Fic!
It's official. I'm an idiot. I bitched for days about the awful episode I gave myself for the Missing Scene Challenge. I finally cobbled something together and then when I went to make the challenge post? Realized I wrote for the wrong episode. So as a result, this sucky episode gets two missing scenes when it barely rates one. I'm sure overnighter's will be much better than this. I will write one for my actual episode - it just won't get done for today.
Title: untitled
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Ryan decides to let Marissa make her own choices.
(Seth knocks.) What? It’s locked? When did this door get a lock on it?
A little busy, Seth.
Yeah, you’re not the only one. Listen, I don’t want to have tell you this through the door, but Marissa’s been hooking up with Volchek.
(Door opens)
Oh hey. Sadie. I didn’t realize...
Yeah. Good night, Seth. Call me, okay?
Sigh. Guess I ruined the mood, huh?
Just a lot.
Ryan glared at Seth and shut the door in his face, twisting the lock. The lock served two purposes-it kept Seth out and kept Ryan in. Why did Seth always do this? Come to him with information that he knew would upset Ryan? Did he not remember what happened last time he had to tell Ryan something about Marissa?
Ryan walked over to the punching bag. Between finding out about Marissa and Volchek and being interrupted from his quality time with Sadie, he had way too much excess energy coursing through his body. His first inclination was to go have it out with Volchek, finally. They’d been dancing around each other for months. Volchek seemed determined to draw him into a fight.
But since he did know better-he did actually learn something from his clash with his brother-he fought that inclination. Instead, he took all his frustrations out on the punching bag. Sometimes, hitting was the only thing that could make things better. He went several rounds, until he was hot and sweaty and he could feel his knuckles start to swell underneath the bandages.
He leaned over, resting his hands on his knees, until he recovered his breath. The exercise had helped tamp down his anger at both Volchek for moving in on Marissa who was always vulnerable to what she perceived as boys in need, and Marissa for always being drawn to trouble. He toweled off, and pulled on a sweatshirt before reaching into the closet for his secret stash-a bottle of Jack Daniels and a pack of cigarettes.
He’d never really given up cigarettes when he’d moved to Newport. He didn’t smoke openly, or a lot even, but he always had a pack at the ready for evenings when he needed to think. And the whiskey usually helped too. He grabbed a bottle of Coke to chase the whiskey and slipped outside, behind the pool house where no one could see him and he could watch the ocean in solitude.
He lit up his first cigarette and then took a slug of the whiskey, wincing as it burned the back of his throat. It caused a burst of heat when it hit his stomach, joining the dull ache that had started when Seth had first spilled his news. It was a familiar ache, one he’d had most of his life as he worried about the various people in his life who insisted on making poor choices. After his second slug of whiskey, he realized that he hadn’t had that dull ache for the past few weeks-that Sadie wasn’t someone he had to worry about.
Not that everything was perfect with Sadie, but she made him happy. She didn’t cause drama, she didn’t make unreasonable demands on him. She just wanted to be with him and spend time with him and it was a great feeling.
But what could he do about Marissa and Volchek? Nothing about Volchek was good for Marissa. He was a druggie loser, going nowhere and good-for-nothing. He was only going to bring grief for Marissa. But dating Volchek would piss off Julie, and Ryan was pretty sure that was high priority when Marissa chose boyfriends.
If Sandy weren’t so busy these days, Ryan would think about going to him for advice. Ryan always admired him and took his words to heart, but Sandy was always preoccupied lately that it didn’t seem as though he was even paying attention to what was going on in his and Seth’s lives.
After three cigarettes, he was ready to go back inside. Not that he’d figured anything out-not really. He knew he couldn’t confront Volchek without getting into a fight, which he didn’t want to do, and he couldn’t tell Marissa what to do, because that would just make her more determined to do whatever it was she was doing. He stood up and his head started to spin a little. He checked his bottle, and realized he’d drunk more than he’d thought.
He stashed his Cohen contraband and then went into the main house to get a snack. He was startled to find Sandy sitting at the counter, eating a bagel. He took careful steps and made slow movements, not wanting Sandy to realize he’d been drinking.
