Okay so I decided to screw with history a little. You'll see what I mean as you read. Enjoy and reply please? Also I own nothing though if Ben is out there, I'll buy him or rent him. ;) Thank you to my cheering section Pinky who writes an awesome Naley story if you all are interested at all and XWaltzforVenusX, I love your stories and can't wait for Naked! Ryan. ;) BTW this is a x-over with OTH. Timeline starts in Season 1. Enjoy the show.
Ryan let himself into the main house through the kitchen door and stopped. There at the stove was a girl about his own age wearing a pair of boxer shorts and a white T-shirt singing as she put a tray of cookies into the oven to cook.
"You said you couldn't live without me so why aren't you dead," were the words that reached his ears as she turned around. Her eyes flew open wide when she saw him. She took the earbuds out of her ears and slung them around her neck. "I didn't hear you come in. It's Ryan, right?"
"Uh yeah. Who are you?"
"Oh I'm-"
"Taylor," Seth's voice came from the opposite end of the kitchen.
Taylor's glance diverted from Ryan and landed on Seth. She smiled as she walked across the kitchen and hugged the boy, "Hey loser. Miss me?"
"Hell yeah. When did you get back," Seth asked as he hugged her.
"Last night. I would've called but I didn't get back to the house until two."
"And you're already over here cooking," Seth asked.
"Yeah, well I had to get out of my house."
"How long were you there for?"
"Four hours and then I went to the bathroom and found out she was sleeping over. I turned around, walked out, got dressed, and came over. I thought I'd cook since I haven't done it in a while. It's okay, isn't it?"
"Absolutely," Kirsten's voice answered as she entered. "Welcome home Taylor."
"Thanks Kirsten," Taylor smiled.
"Have you met Ryan?"
"Not officially." Taylor turned to look at Ryan. "Hi, I'm Taylor Townsend."
"Ryan Atwood."
"Welcome to Newport," Taylor smiled at him. Then she took Seth's hand and dragged him over to the oven. "Okay so you have to try these cookies and tell me what you think. They're a breakfast cookie."
"Are these more of your gran's old recipes?"
"No, I bought some cookbooks over the summer on one of the many shopping trips Brooke dragged me on. I swear that girl was born with a credit card in her hand."
"Brookie the Shopping Monster," Seth joked as he picked up a cooled cookie and took a bite. "Hmm. Not bad. Coconut?"
"Yep and carrots and apples and walnuts."
"Pretty good. Ryan, you wanna try?"
"Thanks," Ryan took a couple from Seth and sat down after pouring himself some coffee. "These are good."
"Thanks. But don't fill up on them. I also made a pot pie. It should be ready soon."
"I smell food in the kitchen. Taylor must be home," Sandy's voice floated in a few moments before he did. "Aha! I knew it."
"Morning Sandy."
"Morning. Welcome home."
"Thanks."
"Smells amazing in here," Sandy said as he took a seat at the counter.
"Thank you," Taylor said as she opened up the oven and took out the pot pie and set it on the counter. "I'll be right back," she said as she went into the den and leaned over the couch. She pulled a bag into view and came back into the kitchen. "I come bearing not only breakfast but gifts. Sandy, I saw this the week Brooke and I went to New York and I thought you might like it. It's a symbol of someone else who started out in New York and ended up out here."
Sandy opened his gift and laughed. "Brooklyn Dodgers. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Kirsten, for you," Taylor handed her a box with a smile. "I hope you like them."
Kirsten opened up the box and pulled out a set of wine glasses. "Taylor these are beautiful."
"Good. Seth," she turned to face her friend. "I am sorry I wasn't here for your birthday but I come bearing a present not only from me but one from Brooke and one from your fellow artist, Peyton."
"How's she doing?"
"She's dating Nathan Scott."
"She's what? Okay, we need to have a very long talk about the goings on in that weird little town your cousin lives in."
