A/N: Okay, here is Chapter 6. As promised, this chapter does not follow the original Girl Meets World storyline. However, I did decide to include some of the dialogue from the episode "Girl Meets Pluto", at least as far as was appropriate. I hope you like this chapter. 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

Piece by piece he restores my faith

"Piece by piece, he restores my faith

That a man can be kind and the father could, stay."

"Mom please," Maya Hart begged. "You have to go to this audition. You've been looking forward to it for weeks now. Come on, all I have is a little cold. I'll be fine." The coughing fit Maya found herself having a second after finishing her last sentence showed that she was belittling her current situation – just a tad. It sounded as if the blonde was trying to cough her lungs out.

"Maya, give it up," Katy said sternly as she patted her daughter's back. "You're miserable and I'm not gonna leave you here all by yourself. The Matthews are out of town and there is no one else who could keep you company. So, I'm not going. There'll be other auditions."

"But this part is perfect for you," Maya croaked desperately. Boy, her throat was hurting like hell from all the coughing and her nose was running like fountain. Yes, her Mom was completely right, the girl was miserable but she would be damned if she told her mother that. This part was too good to just give up on it.

And it really was, Katy had to give it to her little girl. It was an audition for the part of a single mother, who was working her butt off trying to enable her daughter to have a better life than she did. Add in a love story and you got the plot of a movie Katy would have loved to be cast in. But, as much as she would have loved having the chance to finally fulfil her dream, her daughter was her priority. And who was she kidding; chances were high she wouldn't even get the part and she already had a good job at Topanga's that paid her a stable income. "Not the point, baby girl. I'm staying and that's final."

"Fine," Maya pouted. She felt so bad for making her mother miss the chance of finally getting an acting job again. Katy liked working at the café fine but acting was her real passion; it had been the reason she had made the move from her small hometown to the big city. "But what if there was a miracle?"

"A miracle?" Katy asked skeptically. "Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know," Maya mused innocently. "Like, perhaps, the Matthews coming home from their trip early or someone else suddenly having the time to come by and take care of little old me. Would you go then"

"Yeah, baby girl." Katy laughed, deciding to appease her daughter. It was not like any of that was actually going to happen. "If a miracle were to suddenly occur, I would go to the audition. You happy now?"

"That's all I wanted to hear." Maya grinned before being shaken by a new coughing fit. Katy shook her head and put an arm around her daughter, trying to comfort her until the coughs subsided.

A little while later, Katy was just about to call the casting director to tell him she couldn't make it, when their doorbell rang. Confused, Katy put down her phone while Maya sat up straight on the couch. Shivering, the girl pulled the blanket tightly around herself as Katy went to answer the door.

"Mr. Shawn." Katy's eyes went wide at the sight of the man standing directly in front of her.

"Miss Katy," Shawn greeted with a smile.

"Well, Mom," Maya called from her place on the couch. "A tall handsome man standing on our doorstep completely out of the blue. I'd call that a miracle." Maya shot her mother a mischievous grin. "How about you?" she asked before succumbing to another coughing fit. The blonde glared at her chest before grabbing a tissue for her running nose. Damn, she hated feeling so week.

"My God, Maya!" Shawn exclaimed, entering their apartment. "You sound awful. And you don't look so good either."

"Gee, Shawn. Thanks," Maya croaked. "You really do know how to make a girl feel special."

Shawn sat down next to her and patted her head in a loving gesture. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do," Maya said. "It's good to see you."

"You too, kiddo," Shawn agreed and gave the girl a hug.

"So, Shawn. How are you?" Katy asked, taking a seat on the armchair next to the couch. "How's the writing?"

"Well, I was doing a story in Philadelphia till I got a call from a sick little girl right here in New York. How's the acting?" Shawn asked.

"Well, I was playing a waitress at the Nighthawk Diner, then I was playing a waitress at Topanga's and now I'm playing a waitress to a sick little girl right here," Katy said.

"It's your real life," Maya reminded her.

"It can't be," Katy sighed.

"Well, I'm kinda liking this movie," Shawn told her charmingly and Katy blushed. "Except for the part with the sick little girl."

"Good safe." Maya grinned at the man sitting beside her.

"Okay, enough with the small talk," Katy suddenly said. "What are you doing here, Shawn?"

"But you know what kind of movie I'd really like to see?" he asked, completely ignoring her previous comment.

