A/N Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. It's amazing how much they help move you along.

Legacy

Chapter 5



"Chelsea Curtis." She spoke into the phone.

"Hey, it's me."

"Hey sweetie. Is everything all right? Did you get Adam okay?"

"Oh, yeah, everything's fine."

"Oh, okay. You just never call me at work so I was worried for a second." She gave a sigh of relief.

"No, everything is fine. I just called to tell you we were at my place."

"Your place? But you never take him there?"

"I know, but I had some work to finish up that I could do here. I just wanted to let you know, in case you called and didn't find us at your apartment." Mark told her.

"Oh."

"Hey, don't sound so worried, there's nothing living in the fridge or under the couch that could bite him."

"I know." She gave a little laugh, but Mark thought it sounded forced. "It's just, oh never mind. You guys have a good time. What's he doing?"

"He's just playing with some stuff. Don't worry, he already finished his homework."

"Oh, good. Okay, well I'm off at seven, so I'll be done in a few hours."

"Good. Come over here. We'll make dinner. Plus I promised him we'd screen his film."

"Film?"

"Yeah." Mark laughed. "It should be interesting. I gave him a bunch of scrape footage. Stuff that had been cut out of other things. He's editing it together. So it'll be a little random, I'm sure. But he's having fun. Plus Maureen's coming over too."

"Okay, I'll see you then."

"Chels are you okay?" Mark asked her. He couldn't get past how odd she sounded.

"Yes. I'm fine. I'll see you soon."

"Okay. Bye." He hung up the phone and turned back toward the kitchen table where Adam was using his old editing machine, splicing random pieces of film together. "How you doing?"

"I'm done!"

"Really?"

"Yup. But it needs music."

"Okay, you pick something off the CD's and I'll put it to music for you."

"Okay. Where are your CD's?"

"In the rack in the other bedroom." Mark pointed at the bedroom door.

"Okay." Adam got up and walked into the room, followed by Mark. "Who's room is this?"

Wow. That's a question that had never come up. Mark wasn't sure how to answer that. Now it wasn't anybody's room. It hadn't been for over two years now. But it was somebody's room. It was Roger's room. And it was Roger and Mimi's before it was just Roger's. It had taken over a year and an argument with Maureen before Mark started using it for anything beyond a shrine as she called it. So what do you call it now?

He realized Adam was still looking at him. Staring at him with those intense green eyes. For some reason that child could almost bore into his soul with those eyes. He was waiting for an answer. "Well." Mark swallowed. Damn it! I thought you were okay with this stuff now Cohen. I thought you had moved on enough.

"You okay Mark?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Then why do you look like you're gonna cry?"

Mark got a small smile. God he liked this kid. He wiped at his eyes real quick. "This was Roger's room. He was my best friend. I just miss him is all."

"Where did he go?"

"He died. About two years ago."

"Oh."

And that was it. No prying. No questions.

"Is it okay if I look at the CD's?"

"Yeah. It's fine. Go ahead." Mark couldn't help but smile. God he was so much like Chelsea. So sweet, and smart. But yet there was something so not Chelsea about him sometimes. He knew at times that other side of him made her a little crazy, but not him. It didn't bother him. Not at all.

"Cool guitars. Can I touch them?"

"Just be careful."

"Why you got two of them?"

"Well, they were Roger's. He was in a band. Actually, your mom used to sing with them sometimes."

"Wow. Mommy said she sang in a band, but I didn't think it was a real band." He laughed.

"Yeah. They were a real band. I've got some footage around here somewhere. One of these days I should dig it out and show it to you."

"Let's do it tonight!"

"Maybe not. I don't know where it even is. It may be at work. I've got a few boxes of film at work."

"Okay." He picked up the acoustic guitar and fingered the strings. "I want to learn to play the guitar. But Mom said I had to take piano now."