"Breakfast first," Taylor said before she turned to Ryan. "Okay, I'm not sure you'll like this but I didn't have a whole lot of information about you and Brooke and I were in Vegas when Seth called me to fill me in on the newest member of the Cohen family," she said as she handed over a bag.
"You don't have to," Ryan started.
"Take it," Seth advised. "Taylor's pretty good with gifts."
"Thanks Seth," Taylor smiled.
Ryan reached into the bag before him and pulled out Taylor's gift. He looked up at the girl, "Boxing gloves?"
"Seth told me you can throw a good punch. Thanks for looking out for him."
"No problem."
Taylor smiled at him before she turned back to Seth, insisting that he open her present first.
OCOCOCOCOC
"She OD'd," Taylor raised an eyebrow at Seth as he related the story of what had happened during their sojourn.
"Yeah. Painkillers and a bottle of tequila," Seth was on his bed looking at the first editions that Brooke had gifted him with while Taylor sat on the futon that had been put in Seth's room when the two of them had turned twelve painting her toes. "She had her reasons."
"I heard about her dad."
"How?"
"Uncle Richard has a lot of friends and Aunt Victoria knows I go to school with Marissa so they made sure I knew about Jimmy."
"Well that's just the half of it."
"What else happened," Taylor blew on one of her toes.
"She caught Luke and Holly making out on the dance floor of the club we were at."
Her head shot up and her eyes narrowed, "Jerk!"
"And you don't even like Marissa," Seth said.
"No one deserves to be cheated on and she and Luke have been together for forever," Taylor shook her head. "Guys suck."
"Hey!"
"Present company and his father excluded."
"Thank you," Seth smirked a little. "Wait, what about Ryan?"
"We'll see."
"Fair enough. So, how was Tree Hill?"
"Not bad. Brooke and I hung out with Peyton when she wasn't busy with Nathan and when she was we hung out by ourselves. We hit a couple of parties. B&T stuff," Taylor shrugged.
"Peyton and Nathan," Seth raised an eyebrow.
"I know. Don't even ask me how that particular relationship came about. I have no clue."
"I remember Nathan. Guy was the East Coast version of Luke."
"Well, at least Peyton hasn't morphed into Marissa yet." Taylor tilted her head, "Stay tuned."
"Tree Hill is just weird."
"And Newport isn't? The only normal people in our little corner of the world live in this house and are responsible for your creation."
Seth laughed and Taylor smiled as she continued her art work on her toes. She was about to start on her pinky toe when something occurred to her.
"Seth?"
"Yeah?"
"Where'd she get the painkillers?"
Seth looked up, "What?"
"Marissa. You said she OD'd on painkillers and tequila. The tequila I get but where'd she get the painkillers?"
"Summer's purse," Seth said.
"What happened to Summer?"
"What?"
"What happened to Summer that she'd need painkillers?"
"Nothing."
"Then why'd she have them?"
"Someone asked her to get them for her."
"Someone?"
"Yeah."
"Someone as in my mother?"
"Uh yeah," Seth looked very uncomfortable.
"I am going to kill her," Taylor fumed. "What the hell was she thinking about? Forget the fact that Marissa could have died, do you know what would've happened if the border guards had searched the car and found them? No, you know what? I'll tell Julie where Marissa got the pills and let her kill Veronica."
"Taylor? Deep breath, okay? Performing CPR on my best friend isn't something I want to do in the near future or ever if you want the truth," Seth said.
Taylor frowned at him. It was the same frown she'd given him since they were nine. She gave it to him every time she thought he was being overprotective.
Seth grinned and checked the clock, "Lunch time. Finish your toes and call Brooke to see how her flight was. I'll go get us something from the kitchen. You want some of that tea you made this morning?"
"Yeah. Hey Seth?"
"Yeah," Seth paused at the door.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"Anytime."
Seth closed the door behind him as he left the room. He went down to the kitchen where he found Ryan making himself some lunch.
"Hey," Seth said.
"Hey. Getting lunch?"
"Yeah for Taylor and me. We usually eat in my room."
