Disclaimer: I don't own Saw or any of the characters.

Other: Well, here's the next chapter. :) I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for reading this far.

Horror and disgust mingled into a quivering ball within Lawrence's stomach as he sat in the uncomfortable plastic chair, staring at Adam's dying mother with wide, shocked eyes. His body tensed, suddenly feeling hot all over, and licked his lips, feeling light-headed. This was Adam's mother? The monster who had abused him – mostly mentally – and made him feel like shit? The monster who was the reason why Adam was uncomfortable with people looking at him, the reason why he fidgeted and was hesitant to say 'I love you', the reason why he often cried whenever Lawrence held him late into the night, whispering sweet, affectionate words into his ear, stroking the boy's smooth flesh? Lawrence couldn't believe he was sitting with her at this very moment. Apparently, she seemed to realize something was wrong, for she shifted nervously in her bed, watching Lawrence's stunned reaction.

"Are you alright, Dr. Gordon?" she asked in that gentle voice. He could hardly believe she would ever scream and cuss at anyone, let alone an adorable young man like Adam. This was…unbelievable.

"I know him," Lawrence admitted, trying to regain composure. It was her turn to look shocked. Interest sparked in her eyes.

"How is he?" she asked. Her doctor smiled warmly at the thought of his boyfriend. The way he smiled at him every time he came home, the way he spoke excitedly, the look of concentration and thought that crossed his face as he prepared to take a picture of something, the way he laughed…

"He's doing alright. I don't know if you've heard, but last year he'd been kidnapped by a serial killer named Jigsaw. I was chained in the bathroom that Jigsaw put me in with him. He's been living with me," he replied. She nodded.

"Yes, I saw it on the news. I'm so relieved he escaped. Will you…Will you get him to come visit me? I…I would really like to see him," she said. Lawrence hesitated. He knew how much Adam hated his mother and father. But Pam was going to die. She didn't have much time, and she really seemed like she wanted to fix things before moving on. Maybe he could get Adam to drop by for just five minutes to let his mother say what she wanted to say. Adam didn't have to speak if he didn't want to. The boy was very stubborn, though, so Lawrence wasn't sure if he would.

"I'll try," he promised, standing up. Pam smiled happily, thanking him profusely.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lawrence entered his apartment, still feeling buzzed by the unbelievable encounter. He could barely believe he'd met Adam's mother. They looked so much alike, and both spoke fast when excited. He closed and locked the door behind him and removed his coat and shoes, listening for his loved ones. A roar of thunder shook the apartment, and he heard Diana cry out in fear in her bedroom. Adam murmured something comforting to her. The doctor walked quietly down the hallway and curled his hand around the cold metal of the door knob, twisting it and opening the door. Adam was sitting on the floor with Diana in his lap, her head against his chest. He had his arms wrapped around her tightly. When Lawrence walked into the room, Adam looked up and grinned at him before lowering his head and whispering something into Diana's ear. The little girl jumped up and ran to her father, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly.

"Daddy!" she yelled happily. Lawrence tugged her into the air, holding her in the crook of his arm. She wrapped one arm around his neck and planted a kiss against his cheek.

"Hey, baby," he replied. Adam leaned backward, sprawling out across the floor, grinning lazily.

Lawrence carried Diana into the living room, setting her down onto the couch and turning the TV on. Spongebob was playing; her favorite. Immediately the little girl was mesmerized, her large brown eyes following the hyper yellow sponge's every movement.

"I need to talk to Adam. Stay here and watch the television, alright, honey?" he said. Diana nodded, lying down and resting her head against one of the throw pillows.

Once his daughter was situated, Lawrence went back into her bedroom, where Adam was still lying on the floor.

"Adam…Can I talk to you?" he asked. His lover pushed himself up off the floor, nodded, a curious glint in his greenish-gray eyes – so much like his mother's – and followed Lawrence into their bedroom. Lawrence closed the door behind them and sat down at the end of the bed. He watched as Adam stood in the middle of the room, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

"There's something I need to tell you, but you can't interrupt me, okay?" he said. Adam stared at him suspiciously, a hint of worry in his eyes. After a quiet moment of consideration, he hesitantly nodded.

"Today, at work, a patient was put under my care. She has terminal stage four brain cancer. I read her charts and files; she's not doing well. Every attempt to shrink or slow the cancer has failed. I've given her three days to live, though she could die at any given moment at this point. I don't know why they waited so long to give her to me. She was filled with deep regret about her life. She cried as she explained her sins, and how she wanted to go back in time and change things. Her husband died years ago; she's been living all alone, battling this painful turmoil of cancer and regret and loneliness for a long time. Her name was Pamela Reynolds, though she asked me to call her Pam," Lawrence explained. He watched as all the color drained from Adam's face, how horror clouded those eyes, how those pale hands began to tremble.

Adam, through his fear and shock, looked a bit confused.

"How…How did you know she was…she…," he stammered.

"I asked her if there was anyone she wanted me to contact. She told me she had a son named Adam Faulkner. She told me this son of hers was treated terribly as a child, and that he ran away young. She's so sorry, Adam. She wants to talk to you, to see you, and – "

Adam interrupted him, looking disgusted.

"I'm not going to visit her sorry ass. Are you out of your fucking mind? Did you honestly think that you could persuade me to go see her? I refuse. I don't want to go to her. I want her to die alone. Completely and utterly alone, feeling liked a hated piece of shit that nobody gives two craps about. I want her to see how it feels when there's nobody there for you. I want her to experience how I grew up," he spat, furious. Lawrence was appalled by the ferocity of Adam's words; he knew that Adam would be angry, but he didn't know he'd be this spiteful.

