Amber Portwood, Ex Gary Shirley Reconcile, Talk Marriage

USMagazine, Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 11:36am (PST)

"Teen Mom" star Amber Portwood and her ex-fiance, Gary Shirley, have officially buried the hatchet -- and might rekindle their romance.

The former couple and parents to daughter Leah, 2, reunited in a Madison County, Ind., court on Wednesday. At the hearing, Shirley, 22, asked a judge to lift a restraining order barring Portwood, 20, from contacting him.

Portwood went behind bars briefly in December on domestic violence charges related to several physical attacks against Shirley in front of their little girl.

Shirley told the judge Wednesday of the restraining order, "I never wanted it in the first place."

He explained, "Before the no-contact order was placed, we were about to work things out and be a family." The couple (who've been working with Child Protective Services since October) have struggled to co-parent Leah while being barred from communicating with each other, he added.

What are their plans now that the order has been lifted? "We've talked about taking things real slow," Shirley told the judge. "We have our own places. We'll continue to keep our own places," he added, explaining that Portwood remains in therapy.

His biggest hope? A full reconciliation with Portwood. "That's the end goal: to go for marriage."

For the time being, the couple cannot see each other in the presence of their daughter. Portwood became tearful in court. "I'm allowed to see him, but without Leah? There's no way we could see her together?"

Replied the judge, warning her not to harass Shirley, "I want to make sure Leah doesn't end up in the middle of the turmoil that seems to be surrounding the two of you right now."

When the hearing was over, Portwood and Shirley left the courtroom together, walking hand in hand.

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