Disclaimer: I own nothing of RENT. Everything belongs to Jonathon Larson. 'Nuff said. I do own my original character.
A/N: I had my bike stolen yesterday RIGHT OUT OF MY GARAGE, so I decided to write a story about it.
Summary: AU: Mark gets his bike stolen from him and is in a panic. Takes place during the movie. Based on actual events. Rated T for language. ONE-SHOT.
Genre: Drama/None
Rating: T
Mark Cohen loved his blue bicycle more than anything in the world, besides filming. He would ride it everywhere, even in the winter. If the weather was too bad for a bike ride, Mark would get rides from Roger, or whoever else felt like driving him somewhere.
"Rog, Meems – I'm going out. You guys need anything?" Mark called.
"A bottle of water – I'm not drinking this shit!" Mimi called.
"Some food." Roger chimed.
"You have to be more specific Rog, I'm not a physic." Mark told his roommate.
"Canned shit then, it doesn't matter." Roger answered.
"I'll get you soup." Mark said, carrying his bike out of the loft, closing the door behind him.
After Mark stopped at the store, he decided to take a quick peak at the new store down the street from the community center called Shutter Bug. Mark locked his bike up to a nearby telephone pole.
"Welcome to Shutter Bug. Can I help you?" a female voice came from the back of the store.
"Not right now, thanks. I'm just looking." Mark told her.
"My name's Gemma if you have any questions." The girl – Gemma – told Mark.
"Thanks." Mark said, looking at new cameras they had on display. He exited the store and saw that his bike was missing – the chain had been cut through.
"Gemma!" Mark called.
"Yeah?"
"Call the police – my bike was stolen!"
"Hold on, sweetie. Let me come to the front." Gemma told him, coming to the front of the store. She had black curly hair, blue eyes and wore a blue tank top and jean shorts. Around her neck, was a necklace with a bumblebee charm.
"What's your name?" Gemma asked.
"Mark – Mark Cohen."
"Well, Mark. Is your bike registered?"
Mark shook his head as Gemma called the police. She talked for about five minutes before hanging up the phone.
"There's nothing they can do. Will you be okay getting home?" Gemma asked, putting on a worn jean jacket.
"Yeah, I will. Can I use your phone?" Mark asked. Gemma nodded and handed him the store phone. Mark dialed the number for the loft and waited for someone – anyone – to pick up.
"Hello?" Mimi's voice came on the other line.
"Mimi – thank God. Can I talk to Roger?"
"Marky? Are you okay? You sound scared."
"I am. Someone stole my bike."
"Hold on – I'll get Roger." He heard her set the phone down. It was picked up again.
"Mark?" Roger's gruff voice was in his ear.
"Roger – can you come get me? I'm down at Shutter Bug – it's four doors down from the community center."
"Give me a minute and I'll be there. Do you have any money?"
"I have about four dollars, why?"
"Just wondering. Stay there. Mimi and I will be right there."
"It's not like I have anywhere else to go, Rog."
"See you in a few."
Mark hung up the phone and handed it back to Gemma.
"Do you want me to stay with you?" she asked.
Mark nodded.
While they waited, they talked about filming, movies, TV, books, photography and various other things. It turned out they had more in common than they thought. They were now talking about favorites, likes and dislikes. Gemma was a vegetarian (so was Mark), she hated sports (so did Mark) and she loved Indie bands and movies (so did Mark). She liked to watch opera, ballet and plays (Mark didn't so much – he and Maureen had seen La Boheme on Maureen's birthday – Mark ended up falling asleep in the middle of the second act).
Mark wrote down the number for the loft on a napkin as Roger's car pulled in front of the store.
"Call me sometime, okay?" Mark told her. Gemma nodded and watched Mark exit the store.
"You okay, Marky?" Mimi asked as Mark climbed in the backseat of Roger's car.
"I will be – I'm just upset and frustrated right now." Mark answered.
"I'm really sorry that your bike was stolen. Did you call the police?" Roger inquired.
"Gemma did, actually. There's nothing they can do since my bike's not registered." Mark answered. Roger looked at him through the rearview mirror.
"Gemma?" he asked.
"A girl who works at the store. It turns out we have more in common than Maureen and I did." Mark told the two of them.
"Aww – is Marky in love?" Mimi teased.
Mark just stared out the window, refusing to talk to his friends.
As Mark got ready for bed that night, he couldn't stop thinking about Gemma.
The next day, Mark took the bus to Life Support, while Roger and Mimi slept. As he entered the community center, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw Gemma enter the building. Today, she wore a brown shirt with a running horse outlined in gold, jeans and pink flip-flops. Her curly hair was pulled into a ponytail.
"Gemma?" Mark questioned.
"Oh. Hey Mark. What are you doing here?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing."
"I film the meetings/I have HIV." The two of them said together.
"Since when?" they asked in unison.
"I've been filming since 1990. You?"
