A/N: Hey again, everybody. Thanks once more for all your great and encouraging reviews. I really enjoy reading them – however long or short they are. Now this is where we stray from the original plotline completely and I'm really excited to hear what you think about this chapter. Just a little info on my further plans for this story: this here is the 14th chapter; all in all (since I do plan on staying true to the lyrics of the song) there will be 18 chapters. So, after this one, there will be four more chapters. 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.
Piece by Piece
And she will never have to wonder her worth
"And she will never have to wonder her worth
Because unlike you I'm going to put her first and you know"
"Well this is just sad. We definitely have to do this more often," Maya declared as she laid sprawled out on the ice after having just lost her balance – again. "Now come on, I know I had this down the last time!" Maya paused upon seeing her father's amused expression. "Fine, maybe had this down is a bit much … but I was definitely better than this."
Shawn chuckled while helping the girl get back up on her feet. "I'm afraid that's totally normal, kiddo. You just have to get the hang of the movements again. You'll be back to dashing over the ice in no time." Maya gave him a skeptical look. "Okay, maybe not dashing … but skating … slowly maybe … with my help?"
Maya huffed. "Alright then, let's try this again." She grabbed onto Shawn's arm tightly and he patiently guided her through the next few laps. And, who would have thought, slowly but surely Maya's body started to remember. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" The blonde pumped her fist in the air as she skated a whole lap on her own.
"Great job!" Shawn praised as Maya stopped beside him – way more elegantly than on their first trip to an ice rink two years ago. Shawn had taken the girl ice-skating a few times last winter as well and Maya had gotten quite good. However, since this was her first time out on the ice this season, it was no surprise that the blonde was a bit rusty. "See, it's not all gone. Your body remembers what to do. And at least you didn't knock me over this time." Shawn shoved the girl playfully, almost making her loose her balance.
"Dad!" Maya complained good-humoredly. "Not helping!"
"Sorry, kiddo." Shawn grinned sheepishly, not looking sorry one bit. "But really, you're doing great! I'm very proud of you."
Maya smiled at him. "Thanks, Dad." She really loved that she could officially refer to Shawn as Dad now – if anyone in her life deserved the title, it was surely him. There had been a few times before the wedding when the word had threatened to slip out and Maya had always been worried about the Shawn's reaction – she hadn't wanted to push anything. But now that she could do it, the word just flowed off her lips as if she had been using it her whole life. Like it was meant to be. And Shawn really loved hearing it.
It had been two weeks since the big wedding. Katy and Shawn had taken off on their honeymoon to Fiji that same day and Maya had spent the week with the Matthews. And as much fun as that had been – especially with Josh stepping by to hang out with her, Riley and Farkle on a regular basis – Maya was really glad to have her parents back home. Yesterday, she and Katy had been out on a shopping spree – spending some much-needed mother-daughter-quality time together. Today, her and Shawn were having their first official Daddy-daughter outing. And tomorrow would be her and Josh's first date. Shawn, loving his new role as the overprotective father, had already made sure to have the biggest and sharpest knives displayed very advantageously in the kitchen and the baseball bat was standing right by the front-door of their new apartment, just waiting to be used. Needless to say, Katy and Maya had some serious cleaning up and rearranging to do before Josh showed up or this might not only be Maya's first date, but her last as well.
"Maya!" a voice suddenly called out and Maya was startled when something crashed into her and held onto her legs tightly. The blonde struggled a bit to keep her balance and looked down. When she saw what – or rather who – had just crashed into her, a big grin spread across the girl's face.
"Lynnie!" Maya exclaimed. She tried crouching down – which, seeing as she was still standing on the ice wearing skates, was not her brightest idea – and ended up falling on her butt with Lynnie sprawled out on her lap. The two girls giggled while their respective fathers stood by them, shaking their heads and chuckling. "Hey Nick!"
"Hey there, Maya." Nick grinned and extended his hand towards Shawn. "I remember seeing you at the ski lodge, but I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Nick, this adorable little girl's father."
Shawn smiled. "Nice to meet you, Nick. I'm Shawn. This other adorable little girl's father."
Hearing those words, Maya gave her new stepfather a huge grin. "How are you guys doing, Nick?" Maya addressed the younger man. "How's Emma? Is she here, too?"
"We're really great, Maya," Nick said with a big smile. "And no, Emma's not here. Lynnie and I decided to spend some Daddy-daughter-quality time together, didn't we Lyn?"
"Yes, Daddy," Lynnie agreed and held her arms out so Nick could help her back to her feet. "Maya, look what Daddy taught me." And before waiting for an answer the little girl started dashing over the ice.
"Wow!" Maya's eyes went wide as Shawn helped her get back up on her feet. "She's a natural!"
"I'll say," Nick agreed. "She's been on the ice ever since her little feet fit into the tiniest skates they have here. She loves it." All three of them watched in awe as Lynnie flew across the ice.
Maya turned to Shawn. "You think I'm ever gonna be as good, Dad?" she asked ironically.
"Well, kiddo," Shawn started hesitantly. "Lynnie did learn a bit earlier than you did."
"That's true!" Nick decided to help his fellow-father out. "And at her age, kids don't think about what they're doing. Even if they crash, they just jump back up and do it again. They are positively indestructible." As if to prove her father's point, Lynnie attempted a little jump, but lost her balance at the landing and fell on the ice. Shaking her little head, the girl jumped back up, tried again and this time she succeeded. The three of them clapped enthusiastically as she skated back to them.
