Tony leapt into the car while Angela went inside to get the kids up for their impromptu trip to go have breakfast in New Hampshire. He leaned his head back and gazed up at the sky. The stars were still shining and the moon was full. He sighed. This was one of the most painful things he had ever had to do in his life-give back a red convertible that he had wanted for years. But he knew it was the right thing to do. The car had only been a bribe from Mr Larson. If he had kept it he wouldn't have felt good about himself. So as painful as he knew it would be he had to give the car back. But as Angela had told him he didn't have to give the car back until tomorrow morning. So why not take a little spin to New Hampshire for some breakfast?

"Mona! I need to call Mona!" He picked up the car phone and dialed her number.

RING RING

"Hello?" Mona yawned into the phone.

"Hey Mona! It's your favorite Italian Stallion." Tony gushed into the phone.

"Sylvester Stallone?!"

Tony groaned and shook his head. "No, not Sylvester Stallone."

"Tony?"

"Yep, it's me!"

Mona sat up and looked at the clock on her nightstand. "Tony what in the world are you doing calling me so early in the morning? It's 4:15!"

"4:17." Tony corrected her by looking at the time on his dashboard.

"Whatever! Seriously Tony what is going on? Is everything okay?"

'Everything is great. I just thought maybe you would like to join us for a little trip and some breakfast in New Hampshire."

"A little trip? Tony, that's about 4 hours away."

"I know. So do you wanna come?"

Mona sighed. "Okay fine."

"Okay then. We'll be there in about ten minutes. Fifteen tops!"

"Okay. I'll be ready."

"Okay. Bye Mona!"

"Bye!"

Mona hung up the phone and shook her head. What in the world was going on? Well she would find out soon enough…..

Tony hung up and then looked at what he was wearing.

"Oh man I can't go out like this, I have to change." He opened the door and shut it behind him then went into the house.

"Sam? Honey? Come on, wake up!"

Sam shot up in bed and looked around.

"Mrs Bower?"

'Yeah, it's me."

"What's wrong? Is the house on fire?"

"Oh no nothing like that."

"Then what is it?"

"Your Father and I decided to go to New Hampshire for some breakfast."

Sam looked at her clock. "Now? Mrs Bower it isn't even 4:30."

"Well it takes about four hours to get there. So come on! Up and at them!"

Sam groaned but swung her legs over the side.

"Okay. I'll be ready in a few minutes."

"Okay, I'll go get Jonathan up and change myself."

"Okay."

Angela left and Sam shook her head.

"Adults are so weird." she mumbled.

Sam got up and took off her pajamas and put on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. She brushed her hair and put it up in a ponytail. She slipped on a pair of socks and some tennis shoes.

Angela left Sam's room and was about to go wake up Jonathan when Tony came up the stairs.

"Hey, I came up to change. Are the kids up?"

"I just woke up Sam. "

"Ok. Meet you out here in five minutes?"

"Sounds good."

Tony went into his bedroom and Angela walked over to Jonathan's and opened the door.

"Jonathan? Sweetheart? Wake up!"

Jonathan rubbed his eyes. "Mom? Why are you waking me up so early?"

"Because honey. We're going out for breakfast in New Hampshire."

"Why?"

"Because it will be fun! Now come on get dressed. Sam is already up and I need to go get dressed myself.

"Okay." he yawned but got up and changed from his pajamas to a pair of jeans and a sweater. He put on a pair of socks and his sneakers and went out into the hallway where Sam was waiting.

"Sam?"

"Hey Squirt!"

"What's going on? Why are Mom and Tony making us get up so early to go out for breakfast?"

"Because they're adults and adults are weird." Sam shrugged and slid down in front of her door. Jonathan sat down next to her and before either one of them could blink they had both fallen asleep.

Tony and Angela changed in their respective bedrooms and came out at the same time. They both noticed the kids sound asleep in front of Sam's door.

"AWWW Tony look." she smiled.

"Yeah they're cute when they're asleep. " Tony chuckled. "Come on. I'll get Sam if you'll get Jonathan?"

