A/N: Totally wasn't expecting this to come to me so soon. But like I've said before, this thing just seems to write itself. I know it's not much and they probably won't be until I can get back into a rhythm of sorts but they will be coming. This story's far from over.
Disclaimer: Still not mine.
"Oh come on! Like we didn't already suspect anything," Kevin mumbled. Martin and Ruthie only stared at him, his comment not really not proving to be all that helpful since they'd made the mistake of telling him. Both stood at the foot of the stairs, not entirely sure what their next step would be. Martin only secretly hoped he could avoid possible death and deportation, threats he knew wouldn't be carried out entirely but being run down by a hoard of Camden's was enough a metaphorical death for anyone. He didn't have to look at Ruthie to know that she was blushing a rainbow's worth of shades, quite possibly enough for both of them combined. He decided that was good in its own way seeing as he was just trying to keep from shaking as eyes pierced through him. He should have expected this. Kevin wasn't exactly reliable when it came to top secret information.
"You need a muzzle," Ruthie growled. "Does 'sworn to secrecy' mean nothing to you?" She could only press her face further into Martin's shoulder silently praying that the ground beneath them both would just open up and swallow them whole.
"Can someone please take the baby?" he asked calmly. "I think…" As much as they tried, neither of them could avoid Lucy's fire. Whether it was due to hormones or what she thinks, (and quite possibly knew) what she'd just heard they weren't sure. To play it safe Martin opted to lay equal blame on both likelihoods. If he blamed one reason over the other, things would only get worse. Then again, either of the two would land him in hot water. Not that he and Ruthie weren't already there to begin with. He couldn't help but take note of the fact that the short blond practically stomped her way over almost swiping Aaron from her sister. The complaint they all knew would come was quickly silenced as she allowed him to face them only a foot or two away.
"Sit," she snapped. Martin obliged taking Ruthie down with him. The way she demanded them he had to bite back a teasing remark at her treating them like trained dogs. Unlike his exchange with Ruthie, these comments were not to be played with. "You have five minutes," she said dangerously. For a minute he wondered why it should be taken so seriously when he'd already gone to Eric and Simon about it, ideally his two biggest issues. He then decided that if he could survive them, Lucy would be some kind of cake walk. That didn't take away from the fear she seemed to instill in him but he knew he'd survived the worst of his critics.
"I cleared it with, Dad," he started. He watched her brow rise in curiosity and shock as he said this, her expression turning grim.
"How did…?" He could tell without looking that Ruthie was shooting him a curious glance of her own but thankfully she provided no further questions. She only seemed to pull in closer to him making him thankful that at least here they would provide a united front.
"That night," he said. "When she finally came home…it hit me. Everything I'd been holding back and…Everything we fought for. All the things I never realized until the possibility that I wouldn't…that we wouldn't. It just makes sense. Being who we are…Doing what we're doing, it makes some kind of sense. I know what I've done but I'm done being sorry. I've apologized to the right people and that…should kind of be enough." He was sure by the sea of expressions that his words weren't exactly of poetic or careful nature but he figured what they'd all been through was enough reason to strain anyone. He only hoped his panel of judges came to understand that.
"But sex? You've already…" Mary herself was fuming but more privately, more expertly hidden than Lucy who was all too ready to show her disapproval.
"I know what I've done. Do I regret it? Yeah. Do I regret the product of my lapse in judgment? No. Sure, we all wish he had come at a time when all of us were more prepared but we all know life doesn't work like that. And if we're being logical, if I hadn't, Aaron wouldn't be Aaron." He could feel Ruthie tense next to him prompting him to pull her close. "As much as I understand…As much as I get it now, the pieces fell where they were meant to fall."
"What happened, happened. He can't take that back. In an ideal world, we could all rewind that one moment we all wish we could change. I've got a list of rewinds that could run across this living room floor," Ruthie said honestly. "But this isn't an ideal world. Are there nights I still wish it was me? Are there mornings I wake up wondering if I could have done something to...? But he is my son. In all the ways that count."
"Doesn't take a genius to know that it hurts her," he whispered. "If I could…somehow lessen it, I would. I see it every morning. I see it late at night. It was slapped in my face," he offered, so softly that if the room were not silent he would have gone unheard.
