From Zero to Fifteen in Eight Seconds Flat - Prologue
Disclaimers: Oh, how I wish I owned the rights to WTB? But then again, I was hardly in elementary school when it came out, so that would have made me a very gifted (and wealthy) child. I'm not, so they're not mine. I'm just taking Tony and Angela out for a walk, and I will return them to their home very soon. ;)
Notes: this is a continuation to the episode in which Geoffrey leaves his car at Angela's place and there' a.um.accident? G It aired on Prime yesterday as a reference point for fellow Ontarians, were you to want a better idea of what ep it is.
This is my first WTB? Fanfiction, so please be gentle. It's currently just this chapter and outlines for more, but I thought I'd throw this out to you to see if maybe I should stick to political disasters and assassination attempts G
***
"That's one big scratch," Tony joked, still in shock at the sight of the misshapen sports car. They just stared at it in awe, until finally Tony led them away from the door and closed it behind them.
Geoffrey's car had been demolished-beyond recognition. His brand new, expensive Porsche was scrap metal, hauled away in pieces. Not even large pieces, Angela reminded herself. They were small hunks of shiny red that littered Oakhills Drive, and reminded her of how anal her boyfriend was. And how obsessive he was about his car.
"I." Angela began to speak but couldn't formulate a sentence. Geoffrey's face kept appearing behind her eyelids, searing her retinas. She could already imagine how angry he'd be-how upset he'd be that she let something happen to his car.
But she didn't exactly let something happen. No, quite the opposite in fact. Tony was bringing the car in the driveway, and it was going to be locked safely in the garage again, safe from danger. It just never quite made it.
Thoughts flew through her mind at a million miles an hour, re-routing whenever she thought back to the wreckage of the car. It wasn't until an arm wrapped around her, and pulled her against a warm body that she began to come back down to earth. Tony had pulled her against him, and tightly held her. He could tell she was upset-they had known each other long enough and well enough-she couldn't hide anything from him.
The warmth of his body and the security of his arms made the entire situation seem less scary. Suddenly there wasn't the overwhelming urge to scream and hide in her study until she could figure out a way to tell Geoffrey. Instead, she focussed on the way he soothed her and the way he slowly rocked them back and forth until she could breathe again.
How did he do that? How did Tony take away all of her problems, and make her feel like she was safe. Tony was her best friend, yes, but none of her other best friends had ever made her feel like that. Then again, none of her other best friends were ever men and they never looked like Tony.
"Ang, we'll figure this out," Tony whispered soothingly against her ear. "We'll figure out how to tell Geoffrey, and we'll tell him together if that will make this easier on you."
Angela felt catapulted back into reality. She shouldn't have been thinking about Tony, and his arms. She should have been thinking about Geoffrey and his response to her news.
*****
Geoffrey got home from his trip, and his first stop was inevitably at the house. As many times as Angela rehearsed telling him, she still felt knots forming in her stomach, warning her that this only had two ways it could go. Bad. Worse. Was hoping for bad a hint as to what would come?
Mona and Tony both seemed to think it would go badly, seeing how compulsive Geoffrey had been about the car-he didn't even want people sitting in it really. No finger prints. No kicking the tires. Angela was being rational, or so she kept telling herself. Geoffrey would understand the accident, maybe even laugh at it. What was important was that it was just a car, and nobody was hurt.
At first Geoffrey thought it was a joke. He did laugh but then he realized it wasn't a joke. She was serious.
A flood of relief washed over Angela as she realized that he was ecstatic to see that she was fine-totally unharmed from whatever mangled car accident he was imagining. Maybe things would go better than she had anticipated.
But quickly things went to worse. The car had been left on the street, she was going to let Tony bring it into the garage, and then the neighbour's tree fell on it.
He called her irresponsible. That was it for Angela, there was no where for them to go from there. Geoffrey had blamed her for something she hadn't done. It wasn't like she cut down the tree herself, yelling timbre as the damn thing crashed through the hunk of metal.
And that's all it was. A very expensive hunk of metal. If the car meant that much to him, obviously Angela couldn't mean much comparatively. She kicked him out of her house, watched the door slam behind him, and then looked at Tony in shock.
"He'll be back," Tony said in an attempt to be comforting.
Surely enough, the door swung open and in marched Geoffrey. But he wasn't there to apologize. He wanted the damn steering wheel. When he stormed out again, Tony wasn't sure what to say.
"I didn't say when," Tony joked, hoping to lighten the mood. When it didn't work, he once again wrapped his arms around Angela instinctively and tried to calm her.
Her body started to shake as she fought her tears. Angela was so confused. She should be more upset about the man who just walked out the door, but what was more frightening to her was that she was feeling better being in Tony's arms. The idea of the control the man holding her had over her was scary as hell. He was just her best friend. She just lost a man she thought she would marry. Why didn't it sting more?
There were so many feelings to be sorted out, Angela realized. It wasn't just a case of getting over Geoffrey. That, she decided, was already done. She'd never really been in love with Geoffrey. Now, she just had to decide how long she had been in love with Tony. And what she was going to do about it.
***** Chapter One:
The past five days had been torturous for Angela. She had barely eaten since the night they told Geoffrey about the car and everyone in the family thought that she had been grieving her lost relationship.
Angela wasn't. She wasn't missing Geoffrey. She had barely thought of him. Instead, she kept thinking back to how wonderful it felt to be in Tony's arms and how much better he made her feel when things were looking.rocky--to say the least-in her life.
But, having just left a relationship, and being totally unaware of Tony's feelings, Angela wasn't sure that she could have the conversation that she wanted-needed-to have.
They had to clear up whatever was between them, and finally act on the feelings they were having, or Angela needed to know that nothing would happen. No matter what, she needed to know.
****
Standing in the kitchen, surrounded by pots, pans, and various dishes, Angela smoothed out another floral sheet of mac-tak on the cupboard shelf. Running her hand over the textured plastic, she kept reminding herself that it hadn't even been a week since she broke up with Geoffrey and that it would be too soon to jump into a new relationship. Even if it was to be with Tony.
Then something else began to plague her. What if she told Tony about how she felt, and he didn't return the feelings? Or worse, what if they tried a relationship and something went wrong. She'd lose her best friend, and no matter how close they were, could they survive it? Tony didn't seem like the kind of guy women stayed friends with, and Angela was starting to understand why. It would kill her to be around him day in and day out, knowing she couldn't be with him.
Failed relationships. They always seemed to follow her around. And now she was mac-tacing the cupboard. Something had to be wrong with her, she kept telling herself.
"Whatcha doin'?" Tony asked, still unsure if he was allowed to ask her things like that. She was his boss, and despite their friendship, Tony always felt like he was going to cross that invisible line. He didn't know where it was, or if he could even find it, were he able to see it. Most of the time he had blinders on, and all he could think about was his best friend.
"Piddling." Angela forced a smile, and then watched for some sign from him. She just needed something to explain to her what he was feeling.
"I was afraid of that. Listen, I'm really sorry. I feel like it's my fault." He stepped a few feet closer to her and extended his hand towards her. Angela wouldn't accept it.
"Tony, it's not your fault that Geoffrey is a pathetic, repressed, compulsive, nerotic." Angela began to rant.
"Obssessive," Tony offered.
"Obsessive, juvenile excuse for a human being." Angela couldn't stand still. He kept walking closer to her, and she felt her chest constricting. "And to think," She added with disgust, "that we rubbed noses."
"This guy's really got you upset, huh?"
"No! Of course not! I am a rock. An island. Island's don't get upset." Angela stopped herself, to remind her self that it wasn't Geoffrey that had her so upset. It was her feelings for Tony. "You know what really bothers me?" She continues, "Is that I can't even compete with a Porsche!"
