MERRY CHRISTMAS!! To one and all, and if you celebrate Hannukah, I think I'm late, but hope you have/had an amazing one!Consider this your gift from me, finally, we get some closure on this story!

Fatcatjack9000: I know, but long chapters take time, and I have ADD, so it takes me ages to get what I do and update.

To my anonymous reviewer, aka Kayla: It's not over yet, and I'm really glad you enjoyed it so far. I think this is the last chapter though.

Neverknowwhatyourgoingtoget: I didn't stop, I put it on hiatus for a bit because, well life basically, there's an explanation below if you're curious.

I'm so, so sorry that it's taken me this long to update. I know you all hate me, but I have good reason. Allow me to explain, and if you don't care just skip down. I had writer's block for the longest time, which was mixed with just plain laziness. That's not the good reason, that's the stupid reason. I was planning on updating sometime before Thanksgiving after I got over the writer's block, but my grandfather died exactly a week before, so that didn't happen. Do me a favor, don't send condolences in reviews because the just make me want to strangle people, so please, don't condole, and save lives.

At the Hospital a Few Days Later

Ruthie was watching as Mac flirted with one of the nurses, rolling her eyes at Martin. Apparently, having been shot was no excuse to miss an opportunity to talk to a pretty woman. That's what had happened every time she had come to visit Mac, and, it seemed like his way of dealing with trauma was being obnoxious to every woman he came into contact with. Of course, he hadn't tried anything with her, but Martin had been with her each time she came to the hospital. Or he might not have made a move on her anyway, just because she was the preacher's daughter, or maybe the sheer number of older siblings she possessed. Not that it mattered. Mac was happy, and healing, he claimed to only feel slight pain in his stomach, but when Martin, and the nurse had turned away, she'd seen him wincing. That was normal for him though, why show anything other than flirtation in front of company?

He'd be out of the hospital in a few days, as soon as they knew for sure that the bullet hadn't caused any damage to any of his other organs. The way he'd been fooling around lately, and trying to sneak out of the hospital mad Ruthie absolutely certain that he'd be out of there by then. She grinned as the nurse left and Martin resumed his conversation about last night's baseball game with Mac. She had a vague idea about what they were talking about because while he was in high school, she'd gone to all of Martin's games. She nodded at Mac, and gave him a hug before she and Martin left.

Prison

T-Bone had tried. He'd been thinking for days about how to escape and get to Ruthie, but he'd suddenly realized that she was never going to see how perfect they were together. Why should he have to be with someone that didn't see perfection? Hell, she ignored perfection, and went for Martin instead. He wouldn't hold a grudge, he knew himself to be above that kind of thing. And wouldn't any man have done what he had in the name of love? He'd just live alone, without anyone. There were loads of people happy doing that. Why couldn't he? Especially since his perfect life was ruined since the girl fell for the wrong man. But maybe, there was a cute corrections officer... He wouldn't mind tapping that. He grinned. Falling back into a world of daydreams

Back at the Camden's

She grinned as Martin knocked on the door of her house, happy that her parents had accepted him after Kevin told them of how hard he had tried to protect Ruthie. They loved him again, just like a son. They had only one condition, at least for now. Annie had made sure that the young couple had not been left alone unsupervised in any private places, especially after having had Ruthie tell them the entire T-Bone story, abortion and all. She had to earn back their trust, and that was understandable, especially after the shock that her seventeen year old daughter had had an abortion, something that Annie was totally opposed to. Not to mention her father, he, surprisingly, had been even kinder about it than Annie. Probably the father-bear gene had kicked in while Kevin told them about Martin helping her, and she knew that Eric loved having someone that he knew would protect her be with her was important to him now. Ever since the T-Bone thing had played out, her parents had been jumpy, and tried not to let her out of their sight for an instant. She had been suffocating until she had practically had a screaming fit, and thrown Simon out of her high school halls. He had simply shrugged mumbling something along the lines of, "Just following orders, figures I'd get you on a PMS day." Which had only made her fit turn into a flying rage. But they left her be more now, not all the time, but it was steadily getting better.

I'm so sad, it's over. But I'm also really happy, because this means I'm free to start another story that's been tugging at the edges of my mind. An X-Men:Evolution one, if any of y'all are interested. If not, forget I mentioned it, well, not really. I'll probably eventually do a 7th Heaven story centering on Lucy, it's tugging at the edges of my mind as well. Something a bit AU, where she didn't grow up with her siblings, and probably a bit dark for her too. Hmm, ok, I'm liking the sound of this already. I know it's the end, but it would help make my Christmas if you'd review. Even a flame would be nice. I don't think I've gotten one of those, so I'd kind of like the experience. Alright, now I'm done rambling, but before I go, I'd like to thank all my readers, and reviewers. (But especially the reviewers, because the give feedback, and I like to hear opinions, about where you think the story should go, things like that.) Until next time!

Crayon-Snob