Disclaimer: I do not own "7th Heaven" or any of its characters, places, etc. Everything belongs to Brenda Hampton. However, anything you do not recognize is mine. Enjoy!

Rings of Promise

Part One

"That's not the right answer!" she huffed in frustration, tossing her yellow number two pencil over her shoulder angrily, and rested her head in her hands. For the past fifteen minutes, Ruthie had been hunched over her Algebra II homework working on the same exact problem. No matter what method she tried, this particular problem had deemed itself unsolvable.

The now sixteen-year-old sighed deeply and rubbed her eyes. It wasn't even five o'clock yet and already she was in dire need of caffeine. She slid out from her desk and took a trip downstairs for a short break. The air in her room was beginning to get a bit stuffy anyway.

As soon as she stepped off the bottommost stair in the foyer, a sort of smacking sound made its way to her ears. Had it not been for the wet sounds, she would have strolled right by the couple in the living room with their tongues down each other's throats.

Ruthie ducked her head inside the living room. Martin and his girlfriend of three months, Andrea, were sitting on the couch practically groping one another. She smiled, amused, and crossed her arms over her chest. When they didn't notice her presence immediately, she cleared her throat and enjoyed the embarrassed looks on their faces immensely.

"Oh, don't let me interrupt you," she said, doing everything in her power to not laugh at Martin's lipstick covered face, which he was desperately trying to wipe clean. "What are you guys doing here anyway?" she asked.

Martin used to live in the Camden household while his father was fighting the war in Iraq, his mother dead. No one quite knew how Martin came to be in the house that day. Everyone kind of assumed he was Simon's, Ruthie's older brother, friend, or a counseling patient of the Reverend's, Ruthie's father. Once they heard his tragic story, he was welcomed with open arms and loved as if he were an actual Camden.

Martin cleared his throat. "Your father invited us for dinner," he explained.

Ruthie nodded, a sudden understanding dancing across her face. Martin was often over for meals, now that his father was back, and she wondered why she even had to ask.

The room fell quite as Ruthie slunk into the armchair that rested in front of the piano that no one ever played. Annie, Ruthie's mother, had taken lessons quite a few years before when she was pregnant with the twin boys, Sam and David, who were eight years Ruthie's junior, but since then, the ivories were hushed.

"Excuse me," Andrea squeaked, rising off the couch. "I'm going to use the restroom." She had gone about three steps before turning back to Ruthie.

Ruthie smiled. "Up the stairs, first door to your left."

Andrea nodded her thanks and disappeared up the staircase. When he was sure Andrea was out of earshot, Martin leaned forward on his knees and said, "Ruthie, I need your help with something."

"Shoot," she replied, eager for a new project.

"It's our anniversary on Wednesday and I was wondering if I could employ your opinion on what to get her."

"Sure, I'd be glad to help, but I don't really know Andrea," she said. "What does she like?"

Martin shrugged. "She likes to read," he offered.

Ruthie rolled her eyes. "That doesn't help me. You can't get the girl a book for your anniversary."

"See?" he asked. "I told you I needed help." He sighed and let himself fall back onto the soft couch cushions.

Ruthie bit her lip as she racked her brain. "Tell you what? I'm going to the Promenade tomorrow anyway, you could come with me and we could pick out something for Andrea together."

Martin smiled, his light eyes sparkling. "Sounds good. I owe you."

"Oh, yeah," she agreed vehemently as Andrea came back down the stairs and took her seat next to Martin once more.

Ruthie watched his calloused hand slide slowly over Andrea's delicate one. "I'll leave you guys alone." She forced herself to climb the two flights of steps back to her attic bedroom and search half-heartedly for her pencil so she could resume her headache-inducing math problem.

The sun was so spectacularly bright Ruthie had to bring her hand to her forehead to shield her eyes. She and Martin had just exited their most recent store. So far that day, they had been in and out of a total of ten stores, including the pharmacy for some odd reason, searching desperately for the perfect anniversary present.

"Martin, please, can we pick something in the next store we go into?" Ruthie begged, squinting up to his eyes, hoping he would see how miserable she was.

