Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.

Summary: Ryan Atwood has an emotionally traumatized twin sister . . . and her new boyfriend is Sam Winchester. What is a boy lost within the darkside knwon as Newport Beach to do?

Chapter 1

Ryan Atwood held his sister, Rhiannon's, hand tightly as Trey led the twins down a dark alley. At the sight of an old Camaro, Trey's lips curved into a small smile. "I'm your big brother, Ryan. If I didn't teach you this, who would?"

Ryan looked uncertain and pulled his sister into the comforting circle of his arms. Her blue eyes, so like those of her two brothers, were wide and frightened and Ryan could hear her starting to hyperventilate. "Man, what about Stardust? She's totally freaked out."

Trey reached out and pulled the youngest Atwood away from Ryan, smoothing down an errant lock of platinum hair for which the girl had been nicknamed, feeling the girl settle at the tenderness in his touch. He kissed her head gently and pushed her back into Ryan's arms, before raising the crowbar in his hand. "Stardust's fine. Come on, Ryan. Don't be such a baby."

Rhiannon let out a small scream, her hands flying to cover her ears as Trey used the crowbar to smash in the window. "Get in, kiddies, let's go for a ride."

Rhiannon gripped her brother's arm, before Trey pushed her gently into the backseat. "Get in, Ryan. Don't be such a bitch!"

"Don't swear in front of her," Ryan snapped, just as a cop car drove past the mouth of the alley. He held his breath, seeing the car back up, lights flashing. Running alongside the now moving car, Ryan hopped into the front seat, not having much of a choice otherwise. Rhiannon whimpered as Trey careened through the streets, her hands pressing tightly against her temples.

Finally Trey lost control of the car, sending it spinning into a transformer. Cops all around pulled the two boys from the car, throwing them against the hood and handcuffing their wrists behind their back. Both brothers knew the instant a cop grabbed Rhiannon. The girl screamed, fighting and kicking to get away. Ryan moved toward her, shouting, "Don't touch her!"

The cop holding him cuffed him up the head, causing him to see stars. Trey and Ryan were put into two separate cars, forced to listen as their sister screamed in terror. They drove away and their sister's cries faded away, leaving both feeling as though they'd failed her somehow.

Hours later, Ryan was led into a brightly lit room where a man surrounded by files and dressed in a suit sat waiting for him. He looked up as the cop uncuffed the teen, holding out a hand. "Ryan. Sandy Cohen. I've been assigned your attorney from the PD's office." Ryan only ignored him, taking a seat as Sandy remarked idly, "You could do worse."

Ryan's voice was monotone as he questioned. "Where's my brother?"

"Trey is over 18, with multiple priors, a gun in his pants and an ounce of pot in his pocket. Trey's looking at anywhere from three to five years. But Trey's not my problem."

"And my sister?"

Sandy looked uncomfortable at the question. "They put your sister in a psych ward."

"What!?" Ryan shouted, lunging away from the table. "She's not crazy!"

"She was hysterical. She fought the cops and she spoke muddled gibberish."

"She was upset. You try getting raped at the age of ten by someone who was supposed to protect you and tell me how you react. She doesn't like to be touched. Trey and I promised to protect her," Ryan shouted, watching as Sandy waved away the cops who had come to subdue him

"Why didn't you get her help?"

"Yeah, like we have the money for a therapist." Ryan remarked snidely, sitting back down and crossing his arms petulantly. "She's not crazy. She's the smartest one of the three of us."

Sandy made a small sound in the back of his throat, checking over Ryan's file. "I'll see what I can do about your sister. In the meantime, you're my concern. This is your first time in lock-up. I'm assuming your not planning on coming back. Your grades are not great. Suspended twice for fighting, three times for truancy. But your test scores? Ryan, 98th percentile? Have you considered college?"

Ryan let out a low snort, sounding derisive. "Have you thought about your future at all?"

