Summary: Sandy gets some bad news.

A/N: FINALLY! I can not express how INCREDIBLY sorry I am that it took me three months to get this written. I re-wrote it like five times, and in the end it took a turn I was not expecting. Because of this, there will be another chapter added, making the grand total nine chapters and an epilogue. I am now on winter break, so I will be able to write more often. Hopefully, I will be able to get up at least one more chapter, if not two. Thank you to all the people who have stuck by this, waiting for the newest update.

Shout-outs:Dogsbody: OMG, I love Hurt. After reading your review, I went to my player where I had recently burnt acopy of The Downward Spiral. I listened to Hurt and fell in love with it. It is an excellent suggestion that I will probably use, if I decide to put a song in. slimkay: Thanks for the review, and sorry it took me so long. J: The Green Day concert was amazing. You were moshing then, right? My friend was four people from the front. Unfortunately, I was way up high. Billie Joe was tiny! But it was still the coolest. Thx for the review!

I will no longer be replying to reviews in the A/N. Anyone who is not annoynomous will get a message reply. All names will be mentioned in the A/N, but that is it. This way, it takes up less space and is more personal.

P.S.--Thank you SOOOOOOOOO much to anyone who reviewed Punch. I was not expecting a one-shot to get so many hits and reviews. It means a lot to me.

P.P.S--I am hoping to hit 40 reviews, if not more.For the amount of hits this gets and the number of alerts, I think four reviews is do-able. Please? If I do get 40 (yay!), then don't stop reviewing! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has to do with the O.C. I do, however, own the story. Do not steal and do not copy.

Sandy was not having a good day. Or a good week for that matter.

His foster son's biological mother had come to confront Ryan about his brother's death.

It had been late that night when he had returned home, practically carrying Dawn into the pool house.

And now, he found out that the ordeal with Trey was finally over. At least physically.

After three weeks, the cops had released Trey's body and dismissed the case. There were going to be no charges pressed against either Marissa or Ryan. Everyone's stories matched, and only Marissa's fingerprints were on the gun. They had no case.

Now the problem was what to do with the body. How to tell Ryan and Marissa. How to tell Dawn.

Definitely a bad day.

Slowly, with overwhelming exhaustion, Sandy packed up his things and walked out of his office. Or, rather, his wife's office.

On the car ride home, he planned out what he was going to say. Two funerals in less than a month was two too many to plan. It had been hard for him to support Kirsten during that time; he had no idea how he was going to support his sons and their girlfriends and Dawn.

All he really wanted was a mix drink and some peace and quiet.

When he walked through the door, he heard the quiet and knew he would not be getting any peace.

Dropping his bag at the front door, he shuffled into the family room, where he could see four familiar figures sitting on the couch in silence.

"Hello?" Sandy called, not sure if any of them were alive.

"Dad!" Seth said, jumping a little.

"Sandy, hey," Ryan calmly said from his spot at the end.

"Is everything okay?" he asked of the teens.

Ryan unconsciously looked out at the pool house, where Dawn was gathering her things. She didn't have much, considering she hadn't been planning on staying very long. Gently, she folded the robe and various things that Ryan had lent her.

"Is she…going somewhere?"

"Well…I was hoping you could take her to a motel," Ryan answered awkwardly. "Her being here…it's a mistake. Trust me."

Marissa nodded in agreement and squeezed his hand.

Sandy sighed and closed his eyes. Perfect. Just what he needed on top of an already terrible day.

"She can't leave just yet, Ryan."

"Why not?" Ryan asked sharply.

Sandy took a seat in the empty chair and leaned forward, even though his body ached to relax.

"Agent Shem called me today."

"What? What for?" Marissa asked anxiously. Agent Shem had taken her statement.

"It's over, guys. They're releasing Trey's body. No charges are being pressed…it's over."

"Are you joking?" Seth asked. Summer hit him and he gave her a funny look.

"So what does this have to do with Dawn? She can still leave, can't she?" Summer asked.

Ryan shook his head. "We have a funeral to plan. And she has to be a part of it. She is going to freak out." He leaned back against the sofa and ran his hand through his hair.

Sandy watched as Marissa turned to look at Ryan. It was if the two shared an unspoken bond. Ryan stared into her eyes before nodding to himself and getting up off the couch.

"Where are you going?" Seth asked.

"To start her meltdown," was his muffled response.

With heavy footsteps, he shuffled out to the pool house, shutting the door behind him.

Dawn was surprised when Ryan walked into the pool house.

"Is Sandy here? I'm not quite ready yet." Her voice was soft and cautious.

"There's been…a change in plans, Mom." His eyes searched the room, looking for a spot to rest.

"What kind of change?" Dawn's whole demeanor changed.