"Adam, I understand why you'd be angry, I do. But she really regrets it. She would take it all back if she could. She's a different woman now, Adam. She's kind and gentle, and doesn't have much time. I think you should go to her, let her apologize for all she's done. You don't have to talk if you don't want to. But let her. She's dying. She's your mother," Lawrence said, frowning. Adam glared at him, pacing the room angrily.

"No, she wouldn't. She's a lying, deceitful bitch. She's the same abusive schmuck she's always been. She's using you. She may be dying, but I'm glad. I hope she hurts. I hope everything hurts," he sneered, tears filling his eyes. Lawrence stood up, going over to him, but was pushed away.

"That's horrible, Adam. You shouldn't wish such things on people, or karma will come to bite you in the ass. She's really changed. I couldn't believe it was your mom. She was so sweet. I want you to visit her. You'll never have to see her again," he tried.

Adam sat down on the loveseat across from the bed, burying his face into his hands. He didn't move when Lawrence sat beside him, but he did tense.

"What if you're wrong?" he asked quietly. Lawrence put his arm around him, pulling him close.

"I don't think I am. But if you go, and I am, you can just get up and leave. I'll give you ten minutes alone with her. And if you leave, I'll go home with you, and we won't talk about it. But if I'm right, and you want to spend more time with her, you can. What's the harm in going? Let a dying woman obtain some peace. It might take some weight off your chest, too," he said. Adam felt a sob claw at his throat, but he pushed it down.

A whirlwind of disbelief, old pain, shock, and fear wrecked havoc in his mind. He'd been treated so cruelly by both his parents. His mother had been the better of the two, but that didn't mean she wasn't evil herself. His father caused physical pain, but his mother caused the emotional pain, mentally abusing him. It had been a horror story growing up the way he had. He didn't want to see her. But at the same time, a scrap of love and hope surfaced through the negative, painful emotions. She was his mother, and he did love her; all children loved their parents, no matter what happened, no matter how deep this love might have buried itself. He couldn't help it. She was his mother. He'd grown up struggling to earn her affection. And now he had the opportunity. What if Lawrence was right? What if she really had changed? What if she wanted to make things better?

He was afraid. He was afraid of what he might find. But he supposed Lawrence was right on a few things. He could always get up and leave whenever he wanted to. And it was only ten minutes. What could possibly go wrong in ten minutes?

"Leave me alone to think about it," Adam mumbled. Lawrence nodded, silently getting up and leaving.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That night, after Diana had been fed, washed, and tucked into bed, Lawrence showered, shaved, and brushed his teeth after Adam. He got into bed, thinking Adam was asleep. But he was wrong; the young man shifted so that he was lying on top of Lawrence. He pressed a minty kiss against Lawrence's lips.

"I thought about it," Adam whispered, his voice sounding slightly shaky in the very dimly lit bedroom. He sighed at the feel of Lawrence's hands against his back. Lawrence brought his lips to the side of Adam's neck. He pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss against the soft flesh, and then bit down carefully, coaxing a moan from the younger man.

"Did you?" Lawrence asked, brushing his lips along Adam's throat. He moved his hands down Adam's body, his thumbs hooking around the waistband of Adam's boxers before tugging them down as low as he could manage. Adam released a shaky breath at the loss of clothing.

"Y-Yes," he murmured, shifting to grind his erection against Lawrence's, tipping his head back at the delicious sensation, a breathy sound falling from his lips.

"And what conclusion did you come to?" his lover asked, taking Adam's hardened, throbbing cock and giving it an abrupt, tight squeeze. He shivered with arousal at the gasp Adam made. He sat up, causing Adam to fall backward, and nudged the boy's legs apart, spreading them. He brought a trail of kisses up the inside of Adam's thigh.

"I'm…I'm going to visit her," Adam finally said, his back arching as Lawrence kissed the tip of his weeping cock. His fingers curled into the sheets, his eyes closing, head tilting back as Lawrence wrapped his lips around it, sucking slowly.

"Lawrence…" Adam groaned, a tremor running through his body, heat flaring in his groin.

"And how does that decision make you feel?" Lawrence asked, removing his lips, licking bitter pre-cum from Adam's slit. The younger man shuddered, gasping, hips jerking up.

"Terrified," Adam whispered. A couple of tears trickled down his flushed cheeks.

That night, they had sex, they spoke, they kissed, and had sex again. And when Adam finally fell asleep in Lawrence's arms, his breath evening out, Lawrence hoped that he'd made the right decision about informing Adam of his mother's illness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Outside the room of his mother, Adam stood with Lawrence, dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a gray cotton T-shirt. He looked nervous.

"I'll be in my office. In ten minutes, I'll come get you. If you're not there, I'll know that you've gone home, and I'll meet you there," Lawrence said, giving Adam a chaste kiss. Adam nodded and watched him walk away. He took a deep breath, taking hold of the door knob, and closed his eyes. He swung the door open and walked inside, opening his eyes and closing the door behind him.

The room was cold and quiet, aside from the hum of the machines, and the beeping of the heart monitor. He sat down at the chair by the side of his mother's bed, looking at her frail, dying body with a mixture of hate and sorrow. She opened her eyes and stared back at him. Finally, a smile spread across her face. Adam blinked, surprised. Her hand moved, resting on his.

"Adam," she said softly. Adam licked his lips.

"Hi, mom," he mumbled. Her dry hand moved up, taking hold of his wrist. Her grip suddenly tightened painfully, her nails digging into the flesh. He jumped, startled, and his eyes widened. She sneered up at him.

"I've been waiting, you piece of shit," she hissed.

Adam's mother, as she always had been and forever will be, is a horrifying bitch. :( And I'm sorry to say that the next few chapters will be heart breaking. Hopefully you guys liked this chapter as best as you could, despite Adam's terrible luck. Review, please. They motivate me to write more. ^^