A/N: This is the second last chapter in my little saga and is quite long. Although I had always planned to approach the end of the story in this way, there are parts of it I'm still not happy with. Constructive criticism always appreciated. No flames, please. Warmest apprecition to all my reviewers.

Lisa

Chapter 33

Despite all the excitement of the past three months, Seth and Summer had managed to live a relatively quiet and normal existence for the duration of her pregnancy. Now it was their turn to be the center of the drama, and it was all good.

"Breathe, my little dim sum, hoo hoo hoo" there was something so ridiculous about how Seth sounded while coaching Summer through a contraction.

"Cohen, hoo, you are, hoo, sooo not coming near me, hoo, for like years after this kid is born, hoo, hoo" she panted.

"You said that after Theresa got pregnant and yet you still ended up with a pregnancy test on New Years Eve when you came back from Brown. I'm sure my powers of persuasion will prevail" he tapped his fingers in anticipation.

"Ew, the last thing I wanna think about Cohen." Summer began to pant through another contraction. Seth settled by her side and took her hand as he coached once again. He couldn't believe how beautiful she looked, and chuckled to himself at what she would say if he told her that. 'My hair is disgusting; I look like a whale; I haven't seen my feet in eons'. So he thought it to himself and continued his absurd imitation of a woman in labor breathing.

After eleven hours of labor, including Seth almost fainting when the epidural needle was inserted in Summer's back, the younger Cohen couple finally became the proud parents of a bouncing baby boy with an incredible mop of black hair and the deepest brown eyes. He was the perfect mix of his mother and father, and they both wept with joy as Seth cut the umbilical chord and their son was placed on Summer's chest. They took some time to enjoy the moment privately before Seth kissed his wife on the cheek and his son on the forehead and got up from sitting beside Summer on the bed.

"I guess I should go announce his arrival to the waiting masses, huh?" he smiled.

"Yep, but tell them to give me about fifteen minutes to pull myself together"

"Ok" he started to leave

"…and only a couple at a time. I can't handle them all at once."

"All right" he smiled at her as he turned to leave again

"…and…" Seth turned again with a raised eyebrow to hear her next demand. "I love you" she whispered as the tears came again. Damn hormones.

"I love you too. I'll be back soon" he kissed her again and managed to actually get out of the room this time.

When he walked into the family waiting room, he had a few moments to observe each of the people there anxiously waiting for news of the latest Cohen before they even noticed him. He reflected on what each of them had been through in the last three months, and it made this moment all the more special.

First there was Sandy and Kirsten, Mom and Dad, who sat with little miss Sophie on Sandy's knee and Nate in between the two of them. Their unwavering support for all their children was the backbone of this unconventional family of step, half and adopted relatives, and now they were adding a fourth child to their nuclear unit. Nathaniel Davies, now soon to be Nathaniel Cohen, What a roller coaster ride that poor kid had been given by his mom and the system.

A week after Ryan and Marissa had returned from Newport Beach, Marissa's manager had assumed Nate's case and had deemed that under the circumstances, it was not appropriate for Nate to remain at Ryan's. Apparently, a single male striving to build his own business and embark on a committed relationship with a great woman was not enough. Ryan had protested furiously and Marissa had tried to use any professional pull she had left. In the end, social services had decided that it would be difficult for Ryan to devote the time to Nate that was required because he was a single male, running a business and dealing with personal issues with his girlfriend. His willingness and ultimately suitability were never in question, but the irony of the situation was not lost on anyone.

As if that weren't enough, a day after that news came and they were preparing for his departure, Nate was dealt another devastating blow. His mother was found dead of a drug overdose in a motel room. The death was reported by none other than Christina, his former girlfriend, who had ended up working the same corner as Nate's mom as a prostitute, and the girl and woman had become friends, co-workers, and fellow junkies.

Ryan and Nate went together to identify the body at the morgue and Christina was there. Nate was naturally upset at the death of his mother, but he felt a more profound loss for Christina. The innocent girl he had loved and promised to take care of at the tender age of fourteen was nowhere to be found in the overly made up, high-as-a-kite, world-weary female before him. She looked him up and down like he was something stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

"You sold out to the rich folk, huh?" she masticated with a mouthful of bubble gum.

