_

_

Back in Buffalo, everything had gone back to normal after the holiday. Mary had continued to practically live at Wilson's apartment as the winter progressed- absolutely all of her spare time was spent there. She would even go over there during the day when he was not around, just sitting by herself and thinking about him as she waited for him to get home. Their relationship had definitely gone to the next level of seriousness, and Mary had mixed feelings about that.

Most of the time she spent alone in his apartment, she sat around imagining what it would be like in that apartment as Wilson's wife and not just his girlfriend or fiancée. She just couldn't see herself that way. Mary didn't think she could ever be able to pull off that much responsibility and make a go of a marriage to Wilson. She knew all to well that love alone does not make a relationship work.

Wilson had been getting used to coming home to Mary waiting for him every night. Unlike her, he didn't need alone time. As a matter of fact, his definition of alone had changed over the weeks to mean himself and Mary. He really loved her and was waiting anxiously for them to be married. That way, he could stop treating their relationship with kid gloves and start settling down with the love of his life.

"I-it's s-s-so c-cold!" Billy exclaimed as he and Wilson walked in the door one night.

Mary stood up and walked over to the two boys. She helped Billy take off his fleece coat and rubbed the side of his arms to warm him up. Even his shirt that was underneath his fleece felt cold to the touch. She then turned her attention to Wilson, kissing his cheek as a greeting. "My gosh you're freezing," she commented as her warm lips touched his skin. She rubbed her hands over his cheeks, then his ears, and then his hands. All of them were positively chilly.

"It's nasty out there," Wilson said. "With the wind chill the weatherman said it's supposed to be at least 10 below, probably more. The high was supposed to be two degrees today."

"I know," she said as she drew him closer to her torso, hoping that some of the heat from her body would transfer over to his. "I hate winter in Buffalo. Besides all the snow, it's just freezing." She sighed. "It would never, ever get like this in California."

"Probably not," he responded as he ran his fingers through the back of her hair, "but you lived in the warm part of California. You go north more and it does get cold." She smiled but didn't say anything. "You miss it there, don't you?" Mary nodded against his chest but didn't say anything. Neither did Wilson- he refused to comment on the subject until she chose to verbally bring it up.

_

Mary was planning on leaving that night, like usual, a little after eleven. Billy went to bed around 8:30 generally, and after they put him down Mary and Wilson would stay up in Wilson's room talking for a while. They never seemed to run out of things to say to each other. Mary knew all about every detail that was going on at Wilson's work, his hopes, aspirations, his past- anything and everything she ever could have wanted to know about him. It was nice that he was so open with her. She wasn't that way with him. She wasn't intentionally holding things back from him, but she always was reluctant to volunteer information. Mary would only tell if Wilson asked.

"You know what I've been wondering?" Wilson asked Mary. "What do you do all day while you're here?"

"Oh, I go snooping through you underwear drawer." They both laughed. "Honestly…I sit around and think."

"About?"

"Lots of stuff- life, my family, you, Billy," she paused, "what it would be like to be married to you."

Wilson picked up her hand off of his comforter. "And what do you think it'll be like?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Some days I can get a clear picture of it, and it's really wonderful. Other days…I just can't see it. Sometimes my mind won't let me picture it." Mary smiled nervously. "That scares me- that I can't picture it. I try to think of myself sitting in your apartment as your wife and not just 'Mary,' and I can't." She felt him squeeze her hand, his way of pressing for more information, but she kept quiet. There was nothing left to say on the matter.

"Maybe…" Wilson said since she wasn't talking, "Maybe you don't see yourself as being married because you never will get married." He looked up at her and saw that her head was down. "Or maybe you don't want to marry me."

Her head sprang up and the hurt in her eyes was highly apparent. She stared at Wilson for a few seconds, making sure that she had heard him correctly. "What?" she asked quietly.

"Do you really want me marry me Mary?"

Tears formed in her eyes. "I wouldn't have accepted your proposal if I didn't want to marry you someday." She let out a sharp breath. "You really think that I don't want to marry you?"

