None of them belong to me. Peace and love...

Ryan was bored.

Like, horribly, desperately, hopelessly, entirely bored.

They had gotten back from Miami four days ago and he was already dying. School was over so the kids were always home and so there truly was nothing to do. And he was bored to death.

Summer was out with the client that she now fondly referred to as Ursula, that octopus thing from The Little Mermaid. Apparently she didn't like the woman and she laughed kind of strangely. Ursula was marrying Quasimodo, the hunchback from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He was sweet but "so naïve." It had amused him how Summer no longer compared people to celebrities, but used Disney characters instead.

They had eaten dinner in silence for one of the first times since Seth had been home. Everyone had been looking at someone else, daring each other to say a word. A lot of fork clinking.

But they had gotten through it, no matter how hard it was to do without Summer jabbering on about something. Jenn had disappeared into her room upstairs; Chris had spread out on his bed, reading a Cosmopolitan from his mom's bedside table. Kirsten had closed herself in her room, trying to avoid looking out the window, but doing it anyway to see when Sandy got home. Seth was somewhere. Ryan was bored.

He had his feet hanging off the side of the couch in the living room, his hand propping his head up. The t.v. was on some sad excuse for a music video and the stereo was playing a sad excuse for a hip hop song. The only available reading material was self help about how to please your man. Ryan wasn't all that interested, thanks. Actually that's a lie, but he'd already read Elle about six times.

It was official; he had no life outside of his daughter.

After the "music video" ended, Seth trounced in and fell on top of Ryan's legs.

"Dude, just ask." Ryan grumbled, yanking his feet from underneath Seth.

"I'm bored."

"Yeah, me too."

"I'm boreder than you are."

"Is that a word?"

Seth shot Ryan a look without turning his head causing Ryan to raise his eyebrows. Seth sighed dramatically.

"I'm bored."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"I don't know. Something more than talking about every single dude in your entire school."

Ryan shook his head. "She's too young for all that. Do you think she'll, like, grow out of it or something?"

Seth scoffed. "It's doubtful. And I think it's going to get worse."

Ryan sighed. "Something to look forward to."

"Sure."

Seth pulled his legs up onto the couch too, mimicking Ryan's arm beneath his head. He turned it slightly to glance at the t.v.

"Dude, Britney Spears looks exactly the same. How much plastic surgery on her?"

"I dunno. Ask me about any movie done by Dakota Fanning. Or Raquel Castro. Or Jonathan Lipnicki. That I know."

"Lipnicki? Wasn't he in Jerry Maguire?"

"Like, a really long time ago. But now he's 'so dreamy.'"

"Wow. Okay."

"Yeah."

"So what about Britney?"

Ryan shrugged. "She's married to that Kevin dude. They have like seven kids. So now she's got the whole boring, old Madonna thing."

Seth nodded while Ryan knew he didn't hear anything he had just said. He sighed as dramatically as he could again.

"We need to go somewhere. Do something. Anything." He rolled his head over to the side and raised his eyebrows. Ryan shrugged.

"Whatever."

"We can't just stay here."

"Whatever."

Seth sighed again and picked up the Elle from the coffee table. He flipped through it absentmindedly, stopping every now and then to look at an ad for clearer skin with a pretty girl.

"Dude, can I ask you a question?" Seth folded the magazine over and tossed it onto the ground. Ryan shrugged.

"Yeah, sure."

"And you'll be honest?"

"I'll try."

"You have to swear."

"Fine. Cross my heart." Ryan drew an x over his chest and Seth nodded.

"Why'd you break up with Summer?"

"What?"

Seth raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

"I didn't." Ryan tried to get his eyes back to normal size and shrug it off, but this was probably the most uncomfortable he had been since the doctor and placed Jenn in his arms.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, she, um, she, well, we weren't really ever together."

"But there was something, yeah?"

"For, like, three days. Probably due to boredom anyway."

"So you guys both, like, decided it was over?"

"Well, uh, Marissa told us it was over. You know, whatever there was."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did Marissa's opinion influence you guys?"

"I don't know. Summer said she was right and stuff, so we just decided she was. It wasn't a big deal or anything. Why do you want to know?"

Seth shrugged. "I don't know. Just...interested, I guess."

"Okay."

