The rest of Wednesday and Thursday were fairly mundane for Mary. She slept and watched as Wilson came and went, came and went. Mary passed her time lying in bed with nothing to do. She slept a lot, but when she wasn't sleeping she was thinking things over. She had to find a way to patch up some of the holes and weak spots of her life.

When Wilson came home Thursday night, Mary looked better. One would even say that her health had dramatically improved, from the outside appearances anyway. Her face had gotten back most of its color and she was looking relatively normal. On the inside, she was still sick, but she no longer felt as sickly as days prior.

He entered the apartment to find Mary sitting in the living room watching some television. She hadn't been out of the bedroom in days. Wilson smiled as he walked over to her, not saying a word. He sat down next to her and kissed her cheek. This was not enough for Mary, though. With newfound energy, she took Wilson's face in her hands and kissed him with a week's worth of pent up passion. "Wow," he said as he pulled away. Mary smiled seductively and brought her lips to his one last time, searching for the love in his lips and not stopping until she found it.

"Someone is feeling better," he said after he sat back out of her grasp. Talk first, make out later.

"I feel a lot better. I was sleeping, and then I woke up and I felt fine. It was pretty weird actually, but I'm not going to complain about it."

Wilson smiled and went in to kiss her forehead before leaning his brow on hers. "Well I'm glad you're up and about. I've missed you the past few days."

Mary pulled her head away from his and stared deeply into his eyes. "I've missed you, too," she said after a while, "thus the reason for the kiss." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I know I probably haven't been the best wife the past couple of days, but I'm going to try to do a better job. I have to do better, because as much as I need you there'll come a time when you need me just as much and I have to be prepared to be here for you like you're doing for me right now."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. This transition into marriage hasn't been easy on either of us but we'll make it work. I know we will."

"Just the same," she continued, "I want to make dinner for us tonight. You've been so great being Master Chef and all, but now it's my turn to do something for you. Even though I am sick I still have to be responsible and start pulling my weight around here."

"Speaking of pulling your weight…" Wilson said, easing into the topic. "I've been thinking about you and work, and the conclusion I have come to is that you should stay home permanently. You feeling as sick as you did proves that there are going to be some tough times ahead of you while you're getting better, and work could be too much for you." She went to protest before Wilson could finish, but he silenced her by continuing. "You told me before that the only reason you are working is for your insurance and to pay your bills. I pay our bills, and I have insurance. I can put you under my plan and then you won't have to worry about anything." He paused. "I would never, ever ask you to give up something you love doing, but it isn't like you are teaching special needs children or something Mare."

She failed to see the humor in his words and remained emotionless for a little before responding. For once she was being practical and thinking before she spoke. "Can you afford that? I don't want to cause any financial strain or anything."

"We can afford it," he said stressing the word "we." "It'll cost a little more but nothing impossible. Besides, you're well worth a little financial strain," he said with a smile.

"Is that what you really think I should do?"

"It's what I think you should do and what I want you to do. Honestly." He finished by lightly kissing her lips.

"If you're sure…" he nodded, "then OK."

"Wonderful. And I'll tell you what. Why don't you ease into the role of wife and we can cook together?"

Her grin she had held onto from before widened. "I'd like that."

Mary and Wilson cooked themselves up a very delectable meal, and then cleared the table together. The food wasn't the only thing they enjoyed that night. They got into bed early that night and made out, with a sense of well being over their heads, until they fell asleep locked tightly in the arms of their soul mate.

Mary got up the next morning when Wilson did and sat up in bed thinking as Wilson was in the shower. He got out and saw her staring at him; he was startled. After the shock wore off, he smiled. It was such a treat to wake up to someone as beautiful as Mary was every morning. She smiled back at him. He made everything seem so easy and simple, perfect even.

"You know," she spoke as she enjoyably watched him dress, "I think I'm going to stop by my house today." Wilson stopped buttoning his shirt and stared at her curiously. "I haven't seen my parents in such a long time and I haven't talked to anyone all week."

Although Mary was determined to keep everything a secret from everyone who would want to know about it, she still kept in touch with her family. They had her cell phone number and contacted her through that. They asked a lot of questions about her life, since she moved out and all, but she doesn't answer any of them. Instead, she gives them vague details and asks more questions about their lives to turn the attention away from her own.

"OK," he said. "Any ulterior motive to going there? Wanting to spill your guts perhaps? Because if you've decided against keeping everything from them, that would be perfectly fine. But I wouldn't want you going alone. I'd want to go with you."

