Chapters will probably have a bit more time between each of them going forward. Finally getting a bit closer to the original intent when I started this story. Hope y'all are enjoying it :)

There wasn't even an acknowledgment, for the first time in years, Maya hadn't even looked up from her seat on the couch to meet his eye. Sure last time she had been distracted, but this wasn't distraction, this was…well it was disinterest. Josh sat at the Matthew's kitchen table just watching Maya and Riley stare at the tv screen. She still hadn't even looked at him and he showed up nearly 2 hours ago, they were talking as if he wasn't even there.

"Why exactly is he picking you up here?"

"Cause my mom is home."

"But your mom loves him."

"Exactly, she just makes it so awkward. You remember last time at the café?"

Riley started grinning as she nodded. In return, Maya hit her best friend in the face with a throw pillow.

"Stop making that face! It was humiliating. She hovered! She just stood there behind us after giving us our smoothie and just…hovered. At one point she squatted down so her face was in between ours on the couch!"

"She's just happy you're happy. Not to mention Uncle Shawn is making her happy, it's just happiness over load at the Hart residence."

This time the pillow hit Riley's face and bounced off toward the kitchen. It had been a little different at home, a good different which wasn't something Maya was really used to. There were more meals together, when her mom wasn't working. Shawn showed up unannounced fairly often when he was in town, which turned out to be a lot more frequently than before. It would appear there where a lot of traveling options on the East Coast and he intended to visit all of them for his website. The Mid-west and West coast be damned apparently.

"So where are you going today?"

Maya just shrugged.

"No idea, it's a surprise."

"You hate surprises."

It was true, she did. She didn't mind surprising people, but traditionally, surprises meant uncertainty. It meant things could go wrong. It meant getting your hopes up and being let down. Sure her last birthday was a surprise party, but not really, she knew everything about it. If it had been a real one, it would not have gone as well. Maya preferred to be prepared. Dating Lucas was changing her.

"Yea, but Ranger Rick insisted I know nothing, so I know nothing."

The doorbell rang and neither girl bothered to get up. Mostly because Maya's legs were draped across Riley's lap and she was the one who didn't move a single inch at the noise. Riley on the other hand seemed to twitch as though she was going to stand, but the action just couldn't be completely. Still staring at the tv screen Maya spoke.

"Uncle Josh, the door."

"Ever the demanding one."

"It's what makes me me."

Still, not even a look in his direction. He figured she had moved on the last time they had interacted. But knowing it and really seeing it were two completely different things. Shaking his head, he got up from the kitchen table and made his way to the front door. On the way he grabbed the discarded pillow and tossed it at the girls. Pulling open the door his head had to tilt back slightly to meet Lucas' eyes, the 15 year old have a few inches on him. That just wasn't fair. Stepping away from the door, Josh held out an arm gesturing for Lucas to enter.

"Lucas."

"Hello sir."

Internally Josh cringed. This tall kid just called him Sir and that made Josh very uneasy. I'm only three years old than you. As the thought ran through his mind, Josh realized that was the first time three years didn't seem like some huge age gap. It was only three years; it was as if that was nothing at all. Shaking the thoughts from his mind he turned to face Lucas. The whole reason he was here today was because his brother and sister-in-law were away from the day. It's not that Riley or Maya needed anyone to babysit them, but the idea of leaving Riley alone when Maya left for her date was enough for the Matthew's to want someone in proximity just to be safe. Mind you, the girls didn't know that.

"Picking up Maya for a date I hear."

Nodding, Lucas glanced over Josh's shoulder to look at his girlfriend smiling. At times it was still hard to believe that was true. But it was, for the past two months actually. Leaning backward, Maya grinned in return, but didn't actually bother getting up. Nodding, Lucas looked back at Josh.

"Correct. And I guess I should thank you."

Josh's eyebrow rose.

"For what?"

"If she didn't see you in the subway station, doubt this would even be happening."

"Well I'm glad I was able to make Maya nervous enough that you were forced to kiss her. Must have been terrible."

"Not so much."

Josh made to respond, but he quickly realized the kid in front of him wasn't even paying attention. This whole being completely ignored thing was going to getting annoying really fast. Guess he wasn't as close to being the cool uncle as he once was. Shaking his head, he just walked back to the kitchen. Lucas finally made his way over to the couch, where Maya was now lying backward on the couch so she had to look up at him. Grinning brightly she pointed up to him.

"Bucky McBoingBoing, hi."

"You know of all my nicknames, I think that's my least favorite."

"You realize that means it's the only name I'll use ever again."

There was a short silence from Lucas as he thought. Truthfully he had gotten so use to the nicknames, he almost felt weird whenever Maya did use his real name. Each name had too many memories attached, it was impossible not to actually like them now.

