AN: Written immediately following "The Countdown" We'll say that the kids are out for January break? They'll go back to school in later chapters.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything OC related.

"All the drums of hell cannot awaken a rhythm within me.

I am gone…"

--Bukowski

Ryan tried to avoid Kirsten's sister at all costs once she started staying at the Cohen home. The most contact he had come into with her was at the ill-fated New Year's eve party where she locked him and his foster brother in the pool house. Kirsten and Sandy hadn't had the time to talk to him about it and Seth just overlooked the entire situation since he spent most of his time with Ryan and knew that Hailey was a temporary thing. She never stayed with them more than a few weeks.

Hailey seemed to be trying to make a fresh start. She was interning with Kirsten and her father and hadn't thrown a party in over a month. Sandy and Kirsten had explained Ryan's relationship within the family to her, but she still gave Ryan strange looks that he couldn't interpret. So he wouldn't talk to her at all unless she asked him a direct question. Hailey was unsure of how to act around him. Caleb treated Ryan like hired help and Hailey could see the tension that it created between Kirsten and their father. Hailey and Ryan's relationship was nonexistent.

Ryan stepped out of the shower. He was exhausted from another night of arguing with Marissa and breaking up for the third time in a week. He was expecting her call any minute. She was having troubles again and couldn't seem to make up her mind of whether she should cry in his arms all the time or curse him out for not supporting her enough. He went to the bed and started to sit down.

It had been a few weeks since Hailey moved into the big house and he was surprised to see a figure sprawled across the concrete of the patio. The Cohens had been in bed for hours and Ryan rushed outside to see what was going on. He recognized Hailey's prone form lying facedown beside the pool. A man about her age was standing over her.

Hailey moaned as Ryan ignored the man and knelt beside her. He gently rolled her on her side and his hand was sticky with blood. Her lip was split and her face was covered in blood.

"Fucking bitch…" The stranger muttered and took a step toward her.

"What the fuck are you doing? Get the fuck away from her!" Ryan snapped as the man stepped closer. Ryan stood up and blocked the man's path.

"You don't know what you're getting into, kid," The man growled.

"Did you do this to her?" Ryan asked.

"What if I did?" The man replied.

Ryan punched him quickly in the face causing him to stagger back several steps. Ryan continued his assault. The man recovered and landed several damaging punches that slowed Ryan's resolve.

"Get off our property before I call the police," Ryan said as he regained the upper hand and knocked the man to the ground. Seth stepped out onto the patio, startled from his late night snack.

"Ryan…" Seth started.

"Get your aunt inside, Seth. Now," Ryan said quietly. Seth recognized the urgency in his brother's voice and went to Hailey's side.

Ryan hauled the man to his feet and ignored the sharp shooting pain in his shoulder. He dragged him around the edge of the house to the driveway. He shoved him against the strange car.

"Hey, kid…" The man started as Ryan punched him again.

"Stay away from Hailey. I don't care what this is about. I don't give a fuck. If I see you touching her again you'll see what I'm really capable of," Ryan warned.

The man coughed but nodded. "Tell Hailey that she'll be hearing from us."

"Get the fuck off our property," Ryan snarled. The man unlocked his car and pulled off.

Ryan hurried back around the house where Seth was still kneeling beside Hailey.

"We have to take her to a hospital, Ryan…she won't wake up," Seth said worriedly.

"No…no hospital…" Hailey murmured.

Ryan ignored Seth and scooped Hailey into his arms and carried her into the poolhouse. He laid her on the couch and gently pulled at her eyelids. Her eyes were slightly rolled back. Her breathing seemed okay to him and the next thing he did was pull up her shirtsleeves to look at her arms. He recognized several red marks on her inner elbow.

"Ryan?"

"Seth, run inside and get the first aid kit, okay?" Ryan asked. "Don't wake your parents…"

"But Ryan…"

"Trust me, Seth. I'll explain everything," Ryan muttered. Seth obeyed, trusting Ryan implicitly.