"They're releasing Trey's body."

Ryan heard Dawn's sharp intake of air, followed by a faint hissing sound.

"Dear God…That means…We have to…"

He nodded and she collapsed on to the bed.

Inside the house, the four other people watched. Sandy got up and hurried outside. It was obvious his foster son was not handling this very well.

"Ryan, I can't afford a funeral. My money…it's uh…gone."

"Mom, you shouldn't be worried about money. The Cohen's will take care of it."

"NO!" Dawn sobbed. "I will not have another family paying for my son's funeral. They have done too much already. It wouldn't be right for them to pay for Trey. Not anymore than they already have."

"Dawn," Sandy said gently in his lawyer voice. "Dawn, it's okay. We will be more than happy to help you out." He stepped over the threshold and into the pool house.

"Don't you understand?" Dawn looked up at Sandy with a tear-streaked face. "What kind of a mother can't even afford to bury her own son?"

"Motherhood isn't measured in dollar amounts," Sandy replied, placing a firm hand on Ryan's shoulder. Ryan looked as if he was going to collapse from the embarrassment his mother was causing him.

"Let us take care of it. Trey can even be buried here, if you'd like." Ryan shot Sandy a look that clearly begged for him to take back those words.

"No, no. Trey needs to be buried where he belongs. In Chino. Newport is too good for him."

"If that's what you want," Sandy said as Ryan breathed out a barely audible sigh of relief.

Suddenly, she looked up. Ryan could almost see the dingy light bulb light up.

"Yeah, if I just go home and borrow some money from some friends, I could afford the funeral. That's a great idea."

"Friends, Mom?" Ryan scoffed, knowing exactly what "friends" meant. "I thought you said you were clean and sober?" His eyes searched the room, looking for anything out of place that might be a needle or a cracked mirror.

"I am, Ry. But that doesn't mean my friends are. I've got connections. A.J.! I could talk to A.J.!"

"Absolutely not, Mom! Don't you remember what it was like living with him?"

"Of course I do. But I've gotta do what I've gotta do. My son will not be buried in some trailer trash junk yard."

"No one will be buried in any junk yard and you will not be borrowing money from friends," Sandy said sternly. "No one is going anywhere, Dawn. I can take you to a hotel for tonight. In the morning, we can figure out what to do."

"Sandy," Ryan whispered softly, "Maybe she should stay here tonight. If she's by herself…I don't know what she might do." Actually, he had several ideas of what she might do, but voicing them was farther than he was willing, or able, to go.

"I'm not a child," Dawn said indignantly.

"No one said you were," Sandy interjected upon seeing Ryan's fists clench. "But maybe Ryan is right. You probably don't want to be alone tonight. Do you like Thai food?"

"We never had Thai," Ryan answered for Dawn.

"Well then, you are missing out. We'll order it and eat in a little while. I'm just going to…go back inside," Sandy finished lamely, sounding an awful lot like Seth.

Ryan stared out after Sandy, his eyes following the man into the house. He turned to look towards the living room and connected with Marissa's eyes. She was looking back intently, her worry obvious. A loud clatter made him come back to reality.

Dawn was swearing loudly and attempting to close her bag.

"Mom, what the hell are you doing?"

"I told you, Ry. No one is paying for my baby's funeral. I'm going home and I'm going to get back together with A.J."

"No way in hell am I letting you do that."

"Look, I know you are always trying to do the right thing, but get out of my way."

"No," Ryan replied, squaring his jaw.

"Don't make me…" Dawn threatened, coming closer.

"You really want to do that, in front of a lawyer and four other people?" Ryan had been slapped around by a lot of people in his life, but his mother had almost always been empty threats. Almost.

"Move. Away. From. The. Door."

"I will stand here all night if I have to, okay? The last thing Trey would want is for you to go back to that bastard. You know the scars I showed you? Trey's were five times as bad as mine."

Dawn was too upset to put up much of a fight.

"Fine, Ryan. You win. I'll stay here tonight."

"You promise?" Ryan asked, knowing that a promise from his mother was worth as much as a promise from the devil.

"On Trey."

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Ryan smiled at the sight of Dawn trying to use chopsticks.

Gently, he wrapped his mother's fingers around the sticks, showing her how to hold them.

Marissa looked on, also smiling at the sight of Ryan and Dawn getting along.

The past hour or so had been tense. At Ryan's insistence, Dawn had been moved into the guest room, so that there was no way she could leave without any one knowing.

Sandy, too, looked on appreciatively at the mother and son. They looked like they belonged together. Both had blonde hair and blue eyes, although Dawn's eyes were dimmed from alcohol. Ryan had the raw look, while Dawn put too much effort into her appearance.

A soft ring interrupted his thoughts.

