Chapter Twenty-Eight

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…"

Maureen slowly opened her eyes to the sound of singing. Mark's voice was still hoarse from sleep, but surprisingly on tune. He was lying behind her; one of his arms was draped over her waist. He was singing softly into her ear. She giggled and leaned back closer to him as he stopped singing and started nuzzling her neck. She let him do that for a moment before she moved to lay on her back, facing him.

"You look exhausted," she noted smiling. "I hope I didn't tire you out."

He smiled as he leaned down to kiss her. "I was thinking the same thing. How are you feeling?"

Maureen frowned. "Kinda old, actually."

Mark laughed softly. His eyes were sparkling. "How can you possibly feel old?" he asked, planting a small kiss on her forehead. "You're beautiful."

"Being beautiful has nothing to do with me being old. Besides, beauty is in the eye of the observer." She stopped as she suddenly realized what she had just said. "Gee, did I just sound like Collins or what?"

Mark smirked and sat against the bed board. "The guy rubs off on us once in a while, although I'd like him to be aware of who he's rubbing…" She must have looked distracted, because he stopped and looked at her. "And I'm rambling, right?"

Maureen let out a tired laughter and sat up as well. "Yes you are," she said yawning, and laid her head on his chest. She let her finger move lazily up and down his arm.

"Sorry. I daze off when I get lost in your eyes." He said it in exaggeration, as if he knew it was the corniest line in the book. She raised her head from his chest to meet his gaze and he touched the side of her face, bringing her close for a lingering kiss.

"I can get used to that," she murmured once they broke apart. She felt Mark's smile on her skin as his lips trailed their way down her face and settled at the crook of her neck. She closed her eyes as he kept kissing her. "Hey, Marky?"

"Hmmm…"

His voice vibrated against the skin of her neck, and for a moment she lost all thought. It felt so good… What was she about to ask? Oh, right… "There's this small box at the top of your closet-" She felt him tense the moment she said the words. He stopped nibbling at her neck and just stayed frozen, waiting for her to continue. "It has pictures in it. Of me." She pulled away reluctantly. She had to face him. She had to know. "You kept it after I dumped you. Why?"

He glanced at her carefully, and she immediately regretted asking this. His expression turned blank. His eyes became cold and somewhat distant. He hesitated for a moment, then turned to take his eyeglasses from the nightstand. He put them on, and looked at her seriously. "How did you know that?"

Maureen hesitated. Guilt slowly started tormenting her. She knew how what she was about to say would sound, but she couldn't lie to him. She finally won his trust, the last thing she wanted was to lose it again. "When I came here to bring your shirt back, I wanted to put it in your closet and that box fell down, and you know me, always curious," she laughed nervously and glanced at him carefully before she whispered, "So I took a look."

Mark stared at her in disbelief. "You snooped through my stuff? Through my things? What did you expect to find?" His tone was gradually rising, but he didn't seem to be aware of that. He sounded hurt. She knew he would be. Mark was always vulnerable when it came to one of two things- his work and his privacy. And it all sounded so damn familiar, too, which made her even more upset. Why do I always end up looking through someone's closet, she scolded herself. Why can't I do something right for a change?

Mark touched her chin, making her face him. She had hard time looking him back in the eye. "I'm not angry with you, Maureen," his tone was softer now. "But this was when we weren't together and you still invaded my privacy."

Maureen nodded. She felt so ashamed of herself. She hated to let him down. "I know, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I don't even know why I did."

"Did it… upset you? Or worry you?" he asked hesitantly.

"Was it supposed to upset me?" She paused and tried to think back of that day when she had seen the photos. "I don't know, I guess it just… brought back old times. It was actually kind of fun looking at them, knowing that our past is preserved forever. But I'm still wondering. Why? Why would you keep them?"

Mark took a deep breath and started talking quietly. "I… wanted to hold on to you. It gave me a chance to believe in us every once in a while when I forgot that we're destined for each other. Sometimes it just gives me a happy feeling when I'm feeling sad. The happiest time of my life was when I was with you," he looked at her honestly. "You don't know how much you mean to me."

Maureen felt her eyes filling with tears. She took Mark's hand and kissed it, then looked back at him. "I do know. And I'm sorry I snooped around, I… Damnit, I'm so embarrassed now…" Her voice trailed off as she lowered her head.

