The dogs of war don't negotiate
The dogs of war won't capitulate,
They will take and you will give,
And you must die so that they may live
You can knock at any door,
But wherever you go, you know they've been there before
Well winners can lose and things can get strained
But whatever you change, you know the dogs remain.
Yes, we know. I don't own them. I keep forgetting to add that in here. Not sure if Fox really does anymore either since they seem to have gotten a life of their own outside of TV. I don't own the lyrics I've been using either. I spend enough time with them though, I think they own me.
All right, face it. This counselor guy scared him. He knew too much, he knew which buttons to push. CYA was no joke. Counseling scared him though, terrified would be more accurate. He didn't want to give up control to another person, to explain his thoughts, his actions. But to be pushed into a corner didn't sit well either. His first reaction was just to say no. Refuse to decide and make someone else do the deed. His decisions hadn't been good lately. Yeah, his luck it would be Sandy with his we're cut from the same cloth attitude. He wanted Sandy out of his life right now. He wanted all the Cohen's out. All he'd gotten was more trouble with them around. He smacked the wall next to his bed thinking of the Cohen's. If he hadn't gone along with Seth, if he hadn't let what they thought about him make a difference. Damn them. It wasn't how things were supposed to be, you weren't supposed to care about what anyone else thought. All you were supposed to do was look out for yourself. Hadn't his own family taught him that, when did he forget that vital fact of life, when did he change?
Could he really get sent to CYA? Could he make it through two years there? Just think of the education he'd get there. Nothing like that prep school Kirsten thought he should go to. Yeah, he'd learn all kinds of subjects not in the usual high school curriculum. Things that might be useful once he was out. CYA was in Chino, ending up in the city this journey started in. Hell, he'd know people there; it was the Chino equivalent of the public school system for most of his old neighborhood. The counselor was right, first step to prison. Ryan tossed, no closer to a decision than he had been hours before. Anger management, what did that mean? He gave up on the bunk and started pacing. As bad as it was, life in Chino before that first arrest was a piece of cake compared to this. Damn, it was all Trey's fault. If he ever caught that bastard brother of his. Ryan paused. Yeah, here he was getting angrier and angrier at everyone in his life, and he was supposed to be thinking about anger control. Maybe he did need to learn something. He dropped back on the bunk, holding his head in his hands. Eight hours and nothing. No closer to a decision. He was meeting that counselor soon. He had to come up with something.
A buzzer rang through the cell, 6 am. Only another hour. Ryan stood up, he had to come up with something soon. It sounded trite, but one way or another he had to decide on his future within the next hour.
Sandy rolled over. The alarm clock was finally going off. Six am. He didn't think he'd slept at all, he'd swear he saw every hour turn over. Last night had been a failure in how to deal with one son, today he'd have to deal with another son. Ryan was like a son in his mind, it felt right to call him that. Never mind what Caleb thought, he was good for the family. It just felt right to have two sons. Kirsten's hand rubbed his back. She was awake too. He sighed, Seth was probably still awake. The last time he'd wandered through the house he could see the light on under his door. He'd knocked, but Seth hadn't answered him. By the time he'd opened the door the light was off and all he could see of his son was a lump hiding under the covers. He was considered a brilliant attorney, or so he'd heard whispered in hallways- yet he couldn't even talk to his own son about yesterday.
"Kirsten, should I talk to Seth before I see Ryan? Or should I start with Ryan? And that message, what should we do about that?"
Kirsten sighed. Right now Seth was still too upset. He blamed himself for getting Ryan into trouble. He blamed Sandy for taking the new job that caused him to miss Ryan's court time, for Ryan having to stay overnight in Juvenile Hall. He blamed Kirsten for being out of touch, for not being UberMom and able to save his world. And he blamed Ryan for shutting him out. Ryan's message would haunt them for quite a while she was sure. And then there was Ryan, she could guess why he was chasing Seth away. He hadn't been happy the last time for them to show up in juvie. It was easier for him to deal with that place without the pull of Seth reminding him of what could have been. She was sure that was the reason behind that message. Sandy was their only link to him right now, she'd let him take care of Ryan. She'd work on Seth.
"Sandy, why don't you concentrate on Ryan. I'll talk to Seth. I don't think he'll listen to either one of us yet, but you need to get Ryan out of that place. Soon. I don't care what it takes; I don't want him in there. Call me after you talk to the probation officer and we'll decide on the next step." She sighed again. Life with teenagers was always tricky but this was more than the usual level of difficulty. If they didn't take care it could destroy their family, all four of them.
