Summary: Seth and Summer sometime after her mother's funeral. Interconnected to "Our Greatest Sounding Board" and "One Minute, A Friend, A Road Without End". I assume one could get away with not reading "MGSB" or "OM,FR,WE" first, but it wouldn't hurt to give them a read. Also includes some Ryan/Seth and Seth/Marissa.

Story Notes: Unlike the other two chapters in this series this chapter has three acts which all take place in the same day. That day is roughly two weeks after the last act/chapter. Although there is some Ryan/Seth and a fun little wrap up act with Seth/Marissa just for fun, the core act revolves around Seth/Summer. I'm starting to map out a distinct structure and plan. So you may soon notice that I am reaching to some form of ending and yes maybe some romance. I won't lie. Just don't expect them to be making out anytime soon.

Story title taken from "Song for the Girl" by Matthew Good. Google the lyrics if you'd like.

Disclaimer: oddsbodkin17 is the queen of witty disclaimers. So I won't even try to live up. I own nothing of value. Not our house (apartment), not our car (it's the banks), and no, not even the characters of The O.C. (They belong to some guy named Josh Schwartz). But I do own my fingers, and this computer I am typing on, and the words in my head that flow through my fingers and on to this screen. Yup, I own all of that. So in other words don't steal my ideas!

Rating: It's as clean as they come.

Feedback Notes: Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback. Please, the more the better. And don't be afraid to tell me how I can improve. Your comments on this chapter would be especially appreciated as I am stepping out of my comfort zone and writing dialog between Seth/Summer. If you are wondering if I will be having a big a act with Ryan/Marissa don't bother asking me. I will give you my response right now. No. That's as simple as it gets. I can't write solid Ryan/Marissa material to save my life and believe me I try. So I apologize that there won't be a one act for a little Ryan/Marissa wrap up like I am doing with Seth/Summer.

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The pool house was lit only by the rising sun. Ryan sat next to Seth saying not a single word. The two of them were perched on the couch, their eyes fixed on the TV screen, and their fingers fixed on the game pad. Between Seth's need for game control his eyes wandered in Ryan's direction, taking note of his dedication to the game and his almost sensual hand and finger movements that attempted to keep the game in Ryan's control.

Ryan dropped his game pad.

"There. I killed your Wookie and blasted Yoda's head off," Ryan said in an aloof, casual tone.

Seth was taken out of his trance. His head peered back up to Ryan who was lifting himself off the couch.

"I have to run man. Me and the kid, well I have to pick him up from Head Start. Theresa is working late today and I promised myself I would meet with his childcare takers."

"You're awfully protective Ryan. I think in envy of the day when you were once so protective over me, saving me from the perils of the water polo team."

"He's my son Ryan. Your a grown teenager who should be fending for himself, I might add."

"But the water polo team Ryan. They still attack me with their vicious stares and stereotypical gay comments," Seth said as he intensely watched Ryan pull down his wife beater and put on his jacket.

Ryan looked at Seth bewildered by his lack of manhood.

"Look, I have to run if I'm going to make it back to Chino in time. Tell Kirsten and Sandy I may be late for dinner."

Seth nods and then looks to Ryan's feet as they move away from his clearer vision.

"I'll see ya man. Say hello to the kid for me. Tell him it's never to early to start reading those X-men comics I put aside for him," Seth said.

"You gave him 151 and 152. You think there the worst issues ever written. And he's only 10 months. He can't read," Ryan said with an almost condescending tone.

"I'm merely wetting his pallet. Plus I couldn't release my prized possessions, I mean best issues, to a kid who spends his days foaming at the mouth."

"Yeah, well see ya man."

Seth peers from the corner of his eyes and noticed that Ryan had exited the pool house. For a moment, Seth's life is now incomplete. He's left alone and with out his better half.

-----

"Seth, God you little bitch; where are you?"

Summer circled around the empty Cohen house waiting for Seth's voice to be heard or his presence to be seen. She quickly ran up the stairs. Peeking in his room she found that it was empty. No sign of Seth. And even stranger, Captain Oats was not in his usual bedside position. And even stranger than that, there was no Jenga in view on the top of his dresser. Summer paused, shrugged her shoulders and then grunted in a female tone. Just as she was about to exit, her eyes caught attention to the floor of his bedroom. There, near the center, were scattered Jenga playing blocks and Captain Oats laying on his side looking as though he was tired and worn. She knelt down.

