Truths Revealed

An O.C. Fanfiction

Disclaimer: The O.C. belongs to Josh Schwartz & Fox. Wish I owned Ben Mackenzie though! Some dialogue taken from "The Showdown" and "Dearly Beloved" and clips of "The Aftermath."

Pairing: Ryan/ Marissa or Mack/Misch

Summary: What if Ryan had showed up at Marissa's house before Trey in "The Showdown"? This will alter the outcome of the Season 2 finale as well. Enjoy and please review!

Ryan was confused. One minute Marissa was at the pool house dressed to the nines ready to go to Seth's comic book launch. Then they were kissing and she was pushing him away and mumbling apologies through tears.

"I'm sorry, I thought I could do this but I can't… It's been too long…Too much has happened."

"Okay…okay…just talk to me…tell me what's wrong."

But his words were wasted because Marissa was already running out the door.

What had happened between them wasn't sitting well with Ryan. He knew something was wrong. If he could just get Marissa to open up to him. He'd go to her house and get to the bottom of this.

When he got to the mansion, the back door was open so he went inside and upstairs to Marissa's bedroom.

He found her lying on the bed still wearing the dress that she'd left the pool house in and he could hear her sobbing softly.

He touched her shoulder and she jumped back in surprise, her eyes wide with fear until she realized that it was Ryan.

"Ryan?"

"Yeah, it's me. Marissa what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry…Ryan I can't tell you this…"

"What is it? What can't you tell me?"

Marissa took a deep breath. She had to tell him. She couldn't let him go on thinking that she had hooked up with his brother. Jus the thought made her queasy.

"Trey…"

"What about him?" Ryan said softly still trying to coax her into telling him what had her acting so strangely.

At that moment Trey appeared in the doorway of Marissa's bedroom. Ryan felt her body tense as she sat beside him on the bed.

"How did you get in here?" Marissa said trying to hide her fear.

"The back door was open…hey Ry…"

Ryan was silent. This was it. This was the moment when he would finally learn the truth about what had happened between Trey and Marissa.

"Get out." Marissa said coldly.

"I'm sorry Marissa…I didn't mean for it to happen…I was out of my mind…It just happened."

"It just happened! That's what you have to say after you tried to rape me! It just happened!"

Marissa was screaming now and tears were running freely down her face.

Rape. Ryan heard the word reverberate over and over in his head.

He looked at Marissa, all the pieces falling into place. I'm sorry; he mouthed turning his anger toward Trey.

The nervousness.

The tension between us.

The way she pulled away when we were kissing.

It was all because of an attempted rape…his own brother…Trey had tried to rape Marissa.

"How could you, man? I would've done anything for you."

With every word Ryan took a menacing step closer to his brother.

"It wasn't my idea Trey…I didn't want to steal that car."

"Yeah, well I went away for it and uh…you got the good life…"

"So you had to destroy it? You had to hurt her…huh?"

Ryan felt his voice and his anger rising as he advanced toward Trey and before he knew it, the two of them were at each other's throats and Trey was quickly gaining the upper hand.

I guess prison taught him a thing or two about fighting. Ryan thought as he felt Trey's hands wrap around his throat.

He could hear Marissa screaming as he struggled to stay conscious.

"Oh my God! Stop it! You're killing him!" He heard the panic in her voice and it broke his heart.

"Trey! Get off of him…please!"

In a moment fueled by pure adrenaline Marissa jumped on Trey's back and Ryan felt the grip around his neck start to loosen. Then he heard Marissa yell as Trey struck her. Marissa fought back and while attention was focused on Marissa, Ryan was able to gain some ground against Trey. But not before Ryan saw Trey pull something metallic out of the waistband of his jeans. Trey aimed the gun at Ryan. Ryan braced himself for the end of it all.

So that's how this ends.

Ryan heard Marissa scream, "No!"

Marissa and Trey were both struggling for the gun and suddenly the sound of gunfire rang out in the bedroom. Ryan came to his senses, amazed that he was still alive; he looked around and saw Trey holding the gun and Marissa lying on the floor absolutely still.

Trey met his brother's gaze and Ryan could see it in his eyes that he was about to flee.

Ryan ran to him and grabbed him forcefully by the arm.

"You're not going anywhere. You're going to pay for what you've done."

"Ryan, I'm so sorry." Trey mumbled.

"Yeah, I've heard that before too."

Ryan dialed 911 and reported the shooting, keeping one eye of Trey and the other on Marissa who still hadn't moved.

"Marissa, please hold on just a little longer." Ryan whispered as he watched the red blood seep through the shoulder of her red sweater.

The police and paramedics finally arrived. Trey was arrested and Ryan called Sandy, Seth and Summer from the ambulance on route to the hospital.

When they arrived Ryan followed the stretcher through the double doors of the emergency room as he heard the EMTs yelling back and forth at each other and the emergency room doctors.

"I've got a gunshot wound, exited right clavicle, punctured an artery."

"She still alive?"

"Not for long."

"Hey, she's my girlfriend. Is she going to be okay?"

"She'd be better if someone hadn't shot her." The paramedic replied.

Ryan looked around in a daze. Suddenly Seth appeared out of nowhere and his voice echoed like it was coming from thousands of miles away.

"You okay? You all right?"

Sandy came rushing in.

"Ryan? Seth? You okay?"

That was the last thing Ryan remembered before everything went black.

End of Part 1