Note: I do not own The O.C. or anything else for that matter. This is in fact an R/M story (not by choice really, but that's another story alltogether), it just takes a while to get there. This was my first fanfic, and was previously on The O.C. Message Boards Fan Fiction section, but I have decided to move it here. Please read and review and thanks ahead of time!
P.S. This starts out in present tense, then changes to past tense about two or three chapters in, just to let you know.
Ryan and Theresa are sitting together on an old, beat up couch on Theresa's sunporch watching TV. It's late at night and they both looked tired, especially Theresa, who is eight months pregnant, but looks ready to pop. Ryan takes a drink of a soda and then yawns, and Theresa tells him to go ahead and head to bed if he wants, she's going to bed soon anyway.
"Are you sure? I can -" He starts to tell her that he will stay up and keep her company, but she interrupts.
"I'm fine, go to bed," she smiles at him to tell him it's okay.
He kisses her on the forehead, then on her protruding belly, and goes back inside the house.
The sad look on her face says she probably didn't want to be alone after all. Ryan figures their trip tomorrow will cheer her up.
Seth is tying his boat to the dock when he hears someone giggle behind him. A familiar giggle, he thinks and turns around to see Summer, sitting in another boat. Summer had been avoiding him ever since he got back from his impromptu sailing trip in May, changing her classes at school and spending less time with people who knew Seth so she wouldn't have to see him. He starts to yell her name, but someone, a guy, sits up into Seth's vision and he sees that Summer is sitting on his lap, giggling with him. She puts her arms around him and kisses him.
"Carl!" she squeals when he playfully pushes he toward the edge of the boat, "Knock it off!"
They are laughing and playing and kissing and Seth realizes he lost his chance with Summer when he abandoned her all those months ago, and she had now moved on. He looks down and walks back up the dock with his skateboard and heads home. Summer doesn't even see him. If she did, she would have the same sad look on her face that he did.
Julie Cooper is standing in her ridiculously huge kitchen, wearing another one of her tight velour track suits, talking on the phone. "Cal," she doesn't sound happy. "Marissa is coming home from rehab tomorrow morning. I need you to be here to show her that we are going to support her as a family. . . It doesn't matter if she hates you, what matters is that she has people here to show that we care about her. . . Okay . . . Thank you, I'll see you then," she smiles at her own manipulative skills, when Jimmy walks in the room.
"Okay, I finished bringing Marissa's bags in, so all she should have tomorrow is a small carry-on. I have to head out, I'm meeting Hailey for dinner."
"Jimmy? Do you ever think about us anymore? What it would be like if we were still together?" She sets down her martini and starts to rub his arm, her hand making it's way up to his shoulder then neck, then down his back as she draws closer to him. He starts to pull away, but when she puts her other arm behind his back and draws her face close to his, he starts to feel helpless. He does still love Julie, but no, this is wrong. He finally pulls away.
"Julie, we can't - we can't do this," he gently takes her arms off him and puts them by her sides. She looks disappointed, and her eyes well up with tears. "I'm sorry," Jimmy says before turning to leave, but he stops. Julie looks up with hope.
"I'll be here at 8 tomorrow. That's when Marissa is due in, right?"
"Right," she says disappointed again.
"See you then," he says and leaves this time.
Seth is sitting at the breakfast table, eating a bowl of cereal, looking like he's still half asleep. Kirsten and Sandy are also grabbing a bite to eat, but they are standing at the island counter. There is a knock at the door and Seth gets up, puts his cereal bowl in the sink and goes to answer the door. Ryan and Theresa stand on the porch with a suitcase each.
"Hey, man, what's going on?" Seth says as he hugs Ryan, then Theresa and they come in.
"We came up for the weekend," Ryan says as they walk into the foyer and Sandy and Kirsten come in and greet them with hugs as well. "Theresa's mom went out of town for the weekend and we decided . . . well, it's been almost three months since we visited, so . . ."
"Very good, very cool," Seth says before he remembers their obligation this morning. "Oh, we have that thing, though, that – "
"Marissa is coming home today," Kirsten interrupts, "But it's so good to see you two."
