Thank you for all the reviews. I didn't think I would get any, but I was wrong. Special thanks to margipoo, for making me smile over such a fabulous pen name. Also, to Sis2ACesarSalad, I'm sorry if I made Marissa look weak, but I had to start somewhere. And I sorta thought that going for what she wanted, aka Ryan, would be a sign of strength. So, I'll do what I can to make it more original. And by the way, cesar is spelled c-e-a-s-a-r. We'll just say you meant to do that. But now, back to the oh-so-intriguing story. Not.

"Summer, I'm sorry."

"Save it, Cohen!" She snapped into her cell phone. She and Kirsten had another fifteen miles to go before they would reach Seth. Or so he said. The coastguard thought otherwise.

"He's long gone. I give it another hour and a half, maybe two," the large, stocky man said. "What happened again?"

"He tied the boat to a dock for the night and some one cut the rope," Kirsten sighed, rubbing her temples and shaking her head. Her son was a moron.

"Cohen, the coastguard thinks this will take another two hours. How do you know where you are, anyways?"

"Common sense," he replied, immediately wishing he hadn't.

"Then we'll never find you." She paused, then shrugged. "No big loss."

"I'll never forget you, darling," Seth said melodramatically.

"Seth, you already did!" She yelled, hanging up on him.

"I'd like to thank you, Summer," Kirsten began, half serious. "First, for being so good to Seth this whole time," she paused, " and second, in advance, for helping me kick his ass all the way back to Newport!" Her eyes got very large at this last statement, and she breathed out dramatically as she walked away. Summer only stood there, a little confused, a little nervous.

Ryan woke up a little before dinnertime, with Teresa lying on his chest. At first, he had forgotten what happened and panicked slightly. As much as he, Ryan, could panic, anyways. But then he remembered, he had just slept, again, and he sighed. He had been sleeping a lot lately, almost too much. He knew it was necessary, though, because after a few days back in Chino he would have to get a job. A job with long hours, minimal pay, and a knife in his back pocket. Yes, the local twenty-four hour diner would do.

He heard some one vomiting in the distance, and he stopped his internal monologue to go help Teresa. He had been thinking so intensely, though, that he forgot Teresa was still lying on top of him. Of course, he realized this when he couldn't get up, as her leg was wrapped around his. He rolled Teresa onto her back and climbed over her, stopping to look at her. He pulled a blanket over her and brushed a stray hair off her cheek, half-smiling.

He followed the sound that had already begun haunting him in his sleep. No one in the bathroom, Teresa's mother was still at work, no one was in her room, and the living room was clear, as was the kitchen. The only other option was outside; some drunk that had gotten past his limit. He opened the front door to see a miniskirt in the air, Marissa leaning off the side of the front stoop as she spat out the last of her 'little problem.' She looked at Ryan, leaned on the side of the house, and moaned. Ryan shook his head at the irony of it all.

"Marissa…" Ryan said, a little irritated. "Let's get you in the house," he sighed sympathetically, leaning in to take her arm. Marissa only looked away. "Come on, it isn't safe out here." She ignored him. "Marissa," he continued, louder now, "either you get in the house, or I'll get you in the house myself." Marissa's only response was a single tear streaming from her glazed-over eyes, then she closed them. "Hey," Ryan patted her on the cheek. After determining that she was unconscious, Ryan carried her into the house and onto the couch. He was doing a lot of heavy lifting these days. He grabbed the nearest trashcan and put it by her head, then sat on the floor by her feet, leaning his back against the couch and burying his head into his hands.

"Coop's not answering her phone," Summer said frantically, shutting her cell.

"Well, what happened?" Seth asked, leaning against the side of his boat as it trailed behind the coastguard's.

"Your dad found her in the front yard and your mom called me to get her. We were talking and then you called and…she was gone."

"So basically, as usual, it's all my fault."

"To put it lightly, yes." Summer said this a little too seriously. "And by the way, you should be thanking me now for convincing your mom to stay with the coastguard. I believe her words were, 'Summer, I'd like to thank you in advance for helping me kick Seth's ass all the way back to Newport.'"

"Thank you, and was that a direct quote? No embellishment necessary?"

"Pretty much."

"Didn't think she had it in her."

"Yup. She's got chutzpah, alright," Summer grinned.

"Hey. Leave the Jewish grandma sayings to me… the Jewish guy."

"The grandma, more like it." She giggled and Seth grabbed at her side, but she quickly snatched the offending hand and twisted it behind Seth. "Say uncle," she said as Seth winced.

"Uncle, uncle!" He whined.

"And…?"

"And…I'm sorry. Very, very sorry," he pleaded.

"And…?"

"And I…I'll never do it again. Ever." Seth gave her the 'puppy dog' look and she let him go. "Oh, thank God, it was beginning to go numb."

"Hmm. Maybe it'll fall off. Along with some of your other appendages," Summer replied, grinning slyly and walking away.

"I'm on a couch, I have a horrible headache, and I feel like I'm gonna puke." Marissa whined, not bothering to open her eyes. "Kirsten…"

"Trashcan's right here if you need it," Ryan breathed over her. "Don't try to get up." He began to walk away.

"Ryan?" Marissa said, sitting up. "What are you…doing…here." It was a statement, rather than a question, because she began to realize that he should have been asking her this.

"Why don't you go first," Ryan replied dryly, handing her pills and water. She took them. He sat on the couch next to her, lifting her legs onto his lap.

"Actually, I," she sighed, "I wanted to come and get you, Ryan. I wanted to save you, like you have done for me so often. Too often. Now it's my turn."

"You've made a wonderful start," he replied snidely, almost Seth-like.

"Ryan, I'm serious. You don't need to be here. This isn't your fault."

"Yeah, it is."

"No, it isn't, Ryan!" Marissa yelled.

"I think I'm the only one who can determine that," Teresa said from behind them.

I hoped you like it. Please review, it makes me ever so happy! Until next chapter, where the cliffhanger in this one will die. Don't worry, though, the cliffhanger will never die. The season finale is proof of this.