1Okay. Well, I think everyone knows by now I've been determined to write an Angel/Collins wedding fic. I did two different versions, one I wrote before "I Do" was posted, and one after, because Operatic wanted me to. But none of them... worked. So after much debate I did this one. This was done before "How Do You Measure?" by Sarah, but she wanted me to post it, so I did (I have to obey my Mommy :D). So... enjoy.

Disclaimer: Roy is my character. But other than that, I don't own RENT.

Angel and Collins are Getting Married

By Donna

"Angel and Collins are getting married," Mimi announced to the group.

Mark, Roger, Maureen, and Joanne blinked. "What?"

Mimi sighed. "Angel and Collins are getting married... or... whatever you call it."

"Oh," Mark said, fiddling with his glasses. "Well, I'm sure when Angel comes out of the hospital we can plan..."

"Mark, no," Mimi said, gazing at the relatively mild October brewing in the window. "They're getting married in the hospital. Collins said some 'anarchist pseudo-priest is doing it. Uhm..." she shifted uncomfortably in her boots. "B-benny's paying for rings and stuff. Angel wanted me to invite you all. But... Joanne... Maureen, please. Don't fight. Just... just don't even look at each other if you really can't stand it. Angel and I... it brings us down and we just don't want that. Roger, don't... don't yell at Benny if he comes. He's just trying to help. And, Mark?" She smiled a little. "Just be yourself. Can you guys do that?"

"We can do that," Joanne said, confidently.

Mimi nodded, walking toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Mark asked.

Mimi smirked. "Bachelorette party."

She left to the streets, aiming for the nearby park, until she heard Maureen. "Hey!" Maureen yelled, "You can't have a party without me!"

Mimi sighed. "Right. C'mon!"

Maureen pointed to the subway. "The hospital's that way."

"I knew that!"

Maureen smirked, yanking on Mimi's arm as she lead her to the subway.

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Collins leaned next to Angel, milking a cup of lukewarm coffee.

"Can I have a sip?" Angel asked, her voice clearly hoarse.

Collins took a sip, shaking his head. "You don't want this. It's burned worse than Roger's. You want any water?" He reached for the cup of ice water that was on the table nearby.

"No way," Angel said, smiling, "It tastes like a cocktail of plastic and toilet water."

"Fine. One sip." Collins looked both ways and gave it to Angel. Angel took the cup and took a quick sip. She swallowed, her eyes widening. She licked her lips and choked a, "W-wow. That... that was burned."

Collins shook his head, stroking her cheek.

"So... tomorrow?" Angel asked, her eyes shining.

"Yep. Tomorrow."

Angel looked both ways. "Tom, I..."

"Hey! You two!" Maureen and Mimi screamed, throwing the door open.

The couple screamed, grabbing each other. "Ah! Oh... hi, Mimi! Hi, Maureen!" Collins held Angel tightly until her heart was back at a stable rate. "Do you two want to get thrown out!"

"Oh! Sorry... sorry! Oops..." Maureen mumbled.

Angel threw her head back dramatically. "I died."

"No!" Mimi screamed, "Don't joke like that!"

Collins shook his head. She was just trying to be funny...

Mimi ran over to Collins and yanked at his arm. "You're leaving now! Come on! Let's go!"

Collins shook his hand easily out of her grasp. "Why?"

"It's bad luck if the groom and bride spend the night before together! Duh!" Maureen yelled. "Move it!" She pulled Collins off the bed. Angel grabbed Collins shirt tail. Collins looked down. His heart melted at the sight of his lover's brown eyes. "What, my Angel?"

"Kiss?"

"Of course." Collins laid a chaste kiss on Angel's chapped lips.

Maureen grabbed, Collins, laying her hand across his broad shoulders. "Come on!"

"Have fun, girls," Collins said, leaving the room.

"We're gonna make you look so good!" Mimi squealed. She threw a bag of nailpolish on the table next to the bed. "We got Raven Red, Dollface Pink, your classic Electric Blue..."

Angel nodded, studying the polishes individually. "The pink's nice."

"Pink it is!" Mimi cheered.

Angel nodded, putting her hand in Mimi's lap. She sat patiently, allowing Mimi to work wonders with her sadly neglected hands. She looked at Maureen, who was playing with a bunch of balloons from Life Support, that the members wrote on. "Hey... Maureen... you don't have to answer this..."

"Answer what?" Maureen asked, her eyes scrutinizing the note that someone left that said "WE HEART Angle-crossed out-Angel!"

"Uhm... you're probably going to hate me for this... but have you ever gotten tested?"

"No."

"Could you do me a favor? Do it. Just... you know... from one who knows."

"Sure. I will, Ang. I don't hate you."

Mimi continued to paint. "I love this color!"

"Me, too," Angel agreed. She struggled holding a cough down. This was her night. No sickness was going to take it away.

