'SURPRISE!'

Angela nearly fell off the wheelchair that she was in as she looked up in shock. The lights snapped on in the guys' apartment to reveal all her friends laughing as they popped balloons and threw streamers. Cory in particular did a cute little jig as he danced his way over to her and grinned.

'Welcome back Angie!'

Angela's answering grin morphed into a grimace and she rolled her eyes. 'Cory, how many times must I demand that you not call me that? Haven't we been over this?'

Cory rolled his own eyes in a mock imitation and winked at Shawn, who simply sighed in resignation. 'And how many times must I remind you that I feel utter delight in calling you that? Haven't we been over this?'

Angela threw up her hands and muttered, 'It was worth a try, at least.'

Shawn leaned over, adjusting his grip on the handlebars of the wheelchair and pressed a cheek in empathy to hers. 'Its ok, I've been trying with him for a while now and nothing's helped.'

Cory scoffed, 'You accused me at one point of being lovey-dovey. Look at the two of you; it's pathetic!'

'Oh, leave them alone, Cory.' Topanga marched over, wiping her hands on a dishcloth and leaning down wrapped up Angela in a warm hug. She pulled back and kissed her cheek 'How're you feeling, honey?'

Angela smiled back tiredly. 'Ok, I guess. I don't know what they gave me before we left, but whatever it is, it's doing its job well.'

'What did they give you?' asked Topanga curiously.

Shawn answered 'Some really strong painkillers.' At Topanga's still-confused expression, he clarified, 'The injuries haven't completely healed.'

'Oh, honey…' Topanga trailed off. She hugged Angela gently once again and wiped a few tears that had managed to leak out. 'Show me how to help you, ok? I want to take care of you – you've been there for me before.'

Angela chuckled, 'Sure I'll give you the grand injury tour once we're back at the dorms. Come over to our room.'

'And show me too' spoke up Rachel, who until then had been standing very quietly aside, in a corner. She came over and knelt before Angela, not looking at her. 'I want to help you, too. Its…it's the least I can do.'

Angela looked at her quizzically, not comprehending what her roommate was initially saying and then as Rachel's shoulders began to shake, she looked up at the group in alarm. Both Eric and Jack were trying to coax her to stop but she simply covered her face with her hands and let out a sob.

'Rachel?' Angela's voice was no higher than a whisper. She reached out and grasped the taller girl's hands in her own and squeezed them. 'What's wrong dear?'

Rachel looked up, eyes red and cheeks tear-stained. 'I'm so sorry, Angela. I really am…this is all my fault. Please forgive me, I'm so sorry!'

And she looked down at the floor again, with a miserable expression.

Angela stared up questioningly at Shawn, but his face wore a bewildered look. Topanga was looking sympathetically at Rachel, Eric and Jack looked serious and suddenly worn out and Cory had the traditionally uncomfortable visage that appeared when things got a little too emotional for him to handle.

Angela took a deep breath. 'Rachel?' She opened her arms and held them out to the kneeling girl. 'Give us a hug first?'

Rachel let out another hoarse sob and then tightly reciprocated in kind. She cried into Angela's shoulder. 'It's all my fault that this happened…I'm so sorry, Angela. If you don't want to be my roommate, I totally understand.'

'Woah, honey!' Angela pulled back in surprise. 'Where's all this coming from? And what are you talking about – none of this is your fault in any way!'

'Yes it is!' Rachel insisted, hiccupping and gulping back another sob. 'You fell last week, Angela and I've…God, I've been a terrible roommate if I could not even see how bad things were. If only I'd been paying more attention, then I would have made sure that you'd seen the doctor much earlier…'

Angela smiled affectionately and ran a hand through her roommate's red curls. 'You did notice something was off, remember? And you brought it up the very next day. I was the one who put off going – I was really convinced that the pain would go away in its own time.' She brought a hand up to Rachel's cheek and slowly wiped the tears away. 'And I don't want to even think about moving out – you're the best roommate I could ever have, ok?'

'Hey!' interjected Topanga indignantly. 'What about me?! We had a lot of fun last year too!'

Before Angela could reply, Rachel replied softly, 'We had some good times here when the three of us were living together too, remember?'

'Yeah' sighed Topanga wistfully. 'I miss those days a lot, you know?'

Angela nodded, a faraway look in her eyes. 'Oh yes…watching movies, discussing guys, Topanga's quiche…'

'…Rachel's tater tots and mushroom soup…' added Topanga

'…Angela modeling lingerie…' chimed in Rachel, with a naughty giggle as Angela blushed a deep red.

All three girls sighed regretfully in unison and looked up to see four incredulous masculine faces staring back at them.

'What?' questioned Topanga, raising an eyebrow.

Cory found his voice first. It was a near hysterical screech. 'ANGELA MODELED LINGERIE??!?!?!'

He whipped around to face a stunned Shawn, Jack and Eric. 'Where the hell where we all at that time?' Then, he stuck a finger in Shawn's face and waggled it vigorously. 'And you! How dumb are you? Your girlfriend models lingerie and you've never seen it? What could you have been possibly doing at the time that was more important?!'

Shawn grabbed the finger and growled, 'Trying to win her back! Thanks to your wife who at the time corrupted my woman's mind as well!' He shook Cory's finger and registered his yell with satisfaction. 'Get your finger out of my face, Matthews!'

'Wait!' Eric exclaimed and stepped forward. 'I have a question!'

