Adjustments

by TessaSpencer

Third story in trilogy...Includes 'crossing paths' and 'arrangements'

1

Tony swept his way through the living room with the duster in hand. He had wanted to make sure everything was perfectly immaculate for Mrs. Rossini's visit to the house. It was only her second or third time in Connecticut, and her first visit since Tony and Sam had moved in. Tony wanted everything to be perfect.

"Don't it make my brown eyes blue," Tony sang the song that had been stuck in his head since his early morning jog, when it started blaring through the headphones of his walkman. "Tell me no secrets, tell me no lies...Give me no reasons, give me alibis." As he dusted on top of the mantle, Tony rearranged the keepsakes that were up there, noting how cute it was of Angela to keep just about everything anyone had ever given her. "Tell me you love me, and don't make me cry...say you will, but don't say goodbye..."

Movement from the stairway distracted Tony, as he realized he might be singing louder than he had intended. Sliding the headphones down, Tony looked up and smiled.

"You were up early," Angela said, making her way down the steps in her housecoat, her hair neatly pulled back in a band.

"I couldn't sleep—too much to do today," he commented, before stepping down off of his foot stool to wrap his arms around her. "Did I wake you?"

"No no, it was the alarm clock. I've woken up the kids and thought I'd come in search of you." Leaning into him, Angela didn't want to tell him the rest of the story, which had been that she had a nightmare and when she woke up he was gone which scared her more than anything logically should have.

"Well, you found me. Here I am." Tony squeezed her more snuggly against his body.

"I'm glad."

"Same here."

"So," Angela began, looking around the living room, "any particular reason you're cleaning at quarter to seven in the morning?"

"Mrs. Rossini is coming in for the weekend, and I wanted to make sure everything was perfect for her. She's a real neat freak," he said, looking around. There were a number of things he wanted to clean up and make acceptable for her visit.

"Tony, the house has looked amazing since you moved in. I don't think you need to clean it any more." Angela looked around—the house had really been transformed.

She was even sleeping more comfortably, and it wasn't just because he was beside her, but because he flipped the mattresses every week, laundry was done twice a week, and it seemed that nothing had gone unfinished.

"I don't want her to think I ain't doing somethin' around here."

"We both know you do plenty," Angela countered. She knew he was experiencing some machismo issues, but she wasn't sure if they ran deeper than she was aware.

"I still don't have a job, Ang, and as much as I love livin' here with you, I hate that I'm not contributin' somethin'." When he got made, his accent got thicker, partly because he focused less on the actual way he said it and more on the dialogue.

"It's not like you've not been looking," she attempted, hoping it sounded even vaguely more comforting than it seemed after she said it.

"That's part of the problem." Releasing his hold on her, he fell back into the chair behind him. "I've been lookin' and I can't find anything. And the more I look, the less I see."

Angela sighed. She knew this would be tough. There was no doubt in her mind that moving to Connecticut would be a tough move for him to make. Brooklyn was a lot different than Oakhills Drive. "It's not the end of the world," Angela reminded him. "I've got things covered for now, and it's probably really helpful to the kids that you're so available to them right now. So don't beat yourself up over it."

He looked into her eyes and thought about how many mistakes he had made in the past and how determined he was not to let them happen again. He wanted things to be perfect between them, and if that meant he had to try and get used to her working while he stayed at home, he would do it, if only by reminding himself it was a temporary solution.

"Mornin'" Sam said, making her way down the stairs.

"Good morning sweetheart," Angela said. "Don't forget you have swimming today after school, so take your suit," she reminded.

"Aw, man, I forgot to put it in my bag." Turning around and racing up the stairs, Sam called back "thanks, Angela."

"Things aren't so bad as they are, are they?" Angela smiled, thankful to have Tony and Sam in her life.

"Nah...I just need something to do. I need to get a job."

"You'll get one," she said confidently. "Now. I'm starving. We need breakfast." Grabbing his hand she playfully tugged on it until he followed after her towards the kitchen.

2

"Joey said if you wanted to come back into the city, you could work for him. Not bad money, and the hours aren't what they used to be with FedEx." Mrs. Rossini had been searching for just about anything for Tony to do, certain that no matter what was going on in his life and no matter where they were living, they needed to find him a job. He couldn't live off a woman forever, and even if he could, she would never let him.

"Drivin' into the city every day to work in the fish store would mean I couldn't be here for Ang or the kids in the morning, and I'd be late home every night. I don't think that'd work too good," he said, setting a cup of tea in front of her.

"Tony, what are you, the maid?" Mrs. Rossini seemed quite disturbed by how he wouldn't let her do anything, and Angela certainly wasn't contributing to their entertaining, other than making requests of him. More tea, more coffee, a glass of sherry, or a slice of cake.

"Excuse me?"

"All night, you've been servin' us. You cooked dinner, you set the table, you cleaned up, and you got everything ready and the women didn't touch anythin'."

"So?"

"So, what's Angela do?"

He was so thankful she was putting Jonathon and Sam to bed, because he did not want her to hear this exchange.

"Plenty," Tony defended.

"Tony...It don't matter that she's workin'. A woman's place is at home, in the kitchen, and takin' care of the family. It's like you're the one that wears the apron and she gets the pants."

"Well ya know, with me not workin' and all, we can't afford two pairs of pants, so we take turns!" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was setting women back years with those statements. It was the eighties. Women were in the workforce, and this time not as just secretaries.

"Tony, don't take that tone with me!" Mrs. Rossini reprimanded him with that voice she reserved for her kids when they misbehaved.

"Mrs. R, I love ya, but you gotta understand that we ain't traditional. We ain't never gonna be like a good Brooklyn couple, so please, just give us a break." Tony thought about it for a moment. "I like takin' care of the house, and takin' care of Angela. I like that when she comes home from work I'm here to take her coat and massage her feet while she tells me about the big account she landed."

"You're the hired help! Listen to yourself Tony! 'Take her coat and massage her feet'. You might as well be the damn housekeeper." Her back went stiff, and she was very much so on the defensive.

"What's going on down here? The kids are just getting to bed—could we keep it down?" Angela made her way down the steps, trying to figure out why the air was so thick she could cut it with a knife. It was obvious that they had been fighting and whatever it was had Tony really upset. When no one answered her, she sat on the couch just beside Tony, and took his hand in hers. "So, is anyone going to tell me?"

"Mrs. Rossini feels that I'd make a better housekeeper than a boyfriend for you." Tony didn't take his eyes away from the older woman, as if there was a 'stand off' and by breaking contact there would some sort of concession on his part.

"Pardon me?"

"You use him like he's a maid and not a man," Mrs. Rossini stated.

At least there was no beating around the bush, Angela thought. Trying to bite back laughter, Angela felt like making a joke that sometimes she used Tony too much as a 'man' but that would be crude and just asking for another round of fights. "Tony does things around the house because he wants to keep busy. He does things because he's better at them than I am, and he does them because some of them, like cooking for his family, he enjoys. Yes, he wants a job, and yes he's looking. He's too good to be pumping gas so he's not going to take that job. Sorry. Tony has a lot of potential and a lot of passion and there aren't many things he couldn't do. Right now he's looking for a good job he'll enjoy, and if it takes time to find it, it takes time. I certainly can cover the bills by myself for now, because I know that he's a contributing member of this family and he's providing for us in other ways." Angela squeezed his hand, hoping he didn't mind her interruption of their fight. "And as for our relationship, I love Tony, and he loves me, and we may not be traditional but it works for us, so I'd appreciate it if you not put us on some scale that is obviously not fair."

Mrs. Rossini looked at Angela in shock. Nobody ever stood up to her like that, and if they did, it was usually because there was another neighborhood feud about a bake sale.

"Angela's right," Tony said quietly. "Mrs. R, we're not traditional. I don't expect Angela to be a baby machine, and I don't expect her to be a stay at home mom to Jonathon and Sam. We're not trying to upset you, but we're living our lives our way. And it's workin' for us, so if you could cut us some slack..."

Angela smiled at his support, and his obvious message to Mrs. Rossini.

"Tony...It's just...it don't look right for a man to be makin' all the meals and cookin' and cleanin' like you are."

"Doesn't look right to who?" Angela felt a new kind of confidence. "Because if it doesn't 'look right' to those people we invite into our home, than maybe we have another issue to discuss. The people who you seem to be worried about are our friends and our families. If they're judging us like you're saying then maybe they don't know us?"

There was a long cutting silence.

"Angela's right. Look...Mrs. Rossini, I love you, and Sam loves you, but we love Angela too, and we love the way our lives are...and we want everyone to stick around. So can you please just understand that we ain't traditional but we're happy?"

Carmella looked between them. He hadn't seen Tony look so natural beside a woman since Marie, God rest her soul. And she certainly had never seen him so eager to do things for a woman. He obviously did enjoy doing things for the family they were building.

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks," she began, "but I'll try ta cut yas some slack, ok?"

"Great," Angela and Tony said in unison. "So how about some coffee...I'll make it," Angela offered.

"Oh no you don't...Mrs. R's finally comin' round to our side. We don't want to poison her with your coffee," Tony teased as he dashed into the kitchen.

3

"Angela, you seen my suit jacket?" Tony looked through the closet for what had to be the third or fourth time in a row, still unable to find his lucky brown jacket.

"I've not seen it since you wore it to the interview at The Keg," Angela called out of the bathroom.

"Shit," he mumbled. It suddenly hit him where he left it.

"You remember where it is?" Walking into the bedroom, Angela looked absolutely stunning. She had a big business lunch with some guy from Thailand, and she was trying to get herself revved for the meeting. She had even bought herself a new suit to wear.

"Yeah. Down at Marty's. I stopped in for a few drinks after the interview. I remember handin' it to 'im and askin' if he'd hold it. It's probably still there," he sighed.

"What time's your interview?"

"Ten. I don't have time to get in and pick it up, and get back here in time." Tony mentally kicked himself for his stupidity. He had been so upset after the interview that he had left his lucky (and coincidentally only) jacket in Brooklyn, and now that he had another one, he'd have to go with out it.

"Well, why don't you stop in at the mall and buy a new one?" Angela put her earring in and smiled sweetly at him, happy with her solution.

"Great. 'Cept I don't have a job, which means I have no money, and that means spending more of your money...see how well it all works?" Tony fell back on the bed, and wanted to fade into the background. There was all of eighty-five dollars in his account, and his credit card was just about maxed out. One more transaction would definitely send him over his limit, and invite a whole new round of problems.

"Tony! Come on, don't be stubborn now. This is a job that you're actually interested in. Why don't you just listen to me and go buy yourself a new one. Take a card and go." Angela hoped she was getting through to him, because he needed to go to that interview, and he had to make a good impression; for his sake, it was too important to screw up because of a stupid jacket.

Tony kicked himself. He shouldn't be bringing her down on a day when she was planning on being such a power house. Quite the contrary, he should be giving her the pep talk. But no, that wasn't the way it was working out. Instead, it seemed, she had to hold his hand yet again and keep him standing. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I really am. I don't know what's got into me."

"I think you're just not happy about the way things are going. You expect more of yourself than sometimes you have to give, and that's ok, it's admirable, but honey, you don't need to push yourself into insanity. Really, honestly." Picking up her purse, she laughed at the wounded look on his face.

"I don't deserve you," he said pathetically, obviously resigned to being a loser.

"Then I don't deserve you," she replied simply. "And I'm not giving you up, so it doesn't matter what I deserve, because I'm being greedy and keeping you!"

The sincere look on her face was enough to help ground him. She knew how to make him feel better about their relationship, even when what really had him down was what he saw as his own inadequacies.

