I know its been like a million years since I last updated this story and that you've all definitely lost interest in how it ends. And I know that my apologies mean next to nothing but I am sorry that its taken so long. Thank you to lil elise lil for reminding me that I even had an OC story. This chapter has been on my computer for so long and I have no idea why I didn't upload it already. Anyway, better late than never right? This is the last chapter but I am gonna start working on a new OC story soon cos I have an idea thats been festering for a while. Thank you to everyone who reviewed this story...I hope it was worth the wait.

He immersed his hands in the piping hot soapy water. Various items of cutlery clanked against each other as his hands moved through them. He would never understand the purpose of owning a dishwasher when some things couldn't be placed in it. If everything was dishwasher proof his life would be so much easier. He leaned his hips against the counter in front of him as he proceeded to wash the odd utensils.

Next to him Ryan leaned over, placing another dirty plate in the dishwasher. He was extremely aware of the fact that standing on the other side of the counter was Marissa, watching his every move. He could feel her eyes glancing over his back, taking in his movements. He could feel his arms begin to lose all control and he started to worry about holding, and more importantly dropping breakable things. As sad as it may have been he didn't want to start smashing up the Cohen's house in front of Marissa, the girl that he was increasingly falling for. The kiss earlier was still on his mind, still making his senses tingle.

Summer leaned her elbows on the counter in front of her. She could practically hear herself purring in satisfaction. She had been nervous before showing up on the front door step but once inside everything had suddenly seemed clearer. The Cohen's were a proper family unit, albeit one that had only recently adopted a seventeen year old boy straight from a juvenile detention centre. Summer had needed the family thing to make her feel at ease. It was the way Kirsten and Sandy would kiss for no apparent reason other than that they really loved each other, the constant banter between Seth and…everyone. They all just kinda fitted together. Summer had lost that a long time ago and she missed it more than she knew. She watched as Ryan and Seth cleaned up. Ordinarily she would have slit her own wrists for thinking such a thing but Seth was not looking entirely wrong. Maybe it was her newfound perspective, having seen him with his family but she was actually considering him in that way.

Marissa's eyes traced his every movement, thinking over the last few times they had met. Ryan was hot, there was no denying that but she had kissed hot guys before. This was different, there was something about their relationship that was slowly dragging her further in. They connected on an entirely new level for her, everything was more intense and so much more fulfilling. He made her feel happy in her own skin, a feeling that came rarely. But she was still unsure as to whether they could go there or not. School was complicated enough as it was with Luke and the countless cliques. She didn't really want them all as her friends but she didn't want to become another victim of the social scene at Harbor.

'You guys need any help?' Marissa asked, hoping that doing something, anything would distract her from Ryan.

'I really love how you offer only when we're finished,' Seth replied, nudging the dishwasher door closed with his foot.

'If you wanted any help you could have asked,' she replied, looking at Seth and Ryan with a smirk on her face.

'And let me guess, you would have been only too happy.'

'Of course.'

The grass whispered gently in the light warm breeze, the water lapping against the edge of the pool. The lights shining through the windows of the house cast long shadows across the ground, flickering occasionally with the swaying of curtains and moving figures as they walked from room to room.

Summer brushed stray strands of mahogany coloured hair off her face, away from her closed eyes before lowering her arm to the ground next to her. It was cold underneath her, the occasional shoot of grass tickling against her neck. She could feel the night working around her, the occasional sound of birds flapping overhead, crickets chirruping. She loved the tranquillity that came with the dark. Somewhere a party would be taking place, teenagers drinking and dancing, smoking, some of them taking drugs. She lived that life but ever since Ryan had arrived from Chino she had felt detached from that world. It wasn't that she didn't still like going out but it had seemed less important than it had once been.

She heard the noises from inside the house, computer game sounds, talking, laughter increase in volume before the back door clicked closed. She knew he was watching her, could feel his eyes on her. She didn't know why but she felt nervous, like she was being judged. After a pause she heard his feet padding their way across the garden towards her. Nonchalance was a difficult act to keep up but she managed it somehow.

'Summer Roberts, are you actually lying on the ground?'

She rolled her eyes, trying to maintain a straight face as he sat down next to her.

'Occasionally I like to lower myself to this level, that way I can actually see you,' she replied, looking up at his face. 'Hey Cohen, how do you feel about moving your huge head. You're ruining my view.'

He frowned at her insistence before sitting down on the ground next to her. Placing his hands behind his head and lowering his back so that he was lying flat on the grass he saw what she was talking about. One of the benefits of living in Newport, and there were few as far as Seth was concerned was the lack of orange sky at night. The area wasn't the most populated in the world and, as a result the glow of street lights didn't affect the deep black of the sky.

She kept on staring at the heavens, refusing to even acknowledge his presence. She had no idea what was going on in her head but she didn't like it. It felt like she was helpless and she had always vowed that that was one thing she wouldn't be. She had completely lost control of her home life a long time ago and she seriously doubted that she would ever get it back but the rest of her world she could at least try to steer in some direction. But with the appearance of Cohen in her life all that had been shaken upside down and now she wasn't even sure if control was such a good thing to have.

'What's going on with you?' he asked, his voice loud in the relative quiet.

'Other than being in such close proximity to you? Nothing,' she replied, smirking.

'If you hate being near me so much then why come over for dinner?'

