A/N: I love reviews…heck I love reviews more than I love George Stults (well ok that's a lie right there) seriously I love reviews because I need to know if you like my writing and want me to continue
A/N: Although I wished I owned 7th Heaven sadly I don't but I do own everyone else except for the following—Annie, Eric, Mary, Sarah, Matt, Kevin, Lucy, Carlos, Simon, Ruthie, David & Sam, Captain Michaels, Ben, Patty-Mary, Kevin's Mom and anyone else I forgot.
A/N: Remember that I'm not a doctor or a lawyer so if anything I said doesn't seem right I warned ya ahead of time!
Life moved on slowly for the Camden kids after the Kinkirk's moved to Buffalo. Lucy and Patty-Mary tried to keep in contact by letters, phone calls and even month long visits during the summers….but just like most long distance friendships everything started to slow down.
Lucy rarely ever heard from Patty-Mary anymore just like Matt stopped getting phone calls from Kevin.
As the years went by the Camden's had gone through hard times without their best friends being there.
In September of 1996 while Annie's mom and dad were making their monthly visit to the family her mom passed away.
While Matt, Mary, Lucy, Simon and Ruthie where shaken up they had to turn to each other for support to get them through the awful time.
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13-year-old Lucy woke up one morning after her grandmother's funeral to the phone ringing off its hook only to notice that Mary wasn't in her bed.
"God, where is mom and dad" she asked herself, grabbing the phone and answered it.
"Hello" she asked sleepily trying to get her head clear...she had a rough night...she couldn't go to sleep because all she was thinking about was the funeral that had happened only a few short days ago.
"Luce?" a familiar male voice asked.
"Who is this?" Lucy asked again sitting straight up in bed hoping that it was the one person that could understand her pain.
"Lucy Goosey...shouldn't you recognize this voice" teased an 18 year old Kevin.
"Kevin?" she asked, astounded that he was calling.
"How are you?" she asked him trying hard not to show too much excitement in her voice.
"I'm doing fine Lucy...school is a bore but I guess you already know that" he told her laughing.
"God...it's been so long since we talked Lucy Goosey...except I just don't have the time...I heard about your grandma Jackson and I'm sorry...if you need to talk to me call me " Kevin told her softly hoping that she would get the picture.
"Thank god" Lucy replied sounding relived.
"No one wants to talk in this house...everyone wants to keep their emotions hidden and well...I can't" she told Kevin starting to get tears in her eyes.
"Don't worry Luce...everything will work it out on its own...I can tell you that" Kevin replied with a soothing voice hoping that he could calm down Lucy.
"Anyways Matt wouldn't happen to be around at all would he" Kevin asked her.
Lucy sat on her bed for a few moments before getting off the bed and opening the bedroom door.
As she suspected her mom and dad were yelling at Matt in his room again for something that he had done the night before. She quietly closed the door and walked back over to the phone and picked it up.
"Yeah he is here...but I don't think that this would be a great time to talk to him...mom and dad are yelling at him again for something that happened last night while he was out" she told Kevin rolling her eyes over the phone.
"Oh...well...damn" Kevin swore and Lucy let out a whimper of surprise.
"Oh...sorry Luce...umm...do you think that you could tell him to call me as soon as he gets this message?" he told Lucy anxiously.
"Yeah...sure...whatever" Lucy replied, annoyed that he was more concerned with Matt than with her...she was the one that was hurting the most...well at least she thought she was.
"Oh yeah...is Patty-Mary there? I haven't heard from her...and I need to ask her something" Lucy told Kevin.
"Nope...she and Tina have been out at the mall since 11 this morning" Kevin replied walking over to the refrigerator and opening the door.
"Oh...well...do you know if she will be home later tonight? Lucy asked him wrapping the phone cord around her hand.
"Nope...sorry Luce...I don't have a clue" he replied grabbing an apple and some cheese slices out of the refrigerator and shuts it closed with one foot.
"Remember Luce...I'm in college...I don't live here anymore...I live in the dorms...I'm just visiting this weekend..." he told her honestly taking a bite of his apple.