"Good luck today," she said as she pressed a gentle kiss against his lips.

"You too," he told her. "Knock 'em dead."

"So, Mr. Micelli, you're here for which position?" A team of what appeared to be body doubles from Night of the Living Dead sat behind a long board table in a room that was much too sterile for his liking.

"Uh, the coordinator position," he said, wondering what possessed him to apply for something like that.

"Wonderful," a woman who appeared to be not a day under seventy said, smiling.

"What previous experience do you have with the coordination of volunteer services and energies?" The first question was fired off at what felt like a warp speed.

"In Brooklyn, I ran the Pitkin Avenue fundraiser every year for the past four years. We raised money for neighborhood beautification and for the local community centre." He wished he had more experience to contribute but that was it, and the way Angela had described it to him when he was practicing, it seemed much more impressive.

"And how many people did you organize?"

"There were twenty-six of us who ran the fundraiser, and we broke it down into various committees." Thank God Angela had asked him that question, and then just as easily given him the correct way to answer. He was going to have to thank her later on for that.

"How did you become chairman of the event?"

"My neighbor Mrs. Rossini asked me to take over for her. She had run it for twenty-five years, but it's tradition in the neighborhood to pass it on."

"What qualifications did you possess that made her feel you would be a good candidate."

"I never asked 'er, but I guess it would be because I've been the number one fundraiser every year since I was seven, and because I'd worked on every thing they'd let me from the time I could walk." Tony laughed, hoping he didn't seem too much like a local yokel.

"Alright, well, then, I believe we are done," a stiff man from the far corner of the table said, the lack of enthusiasm for Tony evident in his voice.

"Thank you," Tony said, sighing. He knew what it meant; that he didn't get the job. And he couldn't blame it on his new, not so lucky jacket, because he had bought the nicest one he could find for a reasonable price.

As he made his way out the door, Tony thought it over and wondered if there was ever going to be a job in Connecticut he was suited for.

"Mr. Micelli," a voice called after him.

"Yeah?"

"Mrs. Clara Abernathy, I was in there during your interview." Extending her hand she was surprised when Tony eyed her before taking it.

Tony nodded, not sure what to make of the woman.

"You are a great candidate. Really. But you're missing one qualification we'd like to see in whoever took this job."

A stream of thought raced through his head: a more Connecticut build? A more Connecticut accent? A little less ethnicity?

"Enlighten me," he said, trying to bite back his bitterness, but unable to. He was more than just a little disappointed.

"A college diploma," she explained. "Your history with volunteerism is wonderful, and you have a strong ability to command an audience," she flattered, "but you lack the paperwork. It's all semantics we're arguing, because the paper work gives you an edge—it means you've had someone formally instruct you on how to organize. And it would have made you the perfect candidate."

Tony felt numb. Here she was telling him that he'd be the perfect candidate if he had some other quality, and that was a really small consolation.

"Have you ever considered college? There's a great one right here in Fairfield."

"I think I need a job first, so I can start paying some bills," Tony said seriously. "I moved here from Brooklyn about six weeks ago, and I still haven't found a job."

She looked at him curiously, obviously asking how he made the move without a job.

"My fi...girlfriend lives here, and my daughter and me moved here." Tony looked at his feet. This was getting unbearable.

"Well, Mr. Micelli, I'd like you to consider college. And I'd like you to keep positive. Things will look up," she told him, looking him over once more before turning and walking back into the interview room.

Tony stood there in stunned silence for a moment. How was she so sure things would look up? He'd just cleaned out his bank account to buy the jacket, and he had just exhausted his last job interview opportunity he'd had. Keeping positive was not even close to being on his list of things to do.

4

"How'd it go?" Angela asked, obviously in a great mood. He didn't need to ask how her day went, although he would, because she always got so excited about new clients, and in turn it made him feel really good.

"It went," he said, putting his jacket on the back of the chair.

"You went down to Marty's afterwards?"

"Yeah," Tony admitted, putting the newer jacket on the coat rack. "Wanted to get my jacket back."

"Ah..."

"And how did the interview go?"

"Oh, Angela, I really don't want to talk about it. I'm sorry. I know that I should tell you how it went, but it was just that bad," he whined. It was getting to be too much—all of these job interviews and no good prospects. There just wasn't anything to make it all seem even vaguely worth while.

"That bad?"

"How 'bout your day? You're smiling. What's the big news?"

Angela shrugged. "Signed a new client. He's going to be a great find. And then there was a phone call just after I came home," Angela said non- chalantly.

"Sam get in another fight? 'Cause if she did, she knows that the next step is bein' grounded." Tony looked at Angela seriously.

"No, no, it was Delores Abernathy... She called to tell you that they were offering you the position as Assistant Volunteer Coordinator." Angela smiled. When she had the conversation on the phone, she had actually managed to squeal in joy, which probably had deafened poor elderly Mrs. Abernathy.

Tony looked at her in shock. "Ya mean?"

"What I'm saying is that you have a job at the Fairfield General Hospital if you want it. She said she'd call you back to discuss the details, but that I should tell you if you consider what you talked about, she could arrange a better position for you." Angela smiled. "I must say, Tony, you're charming and I love you dearly, but should I be jealous?"

Tony laughed, still in shock. "You have nothing to worry about," he told her as he sat down on the couch beside her. "Assistant Volunteer Coordinator..."

"Sounds pretty impressive," Angela admitted. "And she said you could start next week. She seemed anxious to have you on board."

"Wow."

"So, may I ask what you two talked about?"

"College," he admitted. "She said if I could get a diploma, I'd be a more perfect candidate."

"Ooooh, and?"

"And what?"

"Are you thinking about it," Angela asked in all seriousness.

He shrugged. "I can't think of much of anything right now. I have to admit that I just want to get my bank balance over five dollars and sixty- three cents."

Angela tried not to look shocked. It wasn't as if his bankbook mattered to her, but she had never had that low of an account balance. There was certainly good justification as to why he'd been so antsy as of late.

"But college would help keep it a little more...healthy," she reminded him.

"For now," Tony pointed out, "I'm happy to have a job to go to next week."

"I'm happy for you," Angela said sweetly, her fingers rubbing over the back of his hand.

"How happy?"

"Very."

"The kids are at swim practice," Tony pointed out. "And we're home alone..."

"You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Oh yeah," Tony said, leaning in for a kiss.

5

"Hey Mona, what's up?" Tony was surprised to see the bubbly redhead sitting on the living room couch. It wasn't her usual Saturday night scene.

"Hey, big fella, I hear you charmed Mrs. Abernathy and brought her round to your boyish good looks and endearing charm." Mona grinned widely. Things were actually falling in some semblance of order these days for Angela and Tony. She had been concerned when he had gone so long without a job, but now that he had something to look forward to (and something to put a little money in his account) he'd feel much better.

"Well, I had to charm someone eventually," he admitted.

"It was fate," she told him, "making you wait for the right job."

"Uh huh. It was fate with its cruel sense of humour sendin' me on five weeks worth of job hunts with no results." Tony settled in beside Mona on the couch and looked around the living room. There was no date, no sign of Angela, and no sign of any reason for Mona to be there. Odd, he thought.

"Angela had to run a few errands after we went shopping, but we were planning on all going out to dinner tonight, so I decided to wait here," Mona clarified, certain that Tony would probably be wondering why she was missing her usual date night.

"And speak of the devil," Angela said, almost floating through the kitchen door, beaming.

"I'd call you lots of things, but the devil? Not on my list, actually." Tony smiled as he stood up and walked over to greet her. They had spent the day doing separate things, and as much as he got accomplished, he had missed her.

All week long they spent their days in different places, and most week nights Angela didn't make it home until eight or nine o'clock. The weekends were supposed to be their time, but he had to get things ready for his first day of work, and that required him to run errands by himself. Pressing a kiss against her lips, he was pleased to see that she had missed him too, when she wrapped her arms around him.

"I missed you," she whispered, before leaning in for another soft kiss.

"I missed you too," he admitted. He loved how seeing her was as good as oxygen; it filled his lungs and gave him the energy and resilience to keep going.

Mona made what could generously be described as puking noises from the couch. "Would you two please knock it off?" Secretly it was probably the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Two people so deeply in love was such a rarity, she thought, but she could never let them know that she felt that way. It'd be uncharacteristic and they'd never let her live it down.

Angela laughed at her mother's reaction, mildly amused by it, and mostly in too good of a mood to come down from the cloud she was on. "So, did mother tell you about our excellent celebratory plan?"

Tony nodded. "She told me were all planning on going out to dinner?"

"Yep. My treat. We need to celebrate." Angela beamed. She was absolutely glowing, and she didn't want to let anything bring her down.

"The kids are out back; Sam's trying to teach Jonathon how to shoot hoops," Tony explained. "Why don't I go get 'em, and you ladies can get ready and meet us out there?"

"Sounds like a plan," Mona said, watching as he disappeared out the back door.

"Sam?!?" Jonathon whined, unhappy that no matter what he tried, he couldn't make a basket.

"Look, Jonathon, you just gotta work at it. You're not a natural, so ya gotta put the time and effort inta it!" Sam dribbled the ball like a pro, making baskets naturally and effortlessly.

"Sam's right, Jonathon, you just hafta practice a bit." Leaning in and winking at the boy, he picked him up and put him on his shoulders. "Now, Sam, what would you say about a little one on one?"

Sam smiled. Her dad's humour was much improved since he'd found out that he got the job. In fact, he'd been a whole new man. "I dunno, you up for it ol' man?"

Tony laughed, and grabbed the ball away from Sam. "Hold on tight, Jonathon, 'cause we're gonna win this one." Dribbling it, he made a running commentary of his moves, before passing the ball up to Jonathon and saying quickly "Slam dunk it, buddy, let's go!"

As the ball went through the hoop, Tony smiled and made a cheering noise. "The crowd goes wild for the Micelli/Bower team as the seven and a half foot man makes a clean slam dunk!"

Sam laughed at the image her father painted, but then turned to her most serious face. "Not fair, you guys cheated..."

"When did you say 'no tag team?'?" Tony smiled as he dribbled the ball again and bounced it to her.

"Ya don't see anyone in the NBA doin' that, now do ya?"

"Do you think most those guys could?"

Jonathon watched as Sam bounced the ball back to Tony. "I wanna dunk it again!"

Tony passed the ball up and then made his way to the hoop. "Let's see it, nothin' but net!"

Angela watched as Tony played with the kids. He was such a natural father; it might have been because he was just a big kid at heart, but no that wasn't it. Tony was just so genuinely good with them.

"You guys ready for dinner, or do you want to play a few more minutes?" Angela hated to interrupt them but she was famished, and she wanted to eat something soon.

"Nah, I think I heard Jonathon's stomach growling on that last dunk." Tony laughed as he pulled the boy over his head and landed him flat on the ground. "And I know I'm starving. It's been a busy day."

"Alright, well let's get going then. We'll take the Jag and figure out where we want to go on the way. Sound good?"

"Yeah!" The kids said in unison, their voices suddenly much louder than they had been previously.

"We are not going to Pirate Jim's" Tony and Angela said almost in perfect unison as well, making Mona laugh.

"I don't know who's worse; you two or the kids!" She closed the door behind her and motioned towards the car. "Come on, you're not getting any younger, and I'm spending a perfectly good date night with you guys!"

6

"Tomorrow's your first day of work," Angela commented, pulling her nightgown over her head. She loved their before bed time, when they just talked and everything was so blissfully simple. They had agreed to keep any problems they might ever encounter out of the bedroom, and for that she was thankful.

"Yeah. I'm a real Connecticutian, or whatever the hell you guys are called..." Tony laughed, looking through the drawer for his best pair of dress socks. He didn't anticipate taking off his shoes, but he didn't want to have a hole in his sock if he did.

