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Chapter Text

Everyone went to Blockbuster after school.

Everyone.

Some of the lucky Everyones also got to pick out video games for the weekend. Everyone got some form of junk food to go along with those movies. Some of the Everyones would get their junk food from the store's overpriced choices of candy and popcorn. The rest of the Everyones would go to a near by store that sold reasonably priced candy and get their junk food there. Most of the Everyones got pizza. The rest of the Everyones got McDonald's or Burger King. Everyone got together on Monday morning to discuss the movies even if they'd already done so over the weekend.

Everyone, that is, except Shawn.

Shawn was not an Everyone.

He had never been an Everyone.

He never would be an Everyone.

Everyones did not live in trailer parks.

Everyones had extra money for things like movie rentals.

Everyones did not worry about whether there would something to eat at home.

Everyones did not worry about their parents whereabouts or their sobriety status.

No big deal. Who cares? Who wants to do what everyone else does anyway?

Shawn shoved his hands deep into his pockets giving the dirty tiles of John Adams High an even dirtier glare. Cory and Topanga were gathered around the lockers he was leaning against chattering excitedly about their afternoon plans. With every mention of Blockbuster, his hands dug deeper into the material until they threatened to rip through the seams.

"You can come with us if you want. I wish you would." Cory was looking expectantly at Shawn who couldn't see him through his downcast gaze and hair. "Mom and Dad are expecting you to go."

He said nothing. His lips pressed into a thin painful line as his teeth dug into his skin.

"Shawn?" Topanga was concerned about his sudden withdrawal and failure to acknowledge Cory.

"What?" He tossed his head back suddenly causing his long bangs to coolly flip back off of his face.

"Cory invited you to come with us to Blockbuster," Topanga told him with a look of mild worry.

Shawn looked at his friends. Through no fault of their own, they were a part of the Everyones. They couldn't help it. They were born in to it.

"Nah, not interested."

Topanga shrugged as Cory gave her an despondent frown. Feeling very out of place Shawn pushed off of the lockers and slung his book bag over his shoulder. "See you guys Monday."

"Yeah, see ya," they replied in unison.

Jon's classroom was empty so Shawn threw his bag onto Cory's chair with a thud as he plopped himself down in his own chair to wait on his teacher. He leaned onto the desktop, resting his chin on his arms and glowered at chalkboard.

Who cares about picking out stupid movies on a stupid Friday night? Who cares about getting pizza and candy and junk food at the same time? Who cares about talking about dumb, stupid stuff after the weekend? Who cares? Not me!

Jon walked into his classroom more than a little surprised to see Shawn already there. Normally, he had to hunt him down on Fridays after school. He stopped at the teen's desk and look at him in amazement.

"You're sittin' in your seat with all your stuff and totally quiet," Jon shook his head sardonically. "Man, I wish you'd do this durin' actual class time."

Shawn sat up and furrowed his brow, his eyes still on the board at the front of the class. Jon gave him a curious look at he walked up to his desk.

"Cory went home already I take it?"

"Yeah."

"Ah, that explains the silence."

"You gotta date tonight?" Shawn stopped glaring at the chalkboard and regarded his teacher seriously.

"No, I don't. Do you?"

"No."

Jon looked up at him. "You got somethin' you wanna do?"

Shawn shrugged still, frowning.

He briefly wondered if he and Cory had a disagreement and that was the reason for the sullen mood.

"Audrey's comin' home with us," he told the teen. "So if you've got any entertainment ideas I'm all ears."

Shawn dug his toe into the carpet as though he was trying to wiggle the fibers apart. He tilted his head to the side in thought.

He didn't want to do whatever one else did. He liked being different.

"I dunno, movie or somethin'."

Jon picked up a stack of papers on his desk and organized them before putting them in his bag. "I don't know that there's anythin' good playin' this weekend."

Shawn's frown deepened.

Being different is what made him cool. He did not want to give his social status up.

"We could rent one."

Jon gave this some consideration. "Yeah, we could do that."

Shawn frowned and dug his toe across the carpet. "We could get pizza or somethin'."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

Shawn's expression soured. He shouldn't say anything. The answer was just going to be no anyway so what did it matter?

Besides he liked being the bad boy.

The rebel.

The black sheep.

"We could go to Blockbuster."

Jon stopped loading his school bag for the weekend and gave his charge a funny look, not quite sure what the significance of the movie store was. He could tell, though, there was something important about it. "Then we'd better get Audrey and get over there before all the good stuff is gone."

Blockbuster was buzzing with activity by the time the trio got there. Shawn stopped just inside the door to take in his surroundings. It wasn't that he'd never been inside the video store before; he had several times with Cory. But he was always a guest. He had never been inside Blockbuster before as a bona fide customer. With people of his own. It was a weird feeling.

"Shawn, you're holdin' up traffic. Can we go all the way in please?" Jon gave him a nudge and motioned to the line that was piling up behind them.

Audrey put her hand through his arm and gave him a smile, pulling him along with her. Kids and their parents were swarming all over the store making it hard to see the rentals on the shelves. Groups of teenagers hung around at the end of aisles talking or hassling the younger kids who went by. It was hard to tell what section anyone was in.

"Listen" Jon told him, unconsciously putting his arm around Audrey as he forgot that they were in a public place. "If you want to do your own thing go ahead, but pick somethin' we can all watch please."

"Yeah, sure." Shawn grinned, looking around for a starting point. It was a exhilarating and a little overwhelming to be let loose under these circumstances.

"And I'm gonna check to make sure the video matches the cover."

Shawn waved at his teacher as he wove his way through traffic, trying find an interesting section to start looking at. He thought he found the action section, but when he got through the crowd he found nothing but Care Bear movies. Before he could move on, he heard a shout.

"Shawn?!"

Cory's surprised voice rang out over the din of the crowd. He hurried over to his best friend, pulling his family along with him. Morgan was already nearby, but too engrossed in the videos to pay attention to anyone. "Hey! I'm glad you're here. I thought you weren't coming." He looked back at his parents silently begging them to let Shawn stay.

"Glad you could make it, Shawn," Amy said kindly.

"Yeah," Alan gave him a friendly smile and rolled his eyes. "You're just in time to help us pick out a boring movie."

Shawn tried to bite back a grin. "Thanks, but, um, I'm here with my, uh, people." He pointed over to where Jon and Audrey were browsing the shelves.

The Matthews exchanged looks, then Amy's face lit up. She abruptly dropped her husband's hand and made her way over to the other couple.

Cory gave him a knowing smile.

"You mean you're here with your family." Topanga smiled, genuinely happy for him.

"Yeah," he said, pleased she noticed. "Sorry, Mr. Matthews. I've got my own boring movie to pick out."

"I wanna watch The Little Mermaid!" Morgan loudly announced to everyone within earshot.

"Still gonna be better than whatever I watch tonight," Alan patted Shawn's shoulder as he passed by to collect his daughter.

Despite being at separate residences that night, the trio of friends stayed together searching through the videos. As they made their way down the aisles they ran into kids from school and spent more time talking than looking. Several times, though, both he and Cory broke away to run a movie over to their respective caretakers for approval. Most of the time their choices were shot down. Shawn did convince Jon and Audrey to get Jurassic Park. Ducks: D2 also got approval but there was one only one copy left with several other kids wanting it. Intense rounds of rock, paper, scissor ensued.

Shawn left victorious.

During one of those times when Shawn left their group to run a video past Jon and Audrey, Harley Kiner somehow managed to find Cory in the crowd and isolate him from Shawn and Topanga. It was the first time he had ever faced Harley outside of school property and he was terrified. Cory backpedaled through the store in a panic while trying to talk the bully down. He prayed for Divine Intervention; he'd lost his parents and friends in the crowd and it seemed hopeless to find someone willing to help him. From out of nowhere, Joey and Frankie joined Harley in his menacing march.

Just when he was convinced his time on Earth was finally at it's end, his back hit something solid and a pair of strong hands gripped his shoulders. He looked up to see Mr. Turner engaged in a silent showdown with Harley. As usual and without saying a word, his teacher won and the bully and his gang exited the premise as quickly as they could.

Without letting go of him, Jon frowned down at him. "This is becomin' a bad habit of yours, Matthews."

"Yeah, I know," was the sheepish reply.

"What are you gonna do when I'm not around?"

Cory held his hands out, palms up, as he shrugged. "Well, if you're anything like Mr. Feeny, I'll never know."

With an amused shake of his head, Jon gave Cory a friendly shove in the direction of his friends.

Once reunited, the trio found themselves at the end of one of the aisles of action movies where a group of kids from John Adams High were congregated. Cory, Shawn, and Topanga had only seen them in passing between classes. They were in the same grade but they were one of the many groups that theirs never intersected with. They never had classes together or extracurriculars. Somehow they managed to not even have the same teachers. Other than Mr. Feeny, of course. This group and ones like it might as well have been at a different school entirely. The friends actually knew kids from other schools better than they did the ones in these groups from their own school.

In this particular group was a boy and two girls. The groups exchanged cautious hellos, wary of one another, until one of the girls took an interest in Shawn. Ever the flirt, Shawn chatted easily with her while Cory and Topanga small talked with the other two.

"So," the blonde, Tammy, said to him, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "I haven't seen you here before."

"Yeah, well," Shawn said suddenly feeling hot and uncomfortable. Up until this point, he had forgotten about the Everyones. "I've usually got other stuff to do on Friday nights." His eyes darted around the building look for an escape route from the suddenly awkward conversation.

"Yeah," the boy piped up. "Isn't your dad an English teacher or something?"

Rather than reply, Shawn shrugged as nonchalantly as he could.

"Poor baby," Tammy said, still twirling her hair. "No wonder you're never here. He must keep you doing homework all the time."

It now occurred to Shawn that he could boost his social status immediately by laying the blame for his Blockbuster absences onto Jon.

"Nah," he said casually. "He's cool. We just have other stuff to do."

"Hey! Is that your mom?" the brunette next to Tammy asked him, pointing across the store.

Shawn turned and looked. He smiled at his "parents". When he turned around the smile was replaced with a cool indifference. Again, he shrugged.

"Your mom is really pretty," she told him, sliding in closer to him.

"And your dad is really, really cute," Tammy told him flirtatiously, giving the brunette a disapproving side-eye. "You obviously take after him."

"Yeah," Shawn said proudly, lifting his chin a bit higher. "They're the best."

Cory and Topanga smiled at each other and said nothing to contradict him.

As he and his friends continued to navigate the store before meeting up with the adults to pick out overpriced candy and popcorn, Shawn had this strange feeling follow him everywhere he went. It was similar to the feeling he had the first time he came home to Audrey cooking dinner and Jon grading papers. It wasn't that same warm, cozy feeling but it was that same feeling of normalcy and contentment. Of acceptance. Of being like everyone else. Of being like Cory.

That feeling followed him through the rest of his week. On the following Friday it grew even greater when Cory went with him to Blockbuster, this time as Shawn's guest.

Chapter Text

It wasn't quite 6:15 AM when Shawn and Cory quietly snuck out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.

"So," Cory said in a hushed tone, rubbing his hands together, "what trouble are we going to get into this morning, my Shawn?"

Without thinking, Shawn let go of the refrigerator door. He managed to catch it just before it slammed shut. "Watch as much TV as we can before Jon gets up."

Cory blinked. "Huh?"

"Yeah," Shawn stood on his tiptoes to reach the sugary cereal his teacher had hidden in the back of the high cabinet. "Jon limits my TV time in the morning to an hour if I don't have my homework done. And you know I don't have my homework done." He tossed a box of Lucky Charms to Cory. "Don't eat too much. Audrey's coming over around 8 to make breakfast. And trust me you're gonna want to have plenty of room for her breakfast. She makes the best chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream and that red rope licorice."

Cory shook out the cereal into his bowl, stopping every so often to pick out the non-marshmallow parts of the cereal and return to it's container. "So you really just wanna watch TV?"

"Yeah, isn't that what you do on Saturdays?"

"Well, yeah, unless you're staying over. Then I have fun."

Shawn shrugged and took the cereal boxes and shoved them back into their places in the cabinet. He grabbed his overloaded cereal bowl and a soda and headed to the couch. Cory followed, more than a little disappointed to be doing something so mundane on his first time sleeping over at Shawn's place.

"Aw, man! We're up too early," Shawn made a face as he flipped through the channels. "Madeline is still on!"

"There's gotta be something better than that," Cory said then frowned. "Not that I would know. Morgan hijacks the TV every Saturday. No matter how early I get I up there she is."

Shawn flipped through the channels with little interest until he hit the WB and Gladiators 2000. "Beats Madeline."

Cory nodded in agreement. They made it through Animaniacs, Batman and Robin, and Bump In the Night before Jon got up and caught them.

"You said I can watch TV for an hour on Saturdays before I have to do anything," Shawn protested as his teacher took the remote from him.

"An hour's an hour," Jon said, pocketing the remote. "It doesn't begin when I get up. It begins when you start watchin'."

"It hasn't been an hour!"

"Yeah, right. Catch the last half of Madeline did you?"

"That does not count as part of the hour."

Cory's eyes bounced back and forth between the two. The dispute felt a bit surreal to him. This wasn't the type of thing that typically caused arguments at Shawn's place, at least not when Shawn was with Chet Hunter. Those were far more serious in nature and resulted in his best friend taking off.

"So you watched Gladiators instead?" Jon rolled his eyes. "That's fifteen minutes off of your hour."

"It's Saturday!"

"We had a deal about this TV stuff on weekends. And your homework isn't done."

"I have a guest," Shawn retorted as if Jon was unaware of this. "This is cruel and unusual punishment to not let me watch TV on Saturday morning with my guest over stuff that isn't due until Monday."

Cory hid a smile behind his hand. He'd heard this same argument over and over as he, Eric, and Morgan had all been through it with their parents. Repeatedly. It was extraordinarily funny to him, to listen to Shawn and Mr. Turner go back and forth over the same, non-serious issue.

"Whatever," Jon headed back towards his bedroom taking the remote with him, even though he knew the TV was going back on as soon as he left. "I'm gonna take a shower. Lemme know when Audrey gets here okay?"

After their teacher was gone, Shawn got up and turned the TV on himself and the boys went back to watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles until Audrey showed up right at eight o'clock. Shawn greeted her with a bear hug before turning and yelling as loud as he could:

"Hey Dad! Mom's here!"

Audrey laughed, took his face between her palms and rested her forehead against his. She then ruffled his hair as she headed to the kitchen.

"Hey, Cory," she greeted the boy with a warm, happy smile that lit up her entire face.

"Hi, Miss Andrews." Cory couldn't help but grin back at her.

"Shawn," Jon came out of his bedroom looking annoyed. "Do ya have to yell? Because of you, the entire apartment buildin' thinks Audrey and I are divorced with the weirdest custody arrangement ever."

"Yeah, I know." Shawn grinned at Cory and dropped his voice to a whisper. "I told everyone that a family judge ordered them to spend all non-sleepin' hours together with me for my mental health or I be committed to a kid's psych ward and they'd face jail time."

As Cory started to laugh, Jon leaned over the couch not looking too pleased. To Shawn he asked, "Do you sit up at night comin' up with ways to make my life more complicated or is that just a rare gift you have?"

Shawn glanced at Cory, then grinned cheekily at their teacher. "To be honest, it's a bit of both."

Jon rolled his eyes as he stood up, took a swipe at Shawn's hair, and joined Audrey in the kitchen. Cory couldn't help but notice that he greeted her in the same way his dad greeted his mom in the morning by wrapping his arms around her waist and talking to her in affectionate, low tones. The only difference was that Jon kissed Audrey on the cheek instead of on the lips. He also couldn't but notice Shawn was watching them out of the corner of his eye and smiling happily to himself.

While Audrey cooked, Jon and Shawn went back and forth with the TV: every time Shawn turned it on, Jon, who was standing in the kitchen with the remote, would turn it off. It evolved into a game with Cory and Shawn jumping the coffee table and trying to block the remote signal to prevent the TV from turning off. Cory had once played this with Eric, but fortunately this game didn't end like the previous one: with a face to the edge of the coffee table and a trip to the emergency room. His face, of course, not Eric's.

As the morning went on Cory spent more time observing than talking. There was something unusual going on here, but something quite familiar, too. He just couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. He thought back to all the Saturday mornings when he and Eric would sneak downstairs extra early to watch TV before they were allowed to and eat as much junk breakfast food as they could before they got busted. Just like today. As he watched, Audrey pile pancakes up onto plates and Jon set them out on the table, Cory thought about all the times his own mom had made her special pancakes and his dad would take them to the table. Cory's gaze fell on Shawn and Jon who were carrying on a conversation about something or other, trading sarcastic quips as they did so. Audrey was ignoring most of what they were saying. Just like his mom did. At one point, Jon put his arm around Audrey and held onto to her as he continued to talk. Just like his dad did.

In all the sleepovers at other people's homes, Cory had never noticed anyone else's parents being around much when the kids got up in the mornings. This was so different because it was so familiar to Cory.

It was like...

It was like being home.

Home.

It was then that Cory understood why Shawn wanted to watch cartoons and eat Lucky Charms; why he wanted to spend the weekends at home doing very ordinary, family-centered stuff and going to very ordinary, family-centered places. Stuff that was so common to Cory that it bored him. But this wasn't common for Shawn. Not in his own home with his own family. This was all new to him. And a really big deal. Huge. He knew how tired Shawn was of always being the guest in other people's homes. He knew how badly his best friend wanted a stable home and to be wanted by the adults who were supposed to take care of him. Cory stayed in the living room not wanting to disrupt the moment. He stared at his teachers overcome with a feeling of tremendous gratitude for what they were doing for Shawn.

"Come on, Cory," Audrey waved him over to the table. "Time to eat."

"Great, I'm starving," he grinned back at her with a strange expression of admiration mixed with adoration. He turned to his English teacher and regarded him in the same manner.

Jon gave him a funny look and shifted uncomfortably under Cory's intense gaze. "You feelin' okay, Matthews?"

"Yeah, Mr. Turner," he said gratefully. "I'm feelin' great."

Chapter Text

"Are you kiddin' me, Hunter? What has gotten into you today?"

Shawn couldn't answer the second question, but he could definitely answered the first.

"No, I'm not."

His teacher gave an exasperated sigh and went to his bedroom to change his clothes which were soaking wet thanks to Shawn.

"All I'm saying is live a little, Jon," he continued yelling into the bedroom from where he was standing in the living room. His jeans, shoes, and half of his shirt were just as wet as Jon's clothes.

"I live just enough, thank you," came the irritated return. "I can live just fine without gettin' dragged through an open fire hydrant. You didn't do that to Audrey, I noticed."

"I didn't need to," the teen chirped mischievously. "Audrey knows how to live on the edge."

The redhead shot him an amused look as she took a seat on the couch. She didn't know what had gotten into Shawn either, but he was just having some harmless fun. Harmless, except to Jon's ego perhaps.

"Does she now?" Jon grumpily exited his bedroom, drying his hair with hand towel.

"Yeah, nobody had to beg her to ride the roller coasters at Six Flags."

"Is that what this is about? Are you kiddin' me?"

It was a absurd thing to harass his teacher about but Shawn knew what he doing. He got the idea while they were in the bumper boats at the miniature golf place and he was determined to see it through. He knew Jon well enough to know what buttons to push to get under his skin. Shawn had to get him just irritated enough for this to work.

"Well, you wouldn't go on any of them with us."

"I went on the Last Ride. I think I proved myself on that."

Shawn snorted in derision. "You didn't chose to do that. You and Eric got pushed on that ride by Cory and Mr. Feeny. No way would you do that on your own." Turning to Audrey, he said with faux sympathy. "I'm sorry Jon's so stuffy and boring. You deserve way better."

The English Lit teacher had just about had it with Shawn's taunting. Normally, he would have ignored the boy or dished it back to him, but he was frustrated that Shawn chose to do this in front of Audrey and he was getting flustered.

"What do you want from me, Hunter?" He sank unhappily on the couch next to Audrey who was clearly trying not to laugh.

"Prove you're not boring."

Jon gave him an apprehensive glare. He said nothing.

"See!" Shawn said to Audrey holding his hands out towards Jon. "He won't even say anything! He's boring."

"Fine," the teacher snapped. "What do you want me to do?"

Shawn sat on the back of the couch. He knew he almost had Jon. He licked his lips trying to contain himself. He didn't want to jump ahead and ruin his plan.

"Take a dare."

Jon rolled his eyes at the juvenile demand. "Like what? Prank call Feeny?"

Shawn hadn't thought of that. He paused. It was an interesting idea actually but he pushed it away. He was determined not to get distracted. What he had in mind was so much better.

"I dare you," he smirked at Audrey who was regarding him curiously. "I dare you to kiss Audrey."

They both stared at him for a moment. Audrey was as shocked as Jon was. She put her hand over her mouth to hide her reaction; she didn't think the man next to her would appreciate it.

"Are you kiddin' me?" Jon repeated again, unable to believe what he was hearing.

A deliciously devious smile overtook the boy's face. "I double dog dare you."

Jon was dumbfounded and more than a little disturbed. He couldn't wrap his head around why Shawn would do this to him in front of Audrey. He could feel his blood pressure rising rapidly.

When his teacher started to shake his head no, Shawn upped the ante. "I triple dog dare you to kiss her."

Jon bit his tongue, trying to contain his temper. He felt like a caged animal. This wasn't fair. What did he do to make Shawn turn on him like this?

"Are you okay with this?" he asked his student teacher, desperate for help. Normally, he could rely on her for support.

Audrey held out her hands as she shrugged noncommittally, struggling to maintain a neutral expression. "A dare's a dare," was all she said and that was a cop out as far as Jon was concerned.

"Why aren't you daring her?" he snapped petulantly, turning back to Shawn. He was completely alone on this matter he realized.

Shawn smirked. "I know she'll take a dare. Audrey's fun; she'll try new stuff, she's impulsive. But if it makes you feel better..." He turned to Audrey with puckish glee. "I dare you to kiss Jon."

It was all she could do not to burst out laughing at the look of sheer discomfort on Jon's face and the look of triumph on Shawn's. Jon started to protest that all she got was a simple dare. Shawn shrugged, clearly pleased with himself.

"You got a triple dog dare," she told Jon. "You kind of can't turn those down. Otherwise, you look really bad."

"See?" Shawn jumped up jubilantly. "I told you so!"

"This is ridiculous!"

"I knew he was too much of coward." Shawn gave Audrey a sympathetic smile, pretending to be defeated.

"I am not!" Jon couldn't believe how much control he was giving Shawn over his emotions, but it was too late to get it back now.

"Five bucks says you won't do it."

With money now on the table, Jon had a choice to make. He was outnumbered, that much was obvious; they had sided together against him. He had no idea what Audrey would think of him if he backed out of this. Maybe she wouldn't care. Maybe she was only indulging Shawn. But then maybe she would care if he refused. Could he take that chance? He glared at Shawn before making his decision.

As Jon leaned in to kiss Audrey, Shawn's jaw dropped and his heart felt like it stopped. He couldn't believe it-it worked, the dare actually worked! He was thrilled to see Audrey lean into the kiss. It was apparent they both forgot he was there. He tried so hard to hold back the excitement that was threatening to burst through his skin. He didn't last long. A loud, joyous 'yes!" escaped his lips. This, of course, broke the moment. Jon sat back looking embarrassed for a minute before turning towards his charge who was giving him the most deranged grin he'd ever seen.

"All right," he said gruffly, his cheeks blazing bright red. He held his hand out to Shawn. "I want the five bucks."

Shawn's eyes sparkled with an impish gleam and his shoulders shook with laughter. He looked back and forth between the two on the couch before he gave Jon's hand a hard slap.

"I don't have five bucks. I just wanted to see you guys kiss!"

Audrey burst into embarrassed laughter as Jon lunged over the back of the couch making a grab for Shawn, who gleefully danced out of his reach and back to his room howling in triumph, his wet sneakers squeaking all the way.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Greenwich Village or the Village as the locals called it, was on the lower westside of Manhattan between 14th street to the north and Houston Street to the south. Bleecker Street, where Jon and Audrey spent much of their youth, spanned several blocks lined with restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, and shopping. More than anything Bleecker Street was known for it's legendary music scene: Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, and many others had performed in the smoky venues along the street.

The food scene on in the area also had a rich history. Johns Pizza was a part of that history and was established in 1929 by Italian immigrant Giovanni "John" Sasso from Naples. John's was originally on Sullivan Street but after losing the lease on Sullivan Street, Sasso moved to 278 Bleecker Street. The earmark of John's was the coal fired brick ovens baked its crispy pizzas. There was a comfortable, familiar old-school atmosphere with its original wooden booths that customers traditionally wrote on. Shawn was thrilled to have a chance to do this without fear of repercussion; he'd been practicing on the desks in detention for years.

The black and white art deco floors were worn by time. The ceilings were made of tin and the faded murals spoke of an era Shawn knew nothing about. There was something so cozy and welcoming about the place and the fondness with which the regulars spoke of it that he couldn't wait to become a part of it's continuum. John's was clearly a family place and he never felt completely comfortable in such settings, usually because he was with someone else's family. However, being at this pizzeria that was entrenched with history of the two people with him, Shawn discovered that he felt fully at ease.

The line at the restaurant was long, but it didn't bother Shawn as he enjoyed taking in the views of Bleeker Street and listening to Jon's stories. Once they were inside, Audrey excused herself to the restroom. As Jon began to tell Shawn another story, he was interrupted by a smoky, low voice calling his name.

"Hey, Jonny! Jonathan Turner! Is that you?"

Jon's face lit up when he turned and saw an old friend from his teen years approach them. "Angelo? No way, man!" He reached out to take the hand of the man who approached them. "How are you? It's been years!"

Judging on first impressions, the average person would have crossed to the other side of the street if they were to see Angelo coming towards them. He was about Jon's height, but the girth of his muscles gave him a squat look. He was heavily tattooed and pierced with a bald head and blue eyes that blazed out from under a heavy dark brow. His skin was deeply tanned and had the aged look of someone who lived in the sun. By Shawn's estimate this guy had to be at least ten to fifteen years older that Jon; no way they could be the same age.

"I'm good, Jonny," Angelo grinned. Shawn caught a glimpse of gold capped teeth as the man smiled. "Been a rough few years. But I got myself straightened out. Been clean now going on four years."

"Good for you, man! I'm glad to hear that."

Angelo gave Jon's shoulder a playful punch. "Been while since you've been around the old haunts though."

"Yeah, well," Jon shrugged. "I'm a teacher in Philly now."

"No kiddin'?" the tattooed man gave a low whistle. "From the heights to the streets to the classroom. Phew, bet you miss the streets!"

Jon laughed at this. "Nah, man, teachin' ain't that bad."

Shawn listened with great curiosity to this conversation. He had no idea exactly what Angelo was referring to because Jon rarely ever talked about his life before he ended up in Philadelphia. What exactly did Angelo mean by the streets? The teen made a mental note to ask his teacher about this later.

Angelo saw Shawn and gave him a nod. "I see you got married and had a kid, too?"

It took Jon a moment to figure out what his friend was talking about. But before he could answer, Audrey rejoined them. Angelo did a double-take when he saw her.

"Audrey?" The man's jaw went slack as the student teacher walked up to the group.

"Angelo!" she greeted him with a kiss on the cheek much to Jon's surprise and dismay.

Angelo turned to Jon with wide eyes. He looked mystified. "You married Audrey?" He looked at Shawn. "And had a kid with her?" He squinted at the teen then asked, "How old are you, kid?"

Shawn glanced at Audrey. "Fifteen."

The man looked bewildered and shook his head. "Oh, man, somethin' ain't right."

"Somethin' ain't been right with you since '79," Jon laughed, then explained, "He's my kid, but not my kid. Shawn's my student. He's been stayin' with me while his parents are goin' through some things.

"Gotcha," Angelo nodded, looking relieved. "But," he pointed to Audrey. "How'd you and baby girl get together?"

Baby girl? Jon was almost as confused as Angelo had been and he was uncomfortable with the term of endearment his friend used. "She's my student teacher. How do you know her?"

Audrey answered this. "My dad was real good friends with the Sartori's. His mom and sister used to baby-sit me."

"What?" It was Jon's turn to be dumbfounded.

"Yeah," Angelo put an arm around Audrey. "And we knew her old man real well."

"I didn't." Jon frowned. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous that his friend knew Audrey so well. And that he had his arm around her.

"Yeah," the man insisted. "You did. Her pops used to work the Back Fence at night and Venus Records durin' the day when it was over on West 8th Street."

The English teacher stared at the two of them in disbelief. "No way," he mumbled under his breath. To Audrey he asked, "Your dad is Richie A?"

She smiled and nodded.

"I do know your dad," he said still stunned by this revelation. "Like I know your dad. He bailed me outta trouble so many times. I'd sneak outta of the penthouse on Central Park South and come loiter around here waiting' for trouble to find me. Richie bailed me out with the cops more than once. Pretended to be my dad twice to give me an alibi, then turned around and chewed me out for whatever it was I'd done. He had me scrubbing bathroom floors with a toothbrush after a drunk threw up in there for punishment once." He laughed at the memory. "Your dad was always on the look out for me and offered me odd jobs to keep me away from guys like Angelo. I did whatever he wanted me to do. I mean what kid wouldn't have wanted to brag about workin' at Venus, especially back then? And knowin' that my dad would have a meltdown if he knew I was workin' a record joint in the Village made it even better."

Audrey's eyes shone with delight. "So while Angelo's mom was watchin' me, my dad was watchin' you?"

"I guess so," Jon said, shaking his head, realizing that while he was fifteen at the time, Audrey was still in diapers at a year old, and it would be another four years before Shawn was born. "I annoyed that man so much hangin' around his shop. But he was always so cool about it."

"Until he caught us sneakin' into the Back Fence," Angelo reminded him with a smirk.

Jon's grin was sheepish. "Yeah, we shoulda gone over to St. Mark's instead. So many bars there that wouldn't card a fifteen year old and his idiot friends. But we chose the Back Fence 'cause we wanted to see Dylan play live. We weren't there five minutes before your dad busted us." He shook his head. "Man, I can't believe your dad is Richie A."

Audrey gave Angelo's hand a squeeze then left him for Jon. She wrapped her arms around the English teacher's waist and looked up at him as her eyes clouded up. "You should come with me to the hospice to see him while we're here."

Jon frowned. "I doubt he'd remember me."

"No, he would," she insisted. "He doesn't remember the seasons or meaning of holidays anymore but he remembers people."

"I'm real sorry to hear about your dad," Angelo said somberly. "But knowing your mom, I can understand why losin' her was such a blow. Shame he never recovered."

"You should come, too, Angelo."

"You tell me when and where, baby girl, I'll be there."

The group said goodbye to Angelo then stood quietly together as the line began to move again. Jon's mind was reeling trying to process this new information. In all the stories Audrey had told him about her father he never once connected him to the guy who had managed Venus. He always thought he was just one of the employees who worked part time there; those guys he couldn't remember much about as he was too busy following at Richie's heels. It boggled his mind to think that in a place as large as New York City he'd managed to end up overseeing the education of the daughter of a man who made a such impact on him and in Philadelphia of all places. He couldn't comprehend what the odds of that might be. They had to be astronomical.

Shawn found all this new connection between Jon and Audrey fascinating and it further supported his belief that they were destined to be together. Discreetly, he snapped photos with his disposable Kodak camera, trying to also capture in his head all of these stories. He hoped to put them and the pictures together somehow. There was something else that was beginning to happen, Shawn noticed with great delight. Now that Jon and Audrey were not only back home, but away from anything to do with John Adams High, he could also see evidence of his belief that Audrey was as smitten with Jon as he was with her. The way she looked at him, the way she held onto him; Shawn hoped he was able to capture those moments on film the way he saw them happen. Of course, he wouldn't know if he had until the film was developed.

While they were standing there, Jon was recognized again by someone he hadn't seen in years. The lined moved more and again someone who knew Jon came up to them. This happened again and again. Then people who knew Audrey also appeared, until it seemed as though there was a huge family reunion going on inside of John's. Shawn would have felt very left out except that every single person assumed that he was their son. Even Audrey's friends assumed this and were, of course, very confused. Audrey would just shrug, give him a wink, and tell them, "he's mine" in a way that left no room for argument. Jon, who seemed a little overwhelmed by these turn of events, only smiled and nodded. He'd given up trying to explain anything.

"Why does everyone think we're a family?" Shawn finally asked his teacher. He wasn't bothered by this at all. He was just curious about what made people think he was with his parents rather than siblings or cousins or aunt and uncle.

Jon shrugged. "I dunno. Must be the vibe we're givin' off."

When they were finally seated, Audrey slid into the booth first and Jon started to go to the other side of the table, but Shawn intervened in time to hip check his teacher into the seat causing him to almost fall onto Audrey. Jon glared daggers at him, but Audrey smile at Shawn and mouthed thank you.

While they waited on their order Audrey and Shawn chatted back and forth, but Jon was quiet, lost in thought. After a while Audrey nudged him and gave him a concerned smile.

"You okay?"

"No, I'm not," he replied, staring at something behind Shawn's head.

"What's wrong?"

"We've met before," he said slowly. "Before this year. And I am not okay about it."

Audrey frowned. "What are you talkin' about, Jon? We've never met before."

"Oh, yes, we have. You were just too young to remember." He dropped his head into his hands. "Richie brought his baby girl into the shop all the time. A little redhead with gray eyes, so unless you gotta twin sister somewhere..."

"No." Audrey sat back against the seat with wide eyes. "That was me."

"Yeah," Jon said, lifting his head up again with a strange look on his face. "And that was your mom who'd come in to pick you up. I knew those pictures you showed me of her looked familiar. Lizzy..." his voice trailed off and he stared into the distance again. "Oh, man. This is crazy! Last time I saw you, you were about seven. I left home for good at 21 and stopped by Venus to tell your dad goodbye and to thank him. You were behind the counter with him and insisted on..."

"Taking a Polaroid of you and Daddy," she finished as a look of wonderment fell over her features. " Daddy taught me to use a Polaroid camera when I was 5 because he had a wall of photos of the people who came into the shop." Turning so she could face Jon, she put a hand on his shoulder and said softly. "You used to wear a leather jacket that looked a lot like Shawn's. Your hair was shorter but really curly." Jon nodded as she spoke confirming what she was saying. "I wrote Daddy & J on the Polaroid."

Jon tapped his fingertips on the table. "Everyone on the streets called me Jonny so that's what your dad refused to call me. He called me J."

"Jon, Daddy kept that picture pinned on the wall of the store until he quit after Mom died. I still have all the pictures that were on that wall, so you're in there, too."

Shawn's smile grew as he listened to them talk. He couldn't really explain the feeling that came over him as they discovered why their connection to one another was so strong. Instead of feeling left out, he felt as though it was this connection that made him being there with them in that moment possible. By Jon's own admission, he'd never felt deeply connected to any woman he'd dated, but Audrey, with whom it was out of the question to date, he'd always said was different. Very different. Shawn had been around Jon's dates and even the ones that stayed around for a little while, left him feeling that he'd rather be anywhere but where they were. It was only with Audrey that they were a family, whole and complete. Now he knew why.

"This is going to make a great story for you guys to tell my kids someday," Shawn told them with a dreamy look in his eyes.

Jon and Audrey exchanged confused looks.

"Your kids?" Jon asked.

"Yeah, they're gonna love the story about how their grandparents met."

Audrey ducked her head letting her hair fall around her shoulders to hide the deep blush that colored her cheeks. Jon just stared at him. The kid's audacity to state such a thing out loud with Audrey right there was astounding. And embarrassing.

"Eat your pie, Hunter," he said through clenched teeth.

Shawn laughed and took a sip of his soda. As he chewed on his straw, he thought about them three of them: he and Jon were estranged their parents seemingly for good and Audrey was about to lose the parent she had left. All three of them were basically alone and yet had managed to find each other. This was not a coincidence Shawn knew, but proof that there was a greater Plan coming together. A seed of hope that had been planted when Audrey arrived, now took root and for the first time he began to believe that he'd found his real family.

Chapter Text

"If you're not gonna really commit to this whole thing why am I even here?!"

"Don't you dare go through that window! Get back here now!" Jon stood in the middle of his living room at his wit's end with Shawn's sudden, irrational outburst.

"Don't tell me what to do! You're not my dad!" Shawn fought with the window in his room that refused to budge. Anger flared through him when he saw that Jon had somehow jerry-rigged it not open enough for him to climb out. "I hate it here!" The apartment shook as Shawn slammed the window shut and bounced on his bed as hard as he could.

"What on earth is going on?" Audrey asked as she closed the door and hung her purse on the coat rack. She had heard their argument long before she made it to the apartment.

Jon turned to her with a look of sheer bewilderment and frustration on his face.

"I don't know! Not five minutes ago Shawn was sittin' on the couch, watchin' TV. I was on the phone with Tess confirming plans for tonight. Everything was fine, it's been fine all day. Soon as I hang up he's in my face yellin' that he can't believe I'm goin' out again; tellin' me that I'm selfish." He threw his hands up, partly in disgust and partly in defeat. "I haven't been out in three weeks, all my attention has been on him, and he's known about this date for over a week. But now it's a problem? I try to reason with the kid and he's tellin' me if I care so little about the family to kick him out now so he can go live with you. I told him that's not an option and, well, you and everybody else in the buildin' heard the rest."

Audrey cast a worried look towards Shawn's room."Something must have happened."

"I worry he's on something," he said, dropping heavily onto the sofa. He put his hand over his mouth briefly then said. "I've never seen a mood swing so fast."

This concern was a new one and it caught her off-guard. "Oh, Jon, you don't really think Shawn could be on drugs, do you?"

"I don't know. I worry about it," he leaned forward and put his head in his hands. "These kids he used to hang around all the time; they still come by here every once in awhile. They are definitely on somethin'. I'm not sayin' Shawn would seek that stuff out, but I wouldn't put it past those little hoodlums to slip him somethin' to get him hooked."

There was no denying that Shawn did hang with a very rough crowd at times although this was the first time she was hearing about them coming to the apartment. "Look, I'll talk to him tonight to see if I can find out what's going on."

Jon leaned back and put his hand on her knee as she sat next to him."I'd appreciate it, Aud. I can't get through to him and he favors you more anyway."

"He doesn't favor me," she said with a small smile when she saw the put out look on his face. "I'm just not the one trying to discipline him at the moment."

"Feel free take over that department any time."

"If you want me to do that, then you'll have to wait until I'm here before starting any arguments with him," she teased, running her fingers through his hair as rested his head against the back of the couch.

Jon smiled and took her hand. "It's not even six o'clock and I'm already exhausted."

"Poor baby."

"I wish I wasn't goin out tonight."

"Stay home."

He turned his head so he could see her better. "I would, but I feel like if I did that now, I'd be givin' in and lettin' Shawn get his way."

"So you're gonna go out to punish him then?" Audrey bit her lip as she tried not to laugh. She found him and the situation endearing but kept it to herself as she didn't think he'd appreciate the sentiment right now. "Who are you punishing exactly? Shawn or yourself?"

"I don't know, Audrey," he chuckled. "It's been what? Nine months now and I still have no idea what I'm doin'." After a moment his countenance soured and he said seriously, "I hate this whole situation."

"What situation?"

Jon put his feet up on the coffee table with a bang. "The situation with George. If he'd just leave me alone we'd be fine. I wouldn't have to go out, Shawn wouldn't randomly yell at me for goin' out and threatenin' to leave. Nothin' I say or do makes George happy; he's convinced I'm up to no good with you. And Shawn, well, as soon as I think he's happy he let's me know he's definitely not. I'm so sick of not being able to make anyone happy."

Audrey was quiet for awhile, lost in thought. It was strange the way Mr. Feeny was going about things. He'd never once said anything to her about Jon one way or the other. On the rare occasion he would ask if she was seeing anyone or encourage her to go out and have fun, but he was never pushy nor insistent about it.

"I'm happy with you," she assured him when she saw him watching her worriedly.

"Hang around," he grunted miserably. "I'm sure I'll do something to get you to not speak to me, too. Gimme a little more time."

"Mr. Feeny is really giving you a hard time, isn't he?" She took her thumb and tried to massage the frown lines from his brow.

"Every Monday he grills me on my weekend. What did I do? Who did I spend it with? If I'm vague he gets pushy wantin' to know details." He shifted his position to get closer to her. "Before you showed up, he didn't seem overly fond of my datin' habits, even implyin' I shouldn't date so much but otherwise left me alone. Now that I've backed off of datin', he's got an issue with that."

"I don't know him very well, but maybe he thinks he's protecting me. I dunno."

"Wanna know what else I'm sick of?" he asked with a scowl. She nodded. "I'm sick of being set up all the time. I mean, I know Cory's mom means well but I really do not wanna go out with any more of her friends. But if I don't, George will find out and then be all over me wantin' to know why. That's happened three time now and I'm convince he put her up to all this matchmaking stuff."

Jon wasn't the only one who wished Mrs. Matthews would stop setting him up. Audrey disliked it more than he did, only she had never voiced this to anyone. "I'm sorry, Jon. I wish I could help you."

The English lit teacher gave her a sidelong look. "You could if you really wanted to. This would all go away if you weren't my student teacher. You could reconsider this whole teachin' thing. Change your major and transfer down here. Teachin's not that great, anyway. Kids are okay, but adults and the pay not so much."

Audrey laughed. "It's a little late to change now I think."

He shrugged. "So don't change totally. Switch to elementary education. I always thought you'd make a great kindergarten teacher."

Audrey ran her fingers through his hair again just as Shawn walked into the living room. While he should have been pleased to see this, he wasn't. It just infuriated him even more that Jon was going out with someone else. He dropped the suitcase he was holding loudly onto the floor, making sure they knew he was there.

Jon turned to give him an irritated look over the sofa's back. "Why do you have a suitcase?"

"I'm stayin' with Mom," he announced. Defiantly, he stood with his feet shoulder-width a part and his arms crossed over his chest glaring angrily at his teacher.

"Oh, she's mom but I'm not dad anymore?" Shawn's declaration bothered him immensely and added to his annoyance. "Okay, fine. But you are not stayin' overnight."

"I don't plan on stayin' overnight," the teen shot back. "I'm stayin' for good."

"Oh, no, you're not!" Jon snapped, jumping up from the couch to face Shawn. "You're stayin' at Audrey's until I come and pick you up. I won't be out long enough for you to fall asleep."

"Why bother?" Shawn squared up to Jon with no idea what might happen if he continued to push. He could very well find himself homeless again, but there was something within him spurring him on. "You don't really want me here anyway. I cramp your style too much. If I go then you can date whoever you want, whenever you want, and I won't be in the way! And neither will Mom!"

"Shawn! That's enough!"

This sharp rebuked came from Audrey who never had a sharp rebuke for anyone. Ever. Both Shawn and Jon stared at her in shock and both shut up.

Audrey got up from her seat and walked around the couch to take a place at Jon's side. Her hands were on her hips and a severe, very un-Audrey like look was on her face. "I know you're upset, but you do not have a right to speak to Jon like that. Do you understand me?"

Shawn swallowed back the astonishment that lodged itself in his throat and left him barely able to speak. He stared at the floor and muttered, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me," she said shortly.

"I'm sorry, Jon," he said, a little louder this time.

"Yeah, thanks," Jon said, shifting uncomfortably. He gave Audrey a wary look, wondering if she had a correction for him, too.

"Shawn, go unpack your things," Audrey told him. Her voice was much softer; firm still, but softer. "Bring your school stuff. You and I have some studying to do."

"Yes, ma'am," he said humbly. He picked up the suitcase and took it back to his room, careful not to make any sort of noise that might be construed as having an attitude.

Jon sighed as he watched the boy retreat to his room, then shot Audrey a curious look. "Hey."

"Hmm?"

"Thanks."

She smiled.

"See, I was right though," he said, wagging a finger at her. "You correct him and no back talk, no attitude. He does favor you over me."

Audrey waved her hand in dismissal. "Give it a few more times and the shock of me getting onto him will wear off and he'll treat me the same. It's a teen thing and you know it."

Jon laughed and shook his head. "Suitcase or not, he may never leave your place after tonight."

"I don't have a problem with that."

"Yeah? What am I supposed to do then if he stays with you?"

She thought about this for a moment, then gave him a playful shrug. "That's your problem."

Jon caught her hand and pulled her over to him. With a mischievous gleam in his eyes he said, "Well, Mama, I can see who Shawn gets his attitude from."

She tilted her her chin to look up at him. "Oh, really, Mr. Sarcasm?"

Jon grinned and pressed his cheek against her hair. "Did I tell you about Tess?"

Audrey turned her head away so he couldn't see the dejected expression on her face. She hated hearing about his latest date, although she had said nothing to him about it. "Not that I recall."

Jon rested his chin on top of her head. "Okay, well, she..."

"Shawn! "she called suddenly, leaning away from him "Hurry up! We need to go."

Jon was perplexed by her sudden attitude shift. This wasn't like her; normally he told her about the women he was taking out and what they were like, assuming he knew. She'd never pulled away from him before. He had the sinking feeling that now she, too, was unhappy with him. "Hey, what's up?"

Audrey looked liked he'd caught her sneaking back in from a late night. She was now standing a few feet away from him with her arms crossed over her waist. "Nothing. I just don't want you to be late to pick up your date."

Shawn trudged into the living room with his book bag in tow. He wasn't necessarily in a good mood but if Jon had to describe it he'd call it a neutral mood that could go either way.

"I'm ready," the boy mumbled, not making eye contact with either of them.

With the way Shawn stood next to Audrey while staying as far away from him as possible, Jon felt like he was dropping his kid off with the ex-wife before meeting up with the girlfriend. Shawn certainly had succeeded in making him feel like he'd broken up the family. It made him feel like scum.

The drive to Audrey's was a quiet one but unlike most of their quiet rides it was not a cozy silence. The silence was a storm cloud ready to burst with all manner of unpleasantness. That cloud hung lowest over Shawn who grew more discontented the closer they got to the little white house.

Jon got out the truck and walked around to the passenger side to open the door for Audrey. He narrowly missed getting hit when Shawn wildly threw the door open to slide between Audrey's seat and the back to get out. Jon could have sworn the kid did it on purpose.

Shawn pushed opened the white gate with his foot and stood in the open space glaring at his caretaker much the way he had earlier: angry and defiant. Jon leaned back against the truck's door, trying to ignore the teen as his frustration grew.

"I'll be back by 11 at the latest," he told them. Then he looked around Audrey to give Shawn a "don't even think about staying" look.

Shawn marched up behind Audrey. What he was about to say was the equivalent of taking his life into his own hands but there was such an inexplicable swirl of anger, hurt, and fear within him that he said in the snidest, most disrespectful tone possible, "There's an empty apartment now. You gonna pick me up at 11 on what day?"

He saw the look of embarrassment and anger flare on his teacher's face and almost felt bad about it. Almost. Jon clinched his fists into tight balls and ground his teeth together to stop himself from saying something he'd regret while Audrey whipped around to reprimand teenager. Shawn didn't stick around; he ran into the house, slammed the door, and hunkered down in "his" bedroom to await his fate.

Audrey turned back to Jon and gave him an apologetic shrug. "I'll get it sorted out."

"Good luck," he sighed wearily, wishing he could go inside with her, even if it meant dealing with a confrontational teenager. He dug the heel of his boot into the grass of the curb, unsure of how the night had gone so wrong so quickly. As frustrating as Shawn was being, he was confident that this between them would blow over and by morning their relationship would be back to normal. His concern, however, was Audrey. Typically, when he left for a date, she would tease him about it a bit, then tell him to have a good time. She was usually in a cheerful mood. He didn't know if it was Shawn's attitude rubbing off on everyone or something else, but she seemed distant and closed off. She stood in front of him with her arms across her waist, not to ward off the chill in the air, but to put a defined wall between them.

"Everything okay, Aud?" he asked hesitantly.

His voice seemed to startle her. "Yeah, everything's good."

She wouldn't look him in the eye. Everything was not good and he did not know what he'd done to upset her.

"Look, Jon," she said, dropping her arms. She twisted the ring on the middle finger of her right hand- her mother's wedding band. "If your plans change, it's no problem for Shawn to spend the night.

There was a pained, doleful look that flashed across her features, darkening her eyes. The look passed and her expression went blank again. He'd never seen that look before and it concerned him. He reached out to her but she put her arms in front of herself again. With a tight smile, she said, "You're going to be late if you don't leave now."

He didn't understand her statement about Shawn staying the night. He never changed his plans; he always did what he told her he would do. Why would she think tonight would be different? Then Shawn's accusation echoed in his ears.

The apartment was empty...

Realization hit him like a ton of bricks. The apartment was empty tonight and it was empty at his suggestion. He had suggested Audrey's place for that night because they were always at the apartment and he thought Shawn might appreciate a change of scenery as Audrey's place had more room for him to spread out and a yard in a safe neighborhood to mess around in. Unfortunately, both Audrey and Shawn took this suggestion to stay at her place to mean something else entirely.

"I'm not takin' Tess back to the apartment."

She looked up at him impassively and he had no idea what she might be thinking.

"What you do is your business, Jon," she shrugged as though she didn't care, but she also turned partially away from him.

He took a step towards her. "And I'm not spendin' the night with her or anyone else."

There was no response to this. He frowned. She was really upset. There was no date that was worth this mess.

"I promise you I won't."

She bit her bottom lip, clearly wanting to believe but she hesitated and that bothered him more than he could say. He knew the root of the problem was there was no defined relationship between them. The talk of being of family and what happened over Christmas they both treated as joke and teased each other about. It was an idea that was fun to play with but that was the extent of it. They had never had a serious discussion about what would actually happen, if anything, once Audrey's student teaching was complete.

"Come on." He gingerly approached her, not wanting to cross any unseen boundaries. She didn't move away so he reached out for her hand. She didn't reach out to him but she didn't resist either. Brushing her hair way from her face, he kissed her cheek then put his forehead against hers. She didn't react or say anything, but she did look up at him with those great gray eyes and he felt a wave of guilt hit him. "I'll be back by 11."

"Okay," was all she said. He left without a goodbye from either her or Shawn.

Continued...

Chapter Text

Shawn watched Jon leave from the window in "his" room before he trudged back into the living room to face Audrey's wrath. The wait was excruciating and he wanted to get it over with. To be honest, he was both curious and a little afraid of how things might turn out as he could not predict her reactions the way he could Jon's.

Audrey had his book bag in the chair at the kitchen table. If she was still upset with him she did not say anything. Actually, she said very little; not much more than one or two words unless it was something specifically related to his school work. This bothered Shawn a great deal as it was so out of character for her and, if she was still mad at him, he wished she'd just yell at him and be done with it. But Audrey did not yell, he learned. She silently stewed in her thoughts until she could fully control her emotions and speak what was on her mind without losing that control. And until she did, the room was ice cold. Shawn shivered; it felt like the air conditioner was on and turned down low in mid-February. As they studied together for his upcoming social studies test on Monday, he realized that although she was unhappy with the way he'd spoken to Jon and halfheartedly apologized before mouthing off again, it was much more than that that was influencing her mood. There was a melancholy about her that seemed to increase as the night when on. He couldn't help but notice that she repeatedly checked the clock several times an hour.

Shawn also learned that just because Audrey doesn't talk doesn't mean she's forgotten about him or that he wasn't still in trouble. After his homework and studying were done, he bounced up ready to drown his sorrow in mindless televisions shows and popcorn with the hope of avoiding any discussions.

"Shawn." The chilly tone in Audrey's voice froze him as he stepped onto the threshold of the living room.

"Yeah?" He peeked over his shoulder to take a fearful glance at her. She was still going over his homework and not looking at him.

"Sit down."

Immediately, he went back to his chair and sat down. He knew he was in serious trouble, but he was determined to do whatever it took to get back into her good graces, even if it meant sacrificing his ego.

"What's going on with you?"

Shawn frowned. He didn't know how to answer, for multiple reasons. One, the question caught him guard; he was expecting to be lectured. Two, he really didn't know himself. He could say he was angry. He could say he was hurt. He could say he was worried. But he couldn't say why.

So he shrugged. She arched an eyebrow and looked unimpressed.

Remembering his vow to make her happy again, he quickly said, "I don't know. I just feel like I'm in Jon's way all the time."

Her countenance softened a bit. "Why is that?"

He shrugged again. He laid his arms on the table and put them out straight in front of him, palms down. "I just do."

"Has he said anything to make you feel like this?"

"No."

"Is he not wanting to spend time with you?" she asked, even though she knew the answer.

"No, no," Shawn tipped his head back and shook his hair out of his eyes. "He's been spendin' a lot of time with me."

Audrey set his homework in a neat pile in the middle of the table and put her pencil away. "So why do you feel like you're in his way?"

"Because," he sighed, "the very first time we don't have somethin' planned, instead of hangin' at home he jumps to go out with the first girl who comes along. What would that say to you?"

Shawn saw a strange look pass over her face and she glanced at the clock again.

"Shawn, do you know why he's going out tonight? Why he goes out when he does?"

He did know. It was the same reason he'd dated anyone since Christmas. "To get Feeny off his back so he won't snoop around tryin' to find out what he's really doin' after school. Because if Feeny caught us all together it'd cause a lot of problems."

"So you do know the reason." He nodded. She regarded him quietly for a long while, then just as he started to get antsy, said, "So this attitude has nothing to do with Jon, does it?"

Shawn picked at the dry skin around his thumbnail. "No," he admitted. "It's doesn't."

"What is it then?"

The teen shifted uncomfortably and straightened his arms out on the table again. He still couldn't answer why he felt the way he did, so he said the first thing that came to him when those emotions hit. "It's Mr. Feeny. He says he doesn't hate me but then he's doing everything he can to make sure I never get a real family."

Audrey stared at him in confusion at the direction the conversation suddenly took. It took her a moment to regroup. "Mr. Feeny doesn't hate you, Shawn. You know that. His concern about what Jon's doing on the weekend has to do with me, not you."

Shawn grumbled incoherently under his breath. Those feelings surged again as he thought about his teacher, Audrey, and his principal. Another worry suddenly pushed it's way to the forefront of his mind; one he'd been trying to bury for the past two weeks.

"It's only February," he said looking at her solemnly.

She frowned. "Yes, it is."

"So why is the PTA havin' a mother/son dance now? That's so stupid. Mother's Day is in May."

"I don't know," she said, taking note of another strange detour. She had a feeling that whatever was really bothering Shawn was about to show itself. "There was a father/daughter dance last month, PTA probably think moms deserve something, too. Is that what's bothering you? The dance?"

"No," he snapped defensively. With a sour scowl, he folded his arms over his chest. "I just think it's stupid. If they wanna do somethin' for the moms why not let them do what they really wanna do- take off and pretend they don't have husbands and kids who need them."

Audrey regarded with the teen with a studious gaze as she was beginning to piece together what was upsetting him. "Since it's the school doing this I think it's mandatory to include the students somehow."

The soft tone that he always associated with her was back. He glanced up at her but found it hard to maintain eye contact. He felt like she knew what was wrong and he wished she would just tell him so he could stop trying to figure it out. "Still stupid," he denounced harshly, feeling the anger rise again. "Kindergartners wanna take their mommies to a dance, not high schoolers."

Audrey saw that he was getting agitated again let him go without further questioning, although she did not let him go without a stern lecture about his attitude towards Jon. Shawn was duly ashamed of his behavior by the end of her speech and also very curious as to why she didn't push more like other adults to say exactly what was wrong. He did not ask, though, as he did not want to discuss the matter further. He did appreciate that she recognized this.

Still, Shawn was in an inexplicably grumpy mood and annoyed with Jon for being out in spite of an unending flow of popcorn and TV when the front door opened shortly after 10 pm. Audrey, who was coming out of the kitchen with another bowl of popcorn, was surprised to see him walking into the living room and nearly dropped the snack.

"Hey." His face lit up in a wide grin when he saw her.

"Hey," she replied, glancing at the clock. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, great." He leaned further into the living room to see what Shawn was watching. "Why?"

"You're early."

"I'm hungry," he responded, turning back to her and taking a handful of popcorn. "You got anythin' in the fridge?"

"Yeah, help yourself."

Shawn was now turned around on the couch and kneeling with his arms over the back of the furniture. He was also very surprised that Jon was back so soon. The date must have been really bad.

"How'd it go tonight?" Audrey asked. The teen was glad she did. He was dying to know, but uncertain of how angry Jon was with him still.

"Great," he said cheerfully much to Shawn's surprise and Audrey's dismay as he rummaged around in the refrigerator. "Turns out Tess is a real big sports fan; huge Islanders fan, unfortunately. We went down to Mike's to catch the game and shoot some pool. She's really good. And I need a lot more practice."

Audrey was baffled by this as was Shawn. Jon usually came back from his dates at the time he said he would and then complained about them. But this one was great and he was back already?

Again, Audrey spoke for both of them. "If everything went so well why are you back so early?"

Jon licked the mayonnaise off of his thumb and smiled to himself. "I don't think she liked me all that much."

"What!?" Shawn couldn't help but get involved now. He'd never known Jon not to be able to hit it off with a woman before. "Why?"

He shrugged, clearly having forgiven Shawn for earlier. "Apparently, I talked a little too much about two specific things and she got tired of it."

"What in the world did you talk about?" Audrey asked, still standing in the spot where she'd been when he came in.

"All I remember is sports and getting'-to-know-you type stuff. Normal things. I guess she heard it differently." He finished making his sandwich and took it into the living room where he set it on the coffee table, then went back to the kitchen to get a soda.

Shawn looked to Audrey who seemed to be on the verge of letting this go. But curiosity was killing him and Jon's explanation wasn't good enough.

"But why didn't she like you?"

Jon opened his soda and shrugged again. "When I dropped her off, I asked her if she wanted to go out again and she said next time I should just take with my wife and kid with me."

"What does that mean?" Shawn asked, hitting the back of the couch with his palm. He hated how adults spoke in code at important times.

Jon stopped in front of Audrey and regarded her with great affection. Then a puckish smile broke out over his face. "I guess I talked a little too much about the two of you and she got wrong idea." He took a drink of the soda, then said slyly, "Or maybe she get the right idea?" He leaned closer to Audrey and put an arm around her waist. "Four months," he said so quietly Shawn had to stand up on the couch and lean over the back of it in order to hear him. "Then no more student teachin' and we don't gotta do this anymore."

A grin of delight flashed across Audrey's face and impulsively she kissed his cheek. With cheeks blazing red, she let her hair fall around her face as she pulled away from him and sat on the couch next to Shawn who bounced onto the cushion with a much lighter attitude. As Jon took a seat next him, he gave his teacher a sideways look and said repentantly, "I'm really sorry about earlier."

"No harm, no foul, kid," Jon shrugged as he picked up the sandwich.

They sat in silence for about ten seconds before Shawn said, "Can we stay the night?"

"Shawn-n-n-n," Jon dragged out his name with a warning entwined in it.

"What about just me? Why can't I stay? You are afraid to stay alone in the apartment at night, aren't you?"

Jon shot him a dirty look then looked up at Audrey and laughed. "Because if Feeny ever found out about me letting you stay here I'm pretty sure I'd get fired."

"So what's the problem with that?"

"You don't see the problem?"

"No," Shawn folded his hands in his lap with great patience. Adults could be so dense sometimes. "Audrey wouldn't be your student teacher if you got fired. Then we'd all be happy."

"Yeah," Jon said exchanging an amused look with Audrey. "Who needs an income anyway?"

Chapter Text

For the next two days everything was relatively normal for Jon both at school and at home. There had been a few moments of acting out from Shawn, but they were short and not as volatile as before. Audrey told him what she talked to Shawn about when he was out, but could not yet say with certainty what was going on with the teen. However, she did recommend trying to distract him when he started to get upset. That, so far, was working.

The morning had gone exceptionally well. Perhaps too well. Shawn had been in a cooperative mood and had gotten ready for school without any arguing or trying manipulate his way out of class. Cory stopped by to walk to school with him and the two managed to not only get to school early, but they were in their seats in his classroom before he walked in. That probably should have been a warning that the dam was about to break.

That dam broke with ten minutes left in his fourth period freshman English lit class. In the middle of his explanation of the homework assignment, Jon's classroom door swung open with a sudden burst. There stood Shawn in the doorway with a panicked, stressed look on his face, extremely upset.

"Shawn?" A thousand thoughts ran through the teacher's mind at once as to what could be the problem then one in particular stood out: Chet was back.

"I need to talk to you now." There was a weighty fear attached to each word yet the teen's voice was surprisingly steady.

Jon looked to Audrey for help. She motioned for him to go and stepped up to take over the class.

Out in the hallway, Jon braced himself for the inevitable: either Chet was back or he was gone for good. Prepared for the worst, he took Shawn by the shoulders, inhaled deeply, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Shawn's eyes were wide and distressed. "You're not gonna believe what Minkus said."

Jon stared at him thinking he must have misheard him. Shawn could not have just said Minkus. As in Stuart Minkus? The kid must have said something else that sounded like Minkus. Shminkus, Rinkus, Dinkus...there wasn't a rhyme Jon could come up with that made any sense.

He could not have said Minkus, though. There was no way Shawn left Eli's class to interrupt his class about something Minkus said; they weren't even in the same classes. Jon tried to focus on what Shawn was saying to understand the actual reason for the interruption. Out of Shawn's mouth came a torrent of words, most spoken so fast that they were indecipherable, except for the name Minkus that kept coming up. The best Jon could understand was that two former classmates had some exchange in the hall as Shawn headed back to Eli's class from the bathroom.

Jon frowned. There wasn't much time left before the end of the period. By the time Shawn could make it back to Eli's room the period would be over and the teen might bail on the rest of the day.

"C'mon, Shawn," the teacher sighed. "I can't understand what's goin' on, so go sit in the back of the room until my class is over. We'll talk then."

Shawn nodded and anxiously ran his hands through his hair as he followed Jon. Once in the classroom, Shawn went as far back in the room as he could. It struck both Jon and Audrey as very strange that he opted to sit on the floor in the corner rather than in an empty desk.

After the period was over and everyone was gone, Jon shut the door to the classroom and stood in front of it. "All right, Shawn. What's goin' on?"

Shawn stood to his feet slowly, his shoulders slumped forward, and his eyes downcast. Then he looked at Jon and blinked as though the light hurt his eyes. The next thing the English Lit teacher knew, Shawn rushed at Audrey and threw his arms around her.

Jon locked his classroom door; if Feeny wanted to give him grief about it later he could. He didn't want anyone walking in unannounced right now.

"Shawn," Jon said, putting a leg over a student desk top and leaning against it. "Tell me you didn't interrupt my class because Minkus said somethin' to you."

Shawn looked hurt that Jon didn't see the seriousness in this. "You weren't there. You didn't hear what he said."

"Then tell me."

"I did!" Shawn gave his teacher a dirty look as though Jon had somehow betrayed him. "You weren't listenin'!"

"Shawn, I couldn't understand you!"

"You never can!" the boy shouted in anger before he buried his face in Audrey's shoulder, fighting not to cry.

Jon held his hands out and motioned that he gave up. He stood up, shoved his hands in his pockets, and paced the room.

Audrey watched Jon for a moment then, wrapped her arms tighter around Shawn's shoulders. "Shawn," she said gently. "You didn't tell me what Minkus said."

Shawn turned his head to that his voice wasn't muffled. "Minkus walked into me when he came outta his classroom. He had his nose in book and was runnin' some errand to the office. He walked into me, but he yelled at me like I tried to beat him up or somethin'."

Audrey squinted. There had to be more to it than that. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know!" the teen cried in dismay. Jon stopped pacing for a moment to look at his student who was obviously in pain. Shawn continued, "I was takin' the longest way back to Mr. Williams class after I went to the bathroom. I wasn't walkin' down the middle of the hall I was along the wall. Minkus opens his classroom door, hits me, I tell him to watch it, and he yells at me."

At this point, Shawn was in tears: hot tears streaming down his face, full on sobs shaking his shoulders. Jon stared at him dumbfounded at this reaction to something Minkus said. Audrey was equally confused as the confrontation, if you could even call that, seemed very mild.

"Was that all?" she asked.

Shawn rubbed his eyes and nose against the fabric of her shoulder trying to make the tears stop. "He had some fliers that he was takin' back to the office. He dropped them when he hit me. I asked him what the were for and he said the mother/son dance. I told him I didn't get one and he snatched the ones I picked up for him and told me that's because I don't have a mom so I don't need one."

Well, at least what Minkus said to upset him now made sense. Jon was still baffled that Minkus of all people could spark this kind of reaction out of Shawn when no one else could. Anyone else would've come face to face with Shawn's temper and fist. How in the world could Minkus send Shawn running to his classroom in tears? As far as he knew, two hadn't spoken to each other since the end of middle school. Aside from the occasional jokes cracked by him and Cory about really smart kids, Minkus was not a name that came up. Jon wasn't sure he could even pick the kid out of a line up because he wasn't sure he'd ever actually met Stuart.

If Shawn's reaction was bad, Audrey's lack of reaction was worse. She was holding him and stroking his hair as you would an inconsolable child, but she said nothing. This filled Jon with dread. If Audrey didn't know what to do to make Shawn stop crying, he was in trouble. He had no experience whatsoever to draw on that might help Shawn.

Finally, Audrey spoke. "This isn't about Minkus at all, is it, Shawn?"

Her question caught Jon's attention and he wondered how she came to that conclusion. It certainly seemed like it was about Minkus to him.

Shawn didn't answer. He appeared to be holding his breath. Eventually, he shook his head no into her shoulder and held on tighter.

Audrey caught Jon's gaze and held it. "This is about your mom, isn't it?"

At that, Shawn's sobs began over again, more pained than before.

His mom? Shawn was upset about his mom? It came back to Jon at that moment that it wasn't just Chet who took off on Shawn; Virna dumped him first. He had been so angry with and focused on Chet that he'd simply forgotten that both parents had abandoned their kid. Jon let out a heavy sigh and walked over to sit on his desk next to Audrey and Shawn.

"This did all kinda start up after Ms. Jenkins came to homeroom and announced the mother-son dance a couple of weeks ago," Jon told her.

Audrey wasn't surprised. "When I asked him the other night what was bothering him, he went off on a tangent about how the dance was stupid. I kinda of figured this was going to come out sooner or later." She sighed. "Dads aren't expected to stay, moms are. There's no way her leaving didn't affect him."

"I forgot about her to be honest."

"No wonder," she said. "Was she ever around? Did you ever meet her?"

Jon shook his head. "I think the last time I even heard her name was when Chet said he was takin' off to find her. Shawn's never once mentioned her in all the time he's been with me."

A lot of things were beginning to make sense, especially when it came to Shawn's attachment to Audrey and why he wanted her with them all the time. Shawn's sudden declined interest in dating to stay home had concerned Jon some, but that too made sense now; the teen didn't want a girlfriend as much he wanted a mother. The English Lit teacher felt a bit useless watching Audrey console Shawn. She spoke to him in low, soothing tones, reminding him that none of this was his fault and that he was loved and safe. No wonder he'd been pushing so hard to stay with her. He needed a mother. He needed Audrey. In this situation Jon wasn't sure what he was. He wasn't a father that was certain. A brother then? The fun uncle that was rarely around? Whatever he was, he wasn't what Shawn needed.

Jon sighed heavily. He felt Audrey watching him. He looked at her, saw her affectionate, encouraging smile, and wondered why she was looking at him like that before he realized what he was doing. In his brooding, he'd moved closer to her and was rubbing Shawn's shoulders. Audrey gently rocked back and forth on her heels as Shawn quieted down. The teen was no longer crying, he was just holding on to his teachers.

Audrey brushed the boy's hair out of his face. "Feeling any better?"

Shawn turned his head toward Jon, then answered her, "Some."

"What are you thinking?"

"A lot."

"Tell me one thing."

"I can't go to the dance." Jon watched his face wrinkle up as he fought back tears. "But if I don't then everyone will know Mom left me too. Everyone will know that she didn't want me either."

"I don't think that's true, Shawn," Audrey said quietly.

"Then why didn't she take me with her?" The pain from earlier flooded his face as he fought an internal battle between hurt and anger.

Neither adult had an answer to his question, but Audrey said, "I don't know what your mom's going through, Shawn, but obviously she's dealing with some heavy stuff. She may have thought she was giving you a better chance by leaving you behind."

"With Dad?" Shawn scoffed derisively. Tears began to choke his speech which made him angry. "Dad's so horrible she had to leave him and take everythin' with her but he's okay for me to stay with? She doesn't want me and you both know it. She didn't even say goodbye. It's like I'm not even her kid!"

As angry as Jon was with Chet, Audrey was equally angry with Virna. Had Virna been on drugs and took off in pursuit of them then Audrey could understand leaving her child behind. But was that her excuse? If not or even if it was, she could not excuse leaving a child behind in such a cold way. Especially with a father as unreliable as Chet. She hugged Shawn tightly. There was nothing she could say to alleviate his pain.

The three of them stood there for a long while as Shawn tried to get himself together. The bell had rung for the next period some time ago. Jon had no class; it was supposed to his plan time. He knew he should let Shawn's Algebra teacher know where he was, but it didn't feel right to leave at that moment.

Audrey tapped Shawn's shoulder to get his attention. When he looked at her, she asked, "What if I took you to the dance?"

Shawn lifted his head suddenly and pulled back so he could see her better. His eyes were wide with surprise that she would even think of that. "Would you?"

"Yes," she answered adamantly. "I would."

This idea thrilled Shawn but almost immediately he saw the problem with it. "Everyone knows you're not my mom. It would never work." He put his head back on her shoulder and tightened his grip on Jon's arm feeling as though the whole world was against him.

Jon had known that he needed to do something meaningful for Shawn for quite some time but he struggled to come up with anything until Audrey offered to be "mom" for the dance.

"The dance is Friday," he said slowly, trying to get his thoughts together.

"So?" asked Shawn, sounding miserable.

"So I'm not chaperonin' and when I don't chaperon a dance Audrey isn't required to be there."

