A/N: Happy reading, friends! This is pretty long but I hope you like it nonetheless.

Gradually, light returns into her little brother's eyes. Auggie starts to smile a bit more, and her heart flutters every time she hears him chuckle or giggle like the boy he still is. He starts telling her about his day, and in return, she starts telling him about hers.

They start to talk about their parents more too, though it first starts with Uncle Shawn and Aunt Angela. They come over for dinner every Sunday, and though he does not say it, Riley knows that her brother looks forward to their visits. He is especially receptive and attentive during their dinners, especially when her godparents start regaling stories from their younger years.

"What about the time Cory made you fly down here just to dig up the time capsule in Philadelphia?" Angela reminds her husband, and comfortingly rubs his arms.

Shawn chuckles at the memory, fondness for his best friend marring his face as he recalls, "I was already in Philadelphia. He made me fly down here after he hinted that something bad had happened."

"That sounds like our dramatic father," Riley laughs and Auggie nods in agreement.

Shawn takes Angela's hand and laces his fingers through hers, his gaze never leaving hers as he continues, "So we went to Philadelphia, dug up the time capsule, got caught by Feeny and then took our items out."

"I remember this," Riley chimes in, smiling softly at her brother when he turns to her eagerly. "Dad took out their jean jacket that was a symbol of their love. Mom took out a letter that was given to Dad by another girl."

"Uh-oh. Bet that Dad was not happy about that," Auggie's eyes widen.

"He wasn't at first. But then Mom explained that it was put in there because she had been young and she had almost let one letter ruin what they have. And then she tore that letter right up."

Shawn nods, "I remember watching them and wishing that I had when that they had. For the thousandth time, I wondered if I could ever be as happy as the two of them were. And then, I realized that I had been that happy before."

Angela leans her head on her husband's shoulders, and Shawn brings her hand to his lips and kisses it tenderly. From the side, Auggie and Riley observe their godparents, hearts warmed by the love that shines through.

"I think your father knew what I was thinking and what I would do before I myself did. He had this look on his face – this knowing look that he always had when it comes to me and my actions. Then, I pulled out Shakespeare's sonnets, Vivaldi's Four Seasons, a Van Damme movie ticket and lip gloss, and it was like everything made sense again."

"Lip gloss?"

"Kiwi mango," Shawn confirms. He reaches out and flicks Auggie's nose affectionately when the younger boy gapes at him, and they all laugh when Auggie protests at his actions. "I realized that I'd been trying to have what Cory and Topanga had but what they had was theirs. What I have with your godmother is ours. It took me fifteen years to realize that but thankfully, Angela here was just as slow."

Angela rolls her eyes at her husband's teasing smile, and says, "You can imagine my surprise when your mother called me. I remember being in my hotel room in Los Angeles when I got that call. It was almost midnight and I was working on my thesis. I thought something bad had happened to one of you."

"What did Mom say, Aunt Angela?" Auggie asks as he leans forward.

"She reminded me that for me to be happy, I'll have to let someone in again. That maybe it was time to stop running. She didn't say much after that but the moment she did, my mind went to your Uncle Shawn."

"That must have seemed so random to you!" Riley giggles.

Angela blows out a breath and admits, "I honestly thought she drunk dialed me. But then, I saw your Uncle Shawn in the lobby at breakfast and everything made sense."

"And you guys got together? Just like that?" Auggie asks hopefully but Shawn and Angela shake their heads.

"Oh no, it took a lot of work, kiddo," Shawn tells him, and Auggie pouts. "I mean, we had fifteen years to make up for. A lot of talking, planning and convincing had to be done. But it helped that your parents were always there to remind us that love is worth it when things get hard. We already knew that, of course. It just took a while for us to believe in it."

"I'm glad you did," Riley smiles sweetly and Angela takes her hand and squeezes it.

Shawn gets up and sits beside Auggie. He nudges the younger boy with his knee and says, "You asked me a few days ago what your parents' legacy is. I believe it's the love that they've left behind. Because they've always shown us how powerful it is to love and be loved, and their propensity for love – be it for each other, for their friends, and especially for you and your sister – is something they most definitely have passed down to you."

Riley gulps at the intensity of her godfather's words, choosing to look away as she blinks back the tears in her eyes. She catches Angela's eyes instead, and gives her godmother a sad smile before she leans her head on Angela's shoulder. Her godmother wraps her arm around her, and Riley revels in Angela's comforting embrace.

