CHAPTER 22

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, as always. Just a note now, there's going to be some pretty emotional scenes coming up towards the end of this chapter and in the future chapters. These scenes will show a more in depth side to all of the characters, and a lot of things will be brought out into the open from the past, especially, but not only, in Roger's case.

It gets intense at the end of this chapter, so I'm just putting a warning up. The rating will still remain PG-13, but it is intense.

Stick with me, and you'll see how everything plays out. And once again, thanks for the reviews.

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Roger groggily reached over to answer the phone. He coughed and sneezed a few times before he picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey man." Joey's voice came over the line.

Roger coughed again. "Hey. What's going on? What time is it?"

"Six thirty. You okay?"

He covered the receiver of the phone and coughed, more violently this time. "Yeah I'm fine. I'm sort of getting over the flu still. Why the fuck are you calling me this early? I didn't get home until two am last night."

"Sorry. Look, can I come up and stay with you for a few days? I got to go back to college in two weeks anyway. Winter breaks up then."

"Yeah sure. Whatever you want, just bring extra blankets and layers. We're having a problem with our heat."

"Thanks."

"What's going on that you don't want to stay with mom and Jerry?" Roger coughed. This time he had a harder time catching his breath.

"Heather came home last night from Italy with her fucking boyfriend. Just a bunch of bullshit and I got into it with her over something. And oh yeah, she's a bitch?"

Roger sighed at the mention of his nineteen year old sister. "Yeah. I know how she is. But whatever. How are you getting here?"

"I'm driving in."

"See ya in a few."

"Bye."

Roger yawned and hung the phone up. He grabbed two of the Tylenol Flu pills and downed them with the leftover water from the night before. He was actually feeling a whole hell of a lot better than he had been a few days before, but he couldn't seem to get rid of that damn cough. He tried to fall back asleep, but no matter what position he tried to get himself in, he couldn't get comfortable. It was then that he realized that Jen wasn't sleeping next to him, which meant she probably hadn't even come to bed last night.

He pulled on a long sleeve black CBGB's shirt over his tshirt and sweatpants and headed out into the living room. Jen was still sitting up on the couch, although her head had fallen back and was resting on one of the pillows. Her laptop was still on, and the mouse cursor was blinking over her email inbox. He gently ran his fingers up and down her arm and shook her gently.

"Jen. Baby wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him. "Why are you up? What time is it? Go back to sleep," she yawned, closing her eyes again.

"You fell asleep on the couch. And I can't fall back asleep anyway."

"Shit, again? I told myself that I would only rest for a few minutes." Jen turned off her laptop and unplugged it.

"Yeah, I tell myself that all the time when I stay up late trying to write lyrics. It never works." Roger kissed her and pulled her up off the couch. "What are we doing with Abby tonight for the gig?"

Jen rested her head against his chest and shrugged. "Maureen said she wasn't feeling good, so I doubt she's going tonight to the gig. But she did say that if I needed someone to watch her, she'd be willing to. Plus there's like four other gigs you're playing this week."

Roger nodded. That was true, this week was definitely a whole lineup of gigs for different bands across the city. It was supposed to be a definite battle of the bands, and a lot of record scouts were coming out and watching. He knew that everyone was at least trying to come out to one show that didn't conflict with their schedules.

"Yeah that's fine."

"How do you feel?" Jen asked him. "Your eyes look a little red."

"Better. He kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry. I feel a lot better."

"Okay," she replied hesitantly. "But really, if you don't feel good after that gig tonight, I want you to go to the doctor tomorrow and get checked out again."

"Alright. I promise. If it makes you feel better."

"It will."

Jen walked into the kitchen and started the coffee up. "Did Mark come home last night?"

Roger shrugged. "I don't keep track of him."

"That's such a nice thing to say. Just drips sarcasm," she laughed.

