AN: Such a great response already! Whoo! Thanks to my loyal readers, Joey (who always reviews EVERYTHING I write, giving me such an ego), Kim (my new friend and great addition to the ranks of awesome fanfic writers here), feyechelon (who reads my stuff and is always awesome about reviewing as well), BrSoccerChic89, and xerus who have also been absurdly nice about the stuff I write. There are so many others but these folks reviewed me so swiftly that I just had to post the next chapter. God, folks, you're giving me a complex! Thanks to all the folks that enjoy my stuff! You guys have restored my faith and after the new eppy tonight, hopefully I can finish "Go", "Touch", "Damage", "Come All Ye Lost", "Coming Down", "And Then," and my Everwood fic that amazingly is still getting reviews. Alright. Now to the important part.

*****

Ryan is worried about Seth. He's damn worried. Seth hasn't said a word since 'God' and they've been at the hospital for two hours. Seth won't leave Ryan's side which caused some initial problems in the ER until Luke and Chip broke up the scuffle and explained the situation. Seth's girlfriend was dead and he had to stay with his brother. That's what Chip had yelled.

Luke and Chip are still waiting. The two jocks had been great and Ryan had been surprised to learn that both boys knew Anna. Chip, self-proclaimed idiot, had been tutored by Anna. Anna had befriended Luke after his father 'came out'.

The doctor comes in. "We can't reach your parents…"

"They're unreachable," Seth says suddenly. Ryan glances at him. Seth and Ryan are so close that Ryan can read his expression. He doesn't want to see his parents.

"Are we okay? Can we go?" Ryan asks.

"Well, you have some broken ribs but Seth's okay. I can't release either of you without an adult…"

Rosa steps in with Luke and Chip. "Are you okay?" She asks.

The doctor takes Rosa into the hallway.

"Good idea," Ryan says to Luke and Chip.

"Whatever we can do," Luke replies.

"Chip." Seth's voice is low. "Thank you for trying."

Chip nods, ignoring Luke's curious glance. "I hope you don't mind, but we called Marissa."

Ryan sighs. "Thanks."

"Okay, boys. Rosa has signed for you and she's getting your prescriptions…" The doctor says. Ryan hops off the bed and goes to Seth's side.

Seth's eyes are glazed and distant. He's like a zombie. Ryan takes his arm and leads him from the hospital. He helps Seth into Rosa's car. Ryan thanks Luke and Chip and promises to call them later.

Seth starts to cry. They get home and he's crying. Rosa watches Ryan lead Seth into the house with his arm around his shoulders. Ryan acknowledges Summer and Marissa in the house but Seth is sobbing. He won't let Ryan leave his side. Ryan doesn't speak to them and takes Seth upstairs.

Finally, after about an hour, Seth's sobs subside and Ryan finds that he has lapsed into sleep. Ryan stands up and gently covers Seth with a blanket. He leaves the door open.

"What happened?" Summer demands. Marissa is sitting beside her on the stairs.

"Car accident. Anna's dead," Ryan mutters, sitting down at the top of the stairs. Marissa immediately climbs to him and embraces him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but Seth…I didn't see but…I think she must have…died in his arms…" Ryan says, the impact of his words stunning him.

"Is Seth okay?" Summer asks.

"He's fucking devastated," Ryan mutters. He sighs heavily. Seth cries out in his sleep. Ryan stops Summer from passing him on the stairs.

"He…let me go to him," Summer whispers.

"Let me ask him first. He's really upset," Ryan says. Marissa catches Ryan's glance and keeps Summer from following him.

*****

"…When everything you wanted
Seems to hide behind your eyes
And I'm locked in my hotel room
Thinking over our goodbyes…"

--Something Corporate

Seth is tossing and turning when Ryan rushes back into the room. Ryan sits down on the edge of his brother's bed and gently starts to shake him.

"…No…Anna…no…" Seth murmurs as Ryan struggles to wake him.

"Seth…wake up, Seth," Ryan urges, shaking him harder. Seth sits up abruptly, gasping from his nightmare.