A loud knock followed, as if the person was unsure as to whether or not the doorbell could be heard.

"I'll get it," Marissa offered, jumping out of her seat.

A bear of a man stood on the other side of the door. He wore big boots and smelled of tobacco and alcohol.

"Can I help you?" Marissa asked politely.

"Yeah…I'm uh…" the man stopped, noticing her for the first time. A greedy grin broke out on his face.

"Well aren't you a pretty little thing." His eyes roved up and down her body, appraising her. "Look at that pretty hair." He reached out his hand and moved it towards her hair. Startled, she stepped backwards.

"Nervous? Don't worry, A.J. won't hurt you. Unless you like it painful," the man said, sniggering at his joke.

A.J. As in…A.J. from Chino. As in A.J. who beat Ryan up. As in A.J. who caused Ryan to have nightmares.

All of a sudden, Marissa was very scared.

"Marissa, who's there? Is it a Newpsie for my mom? They just don't get that she is physically not here," Seth called, as he and Summer walked into the foyer.

"Sweet Moses and Jesus. Definitely not a Newpsie," Seth said, before Summer hit him.

"Coop, who is this?" Summer said out of the side of her mouth.

"What is this, a party?" A.J. asked as heassessed Summer. His gaze fell on Seth and he snorted.

"Why are you with this dweeb? What you need is a real man. I'm a real man," he said, giving Summer a suggestive look.

"Eww!" Summer exclaimed.

"Go get Ryan," Seth whispered to Summer.

Summer hurried into the kitchen and returned moments later with Ryan. Ryan first saw the boots and stopped cold. He knew those boots. He hated those boots.

Looking up slowly, he took in the ripped jeans, the dirty wife beater, the stringy hair, and, finally, the mottled face. A.J. Instantly, Ryan's whole demeanor changed and he reverted back to the bad boy from Chino.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"This your place now?" A.J. asked in amazement. "Damn, you got off easy, didn't you little bastard?"

Ryan strode over to where Marissa was standing and grabbed her hand. His other hand was clenched in a fist.

"How the hell did you get this address?"

"She your girl?" A.J. asked mockingly. "Didn't know you were man enough to score a chick like that. Never could understand what all those girls found so damn great about you. I mean, it's clear why they all liked me, but you?"

"Right, because every girl wants to wear your wife beater," Seth said under his breath.

"What did you say?"

"I said…every girl wants to tear your wife beater."

"Seth, Summer, just go. Marissa, you should go too," Ryan wasn't sure what was going to happen, but he knew he did not want his best friends to witness it.

"I've got your back from in the kitchen, buddy."

Marissa squeezed Ryan's hand before following Seth and Summer.

"Got yourself some nice friends there. Wait till I tell your group that you hang with nerds now."

"Go screw yourself, A.J."

"Don't need to, now that your mom and I are back together."

The gears clicked as he realized why A.J. was here. Dawn had broken the promise.

"She called you, didn't she?" Ryan inquired, already knowing the answer.

"Damn straight. I always knew it was a matter of time," A.J. declared, grabbing a hold of his belt importantly.

"She's not going home with you. Not tonight and not ever," stated Ryan.

"Dawn can decide for herself what she wants to do. And she said she wants me to hook her up. Wants to start dealing. Meth, real hard core stuff. It's all the rage now."

"She. Is Not. Going. With You." Ryan repeated.

"Like I said, it's not up to you. So now either go get your mom or I will."

"Mom!" Ryan yelled into the dining room, knowing that if he left A.J. alone for a second he would steal everything in sight.

"Ry, what is it honey?" Dawn asked carefully. Upon seeing A.J., she stopped walking.

"I thought I told you to come later!" she hissed, keeping a close eye on her son.

"And I told you that the guys and me were going out later. You wanna make this work, then you have to follow my rules." A.J.'s eyes lingered on Dawn's low cut shirt.

"I can't believe you, Mom," Ryan stated in disbelief. "How could you do this?"

"You wouldn't understand. I'm doing what I have to do! And this is what I have to do," Dawn said.

"But you don't have to do this! You could pay the Cohen's back later. Please, don't do this," Ryan pleaded.

"Oh, boo hoo. You always were a sissy. Dawn, get in the car."

Dawn stared back and forth between her son and her ticket out.

"Don't tell her what to do," Ryan said as he bored into his mother's eyes.

"Ry…" she began.

He stepped in between A.J. and his mom, seeing that she was about to break.

"You are not leaving."

Everything happened in a blur. A.J. cuffed Ryan on the back of his head and punched him in the middle of his back. Ryan fell down hard on the tile floor and there was a sickening crunch as his head connected with it. Dawn stared in horror down at her son.

"Come on, Dawn. Get your stuff or I am leaving."

