A/N Seth has different parents, but Ryan still has Sandy and Kirsten. he is their real kid. It's possible because he had blonde hair and blue eyes like Kirsten. Marissa is more shallow then she is on the show.

Chapter 1:

Seth Johnson sat back on the couch at his home in Chino. Tonight he was having a party at his house. A little mild party, complete with drugs and alcohol. Seth took a hit when April offered him the marijuana. April was Seth's on again/off again girlfriend/best friend/hook-up buddy. As he got on a good buzz, his troubles with her and his parents from earlier melted away. He was left with a feeling of euphora. An intense feeling of happiness. Nothing, not even the fact that his mom walked in on him and April having sex in his parents' bed and promptly left the house for a while, could get him down from this high he was on. He didn't even care where she went and for how long she'd be gone. All he cared about was the party and April. He thinks this time they'll stay together for good. They been through a lot together. Seth looked over to where April was sitting, talking to Greg. He stared at her for a few minutes, admiring how good she was looking that night.

'Damn, that girl cleans up good. She's hot. I have to get her before Greg or some other loser does.' Seth thought to himself as he got up and walked over towards April.

"Hey" He said nonchalantly as he sat on the arm of the couch.

"Hey." She said, her voice lifeless.

"Listen,I was thinking. Maybe we should go back out. I miss you baby. I really love you. Never thought I could actually love someone like you. But I do. And I want our relationship to work." He said, closing his eyes slightly. Then he opened them back up and looked at her.

April had tears in her eyes as she told him she loved him and kissed him harshly on the lips. Seth smiled and returned the kiss, running his tongue gently along her bottom lip. April smiled through the kiss as she took his hand and led him to his bedroom. Then he locked it as she sat on the bed and began taking off her shirt and low-rider jeans. Seth began helping her our of her clothes while taking off his own. Their lips never apart the whole time. April began running her hands over Seth's hair and shoulders and back simultaneously.

They were really getting into it when there was a knock on the door.

"Be out in a sec, man."

"Seth, man. The cops are gonna be here in 'bout 15 minutes. They'll bust the party. And we still have that stolen car and 3 bags of coke in it's trunk. We need to get rid of it ASAP. Before they get us." Seth's friend Tim said through the door.

"Shit. Okay meet me outside in the car."

" 'Kay. Still got the address to the drop-off site?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Seth said as he got up from the bed and mouthed a 'sorry but I gotta leave. I'll make it up to you later. I promise' apology to April, who sat there with pouty lips and began getting dressed.

Outside, Seth and Tim uncover the '94 blue Cougar. Seth hops in the car's driverside and Tim climbs into the passenger seat. They speed off to the abandoned warehouse on Jackson Corner. There's a man, dressed in a long black trench-coat sitting on the steps of the warehouse with a briefcase. He looks at them and says,

"Got the stuff?"

"It's in the trunk." Seth tells him.

The man follows them around to the trunk while they set the bags on the ground. All of a sudden, two men jump out from the shadows and wrestle them to the ground.

"Damn it! get the fuck off of me, man. We gave you what you wanted." Seth yelled at the man on top of him to leave him, when he felt something very much like handcuffs click onto his wrists. He stared in horror as the 'shadow men' showed Tim and him Police Badges.

"Shit." Was all Tim could say as they were read their rights and led to the police car.

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"Yo Johnson, someone here to see you." The security guard told Seth. Seth sat in an orange, hard plastic seat and faced a guy who looked to be in his early 40's. Who also had extremely bushy eyebrows.

Seth just sat and stared as the man rustled through his papers. Finally, the man looked up and spoke.

"Seth Johnson? Sandy Cohen, I was appointed your defense attorney. I'm reading your files here, very impressive I must add. Battery, stolen cars, drug busts. This being the third time you were busted for drugs, correct?"

A stony look was all Sandy got in reply.

"I'll take that as a yes. I'm actually a little surprised you aren't dead or in prison right now. Anyways, do you have any parents?"

