Disclaimer: Raises eyebrow. Moves on.

A/N: Don't worry, you're not hallucinating. You have seen some of this before. They used to be at the end of Chapter 7, but I had to put it into a different chapter because I changed POVs. Originally I had the first half of Chapter 7 as Mimi POV and the second half as Maureen POV, and then the first half of Chapter 8 as a continuing Maureen POV and the second half as Mark POV. And well, that's ridiculous. So now all of them have their own chapters.

Please, please review! Oh please, oh please, oh please… Whoa. Now "please" sounds really weird.

End This War

by Ex Astra

Maureen watched the whole exchange between Mark and Mimi. Or the lack of an exchange. She watched as a defeated Mimi shoved her hands into the pockets of her oversized jacket. Her body shrank visibly as she withdrew back into herself.

It was Maureen's turn to act. She needed to do something, and she at least had more hope of getting through to Mimi than with Mark.

She watched Mark's heavily clothed figure fade as he walked off. Someone would have to try to get through to Mark eventually. Mimi should be the one to do it, but something told Maureen that they were going to need a little help.

In the meantime, she would just try to help Mimi.

She gave Joanne a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand before getting up and making her way over to Mimi. The girl was hanging her head dejectedly from her failure with Mark. The more Maureen thought about it, the more Mimi really did seem like a girl. She was so young.

Maureen eyed her warily.

"You okay?"

Mimi brought her worn eyes up to Maureen. She nodded. Looking after Mark's retreating figure, she spoke aloud.

"I'm worried about him."

"But what about you?"

Mimi turned back to Maureen. She looked her straight in the eye, revealing what she seriously believed to be true.

"At least I admit that it's killing me."

With that, Mimi turned and began walking away in the opposite direction of Mark. The two broken souls continued to distance themselves from each other, leaving Maureen, Joanne and Collins to decide the next course of action.

Maureen felt Joanne's hand on her shoulder.

"You ready?"

Maureen looked back in the direction of the still visible Mimi, then in the direction that Mark had gone.

"Actually, Pookie, there's something I need to do first."

Joanne followed her line of view. She understood.

"You sure?"

She took in a deep breath before answering, "Yeah."

"Alone?"

Maureen paused. Did she really want to get involved in this? And if she did, what difference would she make? Could she really do anything? She decided that she'd have to try.

She nodded. Joanne embraced her and kissed her forehead. Joanne always tried to be encouraging, even in the light of a devastating situation. She gave Maureen one final look of support before turning to get the car and head home. Maureen began to slowly walk off in the direction of the loft.

And Collins, who had seen and heard everything, could only sit alone and look up to an endless, dreary sky.