Topanga mulled the question over. "I don't think getting the police involved would be the best thing for her."

"Why not? That's what we did with Claire."

"Yeah, but she had family other places." Topanga retorted. "Maya doesn't. Plus, it isn't like she's staying in the situation because she believes that her father still-" She could not bear to finish the statement. "I think we need to call Katy first." Topanga pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number, putting the phone on speaker, and holding it between herself and her husband.

"Hello?"

"Hi Katy, it's Topanga and Cory Matthews. I was wondering if you had a moment to talk?"

"Uh, yeah sure, just give me a moment." Rustling and mumbling could be heard on the other end. "How may I help you?"

"We just wanted to call and tell you Maya is here."

"Oh, good." Katy said softly.

"Katy, we know about the boyfriend."

A long pause ensued before an quieter "oh" was heard.

"We do not want to get the police involved-"

Katy stopped them right then. "No, please, don't! I uh-" An inhale and exhale is heard on their end of the line. "He's gone now. There won't be a need for that." The worry in her voice was almost palpable.

"We just wanted to let you know that she is here and she is safe. Do you mind if we talk to her about-?" Topanga looked at Cory for help.

"Everything?" He supplied.

"No, by all means go ahead. I can't promise you'll get a lot outta her though."

Topanga weighed her next words carefully. "You have a very strong daughter, Katy."

The woman sighed. "Yeah, well, she puts up a real good front, and when she wants to shut you out you could uh-" Katy gave a short, airy, humorless laugh. "Die from frost bite." Another long pause ensued, and to this day, Topanga and Cory would swear that they heard a few sniffles on the other end of the line. "Well, I uh- need to get back to work. Thank you so much for taking care of my little girl. I just- I really love her, and I just don't know what I'd do if I lost her. If there is anything I could do to repay you let me know."

Cory jumped in. "Actually, there is something you could do."

"Shoot." She said immediately.

He swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. "You let us take care of Maya if it ever comes to this situation again."

A small laugh that almost resembled a choked sob resonated through the air, and the response they earned was of a higher pitch. "You got it, Mr. Matthews."

The three said their goodbyes and hung up.

"Call in the two girls and talk with them?" Cory asked Topanga.

She nodded. "That's what I was thinking. But let's keep the interrogation to a minimum for now, Maya's beat and I don't want to upset her to the point that she tries to run away. " The two nodded and Topanga went to get the two girls.

The second Maya sat down, Cory asked her a question. "First thing's first, do we need to take you to the hospital?"

I can't afford that and don't you dare waste your time, Matthews. Maya focused on the center of the table, not daring to make eye contact. "No, I don't think so."

"Good." He nodded his head, sitting down at his end of the table. "What made you think you could live on your own?"

Maya slowly pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. This is all happening so fast. You can't tell them anything. They can't be trusted.

Cory gave her some time to think, but he realized she was trying to close them off. "Maya you have to let us in. You can trust us."

Riley jumped in a few beats after her father. "You have to let the walls come down, and I'll be right here for you." Maya gave Riley a wary glance. "I can handle it."

"It-it wasn't that hard. I already knew how to survive on little." She covered her mouth to yawn. "It was just a matter of living on less."

"How long did you think you would last?" He continued. "On your own, that is."

She just shrugged in response.

"Why do you think he did it?" Topanga asked quietly.

Maya shrugged again, tilting her head back and forth a little, but still remaining fixated on the center of the table. "It's weird. Most of the time with guys like him they have some kind of sob story."

Cory did not hesitate to respond, and tried his hardest to keep his voice level. "Even if he did, that's no excuse."

Maya made eye contact to that, as if something in her mind clicked. She yawned once more after going back to what she had been looking at prior.

"One more question, then you can go to bed." Cory said, his voice softening to new levels. "Why did you stay with your mother as long as you did?"

"Because I have to take care of her." She whispered back almost as quietly. "Because she's all I got."