Mark wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "Forget it. It's all in the past now, okay?"

She wanted to say that she couldn't forget, but stayed quiet. She listened to his heartbeat as he ran his fingers through her hair. They said nothing for several minutes, but eventually Mark broke the silence.

"Okay, you ready for your birthday gift?"

Maureen raised her head from his chest and gave him a puzzled look. "What birthday gift?" She flashed him a devilish grin. "I thought I already got it yesterday."

Mark's face turned slightly pink as he smiled sheepishly at her. "Ahh, yeah, but that was more a gift for me than it was for you…" he rambled. She giggled. He was such a dork sometimes. "ANYWAY!" He jumped out of bed and her gaze followed him as he opened his closet and pulled something out of the top shelf. It was a box, wrapped in shiny red paper and tied with a silver ribbon. He sat on the edge of the bed and handed it to her with a brilliant smile. "Happy birthday."

Maureen returned his smile as she took the box from him. She shook it, but nothing echoed back. It was pretty big box, so she knew it wasn't any jewelry or something of that kind. What was it? "Should I tear it?" she asked smiling.

"Sure. If you want," answered Mark as he pulled his jeans over the boxers he was wearing.

Maureen tore the wrapping paper excitedly to reveal a pearly colored box that carried a familiar logo. She gasped. It couldn't be what she thought it was… He couldn't…

"Mark…" she started, but her voice trailed off as she opened the box. An icy pink nightie laid neatly folded on a bed of scented dry rose petals. It was mostly satin, and she noticed a bit of lace along the breast line. Its design was very simple, but yet sexy at the same time, in a way she couldn't quite put her finger on. It was something she would have never imagined she'd buy for herself, yet at the same time she knew Mark couldn't have chosen anything better. It was perfect.

"Well, well, well…" she muttered and shot him a mischievous look. "Do you mean to tell me that you, Mark Cohen, went into a lingerie shop to buy this thing… all by yourself?" She couldn't help but sound proud.

"Well… I had a little help, but… there's a first time for everything. AND a last," he added quickly before pulling a red T-shirt over a long sleeved white one.

Maureen laughed softly and looked at the nightie again. The fabric felt soft between her fingers. It looked almost white in the morning light. "Don't have anything pink… yet." She raised her eyes to meet Mark's gaze. She smiled. "Thank you."

Mark moved closer to place a soft kiss on her lips. "You're welcome."

"Do we have time for coffee before Roger gets home?" she tousled his hair.

"Sure. I'll go make some. Get dressed, I'll meet you in the living-room."

Luckily, she had some of her own clothes in Mark's closet, so after a quick shower she put them on and walked into the living room.

She could feel that the magic of the previous night wore off as she stepped into the room. The beautiful violet drapes on the windows were tied now, and the room was fully lightened by the morning sun. Mark's suit and her dress were now folded on the armrest of the couch. Mark was pacing this way and that, trying to clean up the mess.

"Do you need help with these?" she smiled, gesturing at the plates on the table.

Mark shook his head violently as he approached her from the kitchen. "No." He took the plates from her hands and headed back to the kitchen to put it in the sink. "It's your birthday, remember?" he raised his tone a bit to make sure she'd hear him.

"Yeah, I do… and I also remember that you're my birthday slave," she smiled and picked up some more dirty dishes. He couldn't be serious, he worked so hard on that dinner, he couldn't do all this himself! "But I'll help you anyway."

Apparently, Mark took seriously his position as her birthday slave. As he walked in from the kitchen he shook his head again. He gently grabbed her wrist and brought it to his lips. "I can handle it," he said, kissing the palm of her hand. He took the dishes from her. "Sit down… please?"

"Mark, come on…" she laughed.

He didn't look so amused. "I'm not kidding, don't lift a finger. As long as you're in my house you'll do as I say." It didn't come out as determined and bossy as he probably meant it to be, because of that cute grin that he couldn't hide. He turned from her and got back to the kitchen.

She rolled her eyes. "It's my birthday, I'm not pregnant, Mark!" she protested but sat on the couch anyway. Her gaze fixated on the now empty ice cream bowl on the floor next to the couch, and she smirked and bent down to pick it up along with the other bowl, which contained two last peaches. "You'd want to take the evidence from here while you're at it, Sherlock, Roger will be back soon."

