Jon's past comes to town and decides to move in. Shawn realizes how little he knows about his teacher.


AN: On October 18, 2002, I published the first chapter of Autumn in Philadelphia. Almost 19 years to the date I picked it back up again.

We are now 5-6 chapters from the end of Book II.

I'm going to finish this story if it kills me. Lol

Happy Anniversary, AiP.

Thank you so much to everyone who has read, followed/favorited/bookmarked/subscribed/voted/kudos/commented over the years. I appreciate every one of you, and I hope you'll be around still when this journey ends.


Shawn was standing in the middle of the apartment when Audrey walked in. He looked like his best friend just walked out on him.

"Shawn?" Audrey said worriedly as she hung up her purse and coat. "Are you okay?"

He stared at her. "You're late."

" I told you would be. I had a paper to finish."

"She came over and you weren't here."

Audrey went over to him and gave him a quizzical look. "Who?"

"Melanie."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, I thought Jon was picking her up."

"Are you okay with this?" The teen's voice was thick with unspoken accusation.

"With what? Jon going out?"

Shawn folded his arms over his stomach.

Audrey gave him a small smile and brushed his hair out of his eyes. "Hun, we've been through this before."

"This is totally different!" he snapped. He couldn't understand why she wasn't upset. "He's never gone out with someone he was gonna marry."

Audrey flinched and her grey eyes flickered between light and dark. She was clearly bothered by the situation. "Shawn, would you like Cory to come over? I don't have anything planned for us to do tonight."

"No," he said, flopping onto the couch as despair overtook him. "Topanga is over at his place. I just wanna watch TV."

"Bring me your homework first."

While Audrey checked his homework, Shawn stared at the television screen without seeing anything. He was lost in the labyrinth of his emotions. His guilt over pushing Jon into going out with an ex-fiancée and his intense fear of losing the family that was so close to being his forever waged war within him.

Why had he been so careless with his words? He didn't mean any of them. He was only giving Jon a tough time. If he'd had any idea who the answering-machine girl was he'd have kept his big mouth shut. He always had to sabotage anything good that happened to him.

Then there was Audrey. Shawn cast a forlorn look at the student teacher who was busy with his schoolwork. There was no way he would trade her and what they had for any amount of money. A panic arose within him. Melanie looked so pleased with Jon and Jon with her when they left. What if Jon took him seriously about moving in with Melanie? What if Jon decided that Melanie was the one who got away and not the other way around like Eli said? Audrey would leave because of something he'd done. His actions would drive her away just like he drove his mother away. He sank his upper teeth into his bottom lip in an attempt to hold back the cry that wanted to escape. Mentally, he cursed himself over and over for being so stupid and worthless.

Audrey finished looking over Shawn's homework. When she turned to call him to correct some hastily done work sheets, she was horrified by what she saw.

"Shawn what are you doing!?"

"Huh?" He stared at her not understanding her concern.

Audrey rushed to his side and grabbed his hand. "You're bleeding!"

Shawn looked down at his hands and saw his thumbs were red and raw where he had been unconsciously picking the skin away from the nails.

"Come here." Audrey took him to the sink in the kitchen and began to wash his hands under the cool water. She took the first aid kit from its spot by the refrigerator and retrieved the band aids from it. Tenderly, she bandaged his damaged digits. As she did, she noticed the rest of his fingers. The nails were chewed down to the quick and the skin around them were in various stages between freshly torn and months old scars. Gently, she wrapped her fingers around his and looked up at him. Her eyes were brimming with concern.

"What's bothering you, Shawn?"

He stared at her and blinked as he tried not to break. She had no idea how he'd betrayed her.

"Shawn?"

He meant to tell her that he was just nervous about the situation he and Cory had gotten themselves into with Frankie Stecchino, but what came out was beyond his control.

"I'm sorry, Audrey. I had no idea he'd actually go out with her. I just wanted to know who she was. Jon never tells me anything and I just wanted to know."

Audrey's brow pinched together in confusion. "I don't understand."

"I'm the one who got Jon to return her call," he confessed. His voice grew shaky as fear of her reaction took hold. "I convinced him to see her. I thought she was a rich snob and that it'd be fun to watch her go head-to-head with Jon. I didn't know she'd be so much like him. Please don't leave. I didn't mean it when I said I wanted to go with her because of the money. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean any of it. Please don't go." Shawn was numb. He was so numb that he didn't feel the tear that escaped down his cheek.