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Ruthie. I just don't want to disappoint her."

"If she really likes you," she began as they walked away from the front of the store, "then she should be happy with whatever you get her - even that tube of foot cream. What was that about, by the way?"

Martin laughed. "She mentioned once that she had dry heels. I wanted to get her something that she could use."

Ruthie sniggered. "You so need my help."

"Just this last store and then we'll grab some ice cream. I promise," Martin said.

"Fine, but only if it's your treat."

He nodded. "You got it."

They had arrived outside of the local jewelers and Martin pushed open the glass door, a blast of cool air hitting their faces. There were large glass cases in a classic U-shape around the store filled with shiny jewels lying elegantly on a bed of royal blue velvet.

Ruthie was surprised that Martin had found something so early on. They had migrated over toward the right side of the store and were staring passed the crystal clear glass down at a beautiful sterling silver promise ring.

"Oh, Martin, that's gorgeous," Ruthie commented, mesmerized by the intricate design.

"Yeah, I know," he concurred. "And I would buy it, but I have no idea what size she is."

Ruthie held her own hand out in front of her, examining her left ring finger. "I wonder how that ring would look on me," she pondered aloud to no one in particular but herself.

Martin watched Ruthie's hand as she tried to imagine it on her own finger and suddenly came to an exciting and rejuvenating conclusion. "Try it on," he said.

"What?" she asked, rocketing back to the world where she could not afford even a plastic ring, and could not find a guy who would buy her the real thing.

"For size. Andrea's fingers are about the same size as yours," he explained.

"Oh, okay," she replied, then called attention to one of the sales clerks, who opened the case and pulled out the ring in a size seven.

"We'll take it," Martin announced proudly, pulling the wallet out of his back pocket.

Quite satisfied with his purchase, Martin gladly paid for the two ice cream cones after they had left the store. Finding an unoccupied bench, the two sat down so they could enjoy their treat. Ruthie had just taken another lick of her mint chocolate chip when she spotted Andrea across the lot.

"Martin, hide the ring," she said. "Andrea's over there." She pointed to where Andrea was helped into a chair over at Pete's Pizza by a man who was considerably older than her.

Martin shoved the bag that contained the ring into his pocket and watched his girlfriend laughing and smiling. He hardly even took notice of the man.

"Who is that?" Ruthie asked. "Is that her dad?"

Martin shook his head. "No. Might be her grandfather though."

Andrea and the unknown man seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. Ruthie was even more certain of that fact when they leaned across the table and engaged in a passionate kiss.

"Oh, my, God," Ruthie gasped, her eyes wide.

Martin was quiet beside her and for a moment, she wondered if he saw. Ruthie switched her repulsed gaze from Andrea to Martin. He was staring fixedly, his jaw slightly dropped, but his face was otherwise expressionless. The ice cream cone he had been holding dropped abruptly to the dirty ground below.

A wash of sympathy overcame Ruthie and she touched a comforting hand to Martin's arm.

"Martin, I'm so sorry," she said softly, but he made no indication that he had even heard her.

Ruthie's heart sank even lower as she realized that he had just dropped almost fifty dollars on a promise ring for a girl who had proved unworthy.

Martin hadn't said much in the remaining hour of their little shopping excursion the previous day and Ruthie was beginning to worry about him. She had absolutely no idea what was going through his head. This was one time where she felt like she couldn't connect with him because she had never had anything like this happen to her in the past. The closest she came to this situation was when her eldest sister Mary had dated an airline pilot that was old enough to be her father.

Ruthie was walking through the south hallway after the final bell had rung, signaling the end of the day. Most of the students had already filed out the front of the school, but Martin was Ruthie's ride home and she had only just found him. He and Andrea were standing near a water fountain apparently exchanging some words, and Martin did not look happy.

She was too far away to hear much of their conversation, and as much as this may have bothered her in the past, Ruthie hung back in the shadows, waiting for Andrea to turn on her heels, her deep brown hair whipping her face, and leave.

As Andrea departed, Ruthie swiftly fell into step beside Martin as he made to exit the school. She said nothing for the first few moments, feeling out the moment.

