Title: Breaking The Cycle.
Chapter: 10.
Rating: NC17
Genre: Angst
Beta: ctoan, one big hug to Ctoan for doing such a great job cleaning this up, writting and pain meds don't go hand in hand apparently. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own The OC.
Note: Sorry, it's only a short chapter.

Breaking The Cycle

Chapter 10

Ryan woke with a jolt, Missy's warm body curled around him. He reached over and grabbed at his watch. His heart sank as he registered the time. It was late – late enough for someone to have come looking for him and seen the fact that he and Missy were naked in his bed. Missy stirred next to him.

"Hey."

He smiled at her as she emerged tousled from the covers.

"It's eleven-thirty already. I think we're busted." He threw his watch back on the side table.

"I'm sure they'll get over it. It's not like they don't know that we have sex. We've been caught at it enough times." Missy stretched and yawned. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Liar," Missy said softly.

"I just never want to have another day like yesterday, Melissa." He hugged her body to him. "I thought I'd lost you and that was the worse feeling in the world."

Missy could feel the tears prick at the back of her eyes and she blinked them away. The last thing he needed now was a wailing female, but his words sent a warm feeling straight to her stomach.

"I'm not going anywhere, Ryan. I'm staying right here." Her voice betrayed her with a slight crack as she spoke.

She lent over and kissed him hard on the lips, morning breath be damned.

When they eventually made it into the house, Ryan was surprised to find only Seth and Summer in the kitchen.

"Where are your parents?" Ryan asked as Summer launched herself on Missy with a squeal.

"They both went in to work. They decided you two needed some time together, you lucky SOB…I don't know what's going on with them but they are being very cool and laid back and that's not usual when you have Missy in your room."

Seth poured out two coffees and handed one to Ryan, leaving the other for Missy who was deep in conversation with Summer.

Ryan took a sip of his coffee and digested the information. It was strange for the Cohens to be relaxing their rules, but maybe not in the circumstances. Ryan took another sip of his coffee as Seth continued to talk, but Ryan's mind wasn't on what Seth was saying. He knew what Seth was trying to do and although it wasn't helping really, he appreciated it anyway. The euphoria at seeing Missy again and waking up in her arms had dissipated and now his mind was focused on the real issue that was buzzing around his head…Danny.

"I need to borrow the car," Ryan interjected, disturbing Seth's flow.

The kitchen went quiet as Seth's train of thought came to a sudden stop.

"Um, I think the 'rents wanted you to stay here until they get back," Seth blurted out finally.

"Yeah, Ryan, I'm just about to get lunch and it would be rude to bow out when I'm about to cook. It doesn't happen often." Summer grabbed his arm and started to rub it like he was a wounded animal.

"Yeah, why don't you and Missy just go and do whatever you do in the privacy of your room until lunch is ready," Seth's voice pleaded.

Ryan gave a soft laugh at Seth and Summer's obvious discomfort at his simple request at wanting to use the car. He guessed that the Cohens had sicced the two of them onto him as babysitters for the day and that the car was out of bounds to him.

"Relax, I just want to go and see your dad. I'm not going to go out to score drugs or disappear."

Seth looked at Summer and gave a nervous laugh.

"Thought never crossed our minds, did it, Sum?"

"Nooooo," Summer answered.

Ryan shook his head and raised his eyebrows at Missy.

"Smooth, real smooth, guys. Seriously, I'm okay…. Well, not okay but I'm not going to do anything stupid. I just want to see if your dad can fix it for me to visit Danny. He's just lost his mom and I don't want him to think that he has nobody. Okay? That's all, I promise, so you can stop acting like prison guards."

"Really…. you're not going to go all 'One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest' on us again? 'Cause the 'rents would kill me if anything happened to you. It's not often they leave me in charge of things for obvious reasons."

"Hey, he'll be with me," Missy said. "I'll make sure nothing happens to him. You know I'm kinda fond of the guy." She put her arm around Ryan's waist.

"Only fond? Thanks a lot, Missy." Ryan poked her in the ribs to show his appreciation. "Come on, let's make a move." He grabbed a couple of bagels from the basket and tossed one to Missy.

Missy followed him out and gave a reassuring look back to Seth.

"Okay, this is why my parents shouldn't leave me in charge," Seth whined.

"Missy's with him, Cohen…nothing is going to happen, you doofus."

Sandy didn't seem too surprised to see the two of them when they showed up at his office. "So you gave Seth the slip, I see."

"You'll find him tied up in the kitchen," Missy sassed.

"So to what do I owe this pleasure?" Sandy put down his pen and looked smugly at Ryan.

