Ryan reached blindly at his bedside table, his arm knocking over books and papers as he tried to find the alarm and shut it off. Once his hand found it, he slammed his fist into it and turned to shove the owner of the alarm; Katie.

"Babe, you gotta get up..." he commanded lazily as he pushed her sleeping back. She moaned angrily, rolling even further away from him on the bed.

"Just five more minutes.. just five more..." she tried to bargain before pulling her pillow over her pounding head. Her and Ryan really shouldn't have gone out and partied like that last night because they were both feeling the after affects this morning. Well, actually, this afternoon as she remembered she set her alarm for twelve o'clock on the dot. He started to try and pull her pillow away, but she just held it tighter on top of her head.

"Katie, you know that you miss this meeting and your agency is going to..."

"Fine.." she cut him off, reluctantly agreeing as she pulled down her pillow and slammed it on her lap, sighing to herself. "I'm up.." she said as she started to sit up. "Ry-Ry-Poo, you think you could make me some coffee? Pwease?" Katie asked, pouting out her bottom lip at him. Ryan just rolled her eyes, partly because she used that disgusting nickname that she knew annoyed him, and got up out of bedding, huffing towards the kitchen in nothing but his black boxers. "Thank you baby!" she called out as his retreating form.

As he headed to the kitchen area in her apartment, he felt his head pound along with his footsteps. He headed straight for the tylenol, downing three with a huge glass of water. Over the years, Ryan had learned from experience just what it took to calm his hangovers, and that was it. He set his empty glass down in the sink as he started rummaging through the chipboards in search of some kind of coffee mix but instead saw nothing but empty shelves.

"You're out of coffee!" he yelled out from his place at the counter as he heard the water go on in her shower.

"Well then you'll have to go get some!" he heard her yell back, just before she shut the door to the bathroom.

He shook his head absently, grumbling to himself as he walked back to the bedroom and quickly put on a pair of jeans and pulled a grey hoodie over his messy head of hair. Grabbing up his keys and his wallet, he quickly headed straight out the door, pulling his sunglasses over his eyes as he went out into the hallway and down the staircase before heading outside into the bright California sunshine. He got into his cream jeep, and turned it on, rolling his eyes at the very shitty pop cd that came blaring out of his speakers. Immediately, he ejected it, tossing Katie's cd to the side without a second thought before popping in his Journey's greatest hits cd. Katie hated Journey with a passion. She wouldn't even let him have it on in the background when they were together. He'd given up that along with wifebeaters, which she also hated, and many other countless things. Why did he even put up with it, he wondered as he pulled into the parking lot of Newport's main grocery store. But as he got out of the jeep, he caught sight of her bright pink panties sticking out from under the passenger seat and smiled to himself. That's why- she was a nice piece of ass and a good distraction- and right now he thought that was all he needed in life.

He entered the grocery store and immediately headed towards where he knew they had coffee. The place was near empty- but it was noon on a Thursday, so he guessed that was to be expected. He headed up the aisle and picked out Katie's favorite premium roasted coffee, even though he wasn't too big of a fan of it. Feeling his stomach rumble with hunger, he decided that if Katie's empty cupboards were any indication, he bet she didnt have any food at all and he better pick something up for himself. He walked over a few aisles in search of the cereal and noticed a familiar figure standing in front of the Captain Crunch he was looking for. There was Julie Cooper in rare form as she stood in her pumps pushing a shopping cart. Chuckling to himself, he walked forward towards his desired cereal.

"Hey Julie," Ryan greeted her casually as stopped next to her, grabbing a box of Captain Crunch off the shelf. Her eyes shot up wide at him as she staggered back at the sight of him nervously.

"Oh.. Ryan. Hi," she stuttered out uneasily. Ryan eyed her curiously as he looked from her to her cart, which was full of popsicles and pudding and lunchables, all of which he was surprised to see Julie was a fan of. "So.. Just picking yourself up some breakfast this afternoon?" Julie asked him sarcastically, motioning the items in his arms as she regained her composure after seeing him. As long as Aiden was distracted getting pop tarts..

"Yeah, something like that," Ryan muttered, rolling his eyes at her before changing the subject, trying to make casual conversation. "So you still coming over for Sandy's birthday dinner this weekend?"

"Huh? Uh.. Oh my god, I forgot.." Julie scolded herself, mentally kicking herself before slapping her forehead slightly.

