Title: Will It Be Me?

Author: Megan Faye

Rated: Teen/R

Disclaimer: I don't own Rent or NBC's Kristin. And yes, I know that Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel aren't sleeping together, and they never have or will. This is fanfiction only!


Kristin rocked the 16-month-old baby in her arms, hoping that Sasha was going to be okay. Maureen had calmed down, was now only seething. When they picked up Kassidy, she was borderline psychotic with rage. She knew someone had hurt her little sister, and that person would be in more trouble than they'd ever known if she ever saw them again.

Maureen was curled up on Mark's bed, staring at Roger's guitar. It was her place to sit and reflect, to remember, and to grieve. One of Angel's wigs was on the dresser next to Mark's old camera. She had Collins' coat in the closet. Joanne's favorite book was on the night stand. It was their space. She went there to feel them.

"Mo?"

"I miss them." Kristin put the toddler into her play yard with the toys they kept for her. She went into the alcove where Maureen lay, curled up, and sat on the bed. "They loved Sasha, and wouldn't have let it get to this."

"Tommy loves Sasha. So do Aldo, Jack, and I. Santa is getting to know her, and Tyrique thinks the world of you and her. I know we're poor stand-ins, but-" Maureen couldn't contain a small laugh.

"Collins and Angel, Aldo and Jack. Roger and Mimi, Tommy and Sasha, Me and Joanne, Me and You. Mark, Tyrique - bicycle and everything. Its like people are replacing them," she laughed, cynically.

"I did not replace Joanne," Kristin said, firmly. "She will always be in your life, Maureen. So will Mark. So will Angel and Collins, Roger and Mimi, and I, Tommy, Aldo, Jack, Santa, and Tyrique."

"I miss them so much, Kristi."

"I've never met them, but you talk about them so much, I feel like I do know them," Kristin said, curling up around Maureen's back. "What's got all this coming out now, Mo?"

"They'll never get married. Mark asked me to marry him once, and I asked Joanne, but they never had that. They never had the excitement of saying 'my fiancee.' And they never will. Every joy in my life will be a reminder that the people I loved will never have that."

"But they will still be here."

"No, Kristin, they aren't. I know you believe that they are watching from above, but I don't feel like they are. And if they are, they would be so sad. Sad that Sasha's life isn't perfect, that it took me ten years to move on, horrified by what happened in this city two years ago."

"Happy that you did move on, happy that Sasha has people who will defend and protect her and the girls, happy that so many people helped each other when it came time. They would be happy that you are in this room, in his bed, sharing the love with me that they gave you." Maureen turned in her arms. "They would be thrilled that you brought laughter into this apartment. Angel would love that you told my mother that there would be no fighting here."

"She would."

"Joanne would love that you sing in the shower." Maureen nodded and sniffled. "Mark would love all the videos you take of the girls at the park. Collins would love how you read to Allie and Kassidy. Roger and Mimi would be proud of you for giving up alcohol."

"Nine months, and not a drop," Maureen sniffled. "My last drink was the night I met you."

"Do you remember what you said to me?"

"I called you 'Betty Bible-Beater,' and almost made you cry."

"And you still won my heart, Mo."

"Aunt Mo-ween?" Allie called from the living room. "Its over." She pointed to the television, where Little Einsteins were talking about art of the day. She scampered in, making her dark curls bounce. Her feety pajamas were a size too big, and the sound they made when she ran made Kristin laugh.

"Hi baby girl."

"Hi." Allison climbed up onto the bed and wedged herself between Kristin and Maureen. "Where is Mama and Tommy?" she asked Kristin

"Busy."

"Oh. Is it 'cause of Daddy?" Kristin looked at Maureen. She heard and understood everything they said in the cab ride from Sasha's place to Kristin and Maureen's.

"Baby girl, its starting to get late. Do you want to sleep here or with us?"

"Here with you."

"I'm going to change Kassidy's diaper and put her to bed before we turn in," Kristin laughed and left the alcove.

"You know how to do that?"

"Of course I know how to change a diaper."

"We've been together for 6 months, and you've never changed a diaper."

"Not when I can avoid it by faking ignorance." She smiled sweetly and picked up the baby. "Hey there, little bit."

