I'm so disappointed that the O.C. was not on. Well, we won't be seeing the Cohen men + 1 in Miami, but I wrote most of this chapter in Miami. So hopefully it will make up for it. Thanks again to Chazper for betaing. (Is that how you write it?) And I fiddled with it after she read through, so all mistakes are min.

And I don't own the O.C. or any of its characters... Though Gigi is all mine. An aside, I went to see the horse track in Miami. And my friend bet on a horse, I didn't notice the name until after, because the horse was wearing purple and it's my friend's favorite color. Well, I should have bet on the horse, because it came in first. And what was its name? Gigi's Charm.

The car ride back to the mansion was quiet. Gigi had opted to come along and sat with Ryan in the back seat after Summer had promised to bring her back to her own car after they dropped Ryan and Seth at mansion. There was plenty of space available in the back seat, but Ryan could swear Gigi kept purposely running her hands by his thigh. It certainly didn't fit with the wholesome, shy image he had built up in his mind. He inched towards her, closing the already small gap between them, and brazenly rested his arm on her shoulders. She turned and smiled coyly, relaxing into the crook of his arm and Ryan knew he had made the right move. If only he wasn't about to face Caleb's firing squad. Caleb was sure to lay all the blame on Ryan, the thug and juvenile delinquent Kirsten had taken into her home.

He was surprised when the car slowed and Summer announced that they had arrived. Reluctantly, Ryan took back his arm and started to get out of the car.

"So Gigi." He placed his palm flat on the roof of the car and ducked his head so he could see inside the back seat. "Maybe, when um, I get out on parole we could meet up again?" Though he suspected if Kirsten and Sandy found out about half of what went on during the weekend, parole would be a long time coming.

Her mouth broke into a grin. "Sure. That sounds great. I'll let Summer pass on my number."

They shyly waved good-bye and Ryan followed Seth into the house.

Caleb was waiting for them in the entrance hall. His arms were crossed and his face wore his perpetual scowl. "Follow me," he barked.

Ouch, thought Ryan. He'd never really thought of Caleb as the parental type. He always figured that Kirsten had answered to her mom growing up, but now he wasn't so sure. At the very least, he imagined if she had gotten into any big trouble, Caleb was a force to be reckoned with.

Caleb waved his hand towards the couch and ordered Seth and Ryan to sit. At least they'd be comfortable thought Ryan. The Cohens did most of the disciplining in the kitchen, either standing or in the uncomfortable bar stools. He sank into the chocolate colored leather couch, stole a quick glance at Seth, who didn't look too concerned and immediately bowed his head.

Ryan waited for the yelling to begin, but Caleb said nothing. He looked up through his shaggy bangs and noticed Caleb was pacing back and forth, his hands clasped behind his back. It was having its affect on Seth, who sat wringing his hands, his eyes darting back and forth between Ryan and his grandfather.

Finally Caleb started. "I don't know what's gotten into you." He turned to Seth, ignoring Ryan. "Did I not tell you to stay home tonight?"

"Come on Grandpa. It's boring here. You didn't really expect us to stick around?"

"Boring?" Caleb exploded. "Boring? First of all, young man, there's more to do here than at the – the Tackle Shop. Where is that infernal place you're always hanging out?"

"The Bait Shop," Seth offered.

"Yes. Yes. The Bait Shop." Caleb continued to rant. "There's a swimming pool. There's a pool table, a game room, and more than one computer with Internet access. For goodness sake, I bought you a playstation just so you wouldn't go into withdrawal while you stayed here. I'm sure you could have found something to occupy your time. What you wanted was some time with your girlfriend, after your parents grounded you and after I expressly forbade it."

"Come on Grandpa, I didn't think you'd hold me to the whole Mom grounding us thing."

Caleb shook his head. Ryan tried to signal Seth to just stop before he dug them further into a hole.

"What about you, Ryan? What's your excuse? Do you do everything Seth tells you to do or do you have your own mind?"

Ryan's head snapped up. Caleb wasn't blaming the entire thing on him.

"Can you talk or are you always such a simpleton?"

"Grandpa, be nice."

Caleb just glared at his grandson. But when he turned back to Ryan, he didn't add any more insults. He just said, "Well?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Nichol. We should have obeyed your rules. I'm – we're sorry."

Caleb growled. "Should have. Could have. But didn't."

"Are you going to tell Mom and Dad about tonight?"

"That has you scared, doesn't it?" A wicked smile stretched on his lips. He knew that his daughter ruled her house with an iron fist when she took her gloves off. He knew that even though she complained that Sandy was liberal and soft with the boys, that he too had a good grip on discipline. Seth and Ryan did not want his daughter and son-in-law to find out about their antics. "We'll see. It'll depend on tonight and tomorrow." Caleb was a shrewd businessman. He saw his chance at blackmail and he was going to use every card up his sleeves. "Tonight, you stay in your rooms. Read. Study. I don't care. But you are not to talk on the phone, watch TV or go on the computer."

"What? I don't have any homework!" Seth complained. "Let me at least go online."

"Seth," Ryan warned. He would do anything to keep Caleb from giving them away. "It's okay, Mr. Nichol, we'll do whatever you say." Ryan's stomach tightened. Seth was mad.

