Title: My Song Rating: PG-13 for general themes of the play. Drug use/AIDS/Profanity Note: Post-RENT Mimi/Roger Maureen/Joanne

Chapter One: Christmas Bells Are Ringing

He had known things would always come down to this. There was no way in escaping the disease their fates were both destined to. Medicine wasn't going to allow you to live forever when you were struggling with AIDS. And truthfully he never expected any miracles. He just had always prayed that he wouldn't still be around to watch it, watch his love die.

It was rounding their third Christmas together when Roger noticed Mimi's sickness rise. It was quickly catching up with her as much as she didn't want to believe it and inside Roger knew that they had to make the best of their limited time left together.

About three years ago Roger was on the verge of twisted thoughts after April's suicide. The image of April sprawled out across their bathroom floor, chrisom stained sink, and the thick coat of blood on the floor was too much for him to handle. That was until Mimi had put meaning to his life, blossomed a part of him he thought died when April passed. She showed him a new sense of love, soul, and genuine happiness that he never imagined he'd ever feel. It was hard to still imagine the energetic and sassy Mimi he had fell in love with as he laid beside her at night listening to her shallow breaths and weak dry coughs. It wasn't fair to watch someone so beautiful and innocent die.

Roger, unlike the others, knew this would be their last Christmas as a whole family. Not Mark nor Maureen or Joanne were about to realize how quickly Mimi's illness was catching up with her. And though Roger would give up his life for her, he knew his time would be coming soon enough.

Everyday that passed left Roger feeling a tiny bit more drained from the last, a little bit weaker. He always covered it up with not getting enough sleep the night before. Inside he knew it wasn't the lack of rest. No matter how hard he felt like giving up in defeat, crawling into a ball and bawling like a sissy, he knew he couldn't. He had to be strong for her, strong for them. He wasn't about to let his family die.

Roger sat in the kitchen at the loft, skimming over the morning paper, not all too much paying attention as to what he was reading, his thoughts drifting to wonder what was stocked in the refrigerator. Dressed in a lanky green sweater and his usual stripped sweat pants, he took a sip of his coffee, making a disgusted face at the bitter liquid. Mark could never make coffee for his life, he mused before standing up and walking over to the sink, depositing the coffee down the drain shaking his head at the wasted caffeine. Placing the mug in the sink he turned around not expecting to be face to face with the camera lense of Mark's camera.

"Merry Christmas Eve!" Mark said overly excited, as usual as Roger stared blankly at him.

"It's eight in the morning. It's not Christmas eve until evening actually." Roger scowled grumpily as a matter of fact-ly with a grim smirk on his face before making a suave move, ducking under Mark's camera and escaping behind him. Mark sighed and turned off his camera holding it over his shoulder lazily.

"Where's your holiday spirit Mr. Scrooge?" He joked around with him.

"It was poisoned by your coffee." Roger responded slyly before walking out of the kitchen and heading down the hall before opening the door quietly to Mimi and his room, taking a few gentle steps trying to avoid the creaky wood floor boards that would send a chilling screech through his tired bones.

Walking over to his bedside he stood their for a moment before slowly maneuvering down sitting on the edge of the bed, observing Mimi's peaceful figure. She looked healthier then yesterday. Surely, she had her good days and bad. Selfishly Roger was hoping she'd be up to going out today. He hadn't left the loft for about five days now and if he didn't get out soon he knew he'd scream. He just couldn't bear to leave her side and then fear arriving back and finding her dead, like April. Though April's death was unexpected, he always blamed himself for not seeing the signs. Maybe he could of saved her from herself...

His thoughts of April were pushed aside as he felt Mimi stir under the heave of covers. He couldn't help but wonder if she could breathe under all the blankets on top of her. Unraveling herself from the blankets a bit she ran her hand over her forehead, eyes still shut. He couldn't help but notice how thin she was getting. He bet he could curl his pinkie and thumb around her wrist with no struggle what so ever. But she'd always laugh and say he had big hands.

Like her father..

