The closer he got to her, the faster his heart beated. Upon approach, he realized she had fallen asleep. She looked so beautiful and relaxed. The only trace that something was amiss were the white bandages that covered her hands. Guilt completely overwhelmed him. He realized his father was right. He had no right to be there - to be there with her. He could offer her nothing now - nothing but a share in his misery. After one long last look at her, he turned and began walking away.

"What do you want?" he heard her say.

He turned around and saw her staring straight through him.

He walked back towards her and honestly replied, "I saw you out here and wanted to make sure that you were okay."

She held up both hands, shrugged and coldly said "They'll heal. No big deal."

Her cavalier attitude upset him.

"Ruthie," he insisted, "This IS a big deal! When I walked into your room and saw you on the floor I just..."

She interrupted and snapped, "Look Martin, don't feel bad. It's not your fault. It was an accident and nothing more. Don't read anything more into it than is actually there."

He should have been glad that she was letting him off the hook. He would have been glad if he didn't know Ruthie as well as he did.

He stated the obvious. "How can I NOT read anything into this? This happened right after I told you about me and Sandy."

Ruthie looked away at the mention of Sandy's name.

He felt horrible.

He tried to explain, "I didn't mean to keep this from you for so long."

"Then why did YOU?" Ruthie asked angrily.

Martin thought for a moment before he answered truthfully, "Because I knew that telling you would make it all real."

She gave him a confused look and said painfully, "I don't understand."

He explained, "Ever since Sandy told me, I've been in denial. I've done everything that I could not to face this. I've pushed her away again and again. But slowly, everyone started to find out. And each time that they did, it got a little more real. Everyone treated me and looked at me differently - and not in a good way. I didn't want you to look at me like that."

Ruthie tried not to let Martin get to her. She tried to keep up her strong front. But she felt so sad inside.

"You didn't want me to look at you like what?" she asked quietly as she stared at the ground.

He sat down beside her on the porch, looked down and despondently confessed, "Like the loser that I am. The one who swore to you that I was going to wait until I was married - and who got his one night stand pregnant. The one who's having a baby with someone that he barely knows and doesn't even want to know."

He told himself to stop talking and stop confessing to Ruthie. But something inside wouldn't let him stop.

He bravely continued and said shyly, "And the one who realized too late that everything I wanted has been right in front of me all along."

He breathed a sigh of relief after he said it. His Dad was right, he shouldn't have let Ruthie know how he feels. It was wrong. But it was something that just NEEDED to be said. And now that he had done it...

Ruthie blandly responded "So you miss Meredith, huh?"

She had completely missed the point! In fact, she was more than annoyed that not only was he talking to her about Sandy and the baby...but now he was whining to her about missing Meredith. She had heard enough!

She stood up and headed towards the door. It was all that she could do to keep her icy edge and maintain her composure. He was so wrapped up in the moment that he missed the tears forming in her eyes.

"Look Martin," she frigidly lectured, "I'm sorry that you're not happy about the situation with you and Sandy. And I'm sorry that you regret losing Meredith over this. I don't want you to be unhappy. But I'm NOT the one you should be talking to about your sex life."

He protested, "That's NOT what I'm doing, Ruthie! I'm trying to talk to you and explain to you and tell you that..."

Ruthie cut him off.

"Martin, you've told me enough. I don't want to know anything else." she said indifferently. "It's late and I'm going to bed."

She entered the house and closed the door quickly behind her. She didn't want him to ever see her crying over him again.

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Martin came home more depressed then when he had left.

Mac was waiting up for him in the living room.

Mac greeted him with, "Hey, I was ready to come looking for you. Your Dad said you left hours ago. Where were you?"

Martin replied coldly, "Out."

Mac didn't catch on to the anger in his answer.

Proudly, Mac informed him, "Hey, Ruthie's home. I told ya I could get her out of there."

Martin gave him an evil stare and said, "Yeah, I know. How did you pull that off?"

"It was easy." Mac said happily. "I think she just needed a friendly non-Camden face. She's still really upset but..."

Mac paused and then asked Martin, "How did you know she was home?"

