Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of The OC. They all belong to Josh Schwartz.
A/N: This takes place, early season one, after Kirsten gets Ryan released from juvie and the Cohen's become Ryan's legal guardians. This story is AU, and I've written Dawn as she was portrayed in "The Pilot" episode. I'm also trying my hand at developing some of my own characters. Just minor roles to hopefully help convey my story.
Chapter 7
Ryan stands alone at the end of the driveway, all of his belongings fitting neatly into his backpack. He remembers it was just a couple of weeks ago when he walked with his lawyer up to the Cohen's extravagant house, not knowing what his future would hold. He never thought this family would ever take him in and their act of kindness could be their undoing. I will never let that happen, Ryan thinks to himself as he glances anxiously down the street searching for any sign of his mother.
Sandy walks down the driveway, watching Ryan shuffle his feet nervously as he waits for Dawn to pick him up. "Here, kid," Sandy says as he hands Ryan a cell phone. "Kirsten and I want you to have this."
"What's this for?" Ryan asks, not understanding why Sandy is giving him a cell phone.
"This is so we can always get ahold of you," Sandy explains, "and you can always get ahold of us."
"But I don't need a cell phone... I've never had a cell phone," Ryan says as he tries to give the phone back to Sandy.
"Well, you have a cell phone now. Besides, I have a feeling there's a good chance you won't be burning through all the minutes anytime soon," Sandy says with a faint smile as he realizes Ryan's still reluctant to accept things from them he feels he hasn't earned.
"But..."
"No buts... this is non-negotiable," Sandy states firmly. "You're taking the phone."
Ryan places the phone in the front pocket of his jacket, glances down at the street and notices a tiny ant hauling a breadcrumb twice its size along the curb.
"Ryan, you've made it clear that you want to live with your mother, that she needs you... and I understand that," Sandy says as he places his hand on Ryan's shoulder. He feels the boy flinch slightly under his touch but Sandy keeps his hand firmly in place. "Nothing would make me happier than to see your mother get her act together and you have a nurturing, positive relationship with her."
Ryan continues to watch the ant slowly trudge along, lugging the heavy load, and finds himself hoping the tiny creature will make it to its destination all in one piece.
"Ryan... Kirsten and I are your legal guardians. We're responsible for what happens to you."
"I'll be fine..."
Sandy sighs as he tries to remain patient. Times like these, he appreciates Seth's ability to talk incessantly... to share with all who are in earshot exactly what is on his mind.
The peacefulness of the surroundings is suddenly interrupted by a car, desperately in need of a tune-up, driving up the street.
Kirsten, unable to get Seth to come out of his bedroom, emerges from the house and walks quickly down the driveway to meet Dawn and say "goodbye" to Ryan.
Ryan lets out a deep sigh and hopes his mother will be on her best behavior. He watches dishearteningly as she recklessly drives her car up onto the curb, crushing the poor, hapless ant.
"Wow, this is quite the welcoming committee," Dawn quips as she gets out of her car and walks over to her son.
"Dawn, before Ryan leaves, we need to get a couple of things straight," Sandy states.
Oh no... here we go, Dawn thinks to herself. "Very well, what is it?" she asks in her most pleasant tone of voice.
"I'm only letting Ryan live with you on a trial basis," Sandy explains, trying to impress upon Dawn that this is her one and only chance to make things right with her son. "Kirsten and I will see Ryan every weekend and he is free to come here whenever he chooses. This is his home and we are also his family. You are going to have to prove to me that you're capable of taking care of Ryan. You will only have this one chance, Dawn."
"Yeah, alright... whatever," Dawn replies, dumbfounded as to how much her son seems to mean to this family. She figured they would be happy to be rid of him. "You got my address and phone number," she adds, realizing she needs to keep her attitude in check. "I really am deeply grateful that you're giving me this second chance with my baby," Dawn says with a smile as she wraps her arm around Ryan. "I've missed him so much."
