AN: Apologies for this chapter being so late. IRL has been crazy for the past three months and the most intense in the last 6 weeks. But things are calming down and will hopefully be back to normal now.

I've missed you all!

The walk from the parking lot to the doors of John Adams High felt like the walk of shame on the way to their execution to Shawn. The only thing missing was the spectators.

Jon looked like the execution had already happened.

When they reached the doors, Jon stopped abruptly and didn't move. His expression was the same as it had been since they got up: stony and dark.

There was now an added melancholy as he stared at the door. Shawn guessed he was going over yesterday morning's conversation with Audrey that happened in the spot where they stood. Unsure of what to say to counter Jon's doom and gloom outlook, Shawn put his hand on his teacher's shoulder.

Jon gave him a forlorn side glance.

"Feeny's bark is way worse than his bite," Shawn told him seriously, trying to be helpful. "The more menacin' he is when he talks to you, the more he's tryin' to scare you into doin' what he wants you to stop doin' so he doesn't have to see you in his office for a couple of days."

Jon frowned but didn't take his eyes off of the door.

"Trust me, I know." Shawn dropped his hand from Jon's shoulder and gave him a shoulder-to-shoulder bump hoping to break his gloomy demeanor even if for just a moment.

Jon didn't react.

Shawn sighed and ran his hand through his hair, then opened the door for his teacher to trudge through.

Might as well get it over with, he thought worriedly as he followed Jon.

They were greeted by Bud, whose first name would always be Janitor to him, who barked at them to sit down, shut up, and leave him alone. Frustrated by the situation, Shawn childishly stuck out his tongue at the man who glared at him and returned the gesture.

Offended, Shawn shot back petulantly, "Aren't you a little old for that?"

"Aren't you?" Bud snapped in a mocking mimic of the teen.

Irritation shot through him and came out in teenage attitude. "Not until I turn 18. Why are you so grumpy anyway?"

Bud gave an exasperated sigh. "As many times as you've been in that office," he jerked at his thumb in Feeny's direction, "and you're askin' me that?"

Shawn raised his brow and considered this. "Yeah, I'd be grumpy too if Feeny was my boss," he conceded.

"You'd be even grumpier if you had to listen to that woman cry over him." Bud glared at Jon. "No offense, Turner, but you ain't nothin' to cry over."

Shawn snorted his disagreement. "Guess you side with her, huh?"

"Who? Tompkins? Bah!" Bud sounded deeply offended. "I'm sick of all of you! I miss the days when the Rat would clock me out early so I could go to the tracks. Now I gotta work all day for that tyrant and listen to the high school drama goin' on between the teachers! I hate my life!"

"Yeah, well, at least you get to retire next year and can live at the tracks," Shawn irritably pointed out. "I'm stuck here for another two years and Jon's a lifer."

"Humph," Bud grumped. Then he squinted at Shawn. "You look familiar kid; do I know you?"

Shawn squinted back. "I spend a lot of time in Feeny's office."

"So do a lotta kids."

He shrugged. "My uncle Frank helps kids bet on the horses."

"You're Frankie Two Toes' nephew? Me 'n Frankie go way back." Bud was begrudgingly impressed. "Small world. But that's not it either. Why are you so familiar, kid?"

Shawn shrugged. "One of those faces."

"Yeah," Bud agreed still looking Shawn over with a hawkish stare.

The teen shifted uncomfortably under the glare. He turned to Jon and said, "I wish I'd told Cory where we were gonna be this mornin'. I know he'd wanna be here for moral support."

"Cory?!" Bud slammed his palms down on his desk making them both jump. "Last name Matthews?"

Shawn gave him a suspicious look. "Yeah?"

"That's who you are!" Bud pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You helped him get me fired! Why you rotten, little good for nothin'…!"

Bud's muttering was lost as he shoved himself away from the desk, stormed over to the coffee maker, and shook it as though he intended to break it.

Shawn made another face at him and turned away without seeing if one was made back to focus his attention on Jon. His teacher was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

He contemplated giving Jon more guidance on how to deal with Feeny until he realized that nearly every time he followed his own advice he ended up with more detention than he would have if he'd kept his mouth shut. A glance at his teacher told him that advice, good or bad, wasn't what he needed.

"I got your six," Shawn told him putting his forearm on Jon's back.

Jon lifted his head and turned it enough to see his student.

"I know Feeny won't let me go in with you, but I'll be here. No matter what happens."

Shawn's arm slid off Jon's back as he sat up.

"Thanks, kid," he sighed heavily. "Means everythin' to me."

"You!" Bud snapped harshly at Jon causing them to jump again. He didn't bother to look at them. "Feeny's office. Now!"

Jon shot Shawn a fearful look and suddenly gripped his hand as though he thought he would not be walking out of Feeny's office. Shawn didn't understand where this fear came from. The principal could be heavy-handed in his lectures and punishments, but Shawn had never seen him break any kneecaps.

What's the worse Feeny could do anyway? Fire Jon?

Shawn was still convinced that this outcome wasn't the horrible fate Jon seemed to think it was. But fear and Jon were two things that did not go together at all so there must be something he was missing.

Other than Audrey.

Shawn gripped his hand back just as tight.

"It'll be okay, Dad," he said quietly.

Jon looked surprised by the name, then gave him a slight nod as he stood, let go of his hand, and disappeared into Feeny's office.

Shawn, worried about his caretaker, stared at the closed door for a long time, then distracted himself by doing the homework he didn't do the night before.

"The very fact that you could sit in my office, look me in the eye, and lie to me without any regard disturbs me greatly!"

Feeny glared at Jon who sat slouched in front of him, fingers locked together with his head bowed. He struggled to contain his temper with his English Lit teacher.

"You tell me you care so much about Shawn Hunter, yet this is the example you are setting for him? Running around carrying on an affair with your student teacher while you have the student in your charge cover for you!"

The words hit Jon with a painful sting. "It wasn't an affair!"

"Oh, no?! I suppose all of these photographs are doctored then?" He thrust a packet containing the pictures Kat had taken at him.

Jon took what had been shoved into his hand and stared at it.

"Your student teacher's clothes were found in your bedroom hamper!"

"Her shirt got stained with tomato sauce when we were doin' a group cookin' night," he nearly shouted back. "Audrey put some vinegar on it to get the stain out, then borrowed a shirt from Shawn to wear."

"Then why was her tank top in your hamper?"

"Because Shawn uses his as a giant trash can, that's why."

Feeny glared at him, clearly not believing anything he said. "Convenient story, Mr. Turner. Now explain the next picture."

Jon moved the picture of his hamper to the back of stack. The next picture was of the engagement ring in its box setting on top of his leather jacket. The violation of privacy infuriated him, and he struggled to keep that anger out of his voice.

"It's an engagement ring," he said through clenched teeth.

"Oh, really? I had no idea," the principal snapped sarcastically. "Since you were not having an affair with Miss Andrews then am I to presume that this is for Miss Tompkins?"

Jon couldn't hide the disgust he felt at the suggestion.

"Who is it for then, Mr. Turner?"

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and fixed his gazed on the wall behind Feeny.

"Audrey."

Feeny struggled to hide his own disgust with the situation. "If there was no affair then why, pray tell, would you have an engagement ring for your student teacher?"

Jon couldn't take it anymore. He jumped up and shouted, "It's not an affair! Stop callin' it that!"

"I am calling it what it is, Mr. Turner," Feeny replied coolly. There was an eerie stillness to his tone as he stared the other man down.

"No, you're not!" Jon turned his back on his employer briefly. "Accordin' to Webster's dictionary an affair as you're usin' it is defined as 'an intense amorous relationship, usually of short duration'. An engagement ring says it ain't short!"

Feeny rolled his eyes. "You can quote a dictionary definition and ram ain't into the same sentence. Charming skill for a teacher of English Literature."

"It was two sentences," Jon snarked under his breath.

The principal was not amused. "Watch yourself, Mr. Turner. The ice that was beneath you has already broken and every word can be used against you."

Jon glared at the tape recorder on the desk as the principal took a manila envelope and dumped its contents onto his desk. With deliberate, exaggerated motion he slapped each pamphlet in front of Jon.

All of the plans from their Mother's Day weekend were there.

"I have already spoken at length to Mr. Williams about all of this," Feeny said waving his hand over the papers. "Don't lie to me about this."

Jon dropped back into his seat and glared at the wall opposite him.

Feeny leaned over the desk. "Did you take Miss Andrews and Mr. Hunter out of town for a weekend stay at a cabin?"

Jon said nothing. He continued to glare at the wall.

"Did you or did you not?"

"Yes," he hissed through his teeth.

"Why did you go out of town with your student and your student teacher?"

It was at that moment that Jon realized how absolutely absurd this whole thing with Shawn and Audrey really was.

And there was no way Feeny would believe any of it.

Under the principal's harsh gaze, Jon finally responded, "Mother's Day weekend."

"Excuse me?"

"It was for Mother's Day, okay?" Jon shoved a foot out and pushed against a leg of the desk. "Shawn calls Audrey mama. His past Mother's Day haven't exactly gone well, so we wanted to give him some good memories."

Feeny's eyes narrowed at the ridiculous explanation. "Miss Andrews is not his mother."

"She's more his mother than Virna is," Jon retorted.

"Don't change the subject, Mr. Turner!"