Martin cockily revealed, "Because I saw the two of you together...in the Camden's driveway."

Mac still didn't pick up on Martin's obvious irritation.

"Yeah, she insisted that I bring her home. I don't think she's too happy about living with her parents again. She was really mad that they didn't tell her about Sandy and the baby." he explained.

Martin's imagination was beginning to spin.

"So she "insisted" huh?" he jealously questioned. "Well, did she INSIST on kissing you?"

Mac was completely taken aback.

"Kissing me?" he reflectively questioned. "When...you mean when I dropped her off?...What are you SPYING on us?"

The rage on Martin's face was surfacing.

"I don't think it's called SPYING when she's kissing you in the driveway!" he yelled.

Mac studied Martin for a second. He was obviously VERY upset. He just didn't understand what he had done wrong.

Trying to calm Martin, he reassured him, "Look Buddy, it was a kiss on the cheek...for helping her and taking her home. That's ALL it was."

Martin snarled, "But is that ALL it's going to be?"

Now Mac was getting mad. He only came down here to try and help. Why was Martin all pissed off at him?

"What do you mean?" he shot back.

Martin yelled, "I MEAN...you've always had a thing for Ruthie. You wanted to pursue it last year and I stopped you. This was just way too perfect of an opportunity to pass up...THAT'S why you came down here!"

Mac understood Martin's insinuation but he was still offended.

"It's NOT like that." Mac insisted. "You're one of my best friends. I came to try and help. I like Ruthie. She was really upset, at the hospital, today. I gave her a shoulder to cry on...and that's ALL. I know how close you are to the Camden's. I'd NEVER try and take advantage of Ruthie!"

Martin felt like a total jerk.

Mac thought Martin WAS a total jerk.

Martin exhaled deeply and then apologized, "I'm sorry."

Mac scoffed at his words.

"I don't get it." Mac said angrily. "What's up between you and Ruthie? From day one you've had this attitude of "I don't want her but no one else can have her."

Martin reluctantly nodded and then looked away.

Mac continued, "You're always saying that you think of her like a sister - yet, you're upset when she dates, you're upset when she talks about other guys, you're upset when she's WITH other guys...including ME...what the Hell is going on?"

Martin sighed and then divulged his secret, "I like her."

Mac and Martin were good friends. But Mac felt a protective loyalty to Ruthie, at the moment.

He told him, "I've told you that ALL along! But you know what? You're timing sucks! You CAN'T get involved with her now with the baby on the way."

Martin didn't appreciate Mac's opinion.

Sarcastically, he asked "So, I can't get involved with her now because of Sandy...but the door is wide open for YOU?"

Mac had taken enough of Martin's crap for one night. He began packing his things in his duffel bag.

"What are you doing?" Martin asked.

"Getting out of here. I'm going to my Dad's." he announced.

"You don't have to leave." Martin said with little feeling.

Mac answered, "Yeah, I do. You obviously don't trust me. You can't think much of me if you think I'd move in on Ruthie. We're FRIENDS. That's it!"

Martin's envy grew.

"How can you two be friends? She doesn't even LIKE you!" Martin snapped.

Mac nonchalantly quipped as he walked out the door, "Well, okay. Believe what you want. She may hate me and all. But if that's true, I don't know why she BEGGED me to stay in GlenOak."

The door slammed hard behind him.

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Monday morning came much too fast.

"Why do I even have to GO to school? It's not like I can write anything down...or carry any books." Ruthie whined.

"Because, it's the end of the semester and you can't afford to miss anymore school." Annie explained.

"You've got two options for transportation this morning - me or Martin." Annie announced.

"Martin?" Ruthie loudly questioned. "I'm not going ANYWHERE with Martin."

"I didn't think so." Annie agreed. "But he did call and offer."

Annie drove her daughter to school. She walked her into the main office. The principal told Annie that Ruthie would be assigned a student aide to assist her with carrying her books and getting her safely from class to class until the stitches came out.

"And here he is." the principal announced.

Ruthie and Annie were stunned to turn around and see Martin standing there.