⌜ chapter twenty-six ⌟

"Okay. I've gathered you all here today to ask one question." Shawn says as he looks at his group of friends — Cory, Topanga, Jason, Hope, Eric, Letty, and Jack. "By a show of hands, how many of us are sick of the Cory-Topanga issue?" He asks, and everyone raises their hands.

Hope and Letty whisper into Joy and Faith's ears telling them to raise their hands, so they do as well. Hope chuckles as she looks at her daughters, and Letty kisses Faith's cheek saying "that's my girl" while she giggles.

Topanga leans forward on her seat on the couch. "Look, Shawn, it was really nice of you to stage this little intervention for us, but I really think Cory and I can handle our relationship or non-relationship or whatever it is or was or might be." She tells him.

"Word vomit." Hope whispers, and Joy laughs.

"I don't think so, Topanga." Shawn argues as he walks over to her and sits where Eric was before he got up and walked into the kitchen. "You had your chance. I'm taking your relationship out of your hands. I don't think you even understand your relationship."

"Isn't Angela his first serious girlfriend?" Jason whispers as he looks at Letty, and she nods.

"They love each other." Jack says, not having heard Jason.

"Then why did they break up?" Shawn questions.

"Because sometimes that isn't enough." Hope says, her eyes on her daughter, and Letty looks over at her.

"I don't even know what she's upset about!" Cory blurts.

"Show of hands, who does that surprise?" Jason mutters, and the two girls with him both smirk.

"You called me cold and unforgiving!" Topanga yells as she looks at Cory. "You used to think I was pretty perfect."

"Nobody's perfect." Letty says.

"Talk about unrealistic standards." Hope shakes her head.

"You called me an insensitive jerk!" Cory argues as he turns on the couch to face Topanga. "You used to think I was the most considerate guy in the world."

"Maybe we've just known each other for two long." The blonde says. "Maybe we don't really belong together anymore."

"Or maybe there's just some residual anger keeping you apart." Shawn reasons.

"This sounds almost exactly like last Christmas." Letty says, and they look up at her. "When you two started fighting because you had differences, and didn't agree on everything one hundred percent of the time."

"Welcome to reality, kiddos." Jason says. "Even the twins fight because they're different."

"You should hear us in the morning." Hope chuckles as she looks at Letty, who shakes her head at her. "I may kill you someday."

"Right back at ya, sister." She says, and Jason looks between the two of them.

"And I may kill them both." He says.

"Hey, we have more hair. That allots us more shower time." Hope argues.

"Scar, maybe — not you." He argues, shaking his head as he reaches over to lift her shoulder-length dark locks, and she narrows her green eyes at him.

"Oh, come on, Hope. Give him more shower time, he needs more time to primp and get pretty than we do." Letty says, and Jason turns to look at her.

"What was that?" He questions, and she smiles as she looks up at him. "I am not pretty."

"Ooh, manly man. My apologies."

"Maybe we should cut him a break." Hope says as she walks toward him. "It takes a lot of work to be our leading man." She teases as she stretches up onto her tippy-toes to kiss his cheek.

"Yeah, you two are a lot of work." He nods, and Letty laughs.

"You three realize you're weird?" Jack asks, and they all nod as they look at him.

"We've lived together too long." Letty tells him. "Even before we actually moved in under the same roof."

"And that's why you act like a married...whatever the hell this is?"

"I feel bad for whatever men marry these two." Jason says, and the girls both narrow their eyes at him. "I feel even worse that we'll probably still live together." He adds, and they start laughing.

"Here, take our baby." Letty says as she hands Faith to him.

"Hey. Who's my gorgeous girl?" He smiles as he takes the toddler.

"Me!" Faith smiles, and he kisses her cheek.

"Pangers." The older girl shoos her brother and then sits down next to Topanga on the boys' red couch. "You're mad at Cory?"

"Yeah." The blonde nods.

"But do you still love him?"

"Yeah... Of course I do."

"Hey, Cor, you mad at Topanga?" Letty asks as she looks at him.

Cory nods. "Yeah."

"You still love her?"

He nods. "Yeah, I do."

"You don't break up because you're mad and a fight happens. You work through the fight together...as a couple...without Shawn or any other third party." Letty sends her brother a pointed look. "You don't break up unless there's nothing left in your relationship to fight for. Is there still something here to fight for?" She asks as she looks between the two of them.

"I hope so." Cory says as he looks back at Topanga.

"So, maybe you two should go and talk about what's been going on...without Shawn."

"Why are you mean to me?" Her brother asks as Cory and Topanga get up and head for the door, and she shrugs as she looks at him.

"It's fun."

"You know..." Shawn walks over as his best friends leave, and he sits on Letty's lap; she sighs as she's forced to sit back. "They aren't the only reason I called everyone here."

"Did you miss the part about...without Shawn?" She questions, and he shakes his head.

"No, I didn't. Did you miss the advice that you just gave to Cory and Topanga?" He asks. "It was good advice. And, I mean... After everything that you and Eric have been through, don't you think there's still something worth fighting for?"

"I've been fighting my whole life, Shawnie. And one thing I learned — you can't win if you're fighting alone." She tells him. "Now, I have to go to work. Because I'm an adult, and you're a fetus. I love you, stop trying to meddle in my relationship."

"I can't meddle in something that doesn't exist anymore." He says as he gets up.

"Leave it alone, Shawn. And leave him alone." Letty says as she gets to her feet, and then she heads for the door so she can go to work at the Matthews' Outpost.

—

After work, Letty met up with Mason at Chubbie's like he asked her to do, and the pair had dinner. They've been talking and laughing since they sat down together, and she's actually having a really good night. Despite everything that's been going on lately, she's glad to be out for awhile.

He covers their bill, and then the two head out. They stop by the passenger side of his car, and she's smiling as she looks up at him, still listening to a story that he's telling about a hunt he and his friend went on a few months ago.

"How are you guys still alive?" She asks, and he shrugs.

"Purely dumb luck, I'm convinced."

"I concur." Letty nods, and he smiles as he looks down at her.

"You're probably gonna think I'm an idiot for saying this..." Mason starts, and her eyebrows furrow as she looks up at him. "But all night I've felt like that same kid who was crushing on you all throughout high school...but maybe with slightly more of an actual chance here."

"All of high school?" She asks, and he nods. "I was certain guys didn't notice me."

"Oh, we noticed you." He tells her. "But we also noticed that Jason and Miller were your personal bodyguards..." He adds, causing her to laugh. "And I think most of us noticed that Eric was in love with you. And that that was mutual."

"I like to think that was always mutual."

"But that's over now?" He asks, and she nods.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's definitely over now." Letty says. "He found out what I am, and it's more than he can handle. I don't see that changing."

"But you... You are so much more than a hunter." He takes a step closer to her as he brushes her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "You're better than all of us, way too damn good for any of us."

"I don't know about that."

"I do." He nods, his gaze falling briefly to her lips.

"Maybe you should've asked me out sooner." She says, her voice lower as she waits for what she thinks is going to happen next. "Before Danny would've been good."

"Better late than never."

Mason leans down then, closing the distance between them, and he presses his lips firmly against hers. She kisses him back as his hands settle on her waist, pulling her body flush against his, and her arms wrap around his neck. Their lips move in sync for a few moments before he pulls back, resting his forehead against hers.

"Fantasy definitely couldn't live up to the real thing." He says, slightly breathless, and Letty chuckles. "I...didn't mean to say that out loud."

"Mm. That's okay." She smiles as she pulls away to look up at him. "I could do with the ego boost." She tells him, and he smiles before leaning down to press a quick kiss to her cheek.