Lucas wiped his brow as he put the finishing touches on the book shelf he had just built. He was trying to keep busy and not think about what Eric had told him a couple of days before. It was weird and completely out of character for him to say something so cryptic like that.
It took all of Lucas energy not to go to Pappy Joe and demand to know what was going on. He kept himself busy by fixing up his house. He got in his truck heading to the paint store when he sees Mr. And Mrs Matthews heading into a book store.
He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel debating with himself if he should go inside or not. He found out from Zay before he left that they didn't really have a relationship with Riley anymore and he wondered if they were there to make amends.
He decides to get out and go say hello it had been awhile since he had seen his old history teacher and Mrs. Matthews. He goes in and looks for them in the aisle and spots them in the back. He heads over about to say something when he hears Cory.
"Topanga how much do you even know about this guy? Huh?" He asks as she looks at him before turning back to the books. "Cory he's their father and he has a right to know his children." Lucas watched as Cory rubbed his head and looked tired.
"Topanga your a lawyer shouldn't you be wondering why he is choosing now to take custody of kids he apparently knew about since they were born?" Topanga scoffed and continued looking at the books ignoring him.
Lucas didn't have to wonder who they were talking about. He knew from the look on Mr. Matthews face he was worried for his daughter. "This isn't going to get her back you know. This is just going to push her farther away from us then she already is."
Topanga stops for a moment and then goes back to what she was doing. "She chose to distance herself from us Cory I can't apologize for that." Cory shook his head trying to understand his wife. "Yes you can. We both need to. Her distancing herself started way before Elena died and you know it."
He walks away from her and Lucas follows him. He sees him go towards a coffee shop. Lucas seen him ordering a coffee and goes inside. He looks over at the counter not seeing him anymore until he hears someone clear their throat behind him.
"Mr. Friar it's a good thing you're a vet because you would be a terrible spy." Lucas chuckles as he gestures to a table by the window. Cory slides a coffee over to him. "Hope black is okay? I didn't know how you took it."
"Blacks fine thank you." Lucas looks at the cup before taking a sip as Cory looks around taking in the place. He smiles as he sees Lucas tapping his fingers on the table and could feel the vibration from his shaking legs.
"So how is my little girl doing?" Cory finally asks swallowing the lump in his throat. Lucas smiles rubbing his neck. "Last I seen her she wasn't doing to good. She actually beat the hell out of a bale of hay." Cory looks down into his coffee knowing Topanga and him were reason why.
"Sorry." Lucas tells him as he watches him stare at anything but him. Cory finally looks at him confused. "What did you mean the last time you saw her? Doesn't she stay on the ranch with your Pappy Joe?" Lucas rubbed his neck and nervously chuckles.
"Yeah well I may have had a hand in her leaving and staying somewhere else." Cory looks at him and begins to laugh confusing him. "You made her situation about yourself didn't you Mr. Friar?" Lucas turned red knowing he was right about that. "How did you know?" Lucas asked.
Cory just smiled leaning back in his seat. "Because I've watched you grow up Lucas. I watched you and my daughter go through the hey hi faze then talking being your favorite thing followed by falling in love and the heartbreak." It was Lucas turn to look away.
"I didn't mean to be harsh Lucas. I'm sorry." Cory tells him as he sees Lucas scratching hard at his cup and if he kept it up the coffee would spill out. Lucas sighed looking at him again seeing the same look he had in his eyes when it came to Riley.
They sat in silence after that with Cory declining Topanga calls eventually turning his phone off altogether. Lucas looked at him and and chewed his lip he wanted to asks what that was all about but wasn't sure he should. He took a deep breath and was about to say something when he hears Cory laugh.
"It's weird for you as it is for me isn't it?" Lucas nervously chuckles nodding his head. "Yeah in more ways than one." They begin to laugh and Lucas phone goes off. He pulls it out his pocket seeing it was his Pappy Joe. He answers it and nods telling Cory he had to go.
"Well it was good to see you Mr. Friar." Lucas shook his hand smiling. "You too Mr. Matthews or have we reach the point where I can call you Cory?" He looked at him smiling and said no making Lucas lightly laugh.
Lucas makes for the door but turns back seeing him sit back down looking out the window. "If you're trying to reach Riley you should call your brother Eric. He's in town and would know where she is staying. Morgan is too but figured you might have more help with him."
Cory thanked Lucas as he walks out the coffee shop. He turns his phone back on ignoring the missed calls from Topanga and calls up Eric.
Riley smiled as she put the pictures Lucas took in a photo album. Laughing at the ones of the twins pushing Zay into the lake. Riley looks up from her pictures when she hears Morgan and Eric arguing. She checks on the twins seeing them playing cards with Charlie and Missy in the backyard.
"What's going on?" Riley asked as her aunt and uncle glare at each other. "Well I got a ..." Eric starts to say but Morgan interrupts him. "Don't Eric!" Riley looks between the two when the twins come running in.
"Mama Riley can we go to Pappy Joe's for dinner. It's Sunday which means?" She smiles as they begin to bounce. "Go ahead." She tells them with a laugh. They look at each other and throw their hands in the air. "Meatloaf!"
She tells them get on their coats and they would go over for dinner. She didn't have to call Pappy Joe since she had already let him know she was coming. She grabs her bag and keys and looks at Eric and Morgan who were still glaring at each other with folded arms.