Three groans of agony came from the girls and Angela mumbled, 'No more modeling for me, I swear…'

'Exactly!' Eric shouted. He planted himself in front of Angela and adopted a stentorian tone of voice. 'And were you ever planning on modeling for us, young lady? How come they' – giving a derisive snort towards Topanga and Rachel – 'get to see you all, you know, woohoo and we don't?!'

Angela gritted her teeth and glared, 'I wasn't naked Eric! It was nightwear, for Heaven's sake…'

Rachel grinned wickedly and winked at Shawn, 'And what nightwear it was!'

Jack and Eric groaned painfully while Cory's mouth could have touched the floor. Topanga and Rachel were stealing smiles at each other smugly seeing the guys amazed faces.

For some reason, Angela felt inexplicably shy about meeting Shawn's gaze. She knew that he was looking at her – she'd always been able to feel it. Now his gaze was reminiscent of a caress; her hands trembled in her lap as she felt it sweep her from head to toe. She steeled herself, looked up fractionally and found Shawn's blue orbs directly boring into hers. There was a distinct glint in them, something indefinably masculine which seared hotly as it focused on her and she suddenly felt exposed and vulnerable.

In a very good way though. In a way that made her palms sweat, her heart beat faster and thankful for the fact that she was safely sitting in a chair with no possibility of pooling in a puddle on the floor.

She lowered her eyes again, feeling a blush suffuse her cheeks and desperately wished that she could stop. She was just about to request that the subject be changed when she registered Shawn kneeling before her, and taking her hands in his own.

'Contrary to these guys, I'm not sorry I missed anything' he murmured, his low baritone wafting slowly over her.

He stroked her palms with his fingers and Angela shivered. 'What…what do you mean?'

'Yeah Shawnie, you're lying. Of all people, you must be the one guy here totally kicking yourself!' pointed out Cory, sticking his tongue out at his best friend gloatingly.

Shawn waved a hand dismissingly and then turned back to Angela. He leaned forward and kissed her sweetly. 'I'm willing to bet that when I do see it, and see it when it's just the two of us, its something a hundred times better than any imagination could do justice.'

Angela smiled shyly and leaning forward whispered, 'You have great expectations, you know.'

Shawn in turn, leaned forward so that his lips were against her cheek and edged toward her ear. 'I think I'm properly justified in having them. I can't wait to see you' he quietly answered but Angela ducked her head to avoid showing her reaction to his comment and his breath ghosting over one of her most sensitive spots.

'Alright, enough already, knock it off!' interrupted Jack, who was fighting a smile at how smitten his little brother was. 'Angela, you want something to eat or drink?'

'A water would be great, thanks.' She straightened up, took a deep breath and glared balefully at Shawn when he winked roguishly at her as if to crow that he knew the effect he'd had on her. 'I'd like to sit on the couch, actually. My back's been killing me; this chair is ridiculously stiff.'

'As you wish' Shawn smiled and moved towards her. Rachel and Cory stepped forward to assist but held up their hands in surrender when Shawn reached down, wrapped an arm around Angela's shoulders, another around her knees and deftly lifted her up against him. He held her close, settling her comfortably on his lap and brushed a kiss on her forehead.

Angela sighed contentedly and leaned her head against his shoulder. 'My hero' she giggled.

'Oh stop it' Topanga scoffed. 'You're giving him an unbelievably big head – look at him! If he was a bird, he'd be preening himself!'

Indeed, Shawn did have a rather self-effecting grin on his face. It faltered at Topanga's comment and instead changed into a mocking eyeroll.

'So Angela,' said Cory gleefully, rubbing his hands together. 'Tell us more about this nightwear of yours.'

Topanga huffed. 'Honestly Cory! I should be taking offence at the fact that you're married to me and are quizzing her about her nightwear!'

Cory smirked. 'Oh I love you very much, my precious. But I'm a guy and we guys like pretty nightwear too.'

'Well then' said Topanga with a smirk of her own. 'You should be kissing Angela's feet then.'

At Cory's questioning glance, she continued with a grin, 'Remember what I wore on our wedding night? That was her selection.'

Cory's expression was priceless as he turned to Angela who was smiling at him, pleased that he'd liked her selection so well. She found Shawn staring at her also with a warm smile of his own.

Cory leaned over, grabbed her hands and rested his forehead on them. 'Thank you!' he yelled dramatically. 'Thank you, thank you, thank you!'

Angela exchanged a grin with Shawn and eased her hands out. 'You're welcome Cory. Good to know that it was appreciated so much.'

'Ok then – dinner's ready!' Rachel brought the coffee table closer to the couch and the seven friends settled in to celebrate Angela's homecoming from the hospital.

Shawn took a look around the room with the sound of laughter, and the clink of cutlery pleasantly buzzing in his ears. Eric was bombarding Topanga about something, Cory, Rachel and Jack were laughing at some joke or the other and Angela was sipping at her glass from her position on his lap with a sleepy, happy half –grin on her lips.

She turned feeling his gaze on her again and kissed the side of his nose. Shawn hugged her protectively, registering how much smaller and frail she seemed to be than him and whispered, 'I'm looking forward to your selection for us, on our own night.'

Angela stared at him in shock, the implications of his statement giving a rise to a pleasant churning deep within her. Shawn simply kissed her again, settled her more comfortably and clinking a glass with hers, sipped at his own drink.

Angela said nothing more. She laughed at Eric's antics, giggled at private jokes with Topanga and Rachel and good naturedly cat called when Jack was asked to show off his abs yet again.

Life was getting better. For a little while more, other news could wait.