Ramy

Ramy is the het ship between Ricky Underwood and Amy Juergens from The Secret Life of the American Teenager fandom.

That One Night at Band Camp
During the summer of 2008, the summer before Amy's freshman year, Amy Juergens and Ricky Underwood shared a night at the 'Best of the Best' band camp that they would never forget for the rest of their lives, a night which turned the lives of these teenagers upside down.

The two first caught sight of each other when Amy was playing in the marching band while Ricky was hanging out with a couple of guys, watching on from the bleachers. As Ricky waved to her, however, Amy gets thrown off and breaks the formation, prompting Ricky to have a little chuckle to himself.

While Amy is sitting alone in the lunchroom, Ricky introduces himself to her and tells her that someone had told him that she was due to go to the same school, Grant High, in the fall, meaning they would also be in the same band together. As Ricky sits down opposite her, he enquires if Amy has a boyfriend and mistakenly thinks that Amy's lack of interest in boys is because she swings the other way, which she amusingly clarifies to him that it wasn't the case. Ricky calls Amy pretty which makes Amy rather nervous as she starts to think that this mysterious boy likes her. Ricky asks her if she wants to do anything that night, but after finding out that she is due to play the freshman solo, he guarantees Amy that he will be there to cheer her on. When Ricky leaves, a girl approaches Amy and reveals that Ricky is the most popular boy at camp and that all the girls want to go out with him, making Amy feel a little embarrassed. The girl goes on to warn Amy, however, advising her to be careful. Later, Ricky walks in on Amy practising for the big solo and volunteers to help her practice. In order to try and combat her nerves, she tries telling herself that he was 'just a guy'. As Amy starts to play in front of him, Ricky leans in for a light kiss, making Amy all flustered. Ricky confesses that he isn't looking for a friend, rather a girlfriend and the two walk over to Amy's cabin arm in arm.

After the big performance, Amy asks Ricky out for coffee and the two sneak into the cafeteria at night and decide to stay and hang out. As they are talking over hamburgers, the two decide to move over to the more comfortable couch and after convincing Amy, they start to make out and soon, the two end up having unprotected sex, causing Amy to get pregnant and thus her life would never be the same again.


 * Amy: I've never done that before.
 * Ricky: Oh yeah? Bet you'd be good at it - making out.
 * Amy: Oh, you do that a lot? Make out?
 * Ricky: I've made out with a few girls before but not every girl I meet, just if they're special.
 * Ricky: You're special Amy. I like you. I like you a lot. We're going to the same school and I thought... I don't know, maybe you and I could be... well, this could be the start of something big.
 * Ricky: I mean you feel the same way about me as I feel about you?
 * Amy: I think.
 * Ricky: Then what's a few more minutes?

Amy's Pregnancy
After arriving home from band camp, Amy takes a pregnancy test and the test comes back positive and all her worst fears are realised, she was pregnant, and it was Ricky's baby.

When Amy starts high school at Grant High, she was initially intrigued when she saw Ricky with another girl (Adrian Lee) but also felt extremely embarrassed about the events that unfolded in the summer, hiding from her friends that it was with Ricky and instead telling them that it was with some guy from a different school. Despite this, she did seem quite interested in Ricky and as she tried to walk past without being noticed, he stops her and reminds her of their night together and strokes her hair.

However, Amy soon falls in love with Ben Boykewich, the kind and caring son of the Sausage King. This annoys Ricky as he feels that Ben is just trying to be like him in order to win over Amy which in turn is causing her to lose interest in him. In spite of Ricky’s attempts to get Amy to remember what happened that summer, she repeatedly rejects him, insisting that she has a boyfriend and again chooses not to let Ricky know that she is pregnant, not wanting to have anything to do with him. Soon, Ricky moves on from his pursuit of Amy and switches to trying to capture the affections of the virginal Grace Bowman while simultaneously having a physical FWB relationship with Adrian Lee behind her back and against Amy’s wishes, rumours started to circulate around school that Amy was pregnant Ricky being the father which leaves Ricky shocked, regretful and distraught.


 * Amy: I’m seeing someone
 * Ricky: Who are you seeing? That little geek who wants to be me?
 * Ricky: Come on, why would you do that when you could be out with the real thing?

Regardless of Ricky's promises to Amy’s dad to leave Amy and the baby alone, Ricky decides to confront Amy and tell her that he wants to be involved with the baby. However, at this point, Amy is irritated and angry at Ricky as she doesn’t want Ricky to have anything more to do with her, wishing to have Ben by her side instead.

Ricky attends Amy and Ben’s illegal wedding and insists that he does not care for Amy and that she is better off with Ben. This does not stop Ricky from going to the wedding with Grace, however.

Whilst Amy wishes to give the baby up for adoption, explaining that it would be best for the baby, Ricky strongly disagrees with the idea, preferring that he and Amy raised their kid together at her house with him coming over to see them.

In order to try to do the right thing for their son, Ricky and Amy decide to work things out between them, meeting with each other in order to talk about 'baby stuff', much to the annoyance of their respective partners and the intrigue of their friends. Before Ricky arrives, Ashley finds Amy looking for something to wear and sarcastically asks her if she's 'dressing up for Ricky' and warns her not to make the same mistake of Ricky twice. This angers Amy because, in spite what Ashley and Ben seem to think, she claims that she is not interested in Ricky and that she is only talking to him because she needs his permission to put the baby up for adoption. Ricky reveals that it was Amy who wanted him to be involved in the decision making process, which prompts Ben into realising that he should give Ricky and Amy some space because he cannot change the fact that Amy and Ricky will always be bound together by the baby which might lead to Amy and Ricky wanting to be together at some point, something which would be out of Ben's control. In order to get Ben back, Amy calls Ricky and tells him that raising the baby together wouldn't work out for the baby and if he truly loved his son, he would go along with whatever Amy thought was best for the kid. Reluctantly, Ricky agrees to put his child up for adoption. Amy feels guilty for Ben's decision to back out because she doesn't want to be tied to Ricky so she goes along with the idea of her dad's co-worker Donovan and his partner Leon being possible candidates for being the adopted parents. Ricky, however, soon reverses his decision and confesses to Amy he doesn't feel like he could just give up their child to a random couple which overwhelms Amy causing him to embrace her in a hug, as Ben, Adrian and Grace watch on. When Grace's ex-boyfriend Jack Pappas drops by Ricky's place while he's studying about babies, Ricky reveals that he's only interested in being with Amy Juergens, before he individually tells Adrian and Grace quite bluntly that he and them are done for good.


