Name :Bri

Title : You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello

Genre : Romance/Drama/Humor

Pairing : Roger and Mimi

Rating : T to be safe.

Summary : REPOST : formally "Snax". What if Mimi was a stowaway by way of Roger's car.

Disclaimers : I own nothing. I rent.

Chapter One : Hideout

Roger Davis arrived at his final destination in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The very place Angel could only dream to go and he was there. He felt empty without his guitar by his side, but he waited until he first saw a used car trade in dealership. He hadn't drove in the longest time, living in the city there wasn't much of a need for a car, it was a nice ride in the vacant highways of America, the mountain plains were beautiful yet bumpy, the sky plentiful of light blue cloudless color making an umbrella of the drive, a lovely relaxing landscape. Turning in made his spot in the rust colored dealership's rock torn parking lot making pop like sounds as he moved into an available parking spot. An older guy with a comb over who was prematurely balding as he was graying walked over to him as he got out of the soon to be sold car, "I got your call, Mr. Davis about the car. It's a beauty."

"Yeah. . What did I have to sign?" Roger asked him once he left the automobile.

He rushes to take his hand and shook it, "I'm Barry. Nice to meet you. .by the way. Let me get that clipboard with the form. .it's right in my office. I'll be right back." He turned around and walked away to the rusty building not that far away. Roger decided to pass the time to remove his stuff from his trunk. He saw a bump in the middle, uncovered it to see a sleeping Mimi. In shock he tapped her arm, and she slowly opened her eyes and started to sit up, smiling "Boo!"

Roger wasn't amused, he was scared. How could she hide out in his trunk like that for days at a time? She could've died was the fact that stood mostly in his head. All the while of this drive he thought she was safe and sound at home in her apartment and not in a trunk, not eating, not drinking not comfortable, but cluttered. How did she do it? He couldn't even look at her for the first few moments, but then he did finally look at her and her smile faded, "Mimi! How? How could you do this. . Just hide in a trunk like that. . Are you okay or something? Do you know how stupid that is? Why, why would you do a stupid thing like that?"

Mimi went from a frowning fading smile to a scowl, she braved two days in a trunk so he can call her stupid? She was clearly hurt, embarrassed she looked down, "Aren't you happy to see me? At all?"

"Not right now, no." He told her sounding convincing and cold with a light shrug, "In fact, I went here to get away from you."

Inside Mimi couldn't breathe, she wanted to cry but she knew it'd make her seem weak. Already, he made her feel reduced to the size of a pea. Seemingly nothing she could say could change what he was feeling right now. She had really screwed up this time, royally and with that thought, letting out a sigh before a pause speaking softly still just as determined as before, "You don't really mean that. . "

He shook his head angrily and exasperated, "Right now I do." He coldly replied adding, "So you know, there's no way in hell, I'm driving all the way back now. What a time we'll have." Rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms.

She hopped out of the trunk taking her slouchy bag over her wrist, attempting to remain in positive thoughts, "I have eight dollars if that gets us anywhere."

"Yeah we'll get everywhere and more with 8 dollars. . " He exclaimed sarcastically, "Great." Trying hard not to yell, biting his lip scuffing his boots on the asphalt.

"I was just trying to help, that's all . . " , she said with her voice slightly breaking.

Just then the car dealer returned with the clipboard and a pen for Roger to sign the form, "I'm back, Mr. Davis. You just sign your name here, and the year of the car and the make or model, if you don't know it leave it blank." He paused as Roger finished that first set of orders, "Fill out anything else you need, like place where you bought the car, that it is not a sedan because it only has two doors per side and that's it - sign once more here, and the rest is for me. Thank-you, it was a pleasure doing business with you." Mimi watched Roger shook hands to finalize the deal with Barry. There was no turning back now, she supposed, Santa Fe was to be their new home. She wondered why out of everywhere in America he'd pick here but it is far from the coast, warm all year around and absolutely no familiar faces except well, herself.

Roger nodded, his hands in his pockets as he began walking away from Mimi barely acknowledging her. Almost like he would have left her there, she didn't see him walking from her. Mimi picked up her pace so she could catch up with him, she wanted to spend time with the only person she had ever cared for more than herself, and it really showed because she was starting to love herself. She put down her needle, and coming here was to be her new start as well, away from the drugs. She loved him and herself enough to quit, for good. She didn't want to go through the pain of rehab, or stay in New York alone where the temptations lurked every which way. He didn't want to be around her right now, she'd done something so stupid as to risk her life to come and see him, when he just wanted time away. He wished he hadn't said that he went there to get away from Mimi, per say but he wanted to make her see his side of the situation; after all he was still hurt. She followed him like a shadow and he could sense her behind him. "Let's go pick up some food from the store," His tone was still harsh and cold towards her, but his paced slowed and soon they were walking side by side as if to say, If I'm going to have to be stranded here with her, I may as well have us somewhat civil.

- x -

Finally, they walked down an aisle stocked with chips, and snacks of all kinds. "Here," He put his hand over hers and then began walking towards the door, leaving a handful of crumpled dollar bills with Mimi, "Buy what you want. I have to get something."