"I don't even know what that would be, so we'll leave well-enough alone." Angela laughed. "I bought you a little something," she said sweetly, hoping he wouldn't be offended by it.

"A little something, or something that's way oversized and too expensive but you want to pretend it's little," he asked, making a gesture with his hands as to what the potential sizes might be.

"In between?" Smiling, she opened the closet and pulled out an oversized Bloomingdale's bag.

"If that's in between, should I ask what large would be?"

Catapulting herself onto the bed, she crossed her legs and waited not-so- patiently for him to join her. "Come on, half the fun is in opening it," she argued.

Closing the drawer, Tony made his way over to the bed and sat down beside her. "Ya know, you don't need to buy me stuff."

"I buy you stuff because I like shopping and I love you—it's the best of both worlds," she said giving him the 'you won't win this argument so don't even bother' glare that she had perfected since they began going out. "This is a career survival kit."

As he reached in and pulled out the first item, he couldn't help but laugh. "A sewing kit?"

"Have you ever lost a button at a really bad time? You learn to keep a sewing kit because you learn after trying once to staple it, it just wont' work." Angela laughed. "Don't ask!"

Setting the small kit aside, Tony dug in to the next parcel. Pulling out the first of many brightly coloured briefs, Tony laughed. "Am I taking a night job as a stripper?"

"Well..." Angela smiled wryly. "It helps you stay calm, cool and collected if you have a little fun. And these are fun. Plus I just wanted to see you in the ones with the Mickey Mouse pattern. It's cute where his little hand is."

Tony looked at her in shock. "Please don't tell me you think about me in my underwear in the middle of Bloomingdale's."

"A girl's gotta get through the day somehow," she teased, before encouraging him to dig deeper still.

"Ok, but if the next thing I pull outta here is a boa..."

"It won't be. Stop complaining and keep going," she demanded, enjoying the playful atmosphere. Angela had to admit that even though she didn't see herself as this kind of a person, she was enjoying the mischievous nature of their relationship, and she couldn't imagine another doldrums day without Tony in her life.

"New socks," he said, surprised that she had almost read his mind.

"And ... ?"

"New shoes?"

"I had to sneak a peak in your loafers to get the size, and I hope they're right, but if not, I have the receipt and we can exchange them."

"Angela...this is too much." Tony looked at her, in all seriousness. He didn't want her spending money on him when he couldn't do the same for her. It wasn't a matter of tit for tat, by any means, but it was a little bit a matter of him being self-conscious. Eventually he'd have enough money to buy little fun things for her, but in the meantime he'd hoped she'd understand.

"No, don't be silly. This is just a little starter kit, promise. And I looked for sales, just because I know how you are..."

"Doesn't mean you bought what was on sale..."

"But at least I looked," she commented, before repositioning the bag in front of him.

Reaching in, he pulled out a set of dress shirts, packaged neatly. "Five dress shirts?"

"Get you through your first week. And the colours will look great on you." She leaned nearer to him. "You're going to be a fantastic career man, you know."

Closing the distance between them and sealing their lips, Tony tried to remind himself that he had to work the next day, and spending all night wrapped up in Angela, as fun as it would be, could be detrimental to his work performance. He had to admit though, she smelled so good, and the feeling of her hand on his chest seemed to numb any logical thought.

"We don't want to wrinkle your new shirts," Angela said, pushing him back on the bed, and effectively crawling over him to place the new items on the floor beside it.

"That'd be a crime," he joked, his hand making its way up her long body to her face and cupping it gently as he seized her lips again.

Pulling away for a moment, Angela looked down at him, his big brown eyes staring up at her. "You think we do this too much?"

Tony couldn't help but smile. "Can there be too much love?"

"Well..." Angela didn't want to mention specifics, but there had been a time or two when perhaps they had been a little too vigorous. She had the aching muscles to prove it.

"Can I at least hold ya tonight?"

Angela thought it over for a second, making him wait it out. "I've decided I've not had enough," she said finally, pressing herself against him. "And I think you agree..."

Tony shifted slightly before repositioning them face to face laying on their sides. "I'll nap on my lunch break," he mumbled, before letting her mere presence again consume him.

There was no way there could ever be too much love, he thought and there could never be a time when he wouldn't want her as much as he did that very second.

7

"Angela," a voice whined.

"Jim, I have to take this time, ok? I don't have a choice, so please just understand and cover me!" Angela pushed the files around on her desk. Saturday seemed so long ago, but it was only two days. Tony was starting his new job as they spoke, and there were things that had to be done soon to make their household entirely happy.

"Angela, you've barely been here the past six months. You come in at eight, and you leave at six and sometimes earlier. You're never here any more. All I've been doing is covering you."

"Then you won't even notice I'm gone," she remarked snidely. Angela didn't think she was asking for much at all. One week off was all she wanted. One week. That'd be the perfect opportunity to finish up some business that had been bothering her.

"Seriously, a woman in your position should rethink taking even more time off," his voice was now more snarky than it had been before.

For a grown man, he sure did act like a child, Angela thought.

"A woman in my position?" This she'd have to hear. If he was going to say one more offensive thing, she wasn't sure if she could bite her tongue much longer.

"A woman who is currently in the position of having the committee and their members rethink their decision to promote her."

"What about a conniving little man who is currently in the position of alienating his boss, and risking his employment...what sage advice would you give to him?" She offered her best smile, hoping that it would take some of the sting off of her comment.

"I think you had better talk to Grant about this. He might want to know about your new mysterious reason to leave the country, that's all I'm saying," Jim argued, before finding his way to the door.

Angela had to agree with Jim's final statement, no matter how inappropriately shared it was. Running off to Peru in search of her soon- to-be-ex wasn't the ideal way to take a vacation, but it had to be done, and she couldn't see any other way to do it. She had learned long ago that if you want something done right, she'd have to do it herself.

There were two more weeks before she even had to mention it to Tony, and she planned on waiting as long as she could. There was no reason to stir up trouble at home as well as at work, now was there?

"You're home late," Tony remarked, surprised to see the door opening at quarter past nine.

"Well, there were a few dozen things that needed to be done, and I wanted to get them finished up..." Angela put down her briefcase. No matter what she wanted to believe, Jim had been at least partially right. Since she had met Tony, her work schedule had shortened drastically. It had almost even been cut in half. Not as many late nights, no more Sundays at all, and only half days on Saturday, unless there had been some major crisis to be averted. If she did work longer than she had intended, she'd take a morning off, or some other time to balance it all out.

"Oh yeah?"

"Tough day," she replied, wishing she could tell him the half of it. But most of today's problems stemmed from her request to take a week off to go see Michael and get the papers signed, and if Tony knew that he might be more upset with her rather than less.

"Anything I can do?" He looked at her sweetly, his big brown eyes melting her into a puddle on the floor. It was a man like him—a man so incredibly perfect in so many ways—who made her want to rethink her work schedule, and who encouraged her to have a life. No body before him had ever come remotely close. How could she not want to get the papers signed and make their lives together that little bit easier?

"Hold me and tell me about your first day at the hospital?"

Tony smiled and nodded, encouraging her to collapse into his arms on the sofa and when she joined him, he made sure he could make her comfortable as possible.

"It was fun," Tony said once they settled. "I'm assistant coordinator 'cause I don't have a diploma in volunteer services, but I don't have a coordinator to report to, so I get to kinda run things on my own for now."

Angela laughed. "Isn't that always the way?"

"But it'll work out pretty good I think. I get to keep the volunteers organized, but I also get to work with the charitable committees for the hospital so we can do fundraisers and things..."

"Sounds right up your alley."

"I hope so," he says a little less confidently. "But if it isn't, the pay sure as heck is. Mrs. Abernathy came in to discuss benefits and bonuses. I never knew a hospital had so much money."

"So you're happy?" Angela didn't mean to sound so skeptical, but she needed for him to be happy in Connecticut. She couldn't bare the thought of losing him.

"Yeah. I am," he said, an unusual peace obvious in his words.

"I'm glad," she said, closing her eyes and snuggling against him more firmly.

"Wanna talk about what's botherin' ya?"

"Nothing is bothering me really," she lied, hoping he'd believe her or at the very least just go along with it.

"Ok, but when you wanna tell me, you know I'm here."

Angela nodded and let herself drift into a peaceful restful state in his arms, thinking about how great of a family they'd have when she got back from Peru, and how important it was that he understand. She'd figure out how to tell him later, but in the meantime she just wanted to be held.

8

The morning air seemed really thick making it harder to breathe. There had been a thunderstorm the night before and the moisture still carried in the air as Tony made his way around the block.

It was surprising how many people on Oak Hills Drive were awake at six in the morning, and even more surprising how alert they seemed.

People were everywhere he went, and it made him feel unusually at home and comfortable. Brooklyn never slept, and Pitkin Avenue certainly never slept. It was the beauty of New York, and as he realized, even if Connecticut did sleep, at least they were awake early enough to keep him entertained on his jog.

A few things had been bothering him the past few days, and although none of them were very serious, some of them seemed more important than others. Angela had a cold, and that worried him. She seemed to have just recovered from a bought of allergies, and now she had the joy of congestion and the typical cold symptoms. He wondered if her recently lengthened hours had anything to do with why she was feeling so rough all the time, but he couldn't convince her that she needed to cut back, and even if he could, she probably wouldn't listen anyway. Work was her life, even with him in it, and he had to accept that. She had made too many concessions on his behalf already, he couldn't very well ask for more.

His own work had been somewhat stressful. Being in the hospital every day seemed to be a little harder on him than he thought it would be. It seemed that no matter what he had braced for, something worse would come up and throw him for a loop. Listening to the codes being called all day seemed to make him feel a little more protective of his own family, and definitely more aware of the fragility of life. People of all ages were dying what would be only hallways away from him.

As he rounded the block, Tony realized that there were also the concerns about his daughter that had been keeping him awake. Sam had settled in fairly well, and seemed to get along well with Mona and Jonathon, but her relationship with Angela, as good as it was, wasn't what he had pictured for his little girl. He had wanted the two to be closer, and although it was something he knew would come with time, he really hoped that it would happen sooner rather than later.

Family was the most important thing to Tony, and having all the people he loved and cared about near by was essential to him. After all, if they weren't there, how could he take care of them?

Not that they all necessarily needed to be taken care of, but it was the ability to do it that meant the most to him. This job would allow him more financial stability and the opportunity to do things for Angela, Sam and Jonathon, and maybe if things went well enough, he'd even be able to put some money aside for their retirement—a thought much too distant to give any serious thought to, but worth brief consideration all the same.

A smile crept to his face as he considered what it might be like to retire with Angela, maybe somewhere warmer, but definitely together, and spending their days just playing cards or reading, or walking. Together. That was the only stipulation to his ideal retirement. Being together would make everything he could imagine absolutely idyllic.

Making his way into the kitchen, Tony looked at his watch. He had a half hour before Angela's alarm clock would go off, so he could still fit in ten minutes of watching her sleep and then a shower.

He liked his morning routine too much for his own good. It was great how he'd wake up, every morning like clockwork at ten minutes past five, and he'd watch Angela sleep for a few minutes, absolutely fascinated by how peaceful she looked even though she worked so hard and pushed herself to every limit every day.

The past few days the cold she was fighting made her breathing a little harder and he could hear the rhythmic sound of her breathing, amplified. God, he loved her.

