Thank you so much for reviewing! I wanted to get this up before the start of the new season tonight (yay!) So I went away for the weekend, to visit one of my friends, and she was making me mixed drinks, and failed to tell me until the next day that the drinks that she was making had 151 in them...hmm, that seems to be helpful information to tell me from the start...No wonder I needed help standing...so it this chapter would have been up sooner, but I was still recovering from the weekend. Blame my friend and her notoriously strong drinks. Please review again and tell me what you thought! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, unfortunately.

"Ryan, baby," Dawn said. "I just came to see how my baby was doing…" Ryan looked back at Kirsten who was slowly approaching both Ryan and his mother, and then back at Dawn.

"How did you know that I was here?" Ryan asked. Seeing his mother had thrown him into a tailspin. She wasn't supposed to be here. She must want something from him, or maybe the Cohens. How did she know that he was here? And at the same time, despite himself, he was glad to see her. Glad to know that she was still okay, relieved that she was okay, and as much as he hated to admit it, relieved to know that she hadn't forgotten about him.

It was Kirsten who spoke up to answer his question, not his mother. She placed a gentle hand on his arm as she stepped up beside him.

"When Sandy and I became your legal guardians, Social Services contacted your mother," Kirsten said softly. She didn't add the last part, that Dawn happily signed away all responsibility for her son thereby allowing the Cohens to become Ryan's legal guardians. That Dawn had been drunk, and probably on some drugs, and had not thought twice before scribbling her name across a paper that would release her from ever having to think about her son again.

"Why are you here?" Ryan asked turning away from Kirsten. He couldn't help but notice all the differences between the two. His mother lurched forward, and he backed up into Kirsten stepping on her foot. He turned around and was about to open his mouth to apologize when Kirsten shook her head.

"It's okay," she said quietly.

"What are you doing here?" Ryan asked again.

"I came to see you," Dawn said.

"I don't want you here!" Ryan cried clenching his hands into fists at his side. Kirsten stood behind him, at a total loss as to what to do, how to make this better. She wished Sandy would come outside, he was so much better at diffusing situations than she was.

"Baby, please," Dawn slurred. "Please. I miss you. I miss you so much."

"You left me," Ryan said shaking his head.

"I was in a bad place then Ry, I'm better now." Both Kirsten and Ryan could both see that was a lie. The door finally opened and Sandy stepped out, and Kirsten breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why don't we come inside?" Sandy said gently taking Dawn's arm and leading her into the house. Kirsten placed a hand on Ryan's arm.

"Take some deep breaths," she instructed.

"She can't stay here," Ryan insisted, shaking his head. "She can't stay here." Kirsten didn't reply, she just nodded and led him inside the house behind Sandy and Dawn. Sandy had Dawn seated in the kitchen with a glass of water when she and Ryan entered. He stood about as far from Dawn as he could get, his arms crossed across his chest.

"Why don't we all sit down and just talk?" Sandy suggested. Kirsten nudged Ryan towards the table and gave him a reassuring smile. She hoped that he understood that they would do whatever he felt comfortable with. Personally, she wanted to rip Dawn apart for what she did to Ryan. Ryan didn't confide much, but from what he did confide, Kirsten was fairly sure that his life wasn't exactly a piece of cake before he came to live with them.

"Ryan," Dawn said reaching across the table to him. He pulled his hand away and she looked hurt as she pulled her hand back away from him. "I'm sorry about what happened. I want you to come home…" Both Kirsten and Ryan looked wide-eyed at Dawn, Kirsten slowly, and subconsciously, shook her head.

"Ryan's staying here," Sandy said gently but firmly. "We all decided that. That it would be best for him to stay here with us and finish high school." Dawn went to open her mouth, but then closed it again, and nodded. "But maybe we could work out something so that you could still see Ryan." He paused and looked over at Ryan. "On Ryan's terms, of course." They were all silent, Kirsten racking her brain for something to say, coming up with absolutely nothing.

"Can you stay for dinner?" It was Ryan's voice that asked the question, and Kirsten whipped her head around so fast that she was afraid she had just given herself whiplash. He was asking both Dawn and her and Sandy.

"Kirsten orders plenty of food," Sandy chimed in.

"I couldn't…" Dawn started shaking her head.

"Mom, stay for dinner," Ryan said, looking everywhere but at Dawn.

"If you're sure…" Dawn said.

"We're sure," Kirsten said forcing a smile.

Dinner was nothing if not awkward. It was nearly silent except for the scraping of the knives and forks against the plates, and Seth and Sandy's failed attempts to start conversations.

"So Dawn, where are you staying?" Sandy asked, trying again to break the silence.

"I'm between places right now," Dawn said smiling slightly. "I was staying with friends."