"Captain Oats, have you've been playing by yourself? Or has someone taken advantage of you?"

Her tone changed, as she began to aggressively stroke Captain Oats.

"Or is just that Seth is so desperate and alone he plays Jenga with you as his playmate. God, what a loser, eww!"

Summer brought Captain Oats to the floor and picked up a few Jenga pieces, rolling them in her hand. Her mind drifted and she began to get lost in all her warmer memories of her relationship with Seth. The truth is, over the days that passed since her mother's death, and when Cohen broke up with her, her hate was trying to melt. She had missed him. And if it wasn't for the way he let her go, and her own pride, she might of came to talk to him sooner.

Quiet noises shifted her away from her thoughts. She turned her head to see Cohen turning into the doorway. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Summer playing on the floor of his room. Their eyes locked.

"Summer," Seth said in a soft and puzzled tone.

Summer stared into Seth's eyes for a few moments before placing down the game pieces. Seth was lost in her stare, taking each second that past to question why she could be here in his room.

"What, what are you doing here? The last time we spoke words the earth almost imploded."

"The last time we spoke words my mother was dead and you had just broken up with me in the cruelest way possible. How could you say it Cohen. How could you say I never loved you," Summer said, her tone becoming broken.

Summer was clearly choking under her words. She was also torn inside as she conveyed them to Seth.

"Is that why you're here, to get answers," Seth said.

"I don't know. I just needed to see you. I couldn't play the bitch and the victim forever."

"Fair enough."

Summer released herself from the floor. She peered back at Captain Oats lying on the carpet and then re-met her eyes with Seth.

"You know I loved you," Summer said.

"Loved," Seth said in a inquiring manner.

"I'll always love you Cohen."

Summer drew close to Seth who had his back against the inside edge of his open doorway. He inched back, his body conforming to the uncomfortable mold of where the door met the hinges. Summer backed away for her own reasoning and Seth returned to a more comfortable posture.

Trying to distract himself from whatever it was Summer needed to know he moved over to the broken Jenga game and began to pick up the pieces and throw them to the bed. Leaving about half of the pieces remaining he picked up Captain Oats and put him on top of his bedside table.

"Cohen," Summer said as she tried to get his attention.

Seth moved back to the floor proceeding to pick up the remaining pieces. Summer watched as he made one move after another to avoid her glance.

She couldn't take another silent minute and came down to Seth's level. As he, almost out habit, threw one piece after another onto the bed, Summer stepped in grabbing a hold of his hand. Seth dropped the piece of wood that was in his grasp and peered away from the blue carpet. His head lifted and his eyes met with hers.

"Seth Cohen, I'm not here to hurt you. I just need to know where I went wrong?"

He paused, not knowing how to respond and then it hit him. How could she ask such a question?

"If you have to ask that Summer, I can't help you."

Summer's face became sombre.

"Look, I know I shouldn't of lied to you. But it all hurt so much and..."

"And you could of had me, just as I always was, your knight in shinning amour. You were always my princess, God, my queen even. I worshiped you. But maybe that was the problem. I was delusional by this nonexistent fantasy. I couldn't see you could never return my love."

"So that's it. You really believe I never loved you?"

Seth was taken back by her honest and abrasive question. He swallowed back a bit of saliva, and silently choked on his own breath.

"No of course not. I knew you loved me in your own way, but it would never be enough."

"Listen Cohen. You left me on your shit little boat, not for some exotic location to clear your thoughts, but Portland, where I mind you, you would of stayed with Luke had Ryan not agreed to come back to Newport. Guess there's more power in the wife beater than there is a woman who was going to love and support you through it all."

"That's just it. We try to hold control over our relationship; we try to over run it with pity and ego. Sometimes it's me and well many times it's you. Can't you see it Summer? It's always been a game and all this time no one's really winning. Shouldn't we both be winners in this?"

"You over analyze Cohen. That's always been your problem," Summer said.

Her voice was starting to break.

"We, this game, it's what sustains us. We live for it. I live for you Cohen," Summer said almost as though she was trying to convince herself.

She brought herself closer to Cohen, meeting his eyes with hers. She paused, trying to hold back tears.

Seth leaned back only an inch, feeling he could not fully resist her. These feelings of love, they were still deep inside in me, and overriding his mind as she came in closer. But in a snap, his right eye wondered to the few Jenga blocks that remained beside them. For whatever reason this brought him back to reality.