"You want to learn some chords? I can teach you some. Roger taught me some. I can actually play some stuff. Not very well, but I know which strings are which. Come on, I'll show you." Mark picked up the fender and flipped on the amp. He sat on the edge of the bed with Adam across from him. "Okay, it's been awhile. Give me a minute to remember a few things." Mark played with the strings for a few minutes while Adam looked around.

Mark had no idea they had been sitting there playing for as long as they were. He had gotten out the sheet music Roger had been using to teach him cords. Roger had started teaching him guitar not long after the three of them had moved into this apartment. He had gotten a new job. One that allowed him to afford luxuries. Like heat. So he was ready to move. They had been sitting on the couch in the loft the day he walked in and had told them he found a new apartment. Roger had just sat there and listened to him. All he said was "oh" then walked off into his and Mimi's room. Mimi had a devastated look on her face. Mark thought she was going to cry. She just looked at him with big sad eyes. "That's great Mark." She told him softly as she got up to follow Roger.

Mark remembered just standing there for a moment. Totally confused. He thought they'd be happy. Actually, he thought they'd be thrilled. Heat. Hot water. No more Benny. He didn't get it. He walked over to the bedroom door. He could hear them talking in hushed tones. He stepped into the doorway. Roger was laying face down on the bed. Mimi was right next to him trying to make him feel better.

"Um, guys?"

"What?" Roger snapped at him.

"Roger!" Mimi scolded him like he was a little kid.

"Sorry. What?" He said again, only marginally nicer.

"God sorry. If I had known moving was such an issue.."

"It's not that Mark." Mimi started. "I mean we're happy for you. That you got that job and all.we just never expected this I guess."

"Oh. But I thought you guys would be thrilled."

"Well you thought wrong!" Roger almost yelled at him before rolling back over away from him.

"Fine! If it's that big a deal fine! I thought you might want to live somewhere with heat for a change! But if you guy really don't want to move out of this dump then fine! I'll save my money and spend it on space heaters and warmer clothes! Gezzz!" Mark spun around and stormed back into this room, slamming the door behind him.

A moment later there was a sheepish knock at his bed room door. "Mark? Can I come in?" Roger asked not waiting for an answer. "Um.I, um.. I'm sorry okay. I, we, well mainly me and then because I thought it Mimi did too, so yeah, mainly me, but we thought you were moving out."

"So did I, but apparently you two would rather freeze here."

"No, that's not what I meant." Roger told him in a voice Mark seldom heard. "I mean we thought just you were moving out."

Mark looked up at him. "You big dummy! You think I'd leave you here?"

"Um, yeah. I guess."

"Oh you are a loser Davis!" Mark told him, laughing at him.

"But Mark, we can't afford a new apartment. Mimi and I can barely afford pills and food."

Mark rolled his eyes at him. "You are so lame! I got a job remember? A good job? I got a new apartment. Don't worry about it."

"I can't let you do that. You can't spend all your money on us. It's not right. It's not fair."

"Will you stop worrying about it. It's okay. It's a nice place."

"I can't let you do that Mark."

"Really Mark. We can't." Mimi said from the doorway.

Mark stood up and looked at her then at Roger. They were being stupid. Well, Roger was being stupid. And prideful. Mimi was just going along with him. "Fine. You want to stay here, and freeze, fine." He told Roger. "But I'm moving. Into my new two bedroom apartment. That has heat. And hot water. And a stove from this decade. And a bathroom that's not skanky. And washing machines in the basement so I don't have to go to the Laundromat!" He saw Mimi start to take interest as he started saying all that stuff. "And if you want to stay here like an idiot Roger because all of a sudden you got too much pride to take any help from me that's fine. But you know what, I'm moving," he walked toward the doorway. Mark gave a last look to Roger before he looked at Mimi. "Yep, I'm moving and I'm taking the TV, the ratty old couch, my dishes and you know what else I'm taking?" He asked him. He could tell Roger was getting mad again.

"Fine take whatever you want!" Roger snapped at him.

"Good I will! I'm taking the table, the coffeemaker, your girlfriend, the silverware, the towels."

"What!" Roger yelled.