"We are ready mama Riley!" The twins shout together. She looks at them telling them to say bye to Charlie and Missy. "Look I don't know what is going on and I'm kind of afraid to asks what has two people who only ever fought over whether Ross and Rachel were actually on a break."
Eric and Morgan both crack a smile but continue glaring at each other. Riley puts her jacket on heading for the door. "Look I'll make you a deal for the next couple of days no talks about the trial just happy things okay?"
They both sigh but agree with her making her smile and hug them both before she makes her way to the door. She was halfway out when Eric shouts out to her. "Your dad wants to see you." Riley turns around looking at them and watches Morgan punch him.
"What? Technically it doesn't have to do with the trial." Eric tells her rubbing his arm. Morgan goes to punch him again when Riley stops her. "Did he say why?" Riley asked looking at the twins with their hands on Missy belly and smiling. Last time she seen her dad it didn't go that well for her.
"You don't have to talk to him you know." Morgan tells her when she sees her chewing her lip. She was sure Topanga set the whole thing up and wanted to ambush Riley by going through Cory. Riley shakes her head and smiles at her aunt and uncle.
"I'm going to be late for dinner and if we don't go now Cletus will eat all the cornbread muffins." She says jokingly calling out to the twins. Morgan glares at Eric again before punching him walking to the kitchen.
Riley pulls up to the ranch letting the kids out and telling them she needed a minute. She lays on the hood of her car staring up at the sky as it turns a pinkish orange with the setting sun. She wondered why her dad was seeking her out now so close to the impending trial.
Just like Morgan she had the same thought that it was her mom's doing and trying to ambush her. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't hear someone come out sitting on the car next to her until she smelt cornbread.
She looked over and gasps feeling the tears pool her eyes. She sits up pulling him with her hugging him and dropping the muffin in the process. "You know if Pappy Joe hadn't made a buttload of those I would be so mad."
Riley giggles as she hugs him tighter making him groan. "What are you doing here tell me you didn't cut your road trip short for me?" Riley asked pulling back and looking at Auggie. He smiles and Riley shakes her head hitting him.
"Hey I wasn't going to let you face mom and dad alone." He tells her grabbing her hand. She smiles as her tears fall pulling him back in for a hug. "Best brother ever!" She whispers as she wipes her eyes.
They stay outside for a minute with her asking where was his car which he points out was next to hers. She chuckles realizing she was so out of it she didn't see it. Auggie asked why but she told him she tell him after dinner as they go inside seeing Ava with the twins on her legs.
She hugs Riley and they sit down to eat with Riley noticing Lucas wasn't there. Pappy Joe tells her he was on a vet run. She knew Zay was gone too back to New York they talked before he left telling her to visit more.
After dinner with Ava and the twins playing charades with Pappy Joe Riley and Auggie sit on the front porch. Riley tells Auggie what had happened between her and Lucas when he noticed the way Lucas grabbed some food when he came back and went to his room.
She also mentioned the twins being almost taken which pissed Auggie off.
"So is that what has you still distracted?" Auggie asked as they rotated to the hood of her car looking up at the stars. "No." She bit her lip debating if she should tell him. "Let me guess Cory and Topanga?" Riley turned her head looking at him and smiled.
He reach for her hand and squeezes it. "Eric said dad wants to see me." She let's out a sigh and sits up. "You going to talk to him?" Auggie asked sitting up with her. She pulls her legs up and rest her head on them shrugging. "I want to but..."
Auggie cuts her off voicing her concerns. "You feel like it's a setup like everytime he asked to meet you?" Riley nodded wiping her eyes Auggie puts his arm around her. "So when's the trial?" Auggie asked feeling Riley tense up.
"Auggie I don't want you to go." Riley tells him sniffing. Auggie looked at her weirdly then started laughing. "I'm going to let you in on a little secret that I think you should know."
She looks at him and Auggie smiles then gives her a serious face. "You big sister are not the boss of me. I'm an adult now and even though I know you can slay the dragons and save yourself I still want to be there when you do."
Riley playfully pushes him laughing as he pulls her back in for another hug. "Thanks bro." She jokingly says making him chuckle. "Anytime big sis." Auggie looked up at that moment and seen Lucas walking away from the window.
That Tuesday Riley woke feeling like she was going to need a shot of something alcoholic to get her through seeing her parents and the guy trying to take her kids. She dressed in her what Elena would call business casual but with the right shoe could be more causal than business.
"Niche you ready?" Eric asked knocking on her door. Riley looked at her sleeping twins kissing their heads before opening the door seeing Morgan and Eric waiting with open arms. She smiles and shakes her head trying not to cry.
"No tears. I want to go in and get this going so I can come back to my kids." They smile at her and watch her grab her purse talking with Missy. They exchanged a look with each other and knew Riley was putting on the bravest face she ever has.
"Okay so Charlie will drop the twins at the ranch and then meet you guys over there." Missy tells her handing her a ziploc of brownies. Riley hugs her thanking her for the brownies. "Thank you for being my best friend miss." Riley whispers before she walks out the door.
Missy tears up waddling towards the bathroom not letting anyone see her cry. Riley wanted no tears and she was going to keep that promise.
Riley stood outside the courtroom clenching and unclenching her hands. She knows she was putting on a brave face with everyone but now that she was here she was nervous. She starts stepping back when she feels someone take her hand and give it a squeeze.
She looks up and smiles seeing Auggie in a suit next to her. "Let's go slay some dragons." She lightly laughs nodding as they open the courtroom doors.