Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program "The OC" are the creations of Fox and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.

Placement: After "The Debutante". Some ideas are different than what was put forth in "The Outsider".

P1

A small smile played across the teenager's face as he woke up and took in his surroundings. He could not believe his good fortune. He'd stole a car, went to jail, got kicked out of the house by his mom and later abandoned by her and yet somehow he had ended up here, living among the social elite of the OC, Orange County. The teenager allowed himself a few more moments to enjoy his good fortune before letting a veil of skepticism to settle into place. Yeah, things are good now but will it last? If life had taught Ryan Atwood anything in his sixteen hard years, it was that the other shoe usually dropped, on him. But maybe, just this once.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he set his feet on the floor digging his toes into the thick nap of the carpet. Man, even the carpet felt rich. Nothing like the threadbare, cloth-like material that had passed as carpeting in the house his mom had rented. Stretching again, Ryan took in a deep breath. The odors around here were a whole lot better too. No cat piss, stale smoke, cheap booze or drug stench in the air; just a cool breeze with the tang of salt from the nearby ocean.

Shaking his head in disbelief at his lifestyle reversal, he arose from the bed, took care of the morning details and then stepped out onto the grassy area surrounding the pool. The sun was full and bright, glinting off the crests of the waves. Offshore, colorful sailboats bobbed in the surf. It was one impressive view from one impressive house, so unlike the alleyway his old window had faced.

Crossing over to the main house, he let himself in through the glass wall of doors to the kitchen. You could have placed his entire old house in this kitchen alone he mused. He took a quick look at the clock on the wall to determine the time. Hmmm, Sandy had probably left for the office by now. Seth, who was making a career out of sleeping these days, was still probably burrowed under his covers. He could faintly hear the murmurings of Kirsten who was, no doubt, on the phone with one of her errant contractors trying to beat some sense into him. A half smile played across his face. Tough lady. Not someone to mess around with.

Opening one of the many cabinets that lined the walls, Ryan chose a box of cereal from the obscene selection waiting for consumption on the shelf. He was lucky if his Mom had money for groceries any given week. There had been many a day where hunger and he started the morning together and were still hanging out at night. Well not here, he thought as a grabbed a bowl and plopped it next to his cereal choice on the counter. Milk. He wandered over to the stainless fridge. Gee, even the Cohen's fridge was impressive. It definitely had more features than his Mom's old clunker. The milk however, was standard fare. Paper carton, cow face. Rich or poor, the milks the same.

As he was sloshing the milk onto his flakes, the doorbell rang. He wondered about answering it but the quick tap-tap of feet on the ceramic foyer floor told him it was unnecessary. Deciding to indulge himself with a little Playstation, he scooped up his bowl and spoon and headed around the corner to the den, spooning cereal into his mouth as he went. He nearly choked when he rounded the corner and saw Kirsten and Jimmy embracing, in what to Ryan seemed to be a very intimate manner. Quickly reversing his direction, he backtracked into the kitchen, fairly sure he had not been detected. They'd been, well, pretty occupied. Slightly shaken by what he had witnessed, Ryan dumped his bowl of cereal down the drain and headed out by the pool. Hunger didn't seem like such a priority after all.

His mind raced with possibilities. What was going on? He knew from the conversation Marissa, Seth and he had overheard in the model home, that Jimmy was in financial straits and Kirsten had bailed him out to the tune of 100 batting an eyelash. He could not imagine having so much disposable income at your hands that giving someone that amount of dough was as easy as getting $20 from the MAC machine. Ryan also knew from that overheard conversation, that Kirsten and Jimmy had grown up near each other and had dated for a while. How seriously, he did not know, but based on the embrace he had just witnessed, he was beginning to wonder.

Flopping down on one of the lounge chairs in the grass by the pool, Ryan gnawed at the inside of his cheek while he pondered the situation. Jimmy and Kirsten. It didn't seem right to him though when it came to issues involving relationships and trust, Ryan was definitely jaded. He had never been able to trust anyone. Every time he tried, he was rewarded with a slap in the face. His past made it hard for him to believe that anyone could or should be trusted. But Kirsten? Would she turn her back on Sandy? They seemed like the perfect couple in Ryan's albeit limited experience. Could Kirsten still have feelings for Jimmy? Were Sandy and Kirsten having marital problems? His mom's marriage certainly was not successful. Then again, neither were any of her relationships for that matter. There you go, Ryan thought. Another thing that binds the rich and the poor, milk and marital problems.

Ryan wondered if this was another problem he had caused since arriving in the OC. He knew Kirsten had not been thrilled about Sandy bringing him home. It had been painfully obvious. She had been civil to him, yes, but had also made it very clear he was a temporary fixture in the house, like fish. After a few days, Kirsten was sure Ryan would stink. Bringing Seth home from that party beaten up and drunk had only added to his allure in Kirsten's eyes. She had wanted him out. immediately. Sandy had tried to stand up for him, well at least for a little while but then like all the adults in his life, Sandy had bowed to Kirsten's wishes and Ryan was out on his ass, or would have been if he had not run away.

Running away. Now there was a successful adventure. He had his heart stepped on, by his own doing, he admitted, got the shit beat out of him, burned down Kirsten's model home and nearly died in the resultant fire. Successful venture, huh?! No wonder Kirsten had adored him.

But that was the past. Was he still causing tension in the Cohen's marriage? He thought Kirsten had accepted him. After all, she had rescued him from jail though at the time he thought it was guilt and not kindness that caused her to remove him from that hellhole. He had no illusions. Yeah, he was tough but that kid would have killed him if Ryan had not been released from juvy. Though he had only been in lockup a short time, Ryan had already learned that the guards could be gotten around. If that kid had wanted Ryan dead, it would have happened. Ryan laughed mirthlessly to himself. Sandy had lectured Ryan about running away, about nearly dying in that fire. Well Sandy, Ryan thought, I could have died just as easily in that jail and no one seemed to be trying to get me out of there very fast. That was until he went to the mat to save Kirsten from that thug.

Ryan's pondering was brought up short as the kitchen door opened bringing Kirsten and Jimmy, laughing, onto the patio. As the two adults approached the pool's edge Jimmy made a feint as if to throw Kirsten in the crystal clear water. Spinning to avoid Jimmy's ploy, Kirsten spotted Ryan in the lounge chair. Her laughter drifted off as she became embarrassed at being caught acting so silly.

"Morning, Ryan," she forced out, her tone artificially cheerful.

"Hey," Ryan returned, ducking his head and averting his gaze.

An awkward silence prevailed for a few seconds before Ryan bolted from the chair. "I gotta go, get Seth. We're late for... something," he muttered as he moved quickly towards the kitchen door. "Morning, Mr. Cooper," he threw over his shoulder as he disappeared into the house.

Once within the relative safety of the kitchen, he expelled the air he had been holding in his lungs and sagged heavily against the counter. What was going on here? Was that how a married woman was supposed to act, especially around her former boyfriend? They were behaving like a couple of love struck teenagers. Not wanting to take a chance on having another encounter with them, Ryan used his muscular forearms to push himself off the counter in preparation to flee. Seth, strolling into the kitchen, cut short his escape. With his tousled hair sticking out in all directions from his head, Seth blinked sleepily at Ryan.

"Morning," Seth yawned, moving around Ryan to grab a box of cereal from the cabinet and the milk from the fridge. Snagging a bowl on his circuit around the island, Seth hiked himself up on one of the kitchen bar stools and began dumping cereal into his bowl. "You eat yet?" Seth inquired of Ryan holding out the box of cereal towards him.

"No. Yeah. Well, sort of," Ryan stammered as his gaze involuntarily drifting out the kitchen windows towards the location where he had last seen Kirsten and Jimmy.

Seth dropped the box onto the counter and noted Ryan's gaze, his curiosity peaked. "Who's out there with Mom?", Seth asked craning his neck but not quite able to see.

Ryan eyes darted back to Seth then out the window again. "Mr. Cooper. Marissa's dad," Ryan added unnecessarily.

"Right dude. Marissa's dad. What's he doing here I wonder?" he asked idly as he munched through his cereal while scanning the latest video game magazine.

Ryan's eyes shifted between the outside and inside scenarios. "Dunno know. Business stuff I guess. They look all business-like, don't they?" Ryan replied in a tone that sounded like he was trying to convince himself of the validity of his remark.

