fic - arizona - crisis
Fandom: The OC
Title: Arizona - Crisis
Disclaimer: I don't own anything OC related.
Word Count: 1,505
Rating: PG for this chapter.
AN: Um. Hey. I finished one. I really ♥ this fic. I think I always will. Shiny, the first installment of this universe is one of my favorite stories ever and the story just evolved in such a way after that first surreal chapter into a totally different story. But hopefully this finale will not disappoint.
AN2: Oh - and I totally dedicate this to beabeabea for never forgetting that it existed and for being generally awesome.
The entired series can be found at this click.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Ryan was adamant about not taking a plane to Newport and considering his condition and discomfort, Gaby couldn't deny it. He'd had so much surgery and repairs that she didn't want to have to handle his airsickness on top of all that. What if he tore something when he was getting sick? She wouldn't risk his health just for a faster trip. Even though the drive was sure to be way too many hours for her taste.
Seth, Summer and Kirsten took Eli and Jonah ahead on a plane and she stayed behind with Sandy to drive Ryan back to California.
Ryan did his best to stay awake, but once they crossed the state line out of Arizona, he had stretched out on the backseat and was sleeping soundly.
"You want me to take a turn?" Gaby offered to Sandy.
"How about at the next gas station? Do you know how to pump gas?" he asked.
She looked at him curiously. "Yeah."
"Sorry, sometimes I find myself transported back to when you were the pretty model dating my father in law, even though you're someone else now," Sandy said, flushing.
"Who am I now?" she asked.
"My daughter in law. The first woman to ever make my son happy," Sandy replied. "It's all Kirsten and I ever wanted and you...you actually did it."
"You guys make him happy. He loves you," Gaby said.
"I know he does...but his whole move to Arizona after college, it was like he wasn't going to let himself be close to us, to anyone. I don't know how to explain it. He loves us, but he doesn't think he can handle it if we're close. He's lost too many people that he cared about to let himself get close with anyone. But you...you got him to open his heart again. To Eli and Jonah and...to us," Sandy added, glancing in the backseat.
"I've never met a man that had a bigger capacity for love than him, Sandy. I'd given up on love years ago...but meeting Ryan at that party was like...it was finally time for me to find someone to love. And when he asked me to marry him...I really thought that I was going to fuck it up. But...we work. He listens to me and I finally figured out how to listen to him, too, even though he doesn't like to talk," she smiled. "And Eli and Jonah...I swear sometimes, it feels like this was always meant to be. I mean, I hate that they lost their parents - but they're our kids now and I don't know what we'd do without them."
"They're definitely your kids," Sandy grinned. "Kirsten and I always regretted not being able to see Ryan grow up, but those kids...nobody would be able to tell that they aren't yours."
Sandy pulled into a gas station and Ryan stirred when he turned off the car. "Pit stop, Ryan, last one for a while," Gaby told him.
"I should go to the bathroom," Ryan said, blinking sleep out of his eyes.
"Come on, kid, I have to go, too," Sandy said.
She filled up the car's tank and grabbed a couple of coffees from the store before joining them back at the car.
"Ooh, coffee," Ryan said, his eyes lighting up.
"Water for you," she said, holding out a bottle of water for him. He frowned but after a few gentle kisses, he seemed satisfied.
"Let's get going, we should try and make tracks while the roads are quiet," Sandy said, clearing his throat.
-------------------------
Kirsten put the finishing touches on the floral arrangement that she'd put on the counter in the poolhouse.
Eli and Jonah were asleep on the new bed that was a king size and raised off the floor. They'd put a computer and desk in one corner put stools at the bar and stocked the small kitchen area with food and appliances. There was a new large TV and a dresser and drawers set to hold Ryan and Gaby's things.
She'd also had a better lock installed and fancy blinds that opened and closed with a remote control.
She knew that her son's family's stay was only temporary but she intended to make it as comfortable as possible.
She'd also fixed up the two guest rooms in the house so they were no longer fit for guests. They were her grandsons' rooms.
She didn't feel old enough to be a grandma, but it felt good anyway. The boys were amazing and they loved their parents so much that she hated having doubted Gaby in the beginning.
She was a good woman. And she loved Ryan more than any of the other women he'd come home with. She was the first one not to take advantage of his hero's complex. Even her own flesh and blood, Lindsay, had used Ryan.
When Ryan had moved to Arizona, she really felt like they'd failed him. Like they'd lost him. And the years he spent alone in the desert kept her up at night.
She knew he was working hard and accomplishing things he'd always considered too good for him, but he was alone for so long.
Gaby made him happy. And she gave him a family even though she couldn't have children of her own.
Kirsten couldn't picture it any other way. Ryan was always meant to be a father, but she'd wondered if he'd ever allow himself to be one after the fiasco with Theresa.
He didn't think he was good enough. But Gaby made him believe it and Kirsten would never forget that.
Gaby had given her grandchildren and she'd given her son a light in his eyes that he'd never had before.
She heard the car pull in the driveway and smiled to herself before glancing at the dozing kids and tiptoeing outside of the poolhouse.
