Disclaimer: Jonathan Larson was a genius. I did not create RENT. I am simply borrowing the characters. I do own Angela and anyone else you do not recognize.
Things to know: Roger left for Santa Fe and came back. Mimi went missing, but they never found her on Christmas eve. It's been three years.
She didn't look back on her past often. But, on days like today she couldn't help it. She had been up at 3 am for her 4 am shift. Work, she loved it. She just didn't love the waking up early. And today, her boss had worked her extra hard. She didn't have time to even take a shower. She had to go to her doctors appointment at 5 pm, then she had plenty of shopping to do and it was Christmas eve. So while walking down the streets of New York City, in between stores, she couldn't help but think about Christmas eve four years ago, when she asked a stranger to light her candle. And he lit it, reluctantly. She had loved him, she had loved him so much that she hated him. Their love was real. She sighed. It had been just under three and half years since she had loved a man like that.
Sure, the demise of the relationship was entirely her fault. She didn't question that. She was a junkie who didn't want to quit. And he didn't want to wait around and watch her stumble in high as a kite every night. She didn't blame him for breaking up with her, but she wished he could have done it a little nicer. He destroyed her world, right at the same time as her best friend was losing the battle of life to AIDS. He left, something about a restaurant in Santa Fe. She tried to get clean, She tried to resist the burning urges in my veins in hopes that he would come back to her. She wasn't planning on…
She checked herself out of rehab. She went on a binge. It wasn't something she was happy about, but she just couldn't have it. It got cold quickly living on the streets. She had been well aware of the fact that a mere cold could kill her. She didn't care. She was already dead without him. It was Christmas eve, three years ago, that a stranger had found her half dead in the park shivering under a bench. That stranger took her straight to the hospital and didn't leave until they knew she was okay.
She wasn't okay for nearly a month. Her strange savior had stuck around the whole time. After a few days of in and out consciousness she had learned her savior's name, Angela. Angela was a sixteen year old runaway, and the woman, well she had convinced her to go back home because Alphabet city would devour Angela.
"Not that I am complaining or anything Ang., just I've been there. I've done the whole runaway thing, I've lived on the streets and believe me when I tell you that you'll end up exactly like me. HIV, heroin addicted, knocked up, and the things you'll do for money… Go back home." The dying woman had told the kid who nodded her head in return.
"I don't want to go back. I'll take my chances…"
"I'm stronger than you, I'll know better, I'll stay away from drugs, I'll get a decent job that won't use and abuse me, I'll find happiness here, anything is better than home! I've heard it all before! I've said it all before. It doesn't work that way, nothing ever does Angela! You'll be cold in no time. You'll be hungry just as soon. And you'll be scared. It'll start off slow and simple. You'll get a crappy dead end job, the pay sucks but money buys food. The Man, he'll start harassing you. Nothing big at first, a few derogatory comments here and there, then the looks will come. He'll succeed in making you weary of him, he'll make you feel like you're worth nothing but sex. Then he'll start the unwanted touching, and before you know it you'll be crying at him to stop, to make it all stop. And Angela the first hit is always free. You and him, you'll be in a relationship. He provides the happiness in the form of a needle and you give him money. You'll think you have it under control. You'll think it won't get out of hand. But the cravings come sooner than your paycheck, and you'll do anything for a hit. He'll take you up on it. He's you're friend. He'll find you a new job, better paying but the kinds that make you hurt so much in the inside so you'll come running to him again. The Man will introduce you to someone looking for a roommate and the rent is cheap. And before you know it, you're me. Go home Angela." The woman held back tears as she told Angela her inevitable future.
"I'm staying here, with you. I feel safe here with you. Can't I just stay?" The woman sighed, she didn't know what to say. She nodded her head. The next day the older girl called her father. Angela called her mother.
The woman walking down the streets holding a coffee was not the same girl that was dying in the hospital but one who had gotten her life together even if it meant calling home, going home. She had come to the conclusion that she needed help. Her love was gone, probably still in Santa Fe, probably some big rock star over there. It didn't matter though, she wouldn't go back to him. She loved him too much to destroy his life, again.
