A/N: I'm really glad you like the story so far. Here is chapter two. I don't quite know what it is about this story, but the words just keep pouring out of me. That's probably why this chapter is, again, a bit longer than I first imagined it would be. I also had planned it to go in a bit of a different direction, but it seems like the characters had other ideas. Seriously, both in this chapter and in the first one I had a clear plan of what I wanted to write but somehow while I was writing the characters decided to do something different. Anyway, I hope you like it. 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.

Piece by Piece

I travelled fifteen hundred miles

"I traveled fifteen hundred miles to see you

I begged you to want me, but you didn't want to"

"Thanks again, Farkle. I really owe you one," Maya told her friend.

"No problem, Maya. So, you're really gonna do it then, huh?" he asked. "You're really gonna write to your father after eight years?"

"I guess, I am," Maya said evasively. She was suddenly really glad that her and Farkle were only talking on the phone, instead of talking face to face. The boy knew her too well; he would immediately have seen that something was bothering her. "At least, I have the option to do it know. How did you manage to find his address?"

"Oh, I don't really want to bore you with the details. Also, if I told you, I'd have to kill you." Maya laughed out loud at that. "Let's just say, I spent a lot of time on my laptop. Me being a genius has to come in handy some of the time."

"It comes in handy most of the time," Maya assured her friend. She didn't give away complimets lightly – especially to Farkle – but the guy had really helped her out here. "Anyway, as I said: Farkle, you're the best."

"The best … what? Future husband?"

"No!"

"Boyfriend?"

"No!"

"Date?"

"No!"

"Crush?"

"No!"

"Okay, I get it." Farkle laughed. "Can I at least get a hug when you come back to school?"

"That, my friend, I can do." Maya grinned into the phone.

"Ha! That's all I wanted. You just got played by Farkle."

"Whatever you say, Farkle." Maya chuckled at her friend's antics.

"Anyway, I'll leave you to it now. I hope you're feeling better soon, Maya. Get some rest."

"Thank you, Farkle. I'll talk to you later!"

"Later!" Farkle agreed.

Maya hung up the phone and tried to push away the guilty feeling that was spreading in her stomach. Contrary to her friend's belief, she wasn't home sick with the flu. Contrary to her Mom's belief, she also wasn't at school. She would be in so much trouble when everyone found out, but she didn't care. She was on a mission; thirteen-year-old Maya Hart was currently on a train. More precisely she was on a train heading from New York to Philadelphia.

Because, as coincidence would have it, Maya's deadbeat dad was living in the same city that her "adopted" parents had called home a long time ago. And if that hadn't been enough, he even lived in the same neighborhood where the elder Matthews and their youngest son still lived – Cedar Heights, Philadelphia.

The blonde teenager stood in front of a townhouse; the address Farkle had given her. Apparently, this was where her father now lived. It seemed like a nice house, perfect for a family with a garden out back and a porch swing out front.

Against her own will, images started flooding her mind: of her parents bringing baby Maya home from the hospital to this house; of a toddler Maya taking her first steps right on this porch – her mother proudly cheering her on and her father desperately trying to get the camera to work; of her mother pushing her on a swing set in the backyard; of her father and a little Maya coming up the driveway after he had just picked her up from soccer practice; of herself growing up in the perfect house with the perfect parents – maybe even with a little sibling or a dog. Against her will, a small smile spread across Maya's face. It would have been beautiful. However, Maya knew that this was all it could ever be: a would have been, images, a fantasy, make-belief. This dream of a perfect family would never happen. But maybe she could still have a father. Drawing strength from that particular thought, Maya got up the courage to lift her hand and knock on the door.

What she didn't expect, however, was to be greeted with the sight of a little five-year-old girl. At first, she thought she was looking at a picture because this little girl resembled the pictures of her five-year-old self so much. Except for the fact that this girl's eyes were brown instead of blue and the shape of her nose, her younger self and this little girl could have been twins.

"Hi," the girl said with a polite smile.

"Hi," Maya replied. "My name is Maya." She didn't really know what else to say. This was not going according to plan.

"That's so cool! That's almost just like my name!" the girl exclaimed while excitedly clapping her hands. "I'm Kaya!"

"Really cool," Maya agreed and grinned at the bubbly little girl. "Aren't you a little young to be answering the door?"

"I was just on my way to visit my best friend Miley – she lives across the street." Oh, come on, Kaya and Miley? Are you kidding me? Talk about coincidence.

"My best friend's name is Riley," Maya told the girl who immediately started giggling in delight. "Um … I'm looking for Kermit Hart. Does he live here?"

"Yes, yes he does," the girl said before turning towards the hallway. "Daddy! There's a girl here who wants to talk to you!"

"Coming, sweetheart!" a voice called back while Maya was trying to cover up her shock. No wonder this little girl looked like a mini me; she was her half-sister.

"I gotta go. Bye, Maya."

"It was really nice to meet you, Kaya. Have fun with your friend," Maya said earnestly. Kaya grinned at her and made her way across the street.

