AN: Chapter title is from the song "East River Drive" by Grover Washington, Jr.
From guidetophilly:
"Saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr. released his jazz album Come Morning in 1981. This album featured "East River Drive," a 4-minute song inspired by a scenic road in Philadelphia that is popular with runners and bicyclists. Every spring, it blooms pink with cherry blossoms."
"This feels a little bit scandalous."
Topanga opened her eyes to see her husband lying on his side with one hand propping his head up and the other one on his hip. Despite the slight smirk on his face, his expression was hard to read: was this sixteen-year-old Cory or thirty-three-year-old Cory?
"Why because we're here in a hotel room alone together? Fulfilling a prom dream?" she asked to test the water by referring to their cancelled plans to spend the night together after prom.
His brows pinched together as though he didn't understand what she was saying. "No, I meant because we snuck off together to a hotel room in the middle of a family vacation. I can't believe we got away with it."
A grin lit up Topanga's face as she moved over to kiss him. "I've missed you, Cory."
"Uh, I know we've been busy," he said between kisses, "But it hasn't been that long."
She snuggled against him and shook her head. "I've missed this you."
He laughed in the way he did when he didn't understand a joke or if there was even a joke to begin with. He didn't understand her but that was often the case and a part of why he loved her so much.
"So...," he said, running his fingers through her hair. "Are you ever gonna tell me what sparked this wild streak? And how did you get Mom to agree to it? She always insists that everybody stays together the whole time we visit."
Topanga repressed a sigh.
She was hoping that Cory wouldn't want to know particulars due to the teenage state he was in when they left last night. Adult Cory, however, would not miss that this side excursion was unusual.
At least she knew who she was talking to. But she worried if he would stay adult Cory or revert suddenly once he knew the reason they were at the hotel.
At her delayed response, Cory frowned, and his eyes darted anxiously over her face. "Topi?"
"Hmm?"
"Why did Mom agree to let us go off last minute while the whole family is in town? Especially with Shawn back with Jon and Audrey?"
Adult Cory was back to stay, for now at least, and Topanga did not want to lose him. She reached out her hand to cradle his face, but he caught it and held it with a serious look on his face.
"Topanga?"
Katherine's face flashed in front of her and Topanga bit back a growl.
"Okay, I know you did not just growl at me," Cory said firmly at his wife's reaction. He did understand her well enough to know what was meant for him and what was not. And he knew there was only person that would draw that response from her right now. "This has to do with her, doesn't it?"
Topanga sighed. "Yeah, it does," she said taking her hand back. "She's on her way. Or so she said. Audrey thinks she's lying to catch us off guard because Eli didn't text her that they had left."
"She's an idiot," Cory snapped rolling onto his back as anger washed over. "What does she think that will do?"
"We think she'll try to convince your mom to let her stay with us by showing up expectedly with Jon's best friend and Julia's would-be boyfriend."
Cory snorted. "Mom won't allow it. It's a family vacation. And she is not and will never be family."
"But Eli's coming too."
"He can stay," he said immediately. "She can sleep on train tracks for all I care."
Topanga entertained the thought for a moment until Cory said worriedly, "If she comes by the house, she'll know you lied to her."
She bit her bottom lip and nodded. "That's why Audrey thought we should get out of the house for the night in case she wasn't lying. So, we're staying away until Jon and Audrey can get back to the house."
"That could be late tonight. If they're 'home' already, then what's next could take a long time to work through."
"I know."
Cory stared at the ceiling.
"How'd Mom take the news of her coming to stay?"
A snort escaped her lips. "A little less outwardly angry than you were when this first came up. She did a lot of muttering under her breath when I filled her in on what was going on."
"Ha," he said without humor. "Muttering Mom is angry mom. I hope she's still muttering when Katherine shows up."
"She said she'll make a place for Eli, but she'd agree with your train track idea."
Cory smiled a bit at this and rolled over to face her. "So, what are we supposed to do all day?"
"I don't know," Topanga sighed, putting her hand on his chest. "Your mom thought it would be good for us to take advantage of this, though."
Cory placed his hand over hers. "You said something about prom night."
Topanga saw the look that danced in his eyes, and she couldn't help but laugh as she leaned in to kiss him again.
The drive from New York City to Philadelphia was an hour and forty-two minutes in normal traffic.
At 2 am it was a much quicker trip.
However, Philadelphia was not technically their destination.
It was Leigh Valley where Bear Creek Resort was.
Prior to being told that was where he'd be spending part of his vacation, Eli had never heard of the ski resort. Nor did he have any idea how far from Philadelphia it was until he asked a co-worker who was an avid skier.
The resort was an hour and fifteen minutes from Philadelphia.
He found it bizarre that the location Kat chose to stay at was almost as far from the Matthews and Jon as the City was.
He also found it suspicious.
However, it was impossible to make sense of anything so early in the morning. Especially considering that driving out to the resort now would mean their room would most certainly not be ready. Nor would it be any time prior to 3 pm.
The reservation information from the resort was very clear on that.
Eli watched Kat out of the corner of his eye. She was laser focused on the road ahead of them and would not answer questions. She pushed the speed limit even in known speed traps yet somehow always managed to slow down just before passing a police car.
It was like she had a police scanner in her ear.
Eli tried to ignore her and sleep, but she insisted that he keep her company by staying awake.
Not by talking but by staying awake.
As his tiredness grew, so did his anger.
She sped on until she reached their destination.
At the Resort she pulled under the Porte cochere and parked. Then she turned to face him, staring at him like he should know what he was supposed to do. It took Eli a good minute to figure out why she was looking at him like that.
"No."
She put her hand on the steering wheel and straightened her arm against it. "We need to sleep."
"That's what we were doing before you decided to leave the City at midnight!" He didn't bother to hide his aggravation with her.
She gave the stilted sigh of someone with great patience who was being unjustly tested. "Eli, we need a room. Dylan is exhausted and can barely stay awake."
Eli glanced over his shoulder at the teen who was fast asleep and had been since they left the apartment.
She knew that.
It was such a stupid thing to lie about, and it angered him more.
"No."
Kat fixed icy blue eyes on him and said through clenched teeth. "You are going to go inside and ask if our room is ready."
"Are you crazy, Kat?!" he hissed. "It's 2 AM! No, our room is not ready!"
