A/N: Hello again, everybody. Here comes Chapter 1. This story will once again feature Maya Hart as its main character. It will be a lot more AU than "Piece by Piece" and I'm curious as to how you'll like it. All of our favorite characters from Girl Meets World and Boy Meets World will make an appearance at some point. This chapter will serve as the Prologue and give you all necessary background information on the goings-on. The real story will start with Chapter 2. I don't want to give away too much at this point – mainly because I'm still figuring things out myself. Anyway, as always: Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think :)
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Girl Meets World characters.
Mine
Girl Meets Backstory
"Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh"
"I don't want to talk about this anymore!"
"You never do!"
Seven-year-old Maya Hart held her tiny hands tightly clutched over her little ears to block out her parents' screams, but it didn't work. She was sitting in her room, cowered down in a small heap on top of her bed.
"What do you want from me?"
"I want my husband back! I want my daughter to finally have a father again!"
This – the screaming and the fighting – had been going on for some time now; Maya couldn't say how long exactly; months, years, it all kind of blurred together.
"I'm doing the best I can!"
"Oh really?!"
Maya Hart had finally had enough. She couldn't take it anymore. Jumping up from her bed, she quickly went out into the hall and quietly ran out of the house. The little blonde dashed down the steps of their front porch and took off towards her safe place, her haven, her own little world.
Katy and Kermit Hart had been born and raised in Possum Trot, Arkansas. They had met in high school, fallen in love and married at the young age of 19. Katy had put her dreams of moving to the big city and becoming a famous actress on hold when she had become pregnant with their first child shortly after. Maya Penelope Hart had been born as the pride and joy of both her parents. For a little while, things were perfect.
And then, they weren't. Maya didn't know why – she was only seven years old; all the little blonde knew was that all her parents did these days was fight with each other. Sometimes, like today, it got so bad that Maya couldn't take it anymore. She knew she wasn't allowed to leave their property, so it was a good thing that the Hart family owned a big, beautiful house – it had originally belonged to Katy's grandparents – with an even larger garden. Their property bordered a forest and at the edge there was a small pond, hidden behind some trees and bushes.
That was exactly where Maya was headed now – like she always did when she wanted to escape her fighting parents. She sat down at the edge of the water and silent tears started running down her little cheeks. It wasn't too long before the young blonde started sobbing. Why couldn't her parents be like other parents? Why couldn't they just love each other – and her? Why couldn't they be happy?
The little girl had spent a long time thinking about the cause of her parents' arguments – all that fighting had made her mature beyond her years. Katy and Kermit had been happy once. And now they weren't. Together, the three of them had been the picture-perfect small-town family. And now they weren't. Her parents had loved each other. And now they didn't. So, the little blonde had come to the one and only conclusion that seemed to explain this. Love didn't exist.
Now, since Maya was only seven years old, she didn't actually know what love was. She knew that her parents had loved each other once and that they didn't anymore. She knew that love was supposed to be forever, but apparently it wasn't. So, keeping all that in mind, love – at least true love as those Disney movies called it – simply didn't exist.
Suddenly, Maya could hear footsteps behind her. She knew exactly who would be approaching her now. "Baby girl?"
"I'm here, Mommy," the little blonde called weakly.
The older blonde let out a relieved breath of air "Oh thank God." Katy Hart didn't say anything else for a little while. She just walked over to her daughter, sat down right beside her and put an arm around the girl. "I'm sorry, honey." She didn't have to say anything else; they both knew what she was referring to.
"Why today?" Maya asked, looking up at her mother with big, wide, innocent eyes.
It broke Katy's heart to see her daughter like that. "Sometimes, Maya, even I don't know any more what we're fighting about."
"Then why do it?" Maya inquired, really confused now.
"I guess it's just the way your Daddy and I communicate now," Katy said slowly.
Maya shook her head. "I don't get it."
"Me neither, baby girl." Katy pulled her little girl on her lap and hugged her tightly. "But Maya, no matter how much Daddy and I fight, I promise there's one thing that will never change."
"What, Mommy?" Maya turned her head and looked at her mother with a curious expression on her face. Katy tickled Maya's sides, causing the little blonde to dissolve into a fit of giggles. "Mommy!" she shrieked delightedly.