"Summer, I'm not a trophy prize, or a personal conquest, you know? You should have never been either."

Summer was beginning to process what Seth was saying.

"I am sorry you know," Seth said with sincerity. "If only I was smart enough to see the dream couldn't be realized, not in the way I thought it could of been anyway."

"Seth Cohen! Don't for one second try to take back everything we meant to each other. Don't label us with the word regret."

"How could I sweetheart? You were my world. But that world still ended up crashing like the Tower of Babylon."

Summer's eyes started to water. Seth could not ignore her pain and drew himself to her, taking a hold of her hand. He watched her, cautiously, taking note of her movements and the look on her face. He could see her breaking more and more as each second passed by. He himself was starting to crack inside from her pain. He couldn't take it any more as he saw Summer break into full tears. His arms came up around Summer, holding her close enough to make a hug. He allowed her to break and release in his arms for a few moments before he whispered in her ear.

"We can be so much more and we deserve better. You are a princess who deserves to be loved unconditionally."

A part of him wanted to embrace Summer even more. If only to kiss her, just to drown out her sorrows and ease his own pain. But Seth knew that would be selfish of him and resisted.

"Cohen?"

Seth looked up and locked with her eyes.

"We were the greatest disaster wouldn't you say," Summer said.

"We were the best."

Seth hushed her next words by bringing her in closer and kissing her forehead. She looked up at Seth who was clearly embracing her and comforting her through her pain. She smiled as best she could and then pulled away from his grasp.

"I didn't expect to come here and have it all end between us."

"Hasn't it already," Seth said, his voice slightly broken and his tone conveying hurt.

Seth had his moment to grieve their end, but Summer was still trying to process it all. As the moments passed in the short time they were in his room it started to become clearer and clearer that this was their end and there just may of been no turning back.

"So where do we go from here," Summer asked Seth.

He was unsure himself, but felt he had to respond.

"On to bigger and better things I guess," Seth said with a bit of uncertainty.

Summer almost laughed in the midst of her tears.

"You really think so Cohen?"

"Yeah, I do."

Seth started to believe his own words and smiled back to Summer who was trying to crack one of her own.

"Well at least for you anyway. I'm still the gay, emo-punk loving, comic book loving, geek. Your still hot and well popularized by your fellow classmates," Seth added.

"Don't kid yourself, it'll take me a lifetime before I find anyone half as great as you are."

"Ah, a compliment. I haven't heard one of those from you in a while."

"Yeah well, you never deserved one. But ah, I think I may procure a forgiving streak."

"Oh wow, that, that would be totally out of character."

"Cohen!"

Seth smiled and then took a hold of Summer's hand. The two of them faced each other, now with some of the tensions between them released.

"So are you going to stick around these parts," Seth asked.

"Oh well, I should head home, or maybe see Marissa or something."

"Yeah."

Summer paused on his last word not knowing what to say next and then it hit her.

"So maybe now we can actually be friends," Summer asked.

"Yeah, that would actually be a welcomed concept."

Summer smiled at Cohen and then lifted herself from the ground.

"You know you gotta give old Captain Oats there a rest. He seemed pretty tired out from all the play time you've been having with him," Summer said trying to keep things light between them.

"Well, he needs a few good friends. He's been missing Princess Sparkle."

Summer frowned as her body became listless. It was almost as though she directly connected to Princess Sparkle's pain.

She stood at the edge of the doorway and watched as Cohen started to finish picking up his room.

"I'll see you Cohen. Our finale year at Harbor High is fast approaching."

Seth ignored her final words almost intentionally. He shifted himself from the ground and moved in front of her, standing as she waited for the cue to leave. She wasn't sure how to react, but chose to turn herself towards the hallway as though she was beginning to exit for good. Seth stopped her, grabbing a hold of her right hand. He drew her in and then connected himself to her with his eyes. He was clearly nervous but yet it somehow felt right to him. He took his other hand and began to wrap it around her.

"Stay beautiful for me, ok," Seth said as he wrapped her into a hug.

Her eyes started to water, but she was still able to smile as she lifted her head up to meet with Seth's. He gently kissed her forehead while releasing his grip ever so slightly. He looked down, meeting with her eyes. They stared into each other for what seemed like forever.

She questioned whether to take what could have been their finale romantic embrace between each other further. But she stopped herself from moving upward and pressing her lips against Seth's.