"Did you see that?" Lynnie called as she approached, a huge grin on her face.
"Sure did!" Maya grinned back. "You're doing great, Lyn!"
"Thanks Maya." Lynnie skated over to the blonde and grabbed her hand. "Now come on. I'll help you!" And that's how Maya found herself being dragged across the ice by a bubbly little girl under the watchful gazes of their two fathers.
After skating for another while, Maya and Shawn decided to grab a bite to eat. They asked Nick and Lynnie if they wanted to join them, who politely declined. They had to get back home to Emma. Maya asked him to say Hi to the brunette for her and promised to call soon and maybe even stop by for a visit the following weekend. Lynnie was beside herself with excitement upon hearing this and Maya couldn't help but gush at the girl's cuteness. The little munchkin had wormed her way into the Maya's heart so quickly and the blonde had become quite fond of Lynnie's parents as well. She and Emma had talked on the phone a few times since they met at the ski lodge and Maya was glad to have another person she could confide in – especially about all things Josh.
So, Maya and Shawn eventually said their goodbyes to the second father/daughter-pair and headed off in search of a place to have lunch at. "I'm in the mood for burgers," Shawn suddenly declared. "How about you, kiddo?"
"You read my mind." Maya grinned and they went to their favorite diner, which was only a few blocks from the ice rink.
They sat down in one of the booths and, while they waited for a waitress to come and take their orders, both of them checked their phones to see if Katy had sent a text.
"You got anything?" Maya asked.
Shawn shook his head. "Nothing. I hope it's nothing serious." A worried expression came across the man's face. Maya nodded quietly. She really hoped that as well, but the blonde also had her suspicions about what exactly might be going on with her mother.
When Katy had told them that she would go to see a doctor because she had not been feeling well for a few weeks now, alarm bells had gone off in Maya's had. Shawn had immediately asked his wife why she hadn't mentioned something earlier. Katy, trying not to further worry her husband, told them that she had put it off as coming from the stress of planning the wedding and the foreign food during their honeymoon. However, things hadn't gone back to normal after their return from Fiji; she still felt ill and just wanted to make sure. Shawn – albeit still looking worried for about new wife's health – had nodded and agreed that this was the best thing to do.
Now, Maya was not stupid. It didn't take much to jump to conclusion when her mother was complaining about feeling sick and throwing up – mostly in the morning. It might be nothing, but it would not be a total surprise to the girl if her mother was pregnant. The problem was that Maya didn't know how she felt about that.
Maya had always wanted a little sibling ever since Auggie Matthews had come into their lives. She had been a bit jealous of the bond Riley and her little brother had immediately formed and had – for at least a year – continuously asked her mother for a little brother or sister of her own. The older Maya got, however, the more relieved she felt that this hadn't happened. Because there was no way that Maya wanted another innocent little child to go through what she had gone through when she was a kid . Even if Katy had found a man she loved and wanted to have another child with, there would have been no guarantee that this man wouldn't have just taken off one day as well? Maya would have done her best to make sure that her little sibling would have had the best childhood possible, but, from personal experience, Maya knew that the loss of a parent left a whole in one's heart that neither mother nor sibling could never be able to fill.
Now, with Shawn in the picture, things were different. Maya was certain that Shawn wasn't the guy to just up and leave them one day out of the blue; he himself knew what that did to a kid. To be totally honest, Maya was sure that Shawn would make a great father; he was a great father to her already. That was exactly what worried the girl – and she hated herself for feeling this way. She was afraid that with a new baby in the picture – one that was not only Shawn's adopted child but his real one – sooner rather than later, she would be forgotten. After all, Maya had seen how easily replaced she had been by Kermit. She had gone through that once already and wasn't sure if she could take it a second time.
"Dad," Maya blurted out. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, kiddo." Shawn smiled at her. "Anything."
"Do you like kids?" Maya asked.
Shawn gave her a confused look. "Like … in the world."
"Well sure …" Maya trailed off. "But I was thinking more along the lines of … in the house."
"Um, Maya," Shawn said hesitantly, not quite knowing where his daughter was going with this. "We already have a kid in the house."
"What?" Maya exclaimed. "Who? When? How?"
Shawn laughed nervously. "Maya, you are the kid in our house." Maya dropped her head in embarrassment and Shawn immediately placed his hand on top of the girl's. "Hey, what's bothering you, kiddo? You know you can tell me anything."
"Have you and Mom ever talked about having a baby?" Maya blurted out.
"Oh," was all Shawn said at first. He took a deep breath and sorted his thoughts before continuing. "Yes, Maya, we have talked about the possibility of someday having another kid."
"Oh." Maya didn't dare look up at him. "And?"
"Well, how would you feel about possibly having a little brother or sister?" Shawn asked nervously.
"What?" Maya exclaimed, staring at her father in confusion. "Why are you asking me?"
Shawn chuckled. "Maya, the three of us, we are a family now," he said slowly. "And something as important as bringing another little person into our lives is something we should decide together, don't you think? Your mother and I agreed on that."
Maya was stunned – Shawn had a way of doing that to her. "I don't know how I feel about it," she admitted. As much as she wanted her parents to be happy, she couldn't bring herself to lie about this.
"I get that." Shawn nodded. "Your Mom told me that there was a time you practically begged her for a little sibling. And then you suddenly stopped. Would you mind telling me why that was?"
