Episode #11: The Baby Bombshells

The first scene begins in Ryan, Marissa, Seth, and Summer's apartment. It is evening, they've already eaten dinner, and now they are all relaxing together in the living room, each entertaining themselves in their own unique ways. Summer is giving herself a manicure, painting her nails in deep concentration. Seth is glued to the TV as he plays the Playstation by himself. Ryan and Marissa are "studying" together on the over-stuffed chair behind one of his rather large textbooks, and every so often noises come from them, sometimes giggles from her, sometimes guttural laughs from him, and sometimes slight, almost inaudible moans from both of them. No one says a word, as they are all lost in their own worlds, but the phone ringing breaks the calm.

Seth: Summer, are you going to get that?

Summer: Can't nails are wet.

Seth: Ryan? (There is no response, but Seth does not turn away from his game to look behind him before replying.) Hey what happened to Ryan and Marissa? I thought they were sitting behind me studying reproduction. (No one says anything in response to him, and the phone rings again.) Jeeves, come on man, answer the phone, it's your job. (He turns towards Summer, but still can't see Ryan and Marissa.) We really need to fire that butler; he does a terrible job! (She just rolls her eyes and signals towards the phone, but he turns back to the game and does not answer it. Finally annoyed beyond her limit, she stands up and presses the phone on by hitting the speaker button.)

Summer: Dmn it, Cohen; if my nails are screwed up now, I'm going to remove all your nails with a pair of pliers!

Sandy: Hello there Summer; lovely to speak with you two.

Summer: Oh hey Sandy.

Sandy: I take it from your outburst and the amount of time it took you to answer the phone that you're all a little busy right now.

Summer: Ah, not really. I was painting my nails and didn't want to mess them up, but Cohen was being a lazy ass and wouldn't put the Playstation controllers down to pick up the phone!

Sandy: Where are Ryan and Marissa?

Seth: (He has now turned around and has caught them.) Sucking face behind one of Ryan's text books trying to make it look like they're studying.

Sandy: (He laughs before replying.) Well I won't keep you from your busy lives too long, but I wanted to inform you about the Seder dinner this year.

Seth: What more take out and movies like our usual holiday celebrations.

Sandy: Afraid not, we're having a special guest.

Summer: Awww, is the Nana coming again?

Sandy: And give the lady a prize.

Seth: Does Mom know yet?

Sandy: I just told her.

Ryan: And how's she taking the news?

Sandy: Well I see someone decided to come up for air. (Ryan and Marissa blush slightly while Seth and Summer snicker.) She took it pretty well, but I have a feeling she has something up her sleeve.

Seth: Ah, I think they call those arms, Dad.

Summer: Can it, Cohen; no one wants to listen to your lame stand up comic routine! So, what's Kirsten up to?

Sandy: Ugh, she won't tell me, but she did want me to ask you, Marissa, if you would help the Nana cook the dinner for us.

Marissa: Sure, I'd love to.

Seth: Wow, two good cooks in the same kitchen making one delicious meal for me; one of my wishes has just been granted.

Summer: High expectations you have there Cohen!

Sandy: So, when should we expect you kids to roll in tomorrow night?

Summer: Early evening. Marissa has to work and Seth and I are busy all day. (Ryan clears his throat trying to remind her that he has a say in this, too.) Oh, and you know Chino; he's got classes.

Sandy: Great! So we'll have dinner together tomorrow night after you arrive, Thursday will be the Seder, and the rest of the long weekend…

Seth: We'll be sleeping in and you'll be entertaining the Nana on your own. (Sandy laughs.)

Sandy: Fair enough. See you kids tomorrow. (All four of them speak at the same time but say something different.)

Seth: Hang up now; I have an important game to finish.

Summer: Bye Sandy!

Ryan: Say hi to Kirsten for us.

Marissa: And Zoe, too!

