⌜ chapter eighteen ⌟

Letty walks into the kitchen at the Matthews' house and she sees Morgan eating a grilled cheese with a huge chocolate cake sitting in front of her on the table. "What's going on, kid?" The older girl asks as she shuts the door behind her.

"Cory's dying...or something." The little blonde shrugs. "The boys are in the living room." She tells her, and the older girl walks over and quietly makes her way into the room.

"No, Cory, I think you gotta hear this one." Eric tells his younger brother, his back to the brunette who just walked in.

"Alright, then tell me. As long as it doesn't have anything to do with Shawn or Topanga, I should be okay." Cory smiles, and his brother takes a deep breath.

"Okay, um... Have you ever heard the expression..." He sort of imitates Japanese as he then fakes stabbing himself in the stomach with a sword, then he falls on the couch.

"What meds is he on?" He asks as he looks at Letty, and she shakes her head.

"Actually, I think that's what meds should he be on." She tells him. "Sorry, kid, I've been busy at the bookstore since Tyler got sick."

"Alright, well, you certainly have my attention." Cory sits beside his brother on the couch, who then has to tear his gaze away from Letty.

"Cor, I saw Shawn at Chubbie's." Eric starts, and he nods. "He was there with Topanga, she seemed upset. Uh, they were hugging, and he kissed her."

"What?" Cory turns to face him as Letty stands up straight.

"He kissed her."

"What?" He gets up from the couch and starts toward the phone.

"Kissed her how?" Letty asks. "Remember after we broke up? Jason kissed my cheek, and you thought it was something that it wasn't."

"I don't know exactly, his back was to me. But he definitely kissed her." Eric says as he stands up as well and then turns to face his younger brother. "You know, normally I love telling you this stuff, but this one's killing me."

"Pick up the phone, Shawn. Are you there?" Cory asks, talking into the phone. "Pick up the phone."

"Cor, I-I know how upset you must be."

"Eric, listen, nothing happened at all, alright?" He says as he starts dialing another number, having gotten no answer at the Hunters' trailer. "You heard Scarlett. You saw something wrong." He leaves a message for Topanga, and then hangs up.

Eric sighs as he sits on the back of the couch, watching how upset his brother is. "I had to tell you, right? I mean— I mean, you understand I had to tell you what I saw?"

"Eric, listen, I understand that you're my older brother, okay? You're not supposed to let anything bad happen to me." He pushes him, and Eric falls back on the couch. "How could you let this happen to me?"

"Okay, I understand that you're upset, and that's why I'm not gonna kick your ass." Eric says, his head hanging upside-down.

"Cory, you don't know anything for certain yet." Letty says, and he looks at her. "I know Shawn like the back of my hand, and he would never do something to deliberately hurt you. Not something like this, not ever."

The younger boy sighs as he looks back at Eric. "You saw him kiss her?"

"I did." He says, still laying there.

"Then my ass is kicked anyway." He shakes his head and then starts for the stairs.

"Cory!" Letty calls after him, but he just keeps going. The brunette sighs as she then looks down at Eric, and he looks up at her. "Get up."

"Are you gonna hit me?"

"Have I ever?"

"That depends on how you mean."

"Get up, Eric."

"It feels safer down here." He says, and she rolls her dark eyes as she then sits down on the floor with her back leaning against the end of the couch.

"Did you hear Danny's story?" The brunette asks.

"How would I have done that?"

"There's very little that gets by me, Eric. I know you were there, I saw you."

"It's my job to protect you." He says. "Remember? We had this conversation, and you thought I was the sweetest guy on the planet."

"I still do, or I wouldn't be here right now." She tells him, and then it's silent between them for a few more seconds. "Will you please get up before all the blood completely rushes to your head, and makes you even more susceptible to idiocy in this situation?"

Eric sighs as he lifts his legs from the top of the couch and rolls away from her so that he doesn't accidentally kick her. He sits on the couch properly, and she gets up to sit beside him before she continues with their conversation.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I wasn't going for him, but for me?" The brunette asks as she looks at him. "I don't care if he feels better, I wanted his explanation. I wanted to know what could possibly make him feel guilty after all this time, and I wanted to hear that he was different now. Not because if he could be, then I could be, but because... I believe that people can change, they can grow. Like Alec has, and... Okay, yeah, like I have too."

"Seeing you show up here the way that you did after he hurt you scared the hell out of me, and I couldn't let it happen again." Eric says, and she sighs.

"And I appreciate that, but I can take care of myself. I know that that's not what you wanna hear, but it's true."

"I know you can." He says. "But you take care of everyone else, and I think you deserve to have someone look after you the same way you do for everybody in your life."

"And that's why you're a big part of how much better I've been doing...but he's part of the reason that I have trust issues." Letty tells him. "I let someone new into my life, and that someone hurt me. So, I wanted to hear what he had to say, I wanted the apology. No, it doesn't magically fix everything, but... It makes it easier to believe that things like pride can be put aside so that we can try to make things right."