 * Ricky: I'm not interested in Grace anymore, or Adrian.
 * Jack: Who are you interested in?
 * Ricky: The mother of my son - Amy, I'm interested in Amy.
 * Jack: What? For real?
 * Ricky: Yeah, for real.
 * Jack: What about her and -
 * Ricky: I think they broke up.
 * Jack: Yeah, but Amy and Ben got married.
 * Ricky: Yeah, but Amy and I had sex and we're having a baby.

Ricky also proclaims his interest in Amy to his shrink Dr Fields, but he also informs him of his plan to go along with whatever Amy wants until it looks like the baby is set for adoption, when he'll try to get his mother on his side in a custody battle. Despite Amy's insistence, Ben is still trying to stay out of everything which includes not talking to her which makes Amy think that she is probably better off being with Ricky considering that they are having a child together.


 * Dr Fields: Who are you in love with?
 * Ricky: Amy.
 * Dr Fields: Now it's Amy?
 * Ricky: I'm not a careless guy, I've never been a careless guy, but with Amy... I dunno, maybe I wanted her to get pregnant?
 * Dr Fields: Because you love her?
 * Ricky: Yeah.
 * Ricky: Maybe Amy and I would be good parents
 * Ricky: I have my heart set on Amy and our baby.

Amy starts to have a few doubts about putting her baby up for adoption, repeating Ricky's argument to her dad, that she doesn't know if she could ultimately bring herself to just give her son away. With his plan in motion, Ricky agrees to meet Donovan and Leon with Amy to talk about the adoption of their baby and even says to her that he wants the adoption to perfect because he doesn't want to hurt her more than he has already.


 * George: You don't like Ricky do you? I mean, as a boyfriend?
 * Amy: No, but...
 * George: But what?
 * Amy: I think Ricky likes me and when someone likes you, you can't help but like them back.
 * Amy: Maybe fate just intervened.
 * George: Oh no, I know what you're thinking - you're thinking maybe you'll marry Ricky cos he's the guy you had sex with.
 * George: You had sex with the wrong guy and you can't fix this by marrying the wrong guy.
 * Amy: Maybe even though I love Ben, I was meant to be with Ricky.

Ben and Amy reconcile, however, as Ricky sets his sights back to Adrian and Grace after realising that he wouldn't be able to provide for both the baby and Amy like Ben would. Ricky does however get a job working at the Boykewich family butcher shop along with Ben, and after his first day, he goes over to Amy's house to let her know that he could still contribute to raising their baby, regardless if the baby does get adopted, which she ultimately decides against thanks to the help from all of their family and friends.


 * Ben: So which one are you after Ricky, Amy or the baby?
 * Ricky: Both.

The Birth of Their Son
Amy calls Ricky from the hospital after going into labour while he's busy baby-proofing his room and upon telling him that she is at the hospital, Ricky becomes considerably concerned and alarmed. Amy then reveals that the baby is on the way and that she thinks he should be there for the birth of his son. When Ricky gets to the hospital, Amy is getting some much-needed rest so he offers to get a Dairyshack burger for her. While Ricky waits outside, guilt consumes him as he starts to feel really sorry for Amy and extremely culpable for having a baby he doesn't deserve with a nice girl like her. Despite this, he promises Ashley that he's gonna be there for his son no matter what.

When the baby, named John Juergens by Ashley, is finally born, Ricky is the first to go inside and see him. When he enters, he is overcome by the whole ordeal but after he seeing his kid in his mother's arms, Amy smiles at him, relieved that the dreaded pregnancy was over. Initially, he is quite apprehensive about holding John when Amy offers to pass him on, but after cradling the little guy in his arms, he realises that he might actually enjoy fatherhood. The season ends with Ricky over at Amy's house, cradling his son as Amy sleeps away.

Butting Heads as Parents
After John's birth, Ricky is very hands-on with his involvement, visiting practically everyday and helping out, which Amy is grateful for but also quite annoyed about due to the fact that he is considerably better with John than her. Ricky tries to lighten the burden on Amy by offering to stay over and look after him through the night while Amy gets some rest.

When Ben wants to babysit John while Amy visits Grace, Amy declines his offer, with her preferring that Ricky stays with John instead, suggesting that she is starting to trust Ricky a bit more.

Ricky notices how hard being a teenager mother is for Amy so volunteers to help out with John more often but Amy refuses, saying that she can handle it on her own not without acknowledging and thanking Ricky for his help with John however. Ricky manages to convince Amy to let Ben go to Bologna by reminding her of their duties of being parents to their son. He also assures Adrian that, with Ben gone, he wouldn't even consider trying to have sex with Amy because of his friendship with Ben.

Ricky decides to move out of his foster parents' house and get his own place which would allow him to be with just Amy and John from time to time. When Amy insists on going with Ben to Italy and taking John with her, Ricky is infuriated as he doesn't want her to just take off for Europe with 'our son', telling Adrian that she makes him go crazy.

Ricky helps Amy calm down after she starts rating about how her life really sucks, advising her to have a more positive outlook on things instead. He even jokes about the school yearbook, which contains a photo of a very pregnant Amy, advising her to lighten up. When Ricky finishes from work, he pops by Amy's house so he can take John to his new apartment above the butcher shop to spend his first night with his son, but finds John already asleep with Amy watching over him. The two parents talk about life and how no matter how bad life can get, they should be grateful for at least having their son in their lives. This cheers Amy up as her and Ricky share a moment of smiles which Amy quickly finds a bit awkward. Not wanting to wake him up, Ricky decides to wait until another time to have John over at his apartment but since he was already there, he offers to wait for John to wake up in the nursery, while Amy gets some sleep. Amy agrees as Ricky ends up staying the night but when Ben comes over the following morning and sees that Ricky spent the night, Ben gets upset and leaves in anger, despite Amy protesting her innocence.


 * Amy: It's kind of funny how John got into the yearbook.
 * Ricky: Yeah. That's a good way to look at it, that's a good way to look at life - when everything is bad in our lives, at least we've got him.