"Sounds good. Hey you know what? Maybe we should get a few blankets."

"Good idea. It is a little nippy out. Hold on.." He went to the hall closet and took out a couple of blankets. He handed one to Angela and they each picked their child up and then wrapped the blanket around them.

"All set?"

"Let's go!"

They walked down the stairs through the living room, into the kitchen, and finally out to where the car was. They placed Sam and Jonathan in the back seat and buckled them in and covered them with the blankets

"I'll go get my purse "

"Okay."

Angela went back into the house and grabbed her purse that was hanging on the coat rack in the living room. She double checked the front door and then went back into the kitchen and closed and locked the door behind her. She opened the passenger door and Tony started the engine.

"How about some music?"

"Sounds good."

Tony fiddled with the dials until he came across an oldies station.

"Oh no geezer music!" Sam grumbled from the back seat.

Tony and Angela laughed and he pulled out of the driveway into the street.

'Oh hey I forgot to tell you. I called Mona up and she is going with us."

Angela looked at him in shock. "You called my Mother up this early in the morning?"

"Yep!"

"And she didn't strangle you through the phone?"

"Nope!"

"Well that's a first." she shook her head.

After about ten minutes Tony pulled up in front of Mona's apartment building.

"Thanks for waiting with me Ben." Mona told the security guard.

"Anytime Mona!"

Mona walked over to the car.

"So what is this? A little joy riding before you give the car back?"

Tony shrugged. "I guess you could say that."

Mona shook her head and got in next to Jonathan. She buckled herself in and leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

"No one talks to me until we get there!"

"Sweet dreams Mother!" Angela said sarcastically.

Tony smiled and pulled away. After a few minutes of driving he glanced over at her.

"Hey if you want to catch a few zzzz's yourself go ahead,"

"Oh no. I'm fine."

"Okay."

She leaned her head back and stared up at the sky.

"Wow! It is so beautiful out."

"It is."

"It kind of feels like we're the only people in the world."

"Well considering it isn't even five in the morning yet I would say that it is a pretty good guess."

Angela smiled and glanced over at him. His eyes were on the road, one hand on the steering wheel. It was strange she thought how comfortable she was. When she first met him she had been anything but. But slowly he had proven to her that she could rely on him.

"You know Tony. I never did find out how Mother actually found you."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, she just said that she talked to your parish priest and she told me about how you were cut from your team..

"St Louis Cardinals."

"Yeah. And about your wife dying."

"Marie." Tony cleared his throat.

'Tony I'm sorry.."

"No, it's okay."

"So how did my Mother come to hire you?" she asked after a few minutes.

Tony smiled. "She kinda ran into me."

"What?!" she looked at him in shock. "She ran into you?!"

"Yeah, I was actually applying to be the manager at her apartment building and out of nowhere she comes on her bike nearly knocking me down."

Angela laughed and shook her head.

"And so then what?"

"Well we started talking and I told her about how I wanted to move my daughter to a better place so she could have a good education.."

"But how did you becoming my housekeeper happen?';

"She suggested it. She said that I could raise my daughter with her grandson. And she showed me a picture of the two of you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and I have to say it was a really cute picture.. Well of Jonathan.' he hastily corrected.

"Right."

"I mean not that you looked bad or anything. I did tell Mona that you looked you know.."

" What?"

"Easy to work for." he risked a glance in her direction.

"So am I?"

"Yeah, I mean we had some bumps in the beginning but I think we're finding our footing.. Don't you?"

"I do."

After a few moments she spoke again. "So you decided then to apply for the housekeeping job?'

Tony laughed. "Oh no. In fact I thought it was a ridiculous idea. Oh sorry. I didn't mean it ."

"Tony, it's okay."

"I just. Well I was a baseball player and guys like me don't do things like that."

"So what changed your mind?"

"Sam."

"How?"

"Well after I accepted the manager's job I told Sam about it that night at dinner. And I told her about this crazy tenant who wanted me to move into her daughter's house and be the housekeeper.. Sam loved the idea."

