"The Preparations"

Note: I don't own The O.C. or any of its characters. Seriously, I don't.
Sorry still for the formatting issues. This story is almost over, I'd say another 3 or so more chapters.
Summary: Seth and Summer get ready for their trip, as their plans are revealed to another person. Ryan sees what else may be out there for him.
Marissa left Seth and Summer to their plotting and planning to go find Ryan. She didn't know why. She didn't want to talk to him, she just wanted to see him.
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Theresa and Evan went back into the poolhouse and Theresa took Samantha from Ryan.

"Thanks, Ryan," Theresa said.

"No Problem," Ryan said, looking sideways at Evan. He didn't trust this guy, but he wasn't sure if it was because of his secret, or because of his relationship with Theresa.

Ryan went to leave and opened the door to Lauren, who was about to knock.

"Hey," she said, smiling suddenly at the sight of Ryan. "Is Evan here?"

"Yeah," Ryan said, stepping out of the way.

Lauren walked in and told Evan that their parents were leaving to go out to dinner, and if he wanted to go with them, he should go now. He didn't want to go, so Lauren left and Ryan followed.

"So what are you up to?" she asked Ryan, her crush on him blatantly obvious. Her blonde hair was in its usual high ponytail and her lips shone with fresh lip gloss. Ryan thought she was attractive too, but wasn't the type to get excited over a cute girl, especially when he already had a girlfriend. Even if he and his girlfriend were struggling not to break up, at least they were struggling.

"I don't know…nothing, I guess," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck, wondering what someone who seemed as innocent as Lauren thought of her brother fathering a child.

"Maybe you could come over to my house. We could, I don't know, watch TV or…Oh! I make really good milkshakes," she nodded, raising her eyebrows.

Ryan had to smile at her sweetness. A girl hadn't offered him a milkshake since he was 12 years old and he and Theresa used to hang out in a neighborhood diner in Chino.

"Uh, no thanks, I really shouldn't," Ryan said.

"Okay," she was still smiling, "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, of course," Ryan said, amazed that she wasn't upset. He'd had enough girl drama to last him the rest of his life, and her lack of disappointment was refreshing. He didn't notice that the main source of this drama lately, Marissa Cooper, was standing inside the house watching him talk to Lauren.
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"So what's his name?" Theresa asked Evan. She had just come back from putting a sleeping Samantha down in the main house, and sat on the bed next to him. "Your son…what's his name?"

"Nathaniel Jay…"

"That's nice," Theresa said sincerely. "That's a good name."

"How did you come up with the name Samantha?" Evan asked.

"When Ryan and I were kids, we used to hang out at this diner. We'd go there just to get away and…be together. Anyway, it was called Sammie's Diner, and we just knew, when she was born, she would be Samantha."

Evan leaned in and kissed Theresa. She sat up and swung one leg over his lap so that she was straddling him. She kissed him back as she held his face and he unzipped her dress in the back.
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After Lauren left, Ryan went back into the house. He walked into the kitchen, where Marissa sat at the table, reading an old magazine.

"Hey," Ryan said. Marissa looked up, pretending to be surprised.

"Oh hi," she said, looking back down at the magazine.

"Did you see Summer? How's she doing?"

"Yeah, I saw her," Marissa said, not looking up at Ryan. "She's fine, she and Seth are upstairs talking."

"Oh," Ryan noticed Marissa giving him the cold shoulder, but didn't say anything. He didn't want to start fighting again, so he just grabbed a bagel and headed upstairs.
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"Hey," Ryan said with a mouthful of bagel. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed the tension in the hallway between Seth and Summer. "What's going on?" he asked with a confused frown.

Seth put the note in his hands behind his back and Summer placed her hands on her hips. They glanced at each other before saying "Nothing," once again in unison.

"Uh huh," Ryan said, still eyeing them suspiciously.

"Well, actually," Seth started, an idea popping into his head. "We were just going to, uh, you know, go…"

"Down to the pier," Summer helped him out, nodding exaggeratedly.

"Yeah," Seth agreed, we were just gonna go get a balboa bar, and, you know, hang out. But see, here's the thing: Summer," he said, gesturing toward her while he rolled his eyes in fake disapproval, "forgot her backpack," he continued, compensating for his fabrication with excessive hand gestures, "downstairs, so…" He laughed, trying to feign casualness, then cleared his throat. "Could you go down there and grab it for her?"

He looked back and forth between the odd couple, wondering what they were up to, continuing to munch on his bagel.

"Please?" Summer piped up with a big cheesy smile, and batted her eyelashes.

"Okaaaay," Ryan agreed. He started to go back downstairs, but paused. "When I get back here, you're gonna tell me what this is about." He wasn't asking, he was telling. And less than a minute later, he was back with Summer's grubby backpack.

She took it from him. "Thanks," she said, pursing her lips and nodding. "I'm just gonna go…" She nodded toward the bathroom door. "Get dressed." She disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door.

Ryan and Seth stood alone in the hall; Ryan was staring Seth down, waiting for an answer. Seth whistled lightly and tried to look at something other than Ryan.

"So…how's it going?" Seth tried to be calm and avoid Ryan's suspicions.

"What are you doing, Seth?" Ryan finally inquired.

Seth laughed nervously. "I told you, man, we're going to hang out at the beach – maybe hit the Crab Shack, you know, spend some time together-"

"Seth," Ryan said with a warning tone. He knew Seth too well to believe his story. He knew from his nervous actions and shaky voice that something else was going on. "What are you planning?"

Seth gave up and let out a deep sigh. "Alright, dude, but you can't tell anyone."

Ryan just raised his eyebrows and waited.

"Summer's dad is coming in the morning. He's coming for her, to take her back to Baltimore." Seth paused, hoping he wouldn't have to clarify further.

"Uh huh, so…" Ryan said, still waiting for a full explanation.

"So we aren't going to let him," Seth said flatly. "We're leaving…together."

"What?!" Ryan asked, stunned.

"Don't tell them, please."

"Where are you guys going?"

"Tonight we're going to the Mermaid and then…we don't know yet, we'll just wing it from there, I guess."

"Seth, you can't run away…again."

"I can't lose Summer…again," Seth said, almost pleading with Ryan to understand.

Summer swung open the bathroom door, now dressed in denim capris and a plain white t-shirt. "Much better," she exclaimed before noticing Ryan's concerned expression.

"Uh!" She looked at Seth accusingly. "You have the biggest mouth, Cohen!"

"You guys don't have to do this," Ryan interjected, waving his half-eaten bagel in the air.

"Oh yeah?" Seth said, "Then what do you suggest?"

Ryan sighed. "I don't know man, but…"

"That's just it," Seth spoke honestly. "No one knows what to do, so Summer and I just keep getting torn apart."

"Aw, Cohen," Summer smiled from behind sad eyes. She hugged him for a moment, then told him and Ryan she would go to Seth's room and start packing a bag for him.