Sorry for the delay. If work isn't driving me crazy I swear my body is out to get me. (autoimmune issues are fun /sarcasm) Doesn't make it conducive to getting a lot of writing done lately. Anyway, I appreciate your patience as always. :-)

"I can't believe this happened again. I spent the entire night talking to another girl. Again. Topanga is never going to forgive me for this."

Jack took two pillows from the couch and put them over his ears. He couldn't help it. Cory had been like this for the past few days. "You just talked. It's not a big deal. You are still allowed to talk to other people, correct?"

He went over to the couch and yanked the pillows away from his roommate. "Hello, do you or do you not remember the Lauren situation?"

"Who's Lauren?"

"What do you mean who's Lauren? Lauren's the girl from the ski lodge I spent all night talking to on the senior trip. You see, I twisted my ankle getting off the bus and-"

He sighed and put his head in his hands as Cory prattled on and on and on about old drama. "Cory, shut up."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Shut up. I'm sick of listening to you bitch about this. All weekend long your mouth has been running like the Energizer Bunny."

"Well, excuse me," he huffed. "I thought we were supposed to be friends. And friends help each other fix their lives."

"You went to a party, met a nice girl, and talked to her. There's nothing to fix. Most guys would be thrilled."

"Are you forgetting that I have a fiancée?"

"You mean the one who gave you back the ring and said she can't handle being in love or in a relationship?"

"Semantics."

"Didn't she also say she hopes you guys can be friends? Doesn't sound like a fiancée to me. It doesn't even sound like a girlfriend."

"Stop it. I know what Topanga wants even if she can't see it right now. She's going to come to her senses. But if she hears about my late-night talk with Lina, she's not going to want me around."

"Do you like Lina?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It's a simple question. Do you like Lina? Did you like talking to her?"

"I-well…yeah. She was easy to talk to once we got past those first five painful minutes of not knowing what to say. She wants to be a hairstylist or maybe a full-on stylist. She wants to do hair, make-up, skincare- everything. Did you know she dyed your girlfriend's hair to look like the sunset?"

"First, don't call Boudicca my girlfriend. We're still not putting labels on anything. We're just having fun. And second, no, I didn't know Lina did her hair."

"I asked her why she was in college when she could just go to cosmetology school, but she's majoring in business so she can open her own salon one day. And she likes math. I've never met anyone who genuinely likes math. She does word problems for fun."

"That's a little weird." Jack liked math, but it was mainly its connection to money he appreciated.

"I know! Even Topanga views math as something necessary to function in the world. She's never described it as fun. But Lina…" He rubbed his hands over his face. "No, no! There is no but anyone else when talking about Topanga. She's it."

"It might be time to subtract Topanga from the equation for now," Jack noted, trying to be gentle. "It's not a crime to enjoy spending time with another person."

"Where's Shawn? I need to talk this over with him."

He rolled his eyes. So much for being gentle. "Work, remember? He's assisting on a catalog shoot in New York the whole week. Who knew they shot for the holidays in the middle of summer?"

"Great." Cory fell into a chair. "And Eric and Angela are in the mountains. Maybe I'll talk to my parents or Mr. Feeny."

"Glad to see you value my advice so much."

"It's nothing personal, Jack, but you just don't know my history with Topanga like everyone else does. I don't think you're getting it. No one else would have encouraged me to talk to another girl at a party."

"I didn't encourage you at the party," he pointed out.

"What?"

"We barely spoke that night. Shawn was the one who told you to socialize. He pushed you to hang out and leave the comfort zone."

Cory's shoulders slumped. "He wanted me to go away so he could make out with some girl. It was a big step for him. I don't think he's made out with a girl since he broke up with Angela. It was a big moment of progress for him." Suddenly he popped up, a smile on his face. "That's it!"

"What's it?" Jack was over it by this point. He was glad Cory was going back to the dorms in a few weeks. He liked him as a person, but he was exhausting to be around. Every situation was big and dramatic. And it was different from Eric's version of big and dramatic. At least Eric's big and dramatic usually ended up with a funny story to tell. "And can whatever it is be summed up in a sentence or two? Because I'm meeting up with some friends and going to the movies."

"Which friends?"

"Boudicca, Malik, April, Lorenzo, and Christy."

Cory frowned. "I don't know most of those people. Obviously, I know Boudicca and April worked with you and Eric at the Student Union, right? What about the others?"

"I'm allowed to have friends outside of people you know."

"Do Shawn or Eric know them?"

He rolled his eyes. "Are you going to tell me whatever this it is? Or can I go?"

"Oh, right. I didn't talk to Lina for me, I did it for Shawn."

Just when Jack thought this couldn't get any more convoluted. "What?"

