Author's Note: Okay so the plot continues. Anyway I realized I didn't put a disclaimer on the first chapter, so I'm adding it now. I don't own anything. Literally, everything I own was bought by my generous parents and their credit card.

They arrived at the place the fashion show was being held about ten minutes after they left the Cohen house. There were still no messages on Ryan's phone from Teresa so he pocketed the phone. He followed Seth into the room for the models while Sandy, Kirsten and Jessie headed towards the seating area. He was wary about doing this model thing, he was even more wary about seeing Marissa. Seth had told him that he had told Marissa he had another guy to do it, but not who it was. It wasn't like he hadn't talked to Marissa.

He had once a week and they had also talked online a bit. But still seeing her would be a whole different thing. Seth held open the door for him and Ryan walked in. In to the world of a million different girls and guys getting dressed, talking and laughing loudly, the sound vibrating around the big room. Marissa bounded over to Seth, Summer was close behind her. She greeted Seth with an easy hug, a friendly one, so Ryan didn't have to be jealous. Over Seth's shoulder's she spotted Ryan. Marissa's face changed slightly a look of shock, then a look of both joy and sadness wrapped up in one. She released Seth and raced over to Ryan giving him a huge hug, Ryan wrapped his arms around her body and hugged her tightly. It was funny he thought, that he could miss Marissa so much in five weeks after only knowing her for a year, but he had known Teresa all his life and hadn't thought of her at all until she had showed up on valentines day.

"Hey Rissa," he whispered in her ear and she grinned at him giving him a small peck on the lips.

"I can't believe you agreed to do this," Marissa said with a laugh.

"He didn't the Kirsten forced him," Seth said with a grin. Ryan reached over and smacked him hard. "What was that for?"

"For telling all my secrets,"

"Chino if that's the extent of your secrets then you have a pretty pitiful life," Summer said grinning

"And you Summer," Ryan said giving her a look "always know how to make me fee; so wonderful,"

"Dude, you were so much better before you learned to be funny." Seth said and Ryan smirked at him.

"Yep, because I'm funnier then you right?"

"No way!" Seth shot back "I'm the funny one."

"Yeah right in what parallel universe are you funny?" Summer asked looking up at Seth

"In every universe I'm funny,"

"No way! Only in the Seth Cohen universe," Marissa says and everyone except for Seth bursts out laughing, Seth puts on his most disgruntled expression but it's no use he can't hide the smile.

"Nice" Seth added "Pick on me after I've only been home for a couple of hours. This feels very two years ago"

"Aww! Is someone feeling left out?" Marissa asked in a sarcastic voice. Seth nodded and gave a sad look before rolling his eyes. Sometimes he couldn't stand Marissa.

"Hey you guys don't fight," Summer said standing between the two of them and rolling her eyes at Ryan. He grinned.

"Uggh! You're right Sum, we should probably start to get ready"

"What time does this thing start?" Ryan asked

"Seven" Marissa answered. Ryan glanced down at his watch flashing six thirty. He pulled out his phone to check messages. There were none, he speed dialed Teresa one last time and was practically sick with relief when someone answered the phone. Sick with relief until he realized that he didn't know the voice on the other end of the line.

"Hello?" he asked in confusion "Teresa?"

"Thank god," the voice said on the other line "do you know the young lady who owns this phone?"

"Uh-huh." Ryan said feeling the panic rise in his chest. Marissa was looking at him questionably but he waved her away. Her face fell and while he waited for the guy to answer he walked away from her and Seth and Summer.

"Sir this young lady lost control of the wheel and..." he broke off

"Is she alright?" Ryan asked in a strangled voice

"Yes, oh god yes." The police officer said happy to give the kid some good news, "but did you know that she was pregnant?"

"yes," Ryan said cautiously

"She..." the man paused uncertain

"Yes?" Ryan pressed on

"Well I'll let her tell you,"

"What? Where is she?"

"She's at the Chino hospital, do you have any idea where that is?"

"Yes," Ryan said in a rushed voice "I'll be there as soon as I can"

"Where are you going?" Seth asked coming up beside Ryan.

"Teresa in the hospital." He choked out hanging up the phone.

"Oh my god," Seth said in a hushed tone.

"I-I-I gotta go," Ryan said

"Yeah, dad can probably give you a lift to go pick up the car from the house,"

"Yeah I guess,"

"Where do you need to go?" Marissa asked coming up next to them

"Teresa's in the hospital,"

"Oh my god what happened?"

"I'm not quite sure, but I gotta go," Ryan said still in shock. Marissa thought for a second then pulled something out of her bag.

"Here are the key's to my new car. It's a BMW convertible license plate KTY654. Take it, Summer can give me a ride home, or I can get a ride with either of my parents."

