I'm sorry. It was supposed to be quick. This is sort of filler and repetitive, but it sets things up, and I swear, the next chapter will be up within...say two weeks. Swear. I have some of the best reviewers in the world, and so I want to thank you guys. I'm thinking another ten chapters, but nothing's certain. But I do know the end isn't very near. Nothing belongs to me, and Josh got my peeps back together, so I no longer have a beef with him.

If she could pick one thing to keep her sane until she died, it would be those long kisses he'd leave on her cheek before he headed off to high school. Summer didn't even know kisses on the cheek could leave her so...hot. He was like that, though. Seth would never let anything be simple. It was always...exciting.

Chris was staying with Luke as Luke presented a new model to Japan. He said it would be good for him. Summer didn't always know. But she didn't want Luke to get all...whatever again, so she'd have to deal with three weeks without her baby. Seth said it was good for her too. So did Ryan. She asked him if he wanted to let Jenn go with them, and he went silent.

The only perk to having the pool house empty was lying on the floor in Seth's arms. They'd watch the ceiling, and sometimes he'd tell her about sailing. She would listen as long as she could, and she couldn't count the number of times she'd fallen asleep listening to him describe the people he had met. Sometimes they'd talk on the driveway, and once she convinced him to lie down in the middle of the street with her. He was constantly sitting up though, positive he'd heard a car. She didn't know how to explain to him that it was romantic, so they stuck with the driveway.

They were always talking now. She liked it sometimes, less others. It always seemed like he was describing life without her, and when he laughed about it, it hurt her a little. But he wanted to talk about it, so she'd always listen. Even when it made her want to fall into the bathroom and cry and cry.

Summer sat in the pool house, leaning against the headboard, just watching the doors with a blank stare. She loved having Seth around. He made her laugh through the tight, bitter anger she was constantly feeling in the back of her throat. And somehow she was going to have to get air through the knot, and laughing seemed to be the only way to really do it.

But she wanted her Seth back. Not Brittany's Seth. And when he was opening up to her about everything he had been through, he was Brittany's Seth. Even worse: "B"s Seth.

Whenever he was hanging out with her, Seth was with Ryan. Sprawled out on Ryan's floor as Ryan sat with Jenn to get her to sleep was one of his new favorite places. He'd talk quietly, and Ryan would just listen. He'd save what he really wanted to say for after Jenn fell asleep, but he'd tell stories of men that didn't wash themselves except for in the ocean while she was awake, giggling as she closed her eyes.

"Is she done, man?" Seth whispered, raising his head off the floor.

Ryan moved his chest up, glancing down at the angel's chest rising and falling on top of his arm. He nodded and walked over to Seth, lying on the floor next to him.

"So, did you ever hear from Brittany again?"

Seth shrugged. "Sometimes. She stayed in California. Went up to Los Angeles, far enough to not show up too often, but close enough to remind me she still exists."

"What does she say?"

"Tries to be my friend. Asks me about shit that she doesn't care about."

"Like?"

"Summer."

"Yeah?"

Seth nodded. "She keeps trying to analyze our relationship, tell me what to do next."

"How often does she call?"

"Sometimes once a week, sometimes twice in one day."

"Do you want to keep talking to her?"

"Not always."

"You can tell her."

He shrugged again. "She talks. I go all brooding outsider, just without the sideways glances."

Ryan nodded. "Didn't know you had it in you, man. Not talk? For extended periods sometimes twice in one day? Impressive."

"Yeah, except not. I just wish you could've met her before the bitch came out. She's so...much. Very much. Hyper, bouncy, everywhere, can't sit still for one second even if you strap her down."

Ryan raised an eyebrow, but Seth just shook her head.

"Not with Brittany. She wouldn't be up for that. Except maybe she would, but I wasn't."

"Wow, Seth, she made you into a real man."

"Not really. She just made me...learn."

"Learn what?"

"How hard it must be for you guys to put up with me."

Ryan laughed. "Yeah, hyper, everywhere, much, that must've been very new for you."

"Ha-ha, man. Really funny."

"I thought it was."

"But she could become too much too. She never knew when to stop."

"And that made you stop more often."

"I guess. It's kind of weird; because I used to think about what it would be like if I met her here. Like if that thing with Summer and Anna had been a rhombus. Or a rectangular prism or something. I don't know who I would've chosen."

"But now?"

"Now it's Summer. It'll be Summer from now until eternity. I hope, anyways."

"I think you guys have a chance."

"Except not always. Because, I don't know, she changed too. Like from when I came back. Then she was all...passionate or whatever. Now she seems like I'm passing her time. Again. And that wasn't the good part of the super year."