Katy grinned and placed a tender kiss on her daughter's forehead. "I love you so much, baby girl," she said firmly. "And I'm always going to be there for you. I promise you that that will never change."
Maya loved her Daddy as a daughter is supposed to love her father. But truth be told, she didn't really know the guy. He was gone for most of the day – at work and who-knows-where after that. And when he came home in the evening, he mostly fought with his wife. There were the odd days, when he would take Maya out for some Daddy-daughter time; and the little blonde had to admit, those days were amazing. But recently, those days had become fewer and fewer and the days her Daddy didn't even come home after work became more and more.
The love the little blonde felt for her mother was a whole other discussion. They were two peas in a pd. Katy was Maya's best friend and Maya was Katy's. Those two shared a special bond and it seemed like nobody could ever come between them. They had been inseparable since the day of Maya's birth. Everyone in town often joked that they were very similar to that mother-daughter-pair from that one TV-show. The love Maya felt for her Mommy was also what led her to believe that maybe love – in whatever form – did exist, that it didn't always hurt to love somebody. Well, at least a little girl could hope.
Maya turned around on her mother's lap and threw her little arms around the older blonde's neck. "And I love you, Mommy," she declared and gave her mother a kiss before spreading her arms out as wide as she could. "This much!"
"Oh yeah?" Katy giggled. "You know how much I love you?" she asked as she imitated her daughter's gesture. "This much!"
Maya's eyes went wide. "Wow!" she exclaimed before tackling her mother in another hug.
The two of them sat there by the lake for quite some time. Eventually, tears started forming in Katy's eyes and she did her best to prevent Maya from seeing them. There was one thing she had to tell her little girl and, for the life of her, she didn't know how to do it. How do you tell your daughter that her father left – again – and that he wouldn't come back this time. Finally, Katy decided that they couldn't stay here at the pond forever – as much as she would have loved to do just that. She had to tell her daughter the truth.
"Maya?" the older blonde started carefully.
"Yes, Mommy?"
"There's something I have to tell you," Katy said slowly. Maya looked up at her mother and waited patiently for the woman to continue. "Your Daddy … he left."
"Oh," Maya said. This wasn't news, her Daddy left all the time. "When is Daddy coming back?"
Katy gulped and prayed for the tears to stop just a little while longer. She had to get this out. "Maya, honey, Daddy … he's not coming back this time."
Maya looked at her mother quizzically. "Why?" she asked. "This is his home."
Katy took a deep breath; she didn't know how to answer this. "Your Daddy, he had to leave. He's … going to find a new home."
"Why?" Maya repeated, averting her eyes to the ground. "He doesn't love us anymore?"
It broke Katy's heart to hear her daughter talking like this. "No, Maya," she immediately said. "Your Daddy loves you, he does." She really hoped that he still did and that she wasn't lying to her kid right now. "He just … he … we … decided that it might be better if we didn't live together anymore. To stop the fighting."
Maya nodded slowly. "So, Daddy really isn't coming back?"
Katy shook her head. "No, baby girl. I don't think so."
"It's just us?" Maya inquired.
"Just you and me, baby girl." Tears threatened to finally overtake the older blonde, but she managed to blink them away a little while longer. "But remember what I said, honey. I love you and I'm always going to be here for you. That is never going to change."
Maya was quiet for a moment. "Promise?"
"I promise," Katy confirmed.
Maya held out her hand. "Pinky swear?"
A dry chuckle escaped the young mother. "Pinky swear." The linked their pinkies together and hugged once more. Now, the dam was broken and Katy openly sobbed as she held her little girl tight.
And Maya? Maya held her mother just as close. Seemed like she had been right all along. Maybe the love she and her mother shared was something different. Maybe there were exceptions to the rule. But right now, as far as Maya was concerned, love didn't have to last. And if it didn't, people always ended up hurt; just look at her mother. Hope really was for suckers.
Now of course, over the next few years, Maya Hart came to find that there really were exceptions to her self-declared rule: There were Mr. and Mrs. Williams, here eighty-year-old neighbors; they had been happily married for over sixty years now and loved each other very much. Then there were Juliet and Tristan Johnson: former high-school sweethearts in their mid-thirties about to welcome their third kid into their lives and still as in love as they had been on the first day. And of course, Henry Baker and Charlie Armstrong, who had successfully managed to adopt their first child only two months ago.
