Hey guys so this is my first ever Lucaya fanfic. This story will take place in Texas and yes Maya and Lucas will be older here. Now I will say that both these characters will be OOC, but I will TRY and incorporate some of their traits into their characters.

Oh and this will be rated M.

***DISCLAIMER*** I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS FROM GIRL MEETS WORLD.


Song:

"Our Farewell" – Within Temptation


Maya sat underneath her favorite tree, on a wooden bench she and her father had built when she was younger.

The sun was starting to set, the gorgeous hues of oranges and reds inspiring her as she drew furiously on her sketch pad. Her fingers moved expertly across the white page, mirroring the landscape in front of her.

This was her favorite place to draw, or to come and think… underneath a tall Pecan tree, miles from her house in her father's 1000 acre ranch in Austin, Texas.

She loved this place, more than anything. The beautiful deep green grass, the swaying trees that adorned the land, the cattle, and the clear blue sky on a summer day, and not to mention the silhouette of the far away hills.

Texas was gorgeous, and had some of the best sunsets. She just wished more than anything that her father were here to see the sunset she was currently watching.

He died two years ago, a couple of month's right after she'd turned twenty-two. Now at twenty-four Maya and her mother ran the ranch, with the help of her grandfather… her dad's, dad.

She'd graduated college with an art degree, and she ran a small art gallery in the city. She'd spend her days there and then come home and do work around the ranch. Trying to go through the motions as best as she could.

The hurt she felt after her father's passing was getting better, but there were days when she missed him more than other days.

Days like today when she'd get on her favorite palomino horse Ace, and ride to her favorite place in the world.

She'd been sitting there for around an hour just drawing and thinking of her dad. The cool breeze calming her down, and the sound of rustling leaves above made her feel like she was in a trance.

She never felt closer to him than when she was here, in their special place. The heaviness in her heart would grow smaller whenever she was here. The pain in her heart would become a dull ache, at least for a little while.

She stopped drawing and stayed still for a while, listening to her surroundings. She took deep calming breaths and tried to stop the tears that were threatening to spill, because even though their special place made her feel ways better… she still couldn't hold down the tears.

She'd been thinking more and more about him, the depressing feeling she had when he passed away threatening to swallow her whole, whenever she was home or at work.

Things in her life were coming to a head.

Her mother, she loved her mother… though up until recently things were a lot more strained between them.

After her father passed, her grandfather took the reins of the ranch… needless to say after her father's death nothing was ever the same.

Times were a bit hard.

The ranch had a debt they had to settle. They weren't too bad to the point where they'd have to file for bankruptcy and have to sell the land, but it could get there if they didn't take the necessary precaution… which was why her grandfather was trying to marry her off to an asshole.

He kept telling her "she had the responsibility to do so".

The guy he was trying to marry her off to a wealthy man, whose family owned a huge ranch, and who happened to be in the oil industry… Joshua Matthews. According to her grandfather, he was a real southern gentleman that would ensure the ranch debt be paid off.

She knew better though, Joshua wasn't a "southern gentleman" as he put it. He was an ass. Maya knew who Joshua really was; she'd gone to high school with him.

He was three years older so when she'd entered as freshman he was already on his way out as a senior. One year was enough for her; enough to find out that the guy slept with whatever had two legs, a skirt and a pair of boobs.

He was also rude, and condescending. Southern gentleman her ass.

So now, she was being pawned off like some kind of prize to the highest bidder, and it pissed her off to no end because the highest bidder had to be the biggest asshole of them all.

Maya opened her eyes and took a deep breath trying to calm herself down.

She'd never agreed to it verbally, but deep down she knew the reason she would eventually say yes was because of her father. She loved him too much to put his legacy in jeopardy. He had worked so hard to get his ranch to the place it was now.

She owed it to him.

She had her gallery, and she'd be saving her father's ranch, she already had almost everything she wanted… sacrificing love was something Maya could do… at least that's what she always told herself.

Maya knew her father wouldn't approve.

He always told her, "Maya life is more than just the materialistic things, find love, find happiness… because it's not until we find love that we experience true happiness". He'd tell her this every time they were here in their special place.

He'd always make sure to remind her that even though she grew up in a nice home, with nice things that… love was all that mattered, and he was right.

She knew he was, but it was the same love she had for her father, that she had to do this. It was that love that helped her wake up every morning and to convince herself that she could do this.

Though that didn't mean she couldn't give a little sass, to show her clear disdain for it. She'd made sure just as she tried convincing herself that it was the right thing to do, to give her grandfather a hard time.

Maya's face was blank just listening to her own inner thoughts, but when she saw the sun finally disappear behind the horizon she packed up her stuff and walked over to Ace who was tied up on a wooden hitching post.

She put the sketchbook and pencils inside a little pouch attached to her saddle and hauled herself on top of the horse.

She grabbed onto the brown leathered reins and kicked the horse softly on the torso and she made her way towards her house.

After she'd put Ace back in his stable, she walked down the familiar dirt path to her home, preparing herself to look into her grandfather's eyes.

The sky was now dark; all the animals fed and put up where they belonged. Everything was silent, except for the chirping crickets.

The porch lights flickered on as she walked towards the back patio of her home. She opened the large double doors that lead to the kitchen where her mother and grandfather were sitting at the dinner table.

She took off her boots at the door, her head down trying to avoid eye contact, prolonging the inevitable.

