A/N: Language in this chapter because (you guessed it) Roger has a cameo appearance. XD Those who read my other fics will already have read my explanation of how I do not swear, but Roger does, so I won't repeat it. XD

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As Joanne walked out of the elevator the next morning, she had an unusual spring to her step that wasn't usually there. She had a smile that was a little warmer than her usual corporate 'poster smile' to make herself more presentable. And she was wearing a lime green shirt underneath her tan dinner jacket, instead of a plain white one as usual. And this change was not going unnoticed. When Joanne had first walked into the building, Daisy, the receptionist, had watched her a moment longer than her usual glance upwards for her daily 'Good morning, Ms. Jefferson.' In fact, she got quite a few odd looks. Was she that much different?

"Kitten! Good morning!"

Joanne spun around halfway through unlocking her office door to face her father, smiling broadly. "Good morning, Dad!" She walked right up to him, hugging him tightly and kissing him on the top of his balding head.

He gave a light chuckle. "Well! Somebody's in a chipper mood today!"

Joanne smiled as she turned back to her office, unlocking the door and walking in. Just before shutting the door, she leaned out of the door, smiling. "You could say that." She shut the door with a snap, skipping lightly before settling herself at her desk. She hadn't felt this good for a while. It was invigorating, like she was on top of the world. She laughed softly as she saw the blinking light on her phone. She picked it up, pushing a button and listening, leaning back slightly in her office chair.

"You have 1 new message. Well, good morning, Ms. Jefferson!" Joanne laughed out loud as she listened to Maureen's fluctuating voice. "I see you left without giving me a kiss goodbye!" Joanne stifled another laugh as the sounds of Maureen making out with the receiver of her telephone came out of the phone. "Have a daaaarling day!" There was a slight hiccup, and the message ended. Joanne laughed, wondering exactly how hung over Maureen was. If that message was any indication, it would be hilarious to see her.

Joanne worked for a while, the sound of Maureen saying 'Have a daaaarling day' echoing in her mind as she called various people: clients, other lawyers, and other people she needed to talk to. Finally, after hanging up on the third client of the day, Joanne wanted to take a break. She looked at the clock on the wall of her office. 10:45. She had been working for nearly three hours. Now would be the perfect time to take a break, after all. She didn't have to call anybody else until that phone conference at 11:10. A thought occurred to her, making her smile slightly. Joanne picked up her phone and dialed the number of her apartment swiftly, waiting as the phone rang once. Twice. Three times. "Hello, you have reached the apartment of Joanne Jefferson. If you want to reach me at work..."

Joanne hung up the phone, sighing. So she wasn't still there. Either that or she hadn't been able to get to the phone if she was hung over enough. She picked the phone back up and dialed the phone number of Maureen's place. The phone rang once. Twice. Three times. Just as Joanne was about to hang up and think of another way to spend her break, somebody answered the phone. "Hello?"

Joanne froze as a man's voice answered the phone. Shit. She had never considered what would happen if Mark or Roger were to ever answer the phone. A little corner of her mind wondered why it had taken so long for this to happen, but she was snapped out of her thoughts as the man's voice spoke again. "Umm, hello?"

SHIT. She recognized the voice immediately, even though the last time she had heard it they had been panicking. Mark. The voice spoke once more. "Hello? Is anybody there?"

Shit, say something... "Umm, is Maureen there?"

A long pause. "Who is this?"

Please don't let him recognize me...oh, please... "Umm...a friend."

Another long pause. Shit. He recognized me. "I-is this...Joanne?"

SHIT. "Umm..." She laughed nervously, as if he had just accused her of killing somebody. "Yeah...ha ha..."

Yet another long pause. Shit, shit, shit... "She's not here. She got all her stuff and left about half an hour ago."

Joanne could hardly believe what she had just heard. "...You mean she left?"

Silence. Suddenly, Joanne heard loud, clunking noises, then footsteps. She vaguely heard the sound of a door opening and shutting. She blinked. "...Hello?"

There was the sound of somebody picking the phone back up. "Hey, who the hell is this?"

Shit. Roger. For a moment, Joanne considered hanging up, but knew that they would probably call her back if she did. "Umm...where did Maureen go?"

"How the fuck should I know? She grabbed all her stuff, told Mark she had gone lesbian, and left. Probably went to find her new lover, whoever she is."

Joanne pulled the phone away from her ear, staring at it in disbelief. Why in the world had Maureen done something that irrational? She brought the phone back next to her ear to listen as Roger continued. "Who the hell is this, anyways?"