"It's just that...I don't know; what if this is a mistake?"

"What?"

"What if I'm not right for her? And there's something better that she's missing out on. I mean, this wouldn't be fair to her."

"Seth, you know Summer's going to do what she wants. If she didn't want you, she'd be with someone else."

"I know. But what if she doesn't know what she wants?"

"Then there's nothing you can do but wait it out."

"What if she never realizes what she really wants? And she's stuck with me for the rest of her life?"

"What can you do, though? Break up with her?"

Seth raised his eyes and eyebrows and shrugged a little less convincingly. Ryan shook his head.

"Dude, you shouldn't be talking to me about this. I, uh, just I'm not right for this. I should go."

"Ryan, don't. I'm sorry, you're right. You shouldn't have to hear this. But, I mean, I don't know. I can't talk to myself about this and I sure as hell can't talk to Summer."

"But, Seth, man, you like her. A lot. And she likes you too."

"I love her."

Ryan's stomach twisted again and the uncomfortable feeling came back. "So why can't you see if this is right? What if you end up taking away what both of you guys need?"

"How can I be what she needs? Ryan, she needs more than me. I'm just a reminder of someone she remembers. I don't know who I am, so how can I know that I'm what she needs? And she needs so much."

"But Seth, this isn't common. It's not, like, an every day thing. You don't just find someone else like Summer who likes you as much as you like her. It doesn't happen like that. And you're extremely lucky."

"I am. What about her?"

Ryan scratched the back of his neck and shook his head. "I still don't know why you're talking to me about this."

"Who am I supposed to talk to?"

"I don't know, Summer?"

Seth shook his head quickly and looked back down at his knees. "No. I can't. Because she won't think rationally. She won't think about herself."

"But she's the only person besides you who really knows what's going on/ she's the only one that can really understand."

"So I just ask her if I should break up with her? Because I don't know what you think, but I think that wouldn't go over so well."

"Ask her where she wants to be. What she wants."

Seth leaned his mouth on his hand, his eyes staring at the t.v. again. He shrugged for the umpteenth time.

"I guess I could do that."

"Yeah. And...good luck, man." Ryan smiled with the right side of his mouth. Seth nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks."

The song on the radio changed again to something older. Seth watched the lights on the radio flash the station.

"And I'd give up forever to touch you. Cause I know you feel me somehow. You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be. I don't want to go home right now. And all I could taste is this moment. And all I can breathe is your life. And sooner or later it's over; I just don't want to miss you tonight. And I don't want the world to see me. Cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am."

Seth nodded again and sniffed lightly, holding his hand up against his mouth. He scratched his head gently and nodded. He stood up and walked out of the room, finding Chris alone in the pool house, staring up at the ceiling, an intense look on his face as he counted the ceiling tiles. Seth sniffed again.

"Hey, Chris."

Chris turned his head with a grin, happy to have anyone living to talk to.

"Seth, what's up?" He frowned a little at the look on Seth's face.

"I just wanted to see you. And I have to talk to your mom when she gets home."

"Okay. You can see me."

"Okay." Seth offered a weak smile and sat down next to Chris's bed on the floor. Chris crawled over and lay his head down on his hands next to Seth's.

"Are you bored, Seth?"

"I was. Are you?"

"Very." Chris nodded the best he could with his face on the comforter. "I miss my mom. She doesn't usually take this long."

"Yeah."

"Yup. So, what do you want to talk to her about?"

"I'm not sure."

"Is it a good something or a bad something?"

"I don't know."

"Hmm. It's serious, though, right?"

"Yeah I guess."

"A good serious or a bad serious?"

"I don't know, Chris." Seth's voice rose a little, and Chris's eyes shrunk.

"Oh."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you."

"It's okay." Chris looked away from Seth and rolled over onto his back.

"Chris, I..."

"No. I said it was okay."

"Chris..."

The glass door slid open and Summer came in, dumping her purse on her bed. She walked over to Chris's bed and sat in front of Seth.

"Hey." She kissed him quickly on the lips and looked up at Chris. He looked at her and smiled as pathetically as Seth had.

"Hi Mommy."

"Hi, honey. Are you okay?"

