Hello everyone, here's the next chapter for you all! I know it's a bit shorter than usual, but I hope you all enjoy it! And I wanna say a quick thank you to everyone who's still reading this story, and to those leaving me reviews. It means the world to me, thank you so much for all your support.

Also, I mentioned this in my I Won't Let You Go update, but I know not all of you read my other stories, so I just want you all to know that there will be no update for this story, or I Won't Let You Go, next week. But I should be back the week after with updates for you all!

Hope you enjoy!

SIXTY TWO

Casey stood at the counter in the kitchen while he vaguely listened to the chatter going on around him in the common room, the man working on preparing his late afternoon lunch as 81 had just gotten back from their last call, the Lieutenant skillfully assembling his sandwich before reaching for an orange from the fruit bowl in the middle of the counter.

"Somebody tell me we're eating something good for dinner." Mouch's exasperated voice filtered through his ears, Matt looking up as he continued peeling the fruit in his hands in time to see Shay scoff from the table behind the man sitting in his usual spot on the couch.

"You just had lunch." The paramedic fired back, earning a sharp wave from the firefighter before he shook his head, Matt narrowing his eyes slightly in amusement before refocusing his attention on the task at hand.

"Scrapping around for leftovers is not a lunch." Mouch continued, the man shuffling towards the edge of the couch before looking back, his eyes moving around the room. "I want some real food… Where's Dawson?"

Shay's eyebrows furrowed at the mention of her partner, though it took only seconds for the woman to understand what he was wanting, Leslie glaring slightly before she shook her head.

"You're not gonna make her cook for us, are you?" She questioned, her words earning a heavy scoff from the older man before he shook his head.

"Please, like any of us could make Dawson do anything, well aside from maybe Casey-" Mouch spoke, his subtle shot gaining the attention of more first responders around them, though the Lieutenant hadn't seemed to hear him. "But I was thinking more along the lines of I could ask her if she'd mind cooking for us."

"Ah… Uh huh, I'm sure you were." Shay replied with a smug grin, Kelly shaking his head beside her before the blonde glanced around. "But to answer your question, I don't know where she is… But I'm sure lover boy could tell you." She added with a proud smirk, the firefighters around her chuckling before a few of them turned back to look at Casey, the man off in his own little word as he ate his food.

"Yeah, I'm sure he could… Hey Lieutenant." Mouch tried, but the man didn't seem to hear him as he popped a piece of orange in his mouth, Casey's gaze focused downwards.

"Casey!" Herrmann tried after a second, the firefighter clearly startled before he looked up, finding practically the entirety of Firehouse 51 staring at him.

"What, Herrmann?" He questioned, the older man nodding back to Mouch as Matt's gaze shifted in that direction.

"Where's Dawson?" Mouch asked, Matt glancing off to the side before he answered.

"In the bathroom." He said simply before taking another bite of his late lunch.

"See? Told you he'd know." Shay replied, her words causing Casey's eyebrows to furrow slightly, the man understanding that he'd definitely missed the part of their conversation that involved him and Gabby.

"Why?" Matt pressed, Mouch shaking his head slightly before he shrugged.

"I was just wondering if you'd think she'd be up for making us some dinner?" He asked as Matt's head cocked to the side. "I mean, you know better than anyone just how great her food is. And I think it's warranted after the shift we've had so far." He continued, Casey mulling over his words for a moment before he responded.

"Well, you're right, I do know how great her food is… But that's something you'd have to ask her, Mouch." Matt replied, the older man huffing out a breath before he nodded. "Though if today stays like it has been, I doubt she'll want to." He added, seeing the nearly defeated look that covered his face.

"...I bet she would if you asked." He suggested, an unimpressed look soon covering Casey's features as he raised his eyebrows.

"I'm not gonna try and get her to cook for everyone just cause you don't want to eat a sandwich." Casey responded, his words earning a few laughs from their friends as Mouch shook his head.

"You're just saying that because you get her cooking all the time." He countered, Matt's head tilting to the side just as he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket, Mouch offering him a small smile before adding. "Respectfully, Lieutenant."

"Uh huh." Casey spoke, clearly not believing his words before the firefighter reached down to grab his phone from his pocket, Matt tuning out everyone around him as he looked at the Caller ID flashing back at him, his neck tightening before he shook his head.