However, Maya had also come across people who reinforced her believe that love ended in hurt: there was Mr. Babineaux, a man in his forties, who had run off together with a woman half his age and had left behind his wife and son. Then there had been poor Mr. Smith who, after fifty years of marriage, had found out that his wife had been in love with their gardener all along.
Maya herself had had her own experiences in both departments. The love between the girl and her mother had only grown stronger over the years. After Kermit left, Katy had been forced to work more hours at the local diner to support them. Maya spent a lot of her free time after school at her Mom's workplace and they had a lot of people helping them out with watching the little blonde whenever Katy couldn't – the perks of living in a tight-knit community in a small town. Possum Trot really was a great place for a kid to grow up. Maya had spent a lot of afternoons at the Williams' or the Johnsons' – she really loved spending time with their three little kids. Henry and Charlie had already asked if she could imagine babysitting their new baby daughter in the future; something Maya had immediately said Yes to. Maya loved all those people and they loved her just as much in turn. So, both her and Katy really couldn't complain. They had amazing friends who they looked upon as their family.
However, Maya had had to endure some more heartbreak as well. The death of the Williams' old Golden Retriever Sammy had been the first; Maya had stayed with the elder couple to comfort them. Upon her eventual return home, the then ten-year-old had started sobbing uncontrollably and it had been up to Katy to calm her little girl down.
About one year later, Maya had had to say goodbye to her childhood friend. Ever since meeting in kindergarten, Maya and Isaiah Babineaux had been the best of friends. They had gone through kindergarten and elementary school together. The last week of summer break, shortly before the two of them would have started Middle School, Zay's father had taken off. Zay's Mom had been heartbroken. So much so that she had packed her and Zay's things and had moved them back to her hometown: Austin, Texas. Maya and Zay had been sad about losing their best friend. They still managed to keep in touch though and Maya had been happy to find out that Zay had found another best friend called Lucas Friar.
So, in the end, Maya had had to adapt her theory. She had to admit that sometimes love could work out. However, for her the risk was still too great. Why bother with love if it didn't last? Like her Mom always said: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Maya had witnessed personally how long it had taken her mother to get over Kermit leaving them. To this day, Katy hadn't gone out on another date – at least not to Maya's knowledge; and it hadn't been for a lack of willing candidates. Maya had spent enough time at the diner and had had to watch her Mom pretend to be friendly to men who were obviously only interested in one thing. Both Maya and Katy been badly burned, and Maya wasn't sure if there would ever be a man, they would trust enough to let him into their lives. Besides, Maya had a family: she had their friends, an amazing Mom, and even a kind of father figure in her Middle School English teacher – but more on that later. She had a great life and no intention of changing it. Well, let's just see how long she'll be able to stick to that.
13-year-old Maya was sitting at the counter at Daisy's Diner. The place was packed, but her mother had managed to secure the blonde a spot. Katy nodding to the seat and quickly setting down a Tuna Melt in front of her daughter had been the only interaction that had been possible up until now. It didn't faze Maya though; this was normal during the lunch rush. Katy and Dawn were dashing from customer to customer to take orders while Margie was manning the register. All Maya could hear from Charlie in the kitchen were some pots and pans rattling and the man cursing in regular intervals.
The young woman next to Maya finally finished her lunch and got up to pay, providing the girl with some more space. Maya let out a relieved breath of air as she got out her homework, so she could work and eat at the same time. Katy rushed by her and quickly placed a sweet kiss on her daughter's head. "You need anything, baby girl?"
"Still working on it, Mom." Maya smiled and gestured to her only half-finished lunch. "But thank you. If I need any more coffee, I can just get it myself."
"No going behind the counter!" Margie warned with a teasing smile. The older woman was very fond of both Katy and Maya and loved nothing more than to joke around with the younger blonde.
"Whatever you say, Margie," Maya shot back and Katy giggled. However, their little family time quickly ended and Katy had to get back to business.