Sandy and Gaby were following Ryan around the corner of the house despite his sluggish speed.
She hated seeing him in pain, but the sight of him hobbling around slowly was so much better than him lying in a hospital bed hooked up to machines.
They'd almost lost him.
"Hey there, how was the ride?" she asked, embracing him gently when he finally reached the poolhouse.
"It was much better than a plane," he murmured.
She hugged Gaby next and then followed them inside under her husband's arm, rubbing her fingers over his stubble from not shaving.
Ryan was smiling at the sight of his sons asleep on the bed and Gaby gave her a curious look.
"They helped get things set up, they're tired," Kirsten explained. "They didn't trust my arranging instincts."
Gaby smiled at her. "Thank you, for taking care of them."
"Any time, Gaby. We're here to help," Kirsten replied honestly.
They'd almost lost Ryan. But they were getting him back, too.
-------------------------
A month went by, and then another and Ryan was almost back to normal except for some chronic pain that he had yet to find a way to exercise out.
They'd settled into life at Kirsten and Sandy's easily and sometimes, it was like he'd never left.
He'd wake up alone in the poolhouse and go inside to find Sandy and Kirsten sharing the newspaper with Gaby and Jonah having the comics section on their end of the counter.
Eli was a late sleeper but he'd wander into the kitchen usually after Ryan and they'd eat dry cereal at the table and he'd listen to his boys beg to go to the beach.
Eli and Jonah had made friends in Newport much easier than Ryan had done and there always seemed to be additional kids over splashing in the pool.
Ryan and Gaby would go jogging together after the gym while Kirsten watched the boys and in the afternoon, he'd settle down in the poolhouse with the kids and tutor them with Gaby's help. It qualified as home-schooling and would hopefully keep the boys from falling behind when they started back to school.
It was the best part of his day and Eli and Jonah impressed them constantly with how smart they were.
Seth and Summer came over every night for dinner and on Wednesdays; Summer gave Kirsten and Gaby simple cooking lessons that were fun for all the men with Jonah and Eli as the willing taste-testers.
He'd always wanted this life. He just hadn't known it.
He started designing a new house. On the beach with plenty of extra rooms so Seth and Summer's kids would have a place to sleep over. With a pool table for Sandy and Ryan to practice on and to teach Eli and Jonah. With a sewing room for Gaby and Summer to work on the designs for their Newport boutique. With a large living room where Seth and Ryan could play video games to their heart's content, and the boys could use sometimes, too.
He would always love Arizona for giving him Gaby and his boys.
But Newport had become home again.
Title: Arizona - Crisis
Disclaimer: I don't own anything OC related.
Word Count: 1,505
Rating: PG for this chapter.
AN: Um. Hey. I finished one. I really ♥ this fic. I think I always will. Shiny, the first installment of this universe is one of my favorite stories ever and the story just evolved in such a way after that first surreal chapter into a totally different story. But hopefully this finale will not disappoint.
AN2: Oh - and I totally dedicate this to beabeabea for never forgetting that it existed and for being generally awesome.
The entired series can be found at this click.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Ryan was adamant about not taking a plane to Newport and considering his condition and discomfort, Gaby couldn't deny it. He'd had so much surgery and repairs that she didn't want to have to handle his airsickness on top of all that. What if he tore something when he was getting sick? She wouldn't risk his health just for a faster trip. Even though the drive was sure to be way too many hours for her taste.
Seth, Summer and Kirsten took Eli and Jonah ahead on a plane and she stayed behind with Sandy to drive Ryan back to California.
Ryan did his best to stay awake, but once they crossed the state line out of Arizona, he had stretched out on the backseat and was sleeping soundly.
"You want me to take a turn?" Gaby offered to Sandy.
"How about at the next gas station? Do you know how to pump gas?" he asked.
She looked at him curiously. "Yeah."
"Sorry, sometimes I find myself transported back to when you were the pretty model dating my father in law, even though you're someone else now," Sandy said, flushing.
"Who am I now?" she asked.
"My daughter in law. The first woman to ever make my son happy," Sandy replied. "It's all Kirsten and I ever wanted and you...you actually did it."
"You guys make him happy. He loves you," Gaby said.
"I know he does...but his whole move to Arizona after college, it was like he wasn't going to let himself be close to us, to anyone. I don't know how to explain it. He loves us, but he doesn't think he can handle it if we're close. He's lost too many people that he cared about to let himself get close with anyone. But you...you got him to open his heart again. To Eli and Jonah and...to us," Sandy added, glancing in the backseat.
"I've never met a man that had a bigger capacity for love than him, Sandy. I'd given up on love years ago...but meeting Ryan at that party was like...it was finally time for me to find someone to love. And when he asked me to marry him...I really thought that I was going to fuck it up. But...we work. He listens to me and I finally figured out how to listen to him, too, even though he doesn't like to talk," she smiled. "And Eli and Jonah...I swear sometimes, it feels like this was always meant to be. I mean, I hate that they lost their parents - but they're our kids now and I don't know what we'd do without them."
