Marc and Mercedes took a break.

Marcy walked up the steps and surveyed the attic. "We need to push all this junk downstairs."

"Marce." Mercedes groaned. "I'm tired."

"You don't think I'm tired?" Marcy raised a brow.

"That's-! That's not what I'm saying. I know you've been busy all day today and you made dinner but we only have one day to do all this. And not even a full day."

Marcy lifted her hand and moved her fingers as she thought. "We can move moving to Saturday and take Friday to go over everything. You can go to bed."

"Yes!" Mercedes fell back.

Marc smirked. "Alright, I need a shower. I'll see you in the morning."

"I made your lunch. I might be gone when you guys get ready so just check the fridge for all your lunches." Marcy told him as he stood.

Marc nodded as he stretched and yawned. "See ya tomorrow."

"Night." His sisters said as he left.

Mercedes rolled onto her stomach and eyed her little sister. "You would have made an amazing mother."

Marcy looked away. "You should go shower, too. Mikey and Q already went to bed."

Mercedes sat up. "Are we never going to talk about it?"

"No." Marcy said immediately.

"But you were going to be a mommy."

"And now I'm not."

Mercedes looked at her, wounded.

"Stop soft-eyeing me."

"You can't hold everything in."

"Have we met?!"

"It's going to kill you." Mercedes didn't take the bait.

"I've seen death."

Mercedes' eyes widened. "When?"

Marcy almost answered before she shook her head. "Go shower."

Mercedes watched her leave, thinking about how her family was so broken. But they had to stick together. It was only them now.

ATU

Marcy went around Mal's room much like her own. She boxed up all his media and clothes, put his shoes in tubs and threw away junk.

They were keeping his lamps and his chairs with her sofa and tables so she dragged the rest of his furniture to the hallway. She broke down his bed, left his desk (there was room for both of their desks in their new room) and chair and stacked his bookcases atop each other.

She put away his sports equipment and musical instruments, she put away all of his wall decorations and his photography gear, she cleared his surfaces per his instructions and she picked up all the satchels and mothballs.

When she was finished, she went to the kitchen to repeat her steps from the day before. She kept all the freezer bags and called for a pantry or church to come pick up the food like she'd done yesterday afternoon.

When she finished, she gathered all of the pictures and put them in boxes with home movies. Other media went in boxes along with a TV. She'd had everything turned off so after she finished here, she would be going to the Fabrays to clean that kitchen before the food spoiled.

She cleaned out the living and dining rooms before tackling the den. Then she did the garage. It was a lot of tools in there because Michael had been a workman.

Her father had had car tools himself so Marcy just boxed them up to take with them. She also set aside a rake, a shovel and a leaf and snow blower from each house.

She'd also boxed up her mother's gardening tools. She set aside their bikes. She called to arrange for their immobile cars to be picked up and transported to a junkyard in Connecticut.

As for their parents' cars, they'd be selling them so she went through Michael's and Jeanette's cars, emptying them of everything but the titles. When she got back to the house, she'd list both cars like she'd done her parents'.

With the garage done, she headed inside to the basement. It was just storage down there so she turned on the light and shifted through things.

They were giving some things to their grandparents and aunts and uncles. After sorting out piles, she went upstairs.

Her siblings walked in the door.

"All you have to do is your rooms and the attic." She said instead of a greeting.

"Did you take your medicine today?" Marc demanded.

Her eyes shifted.

"Go home and take your medicine now!" He pointed out the door.

She shoved hair behind her ear. "I have work to do. I have to do the guest rooms and go over to the Fabrays-"

"I don't care! Go!"

"You are so annoying." She rolled her eyes as she went to pull on her coat.

"I'll go with you." Mal offered, already pulling back on his layers.

"No need-"

"I'm going with you." His tone broke no argument.

She sighed with another eye-roll. Save me from brothers! "Come on here!"

Marc shut the door behind them with a satisfied nod.

ATUish

It was a quiet walk around the corner. Marcy felt alive outside and didn't relish going back inside but this stuff needed to get done.

Mal watched her the whole time, mind whirling. He thought about everything that'd happened in the last month. It was insane but they had to go on somehow.

They made it to the house and went inside. They shed their layers and went to the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of water and her pill bottle.

He watched her as she took the medicine and waited for her to swallow before saying, "I want to try again."

"What?" She took another sip.

"I want to have a baby."

She spit out the water with comically large eyes. "What?!"

"You heard me."

"I obviously didn't hear you right! Dafuq you mean you want a baby?!"

"We had a miscarriage-"

"What did you just say?" She squinted at him.

"We-"

"We didn't have nothing! I! I had a miscarriage!"

"It was my baby, too!"

"Say that when you're lying in bed, bleeding, wondering just what the hell is wrong with your body!"

"That's not fair! That's not fair!"

"Our parents are dead! Our baby is dead! Life's not fair, Mal!"

He massaged his temples. "You shut me out-"

She scoffed with a head toss.

"You shut me out! That shit hurt! We're supposed to be one and you just shut me out of your life! You didn't tell me people were messing with you! You didn't tell me you were missing periods! You didn't tell me anything!"