Maureen watched Kristin change the baby, talking to her and tickling her ribs to keep her from crying. Allison climbed over her aunt and snuggled in under the blankets. She put her thumb in her mouth and snuggled closer to Maureen.

Kristin emptied the toys from the play yard and put Kassidy in. She sang softly as she turned off most of the lights in the apartment. When Kassidy fussed, Kristin leaned into the play yard and stroked her hair as she sang.

It took nearly an hour to get Kassidy to sleep, but Maureen loved watching Kristin with her. Allie had drifted off in Maureens arms quickly.

"Hey," Maureen whispered when her fiance went back into the alcove.

"Is she-"

"Completely out. Let's go to our room."

"You told her we'd sleep here."

"She kicks." Maureen slipped out of the bed and tucked her neice in carefully before taking Kristin's hand. She pulled her back into the bedroom and kissed her deeply. "Thank you."

"What for?"

"Loving me."


"Move into one of my buildings." Tommy stared out the window into the street below. The officer had been there most of the night, trying to talk to Sasha about moving to a building with better security. She refused. He left around 4:00. An hour later, Tommy was still trying to convince Sasha that the officer was correct.

"I can't-"

"Okay, I understand that you don't want to be completely dependant on me for what you and the girls need. So," he said, taking a deep breath. "My next building will have three floors of apartments for single mothers. The condos sold on every other floor will cover the cost of maintaining low rent. They'll be just as fancy as the rest, so no one will know the difference-"

"I'm not going to run away from him. I'm not a coward."

"Then I'm buying the building and putting in more security."

"Tommy! You're over-reacting."

"I don't want anything to happen to you or the girls, Sasha," he said firmly. "Whatever it take to protect you, I'll do."

"Why?"

"I'm hooked. You're pretty damn special, Sash, and I'm in-love with you. I love you, I love those little girls, and I want.....I need to know you're safe. I love that Kristin and Mo have them safely tucked away right now. I love that Kassie called me Daddy. I love that I get to tuck Allie in at night and read to her. I love holding you at night.

"And I want you to move in with me. I have a big place, the girls will have their own rooms. I want you to move in with me, and share my life. I spend almost every night here, and you spend every weekend at my place. It would make sense for you to live with me," he finished. Sasha tucked herself into his arms. Tommy kissed the top of her head. "Will you move in with me?"

"I just finished unpacking here," she whined.

"I'll have people here tomorrow. By the times you get back from lunch, everything will be packed and loaded into a truck. Except that cirb; that'll take a week to take apart." Sasha laughed. Tomy felt moisture on his shirt and tilted Sasha's head up. "What's going on?"

"Its just a lot to take in." She sniffled as he brushed the tears from her cheeks. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"So....." she said. "You still need to meet my parents."

"I do, don't I."

"We've been together for 3 months, Kassidy has officially decided you are Daddy. Meeting my parents seems like a great idea." Tommy nodded and kissed Sasha. His heart beat hard as he felt her tongue teased his lip.

"I can have people moving you in an hour...."

"I think we'll be slightly preoccupied," she said, pulling him toward the bed.

"More than slightly."


"MOMMY!" Allie screamed at just before 7 in the morning. Kristin fell out of the bed pulled on a bath robe, and dashed into the living room, to Mark's alcove.

"Baby, what's wrong?"

"I want my mommy!" the three-year-old wailed. Kassidy started to cry from the play-yard. Kristin lifted the toddler up and hurried back to the alcove.

"Mommy and Tommy will be here in a couple of hours, Sweetie."

"I want her now!" She reached for Kristin, who sat on the couch with the two crying girls.

"What's wrong, baby?" Maureen asked, rushing into the alcove. Kassidy lunged for her aunt, popped her thumb into her mouth and rested her head on Maureen's shoulder.

"She wants Mommy."

"Ah. Divide and conquer. I'll take care of them if you fix...oh....chocolate chip pancakes?" Allie stopped crying suddenly.

"With whip cream?"

"Of course," Kristin confirmed, heading into the kitchen.

"Now," Maureen said, cuddling Kassidy and Allie on her lap, kissing each one's curly hair. "No more tears?" Allie sniffled. "Chocolate chip pancakes, and a big cup of milk sound pretty great, don't they?" Allie nodded.

"I want Mama."

