Kirsten sat in her room thinking about what Theresa had done. She was so glad that the young girl had not decided to get an abortion or even to give up the baby. Kirsten knew what giving up your own baby was like. No one carried this burden, but her. Sandy never knew and neither did Cal. It would ruin Jimmy if he knew he had another child with her 22 years ago. It killed her everyday to know that somewhere out there was her son living with some other family. He would be 22, and hopefully living a good, safe life.
Since Kristen had left Orange County for the months, in which she was pregnant no one knew about her son. Giving up that baby had been the most regretful thing she had ever done. Kirsten wished for a chance just to meet her son now. Just to see how he had grown, and to know that he had had a good life with good friends. She had always wanted Seth to meet his older half brother, but it would never happen, and she knew that. She had tried to hint to Sandy in the last few days that she had another child, but he had not gotten it. She wished she could try to look up her son, but the most important thing now was that she tells Sandy and Seth. It was time, and she knew it.
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"What's this about?" Seth asked, "Since when do we have family meetings?"
"I have something important to tell you both. It is something that you both need to know. I never wanted to keep it from you, but I just wasn't ready to tell anyone." Kirsten said taking in a deep breath.
"What is it sweetie?" Sandy asked putting a reassuring had on his wife's knee.
As they sat there in silence for a minute, Ryan walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
"Oh sorry, I didn't realize you guys were talking in here." He said quickly closing the door and turning.
"No, Ryan, it's okay. You need to hear this too. You are family after all." Kirsten said smiling and blinking back tears, "Sit." She said motioning for him to sit down by Seth.
"Okay mom, the suspense is killing us. What's up?" Seth said joking to hide his worry.
"Okay here goes. I have another son." She began as the tears fell slowly down her cheeks, "I...well when I was a lot younger, when I was with Jimmy. I was young and stupid. I left Rockport and gave it up for adoption because I didn't know what else to do. This whole situation with Theresa made me realize it was time to tell you about this. I have always regretted my decision, but I cannot change what I decided. I'm so sorry for not telling you before." She said as she tried to wipe away her tears.
Sandy, Seth and Ryan were all at a loss for words. They did not know what they should say or how they should feel. Sandy did not know if he should be mad at Kirsten for not telling him or if he should comfort her. There was a long moment of silence before Sandy made his decision and broke the silence.
"I am glad you told us Kirsten. I'm also sorry that you felt you had to keep this to yourself. I'm sorry you had to carry the burden of knowing this to yourself." Sandy said calmly.
"I wanted to tell you, believe me I did, but I was so scared. I was so afraid you would hate even the idea of me having a child with Jimmy." Kirsten said as she broke down and the tears cascaded down her cheeks like a waterfall.
"No honey. No, don't worry okay. I understand why you kept it to yourself. It was a hard decision to make, and it must have been hard to tell us. It was brave of you to tell us Hun." Sandy said pulling Kirsten into his arms.
"It's alright mom, I've always wanted a brother." Seth said not knowing what to say to comfort his mom. "I mean besides Ryan of course." He said hitting Ryan on the shoulder.
"I'm just so glad you aren't angry at me for not telling you." Kirsten said smiling at them through her tears. "You are truly the best family anyone could ask for. All of you." She said smiling at Ryan.
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"I can't believe I have a brother." Seth said to Ryan later as he lay on Ryan's bed in the pool house.
"Yeah that's pretty crazy dude." Ryan replied.
"I wonder if he's anything like me?" Seth asked with a grin.
"Oh God, I hope not. For the world's sake I hope not." Ryan said grinning.
"Hey nothing would make this world better than having two Seth Cohen's!" Seth said standing on the bed. "The two of us will bring laughter to every corner of the world!"
"You need help." Ryan said rolling his eyes and laughing.
"So what do you think he's like then?" Seth asked getting serious again as he lay on the bed.
"Dunno. I mean Jimmy is his dad and Kirsten is his mom, so he is probably a pretty cool guy. Maybe a mix of you and Marissa." Ryan said grinning.
"That's a scary thought." Seth said.
"Yeah it really is." Ryan said laughing.
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"Kirsten, I realize how hard this was for you, but you have to tell Jimmy and Marissa." Sandy said.
"I can't do that." Kristen responded, her eyes desperately pleading with him.
"Kirsten you have to." Sandy said putting his arm around her and her into him.
"I know. I know I need to, but I'm just not ready Sandy." Kirsten said pushing her tear streamed face into his shirt.
"You can do this Kirsten, I'm here for you. I'll be behind you one hundred percent and so will Seth and Ryan." Sandy said reassuringly.
"I love you." She said.
"I know." Sandy said grinning. "I love you too."
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"Xander, I'm so sorry." Willow said trying to comfort her best friend.
"Me too Xander. I mean this must be so hard." Buffy agreed giving Willow a desperate look as the girls struggled to comfort him.
"Yea well I guess finding out that they aren't my real parents isn't so bad, even though they lied to me for 22 years!" Xander said trying not to cry.
"Xander, I am sure they had a good reason not to tell you earlier." Giles added.
"Well we're in Rome now. Sunnydale is blown up, and everything is supposed to be better here. Things are supposed to be normal. Then I find out that, my parents didn't get out of Sunnydale fast enough and I was adopted!" Xander said.
"Oh Xander," Willow said throwing her arms around him, "I'm so sorry."
"What can we do?" Buffy asked comfortingly.
"I want to find them. I want to find my real mom and dad." He replied.
"What? You do?" Buffy asked.
"I think you should." Giles said, "It'll make things easier."
"Well we better get phone books and my laptop. We better pack then." Willow said smiling at him.
"No Will, I have to do this. You need to stay here with Buffy, Kennedy and Andrew. They need you more okay. This is something I have to do by myself." Xander said.
