Meanwhile, Cory was racing down the street, intent on catching the bus. The driver was kind enough to wait a few extra moments at the stop as Cory caught up and clambered onto the bus.

"Thanks," Cory gasped out as he paid his fare.

The driver grinned. "No problem, son. You looked like you were in a hurry."

Cory smiled and found a seat. Five minutes later, Cory found himself in the right neighborhood. He got off at the next bus stop and walked the one block to a very familiar apartment building. Cory ran as quickly as he could up the stairs, not bothering with the elevator, and knocked on the door of an apartment.

Jon Turner opened the door, wondering who it could be, as he wasn't expecting anyone. "Matthews! What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Mr. Turner."

"Cory, what's going on?" Jon could tell that something was happening. He let Cory inside and the two sat down on the couch.

"So here's the thing." Cory was nervous, and Jon could tell.

"It's okay, Cory. Just start from the beginning."

"Well, the beginning is that Chet Hunter died yesterday."

"What?!"

"Yeah."

"Where's Shawn? Is he okay? Does he need me? Is anyone helping him out?" The usually calm teacher was now pacing, frantic for the boy he still thought of as his own son.

"It's okay. Shawn is with Jack," Cory said quickly, trying to calm Jon down.

"Who's Jack?" Jon yelled. He sounded like he was going to explode.

"Shawn's older half-brother. They've gotten really close the past few months. They share an apartment now. Shawn hasn't lived in the trailer park in quite a while."

"Oh my gosh," Jon whispered, sitting back down on the couch. "I need to go see Shawn."

Cory nodded. "I think he would like that."

Jon jumped for his keys which hung on a hook.

"No, Mr. Turner," Cory begged, "please don't take your bike. You don't want to hurt Shawn even more if he's reminded of the last time he saw you. The bus will only be an extra couple of minutes."

Jon nodded. "You're right. Let's go." He grabbed his jacket and the two ran to the bus stop.

A few minutes later, the two were sitting side by side on the bus. Now, everything that everything that Cory had said was sinking in more to Jon, and he buried his face in his hands. "I can't believe this happened."

Cory looked over at him. "Neither can any of us. But we're all trying to be strong for Shawn and Jack."

Jon nodded, composing himself as they neared their stop. Soon, the two were off the bus and running up the stairs of Shawn's apartment building.

"This is it." Cory indicated the door of Shawn's apartment to Jon, then backed away, leaving Jon alone in the hallway.

Jon took a deep breath, then knocked on the door. A young man opened it a few moments later.

"Who are you?" he asked quietly.

"I'm Jon Turner, Shawn Hunter's old teacher. Is he around?"

"Yeah. Shawn," Jack said, looking over his shoulder, "you have a visitor."

Shawn sat up straight as Jack let the visitor into the apartment. The last person he had expected to see was standing in front of him. "Jon," he whispered, standing and running into his former guardian's arms. Once there, he broke down in sobs, finally allowing himself to be the most vulnerable in the arms of someone he so loved.

"Hey, Shawn. It's okay. I've got you."

Shawn and Jon stood there a long time, holding each other tightly.

"You know, Hunter, you've got a good friend," Jon said as he finally released Shawn. "Cory came to my apartment to tell me what happened, and I got here as fast as I could."

Shawn gave a slight smile. "I'll have to thank him later."

"How are you holding up?" Jon asked Shawn suddenly, the concern evident in his voice.

"I'm doing alright, considering the circumstances," Shawn said quietly. "Jack has been a great older brother," he said, gesturing toward his brother who was leaning against the wall watching, "and we're getting through it together, holding each other up. One day at a time, y'know?"

"Yeah, Shawn. I know. I'm glad to hear that you two are doing alright. Take care of yourselves. If either of you need anything, Shawn, you know my number. Don't hesitate to call. You got that?"

"Got it, Jon. Thanks."

"No problem, Hunter."

Jon stuck around for a while after that, talking with them. He wanted to be a comforting presence for Shawn, and Shawn didn't seem to want him to leave, so he stayed. It was that simple.

A/N: Did you like it? Constructive criticism welcome!