Author Notes: This was written for SpeedRent on Livejournal. Challenge 127.
Enjoy.
Guardian Angels
Roger sighed as he walked calmly down the streets of New York City. At that moment he felt peaceful just feeling the cool winter air against his face, but despite his peaceful feeling, he couldn't help but feel slightly empty inside.
"You miss him don't you?" she asked.
Roger looked to his side where Mimi was walking next to him. He sighed again.
"Yeah…it's weird without him here. I'm so used to him always bugging me about stuff…now it's just…weird."
Mimi giggled.
"He's only been gone a few days. Jeesh I'd think you two were married or something the way you talk."
"Feels like it sometimes."
"Say what?"
"Kidding Meems." Roger said, trying not to laugh.
"But seriously. He'll be back today right?"
"That's what he said."
"Is he…you know…alright?" she asked.
Roger shrugged.
"He will be…I hope. It was his mom you know…stuff like that takes time."
Mimi nodded. Their walked continued in silence as Roger's thoughts drifted to a few days ago when his roommate had approached him about his temporary leaving.
"I'll be back in a couple of days I promise." Mark said as he continued packing.
"I though you hated your family?"
"I do and I don't…it's complicated…I just…if this is the last Christmas my mom will ever see then…I'd regret not being there."
"It's that bad?" Mark nodded.
"They say it could be any day now…" By 'they' Roger knew he meant the doctors taking care of Mark's cancer-ridden mother.
"Do you want me to come?" Roger asked, hoping to offer support to his best friend and roommate.
"No…I need to do this…alone." Mark's voice was cracking slightly. Despite his hatred for most of his family, his mother was the only person in his family he could say he truly loved. The thought of her dying tore Mark apart, leaving a pain of regret and guilt in his heart. Regret that he didn't pick up more of her calls, guilt that he rarely called back.
"You'll call right?"
"Of course I will. Take care of Mimi ok? Take you're AZT and shit." Roger nodded.
"Taking your camera?"
"Yeah...I might as well."
Mark sighed and zipped up his duffle bag.
"How are you getting to the airport?"
"Taxi. Cindy sent some money along with the ticket…I'd better go."
"Why Atlanta?"
Mark smiled slightly. "She was born there…only moved to Scarsdale when she met and married my dad…" Mark stifled a laugh. "She hated New York…but I guess she always did what dad told her to do. In the end, she wanted to die in Atlanta, she told me once that was always her home…"
Roger couldn't bear the obvious pain in Marks voice as he spoke, so he quickly closed the distance between them and pulled his best friend into a fierce embrace. He felt Mark's tense body soften as the smaller mans arms made their way around his waist. After a minute or two they pulled apart, Marks eyes slightly watered.
"Be strong."
Mark smiled. "Aren't I always?"
As Mark walked out the door and down the stairs, Roger couldn't help but think to himself…
'Yes…you are.'
"Shit…Roger look." Mimi mumbled, grabbing his arm so he would stop. Roger blinked, startled out of his thoughts as Mimi pointed to a TV that sat in the window of a repair show. Roger's eyes widened.
The screen showed pictures. A plane one fire, people screaming and crying, smoke, firefighters, and a news reporter…and she was speaking…
"A tragic plane crash at the La Guardia Airport has left a plane in flames with many casualties. Flight 109 from Atlanta, Georgia was said to have suffered engine complications, causing it to crash upon landing. Despite the accidents casualties, there are survivors. Anyone who's expecting someone on this flight is asked to report to the La Guardia Airport as soon as possible…."
"Oh…my god…" Mimi mumbled.
"Mark…"
"Roger what if he…?" she didn't dare say that word. That word that hung over their family like a black cloud, constantly threatening to claim one of them at a moments notice. But he was the one the cloud always avoided…she didn't dare think of what would happen if it claimed him now.
"We need to go to the airport Roger…" she said, her voice low.
Roger nodded.
"Let's go..." he mumbled.
"Taxi!" Mimi shouted, running ahead of Roger.
Once in the cab, Roger began to feel his whole world crash. He was excited that he would finally be able to see his friend again, after days with him absent, knowing how much Mark has suffered since the death of his mother, he'd wanted to try and comfort him. Suddenly, Roger instantly remembered that dreadful phone call he received the day before yesterday….
The phone rang; Roger didn't budge from his spot on the couch.
"Speak!"
"…Rog…you there?" A sniffle. "It's me…"
Roger jumped from the couch and grabbed the phones receiver.
"Mark?"
"Oh…you're home." His voice was soft, cracking and he was sniffling.
"Mark…what happened?"
"She's gone Roger…she…" he couldn't contain himself. Mark burst into tears over the phone, for the first time, Roger could hear the emotion in Marks voice. It pained him to know he couldn't be there to comfort Mark like the other man had done to him when April died.
"Shhh Mark it's alright I'm here buddy. I'm sorry…"
"Thanks…Umm I'm coming home the day after tomorrow…right after the funeral. Can we talk when I do?"
"Of course. I'll be waiting."
"M'kay..." Mark sniffled again. "I miss you guys."
"We miss you. Are you gonna be alright?"
"Yeah…more so when I get home."
"I can't wait. Be safe Mark."
"I will. Thanks Rog. Love you."
"Love you too." He replied and then Mark hung up.
It was the last Roger heard of Mark….
And now he may never hear his best friends' voice again.
"Roger come on!" Mimi said, shaking him. They had arrived at the airport, Mimi handed the Taxi driver a few bills and they jumped out. They immediately ran to a security guard.
"Excuse me! Our friend was supposed to be on that…"
Roger zoned out, his body was filled with utter terror and worry. Was Mark alive? What awaited him? He saw ambulances
"Roger this way! He said the people who survived are still on the runway near the plane."
