Chapter 11

Maya beamed and moved around Jack's chair to hug Rachel happily. But this wasn't over yet, it was just beginning.

"How much time do we have until your husband's back in town?" Jack asked.

"He'll be home again this weekend," Rachel answered, sobering at the thought.

Jack shoved his chair back from the table. "Then let's go."

"Go where?" Rachel asked in confusion.

"To Topanga's café. Do you know the place?"

"I've never been there," Rachel admitted. "Cory and Topanga know me too well; I was afraid that they would catch on to…"

"Well, there's no more reason to be afraid," Jack promised, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. Shawn's already told me that Topanga's at the café. Do you know how to get there?"

Rachel shook her head, but Maya volunteered, "I do."

Maya led them onto the subway, and while they were riding, Jack texted Eric:Rachel's in NYC, in trouble. Getting a divorce. May need place to stay or somebody to throw a little legal/political weight around. You willing?

Then he texted Shawn: Met Maya. She doesn't know who I am yet. My name's John Pennbrook so that she knows. Kill me later. We're coming to Topanga's with bigger problems. Tell T Rachel needs divorce papers and a restraining order against her husband.

Eric got back with him before he'd even sent Shawn's text: I'm on my way to Topanga's café with Tommy.

From Shawn he got: Told T. R's son is here. What are we supposed to tell him? What's going on?

Jack bit his lip, answering only: Hold tight. I'll explain in person. Tell son she's safe with me and Maya.

Then Jack slipped his phone back into his pocket, and from her seat between him and Maya on the subway, Rachel curled into him. Just as instinctively, Jack pulled her close. It had been years since they had seen each other – he hadn't even heard about her marriage – but that didn't mean that he loved her any less than he had before she'd walked away from him – apparently while already carrying someone else's child. But she had been punished more than enough for that, and she just looked so… small right now. So he held her, pressing a kiss to her scalp when he realized how badly she was trembling.

"It's alright, Rachel," he swore. "I won't let anyone hurt you or your son. I still consider you a part of my family, and," Jack looked beyond Rachel to Maya almost without meaning to. "And family sticks together and takes care of each other."

Maya caught "John's" eye the moment he looked at her, and she wanted to swear. I knew it! He was looking at her with such… sincerity in his eyes all of a sudden that it would've freaked her out… if he hadn't reminded her of someone.

She did swear then, ignoring "John's" alarmed look, because – Shawn! He reminded her of Shawn! They could've been family, maybe. And then she remembered. Shawn had said before that he had an older brother… named Jack. And her mother had refused to give her the surname of the man whose blood she shared.

Could it be that…? Oh, brilliant! She wanted to scream, because this was exactly the last thing that she needed right now. She wanted to get Rachel and Lucas safe, and to be able to concentrate on them and only them… so that she didn't have to think about who her father wasn't or might be.

She had known, at least subconsciously, what she was doing, but now, sitting here and looking at Rachel and "John" – the convergence of the two issues – it really hit her. Rachel and Lucas were being abused and Kermit was not her father. Those things were the problems being dealt with right now, and she was taking them to Topanga's where she knew at least one of those issues was going to be dealt with.

As for Jack Hunter or John Pennbrook or whoever he was being her father… she was probably over thinking things – seeing things that weren't even there. But somehow she didn't think so…

Regardless, at the moment, Rachel and Lucas had to come first. She could look into her suspicions about "John Pennbrook" after she knew her friends were safe.

Mr. Hunter looked up from his phone and the text he'd just gotten before he waved Mrs. Matthews over to him with a frown. Mrs. Matthews, who had been giggling over something or another with Ms. Hart, came over, and Mr. Hunter leaned across the counter to murmur something to her. Lucas had been on edge since Mr. Hunter had taken that call from his brother that revealed Maya to be, according to him, in the McDonalds next to where his mother worked. That didn't sound like anything good would come of it, so Lucas had kept one ear nervously inclined towards the adults even as he talked to with his own friends.

If he hadn't already been listening for Mr. Hunter, he would've missed it when the man told Mrs. Matthews and Ms. Hart, "Something's gone majorly off course for Jack and Maya. Did you know that Rachel is in New York City?"

Lucas just barely caught himself before his expression gave something of his alarm away as Mrs. Matthews answered, "Rachel McGuire? Cory mentioned that he had her kid as his student over a year ago, but we haven't gotten into contact with one another. Why? Is she okay?"

"I don't think so," he muttered. "Jack says that she's coming here with him and Maya – and that she wants divorce papers and a restraining order against her husband."

Lucas took a deep breath, trying to keep his breathing steady, but it wasn't working very well, and Zay noticed, glancing worriedly at him out of the corner of his eye. But Lucas was closer than him, Riley, or Farkle to the counter where the adults were talking; there was a fair chance he couldn't hear what Mr. Hunter and Mrs. Matthews were saying.