Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of The OC. They all belong to Josh Schwartz.
A/N: Sequel to "A Bitter Pill": Bob Stankey, head of the group home Ryan stayed at for six months, is ready to stand trial for second-degree murder due to depraved indifference in the death of a teenage boy in his care. Ryan is set to take the stand and testify against Stankey, facing the man who abused him.
This story takes place three months after "A Bitter Pill" ends. Ryan and Luke are friends and attending the public school while Seth is attending Harbor. I'm taking some "liberties" with the time and understand that it would be more like a year or longer for any trial to begin. But, I didn't want to fast forward an entire year so, in this story, the legal justice system works at lightning speed. :-)
One of the things I never understood was how Sandy and Kirsten seemed fine with Dawn coming back into Ryan's life. After the pilot episode with Dawn drunk, then allowing her boyfriend to beat her son, then throwing him out of the house (not her abusive boyfriend, but her own child), then completely abandoning her son. She literally left Ryan with nothing. For that alone, Dawn should have been charged with child abandonment and neglect, and stripped of her parental rights.
This chapter is about becoming a loving family. Something, I feel, Ryan deserved.
Thank you for all the feedback and support. I really appreciate it! :-)
Chapter Eleven
Sandy pulls the car into the garage and turns off the engine. Throughout the drive home from the courthouse jail, Sandy felt that he did most of the talking. But he was happy to do so. Explaining to Ryan what the sheriff's investigation uncovered and that Bob Stankey was going to prison. Ryan asked some questions but for the most part, stayed quiet. Glancing over at the boy, Sandy can sense that the kid is relieved.
Now, we can put all of this behind us...
Sandy and Ryan get out of the car and head towards the door. Sandy places his hand gently upon Ryan's shoulder, stopping him from entering the house.
"I just want to warn you," Sandy says, with eyes as serious as his voice.
"Warn me?"
"Well... it's Kirsten," Sandy says. "She may... well... you probably may want to brace yourself."
Ryan squints his eyes and furrows his brow, wondering what awaits for him inside.
"Trust me, kid. You should brace yourself," Sandy tells the boy as he takes the lead and steps inside the house with Ryan following closely behind him. "We're home!" Sandy calls out.
"Ryan! Welcome home!" Kirsten exclaims with joy as she rushes over to the boy with open arms.
Ryan closes his eyes, turns his head sideways and grits his teeth as he braces himself for impact.
Kirsten wraps her arms around the boy with uncontrolled fervor. She squeezes him with all her might, welcoming him home.
"Um, honey... you may want to ease up a bit," Sandy says, unable to stifle his grin. "I think the kid is turning a bit blue. He does need some oxygen, you know... to live."
"Yeah, Mom. O2," Seth says, backing up his father. "It's a basic necessity for respiration."
Kirsten eases up on her grip around the boy. She steps away but keeps her hands firmly placed on Ryan's upper arms. She smiles and waits for his gaze to meet hers. "I'm so very happy you're back home."
"I... I'm really sorry, Kirsten," Ryan apologizes. "For everything..."
Kirsten squeezes Ryan's upper arms and looks directly into the boy's eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry for. What happened... what you went through... my god. I only wish you would have come to me and Sandy."
Ryan lowers his head. All the upheaval and pain he's put this family through...
"I understand that you were scared. But you do not have to shoulder every burden yourself," Kirsten says, hoping to get through to the boy. "Sandy and I are here for you. Please let us help. You need to let us in."
"I just wanted to keep everyone safe," Ryan states quietly.
"And that's exactly what parents want to do for their kids," Kirsten says, keeping her arm around Ryan's shoulders as she guides him towards the family room with Seth and Sandy following closely behind. "Parents want to keep their children safe. And Sandy and I are committed to keeping both of our sons safe."
"Both of your sons?" Ryan asks, looking over at Kirsten, somewhat confused.
"Ha! I told you, Dad! I told you Mom wouldn't be able to keep it a secret until after dinner!" Seth exclaims, pointing his finger at Sandy. Seth struts over to his father and holds out his hand, ready to receive his payment. "You owe me! Ten bucks! Pay up!"
Sandy groans as he opens his wallet and pulls out a ten dollar bill. He slaps the money into Seth's open hand, not happy to have lost.
"Sons?" Ryan asks again. He's still utterly confused.
"Ryan, sit down," Sandy encourages, guiding the boy to the plump sofa, strewn with decorative pillows.
Ryan warily sits down, having to rearrange a few pillows to allow himself enough room to actually sit.
Sandy sits down next to Ryan. Kirsten sits down on the coffee table across from them as Seth hovers over.
A few weeks ago, Kirsten and I began legal proceedings to adopt you," Sandy explains calmly. "Both your mother and father have been stripped of their parental rights..."
"I know," Ryan interrupts, lowering his head as he sadly acknowledges his parent's shortcomings. It was one thing to have his father's parental rights taken away. That he could deal with. But his mother's? After everything he did to try to keep their household together; taking odd jobs to help pay the bills, lying to his mother's boss, telling him she was too ill to go to work when, in reality, she was just suffering from another nasty hangover... only to have been beaten by her boyfriend, thrown out and then, abandoned. Ryan shrugs away the unwanted memory. It's just too painful.
"But you and Kirsten are already my legal guardians," Ryan says.
"Yes, we are," Sandy concurs. "But our legal guardianship is only temporary. Once you turn eighteen, Kirsten and I will no longer be responsible for you."
"I still don't understand," Ryan states quietly. Whether he's thirteen or eighteen, Ryan's always been able to take care of himself.