They were led to the runway where they saw the broken plane; the flames had been put out, now only a cloud of smoke remained. The sight of the body bags made Roger sick.
'Please don't let him be in one of them….'
He saw a crowd of people, many crying, many being treated by paramedics. He scanned the crowd, no sign of Mark.
A security guard stopped them.
"Who are you looking for?"
"Mark Cohen." Roger said in a panic.
"He's about 5'8 with blonde hair and glasses." Mimi added.
The man nodded.
"Do we have a Mark Cohen!" he shouted.
There was no reply.
Roger felt sick, his heart was pounding and he began to sweat.
"Mark Cohen?" he asked again, as they walked among the survivors.
'No…'
"If he's not here then he must be…"
"Roger!"
His voice cut through all the commotion and thoughts in his head as he turned around and saw him. Mark.
"Mark!" Before Roger knew it, Mark had run straight into his arms.
He felt Marks body shake with sobs.
"Thank god…" he whispered, holding Mark close.
"Roger I was so scared." He mumbled through tears.
"It's alright. You're safe Mark." Roger felt his own tears sting his face, relief flooding through him, his best friend was safe.
After a few minutes, they pulled away and Roger was able to get a good look at him. He looked tired, face tearstained, a small cut that had been bandaged on his forehead.
"Are you ok?" Roger asked.
"Besides the cut yes…but…"
"But what?"
"My camera…it's gone….I lost it in the crash."
"Mark its all right. We'll get you a new one, right now I just care that you're alright."
"But Roger it had all my footage of my mom…all her last days are just a memory to me now."
"As they should be Mark. I'm just glad you're safe."
Mark nodded.
"Yeah…you're right. Can we go home?" Roger smiled.
"Yes let's go home. And have that talk?" Mark nodded.
Mimi smiled at the boy's reunion, thankful herself the black cloud that had claimed Angel and recently Mark's mothers, didn't claim him.
"You're shaking Mark…"
"I'm alright. Remind me never to fly again."
"It must have been scary." Mimi commented. Mark nodded.
"Yeah it was…all those people screaming. It felt so unreal to me you know? Like a scene from a movie."
"You're such a filmmaker." Roger said, smiling slightly.
"I know…but…honestly…I can't help but feel like I owe my survival to my mom."
"What do you mean?" Mimi asked.
"When you almost died you said Angel sent you back to us right?" Mimi nodded.
"I felt my mom's presence on that plane. She protected me I know it." Never had Roger seen such emotion on Mark's face before. He was so used to Mark being stoic, hiding behind his camera. Now he had no camera to hide behind, and his emotions were free on display. There was fear, sadness, and yet joy that he'd survived.
"I bet you're right." Roger said.
"You think? You don't think I'm crazy?"
Roger smiled. "You're a lot of things, but crazy is not one of them."
Mark smiled.
After being asked many questions by press, security and airport representatives, they were finally allowed to leave. Once home, Mark promptly fell asleep on his bed, where he slept until the morning the next day.
"Hey sleepy head." Roger said, seeing his disheveled roommate exit his room.
"Mornin'" Mark mumbled, yawning.
"Sleep alright?"
"Yeah fine."
"Want some coffee?"
"Sure…"he answered, and wandered to the couch.
Roger made them both a cup and then joined his friend on the couch.
"How you handling this?"
"It feels so surreal…everything that happened. Feels like a dream but I know it wasn't."
"I bet….oh, Collins called this morning. To see if you were alright, he said he'd drop by later when you were awake. I figured we'd go to the Life later? You need to eat something."
Mark nodded.
"What can I do Mark?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean how can I help you deal with this? Shit man your mother died and then you could have died in that plane crash and on top of that you loose your camera…"
"You're here. That's all that matters to me Rog…back there I had no one to comfort me when mom died. I felt more alone than I ever have in my life. As long as you're here that's all I need. I can find another camera…"
"And the footage?"
"Irreplaceable…her last days, like you said will remain nothing but memories. But somehow I'm content with that."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. I'm going to have to be aren't I?"
"I guess…"
"C'mere Mark…" Roger opened his arms, motioning for him to come. Since Mark had entered the room that morning he'd instantly sensed Mark's lack of human contact, and the strong need for it right now.
'I wasn't there then but shit I'm here now…and I need to be there for him. If all I can do is comfort him, then maybe I'm not so worthless to him.'
Marks pained blue eyes began to water as he slid across the couch into Rogers warm arms. He buried his heads into the musicians' chest and cried. Tears pouring down his pale face, his thin frame shaking with sobs.
Roger simply held him. He ran his fingers through Mark's messy blonde hair, and used his other hand to rub his back. He waited until Mark had calmed down before he whispered the words…
"It's all right."
"I know…" he sniffled. "She's my guardian angel now…she's up there with Angel watching us."
Roger smiled, thinking of Angel. He nodded.
"I think you're right Mark."
Minutes later, Mark lay in Roger's arms, half asleep. Just then, Mimi entered, Collins behind her.
"Look who I found." She said.
Roger smiled as Collins entered.
"How's he doin'?" he asked, concern written all over the older mans face.
"He's fine. Still a bit shaken, but he'll be alright."
"I'm so glad." He said, relieved.
"Roger I'm hungry…" Mark suddenly mumbled.
The three friends laughed.
"This boy needs some food!" Collins said, laughing.
"I agree." Mark said, sitting up. "Thanks Roger."
"Anytime."
"Well what are we waiting for? Let's roll!" Mimi said, walking towards the door.
"Wait I need shoes!" Mark said, rushing to his room.
Roger smiled. And as they exited their apartment building minutes later, he stared up at the sky, and silently thanked their now, two guardian angels.
Author Notes: I hope you enjoyed it! Please review!