He knew he should answer the call. In the three times she'd called him, in less than twenty four hours, he'd either missed it, or ignored it. And considering how her last voicemail went, he knew he should pick up and speak to her. But talking to his mother wasn't exactly something he wanted to do right now.

And a lot of that had to do with Gabby.

He'd be lying if he said his mother placing blame on Gabby didn't anger him, her voicemail from the day before yesterday leaving a bad taste in his mouth. He'd made this decision on his own, and while he had taken Gabby and her advice into account, that didn't mean she was forcing him into anything. And he really did not like how his mother was blaming her for the choice he made.

But not only that, Gabby factored into this in other ways, too, because ever since their conversation last shift, he hadn't been able to get her words out of his head. About how maybe he should try and see if there was a relationship worth salvaging there between him and his mother. Because even though their history was rocky, and he hated that not only had she put him in this position, but she'd brought Gabby into it, she was still his mom. She was family, and there was a part of him that hadn't been able to shake the feeling that maybe Gabby was right; maybe, regardless of him helping her or not, he should still at least try and see if his mom meant what she said. That he should figure out if she was serious about wanting to be in his life or not, and fixing things between them, because at least then he'd know. There'd be no uncertainty, whichever way it went, and he could at least say that he put the effort in.

And maybe one of the biggest factors in all this was that regardless of how it played out with his mom, he knew he'd have Gabby by his side every step of the way.

The vibrations of his phone stopping pulled him from his thoughts, Matt releasing a heavy sigh as he saw the missed call notification pop up across his screen, covering the photo of him and Gabby he had proudly displayed as his background, the man shaking his head before sliding his phone back into his pocket and refocusing his attention on his lunch, Casey knowing he had some decisions to make before he could answer any of those phone calls.

A few feet away, Gabby stepped inside the common room through the conference room door, no one noticing her presence at first as everyone was pretty much occupied by their own things, her eyes immediately landing on her boyfriend as she saw him standing behind the counter, eating his lunch. A soft smile formed over her face as she walked towards him, though her look faltered slightly when she noticed him deep in thought, Matt obviously not aware of her presence as she came up beside him.

Before saying a word, she lightly bumped his hip with hers, the movement causing him to look up, Gabby seeing the immediate realization in his eyes before a warm smile covered his face, Matt's entire body relaxing when he saw her.

"Hey baby." He greeted, Matt leaning over to press a kiss to the side of her head before he did anything else, Gabby smiling softly at the action as he pulled back.

"Hi." She responded, Gabby reaching out to place her hand along his lower back, rubbing lightly over his shirt before she rested her cheek against his arm.

"You hungry?" He questioned, knowing she hadn't eaten anything since this morning, the woman shrugging slightly against his body.

"Kinda… Not sure what I want, though." She replied, Matt nodding before he held out the half of his sandwich he had yet to dig into, Gabby smiling softly before she took the food from him. "Thank you." She added, Casey smiling softly before pressing another kiss to the top of her head, Gabby taking a bite while Matt continued snacking on his oranges.

"Oh, Dawson, there you are." Mouch spoke up, the man finally realizing her presence in the room as she looked over at him, her eyebrows raised slightly.

"What's up Mouch?"

"I was talking with the Lieutenant here, and we'd been thinking-"

"Oh no, don't drag me into this." Matt interrupted, Gabby glancing towards him with an amused expression before the two firefighters began bickering back and forth, no one noticing how the door from the garage opened. "-This was entirely you, Mouch." He added, Mouch opening his mouth to respond but they were cut off by the sound of Cruz's voice.

"There he is." He spoke, Gabby's eyes moving towards the entrance of the common room to find Joe standing there with a woman none of them recognized. She was wearing a suit, the older woman already looking a little agitated as her eyes followed Cruz's gesture.

"Are you Matthew Casey?" She asked, her eyes focused on Matt as Gabby felt his back tense slightly, her boyfriend clearly a little confused as to who this was.

"Yeah, that's me." He replied, Gabby rubbing her hand over his waist before he stepped away from her, Matt moving around the counter as the unknown woman stepped further inside. "How can I help you?" He questioned, the lady pursing her lips together before clasping her hands over the black folder in her hands, her intense gaze focused directly on Matt.