"I wanna know!" Maya exclaimed while excitedly clapping her hands together.

"A movie about a single mother, who it working her butt off trying to enable her daughter to have a better life than she did. Add in a love story and a beautiful blonde actress as the leading lady and I'll be the first person buying tickets." Maya looked at the man with a pleased expression and Katy had a hard time keeping herself from swooning.

"Maya told you about the audition," she concluded.

"Yup." Shawn smiled. "And I also know that you've got about thirty minutes to get ready and you'd still make it to the audition on time."

"I can't," Katy said simply. "I need to stay here with Maya."

"Kiddo." Shawn turned to the blonde. "Will you help me out here? I'm dying!"

"Mom," Maya said firmly. "I told Shawn about our little dilemma when we talked on the phone this morning. He's offering to stay here and take care of me so you can go on your audition."

"I can't ask you to do that!" Katy exclaimed.

"You're not," Shawn told her. "I'm offering. Now, I'm not gonna force you to go but I'm not leaving any time soon. And while I would love to spend the afternoon with you, there is absolutely no reason for both of us to sit here and watch Maya have one coughing fit after the other." Right on cue, Maya started coughing again.

"I'm with him on this," Maya croaked.

"But," Katy started again.

"Mom, please," Maya begged. "You told me you'd go if there was a miracle. The miracle is here now, so go get ready. I promise, I'll be right here when you get back."

"You sure?" Katy asked both of them.

"Yes!" Shawn and Maya shouted.

A smile spread across the blonde's face. "Okay, okay. I'm getting, I'm going."

Twenty-five minutes later, Katy rushed out of the door – but not without giving her daughter a kiss and Shawn a hug – leaving the girl and the man alone in the apartment. Exhausted from the commotion, Maya laid back down on the couch as Shawn stood up.

"I'm gonna go make a pot of tea," Shawn declared. "Would you like some? Maybe with a bit of honey in it for your throat?"

"Sounds great," Maya croaked. The girl cleared her throat and Shawn laughed.

"Need anything else?" he asked.

"No," Maya said. "I have everything I need." She smiled at the older man. "So, what's new with you? Any major life-changing occurrences?"

Shawn laughed. "No, not really, work's fine. I was actually just visiting Cory's parents in Philadelphia."

"I'm sorry I made you come all the way here." The girl looked down, suddenly realizing exactly how much of a commotion she had caused.

"Don't be," Shawn said. "I told them what was going on and Amy almost shoved me out the door. They both said to tell you to get well soon."

"Thank you," Maya said.

"Josh says Hi as well," Shawn teased. "Said he'd call you tomorrow to see if you feel better."

"That's nice of him." The girl blushed and couldn't quite meet the man's eyes.

"Tell me, Miss apparently-still-not-Josh's-girlfriend-at-least-not-yet." Maya blushed even worse at the nickname. "What's going on with the two of you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Maya said. "He's three years older than me. I'm three years younger than him," she repeated Josh's mantra. "We're friends and that's it."

"Oh please," Shawn said. "Now I'm no expert on teen crushes but as I'm not blind, there's something going on between you guys. Now you might not see it yet and he might not see it yet. But it's there."

"It's not a crush," Maya coughed. Shawn patted her back until she calmed down.

"Oh, so you do see it," Shawn concluded.

"Well of course I do," Maya croaked. "I'm not blind either. But it seems like he is. And as much as it kills me, I'm afraid if I push too hard, I'm gonna loose him completely. And I value the friendship we currently have too much for that."

"So, you guys just keep on flirting without ever addressing the real issue?" Maya nodded. "Maya, that's nuts! You can't be afraid to love somebody!"

"Like you're one to talk," Maya said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Angela," was all that Maya said and Shawn winced. "You weren't afraid to love somebody once and now look a you. In all the time I've known you, there has never been talk about you going on a date or a woman you liked."

"Yeah, well, I ... I'm done with that," Shawn said. "I just don't have that. I'm not going to have that."

"You are," Maya said. "There's someone out there for you."

"You believe in me?" Shawn asked.

"I do." Maya nodded.

Shawn was quiet for a moment. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be for you," he suddenly said. "You're a great kid, someone I've grown really fond of. But what do you call that?"

"Can you just be out there for me?" Maya asked simply.

