Title: Heist.Author: cheekymice.
Rating: This chapter is T-M.
Beta: mel39. Hugs and snogs Melly, as always
Disclaimer: I don't own The OC, Ryan or Benjamin McKenzie.
Story: As requested Hero! In peril Ryan! Yeay!!! All in the title really. Set post finale.
Notes: I hope you like and thanks for all you wonderful people who are still reading and reviewing.

Heist 15

Chapter 15

Seth was busy with Kirsten surfing the net. Now it was his job to make sure this end of things worked out. Sandy parked the car. He just hoped this would work.

It had taken a mini-Newpsie to shake them into action. And boy had she shaken them.

Taylor Townsend was a veritable whirlwind of frenetic energy and quite frankly she scared the hell out of him. One look at Seth's sleepy face and his wife's bemused one this morning it was clear to Sandy that she had the same effect on them. It could be easy to listen to her high -energy rambling and dismiss her as a neurotic flake but if you mentally pressed slow-mo and actually listened to what she said she had insight and maturity that was far beyond her years.

It was embarrassing that it had taken an eighteen year old girl to show them how wrong they were in handling Ryan as they had…a girl who Sandy would have said didn't know Ryan like they did. But maybe that was the problem. They thought they knew Ryan but did they really? They'd spent many days and nights talking over Ryan's problems but they had always stalled at what was truly best for him. He really was the most complex person. It was obvious that Taylor listened to what Ryan was saying but she also listened to what Ryan was not saying and maybe she'd cracked the code where they'd failed to.

They had been so focused on the physical side effects of Ryan's incarceration that they had neglected to think about the possible psychological ones. He'd felt so stupid when Taylor had impassionedly pleaded with them to do something about Ryan's fear of being in the dark before it consumed him. Sandy had looked at Kirsten and seen the same look that was probably showing on his face…abject dismay that they had not picked up on it before. Realization had dawned on Seth's face as well. The clues had been there but they'd been too stupid to see. The fact that they'd found Ryan asleep in Seth's room, subconsciously seeking help but getting none, had been an event so out of character it was glaring in its obviousness now that it had been spelt out for them. It was horrific to think that Ryan had been trying to deal with that on his own. Sandy couldn't imagine what it must have been like to be locked in a dark and airless room waiting to die.

He should have seen that Ryan was once again closing himself off from them and it was devastating. Sandy had to admit once again that he'd got it so wrong. He'd promised himself that things would be different this time. Added to that, Ryan was good at hiding the important things, that didn't excuse his own mistakes, not by a long shot but when was this kid ever going to be truthful when it came to himself?

Ryan was never going to open up. Ryan was just not conditioned that way…and Sandy could kick himself for not seeing that. Weakness meant failure to him and failure meant disappointment and if there was one thing he'd learnt it was that Ryan was so worried that everybody was going to just give up on him that Ryan figured he'd keep the bad stuff to himself.

Ryan took insecurity to a whole different level.

And Taylor was right. After three years he should know that about Ryan, and yet Ryan still managed to blind sight him. He was definitely a product of his environment growing up and it was too late to change him now. And it had taken a tongue lashing from a girl who had known him the least amount of time to show them the best way to help.

'I think Ryan craves the one thing you don't give him. …Your time.'

It seemed so simple. It was so true. As parents they had never actually spent quality time with him. Sandy had to rack his brain for the last time they spent the whole day with Ryan, or with Seth, to be honest. It depressed him when he realized, Christmas…and once a year was not good enough.

They could rectify that but first Sandy had to address something that couldn't be put off anymore.

An hour of constant talking by Taylor made Sandy breathless and also made him absolutely love the girl. Never in a million years would he have paired his uptight foster son with the firebrand in front of him but by the time Taylor Townsend had finished her verbal tongue- lashing and folded her arms they seemed a natural pairing.

As she walked away with her ponytail flicking, it came to him in a blinding flash just who she reminded him of and that made him secretly scared for Ryan…. she was just like his mother.