She gave a quiet sigh of exasperation. "You don't know that."
Eli put his hand over his mouth as he swore viciously under his breath.
"Go inside and ask. Now."
More than anything he wanted to get out of that car and get away from her and never return, but then he remembered why he was putting up with her abuse.
Jon.
He settled for glaring daggers at her in the dark. After several minutes, he grabbed hold of the door handle.
"Fine," he spat and got out of the car.
Inside, the lobby was desolate, and it took the young man working the graveyard shift a while to make it to the front desk. When asked about the room, he shook his head without looking at his computer. He stared in disbelief at Eli as though he was a bad dream and he would very much like to go back to sleep.
Eli made a face and grumbled under his breath.
"Wife made you leave too early, huh?" the attendant asked. His voice was flat and tired.
Eli gagged. "Not wife." Under his breath he muttered. "Not ever."
"Ah, getting away from the wife with girlfriend then," he nodded with more understanding than he wanted to have. "I'm sorry but we aren't really the place for that sort of thing."
He paused to push his black framed glasses up on his nose.
"And I do mean that. We cater to families. Exclusively," he said with emphasis.
Eli stared at the young man's named tag- Oliver- and once again questioned the life choices that brought him to this extreme low.
With a sigh he turned to leave.
The fire in the large stone fireplace looked like it was struggling to stay lit, and it cast gangly shadows on the leather seating making it look as though they weren't quite alone. Catching his reflection in the glass and log front of the resort made him stop and turn back. He wasn't sure what it was that made him wonder if there were even reservations to begin with.
Considering what he found digging in the dirt of Kat's closet, it was very possible this was a ruse.
"We do have reservations though," he said to Oliver. "For later today. Can I confirm them?"
"Sure," the attendant said, looking as though he very much did not want to do so. "What's the name?"
"Williams. Eli."
The young man shook his head and gave Eli an annoyed look. "No, there's no reservation under that name."
He rolled his eyes.
Of course there wasn't. This was some stupid game Kat was playing.
He paused then said, "Katherine Tompkins."
A few taps at the computer produced a, "No, sorry."
Infuriated that he'd been woken up at midnight to drive to a resort they had no reservations for, he swore under his breath multiple times before taking a moment to collect himself and apologize to Oliver for wasting his time.
The young man advised him to get out of the relationship.
Yeah, yeah, he thought bitterly. I'm at the door.
His hand was on the bar of the exit when he recalled that Kat wanted to double date here with him and Jon but without Audrey.
"Turner," he said suddenly looking back over his shoulder.
Oliver blinked. "I'm sorry, sir?"
"Katherine Turner."
He frowned and searched for his reservations. "Oh, yes. There is a reservation for Katherine Turner. Two adults and one child. Your room will be ready at three," he looked up and said pointedly. "As in, is this afternoon."
"Right," Eli said.
This time he did not turn back.
It wasn't possible to take the long way to the car and Katherine since she was parked right outside the door. Reluctantly, he got in the vehicle while the term "bunny boiler" bounced around in his head.
Too bad I deleted Kat's number, he thought morbidly. I should have just renamed it Alex Forrest.
"Well?" Kat demanded as soon as he was back in the car.
Holding back on what he really wanted to say, he stared straight ahead and replied mildly, "It's not ready and it won't be. We can come back at three this afternoon."
"Oh," she said not sounding too disappointed. "Well, I guess that means we have to head to Philadelphia."
He shot her a suspicious glance. "Why?"
"We have to have somewhere to sleep."
"I'm sure there are hotels with available rooms closer than Philly."
"Eli," she said in exasperation. "Why would we stay at a hotel when we can stay with family?"
He knew better than to ask but he did anyway. "What family?"
"You know."
"I don't," he said, although the guessing game gave him an idea.
"The Matthews."
A week, even a few days, ago this would have thrown him off. But now he'd come to expect perfectly ridiculous statements from her and there was none more ridiculous than the Matthews being family to Kat.
Although he was more annoyed than before, he was too tired to fight it.
"Since when are the Matthews your family?" he snapped.
"Their kids were my students," she said as though that it explained it all.
"So?"
"So, they're family."
This logic got under Eli's skin in a way he didn't expect.
When he first started teaching at John Adam's High, he struggled to relate to his students largely because he simply did not want to. The job was just an interim one until something he wanted to do came along. But he at least tried to get to know his students and, with Jon's help, had some success. However, it wasn't until years later after everyone had grown up that the Matthews and their kids really became his family.
For Kat to claim this when she did not bother to relate to her students without bias, especially the Matthews kids and their friends, was an insult and it ignited a deep disdain in him for her.
"What're their names?" he demanded.
He got her with that.
It was obvious she didn't know enough to even make something up this time. The fact that Cory worked for the same district and went to the lunches with Jon that she invited herself to made it even worse.
"Well?!"
She avoided answering by yawning.
Muttering a variety of colorfully rude things to himself, Eli shot her a dirty side glance as he struggled not to call the whole thing off by getting out of the car and hitchhiking to Jon. He had his hand on the door handle when the thought of Jon reminded him that the stolen jacket was in his duffel bag.
He sighed again and took his hand off the handle before going back to oblivious boyfriend.
"What makes you think the family is going to have a room ready for us at this time of day?"
Katherine's smile flickered. "Oh, Annie and I are best friends. She won't mind."
Well, Eli thought snarkily, Annie might not mind but Amy will.
It took everything he had in him not to correct her on Amy's name and their friendship status. And to ignore how stupid she must think he was to believe her blatant lies.
"I dunno," he remarked through his teeth. "I think it's pretty rude to crash on someone so early in the morning."
"You used to go to Jon's in the middle of the night."
Briefly he wondered how she knew that. "Yeah, because I had a key and an open invitation from Audrey." He couldn't resist needling her a bit with the name she couldn't stand. She visibly bristled, much to his amusement.
"Well, Al said we could come over whenever we wanted."
Eli paused for a moment trying to place who she was talking about. He'd never heard Alan called Al but at least this name was closer and could have been a nickname.
"When?" he asked.
Instead of answering, Katherine gave him a convincing yawn even though she had not appeared tired moments before. "E, sweetie, I am so tired. Would you drive us to Philadelphia?"
Eli was not keen on driving when he was so tired. However, she handed him the keys without waiting for an answer since she fully expected him to do whatever she wanted.