"OH MY GOD! MIMI!" The woman didn't even bat an eye to the name, she just kept walking.
"Oomph." She remarked as she found herself flat on her back on the snowy sidewalks, her coffee spilt all over her jacket.
There was a woman on top of her, hugging her, or at least trying to, it felt more like strangulation. She pushed the woman off of her and rolled onto her side, trying to catch her breath. She dropped the coffee cup, it was empty now anyway. As she stood up she toppled over to the left side. She looked down and realized her heel had broken.
"Look at what you've done Maureen. You spilt her coffee, broke her heel and practically killed her, and it isn't even her." A black woman ranted and Maureen looked guilty. It was cute. The woman coyly smiled as she kneeled down to gather the contents of her purse.
"It's okay, really. Nobody's hurt right? No need to make a big deal about it Joanne." The woman grinned as she walked away, well more like limped. Her foot hurt, she hoped it was just a minor twist. She couldn't afford to sprain it.
"Yeah, well were sorry anyway." As she was walking in the opposite direction, she didn't get to see when the realization crept onto their faces.
"Hey. Stop right there Ms. Marquez." She stopped abruptly at Maureen's command. It was just a matter of seconds before Maureen and Joanne wrapped their arms around her, sandwiching her in a hug. She laughed and hugged back.
"We thought you were dead." Maureen stated later in a nearby café.
"We looked for you all over the place. Hospitals, morgues, alleyways, parks. I guess after New Years we just stopped looking…" Joanne continued.
"Roger was devastated when the police came up with a body matching yours. He wouldn't go to the morgue to identify the body. Joanne and I went, it wasn't you."
"I knew that." The woman, 'Mimi', added.
"Haha. Tell us what have you been doing?" Joanne jumped into the interrogation. She really was a lawyer.
"Is this the inquisition?"
"Pookie, we should take her back to the loft, to Roger. He'd love that. I mean it's all he ever wants for Christmas." Maureen paused and lowered her voice to mock Roger's. "I just want Mimi back, I want to tell her I love her and stuff."
"What exactly is stuff?" 'Mimi' laughed while purposely ignoring the invitation to the loft.
"Maureen, maybe she has a new man or something…"
"Something? What's a something?" 'Mimi' questioned. They weren't hearing you of course. Some things never change.
"…it could devastate Roger to bring her home and she's attached." Joanne continued. The lawyer stopped as she noticed the young latina woman waving her arms around trying to get their attention. Both Joanne and the drama queen turned to look at 'Mimi.'
"I don't have a new man." She looked at Maureen about to say something and interjected: "I'm not looking for a relationship, especially with Roger."
"You're insane. Do you know how in love you two were?"
"Yes, Maureen I know. I was there, wasn't I?" 'Mimi' paused.
"Look, I should get going. I have to cook a fucking feast tonight and I have been awake since 3 this morning. Plus I need a shower. It was really nice running into you two, I'll contact you." She got up and grabbed her jacket and purse. She paused for a few seconds wondering if the two women would stand to give her hugs, when there was nothing but smiles she left the building.
Once outside she shook her head. She wasn't going to keep in touch with them. She didn't know their number, if they were still living at their apartment, where Joanne worked now. She knew she could contact them at the loft, but she wasn't going there anytime soon. She started walking back to the studio, six or seven blocks away, where her car was parked. She was really hating that she broke her heel. The shoes cost $600. She didn't buy them, but that didn't matter. Her ankle was killing her, it was a week before opening day. She couldn't afford to lose her place in the show.
"Mimi, wait up for a second." She stopped and turned to see the lesbian couple coming up behind her.
"Look, we're sorry." Joanne started.
"We didn't know it was such a touchy subject with you." Maureen continued. Joanne gave her lover an annoyed look.
"That's not what's wrong." Joanne attacked her girlfriend.
"Well then, honey bear, what is?" Maureen provoked.
