DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own anything!
Ok, thanks so much for the reviews, all of you! Also, I was reading through some old rumors for the OC before it was cancelled and one of them gave me an idea. The only thing is that if I do that it is going to make this story a lot longer than it already is. Let me know what y'all think. Thanks! Here's the next chapter, let me know what you think about it too. I also set my profile where it will accept unsigned reviews. Thanks!
Everyone was enjoying dinner, complimenting Kirsten several times on how good the food was, delighting Kirsten and annoying Sophie. The dinner was going smoothly until Kirsten had remembered that there was a bottle of Chardonnay in the refrigerator.
"Does anyone want a glass of wine?" Kirsten asked as she entered the dinning room with the wine and a corkscrew. Everyone but the kids looked at her, a shocked expression on their faces.
"Honey, do you really think that wine is appropriate?" Sandy asked, quickly getting up from the table.
"Yes Kirsten, I thought you were a recovering drunk!?" Sophie said dryly as she sipped her water.
"Ma!" Sandy scolded. Sophie held up her hands in defeat and turned her attention back to her food. Sandy then looked at Kirsten, a concerned look on his face.
"Kiki, if it's too much to h…." Julie began but Kirsten held her hand up to stop her.
"I meant for you guys! The kids and I are going to have Apple Juice!" Kirsten said, pointing over to the buffet where there was an already opened bottle of Juicy Juice. Everyone let out a sigh of relief and nodded resumed their seats.
"Mommy, I don't want appa juice, I want wine!" Sophie said as Kirsten sat down beside her and began pouring apple juice into her sippy cup.
"Oh great, now my granddaughter is a wino!" Sophie said rolling her eyes. Sandy shot Sophie a glare but Kirsten ignored her, determined to remain civil.
"Sophie, sweetie, you're too young for wine. You, Blake, and I are going to have Apple Juice, all right?" Kirsten asked, smiling at her little girl.
"Ok!" Sophie said, dramatically rolling her eyes and letting out a long sigh. Everyone giggled at the little girl's antics, she was obviously Seth's little sister.
While Kirsten poured herself and Blake apple juice everyone passed around the wine bottle. Taylor kept watching as the bottle was handed from Seth to Summer, then from Summer to Ryan. When Ryan had finished pouring himself a small amount, not caring for wine too much, he turned to Taylor, causing her to bounce.
"Hey, you ok?" Ryan asked, a bit worried at how oddly Taylor had been acting since they had arrived.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine!" Taylor smiled and turned her attention quickly to her plate.
"Well, do you want some wine?" Ryan asked as he held the bottle over her glass.
"Oh, no thank you! I prefer to celebrate the holidays alcohol free!" Taylor smiled and quickly popped a piece of bread into her mouth.
"Ok!" Ryan said skeptically as he handed the bottle to Sandy. Sandy smiled at Ryan, unsure of what was going on with Taylor.
"My my Taylor, you won't drink a small glass of wine and you're actually eating. That is a big difference from my son's wife and Ryan's last girlfriend!" Sophie said as she passed the wine bottle to Kaitlin. Everyone stopped what they were doing, the room filling with an awkward silence. Kirsten saw the stricken look wash over Julie's face and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Julie looked up at Kirsten and nodded as Kirsten apologized with her eyes.
"Ma, do…." Sandy began but was quickly cut off.
"Sandy, please let me!" Taylor said as she stood to her feet.
"Do you have something to say to me young lady?" Sophie asked as she placed down her fork.
"Yes, yes I do!" Taylor said, trying to keep her nerves under control.
"Uh, Taylor, don't take on The Nana!" Seth warned his sister-in-law, knowing once someone stood up to Sophie Cohen they would never see a moment's peace ever again.