"You can go with us," Sandy says and grabs a suitcase to help with.
Ryan looks at Theresa as if to ask if that is okay with her and she nods.
"Okay," Ryan says and grabs the other suitcase.
Julie walks toward the front door of her mansion, brushing her skirt straight. "Coming!" she says and walks up to the door and opens it.
Sandy, Kirsten, Seth, Ryan and Theresa all stand outside waiting to be let in. Everyone can see Julie's surprise at the two unexpected guests, but they all file into the house to await Marissa's arrival. Sandy, Kirsten, Seth, Ryan and Theresa follow Julie Cooper into the giant living room, where to everyone's surprise, Jimmy Cooper sits on an overstuffed chair talking to Caleb Nichol.
They look up as everyone comes in and their eyes go straight to Ryan and Theresa.
"Ryan and Theresa came to show their support too," Kirsten breaks the ice.
They all shuffle in and sit down to wait for Marissa's return.
The hospital's mandatory medical transportation would be bringing Marissa home any minute.
"Did anyone else want coffee?" A voice comes from the kitchen that catches Seth's attention. Summer walks into the room carrying two cups of coffee, one of which she hands to Jimmy.
"What is he . . What are they . . What's going on?" She looks confused as she glances from Seth to Ryan to Theresa and of course back to Seth.
"Marissa is going to need all the friends and family she can get when she comes home and we all need to be here for her," Julie pipes up, "and if anyone wants, there is coffee and pastries in the kitchen." Then she goes to talk to Kirsten.
Sandy joins Jimmy and Caleb in their business discussion and Summer wanders over toward Seth.
Ryan and Theresa walk off toward the kitchen.
"Hey Cohen," Summer says stuffing her hands into her pockets nervously.
"Hey Summer, how's it goin? How are you, you and uh, what's his name? Carl? How are you guys doing?"
"Look I don't want to talk about that, we're here to be positive and supportive, so I don't want to argue."
"Okay, whatever, I just thought you might want to explain to me how it is that you broke up with me because I broke your heart, but now you're dating Chad."
"His name is Carl, Cohen. It's Carl. And I don't want to talk about it. You have no right to even ask about it," Summer says pouting. Seth doesn't see the tears in her eyes as she walks off.
A few minutes later, as everyone makes small talk to pass the time, the doorbell rings. Ryan and Theresa are still in the kitchen, but everyone else gathers around the foyer while Julie and Jimmy rush to the door. A staff member is standing at the door and hands Jimmy a small luggage bag, then steps out of the way and Marissa appears.
She looks healthy and sort of happy, and she walk into the house, and into her mother's, then her father's arms. Everyone hugs her and welcomes her home and tells her how glad they are to see her.
They walk into the living room and Marissa's shoulder's hunch and she looks down as she remembers that she lives here and she will have to stay here with Caleb and her mother.
Then Ryan walks into the room and her face lights up. He looks upset and starts to say something to everyone, but Marissa interrupts. "Ryan!" she shouts and runs to him, dropping her purse on an end table. She throws her arms around him and holds him tight. He hugs her back for a moment, but then backs away. He looks panicked as he fumbles for the words to say.
"I think - I think Theresa's water broke. I think she's in labor!"
Everyone's jaws drop and they hear a scream from in the kitchen. Theresa was going to have a baby.
"Oh my God," Kirsten says panicked, "It's too early!"
She and Ryan and Sandy run into the kitchen and escort Theresa out.
"Somebody call an ambulance," Sandy orders as they lay Theresa on a couch and prop her up with pillows.
"That could be messy," Seth says. He realizes it's not a time for jokes and shuts up.
"I'll get some towels," Julie says, then runs upstairs. Caleb follows her, not wanting to deal with a woman giving birth in his living room.
Ryan kneels beside Theresa and holds her hand. She lets out a scream and Kirsten comes to her side to help also. Everyone else stands around, not knowing what to do.
A little over ten minutes later, the ambulance shows up, and Theresa is on a stretcher being pulled out of the house.