She misses the way Auggie's eyes flit to her, understanding and love dawning upon his youthful face.

Later, after their godparents leave, Riley and Auggie start cleaning up. They do not say much to the other, but for the first time, it is not a tensed silence between them. Instead, it is a comfortable one as they work around each other, as though a large weight had been lifted off.

When they are done, Riley bids her brother goodnight and makes her way to her bedroom, stopping when her brother calls for her.

She turns, and watches as her brother strides towards her, eyes widening when he wraps his lanky arms around her. Almost automatically, she hugs him back, her heart thudding faster.

"I love you, Riley," he whispers and this time, she does not hold back the tears that leak from her eyes. This time, she cries openly as she basks in her brother's embrace, thankful.

"I love you too, Aug."

"Favorite movie?"

"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Yours?"

"Farm Animals Save the Day. Favorite childhood memory?"

"Riding with my Pappy Joe on his farm. Yours?"

"Playing princess at the bay window with Maya and Farkle. Your turn."

"Favorite color?"

She cannot help the chuckle that leaves her lips at his question. "Seriously, Friar? Favorite color?"

Lucas shrugs, though he seems as amused as she feels. She chuckles again and tucks her hair behind her ear, this time nervously at the soft look that he sends her way. This is not the first time that she feels bashful under his gaze, and she knows that it will not be the last.

"Bet I can guess," he sings, again in that goofy tone and she giggles.

"It's not a secret, Lucas," she points to her purple mobile phone case and wallet.

Lucas shakes his head, "Your favorite color is red."

She makes an error sound, deep in her throat.

Lucas purses his lips, fondness flitting across his face as he says, "It's the color of the cap that your father gave you when you were in middle school. It's the color of the lipstick that your mother used to draw a heart on her face when she was in middle school. It's the color of the dress that you are going to wear at Auggie's surprise party this Sunday. Purple may have been your favorite color but that was before your whole world changed."

Her breath hitches at his observation, and her heart races at the way he looks at her knowingly. It has only been a few months since he first walked into her life, and yet, it is as though Lucas Friar has known her her whole life. It could be all the time that they have spent together. Almost every night, Lucas finds her after closing hours and they just talk.

There are times when they are silly and talk about things that do not matter. There are days when one of them just isn't in the mood, and the other understands. On those days, they bask in each other's company, even if it only lasts for a while. There are days when they have conversations that start light but end up deep.

This seems to be one of those days.

She holds his gaze, aware that he is leaning closer to her as he continues, "You didn't have the heart to tell Maya that when she gifted you with that phone casing. It's as though you're trying to keep this image that you have as the girl who is always smiling and happy and believes in everything and everyone, just so that your family and friends won't be worried about you."

"Thought we agreed you weren't allowed to psychoanalyze your friends?" she looks away.

Lucas gently takes her hand and laces his fingers through it. Like it always happens when they touch, she feels the tingles on her forearms. Slowly, she looks at him again.

Sincerity shines through his emerald eyes as he counters, "I observe the little things. I can't help it."

Riley rolls her eyes, brings their hands up and asks, "Do you do this with your other friends too?"

"Zay has really soft hands," he cheekily responds, and Riley giggles again.

Damn Lucas Friar and his ability to make her feel like a teenage girl all over again.

Slowly, he inches his face towards her, and once again, her heart starts beating wildly. Her eyes flit to his lips before she locks eyes with him again.

"I really like you, Riley," he whispers as his lips hovers over hers.

He is waiting for her, she realizes. All she has to do is back away, and she knows that he will respect her decision. The problem, though, is that she does not want to back away.

She wants to kiss him, and for the first time in so long, decides that it is time for her to have something for herself.

Riley presses her lips onto his, melting into the kiss as he caresses her face. It is as though fireworks have erupted as she wraps her arm around his neck, wanting to bring him closer.

His lips are soft as he kisses her slowly, and Riley wonders if she will ever have a kiss as perfect as this one again.

When they finally pull apart, they lean their foreheads against each other as they catch their breaths. A soft smile plays at the edge of her lips and she does not have to look at Lucas to know that that smile is mirrored on his face.

