Hello everyone! This is almost the end of this story (chapter 12 will be the last one actually), and I trully hoped that you liked it.

I just already want to thank you for your reviwes and your patience. I had a lot of work to do and I barely had time to write down something (and update obviously).

I will try to update the last chapter tomorrw. I will already thank texterlover for her ideas of all these sweet/cute moments she shared with me for this story.

It is time to read now, ENJOY!

CHAPTER 11

Five days later

Within a few days, Matt had recovered a lot of energy, and the doses of morphine for pain and mannitol for the swelling had gradually been reduced to the point of taking only Tylenol now because the migraine from the recent days was gradually fading as well as a slight dose of mannitol to ensure the proper recovery of his brain. There remained only a few residual headaches more due to the great upheaval inside his skull than to the migraine itself. The swelling had completely resolved, the bleeding had stopped a few hours before his awakening, and the surgeon had decided to remove the drain and he sutured the area two days ago. As he said, he no longer looked like a zombie. For the first time in several days, he finally allowed himself to live again, even if he had to stay at least two more days in this freaking hospital room. He had decided to shave his growing beard. The truth was, he liked it, but it was not practical at all. Fortunately, the diuretic treatment was over, and Michelle had gently come into the room to remove this instrument of torture serving as a catheter. It was a great relief for Matt, to the point that his first visit to the toilet was very emotional, Gabby would have thought that he was going to cry of joy as he seemed happy to pee in the toilet and not in a pocket. On request of Matt, she had left all day yesterday, both to rest and to take care of Louie. For him, he was still too young to understand everything that was going on, and there was no doubt that the absences of Gabby and himself would undoubtedly weigh on Louie's conscience. To tell the truth, he was afraid that Louie would feel rejected by the couple when it was not the case at all. Gabby hadn't told him that the little boy had perfectly understood what was going on, she had not told him that Louie was starting to miss him, she had not said anything to him. She had even forgotten to give him his drawing, too focused on Matt's recovery. But today, everything was different. Dr. Abrams had finally authorized regular visits, which Gabby had asked to keep secret. She wanted that the first to see Matt, with the exception of Kelly, would be Louie. Because he deserved it, because it was necessary, because both needed it. Gabby had come earlier in the day, helping Matt as she could because he always had dizziness, but nothing serious.

"Oh, by the way. I forgot something. Damn, I'm a bad girl."

"What?"

Matt had turned suddenly, because the suddenness of this conversation after a long silence. He didn't absolutely know what she was talking about, and intrigued, he frowned. Gabby took her bag, and gently pulled out a paper folded in four to hand it to the man of her life.

"Here."

Gently, Matt took it and unfolded it. He noticed it was a drawing by Louie. He watched it carefully from left to right, seeking every detail. He was only three years old, but with imagination, you could understand what he wanted to draw. On the drawing, there was a house and three characters. One was all orange and small, and Matt immediately realized that Louie had wanted to draw himself, which made him smile. His smile faded for a surprising look when he noticed the rest. The other two characters had long and brown lines for one and short and yellow features for the other. He immediately realized that it was Gabby and him, with a big smile on their faces as well as his own. Matt opened his mouth, but no sound came out, they were all stuck in his throat. He looked up at Gabby, who had a big smile on her face.

"I explained to him that you were very sick, that you had to stay with the doctor to have medicines and get better. So he drew this, to say that soon, we will all come back home together."

Without really knowing why, Matt felt overwhelmed by strong emotions. He was happy. He placed it beside him on the bedside table, highlighting it as a trophy of which he was particularly proud. Someone knocked at the door, and the person entered.

"Hello, lovers!"

It was Kelly, very merry.

"Hello to you too."

"I brought you some clothes to change for something more... Decent than that horrible hospital gown that you seem to appreciate so much", he teased.

"Go to Hell, Kelly."

"SO young lady, it's time to go home and take care of Louie! Come on! OUT!"

"Okay, okay! I'm leaving, two more minutes!"

Gabby took her bag and turned to Matt to kiss him under Kelly's amused gaze. She left the room two minutes later, and when she reached the apartment, she was welcomed with open arms by Louie and Sylvie.

"So, how is Matt today?"