She didn't want his money or charity, but she said nothing. She felt the harshness in each time he spoke, escalating effects of his anger including feet stamping and muttering to himself were evident clues. She knew well what she did was stupid, but he didn't need to remind her, give her the silent treatment and make her feel guilty. She loved him and that was all that mattered, she knew he could find that if he looked deep inside, right now he doesn't see that and it's beyond obvious. She had always looked up to him in the past, he was very independent and Mimi had always been dependant on things, she needed him to depend on as much as she didn't admit it - she was needy. She didn't know where to go without him as they walked to the station. She didn't want to be left alone, she knew if she made a complaint or would breathe a word about it, he'd get angry. She didn't want him any more angrier than he already was, "Okay then, thank-you." she whispered. Closing her hand and eyeing her favorite snack of them all, cheese curls. Sure she liked potato chips but she loved cheese curls, she got two bags of cheese curls and one of potato chips. She didn't want to spend too much of Roger's money, she felt bad even buying three bags. She made her way to the check-out line and paid for her snacks, putting the remaining away for whenever Roger would return after buying his, 'oh so important something', she waited in front of the store once she was rung up and leaned against the brick wall near the exit of the market. She tore open the first bag of cheese curls and popped one in her mouth.

Roger came out of the store with a large guitar in a case in a paper bag, he knew Mimi would ask what's in the bag, so he thought what was the point in hiding the guitar? The bell rang as the door opened and then closed behind him gaining Mimi's attention against the wall as she snacked on cheese curls looking at a trashed news paper that had been by her feet, "Hey. What do you have there?"

He grunted turning around glaring at her, "If you must know. ." he started as he removed the guitar case from the large bag. It may've looked worn but the guitar inside was mint condition as he opened the case and touched the strings that made a light melody-filled hum.

"You must be happy now. It's lovely. "Mimi smiled, "I like musicians too, you know?" touching some familiar looking cords her father used to play when she was young to her to get her to fall asleep.

"What are you humming?" he asked holding the guitar still opened in it's case that Mimi was still touching.

She snapped out of her thoughts quickly and gave Roger a look, as she stopped humming, "A lullaby my dad used to play for me when I was a baby, I still remember it."

"What happened to your dad?"

"He was in an accident, let's just say he didn't make it. Ever since I was on the run until I wound up at the loft." She told him leaning back on the wall crossing her arms with her cheese curls, "I tried to avoid the system."

"I'm sorry. ", he said still short and cross, in actuality he wanted to sound more soft but at the same time he was persistent to continue to harp on his angry demeanor. After all, he knew it was hard to loose someone he loved. He loved April, at least he thought he loved her but he knew he had lost her long before her death. Even before her death he couldn't explain they were loosing each other, but he had always thought of her as his first love. He didn't want to be told the two words he told Mimi, but he truly meant them, he was sorry he had no idea Mimi didn't have anyone in the world that could point her right from wrong, perhaps it's why she lives alone, perhaps he saw the way Mimi was reminded of her dad when they held hands on that cold yet at the same time warm with love Christmas Eve the year before. And it hit him then and there how Mimi needed him, he knew that her father would want someone to care for his daughter because he knows he can't from above, "W-when did it happen?"

"Uh, when I was fifteen. First day of school for my freshman year my dad woke me up to take me to breakfast and take me to school on the Subway. My dad worked with tough and heavy equipment at some type of factory. My mom was a drug addict and who knew where she was. I hadn't seen her since I was three, forever as back as I can remember it was just me and dad. Every day, we'd go get breakfast, we rode the subway which was somehow fun and like usual he walked me to the school. As he left, he gave me a hug and that was the last time I ever saw him. His shift was at nine that morning. I come home to an empty house - as every school day I flipped on the TV to find breaking news about my dads job. . he dropped a piece in one of the machines causing it to break. . He jumped in to retrieve it and it sparked again. . . ". I couldn't work, I was fifteen and not even close to sixteen. So I picked up my things, and ran away."

"I had no idea. . " Roger felt a stab, not a strong one but one that kind of kicked him for being so insensitive.

"Didn't think so. You never even asked. You act like I'm ignorant because I choose to be, it's not that simple. I wasn't taught things for survival and hate being on my own. " she swallowed hard, toughing it out, forcing her self not to blow up over something small he did say that he was sorry he had no idea about her past, "You have it easy, I'll bet. Look, I'm sorry I hid in your trunk. I'm not the only one who had to get out of the city." She whispered in a low tone as she began to walk away from him, "I just needed to. . ."

"It's okay, I've calmed down. Now that you're here - we should really find a place to go." Roger eyed the newspaper hanging out of her purse, "Um. . Maybe there's some ads for near by places. ."

Mimi put the plastic bag around her wrist so she went to her bag to take out the paper, she opened it up and smiled, looking through the paper so he could grab it from her, "We're in luck."

He looked at the ads for awhile until he found one that was walking distance and cheap. He of course wasn't sure how long they were due to be there, but he wanted a place to live, "I found somewhere."