Title: "Too Little Too Late"
Author: Juana
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in my story they are the property of the CW Network and 7th Heaven.
There was a saying thought Mac as he stood idly in the kitchen watching as Jane and Margaret scurried around the apartment getting her ready for her date.
Oh yeah he remembered it now…you made your bed now lie In it….and boy was he being forced to lie in it.
Mac could not wrap his head around the fact that Margaret had a date. It seemed to him like they had just broken up, the reality was that it had been like three weeks but it felt like three days to Mac.
Margaret had wanted to do the right thing and so had told him she had a date that night not in an attempt to make him jealous simply to inform him, but he was jealous…painfully so.
Across the apartment Margaret stopped her hurried activity for a moment to watch Mac as he struggled with his inner demons.
She was still reeling from Mac's reaction to her telling him about Stephen, her date for that evening, she had expected indifference and outwardly that was what he had given her but his eyes told a different story…he was hurt, angry and confused.
She'd been with him too long not to be able to read the different emotions on his face.
"I can cancel if you want me to." Margaret told him though it wasn't really what she wanted. She was miserable without Mac and could use a little "happy" in her life and
Margaret liked Stephen, he was cute and funny and best of all he was into her and told her so, unlike Mac who she had always had to probe and wheedle any kind of sentiment out of.
Sentimentally Margaret remembered back to the first time Mac had told her that he loved her, she had believed in that moment that they would last forever.
How short forever can be thought Margaret sadly.
As Margaret gazed into Mac's eyes he knew he could keep this date from happening but as usual unable to get over his huge pride he'd said exactly the wrong thing.
"It's cool…you're allowed to date…we both are." Mac reminded her painfully.
Margaret knew as true as that was, that Mac had yet to do just that and after three weeks of failed attempts she had really hoped that he was reconsidering things.
She didn't hold any of this against him she knew his fear stemmed from the deep rooted fear of ending up like his parents, he never wanted to be divorced and so needed to be absolutely sure his intentions were based on being totally and completely in love.
It irked Margaret that he had never fully opened himself up to her always holding back that part of his heart that would connect their souls and turn it into lovemaking versus just sex. For Mac it had been all about passion and wanting no emotions involved.
A part of her still believed that if she'd been able to break down that barrier none of this would be happening.
As the doorbell rang Mac tensed and Jane rushed over to open it greeting Martin and Ruthie.
Margaret glanced quickly in a mirror to make sure she looked okay but instead saw Mac over her shoulder in the kitchen looking forlorn. She might have reconsidered going in that moment if not for Ruthie coming up beside her.
"You ready to go? You told me that you told Stephen we would meet him at the movie theater at 7:30pm" Ruthie reminded her.
Margaret turned to look at Mac who was at the moment berating Martin in hushed tones.
"Thanks buddy really appreciate you setting her up on a date so soon after we broke up." Mac said clearly annoyed with Martin.
"Okay…first of all…we didn't, we're just double dating and secondly why do you care? You broke up with her remember?" Martin said reminding his friend that he put the wheels of this car crash in motion.
"Do you think she's afraid the guy might try something and that's why she asked you guys to come along? " Mac said concern evident on the edge of his voice.
Martin sighed." I think you need to stop being an idiot. You obviously still like her…so tell her and end this stupid charade." he suggested.
"Really…you think I should? Mac said questioning for a second his previous plan of action but almost instantaneously backpedaling. "No…I can't I haven't even gone on one single date yet we'd still be right where we were before."
"Then date someone…but don't expect Margaret not to if you're going to." Martin stated trying to get it through Macs head what he was risking.
"Yeah…maybe I will…maybe tonight in fact." Mac said grabbing his jacket off the chair and quickly putting it on. "Thanks for the advice buddy." Mac said hurrying out the front door.
"What advice, where is he going?" Ruthie asked as she came up beside Martin.
Martin looked at Ruthie guilt written all over his face." I'm pretty sure somewhere to do something stupid. I opened my mouth and told him to date someone if he felt so bad about Margaret going out."
"Smooth move." Ruthie said sarcasm lacing her reply.
"Yeah…thanks I feel bad enough without your commentary. Can we please just go now and get this night started?" Martin pleaded.
Ian stood in front of the police station doors willing him self to go in.
He had no idea how Jane had become so important to him in the last three weeks and even less understanding of how she had talked him into doing what he was about to do.
Reluctantly Ian entered the police station and walked up to the front desk immediately the uniformed police officer looked up from her paperwork.
"Can I help you son?"
Ian took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "Yes…I'd like to drop some charges I filed." He said nervously police stations always made him feel that way.
Methodically the police woman pulled pages from different locations on the desk and handed them over to him.
"Fill these out and give them to Officer Swanson in the corner over there." She said as she pointed to a tired looking, paunchy, overweight man behind a desk.
"Okay…thanks." Ian said taking the paperwork before going to sit down.
Jane and Ruthie had both better appreciate this thought Ian as he looked at the sizable stack of papers that needed to be completed to finish this mess once and for all.
Martin tried really hard not to like Stephen for Mac's sake but he was a genuinely nice guy and Martin found him self relating to him on many levels and really starting to befriend him.