"They're definitely your kids," Sandy grinned. "Kirsten and I always regretted not being able to see Ryan grow up, but those kids...nobody would be able to tell that they aren't yours."
Sandy pulled into a gas station and Ryan stirred when he turned off the car. "Pit stop, Ryan, last one for a while," Gaby told him.
"I should go to the bathroom," Ryan said, blinking sleep out of his eyes.
"Come on, kid, I have to go, too," Sandy said.
She filled up the car's tank and grabbed a couple of coffees from the store before joining them back at the car.
"Ooh, coffee," Ryan said, his eyes lighting up.
"Water for you," she said, holding out a bottle of water for him. He frowned but after a few gentle kisses, he seemed satisfied.
"Let's get going, we should try and make tracks while the roads are quiet," Sandy said, clearing his throat.
-------------------------
Kirsten put the finishing touches on the floral arrangement that she'd put on the counter in the poolhouse.
Eli and Jonah were asleep on the new bed that was a king size and raised off the floor. They'd put a computer and desk in one corner put stools at the bar and stocked the small kitchen area with food and appliances. There was a new large TV and a dresser and drawers set to hold Ryan and Gaby's things.
She'd also had a better lock installed and fancy blinds that opened and closed with a remote control.
She knew that her son's family's stay was only temporary but she intended to make it as comfortable as possible.
She'd also fixed up the two guest rooms in the house so they were no longer fit for guests. They were her grandsons' rooms.
She didn't feel old enough to be a grandma, but it felt good anyway. The boys were amazing and they loved their parents so much that she hated having doubted Gaby in the beginning.
She was a good woman. And she loved Ryan more than any of the other women he'd come home with. She was the first one not to take advantage of his hero's complex. Even her own flesh and blood, Lindsay, had used Ryan.
When Ryan had moved to Arizona, she really felt like they'd failed him. Like they'd lost him. And the years he spent alone in the desert kept her up at night.
She knew he was working hard and accomplishing things he'd always considered too good for him, but he was alone for so long.
Gaby made him happy. And she gave him a family even though she couldn't have children of her own.
Kirsten couldn't picture it any other way. Ryan was always meant to be a father, but she'd wondered if he'd ever allow himself to be one after the fiasco with Theresa.
He didn't think he was good enough. But Gaby made him believe it and Kirsten would never forget that.
Gaby had given her grandchildren and she'd given her son a light in his eyes that he'd never had before.
She heard the car pull in the driveway and smiled to herself before glancing at the dozing kids and tiptoeing outside of the poolhouse.
Sandy and Gaby were following Ryan around the corner of the house despite his sluggish speed.
She hated seeing him in pain, but the sight of him hobbling around slowly was so much better than him lying in a hospital bed hooked up to machines.
They'd almost lost him.
"Hey there, how was the ride?" she asked, embracing him gently when he finally reached the poolhouse.
"It was much better than a plane," he murmured.
She hugged Gaby next and then followed them inside under her husband's arm, rubbing her fingers over his stubble from not shaving.
Ryan was smiling at the sight of his sons asleep on the bed and Gaby gave her a curious look.
"They helped get things set up, they're tired," Kirsten explained. "They didn't trust my arranging instincts."
Gaby smiled at her. "Thank you, for taking care of them."
"Any time, Gaby. We're here to help," Kirsten replied honestly.
They'd almost lost Ryan. But they were getting him back, too.
-------------------------
A month went by, and then another and Ryan was almost back to normal except for some chronic pain that he had yet to find a way to exercise out.
They'd settled into life at Kirsten and Sandy's easily and sometimes, it was like he'd never left.
He'd wake up alone in the poolhouse and go inside to find Sandy and Kirsten sharing the newspaper with Gaby and Jonah having the comics section on their end of the counter.
Eli was a late sleeper but he'd wander into the kitchen usually after Ryan and they'd eat dry cereal at the table and he'd listen to his boys beg to go to the beach.
Eli and Jonah had made friends in Newport much easier than Ryan had done and there always seemed to be additional kids over splashing in the pool.
Ryan and Gaby would go jogging together after the gym while Kirsten watched the boys and in the afternoon, he'd settle down in the poolhouse with the kids and tutor them with Gaby's help. It qualified as home-schooling and would hopefully keep the boys from falling behind when they started back to school.
It was the best part of his day and Eli and Jonah impressed them constantly with how smart they were.
Seth and Summer came over every night for dinner and on Wednesdays; Summer gave Kirsten and Gaby simple cooking lessons that were fun for all the men with Jonah and Eli as the willing taste-testers.
He'd always wanted this life. He just hadn't known it.
He started designing a new house. On the beach with plenty of extra rooms so Seth and Summer's kids would have a place to sleep over. With a pool table for Sandy and Ryan to practice on and to teach Eli and Jonah. With a sewing room for Gaby and Summer to work on the designs for their Newport boutique. With a large living room where Seth and Ryan could play video games to their heart's content, and the boys could use sometimes, too.
He would always love Arizona for giving him Gaby and his boys.
But Newport had become home again.