Good God, Ryan was dating a younger version of the Nana.

They both had the same forthright way of speaking and be damned who they might be offending, they were pushy, rude when they wanted to be but utterly loyal and when they had the bit between their teeth they were unstoppable. Sandy smiled. He had a feeling that Ryan would be in good hands for once. Here was a girl who would not need any rescuing or emotional support above and beyond what a normal relationship held.

Now they had to put her plan into action.

Ryan sat up in bed and wiped his face over his hand. He frowned as he looked down at himself and saw he was still fully clothed. That explained why he felt so hot and sweaty. His tee shirt was twisted around his body and one sock was missing. He yawned and looked around to see where Taylor had gone but the bathroom door was open and no sound was coming from within. Maybe she had gone home. Not that he was surprised; his breakdown last night must have shown her how much of a liability he was. No one would want to put up with that, especially since he'd overshared certain events from his childhood. Taylor had a quality about her that made him open up and that in itself was perplexing. She hadn't even batted an eye when he'd called her Marissa several times. He supposed it was a mild improvement that he knew he'd done it this time…progress, even if he didn't know why he was doing it as his brain had most definitely been saying 'Taylor' even if his mouth hadn't. Calling your new …girlfriend(?) by your ex's name was not good.

He sighed, lay back on the bed and reached over for the three bottles of tablets that now resided on his bedside table. He was in the process of shaking one of the little brown plastic tubs into his palm when the door opened. He looked up to see Taylor balancing a tray whilst she opened the door with her elbow. He shot up off the bed to help but Taylor firmly told him to sit back down.

"Toast, eggs, bagels, coffee and orange juice…Oh and a newspaper," she cheerfully called as she walked over to the bed. "And I want you to eat as much as you can. Kiki tells me that you haven't been eating properly, Ryan, and I can't have that, you need to keep your strength up if you want to get better and fight those meds."

Kiki? Ryan wondered when Taylor had started calling Kirsten Kiki.

Taylor placed the tray next to him, sat down and stared at him expectedly. Ryan realized that she was going to watch him eat and there was no way that he was going to persuade her otherwise.

He finished taking his meds, picked up his coffee and took a gulp to wash them down.

"Thanks Taylor…I don't think anyone h...has ever made m…me breakfast in bed before."

"Well, get used to it Signor, you are with Taylor now and I like to spoil my men."

Ryan smirked at her.

"I'm your man now?"

"Yes you are…and you are the first man I've spent the whole night with even…oh…oh…wait…. wait." Taylor flapped her arms and leapt up off the bed and flew out the door.

Ryan blinked at her retreating back. Being with Taylor was going to take some getting used to but he had to admit to it being quite refreshing not to wake up to tears and tantrums. She didn't seem to mind that they'd done nothing but talk or the fact that he'd fallen to sleep on her.

Taylor came flying back with her hand behind her back. Ryan took a bite out of a piece of toast and chewed.

"Shut your eyes." Taylor sat down again.

He obliged because again…it was Taylor and you did what she said. In the short time he'd known her he'd realized that in the long run it was easier.

"Voila."

Ryan opened his eyes and saw that she had placed a tiny vase with a red rose on the tray. He blushed.

"Um…thanks." He wasn't a roses kind of guy but he had to admit to being touched. Embarrassed, but touched.

Taylor beamed at him.

"Where is everybody?" Ryan asked, mainly to cover his embarrassment.

"Kiki is helping Seth with something and Sandy has gone out. I said that I'd keep you company. How are you feeling this morning?"

Ryan felt like laughing. Taylor seemed so at home here already. He thought about it and he did feel better…better than he had done yesterday but then he had only just taken his anti-seizure meds and it usually took about an hour for them to start making him really feel like shit but right now he felt good. He scooped some eggs up on his fork.

"I'm good. Thanks for b..being here last night…" He wasn't great at the whole boyfriend sharing thing and he hoped that she understood what he was really thanking her for.

