Eurgh! I'm so frustrated. I even wrote the chapter with Sandy and Seth and still nobody can see any reason to like Seth. Anyway, I guess I'll answer all of them at once. Some of these several people have question or said something about. Others have been mentioned once and I'll be trying and answer them all without writing several thousand words. So here we go.

Seth is selfish/ wants his way/ can't share/ have always had his way and got everything he wanted and on it goes and on it goes. Seth tried to blame his parents for everything…

I haven't said anything to protest against this, all of them are true. But pretty much all of it was answered in the chapter where Sandy starts to give him a lecture to say the least. And he's also never had a reason not to be selfish or having to share etc. He's an only child and his parents had a lot of money and they spoiled him- to say the least. And since he too doesn't have any friends he didn't have anything of that matter to share with or talk about other things.

Sandy shouldn't go to Thailand

"Hits head in the table" Sandy will not go back to Thailand for any reason. I was trying to prove a point. Now, Ryan's worse off and Sandy takes care of him, which leads to people pitying Ryan. But there's always someone worse off. So should Sandy then go back to Thailand and help them because they're worse off than Ryan? If he then stopped to care about Ryan and barely even talked to him for weeks… Do you see my point?

Seth never tried to make any friends

"Hits my head in the table and then remembers what school and friends were like for me"

It's not that simple.

Seth does have other family members who are there for him.

Yes, but he still needs his parents. Both of them. Despite how much they were working during the time he grew up. (well, so far) and then it's not about things but time and support.

Sandy should have talked to Kirsten first before taking such a big decision.

Seth is at least as important for the choice as Kirsten is. Also, Sandy's tired out of his mind and no matter what he, or you think he wanted to get it over with. They did have quick reactions yes, but this isn't about to come to life just yet and from one night to the other.

Ryan has ended up being Seth's baby sitter and takes a lot of responsibility.

This could go under the first. Ryan's been a person to have a lot of responsibility. Seth has not. This is one thing that will change from time to time. It could impossibly happen from one day to another.

And at last

No, this adoption thing won't happen as smoothly as it seems now.

And as well and probably most important thing. Both Ryan, Sandy, Kirsten and Seth are going through their trauma which is more than I/ we could ever imagine if we haven't been there. This might too lead to things said and decisions to be made that wouldn't have been otherwise. And all of them are hurting beyond words.

"Phew" I think I got it all. Here's the newest chapter. I have the next chapter after this planned out more, but this had to be done anyway.

Most of the letters Frank had brought with him was, as he'd said for Ryan.

He had also tried to sneak in a few other bills for rent

I didn't want to make a fuss, if anything it would hurt Ryan and Frank would sure find a way to do it about money. Which we had but not him.

But by the computer, with short breaks in between them, I kept getting dizziness spells. They came out of nowhere and all of a sudden the world was spinning and the floor started rocking under me. I kept feeling faint and had to close my eyes and lean back to have it go away.

If I was worried?

I could take it. I just had to go on.

And just as I'd paid the last bill and put it in a spring map I put all paid bills in I could hear the kitchen door by the patio opening and then the noise of crutches towards the floor, I put the map back in the shelf and hurried into the kitchen.

"Need any help?"

Lord knew that kid needed a prosthetic instead of jumping around on one leg like that.

"I'm alri… whoa!"

It wasn't often Ryan fell, and now when he did I had thankfully come close enough to catch him before he hit the floor.

"Are you okay?" I helped him up again and he nodded. "Want some breakfast?" Another nod. "The usual?" Another nod. "I'll sort it out. Sit down, there's something I need to talk to you about."

Ryan's breakfast hadn't changed much since he came here, even when he was back at the hospital with Seth…

"I was told I'm a magician with that creamed cheese."

"You really like those bagels, do you?"

"Like?" I raised an eyebrow. "Well… No point with torturing you like this…"

"First, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for that tantrum I threw yesterday. I don't even know where it came from. Suddenly I just didn't know what I was thinking and I was just so tired and… I know this isn't a time for excuses…"

"Don't worry about it. Actually I find it quite good that you let it go like that. It's not good for anyone to just build it up like that, you've done nothing wrong and you have nothing to be ashamed or sorry for. Also, I can't believe Seth would compare your brother to a toy like that. Not even when it was Captain Oats."

"I don't think it's that simple for Seth…" He looked to his side, we could both hear the TV going on in the living room. "And… I mean, there are millions of people who have all got their stories about the wave. And there isn't a way to just compare one to the other… But… you said you wanted to talk to me and then I just started babbling. Was it about yesterday?"

"No…" I chose for a moment, I'd rather not tell him his dad was here but it would be hard to get through this without telling him what had changed. "Your dad came by early this morning."

"Oh no." Ryan moaned and grimaced. "What did he do this time?"

"Nothing. He just handed over some letters for you that has been coming to Chino. No worries about that."

"What mail?"

And then, this was something that I didn't want to tell him but he would figure sooner or later.

"Just some hospital bills. They're nothing to worry about."

Ryan suddenly turned pale. I couldn't help but wonder why for the few seconds before he stuttered.

"I- I- not- insurance…" He stuttered, and without it being a whole sentence it was quite easy to figure what it was- I'd have been more worried if he didn't figure this. "Thousands of dollars!"

