A/N: Come on guys, I wouldn't do that to you, that would be way too cruel. Just relax and read this next chapter.

Thanks to: Alexis, Seth Ezekiel, auggy1984, brieg, music4mysoul, OcObsessed, Doves30, nefftys, Svocfanatic, fanfiction fan, PrincessSparkle09, ItalHunni28, bfan2good4u, goldenflower, piperleo4eva, Keshia and Lucie Brody for the reviews, you guys are the best.

Disclaimer: The O.C does in no way belong to me!

He was crying and she couldn't figure out why, she tried to reach out to him but every step she took towards him he seemed to get further and further away. 'Seth' she screamed at the top of her lungs but he never looked up, he never seemed to here….

Summer sat up with a start, the dream… it had seemed so real and this wasn't the first time she had had it. As she stood up and looked around she suddenly had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, like something was wrong but she didn't know what. She looked down expecting to see Jacob but remembering that he was in Bridget's room tonight, she looked at the clock: 1:30am. She walked towards the door of the pool house and looked into the main house, a faint light was shining so Summer decided to investigate. As she climbed the stairs and saw which light was on she couldn't stop her heart from beating so fast. She didn't bother to knock, she just walked in. She looked him straight in the eye and then saw the bag at his feet; he had been leaning over the desk obviously writing a note of some sort. She sighed with disappointment not really believing that he would do this to her again

"Son of a bi…" She started

"Whoa hold on Summer, just let me explain" Seth cut her off, hoping she would give him a chance to explain

"Let you explain? LET YOU EXPLAIN? Why the hell do you keep doing this, you promised, you promised you wouldn't do this to me, to our son, he looks up to you, he loves you so much how do you think he's gonna feel when he wakes up and his Dad is gone with only a fricken note, why the hell do you always think a stupid note is gonna replace you? We don't want a note, we just want you, why can't you understand that?" This time she wasn't yelling, she was crying.

Seth looked down, he hated seeing Summer cry, and he hated that he was the reason that she was in so much constant pain; he had convinced himself that he was helping her. He gulped before replying

"I'm not leaving Summer, well not how you think I am anyway, I got your note and your right I just came back and into your life and didn't even give you any time or space and when I read your letter it made me realize that maybe I shouldn't be staying here… in this house I mean, maybe I should stay somewhere else so I can still be in your life without suffocating you"

Summer was quick to respond, " Your not suffocating me Seth, that's not what I meant, I… no one in this house wants you gone"

"I'm not gonna be gone, I'll be in a hotel somewhere, you can all still visit, I'm not running away Summer, I'm just… I just don't think I should live here, you know" Seth tried to reason with her

"Your not leaving Seth, that's not what I wanted, its not what anyone wants, please don't go, you can stay here and give me space you know. Its Summer holidays you can take the kids out with Ryan while I work, it's a big house, we don't have to be around each other all the time" Summer pleaded

Seth sighed, secretly thinking things over, he really didn't want to stay at some stingy motel, he wanted to be near his family, Jacob, Bridget, Ryan, Marissa and most of all Summer but he always felt like he was getting in the way, he was gone 8 years, they had lives now, lives that somehow didn't involve him

"Summer I…" He started

She grabbed his bag from the floor and held it away from him

"Your staying Cohen" She demanded

And even though she was just a tiny little women he knew she meant business, he knew that was her 'on the verge of a rage blackout' tone. He grinned

"Ok ok, I'll stay," He said, giving in

"Good, well goodnight" She left room, she was convinced that he wouldn't leave

"Night" He whispered back, only she was gone, no one was there….

The next morning Seth awoke with a start and looked at the clock next to his bed: 11:30am, he saw the bag at his feet and remembered last nights events. He got up slowly, placing a tee over his naked chest. He couldn't believe he had slept to 11:30, he didn't even know how long it had been since he'd done that. He was used to being up early for work and at first he hated it but after awhile he just got used to it, Tyse, his friend and roommate was the one who slept in for ages. He looked around again, just thinking, thinking about how different things were here. He had only been back a few days but it did feel like he had never been gone, well in his mind anyway. He couldn't believe that this time last week he'd been living in….

At that moment Jacob ran into the room breaking his train of thought

"Your finally up Dad, Dylan's been her for ages, were playing hide and seek" Jacob stated happily

"Hey little man, you should have woken me up" Seth told him

"Believe me I was ready to, me and Uncle Ryan was gonna wet you but then Mom caught us and said not to cause you'd had a long night and cause you looked so cute asleep" Jacob said, making a vomit face

Seth grinned at Jacob "Aww that's sweet" He said, sarcastically

"Not really, me and Uncle Ry were guessing what you most look like and he said a Beaver but I'm still thinking you look more like a monkey" He said, laughing his head off

"Funny, real funny"

He grabbed Jacob and started messing with his hair and tickling him but stopped after awhile

"So Ryan's cool then? No hang over?" Seth asked curiously

"He's fine, said he has a little head ache but that's bout it' Jacob told him

"I've always envied Ryan for being able to hold his liquor so well, but really that's not the only thing I envied I mean look at the bloke I mean its so…."

Seth's rambling was interrupted as a miniature boy about Jacob's size with blonde hair and freakishly green eyes ran into the room, Seth assumed this was Dylan

"Found Ya" The little guy yelled

"Nah uh, I was Baliese, cause I was talking to my Dad" He said holding up his 2nd and 3rd fingers which were crossed " Hey Dad, this is Dylan, my bestest mate"

"Hey Dylan" Seth said

"Hey, my Dad talks about you sometimes, he told me this story about some guy named Rooney" Dylan finished, a confused look on his face

Seth laughed " Yeah I remember that, good times"

"Ok Dad, Mom and Aunty Maris are downstairs, me and Dylan are gonna keep playing, we still gotta find Bridget" Jacob told him, as if finding Bridget was the most important thing in the world

"Ok, have fun, bye guys"

Seth walked out of the room as the two boys ran down the hall, As Seth entered the kitchen Summer grabbed his arm, leading him into the TV room

"You have to find Bridget, like now," She stated firmly

"What? Why?" Seth was confused

"Just cause, believe me, find her and talk to her, please" Summer voice was pleading and he just couldn't refuse

"Ok" He agreed

As Summer walked outside he went back up the stairs and started the search for Bridget, all the while wondering, wondering what could be wrong.

XxCassiexX