"Ryan?" Seth is disoriented but settles down with a sigh when he recognizes Ryan. He lies back down on the bed.

"Hey. You were having a bad dream," Ryan explains.

"Yeah. That Anna was dead…" Seth mutters, covering his face with his hands.

"Seth?" Ryan calls after a long pause.

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to be okay?" Ryan asks quietly, putting a hand on Seth's elbow.

"I don't know…" Seth replies, starting to cry. Ryan sits beside him as he sobs into his hands. "I don't know if I can take this…"

"You're okay, Seth…okay? Look at me, man…" Ryan gently pulls his hands away from his face. "This sucks, and it's going to suck a while, but you're going to make it through this…"

"Ryan, she's dead…I mean…I was just talking to her and now…she's just gone…" Seth chokes.

Ryan loses his focus for a second and doesn't know how to respond. "Seth…I'm going to call your parents, okay?"

"No…they don't need to be here…"

"Seth, they should know about this," Ryan replies.

"No. Please, Ryan…they'd fly home and suffocate me and they wouldn't have a chance to work out anything…I don't want them to fight…I don't want them to worry…I don't want them here, Ryan…"

"Okay, Seth, okay, whatever you want, okay?" Ryan says, seeing that Seth is becoming hysterical. "Listen, I'm flying blind here, don't panic, dude…just relax, all right?"

Seth's eyes are glazed again and he has started murmuring to himself. He is shaking. Ryan takes his shoulders and shakes him.

"Seth. I'm here, okay?"

"Ryan?" Seth calls, confused. His eyes clear and meet Ryan's gaze. "Ryan? Why are you in my bedroom?"

Ryan is chilled. "Seth…Seth, why don't you try and get some sleep, okay?" He suggests. "Just lie down."

Seth blinks, confused. He opens his mouth to speak but no sound comes out. He nods slowly.

"I'm going to sit right here, okay? I won't let you have any more nightmares, all right?"

Seth's brown eyes are full of anguish and Ryan can see that he is not ready to handle anything right now. Seth nods. "You promise?"

"I'll be right here, okay? I know you're tired so just lie down and if I see you having a dream, I'll shake you, okay?"

Seth nods. He closes his eyes and after mouthing a few words that Ryan can't hear or distinguish, his breathing settles into sleep.

Ryan sighs and covers him with the blanket again. He sits down leaning his back against Seth's bed to keep watch.

*****

"…And you're in pieces
As your world becomes a rainstorm
You've got no shelter I'm a thousand miles away
You'll survive the day…"

--Something Corporate

Ryan answers the phone on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Ryan? It's Sandy. Is everything okay?"

Ryan hesitates. He had left Seth's side a few moments earlier to vomit in the bathroom and has found that the girls are waiting patiently in the den, napping.

"Seth's not answering his cell…"

"Yeah, it's broken. How's the trip?" Ryan realizes that Seth's phone must have been destroyed in the accident.

"It's beautiful here…" Sandy begins. Seth slowly walks up to Ryan.

Ryan glances up at Seth. He's still pale. Seth shakes his head, putting a finger to his lips.

"The slopes are perfect but we haven't actually made it out of the room yet," Sandy continues.

"TMI, Sandy."

"What?"

"Too much information," Ryan replies, nodding to Seth almost imperceptibly.

Sandy laughs. "How's the home front?"

"Everything's good. We won the game tonight," Ryan says. Seth steps into the den. He freezes, seeing Summer and Marissa asleep on the couch.

Ryan puts a hand on Seth's shoulder to steady him.

"Good for you. You guys are going to school, right?"

"Sure."

"Okay. I'm going to let it go since you're the monosyllabic one," Sandy replies. "Where's Seth?"

"He's sleeping."

"At 9:30pm?"

"Sugar crash," Ryan replies. "There was chocolate involved and babbling earlier. He's tired."

Seth smiles slightly at Ryan's lie.

"Okay. But everything's okay, then?"

"Everything's cool."

"Okay, Ryan. We'll call again tomorrow, okay? Tell Seth to take his phone to the mall tomorrow and get it replaced."

"We'll take care of it. Have fun, Sandy."