Mark looked at Mimi. She had a small grin on her face. She knew what he was doing. "You heard me, the coffeemaker, the towels..."

"The other part Cohen!" Roger yelled at him.

"The part about the silverware?"

Roger just glared at him.

"Or the part about your girlfriend?"

Roger still glared at him.

"Yeah, I'm taking your girlfriend." At that Mark scooped up all one hundred and ten pounds of Mimi and ran into the living room laughing.

Suddenly Roger realized he was kidding. He started laughing and ran after him. Mark ran into Roger's room with a laughing Mimi. Roger lunged at them both, sending all three of them onto his bed. They all laid there laughing for a few minutes.

"You two are crazy!" Mimi told them, getting up off the bed and walking out into the living room.

After a moment Roger spoke. "I hate that you do stuff like this."

"Get over it, it's no big deal. I would be spending the same amount of money on a place whether you moved in or not. Just get over it."

"How can I ever repay you Mark? I can't. I never could."

"I told you, don't worry about it. Besides you're my best friend."

"Yeah, but I want to do something for you."

Mark looked around the room as he thought. "Okay, you want to do something for me, how about this? First you promise to never, ever tickle me ever again."

Roger laughed. "Yeah okay, I promise. What else?"

"You promise to never make me eat your 'famous' Spaghetti - O Surprise ever again. As a matter of fact you promise to never make me eat anything that ends in the word surprise."

"Deal. I hate cooking. I'm no good at it." He grinned that infamous Roger grin, his green eyes sparkling.

"That much is obvious."

"But there has got to be something else. Something big."

Mark's eyes settled on the corner of the room. "Okay. Teach me how to play the guitar."

Roger sat up. "Really? You really want to learn?"

Mark couldn't get over how excited Roger was at this idea. He only sorta wanted to know before, but after this reaction, he really wanted to know. "Yeah. I'll pay the rent and you teach me guitar. Deal?"

"Yeah, deal! Are you sure you don't want anything else?"

"Not unless I can get Mimi out of this deal."

Roger ignored that. "So I never cook again and teach you guitar. I can handle that. Because there is no way you could ever handle Mimi!" Roger laughed, lunging at Mark again. Already forgetting his promise to never tickle Mark again.

"Wow, I didn't know I'd get a concert coming over here."

Mark looked up. Maureen was standing in the bedroom doorway. "Hey. I was just showing him some stuff."

"Hi Mo! Watch this!" Adam started to play something for her.

"You keep playing. I got to help Maureen with something." Mark told him as he got up and walked into the living room with her.

"You're teaching him guitar?" Maureen asked skeptically.

"Well, not for long. As good as he is with music, he'll know more in a few weeks than Roger was ever able to teach me. And it took him over two years to teach me all I know!" Mark laughed. "So what do you need?"

"Oh, yeah. I need a picture. I few pictures maybe. I want to make something for Joanne for Christmas. Maybe something from that first year. I knew you'd have stuff she hadn't seen in a long time."

"Okay, let me get the box. You'll have to go through it though. It's got a lot of pictures in it. I still haven't' organized them."

He got her the box and she started going through them. Every now and then Mark would look at a few and then go do something else. Maureen knew it still hurt him a lot to look at a number of these pictures. She couldn't blame him. After awhile, Adam got tired of playing the guitar and came out to the dining room area.

"You sounded pretty good." Mark told him.

"I had to stop. My fingers hurt."

"You get calluses after awhile and then it doesn't hurt." Mark told him from the kitchen where he was starting to cook some dinner. "Your mom should be home soon. Mo you want to eat with us?"

"Sure. Mark these are a mess. One of these days, we're gonna put them all in order in a couple of books."

"Whatcha doing Mo?"

She looked up at him. He really was a great kid. Sweet, yet he did have a real mischievous side. He loved to tease her. He was fun thought. And so cute. With those intense green eyes. She was really happy he got along so well with Mark. That Mark had someone for his juvenile childish side to relate too. For years that had always been Roger's job. Oh well, at least this time it's an actual eight-year-old instead of an overgrown eight-year- old. "Just looking at pictures." She told him.

