As it turns out I am not good following the episode script, so I am abandoning it, but it will still weave loosely in and out from that point.

Cory and Topanga paced back and forth behind the couch. It was Sunday afternoon after a lazy weekend. Maya and Riley were laying on their stomachs on the couch pretending to watch TV and Auggie was playing with his blocks. Every once in a while, he was turning to show the girls who applauded his progress.

"What's going on?" Riley called out finally.

"With what?" Cory asked, stopping.

"Why are you two so wound up?" Maya asked. When Riley looked down at her, clearly wanting her to take charge.

"We aren't," Topanga said.

"Lying is wrong, Mommy" Auggie said, not turning around.

"You're right, Auggie." Topanga said.

"Could you be upset because my mom was supposed to be here an hour ago and she isn't?" Maya guessed, not tearing her eyes away from the TV.

Cory sighed, and looked at Topanga, "Maya…" He started.

"I know, it's okay, she loves me…it will be fine, what did I miss?" She asked.

Topanga raised an eyebrow at Cory. "Watch it, Maya."

"I'm hungry." Auggie said.

"We should start cooking soon." Cory agreed.

Riley looked down at Maya, "Can we go out to eat since Maya's sad?"

Cory started to say no, but Topanga held a hand up, "Give us a minute, Daddy and I are going to talk about it." She walked back to their room and Cory followed.

"They are talking about you, Maya." Auggie said.

Maya sighed, "I know."

"They aren't going to let you go home if your mom doesn't show up, how do you feel about that?" Riley asked.

"What is the other option, Riles?" Maya asked, shifting so she could look more comfortably at her.

"If you don't like sleeping in my bed, then we can buy a second bed for our room." Riley told her.

"Yeah, or you can sleep in my room." Auggie told her.

"That's not real life, guys." Maya told them.

"They aren't going to let you go home Maya, that is real life." Riley told her.

The three fell silent and turned back to the TV.

-GMW-

"Cory, we can order pickup, and while its getting made, I can stop by Maya's and let them know that she is staying here. And that I will be around with standby guardianship papers tomorrow." Topanga told him.

"I do not want you alone with him either." Cory told her firmly, "And while it may be uncomfortable, I think that Maya should be able to grab her stuff that she wants too."

"You want to bring Maya back into that?" Topanga asked.

"I think Maya should be able to get her stuff and see her mom." Cory repeated.

"So, then you think we should…?" She asked.

"I think that we should call Maya in here to let her know that she cannot go home, and ask her if she wants to go home and grab some stuff, or not. If yes, we should all go get her stuff together, and then we can go out to dinner. If not, we can order food in, and someone else can serve the guardianship papers tomorrow." Cory said.

"I don't want any of the kids there." Topanga said.

"They will be fine with us there." Cory assured her.

"We didn't actually fully discuss it, but Maya is staying here, right?" Topanga asked.

"Yes, the girl is ours. Riley won't have too big of a problem sharing her room, I'm sure." Cory said.

"Okay, can you go grab her?" Topanga asked. Cory went to grab her and Topanga sat in the rocking chair. When Maya walked into the room, she opened her arms. Maya walked over to her, but didn't climb into her lap like Riley or Auggie would have. She stood next to the chair and ran a finger up and down Topanga's forearm.

"You want me to stay here?" Maya asked.

"You are going to have to stay here, honey, we cannot let you back into that house." Cory said, from where he was leaning against the bed.

"My mom needs me." Maya said, not looking up at either adult.

"That isn't how the parent relationship is supposed to work" Topanga told her.

"Well, it's how ours works." Maya snapped.

Topanga reached out and swatted the girl, mildly but enough to sting after the week the girls bottom had had. Maya yelped. "I know you are upset, but you know that mouthing off is not acceptable."

"Yes ma'am. I'm sorry." Maya whispered. "She does need me though."

"Maya, honey, do you feel okay sitting in my lap?" Topanga asked. Maya crawled into her lap wordlessly, and Topanga wrapped her arms around the girl and started rocking. "It won't be forever Maya, just until she can find some stability." Maya didn't say anything, so Topanga kept rocking with her.

"Your mom is having some money issues right now, isn't she?" Cory asked after a moment of silence.

"She's trying, it's just a tight moment." Maya defended with the words her mom had told her.

"I know honey, but if you are here, that less electricity being used, less food being eaten, less water. You will be helping her, right?" Cory asked.

Maya thought about that and nodded. "But when will I see her?"

"She can still come over Sunday and Monday afternoons if she wants, and she can call anytime…" Topanga told her.

"How will we know when I can go home?" Maya whispered.

"We will work that out with your mom tomorrow while you are at school, and let you know when you get home." Cory told her.

