The Spy And The Criminal (Rucas)

Home for Christmas

Song of the Day: Life's Been Good, by Joe Walsh

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Knock, knock, knock.

"Yes. I know. I'll talk to her. Bye Luke." Maya said hanging up quickly. Everyone was in the living room, waiting for Riley and Alice's return. Farkle and his girlfriend Smackle were on the couch next to Josh, Auggie and Ava sat on the loveseat. Shawn and Katy along with their other two daughters were eating at the Matthew's table, and Topanga and Cory were opening the door.

"Riley! Alice!" The whole room chorused. Riley pulled two suitcases and Alice followed her inside, and the room filled with hugs, as really they were a gigantic family.

"It feels so good to be home." Riley said, hugging Auggie tightly.

"Uncle Auggie!" Alice cried, and Auggie automatically let go of Riley and he wrapped his arms around Alice. Before remembering that Alice was her daughter, Riley looked jealous of how Auggie was with her. She knew what she was going to do. Alice was never baptized. She just found the perfect Godfather. Auggie smiled back at her and nodded. Perfect.

Looking around the room, Riley glanced at everything. A tree stood in the corner of the room, tons of presents underneath. Riley would have to sneak out later and put Alice's presents under the tree.

Over the fireplace, there were many stockings, each reading a name. Topanga did them every year, and Cory filled Topanga's stocking. Cory. Topanga. Riley. Auggie. Alice. Maya. Josh. SHAWN. Katy. Lily. Nicole. Ava. Farkle. Isadora. Sarah. The stockings bulged with goodies.

"This is going to be such a good Christmas." Riley said.

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"Riles, can I talk to you? Privately." Maya said, pulling Riley out of the living room and into her old bedroom, where she, Alice, and all of her friends would be staying the night. Maya plopped Riley into the bay window and sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry I didn't call. I shouldn't have cut you and the others out like that. Or at all."

"Don't apologize. Just listen Riley." Maya said. "I've talked to Lucas. He's really sorry. Riley, he wants to talk to you." She paused. "He said you didn't even have to talk, you just had to listen."

"I don't want to talk to him Maya." Riley said coldly. "He played my heart. Everything we had was a lie. I would've been fine with him being FBI, I was not fine with him lying to me."

"He didn't want to lie to you. But if he told you the truth, he would've had to kill you." Maya paused. "His mission, like mine, was to kill everybody. He's in trouble at the FBI Riley. He has turn himself in, or kill you and bring the rest of us the FBI and testify against us. He wants to turn himself in."

"Then let him turn himself in." Riley said. She was shocked at the words she had just said. "I didn't mean it Maya, I really didn't mean it." She said, but Maya stopped her.

"He loves you. He told me himself, and I believe him. Just talk to him, please."

"Can I have his number?" Riley asked, and Maya nodded, taking Riley's new phone and entering Lucas's phone number. She checked the numbers she had on her phone. Good, she had hers.

"I am going to enter a number. You should talk to him too. You don't have too. But every little girl should at least meet their father." She said, entering Zay's number.

"Let's go out. It's dinnertime." Riley said, and they headed out to the kitchen.

//////The Next Morning//////

"Here. One last present. And it's for Alice." Riley said. "I wonder who it's from. Maybe it's from Santa." She added, handing her daughter the small present. Riley looked over to Maya and rolled her eyes.

"It's from a Lucas." She said. "Mommy, who's Lucas?" Alice asked, and the whole room went silent.

"Lucas is Gavin's first name. He decided he wanted to go by Gavin for a while, but now he decided that he wants people to call him Lucas again." Maya explained.

"Okay." Alice said, opening the gift. It was a simple gold chain, and on the chain, was a heart. Alice opened up the heart and she looked around. "It's really pretty Mommy, I'll have to thank him." Alice said, and everybody smiled at her cuteness.

"Oh, Farkle, you didn't open your stocking." Smackle said, handing Farkle his stocking and he opened it. He smiled. He kissed Smackle, and they began talking about something like physics.

"Mommy, Santa didn't bring me anything." Alice said.

"Don't worry baby. I'm sure that Santa brought you something. I'm sure it's at home." Riley said.

Topanga picked Alice up and put her on her lap. "Riley, how long will you guys be staying?" She asked, and Riley scratched her head, trying to figure it out.

"As long as we can." Riley replied, making her mother smile.

"Grandpa." Alice yelled, getting up off of Topanga and running to Cory. Alice took her pancakes and sat on the couch with the rest of the family.

"Pancakes for all." Cory yelled. "And in reindeer shape for the little ones."

"Can I have reindeer shaped pancakes Mr. Matthews?" Maya asked, and Cory thought about it.

"Reindeer shaped pancakes for everyone." He yelled, and people stood up, grabbing plates of pancakes and bacon, some scooping a side of fruit salad that Topanga had cut up. Everything was fantastic. The friends huddled up around the fireplace, the fire warming them.

"So Riley. Are we going to break into Macy's and get some cash?" Farkle asked jokingly.

"No, not this year." Riley replied, and he frowned.

"But it's the one time that we take whatever we steal and give it to charity." Farkle pleaded. Riley gave him a look, and he shoved a piece of bacon in his mouth, shutting up.

"It's going to charity anyways." Sarah said. "And besides, I think we're putting the stealing crusades behind us. It's a new day." She finished, and they all clinked their glasses of orange juice together.

"Merry Christmas." Riley said, and everybody in the apartment raised their glasses to a Merry Christmas.

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Hey guys, I know it's not quite Christmas yet, but I thought that I'd give you a little holiday cheer in the story. See you guys next update.