"No, Seth, I need to say this. Mrs. Cohen, you have been terrible to everyone since you arrived. Poor Sandy, your own son who you never see is trying to make an effort to make you feel like part of the family when all you do is act worse than his two-year-old daughter. You've ignored both of grandson's and your granddaughter doesn't even know you. Then you treat poor Kirsten, the sweetest person I've ever met, and best mother in the world, like she is some terrible money grabbing, Newpsie whore! You've insulted Julie because she is a victim of domestic violence and you treat Summer and I like we don't exist. Then, in the presence of her mother and sister, and of Ryan, someone who truly loved her, you criticize Marissa. It's no secret that we had our differences but we became friends and I've seen what her death has done to my husband and her family. So how dare you judge anyone when you are just as bad, if not worse than anyone else sitting at this table? Do you even care?" Taylor immediately shut up when and sat down when she realized that she had just blabbed out all of her feelings toward Sophie, a woman she had not met until that day. "Oh My God!" Taylor said quietly, feeling stupid and humiliated. Ryan placed a reassuring arm around her shoulders. Everyone turned their attention from Taylor to Sophie as she now stood.
"Well, I'll have to say you have more of a backbone than my daughter-in-law but you shouldn't judge people that you don't know. It's true that I have been ignoring you because I think Ryan has made another mistake when it comes to women. Even though I haven't seen you drink yourself into a stupor yet doesn't mean that you don't have it in you. You are a spoiled, trust fund Californian girl who is used to having everything handed to her, just like Marissa was and we see where that got her and Ryan. I just don't want to see my grandson make another mistake. Speaking of Marissa, don't you feel threatened knowing that if she was still alive that Ryan would have never come near you. He would still be trying to play the role of knight in shinning armor to her damsel in distress. So Taylor, I guess the question here is do you really think your marriage will survive when he meets another damsel in distress? I mean when you think about it there was Teresa, his childhood sweetheart who he left Marissa for because she was pregnant with his child, so do you think if she ever pops back up, where do you think that will leave you? If he could leave Marissa, the person he supposedly loved more than anyone else don't you think he'll leave you? Then there was Lindsey, Kirsten's illegitimate sister who was also in distress an….."
"SHUT UP!" Julie screamed as she quickly unbuckled Blake from his booster seat and carried him off down the hall.
"Crap!" Kaitlin said, as she quickly stood up and headed after her mother. "Mom, wait!" Kaitlin called after her. Everyone then turned their attention back to the table.
"Well, I see that California girls can't take the truth. I'm shocked Taylor, I would really expect you to be running now. I mean aren't you the one that is mentally unstable, or as Ryan described you, too clingy and needy in a creepy stalker way?" Sophie asked, undeterred from Julie's sudden outburst.
"Ryan, you said that about me?" Taylor asked, hurt flashing through her eyes as she turned to Ryan.
"Well, uh…." Ryan began but Taylor quickly took off in the direction of the guest room, tears streaming down her face by the time she had exited the dinning room. Ryan quickly ran after her, leaving the few remaining people sitting in the dinning room, the tension building.
"Seth, Summer, would you mind giving Sophie her bath?" Kirsten asked, turning to her son and his girlfriend.
"Sure Mrs. C!" Summer said as she stood up and walked over to Sophie. "Do you wanna play Mermaid?" Summer asked, hoping the little girl would go for the quick, made up game.
"Yeah!" Sophie said quietly as she reached up for Summer, frightened by what had transpired right in front of her.
"Hey Soph, c'mon, we'll get Captain Oats!" Seth said as he unbuckled her and they headed into the kitchen to retrieve the horse that still sat on the dish towel drying. Once Seth and Summer had carried Sophie out of sight and the bathroom door was heard closing Sandy quickly jumped to his feet.
"Ma, what the hell were you thinking? Attacking Kirsten, Taylor, and Marissa? For God's sake Ma, she's dead and you say such hurtful things in front of her mother and sister and Ryan? And what the hell was that all about, bringing up Teresa and Lindsey? How dare you?" Sandy spat, his temper uncontrollable. Sophie continued to stand behind her chair, her expression unchanging.
"Sandy, I'm not going to defend myself to you. I'm also not going to stand by and watch as my family makes more mistakes than they already have!" Sophie answered calmly. Sandy stood there a moment, shocked at his mother's total lack of sympathy and how cold hearted she had sounded at the moment.
"I…I don't know what to say to you! It's just like y…."
"Sandy, stop!" Kirsten said, standing to her feet.
"Oh, are you going to scold me now too?" Sophie smirked.
