Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters to do with The O.C. They are courtosy of the wonderful creator, Josh Schwartz.

Bidding for rescue

Chapter one – Drink to disaster

Summer stood outside Seth's bedroom door, encouraging herself, to go in.

'Just tell him, he's your boyfriend, he'll understand' she thought to herself.

Hazy images flickered in her mind. Was it her fault? Had she led him on? She cowardly backed away from the door and made for the stairs only to stop abruptly at the sight of Sandy.

'Oh, err... Hi Mr C. I was just…' Summer struggled to find a reason why she had been lurking outside Seth's door for 10 minutes.

'Hello summer, don't tell me you're playing hide and seek with Seth and captain oats again? Its ok I'll leave you to it, but I don't think outside the door is the sneakiest of places to hide.' Sandy chuckled to himself at the innocence of his son and his girlfriend as he continued along the hall.

She crept down the stairs, opting to take up Kirsten's offer of a bagel rather than admit all to Seth and undoubtedly ruin their relationship. But as she hit the bottom step, she sighted a familiar figure on the living room sofa. A muscled blonde-haired boy that last week she would have been happy to go join on the couch and play video games with. The same teenager wearing a wife beater and sweat pants made her shiver there on the spot in the 80 degree heat. This was the guy that most in Newport had grown to accept as a Cohen, the boyfriend of her best friend. Summer just didn't know what to feel about him – Scared, sick, angry, guilty. Feelings aside she knew she just couldn't be around Ryan and hurried out the house and into her car.

It was a week earlier when the orange county annual charity fashion show was being held at the cooper/Nickel mansion. Summer and Seth were escaping to the comfort of each other on the lounge sofa from the drama that was unfolding outside in which Julie had pushed one of the many Newport gold diggers into the pool.

'Cohen, I'm going to go look for coop, k.' she said once she had prized herself free of his hold.'

'I'd check by the bar.' Seth said, gesturing the downing of a shot with his hand and head pulled back.

Ignoring the dig at Marissa's past alcoholism, she wandered up the grand staircase.

Without knocking, she strolled into Marissa's bedroom, practically her second home, surprised to see Ryan sprawled across the bed, hair dishevelled, eyes marginally open and wearing just one shoe.

'Oh my god, Ryan, how much have you had to drink,' She exclaimed in a half worried, half annoyed tone. 'Its only 10:30, where's Marissa?

Ryan lifted his head whilst attempting to speak but flopped back down in the midst of gesturing towards the door. Summer edged towards him and removed the bordering on empty vodka bottle nestled by his face.

'Let me guess, you and Marissa had a fight.' She sighed as she placed herself on the bed without disturbing his laid out body.

'And you came up here to look for me?' The words seem to struggle out his mouth as he reached a hand out towards summer. She momentarily felt his palm skating up her thigh before she jumped up, disgusted by his inappropriateness.

'I'll get Cohen. He can take you home,' she said as she headed for the door but she was stopped instantly by Ryan lunging at her and grabbing on to her arm.

'No, don't leave me babe.'

She resisted his half hearted attempt at sitting her on the bed. 'Ok you're really out of it, you don't even call Coop, babe.' She tried to laugh but she could feel his fingers imbedded in her skin.

'I know you don't want Seth.' A creepy smile spread across his face and in a second he had spun her round hard so she was now lying on her back on the bed. Ryan's face was all she could see as he clambered on top of her struggling petite body. The stench of his breath chocked her and his legs intertwined with hers.

'Ryan, stop, please stop.' The plead was so weak, he didn't look up for his eyes were fixed on what his hands were doing. She felt so suffocated from being pinned down by his torso that she couldn't stop him reaching his hands up hr dress. Tears were pointless and her screams weren't heard over the music from the party. She put all her strength into one final scream for rescue but the attempt was muffled by his lips now caressing hers. He lifted his body slightly away giving Summer hope that she could break free but too soon was he lumped back on her now topless and prising her top from her stomach and breasts. When the pain was unbearable and as she felt herself drifting to a quite place within her mind she suddenly thought of Seth. With all the strength she could muster she clenched her teeth down as hard as she could into his shoulder. He immediately reeled back with pain and hit his head on the bedpost, looking up to see his captive fleeing out of sight.