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.

Note: Thanks for all the reviews! I decided to get this chapter out early since I'm going to be busy from Thursday till the weekend. I probably won't be able to get the next chapter out until the first weekend of April, but no later than that.

Against All Odds
Chapter 22 – When You Least Expect It

The past three months since their wedding day have gone by in a blur. The things around the house have certainly changed. The New York decorations have been retired to the basement. Most of the décor around the house have been replaced with the wedding gifts. Even the pictures have changed, although the change was an addition more than anything else. The images of Sandy and Kirsten were still present, but now there were pictures of Seth and Summer as a married couple, along with pictures of Ryan and Marissa, and the four of them as a group.

Seth returned to his job a month after the wedding, although he was not assigned to the main quarters in Newport. On the other hand, Summer remained in the house, although she was temporarily serving as a consultant for her company in New York. She thought about going back, but she knew that Seth would be against it. She was actually feeling better, but she knew that if she got sick again, being in Newport with the rest of her family would be best.

While Seth was at work, Summer spent most of her time either on the phone with her boss, on the internet doing some research, or on the couch watching classic movies. Once in a while, Marissa would stop by and they would eat lunch, although sometimes she ate lunch with Seth. However, he wasn't able to make it that particular afternoon because of a business meeting.

"Hello?" Summer said as she picked up the phone. "Hey Coop!"

"What are you up to?"

"Nothing much," Summer said. "Watching Love Story again."

"Are you busy tonight?"

"You know I'm never busy these days," Summer said with a laugh. "Do you have anything in mind?"

"How about a night in town? Just the two of us?"

"Is Chino busy or something?"

"No," Marissa said. "I just wanted to get out of the house, and I know he would say that he'd rather stay in, so I figured I'd rather hang out with you. Besides, I haven't seen you in a while."

"I know," she said nostalgically. "Cohen has been busy lately as well."

"So I'll pick you up around seven?"

"Seven sounds great," Summer said as she got up from the couch.

All of a sudden, her head started to spin, and she lost her balance as the phone dropped beside her. She gripped the end of the coffee table as she attempted to open her eyes. Everything seemed fine, but her head was still hurting. She saw the phone and picked it up, hearing the faint voice of Marissa on the other end.

"Sum? Summer, are you there? Summer?"

"Coop…"

"What happened?"

"I think I got up too quickly," Summer said as she sat back on the couch. "I just got dizzy all of a sudden."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Summer assured her. "I have been sitting here for a while."

"If you're not feeling well, we can…"

"I'm fine, Coop," she told her. "I'll be ready by seven."

"Okay," Marissa said. "I'll see you later."

Summer hang up and put the phone on the table. Her head was still hurting, although the pain was beginning to subside. Her heartbeat was starting to accelerate as nervousness took over her. While it did seem like it was only a rush of blood to the head, she had been experiencing the same episode for the past couple of days. They weren't even when she was doing anything strenuous. At one point, she was walking from her room to the bathroom when she had the same feeling. She chose not to tell Seth, convincing herself that it was all due to stress. Besides, the last thing she wanted was to worry him. Everything had been going so well, and she refused to believe that she was getting sick again so soon.

"It's nothing," Summer assured herself as she got up from the couch.

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"How was work today?"

"Tough as hell, but I'm good at it apparently," Seth told her.

"I take it that the meeting went well."

"They were all impressed. Even Caleb gave me a compliment."

"I'm glad you had fun."

Summer walked into the kitchen while Seth followed her.

"Were we supposed to go out tonight?" he asked. "You look like you're ready to go somewhere."

"Actually, I'm going out with Marissa."

"Really?" Seth asked. "What time?"

"In about an hour," Summer told him. "I just wanted to be ready and everything."

"Interesting…"

"What does that mean?"

"I was just thinking about high school, that's all," Seth gave her a smile. "We don't hang around much anymore."

"Maybe you should call Ryan," she suggested. "Maybe the two of you can catch up and gossip about everything."