Her phone rings, startling the two of them, and she pecks Lucas on the cheek before she picks it up.

"Riley, where are you? It's 11 pm!" her brother worriedly asks, and she curses when she looks at the clock and sees that it is indeed 11 pm.

"Damn, sorry, Aug. I, uh, got carried away with cleaning up," she gulps, hating the lie that she tells her brother, but is secretly relieved when he believes it. Lucas frowns at her, and she turns away guiltily.

"Zay and I are coming to get you," Auggie firmly says and cuts her off just before she can argue, "It's not safe for you to be alone on the subway at this time, Riles. Please."

"Auggie, I'll be fine. Look, I'll text Farkle to pick me up if it'll make you feel better, okay? But there really isn't a need for you or Zay to come here. You have school tomorrow and Zay has his meeting with the bank."

"Promise you'll call Farkle?" her brother timidly requests, and she softens her stance.

"Actually, why don't you call him for me? My battery's dying."

"Okay, I will."

"I'll be home in less than twenty minutes, okay, Aug? Love you."

"Love you too," Auggie easily says, and she smiles into the phone even after he hangs up.

Riley sighs before she turns to Lucas and determinedly asserts, "This cannot happen again."

"Excuse me?"

She regards him steadily, though there is an unmistakable plea in her voice when she decides, "You and me. This cannot happen again."

Hurt clouds his eyes as he stands up, "Tell me why."

"Lucas, please –"

"Tell me why you and I cannot happen when it's obvious how much we care about each other. Tell me why, and I won't ever bother you again."

She blinks back the tears that have welled up and stands up so that she is facing him. "Because I don't want to go out for a while and break up and not like each other anymore. You mean too much to Auggie."

Lucas runs his hand through his hair, frustration evident even as understanding dawns onto his face.

"You mean too much to me," she continues, voice cracking as she wills herself to be honest. She has never lied to him, and she is not about to start now. "I always want you around and maybe the best way to do that is to be just friends."

Silence reigns as he mulls over her words, and Riley tries not to fidget under his stare. She watches as the tension in his shoulders ease, and he steps forward. He is still dejected, but like he has since the start, still respects her decision.

"Okay," he agrees as he takes her hand. Tenderly, he brings her knuckles to his lips and kisses them, and she lets herself have that moment. "One day, you're going to have to stop hiding behind your brother, Riley."

"Lucas – "

"So, while we're waiting for Farkle. Favorite place?" he cuts her off, plastering a forced smile on his face that she sees through as he sits back down.

This is his way of letting her know that while he does not agree with her decision, he will respect it because it is what she wants.

"Keep looking at me like that and I'm going to want to kiss you again," he warns her lightly, and she rolls her eyes good-naturedly before she sits back down and waits for Farkle with him.

Before she knows it, a year has passed since the night she got that heartbreaking phone call from Auggie.

They celebrate Auggie's birthday in April. Riley spends the morning with him at the bakery and then the baseball field. They reminisce about their birthday traditions with their parents, and laugh and cry as they recall stories of Cory and Topanga. There is no longer a heaviness that weighs them down when they talk about their parents. Before she sends him off to spend the rest of the afternoon with Josh and Eric, Riley gives her little brother his present.

She will never forget the way his face lights up as he holds up the signed vintage baseball cards that she had spent months getting her hands on. He blinks at them before he launches himself at her, and Riley laughs as she hugs him tight, glad that he likes her present.

(That night, after Auggie's surprise birthday party, when Lucas stays behind to help her and Zay clean up, she thanks him for helping her with the cards. She knows that it hadn't been easy. When Lucas smiles at her softly and tells her that she never has to thank him for helping her, she tries not to think about the heat that spreads across her cheeks and ignores the voice in her head that yells at her to kiss him. Instead, she squeezes his shoulder in appreciation, and continues cleaning the apartment.)

Auggie's mandated three months at the youth center ends in May, and he asks to continue being a part of the youth outreach program. Her little brother is happy being a student mentee there, and when he reveals that he plans to become a student mentor in the future so that he can help other kids who are hurting the way he is, pride wells up in Riley and her voice cracks as she agrees that he should continue.

In July, Josh proposes to Maya after weeks of careful planning. It had been torture keeping it a secret from her best friend, but the happy tears in Maya's eyes as she says yes makes all those weeks worth it. She catches her uncle wistfully looking at a picture of him and her parents, and turns away to give him privacy when he reaches for the picture.