"Oh. Shawn." Audrey took his face between her hands and gently wiped away the tear with her thumb. "I think it's for the best that Melanie came to town when she did."

Shawn looked appalled. "How can you say that?"

"So Jon won't wonder what if," she said with a heavy sigh.

Surely, she had not thought this through. Or she had and this was her excuse to get away from him. "But what if he decides he wants to be with her?"

"Then that's what he decides." Confidence faded from her and suddenly she didn't look much older than him. "I can't force him to be with me."

She's already givin' up and she's really gonna leave,he convinced himself. Throwing up his hands in despair he cried, "What happens to us if he does?"

"We go on," she shrugged. "I'll always be here for you. You know Jon will be, too."

Shawn ran his hands into his hair and gripped a handful of locks tightly in each fist. "I don't want it to be like that! I want what Jon promised! That we'd be together for good!"

"I want that, too." Audrey's voice was beginning to crack. She had put as much thought into the situation as Shawn had. "We just have to have faith that things will work out the way they're supposed to."

Audrey put the first aid kit away and led Shawn to the kitchen table to correct his schoolwork. As he worked, he hoped Audrey had enough faith to cover them both because he had none to contribute.

Jon came back much later than expected. Shawn, who was leaning against Audrey's shoulder and clutching her hand as they sat on the couch, gave him a nervous glance. Jon didn't say anything and neither did anyone else. Eventually, the teacher walked behind the couch and tapped Shawn on the shoulder.

"Hey, bud, school tomorrow." Jon's voice was uncharacteristically somber. "Get to bed."

Shawn looked at Audrey. She kissed his cheek and told him that she loved him. He hugged her hard. As he walked past Jon, it occurred to him that this could be the last time they would be together. A sudden feeling of desperation came over the teen when he heard Audrey take the keys out of her purse as she prepared to leave. A sob welled up, lodged itself in his chest, and solidified there.

"Aud." Jon caught her hand as she got up from the couch. "Can you stay? I need you."

Shawn was so relieved to hear this that without thinking he threw his arms around his teacher. Jon was taken aback, and it took a moment for him to respond. Uncertainly, he put his arms around the boy's shoulders. Shawn gave him a small, grateful smile then left without a word.

Audrey sat back down in her usual spot. Jon joined her. He looked back in the direction of Shawn's room.

"What was that about?"

Audrey studied his body language and saw how tense he was. "Do you want to talk about tonight?"

Jon looked away quickly and rubbed his lips with the side of his finger. "Not right now."

"Then I'll tell you about Shawn when you are."

He glanced at her and nodded. They sat together in silence for what seemed like hours to Audrey before Jon put his arm around her and pulled her close. She gave a small sigh of relief. He never spoke to her, however. He just kissed her hair and held onto her.


The first and only time Shawn heard about what happened at dinner with Melanie was the next day when Jon came back from doing some work on his truck. Eli was with him, and he was telling the media arts teacher about the dinner. Shawn flippantly asked if they were moving to Connecticut to hide his fear for his future. To his great relief, Jon said they weren't going anywhere.

Audrey was due over later as well, so Shawn took this to mean that everything was okay with their family and Melanie was firmly in the past where she belonged. With this worry gone, Shawn was able to focus on Jon's words about first impressions. This led to a new guilt: the way he and Cory had been treating Frankie Stecchino.

Shawn was about to head to his room to call Cory and inform him that they owed Frankie an apology when a knock came at the door. He stayed out of curiosity because unless Audrey lost her key, it wasn't her. Jon got to the door first and who Shawn saw walk in made his heart drop.

It was Melanie.

Eli jumped up to greet her with a hug and a kiss. Shawn glared daggers at him for this betrayal. Jon didn't say anything at first. He just looked deeply concerned.

"Hey, Jonny." Melanie's grin was wide as she greeted him with a kiss that was not returned.

"Hey," the teacher returned without emotion. "What're you doing here?"

"Well," she said, a little disappointed by his lack of reaction. "I wanted to tell you in person that I've decided to stay."

"Stay?" Jon glanced at Shawn who looked upset.

"Isn't that great?" She held her hands out to both of them.

"Yeah." Eli agreed wholeheartedly. He was the only one who seemed happy to see her. "I think it's great, Mel."

"Yeah, great." Jon said flatly.

"How. Long?" Shawn asked through clenched teeth. As far as he was concerned, she had already overstayed her welcome.