"My name is Joyce Atkins, I'm here to speak with you about your mother, Nancy Casey."

The second those words left her lips, Matt's entire body tightened, Gabby mimicking his reaction as she walked around the counter and slowly came up behind him, Dawson leaving a few feet of space as she was suddenly very aware of everyone else in the room.

"Mr. Casey?" She pressed when Matt had said nothing, Casey clearing his throat as he came to snap out of his daze, the Lieutenant's eyes bouncing around the room to find many curious stares on him. Drawing in a deep breath, he nodded, before looking over towards the conference room.

"Yeah, uh- Alright. We can go in here." He spoke as surely as possible while holding his arm out, the woman nodding before walking in that direction, Matt locking eyes with Gabby as he began to follow her.

Without a word, she gave him a reassuring nod, the supportive smile on her face calming him down considerably before he faced forward, Matt walking into the conference room and shutting the door behind him.

There was an unsure feeling in the common room, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she walked back to the kitchen, the PIC missing all the confused glances from her friends as they stared at one another.

"Uh Dawson," Herrmann spoke up, the paramedic looking towards him just as she returned to her spot behind the counter. "What's all that about? With his mom?" He questioned, Dawson taking another steadying breath as her eyes flickered to Shay, seeing the understanding look in her eye before she looked back to the firefighter.

"Nothing you need to worry about, Herrmann."

Her strong words were enough to shut him up as he merely gave her a nod before returning his attention to the television, everyone in the room understanding that while Gabby knew what was going on, it wasn't something she was going to be sharing with them.

Inside the conference room, Matt stayed a good few feet away from this woman as he leaned his body down against one of the tables, Joyce flipping through the folder in her hands as they'd been in silence for nearly a minute, Casey waiting for her to take the lead on this as he knew exactly what was coming.

"Well, Mr. Casey, you are an extremely hard man to get a hold of." She started, Matt pursing his lips together before he shook his head.

"Yeah, I'm, uh- sorry about that, I didn't know you were trying to reach me." He told her, though his words weren't entirely true.

"Yes, well, we have been. And I apologize for showing up at your work, but I wouldn't be here if it weren't necessary." She continued, Matt giving her a quick nod as she glanced back down to her folder. "And this won't take very long, either, I just need to ask you a few questions."

"Alright." He replied, Matt keeping his face neutral despite the heavy feeling of guilt that began to spread through his system.

"Now, I'm sure you're aware of this… situation with your mother." She prefaced, Matt giving her another nod. "But all I need from you is to know your whereabouts last Monday evening, and what you were doing."

Her words hung in the air for a moment, Matt steadying his breathing as his arms were crossed over his chest, the man staring straight at this woman, Joyce wearing an expectant look on her face as she waited for him to speak up. And before he could even really register what he was saying, his next words flew out of his mouth.

"I was having dinner with my mom."

It felt as if his throat nearly closed up the second he said it, a rush of a hundred different emotions flooding his body as he came to realize what he'd done. But it was too late to go back now as Joyce gave him a slight nod, Casey not missing the almost relieved look in her eye before she continued.

"Where?" She asked, Matt taking a breath before responding.

"You said last Monday?" He clarified, the woman giving him a nod as he paused for a moment before speaking up. "Yeah, we were at my apartment, she came over for dinner." He told her, knowing he had no choice but to continue going along with this, though he was mentally kicking himself with every word that left his mouth.

"How long was she there?" She pushed on, taking down notes as he spoke.

"A few hours, until around 11 or so." He responded as casually as he could, the man having no idea if this was actually helping his mother or not. But based on the pleased look he was getting from Joyce, he figured he was saying all the right things.

"And was anyone else with you? Your girlfriend, or sister, or anyone?"

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up when she mentioned Gabby, Matt feeling anger begin to rush through him as his mother had promised him she hadn't brought Gabby into it.

"Girlfriend?" He asked, the woman looking up at him with a slightly confused look before she shook her head.

"Sorry, I was just assuming the woman you were standing with out there," She started, Matt drawing in a deep breath as she nodded out towards the common room, "that she was your girlfriend." She explained, Casey pursing his lips together as he nodded in understanding.

