Chapter 11:

Angela slammed down the phone so hard some of the papers on her desk fell to the floor. She couldn't believe what had just transpired on the phone with Michael, although when it came to Michael Bower, she should have known by now never to be surprised.

"Angela, are you alright? I heard you yelling on the phone? Was it the new account? Did they hate our newest layout?" asked Jack as he popped his head into the office.

"No, it was my ex-husband trying to make havoc in my life again. Was there something you needed?" she asked as she tried to calm herself down before she hopped on a plane, headed to California and committed murder.

"No, that's all! I was hoping maybe we could take an early weekend. Everything is up to date and ready for the start of the week…" he said, hoping Angela's mood would improve if he gave her some good news.

"Yes, that's fine. Let all the staff know to be ready to go first thing Monday morning. I want to try and get a head start on some potential clients and plan for if and when I am going on medical leave. Have a good weekend Jack" she said as she started flipping through her address book. She found the number she was looking for as she quickly dialed the number. She was frustrated but not surprised when an answering machine picked up.

"Hello, this is Angela Bower. I am a client of yours. There seems to be a hold up with some of the custody paperwork. I would like to speak to you regarding your services regarding custody battles. Please call me back at your nearest convenience. Thank you" she said as she hung up the phone.

Despite Mona's best attempts, Angela was silent on the train ride home. She stayed until 6:00pm when Mona practically dragged her out of the office. Tony was waiting in the living room for them, dinner warming on the stove, when they walked in the house. He could tell immediately that something was wrong.

"Angela! What's wrong? Did you get bad news?" he asked in a panic. Angela just looked back at him with glassy eyes.

"Good luck Tony… she's in a fowl mood and I haven't been able to get a word out of her. If you need me, just call…" said Mona as she gave Angela one last worried look as she started to head into the kitchen to make herself a plate for dinner.

"Wait Mother… I don't think I have the energy to tell this twice…" she said as she sat down, Tony sitting down right next to her on the sofa.

"Michael called earlier, right after I got off the phone with you Tony. It seems he is reconsidering our custody arrangement and won't sign the form. In fact, he is drawing up papers to have current full custody of Jonathan while all this is going on. He doesn't think Jonathan being exposed to, as he put it 'the uncertainty of his mother's life expectancy', is appropriate until we know more. He… he wants to fly Jonathan out to stay with him next week…" she said as her anger turned to tears.

"What? Absolutely not! There's no way he's waltzing in here now and taking Jonathan! That kid is attached to you Angela! No!" yelled Tony.

"Michael was always a low life snake, but this is low even for him. Is he planning on coming here? My new flower bed could use some fertilizer…" said Mona as she started plotting Michael's demise in her mind.

"No, he wants Jonathan to fly out, alone, next week. He already spoke to the local school about getting him enrolled in the term. He even postponed his trip to be there for him" she said as she wiped away her tears.

"Has he even thought of how traumatizing this will be for Jonathan? He's not going to want to be away from you. We are supposed to throw him on a plane kicking and screaming? He hasn't stepped up to the plate for the past thirteen, almost fourteen years and now suddenly he's the dotting father? I don't buy it for a second" said Tony.

"I don't even know how to bring this up to Jonathan…" she started to say when Samantha and Jonathan walked in through the front door.

"Hi Mom… what's wrong?" asked Jonathan as he took in the scene in front of him. Tony and Mona looked like they were about to fly off the handle and his mother was trying horribly to pretend she hadn't been crying.

"Sweetheart, why don't you come over here for a minute…" said Angela as she motioned for him to sit down next to her on the sofa.

"Why don't the rest of us head into the kitchen…" started Mona but Angela interrupted.

"No… this is a family matter and all members of our family should be here" she said as she looked over at Samantha, who was standing awkwardly waiting for the bad news.

"Is it bad news about you Mom? Did you get back more results? Are they bad?" he asked as tears formed in his eyes.

"No sweetheart, there's no news. Actually, your father called me at work earlier today. He… he is having second thoughts about making Tony and Grandma your guardians. In fact, he thinks it might be better for you to go and stay with him and Heather in California until… until we know more about my prognosis. He… he wants to fly you out next week" she said as she had to swallow the lump that had started to form in her throat.

