Hey!! I just finished my other story, called When Worlds Collide. It's all about Ryan and Marissa and the troubles they face when not everything turns out to be how they thought it was. So read that, if you're interested!!

This is another RM fic, completely AU style. It's about family and romance and of course drama. Because what is Ryan and Marissa without drama right? Anyway so let us pretend that Theresa had a girl, not a boy. Let us also pretend that the timeline in season one in which things happened was a little bit different, so therefore Oliver happened a little bit earlier, as well as Theresa. Season two and three happened the way they were in the show, except that the baby (girl) is Ryan's. And let's also pretend that Marissa Cooper is still alive, of course; because in a fair and just world, she would be. And so would the show. Anyway it's just a little something I thought up in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep and I thought it would be cute and funny and interesting. So here it is, I hope you like it.

Fathers

At exactly 8:00 am, 28 year old Ryan Atwood wakes up to his alarm blaring loudly next to him. He groans loudly, like he does every morning and rubs his face with his hands. Staring up at the ceiling he makes a mental note of the things he needs to do today while letting the music play in his ears. Shower, shave, pack the remaining clothes in his closet, make breakfast and pack the car.

Today is the day. Today is the day that he and his daughter leave Chino behind for good. Today is the day he cuts all the ties he has left this place. Today is the day his daughter will finally be saved by the depression that is Chino. Though he knows she doesn't think about it like that...yet.

Ten years ago; almost to the day, Ryan Atwood learned the truth to the 3 year secret that was spun around him. Theresa had had the baby; a girl she name Lillian Rose Atwood. And after graduation; after asking Marissa if he can drive her to the airport, Theresa had told him everything-she even showed him the DNA results, proving that without a doubt, the beautiful 3 year old girl was his. And after talking to Marissa in the car about it, and having her tell him that he'll make the right decision because he always does, Ryan debated the decision in his head. He could either go to Berkley and come back on weekends to see his kid. Or he can skip out on college, find a job and be with his daughter every day. He chooses the obvious; deciding that since he'd already missed out on her first three year, he wouldn't miss out on a single day more. He'd missed her first words, her first steps, her first tooth...he couldn't; wouldn't miss anymore.

So he moves back to Chino with Theresa. And determined to do it on his own, without the help of his rich foster family (no matter how much they meant to him), Ryan gets his old construction job back and Theresa gets a job at the new local bakery.

Marissa goes to Greece with her dad and Summer goes to Brown in the fall. And in the winter, Seth follows her to Providence.

A few months later its Lillian's 4th birthday and Theresa's mom, and Sandy and Kirsten gather at the Diaz household, along with her friends from pre-school. Ryan remembers not being very thrilled to have the Cohens in his old neighbourhood because quite frankly he didn't really want to be there either. But he focuses on the fact that 'home' is where your family is-and Lillian and Theresa are is family. That thought alone is the only thing that keeps him in Chino.

The day his daughter calls him 'daddy' is both the happiest and scariest day of his life. Nothing beats hearing your child say your name-Daddy- for the first time. Nothing. He's happy beyond words because he knows that no matter what this little person-his daughter-is going to love him forever. And he's scared out of his mind that she's going to look up to him and depend him and believe in him for the rest of his life. He's responsible; completely and totally responsible for somebody that isn't himself. It's scary and intimidating and amazing all at the same time.

She walks into the house on a Saturday afternoon and Theresa's at work and Lily's crying his name and holding her bloody elbow. For the first in a long time the Chino atmosphere gets the best of him and he panics, looking up and down the street. But then she tells him that she fell down and he wraps it in gauze and kisses it better. And he knows he'll never sleep easy again.

The first day of kindergarten is tough. Lily is excited out of her mind, jumping around the house and singing a song he's never even heard before. Theresa picks out her outfit-a pink skirt with white stockings and a white t-shirt; all the while putting on a brave face. Ryan is nervous; making breakfast and packing her lunch silently. The ride to Chino Elementary is silent between him and Theresa while Lily babbles on and on about all the things she's going to do. The second he pulls her out of the car though, she starts crying and screaming and Theresa is crying and he's trying so hard not to. When she finally lets go of his neck and lets the teacher carry her away from them, he faces Theresa and she looks just like Lily. And he feels bad because in the last four months, he's barely even talked to her-his childhood bestfriend; the mother of his beautiful little girl. And so he hugs her, promising herself that he'll make an effort this time because last time he lived here for the baby it was awkward and uncomfortable. It can't be like that, not anymore. When school ends at lunch, they pick her up together and Lily doesn't stop talking the whole ride home. He calls Sandy and Kirsten and tells them all about it. And that night he sleeps in the same bed at Theresa. The following night they sleep together, both desperate to hold onto some semblance of their relationship.

Ryan calls Kirsten on December 4th because in a short few weeks it'll be Christmas-his first ever with his four year old daughter. She tells him that when she was a little girl, she wanted nothing more than a dollhouse. So he spends the next few weeks building one from scratch; she won't know the difference but to him it's important. On Christmas Eve they go to Newport and have dinner with the Cohen clan and when Lily opens the dollhouse that is easily twice her size it's like she's lost to the world. She spends hours decorating it and by the bedtime she's too tired to even attempt to play with him.

The following summer when Seth and Summer return again from college they visit his family of three and Lily takes an instant liking to Summer. It takes a few hours for her to warm up to Seth because he's weird. Ryan is somewhat relieved. Marissa also comes back from Greece and enrols herself in the interior design program at Berkley. A couple of weeks after school starts back up, they lose touch again.

