Title: When It All Just Fits

Author: Sara and Lizzie

Rating: R

Disclaimer: Obviously, its not ours.

Summary: Summer, scared at the intensity of her relationship with Seth, left him four years ago. Since then she's been all over Europe. Finally, four years later, she wants to return home to Seth. Funny when she does, he's engaged. Not like that's going to stop Summer.

Author's Note: So, we are finishing this story in 5 chapters or less. Keep the reviews coming. We kind of want 500. Also question for you… would anyone be interested in reading a story like this, only with roles reversed? Summer is getting married and Seth wants to stop the wedding? Let us know.

"The coastline is quiet, and we're quietly losing control." –Brand New

5:26 PM

As if the little inspirational pre-wedding chat with Molly couldn't have been weirder, the next person Seth ran into was Luke.

"Cohen!" Luke said joyously, clapping Seth on the back.

"Hey there, Luke." Seth said. They'd kept in touch since that summer in Portland and become good friends. Luke had a girlfriend, but Seth suspected in a horrified sort of way that he was still doing Julie Cooper.

"Excited for the big day?"

"Thrilled." Seth said, wondering if Luke would pick up on his sarcasm.

"Marissa and Ryan already filled me in on the Summer situation." Luke said. Seth sighed. Who didn't know every detail of his personal life right now? "Your dad gave me a few details too." Luke added. Seth threw his hands in the air, exasperated.

Luke smiled. "Rough huh?"

"You have no idea." Seth told him.

"You love her?" Luke asked.

"Of course I do Luke. It's Summer."

"Are you sleeping with her?" Seth hesitated. He didn't meet Luke's eye. "Of course you are Cohen." Luke said, matter of factly. "It's Summer. And it seems to me that she'd be way better in the sack than Molly. And if that doesn't convince you, nothing will."

"Thank you for that insight Luke. If only it were so simple."

"Love and great sex? Girl who gives you a headache and bad sex?"

"You sound like Marissa. And it's not bad with Molly, persay…" He stopped talking when he caught sight of Summer standing on the upper deck and staring blankly into space. He wordlessly walked away from Luke and set a course for her.

5:28 PM

Summer was letting the pre storm breeze blow her hair all over the place. She heard the door slide open and she knew it was Seth before he came and stood next to her.

"You look scared." She told him. He met her eyes, and then she looked back at the storm clouds. He watched her profile and finally saw what she saw. This whole thing was a storm cloud. A set up. Seth understood that on some level she knew she would probably not get him back. But she went through it all for him anyway.

"I am scared." Seth admitted. "I'm scared I'm making the wrong choice. I'm scared to look you in the eye after what I did to you yesterday, and then asked you to do for me. I'm scared to lose you again."

Summer turned toward him, and gently moved his face to look at her. She held steady eye contact. "Cohen." She said, softly, but defeatedly. "We both were horrific yesterday. Forget it." She paused, then took a deep breath. "And maybe you are making the wrong choice Seth. But no one can tell you what choice to make. I wish I could. But I can't. It has to come from you. And I can't stay here without you," she said, the tears starting to come, "so maybe you will lose me. But only you can make the choice."

She touched her hand to his cheek, and then turned back to gaze at the ocean and the storm. After a while, she turned to him again. "Cohen." She said. "See the pier?"

He nodded. "What if you were just out there? In the middle of a storm?" she asked. "What if you just had to face the lightning and everything? No life lines."

"If you had to test your luck against everything?" Seth asked, getting the distinct feeling she was trying to tell him something.

"Yea." She said, with a small smile. "Exactly."

"It's something to think about." Seth told her.

"Tell me about it."

6:03 PM

Seth was standing at a window in the pool house, facing seaward when Ryan walked in. "This rehersal shit starts in like two hours." Ryan told his best friend. "And you don't want to marry the girl."

"Never said that."

"Didn't have to."

"Well what do you propose I do Ryan? Waltz up to her and go, hey Molls, you know Summer? I've been doing her since she got back to Newport, and I'm not going to marry you anymore. That'd be great."

Ryan eyed Seth. "Can you really imagine being married to Molly?"

"Yes." Seth said defiantly, even though neither of them believed him. "I don't what to do here. I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't." Seth said.

"And now you're using cliches." Remarked Marissa from the doorway, where she had entered, un-noticed.

"Damn it, Marissa." Seth said. "Don't be so flip about this. It's my life we're discussing here."

"Well, you're the one throwing it away." She said lightly.

"See?" Seth demanded. "This is not a joke."

Ryan sighed. "Both of you. Quit acting like this is high school."

"Diplomatic, as always." Marissa observed appreciatively, moving towards Ryan and winding her fingers through his.

Ryan turned to Seth. "She's right though."

"Why is everyone giving me this crap?" he asked no one in particular.

"Because we know you." Ryan said. "And we love you, and we want you to come out of this in one piece."

"Then stop asking me to break the biggest commitment of my life."

"Cohen." Marissa said softly. "You're committed to the bigger picture. The one where you're happy and safe, and no one is leaving anyone like Summer left you. You think you have this clear cut picture of right and wrong, but love complicates things." She gazed adoringly at Ryan. "We'd know, right?"

She looked at him again, and walked out the door. Ryan clasped Seth's shoulder. "I know you'll make the right choice." He followed Marissa.