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Disclaimer: See Part1

Summary: A life ends as a new one begins...

Rating: PG-13

Author's Note: Warning...character death in this one.  Not a major character,
 though.  I'm sure you already know who it is since it's been referenced to already.  
But, there's also a birth!  So there's some happy and some sad..and some 
tense moments.  This one is a little longer than normal.  I had a lot I wanted to 
cover and I still didn't cover everything I had wanted.  Anyway, I hope everyone 
likes this one.  Don't forget to enter the name the baby contest at my site!  Time's 
running out!  I'll need it for the next part!

Angels - Part 14
Lightning Crashes
by Ruth


Wednesday
1:12pm
Angel & Lewis' apartment

     Angel sat carefully on a dining chair.  It wasn't an easy task.  Her distended 
belly completely threw off her center of balance making every movement an effort.  
She had started her maternity leave last week in anticipation of her due date...which 
had come and gone.  She was only two days late but it seemed an eternity at this 
point.  
     She looked around the apartment at the stacks of boxes.  Lewis and Angel were
packed and ready to move into their new house.  It wasn't the greatest timing but 
when Lewis and Angel saw the house they knew they had to have it.  And Lewis had 
promised he would have everything moved by the time she and their new son left 
the hospital...whenever that was.  
     Angel sighed as she looked around.  She was going to miss the place.  There were 
good memories here.  If the walls could talk!  Especially that one in the hallway.  Angel 
grinned as she recalled that particular day.  Lewis had left work a little early that day so 
he could cook something special for the two of them.  When Angel arrived home, Lewis 
was rushing out the door, saying he was called back in for some sort of "cloning accident".  
She detained him long enough to give him a passionate goodbye kiss...which ended up 
detaining him a little longer.  Next thing she knew she was pinned up against the wall 
in the hallway and having a very enjoyable time!
     She was amazed that she could actually still think about sex at this point.  It had 
actually been awhile.  There was a point where it had just become physically awkward 
and uncomfortable.  She did everything she could for him and he for her but it just 
wasn't the same.  She missed that face to face, one on one romping.  Even after the 
baby was born there was the obligatory six to eight week wait until they could resume 
that sort of activity.  And then who knows if they'd even have time?
     She was about to get back up when she felt it.  The pain started in her back and 
worked its way around to her middle.
     "Oh!"  she said, surprised.  She sat perfectly still for a few seconds, waiting.  
Nothing happened so she got up and began to waddle around the apartment, packing 
the last few small things that were left.  After about half an hour, another pain struck 
her.  It started and ended the same but the middle was a bit more intense.  She 
grabbed her stomach and shut her eyes until it subsided.
     "OK," she said out loud.  "I think I'd better call Lewis."  Lewis had been carrying a 
pager with him everywhere he went in anticipation of the big day.  At the moment he 
was at work.  Angel went to the phone, dialed the number and then put in the "baby" 
code: 911.  She hung up and sat down to wait.

Same day
DrugCo

     Lewis had been taking a rest in one of the breakrooms when his pager went off.  
He had been talking to Drew on the phone just moments before, getting an update on 
Kate's Mom.
     "It's not good," Drew said solemnly.
     "Are you at the hospital?" Lewis asked.
     "Yeah, Oswald's here too," Drew said.  "He's in the room with Kate.  I had to get 
out of there for a few minutes." 
     "I hear ya, Drew," Lewis said sadly.  "I'll be there when I can."
     "OK.  Hey, Lewis?" Drew said hesitantly.
     "Yeah."
     "They said she won't make it through the night."  Drew's words hit Lewis like a 
punch to the gut.  He swallowed hard and then nodded, although Drew couldn't see 
him.
     "I'll be there soon," Lewis said.  He hung up and wandered to the breakroom where 
he sat to think.  His pager had gone off just when the whole thing was threatening to 
overwhelm him and the tears were about to flow.  He jumped a little and grabbed it 
out of his pocket.  The numbers were there: 911.  He stood up abruptly and then...
nothing.  He couldn't remember what to do!  
     "Crap!" he said out loud.  "Baby!  Baby's coming!  What do I do?"  He closed 
his eyes and took a deep, calming breath.  "Go home," he finally said.  "Get Angel.  
Go to the hospital.  We'll call ahead from the car.  OK."  With that, Lewis ran out the 
door.

