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: Hello again! Well, here's the new chapter as I promised last time. I do have a note regarding Zach in that I am thrilled that they revealed his last name on the show (finally!) This story will be ending really soon, so I hope you like this one. Thanks for all the support!

Against All Odds
Chapter 23 – National Debut

Seth walked in the Newport Group building like any other afternoon, except this time, he had another agenda. When he woke up that morning, he had his framed college diploma. He could not believe that he never thought of it before, especially since he majored in mass communications. His parents were definitely on to something. He knew that one of the problems of the National Marrow Donor Program was that not a lot of people were aware of it. If he could find a way to make the program more public, then maybe more people would come in and become donors. Hopefully, one of them would be able to help Summer.

His plan would require a lot of money, and if anyone in Newport had money, it was Caleb Nichol. He did not discuss anything with him beforehand, and since he only thought of the idea that morning, there was no time to set up a meeting.

"May I speak with Caleb?" Seth asked his secretary.

"Mr. Nichol is in a meeting right now."

"Could you tell him that it's his grandson? I need to talk to him."

After talking to Caleb for a short while, the secretary told Seth to wait for five more minutes. Seth thanked her and took a seat. He figured that Caleb must have thought that it was a business matter, but Seth didn't care. All he needed was to see him at that moment. Five minutes later, a few gentlemen exited the office with a few of them acknowledging Seth. Seth waited until everyone had left before he entered Caleb's office.

"What did you do now?" Caleb asked as Seth walked in. "Did we lose a business partner?"

"I knew you were going to say that," Seth said. "Actually, I'm not here to talk about business."

"Then what is so important that you had to see me?"

"It's about Summer…"

"What about your wife?"

"She's in the hospital again and…"

"I'll pay the bill if that's what you want."

"No, granddad, that's not it," Seth said. "Could you just listen to me for a minute?"

"I don't have a lot of time, but go ahead."

"Summer's in really bad shape right now. It's the second time that she's had a relapse, and her chances of getting through this illness are slim. What she needs is a bone marrow transplant…"

"A what?"

"See, that's my point," Seth said. "Not a lot of people are aware about this method to help cancer patients. It's kind of like donating blood, but instead, it's the bone marrow."

"What's the problem then?"

"Unlike blood, the possibility of getting a match is slim, especially if you don't have any siblings. In addition, since not a lot of people know about it, the number of donors is also a small amount compared to the amount of people who donate blood."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I'm planning on getting the word out about the National Marrow Donor Program, which means running ads in magazines, newspapers, the radio, and the television."

"That's going to cost a lot of money, Seth."

"I know, but if we don't do this now, a lot of people out there are going to die."

"And by that you mean Summer."

"Come on, granddad," Seth pleaded. "You have a lot of money, and you're the only one I could think of who can help me, " Seth told him. "And besides, it's not only about the money. People know who you are, and if you were personally involved in this, it would save us a lot of time with proposals and pitches and whatnot. I could not do this without your help."

"Seth, as much as I would like to help you, this is not going to be good for the company," Caleb told him. "What good will it do?"

"You could say that you support it. Doesn't that give the company some publicity?"

"We already have enough publicity, and obviously, we've put a lot of money into that already. Actually, a lot of that money went into your charity endeavors in New York."

"Then screw the company!" Seth cried out. "I just need your help. If it doesn't benefit the company, who cares? It will benefit other people… Summer… me…"

"Are you really expecting me to just fork up millions for a cause that you happen to think is beneficiary for you?"

"Yes!" he yelled. "I thought you of all people would understand. Weren't you the one who told me about a year ago that family comes first?"

"I know what I said, but this is different."

"Why? In case you didn't know, I'm married to Summer now. She is my wife. She is my family. She is my present… My future… She's everything to me. How can you say that this is different?"

"Seth…"

"If given a choice, I would gladly trade places with her. She doesn't deserve this. Summer doesn't deserve any of this."

"I didn't say that she did."

"You know what? Forget that I ever came here. I thought you changed, but I guess not."