"No, I just chose a better life. I got lucky, and I'm grateful" he snapped back.

"I can help you find a place to stay, get clean, get off the streets." Ryan interjected.

"No thanks. I'm no one's charity case. I've got my life and my freedom. I don't need to sell out. I'll do just fine. They'll find me another foster home and I'll run away from that one too. Sorry about your mom, Nate. Have a nice life" she finished coldly as she got up and walked away from them.

Nate hung his head and shook it dejectedly. Ryan placed a comforting arm around his shoulder and led him to where they were to go and identify his mother's body. Nate looked up at Ryan with tears in his eyes.

"Ryan, don't let them put me in a home. I want to stay with you. I've never felt like part of a real family until now. I don't want to end up like that. Why won't they let me stay with you?" Nate broke down in full heart-wrenching sobs as the weight of his problems came crashing down on him. Ryan had done his best to calm him enough for them to get through the identification and had left Nate briefly while he signed some paperwork as the deceased's next of kin. In that brief moment, Ryan had made a phone call to the one person he knew could fix anything, and within a week it was fixed.

Sandy had taken Ryan's call and agreed to do what he could to make things right for Nate. Ryan had expressed to Sandy his feeling of failure at not being able to follow through on his 'pay it forward' plan, and Sandy had reminded him of the facts.

"Listen, Kid. That boy would be God knows where, into God knows what, if you hadn't reached out to him. So the fact that he won't live at your house is a moot point. You still saved him and you're still trying."

When Sandy presented the problem to Kirsten, she responded with the most surprising solution.

"Why don't we adopt him, Sandy?" she said matter-of-factly.

"Adopt him? Really?" Sandy could not believe that it was Kirsten suggesting what he had already thought to be the best solution.

"Sure, he's a great kid, Sophie would love to have him around, and we'll be back to two kids in the house again." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek as she draped her arms around his neck.

Sandy and Kirsten had no trouble obtaining approval from Social Services and the final adoption paperwork was due any day. Ryan was disappointed that he was not able to fulfill his responsibility as he had intended, but was thrilled that Nate would remain in the family. Nate was beside himself and could not have been happier. Since he had spent so much time with Sandy and Kirsten when he first arrived, he felt more at home there anyway, and liked thinking of Ryan more as a brother than a father-figure.

Seth scanned past the newly formed family of four who were watching Sophie and Kirsten play cat's cradle with some string, to the next person in the chair. Kaitlin Cooper, mini Coop. She would be returning to Harvard soon when the fall semester began. He was glad she would be able to see his son before she left. She definitely had not had the summer she expected.

Ryan and Marissa were enjoying their drive home together from Newport Beach talking about all kinds of things when Ryan's cell phone had buzzed in the hands-free cradle. The caller ID said Kaitlin. Ryan placed a finger to his mouth to hush Marissa, and pushed the button.

"Kaits! How's my favorite kinda, sorta sister?" He sounded a little false, he thought and hoped she didn't pick up on it.

"Ryan!! Cut the bullshit!!! How could you not tell me!! I thought you would at least have called me." Kaitlin yelled into the phone. There was a long pause in which Ryan tried to formulate his words carefully to explain why he had not told Kaitlin that her sister was not dead. Before he could, Kaitlin continued. "How could you not tell me you broke up with Taylor? I had to hear it from mom!"

Marissa covered her mouth to stifle any sound she might make and Ryan quickly recovered.

"Yeah, well, it kinda only happened on Thursday, so I just wanted to take some time before sharing, ya know?" He looked at Marissa and then continued. "I think it was for the best though. I don't think I really loved Taylor the way she wanted or deserved to be and it's better we found out now than after we got married."

"So what did you do the whole weekend, brood in your oh-so Atwood way?" she giggled and the comment also made Marissa giggle which Kaitlin heard. "Who's that with you? Did you go out and find some random to drown your sorrows? Oh my god, Ryan, it took you no time to get sowing those oats you've been missing out on all this time."

"Uh no, not some random." Ryan stated. He decided to pull off the road, held Marissa's hand tightly and once again asked a question with his eyes. As always, whatever he was asking, she knew what it was and she nodded.