"What? Leave you? Now? I… I can't do that Mom! You need me! I'm not going! He can't make me!" he screamed through tears.

"That's right Jonathan, your father can't make you go…" said Mona forcefully.

"He… he is looking to make changes to our custody arrangements… legally. If you wanted to go sweetheart, you know… get away from everything for a while, I wouldn't be upset… but if you don't want to go, I will make sure that doesn't happen… whatever I have to do…" she said as she wiped away his fallen tears.

"He hasn't cared about me in years and now all of a sudden, he wants to be my dad! I hate him! I'm never speaking to him again!" he shouted as he jumped up and ran up the stairs, slamming his door shut.

"That's my grandson! See Angela? He's not going anywhere!" said Mona with a satisfied smile on her face.

"You really think Michael is just going to drop this? He already has a lawyer and filed paperwork! I don't know what the legal standing is for forcing a minor to live with a parent against their will. If… if this goes to court, I won't win! Michael is healthy, a good provider and married… they won't allow him to stay with me if this turns into something serious…" she said as she broke down crying. Tony wrapped his arms around Angela as Mona motioned for Samantha, who was also now crying, to head upstairs.

"Sweetheart… sweetheart, I want you to listen to me very carefully. Whatever happens, this family is meant to be together! Like I told you a few years ago at that idiot's wedding when he had the idea he was going to be father of the year… we are going to fight for Jonathan! Michael is not going to come in here and break up our family! If he doesn't want to sign the paperwork designating me and Mona to be his legal guardians if… if something happens, then fine. I'll spend every dollar I have fighting for that kid! He's my son! Maybe not biologically but in every other way possible! So I will cross that bridge if I have to but right now? That kid is staying put! Whatever lawyer you've got better be a shark! And if he's not, then we will find one that is!" he yelled, loud enough for three eavesdropping ears to overhear upstairs.

"See Jonathan? Tony isn't going to let you go without a fight and neither is your mom!" whispered Mona as she wrapped her arms around both kids.

"Yeah dweeb… it's going to take a lot for a Micelli to give up! We are stubborn to the core!" said Samantha as she wiped away her tears.

"I guess… what did Tony mean about my dad being father of the year at his wedding?" asked Jonathan.

"I'm… I'm not sure. Maybe him trying to be all showy at the wedding" said Mona. She knew neither Angela or Tony told the kids about Michael's fifteen minutes of wanting to be a full time parent and she wasn't about to burst that bubble.

"Whatever… I'm going to bed…" he said as he went back into his room and shut the door. Samantha and Mona looked at each other with a worried look as they headed into Samantha's bedroom.

Back downstairs, Angela had finally stopped crying. Tony was able to convince her to head into the kitchen and have some dinner. Samantha and Mona eventually came down and joined them, but Jonathan never left his room. Tony brought him up a plate of food and left it outside his door when Jonathan didn't respond. Mona and Samantha offered to clean up dinner, allowing Tony and Angela to relax on the sofa.

"Should I go up and see if he wants to talk? It's not like him to just be in his room all night long" said Angela as she cuddled into his side.

"If he hasn't come down in an hour and hasn't touched his dinner, then yes I think we should go up and see him" said Tony as he leaned over and kissed the top of her head.

"He doesn't need the extra stress. None of us do…" she said as she wiped some tears from her eyes. Their quiet evening on the sofa was interrupted by the front door opening and slamming shut, Jonathan dropping his coat and backpack by the coat rack.

"Jonathan? I thought you were in your room! Where have you been? It's almost 10:00pm!" shouted Angela as she stood up and walked over to where he was standing. Mona and Samantha came in from the kitchen after hearing Angela yelling.

"I… I snuck out my window and went over to Steven's house…" he said as he looked down at his feet.

"We would have let you go buddy… it's Friday night. So why did you sneak out?" asked Tony as he came to stand behind Angela.

"No reason… I know I'm in trouble. Can I just go to my room and start my grounding?" he practically pleaded.

"You're back by curfew so I'm not grounding you but I would like to know why you snuck out" she said as she tried to figure out why her son would sneak off.

