The Plays the Thing While The World's a Stage (Chapter Sixteen)
Philadelphia-Alan and Amy Matthews's Living Room, Sunday Afternoon (after Thanksgiving, 2016)
"Are you sure you don't want to join me and the Feenys for a round of Parcheesi in the kitchen before your Daddy, Nana and the Matthewses return?" Katy asked while popping her head in from the kitchen while Maya was sketching, on a side table ,a family seated around a table about to carve a turkey and Joshua was touching up ,on the main coffee table, the sketch for the super skyscraper he'd been working on for his NYU term project.
"No thanks, Mom. We're okay, "Maya sighed.
"Leave her be, Katy. The girl's just shy around older people. That's all," Lila was heard to call from the kitchen.
"Don't even. ..!" Maya hiss whispered to Joshua who looked like he was about to roll on the floor.
"Sweet, innocent moi? O Shy Girl," Joshua chortled.
"Cut it out, Joshua!" Maya fumed.
"Mrs. Feeny just gave you an out but everyone who's ever met you knows you're as shy as a crocodile at feeding time," Joshua laughed while catching his breath.
" I just don't feel like. ..that's all. ." Maya groaned.
"What did you do, Maya?" Joshua asked.
"I don't know what you're. …" Maya started to protest.
" When I was about five, Mr. and Mrs. Feeny were in their garden and Mr. Feeny was about to pour a glass of lemonade when. ..I recalled from my earliest memories Eric's goofy way of calling out 'FEE-HEE-NAY!' and popped my head over the fence and screamed the Feeny Call out!" Joshua recalled.
"Really? You did that?" Maya gulped.
"Yep. It startled Mr. Feeny so much he poured that entire pitcher of lemonade on Mrs. Feeny's lap!" Joshua sighed while shaking his head.
" You have a dark side, Uncle Boing! Never would have guessed!" Maya half-laughed.
"I heard Mr. Feeny sigh 'Et tu, Youngest Matthews?'- then they told Mom and Dad who both yelled at me something fierce while Dad used his Index Finger of Doom . They not only made me apologize but insisted I had to make the Feenys a fresh pitcher of lemonade (under Mom's watchful eye) and bring it to them," Joshua recalled.
"Were you mad at them & your folks and did you resent them for being killjoys?" Maya asked.
"At first, I was .Then for a long time I could hardly look at our neighbors because I realized that I'd been a mean, little snot nose for no good reason instead of being cool or clever," Joshua sighed.
" You seem to have broken the ice since so what did you. ..?" Maya asked.
"I just talked to them as I did other people and let them talk to me the same. In time, I learned that they both are really smart, interesting worthwhile folks to know and being snotty to them just wasted their time- and cheated myself from knowing them," Joshua sighed.
"So, you're saying apologizing was that first step of that old thousand mile journey?" Maya asked.
"Yeah, it was- and I gotta fess that even when I DID the Feeny Call to startle him, I knew I was wrong and they didn't deserve it .It would have been better had I just taken my medicine straight away instead of only doing so to get Mom and Dad off my back. By any chance. ..?" Joshua asked.
"For eye candy, you're rather deep!" Maya laughed.
"You flatter me, O Shy One but. ." Joshua half-laughed.
"OK, I did something similar," Maya sighed.
"So what happened?" Joshua asked.
"Oh, Uncle Cory, Aunt Topanga and my future Daddy got this idea of digging the Feenys' garden up to search for a time capsule back in May of last year without even asking permission, Riley and I tagged along doing the same- and then Mr. Feeny shined his flashlight on Uncle Cory and Daddy. . ." Maya recalled.
"Really?! I would have thought Cory, Shawn and, especialy, Topanga would have been smarter than to have tried that," Joshua scoffed.
"Looking back, I would have to agree but you'd have to ask them why they jumped on the brain drain choo choo that time. Anyway, on the road trip from Manhattan to Philly, Uncle Cory and Daddy talked about how Uncle Eric would do the Feeny Call and imitated it. So, when Mr. Feeny shined that flashlight them them, Riley quickly whispered 'Maya, it would be fun and CUTE to do it'. So, rather than my telling her I wasn't interested, we DID a rendition of the Feeny Call adding weird cat sounds for girl power and later we tried it again when Mr. Feeny was about to marry Mom to Daddy," Maya confessed with a groan.
"It sounds like you've gotten the guilts over it," Joshua replied.
"Are you going to tell me that I should be too cool to apologize for being so clever and witty to a humorless fossil or are you going to tell me that I need to take my belated medicine for treating a kind old man like crud after sneaking onto and decimating all the hard work he'd put into his garden?" Maya asked.
"That's your call but which do you think would be better to do? Remember, if you sneak down from Morgan's room tonight to the living room couch, I won't turn you away," Joshua growled with raised eyebrows while he patted down the cushion next to him.
"Really? Well, Daddy would likely be camped out on the stair landing like the Korean DMZ if he THOUGHT we'd actually try to pull that off and take you down like a rottweiler. He says being a former player gives him all the tricks to outsmarting the current ones," Maya half-laughed.
"I didn't think it would hurt to ask," Joshua shrugged.
"OK, Uncle Boing. It would be better to take my medicine than to let them think I'm too shy and/or have my cowardice cheat myself from knowing them," Maya gulped as she stood up then walked into the kitchen.
"Atta woman! Joshua cheered.
"Did you decide to join us for Parcheesi after all?" Katy asked while seated at the kitchen table upon Maya's arrival.
"No, Mom. It's not that. Remember that night last May when Uncle Cory, Aunt Topanga and Daddy took me to Philly to dig for the time capsule on the Feenys' land?" Maya sighed.
"George, what's she talking about?" Lila asked.
"Oh, it was that week you were in Duluth with your sister Lola in the aftermath of her varicose vein surgery," Mr. Feeny sighed.
"Lila, your sister's name is Lola?" Katy asked.
"I was one of six sisters- Lala, Lela, Leila, me, Lola and Lula- and with one brother Irving, Jr.," Lila laughed.
"Her parents had an odd sense of humor," Mr. Feeny sighed while rolling his eyes..
" True- but that's gotten me through some tough times. Eric Matthews vaguely reminds me of Dad. Anyway, when I came back that Monday, the garden looked like it had been attacked by a joint rabbit and mole army!" Lila recalled.
"Yes, Lila. You actually wound up having had the better time dealing with Lola and her veins than had you stayed here," Mr. Feeny half-laughed.
"So you had no idea they were going to dig your yard, Mr. Feeny?" Katy asked.
"No, not until the deed was done," Mr. Feeny sighed.
"And then,right after Mr. Feeny caught Daddy and Uncle Cory digging, Riley and I taunted Mr. Feeny with our rendition of the Feeny Call without so much as introducing ourselves or a hello- much less an apology beforehand, "Maya groaned.
"Maya, you mean to tell me that Uncle Cory, Aunt Topanga and Daddy did NOT get Mr. Feeny's express permission before the five of you started digging?" Katy fumed.
"No, Mom. We didn't," Maya sighed.
"Mr. Feeny, Lila, I would NEVER have let my Baby Girl go on that dig had I thought any of those adults would not even have attempted to ask for your permission before . .. and Maya, YOU knew better than to do that much less behave so despicably especially to an elder. .." Katy fumed.
"We believe you, Katy," Lila exclaimed as she patted Katy's shoulder.
"Mom, I know that but I now need to . .." Maya sighed.
"Oh, I'm not going to let this pass with any of you…" Katy boiled.
"Mom, before you say anything to the others, I really need to get this out to the Feenys. Please,"Maya gulped.