He nodded and leaned forward to hug her. She looked over at Seth and raised her eyebrows. He just looked away. When Chris let go of her neck, he looked back over at Seth's eyes, ignoring him and Summer. Chris groaned and shook his head. He muttered to Summer, "Seth wanted to talk to you."

"Okay."

Seth looked back over at the two of them, and turned his gaze back to his knees. Summer walked over on her knees to look him in the face.

"What?"

"I don't think this is going to work."

"What? Wait, what are you...are you breaking up with me?"

He shrugged lightly, his eyes starting to get red. "It's not your fault. It's mine. It's all mine."

"Oh, my god, I..."

"What?" Chris stood up on the bed and his eyes grew to twice their size.

Seth turned his head around to look at him. "Chris, this is just something..."

"No! You're not supposed to...you were going to...you said that you...you were supposed to be my dad."

"Chris..." Seth started.

"No! You were...you're Seth. You have my name. You're the one my mom is supposed to be with! Even Grandmom said so. She was talking to Aunt Marissa a long time ago and she said you were going to be together and you were going to be my dad!"

"But Chris this isn't..."

"No! I want you to be my dad! You're nice and you love my mom and I thought you liked me. But you don't, right? You never liked me! No one likes me!"

"Chris, I do like you. This just has to..."

"No! No, no, no, no, no! You're all liars and I hate you because you hate me!" Chris started crying, swatting away Summer's arm as it crept near him. "You were going to be my dad."

He ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. Summer stood up, but spun back around, crying almost as hard as Chris had been.

"What are you doing? Why are you doing this?"

"I'm sorry. I just can't..."

"Love me. I get it. I was making up all those feelings I thought I had for you."

"Summer..." He stood up, starting to walk over to her, but she shook her head, bringing her hands up to her face.

"I don't mean anything to you. You don't care. I...have to...go somewhere."

She grabbed her purse again and knocked on the door to the bathroom.

"Chris! Come out."

"No."

"Chris, please?"

"Go to hell."

Summer bit her lip and seemed to push at the air with her hand. She walked out of the house and shut the door. Seth stood in the middle of the room, finally walking over to the bathroom door. He sat down next to it.

"Chris. Talk to me."

"I don't want to."

"Chris, you don't mean that. Yell at me."

"No. I want Uncle Ryan. Get Uncle Ryan."

"You promise you won't leave."

"Yes! Get Uncle Ryan."

"Okay. Okay."

Seth slowly got up and watched the door as he walked out of the room. As soon as he passed the door, he broke into a run to the main house. Ryan was on the couch where he left him.

"Ryan, dude, you have to come."

"Seth, you can't find out if you're going to break up with someone that loves you with your brother in the room."

"I know. But you have to come now."

"Seth..."

"Ryan, come."

Ryan groaned, but stood up.

"Fine."

He followed Seth out to the pool house. Seth pointed at the bathroom door. Ryan put up his hands; Seth mouthed 'Chris.' Ryan shook his head. 'Dammit.'

Ryan walked to the door and knocked gently. "Chris?"

The door slivered open, and a slightly chubby arm came out to pull Ryan in. The door slammed and Seth shook his head, his hands on the wall. This wasn't supposed to be like this. They would be happy soon, though. They had to be happy soon.

Ryan sat against the door, Chris crawling into his lap and leaning his head back on Ryan's chest. Chris had told him everything, changing his voice for the different characters. Something about it wasn't so funny though. Ryan bent his head down to look at the top of Chris's, but Chris looked straight ahead.

"Chris. You know, everyone in this house wants you to be happy."

"Right."

"It's true. Even Seth, especially Seth. Because I think you can say what you want, but he does love you."

"Sure. Like he loves my mom."

"Chris, come on. You know grown ups are messed up. I think if you looked, you'd find out Seth is even more confused about what's going on than you are. And he thinks he has less people who love him than you do."

"Grandmom loves him. But only because she has to."

"You don't love him?"

"No. He almost made my mom cry."

"Everyone makes mistakes."

"But that's a big one."

"But you know what? I love him too."

"But you have to, too. He's your brother."

Ryan nodded against the little boy's soft hair.

"He's my brother. But I have to love you too. Doesn't mean I do any less."

"Why do you have to love me?"

"Because. You're my nephew."

"Not really. Just like my mom isn't really your sister."

"Yeah. But after a while, it seems that way."

