Three days later on Thursday afternoon Shawn was hanging onto Audrey while she was folding laundry for the three of them at her place. Jon had gone out to get more laundry detergent after a game of keep away with six pairs of socks rolled into a ball knocked the Cheer Ultra behind the washing machine resulting in a soapy clean up and an empty box.

"So what are we doin' for Father's Day?" Shawn draped his arms over her shoulders so that his hands hung out in front of her making it difficult to maneuver.

"Father's Day?" Audrey gave him a curious look as she folded a pair of Jon's jeans.

"Yeah," he said shaking his hair out of his eyes while keeping his hands dangling in front of her.

"That's not until next month. Aren't you planning a little far ahead?"

"Not really. We have a lot comin' up." Shawn shifted anxiously from foot to foot as though he had to go to the bathroom. "I mean June and July will be packed, what with the engagement, graduation, weddin', honeymoon. We are gonna be so busy. And gone a lot."

"We," she said with amused emphasis "are doing all that? Really?"

"Yeah, where've you been?"

She shook her head. "It sounds like you're planning on going to England with us. Does this mean Cory is coming on our honeymoon too to keep you occupied?"

Shawn face lit up with delight at the idea. "Can he?"

Audrey put down Jon's shorts and took the teen by the wrists. She pushed them above her head and turned around to face him. Then she let go of him and took his face in her hands. "Shawn, I love and adore you so don't take this the wrong way but…"

"Cory and I can't go on the honeymoon?" he grinned.

"Not if you want that baby sister." She pushed on his cheeks lightly making him look like a goldfish.

"Touche, Mama, we'll stay and make sure Cory's parents don't have another kid." Merriment danced in his eyes. "I really do wanna do somethin' for Jon on Father's day though."

Audrey returned to her folding. "He'd love that, honey. What are you thinking?"

"Well," he said seriously, pressing the crook of his finger to his chin. "I think Jon deserves the best, you know. I mean he's been really good to me. He's done a lot for me."

"What are you thinking?"

"I want to really show him that I do think of him as Dad. You know, in a real, tangible way."

She shot him a sideways glance of curiosity and suspicion. "What are you thinking?"

"So then when he's talkin' to Mr. Matthews or other dads, he'll feel like he's been one for almost as long."

Audrey put down Shawn's pants and gave him a hard look. Talk like this always meant that he wanted something big or unreasonable. And sometimes illegal. "Shawn, what are you thinking?"

"I wanna get him those ties Cory always gets his dad for Father's Day." He grinned at Audrey's obvious surprise at his answer. "I like the Looney Tunes ones. And I wanna get him one for every year I wasn't with him."

Her brow shot up in disbelief. "Fourteen Looney Tunes ties? Shawn, I'm trying to get him to tone down his ties. They're garish enough as it is."

"And shirts," he went on as though she hadn't spoken. "Mr. Matthews has a whole drawer full of World's Greatest Dad shirts he never wears. Several have Cory's, Eric's, and Morgan's handprints on them."

"So you want to give Jon a drawer full of shirts he won't wear." She picked his pants up again. "Okay."

"And bird houses."

Audrey started to laugh. "Let me guess-fourteen?"

Shawn nodded. "The fifteenth one will be pretty good. The others will be trash he won't be able to throw away because I made them."

"Where are you getting this from?"

"The Matthews garage. They're so bad they look like someone stepped on them with nails poking out and paint everywhere. Cory had to tell me what they were."

"That bad, huh?"

Shawn puffed out his cheeks. "Carpentry is somethin' they should all stay far away from."

"Okay, so you're making up for lost Father's Days." She handed him Jon's clothes basket to put by the door so it could be loaded into the Bonneville later. "What do you want to get him for number fifteen?"

"A shaving kit or somethin'," he said with a shrug.

"Okay, that sounds reasonable. I like that idea."

"That Burma Shave one with the mug, brush, and soap set. You know, the one on display at the mall."

Audrey frowned. "He doesn't use Burma Shave though or a brush. He uses Barbasol and his hands."

"So?" Shawn couldn't help but smirk. He loved that she knew all these little details about Jon without having lived with him.

