Matt constantly worried about his mother as the months went on, he tried not to let it show, but he failed rather miserably. He had a hard time leaving his mother behind on days she couldn't leave their current unit; he would spend those nights curled up in her old quilt, hoping she would make it through the night. His father approached him one of those nights, knelt down in front of him, placed his large hands on his shoulders and gave him that all knowing look.

"What's troubling you, Matthew?"

Matt blinked up at his father, not sure what to say; he'd been convinced he'd done a good job at hiding his emotions. He simply shook his head and looked down at his feet, mumbling "Nothing."

"Is it your ma? Are you worried about her?" He asked gently, trying to make contact with his son's downcast eyes.

"I don't like leaving her behind when we have to move...that one time...she didn't come join us for 3 days, da...I-I was scared." He admitted it like it was a bad thing, as if being scared was the weakest thing he could be perceived as. It didn't matter that at the end of the day he was only 8 years old, he was thrust into a place of maturity and strength and he firmly believed that he could not allow himself to be scared or weak; he had too much responsibility on hand.

Gideon swallowed hard, knowing very well he was part of the reason his son so often put up this act of being braver than he really was, hid away fears, and was hurt in admitted he was scared. He was, after all, the one who thrust the responsibility of being a caretaker for the younger kids on him. He shook his head and placed his finger on Matt's chin, successfully lifting Matt's face up again.

"It's alright to be scared sometimes, son. This is your mother, and I know what she's going through must seem scary to you, and it worries me sometimes too but -" he broke off a moment, sighing deeply before continuing. "She'll be alright, she'll be with us again soon. She was just having too much trouble today, it would have been too risky to move her. Don't worry too much though, Seamus is looking after her. You remember him, yeah? We used to work together. He was a nurse. He used to give you those rare little candies, 'member?"

Matt slowly nodded his head, and he hoped his father wouldn't be able to tell he was forcing back tears.

"I know it's been tough, I know she doesn't look as strong as she usually does, I know you've seen her crying a lot recently...and I know you understand...but she's going to be just fine, Matt. I promise." He hesitated in embracing his son, but one look at his watering eyes told him it was what he really needed. "C'mon." He whispered and wrapped his arms around him. In that moment Matt let his defenses fall and he wrapped his small arms around his father's neck and let his tears fall.

"Just a little while longer, just a few more months...then everything will be okay."

When Matt woke up that morning and walked out of the children's room he was surprised to see his mother already sitting there, Seamus by her side. A sleepy, crooked smile crossed his face and he ran to her and wrapped his arms around her. He could feel her shaking slightly as she returned the hug, but he tried his best to ignore it.

"Hey kid," Seamus greeted him as Matt pulled away from Ciara. "Before I leave...wanted to give you a little present."

Matt's eyes widened as Seamus held out a small handful of boiled sweets. He used to tell stories every time he gave small children these candies, stories passed down his family about how they'd eventually come to own the biggest candy company in the area formally known as Northern Ireland. Of course the company was long gone now, but Seamus had inherited quite a bit of the leftover candy and being the giving man he was, he couldn't help but share with the children he so often took care of.

"Really?" He reached out for the candies as the man nodded his head. "Thanks."

"Don't go eating them all in one shot. Save 'em for a hard day, aye?" He chuckled upon seeing Matt already having one opened in his hand, ready to pop into his mouth.

He tucked the rest of the candies in the pocket of his nearby hanging jacket, then he returned his attention to his mother. She looked exhausted, and noticeably paler than she was the week before. Matt walked behind her and started to run his fingers through her long blonde hair, an attempt at helping her to relax just as he always saw his father do.

"I missed you, ma."

"I missed you too, Matty."

Her voice was as sweet as ever, making it the only thing currently reminding him of the strong, beautiful woman she usually was. The woman so full of life and love, who still held him on those harsh scary nights, insisting that he was not as grown up as he pretended to be and even he needed his mama sometimes, the woman who gave him strength and made him believe in a better tomorrow and told him all about her passions for technology that would better the world. She was a truly remarkable person, and Matt was blessed to call her his mother. He was convinced she could change the world one day, that they would live in a world where her technology was real. He wouldn't understand why she'd left for years to come, why she'd left it all behind and chose the family life instead. He was too young to understand the dangers and the power some technology came with, it was better to let him believe in the good it could bring instead.

"So, guess what I found out, Matt?" She asked, turning her head just enough to see him.

He dropped his hand from her hair, and with eyes widening in curiosity he moved to a spot in front of her so she wouldn't have to crane her neck. Cocking his head slightly, he asked, "What?"

"Seamus was able to get some of his medical technology up and running and...He told me we're having a baby girl. You're going to have a little sister!"

Matt's eyes fell to her ever growing stomach, he admired it a moment, and a small smile took up residence on his face. It grew wider as he looked up and saw the genuine sparkle of happiness in her eyes. Through it all, even the sickness and the weakness and the fears and the tears, he could see that she really was happy to be having this baby, this little girl. It softened his worries to even briefly see in her eyes the woman he knew so well.

"I'll take good care of her, ma."