"I'm not!" Jon gave the desk a small kick. "You asked why I took them outta town. I'm tellin' you why."

"Yes, it's a very convenient little domestic story you've concocted here. This cabin you stayed at- it only had one bedroom."

Jon rolled his eyes and shook his head at what his boss chose to fixate on.

"Where did Mr. Hunter stay?"

He knew what was coming and it was going to make everything worse if he answered honestly. He wasn't sure how bad things would be if he answered dishonestly, though. Rather than risk it he said, "On the futon in the living room."

Feeny straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest. "Leaving the bedroom to you and Miss Andrews."

"It wasn't like that!" Jon snapped letting his frustration get the better of him. "I got a roll-away-bed and slept on that while she had the bed."

This explanation was taken as an insult. Feeny shook his head in disbelief. "You expect me to believe that you shared a room with your very young, very pretty student teacher with whom you are carrying on an affair, but you did not share a bed? How stupid do you think I am?"

"We didn't! Ask Shawn!"

"I plan to, Mr. Turner. Believe me, I plan to. But I know he will protect you and lie to me just as you have."

"Fine, then ask Audrey!"

Feeny tapped a finger against the desktop, as he regained control of his temper. "Miss Andrews is not in a position to answer questions right now."

Jon's head jerked up. Anger was instantly replaced with worry. "What do you mean by that? What's wrong with her?"

Feeny folded his arms over his chest again and impassively stared at his teacher.

Jon felt all the anger and offense leak out of him, leaving him feel deflated. Knowing that his fate, whatever it was, was already decided, he gave up trying to defend himself and told Feeny sincerely:

"Look, Aud wanted to wait until marriage. And I know you think I have no self-control in that area, but I have too much respect for her to try anything she doesn't want to do. The trip wasn't about her and me. It was about her and Shawn. This weekend was special. It was her first Mother's Day."

Feeny frowned as he processed the seemingly contradictory statement Jon just made. "Are you suggesting…?"

"No, c'mon, George, I meant what I said about the respect thing." Jon slid down in his seat as he wondered how much he should tell his boss. Without anything left to lose, he said, "She isn't pregnant; she was gonna adopt Shawn with me."

This caught Feeny completely off-guard. He promptly sat down on his desk and put a hand against his cheek. "I'm sorry- what?"

Jon shifted uncomfortably in his seat, suddenly unsure how to explain the situation.

"The meetin' we set up for after school today- I was gonna discuss this Saturday and invite you to be a part of Shawn's big day."

"Big day?"

He sighed. "Aud and I were gonna sign paperwork to become his legal guardians. Then once we were married this summer, we were gonna adopt him. Already talked to Chet about it and everything was set up."

For once the principal was at a loss for words. Jon saw this and sighed. He'd already gone this far; he might as well tell him everything.

"We planned this at the Matthews a couple of weeks ago. It was gonna be at Chubbie's with the people who mean the most to Shawn. The Matthews have been a big part of this whole thing. I even told Alan my proposal plans and everything."

Silence filled the room.

Jon fidgeted with the button on the cuff of his sleeve.

The principal stared at him for another long moment then twitched his mustache as he shook his head. "Afraid I don't have much to say about this revelation, Jonathan. I cannot say that I was expecting to hear you would even consider adoption."

"You an' me both," he answered honestly.

"When did all this happen?"

He started to answer then paused before shrugging. "I dunno. Sometime around Christmas. Maybe before and I just didn't catch it."

A small smile tugged at the principal's mouth. "So you were with Miss Andrews at Christmas Village when I ran into her and Shawn."

"Yeah," Jon said, realizing with a strange sadness that the outcome they had been running from all this time happened anyway. "Shawn had this Christmas wish list of all this real traditional family stuff he wanted to do, so Aud and I did it for him."

"Fulfilling that list had that much of an impact, did it?"

"Yeah. Made me realize how much I wanted a family of my own." Jon's voice dropped to a barely audible level. "How much I wanted them."

"The apartment is quite small for three people, isn't it?"

Jon nodded. "We were gonna get a bigger place before the baby came along."

Feeny's brow shot up in surprise. "I thought you said Miss Andrews is not pregnant."

Jon picked at the fabric of the knee of his jeans. "She's not. But Shawn's wantin' a baby sister. Aud kind of promised him one."

This was a side of Jon Feeny did not know existed and it intrigued him "And you?"

Jon shrugged. "A daughter might be fun."

Feeny watched Jon whose expression took on a look so forlorn that he thought tears might be shed. "Are you alright, Jonathan?"

"No, I'm not," he replied, clearly distressed. "I don't wanna lose either of them, George. You take Audrey from me; you take Shawn from me."

"How so?"

Jon stared despondently at his hands. "He wanted a family with two parents. That's what I promised him. That's what the office of children and youth is expectin'. You take Aud from us and you take our chance at havin' a family."

Feeny stared at his teacher for a moment then put his hand against his cheek and sighed heavily. "If you had just told me the entirety of the situation when you were in my office yesterday…"

"What difference would that have made?"

"I could have been prepared for Miss Tompkins's accusations and stopped her."

"Stopped her from what?"

"Potentially going to the Board."

Jon grimaced. He had wondered why she didn't just do that in the first place. "How bad would that be?"

"It would be much worse for your family if she does, but I cannot predict exactly how much worse. I warned you about this, Jonathan."

"Yeah, I know, I know." He rolled his eyes. Apparently, he wasn't going to get out of a Feeny lecture.

"Would you like to know why I warned you?"

The softness that came into his voice piqued Jon's curiosity and reminded him that George had hinted at having experience with a similar situation.

"Yeah, actually, I would."

"I won't go into the nitty gritty to conserve time, but long ago when I was a young, idealist teacher out to change the world and before I met my wife, I was assigned to mentor teacher named Darla Gregory. This was a very unusual situation as men were not typically paired with female teachers; it was considered improper.

What began as a professional relationship quickly became personal.

I thought myself to be quite mature to handle this and teaching. However the more time I spent with her the more I believed I was in love with her. And to an extent, I was."

He looked up at Jon with a look of sadness mixed with understanding. "I supposed I should mention Darla was fifteen years my senior."

Jon's brow shot up in surprise. "Seriously?"

Feeny nodded.

"That personal relationship turned romantic. I was under the impression that things were serious, and I ignored the warning signs that things were very wrong with her. I also did not check to see if she was married."

"She was."

"Yes," he confirmed. "She was. And her husband was a violent drunk who was far from sober when he caught us in a restaurant the night I was going to propose. It was an ugly scene to say the least."

He paused for a moment then continued.

"In those days, a man could do just about anything and get off very lightly. A woman in the same situation could not. The school board did not take adultery lightly. However, you would not have known I was an active participant by the press nor would you know that the husband was anything but a beacon of morality. It was ugly indeed. Not only did I lose the woman I thought would be the love of my life, but her career was ruined. She lost her teaching certificate and her reputation, something that was very important in those days."

A dark look passed over his features. "She never recovered from the scandal."

"What happened to her?"

Feeny put a fist to his lips and shook his head.

It was Jon's turn to be at a loss for words. However he now understood why Feeny jumped to worst case scenario with him and Audrey.

"Pretty sure Aud isn't married, though," he said with quiet sarcasm. He looked up at the principal with a deeper respect. "I didn't know any of this."

Feeny nodded in acknowledgement when he saw the look. "Would it have made a difference if you had?"

Jon thought about this for a moment then said, "Yeah, I think it would have."

"And it would have made a difference if I had known what was really going on with you and Miss Andrews."

Jon gave a sheepish nod.

"I suppose we both made mistakes in that regard."

"Yeah." Jon appreciated the acknowledgement. He paused for a moment as his conversation with Alex came back to him. "School board isn't gonna do anything to Aud, George. They can't. She doesn't work for the district."

"No," he agreed with a grim expression. "But you do."

"What am I lookin' at?"

"Worst case scenario?"

Jon nodded apprehensively.

"Your teaching license is revoked, the reason for it follows you for the rest of your life, and you never teach again."

Jon sucked in a sharp breath. "That could create a real problem gettin' Shawn."

"Yes, it could."

An overwhelming feeling of dismay overcame him. "Best case scenario?"

Feeny considered this then said, "The board dismisses the charges since NYU has no issue with the situation. Audrey gets medical clearance and joins the English department in September."

Jon looked up in surprise. "Still?"

"If I have any say in the matter, yes."

"Thanks, George."

"Tread lightly from here on out, Jonathan," he warned sternly. "I'll see what I can do as far as the Board is concerned. As soon as school is over for the day, I'll head to the district to meet with Gerald about this and make sure that Miss Tompkins doesn't attempt to file a false complaint."

Jon nodded and stood. "I appreciate it, George," he said sincerely. Then, after the moment it to swallow his pride, he said, "And I'm sorry."

Before the principal could respond, the phone rang. "Apology accepted," he said as he picked up the receiver. "Hello, this George Feeny."

The response caused him to look up suddenly. He put his hand over the receiver. "Jonathan, wait."

With his hand on the door, Jon looked back over his shoulder with a worried look.

The conversation seemed to go on forever with no information as Feeny's only responses were variations on "I see" and nothing but a stoic expression.

After he finally hung up the phone, Feeny leaned against his desk in silent repose.

"George? What is it? You're killin' me!"

Feeny stared at him for a long moment with an apologetic look. "She went to the Board."