"Men don't gossip Summer."

"Oh, that's right," Summer laughed. "You discuss."

"Exactly."

"I'm going to go upstairs and make sure that everything is ready. I haven't done this in a while."

"You look great."

Summer gave him a smile as she made her way upstairs. Seth couldn't help but frown once Summer was out of view. He hated the fact that his work was taking a lot of his time to spend with her. He knew that she was lonely in the house, and even if she didn't say it, he had the feeling that she missed being in New York and going back to her job. He wouldn't keep her from anything if she wanted to go back, but things would be a lot easier if they stayed in Newport.

For the most part, Summer was getting better and better. There was still no donor available, but Seth was keeping his fingers crossed. With the rate of Summer's recovery, there was even a possibility that they won't need a donor anymore. Still, in the back of his mind, he knew that anything could happen.

He looked around the kitchen and sighed when he realized that he would be eating alone that night. He walked over to the refrigerator and decided to munch of some leftovers. Once the food was heated, he sat down on the table and decided to multi-task as he went some papers from work.

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Summer went back downstairs when it was almost seven and looked around for Seth. She noticed the light in the kitchen and figured that he was still there. She walked in slowly and saw him with some food on the table, although by now he was focused on his work.

"Hey!"

Seth turned around in his chair and gave her a smile.

"Hey!"

He put down his papers so he could give her his full attention; a gesture that Summer appreciated, although she didn't say anything.

"Marissa should be here soon."

"You look great."

"You told me already," she told him, blushing a little bit.

"Well, it doesn't hurt to say it again."

"So you had leftovers?"

"I might as well save the good stuff when you're around."

"I'm sorry not telling you sooner."

"It's okay," Seth assured her. "Just because we're married doesn't mean that you need my permission."

"I know, but…"

"You deserve the night off more than anyone."

They were both silent for a little while; an awkward situation that rarely occurred between them.

"How was your day?" Seth asked.

"You know, the usual," Summer said. "I got a call from work this morning, but other than that, I was just being a couch potato and watched movies all day."

"And how are you?"

"I'm good… Why?"

"Nothing." Seth said. "I just wanted to know, I guess."

"I better get going."

"I thought Marissa was coming at seven."

"Which is any minute now."

"I'll see you later then."

Summer walked over and gave him a quick kiss before walking away.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he called out.

"I'm fine, Cohen."

"Okay."

"I am," Summer assured him.

Before Summer could leave the room, Seth called her again.

"Hey Summer…"

"Yeah?" she asked, turning around.

Seth got up this time and walked towards her. He stood in front of her for a mere second or two before reaching a hand to her head and pulling her in for a kiss. It was a kiss full of emotion; a kiss that told her everything that he wanted but couldn't. When he pulled away, his hand caressed her face gently before he pulled her into a hug.

"I'm really sorry for not being around these past few weeks," Seth told her as he pulled away so he could see her face. "I know it's been tough. It's been tough for me, and I know that it's been tougher on you. I just hate this. I feel like we're not connecting the way we used to, like there's some kind of wall between us."

"Cohen, it's not your fault."

"I missed you."

"But I'm right here..."

"I know it doesn't make any sense, but I really missed you, and I just want you to know that."

"I missed you too."

"Don't cry," Seth told her as he wiped the tear that fell from her eyes. "You're going out with Marissa tonight."

"I know, but I can't help it," Summer said. "You always know the right thing to say."

"That always happens when you have the right person to talk to."

They heard a car beep from outside, which could only mean that Marissa was there.

"Have fun tonight."

"I will."

"Don't stay out too late, okay?"

"Are you planning to wait for me or something?"

"Maybe," Seth gave her a smile.

"Don't stay up too late," she said before kissing him goodbye. "I'll see you later."

"I'll be waiting."

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It was only nine-thirty, but Seth had nothing better to do, so he just settled into bed and read a few more reports from work. If he actually had the reports read by morning, he wouldn't have to stay long at work. Caleb told him that he could arrive and leave as he pleased, but Seth didn't want to be treated differently. Lately, however, he had been tempted to take Caleb on his offer.