"I hate the smell of Burma shave," she said emphatically. She had picked up a can for Jon once when he and Shawn were over because the store was out of his usual. It clashed horribly with his cologne, but Jon insisted on using it and not wearing any after shave until he ran out. Since she didn't want him getting rid of the Hugo Boss she loved she tossed the can and replaced it with Barbasol the next time she went to his place.

"Mama," Shawn let out a whine of exasperation. "He's not gonna actually use it."

"Then why would you get it?"

"Because that's the whole point of Father's Day," he told her, leaning against the table. "You get him a gift he doesn't really want or can use. It's how kids say I love you."

Audrey was unimpressed. "Shawn."

"If I'm so wrong then what did you get Pops for Father's Day?" he grinned cheekily at her.

Audrey thought of the macaroni art, cheap plastic trophies, tacky pins, and ties he did not wear that she had gotten him over the years. "Fine," she huffed. "You get him the sentimental stuff he'll never use. I'll get him something he will."

"Like what?" Shawn asked curiously.

"Like tickets to Lord Stanley's game," she said pleased with herself. "or at least tickets to see the lead up to his game. Sherrie's dad offered me tickets again."

"For real?" Shawn's mouth fell open and his eyes lit up in excitement.

"Yeah, I mean the Rangers aren't in the playoffs this year, but the Devils are. Close enough. It'll be fun either way."

"Sweet! Family trip to the Stanley Cup Play Offs! You have got some sweet hookups, Mama." He wrapped his arms around her. "Hey, can we get an ice cream cake too?"

"Cake is good idea. Except Jon doesn't really care for ice cream cake."

"What's he got to do with it? "

Audrey shook her head and laughed. "You're really looking forward to this, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am," he admitted with a casual nod. "It'll be kind of cool to actually do what other kids do with their dads. At least, I don't think most kids retrieve beer cans all day."

Audrey gave him a moment to change the subject. When he didn't, she gently pressed, "Is that Chet's preferred way to celebrate?"

"If he has to be around, yeah." He leaned his cheek against her shoulder and fell silent.

Audrey finished folding Shawn's pants and set them to the side then she turned around to face the teen. "Anything you want to talk about?"

Simultaneously he shook his head and shrugged.

She brushed his bangs out of his eyes.

"You sure?"

Shawn withdrew into himself. It wasn't that he wasn't comfortable talking to her or didn't want to, he just had no clue how to put his thoughts into words. At least not out loud, writing them down was much easier.

"How did this happen?" he finally asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, us, you, me, and Jon. How'd we happen?"

Audrey gave him a small smile and shrugged. "I dunno, Shawn. Meant to be is the only way I can explain it."

"You're twenty," he pointed out with a scowl.

"I am."

"Why do this then? Why be my mom? Why not just Jon's girlfriend? That's what women a lot older than you want."

"I don't know," she answered honestly. It was something she had thought about many times since she began to spend her days with Jon and Shawn. The only explanation she had was that it felt right.

The right place.

The right time.

The right people.

She also knew that Shawn needed something more concrete than this given the situation with Chet and Virna. However, she could not lie to him.

"I really can't explain it." She tilted his chin up with her finger so he couldn't look away from her. "When I met Jon, I felt like I'd known him forever. Then I found out I had in a way. When I met you, it was the same thing. I felt like you were always mine. Your connection to Jon and mine to him connected us all together. And you know what I always say, 'once my kid-"

"Always my kid." Shawn squinted at her hoping it would make the tears pricking his eyes go away.

"After that first dinner in the apartment, there was no going back to the way things were. I knew somehow, we'd be together. I just wasn't sure how."

Shawn smiled but there was no happiness in his eyes. Even though he knew what she was saying was true he had difficulty accepting it. "But why? You're twenty. You have your whole life to have kids and all that. You don't have to be stuck with a kid like me…"

Audrey's hand immediately flew up to stop the negative self-talk. "I love you, Shawn. You're a good kid. You are smart. You have a big heart. You love so deeply, even the people who have hurt you so much. You're loyal to your friends. You take care of those around you, even if they're a little piglet. You notice the people everyone else overlooks and you make them feel special-that's a rare quality. You're funny too. Who wouldn't want a kid like you?"