"I can't count the number of times I asked him, almost begged him," she mumbled, quiet tears coming down her cheeks. "He always told me 'next time' or 'soon'. Lying on that concrete floor…I was almost certain that neither of those would come," she said quietly. Martin almost choked on the story he told a number of times already, knowing that it was really his only chance at averting more anger and questions.
"I should have just listened to her…To him," he smiled softly, nodding over to his son who for the moment seemed uncharacteristically content to stay where he was. All the better for them. A baby in the midst of interrogation wouldn't end well. "He'd figured it out before I even wrapped my head around anything. When we found her it was like…every bit of questioning, every piece of contemplation finally had answers." Dark curls swept across his chest as Martin felt a smile pressed against him.
"When someone finally gives you direction, you don't turn away from that. Why do you think I was never home?" she mumbled. "Someone offered me a solution. That's not to say I liked it. For the first three months, I hated it. Came home and cried every time. But whatever this divine intervention was supposed to teach me, I learned."
"Wasn't shy about it either," Martin laughed. Ruthie looked over to see her sisters' expressions soften a little, a knowing look in their eyes. She gave him hell. Ruthie Camden was a master of troublemaking and Martin was no exception. If anything they were convinced he was dealt the worst of anything she'd ever accomplished before.
"You figured it out though," she smiled flicking him lightly on the head. Both could hear Kevin growl from where he sat and looked up at him in question.
"If I did something like that I'd get thrown into a wall."
"You'd be dead," Lucy corrected.
"Or that. How does he only get away with…?"
"Oh I've already been punished," Martin said quickly, the sting across his cheek seeming to flare anew. "But you learn. You learn and you figure out how to do right."
"Even if it's not right to other people, if it makes sense to you, it should be enough," Ruthie pointed out.
"Once you figure that out, you act fast. Or else you might just…"
"…let it slip right through your fingers," Ruthie smiled. "You've always taught me to go after what I want."
"You always take things way too seriously," Mary muttered.
"What kind of example would I be to him if I…?"
"Oh yeah and dancing's supposed to teach you good parenting in what way?" Mary asked rolling her eyes around a spoonful of ice cream. Martin froze for a second, not sure on how to answer properly. He could feel the tension in the room lessen a bit, though he wasn't sure if it was Ruthie's argument that saved them or the distraction of a tub of ice cream shared between the trio of expectant moms that silenced them some.
"Well it's not like this was the way I wanted to…"
"Remind me never to confide in Kevin ever again," Ruthie whispered blushing a deeper shade of red when she looked over to see an all too common smug expression across his face.
"Top secret information," Martin said quietly.
"Should've just told Savannah. She knows how to keep her mouth shut," Kevin said under his breath. "I've been beat up too much to remember how to keep one."
"Excuse me?"" Lucy snapped, blue eyes staring her husband down.
"Just an example," he said quickly. "Wasn't actually being serious."
"Can't recall a time when you were," she said through a mouthful of ice cream.
"When I said I love you and I want you to marry me?"
"Nice recovery," Carlos whispered.
"Back to the question on the table. What kind of example is this for young minds?" Sarah asked; her look of disapproval enough to drive the point home.
"I thought we taught you better than that," Lucy said offering an expectant Aaron the smallest bite left on her spoon, enough to keep him content for the moment.
"It's not like I want him to go out there and do what I did," Martin defended. "I just…want him to know that with the right person it doesn't have to feel wrong. Even if the right person wasn't your first."
"But…"
"But what? It's no secret that this is what we're meant for. Is it how we wanted it to play out? Not in the slightest. I've got something hanging over my head every single day. Many somethings hanging over my head. Do we let that stop us from being who we want to be however we want to be those people? No. We're human and when life tells you something, you listen, even when you're the only one that gets it."
"I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Eric allowed this," Sarah said shaking her head, a hint of surprise still clouding her tone.
"Well, I would have done this either way. I just wanted to be able to do it right."
"There's no 'right' to do here," Lucy muttered.
"So you would rather I had done it behind all of your backs?" Ruthie countered. "We'd have been dead for sure," Ruthie said.
"And then Aaron would be an orphan…" Kevin said to himself.
"Not helping," Lucy growled.