Sandy: (He laughs once again.) Alright, I got all of that. (He hangs up the phone, and the four friends go back to what they were doing before, but Ryan and Marissa don't even bother with the text book this time. Summer examines her nails and finds them satisfactory, Seth resumes his game, but they both quickly stop what they are doing and just stare at Ryan and Marissa who are very quickly turning their sweet, innocent make out session into serious foreplay. As his hand reaches up her shirt, Summer jumps up and flips out, unable to take their display any longer.)

Summer: That's it! I don't care if you two technically pay for half of this apartment or not; we're making some new rules around here. First of all, the only action this living room or kitchen for that matter, are going to see is a peck on the cheek or some innocent hand holding. No make out sessions, no groping, and definitely no sex out here! (Ryan and Marissa continue to ignore her and just keep doing what they want, which just infuriates Summer even more. Seth puts his game controller down after pausing it, and spins around to watch the show his fiancée is about to put on. She stomps over to Ryan and Marissa and grabs him by the ear, attempting to pull him away from Marissa. It works, but he sends her an extremely mean glare.) Oh, and second of all, if you want to do this, you have a room, so take it there, lock the door, and keep your voices down! The whole floor does not need to hear every moan and groan, let alone Cohen and I! (Marissa is becoming angry, which Ryan sees, so instead of letting them fight and say things they would both regret in the morning, he simply helps her stand up, takes her hand in his, and leads her into their room. As she walks away, she glares at Summer, and once they're inside, she slams the door shut.)

Seth: Summer?

Summer: What! (She whirls around to face him, hands on hips and with an angry expression on her face.)

Seth: Uh, nothing. Enjoy your evening. I'm just…going…to…go…to…bed. (With each word he says, he scoots further and further out of the room until he reaches their room and shuts the door behind him gently. Summer sits back down on the couch, picks up the remote, turns on the TV, flips around until she finds an episode of The Valley, settles back into the couch, and then proceeds to paint her toe nails as she watches.)

Summer: (She laughs to herself.) Worked like a charm! Nothing like a little rage blackout to clear the room in time to watch TheValley! (The camera fades away from her and goes black.)

Credits and Commercial Break

The second scene opens early the next day in the morning. Summer and Seth are lying in bed, both asleep, but when their alarm goes off, she jumps up immediately, and in the same motions, shuts off the alarm and grabs her pillow and smacks Seth over the head with it a couple of times, pretty violently, to wake him up. He rolls off the bed, and then slowly climbs up to his knees and he leans his elbows against the bed and rests his head on his hands, barely opening his eyes and obviously not functioning very well. By the time he does this, though, Summer is out of bed and prancing around the room, putting her robe on and picking out her outfit for the day from inside of their closet.

Seth: Morning to you, too, Summer! I'm glad we're going to the hospital today for your doctor's appointment, because we need to make a pit stop at the neurologist's to make sure that I don't have bleeding on the brain after your little wake up call, and, oh, maybe we should also stop by the mental ward and see if they couldn't prescribe something to help you with those mood swings and rage blackouts, because between last night and this morning, I don't know how much more of this I can take before I loose my marbles!

Summer: (Still inside the closet.) Cohen, you're such a sissy! You're not hurt, so just lay off the hypochondriac routine this morning, and as for my rage blackouts and mood swings, did you ever think that they are purposely enacted to get what I want?

Seth: Wow, slow down, you're using too big of words for this early in the morning.

Summer: Cohen, it's 9:00, and you need to get a move on it if we want to make my doctor's appointment by noon. I know how long it takes you to get ready, what with combing that Jew-fro of yours and deciding what to wear, so get your ass in gear!

Seth: I'm just going to go and see what Marissa left me for breakfast. (He starts to glide out the door, but she emerges from the closet with her clothes, throws them on the bed quickly, and runs over and stops him before he can leave by slamming the door shut again.)

Summer: Uh-huh, I don't think so! You only get to eat if you're dressed and ready to go early enough, which means you have to be in and out of the bathroom in an hour, giving you thirty minutes to eat. If you don't follow those simple instructions, you'll just have to wait for lunch, and you only get that if you behave at the doctor's office.

Seth: But Summer, you know what happens to me when I get low blood sugar.

