A/N: For those of you reading this story, I do have to warn you when I originally started writing this I was taking 3 graduate courses, hence the chapters are shorter than my other fics, although this is still the longest fic I've written

Chapter 25 – Moments

Lucas was getting ready to stand with his classmates when Riley's hand stopped him, she looked at him. Her eyes kept him rooted to the seat, he knew that she was sad about leaving high school but they were going to be together for the next phase of their lives so he thought she would be happy.

"Lucas," she said. "Will you marry me?"

Lucas couldn't think, he was going to ask her after the graduation party but he hadn't expected that she would take that moment from him, but his heart was pounding because he knew the answer to what he was going to ask her.

"Lucas… Did you hear me?"

"Yes Riley I heard you, and let me do this right… um, I was going to ask you this later tonight but this would be the best moment since you asked me first but… um…," he was babbling because he didn't know how to say what he had to say. Instead he pulled out the ring that he had been hiding in his pocket because he didn't want to lose it, he got down on one knee and looked up at Riley. "You asked me first but I was holding onto this so that I would ask you tonight, you stole my moment but it also made me the happiest person in the world because I knew you would say yes. So Riley I will marry you if you would do me the honor of being my one and only for the rest of our lives."

Riley looked at him and smiled, her face lighting up in front of him, "Forever and ever," she said and wrapped her arms around him. Lucas leaned down and kissed her quickly. Next to them Maya and Zay looked at them dumbfounded at what had just happened.

"NNNNNOOOOOOO," someone said from across the auditorium causing Riley and Lucas to look up to see her father trying to get past every parent and student to get to them.

The two of them laughed, as Lucas put the ring on her finger as fast as he could before her father reached them. He would tell her the story of his parents and the ring later for now he needed to deal with the storm that was coming towards them.

"Get that ring off your finger," he yelled as he got closer.

"We might need to run away because he might actually kill you right now," she said but Lucas stood his ground. He was going to ask for her hand in marriage before proposing but it hadn't worked that way so his backup plan was to confront Mr. Matthews head on.

"I'm not running, he's going to have to deal with this," he said gesturing between him and her.

"Okay, let's get ready for the storm that's coming," she said to him and took his hand.

When her father had reached them he was huffing and puffing, holding onto his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Riley didn't know whether to laugh or be afraid of what was going to happen. Instead her mother forced them all to leave and made them go to the house. Riley now sat at the bay window listening to her father yell from the living room about her being too young to think about getting married. He didn't want her opinion and made her sit at the bay window alone as he fought with Lucas about the proposal. After five minutes of yelling had passed she decided that she had had enough and walked towards the arguing.

"Dad, no you don't get to be mean about this, you like Lucas and you know it. You're just afraid of me growing up," she yelled at him.

"It's not like they were going to elope Cory," her mother said giving her father a knowing look.

"Mr. Matthews, I thought about this for a long time and I love your daughter. We're not going to get married right now, in the future yes but that is still a long time away. I want us to at least be twenty when we think about getting married at all but I love her and I wanted to ask her because in the end we love each other that much," Lucas said trying to make the case for why it's okay for them to be engaged.

"I don't know why you're freaking out Cory I mean we got engaged when we were the same age," her mother said causing the whole room to look over at her.

"Wait what?" Riley said, she knew the story of her parents but she didn't know the whole story.

"I proposed at graduation, your father was completely shocked but we got engaged that same day after we ran away to get married right after graduation, but we waited and I hope you would both wait as well."

"We will mama it's just that," her mother stopped her before she said anything else.

"Don't worry Riley I understand, I was where you were a long time ago. Make good decisions my baby girl."

"We will," Lucas said as he put his arm around Riley's shoulders.

"No you won't," her father said but her mother put her hand up in the air before he said anything else.

"Cory stop you're embarrassing yourself. Just think about it this way, you know Lucas, he's a good person and a good student. He will protect her no matter what so don't question this, they love each other and if it had been someone other than him I would question this too but I know better and as long as they're happy they have my blessing," she said shutting him up before he could say anything else.

"I know," he said. "I just get a little crazy Topanga, she's my baby girl I would do anything for her."

"Then do the right thing."

"Lucas you have my blessing but you aren't allowed to get married until after Riley turns twenty-one."

"Yes sir," Lucas said smiling at Riley. They had gotten permission from her parents which Riley had known would be nearly impossible but it happened.

"Now can we go to the party," her mother said getting up from the couch and wobbling towards the door.

The rest of them followed her up to the roof where they always celebrated the milestones of their lives. Riley knew that she was entering a new phase of her life but by celebrating it on the roof she knew that she still had a bit of her childhood around her. When the walked onto the roof Maya grabbed her and pulled her aside.

"What happened at graduation… Did Ranger Rick actually… um well you know?" Maya said trying to get as much information out of her.

"Actually I proposed first," Riley said blushing. Lucas who was nearby trying to give the two of them their space to talk looked over and smiled at her. Riley noticed that his ears had turned red, they always did when he was embarrassed or when he was blushing.

"WHAT," Maya yelled out causing everyone to look over at them. "Sorry," she said to everyone before pulling Riley closer to the door. "Are you for real, why did you do that?"

"Well I had thought about everything that had happened and everything that we would go through in the next few years and I knew at that moment that if he wasn't standing next to me for all of those moments then a piece of my heart would be missing. I didn't want that so I picked happiness."

"Wow Riles that's bold even for you."

"Thanks Peaches, but apparently Lucas had been thinking about the same thing or else he wouldn't have had this ring with him," she said showing her best friend the ring he had given her.

Maya looked at her hand shocked, "Well I gotta give it to you both you know what you want. As long as you're happy Riles I'll be there standing next to you on your wedding day."

"Aww, that won't happen for a while but thank you Maya, there is no one I would rather have next to me, well other than Lucas. Come on let's celebrate our graduation," Riley said pulling her best friend towards the family.

Just take everything one step at a time, and you will always find happiness, Riley thought to herself knowing that she had found the ultimate happiness in those she loved.