Kirsten knocked on Seth's door. "Seth, I need to talk to you. Can you please come downstairs?" She heard a muffled growl from the other side of the door. "Seth, I need to speak with you. I'll give you some time to wake up- but I want you downstairs by 8. Got that?" The answering muffled growl sounded more like a yes than a no, or at least she hoped it did. She took it for a yes and continued on down the stairs.
Looking around the kitchen, Kirsten decided she didn't feel like cooking. She didn't really feel like eating. Just coffee would do. She sighed, a talk with a disturbed teenager fueled only with caffeine. She wasn't sure if she was up to this conversation under normal circumstances. With that breakfast on top of a night with no sleep, it might turn into a catastrophe.
Sandy drove into the parking lot of Juvenile Hall. He was early for his meeting with the probation officer, but he hoped to get some time in with Ryan before the meeting. On the drive in, he'd left a message at Partridge, Savage and Kahn that he wouldn't be in today. He'd miss the second meeting with some clients, but family was more important. No matter what PSK said. And if they didn't like it, he'd go back to the Public Defenders office. They were ready to take him back whenever; all he had to do was ask. He reached for his briefcase, ready to start his round of meetings and court time. He hesitated, dropping his head down on the steering wheel, not realizing he was imitating Seth's position of the night before. He felt drained, run ragged and full of blame for yesterday's events. If only he hadn't taken the PSK job, he would have been available when the police came, he might have been home, and he would have gotten the warrant in time to talk it over with the PO before they even arrived at the house. The paperwork wouldn't have been delayed traveling from office to office, calls would have gone through. He would have known, he could have been there. Seth was right to blame him, it was his fault. He thought back to the Ryan he first met and the Ryan of yesterday morning. He lifted his head; he'd lost the time for a meeting with Ryan. Time to fix his other mistakes, if he could.
Ryan held his hands behind his back, waiting for the guard to read his ID and put the cuffs on. Almost 7 am, almost time for his meeting. He still hadn't come up with a final decision, this was cutting it close. His eyes were troubled, a night without sleep, unable to eat this morning and now a meeting with a guy who scared him. He was one of the few people who might be able read him. This counselor should get together with Kirsten, between the two of them he wouldn't know which way to turn. On second thought, he shouldn't even think that, it might happen. If he decided to go with counseling and anger management, didn't they usually bring in parents or guardians for part of it? If the Cohen's let him stay, that would mean Kirsten would show up at some of his counseling sessions. They'd gang up on him and who knew what he'd tell them or agree to do. As he followed his train of thought, he realized he had made up his mind. Counseling it was. Might as well get this over with, just making a decision was a relief. He wasn't looking forward to it, but it had to start sometime.
Entering the counselor's office, Ryan felt apprehensive. It was OK to make a decision in his mind, but now he had to come out with it. And live up to the bargain he'd made.
"Ahh, Ryan, right on time. Are you ready to talk some more? I have the paperwork here for your probation officer. You just need to come to a decision, and then I can pass it on to him for his meeting this morning. Do you have any more questions?"
Ryan sat for a minute, holding his head still, his eyes looked around the room, and he chewed his lower lip. "I'll do it."
"Which one, Ryan? Are you willing to attend counseling classes? "
At the nodded response the counselor stood up. "OK, I need you to sign this. Your probation violations may keep you in here for a bit, but signing this should get you out of here sooner. Your attorney will go over the paperwork too. Between him and the probation officer, they'll come up with a schedule for you. Here in the Hall, we'll be able to schedule your sessions quite easily. When you get released, your grades at school will be checked and you'll be set up with meetings with the probation department and counseling sessions. Drug and alcohol testing is mandatory also. You do realize that, don't you? You should be able to continue with a job, but understand that we will stop by there also. Your boss will be told."
Ryan shrugged; this was getting out of hand. All he wanted to do was have the world ignore him and now he was being dragged back into it. He was beginning to regret agreeing to anything. It sounded like everyone would know, school, work, home. No privacy. His life was turning into the pool house, all those clear windows for anyone to see into him. He started thinking he should say no, change his mind. This was going much further than he wanted. A pause in the one-sided conversation finally gave him a chance to speak. "Umm, can I change my mind? I'm not so sure I want to do all this stuff."