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Mark laid on the ratty old couch, playing with his camera. He heard the phone ring. Too lazy and too comfortable to even get up, he let it ring.

"Speeeeeeeeeeeak!"

"Hey, Mark, Roger... it's Collins. Drop your key."

Mark got up and dropped the key. Collins came in, slightly dejected.

"What's wrong?" Mark asked.

"Girls kicked me out," Collins said, laughing weakly.

Mark went back to his camera. "You wanna help me?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Collins said, smiling a genuine smile.

"So... you wanna spend the night?"

"Thanks so much. I don't want to go to our apartment until I can bring Angel there, too. It'd be too lonely."

Mark nodded. "I hear ya."

"Are you gonna film?"

"If you want me to."

"I do. I want the memories."

Mark smiled. "Okay. I'll do my best."

"And don't get shaky, either."

"I promise! Jeez! Groomzilla!"

They sat on the couch, trying to make the situation as normal and possible. This was rather impossible, seeing as though the past nine or ten months the Collins option always came with Angel on the side. And Angel would always make her presence known, even if she didn't mean to, be it an elaborate costume, talking, or tapping a beat. Mark tried not to think about it. This was a wedding. Not a funeral. Not quite yet.

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The next morning, a tall, pale man walked into the hospital. He wore a blue streaked Mohawk, leather jacket, and ripped-up jeans that hugged his toothpick legs. He leaned on the desk, staring at the nurse. "Hi."

"Uhm... hello?" the nurse asked. "May I help you?"

"Yeah. I'm looking for Angel Dumott Schunard's room?"

"Okay... here's a pass... and..."

"Roy!" Collins screamed, running up to his friend and hugging him. "How was the trip from MIT?"

"Like hell," Roy grumbled, "But I'm here and I'm ready!" He waved a manilla folder.

Collins nodded. "Thank you so much for doing this..."

"Anytime," Roy said, "You know me, Tom. I've been doing this since it started."

Enter Roy Foxworth. A professor at MIT and a pastor for homosexual/AIDS patient weddings. He traveled as far as his little Toyota could carry him, preforming ceremonies. Collins always respected the lanky, ambitious teacher, and he could now use it to his advantage.

"You've written all about Angel in your letters!" Roy cheered, "I finally get to meet her!"

"I'm sorry it's under these circumstances," Collins mumbled.

"Nonsense! This is a wedding! It's a happy time!"

Collins nodded. "You're right."

"Now... I'm going to check on the bride."

He walked up to the nurse's desk and got the room. He walked into the private room and knocked on the door.

A small voice said, "Come in."

Roy opened the door and saw a poor boy fall victim to glitter, foundation, a wig, and lipstick. He smiled. "Hello, Ms. Schunard."

Angel smiled, looking at him. "Hi! Uhm... you are..."

"Roy. I'm doing the ceremony, my dear."

"Oh! Thank you..."

Mimi brushed Angel's wig and said, "We're almost done!"

"What do we need?" Angel asked.

Mimi pulled a wreath of roses from a plastic bag and fixed it into the wig. "There!"

"Okay... thank you Maureen... Mimi... can I talk to Roy?"

The girls nodded, leaving. Roy closed the door. "Hey."

Angel sat up, looking rather ravishing for someone in such a state. Roy admired the fire in her eyes and motions. "So, Collins said you are a friend of his."

"Yep."

Angel moved her hand against the sheets. "Come closer."

Roy pulled up a chair and sat on it backwards.

"Have you seen Collins? Is he okay?"

"Yeah. He's fine."

Angel stared at Roy's Mohawk. She extended her hand and touched it. "Wow. How do you do that?"

"I lean over backwards and gel it."

Angel smirked. "So... do you always do these wedding things?"

"Yeah. Collins told me all about you. We were teachers at MIT, you know. I'm still teaching there, but I do ceremonies on the side. Sure, it's not 'legal' and I could get arrested, but it's something I really believe in... I'm not afraid of going to jail."

"Thank you."

"Anytime. Rest up, gorgeous. We're gonna get this started at... oh..." he looked at his watch that said one o'clock. "One thirty."

Angel nodded. "Okay. See ya."

Roy got up, putting the chair back and leaving. He shook his head. He always told himself not to get attached to the "clients", so to speak, but he had to make an exception to his friend's lover. Something inside him sympathized the poor thing, who was evidently ten years younger than Roy or Collins and probably shouldn't be thinking about these life-long commitments for a few years, however long the life should be. He sighed. So much to give... so much being lost. That was just actual reality, for you.

"How is she?" Collins asked, his friends sitting on the chairs surrounding him.

"Fine," Roy said, "The girls made her look gorgeous, Tom."

Collins blushed.

"Anyway," Roy said, we'll have it in half an hour. I made her rest up a little. Let's invite the nurses! I'm sure they need some action... or something."