"Maya nice of you to join us, after you abandoned your chores." Her grandfather said, his condescending tone making her eyes roll in annoyance.

Maya turned to finally look at his hateful grey eyes, and gave him a tight smile. "Yeah, well I needed to get some air."

Maya walked towards the dinner table and pulled out a chair plopping down, and quickly filling her plate with food, trying not to look or acknowledge her grandfather. His presence always served to grate her last nerves.

She could feel the same tension there always was, and she could feel the weight of two pairs of eyes staring at her as she ate. She tried her best to ignore them trying to focus on her food.

They ate in silence… well more like she did. Her mother and grandfather talked while she just chewed quietly.

"Maya…" Her mother spoke to her, her voice low and timid.

Maya's blue eyes landed on her mother. "Hmm?"

"Joshua is coming into town in two months… and-"

Maya dropped her fork, the loud clank ringing across the room. "Stop right there." Maya interrupted.

She looked between her mom and grandfather and saw the clear annoyance his eyes and sadness in her mothers.

"I already said I'd think about the whole Josh thing, I haven't agreed to it yet." Maya said through gritted teeth. She knew that wasn't true, she liked to give them a hard time, but she knew this was something she had to do… for her father's ranch.

"Look girl, this is your father's ranch we're talking about, and if you don't secure its future another family will come in and sweep it out from under us." Her grandfather spoke his fork pointing accusingly towards her.

She glared at him.

She stood up quickly, the sound of her chair scraping the hardwood floor filling the room just as the clank of the fork had previously.

She gave him a scowl and walked away. She passed the large foyer and went up the flight of stairs and into her room. She shut the door loudly and plopped herself on her bed.

Her arms were laid out beside her, and her legs hung from the edge of her king sized bed.

She looked up at the ceiling of her room, and tried to calm her racing emotions. She wished she could just slap the patronizing look on his face, but she was a lady… and it was frowned upon for her to do such a thing.

"UGHHHH!" She groaned out loud, her hand running through her hair.

She tried so hard to not let any of his comments get to her. She tried conjuring the image of her and her father sitting underneath their tree and watching the sunset every day.

She tried remembering her father's cheeky smile whenever she'd draw him something, but whenever her grandfather talked all she could see was red.

The worst part of it all was her mother wouldn't stand up for her. She'd stay quiet and would look down at her hands, too afraid to go against her father-in-law's demands.

She wished more than anything that her father could be back, telling her what to do. Counseling her, holding her in his bear hug, telling her things were going to be ok.

Maya could feel the familiar swell of tears overtake her when she heard a small knock on her door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me Maya." Her mother's voice answered.

She sighed, sitting up on her bed, crossing her legs underneath her and running a hand through her long blonde hair moving it from her face. She closed her eyes trying to tame the words that were bubbling in the surface, and the tears that wanted to spill form thoughts of her father.

"Come in."

Her door opened and her mother came in timidly. She gave Maya a look asking for silent permission to come all the way inside. Maya nodded and gestured to the couch in her bedroom that was several feet across from her bed.

Her mother walked over to the white couch and sat down her hands on her lap.

"So what's up? If you're here to give me my schedule for when Joshua comes and visits why don't you just leave. I don't need this right now." Maya hated the pleading sound of her voice.

Her mother looked down at her hands and she saw how her shoulders sagged a bit. She looked back up and saw the sad and defeated look in her mother's eyes.

"Maya, baby." Her mother started.

Maya stayed quiet biting her tongue at any smart ass remark. She was curious to see what her mother was going to say, especially since it was the first time she'd ever come to have a one on one talk.

"Look I just want to say… that I know you think I'm ok with this… but I'm not."

Maya sat up straighter now full blown angry. "Then why don't you help me find another way? Instead of letting him-" She asked her arm out pointing towards the door. "Take charge of everything?"

"Maya, I've tried convincing him… but your father's ranch." Her mother looked down once again.

"This isn't the freaking 1800s when people could just give their daughters away for money. This is ridiculous… there has to be another way…" Maya argued.

Maya took a deep breath. "I know I have this responsibility, but… I just-"

"It is ridiculous, and you know you don't have to do this… I go along with your grandfather only because it kills me to think that your father's ranch could potentially be taken from us. But ultimately this is your decision Maya. Your father would understand."

Maya deflated. Her mother was right. Maya loved to argue and say no, but like her mother, giving up the ranch wasn't an option. At least her mother had the decency to tell her it was her choice, and at the end of the day it was… no one could force her to do this, but…

"You know I give you a hard time, but at the end of the day I can't let daddy's ranch go to someone else. We may not be filing for bankruptcy right this moment, but we're headed there." Maya said her hands landing beside her.

"I'm sorry baby." Maya's mom said from across the room.

Maya nodded, and they stayed quiet after that. There really wasn't anything else left to say.

Maya argued and complained and said no over and over again, but she came to the same conclusion every time. Until she'd find another way her father's ranch, his legacy, his hard work couldn't just be thrown away.

For it was the money he gave her for her gallery and for school, that had caused the ranch to go into debt.

She owed her father, he'd given her everything she had ever dreamed of… and now she had to do the same for him.


Here's chapter one for yall! Now I know this is already soooo different from cannon but I hope you guys receive this story with open arms! And no worries this IS a Lucaya fanfic, we'll get to meet our handsome cowboy REALLY soon, maybe in the next chapter maybe not… you guys will have to review to find out! I love you all and I really hope you guys like this! Until next time (I hope)!