-1I do not own Saved By The Bell. Neither do I own any of the original characters or storylines referred too. They all belong to Peter Engel/NBC productions. Neither am I anything to do with those companies. This is just a story by a fan of the show for other fans of the show. Neither is this story meant to express any personal political views, everything that happens is purely for the purpose of the story only.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Josie's Announcement

The whole gang and their children hadn't long been home from spending Christmas and New Year in Key West with Lisa and Darren when Josie sprung a surprise announcement on Screech and Nicola.

'Martin's been offered a managers job at a big sports outlet store at a mall in Indiana, its near Indianna University. I'm going to move there with him. I'm already arranging a transfer to the masters program at Indiana.

It was a shock, but deep down Nicola and Screech weren't really surprised that Josie was planning a future with Martin. Josie and Martin had been serious about each other again for a long time and Screech and Nicola had decided they would just have to accept they were together now. They did think it was a good thing Josie was finally leaving home though. She was almost twenty-three and had lived at home throughout her time as an undergraduate at USC.

'I guess we knew this day would come sooner or later', Nicola said to Josie.

'Martin and I have been talking about living together for some time, but Martin was waiting to hear about this job.'

'It looks like one day I'm going to end up related to the chief after all.'

'Well Sam, Martin and I have spoke about getting married, but we aren't going to do it until we are both settled and both working and everything.'

'I'll miss you Josie, so much', said Nicola hugging her daughter.

'Me too', said Screech. 'Who is going to help me work on Kevin and Kevina now?'

Kevina was the robot wife they had built for Kevin together.

'I'll miss them Sam, I really will. I hope you will still let me work on them when I come home on the odd visit.'

'Your help is always appreciated Josie. Now I have to get to Bayside, I got the new part-time business studies teacher coming in today that's going to job share with Zack. No doubt the students will still be on a holiday high and not want to settle down to any work and so begins another semester.'

'That's what I like about teaching university. I've got another week off yet.'

'I'm looking forward to going back to school', said Joseph ' I hope Ms Sankson lets Travis and I sit together this semester.'

'You will have to stay well behaved for your teacher', Nicola warned her son.

'Its not me that mucks about anyway, its Travis.'

'I don't doubt that at all son', said Screech 'Come on, I'm taking you to school right now.'

Screech arrived at the elementary school at the same time Kelly got there to drop off Travis.

'Hi Screech, its my day at the hospital today. Recovered from Christmas in Key West yet?'

'Just about', said Screech , thinking back actually to the new years eve they had spent at the beach.

At Bayside, Zack was already in school waiting for his homeroom to arrive. Today he was going to tell them about his new part time hours and introduce them to the other teacher they would see three days a week.

Screech found the new teacher Mrs Thornton waiting by his office.

'Welcome back to Bayside Mrs Thornton and a warm welcome to the teaching department. I'll formally introdue you at assembly a little later. But first , here is a schedule of your classes. And watch out for those seniors, Mr Morris has trouble with a couple of kids in that class', Screech didn't mention Tim Harris by name. Mrs Thornton would have the pleasure of meeting him soon enough.

Once the assembly was over Mrs Thornton sat in on the senior class Zack was teaching as she would be teaching them the following day when Zack went off for his official first day at his new job at the resort, to prepare for the official opening. At lunch time for old times sake, Screech treated him to lunch at The Max.

'Screech, are we really dining here out of choice?'

'Oh come on Zack, it still beats the school cafeteria. Anyway, Josie is leaving home. She is going to live in Indiana with Martin Belding.'

'And how do you feel about that Screech?'

'She's my stepdaughter, I love her, I want her to be happy.'

'But?'

'But Martin Belding. He's hurt her in the past. What if he does it again? Nicola's being all brave about it , but I know she's just as worried as I am. Not only that, I think Nicola is more upset about Josie leaving than she is letting on. Nicola and Josie have always been together and are so close. Remember for a time, it was just the two of them on their own.'

'You and Nicola are just going to have to learn to live with the fact she's all grown up with her own life to live now Screech. And I won't pretend it's an easy thing to face up to because it isn't. Nicola will always be wondering whatever happened to her little girl?'

'That's what I find hard to relate to Zack. Paul and I had only been in each others lives a few years when he went away to college. I didn't watch him grow up from a small boy. I can only imagine how that feels.'

