Disclaimer: Not mine, borrowed and nurtured. A/N: Ryan bonds with Dylan and Seth tags along. Dylan is apprehensive of his first day at Newport High. Seth tries to give advice. Summer and Taylor go baby clothes shopping, and notice the boys are acting strange.

The Berkeley Series

vi

Father & Son

2012

"You want a coffee? Or a bagel?" Ryan pulled his wallet from his pants, wiping his sweaty face.

Dylan skidded his bike to a halt and noticed the Crab Shack menu above them.

"Uh, I'm not hungry," truth be told seafood made his stomach queasy.

Ryan's hair was wet from the surf, and his board was drying in the back of his jeep. Running cleared his mind, but on this occasion, it was still cluttered. Taylor and Summer had been talking about the Sunday markets for weeks. Seth had convinced Dylan to come out on his boat, it was a family affair.

Seth flipped his skateboard into his arms, "I mean, sure, if you're paying?"

Ryan sighed, counting his notes, "I was talking to Dylan..."

Seth handed a few more coins, "For the coffees. Summer likes hers with foam these days."

Ryan nodded and disappeared inside. Seth avoided the racks of fresh fish cooling on ice. People began to stir, as shops opened one by one along the pier. He craved hot coffee; his hands numb.

Seth looked at Dylan, "So, uh, first day of school tomorrow, excited?"

Dylan raised his bruised eyebrow, "Hanging with the pretentious snobs who beat me up? Sure."

Seth sighed, "You're absolutely right, I hated Newport for that very reason."

Seth could see Taylor and Summer browsing 'Tiny Tots' and listened to the waves crashing below. They'd pulled Summer Breeze II onto its trailer and run the motor dry. It was Dylan' first time on a boat, and he managed to go about without capsizing, progress. Better than Ryan, Seth smirked.

"I guess it gets easier with friends," Seth admitted from experience.

The whole reason he'd sailed to Tahiti was because he couldn't face Newport alone. Ryan was the brother he never had. It was easier to survive school when Ryan had your back.

Dylan sighed, "I'm a loner, nobody's gonna like me. Least of all the teachers."

Seth changed the subject, "Got any hobbies?"

Dylan shrugged, "I can do a 360 on a bike at a skateboard rink, and I draw, sometimes."

Seth nodded, "Great, maybe you can show me sometime."

They paused to watch the seagulls fighting over a French fry.

"So, you're going to be a dad? Scared?" Dylan's voice cut through the silence.

Seth spun the wheels on his skateboard, "Not as much as I was. Our families are supportive, and I think Summer and I are ready this time round. 'Joey Isaac Cohen'; my sister pulled it out of a hat. It's grown on me. Don't tell Ryan, he was banking on Oscar Joey," Seth winked as Ryan returned.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about, except for maybe those eyebrows," Dylan drawled.

Seth laughed, "Well, the poor kid's gonna inherit them from his grandfather, nothing I can do."

Ryan handed out the bagels and coffees, "Everything okay?"

Seth and Dylan nodded, "It will be," Dylan said, smearing cream cheese on his upper lip.

Taylor sat down beside Ryan, "How was the water? Summer and I picked out the cutest onesies."

Ryan watched Seth and Summer surfing the waves in multiple attempts. Seth was more seal than surfer, it made for good entertainment. 'Shut up Atwood!' Summer yelled, making him snort coffee all over his shirt. Dylan had taken his bike to the skateboard ramp, leaving him and Taylor alone.

"Ryan, are you listening?"

Ryan blinked, "Uh, yeah?" he sat up on the bench, holding his empty coffee cup to his lip.

"What did I just say?" Taylor sighed as this wasn't the first time he'd dosed off.

Ryan pointed to the onesie, "You said, uh… how ugly this colour is and how you want a refund."

Taylor rolled her eyes, "It's mustard!" she said. "Summer wanted gender neutral colours. Look, I'll put these away, but I know you're worried about Dylan?"

Ryan didn't question how she could read his mind; she knew him better than anyone.

"Yeah, it's his first day tomorrow. What if he doesn't fit in?"

Taylor shrugged, "Newport doesn't discriminate if you can pay the tuition fee."

Ryan frowned, "He's lucky between the two of us we can afford the tuition fee."

Taylor chewed her lip, "Do you remember what it's like to be a teenager?"

Ryan frowned, "Almost destroyed me living up to everyone's expectations."

Taylor nodded, "I felt the same, facing my mother's expectations. Some of us barely fit into Newport. Sometimes I think if I hadn't have stood up to my mother, I'd still be that insecure girl, who thought to be Valedictorian I had to alienate everyone who ever threatened me. You made me brave, Ryan. And my senior year was the first time I ever had friends, thanks to you."

Ryan bumped her shoulder, "No, you were already fearless."

Taylor put her hand in his, "Maybe Dylan feels the weight of those same expectations?"

Ryan nodded, "Maybe. What if I say something wrong?"

Taylor smiled, "Just speak from your heart, like you did with your haiku."

Ryan grasped her hand, "I think my haiku days are over," he smirked.

Taylor kissed him, making it impossible for him to leave.

"Too bad," and she smiled into his second kiss.

Ryan found Dylan hanging with two other kids, one looked older, both had knee pads and helmets. He hoped he hadn't walked in on a drug buy. Nah, Dylan wasn't that sort of kid. He was thankful for that. Dylan pulled up on the bike, "You headed home? Okay, let me just say bye."

Ryan nodded, it was easier to comply, than say no, they needed to talk, besides he was playing the part of the cool parent, well, foster parent, since the adoption papers hadn't been drawn up yet.

"This is Mike and his brother, Tyson. Mike's my age. Guys, this is Ryan, he's my-"

"-Dad," Ryan offered his hand, "Nice to see my son's making friends."

Dylan's voice disappeared along with his eyebrows, "Uh, yeah. See you at school?"

Mike and Tyson nodded, and Ryan put his hands in his pockets.

Dylan peddled slowly beside him. "So, dad, huh?"

"My paternal instincts took over. You're not getting pocket money until you're sixteen."

Dylan smirked, "Okay, 'dad'. So, should I be calling Taylor, 'mum' then?"

Ryan pulled his car keys from his pocket, "I think that's entirely up to you, son."

A/N: I had way too much fun with this, also I LOLd at Mike & Tyson, that was purely unintentional.