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 2 is below and scenario 1 is in the previous chapter.

Scenario 2 - Dean's Office

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 from the gym into the school proper. He was headed to his locker to pick up the books he'd need for his homework over the weekend. On the way, he didn't see anyone, not even a security guard, neither outside nor inside the building. Ryan figured that since it was Friday, everyone had wanted to get home as early as possible.

After he got everything he needed from his locker, Ryan headed out to get his bike and go home. The way out went right past Dean Kim's office. The door was slightly ajar. As he passed by, Ryan could hear voices coming from the office -- Dr. Kim's and another guy's. They sounded angry or upset.

Ryan stopped outside the door. He looked around the hallway. There was still nobody else around. He was unsure if he should go in 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 pushed the door open and stepped into the Dean's office. He saw Dr. Kim facing what looked like a student. Dr. Kim was backed up almost against the wall behind her desk. As he watched, she took another step back and ran into the wall. The student continued to advance on her.

"Hey! Leave her alone!"

The student stopped and turned around to face Ryan. Ryan was glad to see that he didn't have any kind of weapon, at least not in his hands. But who knew what kinds of weapons he might have hidden that he could pull out if necessary. And anyway as Ryan well knew, both from being on the receiving end and from being on the giving end, a person could do a lot of damage with bare fists.

In anticipation of a fight, Ryan dropped his bookbag on the floor and got himself ready. Ryan recognized the student -- David McCarty. He was a senior, but was in one of Ryan's classes because he had failed it the previous year when he was a junior. From what little Ryan knew about him, the kid was a troublemaker. Dispite the seriousness of the situation, Ryan had to smile to himself. He knew that everyone else considered him a troublemaker, too.

The kid, McCarty, stared at Ryan for a moment, like he was trying to place him. "You. You're that kid from Chino, right? Get out of here. This is none of your business." McCarty turned back towards the Dean.

Ryan started to walk forward, towards McCarty. "It is now."

McCarty turned back towards Ryan. They faced off against each other, tensed up and ready for a fight. Neither one of them was going to back down. McCarty was bigger than Ryan, but Ryan was more muscular. Ryan figured that he probably was the better fighter, with more experience, but he couldn't know that for sure unless they actually got into it.

Dr. Kim was watching this unfold. She was relieved when Ryan showed up and told David McCarty to leave her alone. She was afraid of David. She knew that he was angry at her for expelling him earlier in the week and wanted revenge. She was afraid of what he was about to do. Unfortunately, she hadn't had the chance to get to her phone and call security when he showed up in her office a few minutes ago.

On the other hand, her feelings towards Ryan were mixed. She didn't really trust him, and deep down, she thought that he really didn't belong here. She felt that maybe she was just inviting disaster by allowing him into her school.

Although, Ryan did have superior test scores and surprised her by passing the placement exam with flying colors. She had even gone so far as to let Ryan finish the exam after he had walked out in the middle of it. She let Mr. Cohen think that it was his fantastic pursuasive abilities that had changed her mind, but in fact she had already changed her mind before Mr. Cohen and Ryan had showed up the next day. Right after Ryan had walked out, she had looked over the questions that Ryan had had time to answer, and she could see that he was doing really well. That's the real reason she let him finish.

After Ryan passed the exam, she couldn't really justify refusing to admit him. So she admitted him and hoped for the best. Unfortunately, he hadn't really gotten off to a good start with the little problem he had at soccer practice with Luke Ward during the first week of school. She had decided to stay out of it and let the soccer coach handle the punishment. She had talked it over with the coach first, of course.

Dr. Kim looked back at the two students who were facing off in her office over her. She could see a really bad fight brewing, and looked for a way to avoid it. She knew that David was really just a bully. He was a coward at heart and would walk away from a fight if he thought that he'd lose. That gave her an idea.

"Ryan, please don't. If you put him in the hospital, you'll violate your probation and land yourself back in juvie. He isn't worth it. Please."

Both boys broke their eye lock with each other and turned to look at the Dean.

Ryan didn't understand why Dean Kim would say something like that. She didn't really think he'd put someone in the hospital, did she? She couldn't think that badly of him, could she? Ryan got his answer about why she did it when McCarty turned back towards him and looked at him. He looked a little bit scared. McCarty pushed past Ryan and ran out the door. Ryan watched him go, then breathed a sigh of relief and turned towards Dr. Kim.

Dr. Kim also breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Ryan. I appreciate your help."

Ryan nodded. "Are you OK?"

"I'm all right." Ryan nodded again, but didn't make any move to leave. "Really, I'm fine. Why don't you head home?"

"McCarty might still be out there. I'll just walk you to your car."

Dr. Kim nodded. She appreciated the sentiment, but she didn't really want to take him up on his offer. She didn't really trust him. Not that she thought he'd hurt her, but ...

Dr. Kim wasn't really sure what to do next. She thought about calling security but she knew they were busy dealing with a situation on the other side of the campus, and nothing really happened here, thanks to Ryan. She decided to call the football coach. She knew that he always stayed late, even on Fridays, working on his playbook and watching films of his team's practice.

Dr. Kim went over to her desk and picked up her phone. "That's all right. I'm just going to call Coach Mientkiewicz. He'll walk me to my car."

"OK." Ryan started walking slowly sideways towards the door. "Um... I'll just keep an eye out to make sure McCarty is really gone."

Dean Kim nodded and proceeded to make her call.

Ryan turned and walked out of the Dean's office. He started walking down the hallway first in one direction then the other, checking the rooms and down the adjacent corridors.

He thought about Dr. Kim calling Coach M. Obviously she didn't trust him, or else she'd let him walk her out instead of inconveniencing someone else. Ryan had heard of Coach M and had seen him around, but didn't know him personally. He was a big guy, somewhat older, in his 50s, but looked like he was in fantastic shape. Apparently he had played football in college but wasn't good enough for the NFL.

A couple minutes later, Ryan was just walking out of a classroom after checking it for the tenth time when he was suddenly grabbed by the arm. He looked and saw that it was Coach M. Before Ryan could say anything, the coach dragged him back along the corridor and into Dr. Kim's office.

Coach M addressed the Dean, "I found this kid outside your office, Dr. Kim. He's that new kid from Chino, right? Is he the one who assaulted you?"

Ryan sighed. He wasn't particularly surprised that the coach assumed that he was the attacker.

Dr. Kim replied to the coach, "No, Doug. Let him go. It wasn't him. It was David McCarty. Ryan came to my rescue."

Doug looked skeptically between Dr. Kim and the Chino kid, then reluctantly complied with Dr. Kim's request and let the kid go. Doug had heard about this kid from Chino, Ryan. The athletic coaches all talked with each other and Doug had heard about Ryan's exploits from the soccer coach. He was glad that Ryan hadn't come out for football. He sounded like a troublemaker.

Doug turned towards his boss. "Are you sure you don't want to call security?"

Dr. Kim knew that she should, but she knew that it would result in the police coming to take her statement and everything and she really just wanted to go home and forget this whole thing happened. She'd contact David's parents later and hoped that it was enough.

Dr. Kim sighed. "I just want to go home, Doug."

"I understand. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

Dean Kim had already turned off her computer and locked her desk while she was waiting for Coach M. Now she grabbed her purse and was ready to go. She and the coach walked out of the office. Dr. Kim stopped when she realized that Ryan wasn't following them. She turned back.

"Ryan, come on."

Ryan gave her a little smile, reached down and grabbed his bookbag, and followed the Dean and the Coach out to the parking lot. He stopped at the bike rack to get his bike. He watched the two adults continue on to Dr. Kim's car. 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 2. For scenario 1, go to the previous chapter.