Hello again. I'm in a bit of a block, but I had to start this chapter where I left off. Sorry Sis2ACesarSalad. Don't worry, though, I liked your idea and I'll probably do it next chapter. I just had to set up the plot a bit, get everyone caught up (everyone being Kirsten and Sandy.) And for some reason, I'm just not a POV kind of gal. I suppose I'm worried it might come off as a little disrespectful to all the fabulous writers of the OC out there, because I don't know the characters that well, and I can't just assume what they're thinking all the time. But, stick with the ideas, I'm in need of them. Hope this chapter is okay, though.

"I'm back!" Seth walked in wearing only a towel around his waist. He sat on the bed next to Summer, who lay motionless under the covers, sleeping. 'She is so beautiful,' Seth thought. 'And I almost lost her.' He took her small hand in his and kissed it. Summer didn't move. Seth wasn't going to just let her sleep, because Summer was the one who made him get up in the first place. But Seth decided to go easy on her at first, so as to avoid major injury from the patented 'Roberts Rage Blackout." He lay on his stomach next to her and blew in her ear. "Summer," he said, his voice all singsong-y, "it's nine-thirty. Time to get up." Seth stroked her hair and kissed her cheek softly, then moved down to her neck and shoulder. "Summer, I know you're awake," Seth whined, tugging at the covers wrapped tightly around her.

She moaned and turned to face the other way. Seth massaged a warm hand over her bare back. It was so soothing, but Summer couldn't give in now.

"Don't make me do it, Summer," Seth whispered in her ear, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Cause you know I will." Summer silently gulped at all of the horrible things Seth could do. What if he tickled her? "Alright," he said grumpily, "I'm gonna do it." Seth started to get up from the bed, only to stand on his side of it, teetering slightly. He started to jump on the bed. "Are ya happy now, Sum? Cause I'm jumping on the bed just to get you up. I could just leave you here, but no-" he rambled on until Summer interrupted him.

"Cohen, what are you doing?" She moaned, rolling over, "you're gonna break the-" and there was a creak. Seth stopped jumping, but another creak followed. He tried to sit down in time, but it was too late, and the frame collapsed underneath them.

Seth's eyes grew very large as he paused in thought, looking at Summer. "Do you think they heard it?"

"Yup." Kirsten said from the now open door, her eyes equally large. Sandy stood next to her in his boxers, holding on to Kirsten's waist. Ryan and Marissa followed in.

Ryan was wearing only a battered pair of jeans, and Marissa's skirt was hiked up in the back. She pulled it down. They were a mess. "What's going on?" Ryan asked slowly, before anyone had noticed they were there.

"Ryan!" Kirsten shouted, temporarily forgetting about her son's towel-clad stupidity. She enveloped him in a big hug. "What are you doing here? When did you get here?…" She drilled him, knowing he wouldn't say anything.

Seth began to discreetly sit down on the bed, focusing on trying to spontaneously combust within the next five minutes. "Not so fast, smart ass," Sandy said, eying Seth. "You've got some 'splainin' to do."

"Oh, good, you're in a joking mood," Seth said, laughing nervously. He gulped at his parents' not-so-joking looks.

"Man, you're in a towel. Jumping on your bed," Ryan said drowsily. "Are you on something?"

"No, no, silly Ryan," Seth started, getting off the bed. "I was, er…" he took Ryan's arm and gripped it tightly, a sign that Seth would kill him later for this, and walked back to the bed. "Hey, long time no see, man!" Seth changed the subject.

"Yeah…it has been a while," Ryan replied, confused.

"Ah, come here, man," Seth gave him a gawky hug.

"Dude," Ryan said awkwardly, still letting Seth hug him, but not returning it. "You're in a towel."

"Right, right." Seth sat on the bed, but stood back up abruptly. He had forgotten Summer was in the bed, as she had wriggled completely under the covers in embarrassment, and had sat on her. "So, what happened?"

"Long story."

"Oh, I believe we have time," Kirsten said seriously. The boys just stared at her, than at each other. "Actually, why don't we discuss this over breakfast. All of this," she said, raising her eyebrows and beginning to walk away. Just as Sandy was leaving Kirsten poked her head back in. "Oh, and Summer? You're welcome to join us," she said smugly. She left and there was a groan from under the covers.

"Well, that was interesting," Marissa laughed from the doorframe. She walked towards them. "What the hell were you two doing?"

"It was all him!" Summer said, poking her head out of the covers.

"Hey, hey, hey," Seth pointed, "you started it. You're the one who made me get up in the first place."

"So you broke the bed to get even with her?" Ryan looked confused.

"No! You know what, that's not important. You're here, and I don't know why."

"Neither do your parents," Marissa said to Seth, "but I think the consequences are greater if they don't find out soon."

"Yeah, man, we better get down there…get ready for an ass whoopin'." Ryan got up.

"I guess you're right." Seth stood up now, too. "You comin, Sum?" There was silence. Seth looked around. "What?"

"Seth," they all started, and he looked down. Looked down at the towel still on the bed.

"Oh, jeez," he said, covering himself. "You guys…go ahead…we'll catch up," he managed to get out. Ryan started to leave, taking Marissa's hand and guiding her away, as her eyes were still glazed over from the shock.

"Hey, at least your parents weren't here," Summer said, sitting up. Seth glared at her.

"What is going on here?" Kirsten asked, nursing a cup of coffee and rubbing her forehead.

"I'm not exactly sure, but at least they're back. And, they haven't done anything terribly stupid yet." Sandy rubbed her shoulder.

"Nothing stupid?!" She laughed, "Sandy, the boy was jumping on the bed in a towel."

"That's not that unusual," Sandy said, not even believing himself.

Kirsten rolled her eyes. "His naked girlfriend was in the bed."

"Well, at least they're back. I mean, that's all we really wanted," he smiled sweetly.

"Yeah, it is. I just worry," she started again, "that this is just the beginning. That our son dancing around in a towel is the first of many incidences. And we'll never be able to have another party!" Kirsten laughed sarcastically.

"Ah, but the beauty is," Sandy said, wrapping his arms around her, "we've already begun. This is just…the beginning of act two." He kissed the top of her head and breathed in.

"Guys? Sorry, I'll…come back later," Ryan said sheepishly from behind them. Marissa had backed away a bit, letting go of his hand.

"No, no," Kirsten said softly, "let's talk. Now." She had a strange twinkle in her eyes, like she knew that she was going to win this one; like she knew she was now really the parent.

"Hi, mom, dad, everyone," Seth said awkwardly as he walked down the stairs, fully clothed. "I'm just gonna…die…now," he said almost seriously. But they all knew he wasn't. Summer walked down the stairs and sneaked out the door, followed by Marissa, as the group sat down to 'talk.'

God, they talked. In the end, there was to be no drinking (as the Cohen's suspected Seth had been, although they were wrong), no drugs (they weren't really sure), and no girls in the house for two weeks. And NO leaving Newport. For either of them. Ever.

Okay, so it's a cliffhanger in disguise. everybody's gotta have a vice. And now, the story can go anywhere, so send in your ideas. I didn't really want to lag on the whole 'what happened and why' thing. It just seemed a little overused. I mean, we all know what happened, so why re-iterate? So, I hope you didn't mind. Thanks for reading, and please review.