"Are you sure?" asked Ryan in disbelief

"Yeah, I would come with you but I'm the social chair,"

"The downside of dating the most popular girl in school," Ryan joked and Marissa grinned. The fact that Ryan still thought of the two of them as dating made her feel happier then anything else in the world.

"Okay go!" Marissa said with a nudge. "At least you tried to help out,"

"I'll explain everything to the parents," Seth said with a grin "but call when you get there. Actually call Dad's phone or Mom's because otherwise they'll freak out and be halfway to Chino by time you call,"

"Thanks," Ryan said patting Seth on the back and giving Marissa a quick kiss on the lips and then the forehead before rushing out. He found the car pretty quickly and marveled at how nice he was. He was kind of worried about it getting trashed.

The car ride to Chino was long and nerve racking as Ryan thought of every possible bad situation in the world. He loved Teresa, not like he loved Marissa, but as a friend that he had shared most of his life with. He couldn't imagine anything happening to her. He couldn't imagine life without his first best friend and first girlfriend. He found a parking spot in the back of the lot far away from anyone else's car; he hoped it would give it less of a chance of being trashed. Although judging from what happened to the range rover at the party even though it had been parked a couple of blocks away, he wasn't so sure it had any chance. Ryan stopped the car jumped out, locked it and literally ran into the hospital.

"Hello, can you help me?" he asked the lady at the front desk breathing hard.

"I don't know, but you'll have to calm down first sir,"

"I am calm," Ryan said in a loud voice then realizing how loud that had been he flushed red.

"Okay now sir how can I help you?"

"I need to find someone her name is Teresa,"

"Teresa what?" the woman prompted sweetly

"Uh..." Ryan blanked out

"Okay," the lady said "Well let me help you, how old is she?"

"Seventeen, she was just bought in by the police,"

"Oh okay, I can help you. Are you a relative?"

"Not really," Ryan said hesitating

"Well then I'm not sure if I can let you in,"

"She's carrying my baby," Ryan said desperately even though he had no idea if it was his baby or Eddie's.

"Okay, fine but if anyone finds out it will be my ass, so if anyone asks you're her husband," the woman told a startled Ryan. "Don't look so surprised, now she's in room 206," she added holding in the laugh that threatened to creep up by the look on the boy's face.

"Thanks," Ryan said and took off running. He hated hospitals, they reminded him way to much of his past. The last time two times he had been in a hospital had been bad, the first being when Marissa had swallowed the pills, the second of course when Luke had left. He tried to avoid them as much as possible but every once in a while times like these just popped up and he couldn't avoid them anymore.

Ryan arrived at the door of 206 (thankful that it was on only the second floor as being in elevators made him nervous and took a deep breath before opening the door. Teresa was sleeping and Ryan flinched as he saw the cuts and bruises that were on her face alone. He closed the door behind him as quietly as possible but Teresa woke up anyway. She gave him a week smile as he pulled up a chair beside her bed.

"Hey," Ryan said quietly "Does your mom know you're here?"

"Yeah she went home she'll be back soon,"

"Oh,"

"Yeah, how did you find out I was here?"

"I called your phone to find out where you were at the police told me where you were. Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"I went into premature labor, while I was driving and lost control of the car. That's about as much as I remember," Teresa said her face contorted in sadness. Ryan reached over and linked his fingers through hers. The two of them sat in silence for what seemed like forever until Ryan finally got the courage to ask the question.

"How's the baby?" he asked in a hushed voice, as if he was afraid to ask it. Which he was he wasn't sure what he wanted to hear.

"Gone," Teresa said in an even more hushed voice.

"Oh," Ryan said simply leaving it at that. The two of them sat there for a long time thinking of the time when there had been a prospect of being three of them. They didn't talk for three hours, just sat there enjoying each other's company like they use to do before Ryan had moved away. The door of their hospital creaked open tentatively and in walked Sandy and Kirsten. Just like Ryan they were all wearing their fancy clothes but Ryan was surprised to see that Seth wasn't with them

"Hey sweetie," Kirsten said coming over "are we interrupting something?"

"No Mrs. Cohen, we were just sitting" Teresa said politely. She was still in awe of this perfect woman who was so kind.

"Good," Sandy said pulling up a chair and sitting next to Ryan "How are you doing?" he asked directing the question at both the teenagers sitting in front of him. The nurse at the front desk had filled him in on everything so he understood the sad looks on both their faces.

"Fine," Ryan said and Teresa gave a week nod

"Where's your mom sweetie?" Kirsten asked stroking Teresa's hair in a motherly gesture

"She's at home,"

"Does she know?" Kirsten asked tentatively and Teresa nodded. "Want me to call and see if she's coming?"

"Okay," Teresa said "If it's not a problem."

"Not at all," Kirsten said and dialed the number she knew so well from calling Ryan if only to hang up. Teresa noticed this and thought it was amazing how Ryan had found the family that cared about him as much as they did their own flesh and blood. She felt guilty, as she had a million times in the last five weeks, for taking Ryan away. Kirsten walked away and had a hushed conversation then hung up the phone. She turned around and smiled. "She'll be here soon," was all the info she gave.

