Maybe no one was home. Summer stabbed the doorbell again with her index finger. She could hear the chimes reverberating inside the house. Just as she was about to give up, the door was flung open.

"Hi!" she exclaimed, a little too brightly.

Seth stared at her, his mouth slightly agape. He didn't say a word.

Oh my God, Coop somehow had it wrong. He didn't remember her at all. She felt her heart plunging while her stomach twisted into knots. "Uh...you got your hair cut. Wow, it's really...short," she stated nervously. He continued to regard her through wide brown eyes. She couldn't stand it. "Cohen. Speak!" she demanded.

He finally snapped out of his stupor. "Yeah, Summer, sorry...um, just a brain-dead moment there. I mean, I'm not really brain-dead from the coma or anything. I'm still relatively intelligent and apparently like to spew out big words to show off my fantastic vocabulary range. Not that I remember learning these gargantuan words but they must somehow still be stored in my brain so I can access them..."

Now it was her turn to stare at him, as she cut him off in mid-speech. "What the hell are you talking about?"

He attempted a laugh but it sounded like a cross between a whine and the braying of a donkey. "I have no idea."

He had said her name. That gave her renewed hope. "So, you do remember me?" she asked.

Seth seemed to have regained control of his senses, speaking a little more coherently. "Yeah. Nothing recent, but...you're Summer Roberts. I definitely remember you."

"Good." She felt herself relaxing a little. "Are you going to invite me in?"

He stepped back a bit. "Sorry, of course. Come in."

She walked by several large boxes on the floor, just to the right of the door. They were all overflowing with items. She only gave them a passing glance, but she noticed some CDs and books.

"Spring cleaning?" she commented.

"Something like that."

She automatically headed upstairs, with Seth trailing at her heels. Marching inside, she marvelled at the state of his room. It was a complete and utter mess. Clothes, CDs, comics, books and an assortment of other items were scattered all around. The walls looked odd and it took her a few seconds to realize why. They were bare of any posters.

As she surveyed the chaos, Seth was hastily clearing off a portion of his bed and a chair.

She would ask him what was going on here in a minute. There was something else she had to get out of the way first. "So, Cohen, other than the amnesia thing, is everything else okay? Physically, I mean."

He turned around to face her. "Yeah. I'm still a little tired but that's about it. Everything else is fine."

"Good."

Coming to stand within an inch of him, she tipped up on her toes and reached up with both hands, pulling his head down for a long, open-mouthed kiss. The kiss encompassed all her pent up emotions from the time he'd left town until this very moment. Thus, it was a slightly wild, bruising, and furious kiss. It was, perhaps, the hottest meeting of lips she'd ever experienced. Although he'd reacted stiffly at first, he'd soon started kissing her back, wrapping his arms around her. For all his lack of experience, he'd always been a great kisser. She finally disengaged herself and opened her eyes with a slight sigh. "That's for coming out of the coma okay."

She smiled sweetly. "And this..." With a dramatic pause, she smacked him across the face with the palm of her hand, feeling the skin itch with the sting of it. "...is for leaving town without having the guts to tell me to my face and just leaving a stupid note for me to read."

Cradling his cheek with one hand, he regarded her with a decidedly shocked expression. "Summer..."

She backed away and continued ranting. "Not only that, you didn't even call me. Not once! Do you know how worried I was about you? Do you get that? If anyone else had done that to me, he so would have been history. We wouldn't be having this conversation. We most definitely would not be kissing. But you had to go and lose your memory. Now I can't even have the satisfaction of you grovelling at my feet and begging for my forgiveness because you don't remember any of this. Am I right?"

His mouth kept opening and closing like a wounded fish. "Uh."

Hands on hips, she tapped her foot. "Speak!"

He finally managed to string some words together. Barely. "Summer, I...I..."

That was about all he sputtered out before she noticed the tears welling in his eyes. Instant regret hit her over the head like a club. "Oh God. Don't do that. I'm sorry. Here, sit." She led him by the arm to the bed and they both sat down. "I didn't actually hurt you, did I?" His cheek was flushed pink, but then she realized that both sides were a rosy colour.

"No, just give me a second," he muttered. "I think I'm in shock or something. This is all very...intense."

"Sorry," she apologized again. "I did come on kind of strong. I can't help it."

She was relieved to see his tears had receded without actually falling. He now spoke in a relatively normal tone of voice. "Yeah, I seem to recall you were always into the drama. I guess I deserved that, even though I don't remember doing what I did. For what it's worth, I'm sorry anyway. I'm just, uh, a little overwhelmed with everything. Not just you. Everything. My life is so...so..."

"Fucked up?" she supplied helpfully.

He actually smiled at that, albeit weakly. "That about sums it up." Reaching out with one hand, he touched her hair, letting the silky strands slip through his fingers. "I can't believe you're really here. I know this sounds corny as hell but it's like some dream to me. In my scrambled brain, I've never even talked to you before. You were always this unattainable princess that I admired from afar. I don't know what happened to change all that and frankly, I don't even care right now. I could just sit here and look at you all day, but I guess that would be pretty boring for you."

