Chapter 71

Mark quietly opened the apartment door and walked in carrying his shoes, tie and jacket. He walked over and flopped onto his bed in the tiny living room.

"Must have been a good party." Roger said from the kitchen.

"Shit Roger! What are you trying to do? Give me a heart attack?"

"Not at all." He grinned. "Just wondering how many Christmas parties get out at 6:30 in the morning?"

"Ha ha. Very funny."

Roger tossed him a bottle of aspirin as he walked over and handed him a mug of juice. "So? Where you been all night?" He grinned.

"Where's Cass?"

"Still asleep. I only got up to get a drink. Where you been?"

"Okay so we went to the party. We had a good time. We came home."

"Right. How good a time Marky?"

Mark sort of grinned as he gave him a sideways look. "Kinda too good a time."

Roger's eyes got wide. "You slept with Jen?"

"Shhh! Don't let Cass hear you."

Roger let out a low laugh. "I can't believe you slept with Jen." He whispered. "How was it?"

"Oh you are such a pig Davis." Mark grinned, but he knew his blushing would give it away. "Just don't say anything to anyone. Even Cass. If anyone finds out, it'll make it weird."

"Okay. I won't. But you better get out of those clothes before Cass wakes up. She'll figure you out in a heartbeat." He grinned. "Besides everyone's coming over around eleven to move everything back upstairs."

"Yeah, you're right." Mark stood up and took off his pants. "So what did you guys do last night?"

Roger got a grin across his face. "You won't believe me if I tell you."

"Now I gotta know." He dropped back down on the twin bed.

"I took her to dinner and to see the tree at Rockefeller Center."

"You?"

"No me and Cass. Then I took her to see St. Patrick's Cathedral, FAO Schwarts and the Christmas windows at all the stores down there."

"I don't believe it." Mark laughed.

"Well it's true." He shrugged. "She never did the New York Christmas thing. I figured she'd like it."

Mark was still a little surprised. "Of course she'd like it. Girls love that kind of stuff. It's you thinking of it that surprises me."

Roger grinned. "Well I did. And all on my own thank you."

"I'm impressed."


"You should be." He told him with the stupid grin still on his face. "Besides I figured she could use some fun. She's been kinda mopey lately. Did you know while I've been working she's been watching old sappy movies with Maureen at night?"

"Yeah, they've been doing that for a couple of weeks. Since Joanne left the last time. They're always sitting around talking and stuff. Which sort of scares me, but another really good reason for you to not mention last night to Cass."

"Yeah, I got it." Roger sipped his juice and looked down. "Is she okay though? I mean she was doing better after the whole thing with Renee's funeral and all that. But now, lately, she's been really bummed out."

"Jen and I were talking about that. She said it's all hormonal. She said when her cousin was pregnant she used to cry at the long distance commercials. I don't know, she hasn't said she was upset, but she just gets weird every now and then."

"Yeah, I guess your right. The books said all that too."

"Just don't tell her she's hormonal. I made that mistake a week ago. She about killed me." Mark laughed.

"Yeah, I can see that." Roger started laughing too. Suddenly he realized he hadn't seen Mark for almost three whole days. "Hey how was your mom's?"

"Eh, survivable. I mean it's not like Hanukkah at the Cohen house is ever all that exciting. Conveniently enough my dad worked Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, so I only had to deal with him at night. Cindy was there Wednesday and Thursday. She's still a pain and her kids are still brats. And my mom is well, still my mom." He rolled his eyes.


"Gee Mark, I'm real sorry we missed all that." He laughed.

"Yeah well, both parental were greatly relieved to be completely 100% assured that I was not the one to have and I quote, knocked up Kate." He laughed.

"So in other words, Cass and I were missed dearly by your parents?"

"As much as me." He laughed. "But it was really cool to hang out with Molly. It's amazing how different it is for her. They treat her totally different than they did me and Cindy." He shook his head.

"Maybe you wore them down." Roger laughed.

"I don't know. But she's got some pretty good stuff in her film class. I ended up watching everything she's done. She might come stay with us for a few days over Christmas break. If she can convince my mom it's safe."

"That's so cool she's doing film stuff." Roger grinned. He was so happy for Mark. "Tell your mom I won't be here if that'll help convince her."

Mark laughed. "Relax, I think it's the idea of the city more than you."

"Whatever." He laughed. "I hope you can work it out."

"Roger?" A very sleepy Cass came to the bedroom door. "What are you doing? What time is it?"

Roger stood up and walked over to her, putting an arm around her waist. "It's early, not even seven yet. I got up to get a drink and ended up talking to Mark. Let's go back to bed, we don't need to get up for almost three more hours."

"Okay." She said sleepily.

