A/N: So, yeah, my computer is being stupid and not wanting to access the internet. So I'm typing this up after a few hours of not being able to post Chapter Four. So, yeah. TWO chapters for you, unless the internet starts working before I finish this chapter.

.-.-.

Joanne walked back into the loft about an hour later. She took off her jacket, dropping it on the couch. The Life Café had been good and inexpensive, just like Maureen had said. But had she really questioned her? Was her trust in others so severely shaken because of Celia? Yes, it was...you put all your trust blindly on a wooden block, and she chopped it in half...

Just as she collapsed on the couch, ready to relax for a moment, the phone pierced the silence. RIIIING. "Speak."

"Hey, Joanne, if you're there, it's me...just checking to..."

"Maureen!" Joanne had rushed over the second she had heard Maureen's voice. "Hi!"

"Hey! How are you doing?" Maureen sounded pretty happy.

"Oh, just got back from trying that Life Café you told me about." Joanne began idly pacing around as she talked.

"Good, wasn't it? And it doesn't rip you off of all your cash, either."

"Definite plus." Joanne smiled as she talked. It was getting easier to talk to Maureen. It usually got easier for her to talk to people as she got to know them.

"Definite." The two of them laughed for a moment before Maureen continued. "Hey, I'm just calling from the train station here in Massachusets."

"You found the dorm all right?"

"Yeah, I did, thanks to your very specific instructions." There was a pause between us. "There wasn't anybody there, if that's what your wondering. I left a note."

"What did you say?" She was serious once again, like she was when she concentrated on something important in a mock trial at school.

"I just said, 'Grabbed the rest of my stuff, see you in class.'"

"OK. Works."

"Had a feeling you would keep it short and sweet, anyways." Another pause. "Hey, I've gotta scram, the train back up there leaves in ten minutes."

"You better get on." Joanne was smiling again, but she was still thinking about Celia. She had begun to realize that she no longer trusted Celia at all. She didn't even think if she could see her face to face again.

"I'll be at the loft, soon! You can just hang out there."

"I'll see you then. Oh, Maureen..." Maureen paused, about ready to hang up, as Joanne remembered something. "Umm...I think your friend Mark called. He left a message." Silence. "He said he's bringing Roger back with him."

Maureen probably tried to cover the receiver as she sighed softly, but Maureen could hear it.

. "And you're sure you're gonna have a place to stay once you get back up here to Harvard?"

"Sure. I was gonna call them in a second, actually. You get on that train. You can listen to the message when you get back. I'll be here."

"OK! See you then!" The line went dead. Joanne smirked, putting the phone down on its base. Now to call that friend of hers, and maybe get a bit of work done before Maureen got back...

.-.-.

"I'm hoooome!" Maureen called out as she walked in, bearing a bulky suitcase. Joanne leapt up from the couch, setting her textbook down to help Maureen with the suitcase.

"Thanks a ton." Joanne stumbled slightly as she tried to pick up the suitcase and grunted slightly under the weight. "Literally."

Maureen laughed lightly, helping Joanne as the two of them threw the suitcase down next to the couch. "I made a guess that your room wasn't the one with stuff all over the floor. And since a lot of these textbooks had the name 'Joanne Jefferson' on them, I assumed that was you."

Joanne opened the suitcase up a fraction, taking a peek at the contents. "That's my stuff all right. Thanks."

Maureen smirked, straightening up slightly and going over to the kitchen-esque area of the loft. "Wonder if we have anything in here, I'm starved..." As if it randomly occurred to her, she added as a side note, "Did your friend say it was OK?"

"Yep." Joanne picked her textbook back up, balancing it on one knee as it fell open. "Said she'd be ready for me tomorrow."

Maureen looked up at Joanne. "Then you've got the rest of today here!"

Joanne shrugged. "Supposed so. But you've probably got plans. I can stay here and study."

Maureen sat down next to her, peering over her shoulder at the textbook, reading a line aloud. "The Law and It's Components, by James E. Wentworth. Wow. Sounds heavy."

The future lawyer shrugged. "You're telling me."