"I...just a friend...thank you..." Joanne hung up immediately, shocked. She sat in her chair for a moment, running her fingers through her hair, breathing deeply. What in the world did Maureen do? Roger's words suddenly came to her. Probably went to find her new lover. Her eyes widened in revelation, and she leapt up, grabbing her coat off of the hanger next to her door. Just as she was halfway out the door, a sound from her office made her freeze.

The phone was ringing.

She immediately rushed back into her office, shutting the door quickly behind her, and looking at the number on the caller ID. It was her apartment number. Stunned, dazed, and confused, she picked up the phone. "H-Hello?"

"Hey, Joanne!"

Joanne stared straight ahead in disbelief. "Maureen!"

"What's wrong, Joanne?"

"...What's wrong! I called up your apartment and..." She stumbled to find the right words. "You...I was..."

"Hey, I was just going to tell you about that!" Her excited voice was almost confusing to Joanne compared to her frantic confusion.

Her hand fell on the desk, holding her up for support. "Maureen...why are you at my apartment?"

"Well, you see...I had this amazing idea! What if I moved in with you?"

There was a long, drawn out silence as Joanne stared straight ahead. "...What?"

"Well, it's a little weird living with my ex, you know...so what if I just moved in with you?"

Joanne staggered over to her chair, collapsing in it. "Maureen...isn't this a little sudden?"

"Oh, come on, Joanne! It'd be fun being roommates!" Joanne was still being blown away by how excited she was.

"I...there's hardly enough room for me in that apartment..."

"We'd make it work! Oh, please?" Maureen sounded so pitiful, and Joanne could just see her bottom lip poking out in a pout. "Please? Please?"

Maureen was making Joanne feel like she would ruin her day if she said no. "Maureen, I..."

"Please? Pretty please with sugar on top?"

"I..." All of a sudden, the reckless side of Joanne that had seemed to appear overnight broke through. "I suppose that would be all right."

"Are you serious! This is great!"

Joanne smiled weakly. "Yeah..."

"Well, I've already got my stuff here! I'll see you here when you get home from work!"

"I..." Joanne was about to say something in protest, but the sound of Maureen's excited voice made her feel like jelly. She couldn't say no to her. "Sure, Maureen. I'll see you then."

"Goodbye, Joanne!"

"Good...goodbye." Joanne sighed as the line went dead. She limply set the phone back on its base, amazed at herself. She vaguely realized that Maureen had already brought her stuff to her apartment before even mentioning the idea to her. Did Maureen have that strong of a grip on her? Probably, a cynical voice in the back of her mind said.

There was a light knock on the door of her office that made Joanne jump slightly in her chair. "Kitten? Are you all right?"

Joanne sighed as her father's concerned voice came through the closed office door. "I'm fine, Dad. Come on in."

The old man opened the door slowly, standing in the doorway with the door open. "I heard your door open, but you shut it very quickly..."

"I got a call just as I was leaving." She sighed, shuffling through the paperwork on her desk, mindlessly looking through them so that she looked like she was doing something.

Her father probably wanted her to continue, but she remained silent. He let out a sigh. "I worry about you all the time, Kitten."

Joanne looked up at her father, smiling weakly. "You don't have to worry about me, Dad. I'm fine."

He smiled weakly at his daughter as she looked up at him, masking her feelings of stunned confusion. "Well, then...the conference starts in ten minutes, so be sure to be in here to answer the phone when it rings."

Joanne nodded. "Gotcha, Dad. I'm just going to go through a few papers and get ready for the meeting, then."

He smiled still, then turned around, leaving her office and shutting the door behind him. Joanne let out a long sigh, as if she was already exhausted. She was silently brooding over her thoughts when the phone rang sharply. She jumped, looking at the clock in amazement. It wasn't time for the meeting yet. She looked at the caller ID and saw with another sigh that it was her apartment. She picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, I was just wondering, do you mind if I change the sheets on our bed? The tan is a little dull, you know."

Joanne sighed. "Sure, Maureen...I have to go, I have a phone conference in a few minutes."

"OK, Joanne! See you when you get home!"

"Bye, Maureen." Joanne hung up the phone, almost tossing it onto the base. She hadn't even considered suggesting they keep her tan sheets, she thought with an exasperated sigh.

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A/N: So, I gave you two short chapters instead of one long chapter. XD I could have meshed them together into one big chapter, but they don't link like that in my mind.