"Night Mark." Roger smiled, shaking his head.

He led her back into the bedroom and dropped onto the bed. Cass curled up next to him mumbling something about being cold and was right back asleep. Roger pulled the blankets up over them and wrapped his arms around her, falling back asleep himself.

******************

When Cass went back to sleep she felt Roger's arms around her. His left arm was over her chest, his hand by her ear. When the alarm on his watch went off she bolted up, knocking his arm off her.

"Sorry." He told her turning off his watch and pulling her back down on the bed with him.

"It's okay." She kissed him. "But we need to get up."

"We will."

"Soon Roger." She laughed as he kissed her neck.

"We will, we will." He kept kissing her, running his hand up and down her side.

"Roger," she tried to talk as his lips caught her mouth. "We need to get up. Everyone is going to be here soon."

"Agh!" He rolled back over onto his back. "Okay, okay. But I'm only giving up this easy because tonight we sleep upstairs."

"Whatever it takes." She grinned. "Come on, get up, get dressed. Everyone is going to be here soon and you need to take your pills."

He watched her start digging through the pile of clothes, looking for something to wear.

"What were you and Mark talking about this morning?" She threw him a pair of jeans and a shirt.

"Nothing really." He pulled on his shirt. "He said going to his mom's wasn't as bad as he figured. It was still probably a good thing we didn't got though."

"Probably." She tossed him socks and pulled on a pair herself.

"He said Molly might come stay a few days over her Christmas break. He's real excited about the stuff she's doing in her film class."

"That's great." She pulled on Mark's old sweats and a big shirt.

"Why are you wearing those?"

"Because they are comfortable. And we have a lot to do today. Plus I'm too fat for just about anything else."

"You're not fat." He laughed as he pulled her down next to him. "You're pregnant." He ran his hand over her belly sliding down so he was level with it. "Hello baby, you're making your mother wacky." He said to her stomach as Cass laughed. "Do we find out what it is on Monday?" He asked Cass, still rubbing her stomach.

"We can if we want to know."

"Do you?"

"I don't know, do you?"

"Sort of," he grinned, "I guess I'm kind of curious."

"Well I guess we better find out then." She smiled at him. "But first we need to get up and move back upstairs. To our new apartment. And our new, big room with our own, built in bathroom and walk in closet."

"Not yet working bathroom, but that's okay because when we get upstairs, Mark's room is on the complete other side of the building. He'll never hear us again." He gave her an evil grin.

"You're terrible!"

"And according to Mark, noisy, so we solved that problem." He teased before kissing her quick on the lips and once on the belly. "And your room's in the other corner from us and your uncle Marky!" He hopped up off the bed pulling a laughing Cass with him.

"You're crazy Davis!"

"Yup. Crazy about you!" He kissed her hard. "Come on, we gotta get Mark up and move!"



*****************

"Hey. We brought bagels. Where are the girls?"

"Cass is doing something in the bedroom. Surprise, surprise, Mo and Joanne aren't here yet. And if your sister was in the same shape as Mark, she's either dead or wishing she was." He laughed.

"Ouch. Must have been a good party."

"Or at least a good open bar." Roger joked. "You bring me an egg bagel?" He dug through the bag pulling one out for himself, Mark and Cass. "Babe I'm making you a bagel." He called to her.

"Oh good. I'm hungry. Hi guys."

"Hey Cass. You ready to move?" Collins asked.

Cass gave Roger a glance and they exchanged slight grins. "More than you could ever imagine." She opened up the cupboard. "Here go." She handed Roger a paper cup with a number of pills. "I'm going to finish up in there." She headed back into the bedroom with her bagel.

Roger took the cup and started dumping pills into his hand. Collins just looked at him for a second. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah Rog? Did they like really change your dose or something?"

"Huh?" He looked at his hand and laughed. "No. Actually the doctor lowered my dose from where it was at the clinic. This is all vitamins and crap from the nutritionist. Mark's are almost as bad." He showed them another paper cup with not quite as many pills in it. "Don't laugh." He told Collins. "She plans on dragging you there next."

Just then Mark came out of the bathroom. "Hey Mark! You and Jen have a good time last night?" Jason asked.

"Shhh. Please." He asked, sitting at the counter, resting his head on his arms.

"Oh yeah, you're going to be useful today." Roger laughed setting Mark's bagel, vitamins and juice in front of him.

"Maybe I should go check on Jen." Jason laughed as he walked out of the apartment, leaving the door open.

"That wasn't what I meant!" The shrill voice traveled up the stairs and into the room.

"Oh God. She wants my head to explode. She hates me. She must hate me." He dropped his head down again to laughter from Roger and Collins as Maureen and Joanne walked in.