"Let the girl speak, Mrs. Hunter," Mr. Feeny insisted.
"Here it goes. . .Mr. Feeny, yes I knew it was wrong to dig up your garden without even asking your permission and it was just downright snotty of me to make the Feeny Call both times. It was somewhat like if someone had ripped apart a canvas from one of my paintings to use as a bandana- then attempted to tease me for my not being happy about it when catching them instead of apologizing to me for it," Maya sighed.
"It's fine, " Mr. Feeny sighed.
"It is NOT fine and I apologize for all the above- especially since you and Mrs. Feeny haven't been less than kind to me, my folks, Nana, Uncle Cory, Aunt Topanga or Riley . Can we start over again?" Maya asked.
"What do you think, Lila?" Mr. Feeny asked.
" Well, between us through both our careers, we've had about a century of experience of young folks' fessing and there's a difference between those doing so only out of weaseling out from being caught and those apologizing who sincerely believe their actions actually cheated themselves," Lila pondered as she and Mr. Feeny each deeply looked into Maya's eyes then the two of them nodded.
"We appreciate your candor and ,moreover, value your growth in the last year. I must say that it would be good for us born in the 20th century's 3rd decade to have another bridge via someone who will spend almost all if not your entire life in the 21st century," Mr. Feeny pondered as Lila hugged Maya.
"And I'm proud of you,too, Hijita [ee-HEE-tah]! " Shawn exclaimed as he came up to hug Maya then Katy before Lydia, Alan and Amy came into the kitchen via the back door.
"When did you. .?" Maya asked.
"We heard the whole thing. So you actually came and dug up the Feenys' yard without. …" Alan started to fume as he pointed his left index finger towards the Feeny yard.
"And then you didn't even bother to say hello to drop by. .." Amy sputtered while Alan joined her at glaring at Shawn.
"And you let Maya and our granddaughter be unwarrantedly rude to Mr. Feeny without so much as objecting?!" Alan fumed while Amy shook her head.
"Mr. and Mrs. Matthews, I'll get to you in a bit. Mr. and Mrs. Feeny, Maya's grown a great deal these past few months and I'd be an unworthy father to her and my future twins, an unworthy husband to Katy and an unworthy son to Mama if I don't do now what I know I should have done way back in May of last year," Shawn groaned.
"Go on, Mr. Hunter," Mr. Feeny sighed.
" Mr. Feeny, when I graduated Pennbrook and said I'd never forget you for never giving up on me, I meant it. I could hide behind a laundry list of excuses from my past as to why I did what I did but we both know that's would be just a waste of both our times. I knew better than to do virtually everything I did that evening to you, Lila, Mr. and Mrs. Matthews, Katy and myself. Failing to have not trespassed and vandalized your garden, I should have apologized like a man on the spot when caught instead of screaming like a twelve-year-old boy- regardless of Cory doing it. And I should have told Maya and Riley on the spot they were wrong to behave that way to you. You and Lila have been awesome to me, Katy, Maya and, now Mama and you deserve far better than what was done so I'll compensate you for all the repairs to our damage even if our own bond stays damaged from my actions," Shawn sighed.
"Mr. Hunter, the garden's completely healed so the only compensation I need is knowing that you HAVE become a real man and you've demonstrated that to me tonight and I AM proud of you reaching those conclusions so you can be the best father, son, husband and man possible to your loved ones and the world," Mr. Feeny beamed - as he and Lila hugged Shawn to Shawn's complete surprise.
"I can't speak for anyone else but I'm rather touched, Son. I guess a child led him, Maya," Lydia exclaimed as she hugged Shawn as well.
"Thanks, Nana!" Maya exclaimed.
"Thank you, Mama. Even though I know it would have been better had we been in each other's lives all along, in some ways I'm glad you got spared seeing me at my worse- unlike everyone else in this room. Mr. and Mrs. Matthews, I can only speak for myself but I'm ashamed that I didn't at least check in with you myself even if Cory and Topanga couldn't have been bothered at the time," Shawn sighed.
"It's OK," Alan sighed.
"As you said when you were upset that night Cory and I got drunk as teens and totally blamed me for it, it is NOT okay and I DO apologize for it and want you to know that you, Mr. Feeny and Mr. Turner have been my real fathers and Mrs. Matthews has been my real mother all these years and I appreciate it and want to keep all of you in my family even with gaining Mama and the twins," Shawn gulped as he hugged both Alan and Amy.
" So, George, that's what happened to your garden the night me and Amy were at The Who concert and while Joshua was at his tae kwon do practice! You sure DID protect Shawn , Maya and my rotten second son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter!" Alan laughed.
" I gave the Hunters and your prodigal progeny enough rope to reel themselves in without need of your Index Finger of Doom, Alan, " Mr. Feeny laughed.
"Life's too short and you have too little time to spare for us to not treat you right," Shawn half-laughed.
"Now, Mr. Hunter. Just because I'm due to be a nonagenarian in another four months does not mean the Sword of Damocles dangles over me or Lila," Mr. Feeny scoffed.
"Sometimes I may be a nag but I'm not glue-factory ready, George!" Lila scoffed.
"You two have definitely been blessed with good health even though none of us are promised another day," Lydia exclaimed.
"That's IT! Mama, you're brilliant! This will be a day when we all get what's deserved," Shawn chortled as he hugged her.
"Shawn, what are you doing?" Katy asked as she saw Shawn frantically type on to his Smartphone.
"You've got that look, Daddy," Maya gulped.
" I meant what I said in doing all I can be to be a worthy man, husband and father to you and doing good instead of acting like a excuse-concocting, cowardly twelve-year-old but that doesn't mean Shawnzie is done being used for the good ," Shawn smirked while flicked back his now-short side lock the same way with his right hand he had done it when it was long and he was a teen.
. . .
. .Two hours later. ..
"Tires screeching at 8 o'clock the Sunday of Thanksgiving Weekend? You wouldn't have had anything to do with that like you did our power getting cut off due to Cherry Bomb Day destroying our electric bill in the mailbox back in '93?"Alan asked looking at Shawn while Shawn, Katy, Alan, Amy, Lila were playing Trivial Pursuit in the kitchen and Mr. Feeny and Lydia were playing Parcheesi (and Joshua was back to finishing his architectural sketch while Maya was finishing her own sketch in the living room).
"What ever do you mean, Mr. Matthews?" Shawn smirked.
"Shawn, don't you think that. .?" Katy groaned as she and the others could hear frantic banging on the door next door and shouting.
"Perhaps we should. ." Lila started to say as she started standing up.
"Mom! Dad! Have you seen the…" Cory shouted at the Matthewses in the kitchen as he flung open the unlocked door.
"Cory. What. ..?" Amy started to ask.
"TOPANGA, RILEY, AUGGIE, THEY'RE HERE! Thank GOD we got to you in time!" Cory shouted as he gasped being out of breath from running .
"Mr. Feeny, why aren't you in bed? Why hasn't anyone called an ambulance for . .." Topanga gasped as she dragged Riley and Auggie into the Matthewses' kitchen with her.
"Mr. and Mrs. Matthews I'm as fit as a fiddle and. .." Mr. Feeny protested.
"Mr. Feeny, we're so sorry about all the rotten stuff we did to you down the years- especially trespassing and digging up your garden last year! Now it's too late to make amends," Cory bawled while hugging Mr. Feeny.
"Not exactly, Mr. Matthews," Mr. Feeny sighed.
"Oh, I should have insisted on asking for your permission to visit then dig instead of just letting the five of us have at it then. I knew better than that and, as a lawyer, I know we broke some laws in the process," Topanga sobbed.
