Okay a new post just because I can't wait to see your reactions to what's coming up. Hope you enjoy it and as I've said before the sooner you respond the sooner I'll post again. Enjoy!

Ryan's Question

"You know that was amazing." Ryan said when he had recovered.

Marissa had re-emerged from under the sheets and was lying beside him gazing at the man she loved. She smiled but said nothing.

"If you just give me a minute to recover, I'll return the favour and it can be your turn." He said.

Marissa then moved over and snuggled back into Ryan's chest. "I don't need a turn. I'm happy just where I am. In fact I don't think I'll move."

"Does that mean you want to stay in bed all day?'

"Sounds good to me."

"I'd like to think it was my body that you were craving but I have a funny feeling this is more to do with avoiding lunch at the Cohen's than any attraction you feel for me."

"Sounds like everyone's a winner with this plan." Marissa suggested.

"Do you really think so?" Ryan asked.

Marissa went quiet. She played with the chain. Twirling it around her fingers. "Do you think she will be there? Maybe she's still at the Mermaid? Or even better still, maybe she's gone back to England?"

"No. She's there, unless of course they have kicked her out again. I spoke to Sandy yesterday and he had just been and collected her from the Mermaid. He said that she and Kirsten were sizing one another up in the kitchen which is why he couldn't talk for long. He thought he should get back just in case he needed to referee."

Marissa laughed. "I hope my mother didn't say anything to upset Kirsten. She's such a lady and I'm afraid Julie's background comes to the fore when she is threatened. She may try to pretend that she is a classy lady but as we both know those years in Riverside have left their mark."

"Don't worry about Kirsten. She can look after herself when someone is threatening anyone in her family. And that includes you." He added. "I think your mum may have found out the hard way just what Kirsten can be like. Don't get me wrong, I love her to pieces. But I can just imagine what she would have been like. Ever so polite, and she would have given your mum a chance to explain but if she didn't like what Julie had to say then she would have left her in no doubt about the fact."

"Do you think that Kirsten will have forgiven her?" Marissa asked.

"I honestly don't know. But I do think she will have given her a chance."

"And you'll be mad at me if I don't do the same thing?" Marissa stated or asked he wasn't sure which.

"I won't be mad. I just..." he tried to find the words to explain how he felt but he couldn't. "I mean Riss… have you really thought about it? I know I said that I'd respect your decision but..."

"But?" Marissa queried.

"I really think that you owe…"

"I don't owe her anything." Marissa said crossly.

"No not her. I was about to say that I think you owe it to yourself to listen to what she has to say. I'll be right there with you or you can talk to her on your own if you'd prefer…. remember...she is the only family you have."

"Are you trying to make me feel worse?" Marissa asked.

"No. But… she still owes you an apology if nothing else. Maybe you should just give her a chance. And also it should be entertaining. I doubt that Summer is going to let her off easily. I suspect she's had a rage blackout brewing since Friday. It should have quite a head of steam by now."

Marissa thought about what he had said.

"You really want me to do this? Don't you?"

"Well… Yes" He agreed. "But don't do it just for me. You have to want to do it as well or it will just be a waste of time. You know I'll support you whatever you decide."

"It's just, I don't know if I can ever forgive her for what she has done. The woman I thought I knew could not have done this to anyone let alone us. So, I must be a terrible judge of character to have believed all the lies that she obviously fed me. How do I know that she won't just do it again? Whatever she says, I don't know if I'll be able to believe any of it."

"Well…for what it's worth, I did make it clear to her that if she ever lied to us again that she would never see either one of us again." He smiled as he thought back to his threat to Julie.

"What's with the smile. I don't see what is funny about that?"

"Well as well as including us I also told her if she lied to us then she wouldn't see her grandchildren." He looked shyly at her waiting for her reaction.

"Grandchildren hey? We're not getting a bit ahead of ourselves are we?"

"I don't know." Ryan looked at her and replied honestly. "We've certainly been practising the techniques a lot. And don't get me wrong, I'm very happy with the way the practice is coming along." He kissed her to make sure she was in no doubt about that. "But….well ever since we talked about it on the way home from San Fran the other day…I guess I've just started to think about the idea…and...well… I'm surprised how much it appeals to me. I mean whenever you're ready" he shrugged his shoulders. "I guess only you can decide when we stop practising and start trying for the real thing or even if you want to."

