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

"So are you coming with us?" Val asked him again, "or do I have to explain this one to your daughter?"

Matt glared up at her, "don't be like that."

"Like what, Matt? It's one special day out of the year and you couldn't be ready for it."

"Yeah I know," he got up off the bed and removed his shoes, "let me shower and then we'll go for lunch."

Val wanted to fight him on this one. Maybe then he'd learn. She left the room like she was pissed off, but deep down she was worried about him. He was falling apart, and he wasn't seeing it.

"Fuck," he slammed his bedroom door closed behind her and stood there with his hands on his hips, breathing deeply. He needed to take a moment to relax.

He felt like an asshole, because he was one. How could anyone forget their own daughter's birthday?

He grabbed some clean clothes and headed off to the bathroom, slamming that door shut behind him as well. If Johnny and Lacey were up, they obviously knew of his emotional state because they didn't come to see what the hell was going on.

He was down to his boxers when his cell began ringing from the pocket of his jeans. He grabbed his jeans off the floor and fished out his phone. In his current mood, he didn't want to talk to anyone. Austin's cell. Except her. He flipped it open and pressed it to his ear, "hey."

"Hey," she replied softly, "what are you doing?"

"About to get in the shower," he leaned against the counter and stared at his haggard reflection in the mirror. "What do you need?"

It sounded a little harsh, but they weren't exactly on great terms.

"I just wanted to see what you were doing tonight."

He didn't expect that. "I'm not sure yet, might go out with the guys."

He wasn't going to tell her that he missed his daughter's birthday as well.

"Alright," she replied softly, "well if you want, I'm making supper around six, so if you want to stop by, feel free."

"Okay," Matt nodded and stood up straight again, "I might stop by."

"Well I've got to go back to work, so I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, later," he hung up the phone, ditched the boxers and climbed into the shower.

***

Austin returned to her office from lunch with Leana. They'd also had a few moments to go shopping for Maddison's birthday. Matt hadn't told her it was Mattie's birthday, so she bought Mattie a new pair of jeans and a T-Shirt all under Leana's guidance to make sure she had the right sizes.

"Hey," Mica greeted her as she set the small bag down on Mica's desk. "What's that?" she asked as she peeked into the bag.

"A present for Mattie," Austin smiled softly and sank down into one of the chairs in Mica's part of the office.

"When's Mattie's birthday?"

"Today," Austin smirked, "I think Matt was too pissed off at me today to tell me about it."

Mica frowned, "why is he pissed off?"

Austin filled him in on the whole concert and James Hart episode.

"So you got mad at him, and now you can't figure out why he's mad at you?"

Austin rolled her eyes. Mica could always make it sound worse, "I didn't get mad at him, I got...snippy."

"Right," Mica sat down behind her desk, "same giraffe different spot."

Austin laughed and looked at her friend. "So are you coming to my house for supper tonight?"

"Negative," Mica closed up a couple files and placed them in one of the drawers in her desk, "I have a date."

"Oh really. And just who might this date be with?"

"My mother," Mica laughed, "I promised I'd take her out tonight. Anyway, isn't Matt coming?"

Austin brushed her blond bangs back out of her eye, "I highly doubt it. He'll go out tonight."

"Well then relax tonight," Mica looked up at her as she placed two new files on her desk, "hang out with the cat, watch some TV. Just...unwind."

"Gee, thank you for the advice."

***

"Just for the night."

"No," Val snarled at him as quietly as possible. Mattie was walking in front of them along the path through the park on her way back to the car. After their lunch they'd decided to stop off at the park and let her play for a while.

"Val, it's for one night," Matt glanced at his daughter, he owed it to her.

"She's not staying at your and Johnny's apartment," Val was still shaking her head.

"Then we'll go to Austin's."

Val glared at him.

"It'll be a better environement for her, and she can play with the cat, and we can watch movies and - "

"And, nothing Matt. She won't want to stay the night with you."

Matt rolled his eyes, "have you asked her?"

"No," Val admitted, "but she didn't want to stay before, why would she suddenly want to stay now. Especially with a stranger?"

