Three days later, Sandy had gotten a phone call from Kirsten early in the morning. He had just gotten out of bed when she called. She told him that she had been released from the treatment facility, and that he should come up to visit her where she was. Naturally, he agreed. An hour later, he was dressed and ready to head out the door to where Kirsten was. She had given him directions, and told him that would take about a half an hour to reach the house where she was. It was not in Newport Beach.

Sandy drove as fast as he could, without risking getting pulled over to see Kirsten and how she was doing, in person. He was so anxious. His palms were sweaty, even with the air conditioning on. It took him a little less than a half hour to reach where Kirsten was because of his driving; however, when he got there, he was more nervous than when he had been in the car. It had been nearly four months since Sandy had seen his wife.

Kirsten was nervous, as well. However, she was nervous because today she was going to tell Sandy that she was not going to come home with him. She knew that he would not like it, but he would deal with it because he loved her. She heard his car coming up the drive way, and walked out to the door way to meet him. He walked up the front steps.

"Hey, Sandy," she greeted him. Kirsten leaned over and hugged her husband.

"Where's your stuff? I told Seth and Ryan that I would have you back by the end of the school day," Sandy told her. She smiled at him, for she knew that this would not be easy.

"Wanna come inside first? Have something to drink?" Kirsten asked him.

"Sure, I'd love to come in," Sandy replied. He followed Kirsten inside the house, which was not that dissimilar from theirs. He sat down in the kitchen, where she was getting the drinks from. "So who's house is this?"

"A woman that I met at the place, Charlotte. This is her house. We left the place last night, and I decided that instead of bothering you at home, I would stay the night here," Kirsten explained to her husband. She lied to him, though. Kirsten had been out of rehabilitation for weeks

"Oh, well, I would have loved to come pick you up," Sandy told her.

"It's fine, really. I didn't want to bother you or the boys," Kirsten said.

"So how are you, really?" Sandy asked.

"I'm good. I feel good," Kirsten told him. "How are you and the kids?"

"You look good too. We're fine. Ryan and Marissa are back together. Although guess who got kicked out of Harbor?" Sandy replied.

"Ryan? Oh, no, I was afraid of this," Kirsten said.

"Even better - Marissa Cooper," Sandy told her. Kirsten looked at him in shock.

"Oh, my, what happened?" Kirsten asked.

"The Dean kicked her out because of her involvement with Trey's death," Sandy explained. "She goes to Newport Union as of last Monday."

"Well, is she okay?" Kirsten wondered. She knew that Marissa was very emotionally fragile.

"I think so, at least now that she and Ryan are back together, that helps," Sandy told her. He drank the last of his water. "So when do you want to leave?"

She sighed. She knew she would have to tell him, but she did not think it would be this hard. Kirsten replied, " Sandy, I'm not going home with you."

"What? What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I'm not going with you. I'm going to stay here for awhile, with Charlotte. I like it here, and I just want some time... away," Kirsten told Sandy.

"But you were just away for four months!" Sandy exclaimed.

"I know, but what I mean is away, and on my own, for a bit," Kirsten told him.

"Honey, are you all right?" Sandy asked.

"Yeah, Sandy, I am. For the first time, in awhile, I feel free," she told him. "And I want to do this, for me. I'm not saying that I'm leaving you, or anything, I just need some space for me."

Sandy thought about trying to talk her out of it, but then he remembered Seth last summer, when he ran away to Portland. It was then that he knew that it was not the way to handle it. Sandy knew that she needed to take the time to figure out that Newport was her home, where Seth, Ryan and he were. He could not do anything to sway her, only she could change her mind. He told her, "All right, Honey. Take all the time you need," He kissed her, and told her that he loved her, and to call him whenever she wanted to talk with him, or wanted to come home.

Sandy let himself out of the house, got into his car, and drove home. He could not make her do something that she did not want. He knew that their lives would never be the same - none of theirs - Ryan's, Seth's, Marissa's, Summer's, Kirsten's... everyone's. This year was going to be different. He felt, somehow as if everything was falling apart. Everyone's lives were changing, for better or for worse.

Authors Note

To clarify something on the previous chapter - I did not try and make Marissa into the brainiac; however, I knew that since she was going to be attending public school, they would consider her brighter than most of the other students who where there. At least considering Harbor is a private, competitive, college prep school.

I know that this is not the ending that most people would like, but the next story I shall write will dove tail off of this. It will be a few months in the future, and have a happier ending. I just felt as if this were a good place to end things, for now.

I would also like to thank anyone who read the story. This is the first fanfiction I've posted, and I appriciate the support.