Tony sat at his desk, whistling while he looked over volunteer profiles. There were so many people who worked there in their free time, and so many of them had lives outside of work that were quite remarkable. President of the PTA, marketing supervisor for the local string of car dealerships, and everyone seemed to have some kind of history that had drawn them into their jobs. It was like they had experienced something that they took to be their call to service, and they grabbed it with both hands; for that, he respected them all immensely.

"You seem chipper today," Mrs. Abernathy said, leaning in the doorway.

"Well, there are a lot of good people volunteerin' here, and that makes me feel pretty good," Tony admitted.

"You'll love them," she assured him. "I've arranged a meeting for everyone tomorrow to introduce you. You'll get to meet a few people today probably."

"Sounds great." Looking back down at his files, Tony wanted to ask her what possessed her to hire him. He was probably the least qualified man in the world for that job.

"So how does your girlfriend feel about your new job?"

Tony smiled, because every time he heard someone talk about his girlfriend, he thought of Angela and how un-girlfriend like she was. She was the kind of woman that he knew was best suited when called wife. But he loved her, and any time he thought of her, even as just a girlfriend, it made him smile.

"She obviously makes you very happy," Mrs. Abernathy stated, watching his expression having changed from one of moderate interest to what could only be described as glowing happiness.

"Yeah, Angela's great." That airy feeling he had become very much accustomed to filled his chest and made him feel very relaxed.

"So, tell me about her," Mrs. Abernathy asked, sitting down in the chair in front of his desk.

She was a very distinguished looking older woman with what could only be described as a very 'old money' look to her. It was almost what he'd imagine Angela to look like in thirty years, with her tall slender figure and her extremely graceful presence. Back in her hey day, he was certain that Mrs. Abernathy was quite the attractive woman.

"She's wonderful. I don't know...She's..."

"What does she do for a living?"

And there was the clearest difference between Brooklyn and Connecticut if ever it could be demonstrated. The first question in Brooklyn would have been 'so, how many kids do you have' or 'have I seen her around the neighborhood.' Here it was 'what does she do.'

Tony smiled again, realizing he was a part of this world, even if he didn't fit in that well. "She works in the city, at Wallace and McQuade. Angela Bower. She's the President there." He was fiercely proud of her, even though he really had no part in getting her to that place in her life.

Angela had told him the story about how she did her MBA, and how she had gone to all the right schools, with all the right focus on her education, and then when it was time she had started as a copywriter. She had started at a relatively basic position, which she hadn't minded so much, and worked her way up to President. That was no small feat.

"Angela Bower? Oh my, this is a small world," she said, beaming. When Tony looked at her in what could only be described as complete and utter confusion, she continued. "Angela's parents, Mona and Robert, used to have a summer house at the cove right next to ours, and we spent most of our summers together. Angela and my daughter Trish were best friends for many years!"

"Oh yeah?" Tony eyed her suspiciously, instantly wondering if he had gotten the job because decades ago Angela used to pad around in the ocean with Mrs. Abernathy's daughter.

"Don't even think what you're thinking," the woman said sternly, almost shaking him to his core with the very tone of her voice. "I want what's best for this hospital, and even if I had known who you were, you'd have to prove yourself."

Tony felt a pang of guilt at the thought. He never said anything thing but she had known what he was thinking and that was bad enough. "I mean..."

"No no, just remember that you got this job because you were the most qualified person we saw. So don't spend the rest of the day thinking it is because I used to change Angela's diapers, because I didn't even know she was your girlfriend. Honestly."

"Thank you," he said, feeling almost humbled by the woman's statement. It was true, she seemed to genuinely have no clue that he was going out with Angela.

"And you're happy with her, which is important. When Michael left I was really worried for her and Jonathon. Thankfully Mona moved back to Connecticut—I knew she couldn't stay away under the circumstances."

"Circumstances?" Tony looked at the woman, confused by what she was saying. As far as he knew, Michael had just gone off to the jungle and had yet to come back. There wasn't really much else that he knew of surrounding their separation.

"Well, Angela was a gawky kid, and definitely not what many would call the most attractive girl on the block. She was very sweet, and very personable, but not at all traditionally beautiful. And then around her fifteenth birthday her braces came off," Mrs. Abernathy said, showing a slight sense of nostalgia at the thought. "After her braces, she lost the weight she had been carrying and she learned how to fit in better."

"I can't imagine Angela with braces," Tony said, trying to conjure an image. She was perfect—genuinely perfect, 100% flawless—merely trying to imagine an awkward overweight teenager was near impossible for him.

"Oh, she had them. And she had a slew of self confidence problems. When she met Michael, she had just begun her senior year at high school, and he was her first boyfriend. He was her first everything, I'm pretty sure. And he courted her, even though she was fiercely independent and very reluctant to let him into her life. We could all see it; she didn't invite him to a single function with everyone until they were engaged. Even then it was only because it was there engagement party that Mona insisted on throwing."

Tony tried to absorb everything. There seemed to be an entire part of Angela's life that she hadn't let him in on and as much as he understood some of it, he had done everything he could to be an open book to her. That she hadn't made her self as vulnerable made him feel some strange mutation between anger and jealousy.

"When he left the last time, we all knew that it was for good, and Angela tried not to let it bother her, but you could see her reluctance to open herself up again. She was really scared for her, and for Jonathon, I imagine." Mrs. Abernathy watched as he absorbed everything he was being told. He obviously cared a great deal, because she could see the questions begging to be answered. "I can't tell you all the details. I got the abridged version from Mona, and from what I saw of Angela, but I can tell you that if she is even one tenth as excited as you are about the relationship, then things have finally worked out for her, and I'm nothing but overjoyed for you both."

"I hope I make her happy," Tony said, thinking carefully, "because she's made me happier this past year than I've ever been."

"That's good. You deserve it as much as she does."

"Do you think you might swing by with some old photo albums sometime?" Tony was fascinated by the Angela she'd probably never let him see.

"As long as you promise to get some work done after the visits, and not spend all day swooning over her, no matter how wonderful Angela is," she said, smiling.

"I'll do my best."

"Then so will I. Now get back to work," she demanded playfully.

"I'm goin', I'm goin'," Tony laughed. "Slave driver you!"

Settling back into the papers in front of him, the stories of Angela made him think about how remarkable she was, as much as any person's profile he had in front of him. Reminding himself of Mrs. Abernathy's request, he had to push his thoughts and feelings aside and think about the task in front of him.

9

When Angela hadn't made it home by 7:00, and there hadn't been a phone call yet, Tony started to worry. New York City was a rough place and she had to catch the commuter train home; if something had happened to her, he definitely didn't want to wait much longer to make the call.

As he dialed the familiar number, Tony thought about the things Mrs. Abernathy had said, and he pondered how things could change so much so fast. The relationship he shared with Angela was one of relatively few problems. The only real complications to the relationship had been pre- existing forces and those things which he could not have changed otherwise. Yes, Angela needed to be divorced, but that wasn't something they had much control over.

"Office of Angela Bower, Cynthia speaking."

Tony laughed. New secretary. Ha. Angela was definitely harder on her staff than anyone he knew. "Hey Cynthia, its Tony."

"Tony, how are you?"

"Pretty amazin'," he replied honestly.

"Angela said I should congratulate you."

"On my new job, yeah. Thanks." Tony smiled at the thought that she talked about him at work sometimes. "Hey, Cyn, is Angela still there?"

"Yeah, she just finished fighting it out with Jim Peterson. I can get her for you if you'd like."

"Please?"

"Talk to you later Tony."

"Take care," he said, curious as to why she was fighting with Jim Peterson.

"TONY!" Angela seemed so relieved to speak to him.

"Hey Ang, I was starting to wonder if everything was ok."

"Yeah, yeah, just having a little fun with Jim."

"Didn't sound like fun. Cynthia said you were fighting something out."

"Just the good ol' fashion stuff with him. He's such an all around fun guy," Angela said sarcastically.

"Well, you think you might be breaking out of there soon? Because if you want, I could pick you up and take you to dinner, if you haven't already eaten." Tony wanted to spend more time with Angela, and if it meant driving into the city and then coming back to Fairfield, so be it. The kids would be ok if Mona stuck around (and she had been lurching around the kitchen in search of food or the like) and it would be nice to have the evening together.

"You don't have to drive all the way in here. I'll be fine taking the train home." Angela liked that he would do just about anything for her. It was a great comfort to know he'd be willing to go so far out of his way just to make her life a little more comfortable.

"I don't have to, I know. But I like doing things for you and I like spending time with you." He was hoping he might break down her resolve and win her over.

Angela thought it over for a minute, wondering if she might want to do something nice with her evening instead of stewing over another fight with Jim. The arguing was getting old, really fast. "I can be done by the time you get here, and if you want we could go do something."

"Cake?"

"Dinner first?" She was starving, thanks to skipping dinner so far, and her lunch meeting was early, leaving her feeling more than a tad bit faint.

"Sure. Sounds good. I'll be there as soon as I tell Mona that she's babysitting, and I can escape the house in one piece." Tony laughed, knowing that Mona probably wouldn't mind. If anything, she'd curl up on the couch with a romance novel and waste the night that way.

"Alright, sounds great." Just as she was about to hang up the phone, she felt this nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach. "I love you," she whispered into the receiver.

"I love you too," Tony said, his heart swelling again. God, he really did love her.

10

Working their way through the appetizers, Angela sipped at her water. "Thank you for picking me up tonight," she said in between bites.

"Anytime. You're my favourite President."

"Don't let Regan hear that," she joked.

Tony shrugged. "What can I say? I know he wouldn't look half as good in the suit you're wearin' right now."

Angela blushed, which Tony thought to be his reward for the evening. He loved getting a reaction out of her, and when she smiled it was better than anything he could have ever fathomed.

"How was work today?" Angela watched as he put down his fork and smiled.

"It was great. Real great. I think that it's gonna go real well." Tony had this look on his face which was definitely indicative of mischief. "And I hear a woman I'm all too fond of used to spend summer with her bikini top on her head, running around and playing tag."

Angela's eyes just about bugged out of her head. "She told you that?"

"Yes, Mrs. Abernathy told me that... And I love how you just forgot," he said whimsically, "to tell me that she used to be your next door neighbour."

Angela sighed. "I didn't want you to think there was anything to be suspicious of. I know how much you hate nepotism, and I know that you would automatically assume that I had something to do with you getting the job."

"I know you didn't, if that makes anythin' better."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mrs. Abernathy told me so. And we both know how tough she can be."

A wave of relief washed over her. Angela had been afraid that he might not believe her, and that was definitely what she figured to be the worst case scenario.

"So, about this bikini over your head...do you still do that?"

Angela laughed at the look on his face, as he was obviously trying to picture it. "I haven't since I was six. But I might be persuaded to try it sometime. For the right man, that is."

Tony reached across the table and took her hand, squeezing it in his own.

"This is really perfect, you know." She wanted to talk to him about the decision she'd made. She had even set a deadline for that evening. But it was too nice of a night out to destroy it with an argument, and the last thing she wanted to do was mess up what might be their last good opportunity to spend time together for a while.

"Whatcha thinkin' about," Tony asked, watching her snap out of her reverie.

"Do you realize that we've been together for almost two years now? The kids are growing up..." Her voice trailed off, thinking about the changes that had come into their lives since she and Tony had become a couple.

"We're growing up," he joked.

"Do you have any regrets?"

"About us?" Tony wasn't sure what he was supposed to answer. There were sometimes he thought about things he would have done differently, but nothing he genuinely regretted.

"Yeah."

"No. No regrets at all."

Angela smiled. "What about in life in general?"

