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 is the second part of the three-part act. I had section b, plus a good amount of section c typed up and I saved over it! This is based on rewrites from what remained in my head. But it seems to be better than what I had before so I can't complain. -- Anyway this continues right where the first part left off. They are following along the red brick road.

Story title comes from the song "Love Explosion" by Weezer. You can Google for the lyrics if you want to.

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: Thanks to my faithful reviewers. You know who you are. And a extra special thanks to the occasional reviewers who are taken what little free time they have to read and review this series.

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As their journey through the red brick road continued they had stopped upon a charming little children's park where a few swings and, across the way, a vendor selling Italian ice stood. Seth took a feel of Marissa's hand, tracing her fingers through his and then attentively pulled away.

"Do you want some," Seth asked.

"Want what?" "Oh the tasty Italian ice. Yeah sure. Make mine a lemon and I'll meet you by those swings. We can sit there or something."

Seth nodded and then turned away from Marissa as he headed towards the man selling the goods.

Marissa moseyed over to the swings and turned her head back to get a glance of Seth grabbing the ice treats. She paused and fixed on his causal and standard motions. She thought in her head how this evening was turning out to be better than she had ever imagined. She was delighted and it showed in her smile and carefree spirit. She brought her hand over the chains of the swing and started to stroke them. She sighed, realizing Seth would be a few moments and then sat herself down in the seat of the swing. She stared out into the vast settings before her and then lowered her head.

Just then Seth returned, his hand reaching out to her with the lemon ice in hand.

"Hey. Here."

Marissa slowly lifted her head and casually took the cup from his hand.

"Thanks," Marissa replied.

"It's no problem." "Best way to kill some time," Seth said as he noticed her aloof facial expressions.

Seth took a moment and traced his fingers on his swing.

"So what do you think of the night so far," Seth asked as he shifted and took his place in the swing beside her.

Marissa lifted her head from the ground and responded.

"Oh, can't complain. This is far better then being with my mother's crowd. I like being around you Seth. You seen to brighten up all my days lately."

"Same here. Strange hey?"

"I guess."

"Yeah, I mean it's not as strange, as say, when I first heard they cast Huge Jackman as Wolverine."

Marissa smiled respectfully because did not know what to say. She was left clueless.

"Well, it's not as strange as say…."

"What," Seth asked in a questioning manor.

"Nothing. Never mind."

"Ok," Seth said in a timid tone.

It was clear Marissa was going to say something that would change the dynamic of the evening, but Seth let it go.

"I'll tell you what's strange. The feeling I'm getting just from being three feet away from you," Seth said.

Seth stopped himself short from saying any more words when he realized what he had implied. He froze and nervously turned away from Marissa. Marissa too was shocked; she almost dropped her Italian ice. She tried her hardest to assume his words were platonic and went back to eat her dessert.

Seth paced his feet and decided to let it slide as Marissa had let it and then brought his face back up.

"So where do we go from here," Marissa asked.

Seth brought his face up further and tried to cover his wayward and glazed eyes with a few squints.

"Well, just keep walking I guess. The path continues ahead."

"Ok," Marissa said as she coked an eye.

She looked out and saw that what lied before them was nothing more than a few short-stacked buildings.

"You know it looks like a bunch of office buildings and I don't remember them on my tour of Calebville."

Seth released a light laugh and then smiled. The tension between them was being eased.

"Yeah, he didn't own them. They used be some old department store. Now there just a bunch of offices where everyone who was trying to escape the Nichol name went."

"Oh, well maybe you could have an office there someday. You know open a comic book firm or something. That is if you decided to stick around Newport."

"Right, then I can waste away granddaddies millions on vintage rock&roll records and getting high."

"I'm serious."

"Yeah well, we'll see."

"The future's still bright and wide-open."

"That's very wise of you to say Marissa but you are not the grandson of Caleb Nichol."

"Yeah but I am the daughter of Julie Cooper and I'm not a bitch am I?"

Knowing full well who played the bitch in their inner circle, Seth responded.

"No," he said with a laugh.

"So anyway, when's this Comi-con thing of yours?"

Seth was surprised she was taking interest.

"Soon, very soon. But with Ryan and that kid of his and the way Zack has been flaking out lately. It may just be me and Captain Oats."

"I could come. Shear Bear too of course," Marissa nonchalantly replied.

Seth chocked on the chunk of ice that was trying to go down his throat and started to cough.

"Are you ok," Marissa asked.

"You going to a comic convention with me?"

Clearly Seth was shocked she had even suggested coming along.

"Well, I mean, yeah. It could be our first stop on the pancake tour of America. We could hit some diners. And while your oggeling over woman in Electra costumes I could hit some spas."

Seth's tone changed.

"No, hold on here. I'd so be eying the sexy lady in the wonder woman costume. And that chick, excuse me, woman, being Lynda Carter. She's downing the original costume for one night and one night only!."

Seth was a little too excited when he said this and Marissa took notice. She started to wonder about his sanity and gave him a weird look.

"Anyway, my dad would never agree to the two of us going alone."

"Ohh, your dad doesn't hate me does he," Marissa asked concerned.

"He loves ya, really. But me, a girl, a road trip."

"Hey, it's not like we're dating or something."

Seth tensed up and tried to muster words to reply with.

"Right," Seth said in a cautious tone. "I don't know."

Marissa sensed he wanted to let the subject go and proceed to go back to her tasty treat. Just a moment later she peered over Seth's cup and noticed his was almost full.

"You barely touched yours."

Seth peaked in and noticed his cup was indeed full.

"Not enough sugar," he said trying to cover up he was actually too distracted and this kept him from tasting regularly.

"I'll eat if you don't want it."

For some reason Seth found this incredibly sexy that she was willing to partake in his bodily fluids, the ones that rested on his spoon and the top of the ice where he had taken a few chunks. Seth handed her his cup.

Marissa's hand traced over Seth's and he quietly moaned. Thinking she had heard something her head perked up, but she quickly came to the conclusion she was hearing things and took the cup away from Seth's hand.

"So you want to keep walking," Seth asked.

"And what, head for the hills," Marissa sardonically asked.

"Check out my future office space."

"Ok," Marissa replied in a reluctant tone. "Sounds romantic."

She was most certainly being sarcastic. Seth kind of liked that she was picking up some of his classic Seth Cohen wit. But deep inside he knew the truth and it comforted him. She would never be as funny or as witty as him.

Seth lifted himself off his seat and then held on the right chain of the swing waiting for Marissa to spring up from her seat and follow him along the pathway.

Although uncertain of how much they could get from visiting a office park, she smiled, politely, and then lifted herself from the swing. Seth smiled back and started to walk backwards as she inched in closer to his body. He then turned around, bringing his hands together and started for the brick-way. Marissa took Seth's spoon from the cup he had given her and she started away on the remainder of his Italian ice. She focused on its sweetness, while trying to make sure she was walking side by side with Seth. As the night was just beginning, the two followed along the path.

To Be Continued …