Four and a Half Years Later
"Daddy!" Josh yelled. He ran into the room where his father was getting ready and locked the door behind him. Once he was settled, his breathing became heavy due to sprinting down the hall.
"Josh, what's wrong?" Cory asked as he adjusted his tie. He moved closer to his son. Topanga would kill him, if Josh had an asthma attack. "Do you need your inhaler?"
Josh shook his head no. Just because he had asthma did not mean that he needed his inhaler all the time. It was just a little run. Other kids with asthma could do that and not need an inhaler.
"Maya and Riley, won't stop chasing me!" Josh complained to his father.
As if on cue, Cory perked his head up from his conversation with Josh when he heard light knocks on the door. Josh saw his dad put his hand on the doorknob to open the door. The seven-year-old tried and used all of his power to stop him.
"Please, don't let them in dad," Josh begged.
"Daddy!" Riley called from the other side of the door . She was on the verge of tears. "Joshie won't play with us."
Riley Rhiannon Matthews was Josh's younger sister. Unlike Josh, she was born full term and without any complications. However, she was doted on by her father just like her mother doted on her brother. She was daddy's little princess and Cory could never say no to her, especially when she was crying.
Cory disregarded his son's pleas and opened the door for his daughter and her friend. He crouched down to the ground to sweep his crying daughter into his arms, but was pushed out of the way by her best friend.
"Daddy!" Maya exclaimed as she spotted her father on the other side of the room. She ran towards his and latched onto his leg.
"Hey, kiddo," Shawn greeted, picking his daughter up into his arms. "Don't you look very pretty today."
Maya giggled. Though she had taken after her mother in the looks department, her personality was all Shawn. As much as Shawn loved that they shared that much in common, he knew it would bite him in butt in the future. He was very much aware of the trouble he got into in his younger days and could see Maya going down the same path. Shawn and Katy were constantly getting phone calls from the preschool she was at.
"I know," Maya said patting her dress. It was too itchy for her liking, but her mother made her and Riley wear matching dresses for the ceremony. "Tell Josh to call me pretty."
Josh's eyes bugged out of his head. "No way!" He exclaimed.
Like Cory, Shawn was wrapped around his daughter's finger, probably more so than Cory. Maya was his only child, so she occupied all of his attention. "Josh, tell Maya she looks pretty," Shawn told his nephew.
"Uncle Shawn, please don't make me," Josh begged for the second time that day. Girls had cooties. Andrew told him that and he really didn't want to get it. The kids at school would laugh at him.
Shawn stared at his nephew, knowing that the seven-year-old would give into his request.
"You look very pretty, Maya," Josh grumbled, fiddling with the sleeve of his suit.
Maya grinned and hopped out of her father's arms and surprise attacked Josh into a bear hug. "Now you're mine forever!" Maya cheered.
"He's my brother, Maya," Riley commented, still being held by her father. She didn't understand Maya's obsession with her brother. Maya was supposed to be her best friend, not Josh's.
"He's my husband," Maya argued, still having a tight grip on Josh. "We're going to get married just like Mommy and Daddy are."
Today marked five years in the making. The day Maya was born was the official day that Shawn and Katy became a couple. They decided to try out an actual relationship while raising their daughter together.
Though there were moments of stress and anger along the way, both had matured and learned from previous relationships. This allowed them to deal with their problems in a healthy, rational way, something neither of them were used to.
So after three years of dating, Shawn asked Katy to marry him, with Maya's permission of course. At first, Katy was hesitant, remembering how poorly her first marriage went. Shawn reassured her that nothing would change once they were married. They practically were married already without being recognized in the eyes of the law. They lived together and had a kid, the only thing that would change would be her last name and a piece of paper. With those factors in mind, Katy relaxed and said yes to Shawn's proposal, which led them to today.
Shawn and Katy's wedding
"I'm not your husband!" Josh argued as he pushed Maya off him.
"Not yet!" Maya fought, putting her hands on her hips like she had seen her mom do before.
"Dad, will you please do something?" Josh asked. He knew he was never going to win a Maya argument. She never gave up until she had the last word.
Cory nodded and set his daughter on the ground. "Why don't you two girls go back your mothers' room? I'm sure, they need help getting ready," Cory suggested.
Riley was all on board for the idea. Her mother and Aunt Katy had the flowers her and Maya needed to be flower girls. "Come on, Maya! Let's go," Riley said.
Maya relented from her argument with Josh and followed her best friend out of the room.
"Phew," Josh relaxed finally being able to sit down for a moment.
"Cor, do you have to rings to give Josh?" Shawn asked straightening out his suit jacket.
Cory reached inside his pocket and handed the ring box to Josh as he was the ringbearer. "You cannot lose these," Cory instructed.