Same day
Deaconess Hospital

     Drew hung up his cell phone and clutched it against his forehead a moment while 
he closed his eyes and fought not to burst into tears...again.  He wished Briana were 
there but she was home with their very young baby.  A faint smile crossed Drew's 
lips and he turned to peer back into the hospital room.  Kate stood next to her 
mother's beside, Oswald behind with his arms wrapped protectively around her.  
Mrs. O'Brien had slipped into unconsciousness yesterday afternoon and wasn't expected 
to ever wake up again.  He almost felt as if his own mother was lying there.
     Oswald glanced over at Drew, the pain evident in his eyes.  He kissed Kate on the 
top of her head and then whispered something to her.  She nodded in response and 
Oswald stepped away from her and toward the door.
     "How's Kate doing?" Drew asked when Oswald exited the room. Oswald took a 
glance back in the room and shrugged.
     "As good as can be expected," he said.  "Which is to say, not very."  Drew nodded 
and sighed.  "I'm gonna get her a cup of coffee.  You want anything?" Oswald asked.
     "Nah," Drew replied.  "Thanks.  I'm gonna go in for a minute."
     "'K," said Oswald.  Drew watched Oswald shuffle down the hallway and then turned 
his attention back to Kate.  She looked tired.  She probably hadn't slept since her mother 
was admitted two days ago.  There were dark circles under her eyes which were the 
only real color on her face.  She was gray looking and Drew knew she hadn't had 
anything to eat in about as long as she hadn't slept.  He walked into the room and 
stood next to her.  She continued to stare down at the small, pale figure in the bed.  
Drew wondered if Kate even knew he'd come into the room.
     "This whole thing is just too surreal," Kate said unexpectedly.  She looked up at 
Drew.  "Don't you think?"  Drew blinked a couple of times behind his horn rimmed 
glasses.  How did he answer a question like that?  Maybe he wasn't supposed to.  
Maybe it was rhetorical.  But she kept looking at him, waiting.
     "Yeah," he finally said, deciding to just be honest.  "That's definitely the word I'd 
use."  Kate nodded and looked back down at her mother.  Oswald walked back in 
the room carrying two cups of coffee and balancing a bagel on his wrist.  He handed 
the cup of coffee that didn't have the bagel balancing behind it to Kate. She took it
with hardly a glance.  "I'll go," said Drew.  "I know they only want two people at a 
time in here."
     "No," said Oswald, "stay, Drew.  Here, Katie," he said holding out the bagel.
     "That's a stupid rule," Kate said bitterly, ignoring Oswald.  "It's not like we're going 
to tire her out.  She's unconscious for God's sake!"
     "I can go," Drew said beginning to step away.  Oswald stopped him.
     "Stay, Drew," he said.  "I'm gonna go for a walk and drink my coffee.  Katie, take 
this."  Oswald continued to hold the bagel out to her.
     Kate shook her head.  "I don't want it," she mumbled.  Oswald sighed.
     "Kate, eat," he commanded.  "Going on a hunger strike isn't going to cure 
your mother."  It seemed like a harsh statement but it was the best way to handle 
Kate during a crisis: brutal honesty.  It was the only thing that ever got through to 
her.  Without looking up, she took the bagel from Oswald.  She began to tear chunks 
off and eat them.
     "Thank God for Oswald," thought Drew.  He had been handling everything perfectly, 
which was more than Drew could say.  He just stood around not knowing what to do 
while Oswald took care of and thought of everything.  Oswald was damn smart when 
he wasn't being stupid.
     "I'll be back in a little bit," Oswald said.  Drew nodded.  Oswald leaned in and 
kissed Kate on the cheek.  A faint smile crossed her lips, the first Drew had seen in 
a while.
     "Thank God for Oswald," Drew thought again.
     "I love him," Kate said after Oswald left the room.  Drew looked at her, not sure he 
had heard right.  It seemed a weird time for her to bring up such a thing.
     "What?" Drew said.
     "I love him," Kate repeated.  "It took all this bullshit for me to realize it but I love him.  
I always have."
     "Hey, I thought you always loved me?" Drew joked.  It was a defense mechanism 
that kicked in when he was having trouble knowing how to handle bad situations, such 
as someone he cared about, dying.
     Kate actually smiled.  "I have!" she said.  "Actually, I've always loved all of you-"
     "Lewis too?" Drew asked with a smirk.
     Kate smiled again.  She turned and looked at Drew.  "Yes, Lewis too.  But I see 
you with Briana and I know she's who you belong with.  And I see Lewis with Angel 
and I know she's who he belongs with.  And that leaves Oswald.  Because he belongs 
with me."
     It was so simple it made sense.  "Have you told him all this?" Drew asked.  Kate 
looked back to her mother.
     "No," she said.  "I didn't want all this," she said gesturing to include the room, 
"to come to mind when I thought about telling him I love him, still."  Drew nodded 
his understanding.
     At that moment there was a clap of thunder outside.  Drew jumped and turned to 
the window.  He went to it and looked out just in time to catch the first raindrops fall.  
The sky looked black in the distance.
     "Storm's coming," Drew said quietly.  He looked back over his shoulder at Kate 
and then Mrs. O'Brien.  "Whether we like it or not."  Drew wiped at the tears that began 
to fall from his eyes.