"Seth, I do not appreciate your tone."

"I don't care what you do or don't appreciate. I don't give a damn anymore. I'll find someone else who can help me."

Before Caleb could respond, Seth had left the room, slamming the door behind him. It would be a lie to say that he wasn't the least bit upset. He was furious, but mostly, he was furious at himself. Without Caleb, there was really nothing else he could do. He did not have enough money to go ahead with his plan. He thought of what other things he could do, but at that point, he was bordering desperation.

"Seth?"

He turned around to see Lindsay, his "practically sister" aunt. Lindsay was no Caleb, but she did have some power in the form of Zachary Stevens.

"Are you okay?" Lindsay asked.

"Not really."

"What's up?"

"I need your help," Seth said. "Actually, I need your help because I need Zach's help."

"Is everything okay?"

"It's just that Summer is sick again, and I don't know… I have to find a way to help her."

"I thought she was getting better."

"She was, but she had another relapse last night, and the doctor said that… I can't even…"

"It's okay," Lindsay said. "Zach's in his office right now, but he should be able to see you."

"Thank you."

"Come on," she said. "I'll take you there."

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"Zach, I always knew you had super powers."

Seth had probably thanked Zach for the hundredth time that evening. He did not ask him for money, but by that time, it was the least of his worries. Being in front of the camera was not his best strength either, but he was also desperate. If anyone could pull some strings to get Seth some airtime, it would be the congressman of Newport Beach.

"It's the least I could do," Zach laughed. "Besides, we're family now, and family always comes first."

Seth just nodded and thanked him once more. They had really become good friends, and even better friends after the fallout regarding Summer in the middle of their junior year.

"Mr. Cohen, it's time," said one of the crew.

"Are you ready?" Zach asked.

"No," Seth said nervously. "I don't even know what to say."

"If all things fail, just speak with your heart."

Seth let Zach's words sink in before coming with the assistant director. He figured that speaking with his heart won't be a big problem, but it would also mean that he would be rambling.

"And now, we have a special guest with a very important message," said the journalist.

"I don't know if you know me or not, but I'm Seth Cohen," Seth started, feeling his nerves settling down. "My wife has leukemia, and at the moment, she is very ill. If she had a bone marrow transplant right now, she would probably be cured. It all sounds so simple, but she could not get one because the doctors could find a compatible donor. It's not that she's not compatible with anyone. It's just that her donor is still out there somewhere.

"The reason is that not a lot of people are aware of the National Marrow Donor Program or are willing to become donors. It is so easy to be one. If you are between the ages of eighteen and sixty, and are of course in good health, you can be a donor. You know, maybe you'll even be the one who can help Summer. She is only twenty-seven years old. She is too young to die.

"You really don't have to do much. I had it done a number of months ago. You just need to have a little blood drawn to determine your tissue type and sign a consent form. After this, you will become a part of the NMDP. If you're lucky, you might get a call one of these days to tell you that you are a potential match for a patient. There will be additional blood work done on you, and if you're still a match, your marrow will be given to the patient who needs it, like my wife."

Seth became silent for a moment, taking his time to catch his breath. He did not notice it before, but the entire crowd in the studio was still. Suddenly, after all the facts and figures had escaped his system, he was overwhelmed with emotion.

"I know that a lot of you watch the news every night. Most of the time, they are about events happening throughout the world or about accidents that had already taken place. This time, you can do something about it. You probably think that I'm just a nobody, and maybe I am, but there are a lot of people out there who need your help like my wife does. Hopefully, maybe tomorrow, many of you will go to your local hospital and get your blood tested. Who knows? Maybe you will be the one to save Summer's life."

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"Where is Seth?"

"I don't know," Ryan replied as they made their way towards Summer's room.

"Did you stop by earlier?"

"I did, but he didn't answer the door."

"You have the key, Ryan."

"Marissa…"

"Spill it."

"Okay, I went inside, and he wasn't there."

"That's it?"

"There may have been a couple of empty vodka bottles lying around the living room."

"What?"

