New York, The Big Apple

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Seventh Heaven does not belong to me, please don't sue, yadda, yadda, yadda.

"Reverend Camden?" Martin said walking into the reverend's office "You're not busy now are you?"

"No." Eric said "Come on in Martin."

Martin took a seat across from Eric thinking very carefully how he would word his question.

"My aunt sent me my ticket today to New York and well, she sent two so that I could bring a friend and she had assumed originally that I'd be bringing Mac but he's not really the wedding type so..." Martin trailed off.

"I take it you have a hidden purpose in this babbling?" Eric said "Am I right?"

"Yeah." Martin said with a relieved smile "Um, do you think I could invite Ruthie? I know she's never been to New York and we'd have plenty of time for sight seeing and looking at colleges and that stuff."

"I knew there was a hidden purpose." Eric said feeling a little vindicated "Well, it is the summer and New York is fun--let me talk to Annie about it and I'll let you know by tonight. Did you ask Ruthie if she wanted to go yet?"

"No." Martin said getting up to leave and get back home "I thought it would be better to ask you first, so she wouldn't be dissapointed or anything if you didn't want her going."

Eric laughed, very amused and impressed with the thought Martin had put into arranging the trip.

"Okay. Tonight, Annie and I'll let you know."

"Thanks." Martin said feeling victorious as he headed out to his car.

"...for the wedding?" Annie said disccussing the trip with her husband. "I don't know, thats two weeks, and I don't like the idea of them being alone all that time either--and its not the two of them I don't even like the idea of Martin being alone all that time."

"I know." Eric said "But what if they weren't alone, lets say maybe if they stayed with Matt and Sarah, or even the Colonel and Ruth?"

"You think its a good idea?" Annie said feeeling a little indecisive about her youngest daughter going to New York with her older boyfriend for two weeks.

"Well sure." Eric said "As long as they are under supervision they should be fine, and I trust Martin and Ruthie, I mean if it was Mary and Robbie, I could see this not being a possibility but they're both good kids."

"Okay." Annie said "You've got me convinced. Call Matt, see what he says, I think he'd be the best choice for them to stay with anyhow." "Right." Eric said "I'll call him now."

Martin was estatic when Rev. Camden gave him the news that he could bring Ruthie to New York with him, he didn't really care that they had to stay at Matt and Sarah's apartment, he liked Matt and the few times he had seen Sarah she had seemed nice so it seemed like a better idea to him than staying at his aunt's apartment with her and the fiancee he really disiked and then alone for the remainder of his trip. He just hoped Ruthie was as excited about going as he was about being in New York with her, after all there was so much to do there and the had exhauted the possibilities in Glen Oak a long time ago.

"Hey Ruthie?" Martin said knocking on her bedroom door not wanting to invade in on her privacy since she had friends over.

"Martin?" she said "Come in."

"Hi Christine. Um Ruthie...can I talk to you for a minute downstairs?" Martin said feeling a little uncomfortable he hated the way some of Ruthie's friends stared at him and didn't talk it was a little unnerving.

"I have to go now anyways." Christine said "Bye Ruthie. Martin."

The other two girls followed in suit, except instead of saying goodbye to Martin they collapsed into giggles.

"Whats going on?" Ruthie asked following her boyfriend into the kitchen where her parents were standing.

"My aunt sent me two tickets to new york and if you'd like to your parents said its okay if you came with me." Martin said happy to see the excited expression on his girlfriend's face.

"Really?" Ruthie said looking at her parents "I can really go?"

"Yes." Eric said "On one condition you stay with Matt, your mother and I don't like the idea of you and Martin or really even just Martin alone, at his aunt's house so you two will stay will Matt and Sarah for the two weeks."

"Awesome." Ruthie squealed "Thanks." she added giving both of her parents hugs "I'm gonna go pack."

"Im going to call my aunt now let her know about the change in plans, she should be happy for the oppurtunity to keep me away from her fiancee." Martin rolled his eyes still finding it completly unbelivable that his aunt was marrying the jerk.

Three Days Later

Ruthie couldn't belive that in three more hours she would be in New York City with no parents, just her boyfriend, a wedding to go to and just to top it off she got to see her older brother Matt, who in her opinion she didn't get to see anywhere near enough.

"Ruthie." Martin said for the upteempth time trying to get his girlfriends attention "Ruthie."

"Yeah." she said "Sorry I was just thinking about seeing Matt and Sarah and New York."

Martin smiled "I just wanted to tell you to put on your seatbelt they said we're gonna land in a few minutes but I didn't think you were exactly paying atention."

Ruthie smiled at her boyfriend's concern buckling her seatbelt. Really she thought it was shocking how easy it had been for them to make the transition from friends to a couple, the only difference was that now they were caught kissing instead of Ruthie trying to rope Martin into some crazy Camden plot.

"So what is your aunt's fiancee like?" Ruthie asked Martin curious as to why he never really mentioned the guy before.

"He's..." Martin had trouble finding the right word "well, you'll see when you meet him, he's nothing like my dad and honestly, I don't think my dad would approve of his little sister marrying this guy."

Ruthie smiled, Martin was so overprotective he should have been an older brother she had thought time, and time again, ever since she had known him he'd had the same protectiveness thing that she had always complained about Matt and Simon having.

"Well you need to give him a chance." Ruthie said "You know what my dad says about giving people second chances..."

Martin rolled his eyes pretty sure Ruthie would be singing another tune once she had spent some time with the guy.