This is the third of my drabbles, "Crisis Conversations" set during The Perfect Storm. This is a discussion between Kirsten and Marissa.

Rating: General

Beta: Loracj2

Spoilers: For "The Perfect Storm" only

What is it about bad boys?

"Hey, Marissa!"

Oh hi, Kirsten." Marissa looked up from the small photo frame she was examining, a picture of Ryan and Seth on the Summer Breeze, probably taken shortly after Ryan arrived, and replaced it on the shelf. "I hope you don't mind me hanging out here till Ryan gets back."

Kirsten smiled, her arms full of neatly folded laundry.

"Of course not. I've just brought over the last of Ryan's clothes. I know he's more or less packed but there may be some things he wants here." Placing the clothing carefully on the vacant chair, she glanced at Marissa.

"You know, he's probably just summoning up the courage to tell you. I don't think he meant to leave you in the dark."

"I just wish he'd talked to me about it."

Kirsten joined her on the bed.

"Marissa, we all wish Ryan would do that. I guess he's just not used to it. Somehow I don't think his family was the listening type. And now he's used to figuring things out for himself. Even after all the time he's been with us, I think it's still very hard for him to let someone else decide what should happen to him."

"I get that. I even get why he's leaving. I just wish he wouldn't."

"Well, you're one step ahead of me, sweetie. I mean, he hasn't had an easy time since he came to live with us, but I did at least think he was happy being part of our family."

Marissa raised her head, concerned.

"Oh, I know he cares for all of you very much. It's just...actually, I think that may be the problem." Marissa looked apologetic.

Kirsten was puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

Marissa shrugged and thought for a moment.

"You know, when I first got to know Ryan, when he was living in the Model Home, he said something which I always remembered. We knew he was going to have to leave the house, and Seth and I were trying to persuade him to stay locally, so we could still hang out?"

Kirsten smiled. How typical of Seth to want to cling on to this new friend.

Marissa continued.

"And he got all upset, and asked what was supposed to happen in the fall when we went back to school..."

Kirsten was still confused. Marissa pressed on. "He's careful about getting close to people, you know that. He doesn't want to feel like he did when his mom left him. And this college thing? He knows it's only seven, eight months away, and it's like, you're his family now, but when he's eighteen and school's finished, it's over."

"But we're not going to just kick him out when he's eighteen. We're not going to suddenly stop caring for him..."

Marissa shook her head. "No, that's not really it. Ryan knows you wouldn't do that. What I mean is, he loves being part of your family, your family life, the way you do things, doing the things normal families do. Things that I guess he never had." She hesitated as she struggled to explain what she meant. "I think he just wants things to stay the same, and he knows they won't. So..."

"So he's saving himself eight months of heartache, eight months of knowing it's about to end, by severing the ties now." Kirsten finished.

Marissa nodded. "Exactly."

tbc