Seeking Answers (Chapter Four)
Cory and Topanga's Living Room (NYC), Late Saturday Evening.
"Auggie's asleep at last," Cory noted while sitting on the couch next to Shawn after having brought them each of them a juice bottle from the kitchen.
"I don't know how you two keep up with that tsunami," Shawn laughed- as he opened the cap of his bottled juice.
"It's not easy but we think it's worth it," Cory half-laughed.
"Does it ever get easier?" Shawn asked.
" Oh, I almost forgot you're and Katy are getting set for your own rollercoaster. You sure you want this?" Cory asked as he opened the cap of his own bottle.
" Yeah, I DO want to raise someone from babyhood despite the not waiting and I couldn't have picked a better mother than Katy but what if I'm not as good a father?" Shawn asked as he sipped his raspberry-lime juice.
" You already ARE to Maya!" Cory exclaimed.
"You think so?" Shawn asked.
"I sure DO, Shawnny! And you saved her and Katy from wasting any more time with Katy pretending Kermit was better and Maya winding up thinking Katy didn't want her around. That's a very good step, Bud!" Cory proclaimed.
"Thanks! I guess because I wasted so much of my childhood pinning on my folks becoming better than they were, I didn't want another kid to wrongly think her worthy mother wasn't. But that's not the same as raising a tiny baby from Day One," Shawn sighed.
" You're already a better parent to Maya than her bio dad ever was and he knew her from Day One so consider it an educator's vote of confidence!" Cory laughed.
" You think Topanga and Riley taking Katy and Maya to that chick flick will really help them through losing Gammy Hart and learning about Katy's real mom?" Shawn asked.
" Nah but the break in the angst will help," Cory shrugged- as he sipped on his grapefruit juice.
" I just hate that we're shooting in the dark and don't know anything more about her besides what Gammy Hart saved in that box," Shawn sighed.
"What are you talking about? Your late teen bio mom-in-law was from John Adams High- as in Hail to Thee Our Alma Mater!"Cory scoffed as he clinked his juice bottle to Shawn's.
"You don't mean. . .?" Shawn gulped.
" Yep! A day trip to Feenyland would help clear things up! " Cory laughed.
" I was hoping you wouldn't say that," Shawn sighed.
"Why? Those dots virtually connected themselves the second you saw the prom picture! And Feeny's the Encyclopedia Minkus of John Adams!" Cory laughed.
" I know, but I was hoping to solve something out on my own without having to bring Mr. Feeny into it," Shawn groaned as he finished sipping his juice.
"Don't let false pride get in the way. Besides, this is important to Katy, Maya and. .. Baby Cory perhaps?" Cory laughed.
"Bro, you're not seriously calling dibs on names! Me and Katy haven't even started that convo," Shawn scoffed.
" Well, when you do,you know the best name you could put into that convo," Cory snorted as he finished his juice.
" You want a Baby Cory? Why don't you name your own next born that?" Shawn exclaimed.
" Because the minute I cut Baby Auggie's cord, then put him in Topanga's arms, she looked me in the eye with pure love and said 'Cory, you know I love you, Riley and this beautiful boy more than anyone or anything but , from now on, if you want any future deliveries, you'll have to call Fed Ex!'" Cory laughed.
"Why are you laughing to keep from crying?" Shawn asked.
"Because almost as soon as she said that she pointed out that she was going to need to get stitches and then get them removed down there so that would be the perfect time for me to also get snipped in the same sort of area," Cory laughed and cried.
"Oh, man! No worries. Even if you're a gelding instead of a stallion, I'll always think of you as a stallion," Shawn sighed as he hugged Cory.
"And, hey, now we can do it more than ever with no worries- at least when we get time to do it," Cory laughed.
"Way TMI- even for you, Corman! Speaking of time, I guess we'd better try getting there tomorrow so could you . ..?" Shawn asked.
"Say no more, Bro! Of course, we'll keep Maya with us while you and Katy go the Philly way. She used to more or less live here anyway," Cory shrugged.
.
Later that night. .
"But why can't I go with you two to Philly?" Maya asked.
"First of all as your Uncle Cory pointed out, you've got three days of make up homework to catch up on before Monday morning and second, we're there to help your mother learn family history- not have you swoon over Joshua Matthews," Shawn insisted.
"Daddy, I'm not a baby in a bubble! I can take tough news," Maya scoffed.
"Maybe so, but since Katharine Daly seems to have been my mother, I'm the one who needs to learn the news firsthand before it gets shared," Katy insisted.
"Well, I'm old enough to keep watch over our place on my own!" Maya insisted.
"You're kidding if you think that's happening," Katy scoffed.
"Aw Daddy, can't you get Mom to be fair?" Maya begged.
"Divide and conquer. Good try but no and, as a now-grown latchkey, kid I know exactly what kind of trouble can happen," Shawn replied.
"I'm old enough not to leave the bathtub running before dashing off the airport," Maya scoffed.
"It was just that one time," Shawn groaned while Katy, Cory, Topanga, Maya and Riley all glared at him.