He picked one up. "Is that you? Why are you dressed like a big dog?" He laughed.

Maureen looked at the picture. "It's a groundhog and it was a metaphor."

"What's a medapour?"

Mark and Maureen laughed at him. "Never mind." She told him as he started picking through pictures. "Hey here's one of your mom Adam." She held up a picture.

"Really? Let me see?" He came over to her side of the table, accompanied by Mark.

"Uh huh. See. And there's Mark. Look how skinny he was! And that's me." She handed him the picture.

"Wow, I forgot about that." Mark said.

"What were you doing?"

"Racing." Mark laughed. He looked at he picture Adam held. He had Maureen piggyback, Roger had Chelsea on his back and the bass player from the Hungarians had some other girl on his back. Mark remembered that day. They had all gone to hear the guys practice and afterward, gone to the park. Somehow they started screwing around and ended up having piggyback races. Roger kept winning. Even the time he raced with Mark on his back.

"You look funny Mark." Adam told him.

"You think he looks funny in that one, look at this one." Maureen handed him a picture of Mark when he was about ten years old.

"Is that really you?"

Mark looked over his shoulder. "Yes, that's really me." He went back into the kitchen just as Chelsea came in apartment door.

"Hey." She gave Mark a kiss. "Hey kiddo, what are you doing?"

"Hey Mom. Guess what? I made a film. And Mark's teaching me how to play the guitar. And look here's a picture of you."

"Oh great. Can't wait to see that. I probably look terrific."

"Oh please. Your skinny with incredible hair." Maureen told her.

"What are you doing Mo?" She asked, looking at the mess of pictures on the table.

"Looking for some pictures of me and Joanne. For Christmas. Unfortuneately, Mark's got such a mess, it's hard to find anything."

"Mom look here's a picture of Mark when he was a little kid." He held up the photo. "And, hey-here's one of me. I don't remember that."

Chelsea walked over to the table and looked at the picture Adam held. "That's not you Adam. I don't know who that is."

Mark walked over. "Oh god, that's like me and Roger when we were ten. How did those get in there? God I was skinny and geeky looking back then."

"Back then?" Maureen said sarcastically.

Chelsea laughed as Adam took back the picture. "Are you sure? It sure looks like me."

"No it doesn't. I don't think it looks like you at all." She took the picture from him and set them down on the pile. "Show me what you learned on the guitar." She ushered him towards the bedroom.

Mark continued making dinner. "Mo you almost finished, or should we just eat in the living room?" He asked her. When she didn't respond he called to her again. "Mo?"

She jumped a little when she heard Mark call her name. "Um, sorry." She started slapping the pictures back into the box. "I, uh, gotta go. These are fine. I gotta go."

"I thought you were staying for dinner." He asked confused.

"I forgot, I got to do something. I got to go." She finished dropping the rest of the pictures into the box, and grabbed the few she had already set aside. "Tell Chelsea and Adam I said goodbye. I got to go." She grabbed her jacket and purse and almost ran out the door.

Well that was odd Mark thought, but then again, it is Maureen. At times she's just a little odd. He finished cooking dinner as he heard Adam start to show Chelsea what he had already learned on the guitar.





*******



"Maureen he's a big boy. Will you just let him live his life."

"But Pookie! Don't you see it? It's right in front of our faces."

"No it's not." Joanne kept going through her papers."

"Yes it is! It has to be! How can you not see it?"

Joanne slapped down the papers she was reading. "Maybe because I don't want to! Maybe because he doesn't want to! Maybe no one wants to! And you shouldn't either! It's not your place Maureen. Just let it be and stay away from it."

"But what if--"

"No! Just drop it. It's none of your business. Just leave him alone. He's happy. Really, really happy. And I don't' want you screwing with that. Do you understand me? Just leave him alone. Because if you say anything, a lot of people may never be able to forgive you. Including me. Just leave him alone!"