"Why don't you stay here for the night?" Sandy offered looking to his wife for confirmation. Kirsten remembered her promise to Ryan out on the driveway. He had been pretty adamant about not letting her stay there. But the offer was out there. Kirsten looked at Ryan, who was avoiding all eye contact with any of them.

"No, really, that's not necessary," Dawn said shaking her head.

"You can have the pool house," Ryan said so softly that Kirsten wasn't entirely sure that she had heard him. "I mean, if it's okay with Kirsten and Sandy."

"It's fine," Kirsten said looking to Ryan for all her cues.

"Are you sure?" It was directed at Kirsten, and not Ryan, and Kirsten nodded, and Dawn finally shrugged. "Thanks. That would be great."

"Ryan, why don't you sleep in the guest room?" Kirsten suggested. "Sandy, can you make the guest room up while I change the sheets in the pool house?" Sandy nodded, and finished the last of his wine, before excusing himself and heading upstairs. Kirsten headed out to the pool house, Dawn in tow.

"This is really nice of you Mrs. Cohen," Dawn said. "I mean as if it wasn't enough that you took in Ryan…"

"Call me Kirsten," Kirsten corrected. "And it's our pleasure. He's a great kid."

"He was always a good kid," Dawn agreed. "Smart too. He's in school now?"

"Yes, he's going to Seth's school. Harbor. It's a wonderful private school." Kirsten didn't really feel like making small talk with Ryan's abandoning mother, but she didn't have a choice as she finished making the bed.

"That's good," Dawn said nodding.

"We're going to a party tomorrow night," Kirsten said. "Why don't you come?"

"Thanks, but I don't have anything to wear," Dawn said shaking her head.

"I could find you something," Kirsten said. "It's Vegas Night."

"Vegas Night, huh?" Dawn said smiling. "If you're sure."

"I'm sure, let's go find you something," Kirsten led the way across the backyard to her and Sandy's bedroom.

"This is an amazing house," Dawn commented as she followed behind, and gazed out at the ocean.

"Thank you," Kirsten replied as she opened the door to her bedroom. Dawn continued to look wide-eyed in amazement at everything that the Cohen's had. She understood how lucky her son was to have stumbled into this family. To have them want to take him in. Kirsten disappeared into the closet and Dawn sat on the edge of the bed and took in the walk-in closet. She saw boxes of shoes on the floor. Ferragamo. Jimmy Choo. Manolo Blahnik. Purses stacked precariously on the shelf, as Kirsten was running out of room. An entire rack of full length dresses, which Kirsten was currently leafing through. Dawn somehow doubted that anything that fit Kirsten would be able to fit her, but Kirsten pulled out a black dress victoriously and handed it to Dawn to try on.

"I hope it fits," Kirsten said biting her lip. "The bathroom is right there." Dawn took the dress into the bathroom and was amazed when it fit perfectly. She stepped out to show Kirsten, who smiled.

"It fits," Dawn shrugged. "Thank you."

"Not a problem," Kirsten replied. Dawn went back into the bathroom and changed back into her clothes and handed the dress back to Kirsten who hung it up next to the tiny little red dress that she was going to wear to the party.

"I think I'm going to go lay down," Dawn said. She turned before she was out the door, faced Kirsten again. "I know what you think. You think that I'm this terrible person for abandoning him."

"I didn't…"

"No," Dawn interrupted. "No, it's okay. I am. I was his mother, and the things that I let my husband and then my boyfriends do to him…the things that I did…. He's such a good kid. He deserved so much more than me…."

"Dawn…" Kirsten didn't know what to say.

"I just want you to know, that I loved him. He's my son, and I loved him. But this whole mother thing…I'm just not wired for it. I'm a mess, not a mother. I don't have what you have. I mean, the way that your husband looks at you, your kid, hell, even my kid, like no matter what you're going to fix everything. You hold your family together… I tear mine apart…" Dawn paused, and took a deep breath. "I know that you're going to be good for him. I know that living with you is the best thing, but… but God, I'm going to miss him, you know? He's all I have left practically." Dawn shook her head. "But walking away. That's the best thing I could have done for him. Best thing I'm going to do for him."

"We're going to take good care of him," Kirsten said softly.

"I know, I know you will. I'm going to go to bed…I'll see you tomorrow…"

"Good night," Kirsten said and she waited until Dawn was back inside the pool house before going to check on her boys. Sandy was in the kitchen reading over something, and both Seth and Ryan were in the living room playing some ninja or pirate game. She walked by Sandy first, running her hand through his hair and leaning down to give him a kiss, before continuing on to the living room and giving each of the boys a kiss on the top of the head.

"Good night guys," she said as she walked back into the kitchen. Sandy caught her hand as she walked past and pulled her back to him.

