AN: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, jbkafproductions wrote two stories: The Chino, an angsty post season 1 finale tale; and The Chinos, a more lighthearted look at Ryan's life after he returned to Newport (you can find them under the author name JBKAF productions). jbkafproductions, of course, a collaboration between brandywine421 and joey51 - the coming together of two awesome talents...

Then, slightly later, brandywine421 teamed up with elzed and resurrected the character of Kimmie, who first turned up in The Chinos, and took her on a fluffy, sex-filled romp in The Chinos Redux.

Okay. Now the two universes - the angst of The Chino and the heat of The Chinos Redux (aka Kimmie) finally get to meet. Expect angst in buckets, and hot stuff. Possible humor - but let's be honest, this isn't really fluffy. This version has been sanitized, the NC-17 versions will appear on transatlantica's lj.

Spoilers: not really - AU since the end of season 1.
Disclaimer: Apart from the delightful Kimmie, which is a creation of jbkafproductions developed by us, characters and situations kind of belong to Josh Schwartz, Fox and the WB.

Rating – here – T.

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Prologue:

It's past seven when Theresa finally heads home. Fridays are a bitch – she often stays late at the office to finish some accounts for the end of the week, and then she's got class at the community college where she's studying for her GED. She doesn't want to be stuck in the admin office at Bellini Construction all her life. Even though she is still grateful to Kirsten for having found her a job that doesn't involve ten solid hours on her feet.

The house is dark when she pulls over in the drive. Normally, the light should be on in the kitchen – Eva likes to see what she does when she's cooking. Maybe she's decided to lie down and fallen asleep on the couch or fully clothed on her bed. These days it happens more and more often but Theresa hasn't managed to convince her to go and see the doctor.

"Later, mija, later," Eva says, smiling. "When the money's not so tight. I feel fine – I'm just getting old, that's all."

The house is dark and cool when Theresa opens the door. It doesn't smell like anything – no spices wafting through the air, no rice cooking, its smell so familiar it's woven into most of Theresa's childhood memories , like a discreet bassline through a pop song.

"Mamacita?" she calls as she walks through the rooms, turning the lights on as she goes, but nobody answers. Briefly, Theresa wonders if her mother could be out of the house – something that hasn't happened in months,

When she sees Eva's dark shape on her bed, she breathes a sigh of relief. But it's short-lived. As she takes her arm to shake her gently awake, she recoils at the feel of cold flesh, of unresponsive, stiffening muscles, and a wave of panic surges through her.

"Mama," she whispers under her breath, "Mama. Wake up, Mama."

It takes her at least ten minutes before her brain even begins to accept that Eva won't wake up and gives in to the panic instead.

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I pull on my trademark wifebeater and run a hand through my hair. My scalp hurts a little but that's what I get for going out with a girl like Kimmie. She's a grabber and my hair pays the price.

The phone rings and I grab it from my pocket and open it absently. "This is Ryan…" I don't want to be late, Kimmie gets snappy when I make her wait.

"Ryan?"

I recognize her tear-choked voice immediately. I'll always know her voice. "Theresa? What's wrong?"

She never calls me crying, she never cries in front of me anymore because she knows how much it hurts me. "Ryan…its Ma…"

I don't even know what to say. Eva…I know it's bad by her voice but I have to listen.

"I don't know what happened but… I just came home and she was on her bed and – oh Ryan, she…she's dead…I don't know what to do, I don't know who to call and…"

"Theresa, just breathe, step out of the room and breathe," I say, walking out of the poolhouse and toward the kitchen automatically. I have to get to her.

Eva. Eva is gone.

She bandaged my cuts when I was small and I emptied her bedpan when she got sick. We had history like no one else.

I loved her like no one else.

Eva is dead.

"I can't leave her, she was all alone…"

"You can't be there right now, you have to step back, Theresa and catch your breath, please, baby, do it for me…" I whisper, I have to get through to her.

I listen as her breathing gets faster.

I'm in the kitchen now and Kirsten is staring at me from across the room. "I need the keys."

"Ryan, what's wrong, what is it?" Kirsten asks, hurrying over.

Her hand is warm on my arm but I'm still caught up in Theresa's breaths. "Baby, please…" I say, but she's breathing so fast that I don't know if she's listening.

Finally, she speaks in a broken whisper, "Okay, I'm in the kitchen…what am I going to do?"

I listen as she breaks down into harsh sobs that I've only heard once before.

"I need the keys," I tell Kirsten. Surely she can tell that it's important…

"I'm not letting you go anywhere until you tell me what's wrong…" Kirsten says, putting both of her hands on my arm and forcing me to look at her.