"Modern medicine is advancing to the point where the average human lifespan will be 100." Sandy stared at the kid in front of him as he recited little known facts that a kid in his position wouldn't have ever known unless they'd looked it up. To say that the attorney was impressed was an understatement.

"I can plea this down to a misdemeanor. Petty fine, six months probation. But know this, stealing a car because your big brother told you to, it's stupid. And then having your emotionally traumatized sister along with you? That's even stupider. I'll talk to the DA's office and get your sister out of the psych ward, and see what I can't find for some counseling for her. But you're a smart kid, Ryan. And you have to have some kind of plan for your future."

Ryan leaned forward. "Where I come from, having a dream don't make you smart. Knowing it won't come true, does."

Half an hour later, Sandy and Ryan stood outside the Juvenile Detention Center. Sandy had pulled a few favors and gotten Rhiannon released. The two siblings would be meeting up there. Pretty soon, Ryan could see his little sister coming toward him. She was hugging herself tightly, her head down to avoid eye contact, Ryan's too-big sweatshirt hanging off her body. "Stardust!" he called, dodging around people to get to her.

The second Ryan touched her, his sister screamed, scrambling backward toward the wall. Ryan went after her, pulling her into his arms and tucking her under his chin, his voice soft and low as he talked to her. "Stardust, it's all right. It's me, Ryan."

Sandy watched as his client talked the younger teenager down from her fit, until she was sobbing into his chest. Ryan held her close, kissing her temple and smoothing her curls. "Come on. Come on, walk with me," he cajoled, leading her back to where Sandy stood. Rhiannon saw the unknown man and started to scramble backwards again, fighting Ryan's embrace, her head shaking a fierce denial. "It's all right . . . he won't touch you, Stardust. I promise. I won't let him."

Rhiannon looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with tears. Ryan kissed her temple, before looking at Sandy. "Mr. Cohen, this is my sister, Rhiannon. We all call her Stardust. Stardust, this is my attorney, Mr. Cohen."

She nodded at the older man, before jumping at the sound of a car careening into the parking lot. "Mom," she murmured, ducking behind Ryan so that he was between her and their mother.

"Damn it, Ryan!" the curling haired blond shouted as she climbed from the car. "What the hell did I do to deserve this family? Huh?" Catching sight of her daughter, she shouted, "And you! Why couldn't they have kept you in a damned psych ward! I wouldn't have to look at your useless face again."

Rhiannon whimpered, her hands gripping Ryan's jacket tighter. Sandy saw that the girl was discomfited, stepping forward to introduce himself to the woman. "Mrs. Atwood, I'm Sandy Cohen, Ryan and Rhiannon's attorney."

"You shoulda left him to rot in there. Just like his father's doing and like his brother will be. And you shoulda left her where they put her. The crazy little bitch!"

Ryan growled, "Don't talk about her like that. If you wouldn't have turned your back on Mike, she wouldn't be like this."

"Mike was a good guy. And he took care of me."

Ryan snorted, keeping his sister behind him. The blond lost her temper, shouting, "Get in. Both of you."

Ryan pushed the seat forward, helping Rhiannon step into the car and strap in. "You okay?" he asked her quietly, getting a frantic nod in return.

Sandy stepped forward as Ryan leaned back out of the car. "I'm gonna give you my card. And my home number. If you need any help, just give me a call, all right?"

Ryan looked at the man confused, before nodding. "Thanks."

"Get in, Ryan! Now!"

"All right!" Ryan shouted back, before taking the business card and climbing into the front seat.

Sandy watched sadly, pondering the two teenagers' fate as the car drove away. At the Atwood home, Rhiannon ran for her room, getting out from under Dawn's boyfriend, AJ's, leering eyes and away from her mother's harsh tone and cruel words. "I can't do this anymore Ryan."

"Mom, I'm sorry."

"I want you out of my house. You and your sister both."

"Where are we supposed to go?"

"I don't care where you go, but I want you out."

