AN: Sorry for not updating this in a while. Things have been so crazy busy here on my end. Added to the fact that my laptop won't connect to the internet right now. So I either have to find the time to go up to the public library or go to my sisters to post a chapter once I'm finished with a chapter. I'm hoping to get the issue fixed without having to spend any money. Anyway, PLZ R&R!

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

ONTO THE STORY...

Chapter 9: Berkeley Sights

Within a few weeks, the house was unpacked and organized. That set Kirsten in motion to start renovating with the help of the other three. They decided to make a trip into town to finally explore the shops, and Seth wanted to take his boat to the marina and get all the paperwork taken care of.

Ryan sat at the kitchen table as he nibbled on his breakfast as Seth jumped around the room. He rolled his eyes as Sandy came into the house, back from surfing.

"Seth," Kirsten sent out a warning tone as she sat across from Ryan drinking her coffee. "If you don't stop right now, we'll leave you here."

"Got it," Seth sat at the counter as Sandy came back from changing out of his surfing gear.

"Are we ready to go?" Sandy asked them all.

"Let's head out," Kirsten put their dishes in the sink and they all walked outside and got into the rover; Seth's boat was already hitched up on the back.

Ryan silently watched out the window as Seth went on and on about how he wanted to sail his boat as soon as he could. They parked in front of a curb outside one of the shops in town and they all climbed out of the car.

"So what are we doing?" Sandy asked as they all stepped onto the sidewalk.

"Why don't you take Seth to the marina and I'll show Ryan some of the sights around town?" Kirsten told him.

"I wanted Ryan to take a ride in my boat with me." Seth said.

"I don't want to," Ryan told him.

"I'll take Seth, you two do whatever." Sandy said. "We'll meet at the cell phone store around three."

"Sounds good," Kirsten smiled as they went in separate directions.

Kirsten watched Ryan as they walked down the street. He was just looking at all the buildings and not really paying attention to the conversation that Kirsten was attempting to have with him.

"Have you ever been to an art museum Ryan?" she looked at him.

"Probably when I was younger," he told her. "But I don't remember."

"Would you like to go to one now?"

"Sure," he shrugged.

They walked a couple more blocks and Kirsten took him into a big white stone building. She paid for the both of them and they started browsing all the paintings and displays.

"So are you into art at all?" Kirsten watched him look at a painting intensely.

"Kind of, I guess." He shrugged. "What about you?"

"My college degree was for Art History."

"So how'd you go from that to whatever you did at the Newport Group?"

"My mom got sick and we decided to stay in town. My dad offered me the job and I took classes to learn how."

"Do you miss it?"

"Absolutely not," she smiled at him. "I'd rather be here with my family, and getting to know you better."

"I know he's your father and everything…."

"Go ahead. I promise I won't get mad."

"I'm glad that we're away from him. He kind of scared me since the moment that I met him."

"You're safe from him now. You won't have to see him anymore if you don't want to."

"Thanks," they continued to browse and stopped at the gift shop before leaving.

Kirsten's next stop was the public library. She said she needed to look into some things. Ryan had never seen a library this big. It had several levels to it; you had to take either a swirling staircase or the elevator to get to each level.

"Go ahead and look around," Kirsten smiled at him. "I just need to look into some things, and then I'll meet up with you."

"Where do I start?" he looked at her.

"Level two is the teen and young adult section."

"All right," Ryan started up the swirling staircase as Kirsten approached the circulation desk to talk to the librarian sitting behind it.

Kirsten reached the second level with her arms full of information and searched the aisles for Ryan. She finally found him at the end of one of the rows of books sitting comfortably in one of the cushioned chairs looking through a heavy book.

"Hey, there you are," she approached him and he abruptly closed the book he was looking at. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing," he hid it against his chest.

"I promise I won't laugh at whatever it is." She told him. "Can you please show me?"

"Ok," he slowly showed her the cover of the book he had.

"You like architecture?"

"A little," he shrugged. "I helped out on a construction site awhile ago."

"Well I know quite a bit about architecture," she told him.

"I'm aware of what you did before you quit your job," he told her. "Your mom kind of talks a lot when she's trying to convince someone to do something. She kind of reminds me of Seth."

"I guess they are alike," she smiled at him.

"Do you miss it?" Ryan looked at her. "Working there?"

"I miss working," she told him. "I miss having someplace to go in the mornings. I don't miss the work, though."

"You're sure?"

"I was telling the truth when I said that I was miserable there. I would much rather be around my family than surrounded by glass walls as I worked on my computer."

"I can honestly say that having a mom at home is much better than what I'm used to." Ryan smiled at her.

"I'm glad you feel that way," she smiled back. "I have a feeling that sooner or later you will get frustrated with me."

"That might happen with Seth more than me."

"So I signed us all up for library cards," Kirsten told him. "Would you like to check that book out?"

"Sure," Ryan followed her down to the circulation desk on the lower floor and checked out the book.