"She did?"

"Yeah, when I was telling her that we would be moving into another apartment building she wasn't too thrilled but the thought of moving into a house well that livened her up."

Angela smiled. "And so you turned down the manager's job."

"Well I called Mona first to make sure the housekeeper's job was still available but yeah."

"And my Mother kept it all very hush hush. I mean I knew she was hiring a housekeeper I just didn't know it would be a man."

"Yeah, I could tell you were surprised."

"Surprised? Tony, you showed up at my front door at barely 8:oo in the morning telling me that you are here applying for the housekeeping job. To say I was surprised was a little bit of an understatement."

Tony laughed. "Yeah, that's true."

"I have to be honest though. I didn't think things would work out as well as they have, Especially the first night."

"Oh you mean when I thought you were being attacked?"

"Yeah, I was so angry with you."

"Well hey you are the lady of the house. It is my job to look after and protect you. All of you."

"Yeah, I got that sense about you. That you would do anything to protect your family and well friends?"

Tony nodded. "I would. Which was why I broke my date with Professor Morel after she made that lewd comment."

Angela looked down. "You said that I was good people."

"And you are Angela. I mean I know we haven't known each other for very long but you are."

Angela looked back up. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. And just so you know I would love it if Sam grew up to be like you."

"You do?"

"Yeah, the day after we moved in Sam and I were in the kitchen and she was having her after school snack. She asked me how you could afford this big house. I told her that you were smart and worked very hard and that someday she could live in a big house like this."

"And what did she say?"

"She said that she was going to be the manager of the Mets."

Angela laughed. "Well hey the sky's the limit!"

They fell into companionable silence as he drove music played softly from the radio.

"Oh Tony look! The sun is coming up!"

"Yeah, wow it is beautiful."

"It is. I mean no matter how many times I have seen it it still takes my breath away."

"Mine too." he smiled at her.

Angela smiled shyly and looked away. 'He is so good looking! Okay Angela get a hold of yourself. Yes, he is a good looking man but he is only in your life to clean your house and take care of your son. No more. No less.'

Tony meanwhile was having his own inner thoughts. 'She really is a beautiful woman. WHOA Micelli! What are you doing? She is your boss! You are only in her life to clean her house and take care of her son. That is all there is to it.'

"So.."

"So..'

They both laughed.

"Go ahead." He gestured with his hand.

"I was just going to say that I'm glad things are going so well for us. Well I mean for all of us."

"I am too. I'm glad you took a chance on me."

"Well it was like you said. You wanted a safe place to raise your daughter and that maybe we needed you too."

"Yeah, I guess Mona's idea worked." he smiled.

"Yeah, I guess it did."

"You're darn right it did!" Mona said from the back seat.

"Mother! How long have you been awake?"

"A few minutes. "

"Are the kids still sleeping?"

Mona glanced over at them. "Yep. So about how much longer?"

Tony glanced at the clock on the dashboard. "I'm going to say less than an hour."

They rode on silently, each lost in thought. Even though they had only been together a short while they all felt something. Like the five of them were meant to be together. That it was fate. that Mona and Tony met at her apartment building the same time Angela needed a housekeeper and someone to help raise her son and Tony wanted his daughter to grow up in a safe neighborhood and get the best possible education.

"Oh hey look up ahead. There's a restaurant." Angela pointed.

Tony drove for a few more minutes and pulled into the restaurant Angela recommended. He pulled into a parking space and turned off the engine.

Sam and Jonathan slowly woke up and looked around.

"Are we here?" Sam asked, stretching her arms."

"We are baby."

"Well let's go!" Mona unbuckled her seat belt. Everyone else did the same and they all got out of the car. They walked into the restaurant and were greeted by the hostess whose name tag said her name was Evelyn.

"Good morning! Would you like a booth or a table?"

Tony looked at Angela. "What would you prefer?"

"A booth sounds nice." she smiled.

"Okay, then please follow me. " the hostess smiled and picked up five menus. She led them to a booth in the middle of the restaurant. Jonathan slid in first with Tony beside him. On the other side Mona got in first followed by Sam, then Angela.

