Chapter Forty-Eight

The Picnic

"Am I really here with you?" Martin said running a hand across her check, "Am I really in your arms…FINALLY!?"

"Hmm…" Ruthie said giving him a pinch in the arm.

"What was that for?"

"It's not a dream." She said, "Just making sure that you know that!"

"A dream could never feel this good," he said, "I've learned that the hard way."

"Good." She said flipping him over so she straddled him, "Now promise me it's not a dream."

"It's not a dream."

"Promise me that were really married." She said, "Promise it wasn't a dream."

"It wasn't a dream." He said, "And we never will have to dream again."

"Oh?"

"Never again…or least I want because I have everything I could ever want."

"And so do I" she said leaning down and kissing him.

"How do you think your parents are going to take the elopement?" he asked.

"They'll just be happy that it's over for once." She said, "I think our world wind romance has been hard on everyone. It's a good thing its over."

"I hate to break it to you but our world wind romance is never going to end." He said.

"I guess your right."

"You guess?" he said tickling.

"Your right!" she said laughing, "And I said it's a good thing for everyone else not me. I personally love it…Almost as much as I love you."

"What?!"

"I'm kidding Mr. Camden-Brewer." She said.

"Oh you are Mrs. Camden-Brewer," he said, "Well that can't go on unpunished."

"I think I'll like…no love every minute of that punishment!" Ruthie said a huge grin on her face. A grin only true love can bring out in a person.

5 Months Later

August 30

The august sun or what was left of it (since its days were numbered) seemed extremely too bright for Ruthie. It was worrying her or maybe Mackenzie was worrying. She'd nearly dumped an entire bottle of sunscreen on her. Putting her in the stroller still worried about the sun she pulled down the flap and let out a sigh.

"She's fine!" Martin said giving Ruthie a kiss on the check to reassure her.

"Well I just want to make sure she's ok," She replied and then panicked, "Where's her diaper bag?!"

"On your arm," He said laughing, "Calm down and take a deep breath."

"She's just an infant!"

"She's five months old and she can handle it. She is a Brewer." He said.

"A Brewer?"

"A Camden-Brewer." He said rolling his eyes, "Now take a breath before you pass out!"

"I know I'm a little scatterbrained but this is the biggest outing Mackenzie's gone on." Ruthie said.

"And whose fault is that?"

"Scatterbrained me," Ruthie said with a smile and laugh, "Oh alright this is going to be fun. And it is for Simon. I'm so proud of him."

"We all are."

"Hey ya'll," Michelle called, throwing her stuff in poor Beau's already full arms, causing him to nearly fall over as she ran over to where they stood.

"Hey Michelle." Martin and Ruthie said.

"So how's my favorite step-son?"

"Good." Martin said smiling at Ruthie and taking her hand, "In love and blissfully happy."

"And my favorite step-daughter-in-law?"

"The exact same." Ruthie said sharing a secret smile with Martin as she remembered early that morning in bed…then in the shower…Ruthie bit her lip and gave Martin a wicked grin that made him realize exactly what she was thinking about.

"And where in the world are you hiding my beautiful step-granddaughter?" Michelle said breaking the spell.

"Right here," Martin said picking up Mackenzie, "And Michelle you can stop with the step…I'm begging you."

"Good because saying step in front of everything is getting a little old." She said smiling as she took little Mackenzie's hand in hers.

"Wow…" Beau said nearly dropping everything in his hands.

"Here let me take something, Dad." Martin said grabbing the food that Michelle made (and no one would eat but it was the thought that counted right?).

"She gets prettier every time I see her." Beau said leaning in and giving granddaughter a big kiss on the check.

"Hey Mom sent us down to come and get you guys." Sam said.

"So come on," David said, "We've got to hurry if we want to surprise Simon."

"We made a big sign and everything." Sam added as they headed into the back yard.

"SURPRISE!?" Everyone screamed out as Simon walked out into the backyard.

"Oh you shouldn't have." Simon said in a way that told everyone, that someone had told him about the surprise party.

"LUCY?!" Everyone yelled turning to her.

"Sorry it was an accident." Lucy said smiling.

"We shouldn't have even told you." Mary said shaking her head.

"You wonder why you find out everything last." Matt said jokingly.

"It really was a complete accident." Lucy said, "And I didn't exactly tell him, Savannah did."

"Again…never should have told you." Mary said laughing as Charlie ran past her chasing Savannah.

"I'm pregnant," Lucy said, "So you can't stay mad at me."

"Sorry we're late." Olivia said with Mac in tow.