Melanie didn't catch his tone. Grinning, she walked and reached out to him. "I'm not sure, but long enough to really get to know Jon again and you, Shawn. I really want us to be friends." She looked over shoulder at Jon. "Real friends this time, Jonny."

Shawn took three exaggerated steps away from her. He folded his arms over his chest and said nothing.

Melanie turned back to him in time to see this. She was confused by his response. "Shawn? What's wrong? You seemed so happy to see me last time."

Shawn knew that anything he said would land him in big trouble with Jon, so he played sullen teenager.

"Look, Mel," Jon put one hand on the doorknob and the other on his waist. "It's great you're stayin' but I didn't know. Shawn and I have plans."

"Oh, okay, sure," she said, clapping her hands in front of her. "I'll see you later tonight? Dinner?" She walked over to Jon and leaned close. "On me?"

"Not tonight."

"Tomorrow?"

"Call first." He held the door open, clearly indicating that he wanted her to leave.

"Right." Disappointed, Melanie let her hands fall to her side and she walked dejectedly to the door. She didn't understand "her" boys' reaction to her announcement; last night had gone so well and she thought they'd both be happy about her staying.

"Jon, what was that about?" Eli asked as soon as the woman was gone. "You've got a second chance with Mel, and you were kinda rude to her. "

"Audrey's comin' over." Jon was still holding the door open.

"So?"

"So you gotta go, too."

"Okay, fine," Eli sniffed at his friend's strange attitude.

After Eli left, Jon turned to Shawn with a scowl and said, "You were kinda rude."

"So were you," the teen shot back. He jumped over the back of the sofa and bounced on the cushions.

Jon sank into the other end of the couch. "I was worried Audrey would walk in and I'd have to explain why she was here to Mel and why Mel was here to her."

"I didn't want Melanie to stay. "

Jon twisted around so he could see the boy. "About that: you were ready to leave with her last night."

Shawn stared at him, incredibly hurt. "I was messin with you! I thought you knew me well enough to know when I'm serious and when I'm not." Suddenly, he felt furious that not only did Jon not know him that well, but that Shawn didn't know him very well either. His teacher had after all withheld his own history from him.

"You were pretty convincin' last night."

Shawn glared at him. "I am not givin' up Audrey for her."

"Who asked you to?" Jon snapped back. He slammed his heels against the coffee table hard enough to make the furniture move.

Shawn was about to give a rude response when the student teacher walked in. He jumped up and onto Audrey while maintaining his glare at Jon.

It only took her a moment to assess the situation. "You two've been arguing again, huh?"

Shawn made a face at Jon and held onto her.

Jon leaned his cheek against his fist. "He's mad at me because I didn't throw Mel out."

"Mel?" Audrey frowned slightly. "I thought she left this morning for Connecticut?"

Jon shook his head and stood up. To Shawn he said, "Could you go to your room and let me talk to Audrey, please."

"Fine."

Shawn, of course, didn't go into his room and shut the door like Jon wanted him to. He went to his room, stepped in, stepped out, and closed the door loud enough to be heard. Then he took up his position at the beginning of the hallway to listen.

After Shawn left, Jon sat on the back of the couch and held his hand out to Audrey. She took it and he pulled her over to him. Wrapping his arms around her, he rested his head against her collarbone. They stayed like that for a long while before Audrey asked,

"What's wrong?"

Jon sighed into the fabric of her sweater. "Mel's plannin on stayin. She says she wants to get to know Shawn and me. She wants to be friends. For real."

Audrey held in her breath. She didn't like where this was going. "How long?"

"She didn't say."

Jon turned his head so that his nose was tucked under her chin. She ran her fingers through his hair as she tried to control the fear that coursed through her at the implication of what Melanie staying meant. Fighting back tears, she said very quietly, "Do you want to start seeing her again?"

Jon frowned, wondering where she came up with that. He pulled back enough so that he could see her eyes. "No," he said adamantly. "That is not what I want."

Audrey pursed her lips into a tight line. "Are you sure?" This was not a question she really wanted an answer to; she was afraid of the answer. Hesitantly, she reminded him, "She was your first girlfriend. There's a lot of history there; a lot of firsts."

Jon laid his head back down and grabbed hold of her hair. Letting the strands run through his fingers, he admitted, "She isn't anything like I thought she'd be and that does make me want to get to know her better. But I don't wanna get back together with her."