"What?"

"Apparently she went to the Board first even though she said this wouldn't and that this would remain between us until I decided what to do."

Jon swore at the ceiling. "Now what?"

Feeny shook his head. "I'm not sure. I will still meet with Gerald after school. I suggest you head home and wait for my call."

Jon sighed. "Okay."

"Have you spoken to Audrey since she left?"

"No."

"I'm not sure you should."

Jon arched an eyebrow. "Why?"

"A gut feeling, Jonathan. Let Shawn talk to her."

"Okay," he paused. Anxiety spiked at the lies Kat had told the Board about him and his relationship with Audrey. "This is bad, isn't it?"

"Yes, this is very bad."

"She really didn't have much to say."

Shawn sat at the Matthews' kitchen table between Jon and Alan. Cory sat across from him anxiously twisting a napkin into a pretzel. Jon put his hand over his mouth and regarded Shawn with grave concern.

He folded his hands in front of him. "I told her what Feeny said, but all she said 'uh-huh', 'yeah', and 'okay'."

"Poor Audrey," Amy said walking up behind Alan. Putting her hands on his shoulders she leaned over to put her chin on the top of his head. "I'm worried about her."

Jon said nothing.

"I mean," Shawn went on watching his teacher closely. "She did say 'I love you' before we hung up but that's about it."

The paper pretzel fell apart in Cory's hands. "Did she say anything at all about Mr. Turner?"

Shawn shot Jon a sympathetic look. "No. She sounded like she was gonna cry every time I brought you up, so I sorta stopped."

Jon closed his eyes and furrowed his brow.

"I can imagine how upsetting this whole thing is to her," Alan said. "It is ridiculous that it's even an issue. But it will blow over."

Slowly Jon moved his hand away from his mouth. "I'm being investigated."

"What? Why?" came at him from four different directions as the Matthews, Shawn, and Cory stared at him.

He glance at them all then closed his eyes again. "Inappropriate conduct with a subordinate."

"What is this the military?" Alan scoffed in irritation. "She's an adult and nothing happened. So what exactly is inappropriate?"

Jon's hand went back over his mouth.

Alan gave Amy a questioning look. She patted his shoulder and caught Cory's attention. "Boys, why don't you head to Cory's room for a while."

Cory and Shawn exchanged looks. Without protest, Shawn stood up and headed upstairs with Cory at his heels.

Once the boys were gone, Amy took the place where Shawn had been sitting. "Do you know what's going to happen?"

Jon shook his head. "George managed to keep me from bein' put on administrative leave." He sighed heavily. "I wish I had been, to be honest. I don't really feel like doin' what needs to be done in order to teach effectively."

"School year's almost over so I'm not sure it matters much," Alan remarked.

Jon gave a hollow laugh in agreement.

"What are you planning on doing?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Everythin' is on hold pendin' the outcome of the hearin'. Everythin' but Saturday. That's cancelled."

Alan shook his head in frustration with the situation.

"Have you talked to the family lawyer about this yet?" Amy asked.

"No," Jon admitted. "I'm afraid of what they'll say."

"What are you worried about?"

"That I won't get Shawn without Audrey. That the investigation won't let me have Shawn with Audrey."

Amy frowned. "But the family courts knew about your situation from the beginning, right?"

Jon nodded.

"And they knew about her age and your position over her."

He nodded again.

"And they knew about your plans with her."

Again, he nodded.

"Look, Chet named you both as guardian," Alan pointed out. "The court knew about the situation; they cleared everything. All that was left was the signatures on the papers. Even if the school board should rule against you, I still don't think it will go against you in the family courts."

"It might if I lose my job and certification."

"How?"

"I dunno. It'll limit my ability to provide for Shawn and Audrey."

"Once Audrey's healthy again, you know you'll have her help," Alan said.

"I don't want her to work." Frustration seeped through Jon's voice. He took a breath and clarified, "I don't care if she works. I do care if this is the reason she has to work."

"Why don't we take things a step at a time?" Amy interjected putting a comforting hand on his arm. "Call your lawyer and let her know about the situation. Then let's try to take a breath and regroup."

Two sets of eyes peered around the corner of the staircase watching the adults.

Two sets of ears listened intently.

"I hate not knowing what will happen next," Cory nervously whispered in Shawn's ear as they sat back on a stair. "Can't plan for nothin' that way."

A pinched expression marred Shawn's face as he nodded in agreement.

"What are we going to do?"

Silently, Shawn stood up and motioned for Cory to follow him upstairs.

"This is really bad," Cory said as soon as the door to his bedroom was closed. Anxiously his fingers went into his hair, and he didn't allow Shawn to answer his original question before barreling on. "This could change the course of our future."

Shawn arched a brow as he watched his best friend pace the room.

"I mean this could have devastating consequences for all of us."

Shawn squinted at him.

"If Mr. Turner and Miss Andrews don't get married then they can't adopt you. If they don't adopt you, we won't be brothers." Cory's expression became more distraught with every word. "If we aren't brothers, then we'll end up estranged for years and years after my daughter is born…"

"Cory!" Shawn wrestled the lapels of his leather jacket away from his best friend. "Snap out of it! That's not gonna happen."

Cory stared at him in distress. "You're right. I won't have a daughter because Topanga and I won't get married! Shawn, this is going to ruin my life! Miss Tompkins is going to ruin my life just so she can get back with Mr. Turner!"

Shawn scratched his neck while he shook his head at the wild conclusions Cory was capable of drawing when he was in a dramatic mood. "Cory, I think you and Topanga will be fine."

"You think?"

"Yeah."

Cory folded and unfolded his hands in front of him. "How come you're so sure about that?"

"Because things are going to work out just fine." Shawn dropped to the bed with a bounce, "Jon and Aud will get married. We will be brothers. And you'll have a daughter."

"With Topanga?"

"Yeah, with Topanga," he reassured him with a small smile.

"How can you be so sure?" Cory asked as took a seat next him.

"Feeny can't go against the Constitution," Shawn responded confidently.

Unable to mentally shift fast enough to follow Shawn into civics, he could only respond with "huh"?

"Feeny grilled me after he got done with Jon," he explained, leaning back on the mattress. He propped himself up on one elbow. "Don't worry. I lied about everything."

"Okay, good. But what does that have to do with the Constitution?"

Shawn shook his hair out of his face. "I tried not to lie because it stresses Jon out but every time I pleaded the Fifth, Feeny told me it's not a criminal trial, so it doesn't apply."

"Wow," Cory breathed in amazement, "I never thought Feeny would be anti-establishment."

"Dude's gotta god complex, I'm tellin' you."

Cory stared at the carpet in dismay. "If Feeny rejects the Constitution, we are dead."

Shawn dismissed the idea. "Nah, it'll work out."

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"Because it's true. Everything will be fine, Cory. You'll see."

Cory found Shawn's unflappable coolness mildly frustrating. "Usually I'm telling you that. Why are you so sure?"

"Because Audrey said so."

He sat on the edge of the bed and twisted around to look back at Shawn. "I know Miss Andrews knows a lot, but she can't possibly know the future."

Unphased, Shawn lifted his chin slightly. "Are you and Topanga meant to be?"

Cory frowned slightly. "Yeah."

"Things can't be perfect because life isn't perfect," he said wisely. "But even though the roads are rough, we'll make it to where we need to be. Just gotta wear that helmet."

Eric once told Cory that life was hard and to wear a helmet, but he was unaware his brother had ever had the same conversation with Shawn. However, now was not the time to ask about it. Instead he said, "I just don't want you to be hurt if things don't work out is all."

"I know and I appreciate it. But it will work out."

"I hope so."

Shawn sat up and took on Cory's posture by putting his elbows on his knees. "Cor, why are you and Topanga gonna have a daughter someday?"

"Cause we're going to get married someday," he replied, curious as to why Shawn kept bring things back to him.

"How do you know?"

Cory gave a ruefully snort. "Because Topanga's the only girl for me."

"But you're broken up and datin' other people," Shawn pointed out.

"Well, yeah, for now."

"How do you know it isn't forever?"

"Because we're…" A small smile tugged at Cory's mouth as he realized where Shawn's questions were leading. "Because we're meant to be."

Shawn gave him a knowing smirk.

"Exactly."

"Man, I knew you were a magnet for crazy women."

Eli stood in Jon's kitchen with a freshly opened soda in his hand watching his best friend pace the small living area of the apartment. "But I didn't expect one turn out to be an actual bunny-boiler."

Jon stopped pacing long enough to glare at his best friend. "I hate that movie."

Eli shrugged.

After several minutes of lapping the couch, he put the soda down and stepped in Jon's path.

"Just call her."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Feeny said not to."

Eli scrunched up his nose at the remark. "What is he your dad or something?"

Jon threw up his hands. "You sound like Shawn."

Eli shook his head slightly. "I swear teachers have had actual affairs with students and people barely blink. Why is the school board pursuing this so hard when Audrey's an adult?"

Jon's chin dropped down towards his chest.

His lack of immediate response made Eli raise his brow in concern. "She is an adult, right?"

Jon put his hand on his waist and glared at him.

"Just checkin'," Eli shook his head again. "Look, just call her. How is anyone gonna find out?"

"Feeny knows everythin'!"

He shifted uncomfortable and grimaced. "Yeah, true."