"I wish I didn't put so much time into my baseball, and lost all that time with Sam and Marie. And I wish I hadda gone to school when I got the chance. But then I wouldn't have met Marie, and I wouldn't have had Sam...And who knows...somehow if I could go back in time and change that one instant that made me decide not to go to college, I might not have stayed in Brooklyn, I might not have stayed friends with Philly...I might not have met you, and I might not be here now." Staring into her eyes, Tony began again. "Anything that meant I wouldn't be here with you right now, I wouldn't change. Everything up until this has been worth it."

She tried not to cry, really, she had. But her emotions were ruling her more so than logic, and the tears began to flow. "That's the single sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me," she confessed, before wiping her tears.

"It's the truth. I didn't mean to make you cry," he said, everything about him making her believe him. She had never had any reason not to trust him before, and she doubted there would ever be a time where he would change that.

"How 'bout you? Any regrets?"

"I regret not meeting you sooner, but otherwise, no. Not many. I would have liked to have been divorced sooner, and maybe I would have liked to be a little more fun. But that's it."

"I think you're plenty fun," Tony said, wondering what was going on in that mind of hers. She was his everything, no matter how cliché it might seem, and there was never a shortage of fun for them.

"Well, I doubt you say that when I drag you to the ballet."

"Ah! But you get all dressed up in some sexy dress and look amazin', and I can spend two hours locked in a dark theatre thinkin' about you." Tony smiled, the glow reaching his eyes. "Plenty fun, I told ya!"

Angela averted her eyes, needing a break from the honesty that they were sharing. She just wanted to talk to him and explain everything. It had to be that night, she rationalized. He needed to know and she needed to put the plans in to action.

11

"Do you mind holding down the fort for a week?" Angela bit her lower lip, hoping this would go easily and with relatively little conflict.

"You runnin' away with the circus?" Tony laughed, enjoying the feeling of her head resting against his chest. He liked their 'before bed' time; they'd lay curled together and talk until they fell asleep, and when they had a bad day, it was the easiest way of getting the worst of it off their chests.

"I have some personal business to attend to," she stated nonchalantly. It would be a tough sell but she might get him to agree to it.

"Personal business? Like, for Wallace and McQuade personal, or Angela Bower personal?"

"Angela Bower personal."

"Okay, and some details might make me feel better about my girlfriend running off and disappearing for a week." Tony tried not to look suspicious, but he couldn't help it. It was an odd thing to be happening and no matter how hard he tried, he was very protective of Angela.

"I'm going to get my divorce papers signed," Angela clarified, hoping he'd be so overjoyed at the idea of her finally being divorced that he'd forget the impending details.

"You're not getting on a plane and flying to the jungles of wherever the hell he's at now—it's not safe and it's not a good idea!" He didn't mean to lose his composure, but he hadn't expected her to say something like that.

"Tony! I know how much it's bothering you that we're not married but we're living together, and I know it's only going to get worse. It's not fair to you if we continue to just let it go like this." Angela wished she had more time to explain things. Maybe then Tony would understand why she was doing what she was doing, but then again, even at best with an explanation, she couldn't fathom he'd feel any better about letting her traipse off into the jungle in search of her ex-husband. She sat up right and looked down on him, which in turn brought him to a seated position across from her. It was a strange thing to see; him taking the defensive was never directed at her. Angela's main reason for bringing it up in the bedroom was because they had an agreement and she hoped he'd remember before they got into a fight about the trip.

"Ok, so it's not my favourite thing because I want to make an honest woman of ya but I'm not willin' to let you disappear on me while you try and hunt down a man who lives dangerously!" Tony wasn't used to fighting with her. They never fought. Sometimes they'd disagree but even then it was merely a matter of a conversation and a few concessions.

"Tony, I have to get the papers signed. Trust me on this, okay?" Her eyes were begging him just to let it go, and to give her the chance to do what she needed to do.

"What's going on here that you have to see him suddenly?"

"I don't have to see him. I want the papers signed."

"And what happened to waiting for him to come back out to be served?"

"It's taking too long," she argued.

"Look, I agree it's takin' too long but I'm not willin' to let you risk your life for stupid papers. I know you love me and I know that as soon as possible, you'll get divorced." Tony tried to rationalize with her, hoping that she'd understand that she was more important to him than a title; this new found desire to finalize her divorce, although another step forward in their relationship, was not worth letting her risk harm to herself.

"National Geographic said that once I got to the airport, they'd have someone escort me to the nearest village, and then they'd bring Michael to me. No danger at all, okay?" She hoped this would be enough to sway his vote

"Why are they suddenly willing to help you?"

"They're not."

"They are," he pointed out. "Before when you talked to them, you asked and they said you had to wait. Why suddenly are they bein' so useful?"

"Maybe they understand how long this has been dragging on?" Angela settled into her pillow and wondered if maybe she chose the wrong time to bring it up. Tony had been worried about her working too hard and he'd been worried about how she seemed to pick up every virus that she came in contact with. She should have known to wait a little longer before talking to him but time was of a premium.

"Maybe you're hidin' somethin' from me?" He did his best to match her tone, hoping that she might understand just how concerned he was. It wasn't like her to be so secretive.

"Look, I know you're worried, but I'll be fine. I've been there before, and they're giving me a host."

"And you're not tellin' me why it's suddenly so important to you to get a divorce when you were happy enough before."

"Hey, I was never happy with the way things were, but I was willing to wait it out. I can't say I'm feeling that patient now," Angela argued. She didn't want to tell him her secret, but under the circumstances, she didn't feel she had much choice. If things got any more heated, she'd have to tell him.

"Why are you suddenly less happy, that's all I'm askin', 'cause if I can do something, you know I will." His eyes were begging her for an explanation, and she wasn't much feeling like she could let the fight drag on much longer.

"Do you promise not to hate me?" Angela felt horrible. She didn't want to have this conversation with him, and especially not like that.

"Eh oh, Angela, I could never ever hate you. It's not possible. I love you too much. I just don't like the idea of you riskin' life and limb searching for your ex-husband just to make me feel better." Tony's thumb slid over her knuckles, and she felt much more at peace knowing he wasn't all that mad still.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered, watching his jaw drop and his eyes nearly pop out of his head.

"Like, having a baby pregnant?"

She laughed at his expression, thankful at least there weren't any explosions like when she had told Michael about Jonathon. "How many other kinds are there?"

"I don't know...but if there's another kind, I need to know before I react."

Angela looked at him quizzically. "I'm the kind of pregnant that involves a baby," she replied sweetly, enjoying the shock apparent on his features.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Somehow it seemed like the next few seconds were a blur, because the next thing Angela knew, Tony had his arms wrapped around her and he was kissing her neck with fervor.

"So is that a 'wow, I'm happy' response or a...?"

Pulling away but sitting very near to her, Tony smiled. "That's a wow, I really couldn't be happier."

"Really?"

"Really." Tony looked at her, still trying to register what it all meant. There was so much to it, and so much to consider that it seemed almost impossible.

"That's why I want Michael to sign the papers," Angela pointed out.

"Because of the baby?"

"Well, it will look," Angela hesitated, knowing that how other people perceived them really was an issue for Tony, no matter what he said. "It will seem strange to still be married to him, even if we have been separated for what feels like forever, and be setting up a nursery with you."

Tony thought it over for a moment. "What if I go?"

"And how do you propose to do that?"

"Easy. Get on a flight and hook up with that guide you were gonna get, and he can take me to find Michael. And once I knock 'em senseless for being such an idiot, I'll get him to sign the papers."

"I'm not letting you go to a Peruvian prison just because my ex is slow at filing divorce papers."

"What about because he hurt you? Is that a good enough reason, 'cause to me it is."

"What if we go together?" It was a happy medium, she thought, if she could go to keep Tony from killing Michael, and if she could keep Michael from sending Tony into the darkest throws of the jungle.

Tony thought it over, trying to come up with the most ideal solution. "Is it ok for you to travel, I mean, how are you feelin'? How do you feel about bein' pregnant—I never even thought to ask."

Angela offered a small smile. "I can't say I wasn't surprised, but a part of me really likes the idea of having your baby and having that bond with you."

"And the other part of you?"

"Wishes it didn't come now, when I'm trying to keep the agency at its top form, and prove myself as the president. It's still such a new position for me, and I don't know how it will go when I tell them I need time off for maternity leave." Angela sighed.

"Which part's winnin'?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you mostly happy or mostly sad?" Tony's fingers ran over her arm and trailed up her shoulder, as he waited for her response. Whatever it might have been, he'd have to think of a way to be supportive of her. He loved her too much to be an idiot and screw things up now.

Her breath hitched in her throat. "Having you right here, right beside me and looking at me like that makes me so happy...I'm very happy."

"And we're havin' a baby?"

"We are...In probably about six months."

"Wow, you're that far along?" Tony looked at her and wondered how he didn't notice that she had been different before then.

"My doctor thought so. Plus or minus a couple of weeks."

"I love you so much," Tony said as his lips gently covered hers. They'd talk about Peru and divorce papers later. But for now he just wanted to show her how deep his feelings ran.

12

"Mrs. Abernathy," Tony called from the office doorway, looking towards her desk. She seemed quite engrossed in whatever it was she was reading, and her secretary had been no where to be found.

"Tony. How are you?"

"I'm alright," he said, wishing he had thought this through a little better. He had just gotten the damn job and suddenly he had to ask for time off? How the hell was that going to work?

"Just alright? Oh dear... Something wrong with the proposal for the Tulip ball?"

Tony took a moment, realizing he hadn't read his morning briefing yet, and obviously there was something in it he was going to need. "No, there don't seem to be any problems that I'm aware of yet."

"Then?"

"Can I come in?"

Mrs. Abernathy nodded and gestured towards the chair in front of her desk.

"I uh... There's a thing..." Tony hesitated. He had absolutely no clue what to say that was going to persuade her to let him go with Angela.

"What's wrong?" The look of horror on her face was overwhelming; she obviously cared for Angela very much, even if they were not very close.

"Angela's going to leave for Peru, for a week, and she's going to track down Michael."

The look of shock on her face was enough to make him feel guilty.

"She's going to Peru?"

"Angela wants the divorce papers signed, and the only way that's going to happen anytime soon is if she goes to him."

"You're going with her, right?" Mrs. Abernathy was obviously concerned for Angela's well being because at the mere suggestion that Angela would be going, she seemed set in a plan of action.

"I'd like to," Tony said, feeling guilty for even asking. He wanted to avoid even the slightest hint of impropriety.

"She'll need you there," Mrs. Abernathy assured him. "And I want you there to make sure that cretin doesn't do anything to hurt our girl."

Tony sighed, thankful that she was so understanding, and appreciative of the kindness she was showing to both him and Angela. Even though the circumstances were less than in their favour, he liked to think that they had people on their side—people who wanted to see Angela and him together as much as there were people who wanted them separated.

"What else is going on?" The woman looked down at the younger man and wondered what he was hiding from her.

After a breath, Tony opened his mouth but couldn't think of the right words to say. Finally, it came to him. "I'm gonna be a father again." By the last word, he was beaming with obvious pride.

"Angela's pregnant?"

"About three months," Tony said proudly.

"Congratulations! This is wonderful news!" Standing up, Mrs. Abernathy made her way across the room to wrap him in a bone crushing embrace. "You guys are going to be wonderful parents together!"

Tony smiled. "She wants to get the papers signed soon, so we can move things along," Tony explained, "and I'm not letting her go alone. No way."

"I don't blame you," she assured him. "And when you get back, I want you and Angela to come over for dinner at my place, and we'll celebrate."

"Sounds great," he said honestly. If everyone was even half as supportive as she was, they'd have no problems.

13

Tony called Angela at work after his meeting with Mrs. Abernathy, and told her his good news: that he had his boss' blessings to go on the trip and take as long as they needed. Now all they had to do, he figured, was sort out things on the home front and book his flight.