Oh no. Now she felt a liquid fullness in her own eyes that threatened to spill over. She'd been so afraid of crying in front of him but for all the wrong reasons. She ducked her head slightly, blinking madly. "Allergies," she mumbled.

"Can I ask you something?"

She hesitated for a beat until she was sure she was in control of herself once more. "Shoot," she responded.

"It's been a couple of weeks since I've been home. Marissa told me you visited me at the hospital but...why haven't you called me or come to see me until now?"

Think fast. "Partly because I was still pissed off about the way you left. And partly because...I figured you needed some space. You know, to settle back in." Not bad. A white lie with some partial truth.

He was nodding thoughtfully and seemed to buy it. "I did need some space. I probably wouldn't have handled seeing you right away very well. Actually, I could have handled the kiss. The smacking thing would have landed me on my ass."

"I didn't hit you that hard," she protested, wishing she could curb her impulses sometimes.

But he was chuckling. "Kidding. Kidding!"

"So nothing is coming back to you at all?"

"Nope."

Behind that one simple word, she heard the ache of his frustration. Seth stood up and held out both arms. "That's why I'm clearing out this stuff. I can't stand to look at this crap that means nothing to me."

That didn't seem very logical to her. "But it's your stuff. It might help you remember..."

"That's just it, Summer! I've been going through everything for the last two weeks and it's not helping. I'm not remembering anything. It's like being in a stranger's room. I mean, some things are familiar, thank God, but I'm driving myself crazy."

"You're pushing yourself too hard," Summer told him gently. "I'm sure it seems like a long time to you but it's only been two weeks. Give yourself a break."

"You sound like my mother."

"Usually, I would find a comment like that highly offensive. But since your mom's pretty cool, I'll forgive you," she retorted.

"I'm going to be a senior in high school and apparently I'm still enamoured with comics and video games. Doesn't that strike you as being somewhat pathetic?"

She spoke carefully, a trait that wasn't her usual style. "Um, I think pathetic might be too strong a word."

"What would you call it then?" he challenged.

"Cute?"

Rolling his eyes, he snapped, "I don't want to be cute."

She rose from the bed and cupped his face beneath the jaw with one hand, squeezing his cheeks. "It's too late for that. You're damned cute and there's nothing you can do about it."

He swatted her hand away. "I'm being serious here.

She was starting to get exasperated. "So am I. So you still like comics. Video games. Whatever. Who cares? We're teenagers. As long as you're not still sucking your thumb, I don't see what the big deal is."

"I guess." His tone was sullen as he looked around, his brow furrowed with some other emotion that she couldn't quite identify.

"Is there something else bothering you?" she had to ask. When he didn't reply, she thought back to the boxes she'd seen downstairs. "What are you planning to do with this stuff? Throw it out?"

He shrugged. "Toss it. Give it to charity. It doesn't matter."

"There were a lot of CDs in those boxes. Posters. There's nothing pathetic about liking music."

He didn't respond and the silence stretched out, unnerving her. A silent Seth seemed terribly unnatural and strange. "What's wrong?" she asked softly.

He finally began to talk slowly, as if he was still feeling his way, like a blind man through a maze. "It's like I've entered some alternate universe. Judging by all the CDs, posters...music should be important to me, right? But I've listened to every one of those CDs and they don't do anything for me. Same thing with the comics. Even the ones I remember. I've read through most of them but they're just pictures and words on a page. I'm not getting any joy out of anything. The most emotion I've felt since waking from this nightmare is when you kissed me. Even when you slapped me. I don't know what I like anymore. I don't know who I am. And it's scaring the shit out of me."

Summer didn't know what to say. The only thing she could think of to do was hold him. So she did. He hugged her back and the embrace felt crushing and desperate but she didn't complain. She simply waited until he started to pull away.

Looking up at him, she said solemnly, "We'll get through this. You'll see."

"We?" he questioned.

"Yes. We."

A door slammed downstairs and Summer heard voices. "Your parents?"

"Yeah. They went shopping. Groceries, I think."

"I guess this would be my cue to leave, huh?"

"You don't have to," he told her quickly. "Maybe you can stay for dinner?"

"Can't. My dad's having this big, important dinner at home with a bunch of other doctors or something. I promised to be there."

"Oh." His disappointment was obvious. "Okay."

They went downstairs and were greeted by Kirsten and Sandy. The Cohens were standing around the boxes by the door and perusing their contents.

Kirsten gestured towards the floor. "What's all this?" she asked her son.

"I'm just getting rid of some stuff."

"Some stuff? This is a lot," she observed.

"Well, there's more to come," he informed her. "I don't care what you do with it. I'm sure you'll find some underprivileged children that are worthy enough for the collection."

Sandy's eyebrows were knitted together so closely, they formed a solid, winged line. "I don't get it. You've spent years amassing this stuff. You want to just give it away?"

"Yes! It's mine so I can do with it what I will, right? And my will is to have it gone. All of it."

