Disclaimer: No I do not own 7th Heaven or anything pertaining to the show.

Spoilers: This story is set in the future, and will, therefore, make mention of current and past episodes of 7th Heaven.

Author's Note: This is just a story that I have had bouncing around in my head for awhile and that I am now just putting onto paper. I hope you all enjoy it.

My Life As A Camden

Chapter One

The LA traffic eased slowly down the crowded street as the sun beat down on the pedestrians making their way along the sidewalks. People of all colors, shapes, and sizes walked the sidewalk in front of the small outdoor café. Ruthie Camden shifted her sunglasses up her nose and sipped her Mocha Latte as she watched the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. Her laptop sat on the metal table in front of her, open, its blank screen seemingly mocking her, reminding her that she had yet to start her newest book, which was due in only eight short months.

It wasn't her fault that she couldn't think of what to write about, was it? Her editor was too demanding, asking her to move from what Ruthie normally wrote about. Sandra didn't want the normal romance novel, which Ruthie could knock out in two or three months. No, she wanted something that everybody, from the youngest reader to the oldest, could enjoy and connect with. No more 'mindless rubble' as she liked to refer to Ruthie's previous work.

Sighing, Ruthie slammed her laptop shut. Perhaps if she didn't feel as if the blank screen were watching her she would be able to come up with some sort of idea. She sat back in her chair and watched the people that passed by.

They were your normal bunch of skater punks, freaks, preps, trust fund babies armed with shopping bags and a cell-phone, and, sometimes, an actual normal person. Ruthie watched them, studied them, tried to imagine what their lives were really like. Take the gothic chick with the blood red, spiky hair, wearing the combat boots, ripped stockings, black leather skirt with metal chains, and the black see through shirt that let you have a good look at her red bra, which matched her hair, underneath. What was her life really like? Maybe she was from a wealthy family and had attended boarding school in Europe for most of her life before becoming a rebellious teen and striking out against authority, which got her expelled from said boarding school and now her parents didn't know what to do with her. Or what about the chic woman with all designer clothing on, shopping bags in each hand and a cell-phone against her ear, what was her story? Was she really as well off as she made everybody believe, or was her husband having financial problems and she was simply trying to hold on to the life she might yet lose?

People fascinated Ruthie, and, perhaps, they fascinated others just enough to have them be interested in a book about someone just like themselves. With a triumphant smile, Ruthie flipped her laptop back open and began to type.

I grew up in a large family - seven kids to be exact. Many people asked my parents how they did it, or why they chose to have such a large family. My parents didn't plan it, it just happened. We were all very close, my siblings were my best friends, and I could talk with them, or my parents, about anything that was on my mind. But a large family does have its drawbacks. I was the youngest girl and, with two older brothers and two older sisters, I received the brunt of their protectiveness. Especially when I started dating. But I was happy with my family, and I never would have traded them in for anything.

Ruthie sat back and surveyed the opening paragraph. It was decent, not at all like the openings to her numerous other books, but still it was good. She took another sip of her latte and pursed her lips. Where was she going to go with this? She didn't exactly have a direction in which to take it, the book was just about her, her life as a Camden. Were people really going to be interested in reading about the daughter of a minister? Ruthie didn't want to think about that right then. She had a job to do.

My father was a minister at a relatively large church in Glenoak, California. Everybody loved him. He was always ready and willing to help, even when the people were not parishioners of his church. He was a great minister, a loving husband, and a terrific father.

My mother, well she was the back bone of our family, the one to keep everything running smoothly and efficiently. She was head over heels for my father, and the two of them would sometimes make my siblings and me sick with how lovey-dovey they would get. Always she had a million errands to run and things to do, but, no matter how busy, she always made time for her family.

My oldest brother was Matt. He was wild as a teen, but now has grown up and is married with a son of his own. If there's one thing that I could say about Matt, it's how he was always there when any one of his brothers or sisters needed him. He wasn't afraid to stick his neck out for you, to protect you no matter the cost. He was one of the best brothers any girl could ask for, and I am lucky that he was mine.

Mary is the second oldest in our happy family, and the one who most often got herself into trouble. She's hardheaded and stubborn, and always going from one mess to the other, but she's always there, always ready to help you when she can. She was married once, and had a son, but Mary never was one who could settle down. Always she had to be on the move, going from one thing to the other. I think that's one of the reasons why she chose to be a flight attendant.

Lucy, what can you say about her? When she was a teen, Lucy was one of those girls that had to have a boyfriend. She wasn't happy being single, she needed to have plans every weekend to go out with a boy. My siblings and I even nicknamed her the Make-out Queen because she was always attached at the lips to one boy or another. She's happily married now, with a daughter and another baby on the way. Lucy's content now. She's a wife, a mother, and a minister, all the things she ever wanted to be.

Simon is the fourth in our happy family. I think it's safe to say that he was the only Camden to ever break the rule "No sex before marriage". Yes, that is Simon's legacy in this family. But he's a good brother, always watching out for everybody, always putting other people's happiness above his own. Sometimes I wonder if he truly is happy with the life that he leads. Sometimes, I think that he wishes he had waited until marriage to be with that one special person. I guess we'll never know though, seeing as Simon never talks to anyone in the family. He's ostracized himself from us all, choosing to completely disappear from our lives instead of putting up with the questions that mom and dad continually throw at him about his life. I miss him a lot. He and I were once close, now I don't even know where he is.

The twins, Sam and David, are the youngest of our family. I was nine when they were born, and they were hard to get used to at first. Born on Valentine's Day, they sort of get jipped when it comes to birthday parties and celebrations. I remember that on their first birthday, nobody wanted to celebrate, they just wanted to go about their Valentine's Day and be with their dates and all that, I also remember that I gave them both a raw egg. A little big sister jealousy thing, one that I won't get into right now. Looking back on it now, I felt sorry for my brothers. They didn't know what was going on, but mom certainly didn't appreciate everybody blowing them off. They're in their teens now, and two of the greatest guys I know. They are certainly going to be heartbreakers once mom and dad let them date.

Ruthie saved all that she had written and turned off her computer. She had a feeling that this book was going to be one of her best, she just wasn't certain how her family would feel about her putting their lives on display. But it wasn't that they weren't already on show for everybody to see. That's the life you live when you're the child of Eric Camden. Ruthie cracked a smile, yes, she certainly would bring out all of her family's dirt on this one. Her publishers were bound to eat it up.

Alright, so this first chapter was a bit short, but I promise that I'll try and make the next one a bit longer. I'm not certain how often I'll update this, but I'll try and do my best to get out an update every other week. Please review and tell me what you all think.