A/N: Please R/R!!! Thanks for all the reviews...

It's nice to have friends

It was like four in the morning and Marissa still was up with Ryan talking in the living room. Neither one felt like sleeping. "I'm going to get some coffee" Ryan said.

"Great grab me a cup" She said not getting off the couch. "You got it" He said. Ryan started getting cups and pouring coffee into them and he was almost done when Summer came in.

"Coop I have to talk… she paused and looked at Ryan. Ryan took in her appearance and couldn't help but laugh. She was standing there in Seth's pj's and a t shirt way to big for her.

"You're not Coop" She said embarrassed. "No I'm not" He said he said with a laugh. With that Marissa came in and was surprised to see Summer especially dressed like that.

"Um Sum why are you dressed like that?" She said. Summer looked at Ryan. "Okay so this is a girl moment and I'm just going to go inside now" He said leaving them Marissa laughed at his comment.

"Okay what's up?" She said. "Oh nothing except the fact that Seth told me he loved me" She said casually. "What?" Marissa said smiling. Summer nodded.

"Wow so then that explains your choice of clothes. Are you guys like together?" Marissa said sounding excited. "Well I think we are" Summer said with a smile.

"That's great but Sum what are you doing down here?" She said. "Well I wanted to tell you" Summer said. "Great you told me and I'm happy for you so now go be happy together" She said.

"Thanks Coop" Summer said going back upstairs. Marissa laughed and grabbed the coffees and went into the living room. She placed them down. "So girl talk finished?" He said.

"Yeah" She said with a laugh. "So can I assume that there back together? or do I have to wait and find out from Seth?" He said.

"Well apparently so I mean she was wearing his pj's" She said joking. "Right" he said with a laugh.

"You should get some rest" He said. "No I'm not really tired anyways" She said. "Okay" He said. The phone rang. Ryan raced to the phone.

"Hello. Kirsten every thing alright?" He said. "Okay. No Yeah everything's okay here. Seth's upstairs not going further then that. "Alright. Yeah I'll see you in a little while. I love you too" Ryan said and hung up.

"Is everything okay?" She said. "Yeah she was just checking in" He said. "Good" She said. "Yeah she said He could probably come home today" He said sitting back down.

Marissa could tell that this was taking a lot out of him. She asked the obvious." So what are you going to do now?" She said. He turned and looked at her.

"I guess go to Boston for a few days explain the situation tie up loose ends and come home" He said. "Sandy's going to hate that" She said.

"I know but what else can I do. I can't just leave them to deal with this by themselves and I know Seth doesn't want that either" Ryan added. "What about your job?" she said.

"Marissa I have to leave it this isn't just any person we're talking about this is Sandy. He's done everything he's possibly could for me and now it's my turn to do this for him" He said.

"So I guess you will take that job with Kirsten then?" Marissa said. He looked at her confused. "Who told you about that?" he said surprised that she knew.

"Well apparently not you" She said sarcastically. He looked at her. "Kirsten told me" She said sadly. "I was going to tell you" He said looking back at her.

"Yeah but you didn't" She said with a sad smile staring directly at him. "I was. Its just this whole thing happened and I wanted to talk to you about it. I just didn't want it to sound like I was taking it… he paused.

"To be near me?" She said. "I didn't say that" He said trying to make her understand.

"You didn't have to. Ryan it's obvious why you didn't tell me. Because as much as you say you want to be friends and wish that everything could go back it can't we're different people now" She said staring at him. He looked at her.

"Look I get that we're different but does that have to mean that we can't be in each other lives?" Ryan said.

"No it just means that we should face reality and realize that things don't necessarily work out so perfectly. That's something that's never happened for us" She said trying to make him understand.

"Marissa" She interrupted "I'm gonna go home I'll come by later to see how Sandy's doing" She said. "Okay" He said sadly and watched her leave.

By the time nine rolled around Seth blessed him with an appearance in the pool house confirming Ryan's suspicions. "Hey" He said. "So where's Summer?" Ryan asked.

"She went home to get changed she's going to come back later. You hear anything?" He said. "Just that they should release him today" Ryan said. "Great" Seth said.

Ryan finished putting on his shoes. Seth could tell something was up. "So where's Marissa?" He said. "She went home" Ryan said quickly. "Did something happen?" Seth said.

