Title: Sacrifice
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, Drugs, Violence)
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.
Summary: Ruthie feels the need to prove to herself that she's good enough for the guy she really likes, even if that's by sacrificing everything she believes in.

Writer's Note: This story takes place as if Sandy does not exist. Her and Martin never slept together, she's not pregnant, they never met. Martin IS still dating Meredith, though.

ALSO: This story is a bit adult, but not graphic enough to fit into the M category. Be warned that it contains depitions of sex, drugs, alcohol, and possible mild swearing. The rating may be upped, but I'll warn you before that.

Chapter Two: Third Date

Ruthie and Mac ate at Pete's Pizza for the third time in a row. Ruthie was hungry, but made sure not to make a pig of herself in front of her new boyfriend. Mac ate five pieces, while Ruthie ate two. Ruthie took a bite of her second piece, hoping Mac didn't already think she was a hog by having a second one. She was still new to this dating older guys thing. She didn't know what to do. In fact, she looked pretty helpless.

"How's baseball practice going?" Ruthie asked, trying to look as seductive as possible. She was fifteen; Mac was nearly eighteen. To be fair, when Mac turned eighteen, Ruthie would be within weeks of turning sixteen. It was two years -- big deal, right?

"It's ok. Martin's still showing off," Mac joked. At the sound of Martin's name, butterflies ascended through Ruthie's stomach, causing her to burp. She quickly covered her mouth. Her face turned bright pink as she tried to hide her embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," She apologized, but Mac just laughed and burped louder.

"Don't be. I've never been out with a girl that could burp that loud. You're young, and you're pretty short, but you're fun to hang out with. You're pretty sexy, too," Mac replied. Ruthie's heart jumped. If Mac found her sexy, maybe Martin would.

"You're sexy, too," Ruthie told him, not knowing what else to say. It was silent for a moment, until Ruthie stood up. "I need to use the restroom really quick and then we can go."

"Ok. Hurry up," Mac said. Ruthie smiled, grabbed her purse, and made a b-line for the bathroom. She was happy to find it empty. She entered a stall, put her purse on the floor, sat down, put her head over the toilet, and lifted her middle finger through her mouth as far back to her throat as she could. Within seconds, she was puking up her two pieces of pizza. She'd been doing this for two weeks. She'd gained five pounds over the past month, which wasn't the key to being sexy. She'd seen the girls in the magazines. They were thin and beautiful with long, flowing hair, a gorgeous smile, and large breasts. Those are the girls that Ruthie had to be like. In order for all those guys to like her, she had to be like them.

When she was finished, she pulled out her Altoids. She quickly digested two, checked her appearance in the mirror, and walked out. She found Mac, paying for the food at the counter, and placed a hand on his back while greeting him with a wide smile. He finished and they headed out the door.

"What do you girls do in the bathroom for so long?" Mac asked teasingly. Ruthie's heart fell, but her face showed no change.

"We throw up our food," She replied, using the same teasing manner. When she got in the car, however, she couldn't help but bat away a few tears when she realized that it was the truth.

The car was silent on the drive to the Camden house. Ruthie racked her brain for topics of interest that they could discuss, but nothing came to her mind. The silence reached its peak of awkwardness when Mac pulled into the driveway. Ruthie opened her door to get out, but Mac placed his hand on her arm.

"Thanks for a great dinner and company, Ruthie," Mac began, then added, "I find you very attractive. I hope you wouldn't mind if we continued to see each other."

"I wouldn't mind at all," Ruthie replied, smiling, then stepped out of the car. "Thank you for a wonderful evening." Mac continued to look into her eyes, expectant. Ruthie knew what he wanted: a kiss. She just wasn't ready yet. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she muttered a goodbye, closed the car door, and hurried to the porch. Mac pulled out of the driveway at the moment Ruthie noticed Martin sitting on the steps.

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