Stranded Memories

Rating: PG-13 for language

Disclaimer: I own crap. They wouldn't even give me the bloody Lost poster at Disney, and that ruined my day. FOX owns all OC characters and OC related thingys… and ABC owns sobs all Lost related things… even my Charlie…

Summary: Little things can push people over the edge. That very thing happens to Seth Cohen. When something happens to him that sends him into a crashing situation, who knows how he will survive. Seth-centric. Lost/OC Crossover.

A/n: This was gonna be me, but I didn't write, so now for Ali's part!

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"The Question"

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The summer was at its' peak, and I was writing down some figures for the Newport Group. Sandy was surfing, and the kids were out somewhere. Aerin had decided to spend the month or so, Donnie was already four months old, and he came with. Right now, he was sleeping next to me.

It had been over a year since I last saw Seth in person. I don't know how I survived. It was indefinite that all the plane passengers were dead. Supposedly, a tiny piece of the plane had been found, but nothing was discovered because of it.

I heard a door close and looked to see who it was. Aerin, Marissa, and Summer walked in, bags in their hands. Of course they were shopping. That's mostly how summers were spent in Newport.

"How's Donnie?" Aerin asked as she walked over to her son.

"He's been sleeping almost all day," I informed her as she picked him up. Marissa and Summer collapsed in chairs with all their bags. I laughed seeing their exhausted faces, and Summer started to rummage through her bags.

"Where's Ryan?" I didn't know where he could be. He had disappeared earlier in the day, I had thought he was with Summer. Obviously not.

"No idea. Haven't seen him all day," Summer commented. It was strange. Usually, Ryan was pulled along by Summer.

"Wait, Sum, you haven't see Ryan? You take him around like a dog. I feel bad for him sometimes," Marissa told her best friend.

"Hey! He likes coming with me," Summer defended.

"Yeah, sure," Marissa joked and I felt a smile form on my face. I smiled more often now, but still not like I used to. I couldn't believe it had been thirteen months since I saw my son run away. Eleven since he died on the plane.

"Well, he's probably hanging out with some people he knows," Summer said.

"Who, Sum? Ryan has like no Newport friends, other than, um, Zach, Luke and well, Seth. I don't think he's hanging out with any of them," Marissa accused.

"He could be. Of course, he could only be with Zach, because Luke's not here, and Cohen got himself killed," Summer commented.

"Sum, that is so mean!" Marissa told her.

"What? It's true. Cohen screwed us all over," Summer walked out of the room, and I looked at Aerin and Marissa, who rolled their eyes.

I turned back to my work and tried to get the figures correct. But, of course, Seth came to mind. He would every day, for the rest of my life. Right now, he didn't come to mind nearly as much as a couple of months back. Everything had changed so much.

Soon enough, I could hear Sandy and Ryan talking and then they walked in. I had thought Sandy went out surfing. Wait, I was confused.

"Hi," I greeted them warily and stood up as Marissa and Aerin turned to see them.

"Hi honey," Sandy came over and kissed me, but that wasn't making up for the confusion plastered on my face.

"Where's Summer?" Ryan asked.

"Upstairs, maybe. She just kinda left," Marissa answered. I could see the uncomfortableness on Marissa's face. I couldn't believe she was still strange with Ryan and Summer. They were together since around Seth left.

"Oh, okay," Ryan walked out of the room.

"So, where were you two? I thought you went surfing," I wanted answers.

"I did. And then Ryan called me. So we hung out, you know, guy stuff," Sandy told me.

"Hung out? Sandy, really. Where were you?" Sandy was trying to be hip, so I knew something was up. Where could Sandy have been? Had he called Ryan for a cover up so he could hide where he really went.

"Nowhere special," Sandy answered as he headed to our room. I followed.

"Sandy, where were you? What are you hiding?" We came into the bedroom.

"I am hiding nothing."

"You're a horrible liar Sandy," I stared at him as he closed the door to our room.

"I swore not to tell," Sandy looked at me and I grew with worry. What was wrong? Who didn't want me to know this?

"Please Sandy," I begged, getting sick in the stomach.