"I have to go with her," Ryan says to everyone, but looks at Marissa. He stops and hugs her. "Welcome back," he says quietly, "It's good to see you again." It isn't the first time he has seen her since he left for Chino, but it has been over four months, and he is glad that she's okay.
"I'm going too," Kirsten says, and follows Ryan out of the house. "We'll call you guys as soon as we hear something."
As they leave, everyone is silent. No one knows what to say. Theresa is only eight months pregnant.
After a while, Julie asks Marissa if she wants anything to eat, and Caleb interrupts, saying he has a business meeting he is already late to. Marissa rolls her eyes and Julie shoots him a dirty look, but he leaves anyway.
Sandy and Jimmy are talking about the new restaurant they hope to open, and Marissa says she is pretty hungry. Julie wanders into the kitchen to make her breakfast.
"Hey Coop, how ya doin'?" Summer asks Marissa. Seth stands nearby.
"I'm good, I'm okay. What were Ryan and Theresa doing here?"
Seth interjects, "They came up for the weekend and Ryan probably wanted to see you, so..."
Summer looks at Seth and sees how sensitive he can be, not like Carl or any other guy she's dated in the last few months to take her mind off Seth.
Julie comes back in with a plate for Marissa and she sits down with her to eat.
Seth asks Summer if they can talk.
"I know you're mad at me-" he starts, but she interrupts him
"Cohen, I'm not mad at you. I don't care what you do with your life, I'm so over it, okay?"
"Summer, I didn't mean to hurt you. I needed to . . ." he trails off.
"You needed to what?!" she gets upset and he realizes she does still care and still hurt because of what he did. "Nevermind, I don't care anymore."
"You don't sound like you don't care, I just wanted to explain myself."
"So explain, I don't care. Do or don't, whatever," she tries to act like it's not important but she listens to him intently.
"Ryan left, and I thought I would be stuck in the same life I had before he came. The loser that no one talks to. I didn't want to be that guy again."
"Well you wouldn't have! I was here, what about me? I love you," she looks down, "I mean I loved you."
"I still love you Summer, and I'm sorry for what I did. But you didn't pay any attention to me before Ryan got here. I spent every day alone, playing video games and listening to music that you and your friends made fun of."
"Things change, I was different. I even started to like your, your music!" She starts to cry and storm off, but Seth grabs her arm and pulls her back.
"Don't ignore me like you used to do," he says and his eyes tear up a little as well.
She slowly pulls him toward her and they hug for a long time.
Later, at the hospital, Theresa is about to give birth. She is in a lot of pain and Ryan and Kirsten sit on either side of her, while the doctor tells her to keep pushing.
"You can do it," Ryan says supportively, holding her hand.
"C'mon honey, you're almost there," Kirsten also lends her support, rubbing Theresa's arm. "You're doing so good."
She lets out a long, loud scream and the baby comes out. The doctor holds up the small, premature baby and says, "You've got yourself a little girl!" He holds her up to Theresa's chest and they all admire her.
Everyone smiles, then starts crying.
"We've got to get her off to make sure everything is okay, but she looks like a very healthy baby. Very tiny, but very healthy," the doctor says as a couple of nurses take the baby and he follows them out.
Ryan hugs Theresa, and Kirsten excuses herself, so they can have a moment to themselves.
"Thank you for everything, Ryan," Theresa says, "You've been so wonderful this whole time. I'll get a paternity test done right away so you don't have to wonder any longer about the rest of your -"
"Theresa," Ryan stops her. "There's no rush. It's not important right now."
"But you deserve to know."
"Why? What if she's Eddie's baby? Then what?"
"Then I go home, and my mom can help me take care of her."
Ryan shakes his head, "I'm here for you and that baby no matter what. Eddie's not a father, whether or not he's the one who, you know . . ."
Theresa cries and they hug. Ryan pulls away and looks at Theresa. Her face is glowing, she's absolutely radiant. He's lived her for six months, and although she had said over and over that they shouldn't be together, he had fallen in love with her all over again.
"I love you, Theresa." He leans in to kiss her, and this time, for the first time since he came back to Chino, she lets him.
After they kiss, she touches his face gently. "I love you too," she says.