Le gasp! I'm not dead! *coughs awkwardly* Sorry, bad joke. But we need some humor in these times and all my humor is tinted dark and inappropriate.

Special thanks to Ellis97 for giving me basically a whole outline for this chapter. I know I said this was gonna be the last one but I feel an Epilogue chapter would wrap it up better than a sudden cutoff.

Without further ado, raise the curtains!

Tori POV

"Yeah. That's our son, Luke."

The look on Luke's face would make me laugh under different circumstances. However, it's making me more nervous by the second.

When he suddenly sits up, chair scraping against the floor and falling over with a loud bang, my heart sinks. "Luke-"

He doesn't let me finish. He just darts out of the shop like an animal were chasing after him. I don't realize a traitor tear escaped my eye until a small hand is wiping it away, almost poking my eye out in the process. "Mama? Did that man make you cry? Jadey, he made mama cry, let's go make him say sorry."

A small laugh comes out and I pull Mateo into a hug. "Yes, he made me cry but I kind of expected it. Now, what do you say we get you a hot chocolate and a muffin so we can go home and cuddle?"

And just like that, my happy baby boy is back.

3rd Person POV

The second Trina and David are out the door with Mateo for a day out, Cat and Jade almost crush their hurt girlfriend in a hug. They could see how hard it was for Tori to continue pretending it didn't bother her the way Luke just up and left after learning about Mateo. They can't begin to imagine how it feels to be left not once but twice by the same man who fathered your son.

"It's okay to let it out, love. It's just us now."

Jade's words broke the dam over Tori's heart and tears begin to fall almost immediately. Cat gestures to the couch and Jade sits down. Cat all but drags Tori down to sit between them and the two girlfriends smoosh their love between them again.

"Mateo called me his Jadey the other day."

A small sniffle and a watery laugh make both girls feel relieved. "You are his Jadey. He really loves you guys."

Cat sees Jade about to speak and she can guess what's about to be said. So, with a hand holding hers, Jade takes a breath. "That's not…I just…my dad and the step-bitch never called me their anything unless it was followed by something harsh. He'd call me his mistake or his failure. Step-bitch would just call me useless or something similar. Nobody except for you and Cat had ever said anything nice. But to hear a kid say it…kids are said to be good judges of character and I thought for sure he'd have a closer bond with Cat. But no. He said he didn't need a daddy because he has a mommy and a Jadey and a Kitty. He didn't even ask who his daddy was when I said I knew him. Just asked if he was a bad man and that's why you never mention him."

Tori pulls back and wipes the tears off of Jade's face. Before she can say anything about the new revelation, Cat speaks up. "I've never seen Jade happier than she is now. I've done my best since kindergarten but she looks complete here with us. Mateo is also good for both of us because we haven't had the best lives growing up. Jade was put down and verbally abused by her father and stepmother. I was emotionally abused and neglected by my parents after my brother was sent away. If we can give Mateo all the love we have stored away from so long protecting it, you better bet everything you have that we will."

"Mateo is our son now as well as yours. We love you both so much it physically hurts sometimes. Before you two, there were times where I felt like I'd never amount to anything just like my father thought. Cat would do what she could but it wasn't until you and that sweet little boy that I began to believe I could be something more than a fuck up. You really have no idea how much you saved Cat and I."

Tori buries her face in Jade's neck, reaching back to pull Cat into her so she can hug them both awkwardly. Soft sobs wrack the half latina's body as everything that's happened and everything her loves shared overwhelms her.

They stay like that for what feels like an eternity. It's not until Cat's head lifts off of Tori's shoulder and her eyes shoot to the door that the peace is broken. "Cat?"

"Someone just drove up."

The triad's eyes stay glued to the front door, Cat and Jade curled protectively around their vulnerable lover until a hesitant knock cuts through the silence.

Cat stands, striding to the door and her girls instantly notice the cold look she gives to whoever's on the other side. "May I help you?"

The normally sweet and childish voice is replaced by one that can freeze even the bravest person in their tracks. Jade and Tori immediately know who's outside.

"Um…can I…can I talk to Tori, please?"

Tori stands from the couch and walks to Cat's side, Jade at her heels. "What do you want, Luke?"

Luke looks from Cat to Tori to Jade and back again, seeming intimidated by the two women giving him such deadly looks. "I wanted to, uh, to maybe…I dunno. Explain myself? I know it was a shitty thing to do, but I really didn't mean to leave like that after hearing about our son."

Jade's blood boils at his wording. Our son. Our son. No. He doesn't have the right to call her baby boy his son. However, when she looks over at Cat, her anger turns to fear at the pure rage on her face.

