Disclaimer: I own the characters of Angela Faunt, Jason Black, and their shared history. That is all.

Anniversary

Chapter Four: Angela

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Let me talk to her, Lucy."

From behind the nearest car stepped Jason, who from the look on his face meant business. Knowing that she couldn't do anything else, Lucy nodded to him once, and then moved to side, allowing him a clear path. Jason and Angela locked eyes, as he strode forward until he was standing right beside the jeep, nothing seperating them except the door of the jeep itself. From there they just looked at each other, neither making a noise for at least a minute, until finally Jason broke the silence.

"Angel, do you remember when we first met?" Silence for a moment, and then "Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, the day before our platoons shipped out for Bosnia." She smiled wistfully. "You tried to buy me a drink, and I threw you through a window." Jason smiled as well, though his showed a bit of embarrassment in it. "Hey, I only let you throw me because the window was open. Besides, I recall you accepting my offer afterwards."

"What can I say; I was impressed that you got back up so fast."

Jason continued to reminisce. "We went through that entire conflict together, always watching each other's backs, keeping the other's spirits up whenever things got heavy." Angela's wistful smile turned into a bitter one. "And then once it was over you left. Quit the service and went wandering the world, without so much as a goodbye." Jason hung his head. "I'm sorry about that. I just needed to, you know; find myself after everything we saw. I would have asked you to come too, but you seemed to have already done it." At that he looked back up, freezing her in place with his stare. "Obviously though, I was wrong. The Angela who saved my life more times than I can count wouldn't get so upset over something like this. Please, just open that door and tell me what's really so bad."

Angela hesitated for a moment, unsure what she should do, until another whispered plea from Jason made her mind up for her. Steeling herself for what was about to come, she slowly opened the door and stepped out. Raising her gaze to look him straight in the eye, Angela said with a trembling voice "When I found Samuel with her, I had been on my way to tell him... I'm pregnant." Lucy gasped behind them, as Jason's eyes widened in shock, before slowly narrowing in sadness. Before she knew what hit her, Angela was suddenly engulfed in a bone-crushing hug from Jason.

"Everything's going to be all right Angel; we're all here for you; I'm here for you." It was at that statement that Angela realized she had started crying again. But as she stood there and returned Jason's surprisingly warm hug, the tears began falling not out of grief for what she had lost, but for all that she realized she still had. And it was enough.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Yo guys, what'd we miss!?"

Ryan heard this and turned from his conversation with Tom to glare at the speaker. "Jason, ish you're gonna be yellin', at leasht do it onshtage." Okay, so maybe conversation is a bit generous; more like drunken verbal clash. He was not so drunk, however, to miss how close Angela was staying to Jason's side. "Hey, ish everything okay?" Jason briefly glanced at Angela, before returning his attention to the whole of the table and its occupants.

"Yeah, everything's just fine. Angel, Light, and I just needed to get some fresh air. Now stop avoiding the question; did we miss anything?" Ryan huffed, but didn't press the issue. Instead he turned his gaze to Fisk, seated at the far end of the table and surrounded by far more beer bottles than Jason remembered there being. "You guys didn't mish anything exshept the worst karaoke I've ever heard. EVER."

Lucy giggled at the dejected look on her brother's face, as Tom joined in. "Yeah, they need to pash a law or shomething, banning him from all karaoke barsh!" Tom and Ryan burst into laughter, prompting Angela to turn to Fisk and ask "Was it really that bad?"

Fisk downed his drink, grabbed another, and glared at her. "Never mention it again; ever. By the way, it's your turn." That wiped the smile off her face. She looked at the empty stage with feelings of unease and discomfort, until a comforting hand on her shoulder snapped her attention to Jason. "You'll do great" he said, absolute certainty clear in his voice. Encouraged, Angela made her way to the stage. Behind her, Ryan asked "Sheriously, what happened?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I know what I'm going to sing."

This was the only thought that went through her head as Angela searched the music list. She was entering a new stage in her life, and she had to express it, even if no one else understood that. "Jason would understand though, I'm sure of it" she thought as she pressed play; there was no going back now.

Remember the feelings
Remember the day
My stone heart was breaking, My love ran away
This moment I knew I would be someone else
My love turned around and I fell

Be my bad boy, be my man
Be my weekend lover,
But don't be my friend.
You can be my Bad boy,
But understand,
That I don't need you in my life again

Won't you be my bad boy, be my man
Be my weekend lover
But don't be my friend
You can be my Bad boy
But understand
That I don't need you again
No I don't need you again

Bad Boy!

You once made this promise
To stay by my side
But after some time
You just pushed me aside

You never thought that a
Girl could be strong
Now I'll show you
How to go on

Be my bad boy be my man
be my weekend lover
but don't be my friend
You can be my Bad boy
But understand
That I don't need you in my life again

Won't you be my bad Boy
be my man
be my weekend lover
but don't be my friend
You can be my Bad boy
But understand
That I don't need you again
No I don't need you again

(instrumental solo)

As the music wound down, Angela stepped off the stage, paying no mind to the loud applause she was receiving. Smiling despite herself, she sat back down at the table, accepted the drink Lucy offered to her, and said "Well, we all know who sings next."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A woman who's still trying to figure out what she wants in life.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: One more chapter done, one more chapter to do until this story is done. And starting in September, revenge comes.