"Ryan…" I tried to interrupt and laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay."

"But money!" He said at last and his breaths had turned fast and shaky. "All that money! You shouldn't have to…"

Well, who else was going to?

"We have far more money than we could ever use or need. And there are far more things out there that we'd like to have or do… Then, of course there are more important things. For all of ours well- being. And somewhere in all of those that are just not fun to pay insurances come in, and now- hospital bills. And they have to be paid or they'll end up even more expensive- a lot more expensive. But still, you're eleven. And bills aren't your responsibility. And neither is it to worry if they're being paid or if we actually have the money to pay for them. Because we do!... Did you get all of that?" He nodded. "Well then… After what's happened… I… we all have to sort some things. First of all we need to make sure your mail comes here and not to Chino… And then… I was wondering how you would feel about the thought that you might be staying here?"

Ryan hadn't eaten, but held both a bagel and a glass of juice in his hands and at the question he dropped them both while he tried to put one and one together.

"You mean like… how long… forever?"

"Well…" To make this whole moment a bit less tense I got tissues from a cupboard and started cleaning the juice and glass- pieces from the floor. "…These things won't happen over one night as you probably can understand. And it will involve a lot of people- including your dad. Some parents like your dad starts acting up and protesting in the works of "losing"" I made hare- ears with my fingers by my head. "their children. While of course, he will always be your dad. And Dawn and Trey will always be your mum and brother. There's nothing that can ever change that. But first of all… the most important of all- is this something you would want?"

There was a pause when I made him another bagel and he kept staring at my every move.

"There's really nowhere else I'd rather be… But… but nothing really." As if automatically he took his bagel- not daring to take the glass yet and gesturing about it. "Don't worry about it."

Why would Ryan, or anyone for that matter care about a broken glass in all of this.

"Well. I'm glad, I must have done something right then."

"I don't think…" Ryan barely mumbled. "…I could ever tell."

"I was going to work today. I'm not a family lawyer that we need right now. But I do have contacts…. Or if you don't want this to be moving so fast forward?"

Something changed in the way Ryan looked at me. There was something grateful I hadn't seen before, something that made me absolutely sure he was going to break down crying in front of me.

"Have you talked to Kirsten and Seth about it?"

"Yes." I nodded. "They're both… okay with the idea of you staying… Seth wondered if you two would become brothers."

Ryan looked down on what he had left of a bagel in his hands. How he could eat in this was a question for me.

"If it's moving fast… isn't a problem… I was always used to being the little brother."

"Nothing could ever take away Trey in this…" I tried to promise him. "…And the same goes for me and Kirsten and your parents… Family is blood but it can also be about loads of other things…"

"Such as going through a trauma you mean." Ryan interrupted. "You guys will understand what it was like but… no one… I mean… There's no one else I know that will."

"Yeah…" I nodded. "…For example, something like that."

"Yeah…" The tension had turned awkward and Ryan reached up. "I guess I'll put these back."

"Don't worry about it. I made the bagels and I can put things back." I started standing back up but sunk down again. "I hope you understand now Ry. Whatever you want to say, or ask, or think- you can always come to me about it. You can wake me up in the middle of the night if that's when it hits you. Nothing is wrong and I'd rather see you ask a million questions than worrying about something. So can you promise me that whatever it is you will come to me, or to Kirsten, or anyone else that you think could help you?"

That wasn't a simple promise to make and I knew it very well. Even before the silence was thick and awkward I knew it.

"Can you promise you'll try?"

"I promise."

"Good boy." I patted his shoulder. "Well… I don't want to rush you off or anything but I have a feeling that you want to think for a while. And I have to get to work and see if I have any contacts that can help us… and off we go."

Ryan nodded and got up. I would have expected him to return to the pool house or something. But he continued towards the living room.

All there would be for these boys to talk about…

"Do you want to choose the movie?"

…After the movie.

I couldn't help but smile, others might not have seen it. But these things had been my son's best friend for so long it was strange how he would never let either myself nor his mum to pick a stupid movie.

"Yeah, sure."

I got a bag out of a cupboard- Bagel's weren't my only talent. I could make popcorn in the microwave too. But only of the kind that one poured into a bowl and put on to pop and heat up.

"Cool! Thanks dad."

"Can you actually share that Seth or do I have to put them into separate bowls

Ryan answered the question himself when he reached up and took a handful of popcorn and shoved them into his mouth all at once.

"HEY! Leave some for me too."

"What?" Ryan took the bowl and put it on the couch in between them. "I've learnt a trick or two from eating with Trey."

They both turned to the TV when "the day after tomorrow" started showing on the screen and none of them noticed me leaving the room.

It didn't take a Brainiac to know things wouldn't be this simple, or that thoughts were spinning around and around in Ryan's head. Maybe in Seth's and Kirsten's too, just like it did in mine.

So what would happen now?

I was pretty sure the answer to that was as much a question for me as for the others.

But then of course, I'd just have to figure what would be the best way to do all of this and make things happen…

I get the grabbing- popcorn- thing is OOC. But I just had to haha. He's of course used to having a brother and sharing, which Seth is not.

Random fact

I don't know if that expression to make hare ears with your fingers is used in English… I really don't know… But I do it all the time and I hope someone gets it."