"Kirsten, you shouldn't worry. Actually, you should be happy," Sandy gave me one more hint and I was going insane.

"Sandy, if you don't tell me now, I will hurt you. Severely. So don't try to get out of it anymore. Tell me right now," I stared at him with an evil eye and I could see he was getting scared.

"All right, all right. Ryan, he, wants to, maybe, uh..."Sandy babbled and I hit him.

"What does Ryan want?" Somehow I feared the absolute worse. Did he want to move away? I don't think I could allow that. It would be too heartbreaking.

"He wants to propose to Summer," This, I had not even thought of. I squealed and hugged my husband. Ryan was gonna propose. For once, something exciting and happy was happening. "Now, he talked to me to see if he should or not now."

"So what did you say?" I was so incredibly happy for Summer and Ryan. They were such a great couple.

"Well, both of them are going to college, the same one, Ryan pointed out to me, so I told him, he should propose, but wait to get married until after they graduate," Sandy explained.

"The perfect plan. I love you," I kissed my husband of 21 years. Then we headed back to the kitchen, with me not trying to grin like a stupid idiot.

Everyone was in the kitchen, and when I saw Summer, I wanted to blab so bad. But I contained myself. I just had to talk to Ryan.

"Um, Ryan? Can I talk to you?" I asked him and he nodded. We walked out of the room.

"What's up?" He asked me and I broke out into a huge smile, I couldn't help it. "Sandy told you," Ryan laughed at my happy face. No one had seen me this excited since the initial calls from Seth eleven months ago.

"Yes! Oh, I am so happy for you!" I hugged my son and tried to be as quiet as I could. Sandy was covering; he was practically yelling a conversation in the kitchen without waking Donnie.

"I don't even have a ring yet. Plus, I have to talk to Mr. Roberts," Never in a million years, on that first night in August, almost three years ago, when I first met Ryan, would I have seen this coming.

"He always liked you," Ryan had done better with meeting Neil Roberts than Seth had. I remember so long that had happened. In fact, only a few weeks after it, Summer and Ryan were in the accident.

"Yeah, but this is a huge step," Ryan commented and I felt a tear grace my eye.

"You're perfect for each other, Ryan. She loves you," The elation I was feeling was indescribable. I was just so full of joy.

"I love her too, but I don't know. Do you think she'll say yes?" I would have never guessed Ryan would be this insecure. But I suppose everyone is at some point.

"She will Ryan, no doubt about it," I lifted Ryan's spirits and we hugged once more before walking back in to find Sandy singing. I groaned.

"Want me to belt out another one for ya honey?" He smiled. Sandy would take any audience ro listen to him sing.

"No thanks," Once you start Sandy singing, he doesn't stop. He shrugged and walked over to me, standing by the door as everyone huddled around Donnie. He was always the most popular around them. Marissa was playing with him right now, and Aerin was sitting down.

"You know, you can have him for the rest of the day. I don't mind," Aerin told Marissa and Summer, who then disappeared up the stairs to Aerin's room with Donald.

"So when are you gonna ask Neil?" I asked right after Marissa and Summer were securely up the stairs.

"I'm thinking maybe tomorrow," Ryan answered.

"Wait, who's Neil?" Aerin was clearly confused.

"Neil is Summer's father," I replied, so eager to discuss this.

"Why do you need to talk to him?" Aerin continued to ask.

"I want to propose to Summer," Ryan finally said and Aerin was surprised, but she got up and hugged him.

"Congratulations," She told Ryan, and again, I was smiling like a moron.

"Thanks," Ryan tried to be quiet so that Summer didn't hear.

"You should ask him tomorrow," Aerin commented.

"Yeah, I think I will," Ryan said.

"Get Marissa to get Summer out of the house," I suggested. "And what about a ring?" I found myself blurting out. Stupid. Why the hell was I rushing this?

"I looked, but I don't know what she'll like," Ryan answered.

"Me and Aerin could help," I told him. "Right, Aerin?" I looked over at my almost daughter.

"Sure, oh course, that's if you want our help," Aerin replied.

"Yes, I need it. I know nothing about jewelry," Ryan joked and I hugged him again in joy.