Over the summer, Ricky frequently visits John at Amy’s house and stays the night on numerous occasions which annoys Ben. Amy on the other hand, doesn't see anything wrong with Ricky being over, implying that she enjoys Ricky's company and that she likes that he is being a responsible father to John. When Amy persistently interrogates Ricky about whether or not Ben had sex on his trip to Italy, Ricky defends him in order to save Ben and Amy‘s relationship after he finds out that Ben is leaning towards needlessly breaking up with Amy. Ricky knows that Amy is happy being with Ben and if the latter did anything to compromise the relationship, Amy would be devastated, so Ricky maturely tries to make Ben see sense and not break Amy's heart.

With Adrian seemingly close to moving in next to Amy’s house, Ricky tries to get the two to put their differences aside as their hatred of each other could be to the detriment of his privilege of being able to see his son. When Amy finally has enough with Adrian, she calls Ricky to inform him that she doesn’t want Adrian anywhere near their son. This pushes Ricky to find out what Amy’s really angry about, asking her if she could see them being together if Adrian and Ben weren’t in the picture. Amy responds by pointing out Ricky’s inability to be in a committed relationship which stems from a lack of interest in being monogamous. Amy goes on to say that they aren’t the right people for each other, which Ricky accepts, putting to bed any chance of the two getting together anytime soon.

After volunteering to help out Ashley get some furniture for her new room, Ricky is greeted with harsh words from both George and Amy, despite Ricky insisting that he was just being nice and that he wouldn’t be so stupid as to try to do anything with her. This causes a heated discussion between Amy and Ricky about what they did at band camp and how it escalated so quickly, making Amy open up about how she’s angry with everyone because she blames herself for what happened. Ricky tells her that no matter what, they should never take it out on John and praises Amy’s efforts as a teen mother. As he tries to get Amy to shift more of the workload onto him, he insists that he can see John with whoever he wants, whether that be with Adrian or his family, which angers Amy.


 * Amy: I really hate you, do you know that?
 * Ricky: Yeah I know that.
 * Ricky: Even when you’re nice to me Amy, I know that.

At this point in time, Ricky and Amy’s relationship is hanging by a thread, at an all time low which has led to a standstill. The two seem to at war with each other by fighting over John and so long as they stay stubborn, things could turn ugly which would only be disastrous for their son.

Amy buys Ricky a new phone so he can receive emails even when he's out, meaning she can reach him a lot easier and a lot quicker, initially using it to send Ricky a shopping list.

While Ricky is helping Adrian move in next door to Amy, he and Amy look through the window at each other from the two houses, with John smiling and waving at his daddy next door. Later in the day, Ricky finds George in the back garden and goes over to get some relationship advice, with the conversation topic quickly switching to whether Ricky sees himself having any sort of future with either Adrian or Amy. Ricky compliments Amy, calling her 'really attractive' and saying that he might even love her, but admits that a relationship between the two would not work because of a lack of 'heat' between them, but George isn't the least bit convinced. Ricky decides to stick it out with Adrian, however, with the hope of being ready to be in a real commitment a bit further down the line.

After agreeing to go to couples counselling, Adrian asks Ricky what he would do if Amy and John moved away with Amy's mother to Palm Springs, expecting him to try to seek legal custody of his son if that happened, but Ricky suggests that he would just have to follow them and not go through the hassle of the courts since he sees that being able to see John everyday is a privilege that could be taken away just as easily as it was given.

Thanks to George, Anne and her new-born Robbie go away to Palm Springs for a few days, taking Amy and John as well. Ricky finds out that Ben is planning to break up with Amy for a girl from Italy and begs him not to do it in order for Amy to stay and not move to Palm Springs permanently. While Adrian and her dad push him to file for his rights as John's father, Ricky is reluctant to do so, for fear of sending the wrong message to Amy and upsetting her. After consulting George, Ricky finally manages to get hold of Amy and asks for her and John to come home but Amy plainly informs him that she'll be back whenever she's ready, which is not what Ricky wanted to hear at all.

Ricky goes over to Adrian's new house and just hangs out with her, even though he is fully aware that she doesn't want them to have sex, just in case Amy comes home with John but when they don't, he goes home with a new girl, Zoe, instead. After finding out from Ben that Amy is finally back from Palm Springs, the relieved father leaves work and rushes over to see his son and to notify Amy that he will be pursuing some kind of legal agreement which prohibits Amy from just taking off with John ever again, much to Amy's surprise. When Amy and Ben finally break up, Ricky advises Ben that there is no point him worrying about it because the two had already moved on to other people at that point and so it was definitely going to happen sooner or later. That night, after Ricky had put John to bed, Ricky tries to help Amy clean up in the kitchen, which leads to the two teens talking about a potential agreement and also their futures. Ricky apologises for threatening to pursue legal action the other day but Amy understands why he was scared of not being able to see John, confessing that she gets scared of Ricky one day taking off and not wanting to see John but Ricky reassures her that he wouldn’t ever just leave John. As Amy goes to tuck her hair to one side, she realises she has soap on her hands, which prompts Ricky to brush her hair away from Amy’s face for her, leading an intimate moment as the two look deeply into each other’s eyes.


 * Ricky: What if you get a scholarship to Julliard and you take off for New York and take John with you?
 * Amy: Yeah, well if anything like that ever happens, we’ll sit down and we’ll talk about what’s best for John … and for us.
 * Ricky: So you’re acknowledging that there is an us?
 * Amy: Yeah I guess it’s time we both realised that we are a family.

During Amy's date with Jimmy, she frequently calls Ricky explaining that it is the first time he has had his son by himself for a prolonged period of time so Jimmy asks if she still has feelings for Ricky. Amy denies it vehemently, going on to say that she never really had any in the first place and that she’s only calling to make sure John is alright. Ricky quickly gets annoyed by Amy’s frequent checks and advises her to just enjoy her night and stop calling, for Jimmy's sake. The morning after, Ricky comes by to drop John off back at Amy's and affirms her with some valuable advice and support about not getting caught up in other peoples' lives and about enjoying her own, which Amy is fully appreciative of.


 * Ricky: I know you're going through the most difficult challenges in life right now, but it seemed to me that you just got over the hurdle and started enjoying yourself.
 * Ricky: You were moving in the right direction, keep moving.
 * Amy: Thanks.
 * Ricky: You're welcome.
 * Amy: I really needed to hear that, I really needed to hear that I'm doing something right for once.

