Author Note: Thank you all for the reviews, messages, Chris Evans gif parties, they mean the world to me. These characters keep having their own ideas of how they want to do things, so half the time I'm not even sure what's going to happen next.

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When Auggie got the text message from Lucas, he replied quickly, of course he would go and unlock the windows in Riley's room after his coach had explained his plan. At the very least it would be entertaining to watch Riley have to deal with all her friends, her Prince, and Lucas all at the same time.

Maybe it was cruel of her younger brother to help inflict this on her, or maybe it was the wakeup call his sister needed.

He didn't understand why any of this was happening. How do you go from loving someone for a decade, planning a future with them, even when not technically together to being engaged to someone else?

Auggie just didn't get it, of course he also didn't understand what had changed between him and Ava, and he couldn't understand the knots that would twist in his stomach whenever he saw her, or the way his heart felt like a hundred humming birds were buzzing inside of him whenever he saw her.

Maybe Riley didn't understand whatever it was when she saw Lucas. Everyone else seemed to understand it, but his sister always seemed to be afraid of it. Could that be what this was, fear guiding his sister the way it had years ago, only a thousand times worse.

Auggie looked around his room, long gone were the pirate and cowboy décor, instead the walls were a solid blue and covered in baseball posters, and flyers from the bands he, Doy, and Frankie would go see on the weekends. Did he still have that tiny chair?

He went to the closet, and didn't see it. His mom probably gave it away to his Aunt Morgan a few years ago when she had the twins.

In the living room he found a small foot stool that his Mom would use to get something off a high shelf. He brought it into his room and placed it in the center of his carpet. He studied it for a moment nodding to himself yup this would be perfect and even more uncomfortable than the chair he'd had Lucas sit in nine years before.

Topanga looked around the apartment, part of her felt she should make sure everything looked perfect, but at the same time she didn't want to impress the man who had stolen her little girl. She didn't understand what was going on, but she didn't like any of it. Yet with everyone else giving Riley the silent treatment she knew she couldn't as well and had to at least attempt to be supportive.

"Mom, Laurence is quiet normal. He just happens to have a title, rule a country relax." Riley knew her parents had adored Lucas, "Please be happy for me."

"I am, of course I am sweetheart, it's just you joke about having the house clean enough for a royal visit, you just don't expect one."

"Mom, Duke was here all the time it's really not that big of a deal."

Topanga turned to her daughter, "Riley, I love you, I'm about to meet the man you want to marry, I kind of thought I met him when you were in the seventh grade, but here we are."

"You're mad at me for not marrying Lucas?" Riley was stunned by her mother's harsh words.

"I want you to do what makes you happy, if Laurence is really what makes you happy, wonderful, but I just don't get how you went from a decade of planning to be Mrs. Friar, to a Princess."

"I can't give Lucas what he wants, but I can give Laurence what he wants." Riley hoped she sounded confident, but even she was starting to wonder if she was right. If she was around Lucas being with him felt beyond right, if she was around Laurence that felt right as well.

"Are you sure of that Riley?" Topanga wasn't convinced Riley had really thought this through; something must've scared her daughter.

"I'm sure Mom, I'm sure."

"Okay, where is he?" Cory was dressed about as casually as one could be, he wore jeans, his yellow hoodie obviously he had no desire to impress the man here to steal his daughter.

"Daddy, why are you dressed like that" She was a little disappointed he wasn't even trying to pretend to try.

"Baseball practice this afternoon, sorry sweetie I double booked." Cory shrugged and he saw a look from Topanga that let him know she didn't think this was cute.

Riley looked to her parents, "Just be normal people, if you can, please."

Topanga looked from her husband to her daughter, "We are perfectly normal."

Riley rolled her eyes just as someone knocked on the door. "That's him, just be nice." She opened the door, feeling her stomach twist in knots when she saw Laurence…where were the butterflies, the heart swell, hadn't she felt those last night when with him at the hotel?

"Hello, come on in." She watched him, "Mom, Dad, this is Laurence. These are my parents Cory and Topanga Matthews."

