A/N: Okay, So I'm gonna start marking each chapter by episode number and part number. So in between each part would be a commercial break and each episode has at least two parts. So far there are four episodes, with this chapter being the third and final part of episode four. And yes, I am not truly bringing in T-Bone, but I do mention him and the timeline from the show, otherwise this story will follow my timeline, with Mary and Carlos getting back together later than in the series and having the girls later as well. I hope you enjoy the chapter and that the episode and part distinction helps you to understand shorter chapters.

You Know You Love Me,

XOXO,

Alyss

Chapter Ten: Episode Four: Part Three

Martin woke on Mary's couch to the ringing of Ruthie's cell phone. Looking around and not seeing her, he checked the caller I.D. to see one name. Jack. Ruthie came into the room from her bedroom just as the phone stopped ringing.

"Who just called?" she asked when she noticed her phone in Martin's hand, ignoring a small cramp in her lower abdomen, and the uneasy look he was giving her.

"It was Jack," he replied, a bit of coldness in his voice. "Have you been talking to Jack this whole time?"

"Martin, no, this is the first I've heard from him," she began but was cut off by her phone ringing again. Noticing Martin's face becoming even more stiff she reached for the phone. "Let me get rid of him. I swear, I've only talked to my family since I got here."

Reluctantly, Martin handed her the red flip phone. Ruthie took a deep breath, ignoring another, slightly more painful cramp, before flipping open the phone.

"How'd you get my number, Jack?" she asked, ignoring the traditional hello.

"Well, hello to you too, Ruthie. How are you?" Jack replied, a slight hesitance in his voice.

"I'm fine," she answered quickly. "You didn't answer me. How did you get my number?"

"I may have gotten it from your mom after promising to try and convince you to come."

Ruthie's eyes widened her free hand flying protectively as she felt a much stronger cramp. Holding back tears as Martin rushed to her side, she knew she had to respond to Jack's comment and the obvious ploy of him wanting to date her if she did return.

"I have no current plans of returning to Glen Oak, but even if I did, it would be because Martin convinced me to try to make things work with him. Goodbye, Jack." Ruthie closed the phone before Jack could respond as another cramp hit her. "Martin, it's the baby. I need to get to a hospital."

Ruthie sat on the couch, calling Mary's cell phone, while martin took the third and final box of stuff they were having shipped to his dad's, since that's where she would be staying once they arrived back in Glen Oak, down the the car they had rented for the long drive back to California. Sighing as Mary's voice mail picked up, she waited for Mary's generic message to end and the beep to sound.

"Hey, Mar, sorry I couldn't get through to you, but your probably in another of the new training sessions, or asleep, or something," she began, hoping to not worry her eldest sister. "Martin showed up yesterday and it's good he did, he knows now, and was here to rush me to the E.R. I went into early labor but they were able to stop the contractions. I'm now on bed rest. Martin and I discussed it and we decided it would be best for the baby and I if I moved back to Glen Oak. I'll be staying with Martin's dad, at least at first. I can't fly so Martin rented a car to drive us back in and is shipping most of my stuff back a head of us. He's gonna finish the school year at his current college, since he has a scholarship to play there, then transfer to Glen Oak University. Sandy apparently spends a lot of time there with Aaron anyways. The plan is to look for an apartment we can share during the summer. I haven't told Mom or Dad, or anyone else really, that I'm going back. I plan on telling the family once I get there. II already called the schools to make the transfer easier since I want to stay on track and graduate in December. Mom and Dad just have to finalize things. Martin and I are leaving at the end of the end of the week, so I won't be here when you get back. Since you and Carlos are trying to reconcile, it might just be the right time for this anyways. Thank you, Mary, for everything. I'll before we leave and when we get there. I love you."

Ruthie closed the phone, praying that Mary wouldn't worry too much and that she hadn't forgotten to say anything. Smiling at Martin as he entered the apartment, she placed her phone on the end table beside her and grabbed her cup of sweet tea.

"Done with the phone calls?" he asked as he lifted her feet off the couch to sit with them on his lap. Ruthie's smile widened as she nodded.

"Mary was my last one," she replied. "How'd your dad take the news?"

"Better than I expected considering it was about a year ago I told him about Sandy. I think he might be happy it's with you this time, not that he'd admit it."

At the mention of Sandy's pregnancy, Ruthie's smile faded and she looked away, the familiar pang of hurt coming quickly.

"Ruthie, what's wrong?"

"I really was the last to know, huh? I mean of those close to you."

"Only because you were the hardest to tell; telling you made it real and made me losing you a very real possibility; I wasn't strong enough to tell you when I should have."

"I don't know how much it would have mattered. If you'd told me earlier; before anything happened between us. I know I would've felt just as upset and I probably still have left for the summer. I had a dream about a month after I got here that, instead of coming here pregnant, I went to Scotland, virtue intact, for the summer and ended up staying an extra semester. Came back a spoiled brat, met a guy my parents let move in with us, T-Bone, and started dating him, going as far as getting his name tattooed on my lower back. You finally realized your feeling for me only for me to chose him and break your heart. I would have broke down and called you when I woke up from it had it not been for the fact that I woke up having to rush to the bathroom due to morning sickness, which gave me the time to realize I wasn't ready to call you; to tell you. As it is, at least how it actually played out gives us a better shot at us, if we both decide that's what we want." Martin sighed, absently moving his hands to start rubbing one of her swollen feet.

"We've caused each other a lot of pain, not being strong enough to face the truth, huh?" he asked her not really looking for an answer. "I don't know what the future holds for us. I know that I still love you and I don't like the thought of you being with anyone else, or another man being near our daughter. Not seeing or talking to you these last few months has been hell, one I'm grateful that I'm not returning when I leave Chicago."

"I still love you, too, Martin. Your messages were the only thing that kept me sane. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to tell you about the pregnancy and I'm sorry that that lack of strength kept me from returning even one message. I didn't mean to hurt you, just like you didn't mean to hurt me. I know that, I always have, it just didn't make it hurt any less. If you're willing to try, then so am I, but no matter what, I'll never keep your daughter from you." Martin lifted her feet, getting up then. "Martin where are you -"

Martin silenced her as his lips met hers. The kiss was short, sweet, tender, and full of love.

"Then we try," he told her be fore capturing her lips with his once more.