A/N Hey guys...

Alright, so this is my first O.C story, and I'm not really sure about it, but here goes nothing haha.

This is mostly from the POV of Ryan's little sister Kim, who is about eighteen months/two years younger than him. Just imagine that she was there from the beginning with everything, that's what I did when I wrote the story.

I dont really know when it's set, except that it's before Marissa dies, but other than that, it doesnt really matter :D I've only just started watching the OC properly, and I've just started season two, so it may not be perfect but...yeah...

Lastly, please R+R because I'm not even totally sure about this story at all, but if I get enough people interested, then I'll be happy to carry on! Oh and p.s this is a little rushed because I literally couldnt think of anything else until I had finished it, so I apologize in advance for the terrible writing haha

Thanks

xoloveJBox

"I'm not sick." Kimberly Atwood told her brother, Ryan, for just about the millionth time in two days.

"But Kim, you look terrible." He answered, earning himself a glare from his younger sister.

"Oh, gee, thanks Ry," Kim replied sarcastically, "That's just about what every girl wants to hear from her big brother."

While she was glad that ever since they had moved to Newport Ryan had begun to actually notice her, it was at times like these that Kim wished he wouldn't. In Chino, Ryan and Kim had barely spoken to each other for months, and when they did, it was short and to the point. They had rarely had a real conversation, and even when there was something that Kim wanted to talk about with the only one of her two brothers that she actually liked, she either got the impression that Ryan wasn't listening, or he wasn't there at all. For years Kim had dutifully cleaned up Ryan's face whenever he came home after a fight, but he never told her about them and honestly, she didn't want to know.

However, on the night that Ryan and Trey had been arrested for stealing the car, Kim had sat up for most of the night worrying about them- Trey a little bit, but mostly Ryan. She hadn't gone with her mother to fetch Ryan from the detention centre the next morning, and though she would never had admitted it to anyone else, she was glad that it was Ryan alone who was returning. She had sat silently in her room while her mother and brother argued, listening as their mother threw the two of them out of their home, even though Kim had never even been in trouble at school, never mind the law. It didn't matter anyway- Kim had known then, just as she still knew, that she would go wherever Ryan was, because he was the only person who had ever made her feel safe in her entire life. Ryan was the only one who had ever shown even a little bit of interest in what she needed, like when he had spent almost two months wages in entirety on paying to get her glasses fixed for her, after Kim had repeatedly asked their mother to do it for her. Kim had never even bothered asking Trey. She knew there was no point in wasting her time there.

Since they had been taken in by the Cohen's, things had never been better for Ryan and Kim. They both went to a private school, doing better with their grades then they ever had before, they had a nice place to live and, most importantly, they had people who cared about them. It was in the months since things had started to settle down that Ryan and Kim had started to get closer. Late at night in the pool house, they would actually speak to each other, and it wouldn't be about where they were going to get their next meal from, or about who was going to clean up the mess from their mother's latest drunken rage. They chatted about friends they had made, classes they found interesting, and the various things Seth had said that amused them. Kim kind of found it funny that while they had been in Chino, when she had needed her brother to be there for her, he hadn't been, but now in Newport, where she had more people she could rely on, Ryan made the effort to take care of her, even when she didn't need it, which bought them to where they were.

They were both sat in their pool house; Ryan on his bed, doing chemistry homework, while Kim sat on her bed reading a book. Kim tried to ignore the fact that she could feel Ryan's eyes on her, but she had to admit, it was difficult.

"Come here," Ryan said, clearly not satisfied, beaconing Kim over to him. Kim rolled her eyes dramatically, put her book on her bed and crossed the pool house to where he sat. She plonked herself next to him and sat patiently while Ryan put his hand on her forehead.

"You know, all you're doing is comparing my skin temperature to yours." Kim told him matter-of-factly. Ryan ignored her comment and looked at Kim unhappily.

"You feel a little warm." He told her.

"Ryan, I'm fine alright?" She assured him, getting up and going back to her book. Kim began to read a few lines, but she was distracted by the knowledge that Ryan was still scrutinising her with eyes.

"You'd tell me if you didn't feel well, right?" He asked after a minute of silence.

"Yes," Kim lied, but it seemed to keep Ryan happy.

"Ok," he replied, getting up and heading towards the door. "You want any lunch?"

"I already had lunch."

"Kimmy, a can of soda is not lunch."
"I'm just not hungry Ryan, jeez." Kim snapped, annoyed that Ryan just wouldn't leave it alone.

Just as Ryan was about to reply, Kim felt another wave of nausea hit her, and she got up, trying to seem calm, to go to the bathroom.

When she emerged ten minutes later, after yet again emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet bowl, Ryan had left and she was grateful for that. Kim took a quick, cool shower, changed and, despite the fact that it wasn't even three in the afternoon, she climbed into bed and soon fell asleep.

It was growing dark outside when Kim felt Kirsten gently shaking her awake.

"Kim? Kim, honey, wake up." Kirsten cooed softly, kneeling at the side of the bed. Kim sat up groggily, pushing her hair from her face as another streak of pain roared through her stomach. Kim gasped, caught by surprise, but Kirsten didn't notice.

"Your dinner's ready sweetie." Kirsten told her, and Kim nodded, though she didn't really want any.

"What time is it?" Kim yawned.

"Almost six." Kirsten answered simply as she passed Kim her slippers. Kim had slept for almost three hours, and she felt no better for it. She hadn't been completely truthful when her brother had asked her if she was sick, but she knew that Ryan had a tendency to over-worry about her. She hadn't felt quite right for two or three days, and she had thought that it was nothing, but now, as more intense pain coursed through her stomach, she wasn't so sure. Kim thought about telling Kirsten, while they were alone together, but then she decided against it. She knew that she would feel stupid if it was nothing, and she didn't want to cause a fuss. So Kim grabbed her slippers and a thin cardigan, and followed Kirsten out of the pool house.

"Where's Ryan?" Kim asked when they walked into the dining room and he wasn't there.

"Marissa called and they went out." Seth told her as they all sat down.

Dinner was a quiet affair that night, and Kim didn't join in with the Cohen's small talk. She idly pushed vegetables around her plate, pretending to eat them. Kim struggled to keep herself composed as more and more pain hit her like bricks. At times, it got so bad that even her vision blurred.

"Kim?" Sandy's voice startled her, and she jumped a little when he spoke.

"Sorry," she mumbled, "World of my own."

"Are you alright? You've barely touched your food."

"I'm fine. I'm just not hungry." Kim said, trying to sound casual.

"Ryan said you didn't get any lunch either." Seth added, and Kim could feel a cold, clammy sweat dripping down her back.

"I think I got a little too much sun yesterday, that's all." Kim told them dismissively. She picked up her glass of water, her hands trembling almost uncontrollably, and took a long sip. The cool of the water felt good in her hot hands and itchy throat, except now, all three of the Cohens were watching her.

"Are you sure you're ok Sweetie?" Kirsten asked, leaning in to talk to Kim.

"Yeah, I err, can I be excused?" Suddenly, Kim felt worse than she had in days, and the worst pain she had ever experienced grabbed at her body.

Kim didn't remember waiting for an answer before pushing her chair out and standing shakily. However, as she turned, Kim didn't even take a step away from the table before everything went black, and she didn't even feel herself hit the ground.