Gray was on day 5 of silence from Liam. Both hung up that night furious at the other one, there was no way either of them were going to crack and make the first move to making up. Since Post-Liam, Gray spent her time with the girls. Between her random trips to Liam and work, she barely felt like she had seen them in months.

"Gray, does Liam still get to be my brother," Grace asked her. They were walking around the lake in town. Gray laughed at the question.

"Brother?!"

"Yeah, because he was your boyfriend, will he still be my brother," Grace asked again.

"He still is my boyfriend Grace, as for being your brother, that's a long time from now." Grace stared up at her.

"But you don't talk to him. Mommy said you both were being buttheads," she said causing Grace to laugh.

"We just had a fight, it happens to adults."

"Well you should say sorry, I want to go see Harry again."

"I'll see what I can do. Come on love, we have to go back. I'm going to Mila's tonight," Gray explained.

"Mommy said you are going to Mila's tonight because you need to get some. Is that true? What does that mean?" Grace laughed so hard she started to cough.

"It means mommy needs to keep her big mouth shut."

----

"Girl, how long are you going to keep this up," Mila asked Gray. She had been there for two hours and they were already on their third wine bottle.

"I don't really care. He called me a bitch Mila, why should I be the one to apologize," Gray argued.

"Umm, because before that you went a hypoglycemic rant about him being a sex symbol and you were a lonely little schoolteacher. I love you Gray, but seriously, you are in the wrong here." Gray sighed and drank the rest of her glass. Mila had a point, she did go off the deep end, but she wasn't the one to throw out the name calling.

"Call him now," Mila pushed.

"Hell no, I've had four glasses of wine Mila," Gray rolled her eyes. Liquor makes her brave, but it also could make her spit words like a sailor.

"Stop being a pussy." Mila quickly reached on the table grabbing Gray's phone before Gray could fight back. Damn you alcohol. Mila quickly dialed Liam's number and shoved it into Gray's face. Gray held her breath as the phone rang. After four rings, it went to voicemail. Gray breathed a sign of relief. Voicemails are so much easier then a real voice.

"Hey it's me..can you call me back so we can figure this out?" She hung up the phone without saying anything else and glared at Mila.

"Mature, real mature." Mila laughed at her.

"Hey, you called him at least. Foot in the door thanks to me." Mila puffed out her chest, taking the credit.

"Whatever, if this fails miserably I'm coming to find you," Gray warned. Her phone went off, causing Mila to scream.

"LIIAMMM!" It wasn't him though, it was her mom.

"Hey mom, what's -" she started before her mom cut her off.

"Honey, I need you home now." Gloria's tone immediately made Gray sit up.

"Mom, what's wrong? Is it the girls." Gray started to panic and sobered up fast.

"We will talk about it later, just get home." The line went dead. Gray turned to Mila with tears in her eyes.

"Something is wrong, I gotta go." She stood up abruptly, swaying a little from a head rush and the liquor. Gray grabbed her purse and shoes in her hands and headed out the door.

"Let me know, "Mila's concerned eyes made Gray start to tear up. She jumped into her car and sped off.

What could possibly be the reason Gloria had to call this late? It was nearly one a.m. in the morning, all of them should of been asleep. The only thing she could think of was Gillian. She had been battling a cold for a couple of days now. Did it get worst? Oh god, what she in the hospital? The thoughts made Gray shudder more. She ran the stop sign by her house, pulled into the driveway and ran out of her car without even grabbing her purse or her shoes.

"Mom, mom where are you," she yelled frantically running in the door.

"In here sweetie." Grace ran to through the house to where Gloria was in the den.

"What the hell is going on Mom - JESUS." Gray abruptly stopped in the doorway and all the air left her body. There he was. Liam was standing in her house in the middle of the night. In a pair of track pants and a sweatshirt, he looked seriously hot. Gray's mouth went dry.

"What is going on," she asked. Was her mom in at this?

"Seems Liam decided to pay us a visit. I'm going to bed, keep your voices down, the girls are sleeping." Gloria stopped before leaving the room.

"Liam, will you be joining us for breakfast," Gloria asked with a joking look on her face.

"Hopefully so." Gloria waved to them one more time before leaving the room. Gray maintained her position on the far side of the room while Liam continued to stand by the couch.

"Hi," he said, testing the waters.

"What are you doing here at my house?" Gray still couldn't catch her breathe. Her brain was on overdrive.

"Paying you a visit."

"I can see that. A normal person calls, not show up at a house at one in the morning," she snapped back. Whoa, cut the attitude Gray, give him a chance she told herself.

"Love, we," he said motioning to the two of them," are not normal. Never have, never will. I came here to apologize." He took one step closer to her.

"Could of called," she muttered, still watching him move closer to her.