"He's getting better. The headaches are less and less strong and the wound heals well. The doctor wants to run one last scan tomorrow to see if everything is going really well, and if so, he could come out tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

"Oh my God, this is great!"

Louie had heard nothing, having gone back to his room to play with his dinosaurs. Sylvie hugged Gabby again, then left about ten minutes later.

"Gabby?"

Surprise, she turned to see Louie standing at the threshold of the door his room.

"Yes, Louie?"

Sometimes, Louie was very shy, especially when he felt embarrassed about a situation he had never faced before or when he met someone he didn't know at all. And this evening, Gabby could read this embarrassment on his face, as if he wanted to ask something, but he was ashamed.

"What is it sweetheart? Tell me everything."

"Have to... call you Mom?"

Her heart sank to the question. She made nothing appear on her face, but all sorts of emotion invaded her. Why this question? What had this little man in mind? She felt her lips open slightly, her voice cut off and no words coming out. Louie looked down, thinking that he had been completely wrong to ask that question. Seeing this, Gabby knelt on the floor, taking the three-year-old's hands, and smiled at him.

"I know that since you were born, you have had many different moms. And probably dads too", Gabby began very gently.

She wanted to explain things clearly and precisely while paying attention to her vocabulary in order to be understood by Louie. The latter had stopped counting how much mum and dad he had had during his life, at least, those he could remember. It was for this reason that he was sometimes violent towards his foster parents when they already had children: he could understand that he was going to be blindsided and wasn't going to get the attention he felt necessary to flourish, he regarded these people as a help to live, but nothing more. But with Gabby and Matt, it was different. From the first day of his meeting with the woman firefighter, he knew that the nightmare, the hell he was living in was probably over, and that a new life was about to begin. It took some time before he was placed at Gabby's, then the couple, and each of them gave him so much love, so much joy. They were able to bring him everything he needed and hoped, and even more. He had discovered the joy of being loved by a whole family, he had finally learned what a three-and-a-half-year-old boy was, he knew now what it was to have a father and mother. But what he understood above all was that Matt and Gabby were not his real parents, even if for him, the couple was an equivalent.

'We're not your blood parents, but Matt and I love you. As if you were our own son. So... If... If you want to call us dad and mom, then you can. But you don't have to if you don't want it, okay?"

"Otay."

Louie then advanced toward Gabby, throwing his thin arms around her neck and resting his head on her shoulder. Gabby did the same, smiling and trying not to cry in order to make Louie sad.

"I love you so much, Louie."

"Love you too. Mommy."

Nothing could please Gabby even more at this precise moment. She had the little boy in her arms, and he just said 'I love you' to her and called her 'mommy'. She suddenly become the happiest woman ever.

"You know what Louie? Today we are going to see Matt. Together."

Encountering the little boy's eyes, Gabby could read the joy and his surprise, even though he seemed to refrain himself from shouting with joy.

"He better?"

"Much better. And in a few days, he can go home."

Louie's face lit up even more, and a smile came to settle down on his face.

"Are you ready to go see Matt?"

His mouth opened, as if he meant he was not really ready. He ran to his room and stopped in front of his wardrobe. He opened the right door with difficulty and grabbed the first sweater Matt had offered him when he arrived in his life. He searched for the label, passed his head through the big hole then into the little hole, then passed his arms one after the other in the sleeves. Proud of him, he turned, smiling, seeing Gabby on the threshold of the door with tears ready to flow down her cheeks. His smile disappeared, he was suddenly afraid that what he had just done was something wrong.

"Sad?"

"No, no! Not at all, sweetie! I'm, uh... Proud of you."

Gabby had recognized this sweater, and it made her even happier. But what made her prouder was the fact that Louie knew how to dress almost helpless now. Except for his shoes.

"Come on, we're gonna put your shoes on."

"With t-wex?"

"Those with t-rex, yeah."

He took Gabby's hand and together, they went to the front door to put the shoes on, a coat and a scarf. About twenty minutes later, she parked her car in front of the hospital. Louie took Gabby's hand and together they entered the hospital, passing in front of the reception, then the souvenir shop.

"Book!" He screamed, pointing to the shop.

In the middle of the cuddly toys, there was a book stand, one of which had a large dinosaur as cover.