"Hey, you guys, stop fighting. Nothing is wrong. I have to get home." 'Mimi' was relieved when they turned and listened to her.
"Can we get you're number then? I'm sorry, it's just we don't believe you'll keep in touch." Joanne hesitantly asked. It was true, though. 'Mimi' went fishing in her purse for a pen and a piece of paper, instead she came up with a crayon and gum wrapper. Nevertheless it worked.
"Hey, Merry Christmas." 'Mimi' yelled over her shoulder after they hugged goodbye.
"Merry Christmas!" The couple shouted back, then continued to argue. Some things really never change.
'Mimi' finally made it to her car. It was classy green Honda sedan, maybe a year or two old. The inside was a complete disaster. Shopping bags and dirty clothes littered her back seat. She threw her stained jacket back there to join the rest of her laundry. She turned the car on and sat while it warmed up. She carefully pulled her boot off and winced at the purple swollenness of her ankle. Yeah, she was definitely going back to the doctors. She wouldn't be able to cook dinner. She turned the heat on and pulled out her cell phone.
"Ang. Hey it's me. Yeah I know I'm late. Not that kind of late, yes I'm sure. Well I didn't take a pregnancy test, okay? Did you? Hmm. Maybe it was Lucy or one of the dancers. Jesus Christ, Angela, It's not mine, I haven't had sex in like three years, okay?…Oh, well that's just mean. I can't believe you did that…. Yeah, yeah. You're so sorry. Whatever…. Haha… Anyway, I have to go to the hospital. I think I sprained my ankle. My heel broke. Well, I was attacked by a flying Maureen. A flying Maureen? I suppose it's like a giant flying squirrel, yes like Rocky…. You're cooking dinner tonight Bullwinkle. Alright, hate me then. I got to go. Hasta Luego"
Maureen wrapped her arms around the waist of her girlfriend, and leaned in for a kiss. She was in love. But sometimes love was destructive. They were always fighting, her and Joanne. They were always breaking up only to get back together again. They couldn't stand to be apart. Ironically they couldn't stand to be together. Maureen just hoped that their little spat earlier in the coffee shop wasn't going to be the end, especially since it was the holidays and nobody wants to be alone.
"Honey bear, are we alright?" Maureen whispered in her lawyer's ear. When she heard Joanne giggle she knew they would survive this little argument.
"Why do you think Mimi doesn't want to get back together with Roger?" Joanne asked out of the blue.
"Why does it matter?" Upon seeing the look on Joanne's face she attempted to answer the question. "Maybe she's afraid he'll hurt her again, or she'll hurt him. Probably the same reasons we have."
"But we always get back together. Do we just love each other more than they did. I always thought they'd be together in the end no matter what. I always wanted what they had."
"What we have is better. I love you, my sexy little lawyer." Maureen cooed. They were outside the loft now and Joanne was calling Mark to throw down the key. They didn't like to wait outside in Alphabet City too long. Usually Mark would come downstairs and escort them up. This time he threw down the keys.
"I love you too, even when you are a drama queen." Joanne pulled the petite red head into an embrace. There they were, two women making out in the snow, in the middle of the street in Alphabet City.
"You got the keys lovebirds?" A voice interrupted them. The women turned around and came face to face with Collins and a bottle of Stoli. They all laughed and walked up the stairs to the freezing cold loft.
"Merry Christmas Bitches!" The three of them sang out to the Boho boys. Roger got off the couch and put his guitar down and hugged the three of them. Mark was too busy fussing with his camera to greet them.
"Hey guys. My parents sent me some film equipment." Mark announced, he couldn't contain his excitement. And neither could Maureen for that matter.
"Mimi is alive!" Maureen announced. Roger was too busy opening the door, expecting her to be standing outside. When he didn't see her, he ran to the fire escape. She wasn't there either.
"Where?" He grabbed Maureen and started shaking her by the shoulders for information.
"Um. The downtown, I guess. She looked really good. She pretended not to hear me when I shouted her name. It was cute I guess, until someone got hurt."
"You hurt her?" Mark put his camera down.