"It was while you were leaving for your honeymoon and I wound up paying for your downstairs neighbor's replastering and ceiling lights," Cory fumed.
"Cory, you're on our side. Remember?" Shawn pleaded.
"OK, Maya, you need to stay here with us and catch up on your homework while your parents do the overnight roadtrip. Shawnny, you still owe me for the plaster and lights. Good enough?" Cory asked.
"Yeah," both Shawn and Maya groaned.
"Now I've given them a common enemy to keep them from fighting each other. My work here's done," Cory laughed.
"Mom, how does Dad get annoying and charming at the very same time?" Riley asked.
"It's a talent I've never quite understood but he could made good use of it had he wanted to be lawyer," Topanga laughed.
.
.
Early Sunday Afternoon, Alan and Amy Matthewses' Front Door, Philadephia.
"Shawn, Katy! Great seeing you two again!" Alan Matthews exclaimed as he and Amy opened the door while he shook the younger couple's hands before he and Amy hugged each of them.
"We couldn't stop in Philadephia without seeing the two of you- and we wanted to tell you the news in person, Mr. and Mrs. Matthews!" Shawn explained.
"Cory, Topanga and our National Enquirer granddaughter Riley already texted us the news. How wonderful for you!" Amy laughed as the four of them walked into the living room.
"But we wanted to share this with you in person since you two have been the best guardians Shawn ever had," Katy explained.
"Well, come on in! Take a load off your feet before we catch up!" Alan invited.
"Never stay on your feet a minute longer then need be when pregnant. Trust me," Amy laughed.
"I went through this with Maya. I'm fine, Mrs. Matthews," Katy laughed as she and Shawn sat down.
"Well, get ready for grey hairs! I've earned mine with my four!" Alan laughed.
"More than a few strands came from me, Mr. Matthews," Shawn admitted.
"Well, the five of you have been worth his grey and my tint," Amy laughed.
" Where are you staying?" Alan asked.
"We've got a good Airbnb booked a few blocks away," Shawn explained while pointing to his right with his right index finger.
"You'll do nothing of the kind! We'll always have room for you and Katy here!" Alan beamed while Amy nodded.
"Mr. and Mrs. Matthews, as nice an offer as it is. We don't want to impose," Katy pleaded.
"It wouldn't be imposing! You can sleep in Morgan's old room! She kept it far cleaner than any of her brothers ever did theirs," Amy offered.
"I'd sleep in the treehouse if you offered," Shawn declared.
"You wound up doing so more than once!" Amy laughed.
"Shawn, let's take them up on this and cancel the Airbnb," Katy pleaded.
"OK, Mr. and Mrs. Matthews, we'll do it - as long you accept our invite to stay at our apartment whenever you're in NYC!" Shawn insisted.
"Deal!" Alan declared while Amy nodded then the two of them shook Shawn's hand,
"I'll bring the overnight bags from the car inside but before we get too settled here, we'll need to go to the Feenys to see him to get some answers," Shawn explained.
"Answers? Sounds intriguing," Amy laughed.
"We'll fill you in over dinner- and we're taking you out. We insist!" Katy declared.
" There's an Afghani restaurant with great online ratings nearby. Want us to try that out?"Shawn asked.
"Sure," Amy declared.
"Then I'll put in the reservations now!" Shawn declared as he did so with his Smartphone.
" Whoa! I used to dream you'd grow up to be like this. I'm proud of you!" Alan insisted as he hugged Shawn.
"Thanks! I'll be right back, Mr. and Mrs. Matthews," Shawn insisted as he dashed out the front door to his car, took the bags out then carried them up to Morgan's room.
" We look forward to continuing our catching up later on but we need to be meeting Mr. Feeny so we'll give him your best," Katy insisted as they started walking through the house to the kitchen.
"He's just next door," Alan laughed
"Forgive us for not saying it before but we're sorry about you losing your mother, Katy," Amy sighed as she hugged her.
"Thank you but you don't know the half of it," Katy sighed.
"Literally," Shawn added as they walked out the Matthewses' kitchen door to the Feenys' back door.
"What could they have meant by that?" Amy asked.
"You got me," Alan replied as puzzled as his wife as he shook his head.
.
"Why are we going by way of the back door?" Katy asked.
"We've always gone to that way to Mr. Feeny's. Beats me why!" Shawn chuckled as he knocked on that door.
"I've got it, George!" 80-something Lila Bolander Kincaid Feeny was heard shouting before opening the back door.
"Hello, Dean Bolander. .er Mrs. Feeny, I'd like you to meet my wife Katy," Shawn stammered.
"I'm long since retired and we're all adults so I think it would be silly if you and Katy didn't call me 'Lila'," Lila laughed
"It's nice to meet you, Lila, " Katy declared as the 89-year-old George Feeny joined his wife Lila and the Feenys led the Hunters to their formal living room with a blue willow 19th century porcelain tea set on their coffee table.
