Title: Black Diamonds

Summary: Ryan makes friends with an African-American student at Harbor.

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to The O.C..

Chapter 8

The next night at dinner, Ryan heard from Kirsten that Henry Reese had called her, since they already knew each other, he guessed, to see about talking with her and Sandy about taking in a "troubled teen" as Kirsten said he had called it. She and Mr. Reese apparently arranged for his family to come over for a barbecue the next Saturday, so that they could talk in person. Ryan was a little surprised that he had called so soon. He guessed that meant that the Reeses were really serious about this.

Ryan wasn't really looking forward to the barbecue. He knew that Sandy and Kirsten would have to talk about him with Mr. and Mrs. Reese, if they were really going to discuss the "challenges" around taking a kid into their home with a background like his. He'd just have to make sure that he made himself scarce when it looked like the parents were getting into serious talking mode.

The next Saturday, the entire Reese family arrived at the Cohens on time. They were really going to have a house-full, with the four parents, the four teenagers, and the pre-schooler. Ryan had invited Marissa to come, since she was his girlfriend and was expecting to be invited, so he did. He didn't tell her that he partially did it to try and discourage Angela's interest in him, you know, by showing her that he already had a girlfriend. But, unfortunately Marissa wasn't coming after all, because they got into a fight on Friday. So it was just the Reeses and the Cohens and the Atwood.

Sandy was doing the barbecuing, of course, with Ryan and Seth helping, and the three of them trying to keep Kirsten away from anything important, all without letting her catch on to what they were doing. And after the Reeses got there, they also pitched in, and they had brought stuff as well.

During the cooking and the eating, Ryan was glad to see that the conversation was kept light, with no talk about him or about the Reeses' plans. Ryan guessed that they were waiting until after lunch to get into the heavy discussions. So right after lunch, Ryan put his own plan into action. He had already discussed it with Seth and with Sam. Seth borrowed his Mom's Range Rover and the three of them plus Angela went out for the afternoon, leaving alone the parents and the little girl.

Sandy watched the four kids go out the front door. He could understand why Ryan didn't want to be here while he and Kirsten were talking to Henry and Gwen about their plans. That's why he didn't object to the kids going out. Once the teens were gone, Gwen told them that it was time for Maggie's nap, so Kirsten showed them upstairs to the guest room.

Henry and Sandy each grabbed two cups of coffee and settled down on opposite couches in the livingroom to wait for their wives. Shortly, Kirsten and Gwen came down the stairs and sat next to their husbands.

Sandy started it off. "So -- Kirsten tells me that you are considering taking in a kid like Ryan?"

Henry answered. "That's right. We've been thinking about it and talking about it for years. Our original plan was to try and adopt a younger child, but after meeting Ryan, we feel like we can offer more to a troubled teen, someone similar to Ryan."

"I'd just like to say, I'm not comfortable discussing any of Ryan's specifics..."

"How about if we say what we already know about him, and we can go from there?"

Sandy and Kirsten looked at each other and both nodded. Sandy replied, "That sounds fine."

"We know that Ryan used to live in Chino. Ryan told Sam that he stole one car with his brother, and that there was a house fire that was an accident, and there was a shooting that was an accident. And Ryan told me that you were his lawyer, Sandy, and that you and Kirsten took him in after his mother abandoned him."

Sandy and Kirsten exchanged a surprised look. "Ryan really told you that?" Henry nodded. "Huh, he doesn't usually come right out and tell people."

Henry shrugged. "I guess he really wanted to be friends with Sam."

"OK... Well... The way we got Ryan wasn't exactly by the book. We didn't go through Child Services, not right away, anyway. Like you said, Ryan was my client when I was with the public defender's office. Kirsten and I had never talked about taking in a kid. Not that I didn't want to help my clients, more than as a lawyer, but before Ryan I never considered bringing one home."

Sandy gave Kirsten an amused glance. "Although if you ask Kirsten, it was just a matter of time."

After returning Sandy's smile, Kirsten continued the story. "I admit that when Sandy first brought Ryan home, I didn't want this ... criminal in my house. I guess... I guess at first I was focusing on the possible negative impact that having him here could have on our family. On Seth, in particular. But after I spent some time with him, and got to know him a little, and after I saw how his mother devastated him by leaving, I guess I changed how I looked at it. Instead of focusing on his impact on us, I started to look at the positive impact that we could have on him. And I just couldn't let him go off to a Child Services foster-care group home where he'd just get lost in the system. He needed a good, stable home with a family that cared about him."

Henry and Gwen were nodding to much of what Kirsten had to say. Gwen responded, "Yes, exactly. That's what we're thinking."

Sandy decided it was time to make the suggestion he had been thinking about. "For you, you'll have to go through the system, which means Child Services. Probably the best way to proceed is if the two of you become approved foster parents. That doesn't mean that you have to be on Child Services list and take in children in foster care. It would just make it easier if and when you do find a child that you want to live with you, you can take him or her into your home right away, as foster parents, while you go through the process of adoption, or to become legal guardians."

Henry asked, "That sounds reasonable. What's involved in becoming approved as foster parents?"

"You take some foster parenting classes that are given by Child Services, plus a social worker comes to your home and assesses it to make sure it is a safe home to place children in. From what I've heard, you should have no problems there. It should be a fairly painless process."

Henry and Gwen both nodded. Henry said, "All right, good, that should be a good first step."

"And, if you'd like, I'm familiar with the system, and I have contacts at Child Services. I could act as your attorney and help you navigate the system."

"Thank you, Sandy, we'd like that."

"Just be aware that the process can be complicated and filled with red tape. I can take a long time to find just the right child that fits with your family. And even if you do, things can happen to prevent them from going to live with you -- for example, if they are reunited with their parents."

Gwen answered. "We understand. We're prepared to keep working at it."

"Good."

"What about afterwards? What's it like to have someone like Ryan in your home, part of your family?"

"Still not talking about Ryan in particular..."

"Of course."

"Most kids in foster care come from, as you say, a troubled background. Not all of them have been in trouble with the law, but a lot of them have been. Most of them are victims of some kind -- of abuse, of abandonment, of neglect. In many cases, they are withdrawn and find it hard to trust new people, new situations. They may act out, to test if you are really serious about keeping them, no matter what. Or they may do the opposite and be on their best behavior all the time, and never really speak their mind, for example if they are angry at you, they'll never show it. Kids who act like this are afraid that the least little thing will cause you to throw them back into the system."

After a pause to catch his breath and drink some coffee, Sandy continued, "You'll have your ups and downs. One thing that you'll learn in the foster parenting classes that is important is how to discipline a kid in this situation. Often they've been abused verbally and physically and won't respond well certainly to physical punishment, nor to being yelled at with anger."

Henry was nodding. "Yes, yes, of course. We don't believe in physical punishment, in any situation. And we always try to keep our anger in check with our kids."

"That's great. It sounds like you'll be perfect for this. If you like, I could call my contact at Child Services for you on Monday and get the ball rolling."

"Thanks, again, Sandy. That would be great."

Once they were done talking over the specifics of how they were going to proceed, Sandy called Seth's cell phone to let the kids know that the coast was clear and they could come back.

To Be Continued