Disclaimer: I don't own the OC

Chapter Five

The frosty air circled around the cottage by the sea freezing everything in its path. The leaves that had turned to magnificent hues had faded and dropped slowly as the days became darker. Thanksgiving had come and gone bringing with it the excitement of Christmas in the Atwood home. Secrets were being kept and hidden in mysterious places. Just last week, Ryan had went to retrieve some eggs from the refrigerator when Ella came blasting in yelling for him to get out of the refrigerator. Nealy had been caught digging countless holes in the backyard. By the end of the week, Ryan and Marissa had to have a serious discussion with their two girls about "appropriate" hiding places that resulted in the confiscation of several questionable items. Needless to say, both girls had refused to talk to their parents for the rest of the night. However, dawn was just approaching and everything hung in that suspended silence right before the alarm went off.

Ryan turned over slightly squinting at the clock and seeing that it was only 5:45 groaned falling back on his pillows. Marissa moved slightly burying her head deeper into his shoulder while slapping a hand across his chest. Wincing slightly, he looked down at his wife of nine years as she slept deeply wrapped around him. He reached over with his free hand and slightly brushed her hair away from her face. She still looked very pale, and Ryan gently traced her dark circles with his thumb. She had not been feeling well lately, and he was getting worried. However, Marissa kept insisting that she was just exhausted from working and running around with three kids. He looked at the clock again and reached over right before the alarm went blaring. Hopefully, Marissa would sleep for an extra couple of minutes. He carefully unwrapped his arm from around her waist and removed her arm that had been sprawled across his chest. Slipping from her embrace, he maneuvered himself out of the bed when suddenly he tripped and fell on the covers that were dragging across the floor. Cursing silently, he looked up at Marissa quickly, but all she did was turn around in her sleep and muttered, "Ducks like cake Grace…" and gave a quiet sign falling back to sleep deeply.

Ryan laughed silently at his wife and leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead while heading out of the room. Walking down the stairs, he mentally started listing everything that needed to be done today. He walked in to the kitchen and paused staring at his oldest that sat there eating cereal while watching cartoons.

"Nealy, what are you doing up so early?"

Nealy jumped at her father's voice and turned sheepishly around in her seat. "Oh, morning Dad. I just woke up and couldn't fall back to sleep." She shrugged her shoulders and looked down at her cereal concentrating hard on spooning up the colorful flakes.

"Is everything okay, pumpkin? Usually you sleep in as long as you can on the weekends?"

Nealy stared up at her father with bright big eyes that seemed to make her appear much older. Ryan stared at the eight year old that seemed to be carrying a huge weight on her shoulders. "Dad, is everything okay with Mom? She hasn't been her self lately. I know we don't make it easy on her, but…"

"Nelly Belly," Ryan interrupted walking over and hugging her. "Your Mom is fine. I think she has been just feeling under the weather lately. The holidays are always stressful. Don't you worry about it."

"Really, Daddy?" Nealy looked up at her father eyes bright that were threatening to fall but stubbornly refusing. Her gaze was full of trust.

Ryan swallowed back his own worry and gave her what he hopped was a genuine smile. "She will be feeling fine in a few days. Again, don't worry about it. Your Mom loves all three of you dearly." He tugged on her ponytail and wiped the lone tear that had finally fallen. "How about you and I make a surprise breakfast for everybody?"

"Okay! Can we have waffles? Mommy loves waffles."

"So does somebody else I know," Ryan teased while moving around the counter and getting down the flour.

"Well, yeah," Nealy said shyly, "but so does Ella."

"What about me?" Demanded a sleepy little voice at the door.

"Morning, El." Ryan said as the five year old walked over with her yellow blanket trailing on the floor. He lifted her up and placed her on the counter while brushing her brown hair from her eyes. "We are making breakfast for Mommy, do you want to help?" Ella gave a nod, and Ryan handed her the measuring cup and showed her how much milk to pour.

