Josh is quite the genius, isn't he?

Note: I know it's a little out there but this is AU, people. Oh, and all R/M shippers beware: Well, obviously this is not a fic including their romance but if you're going to get upset seeing Ryan with someone else (possibly) then don't read it and then complain. They can't be together because they're related! Sorry for the short-ish chapter. Chapter four will be longer and most likely better.

For the sake of this fic, Ryan is already seventeen and Seth is sixteen.

Thanks for all of the positive reviews.

"Sandy…" Kirsten begins, one eye on her husband and one on the door. Knowing him, he's going to bolt any second. "Jimmy and I—"

"Don't even tell me. You fucking went back to Jimmy? While we were together?" Sandy looks at Kirsten with utter contempt.

"Sandy…I was drunk…it was a mistake. I didn't know what to do!"

"You could have told me then." Even Sandy knows this wasn't an option for Kirsten.

"And then what? We probably wouldn't be married, wouldn't have Seth, wouldn't have any of this." Kirsten gestures wildly. He's upset. He's really upset. "Sandy…I'm sorry."

"Sorry? You're sorry? Well that's nice. I suppose you'd like to just put this all behind us?"

"No, Sandy…but it will make us stronger. I am sorry. I didn't know until…he left. But now we're a family, a family for real. Sandy, doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Don't try to blame this on me, because being a family is fucking important to me. That's not the issue, don't try to change the damn subject, Kirsten!"

"Sandy!" Kirsten yells angrily. "I'm sorry, goddamit, I'm sorry I didn't tell you when it happened…but I didn't, okay!? There's nothing you can say or do to change that."

Sandy's eyes darken with anger. "I don't know what to do…" He grabs his jacket. "I'd better leave before I say something I'll regret."

Kirsten sighs. He's such a good husband, even when they're screaming heatedly at each other. If Sandy doesn't leave he will say something he's bound to regret. Like always, he needs time to cool off. But doesn't he understand? Doesn't he understand that she wanted to tell him, knew she needed to tell him? Doesn't he understand that she just couldn't tell him then, and ruin her future?

Doesn't he realize that if she had told him about her son, there would be no Seth, there would be no marriage, no house, no memories?

"I love you," manages to escape Kirsten's lips before Sandy forcefully slams their bedroom door shut. Kirsten shudders and waits until she hears the front door slam, hears Sandy start the car, and zoom out of the driveway before she breaks into tears.

She's lying in bed, fully clothed, a few sleepless hours and she's gotten more and more frantic. Sandy hasn't called, hasn't come home, this isn't like him. Even in his state of extreme duress, he's not like this usually.

The phone rings, and Kirsten's heart jumps out of her throat. Hurriedly she turns on the light and reaches for the phone.

"Hello?"

"This Kirsten Cohen?"

"Yes." Kirsten sits up. "Is something wrong?"

The man laughs. "You know a Sandy Cohen?"

"Yes." Quite frankly, Kirsten doesn't know why this man is laughing. Sandy is not a laughing matter. He's her husband. He couldn't be at the hospital…this isn't how they act in a hospital, is it?

"Bill Saunders. I own Bailey's. Sandy's here, says he's your husband. And ma'am, he's drunk out of his mind. He's been asking for you."

"I'm on my way." Kirsten rolls out of bed, thankful she kept her clothes on.

The entire car ride Kirsten thinks of what she'll say to Sandy. When she gets to the bar, she doesn't say anything at all. Instead, she quietly walks in, ignoring the hoots of the few other customers. She's relieved to see Sandy spinning around on a barstool.

Once he's safely in the car, he closes his eyes and begins to hum 'Unchained Melody'. Kirsten still doesn't say anything. When they get to the neighborhood, she turns her lights off, so as not to wake the neighbors and start the gossip mill. She helps Sandy out of the car and up to bed, before changing into a nightgown and slipping into bed herself.

--

Kirsten opens her eyes every Saturday morning to the sound of no alarm clock. After all, it's Saturday and therefore she doesn't have to go to work.

This Saturday morning, Kirsten opens her eyes to the sound of Sandy. Groaning, she rolls over and shoves her head under the pillow. She's so not in the mood to deal with Sandy right now, especially not if he's going to yell, and get her all wet because he's just been surfing.

"Kirsten, honey, I brought you breakfast." Kirsten's ears perk at the mention of breakfast but she keeps her head buried under the pillow. "Okay, well I'll just leave it on the nightstand. I love you, Kirsten."

Sandy leaves the room and as soon as Kirsten hears him gently close the door she shoves the pillow to the side and looks at the breakfast tray Sandy has prepared for her. There's scrambled eggs, a croissant, and her favorite—bacon. A glass of orange juice and a vase with three roses in it cover a note Sandy's left for her. She sees it when she picks up the orange juice, as it sticks to the bottom of the perspiring glass.

Dear Kirsten,

I'm so sorry about last night. I shouldn't have left you all alone like that, and I shouldn't have gotten that drunk either. Forgive me? Let's talk later…

Love, Sandy

He's so sweet that Kirsten can't even try to withstand the happy tears that spring to her eyes. She's lucky, the luckiest woman alive to have a man like Sandy, who cares so much about her and her feelings.

