Thanks for all the reviews. You guys are great and keep me wanting to write more. Hope you like this next chapter.

DISCLAIMER: I don't anything 7th heaven related. Though I wish I did.

Martin walked into the living room to find Sandy sitting on the couch. She looked surprised to see both Ruthie and Eric behind him.

"Hey Martin," she said. "We need to talk."

"I thought we already talked. I told you not to come here."

"You can't ignore the baby, Martin," she said sounding close to tears.

At the mention of the word baby, Ruthie spoke up, "Martin, what's going on?"

Martin turned around to look at her. She looked so innocent just standing there and the news that she was going to hear in just a few minutes was going to break her heart. And, he would be the cause of that. The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt Ruthie. Her face looked confused and full of worry and he could tell that she knew something bad was going on, something that would break her heart.

"What baby?" Ruthie asked.

"You mean, she doesn't know?" Sandy said, almost laughing. "I thought everybody would know by now."

"NO. She doesn't know," Martin shot back.

"Know what!" Ruthie said panic rising in her voice. "Martin?"

"That I'm pregnant," Sandy told her.

"Oh," said Ruthie, "But what does that have to do with Martin?"

Sandy just gave her a 'duh' kind of look. Martin watched Ruthie's face, the color just sort of drained from it and her eyes got the kind of watery look that happens right before a person is about to cry.

"Is this true?" She asked, looking at Martin.

Martin couldn't even answer. He felt so ashamed so awful. He couldn't believe he was doing this to Ruthie and he couldn't believe that he had put himself in this kind of situation. It was his entire fault, and nothing he could do would change that.

"Well?"

Martin Just nodded.

"Oh my god," Ruthie said quietly. "What were you thinking Martin? You always swore to me that you were going to wait until marriage

to have sex. I cannot believe that you would do something like this. It was you, wasn't it," said Ruthie turning on Sandy. "You made him

have sex with you."

"Look don't get all upset with me because you're too young to give a man what he really wants," Sandy said looking directly at Ruthie

who looked liked she'd just been slapped across the face. "And let's face it, Martin's a man, and well … you're just a little girl."

"Don't you talk to Ruthie like that, ever!" said Martin the anger evident in his voice. "And if I was really a man, I wouldn't have made

such a foolish decision and had sex with someone I didn't even care for." Martin didn't even care how hurt Sandy looked. He was more

interested in making sure that Ruthie didn't hate him.

"Ruthie," he started.

"No don't," she said tears starting to fall from her eyes. "I really liked you Martin. In fact, I think I may have been falling in love with

you." The tears started to fall faster. "And I thought you felt the same way. But after this I realize I don't even know you. You are not the

person I fell in love with. That was all based on a lie, based on a guy who I thought would wait until marriage to have sex or wait untilat

least be with the person he loved."

"Ruthie," Martin said, but he couldn't say anything else. What was left to say? Nothing he could say would change the situation.

"I'm very disappointed in you," she said sobbing the tears streaming down her face. She gave one last look at Martin then Sandy then turned and ran from the living room and up the stairs. Martin went to take after her, but Eric stuck out his arm preventing him from doing so.

"I think you've done enough damage for now" he said. "I'll leave you alone to talk with Sandy. With that being said, he left the living room closing the door behind him.

Eric walked into the kitchen just as Lucy was coming in through the back door.

"Whose car is that in the driveway?" she asked.

"Uh … that's Sandy's," he told her.

"What!" she looked shocked.

"Yep"

"What is she doing here?" Lucy asked. "I told her to leave Martin alone, to give him time to come around."

"She's here to talk to Martin. They're in the living room as we speak."

"I cannot believe she didn't listen to me."

"Yeah" Eric just sighed.

"Well, I guess it's good that they are talking."

"I suppose so," Eric replied. "Though I don't envy either of them."

Lucy just nodded her head in agreement.

"Oh, and Ruthie knows," Eric told her.

"What!" Lucy exclaimed. "Oh no. How'd she take it?"

Eric sighed, "Not very well. But you know what was surprising?"

"What was surprising," said Annie as she came down the stairs. "I just put the boys to bed."

Realizing he couldn't hide anything from Annie, "Ruthie knows about Martin and Sandy."

"Oh no, how'd she take it?"

"Not very well," Lucy answered.

"As I was saying before," Eric interrupted, "What was so surprising was that Ruthie admitted that she was falling in love with Martin and

that she felt sure that he had been feeling the same way." Annie and Lucy just kind of looked at each other.

"Ok, what's going on?" He asked.

"Well you know that Ruthie likes Martin," Annie said

"Yes." Eric winced as he said this.

"Well you can't say that you didn't see this coming?" said Lucy.

"Martin and Ruthie," he stammered. "No. I didn't see this coming. I knew Ruthie liked him, but I thought it was just a crush, and that

she'd get over it. I didn't know that Martin liked her too. They can't date. He's too old for her. And oh yeah, he's having a baby!"

"Be that as it may," Annie said, "Our sixteen year old daughter is upstairs with a broken heart crying over Martin."

Eric just sighed.

Martin sighed running his fingers through his hair. This conversation with Sandy was going nowhere. She was way too demanding, telling him he had to do this and he had to do that.

"I need you," he heard her say. "I cannot do this alone."

"You won't be alone," he told her. "I'll be there for you, just not the way that you want me to. I cannot marry you."

"But why not!" she asked, "We're having a baby!"

"Because I don't love you!" he said getting annoyed.

