Ryan's jaw was clenched, his hands were clutching the edge of the table as if to stop himself from leaping over it and strangling Trey. Trey was smirking, but seemed to know to keep his mouth shut. "Don't say her name. Ever."

Taylor was glancing nervously back and forth between the two of them, watching her husband and his brother, twisting a napkin in her hand. "Marissa's gone Trey..." She said quietly.

"She's gone?" Trey look confused, glancing back and forth between his brother and his brother's petite wife.

"She's dead." Craig said, "She's died a long time ago." He explained, trying to be helpful.

"Oh... Sorry man, I didn't know." Trey said, but he didn't look sorry. He looked like a cartoon cat denying it had just eaten a bird, with feathers still hanging out of his mouth.

"Right..." Ryan said, his fingers loosened their grip on the table slightly, his knuckles went from white back to tan. Taylor breathed a sigh of relief, she had been bracing for an Atwood family brawl.

Seeing his anger recede, Craig couldn't contain his curiosity any longer, "You knew Marissa?" He said to Trey. Everyone seemed to have known Marissa. Even Dawn sometimes, when she got confused asked about "the tall girl- what was her name again?"

"Uh..." Trey glanced at Ryan, watched the color rise to his face again. "No." He said. "I just knew your brother..." He paused, "Was friends with her."

"Oh." Craig said, totally disappointed. Marissa was the greatest mystery of Ryan's life, and Craig wanted to know more. He looked at Trey with renewed interest. Trey knew. Trey knew everything. All those secrets about Ryan's past, his life before the Cohen's, Marissa, everyhing. Trey had all the answers.

The tension was finally broken when Lisa appeared, carrying Matt. Who cried out excitedly when he saw both his parents. Ryan got up and took Matt in his arms and then settled him into his booster seat.

"Feeling better little guy?" Taylor said, running her finger over her son's soft cheek.

"Looks a lot better, huh?" Ryan said, still reluctant to step away from his son. Trey and Craig caught each other's eyes. Babies. Blech. What was the interest? Trey smiled slightly, and glancing at Ryan to make sure he wasn't watching, Craig tentatively returned the smile.

*******************************************************************

"Well, that wasn't so bad was it?" Taylor asked, as she and Ryan tucked a sleepy Matt into bed. He had started getting grumpy again during dessert. While they tucked Matt in, Craig had asked to take Trey outside to show him his dirt bike. With strict instructions that he was not allowed to so much as turn it on, Trey and Craig departed for the garage.

"No..." Ryan reluctantly admitted. "I mean... I'm not glad he's here or anything, but..." He took a deep breath, "It's good to know that he's okay."

"Okay?" Taylor arched an eyebrow, was Ryan really that blind.

"What? You think he's not?"

"Do I think he's not okay? No! Of course he's not okay! Come on Ryan- he's got no job. No money. Nowhere to go..."

"So he came to me..." Ryan said bitterly.

Taylor sighed, she was only child and didn't understand sibling dynamics. She had always thought that being siblings meant there had to be some kind of love and loyalty. Like Seth and Ryan. Or Seth, Ryan and Sophie for that matter. Sophie was away at college at Princeton and didn't have time to come home very often, but when she did Ryan always made a special effort to see her. And if she ever called and needed something- Ryan would be on the first flight to Newark. Now here was Trey, clearly in desperate need of family, and Ryan, loving, giving, loyal Ryan- giving him the cold shoulder. It wasn't that she didn't know about their past. Ryan had told her everything. And of course she remembered. How could she have forgotten? Miss Perfect Marissa Cooper- kicked out of school for shooting someone. Okay, so she hadn't exactly behaved... Well. But, forgive and forget, right?

"Ryan... Do you remember the last thing Trey did, before he left town?" Ryan looked at her, furrowing his brow. "He wrote that letter, exonerating Marissa, and left you to your life. He hasn't asked for anything since. I think... I think in the end he proved to be a worthwhile human being... And I think you owe him a second chance." She looked up at him, into those deep blue eyes. If Ryan really couldn't forgive Trey... "You gave me one."

