Disclaimer: I don't own anything regarding "The O.C." nor am I affiliated with any of the cast and characters used in the story. Anyone or anything that you don't recognize is mine, and anyone and anything else that you do recognize is not mine.
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Against All Odds
Chapter 2 – Drunken Drivel
Months have passed and still nothing much has changed. He wouldn't be surprised if he already had gray hair. He had been working nonstop for the past nine months. He barely even had the time to actually live in his house. He looked around his office and its contents. It was a huge room with marbled floor, filled with expensive antiques, high-priced paintings, and several plaques that honored his accomplishments. Any man would kill him for this room, but for him, it served as a prison.
He lifted the bottle of vodka to his mouth, emptying its contents and wondering if it was his first or second bottle. He wasn't supposed to drink on the job, but it was nine o'clock and practically everyone had already left the building. He usually doesn't drink, at least not to the extent that he was drinking now. He always hated this time of the year. The thirteenth day of September. September the thirteenth.
"A day that will live in infamy," he mumbled as he took a seat on his chair.
His gaze fell on the picture of his parents: Sandy and Kirsten Cohen. They were quite a pair. One was a poor, struggling Jew who grew up in the Bronx. The other one was a wealthy WASP who was a staple in the Newport social scene. It was an unlikely pairing, but nonetheless, they were a loving couple who raised him in a loving family atmosphere. They even managed to give him a "brother" in the form of Ryan Atwood. They were so happy then, but after that fateful day, he knew that happy endings never occur when it comes to Seth Cohen.
As memories of that day overcame him, he was overwhelmed with tears. It wasn't supposed to end that way.
He was a junior in college, barely beginning the start of the fall semester. He didn't know what it was about that day, but he had a sudden urge to see his parents. He had only been gone for a couple of weeks, but for some reason, he was missing them terribly. As soon as his classes ended, he headed for his car and drove straight to Newport. Since it was only noon, he figured that he would get there in roughly six and a half hours.
What awaited him would forever be etched in his memory. He didn't even get a chance to come home. As he was driving down I-405 SOUTH, a truck came out of nowhere, creating a massive pile of vehicles on the other side of the road. At that moment, everything seemed to go in slow motion. Cars went in every direction. The screeching tires could be heard miles away. People frantic and running around. He could consider himself lucky that he was at a relatively safe distance from the truck, because the next thing he knew, an explosion had taken place.
As people started screaming everywhere, Seth got out of his car, inexplicably drawn to the accident. As he continued to fight his way amongst the crowd, he noticed a license plate on the ground.
It was amazing how one piece of metal could turn his insides cold. With shaky hands, he picked it up, wincing at first to its warmth. As tears fell from his eyes, he let go of the object and searched for the car it had identified.
"Mom!" Seth cried as he looked through the piles of cars everywhere. "Dad!"
He ran his hands through his hair, trying to find any strength and composure that he could muster. This could not be happening to him. He had to find them. They had to be alive. They just had to be. Pushing the horrible thoughts aside, he continued his way through the chaos. He already heard ambulances from afar, but he was determined to find them first. About ten feet away, he finally spotted them. The backside of the vehicle was slightly on top of another car. He ran towards them as fast as he could, but no matter how fast he ran, it was too late. His parents were dead.
He will never forget the sight of his father's face. The blood. The horror. And his mother. His once beautiful mother. It still haunted him to this day. Perhaps his only consolation was that they had each other. As much as the horrific images stayed with him, the thing that always struck him the most was that even in death, his father was holding his mother's hand.
It was a surprise that he managed to finish college without a hitch. Since his parents died, he was under the care of Caleb. He was actually in therapy for a couple of years. Reluctantly, he let him into his life, even though he knew that it would mean having Julie around as well. He actually managed to have a decent relationship with her, and a better one with his grandfather. Although Caleb has been trying to mold him to follow into the Nichol way of life, Seth never succumbed to forget that he was also a Cohen.
Seth got up again and grabbed another bottle. He knew that he would have a serious hangover the next day, but he didn't care. He was lonely. He missed his parents. He was miserable at his job. He hated his life. He had no one. Sure, he had Ryan, but Ryan had Marissa. As he continued to wallow in self-pity, he took the picture of his parents in his hand.
"Why did you leave me?" he mumbled. "How could you do this to me?"
"We didn't do this to you, son."
Seth turned around, and to his amazement, he saw his parents.
