Seth pulled into the driveway and was only slightly surprised to see his mother's car. The front door was open and as he walked in, Kirsten almost knocked him down with her embrace.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Mom, I'm fine, I wasn't even with Ryan when it happened," Seth said immediately.

"What happened? Sandy said that he was hurt and that Ryan called you and didn't call him…" Kirsten started. Seth noticed Hailey watching cautiously from the hallway, worried.

"He's okay, he got mugged," Seth stated. "You know how Ryan is, he wasn't even going to go to the hospital but Luke forced him…"

"Is he okay? Where is he?" Kirsten demanded.

Sandy's car pulled into the driveway. Sandy stepped out and before he could get to the passenger side to help Ryan, the boy was already standing unsteadily by the car. He walked into the house without waiting for Sandy to support him.

"Ryan, my god…are you okay? Sit down," Kirsten said, giving him a gentle hug as he met her in the doorway.

"I'm fine, I swear," Ryan muttered.

"What happened?" Kirsten asked as she guided him to the couch. She glanced at Sandy who was clearly upset. Sandy walked out of the room without speaking.

"He won't talk about it," Sandy called from the kitchen when Ryan didn't respond immediately.

Seth gave Ryan a panicked look and Ryan simply shook his head.

"Ryan…" Kirsten started, sitting down beside him.

"Can I go lie down?" He asked weakly.

"He's had a long day," Seth echoed.

"Come on, honey," Kirsten said quietly, helping Ryan to his feet and leading him through the kitchen.

Seth went to Hailey's side where she was watching from the hallway. "Don't say anything," He said quietly to her. She glanced to make sure Sandy wasn't nearby and pulled Seth into the guestroom and closed the door.

"What the hell is going on?" She demanded.

"Dad's onto us, Hailey. He's pissed and he wants to know what's going on…"

"Oh god…"

"Ryan didn't say anything and he doesn't want me to say anything…"

"What happened to him?"

"He was stabbed…"

"Shit…this is my fault…" Hailey murmured, stricken.

Seth didn't respond but wrapped his arms around his aunt. "It's going to be okay. We can deal with this…"

"I have to tell them, don't I?" She muttered, returning his hug gratefully.

"That's up to you. Ryan and I won't say anything if you don't want us to," Seth responded.

"Oh my god…" Sandy said suddenly. He had come looking for Seth and was standing in the room with his hand on the doorknob.

"Dad…" Seth started.

"Don't, Seth. It's okay," Hailey whispered.

"This is about you? Ryan's protecting you?" Sandy's face was pale with realization.

"Yes. He is. Seth and Ryan were helping me," Hailey admitted.

"Seth, go to your room," Sandy ordered.

"Dad…"

"We'll talk later. Go to your room," Sandy repeated.

Seth gave Hailey an apologetic look before leaving.

"Sit down," Sandy said quietly. He sat down beside Hailey on the bed. "Tell me."

"Sandy, Ryan…"

"He's a kid, Hailey. He's sixteen years old. Tell me how a 16 year old kid could possibly help you," Sandy said, clearly upset.

"He found me the other night…on the patio…this guy was beating me up…"

"I thought your boyfriend…"

"I don't have a boyfriend, Sandy. I owed his boss money," Hailey said quietly. Sandy nodded, urging her to continue. "I owed him two grand…"

"Why get the kids involved?"

"Ryan got the guy off me, he took care of me…I'm really messed up, Sandy, and he said that he…he said that he'd take care of it for me…"

"Take care of what, Hailey? Why not go to Caleb yourself for the money?"

"Ryan went to Dad?" Hailey asked in surprise.

"Seth went to Caleb for the money. Gave him some lame lie about wanting to buy a sailboat on E-Bay and not wanting to ask us for the money. Caleb gave him 2500 dollars and called me. He thinks Ryan's into drugs or something and is corrupting Seth," Sandy explained.

"Ryan's not into drugs," Hailey whispered.

Sandy was looking at her carefully. "But you are. Aren't you?"

"Yeah. After Ryan chased off the guy, he took me into the poolhouse and…and he knew that I was using. I didn't want you or Kirsten to find out and he promised me that he wouldn't tell as long as I got some help…" She whispered.

"Are you getting help?" Sandy asked.

"Ryan set me up at a rehab clinic. I went to my first NA meeting last night, he went with me and everything…" Hailey confessed.

"So what happened today? You weren't even with them…" Sandy was still confused.

"I didn't know what he planned, Sandy, I swear. He said that…he said that he had experience dealing with stuff like this, with his mom and his brother…I trusted him, I mean, he's only sixteen but he said that he would take care of it for me…and I let him. Today, Seth took me to the mall and they wanted me to point out my dealer. I didn't know that Ryan was going to go head to head with him, they wouldn't tell me anything and I'm so strung out…I'm sorry, Sandy…"

"Hailey…I don't really know what to say. Ryan could have been killed today, he was stabbed and…and…" Sandy started.

"I'm so sorry, Sandy. I had no idea that it would go down like this…" Hailey insisted.

"You sent a couple of kids to settle your debt with your drug dealer, Hailey…it was irresponsible and inexcusable. What were you thinking?"

"He said he could handle it and I believed him…"

"Ryan thinks he can handle a lot of things but he's still just a kid. No matter how mature he thinks he is, you are the adult here and you should have realized that he was in over his head…"

"I was in over my head and he pulled me out of it, Sandy…" Hailey is trembling and has tears in her eyes.

"You almost got him killed, Hailey," Sandy snapped. "I can't believe this…"

"Sandy, please don't tell Kirsten," Hailey said after a pause.

"I'm not telling her anything. You're going to tell her," Sandy said, standing up.

"She'll hate me, Sandy, she'll be so angry…" Hailey pleaded.

"It's time you started taking responsibility for your actions, Hailey," Sandy said sternly. He softened his voice. "Ryan told you that his mother and brother had drug problems?"

"Yeah…" Hailey whispered.

"I knew that his home life wasn't the best in Chino, but he lives with us now. He should never have to deal with this again. He should never have had to deal with anything like this in the past. You should be ashamed of dragging him into this." Sandy closed the door to the guestroom. He had to talk to Ryan about this now. He ignored the sound of Hailey's tears.

"Dad, she's trying. You shouldn't blame her for this…" Seth said. He was sitting on the stairs looking at his father.

"Seth. She's an adult…"

"Really? 'Cause she's never had to act like one before. She didn't ask us for help, Dad. We offered to help her. That guy, he really messed her up…"

"You should have come to me, Seth," Sandy stated.

"I didn't need help. She did," Seth said quietly. He stood up and went to his father's side. "If it had been about me or Ryan, we would have come straight to you but this was about her. She's scared and she doesn't trust Grandpa or Mom to understand. Ryan understood, Dad. That's why she let him help her."

"Don't make excuses for her, Seth, she's a grown woman and she has to take responsibility for her actions…"

"What do you think Grandpa's going to say if he finds out? She's terrified, Dad and if she can get well without him knowing then she should have that option…"

"Seth…"

"I know that you think we messed up but if everything had went down the way we planned, you'd never have known. Ryan's got her in rehab, he's got her going to meetings and she's doing better, Dad…"

"She is not your responsibility," Sandy stated.

"She's family, Dad," Seth responded.

"I need to talk to Ryan about this…"

"Can't you give him some time to recover, Dad?" Seth replied.

"Seth, go to your room…"

Seth threw his hands up in frustration and stormed up the stairs.

*****