Five Months Later

"I did it!" Shawn announced, walking into the apartment. He threw his bag on the couch and scooped Josh off the floor and spun him around in his arms. Shawn could not hide his elation at the news he had received.

"Did what?" Topanga asked. She stood up from the floor and dusted herself off.

"I got the job," Shawn answered grinning.

Topanga cocked her head. "The job?"

"Remember how a couple of months ago I told you about that six-month assignment in Europe," Shawn led. Topanga nodded her slowly head beginning to understand the point Shawn was getting at. "Well, I got it. I got the job."

"Oh my god!" Her jaw dropped and quickly covered her excited squeal with her hands. She ran over to Shawn and captured him and Josh in a hug.

Topanga could not be any more proud of her friend. She had watched him work late nights just to make this dream come true.

"Topanga!" Cory yelled. He ran down the stairs after hearing the commotion and grabbed his baseball bat in a panic. "Is everything all right? Are you okay? Is Josh okay?" Cory softened his stance noticing Shawn was standing right beside his wife and son, all of them appeared unharmed. "Oh hi, Shawnie."

"Hi, Cor," Shawn greeted.

"What's going on here? I heard Topanga scream," Cory said dropping his bat to the ground.

"Uncle Shawn got the job!" Josh spoke up, resting his head on Shawn's shoulder. He wasn't sure what that meant, but his mom seemed excited about it.

"The job?" Cory scratched his head. He tried to rack his brain to remember what job Josh was talking about. Then it clicked. The European assignment. He got it. "Yay!" Cory ran into his best friend and almost toppled him over with a tight gripping hug.

"Mommy," Josh said, gasping for air. Cory was holding on too tight for Josh's liking and his breathing.

"Josh!" Topanga exclaimed, running to her son's aid to pull him out of the embrace. Josh coughed into his mother after his immediate rescue but still had trouble catching his breath. "Let's go find your inhaler."

Cory eventually let go of Shawn and walked his friend over to the couch. He pulled out a bottle of scotch he had hidden underneath and tossed it lightly to his friend.

"We are going to celebrate tonight," Cory said patting Shawn on the back.

"And we will. That's why I am taking you guys out tonight. My treat," Shawn insisted, handing Cory the scotch back.

"But Shawn, this is your special day. You shouldn't have to pay for it," Cory argued. Shawn had helped him and Topanga out so much financially these past few months that he wanted to do something in return. This was the least he could do.

"But I want to," Shawn persisted.

"Okay," Cory relented. He knew there was no way he was going to win the argument. Cory could never win against Shawn. "Congratulations again buddy."

A few minutes later Josh had calmed down. After a quick fix from his inhaler, Topanga got him breathing normally again. Cory had informed her that Shawn offered to take the three of them out for dinner, so Topanga packed Josh's inhaler in case of emergency.

Shawn insisted that they didn't have to dress up. It was just a casual meal, nothing fancy. The place he had in mind was within walking distance from the apartment.

When Cory and Topanga arrived at the venue, they both assumed Shawn had ulterior motives. "Why are we here, Shawn?" Cory asked.

"It's not what you think. I just really wanted a bite to eat and this was the first place that came to mind. I haven't been back in five months," Shawn explained, looking back at the Nighthawk Diner. True to his word, this was his first time visiting the diner since that day five months ago. He decided not to waste his money on coffee every morning if he could make it at home himself. And the fact that Katy was with someone did help him stay away while he cleared his head and sorted everything out.

Shawn led the way to the diner despite Cory and Topanga's apprehensions. They took a seat in a nearby booth and perused the menu. Shawn never did have anything to eat here. All he knew was they had pie which had a glowing review from Eric.

"Shawn?" The waitress asked.

Shawn looked up from the menu and saw Katy. She looked exactly the same, possibly even better. "Katy. Long time no see," he smiled. "How have you been?"

"I'm good," Katy grinned. She was disappointed to see Shawn vanish from the diner for the past couple of months. Katy missed talking to him. He always knew how to brighten her day. "I got married actually."

She removed her hand from her pen and pad and showed Shawn the ring. It wasn't anything ostentatious, but it suited her well. Katy wasn't a flashy girl. She didn't need a flashy ring.

"Wow," Shawn breathed. He couldn't believe his eyes. If he remembered correctly, they weren't together long, not even six months. Shawn figured they must have been hopelessly in love for this to happen so soon. "So what are you now that you aren't a Clutterbucket?"