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A half an hour later, everyone piled into the room. Then came one more person... Benny. In his hands were two velvet boxes. He took in the image of the room. The people sitting in patiently in old, plastic, chairs, an overwhelmed bride, a nervous groom...

"Benny!" Collins yelled, "Thank God you're here!"

Benny calmed Collins down, rubbing his shoulder. "Here. The rings."

Collins took them, his hands shaking. "Thank you so much." He turned to Angel, who was talking to Roy. Collins raised the rings, shaking them. Angel smiled. Roy got up, playing with his hair. "Now... ringbarer?"

"I'll do it," Mark said, passing his camera to Roger.

Benny moved to the door. "See ya."

"Benny," Angel said flatly.

"What?" Benny asked.

"I want Benny to be the ringbarer," Angel said.

"Okay," Collins said, "Benny?"

Benny snatched the rings from Collins' hands. "Okay!"

Mark got back the camera. "Close up on Benny... whom decided to, after a year of neglect, try and help us..."

"Mark," Angel said, "If you're going to do that the whole time I'm going to ask you to leave."

Mark looked up. "I won't. I promise."

Roy looked at a nurse, who was standing in the corner. "Could she stand?"

"She's been in bed for a week... her legs won't be able to take it."

Angel began to stir, trying to kneel up. Collins caught her, holding her up. "Are you okay?" Collins asked, "This doesn't look comfortable.

"Nah, I'm good," Angel said, juggling Collins' arm and the bouquet of flowers Maureen brought over.

"Okay!" Roy said, "As if you can't tell by my hair, I don't do conventional weddings. I just get to the point. So... let's begin. Ladies, gentlemen, dykes, and Angel, we gather here today for the union between these two."

Snickers were heard all around, breaking tension caused by Benny's presence and the fact they were in a hospital.

"Anyway," Roy said, "I must say, of all the couples I've done this for, this has to be one of the most diverse. I mean, you can just feel the fact they're in love. And in most situations, it'd be downright disgusting, but with these two you have to make an exception, because, quite frankly, they deserve it! Collins never went out with people, hell, he didn't even believe in love until Angel came along. And Angel... well... she just had too much love to give and no where to direct it at. So when they met at an alley in Alphabet City, you had to wonder if it would work. And it did.

"I don't marry couples because I want to. I marry them because I think they deserve it. And after spending nights with Collins, drunk, high, bitching and moaning about the world, and spending this short time with Angel, I realized that if I didn't let these two have this I'd be a fucking moron and a fucking asshole. So here we are, boys and girls. The union between Thomas B. Collins and Angel Dumott-Schunard." He turned to his audience. "Anyone have anything to say about these two before they are officially unaccessible to you losers?"

Angel shifted around, losing balance slightly. Collins held her up more.

Mimi said, "Get them married!"

"Benny, come over here," Roy said.

Benny walked over.

"Give them the rings, dammit!"

Benny handed them over, his hands shaking. Angel and Collins took them. They opened them. Angel closed her eyes, smiling.

"Okay," Roy said, "Angel."

Angel looked up.

"Repeat after me, but look at Collins."

"I love you."

"I... I love you."

"I always will."

"I always will."

"And this is a token of my love for you and only you."

"And... this is a token of my love for you and... and only you."

"Put it on!"

"Put it... oh!" Angel put the ring on Collins finger.

"Collins!" Roy said, "Come on! It's time, big boy!"

Collins entirely snapped out of his little world. "Okay."

"I love you."

"I l-love you."

"I always will."

"I-I always... will."

"And this is a token of my love for you and only you."

"And this is a thing for my love for only you."

"Close enough."

Collins put the ring on Angel's finger, letting her lie back on the bed. He kneeled down next to you.

"Now then," Roy said, clasping his hands, "Right now I can say you guys are officially together. But does anyone here, anyone at all, condone this?"

Silence.

"I now pronounce you partners as long as you both shall live. You two may kiss."

Angel's eyes lit up, forcing all of her energy into lifting her head and kissing Collins on the lips. Collins kissed back, savoring the moment.

Everyone applauded and cheered. Roger even found himself wiping a tear from his eyes. Roy was right, Collins never knew of love until he met Angel. And Angel taught him, and everyone else, so much. He looked to Mimi and back to Angel. Maybe someday he would be able to figure it out, too.

Benny smiled in spite of himself. He looked at Roy. Roy said, "If you want, you can go."

Benny nodded. "Congrats," he said, leaving.

Angel broke the kiss and looked at her bouquet. She smirked, tossing it at Roger. It somehow landed in his lap. Everyone laughed.

Roger shook his head, eyeing it.

Collins leaned on Angel's pillow. "How are you, wifey?"

Angel coughed. "I'm sore, I'm sick, but I got you. As far as I'm concerned, I'm the happiest person on the planet right now, next to you."

END