Author's Note: This fiction is coming to an end. There is only 1 more chapter after this. I think it's a good place to end it. 10 full chapters. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and hopeful I will have the next chapter up by Tomorrow, or even tonight if you pray hard enough. LoL. Anyway onto Chapter 9. Check out all my other fics if you want to get into my crazy mind. Peace

Chapter 9

The trail went on but Tony's defense wasn't working. It actually crumpled when as a shocking thing, Sandy admitted to everyone what Tony's plan was. With Ruthie, Martin, and now Sandy' testimony, they didn't feel the need to put Lillian on the stand. "It's time for the verdict", said Ruthie. Martin nodded his head walking into the courtroom with his hand firmly in Ruthie's. The whole family was there. Annie gave him a smile before turning her attention back to the proceedings.

"What is the verdict?", asked the judge turning to the jury.

"On the count of kidnapping in the first degree", said the judge.

"Guilty", said the foremen.

Martin sighed in relief. Tony clenched his fists.

"SO say you all?", asked the judge.

The jury nodded their heads.

"On the counts of attempted murder in the first degree?", asked the judge looking at the jury.

"Guilty", said the foreman once more.

Tony's face crumbled. He looked ready to cry in fact. Because that was a big one. That will ensure him many years in prison.

"So say you all?", asked the judge.

All of the jury nodded their heads. Martin blocked out the other lesser charges being read. He smiled. He looked and Ruthie and kissed her mouth softly. Now their lives could begin. He watched as they pulled Tony out of the courtroom. Martin looked him straight in the eye. Tony looked back at him and said nothing. Martin didn't have to say anything for him to convey what he was feeling at that moment. He felt Ruthie slip her hand into his as a sign of support. Tony stood higher but when Martin looked at him with all the disgust he felt for him. Tony backed down. Lillian ran to her father then.

"Daddy", said Lillian smiling as Martin lifted her up.

Martin kissed her forehead looking at Tony.

"Never", was the one word that Martin uttered.

Tony was lead away then to spend his time in prison. There would be a trial where he would be given his sentence but Martin didn't care. All he cared about was the Tony was no longer an issue in his life. That his family was safe. He gritted his teeth when Sandy stepped up. Ruthie rubbed his back trying to calm him down. Sandy looked at him holding Lillian in his arms.

"I am sorry, Martin I know you may never forgive me but I am", said Sandy looking at them.

She reached out to touch his arm but he flinched back. Sandy retracted her hand right away. She knew she deserved that.

"I will forgive you but not for your sake but for mine, for my peace of mind. My soon to be wife told me that forgiveness is something powerful. I want to feel peace with this. But now this Sandy, I will never forget. You will not see my daughter because it's not like you wanted her anyway. She has a family that loves, a family that includes, aunts and uncles, grandma and grandpas, a father, and most important a mother that she should have had but that you couldn't provide for her. Ruthie Brewer is her mother forever and always", said Martin looking at her.

Sandy nodded her head.

"I know I've always known", said Sandy.

Martin looked at her.

"I hope you find your peace, because I have", said Martin.

Sandy looked at him and nodded once more. Ruthie stepped up then looking at Sandy. She gave her a nod before pulling Martin away. At the last moment Ruthie walked back.

"Thank you, for giving them to me", said Ruthie.

Sandy looked up in shock.

"They were always yours to begin with. I'm sorry I took them from you", said Sandy.

Ruthie nodded her head.

"I can't forget Sandy, it's always on my mind, him dying, he will never go away, and maybe if it were different we could have been friends but I can't", said Ruthie looking at the girl.

" I know I can't be friends with you because I still hate you, its not my fault I just do", said Sandy honestly.

Ruthie actually flinched back at the word hate. Ruthie nodded her head and walked back to Martin.

"Then I feel sorry for you", said Ruthie before walking out of the courtroom.

2 months later

"Mommy", yelled Lillian.

Ruthie ran to her room. Lillian was clutching her sheets in fright.

"Oh baby what's wrong?", asked Ruthie pulling her into her arms and rubbing her back.

"Bad dwream" said Lillian.

Ruthie sighed. Lillian had been having these dreams for a while now. She finally convinced Martin to make Lillian seek help as well. She was young but it seemed that Lillian was remembering that bad man that hurt her father. Martin walked into the room. He clenched his fists. His daughter once more was scared. He hated it. He hated the fact that he couldn't protect them. Ruthie had also being suffering as well. He knew that it wouldn't go away but he hated that he couldn't help. Lillian finally fell asleep in Ruthie's arms. Martin tucked her in before taking Ruthie's hands and pulling her into their room. Ruthie looked at him with her big brown eyes and cried in his arms. He just held her. He rocked her like he would Lillian. He softly with his husky voice hummed a song to her. It was a song that his mother used to sing to him.

