Disclaimer – I own nothing of RENT, except my original characters. The rest belongs to the wonderful Jonathon Larson. 'Nuff said.
Italics are song lyrics, thoughts, flashbacks & memories.
A/N: I had this story idea brewing on the back burner and I decided to give it a try. I will update Derby Dreaming and Across the Universe – just having a bit of writer's block.
Summary: AU: The Rent kids of 2010. You'll meet the Davis' four kids, Mark's twin sons, Angel & Collins' son, Maureen & Joanne's daughters & Benny's daughter & granddaughter. Rated T for safety.
Genre: Romance/Drama
Rating: T
CHAPTER ONE
(chapter title – Introductions)
Clairessa Jane Ericcson-Davis – "Claire" – 25 years old. Looks just like Roger, but acts like April. Is Roger and April's daughter.
INTERESTS: reading, writing, shopping, Facebooking, playing guitar, being with friends & watching movies.
PERSONALITY: quiet, keeps to herself, fun & outgoing (once you get to know her)
Natalie Joy Marquez-Davis – "Nat" – 22 years old. Looks just like Mimi, but acts like Roger.
INTERESTS: shopping, learning new things (currently taking Italian), cooking, boys, talking on the phone, being with people & riding horses.
PERSONALITY: very sweet, loving & easy to get along with.
Jackson Robert Marquez-Davis – "Jack" – 18 years old. Has his father's hair, his mother's eyes & acts like both of them.
INTERESTS: skateboarding, playing the drums, acting, being goofy & hanging out with friends.
PERSONALITY: really sweet, a total goof & down-to-earth.
Ashleigh Rose Marquez-Davis – "Ash" – 17 years old. Looks & acts exactly like Mimi.
INTERESTS: reading, writing, drawing, dancing, singing, sign language, animals, swimming & watching movies.
PERSONALITY: loves to be with people, very sweet, loving, fun & easy to get along with.
Maxwell Edmund Cohen – "Max" – 25 years old. Looks & acts exactly like his father.
INTERESTS: filming, girls, movies, sleeping, eating, horses, anime & learning new things (is taking German).
PERSONALITY: love bug, really sweet, goofy & is very accepting.
Alexander Graham Cohen – "Alex" – 25 years old. Has green-gray eyes, brownish-blond hair & acts like his own person.
INTERESTS: loud music, girls, cars, watching TV, drawing, organic food, cooking & writing songs.
PERSONALITY: keeps to himself & is very shy
Romeo Thomas Schunard-Collins – 18 years old. Looks like Collins, but acts like Angel.
INTERESTS: girls, dogs, people, horses, online poker, cooking, musicals & singing
PERSONALITY: sweet, down-to-earth & very silly (he loves to make people laugh)
Hailey Amanda Johnson-Jefferson – 21 years old. Looks like Maureen, but acts like Joanne.
INTERESTS: hackeysac, rollerblading, watercolor painting, gardening, animals, kids, people, boys, girls (is bi), organic cooking, acting, singing & a damn good speller (won the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., when she was 13 years old).
PERSONALITY: sweet, fun to be around, funny, down-to-earth & can be serious (if she chooses to be).
Kelly Marie Johnson-Jefferson – 22 years old. Looks like Joanne, but acts like Maureen.
INTERESTS: ice dancing, dressage, football, soccer, field hockey, gymnastics, kids, dogs (has a black toy poodle named Shadow), baking, dancing, drawing, movies, reading & organic cooking
PERSONALITY: sweet, easy to get along with, loves everyone & everything and accepts everyone as they are.
Juliet Louise Coffin-Gray – 21 years old. Looks like Benny, but acts like Alison. Has a 2-year-old named Honor.
INTERESTS: movies, horses, organic food, Facebooking, cats, musicals, dancing, being a mom, yoga, Pilates, reading & playing with Honor.
PERSONALITY: sweet, down-to-earth & accepting of everyone.
Honor Elizabeth Coffin-Gray – 2 years old. Has blond hair & gray eyes.
INTERESTS: sleeping, playing, watching Bob the Builder or Playhouse Disney, dressing up, being with people, anything pink or sparkly & playing with her mom.
PERSONALITY: is shy (unless she knows you really well), happy, very sweet & loving.
"Why are we here?" Hailey inquired as the ten of them – them being her family, stood at the cemetery, laying flowers on various graves.
"Because it's Mother's Day – it's the least we can do." Clairessa reasoned, placing two yellow roses on the graves marked April Ericcson and Mimi Marquez-Davis. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the others placing roses on various graves, tears in their eyes.
