A/N: Okay so this is my OC-verse, and in my OC-verse I get to fix things I didn't like. Like DJ, he was boring so in my stories he never existed. Or Marissa, she's not whiney and a complete disaster in my world. So when they brought Trey back into Ryan's life, I really wanted him to work out and be a good guy, I didn't want to hate him. And though I hate him on the show, in my world I don't hate Trey, he's something else I get to fix for my own enjoyment. Therefore just to let you know my Trey will not be a jackass, druggie, near rapist …. Even though I think I just gave too much away….

Chapter Three

"Hey little brother," Trey curled the right corner of his mouth up in an unsure half smile.

Marissa stepped back and let the door fall open, allowing the two men to stare each other down. She looked from Ryan to Trey, from Trey to Ryan. That's why he seemed so familiar. Now that she could compare them, she couldn't believe that she hadn't caught it, they looked so much alike. Ryan was shorter and more muscular, Trey taller and lankier, but their features still matched.

"Trey…" Ryan started to speak, then stopped to clear his throat. His fists were clenched at his side; he couldn't explain the rush of emotions that flooded him. He wanted to scream, to hit something. To grab Trey by the back of his neck and throw him away. And still a part of him wanted to cry, to breakdown, to run and grab him into a hug. He dryly swallowed and licked his lips before speaking, "How'd you find me?"

Trey uncoiled the magazine in his hand and held it up for Ryan to see his own picture on the cover. "One of the guys on my cell block had it… When I saw you on the cover… Damn Ryan I must've read this thing a thousand times in the past two months…" Trey realized he was rambling and that what he was saying wasn't answering Ryan's question. "Anyway after I read… I called Theresa, I knew from reading the article that you guys weren't together but I figured she might know how to find you. She gave me the last address she had for you, which was some house in Chino, when I got out I went there and asked around, one of the neighbors gave me this address, said your mail was being forwarded here."

"When did you get out?" Ryan's voice was still gruff and unforgiving.

"Three days ago."

Ryan moved closer to the door, closer to where Trey was standing, his guard was still up, if Trey had gone through all that trouble he must want something, was all he could think. But he is my brother and second chances… He sighed, if he hadn't been given a second chance he wouldn't be where he was today. Ryan bit his lip and glanced over to Marissa. Second chances, he thought again. "You wanna come in?"

Trey nodded and cautiously stepped into the apartment, "Nice place little brother, a little girlie though don't you think?"

"Well, it's not my place… I mean I live here, but it's Marissa and Summer's place." He pointed over to them, then walked over and took Marissa by the hand, giving it a slight squeeze. "This is Marissa, that's Summer, and over there on the floor totally oblivious because he's playing a video game is Seth."

"Hi," Seth threw a hand up in the air and called out without ever taking his eyes off the monsters he was battling in the game.

"Marissa, Summer, this is my brother Trey." He took a sigh of relief at the end of the introductions. Ryan couldn't explain why he felt such relief, maybe it was knowing his only brother was okay, maybe it was not having to worry that he might pop up one day anymore, or maybe it was just a general sigh of overall relief.

"Well I've figured that out by now, of course that was after he tried to attack me with my own front door," Summer responded in annoyance.

"Yeah… ummm sorry about that."

"You should be," she told him as she turned and saunter into the living room and sat down next to Seth.

"So… you actually managed to take what you did best and make an honest living out of it little bro. That's great for you, I wish there was a way I could make an honest living boosting cars." He tried to ease the discomfort in the room with a joke, but all it did was add to it.

"Yeah," Ryan gave half a fake laugh. "So where have you been staying… since you got out I mean."

Trey shrugged, he didn't want to answer the question. He didn't want his little brother to know that he left jail with no place to go and had been sleeping on the floors of various peoples houses for the last few days. "Couple of different places. I mean no place perament yet. I mean I've barely had time to realize I'm actually out of jail, that I'm not just on a work release and have to go back at night."

"So where are you keeping your stuff then?" Marissa tentativly asked.

