The Room, Unslept In Chapter 9, a who's the boss? fanfic

The Room, Unslept in

A/N: Time for Chapter 9! There was so much going on during those two months that Tony & Angela were apart. I've tried to take you through those two months covering holes that were left by the writers. We've made it to June of those two months of separation.

PS – I don't own any of the characters from Who's the Boss? I also don't own the song(s) I use in this story. I also don't own the dialogue I use sometimes in the chapters. I've tried to pick songs that remind me of Tony & Angela and their relationship. If you'd like to hear it, check out YouTube – you can find just about everything there.

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Chapter 9: And There Goes Number Four

Last night, I didn't get to sleep at all, no, no
I lay awake and watched until the morning light
Washed away the darkness of the lonely night (Lonely night)

Oh, and last night, I got to thinking maybe I, I, I
Should call you up and just forget my foolish pride
I heard your number ringing, I went cold inside
And last night, I didn't get to sleep at all

I know it's not my fault, I did my best
God knows this heart of mine could use a rest
But more and more I find the dreams I left behind
Are somehow too real to replace (Replace)

But more and more I find the dreams I left behind
Are somehow too real to replace (Replace)

Oh, last night, I didn't get to sleep at all, no, no
The sleeping pill I took was just a waste of time
I couldn't close my eyes 'cause you were on my mind
And last night, I didn't get to sleep, didn't get to sleep
No, I didn't get to sleep at all, no, no, no
(No, no, no) No, no, no
Oh, last night, I didn't get to sleep at all, no, no
Last night, I didn't get to sleep at all, oh, oh
Last night

That's for sure thought Angela in her mind. Although she certainly did not take a sleeping pill – not while pregnant. She couldn't get the Fifth Dimension song out of her mind because she hadn't slept last night. She was exhausted getting off her sofa this morning. This was going to be a long day.

All she could think about were the words Samantha said when she flew into the kitchen the day before. Samantha was going out to see Tony for the first time since they all got back from Iowa after she left. Her stomach did flip flops thinking about it.

She hurried upstairs to get ready for work dressing in an olive-green dress. As she was walking downstairs, the doorbell rang. Angela opened it, and in walked Marge, Queen of Fried Foods, thought Angela.

"I thought I'd make some fried breakfast corn nuggets. Don't those sound yummy?" she probed in an oblivious tone to how gross those were for breakfast for this particular family.

Visualizing all of that sizzling oil and breaded corn made Angela queasy, but she found Marge intimidating and just nodded while holding her mouth walking quickly past her to get to her office. Even in there, she could still smell that fried food cooking – ugh, she thought.

"Oh, how much longer am I going to have to put up with her?" Angela asked herself out loud while looking out the window. She looked at the tree standing across from her. Three baby birds chirping in a nest provided her with a distraction for a short time. Then she walked over to her desk, gathered up her work and put it in her briefcase. She closed her briefcase and brought it to the sofa in the living room and laid it down.

When she got to the kitchen, Jonathan, Mona, Samantha, and Hank, were already sitting at the table. "Here, Mom, sit down," Jonathan offered her his chair.

Angela wondered if he knew something he shouldn't know and looked at her Mother for confirmation. When nothing came, she chalked it up to his being a thoughtful son and smiled inwardly.

"Thanks, Jonathan," as she took the chair and sat down. Angela began sipping on her tea appreciating the hot black liquid going down her throat.

"I have to be at school early today for a first graduation rehearsal," Jonathan let everyone know. "Jonathan, we're so excited," Samantha told Jonathan, genuinely happy her little "brother" was going to be going to college in a few months.

"Thanks Samantha," he said. He grabbed some nuggets, put them in a napkin and left the kitchen by the backdoor. Angela looked up as Jonathan closed the door smiling proudly at what a mature young man Jonathan had become. He was definitely ready to graduate and move on to college in the Fall she confirmed in her mind.

Marge put a plate of breakfast corn nuggets in front of Angela, who thanked her through her teeth. She took a bite of one and put the rest of it back on her plate too grossed out to take another bite.

Everyone watched Angela put her nugget back on her plate. They were also too intimidated by Marge to tell her they didn't want the nuggets. So, they picked them up and ate them, especially after Marge gave Angela an accusatory stare for putting her unfinished nugget back on the plate.

"Mother, let's go to the train."

Angela stood up and said good-bye to Samantha, Hank, and Marge and left for the day with Mona.

Samantha and Hank hung around the kitchen finishing their juice. Once Marge was out of earshot, they continued the conversation they started back in the apartment as they were getting ready for breakfast.

"She's not taking the news of my trip out to Iowa well, Hank," Samantha worried to her husband. "I don't think she knows what to say. She gazed at me for a long time when I gave her the news. Then she told me she was happy for him, but I'm not sure how sincere it was."

"Sam, I'm sure she's not over leaving your Dad from what you've told me," Hank tried to console Samantha.

"Yeah, I know you're right. I don't leave for another week-and-a-half. I'm sure she'll be supportive by the time I go. In the back of my mind, I think she might think that Dad getting this award is further cementing a permanent future out in Iowa. Maybe she thought he'd come back. I don't know what I thought," Samantha said shrugging her shoulders. "Hank, it's getting late, I need to get to class. She got up, kissed her husband and started to walk back to the apartment to get her books. Hank followed her out the back door. Samantha was eager to be taking a course during the summer semester to lighten her load during her final year of college.

Continuing the conversation they started in the kitchen, Samantha went on, "I still haven't gotten over my Dad moving out to Iowa, so I can't imagine what Angela is going through. Remember, they kept their feelings to themselves for so long. It seemed like a miracle when they finally got together. Jonathan and I had wished for it for so long, we never thought it would happen, and just about gave up. Now this …," Samantha contemplated out loud to Hank as they went up the stairs to the apartment.

