missmara13

So, I'm kinda working on my The OC/Southland crossover 'Mercy', which is the AU where Ryan didn't go stay with the Cohens, ended up spending a year of hell in Juvie, and winds up with John Cooper as his foster dad. Yeah, it makes sense in the story itself, which I now realize I have never unlocked for non-friends to read... oops...

Anyway, this takes place about two years after the main story, as Ryan is about to leave for college. I can promise you, no matter how much I put Ryan through in 'Mercy', this is the 'ending' he gets, a happy one. I've given him bittersweet endings a lot of the time, and this time I wanna promise now, Ryan will be okay in this universe, because... well, read this little ficlet and you'll know why he will be okay. :)

"I never doubted this," John said from the doorway.

Ryan looked up from his last minute packing. "What?"

"You, graduating, college, the whole thing," John replied. "I knew you'd get it figured out."

"At least one of us did," Ryan replied with a smile. "Did I... I don't think I can ever thank you enough, John."

"You don't..."

"Yeah, I do. No one... plenty of people claimed to be on my side over the years, but you're the only one who ever came through for me when I needed someone to just... stand up and speak on my behalf. No one else ever really stepped in to help me. Just you."

"And I will never regret that," John said. "Best decision I ever made."

Ryan nodded. "I'm kinda scared of this," he admitted, sitting down on the edge of his bed. "Going to the other side of the country for school, not... not having anyone there... being along..."

"I'm a call away," John said as he walked over and sat down beside Ryan. "I may not always be able to answer the second you call, but I will call back. And if you need me, I'll be on the first flight out."

"You don't have to..."

"Hey, you're my kid, Ryan," John said. "You are not getting rid of me that easy. I expect you home for winter break, with one of those cheesy 'I heart New York' shirts or something for me."

Ryan laughed. "I'll get you a Statue of Liberty Snow Globe. How's that sound?"

"Perfect," John agreed. "I'm proud of you, Ryan."

"I couldn't have done this without you," Ryan insisted. "And I am never gonna stop being grateful to you."

"Okay, this is turning into a scene from a bad Lifetime Movie," John said with a grimace as he pushed himself up off the bed.

"Isn't that all of them?" Ryan asked as he got up and grabbed his bag from the bed.

"See? I always knew you were smart," John said, putting an arm around Ryan's shoulders. "Come on, college boy, you've got a flight to catch."

The End

Someday, Ryan will have kids and John will be some variation on 'Grandpa'... possible 'Grampy' with the occasional 'mispronunciation' of it as 'Grumpy'... lol