Disclaimer: I don't own Ryan, Seth, or Captain Oats. I wish I did.

"What are you doing?"

Seth is hunched over the kitchen table, and Ryan thinks he might have a sewing needle in one hand.

"I'm making a tie for Captain Oats," Seth replies matter-of-factly.

Ryan leans against the bar and opens his juice. "No, seriously, what are you doing?"

Seth looks up, slightly annoyed. "Seriously, I'm making a tie for Captain Oats." He holds up a tiny, plastic-horse sized necktie and smiles. "He has a date tonight with Princess Sparkle. Summer and I are tagging along."

Ryan shakes his head, but he can't help but smile. "So, you two are cool?"

Seth nods his head, replacing the items from Rosa's sewing kit. "Yeah. I mean, there was a three week period where I'm fairly certain that the ache in my knee was due to a voodoo doll with a Jewfro, but now, things are cool. She has, in her words, 'moved on, to bigger and better things.' I prefer not to think too much into that."

Ryan smiles again, because he was actually relieved. When Seth had decided to end things with Summer, Ryan had felt infinitely guilty. Even though Seth assured him it was fine, he still couldn't stand to be around her while he was secretly kissing her boyfriend in the poolhouse.

"Okay, so, do you want to come upstairs and help me help Captain Oats get ready for his big date before you go to work?" Seth's eyes were smiling, and Ryan was pretty sure the 'getting ready' would take no more than three seconds, because, really, how long could it take to put a tiny tie on a plastic horse? So Ryan is hoping for some kissing, because it's going to be a long, boring shift.

Seth bounds up the stairs excitedly, and Ryan follows slowly. When he gets to Seth's room, Seth is frantically tossing comic books around, a panicked look on his face.

"Seth?"

"He's gone," Seth answers, and he's moved over to the dresser now, opening each drawer and rifling through it, his panic worsening. "Ryan, he's gone. GONE."

"Okay, Seth, calm down." Ryan walks over to the desk and starts straightening things, looking under the mounds of comic books and papers. "It can't just be gone. It has to be here."

"He. Captain Oats is not an 'it.' And he's not here, Ryan," Seth's voice is harsher than he intended, but he is freaking out here, and the least Ryan could do is try to make him feel better. "I always, always, ALWAYS leave him on top of the desk." Seth walks over to the desk and slams his hand down. "RIght here. Always. And now? Not here, Ryan. Not here AT ALL."

Ryan tightens his jaw to keep himself from rolling his eyes. "Okay, Seth, when was the last time to you saw Captain Oats?"

"This morning. He was right here," and Seth lifts his hand to slam it again, but Ryan grabs it. "Seth, calm down. He has to be here somewhere."

Seth's eyes widen. "Maybe he was horsenapped. And they're holding him for a hefty ransom. We have to call the police."

Ryan tries not to smile. "Okay, if he were, um, horsenapped, as you say, then there would be a note, or something. And there's no note. So, let's go to plan B right now, which does not involve the police. Let's ask your mom if she's seen him, okay?"

Seth nods, and there are almost very real tears stinging the back of his throat.

The boys walk downstairs and into the dining room, where Kirsten sits surround by papers and folders.

"Hey, Mom?"

"Yeah, honey?" Kirsten answers, but she's distracted and she doesn't look up from her laptop.

"Have you seen Captain Oats?"

"Who?"

Seth sighs. "Captain Oats. Plastic horse, about yay high, lives in my room..." Kirsten looks up from her work.

"Oh, that thing? Seth, you've had that since you were six. I donated it to Toy Drive down at the Club."

Seth closes his eyes, and Ryan is pretty sure that Seth is definitely going to cry now.

"You what?!" Seth turns and stalks out of the room.

Kirsten turns to Ryan with a confused look on her face.

"He's still pretty attached to Captain Oats," Ryan says by way of explanation.

Kirsten's face falls. "I didn't know. Oh, Ryan. I had no idea."