"Oh, uh- No, she's not. Just a friend." He spoke quickly, the woman nodding once more before taking down more notes, Matt grimacing slightly as he shifted his weight uncomfortably against the table. He knew he was likely creating a deeper and deeper hole for himself, with how many lies he's told in a matter of minutes, but this particular lie was one he didn't feel guilty about. Because he knew if he said they were together, Joyce would likely drag Gabby into this room and ask her the same questions, and he refused to let her become a part of this. He wanted to keep her as far away from this as he possibly could, so if lying about them being together would help accomplish that, he didn't care.

As he sat here while Joyce continued jotting down some notes, he couldn't really understand why he'd suddenly changed his mind and covered for his mom, but, his lapse in judgement aside, one thing that hadn't changed was making sure Gabby was protected in all this. That was all that mattered to him at this point.

"Alright, well, I think I've got all I need from you." She spoke, Matt's eyebrows furrowing before he nodded, the man pushing himself up off the table. He was a little surprised she wasn't grilling him more, but it wasn't something he'd question as she closed up her folder before looking back at him. "If I have any more questions, my office will give you a call. Again, I'm sorry for just showing up here, but this was important." She told him, Casey giving her an understanding nod.

"It's fine." He replied, his voice sounding foreign from his own as she began walking towards the door that led to the hallway.

"And, uh- between you and me, I am glad to hear your mom was with you." She spoke up, Matt raising his eyebrows slightly as he waited for her to continue. "I've been her parole officer for a long time, and I know she's had a few issues in the past, but she's really done great lately… And with her time almost up, I'd hate for something like this to derail her." She told him, Casey keeping his face blank before giving her a slow nod, Joyce offering him a small smile. "But I won't waste anymore of your time, thank you Mr. Casey."

Without another word, she was gone, Matt watching her through the windows as she headed back in the direction she came from, the man drawing in a deep breath as he slowly became overwhelmed by a rush of different emotions, the main one being anger.

He fucked up, he knew he did. He shouldn't have lied for her, he said he wasn't going to and now he'd likely just created a huge mess for himself. But he couldn't help it. Whatever it was, whatever obligation he felt towards his mother, had made him cover for her. Before he could even really understand what he'd done, he lied for her, and the entire thing made him nauseous.

His nervous energy caused him to begin to pace around the room, Matt's hands coming up to clasp together behind his neck as he moved back and forth in the same five feet of space, his head hanging to the ground as he tried to figure out why the hell he'd done what he did.

He was so caught up in his own head that he didn't hear the door open, or notice the paramedic step inside, making sure the door was closed behind her before she walked over to him, Matt completely unaware of her presence as he moved.

"Matt." She spoke softly, Gabby staying a few steps away as paced, but he wasn't able to hear her. "Baby." She tried again, the term of endearment working as his head snapped up, his gaze immediately locking on hers as she saw all the confusion and anger he was currently holding onto, his expressive eyes giving him away as he stopped moving. "What happened?" She questioned, her words barely audible as she closed the rest of the distance between them.

"I said she was with me." He blurted out, Gabby's eyes widening slightly as she reached out to place her hand on his chest.

"What?"

"I- I panicked, or something, I don't know. But she asked, and I said my mom was with me."

Gabby drew in a deep breath, the woman trying to hide just how shocked she truly was as she could sense her boyfriend was struggling with this.

"I don't even know why I said it- I told her I wasn't gonna do it, I told you I wasn't gonna do it, but I did and I don't-"

"It's okay." Gabby soothed, Matt taking a few quick breaths as he looked to her, her voice alone able to help calm him down better than anything or anyone ever had, their eyes locked on another one as her smile only continued to settle him, Casey reaching out for her hand which she willingly gave.

"I'm sorry." He murmured after a few long moments, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing slightly as her head tilted to the side. "I did what I could to keep you out of it- she thought we were together, but I told her we were just friends, but I shouldn't have lied for her. God, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She repeated, Gabby taking another step closer as she lifted her free hand up to his neck, stroking her thumb softly along his skin as he nodded. "I told you I'd support you no matter what you did, yeah? And I know this… This thing is tricky, but she's your mom, baby. No matter what we talked about, she's still your mom. And you wanted to help. So it's okay, alright? Everything's fine. We'll figure it out." She assured him, her calm words helping him relax as he took another slow, deep breath.