"I just came for the ride, but I hate seeing you go, Grandpa," Auggie sniffed.
"He's your grandfather not I," Mr. Feeny sighed while pointing to Alan.
"OK, I hate seeing you go, Grandpa's grandpa," Auggie sniffed while Alan smirked and Mr. Feeny rolled his eyes.
"And I'm sorry for meanly teasing you like that after we damaged your garden. Don't die hating me!" Riley sobbed as she joined Cory and Topanga hugging Mr. Feeny.
"Now, Miss Matthews. I won't. It's not entirely your fault. After all, teaching basic manners, consideration and respect do not appear to have been your parents' primary goals in your upbringing," Mr. Feeny sniffed.
"Wait a minute! You seem a bit too coherent for someone with just hours to live!" Topanga fumed as she broke the hug and stood apart from her husband, son and daughter.
"Topanga, how can you SAY that?! Can't you see Mr. Feeny's got one foot in the grave?! We'll throw you the biggest funeral John Adams High ever witnessed and find Mrs. Feeny the best nursing home on Yelp!" Cory bawled.
"What?!" Lila protested.
"That's truly not necessary," Mr. Feeny sighed.
"Oh, it IS, Mr. Feeny! Shawnny, why aren't you bawling like a baby at Mr. Feeny's kicking the bucket? How can you be so heartless after texting us the news," Cory bawled.
"What news?" Shawn asked while frantically batting his eyes.
"Shawn!" Alan warned while Amy,Mr. Feeny, Lila, Katy and Lydia all joined at glaring at him.
"I just texted Cory was to suggest to him that it would be good for him, Topanga and Riley to make their peace with Mr. Feeny over the Garden Dig since Mr. Feeny hasn't been promised another day!" Shawn smirked.
"Shawn, none of us are! Shame on you! You misused my Scriptural recall to toy with your friends' guilt," Lydia gasped.
"Mama, with all due respect to God, you, the Feenys, the Senior Matthewses, Katy and Maya, you're DAMNED RIGHT I did that! " Shawn fumed.
"How could you DO that to us, Shawn!" Cory fumed.
"Cory, tell me you didn't forward Shawn's text to Eric," Alan groaned as he did a face palm.
"I… ." Cory started to groan as he also did a face palm.
"I immediately texted T.J. to cover that so Eric won't be racing here!" Shawn explained.
"Good," Alan sighed in relief while Amy nodded.
"But you still toyed with our emotions to guilt us over Mr. Feeny. I ought to sue you for. .." Topanga fumed.
" And I could counter-sue Cory for sending me that message last year claiming to be dying just to get me to drop what I was doing here in Philly to make a round trip to Manhattan and go on that stupid dig next door!" Shawn fumed as he pointed to the Feenys' yard.
" Stupid dig?! You've gone too far, Shawn!" Cory fumed as he clenched his fists.
"Really, Cory? Keep in mind that, at the time, I believed I had no one else in the world in my life besides you, Topanga, Riley,Auggie, Maya and, to some degrees, the Matthewses and Katy, "Shawn boiled.
"So that's what this is? Payback for Cory's stunt way back when?" Topanga sputtered.
" No, you're not getting it! There was no urgency whatsoever in that dig. What we did to the Feenys last year by trespassing on their land without even asking then digging up all the hard work he'd done on his garden was reprehensible and we treated your parents like they were nothing by not even attempting to visit them- despite ALL that the four of them have done for us down the years! " Shawn fumed.
"Now just a minute. .." Topanga sputtered.
"Maya showed me that avoiding the room elephant by not apologizing and owning our actions on the spot had just gotten us on the verge of drowning in elephant poop. You can dis me if you want. You three were all so sorry when you thought Mr. Feeny was dying. Does that STILL hold true?" Shawn fumed.
"Yes. Of course it does and I'm sorry we ignored you, Mom and Dad," Cory groaned.
"Thanks," Alan sighed.
"And, Mr. Feeny, I'm sorry that we did that and for my doing the Feeny Call with Maya instead of actually talking to you like a human being and a potential friend," Riley groaned.
"Apology accepted, Miss Matthews," Mr. Feeny replied.
" Yes, Mr. Feeny, Mom and Dad, I'm sorry we did what we did AND not apologizing sooner for it but, Mr. Feeny, you now owe me and Cory an apology for saying that we didn't teach Riley basic manners, consideration or respect. How dare you!"Topanga fumed.
"How dare I, Mrs. Matthews? Need I remind you that you said upon your graduation that you considered me to have been more of a father to than your own had been ? "Mr. Feeny sniffed.
"No, you need not remind me Mr. Feeny but. .." Topanga sputtered.
"And, as a lawyer, surely you know that for any claim to be considered valid, one must present evidence to bolster said argument," Mr. Feeny replied.
"But. .." Topanga tried say.
"Despite the fact that your daughter and her same aged friend who you were responsible while in your charge clearly demonstrated unwarranted taunting after decimating my property, neither you nor Mr. Matthews attempted to stop them, insisted on an on-the-spot apology or even uttered the word 'girls' to encourage them to at least rethink their most recent actions. So I ask you: are you able to do more than merely take umbrage over my dissenting viewpoint of your parenting of Miss Matthews?" Mr. Feeny fumed.
"Now, George. .." Lila tried to placate.
"As a matter of fact, I do have a rebuttal, Cory and I have made it a point to teach Riley manners, consideration and respect," Topanga fumed.
"Really, Topanga? You could have fooled me!" Katy scoffed.
"Oh, and your daughter is so perfect!" Topanga sneered.
"Which one of us has constantly claimed their daughter to be perfect and whose daughter was the one who actually gave the most spontaneous if not sincere apology of all to Mr. Feeny?" Katy fumed.
"Wait a minute. ." Topanga gasped.
"Now Katy, George. Topanga and Cory have been teaching Riley manners, consideration and respect- since last week! Right, Topanga?" Alan fumed while Amy nodded.
"Yes, Dad," Cory groaned while Topanga stood open-mouthed in shock while pointing to Katy, Alan then Cory- then back and forth several times in a circle
"As much as I give you and the younger Mr. Matthews credit where it's due and believe in the phrase 'better late than never', I fear I cannot retroactively apply that to what happened last year,"Mr. Feeny groaned.
"But. .." Topanga gasped.
"For the last half-century I have witnessed basic manners and civility being increasingly devalued by generations of parents and others as irrelevant if not solely worthy of ridicule . Your in-laws and own parents resisted that trend but, in spite of their examples set before you, it appears that you and the younger Mr. Matthews gave little if any resistance to it," Mr. Feeny fumed.
"How dare you! We wanted Riley to have high self-esteem and. .." Topanga sputtered.
"How much self-respect can a person have if one has no manners or respect for others? I don't pretend that there was no unfairness or gaps in the applications beforehand . However, rather than attempt to actually rectify the injustices and gaps, instead manners and respect were eliminated as having value ,"Mr. Feeny groaned.
"What are you saying?" Topanga scoffed.
"Behold the bounty for all of no manners or civility! Instead of social media being used to spread knowledge and learning to the masses, it's more often used to spread ignorance and paranoia . Moreover, even those entrusted to leadership at our highest levels now believe that puerile,vile insults and ridicule is of infinitely more value than attempting to unite for the common good or attempting civility- much less actually governing all our citizenry," Mr. Feeny fumed as he threw up his hands.
"Are you finished, Mr. Feeny?Are you saying Riley epitomizes three generations not valuing manners or respect?" Topanga fumed.
