Disclaimer – I own nothing of RENT. It belongs to its respected owner. I own my original characters, aka Roger's twin daughters and the plot. 'Nuff said.
Italics are thoughts, flashbacks & song lyrics
A/N: I was listening to the song The World Will Know from Newsies and got this idea.
Summary: AU: Mimi has died, leaving Roger alone with his identical twin daughters. He turns to Mark for help and receives even more than help raising the girls. Rated T because I'm paranoid and for safety.
Genre: Romance/Drama
Rating: T
CHAPTER ONE
Roger held Mimi's hand as she continued to bring life into the world. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, letting her know that everything would be all right.
Little did he know that everything was not all right. After their daughters – Belle and Sara-Mae were born, Mimi died suddenly. She had some internal bleeding that wouldn't stop.
It didn't help that the girls looked exactly like Mimi. Roger held Mimi's limp form when both girls were taken to the nursery, except for Sara-Mae – she was taken to the NICU – she had some breathing complications.
"I wish you could see them, Meems." Roger sobbed, holding her close. "Both of them look exactly like you."
He cried himself to sleep that night.
The following day, he went to see Sara-Mae in the NICU. He couldn't hold his precious little girl, so he looked at her through the glass incubator she was in.
"Hi there beautiful." Roger whispered to his youngest. "I'm your daddy and I love you so much. I wish your mommy was alive – she would love you as much as I do."
Ten days later, Roger, along with Mark's help, brought both girls home from the hospital. Both men put the girls in the nursery and let them sleep.
As both girls grew, Roger's love for Mark grew as well. Without Mark, Roger probably would have died. Mark felt the same way about Roger. Neither of them would let anything happen to the other as long as they lived.
When Belle and Sara-Mae were three, Roger and Mark began telling them apart. Sara-Mae loved bright colors, whereas Belle loved dark colors. Sara-Mae had to stop and pet every dog she saw. Belle could care less about dogs. Sara-Mae loved horses. Belle did not.
As soon as the girls turned four, Roger enrolled them in daycare. He took a job tuning guitars and giving lessons. Mark worked at the photography store next door.
On a warm June evening, Mark proposed to Roger. Roger said 'yes' as Mark slipped a ring onto Roger's left ring finger – it fit perfectly.
The girls were excited that their daddies were going to get married, but didn't understand why they had to go to a foreign land called Toronto to get married. Mark explained as best he could so that Sara-Mae and Belle could understand. Roger knew in three words – it was legal.
A year after Roger and Mark were married, they were ready to start their lives together, with the girls and the German Shepherd they adopted from a shelter in Toronto named Tonto.