"Well, Kirsten's a master at that," Sandy added and we heard footsteps down the stairs. Out mouths all zipped up and Summer and Marissa appeared, holding Donnie.

"What did you dress him in?" Aerin exclaimed and we all looked at Donnie, who had this horrible orange and purple outfit on.

"What? It's super cute. We found it in the bottom of your suitcase," Summer commented.

"It was there for a reason," Aerin walked over and took Donnie.

"I think it's really adorable. Sum made a good pick," Marissa defended.

"My grandmother gave that to me, and she was watching me pack, so I had to put it in. It was definitely not there by choice," Aerin shook her head.

I just smiled and thought about how, for once, we were moving on.

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It was three weeks later, and it was late in the night. Aerin and Marissa were in front of the television, playing with Donnie, and Sandy was in the kitchen with me. Aerin still was staying with us, she was going to leave in about a week. Currently, it was the beginning of August 2006, only one more week until the one year anniversary of Seth's plane crash. Today was in fact the one year anniversary of Summer and Ryan's car accident, the thing that started it all.

"So Aerin, when are you going to visit again? Maybe for Chrismukkah?" Marissa, who I learned by eavesdropping, was over with Alex, who was now back with some Jody, and now Marissa was seeing a guy who I missed the name of.

"Well, I'm here for another week, so we'll see what happens," Aerin commented as Sandy and I walked in.

"I wonder if he asked her yet," Marissa said. We were all staying up to see Summer and Ryan come back. Donnie was dosing off, but even he was trying to stay awake.

"I hope so. Otherwise, Donnie's not gonna make it. And I don't want to miss it," Aerin added. Me and Sandy didn't say a word, we just began to watch television. I was growing tired, but I refused to fall asleep.

I couldn't believe tonight, Ryan was asking Summer to marry him. The date had been picked for the simple reason of the tragedy that struck us a year ago. It was so strange, thinking about it. Life was finally looking up.

As the plane crash's one year anniversary was approaching, I found myself thinking of Seth less and less. I was just so caught up in helping Ryan, and then Donnie, that my dead son was disappearing from my mind. What had I become? Seth usually was all I could think of, and now, he was fading into the background.

"I think they're here," Aerin said and Sandy turned off the t.v. We all listened to the sound of the car pull in. I head my breath. This was it, oh gosh, this was it. My heart was racing. Did he ask? I never thought this day would come.

"Hello? Anybody here?" I hadn't realized that all of us were dead silent, and the house was still.

Well, they were here.

I took the initiative to get up and walk into the kitchen, feeling everyone follow me.

"Hi," I tried to stay as calm as I could. I found Ryan and Summer at the doorway. Ryan was smiling, and so was Summer, except she was red in the face. "How was your night?"

All Summer did was produce her left hand, and on her finger, lay a ring, the same ring Ryan showed me at the jeweler. I know I had squealed in delight, but I don't quite remember what happened. Everything had turned to pandemonium, and I remember crying and Summer was crying and Sandy was laughing. It was such a great moment.

I know I want to say my mind went out to Seth, like it always does when there's some big happy thing, but I can't. Seth couldn't have been farther from my mind. For once, I was really enjoying this moment, the moment when I knew I gained a daughter. The moment I found that things were finally going good. We could move on. We could be happy for once without falling back on the depression that Seth brought.

We could finally let go of the son who had wanted nothing to do with us.

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A/n: Awwwww… Thanks to the wonderful reviewers!

paige fan - You wanna know, you really wanna know! I'd tell you if I knew. xD Hota ka… I do have a plan for this story, and then the two ones after it…

snoopy - I want that to happen too. Haha. That will be fun to write if it ever happens…

alexis - Unfortunately. I cried so hard because his death scene was done so magnificently. But I have a set number of survivors, and those who survive were already planned out. Unfortunately Boone didn't make that list. Actually, a lot of people didn't make that list. Bah… this bites. SETH! cries Hota ka.

IY-ROX - Seth isn't almost like a ghost. Everyone else just gave up on looking for him because no one could survive on their on in the jungle for that long, you know what I mean? They all thought he was dead, so he didn't see a point in going back, now he is faced with going back or staying with his newfound friends… or was…