"She broke up with me, confessed to everything," he said sullenly, his eyes set straight ahead.

"Are you okay?" Ruthie asked.

"I guess. I mean…he was her dentist. How can she possibly prefer that geezer to me?" he pushed open the double doors and started down the stairs with Ruthie right by his side.

"Because she's a mentally unstable woman who apparently likes her men like she likes her wine: the older the better," she joked.

For a moment, Ruthie thought that Martin might actually smile, but the inkling flickered and died. They had reached his silver Honda Civic, the last car left in the parking lot.

"I just liked her so much," he confessed, his voice sounding so depressed Ruthie didn't recognize it.

Ruthie nodded slowly, understandingly. "I know," she replied softly.

They got into the car and drove off. Somewhere between the school and her home, Martin's mood had changed. One moment he had been down in the dumps, and the next he was badmouthing Andrea on almost every aspect of her life and appearance, something Ruthie thought Martin would never do to anyone. Apparently, he did not like it very much when someone screwed him over.

Martin pulled over to the curb of Ruthie's house and let her out. As she was closing her door after thanking him for the ride, she heard him mutter maliciously, "Mark my words, Andrea Marie Johnson, I will get even."

Ruthie was furiously copying down Mr. Tiff's, her History teacher's, notes. She was trying to get as much out of this lecture, which pretty much meant she was writing down words as soon as they came out of his mouth, as fast as she possibly could. History had proved not to be her best subject in past years, and this year she was determined to get an "A".

There was a tap on her shoulder, and Ruthie turned her head attempting to be discreet so she wouldn't get reprimanded, while never slowing her pen. Josh Nord, the guy who sat in back of her, and who she had a major crush on, had called her attention.

"Did he say 'the Great Wall of China' or 'Wanna go to a movie with me tonight?'" Josh asked, smiling slyly.

Ruthie grinned. "I'm pretty sure he said the first, but I'll accept the second," she whispered back.

"Great. I'll pick you up at around seven?"

"Sounds good."

He flashed her a toothy smile and leaned back in his seat as she straightened in hers.

Martin looked bored as he sat on her bed, watching her toss items into her impersonation Coach purse. She had been reminiscing about when Josh Nord had asked her out and had been talking about it for the past fifteen minutes – the entire time it took her to apply her makeup.

"Yeah, Ruthie, that's great and I'm happy for you," he began with a hint of sarcasm, "but that doesn't help me. I'm looking for ways to get back at Andrea, not pickup lines."

Ruthie rolled her eyes dramatically and sighed, whipping around to fully face this sulky teenage boy who listened about as well as one does to an after school special.

"I was not trying to give you ways to make your ex-girlfriend jealous, nor was I trying to rub that specific moment in your face. I am simply reminding you that Josh will be here in about twenty minutes." She turned to check her appearance in the mirror and tucked a few stray hairs behind her ears.

Martin gasped happily. "I've got it!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, God," she muttered. "Here we go."

"You," he stated shortly.

Ruthie was confused. "What?"

"You," he repeated. "Andrea's always thought you were prettier than her. You could pretend to be my girlfriend! It's perfect!"

She stared at him for a moment, and the next she roared with laughter. Ruthie swiped her most recent copy of Teen People and flopped onto her bed, flipping through the thin pages.

"Come on, Ruthie," he pleaded with her, getting down on his knees by her bedside. "Please, help me."

Ruthie glanced down at his big eyes and puffed-out lower lip and had to restrain from another giggle fit. She shook her head and returned to her magazine.

"You have completely lost your mind."

"Maybe," he started, "but this is the perfect plan. The second she sees us walking around school and holding hands, she'll become so jealous, she'll be begging at my feet to let her have another chance." He smiled distantly, imagining that moment.

Ruthie let her magazine fall to her lap with a semi-loud SLAP and looked Martin square in the eye. "Is that really what you want?" she asked. "Really, do you honestly want to get back together with this woman who betrayed you?"

He seemed to think for a minute, and then a sobering expression came back into his eyes. "No, I don't want to get back together with her, I just want to have that opportunity to reject her."

