Hey all! I've got some great ideas for this story so I'm just gonna keep pumping them out. In this update, we finally learn why Josh didn't tell Maya about Riley, and then, Joshaya and Farkle help Riley figure out what to do with Julian so she can go back to living her life in California. Hope you enjoy!

Lauren.

"Talk," Maya ordered the moment they sat down in Topanga's. Riley and Farkle stared at Maya, confused. "Oh, not you two," Maya said apologetically. "Him." She glared at her fiance. "Tell us the truth."

"We deserve to know," Riley added. "I was in rehab for an extra two months because Maya never showed up. After my physio, they put me into a mental institution."

Everyone winced.

Josh swallowed. "It made sense at the time, it really did."

"Not telling Maya about the accident threw a wrench into their friendship," Farkle said, crossing his arms. "And, it made things worse between Riley, Lucas, and myself, so this had better be good."

"Great, even," Riley finished.

"Okay, all right," Josh relented, holding up his hands in defeat. "Maya, I'm assuming you don't remember what was going on when Riley was injured."

"Does it look like I remember?" Maya said angrily.

Josh hesitated. "You should."

Riley's eyes went wide. "Oh my gosh, I know." She had been thinking hard, because it had obviously been important. Then she remembered the phone call she'd received a week prior to her accident. "Your mom, Maya."

Maya stared at Riley hard, before turning to Josh. "That was in the same week?" she asked, a lump in her throat. She swallowed hard. "Okay, that's a good reason."

"Lucas and I felt like it would be unfair to put you in the position to have to choose between the two most important people in your world, and if we were wrong for thinking that way, I'm sorry," Josh admitted. "Looking back on it now, it would've been fairer for you to know about Riley, at the very least, just so she wouldn't think you'd abandoned her."

"Lucas didn't even tell me that's why Maya didn't show up," Riley said, raising an eyebrow.

Josh shook his head. "Apparently, you were not in the greatest shape."

"Well, hardly anyone who's been run over would be in great shape," Riley said sarcastically.

Farkle hesitated. "Maya, your mom was fine when Riley was hit by the car." All three sets of eyes turned to him. "Riley, you were hit by that car on September 5th."

"How do you even remember that?" Riley asked, shocked.

Maya filled in the rest of Farkle's thought. "My mom wasn't diagnosed until September the 12th. A full week later." She turned to Josh. "You done lying to me yet?"

"Katy hadn't been diagnosed until a week after Riley's accident, but she'd gone in for her MRI a week before Riley's accident," Josh explained. "You were convinced she was dying and you were on the verge of a mental breakdown every second of the day, Maya. You were taking the idea harder than she was."

"Because everybody I love leaves," Maya said angrily.

Silence filled the shop.

"I haven't," Josh said quietly, sounding slightly hurt, "and neither has Shawn."

"Riley left. Lucas left. Farkle left. Zay left. Izzy left." Both Riley and Farkle flinched when their names were said. "What happened to staying friends forever?" she asked them both.

"Life got busy," Riley admitted, "and then I almost got killed."

"We're all still friends, Maya, we're just not as close as we used to be," Farkle said. "Don't shove actions where they never happened. We might have physically left, but we never truly left you, Maya. And it's not like you ever called us if you needed us. I found out about your mother through Mr. Matthews."

"Maya, you should have told me," Riley said quietly. "Kind of like how I found out about your engagement through my father. Had you called to tell me about your mom when it'd happened, maybe you might've known I was in the hospital."

"You're taking your hurt and frustrations out on us, when it's misplaced," Farkle said gently. "You don't have to be angry anymore. Not at us. We've always been here for you. You know that we'd pick up the phone in an instant if you called."

Riley continued, "At least, until the circumstances changed. Lucas and I kept finding out about things happening in your life through my parents, through Josh. None of it ever came from you."

"You drifted first," Farkle finished. "I understand why you did, because losing your mom when you're that young can't be easy. It would be easy to shut yourself up away from the world. Which, obviously, you did."

Josh gave Maya a sympathetic squeeze as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she managed to get out, before giving into the sobs. "You're right. I-I'm mad at myself, I'm angry that she's gone, I'm disappointed that I let myself let go of you guys like that."

"None of that matters, because we're here for you now," Riley said, standing up and sitting down beside her. She gave Maya a hug, holding her as she cried. It was several minutes before the sobs subsided. "Maya, we're here, and we're not going anywhere until you're okay."

Farkle had moved closer as well. "But you won't be okay unless you can forgive yourself."

Maya looked up, her blue eyes surrounded by red. "I'm really sorry," she repeated.

"Maya, none of this is your fault. It's just the way things happened when you closed yourself off from the world. No one blames you for doing that, because you needed to find a way to cope," Josh said quietly, kissing her hair. "Besides, we're not just your friends. We're your family. We love you no matter what."

It took three lattes, a gingerbread cookie, and an uncountable amount of hugs to calm Maya back down. With the elephant in the room deflated, the talk turned to why Riley had suddenly reappeared back in New York. After a couple of uncomfortable moments' silence, Riley explained carefully to her best friend and uncle her situation with Julian. Farkle chimed in at certain times with anything she'd forgotten to mention.

"Do you still love him?" Maya asked immediately when Riley had finished.

Riley hesitated. "I don't know. But I never got over him."

"But you may not love him anymore," Josh said. "If you don't, then you need to talk to him and tell him to scram, before I go over there and rip his head off for you."

Riley laughed, but then she frowned. "I haven't thought about him like that in years. I just keep remembering everything that happened when we were together, and how amazing it was. How freed I felt. How I thought our relationship was perfect, until they showed me it wasn't."

"The thing is, Riles," Farkle interjected, "maybe he's changed."

"Wait, is this the guy who came up to you at the restaurant?" Maya questioned.

"Yeah," Riley said.

"The guy who made you clam up like, well, a clam, and refuse to talk about it for the rest of the time I was there?" Maya clarified.

Riley nodded.

"I really don't know what to say, Riley," Josh admitted. "Your friends in California were right when they thought your relationship with him was toxic. But things might be different now. Honestly, I think you should talk to him."

"What would I even say?" Riley wondered.

"Ask him why he's been following you around?" Maya suggested.

"See if the spark is still there," Farkle said. "Go grab a coffee and catch up. And if it's not, tell him you're not interested and that he needs to stop acting like a creep."

Riley lifted a shoulder. "I guess."

"And if he continues to creep, just give me a call," Josh reassured her. "I'll set him straight." He cracked his knuckles for emphasis.

Riley hastened to add, "That's not necessary, the last thing I need is for my uncle to get thrown in jail months before his wedding." She looked at Maya and Farkle. "It's really good to be with you two again. The original three."

"Yeah, before Ranger Rick screwed everything up," Maya said.

"Before feelings existed," Farkle added.

"Please, Farkle, your feelings existed from the moment you first met us at my Hallowe'en party," Riley said, laughing.

Farkle grinned. "Guilty as charged."

"So," Maya said, "how long are you staying here?"

"Well, I was planning to leave when I was ready, so I'm not exactly sure," Riley admitted. "But at least now I know what I have to do when I get back to California, and I can prepare myself for that."

They chatted for another hour, catching up on each others' lives. It wasn't long before they fell into rhythm, a rhythm none of them had experienced since senior year of high school, before they'd all split apart. They were comfortable. They were happy.

"Your safe place is each other."

There really was no place like home.

Two updates in one day? I'm pumping these out now. Next up: Riley and Julian come face to face, because being the creepy creep creep he is, he manages to find her in New York.

Hope this was enough to keep you guys interested. It's really about to get wild.

Lauren.