"Eva's dead," I say and Theresa hears me. She gasps and I feel her pain, her loss because Eva's all that Theresa has left…

"Eva…oh no, come on, I'll drive…" Kirsten says.

"You don't…" I start, but she's already pulling me toward the driveway.

"Ryan…" Theresa murmurs and I can feel her devastation.

"I'm coming, Theresa, I'm coming…"

"Who do I call? The ambulance? The funeral home?" she cries in my ear.

"I don't…"

"God, Ryan, what am I going to do?" she asks again.

And I still don't know what to tell her.

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Ryan's not answering his phone.

He always answers his phone.

I hate being such a 'girl', but it pisses me off when boys don't answer their phones.

Ryan's my man.

It's crazy, because I always thought I loved Jay, but I know I love Ryan. He's…god, he's perfect. A libido to match my own and the moves that keep me convinced that one of his ancestors wrote the Kama Sutra. The boy is good.

I dial his number again but I don't leave a message this time.

He's never late without calling.

"Kimmie? Wasn't Ryan coming over?" Mom has to rub it in.

"He's supposed to, I don't know where he is."

She raises an eyebrow at me before narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "What did you do?"

"Nothing, I swear!" Not that I can think of…I did steal his favorite pair of boxers but he wouldn't be this upset about that…

"You want me to call his parents? See if everything's okay?" she asks, concerned. Mom and Dad really like Ryan. I think it might have something to do with my impeccable grades and more 'appropriate' lifestyle. Ryan's calmed me down.

My phone rings and I drop it from the surprise. "Hello?"

"Kimmie? It's Kirsten…"

"Oh god, is everything all right?"

"Ryan's on the phone right now, that's why he hasn't been answering you, we have to go to Chino…"

"Chino?" Why are they going to Ryan's hometown, he doesn't have any family there anymore.

As far as I know, the Cohens have always tried to keep Ryan out of Chino.

Something's wrong.

"Theresa's mother has…she's passed on and Ryan needs to go check on Theresa…"

Theresa. The girl who was going to have Ryan's baby. The woman he walked away from Newport for. Ryan's first love.

"I'm driving him, he's upset, and I'll make sure he calls you later, okay?"

"Thanks, Kirsten, for calling." I close the phone.

"What happened?" my mom asks.

"Theresa's mom died."

"Who's Theresa?"

"Ryan's…his friend. His ex-girlfriend," I tell her, keeping my face as blank as I can.

"Oh."

I don't know how I'm supposed to handle this.

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Kirsten parks the Range Rover in the gravel driveway behind the coroner's telltale van and locks the door as she hops out. She's been listening to Ryan murmur into the phone for the past hour to Theresa and she'd used her own phone to make the appropriate calls.

She watches Ryan's careful steps onto the porch. He doesn't knock, he just walks into the house and into Theresa's arms.

She takes the phone from him before he drops it as Theresa clings to Ryan, almost collapsing in his strong arms.

She knows how it feels to lose her mother. Theresa's hurting. And she can see that Ryan is the only person that can comfort her.

Kirsten knows that Theresa loves Ryan. She could see it every time she saw Theresa and Ryan in the same room. She had that longing in her eyes. Theresa loves Ryan.

She pats Ryan on the back as she passes them to speak to the coroner and discuss the funeral arrangements. She knows that the decisions have to come from Theresa, but she can give the girl some privacy and help with the initial questions.

She doesn't know what Eva meant to Ryan yet. But she knows that it was a lot.

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I find myself at Ryan's house, sitting in the car.

Mr. Cohen appears finally, knocking on the glass. "Kimmie? Are you waiting for Ryan?"

"They didn't call you?"

"I just got home, who?" he asks, oblivious.

"Ryan's in Chino with Kirsten. Theresa's mom died."

His face reacts in surprise. I probably should have prepared him, what if he knows Theresa's mom really well or something?

"Come on inside, Kimmie. I'll call and find out what's going on."

I like Sandy. He's the perfect man for Kirsten. He's the perfect Dad, too, from all that I've seen, despite his hyperactive offspring. I wonder if Seth knows about this, if Ryan called him since he didn't call me. Seth will fill me in on Theresa and Ryan, he loves to talk and for once, I'll be more than willing to listen.

I sit down at the counter beside him. Usually Ryan sits there and Sandy stands on the other side of the counter with Kirsten while we get lectured about curfews and public displays of affection. Although, to be fair, they only complain about the PDAs when school complains. Which isn't too often – we're getting to be quite stealth. I'm learning to keep my mouth shut in inappropriate places…

Ryan and I should have never introduced our parents to each other because they really hit it off. Now both punish us indiscriminately.

