Disclaimer: I do not own The O.C. I own nothing of any actual value.
A/N: Thanks to 60schic for the beta. Any mistakes are entirely due to un-approved tinkering!

Part 1

Summer always knew she'd end up back in his arms.

There was too much between them. They were too entangled each other. Too much for anyone else.

"Breathe."

Crouched on the floor, of the elevator Summer stared at the cheap maroon carpet. Her breath was coming in and out in short halting breaths. She shook her head.

"Summer. Breathe." The speaker instructed sternly before gripping her upper arms and pulling her up forcefully.

She wrenched herself out of his grip, his worried expression catching her eye as she did so.

"Cohen!" Summer choked out, struggling for air. Tears streamed down her face.

"Summer." His tone was gentler than she had heard it in a long time, since before last summer, since before Las Vegas even. Through her tear-glazed vision Summer saw Seth open his arms to her and she fell into them appreciatively.

Seth held her close, grateful that she was accepting his comfort. Grateful that he could do something for someone. Grateful that Summer was in his arms again, even if only briefly. Experimentally he stroked her hair and rather than pulling away, Summer nuzzled closer with a strangled sob.

He smelled like comfort to her, like warm days and laughter. Soft on top of solid strength, he felt like reassurance. Summer felt safe in Seth's arms, like nothing could touch her here. Another sob sprang half-formed from her lips, and another. Summer buried her face in Seth's chest and didn't even care that he was wearing a stupid plaid button-up shirt and that the buttons were digging into her cheek.

"Hey, hey," Seth cooed soothingly though he had no idea what to say.

"I'm sorry," Summer sniffled. "Your shirt..."

"It's okay sweetheart. Go ahead, cry."

Seth's permission struck Summer. She did not need to cry and she certainly did not need Cohen's permission to do so. Summer took a long deep breath and exhaled through her nose. Summer Roberts was not a clingy mess. Summer Roberts fixed things, or at least held it together. She tried to pull away.

Seth gently pressed her head back against his chest and breathed her in. He knew once this moment passed he would lose Summer yet again. He needed her right now, as much as she needed him, and he just wanted this to last a little-

"Cohen. It's alright. I'm okay," Summer assured him, struggling to free herself. "I was in shock. I'm fine now. See? Breathing."

Seth's hands dropped to his sides. He stared into Summer's eyes. "How can you possibly be fine? Marissa is dead."

Summer's breath caught in her throat. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Summer, I-"

"What the fuck are you even doing here Cohen?" Summer demanded.

"My brother happens to have been in a car accident," Seth said flatly, watching a dark spot on the elevator wall.

"Oh. My God," Summer paled suddenly and put her hand to her mouth. "Is Ryan okay?"

Seth bit his lip, shifted his gaze to the carpet. His concern at finding Summer hyperventilating had briefly overridden his fear for Ryan. Now it had all come rushing back and overwhelmed him.

"Seth? No..." Seeing his stricken expression Summer embraced him.

Seth automatically returned her embrace. "No, no, he's not... it's just... he won't wake up!" Seth's voice cracked.

Summer pulled Seth's face towards hers and his teary eyes met her own.

"Listen to me Cohen," Summer said sternly. "He's Chino. He's strong, he's so fucking strong. Luke couldn't stop him, Oliver, Eddie. Ryan's going to be fine."

Seth pulled Summer close again. She sounded so certain. "I hope so."

Summer rubbed Seth's back comfortingly. "He will be baby, he will be. Everything's gonna be okay."

Seth clung to her. To the girl he'd loved, had never stopped loving. She was his calm in storms, his anchor. He had screwed up this summer and proceeded to lose the two people he needed most, now he was losing them again.

"I'm so, so, so sorry Summer. I was wrong," Seth mumbled into her neck.

"It's okay," Summer soothed, rubbing circles on his back. "We're going to get through this. It will all work out."

"You promise?" Seth asked, childlike and hopeful.

"Oh Seth..." Summer didn't have any answers, couldn't make a promise she couldn't keep. She changed the subject, "Can we see him?"

Seth pulled away from Summer, though she kept her arm firmly around his waist.

"Yeah, yeah, but are you sure you should..?" Seth wondered.

Summer sniffled. "You said it yourself, Coop's dead. Nothing's going to bring her back. But Ryan's not. He needs his friends."

"He's unconscious."

"So? You need your friends. I need to be your friend," Summer admitted. "I can't just stand here and... mourn, or whatever."

"Okay," Seth pushed the number for Ryan's floor and the elevator doors slid shut.

Sandy and Kirsten had their attention focused on Ryan when Seth walked into the room with Summer.

"Mom? Dad? Any news?" he asked nervously.

"Nothing yet."

