A/N: If I owned them it wouldn't be FAN fiction, would it?
ROCK BOTTOM
She sighed despondently as she looked into the mirror making sure her seams were straight and her hair was pulled back properly into a bun. She really hated putting it up like this, but that's how her boss wanted it and as long as she wanted to stay employed she had to abide by his wishes. For the hundredth time she wondered what brought her to this. She had a degree in fashion, and had moved across the country to one of the great fashion cities in the world. In the four years since she moved here she had several interviews but no job offers. She sighed one more time as she grabbed her apron and nametag heading out for yet another graveyard shift at the local diner.
He stepped out of the club and shivered slightly as the wind hit him, the city was definitely cooler that it was last month when he was here. As much as he loved these monthly trips, he still yearned for the comfort of his home and the company of his friends and family. He shook his head slightly as the businessman he was meeting with staggered out of the club clearly drunk. They said their parting words and headed their separate directions. He walked out to the curb and hailed a cab to head to his hotel so he could get some sleep before his A.M. meeting, but once he got into the back seat he had something else on his mind.
"Where to?" the cab driver asked.
"I was thinking back to my hotel, but do you know where I can get a good meal at this hour?"
"I know just the place", the cabbie responded before pulling out into the busy street.
Ten minutes later he sat in a booth looking at the menu when a waitress walked up to his table.
"Welcome to Pete's, can I get you started with something to drink?" she asked in an unenthusiastic tone of voice.
He looked up to make his order and went absolutely slack-jawed at the person he saw standing there. Her hair was slightly frayed and there were bags under her eyes from lack of sleep, but there was no mistaking and even if there were the nametag gave it away. He tried hard to think of something to say but all that escaped his throat was a very surprised and hoarse sounding, "Angelica?"
She visibly stiffened as it dawned on her just who had said her name. His hair was actually neat and he had lost the glasses, but the slightly nasally voice gave it away. "Ch-Chuckie", she stammered out before she did the only thing her exhausted body and mind would let her do, faint right into his lap.
He jumped slightly to cushion the falling blonde as she collapsed onto him. She wasn't very heavy but falling from a standing position he had to react quickly to keep her from hitting her head on the edge of the table. Just as he was gathering his wits back a fairly large man in a stained white apron came running up to the table.
"Are you ok sir?"
"I'm fine", Chuckie answered slightly shaky, "She fainted."
"Angie" he said shaking her trying to wake her up.
Chuckie looked down at her and noticed she was completely out cold, "I think she might need the rest of the night off"
The man nodded slightly, "I tried to tell her she was working herself too hard but she just kept going on about having bills to pay."
"I'll take care of her, we're old friends", he told the man.
He shook her gently and as she began to stir slightly helped her get up and out the door.
"Tell her she has the next couple days off to rest", the man said as they left the diner.
He hailed a cab and once they were in told the driver to head to his hotel.
She awoke to the sun flowing into the window of a very nice hotel room and the smell of coffee sitting on the bedside table. She slowly sat up and lifted the warm liquid to her lips, taking a sip and hearing the shower in the restroom shut off. As she finished her cup of coffee the door opened and for the first time since regaining consciousness realized she wasn't dreaming. He stepped out wearing a pair of shorts and nothing else, and she couldn't but help noticing how well toned his muscles were.
"And here I thought I would be lucky enough to have dreamed the whole thing up", she said nervously.
"Sorry, no such luck", he replied sheepishly grinning, "One hell of a way to meet after, what four or five years."
"You're telling me. So how did I get here?"
He looked at her, still in her uniform from the night before, "You fainted and apparently your body decided to catch up on some much needed sleep."
"So, you brought me to your hotel room instead of taking me home?"
"You weren't awake enough to mumble out where you lived so I took you to the next best place."
She looked around and noticed that the room had only one bed in it, "So where did you sleep?"
He chuckled slightly and pointed to a spot on the floor with a couple of blankets and a pillow.