"Hello, how can I help you?" a male voice behind her asked. Maya winced; she still remembered his voice. Slowly, she turned around and looked the man straight in the eye. He looked at her with a kind smile before a look of recognition crossed his face and his jaw dropped. "Maya?"

"Hi, Dad," Maya greeted shyly. She didn't know what to expect. A little part of her had hoped that their reunion would be just like in the movies. She would knock on his door and he would welcome her happily and with open arms. He would give her some plausible and heroic explanation for why he had abandoned her and her mother all those years ago – a top secret space mission would not have been out of the question. They would rekindle the relationship they had had while she was a little girl – maybe he and her Mom would even get back together and her Mom wouldn't have to work such long hours anymore – and she would finally have her Daddy back. They could be a family again. She could fix it. A little part had held onto that hope – apparently it was the weak and stupid part of her. Because the reunion she got was completely different.

"What are you doing here, Maya?" Kermit asked. He didn't sound angry, but he also didn't sound particularly happy. Maybe it was just the shock.

"I came to Philadelphia with some friends. I looked you up and found out you lived here, so I came by to see you," Maya told him her well-rehearsed story. No need for him to know that she had skipped school and taken a train all the way to Philadelphia on her own just yet. She would deal with the consequences of that later.

"Why did you come here, Maya?" her father asked.

"I wanted to see you," Maya explained desperately. "Are you not … happy to see me?" The girl could feel her face falling.

"Maya," Kermit started. "I'm sorry for how I did things back then. I thought I was doing the right thing. I just … I wasn't ready for you or anyone. I wasn't the best person back then."

"So, you're sorry for how you left us but … you're not sorry that you left?" This really was not going according to plan. A dull ache started to spread in Maya's heart.

"I thought I was doing the right thing. And it seems like I was right," he said. "Look at you, Maya: you've grown up into a young woman – you didn't need me. I wasn't ready to be a father and it seems like you didn't need one."

"But you're ready now?" Maya asked gesturing to where his daughter had disappeared to. "Seems like you could start all over with Kaya." The fact that the little girl's name was so similar to her own made Maya feel really insecure. Was she so easily replaced?

"After I left, I did a lot of growing up. I met Kaya's mother as a changed man. I was finally ready to start a family. Now, you have your family and I have mine," Kermit said matter-of-factly. The finality of his words made tears slowly well up in the girl's eyes. She angrily blinked them back. No! She would not cry in front of him.

"You had a family already," Maya argued. "And you are wrong, I did need a father in my life. I just had such an amazing Mom and great friends that I grew up well in spite of not having one in my life."

Her father was quiet for a second and Maya started to hope that maybe – just maybe – she had finally gotten through to him. She should have known better. "Do you want me to be in your life?" Kermit asked half-heartedly.

"No," Maya said surprising the man standing in front of her as well as herself. "I want you to want to be in my life. And since it seems like that's not going to happen, I'll just have to wait until I find someone who does."

"Maya," Kermit started again.

"No, don't," Maya interrupted. "It's fine. This was a mistake. It's like you said: you have your family and I have mine. It seems like the two can't merge. So, if you'll excuse me, I'll be going back to my friends. Goodbye, Kermit."

And before her father could say another word, Maya had jumped off the porch and was making her way down the street. She could hear Kermit calling her name, but he made no attempt to follow her. Maya was glad and disappointed at the same time.

She walked for a good ten minutes before stumbling upon a deserted bench across from a huge park. Maya sat down slowly, not knowing what else to do. She hadn't planned on her father reacting to her the way he did. She hadn't planned on having to figure out how to get back to New York by herself. She would have a lot of figuring out to do but for now she just needed some piece and quiet to sort out her thoughts. She had been so excited for this day and it had turned out to be a huge disappointment. Not wanting to relive everything that had just happened, she busied herself with some people-watching. The park was full of families and friends: some little boys playing soccer, a few little girls playing on the monkey bars and parents playing with their children. The image that hit her the most was that of a father pushing his little daughter on the swings, the girl's face adorned by a huge smile. This proved to be too much for Maya; she put her face in her hands and started crying; she was crying for what she would never have.

Apparently, she had been right all along: hope really was for suckers.

A little while later, Maya had finally calmed down but was still not ready to formulate a plan how to get home. She was lost in her own world and thoughts. A car drove by her and Maya wouldn't even have given it any attention, had the driver not decided to let the car come to a screeching halt a few meters later. The car backed up and the driver parked right in front of the girl. Maya looked up to see a tall, handsome, brown-haired young man exit the car. He walked towards her and sat down at the other end of the bench.

"Maya?" he asked incredulously.

"Josh," Maya nodded. She eyed the young man curiously; they hadn't seen each other for quite some time now and he had grown up a lot. Maya had always liked the youngest Matthews child but suddenly there were some very new feelings stirring up inside her. However, she didn't pay them any attention right then and there because her mind was otherwise occupied.

