Note: Yup, JadeHawk called it. This story is really winding down to the end. I think I might have 5 more chapters in me to make it a round number…not that any of those will be fillers of course. I've been thinking about either a sequel or an epilogue, maybe both. Whatca think? Thanks for the reviews again! (looks at mud cake suspiciously and nibbles). And this is important! A lot of people thought that Mo was Valedictorian so I fixed the last chapter to make it clearer. Collins is Valedictorian, she was looking in his bag that's why Mark said "why don't you look in your own". Sorry about that, I wasn't clear enough. Please forgive me!

Mrs. Collins rushed into the Emergency Room pulling her hair back into something presentable. Her clothes were wrinkled and her make-up was smudged. On normal days this wouldn't be acceptable. She would go back into the bathroom and fix herself up until she was presentable to society. But this wasn't a normal day.

"Excuse me?" She asked a woman at the counter, "My…my son was brought here…a few days ago…I think."

The woman at the counter raised her eyebrow at Mrs. Collins, "A few days…well what's his name, hun?" She didn't even have to respond. Peter just walked into the hospital after spending a night with the kids at home. He had three coffees in his hands for all of the occupants of Angel's room. Although he never met Collins' mother before he had met junkies, and he spotted her as one right away.

"Mrs. Collins?" He asked her coming closer to her. "I can show you to his room…I'm Angel's father, Peter." Putting down a drink he offered her his hand to shake. Instead Mrs. Collins took the coffee that he put down and started to drink it right away.

"Where is he?" She questioned between sips.

Peter brought his hand back up to hold the two remaining coffees not trying to get upset, "I'll show you the way…so when did you get the message?" He asked gritting his teeth deciding a second later that there was no way that he was going to stay calm.

Mrs. Collins followed him done the hallway her eyes downcast, "I was out for the past few days…I had a bad day."

"Oh really?" Peter asked harshly squeezing the two coffee cups in his hands. "No, I think your son had a bad day….Do you even know what happened?"

"No I don't." She snapped back aggravated that anyone would insinuate she had an easier life than anyone else. Especially her son, who seemed to have everything that he wanted.

Peter sighed and stood outside of the room that Collins and Angel shared, "He was jumped, Mrs. Collins. He's still unconscious…while your son was in surgery and I mean serious surgery you were…what were you doing? Oh yeah you were getting high."

"How do you-"

"Roger…he stopped by. If a decision had to be made about your son you needed to be here. To make that decision…but in my book…you already did make your decision." Peter explained his voice getting louder and louder with each word. "You might wanna go back to the front desk later and explain the situation. My wife and I put our names down on his chart…we couldn't abandon him."

Mrs. Collins threw her coffee into a nearby trashcan, "How dare you! I did not abandon my son!"

"He was here for three days." Peter said slowly and clearly, "Three days alone without his mother. I don't care what they say, Tom is still a kid. And he needs his mother by his side. Especially right now."

"How…" Mrs. Collins paused her feelings of outrage to switch over to all out terror for her son, "How is he?"

Peter closed his eyes for a moment knowing it wasn't the time to attack Mrs. Collins although he definitely wanted to, "He's unconscious from the surgery still. They don't know when he'll wake up…or if he will at all."

Mrs. Collins covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head, "They…do they think…"

"It's possible…" Peter said quietly before opening the door carefully, "Alice…right?" Mrs. Collins nodded waiting for him to let her in. "You're gonna get help?"

"Let me see my son." She said plainly. Peter stared at her for a moment wondering how she couldn't see the connection. As long as she did drugs, then her son would suffer for it as much as her body would. But he knew that it wasn't the time. He opened the door for her.

Angel was sitting up in bed with her mother on one side and Mark on the other. He handed her a bag filled with a green robe. She took out the white sash and smiled deeply.

"Do you think Collins realized he was up for it? Valedictorian?" Angel asked Mark gently.

"He knew." Mrs. Collins said pushing her purse on her shoulder, "He just…never cared." Angel looked up at her father and frowned. Her parents had told her earlier why Collins' mother wasn't able to come to the hospital. Now she had mixed feelings about the woman. On the one hand she wanted to help her through her addiction, on the other hand she wanted to stuff lavender down her throat for choosing drugs over Collins.