Jon resumed pacing.

Finally Eli said, "Look you've got to talk to her or else you're gonna wear a hole through the floor and you won't be able to cover the repairs if you lose your career."

Jon glared at him again but stopped and dropped onto the couch. Eli picked the phone up and handed it to him.

"I don't wanna get her in trouble."

"Isn't there someone you can call who knows her other than Richie?"

Jon frowned at the television set for a moment then lit up. "Yeah, her advisor."

"Thank God," Eli muttered under his breath. "I can't take much more of the moping!"

To distract himself and to give Jon a little bit of privacy (but not so much that he couldn't overhear), he busied himself in the kitchen preparing dinner since Shawn would be home later and Jon clearly wasn't capable of it at the moment.

Eli opened the freezer and saw that it was well stocked with meals Audrey had prepared before they left for Lancaster. He closed the door and looked over his shoulder at Jon wondering how much worse it be for him and Shawn if dinner was Audrey's food minus Audrey.

He decided neither Jon nor Shawn would notice if dinner was a can of soup, chips, a sprig of lettuce.

Oh, and a soda.

"What do you mean she won't talk?"

Eli looked up sharply and put down the can opener.

"Is she eatin'? Alex, someone has to be with her and make sure she's gettin' to her meetin's and follow her plan at home." Distressed, Jon ran his hand through his hair as he knelt on the couch. "Ah, man, she needs someone takin' care of her!"

His mouth pressed into a thin line as he listened to Alex's reply.

Eli found himself inching closer to Jon, very curious and a little worried.

"Well, look, maybe she needs a distraction, you know?" The anxiety and frustration of his situation came through in his voice. "If you could get her some flowers, get hibiscus because plumeria is hard to find. Just don't get roses; she hates them. And put 'em in my name. I'll pay you back. I know she probably doesn't want anything to eat, but she love that new cookie n' cream thing Hershey puts out. Just don't get her milk or dark chocolate. White chocolate only. You know, forget that. She'd rather have her tea. It's a specialty tea- peppermint and chocolate…"

Jon's detailed list of Audrey's likes and dislikes surprised Eli. It was a striking change from the old days when Jon couldn't remember a woman's name never mind what flavor and brand of tea she preferred.

As much as he liked Audrey this realization bothered him quite a bit.

Jon was changing.

He shifted uncomfortably but continued to listen.

"Yeah, well, could you do it just in case I can't do it myself for some reason? I've a got a bad feelin' about this, Alex. There's gonna be a hearin'." Jon put his hand over his mouth as he listened to the response. Then he sighed heavily and said, "Yeah, okay. I'll try. Thanks. Later."

Jon stood with the phone to his ear long after Audrey's advisor had hung up while Eli waited to find out about the part of the conversation he couldn't hear.

"Well?" Eli asked impatiently when no information was offered.

Jon looked at him blankly. "Alex says nothin' will happen. NYU has already completed their investigation- no misconduct."

Refraining from saying "See I told you so" Eli opted for, "See nothing to worry about."

Jon not only didn't look convinced, but he also looked even more miserable. He really didn't understand why Jon was so upset over something that was seemingly easy to resolve, but then he also didn't understand the changes in his best friend. No matter, Jon needed him so Eli offered the most comforting reassurance he could while trying to also snap him out of his melancholy.

"Look, Jonny, if the school board snuff's your license over this G-rated thing you've got with Audrey, then there is some messed up politics going on and a maybe a story that can get me outta education."

Eli anticipated an eye roll or sarcastic retort. Jon put his hand over his mouth and closed his eyes while slightly shaking his head.

He had no idea what to make of this lack of response. "Okay I'm starting to really get concerned. Why are you so worried about all this?"

As Jon recounted his fear that losing Audrey would be losing Shawn, Eli was dumbfounded by the things coming out of his best friend's mouth:

Marriage.

Kids.

Fatherhood.

Fear.

Doubt.

Eli felt like he was suddenly talking to a stranger. Pushing the uncomfortable feeling aside, he sat on the arm of the couch and regarded Jon worriedly.

"You're jumping to worst-case scenario," he pointed out.

Jon shook his head and stared at the TV set. "I can't help it, Eli. Kat could literally ruin my life, Audrey's, and Shawn's."

"But Feeny's on your side, right?"

"Yeah."

Eli frowned. "This is what I don't get; you've got the all-powerful Feeny backing you but you're sitting here convinced your life is over."

Jon glanced up at him, put his hand back over his mouth, and muttered into his palm.

Eli spent a few minutes more trying to convince him that the world wasn't ending but he couldn't budge Jon's fatalist outlook. So he sat on the couch with him flipping through the channels while they waited for Shawn to come home wondering what happened to the man he once knew as well as he knew himself.

The rest of the week was a blur.

Jon had no memory of the lead up to his "trial". During that time, Alan, Eli, and Feeny were in and out of his life, offering advice and support. Amy insisted that he and Shawn join them for dinner every night. Yet nothing done or said brought him any comfort.

Instead, a gamut of emotion engulfed him all day and all night. The uncertainty of what lay ahead of him made him restless and distant. He couldn't focus on anything, so nothing got done.

While the other adults offered plenty of practical advice, they had their own lives and did not see what he was like at home.

But Shawn did.

And it was Shawn who got him through the week.

The teen stepped up to not only take care of himself and do all of the household chores, but he also made sure that not only did he have his schoolwork done and with him when he left for school, he made sure Jon had everything he needed as well. He managed the laundry on his own and even avoided fights over the machines.

The hearing was slated for Friday after school.

With permission from Feeny, Shawn was glued to Jon's side all day as his assistant. With the end of the school year so close, no one questioned this because they had checked out weeks ago.

When the final bell rang, Jon sank into his chair and put his hand over his mouth. Shawn sat on the desk and watched him closely. A short time later, Cory poked his head into the classroom and gave a light rap on the doorframe.

Shawn looked up and waved him in.

Cory stepped into the room and made his way to his best friend. Right behind him was Alan.

Jon frowned when he saw Cory's father. "What are you doin' here?"

Alan walked over to Shawn and put a fatherly hand on his head then messed up his hair. "Your kid is my kid's best friend. According to my kid that makes us brothers."

Jon gave a snort of disbelief at the idea. He glanced at Cory who raised his palms up.

"I don't make the rules, Mr. Turner. That's life."

Alan chuckled then said, "You need a couple of character witnesses for this thing. I'm one of them."

Jon sighed. "Who's the other?"

"Your actual brother, man."

He looked up and saw Eli in the doorway.

"C'mon, you didn't think I was gonna leave you hanging did you?"

"I haven't thought about much of anything," he admitted sheepishly.

Alan and Eli carried the conversation while Shawn and Cory injected their special brand of random nonsense to take Jon's mind off of the inevitable.

It didn't work but chatter was better than silence.

Silence did fall when Mr. Feeny entered the room.

With a heavy sigh, he announced, "Gentlemen, it's time."

Jon closed his eyes as a wave of anxiety hit him making him feel nauseated.

Shawn was at his side in an instant with his hand on his shoulder. "We got your six," he told him resolutely.

He put his hand on top of his kid's hand for a moment then slowly stood up.

"You aren't alone, Jonathan," Feeny told him seriously while Alan and Eli agreed with him.

Jon nodded, not feeling even slightly better, and headed for the door to finally face the school board.

Ordinarily an educator misconduct hearing took sixty days from the time the complaint was filed to reach a hearing. However Mr. Feeny used every bit of influence he had to make the hearing happen as soon as possible.

A sixty-day delay would have resulted in Jon being put on administrative leave and suspended without pay which would jeopardize his standing as Shawn's legal guardian.

The school board agreed due to concern over the press getting a hold of the story once they realized how much the complainant liked to talk.

The investigation didn't need two months anyway. Kat's pictures were taken into evidence and Jon, under Feeny's advice, gave the school board access to everything in those pictures.

Shawn was interviewed again and told the truth this time.

Audrey submitted an affidavit. She was still refusing to speak to anyone directly.

With everyone involved in the hearing, and a few extra witnesses crowded into conference room at John Adams High, the hearing opened in overdone pomp making it seem as though Jon was on trial.

He and Feeny sat at a table in front of the school board. Behind them were Alan, Eli, and Jedidiah Lawrence. Shawn and Cory were left in the hallway as no students were permitted at the hearing.

On the other side of the aisle at another table, was Kat. Behind her was advanced math teacher Stuart Yancy and the science teacher, Darrel Sorrell.

"What are they doin' with her?" Jon asked the principal with concern.

Feeny forced himself not to roll his eyes at the trio. "The same thing Mr. Matthews and Mr. Williams are doing for you, unfortunately."

Jon sat back feeling more anxious than before. He didn't think Kat was close enough to anyone to be able to use them for character witnesses. Now that he thought about it he realized how little he knew about her. He had no idea if she had siblings or if her parents were even alive.

He shivered at how close he'd come to marrying a stranger.

"Don't worry, Jonathan," George put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Neither are credible sources and both have rather antagonistic relationships with the school board members."

Jon nodded but this knowledge made him feel as though he was being set up. If they were bothering to appear they must have something planned. Yancy and Sorrell never did anything without it benefiting them, usually financially.

Kat had no finances outside of teaching.

Or least none he knew about.

The hearing opened with a representative from NYU presenting the result of their investigation- no misconduct found.