"Kaits, I'm with Marissa." Silence.

"Kaitlin?" Marissa asked.

"Oh my god, I'm on the next flight" and the line went dead.

Kaitlin had been staying at Marissa's ever since. Her reunion with Marissa was touching and tearful. There was no teen jealousy or sinister competitiveness, just two sisters glad to have found each other again. Her reunion with Julie was not so serene.

"Mom! How could you?" Kaitlin screamed as she stormed into Julie's house late that evening.

"Kaitlin. What are you doing here?" Julie wanted to talk to her on the phone, not do this face to face.

"I called Ryan to give him my condolences about Taylor, and he's with MARISSA!!! How the hell did that happen? Only one explanation, the Julie fucking Cooper magic."

"Kaitlin, I know you're an adult now, but please watch your language and keep your voice down. Jamie's upstairs sleeping."

"And that's another thing! Don't you think Jamie deserves to have all his sisters, not just the one's who have their memory and that his mother hasn't banished to an alternate life?" Kaitlin was on a roll.

"Kaitlin, will you let me explain?" Julie pleaded.

"No. I just wanted you to know that I was here and I know. I'm going to stay at Ryan's or maybe Marissa's, it depends where they end up. I'd rather get to know my sister again than have anything to do with you right now." Kaitlin slammed the door and stormed out. Julie collapsed to her knees on the floor and cried. What had she done?

A little voice reminded her of the devastating impact of her actions once again.

"Mommy, why is everybody mad at you right now?" Julie looked up to see Jamie at the top of the stairs.

"Baby, Mommy just did something bad that upset some people, but I'm going to fix it and say I'm sorry just like we talked about when you do something that's not nice, and everything will be fine. Get back into bed and I'll come tuck you in in a minute."

"Ok Mommy. It's ok. I love you." Jamie trotted back to his room.

Julie once again began convulsing with sobs of regret and remorse. She felt such a failure. She had let each of her three children down to varying degrees at some time in their life. It was now time to set things right. Julie's worst fear was that she had now irreparably damaged her family to the point of no return. Since the girls' father, Jimmy had disappeared off the face of the earth without a trace about four years ago, it was all down to her to hold her family together and swallow what was left of her pride. She needed to fix things and she would. She had an idea, but she would need Seth of all people to help her.

Seth moved to the next chair. If anyone had told him three months ago, that Julie Cooper would not only be with everyone for the birth of his child, but sat between her two daughters with her son on her knee, he would have sworn Captain Oats was a goat first. Yet there they all were talking to each other, smiling, laughing and including Ryan. What a nice little family unit they made. Not so much when Ryan and Marissa first got back from Newport. That was the day that Julie had reached out to him with the most bizarre request. He knew that a reconciliation was the only way everyone could move on with their lives, so he had agreed to help her.

There had been some awkward moments in the week following Ryan and Marissa's return from Newport. First there had been picking up Nate from Sandy and Kirsten's. Ryan fully intended to take Nate home with him that night, but it was almost 9:00 p.m. and Kirsten had convinced him to leave Nate with them for one more night. She had got him to sign the school papers and told him she would see to it Nate went to school on Tuesday.

The second awkward moment had occurred when Ryan and Marissa had decided to stop by Seth and Summer's on the way to Marissa's house. They had agreed not to mention anything about what they had been doing all weekend, but just wanted to check in with their best friends. That plan had gone out the window as soon as they were all standing in the young Cohen couple's kitchen.

"So you guys have been doing the horizontal mamba all weekend, huh?" Seth said to open the conversation.

"Ew, Cohen!! Why do you always do that? What is your freakin' fascination with their sex life? It's been going on since high school!!"

Ryan and Marissa both visibly blushed, but remained silent.

"What?" Seth protested. "They obviously weren't going to say anything, but it's written all over their faces. I just wanted them to know that their love is apparent and they should not hide it." He smirked with satisfaction.

"We weren't going to hide it…" Ryan started defensively.

"…we just weren't going to share it…just yet." Marissa finished.

"Aw, that's so cute" said Summer. "You guys are finishing each other's sentences already."