"I might not have thought that comment through all the way."

"It's okay McBoingBoing, I'm sure I'll find a new name for ya eventually."

"And I'm sure it'll be great and not at all offensive. Ready to go?"

Lucas reached out his hand for Maya to grab. She stared blankly at it for a moment before slowly sitting up and swinging her legs off Riley finally. She turned to her best friend.

"Am I? I have no idea what we're doing. How can I possibly be ready?"

Rolling his eyes, Lucas just grabbed Maya's arm and pulled her off the couch. Their finger entwined and she grabbed her purse from the couch. Despite the last two months, dates were not something either of them did very often. Their outings tended to revolved around spending time together before and after group activities. Dating was an adjustment, knowingly leaving Riley to spend time alone with a boy still seemed off, but the flutters in the stomach was always enough to make her more than okay with it. As Lucas led Maya toward the front door, she glanced over her shoulder.

"If I don't return know that I love you Riley and it's all Sundance's fault. Be sure to avenge me."

Glancing up at Lucas Maya grinned and he just shook his head in return. After they left, Josh got back up from the kitchen table and sat next to his niece. Grabbing Riley's legs he pulled them across his lap. She had been smiling happily the entire time Maya was here and even when Lucas showed up, but her face had dropped once they left.

"How you doing Riles?"

"I'm great Uncle Josh."

There was silence as Josh just stared at his niece and waited. After a few moments of Riley starting at her uncle she finally had to just look away. She wasn't doing great. She was often far from great and she hated that fact. She didn't even think she was allowed to be even a little bit upset.

"So I'm not, but I will be. I'm eventually I have to be don't I? It can't last forever."

There was worry in her eyes as she spoke. At times it was okay, but not always. Seeing that look, Josh quickly adjusted on the couch so he could wrap his arm around his niece tightly. Instinctively Riley rested her head against Josh's chest. Sometimes he was always more of an older brother than an uncle, but either way, Riley always knew he was there for her.

"Do you still have feelings for Lucas?"

Her head shook no against his chest, but she didn't bother to speak.

"Can I ask what it is then?"

Riley took a deep breath before sitting up on the couch slightly. With a bit of adjustment, she leaned her head on Josh's shoulder instead of his chest. There was a small shrug as she tried to pull her thoughts together. Part of her had been worried she might actually be jealous of Maya being with Lucas because it was Lucas. The more she thought about it all though, Riley couldn't even put into words what was going through her mind. She gave her best friend permission and she meant it. But the past two months, things were getting a bit more complicated.

"Everything is different now. It's all changed. I always knew Maya would move on without me at some point. Grow up before me. Leave me for someone, something. I didn't think it would happen with another one of my friends. I thought I had more time. I thought…"

Stopping short Riley just shrugged again. It was hard trying to explain it all. It all came down to this simple fact she was alone in her family's apartment while Maya and Lucas were out on a date together. Previously at moments like this, when Riley was worried about Maya growing up without her, Maya returned to Riley in the end. Just when one of them moved forward, the other caught up, or came back. With Missy, the "popular" party, their first date, their first college party. In the end it they came back together. They always moved forward together, but now Maya was moving forward without her. This time Riley knew Maya wasn't going to be coming back.

"I don't know if I'm gonna catch up to her."

Josh squeezed his niece's shoulder tightly.

"You might think that now, but it won't be like that forever. A couple months, a couple years, it means a lot one moment, then absolutely nothing the next."

"A couple years means nothing?"

Turning his head, Josh's eyes narrowed in on Riley. She was smirking. While he was happy she was in a teasing mood, he would have preferred a slightly different teasing. It was true though, three years didn't mean as much as it once did. It might not have reached nothing, but this feeling of someone moving on without you, that was something Josh was very familiar with. It was hard not to when he was so much younger than his brothers, even more so with his sister.

"Not yet…just…eventually."

"I just wish eventually was sooner."

"Have you talked to Maya about all of this?"

"And make her think I'm not happy for you? You saw how happy she's been with Lucas. I'm not going to do anything that will mess that up."

"Maya is your best friend that has not changed even if other things have. You can't let this all bubble up inside. It only makes everything worse. Talk to her, if Maya doesn't know what's going on, how can you two sort anything out?"

"Is this those three years of extra wisdom you keep going on about Uncle Josh?"

"Exactly, eventually you'll be as smart as me. Until then, just do as I say. Like now, let's get out of this apartment. Do something fun."

Nodding Riley pushed herself off the couch and held out her hand to help her uncle up as well. He was right; she did need to talk to her best friend. The only other option was say nothing and feel worse and worse. Nothing about that option was good. Once they were ready, Josh lightly shoved Riley out the door.