Summary: Marissa does her best to hold up her role as Julie's daughter at a Newport Charity Event. Before she cracks under the pressure Seth swoops in for the rescue. A telling, romantic, night ensues.

Story Notes: This next act is broken up into three parts - a, b, c. It would have been rather long if I hadn't and this way I can give you an installment as soon as possible. Oh and it takes place a few days after the last act.

Story title comes from the song "Love Explosion" by Weezer. You can Google for the lyrics if you'd like.

Rating: Ok, so I bet you're wondering why I rated this T and yet have had little in the series to warrant the rating. Well it's because of an upcoming act. And no, it doesn't involve Seth/Marissa having hot sex. Sorry guys.

Feedback Notes: I'm surprised I haven't gotten more anonymous reviews. But I can't complain. The reviews still come in. And I assume they will continue and I wholeheartedly thank you for that. I'll never make idle threats like if you don't review I won't write. I love to write. And I love writing this series. Even though I'm not so certain of the ending, I have to see it through. I just hope you all stay along for the ride.

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This was Bridgeport Courtiers. It was a mini palace that looked as though it was fit for the King and Queen of Newport. Of course Newport had no one king and queen, not since Caleb passed away and Julie got back together with Jimmy. Even though her and Jimmy where done with, again. The town only saw Julie as Jimmy's other half. They disassociated her with Caleb, the former owner of Newport.

Marissa's one time granddaddy's name was passed down to Kirsten. This put a strain of Kirsten's recovery. But with the love of her family and the support of her husband she was making do.

Granddaddy's fortune, however, was left to Seth. He didn't really think much about it. After all, it wouldn't be till he turned 21 that he would be able to cash out and claim control of the family business. Plus, he told Marissa and anyone who would listen that he wasn't even sure he wanted all the weight that came with the responsibility. There was no way he could handle such a role with out being grounded by a good woman like his mother. That was the one person he couldn't come clean with. He didn't have the strength to tell her he didn't want to take hold of the family business.

Marissa had her own roles, ones she had to play out now. The top one being her position as Julie's daughter. Here she was tonight, and alone, at Bridgeport Courtiers, pretending to be the dotting daughter of the reigning president of the Newport Charity Guild.

It was another one of Julie's grand events where hundreds of Newport socialites would convene just so they could be seen as selfless for a single moment in time. Marissa just wished she didn't have to embrace by herself. Ryan was well, somewhere, either with Seth or with his baby. And Summer had a date with her farther. Summer could never let daddy down.

Marissa stopped to wonder if Julie had used a little less gold leaf tinting on the napkin holders maybe a few more dollars could of went to the Newport Battered Woman's shelter. Marissa put down her concealed glass of Crystal, and sighed, knowing the truth - it didn't mean anything to her mother or anyone here.

Just then, her mother appeared.

"Sweetie. You're not mingling enough. We have to show all of Newport how strong the Cooper name is?"

"You're not a Cooper mom. And thank God you're not a Nichol."

"You're dad will turn around. There's only so many Kirsten sister bitches he can cheat on me with."

"There was only one mom. And dad left with her for China. Face it, we are never going to be a family again."

"Well sure we are sweetie." " Ok, fine. This is exactly why you need to get your ass out there and find me some charming single millionaires. Now's not the time to be flirting with the female help."

"I was simply comforting Margaret after she confessed you tortured her and many of your other hired help with leather whips," Marissa said as she crocked up an eye at the thought of her mom using leather whips on the female staff.

Julie smirked and put her hand on her hips.

"If you didn't want to be here then why did you even bother coming?"

"I remember something about force and blackmail."

"Why can't you be my daughter Marissa?"

Just then a new voice entered in.

"I wouldn't wanna be your step-son," Seth said as he turned into the two of them.

Marissa smiled upon seeing the site of Seth and then laughed.

Julie looked him down and was shocked to see him in a decent black suite with a thin black tie.

"Well I guess we'll never have to worry about that will we," Julie barked back.

Marissa, surprisingly, turned to Seth awaiting his reaction. She wasn't really sure why.

Seth just sighed and awkwardly nodded in Julie's direction. Julie huffed and started to turn away when Mike Blittermen, a not so charming, but worth billions banker, appeared in her vision.

"Excuse me," Julie said before turning away.

Marissa shifted her body and then nodded in her mother's direction. Before Marissa could even relish in her mother's departure she felt foreign skin touching her. Seth's hand was gliding over to her's. It caused an internal spark for them both, but she couldn't fully embrace it and she slipped her hand away.

Seth, not wanting to draw attention to how much he resented that she took her hand away, brought his arm over her shoulders and smiled. This eased Marissa's tension and she too smiled back.

"So, I thought you had that big Comi-Con meeting," Marissa said.

"I did. It was cancelled. Well Zach cancelled and you know Ryan and the kid. So I couldn't have the meeting by myself."

Marissa laughed.

"Actually, I just wanted to hang with you. If that's cool?"

"Yeah that's cool," Marissa said as she smiled.

Seth dropped his arm from around her neck and paused not knowing what to say next.

"Hey. I'm sorry about the other afternoon," Marissa said as though she was sincerely sorry.