Josh nodded his head. He knew he had an important job when his Uncle Shawn had asked him to be the ringbearer. Josh didn't want to mess up. He looked up to his Uncle. Josh wanted to be just like him when he grew up.
"It's time," Jack said peeking his head into the room. He and Eric were tasked with being ushers for the small ceremony. Only a few family members of Katy's family came as they had to travel from Possum Trot to get there. And besides the wedding party, which consisted of Topanga and Cory and the kids as maid of honor, best man, ringbearer and flower girls, the only other people in attendance were Eric, Jack, Amy, Alan, and Morgan.
"Okay, we'll be out," Cory said.
"How do I look?" Shawn asked. Today tied as the most important day of his life alongside Maya's birth.
"Like a million bucks," Cory smiled. "But before we go out there, I have to ask you, do you love her more than me?"
Without hesitation, Shawn answered, "Yes."
"It's a simply yes or no Shawn."
"Yes, I love her more than you. And I love Maya more than you. You're probably third on my list," Shawn admitted. He loved his best friend, there was no doubt in his mind, but the two women in his life were his everything. That was the way it should be. That's what Shawn struggled to accept when Cory got married six years ago.
"Ask me who I love more. You or Topanga?"
Shawn played along with Cory's antics in wining the game his friend was playing. "Who do you love more?"
"Topanga!"
"That's the way it should be."
"Good, because now you're ready to get married." Cory patted Josh on the back and started to head out of the room with him. Shawn followed behind as reality set in. This was it. There was no going back.
"Do you think I'll be a good husband?" Shawn asked Cory. He had experience being a good boyfriend but husband was new territory for him. Shawn didn't want to disappoint Katy. She deserved the world and the world's best husband.
Cory smiled at his friend. "Shawn, only someone who cares enough to ask knows for sure. Let's go get you married. You've been a good little boy."
"I've done some things."
"Yeah, well you're her problem now."
The three men walked out of their changing room and into the chapel where their wedding was being held. Shawn and Cory walked in before Josh did and they stood at the front.
The organist they hired started to play the music, signaling to Josh that he should start walking. They practiced at the church last night to run through how the day was supposed to go. With three children under the age of ten in the wedding, the four adults thought it was best to practice.
Once Josh made it down the aisle, he handed the rings to his dad to give to his Uncle during the ceremony. When his job was finished, he hurried into the first pew next to his grandma and grandpa.
Following Josh was the two flower girls, Riley and Maya. Shawn had to try to control his laughter. The two girls could not be more different. While Riley tried to evenly space out her flowers, Maya didn't care. She threw random handfuls everywhere. Surely, Katy would be furious, but it made the day more memorable.
Behind the girls, Topanga walked Katy down the aisle. All in attendance rose as the bride walked. Though it was uncommon for the maid of honor to also give her away, seeing as Katy's father was no longer around, Topanga offered to do so.
When Katy and Topanga reached the end of the aisle, they met up at the front of the chapel with Shawn and Cory and took their spots across from one another.
Emerging from the back of the chapel was Mr. Feeny. Shawn had to pull many strings to book the venue and get Mr. Feeny to officiate rather than the priest. The ceremony itself was small and intimate; therefore, Shawn wanted Mr. Feeny to be the one who married him and Katy.
"Feeny!" Eric called out and stood up from his seat in pew at the surprise arrival of his old teacher. "Fe-e-e-e-nay!"
"Shut it," Feeny scolded Eric who was causing a scene with the Feeny call.
"Come on admit that you love the Feeny Call," Eric pressured. His parents were mortified at his behavior but expected no less. Josh, Riley, and Maya who were all sitting next to Amy and Alan couldn't help but snicker.
"Eric," Feeny began, knowing that if he wouldn't give in sooner than later this would only drag the ceremony on. "I love the Feeny call."
Eric grinned and sat back down before yelling, "I told you Jack!"
Shawn and Katy rolled their eyes. They should have prepared for this with Eric and Mr. Feeny being on the invite list.
"We are gathered here today to witness the joining of two souls: Shawn Patrick Hunter and Katy Grace Cleeterbooskay," Feeny announced to the guests in attendance which caused everyone to look at one another in confusion.
"It's Clutterbucket," Katy corrected.
"Yes, I know. I'm just trying to give you some dignity," Feeny said.
"Well, then make me Hunter as quick as you can," Katy said, taking Shawn's hands in hers.
"Now I believe you two have written your own vows. Mr. Hunter, the assignment is due right now," Feeny joked.
"He needs more time, Feeny," Cory interjected, poking fun at their younger selves. Shawn always the procrastinator and Cory always covered for him.
