Chapter Text
~This is chronological, read parts in order. Enjoy! I appreciate any feedback! I update this regularly, about every week to two weeks. Expect so many feels because we will be exploring all things Boy and Girl Meets World related. Love! Stay tuned. 😊👏 #lucaya #markle #weshallsee
-Shawn and Maya, since the day after he married her mom, have shared crazy experiences including bungee jumping and riding motor cycles, but when Maya crosses the line, Shawn has to fill the role of responsible parent. He feels alone in this since his parents were not the child-rearing types, his adoptive father came in so late, and his new wife is not much better in this area. What will he do?-
........
"Maya, I'm home!"
Shawn came home from work to find a curiously empty house. No Maya to be found anywhere (A/N: Katy was working late).
"Where could she be? It's past 8 o' clock." Since Maya became his daughter, Shawn has suddenly become far more of a control freak and a worry wart. He never thought he would be one of those. He does try to relax, but when Maya just up and disappears, he can't help himself.
Shawn called Cory, his best friend, knowing there would be a chance that Maya went over to his house after school to be with her best friend, Riley.
"Heeeeello?" The forty-something Cory sung over the phone.
Shawn rolled his eyes at the cheery tone. Very much not in the mood. "Hey, Cory? Have you seen Maya? She's not at home."
"No, I haven't, Shawn."
His breath hitched in irritation. "Well, can you check anyways? She probably snuck in through the window."
"No problem, pal. Don't worry. I bet she's here. Give me a sec."
The line went dead.
"Hey, you there?" Shawn asked, puzzled.
Shawn could hear a strange whirring coming from outside that wasn't there before, so he went to take a closer look. He was happily surprised to see Maya, but was not so happy to see her in the driver's seat of a black mustang convertible. He frantically opened the car door and helped her step out.
Shawn couldn't string two sentences together logically, he was so in shock. "Hey, what is this? Who gave this to you? This had better be a gift. I'm afraid I know the real answer...you have some explaining to do."
With Maya fighting to get out of her dad's grip, Shawn escorted her into the kitchen.
"Sit. Start talking. Now. And be honest please."
Maya paused and huffed. "Well, I was just walking home from school and happened to find this sad and lonely car who needed a friend."
Her poor attempt at humor only ruffled Shawn's feathers further.
"Maya, Maya...Maya." Shawn stood shell-shocked, waiting for a more suitable response from his newly-adopted daughter. "What were you thinking? You're saying I'm supposed to believe you just made friends with it, and it followed you home like a stray mutt?"
"Well, you would have done it when you were my age." Her wide and innocent eyes expected for Shawn to side with her, and it didn't take long for Maya to begin tuning out and playing with her phone as if none of this was a big deal.
"That's a total cop out, c'mon. Stealing cars? Not really. You know why? 'Caus my own dad would have turned me in to the police. Should I turn you into the cops...Maya? Pay attention."
Maya looked up from her phone to see the annoyance written across her dad's face. She sent him a grumpy gaze and crossed her arms.
"Hey, I'm talking to you here, Maya. But it doesn't feel like it sometimes." Shawn paused in thought and slumped his shoulders. "Maybe we've been too good of friends. I should've acted more like your dad instead. My mistake. I trusted y-"
*rrrrrring ring*
"Hold that thought...Hello? Cory..."
Shawn sighed in exasperation.
"She's not here," Cory stated matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, I figured that much. Thanks for leaving me hanging by the way...Anyway, she's here now. I'll talk to you later."
"B-"
*click*
Shawn hung up the phone and slowly turned to face his daughter with a disappointed look, resuming the conversation as if they weren't just interrupted.
His voice was shaking and crackly. "Do you even know the kind of trouble you could've gotten yourself into? You're 14. You don't have a license. You could've crashed and killed yourself. I'm not happy with you right now if you can tell. Look at me." Shawn tipped Maya's chin up. "Not to mention, the cops could've detained you for this. You could've been expelled 'caus of this. You know what? I was kicked out of so many schools as a young kid, inside of 2 years. Do you want that to be you?"
Silence was the response.
"Answer me! Rrrright now!"
Maya huffed with indigence. "You don't even care. You've been too busy to notice."
"Hey, don't pin this on me. That is FAR from the truth, and you know it. We do stuff together all the d*mn time." Shawn's anger began to boil over as Maya still couldn't pay attention. "Well, you're not helping...Just go to your room. I'm going for a walk."