"No, but ask yourself what your generation has won via eliminating civility and manners and has the prize been worth the price and will it ever be for Miss Matthews's generation and those that follow hers? "Mr. Feeny sighed.
" Mr. George, let's keep in mind that Illiad and Odyssey as well as Beowulf started out as songs to keep stories, history and hope alive in times of chaos," Lydia proclaimed.
"I don't deny that but.. ." Mr. Feeny protested.
"Instead of cursing the darkness, we need to celebrate the lights that are still there and keep whatever flickers of hope from burning out altogether and be thankful for those times when young folks actually own their past errors," Lydia insisted.
"Lydia, I cannot argue that and I most certainly do appreciate both Miss Matthews's and, especially, Miss Hunter's belated apologies even if I never share your belief in Harvard being the William and Mary of the North," Mr. Feeny half-laughed.
. . .
"You think we should go in and try to break the ice between Topanga,your mom, my dad and Mr. Feeny or just stay here in the living room and keep to our sketching?" Joshua asked.
" I think this is one time letting the others think we're too studious or shy would be the better option," Maya half-laughed.
. .
.
That night at the Matthewses- with Topanga and Katy in Morgan's former room and Shawn, Cory, Auggie and Joshua [the latter two in sleeping bags on the floor] in the boys' room (and Alan and Amy in their own) while Maya, Riley and Lydia were in the Feenys' guest quarters, Cory awoke.
"Shawnny, you hear that?" Cory whispered.
"It's after two a.m., Cor," Shawn sighed.
" I know. Don't worry about Topanga. She'll cool down eventually,"Cory whispered.
"I wasn't but I'm going to have to take my medicine with Katy over the Feeny Dig for some time," Shawn sighed.
"Well, Topanga was none too happy to get called on her part,"Cory sighed.
"Thanks for waking me up to tell me . .." Shawn whispered.
"Yeah but hear that?" Cory whispered.
"A dog barking?" Shawn whispered.
"Yeah, remember when you heard one in this room back in '95? You said the stray loved being free while I said he wanted a home?"Cory recalled.
"Cory, I think that puppy's long since gone to doggie heaven and it's a different . …" Shawn whispered.
"But do you still think that's why the stray barked?" Cory asked.
" I think the stray wanted his own mother back instead of the rejecting bitch his sire claimed had whelped him and was sad his real mother wasn't around, " Shawn half-laughed/half-whispered.
"And now?" Cory asked.
"The stray's going to be happy his mother welcomes him back even if she's got a Westminster pedigree and he's a junk yard dog! Goodnight," Shawn whispered.
"So you made peace with Chet? "Cory asked.
"I had to give up the last illusions I had of him and accept the reality he demonstrated every day of his life. That was SO tough. My goal's now to quit looking back and only look forward while replacing angst with indifference for him, "Shawn sighed.
"Is that why you felt the need to apologize to Mr. Feeny?" Cory asked.
" Maya showed me the way on that. We need to do more than just talk words, Cory. We owe that man and others like him to immortalize their lights in the darkness for the future like Mama said. There are too few Feenys and far too many Chets out there as it is," Shawn insisted.
"Never thought you'd say. ." Cory gulped.
"Well, I've had plenty of time to think things through," Shawn sighed.
"You're thinking about throwing his 90th Birthday Party?" Cory asked.
"That's a start, Cory," Shawn sighed.
"What else do you have.. .?" Cory asked before getting hit in the head with Joshua's pillow.
"Bro! Could you and Shawn talk about it in the morning! We all have long commutes back to Manhattan before 5 AM," Joshua fumed
"Yeah, Daddy, Uncle Shawn. I need my beauty sleep for Ava!" Auggie added.
"You two each kept me up more than one night in your day but Uncle Shawn and I will finish the convo another time," Cory half-laughed.
"My pillow, Cory?"Josh asked.
"Get it yourself, Baby Bro!" Cory laughed as he put it under his head.
At that Joshua leaped off the floor in his tae kwon do uniform to right on top of Cory's mattress and pinned Cory's head between his knees.
"No fair! You're younger than me with Dad's strength and your tae kwon do moves! Shawnny. ." Cory choked.
"Nope, not this time. I'm saving all my strength in case Joshua thinks he can pull a fast one on me trying to get to Maya!" Shawn laughed.
"Tickle monster!" Auggie giggled as he joined Josh and jumped onto Cory.
"Get him, Auggie!" Joshua laughed.
"Stop it!" Cory choked while laughing.
"Cory, Auggie, Joshua! We're trying to sleep!" Topanga shouted from Morgan's old room.
"Yeah- and I'm still mad at you five about the Feeny Dig!" Katy added
" Quiet NOW boys or I'm coming in and no one wants that!" Alan fumed from his bedroom.
"Old times," Shawn and Cory mouthed to each to each other in the darkness while giggling into their pillows after Joshua took his pillow from Cory's head then he and Auggie quickly climbed off then quietly returned to their sleeping bags.
"
:
"
Warehouse, Manhattan - Monday One Week Later.
"Now Mr. Cory tells me that this room will be a music room…" Lydia (in an orange sweater with her cross necklace over dark green blouse, grey slacks and espadrilles) started to say as she led the suited and eye-shaded Agent LaChance by the arm towards one of the rooms.
"Do you believe they might teach the children about operas? Those helped my angst after Sally died," Agent LaChance considered.
" Mr. Jasper, when Mr. Cory and Shawn find the right House Parents, they'll decide that," Lydia explained.
"I suppose you are correct, Lydia but . ." Agent LaChance insisted.
"So why not take advantage of a moment of privacy and make the most of the moment?" Lydia cooed and laughed.
"Have you always liked the strong silent type, Lydia?" Agent La Chance asked as she stroked his face while he permitted himself a rare grin.
"A refreshing change from all the noise I've had to deal with, " Lydia laughed while he tentatively put his right arm on her right shoulder.
"There you are, Tin Man and Miss Dilly Dally!" Eric exclaimed out of breath.
"Duty calls, Lydia. Yes, Senator Matthews, Mr. Murphy?" Agent LaChance sighed as they each withdrew their arms from each other.
"We're sorry to disturb you. It can wait," T.J. sighed.
"No,No, Tommy! It can't!" Eric insisted.
"I don't want to hold any of you up from your duties, " Lydia protested.
"It's about putting together cleft chins, Miss Dilly Dally," Eric pleaded while grabbing onto Lydia's right arm.
"I'm not a plastic surgeon, Mr. Eric. .." Lydia protested.
"Eric means cleft sibs, specifically, estranged siblings but I don't think it's any of our place to. .." T.J. sighed.
"But Miss Dilly Dally didn't you see how Jack and Shawn hardly said a word to each other on Gobble Day?" Eric asked.
" Well, it's no doubt been a tough time for Jack and Shawn just wanted everyone else to welcome me," Lydia pondered.
"I'll grant that the elder Mr. Hunter did attempt civility towards you. It was the least he could do for you- considering your hospitality and helping to arrange a free day for him," Agent LaChance sniffed.
" If Jack doesn't appreciate what you, Shawn and Topanga managed to do for him in giving him a free day with a fantastic traditional meal in the middle of him serving his due sentence, he's soiling his own nest!" T. J. boiled.
" But Jack's too sad and if he's sad about Shawn, how can he be friends again with me?" Eric pleaded.
"Eric, how many times do I have to go over this? He tried to bribe your vote (a Federal crime) to put in a leaky, toxic pipeline and would have taken you down with him. He's no friend!" T.J. fumed.
"But he wasn't always like that. Wasn't he a cute elf?" Eric laughed.