"Yes! I saw that he was getting close to a girl again for the first time in a long time and subconsciously removed myself from the situation by talking to another partygoer. It's hardly my fault if that person happened to be a girl, is it?" When he received no answer, Cory looked to his friend. "Well?"

"Do you believe any of the crap spewing from your mouth right now?"

"What kind of question is that? I-" Jack raised his eyebrows, challenging him. "Since the beginning of time, it's been me and Topanga. Until the end of time, it's going to be me and Topanga. We're soulmates. It's all a part of the divine plan."

"Sometimes plans change."

"Not for us."

"Man, you need a hobby. Read a book Watch a baseball game. Go fishing with your dad. It can't be healthy to be this obsessed about something."

"That something is my future and my life? Okay, not like those aren't important or anything.…"

"What about your movie, the one you're supposed to be making for the chance at the scholarship for NYU Film School? Have you even put any work into that at all?"

Oh…yeah…that. "Um…"

"Considering the hoops you had to jump through to get your dad, Sgt. Moore, and Angela to agree to do it, I'd think you'd have the whole thing plotted and planned out by now. You know, iron out those details. When is it due?"

"I have to submit notes and a rough draft by mid-October and the finished product before the end of the semester in December." Darn. That did not leave him much time to work. And that was on top of his regular class schedule. How was he going to interview Angela's father? He couldn't very well interview the man over the phone for a movie, could he? But then again, he probably couldn't afford a plane ticket. He supposed these were some of the details Jack expected him to have ironed out by now. "I suppose I do need to start getting serious."

"Probably, yeah. At least if you want a shot at winning." Jack looked at his watch before he got up and headed for the door. "I have to go before I'm late. I've got the tickets. I'm not sure what time I'll be home so please don't put the chain on. I don't want to have to climb the fire escape to get in through the window again. Crazy Mrs. Hewitt on the second floor might actually call the cops the next time it happens."

Cory nodded. "Okay. I got it. No chain."

"Thank you."

Jack was almost out the door before he called out. "I don't mean to obsess, you know?"

"Okay."

"But it seems like I'm the only one who still believes in me and Topanga. If I give up…then what?"

/

/

"I was thinking since the weather is supposed to be rainy and crappy tomorrow maybe we could make that our do-nothing day." Eric added a log to the fire before settling behind Angela on the blanket, his legs on either side of hers' and when she relaxed against him wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight. "We could go out early and get breakfast and buy stuff to make lunch and dinner in the room and just…relax the rest of the day."

"That would be nice."

"And by relax you know I mean-"

"Yes, I know what you mean." She smirked. "You're not exactly the king of subtlety."

"Excuse you, missy, weren't you the one who asked if we could have a day where we didn't have to leave the room?"

"It's not like I'm getting my wish. You want to go out for breakfast and grocery shopping."

"Because we have no food in the room."

"Add in a trip or two to the hot tub and you've got yourself a deal." She laid her head back against his shoulder and stared out at the lake. It was beautiful if a little creepy. She had just gotten used to daytime hikes when he wanted to look at the stars. It was impossible to turn him down, even if traipsing off into the woods at night seemed like something the idiot first victim in a slasher movie would do. He was so excited to share this with her, too. "Is this where your family comes when you go camping?"

"We usually set up camp about half a mile west of here. But I'd usually end up drawn to the water after everyone else fell asleep. Even when I was a kid I'd sneak down here, look at the moon and stars or skip rocks."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I like the quiet. I can hear my thoughts. Or shut them off. It depends on what they are." Just then an owl made its presence known from a nearby tree. The distinctive hoot caused Angela to jump. "You don't have to keep looking over your shoulder." He ran his hands up and down her arms. "You're safe."

She tried to relax. "I'm sorry. It's just the woods at night; all the noises and not being able to see where they're coming from..."

"I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." He held her close and placed a few kisses along the side of her neck. "Trust me?"

"Absolutely…I think."

"Wow, what a vote of confidence. Thank you."

"I'm sorry. I do trust you, it's just…wild animals…noises…blind spots…sorry if I'm still a little nervous."

"Don't worry, I've got the bear spray, which doesn't just work on bears. It'll help with mountain lions, wolves, and coyot-."

"There are lions, wolves, and coyotes out here?"

"-and so long as we have the campfire going," he continued, "snakes shouldn't come near us because they hate smoke. Plus, they don't like the smell of cinnamon so that's why I put that oil around the blanket like an invisible force field. If the campfire doesn't work, cinnamon and fire will."

She jumped up and stood in the middle of their blanket. "You never said anything about snakes."

"Angela-"

"You never mentioned snakes. I don't like snakes."

"Didn't you just tell me about a pet tarantula you had as a kid?" Eric was going to take a shower the other morning when he was delayed by a spider that was- to hear him tell it- the size of a frisbee. His scream woke Angela and she was the one who caught it and set it free. That's when she told him about her pet. Who knew a tarantula was one of the easier pets to travel with?