"And talking to him made you feel better?" Eric asks, and she nods.

"When I moved in with Alec, it was also Tyler and Reggie that I was trusting. And they've done a lot to make me feel more comfortable there, like giving me the master bedroom so that I could have more privacy by keeping my things there and having my own bathroom. But it's been in the back of my mind that the last time I trusted someone new, it didn't end well. But if Danny's changed this much just from fifteen to seventeen, then it's easier to trust that they've grown from their own past mistakes too." She tells him. "I know it sounds crazy—"

"It doesn't." He shakes his head as he looks at her. "Little things can make a big difference, I know that... I was just afraid of you getting hurt all over again. After everything that you've been through, I don't want anyone to ever be in the position where they can hurt you like that ever again. Especially someone who's already done it once."

She smiles as she looks at him. "Who can hurt me when I have you?" She asks, and he smiles as he wraps his arms around her. Letty leans into him, and he kisses the top of her head.

The next day, the two of them are watching tv on the couch when Cory suddenly storms into the living room and demands to talk to Eric. Letty pulls her feet up onto the couch as Eric stands, and his brother walks right up to get in his face.

"Shawn's my best friend, and Topanga loves me, okay?" Cory's attitude with him immediately dampens Eric's good mood, and the older boy folds his hands together and lets them rest in front of him as he listens to his brother. "And it takes a pretty twisted sibling to think that they would ever entertain the thought of sneaking around behind my back. You know, Shawn was right about you — seeing what you don't see, jumping to conclusions. You are my brother, Eric, you're supposed to protect me."

"Excuse me." Eric takes a step back and then turns for the door.

"Damn, Cor." Letty mutters as she crawls across the couch to get past him. "I've never seen him look so pissed off before." She says as she gets up and then runs after the older boy.

The brunette follows him down to Chubbie's, and Eric stops next to Shawn who's playing one of the game machine's they recently got in there. And Eric still looks pissed.

Shawn notices him then and smiles. "Hi. Hey, Eric." He greets, and then the older boy grabs the front of his shirt and slams him against the wall. "E-Eric. Leave me alone. You don't know what's going on. Scarlett, get him off me." He says as he looks at the older girl.

"I want to, but you made his brother question the integrity of their relationship." She says. "You wanna keep secrets like a big boy? Fight your own battles like one."

"You think you can do something that causes Cory pain, and you're not gonna get pain back?" Eric questions as he grabs his shirt with both hands and slams him against the wall again. "You don't know what's goin' on."

"Eric! Eric, listen, let him go, okay?" Cory gets between the two of them and pushes his brother back. "I've thought this out. I-I've reached my own conclusion." He then turns and shoves Shawn against the wall himself. "And my own conclusion is that something bad happened. Something bad happened, didn't it?" He questions, and his best friend nods.

"Yeah, it did." Shawn says.

"Then tell me."

"I can't, okay."

"Something bad happened to Topanga? You were comforting her, and that's what Eric saw?" Letty asks, and Shawn nods. "Alright. Enough of this he said, she said, middle-man stuff. Cory, go talk to your girlfriend instead of going back and forth between these two." She tells him, and he turns around and leaves the restaurant.

"You were gonna let him hit me." Shawn says accusingly as he looks at his sister.

"No, I wasn't." She shakes her head. "He's eighteen, that'd be assault on a minor."

"That's not funny."

"Neither is keeping secrets and making Cory think that his brother was the one in the wrong here." She argues. "You're protecting Topanga's secret because she's not ready to talk about whatever's going on? Fine, I respect that. Next time, tell as much of the truth as possible. Yes, we were at Chubbie's. Yes, I kissed her, but it wasn't what it looked like. She was upset, and I was comforting a friend, but what's going on isn't for me to talk about."

"It's not always that easy." He argues.

"It's easier to give half truths, and direct the blame onto someone who doesn't deserve it?"

"Things got blown out of proportion. Why are you talking like I'm the bad guy? You're supposed to be on my side."

"I am on your side, always. Even against Eric. And that's how I know that he's always on Cory's side." She tells him. "Me and you, Shawn — we don't have the best parents, even when yours are present and trying. I've learned a lot of hard lessons in the hardest ways, and my job is to teach you what I've learned so that you don't have to make the same mistakes. It's not always gonna be easy, and it's not always gonna be pretty. So, listen to me... Even when you have the best reason in the world to keep something secret, you still be as honest as possible. And you don't deflect blame to cover your own ass, you take responsibility for yourself."

"You're on my side?" Shawn asks, and she nods.

"Since before you learned to walk."

"Topanga's moving to Pittsburgh." He says as he looks between her and Eric. "That's what I couldn't tell Cory. She's been really upset, and she doesn't know how to tell him."

 "Topanga's leaving?" Eric asks, and Letty turns to look at him. "How do I protect him from this?"

The brunette takes a deep breath as she shakes her head. "I don't know." She tells him, and he sighs as he looks down.

