Lucas POV:
"Well, I'll stick around here as long as it takes because I am a supportive friend." Zay says as I hold Ari who doesn't want to get down from where I hold her.
"Hey, Riley, what about just this once, I can be the unsupportive friend?" Maya asks Riley.
"Absolutely. Live your lives." Riley says and Maya opens the door. "Oh but before you go, one quick story" she finishes.
"Hey, a story" Maya responds walking back in.
"Once upon a time there was a little tiny Riley and she was given a bear" Riley begins before going on to tell the story of how she got the bear and why she loved it so much. "And the little girl loved the little be for the rest of her little life."
"Whoa! Great story! That was so good. Guys, let's go" Maya says trying to get us to leave with her only to see everyone sniffling or looking sad or in Ari's case her head buried in my neck probably thinking about the necklace her dad gave her when she was little.
"Oh no" Maya mutters when she looks around.
"We have to find that bear you guys" Zay says saddened by the story.
"Oh no" Maya says louder this time before her phone starts to play music again signaling another taco announcement.
"Everybody has gone Taco loco! I don't think there's anybody in New York City that doesn't have one of Paco's Tacos!" The announcer exclaims through the phone.
"You're wrong, Paco!" Maya yells at her phone.
"We have to find that bear, you guys." Zay says again before they all start to look around for the bear.
Ari pulls her head out of neck and looks at me giving my a quick kiss on the lips before I put her down.
"You alright baby?" I ask holding her hand in mine.
"Yeah bubs im okay. Come on let's go find that bear" she says before we start to look for the bear.
After a while of looking Ari and I ended up helping Riley look in her room for the bear. As we look through her closet Ari and I continue to send each other funny faces trying to get the other to laugh when Riley calls our names.
"Lucas? Ari? Do you two have anything from when you guys were a kid that you still hold on to?" She asks causing Ari to giggle knowing what I was about to say.
"One thing. It's kind of dumb though." I respond.
"No it's not. It's actually really cute charming" Ari responds causing me to smile a little.
"What is it?" Riley questions.
"When I was like four years old, my Pappy Joe gave me something called a sack of gold. It was a little canvas bag and it had drawstrings to open it." I explain.
"Lucas, are you guys rich?" She asks seriously causing Ari to giggle.
"I thought so" I reply before closing the cabinet in the bay window and sitting down pulling Ari down so she is seated on my lap.
"I kept it for years. Then one day, I saw that Zay had his own little sack of gold too. And I said, "Hey, Zay, you got a sack of gold?" And he said, "Yeah." And he opened it up, poured the whole thing in his mouth, chewed it, and blew a bubble." I tell Riley and Ari giggles quietly before I tickle her side causing her to squeal.
"Bubs!" She exclaims laughing before she calms down.
"It was bubblegum" Riley asks.
"Yes, his was" I reply.
"Yours was real gold?"
"Yes. I believed it was. And I still believe it is. 'Cause I am never gonna open it up to find out any different." I explain.
"Yeah it was really funny when he found out. He came to me and told me about what happened with Zay and was like "how am I supposed to Marry you now that we don't have money for a wedding Ari?" And mind you we weren't even dating yet we were like 8 at that point." Ari says laughing.
"Ari? Do you have something you still hold on to?" Riley asks.
"Yeah. I actually have it here." Ari replies cuddling into me.
"What is it?" Riley asks her.
"This necklace here" she says pulling it out so she could see it. "When I was like 4, my dad had worked a really log shift at work and he didn't want to tell me a story so he did a quick and awful one before telling me that he loved me tons. At that point I thought of the biggest number I knew which at that point was 3000. So me knowing that I loved my dad so much replied with I love you 3000. Then he turned off the light and said "wow 3000. That's crazy." Before proceeding to tell me to go to bed before he sold all of my toys." Ari continues laughing as she remembers her dad. "We continued to say I love you 3000 all the time and on my 6th birthday he gave me this necklace which has an engraving that reads "I love you 3000" on it. I know that when I look at this necklace I'll always remember him and all the times we shared together, and though our time was cut short unfortunately, he'll always be watching over me, and he knows that I love him 3000" Ari finishes and at this point she has tears running down her cheeks and I know one probably escaped my eye.
"That's so cute" Riley awes Ari's story. "It's funny about these things we hold on to. And how life lets us know when it's time to let it go." Riley says.
"Yeah. Sometimes it's just a little bag of bubblegum." I say.
"Or it's a simple necklace" Ari says looking Riley.