" Just because I thought you were Santa as a boy doesn't mean I didn't know Jack was a rat in elf's clothes- even back then, " T.J. sniffed.
"See what I have to deal with?" Agent LaChance momentarily laughed while inching off his shades for a second.
" As much as I'd like Shawn to have a close bond with his brother, they're both grown men and I've barely met Jack," Lydia protested.
"Have you asked Shawn or Jack if they'd like bondage clothes?" Eric asked.
"Well, no, but. ." Lydia started to say.
"So what's stopping you? They'll say yes or they'll say no but you'll still be Shawn's mutter! " Eric insisted.
"But that would be a bit tricky. .." Lydia pondered.
"Lydia, the elder Mr. Hunter is due for his five hours community service in another ten minutes and perhaps you could ask the younger Mr. Hunter to appear here at that time. I must remove the Senator and Mr. Murphy from these premises before then to ensure safety," Agent LaChance explained while hugging Lydia's shoulders from behind.
"Very well, Jasper. I shall see what can be done, if it can be done," Lydia sighed while patting his right hand with hers.
"Thanks, Miss Dilly Dally! What did I tell you, Tommy?" Eric beamed as he hugged both Agent LaChance and Lydia.
"Senator Matthews, please!" Agent LaChance choked before Eric let go.
"Lydia, even though I respect both your and Eric's beliefs in attempting want to heal any Hunter schism, let the record show that I completely disagree with said beliefs,"T.J. seethed.
"But, Tommy…" Eric sputtered.
"And, Eric, it served Jack right for Rachel to dump him for Caleb Friar after he stole her from you! Even with Mr. Friar's early death, things turned out better for her than had she wed Jack," T.J. fumed.
"Tommy, Jack's sad. .." Eric pleaded.
"Agent LaChance said we need to go to ensure safety- and he's right. If Jack tried anything with either of us, I guarantee I'd give it back to him twice over- regardless of my runty appearance!" T.J. insisted as he clenched his fists while he Agent LaChance exited.
"Sorry, Miss Dilly Dally," Eric whispered as he trailed behind the other two.
. . .
"Good Mornin', Darlin'! It's Mama. Might you please bring some of that Brunswick stew from your icebox down to the Warehouse?. .. I promise to make you all some more in a wink but I can think of a few folks down here who could enjoy it for lunch more than the usual pizza, burgers or wings. . .You can? . ..Thanks, Shawn. Love you!" Lydia exclaimed into her Smartphone
. ..
. .
"OK, this hallway has all this nasty, glued on carpet we need to scrape off then sand the glue off. Any questions?" Morgan asked Jack about 30 minutes later as she handed him a carpet scraper.
"Nah, I think I've got it! Doesn't look too complicated," Jack sniffed as he and Morgan put on knee pads .
"Lydia, what can we do for you?" Morgan asked.
" I hope you didn't bring any lunches today," Lydia pondered as she entered the room.
"No, we were going to get stuff from the food vendors in little while," Morgan replied as she pointed in the direction of the street.
"Well, I remembered how much you both liked my Brunswick stew and thought I might give you that for a treat!" Lydia exclaimed.
"OK, Miss Lydia," Jack replied.
"Jack, can't you show your brother's mother some more manners than that?" Morgan protested.
"Thank you for the stew, Miss Lydia. How's that, Morgan?" Jack sighed.
"Better. .." Morgan sighed.
" Oh don't thank me. .thank. .." Lydia exclaimed as Shawn showed up with a quart Mason jar of stew.
"What is HE doing here?" Shawn and Jack said at the very same time while pointing at each other.
" My Viking Cruise had a special sightseeing shore excursion here. What do you think, Shawn?" Jack fumed as he tugged at his prison uniform with his right hand.
" Mama! I know you mean well, but. .." Shawn fumed.
"Now, you both can be fine gents when you want so why not be that way with each other?" Lydia asked.
"What for? To get rejected yet again?" Jack sneered.
" You threw me out of your apartment after promising Dad to take care of me," Shawn fumed.
"Miss Lydia, I know you and Shawn found each other and want to believe he's perfect but let me tell you he's turned on me and everyone in his life who ever tried to help him," Jack fumed.
"That's not true!" Shawn protested.
"Oh, let me count the ways! Cory, Topanga, the Matthewses, Mr. Turner, Mr. Feeny, and, even the onetime love of his life, Angela Moore Crenshaw! Ask them!" Jack seethed.
"Shawn's said he's made mistakes but is trying to do right now!" Lydia pleaded.
"Oh, this'll sure be a notch on your Bible belt. Is THAT why you're butting in?" Jack sneered.
"Don't talk to Mama that way!" Shawn boiled.
"Now, Darlin', I've heard worse. As long as you two want to talk. ." Lydia pleaded.
"Yeah, you heard worse from Dad and Virna!" Shawn seethed.
" But, Shawn. ." Lydia pleaded.
" Congratulations, Jack! You actually rank with Dad and Virna. Want an ant poison cookie for that?" Shawn boiled.
"Listen to you get all righteous! The first words out of your mouth when I first saw you after all those years in Chubbie's was 'what are YOU doing here'? Then you got all huffy about me my 'turning my back on you and Dad' like you were a cult member!"Jack sneered.
"What?"Reverend Lydia asked while Shawn winced.
"What am I saying? Shawn wouldn't know about that. Wait he DOES know! Eric told me about the Centre! Shawn never did! See how important I've ranked?" Jack seethed.
"I told Mama about my time in Centre and it turns out that she's helping one of its few survivors make a new life for herself before she gets relocated by Witness Protection, " Shawn yelled.
"Goody, goody! Your mother ,who you've known all of a week and a half, ranks higher than I ever did! " Jack sneered.
" In what galaxy does a half-brother outrank a mother? Almost as soon as you thought I wouldn't worship you for slaying all my dragons, you got chummy with Eric. You were more friendly to Cory for being Eric's brother, Topanga for being Eric's brother's girlfriend then wife and even Angela for being Eric's brother's girlfriend's/wife's friend and/or Rachel's friend than you were to me for being your own brother! " Shawn seethed.
"They were always more grateful than you!" Jack boiled.
"Grateful? You barely uttered 'thanks' after Dad gave you that jacket when you dropped by the trailer after Chubbie's," Shawn seethed.
"So. ..?" Jack sputtered.
" Shouldn't I be the one resenting Dad for that! First of all, I can count on one hand the number of times he was sober enough or cared enough to tell me to take a jacket to keep from getting cold- and secondly, it was MY jacket he gave you! " Shawn boiled.
"I never knew that," Jack protested.
"His jacket would have looked like a tent on you! You never knew anything!" Shawn sneered.
"I knew that you wouldn't have tried beating me up after I told the truth about Dad being an ugly, abusive drunk- if you hadn't known what I was saying was true! You kept up the lie he'd stayed sober up until just before Dad died," Jack boiled.
"No doubt it was tough for Shawn to have to face such an ugly truth, " Lydia pleaded.
" Oh, and Miss Lydia, did you know that your sweet, innocent, prodigal baby boy slammed his then-love Angela against my apartment door when she tried to lead him out to talk about his own drinking in private?" Jack boiled.
"Shawn?" Lydia gasped.
"Now you're trying to turn my own mother against me?!" Shawn shouted.
"You're trying to use her guilt over letting Dad and Virna raise you to . .." Jack shouted.
" ENOUGH! Boys, you will be STILL!" Lydia boiled.
"But. .." Jack and Shawn said at the very same time.
"I said, BE STILL!" Lydia shouted.