"Sorry." Hearing his name, the little boy looked up, eyes darting between Martin and Ruthie, his bottom lip building to a quick tremble. It was almost as though he finally realized where he wasn't.
"Ma-ma," he whimpered throwing his entire weight against Lucy's small frame in hopes of breaking free. Slowly, she rose, the fire in her eyes still very much present as he placed him in Martin's arms. Settled only slightly by his new location, he reached to bridge the distance between himself and Ruthie, eying the contraptions that prevented him from curling up where he originally intended. Ruthie smiled allowing him to take hold of her finger. Putting up only minor complaint, he settled tiredly against them both.
"Saved by the baby," Carlos chuckled. Both could feel themselves letting free a breath they didn't know they were holding until interrogation began to file out of the room.
"Don't think we're done," Lucy mumbled, pointing a firm finger at them. Even as she said this, unless something else came up, they pretty much were. At least on this particular subject. Even though he already knew, Martin took this as a reminder to be more cautious about information. Things had a way of spreading like wildfire in this house. Something he was quickly relearning. A light tap to his shoulder turned his head.
"Hurt her again, I have every right to rip up all your body parts and burn them," Carlos whispered. He nodded shuffling nervously. Next to him and having heard, Ruthie just rolled her eyes.
"I thought threats were over and done with," she sighed. Carlos turned to offer her a challenging look, quieting her quickly. "I'm just saying."
"Silencio baby sister. I must do my duty."
"Well, now that everyone knows all the fine details of our private sex life, I think it's safe to say we can all go back to bed now. Mind taking the baby?" she asked nodding over Aaron, already in a somewhat fitful sleep. She silently hoped he'd find calm on his own allowing them all very much needed rest. Both knew however, that wishes like those were not granted often. When they finally reached the top of the stairs, all filed in as Aaron was carefully placed in his own bed. How long that would last, if at all, was a mystery. Ruthie sighed preparing herself for the inevitable crowding of the bed that would take place in no less than fifteen minutes.
"I should probably start rounding up the kids," he said already making his way toward the door, eyes settling on a clock that read after ten.
"And maybe the pregnancy squad," Martin offered. A subtle nod froze for a second, eyes trained on him. "No," he said firmly. Satisfied, he nodded once more, his expression still a grim line. Once he was gone, Martin turned to Ruthie, already curled up under the sheets. "Well that was…relatively painless." She laughed urging him to join her. As he did, a light kiss was placed at his jaw.
"Valid argument."
"Ninety percent of the reason they didn't skin and hang me above the fireplace was because of…" Dark curls swept in across her face, ducked and buried deep within the pillow.
"Doesn't really matter. What you said makes sense. We've been to hell and back. God gives us an opportunity, why would we throw it out?" she whispered kissing him softly.
"Wouldn't say it was God exactly," Martin countered. "Just you."
"Me?" He nodded folding a piece of loose hair behind her ear.
"If it were anyone else…If it weren't you, I'd be doing things the way they're supposed to be done."
"Oh but what's the fun in that?" she breathed.
"I don't die?" he shrugged.
"Well, unless this is your ghost speaking that seems to have shown up in the last…three minutes, I'd say you survived."
"By the skin of my teeth."
"Livin' on the edge," she giggled.
"You've made a rebel of me, Ruthie Camden," he muttered.
"Knew I'd break you eventually," she said. "Fun isn't it?" she whispered.
"Well if by 'fun' you mean getting the chance to see the sun come up tomorrow then sure."
"Oh come on. You know they wouldn't have done anything. Not really. They love you."
"There's a fine line, my dear."
"Where?" she teased sweeping the room with her eyes. Martin carefully traced along the curve of her nose, kissing it softly.
"Right here," he smiled. She giggled pulling away on instinct as it sent a flutter across her skin. "You are heaven, Ruthie Camden," he said quietly. The soft admission brought a flush to her cheeks. "Aside from him, I'm almost certain you're the only thing I ever did right."
"What do you mean?" she asked curiously.
"I let you go. And by some…miracle….the hand of God, I'm still here. You're still here."
"If you love something…."
"…set it free," he lovingly placed against her lips.
"If it returns…"
"…it's yours forever."
A/N: Questions, comments? Leave them down below :)
