Another long since late chapter… I'm sorry… I'm just… Everywhere at the moment… if you're ever in the mood to offer support, or talk me out of this funk and offer ideas, didaverseend.. that's me… And is anyone else totally psyched about X3!

Angel didn't go home that night until he was sure his father would be home. He and Collins had stayed at the park all that time, talking, looking at the clouds, making out… Things like that. Collins had made Angel let him walk him home, even though Angel didn't think it was the best idea, but they had settled on Collins walking him to the nearest corner. After a quick kiss, Angel walked home, and saw his father sitting on the porch. He put his hands in his pockets and walked up the steps, looking at his dad until his lips cocked into a small smile.

His father stood up and walked in front of him, facing him for a few minutes with no real emotion on his face, before pulling Angel into a huge hug. It took a moment for Angel to react and return the hug. "Dad?"

His father didn't pull away, but lifted his hand to the top of Angel's head, ruffling his hair a bit. "I never wanted it to be like this son."

Angel squeezed his dad a bit, sniffling to hold back his tears. "I know that daddy. I don't blame you for any of it you know."

He finally pulled away, but left his hands on Angel's shoulders. "I shouldn't have let it get this bad. I should have done something about it when I first found out it was going on."

Angel nodded. He was right, something should have been done, but his father was his life line, so he would never let any of the blame fall on him.

His father winced a bit when he saw his son nodd, only because he knew it was all too true. "I'm taking tomorrow out of work. You wanna do something?" His father had never been god with apologies, or showing love in a very fatherly way, but he did care, and he did what he could. And he –never- took time out from work unless he was sick, so Angel knew how much of a step forward this was in him trying to be an active part of his life.

Angel nodded again and hugged his father. This would be great. It was a Saturday, one where Angel would have been home all day alone with his mother and sister. "Ya. That'd be great dad."

After his father pulled away again, ruffeling his hair one more, they walked back into the house. "I think I need to have a talk with your mother. Why don't you go help Clara get ready for bed?"

Angel looked around the living room quickly. "I can't. I have to finish my chores first. I kinda… Left in a huff today and didn't get much done." He bit his lip and looked up at his father, who raised an amused eyebrow at him.

"Ya, I heard about that."

"You heard?" Angel was wondering exactly what he had heard about it. The reason for it in particular.

"All of it, and don't worry, I can do the vacuuming." He squeezed Angel's shoulder. "Now go help your sister."

Angel smiled and ran up the stairs to help his sister and read her a story. Was his father saying don't worry about the chores or the finding out his son was gay. Either way, his reaction was pretty much a relief.

After his sister was in bed, Angel sat on his bed attempting to understand some math homework that was proving to not want to get done. He should ask his father for help. He wasn't all that sure what he did, but he knew that it had something to do with numbers, so chances are he would understand it a bit better than Angel did. Collins usually helped him with the number work, but it was too late to call him at the moment.

He looked to the clock on the table beside his bed. Close to midnight. He should be in bed by now, but if this work didn't get done, he would forget about it until Sunday night, and that would be even worse. He finally decided to get up and ask his dad, since he knew he wasn't sleeping yet, and walked down the stairs that lead to the kitchen.

"That's not the point Nathanial! Don't you care about our child! He's going to get teased, beat up, harassed!"

"So what have you been doing? Preparing him for it?"

Angel stopped on the stairs, sitting on the steps. It always astounded him how in a fight, it was always his mother who yelled, and his fathers voice could stay perfectly calm. He closed his book on his lap and pressed his ear against the wall toward the kitchen, so that he could hear his father. His mother he could hear fine without pressing against the wall.

"That was a little harsh don't you think?"

"I think it's a little harsh to hit your child because of who they love."

"I'm not telling him who to love! I'm telling him who not to love."

"Why do you care! It's not you who has to be with them. Let him be happy!"

"Because I know how hard it's going to be for him! My brother was gay, remember? The one who was mysteriously beaten to death right after walking home with his boyfriend."

"I know that Alej. I'm not trying to… I don't know, but you can still let your son have his chance because of what happened to your brother."

