Hey everyone, and welcome back! I hope everyone who has read this has enjoyed it, and I hope any new readers will enjoy it as well. I'm not sure how many more chapters I'll write in this story, but I expect at least a couple more, not sure yet. I will now go through the usual motion of asking for your reviews. If you can please spare the time to write your oppinion down, I'd really appreciate it. Anonymous reviews are welcome, so please, please, please write a review. Thanks alot, and enjoy the chapter!

P.S. This chapter will feature some moments of violence, it won't be too bad, but I figured I'd leave a warning.

Chapter ten: Right back where we started from

Marissa had escaped to the one place she knew no one would ever think to look for her, Portland. Luckily for her, Luke, and Carson still resided there, and she was allowed to stay as long as she wanted. Things between Luke and her were akward for a while, but soon they were close friends. They were even caught in a kiss from time to time. She kept telling herself it was okay to move on, and she was the victim in the situation. That lie soon wore out, and she resorted to drinking again. Not too much, but just enough to make her happy...to make her calm...to make her forget.

One night she had forgot to put the small vodka bottle back in her purse, and Carson found it, and decided to confront Marissa about it. He walked into the room she was staying in, and held the bottle up so she can could see what he had found. " So...I'm guessing when you say everything is alright, that's a lie right?" Carson said while putting the small bottle in the trash can near the door of the room.

"No...it's just...it helps me get through some rough patches. It's nothing serious Mr. Ward, I promise." Marissa said while running her fingers through her hair nervously.

"Well at first, it never is. It always starts out as an all purpose pain reliever, and that is bad enough. But you of all people should know that it's easy to go overboard with something like this...I just don't want to see a good person get lost in alcohol." Carson said while sitting on the bed next to Marissa.

"You mean get lost in it again?" She said with a dry, and saddened wit. "I promise Mr. Ward, I won't go overboard."

"Good. Now get some sleep, it's late...Goodnight Marissa." Mr. Ward said before closing the door behind him as he left. She turned off the light, and layed on her bed. She had fallen so far from where she was just a few weeks ago. The worst part was the reason she had become a shell of herself was the same reason she was like this a decade ago, a man named Ryan Atwood had come into her life.

-meanwhile in Newport-

Seth and Summer were torn apart yet again. The mounting tension, and problems between Seth, and Kirsten had made it hard for Seth, and Summer to function normally. Summer would take care of Sarah more than she took care of herself, and didn't really take the time to do anything other than be depressed. Kirsten knew she was the problem and felt horrible, but Seth kept saying it was something that Seth, and Summer had created, and needed to work out themselves...but after 28 years of being a mother, she knew who's problems were who's.

"Maybe it would be good for you to go back to rehab Mom...You're drinking heavily again, you're depressed all the time. You should do it to feel good all around, not just to kick the alcohol." Seth coaxed while getting his Mother a water bottle from the fridge which she declined.

"Seth, no matter how clean I may seem, a drinker is a drinker for life. It just takes that one little trigger to bring the beast back." Kirsten replied while rubbing her aching head.

"Even so, it's apparent the beast is back, and in great shape, you have to get better, or everything is gonna get that much worse."

"How can things get worse Seth? One of my sons is back in Chino doing god knows what to get by."

"A point you keep bringing up!"

"And my other son's marriage is falling apart. So please Seth, tell me how things could get any worse?" Kirsten said in a loud, angered tone.

"That's what I'm saying. If you decide to get help, you'll be able to get away from all this for a while, and focus on getting better" Seth said trying to comfort her.

"Funny, last time my family wanted me to go to rehab, you were the one fighting to make me stay, now, you're the first one in line to kick me out" Kirsten said in a hurt tone.

"Mom, the only reason I wan't you to go is so you can get help. I don't like seeing you like this."

"Well, whatever you need to tell yourself Seth...I'm gonna go take a nap." Kirsten said before going into her room, and slamming the door shut.

Summer walked downstairs with dark circles under her eyes. She had obviously been crying, and had not had a good night's sleep in a long time. "Hey Summer, can we talk?" Seth said after recuperating from his ill-fated talk with his Mother.

"Maybe later Seth, I have to make Sarah's lunch." Summer said in an exhausted tone.