Seth looked up from his page and gave Ryan a quizzical glance. "Okay. Sure. Whatever. Say what do you want to do today? There's an awesome store down at the pier with a rad video game selection. We should go scope'em out," he declared around a mouthful of cereal.

"Great," Ryan returned distractedly.

"Right. Well eat, or don't, and let's get going. Time's a wasting," Seth said scooping up the last of his breakfast and reaching for a refill.

Ryan forced his mind off the Kirsten/Jimmy dilemma. Nothing he could do. He was probably imagining it all anyway. Snagging a clean bowl, Ryan poured himself another round of breakfast and chowed down as he listened to Seth rave about some new video game.

"It's totally awesome," Seth rattled on. "You can hide.

P2

Kirsten and Jimmy settled into chairs on the patio, the table between them.

"Gosh, Jimmy, I am so happy for you. That is wonderful news about your investment opportunity. I really hope it pays off as well as you think."

"It will Kirsten. I have a good feeling about this one. It's what I need to pull myself out of the hole. I'll even be able to pay you back a lot sooner than originally expected."

"Don't worry about that. I know you're good for it."

Jimmy reached across the table and captured Kirsten's slender hand. "Thanks, Kirsten. For being there. For understanding. For helping. It is nice to have someone to talk to about things. Julie, well, that's not her style. I am expected to make the money, she to spend it."

Kirsten remained quiet. She had never quite understood how Jimmy had come to marry Julie. She wondered if part of it was a form of rebellion. Julie, like Ryan, was not from the best of neighborhoods. When Julie had come onto the scene, she was different which made her seem mysterious and maybe even a bit dangerous. By the time Julie showed up on the scene, Kirsten's relationship with Jimmy had moved from dating to friends so there was never any real contention between the two women, at least from Kirsten's perspective.

Over the college years, Kirsten had lost track of Jimmy. It wasn't until after graduation that they met up again. She had been in town for some society function and had run into him and Julie. It was then she learned of their plans to marry. By then Kirsten was dating Sandy and she had no more thoughts of Jimmy other than fond memories of a first love and a good friend. She'd had wished them well.

It was interesting, Kirsten mused, how Jimmy and her lives had tracked in parallel. She had married Sandy, the unorthodox boy from the Bronx. Jimmy had married Julie, the girl from Riverside. Their first-borns were the same age and they had ended up living next to each other. Sometimes life was strange that way.

"Kirsten?" Jimmy repeated, breaking her reverie by giving her a little tug on the hand, which he was still holding.

"I'm sorry, Jimmy," Kirsten smiled. "I was just dallying in the past, thinking about how similar our lives turned out."

"Yeah, I guess. I never thought about it."

"Hmmm, well I am really happy for you and I hope this all works out," she smiled as she reached out with her other hand to pat Jimmy's forearm.

The shutter from Seth's window slammed back into place as Ryan abruptly turned away from the window.

"Something interesting out there, Ry?" Seth asked in all innocence.

"No. Come on. Let's split," Ryan returned as he brusquely shouldered past Seth out the door.

Seth shrugged, grabbed his skateboard and hurried after Ryan who was already halfway down the staircase. Ryan was a bit weird this morning but hey, after the last few weeks, the kid had the right to be moody if he wanted. It had been one exciting roller coaster ride. Seth was incredibly happy to have someone cool to hang out with, even if he was a bit temperamental at times.

Ryan resisted the urge to look out the windows towards the pool as they made their way to the front door. Ryan had barely cleared the door when he heard Seth call after him. "Dude, we gotta tell Mom where we're off to or she'll have a cow."

Ryan stopped and stood in the foyer nervously waiting for Seth's return. When he came back, Ryan studied Seth's face. God knows what Kirsten and Jimmy were doing on the patio by now.

"Everything alright?" Ryan asked as Seth passed by him.

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" Seth questioned.

Ryan shrugged behind Seth's back and shook his head. "Leave it alone," he muttered to himself as he followed Seth out the door.

"What?"

"Nothing."

P3

The next couple of days passed uneventfully with Ryan settling into the Cohen's routine and the Cohen's starting to get use to having another person around. They had already agreed to be his guardians provided he kept his nose clean. Ryan had been elated and fearful at the same time. It had been his experience so far that good things did not happen to Ryan Atwood for very long. He remained guardedly optimistic that maybe, just this once, it would work out OK.

When the doorbell rang, Ryan went to answer it. Rosa was off at the market and he didn't know where Kirsten was at the moment. He pulled one of the double doors open and saw a florist deliveryman standing there with a huge bouquet of roses. Red. The man thrust a clipboard at him and tapped impatiently where he wanted Ryan to sign. Ryan quickly penned his signature next to Kirsten Cohen's name accepting the delivery. The man took the clipboard back and thrust the flowers into Ryan's hands. In the blink of an eye, the he was gone and Ryan was standing alone in the foyer holding a large bouquet of flowers.

"Who was it Ryan? Oh," Kirsten uttered when she came around the corner and spotted him standing there, looking rather puzzled.

"Bring them in the kitchen," Kirsten directed. "I'll get a vase."

Ryan obediently complied, laying the bouquet of red roses on the countertop in the kitchen.

"I wonder who they're from," Kirsten mused as she wandered back into the kitchen, a Waterford crystal vase in hand.

Ryan shrugged indifferently.

"Check for a card, would you," Kirsten requested as she went to fill the vase with water.

Ryan poked around the leaves, snagging his finger on a thorn and drawing blood. Finally, he spied the envelope attached to the outer wrappings. While sucking on his forefinger, he detached the card.

"Thorn get you?" Kirsten inquired bringing the water-filled vase to the counter.

Ryan nodded his head and held out the card to her.

"Must be from Sandy, though I have no idea why," Kirsten mused aloud as she opened the envelope.

Ryan stood there quietly watching her read the card, as he nursed his wounded digit.

"Oh," she exclaimed softly.

A faint blush tinged her cheek as she reread the card. She looked up to see Ryan's piercing gaze fixed on her. Damn, that kid's eyes could nail you to a wall, she thought.

"They're from Jimmy, Mr. Cooper, the flowers. A thank you," she said quietly.

Ryan removed his finger from his mouth but continued to stare at her for a few seconds. Kirsten could see the emotions playing across Ryan's eyes. Tough as he tried to be, Ryan's expressive eyes often gave away hints to his inner self. If she was reading things correctly, Ryan was upset.

"For the loan. The flowers are a thank you for the loan," she added awkwardly.

Ryan gave her that quirky, half smile he had, and then looked away. "Right."

The two stood in awkward silence.

"Oh, your finger. Here let me get you a tissue," she said breaking the stillness by moving across the room.

Ryan glanced down at his finger to discover it was dripping blood. Taking the offered tissue from Kirsten, he wiped the counter with it and then wrapped it around his finger.

"Nice flowers," he said quietly as he moved around towards the door to the pool. "Nice of Mr. Cooper. to thank you."

Kirsten stared after Ryan as he left the kitchen. She knew there was something left unspoken between them but she did not know what.

P4

Ryan circled the beet around his plate for the umpteenth time. The red roses were cheerfully sitting on the kitchen counter. They were not making Ryan feel cheerful. They were making him feel ill.

Conversation flowed around the table but tonight, Sandy noted, it rarely touched Ryan. When pressed, the sullen teenager would provide a one syllable, nearly monotone response. He wondered what was bothering the boy, maybe just the newness of it all. After all, no one expected Ryan to integrate himself into the Cohen household overnight. It would take time. Sandy turned his attention to the new addition on the countertop.

"So, I see you have some beautiful red roses there honey. From a secret admirer I'm unaware of?" Sandy gently teased.

Ryan's eyes jerked between Sandy and Kirsten. Sandy had no idea that his little jest had suddenly become a scud missile to Ryan, directly on target and ready to explode.

"They're from Jimmy. A thank you. He thinks he may be, ah, recovering," Kirsten finished cryptically.

"Mom, you don't have to talk in code. Ryan and I know you lent money to Mr. Cooper. It's no secret. Heck, after Cotillion, everyone knows. They're all talking about it. How Mr. Cooper is in ruins. How he is going to lose his house. How the SEC is after him. They're even saying his wife is leaving him over this whole thing, not that that's surprising."

"Seth," Kirsten reprimanded, "that is enough."

"Just word on the street, Mom."

"Well I won't have it repeated in this house."

Seth shrugged and focused back on his plate.

Ryan took the beet for another spin around the plate, totally uncomfortable with the conversational direction.