"But we're having a baby," she replied.

Martin was getting really irritated. Sandy wanted them to get married and raise the baby together, and he couldn't do that. As much as he could, he was trying to accept responsibility for this baby.Buthe was not going to marry her.

"I cannot marry you," he told her again. "Just because we're having a baby, does not mean that we have to get married."

"That's exactly what it means."

"Look," he said. "Don't you want to get married to someone that you love? Have the wedding of your dreams, and know that you're

going to be spending the rest of your life with that special someone."

"I suppose," she said quietly.

"That's what I want. To marry someone that I love, not someone I feel obligated to get married to. Don't you see? I can't marry you

Sandy. If I do, I'll just end up resenting you for it."

She sighed.

"He continued, "But that doesn't mean that I won't be involved. I'll help out whenever you need it. I can go to doctor's appointments

with you, and whatever else you need." He took her hand. "As much as I've been in denial about this whole situation I can't really run

away from it anymore. That was wrong, and I need to accept responsibility for my actions."

Sandy looked like she was about to cry, "You really are the greatest guy, Martin."

Martin looked away from her. He wished she hadn't said that. The only person that really mattered to him he had hurt deeply. He wasn't sure if she would ever be able to forgive him. And why should she?

"I wish someone else could see that," he said quietly.

"Ruthie?" Sandy asked.

Martin didn't say anything because it hurt to even hear her name.

"I'm really sorry I said those awful things about her. I didn't know."

"Know what?" Martin asked.

"That you guys were in love."

"We're not in love," Martin scoffed. But he knew it was true. Ruthie had practically admitted tonight that she was in love with him and

Martin had known how he felt. Sandy just looked at him.

"Yeah, well what can I do?"

"You should talk to her," she said standing up. "I have to go, if I want to make it back to school by a decent hour." She gave him a hug.

"I'll let you know about upcoming doctor's appointments."

He just nodded at her, "Sounds good."

"You should really talk to her."

He walked her to the front door and watched as she walked down the driveway. He closed the door and banged his head against it. Well, this day didn't turn out at all as planned he thought sarcastically. He wondered what Ruthie was doing. She's probably upstairs crying her eyes out. It killed him inside to think that he could cause her that much pain. He sighed, wondering what to do next.

Ruthie was lying on her bed listening to music crying into her pillow. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't make the crying stop. It was like her heart was broken and nothing could ever fix it again. Why am I being so stupid? Martin and I have only been going out for a day? But who am I kidding? I've liked him for a long time, and today was the happiest day of my life, until Sandy showed up. Tears started flowing again. She couldn't believe that Martin was going to have a baby, and especially with that Sandy girl. She was still trying to get over the fact that Martin had had sex. That was one of his most endearing qualities, the fact that he had said he was going to wait until Marriage. She sank back into the pillow, as she continued sobbing. She paused for a second as she heard a knock on her door, followed by another knock. "GO AWAY" she yelled. Whoever it was continued knocking. Realizing that they weren't going to go anywhere, she got up. She quickly wiped her face with her sleeve and then opened the door. Martin was standing there. She went to close the door immediately, but he stuck his foot in the way. With him being stronger she had no choice but to let him in.

"I just wanted to make sure that you were alright," he said.

"Oh yeah," she said. "I'm fine," but her voice broke on those words and she could feel herself start to cry again.

"Don't cry," he told her. He reached out to hold her but she pulled away. She walked over to her bed and sat down. He followed and sat down next to her.

"Would it help if I told you I'm sorry?" he said. "Because I am. I never meant for this to happen."

"I know," Ruthie said.

"I never meant to hurt you. Today was perfect, well right up until Sandy showed up."

Ruthie just sat there.

"But that still doesn't change what's happened and what is going to happen." Ruthie said starting to get angry.

"I know," Martin said quietly. "I know."

"None of this is fair," said Ruthie starting to cry. "I finally got what I wanted, and now it's gone."

"Do you think this is fair for me too?" Martin asked. "Believe me, this is no picnic for me either."

"It's just …. I think I love you," said Ruthie. She meant it, and she needed Martin to know that.

Martin sighed, then replied, "I think I love you too."

That was it, that was all it took and Ruthie started to sob. Martin grabbed her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. "I have to be with Sandy," he whispered. "I need to be there for the baby." The sad part was that Ruthie understood. She knew that he needed to be with the baby and she knew that Martin didn't love Sandy. It was just something that he had to do. But that didn't make it any easier. Ruthie pulled apart from Martin then leaned in and kissed him gently.

Martin looked at her and smiled, "I should go. We'll uh … talk again soon."

Ruthie just nodded. She knew that wasn't true, she knew that nothing was going to be like it was and it was going to take a lot for them to even remain friends. He gave her one last look then left the room closing the door behind him. Once he was gone, Ruthie buried her face in her pillow and started sobbing again.

Martin paused outside her bedroom door and leaned against it. He could hear her sobbing inside and it broke his heart. While he knew that his heart belonged with Ruthie he knew that he had to be there for Sandy. He also knew that his relationship with Ruthie had changed forever and it was going to take a lot for them to remain friends. He also knew that he was willing to try. She was after all, the love of his life. Sighing as he gave one last look at her door he turned and walked down the stairs, not knowing when he would set foot inside the Camden household again.

Sorry about it being so long. I just kept writing and there was a lot I wanted to say. Hopefully it's not too long and that all you guys like it! Let me know! Oh, and this is not the end. There is more to come. :)