Disclaimer: I don't own The O.C., FOX or anything related to it. I just own the characters I made up and I really don't own them either.

But Marissa didn't listen. She found Gabe and wanted to talk to him.

"Look. My father obviously knows you. I want to know how," Gabe said.

"I use to date your father," she said.

"What happened?"

"I did some bad things and I made some bad choices."

"What did you do?"

"You can't tell your father this," she said.

"I won't."

"When you were a year and a half, I hit you. Twice."

"What?"

"That cut on your cheek is from me hitting you."

Gabe stared in awe. "What about the one on my neck?"

"That is from when you were born. Honestly. The umbilical cord got wrapped around your neck and it cut you, but your mother's body healed it."

"I don't believe this shit," Gabe said.

"What?"

"That you abused me and you pretend that it didn't happen." With that, Gabe walked away.


Ryan was searching the party for Marissa, when Gabe came up to him.

"Can Jason sleep over?" he asked.

"Um... OK. Why Jason? I'm just curious."

"Because Marissa might give him a permanent scar on his cheek."

"How do you know about that?"

"She told me. I want her out of here."

"I will send her home. Now."


Ryan was able to find Marissa talking to Seth. Seth looked over at Ryan and pleaded for help.

"So where's Summer?" Marissa asked.

"She's on a four month trip to New York City for work."

Marissa felt a tap on her shoulder and saw Ryan.

"Hey! How are you?"

"You spoke to my son. Get out of here."

"You can't make me leave."

"Yes I can."

"No."

"He can't. But I can." Marissa turned around and saw Gabe.

"Leave. Now. Before I do something I might regret."

"I'll get Jason and-"

"Jason is spending the night here," Gabe said.

"Fine. You take care of him. I'll call his mother and she'll bring his clothes over." Marissa turned towards the gate and walked away. All of the teenagers were staring at her and whispering. She learned long ago to ignore them.


By 10:30pm, all of the teenagers started leaving. The adults were already gone. The didn't want to feel the Atwood wrath and they knew how bad it would be.

Jason's mother brought his stuff over and said her good-bye. But not before staring in awe at the size of Ryan's house.

"Holy shit! What do you do for a living?" she asked.

"I own a law firm with my brother and father."

"That's nice. What's it called?"

"SRS Law Firm."

"Wow! You guys represented me in court a few months back."

"Really? What's your name?"

"Jamie Carmack," she said.

"I remember your case. Your lawyer was Caitlin Cooper. She's a bright person. You were the first case she worked on."

"I was aware of that. She's got some real talent."

"Yeah. She's a fighter."

"So. Do you have a wife?"

"No. I'm single."

"What about Gabriel's mother?"

"She passed away after giving birth. She had an aneurism."

"Wow. That sucks."

"Yeah.

"So. Would you like to get a cup of coffee sometime?" she asked.

"That would be nice."

"How's Monday? About 2:30?"

"I can't. I have a meeting. But how about Tuesday at 12:30?"

"That sounds great."

"I'll pick you up at about twelve. Are you gonna be home?"

"Yeah. I have off Tuesday."

"See you then," Ryan said.

"See you Tuesday," she said.


Ryan walked into the kitchen humming. He didn't notice that the two boys were sitting there.

"Woah! What's going on?" Gabe asked.

"Um... Nothing?"

"Nice try."

"Fine. I got a date."

"With my mom?" Jason asked.

"Yes. I hope you don't mind," Ryan said.

"Not at all! As long as she's happy."

Ryan smiled and got ready for bed.

"How old is your mom?" Gabe asked.

"I think she's 36."

"OK. One time, he went out with my friend's mom and she was 42! He was 28!"

"Wow. That sucks."

"I know."


That night, Ryan nightmares. Again. They came back every time he went on a date, each one worse than the rest.

Gabe's nightmares are just beginning.


Screaming. Crying. Pain. Blood. Gabe was in a hospital room. There were doctors and he saw his father trying to get in. His father was young. He looked over and saw his mother. She wasn't moving. They were trying to revive her, but it wasn't working. Gabe went over and saw a baby crying on a table. He had a scar on his neck. Gabe felt his neck. It was bleeding.

Gabe woke up in a poolhouse. He was on a couch and looked over to the bed and saw his father and Marissa. Ryan slowly woke up, followed by Marissa. Gabe blinked and he was walking beside his father, who was pushing a stroller.

Another blink. He was headed towards the poolhouse. Why was his heartbeat increasing? Ryan opened the door and found Marissa with a bottle of Vodka in one hand and an empty bottle on the floor. They started to yell. Marissa went over and hit the baby. Gabe's face started to bleed. She smacked the baby again and Gabe fainted.


Gabe woke up sweating. He was on the floor and was shaking. He crawled back into the bed and started to cry. He hoped that Jason didn't hear him, but he did. Not just that time, but the two other times where Jason had to help him into the bed. But Gabe didn't know about those times.


Ryan's nightmares are starting.

Ryan was in a familiar place. It was his house in Chino. Ryan looked over and saw Dawn and her boyfriend fighting. He looked into the closet and saw a little boy in there holding his younger brother. It was 7 year old Trey and 5 year old Ryan.

Dawn's boyfriend went into the closet and pulled Trey out. He started to beat Trey. Ryan was crying and telling him to stop. But all he did was pick Ryan up and throw him across the room.

Older Ryan fell on the floor and looked at himself. He remembered the injuries. Three broken ribs, a broken wrist and a scraped up knee.

But before Ryan could feel the full affect of the pain, he was moved. Ryan was 12, Trey was 14. They were playing baseball. The ball went into the street. Ryan went to go get it. A drunk driver pulled out of no where and hit him.

Ryan felt the pain. His leg was badly injured.

Ryan was in the hospital. His mother wasn't coming. She wouldn't come. Ryan started to cry.


Ryan woke up and found himself on the floor. He was shaking in a cold sweat and was crying in his sleep. Just like young Gabriel did.

Still, Ryan hears noises in Gabe's room and checks on him. Gabe is starting to have the nightmares. His reactions are worse than the ones Ryan is having. That means that they are just gonna get worse as he gets older.

Ryan and Gabe are gonna have a talk tomorrow. They have to get everything out to stop the nightmares.