I don't know how long I slept, but I think it was a very long time. Sunlight was pouring into the room. My head was still on Gerard's shoulder, his hand still firmly enclosed by mine.I sat up, rubbing my neck with my free hand.

"You slept for a really long time." I jumped about a mile, and immediately looked down at Gerard. His eyes were open, and he was smiling at me. I stared at him in shock. "I was beginning to wonder if you were ever gonna wake up." I sighed, and leaned back in the chair.

"That's in very bad taste, you know," I said softly, frowning at him.

"Yeah, I guess," he replied, shrugging. "I didn't think you'd come." His voice sounded bitter, and the smile was gone, but still he didn't take his hand away from mine. I shook my head at him.

"I love you, you ass. Of course I'd come."

"Well, you sure have a great way of showing it. You didn't even give me a chance to explain. I thought you trusted me," he said, his voice ranging between bitter and sad. I sighed.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I... I was so, well, I guess paranoid is a good word. I was afraid you had gotten tired of dealing with me, all the panic attacks and nightmares and shit. And then after all that with Tori, to see you kissing some other girl, well, I guess it just kind of, well, put me over the edge. I freaked. I guess I really fucked everything up, huh?" I smiled sadly at him, and he squeezed my hand.

"I'd never get tired of you, Angel. I love you. I just wish you had told me that you were feeling all that. We could have talked about it," he said, and I shook my head.

"I wanted to, but when? We were hardly ever alone! That's not exactly the kind of thing you talk about with an audience, and in those rare moments when we were alone, well, we weren't exactly talking. I'm just, I am so sorry, Gerard!"

"I'm sorry too, sweetheart. I should never have let her get that close, or I should have pushed her away faster. She just surprised me so much! Honestly, I don't think I encouraged her at all, I swear," he muttered.

"I know. Deep down, I knew it at the time. Like I said, I just kinda panicked."

"I've really missed you," he whispered. "Would you... Would you give me a second chance?" I burst out laughing.

"I was just gonna ask you the same thing! Of course I will!" I cried. "But one condition. I am NOT doing this again. If you EVER, EVER think of doing anything as fucking stupid as this again, I SWEAR, I WILL kill you! You will go home after this, and get some fucking help, and CLEAN THE FUCK UP!" I was on my feet now, pacing and pointing at him as I yelled, all the anxiety and confusion of the past six weeks erupting out of me. Gerard was looking down at his hands, looking abashed, but I didn't let that stop me, I continued my ranting. "I WILL NOT be with an alcoholic, and this kid WILL NOT have a fucking junkie for a father, do you understand me? You will stop being so FUCKING SELFISH, do you have any idea how many people you hurt when you do this shit? Do you realize that Mikey was CRYING when he called me? CRYING, Gerard, because of you! I WON’T do it, got it?" Gerard was staring at me, with an expression similar to that found on someone who'd just been clubbed over the head. "Well? Did you understand me?"

"Yeah, I did," he whispered, still looking stunned. "I promise, no more, I'll see my therapist as soon as they let me out of here. Are you serious though?"

"Oh yeah, you'd better believe it! I see you drunk once, and I swear, I'm gone," I replied forcefully.

"No, I got that, the other thing. You... I mean, I'm gonna... That is... We're gonna have a kid?" I gasped, realizing what I had done.

"I just kinda yelled that at you, didn't I?" I whispered. He nodded, still looking shocked.

"Is it true?" he whispered. I smiled.

"Yeah. I'm three months." I ran my hand through my hair, and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry for telling you like that, I had planned it a little differently." Gerard made a sudden movement, sitting up and struggling to get up out of bed. I hurried around to his bedside, and pushed him back down against the pillows, and to my surprise, he pulled me down beside him, and wrapped his arms around me. He kissed my forehead, and when I looked up at him, he was grinning like a madman.

"This is... I mean, this is amazing! I can't believe it! Wait, are you ok? Have you been sick? Do you know yet if it's a boy or a girl?" The questions rushed out of him faster than I could possibly answer them, and I giggled a little.

"I'm fine, a little nauseous, but nothing serious. And it's a little too soon yet to tell what it is, but according to all the tests, it's healthy. We'll know the gender in a couple weeks," I said softly. "Are you... Are you pleased?"

"Pleased? Angel, I'm ecstatic! I have never heard anything so wonderful in my whole life!" He gave me a little squeeze, then kissed me, and in that instant, every doubt I had ever had flew out of my head, and was gone forever. In that one kiss was so much love and happiness I could have drowned in it. Suddenly, he pulled away, and released me. "Wait, Angel, could you get my jacket? I think it might be in the closet, but I'm not really sure. Can you find it for me, please?" I nodded and stood up. I checked the closet first, and sure enough, there it was, the familiar, coffee and cigarette scented, black leather jacket. I pulled it off the hanger, and handed it to him, before returning to the chair beside his bed. He was fumbling in the pockets for something, it took him a moment, but he pulled out a black, velvet box. He opened it, and there it was, a beautiful, white gold, art deco diamond ring. I stared at it in amazement. "Will you marry me, Angel? Today?" Gerard asked, and I felt tears coming to my eyes as I looked into his. I nodded quickly, and tried to steady my voice.

"I can be ready in twenty minutes," I whispered, and I leaned down and kissed him.

Notes

One more...