First of all, thanks for all the great reviews. And thanks to StarLightX for acting as Beta. All mistakes are still mine.

And I know I don't own the O.C. the little white pills keep me from being delusional.

Ryan was used to being up early after working construction for nearly six months. He no longer needed an alarm to wake up, but for the first time in months, he stayed in bed, curled between the smooth covers, not in a rush to go anywhere. He knew that Seth had probably left for school, but he stayed in bed anyway; glad to keep out of the way.

There was a knock on the pool house door.

"Come in," he called, though he wasn't in the mood to talk yet.

Kirsten walked in, with two mugs in her hand and a smile on her face. "Morning, sweety," she said. "I missed this."

He turned up the corners of his mouth into a smile and accepted the mug, pushing himself up into a sitting position. He put his nose in the cup, breathing in the aroma.

He had missed good quality coffee back in Chino. Most of the coffee he had tasted back in Chino was like black sludge.

"Thanks," he said again, after taking a sip that burned the back of his throat. He cradled the steaming mug between the palms of his hands and settled it on the top of his knees.

Kirsten, who was fully dressed in a sleek black business suit, sat back in one of the lounge chairs. "My pleasure. It's good to have you sleeping under our roof again. I haven't slept so well since before you left last May."

He lowered his gaze, studying the pattern on his sheets.

"Are you ready for school? Seth left already, but we have an appointment with Dr. Kim in a couple of hours."

He snapped his head up. "School?"

She laughed. "What did you think was going to happen when you came back home? Did you think you'd lounge around all day? That Sandy and I would conveniently forget the law which insists we send you to school?"

"No. But I — I'm going back to Harbor? I thought I would just go to Newport Union."

"You'd be bored in Newport Union. The classes you took last year were far more advanced than anything they can offer in Newport Union."

"I just need a degree," he mumbled, looking down again.

"No. You need to be stimulated. And besides, a degree from Harbor will open up a myriad of opportunities. You can go to any college in the USC —"

"I know. You gave me the same speech last year. I'm sorry," he said immediately. "I didn't mean to sound ungrateful. I just — I just think Newport Union would be a better idea. It's in middle of the semester and I'm sure they're used to having kids come in and out all the time. My high school in Chino was like a revolving door."

Kirsten brushed off an imaginary piece of lint off of her suit. "As far as Sandy and I are concerned, you have not exercised your best judgment these past few months. We feel going back to your old school will be the best thing. Too many schools on your high school transcripts will look bad."

Ryan sighed, resigned. He knew he was in no position to argue.

"Good." Kirsten stood, taking out a small brown paper bag that he hadn't noticed before. "We have to leave in forty-five minutes. You'll probably want to shower and shave." She threw the bag at him. "I wasn't sure if you had a razor."

He grinned sheepishly. "Thanks."

"I prefer my children to look their age." She briskly walked over to his bed and placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head. "See you inside." She was glad that he didn't flinch from her touch.

Ryan didn't move to get ready right away. He sat for a moment, fingering the brown paper bag. He couldn't imagine attending classes at The Harbor School again. It had been difficult the year before, but after the summer he had, he knew he could never go back.

In Chino, he was always the good boy. Sure he got into fights; it was a matter of survival in his old neighborhood. But he had never truly been one of the gang. He had never fit in with kids his own age, hanging out instead with Trey and his buddies. And they had tolerated him because he was Trey's little brother. In Chino, Ryan Atwood was the good boy. The smart boy who didn't live up to his potential.

He was the bad boy in Newport. The kid who started fights, who was always in the mix. The street-smart kid, who wore a wife beater, choker, and wrist cuff, and was always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ryan had made an impression on Newport society, but mostly because he was an outsider trying to fit in. He had never truly found a place in Newport society, even if had started finding his place in the Cohen family.

Now that he was back at the Cohens', he wasn't sure of his place anymore. He would have to prove himself all over again. Prove that he wasn't just a teenage screw-up from the wrong side of the tracks that got girls knocked up as a hobby. Prove that he was someone worth giving a second — shit — he thought to himself — a fourth chance.