"So?" asked Audrey.

"So I'm thinkin' we head to Pittsburgh for the weekend."

Shawn gave him a curious look and lifted his head away from Audrey.

"What are we gonna do there?" he asked skeptically.

Jon shrugged. He really had no idea as he'd never been to Pittsburgh before. "I dunno, but I hear there's a lot of family stuff to do."

At the mention of family, Shawn's eyes lit up, but he still wasn't completely convinced that this was a good idea. "Why Pittsburgh?"

Jon looked at Audrey and smiled. He looked back at Shawn and said, "No one there knows you aren't our kid. And no Feeny."

Our kid... A slow smile spread over his face as he began to warm up to the idea. "I could ask Topanga if she knows anywhere fun to go. She's gotta an aunt out there."

Jon nodded, pleased with himself for contributing something helpful. "Sounds like we gotta a plan."

"Better than a dance," Shawn said. He allowed the feeling of hope the idea gave him have a place over the hurt and anger of his parents' abandonment.

"Definitely," Audrey grinned.

Jon gave Shawn a few minutes to get himself ready to go to his next class with along with a note to excuse his absence. As Shawn reached the classroom door, he turned and gave his teachers a shy look and asked hesitantly, "So will this weekend kinda be like Christmas?"

Jon quickly checked to see if any principals were watching through the door's window, then smiled and put his arm around Audrey.

"Just like Christmas."

Chapter Text

Everyone knew that Shawn Hunter had little interest in school. Most teachers were happy to pass him through their class as quickly as possible and perhaps receive a little homework on special occasions. Both teachers and student tried to forget each other as quickly as possible.

Then there was his English Lit teacher who expected homework regularly and had the audacity to expect him to maintain a strong C average or else his social life would be directly impacted. This teacher also had this thing about becoming a better person which sometimes seemed more important than grades.

The only other teacher to have any expectations for him that weren't of failure was his principal who also taught something- history. Maybe? Whatever the class, Mr. Feeny's expectations were even higher than Mr. Turner's. It didn't matter what your GPA was the man was convinced that you could do better. He was also all about personal growth.

Despite these annoying traits, Shawn liked both men very much. However, he had to fight both in the area of grades as he wouldn't be Shawn Hunter if he didn't. But ultimately, he would do as they asked; he knew they cared about him and his future.

So, these were the teachers typical of his school experience. There was one, however, who stood out among the rest and not for a good reason.

Katherine Tompkins.

She was a strange amalgamation of the types of teachers in his life. She wanted nothing more than to pass him through her class and be rid of him. Except when Jonathan Turner was around. Then she seemed to be very much like a female Mr. Feeny, as appalling as that was. However, that was only at school. He did not exist outside of the school premises even when she was standing in front of him in his own home. That was fine with Shawn; he didn't like her either.

Then came the day right after one of her boring lectures where she made it clear that it was not just her classroom, she wanted him out of.

Shawn and Cory slept through most of that class, or at least as much as was possible when an annoying alarm clock kept screeching for them to wake up and it wasn't possible to shut it off. This was nothing unusual though and both fully expected to be written up for it. They always were. Cory wandered up to her desk to pick up the pink slip that would go home yet again to his parents. Shawn headed for the door. Giving him his slip was pointless; it would end up in the trash where Jon would inevitably find it no matter which receptacle he buried it in.

"Not so fast, Shawn."

Shawn, with his hand on the doorknob, responded with a slow, exaggerated turn and even more exaggerated roll of his eyes.

"What?"

"Come here, please." It was a demand not a request.

"You're wastin' your time givin' me that. It's goin' in the trash as soon as I walk outta here."

"I'm not giving this to you."

"Finally, startin' to catch on, huh?" he quipped with a sardonic smile. "Took long enough."

Miss Tompkins looked like she was biting her tongue. Literally.

"That's all, Cory," she dismissed the other boy. "You can go now."

Cory gave Shawn a worried look over his shoulder and said as neutrally as he could, "I'll just wait for Shawn if it's all the same to you."

"It's not," she pointed at the door. "Go to your next class."

The boys exchanged looks and Shawn gave him a subtle nod that he was all right. He knew Cory would go no further than just outside of the classroom door and would witness anything that happened.

"Readin’ me the riot act is also a waste of your time and breath."

"This is going straight to Jon."

Shawn shrugged. It'd been almost a week since he'd brought one home; Jon was expecting it. His caretaker had a small chalkboard hung in the hallway between the bedrooms and bathroom that read: 5 days since Shawn brought home a pink slip. He grinned. That 5 would be back to 0 after today.

"So what?"

"So I'm bringing it over tonight."

Shawn's eyes narrowed and his smile disappeared. "You trapped Jon into another date. So what?"

She glared at him. "So I'm coming over tonight before Jon and I go out. I have some things to discuss with Jon about your performance in my class. It's atrocious, you know."

Atrocious- that was new one he could add to his list of words from teachers that meant "Shawn's a problem I no longer want to deal with, get him out of my class".

"What's your point?"

"My point is that it's Friday. And I have a date with Jon. I'm coming over early."

Shawn gave her a dead stare. "And?" he prompted irritably.

He was clearly pushing her to the brink of a meltdown. Most teachers weren't this easy to topple. Most would fight with everything they had not let him know he was getting to them. It wasn't usually until the end of the year that they would crack and yet here they were just five months into the year, and she was showing signs of a breakdown.

"I'm coming over tonight," she said again, trying to control her temper. "I have a date with Jon."

"Miss Tompkins," Shawn folded his hands in front of him and gave her a look of mock concern. "Do you have short term memory loss or somethin'? You keep repeatin' yourself."

"I have a date with Jon on the weekend. You will be staying at Cory's tonight."

Shawn frowned at her. "No, I won't."

"Yes, you will, Shawn."

"Uh, no, I won't," he argued. "Morgan's havin’ a slumber party tonight and six little girls are all the guests Mrs. Matthews wants to deal with."

"You're going to the Matthews tonight."

Shawn gave her a perplexed look. He could not understand why she insisted on this as though she had some control over what went on in other people's homes. Part of him was tempted to show up at the Matthews' house and tell them his social studies teacher told him he had to stay with them this weekend. That would most certainly get a call home to Jon and interrupt her precious date.

"No," he said, forcefully. Shawn paused a moment and considered his words. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Out of respect," he placed heavy emphasis on the word that meant so much to her, "to the Matthews, I'm not gonna just show up uninvited on a weekend I know they're busy.

She glared at him. "Shawn, you aren't understanding me. I don't care where you go, just as long as you aren't at the apartment tonight. You can come back tomorrow afternoon."

Shawn stared in disbelief at her. What was she saying? Sleep on the streets if you have to just don't be around? Was she actually trying to kick him out of his own home? Yes, he decided, she was. She was trying to dictate when he could and could not be in his own home. And she didn't even live there!

The boy stared at her for so long with a look of shock that slowly turned to anger that she became slightly afraid of his reaction. His eyes flared with fury.

"You're not the boss of me!"

"Shawn," she sighed as though he was the most unreasonable person in the world. " Jon does everything for you. He's rearranged his entire life you and what good has it done? Nothing's changed. You're still the same awful student you've always been. For once in your life, stop being so selfish. Let Jon have his life back for a day."

The words hurt. Even though they were uttered by someone he didn't care about. To insinuate that he was somehow such a problem that Jon had to give up everything to appease him hurt deeply. He knew he shouldn't care what she said, but he did because deep down he worried that Jon shared her sentiments. If Jon wanted a day to himself without him, to have his old life back, then he could have it; they'd been through this before. But Jon and only Jon could tell him to get lost for a day. No one else. Not even Audrey.

Slowly, he backed away from her and towards the door. His expression never wavered; he did not let the tears that wanted to fall even get to the surface. Instead, he stared her down until he got to the door.

It was in that moment Katherine realized with horror what Shawn intended to do. And if he succeeded, Jon would be furious with her and there would certainly be no date that night or possibly any other night. She tried to block him before he reached the door, but the boy was too fast for her. Her only hope was that she could reach the English Lit teacher before he did.

Shawn knew every short cut there was in John Adams High and he exploited every one to get to Jon's classroom a full minute ahead of the social studies teacher. He knew Cory would be behind him somewhere.

It was a rare occasion that Audrey wasn't in the room with Jon, and this disappointed him greatly.

When Jon saw the look on Shawn's face, he quipped lightly, "Yeah, I wish she was here too."

"Where is she?"

Jon smirked, "Right behind you."

Shawn tensed, afraid that the horrible social studies teacher would be the one at the door. Slowly he turned and was deeply relieved to see the student teacher walking into the classroom, studying a paper she had in her hands.

"Hey, Shawn." Audrey greeted him with a smile and a squeeze of the arm as she passed by him on her way to Jon's desk.

Shawn let out a sigh of relief that they were both there.

"You okay, Hunter?" Jon asked. The fact that Shawn was sitting in his classroom looking out of breath and upset and without Cory was a bit concerning.

"No, I'm not."

"What's up?"

"Miss Tompkins."

"Oh, I guess you know," Jon glanced at Audrey. "I've got a date with her tonight."

Shawn didn't realize that he was holding his breath waiting for Audrey's reaction. The student teacher sat down in the chair Jon rarely used and appeared to be engrossed in the paper she'd walked in with. If she heard, and Shawn was sure she did, she did not give any indication that she had. Shawn knew that a quiet Audrey was an unhappy Audrey.

He wrinkled his nose.

"Yeah. But, Jon, she told me I couldn't be at the apartment tonight. She told me to go stay with Cory." Shawn knew there was no way Miss Tompkins had Jon's approval on this, but still he felt panicked at the possibility.

"What?" The English Lit teacher wasn't sure he'd heard Shawn correctly. "Why would she say that?"

"Because she doesn't want me around. She thinks she's gonna stay overnight. She told me I could come home tomorrow afternoon."

Jon paled at the idea and gave the student teacher a quick, nervous look. "She is not stayin’ the night, Shawn. I don't where she got that idea. It did not come from me."

Shawn had a feeling the emphasis that the idea wasn't his wasn't just for his benefit; he could tell his teacher was very worried about what Audrey might be thinking.

"It came from her," he said, wanting to back Jon up in case Audrey had any doubts. "She told me she didn't care where I went- Cory's or somewhere else. She just told me not to be there."

"Oh, you're gonna be there. Audrey and I've already discussed it; she's gonna come over and stay with you until I get back."

"Okay," the teen said, feeling some better. He slumped down in a nearby seat with a thump.

Jon and Audrey exchanged concerned looks.

"Shawn," Jon crossed his arms over chest and frowned. "What exactly did Kat say to you about tonight?"

Shawn inhaled deeply. "She said and I quote, ' Shawn, you aren't understanding me. I don't care where you go, just as long as you aren't at the apartment tonight. You can come back tomorrow afternoon.' She also said that you do everything for me. That you've rearranged your entire life for me and it hasn't done any good. Nothing's changed. I'm still the same bad student I've always been. She said I should stop being selfish and let you have your life back for a day."

Jon (and Audrey too) stared at him in surprise. Both looked appalled.

"She said that to you?"

Shawn nodded.

"Shawn," Audrey said, standing up and coming around to the front of the desk to stand next to Jon. "Are you sure you heard her correctly? That you weren't just upset and maybe read more into what she said?"

He shook his head. "I know what I heard. I couldn't believe it either."

Audrey looked astonished and Jon looked angry. Before either of them could say anything further, someone walked into the classroom. Shawn heard her before he saw her.

Jon didn't look happy to see the other teacher. In fact, he was infuriated that she had the audacity to walk into his classroom after what she had said to his kid.

"Jon," Miss Tompkins said as though absolutely nothing was wrong. She gave Shawn a small smile. "I need to talk to you."

"Yeah, I need to talk to you, too." Jon motioned her over to a corner of the classroom so they could have some privacy, yet Shawn and Audrey could still hear what was being said.

Something was very wrong here, Shawn knew. Miss Tompkins knew why he was in here when he should have been in Mr. Feeny's class. But she was acting too casual, too nice, too normal.

Katherine listened solemnly as Jon told her what Shawn had told him. She listened and did not say a word to defend herself. She nodded in all the right places and made those awful cooing sounds of agreement. Then she pulled out the pink slip. Jon stopped talking and she took over. She told him about all the problems Shawn had been causing in her room and almost every incident she recounted was exaggerated. Shawn listened in horror as she then proceeded to blame him for their conversation and tell Jon with a sincere, straight face that Shawn had made it all up to avoid getting into trouble.

Jon looked conflicted and so did Audrey. Shawn couldn't believe that they were considering believing her over him. His pulse began to race. Although, he had to admit that Katherine's acting was so good that he would have considered believing her too, if he hadn't been a part of and witness to the conversation. Jon took the pink slip from her and said little else.

Shawn was dismayed. He knew Jon had to consider what she told him; he wouldn't be much of a parent if he didn't. But one of the two of them should have his back, yet it seemed that Audrey, too, was taken in by her lies. He was NOT going to cry with her in the room, but that's what he wanted to do. After all, if Jon and Audrey didn't believe him, what hope did he have?

It was clear Jon wanted Katherine to leave his room and she did. But as she did, she stopped in front of Audrey and insisted that the younger woman leave with her. Audrey's response lifted his heart:

"Oh, no, this is my classroom and you are not kicking me out of my classroom. Jon's the only one who can tell me to leave."

Shawn was elated by this. Katherine's cheeks flared red and she left without another word.

"Shawn," Jon sat back against the top of his desk. "What's the pink slip for?"

"Sleepin’. Cory and I both fell asleep and got written up."

"Figures," his teacher said. He stared at the paper in his hands for a moment then looked up at Shawn. "Board goes back to 0 you know."

"Yeah, that number needed to be changed away," he joked, hoping Jon would find the comment somewhat amusing.

The English Lit teacher gave a small smile. He crumpled the pink slip up and tossed it in the waste basket.

"Cool," Shawn said with a grin.

"Don't get too excited, Feeny's still keepin' score."

Jon was quiet for a time, then got up, and walked over to where Shawn sat. He leaned down until he was almost nose to nose with the boy.

"Are you tellin' me the truth about what Kat said to you?" he asked. His voice was low and his expression solemn.

"Yes, I am." Shawn held his gaze and matched his teacher's seriousness.

"You didn't exaggerate or make anything up?"

"No, I didn't." Shawn was very careful not to so much as blink. He didn't want any shifting of his eyes to be misinterpreted as a "tell" that would make Jon think he wasn't being honest. "Cory was outside of the room the whole time. Ask him."

Jon held his gaze for a long moment, then shook his head, and straightened up. "I don't need to."

Shawn felt like he was going to pass out as waves of relief and happiness that his teacher believed him washed over him. He felt Audrey's hand smooth his hair out of his eyes. He looked up into her calm gray eyes and smiled.

Shawn got his revenge later that night.

True to her word, Kat did show up at Jon's place fully expecting to go on with their date as planned. Shawn was prepared for this. As he watched Kat fawn over Jon and completely ignore him, he was eating the coleslaw that had been in the back of the refrigerator for three weeks. It was as offensive and detestable as the woman in his home, but Shawn didn't need to eat much of it. He just had to choke down a couple of spoonfuls. Just before Audrey was due to come over, his stomach began to complain loudly at his poor choice of food.

Shawn sat the bowl on the kitchen counter and walked over to the adults. Katherine greeted him with a cold glare. He ignored her and turned to Jon. "I don't feel so good," he complained, putting a hand over his stomach. "I think I'm gonna throw up."

Jon gave him a funny look. "You were fine ten minutes ago."

"I think it's somethin’ I ate."

"The fridge is full of Au-" Jon stopped himself before he said "Audrey's leftovers". "Leftovers. How could it be somethin' you ate?"

"The coleslaw wasn't great."

Jon stared at him in disbelief, putting his hand over his mouth for a moment. "The coleslaw should have been thrown out weeks ago when I asked you to clean the fridge out."

"Yeah, well, I didn't." Pain tore through his stomach. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"Drink some milk, Shawn," Katherine offered, almost sounding sincere. "That'll take of it."

As he opened his mouth to give her a rude retort about her ridiculous advice, his poor stomach had enough and promptly emptied its contents all over Miss Tompkins' new shoes. It was a perfectly time disaster. Unfortunately, Shawn was in too much pain to enjoy it and the enraged shrieks it garnered from his most despised teacher.

Date terminated: mission accomplished.

Audrey came over anyway which is what Shawn was hoping for. It was just too bad that he was still in the bathroom when she came in. Jon sat on the ledge of the bathtub with a wet washcloth in hand for Shawn to wipe his mouth on after he threw up. He regarded the boy with an amused look.

"You know, this wasn't necessary."

"No, it was very necessary," Shawn insisted. "I couldn't let her get her way after tryin’ to make you think I was lyin’ to you."

"Shawn," Jon made a face as the boy threw up again. "I wasn't about to go out with her after that. Here take this." He handed him the damp cloth.

"Huh?" Shawn leaned back against his teacher's leg and looked up at him through vomit-induced tears

"I wasn't gonna go out with her."

"But Audrey came over."

"Yeah, for a game night."

"Humph," Shawn said, feeling nauseated again. "Well, that stinks."

"Yeah, it really does," Jon said, making another face.

Shawn gave him an exhausted smiled. "You gotta admit, it was worth the look on her face when she got hit. Perfection!"

Jon laughed and so did Shawn, but his stomach did not see the humor in it, and he threw up again.

He may have spent a good part of the night in the bathroom, and he may not have felt like eating any of Audrey's cooking. But being fussed over by his favorite people and falling asleep in front the TV with them was well worth it.

He'd do it all again.

Definitely.

Well, maybe not.

That coleslaw was rank!

Chapter Text

The United Hospice of Rockland was in New City about 45 minutes from where the class was staying in New York City. Mr. Feeny had given Audrey special permission to visit her father. Shawn doubted that he and Jon were supposed to go with her, but they went anyway.

Jon seemed particularly nervous about meeting Audrey's father. Shawn didn't understand why. It would be different he'd never met the man before; fathers could be a great hindrance to dating daughters. However, Jon already knew Audrey's dad, so Shawn didn't see what the big deal was.

When they arrived at the hospice, he was expecting a hospital and was surprised to see a building that looked more like a big nursing home. It looked even more like one on the inside. This came as a great relief as Shawn hated hospitals and doctors with a passion.

The front desk staff greeted Audrey warmly and gave her an update on her father: no change. A nurse told them they could go back to Mr. Andrews' room. He was waiting for them.

"Hi, Daddy," Audrey ran over to her father's bedside and gave him a kiss. "How are you?"

The man lying in the hospital bed gave her a weak smile. "Much better now, Princess."

Audrey gave him the flowers they'd brought and spoke to him for a while. Shawn stood by Audrey's side, unsure of what if anything, to say. Mr. Andrews saw him and very slowly moved his eyes to the boy. The man's eyes were gray like Audrey's but very cloudy. Shawn gave him a tight smile. Mr. Andrews lifted his hand a few inches off the bed and pointed to him. Shawn looked over his shoulder to see if Jon was behind him.

The man gave a raspy laugh at the boy's reaction. "This must be Shawn."

Shawn was surprised, but pleased, that he knew his name. "Yeah," he said. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Andrews."

The man closes his eyes coughed. He frowned and shakily moved his hand back and forth. "None of that now. Call me Richie if you can't call me Pops yet."

Shawn wrinkled in nose at this. "Pops?"

"You're her kid, aren't you?" He looked at Audrey.

A smile tugged at the corner of the teen's mouth. "Yeah."

"And you know, she's my kid, right?"

Shawn couldn't help but grin. He ducked his head shyly and put his hands in his pockets. "Okay, Pops."

The man smiled then turned to Audrey. "Where's J?"

"Hiding," Audrey laughed.

"I am not." Jon stepped out from behind the door. Shawn gave him a wicked grin and laughed, too.

Richie gave him a warm smile. His eyes teared up when he saw the teacher stand behind his daughter and Shawn.

"It's good to see you, J. It's been a long time."

"I know." Jon leaned between Audrey and Shawn to take the man's outstretched hand. "I'm sorry about that, Richie. I shoulda come home sooner." Jon felt guilt-stricken by his lack of care for his former mentor. "I don't know why I stopped writin'."

"You're here now. And I stopped writin' you. Or Audrey did. She took my dictation until she," he paused as he looked at his daughter. Audrey shook her head slightly. "Until she got sick."

"Sick?" Shawn asked worriedly. "Are you okay?"

Audrey gave him a tight smile and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

Jon couldn't help but stare at his former mentor. The once larger than life Magnum PI look-alike was now so frail and thin. And looked so old. Richie was propped into a sitting position by the bed that was partially raised. His once bright eyes were now dim; his hair and mustache were just gray wisps of their former self. Jon just couldn't believe that this was his hero. Richie had been invincible, untouchable. He was a real-life Superman. How could this be him now?

Richie gave him a moment then asked, "You still go by Jonny?"

Jon shrugged. "Not really. A few people call me that. It's either Jon or Jonathan now."

"Which do you prefer?"

He smiled. "I prefer J."

Richie shook his head slightly with a smile that said he didn't believe the young man. "I hear you're teachin' now?"

"Yeah," Jon said. "Out in Philly. Finally made it into a classroom like you wanted. I guess you know Audrey is my student teacher."

"I do." He smiled slightly. "Funny how small the world is, isn't it?"

The teacher nodded. "I'm so sorry about Lizzy, Richie. I wished I'd known when it happened. I woulda come home."

Richie waved this off. "You were travelin'. In Europe, if I remember right. I didn't want to call you back."

"But still..."

"But nothing." Even in his greatly weakened state, Richie still held an authority over the younger man Jon didn't argue with him. "You'd come so far by then. I didn't want anythin' to set you back. Comin' to the old neighborhood then woulda been a bad idea."

"Yeah," Jon conceded. "Probably."

"You in contact with anyone from back then?"

"Naw," he said. "Eli and I are still best friends, but no one from here. No one but Audrey." Jon paused and a frowned pinched his brow. "We went to John's last night. Ran into Angelo."

Richie didn't look happy to hear this. "Don't get involved, J. Don't go back to that. Not even to relive the good times. There are some things that never change."

"Says he's been clean four years."

Richie snorted. "By who's calendar?"

Jon pursed his lips. "You sayin' he's not?"

"Did he look clean to you?"

Jon considered this, but he didn't know so he shrugged.

Richie sighed and his voice softened. "I still know what's goin' on out there. People from my Venus days still come to see me."

Jon lit up at the mention of Venus. "Best times of my life were workin' there for you."

"Best times, huh? Some of the most disgusting, too. You remember that stall you had to clean?"

"With a toothbrush," Jon laughed. "Man, I still smell that puke late at night sometimes. Worst punishment you ever handed out."

The men continued like this. Shawn was fascinated by the back and forth. They clearly knew each other very well at one point. And Jon acted like the son who'd come away after a long time and was eager to gain his father's approval again. What intrigued Shawn even more were the stories behind their words. He was dying to know the details.

After a while Richie took Audrey's hand and smiled at her. "I'd like to talk to J alone, Princess. Why don't you and Shawn grab somethin' to eat."

"Okay, Daddy," she hugged him and gave Jon a pleased smile before she took Shawn by the hand and led him to the door.

"I don't wanna go," Shawn told her. He looked back at the men who were already in deep conversation. "I wanna hear what they're gonna talk about."

Audrey pointed to the hallway. "And they don't want you, too. Now come on."

Shawn spent thirty minutes wandering around the hospice with Audrey. The care center turned out to also house an assisted living facility. They stopped and talked with several residents, many of whom thought they were their grandchildren. Shawn actually enjoyed slipping into roles of different kids and chatting with the residents about their lives. The staff commended him for his kindness and said that many of their people never had any family come to visit and told him that he just brightened their lives for a long time to come.

Shawn rejoined Audrey in a walk around the facility feeling good about himself. Finally, she let him go back to "Pops".

When they returned to the room, Richie sent Audrey away again, this time with Jon. It was Shawn whom he wanted to stay. The teen was delighted by this.

"So," Richie said. There was a rosy flush to his cheeks now and he looked much more alive than when Shawn left with Audrey. "My daughter has told me that you're livin' with J right now and have been for a while."

"Yeah," Shawn said wondering how much the man knew. "My mom kinda took off and my dad went after her."

"You hear from them much?"

"No," he sighed as feelings of abandonment washed over him. "He's called like once in all the time I've been with Jon. I'm not even sure where he is." The only thing Shawn knew for sure was his dad wasn't anywhere near Air Force One. "Mom's never called at all."

"How do you feel about that?"

Shawn blinked. Other than Jon and Audrey, no other adults consistently asked him how he felt about what was happening to him or what he wanted. They just told him what to think and how to feel. Even well-meaning ones like the Matthews and Mr. Feeny. Audrey and her family must be teen-whisperers or something weird to ask him how he felt about things all the time.

"Unwanted. Sometimes I think that Dad found Mom and that they're out there makin' a new life for themselves. I don't think either of them is gonna come back. They don't want me." Shawn couldn't explain why he was telling the old man anything, but there was something about him that made him want to talk. Maybe it was because of Richie's connection to Jon.

Richie nodded. "J says you've been in some trouble."

"Yeah," he huffed his bangs out of his face, "been brought home by the cops a few times. Jon's always bailed me out. I've given him a pretty hard time, too. I'm kinda surprised he hasn't sent me back to the Matthews."

Richie studied him for a long time, then said seriously, "Shawn, J's told me about your situation. He won't kick you out. Trust me when I say, J is the best possible person for you to be with right now."

"Why's that?"

"Because he's been where you were headed. There's nothin' you can say or do that will shock him. No point in tryin'. There's nothin' he can't understand."

Shawn desperately wanted to ask Richie about what Jon was like at 15, but he hesitated because he really wanted Jon to be the one to tell him. "You guys were real close, huh?"

"Our paths crossed during a time when we both really needed each other. He's like a son to me."

Shawn felt as though the older man was somehow giving him a glimpse into his own future. "Cool," was all he could say.

Richie took his hand. "I'm glad I got to meet you, Shawn."

"Yeah, me, too, Pops," the teen blushed. "I wish I could hang out with you more. I have no idea what Venus is but it sounds really cool."

The man laughed." My daughter, my son, and my grandson are all here with me. My Lizzy would be over the moon to see you all together."

An odd teary lump rose in the teen's throat at being called Richie's grandson. Audrey had a weird family. It was so quick to adopt random people into it. But he loved the family even more for that quirk.

"I need you to do somethin' for me, Shawn."

Shawn smiled. "Anything, Pops."

"Don't let those two mess things up."

He grinned. "They are really good together. Apart though, Jon really needs some work."

The man laughed a raspy laugh. "You know, I raised J for a while."

Shawn's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Like he lived with you?"

"Three years," Richie nodded. "While Lizzy was takin' care of her mom back in the UK."

"I didn't know that."

"Now you do."

Visiting hours were over and Audrey and Jon came to collect him. The conversation was just getting juicy, and he hated to leave with the story unfinished. He felt such an intense connection to the man in the bed that he spontaneously hugged him at the last minute. His attachment was illogical, but Shawn couldn't help himself.

"Love you, kid," the old man said with tears in his eyes.

Love? Audrey's family was beyond weird.

Shawn scrunched his nose up and his own eyes suddenly filled with tears. How could you have any attachment for someone you just met?

"Love you, Pops, too. See ya soon." Shawn meant every word he said.

Richie pointed at him. "You remember what I told you."

"I will. Always."

Chapter Text

 March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb was a goofy adult saying that Shawn had heard most of his life but never understood it until that year. March of '95 roared its arrival by radically changing his home life. On March 1st, Shawn woke up on the couch of the apartment with his feet propped up on a pillow. He sat up, yawned, ran his fingers through his hair, and sleepily blinked several times. His feet were on a pillow on Audrey's lap. Audrey was curled up against Jon with her head on his chest. Jon's arms were wrapped around her. Both were still asleep.

Shawn blinked again, this time in confusion and he couldn't remember what the date was. Was it December? No, he thought, December was a few months ago. Was he dreaming about December? No, he wasn't dreaming about Christmas again because his stomach was growling far too loudly for him to still be asleep. But this had to be a dream because they were at the apartment not Audrey's house. Shawn rested his head against the arm of the couch as he tried to understand where the three of them were that they could be together like this.

Maybe he'd successfully conned Jon into staying overnight at Audrey's. That had to be it. They were at Audrey's and he was just confused. They couldn't be at Jon's because too many people wandered in and out, mostly because Eli was bad at locking the door when he came in and Jon was worse at locking the door when Eli went out. Shawn started to go to sleep again when he heard a familiar set of footsteps.

Eli!

Shawn sat up suddenly panicked as everything became crystal clear. They were at the apartment. It was March 1st, and it was Monday morning!

The clock on the wall showed 6:30 am. How in the world could he explain why Audrey was there so early and asleep on Jon? He jumped up, careful not to kick Audrey awake. However, the teen had no problem punching Jon in the shoulder to wake him up.

Jon glared at him, clearly not appreciating the rude awakening. He hugged Audrey tighter and closed his eyes again.

Shawn stomped his foot trying to get the man's attention. "Eli's here!"

"What!?" In an instant, Jon was fully awake. He heard the doorknob rattle. He was sitting upright but the girl in his arms was still asleep. "Audrey, wake up!"

Shawn raced to the door to check to make sure the deadbolt lock was secured. It was. Eli pounded on the door right where Shawn's ear was.

"Hmmm?" She mumbled drowsily.

Jon shot an annoyed look at the door. "Eli's here."

"Oh? That's nice." The redhead sighed and snuggled closer to him.

Jon and Shawn stared at each other, neither quite sure what to do.

"Hey, Jonny!" Eli called. "Open the door!"

Shawn threw his arms out to the side. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm takin' her to your room. Stall 'im," he said as he picked up the sleeping girl and started to carry her to the back bedroom. "Then you come and stay with her. Eli can't see her walkin' out of a bedroom this early!"

"Then what?" the teen demanded. "Eli's gonna expect you to go with him to school and me to go with Cory. How are we gonna get Audrey out without her being seen and so she's not late to school? If we don't leave by 7 we're all gonna be late."

Jon stared at Shawn for a moment wondering why he was suddenly so concerned with everyone showing up to John Adams High on time. Then he realized the kid was right. "Get her get fully awake. You get ready for school. Then go with her to meet Cory. Use the fire escape."

"Great idea, there's just one problem with that."

"What?"

"You made it so my window won't open all the way."

Jon twisted his lips into a tight, closed "o". "I'll take her to my room. After you're ready, take her out my window."

Shawn grinned. This was the most exciting morning he'd had since he moved in with Jon.

To make up for the excitement of the morning, that afternoon Mr. Feeny handed him a stack of incomplete papers that he'd been hiding from Jon. Shawn was not allowed to go the afternoon's pep rally for the upcoming football game. Instead, he had to go to a tutoring session to get caught up. It wasn't all bad, however. After Jon chewed him out for his academic shortcomings, he got to spend the rest of the day with his tutor who turned out to be Audrey. It surprised him some that Mr. Feeny chose her to oversee him, but then she was pretty much the last one standing- none of the other tutors could handle him. Or wanted to.

Shawn didn't mind missing the pep rally. He didn't care much for football and being with Audrey in the library was most certainly better than sitting in a crowded gymnasium shouting at his friends to only be partially heard. Catching up on missing work wasn't all that bad either as Audrey allowed him to talk so long as he worked.

About half-way through the stack of work a tall, thin shadow fell across the paper he was working on, blocking his light. He looked up sharply into the hazel green eyes of his nemesis. He gritted his teeth together and glared at her.

"Hello, Shawn," Miss Tompkins said brightly. Her smile was thin and condescending. "How's your work coming?"

"None of your business," he snorted, flipping his paper upside down so that she couldn't see anything.

Audrey gave him a warning poke on the arm.

"Lovely attitude there, Shawn." She gave him a faux smile as she snatched the English paper he was working on.

"Hey!" he cried, shoving his chair back and jumping up. "I'm working on that!"

"I suppose you could call this work," she said with a disdainful edge in her voice. "Shawn, isn't this for Jon's class?"

"Yeah. So?"

"So why do you do this, Shawn?" She put her hand on her hips, with her talons still gripping his paper. "After all he's done for you and you can't even bother to complete the assignments he gives you?"

He despised the way she kept saying his name. Defensiveness and fear cloaked in rebellion consumed Shawn as he tried to get his paper away from her. "I got busy and forgot."

It was the truth, too. Audrey came over the night before it was due and, in his rush, to get his work done so he could spend time with her, he overlooked Jon's assignment. Although he was kept on the hook for it at school, at home there were no consequences. Jon had rushed through checking his homework in so he could spend time with Audrey and missed that Shawn hadn't completed the paper for his class. He said they were both at fault on this one and couldn't a give Shawn a punishment without giving one to himself.

"Oh, Shawn," she shook her head as though he was the most pathetic and hopeless creature to ever walk the earth. "How is poor Jon ever going to be able to trust you?"

"I'll take that, thank you." Audrey sweetly stepped in between the two and firmly took the paper away from Katherine, much to the older woman's surprise. She held the teacher's gaze and gave her a charming smile. "I think poor Jon will trust Shawn just fine."

Shawn lifted his chin so that he was looking down his nose at Miss Tompkins and gave her a triumphant smirk.

The social studies teacher seemed to have difficulty acknowledging Audrey's presence. It was as though she preferred to act as if the younger woman didn't exist. Finally, she turned on the girl with a razor-sharp smile that was almost a sneer. "This isn't your concern, hun."

"It is when you disrupt my tutoring session. "Audrey was much better at presenting a very sweet, childlike demeanor to mask the cunning fox underneath than Katherine was.

"Oh, honey." She was even more condescending to Audrey than she was to Shawn. "I know that at your age you think you know everything, but you are too young to know how to deal with it," she cast a withering look at Shawn, "high school boys."

By this time Shawn had taken his seat again per Audrey's prodding and very clearly heard her mutter, "okay, Grandma," under her breath. He nearly choked trying to contain his laughter. His teacher lightly smacked his knee and frowned at him to stop. For her, he complied.

Katherine put her hand on the chair in front of her, the one Shawn had hung his leather jacket on, and leaned forward, suspicious of what Audrey mumbled. Her fingers curled around the broken-in leather clothing. Suddenly she straightened up, pulling the jacket off the chair and onto the floor. Shawn dove forward to catch it, but Miss Tompkins was too close for him to get it first. She held the jacket up and scrutinized it.

Shawn's pulse raced and the muscles in his upper back cramped in tension. He did not want her touching his things, especially not that jacket.

The teacher looked over the jacket thoroughly before tossing it onto the table. She slipped her hands in her pockets and gave the teen a hard look.

"Finish your paper, Shawn," Audrey told him after he settled the jacket on his chair back, ignoring the other woman's frozen expression of disapproval.

Shawn looked Miss Tompkins right in the eye and said respectfully. "Yes, Miss Andrews. Whatever you say." Then he seriously started to work while keeping an on the other teacher.

Miss Tompkins had clearly lost whatever battle she had come to fight, but she wasn't going to go in complete defeat. She straightened the collar of her denim shirt and lightly cleared her throat.

"I expect that you'll have this done tonight before I come over?"

This remark stopped both Shawn and Audrey dead but Audrey, given the situation that she was in, could not react. Shawn refrained from looking at Audrey and giving her away. Not reacting was extremely difficult.

"I'll have it done before this period is over with if you'll leave me alone."

Katherine straightened up. "I'll see you tonight then."

Shawn couldn't resist taking the bait. "What're you talking about?"

"What does 'I'll see you tonight' usually mean, Shawn?"

"Jon and I have plans together tonight. We won't be home," he frowned. Audrey also had the same plans as them. He wasn't sure how Katherine figured she'd worm her way into this.

"That's not a problem," she laughed as though he'd just said the funniest thing she'd ever heard.

"We'll be out late," he said flatly.

"You won't be that late. It's a school night," she told him good-naturedly. She leaned over and reached her hand out to him. He recoiled. She gave him a sly smile. "I have a few things to do after school, too. If I miss you then I'll just wait for you guys to come back. I have a key, you know."

She pinched his cheek. Hard. Then Katherine Tompkins sauntered out of the library, leaving Shawn and Audrey sitting in stunned silence.

Jonathan Turner managed to escape from the pep-less pep rally while Mr. Feeny was busy arguing with Frankie Stecchino's father who was unhappy with the lackluster event and wanted to liven it up himself. He made a beeline to the library where he found Audrey and Shawn hunkered down at a table that was hidden behind the bookcases farthest from the door.

He thought they'd be happy to see him. They weren't.

Shawn glared at him then resumed chewing on his pencil as Audrey, who didn't bother to acknowledge that he was there, looked over the teen's work.

"Hi, guys," he said, giving Shawn a look of inquiry. "You two are in great moods. What gives?"

Shawn said nothing and turned his back on his teacher.

"What is that about?" Jon asked. He took a chair and turned it around backwards before sitting down.

Audrey looked at Shawn then at Jon. The seas were choppy and stormy again, a dark gray against green and blue. He hated to see her eyes like that; there was never anything good beneath that look.

"Aud?"

They had to walk on eggshells now more than before given that their relationship had changed. Audrey couldn't just come out and tell him what was upsetting her, not here. Even though she and Shawn had moved to a back table after their encounter with Katherine, they still had to be incredibly careful about who saw them together. She couldn't lose control nor show any emotion. She looked at Shawn again and nodded curtly to him giving him permission to voice what she could not.

"Miss Tompkins has a key." The accusation was sharp and bitter. Shawn turned on him and looked at him directly. His eyes had the very same look as Audrey's but more turbulent. "You lied to me. You said you took your key back from her."

Jon's mouth hung open as he wondered what alternate universe he stumbled into. He could not understand where this key nonsense came from or why Audrey seemed to hold the same belief the boy did.

"She doesn't have a key. I did take it back," he insisted.

Audrey pursed her lips and sat back in her chair, staring at her hands. Shawn turned his back on him again.

"What is this about?"

"Katherine came in here," she told him, very quietly. "She said she would see you tonight. If you were out, she'd be waiting. She said she had a key."

"She said that?" Fear sank into Jon. "In front of you? She said she had a key and was coming over in front of you?" His heart began to race at the thought that Katherine might suspect that Audrey was spending time at his place. Could Eli have said something? His best friend knew that Audrey being over in the afternoons was a big NO in Feeny's book and Eli had no problem keeping this secret from the principal. But the media arts teacher did not know exactly how much time the three of them were actually spending together. Given that Kat used to be his girlfriend Eli might have offhandedly said something to her, not knowing that he shouldn't. Mentally, he cursed himself for not taking Eli into his confidence more.

"Uh-huh."

Jon pulled his keys from his pocket and laid them out on the table. "Shawn, you know there are four keys to my place. You both have one. And I have two," he said, pointing to the twin number 8 keys on the key ring. "She absolutely does not have a key."

Audrey was so relieved she felt like she might pass out.

Shawn was not so easily convinced. "Then why would she say that she did?" he demanded.

"I dunno," Jon said. His brow knit together in deep distress. "She may suspect something. We have got to be more careful."

Audrey nodded. A few students drifted in and caught her attention. She handed Jon one of Shawn's books and a paper of his. The English Lit teacher looked confused for a moment then understood what she was doing. He opened the book and pretended to check over the paper.

The student teacher scooted closer to Shawn and pointed to the sheet of scratch paper in front of him as though there was an error to correct on the blank page. "You aren't dating her anymore," she said in quiet frustration. "Does she really think that pretending that you are will change anything? You and Shawn are not her business anymore."

"And it was never George's business in the first place!" he growled, giving the pages of the book irritated flips. "But here we are hidin' the back of the library like we're plannin' a heist!"

"Plannin' a heist?" This comparison sounded so absurd that Shawn couldn't help but laugh.

Jon smiled. "Anyone watchin' us probably thinks we did or will commit a crime the way we've been sneakin' around."

Shawn thought about the absurdity then became sullen. "We have to sneak around to do what other people do out in the open every day," he said morosely. He crossed his arms in a protective way over his chest. "We're not doing anything wrong, but we have to hide. It's not fair."

"Three more months, Shawn," Jon reassured him. He reached across the table to take hold of the teen's forearm in a fatherly gesture. "Audrey's done here at the end of May." He looked at his student teacher then back to his student. "Then we can take steps to make this thing we got here real."

Shawn stared at him, mouth agape, brow furrowed, trying to grasp what his teacher was saying. All Jon had ever said to him was to forget about him and Audrey getting together: it wasn't possible, she was too young, the age gap was too great, he wasn't right for her. Something had radically changed in Jon and somehow, Shawn had missed it.

"What do you mean make this thing real?" he asked suspiciously, half-afraid that the answer would not be what he hoped it would be.

Jon glanced at Audrey, suddenly extremely nervous. He had never said aloud to anyone what he had been thinking about since Christmas. "Well," he said taking a deep inhale, "we gotta take things a step at a time, but you know, start moving toward making the three of a us a permanent thing."

Jon's words came as even more of a surprise to Audrey than they did to Shawn, but there wasn't time to mull them over. Students were swarming the hallway after being dismissed from the event in the gym. "We shouldn't be talking about this here, Jon. The pep rally is over."

He nodded. "We've got plenty of time to talk later."

Shawn looked back and forth between the two adults, unable to believe what he was hearing. Ever since Audrey showed up in September he'd been daydreaming about this very thing: marriage and adoption. Now Jon was saying that is what they would actually do. Shawn should have been elated, but he wasn't. He knew better than to get his hopes up. It was simply too good to be true. And nothing good ever happened to Shawn Hunter.

Hesitantly, he asked, "We just have to make it to the end of May?"

Jon nodded. "We just have to make it to the end of May then we're home free.

Cory and Topanga caught up with Shawn after the pep rally by the lockers. The boys collected their belongings before heading to their sixth period class together. The day was almost over, and Shawn couldn't wait to get home.

"Boy, I have got somethin' to tell you guys," he said letting out a low whistle.

"Yeah?" Cory hoped that his best friend had something interesting planned to make up for that poor excuse for a pep rally.

"I can't tell you anything here."

Topanga gave him an amused smile and assumed he'd had some adventure during his tutoring time. "Why not?" she asked.

"Can't risk the wrong person overhearing."

As Shawn stuffed five shirts that had accumulated in his locker over the week into his book bag a very pretty brunette sauntered up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Hiiiii, Shawn," she greeted him flirtatiously.

"Yeah, hi, Veronica," he said dismissively. Turning back to his friends he asked, "Any chance you can both walk home with me?"

Cory and Topanga exchanged shocked looks. Did Shawn Hunter just ignore Veronica Watson- the girl he went to such great lengths to spend time alone with at the beginning of the school year?

"Shawn," Veronica tried again. This time she took hold of his collar and leaned close to him. "I just broke up with my boyfriend again. I'm free Friday night." She batted her eyelashes at him with a hopeful smile.

"Yeah? That's nice. See ya." With that he pulled Cory, who pulled Topanga, away from Veronica and the lockers.

"You just turned down Veronica Watson!" Topanga cried still stunned.

"Did I?" Shawn looked confused, then shrugged.

"Yeah, you did," Cory confirmed. "What's going on that's better Veronica?"

When he saw the dirty look Topanga was giving him, he quickly added, "that isn't Topanga I mean."

"It's major!" It was so hard not to just tell them right then, but he was overly concerned Miss Tompkins might be shadowing them or might have hired some dumb kid to spy on him. "I mean change my life kind of major."

Cory and Topanga faithfully helped him search for the missing key in the library and everywhere else Shawn went that day, but they couldn't find it. Shawn had to face Jon after school to admit his mistake. When he went to deliver the bad news, he was surprised to find the classroom door locked. Audrey opened it for him but didn't let him in right away. She stood in the doorway holding the door halfway shut while leaning against the door frame.

"Sorry," she told him in a low whisper. "We didn't want any uninvited visitors after school, and I thought I saw a blonde lurking around outside the door. Pretty sure it was just Wendy Jansen, but I couldn't take the chance that it was someone much, much older."

Their plans for the night included Shawn's best friends and a night out at the movies. After dropping Cory and Topanga off at their respective homes, it was a little after 9:15. The sound of the local classic rock station greeted them as Jon, Shawn, and Audrey walked through the door.

Jon turned off the radio and gave Shawn a miffed look. "Really, Shawn? Could you not have turned this off before we left?"

Chapter Text

School lunches were never Jon's favorite time of day but at least with Eli teaching at John Adams High it gave him a chance to catch up with his best friend. Audrey did not come with him. She had a paper to write regarding her student teaching experience thus far and was taking lunch in the classroom she said. Although he wanted to stay with her, doing so would cause a lot of talk. He had no choice but to head to the cafeteria.

Lunch had become even less enjoyable since the last time he broke it off with Katherine. Initially, she had spent the period in Mr. Feeny's office for several weeks before venturing back to the cafeteria. Then she would isolate herself at another table away from the rest of the faculty looking forlorn and sighing into her Jello until George would feel bad for her and convince her to sit with the rest of them. George always had her sit next to Jon. It was awkward, to say the least. Mr. Feeny only added to this as he was determined to play cupid and reunite the former couple. This made Eli uncomfortable, and he would often bail as soon as he'd finished eating leaving Jon alone with Katherine and the principal. None of the other teachers seemed to stick around either for whatever reason.

Today was no different. However, Eli stayed despite the awkwardness. Katherine was in a favorable mood, neither sullen or needy, just very cheerful and friendly. The conversation was natural and comfortable. Surprisingly, Katherine paid no more attention to Jon than she did anyone else at the table.

Just as Jon relaxed, he felt something nosing around the cuff of his pant leg. He adjusted his position and continued eating. The sensation didn't go away, it got more insistent. He moved again, but he couldn't get away from whatever it was without causing a scene.

Probably a mouse, he thought with a shiver. The new custodian crew who replaced Janitor Bud was nothing to brag about and it wouldn't surprise him a bit if rodents had taken up residence in John Adams High.

After a moment that mouse moved up his ankle and he realized with a jolt what was going on. He shoved his chair back from the table and looked up sharply at Katherine. The woman across from him smiled innocently at him and bit her lower lip.

"Stop it," he spat.

Everyone was staring at him as Katherine played innocent. "Stop what?"

"What's wrong, Jonathan?" Mr. Feeny queried, regarding the younger man curiously.

Jon debated whether he should say anything, knowing that it would sound ridiculous to the other men. Even Eli was likely to laugh at him.

"Nothin'," he said angrily.

The others at the table went back to their conversation while Jon sat as far back from the table as he could. Halfway through the lunch period, Andrea Nguyen joined their table. Jon liked the art teacher- she was a good friend of Audrey's. He moved his chair to let her in, but Katherine was watching him. She moved with him then invited Andrea to sit next to her. Jon bit back a growl and ignored the woman next to him. After a while he felt a hand on his leg and that hand did not stay put. Jon had had enough.

"Get your hands off of me," he snapped furiously, jumping up from his seat. Lunch was over for him; he had no appetite left.

The English Lit teacher knew he was making a scene and drawing a lot of looks from teachers and students alike, but he didn't care. He grabbed his tray and headed toward the cafeteria doors as fast as he could without running.

The hallway was mercifully quiet- he didn't care to deal with anyone at the moment. He was about to turn a corner when he heard a familiar authoritative voice call out,

"Jonathan."

He kept walking. It was his lunch break and he didn't have duty this week.

"Mr. Turner!"

Jon stopped abruptly and gritted his teeth. Slowly, he turned on his heel to face his principal.

Mr. Feeny walked up to him looking concerned.

"What is going on, Jonathan? Your behavior just now was quite out of the ordinary."

Jon didn't answer right away. What was he supposed to say? She's touching me? It sounded childish and ridiculous.

"I don't wanna sit next to Kat," he said which sounded even more childish and ridiculous.

George raised an eyebrow. "You don't think that your actions were a bit dramatic?"

"She had her hands and feet all over me. I didn't care for it, okay."

Unfortunately for Jon, his reputation with women preceded him and the man in front of him didn't seem to believe that attention from a woman actually bothered him. The principal considered this for a moment, then said, "Where are you going?"

"Back to the classroom."

"Is Miss Andrews there?"

Jon bit back a sarcastic response. "Yeah, she is. She's workin' on her paper for school."

The principal shook his head with a grave look on his face. "Return to the cafeteria, Mr. Turner."

Jon stared at him.

"Excuse me?"

"Jonathan, it is not a good idea to go back to your room if she's there. Return to the cafeteria."

Jon pursed his lips into a tight line as his anger built. He looked the man in the eyes. As much as he respected George Feeny, the man was overstepping his authority as far as he was concerned. A stubbornness rose within him.

"No."

It was the principal's turn to stare at him.

"What did you say?'

"No. I'm goin' to my classroom."

"Mr Turner..."

"What are you going to do, George?" he snapped. "Fire me for eatin' lunch in my own classroom during a week I'm not on duty? Fine. Fire Me. You want me to send Audrey down to the cafeteria for your peace of mind? Fine. Kat won't harass her."

With that the English lit teacher turned and stormed off down the hall.

The principal watched him go, carefully considering the situation. He didn't approve of Jonathan being alone with his student teacher, but there was something in what he said that was alarming- "Kat won't harass her." He was quite fond of Miss Tompkins. He thought she was an extremely sweet woman and a competent teacher. He felt that her romantic pairing with Jonathan was a particularly good one and that they should try to work on their relationship. But he had to acknowledge that he didn't know her very well outside of school. It was a possibility that she was not quite as sweet as she seemed. It was also a possibility that Jonathan was reacting the way he was because of guilty conscience. The principal returned to the cafeteria deeply concerned over the state of his faculty.

Monday came and went as did Tuesday and Wednesday. Because of school, the trio only saw each other during the school day. Jon and Audrey felt it was best if they only got together on the weekends.

The first time Audrey saw Jon since Thursday at the end of the school day was early Friday morning, about an hour before homeroom. The second time she saw him was about twenty minutes before first period outside of the teacher's lounge where he and Mr. Feeny stood talking. Audrey approached the men quietly not wanting to interrupt them. She was hoping Jon would see her and be able to slip away from the principal so she could spend a little time with him before the day started. She didn't get to speak to him the night before; he'd been unavailable before she went to work, and it was too late to call by the time she got home.

Walking up behind Mr. Feeny, she just caught Jon's attention when Katherine walked up to the men and slipped her arm around Jon. Audrey could see him visibly stiffen when she touched him.

Audrey paused and slipped behind the principal as she did not want the other woman to see her. She was about to leave for the classroom when she heard Katherine say, "Oh, Jon, you left these, and I thought I'd bring them to you."

Her words struck a strange chord with Audrey and a cold feeling settled in her gut. Jon left what, where, and when?

Jon was unprepared for what she brought out. Making sure that Mr. Feeny was watching, Katherine held out a paper bag to him. Mr. Feeny smirked slightly- he'd seen this song and dance from them before.

"What is it?" Jon regarded the bag warily as he accepted it.

"Open it."

Audrey watched Jon's expression change from curious suspicion to confusion to anger.

Katherine gave the principal a smile and shrug. "It's not that embarrassing," she said with a light laugh.

Jon could say nothing for fear of what might come out of his mouth. He clenched his jaw, shaking slightly as he tried to control his temper. Mr. Feeny gave the teachers a knowing, amused smile as Katherine pulled out a pair of Jon's jeans, boxers, and a black sweater with a red stripe in the center.

Audrey froze as tears pricked her eyes. She didn't understand what was going on. Katherine had Jon's clothes and as far as she knew there was only one way for her to get them, but she couldn't believe that Jon would betray her like that. When she thought about it, they had only seen each other at school lately and she couldn't get a hold of him last night when Shawn was with Cory. With Mr. Feeny and Katherine present, there was no way for her to get any answers from him. The only thing Audrey could do was to remove herself from the situation.

"I'm very happy to see that you two have worked things out," the principal chuckled his approval.

Jon stood in between the two, wavering being anger and numbness. All he could see was the look on Audrey's face as she rushed past them. He couldn't go after her to assure her that what Katherine was implying was a lie. Frustrated and humiliated, he stood staring at the floor, trying to make sense of what his ex-girlfriend was trying to do. The longer he stood there listening to them, it slowly began to sink in that these were the clothes that had gone missing over the weekend.

While Mr. Feeny congratulated Katherine and told him how pleased he was to see that he'd made the right choice, Jon's thoughts turned from Kat to Audrey. Did Audrey hear any of this? He prayed she hadn't. And he prayed that she be willing to listen to him. After the principal finally left and as the bell rang to start the day, Jon glared at the woman next him, snatched the bag from her and stormed off down the hall.

Shawn had gone to school with Jon that morning and was loitering in the hall while Jon was in the teacher's lounge. Topanga came up to him just as Jon and Mr. Feeny walked into the hallway.

"Hey," he greeted her as he adjusted the book bag on his shoulder. "How's Cory?"

"Pathetic," she said rolling her eyes.

Shawn grinned. They had a big history test coming up in Mr. Feeny's class and while he'd been forced to study, Cory had gleefully ignored the impending test. His best friend, in a panic, called Shawn to tell him he was going to do everything he could to get sick before he had to leave for school. "Is he coming to school today?"

"He'll be late, but he'll be here."

"What happened? I didn't get a chance to talk to him again before I left for here."

Topanga shook her head with a smile. "He injured himself trying to get out of the history test he didn't prepare for."

"What'd he do?"

"Stuck a thermometer in hot coffee then stuck it in his mouth."

"Again?"

"You'd think he'd have learned the first time, wouldn't you?"

"I know I did."

Topanga laughed. Then her smile faded as she looked down the hall. "What's going on there?" she asked pointing at the teachers in the hallway. Miss Tompkins had now joined them.

"I don't know." He squinted at the adults with a suspicious frown. Shawn took Topanga by the arm and moved them closer to the adults so that they could hear what was being said. The friends stood near the lockers and Shawn opened an empty one and let the door hang open so he and Topanga wouldn't be so noticeable.

When Katherine pulled Jon's clothes out of the bag, Shawn's face and body language mirrored Jon's. Rage swept over him as the realization of what Katherine was doing and how she'd acquired his mentor's clothing hit him.

"She stole those clothes!" he hissed angrily in the girl's ear.

Topanga was as confused as she was horrified. "How could she steal Mr. Turner's clothes? Has she been over lately?"

"No, she hasn't," Shawn growled.

"Well, has he-?"

"No!" Shawn didn't want to hear her finish that sentence. "He definitely hasn't."

Topanga bit her bottom lip and watched worriedly as the social studies teacher preened under Mr. Feeny's congratulations. Neither of them saw Audrey leave because of the locker door.

Shawn glared daggers at the blonde with her arms around Jon. "Topanga," he said bleakly, "you said you thought my key was stolen."

"Yeah."

"I know who stole it."

Topanga whipped around to face him with her hair flying in his face as she did. "You don't really think Miss Tompkins would do that? Steal a house key from a student?"

"Yeah, I do." A thousand dark thoughts about Miss Tompkins flew through his mind.

"Oh, Shawn, I think you're wrong. I think-" Her voice trailed off as she stared at the adults.

"What?"

"I think you're right," she said in dismay. She sounded almost ill. "Look at her nail polish."

Shawn, who rarely noticed such things teen girls and never noticed them on adults, studied Miss Tompkins' nails carefully and it only took a second to see what Topanga saw. The color of the polish on the teacher's nails was an exact match for the streak on Shawn's key.

Topanga was incredibly upset that a teacher would do something like this. It caused so much cognitive dissonance for her that even Shawn noticed how upset she was and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Topanga?"

"Yeah?"

"If I have the nail polish splotch on the key," he said slowly as an idea began to stitch itself together. " If I have three witnesses to the fact that the day after my key was returned Jon's clothes are missing and lights have been left at our place. If I have Miss Tompkins showing up with the missing stuff- would I have a case against her?"

"Not a strong one." Shawn's question was a welcome distraction for her. "You'd need more evidence. If you had your key back before those things were taken, how could she have used it to get in?" Topanga's brow furrowed and she shook her head. "I thought she and Mr. Turner were over with for good. Does she still have a key?"

"Nope," he confirmed. "Jon's got her key and his on his key ring."

The young girl put a hand to her head. "Then you have to prove that she did get into your plan and used a key."

"That's what I thought. I hope Cory makes it in today or it's gonna be just you and me."

"Why?"

Shawn narrowed his eyes as he zeroed his gaze onto the social studies teacher." Because I gotta see a guy about stolen keys. I gotta see an expert in makin' copies of stolen keys. I gotta see Uncle Mike."

Cory Matthews had had a miserable morning. He burnt his tongue trying to convince his parents he was sick. Then he got busted playing sick and was lectured angrily by both parents who made him go to school. He was late, so his first stop was Mr. Feeny's office where he got another earful from the principal. That lecture picked up again after history where he failed his test miserably. All this he went through with a painful welt on his tongue. Lunch was not kind to him either and all he was able to eat was Jell-O and chocolate milk. It was not the day he wanted to hear Shawn announce that they were going to see Uncle Mike after school.

Uncle Mike's place was an automotive/motorcycle/fake ID/whatever you needed with no questions asked business. It was as shady as they came, and Shawn had great respect for what his uncle had built from the ground up all on his own. But Uncle Mike's was located on the "other" side of town where the Hunter family's trailer park was located. This part of town made Cory very nervous. He would never say it to Shawn -he didn't want his best friend to feel bad about where he came from- but he absolutely hated going there, even when it was his own idea. Cory was okay with going to Uncle Mike's shop. The area it was in wasn't the best, but it was better than the trailer park. However, he hated going inside of Uncle Mike's shop- the man terrified Cory in a way he couldn't explain.

Cory glanced nervously at his girlfriend. If Topanga had any concerns about where they were she did not voice them, nor did they show on her face. Cory took comfort in this and held onto her tightly when Uncle Mike came out to greet them. Or rather he greeted Shawn and stared a hole into Cory's soul. At least that's what it felt like to the teenager.

The older man in grease-stained coveralls grinned when he saw Shawn. "Shawnie! What brings my favorite nephew to my humble shop? You got someone hasslin' you?" Uncle Mike gave Cory an angry, suspicious glare.

Shawn followed the man's gaze and shook his head. "This is Cory, Uncle Mike- remember? My best friend."

"Oh, yeah." Uncle Mike smiled a crooked grin. "You're the kid who made the tape of the family for Shawnie's dad."

"Yes, sir, I am, sir," Cory said with a little salute.

"No one's hasslin' me, Uncle Mike," Shawn assured his uncle. "But I do need help."

"What's goin' on, Shawnie?"

"I think someone stole my apartment key and-"

The man slammed his fist into the countertop making everything on it and Cory jump. "I'll kill 'em, Shawn! You just tell me who!"

For a split-second Shawn considered the offer. "No, no, Uncle Mike. I need info. I think someone took my key and made a copy. Would you be able to tell if they did? Or even where they got it done?"

The big man nodded and relaxed. "Sure, Shawnie. Let me see it."

Shawn handed over the key and Uncle Mike studied it for a long time. He wandered off and disappeared into the back room. Finally, he came back to the teenagers with his verdict.

"A copy has definitely been," he said solemnly.

"How can you be sure?" Topanga asked, stepping forward much to Cory's chagrin.

Uncle Mike gave the girl a cool, impassive gaze. "Who's this?"

"Topanga Lawrence," Shawn introduced her. "Legal counsel."

"Ah," Uncle Mike nodded in approval, then he smirked. "It's always good to have one of those in your pocket."

"I am not in anyone's pocket," Topanga protested indignantly. She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I cannot be bought. I am honest and fair."

"Sure you are, honey." Uncle Mike grinned then grew serious. "To answer your question, come closer."

Shawn and Topanga crowded around the key while Cory decided it was safer to look over their shoulders.

"You see this tiny hole?" Uncle Mike put a magnifying glass over the key. The kids nodded. On one side of the key was the smallest of indentations in the metal. It was round and cut with precision." A mark like this is made by a machine at one of those fancy, schmancy places like the hardware store. A little arm holds the key in place while it's being cut. A mark like this is left behind."

"Sir," Cory ventured, "Would you happen to know who had this key copied?"

Uncle Mike gave a low growl. "Why you askin' me?"

"Well," he faltered, regretting that he opened his mouth. "I figure if someone stole a key and wanted a copy made, they'd bring it to you. Maybe?"

Uncle Mike looked insulted. He drew himself to his full, terrifying height. Cory had forgotten just how big a man he was. "You implyin' I don't know how to do my job, punk?"

Cory shank back afraid. Shawn jumped in front of Uncle Mike and held up his hands. "Uncle Mike, it was just a question. I need to know so I can prove who took my key."

"Ain't no cop ever been able to prove I ever copied nothin'," the big man said haughtily. "My cuts- they don't exist."

Shawn rubbed his chin. "So it was done at a hardware store, probably?"

"Definitely, Shawnie."

"Any chance you know the best place to start asking about this?"

"I don't got names. I don't associate with those places," he sniffed. The thought of being connected to a legitimate business by legitimate means made his skin crawl. "But I'd start at the place closest to your school."

"Why?" squeaked out Cory.

"Because," Topanga answered confidently. "It was taken from school and returned at school. If a copy was made, then odds are it was done nearby."

"I like the way you think, little lady," Uncle Mike nodded appreciatively. "You wanna work for me when you grow up, I gotta place for you."

"No thanks, Uncle Mike," Topanga tossed her long hair over her other shoulder. "I told you, I am honest and fair."

"Sure you are," the man grinned. "Sure you are.

Shawn had a deadline to make. Jon expected him back at the apartment by five and he did not want to disappoint either him or Audrey. So after the second hardware store turned up nothing, Shawn knew they had one last place they could go before they had to call it quits for the day. He and his friends huddled near a pay phone trying to figure out the best place to visit.

"We're wastin' a lot of time," Cory pointed out. "If we don't decide soon, we're just gonna have to go home."

"I don't wanna spend the next three days going to every single hardware store in the city," Shawn told him. "We gotta make a good choice. I mean, who knew there were so many of these places within five miles of our school!"

Topanga, who was still deeply disturbed by what she saw earlier and Shawn's accusations against Miss Tompkins, was deep in thought. So deep the boys thought they'd lost her to another reality. Finally, she spoke up, "Shawn, what are you really tryin' to prove here?"

"That Miss Tompkins stole my key."

Topanga nodded seriously and they lost her to her thoughts again. Several minutes later, she poked Shawn in the shoulder. "Where does Miss Tompkins live?"

The teen shrugged. "I dunno. And I don't wanna know. Ask me where Audrey lives. I can give you step by step directions to her place."

Topanga wrinkled her nose. "Get me the phone book."

Cory retrieved the book from the pay phone booth and handed it to her. The boys exchanged skeptical looks as she rifled through the pages unsure of where she was going with this.

"Ah-ha!" she cried, triumphantly pointing to a line in the book.

Shawn looked and shuddered. They were way too close to where she lived for his liking.

Cory blinked. "What's the point, Topanga?"

"I figure if she took the key and had a copy made, she'd most likely go to the place closest to school and her house."

Shawn pursed his lips together and furrowed his brow. "We'll be forever tryin' to find an address if we use the yellow pages. Let's go back to Harry's and ask where the closet hardware store is to there."

Three minutes later the friends were back on the street and jogging towards their new destination.

Hank's Hardware was a good-sized store that was fairly busy. The cashier at the front of the store directed the kids to the back where the keys were. In the back, surrounded by blank keys, was a friendly looking older woman with frizzy red hair wearing bright blue eye shadow.

"How can I help you, darlings?" she smiled warmly.

Shawn pulled the key out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Any chance you could make me a copy of this key?"

"Whatcha need a copy for, sweetheart?" The woman watched him with such a hawkish grin that Shawn felt like squirming.

"I'm really bad at keepin' track of them," he said honestly. "My dad gets real upset when I lose one."

The woman rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I got my own kids who are always losing their keys."

Something about the key caught the woman's eye. She gave Shawn an inquisitive look and said," I take it you've already lost the key your mom got you last week."

While Cory and Topanga looked surprised, Shawn maintained his cool and held the woman's gaze. His eyes narrowed slightly and he shook his head. "My mom didn't get me a key last week."

"Well, honey, someone's mom was in here last week getting her son a new key. This was the key she brought in."

Shawn's guard was up and he regarded the woman with veiled suspicion. "How do you know it was my mom with my key?"

The woman pulled out a magnifying glass and showed him the same hole that Uncle Mike had shown him. "Only the newest machines make that mark," she said. "And Hank's is the only one in fifteen miles radius of here to have one. Besides that, I remember this key because of the nail polish on it. Chanel in vamp."

The woman straightened up. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she tipped her head to the side. "So mom got you a new key. You've lost it and want another one so she and your dad won't find out, huh?"

"I haven't lost the key yet," he said. "This is just in case. Dad'll have a fit if I lose it again."

"You'll get in a lot of trouble, huh?"

She meant to sound sympathetic, but Shawn had heard this tone before in the DCFS caseworkers that had visited with him many times over the years. He was getting irritated with the woman's questions. "He'll yell maybe. Maybe ground me. I don't wanna get grounded."

She tapped his key on the counter as she studied him closely. "You don't look like your mom. I take it you look like your daddy."

"Yeah," Shawn lied. "But I have my mom's eyes and they aren't blue."

"Your eyes look blue to me, sweetheart." The woman laughed at how kids could be so oblivious to everything including their own eye color.

Neither Audrey nor Virna had blue eyes and of course neither of them had been in this hardware store last week. Shawn was wary of the woman's questioning. She reminded him of those social workers who would talk to kids and try to get them to tell all the secrets of their lives and rat out their parents without telling them who they really were. They never asked direct questions; they just offered inaccurate statements for kids to correct so they could get their information that way. Shawn was very capable of playing that game too.

"My mom has gray eyes. And red hair."

The woman looked suspicious now. She raised her drawn-on, rounded eyebrows in skepticism. "Gray eyes?"

"Her eyes are like 'the middle of a fogbound sea where water is a color for which there is no name'," he said with a small smirk as he recited lines from a book he once read at Jon's. "But otherwise, they are blue and green and gray', depending on the weather or how she's feeling. Mostly gray."

Topanga jabbed Cory hard in the ribs and whispered sharply in his ear. "What in the world is going on at Mr. Turner's that has Shawn not only reading Sarah, Plain and Tall, but is quoting it too?"

Cory could only shake his head and shrug. He had no idea Sarah, Plain and Tall was a book; he thought it was just a boring movie.

"Oh, I see," the woman said. "It must have been your stepmother who came in. The blonde. She's a teacher I think she said."

Shawn's key was laying on the countertop where the woman set it down. He snatched it before she could cover it with her hand and placed it securely inside his leather jacket.

"Nope. I've got no stepmom. It's just Mom, Dad, and me. You must have me and my key confused with someone else."

Now the woman was very suspicious, and she made her way around the counter. She advanced on them in such a way to get between them and the exit. She was clearly looking for someone to help her. Shawn motioned for Cory and Topanga to start moving as he walked backwards in order to maintain eye contact with her.

"I thought you wanted a key made," she reminded him. Her friendly demeanor evaporated.

"You know, my dad's a good guy," Shawn remarked. "I've decided not to lie to him about losing this key."

The woman made dash for the door as did the three friends. They beat the woman to door, high-tailed it out of the store, and back to Jon's apartment.

With Jon and their parents' permission, Cory and Topanga came over after dinner. Topanga had never been over while Audrey was present, and Shawn made her sign a contract that she would not say anything to anyone about Audrey. Although offended that her word wasn't enough, she obliged and signed on the dotted line.

The three friends were oddly silent as Jon and Audrey finished cleaning up the kitchen before settling down for a movie as they were both under the impression that was why Cory and Topanga had come over. Instead, Shawn stood up in front of the television as soon as his teacher sat down on the couch. Cory and Topanga took their places; one on either side of him.

"Guys?" Jon looked concerned. "What's going on?"

"I have somethin' I need to tell you," Shawn began. "It has to do with my key and your missing clothes."

Jon glanced at Audrey. "I'm all ears."

Shawn took a deep breath and told him everything: where he found the key, Topanga's suspicions, the clues on the key, what Uncle Mike said, and what the woman at the hardware store told them. Topanga even had exhibit A prepared. She borrowed Trini's bottle of Chanel in Vamp and painted one of her thumbnails in the deep burgundy color. She gave Jon the bottle and showed him how her nail and that the mark on the key matched along with her observation about Miss Tompkins' current nail color.

Jon listened somberly as his students told their story and their story confirmed the suspicions he'd held since Kat turned up at school with his clothes. He reached over and took Audrey by the hand.

"I need you to take Cory and Topanga home."

Audrey agreed but asked, "What're you going to do?"

"I'm gonna call Kat over here and end this once and for all."

Audrey wasn't happy about Jon and Shawn being alone with Katherine, but she did what he asked her to do. He gave her the keys to his truck and told her he'd get them from her the next day. She kissed him and Shawn goodbye then left with Cory and Topanga.

Jon knew that asking Katherine to come over would be misinterpreted and it was. She thought he was ready to resume their relationship. She came dressed for the occasion in a sultry one-piece jumpsuit as she clearly thought Shawn would be anywhere but the apartment. She held her tongue for the time being and did not comment on the presence of Jon's favorite student. She turned her full attention to Jon and her hopes for the night. Much to her disappointment Jon didn't seem to notice what she was wearing but instead zeroed in on her nail polish.

"Nice color." He sounded jovial, but there was a edge to his voice. "What's it called?"

"Vamp." She tried to snuggle against him, but he did not bend to embrace her.

"What brand?"

"Chanel." Frustration flooded around the word. "Jonny, why are you so interested in my nail polish?"

"Because," he said in a low even voice. "It looks exactly like this strange streak on my kid's key."

Katherine froze with her fingers wrapped in the fabric of his sweater. Jon's hands were on his waist. His face was dark and cold. After a moment's hesitation, she lifted her chin towards his face and looked up at him through half-closed eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about, Jonny."

"How'd the polish get on Shawn's key, Kat?"