"She loves you."

"So she says."

"Does she?"

"Sometimes. I don't know. We're different, and if it was up to me, we'd be getting married next week. But she keeps it back, so I don't know."

"But you guys have to work it out. If you can't...that doesn't give the rest of us a lot of..."

The phone rang, and Ryan sprang up to answer it before it woke up Jenn.

"Hello?" he whispered, threading a hand between his hair. "Oh. Hi. Yeah. No. Nine. Yes. Not a lot. Yeah. Her eyes. No. Oh. Okay. That's fine. Yeah, um, soon. When you want. Okay. Yeah. You can call me here. Okay. Bye."

He hung up the phone and went back to the floor, sitting down this time.

"Who was that?"

"Theresa's mom. She wants to see Jenn."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Is Theresa back?"

"Not unless she wants to surprise me with the scariest thing I can possibly think of."

"Why is that the scariest thing?"

"Because. She'd want Jenn. Who could not want Jenn? And I'd have to choose. Or maybe she wouldn't want me there and would make the decision for me. And I'd see the best thing ever only on holidays or on the phone."

"She would've told you if Theresa was back."

"I hope so. But, I mean, she is her daughter. She would want what was best for her daughter."

"But you're her family too, man. And you were the one who took the responsibility. Not Theresa."

"Yeah, well, Theresa can be pretty damn convincing."

Ryan sighed and fell backward, his head at Seth's feet now.

"Do you, uh, want me to..."

"No, ifs fine," Ryan answered Seth's unfinished question to give him space. So they just sat in silence until they both had fallen asleep.

Summer walked in at around 11:30, ready to say goodnight to Seth before he left for his apartment, but seeing them both on the floor nearly took her breath away. She leaned against the door frame, a small smile wrapped around her mouth. And it just took a few minutes for Kirsten, on her way up giggling with Sandy, to stand next to her and have the giggle escape her mouth. Sandy groaning when he heard the 'aw' come. If Kirsten was awing over "her boys" it was pretty certain that he was not getting any that night.

Ryan woke up before Seth did, realizing the last time he fell asleep on the floor, it had been on the soft, soft carpet in the living room with Summer curled under his arm. Accidentally, of course, but it was much more comfortable than lying straight out on the glossy wood of his bedroom with his only company curled up with his head and hands on Ryan's feet. He wouldn't be able to walk for days...at least.

He gently kicked his foot, Seth groaning, but rolling over. Seth slept on the floor all the time; he'd be used to it. He used to fall asleep in the pool house, talking about Summer. His back wouldn't be throbbing like Ryan's.

The phone rang again and this time Ryan had to protect two people's ears. He was ready to whisper as quietly as was humanly possible into the phone, but he heard two voices already talking. One of them was recognizably the voice that had called last night, but the other was higher, chirpier, but still snide. Summer.

"...I talked to Ryan last night, Miss."

"I don't doubt you did, ma'am, but can I just take a message? I think he's asleep."

"Summer, I'm awake." Ryan hadn't meant to talk, but it happened anyway.

"Oh. Okay, well, I'll just go then." She hung up without saying anything more.

"I'm sorry if she was rude to you, Ms. Cabala."

"She was just looking out for you. It's fine. I just wanted to ask if you could maybe come tomorrow. With Jennifer."

"Tomorrow? She has school, that lets out at three, so we could get there at around five."

"It doesn't take that long to get here."

"She'd have to do her homework, but we could stay a while since the next day's the weekend."

"Okay, Ryan, that's fine. You know the place."

"Yes. And, um, I know she's going to ask it, so I should probably know...what do you want her to call you?"

"Whatever she wants is fine."

"But she'll want to know what you want."

"I'm guessing Grandma's a little presumptuous, so maybe we can stick with Mrs. Cabala. Or anything she wants."

"Okay. We'll, uh, see you."

"Yes, Ryan. And Ryan?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for making an effort."

"Oh, yeah, it's no problem."

"Yes, it is. Thank you."

"Uh, yeah. Bye."

"Goodbye."

Ryan hung up the phone and shuffled quietly out of the room. He ran into Summer in the hall.

"What did she want?"

"None of your business, and you didn't have to be rude."

"I wasn't rude. I was cold."

"You didn't have to be that either. She isn't evil."

"Yeah, well, she did want something."

"She just wanted to see me. And Jenn."

"You're bringing Jenn to her? You really love your daughter?"

"Of course I do."

"Hmm." Summer ruffled her eyebrow and placed a hand on either side of the waistband of her sweatpants. His sweatpants actually.