"Well," Kirsten said wiping her lips with her napkin. "Jimmy stopped by the other day and told me he had made a good investment and things might be turning around. Not for repetition Seth."

Seth shrugged casually.

"Well, I hope so. Even if he is your ex-boyfriend, I don't wish him ill," Sandy declared. "Besides, I won you, didn't I?" he said, giving his wife a loving grin.

Kirsten glanced to Sandy's right where Ryan was sitting, eyes riveted on her again. When he realized he'd been caught, Ryan quickly shifted his gaze and Kirsten noted a slight reddening to his ears.

"Of course you won, dear. I wouldn't have it any other way," she replied, turning her attentions back to her husband.

Ryan's fork clattered against his plate as he gave up all pretense of eating. He swiftly rose from the table, and then realized he could not just leave without an explanation. What was going through his head was not suitable for public airing, so he fell back on the oldest excuse in the book.

"I'm not feeling so great." He glanced around the table. "Must have been the food we ate down at the pier or something. I think I'll go get an aspirin," he added lamely moving away from the dinner table.

"Yeah, it was probably that dog. I told you not to eat it that way," Seth stated. "Deadly combination dude."

Ryan glanced furtively around the room, his eyes once again coming to rest on the traitorous roses.

"Yeah, I am sure that's it," Ryan flatly intoned glaring at the flowers. Shaking his head, he broke his staring contest with the offensive blooms and headed for the door to the pool house.

"Do you want me to get you some aspirin, Ryan? Tums, maybe?" Kirsten called after him.

Ryan drew up short. "No," he shot back, his tone harsh. "I mean, no thanks. I can take care of myself. Finish your dinner. Sorry to interrupt," he added awkwardly as he hung his head and swiftly left the room.

Sandy gave his wife a look as if to say 'what's going on'? Kirsten shrugged and frowned back. Seth, oblivious to the whole non-verbal exchange, continued to eat his dinner.

"So Seth. What did you and Ryan do today?" Sandy queried. Maybe, he thought, there was a clue there.

"Nothing. Hung out. Apparently ate bad food."

"Did you guys go any place special, run into anyone?", Sandy probed further.

"What is this, an inquisition? We went to the pier, grabbed a bite to eat, and went to the video store." Seth paused for a breath. "The video store. You should have seen the demo of this new game they have Dad. Awesome. Totally. It's like..." Seth chattered on bringing them all up to date on the wonderful world of blood and guts video games. "...it was outrageously cool. I can't wait until they release it."

Sandy was enlightened about video games but not much else by the time dinner was over

P5

Kirsten was doing some paperwork at her desk when Sandy meandered into the room. He was wearing his typical night-hang-around-the-house garb, shorts, t-shirt and an unbelted bathrobe. Kirsten glanced up at him thinking he was undeniably sexy. His hair was disheveled giving him that rakish appearance she adored.

Sipping from his over-sized coffee mug, Sandy peered over Kirsten's shoulder.

"Contractor hassles?"

"What else," she replied leaning back in her chair and running her hands through her blond tresses. "I swear they are all out to get me."

"Now honey."

"I know. I know. It's just frustrating. I have no idea where they are coming from sometimes."

Sandy perched on the corner of her desk. "Speaking of coming from, is something up with Ryan? Dinner was not the smoothest affair tonight."

Kirsten picked up a pen and started fiddling with it.

"I mean, he did say he wasn't feeling well and I can tell you that while he artfully arranged the food on his plate, he didn't eat much of it. Maybe it's as simple as that, that he wasn't feeling well," Sandy concluded but without much conviction.

Kirsten stopped tapping the pen on her forearm. "I don't know Sandy. It's odd. I have a feeling that something is bothering Ryan, too. I've had it for a couple of days. Mother's intuition..."

Sandy smiled at her choice of words.

"... tells me that something is wrong. But honestly, I do not know Ryan well enough even to hazard a guess as to the cause. Maybe just the newness of all this. If it were Seth," she shrugged, "maybe I would have a clue, but then again maybe not. Teenage boys," she said trailing off.

"I hear you. I was one myself and still, I don't get it at times."

"Are we getting old, honey?"

"Mature, not old," Sandy grinned as be placed his coffee mug on her desk, got up, walked around the back of her chair and started rubbing her shoulders.

"This isn't going to be easy Sandy," she sighed, enjoying the massage.

"Ryan's got baggage that we're going to need to sift through. No doubt about that. There are sixteen years of issues to unravel, in a moody, hormone-crazed, teenage boy. Sounds like a piece of cake to me. He is a good kid, but it will take time."

"I know he is a good kid and I know it will take time." She reached up and captured Sandy's hands. He rotated until he was sitting on the desk facing her.

Kirsten looked down at her lap. "I guess I feel like it is my fault his mother left him again. I mean if I hadn't insisted she go to Vegas night, she would not have gotten drunk..."

"Again," Sandy interjected.

"...and maybe she wouldn't have."

Sandy cut her off. "Left Ryan? Gotten drunk? Lost control? Placed Ryan in danger? Honey, I'm sorry, I know she is Ryan's mother but she is not fit to take care of him. The only life Ryan would have with her is a bad one."

Kirsten's mind drifted back to the first dinner with Dawn where Ryan had explosively left the table. "My God Sandy. At dinner that night. With Dawn. Was she serious? That her boyfriend beat on her and Ryan?"

Sandy shrugged. "I have to believe it was probably true and more like a pattern than a singular incident. Ryan was pretty upset that his Mom was airing their dirty laundry in public."

"How could she tolerate that? I know I sound like a broken record but what kind of mother allows anyone to beat her child." It was really a rhetorical question. Both she and Sandy knew how it could and did happen and that is wasn't all Dawn's fault. She was a victim too.

"He's led a tough life, Kirsten."

Kirsten gazed off into the distance. "You should have seen the look in his eyes. The hurt when he came out of that pool house and found her abandoning him again. I think he had let himself believe, if only a little bit, that things would be different this time. To see him standing there staring at her as she walked out of his life again." She shook her head to clear the painful memories. "It broke my heart."

"Why did you change your mind and take him in Kirsten? Simply because you felt sorry for him?"

"Yes, no, I mean what was I supposed to do?" She drew a steadying breath. "You were right when you said there was something about him. He is different. In that jail. He defended me. Against that thug. He knew he couldn't win, yet he still tried to defend me. He entered into a battle he knew he could not win, because it was the right thing to do."

"And," Sandy interjected, "that may bring about his biggest downfall."

"Or his greatest salvation," she countered.

They both took a moment to reflect. There was no doubt in either of their minds they were going to being traveling down a rough road with Ryan.

"He deserves a break. And I, we, have the means to give that to him," she added sincerely.

"I love you," Sandy said gazing deep into her eyes.

"I love you, too."

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes.

"Well, like you said, honey we have gotten in way over our heads. And on that note, I think I'll wade out to the pool house and test how deep the water really is."

"Good luck," she called after the departing form of her husband.

P6

Ryan was flopped on the couch in the pool house, leg draped over the arm. He had the TV on but wasn't really watching it. It was just noise, distraction. A knock on the door had Sandy admitting himself into Ryan's space.

"Got a minute?" Sandy asked.

Ryan shrugged indifferently. Sandy took that as an affirmative, came in and sat down in the chair opposite the sofa.

"Good movie?" he asked glancing at the channel Ryan had set on the TV.

Ryan's glance flickered from the TV to Sandy to the TV. "Guess."

Noticing the dirty dishes stacked on the floor next to the couch he asked, "Feeling better?"

Ryan followed Sandy's gaze to the dishes. Looking somewhat embarrassed, he shook his head in what might be interpreted as a yes or a no.

"You know, Ryan. No one expects you to become part of this family overnight. It is going to take time for all of us to work this out, to get to know each other, to learn to trust each other."

Ryan winced when Sandy used the word 'trust', a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Sandy.

Sandy leaned forward in the chair, capturing Ryan's gaze with his own. "I know you will find this hard to accept but we will always be here for you Ryan. When Kirsten and I signed that paperwork to become your guardians that was our pledge to you that we will always be here for you. No matter what. For the good and the bad. I know a lot of people have let you down in the past but I hope you will come to place your trust in us."

Ryan stared at Sandy, his emotions flickering through his eyes. Wanting to believe, but having way too many raw wounds to take the first step yet, Ryan dropped his gaze to the carpet, words failing him.

