A/N: I'm pretty sure this is a long Chapter for me. I did more scenes than I normally do. I think we should celebrate it by reviewing! Don't you? It is worthy. I promise. I got some drama in this baby. Enjoy it!

Kirstin barged into Ryan's room with her face beaming. "We got him!"

"What?" Ryan asked striating himself up in his bed.

"We got the guy who shot you. It was Eddie. Marissa saw him hurt you and she saw Eddie in the hospital and....We got him!" Kirstin had chipper and excited ring to her voice that faded as she saw the look on Ryan's face.

"What's wrong honey?" Kirstin murmured softly running a hand through Ryan's hair. Why would he be upset? They had just arrested the man who shot him! They didn't have to be afraid anymore.

"Marissa told you it was Eddie?" Ryan questioned his voice was soft. Ryan couldn't believe Marissa had told even when he had asked her not to. If Eddie was at the hospital it was probably to apologize. Now Eddie would rot in prison for the rest of his life because of one mistake. Ryan couldn't help but feel that his own future would end up in the same place. If Eddie hadn't been able to avoid it, how could Ryan logically expect to. He was now the only one left from his old gang that wasn't in prison. Why had Marissa done this? He thought he could trust her! He felt that trust was breaking rather fast. He should let her explain. He shouldn't jump to conclusions. Damn it, how could he not? What other explanation could there be? Didn't Marissa get that she might as well have sealed his fate with Eddie's? He had thought he had everything worked out. He had wanted to be with Marissa? Why had she done this now? Didn't she get that he was going through enough already? He didn't need this now!

"You thought Eddie was your friend didn't you hon?" Kirstin said soothingly sitting in the every uncomfortable chair by his bed. Kirstin could have hit herself. Why did she think Ryan would be happy to know that they knew Eddie had shot him! Ryan had grown up with Eddie!

"I...he...I'm sure he was just confused. I don't want him to go to jail for this." Ryan looked up at Kirstin and met her eyes.

"Ryan, he hurt you. He needs to learn that there are consequences for his actions. If he doesn't learn this time, he could hurt someone else in the future." Kirstin tried to explain the logical reasons why Eddie had to go to prison. Kirstin forced her spite and need to see the man who had hurt her son prosecuted out of her voice. For some reason, Ryan wanted to protect the bastard. It was Kirstin's motherly duty to understand Ryan's feelings and try to get him to understand hers.

"He knew it was wrong after he did it. I saw it in his face. He shouldn't go to prison, he won't hurt anyone again." Ryan felt a huge pit in his stomach. He didn't know why he linked Eddie's fate with his own but he did. He didn't know if he was afraid that he himself would end up there or for the fact that he would probably already be there if the Cohens hadn't taken him in. All Eddie needed was help, someone like the Cohens. Why should Ryan be the only lucky one? It just didn't seem right and made Ryan feel utterly guilty.

"You told Sandy that you didn't know who shot you." Kirstin said a little sharper than she meant to. She didn't want to be mad at Ryan when he looked the way he did, but if he had known! He could have been putting his welfare at risk! Didn't Ryan understand what he meant to the family? They couldn't function properly without him! Why would he risk himself?

"I didn't want him arrested." Ryan said with his voice cracking a little. Why did it keep doing that lately? Sure he was having some issues but that was no reason to get emotional.

"Ryan! He could have hurt you! He already hurt you! You were lucky to make it through the first attack! How could you dare to risk another! Don't you get that you're important to our family? If something happens to you the rest of the family goes as well. We need you!" Kirstin was struggling not to yell or to cry. Instead she came out with a little of both. She saw guilt forming behind Ryan's eyes and wished immediately that she had been gentler. He was in the hospital and she was half yelling at him!

"I'm sorry." Was all Ryan could mumble out. He felt terrible. He didn't mean to upset the Cohens. He would rather do anything than that. They were the only thing that kept him going. They made him strong and were the only reason he had a hope for the future.

"No Ryan, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten upset with you. You still should have told us it was Eddie, but I was wrong in how I reacted." Kirstin's voice was completely calm and motherly again. She leaned over and gave Ryan a kiss on the forehead.

Ryan felt better when she kissed him. He didn't understand why he did, but was appreciative of it anyway. He was still getting used to the fact that they cared about him so much. His real mother wouldn't have sat with him like this. Not for a million dollars, or should he say only for a million dollars. She was always the nurturing type. He wondered if she even knew he was in the hospital now. He bet that if she did she wouldn't have cared. What did it matter anyway? Kirstin was here and she did care. He loved her for that.

Marissa watched Ryan from the window outside his room. They had opened the blinds earlier and she no longer had to pry her ear to the door to have a clue what was going on. She had seen him with Kirstin and her heart melted. She wanted Ryan to let her be that close to him again. She knew she didn't deserve it, but she wanted it more than anything else. A girl has to allow herself some things sometimes doesn't she? Marissa knew something was off. She had spent the last hour calming down and had come to think that Oliver's presence at the hospital was rather suspicious. She could not afford to trust him. She knew he was unstable and obsessed with her. In her panicked state it had just been so easy to follow his orders and accept him as her savor. Perhaps he had planned it that way. She needed to tell someone he was there. She just didn't know who. Seth was taking Summer home and neither would be back for a few hours. Ryan was in no condition to deal with this sort of thing. Sandy and Kirsten had been through enough and didn't need anything else to worry about. She didn't know what to do! There was too much going on. Yet, she knew she couldn't handle this herself. She wanted her father. She could call him. But he wasn't here! She needed help now. She saw Kirstin leaving Ryan's room and decided to make her own entrance.