"Hey! We're here! What's wrong with Marky?"

"Shhh. Hangover. Welcome home Joanne." Collins gave her a hug. "How long are you staying?"

"Three weeks. I don't have to be back in Washington till Monday the 7th."

After a few minutes Cass came out and Jen and Jason returned. Joanne caught them up on everything she had been dong in Washington as they finished off the bagels and coffee Jason had brought from Jen's. They finally started talking things upstairs. With all of them it wouldn't take long to move things. They didn't have much downstairs and everything else was packed in plastic upstairs. Everyone was excited to see the new loft. The front door had been moved to the top of the stairs. The walls were all up the doors hung and the drywall mudded and sanded.

"This place is amazing you guys!" Joanne exclaimed, setting down her box.

"How long till they are completely finished?" Jen asked.

"Well, the appliances are all in and set up, but they need to finish up the kitchen and the two new bathroom. They should be done by Christmas."

"Then they paint?" Jason asked.

"Well, no. They have to start another job, so painting is up to us. And someday we'll get the floors re-done too."

"This place is absolutely huge now." Collins started.

"Jealous?" Maureen teased.

"Actually yes." Collins laughed. " I mean think about it Mo. Since we moved out they've gained fully functioning electricity, heat, hot water, a new kitchen, not to mention doubling the square footage and two additional bathrooms."

Maureen sighed. "I would have given up all that other stuff for my own bathroom when I lived here."

"What makes you think we would have let you have your own bathroom if we had all that when you did live here?" Mark teased.

"Trust me," Roger joked setting down the mattress he and Jason had carried up. "If we had a bathroom back then for her and all her crap, we'd have given it to her."

"Hey!" Maureen protested.

Collins laughed. "Sorry Mo, I got to go with Roger on this one. We would have done just about anything to get you out of there in under an hour."

"That's an understatement." Roger said.

"Pookie tell them I'm not difficult to live with!"

"Um, right." Was all Joanne said as she started unpacking her box.

"Hmp!" Was all Maureen said as she stomped over to the other end of the apartment.

"Can you losers make any more noise?" Ginny laughed, walking into the loft with Leslie.

"Sorry. Did we wake you guys up?" Cass asked.


"No. Don't worry about it."

"Hey you took your last exam didn't you?" Jen asked as she pulled plastic bags off stuff they had left upstairs, sending drywall dust flying.

"Yeah, I did." She smiled, watching Cass and Jen start coughing at the dust. "I graduate next Wednesday and take my nursing boards three weeks later in January. And you shouldn't be breathing all that crap in." She told Cass.

"Yeah, yeah." Cass said as Mark gave her a disapproving look. "Well someplace around here should be a vacuum. Would that be okay Mark?"

Mark picked up the laundry basket of clothes and handed it to her. "Here, put these away instead."

"So what do you do then Ginny?" Joanne asked, pulling more bags open. "I thought Cass said they cleaned all this mess up?"

"I start looking for a job."

Everyone started laughing when they heard the usually very quiet Leslie. "Oh my God. That is about the most beautiful sight in all of New York City."

"What?" Mark asked, confused.

"A washer and dryer inside your own apartment."

Everyone laughed at that. "She's right you know." Collins agreed, still laughing.

"Um," Maureen started, "since we're here all the time anyway, and we're your best friends, we get to do our laundry here too right?"

"Maureen!" Joanne scolded.

"I can't believe she just asked that!" Jason laughed.

"I can." Mark said, not batting an eye. "The thing that surprised me is that she even bothered to ask. I would have expected her to just bring her laundry with her today."

Maureen made a face and stuck out her tongue at Mark to everyone's laughter. "Fine, make fun of me, it that will make you so happy. But in return I should be allowed to do my laundry here!" She sat down in a huff.

"Relax Maureen, you can do your laundry here." Roger told her to the surprise of everyone.

"What?" Mark almost yelled.

"Well yeah, she can do her laundry, as long as she does ours too!" He laughed.

"Oh." Mark laughed. "That explains it."

"I'm confused." Leslie said. "What explains it?"

"It's simple." He laughed harder. "Roger would sell his sole to the devil rather than do his own laundry!" Mark had to stop to catch his breath he was laughing so hard. "And you know, Maureen and the devil are one and the same!"

All four guys started laughing so hard they almost couldn't stand up. Collins had tears in his eyes. Maureen was so mad her face was turning red. Watching them laugh, she got up and stormed out. Even Joanne was laughing.

"Oh very mature you guys!" Cass yelled at them, but they could tell it was directed at Mark. "This is just how I wanted to spend my day." Cass said, heading downstairs where she had heard their apartment door slam. Roger, still laughing, opened his mouth to say something, but one look from Cass shut it.

