Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my box sets (at least I will when the postman delivers the season 2 one on Monday morning!)

KC-Chick: wow, i have to say that I breathed a huge sigh of relief when i read your review cos I rwas really worried that someone was going to put that they weren't very in character so for you to say that they were, well, thanks for reassuring me, it means a lot! Don't worrry, my tennis racket is constantly close, i played today but kept an eye out for 'innocent looking trees'! everyone thought i was mad, i guess i am!

I-Believe-In-The-Butterflies: wow, great in every way! thankyou, Ryan wont be 'propping himself up on his eyebrows' again! oops!

EVCGLSB: glad you liked it, oh no your pchave a virus, that sucks :(, hope it gets better soon ;)

smartiepantz: i'm really glad you liked his little speech, cos it took ages to get right! Thanks for reviewing!

slimkay: Glad you liked it, hope this is quick enough for you, lol!

xGoingUnderx: wow, thanks for the long review! I know, i absolutely hate spiders and whenever I have to get my dad to take one out of my room he always says 'it's only a baby one' even though i think they're huge! lol! Don't worry though Marissa's not going anywhere!

valkrys: wow, thanks for saying that you love the funny bits, that made me go all gooey! lol, yes you are awesome at writing dark tories, I'm not so good at that!

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As soon as Marissa had seen her Dad and Hailey off at the airport the next morning she went over to the Cohen's. Seth answered the door.

"Why hello, Marissa." He said, over brightly as he noticed her red eyes. "You look very nice today."

"Shut up Cohen." She sniffed, smiling. "I look like crap and you know it."

"Well, I wasn't going to say anything but now that you mention you do look -"

"Watch it." She said warningly. "Is Ryan here?"

"I think he's still in bed but, please, go in and wake him up. I find that singing very loudly in his ear usually does the trick."

"I'll bear that in mind." She said as she made her way out to the poolhouse, stopping in the kitchen to pour Ryan a cup of coffee. She went in without knocking and found that he was, as Seth had said, fast asleep. Marissa went over and sat down on the edge of the bed, hoping that she didn't wake him. She needed a think. It had taken her a while but last night - after she'd had talked to her Dad about everything - she'd suddenly realised how much she took Ryan for granted. He was always there for her, he always knew what to say to make her feel better and she'd repaid him by being really mean to him. He didn't deserve it, she thought as she watched him sleep, and she was going to make it up to him. He began to stir and open his eyes slowly.

"Hey." He said, sitting bolt upright when he realised she was there. "How long have you been here? You should've woken me."

"Hey." She said tentatively. "Um, not long." There was an awkward pause.

"Your Dad and Hailey gone?" Ryan asked quietly. She nodded.

"I'm sorry about yesterday."

"What about - ?" Oh, yeah, that. Doesn't matter. Ryan said dismissively, rubbing his eyes.

"Yes it does. I was really awful. You y'know I didn't mean that stuff, right? I mean I know that's no excuse but I -" Marissa rambled.

"Hey stop. Honestly it's ok. Bu I -, oh c'mere." He said holding out his arms. Marissa kicked off her shoes and crawled across the bed until she reached him. He put his arms around her and she snuggled into his chest.

"I'm sorry." She said again.

"It's ok."

"No, it's not. I know I was upset but I shouldn't have taken it out on you should I?" Marissa said choking up, she carried on regardless. She needed to say this. "No." She said answering her own question. "And I was thinking, all that stuff you said about my Dad and your Mom, you were right."

"So, you talked to your Dad?"

"Yep." Marissa said, her bottom lip trembling dangerously. Ryan squeezed her shoulder tightly. "And d'you knowwhat he said?" Ryan shook his head. "He said that although he really wanted me to go with him, one of the only reasons he was letting me stay was because you're here, and he knows you'll look after me."

"Well, he's not wrong there." Ryan said kissing the top of her head, now she really did start to cry.

"I'm going to make it up to you." She pledged after a few minutes.

"You don't have to." Ryan said. He could honestly say he hadn't been hurt by what she had said. Not because he didn't care but because he knew she didn't mean it. he didn't need her to tell him that, he just knew. "But," he said playfully. "You could pass me that coffee, which I presume you bought for me."

"Oh yeah." Marissa leaned over and picked it up. "It might be a bit cold though." She said handing it to him.

Mm, cold coffee, my favourite." Ryan said taking a swig. Marissa giggled.

"Why are you always so nice to me?" She asked seriously settling back down against his chest.

"I ask myself the same thing." He teased; she whacked him on the chest. "Ow!"

"Stop being so silly." She said into his shoulder.

"Sorry." Ryan pulled away and wiped her eyes again. "I'm glad you sorted things out with your Dad." He said seriously.

"Me too." She smiled. "Thankyou"

"No problem, now you want some breakfast?"

"Do you have any bagels?"

"Of course."

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Marissa managed to talk both Ryan and Seth into spending the day watching 'sad' movies, to "reflect my mood." Seth was most annoyed when told that neither Spiderman 1 nor 2 counted as 'sad' in Marissa's book, but he soon cheered up when he discovered that Finding Nemo did. Marissa sat in between the boys eating copious amounts of ice cream and crying "at the movies" she insisted. When her cell phone rang at around six she took it out of her purse and groaned.

"Your Mom?" Ryan asked, she nodded.

"Think if we ignore it she'll leave us alone?" Seth asked, looking at the phone warily. Marissa laughed wryly.

"Believe me, I've been trying that for years, hasn't worked yet!" The phone stopped ringing. Ten seconds later the Cohen's home phone started to ring. Seth leaned over and picked it up.

"Hello? Oh Julie, hi, how are you?" He said covering the mouthpiece as he listened to her response. "It's your Mom." He whispered to Marissa.

"I'd never have guessed." She said sarcastically.

"What?" Seth said into the phone. "No, I'm sorry, I haven't seen her today, sorry. No...Ryan's not here either, sorry, ok then bye." He hung up.

"Thanks." Marissa said gratefully, smiling at Seth "I should probably get going though."

"You sure?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, it's like, six pm on a Sunday and I haven't started on my homework."

"Ok then." They stood up and Ryan walked Marissa to her car. "You gonna be ok?" He asked as they reached it.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. It's only French."

"I meant about everything...your Dad..."

"I know you did." She smiled "Honestly I'll be fine. Like you said, it's not like he's totally abandoned me is it? I'm still gonna see him, and I still have you and Summer and Seth, don't I?" Ryan nodded.

"And your Mom." He added, grinning.

"I'm trying to be positive here." She teased. "Anyway," she climbed into the car. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see ya." He winked before turning and going back into the house.

XXXX

"Dude, she is so into you." Seth said as soon as Ryan entered the kitchen.

"No she's not." Ryan replied tiredly, they'd had this conversation at least thirty times before.

"Ryan, c'mon man, think about it, her Dad just left, she's all alone, and she comes here."

"Yeah, cos Summer's away." Ryan interjected.

"Maybe." Seth admitted "But she still came here to you. Who did she ask to move her stuff to her Mom's? You."

"Well, she wasn't gonna ask you was she? You have arms like twigs."

"Shut up, I happen to like my bird arms. Anyway, stop digressing. that's my job. Who did she come to in the middle of the night when she found out her Dad was leaving? You."

"I-I, how? I didn't think anyone found out about that." Ryan said.

"Yeah well, I did didn't I?"

"But how?"

"Doesn't matter, just weigh up the facts buddy." Seth said, leaving the room before Ryan could pick anymore holes in his arguments.

Ryan thought about it for a moment before dismissing the notion. He and Marissa were friends, just cos Seth had never had any female friends before, it didn't mean Ryan couldn't.