"Yes, I can do that," Shawn said firmly. "I want to do that, what do you call that?"

Dad, Maya thought. But the blonde couldn't bring herself to say the word out of fear of scaring him off. "It doesn't matter what you call it, I just wanna know that you're there."

"Okay," Shawn hugged the girl. "I'm there."

Their conversation had taken a lot out of Maya. She was glad they had had it but was now also content with just laying down on the couch and sipping her tea.

"So, what do you feel like doing?" Shawn asked. "We could watch a movie. You don't look like you're up for much more than that."

"Good idea," Maya agreed. "There's actually one movie I have to watch for school."

"You have to watch a movie for school?" Maya nodded. "Now that's homework I can get on board with. What is it?"

"Now, I don't think it's something you would voluntarily watch. So, we don't have to if you don't want to," Maya told him. "It's Pride and Prejudice."

"Pride and Prejudice," Shawn repeated. "Jane Austen. Well, this should be fun."

"We don't have to," Maya assured him. "We can always watch something else."

"Nonsense, let's watch it." Shawn shook his head laughing. "After all, this will probably be the only time I can actually help you with your homework."

So, Maya and Shawn spent the next two hours watching as Lizzie Bennet, played by Keira Knightley, slowly learned to overcome her prejudices against one Fitzwilliam Darcy, played by Matthew Macfadyen, as the two gradually fell in love with each other. Now, if anyone asked Shawn would deny it with everything he had; but the man had to admit, the movie wasn't too bad. Even Maya – usually one to prefer a spy thriller over a romantic comedy at any given time – enjoyed the adaptation of Jane Austen's classic.

The two of them were forced to pause the movie on multiple occasions for two very different reasons: the first were Maya's coughing fits that were slowly but surely getting better – the tea Shawn had made also helped soothe her sore throat; the second were her and Shawn's laughing fits as they watched some of the scenes in the movie – which more often than not lead to Maya having another coughing fit.

"Well, she's a handful," Maya said gesturing to Mrs. Bennet currently screeching at her husband.

"Well, she's feisty," Shawn had to admit as Lizzie told Darcy off at the first ball.

"Woah, … this is awkward." Shawn cringed as they watched Lizzie enter the dining room in Netherfield and Darcy shooting up out of his chair to greet her but then being to shy and awkward to say more than a few words.

"And she's a class a b…!" Maya exclaimed.

"Maya!" Shawn reprimanded her.

"Well, isn't she?" the girl asked gesturing where Miss Bingley was currently insulting Lizzie.

"Of course, she is," Shawn said. "But watch your language, kiddo."

"Oh my God, he helped her into the carriage!" Maya gushed as Darcy took Lizzie's hand.

"No way!" Maya exclaimed. "Did you see that! He touched her dress!" And indeed, nice and charming Mr. Bingley was currently taking a little bit of the fabric of Jane's dress between his fingers. No worries, it was still sweet and innocent – we're dealing with Jane Austen after all. But this movie just drew you in so much that this little gesture – something that would have bothered nobody were this a movie about the current time – was completely scandalizing to Maya.

"Oh no, he's not gonna …" Shawn started as Mr. Collins asked for some time alone with Lizzie. "What is he doing? You don't propose to a girl like that?!"

"Yeah, you go, Mr. Bennet!" Maya laughed as the older man stood up to his wife in favor of his favorite daughter.

"Oh no, he's not gonna …" Shawn started as Mr. Darcy proposed to Lizzie by basically telling her all the reasons, he shouldn't do that. "Now, come on! What is he doing? You don't propose to a girl like that?! What is it with this people?"

"Oh wow, did he just do a 180?" Maya asked just as Georgiana shot her brother and Lizzie a curious look. "And look at his sister, she's so cute. And she's shipping them so hard!"

"Wow, well she is just delightful," Shawn said sarcastically as Lady Catherine de Bourgh entered the Bennets' home.

"Well," Maya said slowly as the end credits started rolling. "That was emotionally involving."

"I'll say," Shawn agreed. "I mean, I just watched a Jane Austen adaptation and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. What is happening to me?!"

"You read my mind," Maya said. The blonde shook her head and started to yawn.

"You tired?" Shawn asked.

"Exhausted," Maya nodded. She took a tissue and blew her nose.

"You want to get some sleep?" Shawn inquired.

