A/N: Wow, I am actually updating on time. Aren't you all shocked? Well you should be!

"The autumn months are settling in like the floorboards of this building . . .slowly creaking into place creating dents, bumps, and sometimes holes," Mark dictated as he filmed from the window of the Loft. He went over his words critically. "No. Too metaphorical. It sounds like something from Maureen's performance art."

"Well I think it was brilliant," Kelly said, kissing his cheek.

"HEY, I HEARD THAT!" And they certainly heard Maureen screaming at the top of her lungs from the stairs leading up to the Loft.

Mark turned his camera back on. "The seasons swing back and forth, up and down . . .like Maureen's mood swings. Never ending. Ever."

Maureen flung the door open and dragged her enormous self to the couch where she flopped down as though she was involved in a Shakespearean death scene. "I can be a bitch I want to. I'm tired as hell. They just can't get it through their shaved, tattooed heads that this rehearsal schedule does not work well with the life of a pregnant woman. It's insanity. I can't work with these people! I want a real job! And no matter what I do she won't stop kicking. She just keeps going and going like the fucking Energizer Bunny and I can't take this anymore!" Maureen completed this melodramatic monologue with a heavy sigh.

Mark adjusted the camera lens. "Zoom in on Maureen as she sucks all the happiness out of the room and exhales that relaxing essence of stress that seems to trail behind her like a cloud of smoke, suffocating those poor souls who . . ."

"MARK WOULD YOU SHUT UP?!"

Kelly tugged at Mark's sleeve. "I really don't think this is a good time . . ."

"I want Joanne," Maureen pouted. "I want Mimi. I never see her anymore. And Collins."

"Mimi's at work again and Collins is . . .well, I don't know where he is," Kelly said.

"And once again the world is against me. Maybe I'll get lucky and die in my sleep."

--------------------------------------------

Mark and Kelly had gone out, Mimi was at work, and Roger had the apartment to himself aside from Maureen who had fallen asleep on the couch two hours ago. The phone rang and Roger pulled the cord as far as he could into the kitchen so he wouldn't wake Maureen. She would most likely wake up with a fresh dictionary of bitchy comments.

"Hello?"

"Hey Rog, it's Ed. There's a place set up for Band Wars. The Cat Scratch Club. You need directions?"

"No . . .I know how to get there . . ."

"Ok. Just wanted to let you know. I'll see you at practice."

"Bye."

Roger put down the phone. The Cat Scratch Club? He knew Mimi had bad memories about that place and he wasn't planning on bringing them back. Roger couldn't just ditch the gig, so he decided not to mention it to anyone—particularly Mimi.

Several hours later when the rest of the gang was back at the Loft, they received another phone call. This time it was for Maureen.

Mimi nudged her gently. "Mo, wake up."

Maureen opened one eye groggily, still dreaming. "Joanne? Baby, is that you?"

"Snap out of it. It's just me. There's a guy from your band on the phone." She handed it to Maureen.

"Hello?" she yawned.

"Hey. Mimi said you were out cold. Sorry to wake you up."

"You better be," Maureen mumbled. "Please don't tell me you're setting up another rehearsal."

"No. I'm just telling you about Band Wars. It's at the Cat Scratch Club."

"Oh?" Maureen had heard the name of the club many times before. It was notoriously known for its female strippers, and Maureen had actually wandered in there before to find herself mesmerized by one of the dancers. She had to force herself to leave. She knew that Mimi had worked there, and the thought made her shudder. The place was crawling with druggies and, according to local gossip, rapists and prostitutes. That part of Mimi's life was over, she knew, and she couldn't bear to bring Mimi's past to the surface. There was no way she could tell Mimi about this . . .and she couldn't bail out.

"So you keep working on that last song we did today and we'll go over it again at practice, alright?"

"Sure thing," Maureen lied, knowing that she wouldn't sing a note in this state of exhaustion. "Bye."

"What was that about?" Mimi asked.

"Oh, just another gig lined up." Maureen decided to distract her from her lies with another comment. "I thought you didn't have work today. Where were you?"

"Just putting in some extra hours."

If Mark had been more observant he would have felt the self-hate and lies absorbing the room, filling in the cracks with the dust of myths growing out of control.

Instead, Mark chose to occupy himself by filming Kelly and Collins as they attempted to swing dance.

"One, two, rock step. One, two . . .Collins, you're supposed to be leading."

"Please remind me why we're doing this."

"Because I'm in the mood to dance other than the stuff I've been working on for the Cats audition. I'd make Mark be my partner, but I'd end up with broken toes."

Mark blushed. "I'm not that awful. I just don't know where to step."

His words were lost in the sound of Kelly's counting.

"One, two, rock step. One, two, you've got it!"

"Angel used to take me dancing . . ." Collins said suddenly. The room seemed to grow colder.

"You can come with us, Collins," Kelly said earnestly as though it would ease his pain. "It'll be a lot of fun."

"I really don't want to dance any more. I'm going to get some work done." He left silently, leaving Kelly staring and Mark filming an empty doorway.

Mimi sighed. "I don't understand it. He was so happy for a while. It just drained out of him."

Mark turned on his camera. "We are left with an empty doorway. It is a reminder that life goes on and so does love."

Life does go on, Maureen thought to herself as she felt the baby kick. Her thoughts drifted to Joanne. But what about love?