“Hey, kid.”
“Hey. I was just looking for something to eat.”
Sandy took half his bagel and set it in front of the empty chair beside him. “I’m willing to share.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Ryan slipped into the chair beside him.
"So how are things with you these days? You and Sadie…"
"…are good." Ryan started to pick pieces off his bagel.
"You sure? You don't sound sure."
"No, Sadie's great. It's just…Marissa. Seth's says she's dating some surfer guy who's no good for her. He and Summer want me to do something about it."
"That's her choice, isn't it? She's going to live her life how she wants to."
"Yeah, but…"
"And I'm sure there were a few people around here who said the same thing when she started to date you." Sandy leaned over and pushed his shoulder into Ryan's. Ryan wasn't expecting it and the nudge knocked him off the stool.
"Hey, sorry," Sandy said. "You okay?"
Ryan stood back up and tottered a little before he grabbed the counter for support. "Yeah." He laughed a little. "You just caught me off guard." Sandy was looking at him strangely, so he decided to get out of there before he became too suspicious. "I'm not all that hungry after all. But thanks for the bagel."
He turned to leave. As he reached the door, Sandy called out to him. "Hey, Ryan."
Ryan stopped and looked back at him.
"Just remember - Marissa makes her choices and you make yours. You're not responsible for what she decides to do. And Sadie's a pretty nice young lady."
"Yeah. Thanks." Sandy was right. He was happy with Sadie. Spending time with Sadie sounded a lot more fun than chasing after Marissa and trying to stop her from doing something she was going to do anyway.
He thought he was going to slip out of the kitchen with his drinking unnoticed when Sandy spoke again. "Oh, and one more thing. Come here a minute."
Ryan walked back over to Sandy and stood beside him. Sandy stood up and backhanded him across the face. Ryan brought his hand up to his mouth and tasted the blood where his teeth met his lips.
"Don't you ever come into my house again when you've been drinking. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Now go to bed. You've got school in the morning."
Ryan ducked his head and went back over to the pool house. It didn't feel good to get caught, but it did feel good to know that Sandy was paying attention and still knew what was going on with his kids.
THE END
Title: untitled
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Ryan decides to let Marissa make her own choices.
(Seth knocks.) What? It’s locked? When did this door get a lock on it?
A little busy, Seth.
Yeah, you’re not the only one. Listen, I don’t want to have tell you this through the door, but Marissa’s been hooking up with Volchek.
(Door opens)
Oh hey. Sadie. I didn’t realize...
Yeah. Good night, Seth. Call me, okay?
Sigh. Guess I ruined the mood, huh?
Just a lot.
Ryan glared at Seth and shut the door in his face, twisting the lock. The lock served two purposes-it kept Seth out and kept Ryan in. Why did Seth always do this? Come to him with information that he knew would upset Ryan? Did he not remember what happened last time he had to tell Ryan something about Marissa?
Ryan walked over to the punching bag. Between finding out about Marissa and Volchek and being interrupted from his quality time with Sadie, he had way too much excess energy coursing through his body. His first inclination was to go have it out with Volchek, finally. They’d been dancing around each other for months. Volchek seemed determined to draw him into a fight.
But since he did know better-he did actually learn something from his clash with his brother-he fought that inclination. Instead, he took all his frustrations out on the punching bag. Sometimes, hitting was the only thing that could make things better. He went several rounds, until he was hot and sweaty and he could feel his knuckles start to swell underneath the bandages.
He leaned over, resting his hands on his knees, until he recovered his breath. The exercise had helped tamp down his anger at both Volchek for moving in on Marissa who was always vulnerable to what she perceived as boys in need, and Marissa for always being drawn to trouble. He toweled off, and pulled on a sweatshirt before reaching into the closet for his secret stash-a bottle of Jack Daniels and a pack of cigarettes.