"Ok…so, we're home, we're safe, don't tell anyone about us and we're outta here." Ryan grabbed Marissa's hand and dragged her out of the house.

"That wasn't awkward at all" said Summer as she watched the couple leave and smacked Seth over the back of the head.

Although, there were a few other awkward moments over that first week related to Ryan and Marissa actually being a couple again and revealing that fact to Sandy and Kirsten, as well as finding 'alone' time with Nate around, the final awkward moment made all the other pale in comparison.

The Saturday after Ryan and Marissa returned, they were invited to a party at Seth and Summer's to really celebrate Marissa's return. All the Cohen's were there as well as Kaitlin and Nate. Everyone was talking and laughing and Marissa was recalling all that she remembered, which now appeared to be just about everything. Seth had suggested they watch a slide show of pictures from high school which he had conveniently already set up in the living room.

The whole group sat down to watch, and it created some laughter and tears to remember their days as the Fantastic Four in Newport. Then the pictures changed to drawings with Seth's characters from his comic book, Atomic County. He had put together a comic strip to tell the story of the Fantastic Four up to the present. The Ironist, Kid Chino, Little Miss Vixen and Cosmo Girl all had their parts to play as did the Ice Queen, and the Litigator.

Everyone was laughing and joking about the adventures of the Fantastic Four, both real and imagined by Seth in his comic book, but then the mood had changed when Cosmo Girl was in a car accident with Kid Chino and was thought to be dead, a notion apparently perpetuated by Cosmo Girl's mother, the Black Widow.

There had been some looks of confusion from the spectators, and a distinct look of disappointment from Ryan who couldn't believe Seth would turn such an occasion for celebration into something so sad…and awkward. The uncomfortable silence that blanketed the room remained and became more intense as the slides continued telling the story of the Black Widow and her plan to save Cosmo Girl from herself, as well as deal with the troubles in her own life.

Seth had captured the turmoil the Black Widow had endured with trying to be with Cosmo Girl during her recovery while trying to protect her from returning to a life she believed to be damaging to her. All the while, still managing to build a better relationship with her other daughter, giving birth to a son, and marrying and subsequently divorcing her son's father who had become a drunk and abusive. In Atomic County, the Black Widow's husband had found Cosmo Girl's magic flask. Believing he could have her special powers, he drank from it, only to find that the magic was that it intensified whatever feelings already existed. If you were inherently good, the magic flask made you better, if you weren't, the results were disastrous.

The story of the Black Widow continued, showing how through everything she had managed to get her college degree, and moved to be near her friends the Ice Queen and the Litigator. She developed a touching relationship with Kid Chino, who although she had thought he was the cause of Cosmo Girl's problems, turned out to be one of the best guys she's ever met. The comic strip conveyed the struggle she had had over the years as to whether to reveal her secret to Kid Chino and let the truth come out.

And so it went on, Seth had created a comic strip of everything that Julie had tried to explain with words, but the anger and disappointment of those affected by her actions had not allowed her words to penetrate them or hold any real sincerity for them. Marissa was squeezing Ryan's hand so hard as they watched that he had to peel her fingers away with his other hand just to start his circulation again. The last slide was a replica of the scene that had played out in Julie's hallway when Kaitlin had returned.

The Black Widow was collapsed on the floor crying inconsolably, and her young little boy wanted to know why everyone was so mad at her, and her declaration that she had done some bad things, but she was going to make it right.

When the lights came on, there was still a stunned silence and very few dry eyes. Marissa was holding on to Ryan and Kaitlin so tightly and the tears were streaming down the Cooper girls' faces. Even Ryan had felt the lump in his throat. As they all adjusted to the lights being on and thought about challenging Seth's reasoning for showing such a thing, a figure appeared in the doorway.

She was dressed simply in jeans and a sweater with her hair pulled back in a pony tail. Any attempt that had been made to cover the dark circles under her eyes with make up had long since been washed away with the next flood of tears the remnants of which still evident in her eyes. The sight of her mother exposed and vulnerable as she had never seen her before was enough for Kaitlin to get up off the couch and hug Julie tightly. She had yet to still fully comprehend Julie's reasons, but Kaitlin knew that Julie was hurting and suffering for what she'd done and this was her way of trying to make things right again.

