Chapter Text
2015
The screen faded to black as the video came to an end.
Dwindling light from the fireplace danced over five awe-struck faces, four of whom had seen the movie many times before.
It was Maya's first time watching the film she'd heard so much about. Deep compassion and empathy for her future father overwhelmed her. The Christmas he always wanted, the one he got when he was fifteen, was the same one she always wanted, the one she got at fifteen this year with him.
She wished she had filmed the whole experience like he did, but she was too caught up as it was happening to think about something like that.
Crawling over to Shawn with a look of wonder on her face she said in a hushed voice, "That was incredible, Shawn. You put that whole thing together?"
Shawn smiled through the tears that had accumulated but not fallen as his childhood played for them. He sat up slowly, reluctant to leave his mother's lap. Maya put her hands on his knees as she awaited his response.
"Uncle Cory and Uncle Eli helped, but for the most part it was all me."
"Shawn!" Grayson shuffled over the carpet on his knees looking at him excitedly. "Can you teach me how to do that? Can you teach me how to film and edit that tape thing like you did?"
He laughed and ruffled his little brother's hair. "There are way easier ways to do that now, G. But if you really wanna know, sure."
All the children were crowded around Shawn shooting questions at him as fast as they could think of them. Bella climbed into his lap and attempted to hijack his attention from the rest of them.
Through the hubbub of their voices, a cry was heard through the baby monitor.
Automatically, Audrey stood to go to her sobbing child.
As she walked down the hall to the nursey, she hummed a little holiday tune as she smiled to herself.
Her heart was full.
All her children were home for Christmas. The memories they made together this year would be added to the ones gone by- to the albums that were so full they would need several new ones to store this year's treasures.
In the nursery, her youngest and last child looked up at her with large mournful eyes that had yet to decide what color they would be. Like the other members of the family this one did not like to be alone. She cooed softly to the little one as she lifted the child up.
While she rocked the infant, she heard someone walk into the room.
"Everything okay, babe?" a voice asked softly in her ear.
Audrey turned around to face her husband.
"Everything's better than okay," she sighed contentedly.
He leaned into her, pressing a kiss into her hair. Then his gaze drifted down to the little one wrapped in reindeer pajamas that she was holding.
"How are you?" she asked.
Jon shrugged and lovingly ran finger over the nose of the child in her arms.
"Shawn's first Christmas since he came home all I get is a shrug," she gently teased him.
His smile broadened and he took the baby from her. It was hard to imagine there was a time he didn't want this one as now he couldn't imagine life without child number six.
"I was just thinkin' about everyone who's here tonight," he said in a voice thick with emotion. "You do realize that our granddaughter is sittin' in the room at the end of the hall."
Audrey smiled and nodded as she thought of Maya Hart.
He looked up at her with an arched brow and a smirk. "You ready to be a grandma?"
"I'll be a Gigi," she informed him saucily leaning into his shoulder. "Are you ready to be a granddad?"
Jon laughed abruptly startling the baby who stared at him with wide eyes. The little face slowly crumpled into a silent sob before the scream. Quickly, he kissed his child's face several times over, rocking back and forth to soothe the fear he'd inadvertently caused.
"I'm in my fifties, babe," he said as he settled the little one against his chest. "I'm in the right age group to be a grandparent."
"I'm not," she laughed quietly. "That's why I'll be Gigi."
"When Shawn proposes, the weddin' will happen right away. He said he wants to be like us and not wait."
"He will not be like us," she said firmly wagging a finger at him. "He will have a wedding, even if it's just in Cory and Topanga's living room. My son will not get married at City Hall like we did."
Jon shook his head. "You know, we'll probably end up with a grandkid just a few years younger than this one."
Audrey smiled dreamily and kissed her baby's cheek. "That'll be fun."
Jon wasn't so sure about that, but he didn't say anything.
"Jonny, how are you really?"
"Happy," he said after a moment. Dragging his gaze away from their child, he turned to put an arm around her. " It's the first Christmas I haven't been worried sick about Shawn and where he is. It's the first Christmas I haven't been hopin' for him just to call. I am really happy."
Audrey understood his feelings well. She had been waiting for just as long as he had been. Standing on her toes she gave him a lingering kiss. "I know Shawn being home is all you've wanted for a long time. Merry Christmas, baby."
The kids were still gathered around Shawn listening intently as they had convinced him to retell in all the detail he could remember the story of the movie they had just watched. They gaped at him in wonder and cheered at the exciting parts. It was as though they were hearing the story for the very first time.
Jon and Audrey rejoined their family with baby and book in tow.
Maya saw them and pulled herself away from Shawn's feet. As Jon took a seat, Maya sat on the arm of the couch and put her arms around him.
"This really is the best Christmas ever, Uncle Jon," she said, resting her cheek against his shoulder. "Thanks for including my mom and me."
"You're family now, Maya," he said giving her head a pat. "You'll always be included."
Maya had always idolized Shawn. She fell in love with Riley's stories about him long before they met. A part of her love and adulation went to Jon as well since he was the one who took Shawn in and gave him a family. It was because of him that Shawn was with her and her mother today. With tears in her eyes, she kissed her future grandfather's cheek. "I can't wait for you to be my granddad for real."
