A/N I just want to thank everyone that has reviewed this story for me. Both the new people and the ones that have hung on from the beginning. It really means a lot to me, especially when people tell me they have read the whole thing in about two days! It really helps keep me typing. Thank you all.

Chapter 24



"Well," Collins began, "considering you're already here and all, why don't we go inside?"

"How did I know that was coming?" Roger grumbled.

"Relax, would you?" Jason said to him. "Do you want some coffee?"

"No."

"Hey Roger!" A voice called from across the room. "How you doing? It's good to see you back here."

"Hey Andrew." Roger said.

"So, you still playing? Got a band now?"

"Yeah, house band at the Iguana. We, well they're okay."

"They suck with the exception of Roger. And sometimes Izzy. Depending on his mood." Jason added.

"Yeah well, they have their moments I guess." Roger said. "You playing anywhere?"

"Me? No. Not really. No real time for real music. I'm working here full time now. Which is pretty cool. Get this though, I'm a back up drummer for a couple of wedding bands."

"Please tell me you're kidding?" Roger almost grinned. "That's like sacrilege to rock and roll. How can you do that?"

Andrew shrugged. "It's that or don't play at all pretty much. I mean stuff like that's booked out far enough that I can schedule around when somebody needs me to fill in. But you're right. It is pretty pathetic at times." He laughed.

"What do you mean? I'm Jason by the way."

"Oh I'm sorry," Collins apologized. "Andrews been around for so long I thought you two had met. Andrew and Roger used to play together."

"Well, sort of," Andrew explained. "More like jammed. We were never actually in a real band together. But as far as the pathetic part, just picture tux pants, gold vest, and anything considered decent music being massacred and slowed down so your grandmother can dance to it."

"Please, don't tell me anymore. I just ate." Roger laughed.

"Yeah well, the only thing that ever gets worse than that," he grinned, "is when the drunk cousin or whoever decides that they have to do a number to let the lucky couple know how much they care. That's usually the most painful part." Andrew shook his head.

"I can't hear anymore. Please." Roger begged.

"Yeah, I gotta go back to work anyway. Look, if you guys need a drummer anytime, give me a call. Or if you just want to jam. It's great to see you again Roger. I'm glad you came back around. Collins." Andrew nodded to him. "Nice to meet you Jason. See you guys inside."

"Yeah, I'll call you." Roger said.

"Good to see you Andrew." Collins said as Andrew left. "Well, lets go sit down." Collins took a step forward and turned to look at Roger. Roger just stood there for a second. Collins could see the concern on his face as he looked towards Elizabeth's office. "Relax. She's gonna be fine. This is the best thing we could possible do for her." Collins said softly. Roger looked towards Elizabeth's office again, before slowly nodding and following Collins into the other room.



*******





In the darkness of the movie theater, Mark fidgeted in his seat between Maureen and Jen. He hit the button on his watch to illuminate the time.

Joanne leaned over to Maureen and whispered to her. "Tell him if he looks at that watch one more time, I'm going to break his little film making fingers!"

Maureen giggled. "Marky, Joanne said--"

"I heard her. Sorry."

"Relax Mark. It will be okay. If he wanted you to go, he would have told you. It's just something he had to do on his own." Jen whispered to him.

"They're fine Marky." Maureen whispered to him.

"I know." Without even thinking about it Mark reached for the button to light up his watch.

Maureen reached over and took Mark's left hand in hers so he couldn't play with his watch. "Really Marky, they're fine." She squeezed his hand. "And the movie's almost over." She smiled at him.

Maureen's right Mark thought. They're fine. Roger would never let anything happen to Cass. And Collins would never let anything happen to Roger. And maybe Jen was right, maybe this was just something Roger had to do on his own.

You can't take care of him forever Mark. Roger doesn't want you to take care of him. Sort of. Roger doesn't want to take care of himself thought either. At least he didn't a week ago. Who knows this week. Things seem to change quickly around here lately.

Maureen gave him another squeeze and a smile. Speaking of things changing. He and Maureen have come a long way over the years. He's gone from worshipping her, to hating her, to hating her while worshipping her to the point they are at now. Where they are now. Where are they now? In a very strange place, sort of. They are friends. Actually really good friends. Maureen is one of his best friends. Just like Cass, Roger and Collins. But sort of different. Sort of. Maybe more.

The movie ended and the four of them left the theatre and headed to a coffee shop. "Mark either drink the coffee or throw it out, but quit playing with it." Jen told him.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"So Mark, how did you like the movie?" Maureen asked him.