"And I want you to feel that you can come to talk to me, any time, about anything. I mean it Ryan. You don't have to face everything alone anymore. Give me a chance. Give us a chance. Give yourself a chance."

If Sandy had learned anything about dealing with teenagers, it was that you could only push so hard at one time, and then you had to back off for a bit and let them mull. Now was the time to back off and let Ryan mull. Leaning back in his chair again, he tried to lighten the mood. "So exactly what did you put on that hotdog?"

Ryan broke out with a spontaneous grin. "Ketchup," he answered, rolling his eyes. "I put ketchup on it. Apparently, I broke some unwritten OC 'mustard only' rule. I seem to be doing that a lot these days. Breaking the rules," he added ruefully.

"No one said it was going to be easy Ryan. These kids up here, they are different from you."

It startled Ryan to hear Sandy echoing the words that he, Ryan, had said to Marissa.

"It doesn't mean that these kids are better than you," Sandy continued. "Just different. Basically, these kids have the same issues as you and are just as confused as you are at times. Being rich doesn't give them the answer to life. In some cases, it is just the opposite. Believing in yourself Ryan. That is the key to life."

Ryan lifted his head and stared out the window over Sandy's shoulder. "It's not easy," he said, his voice breaking slightly.

Sandy sighed. "No, it never is."

On the TV, a commercial for a Kung-fu movie flashed on the screen.

"And speaking of fighting."

Ryan's whole body drooped. He knew what was coming.

"No matter how awesome my son thinks it is when you slug the rich kids, you've got to knock it off. There are better ways to deal with situations, other than your fists."

"I'll try," even though they both knew it was a half-hearted promise at best. Ryan's anger was too close to the surface and it would take incredible will power on his part to control it.

"And you know if there is anything you want to talk about."

"To come see you," Ryan finished unknowingly echoing back Seth's words to his Dad. "Yeah, I know."

"Damn," Sandy said as he rose. "What do you kids do? Compare notes at night?"

Ryan gave Sandy a puzzled look.

"Never mind. Just remember what I said. All of it. You are a part of this family now, for better or worse. And," Sandy grinned as he left the pool house, "the only way to eat hotdogs is with onions, sauerkraut and ketchup from a push cart in New York."

P7

Ryan leaned his bike up against the concrete planter. "I'll wait here for you. Skateboards, not my thing," Ryan said as he hopped on top of the planter and arranged himself comfortably. A group of bikini clad girls walked by, giggling. "The view here is. magnificent," he said grinning at Seth.

"Definitely," Seth replied watching the girls go by. "I won't be long," Seth said as he switched tracks from girls to gear, heading for the entryway to his favorite skate shop.

"Yeah, right." Ryan remarked as he settled in. He knew Seth in a skateboard shop. Won't be long, ha. Ryan gazed about the outdoor shopping center, taking in the view. It was a gorgeous day, lots of people eating in the outdoor cafes. His eye was suddenly drawn to one particular striped awning and the people sitting beneath it. Jimmy and Kirsten. Ryan's eyes narrowed as he shifted his position to get a better view. Definitely them. Their conversation could not be heard from his position, but the fact they were having a good time was easily discernable. Ryan was so distracted by what was going on in the café and the fact that Jimmy had just leaned over and kissed Kirsten, that he did not notice the group of kids approaching his position.

"Hey Chino. Who are you spying on?" a voice taunted.

Ryan whipped his head about so quickly, he nearly unseated himself. He saw Merlin, Brad, and Doug approaching with a bunch of other kids that usually hung out with Luke, but curiously, no Luke. Focused on this new situation, Ryan did not see Kirsten suddenly slap Jimmy in the face at the café.

Ryan's attention remained riveted on the forming lynch mob. Merlin swaggered up to the concrete planter and jumped up on top of it to get a better view of what Ryan had been so intensely staring at.

"Hey guys, get a load of this. There's Mr. Cooper. Geez I'm surprised that guy will still show his face around here. Look who he's sitting with. Ryan's fairy godmother." Merlin turned back to face Ryan. "A fairy has a fairy godmother doesn't he?" Merlin sneered, as he moved into Ryan's space.

Ryan slid off the planter trying to put some distance between him and Merlin. He could feel his control slipping.

Doug approached on Ryan's right craning his neck to see what was going on in the café. "They look rather chummy to me. I hear the Cooper's have split up. Gee Chino, is your 'Mom' going to bail out Mr. Cooper again? Perhaps this time with more than money?" Doug taunted.

The rest of the kids laughed at Doug's innuendo. "Yeah. Maybe Cooper is looking for another type of handout," Merlin added, making a rude pumping gesture with his fist.

Ryan's temper flared. "Knock it off," he warned in a low growl.

Merlin dropped off the barrier along side of the blond boy. "What are you going to do about it, Chino?" he goaded, moving even more into Ryan's personal space. The boys were nearly shoulder-to-shoulder.

Ryan grimaced and shook his head. "Look, I don't want any trouble," he said as he tried to back away from Merlin. However, Doug and Brad had hemmed him in and there was nowhere to go. Ryan tried to push his way between Doug and Brad, but he was repelled back quickly, his side making a solid connection with the cement-edge of the planter. "Guys," Ryan said leveling his eyes over the boys' shoulders, his voice low. "I don't want to do this."

Merlin reached out and shoved him along the planter, causing the skin on Ryan's bare left forearm to scrape painfully along the rough concrete. Another shove from an unknown assailant had Ryan falling backwards on to the walkway. The taunting started again. "So how is the Cohen's marriage? Maybe living next to the Cooper's has rubbed off. What say you Chino? Is your little lady looking for a good time with the Coop?"

Ryan bit hard on the inside of his cheek. He had promised the Cohen's he would stay out of trouble."

Doug and Merlin grabbed him by the arms, yanked him to his feet and slammed him face first into the concrete. Ryan could feel the wetness from his abraded cheek starting to drip down his face. The rest of the kids formed a protective ring around the thugs and their victim, basically screening them from passersby.

"Hey, Chino. Maybe you're giving the lady a little action, as payment for living there?" Merlin suggested obscenely.

At that, Ryan lost it. Throwing his weight back, he toppled into Merlin dragging the other two boys down with him. The four ended up in a pile on the ground. It didn't take long for the boys to straighten out the tangle of legs and arms and Ryan soon found himself trying to fend off three boys intent on making him into a pancake. Taking more of a defensive position than offense, Ryan tried to minimize the number of blows that connected with his person. Fighting was one thing, but trying to win three against one was suicide. Still, Ryan occasionally landed a punch on his opponents.

Seizing an opening, Ryan tried to rise from the ground to obtain a better position. He managed to get halfway to his feet when one of his assailants grabbed his right leg and viciously yanked him back down to the cement. The blond boy let out a groan as his knee popped and a shooting pain encompassed his leg. He knew that escape was not going to be an option now. He was not even sure walking was possible at the moment with this throbbing leg.

Doug and Brad each grabbed one of Ryan's arms and started to play tug-of- war with him.

"Hey, I think the cops are coming," someone from the crowd yelled to the fighters. Doug, Brad and Merlin momentarily halted their Chino rehabilitation program and looked at each other.

"Let's get out of here," Doug said letting go of Ryan's arm and rising to his feet. Brad quickly joined him letting Ryan fall roughly back onto the ground and curled into a ball. Merlin rose too. Doug and Brad moved off with the rest of the kids but Merlin hesitated a moment, towering over the downed boy. His booted-foot shot out and smartly connected with Ryan's ribcage. Ryan cried out and curled into a tighter ball. "That's from Luke. Stay away from Marissa white trash," he warned. With that, Merlin departed leaving Ryan alone.

Ryan tried to push his upper body erect with his arms, but they gave out and he thudded back on the ground. His head was spinning and his whole body ached. He decided the best course of action was to lie still for a few minutes. No police ever showed up and in fact, no one paid any attention to the boy curled up against the wall. Perhaps they took him for a drunk or drug addict or some other undesirable element to be avoided.

After a few minutes, Ryan bit on his already split lip and took another stab at sitting upright. He was sweating profusely and the world was really tilting by the time he managed to sit up. Pulling the hood of his sweatshirt over his head, he bent his left knee upwards and propped his head on his forearms on his knee. His right knee, already starting to swell, he left unbent on the ground. Ryan sat there, miserable, waiting for Seth to return and wondering how he was going to explain all this to the Cohen's. His staying out of trouble promise had become no more than dust in the wind.

