THE TRUTH

Expectations of another
Love given to the younger
Broken father, broken brother
Emptiness feeds the hunger.

Sister
Creed

When Rachel awoke it took her a moment to regain her bearings. She suddenly became aware that someone was moving about the room and slowly began to open her eyes to find a shirt-less Seth shuffling about getting ready. It seemed as though the previous night hadn't even happened. Seth looked as bubbly as ever as he got ready, never once telling Rachel that he was meeting up with Ryan to discuss matters about Steve.

Rachel rubbed her eyes roughly and moved herself up so that she was leaning on her elbows.

"Where are you going?" She asked causing Seth to stop and look at her.

"Hey, I thought you were asleep," he answered.

Rachel shrugged. "I'm not."

Seth nodded and began to move about again, collecting various clothing pieces for the laundry as he did. After a moment he noticed that Rachel was staring at him, her head tilted to the side, a half smile on her face.

"What?" He asked.

Rachel raised her eyebrows in a defensive way. "Nothing, I'm just admiring the view." Seth couldn't help but smile at that. "Which still hasn't told me what they are doing."

Seth moved over to the bed smiling his mischievous grin as he began to tie his shoes. "I just have to go out for a bit, I'll be back later."

"Woah, hey, can't it wait?" Rachel asked sitting up and taking a hold of his wrist.

Seth looked at her strongly. "Not really."

"Oh come on," Rachel began, moving behind him and placing her hands on his shoulders. She began to gently massage the muscles, feeling him loosen from her touch. "What could honestly be more interesting than what you have right here?" She asked placing a small kiss on his jaw.

Seth smiled at the gesture, not being able to stop himself. "Nothing even comes close," he murmured feeling the kiss move slowly down the side of his neck.

"Damn straight," Rachel replied. "So stay and take full advantage of what you have."

She turned Seth's chin so that he was facing her fully and captured his lips with hers and instantly feeling him return the gesture with a fiery passion. Rachel knew that it was killing him to have to leave, especially with the way she was acting now. In truth she didn't actually mind that he was, she just wanted to see how long he would hold out before giving in to her.

Pulling away only enough to look him the eyes, Rachel stared at Seth waiting for him to regain his composure and speak.

Letting out an extra long breath, which only caused the girl sitting behind him to smile, Seth began to speak. "As much as I would love to stay…" He instantly felt her lips upon his neck again and had to close his eyes for a moment to savour the feeling. "And as much as it kills me to have to leave, The Vegas is calling."

"The Vegas is talking to you?" Rachel asked curiously as her fingers moved to unbutton the shirt that Seth had managed to put on. She was well aware that he wasn't trying to stop her.

"Yeah," Seth said comically. "We're close buddies. We go way back."

Suddenly Rachel pulled away. "You're not even a good liar any more."

"Did I used to be?" Seth asked frowning slightly at her comment.

Rachel thought about the question before coming to the realisation, "No…but you've gotten way worse."

Seth suddenly shifted. "Hey, the kissing is gone!" He turned to face her seeing the single eyebrow that she had raised at the comment. "Why is the kissing gone?"

"You ain't getting no more kissing from me today boy," she answered moving away from him and sitting up against the headboard of the bed.

"Oh come on," Seth said strongly with a noticeable amount of irritation in his voice. "I don't have a choice."

"Why not?" Rachel asked innocently.

"Because I just don't," Seth insisted standing from his spot and completely facing her, the buttons she had undone on his shirt causing the clothing to open slightly at the top.

"Why are you being so secretive?" Rachel demanded sitting up straighter and facing him head on.

Seth waved his arms about. "Because I can't tell you what's going on."

Rachel almost laughed at his seriousness. "So you lie to me instead."

"It's not that simple," Seth said letting out a long sigh.

Rachel moved forward, kneeling on the bed before him, "Then make it simple," she whispered.

"'Morning Kid-o," Jimmy greeted.

Marissa smiled warmly at him as she walked down the stairs, which lead into the lounge. Pancakes and hot mugs of chocolate drink sat proudly on the tiny coffee table in the centre of the room and she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows questioningly at the array of food.

"What?" Jimmy asked. "Can't I spoil my daughter?"