"No, I'm not scolding you because you aren't a child. You are an old woman who is all by herself who decides to come 'visit' her family only to spend her entire time insulting everyone and everything. Sophie, if your life was so great you would not feel the need to dissect your son's family and tear them all to shreds. You don't know Seth, or Summer, Ryan, Taylor, Julie, you didn't know Marissa , you don't know, and you certainly don't know Sandy or Sophie! You say you want to have stronger family ties than why don't you try and be kind to your family. I might have loved my Chardonnay but at least my children know who I am and I don't hurt a woman who was attacked by the father of child earlier today by bringing up her dead daughter!" Sandy had only seen Kirsten look and sound that way once before, the day before Caleb had died when he had came to the house to check on her after her accident. Sandy had been standing around the corner that day, waiting to intervene if Caleb began to upset Kirsten but instead Caleb had been the one that left that day upset. Sophie crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at Kirsten for a moment.
"No Kirsten, you're a different kind of woman. You're the kind of woman like Taylor is and Marissa would have been if she had lived. You are a spoiled princess who has always relied on someone else to care for her and who is so weak that she would allow alcohol to take over her life. Separating herself from her children and her husband. A woman who is so self centered that she was drunk at her own father's funeral!"
"Ma, that is enough! You will not speak to her like that and you will not bring up her past that is none of your business! You weren't here, you didn't see what happened when Kirsten entered rehab or when her father died. You have no right bringing up any of this. Kirsten's right, you didn't know Marissa, you don't know Taylor, or Kirsten. To tell the truth, you don't know any of us and you've never wanted to. If you really wanted to get close to your family you wouldn't have ruined tonight. Your grandson's favorite holiday and your Granddaughter's first holiday with her Grandmother!" Sandy was enraged at his mother.
"Fine Sandy, if I'm such a bother I will gladly leave!" Sophie hissed and stormed out of the dinning room. Kirsten walked over to Sandy and pulled him into a warm hug.
"I'm sorry about all of this. I know you wanted to get to know your Mom better!" Kirsten said as she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Oh honey, I'm just so sorry that she's being so cruel to you and Julie, and Taylor. God, I'm so sorry!" Sandy said as he held Kirsten at arm length.
"Sandy, we've been married for nearly twenty-five years, I'm used to that woman!" Kirsten smiled as she rapped her arms around Sandy's neck and kissed him. Sandy smiled when she pulled away from the kiss, always amazed that Kirsten could take his mind off of anything. "Oh God, poor Taylor!" Kirsten said, suddenly realizing how badly Taylor must be feeling at the moment.
"Yeah, she was pretty upset but Ryan'll take care of her!" Sandy said, kissing Kirsten's temple. Kirsten nodded and leaned against his chest.
"I better go check on Julie!" Kirsten said, pulling away from Sandy.
"Ok, I'll go talk to my mother!" Sandy said, wanting to do anything but that. Kirsten smiled at him and went to find Julie.
"Hey, Taylor, please open the door!" Ryan said as he stood in the hall, knocking on the door. Taylor had locked him out of the room and for the past five minutes he had been standing in the hall, begging for her to open the door. He wished that it was as easy to convince Taylor to come out of a locked room as it was Kirsten.
"Ryan, go away. It's obvious that this is just adding to your belief that I am 'too clingy and needy in a creepy stalker way'!" Taylor growled from the other side of the door.
"Taylor, c'mon, I said that right after I met you. You and Marissa were still at odds and you were after Seth. If you remember, you were the one that got me kicked out of Harbour so I think if I could forgive you for that you could forgive me for one stupid comment!" Ryan instantly regretted what he had just said.
"Oh My God, how can you bring that up? I've apologized a million times for being such a bitch to you and Marissa. I've apologized a million times for hooking up with Dean Hess and ratting you and Marissa out to him. I'm sorry that you still think of me, your wife, as Dean Hess's sloppy seconds!" Taylor yelled through the door. Ryan leaned against the door, exasperated with Taylor.
"Taylor, I do not think of you as Dean Hess's sloppy seconds. For the record, Seth is the one that said that. All you have to do is watch that video he made of your birthday party a couple of years ago and you will see he said it, not me! Taylor, please open this door!" Ryan pleaded.
"No!" Taylor hissed.
