Chapter Ten

Summer pushed the wheelchair forward with little effort, a solemn look on her face. They hadn't flown in before Marissa's funeral. They had still been at the hospital, recovering from their injuries. Seth sat in the wheelchair, paralyzed from his legs down, the doctors said that he would probably never be able to walk again. Tears streamed down Summer's cheeks when she thought about this. She wanted to kill herself for doing this to Seth. After all, it was her fault. If she had not accidentally killed Yugi, then Candy wouldn't have come searching for her, wanting to kill her, and Seth wouldn't have had to throw her out of the window from so high, where they both tumbled to the ground.

Sitting by the window the night of the attack, looking down at the motionless bodies of Candy and Seth, she thought they were both dead. People had gathered around the two bodies constrewed on the ground, wondering what had happened. Summer screamed for help, cried for need of love and care and help and she just wanted soemone to doctor her wounds and take the bullets from her flesh. She wanted to be able to feel again.

Now she stood there, tears streaming down her face, unable to breathe. An empty hollowness filled her, and when she inhaled it whizzed an echo of solemn death that had been confined in its midst for the past few weeks. Summer wanted to scream for pain of suffering, but she was in an airport, pushing Seth forward in his wheelchair, and people would begin to wonder. People would approach her, try to comfort her. Seth would try to comfort Summer. And now Summer could barely stand to look at him. She had done this, she had made him the way he was, she had destroyed his life, and now she had to live with that, she had to look at him and realize all of the pain and suffering that she had caused was really real, it was really there, and Summer could not bare that realization.

So she just continued to push Seth forward in his wheelchair, stopped for a few moments to wipe the tears from her cheeks that was burning her skin, and then continued onwards. She could hear the ranting of people who had lost their luggage, the joy of others who were meeting their relatives whom they hadn't seen in years, the sorrow of those who had departed for other causes.

Summer pushed Seth forward, concentrating on these emotions. Any emotions but her own.

Where am I? Summer asked herself. In Hell, Summer told herself.

How did we get here? Summer asked herself. Because of me. I did this. I am the cause of all of the bad and wrong and hate and anger and terrible things in the world that exist today and everything is cause of me, stupid old hateful me and I deserve to die. I deserve to die. I deserve to die...

She saw the long, twisting staircase that led down, down, down beside the elevator. She peered over the side of the banister and wondered. She thought. Summer had an idea. She would jump over the banister and plunge to her death several stories below.

But then she heard Seth say, "Are you alright, Summer?"

And his voice was heavenly and sweet and perfect and just for a moment she felt wonderful and powerful and knew that she could go on living.

She would live for Seth.

Because Seth lived for her.

Meanwhile

Kaitlyn sat on the bed, staring outside, wondering why someone would have killed her sister. She didn't understand, couldn't understand, didn't know why, how, and doubted that she ever would understands. Kaitlyn sat there,watching the wind blowing the leaves in the trees outside her window. She listened downstairs as her mother watched the soap operas, crying. Of course, Kaitlyn knew that she wasn't really watching the soap operas. She was trying to, trying to get her mind off of the death of her daughter, Marissa. But Kaitlyn doubted that would happen anytime soon. She heard the doorbell ring downstairs, and began to wonder who it would be. Kaitlyn didn't really care, she needed someone to talk to, someone to confess to. So she got up off of the bed and began to make her way across the room. She descended down the stairs towards the foyer, and then found that there was a tall, slender figure awaiting her. Opening the door, Kaitlyn saw a farmiliar face, but she wasn't sure who the girl was. "Hello," said the woman.

"Hi..."

"My name is Keegan...is your father home? Jimmy Cooper?" Keegan poked her head inside, glancing around.

"Yes, he's in his bedroom right now. Is it important?"

Keegan stood there for a while, as if thinking. Then, finally, she said, "Yes. Very."

Kaitlyn then stepped aside and let Keegan enter the house. She turned and slowly closed the door behind her.

While at the Cohen Residence

Ryan lay on the bed in the pool house thinking about his plans. He knew that he had to kill Oliver, and he had basically targeted where Oliver was staying at the moment. He knew that Oliver had to be somewhere between North Carolina and Virginia. In another day or so, he would be going farther north, towards New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Maine. Soon Ryan would never be able to catch him.

Ryan had his bags packed. He had a plane ticket to North Carolina and a rental car waiting on him once he got there. Ryan also had the anger and rage to find Oliver and kill him. But Ryan needed permission. He knew this. Not from law, or from God, but from someone else. He just couldn't figure out who. But there was a deep knotting in his stomach telling him wait, wait, wait.

And then, while waiting, Ryan slowly drifted off to sleep.

The doorbell rang at the Cohen's house sometime later, while Ryan was still asleep. Kirstin hurried to the door to get it, and was shocked at who she saw. Her mouth dropped open in awe and she just stood there, looking into the eyes of her son who she hadn't seen for weeks.She immediately bent down and kissed him, hugging him to her body. She wept for joy and then thanked God that her son was home.