     Oswald had wandered down a floor and found himself in the pediatric ward.  He 
smiled at all the kids he passed although it made him sad to see so many.  He wondered 
about each and every one of them.  He found himself wondering if he'd ever have kids.  
He'd like to have at least one.  And he'd love it to be with Kate.  He scratched at the 
back of his head, absently.  He couldn't figure out how Kate felt about him.  She 
accepted his affection as of late but he wasn't sure if it was because she was so much 
in need of it or if it was because she still had feelings for him. Or maybe a combination 
of both.  These thoughts spun around in his head for a while until he suddenly realized 
he had wandered into the maternity ward and was standing in front of the nursery.  
He looked through the window at the new born babies.
     "Aww," he said with a smile.  "Hi, little babies!  Welcome to the world!" he said 
softly.  He was busy making faces at the babies when he heard the faint sound of...
screaming?  He shrugged and continued making faces.  The screaming quickly grew 
louder.  It was a man and a woman and they sounded familiar...Oswald suddenly saw 
the reflection of a woman being pushed in a wheelchair, at a run by a nurse.  The 
woman had a death grip on some poor man's hand...a very tall, lanky man.  "Lewis?"  
Oswald whipped around and caught a flash of someone going into a room down the 
hall.  A nurse came out of the room and looked back in amazement.  "Nurse!" Oswald 
called.  The woman looked at Oswald.
     "Yes?" she said, trying to smile, but obviously still startled by the entrance she
 had just witnessed.
     "You didn't happen to just see a very tall, skinny guy run by with a very pregnant 
redhead did you?" Oswald asked.
     "They just went in there," she said, pointing towards the room.
     Oswald smiled.  "Thanks!" he said.  He walked toward the room and then stopped 
in front of the door.  There was yelling coming from inside.
     "You bastard!  Get out!  Get out!"  It sounded like Angel...sort of.  Suddenly, 
Lewis burst through the door.  He stopped in front of Oswald, wide eyed.  Oswald 
looked at him with concern.
     "She's just having a really bad contraction," Lewis explained.  He was holding on 
to his left hand with his right one.  "I thought she was gonna break my hand."
     "She's having the baby?" Oswald asked.
     Lewis looked over his shoulder at the door.  "Yeah," he said distractedly.  "It 
would seem so."
     "That's great!" said Oswald.
     "Yeah," Lewis said.  He was still distracted and glanced around the ward. "Ice 
chips.  I'm supposed to get ice chips."  A nurse that was passing by over heard him.
     "I'll get you some, honey," she said.  
     "Oh, thank you," Lewis said to her as she scurried off.  Lewis looked up as the 
sounds of thunder reverberated through the ward.
     "Is it storming?"  Oswald asked, looking up as well.
     "Yeah," said Lewis.  "Started about ten minutes ago."
     "Really?"  Oswald was surprised.  He had been so deep in thought that he hadn't 
even heard the thunder until then.  He looked at his watch.  "Oh my God!" he 
exclaimed, putting his hand to his forehead.  "I've been wandering around for half 
an hour!  I'd better get back to Kate!"
     "Ok," was all Lewis said.  Oswald threw his arms around his friend and hugged 
him hard.  Lewis returned the hug.
     "Good luck, Lewis!"  Oswald said as he began to walk away.  "Give Angel my love!"
     "Hey, Oswald?"  Lewis called before he could go too far.  Oswald turned.  The 
nurse had returned and was handing Lewis a bucket of ice chips.  "How...how's 
everything going?" Lewis asked.  There was sadness behind the bewilderment in 
Lewis' eyes.
     "Not too good, Buddy," Oswald answered honestly.  Lewis nodded.
     "I'll be up as soon as I can," Lewis said.  "Tell Kate I'm sorry I can't be there right 
now."
     "Don't worry," Oswald said.  "She'll understand."  With that, Oswald turned and ran 
down the hallway.