Summer: Yeah you pass out like the dandy you are, but it doesn't matter, because we'll be at a hospital, and if you pass out, I'll get an orderly to put you in a wheel chair and push you around like the geriatrics you look up to so much!

Seth: Fine, I'll be in the shower. (He walks through the door but quickly pops his head back in the room to speak to her again.) Oh, and could you pick out my outfit for me; it'll save me time that way, thanks. (He leaves this time for good, and Summer goes back into the closet with a smirk on her face as she has won that battle. The camera leaves her and goes to the Cohen kitchen. Sandy is already there, eating his traditional bagel with cream cheese and drinking a cup of coffee while reading the paper, and Kirsten walks in dressed and ready for what the day brings her.)

Kirsten: You're still here?

Sandy: Late court case, and I needed to talk to you before I left.

Kirsten: Alright, what's up?

Sandy: You're not going to like it.

Kirsten: That seems to be a recurrent theme these days with our conversations. Just say whatever you have to say and let's get it over with.

Sandy: Well actually it's not something I have to tell you more like something I need to ask you, a favor.

Kirsten: Okay. What is it? (She goes and pours herself a cup of coffee and slowly drinks it while she packs her purse on the counter with various things such as her keys, cell phone, blackberry, day planner, and other such things as Sandy talks.)

Sandy: Well as you know, Seder is coming up, and my Mother has decided to come to town this year to celebrate this great holiday with us.

Kirsten: You're laying it on a little thick there Sandy. If you don't tone it down a few notches, you're going to make me think it's something as serious as donating a kidney to the Nana or something along those lines.

Sandy: Oh no, nothing that involves surgery; in fact, some people might call the favor I'm about to ask you a joy.

Kirsten: If it has something to do with your Mother, I'm not sure how it could be joyous, but I have my secret weapon this year to distract her, Marissa.

Sandy: Honey you know that's not exactly nice. Marissa's the newest member of the family and you're going to dump the Nana on her within three months of knowing us.

Kirsten: She's a big girl, and besides, they have things in common.

Sandy: What that they both can cook and they're from the east coast?

Kirsten: Yes. Oh, and I think she's a liberal, too.

Sandy: That I can guarantee.

Kirsten: See so while they cook together, they can complain about the state of the government.

Sandy: Just the way I would want to spend my holiday weekend!

Kirsten: You're avoiding the topic Sandy. What is this favor?

Sandy: The Nana's plane arrives today at 3:00.

Kirsten: So she told us last night about a dozen times, and you'll pick her up on your way home.

Sandy: But, I have a late court time, remember? That's why I am able to spend this glorious morning with my beautiful wife, sipping coffee, eating bagels, and catching up on each other's lives.

Kirsten: We're not catching up right now Sandy, you're about to ask me a favor which I am not about to do.

Sandy: Why not?

Kirsten: Because she's your Mother, and because she hates me!

Sandy: She doesn't hate you. (Kirsten turns around, her bag packed and on her shoulder, and stares Sandy down.) You might not be her favorite person, but, honey, hate is strong word.

Kirsten: One, which if I remember correctly she used quite often in one of her tirades the last time she was here.

Sandy: I don't have the foggiest recollection of what that was. (He buries his head in the newspaper trying to avoid making eye contact with her, but she pulls it down and glares at him.)

Kirsten: It went something along the lines of that she hated the sunshine, she hated the ocean, she hated California, and she hated Schwarzenegger.

Sandy: Don't we all?

Kirsten: Sandy! I am not picking your Mother up from the airport. You know as well as I do that the two of us trapped in a car together can only result in injury, pain, and eventually death.

Sandy: (He laughs.) And now I see where Seth and Zoe both get their flare for the dramatic. I think you're exaggerating the animosity my Mother feels for you a little bit. Besides, the last time she was here, I thought you two got past some of your issues?

Kirsten: She thought she was dying of cancer; what did you expect. Our petty differences didn't seem as important then, but she's in remission and I know those differences are going to rear their ugly head again as soon as she sees me.

Sandy: Maybe the ride from the hospital will give you two a chance to discuss your so called differences, work through them, and find a common ground.