"What does Itsy Bitsy have to do this?"

"How can you love tarantulas but get freaked out by snakes?"

"How can you be okay with snakes but get freaked out by spiders," she challenged.

"Okay, it sounds like we both have our fears, but that doesn't mean-" Suddenly, a flash of light streaked across the darkness. "Look!" He spun her around, so she was looking at the sky.

Though she just caught the tail end of it, the trail of light that seemed to disappear just as quickly as it showed up. "Oh wow." She linked her arm through his. "Will there be more?"

He shook his head and shrugged. "No way to know."

"I'm sorry I wrecked tonight and missed most of the shooting star by being petty."

"Nothing's wrecked. We just have to cuddle together and wait for the next one." Eric once again settled on the blanket and extended his hand to her. "C'mon, we brought stuff for s'mores and everything."

After a moment of hesitation, she accepted his hand and said, "If I see a single snake-"

"If there are any snakes you get to control the car radio for not just the entire vacation, but the drive home, too."

"Okay, wow, you really don't think there will be any snakes, do you?"

He pulled Angela down into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "Kinda what I've been saying, yeah."

/

/

"No, I'm not ready."

"Yes, you are."

"Nebbie-"

"Tippy…" Nebula stared at her baby sister and tried not to let frustration get the best of her. "You're going back to Philadelphia next week. I already called Aunt Prue."

"So what, you're sick of me now?"

"A little bit, yeah."

Topanga gasped. "What?!"

"Don't get me wrong, you're my sister and I love you and these past several weeks have been great, but yes, you have to go."

"Nice big sister you are. Oh, wait, you were so busy traveling the world looking for paths you forgot how to be a big sister."

"I'm not too old to beat you up, you know?"

Her eyes were wide as she was unsure if her sister was serious or not. "Please, wouldn't they kick you out of here for that? Yogaville is all about peace, love, and understanding."

"It would be worth it." Nebula took a deep breath and took a seat on her bed. "Look, Tippy, the longer you stay here the harder it's going to be to go back. And you need to go back. You have a life to get back to."

"To Cory," she added quietly.

"If that's what you still want, then yes."

"I don't know what I want. That's the problem. Well, that's a lie. I want mom and daddy to come to their senses and get back together."

"I don't think that's happening."

"What about us being some kind of family again? Is there any chance of that?"

"Once everyone adjusts to the divorce, I'm sure you, mom, and dad can sit down-"

"I'm not talking about mom and dad. I mean you. You and me. You and me and mom and dad."

"That family doesn't exist anymore. It hasn't for a long time."

"Why? You never did give me a good answer on that."

"Let it go, okay?"

"But-"

"We just had very different ideas about life. Can't you just accept that?"

"As the vaguest reasoning? Sure, but I know there's got to be more to it," Topanga said. "What was it? Was it Dylan? Did they not want you to have him?"

"Leave it alone."

"Are you ever going to tell me?" She leaned in close even though they were the only people in the room. "Did they do something bad to you? Something illegal?"

"No! Of course not."

"Then what is it?"

"You should get a head start on your laundry so you can pack."

"Are you ever going to tell me?"

"Not in this century."

"You realize there are only about five months left in this century, right?"

Nebula headed for the door. "I'm going to meet up with Cherry and Medusa for meditation. Are you coming?"

"You know I'm not letting you off the hook this easily, right?"

"Yeah, but I've got until next century before I have to deal with it."

/

/

Eric and Angela had been sitting for a while, in a comfortable quiet, making s'mores and talking about everything and nothing at all. "We can come back another night if we don't see any more tonight. Or we can climb to the roof of the lodge." He wrapped his arm around her and stared up at the sky. "Did you know in Greek Mythology shooting stars are signs the gods are checking in on earth? That when they open the door between their universe and ours, sometimes shooting stars slip through."

"Really?"

"Others think it's the spirits of the people we love who died stopping by to say hi."

"How do you know all this?" Greek mythology didn't seem like a typical area of interest for him. At least he never talked about it before.

"I asked Mr. Feeny when I was nine. That's how old I was when I saw my first one. I couldn't wait to tell him because I thought it was pretty cool. I think he saw I was disappointed by the scientific explanation he gave me so he found an article that went into what all these different cultures believed. You know Feeny, always has to squeeze something educational in there." He debated before continuing, unsure of how Angela would react. "Do you know what they say if you see a shooting star with another person?"

"Hmm?"

"That person is your soulmate." He got nervous when she didn't react. "Not that I'm saying that's we're…I mean….I don't know how I feel about them."

"You have no thoughts at all?"

"Is this one of those relationship tests where the wrong answer screws me, and not in a fun way?"

She laughed and lightly squeezed his thigh. "I was just wondering. There's no wrong answer." When he didn't respond immediately, she continued. "I'll go first if you want."'