"What are you two doing here?"
"What are you doing to yourself, Seth?" his mother asked.
"You did this to me," Seth pointed towards them. "You! Why did you have to leave me?"
"It wasn't our choice, son," said Sandy. "We love you very much."
"Of course it is," Seth cried. "You were the one who drove all the way from Newport to visit me. And... And if you love me so much… Why didn't you come back?"
"You know we can't do that."
"Then just leave me alone," Seth turned around, leaning against his desk.
"Seth…" his mother called out.
"I hate both of you. You didn't love me."
"Seth, you know that's not true."
"You are not true!" he yelled as he turned towards them. "You are dead. Leave me alone!"
"Seth, your father and I will always be with you."
"That's bullshit, Mom!" he said again as he raised the bottle in his hand. "Just leave me the fuck alone!"
The bottle went straight to the wall, breaking into tiny little pieces. Seth could only managed to look, rapidly breathing as he settled himself on the floor.
"Just leave me alone…"
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For all that Ryan Atwood knew, Seth could just be sleeping in his house, but after calling him for the tenth time that night, he wasn't so sure anymore.
"Hey, he's going to be fine," Marissa said as she emerged from the kitchen. "Seth's a big boy."
"Seth's a big boy who can't take care of himself, especially when he's drunk."
"What makes you say that?"
"It's the thirteenth."
"You're really worried, aren't you?" Marissa lightly touched his face.
"Of course I am," Ryan said, taking her hand into his. "Seth's like my brother, you know, and if you recall last year…"
"I don't think he'd be driving again," Marissa assured him.
"Any idea where he could be?"
"Didn't you go to the cemetery this afternoon?"
"We did, but that was eight hours ago."
"Caleb did mention that he was working late when I stopped by to see Caitlin earlier."
"Do you mind if I go check?"
"Ryan, it's ten o'clock."
"Well, where else could he be?" Ryan said, exasperated. "I tried the house. He wasn't there. I've been calling his cell phone, and he's not picking up. I can't imagine him being anywhere else."
"Fine. I'm driving."
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
"I just hope it's not too late."
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After pleading with the security guard for a mere ten minutes, he finally succumbed and led them so his office.
"Oh my God!" Marissa cried when she saw Seth on the floor.
"Seth!" Ryan called out as he approached his body on the floor. "What have you done?"
"Do you want me to call an ambulance?"
"He's breathing," Ryan said. "We can take care of it. Thanks for your help."
"Seth!" Marissa called out again. "He's totally out cold."
"Is there water anywhere?"
"I'll go check."
A few seconds later, Marissa came back with a bucket of melted ice.
"It's the only one I can find."
"That would do."
Ryan grabbed the bucket from Marissa, and after hesitating briefly, he dumped all of its contents on Seth's face.
"Wha…" said uttered as he got up from his stance. "What am I… Ryan?"
"Hey buddy," he said, glad that he regained his consciousness. "You got yourself drunk again."
"But I only had one bottle," he said, trying to get up.
"Actually, Seth, one bottle is more than enough," Marissa said, being that she was an expert way back then. "And second of all, you had two bottles. Actually, three if you count the broken one over there."
"What happened here, man?" Ryan asked, helping Seth find his balance.
"Mom and Dad came to cause trouble."
Ryan and Marissa exchanged glances before Marissa decided to play along.
"What did they want? What happened?"
"We had a fight actually," Seth said, clutching his head. "At least I think we did."
"You threw a vodka bottle…" Marissa said uncertainly, before continuing. "At your parents?"
"I told them to leave me alone," Seth mumbled. "Or maybe it was to leave me the fuck alone. Or maybe both."
"I think all the liquor was messing with your head, man. It probably still is."
"I swear they were there," Seth told him, pointing towards the broken bottle. "Sandy and Kirsten in all their glory."
"Maybe you should call it a night," said Ryan.
"What time is it?"
"It's eleven o'clock," Marissa replied.
"Was I really out that long?"
"Come on, buddy," Ryan said. "Let's get you home."
"You guys are my home," Seth mumbled. "I love you, Ryan and Marissa… Chino and Coop."
Marissa looked at him curiously. Only Summer called them by those names.
"It's the liquor talking," Ryan assured her.
"I also love Captain Oats, and I love granddad, and Julie… I love Julie."
"Definitely the liquor," Marissa laughed.