Marissa moved over to where he sat and positioned herself on the opposite couch. "Well," she began. "If you insist."

The two sat in silence as they ate and drank not needing words in order to communicate the fact that they were both extremely happy to be together. The bond between the two had only become stronger through the divorce of Jimmy and Julie. It still amazing Jimmy at how close he had become with his eldest daughter. It always seemed as though Marissa saw the bigger picture, unlike Kaitlin who constantly became more and more like her mother.

"So what's planned for today?" He asked as she took a bite out of her pancake accidentally dripping marmalade onto her hands.

"Um," Marissa started. "Summer and I were going to go and do some shopping."

Jimmy nodded his head absently. "Are you and Ryan going to catch up tonight?"

Marissa stared at him for a moment, contemplating the question with added interest. "You don't mind?"

The Cohen's were arriving home from Las Vegas later that afternoon so it only seemed fit that she go and visit her boyfriend once he returned. Marissa couldn't wait to feel the relief of being able to see him again. It was as though the longer that they were apart for, the harder it was for her to function in her day to day life.

"No, no," Jimmy answered. "Go and have fun." He was smiling at her now. "Say 'hi' to everyone for me."

Marissa grinned at her father. "I will."

Rachel looked deep within Seth's eyes. He couldn't stand it when she did that when they were fighting, she knew full well that they were his one weakness. Those eyes, containing everything that he loved so much about her. The honesty, the innocence, the painful past, all of the trials and triumphs she had been confronted with. But the most important of them all, the one thing that melted Seth's heart each time he looked within them; the complete purity of the love in which they held.

"Look, Rach," he began before cutting himself off.

Seeing her there before him now, kneeling on the bed that they shared in a simple singlet and pants Rachel had never looked so beautiful in Seth's eyes. Her shoulder-length hair sat loosely around her face, which was clear of any signs on make-up. The two pieces of jewellery, which he had given her during their relationship – a crystal necklace and a silver ring – were the only other things she wore.

Seth couldn't help but smile at the sight. He often had to pinch himself to believe that he was truly dating the girl before him. She was amazingly beautiful in every way and Seth found it hard at times to believe that she was in love with him, that she was the one he shared his bed with.

The thoughts made him finish what he was going to say. "I won't go…"

Rachel blinked at the answer, one that she had not expected. "After the fuss you made, you'd damn well better," she said playfully.

"No," Seth stated. "I'm not going."

Rachel straightened herself up so that she was taller as she knelt on the mattress. "Seth…"

"No," he said again. "I saw how upset it made you, so I'm staying."

Rachel looked at him in disbelief. "Seth, I'm not upset," she insisted.

"Ah…" Seth began. "But I would have the perfect cure if you were."

He brought his lips down to hers causing Rachel to fall back onto her feet as he snaked his hand through her hair. Rachel wrapped her arms around Seth's neck pulling him closer to her. They had been together for almost a year now, but Rachel still felt the same fire race through her whenever they touched, whenever they kissed. She had never wanted him more in the whole time that they had known each other.

"If you have to go, Seth, then go," Rachel insisted but he was hearing none of it.

"After getting me all worked up like that, I think not," Seth replied pushing her back into the sheets and moving atop her.

"Seth…" Rachel tried as his lips left hers and began to move down her neck causing her to let out a soft moan.

"Seth's busy right now," he replied.

"Seth…" She tried again as his touch moved to her collarbone.

"Back in ten minutes."

"Seth!" Rachel finally yelled causing him to jerk back and stare down at her.

"What?"

Rachel only looked at him amused for a moment before answering. "I'd like to think it would be longer than ten minutes." Seth almost laughed at her comment. "And one more thing," she said.

"And what would that be?"

Rachel tangled her fingers in his wavy hair and pulled him back down to her, kissing him strongly as she ran her other hand down his back, feeling him shiver slightly from her touch.

"I can live with that," Seth finally spoke.

"So…" Rachel began. "You're not going to tell me where you were going?"

Seth brought his lips to hers again and shifted his weight so that he had her pinned beneath him. "Nope," was his simple answer.

Rachel raised a single eyebrow before deepening the kiss substantially and beginning to unbutton the rest of his shirt, finally removing it and tossing it carelessly to the floor.

