A/N - Guess who's back! I had lots of fun with this chappie. I hope it's as fun to read! Please review and let me know! As always, thanks to the wonderful people out there who are as devoted to (or maybe moreso) this story as I am: benzbabidoll, HOTTERTHNU, Kierens25, BlueStarGirl, fanficgirl1, maddie, and ally. =)

(Ryan's POV)

Luke called me this morning

Which surprised me

Not that he called me

But that he needed to

As in, he wasn't already at my house

He's been hanging around a lot lately

It's starting to piss Seth off, I think

Anyway,

He called me because he needed some help

With moving furniture and stuff

He's moving into the poolhouse at his house

So that the baby won't keep up his mom and his brothers

He's got a crib and a changing table and this little bassinette

And a rocking chair

I can't picture Luke "Welcome To The OC, Bitch!" Ward

Rocking a baby in his orangey-tan, steroid-bloated arms

His poolhouse is about the same size as mine

But I don't have a bunch of baby stuff in mine

So his seemed smaller...

Almost...

Cozy...or, I mean, homey...little...not like a rich person's poolhouse

That's what I meant

He thanked me

As we were trying to assemble the damned crib

(I can hotwire a car, but I can't make the side rail slide up and down)

I asked him if he thought maybe he was getting his hopes up

Just a little too high

He put down his wrench

Wiped the sweat from his brow

Which has changed over the months, becoming more severe

And said

"I'm not 'hoping', Ryan. I know."