Cory and Topanga each nodded only once.

"Wait! May I ask one question?" Riley asked, raising her free hand in the process.

"Shoot." Maya said in a monotone manner, not able to even bring a smile to her face at her friend's automatic reaction.

"What were you doing with all the time you weren't with me or at school?"

She picked at the little hairs on her pajama pants while she replied. "I kind of got a job. A little Podunk restaurant on East 86th." Maya took in the adult's inquisitive stares. "It was family owned, and they don't exactly believe in child labor laws, so I could work there as many hours as I wanted and get paid."

The brown-eyed girl squinted at the spot her best friend was originally looking at, nodding her head slightly.

"Riley, I know you're probably not tired-" Topanga began.

"I think I'm going to go lay down with Maya. Come get me when dinner's ready, mom?" She asked as the two began to get up and walk towards Riley's room, arm-in-arm. Her mother nodded in response.

Maya slept like a rock until around 10 when Riley came to bed. She had awoken to the jostling of the bed, and of course the younger girl freaked out slightly that she had disturbed her sleep that she desperately needed. Maya quelled her best friend and soon the two girls were fast asleep.

Maya stood outside the door to her apartment. She looked around, trying to gauge her surroundings. With no memory of how she got here, she focused back on the door in front of her. A bright yellow piece of paper was taped haphazardly on the door. She yanked it down, beginning to bite her lower lip as she read it. "EVICTED" the top of the paper read in bold red letters. She glanced left and right again, trying to find some form of reality.

"Although, who's to say this isn't reality?" She said aloud to herself. It certainly was a plausible event to happen. Not totally crazy. But something about this scene set her on edge, something told her this was not real.

The next thing Maya heard was a piercing scream, and it came from the other side of the door. She jiggled the knob, only to find it locked. Taking a step back, and she forcefully kicked the door near the knob. It did not budge. She tried again, but to know avail. Another blood curdling scream. Three times the charm. Another forceful kick, and the door came crashing open. Maya held onto the left side of the door frame, peeking her head around the corner into the .

There he was, standing over a lifeless Katy Hart with blood trickling down her forehead and contusions covering nearly every inch of skin.

Maya nearly dropped to her knees. "No!" She let out an anguished scream.

A sickly smile twisted on his face. "Oh, you ain't seen nothin' yet, sweetie." He walked over and snatched her by the arm, hauling her being into the living room. He threw her to the ground in front of a group of people, all on their knees with their hands behind there backs, bound by what seemed like rope. He walked over to the cabinet under the television and pulled out a revolver. Something in her being knew this would never happen there is no revolver in the cabinet, there never has been. But her thoughts did not stop her from watching the shiny piece of metal in his hands walk around the four tied people.

Four of which she suddenly recognized. An older man, one with gentle and wise eyes and curly brown hair. Next, an older woman with long hair and eyes that were bright and oh-so confident. Next was a younger girl with long hair. She was the carbon copy of the older man, all except for the hair and eyes; those were all the older woman's. Finally a little boy. Curly brown locks and eyes curious and innocent graced him.

He switched the safety off with a definite click, and aimed it at the tallest man's head.

"No!" She screamed out louder than before, and she pushed him out of the way to crouch in front of the others. "You are not taking them from me. They have done nothing wrong. They are good people!" Tears were racing down her face, and she could feel her stomach and heart spasm painfully at every passing second.

He threw her being to the side. "I told you not to fight, you little bitch!" He walked behind the older man.

She took one last glance over the four, and stopped at the little boy. He was so young to be seeing this, and to be here, but something about the way he looked at Maya told her that he was not there. That sounds crazy, even to Maya, but that little boy had a small smile on his face, and it just did not seem real.