Sandy has his phone to his ear now and he's talking to Kirsten. His speaker's up high and I can hear her voice.

"Kirsten? What happened?"

"Eva had a stroke, Theresa came home and found her, she's really upset, she called Ryan before she even called the paramedics," Kirsten's tinny voice replies.

God. Ryan's, like, everybody's hero. Seth's always talked about how Ryan would lay down in traffic for his friends but I'd always put it up to hero worship or something, but I can see it better now. I know Ryan would do anything for me…

But he's bound to Theresa first. He didn't even call me…

"What can I do?" Sandy asks.

I have to snap out of it. A woman is dead, a woman that Ryan probably cared about. He isn't thinking of me.

He's with Theresa.

"Ryan and Theresa are talking to the priest and the funeral directors now, Theresa's called some family and I'm not sure whether she'll be staying over or coming to Newport tonight."

"I'll get the guest room ready just in case," Sandy says, not looking at me.

"Thanks, I'll call you before we leave."

He closes the phone and takes a deep breath.

"Were you and Theresa's mom close?"

"I never met her. But Ryan lived there for a summer. She was sick then, he took care of her…she was bedridden and he…"

"I thought Theresa was on bedrest for that summer," I start.

"Yeah. He handled a lot," Sandy says.

"I'll clean up the poolhouse a little. Do you mind if I hang out?" I want to see Ryan when he gets back. I want to hug him and hold him. I want to make him smile.

His broods are legendary and nothing I've seen has prepared me to see him handle a death.

But I'll be good for him. I won't flake out.

This is too important.

"Sure, Kimmie," Sandy says finally, almost looking relieved.

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Cleaning up the poolhouse takes all of ten minutes – Ryan may have left in a rush, but the place is pretty tidy, as usual. I'm ashamed to say his room makes mine look like a pigsty, on any given day. Still, I manage to fold away some clean laundry and wash a cup. After I've moved the same couple of magazines from one shelf to another eight times, I give up, sit down on the bed and flick the TV on.

I really want Ryan to come back soon.

The first time Seth knocks on the door, I don't hear him – I'm wrapped up in an ER rerun, the one where the asshole doctor gets killed by a helicopter in some cruel twist of fate. So the second time, Seth actually cracks the door open and asks me how it goes. I love the way the Cohens respect Ryan's privacy so much more now after a few mishaps with the door being unlocked.

"You heard the news?" I ask him, and he nods.

"You want a coffee or something?"

Coffee. Yeah, maybe that's an idea. "That would be nice." Seth and I are actually friends now that he doesn't think I'm only after Ryan for what's in his pants. Despite his hyperactive, rambling tendencies, it's hard to dislike Seth. But usually I have Ryan or Summer nearby to buffer him.

He smiles at me and ducks away, A couple of minutes later, he's back with two of those huge Cohen mugs they all drink out of here. I take mine gratefully and Seth sinks into the armchair.

"You don't mind if I join you?" he says, indicating the TV. "I, uh, could do with the distraction. Dad's back on the phone to Mom – they're trying to figure out what happens next."

I look into my coffee cup at the steaming brown liquid. "Ryan was close to her, wasn't he?"

"I guess. I think Theresa's mom used to look after him when things were bad." I don't want to think about what that means. Bad. "I'm not sure how much, though. You know how Ryan is – he doesn't talk about his past." And he has a smile in his voice as he says it.

"You can say that again." It's like pulling teeth, trying to get that boy to talk. Funny he and Seth are so close – I've never met two such dissimilar friends.

I keep studying my coffee cup – I can't quite bring myself to look Seth in the eye. I feel uncomfortable asking him point blank, but I wonder what he thinks of her. But I have to know.

"You've met Theresa, haven't you?" I can feel a flush creeping up my neck. I hate prying, but I really want to know more about this – not just for me, either. It's not like I can ask Ryan without sounding like a jealous, possessive girlfriend.

"Yeah, but it's been a while," he says. "I mean, the last time I saw her was when Ryan left with her last summer."

"What's she like?"

He's silent for a few beats, and that's not like Seth. I look up at him and I realize he's as uncomfortable as I am.

"Um, she's... nice. Yeah, nice."

"Nice?" Who knew Seth Cohen was capable of such a terse summary?

"Listen, I don't know, I was kind of pissed at her when Ryan left. And I was pissed at Ryan for leaving. I'm not the best person to judge. But I know he calls her sometimes and they seem to be friends, you know?"