"I'm on it," he said as he hurried back to pick up the bowls and bottles from the coffee table. Maureen found her high heels on the floor and put them on, since she didn't have any other shoes in the loft. She didn't care that they didn't fit the jeans she was now wearing; she only hoped she'd get home without spraining her ankle on her way.

Finally, Mark finished cleaning up, and he slumped on the couch next to her, handing her a steaming coffee mug. "Gee, I'm beat. Wanna go back to bed?"

Maureen smiled as she slowly sipped her coffee. "What's on your mind, Marky?" she asked seductively as she put the mug on the coffee table and moved closer to sit on his lap. She took his mug away as well, and gave him a sorrowful look. "We can't, I should get going." She wanted to spend some time with Collins before he'd leave for Jersey. Thinking about it alone made her upset.

Mark must have felt it, because he took her hand and held it gently. "Do you remember the very first time I told you I loved you?"

Maureen smiled. "Yeah, I do. It was on my birthday."

Mark nodded. "Do you remember the feeling you got?"

"Yeah…" How could she forget? It was the first time a man told her he loved her and she could tell he really meant it. She remembered being excited and flattered but slightly panicked at the same time, because she wasn't sure she could return his love. Not in the same way Mark meant it. She eyed him curiously. "Why?"

His eyes sparkled. "Just tell me. How did you feel?"

Maureen hesitated. How could she transform that feeling into words? "Hmmm… I don't know. I guess it scared me a little, because I knew that you meant it. But other than that, it felt good to know that there's someone out there who really cared for me. It made me feel protected because I knew you'd always be there for me."

Even after she said it, Maureen felt that it didn't cover everything she felt at that moment back then. But it seemed to satisfy Mark, who flashed her another brilliant smile. "Do you feel that right now?"

She returned his smile. "Can't you see that yourself?"

"Are you answering my question with a question?" he asked slyly.

He was stealing her trick again, but she didn't really care this time. She decided to play along and smiled sweetly. "Are YOU answering MY question with a question?"

Mark pretended to be offended. "Hey, I asked first."

"Yes, you did, but it's MY birthday."

"And that means I have to let you win, right?"

"You must let me win ANYTIME." Mark smirked. "So… can you or can't you see it?"

Mark laughed softly. "I can see it." He kissed her, but quickly pulled away. "I have… another surprise for you."

Maureen looked at him, amused. This was WAY too much for one birthday already. How many surprises he still had planned? "What?"

She had to move and sit on the couch as he got up. "Something… I've been working on." To her amazement, he took Roger's guitar from behind the couch. "A song."

She stared at him jaw dropped. "A song… for me?" she stammered. She remembered Mimi saying something about him trying to write a song for Michelle, back then at that coffee house uptown, but the memory was vague. "Roger will kill you," she said jokingly, meaning the guitar he held carefully.

Mark smiled and sat next to her again. "We made a bargain. He'll put up with my singing if I put up with Your Eyes."

That made Maureen laugh. She knew Mark wasn't much of a singer, so the fact that he was going to sing for her was even more unbelievable. "I wanna hear it."

He started tuning the guitar. "Okay. I must warn you though. This is all new to me, and it's not Mozart or even Jimmy Hendrix worthy. You'll probably cringe at every note… but I want you to know that I really tried, so at least put that into consideration before you make fun of me."

He sounded as if he really meant that. She wondered if it was possible that he was serious. She had no intention to make fun of him. No one ever wrote a song for her, ever. No one ever cooked for her, too. Hell, she couldn't remember a time where her own mother did! "I will never make fun of you," she promised.

Mark chuckled, then nodded. "Okay. I'm gonna have a hard time looking at you."

She could feel he was getting kind of nervous. No one knew better than her the cure for a stage fright. "Want a tip from a pro?" she asked. "Don't ever look at your audience, don't think, just do your thing."

That seemed to calm him down a bit. He smiled. "Thanks. Okay, here goes:

I was back, behind the shadows

Trying hard to hide from you

When a light beneath the stage filtered through

And you appeared beneath the light

And my world was on the edge

Until those memories came back with thoughts of you.