Angela was torn between being thrilled that Tony could go with her and somewhat worried. She didn't know how Tony would react and the idea of taking him to meet her ex-husband was just too much.

There had been that tone in her voice that clearly showed her concern, so Tony took it on himself to reassure her that he'd be on his best behavior and that nothing bad would happen as long as he was there beside her. He'd make sure of it.

She smiled, and thought about how lucky she was to have a man who loved her so much and who was so obviously devoted to her and Angela conceded defeat. Deciding to speak to her mother that night, she announced she had to get back to work for a bit but that she'd do her best to get home early so they could work out the final details.

"You're going to Peru?" Mona looked at her daughter suspiciously, wondering what she could be 'up to'.

"Tony and I are. Which means we need you to watch the kids for a few days."

"How many?"

"Two kids, six days," Tony replied smartly. "Sam said she'd help you out, and Jonathon's a good kid—he won't cause you much trouble."

"Six days? That's eight potential dates!"

"I know mother, but it's important." Angela reached for Tony's hand under the table, hoping that she'd get through this with a little bit of his support. The pregnancy so far had been very good to her, with no clues as to her state other than the fact she had skipped several periods, but the nausea that she was experiencing made her wonder if things were about to change or if it was just her nerves.

Tony must have been able to tell that she wasn't feeling well because he squeezed her hand in his and continued the discussion, hoping to break down Mona's defenses. "I know its short notice and all, but I really need to go with her."

"What's going on; why do you both have this sudden urge to run off to Peru?"

"Michael's there right now, and we want to get the divorce papers signed. We're hoping to get it finalized." Tony looked at Angela and noticed that she was blanching considerably. "Ang, honey, you ok?"

"Yeah, but I think I need to have a nap," she said in a voice so little that it made him nervous.

Mona watched the exchange between Tony and Angela and clued in. All the pieces fit together. Her daughter wanted to finalize the divorce so she and Michael would both be free, she could marry Tony, and it definitely didn't hurt that she was probably pregnant. All of those seemed to be very valid reasons.

"How long have you known?"

"About?"

"How long have you known that you are pregnant," Mona said, her voice betraying her. She had meant to sound harsh, and maybe a little bit like the accusatory mother, but instead she sounded really quite happy.

"I've known for about three weeks," Angela confessed, feeling a mixture of joy and anxiety over telling her mother.

"And you want to get married again? Maybe even before the baby gets here?"

"We have to see how things work out," Tony said, watching Angela. "You sure you're ok?"

"I think I'm just understanding the danger of not eating breakfast and then having coffee for lunch," Angela admitted as her eyes shied away from his.

"Angela!" Tony gave her his best 'you know better' glare.

"What? I was in a hurry this morning and then I had meetings all day..."

"And you're being too hard on yourself already. You need to make time for food, and sleep and everythin' else that comes with being pregnant. You promised me you'd take it easy," he nagged, but hoped she understood it was only because of his love for her that he did it.

"I just let my day get ahead of me. This is the first time I've felt less than 100%," she pointed out.

"Are you two sure that going to Peru is such a good idea?" Mona watched her daughter sit more upright, and Tony seemed quite concerned. He couldn't possibly want her to go.

"I know that I'd like to be divorced before this baby comes," Angela said honestly.

"She won't let me go alone," Tony pointed out. "I asked...but I'm not lettin' her go alone either. At least if I'm there I can take care of her."

Mona looked between the pair. "I'll take care of the kids, but I want you to know that I think maybe you should wait. It doesn't seem like such a good idea to be running around Peru, pregnant."

Mona and Tony exchanged worried glances, knowing that there wouldn't be any way to talk Angela out of it.

14

"You sure you're ok?" Stepping off the plane, Tony made sure to hold on to Angela's waist, for fear of her feeling the strain of the trip.

"I'm fine. Really Tony, I feel no different than every other time I've flown," she said sweetly. "Well, other than a little embarrassed that you stood up and asked the stewardess if she could request the pilot fly the plane more smoothly for fear of upsetting my stomach."

"Eh oh, he was enjoyin' flyin' like a maniac, and I just wanted him to have more care and concern for the lives on board!" Tony tried to downplay how worried he was. Truth was, he couldn't imagine what he'd do if anything happened to Angela, their baby, or any other member of their family, and as patriarch, the macho Italian man in him demanded he be allowed the right to protect them.

"The pilot wished us congratulations over the loudspeaker, after apologizing for the turbulence. I don't think he was taking us for a joyride," Angela laughed. It was sometimes frustrating, she had to admit, that he was so protective of her, but at the same time, she realized that it was something new to her. Michael had never been very protective of her at all, and now she had a man who desperately wanted to take care of her. It was a nice change, she decided, but she'd have to get used to it.

Stopping her at the gate, Tony slid his hands up to her shoulders. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you—really. But I don't know how you're really feeling most the time and if you're just lying to me to make me feel better. I just want to make sure you're okay—both of you."

"We're fine, I promise, and if ever we're less than fine, you'll be the first to know," Angela assured him. "Now, let's go find our guide."

Tony nodded and continued out the gate. Angela couldn't help but notice that his hands still didn't leave her waist as they searched for someone with a sign that said 'Bower'.

"Mrs. Bower," a voice with a thick British accent called out.

"Yes?" Angela searched for the face that matched the voice.

"Mrs. Bower, I'm Derrick Somers, a friend of your husband's." He eyed Tony, noticing his hands and their protective placement around her.

"Angela Bower," she said, offering her hand to him. "And this is my friend Tony Micelli," she introduced, noticing how Tony seemed to be staring down the man.

"Michael's told me a great deal about you. He's very fond of you and your son Jonathon," Derrick smiled, before leading them towards the baggage pick up.

Angela didn't reply, instead feeling a stinging in her throat at the need to bite back her words about Michael and his 'fondness' for anything but reptiles.

"You ok?" Tony whispered in her ear, certain that she wasn't as prepared for this trip as they thought.

Angela just nodded before entwining her fingers with his and following the man ahead of them. This was going to be awkward, and it was going to be wildly uncomfortable, of that much she was certain.

"It's a two day journey. We'll start out today by taking a bus to a small town about two hours from here, then we'll catch a boat just outside the town and down the river to a village where we'll spend tonight. Tomorrow we'll have another bus ride, followed by a boat trip into the port nearest the location. From there it's about an hour's walk in to the camp." Derrick carried a bag, while Tony carried the other. Angela seemed to be just watching the people bustle around them, oblivious to the torture they seemed to be embarking upon. "Before I can take you guys anywhere though, I need you to sign a confidentiality waiver, saying that you won't disclose the location of our project; I only brought one, but you can both sign this one." Finding a flat surface, he pulled out the contract and a pen, and offered it to them.

"This is to keep the location a secret?"

"Yes. We're doing some really groundbreaking work, and we can't have it jeopardized by having the nature of the work or the location leaked. Those people from Scientific America have been hounding us for months now."

Tony snickered. It was like geek espionage, he thought. He could just see all these dweeby guys wandering around blindly asking for the national geographic site, and equally dorky guys playing James Bond in the back forests of Peru.

Angela signed the form and handed it to Tony who in turn signed it as well.

"Great. Now, let's get going. We don't have long to get to the bus," he said, folding the paper and putting it back in his breast pocket of the tan vest he was wearing.

Following after him, Angela wished that she and Tony had decided to stay home. It seemed like an awful lot of work to get to him, and although she was feeling fine at this point in the journey, she had yet to really get going.

"I was thinkin'," Tony whispered, "that we should let him know. You know, that way he doesn't do anything more dangerous than necessary."

Angela's jaw dropped. "He's Michael's friend—what am I supposed to say to him? Hi, this is my lover and I'm pregnant with his child...I'm only here so I can divorce your friend."

"I'd say 'I'm pregnant, could ya try not to give us the poisonous snake tour', but whatever you think would work better," Tony said, wishing she didn't sound so hesitant about telling Derrick. It would give him considerably greater peace of mind if she'd just agree to tell him.

"I don't know what to say to him, Tony, and I'm sure he won't be taking us anywhere anymore dangerous than he needs to." Angela hoped he'd understand. She didn't think it was an unreasonable assumption by any means. Then again, if things were the other way around and Tony had dragged her half way around the world to see someone, and then didn't really say anything of their relationship, she might be upset too.

"Just promise me you'll lemme know if anything happens, okay?"

"Promise," she said honestly, hoping she wouldn't have anything to tell him.

15

Getting off the boat, Angela thought twice about her ability to make it any further. The tossing motion of the water had upset her stomach, and on the heels of such a bumpy (and hot) bus ride, she was feeling more tired than she had ever felt. It was only the first day of what she knew would be several more, and she'd have to grow more accustomed to it.

"You okay?" Tony offered his arm to her, worried that the pale complexion of her face was mirroring other upset she was feeling.

Angela nodded her head, but accepted his arm, wondering if maybe she should have listened to her mother when she had said that taking care of herself and the baby ranked more highly than getting a divorce.

"We'll stay here tonight, and if we leave at daybreak, we'll make it to the camp just after noon," Derrick announced, leading them towards a small building just off the water front.

Everything around them seemed so peaceful. There were so few interruptions to life from what they could tell. The only sign of civilization being a few beat up cars on a road that ran behind what was probably the city hall.

Tony had never told Angela his secret; he had never been outside of the United States, and although his family was from Italy, he had never even braved that far. There was never the money or the time. What was he supposed to do? Take time off work to spend too much money running around the world?

His eyes were about as wide as saucers. The place where they had caught the boat had been rather unusual, but something he could imagine somewhere stateside, but this was a totally different world. The entire structure of the city was as if it was twenty years ago, at least he'd imagine.

"You okay?" Angela watched him carefully, wondering if there was something she needed to know about.

"Fine," he said, brushing off her curiosity and trying to absorb the people bustling around them.

"My friend Javier said we can stay here for the night. Not the most comfortable of accommodations, but a few cots are a lot better than sleeping on the floor," Derrick commented as he unlocked the doors to the comparatively massive doors of the columned building.

"What is this, anyway?"

"It's the old town square. This used to be a city until the war, and then afterwards it just kind of fell piece by piece." Leading them in, Derrick sighed. "This used to be a great place, but then it saw the rise of guerilla warfare and no one was safe."

Angela admired the paintings on the walls, all seeming to be a piece of history waiting to be remembered.

"There's a room at the end of this hall that you can have, Angela. It's just on the left. Tony, you can bunk in the old library. There's a cot..."

"I'm fine stayin' with Angela, thanks," Tony said coolly, grabbing one of their bags before marching down the hall towards the room.

"You didn't need to be so rude," Angela said, sitting down on the edge of the cot.

"He was going to send me to sleep in the library. Sorry I wasn't nicer to him."

Angela sighed. "I'm just saying, it's not like he meant anything by it. You're reading too much into it."

Tony kicked himself, hoping he wasn't upsetting her. "Look, I'm sorry. I just don't like the idea of being away from ya when we're so far from home, and ... even if we were in Fairfield, I'd miss you too much if you were down some hallway."

She looked into his big brown eyes and wondered how he did it to her every time. She really didn't know how he was going to be able to stay mad at him.

"This cot isn't going to fit two people," Angela pointed out.

"I know. I'll sleep on the floor," Tony said quickly. "I just didn't want to be real far away."

Even Angela had to admit that he was her safety net, and having him beside her definitely made her feel better. She hadn't meant to be so abrupt with him, but she was tired, already, and knew things were only going to get worse.

16

The trip the next day was exerting, making Angela wonder how any one would justify doing so much work just to watch lizards breed, or whatever the hell the research team had been doing there.