"But if the right person gives it to you, then it's gold" I finish.
"Now come on let's start looking for this bear" Ari says smiling at Riley making me happy that they got along. I know how much it bothered Ari that they weren't really friends and how it made her feel like she didn't belong.
"Guys?" Riley says calling our attention again.
"Yeah" we reply.
"You guys really are great together" she says before she stands and starts to look around again causing Ari and I to smile at each other before we too start looking around.
Ari POV.
"We're looking for Riley's lost teddy." We hear Topanga say as we start to walk towards the living room a little while later.
"Barry-the-Bear Bear? She's had that thing forever. You lost it?" Riley's Uncle Josh says as we enter the room.
"Yeah, but I think I'm ready to call Barry officially lost and head out for tacos." Riley answers as we sit down.
"No. Really?" Maya asks getting excited.
"No. No, no giving up." Josh says.
"Yes, give up. Yes." Maya says sad again.
"No, it's important we find it." He replies.
"Why?" Riley asks him.
"Uncle Josh!" Auggie exclaims coming in.
"Mr. Auggie." He replies hugging him.
"How's college?" Auggie asks
"Oh, dude, you kidding? Dude, you kidding? Dude, the people, the parties, you kidding, dude?" Josh replies, making it obvious something was wrong.
"You want to stay here tonight?" Topanga asks him.
"Just a night? How about forever?" He asks her.
"Has it been a rough adjustment?" I ask him tilting my head.
"It was a rough adjustment for us in high school." Farkle responds.
"What about college?" Zay asks looking at Josh.
"You think you're ready. You think you're ready." Josh says shaking his head.
"What's the matter, honey?" Maya questions nudging him.
"I wasn't ready! It's hard. I wasn't ready. My roommate and I, we don't get along at all, And I don't think it's my fault. I think it's his fault. He says "schnoop-aloop" at the end of everything. Who does that? Now ask me a question." Josh says ranting about his college experience.
"What time is it?" Lucas asks him.
"11:15. Schnoop-aloop. Ask me who I am." Josh says doing a weird hip movement.
"Who are you?" Farkle asks him.
"I'm Schnoop-aloop's roommate. You know what people say when they see me? They say, "Hey, that's Schnoop-aloop's roommate." My name is Josh. How did this happen to me? I'll tell you how it happened. I grew up. You know what I know? High school is you last stop before you grow up. So, you don't give up on that teddy bear. You hang on tight. You find that bear. You understand what's important, Riley?"Josh tells us.
"Yeah, I think I do. Lucas? Ari?" Riley says looking at us.
"After you two." Lucas says before Riley heads to her room and I grab his hand before I start to walk into the room only to be pulled back.
"What's wrong bubs?" I ask tilting my head a little.
"First you look beyond cute like that. And second" he trails off before pullling me close and placing his lips to mine kissing me lightly. "I missed your kisses princess" he finishes causing me to laugh a little.
"Come on charming we have a teddy bear to find" I respond shaking my head and pulling him into the room.
"Guys I think it's gone" Riley says as we enter the room. "We've gone through the entire apartment, I don't think it's here" she says.
"So what do you want to do?" Lucas asks her.
"I don't want to disappoint Maya" she says.
"Then let's go get some tacos" I say before we all head out to go pick up some of pacos tacos. Riley even going as far as crying in order to get Maya her bobblehead.
About half an hour later we end up back at the apartment and right on time as we hear Mr Matthews yell for Riley.
"Yes?" She says as we all head to the living room again.
"Where have you guys been? We haven't seen you in a half an hour." Zay says looking at us.
"An hour." Maya says.
"A half an hour." Zay corrects.
"I don't get it!" Maya exclaims.
"Riley found what we needed to find." Lucas says.
"Yeah. Lucas Ari and I found out that we were looking in the wrong place, so then we looked in the right place." Riley says.
"You found the bear?" Farkle asks her.
"No. You find the bear?" She asks
"No. Sorry." Farkle says.
"Remember when Auggie wanted to give up Mr. Googly and grow up?" Maya asks the group.
"But then I didn't. I wasn't ready." Auggie replies as Maya sits next to him.
"Yeah. Good for you. But at some point, I think we are ready." She replies.
"How do we know when that is, Maya?" He asks her.
"I think something inside us tells us. I think it actually comes to tell us. Riles... I don't want to let you down, but I... think your bear is gone." Maya says walking up to Riley.
"Yeah. I don't want to let you down either." Riley says causing Maya to look at her weirdly while Lucas and I go grab the bags. "So, we got you this!" Riley finishes as we jump out and imitate the music from Maya's phone announcements.
