You couldn't cut the tension in the Matthew's kitchen with a knife. You'd a need a chainsaw, or maybe a jackhammer. The only sound was Eric chewing.

Shawn couldn't eat. First off, Eric had scooped half of the pan of lasagna onto his plate and was devouring it with thoroughly nauseating speed. Secondly, he swore that he kept catching Mr. and Mrs. Matthews watching him from the corner of their eyes when they thought he wasn't looking and third, despite Cory finally confessing to his parents and vowing to stay in Philadelphia, Shawn could not help worrying about the fact that Cory was currently outside. Alone. With Topanga.

When Feeny stood up everyone (except Eric) looked up, all hoping he'd say something, impart some wisdom, share some sort of garden metaphor that explained and okayed the days events thus far. But he simply poured himself a cup of coffee, nodded in embarrassment at the waiting faces and walked silently into the living room.

"Okay, for the love of God, will someone please say something!" Shawn exclaimed setting down his fork with a clatter of dinnerware.

Amy and Alan stared at him, Morgan smirked, and Eric still didn't look up from his lasagna. Finally Amy spoke.

"Eric keep your mouth closed."

"Bet Shawn's never heard that from Cory," Morgan said snarkily. Shawn's eyes bugged. It was alarming, for one thing to hear Morgan making dirty jokes, more alarming that they were about him and her brother, and most alarming to hear anyone talking, especially lightheartedly, about what had been his deepest darkest secret for so long. It was insane to realize that it was out in the open now.

Eric snorted, the whole table stared at him.

"What? That was funny!" He said through a mouthful of lasagna.

"Morgan Matthews!" Amy exclaimed in outrage, "Where did you learn to talk like that?"

"Oh come on!" Morgan exclaimed in exasperation, "Someone had to say something. What? We were just going to sit here and pretend that we were all completely surprised the Cory and Shawn are doing it? Hell! I barely talk to either of them and even I knew!"

Shawn pretended to fascinated by his rapidly cooling lasagna.

"Didn't knock?" Eric asked seriously, putting a consoling hand on her arm the way soap opera doctors do to patients who have been told they only have weeks to live. Morgan shook it off.

"No I figured it out because I'm not stupid!"

Cory walked into the kitchen, looking ragged, as Morgan demanded "Where have you people been the past few years?"

"Morgan. Upstairs. Now," Mr. Matthew's said in his I'm-very-close-to-the-last-straw-and-you-aren't-helping voice.

"Fine," Morgan rolled her eyes, got up from the table and headed for the stairs. She stopped in front of Cory and folded her arms, "Look, Cory, you're my brother, and no matter what, you're okay by me," she said in a very matter of fact tone.

"Thanks Morgan" Cory said, clearly deeply touched.

She nodded, and walked to the base of the stairs where she turned again, "And Shawn?"

"Yeah?" He responded, finally looking up from his plate.

"You probably could've done better," she grinned mockingly at everyone in the kitchen and finally disappeared up the steps. Shawn couldn't help smiling. At least one of the Matthews was on their side.

"Okay, Topanga is in the living room talking to Mr. Feeny," Cory said seriously, "It's still her going away party, so maybe it would be better if Shawn and I just took off, and let everyone say good bye,"

"Yeah," Shawn agreed getting up from the table and standing alongside Cory. He was all in favor of getting the hell out of this kitchen, he was almost frantic to hear what Cory and Topanga had talked about, and not exactly enthusiastic to see Topanga face to face again, "We can call a cab and wait outside. We've caused enough trouble."

"You don't have to go," Topanga said, walking into the kitchen, "I'm not staying."

Amy got up from the table and hugged Topanga, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Mrs. Matthews," She said. Neither Shawn or Cory could bring themselves to look at her, "I just want to get on the road as soon as possible."

"I'll take her," Eric volunteered, pushing his chair back from the table.

"Eric, I can take her," Alan gesturing at him dismissively.

"It's okay Mr. Matthews. Eric can sleep in Nebula's room and you have the store to get back to tomorrow. Plus I'd like to talk to him about this whole thing," Topanga said.

"And I'm sure I'm not wanted in the apartment tonight," Eric said with a grin.

"Okay, that's enough of that," Shawn exclaimed.

"Morgan jokes you're touched, I joke I'm yelled at," Eric sighed, "You ready to go Topanga?"

She nodded and hugged Amy again, "Thank you. For everything."

"Good Luck Topanga, give us a call when you get to New York," Amy said beginning to tear up. Topanga hugged Alan goodbye too while Eric stood in the door jingling the keys. She turned to go out the door, paused and turned back around.

To Shawn's immense discomfort, Topanga walked toward him, stopped right in front of him and then to his complete surprise hugged him too.

"You take care of him," She said tearfully, "And when he drives you nuts," She tried to laugh, "You call me."

"I really am sorry," Shawn told her, he was crying again too.

"I know you are," She said, and then, she told him, "And I forgive you," even though she didn't mean it, because she knew that he needed to hear it. And eventually, she thought, she would forgive them both. One of the first things Chloe and Jedidiah had taught her was to be the bigger person, and if she was going to become herself again, she was going to have to start at the beginning.

