Like Father, Like Son
Author's Note:Well people, we got some things to settle in this chapter! What is the status of Lucas after the ending of the previous chapter and can he repair that relationship with Natalie? Lucas has always been hard on himself and very self-critical will his overthinking take over again? Time to sit back, relax and for me to shut up and let you guys discover that!
Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Girl Meets World. I'm not getting paid by the writers to write stuff like this (but I wish I was) Sadly they wouldn't allow stuff like this to air because it's Disney!
October 2037
After three hours of driving around and taking some time to think alone and have some time of self-reflection Upstate, Lucas finally made it back to Greenwich Village. It was late at night, Lucas finally returned home. He looked around to see if anyone was awake as he walked into his home and saw that nobody was around, he walked over to his fridge and grabbed a bottle of beer. He opened the bottle still feeling the guilt of accidently punching his own daughter feeling like she could never forgive him not just embarrassing her in front of her new friend and his father, but also putting his hand on her. He slammed his head into his hands still feeling terrible about the incident and took the bottle and as he was about to drink the beer, it was taken out of his hands. Lucas looked over his left shoulder finding Riley snatching the beer bottle out of his hands.
"You're not drinking this mister, you need to watch your diet!" Riley told Lucas still keeping a close eye on his diet.
"Riley, you know it's very rare that I drink but can you just please for once, let me have a drink?" Lucas begged his wife.
"NO! You are not! Lucas, this is so like you whenever you mess up, you take the blame and place it on your shoulders! There are things in life we can't control, Natalie running into your punch wasn't your fault! I know you're still upset at Billy being involved in killing our child because it was you, Billy, and Zay that was the big three. But look, things can get better now if you learn to forgive not just Billy…But yourself, let it go now honey! Life for us is a lot better, you made a great decision in staying in Greenwich Village to teach our children not to be spoiled and to appreciate hardwork, to not rely on being rich and to let their character speak for themselves! You've taught and protected them well Lucas, so stop beating yourself up about it!" Riley lectured Lucas as Lucas still held onto some guilt.
"I know what you're saying Riley and I thank you for putting things into perspective for me, but I also know now that Natalie won't be able to face me or even look at me for awhile…I don't blame her if she hates me." Lucas said to his wife still feeling ashamed.
"Lucas! I need you to stop the self-pity! No matter what you do, there is no way Natalie can hate you! Sure there probably is a rough patch between you right now, but I know she doesn't hate you! Why don't you two get your baseball gloves tomorrow and play catch! Take her out to Central Park and you catch her while she pitches to you. It's great time for you two and also it gives her extra practice for her playoff game." Riley suggested.
"Alright fine, tomorrow is our day anyway so, we'll have some time together." Lucas told his wife as Riley leaned over and hugged him reaching from behind the couch and kissed his cheek.
"Good, now can you come to bed please?" Riley pleaded him.
"Alright fine, you got it!" Lucas smiled at his wife as he went around the couch and went arm and arm with Riley before surprising her and bridal carried her, placed her over his shoulders and slammed her down on their queen size bed! The two laughed together as they went to bed happy still in love like they were when they were young.
It was Friday Morning at the Friar house as Riley and Lucas were up early to make the kids breakfast. Riley was making her signature Pancakes with Blueberries and Nutella with Maple Syrup. Lucas and Aaron were training in the basement in their gym working on shoulder and leg workouts. The two were working out as Lucas was spotting Aaron as he did squats holding a 40-pound kettle bell in front of his chest. This was a great exercise for Aaron's legs and glutes as Lucas knew that explosive and strong legs would be a terrific asset to his basketball career.
"HEY GUYS! COME AND GET IT!" Riley called her family as she highly anticipated the rush of bodies to the table. Natalie raced to her spot being first with her brother: Troy following shortly after.
"YAAS! Mom's signature Blueberry Pancakes!" Troy cheered as Natalie looked at him weirdly.
"Who says YAAS nowadays?" Natalie asked him weirdly.
"YAAS! It smells great in here!" Lucas said happily as he and Aaron showed up to the table shirtless still sweaty.
"Apparently idiots do." Natalie said as she shook her said and placed some of Riley's pancakes on her plate and took the Nutella and spread it on her pancake and toping it off with Maple Syrup.
"Oh my God! Aaron, before you go to school can you please take a shower!" Riley said protesting not approving her son working out with his father early before school.
"Yes mom!" Aaron answered his mother.
"Thanks for dinner babe." Lucas smiled thanking wrapping his arms around her waist before kissing her in front of their children before his hands slipped lower on her body as his hands made their way to her butt and he grabbed it as Riley gasped.