"He was obviously not fine when we left him last night."

"Did you see anything else?"

"The living room was trashed."

"What if he's in the hospital?"

"We haven't heard anything."

"Did you call him?"

"I called him three times, I left three messages, and I still did not hear back from him."

"So where is he?"

"Didn't you ask me that already?"

Marissa sighed as she opened the door to Summer's room. Summer smiled when she saw the two of them, but it faded away when she noticed that it was only the two of them who came to visit.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm feeling better, Coop," Summer said. "Thanks for being there."

"You scared the hell out of me, Sum," Marissa said. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I really thought I was feeling better, but as we know now, I was wrong."

"We're both glad that you're okay."

"Thanks Chino," Summer said before growing serious. "Where's Cohen?"

"Um…" Marissa started.

"I… uh… Well…" Ryan stammered.

"Where is he?" Summer asked once again.

"We don't know," Ryan said.

"We haven't heard from him since last night," added Marissa.

"Is he okay?"

"I'm sure he's fine," Ryan assured her. "We haven't heard anything bad, so hopefully he's just out doing something."

"How is he?"

"He seemed fine last night," Marissa said.

"What does that mean?"

"I came by the house this morning, and as it turned out, he wasn't fine," Ryan said. "I think he should be okay this morning, but he was drinking a lot last night. The living room doesn't look pretty."

Before Summer could say anything, Dr. Barry came into the room.

"You have got to see this," he said excitedly as he turned on the television.

One of the newscasters took over, claiming about a special news to end the show.

"And now for our final story of the evening, a man from Newport Beach in Orange County, California walked into one of our affiliate stations and made a heartfelt plea for his wife's life."

Summer almost choked when Seth's face came on the monitor. He talked about Summer's situation and asked everyone to help out. After playing a clip of Seth, the newscaster urged everyone to help out and wished Summer the best of luck.

"That was totally awesome," Marissa chirped.

"That was a gutsy thing to do," Dr. Barry said. "Not only that, but millions of people saw him. Somebody also told me that a bunch of newspapers have picked up the story, and it is going to be circulated throughout the country."

"I guess now we what he's been doing," Ryan said.

"I can't believe he did that," Summer uttered in awe as tears filled her eyes.

"Do you know how many people will know about you?" Marissa said. "This is going to be great. I just know that a lot of them will respond. I know they will."

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Later that night, Seth finally found his way to the hospital to visit Summer. He went by his house for a bit, where he found Ryan and Marissa waiting. Of course, they asked him about the TV appearance, but mostly, they questioned him about what happened in the living room. Seth didn't get into all the details, but he assured them that it won't happen again. He was grateful when they both offered to clean up the mess so he could visit Summer.

"Hey there," Seth greeted her when he came into the room with flowers in hand. "This is for you."

"Thanks," Summer smiled at him as she put the flowers in the corner.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, taking her hand in his.

"I'm feeling better," she replied. "How does it feel to be on TV?"

"So you saw me already," Seth said. "I must have looked like a big dork."

"You did well."

"I was so nervous," Seth said. "I really had no clue what to say until the cameras started rolling."

"That was really sweet of you," Summer said. "It was a bold move on your part. I was impressed, but most of all, I really appreciated it."

"Anything for you."

"Did Caleb help you?"

"No, he didn't," Seth told her, but he declined to elaborate. "Actually, my dear uncle Zach helped me out."

"Please don't refer to him as your uncle," Summer said with a laugh. "I mean, technically, he is your uncle, but it sounds weird, especially since I once dated him. Can you imagine? I dated your uncle."

"It's very soap opera-ish, but then again, Ryan, who is practically my brother, is married to my step-aunt, who once dated my aunt, who is now married to Zach."

"I should have thought about it before marrying into your incestuous family," Summer joked.

"At least we're a good bunch," Seth retorted. "Well, at least most of us are, but you know what I mean."

"Ryan and Marissa told me about what happened to you last night."

"So not only are we incestuous, we also rat on each other."

"They were only concerned," Summer said. "Besides, that is not the point. The point is that you were drinking again."