"It was okay. Pretty good I guess."

The girls talked about the movie while Mark played with his coffee, checked his watch and scrolled through options on his new phone.

Maureen winked at Jen. "So Marky, how did you like the part about the daughter and the cousin? Probably filled with film making symbolism and stuff huh?"

"Yeah, I guess." He kept playing with the phone.

"Mark that didn't even happen! You're not paying attention at all. He'll call you either when he's ready or when he needs you." She told him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You're right, I'm not paying attention." He shook his head as if to clear it. "It's just well, how do I even know if this thing is even working?" He asked holding up the phone. Just as he picked it up, it rang.



*********





"They've been in there for over two hours."

"Roger they've probably got a lot to talk about." Collins told him. "Will you just--"

"Don't tell me to relax Collins!"

"I was going to say go have a cigarette or something."

"Yeah fine. I think I will. Stay here. Just in case." Roger ordered them before walking out the front door to the sidewalk.

"Were you really going to tell him to have a cigarette?" Jason asked him.

"No." Collins sighed. "I was gong to tell him to relax. For all the good it would have done."

"Well think of it this way, we may have Roger, but we left the girls alone with Mark." Jason laughed slightly. "And you can just imagine the state he probably worked himself into at this point, not hearing from us."

"Yes," Collins agreed. "I can imagine."

"Hey guys. How's Roger doing?" Andrew asked as he walked into the entry hall they were sitting in.

"Well," Collins said. "You know Roger."

"Yeah, I do." Andrew said sadly. "So how long has he been seeing this girl?"

"Uh, what girl? What do you mean?" Jason asked, regretting he opened his mouth as the words left it and he heard, again, how badly he lied.

"Relax. I saw you come in with her and talk to Elizabeth. Plus, I work here remember? I know what Elizabeth does here."

"Sorry, I forgot." Jason apologized but decided to stop speaking there before he got himself in trouble.

"Actually, he only met her for the first time last weekend. She's actually a very good friend of his roommate's, Mark Cohen."

"Blonde guy with the camera?" Collins nodded and Andrew continued. "Yeah, I remember him. Nice guy. So is she an old friend, or old girlfriend?"

"Little of both, mainly the first for the last number of years now. But she and Roger seemed to hit it off very well. They seem to have a lot in common."

Andrew was nodding. "Good. I'm glad for him. Hard to believe thought."

"What is?" Jason asked.

"Nothing really I guess. It's just Roger's so, well, Roger." He shrugged. "Most people go through their whole lives hoping to meet someone they, as you said, have that much in common with. And for somebody as complicated as Roger, well you would imagine that could be sort of hard. But Roger manages it not once, but twice."

"Yes, I know what you mean." Collins said looking at Jason. "I know exactly what you mean."

With that Roger walked back into the room. "Are they done yet?"

Collins was about to answer him when the door to Elizabeth's office opened and she and Cass walked out.

"Okay Cass, I'll talk to you Monday then. Hey guys. Hey Andrew, when you get a minute I need you to look at a grant proposal for me."

"Yeah no problem Elizabeth."

"Okay." She looked at her watch. "Oh, I have got to call my husband. Have a good week guys. It's good seeing you again Roger. You should come by more often." She smiled at him. "Maybe I'll see you Monday? I have to go though. Bye Cass."

"Bye. Thanks." She said softly as Roger stepped up next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist.



*****



"Hello?" Mark yelled into the phone.

"It's me. We're leaving now." Roger said as he lit two cigarettes and handed one to Cass.

"What happened? Is she okay? What did she say? Are you going home? Is she saying anything? What's she doing? Are you okay? Did you stay the whole time?" He would have climbed through the phone if he could.

"Mark chill." Roger could hear the girls telling Mark to slow down and how could he ever answer all that.

"Sorry. So?"

"Yes." Roger answered.

"Yes what? She's okay? What? You're going home? What?"

"Uh huh."

"Oh is this one of those you don't want to talk right now conversations?"

"Yes it is." Roger told him as he dragged on the cigarette.

"Oh. Right got it." Mark was actually relieved by that answer.

"So she's okay though right?"

"Yeah. We're going home now."

"Okay. What do you want me to do? Go home or wait awhile?"

"No, it's okay. Finish up what you're doing. Jason and Collins are going home anyway." Roger told him.

"Got it. I'll wait. I'll walk Jen home and hand out there for awhile."