Yeah, I know. And I tell myself it's stupid to be jealous of her, and that she's had a hard time, losing the baby, and Ryan, and now her mother. But I can't help it – somewhere I feel she knows Ryan like I never will, and that grates.

Also, I think Seth is jealous of her, too. So there must be something to that if Ryan's almost-brother is insecure at the thought of her.

"Well, she's had a pretty shitty time," I say. "and she's a friend of Ryan's…"

"… and we're Ryan's friends," he continues, catching the drift.

"So I guess we should be her friends."

"Exactly," he says, nodding vigorously. And then we catch each other's eyes and start laughing.

"Man, I feel like such a bitch - but I can't stop thinking of her as competition," I say.

Seth snorts. "You think that's bad? I feel like that sometimes. And I don't think that's particularly good for my masculinity."

I don't feel so stupid all of a sudden.

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I don't know what we would have done without Kirsten. I've been trying to comfort Theresa, who's still completely in shock, and Kirsten has taken over. She's been helping with the funeral arrangements and the priest, she's talked to some of Theresa's relatives, and she's been liaising with Sandy all the way.

Theresa has been crying on my shoulder most of the time. It's like all her strength is gone. The Theresa I know, the tough girl who looks after herself, who picked up after she lost the baby and sent me back to the Cohens, she's gone. Instead, there's a scared little girl who keeps telling me she doesn't know what will happen now. It's like nothing I say is getting through to her.

And I completely understand.

Eva was her rock. Even sick and weak, she kept everything together. I have no idea how Theresa's going to cope without her.

Hell, whenever I think about her, all I can remember is what she said to me when I left, after Theresa lost our baby.

"In my heart, you'll always be my son."

I want to cry, too, but I can't – I have to be strong for Theresa.

I also think that a lot of what happened last summer is really hitting home. And not just for Theresa – I find myself thinking about our baby more than I have in God knows how long. Something about being here makes the pain and the loss so much more tangible.

It's as if all those months never happened.

Theresa's finally stopped crying. She sniffles and pulls away from my soaked shoulder.

"Oh, Ryan, I'm sorry," she says. "I didn't mean to get you all wet…"

"It's fine. Don't worry. You want to drink something, replace some of the liquid?" I try to smile at her, lighten the moment, but she knows it's forced.

She smiles back, her eyes puffy and red. I want to make the hurt stop, but there's nothing I can do.

"Sure. I'll have – whatever. Some tea?" Tea. How could I forget the family fetish for tea?

When I come back from the kitchen, Theresa's on the phone.

"…no, really, it's okay," she's saying. "My aunt is on her way, and my cousins. I have friends… You don't have to… Okay, okay. Yes. No, I'm not trying to push you away – I just don't want you to feel pressured… I know, I'm being stupid. I'll see you in an hour? Okay. Yeah." And then she smiles and a little blush creeps up her cheek. "Yo tambien," she whispers before hanging up.

She looks up at me and I swear she looks guilty for a second.

"Boyfriend?" I ask, offering her the mug.

"I was going to tell you about him." She definitely sounds guilty now.

"Hey, it's your life, I…"

"No, seriously – I just… I mean, you tell me about who you're dating, so it's only fair I should tell you back."

I lean against the doorframe and look at her expectantly. Anything to get her mind – and mine – off Eva's body lying next door. And I have to admit that I'm interested.

Theresa rattles the information off without looking at my eyes once: "His name's Ramon, he's twenty-one and he's an electrician. I met him through my cousin Juanita and we've been seeing each other for, uh, three months, I guess."

Whoa. Three months? Someone's been keeping secrets. And I've been telling her that Kimmie and I are now officially dating, too, so it's not like she hasn't had the opportunity.

Luckily for Theresa, the doorbell rings.

It's her aunt Rita, her Mom's sister, together with her daughters, and they surround Theresa, hugging her and crying and comforting her with soft words in Spanish into her ear – and suddenly I'm not really needed anymore.

After talking it over, we agree to come back tomorrow – and maybe bring Theresa back to Newport for a day or two. Tonight she wants to stay here with her family.

On the way home, I call Kimmie – I know Kirsten spoke to her, but I want to hear her voice.

She picks up after one ring. "Ryan."

"Hey, I'm sorry about tonight."

"You're apologizing for a date at a time like this? I'm so sorry about Theresa's mom. I know she meant a lot to you."

I sigh. It's true. I haven't really allowed myself to think about how I feel about the whole situation. And I don't want to, yet.