"Well I mean, its just a barbeque... Its not that big of a deal.."

"No, I'm coming.. I promised Kirstin I would," she muttered nervously. She knew if she came, and since Kirstin and Sandy both knew Marissa was in town, they'd want her to come too. And Julie didnt know if she or Marissa was ready to spend time with everyone. "Its just that.."

"Something come up?" Ryan asked, his brow furrowing in confusion as he watched Julie flounder in front of him.

"Grandma!"

Suddenly both pairs of eyes shot up, towards the little blond boy at the way end of the isle, standing frustratedly in front of the wall of different flavored breakfast snacks. Ryan watched him curiously, wondering who he was screaming at since only he and Julie were the only ones in the isle. But he got his answer when Julie called back to him, making his eyes widen.

"Yeah sweetie?"

"Can I get the chocolate pop tarts?" he almost begged, knowing his mom would never let him get them- but Grandma was a totally different story.

"Sure Aiden. Whatever you want," she answered back sweetly, laughing to herself as she watched him celebrate to himself before grabbing a box off the shelf and running back towards the cart.

"Is that...?" Ryan started dumbly, knowing the answer the answer before he even got the question out. Marissa's son. Aiden. He watched, almost mesmerized as the lanky-limbed boy with blond hair he remembered so well bounded down the isle and stopped right next to the cart. He reached over the side of the cart, letting the box fall haphazardly inside. He turned back to ask his grandma another question before stopping when he caught site of the man next to him.

"Who's he?" he asked shyly, standing halfway behind his grandma, trying to hide. Julie sighed for a second, deciding this was a good a time as any to introduce the two. He was going to have to meet everyone sooner or later, no matter how much Marissa wanted to put it off.

"Well, sweetie, this is Ryan. He and your mom used to be.. friends," Julie explained softly, giving Ryan a helpless look before turning and smiling sweetly at Aiden. Gently, she pushed him out from behind him with a hand on his back, "He went to school with her."

"Hi.." Aiden greeted quietly as he stared up at Ryan looking thoughtful, almost as if he was trying to decide what he thought of him.

"Uh, Hi Aiden," Ryan stuttered out smiling at the little boy, marveling at how much he looked like Marissa. Aiden suddenly smiled back, apparently deciding he was okay, before turning back to Julie.

"Can we get Fruit Loops? Mommy really really likes Fruit Loops and I don't think they're that bad..."

Mommy. Marissa was a Mommy. Ryan suddenly felt so wierded out and out of place some reason. Marissa had a totally new life and he knew this little boy was it. He gulped as he watched Julie nod her head in approval before Aiden walked off down the isle, looking for a red box with the familiar blue bird on the front.

"Sorry about that.." Julie told Ryan sympathetically when she turned back to him and saw the stunned look on his face.

"No, no.. its fine.." he muttered watching Aiden, before shaking his head and turning back to Julie. "So is he staying with you for awhile or.."

"Yeah. Well him and Marissa," Julie explained, watching as Ryan visibly swallowed, looking sobered from this new piece of news. "Well, just for awhile though... until Marissa finds her own place."

"She's moving back?" Ryan blurted out, completely shocked. He did not expect anything like this when he rolled out of bed with a slight hangover a half an hour ago. He never thought she'd be coming back- ever.

"Yeah.. So I guess you can see my apprehension about coming to the barbeque.."

"Oh," Ryan started, snapping out of his thoughts. "No, you should still come. Bring Aiden and.. Marissa. It'll be good."

"You sure?" Julie asked one more time, just to make sure, but smiled when Ryan nodded at her. "Okay, we'll be there."

"Grandma I cant reach.." Aiden called out from a few yards away as he stood on his tippy-toes, reaching up towards the Fruit Loops, making both Ryan and Julie laugh out of the awkward moment.

"I'd better go help him," Julie told him as she took hold of her cart and did a u-turn in the aisle, "Bye Ryan." She flashed him a wave as she walked over and helped Aiden grab a box before they head out the aisle while Aiden said something about chocolate milk. Ryan was in a daze as he turn towards the front of the store. Somehow he managed to pay for his items, drive his car back to Katie's, and get inside without having an coherent thoughts other than- Marissa's back- repeating in his head over and over again. Part of him wanted to go over to Julie's and talk to her that second, and the other part of him wanted to go hide in his apartment from having to see her again. But he was sure that no part of him wanted to have to deal with Katie right now.