And I wished for a chance to hold you

A chance to live again

A chance to breathe and evade the end

I couldn't stop from wishing

The lights shining above you

How I longed for a chance to say I love you once ag-"

Someone unlocked the door, putting an abrupt end to Mark's singing. His voice trailed off as Roger stepped into the loft, smiling brightly. "Good morning, love birds, was that… singing I heard?" he asked playfully. He seemed to be in a good mood.

Mark narrowed his eyes at Roger's remark. "Don't you knock?"

"Why? I live here, I'm your roommate, remember? It's my legal right to be here."

"Not if there's a rubber band on the door!"

Roger cocked an eyebrow. "There was?" He grinned, than turned to Maureen. "Oh, happy birthday Maureen."

Maureen flashed him a brilliant smile. "Why thank you, Roger, you're sweet." She looked at Mark. "I'd better go home now."

Mark nodded reluctantly. "Alright. I'll stop by later to help you guys with the packing." He glowered at Roger. "And I'd like to thank YOU for ruining my song."

Roger shrugged, but said nothing. Maureen laughed. "I'll leave you two to wrestle. And I'll see YOU later," she told Mark before she laid a soft kiss on his lips.

Roger reacted immediately, of course. "UUUGGGHHH!"

Mark shot him a look. "Shut up, Roger."

Maureen didn't even hear Roger's answer for that as she disappeared in Mark's bedroom. She put her present and the dress in a paper bag and walked back into their living room. Ignoring Roger's horrified expression, she kissed Mark again before she left the loft and headed back home.

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

The afternoon flew by. Maureen and Collins did some more packing and rearranged the small apartment for the party. Then Collins went out for a while and Maureen took that opportunity to change before Mark got there. She was now wearing a knee length white skirt and a black tank top.

The doorbell rang just as she finished with her makeup. She raced to the door and though she was tired, her face lightened up as she saw Mark standing on her doorway. He was wearing a dark blue dress shirt that perfectly matched the color of his eyes, and black pants. He gelled his hair a bit, and it looked pretty good, like he was finally getting the hang of it. She tried to keep a straight face as she asked, "Yes, can I help you with anything?"

Mark looked at her, taking in her appearance, then smiled, "I'm looking for a pretty girl named Maureen, have you seen her?"

Maureen glanced around, pretending to be looking. "No, I don't think she lives here, you sure you have the right address?" She flashed him a devilish smile as she grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. She closed the door and pinned him against it. "Hey."

"Hi. You look beautiful."

"Thank you, so do you," she smiled, moving an inch closer. "Collins went out. He'll be back in 15 minutes or so." She locked her gaze with Mark's, hoping he'd get the hint. "Did you miss me?"

"Like crazy," he said in a low voice as he brought her close with both hands. His lips brushed against hers almost fiercely. Maureen wrapped her arms around his neck and led him inside. Their kiss became more passionate and urgent as they made their way inside the apartment until they finally crashed on the couch, Maureen on top. She felt one of Mark's arms on her the small of her back, holding her close. He slipped his other arm to her ankle, under her skirt, up her leg. He slowly started drawing small circles on the inner side of her thigh with his fingers. Where the hell did he learn to do THAT? She moaned into the kiss and pressed herself against him for more…

"Perfect timing, as usual."

Her eyes snapped open as she recognized the familiar voice. Mark's hand froze in place as they both turned to face Collins, who was hovering above them. He had this mischievous sparkle in his eyes, which Maureen came to know so well by now.

"Damn it, Collins, can't you knock?" she asked, breathless and somewhat embarrassed, as she sat up. Mark brought both hands to his lap and stared at them, avoiding Collins' eyes. He was blushing madly.

Collins smiled. "I don't knock. I barge in and ruin moments." He sounded extremely proud at that.

"Yeah, we noticed. I don't understand why you bother bringing people together if you keep barging in on them later," she said, frowning, but with some humor in her voice. God, she was going to miss him so much.

"Because it's fun!" He paused, as if remembering something. "Oh, a thousand pardons, where are my manners!" He turned to Mark. "Word up, Mark."

Mark smiled. "Keepin' in real, Collins."

Collins returned his smile. "So are you guys going to continue, or are you going to help me finish packing?"

Maureen looked at Mark and smiled devilishly, then placed a hand on his thigh. "Continue?"

Mark's gaze followed her hand. He grinned and pulled her to his lap again. "Continue," he whispered and leaned to kiss her.