Jade moves from Tori's right side and moves behind her kitten, holding her from behind and she can practically feel the tension drain from the smaller girl. The two keep their eyes on Tori as she talks to Luke but Jade places a hand over Cat's heart and takes deep breaths so Cat can sync her angry ones with them.

Tori takes one of Cat's hands in hers, squeezing softly. "Well? Explain yourself."

"Oh! Uhm…well, I didn't even really notice I'd left until I was in my car. When I remembered you were still in high school, I was about to call my dad and have him set up a custody hearing."

Tori feels Cat tense through her hand, a sign she's really upset. "You don't even know his name, what makes you think you even deserved a custody hearing?"

A slightly annoyed look crosses Luke's face as he turns his gaze to Cat. "And whose fault is that? I didn't even know the kid existed until yesterday."

"His name is Mateo. If you're gonna talk about him you should use his name."

Jade puts her hand over Cat's mouth. As pissed as she knows they all are, antagonizing him isn't going to do anything but make things worse.

Tori sends a venomous glare at Luke, making a small spike of fear stab through him. "Anyway, uh, I looked up and saw how happy he was with you three. And I realized, this has been his home all his life and he seems like such a good kid…I may have helped make him, but I was never there. He doesn't know me. I know it's not all your fault for that, too. I should've kept in contact like a good friend should've. If I'd have talked to Noah or Trina, they would've told me about it and I coulda supported you and come back as soon as I was able to help raise him." A soft chuckle punctuates his ramble. "I noticed he got my curls though. Bet they're fun to deal with."

Tori wants to stay upset. The small, petty teenage part of her wants to push him back and slam the door in his face for even thinking of waging a custody battle. However, being a mother has made her grow up and she hates it in moments like this. Because his stupid offhand comment about his and Mateo's shared curly hair makes her genuinely laugh warmly in only the way a mother can when talking about her child. "It's a blast."

The sound of the laugh that makes them both weak in the knees and sets butterflies loose in their stomachs make Cat and Jade smile. Jade kisses Cat's jaw softly and moves to stand on Tori's other side now that she knows her feisty feline has sheathed her claws. Tori's free hand finds its way into hers not a second later.

The mood shifts again almost immediately after, a sad look on Luke's face. "I also came to apologize for my behavior all those years ago. It was a dick move leaving you like that. Really, I was looking for one last lay before I left the country when I threw that party. I'm really sorry for not taking responsibility and making sure you were okay after taking your virginity like that."

Tori squeezes her girlfriends' hands before stepping forward. Luke thinks she's going to slap him or something, she'd be completely justified in doing so. His heart stutters when she hugs him. "I understand. We were kids. I really shouldn't have expected anything more. You're here now though, trying to make amends, and I'm really glad you've grown enough to take responsibility for your actions."

Luke's arms wrap around Tori's smaller frame, a tear streaking down his face at her obvious forgiveness. His eyes find Cat and Jade's, relief flooding him at their small smiles. "I'm really sorry…"

He receives answering nods from the two. Tori squeezes him tighter before she lets go.

They don't know what the future holds. Luke knows Mateo will never see him as a father, may never want to see him at all for that matter. But he does know he'll be there if the day ever comes that he does.

Cat and Jade don't know if they'll be able to do right by Tori and Mateo, messed up as they see themselves to be. But they know they'll try their hardest for their small newly found family. Yes, that includes Trina, surprising as it is to Jade.

Tori, however, knows that everything will work out. She's gone through tougher stuff on her own and she knows that with Cat and Jade, she'll be able to handle anything else with ease. Whether it's Mateo, college, jobs, or something else life throws at her.

She's ready. And she knows that whether they feel like it or not, the three people in front of her will be ready too. She's not about to deny Luke the ability to see Mateo and when she tells him as much, a cross between anxiety and relief shows.

"I dunno if he even wants to see me after what happened yesterday…"

To everyone's surprise, Cat responds. "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst."

Luke sighs but nods. "You're right…I'll let him decide. But I'll leave you girls be. If Mateo wants to see me, just know I'll be happy to see him."

The girls nod and watch as Luke drives off, all of them thinking the same thing.

That could've gone worse.

It's almost over. I feel kinda sad to see it end, but I'm also debating whether or not to make a separate fic of outtakes and small moments between the girls, the girls and Mateo, Trina and Mateo, David and Mateo, David and the girls, and some Luke and Mateo (supervised, of course). Just because I don't want this AU to end, you know?

Anyway, hugs and kisses to those who want them, endless love to those who need it, and unconditional support for those who somehow find their way into my inbox. Stay safe, my loves!