"Ryan, this won't be easy. You'll have to work at it. Learning to control your anger will take effort. Your school counselor also noted that you have difficulty discussing problems. Going to counseling does not mean you can sit silent for an hour, you have to participate. This really is for you, Ryan; we don't do this just to fill our time. I don't want to make it so hard you fail, that's not my goal. I also don't want to see you back here in a blue jumpsuit and I don't want to see you in Pelican Bay in ten years. I think you have a chance. The question is, are you willing to hurt the people in your life because you don't want to try? Going to CYA will not only affect you, what about the Cohens? I understand their son tried to visit you yesterday. Do you want to just drop out of his life?"
Ouch, that one really hurt. Ryan thought about Seth. Seth was closer to him than his own brother. He'd only known him for a few weeks, yet Ryan felt responsible for him. But a clean break now, that might be what Seth needed. And Kirsten, she'd defended him to her father and those newpsie bitches. Even after he'd burned down the model home. Yeah, he'd caused her a lot of trouble too. And Sandy, hell, he'd defended him against everyone. Ryan still didn't understand that, there was no reason for Sandy's actions and it confused him. He looked up at the counselor, once again biting his lower lip, considering his choices. "Can I have you call my Mom? I'll move back in with her."
"Sorry, this deal only works if you live with the Cohen's. Face it, the Atwood family structure is not conducive to intensive probation." The counselor stood up and walked around his desk. He leaned back against it in front of Ryan. "Talk to me Ryan, Why don't you want to stay there? From all outward appearances, you couldn't do better. What reasons do you have to want to leave them?"
Ryan jumped up and started pacing the floor. The guard outside peered in at his sudden actions, the counselor waving the guard off.
"Come on, look at you. You're not comfortable with your own decision. Are you sure you want to cut the Cohen's off? Look, we can set it up temporarily with the Cohen's for now. It can be changed later. We'll give it 30 days. Then you can make up your mind."
Ryan stopped his pacing He was exhausted, his mind traveling paths he didn't want to follow. He stared at the floor "Yeah, whatever. Set it up. Do whatever you want."
Sandy entered the juvenile probation department. Searching the name plates on the desks, he located the desk he needed. Nodding at the officer sitting there, he held out his hand "Hello, I'm Sandy Cohen. I'm Ryan Atwood's attorney and guardian. We have an 8 am meeting to discuss his probation issues."
"Please, sit down Mr. Cohen. I'm glad we could finally meet. I just received some new paperwork on Ryan. This boy certainly has amassed a large amount of paperwork in a short period of time. We have a bit of a new perspective; he's been talking with one of our juvenile hall counselors. It seems he's agreed to counseling sessions. If we can come to an agreement on that it will go a long way with the judge later this morning."
Sandy's jaw dropped during the short speech by the probation officer- Ryan? Talking? To a counselor? Did they have the paperwork mixed up?
"I'm sorry, we are talking about Ryan Atwood? Blond hair, blue eyes. 16 years old? Arrested in Chino for auto theft? Is it possible you have him mixed up with someone else?"
The officer looked down at his paperwork "Yes, that's him. According to this paperwork, Ryan agreed this morning to counseling and anger management classes. He signed it pending your approval as his attorney and guardian. We just need to hammer out the details, and then it goes before the judge. If we can come to an agreement on counseling, we can discuss the probation violations and their consequences next. Are you ready to work out a schedule for him? This counseling won't be easy for him or your family, but it will be possible. The whole family needs to be involved in this type of counseling." The officer looked Sandy in the eyes, watching for his reaction "Are you still willing to be Ryan's guardian? This does depend on his home life too. Unfortunately with his family's history, this deal is not possible with Mrs. Atwood in charge of Ryan."
Seth walked into the kitchen, shocked at his mother's appearance. Kirsten had her head down, sobbing quietly over her coffee. She hadn't heard him come down yet, he was seeing his mother in a different light. Unaware she had an audience, she had dropped her guard, was actually crying. Seth had never seen her that disheartened. It just wasn't parental, it was- well- human. He hadn't realized she was this upset also. He came up behind her, placing an arm across her back, resting his head on her shoulder. Silently, he stood next to her. Without saying a word, they somehow communicated. It wasn't perfect, but it worked for now. Seth knew she'd fight for him, for her family. And family was not just Seth and Sandy, it now included Ryan. She knew he'd try his best. That was all she could ask, nobody was perfect, and perfect was boring anyway. She giggled a bit through the tears. The idea of a perfect family sounded too Brady Bunch, just not possible in the real world.