"LUCAS?! Not in front of the kids!" Riley laughed feeling the heat in their love.
"Yeah, when you two go on your anniversary, remind us that you two need a room by yourselves." Aaron told his parents not wanting to see his parents being intimate with each other.
"Oh we plan to! Ain't that right baby?" Lucas grinned looking at his wife seductively making Riley chuckle.
"Yeah, let's just make sure the kids aren't around to see some… rated R stuff." Riley smirked at him cupping his cheeks with her hands.
"Oh here we go! Aaron groaned focusing on his breakfast.
"You know guys, we're actually trying to enjoy breakfast here and we would appreciate it if you two let us out of your intimate moments." Troy told his parents as he took a sip of his Hot Chocolate.
"Yeah guys, you two REALLY need some alone time!" Natalie agreed with Troy.
"And what do you three suggest hmm?" Riley asked her children open to ideas.
"Ok, why don't we spend the night over at Anthony's and Tyler's?" Aaron proposed.
"Yeah and Melanie, Sabrina, and Corey can sleepover as well!" Troy agreed with his brother.
"Yeah guys it would be a cousins hang out and Gabriel can sleepover too!" Natalie agreed with the both of them wanting all the kids from the families to spend time with each other and although most of them aren't biologically related to each other, they still feel like a big family.
"Ok fine, I'll talk to Aunt Vanessa, Aunt Maya, and Uncle Farkle at school today about this idea. They will decide from there." Riley answered them.
"But what about Uncle Josh and Aunt Courtney?" Troy asked.
"I'll talk to them." Lucas answered his youngest son.
"YAAAY!" Troy cheered knocking over his fork.
"Troy, pick up your fork and I need you guys done in a little bit especially you Aaron, you've still yet to shower!" Riley told her kids as they went back to eating their pancakes. Once they were finished they got ready for school as Lucas took care of the dishes and Riley got hers and the kids' bags together near the front door.
"Hey Lucas!" Riley called her husband as she set down her kids' school bags.
"Yeah babe?" Lucas answered her as he walked over to her still shirtless.
"So, you're still gonna play catch with Natalie today right?" Riley whispered keeping her voice down.
"Yeah don't worry, after school I'll wait for her at the front of the house with our gloves and a baseball, don't worry babe." Lucas calmed Riley down and reassured her the plan as he kissed his wife.
"Good, tell me how it goes ok?" Riley asked as she opened the door.
"Will do boss!" Lucas answered her. "Hey guys! It's time to roll!" Lucas called to his kids as they rushed downstairs.
"Later days dad!" The Friar kids told their dad their usual thing as they left the house with Riley and made their way to school as Lucas closed the door, locked it and went right back to bed.
It was now 1pm and Lucas was wide awake as he searched his daughter's room for her baseball glove and found it with great ease as it was next to her first baseball trophy and a picture of her, Riley, Sabrina, Melanie and, Maya with Lucas photobombing in the background acting like a money. He remembered that day so well as Farkle took the photo and immediately broke out laughing seeing Lucas' face in the camera. After Farkle took the photo, Natalie turned around to see her dad, she knew why Farkle was laughing as Natalie chased Lucas before Lucas turned around and lifted a 9-year old Natalie in the air and spun her around. She was always daddy's little girl and in his eyes she always will be. He loves his daughter and when he accidently punched her, he knew he needed to repair that relationship right away. He took Natalie's glove and eventually found his glove and a baseball. He watched Sportscentre for awhile. At 2:30 Lucas knew his time to face his daughter was drawing closer, Aaron and Chloe were finished school by this point and knew Aaron and Chloe still had to attend practice so Riley would drive Troy and Natalie home.
3:16, Lucas waited on the front doorway for Riley and his two children as they pulled up not a moment too soon seeing Riley's Honda Accord as she and the kids got out of the car.
"Hey Nat, you busy right now?" Lucas asked his daughter.
"Not really, why?" Natalie asked wondering why her father was asking her this question.
"Good, THINK FAST!" Lucas exclaimed as he threw Natalie her glove.
"Where are we playing?" Natalie wondered as her face lit up having a chance to spend time with her dad.
"Central Park! Let's go!" Lucas said beginning to jog.
"Can I come too?" Troy asked his father.
"I don't think so young man! You got Karate in two hours and besides they need some time alone." Riley held Troy back as she told him his schedule for the day. Lucas and Natalie eventually came to a part of Central Park where they usually play together and have always had since Natalie was throwing and catching a baseball at the age of 4! They played for awhile before Lucas began to see that Natalie was getting tired as she took deeper breaths from lots of running and her pitching to him as he took a catcher's position.
