A/N: I'm so sorry for taking so long to update, I was away most of this weekend.

Thank you so much for all of your reviews and your support, especially Lesley who has been incredible!

Enjoy!

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Chapter 5- On Your Side

"It's Summer, she's special so her hands have swollen. Dude, what happened?"

"I was an ass."

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To and fro.

To and fro.

Summer had been pacing the length of the living room for the past twenty minutes. Or at least she was attempting to pace, with her current condition it lacked the vigour that normally accompanied a walk aimed at working through thoughts.

Having spent the morning doing morning things- making the bed and cooking breakfast, taking a shower- she had tried not to let her thoughts linger too much on the events of last night. However, now that she was free of all the possible distractions she could think of, all she had was time to wonder and worry.

And worry she did, hence the pacing.

How on earth Seth could remain calm at a time like this was a mystery to her. She had refrained from asking him why he wasn't worried as she had been giving him the silent treatment for having let slip to Taylor just exactly who Theresa was before Ryan had the chance to.

She knew he didn't really deserve it; his slip up wasn't the biggest bombshell of the night. No, that one belonged to Theresa herself.

Summer had been as surprised as everyone else when Ryan told them that the boy Theresa had been running after through the party was her son. To be more precise Ryan's son, the one Theresa had told him she had lost.

If Summer had been shocked then, she had no idea what Taylor must have been feeling, or Ryan for that matter. He was always the guy that did the right thing; he had been willing to give up his new life in order to do the right thing ten years ago. To have been lied to like that, she figured Ryan would be erring on the side of extreme anger.

Summer didn't know how much Taylor knew about Theresa, if she knew anything at all, before that night. But one thing she did know for sure was how much Taylor loved Ryan, and that would mean that Taylor would want to help in any way possible. She would, as she normally did, put aside her own feelings, which at that moment Summer had no clue as to what they would be, to think about Ryan.

Taylor would want to talk about things, because that's what Taylor did, talk a whole lot. Despite Taylor's idea of talking normally including a great deal of over-sharing on her part, it did not mean that in amongst her ramblings, those relevant comments were unhelpful. No, as Summer had found out more than once, they were actually quite the opposite.

But, no matter how much being with Taylor had opened Ryan up and got him talking more, Summer had a sinking feeling that this would be one of those times that Ryan would revert back to his old ways. He would probably initiate a classic Atwood shut down and want to take the full burden of the situation upon himself as penance. So Summer was worried; worried about what this would do to her best friend.

Ryan would be angry for sure, and if he did shut down, then Summer knew Taylor would blame herself for it, making excuses for how she probably pushed him too hard and therefore it would be her fault that he was closed off.

All relationships were a two-way thing, and that included the influence of one person on the other involved.

As much as Ryan had changed because of Taylor, Summer had noticed that Taylor had changed because of Ryan. It was nothing bad, or a change that was unhealthy, it was just little things that crept up every so often. Ryan's need to shoulder burdens had seemed to have rubbed off on to Taylor; Summer had supposed it was due to Taylor not wanting Ryan to deal with everything himself. So as his girlfriend she took half his load.

But there were times where Taylor blamed herself for an argument or a mistake, even though she wasn't to blame, and that's where Summer saw the changes, not always for the better or even for the worse; just different.

Although, as couples went, Summer knew of no other that could survive something like this better than Ryan and Taylor. Their relationship had been tested many a times before, and at the end of it all they had come out stronger than ever. They would find a way to work through this.

She hoped.

Stopping mid step she firmly planted her feet into the carpet and placed her hands on her hips. She couldn't take it anymore, the entire morning she had tried not to think about it. The entire early afternoon she had stopped herself from calling their place; she couldn't take it anymore. She had to know what was going on. Summer assured herself that she only wanted to know how her friends were doing; she was not in anyway trying to meddle.

But that was where Seth had rubbed off on her.

"Cohen."

Seth had been quietly flipping through a comic book on the sofa as Summer had been pacing. He had known better than to try and talk to her when she was like this and not pregnant. To attempt to talk to her when she was giving him the silent treatment, pacing and pregnant would have just been asking for trouble.

"So you're talking to me again?" He tentatively questioned.

"Yeah, duh. I want you to call Ryan." She demanded.

"Don't you think he'll be a little occupied today?"

"Yes, but I'm worried. How can you sit there reading a comic about," Summer lifted up the comic in Seth's hands so that she could see the front cover, "a wolf-man at a time like this? Aren't you in the least bit worried about how you're brother is handling all this?"

"Firstly, this is a comic about Wolverine, not a wolf-man. And secondly, Ryan will call when he needs to talk."