"Okay Xander, but we'll help you find where they are okay." Willow said.
"Yeah we'll back you up all the way buddy." Buffy said smiling.
"Thanks guys, you're the best." Xander said grinning at them.
TBC...
Since Kristen had left Orange County for the months, in which she was pregnant no one knew about her son. Giving up that baby had been the most regretful thing she had ever done. Kirsten wished for a chance just to meet her son now. Just to see how he had grown, and to know that he had had a good life with good friends. She had always wanted Seth to meet his older half brother, but it would never happen, and she knew that. She had tried to hint to Sandy in the last few days that she had another child, but he had not gotten it. She wished she could try to look up her son, but the most important thing now was that she tells Sandy and Seth. It was time, and she knew it.
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"What's this about?" Seth asked, "Since when do we have family meetings?"
"I have something important to tell you both. It is something that you both need to know. I never wanted to keep it from you, but I just wasn't ready to tell anyone." Kirsten said taking in a deep breath.
"What is it sweetie?" Sandy asked putting a reassuring had on his wife's knee.
As they sat there in silence for a minute, Ryan walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
"Oh sorry, I didn't realize you guys were talking in here." He said quickly closing the door and turning.
"No, Ryan, it's okay. You need to hear this too. You are family after all." Kirsten said smiling and blinking back tears, "Sit." She said motioning for him to sit down by Seth.
"Okay mom, the suspense is killing us. What's up?" Seth said joking to hide his worry.
"Okay here goes. I have another son." She began as the tears fell slowly down her cheeks, "I...well when I was a lot younger, when I was with Jimmy. I was young and stupid. I left Rockport and gave it up for adoption because I didn't know what else to do. This whole situation with Theresa made me realize it was time to tell you about this. I have always regretted my decision, but I cannot change what I decided. I'm so sorry for not telling you before." She said as she tried to wipe away her tears.
Sandy, Seth and Ryan were all at a loss for words. They did not know what they should say or how they should feel. Sandy did not know if he should be mad at Kirsten for not telling him or if he should comfort her. There was a long moment of silence before Sandy made his decision and broke the silence.
"I am glad you told us Kirsten. I'm also sorry that you felt you had to keep this to yourself. I'm sorry you had to carry the burden of knowing this to yourself." Sandy said calmly.
"I wanted to tell you, believe me I did, but I was so scared. I was so afraid you would hate even the idea of me having a child with Jimmy." Kirsten said as she broke down and the tears cascaded down her cheeks like a waterfall.
"No honey. No, don't worry okay. I understand why you kept it to yourself. It was a hard decision to make, and it must have been hard to tell us. It was brave of you to tell us Hun." Sandy said pulling Kirsten into his arms.
"It's alright mom, I've always wanted a brother." Seth said not knowing what to say to comfort his mom. "I mean besides Ryan of course." He said hitting Ryan on the shoulder.
"I'm just so glad you aren't angry at me for not telling you." Kirsten said smiling at them through her tears. "You are truly the best family anyone could ask for. All of you." She said smiling at Ryan.
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"I can't believe I have a brother." Seth said to Ryan later as he lay on Ryan's bed in the pool house.
"Yeah that's pretty crazy dude." Ryan replied.
"I wonder if he's anything like me?" Seth asked with a grin.
"Oh God, I hope not. For the world's sake I hope not." Ryan said grinning.
"Hey nothing would make this world better than having two Seth Cohen's!" Seth said standing on the bed. "The two of us will bring laughter to every corner of the world!"
"You need help." Ryan said rolling his eyes and laughing.
"So what do you think he's like then?" Seth asked getting serious again as he lay on the bed.
"Dunno. I mean Jimmy is his dad and Kirsten is his mom, so he is probably a pretty cool guy. Maybe a mix of you and Marissa." Ryan said grinning.
"That's a scary thought." Seth said.
"Yeah it really is." Ryan said laughing.
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"Kirsten, I realize how hard this was for you, but you have to tell Jimmy and Marissa." Sandy said.
"I can't do that." Kristen responded, her eyes desperately pleading with him.
"Kirsten you have to." Sandy said putting his arm around her and her into him.
"I know. I know I need to, but I'm just not ready Sandy." Kirsten said pushing her tear streamed face into his shirt.
"You can do this Kirsten, I'm here for you. I'll be behind you one hundred percent and so will Seth and Ryan." Sandy said reassuringly.
"I love you." She said.
"I know." Sandy said grinning. "I love you too."
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"Xander, I'm so sorry." Willow said trying to comfort her best friend.
"Me too Xander. I mean this must be so hard." Buffy agreed giving Willow a desperate look as the girls struggled to comfort him.
"Yea well I guess finding out that they aren't my real parents isn't so bad, even though they lied to me for 22 years!" Xander said trying not to cry.
"Xander, I am sure they had a good reason not to tell you earlier." Giles added.
"Well we're in Rome now. Sunnydale is blown up, and everything is supposed to be better here. Things are supposed to be normal. Then I find out that, my parents didn't get out of Sunnydale fast enough and I was adopted!" Xander said.
"Oh Xander," Willow said throwing her arms around him, "I'm so sorry."
"What can we do?" Buffy asked comfortingly.
"I want to find them. I want to find my real mom and dad." He replied.
"What? You do?" Buffy asked.
"I think you should." Giles said, "It'll make things easier."
"Well we better get phone books and my laptop. We better pack then." Willow said smiling at him.
"No Will, I have to do this. You need to stay here with Buffy, Kennedy and Andrew. They need you more okay. This is something I have to do by myself." Xander said.
"Okay Xander, but we'll help you find where they are okay." Willow said.
"Yeah we'll back you up all the way buddy." Buffy said smiling.
"Thanks guys, you're the best." Xander said grinning at them.
TBC...