As soon as they found their seats in the movie theater Ruthie leaned over to Martin.
"So what do you think of him." She asked conspiratorially.
"I like him." Martin reluctantly admitted.
"Me too." Ruthie confessed. "And I really didn't want to for Mac's sake."
Margaret leaned towards Ruthie, a smile on her face something Ruthie hadn't seen for a long time.
"He's pretty great right?" Margaret questioned beaming.
Ruthie loved Mac to pieces and she wanted to protect his former claim on Margaret, but Margaret was her friend too and she deserved an honest answer.
"He's amazingly sweet and genuine and I think he really likes you Margaret." Ruthie admitted saying an inward sorry to Mac for not standing up for him right then.
Margaret sat back in her seat satisfied that her instincts about Stephen had been right.
Mac had had his chance with Margaret and had blown it and it was time for Margaret to let go of the past and move on thought Ruthie.
And Stephen was the ideal guy for her to do that with Ruthie realized as she watched him use a napkin to dust a little popcorn off Margaret's face before leaning in to give her a tender kiss on the lips.
Ruthie probably could have analyzed and over analyzed all night but Martin took it upon him self to decide she'd paid enough attention to Margaret and not enough to him. He started the kisses on a slow and sexy trail down the side of her neck until he was nestled in the sensitive nape prompting her to willingly turn her lips to his.
He slowly taunted her by claiming her bottom lip with a gentle nip of his teeth sending shivers of pleasure coursing through her body but the follow through was even better as her molded his mouth to hers and she began to match him movement for movement until the kisses were heated and inspiring.
Ruthie didn't know if their bold display of affection made Margaret and Stephen uncomfortable but at that point she was beyond caring.
It was like a magnet between her and Martin in moments like this, an unbreakable force that brought them closer in intimacy and wanting. She lost herself time and time again in the deliciousness of him…she loved the taste of him and the musky smell of him.
Mac had been using his fake id all over town before finally ending up at the promenade in front of the movie theater a little too tipsy for his own good.
Every girl that went by good looking or not he winked at and gave his signature grin hoping to attract their attention…finally he scored as a leggy blonde with big doe eyes took him up on his greeting and sat down beside him.
"I'm Megan." She said extending her hand in greeting.
Megan liked this guy he was really cute and just what she needed to make Vincent jealous, yes he would do nicely she thought as she moved even closer to him on the bench.
"Megan…you're looking lovely tonight." Mac said trying hard not to slur his words.
"You're looking pretty cute yourself stranger." Megan said giving him a winning smile.
"Mac…name is Mac." he said grinning back at her the promise in her eyes egging him on.
Mac had no delusions as to why he ended up here he wanted Margaret to see him, even better if she saw him with a girl.
Like a perfectly shot scene in a movie it all came together, Mac spotted Margaret and her date coming out of the theater with Ruthie and Martin and Megan spotted Vincent walking towards her.
"What do you say we skip the small talk and just make out?" Mac said bold from his earlier intake of illegally obtained alcohol.
"Works for me." Megan said taking Mac's face in her hands and planting one on him for Vincent's benefit.
Simultaneously the two groups ended up in front of Megan and Mac making out. Ruthie's old boyfriend Vincent was the first to speak.
"Get your lips off my girlfriend jerk!" Vincent yelled at Mac not realizing who he was.
Fully satisfied with them selves that they had accomplished what they had hoped for Mac and Megan came up for air the smiles on both their faces quickly dying as they alternately recognized people in the group.
"Vincent? Mac said somewhat confused.
"Ruthie?" Megan chimed in.
It took a while and some heated fights on separate sides of the Promenade for everyone to sort out the mess of a situation that both Megan and Mac had orchestrated unknowing of each others intent.
"Is that why we came here tonight so you could run into Ruthie?!" Megan spat anger and jealousy mixed.
"I had no idea Ruthie was going to be here. I haven't seen her in years.' Vincent admitted to his girlfriend of the past six months.
"I think the bigger issue here is why you were making out with Mac!" Vincent wanted and needed to know.
Megan had hated Ruthie in school, well Ruthie and any other girl that Vincent had liked. Vincent had been her eternal high school crush and she still couldn't believe her luck at running into him after so many years and finally getting the chance to date him.
"I wanted to make you jealous." Megan reluctantly admitted to him. "I saw you talking to that girl at the ice cream store and that she was flirting with you and it made me mad.
"She's an old friend…nothing else." Vincent said in an apology to Megan.
"You don't have to make me jealous…I want to be with you…just you." Vincent admitted even though he was still unable to stop him self from sneaking a glance at Ruthie out of the corner of his eye as he brought his girlfriend into his arms for a hug.
"Your old boyfriends keep popping up everywhere. I'm starting to get a complex" Martin said putting his arm around Ruthie as they sat on the park bench waiting for Mac and Margaret to quit arguing.
It was getting more uncomfortable by the minute as Martin was not failing to miss the looks Vincent kept shooting Ruthie's way. Looks Ruthie was thankfully oblivious to as she cuddled in closer to Martin."