Maya took a bite from her Tuna Melt and drank a big gulp of coffee before focusing on her English homework. Now Maya was not what you would call a model student, the young blonde suspected that school just wasn't for her. She had a passion for art, but all the other subjects – math, science, history – were a necessary evil. There was one exception to that rule.
She had never been a big fan of English during Elementary School, but Middle School had provided her with an amazing English teacher, who managed to motivate the little blonde and make her actually interested in learning something. The man was a great guy overall and had become friends with both Katy and her daughter outside of school as well. Maya's teacher hadn't had the best homelife and he had bonded with the Hart girls over their shared loss and disappointment. He wasn't married, but often talked about his former foster son, who he was still in contact with and looked upon as if he were his real son.
The bell over the door chimed and pulled Maya out of her thoughts. She was surprised that she could even hear it over all this noise and quickly looked up to see a man – about her mother's age – step into the diner. The blonde turned back to her homework and wouldn't have paid the newest customer any further attention, had she not heard someone clearing their throat right behind her. She turned in her seat and looked up, right into the eyes of the new customer.
"Sorry to bother you," he said politely as he gestured towards the empty chair next to her. "This seat taken?"
Maya shook her head and gave the man an equally polite smile. "Please." She nodded for him to take a seat.
"Thank you." The man sat down, Maya handed him a menu and the man grinned. "Thank you again."
Maya chuckled. "No problem."
The man studied the menu and Maya tried to re-focus on her work. It didn't really work though, so instead of studying "The Hunger Games" – told you her English teacher was cool – she studied the man sitting next to her out of the corner of her eye. There was something about him and Maya couldn't quite put her finger on it. He was handsome – for someone in his thirties – for sure; rather tall, brown hair, beard, blue eyes. He was wearing a sweater and a blazer. Nothing that would make him special to the naked eye, but Maya could swear that there was something … familiar, something … similar about the guy.
Maya quickly shook her head. Boy, she was probably imagining things. She forced her gaze back to her book and tried to read again. This time though, she was interrupted by her mother rushing by once more. Seeing a new customer sitting beside her daughter, Katy took a deep breath. She placed her fake-work-smile on her face and addressed the man. "I'm sorry, Sir. I'll be right with you."
The man looked up and met Katy's gaze. His eyes widened and Maya inwardly rolled her eyes. Great, she would probably once again have to bear witness to some guy flirting with her mother. And he had seemed so nice and polite …
"Take your time, Miss." The man gave the woman a kind smile. "I'm in no rush. So please, don't rush on my account."
Katy was stunned and, for a moment, actually forgot that she had a packed diner to supply with food and drinks. Out of the corner of her eye, Maya could see Margie at the counter also looking positively startled; the older woman soon got a knowing smirk on her face. Katy's fake-work-smile morphed into a small, genuine one. It had been quite some time since somebody – a stranger at that – had been so polite, friendly and understanding to her. "If you're sure …" Katy said hesitantly.
"I'm sure," the man confirmed. "I'm still deciding anyway."
"Alright then, I'll be back." Katy nodded, gave the man – and Maya – one more smile and took off again.
Maya was just as stunned as her mother and looked at the man curiously. See, there really was something about him. As if he could feel her gaze on him, he turned towards her with a warm smile. "Everything alright, kid?"
Maya winced at having been caught staring. "Yeah," she said with a sheepish smile. "That was really nice of you; what you just did there."
The man shrugged. "It was nothing." But the blush that suddenly appeared on his cheeks proved his words utterly wrong. "You come here regularly?"
Maya nodded. "Every day."
"Can you recommend something?" the man gestured towards the menu. "It just all sounds so good."
"It is all really good," Maya assured and, to her amusement, the man groaned. "I mostly get the Tuna Melt." The blonde nodded to her almost empty plate. "The Cheeseburgers are amazing and the meat loaf is great as well."
The man nodded. "Cheeseburgers do sound good," he said thoughtfully. "Thanks, kid."
"No problem, Sir," Maya said politely.
Before the young blonde could say anything more, she was interrupted by Margie calling over to her. "Hey Maya! Be a doll and get this nice and patient young man some coffee, won't you?"
Maya's eyes went wide. "Margie! I am shocked!" she called teasingly. "You are letting me behind the counter? Whatever have I done to deserve this honor?"