Kissing Practice
When Jimmy doesn't call Amy back after their entertaining first date, Amy is crushed and confused. Madison tries to cheer her up but she, rather bluntly, ends up suggesting that Jimmy didn't call because she was a bad kisser, which disheartens Amy. While she is alone in the band practice room collecting her thoughts, Ricky walks in and upon seeing her all teary-eyed, asks her what's wrong but Amy is too embarrassed to open up. With tears in her eyes, she asks him if he thinks that she's a good kisser and even though she doesn't believe so, Ricky reassures her that she is. In order to cheer her up, Ricky volunteers to help Amy practice as a 'friend', but Amy on the other hand, is quite apprehensive to accept his offer of help.


 * Ricky: Of course anyone could become a better kisser with practice.
 * Amy: Is that true?
 * Ricky: Doesn't everything get better with practice?
 * Amy: I don't know.
 * Ricky: You wanna practice?
 * Ricky: Really? After all we've been through together, we can't kiss each other just so you can get some practice?
 * Ricky: And no-one has to know.

As Ricky leaves Adrian to go to his appointment with Amy next door, Adrian questions his intentions considering that John would be sound asleep already added to the fact that Amy hadn't gotten a call from Jimmy yet. Ricky responds by suggesting that what happened with Jimmy will probably be like that for Amy for quite sometime after all, who would want to be with someone who had a baby with someone else at 15. In spite of Adrian instructing him not to feel sorry for Amy, Ricky leaves anyway. When they get round to practicing, Amy finds it quite awkward initially and starts to doubt if it will actually work but Ricky reassures her that she is just nervous and that she should just close her eyes. However just as they are about to start, Ashley walks in on them, then leaves in disbelief but Ricky goes for it anyway.


 * Amy: I can't. I can't kiss you.
 * Ricky: You kissed me before we had a baby, I think you can kiss me again.
 * Ricky: Believe me it's nothing to either of us - we're just friends.
 * Amy: Yeah, friends with a baby.

Even though the rumours of Amy being a bad kisser are till going round, Amy does not care if people think that as she firmly believes that it is not true after her little practice session with Ricky gave her all the confidence she needed. At this point, everyone starts to speculate whether or not there is something going on between Amy and Ricky 'besides just sharing the joy of parenthood', with Adrian and Ashley both coming to the false conclusion that the two were having sex. When George confronts Ricky about kissing Amy, Ricky explains that it was nothing more than a favour - she wanted to kiss him for practice and he only went through with it because he didn't want to hurt her feelings and because it would give her more confidence, but George still doesn't feel so sure about it as it seems to him that Ricky was just taking advantage of her, like he did at band camp. Ricky doesn't understand why George was making such a fuss about it considering there were no feelings involved, likening it to kissing his sister, but pleads with Ruben to let him be the one to inform Adrian nonetheless.When George asks Amy for her side of the story, Amy surprisingly reveals that she kissed her baby daddy in order to test the waters and not because she has feelings for him or because she was feeling sorry for herself. She also goes on to praise Adrian for being a good friend to her even after all they've been through, revealing to her dad that she really believes Adrian is the one for Ricky.


 * Amy: If I wanted to, I could have the guy in school that every girl wants.
 * George: And that would be Ricky?
 * Amy: Come on dad, he wanted to kiss me and I wanted to kiss him.
 * Amy: It wasn't quite as wonderful as I thought it might be. I was afraid that one kiss and I'd crumble, and then what? He would marry me? He's not the marrying kind.
 * Amy: I think he'll always be a good dad to John, but he's not ready to be a good husband. He's not even ready to be a good boyfriend.
 * Amy: Even though he kissed me, I do think Ricky loves Adrian.

Amy also lets Madison and Lauren in on her and Ricky's kissing adventures and how it set her free from the prospect of being with Ricky, insisting that she didn't feel anything, but even her two best friends doubt that. Even her own mother does not totally believe that she doesn't have any feelings for Ricky but she accepts that Amy is probably just figuring out her feelings for him. Realising that he has to inform Adrian about what went down, Ricky texts Adrian that he loves her but when she accuses him of having sex with Amy, he reveals to her that he only kissed her and he only did that because she asked him to. Satisfied by the fact that the idea of being with Ricky would not work out, Amy drives all the way to Jimmy's house, determined to figure out why he hadn't called her yet and after a small argument over a misunderstanding, she and Jimmy make up but this is short-lived as the two decide to just remain friends not long after.


 * Madison: You didn't feel anything?
 * Amy: No I didn't, which I was very happy about - it was very freeing.
 * Madison: Maybe you are a bad kisser.
 * Amy: He doesn't think there's anything wrong with the way I kiss.
 * Amy: I don't have feelings for Ricky. Maybe I did, maybe I liked him at band camp, but I don't love him.
 * Amy: And if I ever did feel anything for Ricky, I'm over him.

When Ricky unexpectedly disappears, Ashley begs him to come back but he is so full of anger and regret that he wishes that he had never met Amy and did what they did, more than anything else in his life. He also tells Leo that there is no point him returning because Amy and John would be a lot better off without him. Despite what everyone thinks, Amy isn't too bothered, saying that she wouldn't mind not sharing John and being a single parent and even though she knows how good a father Ricky has been, she hopes to be with someone she really wants to be with, rather than someone that she has to be with, i.e. the father of her son. Although Ashley doesn’t believe that Amy isn’t worried about Ricky, she does accept that Amy could be quite angry at him though, telling George that all Amy ever wanted was Ricky to rescue her ever since she got pregnant and had John, but because he chose to be with Adrian instead, Amy is feeling quite bitter.

Custody Battle
After some much needed soul-searching, Ricky finally returns home and though Amy says that she is happy to see him back, deep down she cannot stand the idea of him being angry at her as she feels like she has done nothing to make him angry. Ricky then breaks up with Adrian, for good this time, explaining to her that he wants to be a good husband and a good father someday and he couldn’t be that for someone who he doesn't trust and who doesn’t trust him, which leads Adrian to suspect that this is because of Amy. Ricky also apologises to Ben for kissing Amy after admitting that it wasn't just a kiss, but when Ben asks him to promise that he won't try to have sex with Amy, Ricky asserts that whoever he is with is none of Ben's business, especially now that Ben and Amy are over.