"Oh, Angela, wait a second, that isn't true! You can hold your own with any car." The look on her face told him it wasn't going well. He didn't want to step over that line that had to exist, but he couldn't handle seeing her upset. "You know what I mean. You're top of the line. A Lamborghini!" The gleam in his eye revealed some of the emotion he was feeling for Angela. He really saw her as a top of the line sports car. "5000 S, with fuel injection, an overhead cam, and a snazzy racing stripe!" Finishing, he gestured towards her figure, allowing her to fill in the blanks of what he was saying.
"You really think so?" Angela tried not to sound wistful, but the way he was speaking made her feel uncommonly loved. It was a stupid car metaphor, and coming from anybody else it probably would have been everything but endearing. But it wasn't anybody else. It was Tony. Her Tony.
"Eh, hey, hey! I subscribe to car and driver.Come on, seriously. I'm sure he's gonna wanna patch things up." He felt a twinge of jealousy as he spoke, realizing that Angela and Geoffrey would probably end up together again, and he would be left thinking about her by himself.
"Who says I want to patch things up?"
"What do you mean? You don't?" Tony tried not to let his feelings interfere with making her feel better, but a part of him would love to see Angela single again, so he could muster the courage to maybe act on some of the feelings he had been experiencing.
"I just don't know anymore. I thought we had something really special but." Angela slowly pulled the courage together that she thought she needed. This was her chance-her opportunity to tell Tony exactly how she felt.
"But what?" Tony asked, hoping there was more than meets the eye to her reluctance about getting back together with Geoffrey. It almost seemed like too much too hope for.
"It's just another failed relationship," Angela quickly spat, too nervous to voice anything more. Her courage failed her. She couldn't talk to Tony about her feelings, or his feelings. Angela didn't know if she could talk to him about anything at this point.
"Don't say that." Tony regrouped himself. He really felt like she was going to say something more. Maybe something that would make everything different between them.
"Oh who cares anyway? Ya know, dating Geoffrey really tied me down. Those Broadway shows, fancy dinners.weekends in the country."
"I had no idea it was so rough on you."
"You know, I think I'm going to be a much happier person without Geoffrey. I'm starting to feel happier already." Fighting back her tears, Angela knew that she would be happier without Geoffrey, but not without the things they had done together, and not if Tony wasn't by her side every step of the way. "Tony, would you excuse me?" Moving her arms in front of her with the pink floral roll, Angela went back to measuring out her next piece to be cut. Until she had the nerve to do something more, or to talk to him, piddling with little things would just have to keep her distracted.
"I can understand you'd want to be alone with your happiness." Tony mumbled, as he walked out of the kitchen. He could hear Angela's muffled crying, and despite wanting to rush to her side, he decided to leave her alone, like she asked. He'd go for a run instead, and hopefully kill off all of the anger he was harbouring towards Geoffrey. ***** Chapter Two:
When Tony got home from his run, he still felt empty. He wanted to find Angela, tell her that he was falling in love with her, and then somehow make her smile. It seemed easy enough in his mind, but to actually do it, he couldn't muster the courage. He didn't want to ruin their friendship, and he didn't want to disturb the family unit.
If there was a relationship, and it didn't work out, what would happen to the family they had built? That wasn't a chance worth taking-especially since Tony was sure that his feelings for her were not returned.
After he got a shower, and got dressed, Tony began to wonder what he could do. There really had to be some way he could cheer her up.
When the doorbell rang, he answered it, only to find a broken Geoffrey waiting on the other side. He wasn't shaven, his clothes weren't pressed, and he looked all around disshelved.
"Geoffrey, you look awful," Tony looked over the man in front of him once again, wondering if this was what he could expect of Angela down the line.
"Tony, I need your help. You're a friend, yeah? I mean, I've always thought that you and I had a . thing?" Geoffrey stood back and waited for Tony's response. He was a desperate man, he decided, and who better to talk to than Angela's best friend.
"Yeah, I guess so." Tony still wanted to hurt Geoffrey. He had called Angela irresponsible, and Tony knew how wrong he was. He also knew that if he hurt Geoffrey, that too might cause a rift between him and Angela. "There's no winning," he mumbled.
"I want to know if I still stand a chance with Angela," he asked, searching Tony's expression for some sort of answer.
"You really hurt her."
"I know, but I can't live without her. You don't understand how amazing of a woman she is, and how captivating she is." Geoffrey fell into a silent reverie, remembering his dates with Angela.
"I think I might have some idea," Tony grumbled. This was going to kill him-how could he help this man get back together with Angela. It was pervading his better senses.
"I just need to know, Tony, is she happy? Am I ruining her life if I ask her to let me walk back into it?"
'Yes!' Tony wanted to scream. 'You've already done enough damage you asshole.' But he didn't. "She's not been happy," he conceded. "She's not been happy at all."
"Then will you help me?" Geoffrey asked desperately.
"What do you want me to do?"
****
She had already alphabetized the magazines in the racks in the bathrooms, and she had even alphabetized her credit cards in her wallet. By the time Angela moved on to the bookshelf in the living room, she was sure that she'd have to talk to Tony soon. She couldn't go on organizing things for much longer; otherwise she'd probably just explode.
"Hey, Angela, having fun there?" Tony asked, trying to keep the mood friendly and fun.
"Ya know, I've wanted to do this forever, and now that I'm not going out every night." 'Unless of course you want to go out with me,' she wanted to add.
"Yeah, I've often wished those were alphabetical," he teased. "Look, I need to talk to you."
"Yes?" Angela asked all too eagerly.
"I was wondering if you've thought about Geoffrey much lately." He hated mentioning that name, and he hated how the colour faded from her face when he said it.
"Uh, no, not really," she offered. It wasn't a lie. She hadn't thought about Geoffrey at all. She had been too mesmerized by Tony, and by wondering what his role in her life could be.
"'Cause Angela, I was thinking." He stopped, and wanted to kick himself. Tony couldn't believe he was going to do this.
"Yes Tony?" She could feel the hope building inside of her, just wishing he'd ask her out.
"What if you were to run into him, and he.wanted to get back together?" Tony asked, making his way to the door.
"I told you." but before she could finish, Tony opened the door to reveal Geoffrey. "What's he doing here?"
"I want to apologize," Geoffrey said meekly, as he pushed his way through the door, and offered her two dozen red roses.
Her heart sank. Tony was trying to help Geoffrey 'mend fences' with her. How could he do this to her?
"I don't want your apology," Angela said abruptly.
"But.What's changed since last week? You.you're different," Geoffrey remarked, her previous comment tormenting him. She didn't want his apology.
"I'm nobody's Buick," Angela spat.
"I don't understand.I" He stared at her in awe. She wasn't the same woman he loved. A switch inside of her had flipped.
"I didn't expect you to." She could feel Tony's eyes boring holes through her back, and she just wished she could yell at him too. But she couldn't. He was trying to make her happy again. 'If only he knew I wanted him-not Geoffrey,' Angela told herself.
"You think that I think you're a Buick?"
"Very coherent Geoffrey with a G. No, it's a metaphor. I'm too good to play second fiddle to any car, and more importantly, I've realized you're not the man for me!" She didn't realize what she said until after the fact, but then she didn't regret it. Intending to turn on her heels and tell Tony about her feelings, she spun, only to see the kitchen door swinging. He'd made his escape. Before she could tell him.
*** In the kitchen:
"What's going on in there? I saw Geoffrey standing at the door, and-he's not back again, is he?" Tony looked uncomfortable with the inquisition.
