A Gallagher Girls & The Listen Series Promptober

Look! I Dressed Up as You

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Matthew Morgan POV / Timeline: Halloween...right before *that* happens.

Oct. 31st | Look! I Dressed Up as You:

He was beat. He was bruised. He was exhausted. He didn't know what day it was. He didn't know where he was going, his car carrying him to a location his body was drawn to that his brain couldn't keep up with.

The familiar sights of home started to register in his eyes. Pumpkins. Lights. Kids, he should watch out for the kids.

Oh, god, was it Halloween? Would this be her last Halloween trick or treating? She wouldn't be home if she went to Gallagher next year. Did Rachel get her a costume? Were they even home? Was Rachel even home, she had been leaving on an op right before he left? Was Cammie with Abby? What if Abby wasn't home? Where and who would his daughter be with then?

He couldn't remember when he saw them last.

He gulped as he pulled into the driveway, seeing the lights on, preparing for the worst.

Rachel was going to be mad if she was home.

But he's so close. He can feel it. He can see it, just out of his reach, right there . Years of this fight will finally be over. Once he rests. Once he gets out of this car, kisses his wife and daughter, showers and sleeps. Then he'll start the beginning of the end.

He pushes open the door, laughter coming from the kitchen and his heart soars, a warmth filling his cold body. He always missed them, but every time he came home, he was reminded of just how much he didn't feel complete, how much he needed them. Did they even need him? Did they feel the same way?

He rounded the corner to see Abby and Cammie dancing around the kitchen, Rachel stirring something that smelled good on the stove. He leaned against the door frame, taking it all in, not wanting to disrupt their fun and the fact that whatever she was stirring wasn't on fire.

"Dad!"

Cammie spun and raced towards him, one of his button down shirts engulfing her, and she jumped into his arms.

"Hey cutie pie, I missed you!"

She squeezed him tightly and let go but he held on still, only backing away to take in her outfit, "Whatcha wearing?"

She laughed and tugged against his grip, racing over to a leather bag and a journal in her hands, clipping a name tag on that read: Agent Morgan, "Look, I dressed up as you! Agent Morgan, CIA."

She grinned, standing up taller. He felt like he had been punched in the gut. After everything in the past few days, the sound of hearing her call herself an agent, ready to face the world that she didn't yet know made his blood run cold. He wanted to wrap her up tightly like a burrito in blankets and keep her little and sweet and tucked away from this world. His world.

But he smiled, "I love it. Very professional."

She took off the clip, "Don't worry though, I didn't go trick or treating with your nametag on. A lot of people thought I was an accountant."

She made a face and Abby laughed, booping her nose, "A cute accountant," then turned to him, "How was it?"

He pressed his lips in a thin line, "It was fine. Argentina is..."

He trailed off as Abby made her eyes wide and carefully shook her head no and Rachel slammed a cabinet loudly, the first sound she had made since he walked in the door.

He would bet his left foot Rachel knew he hadn't been in Argentina.

He closed his eyes and listened to Abby grab Cammie, "Hey, let's go up to that one road and see if we can snag some king size candy bars before they turn the lights off."

The door closed and he blew out his breath, "Rachel, I can explain if you just-"

"Matt, just don't. I don't care what you were doing, but I swear to god, if whatever you've gotten yourself mixed up in..."

He opened his eyes to see her forehead leaning against the cabinet, her trembling hand up against her mouth.

He slowly walked over, his arms wrapping around her waist, his forehead against her back and rubbed it there, closing his eyes, feeling her deep breath, the muscles beneath him relaxing, her own hands wrapped around his.

She slowly spun, her hands on his chest and their foreheads together, "Please tell me you had back up?"

He kept his mouth shut and she shook her head against his, "You have to stop."

He whispered, "I'm so close though."

Her voice wasn't much louder than his, "You've been saying that for years. Can you just take some time away from it please? This is Cammie's last year before...we want you home," she rubbed her hands on his chest, running them up to behind his neck, playing with the ends of his hair, "We need you home."

He nodded, "I'll take a break. Take some time off. How about we go on a big trip for Christmas too? We could take Cammie to New York and see the tree, ice skating, maybe a show?"

She nodded, "Still home for Christmas though right?"

He grinned, "Of course. Mom would kill me if she didn't get to see her girls."

She laughed and he pressed his palms against her wet cheeks, kissing her nose, her chin, her forehead, breathing her in, "I missed you."

She closed her eyes and hummed into his kisses, "I think I missed you more."

He grinned around the kisses around her face, "Not possible."

She shifted her head, allowing him access to her neck and she smirked, "Wanna bet?"

He let his nose trail over her jaw, up to her ear, "Rachel Morgan, are you trying to flirt with me?"

She let out a sigh as his breath hit her ear and he turned the stove off and carried his wife upstairs.

He'd take a break.

He'd finish what he started all those years ago and then he'd take a break for a long time.