Later that night, Ricky drops by Amy's house and after they've put their son to bed, he is insistent on setting things straight with her but despite enjoying his company, Amy is still quite reluctant to hear what he has to say, anticipating a rant. However, when Ricky starts to speak his mind, it becomes apparent to Amy that it would go somewhere she would never have expected. Firstly, Ricky lets Amy know how thankful he is for having John in his life and apologises for leaving so unexpectedly and not letting Amy know beforehand. He goes on to apologise for tricking her into kissing him but admits from his point of view, it seemed like she wanted to kiss him just as much, causing Amy to blush. Ricky then shows Amy that they've been acting like kids, when they should've been acting like adults and thus should be more responsible and independent.


 * Ricky: I feel really bad about tricking you into kissing me. But of course, when I did kiss you, it became apparent I wasn't tricking you into doing something you didn't want to do.
 * Ricky: I just wanted to kiss you anyway.
 * Amy: I shouldn't have kissed you, I'm sorry.

Ricky then reveals that he would like to have regular time with John all by himself and for John to be a greater part of his life as well as his side of the family's life because he is tired of always having to go through Amy's hectic family just to be with his son, insisting that it's no good for John either. Amy asks if he is suggesting that the solution would be if she, or perhaps they, get their own place but warns him that she would never just live with him. Ricky instead proposes that he take John every weekend, which would give Amy some time off, but she outright refuses. Adamant that she does not want to share John anymore than she currently is, she continues to stand her ground when Ricky tries to compromise by having John on weekdays. The thought of Ricky taking away her son, soon becomes too much for Amy as she starts to tear up. Upon seeing her reaction, Ricky backs down as he doesn't want to hurt her, bids her good night and then leaves. When Ricky pushes Amy to allow him to have John on weekends, everyone except Amy thinks it’s a good idea for John to have regular time with his father, however an unwavering Amy will not concede, citing that just because she ‘stupidly had sex with that idiot [Ricky]’, it doesn’t mean that he can’t just take his son after all she has done for John. Her anger towards the father of her child turns out to be shared mutually by Adrian, who is still angry about Ricky breaking things off with her, which brings the two neighbours closer than ever as they rally their friends in preparation for a battle against their common enemy. On the other side, Ricky too is reluctant to back down, bringing in Adrian’s cop father in order to make things official but when Ruben warns him that the ordeal could potentially ruin his relationship with Amy, Ricky lets him know that he doesn’t care about what Amy thinks of him anymore but under Ruben's advice, he agrees to talking to Amy one final time before they proceed with the mediation.

When the two teenagers meet up in the park, Ricky starts by complementing Amy for being a good mother and for making good decisions for John all along but Amy cynically passes this off as a fake compliment. Amy then proceeds to show Ricky testimonies from all their friends backing her up to Ricky’s displeasure. Amy then begs Ricky to drop the whole thing and to just let things continue as they are but Ricky doesn’t want everything to be dictated by Amy’s whims, prompting Ricky to enquire why she is so desperately against sharing the responsibility with him. Amy replies by reminding Ricky of her love for John leading her to reveal that she doesn’t want John to love Ricky. Satisfied with finally learning the truth, Ricky plainly tells Amy that he’ll see her in court later, leaving her angry and upset.

During the mediation, Amy finally swallows her pride and concedes, finally accepting that she was wrong to try to stop Ricky from trying to be a good father and that it is important for John to be around his dad. Thankfully for both her and Ricky, the mediator rules in Ricky's favour, thus establishing an agreement consisting of Ricky picking up John from Amy's house before bedtime on Friday and then Amy picking him up from Ricky's apartment before bedtime on Sunday. After remembering that John's first birthday is coming up on the weekend, Ricky offers an olive branch to Amy by suggesting that they organise the party together, insisting that they are in this together.

Finally Working Together
Desperate to make everything work, Ricky calls Amy to get her opinion on what things he should bring to the birthday party, but Amy assures him that the party is not that big a deal, easing the pressure off Ricky. Ricky is surprised at Amy's laidback attitude to their son's party, considering Amy's normally uptight and over-protective nature, but thanks her anyway, admitting that he's glad that he called. After they bid each other goodnight and end the call, Amy secretly holds her own pre-party in her room with just her and John. However, Ricky is less than pleased when he finds out that Amy went behind his back after he tried so hard to include her in his birthday plans, confessing to Ben that she makes him 'so crazy'. While at Amy's house, Ricky vents his frustration towards Amy and Ashley, telling them that he tried his best to make Amy feel included in order to avoid the sort of drama they've been subjected to as teen parents. Amy seems to have little remorse for her actions, suggesting that Ricky just go have his own party without her. When Amy re-enters the room. Ricky pleads to Amy's good nature in order to try to get her to come to Ricky's apartment for the party, for John's sake. Amy sees sense and apologises to Ricky for not being able to control herself sometimes. Ricky, thankful that he finally has Amy on board, suggests that since Amy's parents can't make it, he should ask his parents if they could back out, leaving John to just themselves. Amy decides to go along with the idea of having a small, quiet party and agrees to spend the night over at Ricky's place. When they get to the butcher shop, they bump into Ben, who upon seeing them, presumes that Amy is staying over because she and Ricky are sleeping together.

After a successful party, both Amy and Ricky attend Leo and Betty's wedding together and it seems that they are finally seeing eye to eye and getting on well. Amy thanks Ricky for organising the party, to which Ricky responds by thanking Amy for the last year. While they are hanging out and talking, Amy spots Ben from a distance and goes over to speak to him but as she sees Adrian approach Ben, Amy walks away confused and upset with Ricky watching on, visibly feeling sorry for her.Despite wanting to get back together with Ben, Amy maintains a good relationship with Ricky, managing to uphold their agreement over John friendly and civil. The two seem to have gotten quite close and have become quite appreciative of each other, learning to stick together and have each other's backs like adults with young children should. Things are working out so well that Ricky decides to help Ben out by bringing him over to Amy's house so they can talk about getting back together since they didn't get a chance to at the wedding. Ben and Amy reconcile and Amy is really happy about getting back together with her ex, thanking Ricky for all his help as the two share a smile.

Ricky admits to Amy that he pushed Ben to go back with Amy because he was hesitating, unbeknownst to her but not Ricky, that it was because Ben had managed to get Adrian pregnant, and so lets Amy know that if it doesn't work out, she can just blame him instead. Nonetheless, Amy is still confident that she and Ben will make it work the second time around. Ricky admits that he too hopes that it will work out, for Amy's sake, but deep down knows that it will break Amy's heart when she does eventually find out the massive secret.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
When Amy gets accepted into a prestigious summer music program in New York, the moment is bittersweet for Amy since she feels that she can't accept because of her job and responsibility of care for John. When she gives Ricky the news at school, Ricky is really pleased for her, offering his congratulations for the offer, as well as his condolences for not being able to take it, despite Ricky saying that he would be fine taking care of John by himself if she did decide to go.