P8

Kirsten was furious at herself for what had happened at the café. She knew Jimmy had been drinking heavily. She should have left right away, but she had felt sorry for her old friend when he told her that his so called 'sure- thing' investment was yet another bust. She had stayed trying to be a good friend.

Julie had deserted her husband and, other than his teenage daughter, Jimmy had no one to turn to, to talk. Kirsten had tried to fill that role and perhaps she filled it too well. In trying to be sympathetic, she had apparently sent out the wrong signals, which the inebriated Jimmy interpreted as passion, not compassion. Jimmy's drunken kiss had caught her by surprise. Her return slap had quickly sobered Jimmy. Both had been embarrassed by the whole situation and had realized that booze and circumstances had caused the problem, not real affection or lust. Kirsten vowed not to allow herself to be put in that situation again because perhaps Jimmy was not the man she had thought.

P9

Seth came strolling out of the skate shop, pleased with his latest purchase. He could not wait to show Ryan even though he knew his friend was only being polite when he paid attention to Seth's skateboard ramblings.

Seth spotted Ryan's hunched form, sitting on the pavement where he had left him. Looked like the kid was taking a siesta with his head bowed and his hood covering his features.

"Hey, Dude," Seth said coming up and jokingly pulling Ryan's hood back. "You snoozing?" Seth's smile faded as Ryan's face was revealed cut, bruised and bleeding. "Geez Ryan, what happened?"

Ryan raised his pain-racked eyes and gazed apologetically over Seth's left shoulder. "Popularity contest. I lost. Again." He winced as he tried to shift his position on the pavement.

"You look horrible. Wait here. I'll go call Mom to come get us."

Ryan's hand shot out and grabbed Seth's leg. "No. You can't do that."

Seth squatted on the ground next to the injured boy. "Ryan. Don't be stupid man. You can't ride your bike home in your condition. By the way, what IS your condition?" Seth said trying to take a better look to assess Ryan's injuries.

"Great," Ryan cringed. "I'm just great. Look, I promised your folks I wouldn't fight. Obviously, I blew it. If we called your mom and she came and picked us up, do you think maybe it would look like, oh I don't know, I was in a fight?" Ryan shot back with bitter undertones. "Man, I blew it," he moaned quietly to himself.

Seth slid onto the ground next to his friend. "Ok, let's think this through."

"You think. My mind is still sloshing around inside of my head compliments of Luke's thugs."

"Luke did this to you?"

"No, just his water polo minions."

Seth thought for a few minutes then said, "Ok, I have an idea, but Ry, do you remember how well my last plan was executed? Are you sure you want to hear this one?"

"You're the only game in town."

"Okay. First, I'll go call a taxi. We'll take it home and sneak you into the pool house."

"Yeah, then what?" Ryan queried, grimacing as he shifted position.

"I haven't gotten any further yet. Hey, it's a start. Look, you can't stay here and you can't run away."

"How about crawling away," Ryan quipped. "I might be able to do that."

Seth pretended to consider Ryan's suggestion. "No, I think we'd better go with my plan. You wait here, I'll call a cab."

Ryan lolled his head back against the cement planter and closed his eyes as another wave of dizziness passed over him. "Right. No problem. Wait. I can do that," Ryan slurred.

Seth looked in concern and wondered if he shouldn't call his Mom anyway. While he was trying to make up his mine, Ryan opened his eyes and captured him with his gaze. As if he had read Seth's mind, Ryan's eyes pleaded with Seth not to call the Cohens. Seth swallowed hard and rose. He was probably doing the wrong thing but he went and called a taxi. Hey, it wouldn't be the first wrong decision he made. Nor the last.

P9

Kirsten drove home to an empty house. She guessed the boys had not returned from. where did they say they were going this morning? Oh yes, the mall. A fleeting moment of panic past over her. What if the boys had seen her and Jimmy at the café? How likely was that, she chided herself? Kirsten dismissed the thought from her mind. Maybe, since she had time and some peace and quiet, she'd make dinner for the guys. That would surprise them. She set off for the kitchen, mulling over in her mind what to make. One thing for sure, it would not be meatloaf, a.k.a brisket.

P10

Coming back from calling the cab company, Seth noted that Ryan had not moved an inch. "Ok buddy. We have to get up and move over to the curb. The taxi will be here within 20 minutes."

Ryan looked to where Seth was indicating. Maybe 100 feet away. It looked to him like the road to eternity, but it had to be done. Gritting his teeth, Ryan rolled onto his left knee and tried to push himself up. He put some weight on his right leg but it immediately collapsed and he tumbled to the ground.

"Here, let me help you," Seth said in a tone that relayed how upset he was by Ryan's condition. With a lot of grunting and groaning, Seth got Ryan into a standing position. The boy stood there leaning heavily against the planter, his right foot barely touching the ground. When Ryan's stomach violently objected to this new physical arrangement, he somehow managed to half-hop, half-sidle over to the nearby garbage can where he promptly deposited his breakfast. Seth made no comment but simply handed him a napkin that had been scrunched up in his pocket.

"You ready?" Seth asked.

Not trusting his voice, Ryan simply nodded. Ryan threw his arm over Seth's shoulder and leaned some of his weight against him.

"I'll come back for the bike and board after I get you to the bench over there," Seth stated.

The two boys slowly made their way across the concrete apron. They made one more garbage can stop along the way and Seth started to get really frightened. At one point Ryan started to falter and Seth placed his arm around Ryan's ribcage to steady him. The shorter boy cried out, "Don't" and Seth immediately removed his arm. The dark haired boy was almost shaking as much as Ryan was by the time they reached the bench. Ryan's face was dripping sweat and Seth's was pale as a ghost. Both boys sat on the bench catching their respective breaths.

"I'll go get the rest of the gear," Seth finally said. Ryan didn't acknowledge him. Seth went back, gathered the bike, board and backpack and hurried back to where he had left the injured boy.

Ryan had fallen over sideways on the bench in the short time Seth was gone. Seth gently shook the downed teen and said, "Ryan?" Getting no response, he shook Ryan harder and called out in a voice near panic. "Ryan!" When again, he got no response, Seth decided he had enough of this and turned to go call his mom.

"Seth," a weak voice rose from the prone boy. "It's OK. Is the taxi here?"

Seth stopped in his tracks, half turned away.

Ryan pushed himself into the seated position and looked at Seth. "Please, don't call them."

Once again, feeling like Ryan had just read his mind, Seth hesitated.

"Please, Seth. I'll be OK. If you call them. If they come. See me like this." Ryan trailed off leaving the consequences hanging.

Seth took a deep breath to steel himself and walked back over to Ryan. He mutely nodded and sat down next to Ryan to wait. Ryan gave him a partial smile, and then closed his eyes.

The two boys did not have to wait very long. Within minutes, the taxi pulled up to the curb. After helping Ryan in, Seth threw the rest of the gear in the trunk. The taxi driver was giving them the once over. "Fell off his bike," he explained, hoping the driver would buy into the story. The driver figuring any fare was better than none shrugged, turned around and headed off to the Cohen's.

As they pulled up to the cul-de-sac, Ryan uttered his first words of the journey. "Not the driveway."

"But Ryan. How will we get you to the pool house? You can't."

"I'll make it," Ryan interrupted.

"But."

Ryan's look shut him down. "The end of the driveway will be fine," he told the driver.

Getting out of the taxi was done in reverse from getting in. First Seth got all the gear out and then Ryan. As the taxi pulled away, Seth chucked the gear in the bushes for later retrieval. That done, he took up his position as Ryan's crutch and the two boys looked up the long driveway. There was no sign of his dad's car and his mom's was by the garage. Hopefully she would not look out the window and see the two of them struggling up the drive.

"You ready?" Seth asked doubtfully.

"Let's do this," Ryan answered drawing a deep breath and taking the first staggering step.

Making their way to the pool house took longer than his whole school career to date, or at least that's what it seemed like to Seth. To Ryan, it was a never-ending nightmare. Once inside, the nearly white-faced Ryan dropped onto the bed, panting and sweating. Seth flopped in a nearby chair, his heart racing, not with exhaustion but fear. Ryan looked awful.

"Dude. I have to go get..."

"No!" Ryan exploded back at Seth. He took a steadying breath and tried to project confidence he did not necessarily feel. "I'll be OK Seth. Really. I have been beaten up worse than this back in Chino. I just need a good night's rest. That's all. You have to keep your parents away from me for the rest of the night and tomorrow everything will be OK."