He’d never really given up cigarettes when he’d moved to Newport. He didn’t smoke openly, or a lot even, but he always had a pack at the ready for evenings when he needed to think. And the whiskey usually helped too. He grabbed a bottle of Coke to chase the whiskey and slipped outside, behind the pool house where no one could see him and he could watch the ocean in solitude.
He lit up his first cigarette and then took a slug of the whiskey, wincing as it burned the back of his throat. It caused a burst of heat when it hit his stomach, joining the dull ache that had started when Seth had first spilled his news. It was a familiar ache, one he’d had most of his life as he worried about the various people in his life who insisted on making poor choices. After his second slug of whiskey, he realized that he hadn’t had that dull ache for the past few weeks-that Sadie wasn’t someone he had to worry about.
Not that everything was perfect with Sadie, but she made him happy. She didn’t cause drama, she didn’t make unreasonable demands on him. She just wanted to be with him and spend time with him and it was a great feeling.
But what could he do about Marissa and Volchek? Nothing about Volchek was good for Marissa. He was a druggie loser, going nowhere and good-for-nothing. He was only going to bring grief for Marissa. But dating Volchek would piss off Julie, and Ryan was pretty sure that was high priority when Marissa chose boyfriends.
If Sandy weren’t so busy these days, Ryan would think about going to him for advice. Ryan always admired him and took his words to heart, but Sandy was always preoccupied lately that it didn’t seem as though he was even paying attention to what was going on in his and Seth’s lives.
After three cigarettes, he was ready to go back inside. Not that he’d figured anything out-not really. He knew he couldn’t confront Volchek without getting into a fight, which he didn’t want to do, and he couldn’t tell Marissa what to do, because that would just make her more determined to do whatever it was she was doing. He stood up and his head started to spin a little. He checked his bottle, and realized he’d drunk more than he’d thought.
He stashed his Cohen contraband and then went into the main house to get a snack. He was startled to find Sandy sitting at the counter, eating a bagel. He took careful steps and made slow movements, not wanting Sandy to realize he’d been drinking.
“Hey, kid.”
“Hey. I was just looking for something to eat.”
Sandy took half his bagel and set it in front of the empty chair beside him. “I’m willing to share.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Ryan slipped into the chair beside him.
"So how are things with you these days? You and Sadie…"
"…are good." Ryan started to pick pieces off his bagel.
"You sure? You don't sound sure."
"No, Sadie's great. It's just…Marissa. Seth's says she's dating some surfer guy who's no good for her. He and Summer want me to do something about it."
"That's her choice, isn't it? She's going to live her life how she wants to."
"Yeah, but…"
"And I'm sure there were a few people around here who said the same thing when she started to date you." Sandy leaned over and pushed his shoulder into Ryan's. Ryan wasn't expecting it and the nudge knocked him off the stool.
"Hey, sorry," Sandy said. "You okay?"
Ryan stood back up and tottered a little before he grabbed the counter for support. "Yeah." He laughed a little. "You just caught me off guard." Sandy was looking at him strangely, so he decided to get out of there before he became too suspicious. "I'm not all that hungry after all. But thanks for the bagel."
He turned to leave. As he reached the door, Sandy called out to him. "Hey, Ryan."
Ryan stopped and looked back at him.
"Just remember - Marissa makes her choices and you make yours. You're not responsible for what she decides to do. And Sadie's a pretty nice young lady."
"Yeah. Thanks." Sandy was right. He was happy with Sadie. Spending time with Sadie sounded a lot more fun than chasing after Marissa and trying to stop her from doing something she was going to do anyway.
He thought he was going to slip out of the kitchen with his drinking unnoticed when Sandy spoke again. "Oh, and one more thing. Come here a minute."
Ryan walked back over to Sandy and stood beside him. Sandy stood up and backhanded him across the face. Ryan brought his hand up to his mouth and tasted the blood where his teeth met his lips.
"Don't you ever come into my house again when you've been drinking. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Now go to bed. You've got school in the morning."
Ryan ducked his head and went back over to the pool house. It didn't feel good to get caught, but it did feel good to know that Sandy was paying attention and still knew what was going on with his kids.
THE END