"Okay."

"I think it sounds nice. It's comforting to think that everyone has someone out there and no one ever ends up alone. I'd love to believe that there's a perfect person out there for everyone, but how realistic is it? Soulmates are a fairy tale. Out of all the people in the world, there's only one? You wouldn't be happy with anyone else but that one specific person?"

"The thing that always confused me is when they say everyone has a soulmate, do they mean your soulmate lives at the same time you do, or are they talking about in the whole history of the universe there's just the one person? What if your soulmate watched the pyramids get built? Or was a serial killer? Or what if they're just a jerk who doesn't treat you well? Are you out of luck and either settle or die alone? Hopefully of natural causes and not at the hands of a serial killer soul mate."

"Maybe you'd get reincarnated and find each other in another life?"

"Huh, that would be a workaround to trick the universal powers that be. Pretty sneaky. Although if people are really soulmates, is it the same person with each lifetime?"

"That's kind of the point of reincarnation. You might look different on the outside, but your core is the same- your heart, your soul…the essence of who you are. That never changes."

"I'm guessing you've read up on this stuff?"

She nodded. "Last year when it was getting closer to graduation everyone was talking about parties and trips their parents were taking them on. Meanwhile, I wasn't even sure my dad would get permission to fly in. Obviously, my mom wouldn't be there. I was just feeling jealous and bitter and alone. I mean, even Jack planned a small surprise party for Shawn." She held Eric's arm even tighter around her. "I came home and was venting to Nan. I expected a little sympathy, a little support, you know? She was usually good at commiserating with me. But as soon as I'm done talking, she tells me, "You chose to be born into this family, baby girl. I know it's not always easy, but we have to take the good with the bad and learn from our experiences.""

"I don't understand."

"Some cultures and religions believe that before you're born- before you're even conceived- you choose your parents."

"Wouldn't everyone just pick rich parents if that's true?"

"Your soul picks parents based on experiences we want to have, life lessons to learn, and the kinds of people we want to share our lives with."

"So, we decide our fate before we even exist?"

"In a way, yes, in a soul contract. If you didn't learn everything you were supposed to or things went wrong in the past there's a karmic debt carried over and plays a part in deciding your life experiences and the people around you in your next life. Some people even believe we spend multiple lifetimes within the same families, playing different roles until we've learned everything."

"Does that mean in another time I could've been the dad and my dad my son," Eric asked, confused. "Or brother? Or the guy down the street?"

"Maybe."

"I wonder if Feeny was there."

"Maybe Mr. Feeny's karmic debt is being paid in this lifetime teaching us all," she joked.

"Hey!"

"It got me thinking though. What karmic debt am I paying off to deserve what my mom did? Did I do something worse? And my dad…I know he loves me but he's never around. What did I do?"

"Angela, I don't think this is a good game to play. What-ifs always suck."

"But what-"

"Why am I struggling so much with school and not acting stupid? What am I paying for or learning from…or not learning from? Why do I have to make everything harder than it needs to be?"

"You're not stupid."

"And you don't deserve any of the crap you have to deal with from your parents." He needed to do something fast. Eric didn't want her to fall into the usual mopey Angela she was after discussing her mother. Not that it wasn't deserved, but they weren't here to be mopey. "Do you think we made out in another life?"

She burst out laughing. "What?"

"You heard me. Maybe that's why we're so good at it now, we've had lifetimes of practice. How else do you explain it being so good from minute one?"

She had to agree with him there. They clicked immediately in that department. "What's your point?"

"Screw soul mates, soul contracts, karma, and all of that. All that matters is me and you, here and now. And right now, I just want to look at the stars, make s'mores, and maybe make out a little."

"Eric-"

"Okay," he lamented in mock annoyance, "you win. We can make out a lot." He smiled when she laughed. "Feel better?"

"I'm sorry. I'm not sure if I even believe in all of that stuff. I don't know why I got so into my head."

"It's the stars. They've been around forever and have seen it all. They make you think."

"I'm done thinking tonight."

"What do you want to do?"

"We should probably-" All other conversation was halted when a burst of light streaked across the inky sky, a flash so bright and brilliant it was gone as quickly as it appeared. "Did you see that?"

"Yeah, I did." Eric rested his chin atop her head and ran his hand along her back. "Never saw a green one though."

They spoke in hushed tones as if they were afraid anything louder would break the spell. "What does it mean when you see a green one?"

"What do you want it to mean?"

"Does it-I don't think it has to mean anything profound," Angela said after taking a few moments to gather her thoughts. She stared into the fire as she clung to him. "Maybe you're right: all that matters is you and me, here and now."

"I like the sound of that."

Next chapter previews:

*Eric works up the nerve to open his grades.

*Eric vs. (mystery) wild animal in Angela's honor. Hijinks ensue.