The social studies teacher picked up what remained of her dignity by letting go of him and straightening up. Folding her arms across her waist, she gave Shawn a dirty, sideways glance. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said again.

Jon's patience was thin. So thin he could feel it stretching thinner, ready to snap at any moment. He held his hand out to Shawn who quickly handed over the key. He held the other hand out to Katherine who cautiously reached out to him. He pulled her hand close to him and held the painted side of the key up to her nails. Just as Topanga had said, the color was a perfect match.

Jon's hard stare demanded a response. Katherine shot Shawn another glare and pulled her hand away. "How can you let him get away with this?" Tears welled up in her eyes and threatened to spill over.

For the first time, Jon was not only unmoved by her tears, but they set him against her even more. "What are you talkin' about?"

"Him!" She flung an accusatory finger at the teenager. "Don't you see what he's trying to do to us?"

Jon sniffed." I must be the stupidest man alive, Kat, because I don't see anything but the person who took my kid's key."

Shawn's eyes bounced back and forth between the two as his pulse began to pound. It shouldn't have surprised him that she would try to blame this on him, but it did. Despite the evidence, she was going to twist this so it was his fault and, because Shawn Hunter was a known liar and troublemaker by the adults, she would be believed no matter what fantastical story she told. By the end of the night, Shawn feared he would lose the title "my kid" and be dubbed "get out, Hunter". Fear and anger churned within him. He wished he'd gone with Audrey. He didn't want to see Katherine win.

"He set me up!" she cried, her voice breaking in anger. Hot red rage burned her cheeks. "This color is very popular. Everyone has it. He got his little girlfriend to paint that key to frame me. He's lying to you, Jon! That's all he does is lie! Every teacher knows that Shawn Hunter lies."

Instantly, Shawn was at Jon's side. He stepped forward as if to lunge at the woman. An angry fire burned in his eyes. Jon grabbed him roughly by the shoulder and pushed the teen behind him.

"What girlfriend?" Jon's voice was low and dangerous.

"You know that one girl, the smart one." She was shaking at this point, so rattled that she couldn't recall her student's name. "To..Top...Topanga!"

The expression on Jon's face softened and he looked like he might laugh. He folded his arms over his chest and took a step towards her. He stared at her for a moment then shook his head. "You really don't know your students at all, do you, Kat?"

Katherine was fully panicked now. "Of course, I do!"

"Topanga isn't Shawn's girlfriend. She's Cory's. Cory Matthews."

She gave him a blank look. He shook his head again. "The kid whose locker you stuck the key in. That was Cory's locker, not Shawn's. If you're gonna pull stunts like this you really oughta get your kids straight."

Katherine was trapped and losing ground, but she couldn't let go of her pride. "Do you hear yourself, Jon?" She tried to let go of the bitterness as it was making him resistant to her. "Do you see what having him here has done to you? You see conspiracies everywhere now. You were never like this before him. You're not the same man I fell in love with!"

"Yeah, you're right about that," Jon said sharply, taking the remark as a compliment. "Imma much better person now."

Katherine looked appalled. The tears fell but they only hardened Jon against her more. She had lost, but Jon wasn't done. "You've got an explanation for the key, so what about my clothes? Hmm, how do you explain that, Kat?"

Katherine stared at the floor. "I just thought," she tried a softer approach, hoping that he might have some sympathy for her. "I just thought that if I reminded you about the way things used to be, you would remember how you used to love me."

Shawn snorted loudly in derision at this. And Miss Tompkins claimed he was the one who lies! He would have said this aloud, however at the look Jon gave him, he flopped onto the couch and kept quiet.

"You insulted my kid in the library. You stole his key and had a copy made. You used that key to steal my stuff and then humiliate me in front of our boss. Now that you're busted you just keep lyin' about it. And I'm supposed to love you?"

The social studies teacher began to sob. Jon was still unmoved. He stepped around her and got her coat which he draped over her shoulders. Then he went back to his original spot.

"Give me the key," he demanded, holding his hand out.

"But I don't-"

"Give me the key!"

Humiliated and defeated, Katherine Tompkins fumbled in her purse for a minute then produced the copied apartment key. Jon took the key. Shawn jumped ready for a parting shot, but Jon immediately pointed back at the couch. The teen obediently sat back down. He'd never seen this kind of anger from his teacher, and he did not want to cross him.

"Get out," he told Katherine. His voice was incredibly quiet, but also very cold. "Get out. Lose my number. Don't sit by me at lunch and don't talk to me. You need to have a conference about Shawn you go through Mr. Feeny. I don't wanna see you again."

The crying woman stumbled out of the apartment, embarrassed and terribly angry.

Jon didn't say anything after she left. He just stood in that one spot staring at the key. Gingerly, Shawn approached him. When Jon saw him, he gave him a small smile. "Guess we gotta an extra key in case you lose that one again."

Shawn put his hands in his pockets. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For not doubting me."

"I would be the stupidest man alive if I did."

"I know I've lied about stuff before so..."

"Aw, c'mon, Shawn," Jon shrugged and collapsed on the couch. "Yeah, you've lied about stuff. Some of it really dumb stuff but I know you often felt like you had to. And I know you grew up lying- usually to protect your dad, huh?"

Shawn nodded and took a seat next to his teacher. He turned so he faced Jon. "Yeah, I mean I guess I was so used to lying that I started lying about the dumb stuff after I moved in. It's what my family does."

"Yeah, given what I know about your family I can understand that."

"It is what I've always done. A lot of times I forget I don't have to do that with you. I'm not used to havin' an adult's trust, ya know?"

Shawn stared at his hands. Jon put his hand on the boy's arm. "So old habits die hard. But you gotta start breakin' 'em sometime, right? I extend you trust, you repay me by tellin me the truth no matter what. You do your best not to lie and I'll kick you in the butt when you do. We'll break that habit together. You've been doin a good job at being honest lately. I owe it to you to trust you."

Tears pricked Shawn's eyes, surprising him. "Nobody's given me that chance before. My dad always told me to lie like it was a matter of pride being able to lie so well people would believe anything you said. And if they don't, you just kept tellin' stories anyway. Then people like Miss Tompkins, they're always believed over me no matter what they say or how obvious the lie is."

"Not anymore, Shawn."

Shawn tried to smile at him. He wasn't unhappy. Quite the opposite, he just didn't know what to make of feeling happy and relieved while tears fell.

"You called me your kid."

"Yeah, I guess I did. That bother you?"

Shawn shook his head. "I just didn't know how you thought of me without, you know, Audrey here."

"I think about you the same way I do when she's here."

This brought a small smile out of the teen. "You know what, Jon?"

Jon looked at him quizzically.

"You aren't half bad when you gotta do the parent-thing solo."

Jon laughed. "Thanks. It's not quite as scary as I thought it would be."

Shawn settled back into the couch, sitting very close to his teacher. Jon grabbed the remote from the coffee table and turned the TV onto a baseball game. Shawn watched the game through half-closed eyes feeling strangely comfortable and content, even without Audrey there.

The weekend had been an unusual one. Cory and Topanga arrived together on Saturday morning to hang out with Shawn and to find out what happened with Miss Tompkins, but the teen had trouble decompressing. Jon had been pacing since he got up that morning and it made Shawn anxious. Once Audrey came over, his teacher relaxed some but grew agitated again recounting the previous night's events to her. Jon felt that this issue with Katherine was not over, and he was deeply concerned about what she might try to do next. So they spent the weekend brainstorming how to protect their little family with Cory and Topanga taken into confidence.

This proved to be a wise move since Jon was greeted by a call from Mr. Feeny at 6 am on Monday morning requiring him to be at a meeting in his office at 7. Shawn felt a sense of foreboding ride his shoulders as he went to school with Jon. He could have waited at the apartment to walk with Cory, but he chose not to. He couldn't shake the feeling that some bad was waiting around a corner somewhere ready to jump them and he didn't want Jon to be alone when it did.

The English Lit teacher arrived at Mr. Feeny's office expecting to see other teachers there as he was under the impression that this was a faculty meeting of sorts. When he realized that he was the only one attending he immediately became defensive. Mr. Feeny's stern, disapproving look that greeted him when he walked in only deepened this feeling.

"Have a seat, Jonathan."

Reluctantly, he took the seat across from the principal and sat on its edge as though he did not intend to stay long.

Mr. Feeny folded his hands in front of him. "It has come to my attention that there is a significant issue between you and Miss Tompkins."

"Oh?" Jon raised an eyebrow and settled back against the chair. He refrained from rolling his eyes. He could imagine what she told their boss. "She tell you she stole Shawn's key, made a copy of it, used it to get into my apartment and steal my clothes? She also tell you she used my clothes in that stunt she pulled in front of you try to convince me to get back together with her?"

Mr. Feeny looked startled, clearly not expecting this detour. His expression darkened. "That's a serious accusation, Jonathan."

"It's a serious matter, George. And I'm only statin' facts."

"Yes, well," the principal picked up some papers that lay across his desk and straightened them as he regrouped. "Miss Tompkins came to my house last night extremely upset about an altercation at your place on Friday."

"Altercation?" Jon had to admit that he was impressed by the bold spin she put on what happened that night. "I had her come over to confront her about Shawn's missing key."

Mr. Feeny frowned. "She said she had a date with you that didn't happen because of lies Shawn told you regarding this key."

"Lies?" Jon spat. He was no longer impressed; he was angry, and that anger bubbled up in his speech. "That Shawn told? George, I have proof she stole his key and made a copy of it to get into my apartment. Shawn didn't lie. He told the truth."

The principal paused as he considered this information. "What proof do you have?"

With a deep sigh of frustration, Jon recounted what Shawn had told him and what Katherine had to confessed to. Mr. Feeny was silent through his speech. He tapped his fingers on his desk. "Well, it certainly sounds as if she was at fault in this matter."

"Sounds as if?" Jon was struggling to control his temper. Somehow Katherine had gotten George Feeny- honorable, just, and stoic George Feeny in her back pocket. "She admitted to it, George. You didn't call me in here to tell me to date her again, did you? Because it ain't gonna happen."

"That's not why I called you in here, Jonathan." Mr. Feeny could see that the younger man was getting agitated. "Miss Tompkins has also brought to my attention that she believes you are seeing someone on staff here."

Jon stared at him. After the man's words sunk in, Jon swore under his breath. This was about Audrey. It had to be. No one else would bring him into the principal's office so early. Through gritted teeth, he hissed, "She's lying."

"Is she?" Mr. Feeny raised his eyebrows at the vitriol in the teacher's voice. There were a lot of accusations of lying going on and he did not care for it.

"Yes."

"Jonathan..."

Jon lurched forward in his chair suddenly, almost jumping out of it. "I know what you're gonna say and I don't wanna hear it, George. I am not datin' anyone from here."

This was the absolute truth; he and Audrey were not dating and, if Katherine and Feeny got their way, they never would be.

The English Lit teacher was not the only one growing increasingly irritable. He was suspicious of Jon's intense reaction and his inability to discuss this with him without getting angry. "What I was going to say is that I am very concerned about your relationship with Miss Andrews."

Jon glared at him. "Why?"

"I believe it's bordering on inappropriate."

"Why? What proof do you have? Something that Kat made up?"

At the look on the older man's face, Jon knew without a doubt he was bluffing. He had nothing but the lies he'd been told. "Miss Tompkins said-"

"Miss Tompkins said," he snapped sarcastically. He knew he was getting very close to George's limit of what he'd tolerate but he didn't care anymore. "You believe her, don't you?"

"I am inclined to..."

"Why George? You haven't even heard my side of this so why do you automatically believe her over me?"

"I am not taking sides, Jonathan. I am merely trying to get to the bottom of this situation before it becomes something serious and affects school more than it already has."

"Yes, you are. " Jon sat back against the chair and put one foot on his knee. "You've already decided that Kat's tellin' you the truth, that Shawn and I are lying, and that I'm up to something nefarious with Audrey." For a moment, the teacher stopped talking as he tried to gather his thoughts. "It blows my mind that you can be so fair and understanding with your students, but when it comes to teachers...no, wait, when it comes to me, you are just the opposite. What have you got against me?"

Mr. Feeny looked incredibly displeased with the man's disrespectful attitude. "Are you quite finished, Mr. Turner?"

Jon sunk down in his chair and stared at the desk in front of him.

"Do you now see the issue with dating a colleague? Do you now see the problem we have here?" The older man threw up his hands. "This is why I do not want you toying with Miss Andrews and her feelings. Or I'll have her in here crying every day because you broke her heart. I have enough of that to deal with among the students. I cannot and will not do the same with teachers who are supposed to be those students' role models!"

"You encouraged me to date Kat," he said with quiet restraint. "You encouraged me to get back together with her repeatedly. It's only Audrey you have a problem with so let's stop pretending this is a faculty-wide issue. I'm gonna ask you again- what have you got against me?"

Mr. Feeny's gaze was dark and severe. "Jonathan, you have become so blinded to what's going on around you since you became involved with the Hunter boy. As a teacher, that is dangerous. We cannot play favorites. You are doing the same with Audrey. You have neither the experience nor the maturity to be involved with either one of them."

Jon stared at the other man in disbelief. He set his jaw at an angle and shook his head. "Unbelievable. Who made you supreme ruler of all teachers? You don't know Katherine and you don't really know me. You think you do but you don't. I just can't get over how little you think of me!"

"Jonathan," the principal softened a bit. "I am not against you as you think I am, but I can see things that you cannot. You are in over your head with Shawn, and you cannot see the situation with Audrey clearly."

"What do you think is going on with Audrey?" Jon knew if he were to come clean and tell him what he and Audrey and Shawn had been doing the principal would never believe anything he said again.

"I am trying to stop anything from going on."

Jon was quiet for a while as he wondered how much of his hand he should reveal. Finally, he said, "I got legal advice on this."

The principal certainly was not expecting to hear this and he was floored that a teacher, who was presumably innocent, would do such a thing.

This statement of Jon's was only half-true. He could have sought the lawyer with the teacher's union, but to do that he would have had to first contact the JAH union liaison. While a lawyer would keep attorney/client privilege, the liaison was a known gossip. Feeny would have learned about his inquiry before he could get an answer. So Jon went to Topanga instead. His student had a keen interest in law and acquainted herself with school law quickly and fully before examining his contract.

According to Topanga, she found nothing that excluded faculty or interns from carrying on interpersonal relationships with one another on any level. She found that it was not Mr. Feeny who set the details of the contract either. The terms of Jon's contract had been voted upon during contract negotiations with the local chapter of the teachers' union. If Feeny had wanted a no dating clause added he could have asked for it and it would have been voted on. Since there was no clause Topanga could only assume that it had not been brought up or it had been struck down. She could find no violation of the personal code of conduct per the contract. In short, Jon could not be fired for spending time with or dating Audrey. The Board could determine that a relationship was becoming detrimental to one or both parties if it affected their job and could issue a reprimand that would count as a strike against that employee. Three strikes and termination could occur. But both instances were extremely rare.

Topanga said if there was a dating ban it would have to come from Audrey's school; NYCU was the only entity that could enforce that upon Audrey as she was under their jurisdiction not Mr. Feeny's. If they were found in violation of the University's policy, they could both be reprimanded. So Jon called up "Uncle Alex" who said there was no such policy in place. While it was most certainly not encouraged, the university saw their students as adults and so long as there was nothing illegal going on (exchanging services for higher evaluations and job promises) they did not care who their students spent their time with. Dr. Kessington told Jon that if he should run into any issues with the principal, not to handle it on his own, but to call him and let him deal with it.

"I am not datin' Audrey," he said sullenly. "But even if I was, you can't do anything about it. Only her school could discipline her, but they won't. Don't believe me? Call her advisor."

"And this is your attitude, Mr. Turner?" Mr. Feeny replied quietly. "Defiance?"

"If that's the way you want to interpret it, so be it."

"I'm very disappointed that you are making no effort to see my side of things."

Jon shrugged. "I can say the very same thing of you."

"Yes, well, I suppose we are at an impasse."

"Looks like it."

Mr. Feeny picked up a pen and tapped it against his palm. "I believe reassigning Miss Andrews to be the best resolution then."

Jon was dumbstruck. He never considered that to be a possibility. He blinked several times trying to process what George was threatening to do. "You'd really do that to Shawn?"

"What does Mr. Hunter have to do with this?"

Jon shook his head and didn't try to mask his disappointment. "You know what he has to do with this. He's done really well since Audrey came along- in my class, in your class. Every teacher but Kat has said so. Think about that, George. Only one teacher has complained about him. And it's not because he's not turning work in or failing tests; it's stupid stuff. That improvement is because of Audrey; she's been a better parent to him than I have. You know his dad wasn't the only one who dumped him. His mom took off too. He lost both parents. He needs her. You reassign her, fine. But you get to tell Shawn about it and why."

The principal frowned as he mulled this over. "Alright, Jonathan. It would seem this is far more complicated than it initially appeared to be. I will look into the matter further and will investigate your claims against Miss Tompkins. My position on Shawn and Audrey has not changed."

"Neither has mine."

Mr. Feeny nodded. "That is all then, Jonathan. If I have misjudged you, I do apologize."

"Thank you." The teacher was quick to jump and exit the office. Just as he reached the door he heard:

"Oh, and Jonathan?"

"Yeah?"

"Miss Andrews will remain with you." The principal gave him a serious look. "For now."

Jon didn't tell Shawn what Mr. Feeny said right away, but he did sit down with him after school and discuss the meeting with him. His teacher assured him that everything was alright, and that Shawn didn't need to worry about anything. Unfortunately, worry is all he could do. Shawn lived with an intense fear that he, Jon, and Audrey would not make it to the end of May; that someone or something would come and take away all the good that had happened to him and all his hope for the future. This fear was so overwhelming that not only did Shawn start acting out per his typical ways, but he also started to have intense nightmares that lasted throughout the rest of March.

The worst of these dreams centered around his mother leaving him and his father. But rather than just leave as she actually did; dream Virna screamed her hatred of him in his face before telling dream Chet that if he wanted her back, he'd have to leave him behind. In some of these dreams, dream Chet left him immediately; other times he did not. When he did not dream Chet would mope around the house, drinking and taking his rage out on Shawn, reminding him all the while how worthless and unlovable he was. Eventually, this version of dream Chet would leave him too.

Then one night the dream didn't end with the dream Chet leaving. Instead, it morphed into something worse. This dream found Jon taking him in and Audrey coming to stay with them. Time quickly passed in this nightmare world and suddenly it was a year later. Now Audrey was leaving. This Audrey told Jon she couldn't stay with him anymore. When she was asked why, she looked at Shawn with a soulless glare and told him he was the most horrible, worthless kid she'd ever met and wanted nothing to do with him. She told Jon goodbye and left. Then, without so much as a look at him, this Jon ran after her promising to get rid of good-for-nothing the kid if she came back.

On the night Shawn had this dream, Audrey was awakened at one in the morning by a phone call that caller ID showed to be Jon's number. She was greeted by a hysterical cry.

"Shawn?"

"Mom, come home. Please come home." His cries were so sharp, so pained that she could barely understand him.

"Shawn, what's wrong?" Fear gripped her heart. She had no idea if something horrible had happened to him or Jon or both of them.

"I'm sorry, Mommy," he wailed incoherently. The voice was so frayed and fractured that it didn't sound like it could possibly be coming from Shawn. "I'm so sorry. I'll be good, Mommy. Please! Just come home! Please! I love you!"

Audrey was out of bed and dressing as fast as she could while still on the phone with him. Through the hysteria she could tell by his tone that he was not fully awake; perhaps he wasn't awake at all. "Shawn, I'm coming. I'm coming home as soon as I can."

Jon was awakened suddenly by the sound of sobbing and, for a moment, thought that Kat had gotten back into his place and was determined to haunt him even though she was still alive. It came as quite a shock to find that it was Shawn sobbing into the phone. Initially, he was terribly confused over who Shawn was talking to and thought that Virna had gotten a hold of his number and called the teen. It wasn't until he heard Audrey's voice on the other end of the line that he realized Shawn must have been dreaming and called Audrey in his sleep.

"Shawn," Audrey told him, the sound of her keys jingled in the background. "I'm coming home, but I have to hang up now, okay?"

Shawn sobbed harder. Jon took the phone from him and told Audrey that he was with the boy. After he hung up the phone, Jon put his arms around Shawn. Shawn melted into him but seemed disconnected at the same time. Shawn called him dad several times and apologized for something over and over. Jon tried to console him, to break through that haze that had engulfed him, but Shawn was lost. The fifteen-year-old was completely gone and Jon was left with the pieces of a broken child.

There was nothing anyone could do for Shawn at that moment, not even Audrey could make the pain go away when she joined them. All Jon could do was reiterate his promise that they would become a permanent family as soon he could get a hold of Chet to move forward with guardianship while they waited for Audrey's tenure at John Adams High to end.

Chapter Text

Shawn was standing in the middle of the apartment when Audrey walked in. He looked like his best friend just walked out on him.

"Shawn?" Audrey said worriedly as she hung up her purse and coat. "Are you okay?"

He stared at her. "You're late."

" I told you would be. I had a paper to finish."

"She came over and you weren't here."

Audrey went over to him and gave him a quizzical look. "Who?"

"Melanie."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, I thought Jon was picking her up."

"Are you okay with this?" The teen's voice was thick with unspoken accusation.

"With what? Jon going out?"

Shawn folded his arms over his stomach.

Audrey gave him a small smile and brushed his hair out of his eyes. "Hun, we've been through this before."

"This is totally different!" he snapped. He couldn't understand why she wasn't upset. "He's never gone out with someone he was gonna marry."

Audrey flinched and her grey eyes flickered between light and dark. She was clearly bothered by the situation. "Shawn, would you like Cory to come over? I don't have anything planned for us to do tonight."

"No," he said, flopping onto the couch as despair overtook him. "Topanga is over at his place. I just wanna watch TV."

"Bring me your homework first."

While Audrey checked his homework, Shawn stared at the television screen without seeing anything. He was lost in the labyrinth of his emotions. His guilt over pushing Jon into going out with an ex-fiancée and his intense fear of losing the family that was so close to being his forever waged war within him.

Why had he been so careless with his words? He didn't mean any of them. He was only giving Jon a tough time. If he'd had any idea who the answering-machine girl was he'd have kept his big mouth shut. He always had to sabotage anything good that happened to him.

Then there was Audrey. Shawn cast a forlorn look at the student teacher who was busy with his schoolwork. There was no way he would trade her and what they had for any amount of money. A panic arose within him. Melanie looked so pleased with Jon and Jon with her when they left. What if Jon took him seriously about moving in with Melanie? What if Jon decided that Melanie was the one who got away and not the other way around like Eli said? Audrey would leave because of something he'd done. His actions would drive her away just like he drove his mother away. He sank his upper teeth into his bottom lip in an attempt to hold back the cry that wanted to escape. Mentally, he cursed himself over and over for being so stupid and worthless.

Audrey finished looking over Shawn's homework. When she turned to call him to correct some hastily done work sheets, she was horrified by what she saw.

"Shawn what are you doing!?"

"Huh?" He stared at her not understanding her concern.

Audrey rushed to his side and grabbed his hand. "You're bleeding!"

Shawn looked down at his hands and saw his thumbs were red and raw where he had been unconsciously picking the skin away from the nails.

"Come here." Audrey took him to the sink in the kitchen and began to wash his hands under the cool water. She took the first aid kit from its spot by the refrigerator and retrieved the band aids from it. Tenderly, she bandaged his damaged digits. As she did, she noticed the rest of his fingers. The nails were chewed down to the quick and the skin around them were in various stages between freshly torn and months old scars. Gently, she wrapped her fingers around his and looked up at him. Her eyes were brimming with concern.

"What's bothering you, Shawn?"

He stared at her and blinked as he tried not to break. She had no idea how he'd betrayed her.

"Shawn?"

He meant to tell her that he was just nervous about the situation he and Cory had gotten themselves into with Frankie Stecchino, but what came out was beyond his control.

"I'm sorry, Audrey. I had no idea he'd actually go out with her. I just wanted to know who she was. Jon never tells me anything and I just wanted to know."

Audrey's brow pinched together in confusion. "I don't understand."

"I'm the one who got Jon to return her call," he confessed. His voice grew shaky as fear of her reaction took hold. "I convinced him to see her. I thought she was a rich snob and that it'd be fun to watch her go head-to-head with Jon. I didn't know she'd be so much like him. Please don't leave. I didn't mean it when I said I wanted to go with her because of the money. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean any of it. Please don't go." Shawn was numb. He was so numb that he didn't feel the tear that escaped down his cheek.

"Oh. Shawn." Audrey took his face between her hands and gently wiped away the tear with her thumb. "I think it's for the best that Melanie came to town when she did."

Shawn looked appalled. "How can you say that?"

"So Jon won't wonder what if," she said with a heavy sigh.

Surely, she had not thought this through. Or she had and this was her excuse to get away from him. "But what if he decides he wants to be with her?"

"Then that's what he decides." Confidence faded from her and suddenly she didn't look much older than him. "I can't force him to be with me."

She's already givin' up and she's really gonna leave,he convinced himself. Throwing up his hands in despair he cried, "What happens to us if he does?"

"We go on," she shrugged. "I'll always be here for you. You know Jon will be, too."

Shawn ran his hands into his hair and gripped a handful of locks tightly in each fist. "I don't want it to be like that! I want what Jon promised! That we'd be together for good!"

"I want that, too." Audrey's voice was beginning to crack. She had put as much thought into the situation as Shawn had. "We just have to have faith that things will work out the way they're supposed to."

Audrey put the first aid kit away and led Shawn to the kitchen table to correct his schoolwork. As he worked, he hoped Audrey had enough faith to cover them both because he had none to contribute.

Jon came back much later than expected. Shawn, who was leaning against Audrey's shoulder and clutching her hand as they sat on the couch, gave him a nervous glance. Jon didn't say anything and neither did anyone else. Eventually, the teacher walked behind the couch and tapped Shawn on the shoulder.

"Hey, bud, school tomorrow." Jon's voice was uncharacteristically somber. "Get to bed."

Shawn looked at Audrey. She kissed his cheek and told him that she loved him. He hugged her hard. As he walked past Jon, it occurred to him that this could be the last time they would be together. A sudden feeling of desperation came over the teen when he heard Audrey take the keys out of her purse as she prepared to leave. A sob welled up, lodged itself in his chest, and solidified there.

"Aud." Jon caught her hand as she got up from the couch. "Can you stay? I need you."

Shawn was so relieved to hear this that without thinking he threw his arms around his teacher. Jon was taken aback, and it took a moment for him to respond. Uncertainly, he put his arms around the boy's shoulders. Shawn gave him a small, grateful smile then left without a word.

Audrey sat back down in her usual spot. Jon joined her. He looked back in the direction of Shawn's room.

"What was that about?"

Audrey studied his body language and saw how tense he was. "Do you want to talk about tonight?"

Jon looked away quickly and rubbed his lips with the side of his finger. "Not right now."

"Then I'll tell you about Shawn when you are."

He glanced at her and nodded. They sat together in silence for what seemed like hours to Audrey before Jon put his arm around her and pulled her close. She gave a small sigh of relief. He never spoke to her, however. He just kissed her hair and held onto her.

The first and only time Shawn heard about what happened at dinner with Melanie was the next day when Jon came back from doing some work on his truck. Eli was with him, and he was telling the media arts teacher about the dinner. Shawn flippantly asked if they were moving to Connecticut to hide his fear for his future. To his great relief, Jon said they weren't going anywhere.

Audrey was due over later as well, so Shawn took this to mean that everything was okay with their family and Melanie was firmly in the past where she belonged. With this worry gone, Shawn was able to focus on Jon's words about first impressions. This led to a new guilt: the way he and Cory had been treating Frankie Stecchino.

Shawn was about to head to his room to call Cory and inform him that they owed Frankie an apology when a knock came at the door. He stayed out of curiosity because unless Audrey lost her key, it wasn't her. Jon got to the door first and who Shawn saw walk in made his heart drop.

It was Melanie.

Eli jumped up to greet her with a hug and a kiss. Shawn glared daggers at him for this betrayal. Jon didn't say anything at first. He just looked deeply concerned.

"Hey, Jonny." Melanie's grin was wide as she greeted him with a kiss that was not returned.

"Hey," the teacher returned without emotion. "What're you doing here?"

"Well," she said, a little disappointed by his lack of reaction. "I wanted to tell you in person that I've decided to stay."

"Stay?" Jon glanced at Shawn who looked upset.

"Isn't that great?" She held her hands out to both of them.

"Yeah." Eli agreed wholeheartedly. He was the only one who seemed happy to see her. "I think it's great, Mel."

"Yeah, great." Jon said flatly.

"How. Long?" Shawn asked through clenched teeth. As far as he was concerned, she had already overstayed her welcome.

Melanie didn't catch his tone. Grinning, she walked and reached out to him. "I'm not sure, but long enough to really get to know Jon again and you, Shawn. I really want us to be friends." She looked over shoulder at Jon. "Real friends this time, Jonny."

Shawn took three exaggerated steps away from her. He folded his arms over his chest and said nothing.

Melanie turned back to him in time to see this. She was confused by his response. "Shawn? What's wrong? You seemed so happy to see me last time."

Shawn knew that anything he said would land him in big trouble with Jon, so he played sullen teenager.

"Look, Mel," Jon put one hand on the doorknob and the other on his waist. "It's great you're stayin' but I didn't know. Shawn and I have plans."

"Oh, okay, sure," she said, clapping her hands in front of her. "I'll see you later tonight? Dinner?" She walked over to Jon and leaned close. "On me?"

"Not tonight."

"Tomorrow?"

"Call first." He held the door open, clearly indicating that he wanted her to leave.

"Right." Disappointed, Melanie let her hands fall to her side and she walked dejectedly to the door. She didn't understand "her" boys' reaction to her announcement; last night had gone so well and she thought they'd both be happy about her staying.

"Jon, what was that about?" Eli asked as soon as the woman was gone. "You've got a second chance with Mel, and you were kinda rude to her. "

"Audrey's comin' over." Jon was still holding the door open.

"So?"

"So you gotta go, too."

"Okay, fine," Eli sniffed at his friend's strange attitude.

After Eli left, Jon turned to Shawn with a scowl and said, "You were kinda rude."

"So were you," the teen shot back. He jumped over the back of the sofa and bounced on the cushions.

Jon sank into the other end of the couch. "I was worried Audrey would walk in and I'd have to explain why she was here to Mel and why Mel was here to her."

"I didn't want Melanie to stay. "

Jon twisted around so he could see the boy. "About that: you were ready to leave with her last night."

Shawn stared at him, incredibly hurt. "I was messin with you! I thought you knew me well enough to know when I'm serious and when I'm not." Suddenly, he felt furious that not only did Jon not know him that well, but that Shawn didn't know him very well either. His teacher had after all withheld his own history from him.

"You were pretty convincin' last night."

Shawn glared at him. "I am not givin' up Audrey for her."

"Who asked you to?" Jon snapped back. He slammed his heels against the coffee table hard enough to make the furniture move.

Shawn was about to give a rude response when the student teacher walked in. He jumped up and onto Audrey while maintaining his glare at Jon.

It only took her a moment to assess the situation. "You two've been arguing again, huh?"

Shawn made a face at Jon and held onto her.

Jon leaned his cheek against his fist. "He's mad at me because I didn't throw Mel out."

"Mel?" Audrey frowned slightly. "I thought she left this morning for Connecticut?"

Jon shook his head and stood up. To Shawn he said, "Could you go to your room and let me talk to Audrey, please."

"Fine."

Shawn, of course, didn't go into his room and shut the door like Jon wanted him to. He went to his room, stepped in, stepped out, and closed the door loud enough to be heard. Then he took up his position at the beginning of the hallway to listen.

After Shawn left, Jon sat on the back of the couch and held his hand out to Audrey. She took it and he pulled her over to him. Wrapping his arms around her, he rested his head against her collarbone. They stayed like that for a long while before Audrey asked,

"What's wrong?"

Jon sighed into the fabric of her sweater. "Mel's plannin on stayin. She says she wants to get to know Shawn and me. She wants to be friends. For real."

Audrey held in her breath. She didn't like where this was going. "How long?"

"She didn't say."

Jon turned his head so that his nose was tucked under her chin. She ran her fingers through his hair as she tried to control the fear that coursed through her at the implication of what Melanie staying meant. Fighting back tears, she said very quietly, "Do you want to start seeing her again?"

Jon frowned, wondering where she came up with that. He pulled back enough so that he could see her eyes. "No," he said adamantly. "That is not what I want."

Audrey pursed her lips into a tight line. "Are you sure?" This was not a question she really wanted an answer to; she was afraid of the answer. Hesitantly, she reminded him, "She was your first girlfriend. There's a lot of history there; a lot of firsts."

Jon laid his head back down and grabbed hold of her hair. Letting the strands run through his fingers, he admitted, "She isn't anything like I thought she'd be and that does make me want to get to know her better. But I don't wanna get back together with her."

She rested her cheek against the top of his head. "How do you know unless you get to know her?"

"Because I know!' He said harshly enough to make her jump. He sighed and said more gently. "I just know."

Audrey should have asked him how he knew but she didn't.

"She's persistent," he went on, "just like she was then. She won't let this go until she gets her way. I don't think it will take long for her to leave, though. She may not be takin' Daddy's money anymore but she's still Daddy's girl. I'm not willing to go back to that world even a little, but she still has one foot in the door. If she can't get me to budge on that, she'll leave."

"What do you want me to do?"

Jon straightened up and ran his thumb over her cheek. He saw the fearful look in her eyes, and he regretted even more what he was about to ask of her. "Stay away from here until she leaves. I have no idea if I can trust her with you or not. I won't take the chance that I can't."

"Okay."

She was growing quieter and that was a bad sign. "I don't like this, Audrey," he insisted, "but I feel like I have to entertain her. If I don't do this, then she may end of goin' back home and complain' about me. I don't want anyone from there to come down here. There's a reason I don't have much contact with them." Jon put his hands on either side of her face and said seriously, "Maybe I'm wrong about her. Maybe she's changed. But I can't risk us."

"Okay."

"Hey!" The word was encased in frustration, but the frustration was directed at himself. "I do not wanna get back together with her."

"I believe you."

"Do you?" Her eyes told him everything she wouldn't, and she did not believe him.

Why should she? He thought bitterly. All I do is hide her away while I go out with other women. I wouldn't believe me either.

Audrey tried to keep eye contact with him, to be stoic and unemotional. But it was too much for her and she looked away. That was when he kissed her; a deep kiss unlike one she'd never experienced before.

Unfortunately, Shawn did not see this. By the time Jon took the initiative to let Audrey know how he really felt about her, the teen had gone back to his room. They had been talking so quietly that he couldn't hear anything anyway.

Shawn lay on his bed frustrated, scared, and hurt.

Melanie spent every minute of the next five days that they weren't in school with them, and that meant Audrey stayed away. Halfway through the week, Jon signed Shawn out of school an hour early. Audrey had a meeting with her supervisor and was not in school for the afternoon. She picked Shawn up and they spent the rest of the afternoon and evening together. Jon, of course, could not participate.

The longer Audrey stayed away, the more resentful Shawn became of Melanie.

Melanie tried incredibly hard to win Shawn over from buying him his favorites CDs to trying to cook meals for him after Eli told her Shawn like his mom's cooking. But Melanie was not a cook nor a baker. She tried because she thought it was important to Shawn, but her attempts just hardened him against her. The half cooked, crunchy lasagna that kept him up all night with a stomachache didn't help her case either.

Still, she kept trying to be the happy homemaker.

Jon wasn't much help to him. The English lit teacher drifted in and out of being interested in Melanie to not caring much about anything. His attitude combined with Shawn's made for some spectacular arguments over nothing. At one point, the two were arguing over placement of the forks in the cutlery drawer as they were putting away the dishes. Another time they fought over the angle of the TV antennae with both insisting that a minute move to the left or right made a difference in picture quality when it had no effect on anything.

School wasn't much better even with Audrey there. Shawn held a grudge against his media arts teacher for encouraging Melanie's interest in Jon and became mouthy and uncontrollable in Eli's class. While the class found his running commentary on the media projects funny, Eli did not. Shawn found himself in Mr. Feeny's office, not once, but three times that week. And that made Jon's mood worse.

Then everything came to a head the night Melanie dared to overstep her bounds. It was the fifth night she stayed over, sleeping on the couch. Shawn hated her audacity; Jon did not invite her to stay, she just assumed she was welcomed. She settled herself in their home while they were at school. Jon felt that he couldn't kick her out for reasons Shawn didn't understand.

That fifth day she planned a trip to the zoo for the three of them. Shawn flatly told her the zoo was for little kids and stupid even though they'd gone with Audrey two weeks earlier without protest. He hated every moment Melanie tried to play family. Dinner that night was take out that she insisted be put on proper dishes. It was after dinner that Melanie issued the command that brought out the worst in him.

"Jon and I are going out tonight, Shawn," she told him, as she cleared the table of her plate and Jon's.

Shawn scowled at Jon who was staring at Melanie in surprise.

"We are?"

She smiled and reached across the table to take his hand. "I have something special planned for us, Jonny."

Jon balked. This didn't sound like a friend-type of outing to him. "I don't have anyone to stay with Shawn."

Melanie gave him a funny look. "He's fifteen. He'll be fine. You were practically living on your own at that age. Don't you remember what you were doing?"

Jon nearly choked on his cola. What he'd was doing was the last thing he wanted Shawn to do. Ever.

"Besides," she went on. "He'll be too busy to get into trouble."

Shawn glared at her suspiciously. He hated that she was sitting in Audrey's seat, and he hated that tone of authority in her voice that was now directed at him. Ignoring her, he told Jon, "I'll go to Cory's.

"No, Shawn," Melanie said, pulling herself up to her full height. She leaned over the table towards him. "You will stay here and do the dishes. You've been really slacking on your chores around here and that will change tonight. I want everything, including your room, to be picked and spotless when we get back. You can do your laundry tomorrow."

Shawn's jaw dropped. He was too stunned to react right away. Who does she think she is? He raged internally. Audrey?

Jon began to protest when he saw the look on the teen's face. "Melanie, that's not your deci-"

Melanie put her hand up to silence him. He didn't bother to hide how much this offended him.

"Jon, I understand why you've let this go," she said sympathetically. "You have a lot to do at school and you have the extra burden of a student teacher. You don't have to do everything on your own. I'll take care of this for you."

To say that Audrey was a burden was the final straw. Shawn clenched and unclenched his fists then snapped, "I'm not gonna to do anything you say, witch."

Foul language was a no both at school and at home and was something that Shawn had accepted for the most part. There were, however, times when the powers over him were present and he would skirt the language prohibitions by swapping out profanity for milder versions. Witch was one.

Witch was not what he said.

Melanie was shocked and hurt. She looked to Jon to step in. Jon didn't look particularly upset. He did, however, walk over to Shawn and get within an inch of his nose. In a low voice he hissed, "Say it again and I'll call Mom and you can repeat to her what you said to Melanie."

Shawn paled. Mom was code for Audrey.

Jon sent him to his room and made the excuse that he couldn't go anywhere with Shawn in such a rotten mood. He mumbled something about running away and cops and Melanie accepted this. She also stayed in that night.

The threat to tell Audrey was all the punishment Shawn got for his words. On Saturday, Jon took him to Chubbie's without Melanie tagging along. Audrey would be joining them later since it wasn't unusual for students and younger faculty members to both be at the burger place on the weekends.

"How much longer is this gonna go on?" Shawn asked, kicking the table leg enough to make the table shake.

Jon stirred his milkshake but didn't drink it. "Not much longer. I think Mel's about had it with us."

"You mean with me."

"Us." Jon caught him by the ankle when his foot slipped and kicked him.

Shawn winced under his grip and Jon released him. Tucking his feet back out of the way, he asked, "How do you know?"

Jon went back to playing with the milkshake. "Because as much as Mel's changed, she's also the same. She'll try once more to win you over then she'll be gone."

"Doesn't she get that I'm not interested?" he grumbled. He picked up the ketchup bottle and gave the bottom of the glass a violent slap over his fries. " How much clearer can I be?"

Jon chuckled. "You've been pretty vocal, that's for sure."

Shawn continued to throttle the condiment bottle. The ketchup didn't care and wasn't about to be rushed. "Why does she care so much whether I like her or not? I'm not the one she wants."

Jon shrugged but didn't disagree.

"Why her?" he asked. He gave the sauce one last chance before slamming the bottle back onto the table.

Jon caught the ketchup before it spun off the table. "What do you mean?"

"Why'd you pick her and not some other rich girl?"

Jon shrugged again. "Our families were really close, and we'd grown up together. I dunno. I didn't put much thought into things like that back then."

"What did you put thought into?"

Jon frowned and shifted uncomfortably. "Lots of stuff I shouldn't have."

"Like?"

Jon never really gave him an answer. He talked about his parents and how much he didn't want to join the family business. Shawn stared at him with annoyance. "You didn't answer my question."

"Didn't I?" Jon wadded up a napkin and spun the paper ball between his hands. "Nothing worth tellin'. I wasn't very likable then."

"Melanie liked you."

"Melanie liked who she thought I was. She didn't even really know me."

That certainly sounded familiar. "I don't understand why you won't talk to me." Shawn scowled. He glared murderously at the defiant ketchup bottle as he reached for it again. "I had to find out from Eli anything about you. And if she hadn't kept callin' I never would have known anything."

Jon squinted at him and moved the ketchup bottle out of the teen's reach before he could break it. "Shawn, Eli first told you about my family two months ago and apparently you both forgot that. Then I told you about Christmas with my folks. I even mentioned Melanie to you first. You just didn't ask any questions. I figured you weren't interested."

"Well," Shawn sniffed resentfully. "I was very busy then. How do you expect me to remember stuff like that with everything that was goin' on?"

"Stupid me." Jon shook his head and tossed the napkin ball at him.

Shawn didn't respond to the incoming projectile because he saw Audrey coming down the stairs to them. Once she was seated in the booth next to Jon, a little ray of light broke through the darkness that liked to follow Shawn everywhere he went. Suddenly, the ketchup bottle was no longer his mortal enemy.

Originally, Melanie planned to stay a month or more, but nothing had gone as planned. By the end of her first week in Philadelphia she was ready to call it quits. Dealing with a troubled teenager was harder than she dreamed. She had no idea what to do as Shawn resisted any attempt that she made to be friends. She couldn't understand him. She couldn't handle him. But she also couldn't leave without trying once more to find some sort of common ground with him.

Her opportunity to spend time with Shawn alone came on Monday night when Jon announced that he would be staying after school the next day to run the National Honor Society club and a few other extracurriculars as part of the experience his student teacher needed for her resume.

"I'll stay with Shawn for you," she informed Jon. She didn't expect this to be a problem.

Irate, Shawn jumped up ready to go to war. Jon gripped his shoulder and pushed him back down on the couch. He wasn't in the mood for a fight.

"Well," he shot Shawn a warning look, "that won't be necessary, Mel. I was plannin' on sendin' him home with Cory."

Melanie crossed her arms over her waist. "I'd like him to stay with me."

Jon shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Melanie refused to be told no. "We need to get to know each other," she insisted.

Shawn glared up at them. "Do I get a say in this or are you two just gonna plan out my future. 'Cause if you are, I'm outta here."

Jon glared at him, then picked up his book bag and tossed it to him. "C'mon. We're gonna be late for school."

"It's settled then," Melanie said. "Come straight here after school. Don't be late, Shawn."

Shawn pushed past Jon and angrily stomped out of the apartment.

Later at school, Jon grabbed him by the shirt tail and pulled him into a vacant part of the hallway. "Suck it up for one night, okay?"

"I don't want to," Shawn snapped, pulling away from him. "I don't need a babysitter. I'm 15."

"You stay with Audrey all the time," he snapped in exasperation. "You tell me you can't be left alone, and I have to get someone to watch you."

"That's because it's Audrey!" Shawn couldn't believe the man was so dense. "I'm not stayin' with her."

Jon narrowed his eyes and put a hand on his waist. He put the other hand against the wall. "You want her alone in the apartment by herself. She's likely to rearrange everythin' to her taste while we're gone. You want her in your room?"

Shawn was taken aback. "She can't do that."

"She's been hintin' at movin' things around since she got here."

"That's your fault," the teen retorted, shoving a finger at his teacher. "You shoulda kicked her out."

"You know I'm getting' real sick of your attitude," he hissed. Jon closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Once he was calmer he said, "I'm tellin' you she won't be here much longer."

"A few more days and she can claim squatter's rights!"

Jon almost asked him why he knew about squatter's rights, then decided that he didn't want to know. "Yeah, well, if she doesn't decide to go on her own, I'm gonna tell her to go."

Shawn turned his head and the English Lit teacher saw how upset he really was, and he felt bad for the kid. Gently, he took hold of Shawn's shoulder and turned him to look him in the eyes. He dropped his voice so that only Shawn could hear, "I miss Audrey, too."

Shawn wasn't convinced. He made a face and rolled his eyes. The bell for the next class rang right on time. Jon was done dealing with the attitude.

"Besides," he muttered as he pushed past the teen. "One night alone with you will have her packin' her bags before I get back."

Shawn turned to watch his teacher leave. A sly smirk slowly spread over his face. Jon had just given him a beautiful idea.

The English Lit teacher wasn't gone an hour when Melanie found herself in over her head with Shawn. She could do nothing to make him happy nor could she get him to participate in any of the activities she had planned. All she heard was sullen grunts or "that's not how my mom does it". When she tried to talk to him about his mom and he would snap "wouldn't you like to know" then ignore her until the next time she tried get him to do something.

Finally, she sat down on the couch next to him, unable to hold her frustration anymore. "What will it take to make you happy, Shawn? I'm running myself into the ground trying to figure you out."

Shawn glanced at her, then turned his attention back to the TV. "You really wanna know?"

"Yes." Melanie leaned over closer to him in hopes that they would finally be able to get somewhere.

"Be honest about why you're doin' all this."

Melanie opened her mouth to reply then closed it. She looked baffled. After a moment she said, "What are you talking about?"

On the surface, Melanie wasn't nearly as bad as Miss Tompkins. She was pretty much the opposite, save for one thing. He gave her the opportunity to confess; to prove she was better than the social studies teacher. "I'm talkin' about the real reason you're tryin so hard to get me to like you."

Melanie put her hand over her heart. "I care about you, Shawn."

So she is a liar, too, just like Miss Tompkins. Shawn rolled his eyes. "You don't wanna be honest. Fine. Leave me alone."

Melanie was silent for a while then quietly said, "I hope to be a part of your life, Shawn. We've got to make peace."

Shawn turned to face her with a skeptical look. "You want me to like you because you think if you win me over, you'll win Jon over. That it?"

She didn't say anything, but she didn't have to. Shawn knew he read her correctly.

Melanie stared at her hands and said, "You need a mother, Shawn."

"Got one, thanks."

"You need one that's here for you, Shawn. Not one's that running around all over the country."

A deep hurt melded with anger burned within him at the mention of Virna. "I have a mother who's here for me," he retorted with a vicious edge to his voice. "You aren't needed or wanted."

"Shawn," she reached out to him to brush his hair out of his face. He jumped back as though she'd slapped him.

"Don't touch me!" He perched on the arm of the couch, ready to run. "You wanna be my mom but you can't even be honest about why. I've got no reason to trust you. No reason to believe that you won't ship me off to boarding school and outta your life once you get what you want."

Melanie flinched and looked embarrassed. Shawn glared at her. He was right about her wanting to send him elsewhere, too. She was as bad as Miss Tompkins.

"Okay," she said, defeated. She tapped her fingers together as she leaned forward again. "You want me to be honest. Fine. Yes, I hope that if you and I can get along, then Jon will want to try our relationship again. I know that if we can't be friends then he won't consider it."

"Well," Shawn said bluntly. "I'm tired of people like you either tryin' to push me outta Jon's life or fake likin' me to get to him. So let's quit playin' games."

"All right." Melanie held her hands out to signal her surrender.

"You want Jon?" Shawn pulled his feet up onto the arm of the couch, so he was squatting on the arm.

"Yes," she said softly.

"You wanna impress him?"

She nodded.

Shawn should have felt bad for what he was about to do, but there was no remorse in him. He hated being lied to and he hated being used. He waited until she looked at him, then he gave her a haughty smirk. "He'll be real impressed with someone who can't tabs on one kid for one night."

Melanie's eyes went wide when she realized what he was saying. "Where are you going?"

"Out." Shawn jumped off the couch. His feet hit the floor with a thunderous thud.

"What are you going to do?"

"Haven't decided," he told her casually as he put his leather jacket on. "Of course, the last time I went out like this, I found some spray paint and got brought home by the cops. Huh." He paused in thought then shrugged. "We'll have to see what happens tonight, I guess."

With that Shawn was out of the apartment before Melanie could get off the couch.

Shawn had no plans to take off into the night. Instead, he headed to the roof and found a spot where he could clearly see the street and Melanie's BMW below. He squatted down so he couldn't be seen by anyone who might happen to look up. With great delight, he watched her run into the street, frantically calling his name and searching in and behind the dumpsters and trash in the streets. He laughed in response to her panicked calls. Finally, she got into her car to go to look for him. When she was gone, Shawn headed back to the apartment and settled down to wait for Jon to come home.

Two hours later, his teacher came back incredibly aggravated. He was both relieved and furious to see Shawn sitting on the couch as though nothing was wrong. Thankfully, Audrey came with him and stood in as a mediator between them. She let Jon cool down before dealing with Shawn who had little remorse for the trouble he caused. It was a means to an end as he saw it. He was only sorry that Audrey was annoyed with him too.

Apparently, after over an hour of trying to locate him, Melanie called Jon in tears and told him what happened. Shawn let Jon chew him out; he knew that was coming. Although, once his teacher heard his side of the story, he cooled off some and informed Shawn that he was grounded for the weekend for pulling such a dirty trick. For Audrey, Shawn was appropriately contrite and accepted his punishment without protest.

Neither of the trio saw Melanie follow them in. As he apologized to Jon and Audrey, he saw out of the corner of his eye, the other woman quietly watching them. Shawn knew better than to say anything to make the situation worse for himself, so he simply wrapped his arms around Audrey and held on as he locked gazes with Melanie.

As Melanie observed them, she realized who the mom was that Shawn talked about. She wondered if this was also who Jon almost referred to several times before catching himself and changing the subject.

"Jon?" she asked when they stopped talking to Shawn. She gestured to the young woman. "Who's this?"

Jon looked at Audrey and pressed his lips into a thin line, unsure of how to respond. Audrey, expecting to be introduced as his student teacher, stared at the floor and said nothing. Shawn started counting backwards from ten. At one, he was going to answer the question if Jon didn't.

"This is Audrey," the teacher said slowly. He looked down at Audrey and put his arm around her waist.

Shawn let go of her so Jon could step in between them.

Jon pulled her close to him. Surprising them all, he said, "She's my girlfriend."

Melanie's mouth fell open. After several moments of silence, she squeaked out, "I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

"You didn't ask."

"You never mentioned her."

"It's complicated, Mel," he acknowledged. He slipped a finger through the belt loop on the waistband of Audrey's jeans. "I'm not gonna go into it. But Audrey is my girlfriend."

Melanie was silent. Then she threw up her hands. "Well, this has been a waste of time, hasn't it?" Embarrassed, she turned away from them so they wouldn't see the tears that were building up.

Without letting go of Audrey, Jon took a step forward. "You said you wanted to be friends. I took you at your word."

She nodded. She got herself together and turned to look at Shawn. "I guess you weren't the only one I wasn't being honest with, Shawn."

Shawn stood with his hands in his pockets and for once didn't say anything.

Melanie grabbed her purse from the couch. As she reached the door she turned back and tried once more. "Jonny, are you sure you don't want to give us one more try? We were so good together once."

Jon shook his head, put his free arm across Shawn's shoulders, and pulled him closer to them. "If we're being honest, no, we weren't. I do like who you've become. You're a great person." He watched her brush away the tears that were falling. In a strange way, it saddened him to see her like this. He almost preferred the haughty, socialite attitude she once embodied. Wanting to make sure she understood that there was not even the slight chance of him changing his mind, he said, "I love Audrey, Mel. She's the one."

Melanie's brow crumpled; even though they were once engaged, those were the words she could never get him to say to her. Taking a deep breath, she nodded and wished them all well before she left.

Shawn stared at Jon. Waves of tremendous relief washed over him. To hear him say aloud that he loved Audrey was the reassurance that Shawn desperately needed. They were safe and so was he. So was their family.

At the same time, great annoyance swept over him. After all that they'd gone through together, this was the way Jon chose to tell them?! Shawn didn't bother to hide his indignation.

Audrey, however, didn't care. She wrapped her arms around the man's waist and looked up at him with wonder. She wasn't sure if she heard him correctly, though. Did he really call her his girlfriend and say that he loved her?

Jon, suddenly aware that Melanie wasn't the only one who heard his confession, felt embarrassed by the attention that he was now the center of. His heart rate increased dramatically as he realized exactly what he'd said out loud. He glanced at Shawn, then focused on Audrey. With a deep exhale, he said, "I do, you know."

"I do? You know?" Exasperated, Shawn threw up his hands. "Is that the best you've got?"

Jon was nervous enough without Shawn's critique. He gave the teen a withering look for interrupting his moment and Audrey motioned for Shawn to hush.

The English Lit teacher started over; his voice shook even more. "I do." Jon frowned. He didn't understand why it was so hard to say what he felt. He took a deep breath and stopped thinking. "I do love you, Aud."

Audrey's eyes lit up in delight. A thousand emotions flooded through her, and she could barely contain herself. Softly she answered, "I love you, too."

"It's about time," Shawn mumbled under his breath. He had trouble containing his happiness. They were so close now to becoming a real family. They just had to make it to the end of May. That was only a month and a half away.

Jon smiled and pulled Audrey into a deep kiss. Shawn grinned so wide his cheeks began to ache. He counted to ten then threw his arms around them both, nearly toppling all three of them to the floor.

Chapter Text

Shawn tossed the deck of Uno cards haphazardly onto the top shelf of the closet and dashed back over to where Audrey was on the couch. It was nearly midnight and Jon was still out on his date with her. The thought soured Shawn's mood and he grumpily slouched down onto the couch.

Audrey regarded him with a sideways glance. "You look just like Jon when he gets back from his dates. But you haven't left the house so what's your problem?"

Shawn wrinkled his nose in annoyance even though he was pleased with the comparison. "He's still out and it's almost midnight."

"He'll be back soon," she assured him. His expression didn't change so she leaned over and said conspiratorially, "And if he's not, I'm taking his bed and he can sleep on the couch when he gets in."

The idea made Shawn smile and he jumped up. "I'll go get him a pillow and a blanket."

Audrey laughed. "You need to get to bed yourself, Shawn."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes," she responded firmly.

"There's no school tomorrow," he whined. "It's a holiday."

"I don't care," she replied, motioning towards the bathroom. "You and Jon are both so cranky when you don't get enough sleep. Go get ready for bed."

Ten minutes later Shawn made it back to the living room. Audrey was waiting to point him in the direction of his bedroom.

"Did you brush your teeth?"

"Kinda."

She folded her arms across her waist. "Go brush."

He walked up to her until he was nose to nose with her. Squinting his eyes, he regarded her steadily. She stared back at him with the same intensity. While he had every intention of doing what she told him he couldn't make it that easy on her. "What are you, my mom?" he challenged.

"Well, I'm not your babysitter," she shot back, wrinkling her nose at him.

"Oh, no?"

"No. Babysitters get paid to watch other people's kids."

"And moms?"

"Get nothin' to watch their own kids."

A smile was starting to crack his serious façade. "Which are you?"

"Well," she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I'm not getting paid to watch someone else's kid, am I?"

The grin broke fully through. "Okay, Mama, I'll brush my teeth for real this time." He kissed her cheek.

"Ug!" Audrey yelped, getting the full aroma of minty toothpaste and something pungent. "Use mouthwash, too! What have you been eating?"

Shawn shrugged. "Pickle potato chips."

"The whole bag?"

"Nah, there's a couple chips left."

"Go brush your teeth!" She shooed him away and turned to the kitchen, no doubt to retrieve and throw away the empty bag of chips that was stashed somewhere in the cabinets.

After he came back and checked with Audrey to make sure his teeth were cleaned to her expectations, Shawn asked, "Can I at least stay up until Jon gets back?"

"No," she told him, picking up the TV Guide. "I am not dealing with two cranky people on my day off. So unless you don't want me to come back over later..."

Shawn shot up from the couch and jumped over its back. "Goodnight!"

Audrey couldn't help but giggle. She got up and pulled Shawn into a big hug, almost pulling him over the couch's back. "Goodnight. I love you."

It was very rare that Shawn ever heard that phrase from anyone. When he did there always felt like there was a condition attached to the affection. But it was different when Audrey said it. When Audrey said it, he knew she meant it, no strings attached.

"I love you, too, Aud."

The apartment was still for only a few minutes after Shawn went to his room before its front door suddenly opened and shut. This used to make Audrey jump when she first started watching Shawn while Jon was out, but it was becoming such a routine occurrence now that she hardly noticed anymore. Jon, as usual, looked unhappy. Audrey quietly watched as he took off his jacket and tossed it carelessly at the couch. She caught it before it could slide off onto the floor. With the jacket secure, Audrey shifted her position on the couch, so she was facing the kitchen. Resting an arm on the back of the sofa, she pulled her legs up underneath her and waited. After a few minutes of frustrated fussing in the kitchen, Jon joined her, slumping down on the couch with a heavy sigh.

"How'd things go with Shawn?" His eyes were closed, and he was scowling.

"Good. He hasn't been in bed long. He's probably listening at his door."

Jon turned his head slightly and raised his voice in the direction of the boy's room. "Goodnight, Shawn."

"G'night...dang!"

"Go to bed, Hunter!"

"Fine."

Jon shook his head, but he was smiling. He knew that Shawn had not gone back to bed and would probably fall asleep, drooling against the door frame. Again. He leaned his head back and sunk down into the couch until his head and neck rested on the back of the sofa. He put his feet up on the coffee table and groaned.

Audrey put her hand on his forehead. "Sounds like you had another fun outing tonight."

"Oh, it was just great," he responded sardonically. "Same as usual. The exact same thing. Everything was going fine, just fine. Good even. And that's when I know that it's gonna come up; it's only a matter of when. You know she's gotten into this thing of bringin' it up in public. And not in public away from people, but when we're surrounded by people. It's awful. Why would she do that?"

"How do you feel when she does?" Audrey asked, taking her hand away from him and resting her fist against her cheek.

"Humiliated and trapped," he sighed sounding defeated.

"I think you have your answer then."

Jon turned his head to look at her with an inquiring gaze.

"Doing something like that in public is supposed to humiliate you so you'll go along with whatever she wants to avoid the public's judgment," she told him seriously. "Manipulation 101."

"Is this a class you can sign up for?"

"Not that I know of," Audrey shook her head. "It's taught to daughters by their mothers and other female influences. And it is almost always for the purpose of using men."

As outrageous as it sounded, Jon considered this. He then gave her a worried glance. "Did your mother teach you?"

"My mother taught me what it was and that it was wrong and would've have beat my butt if she caught me doing it."

Although he only knew the woman through photographs, the thought of her picture-perfect mother being anything other than picture perfect amused him. "I think I would have liked your mom a lot."

Audrey smiled as she absently ran her fingers through his hair. Finally, she asked what had been on her mind for quite some time. "Why are you still going out with her?"

"I dunno." He rested his arm on her knees. "At this point, I honestly don't know. I can't stand the pressure to get married, but I also can't stand the tears. I just wish she'd back off. Let me figure out how things are goin' to go with Shawn. I've asked her and I've pleaded with her to stop. But she just won't do it."

Audrey was quiet for quite a while, thinking. Her fingers were still entwined in his hair. "I don't have much experience when it comes to dating," she paused and corrected herself. "Actually, I don't have any, but it doesn't sound to me like Katherine really loves you."

"It doesn't?" It had occurred to Jon that, at the very least, he and Katherine had vastly different ideas of what love was.

She pursed her lips together, carefully gathering her words. "Every time you come home, you're in a bad mood, unhappy, frustrated. You shouldn't be like that. From what you've told me it sounds like your entire relationship revolves around her and what she wants and making her happy."

Jon closed his eyes again. "Seems like that to me, too."

"When you plan a date, do you ever do what you want to do?"

"Rarely," he harrumphed. "And not without great protest."

Audrey pulled her fingers out of his curls, much to his dismay. "If you could do whatever you wanted on a date, what would you do?"

He knew the answer to this, but he held back on responding. Would she react the same way as Katherine if he told her honestly what he wanted to do? No, of course not. This was Audrey he was talking to after all. "It's been a long time since I've bothered to think about that. I dunno. It'd be nice to go to a football or hockey game every once in a while. I mean, I know a lot of women hate sports and think it's stupid. But I'd kinda like to go and forget about everything else for a while. I mean we wouldn't have to go to a game all the time. It wouldn't even have to be once a month. Just, you know, occasionally."

Audrey raised her eyebrows and regarded him with sympathy. "Why are you so defensive? You don't have to explain yourself. If that's what you want to do that's what you want to do."

He let out a sigh of relief. "I guess I feel like I have to."

"Why?"

"Because Kat gets upset when I suggest stuff that I like because she doesn't like it. And I don't like doing a lot of the stuff she likes. I don't enjoy most theater or performance art" He shot Audrey a worried look. "No offense, but I don't enjoy the ballet, either."

"Oh, you don't, do you?" Audrey gasped at him in mock horror and gave his shoulder a playful punch. "So you were just pretending to be happy to see me perform last weekend in my first dance recital in three years?"

"No, no," he laughed, blocking her punches with his palm. "Shawn and I really did enjoy that. But it's because we knew you. Every other ballet, all the dancers look the same. I don't know what's goin' on and I don't care."

"But you like my recital. So did you like that story it told?"

"There was a story?" He looked bewildered.

She lightly smacked his arm. "What did you think of the other dancers then?"

"There were other dancers!?"

She punched his shoulder again and laughed along with him. "Okay, fine," she said pretending to be put out. "You don't like ballet. What else?"

"I really don't like doing most of the stuff Kat does, but I have to do it anyway. And with the right attitude or she's mad. If we ever do what I wanna do, which is almost never, she makes me feel like a jerk for wantin' to do somethin' she doesn't like and has a lousy attitude the whole time. It makes me wish we'd just done what she wanted to do."

Absently, Audrey smoothed the collar of his sweater. "Jon," she said seriously. "Can you be yourself around her?"

"Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"No, not fully. Not if I want to keep her happy." There were plenty of areas of his personality that he put a lid on or tried to remember to change because, according to his girlfriend, those were his problem areas. It wasn't that Jon thought he had no flaws, he knew he did, but it seemed overkill to him to expect a person's entire way of doing things and aspects of their personality to change according to another person's dictates. This was a one-way street, naturally. He was the only one in the relationship that needed to change.

"Are you seriously considering marrying someone you can only sort of be yourself around?"

He shrugged. "I guess that's why I'm fighting the whole commitment thing so hard."

"You know," Audrey said softly. "My mom often did things my dad loved to do that she didn't like. He loved to golf. She hated it. But she loved him and loved being around him. So, she would go. Not all the time. But she would go and watch him do what he loved and try to participate. My mom, on the other hand, loved ballet. My dad did not."

"Are you kiddin'?" This came as a surprise to Jon considering Audrey's level of involvement in dance for most of her life. Her father, as she told it, was her biggest supporter and was a near constant presence in her dance life.

"No, he really hated it," she laughed fondly at the memory of happier times in her family's life. "But he loved my mom and he loved me. So he would go. Because he loved her and loved seeing her happy. You know," she said thoughtfully. "If my parents had had the type of relationship you and Katherine have, I think my dad would have been relieved when she died, not devastated.

My parents' marriage was far from perfect. They had their issues, more than I was aware of at the time because I was so young. But they also had a deep love and mutual respect for one another. I don't see that in your relationship with Katherine. I don't think Katherine loves you. I think she loves the idea of marriage and kids and the life she wants. And you happen to be the one who checks all of her boxes."

Jon was quiet for a long time as he thought about what she had said. Unlike Katherine, she didn't require him to keep talking. They sat in comfortable silence while Audrey resumed massaging his scalp. He had often wondered if Katherine really did love him for the very reasons Audrey stated or if there was something wrong with him for not being able to align with her life. These thoughts weren't ones he felt he could ever voice to Katherine. When the conflict between them first arose, he tried to but was immediately labeled a misogynist and a selfish man. However, it was the 90s, the rules had changed, and what did he really know about women and relationships anyway? Yet it was Audrey who mentioned this, not him, so maybe he wasn't as far off base as he worried he was. He felt a sense of validation and a confidence to put an end to the marriage discussion permanently.

As he sat there lost in thought, he could feel Audrey's fingertips slipping through his hair as he began to relax fully. Drowsiness settled over his eyes. He moved closer to her although there was already no room between them and rested his head against her shoulder.

If only she wasn't so young. If only she wasn't his student teacher. If only...

Her hair fell around his shoulder like a curtain. He fell asleep fully content and at peace. When he awoke hours later, he found himself lying on the couch, a pillow under his head and a blanket over him.

Audrey was gone and the contentment and peace had gone with her.

Chapter Text

It was after 11 pm and there was no sign of Jon. Something was wrong. Katherine paced the lobby of the Library anxiously. Eli and the Matthews boy had been running interference all evening with fishy tales of where Jon was and what he was doing every time she asked about him. Every time she called his room, Cory answered with some inane story; there was a spider in the girls' room, Trini accidentally started a fire, Shawn was drowning in the bathtub. Eventually, Frankie Stecchino let it slip that Mr. Turner was out on the town. He started to say more when both Eli and Cory jumped on him. Jealousy, worry, and fear engulfed her, and her mind conjured up a thousand things her temporary ex-boyfriend could be doing without her and none of them were good. Yet she could do nothing about it as the boys holed up in their room with Jon's traitorous best friend and would not speak to her anymore. All she could do was wait.

It started to rain a little after 10:30. By 10:45 it was pouring. At 11:15, Jon finally sauntered through the doors, rain soaked and laughing without a care in the world. Her heart raced and fear of who he was with gripped her. It stunned her to see Shawn Hunter at his side, just as wet, and telling some ridiculous story to his teacher. Katherine's mouth fell open. She didn't know what to think. Jon had left her behind to hang out with his student? An intense covetous pain stabbed her heart. Why? Why hadn't he asked her to go with them? It was like Jon and Shawn were a part of some secret club that she was banned from joining. It had been this way ever since Jon offered to take the boy in while his father traipsed across the country for some reason she couldn't remember. Jon always chose Shawn over her, in spite of the fact that she and Jon had been together before Shawn entered the picture. Seeing them together without any care as to what she had been through for the last several hours and intentionally having Eli and Cory keep her in the dark infuriated her. By the time they noticed her, Katherine was shaking with indignation.

Shawn saw her first and grabbed Jon's sleeve abruptly, forcing him to come to a halt. He gave the teen a puzzled look, then followed his gaze to see what the problem was. Jon paled considerably when he saw the look on Katherine's face. It never occurred to him that he might have to deal with her. He had not planned for this.

"Where have you been?" she snapped angrily. It was difficult for her to keep a lid on her emotions but knowing how quickly he would shut down at an emotional outburst, she tried to keep her voice steady.

Her tone and the reprimand in it immediately set him against her. He bristled visibly. "Out," he said shortly.

She watched suspiciously as Shawn positioned himself securely at Jon's side, arms folded, glowering at her. She ignored the boy and his dirty look and pushed on, "Out where?"

Jon gritted his teeth in vexation and swallowed the sarcastic one-liner that threatened to slip out, reminding himself they were in a hotel lobby, and it was late.

"Just out." An explanation normally would have appeased her, but he knew the mood she was in well and no explanation would avoid the scene that was on the horizon. But there was a defiance creeping into him that did not want to explain anything to anyone.

"You're a chaperon, Jon, on a school trip. You had no business being out." She wasn't sure why she chose to scold him, but she did, and it was the wrong thing to do.

If there was one thing Jonathan Turner hated it was being spoken to like a child. As she stood there with all the righteous irritation of a mother who had caught her child sneaking back in from an unapproved night out, arms crossed and lips pressed into a thin line, Jon couldn't take it anymore. She was not his mother.

"Excuse me?" His voice was dangerously low.

"You have students to supervise." His attitude was crashing against hers causing her voice to rise with every statement. She was having trouble keeping her anger in check. He had no right to be angry with her.

"My students are just fine." Resentment was entwined in his words.

"Thanks to Eli."

"Yeah, thanks to Eli. He offered to take them so Shawn and I could do a couple things we wanted to do."

Katherine bit back on her response. Something was still wrong. Jon and Shawn were standing strangely in front of the door as if to block it. Why? To prevent her from going out? Or prevent someone from coming in?

She narrowed her eyes, giving Shawn a particularly distrustful glare. She had a feeling he was behind all of this. "What exactly were you two doing that I couldn't do, too?"

This elicited a snicker and eye roll from Shawn. Katherine's glare intensified. Ever since he started living with Jon her relationship has suffered and ended more than once. She wasn't sure that the boy wasn't trying to sabotage it.

"We went out to dinner and to see a show." Jon snapped, even though he did not want to give her an explanation. If it had been possible for him to storm by her and go up to their room, he would have. Unfortunately, the third member of their group wasn't in yet and he was stuck.

"That's it?"

"Yes, that's it."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Katherine could feel that tearful lump in her throat and she did not want to give either of them the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Especially Shawn.

"We didn't want you to go with us. You kinda ruin things." This nasty little remark came from the teen who regarded her with an arrogant smirk.

She wanted to scream at the little punk. She looked at Jon expecting him to reprimand the teen for the comment. He said nothing. He stood there with his arms folded tightly across his stomach glaring at the floor. Whenever it came to Shawn, Jon always let him do what he wanted. He got away with everything, including being disrespectful to her. She had enough of their behavior.