"So what?!" She yelled.

"You gave me syphilis!"

"You kept kissing me!"

"Because you're mine! You're mine."

She looked away. She couldn't handle her emotions and they wouldn't go away. She put her hands to her face and breathed shallowly.

He went to her and put them forehead to forehead. He clutched her head so she could feel him.

She tried to speak but she couldn't form words. She was just gasping for air.

He blew out slowly, calming her and himself.

Eventually she calmed down, tears in her eyes and voice. "Why did our baby have to die?"

"I don't know, baby but we can do this. We would make the most beautiful baby. He'd be talented and smart and kind. Like his mama. I'm sick of people being taken away from us. I want my baby back."

She nodded, making him move. "I want my baby back."

He lifted his head. "Are you sure? I don't want you backing out later on."

"I want my baby." She stated clearly.

He kissed her. "Come on. Let's go have sex."

"We still have a few days left on our meds. I think it'll stop us from conceiving. We should wait for the new year."

"Marce-" He groaned.

"I'm not backing out, Grape Ape. I just want to have the highest rate of success. We can start on the first."

He sighed. "That's less than two weeks away."

"It's exactly two weeks away."

"Whatever. I'll circle it on my calendar."

"I threw your calendar away and none of us have new ones."

"You're determined to take the romance out of this."

"What romance? We want our baby back. We're getting her back."

"Our child was made with love and so will its siblings."

She rolled her eyes until she heard exactly what he said. "Siblings?"

"This is the start of our family." He made sure she knew.

A large part of her freaked out but a larger part felt warm for the first time in weeks. She wrapped her arms around him. "I love you, Mal."

He was surprised. He knew she'd feel like running but this was unexpected. She rarely said the "L" word and he hadn't heard it since last year when they made love for the first time. "I love you, too Marcy."

ATU

Marc hit the middle of the frame. "You're puttin this up on your own."

Maddie pouted. "Please, Marc."

"Girl, you know I'm just joking."

She ran to give him a hug. "Be nice or I'll tell Marcy."

He shuddered. "Little drill Sergeant would get mad."

He felt something hit his back. "I heard that, lite brite!"

He groaned as he turned around. "You are a drill sergeant!"

"I oughta bust you up." Marcy glared.

"Leave me alone, Lucifer."

"Don't go to sleep." She threatened.

He pouted. "But I love you."

"Uh huh."

"Just go check on Mike them."

She narrowed her gaze at him as she left. He let out a breath of relief as she turned the corner into Mike's room.

Mike looked up. "We're working! I promise!"

"We are." Mercedes pouted.

"Lucille Quinn Fabray." Marcy tapped her foot.

Quinn scowled. "Leave me alone!"

"You have two seconds to fill that box or I'm hanging your newly skinny ass out that window." She pointed to Mike's naked window.

Quinn whimpered. "Marc?!"

Marc came in. "You're not done yet?! Come on, guys!"

"We're moving but Quinn is the one not working." Mike snitched. "She was like this yesterday."

"Lucy!"

"Quinn!" Quinn yelled.

"Get to work, heifa!" Marcy barked uncaringly.

Quinn started crying.

Marc sighed. "Okay, you get a rest-"

"What?!" Marcy was outraged.

"Marce." He communicated with his eyes.

Marcy was not happy and made sure he knew it. He did. She turned to Quinn. "You get three minutes and not a second more. If you haven't packed five boxes by the time I come back, I'm lighting all your shit on fire."

Quinn gulped with a frowned pout.

ATU

"One more day." Marc sighed.

"One more day?" Laura sounded confused.

"Until you come back." He readjusted the phone against his shoulder and ear.

"Oh. Yeah." She yawned.

"Are you tired? We can talk tomorrow."

"It's okay. It's just all the flying lately. We haven't had a break in a while."

"I know. Every morning I have to peel myself out of bed."

There was a smile to her tone. "I bet."

"Did I tell you we pushed everything back a day?"

"What do you mean?"

"We have to clean out our parents rooms and offices and make sure we have everything. Then we have to take stuff to the shipping office to ship things to relatives. It doesn't leave a lot of time."

She sighed. "Who decided?"

"Me and Marcy. She wants everything done but we literally can't do it on top of school and saying goodbye to everyone. She can't do it alone."

"That makes sense."

"She's been doing amazing though. I'm worried about her but she's pushing through. She's got so much stuff done."

"She gave me a detailed list of what she'd done and has left to do. It's why I put her in charge."

"Let's be real. She was always in charge." He smirked as he adjusted his legs on his bed.

She giggled. "Oh my goodness I should not be laughing right now."

"Why not? We deserve to laugh again."

"Yeah. One day. In the distant future. But I meant I should be focused on my exams. I have two left."

"You'll do fine. You're smart as hell."

"Thank you. I just have a lot riding on this. I have to do well."

"You will. I promise. Have I ever let you down?"

"Several times." She answered immediately.

He laughed in the dark. "Well no more!"

She giggled again. "I love you, Marc."

"Love you, too Lady."