She'll talk to Sandy later; right now it was Kirsten and her beloved bacon.

Sandy knocks on Seth's door, a tray laden with food in his hands. "I brought you breakfast. Don't worry, I made it all myself. Your mother didn't help."

Seth doesn't answer and Sandy assumes he is still sleeping. Balancing the tray on one hand, Sandy shakes his head as he checks his watch. It's eleven-thirty; Seth should be up by now. He has to cut the kid some slack; his best friend just left him and it's got to hurt.

Sandy opens the door to Seth's room, preparing to lecture him on why he should go to sleep earlier and how he's wasted the whole morning. But when he sees Seth's empty, unkempt bed and a lump rises in his throat, Sandy decides to skip the lecture. He sets the tray down on the bed and walks over to Seth's computer. Seth sometimes leaves Post-It notes on his monitor when he goes out, telling his parents where he'll be.

Sandy feels the ocean water he swallowed at dawn rise in his throat, nasty, torrid bile. He spots two letters on the desk. One's addressed to Summer, the other, to him and Kirsten.

Slowly, with numb fingers, Sandy picks up the letter addressed to him and begins to open it. On second thought, he runs out of Seth's room and back into his bedroom. Kirsten should be there when he opens it.

"Kirsten?" Sandy sees his wife looking so happy, so serene eating that greasy bacon that he just can't bear to show her the letter any more.

"Sandy, I love you." Kirsten is all smiles. She sees the upset look on her husband's face. "Is something wrong?"

"Kirsten." Sandy sits down on the bed next to her. She sees that his hand is closed around something and gently pries open his trembling hand. He resists slightly, but Kirsten coaxes his fingers to reveal their hidden treasure.

"What's this?" She opens the letter addressed to her and Sandy and her heart seriously stops when she reads it.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I've gone on that trip you promised me I could take last summer, before Ryan came. Don't get angry and all parent-y now, because you gave me permission.

Mom, I love you and miss you, but please don't try to cook anything for dad. I want both of you safe and healthy when I come home at the end of the summer. Please give Summer my note and tell her I love her. If she needs anything, let her know you're there for her. And don't worry too much, I'll be fine.

Dad, I love you and miss you too. Don't let mom cook, and tell Ryan I'm sorry I didn't act more upset about his leaving, because really, I was upset. Don't forget anything I've taught you, and please work on your Grand Theft Auto skills. Because I'm talking tournament, all-out war at the end of the summer and I expect you to give me a run for my money (if that's even possible). I'll be fine. I promise I won't get into trouble. Ride some killer waves for me.

I love you guys. I just needed to get away. And remember: you gave me permission to go on this trip so I expect to be welcomed with open (un-punishing) arms upon my return.

Love, Seth

"Sandy…he's gone." Kirsten breaks into tears before Sandy's read the whole letter. Sandy wills himself to think reasonably, rationally. His eyes scan the last line and can't help but think that's my boy. But Seth has forgotten rule number one in the parenting handbook: rules are to be revised at any time, without warning.

Still, Sandy wants to point out, just as Seth has, that he was granted permission to go on this trip last summer, but doesn't think that now is the right time to say so. Instead he places his arm around Kirsten and holds her, rocks her like a baby until she becomes calmer. Her eyelids languidly close, aided by the persuasive hands of slumber.

And just when Sandy thinks he's lulled her to sleep, Kirsten reaches over and picks up the phone, eyes aflutter.

"Who are you calling?" Sandy asks. "Kirsten, don't call the police or the Coast Guard. We did give him permission to go on a sailing trip."

"I know." Kirsten dials a number and burrows her head into Sandy's shirt to brush away her newly sprouted tears. "I'm calling Seth's cell. Maybe he's in the harbor still, maybe he's still getting service." Sandy knows that this is highly unlikely; he knows that Kirsten knows this as well. But he has to let her be motherly and do whatever she deems necessary.

She slams the phone down in frustration. "He's not picking up. Oh, Sandy." She collapses in his arms and he holds her tightly again. Her body convulses against his hold, but relaxes eventually, warming up to Sandy's body.

"You know I'm okay now," Sandy whispers.

"What?" Kirsten asks, for she honestly has no idea what Sandy's talking about.

"With Ryan being your son," Sandy explains. With that Kirsten perks up. She picks up the phone and begins dialing again. "I mean, that you hid from me for months…Kirsten, I jus— "

"Seth, please come home, baby. I've got great news…please call, at least to let us know you're okay."

"Kirsten, do you think that's going to work? If anything, he's going to be worried that it's not good news but actually bad news…and then…oh…"

"Sandy," says Kirsten, "Either way, I've given him a reason to come home. Don't you think Seth would come home if he knew Ryan was his half-brother, that Ryan was really a part of this family and could never leave for good?"

Sandy stops to consider this. She's right. She's actually extremely right. "You're right," he admits. "But what do we do now…Seth…"

"We wait," Kirsten interrupts. "Now, we wait."