Marissa thought for a moment. "Well…it's a bit early just yet. I'm not sure if I'm ready for kids…."

Ryan looked down. He didn't know why her answer disappointed him so much. It's not as if he had even thought about having children until she'd come back. But for some reason now, he kept envisioning their house with their children running through it.

Marissa realised that he had gone quiet. "But what I do know is… that when I am ready, I want you to be the father."

Ryan smiled and leant in and kissed her. "That'll do for now. One day we are going to fill all these bedrooms with our children."

"Exactly how many bedrooms are there? Is this why you've never actually given me the guided tour? In case I chicken out?"

"Well we don't have to fill all of them but maybe most….?" Ryan looked at her hopefully.

Marissa just smiled. "Let's wait and see."

"Okay. But that doesn't help with our current predicament. What do we do about lunch? Do we go or not?" Ryan asked getting back to the topic at hand.

Marissa thought for a moment. "Okay then. I guess I can't resist the thought of watching Summer give my mother a piece of her mind."

"As long as that's all it is. But I think a smack around the face is a distinct possibility as well if Summer hasn't calmed down since Friday."

Marissa smiled knowing he was just trying to make her feel better.

"I'll just call Kirsten and let her know we are coming." Ryan added thinking that once she was committed she would be less likely to change her mind.

---

Seth and Summer pulled up on the Cohen's driveway and Summer jumped out of the car and rang the doorbell almost in a single motion.

Seth quickly joined her and said "I want you to promise me that you will not just attack her."

"I'm not promising anything. She doesn't deserve our consideration." Summer replied getting impatient waiting for someone to answer the door.

"Well I feel like you too. But remember Dad asked that we at least give her a chance to explain." Seth added.

"She'll get her chance. But I'm telling you it better be good or I'm going to let her have it." Summer had been waiting to see Julie since Friday and she intended to let her have it… with both barrels.

Sandy opened the door in front of them having heard every word since their voices were raised.

"Summer, son. Nice to see you. Come on in."

"Where is she?" Summer asked not bothering with the niceties. Much too focused on giving Julie a piece of her mind.

"If you mean Julie, she's just gone to get something from her room. She'll be down shortly. But if you mean Kirsten, then she's in the kitchen so come on through."

"Of course I meant Julie. I can't wait to …"

"Summer... She's a little fragile, so maybe you should take it easy on her." Sandy suggested.

"Easy on her? Why? What's with you two men? She needs to be made to pay for what she has done. And I don't mean just to Ryan and Marissa, or though that would be enough. But I lost my best friend because of what she did. Has anybody even considered that? Ryan and Marissa weren't the only victims here..."

"I'm sorry." Julie said from the doorway. She had been coming back down the stairs and had heard everything that Summer had said.

Summer turned to look at her. "Sorry? You think that's all you need to say to make this all better. Do you have any idea about how much we all went through because of your lies?"

Julie hung her head. She didn't think she could do this again. Just then the phone rang and Kirsten jumped to answer it. Anything to break the tension in the room.

"Hello." She said, four pairs of eyes staring at her. "Sure. See you in a few minutes." She added and replaced the phone. She looked up. "That was Ryan. They're just leaving, so they'll be here shortly. He asked if maybe Julie would wait for Marissa in the pool house. He thought it might be easier for Marissa if they could have some time in private without an audience." She looked at Julie trying to gauge her thoughts on the idea.

Julie couldn't wait to get away from Summer who looked like she was about to attack her physically. The only reason Julie was still here was to talk to Marissa, so she was very happy that Ryan had organised for the meeting to happen in private. "Um…" she looked at them all. "I think that's probably for the best. I'll just go out there and wait for her." She said as she made her way to the door.

"Don't think I'm finished with you yet." Summer called after her as Julie headed out to the pool house.

---

As Julie entered the pool house she went to close the door behind her but then decided to leave it open thinking perhaps it would seem more inviting to Marissa. She would close it after Marissa arrived. She looked around and realised that it hadn't changed since she had last been there. She remembered coming here to ask Ryan to help her when Marissa was going through her 'Alex' phase and Julie had wanted Marissa to come home. Of course he had helped her then. She realised that he always had and always would be there for Marissa. She glanced around at the numerous photos of the two of them still scattered around the pool house. They looked so happy. She moved about the room looking at each photo in turn and came across one taken at the beach. Ryan had his arm around her and Marissa was looking at him; the love obvious in her eyes. Julie touched the glass and ran her hand over Marissa's smile. Had she always looked like that when she was with him and had Julie just ignored the way they felt about each other because it didn't fit in with her own grand plan? She wondered how she was ever going to explain to Marissa why her own mother would want to take that happiness away from her.