"Taylor, c'mon! What is goin' on with you? First you're all weepy when we started packing to come here because Flapjacks was going to be reunited with Pancakes, then you totally freak out when Sophie got bit, and now you are acting so irrational. God, you're acting worst than Kirsten did when she was pregnant!" Ryan said, trying to understand his wife. Just as he finished speaking he heard something fall inside the bedroom. "Taylor, are you ok?" Ryan asked, jiggling the door knob. "Taylor?" Ryan called again.
"I'm fine!" Taylor said as she opened the door. "I just dropped the suitcase!" Taylor tried to avoid Ryan's eyes.
"Hey, Taylor, what's wrong? Please tell me!" Ryan said, taking her hands in his. Ryan tried to look her straight in the eyes but she kept her head down low enough her bangs were covering her eyes. "Taylor, please, what is it?" Ryan asked as he lifted her chin so their eyes met.
"Oh God Ryan, I don't know why this is so hard to tell you but I'm just so afraid that you're gonna leave me! And I can't handle that. I can't be the reason that our marriage failed and be the reason that we are both unhappy and be the reason that our c…." Taylor immediately stopped, realizing that she had almost spilled the beans.
"Taylor, I don't know what you're rambling about but please tell me. I promise you I would never leave you, I love you!" Ryan said and pulled her into a hug. Taylor sighed and rested her head on Ryan's chest. "C'mon Taylor, tell me!" Ryan said, trailing kisses up and down her neck.
"Ryan, are you trying to seduce me into telling you?" Taylor smiled. Ryan held her at arms length and gave her a mischievous smile. He then began kissing her again, this time more passionately. "Ryan, this is the reason we need to talk!" Taylor said as Ryan pushed her up against the wall.
"What?" Ryan asked, unsure of what she was talking about. Taylor bit her bottom lip and took his hand, leading him into the bedroom. She closed the door behind her and sat down on the bed beside of Ryan.
"Ryan, a couple of days ago, when I told you I was going Chrismukkah shopping, I lied. I actually went to the doctor and she told me I'm eight weeks pregnant!" Taylor waited for Ryan's reaction, expecting the worst.
"Oh My God!" Ryan smiled as he pulled Taylor into a hug. Taylor sighed as relief washed over her.
"That is a good 'Oh My God', right?" Taylor asked, fear creeping back into her mind.
"Of course it is! Why didn't you tell me when you found out?" Ryan asked, giving her a quick kiss.
"Well, I didn't know how you would take the news and I wanted us to at least spend our first Chrismukkah married happily!" Taylor explained, knowing that it all sounded insane.
"Why wouldn't I be happy? This is great. This is the best Chrismukkah present ever!" Ryan smiled and kissed her again.
"Ryan, stop!" Taylor said, pulling away.
"Why?" Ryan asked, shocked that Taylor was refusing him, a very rare event.
"Aren't you worried about how we're gonna do this? I mean c'mon, we're full time college students. You only have a part time job and I don't even work, and I mean c'mon, how are we gonna support this kid? Are we gonna live off of our parents until we find jobs of our own? And if we do what kind of message is that going to send to our baby. And speaking of the baby, what kind of parents are we gonna be? I mean, you'll be a great Dad, I know that you will. But me, I can't even watch Sophie for two minutes until she gets hurt. What am I gonna do with a baby, a baby that is mine that I will have all the time. What if I drop it or forget to feed it or what if I don't love it? What if it doesn't love me? Oh My God, what if it's like my Mom? I couldn't handle having a child that's Veronica Townsend Junior! What is my Mom going to say? What if she refuses to have anything to do with this baby or me or w…." Taylor babbled but was quickly quieted as Ryan kissed. Taylor wrapped her arms around Ryan's neck as her worries melted away.
"Taylor," Ryan began as they broke away from the kiss. "We are going to be fine. We only have one and one half semester's left. I don't like the idea, but you have a trust fund that we can use and with the money I make at the restaurant we will be fine. And you will be a great mom. You've always been great with Sophie and Blake. I mean think about all those times we've kept them both over night and how great you've been with them. Taylor, you are a caring, warm person who will give our kid so much love, and as neurotic as you are, I don't think you will forget to feed the baby or that you'll drop it. I promise you that everything is going to be great!" Ryan said as he held her closely to him. Taylor smiled and sighed as she rested her head against Ryan's chest, thankful that he was so happy about their baby.