Maya paused, gathering her thoughts. "I didn't want them to go through what I went through. I didn't know what kind of guy would come into our lives. What if he left them life Kermit left me? No kid deserves to have that happen to them."
Shawn was quiet for a long while. "Do you feel that way about me? Are you afraid that someday I will just up and leave you guys?"
"No," Maya assured him immediately – and that was the truth. "I know you would never do that."
Shawn let out a relieved breath of air. "I'm glad to hear that, Maya. Because I want you to know that even if something were to occur to make your mother and me split up –though I hope to God it won't – that wouldn't mean that I would leave you. That's why I adopted you, Maya. Because I want to be in you live for as long as you'll let me."
Tears started forming in the girl's eyes upon hearing her father say those words. She took the man's hand and squeezed it tightly. "That means a lot, Shawn. And I know you're not a leaver, you're a stayer."
Shawn smiled warmly at the girl before a look of confusion crossed his face. "But Maya, if that wasn't what made you unsure now, what is it?"
Maya looked down at her lap. She couldn't meet his eyes. She was feeling worse by the minute. What right did she have to be so selfish, wanting to deprive this wonderful man from enjoying the joys of fatherhood from the first moment on, if that was what he wanted? Rationally, she knew that she shouldn't be, but she was scared out of her mind at the prospect of possibly losing her newly found father – she loved Shawn too much already. She took a deep breath and made a decision: she had to tell him. "I'm scared."
Shawn didn't say anything for a little while, he knew better than to try and pressure Maya. "Of what?" he asked softly.
And, as if a barrier had been broken, the words just started flooding out of Maya. "After Kermit left Mom and me, he didn't take too long to start another family. He has a little girl who looks just like me – she should be six or seven now. Her name's Kaya. She has a best friend whose name is Riley …" Maya trailed off. Shawn's heart broke when he realized the impact Kermit still had on Maya. These insecurities he had thought the blonde had put behind her were slowly resurfacing and he didn't know what he could do to stop it. "It seems like he had no trouble replacing me. And what is to say that this wouldn't happen again? Apparently, I am very easily replaced." Tears were streaming down the blonde's face by now. They came from a mixture of feeling guilty for making Shawn feel bad – it was not his fault – and from being sad about feeling so insecure again.
"Maya," Shawn started. He jumped up from his seat and sat down right beside his stepdaughter. Putting an arm around the girl in comfort, he took a deep breath and started talking. "I know, at our wedding, I said that your mother was first in my life. But that wasn't the whole truth. You and your mother are my family, you both are first in my life. And any possible future children would have the same place– no higher and no lower. Maya, you are very important to me and even a new baby would not change that."
"You don't know that," Maya muttered, looking up at the man. The expression in her eyes was so open and vulnerable, it made Shawn gulp. This little girl was baring her soul to him and he had to be really careful not to crush it. God, was he wishing that Katy was here right now. She would know what to do. But she wasn't, adopting Maya meant that he would be her father as much as Katy was her mother. He could handle this on his own – he hoped.
"I do, Maya. Do you know why I wanted to adopt you?" The blonde shrugged. "I want to be your father; I chose to be your father. Nobody forced me to do it. And I feel so honored to be allowed to call you my daughter and for you to call me Dad. I would not change it for anything in the world." The expression in Maya's eyes changed and Shawn was glad to see a glimmer of hope appearing in them. "Maya, you are not easily replaced – don't ever think that. You will never have to wonder your worth around me. I promise, I will always put you first."
A small smile spread across the blonde's face. "Along with Mom and all possible future baby Hunters?" Shawn nodded, an equal expression on his face. "You're gonna make a great father, Dad."
"I already am," Shawn said softly. "Because of you."
Maya grinned. "Okay, maybe a little Hunter wouldn't be too bad," she said sheepishly. "I'm sorry I made such a big deal about it."
"Never be sorry about something like that," Shawn told her firmly. "If something is bothering you, I want you to come to me. And if you can't talk to me – because it's, you know … women's stuff …" Maya giggled "you can always talk to your mother or Topanga."
"I know." Maya nodded. "Thanks, Dad." The girl hugged her father tightly. "Just … do me one favor?" Shawn nodded for her to elaborate. "Should you have a daughter, please don't call her Mara or something like that. She would only find a best friend called Kiley and that would just be too weird."
Shawn burst out laughing. "I think we can do that." He hugged his daughter tightly, glad about how this talk had turned out. Oh, he wasn't fooling himself, as much as he hated for Maya to feel this way, these insecurities would probably resurface from time to time. But he had been able to handle it now – on his own even. He was sure that they could handle anything.
"Honey, I'm home!" Shawn called as he and his daughter entered the apartment.
"Hi home!" Katy joked from the other room.
"Funny!" Shawn called dryly and Maya giggled.
"How was ice-skating?" Katy asked. "And wait, you said I; what did you do with our daughter?"
"Right here, Mom!" Maya assured.
"Hey there, baby girl." Katy entered their living room and greeted Shawn with a kiss and Maya with a hug. "Now really, how was ice-skating?"
"Eh, I'm a bit out of practice," Maya admitted.
"But you should have seen her after a while. She was flying across the ice and doing all sorts of tricks," Shawn told Katy.
"Dad, you must be mistaking me for Lynnie." Maya laughed and rolled her eyes.