He held his arms out and motioned up and down his body, "You're looking at it…. My stuff that is." He looked up to Marissa, then over at Ryan. He could see the look in his brother's eyes, the look like told him Ryan was waiting for him to ask for money or a place to stay. He hadn't come here for that. The last thing he'd asked his brother for was help in stealing a car, it was a request that landed both of them in jail. Trey had seven years to think about what his request had cost them both, and he swore that he would never ask his brother for anything ever again.

"Could you excuse us for a moment?" Marissa politely asked and once Trey had nodded she turned to Ryan, "Could we talk in the kitchen?" She took his hand and lead him into the kitchen.

Before she even had a chance to say anything Ryan spoke, "No. The answer is no, it's not going to happen." His voice was firm, this was one subject that was not open for discussion, just because Trey showed up out of nowhere didn't mean that Ryan was going to immediately let him into his life.

"Ryan," her voice pleaded. She knew that Ryan still harbored anger over what had happened between him and his brother years ago. But she also knew that the only way Ryan would never be able to deal with those feelings if his brother weren't around. "He's your brother, and he's been in prison for the last what seven years… He doesn't have a place to stay, and… it sure as hell looks like he doesn't anything much of anything. Which means that the chances are if someone doesn't give him a break soon, he's gonna go out and steal a car or rob a store or any of a number of things… And even though I know you're less than thrilled to see him here and you've still got issues with him that have never been dealt with… Why not give him a chance, and in turn give yourself a chance."

Trey tried to pretend that he couldn't hear their kitchen conversation from the living room. He tried to focus on watching Seth play the game, he tried to turn his thoughts to how far advanced video games had gotten since he'd been in the real world. But all he could hear was his brother's voice bleeding anger and resentment towards him.

"So…" Seth paused his game. "You're Ryan's brother… Trey…"Seth studied his face, seeing how much they looked alike. He wondered for a moment if they favored their mother or their father or if they even knew who they favored. Seth knew that he favored his father, it was something he took forgranted. But in the years he had known Ryan, he's learned that he took a lot of things forgranted.

"Yeah."

When Trey gave him a one word response Seth smiled, yep they were certainly brothers. "You're not much for the words… Ryan wasn't much for the words when I first met him either. Actually come to think of it he's still not much for the words. Must be some kind of family trait."

"You like to talk huh?"

"He never shuts up, never." Summer answered for Seth in an effort to keep him quiet.

Trey's head snapped around when he saw Marissa and Ryan emerge from the kitchen. Before Ryan even a chance to speak Trey stood up, only to have Ryan hold his hand out in a motion to let him speak first.

"So we were talking, and… we don't have a lot of room here, I mean Summer lives here too, so we don't have a guest room or anything but we do have a couch… And that's got to be better than some guy's floor right?" He forced a half smile.

"Look Ry, I didn't come here for a hand out, and I know that's what you're thinking and…"

"No… I…. Want you too, stay here with us. I mean it'll only be for a little bit while you et back on your feet. I mean you're my brother the least I can do is help you out, I mean in a twisted way I would be here if it weren't for you. But I will tell you right now, this is all you get with me, I'll help you in anyway I can but don't screw it up, you screw it up and we're done." His voice was as stone cold serious as ice.

Trey met his brother's steel blue gaze, and nodded. The two brother stared at each other in a silent understanding, the sounds of a video game on the television the only sound in the distance. As they stared, Summer quietly tugged Marissa onto the porch and slid the door closed without anyone noticing.

"Ummm hello, Coop did you and Chino forget that I live here too? I mean you invite a convict to sleep on my couch without even bothering to consult me?"

"Must I remind you I bought the couch?"

"I don't care who bought the couch I care that there's going to be a felon sleeping on it."

"Look Sum, Ryan's got a lot of issues with Trey that he needs to work out and I know it's selfish but with Trey here I finally get to be a part of Ryan's old life… I know you're not happy about it but he's Ryan's brother we all need to just give him a chance, the same way we did Ryan."

"I only gave Ryan a chance because you were in love with him… And if you'll remember it took me a while to even do that."

"Sum…" Marissa pleaded with her in the same voice she'd used with Ryan earlier.

"Fine he can stay… But I'm sleeping with my door locked."