"I could have, but I needed to see you," he whispered. He walked the rest of the way of the room and stood in front of her. She looked into his eyes and all the anger and walls she built up came crashing down.

"I'm so sorry Gray. I shouldn't of said those things to you. It was a bad day," he whispered. He reached his hands up and ran down her arms causing her to shiver.

"Liam, stop playing the nice card. It's my fault. All this whirlwind has been playing with my head for a while and losing my job was just icing on the crappiest cake," she sighed looking up at him again. A warm smile came over his face.

"I was beginning to think your stubborn self didn't know how to apologize," he laughed. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Consider yourself lucky, it doesn't happen often." Both of them went and sat down on the couch. Liam threw his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close. Damn him and his swift moves.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on or are you just going to yell at me again," he asked sincerely. Gray sighed. She had talked about her feelings more in these last weeks then she had in the rest of her life. It was so much easier to just pretend she was happy all the time.

"I'm confused on how to handle this all. Two weeks ago no one knew I existed, now everyone and their mother does. Someone recognized me at the liquor store today, of all places! I don't know how you handle it. Here I am buying wine in my sweats and girls are coming up to me asking about you. I don't know if I'm famous material Liam. I'm awkward, I have a temper, I'm a hazard to you all." Liam quickly grabbed her face with both hands and kissed her. Gray moaned quickly, praying her would go deeper. Unfortunately he pulled away, but still held onto her head.

"Gray, you listen to me now. You are perfect to me. I don't care if you look like crap in your sweats, or if you accidentally curse. That's what makes you, you. That is what I love about you. You are honest, you wear your heart on your sleeve even though you try to hide it and you make me smile every single day. You could yell at me everyday for now on and I still would come crawling back to you. You are my life now." A single tear rolled down her cheek. She secretly wished should could of recorded that so she could hear it everyday.

"I love you Liam," she choked out. Liam kissed her again pushing her down the couch. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back with everything she had. Liam deepened the kiss, running his tongue along her bottom lip causing her to moan.

"Settle love, that is not happening here," he warned, talking about sex.

"You suck jailbait," she smiled at him. He had a point though, she didn't need Grace running down seeing them half naked.

"When do you go back," Gray asked, getting their conversation back on a family zone.

"6 p.m. tomorrow." He scooted down her body, making her stomach a pillow. Gray ran her fingers through his hair repeatedly and yawned

"I'll take the time I can get with you." Gray continued to run her fingers through his hair until both were asleep.

----

"My brother! My brother is back!" Grace's loud screams woke Gray up in shock. Liam was sprawled out on top of her, his head still on her lap. Luckily he was still asleep.

"Grace shhh." Grace giggled.
"Sorry." Gray yawned. She needed to stretch badly, but wanted to stay still for Liam. It was a rare occurrence that he was on top of her like this. It was adorable.

"Go with mom in the kitchen, we will be in soon." Gray could smell the bacon already making her mouth water. Grace ran off and Gray run her fingers through his hair causing him to stir.

"Hi," she whispered when he looked at her. He smiled back, too asleep to talk yet.

"Mom made breakfast. I would let you sleep but I know Grace will be back in here if we don't get up." Liam got up off her, her body immediately went cold. His warmth was so comforting. Liam reached over and quickly kissed her.

"Morning love," he whispered into her cheek. They both got up, readjusted their clothing and headed down to the kitchen.

"LIAM!" Grace yelled and immediately hung his legs. He picked her up in his arms.

"Hey little lady," he said to her.

"Gray told me you weren't my brother anymore," she pouted. Liam looked over at her and Gray rolled her eyes.

"G, he isn't your brother, and I never said that." Damn those five year olds for getting things so twisted.

"You know what Grace, I'll be your brother but you can tell anyone, okay? Our little secret." He poked Grace in the nose causing her to giggle.

"Liam, good to see you are still here. I was worrying Gray would going to send you out into the wolves," Gloria joked putting the pancakes on the table in front of them.

"Me too," he looked over and smiled at Gray," but I used my boyish moves on her. She melted like a bug." Gray threw a piece of bacon at him.

"Well you are welcomed to stay as long as you want, what is ours is yours."

"Thank you Gloria."

Gray and Liam continued to look at each other from across the table. He winked at her causing her to blush. She couldn't have been more happier to have him back, even if it was only for less then a day. Gray also silently yelled at herself. She had to stop acting like old Gray and let people know how she felt. Hiding from others gets you no where. Besides, after what Liam said to her last night, she didn't seem to worry anymore about letting her true feelings show.

Notes

Title Creds: "No matter what" by Papa Roach. (Acoustic version is spot on.)

It's way past my bedtime but wanted to get this one done. BIG stuff coming in the next chapters, they have been in my head and excited to write them. :D