"It's an honor to meet you, I know this is unusual, and I apologize for that." He snapped his fingers and a younger man came in with a crate of cherries, "These are Glendova's prized cherries from my private orchard, from the trees where I proposed to Riley, please accept these as an apology."

"That's very sweet, thank you." Topanga's mind raced thinking this is what you do in this sort of situation, she wasn't sure. "Please have a seat, could we get you something to drink."

"Thank you but no, I'm fine at the moment."

Riley led him to the couch just as Auggie came in wearing his baseball practice uniform, "Do I have to meet this guy?" his voice tight as he looked at his sister.

"Auggie, come meet Laurence." Riley smiled to her brother with warning, "This is my younger brother Auggie."

"I've heard wonderful things about you." Laurence told the young man who just glared at him with a terrifying look.

Auggie rolled his eyes, "Dad are you going to practice today?"

"Yeah I was planning on it Bubba."

"Great, we'll leave soon I got to get my stuff ready." Auggie dashed out of the room, sure that in a few minutes he would drag this Prince in for a little chat.

"Hey, where's Duke? I thought he was coming with you?" Riley just now realized her friend was missing.

Laurence nodded, "Yes, we were outside the building and he ran into a friend of his, a tiny little blonde, said he had to catch up with her."

"Weird." Riley shrugged it off and then a moment later she realized who he ran into.

"Hola Losers, what's up?" Maya came from the hallway, Duke following behind her like a puppy dog.

"Maya, how are you?" Topanga went and hugged the young girl, "Window?"

"How else" Maya shrugged, "I ran into our buddy Duke downstairs, I said I was coming up to see you, he said he was as well, so I showed him the window entry."

"Duke climbed up the fire escape and in through my window?" Riley could've sworn she'd had the window locked ever since Lucas had come in it the other night.

"Yes, I certainly did, how was I never invited to partake in that particular entrance before?" Duke gave Topanga a quick hug before moving towards Riley for one.

Riley felt his arms around her and she looked at Maya, "No one has used that window in years as an entrance. We stopped that before college."

"Oh Riley, don't be silly. Wait, who is this?" Maya pointed to Laurence, he was smoking hot with his blue eyes and dark hair but Duke was hotter, plus he was no Lucas.

"Maya Hart, this is my fiancé, Laurence. Maya is my best friend, when we were kids she would always come in through my window."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Hart I have heard very good things about you from both Riley and Edward."

"Edward who the hell is Edward" Maya put on her confused face.

"That would be me." Duke raised his hand.

"Riley you home?" Farkle called from the hall as he came into the living room and put his arm around Maya, giving her a tight squeeze.

Riley stared at him, "Farkle, where did you come from?"

"Window, how else would I come in here?" He looked at her as though she were a madwoman. "Farkle Minkus, you must be the Prince. What up Duke?"

"Why are all of you here?" Riley looked to her friends confused, her stomach twisting, her fingers shaking, they were up to something, weren't they?

"Well I heard the Prince was here to meet the family, and we're all family." Maya smiled, it was already chaos and Zay and Lucas hadn't even shown up.

Riley closed her eyes, "I was planning to introduce you all to him tomorrow. You couldn't wait one day?"

"We're family Riley, we don't wait." Farkle threw his arm around her, he had no idea what was going through her mind, he could tell she was over-thinking something, he just didn't know what exactly.

"What's a Farkle, is that a nickname?" Laurence looked around trying to keep everyone straight, though he was starting to feel like he was being bombarded with faces, names, information and even from his own brother.

"Nope, it's my name." Farkle shrugged he'd long decided not to wonder why his parents chose that particular name, a part of him worried they'd lost a bet with someone.

The door swung open and Zay strolled in, "Hey, what's up?" He waved to everyone as he went to the kitchen and started to prepare a bowl of cereal.

"Zay, what are you doing?" Riley was near whining at this point.

Zay shook his head as he looked in the fridge, "You're out of milk, so what I'm doing is not preparing a bowl of cereal." He saw the crate of cherries and opened it, he popped one in his mouth and was not impressed, "The cherries are rotten why would you buy this Topanga?"

Topanga tried to hold back a smile, "I didn't Zay they were a gift from Laurence."

Zay looked around, "Oh, is this him? So you're the guy that stole my best friend's girl."