"It's okay, Kirsten. You know Seth. He's...dramatic." Ryan tries not to smile. "So, where would these toys be?"

"The drive doesn't end until tomorrow. They should all be in one of the storage rooms at the club."

Ryan starts backing out of the room. "I think we're going to.." he starts, but Kirsten is already reaching for her cell phone. "I'll call and let them know you're on your way."

Ryan smiles a thank you and walks upstairs to find Seth lying on the bed, arm draped over his eyes. "Put your shoes on. We're leaving."

Seth looks up, surprised. "Where are we going?" "To the club, to find Captain Oats. Let's go." Seth slides his sandals on and they clamber downstairs and into the truck.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

At the club, Ryan walks to the front desk. "Hi, I'm Ryan Atwood. Kirsten Cohen called--"

"Down the hall, first door on your left. Good luck." The girl never looks up from her text book. Ryan walks back to Seth and grabs his arm. "Let's go." They walk down the hall quickly, and when Ryan opens the door and flips on the light, his heart sinks.

"Wow."

"Dude, there must be over two hundred boxes in here. This is impossible." Seth slumps against the wall, but Ryan grabs his arm. He points to a stack of boxes in the far corner. "You start there, I'll start over here. He has to be here somewhere, Seth."

Seth whimpers, but he walks to the corner and opens the first box.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Seventy three boxes later, Seth is teetering on the verge of tears. "Ryan..."

Ryan closes his box and sets it back on the stack. He walks over to where Seth is sitting, surrounded by Care Bears.

"Ryan, he's not here, okay. And I'm tired, and this is insane. He's just gone." Ryan sits down next to Seth.

"Okay, Seth, can I ask you a question? And you promise not to get mad?" Seth nods. "What is the deal with the horse. Seriously?"

Seth starts to sigh, but remembers his promise. He takes a deep breath, instead, and leans back against the wall. "I have pretty much been a social reject my entire life, Ryan. I don't know how things were in Chino, but here? The bigger, cuter boys made all the rules, and the first day of school, they decided I sucked. Therefore, for my entire school career, I sucked. No one talked to me." Seth took another breath. "I can't even tell you what that was like. I had NO friends, Ryan. Not even another equally dorky guy, like Sam had Neil and Bill. I had no one. I ate lunch alone every day. It was pretty much hell. But, when I turned six, my Nana gave me the coolest horse ever. I was going through a cowboy phase, I think, and I guess my mom told her about it, because she sent me Captain Oats. And, since my parents wouldn't let me have a dog, he kinda became my pet. And then he became my friend. And, honestly, before you came along, he was he only friend I've ever had." Seth blushes, embarrassed, but he continues. "So, yes, it's weird to have an abnormally strong attachment to a plastic horse. But it's not just the plastic horse, Ryan. It's what he represents. He kept me from being alone until you came along. And I don't want to forget that. And yes, it's stupid, and dorky, and I would DIE if anyone at school found out, but it's important to me."

Ryan reaches over and laces his fingers with Seth's. "I don't think it's stupid, Seth. I remember what my life was like before I came here, and before I met you. I get it." He leans over and kisses Seth lightly, then stands up. "Come on. Let's find him."

Seth stands up, too, and smoothes out the front of his pants. "You know what, don't worry about it. You've already missed work, and I'm really sorry for that. It's fine. It's just a horse, right? It's fine. Let some other kid enjoy his time with him."

"Seth," Ryan begins, but Seth cuts him off. "I'm going home, Ry. You coming?"

Ryan shakes his head. "No, you go ahead. I'm going to pick up the last few hours of my shift."

Seth kisses him quickly, and squeezes his hand. "I'll see you at home." He gives him a small smile, then walks out the door, shoulders slumped.

Ryan walks over to the seventy-fourth box and opens it carefully. There, laying on top, is a small, familiar plastic horse. Ryan picks him up gingerly and smiles. He'll definitely look nice in a tie.