Okay, so sorry this took a little longer. It's been crazy moving into school and everything, and then I didn't like what I had written so I erased the whole thing and started over again, and I still am not really sure if it's very good, so please please review this time and tell me if you liked it. I'll try to get the next chapter up faster.

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine.

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Kirsten was found crying at the smallest things for the next week. Sandy caught her holding a box of oatmeal and clutching the counter and sobbing. When he asked her what the matter was, she tearfully replied,

"This is Ryan's favorite kind! The apple cinnamon! I eat the regular, and he eats the apple cinnamon! That way we only buy one box and it doesn't go to waste. Who's going to do that for me now Sandy?" He didn't have an answer for her, but simply pulled her into him and held her close.

Ryan was leaving in a week, but it didn't seem like it was real yet. That he would be leaving them. He was slowly packing up his belongs, and it broke Kirsten's heart to see him in the pool house packing up the shirts and jeans that she had bought for him over the course of the six months that he had been there.

It just wasn't fair. His parents had their chance with him, and they had blown it. It was her turn to be his mother now. It was her turn to get it right for the little time that he had left in childhood. And instead, he was turning around and going right back to the parents who had abandoned him in the first place.

It just wasn't fair.

Seth was dealing it in the best way that he knew how, which was to pretend that it wasn't happening. Anytime that Ryan would mention anything about it, Seth would change the subject. Seth refused to acknowledge the fact that Ryan would be leaving in a little over five days. And Ryan himself was going out of his way to do everything he could for the family, trying to squeeze in all the things that he normally did in a fraction of the time. He went over blueprints with Kirsten, tried surfing with Sandy one morning, and poured over comic after comic with Seth.

Sandy thought that between his wife's crying, Seth's denial, and Ryan's overexertion, that he was slowly breaking down. And he couldn't. He was holding his family together, and if he broke down, then he was afraid the whole family would fracture.

More than it already was. One-fourth of their family would be missing. It would be back to three plates at the dinner table, and only one child to ask how their day went at school. Asking the other child would be a job that would belong to someone else. But Ryan kept assuring them over and over that he would visit, that he would call.

"It's not like I'm going to be unreachable," he told Kirsten again when he found her crying in her study. She had tried to play it off.

"No, I was just...reading a sad book," she fumbled around on her desk and came up with a book that she held up.

"Along Came a Spider?" Ryan read. "Isn't that a thriller?" Kirsten took on the look of a deer caught in the headlights and she nodded slowly wiping the tears away.

"Yes, but....it's also very sad." She wasn't convincing him, and if he had any doubts before about leaving, they were compounded when she began to cry. Kirsten never cried. She was strong, she was independent. A shrewd business woman and a formidable opponent. But she was crying. Over his departure. She was trying very hard not to do it in front of him, this he knew, but he knew that she cried when she was alone with Sandy. Sandy being the only one that she truly felt comfortable crying in front of. When Ryan would mention that he would come to visit, she would try to smile for him and nod.

"Of course, and we can come see you too," she told him. He doubted that Sandy would want her and Seth driving down to Chino, hell, he didn't want her and Seth driving to Chino, but he accepted the nice gesture as what it was and gave her a smile back.

"I'd like that," he told her.

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The night before he left, the Cohens had Marissa and Summer over for a goodbye meal. It was the most depressing meal that Summer had ever been to. She had been to plenty of Cohen meals, and usually they were full of banter and good natured arguments. That night, however, even Seth was quiet. And Seth, Summer knew from experience, was never quiet. Marissa's quiet sniffles could be heard, and Summer had finally had enough.

"So, Mrs. Cohen? How's the Newport Group?" It was something easy, Summer figured, work would be a distracting thought from Ryan's departure.

"It's good," she answered half-heartedly.

"Kirsten's company is building the library," Ryan said. Chino was making small talk? Summer was at a loss for words. Chino never made small talk. It was a struggle to get him to string more than two words together to form a sentence, and here he was holding up the conversation with Summer.

"Oh?" Summer asked. No one responded. Kirsten was studying her meal and concentrating very hard on not crying. Summer nearly groaned out loud.

"I'm sorry," Ryan finally said breaking the silence. This caused everyone to look up from their plates and look at him.

"For what?" Sandy asked.

"For doing this to you."

"Ryan, you don't have to apologize," Kirsten started. "We understand." Sandy didn't. Not really. He didn't understand why he was turning around and going right back to the same people that hurt him time and time again. But he knew why his wife understood. It was the same reason that she let her father walk all over her and not stand up for herself. Caleb was her downfall. He was her father, and she loved him despite herself.

Just as Ryan loved his parents despite himself.

"I just...." Ryan started and then stopped. "They're my parents." It was a plea for all of them, but mostly Seth and Marissa, to understand where he was coming from. Seth had sat on the corner of his bed the night before as he was packing the last minute things and had just watched Ryan.

"You can still change your mind," Seth had said.

"I can't," Ryan had said adamantly.

"Sure you can," Seth insisted. "You can march right into that house right there, and tell Mom and Dad that you want to stay. And then we can unpack all of your stuff, and everything will return back to normal." Ryan didn't say anything and Seth nodded. "No, no you can't do that. And I told you that I would support whatever decision you made, which I have to tell you, now I'm regretting because I can't throw the temper tantrum for which I am famous. I can't mope, or complain, or throw things, because I had to open my big mouth and tell you that I would be your buddy, your pal Seth, and not get pissed off that you will be gone."

Ryan still hadn't known what to say to that, and he didn't say anything, letting Seth sit there again in silence watching him fold shirts and jeans and throw them into the boxes that Kirsten had picked up for him. He had come there with a book bag, and now he was leaving with boxes.