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Angela was anxious to get into the City today. She had scheduled an appointment with a high-risk pregnancy obstetrician based on the suggestion of her regular ob/gyn, Dr. Rosen. After her pregnancy was confirmed, she was referred to this new doctor to ensure she had a healthy and safe pregnancy. Dr. Rosen had told her she'd also follow her case to make sure everything was going well. Although Angela was still weighing her options, she felt it was best to go and get all the information she could.

Angela had asked her mother to go with her for extra support. At first Mona resisted and told Angela she wanted to wait until she made up her mind about what she was going to do. After cajoling her a bit, Mona agreed to go. Mona realized that her daughter was not the kind of woman who asked for help very often, and if she was doing it now now, then she was truly troubled. She needed to be there for her daughter.

At 2:00 p.m., Angela and Mona left their office for the short walk to the doctor that was recommended to her. The office they walked to was on the lower level of a Brownstone a few blocks away. They walked down the stairs and opened the door to a busy waiting room. Quite a few women were in the waiting room, most of them older – most of them sitting with their significant other.

Angela nervously thumbed through some magazines in the waiting room until they were called back. Angela was relieved to discover the new doctor had a decent bedside manner and came across with empathy in spades. Dr. Nicholas told them that she had reviewed the notes that Dr. Rosen had sent over. Angela looked around the room to see photos of babies being held by their older mothers with Dr. Nicholas smiling in the background. Angela's heart did a flip flop thinking how that could be her one day soon. Then she remembered maybe not.

After the exam, Angela and Mona were brought into Dr Nicholas' office to talk.

"Mrs. Bower, the exam shows that you're in very good health, and so is the baby." Angela and Mona exchanged glances expressing relief. "Based on the notes forwarded by Dr. Rosen and the exam I just completed, I can confirm your baby is due in mid-December, December 15th give or take a day or two either way."

They were in the office for about 30 minutes discussing the risks involved with having a baby at her age. They talked about different options and tests she could do for peace of mind. "I also recommend a C-Section for the safety of both you and your baby." Angela nodded at this, grateful that her question about the baby's delivery was answered before she asked it. She decided that if she went through with the pregnancy, she wanted a C-Section, and she wanted to have the baby in the City just in case there were complications.

Angela sat there thinking about all of her options while taking notes. All the while, she couldn't believe she was sitting in this doctor's office with her mother and not with Tony. She took in all the information and stored it in the back of her mind. She figured she could look at her notes when she was ready to visit this information again. She also picked up some brochures on her way out and put them in her purse. Mona took some, too.

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It seemed like the train had made extra stops on the way home, but it hadn't. She just could not get comfortable in her seat on this ride. But she was still so tired from barely sleeping the night before. Mona saw how restless her daughter was. She picked up Angela's hand and patted it in a show of support. Angela turned her head and rested it on her mother's head, glad she was with someone going home after the stressful visit to the doctor.

Angela and Mona walked back into the house after the long ride home on the train. Angela couldn't wait for dinner. All that conversation at the doctor's office made her hungry. She'd thought about picking up something on the train station platform before they got on the train, but then decided against it in case she got nauseous again. She dreaded finding out what Marge had made them. Sam and Hank were busy that evening, so dinner was just going to be Mona, Jonathan, and her.

Angela was not happy to see that dinner was going to be fried chicken and French fries. She rolled her eyes. The three of them sat down at the table and started picking at their food. They were lucky this evening as they saw Marge open the refrigerator and add a tossed salad for them to the table.

The conversation focused on Jonathan's graduation. Angela was happy to refocus her mind on something happy happening in a few weeks. Jonathan filled them in on his Valedictorian speech. Angela asked if he wanted her to review it one final time before it went to the high school office for review and approval. "No, Mom, it's in good shape. I hafta turn it in by Friday. I've spent a lot of time on it and made so many revisions. I really don't want to look at it again until graduation." Angela chuckled and continued, "Jonathan, I'm so proud of you." Mona didn't want to be left out of this moment and gave him a high-five.

"Jonathan, do you need your graduation gown cleaned?"

"No, Mom, it's clean."

"Did you get your Honor Society cord yet?"

"Yes, Mom, it came in, and it's in the closet hanging with the gown."

"Did your yearbook come in yet?"

"Yes, Mom, it came in about a week ago. I've kept it in my locker for signing day. After signing day, I'll bring it home and all of you can sign it." In the back of his mind, he thought about the one person he wanted to sign the yearbook that now seemed further unlikely from happening. Once he heard that Samantha was going out to see Tony in Iowa, he sadly realized Tony wouldn't be coming here so soon afterwards, even if it was for his graduation.

As they were talking, Marge was frying more food and finally put three plates of apple fritters in front of them for dessert. All three of them took one look at them, looked at each other, shook their heads, and got up to go into the living room. Angela wanted to go upstairs as her Mother and Jonathan sat down on the couch. Her mother chastised her for wanting to go upstairs and accused her of hiding out for another two months which Angela denied and told her she was "healing."

A few moments later, Marge was in the living room offering them the apple fritters telling them her feelings were hurt. After they all told her they were full, she snapped at them by yelling, "EAT!" and waited for each of them to pick one up. Then Marge walked towards the basement. As Angela was promising to find a new housekeeper, Marge came back into the living room carrying laundry with her. After hearing Angela talking about firing her, she took Angela's coat off the coat rack and walked out the door.

And as the front door closed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Housekeeper number four was gone.

The End – Chapter 9 of The Room, Unslept In – And There Goes Number Four

Chapter 10 coming soon….