As the keys hit his hands an idea also hit him.
"Sure baby," he said with a quiet smoothness. He ran his thumb over the ignition key and smiled to himself.
Directions on how and where to drive followed after they traded positions in the car, but this time it didn't bother Eli.
He just let her talk and obediently, he drove where he was told to go.
Somehow, Dylan remained asleep through it all.
After a half an hour on the road, Kat started to show signs of fatigue. By the forty-minute mark, she was asleep.
Eli drove on.
Fifteen minutes later, just before reaching the Philadelphia city limits, he pulled over.
Kat didn't stir.
Taking advantage of this, he jumped out of the car and headed into the building he was parked in front of.
By the time he returned Kat was awake.
"Where are we?"
He started the car and didn't bother to look at her.
She sat up and looked around. As sleepiness wore off, her expression turned to outrage. "This isn't the Matthews! This is a hotel!"
Eli ignored her as he drove to a nearby parking space. Securing the keys in his inside jacket pocket, he got out and headed to the back to get Dylan and their bags.
"This is not the Matthews!" she cried again as he slammed the trunk closed.
"No, it's not," he replied shortly as he came back around to the front of the car.
"Get back in here and take us to the Matthews!"
"Nah," he said with a nonchalant shrug. "I'm not crashing their place."
A frustrated growl escaped her as she shoved the car door open. "You're being ridiculous! Eli, get back in the car and take us to the Matthews!"
"Look, Kat," he said firmly. "Do what you want, but Dylan and I are going to go inside and sleep."
Stubbornly, she refused to move.
Dylan, who was not entirely convinced he was awake, watched her for a moment then followed Eli.
"She'll leave us," he said, unsure if he was bothered by that or not.
I wish, Eli thought dourly. We'd all be better off.
"She can't," he assured the teen. "I have the keys."
By the time Kat finally joined them inside, he and Dylan were already settled and ready to sleep. She quietly slipped into bed next to Eli but not before she searched for the keys.
Eli had them secured under his pillow even though it was unnecessary.
She couldn't go anywhere without him.
He knew she needed him to gain access to the Matthews. Without him, she had no leverage as Dylan didn't provide any on his own.
With that thought, he drifted to sleep with a smug smile on his lips.
"Can someone please get the doorbell?"
Despite having a full house, no one answered Amy's call. With a frustrated grunt she trudged down the stairs with an armful of laundry which she dumped on the couch to free her hands. Then she walked over to the French side doors and looked around outside, hoping to find someone she could send to the door.
There really shouldn't have been anyone dropping by who did not have a key. In the event of a lost key, there should have been texts on the phone, not knocks at her door. She hoped it was not their next-door neighbors the Kapowskis who still hadn't forgiven them for the squirrel incident with Cory and Shawn that happened twenty years ago and liked to remind them they hadn't every so often.
Unfortunately, her full house was suddenly empty as no one was around, not even Alan. With a resigned sigh, Amy trudged back to the front door and opened it.
She was more than a little surprised to find Eli on the other side with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
Alone.
But he did not look happy. He looked exhausted and very grumpy.
"You look like you've been driving all night," she commented as she beckoned him in.
"Not quite," he said as he greeted her with hug. "But close."
"What happened?"
He told her about his midnight excursion with Kat to the resort then dropped onto the couch. Amy crossed her arms over her waist and scowled at the door behind him as she told him what Topanga told her.
Eli adjusted his position so that he could see her better. "This is getting weird, Amy."
"I know."
"No, you don't."
Concerned, she pressed him for more information, but he refused to elaborate, insisting that he needed to talk to Jon and Audrey first. Topanga had said the same when she brought up Katherine to her last night.
A hot anger flared up as she thought about this woman Jon had dated for such a brief time who was causing such massive problems for her family.
Twenty years later.
"I'm sorry to do this to you and Alan," Eli said. His eyes were fixed on the door. "I tried to stall her as long as I could."
Amy gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Jon isn't here, though."
"I know. He and Audrey and the oldest two are at the apartment."
She nodded. "Cory and Topanga are out until they can get back."
Eli gave her a quizzical look. "There's more of a story here too, isn't there?"
"There is."
He put his hands over his face as he tipped his head back against the couch. He sat like that for a moment then said, "Sounds like we all need to get away and start swapping stories."
Amy agreed then noticed the bag he'd been holding onto since he sat down.
"Are you that stressed out, Eli?" she asked worriedly, gesturing to the way he was holding the bag so close to him.
Eli looked down at the bag with a feeling of revulsion.
"I'm stressed out but that's not why I don't want to let this thing go."
"What so important about it?"
"That's a story for another time. You're about to get another visitor," he replied nodding at the door. "But it is very important she does not get a hold of this again. Can you hide it for me?"
"Of course I can," she answered quickly. She took the bag from him and put it in the middle of the laundry.
"Not even gonna ask if there's anything illegal in it?" he asked amusedly.
Amy smiled and shook her head. "Just tell me how much you'll need for bail."
A snicker lifted the corner of his mouth before it drooped into a full frown. "Look, Amy, I have to warn you, Kat expects to stay here."
Amy slapped his arm. "Absolutely not."
Eli grinned.
"You can stay, though," she told him wagging a finger at him. "I'll make room for you."
"I wish." He stretched out on the couch and sighed. He really did wish he could stay with everyone else and not have to think about her again.
"I'm serious, Eli."
"I know you are, and I appreciate it," he said sitting up. "But we've got her kid with us."
"The one with the crush on Julia?"
He nodded. "I feel bad for him, Amy. Kid's stuck in a bad situation even without Kat's crazy scheming. I kind of feel like I need to be there for him, you know? He really doesn't have anyone else."
"You're a good man, Eli. Too good," she told him with fond regard. Then she smacked him again. "Why are you dating her?"
He gave a rueful laugh and shook his head. "I got nothing."
Amy leaned over the back of the couch and asked seriously, "Any idea where you might stay?"
"No, I've just gotta convince Kat she isn't staying here and I'm gonna need help."
Before they could formulate any sort of plan, the front door, which Amy had not locked, forced itself open.
"Oh Annie!" Kat called out in a sing-song voice that reminded Amy of a too perky 90s TV anchor.