"Fine! Steven's not even home. He's away with his grandparents for the weekend. Steven's father… his father is a lawyer! I wanted… I wanted to know what my rights are in a custody battle. I also… I also wanted to know about making Tony my dad, legally and terminating my dad's parental rights. Steven's dad gave me a bunch of information and said I should talk to you about it. If we had any questions, he would be happy to talk to us" he said as he finally looked up at both Angela and Tony.

"You did what?" asked Angela as she just stood there stunned. Tony couldn't believe how similar the mother and son duo in front of him were in taking the world's problems on their own shoulders.

"I think we all need to sit down and have a family talk about everything" said Tony as he gently led Angela to the sofa. Jonathan came over and took the side chair, collapsing in it.

"Jonathan, I don't want you to worry about this. Your father and I will work something out. You won't have to do anything you don't want to…" she said, hoping her own anxiety and fear wasn't evident in her voice.

"How can I not worry about this? About you? There's no way I'm leaving Connecticut. Dad doesn't even care about me and hasn't for a long time. Tony is my dad in every other way that matters. If… if something happens to you, I want to be with my family- Tony, Grandma and Sam" he said. All four family members were now in tears.

"Did Steven's dad give you paperwork? I'd like to see it" said Tony as he wiped his eyes.

"Tony, what are you doing?" asked Angela as Jonathan went to his bag to pull out some forms, which he proceeded to hand to Tony.

"Angela, there's a few things I've learned about the Bower/ Robinsons over the years. First of all, you are stubborn and independent to a fault, kinda like the Micelli's. Once you get an idea in your heads, there's no stopping you. Secondly, trying to convince you to do the opposite of what you have already set your minds to is a waste of time and energy. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em…" said Tony with a chuckle.

"I'm with Tony on this one! Michael isn't going to get away with this one!" said Mona as she sat down next to Tony.

"Alright… let's see that paperwork…" said Angela as she took it from Jonathan. The family spent the next hour reading over all the paperwork Steven's father sent home with Jonathan. Angela and Tony agreed to call Steven's father the following day to have some of their questions answered. Jonathan felt better after their talk and headed up to bed, Samantha following close behind. Mona headed back to her apartment, forgoing her date. Tony and Angela finished tidying up the house, locking the doors before they too headed upstairs for bed. Exhaustion took over as they got themselves ready for bed and cuddled up under the covers.

"I'm trying really hard not to have a pity party here but really Tony… why me? Why is all of this happening?" she asked as she stared up at the ceiling.

"I don't know why Angela. Life just isn't fair sometimes but we have to focus on all the good that is happening along with the uncertainty. I don't know about you, but I'm still trying to come down from cloud nine after a certain blonde bombshell actually agreed to marry me yesterday…" he said as turned on his side, propping himself up on his elbow.

"Cloud nine is an understatement. Yesterday was one of the best moments of my life Tony. I can't wait to be your wife. I love you more and more each day…" she said as she turned herself so she was flush up against him.

"So let's just try and focus on that right now. We are all on the same page with Jonathan and will do whatever it takes to fight Michael. Monday morning, we are going to start the process of hopefully expanding our family. There's a lot of uncertainty right now and maybe even bad stuff on the horizon, but there's a lot of good too. We just have to focus on the good right now and take everything else day by day" he said.

"I don't know what I ever did to deserve you…" she said as she captured his lips with her own as they forgot all about their exhaustion.

Everyone was up earlier than usual for a Saturday morning. Tony made them all breakfast before Angela called Steven's dad. Tony and Angela were able to ask him a bunch of questions and felt confident that they had a good case against Michael, considering Jonathan's stance. They were planning on spending a relaxing day at home when Mrs. Rossini called and invited them to a carnival in Brooklyn. Everyone but Mona agreed to go as she had a date; she decided she needed to make up for lost time after the past few days.

The family headed into Tony's jeep as they made their way to Brooklyn. They had decided to tell Mrs. Rossini an abridged version of Angela's medical issues but decided to surprise her with their engagement. Tony parked the car and the family headed into the carnival. They spotted Mrs. Rossini by the cotton candy.