Then the drama began.

Kat was the first to be questioned and put on quite a show of being the broken-hearted and wronged girlfriend. Her excuse for being in Jon's apartment without his knowledge or permission was that she and Jon had never broken up. The key she used was hers. She claimed she decided to search their apartment because she didn't believe his story for being out of town that weekend- a friend's wedding. She did believe he was cheating on her with his student teacher.

As much as the lie aggravated Jon, he expected as much and didn't react to it. When she produced the photos missing from Shawn's family album, he did react and earned a reprimand from the board and Feeny.

"Be calm, Jonathan," the principal leaned over and hissed in his ear. "A reaction is what she wants to make the board question your honesty."

Jon slouched down in his seat and glared at the floor.

When her character witnesses were called to make their statements the testimonies sounded poorly scripted. Yancy clearly knew nothing about her and focused his ire on Jon who couldn't remember ever meeting the man much less what he'd done to make him so angry. Sorrell somehow made the entire thing about him.

Feeny didn't bother to hide his disdain for either of them.

When Jon's turn came to give his side of the story, Kat was preening over a victory she hadn't yet been given and it took everything he had and then some not to react in anyway.

He deserved an Oscar for his performance.

Audrey's statement was read out loud by Andrea Nguyen. Shawn's video interview was presented by Feeny who found absurd humor in the teen's persistent demand that everyone uphold the Constitution.

When Jon's turn came, he was asked no questions.

The president of the Board, Gerald O'Malley, said Jon's side was quite clear due to the evidence he's provided, and he was instead focused on those who were there to speak on his behalf.

Alan, being a parent, rather than a colleague, spent most of the time talking to the Board about his relationship with Jon and what he'd seen over the past two years.

Jedidiah Lawrence impulsively offered to speak on Jon's behalf as well. The Board found him an interesting person to talk to if nothing else and they spent almost as much time with him as they did Alan.

Eli spent the least amount of time with them given that he was Jon's closest friend, and a bias was assumed.

Then came Mr. Feeny.

It was no surprise to anyone that the principal was brutally honest about his initial misgivings over Jon's ability as a teacher his first year and placing Audrey with him in his second.

Jon found it difficult to listen to without defending himself and he cringed internally over many of the stories the principal chose to share.

However, Feeny spent even more time on how much progress Jon had made as an educator and person, particularly where Shawn was concerned. The way Feeny spoke about him in the conclusion of his statement surprised him- like he was a nephew of sorts. He also confirmed what Alan and Eli told the Board: Jon and Kat had been broken up for months.

His testimony wasn't the end of his speech, however. He turned his attention to Kat.

Kat didn't seem overly bothered by any of the statements that contradicted her story until he brought up the incident with Shawn's stolen key.

Jon covered a smirk with his hand when he saw the color drain from her face when she realized what Feeny was about to do to her: call her character into question.

She wasn't prepared for it and the new information took the hearing in another turn.

Kat found herself back before the Board under fire over the key. She faltered briefly then found her groove and quietly explained that she knew Shawn had lost his key yet again and she was trying to save him from getting into serious trouble with Jon

Gerald O'Malley sat back angry now that he understood this entire complaint against a district employee was retaliation for a soured romance.

"This is a matter of 'he said she said'," he snapped gruffly at those in attendance. "This a pointless matter to pursue as there is no way to prove who is telling the truth!"

On cue, Feeny pushed his chair back and stood up. A small smirk tickled his mustache. "I beg to differ."

O'Malley raised his brow in surprise. "We're listening."

"Miss Casey." The principal turned to those in attendance and motioned to a woman with curly red hair and bright blue eyeshadow. "Would you please tell your story to the Board?"

The woman nodded and joined Feeny at their table.

Jon had no idea who the woman was. He'd never seen her before.

"I work at Hank's Hardware. That woman," she pointed at Kat, "came in with a key that she wanted a copy of. Said her son lost his key again and she didn't want him to get into trouble with his dad."

Kat crossed her arms over her waist and smiled smugly. Miss Casey saw this and frowned.

"The next day," she went on keeping an eye on Kat, "this cute teen boy came in with his "friends, a boy with real curly hair, and a real pretty girl with gorgeous hair. Said he wanted a key made and I asked him what happened to the key his mom just had made."

"How did you know he was the son of woman from the day before?" O'Malley asked.

"Easy. The key she brought in and the key he brought in both had a smudge of Chanel nail polish in the color Vamp on it in the same spot. Plus the kid's key had a little mark on it indicating that a copy had been made by a key machine. Hank's is the only one in the immediate area with one of the new machines."

"I see," O'Malley grumbled more agitated than before that the complaint against Feeny's teacher was a farce.

Jon glanced at Kat and couldn't help but delight in her anger and embarrassment.

The Board took a brief recess to discuss this new information.

When they returned they asked Jon for more details about things Kat had done, both to him and to Shawn. By the time they came back to her, she realized she was in the crosshairs and that it was she, not Jon, who was in serious trouble.

O'Malley barely started his query when Kat broke down in tears. In a surreal turn of events, it was Yancy who stepped in to speak on her behalf.

"Esteemed president," he groveled while Jon rolled his eyes. "I know Katherine very well and she has been withholding pertinent information in an effort to spare Mr. Turner's career."

Mr. Feeny reacted immediately. He stood and slapped a hand on the table, glaring at his math teacher. "Miss Tompkins is the one who filed the complaint putting his career in jeopardy, Stuart."

Yancy shot him a nasty glare for the interruption.

O'Malley pressed his palms together and waited for someone to continue.

Yancy regrouped and went on, "But she does have a final piece of evidence that gross misconduct did, in fact, occur."

Jon looked at Feeny in confusion. The principal put a hand on his shoulder.

"We're listening," O'Malley gestured at Yancy to hurry up.

"Katherine," Yancy said kindly, "Do show our esteemed President what you have."

With careful humility, Kat approached the Board members' table and handed O'Malley a small box. Suspiciously, he accepted the box and opened it.

He stared at the contents in disbelief.

Silence filled the conference room.

Jon shifted his position every few seconds unable to quell his anxiety. Feeny sat in stony silence. Katherine's crew sat smugly awaiting to be handed victory.

Finally, O'Malley looked up and passed the box to his colleagues. As they examined it he gestured for Mr. Feeny to come up to their table.

When the box was returned to him O'Malley passed it to the principal.

Feeny took one look at what was in it and anger flared in his eyes. He was so furious over what he held in his hands that he didn't trust himself to speak.

"You were right,." O'Malley said.

"Yes, unfortunately."

O'Malley shook his head and held out his hand for the box. "I'm sorry, George, but we cannot tolerate this. I'm afraid one of your teachers is going to have to go."

Feeny nodded solemnly. "Yes, I know."

When he returned to his seat, he put his hand on Jon's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Jonathan."

"About what?"

"What you are going to have to sit through."

Jon, now terrified by the look on his boss's face and the tone of his voice, sat up straight. "And that is?"

Feeny gave a curt shake of his head. "Just don't react. Let this play out."

"What? Tell me."

Feeny redirected his attention to the Board members. "Do not react."

O'Malley gave Kat a peeved looked as he leaned forward and asked gruffly, "Miss Tompkins, what is in this box?"

Katherine shifted in her seat looking appropriately uncomfortable.

"A positive pregnancy test."

Jon didn't react.

Not because Feeny told him not to, but because there wasn't anything to react to.

He knew he was supposed to be outraged but he felt nothing. He couldn't get over how stupid she must think everyone in the room was to think a positive test was evidence of anything that someone somewhere might be pregnant. There was no way to prove who that test belonged to or where she got it.

Still Kat told her story about finding the test in the trash in Jon's bathroom.

"Who goes through bathroom trash looking for something like that?" Jon heard Alan ask. He turned slightly in his seat to see who he was talking to.

"A crazy person," Eli replied just loud enough to be heard. "She was probably looking for Jon's hair for a doll or something and, 'oops, look what I found!'."

Feeny cleared his throat his throat hoping they'd take the hint to shut up.

Neither heard him and continued their conversation.

"How many kids you got?"

"Three."

"How many tests did Amy go through?"

"Way more than three."

"Can you take those anywhere?"

"Yeah, pretty much. You really just need a bathroom."

"Can you fake those things?"

"Yeah, get someone who is pregnant to pee on the stick."

"Stick?"

Alan explained the details of the test while Eli listened intently. After he was done, Alan sat and crossed his arms over his chest. "What I don't get is why she thinks this is proof of anything?"

"Poor planning and over confidence." Eli shrugged then hit Alan's shoulder with the back of his hand. "You know what she should've done? Put the test in Jon's trashcan and take a picture while she was at the apartment. Then she would've had a story that would be a lot harder to disprove."

By this time the entire room was listening to the men's conversation with morbid curiosity.

"Will you two be quiet?" Feeny hissed in annoyance and mild embarrassment.

"Yes," O'Malley cleared his throat. "Thank you, gentlemen, for voicing what we were all thinking. And then some."

"No problem," Eli replied with a grin, pleased with himself.

Alan chuckled.

"This has been an overwhelming amount of information to take in," O'Malley informed them. "We will recess for an hour and return with our verdict."

Verdict.

It was a trial.

Jon covered his face with his hands.

He felt numb and couldn't think.

"The Board knows," Feeny put his hand on his shoulder in reassurance.