When push comes to shove and Amy has to make a definitive decision, she goes to all her friends who all rally around her, telling her that she should go for it. Ricky's the first person she turns to and as a fellow musician, urges her to go, knowing that it is an amazing opportunity that she couldn't possibly turn down. He even goes as far as to offer to stay at Amy's house while she's gone so that John is on the same schedule in a familiar environment.

When Ricky drops by later, Amy wants to make sure that Ricky knows where everything is in the house for when he stays over, but Ricky reminds her that he comes round almost every day. Amy is extremely appreciative of Ricky offering to stay with her 'crazy family' for a whole month, saying that it was really nice of him. Ricky suggests that while Amy's gone, they continue to stick to their agreement of him taking John to his apartment for the weekend, but after noticing that Amy isn't too keen on the idea, Ricky agrees to stay at her house throughout her absence. Amy, excited to go on a life-changing programme in New York, is so overjoyed that something good is finally happening to her - don't tell John! - that she blurts out an awkward confession of love to Ricky who is left staggered, staring back at the mother of his child open-mouthed. Amy, on the other hand, is rather unfazed by her choice of words, explaining that she views him as a friend/brother who she has had sex and then a baby with but doesn't want to be in a relationship with- whatever that's called, leaving Ricky quite embarrassed by the whole conversation since all he was trying to do was be nice to Amy and cheer her up.


 * Ricky: I'll think about it, we'll see how it goes.
 * Amy: Please?
 * Ricky: Okay Amy. If it means that much to you, I'll try.
 * Amy: Thank you, thank you, thank you!
 * Amy: I love you.
 * Ricky: You what?
 * Amy: Like a brother. You're like the father of my baby that I don't want to be with.
 * Ricky: Gee, thanks.
 * Amy: You know what I mean, and I love that you know that, I do.

This demonstrates how close Amy and Ricky have gotten ever since they decided to act like adults and work together. Ricky especially considering that it wasn't that long ago when he didn't care what Amy thought of him and was quite happy knowing that he wasn't in her good books. Fast-forward to now and Ricky, who is genuinely happy for Amy, is actively going out of his way to see Amy happy, enjoying life and doing her own thing because he knows that when Ben eventually lets out his big secret to her, it will crush her and so he feels a lot of sympathy for her. This may also mean that when Amy finds out and then dumps Ben, Ricky will be her shoulder to cry on, thus potentially leaving an opening for Ricky to take this further with Amy. Furthermore, it seems that Amy's feelings for Ricky have inadvertently developed as she has grown closer to him, a far cry from the time she thoroughly denied them existing. This exclamation of endearment may be a sign that should things with Ben not work out, which she as of yet does not know that they definitely won't, she potentially wouldn't mind or at least won't be uncomfortable with entertaining the idea of starting a relationship with Ricky. As they grow closer than ever, could a potential relationship be on the cards?While Amy is enjoying herself in New York, her sudden departure during the school year causes rumours to spread round school that Amy has gotten pregnant again. When Ricky finds out about this, he is especially furious and vehemently denies that Amy is having another child, with him or with anyone else. Ricky agrees with Grace that Amy getting pregnant again would be a bad situation to be in, implying that not only that he doesn't want Amy to go through the whole process again and potentially ruin her life, but also that he doesn't want Amy to have children with anyone else for a while at least. Even with Ashley and Ricky growing closer with Amy the other side of the country, Ricky defends Amy from Ashley's blunt criticism, ordering her to stop because Amy is a good mother and has done a lot for John. After dinner, Ricky offers to help Anne with the dishes and soon the conversation turns to Amy. Ricky says he doesn't mind staying with Amy's family during her absence as whatever Amy wants him to do while she's gone, he is more than happy to do. He also reveals that he's worried for her especially because he hadn't heard from her since she left. When Anne questions why she picked to play the French horn in the first place, Ricky unexpectedly confesses that Amy told him the heart-warming story at band camp and it turns out that it was a very personal choice motivated by her love for her mother.

When Ben consults Ricky about what to do with Amy and Adrian, Ricky gives him some harsh truths as well as some relevant advice all while looking out for Amy and the impact Ben's actions will have on her as he knows more than anyone else how much she has been through, making it imperative for Ben to be fair to Amy whatever his decision. This displays Ricky as becoming more mature and considerate towards Amy, signifying the positive impact Amy has had on Ricky's growth as a person, which is something no-one else can claim to that extent.

As everyone is avoiding having to break the news to Amy, she feels quite ignored and confused and in her attempt to find answers, she repeatedly calls Ricky, indicating that he is someone she trusts quite dearly. Ricky, however, can't bare to answer any tough questions from her and ignores her persistent calls. At his parent's house, Ricky gets defensive and angry when his mother asks him about Adrian and her having the baby, definitively letting her know that no matter what happens to Adrian and Ben, he is not going to marry Amy because even though they have a child together, it doesn't mean he is bound to Amy for the rest of his life.


 * Ricky: I'm not gonna marry Amy, you got that?! I'm not going to marry Amy.
 * Ricky: Just because I did have a baby, doesn't mean that I'm going to be stuck with anyone - not even Amy, for the rest of my life.

Margaret, on the other hand, just stands and watches in disbelief, passing his outburst off as one way he is coping with the big news of Adrian deciding to have the baby, Ben's baby. Ricky storms off to go have 'meaningless and indiscriminate sex' as he calls it and when the girl asks if he is gonna tell Amy about the situation concerning Adrian, he says that it isn't his responsibility to tell her. He also shows that he is still annoyed about that the rumours of Amy being pregnant again are still flying around, suggesting that he does still care about Amy but would rather not be in a relationship with her, or indeed with anyone else for that matter.