Kirsten: Yeah and it snows all the time in Southern California. Dream on, Sandy, it's never going to happen. There are only two ways your Mother and I will ever get along. One, if she developed an alternative personality who suddenly was Christian, conservative, and from an affluent family. The other is if she would go senile and lose her mind so that she wouldn't be able to remember who I was. (Sandy laughs at her.)

Sandy: Great, so you'll pick her up. Why don't you take Zoe as your buffer? I'm sure my Mom will take it easy on you if Zoe is in the backseat. Hell, she might even just talk to her the whole time and ignore you.

Kirsten: Yeah, my luck Zoe will fall asleep and she'll leave me all on my own.

Sandy: You could always pump her up full of sugar to ensure that she won't fall asleep.

Kirsten: Oh yeah, that would impress the Nana. She'd probably turn me into child services for trying to turn my daughter into a diabetic. (They both laugh together this time as he stands up and grabs his briefcase and she walks with him towards the door.)

Sandy: Please honey, can you pick up my Mother from the airport. If you do this for me, I will owe you big, okay?

Kirsten: Oh this is beyond big Sandy; this is dream vacation, amazing piece of jewelry big!

Sandy: (He laughs.) I'll see what I can do. (He opens the door and walks out, but before he shuts it, he speaks one last time.) Thanks. (She makes a rather ungracious face at him before quietly shutting the door. As soon as it closes, she starts walking up the stairs talking the entire time.)

Kirsten: Zoe. Zoe, baby, time to get up. You have to run errands with Mommy today, and then we're going to go pick up the Nana. (As she rounds the corner of the stairs where she can't be seen any longer unless the camera would follow her up, the scene shifts and goes to Caleb. He is quietly sitting in his dining room alone, eating breakfast, and seemingly enjoying his peace and quiet, which is interrupted almost immediately by Julie and her clicking heals as she walks in rather quickly. Without even asking permission, she sits down and begins to make herself a plate of food. He just stares at her in disdain.)

Caleb: What do you think you're doing?

Julie: Eating, and for two now for that matter.

Caleb: I thought we agreed that you would eat your meals in the poolhouse for now until this was all sorted out. You might be pregnant, but like you said yourself, I need to see those paternity test results, and then once I do, I don't know what will happen. There is quite a bit about yourself that you didn't disclose. Most of the secrets I could tolerate even admire, but some of them I can't. Plus, I still don't believe you when you say that running into Lance was a coincidence and you were just speaking with him in attempt to get in touch with some of your family.

Julie: Believe what you want; obviously, I can't change your mind, but it's the truth.

Caleb: I don't think you're capable of telling the truth.

Julie: Cal, are we going to sit here and debate my character all morning or are you going to let me eat in peace and quiet. I am carrying your child, remember, and as an older woman, I don't need any unneeded stress upon this pregnancy.

Caleb: Humph, we'll see about that. Again, though, why are you here? Per our agreement, you could stay here until we learn of the paternity results but you were to remain in the guest house and not step a single foot in the main house.

Julie: Well, like I said I was hungry, and I didn't have what I wanted to eat down there, so I came up here. You know, cravings.

Caleb: Is there anything else?

Julie: Oh, (With food in her mouth, she speaks while she chews. He grimaces at her horrible manners, and the impression is given that she is doing this to annoy him on purpose, perhaps to get rid of him.) just the paternity test.

Caleb: And?

Julie: And it's this afternoon. Our appointment is at 2:30. You are driving us are you not?

Caleb: I suppose.

Julie: Good, so I'll meet you out front at 2:00.

Caleb: Can't wait. (With that sarcastic comment, he roughly pushes his chair back and stands up, throwing his napkin on the table, and stalks out angry that she interrupted his meal. Julie smirks, moves into his chair which is at the head of the table, puts her plate in her lap and her feet on the table, and sits back to continue eating, the smirk never leaving her face. The camera leaves her and goes back to the apartment where Seth is happily eating at the table and Summer is quickly walking in and out of the main living room as she goes back and forth to their bedroom to get things she remembers. Finally satisfied that she's ready to go, she turns to Seth.)