'Kelly cried for a week when Sophie went off to college and she did the same thing when Ben went off to music school. And when Sophie sprung her surprise marriage announcement upon us, well, as much as Kelly and I both like Simon, Kelly still has her moments about that. Just be prepared to be there for Nicola like you always are, because when Josie moves away, the first few weeks are going to be really tough on her.'

Zack was reflecting on his own now grown-up children. Christmas in Key West had been great, but it was their first Christmas without Ben being around. Ben was currently on a tour that had started at Christmas playing on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. Sophie, he had seen was so happy with Simon, Simon really did love Sophie, that was obvious, but there were still those times when he missed the little girl he used to push on the swings in the park.

'Now I just keep wondering what Travis is going to be like when he grows up.'

'That's easy Zack, he is just going to be another you.'

Zack couldn't help but laugh, probably because there was no doubt some element of truth in it.

Later that afternoon when Zack went to pick Traivs up from school, he was invited in to talk with Ms Sankson.

'Okay, what has Travis done this time?'

'Your son is a constant disruption to my class Mr Morris.'

'What exactly do you mean by that Ms Sankson?'

'He shows no interest in what I am teaching, he is always talking to the other kids and he is always passing notes round the class. I caught him sending three in the last hour of school alone.'

'Have you not told him off?'

'Many times Mr Morris. He just keeps doing it again.'

'Has he fallen asleep in class anymore?'

'Not lately, but quite frankly your son is a pain.'

'I don't think there is any reason to go that far Ms Sankson. I'm not going to deny he is mischievous at times, I know he is, though believe it or not, he is quite well behaved at home. He knows he will get a telling off from us if he isn't.'

'Well I'm not prepared to put up with him anymore. I'm going to ask the principal to move him in to another class.'

'But Ms Sankson, all his friends are in this class.'

'He should have thought of that before he misbehaved in my class.'

'Have you been teaching long Ms Sankson?'

'No why?'

'I didn't think so. You see Ms Sankson, I teach high school myself and I don't think moving Travis is out of your class is the most effective method.'

'I guess you have your teaching methods and I have mine. In the meantime I suggest you take Travis home and have a talk with him about his conduct.'

Zack collected Travis from where he had been waiting outside the classroom.

'Okay Travis, what went wrong? I thought you said you were going to behave yourself this semester.'

'I was, but I don't like Ms Sankson, she picks on me all the time. She always asks me more questions than anyone else.'

'Probably because she thinks your not listening. Her job is to teach you after all.'

'I know that, but her lessons are boring and she won't let me sit with Joseph or any of my other friends. That's why I pass notes to them in class.'

'Travis, carry on like this and you won't be in the same class as your friends anymore.'

'That's not fair.'

'Life isn't always fair Travis. Just promise me you will try and behave and listen more in class from now on.'

'But Dad, even when I do listen, sometimes she asks me questions that has nothing to do with what she has been talking about. That's why I muck about, because when I do listen, she still picks on me anyway.'

'Travis , are you sure?'

'Yes, Dad, you can ask Joseph.'

'In that case, you and I are going to have another meeting with Ms Sankson next week to see if we can get this sorted.'

The following morning at his and Slater's new office, Zack got to work on making sure anyone who was anyone got an invite to the official resort opening and that the right publicity went out for it. Zack was thriving already.

'Slater, I'm finally doing what I love best, business. It's nice to have a break from the school and the kids, though right now, my problems are at the elementary school, with Travis, who has a teacher that quite clearly hates him. I'm glad Kelly's picking him up today and not me, because I would probably end up losing my temper with Ms Sankson. I almost did yesterday.'

'Preppy, forget all about schools for now, come and help me get these flyers done for Lisa's fashion show at the official opening. She's got a couple of runners here waiting to deliver them for us.'

'Sure', the idea was they were going to sell the resort on who owned it and the late fashion designer it was named after.

'Trust me Lisa, you are going to get dedicated followers of fashion through these doors from all over the world', Slater had said, showing Lisa one of the finished flyers.

'That's what I like to hear', said Lisa, who then turned on her heels to head back to the fashion college where the fashion designers of the future were helping put her collection together for the big day.