"That can wait, I think we need to talk about everything going on right now." Seth said while rubbing her cheek. She didn't respond to the touch, and she just continued to walk around the kitchen.

"I don't know Seth, I don't wanna talk about it." She said while making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Well we're gonna have to talk about it sometime. We've been dodging this conversation for so long, I think the longer we wait, the harder it will be to make things right." Seth said while combing through his curly dark hair with his fingers in frustration.

"I don't know where to start Seth! First it was the baby, then it was the Ryan thing, which I know is affecting you, and now everything with Kirsten...Everything is just stacking up against us right now." Summer said while taking the sandwhich upstairs to Sarah then coming back down.

"That's what I'm saying. It's like we aren't even together anymore. Everything has been going wrong, and we've lost each other in the comotion, now we have to find our way back."

"I don't know...maybe we just need to take a break."

"A break Summer? We aren't in high school anymore, we are in a marriage with a child. We are adults, we can't just take a break. Why would we want to anyways?" Seth said in a sad, and angry tone.

"We can just wait until things get back to normal...at least until everything cools off. I think trying to rebuild in the middle of the storm is a wasted effort." Summer said after sitting down and holding her head up with her palm."

"So...y...you want to take a break? What exactly does that mean for us?" Seth said confused.

"I don't know Seth."

"Well, this is just fabulous...My Mother is a drunk, and refusing to get help, my best friend is in Chino with a family that abandoned him, and my wife is asking for a break...Could things be any better for Seth Cohen, I submit that they can't!" Seth yelled as he left the kitchen, and slammed the front door on his way out of the house.

- Meanwhile in Chino-

Ryan had been in a bad mood ever since Seth and him had an argument a few weeks ago. Trey, and Dawn tried to stay out of his way when he left, and came back from his long shifts as an architect. In a month and a half he had gone from owning his own construction company to getting work where ever he was needed. The drawback of leaving your home state during the busiest time of year. He often wore just a v-neck shirt, and old dusty jeans. He was always covered in dirt, and dust, and the buzzcut he had liked so much a month ago had been replaced by long dirty blond bangs. He looked like he did in the old days. Something he hated.

"Hey Ry, can you be a doll and go down to the 7/11 and get me a carton of smokes?" Dawn said while sitting on the couch.

"Yeah sure, where's your purse?" Ryan asked. He wasn't in the mood to do her chores, but he had nothing better to do.

"Oh come on honey, can't you pay for um' yourself?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, I could, but I don't smoke them, and they're kinda expensive."

"Ryan, I let you back into this house, you can buy your mother some cigarrettes...Go!" She yelled impatiently. Ryan angrily grabbed his wallet and marched out the door.

He was sick of being in Chino. It turned out that Dawn hadn't changed, and remained the drunk Ryan knew, and hated. She kept using the fact that she allowed him back home as a shield. He grew tired of it, and just let her win. He made his way back from the store with the carton of smokes, and was halfway across the street when he heard a voice he had long forgotten.

"Well look who it is! It's Mr. Newport beach, what the hell are you doin' here Atwood? You got alot of nerve showin' your face here." The voice from behind Ryan called. He closed his eyes in anger in frustration. He knew what was about the happen couldn't be good.

"Listen, Eddie, I'm not in the mood for this right now. It's been a long week, and I'm just buying my Mother some smokes." Ryan said while turning to see the black haired, scruffy looking man who had been both his friend, and his enemy.

"You didn't answer my question...What the hell are you doing back in Chino? I thought you'd have known better." Eddie said while exhaling some smoke from the half smoked cigarrette in his hands. A few of Eddie's friends gathered up behind him. The sick feeling in Ryan's stomach intensified.

" I'm just staying with my Mom, and my brother for a while, I don't want any trouble man."

"You may not want any...but you got alot comin boy. First Theresa runs to you, then you have sex, then I find out she's pregnant. Then what do you know!...turns out this kid has blonde hair, and blue eyes...he reminded me of someone I called my friend a long time ago. Where were you this whole time? I had to step up and be a father to a kid I damn well knew wasn't mine!."

"Eddie, she never told me about the kid. She told me she lost the baby, and that was that. She never told me she went through with it. I promise man. If I would have known about the boy, I would have stayed...but she decided not to tell me." Ryan said while rolling up the sleeves of his long sleeve shirt. He could sense that this wouldn't end peacefully.