Summer: Cohen, let's go. I can't believe you're still eating!

Seth: Hey, you threatened not to feed me lunch, so I had to make sure that I had enough in me to last a few hours until we get back here.

Summer: Whatever. Let's go.

Seth: What about my dishes?

Summer: Maid Chino will get them. (Seth laughs.)

Seth: Seriously, what are we going to do when we don't live with them any longer? Think about it. They do the laundry, cook dinner, and clean.

Summer: Well we'll all just have to get a house together after we graduate. Can't you just picture it?

Seth: Hey, that's not a bad idea.

Summer: I know. (They are now by the door, having opened it, and have walked out with Summer locking it behind her. As they continue to talk, they make their way to the elevator, get in, and go down.)

Seth: Do you think they'll go for it? I mean, what do they get out of the deal?

Summer: Ah, besides only having to pay half a house payment, they get us.

Seth: We are pretty great.

Summer: And entertaining. Think of how boring their lives would be if we weren't in them. We're the only things standing between them becoming shut-ins. They'd never go out if it weren't for us. Hell, I'm not even sure they'd leave their room or come up for air if we weren't there to drag them out of bed.

Seth: I guess you're right…

Summer: Of course I'm right; I'm always right.

Seth: Yes, you are. Boy, now that I think about it, their lives would be so dull without us. For all we do for them, they owe us the cleaning services!

Summer: I know! (The elevator doors have opened, and they walk out of the lobby to the parking lot where they eventually reach Summer's car.) Hey Cohen?

Seth: What?

Summer: Do you remember that car that I kept seeing back before the break in?

Seth: Yeah, why? Please don't tell me you want to trade in the Mercedes and find yourself one of those…whatever it was.

Summer: Can you ever think rationally and put your joking aside?

Seth: You love my joking; it's what drew you to me!

Summer: Nope.

Seth: Whatever, keep telling yourself that, but you and I Summer, with my sarcasm and humor and your rage and blunt comments, we're a perfect comedic pair.

Summer: Focus, Cohen!

Seth: Right, gotcha, ugly beater of a car, you noticing it parked across from our parking lot every day and were creeped out about it, I'm tracking.

Summer: Good. Now, do you think that they were in the car?

Seth: Who? Bert and Ernie? Burt and Lana? Peter Parker and Mary Jane? Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia?

Summer: Aw, Cohen, was that your first Golden Girls reference? (By now they have gotten to the car and have gotten in, but Summer does not start it while they continue their discussion.)

Seth: Oh my God! What have you done to me?

Summer: I've taught you what good taste is, and for that, I think a treat is in order.

Seth: What?

Summer: After our appointment we should stop somewhere and buy every season of the Golden Girls on DVD and have a marathon this weekend at your parents'.

Seth: Aunt Hailey won't be there; you should wait for her to come home for a visit, (The next part he says under his breath) which I now hope will never happen, (He's back to his normal voice.) because she loves that show, too.

Summer: I bet the Nana would enjoy watching it, so we'll do it this weekend.

Seth: Why did I ever open my mouth?

Summer: I don't know, because if you wouldn't then you'd suffocate and the whole world would be better off! (She smacks him upside the head.)

Seth: What the hell! What was that for!

Summer: I heard what you said under your breath about not wanting Hailey to come back!

Seth: Oh.

Summer: Now back to me.

Seth: What?

Summer: Cohen!
Seth: What!
Summer: The car, my theory….

Seth: Yeah, what about it? Who do you think was in the car?

Summer: Chino's dysfunctional DNA counterparts.

Seth: Ooohhhh!

Summer: Yeah. (She shakes her head enthusiastically as he seems to understand where she is taking this.)

Seth: So you think they were casing the place?

Summer: It would make sense. That car was definitely up to something, I don't care what you say, and it's not like either Trey or Chino's Dad would have the cash to drive a nice car.

Seth: You're going to have to talk to the police about this, you know?

Summer: Well….

Seth: Summer?

Summer: What?