He just grinned. "I think he might have stayed at Mo's last night. And no, I don't know what they were doing. I don't keep track of his sex life either. So if he wants to get a hummer from her in the supply closet, I don't need to know about it."

Jen coughed on the water she had just took a sip of. "Roger! Jesus Christ. What the hell's with you this morning?" she laughed.

"Must be the cold medicine."

"Just do me a favor and don't say that to Mark. Don't embarrass him."

"I won't. Like I said, I don't need to know about his sex life," Roger pointed out.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" She walked over and felt his forehead. "You don't have a fever."

"I said I feel better."

Jen poured the coffee and handed him a mug. "If you say so."

"You know what I really want?"

She sat down on his lap. "No, I don't know what you really want."

"I want jello and whipped cream. You know, the jello you make over the stove? The cherry kind? I haven't had that since I was like, fifteen or something," he laughed. "Please baby?"

"Please baby what?" Jen asked him. "You really think I want to make you jello?"

"Well you could wear the leftovers for me if you want. Plus the whipped cream too. We'd have a damn good time tonight after the gig."

"You get to wear the chocolate syrup then," Jen added. "On one condition."

He grinned. "And what's that?"

"I get to do whatever I want to do to you tonight," she winked.

"I'm in."

"Mommy, you're making sundaes? Can I have one with chocolate syrup and whipped cream!" Abby had walked into the kitchen just then, rubbing her eyes. "And with strawberries!"

"Uh," Jen laughed. "Sweetie I'm not making ice cream sundaes."

"Then how come you told daddy you wanted him to wear the chocolate syrup? And how come he told you to wear whipped cream?" she asked curiously.

Roger's mouth dropped open and he started laughing. "Abby, we're not wearing any of that."

"Well that's what you said and I thought you couldn't wear all that stuff. I thought it was just for eating and it tastes really good!"

Mark walked in the loft and closed the door behind him. He kicked off his shoes and took of his coat as he walked into the kitchen. "Morning family."

"Hey," Roger greeted him. "Good time in the supply closet last night?"

Jen smacked his arm and shot him a look. "Hey Mark."

Mark just started at the both of them, puzzled. "What about a supply closet?"

Abby started tugging on Mark's sweater. "Uncle Mark, Daddy said he wanted Mommy to wear whipped cream, and Mommy told Daddy that she wants him to wear chocolate syrup. Can you do that? Is that allowed?"

Mark stared again at Roger and Jen. "Well technically, you're not supposed to wear that stuff. And I don't think they really meant it. They were just joking," he told the toddler.

"Oh. Okay." Abby walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.

Jen was laughing so hard she was wiping the tears out of her eyes. "Uncle Mark saves the day."

Mark shook his head and started drinking out of her coffee cup. "You know, I normally don't ask what gets you two off, but I think you need to stop talking about your sex lives in front of your own kid. Especially when it involves food that enhances the sexual experience."

"Enhances the sexual experience? What the fuck?" Roger asked him. "Christ Mark, what are you doing lately? Reading Collins' philosophy books?"

"So how's Maureen feeling?" Jen asked him.

"She's okay. Last night was really rough, but she said this morning she felt a lot better. She's going to her OB next week to check a few things out. Make sure everything's okay," Mark answered her.

"Yeah. That's good."

Roger finished off his coffee and placed the mug back on the counter. "Before I forget, Joey called me this morning and asked me if it would be okay for him to stay here for a few days."

Mark shrugged. "I don't care."

"Good, because I wasn't planning on asking you anyway and he's probably already on his way here."

"Fucker," Mark laughed, shoving Roger in his good shoulder.

"Oh Mark, I love you," Roger said, batting his eyelashes. "Give me a kiss." He stood up and wrapped his arms around Mark's head and put him into a headlock. He planted a sloppy kiss on Mark's cheek and laughed.

"Ew. Screw you." Mark wiped his cheek and smiled. "Dick."

"Kids, cut it out."

"You want a kiss too?" Roger asked Jen.