She gritted her teeth and made a face at Eli. She had never met Katherine before and, after all the stories of what she did to Shawn and Jon, she never wanted to. She deeply resented her family reunion being impinged upon by this woman.
"Same," he said, standing up and putting his hands on her shoulders. "Same."
Kat tried to enter the home in that breezy way annoying sitcom neighbors did, but without the lights and fans, she just looked like she'd had too much caffeine. "I appreciate the invitation to let us stay with you."
Eli saw the look of irritation flash across Amy's face, and he tried to hold her back, but she brushed him off.
"I did not invite you to stay," she replied, giving her too cheerful smile. "I am hosting a family reunion this spring break. And only family. Eli is invited. You are not."
"Oh, good one," he whispered in her ear as he stood alongside her. "She hates the family thing."
Kat blinked then pretended she didn't hear the comment. "Eli, bring our bags in, please. Make sure Dylan helps you."
Eli took a step behind Amy to watch this play out.
"There is no room for anyone but Eli." She crossed her arms over her waist and stared at Kat.
"Of course there is," Kat waved her hand at her as she looked around the room, inspecting things much closer than necessary. "Jon isn't here. He told me I could stay in his room."
Neither Amy nor Eli anticipated Jon being brought into this in such a way considering Kat had to know that both of them were in contact with him.
Amy clenched her jaw.
Eli put his hand on his shoulder and whispered in her ear, "One truth and a lie."
She caught the look in his eye and the tone of his voice and knew that Kat had heard from someone, but it was not Jon.
It had to be Audrey.
"It doesn't change the fact that we do not have room for three extra people," Amy told her firmly. "Jon will be back soon."
This caught Kat's attention and her eyes lit up. "When?"
"When he comes back," Amy snapped, agitated. She realized that all the stories about Kat had not been exaggerated.
"We'll stay until he does," she said with a cheery shrug and bright smile.
"No, you will not."
"Jon said I could."
"Jon said no such thing." Amy struggled to hold onto her temper. She could see that an explosion was what Kat wanted because it would allow her to play the victim.
"But I have the email."
Amy resisted the urge to break eye contact and look to Eli for confirmation of this, but she narrowed her eyes and held out her hand instead.
"Let me see it then."
Eli backed out of the living room leaving the women locked in a stare down. He hoped Alan was nearby and could help them out otherwise he had a feeling Kat was headed to a hospital stay of her own.
The thought made him hesitate but then he ran into Alan in the kitchen as he was coming in from the backyard.
"Hey, Eli!" Alan greeted him with a hand slap and a hug. "How are you?"
Amy's raised voice raised Eli's brow. "Been better," he said with a shrug.
Kat's voice, thin with frustration, joined Amy's.
"What on earth is that about?" Alan asked in bewilderment as he nodded toward the living room.
"Fight's about to break out between your wife and Kat."
Alan made a face at the name, listened a moment longer, then looked at Eli and asked, "Are we placing bets on this?"
Eli chuckled. "Nah, anyone betting against Amy is an idiot. Kat's about to get a beat down, though. She thinks she's staying here."
"She is not," Alan before he could finish his statement.
"Don't tell me," he said, holding his hands up. "Tell her."
Alan put his hand on his waist and stared at the door to the living room. "Where does she think she's staying? We don't have any more space." He glanced at his friend. "Except for you."
Eli nodded his gratitude, then answered the question. "Jon's bed."
Alan gave him an incredulous look unsure if he was being serious. When he realized he was, he said flatly, "There is something seriously wrong with that woman."
"You don't know the half."
Pushing his lips out he considered what this might mean. "If I kick her out, will you tell me?"
Eli chuckled and nodded.
Alan led the way into the living room. He walked up behind Amy and put his hands on her shoulders.
"What's going on?" he asked innocently.
Eli wasn't expecting this approach. He chose a spot by the French doors and crossed his arms over his chest to watch. As he knew she would, Kat went into her flirty ego stroking mode with Alan while Amy explained.
"Oh, come on, Amy," Alan said, giving Kat a broad smile. "We can find room for one of Cory's favorite teachers."
Amy's mouth fell open as Alan put his arm around Kat who preened under false adoration. Eli put a hand over his mouth and hoped Alan knew what he was doing with both Kat and Amy.
"We don't have any room, Alan," Amy told him in tone that straddled the line between diplomacy and a threat.
Alan looked over his shoulder and winked at her. "Sure, we do. Out back."
This stopped any further protest from her as she mouthed, "Out back?"
Amy had no idea what he was talking about.
"Oh, Alan, you're such a sweetheart," Kat cooed, throwing Eli an "I told you so" look of triumph.
"Aw," he smiled at her as he led her through the kitchen. "I bet you say that to all the guys."
"So where am I staying?" she asked.
His smile broadened. "Right here," he said, opening the back door.
"Oh?" At Alan's prompting she stepped through the door and out into the sunlit backyard. A frown crossed her face as she turned back in time to see Alan shutting the door on her. "Wait- what is this? There's no room out here!"
"Well," Alan said through the crack in the door. "Technically there is in the treehouse. It'll do in an emergency, but I don't recommend it for anyone over the age of twelve."
Indignation consumed her expression as she realized what he'd done.
"But there are plenty of rooms out here, Kat," he told her. "You have your choice of hotels."
With that, he shut and locked the door behind him.
The scene in the living room was seen by two nosy witnesses who were supposed to be helping with the younger kids. Riley and Maya had stretched out on the landing of the stairs and flattened themselves out as much as possible, so they weren't spotted. With their noses between the balusters of the banister, they heard and saw everything.
Riley was the first to sit up after Kat was escorted out. She withdrew into a corner of the landing with her back against the wall, silent and thinking. Maya, on the other hand, was ready to fight Eli for his gross betrayal over which she was fuming again. She wanted to jump on his back and let him know what a lout he was, but she couldn't since Riley was sitting on her foot.
"How can you be okay with this?" Maya hissed as her best friend forced her back to the corner where she was.
Riley held tight to her arm and in a quiet voice said, "Did you not hear anything Uncle Eli said?"
Maya blinked and pushed her lips out. Slowly she shook her head. "Not after she came in."
"Did you hear anything before that?"
"Yeah, but I kind of forgot." Maya admitted as she rubbed her arm sheepishly. "That lady makes me want to tear something up! How gross is it that she expects to stay here and sleep in Uncle Jon's bed of all places!?"
