The Room, Unslept in

A/N: Your support of my writing and this story has led to more than the one-off I had originally written. I had planned to have a few chapters of several other one-offs, but as I started to think about this concept, I realized these next few chapters actually fit into the original story. Thank you so much to everyone who has commented and made me believe I can really write stories! You amaze me.

PS – I don't own any of the characters from Who's the Boss? I also don't own the songs I use in this story. I love how so much music reminds me of the show.

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Chapter 3: Pillow Talk - I

Angela tossed and turned on the narrow sofa trying to fall asleep. The sofa wasn't the most comfortable place, and in Angela's mood, she felt all the pillow edges and sofa ridges more intensely. She turned her pillow around numerous times to fluff it up more hoping her neck wouldn't get stiff.

As she slowly fell into a dozing sleep, her mind wandered back to three weeks after her Jag wound up in the lake. Both she and Tony knew that after that happened and how and why it happened, it wouldn't be long before they both self-combusted if they didn't do something about it – and soon. Columbus Day was approaching, finally giving them the opportunity, they had been waiting for to be alone and uninterrupted.

After waiting and waiting, the long weekend arrived. Sam was with her friends at the dorm, Jonathan was spending a weekend with his friends working on a science project, and Mona was off somewhere in Manhattan. So off they went to a little bed and breakfast for the long Columbus Day weekend. After talking about where they wanted to go a few weeks before, they both settled on The West Lane Inn in Ridgefield in their own state. They thought about going up to Vermont, but decided they didn't want to be too far from home. Neither wanted to spend too much time driving. They had other things on their mind - and a long drive wasn't one of them. Since it was only about a 30-minute drive, it was perfect – she could work a full day, and Tony wouldn't have to leave class early.

The bed and breakfast was really cozy, and they were both happy with their decision once they saw how lovely it was. Tony carried the small amount of luggage to their room. He took the key and opened the door to their room. They walked in and looked around. They hadn't been in their room for thirty seconds before clothes and shoes went flying in all directions. They were two people who had seemingly waited forever for each other, and both of them were more than ready to "be uncorked." Tony and Angela did everything they could to make up for the seven years that they had been untogether both knowing they couldn't possibly make up for seven years in one night. That didn't stop them from trying.

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On Saturday morning, Tony and Angela were drowsily laying on a single king-sized pillow, on the king-sized bed gazing into each other's eyes, breathing the same air. Their exposed hands were intertwined, and Tony held both of them up against his chest. It had been a night both of them would never forget. They had waited so long for each other, and the night exceeded anything they could've hoped for.

"I told you that you'd remember it," Tony stated quietly, yet confidently.

"…and I told you that you'd remember it too," Angela gave it right back to him still turning a deep shade of pink at the memory.

"That was some conversation we had the morning after you kissed me," Tony started.

Still arguing about that kiss all these years later, Angela protested timidly, finally coming to the conclusion and voicing to Tony that she might've been the one to initiate that kiss after all. "Is that why you took Samantha to Florida for those three weeks? Angela asked tentatively.

"Well, yeah, Angela – I was as mixed up as you were after that night, you were – are – my boss, and I thought by taking that longer vacation with Samantha, it would give me some time to contemplate about what happened that night."

"…. and then Anthony and Ingrid right after we got back from Florida, marone a mi," Tony said acknowledging their discovery that night when they went to Jonathan's camp. He cleared his throat gently and asked the question he'd wanted to know for all these years.

"Ange, when did you know?" Tony whispered. Angela didn't even have to ask him to clarify. She knew that question would come up eventually. She took a deep breath, bit down on her lip, gazed into his eyes, and thought about how she wanted to answer.

While Angela was thinking, Tony softly kissed her lips, which made Angela think a little quicker. "Frankie .. I never told you, but after Frankie proposed to you, I went to see a psychiatrist," Angela confessed. "My feelings for you were so mixed up. Mother and I had talked about what you had said about Frankie proposing. She was worried for me, but I told her that you wouldn't do anything foolish, but then I questioned what I said to her and started not to believe it myself. So, I went to see Dr. Bellows, and she finally pulled it out of me," Angela whispered. Then she continued, "I was pretty sure it was before I said it out loud though. I just hadn't put it all together until I said it out loud … out loud for the first time to someone else."

