DISCLAIMER: Everything's been derived from a "little" show we all love, called "The OC". The premise of what's written below was concocted by my imagination, so if anything down below is the same (names etc. etc.), it was unintended and purely coincidental. If you have a problem, just tell me and I'd be glad to oblige…I'm a loving pacifist, I can't help it :-). Hmmm…what else is there to say? Oh yeah. I own nothing. Moo. Quack?
Author's Note: Thanks again for all the kind reviews; it's what keeps a writer going. Please continue to review. Littleputz114 write in your next review if you still haven't gotten the picture and I'd be glad to send it to you. =) Sorry for the lack of daily updates, I've been uber busy for the past few days. Btw, I tried to coordinate the songs related to the story to the type of songs Summer and Seth would listen to.=)
Author's Note on the story: Sorry if the last chapter was a bit confusing, I'm a confusing writer like that. =p Anyway, somewhere along the story I'll get to how Seth got to that point, but mainly what I wanted you guys to get out of it was that Seth, somewhere in those 6-7 years, saved a guy named William Crowe's life and for some reason (which will be explained later), Seth does tell him his secret. It shows a lot of trust between the two. And that Seth's become powerful because of William. William helped make up that identity of Aidan Crowe and his story about being his ex-lover's son so that no one would ever try to dig up on who Aidan Crowe was and why William would ever make him heir to his fortunes. But the truth of it is that William and Seth have come to trust each other, which I hope was expressed in the last few lines, but I get confusing like that sometimes. Last chapter, the things in italics was a flashback to a week before, when Seth decided that he had to go back to Orange County. So thanks for the heads up on that guys! Write in your reviews if the story's still confusing, I'll try to clarify it as best as I can =).
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Chapter 7 – The Meeting
The Cure – "Thousand Hours"
For how much longer can I howl into this wind?
For how much longer can I cry like this?
A thousand wasted hours a day,
Just to feel my heart for a second,
A thousand hours just thrown away,
Just to feel my heart for a second,
For how much longer can I howl into this wind?
He wasn't sure whether it was an effect of being brought back to life or whether it was merely a physiological disorder, but Seth had a hard time feeling his own heartbeat. The doctors that gave him physicals had declared that he was alive and healthy every year, so perhaps it was just him and his over-thinking that led him to believe that his heartbeat was weak and/or nonexistent.
Seth sat at the backseat of his private car, staring at the sites of the home he once knew as his chauffeur drove him around town. Seth had taken a long nap after the meeting in the morning and afterwards had made a request to his chauffeur to drive him around Newport Beach.
Seth rubbed his forehead with his hand slowly. He had much to deal with and although he did not fear death anymore, he feared that by coming back to Newport, he was somehow shortening his time on earth. He knew that his unfulfilled business was in Newport, but he did not know what it was. He feared that he'd unconsciously fulfill that business before he could make things right and before he could get his revenge.
He looked at his watch—2:30 PM. And once he looked up at the scenery, he requested his chauffeur to stop. School was being let out at the Dalton Grammar School.
Seth stepped out of his car and put on a long dark coat. It was an extremely gray October day, a bit like one of those days when one would look up and wonder when the rain would come out, and the rain would tease you with sprinkles and then stop.
He knew what he was looking for, yet he didn't. When the Private Investigators he hired offered, Seth decided to not look at the picture of his son, hoping that when the time had come and he would see him in person, he'd spot his son himself…somehow, through a gut feeling.
Seth grew excited as the kids barged through the entrance doors like a herd of prison inmates given the opportunity to bust out of their prison cells.
Seeing all the little boys with dark hair, Seth soon realized how much of a bad idea it was to not have looked at a picture of his son before leaving for Newport. Stupid father-son reunion fantasies. Seth thought as he stood a few hundred feet from the main entrance doors.
Even though Dalton was a private school, with relatively fewer students than in a regular public school, the hoard of kids rushing out of the institution in excitement made the task of finding his son absolutely daunting.
A few minutes later though, when the mass broke, Seth looked around the leftover kids, hoping that his son hadn't left with the other kids.
It was then that he saw a few hundred feet in front of him a little boy with red converses, showing a little 4-year-old girl some sort of magic trick.
Perhaps the little boy wasn't his son, but it was how he'd envisioned his son to look like—having his physique, Summer's smile and his dimples.
Something struck Seth at that moment that softened what he had turned into steel for years now—he was almost ashamed at what he'd done a few hours earlier, punching the mirror. He'd never ever do that around his son.
Seth got closer and closer to the little boy who had on red sneakers, but before Seth got the chance to try and figure out who the little boy was, the boy rashly crossed the street for his red ball after a stranger bumped into him.
Seth felt his heart pound for the first time. He heard a scream from behind him as he pulled the boy out of harms way, uttering "ADDAAAAAAAAAM".
It was his son.
He left before the familiar voice yelling his son's name got there.
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A few hours later…
She was the most striking woman there.
Grant that there were tons of "pretty" women who'd fit the category of gorgeous in some smutty men's magazine, with their oversized breasts and bouncy hair, but Summer Reilly was a classic beauty.
With her long dark hair, perfectly fairly tanned skin and mesmerizing smile, every woman envied and despised her, not only for her looks and wealth, but also for being married to Tom Reilly, the object of many of their affections.
Summer catered to the Newport crowd, knowing full well of their constant gossiping and ill thoughts about her. Years ago, the feisty Summer Cohen would have put all of them back into their place, not standing for any façade and giving them all a piece of her mind. But now, she almost seemed entrapped between keeping Tom happy and keeping Tom's clients happy—and all of those women were either clients of Tom's or wives of Tom's clients.
