Title: What Happened To Your Arm?

Summary: A little missing parenting from 1.23 The Nana.

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to The O.C. No profit is taken from this story.

Author's Notes: I just rewatched The Nana, and I have a little bit more to add to this story. Note that I know almost nothing about Seders. I attended one at a friend's house when I was a kid, but I don't remember much about it. So apologies if I have the Seder parts all wrong.

During the Seder dinner, the entire extended Cohen clan sat around the dining room table, enjoying the Nana's wonderful brisket and other delicious foods, chatting with each other and engaging in various small talk. Although by the time they got to eat, Ryan was starving. He wished that he had eaten that cake at Theresa's after all.

During a break in the conversation, Kirsten addressed him. "So, Ryan, how was your day in Chino? You went to see Theresa?"

Ryan and Marissa exchanged a look. "Um, yeah. Marissa and I were at Theresa and Eddie's engagement party."

Ryan felt a little uncomfortable saying that, but, well, it wasn't really a lie, right? That's where they were. Just because that wasn't the reason why they were there... Well, Kirsten and Sandy didn't have to know that, did they?

"Marissa went with you?" Kirsten was surprised. She didn't think that Ryan and Marissa were that close any more.

Marissa answered. "Yeah, well, Theresa's my friend, too."

Kirsten was embarrassed. "Yes, yes, of course, I didn't mean –"

Sandy interrupted to rescue his wife from any more verbal embarrassment. And he was a little confused, too. He looked at both Seth and Ryan. "Engagement party? That's not what you guys told us earlier..."

Ryan answered quickly, "I know. Theresa didn't tell me about the engagement party until I got there." He took quick look at Marissa. "Until we got there." Also not really a lie...

Seth tried to help Ryan out. "Yeah, you know, Dad. Ryan and Eddie don't really get along, so, you know, Theresa didn't want to tell him –"

Ryan finished it. "In case I decided not to go. You know, if I knew that she and Eddie were getting married."

Sandy nodded and took a quick look down at Ryan's right arm, the one that was scraped up, and then looked Ryan in the eye and raised his eyebrows. Ryan could see Sandy putting two and two together. He just hoped that he wouldn't say anything, not at the table, anyway.

Kirsten asked, "You didn't know they were going to get married?"

"I knew they had gotten back together. But... I guess I didn't know how serious they were."

Kirsten was still confused. "Weren't Theresa and Eddie engaged before?"

Ryan shifted in his seat. "Kind of." At Kirsten's questioning look, Ryan continued, "Eddie asked, but Theresa didn't give him an answer. So he considered them engaged, but she didn't. It's... it's confusing."

Sandy mumbled, "I'll say."

Seth could see that this conversation was veering into uncomfortable territory for Ryan, so he decided to help him out. He started babbling about anything he could think of, to distract the parents from Ryan and Marissa's trip to Chino. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ryan give him a grateful look, and he gave him a little smile back. And it worked: nothing more was said about Theresa or Chino for the rest of the meal.

However, later, after the Seder was over and all the guests had left, Sandy went looking for Ryan and found him in the pool house. Sandy went in and sat down in the chair at the end of the bed.

Upon seeing him, Ryan sat down on the foot of the bed, across from Sandy. He hoped that Sandy wouldn't ask too many hard questions. He couldn't tell him that Marissa had run away to Chino because she found out that her mom and Luke were having an affair, and he went there chasing after her. Ryan just hoped that this time, his ability to lie was good enough.

"So, that's what happened? You got into it with Eddie again?"

"Yeah, a little." Ryan shrugged. "He was still jealous of me and Theresa, and he didn't like me being there. But then Marissa talked to him and straightened it all out. We're cool now."

"Marissa, huh? She convinced him that you were with her? Are you? Back with Marissa?"

"No." But that wasn't convincing, even to Ryan's own ears.

Sandy picked up on it. "Really? Because you went to L.A. with her last night, and took her to Chino with you today..."

"I'm... I'm... We're not together again, not yet anyway."

Sandy smiled. "But you're thinking about it?"

Ryan took a deep breath. "Yeah, I guess that's a good way to put it. I'm thinking about it."

Ryan looked away, towards the pool. Yeah, he still cared about Marissa. A lot. And, yeah, he'd found himself thinking lately about getting back together with her. He was pretty sure that he was ready to forgive her for the Oliver thing, now, finally.

"Ryan –"

Just then, they were interrupted by the arrival of The Nana in the pool house. She stopped just inside the door.

"Out, Sandy."

Sandy was confused. "Ma?"

"You wanted me to spend some time with the boy, right? Well, since I'm leaving tomorrow, this is my only chance, so out, out." Sophie ushered her son out of the pool house.

Sandy smiled. "Yes, Ma." Before he left, he added, amused, "Be gentle with him."

"Out!"

Sophie closed the door behind him. Then she turned and smiled at Ryan, and sat down in the chair that Sandy had just vacated.

"So, how are you doing, doll?"

Ryan looked at her, confused. "I'm good."

She leaned forward. "Look, Ryan, I don't have a lot of time, so I'm just going to go ahead and say this."

Ryan said, uncertainly, "OK..."

"I'm not sure if Sandy told you, but I've been a social worker in New York for over forty years."

Ryan nodded. Sandy had told him that. Not how long it was, but that she was a social worker.

"And that entire time, I've been finding homes for kids."

Ryan mentally added like you. But he was glad that Sandy's mother didn't say it like that. She was being tactful, and he appreciated it.

"I have to say that you are one lucky boy. To find a home here with my son and his family. This is probably one of the best homes that I've ever seen, in this kind of situation."

Ryan nodded at that, too. He knew how lucky he was.

"My son is a good man, and Kirsten – although I've had my differences with her – she's a good woman, and a good mother. They'll give you a good home here."

Ryan looked down and said softly, "I know."

Sophie nodded and told him in mock seriousness. "Good. Just don't do anything to mess it up, or else I'm going to have to come back here and straighten you out."

Ryan looked at her and smiled. "Yes, ma'am."

Sophie smiled back at Ryan, and sat back in her chair. "Now, tell me about yourself."

The End. (again)