Seth followed his dad away from the marina after they got all his paperwork taken care of. His dad stopped briefly at the law office where he would be working, but he looked a little upset when he came out again. He sighed as they started walking down the street again.

"I wish Ryan had come with us," Seth stated.

"Your mom wanted to show him some things and get him talking."

"I wanted to take Ryan out on the boat."

"There is a chance that Ryan didn't want to do that."

"We would've found something to do."

"We need to let your mother handle Ryan, at least at first."

"All right," they walked down the street and into a cell phone store.

Kirsten was at the display case talking to one of the workers as Ryan was looking at all the accessories on display. Sandy went to Kirsten as Seth joined Ryan.

"We just want four prepaid cell phones," Kirsten told them as Sandy joined her. "We just moved here and we're on a budget."

"We are running a special-"

"Just the prepaid phones."

"Preferably ones that don't have tracking devices in them." Sandy said.

"You can turn them off-"

"Will you please just bring us a selection of prepaid phones?" Kirsten demanded. "Thank you."

Ryan watched the exchange and glanced at Seth, who was looking at one of the high-tech cell phones and not paying attention.

"Is that normal?" Ryan asked him.

"What?" he looked up. "Oh, mom? Yeah, that's normal for her. That was pretty mild for her actually. No one messes with The Kirsten."

"The Kirsten?"

"You'll see the first time you get in trouble or when you're sick."

"All right boys," Sandy came over to them. "Let's go."

They all walked out of the shop and started down the street as they all shared what they had done that day. Kirsten noticed a shopping district and glanced at Sandy.

"We need to stop here before they start school." She told him.

"We need to schedule a time to meet the principal and the guidance counselor soon." He added as they reached the car and piled in.

"You and mom went to an art museum and the library?" Seth looked at Ryan strangely. "Man, I'm sorry."

"I liked it." Ryan grumbled at him. "It's better than getting sick and throwing up over the side of a boat."

"Yeah, but-"

"Seth," Sandy sent him a warning, and he got quiet.

They made their way through the traffic and pulled back into their driveway. They took everything inside and Sandy activated all the phones and distributed them.

"We expect these phones to be with you and on at all times, except if you're at school." Sandy informed them. "Our numbers are already programmed into each of them."

"You only get so many talk and texting minutes a month so use them wisely." Kirsten told them. "We will add more minutes at the beginning of every month and not a minute sooner."

"Got it," Seth and Ryan explored their new phones.

"Now there will be some adjustments that need to be made," Sandy motioned for them to sit at the counter. "We won't have a steady income coming in like we used to so there will need to be some cuts."

"Like what?" Seth asked.

"The allowance will be cut in half, and you're really going to have to earn it." Kirsten told them. "Chores will be assigned daily and if even one of them are not completed you'll lose your allowance for the week."

"Unfair."

"You'll get over it." Sandy told him. "We also can't have as many luxuries as we used to. We're going down to basic cable, there will be no TiVo, and we need to start budgeting."

"How do we budget?" Seth asked.

"We'll worry about that," Kirsten told them. "Now how about we make us some supper and we can watch a movie together later tonight."

"What will we have?" Seth asked.

"I think there's a frozen lasagna in the freezer." Kirsten told them as she warmed up the oven and Sandy prepared the lasagna.

Seth and Ryan went up to their rooms while it cooked and Sandy decided to share some news with Kirsten.

"So I went up to the PD's office this afternoon to firm up plans to start there," he started.

"What'd they say?"

"I have a job if I want it."

"That's good, right?"

"It is, but someone is trying to cause trouble for me. They've badmouthed me at every law firm in the state."

"Who would do that?" she saw the look he was giving. "You think it's my dad, don't you?"

"He's the only one that I can think of."

"I just talked to my mom this morning. He'll be gone for another couple of weeks."

"Well someone is out to ruin my career."

An hour later, they all sat around the table to plates of lasagna and garlic toast. Sandy and Kirsten tried to get them excited about school starting up in a few weeks, and Kirsten told them her plans for the house.

"So now that we've got everything unpacked," Kirsten started. "I was thinking that we could give this place a little remodel. It can be a family project."

"Sounds like fun." Sandy told her and looked at Seth and Ryan.

"I'm in." Ryan spoke up.

"I'll get back to you," Seth stated and Kirsten shook her head at her son's antics.

They all cleaned up the kitchen after they were done eating and went into the family room. Kirsten produced a DVD that she had borrowed from the library earlier that day.

"Cheaper By The Dozen?" Seth saw the title.

"It's a family movie," Kirsten told him. "Come on. It's a good movie."

They all sat in front of the TV on the four-piece couch as Sandy set up the DVD player and Kirsten went to make them all up some popcorn. Ryan was sitting farther away from the rest of them, but he still enjoyed the family time they spent together. Kirsten came back in as Sandy pressed play and handed out all the popcorn and smiled as she enjoyed spending this special time with all of her family.

AN: So what'd you all think? I hope you liked it. There will be some new characters introduced in the next few chapters as Ryan and Seth start school and they all continue to settle into the town. PLZ R&R!