The Morning After

A/N: Hey guys! I'm back... sort of. I'm finally settled in my new place, but my internet access is somewhat limited, however I will try and make at least one post a week. Anyways, I realise that this story line is, well, overdone... and I enjoy pretty much every different take on it out there, so I thought I could take a shot at it... please don't be mad, and as always, please read and review.

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated, with anything O.C.- related. So don't sue me, because... well... I have nothing you want... Lyrics belong to the song "Say Yes" (Elliot Smith)

Chapter One

It's always been wait and see

A happy day, and then you pay.

Sandy Cohen pulled his beamer up to the curb in front of the small rundown house, glancing beside him at his passenger.

"Thanks" the kid muttered, not meeting Sandy's eye or even glancing in Sandy's direction.

Sandy studied the boy silently for a moment, then changed his gaze to the small house the boy belonged to. It was one of the nicer ones on the street, which really didn't say much. It's main feature was a screen door and fresh aluminum siding. Someone had tended to the landscaping by trimming the lawn and planting a small garden against the house wall.

The whole house was probably the size of his own poolhouse. Or Kirsten's poolhouse rather, since it had been her father that had purchased the property. Caleb Nichol. Sandy felt his face fall in to a deep frown just thinking the man's name.

"Is that your mom's car?" Sandy asked the boy, nodding to the beat up looking convertable in the dirveway.

"Yea" the boy replied, fingering the door handle. His escape.

"You know I have to speak with her, right?"

The only answer to this comment was the boy scrambling out of the car, in a rush to get it over with. Sandy followed suit, noticing the boys shoulders drop even lower the closer they came to the house.

"Arturo, is that you?" a voice demanded, obviously having heard the front door slam closed.

"Yea, Ma. It's me."

Footsteps echoed through the hall and a woman entered the hallyway, drying her hands on the apron attatched at her waist. She let out a surprised "Oh" as she saw it was not just Arturo.

"You must be Eva, I'm Sandy Cohen, Arturo's public defender" Sandy offered the kind looking woman his hand with a smile.

"Yes, I am. Thank you for... helping Arturo. I don't understand why he would..." she trailed off, shaking her head. As though suddenly possessed, the woman straightened and lightly smacked her son up the back of the head, "You are grounded until you're twenty, you understand that Arturo? No more alcohal, no more drugs, no more shoplifting" she said pointedly, "And no more Trey. That boy is trouble"

"Ma, you can't -" Arturo began to reply. The furious look on Eva's face stopped him midsentence.

"In the kitchen, now. Get some coffee for Mr. Cohen" Eva scolded her son, offering a smile to Sandy.

Sandy smiled back, "Kids"

"Kids these days" Eva replied, raising her eyebrows, "I don't remember ever talking back to my parents" she shook her head.

Sandy grinned, this woman reminded him somewhat of his own mother, though he wasn't exactly sure why. "I have one a few years younger than Arturo"

"How old is he?" Eva asked, directing Sandy to the kitchen where Arturo stood, arms crossed, against the counter waiting for the coffemaker to finish.

"Eleven."

Eva snorted, "In a couple years you'll be wishing for eleven" she nodded for Sandy to grab a seat at the table while she bustled around the kitchen gathering some things up. Sandy placed his briefcase on the table in front of him, and across the table he saw Arturo's eyes studying the case.

Sandy pulled out Arturo's newly started file. It was still thin, meaning he still had hope of a future. Mediocre grades and attendance, nothing spectacular, but still just a kid. A kid who had decided to try and lift a couple bottles of liquor with a friend, only to procede to drink it in a public place. The public school basketball court. It hadn't taken long for them to be found and taken in.

"Arturo's not usually a trouble maker" Eva stated, setting a cup of coffe down in front of Sandy and taking a seat herself. Arturo seemed to take this as an open invitation to sit down as well, body tense and waiting for the lecture.

"He seems like a decent kid" Sandy put in.

"Sometimes. But no matter how good it won't get him out of being grounded until he's twenty"

"Ma" Arturo groaned from beside her, "It was just -"

"Some stolen alcohal. In public. On a playground no less, Arturo. What kind of example do you think that sets for the little kids in this neighbourhood? You just always have to listen to Trey -"

"If you're so convinced it was all Trey's fault, why don't you lecture him instead of me?" Arturo shot back angrily.

Eva tensed, surprised for a moment, "Trey is not my concern, he has his own parents to lecture him -"

Arturo snorted, "You know better, Ma"

Sandy watched the short exchange intensely, trying to figure out whether Eva was embarassed or angry when she snapped back at her son that 'enough was enough'.

" As you know, the store has formally dropped the charges, so it shouldn't reflect on his record"

Eva glanced at her son who turned a deep shade of crimson. "There better not ever be anything on that record again" she warned.

"I know" Arturo sighed slinking, if possible, further in to his chair.

"Sit up" Eva noticed.

Sandy grinned, thinking of Seth who was only a few years younger than Arturo. He was probably just getting home from school right now and ordering Rosa to make him more peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

"Ma!" a girl's voice yelled from the front hall.