     Lewis watched Oswald disappear around a corner and then walked back into the 
room.  Angel was going into another contraction.  The nurse that had been attending 
her rushed to the monitor.
     "This can't be happening already," the nurse mumbled.  Angel's breathing became 
faster and more labored.
     "Well, it is!" she managed to say.  Lewis walked to Angel's side and held the ice 
chips out to Angel.  She looked at him like he was crazy.  "I'm having a baby here, 
Lewis!  Do you think you could hang on to those for me?!"  Lewis blinked a couple 
of times and looked at the bucket in his hand.
     "Sorry," he mumbled.  Lewis looked toward the door.  He wished Oswald hadn't 
left.  He was terrified at the moment and not sure he could do this alone.  He felt 
Angel's hand on his arm.
     "Lewis," she said softly.  He looked down at her.  The contraction had passed 
and she was looking at him with soft eyes.  Her face was shiny with a thin film of 
sweat and her cheeks were rosy from her pain.  She was beautiful.  "You can do 
this," she said to him.  "I know you can."  She smiled at him and in that smile Lewis 
suddenly found the strength he needed.  He bent down and kissed her.
     "I love you," he whispered into her ear.  Angel closed her eyes.  The sound of 
more thunder could be heard outside. Lewis straightened up and looked at the ceiling.  
Angel grabbed a couple ice chips out of the bucket and put them in her mouth.  As 
she sucked on them another contraction hit.  The nurse, who had been tightening 
the heart monitor around Angel's belly, looked up in shock.
     "Why am I having another one already?!" Angel said through clenched teeth.  
Lewis set the bucket down on a small table next to him and grabbed Angel's hand.  
"Should this be happening this fast?!  It's my first!"
     "Breathe, Angel," Lewis said soothingly.  Angel gasped and tried to slow her 
breathing.  The nurse lifted the sheet at Angel's legs and took a look.
     "I think I'd better get the Doctor," she said.
     "What?!"  said Angel panicking.
     "Don't worry," said the nurse.  "You're just going along quickly.  It's rare for 
the first but it happens.  You're lucky."
     "Lucky?!"  Angel was near hyperventalating.
     "Angel," Lewis said softly.  He put his hand on her forehead and brushed a 
couple of stray strands of hair away from her face.  "Look at me."  Angel did as he 
said.  She looked up into his smiling face and saw how calm he looked.  Her breathing 
slowed as the contraction passed.
     "How do you do that?" Angel asked.  She sounded tired already.
     "Do what?" Lewis asked.
     "Go from total panic to complete serenity in a matter of seconds?"  Lewis laughed 
at the question.  His laughter was abruptly cut off but a loud clap of thunder that 
shook the whole building.  The lights flickered a bit.  Angel looked up at the lights.  
"They can't lose power can they?" she whispered, as if talking louder would invite 
another thunder clap.
     "No," Lewis reassured.  "They have emergency power.  Generators, I think."  Angel 
nodded.
     "Lewis?" she said.  He looked at her.
     "What?"
     "Here comes another one!"  Lewis cringed as Angel squeezed his hand too hard.  
Another loud clap of thunder shook the building and Lewis thought he heard a low 
roaring sound.  The lights flickered again.
     "Where the hell is that doctor?" he said under his breath.