As soon as Seth was gone, Ryan took Hailey's face in his hands. "Hailey. Seth's gone. Tell me what you're on…what are you shooting?"

"Don't tell…" Hailey started, slurring her words.

"I'm trying to help you, Hailey. I don't want to take you to the hospital, okay? Tell me so I'll know what to do for you…" Ryan urged. "Is it heroin?"

She nodded sluggishly.

"Okay then. I need you to wake up some so I can make sure you're okay, okay? Look at me and tell me where he hurt you…" Ryan urged.

"You're bleeding," She said. "Did he hurt you?" Her eyes were clear as she regarded him. Ryan put a hand to his own face and realized that his forehead was bleeding from the man's rings. He knew already that one or both of his eyes would be black tomorrow.

"I'll be fine, Hailey. I'm better off than you are right now…" Ryan said. She went limp suddenly and he caught her. He carried her to the bathroom and deposited her in the shower, fully clothed, before turning on the cold water.

She snapped awake immediately, cursing and pissed off. After several minutes, she seemed to come to her senses.

"Hailey. Take a shower. Wash that blood off, okay? Then we need to talk about this," Ryan said quietly.

She staggered as she started to get to her feet. "Wait. Ryan."

He paused. "Do you need help, Hailey?"

She hesitated. She swayed and he went to her side instantly after locking the door. He helps her undress after warming up the water in the shower.

"I don't think my sister would approve of this at all," Hailey muttered as he handed her the soap and held her upright with his arms under her shoulder.

"Hopefully you won't tell your sister about this," Ryan replied dryly. He ignored her naked body and kept his eyes averted. He hoped that she wasn't shy but she wouldn't have asked him to stay if she had been.

"Thanks…" She said quietly.

"Hurry up. Seth's coming back and I don't want to have to tell him about this either…"

"You're sixteen, you should be freaking out over me being all naked in your shower," Hailey said, teasing as she stepped out and wrapped a towel around herself. She staggered again and he managed to steady her before she collapsed.

"Don't flatter yourself, Hailey. You're beautiful and all, but not my type," Ryan replied. He grabbed a t-shirt and sweatpants from the closet and helped her get dressed. Her face was bruised and swollen and she was limping as Ryan helped her into the main room. Seth was waiting, worried. He went to Hailey's side and helped Ryan support her to the couch.

"What is your type?" Hailey asked once she is seated. Ryan started to clean her lip and face with alcohol.

"Not you," Ryan muttered.

"What's going on? What did I walk into?" Seth demanded. He was looking at Ryan's soaked clothes suspiciously.

Hailey glanced at her nephew. "I'm in some trouble," She responded.

"What kind of trouble gets you beat up like this?" Seth asked. Hailey glanced at Ryan who wouldn't meet her eyes.

"I owe some people some money."

"So pay them. You're a Nichols, you've got money."

"I don't want to get you involved, Seth," Hailey muttered.

"You got the shit beat out of my brother and you look like train wreck, Hailey. I don't think Mom and Dad are going to accept that response," Seth responded.

"Seth, it'll be okay. If Hailey doesn't want Kirsten and Sandy to know, then she doesn't have to tell them anything. If she can take care of it then we should let her take care of it," Ryan said slowly.

Seth glanced between the two. "So, you can tell Ryan what's going on and you haven't ever even had a conversation with him but you won't tell my parents who can actually help you. Huh."

"Your parents can't help me with this. It's a big mess and I have to find a way out of it…" Hailey replied.

Ryan's nose started to bleed and he didn't notice.

"Ryan. You're bleeding," Seth sighed. "I'm going to bed. Are you okay, Aunt Hailey?"

"Thanks to Ryan, here. I'm fine," Hailey replied. Seth tossed up his hands and started for the door.

"Seth. Thanks. Come see me in the morning before school, okay? We'll talk about this," Ryan said. He gave Seth a look and Seth suddenly understood.

"Okay, dude. Put something on your eye before it swells closed. Mom's going to flip out seeing you guys tomorrow," Seth shook his head as he closed the door.