"Dawn, Ryan hasn't been feeling well," Kirsten says, still concerned about the boy's health. "I'm going to make an appointment with our family physician this week..."
"He's got a cold, Kirsten," Dawn interrupts, flabbergasted as to why her son would need to see a doctor for such a minor ailment. "No one's ever died of a cold."
"True, but he's also developed a cough and I'm worried it might turn into bronchitis."
"Ahh, I understand. You're concerned about me smokin' around him... wouldn't be good for his lungs," Dawn says as she places her hand on the back of Ryan's neck and squeezes gently. "Well, don't worry Kirsten. I'll make sure Ryan isn't subjected to any of that nasty secondhand smoke and let me assure you, I'll bring him to a doctor if his cold gets worse."
"Well, alright then," Kirsten says as she turns to Ryan and takes ahold of his hands. She notices how distant he seems and wonders if it's because he's been uneasy being the topic of their discussion or if it's something more. Kirsten decides to ignore the boy's comfort zone, steps in closer and gives him a warm hug.
"Jesus... he's not movin' to Timbuktu, he's movin' to Chino," Dawn harps as she watches Kirsten hug her son. "He's only gonna be an hour away."
Kirsten ignores Dawn's comment as she feels the heat radiating off Ryan's face. "Did you take some Tylenol?" she asks as she gently moves the back her hand lightly over his flushed cheek. "It feels like you still have a slight fever."
"I took some a little while ago... I'll take some more when I get to my mom's place," Ryan answers as he glances back towards the house, hoping that Seth might come out before he leaves.
Kirsten releases Ryan and gives him a reassuring smile. "We'll see you Saturday, okay?" she says as she brushes his bangs off his forehead, noting one last time how warm he feels to her touch.
"Okay," Ryan quietly replies.
"Well, we really do need to be heading out," Dawn pipes in, desperately wanting to get back home. I gotta be at work by six. I tried to get time off, but one gal is on maternity leave and the other had gall bladder surgery... so I'm stuck."
"Alright then," Sandy says as he places his hand on Ryan's shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze. "We'll see you Saturday, Ryan. Drive safe, Dawn."
As Dawn drives off with Ryan, Kirsten starts to feel panic and overwhelming sadness. Sandy senses his wife's anxiety and places his arm around her shoulders.
"I miss him already, Sandy," Kirsten says, sighing deeply as she leans into her husband, appreciating his comforting embrace. "I don't think I'll be able to wait until Saturday to see him."
"I know, me neither," Sandy agrees. "That's why I'm planning on paying Ryan a surprise visit this Tuesday. I'm meeting with a new client in the morning at the County Juvenile Hall in Riverside. I'll go over to Dawn's when I'm done," Sandy explains as he and Kirsten slowly walk back up to the house. "I'll check out the place she's renting, see if Ryan's feeling any better and make sure he's adjusting. Remember, I was raised by a social worker. I know all the tricks. Surprise visits are the best visits. If I see any sign of neglect, Ryan will be coming home with me Tuesday... whether he likes it or not."
"How dare she!" Dawn yells as she slams her fist into the steering wheel. "How dare she tell me how to raise my own kid!"
"Mom, Mrs. Cohen is just worried that I haven't been feeling well and..."
"You have a cold! A fuckin' cold!" Dawn wails, not appreciating her son defending the woman. "You don't need to go to some fuckin' doctor. No one's ever died from a goddamn cold!"
Ryan decides not to say anymore. He knows trying to reason with his mother when she's this upset is futile.
"Do ya got a cigarette on ya?" Dawn asks as she realizes she's smoked her last one.
"No, Mom... I quit."
"You quit? Since when?" Dawn asks in disbelief. "Did you quit because you've been sick? A measly cold has never stopped you from smokin' before."
"The Cohen's don't allow smoking in their house and I got tired of always having to go outside for a cigarette... so I quit," Ryan replies, feeling he's given a reasonable explanation.