She sighed. "You mean you want to hurt her just as badly as she hurt you."

Martin got up off the floor and took a seat next to her feet on the bed. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Ruthie crawled down to the foot of her mattress and began massaging Martin's shoulders. "You've got to let go of what she did to you, and I know that's going to be unbelievably difficult, but that's what you have to do to move on. Besides, I am prettier than her anyway, you can just look at me all day."

He laughed, catching her hands. She allowed herself to lean forward and lean on Martin's back, her neck wrapped around his. It went quiet and a tense air swept the room. Thankfully, the doorbell rang, and she left the room wordlessly, Martin's eyes on her back.

At school the next day, Martin saw Ruthie at her locker, shoving a few books into it and trying to keep everything else from falling out. He wanted to ask her how her date went last night, but a few feet away, talking to one of her friends, was Andrea.

He tried to shake it off, tried to remember what Ruthie said, but was finding it rather difficult.

"Hey, Ruthie," he greeted her just as her History book went crashing to the floor, papers flying every which way. Martin reached down and collected the strays. As he handed them to her, she smiled her thanks and returned the hello.

"So, how's your day been?" he asked, stealing glances at Andrea every few seconds. She seemed not to have noticed him.

"Actually, it's been relatively good, except for my locker fiasco," she answered. "I really need to clean this thing out. Nothing fits anymore."

Martin feigned a laugh and Ruthie gave him and odd look. She closed her locker and turned to him, giving him her full attention.

"What do you keep looking at?" she asked, turning around. "Oh…"

"What? I'm not looking at anyone – anything," he corrected himself.

"Yeah, you're not looking at Andrea just like my name isn't Ruthie Camden." She took a hold of his forearm, leading him past her toward the cafeteria.

Martin saw Andrea smile and it angered him to see how happy she was. The next occurrence of events happened so quickly it was difficult to even comprehend them. Martin pulled Ruthie back, seizing her upper arms, and kissed her right in the middle of the hallway, right in front of Andrea, who took no notice.

Ruthie pushed Martin away with surprising force and glared at him, shock blunt on her face. Before she had a chance to form any words, a familiar voice called her name.

She turned around slowly, afraid to see his expression. Josh was standing behind her, patches of red anger on his cheeks. He was holding a small teddy bear that was holding a pink heart with the words, "I love you," embroidered on it.

"Josh," she stammered, "I can explain."

He said nothing, but threw the teddy bear at her feet and stormed off, fellow students jumping out of his way. She picked up the toy and chucked it at Martin, hitting him square on the forehead.

"What the hell were you thinking?" she screamed, then took off to find Josh.

Martin picked up the bear and looked around the hall. There were clusters of students staring at him, some were laughing at him. He hitched his messenger bag up farther on his shoulder and took off in the opposite direction of Ruthie and Josh.

At the end of the day, Ruthie was livid and almost refused to get in the car with Martin. She had finally caught up with Josh in the north hallway, but as she began to explain herself, he had cut her off. He didn't want to hear what she had to say, and had no trouble breaking up with her. That had to be one of the shortest relationships she had ever had.

Throughout her remaining classes, all she could think about was the kiss in the hallway. It wasn't bad, but actually one of the better kisses she had ever experienced. And to think it came from Martin, who she had come to associate as her "brother". She shuddered at the thought.

"Ruthie, I'm really sorry about today," Martin said on the way to her house.

"Yeah, well you should be, Martin," she agreed, the tone of her voice dangerous. "That kiss not only ruined my relationship with a boy that I really, really liked, but was bordering the line of…incest!"

"I'm not your brother!" he said defensively.

She scoffed. "Not by blood, but that's what I've come to know you as for the past year or so of my life. You can't honestly say that that wasn't the least bit disturbing."

"I don't know," he muttered. "It was actually kind of nice…."

Ruthie's eyes widened as they pulled up to her house. She shook her head, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Oh, my, God," she breathed, not believing what had just come out of Martin's mouth. "I don't know how long it will be before I can even look at you again!" She climbed out of his Civic and slammed the door behind her and ran up the front porch without looking back.