Long game

girl meets home for the holidays

As she walked in her eyes travelled to josh. Him and Auggie seemed to be decorating Mr Matthews. "What'cha doing?" she asked standing at his side. "Decorating" Josh shrugged, handing a bauble to auggie and looking up at his best friend. Josh gave her an innocent smile, which almost made Olivia weak at the knees. "Should we be doing this?" Auggie asks. "Absolutely" Josh smirked, making Olivia hit him softly. "Oh come on, it's not like we never decorated him when we were children" he says defensively. Olivia leant onto his shoulder and smiled at the fond memories of their many christmases together as children. "True" she mumbles as auggie continues to decorate his grandfather. "What's the difference between having a younger daddy and having an older daddy?" Auggie questions. Josh looks away from Olivia and both their eyes fell on the little boy before them. "Younger daddy doesn't fall asleep in the middle of a party?" Josh replied, though it sounded more like a question. Olivia coughed and inched her head towards Cory and Shawn asleep to the right of them. Josh just shrugged before Maya decided she was going to wake them up. 

"How could you possibly not like Riley?" Maya asks, though it was more a demand. "Maya" Riley warns still standing at her best friends side. Olivia just sighs, she knew her dad liked Riley, it was just complicated. Riley was everything Shawn wanted for Olivia. She had a mother and father who were there, she lived in one place, she had good friends, she had a perfect life. Josh doesn't watch what was going on before him, his eyes were on Olivia. 

"When's my birthday? What's my favourite colour?" Riley asks. Olivia smiles slightly, she had heard the stories. "Riley that stuff doesn't matter" Shawn says. And of course, Maya was there to defend her best friend "It does matter." "Girls, he does know rileys birthday" Olivia steps in, Cory nodding. "How do you know?" Riley asks. "He knows"

"Well I thought it was great Topanga" Olivia compliments after eating the dinner with everyone. "Yeah, we don't get a lot of home cooked meals" Shawn adds. "How's the job going Shawn?" Cory asks. "Oh you do something?" Maya questions. "Yeah, I write for a site called hit the road, go to a lot of different places, tell you if it's worth the weekend"He says. "I..I go on that site" Maya says. "Restless little spirit huh" Olivia says, Maya was proving even more like Olivia than she thought. "No, I just think about-" Maya starts. "Other places?" Shawn interrupts. "Sometimes" Maya says. "Yeah" "Yeah" "You take the pictures too?" Maya says. "I do" Shawn says. Olivia nods, she helped him a lot of the time. 

"Okay that's it, Whens my birthday Uncle Shawn?" Riley buts in. Olivia rolls her eyes, he could easily tell her her birthday, it wasn't important. "He knows Riley" Cory says after receiving a look from Shawn. "Why won't he answer? What did I do?" Riley asks. Shawn doesn't make a comment, he only gets up. As he approaches the door he turns back and looks at Riley and Maya "You coming or what?" 

 Olivia gets up and follows him. She just looks at Josh and he gets up after her. The pair walk out, following behind Riley Maya and Shawn. "I don't think we have long before they get together" Cory says. "not long at all" Topanga smiles, everyone in their family knew Josh and Olivia were going to end up together. It was something joked about a lot, the only thing now standing in the way was Maya. 

Olivia and josh take their time, wandering towards where Shawn had taken the girls. As they walked in they seemed to be done. "You know what?" Riley says, looking at Olivia. "What?" Olivia, Maya and Shawn say in unison. "She's you" Riley says. Shawn looks at Olivia. She was a perfect blend between him and her mother. She was a mini him, with some of her mothers looks. "Yeah" he nods. Olivia just flicks her hair dramatically, hitting josh by accident. 

"Get in there" Riley demands as they walk through the door. "Riley you do not command a grown man" Cory warns. "You" she points to her father. "Who me?" Cory says. "Both of you, go to my room" Riley orders. "This would never happen on the Cory and Shawn show" Cory mutters to his best friend, but they two grown men go to the room. "Idiots" Olivia mutters to josh in which he struggles to hold in a laugh. 