"But I need to know if Taylor's doing alright."

"Then why don't you just call her?" Seth suggested.

"Because I don't know what's going on, she and Ryan could still be talking. I don't want to call and have them be in the middle of…whatever." Summer explained a flourish of hand movements.

"But you're okay with letting me interrupt?"

"Of course, it's you. It's what you do. Now call Ryan."

Seth pulled his phone out of his pocket and pressed the speed dial for Ryan's number, hearing it ring several times. He looked up at Summer, who had begun to impatiently tap her foot, and shrugged.

"No answer."

Summer began to pace once more. Perfect, what was she going to do now?

Determined not to give up, Summer walked into the hall and picked up their home phone off its cradle on the coffee table, and rang Ryan and Taylor's apartment. It rang twice before a hoarse voice answered.

"Ryan?"

"No Taylor, it's me." Summer could hear Taylor sniff a couple of times, adding that to the hoarse voice; she knew that Taylor had been crying.

"Oh, hey."

"You've been crying." Summer stated. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Seth standing in the doorway, listening in on her side of the conversation.

"No, of course not. I just don't feel my best after last night, too much to wine and all that."

"Yeah, it's the 'all that', that I'm worried about. I'm coming over. I'll be there in 10 minutes." Without waiting for Taylor to give her an excuse, Summer had hung up the phone and started to put her coat on.

"You're going over there? Don't you think you should let Taylor and Ryan talk by themselves?"

Summer huffed, now Seth wanted to be the voice of reason?

"Ryan's not there, and Taylor's been crying. I'm going over to be there for my friend." Summer picked up her bag and keys off the table and hurried out the door.

"Oh boy." Seth walked back to the couch, picked up his cell and rang Ryan again.

No answer. Well, now he was worried about Ryan.

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The first time Summer had attempted to strangle Ryan, she had been warning him about a French shark that was circling, and telling him to not to choke when he told Taylor how he felt. That was at the very beginning of Ryan and Taylor's relationship.

The second time she attempted to put her hands around his neck was only a few months ago, again telling him not to choke. Although, the second attempt came with an extra warning; Taylor was her best friend, and even though Taylor believed she could deal with everything herself, heck she'd been doing it for years before she could label someone as a friend who'd be there for her, Summer was always going to be in her corner.

As she helped Ryan, she warned him that Taylor's happiness was going to be in his hands forever, and if he did ever hurt Taylor then she, Summer, wouldn't hesitate to hurt him.

After all it was only fair.

Now, as she looked at her hands she wondered if they were big enough to fit around his neck. It was probably the one and only time she'd be thankful for the usually unwanted side effect of pregnancy and she was just about angry enough to give it a try. Absentmindedly she ran her hands over her stomach.

"So, what do you think, baby? Does Uncle Ryan deserve a good choking?"

She wasn't expecting an answer from her baby, besides she had already made up her mind.

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Summer let herself into Ryan and Taylor's apartment; she and Seth had been given a key for emergencies, and this definitely qualified as an emergency. She found Taylor still in her pyjamas, flicking aimlessly through the channels on the TV.

Summer sat down next to her and for a while watched as picture after random picture flicked up on the screen. Neither spoke, until eventually Summer gently removed the TV control from Taylor's grasp and turned it off.

She ran her hand up and down her friends arm in a gesture of comfort, to let her know she wasn't alone.

"Sarah said she found her Ryan at the party, some guy that she got talking to and clicked with. She thinks he's The One." Taylor was still looking ahead at the blank screen.

"That's nice."

"He also has a kid. Isn't that funny? Her 'Ryan' also having a child by another woman?"

"Ummm, yeah." Summer was unsure of how to answer.

She had never seen Taylor like this before, not when Taylor had assumed Ryan thought she was weird, not when he told her they were too different, and not even when she had argued with Ryan at her first ever birthday party.

No, this was something new. And why shouldn't it be considering the situation.

"I had to laugh or I'd…"

"End up crying?" Summer finished for her.

"Yeah." Taylor turned at looked at Summer for the first time. Her eyes were puffy and her cheeks and the tip of her nose were slightly red. She had definitely been crying.

"Oh, sweetie." Summer leaned over and pulled Taylor in as close as she could, she continued her gesture of comfort up and down Taylor's back. She heard Taylor's breath hitch and her body give a little shudder before she took deep calming breaths.

"It's alright if you wanna cry you know, it'll be totally understandable."

"No, I hate that I've cried already," Taylor pulled back from Summer, "I never cry, it's unproductive. Crying never solves anything; tears never change anything. They are just an unhelpful waste of time."