"No, I'm fine. I probably wouldn't be able to sleep anyway," Maya told him and cuddled into the older man's side. "Wanna put on another movie?"

"Sure kiddo." Shawn smiled and put his arm around the girl in a loving gesture. Maya sighed and relaxed into him.

And sure enough, halfway through the second movie Maya – still cuddled up to Shawn – had dosed off and, by the end of it, she was fast asleep. Shawn had thought about moving multiple times but each time he looked at the blonde girl on his shoulder, looking so innocent and peaceful as she slept, that he just couldn't bring himself to do it. So, the guy just sat there watching an old spy thriller and waiting for the girl to wake up.

That was exactly how Katy found them as she returned home. Only by then, Shawn had dosed off as well. Putting her hands in front of her mouth to keep herself from Awing at the sight, she quickly pulled out her phone and took a picture of the two of them before she slowly made her way further into the apartment. She tried to be as quiet as possible but apparently Shawn was a really light sleeper. His eyes fluttered open and he looked at his surrounding with a confused look. That is, until his eyes fell on Maya and a loving expression came over his face. Katy was already starting to swoon again; seeing the man interact with her daughter made her happy and scared at the same time.

"Well, good morning, sleepy head," Katy greeted and Shawn's eyes flew towards her.

"Honey, you're home," Shawn joked quietly, careful not to wake up Maya.

"How did you get her to sleep?" Katy asked curiously.

"What are you talking about?" Shawn asked. "We were watching a movie and she just fell asleep."

"Maya doesn't sleep when she is sick," Katy explained. Seeing Shawn's confused expression, she decided to elaborate: "I know, most people spend most of the day sleeping if they are as ill as Maya is, but Maya doesn't. She just always feels so uncomfortable and yucky that she isn't able to relax enough to fall asleep."

"Then how …?" Shawn started but Katy interrupted him.

"There is only one way I can get her to fall asleep. I lie down next to her as if she was still a little girl. I hold her close and comfort her and, eventually, Maya will drift off to sleep with a content expression on her face. Kind of like the one she has on now," Katy said with a smile. "She must feel really comfortable around you. I have a feeling, my daughter like you a whole lot."

"Well," Shawn said. "The feeling is mutual."

"That's nice to hear," Katy admitted. "So, what did you guys do all day?"

"Well, you know," Shawn shrugged. "We watched a spy thriller, did her homework and had a deep and meaningful conversation about love and how scary it can be to love someone."

"So, a regular Wednesday afternoon, huh?" Katy laughed.

"Pretty much," Shawn agreed with a grin on his face. "You know that she has a crush on the Matthews kid?"

"Josh?" Shawn nodded. "I suspected as much, yeah."

"It's funny," Shawn said. "How, at their age, things seem to be so easy. At our age everything is always so complicated."

"Tell me about it," Katy agreed.

"You know, Angela, my ex-girlfriend, and I used to just be able to sit together, we didn't even have to talk," Shawn told her.

"You didn't talk?" Katy asked curiously.

"No, we'd just be with each other," he explained. "You think I am ever gonna find that again?"

"Maybe you'll find something different," Katy suggested.

"Yeah," he trailed off. "Is different better?"

"Maybe," Katy said. "If you give it a chance." The sat in silence for a little while, just looking at each other. "Shawn, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," he said promptly.

"Why didn't you end up with Angela?" Okay, he did not expect that.

"She ended it and walked out on me, time has taught me that's not good for a relationship," Shawn explained simply.

"Yeah, I get that." Katy nodded and once again, the two adults just sat together in a comfortable silence.

Suddenly, Maya started to stir a little in her sleep. "Mom?" she asked.

"Right here, baby girl," Katy said. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." Maya smiled a little, her eyes closed. The girl was obviously only half awake. "How was your audition?"

Shawn's eyes went wide and he mouthed a quick "Sorry" to Katy. He had been so preoccupied with her daughter that he had completely forgotten the reason for his being here in the first place.

She gave him a smile. "It's fine," she mouthed back before turning to her daughter. "Really good, baby girl. I got a call back. Well, me and three other girls. One of them is really good, I'm not sure if I stand a chance. But the casting director offered those of us who wouldn't get picked a minor role in the movie. So, even if I don't get the lead, I'll still have an acting job again."

"That's nice, Mom." Maya smiled. "I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks, baby girl." Katy leaned over and kissed her daughter's forehead. "You can go back to sleep you know."