"Hey little Mac," Mac said walking straight over to Mackenzie.

"Must you call her that?" Martin asked.

"Yes I must!"

"You know I don't think you've ever told me what your real name is." Ruthie said smiling at Mac, "So?"

"I can't say."

"Come on." Simon said, "What is it?"

"You'll laugh."

"We won't laugh." Mary said smiling.

"It's…erwtwtewetwetsfs." Mac said mumbling.

"What?"

"ewtweywye." He mumbled.

"Huh?"

"MACKENZIE!?" He roared, "A girl's name. I was supposed to be a girl and my mom was on drugs and they decided not to change it ok."

"Let the boy call her Mac." Colonel said.

"I can't believe Simon finished his script so quickly." Annie said to Eric smiling as she made herself of plate.

"I'm so happy that it's not going to be a little independent film but a huge production." Eric said, "He deserves it."

"He does."

"We did good," Annie said smiling a sad but happy smile, "With all of them."

"Yeah….but remember we still have Sam and David." Eric said.

"Their going to be a handful I can tell." Annie said with a twinkling in her eye.

"I can't wait."

"Me either." She said with a laugh.

"I have some news," Freddie said smiling, "I got into your alma motor."

"You did?" Michelle squealed, "I'm so happy!"

"Me too," he said, "I got the letter a few weeks ago."

"Not that you bothered to tell your friends, Fred Flintstone." Olivia said smiling.

"I'm so happy for you." Ruthie said giving him a big hug.

"Oh alright," Olivia said giving him a hug, "So am I."

"So?" Freddie said asking Simon what he'd wanted to ask him ever since he'd read the screenplay, "Who's playing me?"

"They haven't cast you yet." Simon said.

"It's going to be nearly impossible," Freddie said, "No ones is as good looking as me or as great as me."

"Ah…huh." Simon said.

"So who have they cast?" Martin asked.

"I wanted to show you guys." Simon said grabbing the bag he had on the table, "Well they cast Mom and Dad. They're going to be played by Catherine Hicks and Stephen Collins."
"Oh I love them." Annie exclaimed.

"And they cast Ruthie, Martin, and me so far." He said.

"So?" Mary asked.

"Well Martin is being played by that little kid who was in Road to Perdition with Tom Hanks."

"Hmmm." Martin said trying to remember what that kid looked like.

"And me?" Ruthie asked.

"Here." Simon said reaching into his bag, "Her name's Mackenzie Rosman and she hasn't been in anything else but some commercials and a small part in a movie as a child."

"She's pretty." Martin said looking at the photo, "but she couldn't hold a candle to you."

"You're going to make me throw up." Mac said.

"And who's playing you?" Ruth asked.

"This genius," Simon said, "I mean he's going places and he's really good looking. A real ladies man."

"Who?"

"David Gallagher." He said, "I mean he's great."

"Hey, does anyone know how to receive the messages on my cell phone?" Eric asked, "It keeps beeping. It has been since Mackenzie was born."

"Sure." Matt said.

"You have seven new messages." The automated voice said after Matt typed in Eric's pass code.

"Hello Mr. Camden, its Mac Smith and I'm calling because Ruthie's in labor. Everything's fine but she wants you and Mrs. Camden. They've taken her to Glen Oak Community Hospital." The first message said.

"End of message." The automated voice said.

"What's going? Why aren't you guys answering? Why aren't you at the hospital? Isn't Ruthie having the baby? Call me back? Oh yeah it's Simon by the way!" The second message said.

"End of message."

"It's Simon again. I'm here and you're not. Where are you?" The third message said.

"End of message."

"Ruthie's kicked me out of the room. Where are you guys?" The fourth message said.

"End of message."

"She's in a lot of pain. I can hear her screaming. I'm little scared and I've never wanted or been more glad to be a guy than now." The fifth message said.

"End of message."

"I think I heard a cry!" The sixth message said.

"End of message."

"The baby is here!? And it's a miracle. She's beautiful. Oh It's……My screenplay….I've got it….It's the…Martin and Ruthie Story!?"

"End of messages." –The automated voice

Author's Note:

Hey,

Alright so the story has finally come to an end. Please leave a comment telling me what you think of the last chapter and the whole story. And leave a comment even if it's your fist because I really want to hear what you think. I hope you liked it. I really have appreciated all the reviews and I've enjoyed writing it…even if it only was for practice.

I've left several storylines loosely open…so I might make a sequel…but I'm not sure. I'll just have to see. So I guess…that's it.

Thanks for reading,

Caroline