"He wanted to talk to Angela about getting back together," Tony said quietly as he moved through the cupboards. Angela's system was really quite efficient, and despite still getting used to everything's new homes, he liked it. Somehow, digging through the contents of the cupboards made him feel closer to her, and he'd take that any way he could get it.
"So?"
"So I kinda arranged it." Tony cowered as he spoke, realizing how mad he was with himself.
"You.selfish, selfish man! Why do you always have to do stuff for her? What about me?" Mona chided.
"Well technically what I did was for her, not me, AND I do lots of things for you!" There was a sensation of pain that overwhelmed him while he spoke. He loved her too much to let her go.
"Whatever," Mona grunted as she left the kitchen.
"Yeah, whatever," Tony agreed. When he noticed that there were no longer any sounds from the living room, he decided they must have made up-a thought that killed him.
Ducking his head around the door and into the living room, he couldn't see anyone. Neither one of them were there.
"Angela," he called out, secretly praying she was still around, and hadn't gone off with Geoffrey.
"Hey Tony," she said calmly as she walked around the corner and into the living room from her office.
"Where's, uh."
"He's gone. I kicked him out." Angela returned to organizing the books.
"So.?" Tony couldn't understand what was going on. He was sure she wanted to get back together with Geoffrey. "Angela, I know it's tough, and trust me, Geoffrey's not my favourite guy or anything, but do you think you're being too hard on him?" He didn't want this conversation-he'd rather ask her to join him for a romantic dinner and a movie on nick at night, but he wasn't going to deprive her of her happiness.
"Tony, I don't want to talk about this with you," she spat as she added Dickens to the shelf.
"Angela, you need to talk to someone, and I've always thought that." Tony couldn't bear to label them as 'friends.' It seemed cruel and unjust to think of them that way.
"You know what; I want you to back off, okay? I don't want to talk to you about Geoffrey, I don't want to talk to you about my failed relationships, and I don't want to talk to you about anything even vaguely related to my romantic involvements!" Angela couldn't stand to look at him. Her feelings for him were only getting stronger and there he was trying to reunite her with her ex.
"Okay. I'm sorry to have interfered. I only wanted to do what I thought you wanted. I can't stand to see you hurt like this, but I won't bring it up again," he said as he turned to leave the room. He could hear her faint sobs, and he began to wonder what was happening to them, and how he was going to be able to deal with it all. He just wanted to give her his heart, and he didn't know how.
*** Chapter Three:
It had been two weeks since their last run in with Geoffrey, but neither Tony nor Angela seemed to be getting any rest at night.
For his part, Tony found himself waking up just after midnight, unable to fall back asleep. He'd get up, sort his laundry and take it to the basement, organize the shampoo and conditioner in the shower, or find some other menial task to be completed.
Around 1:30 he'd hear Angela get out of bed, and sometimes he'd hear the water in her bathroom running, filling a tub. Those nights, Tony would sit I against the wall in the hallway, listening to her softly hum along with her music, wishing they could help each other sleep.
He was sure they were both lonely, and that's why they weren't sleeping any more. He missed the friendship that they had shared, and Angela missed her relationship-even if she didn't want to admit it.
On the nights that Angela didn't take a bath, she would find her pink terrycloth robe and make her way down stairs to the kitchen, in search of ice cream or cookies. Sometimes Tony would watch her from the stairs as she fell asleep, ice cream in hand, spoon on the couch. He would take the container from her, put it away, and then go back to the couch to help Angela upstairs. He just never had the heart to wake her, instead lifting her up into his arms and carrying her back to her room.
Late during the first week of this routine, Tony removed her robe to make her more comfortable and tucked her back into bed. Angela just mumbled something incoherently and rolled on to her side, blissfully asleep again. He watched her for a few minutes and then went back to his room to stare at the ceiling for the next three hours.
*** "Dad, you look horrible!" Sam exclaimed as she walked into the kitchen. Tony was standing beside the stove, spatula in hand. His skin was pale, and his eyes looked heavy. Samantha had never seen her father look like that-not even after her mother died.
"Thanks honey, that makes me feel so much better," he responded. He knew he looked rough. He hadn't been getting more than one or two hours of sleep at night, and then he was busying himself for the other twenty-two hours of the day. He wasn't really eating anything, and he hadn't been keeping his body hydrated. He just felt too ill to take care of himself anymore.
"What's wrong, slugger?" Mona asked as she sat down at the table, and helped herself to breakfast.
"Nothin's wrong, okay?" Tony snapped, and then realized what he did. "Look, Mon, I'm sorry. I'm tired, and that's no excuse to snap at you.but I am sorry." Tony forced as much of a regretful smile as he could, before he started to feel dizzy. He lost all colour in his face, and his eyes shut.
As Tony collapsed in the corner, Angela walked through the kitchen door. "Good morning. Oh my God! Tony!?" Racing to his side, Angela slid down to the floor and took his hand in hers. "Mother, get Sam out of here and call 911, then take the kids to your place!" Angela barked out orders, but when she looked up at Sam, she could see the fear in the girl's eyes. "He's going to be okay, honey, really." She was reassuring herself as much as she was Samantha.
Everything became a blur to Angela from that point on. She took Tony's hand in hers, asking him to wake up, and then the next thing she new, the paramedics were there.
****
Chapter Four:
"Are you his wife?" One of the paramedics asked as they shifted Tony flat on the floor.
"No, I'm his.boss," Angela responded, her eyes glued to his limp form.
"Does he have any medical conditions we should know about?" The other asked quickly.
"Not that.not that I know of," her reply was delayed as she thought about how the children were doing, and how scared they must be. She was terrified.
A garbled moan was emitted from Tony during the course of the Paramedics poking and prodding.
"Tony?" Angela asked in excitement.
"Angela?"
She tried to move closer to him, but she couldn't figure her way around the paramedics who were crouched around him.
"Tony, we're going to take you to the hospital now," the first paramedic explained, causing Angela to gasp. Turning to her, he continued. "I think he could use some tests run, he looks pretty pale, and like he's not gotten much rest lately. I think one night to get some rest will help."
"Alright," Tony agreed, standing to walk, until he collapsed into the arms of the paramedics. "I think you guys may need to help me out here," Tony tried to smile.
**** "He's going to be okay," Angela said, running her hands the length of her calves. She was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chin, trying to calm down and figure out what was going on in her house.
"What's wrong with him?" Samantha couldn't cope with the idea that her father might die and that she'd be orphaned. He had to be alright.
"The paramedics said they had to run some tests, and they'd call us once he was in a room. If they don't call soon I think I'm going to just go and find him myself." She knew that she was holding a conversation, although she barely had any recollection of what was being asked of her.
"Can I come with you?" Sam asked quietly.
"Yeah, of course you can honey."
"Angela, can I ask you one more question?" Sam kind of looked away at the last part. When Angela nodded, she decided to ask, fighting back her tears. "If Dad dies, who will I live with?"
"Oh honey! Your father isn't going to die! He's going to be fine and he's going to come home to us soon. I promise."
"But what if he does die? Angela, I don't know what will happen to me!" Samantha was all out sobbing by this point.
"I'd like you to stay with us, here. You're family, Sam, and I wouldn't want you to leave this house unless you wanted to," Angela confided. She would never want to lose Sam or Tony. They really were her surrogate family.
"Let's go check up on your dad." Angela announced. She couldn't wait any longer.
*** At the Hospital:
"We're here to see Tony Micelli. He was brought in by the paramedics," Angela searched all of their faces for answers about his condition.
The entourage surprised the women standing at the nurse's station. A tall blonde followed by two kids and a fiery red head, all wanting to see a patient who was really just malnourished, dehydrated, and suffering from exhaustion. It sounded worse than it was, they all had agreed. Really he just needed a good meal or two, and lots of sleep. That's why they had given him both a sleeping aide and a painkiller.