"Oh good Mark, get me in trouble too!" Roger told him.

"Hey, I didn't tell you to laugh."

"I suppose I should go pacify her ego." Joanne said after a moment, but she hadn't moved.

"I wouldn't worry about it right now." Leslie said looking out the window. "They just left."



****************************

Roger sat on the couch picking out cords on his guitar. Finally he slammed his fingers on the strings, making an angry sound.

Mark looked up from the magazine he wasn't reading. He flipped the pages hard and looked back down. "I said I was sorry."

"I know."

"I wasn't the only one picking on her you know."

"Mark I don't want to talk about it." He leaned back on the couch. "I'm not mad at you. I don't know who I'm mad at. I just want to know where she is."

"Well so do I. Both of them."

Roger got up off the couch and walked to the window, staring out in to the darkness. She'd been gone almost ten hours. He hated that he didn't know where she was. Ever since she got there, since that day when he started talking to her, he had this feeling, this need to protect her. To take care of her. And now he didn't know where she was, what she was doing or if she was okay. He just stood there. Staring into the darkness, his own reflection in the lit loft staring back at him.

After about ten minutes his thoughts were broken by the sound of the door being unlocked. Mark was on his feet and Roger halfway across the loft by the time Cass opened the door all the way. "Where have you been?" He asked her, closing the door behind her. Roger put an arm around her waist, almost as if he had to touch her to believe she was really there.

"Out with Maureen."

Cass leaned against him and he could tell how tired she was. "You're freezing." He told her, trying to warm up her hand as they walked to the couch.

"It's cold out." She sat down on the couch, pulling off her jacket and leaning against Roger as Mark tossed her a blanket.

"Baby are you okay?"

"Yes. No." She looked at Mark. "She was really mad at you. You really upset her."

"I know."

"No, you don't Mark. She's trying really hard and all you do is rip her down."

"What? After all these years he finally starts standing up for himself and stops taking all her crap and that's bad? No way. Maureen deserves everything she gets." Roger told her, surprised at how defensive of Mark he ended up sounding. But it was true. She treated him like crap the whole time they went out. After she dumped him, he still took it. Until recently. He realized how proud he was of Mark for doing that.

"No she doesn't. At least not anymore. You can't sit there and tell me she's not different than she used to be."

"I don't know."

"Yes." Mark said. "She is. I mean I know she's trying to be less of a pain in the ass. And it just got easier to start giving her crap back. I guess the easier it got, the more I sort of enjoyed it."

"Well she didn't. I mean it was one thing coming from Roger, but from you it really upset her. She couldn't take it anymore."

"I never thought about it that way."

"Well there is probably a lot you didn't think about. Or know. Like the fact that she considered you her best friend. Or the fact that one of the biggest reasons Joanne took the Washington DC project was because the two of them were having so many problems."

"I didn't know that." Mark said, looking at the ground. "I guess I better call her and talk to her. Apologize."

"Yeah I guess I should too." Roger said, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her onto his lap.

"Might be a nice idea. And maybe you two could try being a little nicer to her too."

"Yeah, you're right." Mark told her.

"Of course I am." She tried to joke but yawned instead. "I'm so tired, I need to go to bed." Cass stood up. "You going to come keep me warm?"

"Can't turn down an offer like that." He stood up and hugged her from behind.

"Good." She turned and kissed him before stepping towards the old bathroom. "Night Marky." She winked at him. "Love ya." She smiled at him and went into the bathroom. When she came out Roger and Mark had both left the living room. She found Roger lying in bed in their new room. "Hey."


"Hey."

"Did you guys get everything moved?"

"Uh huh. And everything is unpacked and cleaned up. Except your computer stuff."

"Probably a good idea." She smiled, climbing in next to him. "Sorry I took off. I just couldn't let Mo go off like that on her own."

"I'm not mad. I was just worried about you. I didn't know where you were." He wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry Baby." She kissed him. "I should have called you."

"Where did you go anyway?"

"Well, we walked and talked and had coffee and lunch. Then she didn't want to come here or go home so we went to the MOMA. Spent a long time there. Then went to dinner, more coffee and home. God I'm tired. My back hurts and my feet hurt from all that walking."

"Well I can fix that." He said, kissing her and rolling her over, rubbing her back.

"Mph. Thanks Baby."

"Just don't take off on me like that again."

"Okay. You glad we're back up here?"

"Yep. But I'm more glad you're home." He kept rubbing her back for another few minutes. "Cass?" When she didn't answer he knew she was asleep. He laid down next to her, wrapping his arms around her. "Love you Cass." He whispered, kissing her goodnight.