Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing.
A/N: I corrected this myself, so I might have missed a few things. The reviews are awesome you guys! I love the feedback and I'm sorry if I'm not meeting up to some people…My other stories have been a lot better then this…I know, I know…But this is just a side project I started. Not much effort into the drama and whatnot, but you guys still love it right? Okay, for this chapter I screwed up on my own plan…I started writing something else, but it all fits in…I think you'll like it. Crosses fingers
SEASON TWO: Episode Four
Seth sat in between Ryan and Marissa on the couch, while Summer and Anna took the floor. The two girls were in a battle against each other on the television screen.
"So, Ryan, are you going back to school next week?" Marissa asked, over Summer's shrieking. Summer's character on the screen just died.
"No." Ryan replied and continued watching the battle on the screen.
"Oh." Marissa looked hurt.
"Yeah, he's working." Seth grinned. Ryan playfully punched him in the arm, ignoring Marissa's curiosity.
"God, Cohen. This game sucks!" Summer stood up and brushed the dust off of her short skirt. "I bet we could have more fun in Chino right now." She added.
Seth glared at her. Ryan looked on in amusement.
"Cohen, what's with the face?" Summer demanded.
Seth kept on staring at her, trying to master the 'Ryan glare'.
"I for once agree with Summer." Anna laughed. "You look like you're constipated."
"Told you." Ryan mumbled.
"Damn." Seth stormed off to the kitchen to grab some food. Ryan followed him and left the girls. "Dude, I so had the glare going. What happened?"
"Nothing happened." Ryan replied. "The glare's just not for you. I'm afraid you'll have to win Summer over some other way but from the looks of it…You've already won her."
"You think?" Seth asked, opening a bag of dill pickled chips.
"Yeah, I mean she's talking to you and she doesn't seem to be mad anymore."
"It's been like four house…not even." Seth said. "But, uh, if you say so…You are the one who does well with the ladies."
Ryan sighed. "Well, if you call getting one pregnant, sure."
"Dude, you don't even know if the kid is yours or not. Quit throwing the noose around your neck." Seth explained. "So, you might have gotten a girl pregnant, sure…but life goes on, right? Which brings me to my next question. What's up with Marissa? She's been like clobbering you with questions all afternoon."
"It's over between Marissa and I." Ryan took the bag of chips from Seth and walked back into the den.
Sandy walked into the house and heard the Playstation blaring. "Seth! It's five o'clock! What are you doing playing video games all da – Oh." Sandy waved to everyone. "Wow. We have a full house today." He smirked at Seth. "Seth, could I, uh…" He pointed to the kitchen. "Could we talk?"
"Sure." Seth left the den. "What's up?" He sat on a stool and stared up at his dad.
"This morning what did I tell you?" Sandy asked.
"That you loved me?" Seth joked. "Oh wait, no…Did I forget to do something? Garbage night is Tuesday night, right?"
"No." Sandy replied. "We talked about your punishment for you running off on your mother and I all summer."
"Oh, right. That conversation. It's all coming back to me." Seth replied.
"Right, so no video games, no computer and no sailing until your forty."
"Okay, dad…Do you really need to cut off my social life? Video games bring me closer to my friends, as you can see. No computer? That's just cruel! How can you possibly take such a powerful tool away from a boy like myself? Oh, and forty, dad? I thought you were joking about that."
"No. I wasn't." Sandy said, straight faced. "You gave your mother and I a scare!"
"Okay, I'm sorry. You already know that but I'm here now and so is Ryan…So why can't you just be happy?"
"I am happy that you're back, Seth. Remember, you're like asthma."
"Right." Seth shook his head and laughed. "So, we're cool?"
Sandy ran his hand through his hair. "Just don't tell your mother I'm letting you play video games."
"Sweet." Seth jumped off the stool.
"Wait." Sandy stopped him. "What's Ryan doing here?"
"Uh…" Seth hesitated. "You'd have to ask him." He said and went back to the den.
Sandy walked into the den and smiled at the five teenagers. It was almost like nothing had happened all summer between them all. It was as if Ryan was still living with them. Sandy missed that. He missed seeing Ryan everyday. Even though the kid hardly talked, he missed Ryan as much as he missed Seth's ramblings all summer long.
"Ryan, can I talk to you for a second?" Sandy asked.
Ryan handed his controller to Seth and walked into the kitchen. He wasn't sure what Seth had told Sandy, but he knew that Sandy was suspicious because Ryan usually worked until six.
"Long time no see." Sandy patted him on the back, as Ryan sat down at the kitchen table. "I thought maybe we could talk about some things that I haven't been able to talk to you about before."
Ryan swallowed hard. He wasn't sure what Sandy was up to, but he didn't like the way it sounded already. "Sure." Ryan gave him a half smile.
"Good." Sandy sat across the table from him. "How's work?"
Ryan looked down at his hands, ignoring Sandy's eye. He wasn't stupid. Ryan knew that Sandy was smart. "Not good." Ryan mumbled. "I was fired today."
Sandy nodded his head and Ryan was surprised that he left it at that.
"Are you thinking about school?"
Ryan shrugged and shifted in his chair. "Not really, no. I was thinking of looking for another job tomorrow."
"How much money have you saved up throughout the summer?" Sandy questioned.
"A little over six grand." Ryan looked up at Sandy. "Plus a couple of hundred dollars I saved up from working at the Crab Shack."
