CHAPTER 3: THE BREAKDOWN

QUICK RECAP:

Jimmy had come by the Nichol mansion to see Marissa. He had been away for a while after Hailey had left him. Marissa found out that her dad was intending to move to Phoenix to start afresh. She was not happy and wanted to move with him. She expressed her feelings about how angry she was that Ryan had left her like he did and that she wanted nothing more to do with him.

Back in Chino, Ryan had discovered that Theresa was going to have twins, but he was adamant that he was still in love with Marissa.

Caleb had been arrested at his offices in the presence of Julie, Kirsten and Sandy. He was later released as Sandy made an arrangement with the DA.

That evening, Caleb and Julie had come to meet with Kirsten to help prepare for their investment meeting on Monday morning. While they were busy in the kitchen, the doorbell rang again and it was Summer this time.

THE COHEN'S HOUSE CONTINUED.... (SATURDAY EVENING)

The doorbell rings again and this time Seth comes downstairs to answer it.

It's Summer.

"Cohen, ... in the poolhouse... now. We need to talk." She says and walks through the kitchen.

"Hi Mrs. Cohen... Mrs. Cooper... uhmm... Nichol... whatever." Summer says as she flies past them, with Seth hot on her heels.

"We'll just be outside," He says as he too rushes past them.

They enter the poolhouse – Summer first with Seth following close behind. Summer closes the door. She turns and looks straight in his eyes.

"Ok, Cohen, I need to know what's going on. Are we on or not, 'cause I don't know any more. I mean... I know it's been difficult; Ryan leaving and all – it would totally bum me out if my best friend left too. But... you and me Cohen..." Summer starts talking rapidly.

Seth puts his finger to her lips, gesturing for her to stop talking. When she finally stops rambling on, he takes both her hands in his and looks straight in to her eyes.

"Summer, you are amazing, and you know I'll always love you. For me, you have always been the one I want and nothing and no one – and yes that includes Ryan – can get in the way of that." Seth replies to her.

"Good," Summer answers, "'cause you know I'm hopeless with the whole sensitivity thing. I'm the pathetic part of sympathetic."

Summer smiles at Seth as he goes to sit down on the edge of the bed. He motions with his hand for her to come and sit beside him.

"Uh-uh, no. No sex." Summer says and stays standing.

"Ok, fair enough, but it's just a lot more comfortable on this bed." Seth replies, and makes a circular motion with his hand on the bed again.

"Right, but no moves or I'll rip off your independence," Summer replies and sits down next to him.

They talk for a little while about past few months and play-tickle each other until they are totally exhausted and both lie down on the bed together. There's an easy, serene silence for a while.

"When I was away I realized how much I was missing it here, and how important you are to me and... and, how much I love you, Summer." Seth continues.

They look in to each other's eyes and Summer realizes how much she had missed him too. She climbs on Seth as he lies on his back. They begin kissing and taking their clothes off. They have not made out for over seven months.

"Are we... I mean... gonna... I thought... No sex..." Seth says between kisses.

"Shut up, Cohen." Summer ends his babbles.

Seth turns Summer over and he is now on top. He looks at her and smiles with warm affection. Not everything in his life is terrible, he thinks to himself.

But, as he turned over a picture fell out his back pocket. Summer sees it and reaches her arm out to take it. It's a picture of Seth standing between Deborah and Tracey – the two girls he was with in Catalina. He had not mentioned anything that had happened, nor had he mentioned anything about these two girls. The picture was taken on the day he left to return to Newport. Seth has not seen the picture fall out his pocket or that Summer had seen it. She pushes him off her. He sits up, a bit confused.

"Wha – what now?" Seth says a bit dazed.

"Who is this?" Summer demands.

"Oh, that's just Deborah and Tracey – friends I made in Catalina." Seth replies nonchalantly.

"You ass!" Summer replies, getting off the bed and getting dressed again. "I was pining for you while you were gone and all that time you were with these skanks!"

"Summer, they're not skanks, alright – they are my friends. They helped me out while I was there... gave me a place to stay." Seth tries to calm Summer down, but he's just digging the hole even deeper.

"And I suppose they gave you more than a place to stay, hey!" Summer says irately.

"No, Summer it's not like that. They were just my friends. I even told them about you and how much I love you and..." Seth says now trying to make amends.

"Save it Cohen. I can't believe it. I actually cried tears for you, and all the while you were getting it off with these." She says and throws the picture at him. "We're through!"

And with that Summer leaves the poolhouse, slamming the door behind her. Seth is left sitting there on the edge of the bed. He falls back down on the bed thinking how it was possible that things could have got this bad.

"Ryan, I need you now, man." He thinks to himself. "I need you now."

IN CHINO

It's late Saturday afternoon, and with Theresa in hospital and obviously not going to work, Ryan had taken her car to work, with the intention of going to visit her after his shift is over. It's around 5:30pm and Ryan was just finishing up to go home.

"Hey, Ryan!" Matt calls from the other side of the factory. "There's a telephone call for you. You can take it in my office."

Ryan makes his way to the office and picks up the phone.

"Hello?" Ryan says

"Hi Ryan. It's Theresa's mom here. The doctor just called..." She says

"Is Theresa ok?" Ryan interjects

"Yes. He was just calling to say she is alright to come home. I thought since you have the car, and you have to pass the hospital on the way home, you could pick her up for me." Theresa's mom asks.

"Sure. Bye." Ryan accepts and puts the phone down.

He realizes that there is still a long haul ahead and now that Theresa is having twins, he's going to have to work extra hard to support her... and the babies. Suddenly he realizes something: School starts Monday! He knows it would not be a good idea to stay out of school and the Cohen's will not be too happy with the idea, but what other option is there.