Caleb ignored Seth and Ryan's interruption. "Tomorrow, I have to take a meeting at the Newport Group. Julie scheduled a day at the spa, so you're both coming with me. Obviously, I need to keep close tabs on the two of you and can't trust you to stay here yourself."

"What are we going to do at the Newport Group all day?" Seth's voice was nearly a whine. Ryan wanted to punch him, but thought Caleb wouldn't see it as playful and be reminded of the Ryan who had burned down the model home.

"Don't worry. There's plenty of work for you to do. My assistant has been begging me to hire some interns so she can work on her files and other odds and ends."

"And we have to be there all day?" Seth asked.

"All day."

"Come on, Grandpa."

"It's either that, or I get on the phone right now and tell Kirsten and Sandy that you snuck out of the house again."

"What time do we have to be up?" Seth asked, sporting a false smile.

"My meeting is at nine a.m. So we leave hear at eight thirty sharp. Now go up to your room. And G-d help you if try and sneak out again."

"Yes, sir. We'll be there," Ryan offered. All he could think was that they had gotten off lightly. He'd spent the day with Kirsten at the Newport Group once and it had been enjoyable. Granted, it had been with Kirsten and not Caleb and he hadn't been on punishment, but there was a lot going on there, even on the weekends.

Up in their rooms, Seth flopped on the bed. He ran his fingers through his hair. "Sorry, Ryan. I didn't think we'd get caught."

"You never do. Let's just hope your Grandpa keeps his word and doesn't tell your parents."

"Here's hoping."

Ryan groaned when the alarm clock rang at eight a.m. Sunday morning. It was cruel and unusual punishment to wake up so early on a Sunday morning. But he knew that things could get a lot worse if they didn't do what Caleb ordered. He looked over at Seth, whose head was buried under the pillow, trying to block out the sounds of the morning's weather report (sunny and clear) and reached over to the bed that was perpendicular to his to tug at the covers. "Come on, we've got to get ready."

"I need coffee."

"I'm sure we can find some downstairs. Come on, Seth. We can't get your Grandpa any madder at us than he already is."

Seth rolled over. "Aren't there laws protecting children from abusive adults?"

Ryan grinned. He knew Seth was kidding. But it was the glib comments like these where the chasm between Seth and Ryan's childhood was made obvious. Seth had no idea what real abuse was.

By the time Ryan came out of the restroom, his teeth brushed and his face scrubbed, Seth was sitting up in bed one foot raised in the hope of getting it into his pants, but his eyes were closed. "It's Sunday. The day of rest."

"I thought that was Saturday in your faith."

"That's the joy of being a child of an interfaith marriage. I get two days of rest. Saturday for Dad's side of the family and Sunday from Mom's side."

"Caleb doesn't seem to be the Church going type." Ryan threw Seth's polo shirt at him. "Get dressed, before Caleb comes to rake our asses over some more coals."

"Ouch." Seth rubbed his rear end. "That's a visual I do not need."

They were down in the kitchen sipping a cup of coffee by eight twenty five a.m. Caleb walked in, dressed in an expensive looking three piece suit, nodding approvingly at Seth and Ryan. "It's good to see you can get yourselves up." Caleb poured coffee into his mug and took a sip. "The car will be out front in three minutes. Are you boys ready?"

Ryan nodded.

Seth said, "I will be. I just need to take a leak."

Caleb snorted in disgust. He stared at Ryan as soon as Seth's back disappeared. "I wonder, is Seth's behavior and vulgarity just typical teen rebellion, or is this your influence?"

Ryan stared, unsure how to answer. He knew Seth hadn't always been like this, but he surely Caleb didn't believe that it was Ryan who had planted the seeds of Seth's teen rebellion. Ryan had grown up knowing to use his words wisely, aware that getting too smart with adults the way Seth did, was a bad idea. Most times he had unwisely answered back it had just earned him a slap or a punch. Seth's manner reeked of a child who knew only unconditional love, even from his gruff, overbearing grandfather.

Caleb squinted, studying Ryan. "You don't talk very much. You don't try to defend yourself against me anymore."

Ryan buried his nose and mouth into his large ceramic coffee mug. "I did that once," he mumbled. "You landed in the hospital with a heart attack."

Caleb guffawed. "As much as I don't like you, I'm finding what to like." Caleb set his empty mug on the counter and walked to the door with two long strides. "Seth Ezekiel," he shouted. "The car is here. Tell your girlfriend you'll speak to her later, and get off the phone. We're going."

Seth scurried into the room, his face flushed red, as he tried to surreptitiously hide his phone in the palm of his hand.

Ryan had not expected Caleb to leave them alone the moment they entered the Newport Group. He had introduced them to his assistant Maria and had asked if the conference room was ready. Maria had informed him that the Board was waiting for him in the conference room, handed him some files and a few phone messages, and Caleb left without even saying good-bye.

"So what are the two of you up to?" Maria asked. She was young, not much older than Hailey, but her dress and demeanor made it seem like she was in the same age category as Kirsten.