Marissa slowly opened her tired eyes feeling a headache come on immediately. Groaning, she turned over in bed and reached for Ryan but stopped her hand movements when she realized he wasn't there. Looking at the clock, she saw it was a quarter to eight. Rubbing her eyes, she was surprised at how quiet the house was. Leaning back on her pillows, she turned her head as she heard the door squeak quietly. A little brown head was peering into the semi dark room, and Marissa could make out two chocolate colored eyes.

"Come here baby," she called out as Ella crept into the room.

The little girl gave a running start and flopped onto the bed landing on top of Marissa.

"Ump, morning Ella Bella." Marissa laughed as her daughter pushed her self up on the pillows and started playing with her hair.

"Morning, Mommy. How are you feeling? Better?" Her dark brown eyes bored into Marissa worriedly.

"I'm feeling much better now, Ella Bella," Marissa murmured, "especially now that you are here." With that, Marissa reached over and tickled her little girl on her tummy.

"Stop that Mommy!" Ella giggled trying to scrim away.

"What is this Miss Ella?" Ryan questioned at the doorway trying to hide his smile with baby Grace balanced in his arms. "I sent you up to see if Mommy was awake and find you having a tickling match?" He smiled as Ella continued laughing, and Marissa beamed up at him tiredly.

"Mama, Mama!" Grace demanded reaching out with two chubby little arms to her mother.

"Come here, sweetie," Marissa held out her arms as Ryan walked over. He gave her Grace while leaning down and brushing a kiss across her lips. She smiled up at him and pulled him down for another while Grace settled herself comfortably in her mother's arms. Ella was bouncing up and down excitedly hardly containing the secret surprise breakfast.

"Stop bouncing El," Ryan said softly while searching Marissa's face as she leaned down and wiggled noses with Grace. He thought she looked flushed now compared to earlier. He reached over and felt her forehead as she looked up startled.

"What's wrong Ry?"

"Nothing, nothing is wrong." He smiled and nodded at Ella who had stopped bouncing and was looking up at them questionably.

She smiled sadly and turned to Ella with a bright cheery voice, "So Ella, what is the big secret?" Ella clamped her hand over her mouth and shook her head while muttering NO between her fingers. Marissa looked at Ryan quickly and mouthed, "Aspirin."

Nodding his head, Ryan headed into the bathroom thinking that she had been getting a lot more headaches than usual. Walking back into the room with two aspirin and a thermometer his hand, he saw the three playing patty cake in bed. Suddenly a loud shriek was heard from downstairs and a scream, "DAD!" Ella bounced off the bed and made beeline downstairs.

Marissa looked up at him curiously and said, "Should I be worried?"

"No, no." He signed while climbing back into bed with her. "We were making you breakfast, or at least trying but it sounds like something went horribly wrong."

"Oh, well it was a sweet idea Ryan." Marissa snuggled into his arms with Grace on her lap interlacing their hands together and closing her eyes.

He looked down at her about to say something and suddenly remembered the aspirin and thermometer. Silently, he handed her the aspirin and held up the thermometer.

"Open wide," he gently teased as she shot him a look but complied. "I'm worried about you Riss. I thought at first you just had a slight case of the flu or something, but it doesn't seem to be getting better. You keep getting headaches more and more lately. I think you should go see a doctor."

Marissa shook her head from side to side and mumbled against the thermometer, "I'm fine Ryan, really. Like you said, I'm just a little under the weather. I don't need to go see a doctor, I'm…" she was interrupted by the thermometer beeping.

Ryan reached over and looked at the screen. It glowed an alarmingly 102.8. Wordlessly, Ryan handed it over to Marissa who looked at the numbers with wide eyes. Turning back to Ryan, she met his pleading dark blue eyes. "Please, Marissa. You need to go to the doctor's. I don't care if you don't want to go. If I have to, I will make you go." He threatened helplessly desperate to get her to go.

She looked into his eyes silently and glanced back at the numbers. Leaned over, she placed a soft kiss on his mouth and murmured against his lips, "I'll go."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

To be continued….