Usual Disclaimers apply. Not only do I still not own any of the O.C., but I still don't know a lot . Like I don't know much about child birth....

Four Months Later

"Ryan, it's time."

He rolled over on his side, groggily rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He held the receiver away from his mouth and glanced over at the clock. It was three a.m.

"Time for what?" He groaned.

"A beer," Theresa retorted sarcastically. "What do you think, moron? It's time for the baby."

Ryan sat up in bed, his cover tumbling to the floor. "It's too early."

"No it isn't. I mean, it is, but it's okay. I already started my ninth month. It's safe to deliver."

"Are you sure you're in labor?" He swung his legs over the side of the bed, shoving his feet into his slippers.

"My water broke and my contractions are Seven minutes apart. Just get the hell over here, before you miss the whole thing."

"Okay. I'll go get Sandy and Kirsten. We'll be right there."

He had always assumed that it would happen while he was in school. He had planned to keep his phone on vibrate and safely tucked in his pants pockets, despite the rule prohibiting cell phones during class. Sandy had offered to talk to Dr. Kim to get a special dispensation, but Ryan didn't want Dr. Kim to know about Theresa. He had worked hard all year to change her mind about him, and knowing that he had knocked up a girl would just remind Dr. Kim about who he was and where he came from.

Ryan rapped loudly on Sandy and Kirsten's bedroom door. He shifted from foot to foot, hoping he wouldn't wake up Seth. He couldn't handle Seth's rambling at that moment (and he was bound to ramble). He knocked again, louder, until a sleepy Sandy came to the door.

"What's up kid?" He stifled a yawn.

"Theresa called. It's time."

Sandy whistled. "We'll meet you by the Range Rover in five minutes."

Ten minutes later, Ryan bit his lip, willing Sandy to drive faster, but refusing to say anything. He didn't want another withering look from his guardian. He had had his share over the past few months.

"Are you ready for this, kid?"

"Ready as I'll ever be. I don't think this baby cares if I'm ready or not."

Luckily there was no traffic during the early morning hour, so that the usual hour trip to Chino Hills General Hospital only took forty minutes. Ryan didn't wait for Sandy to throw the car in park, before he tumbled out of the SUV. He ran to the maternity ward, Kirsten close at his heels.

"Ryan, wait up. We should stick together."

"I don't want to miss anything."

"Wait," she demanded.

He stopped and let her catch up.

"I'm sorry. I'm just anxious to be with Theresa. I promised her I'd be in the delivery room."

"Another minute won't make a difference."

"It seemed very close."

"Trust me, this can go on forever. I was in labor with Seth for twenty-five hours."

"Huh?" Ryan titled his head and cocked his brow.

"Yup." Sandy walked up behind his wife and placed his hand on the small of her back. "It was the worst twenty-five hours of my life. She drove me crazy. Don't be so eager to hold Theresa's hand. She's going to curse you out and call you every foul name in the book."

Ryan laughed. "Even so…" He started to walk again, throwing a backwards glance over his shoulder to make sure that Sandy and Kirsten were following him.

As soon as he arrived at the maternity ward his stomach formed a huge knot. Bile rushed to his throat and he couldn't answer the nurse when she asked how she could help. Fortunately, Sandy and Kirsten were close behind.

"We're looking for Theresa Hernandez. She's in labor."

"I'm her coach." Ryan choked the words out.

The nurse typed something on the computer and clicked a few times. "Theresa Hernandez is in room four. You'll need to wear a gown and a hat. And you are?" She peered over her glasses at Sandy and Kirsten.

"Here for moral support," supplied Sandy. "We'll stay in the nearest waiting room."

"Hey Theresa."

She let out a blood curdling scream.

"If it's a bad time, I can come back."

"Don't you dare leave, you sniveling little shit! You got me into this mess, you get me out."

Warily Ryan approached her. She was dressed in a standard issue hospital gown and sitting up, propped up by the bed. Her hair was already matted down to her forehead, and her brow glistened with perspiration. Ryan wasn't sure if he wanted to be close to her.

"What can I do?"

"Turn back the clock and don't have sex with me."

"I'll go call Christopher Lloyd and ask for his time machine."

Theresa hit his arm.

"Owe. That hurts."

"Not half as much as what I'm going through."

"I didn't know it was a contest."

She slapped his arm again.