His reading was interrupted when the phone rang. He checked the watch again and figured that it couldn't be Summer. A night out with Marissa usually ends at least around eleven. However, the caller I.D. stated that it was Summer calling him.

"Your night couldn't possibly be over already."

"Cohen…"

"You should start hanging out with Marissa," Seth said. "You're starting to sound like her."

"It is Marissa."

"But why are you on Summer's phone?" he asked as he started to get nervous. "Where is Summer? Is she okay?"

"I'm in the hospital right now. We were just…"

Hearing the word hospital was all that Seth needed to hear. In a flash, he was off the bed. He changed to a pair of jeans, although he didn't bother changing his shirt. After grabbing his wallet, his phone, and his keys, he rushed downstairs and to his car.

"Please be okay," he told himself as he left the house.

He repeated the words to himself on his way to the hospital, but inside his gut, he knew that his words were for a lost cause.

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"Where is she?"

"Seth, it's okay," Ryan tried to calm him down.

"Where is my wife?" Seth cried out again. "Where is she?"

"They're looking into her right now," informed Ryan.

"I don't believe this," he said frantically as he ran his hand in his hair. "This can't be happening."

"Why don't you sit down and…"

"Back off me, man," Seth yelled before calming down. "I'm sorry. It's just that my wife is in there right now, and who knows what's going on…"

"She's going to be okay," Marissa told him.

"She would be if it wasn't for you."

"Bro, don't do this," Ryan told him as he stepped between the two.

"I left her with you for a couple of hours, and now she's in the hospital," Seth rambled. "What kind of friend are you?"

"You're way out of line," Ryan defended Marissa. "Would you stop for a second and listen to what you're saying?"

"I'm sorry," Seth said. "I can't think straight right now."

"It's okay, Seth," Marissa said.

"What happened?" he asked as he finally took a seat.

"While we were shopping, she claimed that she started to get hot, so we went back to the car. She wanted to stop by at the pier for a short while, and since she said that she was feeling better, we took a walk. The next thing I knew, she started looking tired, but before I could ask, she just collapsed."

"Thanks for getting her here."

"Well, I called 911…"

"You know what I mean," Seth said.

The three of them waited in the lobby for an hour before Dr. Barry approached them.

"How is she?" Seth asked anxiously.

"She's stable right now, but I'm not going to lie to you. It's not looking good."

The words were said in a calm manner, but they shook Seth down to his inner core.

"What's going on?" Marissa asked as Seth was too shocked to speak.

"She's experiencing another relapse, but this time, her condition is worse. We're going ahead with chemo and radiation, but if she doesn't get a bone marrow transplant soon, her chances of surviving is grim."

Marissa couldn't help the tears in her eyes from falling as she buried her face in Ryan's shoulder. Ryan tried his best to soothe her, while at the same time looking out for Seth. For the most part, he was just staring in space.

"Can we see her?" asked Ryan.

"I'm afraid that's not possible until tomorrow," Dr. Barry said. "We are taking every pre-caution to make sure she's okay, and right now, we can't risk the possibility of an infection."

"What do we do now?"

"I think the best option would be to go back home and sleep in your own beds. She'll be here tomorrow, and you guys need your rest. It won't do her any good with you staying around here."

"Thanks Dr. Barry," Ryan said.

Ryan waited for a few minutes after the doctor left before speaking up.

"You guys heard her," Ryan said. "We'll come back tomorrow."

"I'm not leaving."

"Seth…"

"I am not leaving."

"You can't stay here," Ryan said, trying his best to be the voice of reason.

"What if something happens?"

"Nothing is going to happen," Ryan assured him. "You need your rest, and you're not going to get it here. You can see her tomorrow."

"But…"

"Chino's right, Cohen," Marissa said, causing Seth to smile and frown at the same time. "You need your rest. She would want you to go home too."

"Yeah?"