"Ew. You kissed your sister."

Ryan smiled and smoothed the wisps of brown that invaded Chris's brow.

"So are you mad at your mom too?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because. She lies."

"Your mom might do a lot of things, but I know she doesn't lie."

"Yes, she does. She said that she loved Seth. She told me."

"How do you know she doesn't?"

Chris thought about it a second, but shook his head. "Either she lies or she's really stupid."

"Why?"

"Because. He can't love her. That's what she said. So she shouldn't love him."

"Why not?"

"Because if he doesn't love her, then he wouldn't marry her."

"Why do you want him to marry her?"

Chris turned his head and looked at the sink. He shook his head again. "It's stupid."

"If it's true, then it's not stupid."

"But this is. Because it just is."

"Can you tell me anyway?"

Chris looked behind him and Ryan's face. He crooked his finger and Ryan leaned down his head.

Chris whispered into his ear, "I want a daddy. A real one. I love my dad, but he's not a real one. And I thought I knew my mommy liked Seth, so I tried to get him to love her too." He pulled away from Ryan's ear and stared back at the shower. "I guess I didn't do such a good job, huh?"

"Chris." Ryan kissed the top of his head and leaned his cheek against it. "Seth doesn't know what he thinks. He's very confused. But I know he would like to be your daddy. He's just not so sure he'd be so good at it."

"I don't care. I wanted him anyway. Now maybe not. Because mommies and daddies are supposed to love each other. I don't think Seth loves my mommy, and I know my mommy doesn't love my daddy. And did I tell you about Christian?"

"What about him?"

"He called me a bad word."

"What did he call you?"

Chris looked around his shoulder into Ryan's face and said without blinking, "A bastard. He said it was because my mommy didn't love my daddy. And then he called my mommy a bad word too."

Ryan felt his hands tighten. "What?"

"A hole."

"A hole?"

"Yeah. Like a girl who doesn't love the daddies of her son."

"You sure it was a hole?"

"It sounded like it."

"You sure it wasn't with an r?"

"Maybe. I don't remember. Yeah, that's probably right. Btu I told him he shouldn't talk about my mommy because at least she was prettier than his mommy. And then he got mad at me. But it's true. His mommy's ugly. My mommy's pretty. But she's not a whore. His mommy's just jealous."

"You're right, Chris. He's just jealous. You have a mommy who loves you, a daddy who loves you, a Grandmom who loves you, a Grandpa that loves you, and I think you're okay."

Chris laughed and Ryan started to relax.

"Do you think my mommy loves Seth?"

Ryan stared ahead at the shower, following Chris. "Yes."

"Do you think Seth loves my mommy?"

"Yes."

"Do you think my mommy's a whore?"

"No. Definitely not."

"Okay. So why did Seth tell my mommy he didn't love her?"

"Grown ups are confused most of the time, Chris. You should probably let them figure it out. Because grown ups speak a different language and only each other can understand it."

"Can you understand it?"

"Not most of the time."

"That's because you're not old."

"Maybe you're right."

"Do I have to tell Seth I forgive him?"

"You have to not yell at him. You have to tell your mommy you're sorry."

"I am sorry."

"That's good."

"So what do I have to tell Seth?"

"That's up to you."

"Isn't that a big decision?"

"It's very big."

"So shouldn't you make it for me?"

"No. Only you can. It's all up to you."

"Okay. I'll think about it."

"Okay."

"You look tired. Go to sleep."

"You should too."

"I'm going to wait for my mommy to come home."

"Don't wait too long."

"I won't. She'll be home."

"Okay. I think you're right. Good night, Chris."

"Good night, Uncle Ryan."

Ryan pushed himself up with his knuckles and helped Chris stand up too. He opened the door, glad to see that Seth had gone. Chris couldn't make adult decisions to quickly. He walked Chris over to his bed and helped him pull up the covers.

"I love you, Uncle Ryan."

"I love you too, Chris."

Chris reached out his arms, and Ryan let him hug him. He turned off the light and stood at the door, watching Chris try to find a side to sleep on.

"Don't grow up too fast, Chris," he muttered, walking out the door, past Summer who was walking quietly in. She didn't look at him, but said good night before she walked into the pool house.

"Iris" written by John Rzeznik