During Ricky's stay with the Juergens, he and Ashley grow uncomfortably close, culminating in the two of them sharing a kiss that was initiated by Ashley. Unlike Ashley, Ricky was quite apprehensive about doing something with Ashley, being of the opinion that it would be wrong for them to ever be together. This maybe because getting involved with Ashley could potentially hinder his relationship with Amy from growing further as it could lead to a breakdown in trust between them which could ultimately harm his relationship with his son, as well as break Amy's family apart. When Ashley confronts Ricky and insists that they have real feelings for each other and that nobody would care if they were together, Ricky disagrees and reminds her that she is practically his sister-in-law and that Amy would mind a lot if anything like that happened, which angers Ashley as she begins to suspect that he has chosen Amy over her. She then accuses him of not feeling ashamed for tricking Amy into having sex with him at band camp but again, Ricky protests his innocence, saying that he never tricked her into doing anything and that it was just that they didn't know what they were getting into at the time, suggesting that he does indeed care about Amy and that he feels that Amy did like him at some stage.

After Amy finds out about the secret everyone was hiding from her, she is understandably furious and dejected, choosing to ignore everyone trying to reach to her, including Ricky. Ashley tries to make Ricky feel better about it, predicting that she will eventually get over it but Ricky knows too well that Amy will be hurt for a long time. Ashley questions why he cares so much if Amy is alright but Ricky firmly defends Amy, admitting that John is the only one he cares about more.


 * Ricky: I don't know why everyone is so concerned either. I just know why I'm concerned about Amy.
 * Ashley: And why's that?
 * Ricky: Because she's the mother of my son.
 * Ashley: Ugh, so what?
 * Ricky: So what? So she's someone I care about.
 * Ricky: She's the person I care about most, next to him [John].

This surprises Ashley greatly but Ricky tries to explain that he cares about Amy in a very different way to anyone else. Ashley, blinded by jealousy, tries to rile Amy up by letting her know about how she kissed Ricky. This infuriates Amy because, after all, she did trust him to take care of John during her absence and did not envisage him trying to seduce Ashley. Ricky, however, does not get any time to explain and so is very annoyed at Ashley for trying to stitch him up. This also shows how embarrassed he was about the incident and implies that he wanted to own up to it himself, perhaps in an attempt to stay in Amy's good books.

Amy presumes that he was the one that initiated it and so interrogates him all about it, wanting to know all the details. She later calls Ashley to find out her side of the story and then goes on to admit that she always thought that something would happen between Ricky and Ashley but figured that it transpire after she herself was happy with someone and so would not care as much. Amy's reaction prompts Ashley to enquire as to whether or not she cares about Ricky being with other girls to which Amy responds by revealing her uncertainty about her feelings toward the father of her child.


 * Amy: I pressured him into giving the details, I wanted to know.
 * Ashley: Why?
 * Amy: I don't know.
 * Amy: I just thought that it would happen after I'd found someone, after I fell in love, after I wouldn't care.
 * Ashley: So you care?
 * Amy: I don't know. I don't know if I care.
 * Amy: Maybe I care a little bit. I don't want my little sister stealing the guy I had a baby with, even though I was only with him that one time - it makes me feel like a loser.

Ashley then abruptly asks her sister if she wants to be with Ricky, but sensing that something like that could affect her relationship with Ashley, Amy suggests that they both should just give up the improbable idea of being with Ricky. When Amy finds out about Ricky being over at Adrian's, Amy is surprised and somewhat conflicted, managing to reply with an unconvincing 'Oh well, that's okay I guess'.

While next door, Ricky kisses Adrian but both of them instantly realise that there's no 'heat' between the two anymore which confirms Ricky's own belief that he and Adrian could never get back together as they both have moved on from each other. Could this be down to his feelings for Amy growing so much that it has usurped his feelings for the only girl he has ever contemplated marrying one day, so much so that he can no longer entertain the possibility of him getting back with his ex?

Ricky gets fed up of Ben being so hung up on trying to call Amy because Ricky wants him to respect Amy's wishes of not wanting to speak to anyone who knew about Adrian being pregnant.

When Ricky asks Amy if she is giving up the French horn, Amy reveals that she still wants to play it on the side for enjoyment albeit not for a career. Amy follows this up by noticing that Ricky sounds a bit snotty which Ricky puts down to being a little tired, a feeling that Ricky acknowledges that Amy knows all too well. Ricky wants to know how longer Amy is away for, which leads Amy to reveal that she is planning to stay a little bit longer than expected which annoys Ricky as after all, the agreed upon time frame was 4 weeks. Amy reluctantly reveals that all the other teen mothers in the programs are having their partners and boyfriends fly over at the end of the program and she feels that it would be a bit awkward for both of them if she was to suggest that Ricky came over since they've never been in a relationship.

After Amy complains about Ben's persistence, Ricky insists she just put everything to bed by telling him that her and Ben are finished but Amy reminds him that it is none of her business. Ricky explains that because Ben is having a baby with Adrian, he shouldn't even be thinking about getting back together with Amy, implying that Ricky wants a clean shot at Amy. He also suggests that if it weren't for Ben's constant interference in his and Amy's attempt at trying to have a baby in high school, there would've been a good chance that Amy and Ricky would have gotten together. Ricky's indignation indicates that he has grown tired of the fact that Ben ruined his chances with both Amy and Adrian and so would not want him anywhere near being in the picture should he choose to purse Amy. It also shows how Ricky did indeed want to be with the mother of his child but the existence of Ben hindered his chances, maybe because he felt that it made Amy feel a lot of anger towards him and that he thought that Amy would've been better off with Ben.


 * Ricky: Maybe if Ben hadn't been trying to get together with you when we were having a baby things might have gone differently and maybe I would be flying in at the end of that program to be with you in New York.
 * Amy: Differently how?
 * Ricky: I don't know. What chance did we ever have at a relationship when he was willing to step in and come to the rescue?

Amy notices how riled up Ricky has gotten as the two start to argue about his duties as John's dad during Amy's absence, resulting in Ricky angrily hanging up on her. Feeling a bit sorry for himself, he rings Amy again to propose the idea of him flying over at the end of the program but Amy is sceptical because unlike the other guys that will be flying over, he is not in a relationship with the mother of his child, with some of them cohabitating and even married. This causes Ricky to question what is his and Amy's relationship, which Amy is undecided about.


 * Ricky: Well, if we're not in a relationship, what are we?
 * Amy: I don't know. I think we'll be different things to each other at different times.
 * Amy: I don't think we really know what we are right now other than John's parents.