"Not totally unhelpful, didn't they make you feel even a little better?" She nudged her shoulder against Taylor's, getting what she aimed for.

"A bit." Taylor replied with a weak smile.

"How about I make us some tea, and then you can tell me what happened?"

"Yeah. Thanks Sum, I'd like that."

Summer brought back two mugs, placing one on the coffee table and handing the other to Taylor, who took a small sip.

"This isn't tea."

"No, it's honey and lemon. It helps with the throat, you were sounding a little croakey." Summer informed her.

"Great, I probably look just as bad too." Taylor pushed back her bangs from her eyes and ran her hand over her face. She took another sip of her drink, Summer was right, it did help.

"Ryan and I had a fight."

"About…" Summer prodded, although she already had a pretty good idea what about.

"Theresa, Ryan, well…the other Ryan I mean. We talked and he told me everything, it was going fine, and he was opening up. But then I asked him if he was going to ask for a paternity test, to make sure that Theresa was telling the truth and that Ryan really was his and he just cut me off."

"He's feels he left too easily, that he should have gone back to her instead of straight back to Newport. He's blaming himself for her mistakes." Taylor sighed and shook her head.

"She's the one that lied and yet somehow he's managed to twist it all on himself, finding a way to excuse her lying. And I'm worry that his guilt and excuses are blinding him from everything else, from matters that are really important."

"And he wouldn't listen to you?"

"No, all I was doing was trying to be the voice of reason. I was thinking about the things I knew he wouldn't be, and he just didn't want to know. I'm scared Summer, I don't know what this is going to mean for us, for our future. This changes so much and it's like Ryan has gone five steps ahead and left me behind."

"I'm sure it's not like that, Taylor, I know Ryan loves you. He hasn't left you behind, he may have jumped in with both feet but he's Ryan, it's what he does. And like you said he wouldn't be thinking about these things because he's probably feeling guilty."

Taylor reached for her cup again, thinking of how to word the way that she was feeling; how to say it in a way that made sense.

"A part of me feels like Ryan doesn't want to take a test because it might not be what he wants."

" He's in shock and isn't thinking clearly. He needs time to come to terms with everything, then maybe he'll realise he should take the test." Summer wasn't entirely sure she understood the meaning behind Taylor's words. If Taylor meant what she was thinking, or something else altogether.

"I'm worried that by that time, it'll be too late."

"Too late for what?"

"Too late to go back."

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Summer had got Taylor to open up about her fight with Ryan, but she could tell that Taylor didn't want to talk about everything. Not wanting to push, she sent Taylor for a shower instead, even though her friend's cryptic reply had left more worried than before she had arrived.

The kettle in front of Summer clicked as it finished boiling, pulling her out of her thoughts. She poured the boiling water over the lemon and added in two spoonfuls of honey.

"I hope you've come with a decent apology." She continued to stir the mixture in front of her.

"How did you know I was here?"

"Sixth sense." Summer turned and regarded Ryan as he stood at a distance from her. "Flowers? Well, it's a step up from a stuffed bear and sweets, but I don't think it's gonna cut it this time."

"It was the best I could do." He shrugged.

Summer merely raised an eyebrow and nodded her head once.

"Where is she?"

"In the shower."

"She, uh, tell you what happened?" Ryan asked, still keeping himself at a distance.

Summer found that to be quite amusing, he had obviously spoken to Seth.

"Some of it, yeah. And you know what Atwood? You're a bigger idiot then Seth at times. I'm wondering if you two trade tips on how to screw things up, or is it in the Seth/Ryan code book or something?"

"How does everyone know about this code book?"

"Focus." Summer snapped. "You really hurt Taylor today. She's on your side, looking out for you and you pushed her away. I thought you of all people would know how Taylor would take that."

"I know, I know. Look, shutting her out wasn't my finest moment, but cut me some slack, Summer. I didn't intentionally want to hurt her, I'm just a little overwhelmed right now."

"Then let her help you. You don't have to go through this all on your own. You have people that care about you; they'll help you get through this. But you've got to be the one to let them do that."

"I don't know if I can. This thing…it's complicated. I don't know if she'll understand."

"Well, un-complicate things. Go and talk to her." Summer walked towards Ryan and put down the cup on the side.

Ryan looked slightly scared and his eyes darted around, as if looking for an escape.

"You're not gonna try and strangle me are you?" He asked, taking a couple of steps back.

"No, not today anyway." Summer slid the cup over to Ryan, "Go! Apologise and give her a chance to understand. She never will, if you don't try."

TBC

Because I took so long to update even though I promised to be quicker, I'm going to post another update tomorrow, full of TownWood goodness!

Reviews for this chapter though are still most definitely wanted!