Eva sighed, standing up from the table, " Theresa don't yell" she scolded her daughter as she entered the small kitchen.

"Ma, do we have any ice?" Theresa ignored the scolding.

"Theresa, comapny"

"Yea, yea. Arturo's lawyer. Big whoop, I need some ice"

"What for" Eva demanded.

"Ryan" Theresa replied, mother and daughter sharing a look. Eva moved towards the refrigerator and opened the freezer section, handing Theresa a tray of ice cubes.

"You alright, man?" Arturo ask, standing up from the table. Sandy's attention was drawn to the movement, and it was only then he noticed a small figure standing in the shadows of the hallway.

The person to whom Arturo was addressing. Ryan, he presumed. But what were they going to do with ice?

"Fine" a quiet voice answered, perfectly calm.

Arturo moved closer to the doorway and grimaced, "you look like -"

"Arturo!" Eva snapped, "language"

"I didn't even say -"

"You were going to. Ryan, baby, come in here and sit down" Eva gestured.

The shadow moved and a young boy emerged from the hall way, sporting a swollen and broken lip, bruised cheekbone, a black eye and all the tell tale signs of a bloody nose.

"Oh..." Eva muttered something quickly in Spanish, which Sandy was sure were of the nature Arturo had been ready to say earlier.

Theresa handed the boy ice cubes wrapped in a tea towel, he took it gingerly, eyeing Sandy carefully.

Sandy, still taking in the injuries to Ryan's face, broke the silence. "What happened to you"

Ryan shifted his blue eyes to meet this strange man's. The man's eyes were kid, his face were kind. But he was still a stanger. And in those clothes, with that leather briefcase, he was a fish out of water here. That, to Ryan, was enough of a reason not to trust him.

"I fell off my bike" he replied evenly, sure to continue meeting the man's eyes for a full three seconds afterwards.

Sandy didn't believe it for a second. Falls of bikes, just like falls from skateboards, left scrapes and torn clothes. He knew that from Seth who was currently experimenting on a skateboard of his own. Ryan had no scrapes or torn clothes. Sandy had seen kids like this locked in juvenile hall. He'd seen bruises like this on those kids who had the luck of being the new kid.

Ryan's injuries came from a fist. But his eyes shared nothing. No hint as to who had done it.

"How's Trey?" Arturo asked the boy.

Ryan, holding the tea towel to the side of his face, shrugged. "Fine I guess. He never came home after... after you guys" he shrugged again.

"He got out, just like me. I saw him Ryan. I swear"

"It's fine. He probably just doesn't want to come home right now."

Arturo nodded, glancing at his mother, "I know the feeling. Avoidance at all cost. But mine drove me here"

Ryan glanced back at Sandy whio was still sitting at the table.

"Well, I just wanted to touch base with you Eva, thank you for the coffee" Sandy began to pack up his files.

"That your car out front?" Ryan asked, surprising him.

"Yes"

Ryan nodded, "I didn't think you made a lot of money as a public defender"

Sandy grinned, "I don't. It's my wife's"

"What's she do?"

"Something in building... she deals with contractors and the architechts and such.."

"Ryan wants to be an architect" Theresa slipped out.

Ryan shot a glare at her.

"You do?" Sandy asked, amazed. Seth wasn't interested in anything but his skateboard and videogames right now. Well, and his comic books.

"I did" Ryan corrected, "Until I realised that in Chino, dreams like that don't come true"

Sandy felt something inside of him deflate. What was a young kid like this telling himself that for?

"Don't believe that trash your brother tells you" Eva told him, interrupting the stunned silence.

In response, Ryan handed off the ice to Theresa, "I should go find Trey, let him know not to come home for awhile..." he trailed off. With one last look and no last words, Ryan left the house.

Sandy stood up, his belongings now collected and in place inside his expensive leather briefcase, "I should get going too, my wife's expecting me and I still have an hour's drive or so."

Eva nodded, "Thank you for bring Arturo home"

Sandy smiled and offered his hand to Eva, "No problem. He's a good kid, and just that, a kid"

Eva let go of his hand and Sandy nodded to Arturo, "I hope we never meet again" he grinned.

Arturo smile, "Thanks. For everything" he dropped his eyes to study his shoes again.

From outside there was an angry shout, dropping the kitchen in to silence once again.

"... stupid little brat. Get in the goddamned house!"

"Mom" Theresa whispered.

"I know. I'll go" Eva answered, bustling out of the kitchen. Arturo and Theresa shared a look then followed, leaving Sandy to trail after them.

When Sandy finally stepped out in to the dim sunshine he noticed a few things. Number one, other neighbours had the same idea and were emerging from their respective houses at the same time. Number two, there were three people in front of Eva's house. Ryan, a man, and a woman. Number three, the man was holding Ryan by his shirt and drawing back his arm.

The fourth thing Sandy recognized was that he had dropped his expensive leather case in the dirt and darted across the front lawn, throwing himself between the man and Ryan.

The man smelled like alcohol, and behind him he could hear Ryan breathing heavily.

For a moment, no one said anything.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" the man demanded of Sandy.

