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LadyCha0s

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Angel went through the short week of school as normal, Alex now avoided her when he saw her. Angel didn't mind. She just worried when she saw Emerie sitting with him the last day of school and Emerie didn't want to listen to Angel.

"Be careful, Emerie...Around Alex...I don't want you getting hurt."

"Just leave me alone..You're no one to give me advice."

Angel just nodded and stepped aside as Emerie walked away from her and into Alex's car. Angel looked at Alex and shook her head. He looked away and drove off.

 Angel waited for Gabriel, he was late. She started walking down the street, her old friends looking at her as she passed them. Angel smiled when she looked at them and continued down the street. She hadn't walked this way since she left her house. She saw her old apartment coming up and she stopped in the corner before it. Her brothers were sitting outside, eating and talking. She crossed the street and continued on her way. She pretended not to hear her younger brother call her name. She sighed with relief when Gabriel drove by and stopped. She jumped in and told him to drive.

"Oh my Lord, that was crazy.", she said as she slumped down on the couch. Gabriel sat down next to her.

"You should have waited for me ma...I wasn't that late."

She laughed and hugged him.

"Babe...Emerie left school with Alex today. And I told her to be careful but she didn't want to listen."

Gabriel just nodded, he didn't say anything.

"Should I tell her parents?"

"You could if you want to but be careful, they think they're the holiest people around."

Angel sighed...Lord don't let her get hurt......

"Your father came by again. He said not to worry about anything if we did come. There would be plenty of food for us."

"Did you tell him we were coming?"

"Yea..."

She smiled. Gabriel knew her inside and out. She went to bed that night, feeling excited and scared..Please help....

It took about fifteen minutes to get to her father's new apartment. Gabriel held her hand as they walked up the stairs. He knocked on the door and a tan skinned and green eyed boy about Gabriel's height opened the door. It was Angel's older brother, Hector. He hugged Angel tight and shook hands with Gabriel. Hector led them to the living room where her father sat, the spanish news on. He got up and hugged her tight, then touching her belly with tears in his eyes. He hugged Gabriel and told them to sit down. Gabriel held Angel's hand as her father talked to them and asked them everything he could ask her before the food was done.

"That damn mother of yours..", he said under his breathe after he told them of the divorce.

"So you wasn't lyin then?", Hector asked as he sat down beside Miguel. Angel shook her head and squeezed Gabriel's hand. Gabriel looked at her and kissed her cheek.

"Well, Angel is doing much better now, right baby?"

She smiled and nodded.

"That's good..Happy to hear that.", Hector said getting the hint that Angel was not in the mood to talk about being raped. So he went back to the kitchen.

"Food is ready!"

Miguel got up and asked them to stay put, watch tv as they set up the table. Angel rested her head on Gabriel's chest, she wanted to leave....God why did I come here?.....Gabriel lifted her chin up and kissed her.

"It'll get better. I promise."

She smiled and hugged him. A knock came on the door and Hector ran to open. An older version of Angel walked in, carrying a baby in her arms and holding a small child's hand.

"Melissa, guess who's here?"

He pointed at Angel and Melissa smiled. She rushed to her sister, and Angel stood up. They hugged, the baby in Melissa's arms crying. A tall, black guy with braids took the baby and shook Gabriel's hand when Gabriel stood up.

"Angel, Oh my God! This is Dante, remember him? And the baby here is my second, Destiny. And my shadow here is Michael. You saw him when he was a baby..Now he's five. Right Mikey?"

Michael nodded and held up five fingers. Melissa looked at Angel's belly and her eyes widened.

"Angie, you an I have some serious conversating to do."

Angel smiled and nodded. Melissa grabbed Destiny and left Gabriel and Dante alone with Hector and Michael. They went into a room and Melissa started changing the baby's diaper.

"So, Gabriel and you been together since junior high?"

"No...We broke up before 9th grade started...I got with Alex in the end of freshman year."

"That jerk? Girl..."

"Well, he was ok at first...But then he got real stupid and right before Junior year started, this happened."