"Ryan," Sandy leaned back in this chair and continued. "That's more than enough for Theresa and the baby. As your guardian, I'm asking you to not do this to yourself. You're so close to having an education." Ryan looked back down at his hands. "I want you to come home and I want you to go back to school. Theresa can live here or if she wants, Kirsten I could help her get a place somewhere up in the numbered streets."
Ryan didn't know what to tell Sandy. He knew that he wanted to go back to school, but he also knew that he needed to help Theresa and the baby. They were always going to come first from now on. He could live without school right now but he wasn't too sure if he could live without the baby. He was starting to like the idea of having a baby. Maybe not with Theresa, but still, he had gotten her pregnant and now it was his responsibly.
"Ryan, you do know that as your guardian you have to do as I say. I don't want to force something like this on you. I want you to make your own decisions, but at the same time, I want you to understand what those decisions mean to you. So, I'm asking you to make the right decision here, Ryan."
Ryan shook his head. "You're not asking, Sandy. You're telling me."
"But you know that I'm right." Sandy replied. "Look, I'll let you talk this all over with Theresa tonight. She's welcomed to stay here and we're also willing to help her find an apart nearby if that's that case, okay?"
Ryan nodded. He didn't have any other choices. He had a feeling something like this was going to happen, but Ryan thought it would have happened a long time ago.
"Good, I'll let you get back to playing video games. God knows they do wonders to teenaged hormones."
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When Ryan came home from the Cohen's house that night, Theresa was lying down on the couch watching television. "You're home." Theresa sat up and turned off the T.V. "Where have you been?" She asked. "You're usually home from work at seven."
"I wasn't at work, I was at the Cohen's." Ryan replied, walking into the kitchen and opening the fridge. That was one thing he loved about the Cohen's – They always had food. Ryan pulled out a Kraft Single slice of cheese and bread. He began making his sandwich, ignoring Theresa, who was now in the kitchen.
"You were fired, weren't you?" Theresa demanded.
Ryan bit down into his sandwich and nodded.
"Ryan, what are we going to do!" Theresa yelled at him. "I can't be the only one working, you know that!"
"Look," Ryan took Theresa's hand and guided her into a kitchen chair. He sat down across from her and put down his sandwich. "I talked to Sandy this afternoon and he said…Well, told me that I have to move back there. He wants me to go back to school."
"Okay…But, what do you want, Ryan?" Theresa asked.
Ryan hesitated. "I – I don't know. The only thing keeping me in Chino now is you and the baby and that's all that really matters to me right now." Ryan sighed. "I don't have a choice, Theresa. He's my guardian and knowing Sandy he'll make sure I'm home by tomorrow night."
"So, you're leaving?"
"No, I'm not leaving. Well, technically…Maybe I am but you're coming too." Ryan replied.
Theresa shook her head. "I can't do that to the Cohen's, Ryan. I'm not their responsibility."
"You could live up in the numbered streets. Sandy and Kirsten could help you. I've made over six grand, so that's enough to get you started. Plus, if you move to Newport you could quit your job and focus more on the baby." Ryan explained. "Theresa, I don't have a choice anymore. I'm going back to Newport." He whispered to her.
"Then you're going alone. Chino's my home…I thought it was yours too, but I guess I was wrong." Theresa replied. "I have to go to bed. I'm working the early shift tomorrow morning." She said and left the kitchen.
Ryan sat in the kitchen alone, eating the remainder of his sandwich and going over his decision. He knew he was going back to Newport. That was a given. Sandy wanted him to go back to school and finish school. The problem was Theresa. If the baby were his, he would have to support her. The phone ringing next to him interrupted his thoughts. Ryan answered it. "Hello?"
"So, guess what Summer said to me after you left." Seth questioned.
"Seth, hey…What did she say?" Ryan rolled his eyes.
"You wouldn't believe it!" Seth exclaimed. "She wanted to know if she could come sailing with me next time. That's great, right? Although, I'm not sure if she was being sarcastic or serious."
"Yeah, it's hard to tell with Summer now that she's been hanging around you." Ryan replied. "But I'm happy for you, Seth."
"Yeah, so…I was talking to my dad and he told me that you were coming home. Is that true Ryan Atwood? I hope it is because even though I have Anna now, I still need a brother."
"Yeah." Ryan replied.
Seth laughed. "You sound very enthused about the idea." He commented.
"I am – really. I think. It's just Theresa…She's mad that I'm leaving her. She doesn't want to come with me."
"You have nothing left in Chino so, - "
Ryan interrupted. "I have Theresa."
"It doesn't sound like you have Theresa on your side there but if that's what you want to believe then go ahead." Seth replied. Ryan didn't say anything, as he heard Seth talking to Sandy. "My dad wants to talk to you." Before Seth handed the phone over her added, "Do something for yourself for a change."
"Hey, kid." Sandy said. "So, did you think about what we talked about?"
"Yeah, I talked to Theresa. She doesn't want to leave Chino."
"Okay, and what about yourself?" Sandy questioned.
"I don't have a choice. I'm going back to school, just like you wanted." Ryan replied. He sounded like he wasn't into idea of going back to Newport, but deep down inside he was kind of glad Sandy was forcing him to go back. "So, I guess I'll pack my things and see you tomorrow."
"Do you need a pick up?"
"No, I think I can manage." Ryan replied. "I'll see you later." He said before disconnecting.
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