Ryan just stared at her. She was coming to see him now? Where was she before she had spilled about Eddie?

"Hi Ryan, how are you feeling?" Marissa said smiling as she walked over to the chair.

"I'm just grand." Ryan said short and coldly. He didn't want to see her right now.

"Did I do something wrong?" Marissa said softly taking the hint right away.

"What would give you that impression?" Ryan said his voice with an eerie calmness to it.

"Maybe it is your attitude towards me." Marissa said struggling to keep from going onto the angry defensive tone of voice.

"You told about Eddie." Ryan said short and angrily.

"And I was supposed to keep quiet after what he did!" Marissa said getting angry herself. Why in the world was Ryan still protecting that scum after he had almost hurt her? Did he still think Eddie was above hurting people? Was Marissa less than a person in his eyes?

"I TOLD YOU TO! WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU?" Ryan screamed. Something he immediately regretted doing. For once, not because of mental reasons, it made his stomach hurt. He flinched a little but then tried to hide it so Marissa wouldn't know. He wouldn't let this conversation end just because he was soar.

"Fine then Ryan. Fine. I felt the situation required me to get outside help, but if you don't then fine. Just fine. I see exactly where we stand and exactly what you think of me. Goodbye. For good this time!" Marissa was crying. Damn it. She didn't want him to see her cry. Ryan must think of her as nothing. Eddie had almost hurt her and all he was concerned about was that she had told his family what Eddie had done. Fine then. She didn't need Ryan Atwood. She didn't need more people letting her down. She was going home. She needed her father. She would tell him everything and finally have someone concerned about her welfare. What a thought! She stormed out of Ryan's room without ever seeing the hurt on his own face.

He didn't want her to go. He had not meant for this to happen. He hadn't meant to come off so angry at her. He was, but he needed her right now. He wanted to run after her. Why couldn't he? He wasn't attached to monitors anymore. But, he knew he couldn't. He could barely sit up strait without becoming dizzy; running would probably cause him to pass out. He wanted to cry and felt worse for it. He felt weak and useless. He couldn't even run after Marissa. Damn, he couldn't even yell after her. Ryan slumped into his bed and decided to have a good pout. After everything that had happened, he decided to allow himself one.

Oliver had been cornered by Teresa in the Cafeteria. She had demanded to know how he knew Marissa. Oliver confessed that she was the one he loved. He did this only because he could sense that Teresa was hoping that there was something between him and Marissa. That meant he could possibly use her to make Marissa his own.

"Why did you lie to me before?" Teresa didn't like Oliver. He was a sneaky little man with an obvious hidden agenda.

"I didn't want you to tell Marissa about my feelings." Oliver mumbled pretending to be guilty about lying and also pretended to be a little shy.

"How did you know that I was connected with Marissa at all?" Teresa had no kindness in her voice. She was interrogating after all.

"I listened in on you phone conversation on the bus. I heard you mention all sorts of names that led me to believe you were in contact with the same people I missed." Oliver said all of this very sadly and had a face that would make anyone feel sorry for him. Teresa did but held her ground.

"Why didn't you tell me then?" Teresa sounded meaner than ever. Oliver quaked a little in his shoes. He really did, not just acting like he did. He had expected his last body motions to soften her a bit. He could not underestimate this Teresa!

"I didn't know you well. I'm sorry I lied. I'll leave if that is what you want. Marissa has probably lost all her feelings for me anyway. It is unlikely that she will want me back." It was time for Oliver to pull Teresa's strings. Her want for Ryan should give him a new accomplice. Possibly even one that he won't have to set up! Funny idea that.

Teresa saw the hidden idea underneath his eyes. He wanted her to help him get Marissa! Teresa felt conflicted. Marissa deserved better than him...but if it got her out of Teresa's way...Oliver would worship her....No. She wouldn't. She Couldn't. She would think about it.

"You don't have to leave yet Oliver. But don't get comfortable either." With that Teresa turned and left Oliver alone.

Eddie was pissed. Eddie was beyond pissed. Oliver was a dead man. Eddie didn't know how he knew...but he knew Oliver was behind this. It had been his idea the kidnapped Marissa after all. No way was Eddie going down without Oliver. No way was Eddie going down at all. He called one of his friends to come bail him out. It took convincing and bribing but he convinced one of them to come. They had no evidence and couldn't keep him locked up yet. They questioned him and told him he couldn't leave the city. Like that would happen. Everyone he needed to get revenge on was right here.

A/N: Bet you thought you had seen the last of Eddie! Bwhahahaha! I've seen too many soaps to let him actually be immediately arrested! I don't care if it is really realistic as soaps are my inspiration and they never make sense. Review and make me happy people! I enjoy this story and I have plans for its continuation already. Therefore I will now end with the always annoying statement....TO BE CONTINUED...