Riley considered this then added, "She probably wants Aunt Audrey's side of the bed, too."
Maya wrinkled her nose. "She'll probably put a pillow in his place and pretend it's him."
The girls shuddered.
"I don't get it," Maya said letting herself slump against the wall. "Uncle Eli knows she is the weirdest, craziest person on the planet but he's still dating her? Why? Why would you do that? She isn't that pretty. Uncle Eli can't be that desperate, can he?"
Riley squinted, then shrugged. "Well, he's as old as Uncle Jon. I don't think he has many options."
"Hey!" a sharp voice snapped causing them to jump. "I can hear you."
It took the girls a moment to collect themselves.
"Eavesdropping is rude," Maya told him harshly to hide how startled she was. She wiggled free from Riley's grip and stuck her face through the balusters as far as she could. "You shouldn't do it."
"Oh yeah?" Eli responded unimpressed by her bravado. "Hello, Pot. I'm Kettle."
Maya blinked unsure of what to make of his statement. Riley giggled and pushed past her to greet him with a hug.
"Anyway," Eli went on giving Riley's hair a ruffle. "When did I get another niece and why did no one tell me?"
"You just got here and, in a way, so did Maya," she said.
"Oh, you're Riley's Shawn," he said looking up at Maya with a slight smile. "Cory told me about you."
Maya, still unsure of him, hid her delight at the comment.
Riley beckoned her to come down and join them. "This was supposed to be Maya's time to get to know everyone in the family but your girlfriend kind of messed things up."
Eli wrinkled his nose. His hand was still on top of her head, so he turned her head and tipped it back to look up at him. "Girlfriend with an asterisk," he corrected. "Did you hear what I told your grandmother?"
"I did," Riley smiled. "Maya was too upset by Miss Tompkins showing up to remember."
Eli gave Maya a curious look.
Maya shrugged.
Eli sighed. He needed to talk to someone, but the girls were not who he had in mind. "Look, I'm dating her now because there is something serious going on and I want to make sure the family stays safe."
This piqued Maya's curiosity and she let go of her grudge to give him a chance. "So you're kind of working undercover then?"
"Yeah," he said impressed with her quick assessment of the situation. "I guess you could say that."
Espionage was something Maya could get behind. It was particularly exciting when an adult was involved.
"What do you have to do to keep your cover?" she asked.
Riley and Eli stared at her in surprise.
Eli wasn't expecting that question and snapped harshly, "None of your business, little girl."
At first, she wasn't sure why he was so offended by her wanting to know how much money he was spending on Kat. When she realized what he thought she meant a deep blush crept over her face.
"I didn't mean that! I was talking about money."
"Still not your business," Eli harrumphed.
When it came to explaining personal things to kids he landed squarely in between Jon and George. While he didn't keep as staunch a distance as his former principal did, he was much further away than Jon was.
This was particularly true with kids he did not know.
He did not know Maya.
"Look, Uncle Eli," Riley said taking hold of his sleeve. "Maya and I have been watching out for the family too. Especially my dad. We have video that can help him and Uncle Jon later on."
This piqued Eli's interest, but he held off asking about it as Kat's raised voice at Alan drifted through the house.
The trio paused to listen for a moment before returning to their conversation.
"We want to help," Maya said getting within an inch of his nose.
Even though she was a friend of Riley's, Maya's closeness perturbed him.
He did not care for physical closeness with kids he didn't know.
He took a step back.
"That's really good, but I think whatever video you got is enough."
The girls' faces fell in a look Eli knew very well. It was one that said they were being dismissed by an adult again.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
Jon is so much better at this stuff, he thought.
Jon was the person he really needed to talk to. And the one he'd preferred to talk to the girls about all of this.
He opened his eyes again and put his hands on his waist. "Look, I don't know exactly what's going on with Kat, but it is serious. You kids stay out of this and leave it to the adults."
Maya crossed her arm over her waist as she scrutinized him. "You don't know much about kids, do you?"
Eli rolled his eyes. "Absolutely nothing. I've only got three."
Maya's mouth twitched. She liked sarcasm and could see why he and Uncle Jon were best friends. But that didn't mean she would cut him any slack. "Well then you should know telling us to stay out of taking care of our family isn't going to work."
Eli regarded her passively then said, "One thing I do know about kids is a lot of adults don't pay any mind to you." A slow smile spread over his face. "And you can use that to our advantage."
Maya's eyes lit up at the expression on his face while Riley regarded him with interest curiosity.
"Yeah?" Maya asked, leaning forward. "You got an assignment for us, Boss?"
Ignoring the title that made it sound like they were in a movie, Eli said, "Yeah. Keep your eyes and ears open. There is one adult standing outside your house that is real dismissive about kids. You might just hear an important thing or two."
The girls caught his meaning and grinned at each as they fish pumped a "yes"!
Eli didn't miss the look and added hastily, "But don't do anything I wouldn't do."
At this a wicked smile spread over Riley's face. She grabbed Maya by the hand and started to pull her downstairs. "Oh, Maya, wait until you hear all the stories about Uncle Eli that Uncle Jon's told me!"
His mouth fell open for a moment then he scrunched up his face in frustration. "Hey now that's not what I meant, and you know it!"
But it was too late.
He knew what stories Riley was going to tell Maya and from what Jon and Audrey had told him about Maya it was going to lead to nothing but trouble.
And he had too much of that on his hands as it was.
But he also couldn't worry about the girls right now. He had to deal with Kat and get her away from the Matthews' house.
And hope that the girls wouldn't do anything stupid before he could talk to them again.
Having lived next door to the Matthews for decades, there were very few things that surprised George Feeny anymore. Still finding Katherine Tompkins across the fence from him came as more of a shock to him than the rash of dead squirrels that turned up after Cory and Shawn washed their miracle soap down the drain when they were in high school.
He had not seen her since she was dismissed from her position at John Adams High.
George watched her with great interest.
He couldn't imagine what would've brought her here now when Shawn was home for the first time in years.
Then it came to him.
Jonathan.
While he knew she had been hired as Jonathan's secretary, George dismissed the thought as he leaned over to inspect his roses while keeping his eyes on the former social studies teacher. After all the situation with Jonathan was years ago.
He couldn't be the reason she was here now.