"Lucas is my best friend." Farkle reminded him.

"Not now Farkle." Zay moved towards Laurence, "You want to hear a good Riley story? See the other night we were all hanging out, and she"

"Zay, stop, he doesn't want to hear how I helped Maya clean her bathroom."

"Oh is that what we're calling it now?" Maya smiled; at the very least she'd gotten Riley to act like Riley again even if for only a minute.

She heard the door open and she turned around, Lucas came in, wearing his baseball pants and a blue Reglan t-shirt that was probably a size too small as it stretched over his muscles butterflies filled her stomach, her heart swelled. What the fuck was he doing here?

"Hey Mom, Hey Dad" He gave Topanga a kiss on the cheek.

"You didn't mention another brother." Laurence was confused as to who the blond man was.

"That's not my brother, that's Lucas." Riley sighed, "What are you doing here and why are you calling them Mom and Dad?"

"Oh we told him to." Topanga nodded as she went to give him a hug.

Lucas turned to her and Laurence, his first look at the man that stole his dreams. He was old, far older than he'd expected, but Lucas was man enough to admit he was good looking. "Lucas Friar, the love of Riley's life."

"Prince Laurence of Glendova, her future husband" Laurence studied the man who had first at Riley's heart, green eyes golden hair, he was muscular sure, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was about him that suddenly had him nervous.

"I'm not so sure of that." Lucas smiled before looking to Riley, "You look beautiful."

"Bay Window, Bay Window right now, Riley, Lucas." Maya pointed towards the hall.

Riley was about to explain it, but gave up.

"What about me?" Farkle looked to his fiancée Maya.

She smiled, "Keep an eye on Zay we don't want him telling the wrong Good Riley Stories."

He nodded, "Gotcha."

"Maya, I don't have time for these games." Riley told her as they went in her room. "How did you even get in my window, I've been keeping it locked."

"Afraid I might sneak in?" Lucas sat on the window seat with a smirk.

Riley rolled her eyes as she sat across from him with Maya in the middle.

"Okay, so here's what I think is going on. Someone said something that made you think too much, you got in your head and you're pushing Lucas away, even though you want him more than anything in this world." Maya looked to her best friend, "Honey, I love you, and I can tell just from the way you talk about Laurence you don't love him. So do us all a favor and end this mess. Give him the ring back, and fix things with Huckleberry."

"You guys, I've made up my mind. I'm marrying Laurence. You guys can scheme and whatnot but it's not changing that." She stood up about to walk out the door.

"Engagement Ring power" Maya declared and watched as Riley backed up, staring at her confused, "Sit."

"That's not a thing, especially because we would both have to be engaged and only one of us in this room is." Riley hadn't meant to say that she could feel the heartbreak radiating off of him and then she saw his green eyes cloud over.

Maya held out her left hand, "Oh right, you missed it last night, I'm the future Mrs. Farkle Minkus."

"But Duke was going to take you to dinner, he got you flowers." Riley couldn't help but stare at the ring on her friend's finger it was perfect for Maya if anyone had asked her it would've been the one she suggested.

"Yeah, Duke did show up with flowers, Farkle stormed out, and then Duke and I talked, and we went to find Farkle at the bar, and next thing I know I'm proposing to him, the words are falling out of me and he stares at me the way a man in love with a woman does." Maya picked up Riley's chin and forced her to look in her eyes, "He then started proposing to me, telling me how he had it planned, and all I could think of Peaches is how this is what it should feel like. This is what I had always wanted, and I said yes, and later he showed me the ring he bought weeks ago when he first saw it, because he knew."

"Congratulations Maya, I had no idea you and Farkle were so serious." She looked at her best friend, "I guess we all have our secrets, don't we?"

"Maybe they shouldn't be secrets." Lucas watched Riley as he got up, "Riley, I love you, and I hope to God you realize you love me, and belong with me before it's too late."

Riley didn't speak she just watched him leave, "Well what do you want to say that you had to call ring power?"

"Lucas told me, about what you found out when you were seventeen."

"He shouldn't have done that." Riley stiffened. "He had no right to tell you about that."

