A/N: Thanks for your reviews. Enjoy

They wouldn't allow him to have his cane, it was considered a dangerous weapon – even in the hands of a blind kid. You don't get treated any differently by inmates or guards because you're clinically blind. The only thing Ryan was allowed to have was his sunglasses.

All night Ryan laid on his creaky bunk listening to every sound; the dripping water of the nearby tap, the clicking of the keys on the guard's uniform as they strolled the hallway and even the guards talking ten rooms away. As the sounds annoyed him Ryan wondered how his brother was in jail. Would he be getting out? Thoughts plagued his night and he hardly got any sleep.

The next morning Ryan flinched as he heard his cell doors open loudly. A scruff voice broke out as a man cuffed him, pulling him roughly out of bed.

"Atwood, your public defender's here". Ryan was then taken down the long corridor of Chino Hills Juvenile Detention Centre.

Great Ryan thought. Some guy who hardly knew him feeling sorry for him. Oh poor little blind boy…. He didn't need sympathy from anyone; he just needed to get out of this dump.

Ryan was then uncuffed, he felt for the cold bench and sat down on a stool. At that moment a voice spoke up.

"Ryan. I'm Sandy Cohen; the courts appointed me your public defender." Ryan sensed Sandy was holding his hand out but he refused to shake it. "You could do worse" Sandy retorted.

Sandy Cohen had been in the PD department for over fifteen years and never in his work had he ever met a blind criminal. Although he could tell this 16 year old boy was far from a criminal. He was simply a kid with no faith from others or himself.

"Where's my brother?" Ryan asked curiously. He heard Sandy shuffle some papers.

"Uh… Trey is over eighteen. He had a gun in his pants, some pot in his jacket…I'm guessing Trey's looking at 3-5 years. But Trey's not my concern."

Ryan's heart fell. He had no one now his brother was gone. Trey was his family, his brother.

Sandy noticed Ryan's hurt expression but continued to look at the file.

"This is your first time in lock up…I assume you don't plan on coming back."

You think? Ryan refrained from saying this out loud.

"Your grades are not great, suspended for fighting, truancy three times…" As Sandy scrolled down Ryan's file he came across something which pleasantly surprised him.

"Ryan, your test scores…98 on your SAT1'S. 98 if you start going to class, and I'm sure your school has resources for you, you could have a great future. Have you thought about college?"

Ryan didn't respond. Sure he had thought about college but what future would he have? He couldn't stand a lecture from someone who barely knew him for more than ten minutes.

"Modern medicine is advancing to the point where the average human lifespan will be a hundred. But I heard on the news that social security is supposed to run out by the year 2025. Which means people will have to stay in their jobs until they're eighty. So…I don't want to commit to anything too soon."

Sandy chuckled, this kid was really bright.

"Look I can plea this down to a misdemeanour, petty fine probation…"

Ryan waited for the but, there was always a but in these situations.

"…but know this, stealing a car because your big brother told you to it's stupid and it's weak…and those are two things you can't afford to be anymore. You want to change that? Then stop acting like life dealt you the bad hand. I understand that life for you hasn't been easy-"

This guy was a walking contradiction.

"With all due respect Mr. Cohen, I doubt you do. I can tell that you're wearing expensive leather shoes from the sound they make, I can smell the expensive aftershave and you're a public defender. Your profession doesn't exactly make money so you must have a trust fund set up somewhere. I seriously doubt you know anything about my life."

Sandy was taken aback by Ryan's remark. For a boy who was blind he was extremely perceptive.

"That's where you're wrong Ryan. I grew up in a bad part of the Bronx, no money. My father left, my mother worked all the time…I was pissed off and stupid."

Ryan rolled his eyes "And look at you now"

"Smart kid like you, you got to have a plan….some kind of a dream" Sandy couldn't give up on this boy.

"Yeah. Right. Let me tell you something ok? Where I'm from having a dream doesn't make you smart. Knowing it won't come true….that does."

Sandy at that point realised there was something about this kid he couldn't ignore.

---------

"Ryan I can drive you home" Sandy offered outside the detention centre.

"It's ok. I know how to get home" Ryan replied.

"It's no problem really" Sandy pressed on as Ryan felt for the curb with his cane.

"I can look after myself Mr Cohen."

Sandy couldn't leave him on the streets so close to night. Grabbing his arm he led him to his Mercedes.

"Just take the ride kid. It comes with the service."

Ryan groaned but agreed. Feeling for the smooth interior of the car he carefully sat down.

Sandy sat in the driver's seat and noticed Ryan didn't have a seatbelt on.

"Belt on please…"

Ryan sighed; he wasn't use to parents giving rules so he felt for the belt and clicked it in. As the car started he had to ask something.

"So does the sympathy come with the service too?"

Sandy chuckled but replied, "Sympathy?"

"Yeah…the blind kid needs a lift home because you feel sorry for him. I don't need people's sympathy."

Sandy realised this was a touchy subject for Ryan but continued to ask questions about himself. One included:

"How did you become…."

"Physically challenged….you can say it." Ryan retorted.

"Ok physically challenged. What happened?"

"I was walking through a warehouse and some forklift cut through a toxic waste barrel. I was right in front of it….damaged my eye senses at the back of my head completely." Ryan uncomfortably retold the story, refraining from mentioning Trey.

While Sandy listened he forgot to take his turn and was now driving out of Chino Hills. Ryan noticed the potholed road and knew where he was.

"Take a left at Larch Street Mr Cohen."

Sandy was surprised and smiled as he saw the sign to turn off into Larch Street.

Arriving in front of the unkempt house he saw Ryan looking down ashamed. Yeah this is where I live.

"So…uh…thanks Mr Cohen. I can take it from here." Ryan opened the car door feeling for the sidewalk.

"My contact at child services will let you know the date for your hearing. Please call me Sandy."

"Sandy. Bye." Ryan smiled slightly and made his way to the door of his house, feeling for his house key in his pocket.

"Mum!" He shouted into the house. No answer. He made his way inside and felt for the familiar flower pot with his cane. No flower pot. There was no TV or couch either.

"Mum! Hello!" Ryan made his way throughout the entire house. It was empty. No one replied.

Sandy made his way inside Ryan's house expecting to find Dawn Atwood. Instead he found a confused boy in a deserted and empty house.

"Ryan?"

He didn't answer he just stood there realising his family abandoned him.

Sandy understood what he had to do at that moment.

"C'mon…come with me."

Ryan nodded and finding Sandy made his way out onto Larch Street. He had no family, he had no home and little did he know he had a new future.

A/N: I hope you liked it. Next chapter he will meet the Cohens and a funny way of meeting Marissa.