Chapter 1 - The New Beginning

"What the hell?" Was Jess' first reaction to seeing Marissa Cooper's car in the driveway. She violently slammed the door shut of her step-dad's Beamer. "So he thought he could get one last good fuck out of Marissa Cooper?"

She swung the door open, only to find his dead body on the carpet. Ryan's head was in Marissa's lap, as she held an icepack to his forehead. Summer and Seth stood there, in shock. The only person who had moved was Marissa.

"What's Trey…Why…" Jess couldn't speak, "Will someone tell me what's going on?"

"I shot him." Marissa stated, staring blankly at Jess, "I shot him."

"What?"

"He got into a fight with Ryan, he was choking him." She was relaxed, she spoke as if nothing had happened, "I had to save him."

"Let me guess, Ryan started the fight."

"Only because he attacked Marissa," Ryan moaned, still in pain, his entire body was numb. "He tried to…he tried to rape her."

"Uh-huh." Jess crossed her arms, "And that's why you told the police?" There was silence, as Marissa adjusted Ryan's icepack.

"I couldn't tell anyone," Marissa shook her head, "I just couldn't."

"Right, because you're lying!" Jess shouted, "I don't know what the hell happened, but all I know is Trey's dead, lying on the floor. So, I'm going to call the police."

"Jess, don't." Summer piped in, "It'll only make things worse. As harsh as it sounds, right now the best thing to do is to pretend like nothing happened."

"Fat chance," Jess smiled, as she flipped open her cell phone. "Hello? 911?"

"It's so great to have you back," Julie smiled, "I don't know why I ever divorced you." She placed her head on his bare chest. It had been awhile since she had good sex. Sex with Caleb was…well, it was Caleb. Sex with Jimmy…he made her feel young, vibrant.

"Because I lost all my money," Jimmy laughed, as he ran his fingers through her hair, "but that's all in the past."

"Exactly." Julie smiled, kissing him on the cheek. "I just want to have a beautiful family with you Jimmy. Hopefully with you back, Marissa can calm down, and with Caitlin coming home tomorrow…" Julie smiled, "It just seems like everything is going to work out."

"I feel like I've missed so much," Jimmy rolled over on the bed, "I can't even begin to imagine everything that's happened."

Julie sighed, "Want me to fill you in?" He nodded, as he got up from the bed. "Well…" She got up as well, walking towards him, "When you left, Marissa just spiraled into…a crazy daughter. She dated a girl, named Alex…"

"What?" Jimmy asked, shocked, "She dated a girl? Marissa Cooper? Our Marissa?"

"Yes Jimmy," Julie walked up behind him, and began to massage his back, "she dated this punk-rock chick that didn't eat breakfast, but then she fell back in love with Ryan."

"Much to your dismay, I would think." Jimmy chuckled.

"I'm fond of Ryan," Julie spoke, "I'd rather her date him then a girl. Let's see…" Julie plopped her head back, as she thought of the year's events. "Oh!" She snapped her fingers, "Caleb had an illegitimate child."

"What?" Jimmy laughed. It seemed the minute he left Newport, everything went straight to hell.

"Yup," Julie sat at the edge of the bed, "her name was Lindsey. Marissa's age. He had an affair with some woman, and they showed up back in Newport. Kirsten was furious."

"Does Hailey know?"

"Doubt it," Julie said, "with her father dying and such, the last thing she needs to know is that he had an affair."

"That's true," Jimmy nodded. "What about you Julie? Anything exciting happen in Newport's favorite domestic goddess?"

"More like Newport's favorite slut." Julie commented, "Do you remember…a few years ago…with Lance?"

"Hated him."

"I know, I know. Well he showed back up again," Julie explained, "and he showed up with that video I did in the 80's. And he wanted 500,000 for it."

"Did you give it to him?"

"I thought Caleb did," Julie angrily spoke, "but he just threatened him. So he showed it at the launch premiere of my magazine. And so Caleb suddenly got mad at me, and wanted a divorce."

"And then Caleb died."

"Yup," Julie nodded, placing her hand on Jimmy's knee. "And then here we are, as things are getting settled down."

"I'm really looking forward to this summer."

"Me too Jimmy, me too." The phone rang. Julie walked over to the nightstand, and answered. "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Julie Cooper?"

"Yes…" Julie spoke with apprehension, "Who is this?"

"Ms. Cooper, I'm Grant Smith, an officer with the NPPD. We currently have your daughter in custody, down here at the police station."

"What? You must have me confused with someone else. My daughter's with her friends…"

"Your daughter's name is Marissa Cooper, correct?"

"Correct…but there must be some sort of mistake…" Julie paused, "Why is she in custody?"

"Ms. Cooper, your daughter is charged with first degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon"

"What!" Julie screamed, "I'm sorry officer, you must have the wrong family. My daughter's a wonderful girl…"

"Mommy!" She heard in the background.

"Ms. Cooper, I suggest you head to the police station immediately."

"Where's my baby?" Julie Cooper asked, rushing into the police station. "Where is she?"