"Look it's been a long night and if you don't mind I'd rather not talk about" Ryan said tiredly. "Okay you know Ryan maybe you should get some rest while I go to the hospital" Seth said.

"No I'm going and after that I'm going to try to get a flight to Boston hopefully by tomorrow morning" Ryan said. "So you're coming back then?" Seth said. "Aren't you?" Ryan said.

"Yeah" He said. "I got to explain tie up lose ends and I figure the faster the better. So this way you're still on vacation and I could get back in time for you to do what you got to do in LA" Ryan explained.

"That sounds like a plan so I assume you'll be working for mom then?" He said. "And you'll be working with Sandy" Ryan said. Seth looked at him.

"Who thought are lives would turn out like this?" Seth said. "Apparently not us come on lets go" Ryan said and they left for the hospital.

Marissa cell was ringing. "Hello" She said. "Hey Coop so what's the deal why'd you bail at the Cohen's?" She said. "How did you know I left?" Marissa said.

"Cohen of course he called me wanted to make sure that everything was alright" She said. "Everything's super" Marissa said sarcastically. Summer knew it was about Ryan.

"So I take it there's trouble with a certain Ryan Atwood" She said. Marissa sighed. "You guys got into a fight?" She said. "I wouldn't say a fight I would say a sad realization" She said. "Which is?" Summer said.

"Ryan and I will never be able to move on from the past at least not the way we'd like too" She said. "Coop" Summer said sadly. "I'm okay I just thought that things could be different but we can never be friends it's just not possible" she said.

"Do you want me to come over?" She said. "No that's okay I have a lunch meeting with a potential client so I'll just talk to you later okay Sum" Marissa said. "Okay Coop" She said hanging up.

Sandy was released that afternoon and was home for awhile. Eventually Ryan escaped to the pool house to get away from everything. A perky little brunette interrupted his thoughts.

"So Atwood what did you do to Coop?" Summer said not wasting anytime. "Well thanks for the vote of confidence Summer" he said sarcastically. "You mind explaining?" She said.

"Like I told Seth I don't want to talk about it" He said. "Okay your not first year Ryan anymore so that's not exactly going to swing. Here we are nine years later and your going to tell me what the hell happened to make Coop leave here" She said pressing him for information.

"I don't know okay. One minute we were talking about Sandy and what I'm going to do and I mention that I'm going to Boston to explain and basically pack up my life as I know it and move it back here. Then she tells me that Kirsten told her about the job she offered me at the New Port group and I guess she was upset that I hadn't mentioned it before" He said.

"Why didn't you?" She said. "Because …. he paused. "Because you didn't want her to think you were staying for her?" Summer said. "No because I didn't want her to think I was staying to be her friend" Ryan said.

Summer looked confused. "But I thought that's what you wanted?" She asked. He laughed.

"The last thing that I want is to be Marissa Cooper's friend. Which is why I was going to tell Kirsten the morning of rushing Sandy to the hospital that I was taking it the job I mean. And then all of this happened and I guess you can say it made me chicken out and so I just wanted her to believe that she interrupted.

"That you were staying for Sandy" Summer said understanding.

"I mean obviously I am staying for Sandy but before this happened I was staying because I was hoping that this back and forth thing with Marissa could finally work itself out" Ryan said.

"Maybe it still could but you have to talk to her" She said sitting next to him.

"And say what? Hey Marissa I still love you lets get back together. Things just aren't that simple it just doesn't work that way" He said

"It never did when it came to you too but you just have to be honest Ryan or one of these days…. he interrupted "She's going to move on" He said.

"No but she might just find the next best thing and that would be sad because everybody knows you and Coop are the best thing for each other" she said.

"You seem so sure of that" Ryan said looking at her. "That's because I am Atwood. So please talk to Marissa and put this awkwardness behind you" She said.

He smiled. "Thanks Summer" Ryan said. "So Atwood I'm off in Search of Cohen when he's left alone for to long he could wreck havoc. You want to come with?" she said.

"No I'll just stay here" He said. Summer looked at him.

"And besides there's someplace I have to go" He said with a smile. She smiled.

"Send Coop my love" She said leaving him alone with his thoughts.