The man chuckled and Margie just rolled her eyes. "Just this once, sweetheart."
"I'll take it!" Maya jumped up and addressed the man. "Would you like some coffee, Sir?"
"I'd love some coffee," he assured and Maya got to work, filling him and herself a cup of coffee – oh yeah, she was definitely taking advantage of being allowed behind the counter for once. "And it's Shawn."
"Sorry?" Maya called over her shoulder, only partly listening.
"My name," the man elaborated. "It's Shawn. Shawn Hunter. Figured it's only fair now that I know your name, Maya."
Maya put the two cups down in front of them and held her hand out to the man. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Shawn Hunter. I'd introduce myself, but Margie already did that."
The two of them shook hands and Maya sat back down. "Really nice to meet you too, kid."
A few minutes later – Maya had just attempted to resume doing her homework – the lunch rush finally started to die down. Katy, exhausted and well out of breath, rushed by them with some empty dishes and came to stand right in front of them to catch her breath. Maya and Shawn gave the older woman a worried glance, but she just gestured for them to give her a few seconds to breathe. "Okay," she finally said. "I have to say, you have been a very patient man, Sir. Now, what can I get you?"
"No problem, Miss …" he looked at her nametag. "Katy?"
Katy smiled. "That's me."
"Well, Miss Katy. This nice young lady here recommended the Cheeseburgers," he said with a warm smile to Maya.
"And I see you already got some coffee," Katy observed. "Your doing, Maya?"
"Margie let me!" Maya defended herself with a mischievous grin. "Tell her, Margie!"
"I did!" the older woman called over. "Not everyday such a polite young man shows up in here."
"Isn't that the truth." Katy sighed. "Anyway, I'll go get you your food, Mr …"
"Hunter." Shawn extended his hand and Katy, once again surprised, shook it. "But please, call me Shawn."
"Alright then." Katy nodded. "Your food will be ready soon, … Shawn."
The man smiled. "Thank you."
"You want anything else, Maya?" she asked.
"No, I'm good." Maya smiled. "Thank you."
Katy nodded once more time and left. Maya looked after her mother. Huh, she had seen her around men many times – that came with being a waitress – but her mother had never let someone faze her, no matter how charming or pushy the men were. However, with Shawn here Maya couldn't really blame her; there was something different about the man. She still couldn't quite put her finger on it though.
Maya tried to focus on her book again but, after reading the same sentence for the fifth time without understanding it, she laid it down with a sigh. Shawn looked over at the young blonde and chuckled. "Getting somewhere, kiddo?"
Maya groaned. "Not really," she admitted. "My concentration seems to be a bit off."
"Sorry about that, I didn't mean to interrupt your learning," the man apologized.
Maya looked at him with wide eyes. "Don't worry, it's not your fault. Lunch rush isn't the best time for a girl to do her homework."
Shawn grinned. "Well, alright," he said. "But if you get in trouble with your Mom, you can always blame me."
Maya laughed. "I think she'll understand," she said. "She probably already knows that I'm having a hard time concentrating."
Shawn frowned. "Really?" He looked around the diner. "Who's your Mom?"
Maya grinned. "That pretty blonde lady over there." She gestured towards Katy.
"Huh. Yeah, I can see it now." Shawn smiled as he looked at the older blonde. "Small world."
"Yeah." Maya grinned.
"Yeah," Shawn repeated.
Katy returned with Shawn's order not long after. "So, one Cheeseburger for the kind Sir," she said and placed the plate in front of the man. "And one chocolate milkshake for the young lady."
"Thank you, Katy," Shawn said with a warm smile.
"Thanks, Mom." Maya grinned. "And thanks, Charlie!"
"Welcome, Maya," Charlie's voice rung out from the kitchen.
"So, Shawn," Katy said, after making sure that all the guests were currently taking care off. "You're not from around here, are you?"
"That obvious?" Shawn asked with a sheepish smile.
"Nah, I just know my regulars and you're not one of them." Katy grinned. "So, if you don't mind me asking, what brings you to our little corner of the world?"
Shawn laughed nervously. "Two things actually." Maya and Katy looked at him expectantly, making Shawn chuckle. "Well, I write articles for an online magazine – "Hit the Road" …"
"Great website," Maya chimed in. "You take the photos, too?"
