Author's note: This story starts with a bang and some of you might ask yourselves whether this could ever be worked out. Well, wait and see...

As this story has only been partly proofread by a native speaker, please be so kind to overlook language and/or grammar mistakes. Reviews are always encouraging and highly welcome.

Disclaimer: The original characters of "Who's the Boss?" belong to ABC.

PART ONE

1

He was on his way to break up with her. If he had been honest with himself - and with her - he shouldn't have started dating her in the first place. Let alone sleep with her. Why had he done that? He had spent a lot of sleepless nights trying to figure it out. How come he had never found the way to Angela's bed who had been sleeping just down the hallway for ages, but had landed in Kathleen's on their first night? The first night which hadn't really been a date after all but a learning session with his study group. Try as he might, he couldn't find an explanation for his behaviour. It had been Mona, the only person he had talked to about this sensitive matter, who finally had cleared Tony's head. He had been looking for an easy way out. Out of this unique, crazy, demanding and very nerve-racking relationship with Angela. Dancing around each other, growing closer, backpedaling when it had become too close, keeping it platonic, then again flirting like hell, insisting they were only friends, best friends even, being jealous nonetheless, ... the list could go on and on. He knew he had always been the one who had doubts, who couldn't commit himself, who was afraid to move on with their relationship. Not because he didn't love her but because he felt so minor compared to her; he felt like a bad catch. She could have the most successful and affluent business executives as a husband, one of her kind, someone others would call a perfect match. How could he, an ex-pro baseball player, Brooklynite and still only high-school graduate ever fulfill her needs? He felt like an underbred plowhorse aspiring after a high class racehorse. Sometimes he marvelled what she saw in him, how such an extraordinary, superb, and successful women could ever fall in love with him. And he? He didn't dare to admit, not even to himself, that he had always been loving her. Almost from the first day he had moved into that house. He not only loved her but adored and admired her. He knew that now, not that he had confessed it to her already, but he hadn't been so clear about that a few months ago when he had started to get involved with Kathleen. Now he had to get out of that relationship somehow, before he would try to work things out with Angela.

Finally, after having taken every possible detour between Fairfield and Kathleen's apartment and gratefully obeying every speed limit on his way, Tony stood in front of her door. Breaking up was never easy, but he felt so guilty because he knew he had used her. Not on purpose, no, that was not his style, but he had definitely used her. He had used her as a means to get Angela out of his head, he had tried to find out whether he could be happy with another woman. Well, he couldn't. He had found that out! So he had to end things now before Kathleen would get too serious and he would hurt her too much. And last week, when he had met her father and she had talked about getting married and having kids, he had realized that she was indeed starting to take things very seriously. Since this evening he knew he had to right this wrong. It wouldn't be fair to leave her in the dark about his true feelings; she hadn't done anything wrong. It was him who had made a mistake. So ... no more procrastinating. He knocked at the door and waited. He had sweaty hands, a dry mouth and the lump in his throat had the size of a coconut. He heard her shout "Coming!", then Kathleen tore open the door and greeted him with a cheerful "Hi Honey!", ushered him inside with a flourish gesture, overlooking his stiffened face, and told him to sit on the couch.

"I have great news!" She showed him a huge smile. "You'll never guess what!" Her eyes were sparkling and her face was glowing. Tony began to get nervous. He noticed the way she was beaming and asked himself why. But before he could come up with any idea she started to speak again. "Something wonderful has happened! ... I'm pregnant!" Her eyes were filled with tears of joy and she threw herself into his arms. He felt the earth opening under his feet. If it only swallowed him up! Pregnant? Was she serious?

"Pregnant? I thought we used protection?" That was all he could say. She pulled back, but she was so overwhelmed that she didn't notice he was surprised in a rather aghast than cheerful way.

"Well, ...", she begann, "I might have forgotten to take one Pill or another ..." She looked at her hands and then at him bashfully, like a little girl who confessed having had her hands in the cookie jar.

"Are you sure you're pregnant?" Tony still hoped it was nothing else than a misunderstanding. He had come here to break up with her and now she was telling him she was expecting a baby.

"Yes, I am sure. I had a positive pregnancy test and went to my gynecologist. And look what he gave me." She handed him an ultrasound picture. He looked at it and couldn't believe what he saw. On this small sheet of paper there was the picture of an almost readily developed baby: two arms, two legs, the spine. This being already looked like a baby. His baby? For a very brief moment he felt a slight ray of joy rushing through his body. Once in a while, he had been daydreaming of becoming a father again. He had enjoyed Marie's pregnancy very much and remembered the overwhelming happiness he had felt holding Samantha in his arms for the first time. As he grew older he sometimes had been afraid time would run out and it would be too late some day for another fatherhood.

"We're having a baby, Tony! Isn't that wonderful?" Kathleen exclaimed. Suddenly he realized what this meant. It struck him like lightning - he would have to marry her! He was a responsible and honourable man. And he was Catholic! He knew what his obligations were. Of course he had to marry her and let this child be legitimate. He owed it to Kathleen and he owed it to his unborn child. Those were obviously the consequences he had to bear for the decision to get involved with this woman. But he wasn't ready to propose tonight, not before he had a chance to speak to Angela. ... Angela! How was he supposed to tell her about the baby? He had difficulties to think straight. His pulse was running and little drops of cold sweat began to form on his forehead. He was somehow able to say "Yes, that's wonderful, Kathleen." Later, he couldn't recall how he had been able to keep up the façade. But he had weathered the following hours although his mind had been running amok and his head had been spinning endlessly. Kathleen was so exuberantly happy that she didn't notice Tony's somewhat reserved reaction to her news.

When he finally grabbed his jacket and said goodbye, she hugged him passionately. "Oh Tony, we're going to have a wonderful family. I'm so happy!" Tony looked for an excuse to get out of that apartment. He needed time to process the news properly.

"I really have to go now, Kathleen. I'm having a tough exam tomorrow. I'll call you when I'm back from school, okay?"

She gave him a kiss, hugged him and opened the door for him. "Okay, Sweetheart. Good luck. I love you!"

"Yes, thank you. See you tomorrow." He kissed her on the cheek and backed out. After the door had been closed and he heard Kathleen had locked it, he leaned against the wall, closed his eyes and tried to get his breathing back under control.