Good people of the fanfiction world, it is updating time! YAY! I'm soooo sorry I didn't update sooner! To make up for it, I give you this long, lovely chapter. Okay, serious drama in this chapter guys. I'm talking major tension in the Collins household. Can you stand that I'm distracting you from all the good stuff with this author's note?

I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.

"Morning," Collins said, entering the kitchen and giving his mother a kiss on the cheek.

"Morning, Tommy," Virginia replied as bacon sizzled in a skillet on the stove.

"How come you didn't go to church?"

"I felt like I should stay home today. So that's what I did."

"You don't have to watch me. I'm an adult now."

"Adult or not you'll always be my little boy."

"I know." Collins pulled on his shirt collar. "How hot is it?"

"Oh, it's supposed to be up there today. The weatherman said it's gonna be in the 90's. It's already in the 80's."

"Jesus Christ."

"Tom, you know I don't like to hear you use the Lord's name like that."

"Sorry, Mamma."

"Speakin' of the Lord, your father just called. He said it was so hot in the church he had to shorten his sermon so nobody would have a heat stroke. He, your brothers, sister, and friends, except Maureen and Joanne, who I think are still asleep, will be back here in a little while."

"Oh joy." Collins looked at the stove and saw that eggs, bacon, and sausage were all cooking at the same time. He frowned. "Did you make anything for me to eat? All I see is meat."

"Well, I'm gettin' ready to make pancakes and grits, but I did make you somethin' special." Virginia walked to the refrigerator and took out a plate covered with aluminum foil. Collins stared at the plate.

"What is it?"

"It's a veggie omelet. All you gotta do is heat it up." Collins smiled, gave Virginia another kiss on the cheek, and unwrapped his omelet as Jesse, holding onto Angel's arm, limped into the kitchen.

"Thanks for helpin' me out, Angel," Jesse said.

"No problem, honey," Angel replied. "Hang on. I'll go get you a chair so you can sit down." Angel left the room as Collins put his omelet in the microwave.

"How do you feel today, Jesse?" Virginia asked her son.

"He's obviously gettin' back to normal since he's flirting with Angel and all," Collins said quietly yet loud enough for Jesse to hear him.

"I wasn't flirtin' with her," he said. "I was just thankin' her for helpin' me get down the stairs."

"Sure you were."

"She said you'd be paranoid if I asked her to help me, but I didn't think she'd be right."

"Well, you two seem to be gettin' along great. Maybe you should give me a heads up on what time would be good for me to leave the house so you can make out with her."

"That's ridiculous!"

"That's realistic!"

"Tom, Jesse, stop that fighting," Virginia scolded her sons as Angel came back into the kitchen with a chair. She then sat it next to Jesse.

"Here you go, Jesse," she said.

"Thank you, Angel," Jesse replied, starting to sit down.

"Let me help you."

"I'm pretty sure he can sit down on his own, Angel," Collins said harshly.

"That's enough," Virginia said. "You're brothers and you better start actin' like it." She then noticed that Jesse was in his work shirt, which used to have sleeves before he decided he was too cool for them. "Jesse, why are you wearin' that? I know you didn't sleep in it."

"Rachel called last night, said her air conditioner shut down on her, and requested that I wear this when I go over there to fix it," Jesse explained. "Meanin' I gotta go all the way back upstairs and get my tool belt." Jesse stood up slowly.

"I can help you up the stairs," Angel offered, letting Jesse grab onto her arm.

"I'll help him," Collins said quickly.

"Tommy, while Angel's helpin' Jesse, you can help me with breakfast," Virginia said, giving her youngest son a "you're helping me whether you want to or not" look. Collins sighed as Angel helped Jesse walk out of the kitchen.

After slowly making it to the top of the stairs and into Jesse's room, Jesse let go of Angel's arm and limped toward his closet. He made it about half way before he tripped over a shoe and fell.

"OW!" he exclaimed as Angel rushed over to him.

"You okay honey?" she asked, helping him sit upright. He immediately grabbed his knee.

"No. I think I hurt my knee even more." Angel helped him up and let him hold onto her arm again as he limped to his bed and sat down.

"Maybe you're just accident prone or something."

"Nah. I've always been the healthy one. I've never even caught a cold before."

"You've never caught a cold?"

"Never. Knock on wood."

"Wow. Well maybe it's me. Maybe I'm bad luck."

"There can never be anything unlucky about bein' around you." Angel blushed and looked away from Jesse. Seconds later, Jesse turned her face back toward him. "You have the prettiest eyes I've ever seen."

"Really?" Angel felt her and Jesse's faces getting closer together.