"What are you doing home then?"
"I...umm...had a few things that had to be done before I went back to school" he told her looking around the kitchen for a pad of paper and a pencil.
"Oh...well I think I hear Matt going into his room do you still want to talk to him?" she asked Kevin pressing an ear towards the bedroom door.
"Nope...if he got into trouble that means he can't talk on the phone and I don't need him to get into more trouble when I need to tell him something" Kevin replied writing a note to his mom letting her know that he had stopped by for a while...to do his laundry and grab some normal food...that cafeteria food was starting to get on his nerves.
"Well I will tell him later than..."she replied walking over to her bed and saw that the clock said 10:30.
"Kevin I have to go...I was supposed to get Ruthie from the baby-sitters at 10...mom is going to kill me!" she exclaimed hanging up the phone before telling him goodbye.
Kevin heard the dial tone and held the phone out in front of his face wishing that family knew how to say goodbye.
Kevin sighed as he put the cordless phone back into the cradle...he needed to tell Matt what had happened these past few months...before someone else did and that someone was Mindy Barrett.
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She was the worse thing that had ever happened to him...and his mom knew it but never really voiced her opinion. Ever since their dad died she let all three of them run their own lives...she didn't care what they did as long as they were back by curfew time and that they weren't doing anything illegal.
Ben was always on restriction it seemed...no matter how many times Karen punished him, took things away he didn't care...he would just turn around and disregard Karen again and again.
Kevin sighed...just thinking about Ben and his attitude made him want to kick the crap out of him.
His thoughts drifted back to Mindy...his high school girlfriend...and what a high school relationship it was. They met during their freshman year of high school in Mr. Hopkins third period English class.
She sat across the isle from him and every time he would glance her way she would smile shyly at him and then look away. Pretty soon before he knew it they had started to talk and had become really good friends.
She started coming over to his house to do homework and that is where they shared their first kiss...in the pouring rain.
She thought it was romantic but actually it was an accident...he thought laughing to himself...he was trying to get the house key to work on the back door when he dropped it.
She bent down the same time as he did and their heads collided...and she look up into his eyes and smiled warmly at him...at that moment he knew it was just the right place and the right time to do that.
After that they were inseparable...everywhere he went she did and vice versa.
It never got old it just kept getting better and better. What they didn't expect after dating for four years that on the night of their senior Prom everything would change.
He didn't know how it happened and neither did she...it was after midnight when the limo driver pulled back into his driveway.
He just wanted to get home and crawl back into bed while all of his buddies were partying that night. Even though he was on the football team his senior year he didn't really want to be a part of what they were doing...which was god knows what.
He opened the door and jumped out and reached for Mindy's hand and helped her get out as well. She did look stunning he had to admit that...in her long ruby red gown that was strapless of course!
She wouldn't have it any other way but her way.
They walked up towards his house hand in hand when she paused at her car and started to comb through her purse to find her keys...except they weren't in her purse...they were in her car's ignition just dangling there waiting for someone to bust a window and steal the car.
Kevin remembered laughing at her and telling her that if she put anymore blonde in her hair she would REALLY have to start acting like one.
She got mad and started to hit him with her small purse until things started getting really intense and before they knew it somehow they managed to get from her car into his house and up the stairs to his bedroom.
The day after was the worst thing in his mind alone...it was just even better that his mom, Patty-Mary and Ben weren't home that night or else he would have been a dead man.
He was supposed to set a good example for Ben and PM and well that night really didn't set an example of all sorts except not to do it again.
He didn't see that much of Mindy those past few days after it happened.
They didn't even sit near each other during graduation in the beginning of May. Every time he did see her around town she would glance at him awkwardly and try to get out of his way as fast as she could...she was avoiding him and he knew it...only he didn't know why and soon he would find out.
"Mindy called" his mother told him a few days after they had graduated.
"What did she want?" Kevin asked her closing the back door and sat on of the kitchen stools that surrounded the island.
"I don't know Kevin...I'm not your message taker...all I know is that she wanted you to call her as soon as you got home...it sound like it was important" she told him already irritated because Mindy had called 6 times within the same hour.
