A/N: Here is the second chapter. A huge thank you to iluvbones for the great beta work!

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of 7th Heaven.

After Ruthie had gone to bed Martin just lay there staring at the ceiling, what had he done wrong? Things were going so well. He and Sandy even starting to get along. He no longer blamed her for making him a father. He had been given the greatest gift any man could ask for. Sure it had been unintentional to begin with but looking back now he wouldn't change a thing. Maybe if he would have waited longer like he was supposed to he wouldn't be in the situation he was now. But the truth was she had left him. The question is, why? He wouldn't be able to find it in himself to abandon his son. Yet Sandy had done so willingly. She found it so easy to disappear from her child's life. It felt as if her son didn't matter to her at all. What was more important than your own flesh and blood?

He was expected to be a single parent at the age of eighteen. He wasn't supposed to be a parent period. At least not yet. What do I do now? he asked himself. It was a daily challenge with just the two of them. Now she expected him to do everything on his own. He couldn't simply run to his father for help. Aaron was his own responsibility. After what seemed like a lifetime Martin finally fell asleep hearing the calm, even breaths of his baby sleeping next to him.

Dream

He found himself in an empty room holding a sobbing infant in his arms that were cuffed to a concrete wall, his legs shackled to the ground beneath him.

"I'm sorry bud," he apologized holding the child closer to him while trying his hardest to calm him down. Try as he might he found nothing to quench his hunger in the slightest. "I'll get us out of this Aaron, I promise," he said more to himself.

""Time's up," he heard someone say from the other side of the room.

"No please, please don't do this!" he begged, tears silently souring from his eyes. "I'll do anything!"

"Anything?" the man asked.

"Yes anything."

"Bring her in Jake!" he hollered. A big tall burly man walked through the door with Ruthie in handcuffs, a gun pointed at her head.

"No you can't!" he cried.

"Yes we can and we will."

"I won't let you!"

"We don't have to but we will if you refuse to cooperate." Martin could see Ruthie trembling under the man's touch, silent tears pooling in her eyes. She groaned as the grip on her was tightened even more. It hurt him to end to watch her suffer.

"M-m-martin please…" she cried.

"It's very simple. All you have to do is give us the child. If you do then we'll let her survive," the first man said calmly.

"NO!!" A warning shot suddenly sounded in the quiet room. The baby's cries continued to get louder and louder as screams were heard from where Ruthie stood. "How do I know you won't hurt him?" Martin asked.

"We only want what's best for the child." Somehow the man didn't sound convincing. But how did he know if he was telling him the truth. If he didn't do something he could lose both of them. With trembling hands Martin reluctantly handed over his son. "I love you," he whispered into his ear.

"That's a smart move. Jacob, release the girl!" the man ordered. Removing the gun from her temple the second man threw Ruthie toward Martin. Quickly catching her balance she ran at top speed toward him.

"Oh thank God!" she cried running into his waiting arms.

"Oh how sweet. Now second order of business…"

"The matches you wanted Sir."

"Yes thank you." The man lit it holding it inches from Aaron's delicate skin.

"NO!!!!!" they both cried in unison. She instantly ran toward them. Before she could make it she heard the gun release another bullet. This one headed directly between her eyes. She ducked to avoid it but couldn't do the same for the numerous shots that followed. Letting out a scream she fell to the ground, blood pooled around her as she lay motionless.

"RUTHIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he screamed thrashing against the chains that held him prisoner.

"What a shame. Such a beautiful girl," the first man said shaking his head in disappointment.

"HOW COULD YOU!!!!"

"It's very easy. We just had to put a bullet through her heart," he said matter of factly.

"Give me my son!!!!!!" Martin demanded.

"Oh no, no, no. How can we trust you to take care of him when you can't even save the girl? Now to get down to the real order of business. The gun Jacob." The burly man handed him the gun and he held to Aaron's head. Martin looked on helplessly. "Why don't we just get rid of this little bastard, huh?" And with that one last shot rang out as he saw his son lay motionless.

End dream

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! AARON!!!! RUTHIE!!!!!!!!" Hearing her name Ruthie jolted running into the next room.

"Martin!" she whispered loudly turning on the light as she ran over to his bedside.

"WHERE IS HE?!" he shouted desperately.

"Where's who?" she asked.

"My son!"

"Martin calm down. He's right next to you," she said picking the infant up carefully and handing him over.

"Oh thank God!" he said in relief. He instantly gathered her in a bone crushing hug, sobbing freely now.

"What happened?" she asked trying to free herself from his grip.

"The killed him Ruth! And they made me watch! You tried to save him but they killed you too! THEY MADE ME WATCH! I couldn't save him. I let them kill my son! I couldn't protect him! I let you die," Ruthie just sat there with him in her arms allowing him to cry.

"Shhh Martin. It's okay we're all safe," she said softly. "It was just a dream."

"It felt so real. They forced me to see it. All of it."

"But it didn't. We're both right here," she whispered.

"What if I can't do this? What if I'm not good enough?"

"You won't be. We'll be here to help you," she promised.

"I'm sorry I woke you," he sighed backing away.

"It's okay," she said softly.

"Thank you Ruthie," he whispered.

"No problem," she said getting up. Suddenly she felt his arm on hers. She looked over at him questioningly.

"Stay with me…" he said. "Please." The last word came out pleadingly. She was about to ask why but held her tongue. He just isn't thinking clearly right now, she reasoned. Who would be? After a dream like that she most certainly wouldn't. Ruthie knew he wouldn't try anything he trusted him not to.

"Okay," she said crawling in next to him. Inside she couldn't help a little happy dance. She closed her eyes with a smile on her face as Martin pulled her closer to him, shielding her as he fell asleep again.

A/N: Okay guys there is chapter two. Tell me what you think!