Within thirty minutes, Ryan was showered, shaved, and dressed in his school clothes. He felt stiff and uncomfortable; in what was dressy compared to his daily uniform at the construction site. He walked into the kitchen, holding his empty mug, and was surprised to see both Sandy and Kirsten sitting at the kitchen table, bent over their mugs of coffee and plate of bagels, talking quietly.

"Hey." He walked over to the sink and rinsed out his mug. "You didn't both have to stay home for me."

"Of course we did. Besides," said Sandy. "I left the firm when I took Caleb's case." He waved Ryan over. "Come have a bagel. They're fresh."

Ryan put his mug into the dishwasher and hesitantly walked over to the table, as if he were going before judge and jury. He slipped into a seat next to Sandy, who promptly placed an arm around Ryan's shoulders. Kirsten placed a plate in front of him and pushed the cream cheese from the center of the table.

"It's good to have you home, kid."

Ryan nodded, but said nothing.

Kirsten glanced at her watch, not missing Ryan's silence. "Eat up, Ryan. We need to head out in five-minutes or we'll be late for our appointment."

Not really hungry, Ryan dutifully broke off a piece of the bagel and popped it in his mouth, without spreading anything on it. He chewed slowly, his eyes darting back and forth between Sandy and Kirsten, trying to figure out their wordless conversation. His stomach was in knots, rebelling from even the small taste of bagel he had consumed, as he tried to once again figure out his place in the Cohen home.

Sandy and Kirsten had never really questioned his judgment before, with the exception of the Oliver incident. He wasn't sure what it was the Cohens expected from him. He didn't know what to do to make it right with them.

He finished chewing and swallowed the last bit of bagel in his mouth. He made no move to take another bite, and just sat looking at his hands, trying to ignore the churning in his stomach.

Kirsten slapped her hands against the table and used the momentum to push her chair away from the table. "Ready to go?"

"Let's roll," Sandy agreed. He grabbed the cream cheese and put it in the fridge.

Twenty minutes later, they were waiting outside of Dr. Kim's office. Sandy sat, tapping his foot to a song in his head. Kirsten was sending e-mail messages using her Blackberry and Ryan sat between them, slouched in his seat, wishing he were back on the construction site.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Cohen." Dr. Kim came out of her office.

Sandy immediately stood and Kirsten thrust her Blackberry back into her purse.

"Dr. Kim, thank you for meeting with us on such short notice." Sandy stretched out his hand and she took it.

"I'm more than pleased." She turned to Ryan and smiled which was a rarity for the stern dean of students. "Welcome back, Ryan. I was sorry not to see your name on the register this fall." She waited a beat for a response, but when she got none, she said, "Please step into my office. I asked Ms. Fisher, Ryan's guidance counselor from last year to join us in a few minutes."

Sandy and Kirsten glanced at each other with hopefully. Each took a seat in the plush straight-backed chairs in the dean's office. Ryan took the remaining wooden chair. It was like being in Dr. Kim's office after he had broken into the file room. But this time he wasn't in trouble. Dr. Kim was smiling at him; glad to see him even.

"It's not that we won't accept Ryan. We'd love to have him as a student again. I know there were a few rough bumps last year, but he proved himself in many ways. He finished the year with an impressive GPA. But from what I understand, Ryan hasn't been in school all these months."

"That's true," concurred Kirsten.

"I'm concerned that whatever issues kept him away from school will follow him." She looked expectantly at Ryan.

He didn't want to meet her gaze. But he felt a slight kick at his right ankle, and knew that Sandy and Kirsten were expecting him to talk for himself.

"It's over. It won't follow me."

"I don't want to get too personal Ryan, but is there anything I have to know."

He looked at his hands. He still had dirt and grit under his nails. It would probably take days until he got it all off.

"I don't think so. It's a closed chapter."

Dr. Kim realized she wasn't going to get anything else out of the teenager and decided it was best not to press. There had been enough trouble with the Cohens' other son, and she knew she would have to bend over backwards to make it right with this very prominent Newport family. She knew they had seriously considered pulling Seth from their school and didn't want to give them any excuse to follow through on their threat.

