A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in many…… many months. The sudden rush of schools end, family trips, and spending time with a friend who's moving to another state, I just haven't had the time. I hope to be more consistent now or at least until the end of summer with this story. Once again, sorry to keep you waiting my most wonderful reviewers!

Discalimer: Do not own the O.C...unfortunatly.

"Statistics show that 30 of prison inmates are teenagers, so I'm thinking that the present situation we are in is a pretty sucky one," Summer said as the five walked down the motionless escalators.

"That's definitely not right Summer," Abby said pointing out that her statistics were incorrect.

"Yeah well, I was never good at math," Summer retorted looking around the mall for an exit that wasn't going to be there.

They had been walking around for about an hour…or was it an hour and a half? Seth had claimed that his sense of time was slowly draining from the lack of air around him. Plus his watch had stopped.

"It's a mall Seth, not a cave," Abby had pointed out causing him to stop his fake choking.

"Is it me or does this place at night bring out the worst in woman?" Seth asked.

"You'd think it would be opposite to considering we are in a mall. A woman's fantasy come true," Ryan answered.

All three girls threw disgusted looks at the boys and continued walking. Abby was actually starting to like the mall at night. It was very peaceful, that is if you didn't listen to Summer's constant "Ohh's and Ahh's" as they passed store's manikins. Abby had blocked her out about an hour before.

"Do you think we should get some sleep?" Marissa asked stopping abruptly.

"You think we'd get some sleep in here" Ryan asked.

"Well, yeah, if we could somehow get into one of those department stores to get sleeping bags or something," Marissa said hopefully.

The five looked around at each other for a moment. They could definitely use some sleep.

"Ok, let's break and enter some more," Abby said.

An hour later they were slipping under the silver pull-down gate that led into the Belk's Department Store. It hadn't been easy getting in. First they had Abby go back into the air vents, this time with Marissa, to hopefully find the grill leading into Belk's. After 45 minutes of searching they finally found the right one and slipped through, unfortunately ending up in the middle of the shoe department.

Abby had accidentally knocked over a stand displaying about 50 pairs of shoes, so her and Marissa spent 15 minutes placing them back where the came from. The eventually made their way to the front of the store where they let the others in.

"Well, this should be wonderful," Seth said looking around.

"Ok, so two people need to go look for sleeping bags and snacks," Marissa said.

For some reason this brought about an argument between the five, seeing as no one wanted to get caught with stealing.

"Marissa has the most experience in this area, so I vote that it's her," Seth said receiving an angry glare from Marissa.

" Ryan's stole something to, so he should go with her," Summer said.

"I've never stolen anything!" Ryan said defensively.

"Oh, right," Summer said unconvincingly.

The bickering lasted around five minutes until Abby had the common sense of trying to settle it.

"How about we draw names?" she said.

They fighting stopped for a moment as they all looked at her and shrugged.

"Sounds fair," Ryan said.

Abby grabbed a sign that had been hanging up in the store, and took the pen that Summer had gotten out of her purse. In a moment or two she had everyone's name written on a chunk of paper and was pulling out the first one from a hat she had taken off of a very mismatched manikin.

"Ok, so the first person going to prison is, Seth!" Abby said showing the paper to everyone.

"Well, that's great, always the Jewish one!" Seth said flipping his hands in the air.

Abby grabbed a second paper and opened it. She saw her name on it and sighed.

"Who is it?" Summer asked impatiently.

"It's you and me cowboy," Abby said looking at Seth.

Summer jumped gleefully in the air, seeing as it wasn't her name called.

"Glad your so happy for us," Seth said to Summer.

Summer gave him a mocking grin and followed Marissa and Ryan as they went to go sit somewhere while they waited for Abby and Seth to return with the sleeping arrangements.

"At least we'll be going to jail together," Abby said.

"Like old times…..Except without the jail part," Seth said.

Abby gave him a half smile and started walking. Maybe this could be the opportune moment to talk to Seth about how she felt. All of a sudden Abby felt very nervous.

"This is so perfect!" Summer said plopping into a comfy leather chair beside Ryan and Marissa.

"What is?" Ryan asked confused by how stuck in a mall all night was considered perfect. Then again, it was Summer who had made the comment.

"Seth and Abby having to go off all alone. I wouldn't expect them back for a few hours," Summer said leaning her chair back and closing her eyes.

"I take it you still stuck on your plan for getting them together?" Marissa asked.

"Yes, and I just have this feeling that they will finally see tonight that they are meant to be together," Summer said confidently.

"Yeah, because a department store is so romantic," Marissa said laughing.

This was the first time Ryan had heard Marissa laugh in a long time. He liked it, more for the fact that she was having fun, and not moping around all day.

"Coop, you wait and see. I have a sense about these things," Summer said looking over at Marissa.

"And which one is it. The fifth or sixth?" Ryan asked.

"Fif……wait…RYAN!"

As they passed the toy section Abby noticed that Seth was humming and it sounded oddly familiar.

"Spiderman on the mind?" Abby asked.

"What?" Seth asked as if he had only just noticed that she was walking beside him.