In October, Riley goes on her first date in almost a year. A guy named Jordan asks her out. He has a sweet smile and makes her laugh and so she says yes when he asks her out at the bakery. She does not see the sympathetic look that Zay shoots Lucas, nor does she see the way her brother frowns. She tries to enjoy her time with Jordan but after her mind wanders to Lucas for the fourth time that night, she kisses Jordan on the cheek at the end of their date and declines a second date when he asks.

(She does not go on another date for a while after that. She knows that it will be unfair to her date since she is still hung up on a man with the softest and kindest smile. She ignores the hope that wells up in her when Lucas positively beams at her when she tells him that her date had not gone well.)

November marks their parents' first death anniversary.

Auggie and Riley had been to their parents' graves the week before, not wanting to be there when the rest of their family undoubtedly would. They had sat in silence for a while, neither of them knowing what to say, before Auggie speaks up first. He tells them that he misses them, and promises them that he and Riley are taking care of each other. She decides to give him some space and walks away, coming back only after Auggie beckons her back and he leaves her.

She takes a deep breath before she speaks softly, "He really is doing fine, I promise. We had a little bit of trouble at first but we've worked it out. I promise I'm looking after your son as best as I can. I hope you're proud of me. I love you."

Riley cannot bring herself to say anything else after that, and so she wipes away the tears that have leaked, walks over to Auggie and wraps an arm around his shoulders. Together, they walk out of the cemetery.

(They spend the morning of the actual day of their parents' death anniversary on the couch, watching home videos. Once again, there are tears and laughter, and when Shawn, Angela, Josh, Maya and Farkle join them, the stories of their parents continue for the rest of the day. By the end of it, Riley realizes that she has laughed more than cried, and that they had been celebrating the way her parents lived instead of mourning their deaths, exactly the way they deserved to be remembered.)

"Niche, I'm going to need your help," her Uncle Eric barges into her apartment on her day off, yelling at the top of his lungs. Riley grimaces at the lack of tact, and waves her uncle over to sit with her at the bay window. She shares an exasperated look with Farkle as her uncle squeezes between them, rolling her eyes when her friend just chuckles in amusement at her uncle's antics.

"Hey, Robot," her uncle nods at Farkle in acknowledgement.

"What's up, Uncle Eric?"

"I need a photographer at my debate tomorrow. Ours backed out today so I was hoping that my niche would be so kind as to –"

"I don't take pictures anymore, Uncle Eric," she cuts him off, nervousness arising in her at the thought of picking up her camera again.

Her uncle regards her knowingly, his previous chaotic state replaced by a gentler one as he takes her hand and squeezes it comfortingly.

"Maybe it's time that you start again," he encourages her, and she uncomfortably shifts in her seat. "Look, just think about it, okay? You're one of the most talented people I know. It's time you remembered that."

Her uncle kisses her hair before he walks out, and Riley sighs.

"He's right, you know," Farkle tells her, and Riley rolls her eyes again.

"He's been known to be that from time to time," she shrugs. "I don't know if I'm ready."

Farkle nudges her with his shoulder, and smiles at her kindly, "Nobody's going to push you to do something you're not comfortable doing. I mean, you don't see or hear me or Maya give you shit about Lucas, do you?"

Her eyebrows crinkle in confusion, "What – "

"That's a conversation for another time," Farkle promises and she groans. "Riley, you've put Auggie and the bakery and literally everything and everyone but yourself first. It's time for you to change that. Now."

She tiredly tucks her hand behind her ear, "Farkle –"

"You think I don't see the way you look at Shawn when he takes his pictures? Or the way you keep opening and closing the Photoshop program on your computer? You miss it, Riley. What's holding you back?"

She gulps at his question, biting her lip as she struggles to answer. Riley tries to play it off, "I'm just not interested in photography anymore, Farkle. I have the bakery to be concerned with and –"

"We don't lie to each other, Riley," Farkle exasperatedly stops her, undeterred.

She deflates at his insistence. Then again, if there is anyone who will not let her lie to herself, it is Farkle.

"You're right," she concedes.

"Riley –"

"I'm scared, okay?" she admits, voice cracking. "What if I'm no longer as good as I was? What if I've lost whatever talent I used to have, Farkle? This is just really hard and maybe I just need some time."