"Okay, Mommy," Maya said before her eyebrows furrowed. "Shawn?"

"Still here, kiddo," he assured her and patted her head lovingly.

"Good." She smiled. "Sorry I fell asleep on you. Am I killing your arm? You want to move?"

"It's perfectly fine, Maya," Shawn told the girl, the loving look back on his face. "I wouldn't wanna be anywhere else. I'm not going anywhere."

"Good," Maya repeated and once again relaxed into the man's embrace. "Night Mommy. Night Daddy." And with that she went back to sleep, not knowing in what kind of uncomfortable situation she had brought the two adults.

"Did she just …?" Shawn asked, his eyes wide.

"I think so," Katy told him with a similar expression on her face.

"Did she mean …?"

"She must have."

"Did she think I was …?"

"I don't think so. She referred to you as Shawn not a minute earlier."

"Oh Boy," Shawn said while just staring straight ahead.

"Shawn?" Katy softly touched his arm. "Are you freaking out on me right now?"

"I don't know, give me a minute," he pleaded and Katy nodded. She was about to take her hand back, but he quickly kept hold of it and held it tightly in his own, much bigger hand. Katy was surprised at the action but didn't pull away. Apparently, Shawn needed an anchor to hold on to right now and she was more than willing to be that for him.

"Take all the time you need," she assured and gave his hand a squeeze. Shawn smiled at her gratefully before returning to his thoughts.

"I don't think I am. Freaking out, I mean," Shawn said slowly and Katy was more than a little surprised at that. "Why am I not freaking out?" he exclaimed in a panicked voice. "Ah good, there it is."

Katy laughed. "You okay there? Anything I can do?"

"How do you feel about it?" Shawn asked suddenly.

"Me?" Katy asked, shocked that, at his moment of panic, he was considering her feelings.

"Yeah." Shawn nodded. "I mean, you daughter just referred to me as 'Daddy'. Does it bother you?"

"Honestly." Katy took a deep breath. "I thought it would, but it doesn't." Shawn let out a relived breath of air. "I mean, I don't think she did it on purpose, it seemed more like she did it subconsciously. And I can't really blame her."

"What do you mean?" Shawn inquired.

"Well, look at you," Katy said. "You do things for her that a father would do for his daughter. You talk to her about her problems. You help her do her homework. You took her with you on that trip; you even planned in a stop at an art gallery because you knew she'd enjoy it. You taught her how to skate. You take care of her and … it seems to me like you love her."

"I do," Shawn said immediately. "You've got a really great kid here, Katy. And I know I'm not her Dad but I could be a father-figure for her. If you'd let me. I had that in Alan and Mr. Turner back when I was a kid and without them, I wouldn't be the man I am today." Katy hesitated. "I know you're worried that one day I might just take off and leave, but I promise I won't do that. I told you once that I'm the one who always got left. I would never do that to Maya."

Katy still didn't say anything. Not knowing what else to do, she pulled her lip gloss out of her bag and started applying it.

"Lip gloss?" Shawn asked, confused at her actions.

"Yeah," Katy said sheepishly. "I put this on when I don't know what's happening."

"What flavour is that?" he asked. Maybe changing the subject for a little while would get the blonde to relax again.

"Cinnamon spice."

"Is that better than kiwi mango?" He had recently found some of his ex-girlfriend Angela's old things. Among them was an old lip gloss of hers – kiwi mango.

"It's different," Katy said.

"Is different better?" Shawn asked once again, referring back to their earlier conversation.

"Well, I guess that depends on the life you're having." She gave him a small smile. "For me, yeah, I'd take different. I'm ready for different, how about you?"

"I think I'm ready, too." Shawn returned the smile.

"And I think that Maya could count herself lucky to have both Cory and you as her father figures," Katy finally said.

"Really?" Shawn asked, his eyes wide. Was Katy actually giving him a chance?

"Yeah." Katy nodded. "Welcome to the family, Shawn."

"Happy to be here." Shawn put his other free arm around Katy's shoulders and she cuddled up to him with a happy smile on her face. Sitting there with his arms around both Hart girls, Shawn couldn't believe that he finally had a chance at having a normal – if, at least for now, somewhat unconventional – family. And maybe, piece by piece, step by step, he would eventually get the life he had always wanted – his own happy little family.