"Seth, I think you're being a little hasty," Kirsten started to say.

But Seth interrupted her, his voice agitated. "No, Mom, I'm not being hasty. I'm being very rational and I've thought about it for a while. Have I asked you for one thing since I came home? No. Well, there was the tapioca but that doesn't count. I just want this stuff out of the house. I don't want to look at it anymore. Okay?"

He looked at Summer for the first time since they'd come downstairs. "Thanks for coming." Giving her a quick peck on the lips, he turned and ran for the stairs.

"Summer, do you know what's going on with him?" Sandy asked.

Unsure of how much she should reveal, she hesitated. She didn't want to betray his confidence but, she reasoned, he hadn't specifically asked her not to relay their conversation. Besides, his parents were worried about his strange behaviour and she couldn't blame them for that. "He told me that he's gone through all of this stuff. The music, the books. And basically he doesn't like any of it anymore. I think he, um, doesn't want the reminders around, you know? Like wanting a clean start."

"But to just throw it all away..." Kirsten's voice trailed off without finishing the thought.

Sandy regarded his wife. "Maybe this is what Dr. Singh was warning us about."

The look Kirsten gave him was filled with concern. "You think?"

"Yeah. Maybe that would explain the other things we've noticed too."

Summer's gaze flickered from one parent to the other, feeling her own concern growing. "What do you mean?"

Sandy launched into an explanation. "Dr. Singh, the neurologist at the hospital, told us that sometimes after head injuries, there could be changes in personality. It's a form of brain damage. Some people have problems with speech or mental abilities. Some lose sensations like hearing or smell. And, of course, there's memory loss. We already know about that one. Other than the amnesia, I'd really hoped that none of these other problems had affected Seth. Now I'm not so sure."

"Maybe he's just frustrated because he can't remember things," Summer suggested. "I'm sure it's not...brain damage."

"Maybe. I hope you're right," Sandy stated. "Even if it is, it's not always permanent."

It was too horrible to even consider. But she had to ask one more question. "You mentioned that you've noticed other things?"

"Well, he's been moody. Doesn't talk much. Not interested in watching TV or movies. I'm sure some of it is just a natural result of the accident. I didn't expect him to come home and be cheerful. But after what you told us and his wanting to toss all these boxes..." Sandy shook his head, his expression perplexed.

"I wish he would talk to Ryan," Kirsten said abruptly.

Her statement seemed to come out of nowhere and both Sandy and Summer gave her a bewildered look. "No, really," she stated defensively. "Sandy, don't you remember what it was like before you brought Ryan home?" She ticked off a list with her fingers. "Seth was moody. He wouldn't talk to us. He acted depressed. We were always worried about him because he didn't have any friends. Then Ryan came and Seth just...blossomed. They need to find each other again."

"I have to go," Summer blurted out. As she turned, her gaze downcast, she spotted a familiar brown hoof sticking out of the corner of one box. Bending down, she extracted one Captain Oats. She couldn't believe it had been abandoned too. "Do you mind if I keep this?"

"Not at all." Kirsten smiled, though her eyes were sad. "I'm glad he's going to a good home."

Before Summer could escape through the door, Sandy stopped her. "Hey, Summer." She swung back around to face him. "I'm sorry I didn't call you after the accident. I happened to speak to Marissa and she mentioned that she'd already told you about it."

"That's right."

"I didn't want you to think I was ignoring you."

"It's fine, Mr. Cohen," she assured him. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay. Come by and see Seth anytime. I'm glad he has someone to talk to."

He opened the door for her and she walked quickly to her car. Captain Oats was placed on the passenger seat and she leaned forward, resting her arms on the steering wheel, breathing deeply. She had managed to get out of there before saying something she would have regretted. About Ryan. Although she'd thought she'd made peace with it, she obviously hadn't. Not when the mention of his name on Kirsten's lips had sent a stab of resentment through her heart.

She'd tried to consider it logically. Seth and Ryan had been best friends. Just as she was with Marissa. The day of Julie's wedding, when Seth had told her how upset he was about Ryan returning to Chino, she'd understood. She would be devastated if Marissa ever moved away. And yet, when she'd gently reminded Seth that he still had her, he'd only replied that it wasn't the same. Her brain understood that logic but it still hurt. She wasn't enough. Even though she'd publicly declared for all to see at school that she chose him. Even though she'd defied her father's wishes and continued to see him. Not enough. Not enough to make him stay.

She didn't want to think about this anymore. She had to get her energy up to make an appearance at her father's dinner. Turning the ignition key, the engine roared to life and she found herself talking to the plastic horse. "Don't worry, Captain. I won't let some strange kid get his grubby hands on you. You're staying with me for a while."

A/N: So there you have it, the long awaited S/S interaction! I know I can't please everyone so I'm curious to know your thoughts. Don't be shy :-) Yes, I'm going to mess around with Seth a little bit. I can't have everything be A-okay just yet or the story would end right here.

Thank you again for those reviews. I appreciate each and every one.