Maureen looked up at her. "Why did you decide to be a lawyer, anyways? I mean, you do have the aura of one, but what got you into it?"

Joanne looked up, smirking. "You told me that yesterday, on the subway. Remember?" Maureen laughed lightly as Joanne continued. "Yeah, I guess my parents were both lawyers. I was born and raised on the west coast, and my parents moved the same year I left for college to start their firm here in New York. I haven't been up here but a few times to visit them."

Maureen laughed again. Joanne just loved Maureen's laugh for some reason. "So...you became a lawyer because...your parents were both lawyers? No other reason?"

Joanne shrugged. "Well, I read into it a bit in high school, and it sounded interesting. So I got my bachelors in 2 years, and went on to Harvard for 3. And I'll be graduating in a month."

"What date?"

Joanne looked up from her book, a little surprised. "June 14th. Why?"

Maureen's smile grew, spreading across her whole face. "Because, silly! I want to come!"

Joanne blinked. "Well...that's great! I'd love it if you came!" It was amazing how open and inviting Maureen was with her...and they hadn't even known each other for a day.

Maureen shrugged, her smile just as big as ever. "Hell, maybe even Mark and Roger'll come...maybe just Mark...Hey, maybe Collins – "

"I wouldn't want somebody to take a break off of their job just to see a law student graduate. Besides, I don't even know any of these people. The only thing I know of Mark and Roger are their voices."

Maureen jumped up. "The message!" She rushed over to the answering machine, pressing the button. The voice Joanne had listened to in panic came on, and she could listen a little closer now that she wasn't so confused. "Maureen? Oh, you're probably out...Umm, it's me..."

Maureen laughed. "That's Mark, all right"

"Umm, the specialists gave Roger a sort of plan I'm supposed to help him with for the next few months so he can, umm...get over this..." Joanne glanced over at Maureen to see how the news came to her, but she was simply staring at the answering machine. "So, both of us'll be back Monday, like I told you...umm, don't try calling here when you get this, we'll probably already be on our way down...So, the loft's still yours until Monday."

"Bet she's burned down the building or something."

"Oh, that Roger..." Maureen had an annoyed tone, but she was smiling, so Joanne knew she hadn't taken Roger's comment personally.

"Roger, not now!" This caused Maureen to laugh a bit. "So, I'll see you then, honey..." Maureen blew a little kiss to the answering machine as the line went dead, and Maureen hit the 'delete' button on the machine.

She turned to face Joanne, smiling. "He's a sweetheart. I think you would like him."

Joanne shrugged, smiling back. "He sounds like it. And Roger sounds like I imagined him from the pi-" Joanne cut herself off, but knew the second she did she couldn't back out.

Maureen raised an eyebrow at me. "What is it?" Somehow, her eyes wandered over to the folder on the floor, which had lain forgotten on the floor ever since Mark first called. She picked it up, and immediately began laughing.

Joanne sighed in relief, knowing she wasn't mad. "Roger sounds exactly like I imagined him. From those pictures there."

Maureen rolled her eyes. "They're all easy to pick apart. Mark's the one you never see unless I drag him into a picture, and Collins is the one who wants to jump right out of the film and give you a big hug." She continued leafing through the pictures, and paused on the one Joanne guessed was the big group one of them. She smiled. "And there's Benny. Wow. That picture's old...That's before April or Allison." She sat back down on the couch, letting Joanne see it.

Joanne smiled at her. "You all look so happy."

"We were!" Maureen's smile faltered. "Are. We still are all happy. Except..." She drifted off slightly. "Roger's been different ever since he met April. And Benny...he didn't used to be so concerned about our money issue. Sure, he was always making sure we kept paying the landlord...but now, once he marries Allison...this is the kicker...he'll be our landlord. I dunno if I can live under a roof controlled by that back stabber."

"He'll be...your landlord?" Joanne blinked, looking up from the picture.

"Well, yeah. This isn't any Allison. This is Allison Grey. Of the infamous Westport Greys." Joanne's eyebrows rose like theatre curtains once again. "Oh, you probably haven't heard of them. All you need to know is that Allison's pop, and Benny's future father-in-law, basically owns half of East Village."