Jon smiled. "Me, too, kid,"
"I love you, Uncle Jon." The words exploded out of her suddenly as scenes from Shawn's video played in her head. Just as suddenly an intense shyness came over her. She'd never said those words to him, nor had he said them to her.
Jon saw her reaction and regarded her fondly. He knew exactly which moment in the film sparked this confession.
"I love you too, Maya," he replied without hesitation.
Maya clapped her hands together and put them over her mouth to hide her grin. In her joy, she turned and embraced Audrey tightly instead of Jon.
Audrey laughed as she took a place next to her husband while Maya skipped over to embrace Shawn.
The children's chatter went on for a while then Audrey caught Shawn's eye and gave him a nod. Shawn clapped his hands together and directed everyone to grab some trash and throw it away.
The kids scattered like mice, scurrying to clean up.
It was story time.
The fire was dying down so Jon added a few more logs. The embers sparked and burned. Soon the room was roaring with warmth again as everyone settled into place. All eyes were on Jon, and it was around his feet they were all crowded.
Shawn took his youngest sibling from his mother and settled the child in his lap. Audrey sat next to him with a look of love on her face for both her children and her husband.
Jon opened the book and began to read:
'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring. Not even a mouse..."
"Bye, Teej! Bye, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy!" Eric yelled waving his arm in the air. "Merry Christmas!"
T.J. laughed and plugged his ears with his fingers until the senator, who was standing less than three feet away from him, was done shouting Christmas cheer at everyone on the streets including his parents.
"It was great to see you for Christmas again, Eric," T.J. said giving the older man a hug. "Can't wait to do this again next year."
"Me too, man," he grinned. He put his hands on the shoulders of the young man he once very seriously considered adopting when he was in his earlier twenties. T.J., known as Tommy then, had tracked him down years later when he was debating former Senator Jefferson Davis Graham. As a result, T.J became his campaign manager and they'd been close ever since.
After saying his farewells, Eric stepped back to rejoin his family who stood on the icy sidewalk in front of a brownstone home in Greenwich Village not far from where his brother and sister-in-law lived.
As the Matthews made their way up the stairs to the front door, Alan couldn't help but notice the creative crisscross pattern of cleared snow and ice on the steps. Someone designed a path like one found in adventure movies where the heroes had to jump from stone to stone in the right sequence to avoid a deadly punishment.
"My goodness," his wife remarked as she nearly slipped trying to reach the next clear spot. "Which one of them did this?"
"My money's on Grayson and Maya," Topanga laughed holding onto Cory as they navigated their way up to the front door.
"My daughter was definitely involved with this," Katy laughed in admiration at the creativity and work that went into the footpath. "She's got a thing for Indiana Jones."
Eventually everyone made it to the porch without slipping. Amy Matthews reached out to ring the doorbell.
"I wouldn't bother with that, Mom," Cory said as he took his keyring from his pocket. "It'll be too loud for anyone to hear us."
Cory opened the front door and let the family in.
Surprisingly, the house was quiet and still.
"That's odd," Riley remarked curiously. The teen scooted past her mother and father to look for her best friend who was in the house somewhere. Her little brother, Auggie, followed at her heels.
"We aren't early, are we?" Alan and Amy's youngest, Josh, asked taking a look in the kitchen.
"No," Morgan told him. "Aunt Audrey said to come when we could. She knew we were on our way. Mom texted her to let her know."
All the Matthews and Katy took off their coats and shoes, unsure of what to make of the silence.
It was never quiet in the Turner's home.
Alan took the bags of presents they'd brought and took them into the dining room as Amy disappeared up the stairs after her grandchildren. The rest of the family piled their overnight bags by the front door.
A few minutes later Riley came tiptoeing down the staircase and motioned for the rest of them to follow her. "Mom, Dad, everyone-we found them."
The group followed her to the upstairs living room. As they passed through the rooms, Katy was filled by the warmest of happy feelings. All around her was what she always wanted Maya to experience at Christmas but was never able to give her until they found Shawn and his family. To think that one day they might join this family forever was too overwhelming to dwell on. By the time they reached the top of the stairs, she was crying.
Tears of happiness were not something Katy was accustomed to.
Amy met them at the door of the living room with the baby in her arms. Alan rolled his eyes with great affection. She always went for the baby first and would spend the duration of their visit talking to everyone in baby babble.
"So where is everyone?" Cory asked a little too loudly. He received a sharp hush from his mother.
"Here they are." Topanga pointed to the open doors.
Cory joined his wife and put his hands on her shoulders as he looked over the top of her head into the room.
And he smiled at the sight of his best friend and his family.
Jon sat in the middle of the couch with his feet on the coffee table and his head resting against the back of the furniture. Audrey was curled up beside him with her head on his chest. Grayson was in his father's lap holding tightly to him. His head touched his mother's as they shared the same space. Julia lay with her head at her mother's feet. Bella was tunneled under her arms with her little hands clutching her sister's dark curls.
Shawn was on the other side of Jon with his head resting against his father's shoulder. Maya snuggled up against him with her hand wrapped tightly around his. Jamie was caught between Shawn's shoulder and Maya's head. All that could be seen of him was his candy-striped legs.
And all that could be heard was the light snoring of Jon and Shawn.