Shawn's eyes filled with tears, and he bowed his head as Audrey took his hands.

When they first met, he had such a crush on her that lasted until he walked into the apartment where she was cooking dinner while Jon graded papers. He clearly remembered her eyes lighting up when she saw him and expressed her happiness to see him. The way she included him in her life and in her time, the way she treated him…

It was the same way Mrs. Matthews treated Eric, Cory, and Morgan.

Stepping into the apartment that first night and every night from that time on felt like trading places with Cory and living his version of his best friend's life.

After that first dinner she was mom.

Never sister.

Always mom.

In all the ways he needed Virna to be mom.

And he desperately needed to know why.

"I'm sorry I don't have the answers you need, love. I wish I did." Audrey brushed his hair off his face and kissed his forehead. She held his face between his and said, "I wish I could bring you peace."

Shawn wrapped his arms around her and held on tight. "You do, Mama. You do."

They hugged each other until Shawn was ready to let go. He stepped back, put his hands in his pockets, and said, "Jon wants us to go to family counselin'."

"I agree with him. I think it's a really good idea."

"Is therapy workin' for you?" He leaned his head against hers.

"It is. It's not a magic fix, but it does help," she replied. "Talking things out helps me sort out my feelings and look at myself differently. It helps me break my negative thought patterns."

Shawn considered this for a moment then said, "If you guys think we should, I'll do it."

Audrey smiled and patted his cheek before kissing it. "Good. I'm so proud of my boy."

He kissed her back and nodded before helping to fold the laundry."

Jon returned to Audrey's place with a box of laundry detergent in hand and humming Springsteen's "Human Touch" just in time to see Shawn launching everyone's socks into a basket as he "helped" Audrey with the laundry. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he watched them.

He couldn't explain how much it warmed him to see Shawn smile like he was. The smile finally reached his eyes and was showing up more frequently.

The sight of Audrey warmed him in a different way.

Being around her had a dual effect on him: he felt intoxicated and grounded all at once.

She was his best friend. And her bright laughter was better than any music he'd ever heard.

Shawn messily tossed his clothes into a basket and Audrey made him take them out and fold them. He leaned against the couch and continued to watch them.

In just a month or two, they'd all be together under one roof for good.

Shawn would legally be theirs.

Audrey would be legally his.

And that would make him legally theirs.

Less than a year ago this would have been the of stuff nightmares to him.

But now he couldn't get the bachelor life behind him fast enough. He'd end it that second if he could.

On the other hand, there was so much to do and not nearly enough time to get it done.

After the guardianship signing, Audrey would graduate from NYU in June. He was hoping to be married before they returned to school in the fall. So, guardianship, end of the school year for all three of them, engagement, marriage, honeymoon, back to school for all three of them.

Then there was the matter of where to live. They would need a bigger place, either a new apartment or moving permanently to Audrey's place. Or maybe a house of their own if money would allow.

Suddenly Jon felt overwhelmed.

If they got engaged next month how long would it take to plan the wedding?

He knew Audrey would rather elope than have a fancy ceremony. She was serious about going to Vegas, but Jon wanted more for her.

And for him.

Her dad needed to be with them, and he couldn't travel.

And then there were the Matthews and the Lawrences, Eli, Andrea, and George. There were a handful of people from the Village that he and Audrey wanted to witness the permanent joining of their family.

A destination wedding it would be.

He'd already called the Back Fence where he and Audrey, at different times, had grown up under the guidance of Richie Andrews and asked Ernie Scinto about hosting the reception. Ernie would do anything for Richie's kid and told him he'd put reservations on hold for the month of June and July open until Audrey decided on a date.

A wayward sock ball sped toward his head, interrupting his thoughts. He caught it and without thinking launched it back at Shawn and hit Audrey.

Fights involving pillows and socks were quickly becoming a family tradition. Also becoming a tradition was the game ending when something almost broke or did break.

This time it was a cheap ceramic mug that ended up in the trash.

Once the distraction of the broken mug was over, Jon and Shawn headed to the living room after Audrey shooed them out of her kitchen.

Shawn grabbed onto Jon's arm and pulled him around the coffee table every time he tried to sit down.