Jon lifted his head. "Knows what?"

"About her previous false accusation regarding Audrey being pregnant."

"What?"

"Yes, while you were covering up Audrey's counseling sessions Kat reported it to me as hiding a pregnancy rather than an eating disorder."

He should have felt something at this revelation, but the numbness wouldn't release him. Instead, he wondered what else Feeny knew.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew it wasn't true."

Jon did feel mild annoyance at that and frowned. "And you grilled me in your office because…?"

"I wanted confirmation that I was correct."

Jon sighed then put his hand over his mouth briefly. "What are the odds they believe her?"

Feeny shook his head to dismiss the idea. "They won't."

"You sure?"

"I am."

"I hope you're right, George. I need you to be right."

The loud slamming of something heavy from the area where Katherine sat caught the men's attention. They turned to see Sorrell leaning over the table pointing a finger at Yancy who was gesturing angrily at Katherine.

"I told you this was a step too far!" Sorrell slid the briefcase off the table in dramatic fashion. "You wouldn't listen to me so you can deal with the consequences."

He stormed out with theatrical flourish, making sure people saw him go.

Yancy glared at Katherine then ran after the science teacher, begging for forgiveness. Katherine frantically called after him, but her "close friends" had abandoned her.

She stood at the table all alone.

Jon glared at her then turned back to his team. Alan and Eli chatted trying to get his mind off the wait. Their conversation drifted into talk about Katherine and her antics. Eli didn't hold back on his contempt for her and Alan wanted to hear all about it.

Jon, however, was sick of hearing all about it and had to get out. He made a quick march to the door and sought refuge in the quiet hall. Shawn and Cory, who had been listening to the best of their ability at the door, jumped back then rushed to greet him.

"Hey, what's going on?" Shawn asked, grabbing his arm.

"Yeah, Mr. Turner, you still teaching or what?" Cory asked anxiously.

Jon stared blankly at the boys with nothing to say.

As Cory was about to bombard him with more questions Shawn put his hand over his best friend's mouth and removed it when Cory gave him a quizzical look.

Shawn ignored him and focused on Jon. "You don't know anything yet do you?"

"No." Jon paused as he saw Amy coming down the hall. "Look, Shawn, it's gettin' late and I'm not sure how much longer this gonna go on…"

Shawn glanced over his shoulder and saw Cory's mom. "And you want us to go with Mrs. Matthews and wait for you at Cory's."

He nodded.

Shawn sighed. He could see Jon had no fight left in him and he could probably argue his way into staying. He stared at him for a moment then said, "Okay."

Jon was surprised there was no resistance and relieved that there wasn't. "Thanks, bud."

Shawn grabbed him in a hug and Cory, without thinking, hugged Jon too and held on tighter than Shawn.

No sooner had Jon said goodbye to the boys, than Mr. Feeny called him back into the conference room.

"They're back."

Gerald O'Malley looked grim as he called the hearing to order again. He looked tired and annoyed.

"Jonathan Turner."

Jon shot Feeny a worried look as he stood up. The principal gave him a tight smile.

"Mr. Turner." His tone was harsh. "The Board has been placed in a very difficult position. While we agree with NYU's findings that there was no technical misconduct, we do believe that you did not exercise enough caution in your personal dealings with Miss Andrews. For this relationship to have progressed to the point of a marriage proposal we believe far too much time in the classroom was devoted to the personal side of the relationship."

O'Malley cast a glance at Katherine and saw her preening grin. His expression soured further as he continued,

"While we do not believe your relationship was detrimental to any student, another teacher became deeply involved in breaking up that relationship and it did affect students' education and one student in and out of the classroom. Because of this, we must rule strongly on the matter."

Worriedly, Jon looked to Feeny for reassurance that this would go against Kat and not him. But the other man wouldn't look at him. He covered his mouth with a finger and shook his head, already disagreeing with whatever the Board was about to say.

"Beginning today, you, Jonathan Turner, are to have no contact with Audrey Andrews for a period of one year. Should you decided to defy the Board, your contract will be terminated, and your license will be suspended."

Jon and his friends sat in stunned silence. No one could believe how harsh this was when "no misconduct was found".

A chill settled over Jon.

No contact?

For a year?

"Gerald," Feeny injected in frustration. "How is this fair? You said there was no misconduct found."

O'Malley shot him a disgruntled look. "I am not done, George."

He shifted in his seat and directed his attention to the other side of the room.

"Katherine Tompkins."

Katherine stood slowly. She didn't look so confident now.

O'Malley cleared his throat. "We are aware that this is not the first time you have brought this false accusation up in an attempt to get Miss Andrews's student teaching terminated. And it is false," he said pointedly when Kat started to argue. "It's already been confirmed by her doctor. The antics you have engaged in to retaliate for Mr. Turner breaking up with you and moving on is unconscionable. Taking your frustration out on a student multiple times because you believed he interfered with your relationship with Mr. Turner is indefensible. Your conduct is now under investigation. As of this moment you are suspended pending your hearing in the fall."

Katherine's reprimand sent a shocked murmur through those that were there.

Jon didn't react. He felt nothing. Not victorious nor vindicated. He was not happy about Kat's fate. What happened to her didn't matter because it didn't change what happened to him.

One year.

No Audrey.

How was he going to tell Shawn there would be no summer in the City?

How was he going to tell Shawn there would be no wedding?

How was he going to tell Shawn there would be no adoption?

How was he going to tell Shawn that everything was over?

"How does the school board have any control over someone's private life?"

"They are power trippin, man'! No offense, George, but being an educator sucks and I'm getting out."

While Alan and Eli voiced their intense frustration with Jon's sentencing, Jon himself said nothing.

He felt nothing.

There was a black hole in his mind that swallowed all of his thoughts and emotions.

"Gentlemen, please." Feeny glanced at Jon. "I strongly disagree with this as well. But there are extenuating circumstances to consider. The potential for this to be leaked to the media is great and that would make matters much worse. It is better for this to be dealt with quickly, even if it was unfair."

"Can we appeal?" Eli asked.

"Yes but I advise against it due to the press it would generate. I do believe that would interfere with Jonathan's plans for his and Shawn's future."

He still felt nothing.

His future.

And Shawn's.

Was there even such a thing anymore?

"It is only a year after all," the principal went on, "the length of most engagements."

Finally he felt something- cold.

The coldness grew as he realized he and Audrey weren't officially engaged and all his plans for an "Officer and a Gentleman" proposal were dead.

Eli caught the look on his face and grabbed a hold of his shoulder. "Audrey will wait for you."

Jon hung his head and grimaced.

He didn't doubt that she would wait for him.

He doubted that Shawn would wait.

Alan seemingly read his mind and asked, "Jon, can you go ahead with the legal guardianship without Audrey? Get Shawn now and in a year she can join you for the adoption?"

Jon struggled to pull his thoughts. After a while he shook his head in dismay. "I promised him Audrey. I promised him a mom and a dad. I told the office of children and youth that's what we were gonna give him."

"Yeah, I know but can you get him on your own?"

Jon tried to pin down the specifics on Shawn's case. The numbness was wearing off and he was beginning to feel a rush of unpleasant emotions. He shook his head again.

"No."

Feeny frowned. "Why not?"

"Chet named me and Audrey as Shawn's guardians," Jon said with a shrug of defeat. "We filed jointly. I could do it on my own but that would require trackin' Chet down and gettin' him to name me alone as guardian. He's callin' even less than before, and I don't know how to find him."

This was all very true but what Jon did not voice was his deeper concern that he would not be able to care for and parent Shawn the way he needed without Audrey given how badly his choices with her turned out. He was terrified he would screw the kid up since his decision making was clearly lacking.

"I can't talk to her." He sighed wearily as all hope for making that family real faded out of reach. "I can't even call her to get the guardianship stuff straightened out. How can I maintain a relationship with her so we can get married in a year and get Shawn? It's impossible!"

Feeny ran a finger over his mustache as he mulled the situation over. "It does seem bleak; however, I think I can help in the matter of speaking to Audrey."

Jon looked up at him sharply. "How?"

"I am not banned from speaking to her." He paused for a moment then looked at the men around me. "Jonathan, I'd like you to come to my office before you head home."

As Jon nodded, Alan put his hands on his shoulders. "Ah, he's not heading home."

Jon and Feeny gave him curious looks.

"You're coming home with me," Alan told him.

Jon waved off the offer. "I appreciate it, Alan, but I really don't want to be around anyone right now."

"Amy said you'd say that. Amy also said I'm not allowed in the house unless I bring you with me." Alan gripped his shoulders tighter. "I'd like to go home."

Jon gave a humorless laugh. "Yeah, okay. I guess."

Feeny stood and motioned for them to follow him. "Before you gentlemen leave, my office first."

Jon nodded and gathered his things before following the principal out of the conference room.

Once in his office, Feeny took a Jon-like stance at his desk by sitting partially on it.

"While you may be banned from talking with Audrey, Jonathan, I am not," he said as he picked up the phone and dialed. "You cannot talk to her. But you can talk to me."

Jon wasn't entirely sure how that was going to accomplish anything, but he stood close by and watched curiously.

After dialing a number, the principal pushed a button on the phone. A ring was heard three times before the call was picked up.

"Hello?"

Jon nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Audrey's voice and how weak and thin it sounded.