Seth looked on awkwardly wondering if she was going to make a next move. He thought to simply release, but knew it wouldn't be the same if he did. Just as Summer lost all thought of kissing Seth she drew her head down. But Seth knew to take charge of the moment and lifted her head up with his soft hand. Before she could blink his lips were meeting with hers. They kissed, more at ease then they had ever had kissed before, partly because they knew what it meant and they didn't have to worry about the outcome. The two of them finally broke free. Summer released herself slightly and brought her feet down, placing them fully on the ground.

"I'll see you around Summer."

"I'll see you around Cohen."

Summer turned away from Seth and proceeded down the hallway. Seth brought his back up against the door's hinges and watched on as Summer walked further and further away from his view and then eventually down the stairs. As she became no more then heard footsteps his eyes wondered the room looking for anything to distract him from the thoughts swirling in his head. There in the corner of his eye was a view of a lone Jenga piece he had yet to pick up from off the floor. This was enough to pull him back into reality. He pushed back further into the wall and then sighed.

Something was jabbing him in the side of his leg. He gave a grunt of discomfort. He reached into the pocket of his jeans and picked out the second and final Jenga piece that he had forgotten he jammed in his pocket. He rolled it in his hands and then looked back over at the floor. For some reason he smiled. He then threw the piece on to the bed as he remembered he had things to do for his mother.

-----

Seth grabbed his skateboard and put a hunk of change and paper bills in his pocket. Trying to act as though his approach to the break-up between him and Summer made him more mature, perhaps even a man, he put on his cool black sunglasses. He clearly assumed he had a new outlook on life and was ready to embrace his new future.

Just as Seth exited the front door of his house, a familiar purple SUV had just pulled in the driveway. Out from the driver's seat came a classy and over dressed Marissa who was wearing gold tinted shades.

"Oh Marissa, hey, I'm really glad to see you. So what do you say, me, you, and some pancake syrup?"

Marissa drew down her eyebrow and began to question the oddly sexual nature of his phrasing and words.

"Actually, Have you seen Summer? I was suppose to drop off her wrap that I borrowed and I haven't really seen much of her lately."

Seth had a radiant glow to his face.

"Yeah, I did."

Marissa clearly picked up his joy and was surprised. Her head turned in and she smiled, believing that Seth had a reviving moment with Summer, one that hinted at them reuniting.

"Wait, are you and Summer? Are you two back together?"

"A past has finally been put to rest Marissa. Two lives have become born again."

Marissa smiled unsure of what he meant.

"Isn't it always the same," Marissa said looking down at his skateboard.

Seth looked on confused. He lifted up his hand to adjust his shades.

"Once again you're just a lonely boy on a skateboard with nowhere to go until I come around," Marissa added while smiling.

He put the end of his skateboard against the pavement and sighed while also showing a disgruntled look on his face. Before he could enter in a typical Seth Cohen witty remark Marissa stepped in with her own words.

"So you need a ride to that diner," Marissa asked.

"I can only be lonely for so long Rissa, Coop, eer, Marissa. I am on the path to personal righteousness."

Seth brought his skateboard to the ground and placed his foot down on the edge as he tried to take off in the direction of Marissa's car.

"Besides I have you to keep me connected with the outside world and well, to keep my thoughts occupied."

"Glad I'm useful for something," Marissa replied.

Seth, with skateboard in hand, turned to Marissa and smiled. He stood in front of the passenger door of the car in silence. Marissa looked out before her and saw him standing there not uttering a word. Patiently he stood staring down the tinted glass window. In that moment it became clear to her, she was useful for more than just something. She walked over to the driver's side, grabbed the keys out her bag, and then opened her door. Seth was jilted by a clicking noise. She had hit the power-door-lock and released her purse from her shoulder, putting it beside the driver's seat. Just as he had opened the passenger side door and proceeded to enter with out her even saying he could, she smiled in Seth's direction.

"Come on Seth," she said with a slight giggle. "Let's get you some pancakes."

Holding on to his skateboard, Seth sat beside her and shifted his head towards her. He released his shades and met her with a smile. He then returned his hand up to bring the glasses back down over his eyes and tilted back into his seat.

"If we could stop by the pharmacy first, that would be super. I have to pick up my mom's medication."

Marissa, slightly annoyed, looked over to Seth and sighed.