Every Time You Fall Apart You Can Hide Here In My Arms

Matt parked behind Zacky's car along the curb. There were alot of vehicles around and Austin guessed that Suzi and Papa G's neighbors had become accustomed to that. She climbed out of the passenger seat of Matt's car and slid the strap of her purse up over her shoulder, hugging the purse itself just underneath her armpit against her side. She checked her appearance in the side mirror then stood up straight and fixed her dress. She wanted to be nothing but perfect.

"You look fine," Matt muttered, pulling his signature Hurley hat down on his head over top of it's matching bandana.

She smiled. That comment wasn't as warm as the ones she received in the flower shop but she'd take it anyway.

He grabbed her by the hand and laced his fingers through hers as they headed up the driveway, passing Syn and Rev's vehicles.

Matt knocked on the front door twice before opening it and walking in pulling her along with him.

A slow smile crawled across her face as she was greeted by the same warm, cozy, comforting feeling that she'd received five years ago everytime she walked into the house for the first time. Everything was the same. The furniture in the living room had moved spots, but nothing to drastic.

"I can't believe everything is the same," Austin muttered when Syn's brother, Brent, walked into the living room and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Hey, Matt," he greeted him and stared at Austin a little longer. "Jesus is that you, Barker?"

"Hey, Brent have you talked to...McKenna?" Syn trailed off as he entered the room as well, "hey, Austin, Matt."

"Hey," they both replied.

"Good god woman you look amazing."

Austin laughed as Brent enveloped her in a hug, forcing Matt to let go of her hand.

"Hopefully everyone thinks that," she smiled when he released her.

"Most definitly," he wrapped one arm around her shoulder, "everyone is out back lets go."

Austin was about to take her shoes off when Syn stopped her. "You'll need them out back so just leave them on."

She nodded slightly and allowed herself to be guided through the house.

Matt hung around the door near Syn.

"What are you so pissy about?"

Matt tucked his hands into his front pockets, "I'm not," he was still grouchy about Austin and James Hart but that wasn't something he was going to share.

"You're a shitty liar," Syn reached for the phone beside the couch and dialed his sister, McKenna's cell number. "Val and Mattie are out back."

Matt nodded and left Syn in the living room, navigating his way through the house, into the kitchen and out a patio door into the backyard. Just as he'd suspected Austin was the center of attention.

Giggling and laughing filled the backyard as they all got reaquainted. That's when he spotted Mattie sitting on the cement patio in the corner showing Zacky's niece what he guessed was a bug.

"Hey, babe," he scooped her up off the ground and nuzzled his face against hers.

"Daddy," she squirmed around in his arms, "your gonna let the bug get away."

Matt smiled, "it's a yucky bug."

She frowned at her father, "you don't know how long it taked me to catch it."

Laughing, Matt set her down again and watched as Mattie scooped the lady bug up again and giggled as it began crawling up her bare arm.

"Mom!" she yelled wandering around the patio with her head down, watching the bug. Matt kept her from bonking her head on anything a few times.

Austin watched him and smiled. For looking like such a hard ass he was pretty much a softy.

"Austin," Michelle giggled and Austin turned to look at her, watching while she spiked the punch.

"I won't tell anyone," Austin whispered with a smile. She was glad that thus far she and Michelle were getting along.

"So what have you been up to missy? It's been a long time," Papa G was sitting beside Johnny, Leana and Rev, so Austin sat down across from them.

She was glad that so far no one had mentioned anything about the triangle between her and Matt and Val. "Well I finished up school in New York, moved back here, and I've been working with a major advertising company ever since."

"Sounds like you made a good life for yourself," he smiled at her. He knew all about her home life as a child, and he was definitly proud of what she'd done for herself.

Matt sat down beside her and that started it all.

"So you found your long lost love?" Suzi smiled from behind Papa G.

Matt glanced at Austin then back at Syn's dad and step mom, "yeah," he replied softly.

"I think it's awesome that you're back together," Leana smiled and leaned against Rev. No one understood love like her. It was almost sickening having to watch her and Jimmy sometimes.

Once the Berry's and Brent's girlfriend Dana, and Syn's body guard Danny, who'd also pretty much become part of the family, arrived everyone sat down to eat. By the time they finished eating, and cleaned up after supper it was getting dark. Papa G and Brent started a fire in the fire pit and everyone sat around just sharing stories.