"Riles, I know you didn't tell me for whatever reason. I realize I might have said some things that maybe got in your head." She forced Riley to look at her once again, "Lucas Friar loves you; he loves you and wants to be with you even though you can't have a biological child with him. That doesn't matter to him. All he wants is a life with you, it's all he's wanted since he pulled you into his lap."

"He didn't pull me, you pushed me into it."

"Actually, I might've missed in that push and he pulled you in. You could've landed in another guys lap, but Lucas grabbed you." Maya took a deep breath, "Don't run from love, chase love Riley. I don't know how long Lucas can be pulled in by you only to be pushed away again. One day he might not be there for you to pull back, it might be too late."

"Maya, you don't get it."

"I get that you've loved Lucas since the day you've met, I get that when you thought I loved him that long you stepped back and made yourself miserable, you made Lucas miserable, you made me miserable." Maya shrugged, "But all of us got past that and the two of you were amazing together once you finally stopped being scared."

Riley blinked and looked away, "Lucas needs something I can't provide."

"Lucas needs you Riley, only you." Maya looked over and saw that Riley hadn't even opened any of the letters he'd written her, "You should read those, maybe what you need is in them."

"Why did you all really show up today?"

"The Prince should know what comes with you, all of us, and I do mean all of us."

Auggie came in and sat at the window next to his sister, "I don't know what's going on, all I know is you need to stop hurting Lucas. You love him he loves you, and this other guy, bleh."

"Auggie, you don't even know Laurence."

"I know that he's not Lucas, and you'll always love Lucas and only Lucas." He got up off the window seat and went to the door, "Now I need to go have a chat with Larry."

"Auggie, be nice."

"I just want to know what kind of man my sister wants to marry." Auggie shrugged and walked away.

Maya stood up and looked at her best friend, "That ring you're wearing, it's not right for you it's too heavy too big it's not your style at all. Shame because I know for a fact that Lucas spent weeks picking out a ring for you, he even took Topanga and I to get final approval. It's a shame it would've looked perfect on you. I guess we'll never know."

"It did." Riley sighed, "I tried it on he left it in here after he attempted to propose."

"Riley, you love him. Be with him. He's the man you've always wanted." Maya sighed, "You were always a princess to him."

Riley closed her eyes, "It's complicated Maya."

"Then un-complicate it" She lifted Riley's left hand, "Hand this back to Larry, tell him it's over and run down to that baseball field and tell Lucas you've been an idiot. He'll forgive you, I know he will."

Riley pulled her hand away, "I can't so you and Farkle huh, like for real."

Maya nodded, "You did give me your blessing before you left for Glendova, I saw an opportunity and I went for it."

"I really thought it would be Uncle Josh."

"I think everyone did even me and Farkle." Maya walked out of the room, realizing that it was going to take a lot more to get Riley and Lucas back together. For now she could only hope that spending time with Zay and Farkle had traumatized him enough that he rethought marrying Riley.

"Well don't forget the time you all decided to be Communists, now that is a really good Riley story." Zay's voice carried through the hallway.

Maya smiled as she shook her head, looking back to the room once more as Riley picked up one of the letters.

"We weren't really Communists." Farkle started to argue.

"Hey Laurence, how about we have a little chat, away from everyone." Maya could hear something in Auggie's voice that told her Laurence didn't stand a chance against the teen.

Laurence's mind was spinning, he wasn't really sure what was going on with Riley and her friends, especially since it seemed like Duke was involved. So he thought speaking alone with her younger brother would be a little better. Some one on one time that would maybe help him understand the chaos in the living room.

Until he joined the boy in his bedroom and was asked to sit on a foot stool so he did, feeling foolish, even Carmella's small chairs were higher off the ground then this. "So Auggie, what did you wish to say to me?"

Auggie stared at the older man for a moment, letting the silence fill the room, "Don't marry my sister. She's in love with another man and it's only going to lead to heartbreak."

Laurence stayed silent, wonderful another Lucas fan, how was he going to win over her friends and family when they were all so enamored with him. "Auggie, things change, people change, what they want changes as they grow up."

Auggie rolled his eyes, "Don't marry my sister, now get out I have to get ready for practice."