There was no relationship outside of a professional one so she would not have been invited to join the family. He knew she held no fondness for Cory or Shawn so a reunion with favorite former students was out of the question.
Alan was with her, annoyed with her loud insistence that she was going to stay. Every time Alan rebuffed her, Katherine insisted Amy had invited her.
Curious, he thought.
Amy had no fondness for the woman that he was aware of. He was positive they had never met before.
Yet there was something familiar about the argument.
"There are plenty of places to pay to stay," Alan retorted gruffly to something she had said. "But this isn't one of those places. No room!"
"But Jonny-
George frowned at the nickname. Audrey and Eli exclusively used the name nowadays; no one else.
"But Jon nothing, Katherine," Alan snapped at her hotly, not bothering to restrain his irritation with her. "The man's been staying at my house for almost a week, and I know he did not invite you. Neither did my wife. And it doesn't matter anyway, I'm telling you as one of the homeowners you can't stay!"
With that Alan went back into the house and slammed the door leaving Katherine fuming in the middle of the yard.
George said nothing but continued to study her.
Her back was to him. Her shoulders were hunched over in frustration. She remained like this for several minutes then straightened up.
Eventually she turned and saw him. The look of anger and disgust in her eyes instantly vanished and was replaced by a sweet, shy, innocent smile.
He knew that look.
He'd seen it in his office on more than one occasion.
Each time it involved Jonathan.
"Hello, George," she chirped cheerfully as she walked over to him. "How are you? I've missed you so much. You look fantastic!"
She attempted to embrace him over the fence, but he did not move. Instead, he tipped his head to the side and regarded her with a blank expression. "What brings you here, Miss Tompkins? I know it's not because you were invited."
His remark threw her, and it took a moment too long to regroup. He was certain she was here because of Jonathan.
"Oh," she waved off the comment. "I was. It was just a little miscommunication. Jonny's been so sick. He just forgot."
Leaning over and attempting to touch him again, she said in low voice, "He's been in the hospital."
"Yes," George barked taking a step back. "I know about the hospital stay and the reason for it. I've talked to him quite a bit since he's been back."
Again, she faltered and tried to regroup, but the look on her face was clear: why?
"Honorary grandfather and all of that," he responded to the unspoken question.
"Oh, well, then I supposed he's told you about me."
By quickly resorting to another lie she showed him that she hadn't changed at all. This both surprised and saddened him.
He shook his head slowly. "No, Miss Tompkins, he's not said a word about you. His wife on the other hand, he talks about quite a bit."
The smile flickered in the same way it did back then.
"You know it won't be Miss or Tompkins for much longer," she preened. Had her hair been longer, George imagined she would have flipped it over her shoulder like Topanga did as a teen.
"Oh?"
The way she regrouped and changed directions when he didn't go along with her narrative was just like she did years ago when she first accused Jon of getting Audrey pregnant.
What she might accuse him of now concerned him greatly.
"Eli and I are getting married."
As she said this, the back door opened, and his former media arts teacher stepped outside.
He looked at the man behind her whom she did not see and raised an eyebrow slightly. His former teacher furiously shook his head no.
"Never happening," he mouthed.
George hid a smile behind his hand. "I see," he said to Katherine. "Well congratulations. I do hope the groom is aware of your plans and you aren't planning to surprise him."
Katherine stared at him.
She never had much respect for him, and she clearly thought she could manipulate him now in a way she couldn't before. His defiance was not something she'd planned for.
And George Feeny wasn't done teaching just yet.
"I'm old, Miss Tompkins," he said firmly without emotion. "Not senile. Not yet. I suggest you find accommodations for yourself as you've already worn out your welcome here."
"Are you sure about the senility, George? Because that's not a very nice way to greet me. We've always been so friendly before. A change in behavior like this is a sign of dementia."
That was quite a cold shot and an interesting manipulation attempt.
"No, it's not a nice way to greet someone." His tone was amicable but there was still a sharp edge to it. "Neither is lying about being invited to stay at someone's home and forcing your way in."
"I'm not-"
"Save it, Miss Tompkins. I've been retired a long time now and don't have to put up with you. I suggest you take the hint to leave before you get a police escort off the premises."
Katherine's mouth fell open. She had not planned to see him let alone deal with him.
George couldn't help smirking as she left in defeat. He didn't often have a reason to get feisty these days.
It felt good.
As soon as she was gone, Eli stepped out of the shadow of the treehouse tree and walked over to the fence.
"What are you thinking, man?" George demanded sharply jerking a thumb in the direction Katherine left.
The younger man hung his head for a moment then looked up and gave a heavy sigh. "It's a long story."
George's expression softened when he saw how tired he was. "I'm old and retired and my wife is busy chronicling our lives in print. All I have is time." With a playful note in his voice he added, "Entertain me."
Eli chuckled as he reached out a hand to his former boss. "Sharp as ever, George. It's good to see you again."
"It's good to see you as well." He gave his hand a hearty squeeze. "But seriously, are you that desperate?"
Shaking his head, Eli told him what brought him to the Matthews with Kat. There was something about the story that sounded incomplete as Eli alluded to protecting Jon, but he wouldn't elaborate on why.
"Am I correct in assuming there is more to this story?"
Eli regarded him with tremendous respect. "Nothing ever gets past you does it, George?"
"No, and it never will," he replied wryly. "I'm Feeny after all."
This remark took Eli back to his John Adams High days and he smiled. That time in his life wasn't as bad as he thought it was then. It was, in fact, the good 'ol days. "It's still good to be you, isn't it?"
George's mustache twitched as he held back a smile. "That depends. I've had a ridiculously hard time ridding myself of former students and teachers. I've been trying for decades but they just keep following me around."
Eli laughed for the first time in a long time. "Man, it is good to be back in Philly. Didn't know how much I missed it until this moment."
George smiled then grew serious. "It does sound like you need to talk to Jonathan."
The younger man nodded and sighed. "Yeah, I do. Audrey too. Audrey first."
"Is this related to what's been going on in New York?"
"Yeah."
George glanced at the corner of the house then looked back at Eli. "Do you need a place to stay?"
"Well, yeah, but Kat's kid is with us. I can't ditch him."
"Is this the one with the crush on Julia?"
"Man," he grimaced. "Dylan is going to die if he finds out everyone knows."