Seth: What is that hot little head of yours contemplating now, another undercover sting operation perhaps?

Summer: I just thought that instead of telling the cops so that they can mess up the case and scare them into hiding, what if we were to look up their license plate on the internet and try to track them down ourselves. Once we find them and it turns out to be Trey and Chino's Dad…what's his name by the way?

Seth: Don't know.

Summer: Anyway, if our suspicions are right, then we call in the police right as we watch them so as to make sure they don't skip town.

Seth: I know that you're into this whole crime fighting, Charlie's Angels thing, but don't you think that this is a little too dangerous even for you. (She starts to protest, but he stops her.) I know we're taking this self defense course, but we're no where near ready to take on two ex-cons. Besides, after everything you've been through these past couple of months, I don't want anything else to happen to you.

Summer: But Cohen….

Seth: No, no buts. We're going to the doctors and then we're going to come home and call the police right away. (As she pouts, he thinks for a moment.) You seriously remember what the license plate said?

Summer: Yeah, don't you?

Seth: No. What, did you memorize it?

Summer: Yeah. So?

Seth: You must have been really paranoid to memorize their license plate. How many times did you read it while they were parked there?

Summer: Ummm, once, I think.

Seth: Once!

Summer: Ah, you know one more than none but one less than twice, once! What's so difficult about this Cohen?

Seth: Is it always so easy for you to memorize things?

Summer: I don't know. I look at something and then I know it. What, aren't you like that?

Seth: NO! Summer, that's called a photographic memory; it's really rare!

Summer: Oh, and I thought it was just how everyone memorized things. Now I get why people always complained about memorizing things in school! (Seth rolls his eyes at her while she starts the car and they pull out of the parking lot.)

Seth: (He's mumbling to himself but she can hear him.) Well at least now we know how you scored so high on your SAT's. You just memorized all the possible questions and then looked up all the answers and memorized them, too. (Because he's staring out the window, he does not see Summer's rage filled face as she reaches over and pinches his ribs as hard as she can.) OW! What the hell!

Summer: Cohen, if you want to avoid bodily injury, you better learn to mumble to yourself, because I hear everything, and I heard what you just said! I can't believe you'd say that! (She hits him over the head now never taking her eyes off the road.) I can't believe (She smacks him again.) that you would accuse me (Another smack.) of cheating on my SAT's! (She smacks him one last time.) Ass! Don't talk to me the rest of the drive to the hospital, understand?

Seth: I can handle the silence! (He scoffs at her, and she laughs, knowing that the silence would drive him insane. After about ten seconds, he starts to wiggle his feet and reaches for the radio, but she slaps his hand away, causing him to pout and turn his head to lean against the window. Summer smiles triumphantly and just continues to drive as she watches to make sure Seth doesn't try anything again. The scene leaves them and goes into a small, dingy office with a metal desk, an office chair behind it, two metal chairs in front of it, and many filing cabinets. Marissa and Ryan are sitting in the guest chairs waiting for someone to appear to speak with them.)

Ryan: Are you sure it's okay that you are missing your classes for this, because if not…. (She puts her finger up to his lips to stop him from talking further.)

Marissa: Quit. It's fine. My professors understood perfectly. It's not like I'm skipping class to sleep in or go shopping; I'm skipping class to meet with the detective who's in charge of the investigation into the break in of our home and attack on me. (At the words attack on me, he winces, which she notices, so she takes his hand in hers and moves her thumbs reassuringly over it.) So, what do you think they wanted to talk to us about?

Ryan: Well, I hope they have a new lead, that maybe they're close to finding them. If not…

Marissa: If not, we're going to do nothing. You're not going off and trying to solve this on your own. (He gives her a puzzled look.) I know all about old school Ryan Atwood, remember Seth and I have been spending more time together lately, and he loves to talk, especially about all your days in high school when you first got here. You're not going to take this into your own hands, because these are my hands now, too, and I don't want them or any other piece of you injured. Besides, you're not going to be doing me any favors if you go off and get your own retribution by putting one of them in a coma or killing them, because then you'd go to jail, and I'd lose you, which is something I don't want to ever happen. (He smiles sheepishly at her.)

