"So?" Summer sidled up to Julie, who was standing alone near the dance floor as the party started winding down.

Julie spoke without looking at her junior accomplice. "Taken care of. On both fronts. Robert is making Macy an offer she can't refuse and Connor is coming to Sunday brunch tomorrow at the club," she took a drink and then turned to Summer. "Give me until tomorrow evening, and both Ryan and Marissa will be aching for each other."

Summer screeched and then cleared her throat and lowered her voice. "You are just like the mom I never had," she giggled. "Thank you so much for everything," she added.

Julie gave the girl a warm smile. "Believe me, Summer, it is my pleasure."

Their self-congratulatory silence was interrupted by Seth, looking downcast and dejected. "I'm leaving," was all he said before turning and heading for the door. It had been a long night and he was now sure that they had ruined everything.

Summer ran to catch up with him. By the time they got to the parking lot, she realized she was still running. In front of the Range Rover, she took his arm and pulled him to a stop. "Why are we running, Cohen? What's your deal?"

He turned, a fire in his eyes that she hadn't seen in a long time – at least not directed at her. "What's my deal, Summer? My deal is that, after that brilliant plan we executed in there tonight, my best friend is never going to talk to me again. And there is a good chance that we have also managed to force him back into the realm of the face-punching and the gut-kicking, as well," he rattled before turning and getting into the car.

He hadthe engine runningbefore Summer realized that he wasn't going to open her door. Seth was really upset – she had a feeling he might want to leave her there to find her own way home. And there was no way she was going to let that happen. Climbing into the passenger's seat, she turned to her boyfriend and put a hand on his arm, preventing him from peeling out of the parking lot. "Relax, Cohen. When Ryan and Marissa are back together again, he'll be fine. He'll be practicing his apologies for sure."

Seth just rolled his eyes and pulled out onto the street. "I don't know." He had been thinking about it all night, and now he was fairly certain that her plan was going down the toilet pretty fast. Not even her cleavage in that dress could deter him now. "I think our sweet, well-meaning little covert op took a horribly wrong turn somewhere. We have crossed to the dark side, Summer, and I think," he stopped, gathering his thoughts. "I don't know, maybe our harmless attempt at do-gooding has morphed into a Vader-like atrocity."

Summer settled back in her seat. Seth was not that hard to sway, when she put her mind to it. "What are you talking about?" She reached out for him again, but he pulled his arm away. "It's perfect. Everything is almost perfect."

"Why is this such a big deal to you anyway?"

She sighed and leaned her elbow against the window. "We have been over this a million times."

Seth signaled, turned left, and then let his eyes drift toward her while keeping a keen eye on the road before him. "Yeah, I know the whole "balanced universe" garbage you keep spewing. But there is more to this than that and we both know it." She shook her head. "Come on, Summer. Cough it up." He was tired of playing the games, following her with no questions asked. He was tired of her lying in order to manipulate him. She probably thought she was being all stealth, but he knew. He always knew.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Summer," he said, his voice jumping in anger.

"Fine," she pouted, crossing her arms. Her face fell and she reverted to that place she always went when he was forcing her to talk about something she didn't want to talk about. "Look, every relationship I have ever trusted as stable, has ended badly. My mom and dad. Coop's mom and dad. Dawson and Joey," she rambled.

"Marissa and Ryan?"

She nodded and then turned, crossing her legs and waving her arms as she spoke urgently. "They're different. They always work it out. They fight like mad, but they work it out and they're happier than they were before things fell apart in the first place." She put a hand on Seth's thigh. "Don't you get it, Cohen?" Her voice was small, vulnerable. "They are my only hope that ever couple doesn't have to end in a horrible, ugly death."

She was so sincere, so intent on making him agree. "Summer," he covered her hand with his own. "That is so – what's the word I'm looking for?" He eased the car into her driveway while he thought it over. Once the vehicle was in "park," he turned and his eyes lit up. "The word is – oh, I know – fuckin' ridiculous! Not to mention incredibly unfair."

Taking her hand back, her face twisted in aggravation. "What? How is that in any way supportive boyfriend talk?"

He turned his body in the seat to face her. "It's not. I'm sorry, but I can't keep manipulating our friends just to ease your misguided insecurities." He thought she might cry, so he softened his approach. Just because he didn't agree with her, it didn't mean he had to try to hurt her, right? "Listen, Ryan is my best friend. And Marissa is yours. They are not iconic television characters who get their happily-ever-after written for them by some over-paid writer's imagination. They have to make their own choices, be responsible for their own happiness, not yours. You can't expect them to watch out for things they have no control over, i.e. you're faith in love."

Summer sat quietly for a long moment, staring out the window and blinking back tears. "I hate it when you're right," she admitted, sniffling and wiping her cheeks. Turning back, she smirked. "Good thing it doesn't happen that often, huh?"

Seth smirked and then thought better of defending himself. "I love you, Summer."

She smiled and leaned over to kiss him. "I know," she smiled against his mouth. When she pulled back, she placed her hands on either side of his face. "Promise me we get to be one of those iconic couples who get the happily-ever-after?"

Seth kissed her again. "Definitely. We'll be just like. . ."

"Stop." Summer put her finger over his lips.

"What?" Seth asked with wide eyes. "We were having a moment."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know. But I know you, Cohen, and you were about to make a comic book reference that I wouldn't be able, or want to understand. And then I look dumb and you look like a big geek." She ran her thumb over his lip. "Just kiss me?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Fair enough," Seth answered just before she lunged into his arms across the gear shift.