Folding her hands in front of her, sitting ramrod straight in her chair, Dr. Kim continued. "Ryan, you've missed the first marking period. I know it's early to think about this, but unless you attend summer school, you won't be able to advance to the next grade or graduate with your class next year. The state of California does not allow us to promote you unless you've been in school a minimum number of days. Even with summer school, we're going to have to do some juggling to make sure you have enough credits to finish with the rest of his class."

Ryan pursed his lips. He would do whatever they told him to do. He knew that he had no choice. Sandy and Kirsten had both made that very clear to him. He was in their hands. He wasn't sure it was a bad thing.

"We understand, Dr. Kim." Sandy answered when Ryan didn't. He crossed his legs. "I'm sure, like us, Ryan wants to make his education his first priority."

"I know it's been a difficult year for your family, but I hope that Ryan can settle in and do some great things." She fixed her gaze on Ryan. "You've proved that you're capable in the past and that you are Harbor School material. I trust you will do the same this year."

"Yes, thank you," he mumbled when he felt another slight kick to his ankle.

Sandy resisted the urge to tell a surly looking Ryan to sit up straight; he would save his sharp words for when it counted. And the messages he was sending his foster son under the table were being answered. He knew that taking Ryan's choice away, compromising his independence was difficult for the teenager to swallow, but Sandy was sure he had done the right thing. But watching him in this office, sullen and distant, Sandy knew that something was bothering his foster son. He just didn't know where to start and how to get through. He didn't know where or how to start rebuilding the trust that Ryan had lost in him, when he had let him leave for Chino in the beginning of the summer.

"Ryan, do you have any questions before I ask Ms. Fisher to come in to discuss your program."

"Wouldn't it be better if I just start next semester?"

Dr. Kim laughed. "The first marking period just ended. The next marking period doesn't end until January 21. You haven't missed that much work for this quarter. Like I said, we'll work on making up the first quarter. Perhaps we'll squeeze in an extra class or two with a zero period. I'll leave that up to Ms. Fisher. Besides, the state wouldn't look too kindly on your being absent from school any longer. We wouldn't want the Cohens to face the law because you aren't attending school."

"No," he agreed, taking his eyes off the carpeted floor. "And thank you." He wasn't sure why Dr. Kim was being so nice. She certainly didn't have to.

Seth spied his parents leaving Dr. Kim's office. He didn't want to run into them. They might ask why he wasn't in class. But if he turned back, Coach Ash might ask why he wasn't heading for the nurse. Chip and the rest of the water polo team had no one else to pick on that day but him, so he had pretended to trip over the bleachers and told the coach he thought he had twisted his ankle. The dubious expression on the coach's face told Seth that he wasn't much of a liar, but it seemed the coach didn't want a lawsuit on his hand, so he had sent him to the nurse in case Seth really was hurt.

Sandy would be angry at Seth for trying to avoid the situation and for not addressing the problem, but Seth was just plain tired of the constant name calling, and elbows in his gut as he followed the soccer ball around the court. If someone were just walking by, unaware of the situation, they would assume each little incident was an accident. Chip and his friends had a knack for making their attacks look innocuous.

He studied his options and realized there weren't any empty classrooms to duck into or another route he could take. He was either going to pass his parents or piss off the coach. At that moment, Seth was less afraid of his parents. Taking a deep breath, he limped down the hall, continuing the charade he had started with the coach, and pretended he didn't notice his parents.

"Seth?" Kirsten stopped her son with an outstretched hand. "You're not going to say hello to your mother?"

"Sorry." He forced a laugh. "I didn't even see you. What are you doing here?"

"Registering Ryan for school. Why aren't you in class?"

Thinking quickly, he flashed his hall pass at his parents. "Running an errand for a teacher." He bobbed up and down on the balls of his feet. "So, I didn't get to speak to Ryan yet. How is he?"

"Okay," answered Kirsten. "He seems uncertain about things. Hesitant. It's going to be a tough adjustment period for all of us."