She rested her cheek against the top of his head. "How do you know unless you get to know her?"

"Because I know!' He said harshly enough to make her jump. He sighed and said more gently. "I just know."

Audrey should have asked him how he knew but she didn't.

"She's persistent," he went on, "just like she was then. She won't let this go until she gets her way. I don't think it will take long for her to leave, though. She may not be takin' Daddy's money anymore but she's still Daddy's girl. I'm not willing to go back to that world even a little, but she still has one foot in the door. If she can't get me to budge on that, she'll leave."

"What do you want me to do?"

Jon straightened up and ran his thumb over her cheek. He saw the fearful look in her eyes, and he regretted even more what he was about to ask of her. "Stay away from here until she leaves. I have no idea if I can trust her with you or not. I won't take the chance that I can't."

"Okay."

She was growing quieter and that was a bad sign. "I don't like this, Audrey," he insisted, "but I feel like I have to entertain her. If I don't do this, then she may end of goin' back home and complain' about me. I don't want anyone from there to come down here. There's a reason I don't have much contact with them." Jon put his hands on either side of her face and said seriously, "Maybe I'm wrong about her. Maybe she's changed. But I can't risk us."

"Okay."

"Hey!" The word was encased in frustration, but the frustration was directed at himself. "I do not wanna get back together with her."

"I believe you."

"Do you?" Her eyes told him everything she wouldn't, and she did not believe him.

Why should she? He thought bitterly. All I do is hide her away while I go out with other women. I wouldn't believe me either.

Audrey tried to keep eye contact with him, to be stoic and unemotional. But it was too much for her and she looked away. That was when he kissed her; a deep kiss unlike one she'd never experienced before.

Unfortunately, Shawn did not see this. By the time Jon took the initiative to let Audrey know how he really felt about her, the teen had gone back to his room. They had been talking so quietly that he couldn't hear anything anyway.

Shawn lay on his bed frustrated, scared, and hurt.


Melanie spent every minute of the next five days that they weren't in school with them, and that meant Audrey stayed away. Halfway through the week, Jon signed Shawn out of school an hour early. Audrey had a meeting with her supervisor and was not in school for the afternoon. She picked Shawn up and they spent the rest of the afternoon and evening together. Jon, of course, could not participate.

The longer Audrey stayed away, the more resentful Shawn became of Melanie.

Melanie tried incredibly hard to win Shawn over from buying him his favorites CDs to trying to cook meals for him after Eli told her Shawn like his mom's cooking. But Melanie was not a cook nor a baker. She tried because she thought it was important to Shawn, but her attempts just hardened him against her. The half cooked, crunchy lasagna that kept him up all night with a stomachache didn't help her case either.

Still, she kept trying to be the happy homemaker.

Jon wasn't much help to him. The English lit teacher drifted in and out of being interested in Melanie to not caring much about anything. His attitude combined with Shawn's made for some spectacular arguments over nothing. At one point, the two were arguing over placement of the forks in the cutlery drawer as they were putting away the dishes. Another time they fought over the angle of the TV antennae with both insisting that a minute move to the left or right made a difference in picture quality when it had no effect on anything.

School wasn't much better even with Audrey there. Shawn held a grudge against his media arts teacher for encouraging Melanie's interest in Jon and became mouthy and uncontrollable in Eli's class. While the class found his running commentary on the media projects funny, Eli did not. Shawn found himself in Mr. Feeny's office, not once, but three times that week. And that made Jon's mood worse.

Then everything came to a head the night Melanie dared to overstep her bounds. It was the fifth night she stayed over, sleeping on the couch. Shawn hated her audacity; Jon did not invite her to stay, she just assumed she was welcomed. She settled herself in their home while they were at school. Jon felt that he couldn't kick her out for reasons Shawn didn't understand.

That fifth day she planned a trip to the zoo for the three of them. Shawn flatly told her the zoo was for little kids and stupid even though they'd gone with Audrey two weeks earlier without protest. He hated every moment Melanie tried to play family. Dinner that night was take out that she insisted be put on proper dishes. It was after dinner that Melanie issued the command that brought out the worst in him.

"Jon and I are going out tonight, Shawn," she told him, as she cleared the table of her plate and Jon's.

Shawn scowled at Jon who was staring at Melanie in surprise.

"We are?"

She smiled and reached across the table to take his hand. "I have something special planned for us, Jonny."