"She said you looked really tired. She was hoping that you'd be asleep already when she got back."

"She did?"

"I'll drive you home," Ryan said. "Is that okay with you, Coop?"

"I think that's an awesome idea, Chino."

"You guys can stop now," Seth said, although he laughed a bit. "Summer would not approve."

"We'll see her tomorrow."

"Come on, Cohen."

"Ryan…"

"Let's just go."

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Once he entered the house, Seth felt miserable once again. He took a deep breath to keep his emotions in check. Dr. Barry can't be right. Summer had to be okay. He walked past the stairs and headed towards the living room. He wasn't in the mood to sleep now. He went to the basement and was overwhelmed when he saw everything that reminded him of New York city. He shook his head and headed towards the cabinet where they kept all the liquor in the house. After looking at what was available, he grabbed a couple of bottles of vodka and went back to the living room. When he turned on the television, he noticed that Summer had paused the movie that she was watching. Missing her at the moment, he decided to finish the movie.

He remembered watching it with her back in New York, although they both fell asleep that night. He smiled at the thought of carrying her to the bedroom. He returned his attention back to the movie, hoping that to understand why Summer loved it so much. However, when the movie ended, Seth couldn't help himself as he threw the remote towards the screen. Although the screen didn't break, the remote shattered to the floor. Seth got more frustrated as he tried to find the right remote for the DVD player.

"Why the fuck won't you turn off?"

When he couldn't find the exact remote control, he got up, grabbed the device from the shelf, and threw it to the ground. Before he could stop himself, he was taking everything from the shelf and throwing them across the room. He took down every picture, every frame, and every plaque in the vicinity and just attempted to destroy them. He noticed the bottle of vodka and decided to take a few more sips until he realized that it was empty. He searched for the other only to find out that it was also empty as well. Defeated, he threw the bottle towards the couch and collapsed in front of the T.V. as he looked at what he just did. The last time he got this wasted was when he grieved on the anniversary of the death of his parents last year.

"Why?" he asked no one in particular. "Why me…? Why her…?"

"Don't do this to yourself."

Seth looked up and saw his dad alive and well, along with his mom. He tried to get up, but he was too weak to do so.

"You again…" Seth mumbled. "I thought I told you to leave me alone."

"We know you didn't mean it," Kirsten said.

"Why is he punishing me?"

"No one is punishing you."

"That's not true, Dad," he said. "God, Moses, Jesus… They're all against me."

"Seth…"

"They took you and Dad away from me, Mom, and now Summer… They're trying to take her away from me."

"That is not true."

"You should have seen her, Mom," Seth went on. "When we got married, she looked so beautiful, and she had been through so much…"

"We were there," Sandy said. "We have never been prouder of you."

"And we have never seen you more happy."

"But why now?"

"We don't know."

"Can you help her?" Seth asked, his tone filled with hope.

"We can't do that, son," Sandy said. "That's your job."

"What can I do?" asked Seth. "Look at me. I'm nothing. I can't do anything for her. I can't give her anything."

"You can love her no matter what."

"But what if that's not enough, Mom?"

"All she needs is you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You'll find a way, son," said Sandy. "You have the answer. You'll find a way."

"Mom… Dad…" he called out as they started to disappear. "Wait… Come back… What… Come back… Come back…"

Seth woke up with a start, his eyes taking a few seconds to get adjusted to the light. He got up from the floor, his back aching from its hardness. It was obviously morning, and yet it last night seemed like a few minutes ago. He closed his eyes as he remembered talking to his parents.

"I must have been pretty drunk."

Nonetheless, the conversation played in his head several times.

"My job…" he repeated parts of their conversation. "I have the answer… I'll find a way… What the heck are they talking about?"

Seth looked down and realized that he had been holding something in his left hand. It was big enough, and yet for some reason, he didn't notice it until now. He turned over the object and scanned it with his eyes until a sudden realization came over him.

"That's it," he said with a hint of triumph in his voice. "Mom…. Dad… I owe you one."