Austin had never felt so at home in her life. And having everyone around them must have relaxed Matt and changed his mood as well because they were now both sitting sideways on the bench of one of the picnic tables and Austin was snuggled into his arms with her back against his chest.

"That was like in the first two days of getting your license," Johnny laughed, referring to Austin wrecking her first car.

She laughed and shook her head trying to deny the whole thing, "no it wasn't."

Syn was shaking his head and laughing from his position on the ground against the house beside Michelle. He held up the hand he was holding his beer in, trying to point a finger at her, "it was exactly two days because I got my license right after."

Austin gave in. "Alright," she blushed, "so I sucked at driving."
.
"Hopefully you're not still that way," Matt pretended to look scared.

Austin rolled her eyes, "I bet I'm a better driver than you now."

"Ohh ho," Zacky laughed and popped the top off a beer and handed it to Gena who was on the other side of him.

"I doubt it," Matt stated, looking directly at Austin.

She looked him in the eyes, it was like they were the only two in the world, "I bet I am."

He shook his head ever so slightly, "I don't think so," he whispered.

"I think so," she replied just as softly as his lips met hers.

"Awwww," Michelle smiled, but her smile disappeared as she watched her niece approach.

"Dad?"

It was like the whole backyard suddenly went quiet. Matt pulled his lips from Austin's to notice Maddison standing beside them holding up the broken toy she'd wanted him to fix. Her eyes got big and watery.

"What are you doing?" she looked from her dad to Austin then back again, "I thought you loved mommy. You kissed her in the kitchen."

Now it was Matt's turn to be afraid as he glanced from his daughter to Austin.

Austin felt like killing him, but she'd do that later with less company. "He does love your mommy, sweetie." What the hell else was she suppose to say to the girl?

Mattie looked at Austin and nodded slightly.

"But that's dad's new girlfriend," Val cut in.

This whole situation was getting out of control.

"Does that mean you're not gonna love me anymore?" Mattie asked her father with the seriousness of a thirty year old and not a four year old.

They'd finally made it to the crux of the problem and it was time for Austin to vacate so she did. Sliding down the bench further away from Matt and closer to Zacky.

"No babe," Matt scooped Mattie up and set her on his lap, "I'll always love you."

Mattie smiled, "forever and ever just like, just like the princess in that story?"

Matt laughed and brushed her light brown hair out of her eyes, "for ever and ever like the story."

That seemed to ease Mattie's fears.

"How about," Leana appeared from inside the house with a plastic bag in her hands. Austin hadn't even noticed her leave, "we roast some marshmellows."

"Yes!" Mattie yelped and jumped down off her dad's lap.

Austin glanced at Leana who smiled. She'd have to thank her friend for the subject change later.

***

"Well that was a good night hey?"

Austin glanced at Matt and kicked off her flip flops, "yeah."

He followed her into the kitchen. "What's wrong?" he asked, even though he was already pretty sure of the answer that he was going to receive.

"Nothing," she reached for a glass out of one of her cupboards.

"Austin," he took the glass from her and set it on the counter, "what's wrong?"

"You irritate me."

He looked taken back but laughed in the end, "why is that?"

"You have the gull to chew me out for a fuckin phone call from James and yet you're over at Val's house making out with her?" she stared at him sternly, "and don't you dare begin to tell me that your daughter made it up."

Alright he felt bad about that, he'd been mad at Austin that morning, but that was still no excuse for it.

"I wasn't making out with her," Matt defended himself. That much was true. It'd been a simple kiss that his daughter had caught. What he reveled in though, was the fact that he hadn't felt much spark when he kissed her. Not like there use to be.

"But you still kissed her."

He nodded. He thought she was going to lose it but she didn't.

"Don't ever pull that shit with me again," she grabbed her glass from him and went to the fridge for a drink of orange juice.

Matt leaned against the counter and watched her. A big smile on his face. It still amazed the hell out of him just how much she'd grown up and changed.

"Are you done being mad?"

She took a sip of her drink then stared at him, "I'm thinking about it."

"Good," he stepped away from the counter and towards her, placing his hands on her hips from behind and guiding her to the living room, "because we're going to be a normal couple now, and sit down on this couch, and cuddle up, and watch a movie before heading to bed."

Austin laughed and allowed him to guide her around the room before they were able to actually sit down together. Maybe Matt had grown up just enough to make this work.