Jen shook her head and ran out of the kitchen, Roger dashing behind her. She leaped over the couch. Abby just blinked as Roger followed Jen, scooped her up and gave her a kiss.

"I won. You all can bow down to me now and leave generous donations at the bedroom door."

Jen collapsed onto the couch and onto Mark, who had just sat down. Abby climbed into her lap and smiled. "Roger, you're a dork," she giggled.

"Yeah? Well I'm a cuter dork than Mark is," he protested.

"Sorry. Mark's the cutest dork I know," Jen said, resting her head against Mark's chest.

Roger grabbed his leather jacket and slipped it on. "Alright screw you all. I'm going to get bagels and a pork roll egg and cheese for myself."

"Oh! Let me come!" Abby begged him.

Roger handed the toddler her jacket and made sure she was bundled up before hoisting her onto his shoulders. "See? She's on my side."

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"Davis, you're onstage in five. Kiss your girlfriend goodbye and get your ass moving!"

Roger glared at the owner of the club. Usually he was on pretty good terms with the guy, but lately he had been a real pain in the ass. Most likely because of the gigs that had been running through the club the past two days. Attendance had been the highest in months, and with the people that just wanted to see a good time also came the people that just wanted to deal right in the middle of the club.

He wrapped his arms around Jen protectively and kissed her. "I'll see you later."

"Probably not until we get home."

"Probably not," he frowned. "I'll try to find you, but just do me a favor and stay at the table with Collins and Joey, okay? Don't wander around or anything. It's not a good crowd tonight and I really don't even want you here in the first place because of that."

Jen nodded. "Don't worry about me. I'll be okay. I'll see you later," she smiled at him.

She turned to walk away, but Roger grabbed her hand. "Baby I love you. And tomorrow when we get up we're gonna go ring shopping. I just love you."

"I love you too." Jen smiled again and kissed him. "Be good baby."

Roger tried to get over the uneasy feeling that had settled in his stomach. Like something was about to go wrong and he couldn't stop it, or maybe it was just a set of nerves that had sprung up in the wake of going onstage again. He couldn't help but smile when she said that. Whenever he used to worry about something, or get angry or upset, or just generally do something that she'd laugh at, Jen would always tell him to be good. Just like that. He didn't know why it made him always feel better, but it did, and he wouldn't trade it in for anything.

"I'll see you later."

Jen blew him a kiss and smiled a final time. "See you tonight."

Little did Roger know, that was the last real smile he'd get from his fiancée for months.

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There was a time when I was so broken hearted

Love wasn't much of a friend of mine

The tables have turned, cause me and them ways have parted

That kind of love was the killin' kind

Jen placed her drink down on the small, black, round table. The music was pounding out of the amps, and the smoke was so thick it was filtering around the room in clouds. "Guys I'm gonna go to the ladies' room. I'll be right back."

Joey looked over at her and nodded. "You want me to walk with you over there?" He took a sip of his beer.

I was cryin' when I met you

Now I'm tryin' to forget you

Your love is sweet misery

I was cryin' just to get you

Now I'm dyin' cause I let you

Do what you do to me

She shook her head. "No, really I'll be fine. I'll be back and if I'm not, I probably ran into Lori and she got me backstage to see Roger."

Collins nodded. "Okay. Just be really careful. Interesting crowd tonight."

"Yeah that's what Roger said to me," Joey added. "Be careful babe."

"Thanks, and I will."

Jen squeezed her way through the masses of people, trying to make her way to the bathroom without getting lost in the crowd. She heard the lead singer's voice float over the stage, and realized that Roger had to have been backstage by now. Meaning there was an even better chance that she could see him sooner than she had expected.

The chords changed, and the song slowed down just a little bit. She found the corridor that led to the bathrooms and the backstage area and quickly hurried down it. Jen reached for the worn bronze doorknob when she felt something drag across her back. She jumped and spun around quickly, figuring it was just someone that accidentally bumped into her.