"We'll still see you," Seth said finally. "We know. It's okay."

"Yes," Sandy said speaking up as well. "And you'll call. Just because you're not living here, doesn't mean that you aren't still part of this family." And Ryan let himself smile just a little bit and thanked Sandy quietly.

And he had to remind himself why he had chosen to give this up.

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Dave and Dawn were coming for Ryan in the morning. Kirsten had had Rosa make Ryan's favorite for breakfast and the four sat down for the meal, and it hit Sandy that it would be the last time for awhile that they would get to eat a meal together like this. Seth wasn't eating much, which was surprising, just pushing it around on his plate, and Kirsten hadn't eaten anything at all.

"Are you all packed?" She asked Ryan. He had told her yes before when she had asked, in fact it was the fourth time that she had asked that morning. "I packed you some sheets and pillow cases."

"Kirsten, you didn't have to do that," Ryan said.

"I know, but I know that you like the ones that were on your bed, and I wanted you to have some for your new room," she said.

"They might not fit his bed," Seth said looking up at his mother. The thought occurred to him, and to Ryan who thought it better to not say anything, that his new bed would be a twin sized and therefore wouldn't be the same as the one in the pool house.

"I bought three different sizes," she said shrugging. Ryan didn't know what to say. "They'll fit." Instead, he mumbled a thank you and nodded. Just as they were finishing the breakfast, the doorbell rang. All four looked up at each other, and not one made a move to answer it. Finally Sandy rose and exited the kitchen. When he came back in a few minutes later, he was flanked on either side by Dave and Dawn

"Hey Ry," Dave said. Ryan looked up from the sink where he was doing the dishes to see his parents. Kirsten immediately stopped mid stride towards the counter. "Where's your stuff?"

"It's in the pool house," Ryan said immediately.

"Well, let's go take it out to the car," Dave said. Ryan nodded and led his father out the back door.

"Seth, go help please," Kirsten instructed.

"Mother, please, I'm no good at the physical labor, you know this."

"Seth."

"Fine." Seth sighed and headed out back.

"I'll go with him, make sure that he's actually helping," Sandy said as he walked past his wife, giving her arm a quick squeeze. Kirsten placed the last of the dishes on the counter.

"Sorry we're early," Dawn said. "No traffic."

"Ah," Kirsten pasted on a polite smile. "Well, it is still early for traffic." Dawn just nodded and an uncomfortable silence fell over them.

"Thank you," Dawn finally said. "For taking him. I was...I was in a bad place then...with AJ and everything, but now, with Dave back and everything. Our family is going to be whole again, you know? I want this second chance with Ryan."

"Please don't hurt him again," Kirsten requested in a small voice.

"I won't," Dawn assured her. "That part of my life...I'm past it. We're going to start new. Dave, Ry, and me, we're going to start all over again." Kirsten was spared from replying when the door opened and the boys came in with the boxes.

"Is that it?" Kirsten asked.

"Just a few more," Sandy answered. "We'll get them once we put these in the car." Kirsten followed Sandy to the front door and watched as they put the boxes in the clunker of a car that Dawn and Dave had arrived in. Sandy and Ryan went to get the last of the boxes and then they began to say their goodbyes. Sandy was first, he pulled Ryan in for a hug.

"You know my offer still stands," Sandy told him. "If you need anything...you call me. I'll come get you. No matter what hour or where I am, I will come get you. Okay?"

"Okay," Ryan said. The card that Sandy had given him so long ago was still safely in his wallet. Sandy gave him one more hug and a pat on the back.

"Take care of yourself, kid," he said. "I love you." It was still odd for Ryan to hear that. He knew that Sandy was the kind of guy who wore his emotions on his sleeve, and always told Kirsten and Seth that he loved them. They always returned it without thinking. But Ryan wasn't used to hearing it. Dawn generally had only said that she loved him when she was drunk or high. Ryan gave Sandy a small smile, and noticed that his eyes were rimmed with unshed tears. He was still no good at returning the I love you's, and simply nodded.

"Thank you for everything." Sandy gave him a smile.

"It was my pleasure." He moved to the side and Kirsten placed her arms around Ryan.

"Be careful, okay?"

"I will."

"And call us."

"I will."

"And come up here and see us when you can."

"I will." She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek, and sniffled a little bit. Ryan initiated the second hug, and it took Kirsten by surprise, but she returned it and held onto him a little longer than she would have normally.

Seth was last. He had stood behind his parents, hands shoved in his pockets waiting for his turn.

"Here," Ryan said pressing something into Seth's hands. Seth looked down and saw that it was a map of Tahiti. "We're still going to do this."

"Of course, dude, we have to," Seth said.

"Keep an eye on Marissa for me," Ryan requested.

"You have my solemn oath," Seth said holding up his hand. "If you need us...me...you can call."

"I know." Ryan paused. "I guess...goodbye?"

"No dude, see you later." Ryan grinned.

"See you later." He began to walk towards the car, and then turned around. "Oh and Seth? Please eat the apple cinnamon oatmeal for your mom. Promise?"

"Scout's honor," Seth replied holding up two fingers. "I'm your apple cinnamon man. You can count on me." Ryan smiled, and waved good bye to the Cohens as the huddled together on the driveway. He slipped into the car and watched them from the backseat of the car as the house got farther and farther away and finally slipped out of his view.

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All right. Please let me know what you thought. And I hope everyone is having a fantastic day! It was my first day of class, and it was a very long day, so review please and make my day better. Thanks!