Ryan could see his sister standing at the corner of the hallway, her blue eyes focused on him as he and his mother shouted at each other. Finally AJ broke up the fight, "You heard your mother, kid. Get out."

"This isn't your house, man. So why don't you go take care of your own kids instead of mouching off my mom?"

Dimly Ryan heard his sister scream as AJ swung, connecting solidly with Ryan's face. Ryan went down, over before the fight began, as AJ grabbed him by the back of the shirt and by the seat of his pants, throwing the teen down the hallway toward the room he shared with his sister and brother. Rhiannon grabbed his arm, pulling him up and down the hallway. She slammed the door, locking it and putting her back to it. "Ryan, we gotta get out," she said, her eyes lucid and her words clear.

Ryan nodded, grabbing his backpack and shoving his clothes into it. Emptying his sister's backpack, he packed for her too. Handing her the pack, he took her hand and pulled her quickly through the main part of the house. Rhiannon kept her head down, following Ryan at a quick trot. Ryan grabbed his bike, straddling it and letting his sister climb onto the pegs, before kicking off. Stopping in front of a liquor store, Ryan helped his sister down. "I'm gonna call a few people, okay? I'll try to find somewhere for us to stay tonight. Why don't you sit down and read something, okay?"

After twenty different phone calls, Ryan was still no closer to finding somewhere safe for his sister to stay that night. Backing away, his eyes unconsciously trailed to where his sister sat absorbed in a rather dog-eared copy of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. She's the smartest one of the three of us. Rifling through his pockets, he found the wrinkled business card. Dialing one last time, he made the last call he would be able to make.

An hour later, he sat on the divider wall, with Rhiannon sitting between his legs, reading aloud to him. Her attention was completely on her book, while Ryan's drifted to the cars that drove past. Pretty soon, a black Rolls Royce pulled into the parking lot. Sandy's amiable face was creased with a smile as he joked, "I told you, you could do worse."

Rhiannon looked up at Ryan, unsure. Ryan kissed her forehead, murmuring, "It's just until Monday, okay?"

She nodded, letting Ryan hand her into the backseat. Sandy watched fascinated as Ryan crouched outside the car and handed the girl her book. "Keep reading, Stardust. I'm listening."

She nodded again, focusing on the book before her. Ryan stood and helped Sandy fit his bike in the back. "You're good with her," Sandy commented lowly, trying not to alert the teenager that they were discussing her.

Ryan smiled slightly, the first facial expression the lawyer had seen from the teenager. "She's made of stardust and she's my twin sister. I'd protect her from everything that threatened her if I could. I only wish Trey and I could have protected her from Mike. She'd be a lot different, I think."

Sandy smiled, closing the trunk as much as it would close, before moving toward the driver's side. Ryan climbed into the passenger side seat and twisted in his seat to brush at a lock of hair that had fallen into his sister's face. "Stardust? You okay?"

She nodded, turning the page of her book. "I'm okay, Ryan."

"That's my girl," he teased gently.

Her smile was brilliant and blinding, turning the otherwise mousy child into a striking young beauty. Turning to Sandy, Ryan nodded once. "All right. We're ready to go."

Sandy smiled and pulled out of the parking lot. Soon the graffiti-covered streets of Chino faded into glistening oceans and the high-priced homes of Newport Beach. "Nice place," Ryan mused absently, listening to his sister recite Shakespeare aloud to keep calm. Glancing in the rearview mirror, Ryan noticed that her eyes were scrunched together as though the light was hurting her. "Stardust?"

"Headache," was all she said, looking up at Ryan with frightened eyes. Ryan could understand her fear. The two of them had always been driven hardest, and pain was something they learned quickly to live with.

Ryan smiled at her, taking the book gently and snapping it closed. "Mr. Cohen? Do you have any aspirin?"

"Yeah. There's some in my briefcase."

Ryan nodded and shook out two pills, handing them to his sister. "Thanks, Ryan," she whispered.