---

Ryan and Marissa were on their way to the Cohen's and Ryan was starting to have some misgivings about the whole idea. Even though Marissa had agreed to it, he felt that she was doing it only because she wanted to please him. Ever since she had said yes to the idea, he had noticed her becoming more and more anxious. That was why, when she had gone to freshen up just before they'd left his house, he had hurriedly called Kirsten and asked her to get Julie into the pool house before they got there. He figured that at least that way Marissa could see everyone else and know that they were all there for her, before she had to confront her mother. Maybe she could gain some strength from having them all with her. She would be able to decide when she wanted to talk to her mum. Marissa would then be the one in control.

He glanced over at her again and she was looking out the window at the passing scenery and she was fiddling with her ring yet again.

He smiled. "Are you trying to wear that out so that I'll buy you a bigger and better one?"

She looked at him puzzled. "Sorry what?"

"Your ring? You haven't stopped fiddling with it since we left home."

She looked down and realised what he was talking about. "Sorry. I guess…" she smiled "It gives me strength…" She looked back at him trying to express how much it meant to her. It had become her crutch whenever she was thinking about Julie. "I guess I just like the feel of it."

"Good. Maybe we can add a couple of others to those fingers soon?" he suggested never taking his eyes from the road. As soon as he said it he wondered where those words had come from.

Marissa was startled. She turned to look at him. "What? … I mean…" she watched him as he never took his eyes off the road. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

He smiled, still looking at the road ahead. Did he really just say that out loud? "You know what I mean." He glanced over at her and smiled and then resumed looking at the road. Now that the words were out there, he realised that he would like nothing more.

"I'm not sure if I do. Maybe I've misunderstood." Marissa replied still in shock. Was he suggesting what she thought he was? A few more blocks passed in silence until finally Ryan spoke again.

"I don't think you have. But we're nearly there. I guess this isn't the best time to talk about it." He said as he pulled into the driveway of the Cohen's. He noticed her shoulders drop as if she was disappointed. He didn't know if it was because they had arrived or because he had stopped the discussion. But for some reason he decided that even though it may not make sense right now he wanted her to know how he felt. Maybe it would help her get through the day. He turned to her and took her hands in his and looked in to her eyes. "I just want you to know before we go inside that no matter what happens with your mother, I love you. And I want you beside me forever. I just thought maybe we need to make this arrangement more permanent, and then you won't need to think about the possibility of your mother ever causing problems for us again."

Marissa looked deeply in to his eyes. Realising he was serious, she could feel her eyes starting to well up. "Are… are you asking me to marry you?"

"Well…." Ryan looked at the ring on her finger and then back into her eyes. "I guess I hadn't really thought about it until we were driving here. And I know this isn't very romantic, and I don't want you to look back and be disappointed but…" he shrugged almost coyly "yeah I guess I am. I do know that I want you as my wife. I always have. Since the first time I met you at the end of this very driveway." He looked at her shyly wondering if she had realised just how long he had loved her. "So if you'll have me, Marissa Cooper… would you do me the honour of consenting to be my wife?"

The tears that were welling in Marissa's eyes made the vision of him before her eyes all blurry but even so, she knew that she wanted to be with him forever. But was this for real? Her emotions that were already in turmoil at the thought of the meeting with her mum threatened to boil over. As the tears escaped her eyes and began to trickle down her face she tried to speak but couldn't. The lump in her throat was too big. Nothing would come out. He looked at her and watched as the tears started running down her face. Was she happy or sad? He couldn't tell. He was getting concerned that she was not answering.

He dropped his head. Looking at her hands as they gripped his he added "If it's too soon then just say. I know I'm probably rushing things. And I…." Ryan started.

Marissa was nodding her head furiously but Ryan was no longer looking at her.

"No." she managed to get out.

"No?" Ryan looked back up at her as he felt his heart start to break.