"Thank you. And yeah, I do." Maya nodded, actually impressed now. "Anyway, my next assignment brought me here."
"What's the second reason?" Katy asked slowly.
Shawn paused for a moment, thinking about how to put this. "Paying an old friend a surprise visit," he said. "Actually, it's more like visiting family."
Maya and Katy smiled. "That's nice."
Maya was just about to ask who his family was – maybe she knew them – when the bell over the door rang again, once again announcing a new visitor. Maya and Shawn's backs were turned, so they only saw the way Katy's face lit up. "I know I know. One Grilled Turkey Sandwich coming up. Already on it."
"Katy, have I told you lately that you are the perfect woman," a male voice called over. Maya grinned upon recognizing it as her favorite English teacher.
"Only every other day, Jon!" Katy shot back and went to work.
"And I mean it every single time," he assured with a teasing grin.
"Oh, oh," Maya chimed in. "Careful there, Mr. Turner. Margie might hear you. I seem to recall her being the most amazing woman in the whole world just last week."
"Maya!" He greeted his student. "Oh, come on, Margie knows that she's the only one for me! Don't you, Margie?" Jonathan exclaimed as he approached the young blonde. Maya looked over at Margie, who just rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide the blush that suddenly appeared on her cheeks – yeah, Mr. Turner really was one charming guy. "Well, well, well, what do we have here," Jonathan addressed Maya. "Do my eyes deceive me or are you actually doing homework?" the teacher asked.
Maya smiled sheepishly at the older man. "Trying to. Just having a hard time concentrating today," she admitted.
"You still doing your best?" Jonathan asked.
Maya nodded slowly. "Of course."
"That's all I'm asking." The older man and gave the girl a side-hug. "And that's why you're my favorite student."
Maya grinned proudly and was surprised to suddenly hear someone else joining in on their conversation. "I have to say, I am shocked," Shawn said, his voice teasing. "I always thought that I was your favorite student.
Jonathan, who still had his arm around Maya, spun around so fast that almost knocked the girl off her feet. "Shawn?!" he asked, a disbelieving tone in his voice.
"Hi Jon." Shawn smiled at his former teacher and father figure, suddenly a bit unsure as to how the older guy might take his sudden appearance.
He needn't have worried though; Jonathan didn't waste any time. He made sure Maya had regained her footing before letting go of the blonde and enveloping Shawn in a big hug. "It's really good to see you, Hunter," he said in a hoarse voice.
"Likewise, Turner."
"Now not that I'm not happy to see you, I really am," Jonathan said. "But what are you doing here? Just stopping by for a visit? Did you bring Matthews?"
Shawn chuckled. "I'm here for work actually and thought I'd stop by and say Hi. And no, Cor's not here. He's back in New York with the family."
"You got a place to stay?" Jonathan asked.
"I was going to get a room somewhere," Shawn explained.
"No, you're not," Jonathan said firmly. "You're staying with me. We've got loads to catch up on."
A sheepish grin spread across Shawn's face. They had only seen each other for a few minutes now, but it felt just like the old days. "Alright, if you insist. Thank you, Jon."
"Anytime, Shawn." The two men smiled at each other.
And right then, Katy approached with Jonathan's order. "You sitting here, Jon?"
"This seat taken, kid?" Jonathan asked Maya and gestured to the chair on her other side.
"All yours, Mr. Turner." Maya smiled.
"Thanks, Maya." Jonathan sat down before addressing Shawn again. "You met these two lovely ladies already, Shawn?"
"That I did." Shawn smiled at both Katy and Maya. "And I'm really glad I had the pleasure."
"Yeah, those two really are something," Jonathan agreed, causing the Hart girls to blush.
"You two know each other?" Katy asked, looking from Jonathan to Shawn and back again.
"You remember my former student and foster son I told you about?"
"The one you still look upon as a son?" Maya clarified with a sheepish smile.
"Aw, Jon," Shawn teased.
Jonathan didn't let it faze him though. He merely grinned. "Yeah, precisely that one. Well, that would be him right here."
"Wow," Katy said, shaking her head in amazement. "Small world."