With that in mind, Summer stood by the door with Tom, with a keen distance from each other, greeting all of their incoming guests for the evening's James Bond themed Halloween party.
Summer was dressed as a classic bond girl, in a gorgeous silky white gown—a world away from the Wonder Woman costume she used to love wearing for Seth every Halloween………and Chrismukah…and Thanksgiving…and Fourth of July...and April Fool's Day…and Valentine's Day…and Earth Day…and St. Patrick's Day……and Yom Kippur.
Once the butler announced to their fifty or so guests, "Dinner will be served in one hour, please help yourselves to some cocktails and a dance or two," and the onslaught of guests through their mansion doors slowed down, Summer headed towards the backyard, where the children were playing. She felt more comfortable being around them than being stomped on by everyone else in the lobby.
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Seth, looking ever so dashing in a black tuxedo with a silky white bow tie, rushed up the steps. He looked at his watch and realized how extremely late he was to the party. Of course he couldn't help it, as he was busy setting up his chess pieces for a long conclusion, but he would have liked to have made it to Tom's party on time. He didn't want to bring too much attention to himself at Newport yet. He had a plan for everything.
Seth doorbelled and was soon let in by Tom's butler. "Hello sir, we've just started the meal, may I have your name so I could announce it at the dinner table?"
"Co—Crowe. Aidan Crowe."
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Summer sat on the other side of the long table from Tom. There were tons of other tables set up all over the home, but the main long table was occupied by Tom and Tom's close friends. None of Summer's family and friends were there.
Tom stood up to make a speech, "Thank you for all coming. It's yet another wonderful party thrown by my beautiful wife, Summer," he said with a sparkling smile. "I cherish these moments with you as though they were my last, even if it is just a Halloween party. I value my clients as they value my homes and I hope this will always continue," Tom continued. He then rose up his wine glass and said, "To my beautiful wife and to my son." All of the guests raised their wine glass and toasted.
It was then that Adam entered in his bunny costume. He seemed almost depressed that Tom made him wear the bunny costume, hoping it would charm some of his clients, instead of the Gambit costume that Adam wanted to wear.
He ran to his mother immediately, almost bashful. By then, all of the guests, including Tom, had immersed in their wine and gossip and wouldn't have noticed if a naked green man ran across the room.
Summer held her son's hand and swung it with him as she sat there, awaiting for the night to end. "What's wrong baby?" Summer asked, looking at her son's bashful face.
"The kids in the back tore my tail off," he explained, looking at the floor with his big watery eyes. Adam was a tough kid that put up with a lot of the things other kids did to him, but it still hurt him.
Summer kissed her son's forehead. "Baby, I'd tell you to beat them up, or at least sling shot them from afar," Summer teased, evoking a smile from her son, "but you and me are outnumbered tonight."
"Do I have to go back there?" Adam asked, worried that even though his mother would say "no", Tom would override her judgment and say "yes".
"Just head up there and I'll bring you up some pudding, but pretend you're going to the backyard, so he doesn't notice, okay?" Summer told her son in a whisper. Adam hugged his mom and excitedly embraced the concept of never seeing the other kids again and with his ears flopping, rushed out of the main dining room area.
Summer looked down and saw Adam's whiskers on the floor. So that's where those fell, Summer thought.
As she bent down to pick them up, the butler had walked in and introduced some name. Summer, too occupied in gathering Adam's whiskers together, didn't bother getting up. It was just another snooty client she'd have to falsify another smile at.
But as she was underneath the table, there was a silence in the room. Oh my god, they've shut up, I must have died and gone to paradise, Summer thought. That group was never silent, unless of course it somehow benefited them by being silent.
As Summer got out from underneath the table, she bumped her head. Dammit. That's going to get laughs, she thought. Still disoriented from the small bump, she put Adam's whiskers on the table and didn't even look straight ahead. She first looked to her left and right, to see if anyone had seen her bump her head.
But no one saw.
They were all too busy with their perfect smiles, glaring straight ahead. It was some bizarre Pleasantville-like moment, with all of their heads turned at a perfect angle, staring straight ahead with giant smiles.
Summer looked ahead and her heart stopped. All she saw was the back of his head, as his body was turned towards Tom, who by then had gotten up and shaken hands with this new guest, but his physique was all too familiar—the dark, semi-curly hair standing at around 6 feet…
She couldn't explain what she'd felt in words. She knew in all rationale that it wouldn't be who she hoped it would be…it was an impossible dream, she grasped.
But when you love someone so much, and you run into someone whose figure resembled them, even from afar, all you could hope for, in spite of all irrationalities, was that when they did turn around…it wasn't some stranger who resembled that person you loved…but that person.
"Summer, come up here and meet someone," Tom ordered.
Summer hesitantly got up. She wasn't even sure why she was hesitant.
The man turned around.
Summer's heart pounded at its fastest.
"Aidan, this is my wife, Summer," Tom introduced.
Seth looked directly into her eyes and uttered calmly, "Hello." His dimples protruded as he said this.
"Hello," Summer replied.
Britney Spears – "Every time"
Notice me,
Take my hand,
Why are we strangers when our love is strong?
Why carry on without me?
Everytime I try to fly,
I fall without my wings,
I feel so small,
I guess I need you baby,
And everytime I see you in my dreams,
I see your face, it's haunting me,
I guess I need you baby.
I make believe that you are here,
It's the only way I see clear.
What have I done?
You seem to move on easy.
And everytime I try to fly,
I fall without my wings,
I feel so small,
I guess I need you baby,
And everytime I see you in my dreams,
I see your face, you're haunting me,
I guess I need you baby.
I may have made it rain,
Please forgive me.
My weakness caused you pain,
And this song is my sorry.