"He's the second door down the hall on your left. He'll be out for the night," the nurse announced.
"Is he.okay?" Angela held her breath, waiting for the answer.
"You guys family?" The petite blond nurse asked-by the looks on their faces, she knew the answer. She just had to ask as a formality.
"I'm his boss-we live together," Angela explained, then realizing how little that helped her case. "This," she said, pulling Sam to the front of the group of people, "is Tony's daughter."
"The official party line will come from his doctor, Doctor Morrison, but I'll give you the unofficial skinny."
"We'd like that very much," Sam replied, her eyes begging the nurse for answers.
"He'll be fine. We're just feeding him some nutrients intravenously, and hydrating him. Also, he was suffering from severe exhaustion-apparently he's been experiencing extreme insomnia-the combination of the two was actually what caused him to collapse."
Angela's heart sank. Was this all because of their fight? She had blocked him from her life, and then he did the same in return. Only now, he was lying in a hospital bed.
"Second door down the hall on our left?" Mona confirmed and then darted down the hallway. The kids took off in tow, and then Angela, who could barely bring herself to look up while she was walking.
"He looks so.dead." At the sight of her father, Sam began to cry again. Tony was, indeed, much paler than he had been earlier. The room was cooler than anyone was comfortable with, and to the touch, Tony's flesh was icy.
"Oh, baby, it's okay. He's gonna be alright, the nurse told us already." Angela wrapped her arms around Sam, gently rocking them just as Tony had done for Angela the day of the car accident. "Mother, why don't you take the kids home, and I'll stay here with Tony."
"No problem." Mona started to walk away, and then she turned back to Tony. Taking his hand in hers, he pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. "We're waiting for you to wake up-none of us know how too cook worth a damn, and if we let Angela do it, we'll all be in here." Sam tried to stifle a laugh, but even under the circumstances, she had to confess it was kind of funny.
Leading the kids from the room, Mona looked back at her daughter sitting beside the love of her life. 'If only Angela would tell him,' Mona told herself, 'they'd be so much happier.'
***
As the first streams of daylight broke through the curtains, Angela began to shift in the plastic chair she spent the night in. It was the least comfortable way to sleep, not that she really would have gotten much sleep anyway.
His colouring looked better today, she decided. He didn't seem so sallow, or frail. Still, he'd not said a word to her since the day before when he was on the kitchen floor. She missed his voice already.
'I have to tell him,' she told herself. There was only so long she could pretend not to miss him, and it had already been too long. She wanted her best friend back, one way or another.
Chapter Five:
Tony had been released later that day from the hospital, with strict instructions to take the sleeping pills they prescribed him until he felt like he could manage without them. He was also ordered to eat three meals a day, and snacks until he had gained back the weight he lost in the previous weeks.
Once Angela got him home, he was to go straight to his room to rest, she informed him in the car. She had devised a duty list for the family so Tony would not be home alone at any point during the next few days, and so he wouldn't have to get up and do anything for himself.
"It's too much Angela. I just need to sleep like a human being again."
"I don't care what you want. You put us through something like this, and we're going to do whatever we have to do to feel better. You don't get a vote."
"So this is to make you feel better?"
"And you too so shut up and go along with it." Angela was tired of playing games. As soon as he was 100% again, they'd have the conversation about their relationship. Until then, she would make sure that he was taking care of himself, and getting everything he needed.
Tony laughed at Angela, and then commented, "Yes boss."
"Damn straight!" Angela laughed. Things were starting to feel a more normal already.
***
"So who cooked tonight?" Tony watched as Angela carried the tray through the doorway and towards his bed.
"Alonzo down the block," Angela carefully placed the tray in front of him for his inspection and then took a place standing beside his bed. She'd been making a lot of opportunities for herself to spend more time alone with Tony-even taking over other people's duties.
"Eh, oh! Didn't we agree we wouldn't invite that man in to this house?" Tony looked up in mock hurt. "I'm down for the count a few days and suddenly you're cheatin' on me?" He realized after the fact what he said. "I mean, as much as a boss can cheat on her housekeeper." 'Nice save doofus,' he chided himself.
"Well it is a nationwide chain, so I figured I'd take my chances. They really do have some great food." Angela watched his expression drop at her comment. "Nothing as fabulous as your cooking, but in a jam it's a decent enough substitute." She smiled as he blushed slightly. "You're a pushover."
"For you," Tony thought, and then realized that he actually spoke the words.
"Oh Tony!" Angela took a place on the edge of the bed, and watched his face turn various shades of crimson. "You're so cute when you're flustered!"
"I am NOT flustered," he adamantly argued.
"Oh yeah? Then what are you?"
"Embarassed." Tony used the fork on the tray to poke the food in front of him.
"Of?" It was about time they had a real conversation, Angela told herself. And this one seemed to be headed in the right direction.
"Look, you just got out of a relationship, and you're real upset. I shouldn't be.ya know?" Tony prayed she'd understand without him really having to verbalize anything more.
"You shouldn't be what?" She felt her breath catching in her throat, and she could feel her expression softening. This could be what she had been waiting for.forever.
"I shouldn't be flirting with you, okay?" Thoroughly embarrassed, he continued to examine his food.
"No, it's not okay!" Angela watched him quietly reprimand himself, and then she decided to seize the opportunity. "Tony, I've not been 'grieving' Geoffrey. I've been.wanting you. You make me feel special, Tony, and like nobody has ever made me feel before."
"You are special Angela, you know that. You're.you're the Lamborghini of women." Tony smiled at the car reference-it seemed to be their thing. "Yeah, well what's a Sunday drive without a good backseat? I mean.driver, that is?" She couldn't believe how flirtatious she was being, or how forward, but it felt so good.
"Yeah, well firstly you don't cruise a Lamborghini." Tony mentioned casually.
"What if she wants to be cruised?"
"And secondly," Tony began, clearing his throat, "you'd never see a Pinto in the same lot as a Lamborghini."
"Oh Tony!" Angela looked mortified. "You're no Pinto! You're a.A.Very nice car." She wished she hadn't flubbed the car reference. If that was going to be their thing, she might have to steal Tony's Car and Driver from time to time.
"Thanks Angela, but look at me, and look at you! What do you see?" Tony waited, and then resumed his rant. "I see.A beautiful, brilliant woman with charm and grace. And most of the time, you're very rational. And I see me. A Brooklyn guy who is too chicken to stand up and tell you that I love you. It's like." 'Damn. I said it.'
"I love you too," she whispered, and then continued more loudly. "I love you."
"So our relationship is kinda like Geoffrey's Porsche, huh?" Tony looked up at Angela, suddenly wondering how they could pull it together so quickly.
"Smushed flatter than a pancake, and giant shards of shiny red metal?" Angela's confusion was apparent.
"We can go from Zero to Fifteen in Eight Seconds Flat." Tony grinned, liking where the acceleration had taken them.
"But there's no need to go 157 in lower Manhattan, right?"
"Nah, we've got all the time in the world." Pulling her closer, Tony rested back against the pillows.
"Tired?" There was plenty of time, they both knew that. Something told them that they were forever, so there would be no need to rush through anything.
"A bit," Tony confessed.
"Want a sleeping pill?"
"Nah, I just want you to stay here with me. I think I'll sleep fine." Closing his eyes, arms wrapped around Angela, Tony quickly fell asleep and into a peaceful slumber.
Curling into his embrace, Angela closed her eyes as well, and dreamt of the man she remembered carrying her up the stairs and to her room, and the things she used to do just to be close to him.