"What is with you?" Jon grunted as he tried to pull his arm away from the teen. "Did you drink a pot of coffee or somethin'?"

Exasperate Shawn tugged harder. "How are you not excited for this weekend?"

"I'm thrilled," he insisted while trying to maintain his balance. He crashed into the arm of the couch. "But I prefer not to have to stop by the hospital to fix a dislocated shoulder first!"

The teen let go and bounced from one foot to the other. "When are we gonna tell her?"

"As soon as the right moment happens." Jon realized that for plans as big as they had for Audrey it might have been better to tell her sooner than the night before.

"When will that be?" Shawn crossed arms over his chest. He was getting that impudent look on his face.

"I don't know."

He let his arms drop to his side and headed for the kitchen. "I'm tellin' her."

"Shawn!" Jon grabbed the back of the teen's shirt and spun him back towards the living room. "Relax, would you?"

They stared at each other for a long moment.

Shawn knew Jon was going to stall and Jon knew Shawn was going to jump ahead of him. Moving in synch they turned their head towards the kitchen and simultaneously yelled, "AUDREY!"

Audrey stuck her head into the room, very curious about the yelling. "Yeah?"

"We got somethin' to tell you," they said together.

They stared at each other again. Jon started to say something and so did Shawn. They stopped. They opened their mouths again at the same time and shut them.

Shawn was determined to put an end to the weirdness and inhaled a breath through an open mouth. Jon promptly put his hand over that mouth. "Aud, c'mere. Shawn and I have somethin' to tell you."

Suddenly Jon yanked his hand away from Shawn's mouth with a look of disgust on his face. Shawn laughed as Jon roughly wiped his hand on his jeans.

"Don't put your hand over my mouth and I won't spit on you."

"Gross."

"Eric hates it too."

"I bet you wouldn't spit on her hand," Jon said grumpily jerking his thumb at Audrey.

"Nah, I'd kiss it." Shawn shot back. He stood next to Jon grinning smugly.

Audrey laughed. "What are you two on about now?"

Jon gave Shawn a wary glance as he held his hand out to her. Shawn also held his hand out to her. She took both hands.

"What do you want to tell me?" She couldn't look directly at them, or she'd start laughing at the looks on their faces.

"We love you," Jon said, pulling her closer to him.

"Yes, I know."

"We love you a lot," Shawn said. He pulled her closer to him.

They were now standing in a very tight circle with little room to move. Shawn stood partially on Jon's foot.

"I love you both a lot too," she chuckled as she bumped heads with Shawn.

Shawn and Jon exchanged looks, each trying to silently tell the other to deliver the news. They realized too late that for all their planning they had forgotten to plan how to tell her about their weekend excursion.

Finally Jon said, "Shawn and I were wonderin' if you're free this weekend."

She gave him a funny look since he knew her schedule. "Yeah, all weekend. Why?"

"We'd like you to go out with us on a weekend date," he replied giving her hand a squeeze.

"Because we have a gift for you," Shawn added with a grin. "A big one."

"Really?" Audrey looked at each of them in turn, then gave them a confused smile. "Um, first yes to going out with you both. What's the gift?"

"Well, it's not here," Jon grinned. "It's in Lancaster."

"Lancaster?" Now she was confused. "What's in Lancaster?"

"Dutch Wonderland," Shawn announced proudly.

"Oh?" This was even more surprising. Dutch Wonderland was a theme park aimed at kids younger than Shawn.

Or so she thought.

"Yeah," Shawn bounced on his toes excitedly and wrapped his arms around her. "It's a family theme park. Where, you know, families go."

His enthusiasm was catching, and his smile reflected on hers. "It sounds fun."

"We have a cabin," Jon added. "For the whole weekend."

Audrey shook her head, not fully understanding what she was being told. "I feel like I'm missing something here, guys. What's going on?"

"Mother's Day!" Shawn exclaimed.

Audrey was more baffled than before.

"We wanna make your first Mother's Day special," Jon put his arm around her. "We have a few things planned special for Sunday too."

"Really?" Tears sprang up as understanding sank in. "Mother's Day for me?"