He sighed and walked up to his room...he was really interested in what Mindy wanted...except then again he wasn't...he wanted to put that relationship behind him and forget about it.
He walked into his room and shut the door quietly so Ben and PM wouldn't know he was up there...every time he shut his door they knew that it was a private conversation and they were always willing to listen.
He walked over to his bed and picked up the phone and punched in her home phone number and waiting until she picked it up.
"Hello?" a crying Mindy answered her phone.
"Mindy? Are you ok?" Kevin asked her remembering the conversation clearly.
"Nnn...No" she sobbed harder into the phone.
"Kevin...there is something that I...I have to tell you" she replied taking a deep breath over the phone.
Kevin rolled eyes knowing that she liked to be a real drama queen sometimes "What is it Mindy? I have some things that have to be taken care of before I start looking for a job this summer" he told her grabbing his football and started to toss it up in the air catching it again with one hand.
"I'm pregnant Kevin and it has to be yours...you're the only person that...well you know "she replied slowly blushing as she tried to explain it him over the phone.
"Your what?" Kevin exclaimed dropping his football and standing in the middle of his room shocked.
" I said I'm pregnant and it's yours Kevin...what are we going to do?" she asked him starting to cry again...this isn't how she pictured her life to turn out.
"I know what you said Mindy...but...what...are..." he couldn't speak...let alone he couldn't even breathe or even speak at that moment.
"Kevin...I'm scared...if my parents find out...well I'm dead" Mindy told him looking behind her hoping that one of her parent's weren't standing behind her now.
" Your parents? What do you think my mom is going to do? She is going to flip...are you sure? I mean are you REALLY sure?" he asked her repeating himself so she would get the picture.
"I'm sure...the tests came up positive all three times yesterday...Kevin what are we going to do?" she asked him moaning in silence.
"Well the first thing we have to is tell one of our parent's and since well I only have one she should be a little bit easier on us...but Mindy I'm catholic and this could ruin my family...and get us kicked out...so we might have to get married" Kevin told her point blank hoping that really wasn't a possibility.
"Married? Oh no...that is the last thing that I want to do Kevin...I'm not getting married at 18 years old...that is the last thing that I would ever do! Especially to you..."she shrieked at him and hung up the phone.
He stood in his room for a few moments trying to figure what just happened.
"Pregnant?" was all he could think about "how did that"...never mind he knew what happened…he said to himself as he sat down on his bed.
"How am I going to tell my mom?" he spoke out loud not knowing that Karen who had picked up the phone minutes after he called Mindy and heard the whole conversation and was sitting downstairs on one of the kitchen chairs in shock..
Karen sat in the chair for what seemed like forever when she got out of her chair and opened the drawer that contained the high school phone book.
She flipped a few pages until she reached what she was looking for Diane and Michael Barrett...it was time for the parents to get together whether Mindy or Kevin liked it.
She picked up the cordless phone and walked into her study and shut the door. She looked at the high school phone book and started to dial the unfamiliar number.
She let it ring about 5 times before she wanted to hang up with someone picked up the phone
"Hello?" asked an unfamiliar female voice.
"Hi...this is Karen Kinkirk...is Diane or Michael there? "She asked peering at the phone book.
"This is Diane...who is this again?" Mindy's mother asked looking at her daughter who was sitting at the table.
"This is Karen Kinkirk...Kevin's mom..." she explained to a confused Diane.
"Oh right...Kevin's mom..." she replied throwing a dirty look at Mindy who was trying to listen to the conversation.
"I'm sorry Karen...this isn't a good time...my daughter just revealed something to me...and we are in the middle of our conversation...can you call back some other time? Or well can I call you back later?" Diane asked Karen who was sitting down at her desk.
"Well...I think you and your husband should come over to my house later...I think your daughter and my son have something to tell us...and from what I'm taking it should be sooner than later..." Karen told her point blank trying to get her thoughts together.
Diane looks a little confused and looks in the direction of her oldest daughter and stared at her for a few moments and sighed.