"You got anything?" Feeny asked, turning to Katy. The ceremony was very informal despite its formal setting, but none of that seemed to matter to the two lovebirds. The informality made it seem perfect for the two of them.
"Yeah," Katy said, grabbing the piece of paper she had Topanga hold for her when she walked down the aisle. "I was looking for a quote that applied to us, and what I found was...'Marrying for love may be a bit risky, but it is so honest, God can't help but smile on it.'"
"And you Mr. Hunter?" Feeny asked.
"My two best friends got married and had a son. They took me with them to New York where I met a cute waitress a diner. That waitress and I had a daughter, who is all I could have ever asked for and more. She is perfect in every way imaginable because she is ours. I was once asked about love by a dear friend of mine and I told her that, 'Love is the most amazing, rare and precious thing in the whole world.' And to stand here by your side today, I can say I finally found it," Shawn recited from memory.
He had worked on his vows for months and wanted to surprise Katy on their wedding day. He thought it must have been pretty successful, if she tried to stop herself from crying midway through.
"And who did you pay to write that?" Feeny teased. He knew Shawn had it in him to write a beautiful vow after the essay he wrote graduation day.
"I did," Shawn smiled. He came up with every single word.
"Well then, I must ask, Shawn Patrick, do you take Katy Grace to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Feeny asked.
"I do," Shawn replied, taking the ring out from the box Cory held and slipping it on Katy's finger.
"And do you, Katy Grace, take Shawn Patrick to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Feeny recited.
"I do," Katy smiled as she took the other ring from Cory and placed it on Shawn.
"Then by the power vested in me by the state of Pennsylvania, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," Feeny finished.
Shawn didn't even wait for Feeny to end his speech before snatching his wife in his arms and kissing her. The small crowd cheered as Shawn and Katy kissed.
Maya leaned over in her seat and kissed Josh on the cheek in excitement. He hadn't expected her to do that, but what else was new with Maya. He groaned as she giggled.
To Maya, her parents had always been married. They just made it official today.
Shawn and Katy walked down the aisle followed by Cory, Topanga, and Feeny who were headed to Svorski's for the reception, another string Shawn had to pull. That string was much easier than convincing the priest to let Feeny marry him and Katy.
The wedding party and guests all arrived at Svorski's Bakery, where Mrs. Svorski had worked all day to bake them a wedding cake. Shawn and Katy could not be more grateful for her generosity.
"Well, you did it, Shawnie," Cory congratulated his best friend.
"How'd I do?" Shawn asked.
"You passed with flying colors," Cory laughed.
The two men leaned against the counter of Svorski's taking in the site. Katy went over and talked to her relatives while Jack was watching Eric make a fool out of himself in front of Mr. Feeny and the rest of the Matthews family. The three kids in attendance, sat at a booth and ate their cake while laughing and joking with each other.
"Who would've thought this would have been our lives?" Shawn commented.
He thought he was done with long-term relationships when Angela left him. Him and Angela had been so good together that he believed nothing could top that. Then along came Katy. She threw his plans out the window and for the better. Shawn could not imagine what his life would be like if he didn't have Katy or Maya in it.
"Do you remember the day when I told you Topanga was pregnant and we were getting married?" Cory asked.
"Yeah, we were just kids," Shawn reminisced.
"Do you remember what I said?"
"Little Cornelia and Shawna. Aren't you glad I waited?" He remembered Cory pressuring him to have a kid alongside him, so their kids would grow up together. Who would have guessed that that would've happened three years later?
"They're us Shawnie."
Shawn watched his daughter encourage Riley to smash cake onto Josh's face. She was definitely a bad influence like he was and Riley was easily manipulated just like Cory.
"Cory and Shawn 2.0," Shawn commented.
"You know Shawn, Maya seems to have a pretty big crush on Josh," Cory teased. Shawn rolled his eyes. It was obvious to him and anyone else who could see that Maya had a puppy crush on Joshua Matthews. Shawn wasn't worried. They were kids and her crush would pass. "Wouldn't it be crazy if they got married? We'd practically be family. We'd share grandkids."
"What makes you think that I would let my daughter date your son?" Shawn said, repeating the same conversation he had with Cory eight years ago.
"Because he's a Matthews." Cory puffed out his chest proudly. "And he looks up to his Uncle Shawn and wants to be just like him."
Shawn laughed wrapping his arm around Cory's neck. "Lord help us all."
Thank you to everyone who read this fanfiction and stuck through it the entire time. I just want to reiterate that these characters are not my own and neither is some of the dialogue. For the story to get from Point A to Point B, it was helpful to use some of the dialogue. This story was a pleasure to write.
Until next time...