Not beta-ed so mistakes are mine.

Disclaimer- I own nothing.

The Accidental Hero

Chapter 12

Ryan stared down the barrel of the gun as Cody clicked the safety off. He jumped as he heard a loud bang but he was still standing…that's when he heard the voices.

"Put the gun down Berman."

Ryan registered the cops in the room, the open door flung back against the oak cabinet behind it and as he stared at that gun all he could think was that Julie would have their balls if whoever had kicked the door open had put one scratch on that antique.

"Berman…don't even think it. If you pull that trigger it will be the last thing you do."

Ryan swallowed hard. He willed Cody to just pull the trigger, not that he was suicidal, He didn't fear death…it didn't mean anything to him.

He took a step forward and the look in Cody's eyes intensified.

"Lower your weapon NOW…Ryan… stay where you are...DO not move."

Ryan could hear the desperation in the cop's voice and he wondered why. He could see the guns trained on Cody they weren't in any danger.

Then the cop said the strangest thing.

"Don't salt the kids game Cody…this isn't his fault…none of this is his fault. We know that…please understand that we know that, don't do anything stupid."

Ryan frowned as the words sunk in…why would they say that to Cody….

Ryan turned his head slightly and caught the cop's eye. The cop shook his head at him and mouthed something. Ryan couldn't tell what he was saying but he suddenly didn't feel so sure about anything anymore.

"You have until the count of three Berman to lower your weapon…one…two…"

Cody bared his teeth at Ryan and then slowly bent down and slid the gun across the floor.

Ryan watched as the room filled with cops and Cody was manhandled to the floor and cuffed.

Cody was yelling obscenities at him, calling him every name under the sun and he could only stand there wondering what the hell had just happened. The cop came over and Ryan automatically held his hands behind him.

"I'm sorry, I've got to do this kid…"

He snapped on the cuffs.

"That O.K…not too tight?"

Ryan felt drained, his brain not quite catching up with things, like why was this cop being so fucking nice?

"You scared the hell out of me there Ryan, Sandy would have killed me if I'd let anything happen to you."

Ryan's head jerked upwards.

"You don't remember me do you, we met about a year ago when your friend got busted buying coke. Sandy wanted to be here but regulations…He's waiting at the station for you and he told me to tell you not to say anything to anyone without him present."

Ryan bowed his head.

"Hey…you O.K. you're not going to pass out on me are you?"

Ryan shook his head. Why did Sandy want to represent him…he couldn't work it out…he remembered their conversation about screwing up so bad and how that it wouldn't change anything…but this went so beyond breaking into a file room.

"Let's get out of here kid."

Ryan let himself be led out of the house and into a cop car.

"They've got him. He's safe."

Sandy thought those were the best words he had ever uttered. He heard the sound of Kirsten tear up the other end.

"They're bringing him in for questioning now…it's going to be O.K…"

"Make sure you tell him we love him Sandy."

"Top of the list Kirsten…"

"So what happens next?"

Sandy sighed.

" If he cooperates and agrees to testify against Corso and Berman then we're going to go for a plea bargain and hopefully a suspended sentence."

"Hopefully! Sandy we can't let him go to prison over this…"

"Kirsten I know but this is serious. He'll be charged with aiding and abetting, breaking and entering, he's also an accessory to whatever Corso and Berman did…"

Sandy didn't want to mention the beatings and rape…. this was bad enough as it was.

"But he didn't want to do it…it was blackmail."

Kirsten was crying now, Sandy knew she felt the guilt as much as she did over this…Ryan had been trying to protect them. Well now it was his turn.

"And that's why he'll probably just get a suspended sentence…this is an unusual case."

"I want him home, you'll post bail immediately?" Kirsten sounded so hopeful.

Sandy's heart sank. That was the problem.

It could be up to 72 hours before his arraignment and depending on how busy the holding cells were at the station he could well be transferred to prison to wait. Until then Sandy's hands were tied regarding bail.