Ryan: So no personal vengeance?

Marissa: Not unless it's through the court.

Ryan: But I really don't like cops that well, and…

Marissa: I know, and trust me, I can understand that, but it's your only option now, and Sandy's involved, too. He won't let them let this case slide through the cracks. If it's the last thing he does, he'll make sure they are arrested and tried for what they did to us.

Ryan: What they did to you.

Marissa: No, us, I may have been the one there, but they hurt you just as much as they hurt me. (He looks down to avoid her eye contract as his emotions rage through his eyes, but she doesn't let him remain that way for long as she takes one of her hands out of his and lifts his chin up and over to face her.) It's okay, you don't have to hide your pain from me.

Ryan: It's just something I've never….done before, let someone in and show them what I'm feeling.

Marissa: (She laughs lightly.) Well, I'm not just someone; I'm your girlfriend. (He smiles with her.)

Ryan: You're more than just my girlfriend and you know that. (She leans in closer to him while she speaks.)

Marissa: Yeah, I do. (Then, she kisses him gently, just on the lips, but he doesn't let her move, and as they both smile into each others' mouths, the kiss intensifies. After a moment, she's about to scoot over to sit on his lap when the door opens and the officer clears his throat to let them know that he arrived.)

Officer: Sorry to interrupt, but… (Ryan and Marissa pull apart. Ryan smirks as the officer smiles back and Marissa turns bright red.) I'm glad you found something to occupy your time while I was finishing out there. I hope this meeting wasn't an inconvenience to you two, I know that you're both college students.

Marissa: It's fine, our professors were very understanding.

Ryan: So…

Officer: Why did I have you come in?

Ryan: Yeah.

Officer: Sandy told me about your suspicions that the older man who was with your brother is in fact your biological father. (Ryan nods his head to show that what he said was correct.) So we ran him through our computers, and it fits. He was released from prison a few months ago right before Christmas. Our records show that Trey visited him sporadically while he was in prison, basically in between his own incarcerations, and that he was the one who picked him up when he was released.

Ryan: Why wasn't I notified that he was out?
Officer: He was not in jail for a crime that he committed against you, you had never visited him, and he did not request that you'd be notified, so there was no reason for us to.

Marissa: Have you been able to locate either of them?

Officer: No. We don't think they're in LA though, so we've notified the Chino authorities to keep an eye out for them both and the other surrounding neighborhoods. We don't think that they've gone far, because from the note they left, they want something else and it seems to be a game to them, a mental game that they're playing with you Mr. Atwood.

Ryan: Yeah, I think so, too.

Officer: Do you have any idea what they might want?

Ryan: Knowing those two, probably money. They know that my new family is affluent; perhaps they think that if they threaten me enough, they will offer to pay them to go away.

Officer: (He laughs.) Well, no offense to your relatives,…

Ryan: They're not my family anymore, so it won't bother me what you say.

Officer: They obviously aren't that intelligent and have not done their homework, because if they did, they would find out that Sandy Cohen would never pay them to leave you alone and let them get away with their crimes. (Marissa and Ryan laugh quietly.)

Marissa: So, if you don't mind me asking, what happens next?

Officer: First we want to show you some pictures of Ryan's Father to make sure that our assumption that he was the accomplice is accurate.

Ryan: Please, just call him by his first name. He's not my Father; Sandy's my Dad. (The officer smiles broadly at Ryan.)

Officer: I understand, and Sandy would be proud to hear you say those words.

Marissa: So I take it you know Sandy pretty well?

Officer: I've met him once or twice before he started working for the DA's office, but since this investigation came onto my desk, I've seen more of the man than I do my own wife. (Ryan and Marissa both laugh softly again.) That man is definitely dedicated not only to the law but to his family. He actually comes down here almost every day to eat his lunch with me and the guys. I'm not quite sure he's cut to work in the DA's office; he really doesn't seem to like it, but we'll keep him around as long as we can; he's good for entertainment.