"Should we tell Antonio?" He questioned, Gabby's eyebrows raising slightly before she shook her head. "I mean, maybe try and get ahead of this if it comes back-"

"I'd leave him out of it." She was quick to tell him. "Unless something happens and you need help, I wouldn't tell him… I don't want him involved in this unless he has to be."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right, I'm sorry. I just- I panicked, I'm sorry." He apologized once more, Gabby giving him a small, supportive smile before squeezing his hand.

"It's alright." She told him, Casey taking a few deep breaths before he nodded. "You were just trying to help your mom… You've got a big heart, and I know that's why you did it. It's part of why I love you so much… Everything will be fine."

Before either said another word, Matt dropped her hand long enough to wrap her up in a tight hug, Gabby's chin resting on his shoulder as he angled down towards her, his arms holding onto her as tightly as they could while her hand came up to the back of his neck, her other rubbing along his back while she felt his breath hit her neck.

"I love you." His muffled words soon found her ear, Gabby smiling softly as her fingers played with the hair at the base of his neck, the woman nodding against him before pressing a kiss to his skin.

"I love you, too." She repeated, her words causing him to hold onto him tighter as he melted into her, Gabby trying to ignore the fact that she was sure everyone in the common room was looking at them through the windows, her main priority being to make sure Matt was alright.

They continued holding onto one another for a few more minutes, Gabby feeling him become more and more relaxed as time continued to pass, the woman making no moves as she wanted to let him be the one to pull back first. Which he eventually did, Matt giving her one last tight squeeze before he slowly pulled away from her, but he was still close enough to keep his hands on her hips as hers slid down to his chest.

"...You okay?" She questioned as her eyes traced over his face, Gabby offering him a supportive smile as she lifted a hand up to brush through his hair, Matt leaning into the contact before he gave her a slight nod.

"Yeah, I am, I just- God, I hope this is over." He breathed out as an understanding look flashed over her face. "I'm so tired of this, I just want it to be done… I hope it is." He added, though Gabby could tell he was worried, the paramedic knowing he was concerned that he might've just made this worse for all of them, if they found out he was lying. And she couldn't say she didn't have the same concern, but now wasn't the time for her to focus on that, Gabby giving him a strong nod.

"I hope so, too… Hopefully, we can just put all this behind us." She agreed, Matt nodding slightly as a small smile formed over her face. "And you know whatever happens, you've always got me. I'm not going anywhere." She reminded him, Gabby sensing he needed to hear it.

Her words caused him to smile, his eyes falling closed for a split second as Gabby continued rubbing her hands through his hair. "I know I do." He replied after a moment, his eyes opening to find her still watching him, with nothing but support and love shining back at him. "And I love you for it." He told her again, the soft grin that formed over her face enough to flood his body with warmth as she nodded, Gabby sliding her hand down to rub over his cheek as their eyes stayed locked on one another.

"I love you, too. And like you said, hopefully now this is all behind us, and your mom won't have this hanging over her anymore… We can all just move forward." She encouraged, Matt pausing for a moment before he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, we can… Like our weekend away together." He responded, his simple words causing her smile to widen.

"Yes, exactly like that." She replied, Matt turning his head to the side to press a kiss to her palm before he spoke up.

"I can't wait for that… Especially after all of this, I can't wait for us to get away for a little bit. To have nothing to worry about except each other." He spoke as he continued to calm down, Matt feeling a little more level headed than he was moments ago, his words earning a nod from her as he gave her hip a squeeze.

"I'm excited too, baby." She replied, brushing her fingers along the edge of his hair one last time before she dropped her hand. "I think we both deserve it." She added.

But before Matt could respond, the bells rang out above their heads, Gabby sighing softly as she heard ambo being called out along with squad. Tapping his hand against her waist, Matt leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her lips, Gabby reciprocating the gesture before she pulled back, knowing she couldn't keep Shay waiting.

"Be safe out there." He told her, Gabby giving him a nod while she stepped backwards towards the door, Matt instantly missing the warmth of her presence as she hesitated by the door.

"I will… You sure you're okay?" She questioned, Matt smiling softly before nodding as well.

"I'm fine." He assured her, the man not wanting her worried about him while she was going out to do her job, Gabby giving him one last smile before she walked out into the hallway, Matt's face faltering slightly once she was out of sight, the man doing what he could to not worry about the events of the last twenty minutes.