     Oswald had returned to Mrs. O'Brien's room and he, Kate and Drew stood in 
silence.  Drew had insisted on leaving again but Kate protested.
     "No, Drew, just stay!" she said.  "I dare them to come in here and tell us someone 
has to leave!  It's a stupid rule!"  Drew didn't argue.
     Lightening flashed outside the window and was followed closely by a loud roll of 
thunder.  Drew had been standing near the window but he backed away and stood 
at the foot of the bed.  It was late afternoon but it looked like dusk outside, the clouds 
were so think...and getting thicker.  The room shook as a bolt of lightning lit up the 
sky close to the hospital.
     "Wow, it's really coming down out there," Oswald said.  Rain pelted against the 
window, hard enough to make Drew a little nervous.
     "Yeah," Drew said.  "This sucks."
     "You guys..."  Kate's voice sounded far away.  Drew and Oswald turned to her.  
They followed her gaze to her mother's heart monitor.  The beats were coming slower 
than before.  Oswald took Kate's hand and Drew came and stood next to her.  More 
thunder clapped and the lights flickered.  What sounded like golfballs hitting the 
window echoed through the room.  Drew turned toward the window and noticed the 
sickly green color of the sky.
     "What the-?"  Huge balls of hail were crashing into the window.  Then the sound 
came.  Drew heard the low rummbling, like a freight train coming down the track.  "Oh 
my God," he said, turning white.  "Not now.  Not again."  Hearing the fright in his voice, 
Kate turned to him.
     "Drew?" she said.  And all hell broke lose.

     The doctor came running into the room as Angel was having another contraction.  
The low rummbling noise had gotten louder and the hospital seemed to be shaking.  
The doctor looked scared but it had nothing to do with Angel.
     "What's going on?" Lewis asked.  He could hear people on the other side of the 
door yelling.  People were barking orders and a couple people were screaming.
     "Just hold on," the doctor said.  She placed herself at Angel's legs and lifted the 
sheet.  "Looks like you're ready, Angel."
     "Now?!" yelled Angel.  The hospital was definitely shaking at this point.  Angel held 
on to Lewis' hand for dear life as the lights flickered continually.
     "Now!" the doctor yelled over the growing noise.  "Push, Angel!  And keep pushing!"  
     Outside the door was total chaos. Lewis heard someone yell, "It's coming!  It's gonna 
hit over there!"  Realization dawned on Lewis and he leaned over Angel protectively.  She 
was too busy giving birth to notice much.  The room shook and there was the sound of 
breaking glass which was quickly overpowered by a deafening roar.  Angel's birthing 
screams were completely lost in the havoc.  Lewis closed his eyes and said a silent 
prayer.  As if in answer, the roaring began to subside and then suddenly stopped.  It was 
silent.  Except for the sound of a baby crying.