Collins stared at them in disbelief for a second before he pulled himself together. "W-w-wait, that was rhetorical! What I meant was that you better come and help me finish packing, or I'll kill you."

Maureen cocked one eyebrow and looked back at him. "Was that an order, Collins? I don't think you'd want to kill us. It will stain your fine reputation, you'll lose this teaching position, which means there's no point in helping you pack…" Then she realized what she smiled mischievously at Mark, "Which means we CAN continue!"

Collins let out a heavy sigh. "I've created two monsters!" He said to no one in particular. He threw his hands up in the air in a desperate gesture and walked to his bedroom.

They sat in silence for a moment, just looking at each other. Then Mark smiled at her and brushed her hair back. "Should we help him pack?"

Maureen slid one hand down his chest and shot him a seductive look. "I don't know, should we?"

Mark growled and rolled his eyes, but she knew he meant it as a joke. "Here we go again." He took her hand gently and stood up. "Come on, there'll be plenty of time for that later. But Collins is leaving. Who knows when we'll see him again. We owe him."

Of course he was right. She just hated the thought she'd have to say goodbye to her best friend soon, who knew for how long. She tried to push that thought away the best she could. Helping him pack wouldn't do much help. But sure, they owed Collins. Probably more than they'd ever be able to return. Helping him was the least they could possibly do for him right now. She nodded and took Mark's hand.

Collins' bedroom door was half opened, and Maureen knocked on it lightly. She peeked inside. The room wasn't even half empty, but it was clear that he was going away for a while. Looking at it nearly broke her heart. She couldn't help but think back on that day when he moved in with her. "Are you mad at us?"

Collins raised his head to look at her, and his face lightened as he flashed her one of his heart-melting smiles. "Mad? Why would I be mad?"

Maureen could take everything, but she could never resist that smile. She left Mark on the doorway and entered the room. She wrapped her arms around Collins' waist. "Please stay, Collins," she whispered, then buried her face in his shirt.

He laughed softly and held her close, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I wish I could. But this is a good thing for me. I'll be getting the cash I need to pay for my health, and maybe Mimi and Roger's too. It'll be good for you too."

"I'm gonna miss you a lot, you know that?" She raised her head to look at him. Her vision was beginning to blur with tears.

Collins' eyes glistened too as he leaned to kiss her forehead. "I'm going to miss you too." He looked over her head at Mark, who was watching them from the doorway with a small smile. "You take care of her."

Mark nodded seriously. "You know I will."

There was a brief, comfortable silence, then Collins said, "Why don't you start over there?" He gestured at a stack of clothes on his bed as he gently let go of Maureen.

"Where did you put the boxes we brought in here yesterday?" she asked.

Collins smirked at her question. "The empty ones? I used them all, but I want those clothes that I carelessly threw on my bed in that huge thing." That huge thing was a big black travel bag, which they all bought him together as a parting gift. It cost them a lot, but they decided Collins was worth it. "After that, I should be ready to go."

"Does that mean that if we won't do it, you won't go?" she pouted, making both of them laugh.

Collins shook his head. "Don't get smart with me, Maureen."

"I'm not!" she said defensively. "I can't believe you're going."

"Me neither," he said and smiled. "Don't worry about me, I've got everything I need." He paused and eyed her suspiciously. "Except for my black beanie that mysteriously disappeared. Have you seen it?"

Of course she had. She borrowed it the previous week when they all went out for dinner in Life, and forgot to return it. Hmmm… maybe he'd let her keep it if she'd be really nice. She flashed him a heart-melting smile of her own. That smile worked its magic of everyone, she knew. No one could resist it. "If I say I didn't, will you believe me?"

He laughed, but only for a moment, before he stopped abruptly to give her a 'what-do-you-think' glare. "Yeah, right."

Mark laughed. "I'll get it," he said, walking towards the door. "Where is it?"

"My dresser. Top drawer." Mark nodded and left. Must be another way to get it from him, she thought. She put on her best pout and looked at Collins with innocent puppy eyes. "Why can't I have it? As a parting gift?"

Damn. It didn't have the desired affect. He dismissed her with the same laughter followed by a glare. "I thought it was me who was supposed to get the parting gifts. You want too much. Want, want, want. Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie," he imitated playfully, then bobbed his head and turned his back to her to put some more shirts in his bag.