"If you keep hitting me, I'm just going to leave."

"Did you call them?" She asked, grimacing in pain.

Ryan wet a paper towel and ran it across her forehead. "Not yet."

"You should call," Theresa insisted. "You promised them you'd call."

Ryan sighed. "Is it okay to leave you?" He pointed to the sign above her head. "No cell phones allowed here."

"Fine. Make it quick."

Ryan left the room and Kirsten immediately pounced on him. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

He nodded. "I just have to call them," he said softly.

Kirsten seemed to sink back into her heels. "Of course. They should be here." With her head down, she walked away from Ryan into Sandy's open arms.

Ryan turned so he wouldn't see Kirsten sobbing softly into Sandy's shoulder. He dug the phone out of his pocket and flipped it open. Slowly, he punched in their number and called. They answered on the tenth ring. While rubbing the back of his neck, he told them how to find him and Theresa in the hospital and they said they would come right away. Ryan stole a glimpse of Kirsten and Sandy huddled together in the waiting chairs, before he went back to be with Theresa. He thought he was doing the right thing.

Theresa was still in labor two hours later. But the doctor assured them the baby would be there shortly.

"You're nearly at ten centimeters," he explained. "It won't be too much longer. Just hang tight."

"Easy for him to say," she muttered. "There is something way wrong about a man becoming an Obstetrician. He will never truly be able to empathize with his patient. He'll never know what it feels like to carry a kid in you for nine months and then have to push it out of this tiny—"

Another contraction hit Theresa. She leaned forward, but the nurse admonished her not to push. Ryan held her hand, allowing her to squeeze his fingers, until he couldn't feel them anymore.

"Breathe deeply," he urged.

"Shut the f—"

"Can it," Ryan said, not hiding his irritation. "I didn't come to be abused. I'm trying to help. Let Mrs. Gonzales come and hold your hand or your mom. You wouldn't talk like this to either of them."

She leaned into the back rest. "Sorry," she breathed. Tears fell down her face. "I'm sorry. I'm being an idiot."

"It's okay. I love you anyway."

"Why don't you ask Mrs. Gonzales to come in here for a little while? Take a break. Go sit with Sandy and Kirsten."

Ryan nodded, though he wasn't thrilled at the suggestion. Now that it was happening, he couldn't look them in the face. He was so certain that they had asked to raise the baby to make things easier for him. He never imagined that Sandy and Kirsten had really wanted to raise another child. He closed his eyes, doubting his decision for the second time that day.

"Is Theresa okay?" Sandy asked.

Ryan slumped into a chair next to him. "Yeah. She's fine. Mrs. Gonzales, she asked if you could stay with her for a little while."

The olive-skinned woman stood, and smiled shyly. "Thank you."

Ryan didn't want to talk. He didn't want to face Kirsten. She looked sad, instead of happy that the baby was coming. And Ryan knew he was the cause of the sadness. So when Seth ambled up to them, Ryan let out a sigh of relief. Seth would alleviate the tension. He would start rambling about something inane and take his mother's mind off the fact that Ryan was not giving them his baby.

"It's an interesting feeling waking up alone in the house when it was full of people when you went to sleep."

"Did you find the note?" Kirsten asked.

"I found it. Taped to my mirror. It was still weird. I wasn't worried or anything." Seth surveyed the scene around him. "So, how come you aren't with Theresa?"

"I'm taking a break."

"Good. You want to get a coffee with me?"

Ryan stared at the delivery room and started to shake his head no. But Kirsten said, "Go. We'll call you on your cell if they call you. You need the break."

Glad to get away from them and not being forced to stay by Theresa's side sounded good. It sounded like exactly what he needed. He stood and followed Seth.

As soon as they were out of his parents' earshot Seth asked, "Why do you look like you're going to a funeral instead of a birth?"

"Your mom," Ryan started. He didn't know how to finish. "She really wanted this baby. It wasn't just about helping me out, was it?"

Seth shook his head. "At first that's what I thought. But no, it seems like they really wanted another kid. I've been trying not to take it too much to heart. You know, you'd think we'd be enough."

Ryan smirked. He was right. Seth could always lighten the mood.

"It's not too late to change your mind, man. Tell the Gonzaleses that you decided you want to raise the baby. Then when things settle down Mom and Dad can adopt like the original plan."