"I wouldn't have missed last night for the world."

Ryan stopped chewing. So did she have a thing for men who freaked out and did a good impression of someone losing their mind?

"I have a feeling that you spend most of your time helping everyone else so I deem it an honor that I was able to be there for you."

She leant over and kissed him on the cheek then jumped up off the bed again. She made him dizzy with her energy but he was grateful that she didn't make a big thing of his behavior last night. She hadn't freaked, which was something. Instead she had held him and told him that he wasn't going insane but was probably experiencing post traumatic stress disorder from his experience in the bank. He'd snorted at that. It sounded like pure psycho babble B.S to him. But her calm words had helped him and eventually he'd fallen back to sleep, something which never usually happened after one of his dark 'episodes'. And she was still here the next morning so maybe he had misread her as a person? She seemed unconcerned that he was a fuck up. She was whistling in his bathroom, drawing him a bath.

Whoa…re-wind…a bath?

"Um…what are you doing Taylor?" he asked as he pushed the tray away. He got up and walked over to his bathroom.

"You are going to take a bath and I'm going to perform a relaxing Korean bathing ritual which will make you feel like a king."

"Huh…um that's n…not n…necessary Taylor…really. C..can I smell roses?" He looked at the steaming bath and the frothy foam forming on the surface.

"Kiki let me use her bath oil, it's Attar of Roses. It smells divine, doesn't it?"

"You t...told Kirsten that you were going to b...bathe me?" He swallowed nervously.

"Oh yes. She said that you usually showered but I told her that once someone has had one of my special baths they never go back to showers."

Ryan wanted the ground to open up. Oh God. Taylor was going to be the death of him. He had the disturbing feeling that Taylor would, if she hadn't already, openly talk to Kirsten, and in all probability Sandy too, about the night they had had sex on the beach. He groaned and winced…at least they were used to him holing up in his room now so he wouldn't have to face them anytime soon.

"Chop chop…get undressed." Taylor said briskly.

"Um…Taylor." Ryan looked longingly at the lock on the bathroom door and tried to think of a way to get her on the other side of it.

Taylor pooh-poohed his attempt at modesty.

"Oh it's nothing I haven't seen before…although the beach was a little dark for a really good look." Taylor looked down and southwards.

Ryan almost covered his groin even though he was still dressed. Damn, she was…was…

"I didn't have you down as shy and may I say that you weren't so coy the other night. Come on, strip! That bath is getting cold."

Ryan sighed. Short of manhandling Taylor out of the room there was no way he was getting out of this. And she did have a point. She had already seen him naked but that was a different situation. What she hadn't seen was him naked in a brightly lit bathroom when he was quite frankly nervous because it seemed like the whole world knew he was having a bath. More importantly, he was quite chilled due to the air con.

He took a deep breath and pulled his tee shirt off then unzipped and stepped out of his jeans. Taylor was watching like he was a Chippendale giving her a private show and he had to admit that it was kind of flattering. He knew how he'd feel if the tables were turned and it was Taylor doing the stripping and decided that to hell with feeling embarrassed. Also the thought of Taylor stripping had made him less ashamed about dropping his shorts. Now he wasn't sporting wood but a certain amount of blood had headed south. He looked into Taylor's eyes as he stepped out of his underwear. She was unabashedly staring at his groin. Now it was his turn to enjoy as she looked up and blushed beet red when she saw that she'd been caught looking. Ryan didn't feel uncomfortable anymore. This is what he knew and suddenly the thought of a bath was not a bad one now. He turned and grabbed his toothbrush and squeezed a blue stripe onto the bristles. He could feel Taylor's eyes on his butt as he brushed. Hmm, so that was how you got Taylor to shut up! Him being naked had seemed to render her mute. He spat the minty foam into the sink and rinsed. He turned, leant forward and kissed her hard on the lips. Yes, being naked with Taylor in the bathroom was suddenly a very, very good idea. She got into it and ran her hands up and down his arms and back… then slapped him hard on the ass.