Tony started to say something but let Angela continue. "The night your appendix burst … she whispered, "and you said you loved me forced me to start thinking that we were something more than friends…we were already teetering on something after dinner when we almost took the champagne to the fireplace …" she stopped to take a deep breath. "I think Mother knew when I didn't deny it when she asked me if I loved you after I told her what you said to me before your surgery."

Tony could tell there was relief in her voice getting this all out. "Tony?"

"Yeah…"

"How could I not have fallen in love with you? I thought you could see it written all over me – the night you recreated my prom, on our family vacations …Crunchy Crawlers – Tony you started caring for Jonathan and me from Day 1." Angela cupped Tony's cheek as she talked about these memories. 'So, the feelings were there, but I never put words to it – those words – until Frankie proposed to you," Angela confided. She saw Tony laugh when she mentioned the Crunchy Crawlers.

"Something else, Tony that night you recreated my prom – no one I know would've ever done something like that for me. I remember every moment of it. We had been dancing closely together for hours. But we weren't just dancing. Tony, you were placing such sweet kisses all over my face and neck, and I wasn't exactly stopping you, Angela admitted."

Angela could tell that Tony was also thinking back to that night. He must've noticed that she practically had stars in her eyes when she looked at him. She remembered how he looked down and smiled at her as they continued to dance around the living room.

"Tony, if you had picked me up and carried me up the stairs to my bedroom, I wouldn't have stopped you," Angela dreamily said to Tony.

But then reality set in that night as Angela got Tony's attention and told him they'd better gather all the decorations and take them out to his van and move the furniture back to their proper places. They both knew that Sam would be home soon, and they didn't want her to see all the decorations or what they were doing. It would have obviously led to questions neither of them were ready to answer for anyone let alone themselves.

Something that wound up being something they both were faced with when a week later, on her birthday, Angela blurted out her love for Tony in her sleep. She had been mortified when she heard Mother and Tony talking in the kitchen about it. ….

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Ugh – the nausea woke Angela up and she hurried off the couch to the bathroom making it just in time. Then she sat on the chilly bathroom floor hoping she'd not be sick again. "Oh, my that was some dream I had just had," she softly spoke.

Oh, how she missed Tony. Dreaming about their first night and morning after together wasn't helping her any. She didn't know how she was going to fall back to sleep again. She looked at the clock telling her it was only 2:00 a.m. Her nerves were shot as she thought about Samantha returning home later in the day. She knew she was going see Tony in her face every day. Angela shook her head wondering how she'd be able to look into her face without crying and without thinking about what she walked away from.

She turned on the radio hoping some music might help her fall asleep. As the words drifted from the radio, the song did nothing to sooth Angela back to sleep. Instead, it brought her to tears thinking of the loss of Tony in her life, but she didn't want to get up to turn off the radio. So, Toto's I'll Be Over You continued to play on.

Some people live their dreams
Some people close their eyes
Some people's destiny
Passes by

There are no guarantees
There are no alibis
That's how our love must be
Don't ask why
It takes some time
God knows how long
I know that I can forget you
As soon as my heart stops breakin'
Anticipating
As soon as forever is through
I'll be over you
Remembering times gone by
Promises we once made
What are the reasons why
Nothing stays the same
There were the nights
Holding you close
Someday I'll try to forget them
As soon as my heart stops breakin'
Anticipating
As soon as forever is through
I'll be over you
As soon as my heart stops breakin'
Anticipating
Someday I'll be over you
As soon as my heart stops breakin'
Anticipating
Someday I'll be over you
As soon as my heart...
(As soon as my heart stops breakin')
(Anticipating)

Eventually, the song ended and Angela fell back to sleep dreading Samantha's return.

The End – Chapter 3 of The Room, Unslept In – Pillow Talk I

Chapter 4 coming soon….