She really dreaded the inevitable confrontation between her and her older brother.

*****

When she had been a kid, Mary had really looked up to Matt. He had always been there to help her out when she needed it. However, in junior high and high school she had begun to resent his brotherly presence. He seemed to always be prying into her life, especially her personal life. She remembered one time he had even talked to a boy she had a crush on without her knowing. His name was Morris and he had a bit of a bad reputation around school for getting a little "fresh" with girls. One day, Morris began to ignore her completely, she had never understood why. Later, she heard that Matt had warned him to stay away from her, or else. Mary never knew what Matt's idea of "or else" was, but it had been enough to end the short-lived romance and the interest of practically every other boy throughout those four hard years of junior high.

High school had been a little better. Mary had joined the basketball team and had finally found a place where she belonged. She had had a few brief romances, but nothing really serious since Matt was still constantly lurking and surveying her love life, even once he was away at college. Although she was pretty popular, there was one mortifying experience she had never been able to live down. It was a video Matt had made for his health class. Her big brother had secretly taped private conversations of her and Annie talking about sex. To this day, some people around Glenoak still called out "Thar' she blows" when they saw her. It wasn't her fault really. Annie had said she could ask about anything, and she had always wondered what a blowjob was. Although she was surprised to find out that it didn't involve a hairdryer.

Thinking back on her high school years, Mary began to wonder if her repressive family wasn't in some part to blame for her problems. If only they had given her a little bit of freedom, if only Annie and Matt hadn't been on her back all the time maybe she wouldn't have felt the need to rebel so strongly. She realized now that TPing the school gym had not been the brightest idea, but it wasn't that serious, really. But her family had treated her like vandalism was right up there with murder. Afterwards she had felt like her family's unconditional love suddenly had conditions. Things were never the same between Annie and her again and her resentment of Matt had only grown bigger. One problem had led to another and she had found herself spinning into a black hole.

Mary remembered the "intervention" her parents had organized to announce her immediate departure for Buffalo. It was strange to remember how angry and bitter her family had been towards her. Annie and Matt couldn't stop saying how disappointed they were in her, laying on guilt trip after guilt trip. Simon had sulked about the money she owed him. Of course the twins hadn't said anything, they were too young at the time to really understand, but she thought they probably felt the tension in the family relations all the same. It had been the reaction of Ruthie that had surprised her the most. The two of them had always been close, much closer than she and Lucy. Mary would never forget the cold look in her eyes when she flat out told Mary that she didn't love her anymore. Looking back, she realized that Lucy had been the only one who seemed to have the tiniest bit of sympathy for her. She had been angry, like the rest of the family, but her anger had been tempered with empathy for her sister, unlike the others.

Mary thought back to all the times that she had felt lonely and depressed back east in Buffalo. Whenever she called home, it was always Lucy who was able to cheer her up, who made her see the positive side of things. It was also Lucy who had pushed her into enrolling at Crawford, the first smart decision she had made in a long time.

Suddenly, Mary realized how much she really loved her sister, how good of a friend she had during the good times and the bad. Lying in bed, she began to feel guilty about all the times she laughed at her sister and her concerns that seemed so silly to Mary. What would she do if Lucy didn't pull through the accident? Mary became conscious that she was in danger of losing her best friend, and that she was entirely to blame.