Disclaimer: I obviously don't own The O.C. or its characters…that all belongs to Josh Schwartz (what a lucky man!).

A/N: This is a continuation of the way things left off during the season finale.

"Trey stop it! You're killing him! Please…stop!" Marissa cried hysterically.

Trey swung at her and she fell back, desperately searching for a way to stop him. He was choking Ryan to death and Ryan wasn't strong enough to fight back. Her eyes scanned the room until she noticed a gun. Quickly she grabbed it and aimed it at his back. She closed her eyes and shot just as Trey was about to smash Ryan's skull in with the telephone that he pulled out of the wall.

Trey froze, as if he were in slow motion and noticed the red blood oozing out of his chest. He grabbed his heart and rolled over. Ryan, using all the strength he had in him, half crawled, half walked over to Marissa who was slumped against the wall. He hunched over next to her and she looked at him sympathetically.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I-I had no other choice. I didn't know what to do…" she began to apologize.

Ryan reached for her hand and stroked it quietly. "I know," he replied equally as softly. "I love you."

Marissa pulled his head into her lap and stroked his hair softly. They sat there in a trance, when suddenly the door swung open, revealing Seth and Summer. They were holding hands, and each had a panicked look plastered across their faces. Seth immediately noticed Trey lying in the corner and the bloodstain in the middle of the carpet. Then his gaze landed on Ryan and Marissa. Ryan lay in Marissa's arms battered, bruised and significantly bloodied up. Summer stared at her friends in shock, one hand over her mouth and the other holding onto Seth's tightly.

Slowly, Seth walked over to the two traumatized people and kneeled by them.

"Ry, man are you okay? What happened? Should I call an ambulance?" he asked his voice breaking.

Marissa nodded her head, a lump forming in her throat. "I'm sure one's on the way already after all that commotion."

Seth reached into his back pocket for his cell phone. "I'll call…just in case."

Tears stung Summer's eyes as she gazed at her friends. Marissa was a ghostly white and Ryan's face was covered in sticky blood. She tilted her head back towards Trey and gulped. "Is he…you know?"

Marissa lowered her head and buried it in Ryan's hair, sobs wracking her body. Summer stared at her and realized that Trey was indeed dead.

"Coop, what happened?"

"She saved my life," came Ryan's barely audible voice.

Summer turned to Seth who had just closed his cell phone. "The paramedics are on their way. Um, what else can we do?" Seth was trying his hardest not to lose his cool and panic.

"Seth, calm down," Summer advised, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Maybe we should call your dad?" she asked.

"Good idea, he'll know what to do. Besides, they'll need a lawyer present," Seth nodded his head.

Marissa lifted her head. "Why? I mean, Trey almost killed him and he's already hurt me, why would we need a lawyer?"

"It's just a precaution, Coop. Sandy knows how to deal with these kinds of things," Summer tried to settle Marissa down; she was already worked up enough as it was.

Seth and Summer sat down next to Ryan and Marissa, their backs rested against the cold wall. Their hands were clasped together tightly, and Summer's head rested on his shoulder. Marissa continued to hold Ryan, gently running her fingers through his hair. Ryan just laid there, his face void of any emotion. Every so often he would murmur "it's going to be okay" in effort to keep Marissa from hyperventilating. She was in shock that she had actually pulled the trigger and at the same time she felt relieved that Ryan was still alive and that his sociopath of a brother couldn't hurt them anymore. Finally they all heard sirens in the distance that continued to get louder and louder. Eventually it stopped in front of the apartment and the teenagers could see silhouettes of red and blue flashing lights illuminate the walls. Four paramedics and a handful of police officers burst through the door and they saw a deceased Trey lying curled up in a ball, across the room from the trembling teens. Seth stood up, and offered Summer his hand. She took it gratefully and stood beside him ready to answer the many questions that were sure to come.

One of the paramedics lifted Trey up onto a stretcher and covered him in a black body bag. Marissa cringed and then stared off into space, wishing that the horrendous night would end.

"What happened here?" The police officer who was questioning Seth and Summer asked in a husky voice.

"The guy over there," Summer began, pointing at Trey's dead figure. "He tried to rape my friend, Marissa. Her boyfriend came here when he found out what had happened and they got into a fight. The man over their, his name is Trey and he was beating Ryan to death. Even if she had called the police there is no way that you would have gotten here in time. The only way Marissa could stop him was by using the gun. I'm sure she didn't want to kill him, she just wanted him to get off Ryan."

The policeman glanced over at Ryan and Marissa. "Are those two the friends you're talking about?"

"Yes, sir," Seth answered.

"I'll need to take you all in for questioning but first they need to be checked out at the hospital. Do your parents know what happened?"

"I called my dad, but Marissa's parents have no idea," Seth said.

"I'll call Coop's mom," Summer offered, taking her cell phone out of her purse, she began to dial Julie's number.

Two paramedics went over to Ryan and Marissa.

"I need to get him on the stretcher," a medic informed Marissa. "Do you know if he has any injuries to his back, if so I don't want to move him."

"I-I'm not sure…Ry, is your back all right?" Marissa questioned, she continued to soothingly run her fingers through his matted hair.

"It's mostly my face and neck that's injured. He strangled me…and I can hardly move. It hurts to breathe. I think my ribs are broken," Ryan struggled for air.

The EMS workers carefully placed Ryan on a stretcher, wrapping a brace around his neck, to keep it still.

"Miss, are you able to stand or walk?" another person asked Marissa.

"I think so," she said, attempting to stand up. Her knees were wobbly and as she stood, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her knees buckled. She fell to the floor, causing all heads to turn.

"Oh My God, Coop!" Summer screeched, rushing over to her best friend. She shook her gently to and fro. "Come on, Riss wake up. Baby, open your eyes."

A paramedic gently pushed Summer aside. "Ma'am please refrain from touching the patient."

"What's wrong with her?" she cried.

Seth ran over to Summer's side and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, comfortingly.

"She just fainted. Nothing to worry about, she's just in shock. And rightfully so, she was scared senseless!" A paramedic responded to Summer's questions.

"I need you two to come down to the station. Are your parents going to meet you there?" an officer asked them.

"Yes…my dad's a lawyer," Seth added.

"Come along," The officer commanded. Seth kept his arm around Summer's shoulder as they followed the man outside. It was pitch black and the stars were shining brightly, which was a welcomed change of scenery compared to the crime scene which was once Trey's apartment. They could still hear the ambulance sirens blaring, as they got into the backseat of the patrol car. They silently rode to the police station, all of the while worrying about the well being of their two friends who were headed to the hospital.

A/N: This is the first O.C. Fan-Fic that I've ever posted. It's quite a scary thing to do, putting your stories online for strangers to read. Please be kind, and review! I'm not sure if I should keep this going or not…so let me know what you think. I know this chapter was significantly short, however if you like the story and want me to write more, the chapters will get longer…I promise.