"Whatever man... I figure you have something coming to you, that you aren't gonna like." Eddie said while the gang of men behind Eddie took a few steps closer to Ryan.

"I don't wanna do this Eddie, I don't wanna have to hurt you."

"Keep talkin' big shot. You might not wanna do this...but me? I think it's gonna be a blast."

Ryan had a fierce look in his eyes as the four men in front of him moved closer. He tried to stay calm, but his heart sped up, and he couldn't breathe.

"I'm sorry old friend...but you've had this comin'." Eddie said as he swung at Ryan.

Eddie's fist hit Ryan's jaw with a crack. Ryan's head snapped back, and he fell to his knees. No one was moving in on him. This wasn't gonna be over fast, they were gonna make him pay. Ryan, after wiping away the small bit of blood that escaped his cut lip, ran into Eddie's stomach, and tackled him onto the hard, hot pavement. Eddie's friends finnally made themselves useful as they took Ryan off of Eddie, and one of them hit him in the stomach, then again in the face.

Ryan's face hit the ground again, and he felt his jaw had moved an inch or two. He pushed himself off of the ground and stood still when it finally hit him. They were trying to set him up. After he stood up, no one attacked him, they just waited for him to strike. Then, when they pressed charges, he would get it worse for starting each of the altercations.

"You know what... I'm done with this." Ryan said as he used his backhand to wipe away the blood from his chin, and he picked up the carton of cigs from the sidewalk. Before he got too far, one of Eddie's friends couldn't take it, and punched Ryan in the back of the head.

The only relieve was the fact that Ryan's face hit the grass, and not the sidewalk. He had finally had enough. Ryan jumped up, and slammed the guy in the face, knocking him on his ass. The next guy hit him in the face, but Ryan was able to muster up enough energy to hit the guy in the stomach, and then knee him in the face. The other one of Eddie's buddies finally put Ryan down again with a solid hit to his eyebrow. The fighting spirit inside Ryan couldn't stay down anymore, and tackled the guy, and punched him twich in the face.

A few seconds later the police showed up, just in time to see Ryan slug Eddie one time in the face. That was it. That was all the cops needed to pull out their guns. "Sir, get down on the ground with your hands behind your head now!"

Ryan's face was full of discust as he fell to his knees, and locked his hands behind his head. Eddie was helped up, and had an ear to ear smile on his face. Eddie, and his friends walked off scott-free as Ryan was taken in the car.

The sirens were enough to get Dawn's attention as she finally came outside of her house to see her baby boy being carried away in the cruiser. As she looked around, and saw blood on her sidewalk, and porch steps, she found what she was looking for. She grabbed the carton of cigarettes Ryan got her, and walked back in the house. She felt bad, but what else could she do, but smoke.

-later, in Newport-

Kirsten had woken up a few minutes earlier, and found no signs of life in the house. She crept to the freezer, and poured herself a glass vodka. The liqour burned her lungs, but she had grown to love the feeling. The ringing of the phone made her jump. She picked it up, and was suprised at what she heard.

"Hello, this is Johnathan Sanderson Newport police, is this Kirsten Cohen?"

"Um, yes. May I ask why you are calling?" She said while slurring her words horribly.

"Yes Ma'm. You are listed as the next-of kin on Ryan Atwood's file, are you his mother?"

"Well, yes, and no. I'm his adoptive mother."

"Okay, well, Mr. Atwood was brought into custody on charges of assualt on a group of men in Chino. Does he have a lawyer?"

Kirsten's eye's immediately filled with tears and worry. "Oh god..No, he doesn't have an attorney."

"Well, we will get him one. He is allowed one family member to visit, and he requested that you come see him. Can you come down to the station?"

"Yeah, give me thirty-minutes." She said as she hung up the phone. She took a minute to let it sink in. Her son was in prison again, and this time, Sandy wasn't there to get him out. She put on a coat, and ran out the door. In a matter of hours, that entire day had gone from horrible, to tragic, and now, there might not be a way to make things right.

Well, that's the tenth chapter. I hope you liked it, and once again, please review. I'll try to get another chapter out by next week, but I can't make any promises. Thanks alot.