"You're welcome, Stardust. You know some stuff by heart. Why don't you recite that to me, okay?"

She nodded, starting to recite Machiavelli's The Prince. "Those who desire to win the favor of princes generally endeavor to do so by offering them those things which they themselves prize most, or such as they observe the prince to delight in most."

Sandy's eyes flashed to Ryan. "What is this?"

"The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli."

"She knows this by heart?"

"I told you she was smart. English, books and literature keep her grounded and relatively sane. Trey and I bought or stole as many books as we could for her."

Sandy nodded as Ryan glanced around the interior of the car. "This is a nice car. I didn't know your kind of lawyer made money."

"Oh, we don't." Sandy reassured him, before smiling. "But my wife does."

Ryan stared out of the window as Sandy pulled the car up a long driveway to a beautiful white house situated on a high bluff. "Wait here with your sister," Sandy said, hesitating before grabbing for the keys.

Ryan remarked, "It's no fun if the keys are in the car."

A sharp smack from the backseat caused Ryan to slouch forward and grab his head with a cry of, "Ouch! Stardust!"

"Be nice, Ryan," Rhiannon admonished, before returning to her recitation. "Of civil principalities. But let us come now to that other case, when a prominent citizen has become prince of his country, not by treason and violence, but by the favor of his fellow citizens. This may be called a civil-principality; and to attain it required neither great virtue nor extraordinary good fortune, but rather a happy shrewdness."

Sandy smiled at the boy, seeing that his sister had him well in hand, before getting out to contend with his Newpsie wife.

"You brought him home!?! This isn't a stray puppy, Sandy."

Sandy looked very relaxed as he watched his blond and beautiful wife defend her territory. "I know that, Kirsten."

Kirsten muttered absently, "Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before you began to bring home felons."

"Ryan's not a felon."

"Didn't you meet him in jail?"

"Well, yes, technically, but it wasn't for a felony. Well it was, but it won't be when I'm done. He and his sister need a place to stay. It's only until Monday when Child Social Services opens up."

"You're endangering our home. Did you even think of Seth in all this? What if this is all a scam? What if they're only using us to case the house?"

"Ryan's a kid, not a criminal mastermind. And his sister is so scared of anyone but Ryan she doesn't notice anything going on around her besides Ryan and whatever book it is she's reading. When did you become so cynical?"

"When did you get so self-righteous?"

"I've always been self-righteous. You used to think it was charming."

"He sleeps in the pool house."

"And his sister? It'd hardly be appropriate for them to share a room."

"She can have the guest room," Kirsten called over her shoulder as she moved to leave the house.

"Where are you going?" Sandy asked, watching her leave the kitchen.

"To lock up my jewelry in the vault." Sandy stared at her, unable to believe what he'd just heard. At the shock in her husband's eyes, Kirsten relented. "Where do you think I'm going? The two of them are going to need sheets and towels and toothbrushes."

Sandy smiled at her, before she turned her back and walked away. "You are the love of my life."

"I'd better be!" she sing-songed over her shoulder, before disappearing around the corner.

Meanwhile, Rhiannon sat cross-legged outside the car, still reciting aloud, as Ryan moved to the end of the driveway for a cigarette. At the end of the neighboring driveway, a tall and willowy young woman stood alone, apparently waiting for someone. She turned to look at him, her eyebrow cocking curiously. "Who are you?"

"Whoever you want me to be," Ryan remarked, mentally slapping himself in the forehead for such a cliché remark.

She smirked, "Right."

Ryan lit his cigarette, inhaling the smoke deeply, holding it in before exhaling again. Rhiannon cocked her head, standing and moving to stand near her brother. "Ry?"

Ryan turned to look at her, dropping his cigarette and stubbing it out with his toe. "You okay?" he asked concerned, pulling her into his arms and resting his chin against her temple.

Rhiannon nodded, noticing shadows to her left. "Hello."

