Title: Ryan To The Rescue

Summary: Ryan comes to Dr. Kim's rescue.

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to The O.C..

Author's Notes: I came up with two ways that this could happen. I couldn't decide which one I liked better, so I decided to do it both ways. Scenario 1 is below and scenario 2 is in the next chapter.

Scenario 1 - Parking Lot

Ryan was late getting out of soccer practice. He had to stay behind and run some extra laps because he had mouthed off to the coach, even though he knew better. The thing with him hurting Luke intentionally with an illegal tackle wasn't too long ago, and the coach still had him on a short leash. By the time Ryan finished his laps and went into the locker room and showered and changed, everyone else was long gone, including the athletes from other sports that also had afternoon practice.

Ryan walked out from the gym to the bike rack next to the parking lot to get his bike. On the way, he didn't see anyone, not even a security guard, and the student/teacher parking lot was almost empty. Ryan figured that since it was Friday, everyone had wanted to get home as early as possible.

Ryan dropped his bookbag next to his bike and started to unlock it. Out of the corner of his eye, Ryan saw some movement and looked up. He saw Dean Kim walking out to her car. When he saw her turn her head in his direction, he quickly looked back down at his bike lock so that he wouldn't have to meet her eyes. Luckily, she hadn't gotten involved in the whole Luke / soccer practice thing, but Ryan figured that she knew about it, and he didn't want to see the disapproval in her eyes.

Sandy had been wrong. Ryan wasn't afraid of Dr. Kim, just like he wasn't afraid of Julie Cooper. Ryan could admit that Dr. Kim was intimidating. Everyone was intimidated by her, parents included, as far as he could tell. Ryan could admit that he was intimidated by her, too. But intimidated was not the same as afraid.

And primarily, Ryan was just wary of her. She had the power to make his life here at Harbor unbearable, or to expel him if she had enough of an excuse. Ryan knew that she didn't like him and didn't want him here. He would always wonder if she had him take that placement test in the hopes that he'd fail and she wouldn't have to admit him. Then again, she had succumbed to Sandy's lawyerly arguments and let Ryan finish the exam, even after he had walked out on it the first time. So maybe the Dean didn't dislike him as much as it looked like, after all. It was confusing to say the least.

Once Dr. Kim passed by Ryan, he went back to unlocking his bike and didn't pay any more attention to her. That is, until he heard loud voices from the parking lot behind him -- a guy's and a woman's. The woman sounded like Dr. Kim.

Ryan straightened up and turned to look. He saw the Dean standing by what he assumed was her car, on the far side of the parking lot. In front of her was what looked like a student. He had his right hand out like maybe he was giving her something. Or, as Ryan had seen too many times in Chino, like he was holding a gun on her, or maybe a knife. Ryan couldn't see a gun, but if the guy was holding a knife, Ryan figured he wouldn't be able to see it anyway from this distance.

Ryan looked around. There was still nobody else around. He was unsure if he should go over there and make sure that Dr. Kim was all right. Maybe it was nothing. However, he made up his mind quickly when he heard the kid yell, "You're going to get yours, bitch!"

Ryan dropped his bike and sprinted across the parking lot. When he reached the scene, he grabbed Dean Kim by the arm and pulled her behind him and turned to face the kid with the knife. Because he did, indeed, have a knife. Ryan didn't have time to worry if Dr. Kim wouldn't like him grabbing her like that.

The guy took one look at Ryan and lunged at him with his knife. Ryan was expecting it, and since he'd had a lot of practice at knife fights, he was easily able to dodge out of the way. Ryan had found that the best thing to do if you were empty-handed and your opponent had a knife was to get in a punch as soon as possible and knock the other guy on his ass. So that's what Ryan did.

As soon as the guy was off balance, Ryan threw one of his punches, the kind that he put his entire body behind. And just like what happened with Luke a few times during the summer, it knocked the guy right back and he landed on the pavement. Unfortunately, it didn't cause him to lose his grip the knife, so Ryan prepared himself to continue the fight.

But Dr. Kim took hold of Ryan's arm and held him back. "That's enough, Mr. Atwood."

The guy on the ground seemed to take a closer look at Ryan. Ryan assumed that it was because Dr. Kim called him by name. If this guy was a student, he'd probably heard of "the kid from Chino" by now. Maybe that explained why at this point the guy got up and ran off in the other direction.

Ryan was tempted to run after him, but Dr. Kim still had his arm. "Let him go."

Ryan relaxed and turned around to face Dr. Kim. "Are you OK?"

Dr. Kim took a deep breath. "Yes, Ryan, I'm all right. Thank you."

Ryan nodded in response.

Dr. Kim took out her cell phone. "I'm going to call security. They're going to want a statement from you, too."

Ryan nodded again.

Before Dr. Kim had a chance to use her phone, a security guard came running up. He had heard the yelling from a little ways away and came over as quickly as he could. As he approached the parking lot, he saw Dr. Kim and a kid that he knew was trouble - that kid from Chino. The guard had heard all the rumors about stolen cars, and house fires, and fights. He hoped that most of it wasn't true, but he couldn't take any chances.

When the security guard reached Dr. Kim and the kid from Chino, he grabbed the kid and pushed him up against the car and held him there with a hand on his chest.

Ryan wasn't particularly surprised that the security guard assumed that he was the attacker. Ryan put up his hands in an I'm innocent way and didn't try to fight back, even though he wanted to.

The security guard turned to the Dean. "Dr. Kim, are you all right? Did this kid hurt you?"

"I'm fine, Alan. Let him go. It wasn't him. He came to my rescue."

The guard looked skeptically between Dr. Kim and the Chino kid, then reluctantly complied with Dr. Kim's request and removed his hand from the kid's chest and stepped back, letting him step away from the car.

"What happened here, Dr. Kim?"

Dr. Kim took another deep breath. "Another student -- well, a former student -- David McCarty, was here with a knife. He wanted to get back at me for expelling him earlier this week. Before he could do anything, though, Mr. Atwood here came over and stopped him. David ran off that way." Dr. Kim gestured in the direction that the kid with the knife went.

The security guard glanced at Ryan and back at the Dean. "How did Mr. Atwood stop him?"

Ryan replied, "I punched him."

Dr. Kim didn't want the security guard to get the wrong impression. She didn't want Ryan to get into trouble just for helping her. "Ryan didn't use any more force than was necessary, I assure you."

The security guard nodded. He'd just have to take Dean Kim's word for it. "We'll have to call the police and report this, Dr. Kim."

"Of course, Alan."

Alan used his radio to call in to Harbor High security headquarters to report the incident and request a call be put in to the Newport Beach Police.

While the security guard was doing that, Ryan watched Dr. Kim. He hoped that maybe she would give him the benefit of the doubt the next time he got into trouble at school. Maybe this incident would turn out to be a good thing for him.

A boy can dream.

This is the end of scenario 1. For scenario 2, go to the next chapter.