"Ok, why don't we take 5 Nat!" Lucas called to his daughter going on his knees.
"Sounds good!" Natalie answered giving him a thumbs up as they walked together and took shelter under the shade of a tree enjoying the nice sunny day and surprisingly still pretty warm for an October day. There was an awkward silence between them as Lucas took huffed and puffed.
"I'm surprised you can still go for this long old timer." Natalie joked with her father.
"Pfffttt oh man Nat, you shoud've seen me on top of my game when you were still a little brat." Lucas joked back placing his glove on top of her head as a joke.
"Yeah I remember, Aaron and I would always sit on the bench beside you during warm up and we'd watch you get ready." Natalie remembered times she spent with Aaron and Lucas at Madison Square Garden.
"Yeah, Troy was still a baby and I had you guys to myself for awhile." Lucas gladly remembered. "Hey Nat, can I ask you something?" Lucas asked as he looked towards Natalie.
"About what?" Natalie asked in return.
"Are you still mad at me for accidently punching you?" Lucas asked bluntly. Natalie took her time to answer him wanting to say what really was on her mind.
"To be honest dad, I'm not mad at you for punching me, Aaron told me afterwards while you were gone that I ran right into your punch which made it worse but I am still mad at you for something else." Natalie told her father.
"Ouuuu I think I know what you're talking about honey." Lucas feared.
"Yeah, you said you'd play nice!" Natalie exclaimed as she scooted away from her father. Lucas looked down in shame confirming his fear. She was still upset at him.
"You said you would play nice and I was hoping and was optimistic just like mom that things between you and Xander's dad would be over!" Natalie exclaimed as she ran her hands through her long dirty blonde hair.
"And you deserve to be honey…I turned into Texas Lucas." Lucas told her giving her ever right to be upset at him.
"Yeah…No kidding, but why? Billy was right that after all those years you still held onto that grudge, I know what happened between you and Billy but still dad, that was completely unnecessary to be a bull in a China shop." Natalie asked her father wanting to know his intentions.
"It's because I don't want my kids getting hurt by people I know from my past, if there's anything I wanted to protect you from, it was from the people that hurt your mother and myself. Since you guys are my kids, people will want to see you, be friends with you, and I hope this never happens to you and your brothers, but I also hope that people do not take advantage of you." Lucas confessed listing his fears. "Media especially, I want to protect you guys from them, they can take what I have said and twist it around in crazy and sick ways, because there is a difference between what the media is saying and what is real." Lucas told his daughter.
"So you're just shielding us from media and people that just wanna profit from being our friends?" Natalie asked her father.
"Yes." Lucas answered Natalie without hesitation nodding his head.
"Oh." Was all that Natalie could say. There was another silence between them.
"So, Nat…I know I'm still a bit of a hot-tempered guy but after everything that has happened, can you forgive me?" Lucas asked Natalie for forgiveness. Natalie thought about it for about 10 seconds before coming up with her answer.
"Yeah!" Natalie accepted her father's apology as she bull rushed him taking him down and hugging her father.
"I love you baby girl!" Lucas told his daughter as he kissed her cheek.
"I love you too daddy." Natalie responded hugging her father tighter. The two had a moment knowing that things were ok between them now.
"Hey dad!" Aaron called to his dad with Chloe ruining their moment.
"Aaron always had the worst timing!" Natalie complained.
"Yeah, I know honey." Lucas mumbled in her ear.
"Yo!" Lucas greeted his son and Chloe. "What are you two doing out there, get over here!" Lucas waved over to Aaron and Chloe to join them as Chloe began to walk over with Aaron behind her as Chloe made her way to Lucas greeting him with a hug as if Lucas was her father.
"So what's going on here? It's pretty rare that you and Nat are hanging out together especially right after school! Mom would usually be telling us to be doing our homework on our day off." Aaron exclaimed.
"Well, we just needed some father and daughter bonding time, it was also to help her get ready for Saturday's game." Lucas answered his son.
"Yeah, she'll need it!" Aaron spoke to himself.
"Aaron, can you just backup your sister on this for once." Chloe told Aaron. "I'm definitely gonna come watch you Nat, you're gonnd be great." Chloe told Natalie being supportive.
"So you ready to go again Nat?" Lucas asked his daughter already in a catcher's position.
"Why not." Natalie answered as Lucas threw her the ball. Natalie took her position, takes a deep breath, places the ball in her right hand, kicks the left leg up and wings her right ride throwing the ball for a strike!