The dogs of war won't capitulate,
They will take and you will give,
And you must die so that they may live
You can knock at any door,
But wherever you go, you know they've been there before
Well winners can lose and things can get strained
But whatever you change, you know the dogs remain.
Yes, we know. I don't own them. I keep forgetting to add that in here. Not sure if Fox really does anymore either since they seem to have gotten a life of their own outside of TV. I don't own the lyrics I've been using either. I spend enough time with them though, I think they own me.
All right, face it. This counselor guy scared him. He knew too much, he knew which buttons to push. CYA was no joke. Counseling scared him though, terrified would be more accurate. He didn't want to give up control to another person, to explain his thoughts, his actions. But to be pushed into a corner didn't sit well either. His first reaction was just to say no. Refuse to decide and make someone else do the deed. His decisions hadn't been good lately. Yeah, his luck it would be Sandy with his we're cut from the same cloth attitude. He wanted Sandy out of his life right now. He wanted all the Cohen's out. All he'd gotten was more trouble with them around. He smacked the wall next to his bed thinking of the Cohen's. If he hadn't gone along with Seth, if he hadn't let what they thought about him make a difference. Damn them. It wasn't how things were supposed to be, you weren't supposed to care about what anyone else thought. All you were supposed to do was look out for yourself. Hadn't his own family taught him that, when did he forget that vital fact of life, when did he change?
Could he really get sent to CYA? Could he make it through two years there? Just think of the education he'd get there. Nothing like that prep school Kirsten thought he should go to. Yeah, he'd learn all kinds of subjects not in the usual high school curriculum. Things that might be useful once he was out. CYA was in Chino, ending up in the city this journey started in. Hell, he'd know people there; it was the Chino equivalent of the public school system for most of his old neighborhood. The counselor was right, first step to prison. Ryan tossed, no closer to a decision than he had been hours before. Anger management, what did that mean? He gave up on the bunk and started pacing. As bad as it was, life in Chino before that first arrest was a piece of cake compared to this. Damn, it was all Trey's fault. If he ever caught that bastard brother of his. Ryan paused. Yeah, here he was getting angrier and angrier at everyone in his life, and he was supposed to be thinking about anger control. Maybe he did need to learn something. He dropped back on the bunk, holding his head in his hands. Eight hours and nothing. No closer to a decision. He was meeting that counselor soon. He had to come up with something.
A buzzer rang through the cell, 6 am. Only another hour. Ryan stood up, he had to come up with something soon. It sounded trite, but one way or another he had to decide on his future within the next hour.
Sandy rolled over. The alarm clock was finally going off. Six am. He didn't think he'd slept at all, he'd swear he saw every hour turn over. Last night had been a failure in how to deal with one son, today he'd have to deal with another son. Ryan was like a son in his mind, it felt right to call him that. Never mind what Caleb thought, he was good for the family. It just felt right to have two sons. Kirsten's hand rubbed his back. She was awake too. He sighed, Seth was probably still awake. The last time he'd wandered through the house he could see the light on under his door. He'd knocked, but Seth hadn't answered him. By the time he'd opened the door the light was off and all he could see of his son was a lump hiding under the covers. He was considered a brilliant attorney, or so he'd heard whispered in hallways- yet he couldn't even talk to his own son about yesterday.
"Kirsten, should I talk to Seth before I see Ryan? Or should I start with Ryan? And that message, what should we do about that?"
Kirsten sighed. Right now Seth was still too upset. He blamed himself for getting Ryan into trouble. He blamed Sandy for taking the new job that caused him to miss Ryan's court time, for Ryan having to stay overnight in Juvenile Hall. He blamed Kirsten for being out of touch, for not being UberMom and able to save his world. And he blamed Ryan for shutting him out. Ryan's message would haunt them for quite a while she was sure. And then there was Ryan, she could guess why he was chasing Seth away. He hadn't been happy the last time for them to show up in juvie. It was easier for him to deal with that place without the pull of Seth reminding him of what could have been. She was sure that was the reason behind that message. Sandy was their only link to him right now, she'd let him take care of Ryan. She'd work on Seth.
"Sandy, why don't you concentrate on Ryan. I'll talk to Seth. I don't think he'll listen to either one of us yet, but you need to get Ryan out of that place. Soon. I don't care what it takes; I don't want him in there. Call me after you talk to the probation officer and we'll decide on the next step." She sighed again. Life with teenagers was always tricky but this was more than the usual level of difficulty. If they didn't take care it could destroy their family, all four of them.