"How about now?" She asked.

"Hmm…" Seth thought for a moment before frowning. "You'll have to do better than that."

Rachel glared at him. "Are you serious? How much more can I…?" She stopped herself mid-sentence as Seth stared at her. "You're unbelievable."

"That's why you love me."

Rachel half laughed before pulling him back down upon her.

Caleb stood in the kitchen of the Cohen household when they arrived back home later that afternoon. He was sipping his coffee, flipping through the newspaper, which was spread out across the counter top.

"Back so soon?" He asked as Ryan walked through to place his bags into the pool house.

It caused the young man to stop then cast a deathly glance toward Luke who was seated at the dining table. Luke only shrugged and Ryan instantly understood that he would not have had a choice but to allow Kirsten's father into the home when he wished.

"So how is Vegas these days? It's been a while for me," Caleb continued, never once looking up.

Ryan remained silent, simply out of the fear that if he was to open his mouth the insults would start flying. Part of him didn't care about this, the man deserved it. He had completely destroyed his sister mere months ago, causing her to run so far that she ended up in the very place she had been so desperate to escape in the first place. Chino.

"But Superman is the ultimate of all the superhero characters. He started the entire revolution." Seth voice carried through the house as he and Rachel approached.

It was only when Ryan saw the look on his sister face when she stopped dead in the doorway to the kitchen the moment that her eyes fell on the man within that he realised he should have intercepted her the moment he knew that she was coming.

Rachel stood frozen to her spot. She didn't move, barely even breathed as the onslaught of emotions flooded through her. Caleb to her was far worse than the Devil himself. He represented a power, which she knew that she would never match. He represented the very thing, which could rip her life out from beneath her without even blinking.

"Kids, go unpack," came Sandy's strong voice from behind them.

Rachel didn't need a second warning. She left the room as quick as possible hearing Ryan grab a hold of Seth's arm to stop him from following her.

"Where the hell were you this morning?" Ryan demanded.

Seth raised his eyebrows at him, his own mind working at a rapid speed to think of a good enough excuse for not turning up to discuss matters about Steve. It crossed his mind once or twice to simply tell his friend the truth. He had been a little 'busy'. But then it also crossed his mind that Ryan wasn't one to hold off throwing a punch out of fear that he might hurt a friend. Seth knew that he was fiercely protective of his sister and they would probably still be discovering bits of his body months after Ryan was done with him if he told him the truth.

The simple fact that Seth hesitated made Ryan realise that his initial guess was the right one. There was no other explanation. It may have come as a surprise to Seth to be told just how much Ryan knew about what went on in his sister's life just like she knew about his.

"I slept in," Seth suddenly blurted out before following Rachel up to their room and leaving Ryan to shake his head and walk out to the pool house.

Luke stood from the table and followed the same path that both Seth and Rachel had taken, wanting to say goodbye to his friends before he left. This left Sandy alone with Caleb.

"What is in your head Caleb?" Sandy demanded.

Caleb smiled at him. "I thought we could have a talk."

It came as a complete relief for Ryan to finally step foot back in his pool house late that afternoon after finishing unpacking the car. In a way he was glad to say goodbye to The Vegas, simply because it was the kind of town where dreams were made to be broken. Somehow it reminded him too much of his own childhood, watching everyone around him cruising through life as though all the pain and suffering didn't effect them. Not realising at the same time that they were the ones that were causing it.

Letting out a long breath Ryan dropped his bag loudly on the floor and nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the voice before him.

"I think it looks good on me. What do you think?"

He looked up to see a young woman standing before him in nothing but her underwear and…

My singlet," he internally growled.

In complete and utter shock, Ryan simply gawked at her. "Uh…"

She took a few steps closer to him putting on a sly smile. "What, you never had a girl wear your clothes before?" She asked suggestively.

Finally finding his voice, but being too cautious to move any closer, Ryan spoke strongly. "Why are you in my pool house?"

The woman gave him a deathly glare. "It's my pool house and I would hope that you would be a darl and…"

She didn't get a chance to finish because before any of them knew what was happening Rachel came walking into the room. "Ry' could I borrow a jacket all of mine are in the…?"