"Since when have you had those?" He gestured toward the pants.

"I don't know. I was cold one day and they were there. You should clean up if you don't want you're stuff stolen."

"No, I don't care."

"Good. So how's your neck?"

"Fine. For now, anyway."

Summer rolled her eyes. "Cohen can take it, you can't. Come here."

She sat down abruptly against the bathroom door, pulling him down with her. She settled on her knees behind him and pinched his skin with her fingers. He sighed and let her do what she wanted, she would anyway, even if he resisted.

"You know, Ryan, Jenn will do anything for you. So if you ask her to go, she will."

"I know."

"Do you really want her to meet Chino?"

"She's been there before."

"Not in her memory that she'll have when she's our age."

"But it's good for her. She needs to know there's someone to be her mom."

"I can be her mom."

"But it's not the same. She needs to know that Theresa existed."

Summer groaned and slapped his neck. "Massage over if you're not going to listen to me."

"I'm listening to you."

"Are you sure though? You're not scared?" Ryan felt the soft touch return to his neck and he just shrugged.

"I don't have time to be scared. This is going to be good for Jenn."

"Okay."

"That's it? Okay?"

"For now."

"Okay." Ryan put his hand down on the floor and pushed himself up. "Thanks for that."

"No problem." She got up too and smiled lightly. "Good luck."

He nodded and went down the stairs. Summer sighed, her hands back on her hips, and she pushed open the bedroom door.

Seth was leaning against the footboard of the bed, reading an Animorphs book, obviously Jenn's, but also obviously irresistible to Seth.

"What's up, Cohen?" Summer whispered, slipping down next to him.

"Why did I never hear of these? The writing is horrible, but the bad guys are cool. And if I was ten, the writing would be really awesome."

"You'll still love them. And that one's a good one." She pointed to the book with the boy turning into a mosquito.

"Well, duh. It was between 'The Capture' or 'The Test.' Captures are thousand times cooler."

Summer nodded and leaned her head down into his shoulder, reading over his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head and leaned his cheek against it.

"You hear about Ryan?" she asked, barely whispering.

He nodded.

"You think he should do it."

"He wants to, so he will."

She nodded this time, wrapping her arms around his stomach, him lifting his arms for her, ending with them around her too.

"Are you okay?" he asked this time, talking into her cheek.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"No reason. I'm just making sure."

"I'm fine. I'm good."

"Okay." He shrunk down against the bed, stopping when her head was stuck under his chin.

"I miss Chris."

"Me too."

"Luke better not be leaving him in a hotel room."

"He wouldn't."

"You know, if Ryan and Jenn leave, I'm going to be alone with the newlyweds."

"They are acting like it, aren't they? Like they're newlyweds?"

"Yeah. It's adorable."

"Yeah. I'll hang out though. I wouldn't leave you in your time of need."

"You know, you could stay. Like while Ryan's away. I'm sure your mom wouldn't mind."

"I don't know."

"Please?" She looked hopefully up at him, pursing her lips. He placed a kiss on them.

"Maybe."

"Please? Please, please, please, please, please, please, please?" She shifted so she was on her knees, pressing her hands together. He tried to pull her off of her knees, but she stood stiff.

He groaned, "Fine. Now, geez, woman, get off your knees unless you want it that way now." He raised his eyebrows and she swatted him.

"She's nine. She isn't ready for that." Summer tilted her head towards the bed.

"Ah, yes. That would be...interesting."

"Too interesting. Later, though, okay?"

"I have class at 10:30. Maybe when I get back...you could...help me with my homework?"

"Maybe." Summer winked and went back to the book. Seth shook his head with a smile on his face and joined her.

Ryan sat at the kitchen table, staring at the dinner rolls. He didn't hear Kirsten walk in, but he felt her kiss on the top of his head.

"Are you sore? You guys haven't slept on the floor in forever."

"No, I'm fine."

"Seth's up."

"Yeah, I heard him."

She nodded and sat in the chair next to him.

"Are you doing anything today?"

"Uh, well, yeah. Later, I thought I'd take Jenn to, um, Chino."

"That was the woman Summer was talking to."

"Yeah."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Everyone doesn't have to ask me that. I'll be fine. I'm just worried about Jenn."

"Jenn's strong. She'll be able to take it."

"Yeah. Well, we might be staying late, so I'll call when we're leaving to head back."

"Okay. Don't worry about it."

"Yeah, okay."

"You sure you're fine?"

"Yes."

"Okay." She ruffled his hair and left the table. Ryan nodded. Fine and dealing with Theresa never worked well in the same sentence ever since he started living in Newport.