"I found out I had it in 1987. My mom had it and she passed it to me when I was born."
"Gemma – I'm really sorry." Mark apologized.
"Don't apologize for something you didn't do."
"Sorry."
"Mark!"
The two of them laughed and hugged the other people in Life Support just as Mimi and Roger entered the building.
"Welcome friends." Paul greeted everyone as they sat down in a large circle. "Let's go around and introduce ourselves." He nodded for Gemma to start.
"Gemma."
"Greg."
"Annie."
"Sandra."
"Roger."
"Mimi."
"Collins."
"Meagan."
"Anthony."
"Adam."
"Henry."
"And I'm Paul. Let's begin with you, Gemma. How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling a little better than last time. I got my AZT 'script filled yesterday."
"That's excellent. What about you, Greg?"
"Huh?"
"How are you feeling today?"
"I'm feeling okay."
"Good. Annie? Last meeting you said that your T-Cells were low."
Annie nodded and told the group about her progress. As the group went around and said how they were doing, Mark stood in the corner and filmed everyone and their responses.
"Mark? Why don't you come join us?" Paul suggested, pulling a chair up next to him. Mark turned off his camera and put it in his bag before sitting down next to Paul. Mark didn't talk, he just listened to what everyone else had to say.
When the meeting was over, Mimi, Roger, Mark, Gemma and Collins headed to lunch at the Life Café. As they waited for their drink orders, Mark felt Gemma squeeze his hand then release it.
"So, Mark – I heard that your bike got stolen. I'm so sorry." Carlos, their usual waiter, told Mark.
"Thanks, Carlos." Mark thanked the waiter.
"Is there anything you can do?"
Mark shook his head.
"Let me know if you need another bike – my brother owns a bike shop. Just tell him that Carlos sent you."
"Thanks Carlos."
"Anytime, man."
When lunch was eaten, the group went their separate ways, except for Gemma and Mark. They walked around Central Park, talking and eating ice cream that Mark had got for them.
"Oh, Mark. Mimi told me that your birthday is coming up. What would you like or what do you want to do?" Gemma asked.
"I really don't want to do anything, really." Mark answered.
"That's stupid." Gemma said, taking a lick of her vanilla ice cream.
"Well, you asked me what I wanted to do and I answered." Mark said, licking his chocolate crunch ice cream.
Mark walked Gemma back to her apartment and promised that he would see her again. Gemma kissed Mark's cheek and closed the door behind her.
A week later, it was Mark's birthday. Everyone was invited – Collins, Maureen, Joanne and Gemma were already at the loft, helping Mimi decorate. Roger was getting the cake while Mark was at Shutter Bug (he had gotten a job there, which he was enjoying).
"He's coming! Maureen and Joanne, is the bike almost wrapped?" Mimi inquired. Maureen and Joanne nodded, finishing wrapping the bike that Collins had found in an alleyway. He had painted it blue with Angel's name on the sides in white.
Once the presents were wrapped, the friends hid in various spots as the door slid open and then closed.
"Hello? I'm delivering the cake." Roger announced, setting the cake down on the table.
"Roger, is Mark coming?" Mimi asked, her voice coming from the kitchen.
"Yeah. Why?"
"Hide!" Gemma's voice came from Roger's bedroom. Roger looked for a spot to hide, finally settling for the bathroom. Just as he closed the door, Mark entered the loft, closing the door behind him.
"Sorry, I'm late, some kids wouldn't leave the store…Where is everyone?" Mark asked, looking around the loft.
"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!" Everyone called, coming out of his or her hiding spots.
"Guys!" Mark said, feeling his cheeks turn pink.
"Aww – don't blush, Marky! It's okay!" Maureen chirped.
The gang ate cake and pizza, while drinking beer and listening to random CDs in the CD player. Joanne turned off the CD player and handed Mark a present wrapped in newspaper.
"I ran out of wrapping paper. I'm sorry." Joanne apologized as Mark opened her present. It was a movie that Mark had been wanting for a while and he was glad that Joanne had gotten it for him.
"Thanks, Joanne." Mark thanked her, pulling her into a one-armed hug. He then opened the other's presents before noticing the bike-shaped present in the corner.
"That's from me." Collins spoke up, bringing Mark over to the present.
"Is this what I think it is?" Mark asked, ripping off the wrapping paper. He felt tears in his eyes as he saw the most beautiful bike he had ever laid his eyes on.
"I found it in an alleyway, put a fresh coat of paint on it and painted Angel's name in the side. I knew that you and her had a special relationship." Collins explained.
"This is the most beautiful present anyone has gotten for me. Thank you so much." Mark told his friend, hugging him tightly. He then got on his new bike and rode it around the loft – he was in heaven and nothing could bring him down.
Mark's bad day had turned into a beyond fantastic one – it was one celebrated by his friends and girlfriend (he had asked Gemma out earlier that week and she said yes).