It was beyond the realm of Maya's understanding just how she managed to get from the NYU campus to her home in one piece, she was just glad that her parents where nowhere to be seen. She was not in the mood to explain her tears, nor was she in the mood to have Shawn on the hunt for Josh. How could this have happened? She and josh never fought, of course, they had the occasional argument but never anything like this, they were a happy couple. At least that was what Maya thought, she thought she had an open and honest adult relationship but maybe that was not the case. Josh had promised her he would never hurt her but he had been lying for months. How could he talk to her like that? She had never seen him raise his voice like that, least not at her. Their fight had been at least four hours ago and she had done nothing but lie on her bed and cry, and the tears didn't stop, it was long after the sky had turned dark and the Manhattan orange hum had peaked through her widow before she heard her bedroom door open.

"I bet you're regretting giving me that key" she heard Josh say.

"Have you come to yell some more?"

"Maya" she felt him sit on the bed "I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me"

"I never ever thought I would hear you yell at me like that josh" she sniffed and sat up.

"I know I'm so sorry Maya" he put his head in his hands but not before Maya saw his eyes, just as red from crying as she imagined hers probably were. "I'm just stressed out because of finals and I've been holding onto this for so long that I guess I deflected my own guilt"

"But why lie? I don't care that she kissed you, you love me I know that and I trust you to be faithful but I hate lying"

"It happened when we had been dating for a month, she kissed me and I told her that I had a girlfriend so she backed off. You and I had just started our relationship and I didn't want to freak you out besides I totally thought she was going to lay off"

"But she didn't?" Maya raised a brow.

"It just kind of snow balled after that. She was coming on pretty strong but I asked the professor for a new lab partner next year I promise"

"You still lied to me Josh"

"You know what the worst part was? Knowing that I had hurt you, I never thought I would talk to you like that, I never saw myself as that guy"

"Me neither" she sniffed.

"Honestly Maya, I'm just feeling a little pressured; I mean you deserve an incredible guy, someone that treats you like the most important thing in the world"

"That's you Josh"

"I'm not some hero Maya, I'm not perfect and you deserve perfect"

"Josh" she sighed, "you're only human, I know that"

"I want to be perfect in your eyes"

"You're perfect for me, that's all that matters, just as long as you're always honest with me"

"I love you"

"I love you too" she kissed him.

"Seriously Maya" he pulled something out from beneath his shirt "when I gave you this, I meant what I said. This is it, forever"

"Forever"

"I'm so glad we made up" he pulled her into his arms "I never want to have to go that long without you again"

"Me either, I'm sorry for over reacting"

"I'm sorry for lying and yelling"

"Josh?"

"Yeah?"

"You have a final tomorrow what are you doing here?"

"I could never focus if I knew you were hurt"

"You should go study"

"But I'm so comfy ad I've already studied"

"I am not taking the fall if you fail"

"I won't I promise besides the best preparation for an exam is a good night's sleep and I never sleep as a well as I do when you're tucked under my arm. Where are you folks?"

"They took the boys upstate to spend a few days at grandmas"

"What I'm hearing is that it would be ridiculous to waste a perfectly good empty apartment"

"Josh you have an exam tomorrow"

"I'll wake up and walk you to school before heading over; I'll be fine I promise"

"You better pass"

"I will now can we please go back to cuddling?"

"Oh wow, that really was the most delicious birthday meal I've ever had Katy, thank you" The entire family had driven down to Philly to spend the weekend and celebrate Amy's birthday, even Shawn and Katie had managed to bring their newly born sons down, the later insisting that she be the one to prepare the main meal.

"Why would she want her actual daughter in law to cook for her?" Topanga grumbled.

"I love you mom" Auggie answered "but the farther away you are from the kitchen the safer we all are"

"Seconded" Riley added.

"Hey!"

"I will always love your cooking" Cory kissed her.

"Yeah but you have to" she huffed.

"How about we open some presents?" asked Eric.

"That sounds like a good idea!"

"Here you go Mom, from your favourite son"

"Oh Eric" Amy tore off the shiny red wrapping paper "Dean Martin, where did you get this?" she pulled the album out to admire it.

"There's this amazing new thing called the internet, you should really try shopping there some time"

"Nice Eric" Allen chastised.

"Here Mom, Topanga and I are sending you both on a cruise to the Caribbean next month"

"This is way too much kids"

"Morgan is in on it as well"

"And you deserve it Amy" Topanga smiled.

"Well thank you for telling me about it" Josh rolled his eyes at his brother "luckily I'm the best son and got a great present on my own" Amy smiled at him "well actually it's from me and Maya" he handed her over a leather bound book.

"Oh my god how did you do this?" she whispered as she ran her hand over the poem Maya had engraved on the cover of the album.

"With a box cutter and a lot of patience" the blonde chuckled.

"Oh my God is that the poem I wrote in the fifth grade?"

"Yeah we found it with a bunch of old photos"

"Dad look at your hair" Riley pointed and laughed.

"I love it" Amy wiped her tears away "thank you, the both of you" she wrapped her arms around her youngest son.

"See, tears of joy" Josh smirked "I'm the best"

"Yeah getting your girlfriend to do the work, that's loving" Cory rolled his hands.

"Hey I collaborated"

"That's true he was the supervisory spider killer while we were looking for pictures in the storage unit"

"I printed the pictures and I helped lie them out" he huffed.

"You did lots of work baby" Maya gave him a peck on the cheek.

Later that night, as all the other members of his family lay asleep, josh was on the porch swing enjoying the night air and hoping that maybe Maya would somehow wake up and maybe they could spend some time together before getting back to the city and the horrible week of finals and graduation stress that awaited them. Someone making their way outside pulled him out of his thoughts, unfortunately it was not his beautiful fiery girlfriend but his father.