"Maya, Maya, look at me." She glanced up to meet Cory's pained eyes, and more tears began to spill from her eyes. She put a hand over her mouth to stop the sob. "It's okay." He whispered, a tear rolling down his own cheek. He pulled the revolver up to Cory's head, Maya through her head to the side, and-

Maya snapped up in the bed with a jolt, gasping for air that her lungs could not seem to get a hold of. She ran her clammy fingers through her now slightly sweaty hair, and looked to the right to make sure she had not disturbed Riley. She lets out a quiet sigh of relief when she realized that she had not.

"Just a dream." The mumbled mantra worked for a few moments, until she heard a loud clank emanate from the living room, in which case her heart was now nearly beating out of her chest. Again. She swallowed thickly and tiptoed to the Matthews' kitchen, terrified that her nightmare, for whatever reason, just might have become a reality.

She peeked around the corner to see Auggie on his very tip toes trying to fill up a glass with water from the faucet. "Hey." Maya's voice quietly shook in the dark.

He turned around, eyes big and animated as if he had been caught stealing a cookie prior to dinner. He swiped the back of his hand on his forehead, wiping off imaginary sweat. "Phew, it's just you."

She offered a small laugh. "Yeah, it's just me. What're you doing?" She walked closer to him, but made sure to keep enough of a distance that he could not see any bruises.

"I was thirsty." He tossed back the rest of the water. "And now I'm not. Take me to bed?" He asked with a nearly tooth-less grin. He held out his hand as he got closer to her, and she took it ever so carefully.

The two had now entered his room, and she dropped him off there. "Crawl into bed." Maya whispered, trying desperately to keep from awakening anyone else. She stared at Auggie and he stared back after following the first order. "Okay. See you tomorrow." She began to exit the room.

"Wait!" Auggie quietly demanded. Maya re-entered the room, a questioning look written on her face.

"Read me a story?" Little Auggie's voice pulled on Maya, and she did not know if she could turn him down.

"Um, I'm not the best reader."

"Well you can sing right?"

Maya walked towards his bed. "You want me to sing you something?" Auggie responded with a large grin and a nod. "Okay." She quietly replied, bending down on her knees with a wince, and leaning on the bed.

"Here, give me your hand." Maya said, offering her own.

"Why?"

"I'm going to pull your fingers."

Auggie made a disgusted face. "Gross! My daddy does that when he needs to toot!"

A small and genuine smile broke on Maya's face. "No, it's not like that Auggie. It feels really nice. May I show you?" She questioned, keeping her voice light.

Auggie raised his eyebrow slightly, but slowly he gave his hand over to Maya. She took it and started pulling his fingers gently and lightly drawing circles on the top of his hand. "That feels really nice." He said fighting to keep his eyes open.

"My mother did it to me when I was younger."

After a beat, there was a response. "I still want a song though."

Maya nodded in the dark. She blinked a few times, trying to keep the mist out of her eyes. The only lullaby she knew was the one her mother sang to her while she gave her a hand massage before bed. It was from some movie, but it had been so long since she had heard it. Nonetheless, Maya closed her eyes, began humming, and then ever so quietly singing:

"Loola-Bye, oh, Loola Bye,
My lovely Loola moon.
Tip-toe by where my baby lies,
In your tiny silver shoon.
Will you guard, will you keep
Will you watch over please?
My wee one, my lambkin
My sweet chick-a-chick-a-dee.
Loola-Bye, oh, Loola-Bye...
In your tiny silver shoon."

By the time she reopened her eyes, Auggie was fast asleep. She brushed a thick brown curl out of his face, stood up, and silently padded out of the room, clicking the door shut behind her. Topanga and Cory shut their door at the same time, ensuring that the young girl did not hear them.

Maya leaned against the child's door, letting a few tears fall as she gnawed on her bottom lip. Knowing she was not about to retreat back to the land of the sleeping any time soon, she returned back to Riley's room and retrieved her sketchbook and pencils, figuring she might as well do something to keep her hands active.

With her materials in hand and a final check at the clock- 3:39 A.M.- Maya headed to the roof.