Because despite his original plan, he'd done the opposite of what he said he was going to. And now there was nothing he could do except wait, and hope this didn't come back to bite him in the ass.

Casey ran his hand lazily up and down Gabby's back as they sat on the couch in their living room, her head resting down against his chest while their eyes focused on the TV in front of them, the couple doing what they could to enjoy their afternoon off together. Gabby's legs were up over his lap, Matt's other hand lightly massaging her leg, her hand resting against his stomach while his chin was resting against the top of her head.

They'd been sitting like this for nearly an hour, the couple content to rest here and watch the movie Gabby had picked out, both of them knowing with the busy evening they had planned later, sitting here together right now and relaxing was the only thing they wanted to be doing. Tonight they were supposed to be going out with Shay and Kelly, and likely ending the night at Molly's to meet up with some of the firehouse, meaning it would be a very late night for the couple. And it was something that they were both looking forward to, despite the fact that Matt was still feeling a little hesitant around everyone since last shift.

It was clear that everyone was worried about him, their friends having expected the worst after that woman came to the house wanting to talk about his mom, then them seeing Gabby comforting him the way she had been, the whole thing had raised some red flags in their minds. And they hadn't hesitated to ask him about it once he'd finally left the conference room. But after some assurances from Matt that everything was fine, they'd seemed to drop the subject, at least in front of him, especially when it was clear it wasn't something he was wanting to talk about. So everyone moved on pretty quickly, even though he was well aware they all had questions. But he could only hope they were questions they'd keep to themselves tonight, though he had a sneaking suspicion that even if they didn't, one glare from Gabby would shut them up before they could even finish asking. And regardless of what conversations would be had tonight, he was still looking forward to having a nice night out with his girl.

The sound of Gabby's stomach growling soon pulled him from his thoughts, Matt chuckling softly as she pulled her head back, a sheepish look covering her face as he ran his hand along her back, his palm resting on the bare skin above her shorts where her tank top had ridden up.

"You hungry?" He asked her, Matt quickly glancing towards the clock, seeing it had been a few hours since they'd had breakfast, Gabby nodding before she slowly disentangled herself from him, the woman placing her feet down on the ground.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna heat up some of that pizza we have." She replied, Matt shaking his head before he pushed himself to the edge of the couch.

"I got it." He responded, Gabby flashing him a thankful smile as she curled her legs up under herself.

"Thanks babe." She told him, Matt nodding before he walked around the couch to head back towards the kitchen. But he barely got a few steps before they heard a knock on the door, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he glanced back to Gabby.

"You expecting anyone?" He asked, Gabby shaking her head before he changed his path towards their front door, the man padding across the hardwood floor as the person knocked once more.

When he got to his destination, he flipped the lock before pulling the door open, Matt's eyes widening slightly when he came face to face with his mom, Nancy immediately noticing his shocked expression as they stood there in the doorway.

He hadn't spoken to her; since what happened on shift the day before yesterday, he hadn't called her, or talked to her, and honestly he was a little surprised to see her here now.

"Mom, uh- hi." He said, his voice uncertain as they stared at one another. "What… What are you doing here?" He questioned, Nancy drawing in a deep breath before she responded.

"I came here to see you... and to say thank you." She told him with a small smile, Matt pursing his lips together before sighing softly. "I, um, spoke with Joyce… She told me everything was fine, that my story checked out." She continued expectantly, though Matt remained silent. "And I… I can't thank you enough, Matthew."

"Mom-"

"I know I asked a lot of you, and that it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair of me to come to you at all, and ask you do that for me, but you did, my sweet boy." She continued, Matt running his tongue along his bottom lip as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You helped me, and I just wanted to come and tell you how much I appreciate it, and that I'm sorry, for all of this."

Casey remained quiet for a moment, the man unsure of what to say to her as he felt a little thrown by her gratitude. He was sure she meant it, that she wouldn't have bothered coming all this way if she wasn't grateful for what he'd done, regardless of how it happened. But still, he didn't know how to respond, Matt feeling a bit of lingering resentment towards her for even putting him in this position in the first place, the man drawing in a deep breath before finally speaking up.