"Yeah," Maya added. And suddenly the younger blonde knew exactly what had caught her eye when meeting Shawn. It wasn't something obvious, not something just every person would even pay attention to. It was something in the way he carried himself; something in his eyes which seemed a bit clouded at times; something in his smile that looked a bit crooked. Something that showed that this man had experienced his fair share of hurt, loss and disappointment in his life as well. Something that reminded Maya and awful lot about her mother and herself. Jonathan had shared bits and pieces of his son's backstory with them; not a lot, but enough to let them know that Shawn had obviously been let down by people he loved as well.
Jonathan and Shawn finished their lunch while chatting with both Maya and Katy. Eventually, the two men decided that it was time for them to leave.
"See you in class tomorrow, Maya," Jonathan addressed the younger blonde before turning to her mother. "And see you at lunch tomorrow, Katy."
"Bye, Jon," the Hart girls chorused.
"See you around." Shawn smiled at Maya and Katy.
"So, you're planning on sticking around a little while?" Katy asked and Maya couldn't help but feel a bit hopeful. She was curious about the man her favorite teacher had helped raise.
Shawn looked at his former teacher. "What do you say, Jon? Would you mind me staying with you for a bit?"
Jonathan smiled. "Why Shawn, I thought you'd never ask."
Shawn managed to stay in Possum Trot for two whole weeks. He worked on the article he was actually here to write and took the time to catch up with some work he had put off before. His free time was spent catching up with Jonathan and spending some time at Daisy's Diner. There he often ran into both Katy and Maya Hart and the three of them slowly started to become friends. No one was happier to see that than Jonathan; he knew that those there had all experienced their fair share of hurt. Maybe, he thought, they could help each other heal.
Eventually, Shawn did have to leave again. He was a travel photographer after all. He had no home or family in the traditional sense to get to, so he often got sent out on long journeys. Katy and Maya had thought that they had seen the last of him when he left. They had both grown fond of the man in the two weeks they had spent together, but they weren't stupid. There was a really good chance that he would leave and never come back, except maybe for the odd visit to Mr. Turner. He would probably forget about them in a matter of days. In their experience, if someone left, they left for good.
Well, to say that Shawn had proven them utterly wrong would be the understatement of the year. As soon as he had another assignment in their region, he made sure to stop by for a few days. This time he had called Jonathan in advance and the teacher had immediately assured his former student that he would be welcome in his home anytime. When Shawn went to Daisy's on his first day back, both Katy and Maya's eyes went wide and their jaws dropped. Shawn had actually come back; he hadn't forgotten about them. They spent some time catching up and quickly resumed the friendship they had formed.
And for quite some time, this was their routine. Shawn left to go on an assignment; Maya, Katy and Jonathan stayed; and, eventually, Shawn came back to check in. After a while, an unspoken agreement passed between Maya and Katy and they slowly grew closer to the man, just like they had done with Jonathan. Katy and Shawn grew very close as friends – there definitely was an attraction between them, but neither one had the courage to address it just yet, having been badly burnt by previous relationships. With some assurance from Jonathan, Katy gradually felt comfortable having Shawn develop a relationship with Maya as well. A strong bond started to form between Maya and Shawn – one strongly resembling father and daughter, but nobody wanted to bring that particular word intro the equation for fear of scaring the girl or the man.
Even more time went by, Maya entered high school and Jonathan got a position as the headmaster there – yeah people, that happened. Katy managed to land a few local acting gigs – nothing too big, she'd have to move to a bigger city for that – and was happy to finally be heading in the right direction with her career. And Shawn? Shawn was happy to continue with what he did. He alternated between Possum Trot – where he admittedly spent most of his time –, New York – though his visits there got viewer and viewer as the years went by – and the rest of the country. He had rekindled his relationship with his former teacher and had formed strong bonds with both Hart girls.
Eventually, Shawn and Katy had a hard time denying their feelings any longer. They hesitated for quite some time, being afraid both for their own and Maya's sake. However, they decided that they wanted to give it a shot. The only obstacle was, how they wanted to tell Maya.