She had spent the first hour and a half finishing up a past portrait, then when the sun began to rise, she switched to a blank canvas and began the new sketch. Maya was not always a fan of mornings, as they meant that you had to wake up, but when she got up on her own volition, she found that mornings are not that bad. The sun rise is beautiful, and with every sun rise there is a promise of a new day.

And a promise that today might just be better then yesterday, and even if it is not, it will eventually. She counts her blessings that she might make it to see that sunrise.

Between the drawing and the thoughts, Maya had lost track of time. Before she knew it, she was finishing up the New York skyline and someone was sitting down next to her.

She risked a look at him. Cory sat next to her in his robe, leaning back just as Maya was, breathing evenly, and looking out over the skyline with a relaxed smile.

Maya's head tilted in curiosity, and before anyone could say anything, she began to put her pencils away and quickly shut her drawing pad.

"Beautiful, huh?"

The sound of his voice caused Maya to jump a little, and she pulled off the wall. "Yes, sir."

Cory glanced over at the moving girl. He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it at the last second, his smile beginning to fade.

"What?" Maya questions.

"I just..." He was at a loss for words, so he gestured to the air while he tried to organize his thoughts. "I'm your teacher. I'm supposed to notice these things." I do not want to talk right now, Mr. Matthews. Let's not do this, okay?

She rolled onto her knees and faced him, hoping to give him the clue that she was about to leave. "Cut yourself some slack, sir. I didn't want anyone knowing anything. It had nothing to do with what you could see."

Cory nodded in response, and realized that she would not be going back to whatever she was doing prior to him getting up there. He decided to keep the conversation going. "You were wrong about one thing Maya. You don't just have your mom." A beat passed before he continued, gaining curious look from her. "You've got us too, and you can always come and talk to us."

Maya found the only thing she could do was nod. She thought about trying to stand up, but now that her right foot was lit up with the feeling of pins and needles rushing through, she decided against it. She kept wiggling her toes instead, trying to wake it up from her crouched position.

"So, what're you doing up here?" Cory calmly asked, trying to keep her from closing everybody off and putting up the walls again.

Maya, albeit hesitant, responded. "I- I uh... I had a nightmare." What? Why did I just admit that? Crap. Now he's going to want more.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Before Maya could turn him down, Cory offered one more statement, hoping it would be enough to get her to open up just a little bit to him. "Because I would love to listen."

'I'm tired of secrets' was Maya's final thought before she slowly but surely told Cory the dream. She began to recount every moment with vivid detail, and by the end, tears were free-falling down her face, and she was finding it increasingly impossible to finish. She had begun to pick at her nails, hoping her friend's father did not notice the tears.

"And he uh," She hiccuped slightly. "He held the gun to your head-" Maya placed both hands over her face, and whispered a "stop" to herself.

"What?" Cory whispered just as quietly.

She pulled her hands away from her face. "Stop it, Maya." She said a little more forcefully. A few more tears raced down her face and off her nose and splashed on the cement rooftop. "STOP IT!" She slapped her hands on her face and began scrubbing. Stop being a baby, Hart. You are so pathetic. Mr. Matthews might as well kick you to the curb now, you're in eighth grade and you're crying over a stupid dream like a child.

"Hey, hey, hey! It's okay." He pulled her hands down from her face so she would stop hurting herself. "Look at me, Maya." He put his index finger under her chin and gently lift up. "It's okay."

She pursed her lips and shook her head, trying to get the tears to stop. Cory enveloped the little girl in his arms, careful not to cause her any pain and holding the back of her head, gently rocking her back and forth. She stiffened for a few moments, but eventually relaxed as he murmured nothings to her.

Soon, she had stopped crying enough to compose herself and pull away. "This is dumb, but can I show you something?" Maya silently cursed her voice for seeming so small and weak.

Cory numbly nodded. He was still trying to process Maya's dream, and wondered more about what this young girl had seen in the world.