"Ah, Ryan," Seth said skeptically. "Have you seen your face or your arm? They're a little messed up, buddy."

Ryan had already thought about this, or rather Seth had and he just didn't know it. "Like you said. An accident. You were trying to teach me to skateboard and I took a header into the concrete, face and arm breaking the fall."

"I don't know. What about that knee?"

"Knee too. All an accident." Ryan made the effort to roll over and sit up against the back of the couch. "Look Seth. I screwed up. If your parents find out I was fighting again." he let his sentence trail off.

"Ry, I don't think they're going to throw you out on the street for making one mistake."

Ryan gave him a hard look. "Are you sure?"

"Alright. I don't know. Maybe. But look, if you're not better in the morning we have to tell them the truth. Agreed?"

"Absolutely."

"Well, let me go inside and get some bandages and stuff. At least you can clean those abrasions. After all, we wouldn't want to mar that pretty face of yours."

"Seth, I don't have the energy to get off this couch and beat you for that remark. I owe you one."

"And on that happy note, I'm off to the house," Seth said bouncing from the chair. "Don't worry, I'll be discreet."

"No black turtlenecks, Seth!"

Seth grinned and left the pool house.

The minute he was out of sight, Ryan groaned and fell over sideways on the couch. It had taken nearly all of his reserves to maintain his farce with Seth. Lying on his side, he let the world drift in and out of focus. Damn, he thought. He had to puke again. Well, not in this bed. Struggling, he slid off the bed onto the floor and started crawling to the bathroom. He made it in time and did what he had to do.

After relieving his gut, he felt a little better and he decided to attempt to stand. Using the sink for support, he pulled himself upright. Hand over hand he moved from the bathroom to the kitchen counter. Then came no man's land. A fifteen-foot stretch between the counter and the bed with no hand holds. Ryan took a deep breath and tried to carry his weight mainly on his good leg. Slowly, he let go of the counter's edge and took a step forward. He made three successful steps when the inner world suddenly lurched and Ryan lost his precarious balance. In trying to recover, he came down hard on his right leg, which immediately buckled sending him sprawling to the floor. At that point the pain became too much and Ryan gave up, letting the curtain of darkness descend upon him.

P10

Seth tried to walk into the kitchen nonchalantly. "Hey Mom," he called out with forced cheerfulness. "Trying to poison us all again?"

"Seth," she drawled, not amused. "Is that anyway to talk to your mother. I can cook you know."

"Right, Mom," he answered with skepticism as he skirted the island and headed for the hallway.

"Where's Ryan?" she asked.

"Ryan?" Seth echoed back. He gave a little shrug. "In the pool house. Resting."

Kirsten looked up from the cutting board. "Is something wrong?"

"Wrong? Ah no. Nothing is wrong. Ryan had a headache and decided to lie down. I told him I'd get him an aspirin. From the medicine cabinet. Upstairs."

If her hands had not been so messy, she would have placed them on her hips and given Seth the mother's I don't believe you stare. Instead, she shrugged and said, "Whatever. There is a bottle in the blue bath." If something was going on, she'd find out about it sooner or later.

"Thanks Mom," Seth replied as he bolted from the room.

On his return trip to the pool house, laden with medical supplies, Seth went out the side entrance wondering why he hadn't entered that way in the first place. Nerves he guessed. Ryan had him rattled. The kid looked bad.

Entering the pool house, Seth did not see Ryan on the bed. The area was small and it did not take long for Seth to spot Ryan lying unconscious on the carpet.

"Mom," he said. "Mom, MOM!" Seth screamed running from the pool house to the kitchen.

Kirsten heard her son's panicked voice and came running. "Seth, what's wrong?"

"Ryan, Mom. It's Ryan! He is lying there. I don't know, not moving."

Kirsten quickly entered the pool house and made her way to the fallen boy's side. Cool under pressure, she calmly reached out and checked Ryan's pulse. It was strong. Seth stood there in distress, shifting from foot to foot mumbling. "I knew we should have called, should have."

"Seth," Kirsten said in a composed manner. "Run next door and see if Dr. Campbell is home. Tell him we have a bit of an emergency."

Seth bolted through the door like his pants were on fire.

Kirsten looked from the quick moving boy to the still one. She checked his pulse again and noted the contusions on his face and arms as she brushed a few hairs back from his forehead. What have you gotten yourself into now Ryan? It dawned on her for some strange reason that she did not know what Ryan's middle name was, if he even had one. There was so much she had to learn about this kid.

P11

Luck was on their side and the doctor was home. He grabbed the medical bag he kept packed and followed Seth to the pool house. He wasn't sure what was really going on, as Seth was not very coherent. As they entered the pool house, Kirsten gracefully rose from the floor to greet them.

"Harold. Thank you for coming. I am not sure what happened but Ryan seems to be unconscious."

Harold's curiosity was peaked. Ryan? Wasn't that the teenage boy that the Cohen's had taken in? The troublemaker who had burned down a house, stole a car? The boy from Chino he had heard so much about through the Newport grapevine? Kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Probably a drug overdose, he thought uncharitably.

The doctor moved to kneel at Ryan's side. Seth and Kirsten stood side-by- side watching the medical professional go about his work. After a brief examination, the doc sat back on his heels. It wasn't drugs or alcohol as far as he could tell. If he had to make a preliminary diagnosis, he'd say Ryan's condition was the result of being on the losing side of a street fight.

"Well, he is definitely unconscious, but I think it is safe enough to move him to the bed so I can examine him better." Having said that, the doctor enlisted Seth's aid to move Ryan onto the bed.

"Now Seth. Perhaps you could shed some light on the subject?" Dr Campbell asked, looking at the boy expectantly.

Seth cleared his throat a few times and then rushed head long into a light speed narrative of what occurred down at the mall. He finished with, "I'm sorry, Mom. I should have called. It's just..." Seth drifted off, not wanting to implicate his fallen buddy.

"Let me guess," Kirsten interjected. "Ryan asked you not to."

Seth hung his head like a faithful dog that has been chastised by his beloved owner.

"He was scared Mom. That you would throw him out of the house because he broke his promise."

"Seth, you don't honestly believe that of your father and I, do you?"

Seth hung his head lower in shame. "No, Mom."

"We'll discuss this later. Harold, how is he?" she asked turning her attention back to the doctor.

Harold, who was finishing up a more detailed examination answered, "Well, I'd say he has a slight concussion. Definitely messed up his knee. By the bruises darkening on his torso, we might be looking at a couple of broken ribs and the arm concerns me too. It's not broken, but maybe a hairline fracture." Standing up, he walked over to Kirsten. "He's not in any immediate danger. I say let him sleep and tomorrow bring him into my office for another look. We'll x-ray the ribs, arms, knee and maybe the head just to be sure. Say around 10:00 am?"

"That would be wonderful Harold. Thank you ever so much for coming over."

"Not a problem, Kirsten." It was interesting to have the first scoop on the neighborhoods hottest back-yard-fence gossip. The doctor rummaged around his bag and drew forth a bottle of pills. He started to hand them to Kristen. "These will help ease the discomfort. He can take two every four hours as needed. Does he have any allergies?"

Kirsten looked up at Harold a puzzled expression on her face. "I don't know," she slowly answered as she realized medically, she knew nothing about Ryan.

"Well don't worry about it. This medication is tolerated by nearly everyone."

"Thank you gain. Seth, stay with Ryan while I walk Hal out."

"Sure Mom," he answered settling into a chair. He stared at the sleeping form of Ryan. I'll bet our first conversation when you wake up is going to be a doozy, he thought.

Kirsten let Harold out, shut the door and leaned against it for a moment to recompose herself. Though she hoped she did not show it, she'd been scared to death when she found Ryan lying on the floor. It sort of surprised her how quickly she had gotten use to thinking of him as her own son. It also upset her that Ryan still feared the Cohen's would discard him like his mother. An issue to deal with later she thought. That and the medical history. She'd have to ask Ryan when he was better to fill her in on what he knew, and she'd contact Dawn if she had to get a complete history. So much, she'd never thought about. Taking a deep breath, she headed back out to the pool house to relieve Seth. She would not leave Ryan alone tonight.