"Yeah. Sounds good. Bye." Roger hung up the blue cell phone and put it in his pocket. He still had his arm around Cass' waist.

"Okay. Well, we'll talk to you guys tomorrow." Collins, who had been listening to the conversation and knew they were not supposed to continue to the loft, told them.

"Yeah. See ya." Roger told him as they started to walk down the street the couple of blocks to the loft. After walking almost a block in silence Roger finally spoke. "Are you okay Cass?" He asked her quietly.

"Yes." She answered, louder than a whisper, but not much.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

It took her a minute to answer him. "Not right now. Maybe later."

"What do you want to do?"

"Just go home. Can we just walk home? It's so nice out. Finally not hot out. Can we just walk home?"

"Whatever you want Cass. Whatever you want." He told her as he held her close to him as they walked the rest of the way home in silence.



*******



Roger opened the door to the loft and let Cass in as he flipped on the light. "Well at least it's not as hot in here for a change. Do you want to go to bed or stay up and talk?"

"I don't know. I'm gonna change clothes. Why don't we just lie down."

"Okay. I'm gonna turn the AC on though. It gets warm in there with all three of us sleeping in there."

"Just not as cold as last night."

"Whatever you want Cass."

After Roger turned on the AC then he went to his room and stripped down to his boxers and a tee shirt. When he walked back out Cass was standing in the living room holding her cigarette and the ashtray. "You okay? He asked her.

"Um, yes. I'm not really all that tired I guess. I mean I wouldn't mind sitting in bed and talking and having a few cigarettes," she paused and looked at Mark's door, "but smoking in Mark's room is probably not the best idea."

"Yeah, he'll kill us if we smoke in there. It's not that hot in my room with the windows open. We can sleep in there tonight if you want."

"Okay." She said softly.

Roger went into Mark's room and got some of the pillows off the bed. When he walked into his room Cass was sitting on his bed leaning against the wall with her knees up under her chin. Roger stopped when he saw her sitting there. For a moment he felt so guilty. Like he was cheating on Mimi.

They called the other room Mimi's room. But Mime never slept in there. She slept in here. She kept her stuff in there. That room had a closet. This one didn't. That room was bigger but hotter. This room was smaller, but got more air. This one had two windows on the front and one on the side. That room only had two windows, which got little air because of the building next door. That room has Mimi's stuff. But this room, this room had Mimi.

But not any more. Not in what seemed like a long time. A very long time. And now Cass was sitting there, in his room, in his bed. Where Mimi used to sit, and wait for him to come to bed.

Roger hadn't slept as well as he did when Mimi was there. Ever. Even when he was with April he hadn't slept as well as he did with Mimi. Except for last night he thought. Roger used to sleep here every night with his arms wrapped around Mimi. If he closed his eyes he could still smell her, fell her against him. Feel her skin against his. God he missed her. He hadn't felt that in so long. Except for last night. Last night with Cass.

He felt the guilt turning and churning around in his stomach. God Mimi I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please forgive me Mimi, I'm so sorry for, for, for what? Moving on? Living his life again? Doing exactly what she would want him to do? And with her? When she needed him so much? Or was it him that needed her so much?

Cass looked up at him in the doorway. Standing there staring at her. Staring at her, the bed, the room. It was like the thoughts in his head were being projected onto his face. She knew what was going on in his mind. "Roger," she said gently, "we don't have to sleep in here. I don't need a cigarette. We can sleep in Mark's room. I, I can sleep in Mark's room. It's okay. Really."

Roger shook his head. "No. No, it's okay." It came out as a hoarse whisper. "I don't mind. I want to. I think I kinda need to. Please Cass. If I don't now, I don't think I'll ever be able to. Do you understand?"

Cass nodded as she lit two cigarettes and held one out for him. Roger turned off the light and sat down on the bed next to Cass. He took the cigarette from her and leaned against the wall in the dark. The moonlight coming in the window and the cigarettes glowing as they sat there. After a minute Roger slid down on his back and looked at the ceiling. He lay there on his back, finishing his cigarette. "I'm glad you're here Cass." He took a last drag and put out the cigarette. Cass had slid down into the bed some and had her head against the wall. Roger rolled onto his side and put his arm across her. "Really glad. I wish it was for a different reason, but I'm real glad you're here."

Cass put out her cigarette and moved the ashtray to the floor. She laid the rest of the way down in the bed next to him. "I wish I came here for different reasons too Roger, but no matter why I came here, I'm glad I did." She let him tighten his arms around her as they fell asleep like that.