"Listen, I'm at the Cohens' right now. I wanted to see you. But if you don't feel like seeing me, if you're too tired, or upset – I can go home. I don't want to…"

I cut her off. "Stay. Please."

"I'll be there."

I close my eyes and tip my head back on the headrest. Actually, seeing Kimmie tonight is probably the best thing that could happen tonight. I don't want to think about Eva, or Theresa, or last summer. I'll be doing enough of this in the coming days.

It's past eleven when we get back to the Cohens, and I really don't have the energy to go through it all with Seth and Sandy, so after a quick hug, I head for the poolhouse. Kimmie's car is still outside so I expect she's inside, and I am really thankful to the Cohens for not saying anything about it.

When I open the door, I see her lying on the bed, asleep, her blonde curls tousled. The short skirt she's wearing has ridden up her thigh, and she's looking really cute, and vulnerable in her sleep, and breathtakingly sexy.

I take my shoes off and lie down next to her – God, I'm so tired.

I draw her into my embrace, and she yawns and snuggles closer to me. The feel of her warm body in my arms is just so right.

I tighten my arms around her and bury my face in her neck, inhaling her sweet scent, and she wriggles against me. There is just no way I can resist her touch, even when she is asleep.

Besides, I really want this. I need something to forget all this shit, and Kimmie – well, Kimmie always makes me feel better, no matter what.

So I start kissing her neck, and running my hands down her body and under her shirt, until I hear her moan, and I know she's waking up.

"Mmmh Ryan," she whispers, twisting around so she's facing me. "Sorry I fell asleep…"

"Sorry I took so long," I whisper back, just before her mouth lands on mine and we exchange a deep kiss. And then I surrender to the urge and start unbuttoning her shirt.

She cooperates instantly, and it's like her clothes melt off, revealing her fantastic breasts and the rest of her gorgeous, sexy body.

I latch on to one of her breasts with my mouth while trying to undo my own shirt, and she bats my hands away and takes over.

You've got to hand it to Kimmie, she knows how to get naked quick.

She's gyrating her hips under mine, and panting. When I slip my hand between her legs, she responds instantly and I don't waste any time and oh God it feels so good to be doing this with her.

I'm so glad she went on the pill – we were going through so many condoms, it made more sense to take the test and switch – because, fuck, it's even better.

In the back of my mind I can feel all the tension and the angst of today ebbing away as I let the pleasure and the hormones rush me, and I stop thinking and just live in the moment.

Kimmie arches under me, whimpering, her nails digging into the small of my back, and as we get more and more frenzied she starts to pant and moan, louder and louder, until she cries out and we both let go.

I know it won't last, but right now, I feel at ease – and almost good. There's something about Kimmie – she makes me feel at peace. Especially after sex. Must be something to do with the physical effort and the endorphins. Or maybe it's just her.

God, I needed this so badly.

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After we hang up, I wonder whether I should go and wait for him in the main house, but it's not like they don't know I'm here. Or that I might be staying the night.

So I decide to stay right here, on the bed, and I guess I must've fallen asleep, because the next thing I know, I can feel Ryan hugging me from behind.

It's nice. But we've never been very good at just hugging.

His hand slips under my shirt and creeps up towards my breast, and I can hear his breathing getting heavier in my ear. He runs his tongue down my neck and fastens his mouth on my skin, biting and kissing roughly.

It takes 0.2 seconds and I feel the desire blossoming through my body. Hot damn, Ryan really knows how to get me hot and bothered.

I can't hold back a moan.

We exchange apologies about tonight, and then we're kissing and I just start pulling my clothes off, and his, because I can feel the desperate urge in him, and it makes me want to make it better.

Also, I want him inside me, like now.

His hands on my breasts are driving me crazy and when his hot mouth starts sucking on my left breast, I reach out for him. There's my boy, slipping his hand between my legs while I make a grab for him.

We grind against each other's hands for about ten seconds, and then he's rocking against me, in me. He knows exactly what rhythm to adopt to get me off…

Oh Ryan, you're such a fantastic lay.

After wards, we lie on his bed wrapped in each other's arms. I have a million questions, but they can wait. Right now, he needs TLC, and probably sleep.

"You wanna spend the night?" he mutters into my neck. I get the impression the Cohens aren't going to complain tonight. And it's not like we have class tomorrow.

"Only if you want me to."

"Can't promise more action," he says sleepily.

"I'll cope," I say, nuzzling his cheek. It's not like I'm totally insatiable. I can be reasonable.

I'm just glad that he let me do something for him tonight. Be here for him tonight.

We both end up sleeping soundly.