Angel saw him sitting on the couch, same old exhausted look as he always has on after a long day of work. She frowned, which is a rare action for the usually bright and bubbly drag queen. She needed to ask him, she had too. Finally she emerged from the doorway when she got the courage. " Collins?" Angel said softly sitting beside him.

" Yea, Ang?" He said, without looking up from his essays he was grading.

" Can you promise me something?" She said, while looking down and studying the pattern of her knee high socks.

" Anything. What is it, baby?" Collins said now looking up from his papers, and looking straight into her eyes. He set down the papers and slid Angel slowly onto hid lap. Angel paused for a moment or two, choked up already at the thought of what she was trying to ask.

" After I… When I'm dead, do you promise, to find a new lover, you know, move on?" Angel blurted out, trying desperately to stop the tears billowing up from behind her eyes.

" Sorry, Ang. That's one thing I can't promise…"

" But I…." Angel started letting the tears take over, she wasn't strong enough to hold them back any longer.

" Angel, you know we'll meet again. And I will never let you out of my heart. I love you too much to accept a new love." Collins said wiping away her tears.

" I just want to make sure you're happy after I…." Angel started but was once more stopped by the inability to have the breath to let her words out.

" I'll never be completely happy without you. Never." Collins said giving her a light squeeze.

" But…" Collins now interrupts Angel.

" But, nothing. I'll tell you one thing I definitely can promise. I'll never stop loving you, and we'll be together forever no matter where we are." Collins said, never looking away from her eyes. Angel caught her breath.

" I love you, Tom." She said as she rested her head on his shoulder.

" I love you too, Angel." Collins said and petted her hair.