"Right. So," Ryan hedged.
"What?"
"Any special reason you didn't tell me your best friend was a girl?"
"Didn't think it mattered," Seth shrugged as he set out some sandwich fixings and two glasses.
"Really? 'Cause from where I'm standing you'd think in all the stories you told me about the two of you, you might have once mentioned that Taylor was a girl and pretty damn easy on the eyes."
Seth put down the loaf of bread and looked at Ryan in the most serious way he was capable of. "Okay first of all, ew. She may be a girl and to other guys, yes she's attractive. But not to me. She's pretty much my sister. Second of all, don't even think about it. You've got the hots for Marissa. Concentrate on her. Taylor's off limits."
"Excuse me?"
"Look, there are a few rules in Newport. One of them is if you like Marissa Cooper, stay the hell away from Taylor Townsend and vice versa. Marissa and Taylor don't get along. They never have and they probably never will which is really unfortunate because Taylor's step-sister is Marissa's best friend."
"Taylor's mother is Summer's step-monster?"
"The very same," Seth said as he finished up one sandwich and started on the other. "Taylor's dad walked out on her and her mother when she was six. She and I have been friends since we were seven. Since then she's spent more time in this house than she did in her old house or that she'll ever spend in Summer's."
"Because of Marissa," Ryan finished up.
"Well, with regards to Summer's house, yeah. With regards to her old house, you've never met Veronica Townsend," Seth shook his head.
"So, wait. Your best friend is the step-sister of the girl you've had a crush on since you were ten."
"Yes."
"And instead of taking advantage of the fact that she lives with your dream girl and spending your time over there, she comes over here."
"First of all, I wouldn't do that to Taylor because, like I said, she and Marissa don't get along. It's just that Taylor's more passive about it. She avoids Marissa. Marissa on the other hand takes every opportunity to snipe at Taylor."
"Why? What's their deal?"
"Bad history," Seth said. He grabbed a tray and put the lunch he'd prepared on it before he took the pitcher and two glasses and headed upstairs leaving Ryan to ponder the latest bit of information on the object of his infatuation and his brother's best friend.
OCOCOCOCOC
"No Brooke, I am not kidding," Taylor told her cousin.
"Newport's Princess OD'd in a sleazy alley," Brooke marveled at the latest bit of gossip from her cousin.
"Probably would've died if not for Seth's new brother."
"What's he like?"
"Ryan? Okay, I guess. Quiet."
"Cute?"
"Yes, he is but he's not on the market."
"What? How is that possible? He just moved to Newport."
"Seth told me that he's got it bad for Marissa."
"God, what is it with the guys in that town? Do they all like drug addicts or something?"
"She's not an addict."
"She OD's and nearly dies and when you see her in the bathroom at six this morning she's got a joint in her hand. I'm sorry T, but that is the definition of an addict. Julie and Jimmy really need to send her to rehab or therapy."
"While I agree with you, that particular piece of gossip is between you and me, okay? I didn't even tell Seth about the joint."
"Why not?"
"Because as much as I love him, the only secret he's successfully kept in all these years is my heart condition and even then he still told Sandy and Kirsten."
"And thank God he did because back then you didn't have a stepfather who was a doctor. All you had was a mother who was barely around and a housekeeper who didn't speak English. They were there when you needed someone and as much as I hate the fact that I wasn't that someone I am glad you had them."
"Yeah, me too." Taylor looked up as Seth entered.
"Lunch is served, madam," Seth smiled.
"Okay," Taylor nodded. "Brooke? Seth's got lunch ready, so I gotta go."
"Alright. I love you, T."
"I love you, too, B."
"Tell Seth, I say 'hi' and that I wish him luck with Summer."
"I will. Bye."
"Bye."
Taylor shut her cell phone and set it aside as she grabbed a sandwich and drink and settled back against the futon.
"How's Brooke?"
"She's good. She says hi and wishes you luck with Summer."
"I wish me luck, too," Seth grinned.