One battle had ended…the other was about to begin. Ryan was a few months shy of eighteen now…that meant in all possibility he would be transferred to an adult prison to await arraignment. Sandy wanted him nowhere near a place like that.

Ryan was so fucking tired, he hadn't slept at all the night before and his brain was not functioning on all levels. The cops doing the questioning had been easy on him, Sandy obviously commanded respect here and it showed in their treatment of him. He'd been brought cigarettes and coffee…the good stuff from the deli across the road and not the machine down the corridor. They had been patient with him as he stumbled over his words and tried to explain himself. They made him feel at ease… as much as he could being questioned in a cop shop.

The internal affairs people had been a different matter…they tried to twist his words, they made him confused and unsure of what had happened. He could feel himself starting to loose it, he'd had enough now. His chest started to feel tight and he felt light headed…Sandy had stepped in quickly and tore a strip off them. Reminded them that Ryan had cooperated at every step of the way and had even set up the job at the Cooper's at great risk to himself to help bring this to an end…. they had backed down and left Ryan with Sandy.

"Hey kid…slow, even breaths." Sandy rubbed his back.

Ryan did what the nurse at the hospital had told him to do when he felt a panic attack coming on and thought of good times…happy times. He pictured himself with Seth on the Summer Breeze, the fresh clean air ruffling his hair as Seth talked about Summer. Ryan felt the attack recede. He looked at Sandy, this was the first time they had been alone since he'd been brought in.

"I'm sorry."

Ryan wished he could turn back the clock, anything not to have to put Sandy through this again…having Sandy clear up his messes was getting to be stale.

"Ryan you have nothing to be sorry for…"

"Nothing... Sandy how can you say that…I'm up to my neck in it and I know that I'm not getting out of this…people got hurt because of me. People always get hurt because of me…"

Ryan felt his voice rise, he stood and paced the room.

"Whoa…whoa, calm down Ryan. Listen to me."

Sandy watched as Ryan sank into his chair and put his head on the table.

"Ryan look at me…"

Sandy waited.

"Ryan please look at me."

Ryan lifted his head.

"I can't begin to think how this must have been for you. I'm not going to lecture you on what you should or shouldn't have done because I'm not sure that if I were in the same position I wouldn't have done the same thing. Ryan…it is serious but think about it for a minute, what did you really do…so you passed on information about house layouts and alarm systems. Make no mistake that these burglaries would have happened with or without your information. People would have been hurt if you hadn't been involved. You did not hurt these people Ryan …you did nothing to.." Sandy tried to make him understand.

Ryan snorted.

"Yeah…I did nothing Sandy, I did nothing…I should have done something sooner."

"You were protecting us Ryan, you protected Kirsten. You made sure she was safe. I've seen the files on Corso…he would have hurt her Ryan never doubt that. You stopped him."

"And now he's dead." Ryan shuddered at the memory.

"Don't shed one ounce of remorse for him …I'm sorry you had to witness something like that but he's not worth thinking about Ryan. Think about yourself for once…we'll get through this just like we always do."

Ryan sighed.

"Yeah…just like we always do…"

Ryan waited for guard to buzz the doors open. Of all the places they could have held him…just his luck.

Sandy promised that it would be just until the arraignment…48-maybe 72 hours tops.

Ryan kept his head down as he was led down the corridor.

He did his best not to make eye contact with anyone but it didn't stop the cries of 'Fresh meat', 'New fish' and the occasional catcall. This was going to be a whole lot worse than juvie. Sandy had looked like he'd been on the verge of breaking down when he told him the news about where they were transferring him, Ryan knew why. This was a whole different ball game.

This was karma; fate had a habit of laughing in his face.

Chino State penitentiary, the last time he'd been here was to collect Trey, this time he didn't have the luxury of walking away.

Tbc

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So there it was...and you all thought it was winding down.