"Yeah. Well. I better run that errand for my teacher. See you at home." He continued down the hall, remembering his limp as he arrived at the nurse's office.

"It's not broken," the nurse informed him. "It doesn't even look sprained."

"I just wanted to put it up and ice it. Is that okay?"

"Seth, this is the third time this month you've been in here during PE. Last time you ran into a locker. The other time it was some other inane excuse. And while I might believe you're a klutz, there's never any evidence of injury. Your ankle isn't even sore to the touch."

"I just need to put my foot up," he insisted.

The nurse sighed. "Are you avoiding someone? Do you need to speak to the guidance counselor?"

He shook his head. "Please, just let me sit here for the rest of the period." He pleaded. He hated begging, he just couldn't face going back to the gym.

With a sigh, the nurse nodded her head. "This is the last time. Next time you come in here during PE, I'm going to talk to your guidance counselor and we'll get to the bottom of the real problem."

He sank back into the chair and propped up his foot onto the stool she shoved next to his foot. A minute later she handed him an ice pack. They always made the charade look good.

Seth trudged into the cafeteria and looked around for a familiar face. He knew Marissa and Summer had lunch a different period, but Lindsay sometimes shared lunch with him when she wasn't studying in the library. And it was his luck that half the water polo team shared his lunch period. If they were around, his lunch would probably end up splattered on the floor. It was a stupid, juvenile prank, but they seemed to get a kick out of it. But when the food splattered all over his shirt, and slacks, and shoes or when he had to bend down and wipe it off the floor, the rush of humiliation would sweep over him and he would wish the ground would just swallow him up.

Seth considered skipping lunch, but his stomach rumbled and he didn't think he could hold out until three thirty when he got home. So he walked straight to the concession stand and got onto the back of the line. To his surprise, he was standing behind Ryan.

"Hey." He was glad to see his foster brother, but with all the longing he had felt, Seth thought there would be more joy.

"Hey," Ryan answered.

"So we share the same lunch period."

Ryan shrugged. "I guess."

Seth nodded. When Ryan didn't offer anything he asked, "How's it to be back?"

Ryan shrugged again.

"Can I see your schedule?"

Ryan dug into this pocket, pulled out a crumpled paper and handed it to Seth without a word. Seth scanned the computer-generated schedule. His stomach lurched when he realized that he and Ryan shared PE as well as lunch. He wondered if it would help things or not at all. Would the jocks stop harassing him now that Ryan was back in school? Was it fair to expect Ryan to protect him all the time? If the jocks continued bothering him, could he face having Ryan witness his utter shame?

"We share PE," Seth shared. "But that's it. Your schedule is pretty packed."

"I have to make up credits for last marking period."

"Oh."

Seth didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to talk to Ryan all of a sudden. Last year, he had no problem talking to his best friend. His problem had been that he didn't know how to stop talking. How had things changed so much in so short a time?

They walked through the lunch line and filled their trays with food. They paid the cashier and then weaved through the tables until they found empty seats. Wordlessly, they sat down across from each other and bent over their plates and picked at their food. Seth peered at Ryan over his drink.

"So… um… what would you be doing now? I mean… if… you were in Chino."

"Working."

Seth moved his head up and down. His mouth was dry and scratchy, as if it were full of cotton. Words failed him, something he wasn't used to.

"Looking forward to going back to school?"

Ryan tilted his head and cocked his brows.

"Right." He had forgotten about Ryan's ability to convey everything with just a look. He pushed the food around his plate, suddenly not so hungry. He scanned the room, and didn't notice any jocks around. Not the ones who were giving him a hard time, anyway. "I'm going to the library to finish up some homework."

"Okay." Ryan watched Seth get up and take his tray. "Um, Seth, can I ask a favor?"

"Yeah. Sure. Anything."

"I sort of left the house without any supplies."

"Huh?"

"I need to go to class next period and I don't have any paper or a pen."

Smiling for the first time in days, Seth dug through his bag for some extra supplies that he could share with his brother.