Ricky insists that because he has some time off work, he could just come and visit for the weekend, explaining that it would be a good time for them to talk things out. He also adds that he hates talking to her over the phone and that he really wants to talk, even going so far as to offering to bring John along with him. Amy objects to him bringing John along for just the weekend as Ricky notices that she didn't oppose to the idea of him coming over. Ricky comments that it is probably time that they finally laid things out and just talked and even though Amy prefers they do it when she gets back, she reluctantly agrees to the idea which Ricky is quite happy about.

Ricky's sudden persistence in talking to Amy face-to-face may be down to the fact that ever since Amy has been away, he has come to the realisation that Amy is a huge part of his life and without her, life isn't the same. After practically living her life for the past couple weeks, Ricky has understood more about Amy and what she has gone through as a teen mother, which has made him more sympathetic towards her as we see him look out for her while she's gone, being the only one to do so to the extent he went to. The need for the two of them to talk and assess their own relationship suggests that he certainly would like to know if Amy does indeed feel the same way. Even though Amy is reluctant to have Ricky come over for the weekend, this may just be down to her shy and reticent nature, implying that her feelings for Ricky are quite conflicted and that she is unsure about developing them further.

Ricky pleads with Amy's parents to look after John while he's away, outlining the need for him and Amy to talk, which he believes would be great not only for him and Amy but also for John. George suspects that Ricky is intending to have sex with Amy, but Ricky wholeheartedly promises that it was never on the table. This goes to show how deep-rooted his feelings for Amy must be as he is undoubtedly and undeniably focused on talking things out with Amy. A short plane ride later, Ricky arrives in New York and makes his way to Amy's apartment. While she spruces the place up for Ricky's immanent arrival she seems quite nervous, but when he finally arrives she is extremely happy to see him after being away for so long. When Amy attempts to get Ricky to experience New York, Ricky admits that he only came all this way just so he could see her. This surprises Amy and makes her blush, causing her to quickly change the subject. Ricky though is just overjoyed and relieved that he is talking to her face-to-face after so long apart. As she is about to tell Ricky that she has missed him, Amy stops her self midsentence and says John's name instead. Ricky, not being able to contain his excitement, tells her that it's good to see her and gives her a warm hug, which Amy reciprocates with a beaming smile.


 * Ricky: It's really good to see you Amy.
 * Amy: You too Ricky, you too.

Amy offers her apartment to Ricky so he clean up before they go out and grab a bit of breakfast but after some light flirting, the two teens lock lips passionately. While chilling out on the couch getting to know each other better, they soon realise how much they have in common and how well they get on with each other. After munching down some Chinese, Ricky jokes about his abusive father. The fact that he was so comfortable talking to Amy about a subject so traumatic demonstrates how open he is with her and how close they've gotten, after all, he has never liked to divulge into his past with anyone except Dr Fields. When Ricky reminds Amy about her crazy family, she apologises for pushing Ricky into staying with them during her absence, which they both find hilarious. Amy enquires about Ricky's fling with her sister, concerningly asking if he felt anything when he kissed her. Ricky tries to wind Amy up by admitting to feeling something, much to Amy's displeasure, and goes on to further tease Amy by saying that he would only sleep with Ashley if Amy was dead. Amazed by Ricky's tongue-in-cheek humour, Amy jokingly denies thinking that her life would be better if Ricky wasn't around.

As it is getting late, Ricky gets up to leave, explaining how he promised her parents that they wouldn't 'do anything'. Amy, wanting him to stay a bit longer, insists that they weren't doing 'anything'. Ricky responds by raising the question of could something like that ever happening between them again which catches Amy off guard. Upon seeing Amy's reaction, Ricky feels a little embarrassed but Amy replies with uncertainty.


 * Ricky: I promised your parents we wouldn't do anything.
 * Amy: We're not doing anything.
 * Ricky: Well, when could we do something? Could we ever do something? Could we ever have sex again?
 * Amy: Whoa, whoa! The conversation took a turn here.
 * Amy: I don't know. I don't know if we could ever have sex again.

Amy stresses the importance of commitment in a relationship, declaring that should he want to pursue any sort of relationship with her, he would have to stop sleeping around, which she says he will do. His willingness to change his life around just because Amy would like him to just goes to show how much Amy means to him and how eager he is to take things further with her. Amy then admits to being on the pill thanks to what happened with Ricky at band camp. Feeling a bit culpable, Ricky asks if she is planning to have anymore kids in the future, but she is unsure.


 * Ricky: What do you want us to be?
 * Amy: I don't know, I really don't.
 * Amy: I think it's too soon to decide.
 * Ricky: John's over a year old now, maybe we should decide.

Fanon
Ramy is the most popular and most beloved ship in the Secret Life fandom. The relationship between the two was actually the longest official relationship on the show involving a main character and the 2nd longest non-pre-existing relationship, spanning a mammoth 62 episodes, which cemented their place as the 5th longest overall.

The chemistry between Amy and Ricky is unrivalled with many shipping these two long before they eventually got together. Their "Will-They-Won’t-They" relationship during Amy’s pregnancy and the the first part of John’s life led many to anticipate that Amy and Ricky would get together at some point in the future especially considering how their own respective relationships with other people never seemed to ever work out. In addition, the fact that the two had a son together, whom they both loved dearly, brought them a lot closer than everyone would’ve thought, which allowed them to get to know each other a lot better and appreciate each other.

Their relationship can be viewed as an emotional rollercoaster, with a lot of highs and lows, periods of exhilaration, fear and uncertainty. Even before they were together, their relationship was severely tested by all the challenges teenage parents face and a lot more, but their mutual love of their son always kept them grounded and it always brought them back to good terms.

What also strengthened the popularity of this ship was the fact that the two helped each other out massively and were always there for each other. An example of this is how Amy always believed in Ricky while everyone else was writing him off. Because of this, Ricky changed his whole life around, sorted himself out and let go of his dark past which led him to being a great father, a great husband and a great man.

Despite this, it is rivalled by a number of smaller ships such as Bendrian, Bamy and Radrian. However, these particular ships are not as popular as they did not last too long and they were not as complete and comprehensive as Ricky and Amy’s relationship.

Over the course of the show's five-year run, we have seen Amy and Ricky's relationship evolve and blossom, all starting from that one night at band camp. The addition of their son John brought the two teenagers closer then the would have ever imagined and against all the challenges and problems they faced, Amy and Ricky got through them together, strengthening their relationship in the process.

Fandom
FAN FICTION


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