The smoke was thick in that particular area, and between the mixture of pot and alcohol, the place reeked. But there wasn't a something in front of her, there was a someone. And that someone just so happened to be Travis, bass player of the Hungarians.

"Hi," she greeted him slowly. "Have you seen Roger?" Jen didn't particularly like the guy after he had made a few passes at her, but he was Roger's friend, and she respected that.

Travis just stared back at her. She noticed his eyes were slightly glassy and red, which meant either one thing. He was drunk, high, or both. And his body was pressed up against hers.

"Like I said before, I always figured you were a good lay. But if you fucking tell anyone, I'll kill you. I'll fucking kill you and your daughter."

Jen kicked him and slid out from underneath him. "Fuck off," she shouted at him. "You're sick and twisted, you know that?"

Travis grabbed her wrist and pinned her against the wall. "Listen Jen, we can make this really easy, or hard. Easy, or hard?" He pretended to be weighing the options with one hand. "Easy or hard?"

"Leave me alone!" she screamed at him. She hoped someone would hear her through the noise, but she knew that was close to impossible. "You'll be out of the band faster than—"

Now there's not even breathing room between pleasure and pain

Yeah you cry when we're making love

Must be one and the same

He ran his hand up and down her side. "Faster than what? You're gonna tell Roger? I know all about Roger. About all the girls he probably gets with behind your back."

Jen started crying as he continued whispering this in her ear. "Why are you doing this? What do you want from me?"

"It's such a shame that you two are about to get married. You think that'll make him stop? He doesn't love you. He loves himself. It's always been about himself."

"Stop it."

"So like I said, easy or hard? Pick one and we'll just get this over with."

Jen shook her head and felt him grab her arm and drag her towards a separate exit. "Let go!" she screamed at him. "Somebody help me!"

Travis clamped his hand over her mouth. "Don't do that. You're only making it harder for yourself."

She couldn't breathe. She couldn't cry. She couldn't feel anything. Because this wasn't happening to her. Because a friend of Roger's wasn't about to take a liberty with her body. She didn't feel the cold pavement against her back or him unbuttoning her jeans. She was numb, and all she thought about wasn't why it was happening, but was Roger. What would she tell Roger? What would she say to Roger?

I was cryin' when I met you

Now I'm tryin' to forget you

Your love is sweet misery

I was cryin' just to get you

Now I'm dyin' cause I let you

Do what you do to me

She didn't think of anything but Roger. She wouldn't allow herself to She couldn't fight Travis. He was a little more built than Roger was, and although he was shorter, he was heavier, and she couldn't fight him off of her.  She hated herself for that, but she couldn't do it. It was an impossibility. She still smelled the smoke and heard the music leaking into the cold January air outside of the club, and at that instant, she hated herself for coming back. She should have stayed away from here.

So when Travis was finished, she collected herself off the ground and stood up. As his back retreated towards the door of the club, he paused and looked back at her.

"Easy."

Jen wiped her eyes and shook her head. "I feel sorry for you." It was the only thing that had crossed her mind, and the only thing she felt towards him right now.

The door slammed, and she was left there, shivering in the cold. She never hated the snow, or the smoke, or that damn song the band had just finished in that moment. She never hated the city as much as she did just then.

The door reopened, and Wes walked out. He smiled at her, but all she could do was nod. "Hey Jen, I thought I saw you come out here."

"Yeah."

"Roger's looking for you."

"Tell him something came up and I'll see him at home."

"Everything okay?" She saw the hint of concern flash over Wes' brown eyes.

"Fine."

"Alright. I'll tell him. Have a good night."

"You too."

Jen turned and walked down the street. The loft was two blocks away, but it never felt as far and foreign to her. She glanced up at the flickering sign that advertised a local deli.

She was starting to hate those neon lights.

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Review please.

You'll see why Travis is the way he is, and what happens because of the events that just took place in the upcoming chapters.