A/N: Okay, here's the end of it! I sort of had to fiddle with it a while, and I'd really appreciate it if you guys let me know what you think. Thank you to all the people who already reviewed it, you guys are awesome! Hope you enjoy.


Ten minutes later, when Mimi reached the building, she was numb, coughing, and shivering uncontrollably. She was gasping for breath, but the freezing cold air filled her throat and seemed to ice it over. She started to reach for her key- which she realized with a sickly feeling she didn't have. All of her things- her coat, her purse, and subsequently, her keys- were back at the club.

She could try getting the attention of another resident, but what were the odds they would help her? How could she even get their attention? Mimi didn't have the energy to yell. Tears rose up, and she sank to the ground, back against the wall. Why couldn't one single go right tonight? Freaking Murphy's law.

A single tear spilled over and slid down Mimi's cheek, tracing out an icy path. Hugging her knees closer to her body, Mimi tried to stop shivering. She couldn't stay out in this cold much longer. Already, her mind was swirling, disconnected, yet still aware of the icy cold penetrating the very core of her being.

Then, the door opened. A swath of light cut through the dark. Mimi squinted, trying to see who it was, but the figure seemed fuzzy around the edges.

A sound reached her- a voice. It seemed so familiar, but maybe she was just imagining what she wanted to hear. Still, the voice seemed good. The person wasn't drunk, wasn't dangerous. That was obvious. She clung to the sound, holding on to the only thing that made sense just then.

"Oh my god, Mimi!"

He said her name. That's when she recognized the person. It was Roger. Mimi sighed. She was with Roger, she was safe. He would take care of her. This was her only thought as Roger lifted her up, carrying her in his arms. All the while he was speaking softly to her.

"It's okay, I'm right here. I'm not leaving. God, what were you doing out there? Oh, Mimi. C'mon, stay with me," he murmured.

A blast of warm air hit her. She was jarred as Roger started climbing the stairs, but he hugged her closer to his body to lessen the jolts. Soon, they had reached his apartment.

The warmth was starting to lessen the pain that had come from the bitter cold, but her body was still racked with shudders and the air seemed thick. Mimi felt claustrophobic, and her breaths were short and shallow. She could dimly recognize the room.

"Where's Mark?" she asked, her words low and run together.

"He's with Collins," Roger answered shortly.

The couch was, once again, covered with junk, much like the rest of the apartment, so Roger brought her over to his room. He lowered her gently onto the bed. Mimi curled up next to the pillow, drawing her knees into her chest. Roger grabbed a thick woolen blanket from the foot of his bed and draped it around her shoulders. He let himself down next to her. Carefully, he pulled her against him and wrapped his arms around her. She rested her head against his chest.

"You're frozen, Meems. Why were you outside? Why aren't you wearing a coat? My God, you scared me. Come here, look at me."

Gently, he tilted her chin so she was looking at him.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

His eyes were deep, warm. He cared. For some reason, this thought only triggered tears.

"Ah, geez. Shh, shh. Don't cry. It's okay. Just relax, you're fine."

He held her closer and rocked back and forth until her sobs subsided.

Mimi turned away, wiping her tears. Subconsciously, she raked her hands through her hair. Her motions became quicker and more frantic until she was practically clawing at her head.

"Hey, hey." Roger caught her hands and enfolded them in his own. "Do you want me to call anyone? Angel…or maybe Maureen?" His tone was unsure and a little awkward.

That was exactly not what she wanted. She took a deep, steadying breath. "No. No. Just stay. Please."

He nodded. "I'm not going anywhere. Do you think maybe you could tell me what happened now?"

Mimi pulled the blanket tighter around her, then leaned back against Roger, closing her eyes. She didn't want to talk about it, but she knew Roger wouldn't let it go if she didn't tell him. Speaking slowly, Mimi began to recount the night's events. "There were these guys- at the club. I got off the stage-I know we're not really supposed to, but it was nothing. When I started to go back, this one grabbed my arm and he didn't let go." She could feel Roger tense up. "He and his buddies were drunk. I mean, it was obvious. I should've been more careful…He-he pulled me onto his lap and they started to mess around. They got a little carried away…and I freaked. I don't know, maybe I overreacted. I ran. I forgot my coat, my purse- everything. I couldn't get in the building. Then you found me. Please, can I just stay here with you for a little while? I can't go back there, not now." She tried to make it seem inconsequential, but she knew he wouldn't be fooled.