"Are you going to let him speak to me like that?!" she demanded. In childish frustration, she stomped her foot into the tiled floor.

Jon jerked his head up sharply with a look of what could only be described as disgust. In the backdrop of the storm outside, this could have been a trick of the interior lighting against the tempestuous exterior, but she didn't think so.

"Well!?" She could see his jaw muscles tighten.

He remained silent.

She couldn't stand the way he would shut down instead of talking things out. "Say something already!"

"Don't yell him!" Shawn jumped in front of Jon with hot teenage fury. "All you do is whine and complain and yell. You're impossible to please. And we're gettin' sick of it!"

That brought Jon to life. "All right, Shawn," he said, putting a hand on his shoulder and pulling the teen back to his side. "Let me handle this."

Finally!

But Jon wasn't coming to her defense like she'd hoped. Instead, it appeared he was...comforting Shawn? What did he need to be comforted for? He had everything he wanted. She needed comfort, not him. Katherine struggled to name the emotion that was suppressing her breathing. Tears sprang up and began to cloud her vision. Jealousy. She was jealous of a fifteen-year-old boy.

After he had calmed Shawn down, Jon whispered to him to get Audrey up to the girls' room as quickly as possible. He turned to face Katherine and groaned internally. She was beginning to cry. He couldn't stand tears. He had no idea what to do when a woman cried. Based on his experience, the only correct response was to give into whatever the one crying wanted. He was trapped. Again.

"Kat," Jon began, cautiously approaching her like she was a stray cat that might try to scratch him if he got too close. "Kat, I-" He stopped. She was looking at him expectantly. Enhanced by tears she had the bluest eyes he'd ever seen, and they disarmed him fully. "C'mon, Kat. Don't cry."

"What do you expect me to do, Jonathan?" She had no strength left to hold back the emotions that rage within her. "You exclude me from so much of your life because of Shawn. You favor him over me."

"I do not favor him. But you know the situation with Shawn isn't going to change. If you can't accept that then..." his voice trailed off and he held his hand out before letting them drop to his sides.

She bit her lip and shook her head giving him an angry, hurt glare. More tears fell.

"I made a commitment to him, Kat," he said defensively.

"When are you going to make a commitment to me?" Instantly, regret flooded her and she wished she could take those words back.

Jon stared at her in disbelief. "Are you kiddin' me? Are you seriously bringing up the marriage thing now?! We aren't even datin'."

And so the old familiar argument at maximum volume ensued yet again. Katherine didn't mean to start this with him; she never did. She so badly wanted his reassurance that she was that important to him; that she was needed and wanted, and an engagement ring was the only way she could show others that she was that highly valued. In her over-eagerness, she pushed too far, too fast. Every single time. She couldn't help herself.

Over Jon's shoulder, she could see Shawn continually throwing sharp glares at her while talking to someone.

Who is he talking to?

Shawn turned back to the unseen person clearly upset. He jabbed an angry finger in her direction, then leaned out of Katherine's line of vision. Jon stopped talking and turned partially away from her. That was when she saw who Shawn was with- Audrey, the student teacher.

Where did she come from?

They had been loud in their arguing, but had it been so loud as to bring someone from their group down? Whatever the case, Audrey was there and what she saw reignited her anger. Audrey was comforting Shawn.

Why?! Why did everyone side with him? Why am I the bad guy here?

Katherine was done. She was done with all of them. Giving the chair at the table closest to her a shove so violent it knocked the vase of flowers off it, she stormed past the bewildered hotel night crew up to her room. The vase made a satisfying crash as it shattered on the floor.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Cory and Shawn were in the Matthews' living room prepping for a movie marathon. They'd planned to watch Leprechaun but got busted trying to sneak the movie in by switching VHS covers with Free Willy. Now they were stuck actually watching Free Willy. However, the popcorn, soda, and candy made it so that it didn't really matter what was on screen. They'd be in a sugar coma before the opening credits ended.

Just as the boys were about to push play, Eric and his best friend Jason charged into the living room excitedly talking over each other. They stopped right in front of the tv screen to continue their conversation.

"Could ya move?" Cory cried waving his hands to the side, trying to shoo his brother out of the way.

"Why are you here?" Eric demanded in annoyance.

"I live here," Cory shot back. "You're in our way."

"No, you're in our way and you're gonna have to leave."

Jason, who been staring out of the window by the front door, looked over his shoulder. "What's wrong now?"

"It's just Cory and his friends messing up our plans like usual."

"Friends?" Shawn whispered to Cory as he looked around. He didn't see anyone but himself in the room. He dropped his chin and said secretively. "You didn't invite Angus, did you?"

Angus "Gus" was a "friend" the boys made up in first grade who frequently caused a lot of trouble. Or at least took the blame for the trouble they were at the center of.

"No," Cory whispered back. "Did you?"

Shawn shook his head. "I haven't talked to him since your dad found out he wasn't real."

"Then who are the friends Eric is talkin' about?"

Shawn shrugged in confusion.

"Eric!" Jason cried excitedly. He jumped up and down waving his hand frantically for his friend to join. "She's here!"

"What!? She's early!" Eric jumped in front of his brother in a panic. "Stall her, Jas, while I exterminate the roaches."

"Roaches?!" the boys cried in unison as they jumped on the coffee table.

"Yeah," Eric said grabbing them by their shirt shoulders and pulling them to the floor. "You two bugs. Get out!"

"Where are we supposed to go?" Cory asked, trying to pull out of Eric's grip.

"I don't care. Go visit Feeny."

"We can't," Shawn reminded him. "We've been banned from gettin' within 6 feet of him outside of school."

Eric stopped abruptly looking frustrated. "Then go out the back. If Amanda sees you, I'll tell her we're letting the servants go home early."

"Amanda? A girl?" Shawn exchanged looks with Cory. "Oh, I'm stayin' right here!"

Jason grabbed Eric by the shirt collar as the doorbell rang. "Whatever you're gonna do, do! I'm answering the door."

"No!" Eric released Cory and Shawn to whirl on Jason. "We can't let her in with them still here."

"We can't let her stand out there in the heat!" Jason exclaimed.

"Fine!"

"Fine."

Cory watched the spectacle that was his brother attempting to impress a pretty girl way out of his league. He found it humorous watching Eric think he was playing it so cool and sophisticated with Amanda when he really just looked like a dumb high school sophomore who didn't know what he was doing.

Sometimes Eric was impressive with the way he wooed the girl of the hour.

Sometimes Shawn was far better at it.

Today was Shawn's day.

Eric's fatal flaw to his plan to gain the most popular girl in his class as his girlfriend turned out to be the leather jacket he was wearing.

Amanda did not initially see what he was wearing because Shawn was so quick to chat her up.

"Hey Hunter," Eric walked up to Shawn with a large fake smile plastered on his face. "I have something for you."

Shawn raised an eyebrow. "You do?"

"Yeah," he said. Looking Amanda directly in the eyes with that fake smile, he put an arm around Shawn and steered him toward the large French doors at the side of the living room. Before Shawn could say or do anything, Eric opened the door, shoved him out, and locked the doors.

Annoyed with his friend's treatment, Cory got up to let Shawn back in when Jason walked up behind the couch, put his hands on his shoulders, and pinned him down to his seat.

"Stay," Jason said, patting him on the head.

Cory, not appreciating being treated like a dog, glared at him.

Amanda made her way into the middle of the room clearly unimpressed with her surroundings. Upon seeing this Eric commented, "I apologize for the children hanging around. My parents like to take in unfortunate waifs every weekend and give them a home for a day or two."

His brother started to protest this lie when a hand went over his mouth. He seriously considered licking Jason's hand to make him let go, but his hand smelled like mustard and soap, so he decided not to.

Amanda smiled condescendingly at Cory then turned her attention to Eric. Her cool indifference faded into disgust.

"What are you wearing?"

Eric looked around to see what Jason was wearing because she couldn't be talking to him. He was dressed as trendy as a teenager could dress in an unbuttoned shirt over a polo shirt and light wash Levi's. Plus, he had a bonus of the leather jacket he had gotten last year. You couldn't get much cooler than a black leather jacket. Even in the middle of a Philadelphia summer.

"Are you wearing leather!?" Amanda tossed her hair over her shoulder as she crossed her arms over her waist.

Now he knew she was talking to him.

"Why, yes, I am," he replied proudly.

"Ew, gross!" she exclaimed, thoroughly put out. "How could you?"

Eric had never had such a response to his jacket before. Usually, it was quite the opposite. "Wait, what?"

"Leather? Do you know what a poor cow had to go through for you wear that?" Amanda stamped her foot in disapproval. "I will not date a guy who wears leather!"

"Leather, mine? No! Oh no!" Eric rushed to stop her from leaving. "I'm just…this is not mine!"

Amanda put her hands on her hips. "Whose is it then?"

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Shawn looking forlornly into the house.

"His!" Eric ran to the doors and opened one. "I was just warming it up for this poor unfortunate little guy. He's got a condition that makes him cold all the time. It's his jacket. I would never actually wear leather!"

With great flourish Eric took off the jacket, threw it onto Shawn, and slammed the door again.

Amanda didn't look entirely convinced but after an appropriate amount of teenage groveling, Eric was back in her good graces.

Cory, meanwhile, was still being restrained to the couch until the teens decided to leave to pick up Jason's date.

Eric came home much earlier than he expected. Dejectedly, he headed to the backyard to avoid everyone in his household. He didn't want to tell them that he, Eric Matthews, had been dumped by the most popular girl in school not just for a guy who didn't believe in leather but didn't believe in baths either.

It was a blow to his ego, and he was convinced he would never recover from the humiliation. His only consolation was that it was summer and Amanda would most likely be bumped from the top of the popularity hierarchy by the time school started.

Still the disgrace burned, especially since Jason was still at Chubbie's with the girls. As he let himself sink into his misery, a soccer ball went flying by his feet.

Eric frowned and looked around the treehouse tree to see Shawn in the backyard alone.

Cory was nowhere to be seen. Briefly he wondered if their mom finally realized their room hadn't been cleaned in three weeks. Cory's bed no longer sat firmly on all four legs because he had so much stuff crammed under it.

He saw Shawn run towards the ball he'd kicked, then stop as he caught a glimpse of himself in the window glass.

It was then that Eric noticed he was wearing the leather jacket.

Still in a rotten mood from being dumped, seeing Shawn in his jacket irritated him even more. Just as he was about to step out from behind the tree and demand his clothing back, he heard Shawn talking to himself.

"This is the jacket I always wanted." Shawn checked out his reflection in the windowpane. Eric's jacket was much too big on him but his mother always told him that she purposely bought his clothing large so he'd grow into them and wouldn't need clothes so often. He would have a lot of growing to do before this jacket would fit him. Years. Decades even.

The thought delighted him.

"This," he said running his hands down the leather of the sleeves in admiration, "is the jacket I asked Mom for. I mean, I wanted one with studs, but it looks so much better without them."

Shawn turned around and twisted his head so he could see the back.

"Man, this is so much better than that puke green thing she got me. It got so much worse after it got holes in the sleeves. I don't why she thought stickin' duct tape on it was a good idea!"

He was facing forward again still admiring his reflection.

Eric scratched his head. It was a nice jacket, sure. But it wasn't that great. It wasn't even new. He got it off some guy at the mall and the jacket had seen plenty of wear.

"That thing Mom got me was so big and ugly I couldn't wear it anywhere," Shawn went on. "But this, this I could wear everywhere. I'd never have to take it off."

Shawn turned to the side. He lifted his chin in the air and gave his hair a shake.

"Teachers even laughed at that tarp Mom made me wear to school. No one would laugh at me in this. I don't know another kid who has a leather jacket!"

Admittedly Eric didn't know much about his brother's best friend although Shawn was over often.

"Nothin' good ever happened in that jacket," Shawn went on with another shake of his head. His grin grew as he continued to stare at his reflection. "I bet everythin' good will happen with this one!"

Eric leaned against the tree, trying to remember everything he knew about Shawn. It wasn't much, but he did remember that his home life wasn't great.

He frowned. If he recalled correctly, Shawn never wore a coat during the last winter. either. He wondered if it was because he hated the green coat so much or if it was because it was full of holes.

Absently, Eric kicked the soccer ball back in the direction it came from. His kick was off center and sent the ball into the fence that divided the Matthews' yard from Mr. Feeny's. The noise it made startled Shawn and he jumped. When he saw Eric, a guilty look came over his face. And, to Eric, he looked upset. Maybe even a little embarrassed.

"I've never seen you wear a real jacket, just a bunch of shirts," the older teen remarked, retrieving the soccer ball and bouncing off his foot to his knee and back again.

"Yeah, well," Shawn was clearly fighting embarrassment now. "My coat really doesn't fit anymore."

Eric avoided looking at him as he knew from experience that eye contact made an awkward situation worse. "You outgrow it?"

"Yeah, thank God!" Shawn was visibly relieved. "It was awful and ugly. I was afraid I gonna have to wear it to high school. I got lucky and grew faster than Mom thought I would."

Eric bounced the ball from one knee to the other, trying to keep it off the ground.

"You getting a new one?" Out of the corner of his eye, Eric saw the look of deep humiliation flash over Shawn's face.

"Nah," he shrugged. "I don't really need one. I'm never cold." Becoming uncomfortable with his best friend's brother and the conversation, Shawn unzipped the leather jacket and started to take it off.

Eric continued to play with the soccer ball.

Standing awkwardly in the middle of the Matthews backyard, Shawn held Eric's jacket out to him. His head was tilted downwards to avoid making eye contact.

Eric glanced at him. The jacket was cool, and he really liked it. It was one of the first things he bought with his first paycheck.

And it got him a lot of attention.

In all honesty, that's why he wore it- for the attention. A heavy jacket like leather even when it was cold really wasn't his thing. He was more into the East Coast ski look in winter.

"What?" Eric asked as though he didn't understand why Shawn was holding the clothing out to him.

"I'm givin' your jacket back."

Eric gave the ball a hard bump with his knee then caught it with his hands as it fell back to earth.

"I don't want it."

"You don't?" Shawn's mouth fell open in disbelief.

"Nope."

"Why not?" the younger teen sound almost offended. "It's a great jacket."

Eric shrugged. "I only wear it because girls like it. But apparently leather is out, and denim is in. So I've got no use for it now."

Shawn clearly didn't believe him but slowly he retracted the jacket.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, man." Eric balanced the ball on his hip. "Besides, I never felt right wearing a jacket with the initials J.A. in it when I'm K.M."

Shawn's brow crumpled into confusion. "Huh? K.M.?"

"Yeah," Eric gave him a funny look. "Kyle Matthews."

Shawn's face wrinkled up in confusion. "Who's Kyle?"

Eric gave him a "duh" look. "Me, dummy. Kyle is what I call myself sometimes."

"Okay," Shawn said slowly as he hugged the jacket to his chest. "Thanks…Kyle."

"Hey," Eric poked a finger at him, pretending to be irritated. "It's Eric to you. I'm the only one who calls me Kyle got it?"

"Got it," Shawn agreed as he put the jacket on. "Thanks, Eric."

"Don't mention it." Eric shifted his attitude to disgusted older brother and threw the soccer ball over Shawn's head. He pointed a finger at his brother's friend. "Like seriously never speak of this again. I don't want people to think I acknowledge the existence of seventh grade nothings, okay."

"Okay," Shawn agreed with a small smile.

"Good," Eric sniffed at him. "Now where's Cory?"

Chapter Text

It was Cory who was sent to talk to Virna. He was the only one she would listen to.

Not her son.

No, she wouldn't listen to her son, only her son's best friend.

Few things were more devastating than a mother who didn't even want to see the son she'd been away from for a year. The one who sent letters every day that said, "I love you" then refused to see him. Nothing was more devastating than knowing he was the reason she left.

But still he loved her and worried about her…

"Cory, tell me what the room looks like? Is it clean? Is it safe? Would you want your mom stayin' there?"

The Trailer View Motel was in an area Shawn wasn't familiar with. He had never had a reason to cross the Boulevard and visit "that" side of it. Now he was frantic that his mother was staying somewhere she could run into a dangerous situation without him.

"I dunno, Shawn," Cory shrugged, rubbing the back of his head. "It's a motel room like any other motel room. I guess it's safe. The only dangerous thing I saw was that highway I have to cross to get over there."

"Tell me, Cory," Shawn grabbed his best friend by the shirt front. "Tell me what the room looks like! I wanna know every detail."

Cory told him and he memorized every detail until he could see it in his dreams.

When the last letter came, it was more devastating than her departure and return.

You aren't mine.

I don't want you.

You mean nothing to me.

I never loved you.

That may not have been what her last letter said, but it was what he heard.

From that moment on, Shawn was obsessed with finding his biological mother, his real mother. He was relentless in his pursuit and his friends rallied around him in the beginning, eager to help him put back some of the pieces of his shattered heart.

When it became clear the search was going to be long and difficult, they faded back and resumed their lives.

Except for Cory.

It was Cory who listened to late night conspiracy theories around his mother's identity.

It was Cory who consoled him every time a barely related bit of information led to more disappointment and heartache.

It was Cory who found her.

Cory was waiting for him at the apartment he shared with Jack and Eric when he came back from his last failed attempt to find information on his biological mother. He watched as his best friend paced the living room in frustration.

"Nothin' huh?" he asked quietly, knowing the answer.

"Why can't I find anything'?" Shawn stopped pacing long enough so that Cory could see the pain in his eyes. "Why is this so hard?"

Cory watched his face tighten into a distressed expression. He glanced away unable to watch Shawn's agony over having everything he believed to be true upended once again.

It wasn't fair. Nothing that had happened to him in regard to Virna and Chet was fair. Shawn deserved better than this. He deserved closure. He deserved parents who loved and wanted him.

Like he had.

Now with Chet and Virna gone for good, he wanted nothing more than to turn his best friend's world upside down one last time and tell him everything he knew about Jon and what had happened since the accident. But he could tell by the way Shawn talked to himself he wasn't in a place to hear him out.

He sighed and took a step toward his friend.

"Why does everythin' turn out this way!?" Shawn shouted at the ceiling. "Why doesn't anyone want me?"

Cory watched him with growing sympathy. "Shawn…"

"No, Cory!" He turned and jabbed a finger at him. "I don't wanna hear it. I don't wanna hear I'm a such a great guy and it's them not me. It is me! It has to be! I'm the only common denominator here!"

Cory pressed his lips together tightly to prevent the "it's not you, it's them" from coming out of his mouth.

It was the truth, but Shawn couldn't handle the truth.

He suppressed a sigh. "Shawn..."

"You can't answer, can you?!"

He was yelling now. Cory waited until he was done then said, "You know my family wants you. Dad offered to adopt you…"

Shawn let out a pained growled. Adoption was a word he never wanted to hear again.

However, he knew Cory was just trying to help. He took a deep breath to regain control over his emotions then said, "I know. But you know that no matter what, I'll always be second to you and Eric. I don't blame him for that, Cory."

He stuck his hands in his hair and turned away. "I want my own people. My people. Not someone else's."

Cory watched him closely as he reassessed how to reach his brother.

Volatile emotion cascaded over Shawn's face like a waterfall. He gripped the roots of his hair so tightly Cory was afraid he might pull them out.

"Why doesn't anyone stay?"

Cory inhaled deeply and took another step forward, carefully watching for the right time to show Shawn the information he had. At the same time, he wanted to yell at him: Jon stayed! He stayed and waited for you here as long as he could. And he's still waiting for you if you'd just listen!

Instead, he took another step forward and said in calm voice, "Shawn…"

Shawn looked him directly in the eyes and began to shake his head fervently. "Don't say the names. I do not wanna hear those names."

Cory gritted his teeth in frustration. Sometimes he just wanted to shake Shawn and force him to hear him out.

Unfortunately, Shawn was stronger than he was.

"Do you really wanna find your mother?" Cory caught his gaze and held it. He might not be able to physically force Shawn to listen, but he could put the information directly into his hands.

Shawn looked at him incredulously. "You know I do."

Cory continued to stare at him.

"Cory? Do you know somethin'?"

As he predicted, Shawn's curiosity overtook him, and he inched closer.

"You do know somethin' don't you?"

Cory waited several moments before saying, "Yeah. I know who your mother is."

Shawn stared at him in shock. Excitement slowly warmed his features.

Cory knew what he was about to do might put their relationship on ice. However, he also knew in time Shawn forgive him and revive their friendship.

"Who? Where? How did you find out? Cory, tell me," he begged. Excitement lit his eyes and a child-like hope blazed in them.

Cory didn't tell him. Instead, he reached into his back pocket and took a piece of paper out and handed it to him.

It took Shawn a moment to process what he was seeing. When he did, he was amazed. "An address and a phone number? Cory, this is incredible! Are you sure it's her?"

Cory's gaze never wavered. "Yes," he said with conviction. "I'm one hundred percent sure."

Shawn's eyes eagerly scanned the paper then his face fell. "There's no name," he looked up in confusion then back down. "Cor, what's her…?"

His words fell off as he really looked at the paper. He knew the address. It was in Greenwich Village, where he'd stayed for a week in high school. He stared at it until it became a watery blur. Anger and grief swept over him, and he stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

Cory didn't try to follow him. He remained standing in the middle of the living room for a long time after his best friend left. He didn't know if Shawn would call Audrey, but it gave him hope to see Shawn very carefully tuck her address and number into the interior pocket of his leather jacket before he left.

Chapter Text

Things started small.

Jon had noticed for quite some time that while Audrey did nearly all of the cooking, she rarely ate much of it.

There was always an excuse.

"I sampled so much while I was preparing it, I can't eat much else."

Or

"I ate a big breakfast/lunch/dinner."

Then there were the times she would eat the way he and Shawn did: hot dogs, popcorn, pizza, all standard junk food.

Then she'd go back to cooking and excuses.

It wasn't that she didn't eat.

He saw her eat.

But she was thin, and he swore he could see her getting thinner. He couldn't figure out how someone could eat, sometimes a lot, and still lose so much weight.

She didn't seem to be an excessive exerciser either. She still danced but between work, school, and them, she didn't have time to do much of it.

But she was losing weight.

And she didn't have any to lose to begin with.

Something was very wrong, but he had no proof of what it was.

In the months that passed since September, Audrey had become his best friend, superseding Eli. He could talk to her about anything.

Except this.

Every time he tried to bring his concerns up, she reacted like she did when he confronted her earlier in the year about why she knew so much about eating disorders. Although she had yet to storm out on him and tell him she never wanted to see him again, he pushed her pretty close to that point.

He always apologized and held his tongue until the next time.

At the bookstore one weekend, he came across a newly released book, Little Dancers in Pretty Boxes. The picture on the cover caught his attention: the ballerina looked like Audrey. He bought it for that reason.

It was an eye-opening read. Apparently various eating disorders were prevalent in not only ballet but figure skating and gymnastics as well. This sparked a research frenzy into the world of ballet and eating disorders.

His newfound knowledge was a dangerous thing as he was unable to keep his mouth shut when he saw Audrey doing something that reminded him of what he'd read.

Every time he said something, it sparked an argument.

For a long time, they were able to keep these disputes hidden from Shawn, but eventually Jon opened his mouth at the wrong time and set her off in front of the teen.

"What is your problem?!" Shawn growled furiously. He jumped in front of his teacher as Audrey slammed the apartment door on her way out.

Jon held his hands out to the side and let them fall against his thighs.

He didn't know what to say.

That wasn't good enough for Shawn. "Are you tryin' to sabotage our family?"

Jon stared at him. "No!"

"Well, why did you pick a fight with her then?" The teen got within an inch of his nose. Hurt and fear mixed with the anger in his eyes. "Is this what you do before you breakup with a girl? Pick a fight and then take them to that stupid Italian restaurant?"

Shawn's mouth fell open in shock as he heard his own words. "Is that what you're gettin' ready to do? Take us to La Familia and dump us?!"

"Of course not!" he snapped defensively. Shawn's assessment of his dating and break up habits was eerily accurate but that was absolutely not the case here.

"Then what are you doin'?!"

"I-," Jon dropped to the couch and put his head in his hands. "Somethin's wrong with her, Shawn. I'm tryin' to find out what it is."

"By buggin' her about what she eats?" The teen knelt on the couch next to his teacher. Seeing how lost Jon looked made him reassess the situation.

"She isn't eatin' that's the problem."

"She says she is. She says she's fine."

Jon sighed and shook his head.

"How do you know?"

"I don't," he admitted. "I just have… a feelin'."

Shawn bit his bottom lip. He could see his teacher's concern was sincere, but he was terrified that by pursuing this, Jon was going to run Audrey off. "Don't ruin this for us," he begged, grabbing ahold of Jon's sweater. "Please. If Audrey says she's fine, then she's fine. Please, don't ruin this. Please, Jon. I need her."

He knew that.

And he needed her too.

So, he let it go.

Then he remembered the note for the doctor he saw at her place the first time he went over. It disappeared once he and Shawn started spending time at her house starting in December. One time, while Audrey was working with Shawn in the kitchen, he did a little searching and found a number for Dr. Amsden in her dresser drawer.

He hated snooping, but he knew she wouldn't offer that number if asked.

She's too important to ignore what's goin' on, he told himself to assuage his guilt.

The number turned out to be useless. He was refused information because he was not her husband nor was he an emergency contact.

So he tried to find out information on his own.

His knowledge of the internet was less developed than the internet itself. Shawn was better versed in searching the World Wide Web but once the teen found out what he was trying to do, he refused to help.

Without a New York City phone book, Jon couldn't find any information. The college kids at the library were no help; they just pointed him to the internet.

So Jon stayed silent and when the urge to say something got too much, he went for a walk until it passed.

He started walking a lot in February.

February brought Shawn's birthday which brought him a fresh look at Audrey. A look he'd tried very hard to avoid. She was beautiful, he couldn't avoid acknowledging that, but he could choose not to think about her without also thinking about Shawn.

It was crucial that he didn't.

Shawn had to be the center of everything they did for multiple reasons. As time went on the primary reason became because everything had to stay platonic until after May.

But that was impossible.

Shawn quite literally set him up to fail and he willingly went along with it.

He also set himself up to fail.

Shawn used his party, held on Valentine's Day, to get them together and he used Shawn's party for the same reason.

Their plans overlapped and he ended up on the rooftop of the apartment kissing his student teacher.

It was a one-time thing.

Just like Christmas.

It couldn't happen again until after May.

Then came March and with it came Katherine.

In the beginning, there were no issues except that she wanted to get back together, and he did not.

So she shifted her story and claimed she wanted to be friends only; something they really weren't before. She started showing up to the apartment at inopportune times forcing him and Shawn to hide Audrey. When she started waiting for him in the foyer of the apartment, Audrey stopped coming over all together and they went to her place instead.

Then came the calls and the insistence that she know where he was at all times.

He told her it was over. That coming over to his place was over.

When she refused to respect those boundaries, he lost his temper, much to Shawn's delight.

Then the key incident happened.

That was the last straw for Jon.

He wanted nothing else to do with her and told her so.

They had peace for a while.

The more time that passed the more Jon fell in love with his little family. His thinking had shifted so dramatically that he no longer questioned his place in Shawn's life or Audrey's.

While he had already promised to make their situation permanent after May, he couldn't yet bring himself to utter the words "marriage" and "adoption".

"I love you, Audrey" had been on the tip of his tongue since Christmas, but their situation had not changed so there it had to remain.

These words along with marriage and adoption had to wait until May passed.

And they did until his former fiancée came to town.

Initially, it was a one-time dinner date to catch up on old times. He was certain they wouldn't make it even that far as he was convinced Melanie had not changed. She proved him wrong from the moment she stepped inside the apartment.

He left that dinner feeling conflicted as Melanie wasn't the person he remembered. She had changed quite a bit and he was stunned to find he really liked her. A trip down memory lane recounting the history they shared confused these feelings even more.

When he came back to Audrey and Shawn, he found he couldn't talk to either of them about what happened. He sent Shawn to bed and asked Audrey to stay with him. He couldn't express his thoughts or feelings, so he simply held onto her until she had to leave.

That should have been the end of Melanie, but it wasn't. She came back and moved herself into the apartment.

Shawn resented this and so did he. But he knew there was a part of Melanie that had not changed; she still had a foot in the world he despised. Trading in her fur coats was one thing, trading in a comfortable life in a comfortable neighborhood was still beyond her. He knew she wouldn't mesh with the lifestyle he and Shawn led.

So he let her stay and asked Audrey to stay away because he didn't trust Melanie enough to tell her about his student teacher.

Shawn, predictably, rebelled over the situation. Eventually, he was pushed to the breaking point when Melanie insisted on "babysitting" him. He repaid this offense by making her think he took off into the night when he was really on the roof watching her frantically search for him.

Melanie had no choice but to come to him and admit her failure. When he and Audrey returned to the apartment in search of the teen, Shawn was sitting on the couch watching TV.

The event forced Melanie to finally admit why she came back to see Jon. Naturally, being friends had little to do with it. She left quietly after he introduced his girlfriend and bluntly told Melanie that he loved Audrey.

Shawn was over the moon at this announcement and nearly injured the three of them in his excitement. Audrey, in her quiet, understated way, let him know she was equally thrilled.

He was relieved the feeling was mutual, but he wasn't happy.

That was not how he wanted to tell her.

I love you.

Words he had never said to anyone, and she knew it. She deserved to hear those words from him for the first time with all his attention focused on her.

He could never get that moment back.

Audrey said it didn't matter.

But it mattered to him and to Shawn who, after his initial excitement, was not happy with the way he chose to tell them.

But it was out.

I love yous had been exchanged all around.

The ring was in Jon's dresser drawer.

The guardianship paperwork in his desk drawer.

All he needed to do now was ask the question and sign the dotted line.

And try to ignore the nagging feeling that something was seriously wrong with Audrey.

The weather was growing warmer, and Audrey's clothes were growing bigger. Oversized long sleeved shirts and baggy jeans became her uniform outside of school. Her school uniform of black slacks and a white long sleeve shirt, once fitted, became oversized as well.

Once he came home from a grocery run and found Audrey sitting on the couch wearing his leather jacket during an unusual spring heat wave. It took a ridiculously long time to coax her out of it. Then, while he was hanging the jacket up, she found one of his hoodies to replace it with.

Her explanation for this was that she was always cold, which was true when the air conditioner was on, but the AC unit had been broken for almost a week.

This incident made it harder not to say something because the more he read, the more signs he saw of an eating disorder- the change in habits, in clothing, the excuses.

To distract himself, Jon decided to talk to her about something else that had been concerning him- how he told her that he loved her.

She maintained that it didn't bother her.

There was something about saying "I love you" that made him so insecure and vulnerable that he started babbling about anything and everything that came to mind.

"I worry about you so much," he mumbled into her shoulder. He was sitting on the back of the couch. She stood in front of him with her arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers in his hair. "I can't bear the thought of somethin' happenin' to you. I love Richie, Aud, but this is one part of his life I do not want to repeat."

She knew he was talking about what happened to her father after the death her mother. She entwined her fingers in the curls around his shirt collar as she laid light kisses along his jawline. "You won't."

He hugged her, acutely aware of the lack of space she occupied in his arms. He worriedly searched her eyes for some kind of hope that his concern was unfounded. He found no such reassurance. "How can you say that so confidently? Richie never thought he'd lose Lizzie."

She continued her kisses rather than responding.

This made Jon incredibly anxious.

"That's different," she finally said. She kissed his lips then pressed her forehead against his. "My mum was having problems for a long time; she just couldn't get a diagnosis."

He searched her eyes again, this time for some sign she was open to listening to him. Those gray eyes were so soft and inviting that before long he was lost in them.

"I love you," he said rather than confront her.

He held her by the hips. While his tone was light and sarcastic, his eyes were dark and serious. "I swore I'd never say 'I love you' but you got me to say it. So now you're stuck with me. I absolutely refuse to go through this again. You can't do anythin' to make me lose you like Richie lost Lizzie."

That was as close as he could get to begging her to tell him what she was keeping from him.

Her smile turned dreamy, and she melted against him, humming to herself. Through half-closed eyes she let her guard down so completely that her native Manhattan accent saturated every word. "I won't, Jonny, I promise. But ya gotta promise me the same."

"I promise, babe."

All semblance of a platonic relationship within the apartment and her home was gone now which made it imperative that Shawn stay close to them, so they weren't ever completely alone.

She was still his student teacher and there were some things that could not change yet.

However, some things did change with her.

And he really liked the changes he saw.

One night, after Shawn skipped out on post dinner cleanup to talk to Cory on the phone, Audrey was in a particularly playful mood and seemed happier than he'd ever seen her. She danced around the kitchen with some sort of ballet moves, laughing and flirtatiously teasing him.

With no experience in dating or romance, she had always been a terrible flirt. And he absolutely adored her awkwardness. Still, he played annoyed, but her laugh was infectious, and he couldn't help but join in her banter. At one point, he grabbed the sink sprayer and soaked her.

"Augh, Jon!" she shrieked in laughter trying to get the hose away from him.

He grabbed her and held the sprayer out of her reach which wasn't hard to do as small as she was. It was while he was playing keep away with one arm around her that he realized not only did she look different, but she felt different too.

Back before Shawn's birthday when he saw her in night clothes for the first time, he could only describe the way she looked as being drawn by an animator.

Slim curves.

Those slim curves were a little more pronounced now and she had a healthy glow about her.

He shouldn't have done what he did, but he couldn't help it.

He let go of the sink hose and wrapped both arms around her. Nuzzling her neck, he took a moment to inhale her scent, a peculiar mix of the seasonal chocolate peppermint tea she loved and citrusy shampoo.

In her ear, he promised, "Startin' next Christmas I'll buy you enough of that tea to last the whole year."

When she looked up at him, he kissed her.

Running his hands down her waist to her hips, his brain shut off and emotion took over. Without thinking, he pressed his mouth against her ear and said, "You look so good with some extra weight on those curves."

It was the worst thing he could have said.

Any words other than extra and weight.

Any.

Instantly she recoiled.

He might as well have said she was the most hideous woman he'd ever seen.

She didn't storm out of the apartment. She just stumbled away from him and sank onto the couch, struggling not to cry.

He went to her immediately to explain himself and what he really meant, stressing that he always loved the way she looked.

Always.

He reiterated that he was just so worried about her being so thin that he was thrilled with the way she looked now, healthy and more beautiful than before. In a very unwise move, he detailed everything about her, physical and otherwise, that he loved.

But his words didn't penetrate the wall she'd put up.

It was like he didn't say anything at all.

Chapter Text

Three days later, Jon sent Shawn home with Cory after school to work on a school project.

He specifically wanted to be alone with Audrey before dinner.

But not for the reason he would have preferred.

He wanted to be in the kitchen, just the two of them without Shawn around, to watch her cooking habits and see if she really sampled as much as she claimed.

He'd tried to do this before, but with Shawn there were too many distractions to watch her closely enough. Shawn saw his questions as harassment and would spend ninety percent of his time "protecting" Audrey from him.

Jon leaned against the kitchen counter near the sink. Thunder rumbled in the distance and the sky grew dark, drawing his worry close around him.

Audrey chose to make an elaborate made-from-scratch chicken potpie and brownies. Cory and Shawn would be joining them for dinner and, she said, she wanted to make their favorite dessert while making sure they got the vegetables Shawn usually turned his nose up at.

He offered to cut the vegetables (Audrey never used frozen), but she handed him the chicken to debone instead. He couldn't help but notice she took the lowest calorie food to handle, and he almost said it too. But he caught himself with a reminder he was there to observe, not criticize.

While he was cleaning and trimming the chicken a loud boom of thunder was followed by a crack of lightning so bright it filled the kitchen. He was so startled he dropped the knife he was holding in the sink. A pain hit his chest. It took him a moment to regain his sight from the flash and realize that it was Audrey's sharp nails gripping him.

The lights and television flickered, went off, then came back on a few moments later.

"You okay?" he asked in a shaky breath. He dislodged her nails from his chest and turned around.

"I think so." Her eyes were wide and anxious.

"Sounded like it hit the buildin' next to us."

After they regrouped, they returned to their tasks and Jon resumed watching her. Through vegetable chopping and crust and filling making Jon never once saw her sample anything. While the pot pie was cooking, they started on the brownies. The Rangers game that had just started was suddenly interrupted by the local news station emergency weather report.

"…strong to severe thunderstorms are sweeping through the area this evening as a potent cold front passes through the Philadelphia region. Several tornado warnings have been issued for parts of New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania while the greater Philadelphia area remains under a severe thunderstorm warning…"

Concerned, Jon put the hand mixer down and joined Audrey in the living room.

Tornados were not a common occurrence in Philadelphia at any time of year. Briefly Jon wondered if the apartment building had a storm shelter and where it was if it did. It wasn't something he'd ever thought about before.

While the meteorologist was detailing the seriousness of the incoming weather, he put one hand on his waist and the other on Audrey's shoulder. "I hope Alan hasn't left to bring the boys over yet," he remarked.

"Maybe you should call him."

He walked over to the desk where the phone sat. Just as he put his hand on the receiver it rang.

It was Alan.

"The boys are stayin' with the Matthews for dinner," he told her after the short call.

"Good," she said leaning into him. "I don't want them out in this."

He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. She rubbed her nose against his chest with a small sigh then resumed her baking.

It was fortuitous that the boys would be delayed.

Audrey was in a good mood although she seemed jumpy to him. Her typically collected, laidback demeanor was on edge. Thunder in particular made her jump.

Normally she loved storms.

She passed behind him, bumping him gently. "Jonny, would you set the table for me?"

Jon moved to oblige but as he reached into the cutlery drawer, he glanced at the table then the living room and had an idea.

"Hey," he said to her in a low, deep voice.

She looked up at him with a curious expression.

He moved closer to her, caught her by the waist, and spun her around. "Let's eat in the livin' room," he suggested kissing the tip of her nose.

This display of affection seemed to fluster her more.

"Why do you want to eat in there?"

A sly smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "No kids. No Feeny."

Audrey stared at him.

The smirk grew. He slipped a hand behind her head and kissed her again, tender and lingering.

That was a mistake.

It was his concern that was the reason he wanted the change in seating. The closer she was the less likely he felt he would be to miss anything unusual with her eating habits. But being alone with her was testing the strength of his willpower. Between that and his concern for her he felt like a bomb on countdown, moments away from zero.

In the back of his mind, he was positive that he was going about this all wrong. In all the books he'd read there really was no conclusive information about how family members should stage an intervention, just that they should. Without any guide, he had no choice but to blindly stumble through.

Jon took the plates of steaming hot potpies and set them on the coffee table. Audrey joined him with a tray of iced tea and salads which Jon assumed was the only thing she would eat. When she tried to take her normal position in the middle of the couch, he put his hands on her hips and moved her to his usual place in the corner. Sitting as close to her as he could, he encouraged her to put her legs over his lap.

A small frown crossed her face. "Isn't that going to make eating difficult?"

"I'll manage," he winked at her with a look that made her blush. The crimson that flooded her cheeks made him feel a little guilty about his motivation for behaving like he was.

He handed her the tray with her dinner on it and tried as hard as he could to leave her alone while they ate. Thunder continued to shake the building. Periodically the lights and television flickered on and off.

When he saw her playing with her food more than eating it, a fierce internal struggle not to take the spoon and feed her ensued.

"Too hot?" he asked.

"Needs salt," she said wrinkling her nose.

Jon got up and retrieved the seasoning despite her protest not to. He pretended not to hear her over the storm outside.

To his great surprise, she salted the potpie, handed the shaker back to him, then began to eat. And continued to until she caught him staring at her with mouth agape.

"What?" she asked suddenly self-conscious.

He quickly shut his mouth and, without too much of a fumble, managed to get out, "I just can't believe we're finally alone. Like this. I never thought we'd get this far before May was over."

She gave an awkward laugh.

With any attention on her, she would not eat, he noted. So he turned his focus to the hockey game, keeping her in his periphery vision.

She started to eat again.

Then she got up to get him and herself seconds. Jon didn't know what to make of that and began to worry he misjudged the situation.

Maybe Shawn was right.

After dinner, he took the dishes to the kitchen and asked if she wanted him to bring her a brownie. She said yes so, he cut the dessert and returned to the living room more in doubt than before.

The storm outside surged on.

As the game entered the second period, the Rangers were ahead by two and Jon had a strange anxious feeling that something bad was about to happen.

The Rangers increased their lead to four.

Audrey curled up against him. Absently he massaged her feet and calves.

"I should go do the dishes," she said when intermission started.

As she started to slip her feet away from him that sense of impending doom increased, and thunder shook the building again.

The storm was growing violent.

He grabbed her feet. "They can wait until mornin'."

The intensity of his grip and his voice worried her.

"What's wrong?"

He forced himself to relax and cheekily pulled her onto his lap. "It's probably not a good idea to be doin' dishes with all the lightnin' outside."

She blinked and gave him a look he worried was one of suspicion.

"And," he said in a husky voice, "We never have time alone." He kissed the curve of her neck and ran his hand lightly down her arm. "Don't wanna waste it."

Audrey's expression was easy to read: is this a good idea?

No.

No, it wasn't.

Things could get out of hand very quickly.

So he brought up Shawn whom they discussed until the third period began. Jon was still unsettled, both because he wanted her closer than she was and because of that sense of dread that refused to leave him alone.

A few minutes into the period, the game was interrupted by another weather update: there was a tornado watch now in effect.

Immediately, Audrey was out of his lap and pacing the room.

He twisted around on the couch to watch her. She looked pale and very agitated.

"I wanna go get Shawn."

Jon frowned. "He's safe where he is, Aud. It wouldn't be safe for us to go get him."

"I don't like him being away from us in this kind of weather. I want him home." She was trembling.

He had never seen her so rattled by a storm.

She continued to pace and twist her hair into knots. He could not convince her to come back to him.

Thunder cracked so loudly the mugs on the expandable rack at the end of the kitchen cabinets shook. Jon turned in time to see her run to the bathroom just before the apartment was plunged into darkness.

He swore under his breath as he got up and stumbled to the closet. He stubbed his toe twice and hit his hand several times trying to locate the flashlight. Just as his hand closed around it, he heard a strange sound coming from the bathroom.

Water was running.

In the bathtub.

What in the world is she doin'?

He couldn't believe she would be taking a bath in this weather and a power outage.

She was too sensible for that.

The possible reason made his blood run cold.

She was too sensible for that.

"Audrey?" Jon pressed against the bathroom door. "You okay?

No response.

"Hey, Aud."

No response.

He turned the doorknob. It was locked.

"AUDREY!"

Jon pulled away from the door, turned to the side, and lowered his shoulder before slamming into the door. The flimsy lock gave way immediately.

The water in the bath and sink was running at full blast. Audrey was kneeling in front of the toilet making herself throw up.

His heart dropped to the floor as the cold realization that all his suspicions were true sank in.

How long has this been going on?

Audrey's past came to mind: Julliard.

She left Julliard suddenly and refused to explain why.

This was why.

This was the health issue Richie mentioned when they visited him during the NYC trip.

The water- she was running the water to hide the sound of what she was doing.

Jon sank to his knees behind her, put his arms around her, and pulled her away from the toilet bowl.

She fought him.

Not out of anger but out of fear.

She was terrified he knew the truth.

But she couldn't fight long. She was too tired.

Too weak.

Too embarrassed.

Thoughts and information sifted through his mind so rapidly he couldn't make sense of them. Fighting back tears, Jon shut his thoughts off and focused on taking care of her. All the training she'd given him in taking care of a sick teen, he poured back into her.

She was blazing hot and sweating profusely. He gathered her in his arms and hugged her tightly. With one hand he reached over the edge of the bathtub and shut off the water. He stood, carried her over to the sink, and turned the faucet handle to let it run as cold as it could get.

Then he picked her up and held her on his hip while he grabbed the flashlight and headed to the linen closet to retrieve a washcloth. She hung limply over his shoulders while agony coughed out of her in spurts.

In the closet, he found an old camping lantern that thankfully still worked.

Back in the bathroom he set her down on the counter and placed the lamp in the corner where it cast a large light in the small room.

Audrey's breath escaped through parted lips, ragged and pained. He lifted her chin with his fingertips, trying to get her to look at him. She looked everywhere else then finally closed her eyes. He brushed the hair sticking to her sweat-laced brow out of the way and kissed her forehead, her nose, her lips.

A pained cry escaped her chest as she repeatedly muttered that she didn't deserve him, that he shouldn't waste his time with her.

He kissed her again. She put her hand over his mouth.

She was grotesque, she was filthy, she smelled.

She tried to push him away with her words.

Stay away.

Stay away.

She was too weak to push him away physically.

He pressed her against him and countered every word against herself with "I love you".

He then kissed her once more and reached behind her to soak the washcloth in water. He rang it out and wiped her face, stopping to kiss away the tears and refresh the rag several times.

When he was finished with her face, he reached for his toothbrush and toothpaste. When she realized what he was going to do she refused to open her mouth.

She was gross and dirty. She would contaminate his toothbrush.

He put the toothbrush down and did the only thing he knew to do. Taking her face between his palms, he lovingly caressed her cheeks with his thumbs before kissing her full on the mouth.

Her breath was hot, just like the rest of her. Her lips were parched and cracked. He didn't notice anything but her scent set on fire: chocolate and peppermint boiled on the surface of her skin, lemons and oranges baked in her hair.

It wasn't a kiss of passion he gave her, but of promise.

A promise to always be there, no matter what happened.

No matter how bad.

No matter how sick.

At first, she didn't respond then she melted into him clutching the back of his shirt tightly.

Jon picked up the toothbrush again, put the toothpaste on it, and wiggled it between her lips.

She didn't refuse this time.

He gently rubbed the brush over her teeth, assuming her mouth hurt from vomiting. Every so often he used the tip of the brush to nudge her mouth open a little wider so he could see if there was any damage to her teeth.

Corrosion of enamel was a sign of long-term purging he knew.

He inched the lantern closer, talking to her in low soothing tones, as he gently examined her mouth. From what he could see her teeth looked normal. He repressed a sigh, hoping he wasn't seeing only what he wanted to see.

After finishing with her teeth, he helped her slide off the counter and rinse her mouth out with water from his cup .

When he picked her up, her tears began again, hot and heavy.

Choked, broken sobs.

By the time he got her to the couch those choked broken sobs were also coming from him.

He wrapped her in the throw he had on the back of the couch. She trembled and shuddered against him and through the sobs pushed out apologies for being a burden, for being imperfect, for being broken.

She told him it was okay to leave. She understood. She would leave her too.

But that was the last thing Jon wanted to do. Never in his life had he wanted to stay more than he did at that moment.

"I love you," he reminded her over and over.

Audrey shook her head weakly. "No," she whispered. Her voice was raspy and frail. "You shouldn't. You'll waste your life on me."

She then explained in great detail the woman that was right for him, the woman he should love, the woman he should leave her to find: voluptuous, tan, pouty lips, a professional, and a blonde.

She was so hung up on physical appearance. Her entire worth was tied up in a twisted image of physical perfection.

In her mind, she was inferior and homely, bordering on unintelligent.

She was incapable of seeing the beauty that he held in his arms, a beauty that was so vibrant it was sometimes hard for him to look directly at her. A beauty that didn't lie on the surface to be stripped away with time but one that was fused into the core of her being.

And she simply couldn't see it.

His heart broke and he struggled to breathe in the waves of emotion that assaulted him. He pressed her as close to him as he could. Whimpers into his chest was all that was coming out of her now. Her throat was raw, and her voice was gone.

He knew moving forward was going to be hard.

He knew there would be setbacks.

He knew it could be a never-ending cycle of relapses, lying, anger, denial, recovery.

He knew she might never overcome this.

He knew her past; he knew her present. More than anything, he wanted to know her future.

Looking down at her all he could see was her hair, messily sprawled over them both. The flame of her tresses was dulled to embers, matted and damp with sweat, the length tangled and twisted into thin strands. Her breath was erratic and jagged, but the sorrowful gulps of weeping he heard were not coming from her.

They were coming from him.

He was holding her at her weakest point, he realized.

And he loved her so much more than before he broke open the bathroom door.

Audrey was lying on his bed curled into a small ball, quiet and still. Jon lay facing her on top of the covers, rubbing her back and kissing her forehead.

His thoughts were a jumbled mess as her story weighed heavily on his mind. The worst part wasn't that he didn't know what to do, but that he did.

He had to contact her therapist.

He had to send her back to New York.

He could get her help in Philadelphia, but that would mean starting over. In the City at least she would know everyone involved getting her that help.

She wouldn't have to overcome trust issues in addition to everything else.

What he didn't know was how to let her go alone. She had no one in the City. Her father's parents died years ago, and the rest of his family was in California. Audrey had never met most of them and he refused to trust her to strangers, blood or not.

Her grandparents on her mother's side were also gone. She had family she knew but they were an ocean away with young families of their own. He didn't know if they would even be able to come over.

He couldn't let her go alone, but going with her was out of the question.

Shawn wasn't the issue, either.

He was sure he could figure out how to take the teen with them. Chet certainly wouldn't care where his kid was as long as he didn't have to take care of him. But in order for him to go, he'd have to take family leave which meant going to Feeny and explaining why he needed it.

He thought about every way possible to get around that, but he saw no real options. He couldn't claim family emergency. George knew he wasn't in contact with his family. He couldn't claim Audrey's dad as the family emergency because that would beg explanation. Audrey had always gone alone before so what reason would he have to go and take the rest of the year off?

He and Shawn could take her and stay the weekend, maybe stay over an extra day. But then they'd have to leave.

He could try to arrange for someone in England to come over.

Audrey's breathing was coming in slower, deeper breaths now. Jon ran his fingers through the touchable fire he loved so much.

Eli was always telling him he needed a little color in his life.

His best friend was right.

Jon couldn't believe he ever had a strong preference for blondes.

Audrey whimpered in her sleep and tensed up. He froze, unsure of what to do. She burrowed as close to him as she could get, burying her face against his chest. He kissed the top of her head and resumed rubbing her back.

He had to send her home.

But he couldn't let her go.

Shawn burst through the door just before 9 pm. He was excited to tell Jon and Audrey about the crazy light show he and Cory watched from the treehouse before Mr. Matthews hauled them back to the house and raged at them for being stupid.

His excitement died on his lips as he surveyed the empty room.

No one was in the living room. The dishes were still in the sink, unwashed.

He turned around slowly, trying to figure out where his teachers were hiding. He stopped when he was facing the door to Jon's room.

A slow smile spread over his face.

He smirked.

Then he frowned.

That would be out of character for them given the situation.

Before Shawn could wonder what was going on, Jon walked out of the bedroom. He didn't look happy nor annoyed that Shawn was home so soon.

He looked like he'd been crying.

Shawn felt sick.

Jon did not cry.

When his teacher didn't so much as offer a greeting, panic seized him. "Where's Audrey?"

Jon moved slowly to the couch. "She's asleep."

He gave Shawn a weary, gloomy look then motioned for the teen to join him. "Shawn, sit down. We need to talk."

A cold lump settled in his stomach as he dropped obediently into the space next to Jon.

"Is Audrey okay?"

The pain in Jon's eyes scared him. Instinctively, he kicked off his shoes and pulled his knees to his chest. He hugged himself tightly as though to protect himself from what was coming.

"No, she's not." Jon closed his eyes and pressed his thumbs into the bridge of his nose. "She's really sick, Shawn."

"Like how sick?" He tried to moisten his lips but his whole mouth had gone dry.

"Like we have to take her back to New York sick."

The words bounced off him. "What's wrong?"

"Bulimia."

"An eatin' disorder?"

"Right."

"Which one is that?"

"The one where you make yourself throw up after you eat."

These words did not make sense. Not when Jon was trying to tie Audrey up in them.

"Are you sure? I've never seen her do that."

"She was doin' it tonight."

"Maybe it was a one time thing." Shawn was reeling from the implication of what taking her back to New York meant.

It sounded final.

"It's not. She's been dealin' with this for a long time."

"But not throwin' up." Shawn refused to accept this assessment of the woman he'd come to view as his mother. "Jon, we'd know if she was. She's always with us. You're wrong."

"She told me."

"Told you what?"

"She doesn't always throw up because we're always around."

"But you're still accusin' her of throwin' up."

"She does. When she doesn't it's because she drinks a bottle or two of laxatives. Same effect."

A dark weight settled over Shawn as he looked back over the months they'd spent with her. There was one very odd thing about Audrey- she always knew where the bathrooms were wherever they went. If she didn't know it was the first thing she found out.

Shawn thought it was just a quirk of hers.

She said it was.

Audrey never lied.

Not to him.

"So she stops drinkin' laxatives."

Jon ran his hands over his face and through his hair. "It's not that simple, Shawn."

"Why not?" Jon's stubborn pursuit to find something wrong with his mother was infuriating.

"Bulimia isn't a medical condition it's psychological."

"Meanin'?" Shawn knew what it meant. He'd heard it before, but in regard to addiction and alcoholism.

Like Chet and Virna.

A panic swelled up in Shawn as he realized what that meant.

No, this is wrong! His mind screamed. Because if it was true, it would mean Audrey was the same as his so-called parents.

He refused to accept this.

She was the dead opposite of Virna.

Jon was wrong.

He had to be.

"Shawn, I'm callin' Audrey's advisor in the mornin'." Jon's voice was heavy with resignation. "She said he knows about the eatin' disorder. He'll make up a reason for her to go home. I'm takin' the next two days off to make arrangements."

"Arrangements for what?"

"For her to get treatment. There's an in-patient center in the Village. It's close to her place and it's where she was treated before."

Before? Shawn felt numb. After a long moment of studying his teacher critically, he said, "So are you gonna marry her then?"

Jon was caught off guard by the question. "Not now, no. Where'd that come from?"

"Well, how are you gonna do all this? I thought you had to be married or related to someone to do stuff like this to them."

"Yeah, to force someone into treatment." He sighed. "But Aud's agreed to go."

He was convinced Jon wasn't thinking this through. "Then how are you gonna explain us to her doctors? How are you gonna explain us to Feeny?"

Jon reached over and did something he'd never done before. He took Shawn's hand and held it. Shawn once saw Mr. Matthews do this to Cory when they were little kids and he had to tell his son the only dog they'd ever had didn't survive being hit by a car.

Shawn wanted to run.

He thought he was going to throw up.

"Shawn, there isn't gonna be any explainin'. We will take her up there this weekend, and we will come back here."

His mind kept rejecting what Jon was saying. "You're just gonna leave her alone?"

"She won't be alone." Jon let go of his hand. "You know her advisor is an old family friend. He'll stay with her until someone from her mom's side of the family can come over."

Shawn stared at him with mouth agape. An inexplicable rage engulfed him, and he jumped to his feet.

"So you're dumpin' her?!"

The accusation was like a physical blow to Jon. "I'm not dumpin' her.

"Yes, you are!" he shouted as fear got the best of him. "She's sick and you're passin' her off to someone else, so it doesn't inconvenience you!"

A shocking realization hit him so hard he saw two of Jon for a moment.

This is what Dad would do!

Chet would take off on Virna when she was sick, leave her for someone else to take care of, and come back when she was better.

Because her being sick was an inconvenience to him.

And Chet couldn't be inconvenienced.

Jon was just like Chet.

A wave of nausea hit him.

I'll throw up on Jon for this, he decided.

Clapping his hand over his ears he tried to silence the cognitive dissonance that overwhelmed him. He just couldn't accept that these two people with whom he had formed a real family were just like his old one.

Jon couldn't be Chet.

Audrey couldn't be Virna.

They just couldn't be.

Everything would be a lie if they were.

"Shawn, sit down!" Jon commanded, raising his voice above the noise in the teen's head.

"I am not dumpin' her." Pain bled through every word. "But I have to do what's best for her. And that's to take her home and get her in treatment with people who know her and her history."

Her history?

Shawn squatted on the couch feeling weak and woozy. "What history?"

Jon heaved a heavy sigh and flopped back against the couch. "You know she attended Julliard and dropped out."

"Yeah."

"She collapsed in the middle of a Swan Lake rehearsal where she was the lead. That's how the school found out about her eatin' disorder."

"How long?" he asked so quietly Jon almost didn't hear him.

"Since she was thirteen."

"That's how old she was when her mom died."

Jon nodded.

"She was forced into a caretaker role she had no business bein' in, but she had to do it," he tried to explain. "She didn't get a chance to grieve her mother really; she basically lost her dad, too. She had no say in what went on afterwards. And there's ballet itself- where so much of her life was controlled by others and based around physical appearance. It's a perfect storm for all this."

Shawn blinked. He understood feeling like everyone controlled you and you had no say in anything. But the ballet stuff didn't make sense to him. "I don't understand."

"Neither do I." Jon put a comforting hand on the teen's knee. "She said she had several instructors single her out in class and tell her she was too heavy and needed to lose weight."

"Audrey?" Shawn could not imagine Audrey not fitting the perfect ballerina image.

"She said she weighed then about what she weighs now."

The teen's mouth fell open. "But she's so small. How could anyone say she's not?"

"Ballet's a pretty cutthroat world, surprisingly. And cruel. Audrey said it was common for girls to be pulled to the center of the studio and have every flaw pointed out. They said Aud was too short, too hippy, too busty. If she lost weight, then it was somethin' different. There was always something wrong with her."

"Whoa," Shawn breathed. His heart broke for her, but he was still confused. "Why'd she wanna keep dancin' if it was so bad?"

Jon shrugged. "Lifelong dream, I guess."

They sat in somber silence for several minutes before Shawn spoke again. "You aren't really sendin' her back alone, are you?"

"I have no choice."

"But we're her family."

"I know."

"Why can't she stay here?"

"Because it'll be easier for her with doctors she knows."

"New York isn't that far."

Jon arched an eyebrow and gave him a quizzical look. He could see the teen was plotting something.

"I mean people commute there all the time." Shawn was staring into space, lost in thought.

"It's a couple of hours."

"But people do it."

"What are you suggestin'?"

Shawn turned to face him fully. "Can't we take her for appointments and stuff?"

"It's in-patient, Shawn. She has to stay."

He wrinkled his nose and put a finger over his mouth. "Is this as bad as before?"

Jon considered the question. "Not accordin' to her."

"So maybe she doesn't have to stay?"

"Shawn…"

"I mean, wouldn't a doctor have to check her out anyway? What if they say she's not so bad and doesn't have to stay?"

Jon fell silent, deep in thought.

"Couldn't you call her doctor and at least ask?" he pleaded.

"She does have to be evaluated," Jon admitted.

"And if they say she doesn't have to stay?"

"Maybe." Jon took a deep breath. "Maybe we could work somethin' out."

Shawn sagged against him in relief.

"Shawn."

He looked up at his teacher worriedly.

"We have to do what's best for her. Not us."

"I know." Shawn pushed his hair out of his face. "But I also know she needs us. We can't just leave her. We just can't."

Jon nodded. He took Shawn's hand again and squeezed it. "Get ready for bed, huh."

Shawn stood up. "Are you gonna sleep with her tonight?"

He nodded again. "I can't leave her alone."

The teen gave him a self-conscious shrug. "You care if I join you?"

Jon stood and clapped a hand affectionately on his shoulder. "It's a big bed, kid. We can make it work."

Tears stung Shawn's eyes as he stared at his teacher. "Is she gonna be okay?" he asked quietly.

Jon wasn't Chet and Audrey wasn't Virna. But the thought that she was struggling with something even distantly related to Virna's issues upset him in ways he couldn't understand, much less explain.

He was desperate for reassurance.

"I don't know, Shawn," Jon answered honestly. "I hope. She's askin' for help this time. So maybe that's a good sign."

Tears dripped down his cheeks. "I don't wanna lose her."

Jon's face reflected Shawn's. He'd already cried more that night than he had in his entire life. He reached out to Shawn and the teen eagerly accepted his embrace.

"I don't either, Shawn. I don't want to live Richie's life and I don't want you to live Aud's life. It's too much of a waste."

Shawn gripped Jon's shoulders as he tried to stifle his cries.

Jon put a hand on top of his head. Shawn could almost swear Jon kissed the top of his head.

"We gotta take care of her, huh?" Jon said. There was a far-off look in his eyes. "No matter what. You and me. We take care of her."

Shawn nodded and held onto Jon for a moment longer. Still nodding he took off to his room to get ready for bed.

The next morning, Shawn woke up around five to see Jon coming back to bed. Jon told him none of them were going into school that day. He went back to sleep missing most of the explanation on how his teacher managed that.

When he woke for good, Audrey was already sitting up in bed next to Jon, who was holding her. Shawn sat up and threw his arms around her suddenly, then worried that he'd hurt her in his clumsiness. She kissed the top of his head and gave him a tired smile. Jon reached out to pull him closer to them. They huddled together without saying anything until late in the morning.

Chapter Text

Jon took over breakfast duty while Shawn took over watching every move Audrey made.

Audrey was tired, both emotionally and physically, to the point she was leaning on Shawn for support whether she was standing or sitting.

Shawn couldn't do enough for her.

When Jon was finished cooking, Shawn practically carried her to the table.

Breakfast was simple: eggs, bacon, and toast.

Shawn worried it wasn't enough, but Jon didn't think it was a good idea to push too much on her. Audrey let them fuss. She was too exhausted to argue.

She ate. Slowly.

Shawn counted her bites.

Jon didn't sit down with them like they expected him to. He took the phone and disappeared into his bedroom. Audrey finished eating while they waited for Jon to return.

"Can I get you anythin' else, Mama?" he asked as he took her dishes to the sink.

She smiled at the name and shook her head.

Shawn, overcome with great affection, rushed over to her.

The plate clattered in the sink where he dropped it.

"You're so beautiful. I love you, Mama. I'm sorry I haven't told you that much lately."

"I know, Shawn," she said softly. Her voice was still rough from the night before. "I've always known that."

Shawn hugged her again and kissed her cheek. "Are you sure you don't need anythin'?"

"No, love. I'm good."

The sound of running water coming from the bathroom caught their attention and they exchanged curious looks. Jon walked out of his bedroom with phone in hand.

"We gotta an appointment with Dr. Amdsen at two," he told them. "We need to get outta here as soon as possible."

"We?" Shawn asked, wiping his hands on his jeans.

Jon nodded. "Family appointment."

"Aud," he said softly, brushing her hair over her shoulder. "I've got your bath ready. Everythin' you need is in there."

She nodded and smiled at him. Pushing back the chair she stood up, wobbling enough that Shawn thought she might fall. His abrupt rush to help her knocked her more off balance. Jon grabbed them both to steady them. She wrapped an arm around Shawn's neck and leaned her head against his.

"I'm okay," she told them.

Shawn escorted her to the bathroom door where Jon took over. Anxiously, Shawn waited outside, feeling useless and uncertain.

Jon saw him and said, "Go get ready."

Unhappily he did what he was told.

In the bathroom, Jon showed Audrey where he put her clothes and bath towel.

She stood in the middle of the room looking overwhelmed. "Where did you get my clothes?"

He smiled sheepishly. "After I got the calls made to get us outta school, I went over to your place. Shawn was with you, so I knew you'd be okay for an hour."

She squeezed his hand. "Thank you."

He kissed her forehead. "I grabbed your shampoo and conditioner but forgot the soap. I'm sorry. You're gonna smell half like you and half like me."

"I don't mind," she said with a smile.

"Are you gonna be okay on your own?"

She nodded. When she saw the worried look on his face, she said, "I promise."

"I'll be right outside the door."

Shawn found Jon sitting on the floor resting his back against the bathroom door. He took a seat next to him and asked, "How did you get us all outta school without makin' Feeny suspicious?"

Jon gave him a tired smile. "You didn't hear me this mornin', did you?"

He shook his head.

"I called Alex early this morin' and explained what happened. He called Mr. Feeny and told him he needed Audrey on campus today. Mr. Feeny then called me and told me Audrey wouldn't be in today. I took the opportunity to tell him that you and I weren't feelin' good, so we weren't comin' in."

"I'm surprised he believed you."

"Considerin' how I felt and sounded, I think I was pretty convincin'."

"Jon?" Audrey's call got him on his feet so quickly that he knocked Shawn over.

She was leaning against the sink looking pale. She was dressed but still looked disheveled.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I need my hair washed but I don't feel like doing it. It's just…" she lifted a handful. "Too much."

Without a word Jon grabbed her shampoo and conditioner then slipped an arm around her. When he saw Shawn peeking in, he asked him to grab a couple of towels.

He took Audrey to the living room and had her sit down while he ran up the stairs near Shawn's room. The stairs led to a small attic-like storage space. He grabbed one of the bar stools he kept in there for company. He took it to the sink and raised it high enough that Audrey could sit and lean comfortably over the sink. He placed one of the towels in front of her to lean on and turned the water on.

Once the water reached a comfortable temperature, he had her lean over and began to soak her hair with water from the sprayer. Her hair took up the entirety of the sink and Jon found it easier to wet thoroughly if he let the sink fill up with water. Recalling all the times she had massaged his head, he tried to do the same to her as he shampooed her hair.

Shawn stood close to her with his arm across her back, worried she might lean back and fall. Once her hair was washed, both he and Jon saturated the length with conditioner and rinsed it.

They did all this without a word.

Audrey's hair took two towels to soak up the moisture in it. They moved her from the stool to the kitchen chair. Jon began to dry her hair with the hair dryer as best he could. He wasn't quite sure what to do with hair so long. Shawn, needing something to do, sat in front of her absently massaging her hands.

Once her hair was dry, Audrey reached for her brush but Shawn and Jon both got to it before she did.

The two locked eyes.

Jon saw the need to help in his student's eyes, so he took his hand away and left to put the towels and hair dryer away.

Shawn picked up the brush and gently ran it through her hair several times over. He'd played with her hair before, but this was the first time he'd really felt it. It was soft and smooth, more so than his own and there was no product in her hair to make it sticky or hard.

It was the prettiest hair he's ever seen.

And Shawn knew pretty hair.

Jon came back and grabbed his keys and Audrey's purse. Shawn ran to his room to grab his wallet. At the front door, Audrey turned to face them. With tears in her eyes, she put one hand on Jon's cheek and one on Shawn's.

She kissed Shawn first then Jon.

"I love you both so much."

Shawn tried so hard not to say anything that might make her feel guilty, but he couldn't help it. "I need you, Mama. I need you so much. I love you," he said as he squeezed her hard.

On the edge of tears, she looked up at Jon.

"I need you, too," he whispered. "And I love you."

She squeezed Shawn tightly back and let Jon carry her to the truck.

Audrey's psychologist had an office on Bleecker Street. Jon told Shawn it wasn't too far from where Audrey's dad once worked and where he had a spent a large portion of his teen years. To pass the time while they waited, Jon pointed out various places of significance to the two of them from their eighth-story vantage point. Two hours later, Shawn had a pretty good idea of where things were located in the Village.

"Mr. Turner?"

Jon and Shawn turned to see a sharply dressed young man holding a clipboard.

"Dr. Amsden will see you now."

The two were ushered into a smaller office that was bathed in shades of gray and orange. An older woman in her late fifties stood to greet them. She was petite with permed black hair, pale makeup, and bright cherry lips.

Shawn, who was used to being overlooked by adults in serious circumstances, hung back as he did not expect to be acknowledged.

"Please have a seat," she said motioning to the visitor chairs as she went to her desk. The doctor caught his attention and smiled. "You too, Shawn."

That she knew his name piqued his curiosity and he warmed to her enough to ask, "Where's Audrey?"

"She's receiving treatment for a suspected electrolyte balance right now."

A strangled yelp of concern escaped him, and he jumped to his feet.

"We're giving her Gatorade," the doctor explained, unperturbed. "And making sure she doesn't need to go to the hospital for an IV."

"Oh," he said sitting back down as she continued to reassure him.

Dr. Amsden was little different from most doctors Shawn had seen. Most doctors didn't pay attention to him. They talked to his parents but never to him. But this doctor treated him like he was capable of understanding what was going on.

He appreciated that immensely.

Talk quickly turned to family dynamics. Surprisingly, she understood their family and did not seem to think it was strange.

Still Dr. Amsden came out swinging with her first question for Jon. "Exactly how serious is your relationship with Audrey?"

Jon stared down at the floor for a moment, unsure of what to say. He felt strange discussing this with a stranger in Shawn's presence when he hadn't spoken to Audrey about specifics yet.

"Well," he sighed, anxiously rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm hopin' for an engagement this summer."

Shawn stared at him, mouth agape, eyes wide.

That was his birthday wish. Well, marriage was but an engagement would do.

"And what about you?"

It took Shawn a moment to realize she was talking to him.

"Well," he stammered feeling as awkward as Jon with whom he had not discussed his feelings with much. "I'm kinda hopin' for maybe an adoption this summer. Or somethin' like that."

Dr. Amdsen nodded neutrally. "So you're both in this for the long haul?"

"Yes," they responded passionately.

"Good." She paused. "Audrey will need you both."

Shawn shot his teacher a "see I told you so" look.

Jon leaned forward in his seat. "What exactly are we dealin' with?"

Dr. Amsden sat back and folded her hands in front of her. "Unfortunately, Audrey checks all the boxes of a relapse: episodes of compulsive binge eating, purging episodes involving induced vomiting, use of laxatives, and diuretics. She is unduly negative about her body shape and weight. And she has missed her menstrual cycle for the past three months."

Shawn watched Jon's face drain of every last bit of color with morbid fascination.

His teacher looked ill.

"But that's impossible," Jon stammered in bewilderment. "That can't be! We never…"

The doctor shook her head and put up her hand. "No, no. I didn't mean to imply she's pregnant. Missed cycles are common with eating disorders due to the stress the body is put under. We see this more with anorexic patients, but it can occur in bulimic patients as well." She gave him a sympathetic look. "Audrey does show signs of anorexia in her intense fear of gaining weight even though she is underweight.

"How underweight?"

"She's at 90. For her height of 5'4" a healthy weight would be between 107- 120 pounds."

Shawn watched as Jon put one hand over his mouth while the other maintained a white-knuckled grip on the chair's arm.