When Derrick gave them the fifteen minute mark to approach the camp, Angela had made a point of stopping for a second and telling Tony that no matter what happened, he had to keep his temper in check and realize that when this was done, it wouldn't be long before they could be married. He nodded his head and motioned for her to continue walking ahead of him.

It seemed unlikely that he would make any promises. There just wasn't a way he could fathom comforting her for the sole purpose of making her feel better without being honest with her, and he couldn't be honest with her when it came to how he felt about Michael.

As they approached the camp, Angela looked around the meager tents pitched between trees and the food slung from trees in coolers. Her husband had left her for that?

"Aii, ey!" Derrick called out, the sounds seeming more like something out of a John Wayne western.

That seemed to draw the camp into attention and bring people out of the small dwellings and towards them.

"Angela," they heard, the voice sounding much too happy. Suddenly there he was in front of them, smiling at Angela, wrapping his arms around her and hoisting her into the air. "Hey, sweetheart," he said, placing a much too friendly kiss on her lips.

It was all just too fast to do anything, as Angela felt arms around her one minute, and lips on hers the next. She registered that it was Michael who was kissing her, but she wasn't sure how to react.

"You've put on weight, haven't ya?" Placing her back down on the ground, Michael's eyes never left her, as he appraised her in the cotton pants and ratty old cardinal's t-shirt she wore. She was never a baseball fan before, but be damned if she didn't make an ancient t-shirt look sexy. Little did he know that it was Tony's shirt, and she had hijacked it from his bag that morning when they were getting ready.

She tried to think of words, but none were coming out. There just wasn't a single coherent thought that she could muster that would make it to her lips.

Tony stood there stunned. He knew that Michael would be an attractive enough guy. He was always quite handsome in the photos he had seen, but now actually meeting the 'husband' seemed to really shake things up. For once Tony was jealous of Michael; he had everything that Tony didn't (breeding, education and a distinguished upper class look) and he had been married to Angela. Michael had fathered her child and been responsible for so many integral parts of Angela's adult life. And here he was, not the geek he had the potential to be, and really quite a man's man. He wasn't a sissy, he wasn't a moron, and he was most definitely not what Tony had hoped to find.

"And you would be?" Michael turned to look at Tony, finally noticing the man who seemed less than pleased with the exchange before him.

"Tony. Tony Micelli." He wanted to say 'the man who's sleeping with your wife,' only because he somehow wanted to hurt the seemingly infallible Michael, but that would hurt Angela too, and he knew that he could never make light of his relationship with Angela. It had never been just about sex, and to sum it up that way would negate everything they had worked so hard to build.

"A friend of mine," Angela said, hoping that wouldn't encourage a third world war to break out right before her eyes.

"Nice to meet you," Michael said, his hand reaching out to shake Tony's, but Tony never offered his hand. Looking back at Angela, Michael changed direction of their conversation. "So, Angela, what brings you to my beloved camp?"

She sighed, wondering how she had imagined it would go, because something about this seemed wrong. Not the asking for the divorce, she thought, that was right, but maybe it was the standing there having to tell him the details of her life. "I came to get you to sign the papers," she told him, her voice small, not thoroughly impressed by the fact there were a dozen of his nearest and dearest colleagues watching them.

17

The look of shock and confusion on his face betrayed his normally stoic persona. Michael wasn't the kind of man to be easily surprised, and had he thought about it, maybe Angela wanting a divorce wasn't quite the surprise it should have been, but he had never thought that she would go to such lengths to be 'free' of him.

"We'll, uh, leave you alone," a couple of his colleagues mumbled in unison, obviously as uncomfortable with the situation as Angela was.

"Uh, thanks guys," was all Michael managed. "You're not just here to carry her bags, are you?" The way he eyed Tony would have been enough to make any other man turn tail and run, but this guy...he seemed unfazed by the statement.

"He's my..."

"Friend," Tony concluded for her, not wanting her to have to make the distinction. Angela did not need any more stress, and it was best for all of them if they just let it slide for now.

"Friend," Michael snickered.

"I had sent papers, but it seemed you never signed them, so here I am. I was hoping you could sign them and we'd be on our way," Angela said, trying to keep her stomach from doing flip-flops any further. As it was, already she felt like there was a ping pong ball making its rounds through her stomach, and she was fairly certain she didn't remember that from her pregnancy with Jonathon.

"I thought they were a joke. Never thought I'd need to sign 'em."

"Well, it wasn't a joke." She tried not to sound too serious, but all she wanted was to get out of there, and back to somewhere civilized; she wanted to get somewhere with ice cream and the potential for a little rest and relaxation.

"I'm starting to believe that," Michael said, his frown poorly hidden.

"Ya better believe it—we're here and we're not leavin' 'til they're signed." Tony looked between Angela and Michael, and fought the temptation to punch the man. He wasn't necessarily making it more difficult, but he sure as hell wasn't making it any easier on her.

"Look, this is between my wife and I, so if you'd kindly leave us alone to talk this through..."

It wasn't until Michael's hand reached for Angela's arm that Tony felt that little panic button in him switch.

"Eh oh, oh eh, I think it's best that we all discuss this," Tony said, stepping between Michael and Angela, and standing at his full height.

Angela felt the world spinning out of control, and very much out of her grasp. She couldn't figure out what was happening, but something had gone terribly wrong in all of it.

"Tony! Michael! We're going to discuss this in a civilized manner and sign the damn papers so we can leave soon..." In her attempt to regain control she had barely managed to keep her voice from quivering.

Tony turned to look at her, her complexion noticeably pale. "You ok?"

"I'm fine," she offered, looking up at him, but her eyes were saying something else. All of the stress was getting to her already and they'd just gotten there.

"You're not," Tony said softly, taking her hand in his. "Do you need to rest for a few minutes? There's gotta be some kind of bed 'round here somewhere," he offered, genuinely concerned.

Michael watched the tenderness with which Tony spoke to Angela and the way his hand seemed to land ever so lightly on her arm, and there was no mistaking it. They were very clearly lovers. There could be no mistaking that kind of sweetness.

"If you need to rest for a while, you can go lay down in my tent." Michael looked between them, and when Angela looked at him in something between shock and dismay, he clarified. "You can go lay down in my tent, and I'll go and get some footage shot with the team. I can come back in an hour or so."

Angela nodded, everything seeming too much, and Tony led her in the direction of the tents.

18

Angela made her way onto the air mattress and sighed. Her back was so stiff that she thought she'd never be able to get back up now that she had made it down.

"You're not ok, are ya?" Tony watched her settle and hoped that he was wrong—he hoped that she'd laugh at him and tell him everything was fine, but the truth of the matter was, he was certain she wasn't in top form.

"I'm just tired. It's been a long couple of days." Holding his hand Angela tugged ever so lightly on it, telling him to come closer to her and lay beside her.

"And is the baby bein' decent to ya? Or is it doing the Tango?"

Angela laughed at the image of their baby doing a Tango in her stomach, although she had to admit that the past little while it had seemed like that. "Maybe just a bit of a waltz. Not a full fledged tango yet."

Tony sighed and snuggled tighter against her, his hand resting protectively on her stomach. "Do you think Michael understands about us?"

Angela closed her eyes and thought about his question. "I don't know if he does or not. It's hard to tell."

Tony's fingers splayed over the place where there baby was. "Well, one way or another, we came to get the papers signed, and we won't leave until they are."

Angela nodded, something about her more hesitant than she had been before.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm worried, that's all." Angela fought the urge to cry. Her hormones were so out of whack that even she couldn't tell what emotion was coming next. It was like she was a mixed bag of emotions, and someone would arbitrarily reach in and drag out an emotion even more exhausting than the last.

"About?" Tony sighed, his heart feeling heavy. If she was having regrets, it was a miserable time to be finding out.

"Have you thought about what will happen once we get back home?" Angela's voice was small even though she had tried to sound less scared than she was.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you thought about what we'll tell the kids when we get back to Connecticut? Do you think they'll be okay with the idea of us all being a family?" Angela closed her eyes and tried to imagine what it would be like with a baby and Sam and Jonathon.

"We'll tell the kids that this is it. This is what we want, and that we're a family. We'll tell Jonathon and Sam that we love them both, and we're havin' another baby." He knew it might not be that simple. Sam was taking the whole 'family' thing pretty well, but Jonathon had been a roadblock from the start. Now, Tony was starting to wonder if they had gotten a little ahead of themselves with thinking it would all fall happily into place. As it was, they hadn't told the kids where they were going, for fear of it causing a mini-mutiny.

"Jonathon still misses his father..."

"Sam still misses her mother, but that doesn't mean that she won't understand...and she loves you, Ang, so I think we're worrying about somethin' that's out of our control. And even if the kids are mad at us, what are we gonna do? It's not like we can undo everything, and even if we could, I wouldn't want to, so they'll learn to live with it. It's their only choice." He waited for Angela's reply, but when none came, he thought perhaps he had only further upset her. It'd be possible, after all, that she wouldn't want to hear that things were out of their control; Angela was a very driven woman and most of the time, she had to be the one holding the cards.

Looking over at her, he realized that she had fallen asleep. "You rest up, and we'll figure it all out later. Promise."

19

"So, you're with Angela?" Michael looked over Tony. He certainly wasn't Angela's type, even if they were together now. It almost seemed as if they were playing a joke on him. At any moment he expected people to jump out of a bush and scream 'surprise!'

"Yeah," Tony said, almost in the defensive. He'd been trying to keep his cool but when Michael showed up to check on Angela, and stumbled upon her wrapped around Tony, things changed. The entire dynamic shifted.

"How long?"

"A while," Tony replied, not feeling as if he owed a real answer to the soon to be ex-husband.

Michael snickered. "When'd you find out she was pregnant?"

There was a long pause between the men as Tony considered what had been said. "What do ya mean?"

"When did you find out that Angela was pregnant?" This time, Michael enunciated his words with a very specific tone.

"A couple weeks ago."

"So that's why she's here with the divorce papers? An accident so now you have to speed up the process, huh?" The smaller man seemed poised for a fight, as he stood at his full height, his shoulders wide.

"Eh oh, oh eh, you don't ever call our baby an accident, ok? 'Cause if you do, I swear to God, I'll break you in half. I'll make sure you never pick up another camera again." Tony had just enough of an advantage over Michael that he seemed to tower over him.

"Eh oh, oh eh? So you're a wordsmith, too?"

"Back off, just sign the damn papers and let us leave."

There was a cocky grin on his face. "So, if I choose not to sign the papers..."

"I'll choose," Tony said, his voice mimicking Michaels, "to break your nose. And anything else, til ya sign the papers."

It was a strange way to meet your wife's lover; Michael had to admit to himself that this was unusual. He always thought that as long as he stayed away, he'd always have Angela and Jonathon back in Connecticut, holding on what little piece of him they had, but here was Tony standing face to face with him and telling him that under no uncertain terms, after that there would no longer be a family waiting.

"You think I'm jokin'?" Tony moved a step closer to Michael before extending his hand to the older man and offering the paperwork and a pen.

Shaking his head, Michael accepted the forms. "You do realize that I have no intentions of signing this until I talk to my wife, right?"

Tony cringed at the mention of Angela as Michael's wife. He had never thought of her that way, instead always just letting himself believe that they were already divorced, even though he logically knew better. "Angela doesn't need any more stress or pressure, especially not from you. You can't honestly believe I'm going to let you go somewhere and talk to her without me around, can ya?"

"If you want the papers signed, you will." That was the only thing Michael had to hold over Tony, and if for no other reason than to have that power, he felt like he needed to do it.