Jon balked. This didn't sound like a friend-type of outing to him. "I don't have anyone to stay with Shawn."

Melanie gave him a funny look. "He's fifteen. He'll be fine. You were practically living on your own at that age. Don't you remember what you were doing?"

Jon nearly choked on his cola. What he'd was doing was the last thing he wanted Shawn to do. Ever.

"Besides," she went on. "He'll be too busy to get into trouble."

Shawn glared at her suspiciously. He hated that she was sitting in Audrey's seat, and he hated that tone of authority in her voice that was now directed at him. Ignoring her, he told Jon, "I'll go to Cory's.

"No, Shawn," Melanie said, pulling herself up to her full height. She leaned over the table towards him. "You will stay here and do the dishes. You've been really slacking on your chores around here and that will change tonight. I want everything, including your room, to be picked and spotless when we get back. You can do your laundry tomorrow."

Shawn's jaw dropped. He was too stunned to react right away. Who does she think she is? He raged internally. Audrey?

Jon began to protest when he saw the look on the teen's face. "Melanie, that's not your deci-"

Melanie put her hand up to silence him. He didn't bother to hide how much this offended him.

"Jon, I understand why you've let this go," she said sympathetically. "You have a lot to do at school and you have the extra burden of a student teacher. You don't have to do everything on your own. I'll take care of this for you."

To say that Audrey was a burden was the final straw. Shawn clenched and unclenched his fists then snapped, "I'm not gonna to do anything you say, witch."

Foul language was a no both at school and at home and was something that Shawn had accepted for the most part. There were, however, times when the powers over him were present and he would skirt the language prohibitions by swapping out profanity for milder versions. Witch was one.

Witch was not what he said.

Melanie was shocked and hurt. She looked to Jon to step in. Jon didn't look particularly upset. He did, however, walk over to Shawn and get within an inch of his nose. In a low voice he hissed, "Say it again and I'll call Mom and you can repeat to her what you said to Melanie."

Shawn paled. Mom was code for Audrey.

Jon sent him to his room and made the excuse that he couldn't go anywhere with Shawn in such a rotten mood. He mumbled something about running away and cops and Melanie accepted this. She also stayed in that night.

The threat to tell Audrey was all the punishment Shawn got for his words. On Saturday, Jon took him to Chubbie's without Melanie tagging along. Audrey would be joining them later since it wasn't unusual for students and younger faculty members to both be at the burger place on the weekends.

"How much longer is this gonna go on?" Shawn asked, kicking the table leg enough to make the table shake.

Jon stirred his milkshake but didn't drink it. "Not much longer. I think Mel's about had it with us."

"You mean with me."

"Us." Jon caught him by the ankle when his foot slipped and kicked him.

Shawn winced under his grip and Jon released him. Tucking his feet back out of the way, he asked, "How do you know?"

Jon went back to playing with the milkshake. "Because as much as Mel's changed, she's also the same. She'll try once more to win you over then she'll be gone."

"Doesn't she get that I'm not interested?" he grumbled. He picked up the ketchup bottle and gave the bottom of the glass a violent slap over his fries. " How much clearer can I be?"

Jon chuckled. "You've been pretty vocal, that's for sure."

Shawn continued to throttle the condiment bottle. The ketchup didn't care and wasn't about to be rushed. "Why does she care so much whether I like her or not? I'm not the one she wants."

Jon shrugged but didn't disagree.

"Why her?" he asked. He gave the sauce one last chance before slamming the bottle back onto the table.

Jon caught the ketchup before it spun off the table. "What do you mean?"

"Why'd you pick her and not some other rich girl?"

Jon shrugged again. "Our families were really close, and we'd grown up together. I dunno. I didn't put much thought into things like that back then."

"What did you put thought into?"

Jon frowned and shifted uncomfortably. "Lots of stuff I shouldn't have."

"Like?"

Jon never really gave him an answer. He talked about his parents and how much he didn't want to join the family business. Shawn stared at him with annoyance. "You didn't answer my question."

"Didn't I?" Jon wadded up a napkin and spun the paper ball between his hands. "Nothing worth tellin'. I wasn't very likable then."

"Melanie liked you."

"Melanie liked who she thought I was. She didn't even really know me."

That certainly sounded familiar. "I don't understand why you won't talk to me." Shawn scowled. He glared murderously at the defiant ketchup bottle as he reached for it again. "I had to find out from Eli anything about you. And if she hadn't kept callin' I never would have known anything."