"So have you decided about Scotland yet?" Martin said just making conversation to pass the time as he shot warning glares at Vincent.
He really…really hated that guy.
'Actually…I've been meaning to tell you this for a while…" Ruthie started a sly smile on her face.
Martin held his breath…maybe she wasn't going to Scotland after all…although the thought of her in Glen Oak with all her old boyfriends was a little disturbing, but still Glen Oak was better than Scotland.
"I'm not going to Scotland. I'm going to college in California." Ruthie said keeping the best part for last.
Martin smiled and hugged her in his excitement.
"I promise you won't regret this, I'll drive up to Glen Oak every spare chance I get." He said grinning from ear to ear.
"If that's what you want just promise me you'll stay in San Diego some times to be with me." Ruthie said waiting for his full understanding to sink in.
"San Diego?" Martin said daring to hope.
"Yep…I got late acceptance to San Diego State…I'm going to be moving to San Diego after summer is over." Ruthie said happily glad she had finally shared her news with him.
"Really…you're really going to be just like minutes away?" Martin said unable to believe that what he had hoped for was coming true.
"I already have an apartment and a roommate and my classes…not very many though a lot of them were taken, but my counselor told Margaret and Mac that I can audit classes I want in the hopes they'll have drop outs and let me in." Ruthie said the information spilling out of her at lightening speed now.
"Margaret and Mac helped you with this?" Martin questioned but knowing full well his friends had definitely been instrumental in making this happen while Ruthie had been at camp with him.
Stephen had left earlier at Margaret's request; she hadn't wanted to have a showdown with Mac in front of him.
His kiss goodnight had been sweet and unexpected and had sent Mac over the edge.
'You're unbelievable!" Mac tossed angrily at Margaret.
"I'm unbelievable?" Margaret said the shock evident.
"You show up on my date, you make out with a total stranger in front of me and I'm the one who's unbelievable?! You're pathetic Mac!" Margaret finished her temper at the boiling point.
"And you're drunk!" She couldn't help adding.
"You're one to talk that guy was all over you." Mac said highly exaggerating the kiss.
Margaret knew she could stand there all night trying to justify her actions with Mac or she could let him have the truth right between the eyes…she opted for the later.
"You have no right to be here Mac…none! You wanted to be free of me so you could date…so do it! Don't keep hanging on to me because you can't find anyone dumb enough to take you up on your sex with no strings offer… I don't want you anymore…I'm over you." Margaret said with a finality that scared Mac a little.
"You don't mean that." Mac said a wounded look in his eyes.
'Fine I don't…but this I do mean…I want to date Stephen. I like him and he likes me and I want to see where this goes." Margaret stated no hesitation in her tone.
"If you're just trying to hurt me…mission accomplished" Mac said solemnly.
"That's ironic coming from you…but there's no truth in it. You broke up with me so you and I could date other people and I found someone I want to be with. You don't get to change the rules just because you don't like the way the game is playing out." Margaret reminded him.
Mac felt like he'd swallowed a bowling ball that was sitting heavy and painful in his gut. He'd been a fool and now it was too late to get a second chance and that he realized was what he wanted…a second chance…a do-over.
"I love you Margaret." Mac said for maybe only the third or fourth time in their relationship and Margaret realized that for the first time he really meant it.
"I love you too Mac…but it's too late. I'm sorry." Margaret said leaning in to give him a final kiss on the cheek.
It was hard to watch Mac breaking down but Margaret knew it was for the best. If they'd been made for each other it would have worked out.
As she held him in her arms comforting him she realized the finality of their situation and started to cry too.
Martin and Ruthie both watched the scene unfolding with heavy hearts. They loved both Margaret and Mac equally and sympathized with their plight all the while being thankful they were in a solid happy place them selves.
"Don't ever break my heart that way." Martin said cupping Ruthie's chin in his hand to turn her face towards him.
Ruthie knew Martin was probably far more capable of devastating her like Margaret had Mac.
This was where the heeded warning sprang from and grew a life of its own.
"Don't ever give me a reason to." Ruthie stated truthfully.
Martin knew that she had a point, Mac had brought this on himself but still the sight of his friend lost and alone reaching out for the woman who was slowly extracting herself to leave him was enough to make his compassion for his friend and his situation overwhelming to the point of held back tears.
As Margaret approached them Ruthie stood up.
"Are you okay?" Ruthie asked a worried frown on her face.
"I'll be okay…but I think Mac could use a friend." Margaret said indicating Martin.
"And maybe a place to stay for a couple of days until everything sinks in." Margaret finished her voice raspy from crying.
Martin got up and gave Margaret a hug before heading over to help his friend. "I'm really sorry things worked out this way for you guys."
"Me too." Margaret said honestly.
Both Ruthie and Margaret turned to watch Martin go.
"Martin will take care of him, don't worry." Ruthie assured her friend.
"I do love him Ruthie…but it's just too much…you know?" Margaret said waiting for some confirmation that what she'd just done was the best thing for everyone.
'I know." Ruthie said giving her friend a hug as she watched Martin his compassion in full force as he helped Mac recover a little of his dignity by helping him stand on his own two feet.