Ryan: Just don't give him a mic, otherwise, he'll push a few desks together to make a stage and serenade you all day with torch songs and show tunes while you're working. (Now it is the cops turn to laugh, but it is not a soft one but loud and booming,)

Officer: Thanks for the warning. But, back to the case, as I said I want you, Miss Cooper, to identify Dan Atwood as the accomplice, and then I want you, Ryan, to help us compile a places to begin looking for them. We've already sent word to all the pawn shops in the area to watch out for your laptop and the necklace they stole being that they are really the only two valuable things that they could try to sell, but we need to know if there is any valuable information on your computer that they could access, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, safe combinations, anything. (Ryan smirks.) What?

Ryan: My parents may have money, but I am not a trust fund child. I pay my own way, Marissa and I both do, and even if I did have that kind of information on my computer, they wouldn't get anything. Besides, they'd never figure out my password.

Officer: You might be surprised.

Ryan: (He laughs.) No, trust me, there is no way Trey or Dan Atwood would ever guess my password.

Officer: Do you mind if I ask what it is, that way if we recover the equipment we'll be able to verify that it is yours?

Ryan: (He looks at Marissa and smiles at her before replying.) It's thesickrose, all lower case with no spaces separating the letters. (The officer looks at them puzzled as if asking why that would ever be his password.) That's Marissa's fault, she's an English major and is attempting to instill an appreciation for literature in me. "The Sick Rose" is a title of a William Blake poem. (The officer still looks confused but decides to drop it.)

Officer: Alright then, let me take note of that, and we'll move on. (After writing for a couple of seconds he looks up.) So, what about their old hang outs, friends, where would they be?

Ryan: I haven't seen Dan since I was a child, and Trey and I never reconnected after he was released from prison. We saw each other once at a club in town but didn't speak at all. My guess is that they'd both go back to Chino. I don't know who Dan was friends with if he had any, but he'd always be in the dive bars, and Trey had two close friends Arturo and Eddie, but I don't know if I ever learned their last names. Oh, and Trey had a girlfriend off and on, Theresa, she was Arturo's sister, but I avoided all four of them as much as possible. As you can tell from my record, hanging out with Trey did not amount to much good.

Officer: Any place else, any one else?

Ryan: What about Dawn, my biological Mother? Have you been in contact with her?

Officer: Can't seem to locate her. It's as if she disappeared off the face of the earth about two years ago. Before that we found records of her in Chino, of course, Reno, and Las Vegas, but after that the trail died.

Ryan: I don't find that too surprising.

Marissa: What about Newport?

Ryan: What?

Officer: Why would you say that?

Marissa: I've just been thinking that if they want something from Ryan, maybe they've been watching us. Obviously they knew that he wouldn't be there when they broke in, because they weren't armed and they would not have wanted to face Ryan. Maybe they know our schedule, where we go, what are lives entail, and since the cops already know to look out for them in LA, maybe they're hiding out in Newport watching us from there.

Officer: I'll call the Newport Police Department as soon as we're finished here today. That makes sense. Are you sure you don't want to be a detective?

Marissa: (She laughs.) Positive, and, in fact, I'm hoping that the job I have now part time turns into a full time position.

Officer: What do you do?

Marissa: I work for FOX television studios in their creative writing department for one of their current shows in development for next fall, but you should talk to Ryan's brother's fiancée, Summer. She really gets into the whole undercover sting, mystery solving thing. In fact, she already has an alias.

Officer: I don't want to know do I?

Marissa: (She laughs again.) No, it's nothing like that; she had to help me and some of your fellow officers set up a professor who was sexually harassing and blackmailing me.

Officer: Boy, sounds like you've had an eventful winter?

Marissa: Yes, but the good has definitely outweighed the bad. (She looks over at Ryan and smiles slightly. The officer notices the look between them and realizes that they have much better things to do than hang out in a police station all day and entertain a bored detective.)

Officer: Come on; let's go get those pictures for you to look at. (He stands up and waits for Ryan and Marissa to stand and head out the door before following them, shutting off the lights, and then shutting his door behind him. The scene fades out.)

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