"Huh," Shawn said, scratching his chin. "I thought that sounded a bit weird."
"Hey," Maya complained and shoved her father lightly. Shawn chuckled and ruffled his daughter's hair.
Katy couldn't help but grin at seeing her daughter interacting with her husband – they were just too cute. "So, you ran into Lynnie and her parents," she concluded. "That's nice."
"Lynnie and Nick," Maya corrected. "And yes, it was." The girl smiled. "Mom, would it be alright if I went over to their place this weekend? I haven't seen Emma in forever."
Katy looked at her husband. At his shrugging, she slowly nodded. "I don't think that should be a problem. If you ask nicely, your Dad might even give you a ride." Katy winked at her daughter.
Using her best puppy-dog eyes, Maya looked up at Shawn with a pleading expression. "Please, Daddy? Pretty please?"
"Oh, come on!" Shawn exclaimed, shaking his head. "How is it possible those puppy-dog eyes are working on a fifteen-year-old teenager? I thought they were supposed to be less effective at some point."
"Well, you haven't dealt with a Hunter girl before, have you now?" Maya grinned at her father.
"Can't say that I have, no." Shawn gave his stepdaughter a side-hug.
"And now there's two of us," Katy chimed in with a big grin.
"No complaints here," Shawn said softly. "But I really have to ask Cory to teach me that whole saying No business." Suddenly, a worried expression crossed his face. "How was your appointment, Katy? What did the doctor say? Is everything alright?"
Katy was quiet for a moment, making both Shawn and Maya hold their breaths. Seeing how fast her husband and daughter started freaking out, Katy quickly held up her hands. "I'm fine, it's nothing bad, I promise. Everything's alright," she assured them.
Shawn and Maya let out a relieved breath of air. "Thank God," Shawn said.
"You said it's nothing bad." Maya gave her mother an unsure glance. "So, there is something?" Shawn perked up and looked at his wife expectantly.
Katy nodded. "Yes, baby girl." A tentative smile appeared on the blonde's face. "And it is nothing bad. It's good actually – really good." Katy paused for a moment. "I'm pregnant."
Complete silence spread across the room as both Shawn and Maya processed what they had just been told. "You're … pregnant?" Shawn asked. Katy nodded nervously and the next thing she knew was that she was being tackled in a bone-crashing hug by her husband. Shawn had a brilliant smile on his face as he picked his wife up and started spinning her around. "We're having a baby?"
"Yes," Katy confirmed with a similar expression on her face. However, she quickly sobered up, realizing that her daughter had yet to react to the news. She stepped out of Shawn's embrace and both adults looked at the blonde girl still standing by the door. Maya had deliberately taken a step back to let her parents enjoy this moment. "How do you feel about this, baby girl?"
Maya didn't say anything for a moment. It was almost fate that Shawn and her had had their conversation this very day. Had this not occurred, she probably would have faked being happy in front of them; she would have quickly excused herself to her bedroom under the pretense of giving them some space to celebrate; and in the safety of her room, her insecurities would probably have slowly eaten her up. But now – after having repeatedly been assured that a new baby would not just replace her – the smile that slowly made its way across her face was 100% real. "You happy, Mom?"
Smiling brightly, Katy nodded. "I am, baby girl. I really am."
"You too, Dad?" Maya wanted to know.
Father and daughter exchanged a knowing look. "You know it, kiddo." Shawn grinned at her. Yes, their conversation could not have come at a better time.
"Well, that's all I need to know." Maya took off and tackled her mother in a hug. Both Hunter girls giggled. "I'm gonna be a big sister!"
"Yes, you are." Katy couldn't even begin to describe how relieved she was. She was excited to be pregnant again, to raise another kid – this time with the help of the father. But she also knew that Maya could have taken it really bad. Judging from the look Maya and Shawn had just shared, the blonde had a feeling that her husband had something to do with it. She would have to ask him about that later.
It would take Maya some time to get used to the idea of a new baby in the house, but the blonde was off to a really good start. "This baby is going to be so loved, it won't even know what hit it," the girl said with a warm smile.
"That it will," Katy agreed.
24 hours. That's how long it took. Now, don't get me wrong. It had been a really great 24 hours in the Hunter household. After sitting on the couch and talking about little Baby Hunter a while longer, the three of them had ordered pizza for dinner. While Shawn had done the dishes, Maya and Katy had quickly gotten dressed in their pajamas. They had planted themselves in front of the TV to study their DVD collection while Shawn had gotten changed. After a heated discussion, the two girls had decided on Jumanji with Robin Williams. Shawn was on board with the decision and it was the perfect ending to a perfect day. After all of them had retired to their rooms, Katy had finally had a chance to ask whether or not Shawn had something to do with Maya taking the news about her little sibling so well. He had filled her in on the gist of their conversation from earlier this day and Katy was relieved and, admittedly, a bit stunned to hear how well their talk had gone. She was also glad to see that the relationship between her daughter and her husband was continuing to grow – this was more then she could ever have asked for.
The next day had started off great as well. Since Josh would be picking Maya up for their first official date at 5 o'clock, Shawn and Katy had decided to spend some quality time with their daughter – all three of them this time. Yes, they both really had missed the little blonde while they were on their honeymoon. Anyway, they went out for a late brunch and afterwards played some board games at home. Oh, and in between, Katy and Maya quickly rearranged the apartment, putting all the sharp objects back in the cupboard and the baseball bat into the bedroom closet. Right now, they were playing Monopoly and having a blast all the while. However, slowly but surely both Katy and Maya noticed Shawn's focus slipping off and him starting to look a bit anxious. They shared knowing glances. 24 hours. That's how long it had taken him. Funny, Maya had had her money set on 6 hours; Katy had given him 12.