"Legal guardianship is a temporary arrangement. Basically, you're our ward," Sandy explains. "But adoption is permanent."
"Ryan, we want you to be a true member of our family," Kirsten says warmly as she takes the boy's hands into hers. "If we adopt you, you'll be our son."
Ryan remains sitting on the couch, still feeling a bit confused. He feels Kirsten's warm hands caress his own. He accepts the comforting gesture and thinks this is something he maybe could get used to.
"But it's important that you're on board with this," Sandy says, his voice direct and serious. "We want you to be okay with being adopted..."
Silence fills the air. Sandy and Kirsten both look at each other, somewhat concerned they've made the boy uncomfortable. Are they moving too quickly? Did they overstep their bounds?
"Yes," Ryan says, first looking at Sandy then over to Kirsten.
"Yes?" Kirsten asks as she gently squeezes to boy's hand in hers.
Ryan glances down at his hand, then raises his head to look at both Sandy and Kirsten. "Yes, I want you to adopt me."
"Yes!" Seth shouts out with joy as he pumps his fists in the air. "I'm going to have a brother!"
Kirsten stands up and pulls Ryan up from the sofa, then wraps her arms around him. "I'm so happy you want to be a part of our family."
"Honey, remember oxygen," Sandy says as he witnesses his wife's bear hug around the boy. "He needs to breathe... you know, to live."
Kirsten eases up on her embrace but suddenly senses the boy tense up a bit. "Ryan, what is it?"
Ryan glances down at the floor then returns his gaze to Kirsten. "It's Trey."
"What about Trey?" both Kirsten and Sandy ask in unison.
"I just... I wonder... I've wondered this a lot," Ryan sighs. He knows he has a hard time expressing his thoughts... his feelings.
Sandy places his hand upon Ryan's shoulder, urging the boy to open up.
"How come Trey didn't get someone like you? Why couldn't he have gotten a good lawyer... someone who could see that he needed help," Ryan says, looking intently at Sandy. "My brother's not a bad person. He was sixteen when he was first arrested, just like me. I know he has issues with addiction but he tried his best. It just... it just wasn't enough."
"Ryan, it's alright," Sandy says, trying to reassure the boy. "I'm looking out for your brother. I'm keeping in touch. He's not going to be in prison forever."
"I feel so lucky. But I'm not sure if I deserve this," Ryan says quietly. "You both... you've done so much for me... much more than my own mother and father have ever done."
"We're the ones who are lucky," Kirsten states, her voice calm and sincere. "You've opened our eyes. Before you entered our lives, Sandy and I had drifted apart. Seth stayed holed up in his bedroom playing video games."
"Yeah, I had zero friends," Seth pipes in. "Social life? Nada."
"We now know what's most important," Kirsten continues. "And that's family."
"Ryan, we don't want to take away your identity and we're not trying to replace your parents," Sandy says calmly. "But I believe that we need you as much as you need us."
Ryan looks at Sandy and Kirsten, again feeling a bit confused.
"Ryan, you complete us. Our family," Kirsten says quietly while looking directly into Ryan's eyes. "If we can go through with the adoption..."
"Yes, I want to be a part of this family," Ryan reaffirms. "A part of your family."
"It's our family now," Sandy says warmly as he wraps his arms around Kirsten, Seth and Ryan. "And Ryan, just so you know, Trey will also be a part of this family... if he so wishes."
"Thanks, Sandy," Ryan says with a heartfelt smile as he discreetly pinches himself, making sure he's not dreaming this all up. Ryan feels the uncomfortably pinch. He leans into Sandy's embrace, along with Kirsten and Seth and smiles again. He never knew he could feel this much contentment.
"So this is a very special day," Sandy proclaims. "I will fire up the grill. We're having a homemade meal tonight. To celebrate!"
"Sounds awesome to me!" Seth shouts out, feeling exuberant about how things have turned out. "Ryan, do you want to play a new video game I got?" Seth immediately steers Ryan towards the stairs, guiding him to his bedroom.
"That sounds great," Ryan replies earnestly. "But I think I'd like to shower first... you know, clean up a bit before dinner. I've been sitting in a jail cell..."
"I understand, dear brother. I am detecting a bit of 'Eau Cellule de Prison'," Seth says with a heavy French accent, waving his hand through the air as he crinkles his nose, feigning olfactory discomfort.
"Eau de what?" Ryan asks as he hikes up the spiral staircase behind Seth.
"Prison cell, Ryan," Seth states, happy to educate his brother. "Don't you know French?"
"I took Spanish," Ryan replies.
Sandy and Kirsten both smile as they watch the boys walk away, happily engaging in their good-natured banter.
"Well, we have two teenage boys now," Sandy says as he wraps his arm around Kirsten's shoulders.
"My father is not going to be happy about this," Kirsten bemoans. "About our adopting Ryan."
"I know," Sandy says with a sly grin. "Isn't it great?"
Kirsten playfully slaps her husband's arm.
"Ow!" Sandy yelps as he grabs his arm, feigning injury.
"I think someone needs to fire up the grill."
"Your wish is my command," Sandy states, respectfully bowing to his wife.
"We have two boys to feed," Kirsten states. "I'll set the table."
Sandy watches Kirsten walk back to the kitchen. He smiles. Two boys. Two amazing boys. And a beautiful wife. How did he get so lucky? Ryan feels he's the lucky one, but Sandy begs to differ. He walks out onto the patio to start up the grill.
I'm cooking for four now, Sandy thinks to himself, unable to wipe the smile from his face. I can definitely get used to this...