"Everything okay?" He asked softly. She nodded and leaned down again to kiss him.

"Don't be too late coming to bed, okay?" It was Sandy's turn to nod, and he gave her hand one more squeeze before letting her walk away.

"Are they ready yet?" Seth complained, tugging on his tie.

"It's your mother," Sandy reminded him. "It takes literally forever for her to be ready. You know this." Just as the words exited his mouth, Kirsten cleared her throat and he looked up to see her standing looking absolutely beautiful. She smiled at him, and stepped aside and he saw Dawn. Kirsten had done a hell of a job. Dawn's hair was straight, and her makeup wasn't caked on as it had been. She looked like she could almost fit in with the Newpsies.

Almost.

"How do I look?" Dawn asked with a nervous smile on her face. The question was directed towards Ryan, who just nodded.

"You look good Mom," he said sincerely. He walked over to her and offered her his arm and she gave Kirsten a teary look before taking it and letting him lead her away. Sandy offered his arm to Kirsten and leaned in and placed a kiss on her temple.

"I guess I'll walk myself," Seth said following his parents. "That's cool."

They took two cars, the boys drove the Range Rover, in case they wanted to leave early, and the adults took the BMW. Dawn slid into the backseat of the luxury car and ran her hand over the smooth leather. She watched as Sandy opened the door for his wife and helped her into the front seat before walking around to the side and opening his door.

"So this party…it's for charity?" Dawn asked as they pulled out onto the street.

"Yes," Kirsten said. "All the money that is made goes to charity."

"Do you…do you go to parties like this often?" Dawn couldn't fathom this lifestyle that these people, and now her son, led.

"Too often," Sandy chimed in from the front. Kirsten gave him a light slap on the arm. He pulled up to the country club, and handed the keys to the valet, and they met up with the boys to walk in. Dawn let out a low gasp at the sight of the party and turned to her son.

"Are all their parties like this?" She whispered.

"Pretty much," Ryan replied nodding. Dawn spotted the bar right away, and she saw Ryan notice her spying the bar and turned to give him a confident smile.

"How about you go get us some sodas?" She requested, and she didn't miss the grin that lit up Ryan's face as he went to go get the drinks that she asked for. Dawn rubbed her hands together and reminded herself that she was to stay sober, for Ryan's sake. She owed him a night completely alcohol free at the very least. Kirsten and Sandy had disappeared into a group of people, and she watched as Kirsten kissed their cheeks and hugged them and compared dresses and purses and felt completely out of place. Ryan returned with her drink.

"Here you go," he said handing it to her. Kirsten couldn't help but watch Ryan and Dawn interact and how Ryan was torn around his mother of acting like a child and acting like the adult. It was how he always was, but for some reason it seemed to be magnified around Dawn.Dawn's visit certainly explained a lot more about Ryan, alot more that they hadn't known before. Kirsten was starting to get glimpses into Ryan's former world, and it didn't seem to be very pretty.

It was Kirsten who noticed Dawn's switch from regular soda to something else, and as she was trying to make her way over to Dawn, she kept getting interrupted by the Newpsies. She tried to get Sandy's attention, but he was too busy playing cards and Ryan was off in the corner talking to Marissa. Seth seemed to be in heaven over at a table with Summer, who had designated him her good luck charm. Kirsten zigged in between people and just as she got to Dawn, Dawn drifted away to another spot with more drinks. Kirsten finally tagged down a waiter and slipped him some money and asked him not to give anymore alcohol to Dawn.

"Don't you think you've had enough?" Kirsten asked finally catching up with Dawn.

"I'm fine," Dawn slurred pushing Kirsten's hand off her shoulder. "Absolutely fine."

"Why don't I go round up Sandy and we can go home?"

"I'm winning!" Dawn cried pulling away from Kirsten completely.

"Dawn..." It was Sandy's voice that Kirsten heard, and she was thankful that he took that opportunity to show up and help her out.

"No!" Dawn threw off his hand, throwing herself off balance. She toppled into both the waiter standing there and Kirsten, taking them both down with her. Sandy reached down immediately, pulling Kirsten to her feet and checking her over all in one swift move.

"You okay?" He asked. She nodded, and turned back to Dawn and the waiter.

"Mom," Ryan said coming over and grabbing her hand and pulling her up. Dawn fought to pull away from Ryan, and Sandy finally let go of Kirsten, and grabbed Dawn's arm. To everyone's surprise, it was Luke who stepped up and grabbed her other arm, and the two men led her from the party.

"Come on honey," Kirsten said placing a hand on Ryan's back. "Let's go home."

Okay, I'll be faster with the next update. I swear. Please review and let me know what you thought. Thanks!