"I know, and I promise it won't happen again."

"They said the living room was trashed."

"I was drunk."

"So that's really the only reason?"

"Summer…"

"I know you, Cohen," Summer said. "Why can't you just tell me?"

"Because it's hard," he finally let out. "I was so worried about you last night, and after what Dr. Barry told us, I was scared. Ryan and Marissa made me feel better for a while, but we all know that didn't last long. I didn't know what else to do. I was just sad. I was depressed. I didn't even mean to drink that much, and then I saw that movie Love Story from where you stopped watching it earlier until the end, and I just lost it. I mean, why Summer? Why do you like watching that? I don't want you to die. I can't lose you, Summer. I can't."

Seth felt himself losing every inch of composure that he could muster. After holding it in for so long, he finally broke down in front of her. He held onto her hand as though he was hanging on for dear life. The very sight of him was not helping her composure either. It was the first time that Summer had seen him look so devastated, and knowing that she was the reason for his pain made it worse.

"I know that your illness was just not going to go away so easily, but I can't lose you again. The thought of not having you around haunts me more than anything else I could imagine. I need you, Summer. I know that we've somewhat grown apart these past few weeks, but not a single second passes that I don't think about you. The death of my parents nearly destroyed me, but the thought of your death… Of you dying… You can't do that to me, Summer. We just got married, and we're going to have children. We have our whole life ahead of us. You can't leave me alone. You just can't do that. I won't stand for it. It would kill me."

"Cohen, I am still here," Summer consoled him. "I won't leave you."

"I don't know what I would do…"

"Don't think about it, okay?" Summer said. "I won't be going anywhere."

"I just love you so much, Summer."

"I know you do. I love you, too, Seth, and I'm sorry that I kept you in the dark."

"You knew this was coming?" he asked as he started to get upset once again.

"I had a feeling, but I didn't want to worry you."

"You have to tell me these things," he said, but this time his anger had faded away. "I know I'm neurotic, but that's okay. You need to tell me."

"I know."

"Are you sure? I hope you really know, because I'm serious. We are in this together."

"I'll tell you next time."

"No, there won't be a next time," Seth said, sounding positive for a change. "You will beat this thing. I can guarantee it."

"That's a bold statement."

"Well, I'm all about being bold today," Seth smiled. "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to break down like that."

"It's okay," she told him. "If anything, I'm glad you showed me that side of you. I know that you always try to put up this strong front, and while I appreciate it, I don't want you to hold back on what you're thinking or feeling. You say that we're in this together. It's not only about you understanding what I'm going through. I also want to understand what you're going through."

"It's a deal," Seth said as he gave her a kiss. "Sealed with a kiss."

"So how was it like being at the studio?"

"It was totally weird," Seth said. "Aside from the anxiety and nervousness, I really had no idea how many people actually work to get everything together. I mean, we only see a few people on the screen, but there were so many people behind the camera doing everything else."

"Do you really think people would respond?"

"Why wouldn't they?" Seth said before grinning. "I am one of America's most eligible bachelors."

"Oh, okay, so suddenly someone's ego filled up the room."

"Well, I'm not a bachelor anymore," he smiled at her.

"Cohen, seriously, do you think it would help?"

"It has to help to some extent," Seth said. "I know there are a lot of people just like us waiting for someone out there to be their savior. I meant every word that I said. I was practically begging. The least people could do is feel sorry for me."

"You do have that quality," Summer said. "That's why I went out with you in the first place."

"Oh, that hurts, Summer," Seth said as he playfully put a hand to his heart. "Totally brutal."

"Come on, you know that's now the only reason. I also wanted to help the needy."

"You can stop running over my heart now," he retorted. "And as for my ego, trust me, it's already deflated."

"I'm just kidding," Summer smiled at him. "I hope you know that."

"I know," Seth said as he grew serious. "And I know that you will find a match. In the meantime, you're stuck with me."

"Aren't I lucky?"

"You bet you are," Seth said enthusiastically. "And you know what? So am I."