Jon squinted at him and moved the ketchup bottle out of the teen's reach before he could break it. "Shawn, Eli first told you about my family two months ago and apparently you both forgot that. Then I told you about Christmas with my folks. I even mentioned Melanie to you first. You just didn't ask any questions. I figured you weren't interested."

"Well," Shawn sniffed resentfully. "I was very busy then. How do you expect me to remember stuff like that with everything that was goin' on?"

"Stupid me." Jon shook his head and tossed the napkin ball at him.

Shawn didn't respond to the incoming projectile because he saw Audrey coming down the stairs to them. Once she was seated in the booth next to Jon, a little ray of light broke through the darkness that liked to follow Shawn everywhere he went. Suddenly, the ketchup bottle was no longer his mortal enemy.


Originally, Melanie planned to stay a month or more, but nothing had gone as planned. By the end of her first week in Philadelphia she was ready to call it quits. Dealing with a troubled teenager was harder than she dreamed. She had no idea what to do as Shawn resisted any attempt that she made to be friends. She couldn't understand him. She couldn't handle him. But she also couldn't leave without trying once more to find some sort of common ground with him.

Her opportunity to spend time with Shawn alone came on Monday night when Jon announced that he would be staying after school the next day to run the National Honor Society club and a few other extracurriculars as part of the experience his student teacher needed for her resume.

"I'll stay with Shawn for you," she informed Jon. She didn't expect this to be a problem.

Irate, Shawn jumped up ready to go to war. Jon gripped his shoulder and pushed him back down on the couch. He wasn't in the mood for a fight.

"Well," he shot Shawn a warning look, "that won't be necessary, Mel. I was plannin' on sendin' him home with Cory."

Melanie crossed her arms over her waist. "I'd like him to stay with me."

Jon shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Melanie refused to be told no. "We need to get to know each other," she insisted.

Shawn glared up at them. "Do I get a say in this or are you two just gonna plan out my future. 'Cause if you are, I'm outta here."

Jon glared at him, then picked up his book bag and tossed it to him. "C'mon. We're gonna be late for school."

"It's settled then," Melanie said. "Come straight here after school. Don't be late, Shawn."

Shawn pushed past Jon and angrily stomped out of the apartment.

Later at school, Jon grabbed him by the shirt tail and pulled him into a vacant part of the hallway. "Suck it up for one night, okay?"

"I don't want to," Shawn snapped, pulling away from him. "I don't need a babysitter. I'm 15."

"You stay with Audrey all the time," he snapped in exasperation. "You tell me you can't be left alone, and I have to get someone to watch you."

"That's because it's Audrey!" Shawn couldn't believe the man was so dense. "I'm not stayin' with her."

Jon narrowed his eyes and put a hand on his waist. He put the other hand against the wall. "You want her alone in the apartment by herself. She's likely to rearrange everythin' to her taste while we're gone. You want her in your room?"

Shawn was taken aback. "She can't do that."

"She's been hintin' at movin' things around since she got here."

"That's your fault," the teen retorted, shoving a finger at his teacher. "You shoulda kicked her out."

"You know I'm getting' real sick of your attitude," he hissed. Jon closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Once he was calmer he said, "I'm tellin' you she won't be here much longer."

"A few more days and she can claim squatter's rights!"

Jon almost asked him why he knew about squatter's rights, then decided that he didn't want to know. "Yeah, well, if she doesn't decide to go on her own, I'm gonna tell her to go."

Shawn turned his head and the English Lit teacher saw how upset he really was, and he felt bad for the kid. Gently, he took hold of Shawn's shoulder and turned him to look him in the eyes. He dropped his voice so that only Shawn could hear, "I miss Audrey, too."

Shawn wasn't convinced. He made a face and rolled his eyes. The bell for the next class rang right on time. Jon was done dealing with the attitude.

"Besides," he muttered as he pushed past the teen. "One night alone with you will have her packin' her bags before I get back."

Shawn turned to watch his teacher leave. A sly smirk slowly spread over his face. Jon had just given him a beautiful idea.

The English Lit teacher wasn't gone an hour when Melanie found herself in over her head with Shawn. She could do nothing to make him happy nor could she get him to participate in any of the activities she had planned. All she heard was sullen grunts or "that's not how my mom does it". When she tried to talk to him about his mom and he would snap "wouldn't you like to know" then ignore her until the next time she tried get him to do something.