"That's what you always do. Leave. You promised me you wouldn't leave," Maya whined, hoping to flip the script and make it seem like it was all her dad's fault–somehow.
Shawn sighed in defeat. "I'm not leaving. I just need some air. Please go to your room. We can talk later."
Maya stomped away but didn't end up in her room like Shawn asked. Instead, she made her way up the stairs and out her bedroom window to her and her new dad's favorite hang out spot- the hill overlooking the whole city where they would take pictures and talk. Long, drawn out sobs came out of Maya. She just couldn't keep it in any more, couldn't be strong and independent all her life. She felt lonely and confused, and depressed overall. Little did she know someone was not far behind her. He knew because he was doing the exact same thing (two pees in a pod).
"Hey, young lady. Last time I checked, this was not your room." Shawn chuckled to himself at the irony.
She quickly regained her composure. "What are you doing up here? I got here first." Maya wiped a tear from her eye.
Shawn ignored the question to get to the real issue at hand. "Maya, what happened, really? Did I do something to make you endanger yourself? Did I push you away somehow?" He sat down next to Maya on the grassy hill.
"Nothing like that..." Maya looked away, avoiding Shawn's piercing glance.
"Then what? You can be honest with me. I hope you know that."
Silence resumed as they sat together under the scenic night sky. Shawn turned and grabbed Maya's head to face his, his eyes transfixed on hers. "We are not leaving this hill until we fix this. I need to know so I can be there for you. You gotta give me something."
"I'm just not able to feel...anything. I can't trust anyone...I can't..." Maya looked away and began to wipe more tears from her eyes.
"It's okay. You can be you with me. Speak to me like I'm your friend. I am your friend."
"Well, you said earlier that you can't be a friend if you're a dad. So what'll it be?"
Shawn stared at the sky, hoping it could give him an answer. "Maya, that's not fair. I was-"
"You were what, Shawn? You sure sounded done with me, like I wasn't worth your time."
Not finding any creative comeback, he went with– "Well, that's just not true, little girl."
"Hey! WHAT THE F*CK? I'm not your little girl! I've been taking care of myself for years and I've gotten along swimmingly, thank you."
Shawn was stunned and slightly offended at Maya's sudden burst of anger. "Not cool. What did I do to deserve this attitude? When we get home, you're heading straight to your room. I will carry you up those stairs. I don't want you running like last time. I will sit on you if I have to." He began wagging his finger at Maya the way his father Jonathan did at him.
Maya grabbed his finger. "Can you just drop the act, Shawn? You're not my father."
Shawn spoke with intense conviction. "...Aren't we closer than we that? Like– we're more than family because I chose you. I mean, I chose to love you. I could've ran away, but I didn't. I saw you needed someone, and I knew I had the same need to fill. You and I are, like, the same person, aren't we?"
"Whatever. You're just saying that. I live my life, and you live yours. It's how it's always been." Maya grew tense. "I can't take this anymore. I guess it's my turn to leave...Let me go!"
Maya had attempted to get up, however Shawn held a tight grip on her arm without realizing it. "Sid-down! I'm NOT done with you. I'd rather stay right here and duke it out than go back to my comfortable corner of the world. I wasn't joking, hon. Being alone just isn't as fulfilling once you've filled your life with meaning. I'm talking about you- and me- and your mom. We all have each other now. Don't push me away. I can't lose you. My world just started because of you."
Starting to come around, Maya wondered if he was telling the truth. "You rrreally mean all that? I'm not lovable- I'm not Riley- all cute and proper. The good grades. Good hair. Boyfriend. I'm just...me. I mean, what's there to love, ya know?"
Clicking his tongue, Shawn studied his daughter's face. "What's there to love? Everything. Just everything. Come here, Maya Papaya."
"I hate it when you call me that." Maya attempted to close herself up further, but Shawn reached his arm over her shoulder, and she broke. She couldn't hide behind her walls any longer. And she could tell Shawn was being vulnerable, which was even harder for him to do. She knew he meant every word he said to her.
"So what do we do now?" She said through her helpless sobs.
"Just sit here for a while. There's no rush. It's just you and me and this big wide world. I'm on your side, kiddo. I promise you that. You can bank on it."
"I love you, dad."
Shawn brushed her hair behind her ear and kissed her cheek. "I love you so much. That's never gonna change. You are amazing. You are mine now. Never forget that."
"I won't."
"But we will revisit this later." Shawn's face turned from one of adoration to one of solemness.
"Okay." Maya gave him a smile as she searched his soul with her eyes, making sure he really did care. He really did.