George chuckled. "He's invited too. Lila and I have plenty of room. For the two of you and only the two of you."
"I've got to deal with his mom first, but I'll keep it in mind." Eli paused in thought then said, "Thanks, George."
George nodded and watched as he headed in the direction Kat left in.
He was happy to see Shawn's return had brought Eli home as well. He knew about the falling out he and Jonathan had had. It was as unfathomable as Cory and Shawn not seeing each other for years was.
He was, however, very much concerned about the turn of events that brought him here now. It disturbed him greatly that Katherine, who had caused so much trauma to Jonathan's family, had interwoven her life with Eli who was an important part of that family and that she was still using the same tactics she had before.
He worried that there was more to her return than what met the eye.
By the time Audrey returned from Jon's room, Julia had abandoned her phone in favor of listening to her father and brother argue over the validity of the rumors about the Islanders moving from Nassau Coliseum in Staten Island to somewhere in Brooklyn. When she saw her mother, she jumped from where she was leaning over the back of the couch and ran over to her.
"Everything okay, Mama?"
Audrey smiled and tucked a stray curl behind Julia's ear. "Mama, huh? What else are you going to pick up and keep from Shawn?"
Julia ducked her head as she glanced at the men still arguing on the couch. Then she shrugged. "I don't know. A lot I hope."
Audrey snorted. "There are some things I would rather you not pick up and instead use as a cautionary tale."
"Like what?"
"Like mixing random things from the bathroom together, putting it on your brother's face and then washing it down the drain for starters."
Julia grinned. "Are you and Daddy ever gonna tell me the whole story or am I gonna have to get it from Shawn?"
Audrey gave Julia an affectionate swat on the shoulder then ran her hand over her daughter's hair.
Her smile was twinged with sadness and Julia saw a distant look in her mother's eyes that filled her with worry. "What're you thinking about, Mama?"
"Oh, just what you would have been like if you had grown up with Shawn," she said with teary shrug. "I've often daydreamed about how you both would have turned out if we had been able to stay together."
Julia nodded. She had daydreamed about the same thing. The daydreams were so vivid when she was little that she fully believed she had grown up with him. She gave the fantasies up when she became a teenager and became aware of the profound effect Shawn's absence had on their father. "Yeah, it would've been cool if things had worked out, especially after hearing about all the plans Shawn had for me."
"The way Shawn was back then you would have ended up with a third parent who snuck you candy and did whatever you wanted."
She grinned. "That's the cool part," she said hoping to make her mother smile.
It worked for a moment then Audrey sighed as she lingered on what could have been before pulling her thoughts forward through the last couple of months. She couldn't help but reflect on the change in Julia from an angry sullen teen resentful of her prodigal brother who had returned to take their father's limited time away from her to Shawn's closest ally after Cory.
Jon's laughter caught her attention. The sound was something they'd heard too little of in the past two years and she did not want to lose it.
"Julia," Audrey took her by the arm and pulled her to the hallway. "I need to talk to you about something."
Curious about the secrecy, Julia followed her. "What's up?"
Audrey lowered herself to the closest stair step as her calves were beginning to cramp. "When Shawn first came home, you were upset about having to share Dad with four kids."
That incident seemed like a lifetime ago. "Oh," she said sounding embarrassed. "Yeah."
"Do you still feel that way?"
"Nah," she shrugged. "And you were right- I did get a brother I like out of all of this."
Audrey visibly relaxed and smiled slightly. "I'm glad to hear that."
"I wanna trade Grayson and Jamie, though. They're still butts.
Audrey chuckled and shook her head. "How do you feel about making it official?"
Julia looked down at her with a confused frown. "What do you mean official?"
"I mean adoption."
The concept in the present day piqued her interest as she had not heard of such a thing. Somehow the idea of adult adoption seemed fantastical or ceremonial.
Not legal. Not real.
"Can you do that with someone as old as Shawn is?"
She nodded. "I've already consulted with a family lawyer. All we have to do is petition the court."
"That's it?"
"For the most part," Audrey said. "The state requires that Shawn lives in New York for three months and he will meet that criterion next week. Dad and Shawn will have to give their consent, but I don't think that will be a problem."
Julia watched Shawn and their father for a moment then turned back to Audrey. It still didn't seem like the real thing but if her mother said it was it had to be.
"I'd like that," she said sincerely. "How long do we have to wait?"
"We can do it whenever we want."
Julia thought about everything the family was going through, everything her father was going through, and it filled her with dread.
"I think we should do it now."
Sensing the shift in Julia's demeanor, Audrey tipped her head to the side. "I was hoping we could, but why do you think we should do it now?"
She stuck a thumbnail in her mouth and chewed on it thoughtfully. "I think it'd be good for Dad and Shawn. Then stupid Kat can't taunt Shawn about him not being ours for real or anything."
This reasoning, which was the same as her own, made her inexplicably proud. "That's exactly what I think."
Julia took a seat next to her mother. "This is the first time I've heard anything about this though. Does Daddy or Shawn know?"
"Not yet. I think we need to get past this next memory, honey. It's going to be really hard on us, and I think we're going to need something positive to hold onto afterwards."
Audrey fell silent. Her fingers slipped through Julia's hair, gently separating the curls.
That faraway sad look was back in her mother's eyes and brought the apprehension back with it.
"This is really bad, isn't it?"
A dark look settled in Audrey's features. She put her arms around her and held her close.
"Yeah, my girl. It is."
"You remember our first week at school after a summer of travelin'?" Jon asked Shawn as Audrey and Julia joined them in the living room.
"Oh, yeah," he chuckled at the memory. "That was not fun."
"Humph," he replied, feigning grumpiness. "You sure seemed to be havin' fun treatin' me like your personal school assistant."
A grin lit up Shawn's face as he thought about all the times he tried to use living with a teacher to his advantage.
And all the times he failed.
"You weren't a very good one," he said cheekily. "You wouldn't keep track of homework for me in any class, not even yours. Your excused absences and late notes stunk, you didn't respect personal holidays, and you withheld snacks." On this last remark Shawn gave Jon a look of teenage skepticism.
Jon shook his head and laughed. "You know each one of your siblin's gave me that very same look when I told them no snacks for the first time."
"Snacks are not as big a deal as you seem to think they are," Shawn grinned. "I can understand you threatenin' to take them away from me- you had no clue what you were doing. But after Julia? Dad, come on!"