"Tony! Angela! Over here!" she shouted as she frantically waved to the family.

"Hi Mrs. Rossini! It's good to see you!" said Tony as she wrapped him in a bear hug. She practically threw him aside as she went straight for Angela, pulling her into an even more intense embrace.

"Oh Angela! You look great! Too thin as always but good! I'm gonna make you's all a bunch of home cooked meals! I'll drop them off this week- you gotta keep your strength up!" she said as she pinched Angela's cheeks.

"That would be wonderful Mrs. Rossini! We'd appreciate that a lot. Actually, we were thinking of maybe having you over one day soon to celebrate…" said Angela as she looked over at Tony.

"Yes… see the thing is… I somehow managed to get this beautiful woman here to agree to marry me and I thought we better celebrate before she wises up!" laughed Tony as Angela gave him a quick shove.

"What? You're engaged? You two finally came to your senses after all these years! Oh how wonderful! How exciting! Oh I can do all the catering!" she gushed as she pulled them both into another hug and assaulted both their cheeks once more.

"So when's the big event?" asked Mrs. Rossini.

"We are still trying to figure that out. A lot is going on right now but once we have a better idea we will set a date" said Angela as she wrapped her arms around Tony.

"Grandma, Sam and I are going to plan it! So it doesn't take another six years! You should help us!"laughed Jonathan.

"That's a great idea! How about we leave these two and start planning?" asked Mrs. Rossini as she linked arms with both Jonathan and Samantha and took off towards the concession stands.

"Between the four of them, we will be lucky to even be invited to the wedding!" chuckled Tony.

"Let them… we will have the final say and veto power along the way. Honestly… as long as I become Mrs. Anthony Micelli, I really don't care what happens…" she said as she gave him a quick kiss.

"So what would you like us to do first? The ferris wheel? Let me win you a prize? Get some food first? Whatever you want!" he said.

"Hmmm… how about you try and win me a prize at that baseball toss game and then maybe we can get some food" she said as she pointed to one of the games.

"No trying Angela… only winning!" he said as they walked over to the game. He knocked down all the bottles in one throw, winning Angela a large brown teddy bear. He played a few other games, winning her more prizes before heading to get some food. They decided to share nachos and a large soda before splurging on some cotton candy for dessert.

"I'm stuffed! I think we better stick to more games or calm rides! I don't want to throw up on you again!" she said with a laugh as she thought back to one of their first carnivals.

"Good idea Angela! These are my good shoes! How about that ride over there? The Tunnel of Love…" he said as he pointed to one of the rides.

"It looks pretty calm… I'm up for it!" she said as they walked over and waited in line for their turn. Once they were next in line, Tony helped her into one of the swans before settling in himself. The ride itself was pretty cheesy looking but there was still an element of romance.

"This would be a great place to get stuck in after hours… nice and dark and cozy…" he said as he started to kiss a particularly sensitive part of Angela's neck, eliciting a moan.

"I could see how that would be enticing…" she said as she moved her body even closer to Tony as his hands continued to explore her body. Feeling left out, she took the opportunity to do some exploring of her own as her hands worked over his chest muscles. Finally, they pulled back slightly, looking deep into each other's eyes as their lips crashed together. All of a sudden, the ride went dark and quiet. A few moments later, the announcer came over the speaker.

"Attention guests of the Tunnel of Love. There appears to be some technical difficulties with the ride. We will have the ride up and running in no time" said the announcer.

"Did they overhear us or something?" he joked as he continued his exploration of her body, his hands becoming braver in the dark.

"I think so… either way I think we should continue to take advantage of it…" she said as they continued to make out in the swan. The ride was down for about twenty minutes, giving them both time to enjoy the cover of darkness. Once the ride started again and the lights came back on, Tony needed to take a few deep breaths and calm himself down before he could even think about getting off the ride. By the time they reached the end of the ride, they had managed to put themselves back to some semblance of normalcy.

"We are going to have to finish that at home Angela…" he whispered in her ear, causing her to blush.

"How about we find the kids and head back home?" she said as she wrapped her arms around him, heading in the direction of the exit.