Laurence as aghast, he had no idea what was going on, but it was starting to feel like sabotage. He pushed himself up from the stool and looked at the teen, "I love your sister very much and she loves me, a former flame isn't going to change that."

"Riley and Lucas are never over." Auggie pulled on his baseball cap before opening the door and walking out.

Riley looked at the envelope in her hand, the front simply said #1, her hands shook as she tore open the envelope and pulled out the piece of blue paper.

Lucas' sharp cursive-print blend met her eyes.

Riley,

I just left you, I'm sitting on the plane right now and I cannot imagine what it is going to be like not to see your smile in the morning, not to feel your fingers wrapped with mine, but I know your hand is the only one I want to hold. I know that you are the only one I want to hold; your lips are the only ones I want to kiss, you are the only one I want to be with.

I know we can't have everything, but as long as we have each other I know we'll be happy.

I can't wait until the day I ask you to marry me and you say yes, because I know it will be a moment that I will remember for the rest of my life.

I love you Riley, I have since the moment I reached out to you on the subway. The moment you first smiled at me just a few seconds before. It was always you Riley and it will always be you.

Lucas

She put the letter back in the envelope, her fingers ached to open the next one and continue to read them, but she couldn't do it. She looked at her window and closed it she's made her decision she was going to stick with it. Laurence loved her, and he didn't need from her, what Lucas needed.

"My sister is stubborn." Auggie looked to Lucas as they walked back from the baseball field.

"She is." Lucas sighed, "But I love her, and I know she loves me."

"Then why is she marrying this other guy?"

Lucas sat down on one of the benches, watching rollerbladers and joggers go by, "Riley gets insecure, she thinks she's not good enough for me. I can tell her a million times she's everything I want and need, but she won't believe me. She's afraid I'll want something else, something that she can't give me, even though I never chased after anyone other than her."

Auggie sat next to him, "What about Maya, didn't you chase her?"

"No, Riley pushed me to her, to make Maya happy." Lucas leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, "I'm going to be honest kid, I don't know what I'll do if Riley actually marries this other guy."

"She won't" Auggie looked at the man who had become like an older brother to him, "Riley will realize her mistake before it's too late, she always does."

"But will she do anything about it before it's too late?"

Riley led Laurence into her bedroom, "I am so sorry about that. I don't know what my friends were thinking. They really don't invade the house like that, at least not all at once." They sat down in the bay window.

"They're just looking out for you." He took her hand, "They care and that is admirable."

"Thank you for saying that." She gave him a warm smile, "So this is the bay window, it's where Maya and I figured out the world, with Farkle, Zay and Lucas occasionally."

Laurence looked around the room, "it's almost exactly as I pictured it would be." He stood up and started to study the different pictures around, pausing when he got to one of Riley and Lucas, "have you packed your things to come back to the hotel with me?"

"Yeah, mostly, I just have a couple of other things I need to pack."

"You pack right now Darling I have a few things I would like to discuss with your parents." He kissed Riley's forehead and went out to the living room. "Mr. and Mrs. Matthews, could I have a moment of your time?"

Cory rolled his eyes and Topanga smacked his arm, "Of course, please have a seat."

They sat around the kitchen table, "I would like to apologize for not asking your permission to ask for Riley's hand in marriage, it was a whirlwind and I knew I couldn't live without her."

"Well you've lived how long without her, how old are you Laurence?" Cory drummed his fingers on the table, he didn't like this guy, he didn't approve of this, he wasn't ready to let his little girl go to anyone but Lucas and that had taken a decade to get used to the idea.

"I'll be thirty-six in March."

"So you're thirteen years older than our daughter." Topanga took a deep breath trying to calm herself down, what did this man want with her daughter? "What exactly are you expecting from this union, what do you believe makes a strong marriage."

"I expect to build a partnership with Riley, where we raise my daughter Carmella together, where when I need council on a matter regarding leading my country, she's the first person I can go to. I expect to do everything I can to make her happy, and I know that she and I will lead a happy life together and hopefully expand our family."

Topanga and Cory looked to each other and then back at Laurence, "What are your expectations for Riley, going into this marriage. I know Royalty tends to have certain circumstances that must be met."