Ryan scrambled up, his head throbbing, and socked A.J. in the stomach. In response, A.J. quickly punched him in the face. Dawn shrieked as Ryan stumbled backwards and A.J. punched him in the stomach.

"Ryan, what the hell is going on?" Sandy said, concern filling his voice as he rushed into the foyer.

"Oh my god," Marissa said, who had followed Sandy. She rushed over to Ryan, who was on all fours, trying to catch his breath. A large bruise was already forming over his eye and there was a large bump on his forehead from the fall.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?" Sandy asked, his eyes livid and his tone threatening.

"It's…A.J.," Ryan wheezed.

"Maybe Ryan's right, A.J…." Dawn began, looking back and forth between them.

"I did not drive all the way down here just to turn around. You are coming with me!" A.J. grabbed her arm and started to pull her towards the door.

"Get your hand off of her!" Sandy roared. "This is my house and if you do not let go of her, I will have you arrested."

A.J. turned towards Sandy and released Dawn's arm. Marissa saw the man clench his hands into fists.

"What are you, like a cop?" he said, taking a menacing step.

"No, but I am a lawyer. I will put your ass in jail for ten to twenty years in an instant if you do not get the hell out of my house."

"All right, okay. Don't get your fancy clothes in a bunch." A.J. looked over at Dawn and waved a dismissing hand. "You're not worth the trouble. You've got a hot bod, but it ain't worth jail time. Sorry, sugar." Just as he was about to leave, he looked at Ryan, who was still clutching his stomach in pain. "You ever come home and you will be lucky if all you get is a black eye."

The door closed and the click echoed around the four of them. Marissa helped Ryan stand up. Together, she and Sandy half carried Ryan into the living room and sat him down on the couch.

"Seth, get the ice pack," Sandy called into the kitchen.

Ryan closed his eyes and gritted his teeth to ward off the nausea sweeping over him. His head was killing him; it felt like it would explode at any moment. More than anything though, was the betrayal. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to be sold out by his own mother.

Right now, all he wanted to do was tell his mother to get the hell away from him. Unfortunately, he knew he couldn't do that. In the morning, they would have to go to Chino and make the arrangements for Trey's funeral.

Marissa grasped his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I shouldn't have left you there," she said softly.

"Why? What were you going to do, hold him down for me?" Ryan joked half-heartedly. He hung his head as another wave of nausea hit.

Dawn came down the stairs and stood warily in front of Ryan. Looking up through heavy lidded eyes, he glared at her.

"Ry, I'm so sorry…" she started, but Ryan cut her off.

"Save it, Mom. I've heard it all before. If you really cared, you wouldn't have called him here in the first place. You promised you would stay here!"

"Babe, I was going to. I am going to now."

"Now. Always seeing in hindsight…"

"I didn't know he was going to…I wasn't expecting him to be…" Dawn was at a loss for words.

"Did you think he had changed? God, it's A.J. we're talking about. A.J.! Guys like A.J. don't change!" Ryan was clenching and unclenching his fists unconsciously.

"What do you need an icepack for?" Seth inquired as he stepped into the room. "Wow," he said upon seeing Ryan. "You sure an icepack is gonna do the trick, Dad?" Summer hit him squarely in the chest. "Why do you keep hitting me, woman?"

"Why you keep saying stupid things?"

Ryan chuckled at his friends, but was cut short as the world began to spin.

"Ryan, you okay?" he heard Marissa ask worriedly.

"I'm fine," he heard himself say. Even he could tell he was lying.

"Why don't you lie down, kid," Sandy suggested.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Dawn asked like a small child.

"I think he just needs some rest. And a couple of Tylenol," Sandy replied.

"Maybe I should stay with him?"

"The best thing you can do is go upstairs and get some rest as well. We'll see you in the morning." Sandy knew he sounded condescending, but it was the only way he could get Dawn to listen to him.

"Do you think you can make it out to the pool house, Ryan?" Sandy asked once Dawn had disappeared up the stairs.

Ryan mumbled an answer. Seth went over and took Ryan's arm and Sandy took the other.

"You sure you don't work out, buddy? 'Cause your arms feel like they weight a ton," Seth said.

"Wimp," Ryan muttered with a smile on his face.

Marissa trailed behind. "Sandy, do you think I can stay here tonight?"

Sandy thought for a moment. Nothing would happen, he decided, considering the condition Ryan was in.

"I don't think it would matter what I said," Sandy said with a sly grin.

Once Ryan was lying in bed, Sandy and Seth left. Careful not to disturb him, Marissa lied down on the bed and tucked herself under his arm.

"You don't have to stay here, you know," he said, in true Ryan Atwood form.

"Yes, I do," she replied.