"Here are your menus. Your waitress will be here in a few minutes."

"Thank you." Angela smiled and they all picked up their menus.

After a few minutes their waitress came over.

"Good morning! My name is Jessica. May I get you something to drink?"

"Yes, I would love a cup of coffee. And my son would like some orange juice."

"Okay. And for the rest of you?"

"I'll take some coffee too. " Mona said.

"And for you sir?"

"Coffee for me too. And Sam, do you want some chocolate milk?"

Sam nodded. "I do."

Okay. I'll be right back with your drinks. "

"So what is everyone going to have?" Mona asked, placing her menu down.

"I want pancakes!" Sam announced.

"Me too!" Jonathan exclaimed.

The adults laughed at the kids' enthusiasm.

"Okay here you are." Jessica said as she placed everyone's drinks in front of them. She placed a small bowl with packets of cream in the middle of the table. "And if you need any sugar there's some right there." she pointed. "So is everyone ready to order?"

"We are. The kids both want pancakes. "

"Ok. Do they want plain, chocolate chip, blueberry? Or strawberry?"

"OOOH Daddy! Can I get chocolate chip?"

"You sure can! How about you Jonathan?"

"I want blueberry."

"And they can have either bacon or sausage with it."

"I want sausage." Sam said.

"I want bacon." Jonathan said.

And for you ma'am?" Jessica asked Mona.

'I'll have a ham and cheese omelet with a side order of home fries."

"And for you ma'am?"

"I'll have some of your Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. And a side of bacon."

"And for you sir?"

"I'll take some scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage."

"Okay, Thank you." She collected the menus and walked away.

Tony clapped his hands. "So kids, isn't this fun?!"

"Yeah, I guess. But why did we have to come all the way here for breakfast?" Sam inquired.

"Yeah, we could have stayed home and had breakfast there." Jonathan pointed out.

"Oh come on! Isn't it like being on an adventure?" Angela asked.

"An early morning adventure." Mona mumbled.

"Okay I know we all got you up early but hey like Angela said it's an adventure!"

"Like your cookouts when it is cold out?"

Angela looked at Tony. "You have cookouts in the winter?"

Tony smiled. "You bet we do. And it's a blast. Isn't it honey?"

'Yeah, as long as you're not freezing your tushie off." Sam grumbled.

"Oh come on Sam. You have always loved it. And I can't wait until we can do it this year."

"Well it sounds… weird. " Mona said never one to mince words.

"It isn't weird. It's a family tradition."

"It is?"

"Yeah, my Grandpa Micelli started it when I was young."

"Well I guess we have something to look forward to." Angela smiled.

"That you do. You are all going to love it."

Mona rolled her eyes.

"Okay, here you are." Jessica returned to their table with their breakfasts. After she had placed each person's breakfast in front of them she asked if they needed anything else.

"No, I think we're fine." Tony said, glancing around.

"Okay. I'll be back in a while," she smiled. "Enjoy your breakfast!" she walked away.

"Okay everyone dig in!"

Everyone picked up their silverware and did exactly that.

After everyone had finished Angela went up front to pay the bill. Mona, Sam and Jonathan went to the bathroom leaving Tony all alone. He drank the remainder of his coffee and set it back down.

"All finished sir?" Jessica asked.

"Yeah, we are. Thank you Jessica." Tony smiled and got up.

"Sir?'

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to say that you have a beautiful family."

'Well I…Thank you. I think so too." He smiled at her and walked up front where they were all waiting for him.

'This is the first time I feel like we're a real family.' he heard Mona's voice in his head.

'A Family?!' Angela's voice echoed.

"Yes, that's what we are." Tony said to himself.

"Okay gang let's get out of here!' He lifted Jonathan up and set him on his shoulder while Angela took Sam's hand. They walked out talking and laughing on the way.

"Adorable family don't you think?" Jessica asked Evelyn

"That they are."

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A/N: As always the lines from the show the credit goes to the writers.