"She's not a stranger, Val," he looked directly at her, "in fact she use to be your best friend. You know what she's like."

They approached the car and quit bickreing long enough to get Mattie buckled in in the back. Matt then hopped into the passenger's seat and glanced at the clock.

5:00pm.

"Are we going home?" asked Mattie.

Val glanced at her daughter in the rearview mirror, "yeah, sweetie we are."

"Awwww," Mattie pouted, "does that mean dad has to go?"

Matt and Val locked eyes, "yeah, hun it does."

Matt shook his head slightly and turned to look at Mattie. "Do you wanna stay with me tonight babe?"

"Is it gonna be fun?" she asked quite seriously causing Matt to chuckle. "Yeah, we can watch a movie, maybe play with Austin's cat."

"She has a kitty?" Mattie beamed.

"Yeah but you don't wanna stay with her do you?"

"Val," Matt frowned, "let's just go to your house and get her some clothes. Don't make this harder than it has to be."

Against Val's wishes they went to her house and Matt and Mattie headed to Mattie's room to pack a bag for over night. Val was pacing in the living room floor when Michelle walked in.

"Hey how are - what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Val sniffled. The truth was, she didn't know what was wrong with her. She'd tried to get Mattie to spend the night with her dad before but with no success. And now, when her daughter actually wanted to stay, she was turning into a big baby.

"Hi, Matt," Michelle greeted Matt when he and Mattie entered the living room.

"Hey."

"Aunt Shell!" Mattie squealed in delight and Michelle picked up her niece, "where are you goin sweetie?"

"I'm going to stay at dad's tonight," Mattie grinned as she twisted Michelle's necklace in her tiny hand.

"You are?" Michelle glanced at Val who nodded slightly. She now knew why Val was upset.

"Yup," Mattie grinned and reached for Matt who took her into his big arms, "we'll be waiting out in the car."

"Well that's a new development," Michelle muttered when Matt and Maddison were outside.

"Yeah," Val muttered, "and I hate it."

"Why?"

"I don't know," Val admitted, "I just...I guess if I let her go with Matt, it just feels like I'm losing her."

"Well you're not losing her," Michelle assured her sister, "and Matt won't let a damn thing happen to her, you know that."

Val nodded. She knew Michelle was right but it still hurt just the same.

"Do you want me to drop them off at Matt's apartment?" Michelle offered.

Val lifted her head, "they're staying at Austin's."

***

At five thrity Austin pulled into her driveway and took note of a car she didn't recognize parked across the street. Glancing around for a moment she brushed it off and headed for the house. She reached for her keys and slid them into the key hole. But when she turned it, she didn't hear the familiar click.

Confused she tried the door handle and the door popped open. Not entirely sure what to do next she searched for her cell phone and gripped it tightly in her hand as she entered the house and set her purse on the small stand. She also slipped off her heels because if for some reason she need to run, she wouldn't be able to do it in those damn things.

She walked about the house quietly, looking around rooms. Everything seemed to be normal. Maybe she'd simply forgot to lock the door before heading to work this morning. Breathing a slight sigh of relief she headed into the kitchen and screamed when she saw a little girl standing near the patio doors that lead out into her small back yard.

Frightened the little girl jumped slightly and looked up at Austin.

"Mattie?"

Mattie nodded. Her blue eyes were big and round and looked on the verge of tears. Austin wasn't entirely sure what to do.

"Mattie are you here alone?" she was worried now, she hadn't seen Matt.

Mattie shook her head, her soft pigtails drooping. "Mom's yelling at dad because he forgetted my birthday." Mattie sat down in front of the glass door quietly. Her chin supported by two fists as she leaned on her scrunched legs.

Now Austin really had no idea what to do. She peeked out the window above the sink that looked out into her backyard. Indeed Matt and Val were outside, not screaming at each other, but damn close.

She looked back at the little girl and her heart broke. She probably had no idea what was going on between her parents. That was scary for a kid. She turned around and remembered the present she'd bought for Mattie.