"I'm surprised that you didn't dump me on the floor, or hell, leave me drooling at the diner."
He smiled at her, "First off, the lady gets the bed and second, I couldn't just leave you there."
"I thought you hated me after all that crap I put you through when we were kids, all of you."
He sat down next to her on the bed and took her hand in his, "Angelica, no one hates you, in fact we've all been kind of worried since you dropped off the face of the earth", he grinned slightly and gave her hand a slight squeeze, "And as far as the crap, well I can't speak for everyone but I put up with it because I might have had a slight crush on you."
She laughed slightly, "It must have been more that a slight crush, I put you through more hell than anyone."
He put his hands in the air, "Ok you caught me, I was totally in love with you, and would endure just about anything just to be around you."
"Oh you're hopeless Finster", she shot out, "Did it ever occur to you why I put you through everything?"
"Not once", he replied, "And not to change the subject but what are you doing working in a diner?"
She looked down suddenly finding the carpet very interesting, "Oh you know, Big dreams, little opportunity. How about yourself?"
"Well, when Mom and Dad retired they left Kimi and I the Java Lava, and we turned it into a franchise."
"I knew it was getting big, hell there are like three of them here in the city, but I didn't know you and your sister were running them."
"Yep, Almost three years now"
"So, how is everyone?"
Chuckie looked at her and saw a genuine look of curiosity, "Tommy and Lil are expecting their first child in a few months, she's a teacher and he's still making films."
"How's he doing with that?" Angelica asked.
"Pretty well actually, he's made a name for himself in the independent market, and some are saying that Hollywood will be his next stop."
"At least one member of the family is getting to do what he loves, wait I didn't hear about him and Lil getting married."
"That's because nobody knew where you were, not even your parents", He knew he should stop there but kept going anyway, "They really wanted you at their wedding though."
He saw a look of pure regret come across her face as she looked back down towards the floor, "I wish I had been there."
"My sister and Phil are also happily married with a baby girl and whether you believe it or not Dill just asked Susie Carmichael to marry him."
"Wow", she said looking at him, "Looks like I'm the only one who's not living a happy life."
"I wouldn't say that", he said getting a very strange look from Angelica, "I'm still not real popular with women, and haven't even had a date in over a year."
"Well what plans do you have for today then?"
He looked at her and smiled softly, "I had a meeting today but I called last night and rescheduled it for tomorrow so I could be here when you woke up."
"Well first off, you didn't need to do that for me, and second, since your free today, how about I take you out for the most wonderful date you've ever had?"
He was surprised to hear something like that come out of her mouth, "Don't take this the wrong way, but who are you and what have you done with Angelica Pickles?"
To his surprise she laughed, "Guess I had that coming. Maybe all these years of living off tips at a diner made me a bit more understanding of my fellow person. The offer still stands though; will you go out with me?"
He smiled and took her hand one more time, "Can't think of a better way to spend the day."
It was almost midnight when they arrived back at Angelicas apartment and like she said it wasn't much to look at. It was a one room basement apartment with limited space as well as furnishings, but that didn't matter to Charles Finster because he just had a wonderful time out on the town with a very unlikely person.
"Are you sure you have to go tomorrow?"
"I have that meeting in the morning and have to be on a plane by two, but I'll head back out here as soon as possible."
She didn't want him to go but understood his reasons, "I look forward to it."
"Me too", he said as he cupped her face in his hand and they shared their first kiss. "Oh I almost forgot", he said as he pulled out his wallet and handed her five hundred dollars.
"I can't take this", she said pushing the money away.
"Sure you can, I cost you at least a couple of days of work, it's the least I can do"
She nodded and took the money, but before he could see her begin to cry she grabbed him and pulled him down into a deep passionate kiss.
A/N: I know that it's not the typical Angelica character, but I figured a couple of years living from check to check will put the world into perspective for almost anybody (sure did for me). I may make a sequel or two if it's wanted so please read and review.