10A/N: Thanks everyone for the feedback. I really appreciate it.
A/N: I don't own Intelligence.
Gabriel and Riley are driving home together after a rather long and difficult case. It has been about a week since Riley's encounter with her mother. Riley walks Gabriel to his door.
"You sure you don't want a beer or something?" he asks his partner.
"Well," Riley starts, and she hears her phone ring.
She pulls her phone out of her pocket. An unrecognized number.
"Excuse me," she says, holding up her phone.
Riley presses the "accept" button and puts the device to her ear.
"Neal."
"Riley? Is that you?"
She immediately recognizes the voice. The voice that has been echoing in the back of her head since that day. Gabriel sees her face change and gives her a questioning look.
"Yeah, it's me. Hold on a sec."
Riley puts the phone against her shoulder and turns to Gabriel.
"I have to go. We'll talk in the morning," she tells him.
"Okay." he nods, smiling.
Riley was not expecting him to be able to close the door on her so easily. She narrows her eyes.
"Do you know something I don't?" she asks.
He shrugs and shakes his head with that smile.
"Good night, Riley."
Gabriel closes his door as Riley puts the phone back to her ear and starts walking to her place.
"I'm here."
"Good."
"How did you get my number?" Riley asks. With her jobs, she never kept the same number for longer than a year.
"A little birdy told me."
Gabriel.
"Look," her mother continued, "I know we didn't leave on good terms."
"That's a bit of an understatement, Mom," Riley tells her, subconsciously rubbing her hand against her cheek.
"Yes, I know. And I'm sorry, I really am... Look, I had this whole thing rehearsed and prepped, so if you could try to not interrupt?"
This reminds her of the mother she knows and truly loves. Riley smiles at this and unlocks her door.
"Okay," she agrees.
"Thanks. So a few days ago, I got a call from your partner, Gabriel. He's quite the gentleman, by the way. Well, anyway, he... encouraged me to talk to you and gave me your number.
"So I've been thinking a lot about what you said, about not deserving Greg and what he did. And you're right, that you didn't deserve that. But I did, for letting him do that to you. Why did I let him do that to you? Why would he- W-Why did I-?"
Riley thinks of her conversation with Lillian.
"We accept the love we think we deserve," Riley tells her mother, echoing her words.
"Mom, it's not just about me, it's about you. You're not worthless. You deserve better than Greg. That's why you broke up with Dad, right? You knew he wasn't giving you enough attention. You knew there was someone out there who would.
"And I don't mean to keep prying into your relationships, but I think you just settled for Greg. You deserve better."
"You deserve better. I'm sorry I let those things happen to you. I don't know how to make it up to you... I-I just-"
"Mom. I don't care about Greg. The only thing I've ever wanted to deserve is your love."
"Oh, Riley," Ms. Ory says, crying now. "You don't need to do anything to deserve my love. I will always love you."
"Really?"
"Really."
And from that point in the night, a mother and a daughter are reunited.
They talk for nearly an hour.
"Okay, Riley. It's late. I think I'm going to turn in. This was good."
"Yeah, it was... But Mom? This job I have, it is the most dangerous job I've ever had. And there are a lot of bad people with bad intentions. They are nasty and cruel, and I can't give them something to get to me."
"What is this job, Riley? ...And if it's so dangerous, why don't you just quit?" Ms. Ory asks her daughter.
She doesn't understand.
"The less you know, the better. Trust me," Riley tells her, looking out her window to Gabriel looking up at her.
"I can't quit. Because this is the best job for me, and I'm happy.
"But about the bad people? If I keep calling you, they will find you. And with these people, they won't stop because you ask nicely."
Riley hears a sigh over the phone. She just got her mother back, and it feels like she's losing her again.
"Mom, this isn't goodbye, not like the last time I said goodbye. I promise, we'll keep in touch."
Riley hears another breath, almost a laugh.
"How did you become the strong and smart woman I always wanted to be for you? Where does that come from?"
"It comes from you, Mom," Riley tells her, smiling.
"I love you," her mother says.
"I love you, too."
"You thank that Gabriel for the words of wisdom. I'm glad he called me."
"Me, too. I will," she says, looking at Gabriel's smirk from the window.
"Bye."
Riley hangs up and wipes the tears from her eyes.
A mother and a daughter part ways once again, but this time, the tears shed are of joy.
Riley starts to walk towards her bedroom to get ready to go to bed, but her phone rings again.
Gabriel.
Riley walks back to the window where she has a clear view of him.
"Were you eavesdropping?"
"No."
She gives him a look.
"I didn't! I promised I wouldn't use the chip on you, remember?"
"Yeah, I believe you..."
There is a pause.
"Thanks, Gabriel, for calling her."
"My pleasure."
"What did you tell her, anyway?"
"Agent Riley Neal, that is classified information that I am not permitted to share."
"Never?"
"Never," he confirms.
Riley sighs in defeat.
"Good night, Gabriel."
"Good night, Riley."
They both walk away from their prospective windows and turn off their lights.
One day, several years later, when they believe they will part ways, Gabriel will expose the "classified information." Until that day, what causes Karen Ory to finally call her daughter goes unknown. But it doesn't matter, not to Riley.
Reason is not required for the love between a mother and a daughter.
A/N: That's the end! Hope you all enjoyed. Any feedback is good feedback! I'm also looking for prompts for a new story.
A/N: And let me know what you guys thought of "The Event Horizon" - I can't believe they pulled a "To Be Continued" on us! I'm SO pumped for the season finale. Tell your friends to watch so CBS doesn't cancel on us!
A/N: Slightly off topic, but today I realized that the actor that plays Jameson, Michael Rady, plays "Kostas" in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. No wonder I didn't recognize him at first, he doesn't have that Greek accent! haha