The younger blonde was hesitant to say the least. She loved her Mom and had grown very fond of Shawn – whom she had started to look upon as a father figure – and didn't want things to change. The girl was still not a big fan of love, believing that the chances of it not lasting and ending in hurt and disappointed were just too big. But she also knew that Shawn was not just some guy. He had gone through a lot as well and Maya had to admit, if there ever was any guy she would trust with her mother's – and her own – heart, it surely was Shawn. She had talked to her friend Zay on the phone a few times about her doubts. Zay, in turn, had told her about his new stepfather and how happy his Mom obviously was with the guy; they had even moved to New York City to be with him. Zay had found a nice group of friends there and, even though he still missed Maya, he seemed to be very happy. Sometimes, Zay told her, you just have to take a risk and hope for the best.
So, the young blonde had given her consent and Shawn and Katy had started dating. And looking back on it now, it had been the best decision she had ever made. The love she could see between her mother and Shawn was something completely different and new from anything the blonde had ever come to experience – it reminded her of the love Mr. and Mrs. Williams, Juliet and Tristan, and Henry and Charlie shared. And slowly, the fear of Katy and Shawn splitting up and her losing her newly found family faded. Now don't get me wrong, Maya was still wary and she didn't know if she ever wanted to risk falling in love herself, but she had to admit that sometimes there were exceptions to the rule. And Shawn and Katy definitely were one.
Katy Hart became Katy Hunter during Maya's junior year of high school. It was a small, spontaneous ceremony – curtesy of Shawn – that only Maya and Jonathan, along with a few townspeople attended. Maya Hart became Maya Hunter not long after; Shawn had stumbled through the process of asking her if she was okay with him adopting her, amusing both the girl in question and her mother. Maya had been beside herself and Shawn, hearing the young blonde call him "Dad" for the first time, had even gotten a little teary-eyed.
Maya graduated from high school with surprisingly good grades. Her mother and father had been bursting with pride and Jonathan had just handed her the diploma with an expression that said, "Told you so! I always knew you could do it".
And today? Well, today was a very big day. It was the day of the big going away party for the whole Hunter family and Jonathan Turner. All their friends were gathered inside Daisy's Diner to see the little family off. They were going to New York City, each and every one of them for a very different reason:
Maya had applied at a few colleges and had finally decided on NYU; the girl wanted to become an Art Teacher. She hoped to one day step in the footsteps of her former teacher and mentor Jonathan Turner.
Katy finally wanted to seriously pursue her dreams of becoming an actor. When she heard where her little girl planned on attending college, the decision had been an easy one. Maya had been happy to learn that she wouldn't be in the new city all by herself. They wouldn't be living together anymore, since Maya had decided on college housing, but the younger blonde would have her family close by in case she ever needed anything.
And Shawn? Shawn would have gone anywhere his family asked him to. To him, home wasn't a place; home were the people he loved – and he loved no one more than his wife and daughter. But he also had a reason of his own. Over the years, Shawn and his best friend Cory had grown apart; their lives had gone in different directions. Cory knew that Shawn had reconnected with Jonathan and he was happy about that; and Shawn knew that Cory had his own little family and was happy with his life. What started off as regular visits – mostly from Shawn's side – slowly became fewer and fewer until they stopped seeing each other altogether. Shawn hated it and Cory felt the exact same way, but neither of them knew how to change it. But this would end right now, Shawn had decided; he was moving to New York and reconnecting with his best friend. Now he just had to come up with a plan how to do that.
Well and as luck would have it, Jonathan had been elected as the Superintendent of the New York Board of Education. Those were the official reasons the Hunters and Mr. Turner were leaving to got to New York. There was another reason though.
Something they all wanted – and needed – was a new start. Possum Trot held many happy memories for all of them: it was the place Katy had become a mother; it was the place Maya had grown up in; it was where their friends all lived; it was the place Jonathan had finally healed from his accident; it was the place Shawn had finally found his family.
But Possum Trot was also associated with a lot of pain: it was the place Katy and Maya had been left by Kermit; it was the place Maya had lost her best friend; it was the place Maya had stopped blindly trusting love.
Neither one of them knew exactly what was waiting for them in New York – least of all Maya, but we'll get there. They were exited but a bit scared as well. They were sad to be leaving their friends behind. But mostly they were hopeful. Hopeful that the future would hold great things for them. Because, as Maya had learned over the years, maybe hope wasn't for suckers.