Kirsten knocked on Seth's door. "Seth, I need to talk to you. Can you please come downstairs?" She heard a muffled growl from the other side of the door. "Seth, I need to speak with you. I'll give you some time to wake up- but I want you downstairs by 8. Got that?" The answering muffled growl sounded more like a yes than a no, or at least she hoped it did. She took it for a yes and continued on down the stairs.
Looking around the kitchen, Kirsten decided she didn't feel like cooking. She didn't really feel like eating. Just coffee would do. She sighed, a talk with a disturbed teenager fueled only with caffeine. She wasn't sure if she was up to this conversation under normal circumstances. With that breakfast on top of a night with no sleep, it might turn into a catastrophe.
Sandy drove into the parking lot of Juvenile Hall. He was early for his meeting with the probation officer, but he hoped to get some time in with Ryan before the meeting. On the drive in, he'd left a message at Partridge, Savage and Kahn that he wouldn't be in today. He'd miss the second meeting with some clients, but family was more important. No matter what PSK said. And if they didn't like it, he'd go back to the Public Defenders office. They were ready to take him back whenever; all he had to do was ask. He reached for his briefcase, ready to start his round of meetings and court time. He hesitated, dropping his head down on the steering wheel, not realizing he was imitating Seth's position of the night before. He felt drained, run ragged and full of blame for yesterday's events. If only he hadn't taken the PSK job, he would have been available when the police came, he might have been home, and he would have gotten the warrant in time to talk it over with the PO before they even arrived at the house. The paperwork wouldn't have been delayed traveling from office to office, calls would have gone through. He would have known, he could have been there. Seth was right to blame him, it was his fault. He thought back to the Ryan he first met and the Ryan of yesterday morning. He lifted his head; he'd lost the time for a meeting with Ryan. Time to fix his other mistakes, if he could.
Ryan held his hands behind his back, waiting for the guard to read his ID and put the cuffs on. Almost 7 am, almost time for his meeting. He still hadn't come up with a final decision, this was cutting it close. His eyes were troubled, a night without sleep, unable to eat this morning and now a meeting with a guy who scared him. He was one of the few people who might be able read him. This counselor should get together with Kirsten, between the two of them he wouldn't know which way to turn. On second thought, he shouldn't even think that, it might happen. If he decided to go with counseling and anger management, didn't they usually bring in parents or guardians for part of it? If the Cohen's let him stay, that would mean Kirsten would show up at some of his counseling sessions. They'd gang up on him and who knew what he'd tell them or agree to do. As he followed his train of thought, he realized he had made up his mind. Counseling it was. Might as well get this over with, just making a decision was a relief. He wasn't looking forward to it, but it had to start sometime.
Entering the counselor's office, Ryan felt apprehensive. It was OK to make a decision in his mind, but now he had to come out with it. And live up to the bargain he'd made.
"Ahh, Ryan, right on time. Are you ready to talk some more? I have the paperwork here for your probation officer. You just need to come to a decision, and then I can pass it on to him for his meeting this morning. Do you have any more questions?"
Ryan sat for a minute, holding his head still, his eyes looked around the room, and he chewed his lower lip. "I'll do it."
"Which one, Ryan? Are you willing to attend counseling classes? "
At the nodded response the counselor stood up. "OK, I need you to sign this. Your probation violations may keep you in here for a bit, but signing this should get you out of here sooner. Your attorney will go over the paperwork too. Between him and the probation officer, they'll come up with a schedule for you. Here in the Hall, we'll be able to schedule your sessions quite easily. When you get released, your grades at school will be checked and you'll be set up with meetings with the probation department and counseling sessions. Drug and alcohol testing is mandatory also. You do realize that, don't you? You should be able to continue with a job, but understand that we will stop by there also. Your boss will be told."
Ryan shrugged; this was getting out of hand. All he wanted to do was have the world ignore him and now he was being dragged back into it. He was beginning to regret agreeing to anything. It sounded like everyone would know, school, work, home. No privacy. His life was turning into the pool house, all those clear windows for anyone to see into him. He started thinking he should say no, change his mind. This was going much further than he wanted. A pause in the one-sided conversation finally gave him a chance to speak. "Umm, can I change my mind? I'm not so sure I want to do all this stuff."
