(A.N) Hey everyone! Im sooooooooo sorry i havent updated in forever but ive been so busy. But im back and hoping to wrap this story up soon so keep reading. Posting a double chapter today for you all. First one is short and second one is a bit longer but with a nice cliffhanger lol!

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Thanks so much!

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The Hero Becomes A Zero

"Seth! Oh my god! Are you okay? What happened? I want to know everything!" Summer rushed over to Seth as he walked into the house, a dazed expression on his features. She leapt into his arms and looked back up at his face.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she demanded.

"Nothing, well I guess its something but I just, I know it'll hit you hard…" he said. Summer looked down at her shoes and inhaled deeply.

"I can take it Seth, I promise…" she replied. Seth saw the defiant look in her eye. One which he'd not seen a lot lately. It was the same one as when she wanted to take down Taylor Townsend in senior year. He smiled sadly as she gripped his arm.

"I, I know who it is Summer and believe me when I say that I'm as scared as you but we'll get through this." Summer nodded and looked into his eyes.

"It is a guy called Gregg, Gregg Milligan. Summer its Bailey's brother," Seth said. Summer stepped back, her lip quivering.

"It all makes sense…" she whispered.

"I know, but Sum we're gonna get through it all I promise," Seth said reassuringly. Summer bit her lip and turned away.

"I need to be alone for a sec…" she said, walking slowly up the stairs.

"Summer!" Seth called. She ignored him and continued up the stairs until she was swallowed by the darkness. Seth sighed and shuffled into the living room. He slumped onto the couch and sighed heavily.

It had been a long day.

That night, Summer had the same nightmare all over again. As she woke up, her skin flushed and her limbs stiff, she glanced over at Seth who was still sleeping soundly, his back towards her.

Because he wasn't wearing a shirt, Summer saw the large scar covering the middle of his back. She ran her finger over it tenderly. It was already fading but Summer winced just thinking about it all over again.

Seth shuffled slightly but continued to sleep. She sighed and fell onto her pillows, looking up at the ceiling. Bailey never once mentioned that he had a brother. He said he had a sister but she'd died in her teens in a car crash. It was these kind of things that made her feel sorry for him.

Now all she felt was stupidity. But it was all happening again, what had she done to deserve this. She'd barely gotten through it the first time and was still raw from Taylor's death.

Now this.

It was like her life was one long soap opera. It was starting to bug her as well. Summer turned on her side and closed her eyes. All she wanted was a normal life…

"Oh Cohen, The Valley's on! I missed it last night can we talk later?" Summer glared as Seth sat beside her on the couch, grabbing the remote. He switched off the T.V.

"No. I know you've been avoiding this but we need to talk. Autumns out with my mom so its convenient." Seth nodded and Summer sighed, turning to face him.

"What's to talk about, we know who it is. We tell the cops. Simple as," she tried to retrieve the remote but Seth dodged her.

"Summer! We have a chance here. We have the chance to get our own back, not anything drastic but just give them a taste of their own medicine." Seth raised his eyebrows but Summer just glared.

"Cohen, you've got to be kidding me! Its okay to use a stupid scheme when trying to trick a high school class into playing capture the flag or getting me to go to some stupid comic book launch but our lives, little bit more serious!"

"Summer I'm not going to ask you to do anything stupid just a little plan that I've put together…"

"No! Oh Seth when will you learn? You can do your little plot but count me out. I shall be taking my daughter and myself to Coop's house until this is sorted. Its down to you to decide how you do it."

"But Sum…"

"But nothing! When you give up this stupid idea and call the police, I'll come back to you with our daughter but until then, its goodbye."

She glared and got up, storming out of the room.

"That went great…" Seth mumbled to himself in hearing a door slam loudly upstairs.

"Summer you can't just leave!" Seth protested as Summer hauled two travel bags down the staircase. Seth stood by the bottom, his arms folded.

"Cohen you don't get it! I gave you the option and the whole night but you still didn't do what I asked you to, so yes I'm going," she sighed.

"You don't understand! This means we could get even, Summer please!"

"Seth! What is wrong with you?" she said, moving towards him, "I can't believe you're willing to gamble our lives, not to mention our daughters, and just not tell the cops."

"Its not like that, you know it. The cops are not going to help us through the aftermath are they? They aren't going to be there when you're having a nightmare about it. You told me yourself that I was your hero. Well heroes do what they have to do to save people, they don't rely on cops."

Summer looked down at her shoes as Seth stood defiant to what he'd said.

"Yeah, and here I was thinking that you'd give in. It shouldn't be this hard. Sorry Cohen."

Summer reached forward and kissed Seth on the cheek softly, tears beginning to flood down her cheeks.

She stepped back and took the bags out to the car before returning for Autumn's stroller where the baby sat oblivious to what was really going on.

Seth was speechless. Why didn't she understand? He was doing the right thing. The honourable thing that would make him a hero.

As he watched Summer reverse down the drive in her black BMW, he'd never felt more like a zero.