"Oh," Teresa said and smiled faintly at Kirsten. "Ryan I was thinking, about well," Teresa paused not sure if to go on being that the Cohen's were in the room with them. Sandy took the hint and ushered his wife out of the room claiming that they need coffee.

"What were you thinking?"

"That we've got a bit of money saved up, about 1,000 and we could split it. I think I'll put my money towards going to Atlanta, my mom said she was going to see if my cousin will still let me come,"

"Oh," said Ryan, "what am I going to do?" he asked in confusion staring at Teresa. Teresa couldn't believe he didn't know how much the Cohen's cared about him.

"Go home, Ryan," Teresa said and Ryan nodded. His fingers were still laced in hers and he gave her a reassuring squeeze. "We're both going to be okay," she added and Ryan nodded. He knew he was, the Cohen's would make sure of that, he wasn't worried for himself. He was worried for Teresa who had really been outside of Chino for very long, the short time she was in Newport was probably the extent of that time. He wanted to tell her how hard it had been to fit in, but that there were some really great people in the world. That she would be happy there eventually. Instead he said

"Take all the money, I even have some more saved up that I was saving up, about 800 dollars, take it all. Maybe I can get the Cohen's to give me the loan of the other money..."

"No Ryan," Teresa interrupted "you've done so much for me, besides now I can get a job near home and earn the money,"

"Teresa," Ryan said desperately but Teresa shook her head. She wasn't about to accept anymore charity from the Cohen's. They had already been so nice to her and she had taken away their other son. Actually although Teresa didn't like to think about it but she had actually taken away both their sons as if Ryan hadn't left with her neither would have Seth. It made Teresa feel sick to her stomach that without meaning to she had broken apart this picture perfect family that Ryan had become a part of.

"No Ry, just listen to me,"

"Teresa," Ryan repeated in a warning tone, "at least take the money we already have, the 1,800"

"Okay," Teresa said giving in she didn't want to get in an argument here. Ryan nodded and unlaced his fingers from hers.

"I'm going to go find Sandy and Kirsten," he said and got up from the chair and walked out of the room leaving Teresa all alone again. Until her mom burst through the door.

"Teresa," her mom said shaking her head sadly, Teresa didn't say anything she knew her mom too well. Sometimes it was better to just let her talk it did wonders for her anger. "You have to get out of here,"

"Out of the hospital mama?"

"No! out of Chino! Look what happened to you, how much money do you have saved up?"

"$1,800"

"Oh!" her mom moaned sadly "your cousin needs $3000"

"I know mama, I'll get a job,"

"I know but it will take too long, maybe your brother..."

"No! Don't bring him into this,"

"Okay, but Teresa it worries me having you here still,"

"I know Mama,"

"Um hey Eva," Ryan said as he and the Cohen's walked into the hospital room.

"Ryan," Eva wailed grasping the boy's hands in hers

"Listen, Mrs....." Sandy trailed off realizing that he didn't know Teresa's last name. They had know her for a while and yet they knew nothing about her except for the fact that she was Ryan's friend and because Ryan was family that's all that mattered. But still when Ryan had moved in, although he never shared it with Seth, Kirsten and him and looked through Ryan's folder. They knew things about him that were too scary to talk about in front of children, the scary part is that the one who lived through it is a child.

"Eva, please Mr. Cohen call me Eva,"

"Sandy, that's Kirsten," he said and then took a deep breath he was worried about what he had to say, he didn't want it to come out wrong. "We were outside talking and we heard you and my wife and I, Ryan too would really like to give Teresa a chance to start over"

"Yes," Kirsten added, "please let us give her the money to go,"

"No, we don't accept charity,"

"It's not charity, it's what we want to do. We really like your daughter and we just want to make sure that's she can be safe,"

"Teresa," her mom said turning to her daughter and talking in rapid Spanish. Teresa answered hesitantly in a slower Spanish.

"Eva," Ryan said going over to sit next to the woman who until he had met the Cohen's had been basically his adopted mom. "Let the Cohen's give Teresa the money. Really I'll pay them back but at least there will be a loan so she can get out of here. You and I both know that she'll be much safer in Atlanta,"

"Ryan you don't..." Kirsten started to say but Ryan shook his head at her. Eva would be most likely to take money from him instead of people she had never met. Besides he felt funny taking all that money from the Cohen's, even if they did say that he was family. Eva sighed thought about it for a little while then finally a rejected sigh then nodded. Kirsten smiles "okay I'm glad that's settled. I'm going to go get the checkbook from the car,"

"I'll help," Sandy says and the two of them leave to give Ryan a little more private time with them. After all they knew that these people were the last real ties that Ryan had to chino and with Teresa in Atlanta those ties would be about gone.