"I cannot just leave Theresa... not now and not like this." He thinks to himself.

Matt enters the office to sign Ryan off and give him his pay-check for the week.

"Thanks for the hard work, man. We'll miss you around here. Hopefully see you next summer?" Matt says handing Ryan an envelope with his pay in it.

"Yeh, about that..." Ryan says. "I've been thinking... I'd like to say on a bit longer. I was hoping I could continue here on Monday."

"You sure? I mean you've got school and..." Matt asks, with a look of confusion.

"Yeh, I know I should go and all, but Theresa needs me... and so do these babies." Ryan responds.

"Suit yourself, man. Personally, I would take off, but it's your life. Anyway, I'll back you whatever you decide. You want a job – it's yours. Just think about what I've said." Matt says and leaves the office with Ryan standing there contemplating his next course of action.

Ryan has really valued Matt's input – he's been something of a big brother to him since his own brother is in lockup. The option that makes the most sense is not always the best, but right now what choice does he have? He cannot just leave Theresa... not now and not like this.

He decides before he leaves to fetch Theresa he should phone the Cohen's; let them know what he will be doing.

Ryan picks up the phone and dials the Cohen's home number.

BACK AT THE COHEN'S RESIDENCE

Kirsten and Julie are still discussing plans around the dining room table. Seth is still in the poolhouse pondering his life away and Sandy and Caleb are sitting in the lounge discussing the legal deals with the DA deal.

The phone rings and Sandy answers it.

"Hello?" Sandy says.

"Hi." Ryan says on the other end.

"Ryan! How are you doing? How's Theresa?" Sandy says excitedly and loud enough for Kirsten to hear and stop her planning with Julie.

"I'm doing fine. Theresa's fine... Actually she's having twins. We found out yesterday." Ryan replies.

"Twins huh?" Sandy says and glances over at Kirsten who is looking very poignant again.

"Hey. The reason I called was to let you know I've decided to stay here and not go back to school... at least for this semester.... See how things go...... With Theresa and her now having twins, I cannot stay out of work. I've landed a decent job in construction." Ryan says.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Sandy asks.

"No, but do you have a better idea?" Ryan replies.

"You can come back here. You and Theresa. We can make it work here. I'll speak to Kirsten. She'll..." Sandy says, but is cut off by Ryan

"I can't ask you to do that." Ryan replies.

"You didn't. I offered." Sandy insists.

"Look, I gotta go. I just hope you can understand." Ryan replies.

"I understand. I don't like it, but I understand. And I want you to know that whatever you do I'll always be here for you... and Kirsten too. Just call ok?" Sandy says.

Seth walks in from the poolhouse and hears Sandy talking to Ryan.

"Is that Ryan?" Seth enquires of Sandy. "When's he coming back? Tell him he should meet us here before school on Monday. We can go together." Seth sets excited again.

Sandy gestures to him it is Ryan and continues the conversation.

"Ok. Thanks. Tell me is Seth..." Ryan asks

"He's doing ok. Struggling, but getting through it. You wanna talk to him?" Sandy asks. "Here, I'll put him on."

Sandy hands the phone to Seth.

"Hey man. Whatz up?" Seth asks

"Cool." Ryan replies.

"Listen I was thinking. We need to get some Seth/Ryan time on the books. It's been a long summer. So I was thinking at school we should sign up for the same stuff so we can spend time together. I'm the president of the Comic Book club, so I can get you in that quite easily and the Sailing club... you know out plans to Sail to Catalina with the girls... we can do all that again and..." Seth speaks non stop!

"Sounds good man......" Ryan says hesitantly...

"But?" Seth prompts Ryan's next comment.

"But I'm not coming back." Ryan drops the bombshell.

"I know. You are staying in Chino. That's fine.... Well, not fine... It'll be a long commute, but you can come over in the afternoons and..." Seth continues not realizing what Ryan is trying to say.

"To school I mean. I'm not going back to school." Ryan says.

Seth is slient on the other end for a while as Ryan's comment sinks in.

"Oh, so... ok. Cool.... Not cool.... I get it. You have a new family, a new life and your friends in Newport are not important to you. You just move on, don't you?" Seth says getting angry and feeling a bit hurt.

"Seth, it's not like that it. I thought you'd have my back man." Ryan replies.

"You know, between you and Summer... why don't you just take my heart and cut it up and I don't know... feed to fish or something." Seth says hurting badly now and feeling very angry.

"Summer? What happened. You broke up? I'm sorry to hear that.... Look..." Ryan asks with real concern in his voice.

"Well, don't stress yourself about it. After all you have your own family to take care of now right... A baby seems way more important than me right now, right? Cheers Ryan, and good luck with life." Seth says and slams the phone down on the counter. He runs back up to his bed room.

"Seth!" Sandy shouts out. But he is distracted by a weeping Kirsten behind him.

"Oh, Sandy. Look at what this distance between us and Ryan has done! It's tearing this family apart. The holidays are over, just please bring our son back! Bring Ryan home!" Kirsten says through sobs as Sandy embraces her in a tight hug again.

Back in Chino, Ryan hangs up the phone and makes his way to the car to go and fetch Theresa. He is feeling very tearful and emotional. That is not the way it should be between him and Seth. They are brothers and they are supposed to have each other's backs. He is stuck in a very difficult place. He knows it's going to be extremely difficult for Seth now. Him and Summer are broken up and he's not there to help him through it. But at the same time he is drawn to his commitment to Theresa and the babies.