The girl nodded at the new arrival, taking in everything about her. She was shorter than the boy and the two seemed to have a very close connection. Blond hair and blue eyes were the only things the two seemed to have in common. The girl was mousy, timid and shy, while the boy was gorgeous and not a little dangerous. She was totally not good enough for the god-like visage before her. "Why are you here?"

"I stole a car and crashed it. Actually, our brother did. Our mom threw us out, high on drugs and booze. Mr. Cohen took us in," Ryan explained, seeing his lawyer coming down the driveway.

The girl laughed lightly, asking, "You're their cousins from Boston right?"

Rhiannon shook her head matter-of-factly. "No."

Desperate to repair the potential damage, Sandy spoke up. "Right, they're my niece and nephew from Seattle. Right kids?"

Rhiannon looked up at Ryan confused, getting a small smile and a nod from her brother. The girl smiled at the man. "Hello Mr. Cohen."

"Marissa. We're all looking forward to your charity fashion show tomorrow."

"Really?" she asked, sounding amused by the thought.

Sandy's hand brushed backward through his hair before he shook his head, "No."

A truck drove up then, sitting high on its axles and lifted further by nitrous. Marissa smiled at the two teens. "You should come. You might have fun."

Ryan nodded, watching her climb into the passenger seat and kiss the driver. The driver seemed upset by the sight of them, questioning his girlfriend, "Who're the kids?"

Marissa only laughed as her boyfriend revved the engine and drove away. Sandy looked at the twins, smiling kindly. "Come on inside."

Ryan nodded. Kirsten met them at the door, along with another woman of Hispanic origin. "This is the queen of the manor, my wife, Kirsten."

Kirsten smiled at the two, noticing despite herself the boy's protective stance in front of his sister, as well as the girl's white knuckles as she clutched her brother's jacket. "Welcome to our home. If you need anything, just ask Rosa. Ryan, you're sleeping in the pool house. What's your name, honey?"

Rhiannon looked up at Ryan for confirmation, getting a nod in return. "I'm Rhiannon. Ryan's my brother."

"Well, Rhiannon, your room is down here," Kirsten explained, gesturing down a dark hallway.

Kirsten watched as her knuckles went whiter. Ryan looked at her hesitantly. "Thank you. Thank you very much for your hospitality. Is it okay if I show Rhiannon the pool house, so she knows where I am?"

"That's fine. I'll show you the way," Sandy agreed, leading the way out back toward the backyard. Rhiannon's eyes grew wide as Sandy showed her the large white building out back. "That's the pool house. That's where your brother will be sleeping this whole weekend," he explained to Rhiannon.

Ryan looked down at his sister, before dropping his backpack outside the pool house door. "Come on. I'll tuck you in, okay? Just so I don't get lost in this place when I come to find you." Even as he said it, both twins knew that it wouldn't be Ryan going to look for Rhiannon.

Rosa stepped forward, reaching out to the girl. "Come on, mariposa, this way."

Rhiannon let the woman wrap an arm around her shoulders, leading her back into the house and into the guest room. It was homey and nicely furnished, the bed made with clean linens and the blinds drawn for privacy. "You like it, mariposa?" Rosa asked in gentle Spanish.

Rhiannon nodded, looking back at Ryan. "Can I change?"

"Sure. I'll be right outside. Call me when you're done."

Rhiannon nodded, slipping into the room. Ryan leaned back against the wall, meeting Kirsten's eyes. "I know you don't want me here. But thank you for letting my sister stay here. She's fragile, and I didn't know where else to go."

Kirsten couldn't help but sympathize with the boy in front of her. His sister had probably been the way she was since before he could remember. No one but her family had probably ever seen her like this before. And to have strangers seeing how quiet and awkward she was was probably very embarrassing for him. "Your sister seems like a nice girl."

Ryan nodded eager to make her see how great his sister was. "She's really smart. And Trey and I did the best we could. But she'll always be like this, unless she finds somewhere she feels safe. And I doubt she'll ever find that in Chino."