"Hello, Audrey" he said amicably, "It's George Feeny."

"Hello, Mr. Feeny."

"How are you?"

There was a pause before she answered flatly, "Fine, thank you."

"Audrey, I wanted to let you know about the outcome of Jon's hearing."

"Oh?"

Feeny glanced at Jon. "Unfortunately, the Board ruled against him. He is not to have contact with you for a year. If he does, he could lose his license."

"Oh, I see. Thank you for calling and letting me know."

Her voice sounded so strange to Jon; there was no life, no emotion in it.

George is talkin' to Audrey, but she isn't there, he thought.

The thought chilled him.

When Feeny saw the look on Jon's face, he tried to conceal his concern over the lack of reaction to his announcement.

"Audrey, he can't talk to you, but he is in the room, and you are on speaker phone. Is there anything you'd like to say to him?"

There was a long pause. So long then men weren't sure she was still there. Jon clenched his jaw struggling not to say anything directly to her.

Finally she said in a small voice, "Yes, there is."

"Go ahead."

"Take care of Shawn. Do whatever you have to do to get him," she told him. There was another pause. Then in a much stronger voice she said. "Then… find someone who loves you both."

Jon felt his jaw dropped. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

George saw the look on his face and stepped back in. "Audrey, it's only a year. By this time next year you should both be in better place to unite your family the way you want to."

"No, Mr. Feeny." The strength in her voice was Audrey's strength, but she still sounded strange. The words coming out of her mouth were not Audrey's words. "Jon needs to move on and take Shawn with him."

Feeny was as stunned as Jon. "Surely, you don't mean that!"

"I do-"

"She doesn't," the voice of her advisor cut her off.

"Alex?" Jon nearly grabbed the phone from the principal's hand.

"I'm with her, Jonathan," he reassured him. "Listen to me: ignore whatever she says. Audrey is under a tremendous amount of stress. Richie's health has taken a turn for the worse. He's in intensive care right now."

Jon felt cold and nauseated.

"Jonathan?"

"Yeah."

"Audrey will regret what she's told you to do. Get Shawn and wait this year out."

The numbness was back, and it swallowed his ability to feel anything.

"How bad is he?"

"It's the worst turn he's had yet," the professor sighed. "There's a strong chance he won't wake up this time."

First Audrey and now he was losing Richie too. Jon stared at the floor unable to put together a coherent sentence. "Alex…I …."

"I'll take care of her," he instructed firmly. "You take care of Shawn."

"Yeah, okay." He closed his eyes tightly and sighed. "Tell her I love her."

"I will. And she does love you. Both of you."

Jon stood in front of the desk staring at the phone after Feeny returned the receiver to its cradle.

"Jonathan? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm great. My dad is dyin', and I can't go see him because I can't have any contact with his daughter for a year."

Feeny was quiet for a moment then said, "You were close enough to Audrey's father to consider him your father?"

Eli could see Jon was done talking. "Yeah, he was," he answered for him."Jon's old man is a self-absorbed workaholic who loves money more than anything or anyone. Turned his back on his kid when his kid needed him most. Richie stepped up and took over."

"And Audrey was..?"

"A baby in England with her mother. Aud's grandmother was really sick and her mom was taking care of her."

"Ah." Feeny frowned and shook his head. "Jonathan, I'll see if there is anything I can do to get this sentence shortened. Or at least get the Board to make an exception if something should happen to Mr. Andrews."

Jon didn't hear him. He was lost in his own fear and grief. And desperately tried to understand how things went so badly so quickly.

And he still had to tell Shawn.

Originally, Amy wanted to wait until after dinner to deliver the news about the outcome of the hearing to Shawn. However, Shawn had other plans and literally jumped on Jon's back, the moment he walked through the door. Still reeling from everything that happened in the last three hours, Jon had no idea how to tell Shawn and, without any time to prepare, his delivery of the news was blunt and cold.

Shawn stared at him in stunned disbelief for a moment then said in annoyance, "Buncha idiots. They can't dictate what you do off the clock. And if they can, what is wrong with you that you agreed to those terms? You can't be that desperate for cash."

It was Jon's turn to stare at him. Then he clenched his jaw in frustration and snapped, "Shawn, this isn't a joke. No contact. One year. Otherwise I lose my job and my teachin' license."

Shawn scowled and shrugged. "So what? If you get caught, it's not the end of the world. Audrey can work until you find something else. You can sign a permit so I can start workin'."

A work permit at fifteen. That's exactly what Richie did for him at that age. The aftermath of his time with Audrey's father left him with years of regret for more or less turning his back on his father figure.

He couldn't bear the thought of history repeating itself with Shawn.

The reality of what the next year was going to look like began to sink in and it made him feel like a caged animal, restless and aggravated. "Shawn, this isn't a movie! It's real life. I lose my career over this, I'm gonna have a hell of a time findin' something else."

"No one in their right mind is gonna write you off because you dated an adult!" he scoffed. "The school board are idiots and anyone with half a brain will think so, too."

"I didn't date her!" Jon growled.

The urge to run crept up around his shoulders.

"See!" Shawn threw his hands out towards Jon. "Sounds even stupider with context! How do people that dumb even get on the school board?"

The teacher in him wouldn't let him ignore the question. "Voted in," he replied grumpily.

"Oh." Shawn blinked then frowned. "Well, that explains it. And who were the morons who voted them in?"

Jon groaned and tried to walk away from the teen.

Shawn wrinkled his nose then returned his attention to Jon. "Anyway, who's gonna know if we go see Aud this summer?"

Jon glared at him.

"What are they gonna do, tail you? Bug the apartment? That's deranged if they do." Shawn paused. "And illegal."

Jon shook his head. His gaze kept drifting to the door. "Shawn, I can't risk it."

"Why?" As the word left his mouth, Shawn's eyes narrowed. Hot anger flooded him as he realized what Jon might be attempting to do. "Are you tryin' get out of marryin' Audrey?"

"What?! No! Shawn, don't start that."

"Then what's the big deal about going to see her?"

Jon put his hands on his waist. Just once he wished Shawn would shut up and accept what he was saying without giving him a headache. "The big deal is if I screw this up any further I'm gonna lose you too."

Shawn had a retort but not for that. He gave his teacher a curious look. "Lose me? How? I'm not gonna ditch you."

"I got busted for supposedly messin' around with my student teacher," Jon told him with a heavy sigh. "I have losin' my license hangin' over me if I have any contact with her. I lose my license and that's it, Shawn. No way is any court gonna allow me to be your legal guardian or anything else."

The teen considered this for a moment. His teacher looked so lost and upset over this that it made him shiver in the warmth of the Matthews' living room. He still wasn't used to adults who worried so much over him. And worrying over losing a job was foreign to him. Chet never worried about keeping a job in order to keep him, often quitting the same day he got hired.

Shawn shivered again.

"Okay," he said finally. "I get that, I guess. What I don't get is what this has to do with the summer? Unless the school board is gonna have you followed, why can't we go to New York, get things settled with Aud, then come back here and pretend nothin' happened?"

Jon stared at him for a moment as he processed what the teen said. Shawn's responses lately had been unpredictable, and he struggled to keep up with him. "What?"

"We go get Aud, Jon." Shawn got on his knees on the couch and laid out what he thought was an obvious plan. "Then sign my paperwork. You guys get married. Forget a fancy proposal, okay? I know Aud doesn't really care about that stuff. Then start my adoption stuff. I know Pops isn't doin' good, so Aud stays behind with him and we come back here and go on like Aud's just a memory."

Sighing seemed to be the only form of breathing he had been doing lately, but still he sighed again. Jon felt uncomfortable with how much this idea appealed to him. He wasn't sure Audrey would appreciate the fantasy aspect of Shawn's plan.

It wasn't really a plausible plan.

Was it?

"So for nine months we don't talk to her?" he asked skeptically.

"You don't talk to her. I do. Nobody's gonna tell me who I can talk to."

"Not talkin' for nine months isn't a great start to a marriage, kid."

Shawn gave him a mischievous smirk. "On the weekends, I stay with Cory while you go to a weddin'."

Jon shook his head as a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Can only use that lie so many times."

Shawn shrugged nonchalantly. He could tell Jon was warming up to his idea. "Then tell people you're hangin' out with your best friend and helpin' him get moved into his new place."

A small laugh escaped him, and he arched an eyebrow. "Get moved?"

"C'mon, Jon, we all know Eli does not want to teach'."

"Yeah." Jon rolled his eyes in amusement. "He pretty much decided that on day two."

"Really? Took him that long?"

Jon grinned.

"See?" Shawn poked Jon's shoulder. "Think about it, Jon, we don't even really have to lie to anyone. I'm sure Feeny and some others will ask how we're doin' at first, but they'll forget about it 'cause they've got their own stuff goin' on and we won't say anything. Anyone asks why you don't date you tell 'em you've got your hands full with me and have to watch me every second of the day, so I don't end up in juvie."

Jon gave him a sharp look. "I thought we weren't gonna lie."

"How's that a lie?"

Jon started to laugh when a dark invisible weight settled over him and he recalled Audrey's words to move on. Recalling that conversation swallowed up the hope of Shawn's plan and filled him with anger and bitterness at the unfairness of his situation.

Kat was the one who lied ruined his future with Audrey and used her position to harm a student, his kid. But he was the one being punished. And for what? Wanting to be a husband? Wanting to be a father? No matter what happened to Kat, her punishment would not be anywhere near as severe as his.