Rachel stopped dead in her tracks for the second time that day. Her mouth dropped open at the sight before her. A half clothed, strange woman standing in the middle of her not-so-single brother's bedroom.

"…wash," she ended slowly, trying her hardest to take in the entire scene at the same time holding back the slap she was so desperate to send flying Ryan's way at that very moment.

The woman smiled. "Maybe girls do borrow your clothes," she said.

Rachel looked from the woman to Ryan and then back again, her eyes wide. She didn't know what to make of any of this. She thought that her brother was faithful, that he would never do anything to hurt Marissa. He cared about her too much.

"What the hell is going on?" Rachel demanded.

Ryan was quick to reassure her, seeing the sudden anger and confusion in her eyes. "Nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing," the woman spoke innocently rocking back on her feet.

"Shut up!" Rachel yelled at her before whirling on her brother. "Who is she?"

Ryan looked directly back at her with as much confusion in his expression that Rachel believed would be in hers. "I have no idea."

"No," the stranger said sarcastically. "Of course not."

Rachel glared strongly at her before suddenly realising something. "Are you wearing his singlet?" She asked disgusted.

"Rach," Ryan began. "It's not what it looks like."

Rachel shot a look at him. "Well someone better explain to me why the hell there is a half naked woman standing in your room."

The woman smiled. She was clearly enjoying the fight the pair were having. "Yeah, explain to your girlfriend why I'm here."

Ryan rolled his eyes in frustration. "She's not my girlfriend," he stated.

"Pity," she said looking Rachel up and down. "She's cute."

"She is standing right here!" Rachel yelled.

Suddenly another voice joined theirs. "There you are," Seth said to Rachel. "I've been looking for you." He wrapped his arms around his girlfriend before looking up seemingly unfussed by the woman in the room with them. "Aunt Hailey, how's it going?"

"Aunt?" Ryan and Rachel exclaimed in unison.

It was as though the words had not even come out of their mouths because neither Seth nor Hailey seemed to take any notice of them.

"Wow Seth," Hailey said with an impressed tone. "Looking good."

Rachel scowled at her. "Hey, keep your eyes on your own."

Hailey smirked at the sudden outburst. "Ooh, touchy," she said amused. "Who are you? Seth's new comic book buddy?"

Rachel stepped out of Seth's embrace and faced the woman head on. "I'm his girlfriend, who doesn't take to well to finding a half naked woman standing in my brother's room and then have her checking out my man."

"Brother?" Hailey asked with a renewed interest. "So you won't mind if I steal him away for a while." She moved over and layed a flirtatious hand on Ryan's arm which he was quick to move away from.

Seth stepped around Rachel and took his Aunt by the hand. "Aunt Hailey, why don't we get you some clothes and then you can go and talk to my parents about setting up the guests bedroom?"

Ryan had seen this coming. Of course she would be staying with them, why else would she have been there in the first place? He watched them silently as Seth lead his relation out of the pool house and into the kitchen in search of his mother and some clothes to cover his companion up.

"Okay that was completely unexpected," Rachel spoke as she moved over and dropped onto Ryan's bed.

He looked at her for a moment, cracking a half smile. "I know."

A small laugh escaped Rachel's lips, despite her attempt to hold it back. Running a hand through her hair she shook her head in amusement. "And we thought our family was weird."

The comment made Ryan stop short. It had come out of nowhere and yet seemed so fitting to the conversation. He stood there, simply watching his sister as she sat on his bed and for the first time in his entire life he truly saw her. She was amazingly beautiful, her face and heart so full of love completely masking the pain which she carried with her every day. The pain of what once was.

His gaze trailed along her features and came to rest on her eyes, golden and bright. The very same ones, which had captivated him from the moment that, he saw them until the very point of him standing before her now. They were so strong, so vibrant…so wise.

Ryan realised something at that very moment that changed his life forever. As much as he would like to think it, his sister was no longer a little girl. She had grown into an amazing young adult with more life experience than people that were twice her age. Though he would always see her as his little sister, a girl that he would always be there for if she was in need of protecting, or someone to hold her up, he realised that he owed her the respect that she deserved.