Great, Maya thought. Now she owed her mother 15 bucks. Deciding that Monopoly money should count, Maya handed her mother the money. Katy giggled and grabbed the bills. Shawn was now so lost in thought that he didn't even notice.
"Okay, Shawn," Katy suddenly said, pulling the man away from his thoughts. "Go ahead."
"With what?" Shawn asked, clearly confused. "Is it my turn?"
"Go call Cory. Tell him. I know you want to," Katy teased. "It's been 24 hours. Neither one of us thought you'd even go this long without bursting to tell him."
"Nah," Shawn said evasively before his eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Sure." Shawn cheered and quickly got out his phone while Maya and Katy giggled. "I give them 20 minutes before they show up at our door – and I mean all of them."
"15 minutes!" Maya exclaimed. "Come on, Mom! Give me a chance to get my money back!"
"You do know that you payed me in Monopoly money, baby girl?" Katy asked.
"And your point is?" Maya inquired.
"Fine!" The two Hunter girls shook hands and Maya started the timer on her phone.
17 minutes and 29 seconds. That's how long it was until a loud knock could be heard on the Hunters' front door.
"I'll get it!" Shawn exclaimed as he rushed towards the door, jumping over a little table and Maya's backpack on his way there.
"9 points!" Katy praised.
"8," Maya disagreed. "The landing after the backpack was a bit sloppy."
"How about you put your backpack in your room where it belongs," Katy suggested with a smirk on her face.
"How about you pay up." Maya grinned and held out her phone to her mother. "Because I won!"
"Oh, now come on. That's just …" Katy grumbled, but handed her daughter the money.
"Pleasure making business with you." Maya grinned just as Shawn finally opened the front door. All four Matthews burst into the room with wide grins on their faces.
"Shawnie!" Cory called, tackling his best friend in a hug.
"Cory!" Shawn called back.
"Baby!" Cory exclaimed.
"I know!" Shawn added. While those two gushed about the newest addition to the Hunter family in their very own way, the remaining three Matthews made their way over to Maya and Katy.
"Now, I'm not 100% sure that I understood Cory," Topanga started, a bemused expression on her face. "But if I heard it right, I'd say congratulations are in order. Did I hear that correctly, Katy?"
All three of them looked at the two Hunter girls expectantly, about to burst with excitement. "Yeah, you did," Katy simply said and immediately found herself enveloped in a group hug by Topanga and Riley.
"Oh my God, Peaches!" Riley exclaimed. "You're gonna be a big sister!"
"I know, Honey!" Maya giggled at her best friend's excitement. While Topanga and Riley bombarded Katy with questions, Maya turned to Riley's little brother.
"So, Auggie, what do you say?" she asked with a warm smile.
"This is great!" The little boy exclaimed in true Riley Matthews fashion. "I'm finally not going to be the smallest anymore."
"Definitely not," I agreed, happy that the little Matthews was on board as well. "Hey, Auggie, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, Maya." Auggie looked at me expectantly.
"Do you think I'm gonna be a good big sister?" Who else could give me an answer to that question if not the little boy who I had always looked upon as a little sibling?
Auggie put his hand to his lips and studied the blonde carefully. "I think you are going to be an amazing big sister," he declared.
Maya scooped the boy up in a hug. "Thanks, Auggie," she told him sincerely.
All eight of them spread out across the living room and talked about anything and everything – the main topic being, of course, Katy's pregnancy. But from there on out, their conversation quickly went in all kinds of different directions.
Out of nowhere, Riley turned to Maya with an alarmed look in her eyes. "Peaches?" she asked hesitantly. "When is Uncle Josh picking you up again?"
Maya chuckled. "Don't worry, Riles. He's coming at 5, there's still a lot of time."
The worried look, however, didn't leave the brunette's face. "Do you want to look at the time or should I?"
Slowly, Maya turned towards the big clock on the wall. The girl immediately jumped out of her seat, causing all four adults to start chuckling. "Holy crap! Look at the time! I have to get ready!" Maya stopped talking. "I don't know what to wear."
"I got this," Riley assured. She grabbed Maya with one hand and Auggie with the other and pulled both of them into Maya's room. "Maya, you do your make-up; Auggie, could you please brush her hair; I'll find you something cute to wear. Everybody clear?"
"Ma'am, yes ma'am." Maya and Auggie saluted with big grins on their faces.
"Then chop, chop!" Riley exclaimed. "We've got a date to prepare for!"
This had probably been the fastest Maya had ever gotten ready to go out in her life. Riley had put together three outfits that Maya – make-up and hair done in record time as well – had then modelled in front of the Matthews siblings. Little Auggie had actually been more helpful than Riley at this: Riley had declared that her best friend would look amazing in each and every one of those outfits – yeah, not helpful; Auggie, however, had critically assessed them individually and had then come to the perfect decision. Maya was now wearing black tights, ankle boots and a cute sky-blue long-sleeved sweater. She had put on some light make-up and her blonde hair was falling over her shoulders in soft waves.