"All right...I'll talk to my husband when he gets home in about 30 minutes...and then I will call you back is that ok Karen?" she asked uncertainly.
"I guess that will have to work...my number at home is 369-5698..."She told her slowly so that Diane could write them down.
"All right...I'll call you after 5 sometime tonight "she replied hanging up the phone and turning to her oldest daughter.
"And you...have some explaining to do before tonight" she said angrily as she walked across the kitchen and towards Mindy who is hanging her head down in embarrassment.
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Back at the Kinkirk's Karen gets out of her office and walks back towards the kitchen when she bumps into Kevin who was raiding the refrigerator.
"Hi Mom" Kevin greeted her kicking the refrigerator door closed...she hated it when he did that but she wasn't going to get mad.
"Kevin...I think we need to talk" she told him placing the cordless phone. Kevin looked up at his mom and saw her concerned look and walked slowly over towards the kitchen chair and pulled it away from the table and turned it around so he is sitting it in the wrong way.
"Ok...what's up?" he asked taking a bite of his apple.
"Well...I know that you have been talking about colleges and everything this summer...but do you think that you should stay home this semester instead of going to a dorm?" she asked him sitting her self down facing him.
"Why? Its not like I won't be coming home every weekend or anything...I still plan on visiting every weekend to do my laundry" he told her with a big grin on his face. Karen sighs and looks at her 18-year-old son.
"Kevin...I...well...I went to make a phone caller today...and when I picked up the phone...I accidentally heard your conversation...I'm sorry..." she told him honestly looking at his red face that was shocked.
"You what?" he exclaimed jumping up from the chair "How could you? That was my private conversation and you...you...just listened to it? How...how...could you? "He yelled at her
"That was my private conversation and you...you...ugh!" he screamed walking out of the kitchen and into the dining room with Karen at his heels.
"How could I? I didn't do it on purpose Kevin...I needed to make a phone call and I picked up the phone...how was I suppose to know that you were on the phone talking to your ex-girlfriend?" she yelled at him.
"And you know what? I'm damn glad that I did pick up that phone Kevin Andrew Kinkirk...you just made the biggest mistake of your life do you know that? Instead of going off to college you are getting a job so you can start supporting your child and your wife" she told him straightforwardly.
"My...my wife?" he whispered looking shocked.
"Yes...you heard me Kevin...you and Mindy are getting married...I'll talk to her parents tonight when I call them later...I'm not having a son of mine have an illegitimate child...that kid is going to be raised by two parents Kevin..." she told him angrily...she didn't know how she didn't see this coming...she didn't even know how to handle the whole thing...without Paul being there.
She watched as Kevin just stood there for a few minutes letting everything sink into his brain before he retreated back up the stairs..."married" he thought to himself.
"That is the last thing that I wanted to do" he exclaimed out loud not knowing that Patty-Mary and Ben had crept over to the stairs to see what their mom was yelling at Kevin for.
"Hey what do you two think you are doing?" Kevin growled at him giving them each a deadly look.
"Patty-Mary heard mom and you yelling at each other and she came and got me" Ben told him honestly looking innocently at Patty-Mary who was scowling.
"Ben! You liar...you wanted to be nosey so you came and got me! "She exclaimed flipping her hair.
"I can't wait to call Tina and tell her my older brother screwed up again" she laughed excitedly starting to walk towards her room when Kevin grabbed her arm.
"Ouch...Kevin...that hurts...let me go" Patty-Mary said with tears in her eyes.
"Patty-Mary Kinkirk...you are to tell no one you hear? And when I say no one that includes Tina" he angrily told her as he referred to Patty-Mary's best friend
"And if I find out that either of you two" he said glaring at PM and then again at Ben "have told anyone...including the Camden's...you will not and I repeat will not live to see another birthday do you get my drift?" he threatened them as he let go of PM's arm and walked away into his room and slammed the door.
"He needs an attitude adjustment and it needs to be quick" Patty-Mary told Ben as she walked away rubbing her arm where Kevin had grabbed her and closes her bedroom door leaving Ben alone in the hallway until he decides he better go into his room to...before his mom accuses him of something as well.
