A big, sincere thank you to all my lovely, loyal reviewers! All readers can thank JenJenxx, kurks, Leentje, J, roxylover330, Kym, maddy-sparkles, Rainygal and purse-fanatic for the early update!
This chapter is mainly for fun, I just love writing Seth/Ryan time, sorry! More excitement will follow in the next one...
Chapter 9
The music was playing on full blast when Ryan entered the kitchen in the morning. Bernadette was sitting at the counter, pancakes, bacon and bagels placed in front of her. As soon as she spotted her husband she turned down the volume of the stereo, a smile flashing over her face.
"Good morning darling" Ryan muttered, surprised about her happy mood. He really wasn't a morning person and neither was she, so it was special that she was already up.
"Good morning" Bernadette replied, lifting up her plate and offering him some of her pancakes.
"No thanks, I think I stick to my cereals" Ryan answered, smiling slightly and grabbing the box out of the cabinet.
"Mandy called regarding the conference this weekend. She told me that everything is booked, but that you need to come to the office today for the last arrangements and instructions to the personnel."
"I don't think it's a good idea to attend this conference with... you know" the dark blonde man explained, his eyes avoiding Bernadette.
"Ryan, look at me" his wife ordered softly, waiting for his gaze to meet hers.
"I'm fine, really... There will be times when you can worry, but that's not now. You have responsibilities at the company and I don't want you to destroy your hard work over the worry of my health, ok?"
"But I don't want you to stay home alone" Ryan replied agitated.
"So I will stay with the Cohen's for the weekend, nothing we haven't done before, honey" Bernadette replied calmly, taking another bite of her pancake.
Ryan wasn't at all interested in this boring conference with everything that was on his mind at the moment. But he also knew that he was lost arguing with his wife, once she had made up her mind. So he agreed to go to the office today, hoping that he could come up with a suitable solution there.
"Good morning Mr. Atwood" Mandy called cheery when he opened the door to his secretary's office.
"Morning Mandy" Ryan replied depressed, his mood not changing a bit.
"I hope you enjoyed your extended weekend! I piled all the mail on your desk. John brought some sketches over which you must approve, he needs them before you leave today."
"Thanks. Could you please tell Mark to come to my office at 11am, I need him to go to the conference this weekend – and could you please change the hotel and flight bookings accordingly?"
"Of course" Mandy answered surprised, giving Ryan a strange glance.
"Is everything ok, Sir?" she added, her eyes expressing worry.
Ryan just nodded wordlessly, flashed Mandy a fake smile and entered his office, closing the door behind himself with a sigh.
Sitting down on his office chair, he called Mandy over intercom, announcing that he didn't wanna be disturbed for the next hour, before he buried his head in his hand, trying to shut out the whole world around him.
An instant later the door was suddenly ripped open, Seth's voice calling loud and clearly:
"Thanks Mandy, I can handle it!"
Lifting up his head, Ryan observed his brother entering the office, grinning wildly, shooting him an innocent glance.
"Morning buddy" Seth exclaimed, while placing himself on the visitor chair vis-à-vis of Ryan.
With a sigh, Ryan let his head fall back to the place between his hands, mumbling "go away Seth".
"Yeah see, that's exactly what I can't do, because then it would have been totally.. and I mean totally... unnecessary for me to come over in the first place" Seth explained, ignoring Ryan's stare of death.
"What did you come over for?" Ryan muttered into the desk plate, too tired to lift his head.
"I know, talking to a wooden plate might be relaxing, but seeing as your brother is sitting right in front of you, you might wanna forget your little 'making peace with the furniture' moment and talk to me instead."
Ryan looked up, giving Seth another one of his looks, before he told him:
"I'm really not in the mood Seth..."
"Exactly what we expected when Bernadette phoned this morning, asking if she could stay with us while you are away. So my little vixen and myself made up a plan."
"What plan?" Ryan asked confused, raising his eyebrow suspiciously.
"You don't wanna go to his conference this weekend, do you?"
"I wasn't planing to..."
"See, I knew it. But I think you need a break, and before you break down and run away in the middle of the night, we thought it would be best to arrange a brotherly weekend at the beach. We won't leave town in case of an... emergency, we'll be close, but with no kids, no wives, no work, how does that sound?"
"How 'bout no talking?" Ryan questioned his foster brother ironically, but secretly admitting that this plan was exactly what he needed.