"Ryan, this won't be easy. You'll have to work at it. Learning to control your anger will take effort. Your school counselor also noted that you have difficulty discussing problems. Going to counseling does not mean you can sit silent for an hour, you have to participate. This really is for you, Ryan; we don't do this just to fill our time. I don't want to make it so hard you fail, that's not my goal. I also don't want to see you back here in a blue jumpsuit and I don't want to see you in Pelican Bay in ten years. I think you have a chance. The question is, are you willing to hurt the people in your life because you don't want to try? Going to CYA will not only affect you, what about the Cohens? I understand their son tried to visit you yesterday. Do you want to just drop out of his life?"
Ouch, that one really hurt. Ryan thought about Seth. Seth was closer to him than his own brother. He'd only known him for a few weeks, yet Ryan felt responsible for him. But a clean break now, that might be what Seth needed. And Kirsten, she'd defended him to her father and those newpsie bitches. Even after he'd burned down the model home. Yeah, he'd caused her a lot of trouble too. And Sandy, hell, he'd defended him against everyone. Ryan still didn't understand that, there was no reason for Sandy's actions and it confused him. He looked up at the counselor, once again biting his lower lip, considering his choices. "Can I have you call my Mom? I'll move back in with her."
"Sorry, this deal only works if you live with the Cohen's. Face it, the Atwood family structure is not conducive to intensive probation." The counselor stood up and walked around his desk. He leaned back against it in front of Ryan. "Talk to me Ryan, Why don't you want to stay there? From all outward appearances, you couldn't do better. What reasons do you have to want to leave them?"
Ryan jumped up and started pacing the floor. The guard outside peered in at his sudden actions, the counselor waving the guard off.
"Come on, look at you. You're not comfortable with your own decision. Are you sure you want to cut the Cohen's off? Look, we can set it up temporarily with the Cohen's for now. It can be changed later. We'll give it 30 days. Then you can make up your mind."
Ryan stopped his pacing He was exhausted, his mind traveling paths he didn't want to follow. He stared at the floor "Yeah, whatever. Set it up. Do whatever you want."
Sandy entered the juvenile probation department. Searching the name plates on the desks, he located the desk he needed. Nodding at the officer sitting there, he held out his hand "Hello, I'm Sandy Cohen. I'm Ryan Atwood's attorney and guardian. We have an 8 am meeting to discuss his probation issues."
"Please, sit down Mr. Cohen. I'm glad we could finally meet. I just received some new paperwork on Ryan. This boy certainly has amassed a large amount of paperwork in a short period of time. We have a bit of a new perspective; he's been talking with one of our juvenile hall counselors. It seems he's agreed to counseling sessions. If we can come to an agreement on that it will go a long way with the judge later this morning."
Sandy's jaw dropped during the short speech by the probation officer- Ryan? Talking? To a counselor? Did they have the paperwork mixed up?
"I'm sorry, we are talking about Ryan Atwood? Blond hair, blue eyes. 16 years old? Arrested in Chino for auto theft? Is it possible you have him mixed up with someone else?"
The officer looked down at his paperwork "Yes, that's him. According to this paperwork, Ryan agreed this morning to counseling and anger management classes. He signed it pending your approval as his attorney and guardian. We just need to hammer out the details, and then it goes before the judge. If we can come to an agreement on counseling, we can discuss the probation violations and their consequences next. Are you ready to work out a schedule for him? This counseling won't be easy for him or your family, but it will be possible. The whole family needs to be involved in this type of counseling." The officer looked Sandy in the eyes, watching for his reaction "Are you still willing to be Ryan's guardian? This does depend on his home life too. Unfortunately with his family's history, this deal is not possible with Mrs. Atwood in charge of Ryan."
Seth walked into the kitchen, shocked at his mother's appearance. Kirsten had her head down, sobbing quietly over her coffee. She hadn't heard him come down yet, he was seeing his mother in a different light. Unaware she had an audience, she had dropped her guard, was actually crying. Seth had never seen her that disheartened. It just wasn't parental, it was- well- human. He hadn't realized she was this upset also. He came up behind her, placing an arm across her back, resting his head on her shoulder. Silently, he stood next to her. Without saying a word, they somehow communicated. It wasn't perfect, but it worked for now. Seth knew she'd fight for him, for her family. And family was not just Seth and Sandy, it now included Ryan. She knew he'd try his best. That was all she could ask, nobody was perfect, and perfect was boring anyway. She giggled a bit through the tears. The idea of a perfect family sounded too Brady Bunch, just not possible in the real world.