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Later that night after Mindy's mom and dad came over they talked and decided that the only right thing for Kevin and Mindy should do is get married and it had to be soon.
Later that week on Saturday before Kevin knew it his wedding day had approached him.
He and Mindy were getting married by his catholic priest who was told nothing about the upcoming pregnancy but was told that they were too much in love and didn't want to wait any longer to become husband and wife.
Later that night after the small wedding that only had his mom, brother, sister and Mindy's parents and her younger sister they went out and celebrated the new marriage or at least tried to. He was so angry...that his mom made him go through with this marriage...it was the last thing that he wanted to have done...it was the last resort as his friend Steve would have called it.
"Kevin...what's wrong?" asked a concerned Mindy who was sitting next to him still wearing her "wedding" dress that also was used for her prom dress just two months before.
"Nothing...you wouldn't understand" he mumbled quickly looking at his mom hoping she wasn't listening.
"God...the torture" he thought to himself sitting next to Mindy...she was the last person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and yet...one tiny...little mistake made a BIG difference in his future.
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The beginning of September finally rolled around and it was time for THE appointment...the one that would change his life forever...he would finally get to see his son or daughter for the first time.
Mindy had her first doctor's appointment only two weeks before Kevin had to moved back into his bedroom.. He heard her honk the horn to signal that she had arrived...he slowly got off his bed and started down the stairs when he met his mom at the door.
"Kevin...Mindy is here" she told him peering through the front door window.
"I know that mom...I have two ears...I'm sure I couldn't miss that horn" he replied talking about Mindy's specialty made horn that played some dumb girl song.
Karen who had forced herself to listen while Kevin talked to her she just smiled after he was done and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.
"You two have fun at the doctor's office...and make sure to bring a picture back of my grandchild" she replied sweetly hoping Kevin wasn't picking up on her fakeness.
Kevin who was putting his shirt on rolled his eyes and opened the door and slammed it shut letting Karen watch him hop into Mindy's car and drive away.
It hadn't been easy for Kevin and Mindy...they both lived separately and that was the way it was suppose to be until the winter semester at University of New York...that's when they would get an "family" apartment on campus and live there when the new baby was born.
On the way to the doctors Kevin and Mindy hardly spoke three words to each other...they both had grown a lot over the summer and well they still weren't exactly thrilled to be married to one another...especially since they were only 18 years old.
After what seemed like forever to Kevin they finally arrived at the doctor's office and were immediately taken to a room. Kevin sat in the chair reading all the old Sports illustrated while nurses came in and out of the room taking blood samples.
He defiantly didn't like the sight of blood...it made him think too much of his dad. About a half an hour later there was a soft knock at the door and an older gentlemen stepped in...it was Dr. O'Neil one of the best OBGYN's there ever was in Buffalo.
"Hello...Mindy Barrett?" he asked while flipping though the paperwork.
"Oh I'm sorry it's Mindy Kinkirk...please accept my apologies I seemed to have lost my glasses again and can't read these stupid things" he told her with a laugh.
"I'm Dr. O'Neil by the way" he told both of them shaking Kevin's hand first and then Mindy's.
"It says here that you are here for your first checkup right Mindy?" he asked her reading her chart again.
"Yes...I took some of those home pregnancy tests about three months ago and it came up positive...and I wasn't able to get an appointment until today" Mindy told Dr. O'Neil giving him a small smile.
"Hmmm..." replied Dr. O'Neil who was looking at her chart.
"You said you took how many again?" he asked her reaching for a pen out of his pocket and started to write something down on her patient chart.
"I...I...took three of them" she replied looking curiously at Dr. O'Neil
"Why what seems to be wrong?" she asked him looking at Kevin nervously.
"Kevin...would you mind waiting outside for a few moments? I would like to talk to Mindy privately and then I will call you back in" Dr. O'Neil told a worried Kevin.