"Cory, I'll call you later this week and we can work out the divorce details," She said softly before hugging him too, "I hope you'll be happy," she said. And she felt better for saying it.

"Goodbye everyone."

And then, she and Eric left, and Cory and Shawn were left in the Matthew's kitchen with Cory's parents.

"Oh gosh. Poor Topanga," Amy breathed.

"I'll just call a cab-"Shawn started.

"Sit down, Shawn," Alan said firmly, "You too Cory."

Both young men obeyed immediately.

"Mr. Matthews, Mrs. Matthews, This whole thing is my fault-" Shawn started immediately.

"Stop Shawn." Alan cut him off.

"Alan, don't yell," Amy said sitting next to her husband, "You'll scare the baby," she waved at Joshua, who, completely immune to all the tension of this situation and the situations preceding it was still sitting on the kitchen floor, contentedly chewing on his own fingers.

"I'm not going to yell, Amy," Alan insisted he folded his hands on the table looked down at them

"Did you know you were..." Alan started, "Did you know before you got married?"

"Yeah," Cory admitted looking down at his hands, "I knew. And I was with Shawn before that too" might as well get all the honesty out in one go, he figured, "This has been going on since we were 15. We've been lying to everyone since we were 15 okay? We were in the tree house, working on something for school, and we ended up making out. And it was amazing okay?" Cory went on, not caring that both his parents had flinched at that, "And I was sure everyone could tell just by looking at me, and when I realized they couldn't I thought to myself why should I say anything? Maybe I'll outgrow it , maybe it will go away. Maybe I can keep being the perfect American son in the perfect American family and nothing has to change. I mean, I saw the way you guys reacted just when Eric didn't get into college. And that's nothing compared to this."

Shawn was staring at Cory in amazement. He'd finally snapped. Shawn had never actually believed that Cory was afraid to tell his perfect parents. He'd really thought that Cory had kept the secret for his sake and then because he didn't want to hurt Topanga. He'd had no idea.

"So I latched onto Topanga because she would go out with me, and she would get back together with me when we broke up and yeah, I know it was wrong, but everything just kept getting more complicated. Everything got more complicated, and tangled and insane until it finally snowballed into this. So yeah, Mom, Dad. I'm gay, I'm getting divorced. I've been lying to everyone for 5 years. I'm not a perfect son in a perfect family anymore and I really don't care what you think of that. I don't care if you throw me out now and never talk to me again." He grabbed Shawn's hand on the table and squeezed it again, "Cause I'm just never going to be ashamed of myself ever again. Even if you are."

Amy and Alan looked as shocked as Shawn was.

"Cory, we aren't ashamed of you," Amy said finally, "You're our son, and we will love you no matter what you do, who you are, or who you date. And Shawn, you've been part of this family for a long time and you will always be part of this family."

"Thanks Mrs. Matthews," Shawn said.

"Dad?" Cory asked.

Alan smiled, "Hey, what she said." He got up from the table and picked up Joshua "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I think Joshua and I have had enough excitement for one day."

"I could use some coffee," Amy sighed.

"Yeah," Shawn agreed," I'll just go call that cab"

"Don't worry about it," Alan said, "You can take the car. Just get it back by tomorrow."

"Thanks Dad." Cory said and then bit his lip, "Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you guys."

Alan and Amy shrugged.

Cory hugged his parents goodbye and his parents hugged Shawn goodbye and they left promising to drop by for lunch and a more friendly conversation sometime this week when they had all recovered from today.

"Cor?" Shawn asked when Cory had started the car, "I know it's been a tough day, but I have to ask. Would you have really gone to New York?"

"Well," Cory sighed, "You know me better than anyone Shawnie. Do think I would have really gone to New York?"

"I think you would've gone to New York, convinced me to come with, convinced Topanga to let me live in the extra room in the apartment, and just hoped that we'd eventually get caught."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Cory laughed, "Which is why I'm so glad you got us caught now. You know how I get carsick on long trips."

Shawn laughed despite himself, leaned over and kissed Cory.

"You know, I've got this horrible weight off my shoulders, I feel pretty good. We should go out somewhere where I can show you off and we can celebrate," Cory suggested.

"I was thinking the almost the same thing, but I was hoping we could back to the apartment and," he grinned "celebrate there, and then you could show me off later?"

Cory kissed him, "Let's go with your idea"

Amy had put Joshua down for his nap and then she and Alan had flopped down on the living couch with a cup of coffee. They sat there in a still slightly stunned but mostly exhausted silence.

"Well that is not how I expected today to go," Amy said.

"Yeah," Alan agreed.

"I just hope we've reached our quota on surprises today,"

"Yeah," Alan agreed.

Morgan ran down the stairs grabbed a jacket off the coat rack and opened the door.

"I'm going over to Maria's" she declared, "Oh, and I figured that this is as good a time as any to tell you I got my belly button pierced. Bye!" she ran out the front door before either of her parents could say anything.

Neither of the Matthew's moved for a moment.

"You know what would go well with this coffee?" Amy asked finally, " A cocktail,"

"Thank God you think so too," Alan agreed.