"You're makin' one of your 'choices', huh? Well, lemme tell you this; if she seems even the littlest bit upset, and if it seems like she's hurt, I'll kill you. I'd rather go to jail than let you hurt her, so beware." Tony knew that he meant every word of what he said. He couldn't bear to see Angela hurt, let alone at the hands of a man who had hurt her so many times already. There was no way he could let it happen again.

"Wise men don't threaten," Michael said, his eyes daring Tony to just try something...anything.

"No, wise men do it. And I will. So don't do anythin' stupid, and we won't ever have to talk again." Heading back towards the tent where Angela was still asleep, Tony wondered if they should have made the trip. It was obvious that Michael had much preferred taunting them to being a rational adult, and it seemed to be only the start.

20

Crawling onto the air mattress behind Angela, Tony closed his eyes and replayed the scene from before in his mind. He knew that Angela would be angry at him for having threatened Michael, but he wasn't about to let the man have the best of them. Tony also knew that even if she wasn't angry about the confrontation, Angela would likely be angry that he had treated her like she didn't have a say.

"Are you done beating him up," Angela asked, her voice low.

"You're awake?"

"It's hard to sleep wile two men scream at each other outside the tent," she clarified, wondering if he moved closer to her to gauge whether or not she was mad, or if he was just feeling that concerned about their relationship.

"Men don't scream," Tony corrected, "but I'm sorry we were yellin' so loud. I didn't realize..."

"Don't be sorry. Thank you. But I don't want you to go to jail. I'd miss you, Sam would miss you. Jonathon, even though he doesn't always seem like it, would miss you. And our baby would miss their father very much." Angela inched closer to him. "And Michael isn't worth losing you over."

There was a quiet that made Angela feel somewhat nervous. It was as if she didn't even know which way was up or down at that moment, because Tony didn't seem to be offering any thoughts.

"He's a pretty good lookin' guy," Tony finally said, hesitantly. "I mean, uh, not that I think of guys like that, or anythin', but he's not a monster or nothin'."

Angela laughed at what Tony was saying. It took a man very secure in his masculinity to even briefly bring up the idea of another man's sex appeal, and although he had to backtrack once he did it, Angela couldn't help but think about how endearing it was that Tony was one of those men.

"Eh oh, you laughin' at me?" He looked at her with a dead serious glare, as if to seem threatening, which only made her laugh harder.

"Michael is a handsome man, no doubt, but he's such an ugly person. And more than that," leaning in closer, Angela pressed her nose against his, "I've met this man who's absolutely amazing. And rumour has it, he'd kill for me. So, ya know, I think I might just have upgraded."

Tony pressed a gentle kiss to her lips while his hands rested in hers, placed gingerly atop her stomach. "I love you," he said sweetly.

"I love you too."

"Michael wants to talk with you. Alone. I don't like the idea, so if you say no, I'll make sure he knows that it won't happen."

"I owe him this much," Angela told Tony, making sure he knew that it was a matter of obligation and not desire. "No matter how much I hate him sometimes, he's still my son's father, and we did just crash in on him. The least we can do is let him talk."

The appreciative gleam in Tony's eye made Angela blush.

"What?"

"Ya know, you're the most amazing woman I've ever met. And I couldn't be happier that you're mine."

"That's right, I'm yours. And don't you forget it, because by extension that means you're mine."

"Heart, and soul. And body." Wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, he elicited a laugh from Angela.

"And I intend to take advantage of you...Or that, rather." Leaning in for another kiss, Angela thought about how lucky she was to have found such an amazing guy.

"Any time, baby, anytime."

21

"You could have been nicer to Tony," Angela said, as she approached Michael.

"Since when was it my responsibility to be nice to your boyfriend?"

Angela shrugged. "I'm not saying you have to be. I'm just saying you could have been. I mean, I've come to not expect much from you, but sometimes it's nice to be surprised."

It stung to hear her speak so lowly of him, but Michael had expected it. He almost cracked it up to the fact that she was there to ask for a divorce from him. There was no way they'd be doing this on good terms, he resolved. "Yeah, well, it's not really my job to surprise you anymore, is it?"

So it was going well, Angela thought. After all, they weren't yelling at each other yet. They were some variety of civilized, even if they weren't exactly what one might call civil. No, indeed, it could be going worse, she told herself.

"Where are we going to talk?"

"Over here. There's a mess tent, everyone's agreed we can use it." Michael led her towards the tent that was oddly placed between several trees. "It makes it more discreet," he explained as he unzipped the mosquito netting around the enclosure.

"The conversation?"

"No, the trees around the tent. It makes it harder to find us. Makes us blend a little more fluidly with the environment."

"Great," Angela said, totally disinterested in what he was saying. When it came down to it, all she really wanted was for him to break down and sign the papers. It wasn't exactly a complicated demand.

As they seated themselves across from one another at a table, Michael settled himself and tried to get comfortable. This wasn't about to be the most settling conversation of his life, but he had no intentions of doing this any other way than his own. "So, you flew all this way to divorce me?"

"No. I flew all this way to divorce you so I can marry Tony," Angela said calmly. She was mostly unmoved by the sentiment, as she took on her typical 'business' poise.

"So you flew all this way to divorce me." Michael tapped his fingers against the table. "When did you stop wearing your wedding ring?"

"About the same time you stopped calling, stopped writing, and stopped visiting. Right around the time I gave up hope to ever be your one great love." Her eyes were narrowed, her back perfectly straight. There was no way she was losing an inch of ground on this matter. Of all the things she could be accused of in life, not trying hard enough to keep her marriage together was not one of them.

"You're the only woman I've ever loved."

"Too bad I came in second place to animals and their rituals...and tree species, and things that crawled on all fours."

He sighed, wondering when he became the villain. "When you married me, you knew what I wanted to do with my life. You knew that I was going to be traveling a lot."

"And I was crazy enough to think that Jonathon and I would be a good enough reason to sit still...To maybe settle down long enough to be a family." Angela laughed. "But that happened for all of six minutes, and at the seventh minute, you were on a plane, taking off to Guatemala. I was left with a baby, a mortgage, and a fledgling career. Thanks, by the way, for asking how my son is. I say my only because you've shown as much interest in him as you have in me, and although it hurts, he's flesh and blood, Michael, and you owed him that."

"I can't just hop on a plane and come home every time he has a baseball game," Michael countered.

"Oh, but darling, if you had made even one trip home, you'd know that our son doesn't play baseball."

"So this is about me being the worst father in the world?"

"No, this is about Tony doing his damnedest to help me out with Jonathon, and the way he talks to Sam. He looks at her with this glow in his eye... And when he looks at me..." Angela felt her heart flutter at the thought of Tony, waiting for them, probably not so patiently, back at the camp's parameter.

"I don't want to hear what Tony does for you," Michael cut her off. There was only so much humiliation and putting down he could handle for one day.

"It's the adoration," Angela said. "Plain and simple, before anything else, he looks at me and I know he loves me. I know he loves me more than anything, anyone, in the world. And I know that he loves our children with all his heart."

"Children?"

"Sam, Jonathon, and our baby..."

"Sam?"

"His daughter." Angela thought fondly of her mother, at home, probably trying to corral the kids into some semblance of order. And then she realized it was Mona who she was thinking of, and odds are they were all sitting around the couch reading seedy romance novels and eating chocolate sundaes, and even that seemed perfect.

"God, you've turned into a right proper Brady Bunch, haven't you?"

"We're a family," Angela corrected. "And that's why I need you to sign the papers."

"So you can make your very own perfect family, and think about how much you dislike me for being who I am?"

"I don't dislike you Michael. I just don't love you anymore. And I don't want to stop you from pursuing that which you want. But I don't want you to stop me from having that either." Angela looked at her hands, and thought about how right it felt to be having this conversation. Even if it was awkward and disconcerting to be where she was at that exact moment, she couldn't begrudge the moment it's phenomenal moment of relief.

"This is supposed to be easy? This is like a damn hit and run divorce. You just show up and expect me to sign them so you can run off into the sunset with your lover?"

"You think it's easy to climb on a plane and crawl through the back waters of Peru to meet you so I can divorce you? I can't even remember when I last saw you, so let's talk about easy? Easy is not calling your wife or your son. Easy is forgetting about holidays, birthdays, and commitments to anyone. Easy isn't hopping on a plane to come see you after all this time, and don't you ever say it is again. At least, not to me."

Michael couldn't believe this was his Angela; his Angela who never raised her voice, who never thought it was possible to be angry with someone you loved. But then again, she was claiming not to love him, so maybe it was easier on her now. "The papers are signed. In the tent. They're waiting for you. And someone will show you and Tony out tonight."

Standing, he left the table and found his way out, leaving Angela there to stare at him in awe. It hadn't been as emotion-free as she would have liked, but there were only so many times she could pretend to not care. There were a billion emotions stirring inside her, but first and foremost was sheer relief and joy.

22

Being back in what could only be described as a distinctly civilized place, Tony had forced Angela to agree to spend the night in Miami. It just made sense to him that they would stop and rest for what was left of the day before jumping on another plane home to Connecticut.

She was noticeably tired, and the exhaustion that he felt seemed only half as penetrating as what he imagined she must have been going through. It had been a draining few days, and although they walked away with having attained their goal, it was at the price of something else they couldn't pinpoint.

"Hey Angela, come 'ere," Tony said, looking in the mirror. It had drawn him in; just the mosaic pattern framing the reflective surface had gotten his attention, making him want to show her something. He had noticed it the night before when they were camped out again in that old colonial building they had spent their first night in.

"One sec," she said, rolling herself off the bed, hoping the momentum would carry her upwards when she got to her feet.

"It can wait if you're too tired," he offered, suddenly more concerned by how slowly she was moving.

"No, no. I'm ok. I just can't wait to go to sleep and dream about silks and satins and lovely soft sheets." Taking a place beside him, she forced a smile. There was no way she could hide that she was tired, no matter how hard she tried, so Angela had decided it just wasn't worth really trying any more.

"Just think, tomorrow you'll be home and back in your own bed. It doesn't get much better than that," he assured her, taking her hand as she walked towards him. "And I'm making you a doctor's appointment for this week to check in."

"Yes mom," she said, knowing he was right, but also that she never liked to give in too easily.

"Check this out," Tony said, pulling her to rest flush against his body and turning them so they were profiled in the mirror. Pressing his hand low on her abdomen and then higher, her shirt rested taut against her body. "You're startin' to show."

Angela stared in awe at the little bump on her midsection, surprised that it just appeared over night.

"I noticed it last night," he said, smiling. "Our baby's gettin' big."

Neither one knew quite how to describe the feelings that were flooding them.

"Can you believe it?" Angela stared at the mirror in awe. She could remember feeling overwhelmed at the idea of being so pregnant when she was carrying Jonathon, but this time it was different. Her life seemed less uncertain, and things seemed to be perfect. Or just about.

"I can. With you as a mom, this baby is going to be smart, and funny, and it takes up a bit of space to be everything great," Tony grinned before pressing gentle kisses to her neck.

"Can you imagine what it will be like," she asked, "in a few months?"

"It'll be great. It'll be better than great."

"It'll be an adjustment," Angela admitted, though she had to admit that she wasn't as hesitant about life in general as she normally would be.

"So far it's all been adjustments, hasn't it? And I think it's all turned out pretty good."

"It has, hasn't it?"

"It's turned out just like a fairy tale."

"With a happy ending," Angela encouraged, enjoying the thought of their family as picture perfect as any childhood fantasy.

"Of course a happy ending," Tony agreed. "Because that's the way it's done..."

"So, this is happily ever after?"

"This is just the beginning," he assured her, his chin resting on her shoulder.