She was flipping back open her sketchpad, and finally landed on a page. She hugged it close to her body. "You, uh, told me to paint you a picture when something beautiful happened. Well, it did. It took me a few years to realize it, but." Maya looked up through fallen strands of blonde hair at Cory and tried vainly to gauge his emotions.

She could not read him though, and even though she hesitated at first, Maya slowly began to spin the pad so Cory could see it. She silently thanked herself that she had finished it earlier.

The portrait depicted a family of five sitting around a table: a mother, a father, a son, and two daughters, with fried chicken and a big bowl of mashed potatoes. Cory instantly recognized the family, as it was his own. "This," He dipped his head down to her level so they could make eye contact. "Most certainly, is not dumb." He smiled.

He gave her a couple pats on the back. "Well, it's 7:30 now. You ready to head back?"

She nodded in the affirmative, running her fingers through her hair and giving a small "yeah".

He stood, and waited a few seconds for her to follow. She never did. "Maya?"

"Mhm?" She asked, biting her lip. The bags under her eyes were still very prominent and she still looked malnourished along with a long list of other problems, but for just a split second in that one word response, Cory saw a twinkle of the old Maya in her eyes: carefree and happy. A smile graced his features. "I said yeah." She told him again when he had not replied.

He shook his head. "Oh. You coming?" He held the door open.

"Yeah, just give me a sec." She stretched her legs out in front of her, squeezing her eyes shut tight.

The concern kicked in. "Are you okay?" He crouched back down next to her, placing a hand gingerly on her back.

Maya felt the corners of her mouth tug upward slightly. "Yes, sir, my feet are just asleep."

Cory cracked a huge grin, and five minutes later, the two were headed back towards the Matthews' home.

"Maya!" Riley ran over and nearly tackled the blonde.

"Sh, sweetie, I want Auggie to sleep in." Topanga whispered to her daughter when she followed her into the living room. "And see? I told you she was fine."

Maya's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What is she talking about?"

"I thought you ran." Riley quickly supplied.

"Now, why would I do that, Riles?"

She opened her mouth and closed it, having no response. The two sat down on the couch together, slowly but surely beginning to doze off in front of the television.

Topanga was already up for the day though, which meant everyone else was to be too, and at 8:00 sharp, breakfast was ready. Two plates of homemade pancakes were placed in front of the girls by Topanga. Maya waited for Riley to take a bite of her food before she even thought about picking hers up. Food is for good girls her mind argued with her. Maya stared at it for a few more seconds, feeling her mouth water. God, she was hungry. She sliced off a small bite and slowly put it in her mouth. The taste exploded onto her taste buds, the pancake was rich, sweet, fluffy, and any other adjective that she could think of. This was, without a doubt, the best thing she had eaten in two months.

"Is it good, sweetie?" Topanga asked, cutting into her breakfast as was her husband. They pretended, just this once, to not notice Maya.

Maya could not muster a smile, and she just stared at the plate. "Mhm." She sounded, trying not to show the food in her mouth. Once she swallowed, she continued. "Best thing I've had in-" she choked on her words.

Truth be told, Maya could not remember the last time she had a good meal. More warm wetness ran down her face, and she looked down at her lap so she could wipe the left side of her face with the back of her hand, trying to be inconspicuous. She went to do the same to the right, but a hand stopped her. She turned to face the owner of the hand. Riley wiped the other half of her face with a smile.

"You okay?" She mouthed.

"I'm okay." Maya mouthed back. Riley's hand slid over to her best friends and interlocked her fingers with hers. The first genuine smile Maya Hart had had in months graced her features, and Cory and Topanga Matthews looked at each other, pride and happiness gleaming in both of their eyes.

They may have a long way to go, but Maya Hart would be okay.

Fin.

A/N: And... cut. All right people, that's a wrap! Thanks for everything from constructive criticism (which I appreciate) to the random reviews! You are all amazing, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the holidays! Until next time, my dears.