"I'll be right back, babe," Austin headed to the front door and grabbed her purse and the small bag, bringing them back into the kitchen and setting them on the counter. Mattie was still sitting on the floor watching her parents.

"Mattie, come here."

She looked at Austin tentatively, then turned so she was on all fours before standing up and walking towards her. Austin picked the little girl up and set her on the counter.

"Your dad didn't forget your birthday," Austin smiled and slid the bag across the counter towards the little girl, "he just wanted to give it to you now."

Mattie's smile grew bigger as she picked up the bag and looked inside. She pulled out the jeans and the T-Shirt and giggled.

"Do you like them?"

"Yeah I gotta show mom."

"Well lets just wait until they get back inside, alright?"

Mattie nodded and kept her new clothes clutched in her tiny hands.

"How about we make something to celebrate your birthday?"

"Mom says I'm too little to cook."

Austin thought about that for a moment, "how about, I'll do all the dangerous stuff, and you can do the rest?"

Mattie eventually gave in and Austin decided on them making cupcakes. She helped Mattie pour all the ingredients into the bowl then she mixed it, occasionally glancing out the window to see Val and Matt talking more calmly now.

Mattie was helping her spoon the batter into the muffin liners when Matt and Val burst back into the house.

"Mattie, where are - " Matt turned to see them both standing there, "oh."

"Hi, dad!" Mattie beamed and Austin cringed.

"Please be easy on the door," she smiled.

Val stepped into the house behind Matt with a frantic look on her face. Apparently they'd finally noticed that Mattie was no longer sitting in front of the sliding doors.

"Mattie, sweetie mom's sorry, let's go."

Matt's face sadened, "come on babe, mom wants to go home."

Mattie's eyes grew big again. Austin was quickly learning that that meant she was on the verge of tears.

"But I wanna stay with dad," she protested both her parents request.

Matt's smile re-appeared. That's what his and Val's fight had clearly been about. On the way to Austin's, they'd learned that Mattie had assumed that by her staying the night, she was going to be staying with both Matt and Val. She then changed her mind and decided she wanted to go home. Matt wanted her to stay. Val didn't. In the end, Val won, and he was ready to let Mattie go.

"I thought you wanted to go home?"

Mattie shook her head and grasped her new clothes off the counter, "thanks for the presents," she reached up and Matt scooped her up, hugging her body tightly to his.

"Where did you get those?" Matt questioned her.

Mattie pointed to Austin, "she said that you didn't forgetted my birthday that you jus wanted ta give it to me now," she squeaked out in one breath.

Matt looked up at Austin who was smiling softly. He really owed her.

"Can she stay?" Matt asked Val again, afraid of the answer. She'd been so quiet since they entered the house, he couldn't tell if she was still mad or not.

"I - I guess," she muttered, "I'll go get her bag."

Matt set Mattie down and left her with Austin as he followed Val to the front door and waited until she returned.

"Look after her," Val pleaded.

Matt pulled her into a hug in an attempt to ease her fears. "It's one night Val. Nothing is going to happen," he kissed her on the top of the head and she left.

Back in the kitchen Austin was letting Mattie turn on the timer. It was then that Ghost appeared. He'd most likely been hiding in the bathroom. He liked to hang out in the sink. Most people thought it was odd. Austin found it a cute personality trait.

"The kitty," Mattie squealed, chasing after Ghost who was now on a mad run for the living room.

"How did you know that it was Mattie's birthday?" Matt asked her once they were alone.

"Leana," Austin informed him, "we went shopping today at lunch, so I bought her that."

"You saved my ass," he admitted, "I feel like such a prick for forgetting it."

"Well she's none the wiser," Austin admitted softly.

"Thank you," he stepped towards her and smiled softly, "and I'm sorry."

"And you should be," she smiled up at him a moment later, "and I'm sorry as well."

"You have no reason to be sorry," he grabbed her by the front of her T-Shirt and gently pulled her towards him, "so what's for supper?"

Austin grinned and laughed, "you're an ass."