Feeling his eyes on her Rachel looked up to see Ryan staring at her a look of almost sadness on his face. "Ry'?" She asked.

Ryan stood there for a moment longer before walking over and sitting directly beside her as Rachel turned her body to face his, a confused look on her face.

"Rach," he began watching as a frown grew upon her features. "I have to tell you something about Steve, and it's not all stuff that you're gonna like."

Rachel stared at her brother, her mind ticking a hundred miles and hour. She had been waiting for this moment since his initial reaction to her being around the man in Vegas. Not wanting to push him to say anything – though it became increasingly hard not too – Rachel waited.

"I don't care," she spoke softly, never letting her gaze waver from his. "I'm tired of you lying to me."

These final words hit Ryan hard. Though they were not meant to be hurtful as Rachel spoke them calmly, the truth behind them nearly killed him inside. He had lied to her.

"So tell me," she went on. "Who is he?"

Ryan took in a deep breath, noticing that she had never once let her eyes leave his face. "He used to live in Fresno with his family," he began and added when he saw the quizzical look on his sister's face. "He was married with two kids. Two boys."

"Was he a good father?" Rachel asked.

Ryan almost laughed at the question. "He was no Sandy, if that's what you mean." He shrugged slightly. "He was into boosting cars, drug trafficking. You name it, he did it."

"What about the family?" Rachel asked with a note of disgust in her tone.

She had experienced enough suffering from her own relations that it sickened her to think that there was another family out there that had to be put through the same thing.

"This is Steve we're talking about Rach," Ryan said. "The whole family thing doesn't spark anything in his mind."

Rachel raised her eyebrows. "So I'm assuming he was a crap father."

"You figure that out yourself?"

She sent a glare his way. "Shut up. So he boosted cars, sold some drugs. That's not exactly overly new to me."

Ryan shrugged. "It wasn't for his kids either."

Rachel was frowning now. She knew that there was still something that he was not telling her. Something important. "So why with the bad vibes?"

"His wife fell pregnant again a few weeks before he was arrested and thrown into jail," Ryan said watching Rachel eyes as they focused on his own. "The two had a falling out and decided to call it quits and soon the mum packed things up and headed to Chino."

Rachel couldn't hold in the bitter laugh, which escaped her lips. "Home sweet home."

"She had a girl a few months later," Ryan continued choosing not to reply to her comment. "That's the last they ever heard from him."

Finishing his story it came to Ryan's attention that Rachel was not looking at him any more. Her eyes were elsewhere, staring into space as though she was thinking hard about something.

"What?" He asked interested.

Rachel took in a deep breath and tilted her head slightly as though contemplating something before she said it. "You said they moved to Chino," she began finally looking at him again. "That's a small town. I would have known about them without you having to tell me."

Ryan could tell that she was catching onto something, she just didn't know what. "So…?"

Rachel frowned accusingly at him. "You're not telling me everything, are you?"

Ryan stared back at her. "What do you mean?"

"You know Steve," Rachel began, her eyes fixed strongly on him. "For some unknown reason, he thinks that he knows me." She glared at him. "So why don't you fill in that unknown?" It was a statement rather than a question.

Ryan's face was now unreadable, his expression so full of emotion and dilemma. "Rach…"

But she wasn't buying it any more. She knew that he was hiding something. Something that was the key to them being there together. "Who is he to you?" She asked.

"Look…"

"Who is he to you?" This time her voice was stronger. Somewhere deep inside Rachel she knew what the answer was going to be, she just couldn't quite grasp it.

"Steve's…"

"Yeah?"

Ryan locked his eyes with his sister's for a long moment, knowing that what he was doing was right but regretting it strongly none the less. The moment that he spoke the words he saw Rachel's expression change to one that he thought was lost. She looked like a child.

Rachel's eyes grew wide, her lips parted slightly in shock. The answer that she received was one that she had not been expecting. Suddenly, in only a matter of seconds everything made complete sense. But in that same moment she felt everything come crashing down.

"He's my father Rach," Ryan spoke softly. "Our father."

She sat there frozen to her spot, not being able to move, barely being able to breath. Rachel kept trying to tell herself that what she had heard was wrong, that she had made it all up, but she knew it was real. The man Ryan had spoke of, Steve, a horrid, low life with a criminal record to match was her father.