"...I helped you this time, but you can't keep doing this, Mom." He said roughly, Nancy's smile faltering slightly before she nodded. "Getting involved with those people, it could ruin your life, and mine. And Gabby's. And God knows who else… You can't keep doing this."

"I know I can't." She agreed almost immediately. "I know I have to be better… Believe me, this was a real wake up call, sweetheart. I don't want this to ever happen again… I need to be better, I want to be." She told him, Matt pausing for a moment before he reluctantly nodded, the man still a little wary of her words. "And I meant what I said before, I want to be a part of your life- A part of yours and Gabby's life..." She added, Matt's eyes narrowing slightly. "I know things between her and I are a little… rocky."

"Yeah, I'm not the only person who deserves an apology here." He was quick to cut in, Nancy releasing a heavy sigh before she nodded once more.

"I'm not proud of what happened, showing up to your work and fighting with her, that's not what I wanted at all, I just- I was so worried."

"That's not all I'm talking about." He pressed, Matt seeing the realization that settled across her face before she spoke up.

"I know it's not." She continued, shaking her head slightly. "I should have never blamed her for this. I wasn't fair to her, this isn't her fault. And it's not your fault, it was no one's but mine. And I was wrong to place that blame on her. I'll apologize to her for that, but I panicked." She did her best to explain, Matt gnawing on the inside of his cheek. "I didn't mean to come into your life and make things hard on you, or on Gabby, and I'm sorry I did, but I knew how bad this could've possibly gone for me and I was freaking out… Because I served my time, I paid for what happened to your dad, and the thought of going back there, when I didn't do anything, it made me a little crazy. But I should've never taken that out on you, or on Gabby, and I'm sorry, honey."

Matt nodded slowly, the man taking a moment to think over her words as a heavy feeling hung in the air around them, Nancy clenching her hands together as she waited for her son to say anything, but he never did, the woman drawing in a deep breath before she continued.

"And I know you don't owe me anything after this, I know how badly I screwed up… All of it. But you have no idea how much this means. You truly saved me Matthew, and I can never thank you enough for that." She spoke, Matt pursing his lips together as his eyes moved down to the ground, the man clearly thinking over his next words before he finally spoke up.

"So this is done?" He questioned, Nancy's eyebrows furrowing. "This mess you got yourself in, it's done? It's over?"

"It is… I spoke with my parole officer yesterday, and again this morning… I'm cleared." She told him, Matt feeling a bit of relief spread through him at her words. "I'm fine… You and I both are. This is over."

Her words gave him the confirmation he needed that everything was alright, Matt having had this feeling of numbness washing over him for the last 48 hours since he'd spoken with her parole officer.

"Alright." He breathed out, Nancy giving him a nod before she smiled softly.

"And, uh… I wasn't just here to say thank you." She prefaced, Matt's head tilting to the side as he waited to hear what else she had to say. "I'm not sure what you're doing today, and you might not want to, after everything, and I'd completely understand, but would you and Gabby like to go out for dinner tonight? My treat?" She asked, Matt releasing a slight breath as he shifted his weight between his feet. "It's okay if you don't, I get it… I messed up with this, and while I do want to be a part of your life, I realize I can't force anything here. So if you don't want to, it's okay, but I just thought I'd ask."

"We, uh… We can't tonight. Gabby and I already have plans." He told her, Matt not missing the way her face fell slightly. "But maybe some other time?"

"I'd like that." She replied almost instantly, Matt giving her a nod before she took a slight step backwards. "Well, I won't take any more of your time, I'll let you get back to Gabby, just- Thank you again, Matthew… Really." She told him one last time, Matt unsure of how to respond as he gave her another nod, the woman smiling softly before she turned to walk down the steps.

But she didn't get very far before his voice stopped her.

"Hey, uh- mom." He spoke up, Nancy halting about halfway down the steps before she turned back to look at him, the firm look on his face confusing her until he continued. "I know you're grateful to me for this… but never put me in that position again."

His words were sharp, Nancy breathing in slowly before she nodded, Matt turning to leave before any more words could be said, the man shutting the door and locking it before heading back for the living room. He didn't want to think about this anymore, or focus on it. He and his mom were fine, they were in the clear, and now all he wanted to do was enjoy the rest of this afternoon with his girlfriend, and put this entire thing behind him. And from the sound of it, that's what his mom wanted, too.

But he could only hope she meant it.