***
Disclaimers: Oh, how I wish I owned the rights to WTB? But then again, I was hardly in elementary school when it came out, so that would have made me a very gifted (and wealthy) child. I'm not, so they're not mine. I'm just taking Tony and Angela out for a walk, and I will return them to their home very soon. ;)
Notes: this is a continuation to the episode in which Geoffrey leaves his car at Angela's place and there' a.um.accident? G It aired on Prime yesterday as a reference point for fellow Ontarians, were you to want a better idea of what ep it is.
This is my first WTB? Fanfiction, so please be gentle. It's currently just this chapter and outlines for more, but I thought I'd throw this out to you to see if maybe I should stick to political disasters and assassination attempts G
***
"That's one big scratch," Tony joked, still in shock at the sight of the misshapen sports car. They just stared at it in awe, until finally Tony led them away from the door and closed it behind them.
Geoffrey's car had been demolished-beyond recognition. His brand new, expensive Porsche was scrap metal, hauled away in pieces. Not even large pieces, Angela reminded herself. They were small hunks of shiny red that littered Oakhills Drive, and reminded her of how anal her boyfriend was. And how obsessive he was about his car.
"I." Angela began to speak but couldn't formulate a sentence. Geoffrey's face kept appearing behind her eyelids, searing her retinas. She could already imagine how angry he'd be-how upset he'd be that she let something happen to his car.
But she didn't exactly let something happen. No, quite the opposite in fact. Tony was bringing the car in the driveway, and it was going to be locked safely in the garage again, safe from danger. It just never quite made it.
Thoughts flew through her mind at a million miles an hour, re-routing whenever she thought back to the wreckage of the car. It wasn't until an arm wrapped around her, and pulled her against a warm body that she began to come back down to earth. Tony had pulled her against him, and tightly held her. He could tell she was upset-they had known each other long enough and well enough-she couldn't hide anything from him.
The warmth of his body and the security of his arms made the entire situation seem less scary. Suddenly there wasn't the overwhelming urge to scream and hide in her study until she could figure out a way to tell Geoffrey. Instead, she focussed on the way he soothed her and the way he slowly rocked them back and forth until she could breathe again.
How did he do that? How did Tony take away all of her problems, and make her feel like she was safe. Tony was her best friend, yes, but none of her other best friends had ever made her feel like that. Then again, none of her other best friends were ever men and they never looked like Tony.
"Ang, we'll figure this out," Tony whispered soothingly against her ear. "We'll figure out how to tell Geoffrey, and we'll tell him together if that will make this easier on you."
Angela felt catapulted back into reality. She shouldn't have been thinking about Tony, and his arms. She should have been thinking about Geoffrey and his response to her news.
*****
Geoffrey got home from his trip, and his first stop was inevitably at the house. As many times as Angela rehearsed telling him, she still felt knots forming in her stomach, warning her that this only had two ways it could go. Bad. Worse. Was hoping for bad a hint as to what would come?
Mona and Tony both seemed to think it would go badly, seeing how compulsive Geoffrey had been about the car-he didn't even want people sitting in it really. No finger prints. No kicking the tires. Angela was being rational, or so she kept telling herself. Geoffrey would understand the accident, maybe even laugh at it. What was important was that it was just a car, and nobody was hurt.
At first Geoffrey thought it was a joke. He did laugh but then he realized it wasn't a joke. She was serious.
A flood of relief washed over Angela as she realized that he was ecstatic to see that she was fine-totally unharmed from whatever mangled car accident he was imagining. Maybe things would go better than she had anticipated.
But quickly things went to worse. The car had been left on the street, she was going to let Tony bring it into the garage, and then the neighbour's tree fell on it.
He called her irresponsible. That was it for Angela, there was no where for them to go from there. Geoffrey had blamed her for something she hadn't done. It wasn't like she cut down the tree herself, yelling timbre as the damn thing crashed through the hunk of metal.
And that's all it was. A very expensive hunk of metal. If the car meant that much to him, obviously Angela couldn't mean much comparatively. She kicked him out of her house, watched the door slam behind him, and then looked at Tony in shock.
"He'll be back," Tony said in an attempt to be comforting.
Surely enough, the door swung open and in marched Geoffrey. But he wasn't there to apologize. He wanted the damn steering wheel. When he stormed out again, Tony wasn't sure what to say.
"I didn't say when," Tony joked, hoping to lighten the mood. When it didn't work, he once again wrapped his arms around Angela instinctively and tried to calm her.
Her body started to shake as she fought her tears. Angela was so confused. She should be more upset about the man who just walked out the door, but what was more frightening to her was that she was feeling better being in Tony's arms. The idea of the control the man holding her had over her was scary as hell. He was just her best friend. She just lost a man she thought she would marry. Why didn't it sting more?
There were so many feelings to be sorted out, Angela realized. It wasn't just a case of getting over Geoffrey. That, she decided, was already done. She'd never really been in love with Geoffrey. Now, she just had to decide how long she had been in love with Tony. And what she was going to do about it.
***** Chapter One:
The past five days had been torturous for Angela. She had barely eaten since the night they told Geoffrey about the car and everyone in the family thought that she had been grieving her lost relationship.
Angela wasn't. She wasn't missing Geoffrey. She had barely thought of him. Instead, she kept thinking back to how wonderful it felt to be in Tony's arms and how much better he made her feel when things were looking.rocky--to say the least-in her life.
But, having just left a relationship, and being totally unaware of Tony's feelings, Angela wasn't sure that she could have the conversation that she wanted-needed-to have.
They had to clear up whatever was between them, and finally act on the feelings they were having, or Angela needed to know that nothing would happen. No matter what, she needed to know.
****
Standing in the kitchen, surrounded by pots, pans, and various dishes, Angela smoothed out another floral sheet of mac-tak on the cupboard shelf. Running her hand over the textured plastic, she kept reminding herself that it hadn't even been a week since she broke up with Geoffrey and that it would be too soon to jump into a new relationship. Even if it was to be with Tony.
Then something else began to plague her. What if she told Tony about how she felt, and he didn't return the feelings? Or worse, what if they tried a relationship and something went wrong. She'd lose her best friend, and no matter how close they were, could they survive it? Tony didn't seem like the kind of guy women stayed friends with, and Angela was starting to understand why. It would kill her to be around him day in and day out, knowing she couldn't be with him.
Failed relationships. They always seemed to follow her around. And now she was mac-tacing the cupboard. Something had to be wrong with her, she kept telling herself.
"Whatcha doin'?" Tony asked, still unsure if he was allowed to ask her things like that. She was his boss, and despite their friendship, Tony always felt like he was going to cross that invisible line. He didn't know where it was, or if he could even find it, were he able to see it. Most of the time he had blinders on, and all he could think about was his best friend.
"Piddling." Angela forced a smile, and then watched for some sign from him. She just needed something to explain to her what he was feeling.
"I was afraid of that. Listen, I'm really sorry. I feel like it's my fault." He stepped a few feet closer to her and extended his hand towards her. Angela wouldn't accept it.
"Tony, it's not your fault that Geoffrey is a pathetic, repressed, compulsive, nerotic." Angela began to rant.
"Obssessive," Tony offered.
"Obsessive, juvenile excuse for a human being." Angela couldn't stand still. He kept walking closer to her, and she felt her chest constricting. "And to think," She added with disgust, "that we rubbed noses."
"This guy's really got you upset, huh?"
"No! Of course not! I am a rock. An island. Island's don't get upset." Angela stopped herself, to remind her self that it wasn't Geoffrey that had her so upset. It was her feelings for Tony. "You know what really bothers me?" She continues, "Is that I can't even compete with a Porsche!"