"I thought one of you could be swayed!" Jon put his hand up defensively while laughing.
Shawn rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "You're lucky you got Mom, or you would have no control over the household."
Jon laughed out loud. "Don't I know it!" He paused a moment then said with a playful gleam in his eyes. "You remember right before Mom got assigned to me what you used to do with your bad grades and pink slips?"
Shawn hung his head in faux embarrassment. When he looked up, he was struggling not to laugh. "Yeah, no matter what trash can I hid them in somehow you found them."
"You weren't nearly as clever as you thought you were," Jon said, shaking a finger at him. "For one thing, you forgot I was a teacher and could talk to your other teachers whenever I wanted to so tellin' me they weren't givin' you your work back was just dumb. Two: you told me I wasn't givin' you your work back. And three, as soon as I saw you dump the work I did give you back in the trash can right outside of my room I knew I only had to check the cans outside all of your classes to find all that missin' work."
He and Shawn were both struggling to breathe from laughing so hard. Audrey laughed along with them while Julia looked on in fascination.
"Hey! I did get around you for a while," Shawn shot back defensively. "Once I figured out how you were gettin' those papers back."
"Yeah, you did," Jon admitted shaking his head. "You hit 'em under the floorboards."
"You did what?" Julia asked, sitting up suddenly. Growing up as she had, loose floorboard that could be used to store things under were the things of television and movies.
They never had anything that cool in their house.
"Hid 'em under the floorboards," Shawn confirmed, pointing to the kitchen. "There was a loose floorboard by the end of the counter. Dad used to hide extra cash under them, and I hid my bad grades there."
"Yeah, it was a good plan and it worked," Jon said with admiration. He chuckled. "Until I need cash and gotta bunch of F's instead."
"Ooo! Is there anything still in there?" Julia jumped up before she finished the question and ran to the kitchen.
"I doubt it," Jon said as he followed her to the kitchen. "I cleaned that out before Mom and I moved out."
"You know," Shawn said thoughtfully. "I never thought to check. I'm not sure it's even loose anymore."
Jon and Shawn stood in the kitchen, tapping their feet around the area where they thought the floorboard was. When Shawn found it, he dropped to his knees to pry it open. Age made it stick and it was difficult to pull up.
"Is there anything in there?" Julia asked leaning on his back the moment he had the board in hand.
"I really doubt it," he replied. He pushed her off him as he set the floorboard to the side. "Hey Jules, get a flashlight. There's one by the fish tank."
While Julia was retrieving the flashlight, Audrey settled herself in a chair at the kitchen counter curious to see if there was anything in the old hiding spot.
Shawn took the flashlight and peered into the empty space. After a few minutes he sat back.
"Yeah, I didn't think there'd be anything in there," he remarked sounding disappointed.
Julia snatched the flashlight from him, shoved him to the side, and peered in much further than he had. She stuck her hand down in the space and began to feel around.
"Be careful," Audrey warned. "There's no telling what might have moved in after we move out."
Undeterred, Julia continued to search.
"Ooo, hey, what's this?"
She reached down until her arm up to her shoulder disappeared. The adults leaned curiously over her, trying to be the first to see what she'd found.
After grabbing what she saw, she sat back on her heels, and looked up. Her arm was covered in thick dust and cobwebs. Audrey immediately shooed her over to the sink to clean up while Jon took what she had in her hand.
"What's that?" Shawn asked when he saw the papers Jon was holding.
Two documents and a business card had been left behind twenty years ago. Color drained from Jon's face as he looked at the papers.
Audrey caught the look on his face as she and Julia joined them again. "Jon?" she asked worriedly.
He said nothing. He just stared at what he held in his hands.
Gently she put her hand on his arm and pushed it down so that she could see what he was looking at. When she saw the card, her mouth fell open.
It was the card for Dr. Amsden. The one that had been on her refrigerator until she hid it from Jon, he found it, and brought it back to the apartment.
"How'd that end up in there?" Julia asked after Audrey explained what it was.
"We hid my paperwork for treatment and things like bills in there," she replied. "Just in case someone came over, we didn't want it where it could be easily found."
"Katherine found it anyway," Shawn said bitterly as he stared at the card. "I guess this fell out and got left behind."
"What's Daddy got?" Julia asked.
Audrey and Shawn turned to Jon, but he was no longer with them. Instead, he was sitting on the couch staring at the papers in his hands.
He was trembling.
"Jon?" Audrey was at his side as quickly as she could manage. "What is it?"
He just shook his head. His eyes were full of unshed tears.
Audrey settled next to him and took the papers. His hands fell into his lap, and he stared blankly at the TV set.
"Mom?" Shawn asked worriedly. He sat next to Jon while Julia took a spot on the arm of the couch next to Audrey.
Audrey read over the papers several times before answering. Then she shook her head in disbelief.
"We always wondered what happened to this," she said so softly Shawn and Julia had trouble understanding her.
"But what is it?" Julia prodded.
"The legal guardianship paperwork."
Shawn wasn't able to respond right away. His brain froze and it took a while to start back up.
He'd never thought about what happened to the unsigned papers.
Unsure of how to respond, he said what he felt was the most appropriate. "How'd it end up there?"
"I put it there," Jon said without emotion. His skin was pale, and his eye held a haunted stare.
"But why?"
"The darkest night," was all he said.
"What happened that night?"
Jon said nothing.
Shawn looked to Audrey for answers.
She took Jon's hand, reached across his lap with her other hand, and held it out to Shawn. Then she sighed in resignation.
Audrey sighed. "We can't jump ahead," she said softly as both men clutched her hands tightly.
She stared at the papers that were now sitting on the coffee table then thought about the ones in her purse.
With a lingering look at her daughter, son, and husband, she came back to the papers. There was no more delaying this. It had to be dealt with now.
Despite her fear of what might happen to Jon, she summoned up all the courage she had and said,
"It's time."
AN: The last few months have been weird. Personally, I've had a lot of ups and downs with both my mental and physical health and it's made me think more about my readers. Some of you I've talked to on a personal level, others I haven't spoken to at all. But regardless of our level of interaction (including if you just read) I really hope you are all doing well. I hope that whatever you are going through passes quickly and the good lasts for a long time.
Thank you for your spending time with me. I really appreciate it.