"I could ask you the same thing!" Sandy exclaimed, "It looked to me like you were going to hit Ryan"

The man snorted, stumbling slightly, "I can punish my kid if I want to"

"You're his father?" Sandy asked, incrediously.

"Close enough" the man sneered drunkenly, pushing Sandy away.

"Look. Go sleep it off buddy, before I call the cops and child services on you"

"Hey, get your nose outtah our business" the woman exclaimed, coming closer to the arguing pair now.

Sandy glanced at the woman, noticing her red eyes, pasty skin and horribly done makeup. Sandy felt that same thing inside of him deflate once more, the second time today. Both times pertaining to Ryan. How could a kid have parents like this? Parents that beat him and didn't care. Parents that obviously had an issue with alcohol, and who knows what else.

Sandy took a step back from the man, not particularly wanting to set the man off. He turned to Ryan, who stood behind him now, cheeks flushed with either anger or embarassment, or maybe both.

"You okay?" Sandy asked.

Ryan nodded, sticking out his chin defiantly. "You didn't have to do anything you know. I was fine on my own"

Sandy swallowed. "You call the injuries you already sustained okay? Let me tell you something Ryan. This?" he gestured to Ryan's face, "Is not okay. No one should be hurting you like this"

"I fell off my bike" Ryan insisted, "You've got this all wrong"

"That's ridiculous. I know what it looks like to fall off a bike. My eleven year old son is experimenting with a skateboard right now and refuses to wear the pads"

Ryan stood silent for a moment, then looked up at Sandy. His eyes widened and he suddenly lunged at him.

Sandy was so surprised at Ryan's actions he didn't move, but he did turn around just as Ryan flew fast him and in to the man, who had been ready to take a swing at Sandy himself.

The momentum of Ryan forced the man to the ground, Ryan landing on top but being pushed off roughly. Sandy helped him up in time to turn around to the man standing up.

"Greg, lets just go" the woman said suddenly.

Greg, Sandy assumed, had either not heard or not listened, because again he made a move. This time at Ryan again. Sandy interjected himself again, pushing Ryan behind him like he would have for his own son. For any child. Only, instead of waiting for Greg to throw a punch in his direction this time, Sandy thrust his own fist this time.

It met with Greg's nose and cause the lumbering man to stumble backwards, tripping over something in the lawn he fell backward, hitting his head on the small cement pathway.

Greg didn't regain consciousness until after the police arrived.

Sandy had long since called Kirsten and explained he would be late, though he had decided to wait until later to let her know what the reason was. The police had interviewed all that had been there, and Sandy had even recognized one of the responding officers from his work. Officer Symington, Rae, had been the first to come over and speak with Sandy to get the details.

Shortly after she had moved on to speak with Ryan and his mother who stormed off shortly after without Greg and Ryan. It was after that Rae leaned down to uncuff Greg from where he lay ranting on the grass.

"What's going on?" Sandy asked, a desperate tone to his voice.

Rae bit her lip, "Neither the mother or son will talk about where the injuries came from, and although we all have a strong suspicion, without a testimony or statement there's nothing we can do" she told him, helplessly.

"But.. what about Ryan? He can't stay with them! They'll just do it again"

"I know" Rae sighed, "We get a call for a domestic every so often to this place. Dawn always drops the charges and makes up some story about walking in to a door or falling down some stairs"

"He can't go back there. A kid doesn't deserve that. Ryan is Seth's age... I just.. how could anyone...?"

"Well, if it helps, Ryan's not going back there. Not tonight at least anyways."

"Where else is he going to go?" Sandy asked, confused.

"Child Services. Dawn refuses to claim responsibility and care for him right now."

"That's..."

"If it helps, chances are she'll be down at the station looking for her baby as soon as she sobres up"

"No" Sandy shook his head, "That's not better. That's unacceptable. A mother can't just... abandon her child like that. He's her kid... her flesh and blood..."

Rae patted him lightly on the shoulder, "I know Sandy, but sometimes... a lot of times... the families from around here aren't exactly perfect..."

"They don't have to be perfect!" Sandy exploded, "They just have to be a family!"

"Listen, Sandy. I know you're upset, but at least Ryan will have a safe and secure week end in one of the region's group homes. And even if Dawn decides to sign him over to the state, or the state investigates and he's taken away, he has a good chance for placement. He's still young."

Sandy shook his head silently, eyes searching out the young boy. Ryan was sitting on Eva's front step, arms folded around his legs. He was watching everything that was going on with a casual look on his face, but it was the boy's eyes that gave him away.

They were sad. Sad and wise. They broke Sandy's heart. "Let me talk to his mother" Sandy said to Rae, "Before you take him. Maybe I can... talk some sense in to her"

Rae sighed, "I shouldn't let you -"

"But you will, because we're friends" Sandy smiled, "I'll just be a couple minutes, I promise" he told her, turning his back on her and heading towards the front door of the house next door which Dawn had disappeared in to.

Okay guys, that's it for now. Sorry for any typos, this keyboard is different from the one I'm used to... and I'm half asleep. Anyways, read and review please!