" Yes, ma'am," Jack and Shawn replied together.
" Now, I'm not here to decide who's right or wrong or who started it or even to tell you two not to redo Cain and Abel- and I can't make you like each other. But I can and WILL insist that you at least try to be civil to each other out of respect for other human beings- me included! " Lydia boiled.
" Did Cory put you up to this?" Shawn asked.
"No. Actually, it was Mr. Eric who did," Lydia replied.
"Eric? What does that nitwit turncoat sticky beak care about this anyway?" Jack sneered.
"If you must know, he can tell you're sad, Mr. Jack, and he doesn't think you can be happy until you two at least try to see if you can get along," Lydia insisted.
"Mama, I know you mean well but. .." Shawn started to say.
"I see that it's going to take more than one talk to undo decades of resentments but don't think I've surrendered. Oh and, Miss Morgan, you be sure enjoy that stew nice and hot from the microwave but then have these two bulls eat it COLD!" Lydia fumed as she stormed off.
"Now look what you've done!" Jack and Shawn said to each other at the very same time.
"What I've done?"they replied in unison while pointing to each other to Morgan's eye rolls.
. . .
.
"Mama, I'm sorry those two rams had to have at it instead of try to listen to you!" Katy sighed later that morning at Topanga's.
" I can't say I'm entirely surprised and it's not the first squabble I've had to sort out," Lydia sighed as she was sitting on a stool opposite the coffee bar with Topanga standing on the other side while Katy was seated on a high stool next to Topanga.
" At the Farm?" Topanga asked.
"Yes, and with my own sisters. Rosalie and Charlotte have always gotten along like chalk and cheese," Lydia sighed.
"Maybe you should have Shawn and Jack do an exercise like we do to anticipate the opposing side's argument in court," Topanga pondered.
"How about a play?" Katy proposed.
" A play? But I'm not sure either Shawn or Jack have ever wanted to be performers or that we could reserve a theater to. ." Lydia pondered.
"There wouldn't need to be a theater. We could just use a one of our living rooms and just a few costumes," Katy pondered.
"It sounds as though you have a play in mind. Shakespeare? Neil Simon? Truman Capote?" Topanga pondered.
"No. Something I wrote in high school. It would only take a few minutes to do the main sketch. You'd love it, Mama!" Katy insisted.
"I'm sure I would but …" Lydia considered.
"It's based on Pocahontas's life!" Katy beamed.
"Sounds marvelous, Darlin'!" Lydia insisted.
"Okay, so who would be Captain John Smith. Shawn or Jack?" Topanga pondered.
"Neither! And John Smith's not in this one. It's centered on a hypothetical last goodbye between Pocahontas, her father King Powhattan and her husband John Rolfe," Katy insisted.
"It sounds good enough in the sketch but if Shawn and Jack can barely stay civil, how will they rehearse much less perform it?" Topanga asked.
"That's where alternative cast members would come in handy with Jack and Shawn rehearsing with the alternates until they get their lines cold then getting thrown together on performance night," Katy explained.
"But what about Jack's sentence and. .." Lydia asked.
"We could have the alternate players rehearse with him during lunch breaks at the Warehouse when he's doing Community Service . At the rate Jack's going, he should be a free man by Christmas Day and THAT is when he'd be onstage with Shawn and Pocahontas," Topanga beamed.
"So who do you have in mind for Pocahontas? She'd have to be short and very young but be believable in being able to be the go-between between her Native American father and her English husband," Lydia pondered.
" I think I have an idea," Topanga offered.
. . .
"So you want me to play who while trying not to get upstaged by Pocahontas and who'd play Pocahontas?" Jack asked the next day at the Warehouse.
"We have some promising leads for you to play against, Mr. Jack. You will feel quite accomplished when you've finished taking your bows on your first night of freedom," Lydia pondered.
…
"Sure I'm in. Be kind of cool to be part of a non-Disney rendition of the story but no one would believe I'm Pocahontas," Shawn scoffed while fine tuning the design one of his clients' websites at Topanga's.
"You wouldn't be her, Gorgeous, but you'd have to shave the stubble off and be clean-shaven again until after Christmas," Katy insisted.
"But I just started growing it again after shaving it to do Veronica one last time to keep Maya safe," Shawn groaned.
"So, I get to stroke your nice smooth face again until New Year's then you can grow it back full in time for the twins in April! Please, Gorgeous?" Katy cooed.
"OK, if you think this'll knock Santa's socks off, I'll do it,Babe," Shawn laughed.
"You won't have to worry about socks. .." Katy laughed as she hugged him.
Over the rest of December Jack rehearsed with Harley and Riley at the Warehouse while Shawn rehearsed with Cory and Maya at Topanga's.
. ..
. .
Eric and Agent LaChance accepted Cory and Topanga's invite for Christmas Dinner.
"Do you think I'll do Pocahontas justice, Riley?" Maya asked as she put on her black wig. .and bowler hat over the rest of the costume at Riley's Bay Window.
" You'll be a wonderful Pocahontas and maybe even break some ice with Uncle Shawn and Uncle Jack in the process," Riley pondered.
" You know, I still haven't been introduced to him in all these months since Mom and Daddy got married," Maya sighed.
"No better time than Christmas!" Riley laughed.
" Too bad everyone else went out of town but at least our groundings and no phones from Thanksgiving Monday on are over!"
Maya laughed.
" Mrs. Friar and the Babineauxs are taking Lucas and Zay back for a Texas Christmas, the Smackles are all in Vienna for the Christmas Market and Farkle? I'm not sure," Riley sighed.
" I think he said something about some kind of training his father's supervising but I have no idea whether he'll wind up an android or what for that galactic viceroy deal, "Maya pondered.
"I guess we'll find out in the New Year,' Riley laughed.
. . .
"Uncle Eric!Miss Lydia " Auggie was heard to say as he opened the Front Door to Eric, Reverend Lydia and Agent LaChance before the former two hugged him.
"COUSIN AUGGIE!" Eric exclaimed as he ran into the house attired from with a large [fake] rabbit fur hat on his head and from chin to ankle in leather fringed, beaded buckskins with moccasins on his feet.
"Miss Lydia, Agent LaChance. Oh, Eric- My Brother, this play that's getting performed is ABOUT Native Americans not requiring their attire for the dress code," Cory protested as he came into the room.
"But this is what our founders wore when they first settled St. Upidtown as French fur trappers. If Pocahontas and the first British settlers can be remembered, why not the French fur trappers and the Native Americans who built the first longhouse and sauna in St. Upidtown?" Eric insisted as he sat down on the floor crosslegged.
" I tried to talk the Senator out of. .." Agent La Chance sighed.
"And Tommy's seeing his Nelly Bean in Wichita while Scarecrow's taking Rachel back to Texas, " Eric groaned.
"Cheer up, Uncle Eric. You still have all of us!" Auggie insisted.
"And Jasper and I can take you back to Dandelion Fields to help us celebrate Christmas there, Mr. Eric!" Lydia exclaimed.
"It would have been nice for Mom and Dad to have joined us but they took Joshua on a ski trip to Quebec so they're all having fun this Christmas!" Cory reflected.
"And I guess the Feenys will just have to have a quiet Christmas with each other considering how LOUD we made their Thanksgiving," Katy related..
"Morgan, glad you could make it!" Topanga offered as she opened the door to Morgan and Jack Hunter.
"Jack here's been rehearsing his part for weeks and I had to see how it plays out Christmas," Morgan (in a red and green sweater and red slacks and boots) related as she and Topanga then she and Cory hugged.