Ryan looked at his sister strongly, seeing her eyes suddenly become dull, almost empty of emotion. "Rach…?"

Rachel opened her mouth to speak, to say that she was alright, but the only words which escaped her were ones of pure honesty. "I never even knew his name," she whispered not being able to meet Ryan's eyes.

"You don't have to start thing any different just because he decided to come back," Ryan insisted. "Rach, he might be your father by blood but that doesn't mean that he has to be in your mind."

"My father was a prisoner who didn't even care enough about his family to provide for them when he was free." Her words were shaky as though she was trying to convince herself with them.

Ryan placed a calming hand on her arm. "I know it's hard…"

A frown suddenly creased his sisters features. "No," she said standing from the bed. "I'm not gonna let this matter." Beginning to walk toward the middle of the room Rachel stopped suddenly when she heard Ryan come up behind her. "Screw him."

"Rach…"

"I'm fine Ry'," she insisted though her words came with a slight strain.

Knowing full well that she was completely lying to him, Ryan grabbed onto Rachel wrist and, even as she protested, whirled her around to face him. What he saw was what he expected. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, her face filled with a mixture of pain and confusion.

"Ry', stop it!" Rachel cried trying to pull away from him, but Ryan held her fast. "Why are you doing this?"

Ryan took a firm hold on her shoulders. "Because I care about you Rach."

"No, just get off me!" She yelled at him, though her voice was not angry, it was sad. She forcefully tried to remove his grip but failed miserably, as her strength would never match his. "Let me go Ryan!" She screamed.

"I'm not letting you go," Ryan insisted. He could see that she was going to break soon. He had seen that same look in her eyes before. The one of trying to be strong but at the same time knowing that her feelings were too powerful to hold in.

"Let me go!" She cried again trying to push him away but her strength had left her. The fight was gone.

Tears began to glide down her cheeks as she came to terms with what had been revealed to her only moments ago. She had a father. He did exist. He wasn't made up. But all of the hopes and dreams that she had that he was a good man had been shattered.

Ryan steadied her. "It's okay," he murmured as he pulled her close even as she continued her attempts to be rid of him.

"Just let me go," Rachel whispered as she pressed up against him, her face buried in his chest.

Ryan held her in a tight embrace knowing that this would be the reaction he would get once he revealed to her the truth about Steve. But despite having the knowledge that what he did was right, he still couldn't wash away the undeniable pain that he felt from making his sister feel like this. He hadn't seen her this upset since he left her side in Chino when she told him that she couldn't face life in Newport any more. He hadn't seen her cry in months. Not like this. Not to the point where she psychically trembled in his arms, or where her eyes filled with so much pain that he didn't understand how she could still be standing.

She shook lightly in against him as he wrapped his arms securely around her and placed his head on the side of hers.

Neither of them realised how late it had become. The sun had fallen below the horizon hours ago and darkness now cloaked the world outside.

"It's okay," he soothed. "You don't have to be worried."

Rachel took in a long, shaky breath before speaking. "I'm not."

Ryan frowned at her comment but did not move from his spot. "Then why are you crying?"

"Because…" she began. "He's real."

Sandy stood with his arms folded, an unimpressed look on his face. "So what is it this time Caleb?" He demanded. "Have you come here to torment more of my kids?"

Kirsten stood between the two men now, completely terrified that they would eventually come to blows. "Sandy, stop it," she pressed.

"No, no, Ki-Ki," Caleb began. "Let him finish."

Kirsten let out a tired sigh and waited for them to begin talking. She was not only concerned about the two men with her now, but she also knew that something was going on outside in the pool house and she wasn't quite sure what. But out of the fear that Sandy and Caleb would do each other in, she reluctantly stayed with them and did not investigate the matter further.

"Look," Caleb said. "I am not a man to ask for help."

Sandy smirked. "No you just make other people go crying for it," he said bitterly.

He had no compassion toward the man at all. He had practically torn Rachel apart when they had first met and that was simply unforgivable in Sandy's eyes. He loved the Atwood child as though she was his own, and he would stand up for her until he could stand no longer.