"Tacos!" Maya and Mr Matthews exclaim as I pass the bag with the bobblehead in it to Riley while we hand out the other tacos.
"So, Riley, we're not gonna keep looking for the bear?" Auggie asks a few minutes later as we all eat our tacos.
"He knew it was time to go." Riley replies.
"He knew that you didn't need him anymore." Lucas says standing up and walking towards the couch.
"So, he waited till you were asleep and kissed your eyelashes goodbye." Maya continues.
"Grabbed his tiny travel hat and his little suitcase" I say as I walk over to the group.
"and he thanked you for your years together. And he told me to tell you he forgave you for eating one of his cookies." Zay says causing me to shove him jokingly.
"Then he hopped out the bay window and got on the G train to Beartown." Farkle finishes.
"I think that's exactly what happened." Maya says laughing a little.
"Thank you, everybody." Riley says.
"That's what we're here for." Lucas replies.
Lucas POV:
"Hey, Auggie?" Riley says as we go over to the table.
"Yeah?" He replies.
"It's a great story that you chewed his face off because you wanted to hang out with me and Maya. Never lose that, okay?" Riley says as we sit down.
"Okay. Can we hang out?" Auggie asks Maya.
"No. Get out of here." Maya says doing at funny face at him.
"You know what? I think it's time I got out of here." Josh says.
"What happened to forever? I'll get your laundry." Topanga says before leaving the room.
"Josh, you can stay here as long as you'd like." Mr Matthews says to his younger brother.
"Yeah, you can." Maya says.
"I know. Thank you, but looking at you guys, I just get this feeling that there's some good friends to be made back at my dorm." Josh says looking at us.
"With Schnoop-aloop?" Auggie asks.
"Maybe Josh just needs to get to know him better." Riley says.
"Maybe I just need to let them get to know me a little bit better." Josh says.
"Yeah. You know, you're not a bad guy at all." Zay says suddenly.
"Oh, yeah?" Josh replies before they both do a weird head motion. "Thank you, Zay."
"You're welcome. And I'm glad that you and Maya decided that you might be right for each other someday and you'll fly to the moon and all that." Zay continues causing Maya to walk over and us to turn and watch.
"Oh, yeah?" Josh questions.
"Yeah. Very sophisticated. Now here's what I was thinking back here on Earth. Hey, Maya, uh... Lucas and Ari are gonna be going out on dates and holding hands and a being more lovey covey than before... and they aren't gonna think anything at all about ditching one of their best friends..." Zay says causing Ari and I to look at him.
"I'm not ditching..." I start to say.
"You've abandoned me for her." Zay says dramatically.
"Zay we're not..." Ari starts to say before getting cut off by Zay.
"You'be abandoned me for him and his lips" Zay says.
"Okay." we say chuckling at his antics.
"They are nice lips" I hear Ari mutter under her breath causing me to raise an eyebrow at her. "Love ya" She says kissing my cheek.
"Love you too" I reply kissing her forehead and holding her close.
"And if you really care about her like you say, then you don't want to see her thinking so much about later that she misses now. Do you?" Zay says looking at Josh.
"No. What do you have in mind?" Josh asks.
"Yeah, what do you have in mind?" Maya asks.
"You helped me not feel like an outsider. There's a lot that's probably gonna happen to us, and I'll probably be stupid. But... what's not stupid is you and her. And I never want you to feel like a third wheel when... Lucas and Ari are gazing into each other's stupid, stupid eyes. Because believe me I've felt it those two believe me beyond lovey dovey. Or when Riley gets a boyfriend and they do the same thing. So, I want you to know that I'd be happy to sit next to you, next to Ari and Lucas at the movies, so we could all be together." Zay explains. "That all right with you? I don't care. Is that all right with you?" He asks Josh.
"Well, I think that's up to Maya. Till next time?" Josh says.
"Till next time." Maya replies.
"You want to go to the movies?" I ask looking at Ari.
"When do I not?" Ari replies laughing.
"Want to go to the movies? I just like sitting next to you." Zay asks Maya.
"Yeah. Yeah okay. Thank you for asking" Maya replies.
"You want to go to the movies?" Auggie asks Farkle and Riley.
"What?" They both reply causing us to laugh before we all put our jackets on and head out to the movies.
A/N: Last day of daily updates for Christmas week. I hope you all enjoyed this weeks chapters. I'll try and have the next episode ready for next week.