While Kirstin and Seth celebrated their joyous reunion, Ryan was experiencing much deeper things. He sat amongst tall balls of fire, when he heard the voice of Sandy ring out from above. "Ryan!" Sandy called. "Ryan!"

Ryan glanced up and saw his adopted father standing high up within the clouds. "Yes, Sandy?"

"Don't do it!"

"Do what?"

"Hunt after Oliver! You mustn't try and kill him! At least not yet!" Sandy glanced down, his face loving and serene.

"But why?"

Slowly Sandy began to fade off, dissapearing in the clouds.

Ryan called after him.

But in the end, Sandy was gone.

Ryan woke, presperation pouring down him, covered in fear. He looked over at the night stand and saw that it was only two in the afternoon. Sandy's words echoed in his ears, haunting him. Ryan sat there, wondering what to do. He then fell back onto the bed, motionless, his eyes wide open. That was when the pool house door opened and Seth entered the room. "Hey," said Seth, rolling in on his wheelchair. "Hey Ryan... Are you okay?" Damn. Seth didn't mean to ask that. He knew that Ryan wasn't okay. "I know you aren't," added Seth. Damn. He hadn't meant to say that either. So Seth finally just said, "I'm here for you, and I know how you feel," and then Seth shut up.

Back at the Cooper Home

Keegan stood in the doorway beside Kaitlyn, waiting patiently. Jimmy stood, his eyes enveloped by large, black cicles. His eyes were wide and red from days of insomnia. His mouth was small and pulled in, as if he had bitten them off. His cheeks were pale and his hair was grey. Keegan gasped at this sight, thinking, "Oh no. Is this my real dad?" Kaitlyn glanced over to Keegan reassuringly and then turned to Jimmy, wrapping her arms around her father.

Keegan and Kaitlyn where sisters.

Yet neither of them knew it.

Kaitlyn smiled and then hurried out of the room, pulling the door closed behind her.

"Hi," said Keegan nervously. "I'm Keegan." She extended a hand unsuredly. She paused, then brought it back to her.

"What do you want?" growled Jimmy. Obviously he was not in the mood for small talk. "Is this about Marissa? Have you found her killer?"

"I'm not from the police," said Keegan softly. "Actually, I am your daughter."

Jimmy stood there in awe. "What? But how?"

Keegan shook her head. "That's what I would like to know."

The Cohen Residence

Ryan embraced Seth, tears streaming down both of their faces. "I've missed you," cried Ryan. "And I miss her. I miss Marissa so much." He broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

"I know," said Seth. "I know."

Ryan was one the ground, kneeling beside Seth's wheelchair, his arms wrapped around Seth's body. "What will I do without her?"

Seth just sat there, unknowingly.

Meanwhile

Summer stood in the kitchen helping Kirstin clean dishes. "So," said Summer. "Was the funeral nice? No, not nice...I mean, fitting? Fitting for Marissa? Was it..was it...I don't know how to say..."

"Yes," said Kirstin in a low tone. "The sermon was very nice and the music was very emotional. There was a lot of people that showed up."

"I hate that I couldn't have been there." Summer had laid in her hospital bed for the previous two weeks and cried. "I really miss her."

"We wish you two had been there. But I guess we cannot blame you..." Kirstin stuck a premade lasanga in the oven, "...after all, it was Seth's choice...or at least they choose not to blame you. I on the other hand," said Kirstin, turning the heating knob, "would very much like for you to burn in Hell."

"What?" Summer was shocked.

Kirstin spun around, rage aflame in her eyes. "How dare you come back to this house?"

"What did I do?"

"Because of you, my son has no future!" Kirstin stomped forward towards Summer. "Because of you, my son will never be able to use his legs again. Because of your stupid affairs, my son is now forced to live in a wheelchair for the rest of his life!"

Tears began to stream down Summer's cheeks. "I know that all of this is my fault, but I am sorry. I am truly sorry."

"I don't care that you're sorry!" screamed Kirstin. "I don't care. Sorry doesn't fix anything! It never does!" She grabbed a large flower vase and threw it across the room. It smashed against the wall.

Summer turned and ran off, hurrying towards the front door.

Kirstin fell into a chair at the dining room table sobbing. What had she just done?

Summer ran outside, sobbing, hurrying down to the street corner and stumbling over the curb. She stood in the middle of the street crying, then turned and hurried off towards her car, pulling the door open, and climbing inside.

Once inside, she revved the engine, backed out of the driveway, and then took off.

Next week:

We find out more about Keegan

Will Summer and Seth go together?

What about Luke and Anna?

Kaitlyn and Reichen? or Zach?

Will Ryan seek revenge for Marissa?

Will Kirstin and Jimmy accept Keegan into their lives?

Read to find out!