"Love you, moms." She heard Kelly and Hailey tell the tombstones marked Maureen and Joanne. They had died in a fire not long after the girls left to attend NYU.
Juliet stood over the graves of her parents – Benny and Alison Coffin-Gray, tears in her eyes. They had died a week ago – Benny of a heart attack and Alison was murdered.
"Gwama? Gwanpa?" Honor asked, looking at the tombstones. Juliet nodded and hugged her daughter close.
"Love you dad. Love you mom." Alex and Max Cohen said in unison. Mark and Lillian Cohen were killed in a car accident, that also killed Roger and Mimi Davis.
The others had left, leaving Clairessa alone in the cemetery. She didn't mind, though. She needed some time alone.
"Hi moms." She started, kneeling down in front of April and Mimi's graves. April and Roger were young when they had Claire – only eighteen. When Clairessa was four, April killed herself. "I wanted to wish you guys a happy mother's day – I miss you a lot." Clairessa felt her voice break. "I'm doing well in school, so are Nat, Jack & Ash. I'm keeping them out of trouble, so you don't have to worry about that, dad. Give our love to Aunts Angel, Alison, Maureen, Joanne & Lillian and Uncles Mark, Collins and Benny." She then blew a kiss to each of the graves before hurrying out of the cemetery.
"Hey Claire." Natalie greeted her, standing at the stove. She was preparing dinner for the four of them.
"Hey." Claire greeted her sister, sitting down on the dirt-brown couch and tuned her guitar. She then played Musetta's Waltz in honor of her father. Jack then went to his drum set and joined in. Ashleigh rolled her eyes and buried her nose in a book.
"TURN THAT DOWN!" Natalie called over the racket. Claire and Jack burst out laughing and put their instruments away.
"Thank God!" Ashleigh exclaimed, setting her book down and went to help Natalie in the kitchen.
"Hailey?" Kelly asked.
"Yeah?"
"Do you miss moms as much as I do?"
Hailey nodded, brushing a strand of long brown hair out of her eyes and looked at her sister. Kelly, Maureen and Joanne had been extremely close, so it was hard when both women died in the fire.
"Kelly? Are you okay?" Hailey asked as Kelly sat down next to her.
Kelly nodded, feeling her throat close up. Hailey held her older sister, letting her know that everything was okay.
"Do you want to go to Alex and Max's for dinner?" Hailey asked. Kelly nodded and brushed the tears out of her eyes.
"I can't believe it's been a year since mom and dad were taken from us." Max said, giving the spaghetti one more stir before draining it.
"I know – I miss them a lot." Alex chimed, playing with his camcorder. It was the last present he had received before both his parents had passed.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Alex put his camcorder down and went to answer it, smiling as Hailey and Kelly entered.
Romeo was in his room, staring at the ceiling, thinking about his parents. Just then, the phone rang and Romeo ran to get it, stubbing his toe on something.
"Hello?"
"Romeo? It's Juliet."
"Oh. Hi Juliet – everything okay?"
"Yeah. What about you?"
"I'm just missing my parents."
"I know. I miss mine, too. Want to go out to dinner with Honor and me?"
"Sure. I would like that."
"Great. We'll be there in about five minutes."
"Where are you now?"
"On our way up." Juliet and Honor lived on the bottom floor of the abandoned music-publishing factory, while Romeo, Hailey & Kelly lived on the second level. Max and Alex lived on the third level. The Davis kids took the fourth level, since it was left to them in their father's will.
"Great. I'll see you soon."
He hung up the phone, just as there was a little 'click' on the other line. Now, his day was looking a lot better than that morning.
At the Life, Juliet sat across from him.
"Thanks for having dinner with me, Romeo." Juliet told her friend, taking his hand in hers. Romeo loved the softness of Juliet's skin.
"Ro, Ro." Honor cooed. Romeo smiled and reached out to touch Honor.
"She really likes you." Juliet said, getting out some baby food from her bag, along with a bottle.
"I really like her, too." Romeo told her, kissing Juliet's hand. Juliet drew it away as her eyes turned dark. "Right – I forgot."
Juliet had been raped two years ago, resulting in Honor.
"It's okay. Just don't do it again." Juliet told him. She also didn't like to be touched; she could feel her rapist touching every inch of her skin, making her shiver.
The two of them talked about happier things – musicals, new recipes they were trying, movies and Honor.
When dinner was done and paid for, Romeo walked Juliet back to the building. He smiled as he felt Juliet rest her head on his shoulder. In his mind, he felt bad for her, but he knew that she was able to fend for herself.