He twitched his nose as he returned his attention to the doctor. "How long does she have to stay away from us?"

Dr. Amsden softened as the phrasing of the question reminded her that Shawn was still a kid; a confused and scared one at that.

"She doesn't."

"I mean how long does she have to stay with you? In a hospital?"

"Hospitalization is recommended if the patient is at or below 75% of their ideal body weight. This is due to the dangers of low body weight. Electrolyte imbalance, low potassium or too much sodium caused by purging can be life threatening. Eating disorders also put a great deal of stress on the heart. Audrey has undergone testing for these conditions. Bloodwork has been ordered but I do believe we are looking at just a mild case of electrolyte imbalance."

Shawn stared at her uncomprehendingly. "Can't answer a direct question, huh, Doc?"

She smiled amusedly. "Living with an eating disorder and another co-morbid condition like depression can interfere with patients' participation in treatment. Hospitalization may be needed to stabilize depression symptoms before patients can be successful and therapy only care. Suicidal thoughts or behaviors are also a concern and of course, unwillingness to engage in treatment."

She chuckled at Shawn's annoyed look. His guardian may have wanted all of her information, but she could see the teen did not.

"As far as Audrey is concerned," she said. "While she meets some of these requirements, she is open to treatment. As the presiding psychologist over her inpatient treatment three years ago, there is a marked difference in her mental state then and now. While we are waiting for lab results, the medical doctor who examined her does not believe her physical health has deteriorated to the degree of hospitalization."

She leaned forward and said softly, "She can do outpatient therapy."

Jon put his hands over his face and sank back into his chair in relief.

Shawn could not relax, however. "What kinda therapy?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Major progress has been made in the treatment of bulimia since Audrey was last admitted," Dr. Amsden told him. "It's good that she's dealing with bulimia. I know that sounds odd but with bulimia, chances of recovery are high- 60 to 70 percent of patients succeed. Anorexia recovery has a significantly lower success rate."

She turned her attention to Jon. "Studies have found that cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most effective treatment for bulimia. One theory is that depression triggers anorexia and bulimia. If you go on a diet and there's a history of depression or alcoholism in your family, there's a much higher risk of developing an eating disorder."

The word alcoholism burned Shawn's ears. He shuddered involuntarily.

"There's definitely a history of depression in Audrey's family," Jon said solemnly. "Richie obviously, but also Lizzy. I know she battled depression throughout her illness."

"I encourage you both to be optimistic. Studies have shown that antidepressants help patients stop bingeing and purging. The best results were achieved with those who received both cognitive-behavioral therapy and antidepressant medication."

Jon nodded. He was silent for a moment then asked, "So what's next?"

Dr. Amsden pushed her chair back and studied them seriously. "The first goal of treatment is to help Audrey establish regular eating habits with good nutrition. Then in therapy she will identify the physical signals of emotional triggers that lead to bingeing. Once those are identified, strategies for handling them are created while also addressing distorted attitudes toward body shape and weight. We want to get rid of the underlying irrational belief, such as that of 'if I'm five pounds overweight, my boyfriend won't like me'."

This felt like a personal attack to Jon who defensively said, "I've never said anythin' to make her think that. Most of the time I keep my thoughts to myself, but I thought she understood that I have to because of the school situation."

"It's not about you, Jonathan," she assured him. "It's about her thinking patterns. Tell me. When you noticed weight was an issue did you try to counter her thoughts in any way?"

"Of course, I did. I told her exactly how attractive I found her."

"Did it make a difference?"

"No," he said slowly. "It was like I was sayin' the opposite."

"It's not about you," she said again. She picked up a file on her desk. "Now therapy for bulimia usually lasts up to 25 sessions, with meetings more than twice a week in the beginning. At the end of treatment, she will have her own maintenance manual based on these sessions. That way, she has strategies she can use on her own."

"Okay," Jon sighed. He still looked sick to Shawn. "That's not bad. But I'm concerned about her being here on her own."

"Why would she be on her own?"

"I can't leave my job and I need permission to take Shawn out of state for an extended time."

"She doesn't have to receive full treatment here. We have a sister clinic in Philadelphia. Since Audrey is my patient, I would prefer to keep her. She can see Dr. Norris Walker for most appointments, but I will need her here twice a week for the duration of treatment."

Shawn gripped Jon's arm and looked at him imploringly.

"We can do that," Jon said firmly. He wasn't sure how, but with Shawn he was sure they could come up with something.

It may not be sane, but it would be something.

"Before you leave there is one last thing I need to ask you, Jonathan."

"Yeah?"

"Have you discussed having children with Audrey yet?"

That was another question Jon was not prepared to answer.

It made everything suddenly very real.

No more "make it to May".

No more marriage and family being at some arbitrary time in the future.

It was real. And it was now.

"I take it you mean kids other than Shawn," he said slowly.

She nodded.

"Not really. But I know havin' more kids is important to her."

"Then you need to know that women with a current or historical eating disorder have more fertility problems, higher incidences of unplanned pregnancies, and often have negative feelings about having a child."

Jon was suffering from information overload. He couldn't imagine Audrey having negative feelings about having a child. As for himself, if it wasn't for Shawn and Audrey, he was fairly certain he would not want children, but he hadn't really thought it through either.

"Are you sayin' she can't have kids?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm saying that eating disorders can cause havoc with a woman's endocrine system which in turn disrupts ovulation and can result in irregular menstrual cycles or, as in Audrey's case, stop them completely. All of these factors can affect fertility and can increase the risk of miscarriages."

"Does she know about this?" If depression was already a concern, Audrey learning this would worsen things considerably. He knew it would devastate her if she couldn't have kids. "I think she's already promised Shawn a sister."

Shawn felt extremely conflicted about all of this. He wanted Audrey to be healthy more than he wanted a sister, but a small part of him was bitterly disappointed this might not be possible.

"There is hope," she said kindly. "Plenty of women go on to conceive after being successfully treated. Audrey's young and that helps. But it's something you need to be aware of for the future."

"Yeah," Jon mumbled pinching his bottom lip. "Yeah."

After a few more minutes of Dr. Amdsen compiling Audrey's paperwork and treatment schedule, she left them and returned with Audrey.

After leaving Dr. Amsden, the trio returned to where they were staying for the weekend- Audrey's childhood home, a brownstone on West 10th Street in the Village.

Jon sat on the couch with Audrey in his lap and Shawn at his side.

"I really appreciate you guys doing all this for me," she said wearily, resting her head against his collarbone. "I'm sorry I've put you through so much."

"You haven't, Aud." Jon kissed the part of her hair. "We're worried about you is all."

Tears welled up. "I don't know what I'd do without you." She reached for Shawn's hands and held on tightly.

Jon was quiet for a long time, tracing slow circles on her lower back. "Dr. Amsden said we can keep you."

She smiled. "I'm glad."

He looked at Shawn and said pointedly. "We need a plan."

The teen perked up. "A secret one?"

"A secret one."

Shawn picked up Audrey's schedule that was on the coffee table. "What's the problem?"

"We can get to Aud's Philly appointments, no problem," Jon said. "She's never taken her allotted sick days so she can use those for the appointments during the school day. The problem is the New York appointments."

"What about Uncle Alex?"

"What about him?"

"Can he give Aud a cover when she's in New York?"

"Yeah, he's willing to, but I don't wanna lie if we don't have to. We need to save him in case we get backed into a corner."

"Can't she use those sick days for the New York trips?"

Jon shook his head. "In order to have all the mid-mornin' appointments covered, she'll have to take half of a sick day each time. New York will be all day."

Audrey listened to them bounce back and forth between questions and ideas. "What about using my dad as a cover?" she suggested. "He wouldn't mind."

"But going up twice a week? Feeny might call the hospice out of concern. No, we keep Richie for an emergency, too."

Audrey bit her lip, feeling discouraged. "This isn't going to work, is it?"

"Yes, it will!" Shawn cried jumping up. He began to pace. "We just haven't hit the right idea yet."

Jon exchanged looks with Audrey. He was beginning to have his own doubts. "I think we're gonna have to tell Feeny."

They stared at him in horror.

"Jon?"

"Maybe honesty will work," he said slowly trying to sort out his thoughts. "We tell him you need accommodation in your schedule. You're supposed to finish in May. Maybe George will let you spread out the rest of your student teaching until the end of our school year."

"What about us though?" Shawn pushed back in frustration. "You tell him, and you can bet he'll be keepin' an extra close eye on Audrey and us. We're toast as a family!"

"It would only be until the end of the school year."

Shawn crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Jon. "First May and now the end of the school year. You keep movin' the goalpost."

Jon shot him a disgruntled look.

Audrey tapped her fingers against Jon's palm. "Do you think he would let me spread out my student teaching to June?"

Jon slowly shook his head in defeat. "No. I think he'll make you stop and come back next year. And you'd be alone for treatment because we'd be watched even more closely."

A devious look gleamed in Shawn's eyes. While they were talking, his mind was spinning. "I have a plan."

Jon looked at him suspiciously. "You do?"

He nodded and smirked, pleased with his own cleverness. "Uncle Alex suddenly has more papers due so Aud can't be on lunch duty. More requirements will mean less time for afterschool stuff."

Shawn walked back and forth in front of the television.

"Aud needs to be in New York Mondays and Fridays. It's only two days. We have three Monday holidays left and two Fridays. Then there's the end of the year. It's always crazy. Feeny's gonna be so occupied with that it'll be easy to distract him if he asks why she isn't around."

Jon didn't see how that would work. There were too many variables to account for. Too many things that could go wrong. "I dunno…"

"C'mon, Jon." Shawn sat on the coffee table. "We can do this. Cory and Topanga will help."

"No, no!" Jon was adamant against this. "The more people involved the harder it will be to keep stories straight. I don't like all this lyin'."

"Okay." Shawn puffed his bangs out of his eyes. "We bring them in only if we have to."

Jon arched an eyebrow. "What am I gonna tell Feeny if he wants her in his office and she's in the City?"

"We'll come up with somethin'. We'll say she went to a weddin' or to the museum."

"Museum?" Jon rubbed his temple. Trying to follow the teen was giving him a headache.

"Yeah, tell Feeny she went to see the T-Rex skeleton for a lesson plan or somethin'."

Jon pinched the bridge of his nose. He wasn't convinced any of this was going to work. All he could see was them getting caught by Feeny and losing everything. But they didn't have much choice. Against his better judgment, he leaned into the plans Shawn was making and started to contribute his own.

Chapter Text

Monday came too soon for Audrey.

Jon's hand rested on her hip. His warm breath and the spice of his cologne tickled her nose making her feel both sleepy and awake at the same time.

It was a strange feeling.

But not as strange as Jon's closeness.

Shawn lay on the other side of her, with his arm haphazardly tossed over her shoulder and his thumb in her ear. He was sleeping on her hair like it was his pillowcase.

That was also a strange feeling.

But the strangest feeling of all was of not being alone.

Her greatest fear since September had been that two besides her would find out her secret and they wouldn't want her anymore.

Jon's reaction in particular puzzled her. She fully expected him to distance himself and eventually back out of their relationship which had barely started. Taking on issues like hers was exhausting for family members and much more so for someone who had no responsibility to her.

But Jon stayed and went into immediate action. She didn't understand why he chose to do this. But she was overwhelmed with happiness and relief that he did.

Lifting her hand to his brow, she gently massaged the frown lines from between his eyes.

It was difficult for her to process all that had happened in the past 72 hours. In that time, she'd seen her therapist and a medical team and Jon and Shawn had come up with a plan for her to maintain her sessions while also completing school. She didn't fully understand how they were going to keep it from Mr. Feeny, but they both assured her that all she had to do was focus on getting well and they would do the rest.

Audrey was the caretaker. Even as a child, she took care of her friends. Being taken care of was an unfamiliar concept and difficult to accept. It felt like a failure of character on her part to be such a burden. Yet neither Jon nor Shawn treated her as though she was.

It was a very strange place to be indeed.

Jon stirred in his sleep. His hand moved up to her waist and he snuggled closer until his head was pressed against her collarbone. At the same time, Shawn moved his arm so that it was across her neck and on top of Jon's head.

Memories of her first time in a hospital for in-patient treatment came back.

It was a cold and solitary experience.

She had no visitors expect a few close friends of her father's who came randomly because that was their nature. She was there nearly a month before her aunt came.

Cold. Stark. Lonely.

Not this time.

All their family time seemed like playing house up until this point. All of Jon's promises seemed so far away just three days ago. It didn't seem like May would ever come. But it was here now in the form of the two figures sleeping next to her.

She wasn't alone.

The alarm went off and it took several moments before Jon untangled himself from them and reached over to slam the clock into silence. Shawn lifted his head enough to put his chin on her shoulder. He left his arm on her neck.

She kissed the inside of his elbow. Jon moved the teen's arm out of his way and leaned down to kiss her.

Audrey sighed.

The kiss lingered until Jon realized they were being watched. He ruffled Shawn's hair and kissed her again.

Amidst much grumbling the three got ready to begin a new school week.

Nothing changed initially.

She saw Dr. Walker twice a week after school for the first two weeks. Then once at lunch and once after school for the two weeks after that.

Getting her to New York was a little harder.

Dr. Amsden allowed her to have the earliest possible sessions on Mondays and Fridays so she could be back for at least afternoon classes. Uncle Alex gave her a strict assignment schedule that kept her "in the library" on Monday and Fridays.

Three weeks into their covert plans, Harley Keiner caught her and Jon returning from one of her lunch sessions.

Mr. Feeny was looking for them.

"Don't worry, Mr. T," he told them. Once at odds with Jon, Harley, after Shawn's birthday party, had newfound respect for the English Lit teacher. "I had Frankie and Joey cause a minor distraction. By the time Feeny gets it settled, he won't even remember he was lookin' for ya."

"Thanks, Keiner."

"Is everything all right?" he asked with sincere concern. "You've been slippin' out a lot lately and it doesn't look it's to have some fun."

Jon exchanged worried looks with her.

"If you need help…" the older student offered when he saw how uncomfortable they were.

Ordinarily Jon would not have accepted help from Harley. However, he'd seen a different much softer side of the high school non-achiever in the days leading up to Shawn's fifteenth birthday. It concerned him if Harley noticed their absence others might have as well, so he took the student in their confidence.

Audrey wasn't opposed to this. Since Shawn's birthday she had become close to Harley's younger sister, T.K. Truancy and other issues aside, Harley wasn't quite as bad a character as he liked to portray himself. In a way, she felt relieved that someone else knew and could help to lighten the load on Jon and Shawn.

But soon after, Audrey's Monday and Friday "library" sessions began to attract someone else's interest, someone whom they did not want in their confidence.

Katherine Tompkins.

Her behavior towards Audrey was hard to understand. She knew the social studies teacher was convinced something was going on between her and Jon. She'd been convinced of that long before anything actually was. Now the woman was circling Audrey with constant compliments and praise, rather than outright ignoring her as she usually did.

To say she was suspicious was an understatement.

Not only was Audrey suspicious but incredibly aggravated as well. Katherine may have forgotten what she did to Jon and Shawn with the stolen key, but Audrey had not. Although it did occur to her that perhaps this was Katherine's way of getting her to openly admit she knew about the key, which would be an admission that she and Jon were together after school.

So Audrey told Jon about it and otherwise kept her mouth shut.

Jon was furious and stuck Harley on Katherine's every move with orders to keep her far away from Audrey. It was an assignment that the perpetual senior aced.

Unfortunately, with Harley watching Katherine, others began to watch Audrey.

Andrea Nguyen was the first to notice her absences. Audrey blamed them on her father's health. While her friend accepted this, she was still deeply concerned. Concerned to the point she said something to Mr. Feeny, which put Audrey directly in the principal's crosshairs.

Mr. Feeny began asking more questions about where she was and what she was doing. These questions came from a place of concern as he took a more personal interest in her. Audrey hated to lie. When Jon found out what was going on, he stepped in to talk to Feeny directly. He told the principal the pressure to talk was bothering her.

George surprised them with the suggestion to talk to a professional if she needed to.

This gave them the perfect excuse for Audrey's Monday and Friday absences. She told Mr. Feeny she would like to but there was only one therapist she felt comfortable speaking with. After a call to her advisor, Mr. Feeny came to discuss the situation with Jon. It was decided that Audrey would be gone most of the day on Mondays and Fridays. Her student teaching would be extended by two weeks to make up for this.

Jon, Shawn, and Audrey all breathed a sigh of relief over how things worked out.

They were safe.

At least until Katherine started tracking Jon's lunchtime absences by continually checking up on him.

Shawn, irate with more of her intrusion, went against Jon's wishes and told Cory and Topanga to enlist their help to keep her and any other busybodies away. They did this together and on their own. As a result, the three had trouble keeping their stories straight and it stressed Jon out having to clean up after them.

Then the rumors started.

No one was named but the rumors told of two teachers with quite the age gap who were secretly seeing each other. The teacher's lounge became uninhabitable for Jon and Audrey as it was filled with constant gossip and betting on who was involved.

The only time it stopped was when Mr. Feeny walked into the room. As soon as he was gone it started up again.

Then one afternoon, Jon walked in and heard Audrey's name being tossed around.

The science teacher, Sorrell, was standing in the middle of the room, calling attention to himself in his arrogant way. In a tone that made Jon's skin crawl, the man boomed, "Ah, you know how young women are attracted to power and experience. And who am I to say no to such a pretty little thing? I could most certainly teach her a thing or two."

It was all Jon could to do not punch the man in the face for his innuendo. At the same moment Mr. Feeny stepped into the room, unaware of the disaster his presence prevented. He, too, was furious about what the science teacher was implying.

"Mr. Sorrell!" He bellowed angrily.

"It's Doctor," the man snapped back as though the principal had no right to address him at all.

"It's Darryl. In my office. Now."

At the next teacher's meeting Sorrell, red-faced and bitter, was forced to apologize to Audrey in front of the entire faculty. Afterwards Jon unwisely issued his own warning to Sorrell about ever saying Audrey's name again.

The rest of the week was uneventful.

At least that's how it seemed to Jon, Shawn, and Audrey.

Two days after Sorrell's public apology, Mr. Feeny sat in his office, sorting through end-of-the-year requests from teachers for the following year. When he came across Sorrell's conceited demands, he wadded them up and tossed them into the trash. He sincerely hoped the science teacher would do something so egregious he could fire him without tenure and the union getting in the way.

"Feeny!" The intercom speaker next to his arm crackled to life with an irritated, gravelly voice.

George sighed. He much regretted making the former janitor his secretary after Cory's exposé earlier in the year got him fired from his original position.

He jammed his finger on the intercom button. "Yes, Bud."

"A Miss-, hey you, what's your name again?"

The response was too low for the principal to hear.

"Tompkins. Does a Tompkins even work here?"

Internally, George groaned.

"Yes, yes, send her in."

A few minutes later Katherine entered his office and greeted him warmly.

He returned the smile. For all the conflict there was between her and Jonathan, he did very much like her. She was one of the few who did not treat him like a robotic administrator with no interests outside of school grounds. It was only in the wake of her break-ups with the English Lit teacher that he dreaded seeing her. The constant tears and rehashing of events were something he had limited patience for.

There were no tears this time, but she did seem anxious.

"What can I do for you, Katherine?" he asked genially.

"I, um, have something I need to talk to you about." Her eyes darted around the room nervously. "But I'm not sure how to bring it up."

"What is this about?"

"It has to do with Dr. Sorrell's apology."

"Oh?"

"You know rumors come from somewhere. They don't usually just spring up."

George cocked his head to the side. "Most of the time they don't."

"I'm, I'm not sure I should say anything."

She twisted the hem of her shirt until the thread began to unravel.

George leaned forward and laced his fingers together in front of his chin. "About what?"

She sighed heavily. "I'm afraid those rumors are true. It's just that Daryll wasn't the one dating Audrey."

The principal refrained from reacting to Katherine very friendly addressing of the science teacher. Most called Sorrell by his surname or simply "that jerk".

"Do you know who she's dating?"

Katherine upper lip trembled anxiously. "It's just that Audrey has been absent quite a bit lately."

He didn't miss that she redirected the conversation rather than answer the question.

"Yes, I am aware, Katherine," he responded in a neutral tone. "It's not my place to disclose Miss Andrews' personal business, but I do know what's going on and she has my permission to be absent on Monday and Friday mornings."

The tiniest bit of surprise registered in Katherine's eyes. She briefly pressed her lips together, then said, "I'm talking about missing lunch periods."

George maintained a blank expression. He allowed her to go on, curious about why she was really in to see him.

"She hasn't been down to the cafeteria in over a month, not even when Jonny's on duty."

Jonny? He frowned slightly. Jon wasn't fond of ex-girlfriends calling him by this childhood nickname.

"The school year is drawing to a close," he replied. "I happen to know she has quite a bit of work yet to complete."

Katherine's brow lifted ever so slightly. Her voice dropped as she leaned over and said, "Why would she need to leave campus to work?"

"Leave campus?" This was news to him.

"Twice a week."

The principal remained silent.

"It's been like this for a while."

She's up to something, he determined. And she was not here out of concern for the student teacher.

"Faculty members including student teachers are allowed to leave during lunch periods provided duties are not neglected."

Katherine paused. A look of annoyance flashed across her face before she blunted stated, "She's been leaving with Jon."

George sat back and studied the social studies teacher carefully. He put a fist against his lips as a conversation he had had with Jonathan not that long ago came back to him.

"She tell you she stole Shawn's key, made a copy of it, used it to get into my apartment, and steal my clothes? She also tell you she used my clothes in that stunt she pulled in front of you to try to convince me to get back together with her?"

"I'm unaware that Jonathan has been leaving campus."

She relaxed some. "I'm not sure how long it's been going on, but it's been within the last 5 weeks."

Feeny said nothing.

"They have a student running interference for them."

"Who?"

"Keiner."

"Which one?"

He saw her repress an eyeroll.

"The boy."

George lifted his chin. He made note that she couldn't recall Harley's name, a name everyone knew, teacher or not. "What makes you think this?"

"He has been very purposefully making sure I have no interaction with Audrey or Jonny."

"It seems as if you've been fully initiated into John Adams High. Congratulations. Harley does that to everyone sooner or later."

She paused. It was clear she didn't recognize the name at first. Biting her bottom lip, she tried again. "George, I don't know how to put this without sounding crass."

"Try, Miss Tompkins."

"Look, I'm often in the staff bathroom at the same time she is. It seems like she's always in there for one reason or another."

"And?"

"And I just remember last year when Asia Brown was in the bathroom like that."

"Last year Ms. Brown was pregnant."

"Yes. I know."

"I know what you're gonna say and I don't wanna hear it, George. I am not datin' anyone from here."

"What I was going to say is that I am very concerned about your relationship with Miss Andrews."

"Why?"

"I believe it's bordering on inappropriate."

"Why? What proof do you have? Somethin' that Kat made up?"

George leaned back in his chair as he pondered that meeting with Jon. "Being in the bathroom frequently could point to any number of issues."

"Does it?" She was growing frustrated. "Asia was in the bathroom because she was suffering from nausea all the time. Her food aversion was so bad she couldn't come down to the cafeteria. The rest of us had to pick up her lunch duty until she went on maternity leave. She had heartburn and indigestion so bad that she had to leave school more than once during lunch for doctor's appointments. And then was her clothing…"

Everything she said was true. He himself had heard Audrey complaining about many of these issues. He mulled this information over against what he knew about Audrey. He stared at the woman in front of him, the one Jon said stole a student's key and who had been unable to accept the end of their relationship.

"What about Miss Andrews' attire?"

"Well, she used to wear very fitted clothing. Not so much these days."

This was also true. He had attributed this to a change in fashion, however Audrey was the only adhering to the trend.

"A woman trying to get a man's attention doesn't normally wear such oversized clothes like she is now. Not unless she already has that attention and there's a reason to hide it…"

George had a hard time believing what he was hearing.

Although he'd long suspected that Jonathan had an interest in Audrey that exceeded the bounds of what was appropriate for the teacher/student teacher relationship, he didn't believe that the younger teacher would be quite that foolish.

His caution to Jon over his relationship with Audrey came from a place of concern for both of them. Audrey's age and Jon's position of authority over her could ruin his career and cause them both a great deal of trouble should that relationship shift while she was still his student teacher.

He'd seen it happen.

He'd experienced it.

The one thing that held him back from removing Audrey from her placement was the same thing that prevented him from removing Shawn from Jon's homeroom: his care and concern was genuine for them both.

When Jon first started teaching at John Adams High, his notorious reputation with women was a much talked about topic of gossip in the teacher's lounge. This reputation effectively died a few months into in Audrey's student teaching. His behavior around Audrey was markedly different than with any other woman he'd seen him with or heard him talk about.

Did he believe something was going on between them?

Yes.

Did he believe it was something that would result in a pregnancy?

No.

Jon cared too much about Audrey for that to happen right now.

Katherine's accusations infuriated him. The tiny reactions when her words didn't land the way she expected and the way she kept tweaking the story told him that she was making this up. That she was willing to potentially ruin an ex-boyfriend's career over a relationship that didn't work out astounded him.

In fact, what she was accusing him of could very much ruin his life if it was phrased in such a way to the school board. Once in the school board's hands, it would inevitably make it to the press.

"You don't know Katherine and you don't really know me. You think you do but you don't. I just can't get over how little you think of me!"

Jonathan was right, he realized. He didn't know Katherine, at least not as well as he thought he did. But he did know the English Lit teacher.

"Let me make sure I understand you clearly." His tone was no longer neutral. He did not hide his displeasure with her. "You are accusing a teacher of using his position of authority to get his student teacher pregnant."

She looked appropriately embarrassed. "I'm not accusing him, George," she said woefully. "I'm just bringing you the information I have. What you do with it is your business. But if you allow this to go on, it reflects poorly on you and your ability to manage your staff."

"How do you know any of this is true?"

"You have the evidence. What else could it be?"

"I have no such evidence. I have hearsay and perhaps a significant amount of lies."

Katherine paled as she tried to regroup. He didn't allow her to make another attempt at slandering Jon.

"We're done here, Miss Tompkins," he snapped so harshly that she jumped.

She was obviously expecting him to blindly take her side. Unfortunately, for her, he was seeing things very clearly. Shaken at his refusal to hear her out, she stood to leave.

George called out sharply as she reached the door. "I suggest you keep this to yourself, Katherine. If you should attempt to ruin Jonathan's reputation, I assure you it will be your career in tatters not his."

Her cheeks blazed crimson and she left in a huff.

After she was gone, he turned the desk light off and sat with his head in his hands.

Everything Jonathan had told him about her was correct.

He owed the younger teacher an apology.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Shawn spent Saturday with Cory, Topanga, and T.K., whom he'd been dating on and off since his birthday. The Matthews had invited Jon and Audrey over for dinner, so the little family reunited in the Matthews living room in late afternoon. With Mr. Feeny away at his cabin for the weekend, Jon walked through the front door hand in hand with Audrey.

Eric congratulated him with a wink, wink, nudge, nudge that was far less awkward than any of his brother's attempts at the same thing, but weird all the same. Eric's best friend congratulated him on acquiring a kid and a hot wife at the same time, which was by far the most uncomfortable acknowledgment yet.

Jon and Audrey were more than a little taken aback that yet another student knew.

Pre-lunch conversation was an animated discussion about plans for guardianship signing. Very quickly the boys' plans grew out of hand as their plans stretched to include carnival games and live animals, specifically pigs.

Jon put his foot down at this saying little Cory was the only live animal allowed prompting Shawn to immediately ask if that meant they could have dead animals instead.

Ultimately, Shawn decided that he just wanted those closest to him to be at Chubbie's: Cory, Topanga, Eric, Morgan, their parents, and T.K. eating and shooting some pool.

And eating cake.

Audrey's cake, specifically.

"Are you sure that's everyone, honey?" Audrey asked as the men got up to collect the plates and utensils to take outside.

"Well," Shawn paused and glanced at the house across the back yard. "I mean, I'd kind of like Mr. Feeny to be there if things were, you know, different."

Alan walked around Audrey to slap the back of Cory's head to get him to help Eric set up the picnic table outside and to hand Shawn the silverware. He walked back to the table and looked at Jon. "You think there's a chance George might let this thing with you and Audrey slide for Shawn? She's almost done with school. What difference could it make now?"

Jon contemplated this for a while, then nodded slowly. "I could talk to him. I think George has been so hard on me outta concern more than anythin'. I know he'd wanna be there for Shawn. Yeah, I'll talk to him."

Lunch duties were divvied up: Jon and Alan on the grill, Amy and Audrey would take care of sides and desserts, and the kids were not to burn anything down while they waited. Morgan was mildly offended that three teens were put in charge of her. She felt it should be the other way around.

"So," Amy gave Audrey a sly look as she prepared the corn for the grill while the student teacher started on the brownies. "How are things going?"

"Great," Audrey replied with a pleased smile as she methodically laid the ingredients out in front of her. "I can't believe that Jon and I'll officially be Shawn's guardians soon.

Amy chuckled and gave the men outside a glance. "That is not what I'm talking about."

Audrey focused on measuring her ingredients in a way she normally didn't. "Oh?"

"I mean how are things going with Jonathan?"

She gave a shake of her head that looked like a shiver. "Good."

Amy was amused by the younger woman's blush. There were few things she loved more than a good love story.

"This is your first relationship, right?" she asked as she began to pull the outer leaves away from the corn.

Audrey hesitated. There were times when her inexperience was embarrassing. But she knew Amy wasn't asking out of judgement. She nodded. "First and only."

"While I think that is terribly romantic." Amy had to stop herself from reaching out and tucking her hair behind her ear as though Audrey was her daughter. It was strange to think she was just a couple of years older than Eric. She seemed so much older and more mature.

Taking hold of the tassel of the corn instead of Audrey's hair, Amy began to shuck the corn. "Just please do not brag too much about that in front of Cory. He's convinced Topanga should be his one and only romance ever."

Audrey smiled at the thought of the teen couple. "Even Cory has more relationship experience than I do," she pointed out.

"I think being twenty rather than five when you decide on the one and only helps you know a little more what you're looking for without much experience," she laughed. "I still think they both need to date more before deciding."

"Maybe," she said as she watched Jon help Alan haul the grill closer to the backyard hose. "I don't know Amy, I've never had much desire to date and when I did want to see what it was like, everything was going wrong. Either there was never a good time, or I never met anyone I was into enough to bother."

"And then you met Jonathan again." Amy didn't bother to hide her grin.

She blushed as she mixed the dry ingredients together. "Yeah. Everything fell into place once I met him. I still can't believe he's J. I mean what are the odds we'd find each other here in Philadelphia?"

"Meant to be," Amy said with a knowing smile. She added the freshly shucked corn to the pile and picked up the next cob.

"Better not let Cory hear you say that."

The women laughed.

Audrey set the dry ingredients to the side and reached for the milk. "Reconnecting with Jon has made my dad really happy. He's worried about Jon and missed him so much over the years."

"Has Jon talked to him about the two of you getting married?"

"Yeah," she poured the milk into her bowl and set the measuring cup aside. "Apparently Daddy had a little talk with him on the class trip while Shawn and I were visiting with other residents. Then about two months ago while I was watching Shawn because I thought he was out on a date, Jon snuck off to the City to ask him for his blessing."

Amy put a hand over her heart. "And he said yes."

"He said I was free to marry anyone I wanted but Jon was the only one he'd give that blessing to."

"Meant to be," Amy said again with a dreamy sigh as her thought drifted to her own love story with Alan.

"I can't wait to be married," she murmured more to herself than to Amy.

Amy did not miss the longing in her voice. She couldn't help but smirk. "For legal status or something more?"

Audrey's face turned bright crimson when she realized she'd spoken aloud. "Can I plead the fifth?" she asked sheepishly.

Amy wagged a finger at her. "This isn't a court of law, it's my kitchen. No, you can't."

Since she was preparing food, her hair was up in a high ponytail making it impossible to hide behind her hair. She tucked her chin to her chest and replied almost shyly. "Both."

"Meaning?" Amy prodded good-naturedly but firmly.

Audrey was at a loss on how to respond. This was not a topic she'd ever talked about before with anyone. Finally, she pushed down her embarrassment and responded, "I'm sort of looking forward to the wedding night."

Amy grinned. She found Audrey's reactions adorable but didn't want to insult her by saying so out loud. "Sort of?"

Audrey tried to hide by suddenly returning the milk to the refrigerator, but Amy still heard her say, "Very much so."

"I remember that excitement," she chuckled. "It is a special time."

"I'm nervous," she admitted, returning to her station she began to mix her wet and dry ingredients together. "But still excited."

Recalling what she knew about the young woman specifically her desire to wait until marriage, Amy tipped her head to the side and asked, "How much do you know?"

"Um…" Audrey was at a loss on what to say. Talking to Jon about it seemed less intimidating than talking to Amy. "I'm not sure."

"Not sure?"

"Well, my mum died before she could talk to me in depth about anything," she explained. "I knew basic stuff. Daddy was far too uncomfortable to talk to me when I was older, so he asked some of the women who worked with him at the Back Fence to give me the Talk."

"How did that go?"

Audrey shook her head in amusement. "They told me everything I didn't need to know and nothing I actually did. I learned a lot from Mrs. Sartori who used to babysit me."

Amy laughed. "Well, if you decide you need some motherly advice, I am happy to provide it. Besides it'll give me some practice for when my other daughter needs it."

Her words warmed Audrey and made her smile although she wasn't sure she'd actually take her up on the offer. "Thanks, Amy, I appreciate it."

Before the conversation could progress further, Shawn and Cory burst through the kitchen door. The boys were going on about plans for attending a sporting event, but they were talking so fast it was hard to tell which sport they were talking about.

Amy smiled as they passed through out to the backyard. She'd never seen Shawn so happy.

"How is he doing?" she asked nodding at door as it shut on Shawn's back.

Audrey sighed and shrugged. "He's happy about us and our family."

"What has he said about Chet and Virna?"

"Not much. He talked to Jon some earlier, but for the most part he's pretending they don't exist."

"That's not good."

"No, it's not," she agreed. She picked up the hand mixer and plugged it in. "Jon went through the same thing with his parents; it's what led to him meeting my dad. That might have been a good thing in the end, but the reason for them meeting wasn't."

Amy nodded. Outside of the window the teens were flitting around the men cleaning the grill and pestering them with questions. Alan waved them away. "They are a lot alike."

"You have no idea," Audrey said as she mixed the brownie batter. "Jon says it's eerie how much like him Shawn is. It scares him actually."

Finished with the corn Amy set it to the side and started on the potato salad. "And that's why he took Shawn in."

"He didn't want him to go through what he did."

"He's a good man."

"The absolute best." Audrey paused then took a deep breath. "Jon wants to start the adoption process as soon as we're married and start family counseling after the guardianship papers are signed, too."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"I think so. I'm glad he suggested it. Counselling isn't exactly something Jon's comfortable with."

"Alan would go kicking and screaming if I suggested it," Amy sighed with a slight smile.

"He's been doing it for me though," she said sitting the mixer to the side. "Comes to some of my sessions with Shawn when they can get away. In a way we've already been doing the family counseling. It's just this time the focus will be on Shawn."

"Is Shawn open to it?"

Audrey shrugged. "Jon only just mentioned it to him. He seemed okay with it, but that may change when we actually go. Shawn's preferred method of dealing with things is not dealing with them and I know how hard that will be to change."

Amy nodded in agreement then started to say something more when the back door suddenly flew open.

"Hey, Mama," Shawn, with Cory right behind him, ran up to her and tried to dip his finger in the batter. His hand was promptly smacked.

"Yes?"

"Do you have any Wint-o-green Lifesavers?"

Audrey frowned for a moment. "In my purse. Why?"

"Can we have some?"

His overly enthusiastic request made her pause. "Sure."

The boys exchanged secretive looks.

"Thanks, Mama."

While Shawn took off to the living room to retrieve Audrey's purse, Cory slid up his mother.

"Hi, Mama,"

"Cory," Amy drawled giving him a skeptical look. "I am not your mama."

Cory seemed shocked by this. "What?! Since when? Are you trying to tell me I'm adopted?"

He stuck his fingers in his curly hair. "That explains this," he muttered.

"No!" Amy rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I mean you don't call me mama. You call me mom. What do you want?"

Shrugging off earlier doubt, he leaned over to rest his chin on her shoulder. "Do we have any bottles of Coke?"

"There are cans in the fridge."

"No, I mean a bottle, ya know." With his hands he outlined the shape of soda bottle in the air.

"Yes," she eyed him suspiciously. "In the pantry. But just use the cans."

"They won't work."

Audrey and Amy exchanged looks as the teen headed to the pantry. Cory was just pulling out a two-liter bottle of soda when Shawn returned with the mints.

"Got it, Shawnie?" he asked cheerfully.

"Got it." Shawn held up the bag. "Cor?"

He held up the bottle. "Got it."

They pumped their fists in the air and made a mad dash outside.

"What on earth was- "Amy began.

Audrey's eye went wide with understanding. "Soda geyser!"

Amy rolled her eyes. "The last time they did that they cracked one of George's windows!"

"How?"

"They put B.B. pellets in the bottle with the mints."

Audrey dropped her pan of brownie batter and rushed outside with Amy on her heels.

"No offense, Alan, but this thing shoulda been cleaned a long time ago."

Jon was standing next to Alan staring at the grill that was thick with caked on grease, sauces, and carbon buildup.

"Please tell my oldest child that," Alan said, trying to chip off some of the blackened mess. "He's been insistent on learning to grill but refuses to cleanup."

With a side glance and an arched brow, Jon asked, "Have you tried tellin' 'Kyle' to clean up?"

Alan's closed his eyes and put a hand over his face as he shook his head. "No, I haven't. But you know that actually might work. Unless he's renamed himself."

Jon laughed and followed Alan to the shed to get the cleaning supplies for the grill. After spending some time sorting through an assortment of tools and toys that had been thrown haphazardly inside thanks to the kids not putting things back where they belonged, the men emerged with long-handled wire brushes, a wire bottle brush, a putty knife, and a five-gallon bucket.

"Hey, Morgan!" Alan called as Morgan darted towards the house from the treehouse. "Ask Mom for some Dawn, vinegar, and baking soda, would you please?"

Morgan wrinkled her nose at him then gave Jon a funny look. "Are you and Mr. Turner making a volcano in the grill?"

"No," he chuckled. "Cleaning up Eric's mess."

A few minutes later Morgan brought the items requested and skipped off again.

"So how are things going with Audrey?" Alan asked as he took the putty knife to the grate to scrape off the carbon.

"Fantastic, man," Jon replied with a grin. "I can honestly say I will never need or want another woman. She's it."

Alan stopped what he was doing to give Jon a look of faux outrage. "Who are you and what have you done with Jonathan Turner?"

Jon's grin grew even larger as he filled the bucket with soap and water. "Yeah, I'm eatin' my words now, but it's worth it. I cannot wait to get married."

"That's quite a change in tune from a year ago."

Jon nodded. "I never thought I'd say it, but I am ready to be married."

"I bet you are," Alan remarked, helping Jon remove the grates. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I admire your restraint, Jon. I don't how you do it being under the same roof with her so much. Amy and I couldn't do it."

Jon removed the debris that collected in the bottom of the grill. "Yeah, well you and Amy didn't have Feeny in your face tellin' you stay away either when you closed your eyes."

"Yeah, that's a mood killer," Alan made a face. "No offense to George."

"Shawn's with us most of the time so that helps," Jon went on, "but I'm tellin' you, Alan, we have had some close calls. I mean real close. Valentine's Day was the worst. Had to take us both for a long walk that night."

Alan gave him a look of genuine surprise. "Going for a walk instead of an empty apartment? You are in love, aren't you?"

Jon nodded. "I don't want Aud to regret anythin' later. It's important to her so it's important to me. And yeah, I really am."

"So you got plans for a proposal yet? "

"Whether Shawn believes it or not I do actually. I've had the ring since December."

Alan handed Jon a wire brush and they began to scrub the soaked grates with a paste made from vinegar and baking soda.

"Oh, it's way worse than I thought," Alan laughed. "Let me guess- went to a jewelry store for a necklace and walked out with a ring."

"And a necklace and earrings." Jon stopped his scrubbing for a moment. "You know Shawn is right about one thing, the way I told her I love her was terrible. And I do plan on makin' it up to her."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." He put his foot on the seat of the bench and rested his elbow on his knee. "See on Valentine's Day I asked Aud about her first kiss. Turns out it was with me."

Alan looked horrified. He was very familiar with this story- it was one of Cory and Shawn's favorite. "Oh no, not the triple dog dare kiss!"

"Yeah, unfortunately," Jon grimaced. "That kiss was somethin' else I had to make up to her, so I asked what she imagined her first kiss bein' like."

Alan put his hand up. "Let me guess- movie scene?"

"Movie scene." Jon nodded in confirmation.

"Which one? Amy's was 'Love Story'."

"End kiss of 'An Officer and a Gentleman'. Apparently, Aud's had a thing for older guys on motorcylces for a long time."

"Lucky you."

Jon wiped his hand over his mouth to hide exactly how much he loved that. "So, I kinda remembered the kiss and she really remembered it. Later on, when we were walkin' to the Poe House, someone was watchin' that movie with their window open, and we heard the theme song playin'."

"Your song?" Alan well knew the answer.

"Our song." Jon went back to scrubbing the grate. "I'm gonna recreate that scene for her."

"Not bad," Alan said in admiration. He took the bucket and dumped the dirty water out before filling it up again. "How are you gonna get her to work in a factory for a day though?"

"Not a factory, her dance class. I may have already talked to her dance partner about this."

"You've got so bad there is no recovery!" Alan exclaimed amusedly. He was very impressed though, especially since this was all coming from a guy who didn't do romance gestures beyond the dating industry standard.

"Aud'll go back to the American Ballet Theater when she goes back home for graduation. I'm gonna set it up to walk through the buildin' to her studio and get her from class. Gonna carry her out to the main practice stage. I really wanted to propose at the Met or somewhere she used to perform but ABT is close to the Village and where we'll go to celebrate. Anyway…"

Alan couldn't help but smile at how caught up Jon was in literally sweeping Audrey off her feet.

"Shawn'll be there already," he went on. There was a dreamy faraway look on his face. "He's playin' D.J. and will have "Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong" playin' while I carry her to center stage. Once I get her there, I'll ask her to dance. After that Shawn'll join me…"

"And you go down on one knee," Alan finished nodding his approval.

Jon grinned. "I'll have the ring; he'll have her favorite flowers-plumeria and hibiscus."

"When are you going to do this?" Alan asked. He abruptly remembered what he was supposed to be doing and returned to cleaning the grill.

"She'll go back to the City as soon as our school year ends. Shawn and I'll join her a week later, about two weeks before she graduates. The proposal is our priority so as soon as we can get her in the right place at the right time."

"This is impressive, Jon. You've put a lot of thought and work into this."

"Yeah, well," Jon shrugged, suddenly self-conscious about the romantic overture. "Douglas Day Stewart did all the work. I'm just makin' it my own."

"Who's that the director?"

"Writer."

"Your memory is impressive then," Alan shook his head. He very fondly remembered the days of romancing Amy when everything was fresh and new. "For as many times as Amy's made me watch that movie, I really don't remember it."

"Buyin' the video helps with the details," he admitted with a laugh.

"Does Shawn approve of this?"

"He better." Jon's expression turned to mild exasperation. "I am not hirin' a skywriter and havin' 'Jon loves Audrey. Will you marry me?' written across the Philly sky."

Alan grinned then his expression also turned less jovial. "While I'm sure Audrey will be thrilled with everything you're doing, please do not tell my wife any of your plans."

"Why?"

"Because it's disgustingly romantic and Amy will be jealous. Then I'll have to recreate some scene from 'Love Story' I don't remember and don't wanna buy the VHS of."

Jon laughed. He and Alan finished the cleaning the reassembled the grill and got it ready to fire up.

"So," Alan turned to Jon with a knowing look. "You get engaged, you get married, then to work on baby sister, right?"

Jon's face paled. "You know?"

Alan clapped a hand on his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic look. "Jon, everyone but George knows."

"Everyone but George knows?" he repeated weakly.

He nodded. "Even our mailer carrier. He wishes you well."

Jon dropped the brush in his hand unable to wrap his mind around strangers knowing his very personal business. "Are you kiddin' me?"

Before Alan could say anything else, shouting at the boys from the kitchen was heard. Shawn and Cory with soda and candy in hand shot by them catching the corner of the open charcoal bag and knocking the briquettes everywhere.

Alan turned to Jon with his lips pursed into a thin line. Nodding in the direction the boys ran, he asked, "You ready for this 24/7?"

Jon looked where he was pointing and shrugged with a small smile. "I've been doin' it for a year. What's a few more years or forever?"

Next: Shawn talks to Audrey about why she's giving up her twenties to be his mother.

Jon and Shawn surprise Audrey with a special Mother's Day trip.

Chapter Text

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 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.

Chapter Text

If Jon had not been running on adrenaline and caffeine, he would most likely have fallen asleep like Audrey leaving Shawn to do the driving which wouldn't have been a terrible idea if he'd had any experience driving a truck for more than eight tenths of a mile.

But he didn't.

Because his birthday was in February, Shawn wasn't eligible to take Driver's Ed until the fall, so Jon started teaching him to drive the Harley.

Now, like it or not, the driving was on him until Audrey woke up.

He made a mental note not to do that with the next kid: car first, then the bike.

It was now a quarter to six and they were on their way to Lancaster via a stop for breakfast at the Sun Happy Diner on North 22nd Street. This was the place he'd taken them to before going to Franklin Mills mall to fulfill part of Shawn's Christmas list.

Shawn, who was wide awake, leaned over the front seat getting as close to Jon as his seat belt would allow.

"So," the teen drew out the word in a way Jon knew meant he was in puckish mood. "This is family day."

Jon glanced at him in the review mirror suspiciously. "Yeah."

"So I think we need to get titles straight."

Jon squinted at the road in front of him. "Meanin' what?"

Shawn put his tongue in his cheek for a moment then said, "Meanin' how you're referrin' to Audrey."

"What?" It was too early for this line of conversation.

With an exasperated puff of breath at his bangs, he explained, "If people ask who she is-how are you gonna refer to her?"

Jon didn't like the question. He knew there was something behind it. "I dunno, Shawn. Audrey, I guess."

The disdainful snort that came from the teenager told him this was unacceptable.

"So I'm your kid and she's your Audrey?" He rolled his eyes. "Pathetic, man."

Jon pressed his lips into a thin line and glanced at the subject of the conversation, who was curled into a ball with her head resting on her purse against the window. She appeared to be asleep.

Jon hoped she was and couldn't hear any of this.

"Are you at least gonna call her your girlfriend?" Shawn prodded.

This garnered a grimace from Jon as it was one of those things he'd never discussed with her.

"Shawn, Aud and I don't need titles like that, okay." He shifted uncomfortably against his seat belt that suddenly felt too tight. "We aren't datin' so those titles don't apply anyway."

"Well, you better apply somethin' for this weekend," the teen snorted. "Otherwise people are gonna think she's your sister." A wicked smile flickered over his face. Making sure he had Jon's attention in the rearview mirror he added, "Or worse, your daughter!"

Jon very nearly pulled the truck over at that. "You wanna walk to the diner, Smart Guy?"

Shawn gave him an impassive look and shook his hair out of his face. "Look, unless you wanna explain our story every single time someone asks, you better decide on what Audrey is to you and what to call her."

"Why should I?" he asked gruffly.

Shawn ignored the question in favor of his own. "How come you told Melanie Aud's your girlfriend and now you're all weird about it?"

Jon grumbled something rude under his breath. Shawn smirked and continued to press the subject.

"Look," he snapped as quietly as he could. He did not want Audrey waking up in the middle of this nonsense. "She wasn't my girlfriend before, and she isn't now. But she is mine. I'm not her boyfriend, but I am hers. That's all that matters."

Shawn gave him a disgusted look.

"We're there for each other. We have each other's backs," Jon went on, growing more defensive. "Does it really matter what we call each other?"

The teen stared at him with his mouth slightly open. "Can you hear yourself, Jon? Other than soundin' crazy, you sound like you're rehearsin' a speech to break up."

"We're gettin' engaged, Shawn," he said flatly.

His eyes narrowed. "When?"

"When I propose."

"When is that gonna be?"

It took all of Jon's willpower not to turn around to face the kid. "Why are you actin' like this?"

Shawn slapped his palms against the back of the front seat. "I'm tryin' to do you a favor. You gotta call her somethin', Jon. So what's it gonna be?"

Jon gripped the steering wheel tighter. "I told you- we don't need titles. We belong to each other."

Shawn scoffed out loud at this and gave a roll of his eyes so exaggerated Jon could only see the whites in the rearview mirror.

"That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" Shawn hissed. "What'd you do- buy each other at Walmart?"

Jon glared at the road.

"Was there a sale?" he asked mischievously knowing that Jon was growing increasingly agitated. "I bet there was on you. What was it- half off?"

"Fine," Jon snapped quietly. "If I call her my girlfriend will, you drop it?"

"Girlfriend, meh." The teen wrinkled his nose in disdain. "That kind of cheapens your relationship don't you think? I have girlfriends. I certainly don't wanna marry any of them. You are gonna marry Aud."

As the adult in the situation Jon knew he should disengage but there were times like this when Shawn managed to bring out his inner teen who insisted in arguing back. "So what am I supposed to call her if Audrey and my girlfriend are both unacceptable to you?"

"Phat."

Jon slammed on the brakes harder than he intended  to as he pulled up to  the stoplight . With his foot on the brake, he put his arm on the back of the seat and turned around to stare incredulously at the teen. "You want me to call her  what ?"

"Phat."

"That's what I thought you said," he muttered, wondering if he was dreaming and hoped this bizarre conversation wasn't actually occurring. "Are you crazy? Why would you suggest I call her fat?!"

"What?" Shawn frowned, not understanding why Jon was acting like this was so outlandish. For an English teacher, he didn't seem to grasp certain parts of the language. "Phat's a good thing. Like cool or interesting. Like excellent but more extreme. And when you call a girl phat it takes it even further."

Jon looked at him warily in the mirror. Not understanding the current slang reminded him that if it wasn't for his Harley, leather jacket, and earring he'd be just another uncool, out-of-touch teacher to the kids he taught.

Also this word did not seem like it was related at all to the issue of what Audrey was to him.

"How?" he asked, even though he knew he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Phat has several meanings and you can use it to describe music, movies, people, or actions," Shawn said sounding quite a bit like Jon when he was explaining a new vocabulary word. "But when you use it to describe a woman it can mean one of two things: 'pretty hot and temptin' or 'pretty hips and thighs'."

Jon raised his eyebrows as he glanced at Audrey and considered how both meanings aptly applied to her. Then he sighed and closed his eyes briefly just before the light turned green. "No way am I callin' her somethin' she and others could misinterpret."

At that moment, a bright silver C4 Corvette pulled up alongside them as traffic inched forward, distracting the teen completely.

"What could they misinterpret?" Shawn asked absently as he all but drooled over the sleek body of the sports car.

"Are you kiddin' me?" Jon retorted in exasperation. "I am not callin' her phat, Shawn."

Shawn pulled his nose away from the window as the sports car sped off.

"No one told you to call her fat, Jon," he replied, having already forgotten the conversation he started.

"You just did."

He squinted at his teacher. "What are we talkin' about?"

"Are you kiddin' me?!"

Audrey stirred at this, and Jon shot Shawn a dirty look in the rearview mirror.

"Anyway," the teen said dismissively. He was now concerned Jon had not had enough coffee for the trip and he wondered if he was okay to drive. "Just call her your fiancée'. That's the most accurate."

"If I call her that people will wanna know why she isn't wearin' a ring," Jon grumbled, wondering if Shawn was always going to find things to needle him about or if he'd eventually grow out it.

"Me too," Shawn remarked grumpily then proceeded to bother Jon about proposing until they arrived at their destination.

The Sun Happy Diner looked a little more cheerful on the outside than the first time they went to the restaurant, perhaps because the weather was more pleasant and not as cold.

As they walked across the parking lot, Audrey took hold of Shawn's shoulder and pulled him close to her.

"Phat, huh?" she whispered wryly in his ear.

Shawn rolled his eyes. "Forgot I was talkin' to an old guy who's never heard of Phat Farm, Mama."

Audrey chuckled, gave him an affectionate squeeze, and let go of him.

Jon, who had overheard them, was still not comfortable being teased about his age in front of Audrey.

"That old guy is your ride outta here, Smart Guy," Jon remarked gripping Shawn by the back of the neck. "Might wanna shut up now."

There was no anger or annoyance in Jon's voice. A little embarrassment and a lot of sarcasm, but that was their language and how they communicated affection.

Shawn looked at Audrey and grinned.

The atmosphere of the Sun Happy Diner was very different to what it was in December.

Instead of being warmed by families huddled inside planning their Christmas's away from the cold, it was filled with people begrudgingly getting ready for the workday making it seem as cool inside as it was outside.

In spite of that, the trio found it cozy and comforting all the same.

"Hey there, handsome!" a familiar cheery voice rang out over the din of people chattering and dishes clanking shortly after the family sat down.

Jon turned to see Marge rushing over to them while ignoring the cook's call for her to "pick up" the order she was supposed to get.

Shawn, who since their last visit religiously watched  Alice  on Nick at Night, grinned at her and said, "You should tell that guy to 'kiss your grits'."

Marge's raspy laughter was loud and boisterous. "Oh, I've been hoping you and your parents would come back, honey." She ruffled Shawn's hair with great affection.

Shawn beamed, pleased that she remembered him.

"How've you been, Marge?" Audrey asked taking the menus from her.

"Oh, same old, same old. Can't complain though," she said with a laugh. With a jerk of her thumb towards the kitchen, she added with a sarcastic snap, "Except when he yells at me."

Right on cue the cook screamed for her again. Another waitress passed by, patted her arm and rolled her eyes with a smile, indicating she would get the order for her.

Marge shouted her gratitude then turned back to the little family. "What about you three? What's new?"

Shawn practically threw his menu at Jon. There were few things that he reveled in more than an adult who liked him.

"We're officially becomin' a family," he told her excitedly.

Marge looked stunned. She stared at the three of them for a long moment, then laughed. "Oh, honey! You almost got me there." She ruffled his hair again. "What are you up to really?"

Shawn was confused and a little hurt by her dismissive reaction.

"It's true," Jon told her. "Nothin' official yet, but that's where we're headed. Aud and I are gettin' married this summer and adoptin' Shawn as soon as we can."

"I am surprised you two aren't married," she said, still trying to wrap her head around this new information. "But then you young people have different views on that kind of thing these days. But you aren't his parents?"

"Not yet," Audrey said.

"But he looks so much like you." She stared at Jon. "You're not his daddy?"

Jon shook his head regretfully.

"And you're not his mama?" she pointed to Audrey.

Audrey gave her a sheepish smile.

"Oh, but…" Marge pulled out a chair from the table and plopped down on it. "See, my boys look just like their daddy but they're closest me and he," she looked at Shawn, "acts just like they do around you."

Shawn was terribly curious about why Marge was so convinced they were a biological family that she needed to sit down when she found they weren't. He wasn't surprised she thought Audrey was his mother; she'd been mistaken for his mother from the beginning even though she looked so young. It was that she thought he looked like Jon that had him so interested.

"Well, yeah, honey, you've got those dimples when you smile." Marge looked back and forth between Jon and Shawn. "They aren't quite a pronounced as his, maybe you favor your mama in that way, but… she isn't your mama so you can't favor her." She blinked several times then went on, "You have the same expressions, same mannerisms. The brow and the…" Her voice trailed off.

Shawn sat back. He wasn't sure he really looked much like Jon but if he resembled him enough that someone who didn't know them thought so…

A strange, conflicted feeling swirled within him.

He couldn't remember anyone telling him he looked like either Chet or Virna. If he was with one, people would say he must look like the other. Rarely were they out together so people could see them all at once even when they were no one ever said he looked like either of them.

It was strangely reassuring that strangers could see a resemblance between him and his soon-to-be parents. It meant that when he was adopted, strangers would be less likely to pry.

He  hated  people prying into his family business whether they were strangers, acquaintances, friends, or social workers. The last thing he wanted was to be adopted and look like he was.

It wasn't that Shawn thought there was anything wrong with being adopted or with family not looking like each other as that could happen in biological families; it was just that, for him, he was tired of the questions, the looks, the stress of having to explain himself, Chet, Virna, Jon, and Audrey. And forget trying to explain all the half-siblings he had. He just wanted to relax and not be constantly questioned by nosy adults or kids who couldn't accept "these are my parents" and move on.

That Marge thought he looked like Jon meant more to him than he could admit.

"Meant to be…" Audrey's words came echoing back to him.

His thoughts veered sharply to what his sister might look like when she was born and if she would favor Jon or Audrey or neither.

Shawn twitched his nose.

For her sake, he hoped she favored their mother.

The thought made him smile, but a lingering doubt and restlessness held tight beneath the warmth.

After breakfast and hugs from Marge and promises to return to see her soon along with an invitation to his legal guardianship signing, the trio hit the road again.

There were several planned stops along the way and a few unplanned.

Stopping by the Brawn Mayr Theater for Shawn was planned. Golf for Jon was not, but with a lot of time before their cabin would be ready there was no rush to get to Lancaster.

The golf outing caused Shawn to reconsider what he wanted to give Jon for Father's Day as well as taught him that he and Audrey has something else in common: a dislike of golf.

Shawn soured on the whole sport when he learned he could not race the golf cart.

"I already asked," Audrey said with a pout. "Jon said it was against the course's policy."

"I don't get it," the teen said watching Jon tee off. "Why is he so into golf to begin with?"

"Most hockey players are," Audrey shrugged. "And he's a typical hockey player."

Shawn made a face "Borin' off ice you mean?"

Audrey pushed out her bottom lip and declined to comment.

After the driving range they headed to Lancaster, but Jon stopped shortly before the city in a place called Kitchen Kettle Village.

Shawn knew about the place thanks to the brochures Eli had picked up for them when he went to Harrisburg for an interview with a news station, but the pamphlets did not indicate there would be so much to do.

With 40 specialty shops there were plenty of places for Audrey to stop and buy souvenirs for everyone she'd ever met. And plenty of opportunities for Jon to roll his eyes and complain about her spending habits.

By the time they were done shopping, Shawn and Jon practically had a new wardrobe, while Cory and Topanga would need to clear out space in their closets to make way for the new shirts they were going to get on Monday. During the shopping spree, Jon and Audrey had been mistaken for a long-married couple several times much to Shawn's delight though he played the role of the much-embarrassed teenage son dutifully.

As for his own souvenirs, Shawn was enamored with a place called Insect Creations, but Audrey refused to buy him a tarantula paperweight nor would she let Jon, invoking Mother's Day weekend as the reason.

In their exploration of the village, the little family stopped to watch Amish women make fresh jam and jelly. Shawn left with his arms full of carefully jarred fruits and a smile on his face that said he was in heaven. Jon had already made several trips to the truck, and they hadn't been there for an hour yet.

Audrey discovered there were buggy rides and she happily recalled Jon getting her the carriage ride to the Nutcracker in December. He downplayed how much her approval of that romantic gesture meant to him, but Shawn could see the pride all over his face.

Afterwards the trio stopped for handmade ice cream Uncle Leroy's and watched them make fudge in the store front window as they ate. Shawn asked a thousand questions and ingratiated himself with the owner so much he was sent out with multiple free samples of fudge and a bag of candy too.

Audrey took in every detail she could with Shawn's camera that she was promptly handed when he became engrossed in the scavenger hunt the place had.

Eventually they made it to Lancaster and were on schedule to arrive at the cabin on time until Shawn, who swore he did not need to use the restroom before they left Kitchen Kettle Village, insisted he had to go and could not wait.

Jon pulled over at Good's Store which was a department store-sized general store. It had everything from name-brand clothing and shoes to hardware and items produced by the local Amish and Mennonite craftsmen and artisans.

Shawn, despite loud persistent complaints in the truck about needing to use the restroom  right now , managed to hold it while he browsed the aisles much to Jon's annoyance.

While the store catered to the outdoors crowd, something the trio were very much not a part of, it also held plenty of household goods that impressed Audrey. Jon could tell she was already making a list of things they'd need to furnish their new place and foresaw another trip to Good's in their future.

By the time Shawn decided he actually had to use the restroom Audrey needed to as well. This left Jon alone while they made the trek to the bathroom where Shawn went in almost immediately, but Audrey had to join an exceptionally long line for the women's room.

While waiting, Jon wandered through the clothing racks, absently flipping through jackets and shirts. A short time later Shawn joined him, but Audrey's line had barely moved.

Shawn, surprisingly, wasn't interested in the multitude of oversized plaid shirts around them. Instead he managed to get himself into a conversation with an old hunter about the best way to bring down a buck. Jon didn't know whether to be impressed that Shawn could fake his way through the conversation so well or worried that the old man believed anything he said.

While Shawn was debating best shot placements on a deer, Jon found himself in the women's clothing department. He was about to turn around and head back to Shawn when his attention was caught by a bright red high cut swimsuit like the ones worn on Baywatch.

Audrey doesn't have a suit, he remembered with a slight smile.

Suddenly, Jon was very interested in this section of the store.

He rifled through the various swim wear, envisioning Audrey in all of it. Finally it occurred to him that he had no idea what she liked or, more importantly, would be comfortable in.

But she needed a suit. They were going to a waterpark after all.

While he favored the bikinis worn by the girls on MTV's Beach House, he knew Audrey would not be comfortable in one in public and they were also going to a family theme park for young kids, not the Jersey Shore. Begrudgingly he put the suit back and resumed searching.

At one point he thought he found the one- a pearlescent two-piece. He had to struggle to reach it as it was shoved in the back behind a bunch of one-piece suits with weird ruching and ruffled skirts. He was terribly disappointed when he finally got it into the light.

It wasn't even a bikini; it was an off-white one-piece.

No doubt Audrey would make this boring garment look like haute couture, but Jon couldn't stomach the idea of putting her into something so plain. He shoved it back where he found it and continued to look for something that matched her personality.

Eventually he found a bikini that looked like it would provide her with more coverage on top and, while the bottom was a high cut brief, a slightly ruffled skirt provided plenty of coverage. The colors were trendy bright blues and purples with white trim.

Very much Audrey.

Glancing at the line to the restroom, he saw Audrey finally going in. Pleased with himself and his surprise gift, he headed to the front to pay before she got out of the restroom, casting a lingering look at the string bikini as he went.

They made it to the Old Mill Stream Campground just after two. The cabin Jon had reserved was made of honey colored wood with a quaint green porch decorated with peonies and primroses. Tulips lined the ground surrounding the porch. The grounds around the cabin were lush and green.

Audrey was thrilled with the cabin. Jon was surprised it looked as good as advertised. Shawn worried it would be too small for three people.

Since check in wasn't until three, the trio familiarized themselves with the campgrounds.

Not far from them was a combination office and store with camping supplies, wood, and propane. The campgrounds also had three bathhouses and a sanitation station, two laundromats, two pavilions, a game room and a playground.

Shawn quickly disappeared into the game room while the adults wandered the grounds nearby.

Audrey took Jon's hand and wrapped her free arm around his.

"This is amazing," she sighed happily. "I'm very impressed with what you two can accomplish together."

Jon smiled but he was skeptical. He was concerned that the cabin might be too small for them given that they really needed three bedrooms instead of two. "Maybe you should hold that thought until you see the inside of the cabin and the rest of what we have planned."

She smiled and shook her head. "Family vacations aren't supposed to go as planned. And it doesn't matter. It's the thought that counts and that we're together." She gave him a slightly concerned look. "I hope this wasn't expensive."

"Nah," Jon smiled. "I called in a few favors and got this place and tickets to the park for nothin'."

Audrey raised her brow in surprise. "Please tell me you didn't call in favors from your family."

Jon shook his head with a small smile. "Nope."

"Who then? Old friends?"

He grinned, then laughed. "You would not believe the how far the Feeny reach is. He happens to have been the much-loved 6 th  grader teacher of the guy who runs the campgrounds. When he found out George was my boss, I got my pick of cabins on the house."

Audrey's mouth fell open slightly before she too started laughing. "That is impressive and just a little scary."

The campgrounds were on a narrow river with several benches to sit and relax on the walking path. Across the way was an Amish farmer was working his field with his large Belgian workhorses.

Jon slipped his hand out of hers and wrapped her in an embrace. "You have turned my life upside down; you know that right?"

Audrey looked up at him curiously.

There was a distant look in his eyes as he watched the horses. "I was doin' just fine on my own. Livin' the life I wanted. Not a care in the world, no responsibilities. Then Shawn showed up at my door in the spring. You showed up in my classroom in the autumn."

He shook his head. "You know, if you hadn't shown up Shawn and I probably woulda ended up roommates or brothers or somethin'. I would be draggin' my feet about signin' this paperwork. But you, you came along and turned us into a family."

Audrey turned her attention to the geese and ducks that were along the riverbank. "For a guy who got his life upended you don't exactly sound upset."

He smiled fondly at her. "I'm not. This life is better than I ever thought it could be. I dunno, I guess I was basin' family life on what I saw growin' up and I knew I didn't want that. But I can kinda relate to why Shawn feels that Cory's got the life he always wanted because Alan's got the life I never knew I wanted."

She nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Our life probably isn't going to be just like theirs, you know."

"Nah, I know." He hugged her closer. "We'll be a lot more like your parents than Cory's." His eyes darkened as he thought about the Andrews. "You just remember you promised I wouldn't lose you the way Richie lost Lizzy."

She buried her face against his chest. "I remember."

Jon rested his chin on top of her head. After a while they headed to the game room to drag Shawn out so they could finally relax at the cabin.

The cabin was small yet was able to sleep four as it was equipped with a queen bed and a futon. Per Jon's request, a roll away bed was waiting in the bedroom.

"This isn't necessary," Shawn said as he inspected the bed. He assumed the rollaway was for him. "The futon sleeps two. We coulda bunked together."

Jon leaned against the closet door and made a face. "Been there, done that, been kicked all night. No thanks."

Shawn shrugged. He bounced off the bed and headed for the living room. When he reached the door he put his hand on Jon's shoulder and, with the Joker grin spreading across his face, said, "I'm proud of you."

"Why?"

The teen glanced at Audrey. "You're stayin' in the same room with her."

Jon stared impassively at him. "Not walkin' into anything you're settin' up, Hunter. Go get your gear unpacked."

Shawn snickered and did as he was told.

Audrey, who had overheard them, grinned.

Jon pushed himself away from the door and walked over to her. "I hope me stayin' in here is alright with you." He shot a look at the door. "He snores all night, too."

"You know I'm fine with it, Jon. You've always been respectful of my boundaries." She stood on her toes to kiss him. "And Shawn is close by anyway."

"Yeah." Jon put his hand on the wall. "I hope this place has some soundproofin' or we'll have a hard time sleepin' for an entirely different reason. I'm not kiddin' when I say he snores."

"I know," Audrey said pressing her chin into his shoulder. "I've heard him both in class and at my place. At least Cory isn't here to make it full surround sound."

Jon chuckled, grabbed her hand, and pulled her into a kiss.

The original plan had been to unpack then head down to the general store to pick up the groceries Jon and Shawn had ordered ahead of time. Instead all three ended up asleep, huddled on the small couch.

Shawn was the first one to wake up. He did so only because his tailbone hitting the wooden floor made it impossible to keep sleeping.

Rubbing his rear as he stood up, he looked at the couch expecting either Jon or Audrey to wake up.

Neither did.

Audrey's legs were over Jon's lap. He hugged her knees to his chest as she curled forward with her arms wrapped around him and her head against his shoulder. His head rested against hers and his feet were propped up on the small coffee table in front of them.

Shawn chuckled at the sight. Their positions looked more uncomfortable than the little space he had been folded up into.

As he watched them a tight ball of anxiety in his stomach pushed its way up to his heart.

He squirmed uncomfortably.

His future parents.

His parents.

These two people wanted him enough to rearrange their lives and the beginning of their marriage for him while two people were giving up on him so they could have their lives back to what they were before kids and each other.

He couldn't not rid himself of these thoughts that constantly played in his head.

Suddenly the small cabin was too tiny, and Shawn felt claustrophobic as cognitive dissonance overtook him. He looked at the door then glanced at the clock; it was close to five.

Right on cue his stomach rumbled, and he remembered they had not picked up the groceries.

Neither Jon nor Audrey showed signs of waking so Shawn took one of the cabin keys and turned to leave. Just as he closed the front door behind him, something tugged at the edge of his consciousness.

If they wake up before I get back they won't know where I am, and they'll be worried. Shawn frowned. He'd never worried about the consequences of sneaking out like this before.

Quietly he slipped back inside and found a pad of paper and a pen in the desk drawer in the bedroom. He scribbled a note, realized it was illegible, and rewrote it. Then he slipped the note under Jon's foot and headed back out.

The General Store was incredibly busy, as this was the time many campers finished setting up and were ready to eat. Standing in the crowded line, Shawn was surprised that everyone was so friendly and chatty. It reminded him of a block party, except that no one knew anyone who didn't come with them.

He found himself in the middle of conversations with strangers who felt like old friends within minutes. Naturally, these friendly strangers wanted to know why a teen was out alone. He explained but left out the titles he bugged Jon about choosing so everyone took his references to Jon and Audrey to mean they were married. Some thought Jon and Audrey had been married for at least 15 years and that Shawn, being a kid, just had his dates mixed up. Others thought Audrey was his stepmother who married someone much older than she was.

Shawn only corrected them about Audrey being his stepmother.

Eventually he made it out with his groceries and several invitations to meals and offers from others to stay with them should he and his parents ever be in their area. He also left with the food in a red wagon one of the store owners loaned him as there was too much for him to carry.

It felt like a very Cory thing to do.

Shawn shook his head in amusement and started for the cabin.

When he returned, Jon and Audrey were still asleep.