"Well that's always nice to know my attorney wishes me dead. But, yeah. I've got parents"

"Hey, I never wished you dead. You brought that upon yourself. I'm a big believer in karma. What goes around, comes around. What you think people think of you, you'll really start to think that of yourself. Anyways your parents' names are...?"

"John and Karen."

"John Johnson? Hmm, bet he was teased a lot for that name."

A weak smile was all Sandy got from Seth.

"So, listen. I just might be able to get the judge to bring your charges and fines down. Maybe you won't even have to stay in this hell-hole for much longer. We'll just have to see. Sound good?"

"Great."

"Well, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Same time, same place?"

"Well, duh."

Sandy turned around and walked out the iron door.

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The next day at the hearing, Sandy worked his magic with the jury and got them to drop most of Seth's charges and let him leave on 5-month probation and attend 30 days of drug rehab.

Seth walked home later that afternoon dreading what was waiting for him there. When Seth opened his front door, he was greeted with silence and bare walls.

"Mom? Dad?" Seth called into the empty hallway. He felt the sting in his eyes as realization hit him. "...Mom?"

Silence.

Seth bit his lip and sank to the floor, putting his head into his hands. He just sat there, thinking for what seemed like forever. A tentative knock on the door brought Seth back to the present.

"I'm in here."

The door opened to reveal April with a note in her hands.

"What's this?" Seth asked as she handed it to him and gave him a huge hug.

As Seth read the letter, he lost control of himself. The letter read...

Seth-

Sorry to do this. But your dad and I left. We got tired of you messing up your life. I can't stay here and watch you screw up anymore. When you clean up your act, then we'll talk. In the mean time, take care. I'm not going to tell you where we are, in the event you try to contact us. We don't want to be contacted. We're trying to make a new life for ourselves. I don't want the burden of your actions and behavior resting on my hands. No mother wants to see her baby boy mess up time after time. This is hard for me. And also your dad. We still love you. Hopefully this will be a wake-up call for you to clean your life up.

-Mom and Dad

"I can't believe it. They just pack up and leave me. What am I gonna do, April?" Seth said numbly while silent tears cascaded down his pale face.

"I talked to my parents. They said you could stay for the night. But by tomorrow night, you need to have a decision of what you're going to do with your life. That's what my parents said. Believe me, if it were up to me. I'd let you stay as long as you'd liked."

"I know that. Thanks April"

"Love you Seth."

"Love you too, April." Seth told her as he reached into her for a hug.

She was the only person who's ever seen him like this. The Seth deep down inside him that's sweet and funny and...and sensitive. April knew how much he loved his mom and dad even though he always said the complete opposite of that to them. April was the only one who realized his true potential, she had faith that he could go far. He could go to college, and make something of himself. He just got into the wrong crowd. She was his one true friend. Tim and Greg and Taylor and Nate weren't real friends. They wouldn't back him up at a fight, they'd run and let him fend for himself. Like his parents are making him do right now.

"Come one. Let's get your stuff. You can have my bed tonight. I'll sleep on the couch."

" 'Kay."

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"Seth, SETH! WAKE UP! You gotta wake up! mom says s its time for yer t'rapy meetig. SETH!" April's 4 year old brother Logan sat on top of Seth and shook him awake.

"What? trapy?"

"Yeh, for ur 'dickton"

"Huh?" Then Seth got what Logan was saying. "Oohhh. You mean my therapy meeting? for my addiction, right?"

"Uh huh" Logan nodded as he hopped off Seth's chest and ran out the room screaming, "Mommy! he's awake! I woke him up!"

"Cute kid." Seth said to himself as he got dressed for breakfast and his first session.

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Seth was sitting in the hard, wooden chair in the waiting room looking at 'Reader's Digest' he was pretty into an article about Rob Thomas when he noticed the presence of someone next to him.

"Oh great. You're here too? Why?" Seth asked when he looked up to see none other than Sandy Cohen.