"Jon?"

He looked up and saw Shawn giving him a look of curiosity and concern. Anger and bitterness joined together, and Jon had to turn away from him. The teen was a reminder of what he was going to lose.

"Shawn, this is a nice story," he snapped harshly. "But that's all it is. It's a story and not real life. We have to move on and forget about everything else."

"Move on? Forget everything else?" Shawn couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What are you talkin' about? You sound like you want us to forget Audrey."

Jon clenched his jaw and his fist, then shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He glanced at the door he very much wanted to walk out. "Feeny called her and put her on speaker. He talked to her for me. She backed out, Shawn. Told me to get you and to move on. To find someone who loves us both.

Shawn's jaw dropped.

Confusion wrapped around him, followed by fear. Fear gave way to anger.

"Liar," he spat back bitterly. He was deeply hurt by his teacher's sudden callousness. "She would never leave us."

Jon glared at the floor and shrugged. "It's what she said."

Outrage flared in his eyes. "She would never leave me!"

Without Audrey to anchor him to the place he needed to be, Jon was ready to revert to his old ways and the look on Shawn's face was enough for him to walk. "Look it's over, Shawn. Audrey backed out."

Panicked consumed Shawn. He didn't understand why Jon suddenly turned on him and Audrey. It terrified him that one of the few adults he trusted was betraying him in this way. He'd had nightmares about something like this happening.

He just didn't know what he'd done that was so bad that Jon would leave him. So he did the only thing he knew to do- he lashed out.

"I don't believe you! You're a liar!" he shouted at his teacher. "You're the one who backed out and you're blamin' her."

Jon whipped around and pointed a finger at him. "No, I'm not!" he shouted back at him.

He'd already been punished for things he never did; he didn't need to hear false accusations from his kid.

Shawn wasn't done. He could hit Jon where it hurt as hard Jon could hit him. "As soon as this stupid school year is over I'm gonna go to her and I'm gonna stay with her! Forget you!"

The words hit with intended damage, and he responded in the same manner as Shawn.

"She'll send you back! She told me to take care of you!"

"Yeah, well I don't wanna live you if that's the case!"

Jon gave him a look of disgust. "Shawn, c'mon. Grow up a little."

"What are you sayin'?" he scowled suspiciously at him.

"I'm sayin' sometimes things don't work out the way we want. This is one of those times. You just gotta accept it."

"No, I don't. I won't. Why aren't you fightin' this?"

This conversation had rapidly spun out of control and Jon had no idea how to get it back. The desire to even try had left him. He just didn't see how this was going to work out with just him and Shawn. They didn't do well in the beginning when it was just the two of them and Jon tried to be the parent. He had no reason to believe he could do it on his own now.

He needed Audrey.

But she was gone.

And so was his hope for their future and he heard himself coldly spit back, "There's nothing to fight for!"

While that's how he felt, he hadn't meant to say it out loud.

Shawn stared at him like he'd slapped him. He'd been hit once before and yet an open palm against his cheek didn't hurt nearly as much. His vision clouded up suddenly and he struggled to bring Jon into focus.

"We're not worth fightin' for?"

The pain and fear in Shawn's voice made him recoil and take a step towards the door. He couldn't have this conversation right now; he wasn't ready for it. The more he was forced to try to explain, the worse he made things.

He inched even closer to the door.

"Look, I gotta make a choice," he said defensively. "I can go after Audrey, try to patch things up, and lose my career and you. Or I give Audrey up so I can keep you. I can't do both."

Anger flared up and set Shawn's cheeks on fire. "That's a cop out!" he cried as his voice rose in volume. "You could do both! I told you how!"

Jon's thoughts were reeling. Shawn's anger, fear, and confusion increased his own making it impossible to think. Add to that the weight of responsibility on him and he felt like something within him was on the verge of breaking.

"If you don't do what I told you, then you're a liar who doesn't care about me or Audrey!"

Jon stared at him for a long moment and watched the future he so desperately wanted cease to exist.

"It's a fairytale, Shawn! Okay?!" he shouted back. "We lied and snuck around and look at the way things turned out! It's over! Everything is over!"

Enraged by this, Shawn jumped onto the couch and tried to grab Jon, but his teacher stepped out of his reach.

"No, it's not!" he screamed, jumping once on the furniture then off and lunging at Jon. "You're just too much of a coward to fight for our family!"

And then it snapped.

"We don't have a family!"

Shawn's jaw dropped. Numbness engulfed him. Time stopped. Even Chet had never said that horrible.

And he'd said a lot of horrible things to him.

Jon's chin dropped to his chest. Anger gave way to guilt. Horribly, unrelenting guilt. Unable to take the pressure anymore, Jon turned abruptly and left the Matthews' home slamming the door behind him.

The sound of the door jerked Shawn back to life. He ran to the door and threw it open.

"You know what?" he screamed with the rage that was in him. "I hate you, you coward!"

A strong pair of hands clamped down on his shoulders and pulled him back inside.

"You do not," Alan said firmly. He kicked the door closed while maintaining his grip on the teen.

"Yeah, I do," Shawn spat, struggling against him. "I really do. I hate him. I don't want him. He's as bad as Chet. Worse!"

"HEY!" Alan roughly turned Shawn to face and gave him a slight shake to get him to focus.

"What?" Shawn fought harder to get out of his grip. "You gonna defend him?"

"Yeah, I am, kid."

"I hate you, too."

"Hey!" Alan put his hand on the back of Shawn's neck and forced him to look him in the eyes. "Did you hear anything Jon said?"

"Yeah," he replied bitterly. "I heard him say we don't have a family. I heard him blame Audrey for his cowardice."

Alan was unimpressed. "That's what you heard?"

"Yeah."

Alan shook his head, then locked eyes with Shawn. "Then you weren't listening," he said firmly. "I was there when Mr. Feeny called Audrey."

A strange look of fear and curiosity overtook the teen's scowl. "You were?"

"Yeah. Audrey said exactly what Jon said she did."

Shawn couldn't accept this, even if it was Mr. Matthews telling him. He wriggled around trying to get out of the man's grip. "Audrey would never leave me. Never! Mr. Matthews, why would you lie to me?"

Alan held onto him and once he stopped squirming, he told him, "Shawn, I know you think you have the answer for Jon and Audrey's situation, but there is a lot at stake here. Jon really could lose his career if he breaks this ban. And he really will lose you if that happens."

"That's what he said. And I told him I wouldn't ditch him." Shawn paused as his last words to Jon came back to him. A shiver of guilt ran up his spine.

"This is about your adoption, Shawn. He'd have to adopt you solo." Alan's expression softened as he realized that for all of Shawn's street smarts there were areas of life he simply knew nothing about. "The Courts are already against single men adopting kids. If Jon loses his career over an improper relationship with his student teacher, that's all they need to prove he's an unfit parent. He won't have a chance of getting you."

Shawn blinked as the explanation sank in. "Oh. I didn't know that. Okay. But why did Audrey say to move on? Why did Jon say we don't have a family?"

Alan sighed. He shifted his hands to the teen's shoulders and gave him a fatherly squeeze "Jon is hurt and confused right now. He just lost the love of his life and could lose this kid he really loves. He's afraid of losing everything."

While the explanation made him feel better in some ways, it made him feel worse in others. In his eyes, Jon was invincible. If he appeared he didn't have an answer or explanation for something, it was because he was trying to teach him something. It never occurred to him that his teacher was human after all and not Superman with a curly mullet.

"Audrey is hurting and confused, too" Alan went on. "She also lost the love of her life and this kid she really loves. Her dad is in ICU. To her, she has lost everything."

Shawn dropped his head as guilt kicked him hard. After all they'd been through together, he really should have realized how hard this was on the adults.

"Yeah, I guess I wasn't listening," he admitted sheepishly. "I should have realized what a big deal this separation is. I mean, I've seen what Cory's been through after he lost Topanga. And this is just as big as that."

The absurdity that a teen love affair could be on the same level as an adult relationship made Alan chuckle as it reminded him of how young Shawn really was. He came very close to telling him that what Cory and Topanga had was nothing compared to what Jon and Audrey had, but the thought made him pause. Shawn's steadfast support of Cory though his breakup with Topanga reminded him of what a good friend Shawn had been to Cory over the years.

Instead of dashing his hope that his friends would get back together, Alan tightened his grip on Shawn and pulled him into a hug.

"Yeah, maybe even bigger," he said. He pulled slightly away from Shawn so that he could look him in the eyes, but he kept an arm around him. "I don't know how things are going to turn out, Shawn. I can't promise you it will be the way you want it to be. But I can promise you that this family will be there for your family no matter what. And if the worst happens, you'll always have a place with us."

Shawn looked up at his best friend's dad and gave him an appreciative smile. He knew Mr. Matthews meant what he said. And it meant a lot to him.

But he wasn't a Matthews.

He was a Hunter.

Possibly a Turner.

And that's just the way it was.

But he kept it to himself; he didn't want to hurt Mr. Matthews' feelings or seem ungrateful.

He wasn't.

He just knew what was meant to be.

Cory and Topanga.

Jon and Audrey.

And him with them.

His brother.

His sister.

His father.

His mother.

He wouldn't accept anything else.

He couldn't.