Grew Up Together | S. HUNTER | IN EDITING

| GMW FLASH FORWARD AU | 2

Inside of the Matthews' family apartment living room stood Riley, Topanga, and Cory, setting up for the holidays.

"I'm here," Torei said, walking through the door with a stack of wrapped presents.

"Yay!" Topanga exclaimed, sounding stressed as she rushed to her best friend. "Thank god. Do you think Mrs. Matthews is gonna go easy on me?"

"Do you want comfort or the truth?"

"Comfort?"

"It's gonna be hideous."

"I said I wanted you to comfort me."

Torei laughed as she hugged Topanga, repeating her previous statement.

"You and Cory both," Topanga muttered bitterly.

"Cory, your boyfriend's coming, excited?" Torei teased him, trying to calm her own nerves.

When was the last time she saw Shawn?

"Are you?" Cory teased right back.

"Nahhh."

"Why is that?" Riley asked.

Before Torei could answer, their apartment beeper went off. Cory ran to it excitedly.

"Shawn?"

"Maya."

"Shawn?" he asked again.

"Ah, whats a matter, your boyfriend not there yet?"

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"I like your friend," laughed Torei.

-

"I've been thinking," Maya said, standing by the Christmas tree with Riley while they awaited the arrival of Shawn and the rest of the Matthews family. "What if the reason things are so weird between your parents, your Aunt Torei, and your mysterious Uncle Shawn is because Torei and him used to date?"

"Aunt Torei and Uncle Shawn? A couple? No, no, I don't think so."

"Then what's that?" Maya asked, pointing to an ornament on the tree of Torei and Shawn with intrigue and somewhat disgust on her face.

"That's the Torei and Shawn Foreva ornament, covers the Cory and Shawn one every year," she replied with her innocent smile, looking at it fondly. "I think my parents did it so they felt like their friends were with us since they never came around for the Holidays."

Maya nodded, deciding not to pry. She more than anyone knew what it was like to want to keep your pasts a secret.

-

"Little Torei Mendes, is that you?" Amy asked, walking over to Torei.

"Hey, Mrs. M," she smiled, pulling the older lady into a hug.

"It's been a while," she said.

"I saw you a few weeks ago when I went to visit my mom and dad!" laughed Torei.

"Over a decade ago, I saw you everyday," she reminded her.

"Those were the days."

Amy went to talk to Topanga about how the Holidays were going together, and Torei walked over to hug Mr. Matthews.

"Where's Bigzie?" she asked, folding her hands together as memories of her and Eric passed through her head.

"Didn't make it," he replied, a nostalgic feeling hearing the nickname. "But we're glad you're here."

"It's great to be here."

She turned to Josh.

"God, you kids just keep growing up," she said, faking a cry as she pulled the youngest Matthews sibling from her generation into a hug.

"Hey, Torei," he said. "Am I as cool as Shawn yet?"

"No, but he better be scared," she replied. "How you been?"

"I'm a junior in high school, already thinking of college," he replied.

"Ugh, don't get me started on college, I got a graduate living with me."

"Oh, yeah, Mere graduated," he nodded, a smile on his face that caused Torei to squint at him.

"I always forget you two grew up together," she laughed, ruffling his hair despite the kid behind slightly taller than her.

-

Torei excused herself for a moment, going to sit in Riley's bay window for a little bit. The next person to walk through the door was going to be Shawn, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for this.

Cory walked inside, knocking first before entering.

"Hey," he said, giving one of his best friends a small smile before sitting down next to her. "Nervous?"

"Of course I am, Cor."

"Shorei under one roof for the night after so many years," Cory said softly. "You, me, and Shawn all together like when we were kids, us and Topanga like when we were teenagers."

"Things are different now, Cory. I'm not Torei, Cory and Shawn's girl best friend, or Torei, Topanga's best friend. I'm Torei, the girl who broke Shawn's heart and moved halfway across the country from everyone she ever loved."

Cory wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and said, "This was gonna happen eventually, so let's get out there and wait for our best friend to walk through the door."

Sighing, she nodded, biting the inside of her cheek as they went outside of the thirteen year old's room and into the living room, joining the family in the Holiday spirit. Topanga smiled at them, knowing the conversation they probably just had, and wrapped an arm around Torei as they looked around.

"This," Topanga said, looking at her, "Is where you have always belonged. Welcome home."

--

Shawn's not back yet but HOLY SHIT