"Louie, you already have a lot of books at home."

Louie lowered his head and looked down, biting his lower lip, as if ashamed or unwilling to be scolded. Gabby said nothing else, trying to understand what Louie wanted by saying that. He asked for almost nothing, but when he did, it was something he really liked or wanted.

"Why do you want this book, sweetheart?" She asked as quietly as possible.

"Reading. Like when... Daddy reads a story to me."

Unable to speak, shocked by the revelation of Louie, she could not say a word. Daddy. Matt had become his daddy. And she had become his mom. She held back her tears, knowing that Louie always associated them with sadness, and smiled at him. She took him in her arms, and went to the shop. She bought the book which Louie envied and gave it to him. They climbed the three floors and then entered the Department, where Matt would stay until he could go home. She stopped in front of the room, and asked Louie to look at her.

"I know you're excited to see... Daddy, but I'm going to ask you not to scream, okay? There are many other sick people here, and they need a lot of rest to get better."

"Otay."

"Let's go."

Gabby placed the little boy on the ground, and knocked at the door before entering. Kelly was there in the room, he helped Matt change into sweat pants and a shirt, and was playing with him with cards using the cart.

"Hello again! Someone really missed you."

Gabby opened the door a little more, revealing Louie.

"Louie!"

She let go of his little hand, and he rushed to the bed while Matt straightened up and sat down on the edge of the bed. He took the boy in his arms, hugging him and kissing his forehead.

"I missed you a lot, you know?"

"Missed you too, daddy."

Matt's eyes widened, and he glanced at Gabby, who smiled and had tears in her eyes. He closed his eyes, trying to hold back those little tears he had not shed for nearly a week. He kissed Louie then, happy. Opening his eyes again, his glance froze at the book he held in his little hands. He frowned.

"What is this new book, bud?"

In front of each other, Louie gave the book to Matt and smiled.

"Reading."

"Do you want me to read it to you?"

In response, Louie smiled and then shyly nodded.

"Okay."

Matt then sank into his bed, dropping the little boy right next to him on the blankets. He pulled off the thick coat, then Louie sat back on his left side, marrying Matt's forms, and putting his head in the hollow of his arm and chest. As Matt began to read this new story, Kelly headed to Gabby and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'll leave you, get some privacy."

"Thanks Kelly. Thank you for everything ."

"No need to thank me. You would both have done the same for me."

"Of course."

On this, Kelly left the room without being really noticed by Matt and Louie, and Gabby came to sit on the still warm chair next to the bed, looking at the two men of her life in each other's arms. Gradually, as Matt was reading, being at the side of the one he now considered a father, the little boy allowed himself to relax, to the point of falling asleep into Matt's arms. When he had finished the story, Louie was deep asleep, and Matt couldn't help but to smile. He still couldn't get over the fact that Louie called him Dad. He had gone through so many things, and it was probably the first time he called the people fostering him daddy and mommy. That meant that he was attached, that he liked where he was, that he accepted Gabby and Matt, that meant so much.

"I was thinking about something recently", Matt began in a whisper so he wouldn't wake Louie.

"What is it."

"I could have died, you know?"

Gabby nodded slightly.

"Yeah. But you're too strong to beat that dirty Grim Reaper!"

The two began to laugh discreetly.

"What I meant was that... You were right."

Intrigued, Gabby decided not to say anything and let Matt speak. It was not often that he talked about his emotions and opened himself, so everything he had on his heart had to come out.

"I always wanted to have children, and... And you too. But... It did not really work. We've neglected our lives to bury ourselves in work, to forget it. Especially me. And this little fellow came into our life. Everything has changed ever since. We wanted children, and life gave us. Louie needed a loving family, and he has us, and all 51 now."

Gabby still did not understand where he wanted to go and made him understand at a glance.

"What I mean is... I am ready. I am more than ready to give all the love I have to Louie. To our... Son. I think it's time to adopt him. Together."

"You... Y-you…"

Gabby was unable to speak, letting herself be overcome by emotions and tears. She was happy. She had been thinking about it for several days, but she didn't want to talk about it to Matt, scared that he could turn and reject her again. But that was Matt's choice. And he was ready to move on to the next step. They were both ready to have a child. They were ready for Louie, for their son.