A/N: UPDATED UPDATED UPDATED (does happy dance). This chapter is told from Flack's point of view, and deals with his homecoming after recovering from the explosion.

Don't own them, never will, original characters are mine, song belongs to The Calling, haven't we been through this before?

Reviews always welcome

I want love
To carry me through
All the moments, I'd kindly undo
Locked away
So I can feel safe
Now that I'm down on my knees, begging for a change
Look down at the water
Before I jump in
To find I was sinking fast, in all that might have been

What I need now is an honest answer, to make things better
You can see now my hands are tied, and I surrender
So I'll wait here for your final answer, your final answer

Is there love without hate
Is there pleasure without pain?
I have seen all my mistakes
I cast you out, but now, I want you back
So light me again, cause my heart is turning black

Final Answer- The Calling

I don't really remember how I got home; I just know that Angela and Charlotte were there when I checked out, and as I was unlocking the front door, she didn't turn to go back to the car.

"Nope," she signed. "There's no way you're going to be able to care for yourself the first day out of the hospital…"

"So you're staying?"

"Yep."

I always found it easier not to fight it and listen to her. If she insisted on staying, she was going to stay. I had always credited this as one of her most endearing qualities: she was loyal.

Charlotte took my hand as soon as we stepped in the door. "Daddy, it's bedtime for you!" she literally dragged me to my bedroom and pulled back the blanket. "The doctor says that you need to sleep, because the medicine is still working!" she made me lie down and would not let me up.

"No!" she insisted each time I tried to sit up. "Mommy and I are going to take care of you!"

"Yes ma'am!" I chuckled, burrowing deeper beneath the blankets.

"Now you stay there Daddy and I'll bring you some soup!" Charlotte bounded out of the room. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone. I quickly dialed Danny and eyed the door, in case Charlotte came back before I was finished.

"Messer…"

"Hey Danny…"

"Hey Flack, how're ya doin'?" he asked.

"Charlotte's turned into 'Doctor Charlotte'," I explained. "I am, as of today, not allowed out of bed unless she says so, and I'm technically not supposed to be phoning you right now, but…" I eyed the door. Charlotte wasn't anywhere in sight. "Help!"

I heard him chuckle. "Hey Stell!" he called to her, laughing. "Our goddaughter's turned into a doctor!"

Now Stella was laughing.

"Thanks…" I rolled my eyes. Hanging up, Charlotte reappeared with a glass of water in her hands, and Angela carried a bowl of soup. She set it down on my nightstand as Charlotte handed me the water.

I set the water down so both hands were free.

"There's no way I'm gettin' outta this, is there?" I signed.

Angela smirked and shook her head. "Nope," she signed back, leaning forward and kissing my forehead. "Doctor Charlotte's orders…"

I sighed. Perfect… even Angela was going along with this.

She leaned forward so she was close to my ear. "I'll stop her before she gets too carried away."

"How far is too far?" I asked.

"When she refuses to let you go to the bathroom…" she smirked again.

I groaned. This was not nice.

She was right. It wasn't long before Charlotte was refusing to let me to the bathroom.

"Charlotte," Angela finally stepped in. "Even Daddies who are sick need to get up to go to the bathroom."

"But the doctor said…"

"I don't think Daddy's doctor is going to get mad if Daddy gets up to go to the bathroom."

"Okay…" she seemed apprehensive, like she didn't trust me to actually get back into bed after going to the washroom.

"Why don't you go play with your dolls, honey? Maybe you could have a tea party." Angela says to our daughter. She smiles and rushes to her bedroom. I hear her door shut.

I shake my head and smile at Angela in gratitude.

"Thank you," I mouth.

She smiles. "I had to do something… you were nearly dying there."

I get up and gently grip her forearms. I lean forward and kiss her forehead.

She giggled.

"Can I go now?" I smirk.

"Yeah, go…" she motions toward the washroom, which has always been adjacent to the bedroom anyway.

I don't even bother to shut the door completely… it's not as though Angela's uncomfortable with it, at least, I don't think she is. She's never said anything about being uncomfortable.

Just to be safe, I reach and close the door the rest of the way.

When I finish and I've washed up, I run my hands under the water once again and splash cold water on my face to wake myself up.

I fully realize that I'd been a fool to let Angela go in the first place, and now I was paying for it. I loved her, but why was it so difficult to move forward with this? With what we had?

One step forward, two steps back.

I shut the tap off and dry my face with the nearest towel. I take a deep breath and prepare to face the woman I know I shouldn't have left behind again.

Opening the bathroom door, she's putting some folded laundry back into the drawers. When she finishes, I gently grip her forearms again, but this time I lean forward and softly kiss her on the mouth.

I pull away, and she seems shocked. When my hands start to move in sign she stays still; she's unsure of what I'm doing. Hell, I don't know what I'm doing.

"Angela," I sign. "I've done a lot of things that I'm not proud of, but I have to tell you that having you in my life is one of the things I'm most proud of," I waited to see her reaction.

She was waiting.

"Charlotte is the best thing that could've happened to us…" I continued. "And I still don't know why we let each other go."

"I don't know either," she signed back.

"So, now I'm asking you, Angela," I kept going. "Marry me, make our family complete."

Her mouth dropped open.