"You mean those pesky dowries, correct? Like how Grace Kelly had to pay? Like how Kate Middleton is rumored to have paid?"

Topanga nodded, "Yes those."

"I've discussed it with the court, and it's been agreed to be waved, the only reason it would have to be paid is in a divorce."

Cory stood up and walked out of the apartment without saying a word.

"Cory is very close to Lucas, he was his teacher since the seventh grade." Topanga wasn't sure why she was bothering to explain this to Laurence. "You mentioned expanding your family did you and Riley discussed that?"

"Not exactly, really" Laurence knew he was being grilled by a shark Lawyer, but she really did have him a bit nervous.

"I think that's something you two need to discuss as soon as possible." Topanga looked up then to see Riley with a suitcase, "Where are you going?"

"The Plaza, I'll be staying with Laurence there while he's in town."

Topanga went over to her daughter, taking her face in her hands, "Are you sure sweetie?"

"Yes Mom, it'll be for the best, especially since I'd rather not see Lucas and it seems like he has an open invitation to just drop by."

"Riley" Topanga realized it was pointless, "I love you honey."

"I love you to Mom."

Topanga watched as her daughter left the apartment with Laurence, leaving her alone with a crate full of sour cherries.

Cory wasn't exactly sure where he was going, he just had to get out of the house. He couldn't listen to that man another minute. What the hell was wrong with his daughter? What lesson had he forgotten to teach her that she made a crazy decision like this?

"Dad" Auggie called out as he and Lucas came down the street, "What's wrong."

"That Prince" His voice was bitter, "I just don't like him."

"Riley does though, and I think I know why she thinks she should be with him and not me." Lucas sighed, "Hey Auggie would you go get some slices from Joe's?"

"Sure thing Lucas" He accepted the cash Lucas handed him and went down the block figuring this was something he wasn't meant to know.

Cory sat down on a bench his mind a daze. "What do you think it is Lucas?"

"He already has a child right, she seems to think that because he already has a child, that he'll be okay if she doesn't give him one."

"Lucas, you can't be serious?" Cory knew he was though, he could see it on the young man's face.

"She got it in her head that I need to have a child that my wife carries, that looks just like me." Lucas could feel the bile rising in his throat, "No matter how many times I've told her that's not true, she won't believe me."

"Lucas I think she might be afraid of disappointing herself, she's been heartbroken over this since you were seventeen, it was always an abstract, and now it's a reality." Cory was sure he was piecing this together; he just had to talk to his daughter, to make her see that she couldn't run from this.

Auggie came back with three slices piled on paper plates, "Here you go Lucas."

"Thanks kid." Lucas looked at the pizza slice covered in cheese, "You think it's that she wants that, but if she marries him, she doesn't have to worry about it because it's not an option?"

"Something like that. Thanks Bubba."

"Is this about Riley not being able to get pregnant?"

"You know about that?" Lucas looked at the teen.

"I heard Maya say something to her about it today, is it true?"

Cory and Lucas nodded, "Yeah, it is bubba."

"You think that's why she wants to marry this Prince guy, because he already has a kid, so she thinks she'll have less pressure to have one, even though Lucas would never pressure her." Auggie looked at the older men.

"Maybe, I wish she would talk to me, really talk to me."

"She's probably at home right now, go talk to her." Auggie took the untouched piece of paper, "Go to her Lucas find her talk to her."

Lucas stood up, looking at Cory and Auggie, "The least I can do is try. Wish me luck." He ran off before either could say anything.

"Riley is exhausting." Auggie said before he took a bite of his slice.

Lucas ran down the several blocks to the Matthew's building. He stopped when he saw Riley and Laurence coming down the steps. She had her suitcase with her as the chauffeur took it from Laurence.

He was frozen as he watched the woman he'd loved for the last decade kiss another man and climb into the limousine with him.

This wasn't how this was supposed to happen.

He was supposed to be able to talk to her, to clear the air once and for all.

He wasn't supposed to watch her drive away with a Prince.

Lucas ran his hand over his short hair, his heart shattering as he grabbed the stone of the building. He gasped for air.

How had everything gone so horribly wrong?

How had he lost her?

Had Riley every really been his?