Finally, she sat down on the couch next to him, unable to hold her frustration anymore. "What will it take to make you happy, Shawn? I'm running myself into the ground trying to figure you out."

Shawn glanced at her, then turned his attention back to the TV. "You really wanna know?"

"Yes." Melanie leaned over closer to him in hopes that they would finally be able to get somewhere.

"Be honest about why you're doin' all this."

Melanie opened her mouth to reply then closed it. She looked baffled. After a moment she said, "What are you talking about?"

On the surface, Melanie wasn't nearly as bad as Miss Tompkins. She was pretty much the opposite, save for one thing. He gave her the opportunity to confess; to prove she was better than the social studies teacher. "I'm talkin' about the real reason you're tryin so hard to get me to like you."

Melanie put her hand over her heart. "I care about you, Shawn."

So she is a liar, too, just like Miss Tompkins. Shawn rolled his eyes. "You don't wanna be honest. Fine. Leave me alone."

Melanie was silent for a while then quietly said, "I hope to be a part of your life, Shawn. We've got to make peace."

Shawn turned to face her with a skeptical look. "You want me to like you because you think if you win me over, you'll win Jon over. That it?"

She didn't say anything, but she didn't have to. Shawn knew he read her correctly.

Melanie stared at her hands and said, "You need a mother, Shawn."

"Got one, thanks."

"You need one that's here for you, Shawn. Not one's that running around all over the country."

A deep hurt melded with anger burned within him at the mention of Virna. "I have a mother who's here for me," he retorted with a vicious edge to his voice. "You aren't needed or wanted."

"Shawn," she reached out to him to brush his hair out of his face. He jumped back as though she'd slapped him.

"Don't touch me!" He perched on the arm of the couch, ready to run. "You wanna be my mom but you can't even be honest about why. I've got no reason to trust you. No reason to believe that you won't ship me off to boarding school and outta your life once you get what you want."

Melanie flinched and looked embarrassed. Shawn glared at her. He was right about her wanting to send him elsewhere, too. She was as bad as Miss Tompkins.

"Okay," she said, defeated. She tapped her fingers together as she leaned forward again. "You want me to be honest. Fine. Yes, I hope that if you and I can get along, then Jon will want to try our relationship again. I know that if we can't be friends then he won't consider it."

"Well," Shawn said bluntly. "I'm tired of people like you either tryin' to push me outta Jon's life or fake likin' me to get to him. So let's quit playin' games."

"All right." Melanie held her hands out to signal her surrender.

"You want Jon?" Shawn pulled his feet up onto the arm of the couch, so he was squatting on the arm.

"Yes," she said softly.

"You wanna impress him?"

She nodded.

Shawn should have felt bad for what he was about to do, but there was no remorse in him. He hated being lied to and he hated being used. He waited until she looked at him, then he gave her a haughty smirk. "He'll be real impressed with someone who can't tabs on one kid for one night."

Melanie's eyes went wide when she realized what he was saying. "Where are you going?"

"Out." Shawn jumped off the couch. His feet hit the floor with a thunderous thud.

"What are you going to do?"

"Haven't decided," he told her casually as he put his leather jacket on. "Of course, the last time I went out like this, I found some spray paint and got brought home by the cops. Huh." He paused in thought then shrugged. "We'll have to see what happens tonight, I guess."

With that Shawn was out of the apartment before Melanie could get off the couch.

Shawn had no plans to take off into the night. Instead, he headed to the roof and found a spot where he could clearly see the street and Melanie's BMW below. He squatted down so he couldn't be seen by anyone who might happen to look up. With great delight, he watched her run into the street, frantically calling his name and searching in and behind the dumpsters and trash in the streets. He laughed in response to her panicked calls. Finally, she got into her car to go to look for him. When she was gone, Shawn headed back to the apartment and settled down to wait for Jon to come home.

Two hours later, his teacher came back incredibly aggravated. He was both relieved and furious to see Shawn sitting on the couch as though nothing was wrong. Thankfully, Audrey came with him and stood in as a mediator between them. She let Jon cool down before dealing with Shawn who had little remorse for the trouble he caused. It was a means to an end as he saw it. He was only sorry that Audrey was annoyed with him too.