"No, no. I just tackled her to the ground is all. She said she was fine. I was talking about her pretty boots." Maureen clarified.
"But did she say she was fine, like she was uh, not fine?" Roger asked.
"Jeeze, boy, calm down. Why don't you call her?" Joanne handed the rock star Mimi's number. He was almost too quick to grab it, he almost tore the gum wrapper to shreds. He practically ran to the phone. Everyone in the loft knew that he hadn't quite processed what he was about to do. He dialed the number and waited impatiently for her to pick up the phone.
"Bueno! Casa de Marquez." A young female voice answered.
"Uh, I think I might have the wrong number." He paused.
"Is this Chris or Bobby? Hold on, she just walked in, err, limped in." Roger shot Maureen a dirty look even though he still doubted whether this was the right number.
"Marq. I think it's Chris or Bobby. What happened?" Roger could hear the voice talk to someone named Mark, he was about to hang up when he heard her voice.
"Bueno. Bobby? Chris?" She asked into the phone. He'd know that voice anywhere.
"Mark, eh?" He teased into the phone.
"Chris is that you? You're such an asshole. Marq. You know Marquez. God, how many times do I have to explain this to you. Anyway I'm glad you called, saves me from doing so anyway. I sort of sprained my ankle, I'll be on crutches for at least a week. I can't make rehearsals. I'm sorry."
"It was a flying Maureen." Roger could hear laughing in the background. He once again shot a dirty look at the flying diva.
"Shut up Ang." Mimi shouted back.
"Well sorry to disappoint Marq. But this is neither Chris nor Bobby." He heard nervous laughing on the end of the phone and he wondered if she figured out who he was.
"Oh well I knew that. So?" She paused and he didn't want to tell her who he was.
"Would you light my candle?" She sang into the phone and he instantly smirked.
"Your hair in the moonlight" He sang back and they shared in a mutual laugh.
"Damn Maureen. She really knows how to complicate my life." She muttered.
"Actually it was Joanne."
"Well, screw her two." He laughed at that. He had really missed her.
"I'd love to talk longer Roger and catch up, but it's late and I haven't eaten and I am so tired I could die. Maybe we'll talk tomorrow. It's not like I have a job to go to." He hated where this was going.
"I got to go. Bye." She hung up the phone without letting him respond. He turned towards Maureen, she would be in trouble.
Marq walked into the kitchen and sat down. She was too tired to eat. Angela came over and placed a plate in front of her.
"I know it's not much, but I know you don't have much appetite anyway." Angela remarked.
"Well the dying aren't really hungry for anything except life." Marq responded.
"Can you not talk about your impending death this week. Please?" Angela pleaded with her friend and roommate.
"Okay. You win."
"Mama!"
"Mama!" Two little voices interrupted her conversation. A little boy and little girl appeared in the kitchen. They couldn't have been much older than two. Both were dressed in pajamas. Marq got up and picked them both up in one big swoop. Angela was there immediately to help Marq regain her balance since her foot was sprained plus the fact that Marq was so weak..
"I got them, I'm okay." Marq reassured her friend who was more like a little sister.
"What are you two doing up? It's late. Santa isn't going to bring anything to little niños who stay up past their bedtime."
"Song!" The little boy demanded.
"Sí! Song!" The girl reiterated.
"What do you say?" The mother asked as she placed the two into their beds.
"Por favor Mama." The little toddlers said at the same time. Marq smiled and sat in the rocking chair between the two beds. She began to sing a Spanish lullaby. Pretty soon the little kids were sound asleep. Their mother was too.
A/N: I am looking for names for her kids, prefavorably spanish and/or catholic, so give me your ideas. Oh and if anyone was confused about hernot being called Mimi, it's because i feel that she ran away from home and changed her name. She's nicknamed Marq by Anglea and people at work. When her blood family is introduced you'll find out her real name, that i chose for her. Anyway I hope you enjoyed. Oh and if you read my other story, i haven't forgotten about it, just can't stop thinking about RENT so be patient.