It was a complicated question simply put. And she didn't have an answer for it, at least not one that she wanted to say out loud.

'Maybe its because you don't despise me quite as much as you make out?' Seth answered for her, sitting up as he did so, suddenly filled with the desire to see her face, to know what her reaction would be to his statement.

Summer sat up, turning her face away from him as she tried to quell the butterflies in her stomach. She turned to face him, her face once again regaining its composure.

'You know if you've run out of your medication, Cohen I can grab some from my house, I'm sure the step monster won't mind.'

'The snappy retorts are there but I'm just not feeling the power behind them, not like I used to.'

She stood up from the grass, her eyes flashing at him as he joined her. She looked up at him for a beat before hitting him on the arm, the look of pain that flashed across his face making her feel sadistically satisfied; the look of amusement at her outburst that followed it making her want to hit him again.

She turned and walked off across the garden, hoping that he wouldn't follow her so she could recover from their conversation. She really hoped but was starting to reluctantly believe that she might be falling for Seth Cohen. And it was making her confused and causing her to question all of her opinions about him. And she wanted to hit him again.

She rounded the corner of the house, the stunning panoramic view of the ocean straight in front of her, the smell of salt and night primrose filling the air. She leant back against the wall, the stone cool against her arms and fought the urge to run back to Marissa's house and hide under her bed.

'Summer?'

'Go away, Cohen,' she bit out.

He stared at her, his eyes tracing every contour of her face, watching, trying to gage her mood, her state of mind. But it was a mess of emotion covered by an unconvincing mask. He stepped forward, the scent of her perfume catching in his nose. He could barely see her face in the darkness, away from the lights of the house but he could still make it out in the gloom. He could have drawn her face perfectly from memory if he had to.

She stared straight ahead, hyper aware of his presence next to her. She wanted him to go, needed a few moments alone but knew that she would miss him if he did actually leave.

'I think I'm gonna kiss you.'

She turned to face him, a frown deeply pronounced on her face.

'What?' she asked, her voice a few octaves higher than it usually was.

'What?' Seth replied, looking anywhere but her eyes, only just realising that he had said something.

After a short pause of them both looking around helplessly, trying to find a way out of the conversation Summer walked away, her face still a picture of confusion, her thoughts in chaos, half of her wishing he had never opened his big mouth, the other half really wishing he had followed through with his declaration.

'What do you think they're talking about?'

'The reasons for and against stem cell research.'

She looked across at Ryan's face, watching with an amused smile as he tried to keep a straight face. Under her continued scrutiny he broke and they both laughed, breaking the atmosphere of comfortable quiet. She didn't know how long they had been sitting there and it really didn't bother her. It could never be too long.

He looked across the garden, watching silently as Summer, followed a few seconds later by Seth strode across the lawn, descending the steps and entering the house. They both looked flustered, Summer's cheeks flushed with a glow, he couldn't tell if it came from embarrassment or excitement. Her eyes were difficult to read as well, something he had never really come to expect from Summer. She was constantly surprising him.

'Coop, we should get going,' she said, standing right in front of them, the request phrased more like a desperate demand.

Seth walked up behind her, his face a little less difficult to read. Something had happened between him and Summer. And Ryan would hear the story at least fifteen times before he got to sleep that night. Another seventeen in the morning before he was really awake. And Seth would continue to rehash it until school and teachers prevented him. And even then, Ryan wasn't so sure he'd stop.

She stood up from the couch, regret sweeping over her. She liked hanging out with Ryan. It was easy and it never felt awkward. They could talk about all manner of things, the kind of things she only ever told to Summer. It was weird because she had never trusted a boy like that before. And now, she was telling her life story, piece by piece to a guy who epitomised the strong and silent type, a guy she hadn't even known a few weeks ago. It was weird. In a good way.

They all made their way to the front door, silence capturing them all, no one wanting to break it.

Summer opened the door, pulling it towards her, not sure if she wanted to change what had happened that night. She knew she couldn't, Cohen had told her how he felt and that was that. It was done. It would take a little getting used to but Summer was becoming increasingly more convinced of the fact that she would get used to it, that she wanted to.

Marissa and Summer stepped out into the night air, Ryan and Seth following them to say their goodnights.

'See you guys at school tomorrow,' Marissa said, turning, her eyes, not for the first time locking with Ryan's. She smiled, leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. She felt Summer's hand wrap around her own, propelling her down the steps and away from the house. She turned, enjoying the feel of Ryan's gaze on her back.

Summer looked over her shoulder as she walked away. She smiled at him, a small but distinct gesture of how she felt. He smiled back before she turned, elbowing Marissa lightly in the ribs after a small pause of silence.

'What?'

'So, you and Ryan huh?'

Ryan looked into the illuminated world of the refrigerator. His eyes searched through various food items before landing on the cheese and pastrami. He pulled it out and walked over to the bread bin. He found a bagel and proceeded to make himself his second post midnight sandwich in as many days. Seth had not stopped talking, as Ryan had predicted for a good few hours and Ryan was now completely ready to sleep. He tidied everything away before stepping out of the building and taking the familiar walk across the garden to his room. He opened the door, closing it behind him, pulling the blinds down and turning out the light. The garden was swallowed by the darkness, another day ending in Orange County, one due to begin in just a few hours.