"Everything will be fine won't it?" Kevin asked as he walked out of the room. Dr. O'Neil just nodded his head and closed the door leaving Kevin to stand out in the hallway by himself.
Just so he wouldn't get bored he walked back and forth for a few minutes before he stopped in front of the room that he had just been kicked out of when the door opened and he walked back in only to discover that Mindy had never changed into the hospital gown that they give you.
"Now Mindy...I would like for you to think what we talked about...and you need to tell them as soon as possible" Dr. O'Neil said to her as he left with her patient chart in one hand leaving Kevin looking dumbfounded.
"What was that all about?" he asked dropping Mindy's purse next to her when he noticed her swollen red eyes
"What's wrong? Is everything ok with the baby?" Kevin asked sounding frantic and looking worried.
Mindy just shook her head.
"Well...what did he say? Do you know when you are due?" he said trying to get her to talk when she just shook her head again.
"Damn it Mindy...what the heck is wrong then? Why did he have to talk to privately then?" He replied getting angry at her.
"Kevin...please stop...don't start...not now...I...I need some time to think about what just happened" Mindy replied starting to cry again.
He sighed and walked over to her
"I'm sorry Mindy...it's just that well I'm worried...what did he say that was so important that I couldn't be in the room with you? Was it something about the baby?" he asked her again hoping that she would give him an answer.
"Kevin...I...I don't know how to tell you this but...I'm not pregnant" Mindy said it so fast without taking a breath that Kevin had to have her repeat it again.
"What?" he asked her "repeat that again and go slowly this time" he told her.
" I'm not pregnant" she said again this time in plain English.
"What? I thought you took three of those..." he said letting his voice trail off.
"I guess it was wrong...I'm sorry Kevin...I know how excited you were looking forward to having a baby" she told him lowering her head trying hard not to cry.
Kevin just stood there in shock for a few minutes before he realized that they probably should leave and talk about their "marriage".
"Mindy...I think we should go...and find some place and talk about this...without our parents around...we need to...well we need to talk about our "marriage" " he told her point blank offering her his hand to help her get off the table and they walked out of the doctors office and spotted a nearby park bench.
As they both sat down there was some silence between them before Mindy decided to speak up.
"Kevin...I still want to be married to you...I still love you...and always have...when we broke up I thought I was going to die inside...it just broke me into about a million little pieces when you wouldn't talk to me" she told him giving him quite a shock
"Can't we still try and make this marriage work?" she asked him starting to cuddle with him when he suddenly pushed her away and stood up shaking his head.
"No way Mindy...I don't want to be married to you anymore...I had enough...I want out of this marriage...there isn't anything keeping me in this marriage anymore...it's to late to get an annulment so as soon I get home I'm going to ask my mom to draw up divorce papers...I'm sorry Mindy but I don't feel the same way you do...after we broke up I felt like a whole new person...I'm sorry if I lead you on Mindy but I just don't feel that way" he told her walking towards the car leaving her sitting there in shock.
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Kevin couldn't believe that it had only been a few days since that happened. As soon as Mindy dropped him off that day he immediately went to find his mom and told her everything that happened.
She was in such shock that she had to sit down...for the last three months she was so worried that Kevin had ruined his life and now...and now he hadn't and she now was worried about what the priest would say.
"Kevin...I need to talk to you for a minute" she told him walking into her office.
"Getting a divorce when you are Catholic isn't a good thing...especially after a few months of marriage" she thought to herself as Kevin walked into her office and shut the door.
"What's up mom?" he asked sitting down giving her a big smile.
"I got all the paperwork done Kev...all you need to do is sign and Mindy needs to sign them and it will be official" she stated handing him the divorce papers and a pen which he eagerly took from her and signed all the pages necessary and then handed them back to her.
"Here you go mom...thanks" he said standing up.
"Kevin...I just want to let you know that if word gets around church...you might not be able to get married at the church anymore" she told him with concern in her voice.
Kevin walked over to where she was standing and gave her a big hug.
"It's ok mom...I understand besides...maybe the next time I get married...it will be wherever my bride wants to get married at" he told her opening the office door and closing it softly behind him.