Roger's voice was low and serious. "Do you know their names?"

"What? Yeah. Rick. That was the first one's. But…" Her questions were lost and Roger rose from the bed.

Mimi watched him stalk to the living room and pick up the phone. He dialed a number and paced back and forth while it rang, ending up back in the bedroom standing against the doorframe.

Mimi listened to the one-sided conversation.

"Hi. Paul? It's Roger. Yeah, she's here with me. No, man. Well, now she is. Yeah. Listen, is there a guy there, Rick? Of course. Yeah. Him and his pals. What do I want you to do? Ugh…kick him out? Kick his ass? Both, I suppose. I don't know. Thanks…No, not right now, you can't ask that of her. Well, tell him to forget it. A couple of days, at least. Well, just get someone else to do it. Okay. Okay…Bye."

He hung up and walked stiffly over to the bed. He sank down onto it and drew Mimi closer to him with a large sigh.

In a hushed, child's voice, Mimi asked, "What'd he say?"

Roger ran his hands through his hair. "Don't worry. Paul says he'll take care of it. Good guy."

She kept going. "But what did he say that made you go 'tell him to forget it'?"

"Your boss wanted to remind you that you were supposed to work a double shift tomorrow."

"Oh my god, he's right. Hannah's at her sister's wedding and I told her that I'd fill in. I have to-"

"You do not have to do anything, got it? You are going to stay home and I'm going to stay with you and I'll stay with you, and we'll just relax all day. Sound good? Whatever you want to do, we'll do it."

"Anything?" she asked, cautiously hopeful.

"Well, y'know, within reason…"

She pondered this for a few seconds. "So, like, if I ask you to paint my nails and prank call every bar in the city and then reenact the entire Muppets movie for my own amusement, would you do it?"

"I guess…would I even have to play Miss Piggy?"

"Roger! You can't leave out Miss Piggy! She's my favorite…"

"Fine, if all that would make you feel better, then…I'd do it," he consented.

"Wow. I never knew how much you loved me until right now," Mimi teased. She was laughing softly, but the look on Roger's face stopped her.

"I do. Love you. I mean, you know that, right?"

She turned around and looked him straight in the eye. "I know."

"And that I will never let anyone touch you, and that I would rather die than lose you, and that I'm so, so sorry that I let this happen?" he continued.

"What were you supposed to do? Have one of those Spidey sense moments and come and beat those guys up?"

He let out a tired laugh. "That would have been great."

"Roger, listen to me. I'm a big girl. I can take of myself. I'm not some damsel in distress, got it? And I don't need you to be my knight in shining armor. I don't keep you around for protection. I keep you around because I love you," she murmured.

He leaned in and kissed her softly on the forehead. "I guess I still like to play the knight."

Mimi smiled and nestled against his chest with a yawn. "I know. I think I'd like to go to bed now."

"Good idea."

Roger stretched out on the bed. Mimi resumed her curled-up position to the left of him. He watched the rise and fall of her chest until she drifted asleep, only a few minutes later. She was as beautiful asleep as awake, but tonight, her features were drawn together ever so slightly. She looked almost troubled. Roger let out a deep breath and thought about what Mimi had said.

She had said that she could take care of herself, that she didn't need him to protect her. But he wasn't so sure. Mimi was streetwise, and she was tough as nails, but what were her chances against some creep with a knife lurking in a dark alley, or a drunk brute at the club? He didn't want to protect her, he needed to protect her. He couldn't help but feel that she wasn't safe unless he saw it with his own eyes, no matter what she insisted. After what just happened, how could he let her go back to the club and be subjected to all the possible Ricks of the world? He resolved then and there that whenever he possibly could, he would be at the club during Mimi's shifts. He couldn't risk ever letting something happen to the girl he loved so much.

Roger draped an arm around Mimi's waist and gently brought her closer to him until she was almost cocooned in his body. He kissed the back of her neck gently and played with a strand of her hair. It was hours before he fell asleep, and his arm was still wrapped around Mimi's waist, as if shielding her from any troubles that might come during the night and warding off bad dreams. It was a strange, dangerous world out there, but at least he knew, right then, that Mimi was safe.

As for Mimi, she just breathed deep, breathed slow, and laid in the arms of her lover, her best friend, her refuge and shelter, and yes, her knight.


A/N: Hmm, did you get the reference at the end? About her breathing and all that...I tried to include that theme throughout the story, but I don't know...Well, thanks for reading, reviews are great!