Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.

AN: Sorry guys for the long wait. It's been a long couple of months. My boyfriend injured himself pretty badly in December, and so between helping him heal, I've also been going to school. However, the end is at hand. Let me know what you think and whether or not you'd like an epilogue. Thanks to everyone who has been so patient with this story.

Chapter 20

When the newly engaged couple entered the party, it soon became apparent to everyone what had happened. Kirsten's sharp eyes picked out the ring first, and she smiled happily, moving forward in order to be the first to congratulate them. Ryan smiled to see her coming, tightening his grip on his fiancée's hand, before releasing her. "I'm so happy for you both!" Kirsten cried, her heart wide open as she took first Marissa and then her son into her arms.

Marissa blushed as her two best friends -Summer and Anna- caught sight of the ring and rushed over to squeal over it and her fiancé. "Congratulations!" Summer laughed, the two age-old friends squealing as the realization that Marissa was engaged finally set in.

Meanwhile, Kirsten still had one hand linked in her son's elbow, as they watched the three girls celebrate. Ryan smiled as he watched Marissa break free from their embraces for a moment to look for him. "I love you," he mouthed to her, waving off her concern. "Enjoy yourself."

Marissa nodded and blew him a kiss, before turning back to her friends. Kirsten glanced at her son, seeing his complete contentedness. "Are you happy, baby?"

Ryan smiled up at his mother. "The happiest."

Kirsten chuckled, one hand cupping his cheek as she bent to kiss his cheek. "Good. Now then . . . this is your birthday party. Enjoy it, okay?"

"You got it," he agreed, hugging his mother tightly, before moving to join his friends.

"Hey baby?"

"Yeah, Mom?"

Smiling at him through the tears in her eyes, she spoke, "I love you, so much."

"I love you too, Mom," he confessed, before getting swept away by his friends.

Later that night, the moon found Ryan surrounded by the Strays, Luke, Anna, Summer and Marissa, the love of his life. He and Ben were talking and laughing, and it seemed as though they had the world at their fingertips. Alone among the group, Summer caught sight of Seth standing off to himself. Marissa glanced between her best friend and her fiancé's brother, from her place between Ryan's knees. "Sum, just go talk to him. Get angry, do some yelling, and get over this."

"It won't be the same as it was."

"Nothing will ever be the same as it was," Ryan reminded his "little sister" but at least we can start to move past this. "I've forgiven him, Summer. At least you can do the same."

Summer took a deep breath and nodded. "All right. Here I go."

Getting up, she moved toward the teenager standing alone. "Can we talk?" she asked quietly, her eyes sad and distrusting.

Seth nodded, gesturing for her to precede him from the patio. Summer led him into the house and down the hallway to Ryan's room, the only place she knew they wouldn't be disturbed. Standing with her back to him for a long moment, she fought to gather her arsenal. At the sound of the door closing, she rounded on him. "I can't believe how selfish and cruel you were, Seth Cohen. I never would have thought it of you."

Seth stared at her for a long moment, his mouth hanging open in shock at the sudden attack. Finally gathering his wits, he burst out, "I said I was sorry."

"That doesn't automatically mean you've been forgiven, Seth! And you've only apologized to Ryan, who would have forgiven you even if you hadn't asked him to. He loves you that much; you're his brother. But what have you said to me, lately, huh? You haven't said a damn thing to me since you got home."

Seth burst in then, interrupting her furious tirade. "Excuse me, but you haven't let me get a word in since I got home. You're pretty damn intimidating when you're steamed, Summer Roberts, in case you didn't know."

Summer tossed a strand of raven hair over her shoulder. "That's beside the point, Seth. Grow some balls, for God's sake! I was your girlfriend! You owed me an apology, just as much as you owed your brother an apology. You just left me, without a word to let me know where you were going or even if you were coming back! The only reason I didn't move on is because I'm completely and 100 percent in love with you, you jackass! I couldn't do!"

Seth stared at her. "You're in love with me?" he asked, his voice small and curious.

Summer narrowed her eyes at him. "You make that sound like it's a surprise. Of course I'm in love with you, you idiot! Why else would I have been so steamed!?"

Suddenly moving, Summer was caught off guard as Seth wrapped one warm hand behind her neck and pulled her to him for a long kiss. She lost herself in it for as long as it lasted, noticeably panting as they pulled apart. Staring up at him with limpid eyes, she murmured, "This does not mean that I forgive you. You're going to have to work for it."

"No?" he questioned, his voice equally quiet. "Then allow me to work on that a bit harder."

This time when their lips met, Summer threw herself into it, measure for measure. When they arrived back with their friends, Ryan smiled to see their fingers interlocked together and her body pressed into the curve of his. "Everything go okay?" he inquired lightly.

"He's not forgiven yet, but he's working on it," Summer announced imperiously, her dark eyes daring Ryan to say anything else.

Ryan smirked, his lips firmly pressed together. Marissa, of course, had no such qualms. "Working on it, huh? How hard?"

Summer squawked and dipped her hand into the pool, splashing her best friend playfully. Pretty soon, all of them were either in the pool or so drenched it looked like they had been, regardless of their formal attire.

Kirsten and Sandy stood in the kitchen, watching them from the window. "He looks so happy," Kirsten murmured to her husband, resting her head back against his chest.

"Who? Ryan?"

"All of them. Do you think everything's okay now?"

"They've got some more things to work through, but for the most part I think they've made it through the trials we face."

Kirsten grin was so wide it could have split her face in two. "Thank God."

The End