—

"Letty!" Eric's voice comes from the living room at her house, and her eyebrows furrow as she stands from the desk in her bedroom.

"Eric?"

"Please help me. I don't wanna die." He says from where he's standing between Alec and Reggie.

"What the hell are you two doing?" She questions as she walks over to them.

"They're protecting the little one." Tyler chuckles. "Isn't it adorable? Prince Charming can't get to his Cinderella."

"What about me reminds you of a princess?" The brunette asks as she looks at him, and he shakes his head.

"Not a damn thing."

"Okay. Well, this was fun. Alec, Reggie, go to work." Letty walks over and grabs Eric's hand to pull him away from them.

"He's not going in your room." Alec says, and she nods.

"Actually, he is, but thanks for your brotherly concern. Tyler was right, it is adorable."

"We have rules, young lady!" Reggie yells.

"I'm eighteen now, and I pay rent, dipshit." She argues. "End of the hall." She tells Eric as she nudges him out of the living room.

"I don't like this." Alec shakes his head.

"What do you think we're gonna do with Tyler in the next room?" She questions.

"We were nineteen once." Reggie says. "He's going into his girlfriend's bedroom — we know what's going on in his head."

"Luckily, I have a lock on my door."

"Yeah, and I know how to pick it."

"I will shoot you." She threatens, her voice low, and he chuckles. "Go to work, you dumbasses."

"You all get along well." Eric says as Letty shuts and locks her door behind her.

"They're being dumb." She says as she turns to face him. "What's going on? I didn't know that you were coming over."

"It's our birthday." He says as he sits down on the foot of her bed, and she smiles.

"I know. But I thought we were going to dinner tonight."

"We are." He nods. "I just wanted to give you your present before then."

"Okay."

Eric shrugs out of his jacket before pulling two small boxes from a pocket on the inside. He lays the jacket down next to him and then holds the boxes out toward her. "Open the one on top first." He tells her, and she sets the other box on the desk.

Letty opens up the first one and her dark eyes widen when she sees the necklace that's resting inside. "Oh my God." There are two charms on a silver chain — one is a small, silver fin that looks like it's from a mermaid painting; and the other is a light blue orb. It looks like the color of the ocean. "Eric, this is beautiful." She says as she looks back at him.

He smiles as he looks at her. "I'm glad you like it."

"I have something for you too, but I only have one." She says, and he shrugs.

"I don't need anything."

"I didn't have anything to wrap it in, and you're gonna think it's strange..." She takes a deep breath as she opens the drawer to her desk and pulls out the silver ring. She curls her fingers around it and then walks over to where he's still sitting on her bed.

Eric looks up at her and then he uncurls her fingers to see what's resting on her palm. "Are you asking me to marry you?" He asks, and she chuckles.

"No, uh... Strange, silly — either way, it's important to me." She takes the ring between her fingers and shows him the symbols that are engraved on the inside. "I had this done. There's no other ring like it in the world."

"What do they mean?" He asks as he looks at the different engraved symbols.

"Each one means something different, they're symbols from different cultures." She starts pointing them out. "Hope, happiness, luck, protection." There are a few others, but the protection symbol catches his attention.

"That's a pentagram." He looks up at her. "Is there something that you need to tell me?"

"Believe it or not, the most common affiliation with the pentagram is not the most accurate. I told you, it's for protection."

"Against what?"

She sighs. "You think it's dumb."

"No." He shakes his head. "I just didn't know that you were superstitious." He says, and she shrugs.

"With some things, a little. I mean, I don't think the number thirteen or black cats are bad luck. I don't have to throw salt over my shoulder..." She shakes her head as she looks down.

"I didn't mean to make you self-conscious. I was just surprised, is all." He slips the ring onto his right hand and then grabs her hips, and she looks at him. "I'll never take it off." He tells her, and she smiles. "Now go open your other gift."

"I feel bad that I only got you one." She says as she walks back over to her desk.

"Judging by these engravings — you spent more than I did."

"I don't care about that." Letty tells him. "You could tell me you got that necklace out of a cereal box, and I'd just be happy that you thought of me."

"You're adorable. Now, open the second one."

"Pushy." She mutters as she picks up the other little box and opens it. Her eyebrows furrow as she looks at the charm on the black chain — it's a small silver key. "A key?" She looks over at him.

"It goes with this." He pulls an identical black chain from under his t-shirt, but the charm hanging from his is a small silver heart with a keyhole in it. "I know it's kinda cliché, but I saw them while I was picking out the other one, and I—"

He's cut off when Letty gets him to look up at her, now standing in front of him again, and she crashes her lips down on his. Eric's hands settle on her waist as she stands between his knees.

"The ocean necklace is perfect." She says against his lips before she pulls back. "And the key is adorable. I've never gotten anything so thoughtful before. You are most definitely the sweetest guy on the planet." She tells him, and he smiles.

"I love you." He says, and the smile on her face widens before she leans down and kisses him again. She then pushes him onto his back and climbs onto the mattress so that she's straddling him before pressing her lips against his again.