Apparently, after over an hour of trying to locate him, Melanie called Jon in tears and told him what happened. Shawn let Jon chew him out; he knew that was coming. Although, once his teacher heard his side of the story, he cooled off some and informed Shawn that he was grounded for the weekend for pulling such a dirty trick. For Audrey, Shawn was appropriately contrite and accepted his punishment without protest.

Neither of the trio saw Melanie follow them in. As he apologized to Jon and Audrey, he saw out of the corner of his eye, the other woman quietly watching them. Shawn knew better than to say anything to make the situation worse for himself, so he simply wrapped his arms around Audrey and held on as he locked gazes with Melanie.

As Melanie observed them, she realized who the mom was that Shawn talked about. She wondered if this was also who Jon almost referred to several times before catching himself and changing the subject.

"Jon?" she asked when they stopped talking to Shawn. She gestured to the young woman. "Who's this?"

Jon looked at Audrey and pressed his lips into a thin line, unsure of how to respond. Audrey, expecting to be introduced as his student teacher, stared at the floor and said nothing. Shawn started counting backwards from ten. At one, he was going to answer the question if Jon didn't.

"This is Audrey," the teacher said slowly. He looked down at Audrey and put his arm around her waist.

Shawn let go of her so Jon could step in between them.

Jon pulled her close to him. Surprising them all, he said, "She's my girlfriend."

Melanie's mouth fell open. After several moments of silence, she squeaked out, "I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

"You didn't ask."

"You never mentioned her."

"It's complicated, Mel," he acknowledged. He slipped a finger through the belt loop on the waistband of Audrey's jeans. "I'm not gonna go into it. But Audrey is my girlfriend."

Melanie was silent. Then she threw up her hands. "Well, this has been a waste of time, hasn't it?" Embarrassed, she turned away from them so they wouldn't see the tears that were building up.

Without letting go of Audrey, Jon took a step forward. "You said you wanted to be friends. I took you at your word."

She nodded. She got herself together and turned to look at Shawn. "I guess you weren't the only one I wasn't being honest with, Shawn."

Shawn stood with his hands in his pockets and for once didn't say anything.

Melanie grabbed her purse from the couch. As she reached the door she turned back and tried once more. "Jonny, are you sure you don't want to give us one more try? We were so good together once."

Jon shook his head, put his free arm across Shawn's shoulders, and pulled him closer to them. "If we're being honest, no, we weren't. I do like who you've become. You're a great person." He watched her brush away the tears that were falling. In a strange way, it saddened him to see her like this. He almost preferred the haughty, socialite attitude she once embodied. Wanting to make sure she understood that there was not even the slight chance of him changing his mind, he said, "I love Audrey, Mel. She's the one."

Melanie's brow crumpled; even though they were once engaged, those were the words she could never get him to say to her. Taking a deep breath, she nodded and wished them all well before she left.

Shawn stared at Jon. Waves of tremendous relief washed over him. To hear him say aloud that he loved Audrey was the reassurance that Shawn desperately needed. They were safe and so was he. So was their family.

At the same time, great annoyance swept over him. After all that they'd gone through together, this was the way Jon chose to tell them?! Shawn didn't bother to hide his indignation.

Audrey, however, didn't care. She wrapped her arms around the man's waist and looked up at him with wonder. She wasn't sure if she heard him correctly, though. Did he really call her his girlfriend and say that he loved her?

Jon, suddenly aware that Melanie wasn't the only one who heard his confession, felt embarrassed by the attention that he was now the center of. His heart rate increased dramatically as he realized exactly what he'd said out loud. He glanced at Shawn, then focused on Audrey. With a deep exhale, he said, "I do, you know."

"I do? You know?" Exasperated, Shawn threw up his hands. "Is that the best you've got?"

Jon was nervous enough without Shawn's critique. He gave the teen a withering look for interrupting his moment and Audrey motioned for Shawn to hush.

The English Lit teacher started over; his voice shook even more. "I do." Jon frowned. He didn't understand why it was so hard to say what he felt. He took a deep breath and stopped thinking. "I do love you, Aud."

Audrey's eyes lit up in delight. A thousand emotions flooded through her, and she could barely contain herself. Softly she answered, "I love you, too."

"It's about time," Shawn mumbled under his breath. He had trouble containing his happiness. They were so close now to becoming a real family. They just had to make it to the end of May. That was only a month and a half away.

Jon smiled and pulled Audrey into a deep kiss. Shawn grinned so wide his cheeks began to ache. He counted to ten then threw his arms around them both, nearly toppling all three of them to the floor.