Ryan sighed, "As always, your right. I'll offer him a job."

"And?"

"He's not staying here!" Ryan put his foot down on that one. Just because he was going to "forgive" him didn't mean that he was ready to trust him.

"No! Of course not! I meant call Charlie at the Silver Moon, he owes you one. The magic you worked for him with that expansion deal? Have him put Trey up for a few weeks- just until he gets on his feet."

"Right..." Ryan said, he kissed Taylor on the forehead. "Does it ever get tiring? Being right all the time?"

"No, not really." She grinned at him, and Ryan smiled back. Enjoying the sight of his wife who's smile had captivated him 15 years ago, and still captivated him even today.

***********************************************************************************

"You want to know about Marissa, huh kid?" Trey said as they reached the garage, a safe distance from the house. Trey slid a cigarette out a pack and lit it.

"Yeah... Can I have one of those?"

"What? One of these?"

"Yeah!"

"No way kid, your dad will kill me."

"Well... Will you at least tell me about Marissa. Nobody will talk about her. Ever."

"I don't know about all that, I've been away for awhile you know."

"All I know about her is that she's dead." He paused, "Was she pretty?"

"Very." Trey nodded, sucking in on his cigarette as he thought about the girl who had haunted his dreams for so many years. He had somehow thought that she might have been there in Newport when he came back, but a part of him had known. Girls like that... Well, like they say, only the good die young.

"So, you didn't know she was dead?"

"No..." Trey breathed out slowly, and sat down on the ornate stone wall that snaked around the driveway.

"Why does Ryan get so mad whenever someone mentions her?"

Trey gave a low chuckle, "I don't think it's just anyone... I think it's me."

Craig shook his head, "No... It's everyone. No one will talk about. Even Seth... And Sandy... And they'll talk about anything!"

Trey smiled, from what he remembered about Ryan's foster brother and father, that sounded about right. "Like I said, I haven't been around for awhile."

"What was she like?"

"Who? Marissa?"

"Yeah,"

"She was... She was like... She was life fire... She burned so brightly you knew she was going to burn out."

Craig frowned, "I don't get it."

"She was you know... A Newport girl. Rich, spoiled, and angrier than most. But she... There was something about her. She wasn't just a pretty face..."

Craig shrugged, "Yeah..." Trey was so far unhelpful, but at least he could talk about her, "Your mom..."

Trey stiffened, "Yeah, what about her?"

"Was she... a good mother?"

Trey didn't know what to make of the question, so he answered honestly, "No, not really."

"I didn't think so..." He said quietly, "Mine wasn't either. Ryan doesn't really talk about when he was a kid. Most adults do though. They all like to talk about their childhoods and stuff. It's really boring, but I always pretend to listen because Taylor says it's polite, but not Ryan." He paused, "I don't like to talk about it either. When it was bad... People don't really want to hear about it, do they?"

Trey laughed, impressed by the kid's insight, "Yeah, that's pretty much the way it goes."

"You know, you shouldn't smoke."

"So I've been told."

"Ryan says that's why Dawn's sick."

Trey shrugged, "It probably is."

"Are you going to be sad when she dies?" Trey started, the kid's questions were unnerving, "When my mom dies... I won't care."

Trey looked at the kid, "When my mom dies... I'll be sad. Sad she wasn't a better mother. You're lucky, you know that?"

"Why? My mom's in jail... How does that make me lucky?"

Trey shook his head, "Your biological mother might be in jail, but you have a mother." He gestured to the house, "Right in there, and she loves you. You and Ry- you both got new mothers."

"You didn't?"

Trey shook his head, "No... I didn't. Like I said kid, you're lucky. You could do a lot worse than having Ryan for a father."

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A/N: For those of you who are experiencing extreme disappointment that there were no fist-fights or major drama at the dinner table, don't worry. I'm planning on this story being fairly epic as in 20+ chapters, and I'm expecting to bring in all the old faces including (but not limited to): Seth, Summer, Grandma & Grandpa Cohen (ie Kirsten and Sandy), Julie, ect. And don't worry, there will be drama... After all... Trey may be here to stay...