"I'm not telling anyone anything."

Wilson finished getting dressed but continued to think about what Mary had just told him. "Lonely?"

"I guess you could say that." She lowered her head. "You never think you'll miss them, and then you do, you know?"

Wilson sat down and hugged Mary. "I understand." He kissed Mary's lips ardently. "I have to go or I'll be late. Have a good day honey."

"You, too. I love you Wilson."

He kissed her again. "I love you, too."

Mary ventured home that day around lunchtime. She had called her mother earlier and she was so excited to hear that Mary wanted to visit. She understood that Annie missed her, but Wilson or not, sick or not, she needed to have her own life- a life outside of her family. She reached the house and knocked on the back door before entering the kitchen.

Annie heard the doorknob turn and spun around to look at the door, seeing her twenty-two year old daughter walk inside. "Mary!" she nearly shrieked. Annie rushed over to her side and gave her a tight but loving hug. "I haven't seen you in weeks honey."

"I know Mom," she replied. "I'm sorry. I really should come around here more often."

Annie smiled widely. Mary had definitely matured. She watched on as Mary went over to the twins at the kitchen table and greeted them with a pair of casual hugs and a kiss on the top of each of their heads.

"So boys," Mary said pulling up a chair next to her brothers, "what have you both been up to since I left?"

"Lucy going to teach us how to write our names," Sam said.

"We want to learn how to write like big boys," said David. "When did you learn to write your name?"

Mary thought for a second. "I don't know. Probably when I was around your age."

The back door opened again to reveal Lucy with school books in tow. "Hi Mom," she said before she saw Mary. Annie gestured to Lucy's older sibling sitting at the table. "Mary?" Lucy asked as she walked toward Mary and gave her a hug.

Mary had forgotten how much her family liked to hug people, herself included. "Hi Luce."

"I haven't seen you in so long," she commented. "And we haven't talked in over two weeks. What's new? I want to know everything."

Mary laughed. Lucy, even more so than the rest of her family, was very comforting. She'd gotten older and matured a lot more than Mary had, but she was still the same person. That was what Mary loved about her. "Come on, we can go into the living room and talk."

The two sisters did just that, sitting next to each other in one of the two couches that the room had.

"You look different," Lucy commented. "What's up?"

"Nothing's up."

"Then why do you look like that?"

"Look like what exactly?" Mary questioned.

"I don't know…happy."

Mary laughed. "Thanks Luce."

"That's not what I meant and you know it. You just look like something is different…better maybe. Are you dating anyone? You're dating, aren't you Mary?"

She smiled to herself. "I promise you I am not dating anyone."

"Why not?" she pried. "You haven't been serious with anyone since Ben, and that was over a year ago."

Mary shook her head. "You're right; it was over a year ago, meaning that it's long gone. Could we please talk about something else? How's married life treating you?"

"Wonderful. I cannot wait until our first anniversary; it's in about four months you know. It's going to be so special."

"Yeah, it will be. You enjoy it Luce, make sure that you remember it always. It'll be something to look back upon when you get old." Mary got very distant and Lucy didn't say anything as she stared at her sister. Mary was thinking about the possibility of her and Wilson never getting to their one-year anniversary. Mary's eyes got teary and as she snapped back into reality she noticed Lucy staring at her. "Are you hungry? I'm hungry. Let's go see if there's anything good to eat."

Mary stood up and Lucy followed her, but stopped her before she exited the room by placing her hand on her sister's arm. "Are you OK?" Lucy asked quietly.

"I'm fine, but I won't be if I don't eat something. I'm starving."

"OK," Lucy said shrugging it off. She chalked Mary's little episode up to the fact that she wasn't married; that she wanted a boyfriend that could be a husband, one that she could share an anniversary with. Maybe it was Ben. At any rate, though, Lucy didn't give it too much thought. It didn't seem like it was all that serious, or, frankly, all that important.

A/N: This chapter was a little better I guess. You asked for it (sort of) and I delivered; some family interaction. Not what you all really wanted, but that's all part of my evil plan. Muah ha! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter better than the last one. No one seemed to be too thrilled with chap sixteen. I reread it and, to be honest, I really don't see why. "To each his own" I guess.

And you know who has a very good Mary and Wilson story? Josie21612. "Behind Closed Doors" is the title. You should all go and check it out.

Lucy might not think Mary is all that important, but to me reviews are very very important.