" Get the play out of the way- then I'm free and won't need ANY of you!" Jack (exclaimed. in knee-length pantaloons, grey knee high socks, boots and an Elizabethan military collared uniform shirt).
"Now, remember Pocohontas is only your wife while you're performing, " Cory warned.
"Relax, Cory. Riley will be fine," Jack scoffed.
"Uncle Jack?" Maya gulped as she came out from Riley's Bay Window in black wig, bowler hat, a ruffled collar, green blouse, ankle-length Pilgrims' skirt and buckled black leather shoes.
"Jack, that's your niche Mayonnaisse Pinocchio!" Eric exclaimed.
"Huh?!" Jack asked.
"Maya Penelope and PLEASE, it's just Maya!" Maya groaned as she approached Jack to shake his hand.
"We met at the semi-formal. You're Riley's friend,too. Right?" Jack asked.
"That's right, Uncle Jack!" Maya exclaimed as she shook Jack's hand.
"And I'm Katy, your sister-in-law," Katy exclaimed as she hugged Jack.
"Whoa! You're really getting big there, Katy! So you've got Shawn's kids in there?" Jack laughed.
"Yep, and so far they haven't caused too much trouble," Katy laughed as she patted her enlarged abdomen.
"Wait til they're born!" Jack scoffed.
"Is this everyone?" Reverend Lydia asked.
"Almost," Cory replied.
"Miss Lydia. May I ask why are you here?" Jack asked.
"My daughter-in-law and granddaughter are here to perform and I can't resist a good play and it will be a nice quiet stop before we do the big Christmas production at the Farm!" Lydia replied.
"Is this an ambush? When does Harley get here?" Jack asked.
" Relax, I wrote this play . Maya gets to be Pocahontas and you are her husband John Rolfe- now where's Baby Thomas?" Katy asked.
"Right here, Aunt Katy!" Riley exclaimed as she brought out one of her childhood baby dolls wrapped up in a papoose carrier with beads and handed it to Maya.
"OK, it looks as though we're about ready! Places everyone!" Katy insisted.
Then Maya and Jack walked up to Living Room Bay Window with Katy standing in front of them.
"Presenting 'Farewells and New Worlds' by Katy Hart Hunter. The year is 1616 and Pocahontas called Rebecca, her husband John Rolfe and their baby son Thomas are about to sail to England from Virginia but not before some unfinished business," Katy explained.
"Do you think Baby Thomas will fare well in that giant canoe all the way across the Salt Ocean to your home world?" Maya/Pocahontas asked.
"I made it across to here so I think it should be safe for you two, Rebecca. Are you as excited to sail as you were to peek into our settlement when you were a girl?"Jack/John Rolfe asked.
"Your people have brought me things I could never have imagined existed when I first saw those three giant canoes and now I get to be a part of this land of wonder with you and our child," Maya/Pocahontas exclaimed while hugging the baby.
"Approaching the young couple is Pocohontas's father the king Powhatan!" Katy narrated.
From the Small Study behind them, Shawn emerged in full Powhatan regalia of a single feather headband, fake pearl necklaces, an apron-length patterned leather breechcloth and war paint on his bare chest, legs and arms while carrying a full-length wooden bow.
"What happened to Harley?" Jack asked.
"Stick the script!" Katy growled.
"Daughter, are you and my baby grandson ready for the journey to a land neither of us imagined ten years past?" Shawn/Powhatan asked while glaring at Jack/John Rolfe.
" Rebecca, could you tell me what your father is saying?" Jack/John Rolfe asked.
"Why should he expect me to speak his language? He and his kind have come to MY land and have only learned a few words of OUR language- and why is he calling you that other name, Pocahontas?" Shawn/Powhatan asked.
" That's what my husband and his countrymen call me! It means ' she who binds' and I hope to bring peace to our peoples with my son belonging to both peoples," Maya/Pocahontas replied.
"So now you're going to the land on the other side of the Salt Ocean but why must you be covered up as though ready to be buried with your feet in shrimp traps?" Shawn/ Powhatan asked while pointing to Maya's attire with his right index finger and poking at her buckled shoes with his bare right big toe.
"This is what the women wear in my new land," Maya/Rebecca replied.
"Rebecca, can you tell your father that I love you and our son and will do everything in my power to take care of the two of you in my land while they treat you like the princess you are?" Jack/John Rolfe asked.
"Be sure to tell your husband that ever since your dear mother gave her life to give you life, you've been the favorite of all my many offspring and I won't rest until you and my grandson return from your husband's land," Shawn/Powhatan declared.
"Father, I know that and I'll do everything to celebrate our nation in my husband's land so that we may one day all walk together with my son a proud member of both nations! " Maya/ Pocahontas declared.
"You have been more brave and courageous from the start than any of my warriors. I only hope your new land honors that," Shawn/Powhatan insisted.
"They will. It will be going to a land I could never have even dreamed existed when I was a child but my new faith will give me strength. Have faith that you, I and Baby Thomas will meet again one day in this world or the next!" Maya/Pocahontas insisted as she started to cry.
" I don't believe in your new faith but I believe in you and that belief will sustain me until we meet again!" Shawn/Powhattan declared as he patted Pocahontas/Maya's shoulder then held Baby Thomas's /the doll's face in his right hand and nodded before walking off.
"Come now, Rebecca! It's time for us to meet your New World!" Jack/John Rolfe declared as he took Maya/Pocahontas's right hand in his own as she held onto the doll with her left hand before he and Maya/Pocahontas walked off in the opposite direction.
"Pocahontas also called Rebecca and her son Thomas arrived in England a month later and were celebrated as emissaries from Virginia while embraced by her husband John Rolfe and his family. Despite the wonders of her alien new land and her new name and appearance, Pocohontas never lost sight of who she truly was and was a champion for her people to the end. They were due to return to Virginia in March, 1617 but Pocahontas took ill and died on the boat waiting for them to sail when she was only about 21. Her son Thomas would survive and, despite her father Powhatan's grief for his daughter, he took comfort in his grandson's life even though he was never to meet Thomas again. Thomas would return to Virginia as a grown man and live to 65 years of age having sired a single daughter named Jane who had died shortly after bearing her only son John Bolling whose line survives. Family may be composed of very differing members but those differences can be beautiful if they're embraced instead of feared!"Katy declared as she concluded her narration to the applause of the Living Room.
. .
.
"You think I did right by our ancestor King Powhatan, Mama?" Shawn asked as he re-emerged in his usual green flannel shirt, jeans and boots a few minutes later.
"Yes, Darlin', I think so, and you did the play right,too!" Lydia declared as she hugged him.
"Not to mention you were more gorgeous than usual, Gorgeous!" Katy laughed as she hugged her husband.
"You think if I painted my legs and feet with that war paint, I could get away going sockless?" Shawn laughed.
"Shawn," Katy scoffed as her husband hugged her.
"As tempting as it would have been to have opted for the more comfortable Powhatan outfit for the rest of the evening, I somehow don't think it would have worked for the Christmas party," Shawn shrugged.
"Daddy, you did good!" Maya insisted as she took off her black wig and bowler hat.
"You did an excellent job as Pocahontas. I think she'd have been proud!"Shawn declared as he hugged Maya.
"Aren't you going to say anything to . .?" Maya asked as she pointed to Jack.
" Hello, Jack. You did a fairly good job as John Rolfe and you didn't blow the script too badly," Shawn laughed as he shook Jack's hand.
" Maya, I guess we should be thankful it's Christmas and your father has to be extra jolly," Jack laughed.