"Stop that…your bath is getting cold. In."

He reluctantly pulled away and stepped into the bath. It was hot and he had to ease himself down into the bubbles. Taylor rolled up her sleeves and picked up a little bottle off the side of the bath. He'd never seen it before and wondered if that also came care of Kirsten. He banished the thought quickly, he did not want to be thinking of her when he was thinking about pulling Taylor into the water and being rude.

"You know, if you're w...worried about getting your clothes wet you could always take them off," he suggested innocently.

"Behave…this is supposed to be therapy for you." Taylor tipped the bottle and poured a little into her hand. "Under the water."

Ryan frowned, wondering what she had in store for him, but he did it anyway. He held his nose and ducked under the water. He came up for air and wiped the bubbles off his face. The strong smell of lemon clashed with the smell of rose as Taylor leant over and worked the liquid soap into his hair. Her fingers worked his scalp with a deep and rhythmic hardness that turned his spine to Jell-O and made him shut his eyes in pleasure. He gripped the side of the bath as she worked her hands down his neck and onto his shoulders, massaging the soap into his skin as she worked the knots out of his muscles. Jesus, she had magic fingers. She spent a lot of time on his shoulders and he leant forward, bending his head towards his knees. He felt the tension ease from his body. Months of holding his muscles tight with the effort of trying to keep in control began to melt away under the ministrations of Taylor's hands. In the past girls had 'massaged' him but that was usually just a fun but weak fore runner to sex. Taylor however seemed to know exactly what she was doing, deep and hard, almost brutal, but it worked wonders.

"Good?" Taylor asked.

"Mmmm…" Ryan managed. "You know you can never stop, don't you?"

"The water will get cold," She laughed.

"Don't care…just keep doing what you're doing."

Half an hour later, Taylor was pleading cramp in her fingers so Ryan reluctantly told her that he was good even though he could have quite happily sat there for the rest of the day.

It felt very decadent to sit back and let Taylor sluice the soap from his body but he wasn't sure he was capable, he felt so relaxed. As Taylor poured the water down his back it hit him that for the first time in days he actually felt good. The nausea and dizziness had been banished along with the perpetual headache and he desperately wanted to cling onto that feeling for as long as possible before his meds kicked in.

He put down what he did next to not feeling like shit and having Taylor leaning over him in a way that meant he could totally see down her top. Before he knew it he'd reached up and pulled her in one fluid movement on top of him and into the bath. The water slopped over the side and Taylor made a show of squealing.

"Ryan… my clothes."

"We've got a dryer…but of course we'd have to think of something to do whilst you were waiting for them to dry," he growled, and planted little kisses along her jaw, his hands working their way up under her wet tank.

"We can't...can we?" Taylor said weakly but already she was kissing him back and melting into his body.

They only got out when there was more water on the floor than in the actual bathtub. They stood, dripping water on the floor, and laughed as they tried to get Taylor's wet clothes off. Her jeans stuck to her body like a second skin and Ryan had to tug downwards whilst Taylor held onto his shoulders. They dried each other off using big white fluffy towels.

Ryan had every intention of being a gent. He really did try and maneuvere Taylor over to his bed so he could show her what he could do in the right environment i.e. without having to contend with shifting sand, but most of all so he could check that the door was locked but things progressed way too quickly as they exited the bathroom.

Taylor managed to look innocent when she palmed his dick firmly as they paused to kiss en route, in the kitchen area. She squeezed and stroked, her tongue making its way into his ear and it was more than enough to impede his plan.

"Taylor…y…you've…r…really g…gotta…. s…stop… doing that."

Ryan looked over at his bed but knew there wasn't a hope in hell of getting over to it. He was stuttering badly but he knew that on this occasion it was nothing to do with his fucked brain and more to do with trying to keep his body in control and sadly he knew he was losing. He lifted a giggling Taylor up onto the counter top and wasted no time in ducking back to the bathroom. He picked up a packet of indigestion tablets and opened it, pulling out a condom. He'd had to be inventive since Seth had found his previous hiding place.