"Mommy!" Marisa shouted, behind a jail cell. Two other inmates were sitting on the floor, behind her.

"Oh my God, Marissa," Julie clutched to her daughter through the cold bars, as Jimmy stood beside her.

"Ms. Cooper?" The officer asked, "I'm Officer Grant Smith, we spoke on the phone."

"Yes, yes," Julie turned around, still holding her daughter's hand, while Jimmy comforted her. "Officer my daughter isn't a murderer."

"I'm sorry ma'am, but according to Jess Sathers, your daughter confessed to shooting Trey Atwood."

"Marissa…you didn't do that? Did you honey?" Jimmy questioned.

Marissa looked down, as she kicked a tiny rock by her foot, "He was attacking Ryan," tears streamed down her face, "he had left his gun on the floor. He was gonna kill him, he was gonna kill him, I had to…"

"She's innocent!" Julie screamed, "That boy attacked her boyfriend."

"Ma'am, according to Sathers, Ryan Atwood instigated the fight."

Julie glared at Ryan, who was sitting on a bench, his back hunched over. He had just gotten off the phone with Sandy. Walking over to him, she grabbed his chin and lifted his head up. "Are you proud of yourself? My daughter is in jail because of you."

"Mom!" Marissa shouted, "Trey attacked him! Ryan found out, that's why I left dinner. Ryan was angry over it."

"Marissa, why didn't you tell me?"

"I…don't, I don't know," her voice was solemn, "Mommy…I'm really scared."

"It's gonna be okay, sweetheart," Jimmy kept his arms wrapped around his daughter, "everything's going to be okay."

"Who's this Jess Sathers?" Julie asked, "How do you know her?"

"Trey and her had a relationship," he slowly spoke, he obviously was still in pain. Seth and Summer had offered to take him to the hospital, but he declined. He wasn't going to leave until Marissa did. "I guess she came over to see him…and she saw everything."

"This can't be happening," Julie stood against a wall, collapsing her head into her hands, she began to cry. "Jimmy…" she looked up, "call Sandy."

"Already did," Ryan informed her, "he's on his way." For minutes, the entire station was quiet, as every contemplated on what was going on. To them, it was all a bad dream. Julie breathed a sigh of relief when she was Sandy briskly walk in.

"Who are you?" The officer asked.

"Sandy Cohen, I'm Marissa Cooper's attorney." He showed him his business card, "Remind me again, what's she under arrest for?"

"First degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon." The officer reminded him, "We have a court date set for her in a week."

"Okay." Sandy nodded, and then turned to Julie, "There's nothing we can do right now. I suggest you go home-"

"Sandy," she interrupted him, "I can't leave my daughter here."

"Marissa's going to be fine," Sandy reassured her, "go home, get some rest; we'll figure this all out in the morning."

"John, did you hear about this?" The production manager asked him, at the FOX 11 studios.

"Here about what?" John asked, as he tied his tie on. He was going on air in five minutes.

"A local girl, lives in Newport, is seventeen, charged with murder and assault with a deadly weapon. She admits she did it to, I guess her brother's boyfriend was beating him up."

"Hell of a story," John stated, as he made one last check in the mirror, "Are we gonna air it?"

"It's our first segment of the night."

"When did it all happen?"

"Two hours ago."

"Wow," John raised his eyebrows, as they walked out of the Green Room, "you guys hear about stuff quick."

"I've got a friend down at the station, we sent Elizabeth down there to check it out. We'll be having a live feed."

John walked into the studio, and sat next to his co-anchor, Christine Devine. "We're on in five…four…three…" the production manager continued to count with his fingers.

"Good evening, I'm John Beard."

"And I'm Christine Devine," she smiled.

"Our first story of the night, a local Orange County girl is charged with first degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon. We go live to Elizabeth Espinosa, who is at the apartment in Newport Beach where it all happened. Elizabeth."

The production manager quickly switched the main camera to the live feed down in Newport. "Yes John," Elizabeth spoke, the wind blew through her hair, "Marissa Cooper, a seventeen year old girl, is charged with first degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon. The strange thing is, she's admitted to do it - all to protect her boyfriend."

The manager then switched the camera to a pre-recorded tape. "It all happened earlier tonight," the listeners continue to hear Elizabeth's voice, "when according to witnesses, Marissa Cooper, shot her boyfriend's brother in the back. Why? She claims her was attacking him, and about to kill him. Now, she's in serious trouble, all to protect her boyfriend.

"Jess Sathers, was the first person to call the authorities."

"She just admitted to it," Jess' face appears on the screen, "she admitted to shooting him, she was very relaxed about it," Jess ran her fingers through her hair, "she said she did it because Trey was attacking her boyfriend, when her boyfriend started the fight.

"And she claims Trey attacked her, a few weeks ago."

The screen then flashes back to Elizabeth, outside the apartment. "Yes, according to Marissa Cooper, Trey had originally attacked her on the beach a few weeks ago. This leaves many asking, 'Why didn't she report it?' Reporting live from Newport Beach, I'm Elizabeth Espinosa, John and Christine, back to you."