"Your humming, and it sounds like the theme song from the Spider-man cartoons that used to come on," Abby said smiling.

Seth gave her a questioning look, and grinned back.

"You're losing your touch," Seth said.

"What why?"

"Aquaman, not Spider-man," Seth said almost proudly like it was some big feat that he knew something she didn't.

"Are you kidding me? Aquaman? You hated that show, and that sounded nothing like Aquam…" Abby caught herself mid sentence because she knew she was ranting.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. She could feel her cheeks turn red, and was slowly wishing that Seth would stop looking at her like an amused baboon.

"You don't have to apologize for being much worse at comic book knowledge than me," Seth mocked.

"Ugh, you nerd," Abby said.

She realized that they had been walking for about 20 minutes and still hadn't found the camping section.

"I think were going the wrong way. Shouldn't you know where we go to find the sleeping bags," Abby asked.

"Like you just said, I'm a nerd. I don't go to malls, I read comic books and play video games until my mind is a permanent black hole of useless knowledge," Seth said.

"Fine, let's take a break," Abby said walking over to the bench besides the railing that overlooked the first floor. Instead of sitting though she leaned against the railing and peered down to what was apparently the jewelry section of the store.

A moment later she felt Seth lean against the railing next to her.

"Useless nit of information," he said, " I flung ice cream at some bald man right there when I was nine."

"Let me guess? You missed him?" Abby said looking to where he pointed.

"And why would you….ok…yes…it's the Cohen lack of ability to aim. It's not my fault I'm cursed," Seth said.

Abby laughed.

" I wish I was here to see that. Maybe I could have helped you some," she said truthfully.

There was a moment of silence before Seth spoke up.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Abby said a little worried. Seth looked as if he was thinking real hard about what to say.

"Why didn't you ever call?" Seth asked finally.

Abby hesitated. She knew that's not what he really wanted to ask, but she would answer anyway.

"Mom said I had to let go," Abby said remembering the moment her mom had told her this.

Seth was quiet as if he was analyzing this answer. Abby looked at him and suddenly felt a ball of courage well up inside her. She was going to talk to him about everything she had wanted to say for the past few weeks, and she was going to do it now.

"I never really did," Abby said looking at him.

"What?" he asked looking a bit confused.

"I never really let go. You know, I just pushed you to the back of my mind because that's what my mom wanted me to do, and I was young so I didn't really fight with it much. And I don't think that I realized this until I came back to Newport, but I never actually let go," Abby said.

Seth seemed unfazed by this statement, almost like he had been waiting to hear it. It utterly confused Abby seeing as Seth was the type to feel uncomfortable. She had actually realized that she had been waiting for a smart or sassy joke before pressing on, but it wasn't coming. So she continued.

"All these years, through all the boys I dated, I never allowed myself to be fully into that relationship, and that's because I was waiting for someone. I was waiting for you, and I know I denied it and denied it, but I really can't anymore because it makes things to awkward between us," Abby said breathing slowly and looking at Seth.

"I love you, and I always have," she said not taking her eyes off of him.

There was another silence and Abby felt like she should have never said anything to him. She looked down at her feet, and all of a sudden waited to run very far away. He didn't feel the same way, and she could tell or he would have said something by now. Anything….but he was just standing there.

"I never should have said anything. I'm going to go…" Abby turned to leave.

"It was Spider-man," Seth said before she could go.

Abby turned back to him and gave him a confused look.

" When I was humming. It was Spider-man," Seth said.

Abby had no idea why, but hearing him say this made her fell really happy. Why was talking about Spider-man making her feel better?

"I don't understand," she said breathlessly.

"Neither do I," Seth said honestly giving her a grin.

Abby smiled back.

"I just told you I loved you, and you talk about Spider-man?" she asked.

When she thought this over again she realized how stupid it really was. She had finally admitted her feelings and he was ignoring it! A swell of anger built up inside her, and she all of a sudden felt very confused.

"Seth! I just told you I loved you and you talked about Spider-man," she repeated the anger flowing out, "What kind of a heartless moron are you to bring up comics at a moment like this. I never should have said anything! I knew you would act all immature and…."

Before she could start really laying it down on him, he had put his arms around her neck and pulled her to him. And before she could react to this, he kissed her.

When he let go she looked up at him, her face plastered with a shocked expression.

"Was that meant to shut me up or..?" she stammered.

"I'll save you some time and pick the or." Seth had flashing her a grin.

He put his arm around her shoulder and they started walking towards…well, wherever the heck those sleeping bags were. Abby smiled to herself. The mall was her official new best friend.

"Was that really Spider-man you were humming?" she asked.

"Yeah," Seth answered.

"I knew you were lying," Abby said.

"Well I can't let you beat me at everything, because then I'd just be a …." He noticed Abby's smirk, "ok, I guess there's no point in defending myself."

"Yeah well…" Abby started.

She was cut off by the sound of running footsteps behind them. They turned around and saw Ryan, Marissa, and Summer running to them.

"Security is here! We have to go," Ryan said.

Abby sighed and took off running with the others. Maybe jail was fun?