He studied them for a while, then an idea came to him. He decided to make himself useful as Jon would say.

As quietly as he could, he brought the groceries inside, leaving the wagon at the bottom of the porch stairs. He put everything away then stood in the middle of the kitchen, thinking.

Unsure of what dinner plans were as he and Jon had only planned the full day's menu for Sunday, Shawn decided on something simple to make and clean up: soup, sandwiches, and salad.

Knowing what he wanted to fix, he did what he'd seen Audrey do many times since September: put all the ingredients neatly out on the counter first, then go to work.

Chicken noodle soup was a family favorite and something he knew Audrey would eat. While she wouldn't eat quite a can, he and Jon would eat more than one, so he opened five cans to make sure there was enough for everyone.

While waiting for the soup to heat up in a pot on the stove, he set the table.

"Want any help?" a deep voice asked softly.

Shawn looked up through his bangs to see Jon watching him from the couch.

He thought his teacher looked proud of him, but he wasn't sure; it could have just been a trick of the lights.

Focusing on his napkin folding, he shrugged. "You wanna put the plates on the table?"

Jon nodded and gently positioned Audrey on the couch, replacing his arm with a pillow.

The plates were full of food.

Jon was impressed with turkey club sandwiches complete with little toothpicks holding them together. Chips chosen according to personal preferences made it easy to tell who the plate belonged to. There were pickles, potato salad, and in small bowls, a regular salad he knew was to complete Audrey's requirement of a green vegetable at dinner.

He smiled, incredibly proud of the teen. Shawn had come a long way since September.

As Shawn dipped out Campbell's soup into bowls, he asked Jon to wake Audrey.

Jon did as he was asked.

Audrey was visibly impressed by Shawn's dinner.

Per Shawn's request, she allowed Jon to guide her to the table where the teen poured her a glass of Diet Pepsi.

Regular for himself and Jon.

Audrey kissed his cheek and told him she was proud of him.

Shawn ducked his head, pleased with himself.

For a while, they ate in pleasant silence just enjoying each other's company.

"So, Mama," Shawn finally said between bites of potato salad on a chip, "Did you ever go to theme parks other than Six Flags as a kid?"

Wiping her mouth with the corner of her napkin she nodded.

"Did you ever go to Action Park?"

Her face lit up in a bright grin. "Oh, yeah. One of Daddy's best friends was from Jersey and went all the time with his teen sons."

"No way!" Shawn excitedly shoved himself back from the table balancing his chair on its back legs. "Is it as dangerous as they say it is?"

Audrey nodded again. She fully expected to be asked if they would take him and Cory to the notorious park.

"Lucky! Did you get to go on the Cannonball Loop?"

"No, if you were under a hundred pounds you wouldn't make it around the loop since there wasn't enough water pressure to push you through," she replied looking annoyed. "I had a friend almost knocked unconscious when he fell from the top of the loop. Thankfully, his brother was in the pool and got him when he came out of the slide."

"Whoa!" Shawn let out an impressed breath. "Eric said they used crash test dummies in that thing, and they were dismembered."

"Yep."

"Wait, that actually happened?!"

"And they still opened the ride and let kids on it."

Shawn leaned forward with great curiosity. "So, like, did you get to ride it ever?"

She pushed her bottom lip out in a pout. "Daddy heard the crash test dummy story and saw my cousin come out of the Loop with a broken nose, so I never had the chance."

"Bummer."

"Definitely." She stabbed a piece of potato with her fork. "Wasn't allowed to swim in the Grave Pool either."

"Grave Pool?" Shawn tipped his head to the side. "Never heard of that one."

"It's what they called the tidal wave pool."

"Why?"

"More than one drowning. Daddy didn't care how strong a swimmer I was he wouldn't even let me dip my feet in."

"Man," Shawn said, frowning. "I'm surprised Pops was so old-fashioned. I thought he'd be fun at a place like that."

"Nothin' wrong with bein' old fashioned," Jon interjected under his breath.

Audrey didn't hear him. "I wish! Daddy all but had me on a leash there. The last time I went I was twelve and I went with cousins who told Daddy we were going to Six Flags."

"No." Shawn was fascinated by this and briefly wondered if he could get Audrey to sneak him there since he knew Jon would not let him go.

"Yes," she winked at him. "Everything was a hot, adrenaline filled blur. I don't remember much except it seemed like all the workers were teens who had no training, didn't care, ignored height and weight restrictions on rides, and drank all day."

"Cool!" Shawn cried.

Jon leaned back in his chair and rolled his eyes.

Shawn saw this and called him on it. "You don't like thrill rides, but you gotta problem with waterparks now too?"

He narrowed his eyes at the teen then slowly shook his head. "Never I said I did."

"Then what's with the eye roll?"

"This cool business," Jon replied. "They call it Traction Park for a reason."

Shawn gave Jon a quizzical look. " You  went to Action Park?"

Jon nodded and took a slow sip of his soda. "Last time was in '86. Motorworld was my favorite part of the park."

Audrey leaned forward on her elbows very interested in this story.

Jon also Shawn's full attention now. "Motorworld? What's that?"

"Basically a big swamp with fish, snakes, and snappin' turtles."

"Cool!"

"Huh," Jon said flicking the can with his finger. "Easy for you to say. You never got bitten by a turtle. Those things are mean." He smiled at the memory of a time he hadn't thought about in years. "There were a lot of really fun rides though."

"Like what?"

Audrey sat back and let Jon take over telling Shawn about the super speedboats that were often piloted by inebriated captains, the bumper boats that leaked gasoline, the kayaks on tracks that allegedly electrocuted more than one guest, the Space Shot tower drop, and Sling Shot that was similar to what Shawn and Audrey rode on at Six Flags.

It was clear that at one point in his life, Jon was quite a thrill seeker.

"For the right amount of cash, staff would rig the go-karts to go much faster than they ever should have gone- 50 miles per hour. Same for the Lola cars which are open cockpit race cars."

Shawn was practically drooling over his stories, so he reminded the teen why it was called Traction Park. "I saw head on collisions every time we went. A friend of mine was hospitalized for a week after a high-speed crash. That's when I started to lose interest in the park."

"That sucks," Shawn said looking as though he was souring on the park too. "What did you in though?"

Jon looked at Audrey. "You know what I'm gonna say?"

She nodded with a shudder. "Alpine Slide."

"Got my fill of thrill rides to last a lifetime after that last trip."

They both fell silent.

Shawn stared at them. He gave them three seconds to continue before giving an exasperated, "What happened?"

"Murphy's Law." Jon leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. "The Alpine Slide is one of the only non-water rides there. You sit on a low plastic seat with wheels and a bar for steerin'. Then you get pushed down a long downhill racetrack. No helmets and the brakes don't work. No warnin's that you could lose a finger if you put your hand in the wrong place."

Shawn leaned forward eagerly, silently urging Jon to go on.

"There was a fast lane and a slow lane. We called 'em 'injured' and 'dead'. Without workin' brakes there is no way to stop from slammin' into the person in front of you and the person behind you can't stop either. I swear I got a concussion on that ride the last time. I was so lightheaded and felt sick for a good hour after, but I was there with my buddies who were hit much harder, so we keep goin'."

"That sounds so cool," Shawn said in admiration. He was starting to see Jon in a new light.

Jon rolled his eyes. "Aud may not have gone on the Cannonball, but I did. I knew kids got hurt on the thing, but I didn't think I would at 25."

"So it wasn't that bad?"

"No, worse. You get on this thing with no instructions on what to do. Halfway down the ride you're shot into a pitch-black tube, then hit a rollercoaster loop. The thing is, you aren't on anythin' it's just you and hopefully enough gravity to propel you through this thing." Jon paused and put his hands on his head as though he had a headache.

"When you come outta of it you shoot off a cliff face two stories above the water with absolutely no warning. You have just enough time to think and panic. Then maybe get a scream out before hittin' the surface of the slimy green water with a painful slap."

Shawn refrained from saying cool again as Jon looked pained. "That's pretty sick," he said instead.

Jon, understanding what he meant by "sick" snorted. "The last ride ended it for me. We went on these short, fast water slides that shot you into a lake. There was no timin' on these things: kids would fly out at random times, landin' on each other or on some sharp rock. Of course, I get on the worst slide. This thing immediately makes an abrupt 90-degree turn. Not a slow, smooth 90-degree turn. Nope. I got slammed into a wall and thrown in a different direction, then ended up in a gross pond full of cryin' kids and water snakes."

Not used to having such a captive audience, Jon continued with stories of lesser "accidents" that occurred on his last visit to the park, then concluded with, "Spent the next two-day pukin' and feelin' like I was gonna fall off the edge of the planet when I lifted my head. Lost all interest in thrill rides after that. I'm not sayin' I'll never do it again; I just don't have any desire to."

"Wow," Shawn said with awe and respect. "Man, you are way more adventurous than Mama and me put together!"

At the look of unabashed admiration for Jon on Shawn's face, Audrey covered her mouth with her hand to hide her pleased smile lest it embarrass them and ruin the moment.

She also quite admire Jon for his daring.

"That place is headed for closure, I'm tellin' you," Jon said pointing his fork at Shawn before continuing to eat his potato salad. "No way that place makes it another year."

"Yeah it sounds really bad." Shawn hung his head in thoughtful repose. When he looked up there was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Can we go before it does?"

"Did you not hear anythin' I just said?" Jon asked exasperated.

"Yeah, I did." He glanced at Audrey. "So can we? This summer?"

Jon put his fork down, crossed his arms, and rested them on the table. "I am  not  givin' up my six-week European honeymoon for the chance to spend six months in a hospital rooml. No way. And before you suggest it, I'll make sure to tell Mr. Matthews you're forbidden from goin'."

Before Shawn could respond, Audrey interjected with a surprised, "Six-week European honeymoon? I thought it was just England for a month to see my family. Jon, is there something you want to tell me?"

Shawn smirked. "Yeah, Dad, is there?"

Jon sat back dumbfounded at the direction the conversation had taken. "Well, no, I just mean, if everything works out and I can plan, you know, a little somethin'…"

Shawn rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, Mama, I'll get him straightened out."

Chapter Text

Friday morning came too soon as far as Jon was concerned. The alarm clanged loudly in his ear causing the throbbing in his head to match its rhythm.

Abruptly the noise stopped, and the aching subsided. He sighed in relief and was about to turn over and go back to sleep when he realized that he was not the one who turned the alarm off.

Jon sat up abruptly and tried to orient himself.

"You okay?" a soft voice asked quietly.

He turned his upper body toward the voice and found himself looking into warm gray eyes. He smiled lazily at her and flopped back onto the pillows. "Yeah, forgot where I was for a minute."

Audrey chuckled and slid out from under the covers. "You mind if I get into the bathroom first or do you want it?"

"Go on," he said nodding at the bathroom door.

She smiled her gratitude, and he smiled back with a dreamy look on his face as he watched her walk into the bathroom. After a moment he got up and went to the living room where Shawn had already raided the refrigerator and was sitting in front of the TV with a bowl of cereal and a soda.

Jon shook his head in amusement. Shawn was sprawled out the way he did on Saturday mornings.

Without needing to wash her hair, Audrey was in and out of the bathroom faster than they thought she would be and weren't prepared for what they saw. Her clothing choice was quite a step away from the full coverage, baggy clothing she had been wearing no matter the temperature.

White high waisted shorts stood out against the beginnings of a tan indicating this wasn't the first time she's gotten some sun. Her shirt was a cropped teal t-shirt that hung down just over the top of the shorts.

The outfit reminded Shawn of a new one Topanga got the weekend before, although her top was red with white stripes, and she wore red cowboy boots with hers while Audrey wore clear jelly sandals.

When they saw what she was wearing, Shawn looked to Jon for help expressing his thoughts on the outfit. She was still in the early days of her recovery and although Dr. Amsden said she was progressing very well, he didn't want to say the wrong thing and accidentally set her back. He was incredibly proud of her and wanted to convey this properly, but Jon was of no help.

He was too busy staring at her.

Shawn was just about to use his "cleanup on aisle number nine" comment when Jon recovered on his own. He walked over to Audrey, took her by the elbow, and whispered something in her ear.

Her face lit up in a pleased smile.

"I'm trying," she said in response to what he said.

He looked her over and smiled appreciatively. "You're doin' a fantastic job."

"You look hot, Mama," Shawn chimed in with a nod of approval.

Audrey laughed and simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you both," she said almost shyly.

Clearly uncomfortable being the center of attention for this reason, she deflected the attention to Jon by remarking, "I have to admit I'm a little disappointed with what you're wearing."

"Oh?" Jon looked down at his t-shirt and jeans which wasn't much different from what he typically wore.

"Yeah," she with a flirtatious glimmer in her eye. "I was hoping for a tank top."

Before leaving Philadelphia, Shawn printed out three copies of his itinerary at school and sweet-talked Phyllis, one of the instructional aides with a crush on Jon, to laminate them. When handed his copy, Jon couldn't help but mutter something about effort and schoolwork.

In addition to the itineraries, Shawn had his Canon Rebel S camera secure in its carrying case and slung across his shoulder. Jon knew he was going to end up with it at some point.

And it wasn't all he ended up with.

To keep her crossbody bag small, Audrey saddled Jon with a bright green fanny pack about which he vocally complained about until they got to the park gates. Inside the gates Shawn took over the loud complaining.

There was a unique feature of the park that greeted them upon arrival that Shawn found ridiculous. It was a color-coded ride guide meant to make finding the appropriate rides for children easy on parents. Each gemstone denoted a certain height range, and each gem was featured on the maps so that parents could easily see which rides their children were tall enough for. There was also a numbered intensity guide.

"You are not gonna make me actually do this, are you?" Shawn whined to Jon.

"Rules of the park, kid," Jon told him struggling not to laugh. It wasn't necessary, of course, but he wasn't going to turn down a chance to get Shawn back for the whole "title" nonsense from yesterday.

"I am clearly not 12 or under," the teen grumped as the Park member motioned him up to guide.

"It's based on height not age," she told him with an amused smile.

"I'm taller than Mama!" he protested as Jon held him against the height chart.

It was true. About a month before, Shawn had a growth spurt that made him a good inch taller than Audrey.

The Park worker assured him that all the kids no matter age got their gem.

Gem?

Shawn narrowed his eyes at Jon who chose that moment to take a picture with the camera he was already carrying and captured the teen's perfectly peeved pout.

"Oh my, honey!" the Park member cried in an overly loud cheerful voice. "We need a new gem for you! Your head is above the chart!"

Shawn shot the woman a dirty look and wondered how quickly working at a theme park rotted the brain to be able to say stuff like that without irony.

"Well, Mr. Turner, you're," she looked Shawn over and grinned, "precious big gem is able to ride all the rides."

"No kiddin'," Shawn muttered as he trudged over to Audrey thoroughly embarrassed to be referred to as a precious gem.

Jon found this hysterical and even Audrey struggled not to laugh.

"You are precious," she said with a twinkle in her eyes. "and you are a gem."

Shawn stared at her, unable to believe her betrayal. "You know what, I'm done. I'm goin' back to the cabin."

Jon shook his head and put his arm around him. "Lighten up, kid. Remember Mom and I missed out on all of this when you were a precious little gem and we're makin' up for lost time."

Shawn squinted at him through one eye. "You're lucky I like you two so much," he grumbled and buried his nose in his itinerary.

"Don't forget your swimsuits," the employee called after them, "if you plan to visit Duke's Lagoon."

Shawn promptly forgot about his humiliation as Audrey waved her acknowledgement. He grabbed Jon by the sleeve and whispered, "Aud doesn't have one."

Jon took his shirt out of Shawn's grip. "Yeah, she does."

He frowned in confusion. "You told me she didn't have one."

"She didn't. When we were at Goods, I got her one."

This was met with a derisive snort and a suspicious side glance. "What'd you get her?"

"Somethin' she'd like. Don't worry about it."

"Has she seen it yet?"

"No."

Shawn closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his finger and thumb. "Oh. No."

"Oh, no, what?"

"Oh no, I better check it out to see how bad it is."

Jon shot him an irritated look. "You know what? You  can  go back to the cabin."

Shawn stared at him for a minute then shook his head with a slight smirk. "Nice try. This is Mother's Day weekend and she's only a mother because of me. You'll get your turn with her later."

"When?" he asked with an arched brow.

"Depends. When are you gonna propose?"

Jon rolled his eyes. "Are we gonna do this all day?"

"I hope not," Audrey interjected, pushing the itinerary between them. "The first ride on Shawn's list is this way."

She pointed in the direction opposite of where they were walking.

The park was small.

Only slightly larger than the parking lot of Six Flags by Shawn's estimate. The lines were long but moved quickly enough. While a number of the rides were far too young (and small) for anyone in the family to ride, Shawn decided to watch them run at least once to see which ones could be approved for a baby.

As they made their way to the next ride, a Nursing Mothers Station caught his eye. "Oh, hey," he said, nudging Audrey as he pointed at the sign. "That'll come in handy for the next time."

Audrey absently nodded her agreement. As she started to walk away, a woman in her mid-forties with four young kids smiled knowingly and, "Kids two and under are free. Take advantage of that for as long as you can, honey."

She gave the woman a polite smile though she had no idea what she was talking about. Shawn didn't let her linger on it and led her away.

The itinerary for day one whittled down quicker than Shawn anticipated and to him that meant they could take longer strolling through the park. Sometimes he charged ahead of Jon and Audrey and sometimes he trailed behind them. When he did he had a sense of déjà vu.

In elementary school, he used to go to fairs and similar venues with Cory and his family. The trips were very much like this one. When he and Cory trailed behind the Matthews, he would often see them walking hand in hand, talking affectionately to each other as though they were on a date rather than surrounded by their kids and other people's kids.

As he trailed behind his people, he saw Audrey's fingers interlace with Jon's and the other hand wrap around his bicep. As they walked and talked, Jon slipped his arm away from her and put it around her waist with his finger through a belt loop on her shorts.

Shawn always envied Cory for having parents like that. Now that he had them too, he looked forward to being able to repay Cory for all the times he shared his parents with him.

A young father with a baby carrier strapped to his back tiredly but happily trudged by them followed by a young woman with a two-year-old. Shawn smiled at them as they went by.

The last he was with the Matthews at Hershey Park Eric was still willing to be seen with them and Morgan was just a baby. She was either strapped to Mr. Matthews' back or in the stroller he paid quite a bit for after realizing that a small baby gets incredibly heavy after hours of walking and constantly having to take the carrier off to ride the rides that Mrs. Matthews didn't want to go on.

When Morgan was in her stroller, Shawn offered to push her. At one point Morgan, tired and cranky, wailed inconsolably in the stroller. Mrs. Matthews was dealing with Cory's inability to hold his lunch down after riding the Wildcat and Mr. Matthews was chasing down Eric who had wandered off after a couple of girls. So Shawn picked her up and told her all about the rides she would go on one way day. Within minutes Morgan was fast asleep.

Many adults commented to Mrs. Matthews on how sweet he was with his baby sister. Shawn never forgot the feeling of pride he had when she smiled warmly and agreed with them. For the rest of that day, he pretended he was Morgan's brother and was terribly jealous when Eric swooped in and took her back.

Looking back he was embarrassed by the charade and only told Cory about it two years ago. Looking forward, he was in the position where pretending would no longer be necessary.

It was a strange feeling, and he wasn't sure why.

As they stood in line for the Crazy Plane, a ride similar to the Flying Carpet, Shawn noticed a couple with a curly-headed toddler who was having a meltdown. Eventually, the parents had to take Anna out of line and get her to a quieter place.

Shawn twitched his nose and mumbled under his breath, "Anna Turner." He mulled the name over, the turned to Jon and asked, "How would you spell that?"

Jon frowned. "Spell what?"

"Anna."

Jon didn't know what he was being set up for by the strange question, so he deflected back to the teen. "How do you think you'd spell it?"

"Normally with two n's," Shawn said seriously. "but I've seen it with one."

"Either way is right. Why?"

Shawn paused before answering. "Turner already has two n's in it, four seems a lot for one name."

Jon put his hand on his waist and incredulously stared at Shawn. "Spell my name."

"Why?" Shawn looked at him like he was crazy.

"Spell my name, Shawn."

Shawn blinked and spelled his name out loud. "Oh!" His eyes lit up in realization, then he instantly forgot about it. "Anna's too common anyway. What about Anne?"

Jon sighed. He hated having conversations like this; he always felt like he was fumbling around in the dark. "What about Ann?"

"Anne with e," he corrected as they moved forward in the line.

Jon almost said something about this correction but let it go.

"Anne Turner." Shawn shook his head with a look of distaste. "Nah, don't like it."

The line moved forward. Shawn saw an older girl ahead of them wearing a name necklace.

"Ooo, Tina!" he nodded at the girl. "Tina sounds good with Turner. Tina Turner. Wait, why does that sound so familiar?"

Jon and Audrey stared at him in surprise. His most recent movie fixation was Mad Max 3 co-starring… Tina Turner.

"What is he talkin' about?" Jon asked Audrey in exasperation.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Sounds like baby names, maybe?"

Once they were seated on the ride and strapped in Shawn listened intently to the parents that surrounded them. From his spot between Jon and Audrey, he was able to chatter to them both about names. Jon, who kept his eyes firmly close even though the Crazy Plane was just a junior version of a Flying Carpet ride, heard little of what he was saying.

Since Jon was unwilling to help, Shawn to Audrey.

"Aud, who were you named after?"

She smiled as the hum of the ride starting up filled their ears. "Audrey Hepburn."

Shawn nodded then frowned. "Is that the name of the grandmother your mom took care of when you were a baby?"

"No." Audrey gave him a funny look then shook her head. "She's a very famous actress. Clearly your classic movie knowledge is lacking. I'll correct that as soon as those papers are signed."

He grinned as the metal arms of the ride lifted them into the air. "Your middle name is Theresa, right?"

"Yep."

"Okay, that gives me somethin' to work with."

She shot him a curious look as the Crazy Plane prepared to drop them.

Shawn pushed his shoulder into Jon's. His teacher still had his eyes closed.

"Hey, Jon, how come first-born daughters aren't named after their moms like first-born sons are after their dads?"

"Do you really think I know?" Jon felt sick. While Shawn and Audrey did not notice the drop, he felt every millimeter of it.

Realizing it was useless to talk to him when he was like this Shawn leaned back and began to think of more names for the rest of the ride.

"So," Audrey asked as they exited the Crazy Plane. "Have you thought of a name you do like?" Jon leaned against her looking slightly green.

The corner of Shawn's mouth twitched to the side. "No, but I've come up with a bunch I don't like."

"Like what?"

"Ashley, Abigail, Emily, Amanda, Megan, Brittany, Lauren, Veronica, Nicole, Rachel, Tiffany, and Kayla so far."

"So far?"

"Yeah, the name of any girl I ever dated is an automatic no," he explained seriously. "Besides none of those sound right with Turner or your name, Mama."

"Mine?" she asked curiously. She was touched by his sincere desire to find the perfect name for his future sibling, although she was a bit concerned he was so set on a sister that he would be extremely disappointed if he ended up with another brother.

It was not exactly something she could control.

"I don't think it's fair that only dad's get kids named after them." Shawn shook his hair out of his eyes, "Listen to these: Veronica Theresa Turner. Ashley Audrey Turner," he made a gagging gesture at this name. "Kayla Theresa Turner. Lauren Audrey Turner. Do you honestly like any of those?"

"Not my favorites, no. But I haven't given it any thought," she replied. Admittedly she was very curious about Jon's opinion on names in general. He, however, was still looking queasy and wasn't paying attention.

Shawn looked at her skeptically. "None at all?"

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine, maybe a little."

"So help me out."

Audrey pushed the length of her ponytail over her shoulder. "Well, since my mum isn't here to see any of her grandchildren, I'd like to name a daughter after her."

Shawn pressed his lips together thoughtfully. "Her name was Elizabeth Julia right?"

She nodded.

"Elizabeth Turner." Shawn mulled this over as though he was tasting an exotic candy he'd never had before. "Sounds like a pirate's wife. I like it." He paused and studied Audrey. "Julia Turner."

Audrey's eyes lit up and Shawn knew he had at least part of a name.

Chapter Text

The next stop for the little family was the Lady Gay Riverboat which was to both indulge Audrey's romantic side and to give Jon a break from the "thrill" rides.

The idea of a riverboat invoked visions of Mark Twain and romance for Audrey. For Shawn it meant trying to ignore any and all connections to the author whose books he was forced to read at the beginning of his first summer with Jon until his teacher figured out what to do with him.

Unfortunately for them all, the ride turned out to be boring. There wasn't much to see but ducks in the water and the occasional horse or cow out in the pastures.

Afterwards, they hit the tracks and spent the rest of the morning racing the Turnpike Cars. Shawn attempted to bribe one of the ride operators to make the antique cars go faster, but the operator told him the only thing the cars were capable of being rigged to do was to go slower. His disappointment lasted until they got to the Bumper cars where he and Jon took great delight in trying to send each other and Audrey into the walls.

Next on the list was Wonderland Mini golf which was adjacent to the Park. Tickets came free with their passes to Dutch Wonderland, so the trio took advantage of them and headed to the course for lunch.

However Shawn had a plan that would either get him big bonus points with Jon or a grounding. He was betting on bonus points given the nature of the weekend but knew there was a high chance that he might not see the outside of the cabin for the rest of the trip. There was no point in thinking it over however, so he marched quickly ahead of his people forcing them to follow.

"Shawn," Jon called after him. "Where are you goin'?"

"I have a couple of things I wanna check out before we leave," he shouted over his shoulder.

"We'll be back," Audrey told him as she and Jon rushed to catch up with him.

"I know but we won't be back on this side." Shawn paused long enough for them to get close then took off again. "The race cars and bumper cars are on the other side. And there are rides over here I wanna see before we go."

"Why?" Jon asked, suspiciously. Shawn was too focused for this to be as simple as looking at rides.

"Because half the point of bein' here is to get an idea of where we can take the baby the next time we come."

That was confirmation to him that this was not about the rides.

Jon and Audrey went along with him with little complaint though. Shawn managed to weave the three though the crowd to his destination without getting separated.

"Shawn," she said when they finally stopped. "You know we can always do this the next time. The entire park is baby friendly so it's not like she'll only be able to go to certain places."

"Oh, I know," he said, holding onto them both in case one decided to step out of line once they realized they were in a line. He did not miss that Audrey referred to the baby as her. "But I still wanna get an idea. You're not gonna wanna walk all over the park lookin' for stuff and carryin' her."

Jon gave him a mischievous smile. "Shawn, there's this newfangled invention you can put kids in and push 'em around. It's called a stroller."

Shawn rolled his eyes as required by teenage attitude. He didn't want Jon to know he appreciated the snappy comeback even if he didn't like it thrown at him.

"Chances are you leave it at home because you think a tiny baby is light enough to carry on your back all day," he shot back, shaking his hair out of his eyes.

Confused by where the statement came from, Audrey looked at Jon who shrugged.

Shawn couldn't hide that they were in a line for long. So he chattered about his baby sister hoping to distract Jon and Audrey from the ride they were actually in line for.

As he talked, all three of them noticed that people started giving them very strange smiles. The longer they stood in line the more the people around them joined in the conversation to give Jon and Audrey an incredible amount of unsolicited advice about pregnancy and parenthood.

Along with many congratulations.

Confusing as it was, Shawn found it a great distraction; Jon and Audrey were too weirded out by the very personal questions and advice to pay attention to where they were headed.

However, his plan was nearly spoiled when a grandmother in her sixties for some reason thought it was okay to put her hands on a stranger. She reached out to touch Audrey's stomach while cooing that she was so tiny she must be one of those who wouldn't pop out until very late. Audrey was greatly disturbed by this behavior, and Jon very nearly pulled them all out of line because of it.

"We can't leave now! We're almost there. Besides, handsy granny isn't even in line for this ride," Shawn insisted, shooting the woman a dirty look.

She glared right back at him, upset by their reaction.

Jon grabbed him by the shoulder and hissed in his ear, "Cut the baby talk in public, okay? You've got people thinkin' Aud is pregnant."

Shawn wasn't listening; they were next to board the ride.

The attendant looked at them and said, "Next six riders. Just two more boats for this time. How many in the family?"

Jon started to answer when Shawn stepped up to the attendant and whispered something in her ear. The attendant gave Jon and Audrey a curious glance then a sly smile.

The couple exchanged wary looks.

"Just a minute," she said with a wink.

After a few minutes, the attendant returned and let a family of six on the ride ahead of the trio. The last boat pulled up and she waved Jon and Audrey aboard.

Shawn remained where he was as the attendant announced that the boats were full.

"Hey, wait," Jon said, putting a foot back on the dock, "He's our kid and this thing isn't full."

"Sorry, sir, ride's full," she said with such cheery fakeness Jon stepped back into the boat to get away from her.

Shawn shot his people a bright Joker grin and a salute, then ducked behind the couple next in line.

"Shawn!" Jon yelled at him as Audrey grabbed his shirt and pulled him into his seat as the boat began to move.

The teen continued to wave as the attendant closed the ride leaving Jon and Audrey with no choice but to take a romantic gondola cruise without him.

Or at least a romantic cruise was Shawn's plan.

It turned out the gondolas weren't exactly like the ones found in Venice. They were just standard amusement park boats in bright colors. However, it did appear that couples who had family members to watch their kids often negotiated a boat ride by themselves. Which explained why the attendant was more amused than surprised by Shawn's whispered request that his parents needed some time alone before their family expanded.

He meant his permanent inclusion into their lives, but if the attendant took it to mean Audrey was pregnant, well, that wasn't his fault; he didn't say anything about that.

After the initial annoyance of Shawn's antics, Jon stretched out as much as he could and put his arm around Audrey who seemed more enamored with the "gondola" than she was the riverboat.

Feigning annoyance, Jon said, "Why in the world is he still tryin' to set us up?"

Audrey chuckled and snuggled against him. "I think it was very sweet of him."

Jon grinned. "I just don't wanna know what he said to bribe that attendant into givin' us a boat to ourselves in a crowded park.

"Try to enjoy the sentiment and the ride."

"Oh, I am!" he assured her, pulling her as close as possible. He really wasn't bothered by Shawn's "gift" and he was grateful to be able to sit down for more than a minute or two. He briefly wondered if Shawn would always pull these tricks or if they were something else he'd grow out of.

He hoped he wouldn't.

As the ride progressed through the Botanical Gardens, it was hard for the couple not to compare it to the real thing. Both Jon and Audrey had been in gondolas in Venice.

For Jon, he'd been on one with a self-absorbed blonde who thought she was God's gift to him and every needy kid on the planet. He promptly dumped her for a Swiss brunette with a slight French accent as soon as they got back on dry land.

As Jon was dumping the blonde Audrey was boarding the same gondola with dancers from her ballet troupeWhi when they were in Milan to attend classes in the Cecchetti method at La Scala Theatre Ballet. Just like in London and the performance of Miss Saigon, they had been in the same place at the same time without knowing it.

Compared to Venice the cruise was an average boat ride through the canals of the botanical gardens with landmarks from around the world along the way. While Audrey found charm in the ride, Jon felt it would have been greatly improved had they been able to make out discreetly. They couldn't so he had to settle for nearly falling asleep on her more than once.

Making out was apparently what Shawn had in mind for the ride as well. He was waiting for them at the exit and was less than thrilled to get Jon's feedback.

"Am I in trouble for ditchin' you guys since nothin' happened?" he asked scrunching his nose up and shoving his hands into his pockets.

Jon gripped his shoulder tightly. He gave the teen a tight scowl and hissed in a low voice, "Yeah, you are."

Shawn repressed a groan; the cabin was too small and boring to stay in the rest of the weekend. "What's the punishment?"

He glanced at Audrey with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "I'm gonna kick your butt at mini golf," he grinned. He let go of Shawn's shoulder and gave it a light slap. "No more delays, kid. You're dead."

Realizing Jon wasn't even a little annoyed with him, Shawn put his arm around Audrey and obediently followed his people to lunch with a pleased smile on his face.

While there were a number of eating places outdoors, due to the heat increasing as the day went on, the trio chose to go to Merlin's Pizza & Pasta Buffet to cool off. While Jon and Audrey stood in line to order, Shawn busied himself with inspecting the restaurant.

He appreciated that the place was child friendly, and highchairs were plentiful. Rather than say anything out loud about this that might attract unwanted attention to Audrey, he snapped a picture to remind himself of it later. When he turned around to join his people, a little girl with dark eyes stared at him with a serious look. She was about four years old with a halo of dark curls around her head.

"Hi," Shawn said to her.

Her serious expression turned into a scowl. "Are you gonna use that?"

"Huh?" Shawn followed where her finger was pointing at the highchairs. "Oh, no. Nah, I was just checkin' it out."

"Why?" she asked warily. She folded chubby arms over the bib of her pink overall shorts.

"Well, next year my parents and I'll be back here with my baby sister. I just wanna check things out," he explained. "You know, see what the park has for kids and what we'll need to bring for her."

"Everything is for kids," she replied unimpressed. She turned her head to give him an intense side-eye. "You're too big for that."

Shawn blinked. Then a slow smile spread over his face. She reminded him a lot of Morgan who was also rather sassy, though not quite as serious.

"I know," he said, leaning over and putting his hands on his knees so he was at her level. "If I sat on one of those I'd break it and go splat."

The girl cracked a smile. "You're funny."

"Thanks."

She wrinkled her nose at him and grew more serious than before. "Is your mama having a baby too?"

"Well," Shawn hesitated as he gave Audrey a glance. "Not yet. Soon though."

"My mama is and I don't want it." Grumpily she hugged herself as tears sprang up.

"How come?"

"Because I'm Mama's baby," she said forlornly.

As the youngest child as far as he knew, Shawn didn't fully understand the sentiment, but he did remember Cory being very unhappy with the news of Morgan's impending arrival and his fear of being forgotten by his parents.

Shawn also remembered what it was like to have a big sister. He adored Stacy and was devastated when Virna ran her off. His nose twitched as he pushed back the emotion that welled up at the memory to focus on the little girl in front of him.

"Yeah, but bein' a big sister is really important," he told her sincerely.

"How do you know?" she asked skeptically.

"I have a big sister."

She stared at him for a moment. "That's not the same."

"Kinda is," he shrugged.

"It's a boy. I wanted a sister," she pouted and stamped her foot.

Shawn did not know it was possible for a face to contort into such a deep scowl.

He paused for a moment trying to think like a little kid and what would be helpful to hear. He knelt in front of her, resting his hands on his knees. "Yeah well, brothers are cool. I have…several."

She squinted at him, unconvinced.

What made Cory accept Morgan? he wondered. Then he remembered what Eric told Cory about being a big brother. "You're the biggest right?"

She nodded.

"That means you're the boss and in charge."

Her dark eyes lit up at this and she leaned in closer to Shawn. "Really? I can boss him around?"

Of course, that would be what she heard.

It was also what Eric told Cory.

Shawn rubbed the back of his head and very nearly said yes and told her she could also blame him for things she did.

He caught himself.

Would that be what he wanted someone to tell his sister?

Shawn knew from experience kids could figure out the sibling hierarchy without being encouraged, so he opted for what he would want to tell his little sister instead.

"Yeah, you could. Or you could be a nice big sister. You know, watch out for him, teach him stuff. Then he'll want to do what you tell him. And he won't cry to Mom that you're bein' mean to him."

"Oh," her eyes went wide, and she crouched down like he was. In a whisper she said, "I don't want Mama to be mad at me. I'll be nice."

"Good," Shawn said, running a hand through his hair. "Then he'll brag he has the best big sister in the whole world and that's pretty cool. What's your name?"

"Ziva," she said. Her eyes were bright, and the serious scowl was gone. "What's your name?"

"Shawn."

"I like Shawn," she grinned. "That's what I'm gonna call Tony."

Shawn frowned in confusion. "Who's Tony?"

"Ziva!" a woman called out. "Come on. It's time to eat."

Ziva looked over her shoulder and waved at the woman. "That's the name Daddy and Mama chose, but I like Shawn better. So he's gonna be Shawn 'cause I'm the big sister and I'm the boss."

Shawn waved goodbye to Ziva as she ran back to her parents unsure if he made things better or worse. When he rejoined his people, Audrey gave him a strange teary-eyed look but said nothing.

After ordering the trio found a table and sat down. As he picked up his pizza, Shawn commented offhandedly, "This is a pretty great place. I know Ziva will really like it when she's old enough to care."

Jon and Audrey exchanged looks. Shawn saw this and explained.

"We saw you. Her parents came over and talked to us," Jon told him. "Not bad advice you gave her. I am surprised you didn't tell her she could blame little brother for the stuff she does."

Shawn gave an abrupt laugh. "I thought about it." He paused then added. "I like the name Ziva."

"So do I," Audrey said. "It's pretty. And different."

"Very pretty name," Jon agreed then made a face. "But not so pretty when paired with Turner."

"Or Andrews." Shawn frowned. He took a bite of his pizza and chewed thoughtfully. "Or Hunter." He let out a frustrated grunt. "Man, I thought I had the name! Ziva Julia sounds good, but Julia would be a terrible last name for us."

It took Jon and Audrey a moment to understand that he was suggesting they all change their names. Both chuckled at the thought.

"We have plenty of time to choose a name, honey," Audrey reminded him. "It's not like she's just going to show up unannounced."

A chill went down Shawn's spine with his next bite. A shadow of foreboding fell over him. He didn't understand where this strange sense of urgency and anxiety was coming from. "I think we oughta do it soon though."

"Why?" Jon asked.

"I dunno how to explain it." He rubbed his hands together as though he was cold. "It's just…we oughta have something ready to go just in case."

"Just in case what?"

"I'm not sure."

As Shawn stared at his food Audrey gripped Jon's knee and leaned over to whisper in his ear, "I think he's worried Chet will come back and ruin things."

Jon nodded his agreement. He'd had the same thought.

Shawn suddenly sat up straight with a grin on his face as though someone had flipped a switch. His attention was solely on miniature golf now.

"Hey Mama, if you beat us, I'll buy you a funnel cake and win you one of those big stuffed dolphins no matter how many times I have to play the Crossbow.

Jon groaned, wadded up his napkin, and threw it on his tray. "Are you forgettin' who's payin' for all of this, kid? Don't let your mouth write checks I'll have to cash!"

The Joker grin was firmly in place as he stared at Jon. "What? I brought my allowance."

"What if I end up kickin' your scrawny butt, Hunter?" he shot back with an arched brow and his tongue in his cheek.

"You won't," he chirped with a smirk. He turned his attention to Audrey. "Whaddya say, Mama? Play for a snack date with your only son?"

Audrey shook her head and grinned. She loved it when he and Jon got going like this. "How could I say no to an offer like that? What happens if I lose?"

"Oh." Shawn dropped his chin to his chest for a moment then looked up at Jon with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "You can have a snack date with Jon if you lose."

"So what does that make me?" Jon huffed, leaning back in his chair with thud.

Audrey and Shawn caught each other's eyes and grinned. In unison they laughed, "The consolation prize."

"Yeah, yeah," he rolled his eyes. He really should have seen that one coming. "You're lucky I like you two so much."

Jon had never played mini golf before.

Since it was just putting and his putting stroke had always been very good, he expected to be good at mini golf. However, the hard putting surfaces were much faster than the greens on a real golf course, and he felt like he spent the entire time hitting putts way past the hole. He felt ridiculous taking so many strokes to get a ball in a hole surrounded by brightly colored cartoon characters.

Shawn didn't fare much better.

He'd played mini golf many times over the years with Cory's family on the Jersey shore and was significantly better than Jon. However, because he did not know all the dips, turns, and quirks of this course the way he did the ones he grew up on, he also had problems on almost every hole.

Wonderland mini golf was quite a bit different and a lot more maddening than any other course he'd played before.

The first issue came up when he got stuck on the pipe hole.

It was incredibly frustrating to hit more than one perfect shot yet having each one end up nowhere near the hole. He took that frustration out on the ball with a wonky, thoughtless whack that sent it straight through the pipe and into the hole.

Shawn stared at the course questioning his life choices before Jon pulled him on to the next hole.

The Windmill, which was his best hole on the Jersey Shore, was abysmal in Lancaster. He could not get the shot he wanted, which was the windmill itself. Jon got aggravated and told him to just play around. Shawn had not "played around" since he was eleven. He wasn't about to start again at fifteen.

However, the course insisted that he did.

The Windmill mocked him as it lazily turned in the breeze. He was way over par and holding up play for everyone else. Jon, apologizing to the families behind them for his son's silent temper tantrum, confiscated Shawn's putter and all but carried him to the next hole.

As Jon and Audrey took their turns, Shawn watched the family behind them.

The seven-year-old got a hole in one.

"She cheated!" he squawked indignantly, shoving his putter in the girl's direction. "Look! She picked the ball up and set it right in front of the windmill. That's illegal."

Distractedly, Jon looked away from Audrey who was lining up her shot. "She's a little kid, Shawn."

"So?" He stared in horror at the same hole. "Ah! What's that!?"

The youngest child in the family, five at the most, kept hitting his ball before it came to a stop, counting one every time the putter touched the ball. He made the hole with "one" shot.

Shawn was infuriated by the unfairness of it all.

"Lemme ask you somethin'," Jon said, amused by Shawn's dramatics. He put his hands on top of the putter's shaft and leaned on it.

"What?" he snapped, still glaring at the little kids.

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen,' he snapped sullenly. He caught Jon's look and explained, "Mr. Matthews wouldn't let Cory and me do stuff like that when we were little kids. He made us play like adults."

"So?"

"So why don't they have to play like adults?"

Jon gave the little kids a puzzled look then nudged Shawn to take his turn on the current hole. "I don't know, they aren't my kids."

"I'm your kid," he said, stubbornly refusing to move on. "Do I have to play like an adult?"

"Are you kiddin' me?"

"Dead serious, man." Shawn glared at the windmill.

"You really wanna do-over on the windmill, don't you?"

"That kid got one!" He shrugged his shoulders trying to line up his shot, but he couldn't focus. "That stupid thing killed my score."

"Yeah" Jon sighed, rubbing his thumb across his forehead. "And Audrey is killin' us both. It really doesn't matter anymore."

Audrey was the clear victor much to Jon and Shawn's chagrin. In a very un-Audrey like fashion, she took immense satisfaction in defeating a real golfer and a near pro-mini golfer and she insisted on taking a picture to show Andrea and Eli.

Shawn was in a foul mood over the loss until he saw the menu at the Par 3 Ice Cream Parlor and Café where they celebrated Audrey's win. Then, after another round of golf where he and Jon lost even worse than before, the trio headed back to the cabin with funnel cake in hand to relax before dinner.

Back at the cabin, Shawn promptly spread himself out to take up every inch of futon space. Within seconds, he was asleep drooling on three pillows as he lightly snored.

Audrey relaxed on the love seat with her feet on the arm of the sofa reading a book.

The only place left for Jon was a lounge chair that didn't recline. He was tired and wanted to lie down but did not want to be alone. As he passed the kitchen to join his family in the living room, the radio under the overhead counter caught his attention. Absently he turned it on and switched it to a local rock station.

As if the DJ knew what he needed to hear, Springsteen's Better Days started to stream out of the speaker. A smile broke through the tiredness on his face. He never thought he'd understand the Boss' reason for writing that song.

But he did now.

Jon walked over to Audrey and nudged her knee. She saw the exhaustion on his face and moved so that he could sit next to her. Before he did, he went over to the futon to wrestle a pillow from the deep sleeping teenager and tossed it onto Audrey's lap. The shortness of the couch was less than comfortable but with his head on the pillow looking up into those gray eyes, he didn't care.

Audrey set her book aside to focus on him. She lovingly ran through her hands through his hair in the way he'd grown to crave then peppered his face with light kisses. He let go of everything he'd been thinking about and relaxed, happy and content.

With everything.

"Today was a good day," she said softly.

He nodded his agreement as he tangled his fingers in her hair that was draped over him like a blanket. "I never thought I could have fun at a place meant for 12-year-olds," he said with an amused smile.

"And younger. Mini-" She paused her thought as Jon pulled her down for a kiss. When he released her, she went on, "Mini golf was my favorite."

"Least favorite for me! Eighteen is a perfect score in mini golf and it's just puttin'. I can't believe I didn't do better than a 41 on a kiddie course." He laughed. Playing with the ends of her hair, he said with admiration, "You are seriously good though. You know Shawn's played a lot on the Shore, but those skills didn't transfer here and neither did my puttin'. How'd you do it?"

She grinned. "I watched the people ahead of us and saw what they did wrong and where the course went funny."

"Are you kiddin' me? You took it that seriously?"

She nodded with a self-satisfied smile. "You were handling Shawn at the Windmill, and I got bored." At the stunned look on his face she said, "I also didn't overthink my shots. You and Shawn played like you were at the Masters."

Jon looked incredibly irritated. "I've played Pinehurst No. 2, Audrey. It's 7,588 yards, has a course ratin' of 76.5, and a slope ratin' of 138. Those greens are extremely hard to putt because it has so many false fronts, edges and backs where the holes are. De-greener putts happen at the time. And I made par on it!" He folded his arms over his chest making her sit up slightly.

Audrey raised her brow at this. "I have no idea what any of that means."

He rolled his eyes and gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I play good golf."

"And I play good mini golf," she replied, swinging her hair out of his reach.

"Yeah, you do," he chuckled, taking her hand and placing her palm against his. "You deserve somethin' better than a consolation prize that's for sure."

"I didn't really think I was getting that much," she teased. "Considering where I am right now and with whom."

One of the many things Jon adored about her was the ability to tease her like he did Shawn without her being offended. She gave back better than she got and with much humor. Every other woman he'd dated had been the opposite.

He was in a playful mood and could see she was too, so he said drolly, "Yeah, well, a woman like you should have a weekend like this every month at the very least. Instead you've settled for marryin' a guy like me."

She gave an exasperated sigh while amusement sparkled in her eyes. "A guy like you huh?"

"Yep. A teacher livin' from paycheck to paycheck in a bad part of town who can't make par on a kid's golf course." He examined the lock of her hair wrapped around his finger as he struggled not to laugh. "I dunno, babe, I'm pretty broken down. You deserve a better boyfriend. One who can show you a whole new world."

Audrey leaned over him more. The hair he wasn't holding dropped down over the side of the couch forming a curtain between him and the late afternoon sun coming in through the window. "A dazzling place I never knew, huh?"

This broke Jon's immersion in the story he was creating. "Huh?"

"Weren't you quoting the song?" she asked in amusement.

"What song?"

"A Whole New World?"

"Sure it is."

She rolled her eyes as they dissolved into quiet laughter.

"Anyway," He suddenly became serious. "Maybe someday I'll get it together to give you the forever you deserve."

"You sound like Shawn," she retorted in mock annoyance. She poked his chest twice. "What do you want?"

He arched an eyebrow and tried to look innocent. "I want you to have a boyfriend who can take you travelin' the world."

A wicked smile slid over her face. "Me too."

This was not the response he was anticipating.

He was impressed, but said, "Oh, ouch, Aud. Right to the heart." He put his hand where she'd been poking him.

With a teasing grin, she twirled a lock of hair around her finger right in front of his nose. "Do tell where this theoretical boyfriend will take me."

Jon pretended to consider this. "Paris without a doubt."

Audrey arched a brow. "And what if this boyfriend hates French food?"

"He'll deal with it."

"Paris is a bit cliché, though, don't you think?"

"After the way we've done things, clichés would be a nice, predictable change," he laughed.

She pursed her lips and shook her head. "I thought we were talking about where my boyfriend who's not you is going to take me."

"Oh, right," Jon said, feigning seriousness. He furrowed his brow and resumed planning. "What about Switzerland? I've skied the Swiss Alps many times and there are some amazin' resorts I would recommend to the two of you."

Audrey's eyes lit up and she dropped their game for a moment. "I've danced in Zurich before during a European summer dance program. They have an incredible ballet company."

"Hmm," Jon said with a playful glint in his eyes. "If Paris is too cliché I guess we can skip it and go to the Alps and the ballet."

"Oh no we can't!" She cried so emphatically that he wasn't sure if they were still playing. "Jon, do you have any idea how incredible it was to dance on the very stage where the Phantom of Opera occurred?"

She was so serious he couldn't help but laugh. "Pretty sure that's just a story, babe."

Audrey waved her hand dismissively at him. "What else does this boyfriend have on his itinerary?"

'Paris now apparently."

"Well, if we're doing cliches, add a kiss at the top of the Eiffel Tower."

He chuckled. "What about Italy next?"

"I danced in Milan." A nostalgic look settled in her eyes. "That's when my company took a day trip to Venice."

"Milan, Venice- got it," he nodded, adding them to a mental list. Although he was teasing her, he had a reason for planning this "fake" European vacation. "Anywhere else?"

Audrey's smile saddened slightly, "I was supposed to spend a summer with the Brigitte Gauci Borda School of Dance in Malta, but I ended up hospitalized before it happened."

Jon could see tears forming in her eyes. He reached up and touched her cheek. "I didn't realize Malta had a ballet company."

"The ŻfinMalta National Dance Company," she said with a distant look in her eyes. "You'll have a hard time finding a country in Europe without a national company."

Jon let his hand drop to his chest as he tried to come up with a way to bring back her smile. "What about Spain?" he asked, hoping to distract her.

It worked.

A dreamy smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "The Posodos Ballet Company. I danced with them the same summer I was in Italy. That was a lot of fun. I'd love to go back to the Ballet Cymru in Wales too." The mischievous gleam was back, and she poked him in the chest. "I must be getting one rich boyfriend to be able to afford all of this. At least I better be. Because I am not sleeping in hostels. It's 5-star resorts, private jets, and expensive dinners only thank you very much."

Jon looked deeply apologetic. "When I said I wanted you to have a boyfriend who can take you travelin' through Europe I did mean in style, although he'll have to be willin' to take money from wealthy parents even if he doesn't talk to them."

A tender look settled in her eyes as she ran her fingers through his hair again. "And I want you. So how're you going to afford it? I assume you're talking about our extended honeymoon."

He nodded, pleased that she knew all along.

"I hope you do have some favors from Mummy and Daddy and their business associates to call in," she teased.

"Well, actually," he said, feigning embarrassment. "I was hopin' my not girlfriend' would call in her dance favors. Otherwise I'm gonna have to sublet the apartment so I can use my rent money on top of saving' to afford everythin'." He paused to shoot her a faux worried look. "Do either of us have a cousin with a private jet?"

This made her laugh out loud and nearly woke Shawn. "You're such a scrub."

"Am I still gonna get some love from you?" He grinned as he put a hand behind her head and pulled her into a kiss.

"Mmmhmm," she replied. Their kiss deepened until a sudden snort snore from Shawn as he turned over reminded them they weren't alone.

"Well, not boyfriend," she went back to teasing him. "I could get used to traveling. And this guy I'm with right now is definitely making it worth my while so far. It's more than I've gotten from anyone since Mum died."

"You deserve it," he said with an affectionate smile. "Especially since we're skippin' the romance of datin'."

She played with the curls resting against his forehead. Her eyes sparkled with flirty mischief. "Well, date or not, thanks for inviting me."

"Thank Shawn. It was his idea," he admitted with feigned annoyance.

"I know. He loves me more than you do."

Jon shook his head adamantly. "Not a chance in the world he does, babe."

"I love you, too, Jonny."

A hot fire spread through him as she leaned down and kissed the fingers of the hand that rested on his chest, and it wasn't long before he had to get up and take a walk around the grounds outside of the cabin to cool off.

Chapter Text

Jon still felt like he was walking on hot coals by the time he got back to the cabin and was happy to see that Shawn was up and sleepily hanging onto Audrey while she cooked hot dogs on the stove. He walked up behind them and gave Shawn a light pop on the back of the head. The teen rolled his head to the side and gave him a lazy grin.

Audrey kept the meal simple: hot dogs and chips. The last two days had been filled with a lot of food and snacks and neither Jon nor Shawn felt like eating much. Shawn ate very little, which was not surprising since Jon had not seen him without a bag of something in his hands for the past 48 hours unless he was asleep. Audrey on the other hand was beginning to worry him.

It wasn't that she hadn't been eating, but Jon noticed that her meals were reduced to sampling whatever he or Shawn were eating. At lunch half of her burger went in the trash and she only picked at her fries.

Now, as they cleaned up the kitchen, Jon saw the pale look on her face and caught Shawn's attention. With a serious look he nodded at Audrey. Shawn understood the unspoken direction: pull up a chair; it's time for a family chat.

They had established this protocol with Audrey's therapist and practiced it a few times, but this was the first time using it without professional supervision.

"Hey," Jon said casually. He put his arm around her after she put the rag on the dishrack.

"Hey," she replied leaning into him. She gave Shawn, who was holding out a chair to her, a curious look.

"You feelin' okay?"

Audrey knew from the tone of his voice that there was more to this, but she wasn't sure what. "People have been asking me that all day. You know I'm not pregnant," she snapped in exasperation.

Jon and Shawn exchanged worried looks. This was not a normal reaction to a simple question.

Audrey started to pull away. Although he was still uncertain about how to phrase his concern he no longer tried for the perfect words. "Your eatin' has decreased over the last day," he said in a neutral tone. "You barely touched dinner."

Audrey paled further and she glanced at Shawn who watched her with concern. The urge to revert to old ways and divert attention away from herself or lie was overwhelming.

It took her several minutes to fight the compulsion and answer. "I'm struggling with obsessive thoughts about the waterpark."

Shawn was at her side in an instant. "Mama, if you don't wanna go, we don't go. I don't care that much about it."

"It's not the rides," she said weakly as panic rose up within her. A cold sweat broke over her and she felt a wave of nausea hit her. She wanted to run but Jon had a firm grip on her, and Shawn clutched her hand. They knew her too well to be put off by excuses.

"It's…it's what to wear. I don't know if I can wear a swimsuit.'

"How come?" Shawn asked.

"It's just…" she glanced at Jon but quickly looked away. "It's the idea of wearing something so revealing."

Shawn gave Jon a severe look. He was under the impression Audrey had not seen the suit and that he would get to approve it before she did. He was about to voice his displeasure when Audrey said, "Besides, I don't have one."

Without thinking, Shawn replied, "Yeah, you do. Jon got you one on the way here."

Audrey frowned and looked up at Jon. "You did?"

"Yeah," Jon said, suddenly wishing he hadn't without her approval. "I saw you didn't have one when we packed your stuff, so I picked one up for you when we were at Goode's."

"Oh." The words that followed sounded hollow. "Thanks, Jonny. I'm sure I'll love whatever you picked out."

"Don't worry, Mama, I'll take a look at it first to make sure he didn't get you a dopey beige one piece or something." Shawn huffed his hair out of his eyes and gave Jon a pointed look.

Jon shot him one of annoyance. "I had no intention of gettin' that one."

"I still need to look at it," he replied. "Your fashion sense is questionable at best."

"And yours isn't, Mr. Too Much Shirts?"

Normally she enjoyed listening to their back and forth, but the compulsive feeling to run compounded by the nausea was crushing her. She battled with what she knew she knew she should do and old habits.

Jon and Shawn continued snarking at each other while she silently struggled. Anxiety hit her hard. Audrey gripped Jon's shirt and just before compulsion pushed her to the bathroom, she blurted out, "I don't think it's a good idea for me to be alone tonight."

Immediately Jon and Shawn stopped their bickering.

"Mama?" Shawn leaned in close to her.

"Aud?"

"I have that feeling like I want to make myself throw up."

Jon was caught off guard by the confession as this was the first time she'd ever said anything to them outside of her therapist's office.

This was a big step for her.

Shawn met Jon's eyes and nodded his understanding of what was happening. "Dad and I'll be happy not to give you any personal space whatsoever."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thanks."

"I'm proud of you, Aud," Jon said, kissing her head.

"Me, too," Shawn said, wrapping them both in a hug.

"You're really makin' progress, babe."

"Yeah, Mama, you're kickin' this eatin' disorder's butt!"

Jon and Shawn continued to shower her in praise. Audrey just nodded numbly, not nearly as confident in herself as they were.

It wasn't the alarm that woke Jon up the next morning.

Hot air hit his face at a rhythmic pace. And that air smelled strangely like toothpaste and Fruit Loops.

He tried to turn over to get away from both the heat and smell, but he was prevented from doing so by a heavy weight in the middle of his chest. He opened one eye and found Shawn's nose mere centimeters away from his face. Jon woke fully with a strangled cry of shock and annoyance.

"What are you doin'!?" he hissed.

Shawn gave him a dirty look and clamped his hand over Jon's mouth. "Shhh! You'll wake Mama!'

Jon very seriously considered licking the kid's palm, but it occurred to him that he didn't know what Shawn's hand washing habits were and reconsidered. Instead he took hold of his wrist and pushed the teen away from his face.

"What are you doin'?" he repeated in a low growl.

Shawn pulled away and scowled at him. He stood up and motioned sharply for Jon to follow him.

With a silent groan, Jon threw off the covers and begrudging left the bedroom. Audrey didn't stir, but she never did. He wondered if she really slept through their noise or if she was just ignoring them.

"What is this all about?" he asked again once the bedroom door was closed behind them."

As he said this his attention was caught by the clock.

6 A.M.

Jon glared at the timepiece and shoved his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants.

Unphased by the early hour Shawn said seriously, "We're goin' to the waterpark today."

He stared at the teen incredulously. " That's what you woke me up to tell me?"

Shawn sighed in exasperation. "No, I woke you up so I can see this swimsuit you got Audrey."

Jon closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. After a moment, he relaxed.

It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to get a second just wasn't sure Shawn's was the best one to get.

"Fine. Wait here."

Quietly he slipped back into the room and went to his bed. He reached under the mattress and pulled out a bag. He wasn't really sure why he was hiding it although he was a bit nervous about giving his student teacher something that could be perceived as intimate by certain people.

As soon as the bag was in hand, he was thrown into the previous year trying to explain the brown bag containing Kat's underwear to Mr. Feeny. He still couldn't look back on that without feeling completely humiliated.

But this was not the same situation. There was no nosy principal around. And it was just a swimsuit.

He was barely back in the living room when Shawn snatched the bag from him. The teen pulled the suit out and discarded the packaging on the floor. Jon grumbled under his breath to calm the nerves that were irritating him as he picked up the bag.

Shawn held the garment up and examined it from every conceivable angle. He held it to the light, up to Jon, and up to himself.

All in silence.

Jon could only take so much. "Well?"

Shawn laid the bikini out on the table and took three exaggerated steps back, eying it critically. Finally, he said, "I'm surprised you got the one with so much fabric."

Jon gave him an exasperated look. It was too early in the morning for this.

Shawn arched a brow at him. "I saw the ones you were lookin' at."

"I thought you were talkin' to that old guy about huntin'," he snapped back.

Shawn ignored him. "I'm glad you didn't get that beige one-piece you spent so long on."

"I thought it was a pearly bikini," Jon grumbled.

"Pearly?" Shawn made a face. "What does that even mean?"

"Who cares? Focus on the suit I got huh?" As much as he didn't want to admit, he was worried that Shawn thought the suit was terrible which would guarantee Audrey would too. "What about this one?"

Shawn went back to scrutinizing it in silence.

Jon put his hands on his waist and was about to snap at him when the teen moved his finger away from his mouth and gave a nod of approval.

"Good choice." Shawn put his hand on Jon's shoulder and pointed to the suit. "The colors will go great with her hair and skin. The skirt provides plenty of coverage and the top is pretty padded. Mama should feel well covered. There's just one thing."

The tone of his voice set Jon on edge. "What?"

"How do you know you got the right size?"

A red flush colored his cheeks. Sheepishly, he admitted, "I checked her underwear while we were packin' and got the same size."

Shawn approved of this. "What about the top?"

Jon frowned. "What about the top?"

"Didn't you check her bra size?"

Jon closed his eyes and grimaced. It did not occur to him that there would be a difference.

Shawn let out a low whistle when he saw the look on his teacher's face. "Yeah, if you didn't get the right cup size she's gonna feel exposed. Too small she'll spill over the cups. Too big and she'll fall out of it. And it won't look good."

Suddenly Jon became very uncomfortable discussing the suit and Audrey with him. However Shawn was right. He couldn't believe it never occurred to him to check her bra size, especially when that sort of thing used to be the only thing that ever occurred to him and was one of the first things he checked.

"So what do I do?" He dropped heavily into a chair by the table.

Shawn shrugged. "Nothin' you can do but show her and let her see if it fits."

He put his hand over his mouth then said, "I can't believe I don't know her bra size."

They sat in silence both staring at the swimsuit. Then Shawn said unhelpfully, "Topanga would know."

"How?"

"Girls have a way of knowin' these things about each other," he replied like a wise sage.

Jon gave him a skeptical look, then chuckled. Shawn could be so confidently wrong sometimes. He watched the teen for a moment then said, "I'm surprised you don't know that kind of thing."

Shawn twitched his nose and looked at the bikini thoughtfully. "I don't see Audrey like that."

"I didn't mean it that way."

"I know." Shawn smoothed out the wrinkles in the skirt. "But yeah, I used to just glance at a girl and know her sizes."

"And now?"

He shrugged and folded his hands in front of him. "I don't see Audrey like," he said again. "She's really beautiful." There was a thoughtful look in his eyes. "But there's a lot more to her, you know? I figure if there's a lot more to Aud who isn't a lot older than the girls I date then that means there's more to them than how hot they are, right?"

A smile tugged at the corner of Jon's mouth over this revelation. "Yeah."

His mind went to the time Shawn snuck Veronica Watson back to the apartment and all the girls he chose based solely on looks. He recalled the time he found and destroyed the notebook rating girls' physical features in detail that was passed around the locker room not long after the Veronica incident.

So hearing this mature outlook from Shawn made Jon inexplicably proud of him.

The kid was really growing up.

As if to confirm this Shawn said, "I'm startin' not to see any girl like that anymore."

"When did this happen?" he asked quietly.

Shawn shrugged and then frowned as he tried to remember. "I dunno the exact moment but seein' how differently you treat Aud make me think about it. I mean most guys would go for her because she's young and hot then do the whole 'love 'em and leave 'em" thing." He turned to face and regarded him seriously. "But you didn't do that. No matter what you wanted, you put her first. You treat her…"

Shawn frowned as he struggled with his last thoughts.

"Like a person?" Jon offered.

He shook his head slightly, then paused and nodded. "With respect."

Jon sat back in surprise. While Shawn always said he was different with Audrey than with other women he dated, he did not realize how strongly his actions affected the teen in his care. Or how closely he was being watched. It was intimidating to think he had so much influence over someone just by what he did.

As loud as actions spoke though, he knew words were needed to back them up, so he said, "I'm proud of you, Shawn."

Shawn looked surprised for a moment, then gave a small smile and nodded. He returned his attention to the bikini. "Show Mama," he said. "If it doesn't fit we can always get her somethin' else."

He looked at Jon through his bangs and said sincerely, "You didn't get the string bikini you spent so much time starin' at."

Jon gave a short laugh and shook his head. "Nah, I know Audrey wouldn't be comfortable in something like that. She has to wear it, not me. I want her to be comfortable."

Shawn gave him a pleased grin. "I'm proud of you. You're growin' up."

This brought a loud chuckle out of Jon. He reached over and put the teen in an affectionate headlock.

"Yeah, we've both done a lot of growin' this year."

"Jon, I really appreciate the thought, but there is no way I can wear this."

"It's the wrong size isn't it?" Jon was standing in the doorway of the bedroom where Audrey sat on the bed holding up his gift.

"No, actually, it's not." She peeked around the bikini to give him a curious look. "How did you know my size anyway?"

He came very close to blaming it on Shawn then realized if he couldn't talk to the woman he was going to marry about something simple like this, they were going to have problems later on.

He took a deep breath and said, "I took a look at your underwear while we packed. Got lucky with the top."

The top was what Audrey was holding up and looking at in dismay.

"What's wrong with it?"

Nothing was wrong with the suit.

Audrey slowly lowered the swimsuit and stared at him. He was already ready for their day at the waterpark; dressed in swimming trunks and a white button-up shirt that was unbuttoned showing off his buff physique. As ridiculous as it sounded, she could not help but compare herself to him. He was fit and, in her opinion, perfect. She was not and felt lacking next to him.

There was no way people thought they actually belonged together.

She didn't say this out loud though. Instead she held the suit out to him and said, "The colors wash me out."

Jon crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe, regarding her seriously. "Those are colors you wear all the time."

Her face flickered from its neutral expression to guilt and back again. Jon stepped inside the room and closed the door.

"Talk to me, Aud. What's wrong with the suit?"

"Nothing."

He arched his brow. "Somethin's wrong."

She said nothing but he could see the internal struggle she was having- it was written all over her face.

Jon pursed his lips together for a moment. He knew what the issue was, and he knew she needed to be the one to express it. "What is it?"

There was several minutes of silence as Audrey stared at her hands and the fabric she held in them.

Finally she said, "It's me."

He frowned slightly. "Babe, I don't understand."

"Jon, this suit is meant for someone curvy," she explained with a heavy sigh. "Someone who can fill it out. I can't."

Jon very nearly let a "have you looked in a mirror lately" slip out as he sat next to her.

While he didn't expect her to see herself the way he saw, he was hoping that she was becoming more accepting of herself. It troubled him even more that there was nothing he could say or do to convince her she was not lacking in any way.

But he knew he had to let her work through her feelings on her own so, as much as he wanted to "fix" things, he merely held her gaze for a long while then said, "How do you know if you don't try it on?"

She looked at the swimsuit as though it might bite her hand.

"I can't wear it in public."

Jon shrugged. "Not askin' you to. I just think you should try it on for yourself and I dunno give yourself some grace. You don't have to show me or anythin'."

She frowned at the suit then looked up at him before slowly nodding. He squeezed her hand then left the room.

Audrey sat on the bed for several minutes unsure of what to do. She could put the suit on and just not look in the mirror. Or she could just look in the bathroom mirror because her top half wasn't so bad; she didn't mind her arms.

She'd be okay as long as she avoided her problem areas in the full-length mirror.

She could put the suit on.

She could walk out of the bedroom.

She could walk past a crowd of people under the right circumstances.

But she could not let Jon see her.

A deep-rooted fear trapped her. A fear that if he should see her in it, he would be so disappointed that he would end up always thinking of the women he'd been with in the past and regret his decision to marry her.

She didn't know what to do.

Minutes ticked by and there was no sound from the bedroom. Jon wondered if she'd made it as far as trying on the suit or if she got stuck somewhere in between. As much as he wanted to walk in and see what was going on, he waited.

And waited.

Shawn watched him with an intense expression. "She's been in there for a long time."

"Yeah." He started to pace the small living area.

"I'm serious about skippin' the waterpark. I really don't care."

"I know." Jon stopped pacing and looked at his student. "I just wish I knew how far to push her; you know? She needs to do things like this, but I don't wanna end up hurtin' her."

"I know," Shawn sighed.

Jon resumed walking.

After fifteen minutes the door to the bedroom cracked open a sliver.

"Jon?"

He was at the door the moment he heard his name. Shawn stood up and watched curiously but otherwise stayed put.

Although she opened the door, she wouldn't let him in.

"I can't wear this."

"Hey, that's okay," he said, giving the door a slight push. She pushed back so he couldn't open it.

"Can I come in?"

Silence.

"Aud?"

The pressure on the other side of the door released. Gingerly he pushed the door open and found her hiding on the other side. She stood in the corner behind the door with her hair wrapped around her shoulders and her head down.

Jon felt a deep sympathy and heartache for what she was struggling with. It was hard to understand how she could not like what she saw in the mirror.

He certainly did.

He was also pleased to see her looking healthier than he'd ever seen her. There was no trick of the lighting this time. But it didn't matter when she was close to tears over it.

Reaching for her hand, he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. She didn't resist but she didn't look at him either. He held her until she relaxed then he lightly traced the length of her spine with his fingertip as he took in the warm softness of her skin.

"You are a knock-out." he said, kissing the top of her head.

He felt a small smile against his chest, and she exhaled her breath. He also felt her clutch his shirt anxiously.

"Okay," she said in an all too cheery tone. "If you like it that much I'll wear it. Guess I should put something over this so we can get breakfast."

Jon didn't miss the tone of her voice. He didn't miss the avoidance of looking directly at him. Nor did he miss the trembling of her hands as she let go of him and went to the dresser.

As she drew her hair around her trying to hide, he sighed unhappily.

She did look incredible, so much so it made his head swim. He struggled to keep his thoughts in check.. No matter how much he liked what he saw, he could not let her go out so full of fear of over a swimsuit.

Her mental health wasn't worth the risk.

Jon took off his shirt, walked up behind her, and draped it over her shoulders. He kissed the crook of her neck and buttoned the first two buttons.

"There's a place that sells clothin' and stuff just down the road. Shawn saw it on the Campgrounds map yesterday. They sell swimsuits. Why don't we stop there before headin' to the water park? You can pick out somethin' you feel comfortable in."

"But you like this one."

He nodded thoughtfully then winked at her. "We'll save it for the honeymoon."

A light blush flushed her cheeks as she turned around to give him a kiss of gratitude. He let his hands linger on her waist then kissed her once more before leaving the room.

For such a small store there was a surprisingly large selection of swimsuits to choose from.

During the search for the right suit for Audrey, Jon and Shawn learned that trying on clothing was a source of great fear for her.

Jon understood it from the point of it taking too much time to do, but he knew that was not the source of her anxiety.

Shawn did not understand it at all. Mostly because he didn't try on clothes at stores. His clothes were often hand-me downs from some brother or cousin or from the Good Will at times, almost never new. When he moved in with Jon, his teacher's method of sizing clothes for him was to hold the article of clothing up to him and say, "too small", "too big", or "close enough".

The problem turned out to be getting Audrey to actually try on the suit once she was in the dressing room. She would disappear with an armful of swimsuits in different sizes and refuse to come out.

There was no reason beyond "I hate it" given which made it hard for Jon and Shawn to try to find something else; they had no idea what to avoid.