"Oh, Angela, wait a second, that isn't true! You can hold your own with any car." The look on her face told him it wasn't going well. He didn't want to step over that line that had to exist, but he couldn't handle seeing her upset. "You know what I mean. You're top of the line. A Lamborghini!" The gleam in his eye revealed some of the emotion he was feeling for Angela. He really saw her as a top of the line sports car. "5000 S, with fuel injection, an overhead cam, and a snazzy racing stripe!" Finishing, he gestured towards her figure, allowing her to fill in the blanks of what he was saying.
"You really think so?" Angela tried not to sound wistful, but the way he was speaking made her feel uncommonly loved. It was a stupid car metaphor, and coming from anybody else it probably would have been everything but endearing. But it wasn't anybody else. It was Tony. Her Tony.
"Eh, hey, hey! I subscribe to car and driver.Come on, seriously. I'm sure he's gonna wanna patch things up." He felt a twinge of jealousy as he spoke, realizing that Angela and Geoffrey would probably end up together again, and he would be left thinking about her by himself.
"Who says I want to patch things up?"
"What do you mean? You don't?" Tony tried not to let his feelings interfere with making her feel better, but a part of him would love to see Angela single again, so he could muster the courage to maybe act on some of the feelings he had been experiencing.
"I just don't know anymore. I thought we had something really special but." Angela slowly pulled the courage together that she thought she needed. This was her chance-her opportunity to tell Tony exactly how she felt.
"But what?" Tony asked, hoping there was more than meets the eye to her reluctance about getting back together with Geoffrey. It almost seemed like too much too hope for.
"It's just another failed relationship," Angela quickly spat, too nervous to voice anything more. Her courage failed her. She couldn't talk to Tony about her feelings, or his feelings. Angela didn't know if she could talk to him about anything at this point.
"Don't say that." Tony regrouped himself. He really felt like she was going to say something more. Maybe something that would make everything different between them.
"Oh who cares anyway? Ya know, dating Geoffrey really tied me down. Those Broadway shows, fancy dinners.weekends in the country."
"I had no idea it was so rough on you."
"You know, I think I'm going to be a much happier person without Geoffrey. I'm starting to feel happier already." Fighting back her tears, Angela knew that she would be happier without Geoffrey, but not without the things they had done together, and not if Tony wasn't by her side every step of the way. "Tony, would you excuse me?" Moving her arms in front of her with the pink floral roll, Angela went back to measuring out her next piece to be cut. Until she had the nerve to do something more, or to talk to him, piddling with little things would just have to keep her distracted.
"I can understand you'd want to be alone with your happiness." Tony mumbled, as he walked out of the kitchen. He could hear Angela's muffled crying, and despite wanting to rush to her side, he decided to leave her alone, like she asked. He'd go for a run instead, and hopefully kill off all of the anger he was harbouring towards Geoffrey. ***** Chapter Two:
When Tony got home from his run, he still felt empty. He wanted to find Angela, tell her that he was falling in love with her, and then somehow make her smile. It seemed easy enough in his mind, but to actually do it, he couldn't muster the courage. He didn't want to ruin their friendship, and he didn't want to disturb the family unit.
If there was a relationship, and it didn't work out, what would happen to the family they had built? That wasn't a chance worth taking-especially since Tony was sure that his feelings for her were not returned.
After he got a shower, and got dressed, Tony began to wonder what he could do. There really had to be some way he could cheer her up.
When the doorbell rang, he answered it, only to find a broken Geoffrey waiting on the other side. He wasn't shaven, his clothes weren't pressed, and he looked all around disshelved.
"Geoffrey, you look awful," Tony looked over the man in front of him once again, wondering if this was what he could expect of Angela down the line.
"Tony, I need your help. You're a friend, yeah? I mean, I've always thought that you and I had a . thing?" Geoffrey stood back and waited for Tony's response. He was a desperate man, he decided, and who better to talk to than Angela's best friend.
"Yeah, I guess so." Tony still wanted to hurt Geoffrey. He had called Angela irresponsible, and Tony knew how wrong he was. He also knew that if he hurt Geoffrey, that too might cause a rift between him and Angela. "There's no winning," he mumbled.
"I want to know if I still stand a chance with Angela," he asked, searching Tony's expression for some sort of answer.
"You really hurt her."
"I know, but I can't live without her. You don't understand how amazing of a woman she is, and how captivating she is." Geoffrey fell into a silent reverie, remembering his dates with Angela.
"I think I might have some idea," Tony grumbled. This was going to kill him-how could he help this man get back together with Angela. It was pervading his better senses.
"I just need to know, Tony, is she happy? Am I ruining her life if I ask her to let me walk back into it?"
'Yes!' Tony wanted to scream. 'You've already done enough damage you asshole.' But he didn't. "She's not been happy," he conceded. "She's not been happy at all."
"Then will you help me?" Geoffrey asked desperately.
"What do you want me to do?"
****
She had already alphabetized the magazines in the racks in the bathrooms, and she had even alphabetized her credit cards in her wallet. By the time Angela moved on to the bookshelf in the living room, she was sure that she'd have to talk to Tony soon. She couldn't go on organizing things for much longer; otherwise she'd probably just explode.
"Hey, Angela, having fun there?" Tony asked, trying to keep the mood friendly and fun.
"Ya know, I've wanted to do this forever, and now that I'm not going out every night." 'Unless of course you want to go out with me,' she wanted to add.
"Yeah, I've often wished those were alphabetical," he teased. "Look, I need to talk to you."
"Yes?" Angela asked all too eagerly.
"I was wondering if you've thought about Geoffrey much lately." He hated mentioning that name, and he hated how the colour faded from her face when he said it.
"Uh, no, not really," she offered. It wasn't a lie. She hadn't thought about Geoffrey at all. She had been too mesmerized by Tony, and by wondering what his role in her life could be.
"'Cause Angela, I was thinking." He stopped, and wanted to kick himself. Tony couldn't believe he was going to do this.
"Yes Tony?" She could feel the hope building inside of her, just wishing he'd ask her out.
"What if you were to run into him, and he.wanted to get back together?" Tony asked, making his way to the door.
"I told you." but before she could finish, Tony opened the door to reveal Geoffrey. "What's he doing here?"
"I want to apologize," Geoffrey said meekly, as he pushed his way through the door, and offered her two dozen red roses.
Her heart sank. Tony was trying to help Geoffrey 'mend fences' with her. How could he do this to her?
"I don't want your apology," Angela said abruptly.
"But.What's changed since last week? You.you're different," Geoffrey remarked, her previous comment tormenting him. She didn't want his apology.
"I'm nobody's Buick," Angela spat.
"I don't understand.I" He stared at her in awe. She wasn't the same woman he loved. A switch inside of her had flipped.
"I didn't expect you to." She could feel Tony's eyes boring holes through her back, and she just wished she could yell at him too. But she couldn't. He was trying to make her happy again. 'If only he knew I wanted him-not Geoffrey,' Angela told herself.
"You think that I think you're a Buick?"
"Very coherent Geoffrey with a G. No, it's a metaphor. I'm too good to play second fiddle to any car, and more importantly, I've realized you're not the man for me!" She didn't realize what she said until after the fact, but then she didn't regret it. Intending to turn on her heels and tell Tony about her feelings, she spun, only to see the kitchen door swinging. He'd made his escape. Before she could tell him.
*** In the kitchen:
"What's going on in there? I saw Geoffrey standing at the door, and-he's not back again, is he?" Tony looked uncomfortable with the inquisition.