"As your PD, I felt it was my duty to see about your personal well-being. So...how are you doing?"

"Well let's see. I'm addicted to pot. I stole a car, had possesion of 3 bags in the stolen car's trunk. Got caught. I came home to an empty house. My parents left me. With nothing but a note basically telling me to stay away from them 'cause I'm ruining their "perfect lives". So, I stayed the night at my friend slash girlfriend April's house. Then her parents are kicking me out tonight, 'cause apparently I'm a loser bum with no future. Basically, no one wants to put up with a kid like me. I'm the "bad seed of 2nd Division street". No one wants me, and I'll probably spend the night tonight in the school parking lot."

"Oh, Wow. Well, that's terrible" Sandy thought of how much this kid reminded him of...himself. He got an idea. "hey I'll let you come to my house for the weekend. At least until Child Services office opens on Monday."

"Yeah, I'll find a home in THAT system. Cuz there is SUCH a high demand for 17-year olds like me" Seth rolled his eyes.

"Well, would you rather spend the night in the school parking lot? I heard it's supposed to be very windy tonight. Wouldn't want that to mess up your hair or something, would you?"

"Let me think about it" Just then, Seth was called to go to Dr. Schillings.

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"So, how long have you been doing pot?" Dr. Schillings asked in her patient gentle voice.

"The drug? Since 6th grade. Smoking it since 8th grade."

"And how old are you now?"

"17"

"Any idea why you started doing drugs in the first place?"

"Stress. My home life sucked. My parents argued about money all the time. My school life sucked. No one wanted to talk to me. My social life sucked. All my friends were already on it. They told me to do it or lose their friendship."

"So you were bullied into trying it?"

"Yeah, I guess. I mean a few friends is better than no friends at all. No kid wants to be alone"

"I understand"

"Do you, now?"

"What was that?"

"How can you understand? You've never been on it I bet!"

"How do you know?"

"You don't look like someone who'd do pot"

"How is someone who does pot supposed to look, Seth?"

"I dont know. Like me" Seth said gesturing to his disheveled appearance. With the dark circles under his eyes, pale skin and tattered clothes.

"Don't ever judge a book by it's cover Seth. Don't ever judge someone from their outside appearance."

"So, do that mean you used to do pot?"

"It would seem that way, wouldn't it? Yes, I did pot for 5 years. Then one day, Someone helped me to realize I was throwing my life away and gave me hope. Because of his encouragement and guidance, I went to college to become a drug counselor. Now I help kids just like you."

"So who was this 'miracle worker'?"

"You know him."

"God?"

"Well, yes actually, Him too. But also Sanford Cohen"

"Sanford? Sandy's real name is SANFORD?" Seth asked, then laughed.

"Seth, you've been given a wonderful guy to help you. Don't push him away"

"I'll try not too. But you know, everyone else left me. It wouldn't be any surprise if he did too."

"He works in mysterious ways."

"Yeah"

The buzzer on Dr. Schillings's desk went off. It indicated the end of their time.

"Well, Seth. I'll see you next week, same time."

"Right. Same time, same place. This was pretty bearable. Thanks Doc"

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"Well? how was your first day with the doctor?"

"It went pretty good."

"Well thats good to hear. She's a nice woman, and an EXCELLENT doctor."

"Yeah. So about that 'living with you for the weekend'. Can I still take you up on that offer?"

"Of course"

"Thanks, Sanford"

Sandy gave a chuckle and replied with, "No problem, Sethelah."

"How'd you know my full name?"

"Oh please. I know everything about you. You're half Jewish, your mom owns a catering business, your dad's a truck driver, you get a 3.5 on your report cards."

"Impressive. So where you live? Docker Street, Main Street, Across from Foo's Chinese restauraunt?"

"Newport Beach"

"As in Orange County!" Seth said looking a little worried.

"Yeah, good ole' OC. Where the lawyers, and the surfers, mesh together and live in a perfect life."

Seth just looked in wonder at him.

"I'm kidding, it's far from perfect."

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