"It's too screwed up. I made the right decision. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to them. At least, your parents have you. They have nothing."

Seth shrugged. "It's your call. I know Theresa will do whatever you want."

They stopped at the end of the coffee line. "It's not too late," Seth said, before launching into some tale about Summer and Mr. Roberts and they're latest clandestine meeting.

The contractions were coming faster and harder. The doctor instructed that she still couldn't push and Ryan wished the baby would hurry up, because he wasn't sure he'd be able to use his hand during the upcoming midterm exams the following week.

"You know," Theresa said, during a brief moment she had free of pain. "You can change your mind."

Ryan fed her an ice chip with one hand and wiped her forehead with a wet towel with the other.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't have to leave the baby here tonight. You can let Sandy and Kirsten take it home." Another contraction hit. "Dammit," she cried. "If I don't get this baby out of me soon, I'm going to start going ballistic." She muttered something in Spanish, which Ryan didn't catch. He didn't think he wanted to understand her. "It's your baby, Ryan," she said through gritted teeth. "You have a right to raise it or at least watch it being raised by good people. I know what the Cohens are asking is a little hard. They want to raise it as their own, but they're good parents."

When the doctor walked in to examine her, Ryan stepped back, hoping to stay unobtrusive. But he was glad that the physician said Theresa could push on the next contraction. He was anxious for everything to be over and done with.

It only took three pushes and a perfect, cherubic little girl was put on Theresa's stomach. The baby was matted with blood and goo. She had a thick head of black hair which was matted down, not unlike her mother and big brown eyes that deliberated her new surroundings before letting out a loud wail.

"She's beautiful, Theresa. She looks just like you. Can — can I hold her?"

Theresa was weeping unabashedly and Ryan was discreetly wiped away tears from the corners of his eyes before he held out his hands. He knew it wasn't a good idea to take the baby in his hands. The adoption agency had strongly advised against it. "Emotions are high," they explained. "Holding the baby will start a bond that will be hard too break when you have to give the baby up."

"She is so beautiful, Theresa." With the baby nestled in the crook of his arms, he bent down to kiss her forehead. "You did good, Mamma. Do you want to hold her?"

"Don't call me that! I am not this child's mother. Mrs. Gonzales is. Or if you want, Kirsten is. But not me."

Ryan swallowed. He didn't understand Theresa. He didn't know if he ever would. Mostly, he had come to his decision, because he felt like he had no choices. He knew he couldn't raise the child on his own, without the love and support of Theresa. And pretending to be his daughter's big brother was just wrong. His only choice had been to give up his daughter. And now, holding her in his arms, he didn't know if he could do it.

"Ryan. Can I hold her?"

It was Mrs. Gonzales. She had her arms outstretched, hope written all over her face. He nodded his head and relinquished his perfect little girl. As soon as she was secure in her arms, Ryan retreated from the delivery room.

No one had mentioned school, but it was understood that Ryan would take the day. Seth had stayed hung around, and neither of his parents had said anything. Ryan glanced at his watch. He should be sitting in Calculus. Instead, he was gazing through the nursery window at his daughter.

"She's beautiful."

Ryan started at the sound of Sandy's soft voice. His guardian placed a hand on his shoulder and rubbed the tense muscles.

"It's okay to change your mind. There's a reason for the legal grace period. The Gonzales can find another child to adopt if you decide you want to raise her."

Ryan didn't try to hide his shock.

"She's your daughter. She's a part of you. Kirsten and I, we'll help you. You won't have to do it alone. We'll hire a nanny for the day, while you're in school. If you want, we can make it work."

"No. No," he breathed. "I know I couldn't handle it. And I know how much you and Kirsten want another baby, but I think the best thing for my daughter is to let the Gonzaleses raise her."

"Are you sure?"

Ryan nodded.

"Then let's go home."

Ryan turned from the window with tears streaming down his face. He followed Sandy to the car, where he was met by Kirsten and Seth. They all climbed into the Range Rover and started the long silent drive back to Newport.

So, I actually did it. I finished before the start of the season. I hope it doesn't seem too rushed. At one point, I was considering a "Choose Your Own Adventure" type of story, where you could choose which decision Ryan makes.... But really, the story had to end and I wasn't going to cop out like that author of the The Lady and the Tiger. I so appreciate all the wonderful and supportive reviews. They've been great.