"Baby, did you have a bad dream?" Allie nodded. "What happened?"

"Daddy wouldn't let Tommy be Mommy's friend."

"Oh, Daddy can't make Tommy stop loving you or Mommy. Tommy is too strong to let Daddy do that," Maureen told her.

"He's super strong."

"Super Tommy."

"If I don't see Daddy anymore, who will be my Daddy?" Allie asked. Maureen set Kassidy down on the couch and lifted Allie up onto her lap.

"You don't need a daddy. You have Mommy, me, Aunt Kristin, Grandma and Grandpa, Tommy, Uncle Aldo, Uncle Jack, and Tyrique."

"And Uncle Mark, and Aunt Angel, and Uncle Collins, and Uncle Roger-" Allison listed.

"And Aunt Mimi."

"And Joanne."

"And Joanne," Maureen echoed. "You have so many people who love you. Some here, and some who watch you and love you from heaven." Allie bit her lip.

"No one is Daddy, though." There was a knock at the door before it opened. "Mommy!" Allie dashed toward the door, and skidded to a stop when a tall black man stepped in. "AUNT MO-WEEN!" she screamed, running back.

"Benny! For the love of Christ! Give me the damn key," she hissed.

"Maureen," he said, politely. "Its good to see you, too." He glanced into the kitchen area when the mixer started. "Hello."

"Kristin, this is Benny. He's the slime-ball landloard."

"Maureen!" Kristin gasped.

"Relax. We have a good 15-year-long loathing for one another," Maureen explained. "He's never forgiven me for getting him into trouble with rich father-in-law. How's Muffy?"

"For the love of- Her name is Allison."

"There is only one Allison in my life," Maureen said, putting Kassidy in her high chair and lifting Allie onto her hip. "And she is my Allison."

"Hi, cutie." Allison hid into Maureen's neck.

"She's shy. What do you want, Benny."

"I think you know. You asked to add someone onto the lease. I want to meet her." Maureen rolled her eyes. "Look, all history aside, I want to make sure we don't have the Bohemian situation that we had in the 90's. I don't want to watch you run another little hospital for AIDS patients here."

"What?" Kristin screeched. "Are you telling me that you are here to make sure I'm not sick?" Benny held up his hand and opened his mouth. "NO!" Kristin spat. Benny closed his mouth. "I am healthy, clean, don't drink, don't do drugs, and do Not answer to a man who cheated on his wife, and constantly hit on Maureen and Joanne. I do not owe you an answer after you tried to evict a man dying of AIDS, or had the cops arrest homeless people for protesting destruction of the only place they could live."

"I see you gave her a history lesson." He cleared his throat. "I don't want to watch Maureen bury another friend. I'm here for her, believe it or not."

"Thanks, but I really don't need you to keep tabs on my love-life," Maureen said, glaring at him. "What my fiance and I do is private." Kristin grinned and padded back into the kitchen.

"Cute. Short, but cute."

"And sassy as hell."

"I don't want to see you hurt anymore, Mo," Benny said, softly. "You, Roger, Collins and Mark were, at one time, my best friends."

"And then you left us for money."

"I tried to help this who neighborhood-"

"By building over a tent city. Not even Tommy Ballintine would have ever done that."

"How would you know? He's not the most...ethical man."

"Tommy is Kristin's boss and Sasha's boyfriend," Maureen informed him.

"Special."

"You have what you came here for. So will you be leaving soon?"

"Subtle."

"Goodbye," she said, pushing him toward the door. She closed it on him and headed back into the kitchen. "Smells fantastic."

"First one is for Little Cuties." She put a plate on the table with half a pancake, and the other half on Kassie's high chair. She kissed Maureen before going back to the kitchen.

"I feel domestic," Maureen said, resting her chin on the half wall that partitioned the kitchen. "Is this what life is going to be like for us?"

"Nope."

"It won't be like this?"

"It'll be better. We'll have these two spend the night and they'll have breakfast with our kids. We'll make pancakes with chocolate chips for the kids, and you and I will have coffee until Tommy and Sasha pick the whole lot up to go to the park for the day." Kristin grinned over her shoulder and flipped another pancake. "The only thing better is me, you, these two, and one or two of our own."

"I love you," Maureen sniffled.