"I wondered if you could swing it so I can see Danny. I know that I couldn't before but now I figured extenuating circumstances or something might come into play."

Sandy smiled at his ward. He knew that this would be Ryan's next course of action; it was just the type of kid he was. He got up and sat on the edge of his desk.

"I figured as much," he answered. "It took some doing and a hell of a lot of phone calls and favours being pulled in but I managed to fix it for you. Why do you think I've been here since eight-thirty this morning?"

Sandy slid over a slip paper to Ryan with an address on it.

"Sandy, what can I say? Thank you."

"No need for thanks – we know how important Danny is to you. And I think he needs you now Ryan more than anything." Sandy put on his serious face and he noticed that Ryan's jaw began to clench immediately as he waited for him to continue.

"His grandmother was flying in from Wisconsin this morning to take him home with her as next of kin but her flight got delayed due to bad weather. They were going to let her gently break the news to him but you know what these group homes are like, Ryan."

Sandy sighed.

"One of the older kids overheard and took great delight in breaking the news to Danny himself. He's inconsolable and as Becky's mom's flight doesn't get in for another five hours, the powers to be relented and thought it would be a good idea for you to speak with him. I was just about to call you when Seth called to say you were already on your way."

"Jesus, how the fuck can something like this happen? Fucking incompetent assholes."

Ryan took in Sandy's raised eyebrows at his swearing.

"Sorry but…god. I'll go right away…that okay?" he added tentatively, still not quite believing how Sandy had swung this.

"Just let us know how late you'll be out or we'll worry, kid."

Ryan snatched up the paper.

"Thank you again. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"You can come out for that surfing lesson you keep putting off," Sandy said straight-faced.

"Done!" Ryan backed out of the room, bumping into Missy as he went. "Just name the time and place."

Sandy looked sadly at Missy.

"He won't…both my boys fear my surfboard for some reason. Take care of him, won't you?"

Missy nodded and ran to catch up with Ryan.

Ryan spent the whole journey down to Chino cussing and intermittently hitting the steering wheel in frustration. Missy let him rant; it was better seeing Ryan like this than him becoming his usual introverted self when something went wrong. Maybe those trips to the shrink were doing him some good after all, even if Ryan was still not being honest with him about everything. And Missy also had to admit that swearing and angry Ryan was hot but she kept that one under her hat with the present circumstances.

She reached over and placed her hand on his knee and kept it there as a gesture of solidarity and comfort – nothing else. For the first time, she had not followed up with a grope. Missy felt proud of herself – this was indeed personal growth for her. Ryan reached down, laced his fingers in hers and smiled. Damn, who'd have thought it would take something as drastic as her 'dying' to cause a shift in their relationship. Missy blushed and admonished with herself; she'd be picking out soft furnishings soon and then the next thing she'd be wanting babies with him. Missy spent the rest of the journey trying not to think of how cute mini baby Ryans would look.

They pulled up outside a dismal looking house. Missy stared at the building. It screamed institution and was not remotely like the refuge. She felt Ryan tense next to her. She looked at him and saw the frown on his face; she followed Ryan's eyes and saw what he was focusing on. A police cruiser sat outside the main entrance. One cop stood by the car and was speaking into the radio.

"Come on. It's probably nothing." She took Ryan by the hand and led him to the front path. The cop stared at him as he went by and Missy squeezed his hand.

They knocked on the door but it was already opened and they pushed their way inside.

"Hello," Missy called.

A short, round woman bustled out to meet them.

Ryan held his hand out and introduced himself and Missy and why they were there.

The woman blanched, introduced herself as Ms Lynch and shooed them into a room to the left of them. Missy looked up and saw several kids watching from the top of the stairs with glee.

Missy continued to hold Ryan's hand tightly as they took in the people in the room. They all turned and looked at them as they entered, as if they expected someone else.

"What's going on?" Ryan asked.

Ryan stared at the policewoman that sat with an open notebook open on her lap and at a woman who sat crying on one of the adjoining chairs, twisting a torn, damp tissue in her hands.

Ms Lynch looked worried and shifted her gaze to the policewoman.

"This is Mr Atwood. He's here to see Danny."

The policewoman got up and approached. Missy watched as Ryan's body language changed in front of her eyes. Missy could see as panic, confusion, dread and fear flit across his face. She held onto his hand even more tightly than before. Missy's heart was beating fast…the look on the cop's face as she stood in front of them was setting all the warning signals in her brain ringing. The look said this wasn't going to be good.

"Mr Atwood…I'm sorry…."

TBC.

Hope you liked.