"What has you up this late?" he asked upon seeing his son.

"Couldn't I ask you the same thing?"

"I couldn't sleep, thought I'd come out here to think a little"

"About what?"

"Nothing much, so you and Maya… couple gift, you two must be pretty serious"

"Yeah" he chuckled.

"That's all I get? A yeah"

"What do you want me to say dad, I love her you know that"

"I do I've just never heard you say it"

"I say it all the time"

"Yes to her"

"I've told you this"

"Not in person, not so seriously and most certainly not with that look in your eyes. It's hard, you are still my youngest"

"Dad stop please," Josh groaned.

"What? I saw that necklace you both wear, I'm not an idiot. I just hope you're not moving too fast"

"Agreed" Cory said from the doorway.

"Take a seat son" Allen smiled.

"I'm going to marry her" Josh said seriously once his brother had sat down.

"Josh-"Cory started.

"Not right now" he interrupted "but some day, I am. This is it, she's the one, I know it"

"You seem pretty adamant kid" Allen smiled.

"I am"

"Then I'm really happy for you"

"Cory are you crying," Josh laughed "that is so cheesy"

"What? I'm just happy that Shawn and I will officially be related"

"That's the greatest love story of all," said Allen.

"Joking aside" Cory said "I am happy that you two are together"

"God knows we were all tired of seeing you fall all over yourself every time you saw her son"

"I was not that bad"

"You really were" Cory laughed, "You know he called me once last year just to check up on her"

"She uploaded a picture with some guy"

"Yeah Kyle, her very gay yearbook co-editor"

"Yeah I know that now"

"God how is anyone supposed to get sleep around here with so much noise" Maya said walking over to the group of men.

"Did we wake you up?" Josh pulled her onto his lap "sorry" he kissed her temple.

"You know I was just thinking that it's time for me to go to bed, what do you say Cory, you coming up?"

"No, I don't trust them"

"Cory bed!"

"I'm not a kid anymore you can't do that to me"

"Bed Cory!"

"Fine!" he grumbled as he made his way up the stairs.

"So how much of that did you hear?" he nuzzled his neck into her neck.

"I got here somewhere around I'm going to marry her"

"I hope you don't mind me telling my dad that"

"I love you Joshua Matthews and I can't wait for our someday" she kissed him.

"I love you too"

"Are you just trying to butter me up to tell me something?"

"Professor Fitzgerald gave me my grade"

"Josh you promised me you had studied, this is all my fault you should have gone ho-"

"I got an A"

"You're such a jack ass" she hit him in the arm "I can't believe you did that to me"

"One more exam and then you and I are free for the best summer ever. Just you me and the sun"

"And our entire families at the lake"

"Minor detail"

"Yeah insignificant really" she chuckled.

"Come on we should go upstairs before my mom finds us here and flips out"

"That's probably for the best"

"Besides we need to rest you up so that you look extra beautiful for graduation on Friday"

"Extra happy to finally be getting my ass out of there"

"And I'll be extra extra happy to have you at NYU"

"Come on Dr. Mathews take me to bed"

"That would be less creepy if you weren't sharing a bed with my niece and nephew"

"Then walk me to the door"

"That I will do" he chuckled.

So there she was, she had finally done it, she was walking across the stage about to get her diploma. How had this happened? She had gone from some abandoned charity case to a high school graduate on her way to one of the best collages in the country with a huge cheering section in the audience. She had a supportive mother, a great dad, incredible friends and the world's best boyfriend. She was graduating on the honour roll and she would be moving into a dorm with her best friend in the fall.

"So how does it feel to finally be done with high school?" Josh asked her later as they sat on the Mathews' living room bay window watching the party goers mingle.

"Pretty incredible"

"I'm so proud of you"

"Josh" she groaned, "you're embarrassing me"

"What? It's true"

"It's just high school"

"It's a huge deal; you're starting a new chapter in your life"

"Things aren't going to change that much"

"Well that's what I'm hoping" he kissed her "and on that note"

"Josh you really didn't have to" she started as she saw him pulling a gift from his pocket.

"Pretty sure I did gorgeous" he winked at her.

"I love it" she said as she opened the box to reveal yet another charm for her bracelet this time, a small ring.

"I've told you before Maya and I'll tell you again, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you so every time you look down at that charm I want you to remember that I love you and I will always be by your side, as long as you'll have me there"

"I will always want you there"

"Well there is another part of this present"

"What?" she giggled.

"Here, it's the key to my new apartment"

"Josh-"

"I already spoke to the guys and they said they'd rather have you open the door with a key than have to get up and open it for you all the time"

"But that's your space"

"It's not home if you're not a part of it Maya, I'm not saying you should move in. I want you to do the freshman thing, but I also want you to know that wherever I am there is a place for you"

"Josh that's so sweet"

"Seriously Maya, my home is your home; forever"

"I love you"

"I love you too"

So I'm afraid that's the end of my story, for all of you that hung in there over the long periods between chapters, for all of you that have left reviews, thank you. It really means a lot to me that people like my writing especially through the last chapters, which I really did struggle through. So thank you for sticking with me and this story for a whole year, I really hope you liked it. I love you all!

On a side note, I am planning another multi chap and have an idea for a one shot but I wont be uploading any time soon! I also may have a few one shots in this universe so let me know if you would be interested in reading epilogues. And can we please talk about how amazing Ski lodge was? If you're like me and you've read all the Joshaya fanfiction, and I do mean all of it, do you agree that what happened was super similar to a lot of the fanfics that are out there?

As always, and for the last time, please leave a review and let me know what you thought.