"Cory! We are going to be late!" Topanga complained whilst loading the car. "Your mother is going to have my head."

"Topanga, Cory would have to be out here for him to hear that," Shawn teased. He strapped Josh into his car seat and went to help Topanga pack the last few suitcases. "I'm sure he's on his way out."

"Yes, but have you met his mother," Topanga argued. "She'll have my head if we're late."

"You act as if you haven't known the woman your entire life," Shawn chuckled, leaning against the trunk of the newly, packed car.

"That's the problem, I have known her my entire life. And I know that she'll blame me for being late. I know she still feels bitter about me getting pregnant young, marrying Cory young, and taking him away from her to New York," Topanga rambled.

"You're crazy," Shawn commented walking away from the car.

"Where are you going?" Topanga yelled as Shawn kept distancing himself from the car.

"I'm going to get us some coffee's for the road."

She knew exactly where he was going. He was playing with fire that he shouldn't be playing with. Shawn was only going to hurt himself in the end, but it was his life and Topanga could not stop it.

"Shawn Patrick Hunter! If you're not back here by the time Cory gets back, we are leaving you in New York," Topanga cupped her hands and yelled him direction.

"Okay," Shawn shrugged walking over to the Nighthawk Diner.

He took his old, familiar seat back at the counter and waited. The diner was dead. Shawn peered his head and noticed they only had one cook working in the back and from what he could tell one waitress.

"Hi," Shawn greeted. "Could I get three coffees to go?"

"Wow, someone's in a hurry," Katy commented. She barely had gotten behind the counter before Shawn even told her the orders. She went right to work on pouring the coffees. "Where are you off to?"

"Philly. We're going to Cory's parents for Christmas." Shawn paused. "What about you? Heading back to Possum Trot?"

Katy laughed as she finished pouring the first coffee in one of the styrofoam to go cups. "I'm actually staying here for the holidays."

"You and your husband have any big plans?"

Katy's smile faded. She wished. Truth was more disappointing. "Actually, he's out of town. Probably won't be back until after the holidays."

Shawn knew the importance of spending the holidays with the ones you love. As a kid who spent many holidays without his family because his mother ran off and his father chased her, he was always grateful for Cory and his family welcoming them with open arms.

No one should be alone for the holidays.

"Why don't you come with us?" Shawn suggested. "I'm sure Cory and his parents won't mind."

"I wouldn't want to impose." Katy finished pouring the second cup and slid it over to Shawn.

"They'll be completely fine with it. Cory and I bring friends every year." He knew the Matthews clan. They were the most welcoming people he knew. Amy would never turn someone away who had nowhere else to go.

"I have work."

"Then call off. Don't you ever take a day off?" Shawn swore she never took a day off. Whenever he visited the diner or walked by on his way to work, Katy was always working. "But if you need to be home earlier, I can get us a cab back."

"Shawn." Katy handed him the last cup. She was tired of this and didn't want it to continue. "That will be 13.75."

Shawn was taken aback. He did not expect the immediate shift of the conversation. She completely brushed off his invite. "I'm sorry, but did I miss something?"

Katy softened. "Your gesture was very kind, but it is inappropriate."

"Inappropriate?"

Shawn was confused as to how Katy viewed his invite as inappropriate. He was looking out for her and trying to be a good friend.

"Yes, inappropriate. Don't you see how this is wrong? I'm married and very much in love with my husband."

"I think you misunderstood. I'm not trying to wreck your marriage. I just thought to invite you along because you had nowhere else to go. You have no family in the area and your husband is away at work. At least you know me, Cory, Topanga, Josh, and Eric, so that you would give people to talk to and spend Christmas with instead of being alone," Shawn explained slightly raising his voice.

Katy braced the counter and angrily sat the coffee pot down. "Listen here bud, I don't know you well enough to drop everything and follow you and your friends down to Philly. What don't you understand? Even if I did, it would be highly inappropriate since you obviously are attracted to me." Shawn listened to Katy ramble on. He had never seen this side of her and it strengthened her point of him being attracted to her. "I'll be the first to admit that there was some flirty banter, but I do that with all my patrons. You're one of the few that I happened to think could be an actual friend. I liked talking to you. So when Kermit showed up, I made it clear that I had a boyfriend, then you vanished. I didn't see you for five months and then you showed up again. I'm married now, so why don't we just leave our relationship strictly professional."

"You know what?" Shawn began as he fished out his wallet. He pulled out the first twenty dollar bill he found and slammed it onto the table. "Keep the change. Have a nice holiday."

Shawn took his coffees and left.

Katy did not make another move and watched Shawn walk away. She knew she could have handled the situation better. It was a nice offer and while her reasoning behind why she couldn't go with was partially true there was more to the story.

Yes, she felt uncomfortable. Yes, she had to work. Yes, it was inappropriate. Even with all those factors, deep down she wanted to go. The only thing holding her back was Kermit.

And for all Katy knew, Kermit may not even be in New York.

Kermit left. He walked out of the house the other day and hadn't returned. They had a minor fight about finances and Katy's dream of becoming an actress. They had both said some rotten things, but she thought they could forgive and forget. So when he left, he left her with no timeline. She had no clue when he was going to come back. All she had to do was wait. If she was gone when he returned, it would only add salt to the wound.

Despite all of this, she loved her husband; she was sure about that.

Yet Katy could not deny that from the moment she met Shawn Hunter, she was growing a strong attraction to him as well.