"No, sorry, can't promise that" Seth grinned, waiting for his best friend's answer.
"Ok, ok, I'm in - if Bernadette agrees"
"Cool, so I'll pick you up on Friday around 6pm, Summer will organise the rest. And don't bother to disturb your wife, she already agreed."
Getting up and walking over to the door, Seth turned around again, ready to add something when Ryan quickly stopped him:
"One word about Tijuana and you'll be going alone"
Seth gave him an apologising grin, closed his mouth theatrically and left the office, calling: "See you on Friday 'bro!"
"I'm sorry sweetie but I have this very important show this weekend, so I won't be able to go to the convention with you..." Marissa told her son guiltily.
"I thought you take a break from work?" Colin replied angrily.
"I do honey, I do... It's just... I have contracts..." the model tried to explain, but was somehow lost for words at the look of her son staring at her, his eyes full of hurt and rejection.
Pulling herself together she tried another strategy: "How can I make it up to you?"
"How about telling me the name of my Dad" Colin stubbornly told her, folding his arms over his chest.
"Honey please, not this discussion again!" Marissa cried out in exasperation, throwing her arms into the air.
"Why doesn't he want to know me?" Colin quietly asked, his eyes filling with tears.
"Oh sweetheart, I'm sure he wants to know you - it's just... you have to give me some time, I promise I will arrange a meeting, just not now..." Marissa bent down, taking her son into a warm embrace, softly stroking his back.
After a while Colin calmed down and pulled out of the embrace, wiping away his tears with the back of his hand.
"Are you gonna be alright this weekend alone with Mary?" Marissa asked worried.
Colin nodded, swallowing the sarcastic reply he had prepared, not in the mood for another fight with his mum. Marissa tenderly kissed his forehead, lightly tousling his hair, before she turned around and walked into her bedroom, starting to pack her suitcase.
Colin meanwhile disappeared into his bedroom, picked up his phone, while fishing for the business card he was hiding under his mattress. Nervously he dialled the number, pacing up and down his room.
"Atwood?" finally a voice could be heard.
"Mr. Atwood? This is Colin..." the boy shyly answered.
"Oh, hi Colin, how are you?" Ryan replied, surprised about the call.
"I'm fine, how are you Sir?" Colin answered politely.
"You can call me Ryan, Colin" the adult smiled, trying to ease the tension.
"Ok... Ryan"
"So, what's up?" Ryan asked after a few moments of silence between them.
"I... I will be at the pier this weekend... and... I was wondering... if I... if you will be there too"
"Actually..." the architect started, but stopped himself, remembering his plans for the weekend.
"Oh..." Colin replied disappointed, "I understand, never mind"
"No Colin, wait! I will be at the pier if you can tell me when" Ryan quickly told the boy, before he had a chance to hang up.
"Ok…uhhmmm…. Saturday at noon..."
"Right, I will be there" Ryan answered, scribbling down the time, date and Colin's name to a note in order not to forget.
"Promise?"
"I promise Colin"
"Ok, see you then... Ryan... bye!" Colin told his new best friend happily.
"Bye Colin, see you on Saturday" Ryan replied, smiling softly to himself.
"I'm sorry for the interruption, but I had to take that call" Ryan apologised to Mark, who was sitting opposite him.
"No problem" Mark replied with a friendly smile.
It took Ryan only half an hour to update Mark on the conference he had to attend, representing the Newport Group.
When Mark had left, the architect was again sitting alone in his office, pondering about the fact that he had agreed to meet Colin, while he promised Seth to spend the weekend with him. He knew that his foster brother would be more than angry, but something in the voice of Colin had told him, not to neglect the boy. Although Ryan knew that Colin came from a rich family, judging from the place they were living at and the clothes he was dressed in, he had recognised the look in Colin's eyes, his pleading voice cutting right into Ryan's heart.
He wanted to know why Colin was hurting, find out what went wrong in his young life to make him bitter. Sure, Colin appeared way older than he actually was, but Ryan knew, that there was a boy inside, wanting to be loved and respected. Despite all his own problems, he knew that he would be forever grateful for the love and safety he gained, when the Cohen's took him into their family. So by helping Colin, it felt like repaying the debt.
A/N: Next update probably on Friday, as an open-air weekend lays ahead, yay! And I'll be getting a new PC on Thursday, so hopefully I'll be faster in writing which means faster updates for you!