Maureen stared at his back in disbelief for a moment. "I do not sound like THAT!"

"Mm-hmm, yes you do," he grinned, then began to chuckle. "Man, I can't get over you and Mark…" The chuckle turned into a giggle. "And Michelle…"

Maureen frowned as he mentioned HER name. She told him about that catfight several weeks back, and he couldn't stop laughing at her. "Why don't you just shu-" She stopped abruptly as someone stuck something right under her nose. A photo. A familiar photo. Too damn familiar. She could feel Mark's cold gaze piercing her back. Oh shit. "Collins, could you give us a minute please?" she asked, her tone unusually serious.

"Huh?" Collins said absent-mindedly. He turned to look at them, surprised by the sudden change in her tone. He had continued packing and was oblivious to what was going on. She didn't dare face Mark, but she assumed his expression was as serious as hers, because Collins mumbled "Sure, no problem," and left the room quickly.

Mark pulled the picture away from under her nose and went over to close the door. He said nothing as he moved closer to her again, just stood there and looked at her. It was enough.

She sighed but didn't look away as she sat on Collins' bed. "I didn't think I could get more embarrassed than this morning," she said quietly. God, she meant it. Mark was still silent, but his cold gaze was like a needle through her heart. She hoped it wasn't betrayal she noticed in his eyes. She could take anything but that. She hated to think that she'd lose his trust over such a meaningless thing. "Mark, say something," she said, now slightly panicked. She had to know what was on his mind. Was he really mad?

"Please tell me you didn't steal it," he said finally. His tone was soft, pleading.

She felt horrible listening to him, mostly because she knew she did just that; she stole that photo from him. But she wouldn't lie. The truth was the least she owed him. "Well, I could say I didn't steal it, but then I would have to lie," she said softly.

"Don't lie to me. Why didn't you say something earlier?" He didn't raise his voice, which made her feel even worse, because she knew it meant he was upset. Upset Mark was worse than angry Mark. "You stole this from me, Maureen."

She got up and went to the window, avoiding his eyes. "I totally forgot about it when we talked this morning-" which was true, but would he believe it? And did it change the fact that she stole that photo from him? Why everything had to be so damn complicated all the time? Just when they were finally getting along… "Shit," she whispered. She felt like crying.

"Maureen, don't be upset," she heard him say. She didn't look back. She couldn't face him. She just couldn't. There was a new tone to his voice, though; tenderness that wasn't there before. "I just want our relationship to be based on honesty." Me too, she thought, and I messed it up again. "I mean… at least you didn't make up an excuse like you used to do."

She turned to face him. "Is that a good thing?" she asked, uncertain.

"Yes… because… now I have to be honest with you… I wish I had told you earlier but I didn't even think about it."

What was he talking about? Did she even want to know? He didn't sound hurt or upset anymore. What could he possibly tell her? "What is it?"

"Well…" he hesitated, then said in a voice not higher than a whisper, "I keep a picture of you inside my pillow." He paused, as if he couldn't believe he had told her that, and buried his head in his hands. "God, I'm such a dork…"

He didn't say what she thought she heard him say, did he? A slow smile made its way to her lips as she moved closer to Mark, who didn't face her. Even though he still had his head hidden between his hands, she could tell he was blushing. "You… you do what?"

As he noticed her moving closer, he turned away from her. "It was the picture I took on our first date," he said to the wall he was now facing, "God, the moonlight shone on you so beautifully. I keep it near me in bed." She watched, amused, as he slowly pressed his forehead against the wall. "God, I'm a dork…" he murmured as realization hit him, then laughed a bit.

He was embarrassed. He was so cute when he was embarrassed. And she shouldn't be surprised he kept a picture of her in his bed, right? Even after everything she put him through? It was so sweet, such a Mark thing to do. She moved closer until she was standing right behind him. "Mark, turn around," she asked softly.

He did, but he could hardly look at her. "What?" he tried to sound casual, like he didn't give a damn, but the faint blush that was left on his cheeks gave him away.

She smiled but said nothing. She placed a soft kiss on his lips, then quickly pulled away and looked at him.

"What was that for?"

She smiled. "Do I need to have a reason to do that?"