"You, too, but don't tell Kirsten that I said that. Be careful."

Ryan hangs up the phone. He leads Seth outside. Ryan lights a cigarette.

"Thanks, man…" Seth starts.

"Dude. Whatever you need." Ryan smiles, leaning against the house lazily as he takes a drag off his cigarette. "You helped me run away and I burned down your mom's house down," He says.

"Can I have one?" Seth asks, motioning for a cigarette.

"No," Ryan replies immediately.

"You said whatever I need," Seth responds.

Ryan stares at him for a long beat. He hands him a cigarette. "If you tell your mom…"

"Dude, we drank all the liquor in the house yesterday, I don't think she'll freak."

"You didn't see her when she found my smokes a couple of weeks ago. I thought she was going to call juvenile hall and send me back. She was pissed."

Seth holds the cigarette in his hand and lights the end, charring it.

"Put it to your lips, dude and inhale. You've never smoked anything before?" Ryan asks, surprised.

Seth starts to cough violently. He drops the cigarette and stomps it out, disgusted. Ryan laughs.

Seth smiles, seeing Ryan's amusement. Ryan has been so desperately concerned about Seth that he hasn't smiled or laughed since before the soccer game. Seth turns away, guilty for his smile, taking a shaky breath. Ryan puts his hand on his shoulder.

"Its going to get easier, Seth."

Seth sits down in a pool chair. Ryan sits down on the ground beside him. "You didn't hear what she said to me…"

"Seth." Ryan looks at him, concerned. "Man, she really cared about you. She wouldn't want you to…"

"What am I supposed to do? Mourn her? Cry for her? I…I don't know what to do…" Seth's face is twisted with pain.

"Man, you have to do whatever you need to get through this…" Ryan starts.

"She said she loved me, Ryan," Seth breathes, closing his eyes.

"Shit, Seth…"

"She didn't even give me a chance to lie to her, she just…she just died…" Seth murmurs.

"She knew you cared about her, Seth. Anna and I…we were friends…we talked…" Ryan starts.

Seth snorts. "You're a shitty liar…"

"I don't lie to you, Seth," Ryan replies seriously. "Anna, she actually acknowledged me as a person, unlike…well, anyway…she's…she was different than Summer like that. She was okay with having you as a friend if that was the only way she could have you. I mean, she really respected your honesty…"

Seth's eyes are distant. "Really?"

"Seth, she knew…" Ryan hesitates. "She knew she wasn't going to make it…she had things that she needed to say to you and the important thing…" Ryan nudges Seth and he meets his steady gaze. "Hey. The important thing is that you were there to hear it."

Seth nods slowly. Ryan lights a fresh cigarette. Seth watches him. "Hey. How are you feeling?" He's been so caught up in his own grief that he had almost forgotten that Ryan was injured in the accident, too. He notices Ryan's skin is paler than normal under the patio lights.

"Dude, I'm fine," Ryan shrugs.

"I've been so out of it, man…" Seth starts.

"Seth, don't worry about me. If you want to make me feel better, you can take your medicine and get some sleep." Ryan holds out a prescription bottle.

"When did the girls get here?" Seth asks, accepting the bottle and examining the instructions on the side, carefully.

"They've been here a few hours," Ryan starts. He takes the bottle back from Seth and opens it. He shakes out two tablets and passes them to Seth who swallows them instantly. "I didn't want to disturb you but…I guess I should have told you."

"Dude, its cool. I can't…I don't want to talk to Summer right now…can I…Can I lie down in the pool house? My room, it's like…suffocating…"

"Go ahead. I'm going to check on the girls and lock up things…" Ryan says, standing up.

"Thanks, man…"

"Thank me later. Sleep now. I'll come tuck you in," Ryan teases. Seth pokes him playfully, regretting it instantly as Ryan winces. He feels better when he realizes that Ryan is smiling at him. Ryan takes Seth by the shoulders, steadying him. "You look better. I'll be right out, okay?"

Seth nods, grateful for Ryan's presence. They separate, Seth heading to the pool house and Ryan walking toward the main house.

*****