"Thanks, you guys," Maya said earnestly. "I don't know what I would have done without you."
"Don't worry, Maya," Auggie assured her. "Uncle Joshie thinks you're pretty no matter what you wear. Now you just look extra pretty."
"Aw," Riley gushed and hugged her little brother tightly. "That's so sweet, Auggie."
"Yes, it is." Maya was next to hug the little boy. "You are growing up, little man. How do you know that about your uncle?"
"A man knows such things," Auggie said mysteriously, making the girls giggle. "Plus, he told me."
"Told you what?" Maya asked, confused.
"That you're pretty," Auggie said simply, making Riley gush once more.
"I think the word you're looking for is gorgeous," Riley teased.
Auggie snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah, that's it!"
Maya blushed furiously while the other two burst out laughing. "Okay, guys." She decided to ignore the comment. "Thanks again, but I'll be heading out of here now. You coming?" The Matthews siblings nodded and all three of them went to go join their parents in the living room.
"Wait a minute," Maya said as she came into the room and saw Topanga and Cory sitting on the couch while Katy and Shawn were in the kitchen preparing dinner. "Why are you guys still here? And why are you guys making so much food? Mr. and Mrs. Matthews, I thought you would have left by now. Did you wait for Riley and Auggie?" Well, a girl could hope.
"We're here for you," Topanga said.
"To send you off on your date," Cory added. "And for the free food."
"No, you're not," Maya told them.
"Yes, we are." Cory grinned.
"Mr. Matthews, I already have one overprotective Dad here," Maya tried to reason with her teacher. "I don't need another one. You don't want this to be our first and last date, do you?"
"That's why I'm here," Topanga quickly intervened. "To keep him in check."
"Oh boy." Riley shook her head at her parents' antics.
"Mom?" Maya asked with a pleading expression.
"Sorry, baby girl." Katy, sitting down next to a clearly amused looking Auggie, shrugged. "I tried."
"Don't worry, Maya," Auggie assured the girl. "I'll keep them in check."
"Thanks, Auggie." Maya ruffled the little boy's hair. "At least there's one other sane person in this room."
"Hey!" Riley called, appalled. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You go without saying, Honey," Maya assured her best friend, making Riley smile. She dropped her voice to a whisper. "Mind calling Farkle? I think Josh might need all the help he can get. That way at least your Dad will be distracted."
"Already did," Riley said proudly. "He was coming over for dinner with my family anyway, so I decided to ask him if he could stop by here first. He'll be here in five minutes."
Maya hugged the brunette. "You are the best friend in the whole wide world, you know that?"
"Right after you, Peaches." Riley hugged the blonde back.
The two girls separated and Maya looked around the room. Wait a second, there was one very important person missing. "Where is Dad?"
"Getting the baseball bat," Cory said matter-of-factly. Topanga, Katy and Auggie face-palmed simultaneously.
"Oh no, he isn't." And with that, Maya took off in the direction of her parents' bedroom. "Dad, don't you dare bring that thing out into the living room! There's a reason Mom and I put it back into the closet."
"But, Maya …" Shawn started to argue.
"No!" the blonde told her father firmly. "Now, I know that there's no getting rid of Cory and Topanga, but I draw the line at the baseball bat. You have your best friend here now for support, so the bat stays!"
"Oh, come on …" Shawn tried again.
"No! No way," Maya interrupted again. "It's either Cory or the baseball bat." Shawn didn't say anything for a while. "You're hesitating?" Maya exclaimed.
"I'm weighing my options," Shawn corrected. "Okay, the bat stays."
Maya let out a relieved breath of air. "Thank you. I promise, Josh will be intimidated enough as it is."
"Fine," Shawn said. "But just for the record."
"So close." Maya sighed.
"Should there be a second date and Cory isn't here for that, the bat is coming out," Shawn told her firmly. "Do we have an understanding?"
Maya thought about the chances of getting out of the baseball bat making an appearance at some point in the future. Oh, who was she kidding? There was no chance of that happening. "Fine, we have a deal."
"Pleasure making business with you, kiddo." Shawn grinned and gave his daughter a side-hug. "You do know I'm only looking out for you, don't you?"
"And taking pleasure in the prospect of freaking Josh out," Maya added.
"Oh, that's just the icing on the cake." They were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. "Oh, would you look at that, your date's here already. Now come on, let's get out there. I have an interrogation to conduct."
"Relax, Dad. That's just Farkle." Shawn looked at his daughter incredulously. "Oh yeah, if you're bringing in reinforcements, I do too."
"Shawnie!" Cory yelled from the other room. "There's another boy here – for my daughter! Why are you taking so long and where is that bat?"
"Sorry, kiddo," Shawn said to his daughter and grabbed the bat. "But you heard the man." And without saying another word, he left the room.
"That's so not how this was supposed to work," Maya muttered and chased after the man.
"Uncle Shawn," Riley said with a warning glance just as he and Maya entered the room. "Put. The Bat. Down."
"Now Riley …" Shawn started, but was interrupted by Topanga approaching him. Shawn shot Cory a worried glance. "Now Topanga, please be reasonable."
Topanga said nothing at first. She just held out her hand towards the man with a firm expression on her face. "The bat, Shawn."
For a few seconds both adults merely glared at one another, both not willing to back down. Until finally, Shawn dropped his gaze. "Fine." He handed the item to Topanga. "I hope you're happy."
