The sun was low in the sky when Tony returned from Brooklyn, having driven Eddie back himself. He still couldn't believe one of his best friends got with Angela's best friend...his classy boss' classy friend. Eddie wasn't a kiss and tell kinda guy but Tony did manage to get a few details out of him, convincing him he'd probably not see Emily again and swearing he'd never tell Angela. She'd been lovely, the experience (even in the back of his old van) lovely, uninhibited, and fun. She knew what she wanted and liked and wasn't afraid to tell him and ask him and Eddie found it refreshing.

Tony ate it up like a little kid being read a fairy tale at bedtime. He was envious of his friend. "And you really don't want to pursue it?"

"Look, Ton, she lives and works in California."

"But you liked her."

"Sure." He paused and shrugged. "Hey, who knows. Right now? It doesn't make sense. But people move, circumstances change. She had meetings with deans and professors at NYU and Columbia about working together next year. Who knows? Maybe she'll be back."

"You think you could see yourself with her? If she came back?"

"Like in a relationship?" He paused and pondered it. "I don't know. It's hard for me to imagine how it looks and how it works. Would she enjoy pizza and beer and playing pool? Maybe. Could I fit in with her academic world? Would we wind up living together on the upper East Side? We'd have to see. We'd have to both want to make it work."

Tony seemed content with this answer. After a moment, it was Eddie's turn to pry.

"What about you and Angela? Come on, Tony, I saw you last night with her. You're totally hot for her."

"Stop it! I'm not. And...she's my boss!"

"So? You're still hot for her." Eddie smirked at him. "Don't you want to?"

"It's not like that with Angela and me." His mind replayed a series of memories from the last year, everything from being alone in that motel room to pretending they were married for Sam's friends, to dancing with her at Michael's wedding, to her their conversation on the couch following Thanksgiving. Yes, he was completely attracted to her, but she was still his boss, and now? His friend. Maybe more, he wasn't sure.

"It's complicated. She's not only my boss, Eddie, but she's also a good friend. And a co-parent. If we did anything, even just for fun, we'd risk gossip, reputations, the kids' stability, my job. I'm not willing to do that for a fun romp in the back of my van. Besides, she deserves the best."

Eddie let it go but as he got out and slammed the door, he peered his head in the window. "I think you're over-complicating things with you and Angela. I saw the way she looked at you. Your worlds have already collided, pal, and you're both falling for each other. You and Marie had some differences too, if I recall. You just let yourself be in love and it all worked out. Think about it." He gave the car a little slap as he turned and walked into his Brooklyn row home.

###

When Tony arrived back in Fairfield, Angela was home and changed and reading a book in the living room. Like Tony, her brunch at the club with Emily stirred up all kinds of further conversation, not just about her friend and Eddie, but also about her and Tony.

"Let's say you wind up back here next semester. Do you think you'd look him up?"

"Sure, why not?"

"You think it'd maybe turn into something more?"

"A relationship? I don't know." She chomped on a biscotti and considered it. "I just wouldn't want either of us to feel stifled in the other's world...but I guess the thing is at some point, those worlds would blur and it wouldn't be a big deal. Assuming we both wanted more and worked at it."

"Yeah...I mean, I don't think Tony feels stifled in my world...?" Angela mused that one out loud.

"Angela. From what you've told me and what I saw, you and Tony fit together like a hand in a glove. You can tell he enjoys being part of your life. That's why I asked you about the two of you. I mean, he's hot, Ang!"

"Yes...he's got his fair share of muscles, Emily!" She'd admitted, reluctantly.

Thoughts of him parading shirtless through the house filled her mind. Thoughts of their first kiss and their platonic yet suggestive night at the motel went through her mind: "Things could be really good between us the way they aren't." And his, "They'd be great." She felt the heat all over her body.

"But he's not just some chip and dale I'd use for a lap dance...or a 1-night stand. He's Tony. And he's a person, and my good friend, and a great co-parent and father-figure, and..." She'd trailed off.

"You really care about him."

"Of course I care. I just don't know what we are to each other. And until then..."

"You want a relationship with him," Emily said tenderly. "Do you love him?"

It had become uncomfortable, to the point where Angela almost shed tears of confusion, and thankfully her friend respected her enough to drop it.

She knew she was attracted to Tony, had a feeling things would definitely be great between them in bed, and she knew she loved Tony as a friend, but more than that? Maybe? She wasn't yet sure. Did he feel the same way? Maybe she could have had fooled around with him before but now? She was fairly certain she couldn't separate their existing relationship and growing emotions from the sex. And that didn't even take into consideration the other complications.

She was conflicted and overwhelmed and it scared her.

Her friend had reached for her hand. "Hey, Tony seems pretty fantastic. Just don't let fears keep you from a good thing, ok? Especially the silly ones about coming from different backgrounds. People evolve, lines blur, and that stuff gets worked out. Especially when you love each other. And I think there's more between you than you both realize."

###

"Penny for your thoughts?" Tony broke her daydream.

"What? Oh! I was...uh...finishing this chapter." She took off her glasses and set down her book.

"Jackie Collins? This afternoon wasn't hot enough for ya?"

Her face went crimson. "How's Eddie?"

"Fine. How's Emily?"

"Fine. Excited for her meetings tomorrow at NYU and Columbia."

"Yeah, Eddie mentioned that to me. She might have some long term work with them?"

"Maybe. If things go well. They are looking at some joint research projects. It could mean she's back East more."

"Huh. Well. Who knows? Maybe they'll find their way back to each other's worlds?"

"Maybe so...maybe they'll want to give it a go..."

"Maybe they'll wind up together in the end."

They held each other's eyes, aware of the possibilities. "All that silly stuff about worlds colliding..." he said nervously.

"And not being enough?"

"I guess it sorts itself out when two people are in love and really want to make things work."

"I guess it does."

He made his way for the stairs and stopped. "Hey, uh...I was thinking of playing a little pool at the sports bar in town tomorrow. You, uh, interested?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. I can teach ya how to play. I mean, unless you've read up on it and have some tricks up your sleeve!"

She gave a suggestive little smile. "Sure. I'd love to."

A/N:

My inspiration for the When Worlds Collide design edits (IG) was Crowded House's song Distant Sun from their 1993 Together Alone album.

"When your seven worlds collide

Whenever I'm by your side

Dust from a distant sun

Will shower over everyone"

I imagined those worlds colliding - the celestial bodies, the force of gravity, the collision, explosion, and subsequent shower of stardust - and the resulting effects on both of them. As I worked my way through this episode from an artistic perspective, it was important for me to not just tell the story through the visuals but also capture their feelings, which are always layered and complicated.

That said, there are two distinct moments within the episode that felt unresolved to me, where emotion was left suspended in the air - first, right after Eddie and Emily hurriedly leave, on the hunt for the "hand cream," leaving Tony and Angela behind to digest all that just happened, and then again at the end, when they part ways and there is this flicker of hope, almost as if the proverbial light Emily switched off, flickered again and came back on, albeit dimly. So this is my fill-in story and tag.