The Lost and Brave (Adopted by Ray Toro)

Shopping Trips and Christa?!?

•Ray's P.O.V.•

20 minutes after Gerard, Lyn-Z, and Bandit left Angel came downstairs. "Goodmorning, darling." I say to the sleepy teen, she yawned a response, and went for coffee. We sat in silence for a while, "Hey, dad?" Angel said, I looked up, and hummed a response. She looked down, took a breath, "Can we go shopping?" I gently pushed her head up so that I could capture her eyes in mine, "Of course we can, don't ever be afraid to ask me anything okay?" I told her, and she nodded, smiling softly.
Drinking the last of my coffee, I stood "Let's ge dressed, then I'll call Frank and Jamia, to see if they want to come along, okay?" Angel nodded getting up from the table and I followed her up the stairs. We parted ways at the landing, her going into her room, and me going into mine. It felt, so empty without Christa here, I miss her, and Beau, don't get me wrong, having Angel back is great, but Christa and I dreamed about all of us being together. Christa wanted to meet Angel so bad, always referring to her as the daughter she didn't have. Without even knowing her, she loved her as if she was her own child, and that was one of the many things I loved about her.

I walked to my closet, grabbing a random shirt, and an old pair of jeans. After getting dressed, I brushed my teeth and called Frank.

F: Hello?
R: Hey, I'm taking Angel shopping, and I wanted to know if you and Jamia wanted to come along
F: Can we bring the kids?
R: When have I ever told you that you can't bring them?
F: Haha, true, we'll be there in ten.
R: Alright, see you then.

I hung up and walked downstairs, sitting on the couch I turned on the T.V. and saw news reports of Christa's death, and my adoption of Angel. It has raised some suspicion that it was planned, and not an accident, despite the evidence clearly showing that it was. People can be so dumb, especially when they want publicity, why can't we all just go about our day, and not have to worry about TMZ or some kind of paparazzi crowding around us, and making up stories? I changed the channel, and not even 5 minutes after I did, Angel walks into the living room, and sits down beside me "I'm sorry about Christa dad, I- I know you miss her." Angel cries, I sigh pulling her close to me. "Angel, it's not your fault, you have nothing to be sorry for." I tell her, rubbing her back until she calms down.

"Come on Toros, Jamia is not going to be able to keep those kids calm much longer tha-" Frank says walking in, but stops, I turn to look at him, trying to see what made him stop talking. "Frank, what's wrong?" I ask him, and he points to the back door. I look in the direction that he's pointing in, my hear stops when I see Christa, and Beau. "R-Ray you're seeing this too right?" Frank asks, his voice wavering, "It's okay, Ray, we're alive." Christa says walking towards me, and then she looks at Angel. "You must be the girl that stole my husband's heart, all those years ago, hi, I'm Christa." My wife told her, pulling her into a hug, before I can ask anything Beau comes running to me screaming 'daddy' and I pick him up, seeing that he is in fact very alive. "Bu-but how?" I ask, and Christa just smiles, "I'll tell you everything later." I smile, and put Beau down to pull my wife into my arms and kiss her fully on the lips. God how I missed kissing her.

"So, I see that you made it back home safely." Jamia says, walking into the room and hugging Christa. I shoot a confused look, but she just shakes her head. "Let's go, the girls are getting restless." Jamia says turning to walk back out the door, Frank follows asking about Miles, and Jamia tells him the he's asleep. Christa, Beau, Angel, and I follow them out of the house, and get into our own car, pulling out of the driveway, and heading towards the mall. "So Angel, has he been good to you?" Christa asks my daughter, who is staring blankly out of the window, Angel turns her gaze to Christa, "Can we stop pretending that I don't know you now?" Christa laughs.

Looking at me she says "Okay you deserve an explanation." I nod my head in agreement, wanting to know how the hell she is alive. "I know how much you wanted Angel back, and that our family wouldn't be complete without her, so I searched for her, from the information you gave me. You know, who her mom was, when she was born, what she looked like as a baby, that stuff, and I accidentally met up with her one day. As soon as I saw her I knew, and I just had to talk to her, but when I went up to her she was crying, bloody, and bruised, so I called Jamia, Lyn-Z, and Kristin. We all got together, cleaned Angel up, and came up with a plan, to get Angel, back to you." Christa paused and smiled at me, "I'm sorry that I had to make you believe that Beau and I were dead, it was the only way." she finished. I smiled, my heart swelling with love for this woman, who constantly reminded me of why I fell in love with her. "Were the guys in on this too?" I asked, looking in the rearview mirror at Angel, who nodded "Just Frank." she said, and burst out laughing, "He's a good actor". I laughed and said "You all are apperently." Soon we were pulling up to the mall, when we parked I jumped out of the car, and grabbed Beau, racing ahead of the girls into the mall.

~A/N~
Sorry about the late update, but state is finally done, and I should have a few more chapters up. I honestly don't know where I'm going where this.