Topanga grinned. "Very much so."
Maya raced over to the woman. "I love you!" she exclaimed and tackled Topanga in a hug. The others just chuckled. The two of them separated and Maya turned towards the whole room with a pleading expression in her eyes. "Now can you all please try and act natural?"
"Of course," they chorused and started giggling.
Maya shook her head and went over to her mother. "Thank the Lord that these people are Josh's family as well," the blonde joked. "If anyone can deal with their kind of crazy, it's him."
"Oh, baby girl." Katy laughed. "You know that being normal is overrated, don't you?"
The doorbell rang a third time this evening and Maya rushed over to answer it. Taking a deep breath, she opened to door only to be met with the sight of a very nervous and particularly handsome looking Josh with a bouquet of flowers in his hands.
"Hi Josh," Maya greeted with a small smile.
"Hey Maya," Josh said and gave the blonde a hug. "Still looking gorgeous," he whispered and the girl couldn't help but giggle at that. That boy had a way of messing with her head and turning her into a bubbly, nervous, giggling, sunshiny … well, Riley.
They were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat right behind them. Maya rolled her eyes – knowing exactly who that would be – and let go of the boy. "Now I take it that you are Joshua," Shawn started, eyeing the teenager in front of him skeptically. "The young man who wants to take my little girl out on a date."
"Yes, Sir," Josh played along. "And you must be Mr. Hunter. Maya already told me quite a lot about you, Sir."
Maya was glad to see her mother approaching their little group as well before Shawn had a chance to say something else. "Hey Josh," she greeted with a warm smile. "How are you doing?"
"Very well, thank you Katy." Josh grinned and held out the flowers to her. "Those are for you."
"Aw!" Maya could hear Riley and Topanga gushing from their place on the couch.
"Well played, my brother," Cory muttered and Maya had to agree with her teacher there.
"Thank you, Josh," Katy told the boy with a warm smile. "That's so sweet of you."
"So, Joshua," Shawn started again. "Tell me a bit about yourself."
"Dad," Maya warned.
Josh put a calming hand on the blonde's arm. "Well, Mr. Hunter," he once again played along. "I am currently in my first year studying psychology at NYU. I moved here from Philadelphia for college and my parents still live there. They are really great people, I'm sure you would like them. I am the youngest of five children and I really like your daughter."
There was a moment of silence in the room. "Five children?" Shawn asked.
"I think you mixed something up there, my brother," Cory added.
"No, I didn't," Josh said sheepishly. "While it is true that I only have three biological older siblings, I always considered my older brother Cory's best friend to be part of the family as well." The boy shot Shawn an innocent smile.
"Oh, he's good!" Farkle exclaimed and Auggie started giggling.
"Really good," Riley agreed and her parents could only nod.
"Damn it, Josh!" Shawn exclaimed. "Will you stop being so charming? I'm really trying with the overprotective father act here and you are not making it easy!"
"Sorry, Mr. Hunter." Josh grinned and didn't sound the least bit sorry. "That certainly wasn't my intention, Sir." Everyone burst out laughing at that.
"Oh fine, I give up." Shawn held up his hands. "It's really good to see you, Josh." He pulled the boy into a hug and Maya watched the scene in front of her with a big smile on her face. Phew, the worst was over.
"Likewise, Shawn," Josh said. "Now I do have to say, I'm a bit disappointed that you didn't bring the baseball bat. Why is that?"
Shawn was quiet for a moment. "Topanga took it from me!" he accused and pointed towards his best friend's wife, who was holding up the bat with a cheeky grin.
"Thanks, Topanga!" Josh called and his sister-in-law winked at the boy. "Now, not that I'm not happy so see you guys, but what are you doing here?"
"You really think they would have left without seeing us off?" Maya asked incredulously.
Josh shook his head. "No, but why were they here in the first place?" he inquired.
"We're here to celebrate!" Cory exclaimed as he jumped off the couch and headed over to the door. "My brother!"
"My brother!" The two Matthews hugged. "What were you celebrating?"
Shawn put his arm around Katy's shoulder. "Well, we're celebrating the newest addition to the Hunter/Matthews clan," he said simply but with a brilliant smile.
"No!" Josh exclaimed, his jaw dropping. "Katy, you're pregnant?"
"That I am." Katy grinned and was tackled in a hug from Josh.
"Congratulations," Josh said sincerely as he gave Shawn a hug as well.
"Thanks, Josh." Shawn gave the boy a warm smile.
After saying Hello to the rest of his family and Farkle, Josh turned back to Maya. "You ready to go?" he asked, smiling nervously at the girl.
Maya nodded shyly. "I just have to get my coat." She headed over to the coatrack and Josh – being the gentleman that he was – quickly took it from her and helped her into it. "Thanks."
Shawn clapped his hands together, once again interrupting the two teenagers. This time, however, a mischievous grin had replaced the stern expression from before. "Alright, kids," he said. "You two have a nice time. Josh?"
"Yes, Shawn?"
"Have her back in an hour," Shawn said.
"Dad!" Maya exclaimed.
"Okay, two hours," Shawn relented.
"Daddy!" Maya warned.
"You two have fun," Katy said, completely ignoring her husband. "Have her back by ten, Josh."
Josh nodded with a small smile and Maya let out a relieved breath of air. "Thanks, Mom." She hugged her parents and both teenagers waved goodbye to the Matthews and Farkle. "Bye guys." And with that they were out the door.