Kirsten nodded, clasping her hands in front of her before the door opened and Rhiannon appeared there, dressed from head to toe in baggy clothing. Ryan pushed away from the wall and followed her into the room. He reached around her, tugging the sheets down for her to climb between. "In you go," he murmured, smoothing a hand down her curls.

She climbed in, huddling into a ball as Ryan pulled the blankets up and over her tiny body. "I'm right outside, all right? If you need me, you know where to find me."

She nodded, ducking her head for his kiss. He closed his eyes, one hand coming up to rest gently on her head. "Sleep well, all right?"

Rhiannon hummed an answer, before Ryan stood and moved to the door, turning off the lamp by the bed. Though she wasn't close enough to hear the first part of their conversation, Kirsten could hear this part of their talk. "Ryan?" came the question through the gloom.

Ryan turned back at the door, his ears tracking the sounds of his sister's movements. "Yeah, Stardust?"

"Is this home now?"

Ryan shook his head, smiling sadly. "There's no such thing as home for us, Stardust, you know that. This is just another temporary stop."

"Oh," she whispered, before the covers shifted as she turned onto her side. "I love you."

"I love you too. Get some sleep."

Ryan reached out and closed the door, waiting until he could hear her get out of bed to lock it and climb back into bed. Ryan turned to face Kirsten. "I'll get out of your way. Thank you again. I appreciate it more than you know."

Kirsten nodded, watching him leave the house and enter the pool house, dropping the blinds for some privacy. Kirsten moved into her bedroom, watching her husband settle for bed. "What's going to happen to them?"

"They'll go back to their mother. Or, they'll get shuffled into the foster care system. If that happens, it's doubtful they'll be kept together. And there's not a single foster home, or social worker, that won't insist she be locked up and medicated for her own safety. She's too skittish. And Ryan won't let it happen. They'll run first. I don't know what'll happen to them."

Kirsten nodded, moving into the closet and changing for bed. Climbing into bed with her husband, she rested her head on his chest, thinking about the two teenagers she'd taken in for the night.

It was sometime around midnight when Ryan heard the door of the pool house creak open. Going up onto his elbows, he strained to see his visitor in the dim moonlight. "Ryan?" came his sister's voice.

Ryan sat up, holding up the covers for her to slip under. "Come on, Stardust."

Rhiannon scampered across the carpet and climbed under the covers, snuggling close to her brother. "Ryan, are we gonna run again?"

"I don't know," he confessed, his hand combing through her long blond locks. "We'll see what happens, okay?"

Rhiannon nodded and closed her eyes, falling asleep next to him. Ryan laid down, holding her lithe body close to him. Muttering a tiny prayer his best friend, Theresa, had taught him, Ryan fell asleep. It was eight o'clock the next morning when Ryan woke to see a tall, dark and gangly looking boy his own age peering at the sleeping forms of the twins. "So, you're the felon my dad brought home? That's so cool!"

The second he sat down, his hand unconsciously resting on the blanket covered form of Rhiannon's calf, Rhiannon started whimpering. Ryan glared at the kid, "Get up. Don't touch her."

"Dude, I'm not touching her! Come on. There are blankets between us."

"Please. Just get up and move your hand," Ryan said, noticing that Rhiannon was getting really close to waking up and starting to scream.

The other boy shrugged, getting up and moving a few steps back. Too late. Rhiannon sprang up in bed, her eyes wide as she stared at the unknown man in the room. Ryan lunged for her seconds after she scrambled from the bed, screaming in terror. "Stardust! Please, calm down. It's okay. I'm here, he won't touch you. I promise. Please calm down," Ryan begged, his hands coming up to cup her cheeks.

Rhiannon continued to scream, unaware of her brother's presence in the room. "Don't hurt him. Please. I'll do anything, just don't hurt him," she sobbed, just as Kirsten, Rosa and Sandy rushed into the pool house at the sound of her screams.

