Ch 2-The Girls

Seth sat and looked at his plate, waiting for his mother to show up. He hadn't directly spoken to her, no. He had wanted to surprise everyone so he had Ryan call instead and said to meet him for lunch. Hopefully the middle-aged women wouldn't pass out when she saw Seth instead of her pseudo-son there. He glanced around and saw her entering. The waiter pointed her in the general direction and she smiled her thanks.

The years of pain and worry over her son had taken a small toll on the women. If anything, she just dove into more activities to keep her mind on anything but Seth. Sandy's death is what made her hit rock bottom. She stopped dressing up in the latest fashions and even let her hair go without highlights. After thirty-five years of marriage, she saw no reason to look spectacular anymore. Sandy was her everything…and now her everything was gone.

"Excuse me…" she said softly to the man whose head was bent over the plate. "I'm meeting someone here for lunch and-"

Seth suddenly looked up. "I know," he whispered.

Kirsten's eyes grew wide with shock, than horror, surprise, happiness, and back to shock.

"Mom?" he asked, seeing her lose her balance. She grabbed hold of the chair, the whole time her eyes never leaving her son.

"Seth?" she finally got out. "Is that you?"

He nodded silently.

"How…why…I thought you…" she trailed off starting to get that lost look in her eyes.

"It's ok, I'm ok," he told her getting up and gently hugging the women. His mother reciprocated the hug stiffly at first and then just collapsed.

"Mom? Kirsten?" Seth asked concerned by the women's dead weight. He moved her gently and sighed with a small smile on his face. Kirsten Cohen had fainted.

888

The two men stood next to each other and looked at their mother, still passed out.

"That's great. I make my own mother pass out when she sees me," Seth grumbled.

"Welcome home," Ryan joked as he clapped him on the back.

The doorbell rang and Ryan went to go answer it. All Seth heard was a women crying and Ryan trying to shush her. He moved a little closer so he could hear his brothers hushed tones.

"It's just not the best time right now." There was a pause and then a gasp. "What the fuck?" he yelled.

Seth ran out at that point, Ryan didn't usually yelled unless provoked…so this had to be something good. Seth skidded into the foyer and saw his brother tightly clutching a dark haired women who was sobbing in his arms. The women hesitantly glanced up at the sound of his arrival. There was no mistaking whose beautiful brown eyes they were The only thing that was off was that brown eyes were red rimmed and full of tears. The Summer Roberts he had known had never cried, at least he'd never seen her. Her eyes widened in shock and she went to pull away, but Seth, sensing he had interrupted a private moment, retreated.

"I'm gonna kill him," Ryan seethed as he let go.

"Ryan, no!" she cried. "This…was just a one time thing," she weezled.

"Once is one too many," he retorted looking away.

"Promise me," she demanded. If Ryan Atwood claimed he was going to kill a person, she wouldn't doubt him. She had seen him in action and it just wasn't pretty.

"Summer, do you know what you're asking me to do?" he finally asked quietly.

"I know…and I'm sorry ok? Just-"

"I promise," he replied cutting in. Never in his life had Ryan made a promise such as this. It went against all his judgment, but she had to have a good reason for it. And knowing Summer, it would be a good one.

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Ten minutes later Ryan walked back into the den where Seth sat and Kirsten was gone.

"Bathroom," he nodded sensing the question that was about to come. "So…who was the door?" he asked offhand.

"No one," Ryan lied looking at Seth. He knew Seth had seen her, it was obvious but unsaid. Seth just nodded his head and got up as the bathroom door opened.

"I'm just gonna…take her home," he said gesturing offhand to his mother.

"I got her."

"No. We have a lot of catching up to do. I haven't talked to her in fifteen years…it's time to talk," he replied walking out the door.

Ryan sighed as the door closed. He wasn't stupid, he knew where Seth was going; he just hoped he was prepared for it.

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Seth sat in his car and looked up at the two story house before him and sighed. He got out slowly and went up and knocked on the door. After a minute or two, the door was opened.

"Seth," she said. It wasn't a question nor an exclamation. It was as if she knew he would go there and wasn't surprised to see her former love.

"Summer," he smiled.

As she opened the door to let him in through and stepped into the light, he gasped.