Wilson continued with unbridled courage. "I think that if you really wanted to marry me you wouldn't be having so many doubts."

A tear rolled down Mary's left cheek. "I love you Wilson, really love you- more than anything in this world. I have so much time, not to mention my whole heart invested in this relationship."

"You say all of these things, but I can't help but think that it's all an act. I mean, you say you love me and you try to show it, but-"

"But what Wilson?!" Mary was angry and hurt. "How can you think that I don't love you, even for a second!" More hot tears rolled down her face.

"Well, if you loved me like you say you do, you wouldn't want to be engaged for a year or two." He was not backing down on this. He could see how upset it was making Mary, but he wasn't exactly absorbing it.

Mary stood up and went to the door. "I don't need this, especially from you Wilson." She glared at him. "I, uh… I should go." Mary stormed out of the bedroom and into the living room. She grabbed her olive green coat off of the table and flung the door open, slamming it behind her.

Stunned as to what just had happened, Wilson ran after Mary. He opened the door just as she slammed it. "Mary!" he called out, but she didn't turn around. He watched as she ran down the hall and into the elevator. "I'm sorry!" he called out. But it was too late, she was gone.

Wilson walked back into his apartment and saw Billy standing before him, hands on his hips. "What did you do now?"

***

Wilson considered calling Mary that night, but decided against it. It was late, and she was probably still steamed over the horrible things that he said. What in the world was he thinking? Of course she loved him. If she didn't, she wouldn't have been as hurt as she was when he said that. He saw the vulnerability in her eyes as he clawed at her heart, but he just couldn't stop himself. It was like something possessed him, compelling him to keep on talking until he was finished with what he had to say.

Wilson decided to back off for a little while- let things cool down before he tried to fix it. He decided to stop by the Colonel's on Sunday. He went to ring the doorbell to the house when he noticed a note on the door. The envelope read "Wilson" in Mary's cute handwriting. He skimmed it's contents- Mary wasn't home. She left this morning to go back to GlenOak to be with her family. Signed, "I really do love you, Mary."

***

The Camden family was just sitting down to an early Sunday dinner when the back door to the kitchen flew open. Mary stepped inside of the house; everyone gasped. Bags were under her eyes and she had a slight disheveled appearance about her, but other than that she seemed happy to be home. All that was unimportant, however. Before that, they all noticed the only germane fact: Wilson was not with her. When they had seen her at Thanksgiving two weeks ago, the couple seemed to be completely in love and happy.

"Hi," they all mumbled eventually, stunned by her sudden appearance in the house.

Annie was the only one who was able to pull out of the confused stupor. She walked over to Mary and gave her a hug. As she did this, she noticed Mary's big piece of luggage- the same piece that she had taken with her when she moved out to Buffalo. "What are you doing home all of the sudden?"

"What, I'm not welcome here?" she asked smiling, trying not to answer the question.

"No, no, you are, but-" Annie stopped short as she looked at her daughter curiously.

"Kids, why don't you go upstairs. We'll call you down to eat in a little bit," Eric said to his children who looked like a family of deer caught in headlights. Morosely, they made their way to the staircase and left their parents alone with their sister. "So…" Eric said to Mary. He didn't know how to begin with her without causing a huge rift between them.

"Hi to you, too, Dad," Mary said.

"Hi," Eric said. "What brings you back home Mare? We didn't know you were coming."

"Neither did I until this morning but here I am."

Eric looked to Annie. Tag, she was it. "Where's Wilson?"

Mary sighed, the inevitable question. "Back in Buffalo," she replied to her mother.

"OK… Did you come home for a reason?"

"Do I need a reason?" she asked Eric.

"Yes."

She shook her head. She had to bite the bullet and explain to them, at least a little bit. "I'm moving back here."

_

_

_

_

_

A/N: This chapter was kind of weird. It was sort of taken off a Prodigal and the stuff before it a little. I don't know if I liked it or not. I think I did, though, and I think the transition was good from her being happy to her being all mad. Wilson will be back, though, don't worry. Other than that, you'll just have to wait and see.

_

_

_

You know you want to move in with the Camdens, too. Review.

_