P11

Sandy walked into what seemed to be an unusually quiet house. Was that a good sign or a bad, he pondered as he dropped his briefcase in the hallway and headed for the kitchen. At the island, he found Seth eating a bowl of cereal. Around him, sat ingredients of what was suppose to be a meal, or at least that was Sandy's first take on the situation. Seth looked up as his father entered the room. "Dad."

"Hi, Seth. What happened in here? Has your Mom been cooking again? Where is she? And where's Ryan?"

Seth gulped down his mouth full of flakes and set his spoon aside. "Mom's in the pool house watching Ryan. There was a, ah, well Ryan had a philosophical difference today."

Sandy rounded the island and stared at his son. "Are you trying to tell me that Ryan got into a fight?"

"Ah, well, ah, yes, I guess I am."

Sandy groaned and sank onto one of the stools. "How's your Mom taking it?"

"Well, I think you could say sympathetic, at least for the moment. Dad, Ryan got the crap beaten out of him." Seth sketched the day's events out for his dad. "So right now," he concluded, "I think she feels sorry for Ryan. However, once she gets over that I think she's going to be really pissed."

"Hmmm. And you have no idea what the fight was about?" Sandy questioned.

"No, Dad. Honest. By the time I got out there, it was over. I never even saw who beat him up, though Ryan said it was Luke's friends, but oddly enough, not Luke."

"Well, I guess I'd better go out and see your mother. You go to your room when you're finished here."

"Me, what did I do wrong?" whined Seth.

"At the moment, I don't know, but I'm sure something will come up. How about not keeping your friend out of trouble."

"Dad, that is totally unfair. Trying to keep Ryan out of trouble is like trying to, I dunno know, surf blindfold."

"Yes, but it can be done Son."

"Yeah, but you wipe out a lot. Consider this a wipe out. A total wipe out," Seth said as he placed his bowl in the sink and headed upstairs.

Sandy gave a deep sigh and headed for the pool house. Upon entering, he saw Kirsten curled up in a chair and Ryan sprawled on the bed. Kirsten looked up, held a finger to her lips and motioned the two of them back outside.

"Honey, what happened? Seth said something about a fight."

It was Kirsten's turn to sigh as she filled Sandy in on what she knew including Dr. Campbell's comments.

"So I'll stay out here tonight with him, in case he wakes up and needs something. He shouldn't be alone, Sandy."

Sandy leaned over and kissed his wife. "This isn't easy."

Kirsten nodded her head in agreement.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay with him?"

"No, I'll stay. You go inside. I'll call if there's some change."

Sandy rose from the chair and gazed fondly at his sweetheart. "You are a great mother."

"If I was such a great mother, I would have prevented this in the first place."

"It's hard to surf blindfolded."

Kirsten looked askance at him. "Never mind," Sandy said. "Something Seth said." Sandy turned and went into the house while Kirsten took up her position in the chair again to watch over her sleeping charge.

P12

The physical world rudely intruded upon Ryan's unconsciousness. If he had looked at the clock, he would have discovered it was 2:00 a.m.. His whole body ached, his head was pounding and worst of all, he had to pee, which meant he'd have to move. He groaned at the thought and shifted on the bed. From across the room a shadowy figure moved in his direction. "Mom?" his sleep muddled brain questioned.

"It's me, Ryan. Kirsten."

Ryan groaned again. This time more from mental than physical pain.

"How are you feeling?" she asked turning on a low light and perching on the side of the bed. Ryan pushed himself up on his elbows with effort. "Not so good," he said ruefully, averting his eyes.

His bladder reminded him of its needs. Ryan made more of an effort to sit up. Kirsten reached over and helped him. The sheet fell off his chest and Ryan suddenly became aware that he had on nothing but his briefs. A slow blush flushed his skin. He noted his shirt and pants were neatly laid out over the back of a chair. Well that answers that, Ryan thought. It was pretty obvious that Seth had not undressed him. A rumpled ball of clothes on the floor, Seth. Neat on the chair, Kirsten. However, he didn't have time to dwell on his embarrassment any longer as his other need took on a greater urgency. He struggled to swing his legs over the side of the bed.

"Where are you going?" Kirsten asked.

"I need to use the bathroom," Ryan said looking anywhere but at her.

In a no nonsense manner, Kirsten moved to the other side of the bed and helped him rise. "Lean on my shoulder." Ryan was skeptical but did as she asked. She was stronger than she looked and successfully helped him navigate to the bathroom door where, mercifully, she left him on his own. When he was done, she helped back to the bed and settled him in. Ryan kept giving her furtive glances throughout the process.

"Ok, are you going to tell me what's on your mind or just keep giving me sideways looks all night?" Kirsten finally asked.

Busted, Ryan replied, "Well, it's just my mom, she never took care of me like this when I got hurt. Like the time I broke my arm or when, well, the other times. She was usually too busy, preoccupied with her boyfriends, or drunk," he added under his breath.

Kirsten sat on the end of the bed. "You broke your arm?"

Ryan realized he may have wandered down a path he did not wish to travel. "Yeah," was all he said and left it at that. He winced as he tried to shift positions.

"The doctor left something for the pain. Would you like me to get you one and some water?"

"That would be great," Ryan replied, not quite believing that this woman was helping him, especially after everything he'd done.

Kirsten went to hand him the pill and glass of water then she paused. "Are you allergic to any medication, Ryan?"

"I guess not. Not that I know of. Mom, well she didn't take us to the doctors much. Her philosophy was 'tough it out'. Besides, we didn't have the money," he shrugged matter-of-factly.

Kirsten handed him the pill and the water. Ryan gratefully gulped it down. He sunk back on the pillows and let the medicine do its magic. Soon he drifted off to sleep and Kirsten returned to her vigil in the chair.

P12

The trip to the doctors the next day was a real family affair in that everyone went. By the end of the session, Ryan was pretty sure he would glow in the dark from all the x-rays they snapped of him. He was sore, bone tired and he hoped they'd go home soon. Dr. Campbell finally returned to the room, x-rays in his hand. Everyone looked at him expectantly.

"Well, the good news is you seem to have a thick skull. Fully intact, no chips, dents, dings or scratches. Your knee is swollen but there is no ligament or tissue damage. Binding it and bed rest will cure it. Your arm," he said flipping yet another x-ray up on the lighted board, "is also OK. No new fractures. Last but not least, the ribs. Two are fractured. Again binding and bed rest is the cure."

Ryan sunk back on the exam table, happy he had escaped fairly well.

"For the next couple of days, it's the bed for you, young man. Stay off that leg as much as possible. Lots of sleep will help with the healing. After that, crutches. I want to see you back here in 7 days for a progress check. In the meantime, try to stay out of fights. Think you can do that?" he finished in a very patronizing tone.

Sandy gave the doctor a strange look. He did not like the tone the man had used with Ryan. Ryan too gave the doctor a sharp glance.

"Thank you Harold," Kirsten said trying to smooth over the tension that had filled the room. "He'll be here."

"Yes. Ah Sandy, Kirsten. Could I see you outside a moment? Seth, keep Ryan company would you," Dr Campbell requested.

"What do you think that is about Ry?" Seth asked as the adults left the room.

Ryan shrugged. "I'd say he likes me about as much as the rest of the people here in Newport," he said bitterly. What a town. Even when it wasn't his fault, they blamed him. Never dawned on them that their precious children were the ones causing the problems. Typical.

Bored, Seth wandered over to the skeleton in corner and started to pose it. Ryan sighed and closed his eyes. Welcome to the OC bitch.

"Come down the hall to my office," Harold said. Once there he gestured to Sandy and Kirsten to have a seat. He perched on the edge of his big, cherry desk.

"How much do you really know about this kid?" he asked in a tone that sounded like he was talking about something distasteful.

"What do you mean?" replied Sandy in his best question the defense lawyer voice.

"Well," said Harold, let me show you these x-rays again." He clipped the sheets to the long lighted panel in his office. "Look at this one of the ribs. See here, here and here?" he pointed. "Those are signs of past breaks. The boy has also had his arm broken, more than once I'd say." The doctor flipped off the light and settled back down on his desk. "Let me be blunt. This kid shows the sign on having been in trouble and more than once."

"Did you ever consider he may have been abused?" Sandy questioned.

"Now Sandy, we're not talking about a featherweight here, well, like Seth. This Ryan kid looks like he could take care of himself. I'd say it is more likely that he goes looking for trouble and often finds it."

Kirsten bit her tongue and let Sandy handle the conversation.

"Exactly what are you trying to say, Harold," Sandy asked a slight edge to his voice.