No matter how many times Ryan heard his sister beg Mike not to hurt him in her delirium, it broke his heart every time. The man had broken Rhiannon, by threatening Ryan himself. And Ryan would never forgive himself for being the lure that killed his sister. "Rhiannon, it's me. It's Ryan. You're safe here. Please, look at me."

Rhiannon's eyes focused and she startled to see her brother. "I had another nightmare," she told him, her eyes still slightly dazed.

Ryan forced a smile, nodding. "I know. It's okay. You okay? You wanna take a shower or something?"

"Can I?"

Rosa smiled at the girl, pointing at a door up the stairs near the back of the pool house. "The bathroom's right there, honeychile."

Rhiannon nodded, getting to her feet shakily and dashing toward the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Ryan's hands were trembling as he braced himself to stand. Turning, he looked shamefaced at Kirsten and Sandy. "I'm sorry. This happens sometimes; I should have warned you."

Kirsten shook her head, smiling compassionately. "It's all right. It's not your fault. Maybe, we could find her a therapist. Find someone for her to talk to." When Ryan shrugged, Kirsten added, "And maybe one for you too."

Ryan looked up at her shocked. "What?"

"You were just as traumatized by what happened to your sister, as she was. You just hide it better. You're suffering from repercussions of your own, while your sister is suffering from mental and emotional problems. The difference is you've compartmentalized it, while your sister allows her fears full rein. If a man she doesn't know or trust gets too close, she freaks out. You shut down and don't let anyone get too close. You need to talk about it with someone who can help you."

"I can't ask that of you."

"You didn't ask. I offered. I'll make an appointment at the therapist's for you and your sister, all right?" Kirsten asked, smiling kindly at him. Though she hadn't been thrilled with her husband when he'd brought them home, she could see that Ryan was a good kid. And he was his sister's complete devotee. He could grow on her.

Ryan nodded once, looking dazed and confused. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Why don't you get dressed and maybe Seth, the bumbling idiot who scared your sister this morning, can show the two of you around Newport? All right?"

"Thanks."

"Not a problem. Get dressed. There's breakfast in the kitchen when you're ready for it. Seth, go."

Seth grumbled, leading his mother and father out of the pool house. Sandy grabbed her arm once they were out of Ryan's sight, questioning in a low undertone, "What was that all about?"

"I can't allow them to be separated. And all she needs is help. They're welcome to stay for as long they'd like."

Sandy smiled at her, kissing her cheek gently. "You're a hell of a woman."

Kirsten laughed lightly, kissing him sweetly. "That's why you married me." Walking toward the door, she rounded back a second later, "That doesn't mean I trust him yet."

"I know. Still, thank you for giving them a chance."

Kirsten smiled, nodding, before questioning, "What's a mother for?"

Sandy smiled at her, kissing her long and sweetly. Inside the pool house, Ryan was watching the bathroom door with something close to dread. Turning, he stepped outside. His breath caught as he saw the money laid out before him. The pool was sparkling and clean though nowhere as enticing as the ocean out back. It beckoned to him. Tiny arms crept around his waist and he turned his head to look back at his sister. Her hair was wet and hanging in loose clumps, her blue eyes clear and lucid. "I totally screwed up, didn't I?"

Ryan shook his head, pulling her around and into his arms. "No. It's okay. We've got a place to stay for awhile longer."

She nodded, turning to look at the main house. "Are we going inside? I'm hungry."

Ryan nodded, taking her hand and the two siblings walked inside. Seth Cohen was sitting in front of a giant TV, playing video games. He looked over and the three teens stared at each other awkwardly. Seth finally spoke. "Grand Theft Auto?"

Ryan glanced at Rhiannon, seeing her small smile, before shrugging. "Sure."

Rhiannon spoke up softly. "Where's your kitchen?"

"Just through that walkway. You can still see Ryan. Anything you want is fair game."

Rhiannon nodded, kissing her brother's cheek before skipping toward the kitchen. It was nice to have a home . . . even if it was only for a little while.