Shawn impulsively grabbed her away from Jon and hugged her tightly, then pushed away from her and pointed to her bedroom.

"Yeah, so pack now, Mama," he told her. "Since there's no school tomorrow, we're leavin' at five tomorrow mornin'. Bring a swimsuit."

"Five? In the morning?" she looked at Jon in surprise. "Is Lancaster that far?"

Jon smiled and shook his head. "Nah, just a little over an hour but we have few stops planned along the way."

A delighted smile spread slowly over her face. She was deeply touched by the gesture and struggled to hold back tears. "Oh. You guys! I guess I should pack."

Shawn grinned. "Yeah, I packed three weeks ago."

Audrey shook her head. "Well, that explains why you've been wearing the same clothes almost 'every day."

The teen shrugged happily and took off to the kitchen to find something to eat.

She turned to Jon and looked up at him. "Did you pack three weeks ago, too?"

"Nah, three days ago."

She pressed her face into his chest and then looked up at him again. "Thank you."

He smiled down at her. Lightly touching her forehead, he ran his finger through her hair. "Anything for you, babe."

"I guess I should pack if we're leaving so soon."

"Sorry about springin' this on you last minute, Aud," he said sheepishly as he followed her to her bedroom and closed the door behind them.

"I don't mind. You know I'd go anywhere with the two of you, no questions asked," she told him as she went to pull her suitcases out of the closet. "But the destination choice- isn't that a little young for Shawn to be interested in?"

Jon shrugged as he helped her with the luggage. "Yeah, it's really for kids twelve and younger but it's a big family destination that people take their kids to regularly 'cause it's so close. Cory's been a lot, so has Topanga. It just wasn't somethin' anyone thought to take Shawn to or could be bothered to take him to. He's always wanted to go."

Audrey nodded her understanding. "Ah, I see. It's like Saturday mornings and Blockbuster- one of those little things that everyone gets to do but him."

"Yeah, it is." Jon watched her and appreciatively took in every graceful move she made. He smiled, then added. "That's not the only reason though."

"No?" Her voice muffled by how deep in her closet she was.

"Nah, he wants to scope it out for baby sister." Jon shook his head and ran his hand over his face before dropping to sit on her bed.

The thought made Audrey grin. She, too, had been dreaming of their future children. She left her packing to sit on his lap.

"He really has his heart on a sister." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and lightly kissed his neck.

"Yeah," Jon was silent for a moment as he pressed his mouth into the inside of her elbow. Then he reached up and let her hair down. A cascade of fire fell around them. "He's not the only one."

"Ah," she smiled. She ran her finger over his ear and played with his earring. "So you want a girl too? Not a son?"

Jon looked at her with a look of contentment and wonder. "I got a son. Now I wanna daughter. Shawn's convinced me that the whole 'Daddy's girl' thing is pretty cool. Yeah, I really wanna see what a girl's like."

A soft smile spread over her lips. She wrapped her hands around the back of his head and kissed him on the lips. Pressing her forehead against his she said softly with deep affection. "That's one of the reasons I love you so much."

He gave her a quizzical look and a confused smile.

"Because you love him so much."

Jon let his forehead rest against hers for a long moment then pulled her into a deep kiss.

Music suddenly began to play, indicating Shawn had turned the radio on. From the kitchen the Hooter's "And We Danced" drifted back to them.

Audrey broke the kiss to take a change her position. He gave her a moment then pulled her back to him even closer.

And we danced like a wave on the ocean, romanced. We were liars in love, and we danced. Swept away for a moment by chance…

They were not dating. There was nothing between them but Shawn, he lied so easily to John Adams High administrators, teachers, and school board when asked.

His wild youth had taught him how to lie this well and get away with it. Since February that's exactly what he'd been doing. And he had pulled Audrey and Shawn and the few others who knew into his lies.

He'd make an honest man out of himself as soon as he could. But for a few more weeks things would have to remain the way they were.

And he would have no regrets about it.

Are we getting too close, do we dare to get closer? The room is spinning as she whispers my name…

Before things could get any more heated, he broke the kiss and stood up letting her slide off his lap then helped her finish her packing.

She did not have a swimsuit.

Thanks for reading and spending time with me!