"He wanted to talk to Angela about getting back together," Tony said quietly as he moved through the cupboards. Angela's system was really quite efficient, and despite still getting used to everything's new homes, he liked it. Somehow, digging through the contents of the cupboards made him feel closer to her, and he'd take that any way he could get it.
"So?"
"So I kinda arranged it." Tony cowered as he spoke, realizing how mad he was with himself.
"You.selfish, selfish man! Why do you always have to do stuff for her? What about me?" Mona chided.
"Well technically what I did was for her, not me, AND I do lots of things for you!" There was a sensation of pain that overwhelmed him while he spoke. He loved her too much to let her go.
"Whatever," Mona grunted as she left the kitchen.
"Yeah, whatever," Tony agreed. When he noticed that there were no longer any sounds from the living room, he decided they must have made up-a thought that killed him.
Ducking his head around the door and into the living room, he couldn't see anyone. Neither one of them were there.
"Angela," he called out, secretly praying she was still around, and hadn't gone off with Geoffrey.
"Hey Tony," she said calmly as she walked around the corner and into the living room from her office.
"Where's, uh."
"He's gone. I kicked him out." Angela returned to organizing the books.
"So.?" Tony couldn't understand what was going on. He was sure she wanted to get back together with Geoffrey. "Angela, I know it's tough, and trust me, Geoffrey's not my favourite guy or anything, but do you think you're being too hard on him?" He didn't want this conversation-he'd rather ask her to join him for a romantic dinner and a movie on nick at night, but he wasn't going to deprive her of her happiness.
"Tony, I don't want to talk about this with you," she spat as she added Dickens to the shelf.
"Angela, you need to talk to someone, and I've always thought that." Tony couldn't bear to label them as 'friends.' It seemed cruel and unjust to think of them that way.
"You know what; I want you to back off, okay? I don't want to talk to you about Geoffrey, I don't want to talk to you about my failed relationships, and I don't want to talk to you about anything even vaguely related to my romantic involvements!" Angela couldn't stand to look at him. Her feelings for him were only getting stronger and there he was trying to reunite her with her ex.
"Okay. I'm sorry to have interfered. I only wanted to do what I thought you wanted. I can't stand to see you hurt like this, but I won't bring it up again," he said as he turned to leave the room. He could hear her faint sobs, and he began to wonder what was happening to them, and how he was going to be able to deal with it all. He just wanted to give her his heart, and he didn't know how.
*** Chapter Three:
It had been two weeks since their last run in with Geoffrey, but neither Tony nor Angela seemed to be getting any rest at night.
For his part, Tony found himself waking up just after midnight, unable to fall back asleep. He'd get up, sort his laundry and take it to the basement, organize the shampoo and conditioner in the shower, or find some other menial task to be completed.
Around 1:30 he'd hear Angela get out of bed, and sometimes he'd hear the water in her bathroom running, filling a tub. Those nights, Tony would sit I against the wall in the hallway, listening to her softly hum along with her music, wishing they could help each other sleep.
He was sure they were both lonely, and that's why they weren't sleeping any more. He missed the friendship that they had shared, and Angela missed her relationship-even if she didn't want to admit it.
On the nights that Angela didn't take a bath, she would find her pink terrycloth robe and make her way down stairs to the kitchen, in search of ice cream or cookies. Sometimes Tony would watch her from the stairs as she fell asleep, ice cream in hand, spoon on the couch. He would take the container from her, put it away, and then go back to the couch to help Angela upstairs. He just never had the heart to wake her, instead lifting her up into his arms and carrying her back to her room.
Late during the first week of this routine, Tony removed her robe to make her more comfortable and tucked her back into bed. Angela just mumbled something incoherently and rolled on to her side, blissfully asleep again. He watched her for a few minutes and then went back to his room to stare at the ceiling for the next three hours.
*** "Dad, you look horrible!" Sam exclaimed as she walked into the kitchen. Tony was standing beside the stove, spatula in hand. His skin was pale, and his eyes looked heavy. Samantha had never seen her father look like that-not even after her mother died.
"Thanks honey, that makes me feel so much better," he responded. He knew he looked rough. He hadn't been getting more than one or two hours of sleep at night, and then he was busying himself for the other twenty-two hours of the day. He wasn't really eating anything, and he hadn't been keeping his body hydrated. He just felt too ill to take care of himself anymore.
"What's wrong, slugger?" Mona asked as she sat down at the table, and helped herself to breakfast.
"Nothin's wrong, okay?" Tony snapped, and then realized what he did. "Look, Mon, I'm sorry. I'm tired, and that's no excuse to snap at you.but I am sorry." Tony forced as much of a regretful smile as he could, before he started to feel dizzy. He lost all colour in his face, and his eyes shut.
As Tony collapsed in the corner, Angela walked through the kitchen door. "Good morning. Oh my God! Tony!?" Racing to his side, Angela slid down to the floor and took his hand in hers. "Mother, get Sam out of here and call 911, then take the kids to your place!" Angela barked out orders, but when she looked up at Sam, she could see the fear in the girl's eyes. "He's going to be okay, honey, really." She was reassuring herself as much as she was Samantha.
Everything became a blur to Angela from that point on. She took Tony's hand in hers, asking him to wake up, and then the next thing she new, the paramedics were there.
****
Chapter Four:
"Are you his wife?" One of the paramedics asked as they shifted Tony flat on the floor.
"No, I'm his.boss," Angela responded, her eyes glued to his limp form.
"Does he have any medical conditions we should know about?" The other asked quickly.
"Not that.not that I know of," her reply was delayed as she thought about how the children were doing, and how scared they must be. She was terrified.
A garbled moan was emitted from Tony during the course of the Paramedics poking and prodding.
"Tony?" Angela asked in excitement.
"Angela?"
She tried to move closer to him, but she couldn't figure her way around the paramedics who were crouched around him.
"Tony, we're going to take you to the hospital now," the first paramedic explained, causing Angela to gasp. Turning to her, he continued. "I think he could use some tests run, he looks pretty pale, and like he's not gotten much rest lately. I think one night to get some rest will help."
"Alright," Tony agreed, standing to walk, until he collapsed into the arms of the paramedics. "I think you guys may need to help me out here," Tony tried to smile.
**** "He's going to be okay," Angela said, running her hands the length of her calves. She was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chin, trying to calm down and figure out what was going on in her house.
"What's wrong with him?" Samantha couldn't cope with the idea that her father might die and that she'd be orphaned. He had to be alright.
"The paramedics said they had to run some tests, and they'd call us once he was in a room. If they don't call soon I think I'm going to just go and find him myself." She knew that she was holding a conversation, although she barely had any recollection of what was being asked of her.
"Can I come with you?" Sam asked quietly.
"Yeah, of course you can honey."
"Angela, can I ask you one more question?" Sam kind of looked away at the last part. When Angela nodded, she decided to ask, fighting back her tears. "If Dad dies, who will I live with?"
"Oh honey! Your father isn't going to die! He's going to be fine and he's going to come home to us soon. I promise."
"But what if he does die? Angela, I don't know what will happen to me!" Samantha was all out sobbing by this point.
"I'd like you to stay with us, here. You're family, Sam, and I wouldn't want you to leave this house unless you wanted to," Angela confided. She would never want to lose Sam or Tony. They really were her surrogate family.
"Let's go check up on your dad." Angela announced. She couldn't wait any longer.
*** At the Hospital:
"We're here to see Tony Micelli. He was brought in by the paramedics," Angela searched all of their faces for answers about his condition.
The entourage surprised the women standing at the nurse's station. A tall blonde followed by two kids and a fiery red head, all wanting to see a patient who was really just malnourished, dehydrated, and suffering from exhaustion. It sounded worse than it was, they all had agreed. Really he just needed a good meal or two, and lots of sleep. That's why they had given him both a sleeping aide and a painkiller.