They had sex right there in the kitchen and he didn't care that there was a nice comfortable bed across the room. The counter top was just the right height for Taylor to wrap her legs around his back and give him the perfect amount of thrust. He'd had to cover her mouth for fear that they could hear them over in the main house and that was one conversation he didn't want to have. They just seemed to fit together, they both wanted the same thing from sex and they both made sure they got it. It was refreshing to be in sync with a girl and he didn't think that that happened since Theresa. Certainly Marissa and himself had had to work at it and still there had been an awkwardness to their lovemaking, Ryan felt himself never quite believing that she was allowing him to have sex with her and she seemed to want more than he was willing to give emotionally but with Taylor it was what it was, good straight fucking. And she enjoyed it hence why his hand was over her mouth.

They nipped and bit at each other, she racked her nails down his back, dug them into his ass and he slammed hard into her, again and again until he could feel the tingle at the base of his spine and his balls retreating their surrender back into his body signalling that his body was going into overload.

He came with a jerking, shuddering release that made his knees weak. As he let his body take over he watched Taylor as she shut her eyes and bit her lip. He wondered if he'd peeked too soon for her but the throbbing, clenching vice around his dick told him otherwise.

They eventually made it onto the bed but the window had passed. She held him as the first wave of nausea hit. She kept him talking to distract him from the pounding in his head and the ache that swathed his bones. He didn't know how she did it but he talked about things he'd never talked about, his fear of being alone one of them. He told her that he pictured himself ending his days in a one-room apartment with no one knowing or caring that he'd died and only the smell telling people he had. He'd become invisible, he knew that would be his fault but it still scared him.

He just wanted to belong somewhere, to feel a part of something that wasn't dysfunctional like his family or always on the peripheral like he was with the Cohens.

He talked.

She listened.

Eventually he felt his eyes close.

Sandy felt bad about dragging Ryan away from Taylor and out of the pool house without an explanation but he wasn't going to let Ryan push them away anymore.

Waking the kid was hard now that Taylor had told them he hadn't been sleeping but she'd efficiently informed him that he'd been asleep for eleven hours of her visit and it would do him no harm to stay awake now until tonight to ensure he got back into a normal sleep pattern. It was scary how Taylor was so protective of Ryan in this short space of time and how she seemed to know what was best for him.

But how had they not noticed before that he wasn't sleeping? Sandy could kick himself for not realizing the extent of Ryan's problems.

Ryan's voice shook him from his thoughts.

"Sandy I…I don't f…feel too good. Can we save this t…trip for a…another time."

He didn't look well. Ryan sat with his head against the window staring at the car in front. Again Sandy felt bad but he hoped it would be worth it. They had an appointment and it was one that he was going to make sure Ryan was going to keep.

"Sorry kid. We're not going far but I think you need to do this."

Sandy could see him tense and he hated the fact that Ryan still did that when he was faced with the unknown. It was like he was always expecting the worst. Sandy gripped the wheel until his knuckles turned white. Just what the hell had this kid gone through growing up? Sandy had his suspicions and his knowledge as a PD with links to many people in Social Services helped him fill in the blanks. It was those blanks that he hoped one day Ryan would feel comfortable enough to fill…

But for now if he could give Ryan some perspective that might help him and show him the bigger picture then that would have to do. Ryan had to learn that he was a special kid because, according to Taylor, he still doubted that he had any great worth in this life.

They pulled up outside the hospital. Ryan looked at Sandy for some indication as to why they were here but he was still not giving any indication.

Ryan felt trapped.

He hated not being prepared and this trip was scaring him as much as it was intriguing him. As far as he was aware he had no appointments booked.

"Come on kid." Sandy said as he opened his car door.

Ryan opened his door and paused for a moment before he followed. Whatever Sandy had up his sleeve he might as well get it over with so he could go back to bed and pull the covers over his head.

TBC