"Oh yes Jesus loves me, Oh yes Jesus loves me, Oh yes Jesus loves me cause the bible tells me so", sang Martin.

Ruthie heard him singing and buried herself more into his arms.

"I love you baby girl", whispered Martin.

Ruthie sighed.

"I love you too", whispered Ruthie closing her eyes and letting sleep take over.

5 months later...

"So how are the nightmares?", asked Doctor Sadeh.

"They have gotten better, Ruthie has really helped me", answered Martin sitting in the office.

Doctor Sadeh nodded his head.

"Martin I am proud of you, you have come a long way, I still think you should see me though, but not as often as you do now", said Doctor Sadeh.

Martin nodded his head.

"SO same time next week?", asked Martin getting up after another session.

Doctor Sadeh nodded his head.

"Yes Martin, same time next week", said Doctor Sadeh.

Martin nodded his head leaving the office. He smiled when he spotted Ruthie and Lillian sitting in the waiting room for him. Ruthie lifted up her head giving him her special smiled reserved just for him.

"How did it go?", asked Ruthie.

"Good", said Martin kissing the top of her head.

"Good", whispered Ruthie.

She took hold of Lillian's hands and walked with Martin to the car.

"What are we doing today?", asked Martin as they got in the car.

"Ice cream", yelled Lillian giggling.

"Well you heard the lady, ice cream", said Ruthie giggling.

Martin smiled at his girls.

"Ice cream it is", said Martin.

Later on that night...

Kevin and Lucy told them that they would watch Lillian for them. Martin was taking Ruthie out to dinner. She was dressed in her fines outfit. It was a simple black dress and her hair was pinned up and loose curls fell from it.

"Wow", whispered Martin when she came out of their room.

Ruthie blushed and smiled when she saw him dressed in his suit. He looked beyond good.

"Wow is what I say about you too Mr. Brewer", said Ruthie smiling.

Martin took her arms and walked them to his car. They ate at this fancy restaurant.

Ruthie shook her head when Martin said, "Why do they have so many forks".

Ruthie smiled and told him which one was for which. Martin smiled at her.

"Care to dance?", asked Martin reached over the table.

Ruthie smiled getting up and walking towards the dance floor. Martin pulled her closer to his body. He loved her smell. She smelled like strawberries tonight. Ruthie closed her eyes listening to the lyrics. It conveyed exactly how she felt. It was an oldie but it was one of her favorite songs. The song was called "At last" by Ella Fitzgerald. It was actually her father that got her into the older songs.

At last my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
At last the skies above are blue
And my heart was wrapped up in clover
The night I looked at you
I found a dream that I can speak to
A dream that I could call my own
I found a thrill to press my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
You smiled, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
And you are mine at last

Ruthie sang the lyrics softly in Martin's ears. Martin felt his heart speed up. He looked at Ruthie brushing her hair from her forehead.

"I love you", whispered Martin.

Ruthie smiled and before she could respond Martin got down on his knees in front of her. It was then Ruthie noticed that the music had stopped and everyone, that is her whole family was there looking on at her with a smile. Martin took hold of her hand.

"Ruthie Camden, you have been my world for so long. You have been my strength, my love, my everything. You took possession of my heart and I have never felt more happy that you did. You are the woman of my dreams, my soul mate. I never knew that the day that I followed you into your house that that would be the day I would meet my soul mate. You have been the most constant thing in my life. I trust you with my mind, my heart, and my soul. I thank God everyday that I found you and that he sent you to me. Because that is how I feel Ruthie, you are my angel sent directly by God. But those are just pretty words, my heart can't say all that I want to tell you that you are the keeper to my soul. Ruthie Camden you are my everything", whispered Martin with a tear sliding down his face.

Ruthie was crying now too. She looked at him smiling. Before she could say anything, he reached into his pocket and presented a small ring box. Ruthie's hands went to her mouth trying to hold onto her cries.

"Ruthie Camden, I know I asked you before but I want to do this the right way, will you wear my mother's ring, will you be my wife forever", asked Martin.

Ruthie let out a cry, tears rolling down her face. She kneeled down in front of him. She looked him in the eye.

"Yes I will be your wife", said Ruthie smiling.

Martin smiled a smile that they have never seen before. He slipped the ring onto her finger. Ruthie looked at it before throwing herself into his arms.

"Yay", yelled Lillian running towards them.

Ruthie smiled at her little girl.

"Mommy and daddy are going to get married", said Ruthie kissing her forehead.

Lillian smiled. Ruthie looked up to see her father gather around her. Annie and Eric were crying and smiling at the same time. Simon was there, Lucy, and Kevin and even their daughter. This was the best night of her entire life. She was going to be Martin's wife forever.