Summer gasped at the sight of Ryan pale and still, covered in bandages and bruises. He looked so small swathed in white, so frail.

"Summer!" Kirsten rushed to embrace the girl. "It didn't occur to me that you'd be here. How are you?"

Summer shook her head against Kirsten's shoulder.

"I can't process. I... it's too... it's too much," Summer's breath was ragged once again. Seth put a soothing hand against her back, helping her regulate her intake of air.

"That's an understandable reaction," Sandy commented sympathetically. "Would you like Seth to take you home?"

"Thanks, but would it be okay with you guys if I waited here for awhile?" Summer requested. "I'd really like to talk to Ryan."

"You're welcome to stay sweetie, but Ryan probably won't be waking up anytime soon," Kirsten warned.

"That's okay," Summer explained. "Besides, you'll need coffee and stuff and I know none of you are going to want to leave Ryan for a second."

"Summer..." Seth met her eyes. Tried to convey how grateful he was, how amazing she was to be here right now offering her help.

A trace of a smile appeared on Summer's lips. "You're welcome Cohen. Cohen's. All of you. I need to be here right now."

Kirsten hugged the girl again lightly before resuming her seat at the left of Ryan's bed, nervously twisting her wedding ring.

Sandy shot Seth and Summer an uncomfortable smile before returning to his own seat on the other side of the bed and gazing at his wife over Ryan.

"Why don't I go get some coffee?" Summer offered, lightly pushing Seth towards his parents.

Ryan's hospital room wasn't set up for four people to spend any length of time so Summer kept herself busy making it as comfortable as possible for the Cohen's. She acquired a pile of extra blankets from the nurse's station to make Kirsten's and Sandy's minimally padded chairs softer, and to build a nest for Seth on the floor at the foot of Ryan's bed.

Seth settled himself in the nest Summer had created for him. He looked up at her and caught her wrist. Their eyes met and they communicated wordlessly. Seth appreciated the needlessness of speech with his ex-girlfriend. She knew him so well. He pulled Summer down next to him.

Summer leaned against Seth and yawned delicately. It was almost three o'clock in the morning and she was emotionally and physically exhausted. Her eyelids fluttered shut against her volition.

Seth wrapped his arm around her and snuggled her closer to his chest. She sighed contentedly and he dropped his head against hers.

Summer wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep when she woke suddenly. Her yielding, rhythmically beating pillow had gone rigid and the pattern had changed. The gentle pressure against her head was gone. Summer lifted her head and opened her eyes. Someone had turned off the lights.

"Cohen?" She whispered, wrapping an arm around his torso. "Seth?"

"Summer," he reciprocated her hug.

"You okay?"

"I had... a nightmare, I guess. I'm worried about Ryan."

"I know," Summer paused. "Can I get you anything?"

"No, no, I'm alright. I just... God. What was he even doing in her car?" Seth wondered.

"I don't know. He's always had a soft spot for her," Summer pointed out.

"For all the good it's ever done him."

"Coop's not a bad kid. She's just got a lot of... I can't believe she's dead. I can't wrap my head around it. Jimmy's going insane."

"You've seen them?"

"Yeah. Julie called me. I don't know what she thought I was going to be able to do, how I was going to be able to bring Marissa back..."

"Summer, there's nothing you could have done. It was an accident," Seth rubbed her arm reassuringly.

"I could have been with her, kept her from driving, kept Ryan from getting into her car. She was my best friend. I should have kept her safe," Summer insisted.

"Marissa should have kept herself safe. That was her job," Seth corrected. "And as for Ryan, if he'd wanted to be with her he was going to find a way and if he hadn't wanted to be with her he wouldn't have been in the car."

"I'm sorry Cohen."

"What? What for? You have nothing to be sorry about Summer."

"I should have forgiven you sooner. Then everything would have been okay and Coop wouldn't be drinking and-"

"Summer, stop. That's just dumb. I shouldn't have run away. Ryan shouldn't have left. He shouldn't have slept with Theresa. Marissa shouldn't have broken up with him. Luke shouldn't have cheated on her. Ryan shouldn't have stolen a car and come to Newport in the first place." Summer shivered against him. "You cold?"

"Upset. Why is this happening?" Summer wondered.

"I don't know," Seth answered honestly. "I keep wondering what we did to upset God this much.

"Maybe God hates us," Summer suggested bitterly.

"Or at least Marissa," Seth shifted, trying to get comfortable.

"Lay down," Summer suggested. Seth looked at her questioningly. Summer scooted away from him and then pulled him down until his head was in her lap. She pulled one of the extra blankets over him and ran her fingers through his hair. "Go to sleep."

"Summer..."

"Night Cohen." Summer toyed with his hair until she felt Seth drift off too sleep. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the cold metal bed frame.