"What in God's name are you doing here?"

"What's the matter, Joshie?" Maya asked using his old childhood nickname. It somehow didn't really fit the now sixteen-year-old boy in front of her. She would have to come up with something else later. "Are you not happy to see me?"

"Of course, I am," Josh assured her. "It's been a while."

"Sure has," Maya agreed.

"Well, … Boy, you grew up gorgeous," Josh blurted out. The boy immediately blushed, looked down and nervously touched his neck. Maya just shot him a wide grin. "Seriously, Maya. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know. I'm just hanging around the neighborhood," Maya shrugged. "It's a beautiful day to just sit here on a park bench and think."

"Maya," Josh repeated.

"I went to see my father," Maya blurted out. She let out an exhausted breath and buried her face in her hands. "He doesn't want me."

Josh's heart broke seeing the blonde break down right there in front of him. He scooted over to her on the park bench and put his arm around her. Maya immediately pulled him closer and Josh hugged her tightly to him. The two teenagers sat there for a long time before Maya calmed down.

Feeling his blonde friend stop shaking and no longer hearing her quite sobbing, Josh pulled back a little. Maya was sad to lose that feeling of his arms around her, but she knew she would have to face him again sometime. Taking a deep breath, she braced herself for the inquisition.

"Come on," Josh said. She looked at him with a confused expression as he stood up and held his hand out to her. "Let's get you home. My home at least."

"You're not gonna ask me any questions?" Maya asked as she took his hand.

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

Maya thought for a moment and the slowly shook her head. "Not right now, I'm sorry."

"That's fine, Maya. I won't pressure you," Josh assured her. "You seem to have gone through a lot today and you don't need to justify yourself to me. If you want to talk, I'm right here, happy to listen. If you don't, that's totally understandable as well. And if you just don't want to tell me right now at this very moment, you can tell me … you know, someday." Josh gave her hand a squeeze.

"Someday," Maya agreed with a small smile and followed the boy to the car.

It was a short drive to the elder Matthews' house and Maya and Josh spent it just catching up with each other. It really had been quite a while since they last talked to each other. The conversation really lifted Maya's spirits. Those new feelings Maya had felt when she first saw Josh get out of his car were resurfacing while they were sat right next to each other in the rather small car. Could it be that Maya was crushing on her good friend/her best friend's uncle? Well, even if it was the case, this wasn't the time to think about it.

"Well, here we are," Josh said.

"I know, I've been here before, remember?" Maya asked thinking back to a few holidays she had spent here with the Matthews clan.

"Oh right, I forgot. Whenever I think about you, I automatically think of New York."

"You think about me a lot, Joshie?" she asked.

"Ugh, Maya," he groaned, and Maya laughed. "And that nickname has to go. There is one person in this world who still gets to call me Joshie and that's Auggie."

Maya grinned as she got an idea. "I don't hear you denying it, Boing!"

"What?" Josh asked as Maya jumped out of the car. She raced over to the front door with Josh hot on her heels. He reached her just as she rang the bell. "Maya …"

He was interrupted by the front door opening to reveal a tall man with a beard that Maya had never seen before. He looked at the blonde with a confused expression. Seeing Josh standing next to her, however, a smirk quickly spread across his face.

"Well, Josh, I'm surprised! You finally brought home a girl. It's about time!" the man exclaimed while clapping Josh on the shoulder. Josh and Maya both blushed furiously.

"Shawn, it's not like that," Josh quickly interjected.

"Sure, it isn't." Shawn grinned. "What's your name, apparently-not-Josh's-girlfriend-at-least-not-yet?"

Maya laughed out loud. "My name's Maya. Maya Hart."

"Wait a second, Maya? As in Riley's Maya?" Shawn asked incredulously.

"The one and only," Maya replied. "So, you must be the famous Uncle Shawn?"

"The one and only," Shawn echoed her own words. "What are you doing here, kid?"

"It's a long story. I wouldn't want to bore you with the details," Maya said.

"I'm a good listener and I like long stories," Shawn assured her. "But I understand if you don't wanna tell me. Amy is inside." Maya was glad that he didn't pressure her.

"Thank you, Shawn," Maya told him earnestly.

"No problem, kiddo," Shawn said. "I'll head off now. See you kids around."

"Bye Shawn," Maya and Josh chorused.

"You ready to head in?" Josh asked a few moments later.

"No," Maya said. She was definitely not ready to face the music. "But let's head in anyway."

Josh nodded and went through the door first. "Ma! You home?"

"Yes, Josh! In the kitchen!" Amy's voice called back from the next room.

"Could you come in here for a moment?" Josh asked.

"Coming!" Seconds later Amy walked into the living room. She did a double take when her eyes fell on the blonde girl standing next to her youngest son. "Maya? What are you doing here?"

"I think I did something really stupid, Amy," Maya blurted out.

"Okay, sweetie," Amy said while rubbing her temple. "You can tell me. We'll figure it out: piece by piece, one step at a time."