"Clutterbucket?" Cory and Topanga repeated to themselves.

"You are looking at the new Katy Hart," Katy answered. "Sounds better for casting agents, don't you think?"

Shawn nodded his head. He did not like to admit it, but Katy Hart sure had a nice ring to it. "That's great. Congratulations."

"Thank you. So how have you been? What about your friends?" Katy paused and saw two familiar faces sitting opposite of Shawn. "Cory, right? And Josh? Oh my goodness gracious, he's gotten so big since the last time I saw him."

"Yeah he has." Shawn could not hide the goofy grin he was sporting. It was like not time had passed between them. Topanga kicked him from the other side of the table to grab his attention. "This is Topanga, Cory's wife."

"Hi, I'm Katy," Katy properly introduced herself.

"Topanga," Topanga said. From what Cory told her about the waitress, everything seemed to check out. Katy seemed like the stereotypical nice southern girl.

"What about...Eric? Where's he at?" Katy asked noticing he was the only one missing from the group.

"He actually became mayor," Shawn said. When he and Cory got Eric's letter last month they couldn't believe the news. Eric was a mayor of St. Upid Town, in a landslide victory, literally.

They all thought it was a joke. There was no way St. Upid Town a real place. However, according to the internet and a map of New York, just next to Niagara Falls was the infamous St. Upid Town.

"Really? Where?" Katy asked. She had only interacted with Eric twice, but from those two interactions alone she could not picture him as the mayoral type.

"Stupid Town," Topanga interjected. That brother-in-law of hers was an idiot. He even wrote in his letter that he renounced the name Eric and chose a new one that resonated with his people. He ended up going with the new moniker Plays With Squirrels.

There was no way Topanga was going to go along with that when they visited the Matthews for Christmas.

Katy didn't understand. She looked to Shawn for clarification and he couldn't give her any. The whole situation was insane.

"Okay," Katy dragged out. "Do you guys know what you would like to order?"

"What do you suggest?" Shawn asked.

Katy was taken aback. No one had ever asked that before though it was her job. "Personally, I like the tuna melt, but our grilled cheese is just as good. But if you're not in the mood for either, I do recommend the burger with a side of fries and a milkshake. We also have chicken fingers for the little guy," Katy listed.

"I'll take the burger, fries and milkshake," Shawn said tucking the menu away.

"Same for me," Cory added.

"Just a tuna melt and some water for me," Topanga said. She readjusted Josh in her lap. He was getting big fast. Soon he would be two in a couple of months. "He'll take the chicken fingers and a water."

Katy jotted down the order for the table on her notepad. She noticed Topanga was struggling with Josh on her lap and thought to relieve her. "Would you like a highchair? We have some in the back. I could grab you one."

"That would be great," Topanga accepted.

"I'll be right back then."

Topanga watched as Katy left to find a highchair before speaking. "I like her," she announced to the guys.

"She's married," Shawn added.

"So are you!" Cory interjected. He knew he wasn't conventionally the most attractive, but he thought he was more attractive than a woman to his wife. Apparently not.

"Cory, I didn't mean like that," Topanga rolled her eyes. Her husband was so dramatic sometimes. "I meant that I could see why Shawn liked her. I approve."

"What's there to approve of? She's taken," Shawn said.

"Cory and I watched your face light up when you talked to her. You still have feelings for her," Topanga said. She missed seeing Shawn that happy. It's not that he wasn't happy for the past half a year, this was a different type of happy that she hadn't seen since Angela.

Shawn couldn't deny that. The moment he locked eyes with Katy, it all came rushing back. He couldn't even use the Angela excuse anymore. There was no reason he should still feel this way unless he actually developed real feelings for her.

"Sorry it took so long," Katy said coming back to the group with the highchair. The conversation quickly died with her appearance. "Is everything alright here?"

"Yeah," Cory answered. "We're just excited for Shawnie here. He's going to Europe for six months to do a huge assignment at work."

"Shawn, that's amazing. Congratulations," Katy grinned. She remembered him telling her that he wanted to write and travel, now it was finally coming true. "Here, I'll throw in some pie for you guys. On the house."

"You don't have to do that," Shawn said. He was grateful for the offer, but it was unnecessary. Katy didn't need to.

"But I want to," Katy persisted.

Cory understood what Shawn saw in Katy. Katy wasn't a just pretty face. She was kind, beautiful, and stubborn. Someone who could argue with him and not easily surrender without a fight.

Katy Hart was a fighter, just like Shawn Hunter.