"Pretty influential man, I take it."

Maureen shrugged. "You can call him that." Maureen looked over at the clock, which now read 3:30. "Holy-I need to get going. My boss'll kill me if I'm late again!" Maureen jumped up, rushing into her room, and Joanne heard the sounds of Maureen frantically looking under the bed for something.

"Where do you work?"

"At a bar. It's only temporary. Roger used to bring home bacon from his gigs..." She rushed out of her room, pulling on a coat as she walked. "But, seeing as there will be no more gigs for a while from Roger...Me 'n' Mark gotta pay the bills." She paused at the door, turning around to face Joanne, who was standing, unsure of what to do. "You'll be OK here alone, right?"

Joanne nodded. "Of course. I've got work to do anyways, now I've got all my textbooks. If I don't finish reading this chapter I have due Monday, I'm screwed."

Maureen smiled, reassured that Joanne wouldn't be bored. "Here, I'll leave the number to call me at just in case..." She scribbled a number down on the pad of paper from before, ripping off the page and handing it to Joanne. "I'll be back late tonight. The couch is yours again. Help yourself to whatever food we happen to have lying around. See ya!" She rushed out of the door, muttering about which subway would be fastest to get her to work on time.

Joanne sighed, settling down on the couch and picking her textbook up again. She couldn't help feeling like being with Maureen was become normal now, even though it still hadn't been a full day since she had met her.

About an hour later, as Joanne was getting truly comfortable and really thinking about what she was reading (instead of thinking about other things), the phone suddenly rang out. RIIING. "Speak."

"Maureen? Oh, shoot, you've got work...shoot...Maureen, it's an emergency..."

Joanne looked up immediately. Mark's voice sounded scared. An emergency?

"Please, Maureen, pick up the phone..."

Should she pick it up? An emergency...

"Please, be late like you always are...please still be there..."

"Hello?" Joanne hated herself the moment she picked up the phone.

A pause. "Umm...Maureen?"

"No, it's not Maureen."

Another pause, longer. "Umm...who is it?"

"Umm...a friend. Maureen just left for work."

Joanne could still hear Mark swear, even though he tried to lower his voice. "Shit. Umm...do you know if you can give her an important message?"

"Is it about Roger?"

Pause. "How do you know...?"

"She said if it was something about someone named Roger to call her." Joanne thought up a good excuse fast.

"OK, umm...can you call her and tell her to call this number as soon as possible?"

"Yeah, sure..." Joanne fumbled for the pad of paper and pen. "OK, shoot." Joanne quickly dictated the phone number.

"OK, umm...shit, can you please tell her to call me right back?"

"I will. Don't worry."

"OK. Thank you..."

Joanne hung up the phone, immediately rushing to find the number Maureen had given her. She quickly dialed the number.

Riiing. Riiing. Come on, she thought. Please pick up...

"Hello?" A man's voice came on, and Joanne could hear loud music in the background.

"Umm, hello?" Joanne felt like she should yell to be heard over the loud music, which felt awkward in the silent apartment building. "Is Maureen there?"

"Is she a customer?" The man's voice was husky, and it made Joanne very uncomfortable.

"No, umm...she works there..."

"Oh, Maureen Johnson. Lemme get 'er for you, sweetie..." A pause. "Hello?"

"Maureen, it's me."

Maureen could tell something was wrong; Joanne was sure of it. "...Joanne? What is it?"

"Maureen, Mark called." Silence. "Get a piece of paper, he gave you a number to call."

"Oh, shit..." Joanne heard frantic fumbling. "OK, what's the number?" Joanne gave her the phone number, and had Maureen repeat it to her to make sure her own shaky voice hadn't distorted the number. "Did...did he say anything?"

"He said it was an emergency. You just call him."

"OK." The line went dead. Joanne hung up the phone, breathing heavily. She walked over to the couch, collapsing on it as if she was exhausted. Had she gotten herself tangled into something she didn't want to be tangled in?