"Uhn," Seth said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"I hanged with Summer. But you needed me to be there when you were done with Dr. Thomas."

"I did?"

"Come on Seth, I know that tetanus shot was giving you nightmares."

Seth groaned and turned his head towards Marissa.

"I was a big boy -- up until the needle went in my ass and I started to cry like a baby. A baby Marissa. The tears I could not control," Seth said in a loud, partly exaggerated, tone.

Marissa laughed, but Seth was not amused. He showed a look of nervous revulsion and then peered his eyes to the ground.

"I like your suite," Marissa said under her breath.

This changed Seth's emotions.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You look handsome."

Seth smiled, while inside him his heart seemed to ach, possibly from a twinge of joy.

"So, is this to imply I never looked handsome till now," Seth asked.

"I didn't say that," Marissa replied as she smiled.

Seth brought his head up from the ground and turned it towards Marissa. He grinned and she grinned back. This was a moment of contentment. And silence.

Marissa fiddled with her glass and then asked Seth if he wanted a drink.

"There's nothing stiff enough to get us through tonight. We might just have to deal with the comforts of each other," Seth said as he peered his eyes back on Marissa waiting for her to give a sign that she agreed.

"Hmm, there could be worse things to deal with." "Plus, I'm thinking that's just what I need to drown out my mom and everyone else here," Marissa said, looking out into the abyss of money and greed.

"Well then let's go," Seth said excitedly.

He quickly turned to face her and grabbed her by the arm.

"What," Marissa replied unsure where this was leading.

She smiled and laughed all through it.

"Come on. Let's get out of here."

"You think I can just leave my Mother like this," Marissa asked rhetorically.

"I've seen you do it all the time with Ryan."

Marissa paused and then processed his words. He had a point there.

"And come on, I can't be any more harmless than Ryan can I?"

Marissa brought her head down an inch and looked into Seth's eyes.

"You can. You are. But I think leaving with you will piss my mom off just as much as leaving with Ryan."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. She hates all you Cohen's right now."

"Oh, right," Seth said as his head dropped to the ground.

"But I kind of likem."

Seth's head lifted slightly.

"So you consider Atwood to be a true Cohen heh?"

"I was talking about you."

Marissa turned to her side to intentionally bump into Seth and then pushed on his shoulder. Seth chocked on a bit of his salvia and his hand started to tense up.

"Oh, right," Seth said nervously.

"Well your parents aren't so bad either. You've got a good family Seth. God, I wish mine was half as loving and functional as yours are."

As Marissa changed the emotion of her words Seth eased up, and once again pulled on her arm, prompting Marissa to move forward and away from the hired help that passed behind her.

"Where are we going to go anyway," Marissa asked.

"Anywhere but here my love. Anywhere but here."

Marissa smiled and laughed as she allowed Seth to pull her in the direction of his choosing. He smiled back and then paused for a second, not knowing where to go. A light bulb hit and he headed for the back entrance.

Keeping a hold on her hand they made their way through the back end stragglers at the charity party. Marissa's head peered around, noticing a few people glancing in their direction. She turned away and looked down at her and Seth's interlocked hands and smiled.

As they made there way through the back door, his hand had released and Marissa was running just to keep up with him . Marissa's head turned back to make sure there was no sign of Julie taken notice of her leaving the event. She was assured when she saw her mother holding up her champagne glass high and flirting with Blitterman.

When her head came back to Seth she realized he was far ahead of her.

"Hey. Slow down Seth.," she quipped.

"It's not my fault you can't keep up."

Marissa finally almost caught up with Seth. She straggled just behind him.

"Don't you want to walk with me," Marissa asked.

Seth stopped in his tracks leading Marissa to trip a half step. His head, without any force, turned to Marissa who was only inches away from him. Both paused and stared into each other's eyes before coming back to reality.

"Walkings cool," Seth said in a hesitant tone.

"Cool."

"Just don't think I'm going to hold hands with you or anything."

"Oh, ok," Marissa said, obviously hiding her disappointment. "Why would I think that anyway?"

She had good reason to think that actually. Over this night and other nights he had taken her hand in his, often spontaneous and out of nowhere. Come to think of it, Marissa had done the same from time to time. But Seth wouldn't allow himself to question why.

Seth said nothing and moved himself around making sure he was safely at a distance but beside her.

Seth had now realized the burden that came with holding her hand. It made him question his emotions, and more importantly, what was happening between them. He was beginning to enjoy their touch a little too much. So, Seth in turn took the safe route and opted to not go for her hand.

"It's so perfect out. But I still have no clue where we are going. We're near a bunch of dumpsters and smoke stakes," Marissa said, as she questioned where this could lead them.

Just then Seth caught a brick pathway off to the side.

"We'll follow the red brick road," Seth said with a hint of irony as he motioned his head towards the trail.

"Not too sure where it goes." "ok," Marissa said with a bit of enthusiasm in her voice.

At this point, she was pretty much game for anything that got her further away from her mother.

To be continued….

Where will this red brick road take them? Will it lead to romance, a kiss, the coke sniffing Wizard of Newport? And will Seth impregnate Marissa with an alien love child? Stay tuned to find out.