"Yeah. You're honestly one of the most beautiful people I've ever met." They were looking into each other's eyes at this point. Before Angel could respond, Jesse's lips were pressed against hers. Not actually realizing that the man that was kissing her wasn't her lover, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him on top of her.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOIN' ON!?" they both heard Collins' voice yell. They separated instantly, both of them staring at the furious expression on Collins' face. Angel was the first to move toward him.

"Honey," she said, placing her hands gently on his shoulders. "Just cal-" Collins pushed Angel away from him and stepped toward the bed, where Jesse was still sitting.

"It's not what it looked like, Tom," he said.

"Oh really?" Collins replied. "That's a relief cause it looked like you were makin' out with my fiancé."

"I wouldn't call it makin' out, but-" Angel put her hands back on Collins' shoulders.

"Collins, honey-" He shrugged her hands off of his shoulders, lunged toward Jesse (knocking a lamp over in the process), and wrapped his hands around his neck. "Collins, stop it!" Hearing the crash of the lamp, Virginia rushed upstairs and into the room.

"What's goin' on up-" She stopped herself in mid-sentence. "TOM!" She ran over to the bed, where Collins was trying to strangle his brother. "Tom, what're you doin'!? Get off him!"

"Mamma . . ." Jesse choked out. Virginia managed to pry Collins' hands off of Jesse's neck, allowing him to breathe.

"What's the matter with you!?" Virginia asked Collins. "You could've killed him!"

"That was kinda the point, Mamma," Collins replied.

"Collins, sweetheart-" Angel started.

"Don't call me sweetheart," Collins interrupted.

"Honey-"

"Don't call me that either. As a matter of fact, don't call me sweetheart, honey, sugar, dear, sweetie, baby, darling, love, or anything else you've ever called me in English or Spanish! You know what? Just don't talk to me, alright?"

"But, Collins-"

"I said, don't talk to me." Collins stormed out of the room and Virginia followed him.

"Tom, wait," she said. Collins stopped at the top of the stairs. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" Collins asked. "What's wrong with me? Mamma, you should be askin' that question to Jesse not me."

"Why? Was he stranglin' you too?" Virginia folded her arms across her chest and Collins was silent. "What about Angel, huh? What'd she do to you that you had to treat her so badly?"

"She was makin' out with Jesse, Mamma."

"She . . . was?"

"Yeah. She had her arms wrapped around him like . . . like . . ."

"Like he was you?"

"Yeah. I don't understand though. I'd never do anything like that to hurt Angel so why'd she-"

"Collins!" Angel called.

"I'll be outside," Collins told Virginia as he went down the stairs.

"Honey, please!" Angel started to go down the stairs after him, but Virginia grabbed her arm.

"He needs some time alone," she said.

"But I need to explain. He's never been this mad at me before."

"He's probably on his way to a quiet place where he can think for a moment."

"If he thinks, he'll never talk to me again. He'll want his ring back and he won't wanna marry me." Tears filled Angel's eyes and Virginia pulled her into a hug. "I didn't mean to kiss Jesse back it just happened."

"I know."

"I really do love Collins."

"I know that too. You just gotta give him some time."

"Mamma!" both Angel and Virginia heard Martin and Reed's voices call. The twins ran up the stairs with Lamont, Jasmine, Mark, Roger, and Benny not far behind.

"What's all the yellin' about?" Virginia asked, releasing Angel from their hug.

"Mamma, if you loved any of your kids, you'd divorce Marvin Collins now," Lamont said, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Lamont! Since when do you call your father Marvin?"

"Since he decided to invite the spawns of satin to our reunion!"

"What're you talkin' about? Why do you want me to divorce him?"

"Daddy invited the people that beat Jesse up yesterday to the reunion," Jasmine explained.

"The homophobic gang?" Angel asked worriedly.

"Yeah," Martin said. "He said there's too many homosexuals in this house so he's gonna have to scare 'em all straight."

"Startin' with Tom," Reed added. Angel gasped and hurried down the stairs, only to run straight into Marvin, who glared at her.

"Watch where you're goin'," Marvin told her. Angel looked at the ground to avoid making eye contact with him.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just looking for Collins."

"I just saw him."

"You did?" Angel looked up.

"Yeah. He was mumblin' somethin' about you and Jesse and how he'd be better off with someone else . . ."

"No!" Collins then came into the hallway. Angel ran to him and put her hands on his chest to stop him from walking.

"Angel-" he started.

"Honey . . . Collins, just listen for a minute, okay?"Angel interrupted.

"But I need to say someth-"

"What happened with Jesse was an accident!" Angel cried. "It didn't mean anything! It just happened! I swear I wouldn't do anything to hurt you intentionally! Please, please, please don't leave me! Please, honey! I don't know what'd I'd do without you!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Collins said, removing Angel's hands from his chest. "Who said I was leaving you?" Angel gave him a confused look.