"Great seeing you again, George!" Shawn proclaimed as he shook George Feeny's hand (careful not to crush it).
"Likewise, Mr. Hunter and I think it would be downright hilarious if you didn't continue addressing me as 'Mr. Feeny'," Mr. Feeny declared as the three of them sat down with Mr. Feeny between Shawn and Katy
" I always say you can take the Boston baked bean out of Boston but you can't take the Boston out of the baked bean! " Lila laughed as she shook her head and hugged Mr. Feeny then kissed him on the cheek before departing to the kitchen.
"Bean?" Mr. Feeny sputtered
"It beats being a cream pie!" Lila called from the kitchen.
"She keeps my pomposity to a minimum, to be sure," Mr. Feeny sighed.
" We wanted to tell you our big news in person seeing that you married us- even if Cory and Topanga or your neighbor Matthewses may have already phoned you about it,"Katy declared.
"Oh, I was made aware of your being in the family way via your de facto niece Riley's texts " Mr. Feeny explained.
"Actually, I'm the one who texts in this family. If it were up to George, we'd still be getting our news by smoke signal!" Lila called in from the kitchen.
" Regardless of the news' routing,allow me to express my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to the two of you, Mr. and Mrs. Hunter," Mr. Feeny as he shook both their hands.
"Thank you,sir. You have no idea how much this means to me. If someone had told me I'd one day be sitting here next to my gorgeous wife in your stately living room with you and your lovely wife about to have tea, I'd have died laughing, " Shawn chuckled.
"I had more optimism . However, Mr. Hunter, we're not about to be served tea," Mr. Feeny sighed.
" Tea?! Are you kidding? Caffeine drains calcium and ,at our ages, we need to keep all the calcium we can- as do you two and your impending little one, " Lila declared as she brought in the large porcelain tea pot on a silver tray with tiny snack plates before sitting in the comfortable chair opposite Mr. Feeny.
"So, what's in here? "Shawn asked- as Lila poured.
"It's a kale smoothie with fresh squeezed wheat grass juice in the cream dispensary along with some carob and goji berry raw bars," Lila proclaimed as she poured the thick green smoothie into the tea cups
"Thanks, Lila," Katy gingerly gulped as she tried to sip the kale smoothie.
"You know, I'd have also thought Topanga Lawrence-Matthews would have grown up to serve this instead of running a bakery," Shawn laughed as he sipped the kale smoothie from the tea cup and tried to keep from puckering up.
" Excellent examples of one only being able to count on the unexpected happening," Mr. Feeny noted as he also gingerly sipped the kale smoothie.
"Mr. Feeny, that's the other reason for our visit. Last week, I lost the only mother I ever knew," Katy sighed.
"The one who Maya called 'Gammy Hart', "Shawn added.
"Oh, yes. If I recall correctly, she had had a stroke two weeks prior and was unable to leave the hospital to witness your wedding. I'm so sorry that this has happened to you, Mr. and Mrs. Hunter, and that she won't be around to see your newest one's arrival" Mr. Feeny sighed as he patted Katy and Shawn on the shoulder while Lila hugged Katy.
"Thank you, Mr. Feeny and Lila. But in the process of organizing her belongings before selling her house, we made the discovery of a hidden chapter in our family we hope you might be able to shed some more light on," Shawn explained.
"Katy, I thought 'Hart' was your former married surname," Lila pondered
"It was,Lila. Believe it or not, I thought somehow both of us having the same last name from birth would help us stay a family. That's not why I'm here, though," Katy explained.
A/N- Yeah, I know there's the name of 'Clutterbucket' kicking around in Maya's family on the show but I really dislike the name which no one else in the world seems to possess it so for this AU let's just have it that Kermit and Katy just happened to both have had the surname of 'Hart' when they married though via no known common ancestors and just get on with it.
"We found this picture of someone who'd gone to John Adams High and we were hoping you could help us, Mr. Feeny," Shawn pleaded- as Katy handed him her Smartphone while Shawn started scrolling to find the image.
" I'd genuinely like to help you but there were thousands of students during my academic career who passed through those halls and, despite the Prevagen Lila gives me, I'm not sure my memory is as keen as in my salad years," Mr. Feeny sighed.
" Just look at it, Mr. Feeny, Please," Katy asked.
"Well, I have no faith in the resolution of the screens on these most recent technical marvels but I'll see what I can from this," Mr. Feeny glumly stated as he took off his glasses then held up a magnifying glass as looked at the Junior Prom picture of Katharine Daly and Martin Alveira from 1982.
For a second, Mr. Feeny wrinkled his nose trying to see if there was anything familiar in the picture then he gasped.
"You're Baby Katy!" Mr. Feeny exclaimed as he stared at Katy then back at the picture with a stunned expression on his face.
"Your face looks just like Senator Eric's did when T.J. Murphy revealed himself to be Tommy on the Farkle podcast," Shawn gulped.
"Yeah, it does. I saw that Farkle podcast,too. What's going on, George?" Lila asked while Shawn and Katy nodded.