"And all this time mommy made me out to be the only one who made that mistake."

"Mel, I didn't make any mistake but being with him. You gave it up cuz you love Dante. You always have. I had no choice. If not for Gabriel coming back into my life, I don't know what would have happened to me."

Melissa realized what Angel meant and she froze. She covered her mouth with her hand.

"Oh my God, Angie, I'm so sorry..."

"It's ok...I'm passed it already..."

"But you're doing better right?"

"Yea..Gabriel and I got back together...I been living with him since mommy found out I was pregnant."

Melissa hugged Angel and they went back out where everyone was waiting for them at the table. Angel made her way to Gabriel and the guys continued their converstaion on football. The food was served and Gabriel bowed his head as everyone continued talking. Angel followed suit and waited for Gabriel to say amen outloud. Her family looked at them and stopped talking.

"You can eat now..."Angel said, laughing as she digged in. Everyone played it off and laughed, eating. Gabriel continued to talk with Dante who was telling him about how he just got out of jail. Melissa was catching up with her father. Hector was silent as he watched Angel play with Michael when he walked up to her.

"Are you having a baby too? My mommy had a bigger belly then you but now it's gone cuz Destiny came. Is it a girl too? Girls are boring."

"Well Mikey, I really don't know yet. But I'll hope it's a boy so you won't have a boring cousin."

Gabriel laughed.

"That reminds me, we have the doc's appointment on Tuesday. We're gonna find out what we having."

Angel smiled..We....Gabriel continued talking about how excited he was to see the baby on Tuesday.

"We're doing that 3-d thing....It's the first baby so we gotta make it special. Right ma?"

He looked at her with bright eyes. Angel smiled and nodded. Everyone congratulated them, somehow Gabriel made the fact that the child inside her was from a tragic event, the baby was far from tragic. He spoke of it as a blessing.

Miguel brought out the pies and desserts, Gabriel feeding the cheesecake to Angel. Miguel started sharing with Dante and Gabriel the antics Melissa and Angel used to put Miguel and Blanca, their mother, through.

"And Hector, he used to take our food as we prayed. Remeber? And Blanca would freak out. And that time Melissa and Angel were fighting and almost knocked down the turkey from the counter. You kids used to drive Blanca crazy....Thankyou."

They smiled and laughed, Angel remembering those few good days. They all looked at eachother and smiled...Time had flown by so fast...

Another knock came on the door and Nathaniel, Angel's younger brother walked in with his girlfriend. They said hi to everyone, sitting down to eat.

"Nati, you ain't just come from mom's right?", Hector said.

"Damn right. She started fighting because it's just me and her and Leila. I told her to come but she kept fighting so I told her not to come until she was ready to stop yelling."

Nathaniel hugged Angel extra tight, he kissed her belly.

"Damn, I'm a uncle now."

Everyone talked the night away, heading to the living room for games and more talk. Miguel brought out the baby pictures for Dante, Leila and Gabriel to see of their partners. Angel laughed when she saw how chubby and dorky she used to be growing up. Melissa almost died when she saw a picture of her from the early 90s.

As the night ended, Melissa was the first to go.

"We have to take the train back to Jersey. But we'll all keep in touch."

She hugged everyone good bye and gave Angel her number.

"It was real nice seeing you again. And Gabriel, thanks for taking care of my girl."

Hector and Nathaniel left, Leila had to go home. Angel and her father exchanged a long goodbye as Gabriel waited in the car.

"Angelica, I hope you had a good time...I'd like to see more of you."

"Yea, of course...Maybe I'll stop by after I find out what the baby is."

"I'd like that....Listen, before you go I just....I love you very much..I'm so sorry."

"It's ok, daddy,"She hugged her father," You're still my dad no matter what. I love you...I'll see you next week."

Angel turned around and got in the car. She was smiling and feeling good....Thanks......Gabriel drove off and they got home, ready for bed. They changed and jumped into bed, Gabriel holding her in his arms.

"Are you happy you went?"

"Yea...Thanks baby. I love you."

"I love you too."