"You mean, you don't think you'd be better off with someone else?" she asked.

"Where's this coming from?"

"Well, your dad-"

"What'd you say to her?" Collins asked Marvin.

"Nothing that you wouldn't have said if you were me," Marvin replied.

"What'd he say to you, Angel?"

"He said you were mumbling about me and Jesse kissing and that you'd be better off with someone else," Angel said, looking at her heels.

"I was mumbling about you and Jesse kissing, but not that I'd be better off with someone else."

"That's what he told me."

"And you believed him?"

"Well . . . yeah. I mean, it seemed like you hated me when you went outside so-"

"Let's get one thing straight right now," Collins interrupted. "I don't, nor will I ever, hate you. Yeah, I was pissed, but I didn't hate you. I just needed to think for a minute and cool down."

"So you still love me?" Angel was looking into Collins' eyes.

"Of course I do."

"And you don't wanna give the ring to someone else?"

"Hey, I gave that ring to you and only you." Collins held Angel's left and admired the ring on her finger. He then kissed her hand as the rest of his family along with Mark, Roger, and Benny filed into the hallway. "Ang, you're the only girl for me and I love you no matter what." Tears formed in Angel's eyes again.

"I love you too, honey," she said. Collins pulled her into a small, sweet kiss.

"Well, ain't that cute?" Lamont said, grinning. Angel and Collins' kiss ended and they both turned to Marvin, who was shaking his head.

"Hey, Tom," Jesse said. "I'm really, really sorry. I . . . I never-"

"It's okay," Collins interrupted. "She is irresistible."

"Now that that's over, I need to talk to you, Marvin," Virginia said, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'd rather go upstairs and work on my sermon for next Sunday," Marvin replied.

"You're not goin' anywhere. I'm sick and tired of you dodgin' my questions."

"I'm not dodgin' your questions. I'm just really busy."

"I don't give a damn if you're busy or not! I have somethin' to say and you're gonna listen whether you want to or not!"

"What could you possibly wanna talk about?"

"I want you to explain to me why the hell you think it's okay to invite a gang to our reunion!"

"If Tom can bring homosexual people here, then I can bring homophobic people."

"No you can't!" Lamont exclaimed. "That ain't how it works!"

"You aren't in this conversation, Lamont," Marvin told his son.

"Don't you talk to him like that!" Virginia demanded.

"I'll talk to him any way I want!" Maureen and Joanne suddenly came into the hallway.

"What's all the yelling about?" Maureen asked.

"Collins' dad invited those homophobes to the reunion," Mark answered.

"Why?" Joanne asked.

"Cause he's a sick, twisted-" Lamont started.

"I'm not sick and twisted," Marvin interrupted. "The sick and twisted one is-"

"You are sick and twisted if you invite people to your house who only wanna harm your son and you're gonna let 'em!" Virginia interrupted.

"She's right," Roger agreed.

"What kind of father are you?" Benny asked.

Soon, everyone was arguing about the fact that the reunion was was going to either end up being violent or bring even more drama into the house. Everyone, that is, except for Collins. He just listened to the arguments and tried to block them out. He looked back and forth at his friends and his family until their arguing became too much for him.

"EVERYBODY SHUT UP!" he yelled. The argument stopped instantly. "I knew this was a mistake from the beginning! I should've never brought anyone here! Hell, I shouldn't have even come!" Everyone stared at him. "If you guys wanna fight all day, be my guest, but don't expect me to sit here and watch!" Collins stormed out of the house and started walking with no destination in mind.

"Tom!" Jasmine called, running toward her brother. "Tom, please don't leave. We haven't seen you in so long and . . ." She broke off. "Please stay." Collins stared at her for a long moment.

"I can't be in that house right now, Jazz," he said. "It's . . . it's too much."

"We'll try not to argue."

"I doubt that's gonna happen with Stack and Dad in the same room." Jasmine opened her mouth to say something, but Collins stopped her before she could utter one syllable. "I'll be back. I just feel like bein' alone right now." He thought for a moment. "Do me a favor and take care of Angel 'til I get back." He then kissed his sister's forehead and started to walk again, faintly hearing her call his name one more time as he broke into a run.

Another cliffhanger! Oh yeah, it took me this long to update anything because I'm in CATS at my high school and it's ruling my life right now. THREE MORE SHOWS THIS WEEKEND AND I'M DONE! YES!

Who wants to give me an unnecessarily long review? Any takers? Come on, whoever does it gets a cameo. Tempting, huh?

Review please. :)