The woman went to her son's bedside noting the slow intake and exhales of breath. "He never really thought about good grades. It was something that happened to him. Tom never even had to study…he had that good of a memory for facts. When he was little, he used to play the memory game…with the cards. At five years old he beat his father and I. We always told him he was too smart for his own good…he worried too much. About everything. He was just…good at hiding it." She cupped Collins' face gently. Mark watched her carefully wondering if he should take back all of the nasty things he said about her.

Solemnly, Peter gave the coffee to Mark and Sybil and planted a kiss on Angel's forehead. "No change?" He asked them quietly. Angel shook her head, all fell into a silence feeling touched by Mrs. Collins words. All except Sybil who scowled at the other woman. Noticing this Peter patted her knee.

"Don't." He said her to quietly. She opened her mouth to argue but closed it. Perhaps she would corner the woman later. When she was far away from Angel, so she wouldn't upset her, while verbally beating Mrs. Collins.

"I…" Mrs. Collins started to say her back to the group, "I…I can't do this."

"What?" Sybil called out. Mark took Angel's hand carefully looking back at the woman.

"I can't do this." Mrs. Collins repeated, "If you need to decide…if…anything changes…call me." She turned around and headed for the door. Peter stood up and blocked to doorway with his body.

"You can't." He replied.

Mrs. Collins nodded readjusting her purse again. She raised her eyes to meet Peter's they were hard. Not one tear entered her eyes, "Yes I can. Everyone deals in their own way…this is mine." She bypassed Peter and left the room. This was her way of dealing. For years she was miserable with her husband, so she would cut herself off and get high. Now with her son in the condition he was in…she went off to do the same thing she always did.

Mark squeezed Angel's hand while her mother stood up her face turning red.

"What kind of mother does she think she is?" The woman asked no one specifically, "That woman should be -"

"Sybil." Peter mumbled.

"What Peter? The woman should be locked away for what she is doing to her son. Really it's criminal! A woman running out on her son who needs her. How dare she? She gives a bad name to all mothers out there. I'm going to call child services-"

"Sybil, Collins is technically an adult so you can't call child services…and calm down." Peter said taking her hands, "Calm down."

Angel watched her mother tears in her eyes. It wasn't far that Collins was given such…horrible parents while hers were so loyal. She glanced at the painting thinking that maybe she didn't need to dream of her birth parents. Not while she had such loving ones with her. Defending Collins as much as they defended her.

Mark cleared his throat and said, "Umm…Peter thanks for the coffee…but I don't drink it. You can have it." He glanced over his shoulder at Collins wondering how they would explain to him. Explain that his mother was a junkie and couldn't handle the sight of him. Not when he was as sick as he was.

Peter shook his head although he was happy for the conversation change, "Oh no thanks, Mark…Sybil will probably drink them both now." His wife sighed knowing it was true. When she was stressed she drank and drank and drank coffee cup after coffee cup. Mark smiled a bit passing the drink to her.

Peter took a seat and sighed, "How's my girl?"

Angel shrugged biting her lip, "Ok…"

"Oh…Angel." Peter went into his pocket and pulled out an envelope to Angel, "It came in the mail for you this morning. It's from the New York School of Fashion."

Angel took the envelope in awe and smiled gently at the envelope. Although it looked as prestigious as ever, little pictures were drawn on them with crayon. There were a few balloons and a dog that said "woof woof".

"Oh sorry about that." Peter said, "Kiefer and Dickie a few other of your siblings got a hold of it. They thought it would be better than writing you a card…don't ask me why."

Angel shook her head, "It was sweet of them." Now she focused on the letter reading it carefully to herself. A tiny smile spread across her face and she turned to look at Collins' form. Without a word to her father, mother, or Mark, she took hold of her IV stand and moved it so she could get out of her bed. Then she went over to Collins and sat on the edge of it. She put her fingertips on his cheek gently and whispered, "You were right. They took me off the waiting list…I'm accepted. You were right…"

Angel paused her words looking down at Collins face. His gentle eyes were slowly opening and focusing on Angel's face. His hand carefully reached for Angel's and intertwined their fingers. Angel gasped tears flowing from her eyes immediately.

"You're…you're…" She managed to say between sharp intakes of breath.

"Devilishly handsome?" Collins asked quietly his voice very hoarse. A small smile spread across his chapped lips.

Angel laughed shaking her head, "Yeah…you're that too…oh Collins." She buried her head in his shoulder and cried out of relief. He was awake.

Post: So yeah that chappie was small, I know, but yay happy for a change…at least the end. Next Chapter: Dealing with family, friends, the school systemand dun dun DUN...ex-lovers.