     "Get down!" Drew yelled.  The three of them dropped to the ground as the window blew 
into a million pieces.  Debris flew all around them and they covered their heads protectively.  
The roar was all around them.  Kate glanced at her friends and found them looking back. 
They huddled together as close as they could, for protection as much as for comfort.  The 
lights flickered overhead but never went out.  And suddenly it was over.  Kate, Drew and 
Oswald looked up.  Kate was the first to stand.
     "Oh my God," she whispered.  The room was a shambles.  Debris covered the floor, 
the tables and her mother.  Small pieces of glass were everywhere and Oswald 
accidentally put his hand on some as he pushed himself up off the ground.
     "Ouch!" he hissed, grabbing his hand.  He picked out the small shards and threw 
them to the ground.  Miraculously, Mrs. O'Brien's IV stand and heart monitor were still 
standing although they were both pushed up against the side of the bed now.  Kate's 
heart sank as she looked at the monitor.  Drew had followed her gaze and put a hand 
on her shoulder.
     "I'm sure it was disconnected," Drew said hopefully.  Kate approached her mother's 
bedside.  Everything still looked connected to her.  She placed her hand on her mother's 
chest and stood still a moment.  She then checked her neck for a pulse.  Kate looked 
up at Drew and shook her head.  Drew's eyes welled up with tears and he turned away 
from her.
     "Kate..." Oswald said raggedly.  Kate pressed her lips together and shook her head
harder.  Her hands were in fists at her side.  The only sound was the flatline of the heart 
monitor.
     At that time, a disheveled nurse came flying into the room.  "Is anyone hurt?" he asked.
     "Oswald's bleeding," Kate said quietly.  Oswald looked at his hand, and it was, indeed,
 bleeding.
     "Glass," he said, holding his hand up for the nurse to see.  But he was distracted by 
the sound of the heart monitor.  The nurse walked to Mrs. O'Brien's bedside. He checked 
the connections on the machine and then for a pulse.  He turned off the monitor and looked 
at Kate.
     "You're mother?" he asked.  Kate nodded.
     "I'm sorry," he said.  "I'll go get the doctor."  Kate nodded again.  When the nurse left, 
Kate burst into tears.  Oswald rushed to her and drew her into his arms, weeping as 
well.  Drew also put his arms around the two.  The three of them stood in the middle of 
the disheveled room and cried.

1 hour later...

     Lewis stood at the nursery window and peered in.  He stared at one baby in 
particular.  Clearly longer than the rest of the babies, the little boy slept quietly, a little 
blue hat covering his small head.  Lewis grinned as the baby yawned and tried to 
stretch his little arms.  Motor control being an entirely new concept to the baby, his 
arms just ended up twitching around.  His eyes cracked opened and Lewis would have 
sworn he was looking right at him.  He knew it was impossible for the baby to focus 
that far but he smiled and waved anyway.  
     "He's beautiful," Lewis heard.  It was Kate.  She was standing next to him at the 
window.
     "Thank you," Lewis said with pride and grinning from ear to ear.  He looked at Kate 
and his smile faded.  "I'm sorry I wasn't there," he said.  Kate continued to look straight 
ahead at the baby.
     "It's ok, Lewis," she said.  "You had other things to do."  She looked up at him and 
smiled.  Lewis smiled back and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
     "I'm still sorry I wasn't there," he said.  He put his arms around Kate and she hugged 
his waist.  "I'm so sorry, Kate," he said, holding back tears.
     "I know," Kate said.  "Thank you."  They separated and Kate wiped at the tears in 
her eyes.  They both turned back to the window to watch the new baby.
     "Where's Drew and Oswald?" Lewis asked.
     "Drew went home to make sure Briana and Matthew are all right and Oswald is 
wandering around again," Kate said.  "I guess it helps him think."
    Lewis just nodded.  He was fascinated as he watched his son, who was now fully 
alert.  He began to flail his tiny arms around and cry.  A nurse looked at her watch and 
then smiled at the little boy.  She picked him up and turned to leave the nursery with him.
     "Time to eat," Lewis said.  He turned to Kate.  "You're gonna be ok?"
     Kate nodded.  "Yeah.  I'm gonna go find Oswald.  Go be with your baby and his 
Mom."  Lewis smiled and kissed Kate on the forehead.  She watched as he loped toward 
the room where Angel waited for him and their new born son.  The nurse exited the nursery 
soon after and walked slowly down the hall, the baby in her arms.  Kate turned and walked 
in the opposite direction.  The sound of a baby crying drifted to her ears a minute later.
     "Probably expected beer instead of milk," she joked to no one in particular.  Kate wore 
a grin on her face as she turned the corner in search of Oswald.

Stay Tuned for Part 15...With Arms Wide Open