Angel had to pull away from the wall for a moment when he heard his mother start crying. He had never seen this side of her before. He never heard of an uncle on his mother's side either. But he did remember when he was very young, his mother playing with him, and singing to him, and loving him. It all seemed to change by the time he was four though, and he didn't remember much good after that. He listened to his father comfort his mother for a minute before deciding to go back to his room. He wasn't all that sure how to take what hed just happened. He didn't want to talk to his mom, but he almost felt like he had to. Maybe in the morning. For now he had to just sleep. He went back to his room and quickly changed, pulling the covers up as tightly as he could against his neck, trying to get warm even in the late spring heat.

It was only a few minutes after closing his eyes that he head his door open up. He didn't open his eyes, hoping who ever it was would let him get his sleep. There was too much that had gone on that day to think about to stay awake any longer. But he knew that wasn't going to happen when he felt who ever it was sit on the edge of his bed and run their fingers through his hair. He opened one eye and stiffened slightly, sitting up slowly. "Mom?"

She pulled him into her arms and started crying again. "I'm so… sorry Angel! I'm… sooo sorry." Her words were broken up by sobs.

Angel wrapped his arms around her, but he wasn't going to tell her that it was okay. "Don't worry mom, I'm fine."

"No Angel. It's not your fault. I never should have taken it out on you. I really do love you Angel. I'm so sorry!" She squeezed him tighter.

Despite his desire not to give in to her, he squeezed her back. "It's okay mamma. I love you too."

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

Angel woke up the next morning at ten. His mother must have turned off his clock and let him sleep in. But the time he got up and was dressed, in a black shirt with Music Life on it in lime green and his sparkly jeans, and went down stairs, his mother and sister weren't there and his father was watching the news in the living room. He figured since they both knew he was gay now, he may as well wear what he wanted.

He walked into the living room and his father turned off the TV, looking him up and down with a blank look before looking back to his face with a smile. "Get a good nights sleep?"

He breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "Ya." He plopped down on the couch. "Why did you let me sleep so late?"

"I figured after yesterday you might need it."

"Well thanks."

"No problem. So where do you want to go today?"

Angel closed his eyes for a minute and thought about it. "Umm… the book store."

He opened his eyes in time to see his father raise an eyebrow at him. "Really? Since when do you like book stores?"

"I dunno. But there has to be something there I'll like don't you think? And Collins' and Clara's birthdays are both coming up, and they both like to read, so maybe I can find them something there."

"Ohh, so –you- don't want to go to the book store, you want to buy presents at the book store." Angel shrugged and laughed a bit. "Where do –you- want to go Angel?"

Angel rolled his eyes. "Well if you're gonna put it that way… You really wanna know where I wanna go?"

He nodded with a very serious face. "Just tell me. I can handle it." He laughed as Angel threw a pillow at him.

"I want to go clothes shopping." It was his turn to raise an eyebrow at his father, waiting to see his reaction.

But it was nothing out of the norm. He just nodded and stood up, pulling his keys out of his pocket. "Do you have a favorite store or something?" He turned and started walking out the door, and Angel had to run to catch up with him.

"Seriously! You're fine with this? With me?"

His father stopped walking and turned to Angel with a sigh and a smile. "It's who you are Angel. Trying to argue with it is a waste of time. As long as you're happy, I could care less." With another smile, he turned and got into the drivers side of his car, with Angel slipping into the passengers side. He started the car and pulled out of the drive way. "So, any favorite store?"

"Anywhere is good. Just shopping." They drove with the radio for a few minutes before Angel sat back in his seat and turned to his dad. "So… Mom had a brother?"

His father looked to his hands for a moment before turning off the radio. "How much did you hear?"

"He was killed for being gay." He nodded. "Who was he? Aside from being gay?"

"His name was Angel."

Angel's eyes widened. "Ya?"

"Ya. You were named after him. He died when you were four. And you just look a lot like him. You act like him too… Your mother really does love you Angel. But nothing hurt her more than her brother dying, and you're just so much like him. And he was killed for being gay. She doesn't want that happening to you."

They were silent again, until they came to the mall. His father turned to him and smiled. "I know you don't have to, and it's totally up to you, but just –try- to give her another chance?"

Angel nodded and they both got out of the car. His father threw his arm around Angel's shoulder and they walked inside. Whether it was guilt or just bonding, Angel came home with five new shirts, three new pairs of jeans, a new pair of shoes, and all sorts of other non clothing things that he had seen and liked.