Title: Home
Author(s): Sara and Lizzie
Rating: R
Disclaimer: The only thing we own is the psychotic plot that came from reading way to many Mary Higgins Clark books.
Two Days Later
"I can't breathe, until you're resting here with me." -Dido
It was early. Really early. Seth opened his eyes and briefly wondered why he was sleeping on the couch, and why he felt like he had only slept for 40 minutes.
Then it all came rushing back. He had only been sleeping for 40 minutes. And he was on the couch because his bed held too many memories and his pillow still smelled like Summer's perfume.
He heard stirring and saw Ryan waking up, Marissa's hand in his. Seth smiled. If there was one good thing to come out of this whole mess...Summer would be proud. He could practically hear her saying it...
'If I hadn't gotten myself god damn kidnapped, Chino would still be in Chino, and Coop would still be all well, Coop without Chino.' Then she'd swish her hair, smile and grab his hand.
Seth felt the tears well up in his eyes again. "Damn it." He whispered. Ryan eased up onto the couch next to him.
"I know this is tough man." He said, "But she's gonna be ok."
"Just before you came, she told me if we ever got around to having kids, we'd have to name one after you."
Ryan smiled and looked at Seth. "Stop talking about her like this is a funeral. Everything is going to be fine. Better than fine. Because she's gonna be back with you, and then the four of us are going to get out of here for awhile."
"Thanks." Seth said, "For coming and everything."
"Thanks for bringing me back." Ryan said. Seth knew what he meant.
The doorbell rang, and they both jumped. It wasn't even daylight yet. The two boys got up and crept toward the door. Ryan reached out and flung it open. No one was there. They smiled nervously at each other.
They started looking around. Marissa sat up sleepily. "Whose at the door?"
That's when Seth saw it. A glint of metallic. He reached down and scooped it up.
"A cell phone." He answered. He turned it over. "Summer's cell phone."
Marissa gave him a crooked smile. "No. It can't be hers."
Seth turned it over in his hands again. He unlocked the keys and started going through the phone book.
"Coop. Cohen. Kirsten work. Sandy cell. Daddy. Lana." He read. "It's hers. Do you think we should, you know, go follow the car?"
"Wild goose chase Seth." Ryan said. "Do you know how many black Mercedes SUV's there are in Newport?"
Marissa gasped. "Jesus Christ. Seth is there a message on the phone? Voice mail?"
Seth checked. There was. He pressed play, looking quizzically at Marissa and turned the volume all the way up so everyone could hear. And Summer's voice was the first thing they heard.
They listened to her message to Seth. Marissa watched as relief washed over his face, at knowing that she was at the very least still alive. But something was wrong. They all noticed it. She sounded disoriented, confused. Seth's expression changed to terror as a male voice started speaking.
"Seth Cohen. Long time, no see. Let's cut to the chase. I've got your girl here, and boy is she something. Very sexy." Seth's hand tightened around the phone.
"I'm on my boat in the Newport Marina. Marissa knows which one it is. You be there at seven AM tomorrow morning. Bring Ryan. And bring Marissa. And Cohen? You know that spot on Summer's neck that you like to kiss so much? I'll cut her right there if you bring cops." The line went dead. Seth held the cell phone an arm's length from him, staring at it in horror.
Tears rolled down Marissa's cheeks. "Oliver." She said. "That was Oliver."
Seth started pacing. He turned to Marissa. "How did you know about the voicemail?"
She just stared at him, starting to cry harder.
"Marissa, what aren't you telling me?" Seth practically screamed.
"Calm down, Seth." Ryan said, pulling Marissa toward him.
"Don't you think it's a bit strange that my missing girlfriend's phone turns up on my doorstep and she just happens to know that there is a voice message from her psycho friend threatening to cut my girlfriend's throat? Am I the only one who sees there may be something wrong with this picture?" He was shouting now.
Ryan turned to Marissa and rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "What do you know? You gotta tell us sweetie."
"He called me from therapy. When he first got in. And he told me if he could, he'd take me away, and all he would leave was a message on my cell phone." She was sobbing now. "I didn't think anything of it at the time, but..."
She released herself from Ryan's grip and turned to Seth. "I'm so sorry."
Seth shook his head and hugged her. "None of this is your fault." He said firmly.
"I just had no idea he was that sick." Marissa said. "And when I called they said he was still at the center and..." Seth stuck his hand in the air.
"I'm not going to let you blame yourself anymore than I'm going to follow his rules. We're going at midnight tonight. But first, Marissa, do you have his cell phone number? I need to talk to Summer. I have to try to make her understand what I'm going to do."
Wordlessly, Marissa grabbed her cell phone off the coffee table and scrolled through the phone book. "Oliver? It's me. We'll be there. At the boat. But we want to talk to Summer." She handed the phone to Seth.
"Coop? Is Cohen with you? Is he ok?" came Summer's frantic, but far off voice. Seth could have broken down right there. The confidence was gone from her voice.
"It's me beautiful." Seth said.
"Cohen."
"You're ok?"
"I'm ok. It's so cold in here Seth." Seth sucked in a breath. That would explain the disorientation.
"Summer, baby, when was the last time you ate something, or drank anything?"
"I don't know." She was crying now. "Cohen, you're gonna get me out of here right?"
"Yes, I promise I will." Seth said. He lowered his voice to make sure Oliver wouldn't hear him. "But you be ready for me tonight, ok beautiful?"
"Ok." Summer said weakly. "I love you."
"I love you too." He said right before the line was disconnected. He turned to Ryan and Marissa. "He's not feeding her. She said it was freezing. He's hurting her." Seth's hand clenched into fists. "Midnight needs to be now."