To get the information needed they needed to talk to her which brought another problem: Audrey wouldn't come out and Jon couldn't go in.

"We should have brought Topanga with us," Shawn said, puffing his bangs out of his eyes. He stood in the middle of a round rack of clothing, leaning over the top of it.

Jon frowned in confusion. "Why?"

"She could go in and help Aud."

"Yeah," he sighed, "but we didn't."

Shawn disappeared abruptly into the clothes and reappeared at Jon's side. "It's not very busy," he remarked as he looked around.

"So?"

"Nobody's back here."

"So?"

"So, go in with her," Shawn said, annoyed Jon wasn't paying more attention to the situation.

"Shawn." Jon wasn't sure how to respond to this. "I can't. We'd be thrown out if I got caught. Or worse, arrested."

"Broth-er," he rolled his eyes, unimpressed by Jon's lack of chivalry. "No one's here and I'll keep watch."

Knowing what Shawn' attention span was like this did not instill confidence in him. "And if someone does come in what're you gonna do?"

"The crow flies at midnight," the teen said seriously, folding his arms over his stomach.

"What?"

"The crow flies at midnight. It means…"

"I know what it means," Jon said exasperated, "but what good does it do me if I'm in there and someone comes in?"

"You don't come out."

"Oh. Right." Jon blinked, unsure of how he missed the obvious.

When Shawn saw he was going to refuse, he leaned dramatically towards the changing rooms with his hand cupped around his ear. "I think she's cryin'.

He didn't actually hear anything, but it got the response out of Jon he hoped for. His teacher immediately disappeared into the women's changing room.

"Hey, Aud." He rapped his knuckles lightly on the door. "You decent?"

"Yeah," her voice was muffled but she didn't sound like she was crying.

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah, I guess."

He opened the door and quickly stepped inside. As he shut the door behind him, Jon realized he'd been conned again. He quietly laughed at himself for falling for it, then turned his attention to Audrey. She was sitting on the bench in a shimmery purple one piece staring down at the floor.

She may not have been crying, but she was close to it.

Concerned, he knelt in front of her. He placed his hands on the bench on either side of her and kissed her forehead. "What's up?"

"I hate changing rooms." Her voice was emotionless and her expression blank. "I just get comfortable seeing myself and then I come here and I just…" She looked up with a look of defeat in her eyes. "This is pointless, Jon. I'm not going to find anything. You and Shawn should go without me. I'll stay in the cabin and meet you at Dutch Wonderland when you're done."

"You will not," he said firmly. When she flinched slightly, he softened her approach and gently brushed her hair away from her face. "What is it about changin' rooms that's so bad?"

She pointed to the mirror and the lights then let her hands drop back into her lap.

Jon wrinkled his nose as he looked around. Looking back at her he saw what she meant. The lighting was harsh, and it made it look like she had dark circles under her eyes and added a hawkishness to her features that did not exist outside of that room. He assumed the lighting was made worse in the mirror.

After several minutes of talking to her and even taking his shirt off to show her the lighting wasn't kind to him either, he got her to stand up and show him the suit.

He loved it as the fabric had a wet look to it and clung to her like a wetsuit. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and hated what she saw.

Under no circumstances would she wear this one.

Jon refrained from arguing with her and nodded. "That one's out. You wanna try another one?"

She nodded hesitantly then looked expectantly at him. He stared back at her with a look of admiration.

Audrey shook her head and smiled slightly. "If you want me to try on another one you'll have to leave."

Jon frowned. "Goin' in and out is gonna attract attention. How about I just turn around?"

She nodded, already distracted by her image in front of her.

He saw this as he turned around and wondered if taking the mirror out of the equation would help. He stood in front of it with his head bowed so he wouldn't be tempted to peek behind him.

At Audrey's alert he turned around and remained firmly in front of the mirror.

"I can't see, Jon."

"I know. How do you feel about that one?"

It was a cute deep red one-piece with a halter top.

"I hate the cut."

This didn't surprise him as it was high cut. But he did like this one, even more than the purple one, and not just because of the way she looked in it.

"You remind me of Wanda Maximoff," he said with a smile.

Audrey looked up at him sharply. "Who's that? An ex-girlfriend?"

He laughed and shook his head. "Wanda Maximoff also known as the Scarlet Witch. She made her first appearance in X-Men number 4 in 1964."

Audrey couldn't help but laugh. She would be one of his superheroes. "Is that the comic book you taught on your first day?"

"No, that was Uncanny X-Men Volume 1, number 316." He reached out to her and took both hands as he admired her and the suit. "Wanda was not in that one. The comic this suit reminds me of is from Vision & Scarlet Witch number 1. Came out in '82. She got her first solo comic last year, but it was…not great."

He made a face as he thought of Wanda's suit and hair cut in that series.

She smiled knowingly. "But it's still in your collection under your bed. Or is it in the attic?"

"Attic, all of it," he chuckled. "The collection had to be moved; it unleveled my bed."

She shook her head then tried to get around him to see the mirror.

"Aud."

She looked up at him.

"Are you comfortable in that suit?"

She shook her head.

"Then there's no point in lookin' in the mirror." He pressed his back against the mirror making it impossible for her to get a glimpse of herself. "Have you felt comfortable in anythin' you've tried on?"

She turned and looked with uncertainty at the garments hanging on the hooks behind her. After a while she shrugged. "I really liked the bottom of the suit you got me. But not the top. I can't wear a bikini top."

"Hmm," Jon said. After a moment he said another set of words he never thought he'd say, "I think we need to consult Shawn."

"What about?"

He wouldn't elaborate. Instead he turned around again while she changed back into her street clothes. Before they left the room, Jon covered the mirror with a long shawl that had been left by a previous customer.

"Don't you dare take that down," he told her.

Shawn was not by the dressing room door but was instead hidden among the racks of swimsuits.

"Shawn!"

He jumped at his name and the back of the teen's head came into sharp contact with the bar of the rack of clothes he was in. Rubbing the back of his head he shot Jon a peeved look before walking over to him.

"Did you find something?"

"Half of something."

"Top or bottom?"

"Bottom."

"Which suit?"

"The one I bought."

"So we need a top."

Shawn turned to Audrey who was confused by the rapid conversation. "What do you want in a top, Mama?"

"Um, I didn't mind the halter top of the red suit."

The teen took the suit from her and studied it carefully. "Halter top with a sweetheart neckline," he murmured thoughtfully.

Normally, Jon would have asked how he knew that, but he didn't care if the kid was making names up as long he knew what to get Audrey.

Audrey put her hands on her hips. "What exactly are you two up to?"

Jon and Shawn exchanged smiles and nods then turned their attention to the swimsuits. Audrey stood back and watched them. Ten minutes later Jon and Shawn brought her a few items to try on. While they waited for her to come back, Shawn reburied himself in the racks.

"What are you doin'?"

Whatever the answer, it was lost in the hangers.

It didn't take long for Shawn to reemerge, holding onto something that reminded Jon of a towel. Before he could ask about it the frozen look of surprise on Shawn's face made him turn in the direction of the dressing room.

Standing shyly in the entry way was Audrey wearing a bright blue halter top with a sweetheart neckline. The shade matched the blue of the bottoms Jon had bought her. While the suit complimented her figure well, it wasn't the cause of their reaction. It was that she was wearing the suit in the middle of a store in front of them and did not look like she wanted the earth to open up beneath her feet.

Audrey's anxiety kicked into overdrive at their lack of response. "Uh guys?"

Jon broke out of his stupor first and smacked Shawn's shoulder with the back of his hand.

"I love it, Aud. You look great," he said, followed by a low whistle.

"Hot, Mama," Shawn grinned. "Very hot."

"Thanks," she replied almost shyly.

"How do you feel in it?" Jon asked as he walked over to her.

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and shrugged. "I don't feel like I'm going to crawl out of my skin."

"Hey, progress," Shawn pointed out proudly.

Audrey chuckled at this.

Jon put his arm around her. "You still don't look completely comfortable."

"I just need to get used to it."

"What about this?" Shawn held up a lilac terry cloth romper with a strapless top. "Lots of people wear covers up and this looks like regular clothes."

Audrey took the garment and held it up. "Yeah, I could try it."

She returned a few minutes later and was met with loud approval.

"That's cute," Jon remarked sincerely. He didn't miss that she wasn't wearing the suit underneath. "How do you feel in that?"

Her hands immediately went to her bare shoulders.

Jon and Shawn exchanged looks.

"I'm on it," the teen said.

By the time Audrey returned from changing back into her own clothes, Shawn was waiting by Jon with a short white terry cloth robe with blue and purple stripes in hand.

"I had one of these when I was a kid," she said with a fond smile. "It was white with orange and yellow stripes and green trim."

"In case you need more coverage," he explained.

"Thanks, sweetheart." She looked at Jon and back at Shawn. Taking a deep breath she handed it back to him and said, "But I don't think I will."

As Audrey headed to the checkout, Shawn looked back at his teacher before putting the cover up back. Jon motioned for him to add it to the pile.

Just in case.

Chapter Text

"Do you know how many kids must pee in the pools here in one day?"

This was the announcement Shawn just had to loudly make when the family entered Duke's Lagoon. Audrey visibly reacted with a grimace and Jon reached around her to pop Shawn on the back of the head.

She did not need anything to discourage her from joining them in the water activities.

Shawn's response to the smack was to charge ahead into the park as though he knew where he was going. He did not know where he was going and ended up in the baby area where he got funny looks from the kids already there.

"Mom and I wanna relive the moments we missed with you," Jon teased him as the teen tried to escape the little kids who were awed by his presence. "But this is takin' it a little too far, don't you think?"

Shawn shot him a dirty look as a toddler tried to hand him a juice box. "I've never been here before," he replied grumpily. "And I forgot the map."

"They have maps here," Jon pointed out.

Shawn scrunched his nose up as he exited the splash pad as quickly as he could. "Yeah, not walkin' back and forth between the map and wherever you guys are. It's already gettin' too hot."

Jon glanced at the pool at their feet and gave Shawn a smirk. "I'll be happy to help you cool off anytime. Just say the word."

Shawn eyed him suspiciously and inched closer to Audrey.

Jon laughed at him and headed off to where he'd seen a map. From there, Shawn quickly planned out the day, careful to get the rides that would keep them cool but allow Audrey to stay in her coverup if she wanted to.

Jon was not thrilled with any of the rides Shawn picked out as they sounded too close to the rides he'd been hurt on at Action Park.

"These rides were tested for kids," Shawn remarked as though Jon was being unreasonable.

"So were the Action Park ones."

"Yeah, but I've never heard of crash test dummies being dismembered by any of the rides here."

"I'm sure we won't have any problems like we did there," Audrey reassured him. "I've been watching, and no one's been thrown off a slide or hit anything."

"Yeah, I guess." Jon made a face and pushed his aviator sunglasses up on the bridge of his nose.

"If you don't feel comfortable, you can always ride the baby rides. And Duke's Lagoon apparently has juice boxes."

Jon moved to pop him again, but Shawn was ready and dodged him easily with a smirk on his face. Jon shook his head and laughed, "Alright fine, let's get this over with."

The rides, of course, were nothing like the ones at Action Park. They were just the right speed so that Jon enjoyed them while Shawn and Audrey were mildly entertained.

Ultimately, there was not much to do at the Lagoon as it was just a small offshoot of the main park. After an hour, the family headed to a cabana Jon had reserved for them to eat lunch and discuss the rest of the day.

Jon settled into one of the lounge chairs while Shawn sprawled out in another. Since there were only two chairs, Audrey was left sitting at the dining table alone. Jon saw her watching them and held his hand out to her.

"Shawn's talkin' names, Aud, I think you need to be over here."

Audrey walked over to them and, after a moment's hesitation, settled herself on Jon's lap. Her bare shoulders pressing against his bare chest made her shiver slightly as an electric current ran down her spine. He noticed this and kissed her neck which only heightened the sensation.

"So," Audrey said, trying to ignore how close she was to Jon, "are these names you like or don't like?"

"Like," Shawn said, turning himself around so that his feet were propped up on the back of the lounge chair and his head was in the seat. As he watched the ceiling fan lazily turn he ticked off the names, "Chloe, Claire, Madison, Amber, Michelle, and Amelia."

"I like Amelia," Audrey said. "I had a friend at the Joffrey Ballet School named Amelia. We called her Mia."

"Amelia Turner," Shawn said thoughtfully. "Not terrible."

The mention of the school Audrey attended when she was a child sparked a conversation about famous dancers whose names she liked. This went on until Shawn became restless. Then they headed back out to the rides again.

The Pipeline Plunge had two slides that snaked around each other. The blue one was opened and allowed riders to see the path in front of them while the black slide was fully enclosed and very dark. Audrey waited for them, amusedly wondering if Shawn would be able to get Jon on the black slide. He must have because she saw Jon haul Shawn away from water after they got off the ride, furious the teen had tried to get the raft to ride the side of the walls using the principals he'd picked up from Jon's Action Park stories.

It wasn't possible to do it on the ride, but Shawn's attempts had given Jon traumatic flashbacks of the Cannonball Loop and he was not happy about it.

Before heading back to the main park, the family spent some time at a small wave pool. Until this point, Audrey had not taken her jumper off, despite being soaked several times. However, at the wave pool, Jon and Shawn's shirts promptly came off and were discarded at her feet. She gathered them up and absently put them in a nearby chair along with their towels with her eyes fixed on Jon. She was so caught up in staring at him, that she didn't realize she was taking off her coverup and adding it to the clothing pile.

Jon turned at the right moment to see her do this. It took tremendous effort to bring his eyes up to her face. She was smiling curiously at his reaction since he'd already seen her at the store. Caught, he splashed Shawn roughly to hide his embarrassment.

Jon wasn't the only one who had trouble bringing his eyes up to her face. Nearly every adult head swiveled when she walked over to join them in the pool.

Shawn, though he was proud of her courage, and the way she looked, quickly grew tired of the rude staring and thought Jon should do something about it. He was more than a little miffed that Jon wasn't interested in starting any fights nor would he let him start any.

The waves at the end of the pool were unimpressive and try as he might to make things interesting, it was difficult when his people were as wrapped up in each other as they were. Shawn caught Jon staring at Audrey multiple times and vice versa.

Tired of being ignored he scolded impishly, "Aw, c'mon! Go back to the cabin and get a room already."

Jon pulled his attention from Audrey and shot him a warning look.

Invigorated by the teasing that had been handed to him, he continued with a smirk, "Hey, Mama, why don't you come sit over here so your boyfriend can better view of you?"

Jon glared daggers at him. Audrey had been standing in front of him until Shawn called her over. He liked his view of her just fine and the kid ruined it.

In retaliation, he made a scoop out of his hands and dragged them through the water towards Shawn. When his hands broke the surface a surge of water splashed over the teen, drenching him completely.

Audrey waded over to them and got caught in Shawn's revenge. She was left sputtering and coughing from the water that was dumped over her. This sparked a furious back and forth of splashing water that took them further into the pool. They continued their fighting until one of the waves came up and took all three of them down.

They pulled themselves out of the water, laughing. Jon helped Audrey to the edge of the pool holding her much closer than necessary. Shawn grinned as Jon dipped his head to kiss her. When they finally remembered they weren't the only ones at the pool, Shawn gleefully snorted, "Seriously, if you guys could get through this trip without kissin' at inappropriate times…"

Jon gave him a pinched look. Audrey put her hands on her hips and gave Jon a secretive smile and a wink. "He's right, you know."

Instinctively Jon knew where she was going. "True."

"It's not right. We aren't being very good parents.."

"No, we aren't. Our kid actually likes bein' out with us in public."

"What do you say?" she asked, nodding at a very confused Shawn.

Jon looked at the teen and grinned. "I say we oughta fix that."

Before Shawn knew what was happening they surrounded him and got him with exaggerated kisses on the cheeks.

He stood between them with his hands on waist and didn't react.

Jon and Audrey exchanged surprised looks. Shawn saw this and remarked, "Was that supposed to embarrass me?"

He saw the look of disappointment on Jon's face over his lack of reaction. Remembering that they were supposed to be making up for lost time, Shawn decided to humor them. In a very loud whine he wailed, "Gross! You guys are so embarrassin'! Parents are the worst!" and promptly burst into peals of laughter.

Jon rolled his eyes and splashed him again.

Shawn grinned as he shook wet hair out of his face.

"Seriously," he said, looking pleased with himself. "If you wanna embarrass me, you're gonna have to try a lot harder than that. I'm shameless."

Back in the main park, the trio rounded out the day by going back to a few favorite rides from the day before and a few new ones. As the day went on, the heat grew, and the family was far more tired than anyone wanted to admit. Still they continued on.

Jon found himself constantly checking on Shawn as he couldn't help but wonder if the teen really was having a good time because the park really was for young kids.

The perpetual grin on Shawn's face said he was having the time of his life. There was no worry, sullenness, or melancholy in his features. In fact, Jon hadn't seen any of that since they left Philadelphia. He knew it was still there though; it had to be. Kids didn't have their ties to their biological parents severed so severely and not be deeply affected by it.

He knew that from experience.

But this was their weekend to forget all of that. The rest could wait until they got into family counseling.

Eventually the trio had to admit that they needed a break. Luckily, Shawn had the perfect ride in mind- the Sky Ride, a scenic fly over of the park.

Well, perfect for him and Audrey anyway.

Apparently Jon had an issue with heights.

"It looks like one of those ski lifts," Shawn said as their turn on the ride came up. "I thought you used to ski at all those rich people's resorts."

"I did."

"Don't those things go higher than this?"

Jon shoved his hands in the pocket of his swim trunks and made a face at the ride's seating.

Shawn eyed him worriedly then glanced at Audrey who shrugged. "You ride with him, Mama. In case he throws up."

The teen wasn't quick enough to dodge a smack to the back of the head this time.

The Sky Ride was a slow peaceful ride. The speed was just enough to cool its riders off and give them a chance to relax, which Shawn was taking advantage of. He almost forgot about Jon and Audrey.

Almost.

At the halfway point of the ride Shawn turned around to check on his people who were behind him.

He immediately burst out laughing.

Jon was leaning against the side of the cabin with one arm resting on the rail pinching the bridge of his nose. With the other hand he had a grip so tight on Audrey's thigh that Shawn could see the white imprints of his fingertips against her tanned skin.

"Hey, Mama," he called out with his eyes on Jon. "Are you gettin' any blood flow at all to that area?"

Audrey gave him a "knock it off" look while Jon opened his eyes enough to give him a dirty one. After the ride ended Shawn tried to find an "I survived the Sky Ride" shirt for Jon who did not appreciate the joke.

The rest of the day was spent checking out the various shows the park put on. Shawn wanted to be sure wouldn't scare a baby.

While the diving show Audrey chose to go to was entertaining, it was very wet since they sat in the red seats. Shawn noted they needed to sit farther away when the baby joined them.

He was completely unimpressed by Jon's show choice: Free Folk of Middle- Earth Show. Shawn was completely against this as he felt Jon was going to make him read Tolkien like he made him read Twain.

He absolutely was not going to waste the upcoming summer doing any reading.

While Jon and Audrey were amused by the show, Shawn was not and spent his time talking to an equally bored seven-year-old whose parents were happy to have their child whine to someone else.

The final shows on Shawn's list brought very strong reactions out of him. The Princess Story was a whole-hearted yes for his future sister. Bubba Bear, however, was most definitely out.

Shawn was under the impression that this particular mascot was a face character that roamed the park. He had no idea it was a frontman for an animatronic band a la The Rock-afire Explosion at Showbiz Pizza.

He had the misfortune of discovering this when the red curtains he was standing in front of to study his itinerary parted behind him and a voice with a Southern accent said cheerily, "Howdy folks." Thinking he was in someone's way, he turned to apologize only to find himself face to face with the commander of an army of animatronic animals. Bubba Bear was the biggest of them and the most terrifying.

"We're here to do our best to please ya," the chipper voice continued as the Bear grinned his empty grin.

Shawn was duly traumatized by this unexpected fear come to life. He already had issues with Billy Bob and Mitzi Mozzarella who had given him nightmares ever since he and Cory went to Ellis' birthday party at Showbiz when they were in third grade. Bubba was creepier than Chuck E Cheese and the entire Rock-afire Explosion band put together and his sister would not be going anywhere near it.

The remaining park hours were spent at the carnival games where Jon and Shawn competed to win Audrey the biggest prize. The victor was Shawn with a giant stuffed dolphin, Audrey's favorite animal. Jon claimed that Shawn was competing alone as he was always aiming for the little teddy bear holding a heart.

Shawn told him his bruised ego was showing.

Audrey, of course, saw no difference in the winnings and loved them both the same.

Later, at Shawn's begging, she allowed him to sample the various food carts they had missed the day before with the promise he'd leave room for dinner. As soon as the last bit of cotton candy and nachos were eaten, the little family headed back to the cabin, tired and happy.

Shawn settled down immediately at the kitchen table to add a string of new names to his list: Ziva, Zoe, Chloe, Madison, Amber, Michelle, Amelia, Kimberly, Heather, Gabrielle, Julia, Claire, Isabelle.

"Hey," Jon remarked looking over his shoulder at the list. "Kimberly?"

"Yeah."

"Like the pink Power Ranger?"

Shawn froze and a deep embarrassment overcame him.

There was no way Jon should have known he watched this. He was positive the man was asleep when it was on. Mortified as he was, curiosity got the best of him and he asked, "How do you know the Pink Ranger's name?"

It was Jon's turn to freeze in embarrassment. "I've caught a few episodes when nothin' else has been on," he stammered unconvincingly.

Audrey overheard him say this as she walked out of the bedroom to join them. "What are you talking about?"

Although he should have been reassured that watching the kids show wasn't a big deal if his teacher watched, Shawn wasn't and blurted out, "Jon watches Power Rangers."

"So do you," he snapped, worried about what Audrey would think of him. Comic books were one thing, this show was an entirely different matter.

"Oh, yeah?" Audrey did not seem surprised by the revelation. Instead she surprised them by adding, "Trini's my favorite."

Jon and Shawn stared at her with their mouths slightly open.

It took a moment for things to settle in his mind and once they did, Shawn threw his hands up in annoyance. "If everyone here watches Power Rangers why have I been hidin' in the closet with the portable tv at seven in the mornin' every Saturday?!"

"That's what you've been watchin'?" Jon asked in amusement. "With the way you act, I thought it was Barney or somethin'."

Shawn ignored him and held his thumb and forefinger millimeters apart. "That screen is so small; I have no idea if Kimberly was replaced by a different actor or by an ant."

"There's a movie version coming out next month," Audrey said as she went to the refrigerator. "Do you guys want to go if we can find the time?"

Jon and Shawn looked at Audrey in surprise then quickly turned to downplaying any interest they had in the movie. She said she would just go by herself and Jon and Shawn immediately changed their mind.

Audrey rolled her eyes.

Shawn resumed reading his list.

"I've also added to the list of names my sister absolutely cannot have," Shawn informed them. "Katherine, Brenda, Christine, Gwen, Valerie, Janine, Melanie."

Jon made a face. "Why do those names sound so familiar?"

"They're your ex-girlfriends!" Shawn and Audrey said in unison.

Jon blinked and stared at them for a moment before saying defensively, "Brenda and Gwen are not ex-girlfriends. I dated them once."

Shawn put his hand on Jon's shoulder. "Brenda Turner. Gwen Turner."

Jon shivered, shaking his head with a look of horror as he backed away from the table.

Jon and Shawn had planned ahead to allow Audrey to make one more meal, so she didn't feel like everything was out of her control. She already knew that tomorrow she was not allowed to do anything that resembled work.

So she made the last meal memorable: fried chicken, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and strawberry shortcake.

The cabin was filled to the brim with the aromas of a home-cooked meal and a warm coziness. Conversation was slow with large bouts of silence, but it was a content stillness. Afterwards, Shawn and Jon helped Audrey clean up before heading to the couch for some television.

It was while watching the Tonight Show with Jay Leno that the contentment was upended by a sense of foreboding Shawn couldn't shake.

He turned over on his back to look up at his people. Audrey was snuggled up against Jon who had his arm around her absently kissing her hair from time to time. With one hand she massaged Shawn's head and with the other she massaged Jon's wedding ring finger.

Everything was perfect.

Too perfect.

Shawn turned back on his side and stared at the television screen.

Everything had been going too well since February. September really, but it was his fifteenth birthday that brought them together as Jon and Audrey began to "not date".

Thoughts, memories, and emotions collided and churned within him. He began to feel numb as he tried to understand his feelings on everything that had happened in the last year.

Since Chet left, he'd prayed and hoped and begged for him to come back, to come get him, for them to be a family.

Now he had a family. One he'd always dreamed about.

He had everything Cory had. Maybe a little more since he was the focus of their attention and would be until his sister came along. Cory, being the middle child, never had that.

To live a life just slightly better than his best friend was incomprehensible to Shawn now that he really thought about it. Things like this just didn't happen to him.

Nothing good ever happens to Shawn Hunter.

And yet it was happening.

Next weekend they would take the next step towards making it permanent.

His prayers had changed since February; he now prayed and hoped and begged that Chet would stay away.

Far away.

And that he wouldn't find Virna.

He didn't want anything to take away what he'd always wanted.

To be like Cory whose biggest worries were Topanga, grades, and not having marshmallows in his cereal because Morgan ate them all.

To be normal.

He just wanted to be normal.

The only way to be normal was for his biological parents to stay away.

Melancholy settled over him as his brother Eddie came to mind.

He tried not to think of his half-brother, but what happened to him was what now feared would happen to him.

He was pretty young when Eddie went to live with his grandmother for a reason he never understood. Shawn couldn't remember how long he was gone; it seemed like forever to him.

Then, after an explosive fight with Chet, Virna left.

Chet stayed with but he was angry, always complaining and grumbling about all the work to be done. He sent Shawn out once to mow the lawn, but he was only six and had yet to get a growth spurt to make him tall enough to safely push the mower. Chet sent him out anyway and Shawn tried his hardest to do what he had seen Uncle Mike do to start the machine.

A woman from a trailer several places down drove by and saw him trying to pull start the engine. She jumped out of her car screaming at him to stop like he was trying to steal parts from the thing. Shawn was so startled he accidentally started the mower. The shock threw him to the ground, and the machine took off on its own causing the woman to shriek more.

Chet staggered to the door of the trailer, shouting about the screaming. The woman turned her attention to him and started yelling all sorts of nasty names at him. She threatened to call DCFS.

It wasn't the first time the social services had been called and Shawn didn't want to go through that again. So he lied and said he was just playing with it. Chet went along with it screaming at him for being stupid and trying to get himself killed.

The woman didn't buy it.

Police showed up.

They left as usual having bought whatever story Chet dreamed up.

Shawn stayed inside from that point on, and Chet's complaining grew. Retrieving beer cans for him all day wasn't enough. He needed more help around the house.

Then one day when he was nine, Shawn came home from school and there was Eddie out in the yard with the mower. He gave Shawn a nasty glare as he walked by and spat at him. Chet wouldn't allow any questions to be asked. He just yammered on for two days about how happy he was that he had his boys back together and that they were going to be a real family again.

It was several years later before Shawn learned the full truth of what Chet put Eddie's grandmother through. Shawn sided with Chet at the time because Chet was his father, his blood.

He loved him and didn't have anyone else.

Virna was absent again.

Then she came back, somehow they managed to do well enough to move to Cory's neighborhood.

It didn't last of course.

The good times never did.

Shawn chewed on the skin around his thumb as anxiety crashed over him.

As he lay with his head on a pillow on Audrey's lap, he clung to her hand instead of letting her rub his head, seized with an overwhelming fear that Chet would come in the middle of the night to take him away from them just like he took Eddie from his grandmother.

When Jon called it a night and shut off the television, Shawn tried to convince him to let them sleep on the couch together, but he was quietly reminded about their plans for the next day.

Mother's day.

The fear increased as they told him goodnight and went to their room.

"Did Shawn seem upset to you?"

Jon nodded. "I assumed he was thinkin' about Virna and worryin' about it. With Mother's Day bein' tomorrow I don't know how he's not."

"Yeah, probably." Audrey stopped what she was doing and looked at the reflection of Jon in the mirror she stood in front of. She sighed, "I hope just worry is all it is, and nothing actually happens."

"Yeah," Jon sighed too. "me too."

Audrey gave him a sad smile before disappearing into the bathroom. Jon took the opportunity to change his clothes as well. When she returned in her purple night shirt and shorts, Jon let out a low, appreciative whistle. She blushed and took the hand he offered.

"I love you," he whispered as he brushed back her hair and kissed the soft skin just below her ear.

She shivered as she leaned into him, smiling dreamily. "I love you, too, Jonny."

"It's amazin' how easy it is to say those words now. No effort at all," he grinned against her neck.

Audrey wrapped her arms around him and stood on the balls of her feet to kiss him.

"You need more practice."

He laughed. "In what? Kissin' or sayin' 'I love you'?"

"Yes," she answered teasingly.

In a quick sweeping motion, Jon had her off the floor in his arms, and over to the bed. Gently, he settled her onto the mattress and pulled the covers up to her waist before settling in next to her.

Tracing his finger down her arm, he said softly, "Busy day tomorrow, babe. You should sleep."

"I guess so."

He let his fingers slide underneath the hair at the back of her neck and rubbed the pressure points at the base of her skull. Her eyes began to drift close, jerking open every so often as she fought to stay awake.

It was a battle she lost.

He continued to rub her head as she sank into the pillows. He took one hand away to adjust the pillows around her so she could lie down properly. Her breath evened out and before long she was sound asleep. Jon tucked her in as she turned on her side and snuggled against one of the pillows. He left a lingering kiss on her shoulder, then stood up and left the room.

Jon stepped into the living room and saw Shawn sprawled out on the futon without it being pulled out into a bed.

He wasn't asleep.

"Hey," he tapped the teen's shoulder. "Busy day tomorrow. You need sleep."

Shawn grumbled something and half-heartedly pushed himself up. Jon frowned and took him by the arm. "C'mon, sit over there and I'll fix the futon."

Shawn stumbled over to the coffee table and sat down while Jon got the bed ready for him. When he turned around to tell him he could go to sleep now, he saw Shawn's red rimmed eyes.

"Hey, you okay, Shawn?"

He shrugged and stared at the futon. "This all seems too good to be true, ya know?"

Jon paused as his mind touched on everything that had happened in the past year. "Yeah, I do. Wanna talk?"

Shawn shook his head and stifled a yawn.

"Get to bed, kid." Jon said as he guided him over to the futon.

Shawn dropped heavily to the mattress and flopped on his side. Jon took the covers and put them over him before leaving. Just before he reached the bedroom door he hear an anxious whisper,

"Jon?"

He looked over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

The briefest look of fear flashed across the teen's face. "Nothin'," he said, flopping back down.

By the time Jon made it back to the futon, Shawn was pretending to be asleep. He pulled a kitchen chair over to the bed and sat by the teen's side, rubbing his head similar to the way he had rubbed Audrey's. He did this until Shawn was actually asleep then he made his way back to the bedroom.

Audrey was still in the same position she was in when he left. The desire to climb into bed next to her and hold her was overwhelming, but he pushed the feeling down, and climbed into his own bed.

One day things would be different.

One day very soon.

Chapter Text

There was no smelly breath to awaken Jon early in the morning. He woke up all on his own.

Audrey was curled into a ball, buried beneath the sheets and comforter. He only knew she was there because of her hair splayed out over the pillows. Quietly, he grabbed his clothes and slipped into the bathroom to change before heading to the kitchen.

When he got to the kitchen, the ingredients for their Mother's Day breakfast were already neatly set out, ready to be used. Great pains had been taken to decorate the tray with curling ribbon in Audrey's favorite colors: seafoam green and purple. Cutlery was neatly wrapped in a purple napkin, tied with the curling ribbon, and set next to the plate. A delicate glass vase was set above the napkin, waiting for the flower they had ordered.

Shawn sat at the table and was so immersed in what he was doing that he didn't hear Jon walk up behind him.

Jon watched as his student painstakingly recopied the poem he'd written for Audrey. There was a pile of crumpled up paper at his elbow and three broken pencils scattered on the table.

He frowned. Shawn had finished his writing a week before they left and even asked him to proofread it so he was surprised to see him rewriting it.

"Somethin' wrong?" he asked.

Shawn scowled but didn't look up. "Smudged a word on the original, then tried to write it in pen and misspelled four words."

"It's not for grade. Aud won't care about a couple of misspelled words."

The teen looked like he was trying to snap the pen in half. "Two were my name."

Jon pulled out a chair and sat down next to him. "S-e-a-n or S-h-a-u-n?"

Shawn glared murderously at the page in front of him. "Neither."

"Oh. Wow." For Shawn to misspell his name he had to be extremely anxious, but Jon couldn't figure out why as it was Audrey he was writing for, not Feeny.

Not that Jon had even seen him care that his name was spelled correctly on schoolwork.

Shawn went back to writing with painstaking exactness. His pen slipped leaving a short light streak on the page. He yelped in frustration, throwing the pen down as hard as he could. Rather than whiteout the small mistake he went to wad the whole thing up.

Jon put his hand on top of the teen's hand to stop him from ruining his work. "Hey, what's goin' on with you?"

"I keep messin' up!" He pulled out of Jon's reach and tried to snatch the paper away, but his teacher put his hand out flat over it. Shawn thumped back against the chair and folded his arms over his chest with a frustrated harumph.

Jon picked up the paper and looked over the text. He looked back at the teen and gave him a confused shrug. "Shawn, it's not a big deal. This looks really good."

And it did.

It was even more clearly written than his Christmas list and that had been printed. This poem was in cursive.

"Aud's gonna love it. You don't need to stress out about that."

Shawn grumbled something under his breath and looked like he was on the verge of tears.

Jon sat back and considered what to say. He had learned enough from Audrey to know that this desperate need for perfection was driven by something else.

He tapped his finger on the table to get the teen's attention. "You wanna tell me why it's so important that everythin' is perfect?"

Shawn wiped his nose and shrugged. "I want it to be good enough."

This Jon did not understand. For a gift not to be good enough for Audrey was not possible. Jon was pretty sure she'd be thrilled with a dirty rock from the side of the road if Shawn gave it to her.

"Why wouldn't it be good enough? This is Aud, Shawn. You know, the one that adores that sad little bear I won for her."

Shawn didn't so much as crack a smile. He stared at him with tear-filled eyes.

That's when it clicked for Jon.

This wasn't about Audrey at all.

It had to be about Virna.

"What happened that's makin' you so concerned about Aud not likin' this poem? Which is very good, I might add."

Shawn stared at his hands and began to pick at the skin around his thumbs. Once again, Jon put his hand on top of his.

"Shawn?"

The teen pulled away and let his hands drop limply into his lap. "Nothin' I ever did was good enough for Mom."

Jon took a deep breath and prepared to hold back his temper and opinion on Virna.

"What happened?"

"Every year I tried really hard to make her happy," he said so quietly Jon had to lean over the table to hear him. "I couldn't really get her anything, you know. But I tried to make her stuff. She seemed pretty happy until I was six. That year she locked herself in the bedroom and I didn't see her all day. The next year she wasn't there and didn't come home for several months. The next year not even Dad was home, so I went to Cory's."

Ignoring his rising anger, Jon tried harder to focus on Shawn. "So Mother's Day was usually spent with Cory's mom?"

Shawn nodded.

"Last year, I tried to make breakfast for her, but I didn't do things right. I burned the toast on accident, and she ranted about Dad smokin' and stinkin' up the house, even though she smokes too." He looked up at Jon briefly, then stared at the window over his shoulder.

"She hates scrambled eggs, but they were all I could make at the time. She tossed my breakfast in the trash. She was more interested in lettin' the whole trailer park know what a loser Dad is. I tried to cheer her up by giving her the card I spent a really long time workin' on. I told her I loved her. She looked at the card, told me my handwritin' is so bad she can't read it and she doesn't like poetry anyway. She shoved it in the trash on top of the eggs and burnt toast. Then she left."

At that moment, Jon despised Virna almost as much as he did Chet. He could not imagine treating any kid the way Virna treated her son even if an ex-girlfriend showed up claiming her kid was his and lied about it.

It was cruel.

Shawn slumped over the table as he continued, "So I went to the Matthews and stayed there. Right before dinner, Mom showed up and acted like nothin' happened that mornin'. We got home and she spent the rest of the night complainin' about how ungrateful I am because I chose to spend Mother's Day with Mrs. Matthews instead of her and how that made her feel like a terrible mother."

Jon put his hand over his mouth and counted to ten so what he really thought about Virna did not come out. After a moment he reached across the table and took hold of the teen's arm.

"You didn't do anythin' wrong, Shawn. You did what every kid would do for their mom if they could. And you know Audrey isn't Virna. You could burn the kitchen down and she'd just teach you the basics of cookin' again and give you a fire safety lesson afterwards."

Shawn frowned at him then his expression softened. "You'd the burn the kitchen down before I would."

Jon smiled at the snark. "Anyone could accidently set the microwave for 10 minutes instead 10 seconds, okay."

"Not many could ignore the smell of exploded hot dog for that long."

Jon chuckled and Shawn finally smiled slightly.

"Put the poem in the card, kid. It's good and your writin' is too."

"I guess." Shawn studied the poem critically before finally putting it in the card and sealing the envelope.

"And you did a good job on dinner on your own the other night," Jon said as he stood up. "What's the worst that could happen if we do breakfast together?"

Shawn pushed his chair away from the table. "We distract each other and burn down the cabin."

Jon laughed. "So we don't talk or make eye contact until breakfast is ready. How hard could that be?"

Neither the kitchen nor the cabin suffered any fires.

There was quite a bit of pancake batter splattered all over the counter and floor with a smattering of eggs as garnish from Jon and Shawn bumping into each other due to how small the kitchen was.

Other than that, breakfast was completed without any issues. Once the pancakes, eggs, and orange juice were arranged neatly on the plate, Jon carefully wrote Happy Mother's Day on the pancakes in a thin line of chocolate syrup. Shawn decorated the writing with little dabs of whipped cream. Maraschino cherries were dropped carefully in fluffy white centers. Sweet notes written on pancakes on Saturday mornings was something Audrey frequently did for them, Shawn specifically, and they wanted to return the favor.

At 8 am on the dot, a short rap was heard at the door. Jon answered and accepted the flowers he had arranged to be delivered over a month ago.

As soon as the vase was set on the table, he began to unnecessarily rearrange the flowers. Shawn watched him curiously. His teacher had never been particular about flowers before if he even thought to get flowers for a date. Jon's unusual fusing told him that he was nervous.

This came as a surprise to Shawn. Jon always seemed so cool and put together when it came to dating. Being nervous about giving flowers to Audrey didn't make much sense. Then Jon's words to him not an hour before came back to him.

"She's gonna love 'em, Jon," he said reassuringly. "It's Aud."

Jon shrugged, took a step back, then went back to messing with the flowers.

Shawn rested his chin in his hand. "I mean if she loves that dinky little bear you got her, she's gonna love these flowers."

Jon gave him a side-eye. In one swift motion, he grabbed a pillow from the chair and launched it at the teen. Shawn caught and tossed it behind him, landing it neatly in a chair.

"I need one of those," he reminded Jon.

"Right." Jon took a step back. "Which one you want?"

"Which one is her favorite?"

"This one." He took a five-petal, white flower with a bright yellow center from the bouquet and handed it to the teen.

Shawn recognized the flower as the one he often saw girls in Hawaii advertisements wear. It had a strong fragrance that reminded him of honey butter and lemon.

"What's this called?"

"Hawaiian Yellow Plumeria."

He took the flower and carefully placed it in the vase on the tray. Then he promptly removed it and filled the vase with water before putting the flower back in.

"You ready?" Jon asked as he placed a small jewelry box next to her plate.

Shawn eyed the box skeptically. "Too big to be the ring."

"I'm aware," Jon said, as he refrained from rolling his eyes. "Still, it's somethin' she'll love."

"I'd love it more if the ring was in there."

Jon shook his head with an amused smile. "What's in that actually has to do with you, Smart Guy."

"Oh?" Shawn perked up at this and regarded the box curiously as he picked up the tray. "What is it?"

Jon nudged him forward as he picked up the flowers. "You'll find out when Aud opens it."

The two fell silent as they approached the bedroom door. Jon pushed the door open for Shawn and they quietly crept into the room.

Audrey was still buried beneath the blankets. Jon and Shawn stood at the foot of the bed unsure of what to do. For some reason, they both expected her to be awake and waiting for them.

Jon reacted first.

Setting the flowers on the nightstand, he gently shook her awake. As Audrey stretched and yawned, a sudden intense anxiety gripped Shawn. His eyes went to the envelope by the plate and a compulsion to throw it in the trash overwhelmed him.

There was no chance to get rid of it, however. A smile lit up Audrey's face when she saw him with the tray. With a tight smile plastered on his face, he stiffly stepped forward and presented it to her.

Audrey saw the stressed look on his face when she accepted the tray. She patted the bed next to her for him to sit down then gave him a warm smile before turning her attention to the tray.

"Oh, you guys," she breathed, genuinely touched by the work that they put into decorating the tray and the breakfast. "This is just… perfect!"

She touched the petals of the plumeria in the little vase. She had only seen her favorite flower in person three times. "Where on earth did you find plumeria here?"

Shawn shrugged and pointed to the nightstand. "I got it from there. I dunno where Jon got that."

Audrey was clearly stunned by the large bouquet of plumeria, pikake, and hibiscus next to her. The tropical flowers were numerous and very expensive.

She stared at Jon with wide eyes. "Where did you get these?"

"Might have called in one of those past favors we talked about yesterday." At the look on her face, he chuckled. Sitting on the bed next to her, he explained, "Last year, I tutored a kid who was failin' every single class. Apparently, no one, not even Feeny, had been able to get his grades up."

Jon paused looking pleased with himself. "Got him to get passin' grades for the last semester. His dad is the owner of one of the most expensive florists in the area who just happens to specialize in exotic flowers. He told me owed me big. So I called in that favor about a month ago."

Audrey was properly awed by having her favorite flowers where she could touch them which made Shawn all the more anxious about his gifts.

Jon's gifts were impressive.

His were not.

When she reached for the envelope, he bumped her hand over to the jewelry box.

She caught his distress and lightly patted his cheek with a questioning look.

He gave her a tight smile and said, "Jon said it has to do with me, but I dunno what it is."

Audrey obliged him by opening the jewelry box. Inside was a gemstone pendant of amethyst.

A slow, pleased smile spread over her face.

Shawn looked at Jon like he was crazy. "What does that have to do with me?"

Jon shook his head, unsurprised that Shawn didn't recognize the significance.

Audrey looked up at Shawn with a strange, teary smile. "It's your birthstone," she told him.

"My what?"

"Birthstone," Jon said. "Every month has a gemstone associated with it. Yours is amethyst, Aud's is ruby." He took the necklace Audrey was wearing, the one he bought her at Christmas, and added the gemstone to it.

Shawn knew about birthstones from chatter in the high school hallways. Birthstone jewelry was all the rage with girls.

"How come you got her mine and not hers?"

"I found out from Mrs. Matthews that it's a big thing to get moms jewelry with their kids' birthstones. There's so much out there I wasn't sure what to get. Figured a pendant would work okay."

"It works very okay. Thank you," Audrey said with a laugh. She ran her finger over the gemstone then leaned over and kissed him.

Shawn felt a funny warm feeling mixed with anxiety settle in his stomach.

Virna wore some jewelry, but he couldn't imagine her wearing his birthstone or hers. She still wanted an engagement ring to be proud of from Chet.

Then there was Audrey, wearing his birthstone next to hers.

Shawn pursed his lips together for a moment then pushed the uncomfortable feelings away. Tipping his head to the side he looked at Jon and asked, "What's yours?"

Jon shrugged and looked at Audrey. It never occurred to him to ask about his own.

"January's birthstone is garnet," she replied.

"What's it look like?"

"Garnet can be red like ruby or much darker even purplish," Audrey said. "It's somewhere in between yours and mine."

This struck a sharp chord with Shawn and made him flinch slightly.

Even their birthstones were connected.

That warm feeling turned hot while the anxiety increased.

What were Chet and Virna's birthstones? Was there a connection there? He tried to remember the dates but completely blanked on them.

"Huh," Jon said. "That's kinda of a cool coincidence."

Audrey nodded her head in agreement and Shawn realized he was reading too much into it. Still in the back of his mind, the question lingered. While these questions ran through his mind he didn't realize Audrey was opening his card until it was too late.

"Oh! Shawn!" His name was drawn out in a long breath.

Shawn froze, numbed by fear.

As much as he didn't want to see her reaction he couldn't help but look. His eyes found her face against his will, and he was surprised by her expression.

There were tears in her eyes as she turned the card over in her hands. She stared at the cover, then gently traced over the en pointe ballet toe shoes with her finger. Pale pink ribbon gracefully twirled around them.

The shoes were painted but the ribbon was real.

"Did you draw this?"

He ducked his head to hide the blush that colored his cheeks. "Topanga helped me with shape and stuff. I knew what I wanted it took look like just not how to do it. She suggested doin' mixed media. It was easier than drawin' everything out."

Audrey held the card to her heart and then opened her arms to hug him. "I love it. Shawn, it's gorgeous."

"Really?" Shawn did not expect the card itself to get much notice.

Audrey sat back and opened the card. The poem slipped out and fluttered down to the sheets.

Despite her positive reaction to his art, if she hadn't picked up the paper so quickly he would have snatched it and torn it up.

Jon was watching his reactions as Audrey opened the folded paper. "Shawn's put nearly two months of work into that poem," he told her.

Shawn wasn't sure he wanted her to know that or not. If she hated it, he could have blown it off as a last-minute thing, but not now.

Audrey's hand went over her mouth as she read.

She didn't say anything.

Shawn held his breath.

Virna hadn't said anything when she read his poem either.

But unlike his biological mother, Audrey read the poem over and over.

Finally, she set the paper down next to Jon and reached over to pull Shawn into a hug.

"Thank you, honey," she choked out through the tears. "I don't have the words to tell you what your poem means to me. It's beautiful and I love you so much."

Shawn tried to respond only to find his voice had deserted him and his throat was shut tight with unshed tears.

She really did like it.

But now he couldn't say anything.

His only response was to hug her back as tightly as he could.

When she released him, she took his face between her palms and pressed her forehead against his. "I will keep it forever."

Shawn knew that no matter what happened this was the truth. But his mind still insisted on playing Virna throwing his work away because it wasn't good enough on an endless loop.

Jon saw that he needed a distraction, so he pointed out the now-melted whipped cream and how it had ruined the writing on the pancakes.

Everything was tinted pink from the cherries.

Audrey laughed and said she saw it before it bled everywhere and that she very much appreciated it.

However, she was not fond of them staring at her as she ate so Jon and Shawn went to get their own cold pancakes and eggs and brought them back to the bedroom to eat with her. Even though breakfast was now cold, Audrey expressed her pride in Shawn's pancakes and was very pleased with how quickly he became good at cooking.

As he dumped chocolate syrup over his stack of hotcakes and shoved eggs into his mouth, visions of an angry Virna were slowly replaced by Audrey's delight over his poem which she read out loud several times.

Jon also expressed his pride in his work.

He even thought he had a future as a writer.

It was strange having people express hope for his future rather than tell him had none.

Very strange.

But it was a good strange.

Before the mini-golf bet was issued, Shawn had already planned, with Jon's permission, to take Audrey out on a mother-son date to the Tanger Outlets. He'd been saving his allowance and doing extra work for Jon whenever he could so he could pay for the entire outing.

Shawn was excited about the date for a few reasons. Aside from the outing itself, he was going to drive Audrey to the outlet mall.

The amount of begging and pleading it took to convince Jon to let him do this was not something he wanted to ever repeat.

It was embarrassing to look back on.

Since he wasn't eligible for Driver's Ed at school due to the way his birthday fell, Jon felt bad for him and started teaching him how to handle the Harley. As far as the truck was concerned, Jon thought the new graduated license program Pennsylvania had recently adopted was the way to go especially since he could be his instructor. Under his guidance, Shawn had already passed the written test for his permit. It was just getting the hours in that was an issue. So far, his driving time had been limited to various parking lots to get in some practice with Jon's promise to take him out for serious lessons after Mother's Day weekend.

While they were planning that weekend Shawn noticed the outlet mall was less than a mile away from the campgrounds and that's what sparked the begging to let him take Audrey there on their date. Jon wasn't crazy about the idea but relented after the groveling and talking to Mr. Matthews about the location of the stores in relation to the campgrounds. Then Jon took him out on the road to get enough practice so he would be able to drive to the outlet mall.

Shawn danced antsily outside of the truck waiting for Audrey to join him. Jon stood next to him, unnecessarily reminding him about the rules of the road.

"Jon, I know," he groaned. "We've been over this so much."

"Yeah," his teacher shot back. He put a hand against the door of the truck and wagged a finger at him, "but now you're gonna be out on the road with Audrey, too. This is serious, Shawn."

"I know it is!" he insisted. "But we've literally sat in a parkin' lot just goin' over the lights, the seatbelt, how to start the engine."

"You forgot about the adjustin' the rearview mirror and the seat."

Shawn let his head tip back until it made contact with the door's window. "I won't when I get in the truck."

"You just did!"

"I'm standin' outside of the truck," he pointed out, slapping a hand to his face. "Once I'm in the seat I'm sure muscle memory will kick in. Hours of doin' that very thing, Jon. Hours!"

Jon crossed his arms over his chest ready to pull the plug on the driving plans when Audrey walked out of the cabin with a plumeria blossom tucked behind her left ear. Seeing the location of the flower made Jon forget about his misgivings about Shawn's driving.

Shawn barely noticed the flower much less its significance as he rushed to grab the passenger door for her.

Audrey beamed at him.

As she was buckling herself in Jon leaned against the door and motioned for her to roll down the window.

"If you're uncomfortable with him drivin' at all, just take over. It's less than a mile." Jon couldn't really explain the sudden fear over Shawn's driving. It was to the point he was ready to drive them to the outlet, sit in the truck, and wait for them.

Then an idea came to him.

"You can take a golf cart if he has to drive."

Audrey gave him a funny look and then glanced at Shawn, who was doing everything Jon taught him to do twice. She turned back to Jon and asked seriously, "Can we race the golf cart this time if we do?"

Jon made a face at her. "What is with you and racin' golf carts?"

She chuckled and leaned over to kiss him. "Like you said it's less than a mile. I think we'll be okay."

"Fine," he sighed and stepped back from the vehicle.

As he watched Shawn pull out of the cabin's parking space and cautiously turn onto the road, Jon couldn't shake the worry even if he was confident Shawn would ace this first road test.

On the road, Shawn was quiet, intensely focused on his driving.

Audrey watched him with pride.

She was impressed with his driving skills given how limited his practice had been. It was a testament to Jon's teaching skills and Shawn's desire to learn.

That driver's education was one of those things that was exclusively their time together. Not that she hadn't been invited to join them, but she knew there were things they needed to have independent of her. Something to bond over, like hockey.

Just the two of them.

And sometimes she needed to listen to her music rather than their bickering.

She smiled at the thought before returning her attention to the road and acting as a second set of eyes for Shawn.

The drive to the mall took longer than it should have, not because traffic was heavy but because Shawn drove surprisingly slow, barely at the speed limit. Whether it was for her benefit, Jon's, or his own, she wasn't sure. She didn't say anything though as she didn't want to discourage him.

Rather than deal with parking next to any other vehicles, Shawn parked at the back of the lot which left them with quite a walk to the stores. Audrey didn't seem to mind much to his relief.

The idea to go to the outlets came from Topanga who told him she went the previous Mother's Day with her mother. She said it was fun going through all the stores and that there were special things to celebrate mothers throughout the mall. Part of her Mother's Day gift was to buy her mom something she liked while they were there.

Shawn had his savings in his wallet which was tucked into and chained to his pocket. He liked Topanga's idea of buying something while they were out. He wanted to be able to get Audrey something that she really wanted rather than buy her jewelry that would turn her neck or finger green since he couldn't afford the good stuff like Jon could. His teacher had offered him extra cash for the occasion, but this was very different from Christmas and something he very much wanted to do all on his own.

The outlet was busy but was not the overwhelming crush of Christmas which made it much more interesting and enjoyable.

All of Shawn's worry and fear faded away and for a few hours, he was just another kid at the mall with his mother on Mother's Day. Topanga was right about the outlets being a fun way to spend the day and he was glad he'd listened to her.

When they hit the food court around noon as Shawn hoped they would, he offered to buy her anything she wanted. Still full from breakfast, Audrey suggested splitting an order of nachos. Shawn agreed, adding a diet Pepsi for her and an A&W root beer float for him to their order.

They settled at a table in the corner of the food court away from the crowds. Their conversation as they'd gone through the various stores and learned more about each other's preferences in clothing, music, and other things had been lighthearted and fun. This continued at lunch, but Shawn found his focus wavering as he became distracted by all the families roaming the food court. One woman in particular held his attention as there was something very familiar about her.

Her dark auburn hair was a mess of curls that dipped just below her shoulders and was tied back from her face with a floral scarf. Even her clothing was familiar- several years out of date, didn't fit quite right, slightly faded.

He squirmed in his seat trying to catch a glimpse of her face without being obvious, but she was always turned just so he couldn't even see her profile.

Still, she looked so familiar, yet she couldn't be who he thought she was.

Not here.

Not now.

Shawn's heart hammered so loudly in his ears as he watched her he couldn't hear anything Audrey was saying.

If she was even saying anything at all.

And then the woman spoke.

Lifting her voice above the steady hum of the food court she yelled for someone named Amelia in a distinctive Southern drawl.

Virna!

It was Virna!

Shock coursed through his body as dawned on him that both of his mothers were at the Tanger Outlet food court in Lancaster on Mother's Day.

That strange, detached feeling swallowed him.

To his shock he heard a strangled cry come from his own throat: "MOM!"

Audrey immediately grabbed his hand as she stood up quickly. Shawn pulled as far away from her as he could without breaking their connection as the woman turned to stare at him.

Now he saw her clearly.

Not only was she not Virna, but she didn't look the slightest bit like her from the front.

Shawn dropped Audrey's hand as he sunk into his chair with his palms firmly pressed into his eyes, humiliated and guilt stricken.

He'd yelled at a stranger in the middle of a busy food court.

Worse, he'd betrayed Audrey on Mother's Day by desperately calling out for a woman who didn't even want him in hopes that she was there and looking for him.

As usual, he'd managed to ruin the day.

Virna was right to throw away his gifts and leave him.

He was ungrateful.

Everything he did belonged in the trash.

He belonged in the trash.

The numbness of shock wore off and he fought back the urge to cry and scream as grief and anger consumed him. In the end, he just sat there, silent and pathetic, with tears leaking from between his hands and face.

A small hand rested on his back gently running long nails between his shoulder blades.

Despite his betrayal, she stayed.

That made Shawn's guilt intensify.

The urge to run overwhelmed him.

Audrey would be better off not having to deal with him. Ruining Mother's Day was only the beginning. If he stayed, she would end up like Virna, desperate to get away from him. She and Jon would be much happier without him no matter what they said.

Shawn pressed his palms deeper into his eyes until he saw sparks of light in his peripheral vision.

He had to get out of this family now before his beloved guardians grew to hate him.

"Whatever you're thinking, you're wrong."

Shawn's brow furrowed against his hands. Believing he'd misheard her, he turned his head and looked at her with one eye.

"What?"

Her voice was neutral, but her expression was serious. "You know what," she said simply.

He pushed the heels of his palms up to his forehead and pressed them against his skull as hard as he could. "I thought it was her," he said quietly. "I thought it was…" He couldn't bring himself to say what he thought nor what he'd said out loud.

"Your mother?"

He jerked to attention, sitting straight up completely rigid. "No!" He squeaked out as though a denial would erase from both their memories the name he'd called out. "You're my mother. I just thought she looked like, like…"

He just couldn't say that word again to her.

"Based on the pictures Cory's showed me, she did look like Virna from behind."

Shawn wasn't sure what was worse- that Cory was showing Audrey such pictures without his knowledge or that Audrey noticed it too and didn't seem bothered by it.

A panic rose within his chest.

As much as her life and Jon's would be so better without him, he knew his would not be and he couldn't bear the thought of losing them. Afraid he was going to be sick on the floor of the food court further ruining the day, Shawn tried to distract himself by thinking of some way to salvage things, but he didn't have enough money to buy back her affection.

"I didn't mean it," he said weakly. Tears clouded his eyes, frustrating him even further as he couldn't control his emotions or be a better actor.

"Didn't mean what? That you thought she looked like Virna or that Virna is your mother?" Her tone was gentle and calming, and that bothered Shawn greatly, as he couldn't tell how she really felt.

She's just going through the motions now, he told himself. What choice does she have? She's stuck out here with me.

It was over.

Shawn's shoulders slumped forward.

Another ruined Mother's Day.

Trash.

He belonged in the trash along with his poetry.

Finally, he shrugged. "Both."

Audrey gave his shoulder a loving squeeze. "She is your mother, hun."

He blinked back the tears that threatened to fall and shrugged again, while at the same time leaning into her hand. "No, she's not. Not really. By blood, but that's it. She's never been very motherly. Not like you. But I…." he rambled on until he couldn't make sense of what he was saying.

The feelings swirling inside him were confusing and frightening.

"Still you love her and want her to come back."

This was a sickening thought, and that Audrey called it so accurately made him worry she might be able to read his mind.

"No!" he said a little too loudly. "I just, I don't…..I want both of you!"

And with that, Shawn confirmed that he was a greedy, selfish ingrate like Virna knew him to be.

Now Audrey knew it, too.

He held his breath waiting for her verdict on him.

Audrey bowed her head for a moment as a deep sympathy for the teen washed over her. His internal struggle was written all over his face as was his guilt and pain.

"Confusing, huh?" she said quietly as she brushed one side of his hair from his eyes. "Loving someone so much who you resent so much."

He looked at her uncertainly for a moment, then considered her words.

Crossing his arms, he leaned on the table and slid forward until he was lying on the table. Whatever Audrey thought of him, the perfect Mother's Day was lost, so with nothing more to lose, Shawn said, "Sometimes I hate her so much and never want to see her again. Sometimes I want her to come home so badly and forget anything ever happened. I want you too but sometimes I just want her to be you. I don't understand why she can't be."

He stared at the space where the woman who looked like Virna once stood. "Why can't she be as good a mom as twenty-year-old? She's twice your age. She should be twice as good a mom. But she's not. Not even close."

By this time, he was sitting up and glaring at everyone in the food court as anger replaced all other emotions.

"And I don't understand why I want her after everything she's done and everything you've done. You've done what she should have been doin' all this time. I shouldn't even think about her!"

Fury flashed across his face, and he took hold of a napkin by the empty nacho container. "Why do I want him back after all Jon's done for me? I gotta guy who didn't even want kids, bein' a better dad than one who can't keep track of how many he's had."

He ripped the napkin in half by slamming both fists down on the table as he pulled on it.

"They don't care- why can't I stop carin' about them?!"

Audrey rested her hand on top of his. "Sounds to me like you're caught between stages one and two of the five stages of grief."

Shawn blinked in confusion. "Five stages of grief? Like when someone dies?"

She nodded. "This separation from your parents and severing the ties between you with adoption is like a death in a way. The death of everything you've known. The death of everything you hoped for, where Chet and Virna are concerned. It makes sense that you would be grieving. Even though you are gaining a permanent family with Jon and me, it doesn't change what's been lost. Life goes on after death, but everything changes too. It's hard to accept."

Shawn sat back against the chair and leaned towards her until his head was against her shoulder.

Once again, she was eerily accurate.

"You had a great family. How do you know how I feel?"

"I did have a great family," she said. "But I lost both of my parents. My mum died, but in a way so did my dad, and honestly, Shawn, it's been harder with him than Mum. Mum was just gone. But Daddy?"

A father with his teenage daughter walked past them, laughing and talking. Shawn saw jealousy flare in her eyes for a moment.

"I never had that; not after Mum died," she said absently nodding at the father and daughter. Then she refocused on Shawn. "The man in that hospital bed is not my dad. Some days Daddy shows up but most of the days he's off with my mum in his mind. That's where he is. He's not with me and he hasn't been in a long time."

Shawn frowned as he recalled the few times he met "Pops". "You make it sound like he left you."

"He did, Shawn," she sighed. "I mean, I know he was devastated when he lost the love of his life, but I was still there. I needed him. I was just a kid. He took off after my mum and left me behind. I did everything I could for him, hoping and praying he'd get better and come back for me."

Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head. "It never happened. And I'm not proud of it but there are days where I resent him for not fighting harder to keep himself together for me. And then I feel guilty because I don't know that he could have. I love him. I do. And I'll take care of him to the end. But sometimes I don't want to ever step foot in that hospice again."

Shawn slid down in his seat, seething at the unfairness of life. Maybe he deserved what happened to him, but Audrey- no way did she deserve for life to dump on her like that.

"It sucks," he said after a while. "The whole thing sucks. I do resent her, but I resent him more. Most of the time, I don't want him to come back. I never want to see him again. And when I do want them both back, it's because I want them to see you and Jon adopt me. I want them to beg me to come back to them. I want to say no. I want them to cry and be as miserable as they've made me."

He gave the table's support a hard kick. "And I feel like crap for wantin' to do that to them."

"I get it, Shawn. I do." She paused for a moment, then said, "I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't like for that to happen to them too. I wish they could know the misery they've put you through from your perspective for as long as you've had to deal with it."

Her candor surprised him, and Shawn smiled a little at it. He took her hand and held on tightly. With a heavy sigh, he said, "I love you and Jon a lot. I wanna be your kid legally. But I feel so guilty about that. Then when I wanna go back to them, I feel worse about betrayin' you guys."

"You're not betraying us, hun. You really aren't."

He found that hard to believe.

With a sigh, he said, "I try not to think about it but now I can't help it. I don't understand anything. I feel like there's a big ball of emotions I can't even name stuck inside. I wish I could stick my finger down my throat and puke it up."

The moment the words left his mouth, he froze, realizing how callous that must sound to her considering what she was in recovery for.

Audrey squeezed his hand, unbothered by the comment. "That's where counselling will help. In the meantime, talk to Jon. He'll understand better than anyone how you're feeling."

Shawn frowned slightly. "Did Jon go to counsellin' when he was my age?"

She shook her head. "Daddy used a few of Mum's school connections to get Jon in to see a guidance counselor. But attitudes towards therapy were really different when Jon was your age. It was something to be ashamed of."

Shawn fell silent as he thought about their conversation. After several minutes, he sat up and said, "I really do want you to be my mom."

"And I really want to be your mom," she replied with a pleased smile.

Shawn leaned against her again and sighed, "I'm sorry I messed up your first Mother's Day."

She shook her head as though the idea was ridiculous. "You didn't mess up my first Mother's Day."

He gave her a skeptical look.

"You didn't, Shawn. You may not realize this, but this is exactly the kind of conversation a kid should be able to have with their parent."

Shawn raised his brow in surprise.

Cory had serious conversations with his parents all the time, but he'd always thought this was unusual after a certain age and pretty much a Matthews' thing, although Topanga occasionally mentioned talking to her parents. He could never talk to Virna about anything serious. He'd tried to talk to her about Chet before, but he was a subject that would only spur her to start shouting about what a lousy husband he was.

She was too busy to talk about other things like school, girls, friends, or feelings.

She never heard any of his concerns.

And Chet?

Impossible to really talk to him about anything other than Chet.

Audrey's voice cut through his clouded thoughts. "I'm honored you trust me enough to talk to me about this, Shawn. Makes me feel like a real mom."

At this, the emotional storm within him died down to a tolerable level. He wasn't completely convinced that his presence wasn't an undue burden, but, if nothing else, she wasn't angry with him for the abrupt turn the day took.

Inhaling a deep breath, he asked, "You wanna keep goin' or head back to Jon?"

She regarded him intently for a moment then asked, "What do you think?"

Shawn stared back at her. The answer was clearly written on her face: she wanted to stay with him.

"Lemme toss the trash and we can keep goin'," he said, pushing his chair back. "You still gotta pick out your second gift from me."

Audrey grinned and handed him her soda cup.

As he took the trash to the waste receptacles, it occurred to him that maybe he really hadn't completely ruined the day. He returned to Audrey and arm-in-arm they made their way out of the food court, and Shawn was able to walk past the trashcan again without feeling like he belonged in it.

Chapter Text

Jon was sitting on the porch when the truck crept slowly back to the cabin. He stood up and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Shawn's cautious approach and wondered if he had driven that slowly the whole time or if this was a show for his benefit.

Either way, he was wrecking the gas mileage.

While Shawn was getting out of the truck, Jon walked over to the passenger side to ask Audrey how the drive was. Once assured Shawn did a very good job, Jon took the opportunity to give him a hard time.

After Audrey got out, he circled the truck, bent over so he was inches away from the body of the vehicle, running one hand up and down the paint as he inspected it.

"What are you doin'?" Shawn put his hands on his waist and frowned at his teacher.

Jon glanced at him with an arched brow and said seriously, "Checkin' to see how much body work I'm gonna have to get done after your little trip."

"Ha, ha," Shawn snapped irritably, "You aren't gonna find a dent, a chip, or anything else. I parked way out."

"Yes, he did," Audrey confirmed. "So far out, I should have taken my hiking boots."

"See!"

"Parked so far out that a runaway shoppin' cart got you, huh?" Jon pointed to a spot in the paint over the back left wheel.

"What?!" Shawn jumped forward and pushed his nose against the spot Jon's finger was over.

"Made you look," Jon laughed as he brought his palm up against the teen's chin.

Shawn groaned in annoyance with himself for falling for the trick, then jumped up and got in Jon's face with a self-satisfied grin. "Admit it. I'm a good driver and should drive us back to Philly."

Jon grimaced and shook his head. "Absolutely not. I'll give you that you're a good driver for eight tenths of a mile, but you're not drivin' even that far back home."

"Why?"

He took a moment to really look at Shawn, who he swore had grown another inch in the night. A strange feeling of relief melted over all the worry that had plagued him while they were gone but didn't completely take it away.

"Because, kid," he said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "I just spent the last four hours worryin' about everythin' that could go wrong with you behind the wheel. I can't handle more stress."

This struck a harsh blow to Shawn's pride.

Jon always seemed enthusiastic about his parking lot driving and thought he was only teasing him, but apparently, he was not. "You really thought I was gonna wreck the truck or somethin?"

Jon shook his head. "Nah, I just realized that there are about a million things that could go wrong that you couldn't possibly avoid even doin' everything exactly right."

Shawn frowned. "What brought that up?"

He shrugged. "While you guys were out, I ended up at the camp store talkin' to a bunch of guys who're here with their families. Apparently this kind of worry is a dad thing, and it never goes away; it just gets worse."

Shawn blinked several times as he processed this information. He had trouble imagining that Chet ever worried about what might happen to him if he was out, especially since he left him at a sleazy motel on 7th Street alone, not even with Uncle Mike, and took off after Virna. That Jon sat around for hours coming up with things to worry about made no sense to him, especially since he wasn't alone.

However, it did sound very much like something Mr. Matthews would do.

He looked up at Jon through his bangs and gave him a small smile. Jon returned the smile and slapped him on the back.

"Why don't we head inside, and you can show me what Aud picked out for her Mother's Day gift?"

Shawn rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "I'll give you three guesses," he said as the trio entered the cabin.

"I dunno. Another charm for her bracelet?"

"Nope. But it has something to do with stuff like that."

Jon's jewelry knowledge was limited, and he wasn't sure what was out there related to a charm bracelet that was not a charm. He stopped in the middle of the living room and frowned. "I really don't know, Shawn."

"It's related to jewelry, and every single girl I know has one with this certain thing inside."

"Jewelry box with a little ballerina spinnin' when you open it up," Jon said the moment Shawn was done with the description. He turned to Audrey and gave her an amused smile. "Huh, Aud, for someone who doesn't do cliches, that's a big one, you know."

Audrey gave him a light swat. "That was in reference to dates. I never said anything about jewelry or jewelry boxes."

Jon and Shawn exchanged looks and laughed.

"Alright, what's on the agenda for the rest of the day?" Audrey asked. She was tired from all the walking and sat down on the couch.

Jon took a seat on the coffee table in front of her, took off her shoes, and started to rub her feet.

"Photos," Shawn told her. "There are some places at the Park I wanna take pictures of us."

"And I have dinner plans for us," Jon added.

"I don't know what they are," Shawn said impishly as he picked up his camera to double-check it before they left. "So if they're bad, I had nothin' to do with it."

Jon shot him a look over his shoulder. "And if they're good?"

"I had everythin' to do with it. Neither of you would be here if it wasn't for me." He raised the camera to his eye and snapped a shot.

Jon threw a pillow at him and rolled his eyes, while Audrey sat back and enjoyed the ensuing banter.

Shawn's seriousness about the photos he took surprised Jon.

He knew it was a subject that held the teen's interest, which is why he and Audrey spent so much time finding the right camera for him. But he didn't realize how much studying on his own time Shawn was doing. He not only knew everything about the camera and how to use it but also how to set up a good shot.

Shawn was so picky about how the photos turned out that he insisted on taking all the pictures. He also didn't trust anyone with his camera, even though several people offered to take family photos for him. Eventually, Jon was able to coax it from him at each place they stopped so that he could get some pictures of Shawn with Audrey, and Audrey could take some of the two of them.

Each time the camera left Shawn's hands, it came with a set of specific instructions.

The last place Shawn wanted to take pictures was at the Turnpike Track. The park closed at 6 on the weekend, and the last riders were leaving as the family approached the ride. When the attendant saw what they were planning to do, he let them take pictures in one of the cars.

On their way out, Jon realized that Shawn had not been in most of the pictures taken at the track.

"Shawn," he said, halting outside the exit. He motioned for the camera. "Lemme take a picture of you and Mom at the entrance."

After giving Jon yet another lesson in using the camera, he took his place in front of Audrey, who put her arms around him. He put his hands on her arms and leaned back against her.