"Ouuu! That had some heat on it!" Lucas exclaimed impressed at his daughter's pitch as he threw the ball back to her. Aaron and Chloe looked on at the father-daughter duo, they were both happy for Lucas and Natalie considering about what happened yesterday and that they're already making up for the damage. Chloe couldn't help but think what life with a father was like. She never got the chance to meet her father, because at that point Charlie was already in prison for sexually assaulting her mother: Sarah.
"What up weirdos!" Maya greeted the four of them as her and Farkle walked up to Aaron and Chloe.
"Ms. Carpenter, nice seeing you here around Huckleberry Junior lately!" Maya greeted Chloe.
"MAYA!" Farkle exclaimed.
"What?" Maya asked looking confused.
"Don't embarrass your Godson please!" Farkle pleaded with his wife.
"Oh c'mon everyone knows my nicknames for Lucas already, get off my back!" Maya told Farkle scoffing at his counter-point.
"I still can't believe all of you guys went to Middle School and High School together!" Chloe exclaimed amazed at the strength of their friendship.
"Yeah, if it weren't for my husband, Ranger Rick over there, and Riley…I don't know how my life would turn out." Maya told Chloe and Aaron.
"Hey Chloe, Maya understands how you feel what it's like growing up without a dad." Farkle told Chloe as Maya admitted the truth to her.
"Dad ran away when I was 7 and for years I thought it was my fault but it turned out he wasn't ready, I thought I was ready to forgive him when I was 13 but…I wasn't…Your parents, Farkle over here and Matthews all helped me to heal…I know when you look at Lucas and Chloe that you wish your mom was around more so you two can hang out and I understand you but as you get older you'll appreciate all the hard work your mom 's is doing." Maya told them the story of Cory's Forgiveness Project.
"Mrs. Minkus, I never knew you grew up without a father, I remember coming to the bakery and I saw your father: Shawn right?" Chloe asked thinking Shawn was her biological father.
"No, he's my stepdad, he and my mom married when I was 17. Our senior year!" Maya remembered.
"You were so happy! When they had their first kiss at the church you rang out with the loudest "YAAAY" I ever heard, even louder than Riley's!" Farkle exclaimed remembering the wedding. Maya and Riley were bridesmaids and Topanga was the Maid of Honor in that wedding.
"Not a surprise, Aunt Maya was always louder than mom!" Aaron said remembering who had the louder voice between his mother and Godmother.
"Not to mention, she was always the toughest." Farkle added onto Aaron's point.
"Mr and Mrs. Minkus, can I ask you guys something?" Chloe said clinging onto hope about a question.
"Sure Chloe, what's up?" Farkle said ready for anything.
"Do you guys know who could possibly be my father?" Chloe asked hoping they would know the answer.
Author's Note: CLIFFHANGER! The time is coming people! The pressure is on Farkle and Maya to not tell Chloe the identity of her father, will they say that it was Charlie? Or not? But great job on Lucas' end to fix things between him and Natalie and maybe he and Riley can get some time together on their anniversary ;)The kids are already cool with it! Just not when they're around. Next Time on Like Father, Like Son: The pressure rises, will Farkle and Maya spill the identity of Chloe's biological father? And how will Chloe react? Find out next time on Like Father, Like Son! Thank you guys for all the support so far and I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as well! I still don't even know my ending to this whole thing and to be honest, this is gonna be a long fanfic! So I hope you guys are willing to stay for the long game, as always please review, fav, and follow this fanfic and I will see you guys in the next chapter! HA! YEAH RIGHT I'll see you guys in the next line!
Let's Talk! (Now be honest, you guys thought it was over now didn't you) Opps is that me breaking the forth wall?
Michaela: Well you got your answer in this chapter and I hope you like it, soon Natalie will play her playoff game with Lucas and the entire family there.
Guest 1: I hope you enjoyed the update here and thanks for reading :)
4ne1: So far, it is only Riley that has forgiven Billy but Lucas still has some work to do. As for their cases with Charlie, I agree with you that it's an entirely different story...Possibly an encounter between Riley and Charlie is coming soon? Maybe the time is coming.
KaSaw: Good thing he got himself out of trouble in this chapter then huh? Fix things while you can and when the wound is fresh rather than infected! As for who dies, yeah I GUESS you can say it's a beloved character...Just wait and see in time who dies.
James Stryker: Well unfortunately, not everyone CAN get alone as with the case of everyone versus Charlie as for him going all Texas Lucas on Billy and accidentally punching his own daughter, that sucks because when the adrenaline is really going and you really hate someone you'll keep going on raining down punches until the fight is really over but good thing he recognize Riley's screams and Natalie's tears. GOOD! You should be stumped on who is gonna die, and I can't wait for your next chapters of: Her Protector and Juliet's World! Thanks for all the support :)