"You guys can't keep taking time off of work for me." Maya told them.

"Hey, we are the adults here, and we will do what we need to." Topanga said, tickling the girl lightly.

Maya laughed, "Okay, okay!"

"So the next question is do you have anything that you want to grab from your apartment?" Cory asked "You have a ton of clothes here, but is there stuff that you want to grab?"

"Yeah, I wanna get Lucky." Maya said, she had left her beloved lion at the apartment. "But I don't want to see Troy."

"What if Cory and I are with you?" Topanga asked.

"Okay…" Maya said uncertainly.

"Then we can go out to eat." Cory told her.

"Sounds good Mr. Matthews." Maya said standing.

"You don't have to, but if you wanted to it could be Aunt Topanga and Uncle Cory." Topanga told her.

"Okay, I will think about it." Maya said, she would need to try it out in her head a few times first.

-GMW-

The family of five stood nervously outside of the apartment. Auggie was holding onto Cory's jacket. He wasn't sure what happened, but everyone was tense and it made him nervous. Riley was standing slightly behind Maya and Topanga stood in front of them all. Topanga knocked, and it didn't take long for Katy to come to the door.

"Hi…" She said, excitement coming to her voice at seeing her girl.

"Hi, we came to grab some of Maya's stuff," They walked into the apartment. "Maya go pack up whatever you want, bring Auggie and Riley with you."

"Yes ma'am." Maya reached out and took Auggie's hand leading him to her room, knowing Riley would follow.

Topanga waited until the kids had shut the door. "Maya will be staying with us for a while." She looked behind Katy, to Troy who was sitting at the kitchen table. "Cory and I will be by with the guardianship papers for you to sign tomorrow morning."

Troy stood up and sauntered over, "And who says we will sign them?"

"We don't need you to do anything Troy, you have no authority here." Cory told him.

"Neither do you, Katy does, and she isn't going to just sign that little girl away."

"I am a mandated reporter. If I report what went on in this house, the state will take Maya into a foster home and none of us will see our girl. Or you can sign the paperwork we bring by tomorrow, and we can work out a visitation schedule, that one is up to you, Katy." Cory told them.

"That's fine, I will sign whatever I need to as long as we can work something out where I still see Maya." Katy said.

"Okay then, we will be around tomorrow to work something out." Topanga said.

They walked back to Maya's room to check on the kids. "You guys ready?"

Auggie opened the door and jumped into his dad's arms. As they left Katy reached out and hugged Maya. The girl allowed the hug but didn't hug back.

By the time they got home it was past Auggie's bedtime and time for the girls to get ready for bed. Cory and Topanga put Auggie to bed while Maya showered in their bathroom and Riley showered in the kids bathroom. When Maya got out, Topanga and Cory were both waiting in Riley's room.

"We can get a second bed for you…" Topanga started.

Maya climbed into bed next to bed, "Do you mind sharing?"

"Never Peaches." Riley told her. Topanga handed Riley Barry the Bear and Maya Lucky the Lion, and sat on the edge of the bed next to Maya.

"I'm okay sharing too, Aunt Topanga." Maya tried it out.

"If that changes, let us know." Topanga told the girl.

"Okay, we will pick you two up from school tomorrow. Eric is going to come to town tomorrow and pick Auggie up so that we can talk about what is going on, just the four of us." Cory told them.

"Sounds good." Riley said. Maya nodded.

"Now, just because Cory won't be at school tomorrow, doesn't mean that we don't expect the two of you to be on your best behavior, am I understood?"

"Yes Ma'am," both girls agreed.

"I am serious. I know that there has been a lot going on, and that chaos mixed with this unavoidable freedom is not a recipe for success." Topanga said, worrying about the next day.

"I will try my hardest to behave." Maya assured them.

They looked at Riley. "I will work hard not to mouth off."

"Good enough." Cory said. "We've got like 15 minutes, anything you two want to talk about?"

"No Daddy, is it okay if Maya and I just talk?" Riley asked.

"Yeah, Honey that's fine, but when Mommy or I poke our head back in and say goodnight, then its time to sleep."

"Yes, Sir." They both said.

Her parents left the room after kissing them both on the forehead. "Aunt Topanga?" Riley asked.

"Yeah, your mom said it would be okay, is it okay?" Maya asked.

"Of course, it is." Riley assured her.

"And me staying here?"

"You know that you are like my sister." Riley promised her. "I'm glad you are safe here."

The girls chatted about what the room would be like if they added a bed or moved Riley's bed. What felt like no time at all Topanga was at the door. She flipped the lights off. "Goodnight girls."

"Goodnight!" They both called.