"Harley's here! " Auggie declared- as Harley entered the Matthewses' Front Door carrying a large bag- and wearing a Santa hat but still in his usual leather biker attire.
" So you all switched Powhatans on me with Shawn doing it for Harley?" Jack asked.
" Oh, I'm here as Santa today! But with one gift for you, Jack," Harley replied as he handed Jack the garment bag.
"My suits and wardrobe from before the sentencing! Thanks but I lost my apartment and now I'm. .." Jack groaned.
"Daddy, can we please?" Maya begged.
"Yes, Shawn- at least until the New Year!" Katy added.
"I guess you couldn't be more disastrous to my Apartment than the English were to Powhatan's lands and you DID give me shelter for a year but we're having twins in April so you'd need to. .." Shawn groaned.
"That won't be necessary! You see, Senator Eric delivered the board's approval of me being chosen as the future homeless children's home's House Father and with that new position comes a somewhat spacious loft apartment ready for me to move in today while I help with renovating the rest of the Warehouse for my future charges," Harley explained.
"Congratulations, Harley!" Cory, Topanga, Shawn and Katy all exclaimed in near unison as they hugged Harley.
"Yeah, good for you, Harley but that doesn't solve my. . " Jack sighed.
"Jack, here is the sublease and keys to my OLD efficiency apartment. It's not the quietest neighborhood but it's clean with power, water, Wi-Fi and they tell me it's in your budget," Harley explained as he handed Jack the lease.
"With your new budget, it would either be this place or a wet cardboard box so don't look a gift horse too hard, Jack!" Topanga insisted as she looked at the sublease agreement.
"You can stay at my Upper West Side Apartment until you and Harley get everything moved," Eric offered.
"He'll TAKE your offers! "Shawn declared as he banged Jack's shoulder.
"Shawn?" Katy gasped.
"Why are you doing this, Eric?" Jack asked.
"Well, you're my pal and I want you to be happy. .." Eric explained.
"But you busted me for bribing you. I know that it was Tommy's idea," Jack groaned.
"No, you were a bad boy who needed bad boy detention for hurting folks so that's why I came up with the wire and pressed charges but you're still my pal who needs to be happy instead of sad - and maybe one day you and Tommy can be pals again like you and Shawn are now!" Eric beamed.
"Pals? I don't think so," Jack scoffed.
" We've stayed on the wrong foot for too long, Jack, and staying stuck on keeping score over old scores has gotten both of us nowhere. Come on. We both like Katy, Maya,Cory, Topanga,Riley and Eric so why not see if we might actually like each other,too? "Shawn offered.
"Are you sure?" Jack asked.
"Why not? It's been great getting to know Mama this past month despite the two of us having very different attitudes and outlooks so why not see if we can get to be friends, too.?I'm finally happy and I don't want to go back to that other state I stayed in for too long so why not see if you can be happy, too?" Shawn offered.
"Believe it or not, the time I spent with Eric, Cory, Tommy, Rachel, Topanga, Angela and, yes, you in Philly was the best time I had in my life and I'm tired of being alone and tired of being mad at everyone -especially myself. Let's see if this holiday truce might last," Jack offered as he and Shawn hugged.
"Well, don't get too mushy! Jack, even though you only were there renovating to burn off Community Service, you gave those rooms in the Warehouse some of the best work I've seen and I've got quite a few projects around Manhattan and the Boroughs I could use your help with," Morgan offered.
"You mean. .?" Jack asked.
"I'm offering you a job on my staff! We just had one of my best plasterers move to Pittsburgh and we could all use a fresh start. Now, don't expect to kick back or not earn every dime of your salary because I work my crew as hard as I work myself on my jobs and, on the sites, I'm as hard-nosed as any boss out there. .." Morgan offered.
"I'll take it! Yes, it's been good helping others to build new things instead of just trying to compensate for my angst and loneliness by being a corporate bull dog with blinders on about innocents getting hurt," Jack offered.
"So you're not sore over Rachel? " Eric asked.
" She can love whoever she wants to love. So can you, Eric. I'm ready for all of us to be friends again and I've got someone else in my sites,"Jack beamed.
"Now, Jack! Just because I offered you a job doesn't mean I'm crushing on you. You're working every bit as hard as anyone else on my crew- and if you try to get fresh, you'll have to answer to my Dad, Cory, Eric, Shawn and Joshua if there's anything left after I'm finished with you," Morgan insisted.
"If you say so, Morgan!" Jack replied with a lilt.
"Well, congratulation, Jack. You seem to have come out of this like John Rolfe did!" Lydia declared.
"Not exactly, Miss Lydia. Ask Shawn where my mother Elaine, stepfather Jordan Connor and half-sister Nancy have been all these years," Jack sighed.
" Yes, it's true they never once visited the whole three years Jack was in Philly with me and the gang," Shawn sighed.
"And they haven't visited since. Yeah,Mom rescued me from drunken abusive Chet when I was a baby, Dad Connor gave me monies, an education and a foot into the corporate world and I AM grateful for that but they made it clear that their family was the three of them with me on the outside from the time Mom bore Nancy," Jack sighed.
"It sounds like what happened with my paternal onetime Hart grandmother. A year after Mom divorced Kermit, Gr. ..the other Mrs. Hart showed up and said I had to give back a rag doll she'd given me because it had been in her family for generations so since Mom divorced Kermit, I was no longer in her family! And Kermit put up zero resistance to Daddy wanting to adopt me, " Maya sighed.
"I'm so sorry to hear that, Child. I'll be your grandmother until the day I die!" Lydia declared as she hugged Maya.
"I've known you are this whole wonderful month, Nana, but thanks for voicing it! I've even learned to like being called 'Child'," Maya laughed.
"Well, we can look to the future together and not give those folks any more space in our heads than they deserve!" Shawn laughed as he hugged Jack and Maya.
"Eric, you think you and Agent LaChance could keep me from being beaten up by Lucas Friar if he's still sore about what I said about Rachel and his dad?" Jack gulped.
"That sure wasn't your smartest move, Jack!" Eric laughed.
"No, but…"Jack sighed.
"Don't worry about it. He's in Texas. So how about sitting down and watching my puppet show with Cousin Auggie? "Eric beamed.
"Puppet show? I don't see any puppets," Jack scoffed.
"Silly! I'm wearing them. These are moc-puppets!" Eric laughed as he sat down then took off his moccasins and put them over his hands.
"'Moc-puppets'? "Jack asked.
"I'd have brought my sock-puppets except I'm not wearing socks and these are just as flexible!" Eric laughed as he 'mouthed' his dialogue with the moccasins over his hands.
"Cory?Shawn? Help!"Jack gulped as Eric started making puppet sounds to Auggie's delight and Jack's cringing.
"Welcome back, Jack!" Shawn laughed as he patted Jack's shoulder .
"Eric's being barefoot while making puppet shows of his socks or moccasins beats his former tradition of being totally naked while singing 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas'" Cory laughed.
"Thanks, Bro. Thanks Cory," Jack gulped before everyone else joined him while watching Eric's moc-puppet show before Shawn, Katy and Maya went back to the Hunter Apartment, Eric took Jack back to his Upper West Side Apartment accompanied by Agent LaChance and Lydia. Then Agent LaChance dropped Lydia back at Dandelion Fields before returning to his post near Eric's Apartment. Morgan went back to her own apartment and finally Harley went back to his as he prepared to empty it to move to his larger loft Warehouse apartment.
Not one person left there not feeling extra hope, renewal and looking forward to new ties with new friends and family in the New Year.
Meantime, Shawn and Katy were starting on plans for a special 16th Birthday Treat for Maya in mid January.