Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Welcome to the planet
Welcome to existence
Everyone's here
Everyone's here
Everybody's watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next?
What happens next?

Ruthie stared at the picture in her hands.

She would be leaving for Scotland today. Today she would leave all of her troubles behind her. She would leave Martin Brewer behind her and she would free herself from the torture of unrequited love. He wouldn't go to the airport today, she knew. Everyone else would be there. Sandy and Simon, the newly married couple, with baby Aaron, Matt and Sarah, Lucy and Kevin, her parents and Sam and David, but he wouldn't be there. Martin no longer had time for her. She wouldn't have to feel the pain of walking away from him, though she knew he could never be hers.

"Ruthie," Annie called, "We have to go! Your flight leaves in an hour."

"Hold on Mom," Ruthie yelled back.

"No," Annie said, "Now."

"OK, I'll be down in a few."

She placed the picture of Martin and herself back on her nightstand, however, something told her to bring it. Something told her not to let the picture go.

With a deep sigh, Ruthie hastily shoved the picture of her and Martin into her purse and grabbed her suitcase. She looked around her room one last time. Ruthie was ready.

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Martin Brewer continued to pace around the dugout. It was the bottom of the eighth inning and he was "on deck" to bat next. Martin attempted to keep his mind on the game, but all he could think about was Ruthie. She would be leaving in less than an hour and he was regretting his decision to refrain from seeing her before she left. He glanced at the coach's watch. 4:15. Her plane would leave at 5:00. Ruthie would be gone by five.

He thought about her dark hair that he loved loose and curly, her expressive eyes that conveyed her thoughts and feelings even when she tried so desperately to hide behind a mask of indifference.

"I love you. I want to be your girlfriend," Ruthie pleaded.

"I love you… as a friend," he replied.

Martin would never admit it, but at that moment he saw the pain in her eyes and almost admitted that he wanted everything that she had. He knew that he would just hurt her more. Inside, Martin's heart was breaking, but he had made the mistake of getting Sandy pregnant and he wouldn't allow Ruthie to become tangled in this mess. He wanted to make her hate him. If Ruthie hated him she would forget to love him and he wouldn't have to see the constant pain shining through her deep eyes. He was wrong, he realized, because every time he saw her he saw the pain.

When he left for college he stayed away, hoping that Ruthie would forget him. Maybe she could grow to hate him. Martin prayed that this would be the case, but Simon always confirmed his worst fears. Ruthie trapped herself in a spiraling circle of pain and it was his fault. Martin would never forgive himself for hurting the one person he loved. He didn't deserve forgiveness.

These recollections plagued him as he continued to pace through the dugout. 4:25. She would leave in a little over thirty minutes and he was up at bat. Martin faced his teammates and whispered, "I love her."

They all looked at him questioningly. He looked at their perplexed faces and sighed, "Sorry boys," before running out of the dugout and jumping into his black SUV.

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before

At Glenoak airport, Ruthie stared at each face for a long moment before beginning her goodbyes. Simon and Sandy, who were constantly attached, gave her a short hug before she turned to say goodbye to her parents.

Annie had tears in her eyes as she whispered, "Be safe, baby. I love you."

Ruthie affirmed that she would be and kissed Eric before turning to look at her assembled family. Martin was not there and she couldn't help but think that he belonged there. She said one last goodbye before turning on her heels and stepping into the ticket line.

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Martin rushed through the Glenoak airport terminal looking for flight 233 to Scotland. People stared curiously at his rushed entrance and his baseball uniform. Martin continued to run through the airport, pushing people out of his way, until he spotted the large Camden clan.

"Did I miss her? Is she here?" He panted.

The Camdens stared at him in shock.

"She's in that line on the other side of the gate." Sandy yelled as Martin broke into a run.

Martin ran through the line, yet Ruthie was no where to be found.

He reached the front of the line and spotted a dark head of long curls and knew that it was her. Ruthie was just about to board the plane, when he called out to her.

"Ruthie, wait. . ." He yelled.

She turned to look around, surprised, and he rushed to her, bracing his hands on her forearms when he reached her.

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Ruthie was stunned. She was boarding the plane when she heard a deep, familiar voice call her name. She was shocked as she found herself face to face with the object of her affections, staring into his beautiful green eyes as he held her arms and caught his breath. Martin was still in his baseball uniform and she was confused at his presence.

She stared at him for what seemed like an eternity before she spoke.

"Martin," she questioned, "What are you doing here?" She gestured to his uniform and asked, "Shouldn't you be at your game?"

"Miss," the flight attendant called, however, Martin and Ruthie ignored her.

"I…" he began, "I don't really know."

"Oh." She turned back towards the flight attendant, but his hands on her arms stopped her.

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Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
The tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be

The pressure was on for Martin.

'Tell her, you idiot," he mentally chastised himself. 'You came all this way and you don't have a lot of time. Tell her.'

She was staring at him again and her eyes held confusion. The flight attendant once again brought them back to reality.

"Miss," she addressed Ruthie, "You really should be getting on the plane. Now if you would just follow that hallway," she began, but was interrupted by Martin.

"Can't you give us a minute? Please?"

The flight attendant didn't look convinced, however, she continued to hold Ruthie's ticket and began ushering others into the hallway.

"Martin," Ruthie began, "What is it? I mean, I've been standing in this line wishing you were here and imagining everything and anything that you could possibly say to me. And now…now you're here and I'm happy you are, but you aren't saying anything. You gotta say something. Please, just say what you have to say. I can take it, whatever it is," Ruthie pleaded, preparing for the worst.

"I love you," he blurted. It wasn't planned and it wasn't eloquent, but it was out and to Ruthie it was perfect. She could see her family and she knew that they had heard. She was speechless. Something was holding her back. Finally she spoke.

"You shouldn't have said that," she whispered. Ruthie had just become accustomed to the idea that she would not be seeing Martin frequently and then he had to finally tell her those words that she had been longing to hear before she left the country. Ruthie was afraid that she wouldn't want to leave anymore. She didn't want to be one of those girls, but as she looked into his eyes she knew that it was right, he was right, she was right. They were right. Finally.

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened

His green eyes bored into hers.

"I needed to," he whispered, in a shaky voice.

"I'm not doing too good without you and I just realized that, but. . ." Martin was silenced as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her lips crashed upon his.

"I love you too," she whispered, "It's always been you."

Maybe redemption has stories to tell
maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here

As Ruthie finally boarded the plane and kissed Martin goodbye, she vowed to hang on, though the road would be a tough one to follow. She stared at the picture of Martin and herself for a moment, before slipping it back into her purse. She would never let go, no matter how shaky they got. Martin Brewer's heart finally belonged to her and she would do whatever it would take to keep it.

A/N: So that's it, a sappy Martin/Ruthie story. It was just an idea I had after listening to the song so please review and let me know what you think.

xO. Beautiful Deceit