"Joshy, Livvy, Will you play with me?" Auggie asks. "Sure Auggs, what we playing?" Olivia smiles. Auggie shrugs but drags the two into his bedroom. Auggie loved having people here to play with him, especially considering Riley always seemed to be with Maya. Olivia and josh actually seemed like they wanted to play with him, and it made it fun. 

"Liv!" Topanga called. "I'll be back" Olivia placed down one of Auggies toys and walks out to go and assist toping in whatever she needs. Josh watched Olivia leave, with a certain look in his eye. "You love her don't you?" Auggie asks, even an innocent little boy could tell. "What? She's just my friend" Josh laughs slightly. "Hmmm" Auggie folds his arms. Meanwhile, Olivia wandered into the front room. "Could you tell the boys, all of them, to come down and open presents?" Topanga smiled. "Sure" Olivia replies, before going back and telling Auggie who seemed very excited. Josh carried him on his shoulders and they walked to Rileys room. 

"I don't know how to be the cool uncle, i'm barely a dad" Shawn says, as Olivia opens the door. "Oh, while we interrupt two grown men in a girls bedroom window for this special announcement" Josh says. "Mom says to come down to open presents" Auggie smiles. "We now return to two grown men in a girls bedroom window" Olivia smirks. "They're two grown men in a girls bedroom window and nobody thinks that's weird" Josh sings, making Olivia giggle. Josh and Auggie walk out, Olivia lingers in the doorway. "Liv, you coming?" Josh asks. "one sec" she says, turning back to her dad. "You're a great dad" She smiles and leaves, closing the door behind her. "See, cool uncles already taken, and cool aunt" Shawn smiles. 

They all gather in the front room, Olivia and Shawn standing by the door. "So listen, I have an assignment next weekend up in Columbia county, upstate new York, it's beautiful up there" Shawn says. "We're gonna miss you Shawn" Cory says. "Maybe not, Cos I was thinking maybe you might wanna come?" Shawn says, putting one arm around riley and the other around his daughter. "All of us?" Auggie asks, cuddling into Olivia. "We wouldn't have it any other way" she smiles. "You know" Riley starts. "Here it comes" Cory smiles to his wife. Olivia and josh share a look, they both knew what Riley was going to say. "I never go anywhere without my best friend" Rile says. "So maybe you would like to invite Maya?" Riley asks. "Oh you mean her? Well, What do you say kid? You wanna come?" He asks. "Yeah" Maya smiles before turning to josh. "You're invited to" she smiles. "Cool" Josh shrugs, he wouldn't pass up an opportunity to spend a weekend with his best friend. 

"You know" Olivia started, looking over at Cory and Topanga. "For college I need some credits, so maybe I could help in your class?" She asks. Olivia was online schooled, making it easier for her to travel ith her dad. This meant she could easily help in Corys class and do her school together.  "My class?" Cory asks. "I wouldn't want to be in any other class" Olivia smiled. Cory and Shawn shared a look. "I think we can arrange that" he smiles. "And you're welcome to stay here, the guest room is yours if you like" Topanga smiles. "Thank you" Olivia smiles honestly, Shawn also mouthing a thank you over her head with a smile. 

As olivia pulled on her jacket, Josh approached her. "You know, New York isn't that far from Philly" he says. "I do know yes" Olivia smirks, adjusting her hair in the mirror. "This means it wouldn't be too far for you to come and visit, or vice versa" Josh says. "Are you saying you miss me?" she smirks. "I might be" Josh says. "Well then, I might just be around a whole lot more" she smiles, linking her arm with his. "Hey isn't that jacket mine?" Josh notices. "Might be" 

So its settled, Olivia and her dad are going separate ways. Olivia thought her life to be running smoothly, that will be until she begins her life here. Because in the long game, nothing comes easy, starting with the start of something new card.