"Wow, so if they told you to get down on all fours and bark like a dog, would you have done that too?" Dawn snaps sarcastically.
Ryan groans and rubs his forehead as he feels a major headache emerging. "They never asked me to quit, Mom... it was my own decision."
"Uh huh," Dawn mutters as she abruptly turns into a gas station, eliciting an angry honk from the driver behind her. Dawn screeches up into a parking spot and turns off the ignition. "I'm gonna get some smokes... do ya need anything?"
Ryan stares out the window and replies, "No, I'm fine."
"Alright... suit yourself," Dawn says as she gets out of the car and walks into the gas station.
Ryan leans his head against the door frame, closes his eyes and concentrates on his breathing. He suppresses another cough and wishes he had told his mother to get him a bottled water. Hopefully there'll be running water at her place, he thinks to himself as he recalls a couple of years ago when their utilities were cut off because Dawn wasn't paying the bills. He slowly feels himself drifting off to sleep as he decides to think about absolutely nothing.
Dawn emerges from the gas station convenience store and quickly lights up a cigarette to help settle her frazzled nerves. She gets back into her car, looks over at her son and notices he has his eyes closed and his arms wrapped tightly around himself. It's eightly-five fuckin' degrees out, she thinks to herself, and he's all bundled up in a long-sleeve hoodie and a jacket. Dawn starts the car up and continues to drive back home, still stewing over her conversation with Sandy and Kirsten. "Visit my kid every weekend... we'll just see about that," she deplores under her breath. Dawn parks her car on the street and flicks her cigarette carelessly out the car window. "Wake up, Ryan," she says, nudging her son's arm. "We're home."
Ryan slowly opens his eyes and yawns, wishing his mother would've just left him asleep in the car. He grabs his backpack and heads inside the tiny, unkempt house in search of a glass of cold water.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Ryan asks as he steps into the living room and sees AJ sprawled out in the easy chair, watching TV.
"Well, well... if it ain't my favorite punching bag," AJ says snidely.
"Shut up, AJ," Ryan says, not wanting to deal with his mother's deadbeat boyfriend at the moment.
"Ryan, don't you start anything," Dawn warns as she walks into the kitchen and nervously lights up a cigarette.
"You told me you weren't seeing him anymore, Mom!" Ryan laments as he follows his mother into the kitchen.
"Well, I lied, okay?" Dawn spits out, not appreciating having to defend herself. "Get over it!"
"What else have you lied about, huh?"
"That don't concern you!" Dawn cries out as she paces around her kitchen, still reeling from her conversation with Sandy and Kirsten. They think they're gonna visit my kid every weekend... hah! she thinks to herself. They'll probably forget all about him by next weekend.
Ryan decides to let it go... he doesn't want to cause a scene, especially with AJ around. "Mom, do we have any Tylenol? I'm not feeling very well, I think my fever is..."
"What! Do I look like a fuckin' pharmacy to you?" Dawn screams, already feeling the stress of having her son back home. "Just go to your room and lie down awhile... sleep it off for god's sake!" Dawn opens the refrigerator and pulls out a bottle of vodka and pours herself a drink.
"Mom, you told me you weren't drinking anymore!" Ryan cries out as he watches in horror as his mother downs a glass of vodka and pour herself another. "You have to be at work in an hour. You can't go to work drunk."
AJ chuckles to himself as he turns down the volume of the television and listens to the mother and son bonding session taking place in the kitchen. So touching, he thinks to himself. It's breakin' my fuckin' heart.
"Don't tell me what I can and can't do!" Dawn wails as she slams the bottle of vodka down on the kitchen counter. "Here, have a drink... knock yourself out!"
AJ turns the volume back up as he watches an obnoxiously overpaid rookie strike out for the third straight time. Maybe having the little shit livin' here won't be so bad after all, AJ thinks to himself. In fact, it might actually be downright entertaining...