Four years later, for Lily's seventh birthday, Ryan and Theresa bring her back to Newport for the weekend with Sandy and Kirsten. Ryan and Sandy help Seth and Summer move into their own house while There, Lily and Kirsten go to the spa. That evening Kirsten orders way too much Thai and a few minutes after it arrives they all know why. Marissa walks into the room and is more than ecstatic as she throws herself at her bestfriend. Everybody hugs her and asks her about college and life. Ryan keeps his distance; afraid to get close after 4 years of being apart. After dinner however he finds her in the backyard and for the first time in years they talk; about everything. Marissa tells him about her plans for the future. Ryan tells her all about Lily. And it takes everything in him not to kiss her, and just as he's about to give in, Lily calls for him to tuck her in. She's gone when he gets back. The next day Ryan slips out after cake and singing and they almost sleep together before they both come to their senses. The next morning she calls him and tells him she's leaving Newport again, for New York. He doesn't tell her that he wants her stay and he doesn't tell her what he wants-what he's always wanted. Instead he wishes her luck and to stay in touch. She says she will but they both know she won't.

A few months later, Ryan proposes to Theresa; because really that's the only thing they have left to do. They have a small wedding in their backyard in which Lily is the flower girl.

The marriage isn't necessarily loveless, because he did love her. But he wasn't in love with her. It was lust; not passion. It was boring. It was convenience more than anything. They both knew it. After all, they'd only married for Lily.

Three years later Theresa files for divorce, packs her things and leaves. In the middle of the night she takes off. And Ryan isn't surprised like he knows he should be. They hadn't talked in weeks. She'd stopped wearing her ring. To a certain extent Ryan should've seen it coming; and he understands why she'd leave him. A person can only take so much rejection in a marriage based on nothing but a little girl. But it angered him beyond belief that she'd leave her daughter-their daughter. When he finally sits down to talk to his 11 year old little girl, he explains it the only way he knows how; thanking god that she hadn't had to witness it herself; like he had with his own mother. And he's there-every night when she cries herself to sleep he holds her. When she can't sleep he stays up with her and bakes cookies with her at 3 o'clock in the morning.

A couple months later she stops crying, she sleeps better and she seems happier. She stops talking about her estranged mother and even when she does, it doesn't seem to hurt her anymore. Nor does it seem to bother that her grandma-Theresa's mom- shuts her out, along with the rest of the 'family' due to Theresa's departure.

The Cohen's insist time and time again that he and Lily move back to Newport to with family, to let them help him. But being Ryan, as stubborn as he is, he declines politely for two years straight. It's him and his daughter against the world.

But two months ago, Ryan finally gives in to everyone's pleas and starts to make the arrangements for them to move to Newport. He accepts Sandy's job offer at the Newport Group. He accepts the space Kirsten offers him at the house. And he tells his boss in Chino that he's leaving. When he tells 13 year old Lily, she isn't sure how to feel but she agrees anyway.

After showering quickly, shaving his face and packing his last duffle bag, Ryan Atwood carries it into the hallway, pausing in front of Lilt's door and knocking on it softly. "Lily wake up, it's time to get ready." He continues into the living room and places his bag on the floor behind the couch. When he doesn't hear any movements down the hall he sighs. "Lil! C'mon babe we gotta go!"

He grabs two bowls out of the cupboard next to the fridge and two cereal boxes out of the cupboard underneath the counter. He pours fruit loops in Lily's bowl and cheerios into his before grabbing the milk out of the fridge. "Lillian Rose Atwood!" he yells loudly.

"Geez dad, full name?" the 13 year old black haired, blue eyes girl asks sarcastically. She walks into the kitchen and grabs the milk from her dad.

"You're not dressed," he notices, catching a glimpse of her old pyjamas as he pulls the milk carton back.

Lily shrugs and grabs a spoon before walking into the living room. She plops down on the couch, sitting cross-legged on 'her' cushion. "Remind me again why we're moving to Newport with grandma and grandpa."

Ryan sighs and leans against the counter. "We've been over this Lil."

"Yeah, I know, because of educational purposes and whatever-"

"Can you stop being so cranky?" he asks her sternly.

"Sorry..." Lily trails off, eating a spoonful of cereal. She doesn't mean to be so moody because he is right. Graduating from Harbour would give her amazing opportunities. And she loves her grandparents, she just isn't sure about living with them.

"You know," Ryan starts, walking towards her with his bowl. "When I was a kid-"

"C'mon dad," she groans. She hates this speech.

"Lily." He pauses and sits on the table in front of his daughter. "Look, moving to Newport when I did-it saved me-"

"Your parents were fucked up," she points out.

"Lillian Rose-"

"It's true though isn't it?" she asks, successfully avoiding her full name being given to her on a silver platter.

He sighs. "Yeah but that's not the point. This is a good thing Lil."

"I know it's just...as crummy as this place is, it's home dad." She looks at her father, the only person in the whole world that she truly trusts.

"I know babe. But you'll be fine. We will be fine." He smiles reassuringly at her.

"I love you daddy," she whispers, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He grins proudly and rubs her back softly. "I love you too. Now go get dressed okay?" he pulls away and taps her face with his fingers lightly. "If we plan on getting there for lunch, we gotta go."

He watches her place her empty bowl into the sink for him to wash and pack before walking back to her room. Ryan understands where she's coming from. Because although staying in Newport was the best thing that could've happened to him at the time, he had still been wary too. Because Chin was all he had known. But he'd swallowed his fear and insecurities. And if anyone can do the same, it's Lily Rose Atwood.

Alright that's it for the first chapter! How was it? I know it's short, but don't worry the chapters will get longer the further along we get. This one was just to show what's happened to Ryan in the last ten years and also to get a feel for the kind of relationship he has with his daughter. Hope you liked it!