"Let me be blunt."

"By all means," Sandy shot back.

"I heard you agreed to be this boy's legal guardian."

"News travels fast around here," Sandy said caustically.

"Kids from his type of background are trouble. You know that Sandy. You deal with these kids all the time in your practice. Bringing him into your home is just a plain bad idea. You are asking for trouble, fights, drugs, booze. You have to think of Seth and yourselves. This boy could ruin you."

Sandy briskly rose from his chair. "We appreciate your concern for the welfare of our family. In fact all of Newport has been so supportive." Kirsten stood up by her husband's side.

The doctor added his parting shot. "Well, studies show that kids like Ryan are trouble. He'll amount to no good. Mark my words"

"If you don't mind, well take Ryan home now. Gee, he's been alone in your office for over five minutes. We'd better go check to see if he burned it down," Sandy said sarcastically.

Dr Campbell shrugged. "Look I am just trying to help."

"Thank you. We'll keep what you've said in mind," Sandy said as he left the office. "Like hell we will," he added under his breath.

Kirsten followed along behind Sandy, upset with Harold's attitude. What was it about rich people that kids like Ryan made them so nervous? Are we all such elitist snobs looking down on everything and anyone who is not the same as us? They gathered up the boys, waking Ryan and interrupting Seth's conversation with the skeleton and headed home.

P12

"You're moving pretty well these days," Sandy commented as he watched Ryan pull himself out of the pool and walk across the grass to where he had left his towel.

Ryan slicked his wet hair back from his face. "Yeah. It was a good idea. Swimming. Your wife suggested it. It's easy on my knee yet I still get a workout, not that your weight room isn't awesome too."

"Well, I wish a little of your enthusiasm for exercising would rub off on Seth and me for that matter."

"I have to keep pumped," Ryan said off-handedly.

Sandy cocked an eyebrow.

Ryan grinned slyly. "How would it look for Newport's bad boy to be fat and slow? I have a reputation to maintain, you know." Ryan threw the towel on the lounge and plopped on top of it.

"Ryan, you still haven't told us what the fight was about."

Ryan turned his face away from Sandy. He opened his mouth to reply and then shut it again without saying anything. So intent was Ryan on trying to decide what not to say, that he did not notice Kirsten come out from the kitchen onto the patio.

Finally, Ryan looked back at Sandy. "Mr. Cooper and his wife have spilt up haven't they?"

Sandy had no idea where this was going but he decided to ride out the wave. "Yes, I believe they have."

Ryan nodded. "Your wife, she dated Mr. Cooper a long time ago?"

"Yes, before I met her. We hooked up in college. She grew up near Jimmy."

"I guess Mr. Cooper made some bad decisions... with his business I mean."

"The SEC seems to think so," Sandy agreed. "Ryan, buddy, are you going somewhere this, 'cause if you are, I gotta tell you I'm lost."

"I think I know where he's going," Kirsten said, stepping out of the shadows.

Ryan raised his eyes to meet hers.

"This is about Jimmy and I, isn't it?"

The boy looked from her to Sandy and back, the awkwardness of this situation evident in his blue eyes.

Kirsten moved across the grass to sit on the foot of her husband's lounge chair. "You think Jimmy and I are seeing each other."

Ryan dropped his eyes.

"...behind Sandy's back," she finished.

Now it was Sandy's turn to stare at his wife.

"What?" Sandy exclaimed.

Ryan turned his gaze back to the couple, watching them intently.

Kirsten ignored Sandy and focused on Ryan. She'd work things out with her husband later.

"You saw us. The conversations, the hug, the flowers."

"The kiss," Ryan added softly.

Sandy's eyebrows shot upwards but a look from Kirsten kept him silent.

"You did see us in the restaurant," Kirsten stated.

The boy shook his head affirmatively, eyes riveted to the grass.

"The fight," she prompted.

Ryan winced but forced himself to look up and meet Kirsten eyes. "They said some," he shrugged, "stupid things. About Jimmy and you. I lost it. I'm sorry. I..." Ryan grimaced and shifted his eyes shaking his head.

Kirsten reached out and touched Ryan's knee gently. "Ryan, there is nothing going on with Jimmy and I. He is a friend. A good friend. A friend in trouble who I'm trying to help. I could see how the things you saw, could look strange. But," she said, reaching out and taking Sandy's hand, "I love my husband. I wouldn't trade him in for anyone," Kirsten finished smiling lovingly at her mate. Sandy leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Ryan watched the exchange, noting the love and commitment they had to each other. So different from what he was used to.

Kirsten squeezed her husband's hand before turning her attention back Ryan.

She gazed at the boy seriously. Ryan did his best to meet her gaze.

"Probation aside, fighting is rarely the best answer to a problem. You are a smart kid and you need to learn to channel your anger. You don't have to always be the White Knight, coming to the rescue," she smiled to mellow the lecture. Ryan answered with a half smile.

"People are going to say things in this world you don't like, don't agree with or that are plain wrong. That's never going to change no matter how old you are. You have to learn to take it in stride, find other avenues to express your displeasure, rather than with your fists."

The blond boy nodded mutely and glanced away. He understood what she was saying, but it was so hard at times. He truly had meant it when he said no more trouble, but then, when those boys had said those terrible thing.

"But that's not all," Kirsten said breaking Ryan's reverie. He refocused his attention back on her, his heart sinking at the tenor of her voice. It sounded like the tone that came when the other shoe was about to drop.

"Trust, Ryan. Being part of a family involves trust. You have to learn to trust us. No matter what you think, no matter what life has taught you in the past, we are not going to throw you out on the streets because you make a mistake."

Ryan stared into her eyes truly wanting to believe. He saw nothing but sincerity in her eyes and it made a lump form in his throat. He hated that he'd failed her after all she and the Cohen's had done for him. All the crap he'd put them through.

"I'm sorry," he said in a husky voice, dropping his eyes.

Kirsten debated, trying to gauge whether the boy was ready. Deciding to go for broke, she slowly got up, walked over to Ryan's lounge chair, sat next to him and embraced him. She felt him stiffen.

Ryan tried to relax, to ride out the emotions he was feeling. With an effort that was visible, he forced himself to return Kirsten's hug. He closed his eyes and dropped his head onto her shoulder. It was kind of scary, but nice. He dared to allow his heart to care.

Kirsten was thrilled to feel the boy respond with honest emotion.

Warring sensations fought within Ryan. He started to tremble, as all the pent up frustrations from the past months broke free. It had been hard. Waking up every day wondering what was going to happen to him next. Riding the wave to the crest and then being plunged into the trough, tumbled and washed along like a hapless shell in the surf. Abandoned, rescued. Lost, found. Rejected, accepted. Silent tears slid down his face onto Kirsten's shoulder. She didn't release him, if anything she held him tighter, assuring him it was OK.

Sandy watched his wife make an honest emotional connection to their new charge. It made him feel a bit weepy too. He knew he was right about this kid. They could help him and whether Ryan knew it or not, he was helping them too. Making the Cohen family relook at their lives, their values.

Ryan gently pulled out of Kirsten embrace, turning his head to wipe the moisture from his eyes. Sandy averted his gaze giving the teen some privacy to compose himself. Kirsten leaned back, but did not release Ryan's hand, still keeping the connection.

Finally, Ryan looked back at them, his face composed but his eyes red- rimmed. "Thanks," he simply said his voice rough. " ."

Kirsten gave his hand a final squeeze and then released it and moved back to sit by her husband.

Ryan rose. "I'll try. To stay out of trouble and," he said meeting their eyes, "to come to you, when I have problems."

Sandy and Kirsten smiled at him and he answered with shy smile then he turned and walked into the pool house.

Kirsten leaned back against Sandy and exhaled mightily. "Did I ever tell you what a great Mom you are?" Sandy asked.

Kirsten looked over her shoulder and smiled up at him.

"Now as a wife," Sandy continued, "I might have a few bones to pick. Hugging Jimmy? Kissing him? Honey I trust you but I am still kind of jealous at the thought that an ex-boyfriend is kissing my wife."

"Come in the house, let's grab a bottle of wine and I'll tell you all about it. It really was innocent you know."

"Hmmm," Sandy said leaning over and kissing her on the top of her head before helping her to her feet. Arms around each other's waist, the couple strolled into the house.

From the shaded window of the pool house, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks watched. Would he ever find someone to love him as the Cohen's loved each other?