Ryan shrugged. "Mr. Nichol said we were to help you."

Maria laughed. "Well, I don't need any help right now. Why don't you go into Mr. Nichol's office and hang out. His computer is on. You can connect to the Internet. Otherwise, I'm not sure what else there is to do."

"You'll let us know if you need anything?" Ryan didn't want Caleb to get angry that they weren't doing what they were supposed to do.

"I will. But right now, letting me do my work is the biggest help I could have."

Ryan followed Seth into Caleb's office. It was twice the size of Kirsten's office and simply decorated. Architectural plans were framed on the wall. Family photos dotted the end tables. There was Kirsten as a teenager, holding Hailey; a toddler. There was Julie and Caleb at their wedding. Seth standing next to Caleb, squinting into the sun, his hair tousled by the wind. A flat screen monitor and computer sat on the desk. It looked to Ryan like it had never been used.

Seth flopped onto the couch and pulled out his phone. "Cohen," he heard Summer bark. "Call me back at a decent hour. I told you before, I'm still sleeping."

"Just listen for a minute. My grandfather's going to be in a meeting all day. Why don't you pick up Gigi later on and swing on by. It'll make the day go faster."

"I'll think about it," she said. "When I'm awake."

"Come on snookums," Seth pleaded. "Have pity on us. "We're dying here and if we dare sneak out again my parents are going to hear about it. If that happens, I'll be grounded until I'm thirty. Then all we're going to have is a few stolen moments between classes in the janitor's supply closet."

"Seth, if you ever call me snookums again the only thing you'll have in the supply closet is some alone time with your hand." She sighed heavily into the phone. "But I'll be there later and ask Gigi if she can come."

Seth hung up, grinning.

"You think that was a good idea?"

"Grandpa didn't say we couldn't have guests."

"It's logic like that that got us here in the first place."

"Whatever." Seth watched Ryan walking around the office, studying the plans on the wall. "That one's the mall. At least part of it. It's been in every office Grandpa's had since the project."

"You came here a lot?"

"As a kid. Mom would take me in. Grandpa insisted I come by." Seth groaned and rolled over onto his side. "I'm so bored.

"I'm sure Summer will be here soon enough." Ryan didn't have to say anything else because Seth's cell phone ran.

Seth looked at the number and rolled his eyes. It wasn't Summer that was for sure. He watched Seth flip open the phone.

"Hi Mom."

"Hey, honey. I hope I didn't wake you."

"Oh no. We've been up for ages. We're with Grandpa at his office."

Ryan started waving his hands at Seth, making threatening motions. Was Seth mad? Kirsten would certainly know something was up if they were at the Newport Group with Caleb.

"You are?" Ryan heard Kirsten ask.

"Yeah." He pushed off Ryan, who was trying to grab the phone away. "I hope it's okay. I know we were grounded. But it was so boring and Grandpa thought this would be okay."

"What are you doing there?" Even though it was muffled Ryan could hear Kirsten's dubious expression.

"Well," Seth said with a heavy sigh. "We were supposed to help Grandpa's assistant Maria with her files and errands. But she has nothing for us to do. So we would have been better off staying at Grandpa's."

"Okay. Well, I'm sure you can find something to do. How's Ryan."

"Great. Chomping at the bit to get at the phone."

"Then let me talk to him. I love you," she called before Seth could hand it over.

"Love you too, Mom. Tell Dad I said hi."

Seth gave the phone to Ryan, covering his head with his arms as Ryan made a move to whack him yet again.

"Mom's he's hitting me again," Seth shouted at the phone.

"Hi Kirsten."

She laughed. "What did Seth say?"

"Oh, that he misses you. When are you and Sandy coming back?"

"Early evening. I need to meet with these San Francisco people one more time and then Sandy and I will fly back. We'll pick you up at my Dad's."

"Have a safe trip back."

"Thanks. How are you doing? Are you as bored as Seth? Is my father giving you a hard time? If he is—"

"He's not," Ryan cut her off. "Just come home soon. Okay?"

"I miss you too, honey."

"Is Sandy there?"

"He's out foraging for Dunkin' Donuts Coffee."

Ryan smiled. He knew that it was Kirsten's favorite coffee. "Well, tell him I said hi."

"I will. Love you."

"I love you too," he mumbled, the red rushing to his cheeks. He closed the phone and tossed it back.

"Love you," Seth teased in a high-pitched voice and made loud smacking kissing noises. "Come home soon, Mommy. I miss you."

Ryan narrowed his eyes and stalked to Seth's side to cuff his ear.

"You've got to stop doing that, man. I'm going to fight back one day."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

Seth reached out to hit Ryan back, but Ryan sidestepped him. Seth sat up on the couch and tried again, but Ryan evaded him again. So Seth got up from the couch and started to chase Ryan around the office. He kept reaching out to get Ryan, but Ryan was too fast. Seth was breathless, but they were both laughing as they darted around the desk, chairs, conference tables, and couches that crowded Caleb's office.

It was just as Seth knocked down a vase of fresh flowers, water splashing onto the carpet, the vase thankfully remaining in one piece, that Maria stormed into the room and demanded, "What on earth is going on in here?"