When Julie broke from the hug with Kaitlin her eyes searched the room for acceptance from all in attendance. She received nods from Kirsten, Sandy, and Summer, and exchanged a nod and smile of deep appreciation with Seth. She did not get any eye contact from Ryan or Marissa who both still sat on the couch, holding hands, looking down at the floor. Julie moved to stand in front of them and knelt down.

"I'm sorry" she whispered in front of them.

Ryan squeezed Marissa's hand and wiped his eyes with the thumb and forefinger of his other hand, pinching the bridge of his nose as he finished.

"What makes you think that's going to cut it?" he said coldly and quietly.

"Nothing makes me think anything I say or do now could possibly move you to forgive me, either of you" her voice cracked with emotion as she spoke. "I just want you to know, that I know what I did was wrong and stupid on the most gigantic scale imaginable, but at the time it seemed logical to me. I wasn't thinking about the future or how anyone's lives would be affected by the decisions I was making. I just wanted to make your pain go away" she reached to touch Marissa's hand. Marissa flinched as she touched it but did not pull away.

"I know I did make your pain go away for a while, and I saw Ryan was with Taylor so as many times as I thought I should tell everyone the truth, I thought it would only make things worse again. I know this last week or so hasn't exactly been a picnic, but we can all heal and move on. I don't expect you to forgive me immediately, or ever. All I'm asking for is the chance to be a part of your life again. Both your lives." She reached for Ryan's hand who quickly pulled his away.

"Mom" Marissa started through a cascade of tears. "I can't even begin to put into words the emotions I have gone through over the last week and half. What I can tell you is that I've spent too much time over the last few years lamenting the fact that I really had no family. Now I do, and I don't want to lose that again. I want to do a lot more talking, but I'm willing to try."

"Oh, honey, thank you" Julie's tears began flowing freely again as she turned to Ryan.

"I'm sorry, I can't" he began after a long silence. "I will support Marissa in whatever she wants to do, but I just…there's too much. It's not only about not telling Marissa, or not telling me. There's my lost summer, there's Volchok and Mexico, my dad, Jamie. I need time." He got up to leave but he was stopped by Sandy.

"Oh no you don't." Sandy said sternly.

"Sandy, not now, please" Ryan pleaded trying to get past him.

"Ryan, I get it, I do. You're mad at Julie for…well everything. You're mad at me for what you see at betraying you, but all any of it is about is caring about you, loving you, wanting you to heal. And you are not going to do that by going back to the days of Ryan Atwood brooding by himself. You are going to talk and you are going to listen and things are going to be fine." Sandy pulled Ryan into a tight hug. It took a few moments, but Ryan responded by hugging back and resting his head on Sandy's shoulder.

From that night, it had been a slow process, but wounds had slowly started to heal. Ryan and Julie had been able to work together while working through their personal issues and had even landed two more extremely lucrative contracts. Marissa had spent as much time with Julie as she could and they had become friends again, just like they were when she was just 'Aunt Julie'. Ryan's road to healing with Julie on the personal front was slower, but they were working on it. The scene in the hospital waiting room was proof of that.

Seth contemplated Ryan and Marissa as he came to the end of the line of people waiting to hear his news. He'd never seen them so happy and normal in all the time they were together in high school and it was under the most abnormal circumstances. He watched Marissa as she laughed with Julie as she was hugging Ryan's arm as she leaned against him. She seemed different somehow and he thought he knew what it was.

"Hey" he said jolting everyone from their individual conversations.

"How's Summer"

"What is it?"

"Is it healthy?"

"Do you have a name?"

The questions came fast and furious and he wasn't even sure who was asking which question. He moved to stand in front of them and smiled the broadest smile.

"I would like to announce the arrival of Robert Sanford Cohen. He weighs whopping 9lbs 4oz. Despite that, Summer is doing fine, although don't mention any more children when you see her for at least the next oh….ten years" he chuckled. The group gathered to hug him one at a time. Marissa was the last one he hugged and he whispered in her ear.

"Have you told Ryan yet?" Marissa looked at Seth surprised, but knew that he knew her secret. She shook her head and kissed Seth on the cheek.

"Congratulations" she whispered.