"Ugh," Maya groaned. "My father is crazy."
Josh chuckled. "Yeah he is," he agreed. "But you love him."
"Of course, I do," Maya said before starting to grin. "And it's not like your family is much better."
"Not even a little." Josh smiled at her. "Did I tell you that you look gorgeous?"
Maya blushed. "Why thank you, kind Sir," she teased. "And I have to say you clean up quite nice yourself, Boing." And he did. Josh was wearing jeans along with a dark shirt and a leather jacket.
"Why thank you, Miss." Josh took a bow, making Maya giggle again. "Now, would you do me the honor of letting me escort you to the movies?" He held his hand out towards the blonde.
Without hesitation, Maya took his hand. "Lead the way."
"Wow!" Maya exclaimed for the umpteenth time since they left the cinema. The two of them had watched The Huntsman: Winter's War and the blonde was not quite sure how she felt about the film yet. However, about half-way through the movie, Josh had taken hold of Maya's hand and neither one of them had felt the need to let go since. And the blonde did know how she felt about that – deliriously happy.
Josh chuckled. "You figured out whether or not you like it yet?"
"Not yet," Maya admitted. "Ask me again in an hour."
Josh laughed out loud. "Alright then," he said and took a look at his watch. "So, we still have some time left. You in the mood to grab a bite to eat?"
"You read my mind." Maya grinned at the boy. "I know this diner right around the block, that okay with you?"
"Perfect," Josh said. "Lead the way."
Maya smiled. "Just one more thing." Josh nodded for her to go on. "I'm paying this time."
"No way," the boy immediately argued.
"Come on, Josh," Maya said. "You already paid for the movie and the snacks. Let me take care of dinner."
"But we're on a date," Josh pointed out. "I asked you out, so I'm paying. The guy's supposed to pay on a date."
"Says who?" Maya argued. "Josh, this is the 21st century."
Josh hesitated. "Well yeah, but still … what are my chances of convincing you to not pay for dinner?"
"About zero percent, I'd say." Maya smiled cheekily.
"Fine." Josh sighed before a grin spread across his face. "You're something else, you know that, Gorgeous?"
"There's word on the street." Maya grinned mischievously. "And you're not so bad yourself, Boing."
Josh shook his head and, for a moment, the two of them merely stared at each other. Their gazes locked, their expressions changed from mischievous and amused to something else. Something that neither one of them could understand right then and there – they were mere teenagers after all. But when they would look back to this moment many moons later, the two of them would know exactly what it meant: this look the two of them shared was love in its purest and most innocent form. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. It's still only their first date, so no talking about love just yet. We're gonna get there, you know … someday. Anyway, on with this story.
In retrospect, nobody could have said who initiated it. But really, what did it matter? As if on cue, both Maya and Josh started to lean in. Their lips met in a tender kiss. It was Maya's first kiss and, while Josh had kissed a few other girls before, it felt like his first kiss all over again as well. It wasn't a particularly long kiss, but it was one full of hope and promises. It was the first kiss of hopefully many more to come. Both Maya and Josh kept their eyes closed for a moment after the separated. When they opened them, their gazed immediately locked once more and brilliant smiles spread across their faces. Once again reduced to the shy, blushing selves they had turned into that day, they slowly made their way towards the diner, all the while making sure to keep a tight hold on each other's hands. Neither one of them was in a hurry to let go anytime soon.
Now, sitting together at a booth in the diner, things between the two of them were slowly going back to normal. The nervousness both of them had been plagued by ever since Maya had opened the door was starting to fade as the two of them talked about anything and everything – just like they always did.
"So," Josh said after the waitress had brought over their food. "You're going to be a big sister."
"I sure am." Maya grinned as she stole one of Josh's fries. The boy merely grinned at that and let the blonde have her way.
"Are you excited?" Josh asked.
Maya nodded. "Yeah. Mom's really happy and Dad hasn't stopped grinning ever since she told us. I'm afraid that, should this baby be a girl, she probably will have it even worse than me when she starts dating."
Josh burst out laughing. "You might have a point there. Shawn's really embracing the overprotective father routine, isn't he?"
"I'll say." Maya smiled. "I'm really happy that he gets to do the father thing. You know, from the very beginning on."
"Me too." Josh nodded. "Now how do you feel about it?"
"Didn't we just talk about that?" Maya tried to evade his question.
"No." Josh grinned. "You told me how Katy and Shawn were feeling. Is everything alright, Maya? If something is bothering you, you can tell me."
"I know that," Maya told him. "And there was. But Shawn and I had a really good talk yesterday. And now I really am excited to be a big sister."
Josh nodded. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
Maya thought about it for a moment. "No," she said. "Not today. Because if we talk about my insecurities and Daddy issues now, that will probably ruin the mood. And I really don't want to do that."
"Me neither," Josh agreed. "So, someday?" He winked at the blonde.
Maya giggled. "Someday." The two of them started eating in a comfortable silence.
"You know what, Josh?" Maya suddenly asked. "This is nice."
"It really is," Josh agreed with a warm smile.
"We should do this again someday," the blonde mused.
"I agree," Josh said slowly, hesitating at her way of phrasing it. What did someday even mean? What timeframe did that entail? Suddenly he understood how Maya had been feeling about his use of the word soon. "So … someday?"
A mischievous grin spread across Maya's face. "Soon."