"Eva I'm glad that you decided to take that money," Ryan said deadpanned.

"Ryan, I'm going to miss you," Teresa said taking his hand in hers.

"Me too," he added kissing her on the forehead. Eva stayed quiet; she had hung on for so long to the fact that maybe, just maybe Ryan would marry her daughter. She couldn't think of anyone she would like more, but now she had to face facts. The two of them were never going to get together. The three of them sat in silence, their silent good-bye until the Cohen's walked back into the room.

"Here you go," Sandy said ripping the check out of the checkbook and folding it before passing it to Eva. "Ryan we've got to get going, you have Marissa's car right?"

"Uh-huh."

"If you're going to be home late call," Kirsten said kissing him on the forehead. "Come on Sandy, we have to go watch our other son make a fool of himself"

"Aww! Your such a great mother, sweetie," Sandy said and with a final good bye he ushered her out of the room. It was only then that Eva finally looked at the check and gasped.

"What mama?"

"It's for four thousand dollars!" Eva said in disbelief

"What?" Ryan said taking it from her and staring at it. He knew the Cohen's had heard how much money was needed.

"Oh my god," Teresa said once again marveling at how wonderful the Cohen's were. The guilt of taking away Ryan from them was pushing at her again but she shook it off. She was sending him home, and that's what mattered.

"It must be a mistake," Eva said

"No it's not," Ryan said quietly "their good people the Cohen's they wanted to help Teresa get a really good start"

"But four thousand dollars that so much?"

"Mama you haven't seen their house, four thousand it probably how much it cost to decorate their living room" Teresa said truthfully and Eva shook her head.

"It doesn't matter, it's still a lot of money. Take it back Ryan,"

"No, it's a present from the Cohen's and me," Ryan said still not able to include himself as a Cohen.

"But..."

"No just take it," Ryan said and got up from the chair. "I have to go," he said suddenly an over whelming feeling of need to get out of there. "Take the money,"

"Ryan," Teresa said giving him a kiss on the cheek, no words could be said to describe how they were feeling. Ryan nodded giving her a last kiss on the forehead and squeeze of the hand before turning to Eva.

"Thanks so much for everything," he said in a hushed voice as he hugged her. She nodded and kissed him where Teresa had a moment ago. He was halfway out the door before she spoke.

"You got a good one Ryan, don't lose them," she said and Ryan nodded and closed the door. He had just closed the door on the last of his other life. He took the stairs this time as he was in less of a hurry, making sure to walk by the desk. The nurse who had let him through before was still sitting there and waved as he walked by. Ryan grinned at her, he was in a good mood, who wouldn't be if they realized that they were going to get to do what they had wanted to do all along. And for Ryan, that was staying with the Cohen's.

Ryan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Marissa's car was still there without a scratch. He beeped it opened and started the long drive home. Because that's where he was going really, to a place that he can call home.

Ryan had planed on heading towards the fashion show, after all it was the anniversary of his introduction to Newport, but he decided that there would be plenty more of them to attend in the future and that there was no reason for him to go right away. Maybe he could meet up with them at Holly's beach house. He knew it was weird but apparently she was throwing a party and even though Marissa and Summer weren't really friends with her anymore, they had to keep up their popularity so they were going, at least according to Seth. Ryan didn't really understand girl's need to popular or have girl friends. Maybe it was good that he wasn't a girl, he wasn't sure he could handle it. He drove down to the beach, parking closer to Newport then Chino so he would know that the car was safe. Plus it made him feel better being closer to his new life then to his old life.

The beach was almost empty except for a group of kids a little younger then him who were over by a small bonfire. Ryan had never been to a bonfire; in fact he had been considering asking Sandy and Kirsten for one for his birthday, he had always thought that that's what the perfect birthday would be. If he could invite all his friends and they could be out late on the beach. He imagined that that would have been his real welcome to Newport party. Except that his birthday had been two weeks ago, and there had been nothing said about it at all. He also knew that Seth had had his birthday in the five weeks that he had been gone also. It was weird to think that they had both turned eighteen and neither had been home. Ryan rocked back in forth in the sand and started out into the ocean. He stayed there for a while until he saw that the other kids were leaving all happy and naïve, as if everything in the world was okay for once.

Ryan wondered if he had ever been like that, or if he'd had to grow up to quickly. Seth was that way and Ryan thought that was great. He would of loved to be that way, but there are some things that you can't change. Even if you live with such great people, like the Cohen's.

Ryan figured he might as well start to get use to it, being a kid that is, again. With that thought he got up dusted himself off and headed to Marissa's car.

Author's Note: Okay that took forever to write! I promise that's there's more drama to come. Now that Teresa's out of the picture I feel much better about the story! Okay thanks for the positive reviews everyone keep them coming!!!