"Nebbie, I really can't thank you enough for letting Cory and I sublet your apartment," Topanga told her sister.

"Hey," Nebula said waving a hand casually, "Don't worry about it. It's the least I can do," She shook back her mane of brown bushy hair, "Let's face it, I haven't been a very good sister,"

Topanga scoffed but Nebula interrupted, "No, Topanga. It's true. I've barely seen you since I went to 've talked what? Three times in the last 8 years? I couldn't even make it to your wedding! I didn't know about this law firm thing until you called me about the apartment."

"No one did. It was really sudden," Topanga said hastily, and then her tone became warmer, "But I'm so excited about this."

"Good for you, it certainly sounds impressive."

"It's not just that. It's," she sighed "It's nice to feel like I accomplished something. I miss that feeling of being "the best" you know?"

"Mom told me you were like, top in your class or whatever at Pennbrooke," Nebula said playing idly with the string of beads around her neck.

"Well, yeah, but I.." Topanga sighed again, fiddling with her coffe mug "I just don't have to work that hard for that. It's not the challenge I was looking for." Topanga shrugged uncomfortably.

"You must be excited about NYU then," Nebula said inanely. She tried not to let her frustration show in her voice. She didn't know what to talk about with her own sister! That's why she had taken her out to this coffee bar, so they could talk for a while. Nebula felt like she had to still know Topanga on some level, but it was true! She didn't know her sister anymore. Topanga had gone from a unique individual to well... Mrs. Cory Matthews.

In the week Nebula had spent with her little sister she hadn't really heard her say anything about herself, unless it was about this internship. Which she still couldn't believe. A Lawrence a lawyer? Jedidiah must be going out of his head! And how hadn't Chloe convinced her not to get married right out of highschool? Aunt Prudence didn't have her sister's free spirited or die hard devotion to what Chloe had always refered to as "women's lib", but you'd think that she would have said something about her brilliant, talented niece choosing her boyfriend over Yale.

Topanga's face lit up, "I really am. The class sizes are a lot bigger than what I'm used to and, honestly I'm going to spend at least the first semester expecting Mr. Feeny to pop up behind me" She laughed to herself, "But it looks great, except.." she trailed off a little anxiously.

"What?"

"I'm not sure if Cory will like it," She admitted.

Nebula nodded unsurely. She had never met this Cory Matthew's guy and he wasn't even getting here until tommorow, hours after her flight to Paraguay left. She was really dissapointed about that. She thought if she could meet him she might be able to make sense of what had actually happened to Topanga. It wasn't that Nebula was too cynical to believe that her sister had truly fallen in love, it was just that, there was... something in Topanga's voice that didn't sound right. Nebula couldn't put her finger on what it was. Topanga had admitted that she wasn't happy at Pennbrooke, but there was more. Nebula had picked up on some of the things that Topanga wasn't saying.

Her sister didn't have her own friends. Hadn't for years. She dated and then married Cory and she hung around with his best friend, this Shawn character, and then eventually had become good friends with Shawn's girlfriend Angela. Her other friends were Cory's brother's roomates, Rachel and Jack, and Jack was also Shawn's brother. She didn't know anyone she wouldn't have known without Cory. No one from class, no one from work, no one else. And there was something else...

"Tell me about your book though," Topanga said suddenly as though she too was digging for topics they could discuss.

Nebula surfaced from her thoughts and launched into a explanation about what she was doing and where she was staying, relieved to have something to talk about. Nebula had was a journalist and photographer. She had been commissioned to go Paraguay and prepare a coffee table book about the sites. As she rattled off the cities she was going to visit she eyed a handsome young man heading hesitantly toward thier table. He was tall, blonde with finely carved features and wearing a casual blue striped button down shirt and a pair of wireless glasses. He stopped behind Topanga and laid a careful hand on her shoulder. She spun around in surprise.

"Excuse me?" the young man's voice was deep, with a richness that Nebula usually associated with older men.

"Hi," Topanga said curiously, she was pretty sure she knew this person, but for the life of her couldn't figure out why he should be familiar.

"Hi," He smiled, "I don't suppose-"

The memory surface suddenly and unexpectedly like a body coming to the surface of a calm river "Stewart!" Topanga cried and stood to hug him.

"I wasn't sure if it was you!" he laughed, "Gosh, you've changed so much. But no one else could be that beautiful," he grinned. Topanga blushed.

"This is my sister, Nebula" Topanga introduced her hurriedly, "Nebbie this is Stewart Minkus, a friend from Junior High" Nebula waved casually and Topanga turned back to Stewart, "Look at you, you're so...tall."

Stewart laughed "Thanks, Thanks."

"So, gosh, what have you been up to? What happened to you?"

"I, uh, went to a private highschool in Philidelphia for a year before my father got transferred to LA and then when college rolled around I just had to go back East. I'm a sophmore at NYU now. Just declared. Japanese and International Studies double major."

"I'm transferring to NYU next semester!" Topanga said.

"From Yale?" Stewart asked

"Oh, no. I stayed in Philidelphia," Topanga said in a slightly detached voice.

"Oh," Stewart seemed embarrased, "Well, I'm here with a group of friends from NYU if you and your sister wanted to join us. We could tell you all about it,"

"That would be fantastic!" Topanga said,"Nebbie do you mind?"

"Don't worry about it," Nebbie faked a yawn, "I'm going to go home and turn in. Some of us have an early flight to in the morning"

"Oh? Where are you going?" Stewart asked. His tone was interested but his eyes stayed on Topanga.

"Paraguay," Nebula said, "I'm working on a book. It was nice meeting you," She shook his hand, and then hugged Topanga, "It was nice to see you, give me a call, don't be a stranger anymore."

"Thanks Nebbie. Wake me up to say goodbye tommorow." Topanga said patting her sister on the back uncomfortably.

As soon as Nebula turned around Topanga's focus went right back to Stewart and Nebula couldn't quite surpress a smirk. She didn't think she would be the one waking Topanga up in the morning.