"I'm always here for you," he tells her what she already knows. "But you've had time, Riley. Maybe the solution isn't to wait anymore. Maybe it's time to just dive back in."

She mulls over his words, and does not move when he gets up. Farkle lets her know that he will give her space and time to think, but he also lets her know that he hopes that she will take her Uncle Eric's offer.

"I love you, Farkle," she fondly regards him.

Farkle kisses her forehead, "And I love you."

That afternoon, she goes to her room and picks up her camera from her dresser table. It is the first camera that she has ever owned, gifted to her from her Uncle Shawn in middle school. Her hands tremble as her fingers glide over the buttons and lenses, and she blinks back the tears that threaten to spill from her eyes.

She has not realized how much she missed holding a camera until that moment.

A gentle knock on her jolts her out of her thoughts.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Angela asks from the door, concern marring her beautiful face as her husband stands beside her with a similar expression.

Without thinking, Riley raises her camera and snaps a picture of them, smiling apologetically when they complain about the sudden flash they had been exposed to as they blink rapidly.

Riley looks at the picture, and her heart sinks at how terrible it is. The picture is dark and unfocused. Fear spreads through her at the thought of losing her photography skills, and she is so frozen that she does not register her godfather's presence beside her as he looks at the picture.

Gently, he pries the camera away from her.

"C'mon," Shawn tilts his head to the door before he holds out his arm. Dejectedly, she loops her arm around her godfathers', too tired and too upset to question where they are going. Her godmother trails behind them.

He brings her to the bakery, and when she tells him that she is not in the mood for ice-cream that is about to expire in a week, her uncle rolls her eyes.

"This camera snaps ten photos, and then you can go home," her father's best friend commands, and Riley frowns.

"Uncle Shawn, I'm really not in the mood for – "

"Ten photos," her uncle leaves no room for her to back out. He holds out his hand to Angela, and together, they walk to the table outside.

Riley just stands there for a while, forcing a smile on her face when Katy asks her if she is alright.

Naturally, the first picture she snaps is of her godparents through the glass. Shawn and Angela are talking, their hands intertwined as she rolls her eyes affectionately at something he says. When Angela reaches out to caress his stubble, Riley takes a deep breath before she raises her camera, focuses on the scene that she wants to capture and clicks the photo.

From outside, her mother's best friend shoots her a proud smile as her godfather smirks knowingly at her.

Her heart thumps against her chest painfully as she pulls up her picture, and she releases a breath of relief.

The photo is not her best but it is still beautiful, with Shawn and Angela as the focus while everything else fades away, similar to how things are with them in real life.

She snaps a picture of Katy next, dealing with a customer who is undoubtedly testing her patience. Her following picture is one of Two Shoes Louie who has planted himself outside her bakery, and he grins widely into the picture.

"I'll meet you back at home," she tells her godparents as she runs up the stairs.

Riley stops mid-way before she backtracks. She kisses Shawn on the cheek, and hugs Angela from behind.

"Thank you," she smiles shyly, and Shawn and Angela grin as they watch her as she runs up the stairs, two steps at a time.

She stops by the youth center, and snaps a picture of Auggie playing basketball with a group of kids a few younger than him. The fifth one she takes is of Lucas spotting her, and she catches the exact moment his face lights up at the sight of her.

The sixth one is of a golden retriever that barks happily at her. The seventh is of Zay at his dance studio as he freestyles and the eighth is of Maya and Josh at her art studio. The ninth one is of Farkle as he picks the four of them up. He rolls down the window and slides his sunglasses down, giving her a wink as she clicks the photo.

She does not miss the approving and proud smile that he shoots her as she mouths a 'thank you' to him.

Her last photo is also of Farkle. Isadora Smackle, a customer who has been at the bakery at least thrice in the past week, overhears him rambling about a theory he is working on to Riley, and corrects him. Smackle had been sitting at the table behind the couches, and had not been able to stop herself from commenting on Farkle's work.

When she quotes him an experiment that proves her right, Riley quickly takes a picture of Farkle as he gapes at being proven wrong. In the picture, Smackle is in mid-shrug beside him, smug.

Riley shows Farkle the photo after Smackle leaves, and just laughs loudly when he scowls at her.

A/N: You know the drill :)