Just as he set his grocery bag down on the kitchen counter, Katie came out of the bedroom fully dressed and ready, grabbing up her purse.

"Hey, I was just about to make you coffee," Ryan explained tiredly as he took it out of the bag.

"Oh, you're sooo sweet, but I gotta go," She said as she whipped out her Chanel sunglasses and put them on to cover her slightly bloodshot eyes.

"But I ran down to the store because you had to have it," he retorted, the annoyance rising in his voice.

"I know baby, and I appreciate it," she said shortly, rolling her eyes behind her shades as she leaned forwards and kissed his cheek quickly. "Maybe next time, just don't take so long," she explained in a half bitchy, half sweet tone that made Ryan want to scream. She patted his back before heading over to the door and out to leave for the day, leaving Ryan with nothing but a "Call me."

He shook his head and threw the coffee back into the bag before heading back into Katie's bedroom. Walking into the bathroom, he quickly kicked away the clothes that she had left laying on the tile floor, pushing them into the corner before stripping off his own clothes and heading in. He took a long, scalding hot shower, needing to wash off the night before activities. With the knowledge that Marissa was in town, he suddenly felt wrong about what he was doing with Katie. Ryan wondered why Marissa had come back. And even more he had wondered why Julie hadn't mentioned anything about Aiden's father staying with them? Maybe he was a no show? As he started to wash his hair he realized he really had no idea about anything that had to do with Marissa and Aiden's family- or even if there was a father figure there at all. And even though he had thought Marissa was seeing someone this whole time- the fact that she was just all the sudden here and staying with her mom made him think otherwise.

Getting out of the shower, he grabbed the huge pink fluffy towel that hung on the rack on the wall, cursing to himself as he ran it over his body, before wrapping it around his waist. He walked back into the bedroom, but was distracted when he heard the beep of his cell phone, letting him know he had a message. Immediately he grabbed it off the bedside table and flipped it open and let it call his voice mail, almost hanging up when he heard it was just Seth. But once he heard what he was saying, he was hanging on every word he said.

"Holy shit Ryan, you are not going to believe who I just saw.. Marissa frigging Cooper! I ran into her at the pier and we ended up having lunch together. I guess she's moving back for good? You need to call me back man."

Without a second thought, as soon as Seth's message was over, he hung up with his voicemail and frantically dialed Seth's cell. Impatiently, he waited the few rings before he picked up on the other end.

" 'ello?"

"Seth-"

"Oh god Ryan, I take it you got my message," Seth interrupted excitedly before running into a ramble. "I bet your shocked- I was too. I mean I'm in line getting a burrito and who do I run into? Marissa. I mean I thought she was still on the other end of the country.."

"Seth," Ryan interrupted firmly, "I know she's back I ran into Julie and her kid at the grocery store."

"Oh- that musta been just a little awkward," Seth said, laughing slightly to himself, hoping Ryan didnt hear. Seth knew how he'd be feeling if Summer just suddenly came back- and he knew Ryan felt the same way- Katie or no Katie.

"Not really," Ryan responded honestly, "but I brought up the barbeque this weekend and now I guess Marissa and Aiden are both coming too."

"That'll be good I think. I mean, itll be good for you two to see each other, ya know? She seems really good.."

"She does?" Ryan interrupted, obviously very interested.

"Yeah, she seemed really really at ease," Seth explained looking back at his short lunch with her. "You can tell how much having a kid has changed her.." There was a moment of silence while Ryan pondered Seth's words.

"Did she.. Did she say why she came back?"

"Well it sounded to me like money problems.." Seth started hesitantly, not sure how much he should outright say to Ryan, but deciding to just go for it. "You remember how we thought she was probably trying to build a family out there with the guy?"

"Yeah.." Ryan said softly, his interest peaking.

"Well there was no guy. I mean there was at one point obviously otherwise there'd be no kid, but it seemed to me like he hasn't been around in a long time.."

The line went silent as Ryan's heart broke for Marissa. Raising a son all by herself. If he knew- he would have rushed right over to Rhode Island to help. He'd missed her so much these past few years but he didnt want to interrupt her happiness. But it looked like his whole vision of what he'd thought was completely wrong. Right then, all he wanted to do was go see her. Talk to her and just be around her. Guess he'd just have to wait until the barbeque Saturday...