He slowly moved his hand to hers that had settled along the pillow next to her, taking her small fragile hand in his. She flinched a bit and he cursed not meaning to startle her. Watching her eyes slowly open her lips formed into a small grin, "Jeez Rog, trying to give me heart failure?" She joked lightly with him though he felt now guilty as hell for such a little thing.

"Sorry." He responded sheepishly, "Didn't mean to scare you." He soothed before kicking off his worn out slippers and flung his legs over the side of the bed laying next to her. Noticing she was shivering a bit he was glad the sun was pouring into the room. Taking a mental note to turn up the heat he knew that would lead to paying money he nor Mark didn't have. They could barely pay for the rent each month.

Entwining his fingers with hers, he used his free hand to wrap the blankets more tightly around Mimi who quickly protested. "I'm fine.." She murmured voice a bit hoarse.

"You should keep warm, Meems'." He spoke, eyes showing concern. It didn't matter how sick she was, she was still stubborn as hell.

"I'm fine. Promise." She tried to reassure him.

Roger sighed lightly in defeat with a dim frown before turning it into a masked smile that wasn't much but would hopefully bring a little light into the room that seemed to be turning into death itself. "Merry Christmas Eve."

A small grin played across Mimi's face. "You too." She responded, "Wow..it's Christmas already. This year went by...so fast." She said slowly as she stared up at Roger, eyes softened.

"Yeah I know. It really did." He agrees with her. "How are you feeling?" Roger asked before pushing a few loose strands of hair from her face and behind her ear.

She gave him a timid shrug in respond. "Better then yesterday...a bit cramped from laying here."

"Feel like going out? We can get you dressed and bundled up and go get a Christmas tree. Mark volunteered me." Roger grinned silently praying she'd want to go out. "Only if you feel up to it though...it just snowed last night. Not too much but a coding.."

She thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Yeah...it'd be good to get out of this bed." She responded with a small smile.

Relived that she was feeling up to going out, he couldn't wait to get out of the loft. "Great." He smiled brightly before placing a small kiss on her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and Roger gently sat her up in a sitting position with him, holding her in his arms protectingly. As long as she was there, in his mind no-one could take her away from him. Kissing the top of her head as she rested into him he couldn't wipe the smile off his face. After all, it was Christmas, the best time of the year.

She stretched her arms out and rolled her neck a bit trying to get rid of the cramping feeling. "I have to warn you, Mark's loose with his camera." He smirked a bit before standing up and going over to a small dresser to find some more clothes for her.

Mimi let out a small giggle wrapping her arms around her, fingers clutched tightly over the matted wool sweater, covering her hands. "When is he not?"

"True." Roger responded glad she sounded a bit more like her old-self though he knew she was probably acting the best she could for his sake. Wandering back over with a long pair of socks for her and another fleece sweater he sat back down on the edge of the bed, handing her the sweater, "Here put this on over that."

Mimi stared at him, "Do you want to suffocate me?" She raised her eyebrows. She already had on two tee shirts under her wool sweater.

"Hey. It's really cold outside and you have to keep warm." Roger said arm still stretched out handing it to her.

"I won't be able to fit it on over this! It makes me look fat!" She pouted with a small laugh that turned into a hoarse cough. Roger smiled a bit and patted her back. "You won't look fat. You'll look warm now put it on."

Giving in, she pulled his large sweater over her head and flipped her long curls back behind her ears. "Okay now that I'll be sweating.." She started but Roger shut her up with another kiss before wrapping his arms around her, lifting her out of the heave of blankets and back on the bed, grabbing the socks and slipping them on but not before taking a hold of her foot and tickling it.

"Roger!" She let out a small laugh as she kicked out a bit pushing him away. Smiling he let go slipped on her pair of boots and stood up.

"Maureen and Joanne should be over with Collins for a bit. They'll be glad to see you out and about." He said before Mimi stood up, a bit shakily at first. He wrapped his arms around her to let her get her footing.

"Thanks." She mumbled with a smile before looking up, standing on her tip toes and giving him a kiss. "Okay let's go."

Roger wrapped his arm around her and headed out of the bedroom convinced it was going to be a Merry Christmas after all.

A/N: Like? Don't like? Reviews are awesome and make my day!