"He's the second door down the hall on your left. He'll be out for the night," the nurse announced.
"Is he.okay?" Angela held her breath, waiting for the answer.
"You guys family?" The petite blond nurse asked-by the looks on their faces, she knew the answer. She just had to ask as a formality.
"I'm his boss-we live together," Angela explained, then realizing how little that helped her case. "This," she said, pulling Sam to the front of the group of people, "is Tony's daughter."
"The official party line will come from his doctor, Doctor Morrison, but I'll give you the unofficial skinny."
"We'd like that very much," Sam replied, her eyes begging the nurse for answers.
"He'll be fine. We're just feeding him some nutrients intravenously, and hydrating him. Also, he was suffering from severe exhaustion-apparently he's been experiencing extreme insomnia-the combination of the two was actually what caused him to collapse."
Angela's heart sank. Was this all because of their fight? She had blocked him from her life, and then he did the same in return. Only now, he was lying in a hospital bed.
"Second door down the hall on our left?" Mona confirmed and then darted down the hallway. The kids took off in tow, and then Angela, who could barely bring herself to look up while she was walking.
"He looks so.dead." At the sight of her father, Sam began to cry again. Tony was, indeed, much paler than he had been earlier. The room was cooler than anyone was comfortable with, and to the touch, Tony's flesh was icy.
"Oh, baby, it's okay. He's gonna be alright, the nurse told us already." Angela wrapped her arms around Sam, gently rocking them just as Tony had done for Angela the day of the car accident. "Mother, why don't you take the kids home, and I'll stay here with Tony."
"No problem." Mona started to walk away, and then she turned back to Tony. Taking his hand in hers, he pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. "We're waiting for you to wake up-none of us know how too cook worth a damn, and if we let Angela do it, we'll all be in here." Sam tried to stifle a laugh, but even under the circumstances, she had to confess it was kind of funny.
Leading the kids from the room, Mona looked back at her daughter sitting beside the love of her life. 'If only Angela would tell him,' Mona told herself, 'they'd be so much happier.'
***
As the first streams of daylight broke through the curtains, Angela began to shift in the plastic chair she spent the night in. It was the least comfortable way to sleep, not that she really would have gotten much sleep anyway.
His colouring looked better today, she decided. He didn't seem so sallow, or frail. Still, he'd not said a word to her since the day before when he was on the kitchen floor. She missed his voice already.
'I have to tell him,' she told herself. There was only so long she could pretend not to miss him, and it had already been too long. She wanted her best friend back, one way or another.
Chapter Five:
Tony had been released later that day from the hospital, with strict instructions to take the sleeping pills they prescribed him until he felt like he could manage without them. He was also ordered to eat three meals a day, and snacks until he had gained back the weight he lost in the previous weeks.
Once Angela got him home, he was to go straight to his room to rest, she informed him in the car. She had devised a duty list for the family so Tony would not be home alone at any point during the next few days, and so he wouldn't have to get up and do anything for himself.
"It's too much Angela. I just need to sleep like a human being again."
"I don't care what you want. You put us through something like this, and we're going to do whatever we have to do to feel better. You don't get a vote."
"So this is to make you feel better?"
"And you too so shut up and go along with it." Angela was tired of playing games. As soon as he was 100% again, they'd have the conversation about their relationship. Until then, she would make sure that he was taking care of himself, and getting everything he needed.
Tony laughed at Angela, and then commented, "Yes boss."
"Damn straight!" Angela laughed. Things were starting to feel a more normal already.
***
"So who cooked tonight?" Tony watched as Angela carried the tray through the doorway and towards his bed.
"Alonzo down the block," Angela carefully placed the tray in front of him for his inspection and then took a place standing beside his bed. She'd been making a lot of opportunities for herself to spend more time alone with Tony-even taking over other people's duties.
"Eh, oh! Didn't we agree we wouldn't invite that man in to this house?" Tony looked up in mock hurt. "I'm down for the count a few days and suddenly you're cheatin' on me?" He realized after the fact what he said. "I mean, as much as a boss can cheat on her housekeeper." 'Nice save doofus,' he chided himself.
"Well it is a nationwide chain, so I figured I'd take my chances. They really do have some great food." Angela watched his expression drop at her comment. "Nothing as fabulous as your cooking, but in a jam it's a decent enough substitute." She smiled as he blushed slightly. "You're a pushover."
"For you," Tony thought, and then realized that he actually spoke the words.
"Oh Tony!" Angela took a place on the edge of the bed, and watched his face turn various shades of crimson. "You're so cute when you're flustered!"
"I am NOT flustered," he adamantly argued.
"Oh yeah? Then what are you?"
"Embarassed." Tony used the fork on the tray to poke the food in front of him.
"Of?" It was about time they had a real conversation, Angela told herself. And this one seemed to be headed in the right direction.
"Look, you just got out of a relationship, and you're real upset. I shouldn't be.ya know?" Tony prayed she'd understand without him really having to verbalize anything more.
"You shouldn't be what?" She felt her breath catching in her throat, and she could feel her expression softening. This could be what she had been waiting for.forever.
"I shouldn't be flirting with you, okay?" Thoroughly embarrassed, he continued to examine his food.
"No, it's not okay!" Angela watched him quietly reprimand himself, and then she decided to seize the opportunity. "Tony, I've not been 'grieving' Geoffrey. I've been.wanting you. You make me feel special, Tony, and like nobody has ever made me feel before."
"You are special Angela, you know that. You're.you're the Lamborghini of women." Tony smiled at the car reference-it seemed to be their thing. "Yeah, well what's a Sunday drive without a good backseat? I mean.driver, that is?" She couldn't believe how flirtatious she was being, or how forward, but it felt so good.
"Yeah, well firstly you don't cruise a Lamborghini." Tony mentioned casually.
"What if she wants to be cruised?"
"And secondly," Tony began, clearing his throat, "you'd never see a Pinto in the same lot as a Lamborghini."
"Oh Tony!" Angela looked mortified. "You're no Pinto! You're a.A.Very nice car." She wished she hadn't flubbed the car reference. If that was going to be their thing, she might have to steal Tony's Car and Driver from time to time.
"Thanks Angela, but look at me, and look at you! What do you see?" Tony waited, and then resumed his rant. "I see.A beautiful, brilliant woman with charm and grace. And most of the time, you're very rational. And I see me. A Brooklyn guy who is too chicken to stand up and tell you that I love you. It's like." 'Damn. I said it.'
"I love you too," she whispered, and then continued more loudly. "I love you."
"So our relationship is kinda like Geoffrey's Porsche, huh?" Tony looked up at Angela, suddenly wondering how they could pull it together so quickly.
"Smushed flatter than a pancake, and giant shards of shiny red metal?" Angela's confusion was apparent.
"We can go from Zero to Fifteen in Eight Seconds Flat." Tony grinned, liking where the acceleration had taken them.
"But there's no need to go 157 in lower Manhattan, right?"
"Nah, we've got all the time in the world." Pulling her closer, Tony rested back against the pillows.
"Tired?" There was plenty of time, they both knew that. Something told them that they were forever, so there would be no need to rush through anything.
"A bit," Tony confessed.
"Want a sleeping pill?"
"Nah, I just want you to stay here with me. I think I'll sleep fine." Closing his eyes, arms wrapped around Angela, Tony quickly fell asleep and into a peaceful slumber.
Curling into his embrace, Angela closed her eyes as well, and dreamt of the man she remembered carrying her up the stairs and to her room, and the things she used to do just to be close to him.
***