"But I am having some legal issues at the moment which I would like to have your help with," Caleb finished.

This time Sandy could not hold in the bitter laugh which escaped his lips. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Caleb wanted his help.

Once the laugh was over Sandy looked his companion directly in the eyes and said the clearest thing that he could think of. "No."

Ryan's heart ached for her. Despite this position being such a familiar one to him, it never became easier to see the girl he loved more than life itself in such pain.

"And he never came back for…" Rachel couldn't get the final words out so she simply closed her eyes tightly and clung to her brother.

A movement outside of the pool house caught Ryan's attention and he ticked his gaze up to see Marissa standing there, watching them through the glass. The joyful expression, which had been on her face quickly disappeared as she saw what was happening within the room.

Ryan smiled at her weakly, knowing that Marissa would be worried that her friend was upset and crying in her brother's arms. She offered him a frown and Ryan mouthed the word 'later' to her.

Marissa nodded her head before turning and leaving.

When was out of sight Ryan pulled away slightly from his sister. "Come on, let's go sit down," he said guiding her over to the bed.

The moment that they were both seated, Rachel leaned into her brothers embrace and closed her eyes again trying her hardest to fight the tears which threatened to begin to roll down her cheeks. She could feel Ryan's soothing hand on her back, running up and down lightly as a comforting gesture.

Only moments later, and just as Rachel had almost calmed down Seth came running out into the backyard, presumably being told by Marissa why she had made such a quick exit when she had gone to see Ryan.

He came to a fast stop at the glass door when he hesitated. Something in Seth's eyes made Ryan believe that he was having second thoughts about entering and going to Rachel's aid. He knew that, although Rachel loved him, he would always come second best when it came to the people that she went to for help.

Seth went to knock on the door but stopped his hand a mere inch from the glass. He let his palm come to rest on the glass silently before turning and walking back toward the house.

Once he was gone Ryan looked back down at his sister and realised that she had fallen asleep in his arms. He smiled slightly before lifting her easily and placing her at the head of the bed. Pulling the blanket over her Ryan looked down at the girl sleeping so soundly, placed a light kiss on her forehead and left the room.

TO BE CONTINUED………

(There you go. Mystery solved. Just letting you know part of the reason why it takes me so long to update is because I am looking for good songs to put in each chapter. If you guys have any fave songs or artists that you think would be good, let me know!!! Next chapter quite a lot of the main plots will come into play. School starts again. Relationships begin to take turns and as for Ryan and Marissa, become much more serious. Seth reveals something to Rachel that he never thought he would. Please Review. Will post ASAP)

Kitotterkat: Ok you just had me totally convinced that I was going crazy for a moment. You reviewed chapter 1 so I put the comment in chapter 2…lol…all is well in the world again. Thank you so much for your compliments. I don't know if you know it when you write them but they are so encouraging and I am literally sitting here with a huge smile on my face as I write this. Which is a good thing cos only moments ago I was bawling my eyes out in the cinema watching Finding Neverland. It's amazing – and kinda scary – just how much you are getting the characters. I honestly never even thought that I could get half of this stuff across in the story.I mean, just simply the fact that even though you are completely different to Rachel but you can still totally relate to her is awesome. And like I said, I think in the first chapter AN, this story will not only single out Rachel in the ways that you're used too. I think, that these stories are seen a lot through her eyes and how she deals with life and the people around her, and this story will be like that only…different. If that made any sense at all please let me know. Thanks again. I hope to keep up the apparently 'good' writing. Cya

Leentje: I'm glad that you liked this chapter because I can honestly tell you that I was not entirely happy with the way that I wrote it. It's amazing how much people hate surprises. I totally agree that Sandy and Kirsten are a great couple. I would love them as parents, but we all go through stages. Things aren't always going to be perfect for them. They're only human.

SparkiMonkey: Again with the thank you's. LOL.It's cool that you like Hailey. I kinda went through stages with her. Like one minute I liked her and then I just got sick of her. But I loved that scene in the pool house when she first meets Ryan so in the next chapter I am going to adapt that theme to fit with the story. I had too. Keep the reviews coming!!!

vballrockshick: Thanks. I luv that you luv the story and i hope the i keep writing things that you enjoy