Jon didn't have to tell them to smile.

As he snapped the picture, it struck him just how contagious Shawn's smile was when he was really happy.

He'd never seen him happier than he was right now.

After the pictures were taken, the family headed back to the truck and out to dinner.  As soon as they arrived at their destination, Shawn gave Jon's dinner choice two thumbs down.

"I cannot believe you're doin' this," he said incredulously as he stared at the steamboat-shaped hotel that was attached to a place called Huckleberry's Restaurant.

Jon frowned. "Can't believe I'm doin' what?"

"You're terrible at bein' subtle."

"What are you talkin' about?"

"Huckleberry. Steamboat." Shawn shoved his hands at the buildings in front of them dramatically. "You're gonna make me read more Twain over the summer while you're havin' fun in Europe, aren't you?"

"You know, I hadn't thought about what you're doin' this summer beyond stayin' with the Matthews while I'm in Europe," Jon said in exasperation. "But now that you keep bringin' it up, maybe a summer of readin' isn't such a bad idea. You do have a lot of books from last year you never finished for my class."

Shawn pushed his lips together and squinted at his teacher. "You need to let the past go, Jon."

"You need to let the past summer go, Shawn."

"Agreed," Audrey said in amusement. "May we go in now?"

Shawn and Jon looked behind them and realized that they'd been having this conversation right in front of the restaurant doors, preventing others from going in. With sheepish apologies, he and Jon held the doors open to let the others go in ahead of them.

Dinner was good but the company was better, and Jon felt an inexplicable desire to take a slight detour home via Las Vegas with a stop at the Little White Chapel.

He wasn't sure he could wait until summer to ask Audrey to marry him.

It wasn't possible to go to Vegas, of course. They didn't have the finances for one thing, and he did want to propose properly. However, if he'd brought the ring with him, he was sure he and Shawn could have made the proposal memorable.  Unfortunately, the ring was still in the interior pocket of his leather jacket, which was hanging in his closet at home.

During dessert, Shawn was drawing up summer plans for himself and Cory, plans that left no room for reading of any kind. Jon kept glancing up at Audrey and exchanging secretive smiles with her.

After he was done with his banana split and had stuck his fork into a slice of cherry cheesecake to claim his third dessert, Shawn finally had enough of the looks and demanded to know what they were talking about with their eyes.

And then he promptly realized he probably didn't want to know.

Amused, his people let him stew in embarrassment for just a moment, then Jon looked at Audrey and said, "I don't think he knows."

Audrey nodded, struggling to hide her grin. "Did Jon tell you about expanding our European honeymoon?"

He twitched his nose and put his fork down. "Yeah."

"Did he tell you we're extending it by two weeks?"

"Yeah."

"Did he tell you we'll be joining my family at the end of the fourth week, and we'll pick you up for the fifth and sixth weeks?"

"Yea-…." Shawn's eyes went wide and his mouth fell open. "Wait, what now?

Jon shrugged. "Unless you don't wanna come with us."

"But I thought…" Shawn wasn't sure what to make of this invitation, but he was thrilled with it. "But it's your honeymoon."

"That we planned to be four weeks," Audrey told him. "That's our honeymoon. Jon figured out a way to extend it, so we could have some extra company. Figured our kid was the best person to come along."

The teen sat back against his chair and regarded them with awe, deeply touched that they wanted him with them but unable to understand why.

"Well, I did promise to take you to Europe this summer," Jon told him. "The honeymoon kinda took your spot."

Shawn frowned. "I don't care about that. I'd rather you get married than go backpackin' through Europe."

"None of that's changing," Audrey said, "And it makes sense for you to join us—part of my family is over there waiting to meet you."

"They know about me?"

"Of course, they do."

Dumbfounded, Shawn stared at her.

There were people an ocean away waiting to meet him?

He could not wrap his mind around that.

But still, the thought warmed him.

He picked up his fork and sliced it through the cheesecake, then looked back up at them. "Can we go to Paris?"

Jon nodded, then motioned to Audrey. "I've got a couple of cliché things to do while we're there, if you don't mind."

Shawn shook his head. As he was about to take a bite of the dessert, a thought hit him. "Wait, if I go, do I still get a baby sister?"

Jon groaned and rolled his eyes, and Audrey laughed.

"Yes," she said. "You still get your baby sister."

A smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. "Yeah, okay, I'll go. It'll be cool."

"I think so," Jon said.

"Could we go to a hockey game at the Leksands ishall?" he asked hopefully.

Jon looked at Audrey, then back at Shawn. "Huh, it never occurred to us to put an SHL game on the itinerary."

"Sounds good to me," Audrey said. "I wouldn't mind seeing Stockholm while we're in Sweden. That's one place I did not get to dance."

For the rest of the meal, Shawn rearranged his plans with Cory to be only four weeks long.

Back at the cabin, the trio promptly dropped onto the couch in their usual positions to watch Jay Leno and whatever came on after the Tonight Show until nearly midnight.

With Jon and Shawn curled around her, Audrey let her mind wander over the events of the day.

During the day, it became very real to her that in the not-too-distant future, she would be the mother of a teenager.

It was a strange thing to think about, especially given her lack of feeling on the matter.

Not a lack of feeling for Shawn- no, her feelings for him were strong and sure.

It was the idea of becoming a mother that she had no strong feelings about. She was not afraid, or anxious. She did not have any reservations about it.

Maybe it was because she was convinced that it was meant to be for Shawn and Jon to become her family. There were too many ties that bound them together for it to be a coincidence and Audrey had no desire to rebel against that.  And some of it was because it made much more sense to her to become a mother at twenty than a caretaker at thirteen almost entirely on her own. Parenthood would be a partnership with Jon who wouldn't flit in and out of her life like her father's well-meaning but unreliable friends had.

However, she also knew she wasn't supposed to feel this way. She should be worried and have great reservations about this. She shouldn't want this responsibility.

It wasn't normal.

While the Matthews supported them, Andrea, Eli, and the friends and teachers she'd spoken to from back home all scoffed at the "hypothetical" idea she presented to them and told her she was crazy for wanting to get married let alone adopt a teen.

They also thought she was joking.

But it was happening. She was an adult. No one had a say in what she did.

Audrey snuggled closer to Jon as she ran her fingers through Shawn's hair, then picked up the remote to turn the television off. Reluctantly, she shooed them off to bed.

Shawn hugged her tightly when she thanked him for a perfect first Mother's Day, she reassured him that she loved him very much and was proud to be his mother.

He walked her to the bedroom trying to strike a deal to get them out of returning to Philadelphia. When he returned to the living room having failed his mission, Jon was pulling out the futon for him.

"Thanks."

Jon turned around and saw Shawn standing behind him with his hands in his pockets.

"You're welcome." At the blank look on the teen's face, he dropped the blanket and asked, "Everythin' okay?"

The teen frowned for a moment then said, "I think so."

"Today was a good day."

A small smile kissed his lips. "Yeah, it was."

Jon picked the blanket up again and spread it over the sheets. "You know that poem's gettin' framed."

The smile broadened.

"Copies will be made to go on her fridge. And mine. And the Matthews. Teacher's lounge. Feeny's. Eli's. No one's fridge'll be safe."

The smile turned into a grin.

"Mama really does love it," Shawn said, walking over to the futon where Jon was. "She's not fakin' it."

"Nah, she wouldn't do that. And the poem is excellent. You've got a real gift there, Shawn."

The teen leaned against his shoulder. "Yeah, maybe."

"You wanna talk or you ready for bed?"

Shawn regarded him for a long moment, then suddenly turned and hugged him tightly.

The hug caught Jon off guard, but he recovered quickly and returned the affection without hesitation. Shawn held onto to him for so long he thought he'd fallen asleep. Then without a word, the teen let go, dropped to the bed, and was asleep within minutes.

The mood the next morning was subdued, for as much as the trio wanted to get home and relax before heading back to school, none of them wanted to leave Lancaster and the anonymity it provided.

No one wanted to return to pretending they weren't a family.

Breakfast was lackluster compared to the days before. As much of the leftover food was eaten as possible before cleaning and packing up. Once the truck was loaded and they were about to get in, Shawn had a sudden burst of anxiety about leaving.

What made it worse was that both Jon and Audrey had the same sense of foreboding.

Shawn stood several feet away from the truck, hugging himself. "I think we should go to Mama's and skip the apartment," he said somberly.

"I can't," Jon said as he tossed Audrey's hair and cosmetics bags into the back of the cab of the truck. "George is supposed to call this afternoon and I told him I'd be home by noon."

"So?" he said grumpily, not happy that Jon made plans that put them on a specific timetable without telling him. "A lot of unexpected things happen when you go outta town. Make somethin' up."

Jon shot him a disgruntled look as he walked around to the driver's side. "I'm already makin' a lot of stuff up," he huffed. "I don't wanna add anything else. But maybe I can drop you and Aud off at her place and go back on my own."

"Oh, no," Audrey said as she shut the door to the cabin behind her. "We have to go back to school tomorrow and separate until you can talk to Mr. Feeny about us. I don't want to split up early."

"Yeah," Shawn gnawed on the skin around his thumb and refused to move. "I don't wanna split up either. We need to stay together."

Jon opened the truck door, then turned around and leaned against it. "Well, look, let's go back to apartment and as soon as George calls we'll go to Aud's, spend the night. We won't even unpack the truck."

"Yeah, I guess." Shawn shifted uneasily. It was a good plan. A decent compromise. He had no reason not to go along with it.

But something in him resisted the idea completely.

"It'll work out. We'll be okay," Jon said with more confidence than he felt. He couldn't understand the foreboding that hung over the truck. "I was kind of hopin' I could talk to George about us this afternoon. Get it out of the way."

Audrey and Shawn exchanged apprehensive looks, then stared silently back at him.

"Well, the guardianship papers will be signed next weekend so we should get that done as soon as possible," he explained.

"Yeah. You're right." Audrey gave Shawn's arm a squeeze and nodded towards the truck. "Everything will be fine."

The mood in the truck was somber for the first twenty minutes.

Shawn didn't badger Jon about driving. Instead, he immersed himself in his plans for his baby sister the next summer.

This list was even more detailed than his Christmas one. He had everything outlined from which rides to go on and what shows to see to the order of which was based on the time of day with plenty of naps scheduled as well as where she would sleep depending on how old she was. He marked on his one unlaminated map all of the rest areas where Audrey could take a break.

Shawn wrinkled his nose in frustration. The one thing he forgot to look at was what souvenirs would be age-appropriate and their cost.  He'd be sixteen in February and was certain Jon wouldn't have an issue with him getting a job. Turning his attention to the quickly passing landscape outside the window, Shawn said absently, "Hey Jon."

His teacher glanced at him in the rearview mirror. "Yeah?"

"We'll bring a stroller with us next time, right?"

"Yeah, sure."

"You know what model?"

Jon gave a snort of disbelief at the question, but at the serious look on the teen's face, he said, "Nah. Haven't thought about it. Why don't you do the research and tell us what you recommend."

"Okay." Shawn watched the clouds as traffic began to slow as they neared the city.

"Jon?"

"Yeah?"

"I wanna push her around the whole time we're at the Park."

Jon traded looks with Audrey. She reached over and put her hand on his knee.

"You gotta deal, kid."

Shawn looked down at his plans, then closed his notepad and stared out of the window again. The sense of foreboding grew as they entered the Philadelphia city limits.

Audrey sensed this and Shawn and Jon's growing discomfort, so she distracted them by getting them wound up over the Rangers' offseason foray into the playoffs they just barely made. Both happily took the distraction, loudly complaining and chirping each other to the point that by the time they made it into the building, the emotion of the friendly teasing had overridden the intense anxiety.

As the little family made their way to Jon's apartment, each one tried to reassure themselves they were just feeling depressed after the weekend because it didn't make sense that anything would be wrong at home.

Audrey was sure her feelings were also caused by her resistance to pretend she was just Jon's student teacher again. It was different with Shawn, as he was often, jokingly, called her son by other faculty members. But she hated having to watch Jon get hit on and say nothing.

At least he wasn't dating anymore.

Shawn's concern was that someone would be waiting for them in the apartment. His guess was it would be either Mr. Feeny who got their whereabouts out of Mr. Williams or Chet who showed up and decided to take over the apartment.

He didn't want it to be either one.  He hoped Jon would have the chance to talk to Mr. Feeny before they got caught.

Jon could find no logical reason for his feelings. He figured, at the very worst, they'd find Eli camped out on the couch because he couldn't get past Mrs. Dubchek and her advances.  He really should have told Eli he was going to be out of town over the weekend. While Eli would give him a hard time, George was the one he really needed to talk to about what was going on.  The sooner the better, as it occurred to him just how quickly the week would pass, and it would be Saturday again and the paperwork that he'd been holding onto for so long would be signed.

By both him and Audrey.

He couldn't wait to see Shawn's face when he realized he was getting two legal guardians.

As soon as he got the apartment door unlocked, he caught Audrey by the waist and Shawn by the shoulders. Hugging them close, he pushed the door open with his foot.  Laughing, they awkwardly struggled through the narrow space together, angling Audrey in first while he and Shawn briefly got stuck in the doorway. The whole thing struck them as ridiculously funny as they fought to maintain their footing as they entered their home.

Tears clouded their vision, and it took a few minutes for their sight to clear. When it did, the trio froze in horror, unable to move.

None of them could process the scene in front of them.

Someone was waiting for them.

But it wasn't Eli camped out on the sofa.

Or Mr. Feeny and his disapproval.

It was Katherine.

Chapter Text

The apartment was cold.

Too cold.

Especially since the air conditioning only worked sporadically as it waited for the landlord to fix it. Currently, it only put out enough cool air to keep its occupants from sweating to death.  Yet it felt like the small living area was inside a refrigerator turned down too low. The coldest most point of the apartment centered on the couch where Katherine sat smiling smugly at them.

Daring them to move.

Her eyes were fixed, not on Jon, but on Audrey.

A triumphant smirk curled the corners of her mouth.

Slowly Katherine stood and sauntered over to them, swinging the disposable camera that hung around her finger.

The trio standing in the doorway stopped breathing.

Kat's gaze slid over Audrey, past Jon, rested on Shawn, then fixated on Jon. She leaned into his personal space and placed her hands on his chest.

"Welcome home, honey," she purred, nuzzling his cheek.

Jon tensed and pulled back as far from her as he could, but he couldn't go far as he was trapped by his refusal to let his companions go.

His grip on them tightened.

Shawn squirmed but didn't take a breath.

Audrey didn't react or move.

Katherine didn't miss their reactions.

She took a step towards Jon.

"I've missed you so much." She raised her hand to his head.

Jon flinched.

Smirking, Katherine ran her fingers through his hair.

The phone rang.

They all recoiled.

This broke Jon out of his stupor.

"What are you doin' here?" he snapped, not letting go of his companions. "You don't have a key."

"Of course, I do, honey." Kat let him have the space he desperately wanted but only a small amount. "I have the one you gave me."

Jon glared at her.

The phone rang again and interrupted a response.

Audrey's grip on Jon tightened and her breath caught at the sound.

The calendar by the computer had her full attention.

She knew who the incoming call was from.

Manicured nails digging into his side caused Jon to look up and see the calendar.

A sick, cold feeling swept over him.

He knew who the incoming call was from.

"Get out!" he snapped harshly at Katherine. "Get outta my home!"

A cool grin spread over Kat's face as she kissed him.

Intimate but taunting.

He pulled away and spat off the kiss in disgust.

She chuckled.

The phone rang again.

"On my way out, sweetheart." She stepped away fully this time, pleased with herself.

The camera began to swing again.

"I'll see only you soon."

As Shawn turned his head to give Katherine a look that could kill, he caught the expression of horror on Audrey's face.

He frowned in confusion, then saw what she was looking at.

He knew who the incoming call was from.

Suddenly nauseated he thought he might throw up. This time, without the aid of rotten coleslaw, he would aim for Katherine and hit more than her shoes.  Goosebumps pricked his skin as a light electricity ran over his body. He pulled his eyes away from the calendar and found her smiling at him.

Kat moved away from Jon and pushed her way through the trio who were melded together like a chain.

She pushed at the weakest link.

Shawn.

Breaking his connection to Jon, she severed the hold they had on each other, leaving Jon and Audrey huddled together.  She then flashed him a toothy grin and pinched his cheek.

Hard.

Shawn remained disengaged from Jon and Audrey as they stared at each other in shock. Kat's hand was on the doorknob when the answering machine kicked on.

"Audrey, this is Dr. Amsden..."

Jon and Shawn reanimated at the same time and rushed to the machine to shut it off. Rather than stop the recording, they collided with each other, and, by the time, they untangled themselves, the message detailing Audrey's next appointment was over.

Kat stood in the doorway for a full minute after the recording ended then blew Jon a kiss and walked out.

No one moved after she left.

They stood there staring at each other in disbelief over what had just happened.

Shawn was the first to come to life.

He flew into an indecipherable rage, gesturing wildly. By the time his frustration dissipated enough to be understood neither Jon nor Audrey could think. Jon slumped against the desk by the phone and Audrey collapsed heavily onto the couch.

Both were damp with a cold sweat while the apartment was unbearably hot.

Shawn stood on the footrest bar of a kitchen stool holding onto the back as he looked back and forth between the two. Their lack of reaction caused anxiety to shoot through him making it impossible to remain still.

Inaction was not an option. He needed them to do something.

Now .

"Well?!" he shouted at them, louder and angrier than he intended.

Neither responded.

Jon looked sick and furious.

Audrey looked pale and dazed.

Shawn blinked and waited expectantly.

When neither responded, he realized just how bad their situation was. So bad that the adults didn't know what to do. At the same time, he understood that his family needed help, and he was going to have to be the one to step up and take charge.

Just like they'd had done for him so many times.

So, he inhaled a deep breath and started to plan what needed to be done.

Step 1: hire Harley to slash Miss Tompkins' tires.

There was no purpose in that other than to make himself feel better and anger her. He was certain he'd feel even better if he could do it, however antics like that were the very things he'd promised them he would no longer do, and he didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble for Jon and Audrey.

Shawn ran his hands through his hair as he collected his thoughts. As he did this, he turned around slowly with his eyes scrutinizing every detail of the room.

In the kitchen his gaze caught on the cabinet doors near the refrigerator. They were slightly ajar as though someone had opened them but failed to close them all the way.

Neither Jon nor Audrey did this.

Jon got onto him when he left them open.

And he did.

Frequently.

He knew those cabinets were closed tightly before they left for Lancaster. Audrey was the last one out of the kitchen and she always made sure everything was in perfect order before she left.  It crossed his mind that Katherine stole their food as well as his key and the idea caused his heart rate to spike.

If she was rude enough to go through their cabinets, she was rude enough to search the rest of the house.

Shawn's mouth opened slightly as he sucked in a sharp breath.

The thought disgusted him.

He clenched his fists twice. Each time he dug his short nails deep into the skin of his palm trying to calm himself.

Nothing else in the kitchen seemed amiss so he turned his attention to the living room. Jon was on the couch next to Audrey now. Neither were doing anything helpful.

Then the cushion they weren't sitting on caught his attention and increased the sense of foreboding that weighed on him.

That cushion belonged at the other end where Jon and Audrey were sitting. Instead, it was shoved into the wrong spot and the coffee stain was showing.

That coffee stain happened when he and Cory were working on a history project a few months ago.

The project called for antiqued papers which they created by using coffee. They had removed the couch cushions and put them on the floor, so they had a comfortable place to sit at the coffee table while they worked and watched TV.

However, they weren't supposed to be in the living room. In a rush to move the project back into the kitchen before Audrey and Jon came home, they spilled the coffee directly on the cushion which resulted in a stain the boys swore looked like Feeny.

Jon never found out because it was on the bottom of the cushion.

Shawn shouldn't be able to see it now.

But he could.

A creeping static electricity pricked his arms and shot towards his spine as what Katherine did the last time she broke into his home came to mind.

Shawn jumped up and rushed to his room.

Immediately, he saw his pillow askew, and his blanket rumpled as though it had been pulled back and replaced hurriedly. The mattress was slightly crooked on the bedframe. In a panic, he reached under the mattress to check on his prized journals- the ones Jon got him for Christmas.

They appeared unbothered and Shawn hugged them to his chest.

After he replaced the notebooks and fixed his bed, he turned his attention to the rest of the room. He found his closet door slightly ajar, but upon inspection nothing was missing.

Standing in the middle of his room, Shawn struggled to calm his breathing. Foreboding pressed against him. Something was very wrong, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

Aside from his bed nothing was out of place.

Shawn's gaze dragged along the walls, searching for a reason for that terrible feeling. As he looked, he found little disturbances that were worse than the bed. The creepiest of those disturbances were his backpack and the messy piles of clothes he kept in various places around the room; they were all folded and stacked. The backpack was zipped closed.

In fact, his entire room, aside from the bed, was eerily neat and tidy. But not an Audrey neat and tidy, rather a hated-teacher-had-been-in-his-room-touching-his-things neat and tidy.

Hot disgust and anger flooded him.

He threw the clothing across the room and kicked half of it under his bed. Then he unzipped the backpack and dumped its contents on the floor before storming out of his room and into Jon's.

His teacher's room was not as obviously tampered with, but it still had that same eerie feeling.

He stood in the middle of the room looking for disturbances.

The bed looked laid in. The dresser drawers were slightly open. Knickknacks, trophies, and hockey memorabilia that decorated the room were off just enough for Shawn to notice. He checked the closet but was only familiar with the clothes Jon wore regularly. What Jon didn't take with them to Lancaster was all there as far as Shawn could tell, including the black sweater with the red stripe.

As he left the closet, he stopped and checked the small bathroom attached to it. Everything appeared normal, except for an empty spot in his teacher's shaving kit.

Shawn frowned and inspected it closer.

The aftershave was missing.

He wrinkled his nose and slowly backed out. He couldn't be sure Katherine took it. Jon had the tendency to overuse his aftershave and may have taken the full sized one instead of a travel-size bottle with them on vacation.

Shawn frowned as he tried to remember.

It was that Hugo Boss stuff Audrey loved so he probably did take it. He tried to convince himself that this was what happened as he headed back to the living room where Jon and Audrey were now talking in serious quiet tones.

Just as he was about to insert himself into their conversation and ask about the aftershave, he saw it.  And it made him suddenly very cold in the hot room.

"Jon!" He grabbed a fistful of his teacher's shirt and tugged hard as he lunged over the back of the couch. "Jon, look!"

Confused, Jon turned around to look where Shawn was pointing as he wrestled his shirt from the teen's grip.

He didn't see anything.

"What?"

"The floorboard." Shawn felt panic rise as he thought about what was under there. "Look! It's been pulled up."

Jon stared at the space, then slowly shook his head. "Nah," he said uncertainly. "We must've not put it back all the way when we got in it the last time."

"You were the last one to put anything under there," he replied instantly. He stood over the floorboard and stared down at it. "You always put it down flat."

Jon grimaced.

Shawn could tell he didn't want to consider the possibility Katherine had found their hiding place.

He didn't want to consider it either.

Under those floorboards, where he used to stash his bad grades and Jon hid his extra cash, was all the paperwork for Audrey's visits to Dr. Amsden.  Everything about Audrey was hidden under there with all the condemning evidence that Jon was heavily involved in her care. There were invoices with his name on them as well as letters and documents.

Everything that could ruin their family was under there except for the engagement ring.

If Kat looked under that floorboard, it was game over.

This realization hit Shawn hard, and panic rose up into his throat, burning his mouth and nose with a pungent bile.

He dropped to his knees and yanked the floorboard up. His grip was awkward and his movement too fast. The old worn wood was splintered on the sides and the fragments caught under his nails.  He didn't feel the sharp pricks of pain as he threw the board to the side.

"Hey!" Jon's voice cut through the fog of fear and Shawn paused. "Calm down."

A strong hand on his shoulder subsided the churning maelstrom of emotion enough that he could see clearly again. When he looked down, he saw the Eagle Craftstor storage box of Audrey's that held her paperwork.

It appeared to be untouched.

"See," Jon was kneeling next to him now. "Look, everything's fine. Just like we left it."

Shawn stared down at the box.

"How can you be sure?" he asked looking back up at his teacher. "She was in our rooms."

Jon didn't say anything but the perturbed look on his face was the same one he had the night they came back from dropping Cory and Topanga off and they realized someone had been in the apartment while they were gone.

Abruptly, Jon got up and disappeared into his room.

When he came back several minutes later, he returned to the hole in the floor where Shawn was still sitting. Without a word he took the box out of its hiding place and opened it up. He carefully inspected everything inch of the container before meticulously going over each paper.

Shawn knew he had a very particular order for those documents, and he held his breath as Jon looked them over.

"No," Jon said when he reached the last paper, sounding exhausted and out of breath. "Everythin' is in order. She didn't take anything."

Shawn let out a heavy breath and looked past Jon to Audrey who was perched on the arm of the couch closest to them. She looked ill.

Jon put the papers back in their container and returned the box to its spot. He replaced the floorboard then stood up and offered a hand to Shawn.  Shawn slapped his palm and stood up on his own.

"We're okay," Jon said. His voice was unsteady as though he didn't fully believe it.

"Jon, she saw us together," Audrey blurted out. Anxiously, she pressed the nails of her ringer fingers into the quick of her thumbnails. "You know she's snooped through the apartment. Even without the papers, there's enough evidence of me being here to get us into serious trouble."

Jon pressed his lips into a thin line and stared at the floor.

Shawn dropped onto the couch next to Audrey and watched his teacher worriedly.

"I'm callin' Feeny," he said quietly, startling them.

"Are you crazy!?" Shawn squawked in disbelief.

Jon looked up at him. "No, I'm not. I was gonna have to call him anyway about next Saturday. Doin' it now is better. Cut her off. Make sure I get our story out first."

While Jon made the call in his bedroom, Shawn huddled on the couch with Audrey tightly holding onto her. He couldn't shake the fear that they were overlooking something very important.

Several minutes later, Jon joined them again. "I gotta meetin' with Feeny after school tomorrow. I'll tell him everythin' then."

Audrey shook her head unhappily. Shawn couldn't take his eyes off the floorboard.

"It's been a long day," Audrey said after several minutes. She sounded like herself again, but still looked pale and unhappy. "We should call it a night early. Let's eat and get ready for bed. We can watch TV or something for a while."

Everyone agreed.

No one moved.

Shawn held on tightly to Jon and Audrey as an irrational fear of losing them forever set in. Eventually, Audrey untangled herself to make dinner. Jon remained where he was with his arm over Shawn's shoulder and his eyes on Audrey feeling the same ineffable dread.

Even though dinner was simple, soup and sandwiches, Audrey treated it as though she was making a gourmet meal. Going through her standard cooking routine eased her nerves just long enough for her to stop trembling.

Jon and Shawn saw the comfort in routine and fell into their own of preparing the salad and setting the table.

When they finally sat down to eat, Audrey wasn't the only one who picked at the food.

No one had an appetite.

After dinner, the routine continued as they took their places on the couch.

Jon sat in the middle of the couch with Audrey and Shawn by his side. Every minute or so he would absently kiss Audrey on her forehead or cheek. It was a nervous impulse much like his stroking Shawn's hair in a way that put his hand over the teen's face preventing him from seeing much of anything.

Shawn didn't protest this and neither did Audrey, who had her arms wrapped around Jon while holding onto to Shawn.

No one could relax.

The television droned on with evening dramas that faded into late night talk shows. Time slipped away as they were all lost in thought. Then suddenly, Shawn pulled out the embrace and jumped up.

"A camera!" he exclaimed staring at the apartment door.

"What?" Jon asked, sounding dazed as he shifted his and Audrey's position to better see the teen.

Shawn whirled back around to face them with his fingers jammed into his hair. "She had a camera with her! It was a disposable Kodak camera, and the frame counter was on zero!"

Jon stared at him, not wanting to accept what the teen was implying.

"Shawn, what?"

Walking over to his teacher, Shawn put his hands on Jon's shoulders. "She took pictures while she was here and used the entire roll of film."

Jon and Audrey exchange worried looks. They'd both missed the camera.

Shawn pointed to the kitchen. "She didn't have to take anything. She got pictures of everything."

The trio stared at the floorboards as a mutual numbness settled over the storm of emotions they were engulfed in.  That night, instead of taking Audrey home as planned, they ended up sleeping on the couch, huddled together while their world slowly collapsed around them.

The next morning Jon woke up in a foggy blur of pain with a shrill ringing in his ears. His neck was crooked at an odd angle over the back of the couch with a heavy weight crushing his ribs. Audrey was draped over him and Shawn, with his arms wrapped around her, was pressing her into him. His shoulder loudly complained about the position it had been kept in all night as he tried to move without disturbing his family.

He managed to extract himself from under Audrey and settled her and Shawn onto the arm of the couch. As he did this, the ringing in his ears cleared into the unmistakable sound of the phone announcing a call.

With a groan, Jon stumbled over to the desk and picked up the receiver. He glanced at the caller ID and swore under his breath.

Feeny.

"Yeah, hello," he answered gruffly.

"Mr. Turner." The principal's tone was sharp and unfriendly.

The coldness in his boss's voice shocked Jon awake.

"Mr. Feeny," he shot back with the same attitude.

"I want you and Miss Andrews in my office in thirty minutes."

"Good mornin' to you too, George," Jon said in exasperation. He rubbed his eyes as he tried to get his thoughts together.

"I am not in the mood for your sarcasm, Mr. Turner. I want you in my office in half an hour."

"I can't," he snapped, his mood growing darker. He didn't appreciate being ordered around, particularly without a reason. "I'm not dressed, and neither is Shawn. He's gotta eat and if you want Audrey, we've gotta get her."

"Lucky for you she's already at your place," Mr. Feeny told him grimly.

A sharp retort died on his lips as the principal's words sunk in. His mind was reeling, and he couldn't hold his thoughts together.

"E-excuse me?"

"I know she's been staying at your place, Mr. Turner, and you at hers. Get her and Mr. Hunter and get to school. Now."

Jon was left in stunned silence as the sound of the phone being slammed down reverberated in his ear.

"Jon?" Audrey was at his side now, tugging at his sleeve. Worried gray eyes searched his face looking for the cause of his distress.

Shawn was sitting up now, also staring at him.

"Jon?" She stepped in front of him and forced him to look at her. "What's wrong?"

Seconds ticked by. Jon couldn't respond. The answer didn't seem real.

"Jon?" Shawn was in his face now. He frowned wondering when the kid had grown tall enough to be almost eye to eye with him.

Finally, the words fell out of his mouth.

"He knows."

Audrey started to say something then stopped. The look on Jon's face scared her. "He knows what?"

"Feeny knows you've been stayin' here."

"What?!" Shawn shouted in surprised outrage.

Audrey said nothing. Numbness settled over her.

Jon shook his head weakly and put a hand over his mouth.

"It was her!" the teen cried pointing an accusatory finger at Jon since he had no one else to point at. "She told Feeny!"

Jon shrugged, which upset Shawn even more.

"She couldn't have," Audrey said shaking her head. "I mean it was just last night. She didn't have time to meet with him."

"It was her!" Shawn said again, louder this time. "I told you she was snoopin'! She went to Feeny and ratted us out!"

Jon and Audrey had no choice but to agree with him. There was no other explanation.

Jon stared at the couch. His mind was a cacophony of thoughts. He couldn't push past the melee to put together a plan. Helplessly, he looked to Audrey whose expression portrayed exactly how he felt.

Hopeless.

"We should get to school as soon as possible," she said, pulling away from him and wrapping her arms around herself.

"Right," Jon agreed. "Right."

Shawn scowled at them. He didn't agree at all.

Jon started to reach out to Audrey, but she was just out of range, so he let his hand fall to his side. He glanced at Shawn.

"You get ready to go. I'll call Alan and let him know you're goin' with Cory today."

"No, I'm not," Shawn protested vehemently. "I'm goin' with you guys."

Jon looked to Audrey again, but she had nothing for him. He motioned Shawn over to him and took him by the shoulders.

"Not this time, bud. I need you where I know you're safe. I need to not worry about you."

Shawn didn't like the scared look in Jon's eyes because it wasn't the same kind of scared that was in them when he was brought home by the cops or did something stupid that could have gotten him hurt.

This was different and it scared him.

"Why?" he asked hesitantly.

"Because I don't know what's gonna happen or how long it could take."

The fear combined with the obvious anxiety told Shawn that Jon needed his cooperation not rebellion.

"Yeah, okay," he agreed reluctantly. "I'll get dressed and eat over there."

"Yeah, good deal." Jon gripped his shoulders tighter and held onto him for a moment longer. When he let go, Shawn thought he saw tears in his teacher's eyes.

Ten minutes later the trio met at the door. Audrey straightened Shawn's collar and smoothed his hair. Then she hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek.

"Love you," she said, pressing her forehead against his.

"Love you, too, Mama." Shawn was surprised to find himself on the verge of tears.

"I'll see you after school."

"Yeah, sure." He looked over her shoulder at Jon who looked away from him.

Shawn left them with the heavy weight of foreboding riding on his shoulders. As he exited the building, he felt an intense compulsion to run back to Audrey and hold onto her. But because he wanted to help Jon, he resisted the urge and continued towards the Matthews house feeling worse with each step he took.

Jon and Audrey left shortly after Shawn and headed to the apartment parking lot.

It was the first time they'd gone to school together since early in Audrey's student teaching when she needed a ride. Once her landlady let her borrow her old Bonneville, carpooling was no longer necessary.

It felt strange to be riding together now.

Before Audrey got into the truck, Jon grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug. They held onto to each other tightly for a long time. When he let her go, she grabbed him and pulled him into a deep kiss. Once they broke the kiss, Jon grabbed her again and held onto her until they had no choice but to leave.

Chapter Text

John Adams High was eerily empty early in the morning.

Jon and Audrey stood outside of the side door that was used by faculty clutching each other's hands in silence.

Audrey stared at their forlorn reflections in the window. "We need to go in."

Jon glanced at her. "Yeah."

Neither moved.

Jon's thoughts were reeling. He knew they would walk in together, but he was certain they would not walk out together.

An irrational, intense desire to run seized him.

The last time he felt like this he was fifteen and he did run.

Straight to Audrey's dad.

"Jon, we need to go in." The look on his face concerned her and she was already terribly anxious about the unknown ahead of them. "Mr. Feeny's already angry. Let's not make it worse by being late."

"He is already angry so what difference does it make?" The urge to run grew stronger as he stared at the window. He looked at her again and inhaled a sharp breath. "Let's get outta here."

Audrey's eyes widened, then she frowned. "What?"

Jon pursed his lips together tightly then said, "We go get Shawn and get out. Go to Richie. Go to Venus. The Village. Wherever. We just don't go in there."

Audrey opened her mouth to protest then shut it.

More than anything she wanted to go along with Jon's impulsive plan. To run off and create a life for themselves.

If was just the two of them? They had nothing to lose.

But with Shawn? They had everything to lose if they ran without those papers being signed.

If only this had happened the next week, after Shawn was theirs, then they could have left and taken him with them.

Maybe.

A deep despair overcame her.

"Jon," she said, shaking her head solemnly. "We can't."

"Aud." He took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him "We just gotta lay low for a while- it's almost summer. Once school's out, we're home free. And I'm sure Alex would help me get a job in the City without havin' to go through Feeny for references."

The plan was tempting, but impossible.

"Jon-"

"I mean you're done with school in a couple of days anyway," he went on, growing more confident and certain of his plan. "You won't be affected by takin' off and can graduate on time."

"Jon-"

Anxiety crept up around her throat. Frustration at his persistence in following this "plan" was right behind it.

"You and me, we get married right now, Aud." The words alone made Jon feel better. Anything to avoid facing Feeny and not give up what their plans. "And Philly isn't far. We can make sure Shawn sees Cory as much as possible..."

She couldn't take it anymore. She'd been through all these impossible plans before when her mother was so sick. Her father believed the fairytale he created for them, and it destroyed him when their story did not have a happy ending, and her mother died anyway.

She couldn't handle another fictional story, another impossibility, and lose someone else she loved dearly.

"JON!"

The high-pitched desperation that tore through his name as she yelled at him, made Jon stop and stare at her.

"Just stop!" She pleaded. She deeply resented having to be the adult in another serious situation when she was once again the youngest by a significant amount.

She needed him to stop spinning stories and help her in reality.

All of her frustration poured out in an angry flood when she saw he was going to defend his plans. "You know this isn't possible. So just shut up!"

Jon stared at her in shock. This was the first time she'd gotten angry with him over something unrelated to her eating disorder. It was the first time she'd ever told him to shut up. It shouldn't be a big deal, but under the circumstances it was.

Defensiveness crept over him as he felt the sting of rejection. Then, when he really looked at her, he saw a scared kid terrified of what the future held for them.

With an embarrassed sigh he ran his hand through his hair and said, "I'm sorry, Aud. I just, I just don't wanna lose you or Shawn."

She shook her head in despair. "I can't do this, Jon. I can't be the strength you need. I can't do things for you anymore. I just can't." Her shoulders slumped as she fought back tears.

"Hey, hey!" He pulled her into a tight hug, brushed away those tears with his thumbs, and lightly kissed her forehead. "You don't need to, Aud. I'm not used to stayin' when things get hard. I've always run, never had a reason to stay until now. Fallin' back on old habits, I guess. I'm sorry."

Jon held onto to her tightly, realizing that someone could easily pull into the teachers' parking lot now and see them. Even so he tangled his fingers in her hair.

"I love you, Jonny, but I'm scared."

"I love you, too, Aud." He felt guilty for not realizing how hard this was on her sooner or how much pressure he was putting on her to be his anchor. "I don't know what's gonna happen, but I'll take care of us. You just take care of yourself."

She nodded into his chest while he kissed the top of her head. Then he took a step back and held the door open for her.

Audrey was taken into Feeny's office immediately.

The open door to the office and Bud's harsh "the girl goes first" was all that greeted them. Jon sat in the chair in the room outside where the former janitor sat at his desk cursing everything he had to do and periodically glaring at him as though the work was his fault.

Without having any idea what Feeny knew or what he would do with what he knew, Jon went over every possible question and scenario he could think of and how to respond to it. He hoped he and Audrey would be on the same wavelength when it came to answering questions. But he had no way of knowing how much pressure their principal might use and if she'd be strong enough to hold up under it.

He'd been asking an awful lot of her lately and had put too much on her just so that his life didn't change.

Jon groaned and leaned forward, nervously swatting at his tie.

He assumed Kat had told Feeny that he and Audrey were dating at best, living together at worst.

Then what Topanga found out about dating according to his contract and NYU's code of conduct came to mind. He sighed in relief at the recollection. Legally, Feeny couldn't touch them.

Assuming Topanga was right.

Jon put a hand over his mouth and sank back into his chair.

Why on earth did I trust a fifteen-year-old on something as important as this? He wondered in dismay.

This past year had robbed him of his sanity, there was no doubt about that. Planning to adopt a troubled kid and making marriage plans with his student teacher was not sane. He didn't know who to blame for this change in his view of relationships and what he wanted out of life.

Shawn?

Audrey?

Both?

There was no chance for an answer to come to him as the door to Feeny's office opened and Audrey walked out. Bud jumped to meet her, took her by the arm, and snarled at Jon as they walked by him.

Audrey kept her head down and didn't look at him. As she pulled her hair down around her shoulders, he saw tears slipping down her cheeks.

He couldn't move. He felt sick seeing her red-faced and shaking while holding onto herself.

What did Feeny say to her?

Whatever it was he knew there was no way to prepare for it, though he imagined Audrey didn't say much beyond "yes" or "no" to anything asked of her. He could tell by her body language that she was completely shut down and had been for some time.

Even though Bud and the heavy scent of tobacco was between them, Jon still caught the aroma of her shampoo as they walked by, and without thinking, he reached out to her.

"MR. TURNER!"

Feeny's voice froze him in place. Jon watched helplessly as Audrey passed him.

He was so tempted to defy Feeny and go after her anyway but fear he might make things worse for her stopped him. With deep resentment and apprehension, he turned to face his own fate.

The principal's office made him feel defensive and caged, even when the meetings with Feeny were about something benign. He'd spent a significant amount of time in them throughout his school career and even found himself in the Dean's office on more than one occasion in college.

Now sitting in front of Feeny all those years of visits congealed into one.

The men stared at each other for a long moment before Jon looked away. The hard, judgmental look in Feeny's eyes angered him and he struggled to hold onto his tongue.

The principal put his hands on top of the papers on his desk and spread his fingers out as though to brace himself. He glared at Jon over the rim of his glasses, clearly struggling to keep his own emotions in check.

"At nearly midnight last night," Feeny began. His voice was very low and menacing. "I was presented with undeniable evidence that you have broken my trust where Miss Andrews is concerned. Repeatedly."

Anger flared in Jon as Katherine's nasty smirk came to mind. He gripped the arms of the chair tightly as he hissed defensively, "I did no-!"

"BE QUIET!"

Jon's mouth snapped shut.

He had heard Feeny yell before.

He had seen Feeny angry before.

But never magnified to this extent and directed at him.

Suddenly he felt twelve-years-old again sitting before his father as the man angrily scolded him for failing to do his "job" at the most recent business meeting.

"You do not speak unless a question is asked." Feeny glared at him. "You will only answer the question that is asked. Is that understood?"

Jon glared back in defiance, but he couldn't hold the other man's gaze. He looked away.

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

He stared at the principal with disgusted disbelief. "Yes, sir." He bit off each word and spat it out but resisted the urge to sarcastically salute.

Mr. Feeny was silent as he turned on the tape recording on his desk. "Did Miss Andrews spend the night at your apartment last night?"

Jon's shoulders slumped forward as he realized this was an official inquiry and not just Feeny following up on Kat's accusation. "Yes."

"Has she spent the night at your apartment before?"

"Yes."

"Have you spent the night at her house?"

"Yes."

"More than once?"

Jon paused, wondering how Audrey answered these questions. As he started to say no, he realized it didn't matter what she had said. For once, he had to step up and do the right thing rather than let it fall on her.

"Yes."

Feeny shook his head in frustration at Jon's stupidity. "Has Shawn Hunter been involved in these overnight stays?"

"Yes."

"Have you been hiding that Miss Andrews has been seeking treatment for an eating disorder?"

This question threw Jon, and he couldn't answer. He was expecting the next question to be an uncomfortably personal one about how he and Audrey spent their time together. He did not expect her eating disorder to be brought up.

"Yes," he said after a glare from Feeny told him he was taking too long to respond.

"Did you lie to me about the reason Miss Andrews was seeing a counselor?"

"Not really," Jon said, leaning forward. He was still unbalanced by the direction of the questions that he forgot the terms Feeny had set out. "She was-"

"YES OR NO, MR. TURNER!"

He sat back and stared blankly at the principal. "Yeah."

Feeny tapped his fingers on his desk before folding his hands in front of him and leaning forward.

"Miss Andrews is on her way back to New York. Her student teaching has been terminated effective immediately. Her advisor is on his way to pack her belongings. You will not be in the classroom tomorrow."

Jon was stunned.

Audrey was gone?

Already?

It hadn't been an hour since he last held her hand. And not two since she had told Shawn she'd see him after school.

A strange feeling gripped his heart.

Feeny cleared his throat loudly to get his attention. "Well, Mr. Turner, what do you have to say for yourself?"

A strange sense of disassociation overcame Jon. He heard himself speak but it felt like he was listening to someone else's conversation.

"What difference does it make if I talk?" he heard himself say in far too sarcastic a tone for the situation. "You've already decided you know everything and made your decision."

Mr. Feeny glared at him. "Talk, Mr. Turner."

"Audrey doesn't have anyone to take care of her, okay?" He flopped back into his chair and stared at the floor. "She's alone, George. All she's got is her old man who she's been takin' care on her own. Been doin' that since her mom died when she was a kid. She needed someone to step in and be there for her."

"It should not have been you."

He looked up sharply. "Who then, George? I'm tellin' you there's no family over here for her. Friends? When do you make friends in a situation like hers? You gonna do it? What do you know about her? You didn't even notice anything was wrong."

Feeny regarded him with a steady, emotionless expression. "I have not spent enough time with her to know something of that nature was wrong. And she should not have been spending enough time with you for you to notice."

"That time she was spendin' with us was about Shawn, and you know it!" Jon snapped back. Now that he knew Feeny had already made his decision, it didn't matter how he responded, and he felt no need to hold back. "Chet wasn't the only one who dumped the kid. Virna did too. Virna did first. He needed a mom as much as a dad and Audrey stepped up for him."

The principal's expression didn't waver, but the steely, angry edge was not quite as sharp as before. "So Mr. Hunter was the one who noticed Miss Andrews' health decline and informed you about it?"

Jon looked away for a moment. He considered lying.

"No."

"So, then you were spending enough time with her to notice for yourself."

"Yeah, I was."

"I warned you about this, Jonathan." Feeny shook his head and sat back in his seat. "I warned you about this from the very beginning."

"You warned me about datin' my student teacher which I have not done," he said knowing he was flirting with a dangerous subject as well as skirting the truth.

Feeny put hand up to wave off whatever Jon was going to say next. "But you did hide a very serious condition your student teacher had. If this had been your student..."

"She's not my student and never has been! She's an adult!" he snapped in frustration that the principal wasn't making an attempt to understand his situation. "And she isn't some random college student either, George. She's Richie's kid."

A frown of confusion flickered across Feeny's face. "Richie?"

"Richie Andrews," Jon sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Big name in the New York music scene that no one outside of the City knows. He did a lot for me. I owe it to him to take care of his kid."

"Why isn't her brother helping?"

"She doesn't have a-" Jon's voice trailed off as he realized with dismay that he had just outed himself as the "brother" who answered Audrey's phone the morning Brad called not long before Shawn's birthday.

"I see. Nice to meet you, Jay," Feeny said flatly. He clenched his jaw, frustrated with his teacher. "As I recall Mr. Lewis called quite early in the morning when you answered."

Jon lunged forward in his seat. "That was for Shawn's birthday! He was there. Nothing happened and I haven't done anything wrong!" he insisted vehemently, trying to turn the conversation back to Audrey's medical issue. "I told her advisor when I found out she relapsed, and he knew about her treatment schedule."

Everything he said was true.

Technically.

Feeny covered his lips briefly with his finger then said, "If you have not done anything wrong why did you lie to me?"

"Because we knew you wouldn't understand." Jon picked at the fabric on the knee of his jeans. "We knew you'd do this; you'd send Aud away." He looked up at the principal. "Kat had another copy of my key that she used to get into my place and go through it. I still don't understand why you trust her over me."

"She had pictures," he said, emotion breaking through for the first time. He sounded tired and regretful. "I could not ignore her this time, Jonathan."

Jon stared at him. He didn't understand how the man could ignore how those pictures were obtained. "Do you not care about how she got them? She used a stolen key again!"

He and Feeny stared at each other.

Jon had had enough.

He jumped up and headed for the door. He'd already lost Audrey. There wasn't much else Feeny could do to him now.

"Sit down, Mr. Turner."

Jon slowly turned back to face the principal with hands on his waist and his lips pressed together into a thin line. Eventually he said, "Nah, I don't think I will."

"Jonathan," Feeny held his hand out to the empty chair. "Sit down. Please."

The sudden shift in the principal's tone and the softening of the harsh look on his face stunned Jon into a sitting position. He stared at the floor in front of him rather than look at Feeny, however.

The principal reached over and turned off the tape recorder.

" I also spoke to Miss Andrews' mentor, and he told me about her father and your connection to him. I did not realize you knew him by a nickname. Apparently, he had quite an influence on your life when you were about Shawn's age."

Jon fell into the seat and shrugged. He wasn't in the mood to discuss his teen years.

"An influence quite like the one you are having on young Mr. Hunter's life."

Jon glanced up at him and shrugged again.

George dropped his chin and lightly tapped his fingers against the desktop. Whether his English Lit teacher knew it or not, his feelings for Audrey were all over his face. As was his belief that he was being treated unfairly.

He looked up again and said, "She needs help, Jonathan."

"She was gettin' help, George."

Feeny sighed. "She needs to be where she can get help in one place and not be pulled in so many directions. She needs to focus on her recovery so that she can return to full health."

Jon clenched his jaw and scowled. "You don't know the situation."

"I believe I do."

"No, you don't. You haven't even considered what Audrey wants."

"And that is?"

"To stay with Shawn."

Feeny studied him for a long moment then tapped his fingers against his desk, knowing that he purposely left his own name off from what Audrey wanted.

"I know that if there is nothing else going on but support for Shawn then you will have no issue making sure she gets all the help she needs so that she can come back to him."

"You just don't..." Jon started to growl in frustration until his principal's words suddenly absorbed into his consciousness. He blinked several times trying to clear his thoughts. "Come back to him?"

"Mr. Larsson is retiring at the end of the year," Feeny said softly. "If Miss Andrews receives medical clearance by the start of the school year, then 8th and 9th grade English Literature will be hers."

Jon stared in shock at his boss. He had nothing to say about this because of all the things Feeny could have said this was not on his radar at all.

The older man smiled slightly at the look on his teacher's face. "Yes, Mr. Turner. I believe Miss Andrews is a positive influence on the students, especially Mr. Hunter. She will be a fine addition to John Adams High. When she's ready."

Thoughts flew through his mind as Jon tried to figure out if he was being set up. Finally, he sat up a little straighter and said simply, "Seriously?"

Feeny gave him a small nod. "Seriously."

"Why?"

Raising his brow in amusement, he replied, "Because I did not think this would be the secret you would be hiding where Miss Andrews is concerned."

"Oh." Jon felt the heat of guilt flush his cheeks. He slouched down in the chair and hid a grimace behind his hand.

"Yes," Feeny picked up the paper in front of him and straightened them up. "I was quite convinced there was a romantic relationship between the two of you. But I see you were just looking out for her while also taking care of Shawn. I'm proud of you, Jonathan."

"Eh," Jon said thinking about the engagement ring in his leather jacket and the summer wedding plans. The kiss they shared on the roof above his apartment after Shawn's birthday also sprang to mind. That kiss was hardly a chaste one of friendship. "Thanks."

While the principal went on talking about his upstanding character, Jon sank further into his seat. He was supposed to have a meeting with this same man about attending Shawn's party on Saturday that would see him and Audrey sign legal guardianship papers after school.

As well as announce their plans to marry.

He couldn't tell him now.

Jon put his hand over his mouth and swore viciously into his palm.

Thinking about Saturday made him realize he would not only have to cancel the afternoon meeting but the party too.

With Audrey gone, the signing was most certainly on hold.

Jon felt sick as he realized he was going to have to tell Shawn about the abrupt change in plans.

Without Audrey to cushion the blow.

Feeny stood and walked around his desk to extend his hand to Jon. The man who thought he was doing such a good thing for Shawn by bringing her back next year had no idea he'd just ruined the kid's summer.

His, too.

Chapter Text

Katherine Tompkins was leaning against the door of the principal's office.

With Bud out of the office and meandering the halls as he tended to do to avoid work, she had free reign of the office. 

And heard everything Mr. Feeny said.

She wasn't happy about the revelation that Feeny intended to bring Audrey back and put her in a position that would have her in the same department as Jon. If Audrey was just going to return in the fall, then she went to the principal for nothing. The whole point of turning Jon in for hiding her eating disorder was so she did not come back.

Kat pressed a polished mauve thumbnail against her lips as she listened to the end of Feeny's speech, then turned on her heel and walked out of the office. The hall was empty of students and the pay phone by the bathroom was free. She glanced at the clock on the wall above the lockers where Jon's favorite students kept their school supplies.

Picking up the receiver, she dialed a number she'd had memorized since Audrey pushed her out of her place in Jon's life: Gerald O'Malley, president of the school board.

She had one last hand to play.

There would be no coming back for Audrey from this one. Regrettably, Jon would have to suffer a bit, but he'd recover just fine.

"Yes, hello, this is Katherine Tompkins. I need to talk to Mr. O'Malley about a very important matter."

"Mr. O'Malley won't be in until after school," the weary voice of the secretary responded. "If you're a teacher you should know that. What message would you like to leave for him?"

A slow smirk spread over her lips.

She leaned against the wall playing with the cord of the phone. "There is a teacher at this school who is involved in a romantic relationship with his student teacher. I have photos they need to see."

"Oh?" The secretary was much more interested in what she had to say now. "Perhaps you should come down to the district office now. I may be able to get the president in sooner than after school."

"Yes, that's fine," Katherine told her cheerfully. "I can come down to the District Office right now."

With that, she hung up the phone and headed out, stopping at Jon's classroom door to give it a triumphant grin before leaving.

After leaving Feeny's office, the rest of the day crept slowly for Jon as he went through his classroom duties on autopilot.

He was completely numb and remembered nothing.

At some point between classes, Shawn came in looking for Audrey.

Jon felt sick when he heard her name. He hadn't been able to face the fact that Audrey was gone let alone figure out how to tell Shawn.

However he answered the teen was enough that Shawn rambled on about something or other. Jon didn't hear anything he said until he heard Cory speak up.

"You okay, Mr. Turner? You look like you lost something real important to you."

He flinched and crossed his arms over his chest as he tried to push back the painful sensation the question created.

Frowning at his students he said, "Shawn, you can't go over to the Matthews. I need you home after school asap."

"Yeah," Shawn tipped his head to the side and gave him a funny look. "I just said I wasn't goin' over there."

He waited for Jon to respond but his teacher just stared blankly at him. Furrowing his brow, he repeated what he'd just said, "Morgan got sick last night, and Eric got whatever it is. Mrs. Matthews has them quarantined. Doesn't want guests over right now."

"Oh, good." Jon sat abruptly on his desk and didn't say anything else.

The boys exchanged confused looks. Cory, unable to take the uncomfortableness that was growing, swung his hands back and forth, popping his open palm against his fist.

"Yeah, I guess you teachers really need a break from Eric. Wish I could get one," he said awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Shawn. Home. Right away."

Shawn looked at his best friend who shrugged. He made a face at him, and they engaged in a conversation of expressions.

Before long Cory shot Jon a worried looked then announced, "Topanga and I got married last night."

Jon blinked. "Good for you, Matthews."

"We're having quadruplets."

"That's great. I'll tell Mr. Feeny. He'll be proud."

Cory's jaw dropped as he looked at Shawn in a panic. Shawn, extremely concerned about Jon, shrugged.

"Hey, no, Mr. Turner, you can't tell Feeny. It was a joke." Cory gripped his shoulders and shook him slightly. "Please don't tell Topanga either. She'll kill me!"

The smell of corn curl breath in his face roused Jon from his fugue. He stared at his student in confusion. "What?!"

Shawn decided enough was enough and changed the subject. "You're still teachin' so I guess everything worked out okay with Feeny. Is Aud comin' over tonight?"

Jon nearly slid off his desk at the mention of her name but caught himself.

Before Shawn could say anything, Cory put his hand on Jon's forehead.

"This is how Eric looked this morning," he told Shawn. "Real pale and the same weird color. I think that's what they call 'looking green'."

"Yeah, I guess," Shawn replied, waiting for Jon's sarcastic snap for Cory to stop touching him to come.

It didn't.

"Hey, man, are you okay? You look like you're gonna puke."  Shawn got as close to him as he could while remaining outside of projectile reach.

Jon put his hand up and weakly waved them away with some excuse about lunch time mystery meat. The bell rang and the boys reluctantly abandoned him to his plan time.

Jon sunk down in his chair and buried his face in hands.

Time refused to move.

The longer the day went on the further from the end of it he seemed to get.

When the final bell rang, the last class of the day had barely cleared the room when Jon grabbed his jacket and helmet and followed them out. Immediately he ran into Shawn who had been waiting for him after ditching his last class early.

In uncharacteristic clumsiness, he dropped the motorcycle helmet. It hit the floor and bounced once, then bounced again when it slipped from his grip as he went to pick it up.

They stared at each other for a moment after Jon finally retrieved the helmet.

"You are really jumpy today," Shawn shifting his bookbag to the other shoulder. "What's wrong? Does this have something to do with your meetin' with Feeny? How'd that go anyway?"

An inexplicable urge to cry swept over Jon and threw him off-balance. There was no way he was going to show that kind of emotion in school.

He wasn't even sure why he felt that way.

Audrey's removal was temporary.

There was no reason to shed tears over a temporary situation.

But the feeling wouldn't leave him no matter how much he threw logic at it, so he grabbed Shawn by the backpack and all but dragged him to the parking lot, then pushed him into the truck.

The teen complied without a word.

While no tears fell, he did have trouble seeing on the drive back to the apartment and Shawn staring at him all the way made things worse.

He pulled into the driveway and turned off the vehicle, but didn't get out of the truck. He felt disconnected from his body and couldn't make any part of himself move.

"Jon?" Shawn put his hand on his shoulder and gave him a shake. "What happened in Feeny's office? Where's Audrey?"

He wasn't prepared to answer these questions. He wasn't prepared to shatter Shawn's hopes for the future.

Jon stared at the windshield and wondered when it started raining.

"Jon. You're freakin' me out. Where's Audrey?"

"Gone." His voice was thick with emotion, and it was hard to get the word out.

"Gone?"

"Feeny knows."

Shawn sat back and frowned as he studied his teacher. "How much does he know?"

"Everything," Jon sighed despondently. "Except that I was gonna propose next month and that we were gonna adopt you."

He tipped his head back over the top of the car seat and stared at the ceiling.

"Hmm," Shawn replied, rubbing a finger over his lips. "So, he doesn't know about Saturday?"

"No."

Shawn nodded, unsurprised. "When is she gettin' back?"

Jon flinched at the question. "She isn't."

He looked at him sharply. "Why?"

It took him a while to catch his emotions and swallow them back down. "Her student teachin' has been terminated. She's supposed to stay in New York and finish treatment. Alex in comin' down to clear out her place tomorrow."

Shawn tipped his head to the side. Losing Audrey for any amount of time was upsetting but he didn't understand why Jon was acting like it was the end of the world. "Why?"

"Shawn..." Jon put his hands over his face. He couldn't handle teenage flippancy right now.

"I'm bein' serious. Why?"

Jon shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. "Feeny thinks she needs to be in the City full time because we aren't good enough to take care of her."

"Man's gotta god complex," Shawn remarked rolling his eyes. He turned sideways to face Jon and rested his arm on the back of the seat. "Who died and made him Audrey's dad? Last time I checked, Pops was still kickin'."

Jon snorted in distaste at Shawn's word choice regarding Richie. "George thinks he knows best."

"Maybe in school stuff." Shawn paused to watch his teacher's pained expression. Jon was taking this incredibly hard. It surprised him when, by Shawn's estimate, it was only a few weeks they'd be without her.

It wasn't ideal but it also wasn't a tragedy.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Jon's got it so bad for Aud, he thought gleefully.

But his teacher wasn't smiling, so Shawn didn't tease him.

Instead, he said thoughtfully, "The school year's almost over. What's Feeny gonna do if we take off to New York as soon as the last bell rings? Call the cops and report us for intent to form a family?"

Jon shook his head at the absurdness of it all. Gripping the steering wheel tightly until his knuckles turned white, he considered what Shawn was suggesting.

"He did say if she gets medical clearance by the fall, he'll hire her to replace Larsson." He glanced at Shawn with an arched brow. "Says he's seen what a good influence she's been on you."

"Hmm," the teen said as he pressed a crooked finger to his chin. "Okay, I guess that's enough to save him from gettin' an egged house tonight." He could see Jon's mood lifting slightly. "What'd he say about datin' her?"

"Nothin'," Jon sighed. "I had to play dumb about the marriage stuff, wasn't gonna bring the rest of it up. Besides, we never dated."

"Yeah." Shawn still thought the whole "not dating" thing was stupid, but he let it go. "I guess it doesn't really matter anyway. By the time he hires Aud, you guys'll be married and it's not like Feeny can force you to divorce."

"True," Jon replied feeling somewhat better about the situation. However, he could tell Shawn wasn't thinking about the not-too-distant-future and he wasn't sure how to bring it up. "I guess this doesn't change plans completely."

"It changes Saturday."

Shawn was staring intently at him, but he didn't look heartbroken like Jon thought he would be. However, he knew the teen well enough to know he could hit denial mode faster and harder than he could.

"Yeah, it does." He put his hand on the teen's arm that was stretched over the back of the seat. "I'm sorry, Shawn. I really am."

"It's not your fault. It's her fault." He pointed out, then paused in repose. "There's no deadline for signin' the papers, is there?"

Jon pursed his lips together as he recalled everything he could about the guardianship process.

"No, I just have to let the lawyer know," he said slowly. The more he thought about it, the less hopeless their situation seemed. "Puttin' it off until the end of the year shouldn't matter. We can still go ahead with everythin' we planned do. It'll just be a little later than we wanted."

Shawn nodded and gave him a smile. "I think waitin's a lot better than tryin' to do everything Saturday anyway."

Today was one surprise after another and Jon hated surprises. "You do?" He tried to keep the suspicion out of his voice, but he sounded skeptical anyway.

"Yeah," Shawn gave him a slight smirk. "I don't trust these alleged proposal plans of yours. You won't tell me what they are which means you got nothin'. So, I'm gonna have to do it. Can't let you screw it up. Too important."

Jon leaned his head back and laughed as relief washed over him.

"It sucks we can't see Aud for a few weeks," Shawn said, nudging Jon's knee with the toe of his shoe. "But it's not the end of the world. We can still talk to her. Besides, you coulda told Feeny about Saturday and he'd still coulda freaked out. We'd be exactly where we are now but have detention all summer. Both of us. That really woulda screwed up our plans."

" Yeah, that would be a lot worse," Jon shook his head as he realized what he had planned to drop on Feeny after school. "I'm not sure why I thought tellin' George all this before the end of the year was a good idea."

"Eh, you got bit by the family bug and wanted to be a dad right away." Shawn hid a pleased smile behind a large dose of sarcasm. "Something, something wait for the right time, not just the right person."

He grinned at Jon's reproachful look that softened into an embarrassed smile.

"Yeah, it sucks but things will work out," he said again. "It'll be better this way."

"Wow, this is what I'm supposed to be sayin' to you," Jon remarked impressed. "Maybe you should be the dad and adopt Aud and me."

Shawn chuckled, clearly pleased with himself and Jon's approval.

Jon regarded him with admiration then remarked, "This maturity thing from you. It's scary."

Shawn grinned and shook his hair out of his face. "C'mon, Dad, let's get you inside and cleaned up. Can't let you fall to pieces just because Mom is gonna be gone for a while."

"You know," he said as they got out of the truck. "I did just fine before the two of you showed up and wrecked my life."

"You call what you were doin' before fine?" Shawn scoffed. "You were a mess before we came along. A pig wouldn't live with you!"

"A pig does live with me!" Jon laughed, putting a hand on the teen's shoulder. "Part-time anyway."

"Yeah, only after I moved in a got the place cleaned up and Mom stocked the fridge with good food."

Jon shook his head, happy to have the familiar ribbing back. He gave Shawn's shoulder a tight squeeze, "My cookin' is good, kid. Kept you alive."

"Barely." Shawn tossed him an impish grin then broke away from him to run ahead into the building.

The mood at dinner was subdued but Jon found it easier to accept Audrey's absence through the perspective Shawn had given him. After the dishes were cleaned and put away, Shawn brought out the photo album he'd been putting together over the past year.

"I know you're missin' her and so am I," he said putting the album on the coffee table as Jon took a seat next to him on the couch. "I think we should call her tomorrow before school. Until then let's look through this."

"Yeah, but first," Jon said putting his hand on the album to stop Shawn from opening it right away. "When did you get so mature about this stuff. Wasn't too long ago you were fallin' apart because Cory and Topanga broke up for a day."

"It was four days, twelve hours, and eight minutes," Shawn corrected him, then shrugged. "You know those character analysis things you made us read for Pride and Prejudice and then made us match up the characters based on them before we read the book?"

Jon nodded.

"I still don't know what the point of that assignment was," he said pointedly. "But if you did the same thing for the three of us based on our character analysis no one would ever put us together."

Jon raised his brows at the comment but refrained from defending his teaching methods.

"But you know how sometimes things that don't look good on paper work in real life? That's us. We don't make sense on paper but in real life we work. Better than me and Chet and Virna do."

This was the first time he'd heard Shawn refer to his parents so naturally by their first names and he wondered how long the teen had been working on cutting those parental ties.  It concerned him how bad the timing was for all of this to happen. If something should happen to stop him and Audrey from following through with their plans...

Jon shuddered. He didn't want to consider what that would do to Shawn. He had to get the kid to counseling even if everything else had to be put on hold.

That could not wait.

"I mean," Shawn was still going on about his revelation. "They are my bio parents and we're a broken mess as a family. Sometimes I wonder if I even share DNA with both of them, you know? But you and Aud? I totally pass as your bio kid even though it's totally impossible on paper."

"Totally impossible in real life, too." Jon quietly reminded him.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "But I guess if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. Can't mess with that."

It was then that Jon realized where Shawn's peace and maturity came from- Audrey.

Meant to be had always been her explanation for their inexplicable situation.

Meant to be.

He was much more pragmatic than Audrey and it took some convincing on her part to make him believe this.

And he did.

Now he worried that buying into the romantism would end up being a problem for all of them.

But for now, Shawn (and he) needed the hope Audrey's beliefs brought with them. He lifted his hand and smiled morosely as Shawn opened the album.

All of memories pasted to the album paper seem forever ago and like they happened yesterday at the same time. Shawn had done an incredible job of organizing the photos in an artistic, chronological way.

Jon shifted uncomfortably at the emotion they brought up.

"Huh," Shawn said. He flipped back and forth between three pages with a confused frown. "That's weird."

"What?"

"There are pictures missin'." He turned back to the beginning of the album and went over all the photos carefully.

Jon felt the ominous feeling of the night before return. "You sure?"

"Yeah, positive. I put letters and numbers by each one to categorize them." He pointed to the neatly printed writing. "JA are for photos with just you and Audrey. There are eight missin'."

"Maybe they fell out," Jon suggested. He felt the constriction of apprehension across his back as Shawn continued to look through the pages.

"No," Shawn said adamantly. "Not the way I put them in. The paper here is torn. They've been taken out."

"Maybe Aud took them with her."

Shawn looked up at him and they stared at each other for a moment with the same look of concern.

"Did she have a chance to come back here?" he asked hoping that was the reason. He'd feel much better knowing Audrey had them rather than who he feared did.

Jon shook his head slowly and closed his eyes. "No. She was sent back directly from school."

Shawn eyes darkened with resentment. "Then you know who took them."

Jon did know exactly who took them.

What he didn't know was why she didn't show Feeny when she had a chance.

Jon was awoken the next morning with a sharp elbow to the chest.

"Shaaaawwwn," he groaned in pain. He did not understand why the kid couldn't wake him up like a normal person. "What!?"

"It's 5:30," he answered, digging his elbow in to make sure his teacher was fully awake before standing up.

"I did not request awake up call. For any morning." Jon rolled over and put a pillow over his head.

Shawn grunted in exasperation and poked him in the back repeatedly. "We're callin' Audrey this mornin'. Don't you remember?"

Jon removed the pillow long enough to say, "Yeah, but I don't think callin' her at 5:30 is a good idea."

"We're not callin' her now," the teen replied putting his hands on his waist. He considered giving Jon a shove with his foot then remembered his teacher's kickboxing skills and thought better of it. "She's probably asleep. We need to get ready for school, so we have the max time to talk to her before we have to leave."

Jon groaned again. "I'm not goin' to school, remember? You are, but I'm grounded."

"Why?"

Sitting up, Jon ran a hand through his hair and tried to remember. "You know, I don't think I was told why."

Shawn wrinkled his nose. "That's such a parent thing to do. I still think Feeny actin' like your dad and Audrey's is weird."

Jon threw a pillow at the teen who swiftly dodged it. Begrudgingly he got up and did what Shawn wanted.

As he was exiting his bedroom after a shower, the phone rang. He and Shawn stared at each other as the same thought passed through their minds at the same time.

Audrey!

Shawn shoved his way past him, grabbed the phone, and danced out of Jon's reach. He flashed a cheeky grin of triumph as he said hello.

Jon watched the excitement die on the teen's face. His smile fell slowly, and a stunned look overcame his features.

It was not a reaction Jon had seen before.

"What?"

Shawn slowly pulled the phone from his ear and put it against his shoulder looking as though he had news he did not want to deliver.

"It's Feeny."

Jon frowned unsure of why he would be calling this early. "Feeny?"

Shawn nodded. "He's really mad."

Panic hit Jon as he had no idea why Feeny would be angry with him. He was fine after their meeting yesterday and appeared to remain fine throughout the day.

What might have changed overnight concerned him greatly.

"What now?"

Shawn held the phone out to him staring at the floor and looking upset. Jon seriously considered letting it hit the floor, pack their bags, and leave to get Audrey with Shawn in tow.

Audrey's frustration with him when he brought doing something similar yesterday stopped him.

He took the phone.

There was no chance to get out a greeting before Feeny started in on him. The principal's voice was steady and low.

And full of outrage.

"My office now, Mr. Turner. I do not care what you are doing. I do not care what state of dress you are in. My office. Now."

Jon felt the way Shawn looked: sick and helpless.

"Can I ask what this is about?" he ventured, bracing to be yelled at for insubordination.

"You lied to me, Mr. Turner," he replied with disgust. "You told me there was no romantic relationship between you and Miss Andrews. You have fifteen minutes to get to my office or I will come to you. And you do not want that."

The sound of the receiver dropping roughly into its cradle echoed in Jon's ear as he tried to wrap his head around the unspoken threat in Feeny's words.

"What?" Shawn jumped to his side and grabbed him by the shirt sleeve.

Numbness settled over Jon.

"He knows."

Shawn was positive he could feel Jon's fear and it made him shudder.

"He knows what?"

"Everything."

Chapter Text

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 the 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 accounts, 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."

Chapter Text

"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 glanced 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 to 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 rueful 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.

Chapter Text

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 of 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.