One more step, and he was now holding her. "I guess not," he said before he leaned down to kiss her again. Relieved that he was not angry, she wrapped her arms around him and deepened the kiss. Mark slowly pushed her towards Collins' bed.

And that was when Collins chose to knock on the door and let himself in. "NOT in MY bed, for God's sake, spare me!"

Maureen pulled away and glared at him. "Who says YOU are allowed in here?"

He pretended to be offended. "Excuse me, this is still MY room for the next 24 hours and some odd minutes! Besides, my super-powers tell me you're gonna get a call any minute." Couple of seconds later, the phone's ringing pierced the air. Collins grinned. "See?"

Maureen stared at him, completely shocked. How on earth did he do THAT?

Collins, who had the receiver in his hand as he entered the room, then answered the call. "You've Got Love Online, if you need love, we've got it- all for the reasonable price of 1200 dollars."

Maureen kept staring at him wide-eyed for a second before she snatched the receiver out of his hands. "Give me that, smartass! Hello?"

"Umm… hi, can I speak with Maureen Johnson please?" An unfamiliar male voice asked.

Maureen's forehead cringed. "Yes, this is she."

"Maureen, hi, this is Anthony Henley, the manager of Purple Sky."

Purple Sky? Why was he calling here? That disastrous show was quite some time ago and she really just wanted to forget it ever happened. "Hi. Look, I'm really sorry for-"

"-Oh, don't mention it, we all have our days, I completely understand. This is actually why I'm calling. After thinking about it, I believe you deserve a second chance."

"What?" No, this couldn't be true; she probably didn't understand what he was saying. She glanced at Collins and Mark who gave her puzzled looks, then turned her attention back to the call.

"Yes. You see, for the past couple of weeks I've tried out countless of bands and wannabe rockers, but none of them had the same quality… the same spirit that you had. So I thought that I might want to try you out anyway, even though you had that… umm, problem that other night."

He wanted to give her a second chance. This couldn't be right! "REALLY?" A huge smile was slowly appearing on her face.

"You're sounding surprised. You know you're good, don't you? Why wouldn't I want to give you another chance?"

"I… I don't know, I guess I'm just… Oh my God, are you sure?"

He laughed. "Positive. Can you be here tomorrow around noon? I'd like to introduce you to my partner, he had just came back from a business trip, I want him to meet you before we sign on any contract."

Contract… This was too good to be true! He was offering her a job… as the leading singer in Purple Sky? This couldn't be happening! Could this birthday get any better? "Sure, I'll be there."

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"I don't know how to thank you."

"Sugar, I can recognize talent when I see it. Maybe it's not me you should be thankful to, anyway." That one left her completely speechless. He seemed to notice, and let out a heartily laughter. "Just be here tomorrow, Maureen."

"Okay… yeah, I will."

"Bye."

Maureen held the receiver close to her ear long after she heard the dial tone. She couldn't put it down. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Then she slowly placed it on Collins' dresser.

"I think we're going to hear some big news," mumbled Collins. She had completely forgot he and Mark were still standing there, curiously watching her.

Mark laughed and looked at her. "Are you going to tell us?"

Maureen returned his look but she was so unfocused. She was too shocked, too excited to say anything. "I… got the job at Purple Sky," she murmured, mostly to herself. Then it finally hit her, and she let out an excited outcry as she launched herself at Mark and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I GOT THE JOB!"

Mark laughed, then took her in his arms and spun her around. "That's great!"

She giggled. "I KNOW!"

"I want some lovin' too!" whined Collins, outstretching his arms like a five-year-old.

Maureen laughed and went over to give him a big hug as well. "I could never have done this without you." Wait a minute… He KNEW she was about to have that call! "Tell me the truth," she pulled away and glanced at him suspiciously. "Do you have anything to do with it?"

"Me? No! You're ridiculous! Okay, maybe…" He smiled. "Maybe a little bird told him you needed a second chance."

"Or an angel," said Mark.

Maureen laughed softly and moved closer to him. He was still smiling, and that made her smile too. "Will you be there the next time?"

"I'll always be there."

She smiled sweetly. "Will you be my stage manager too?"

Mark returned her smile, then nodded. "Sure," he whispered and kissed her softly.

"Umm… guys? Yoo-hoo, still in the room, never left," Collins pointed out.

Maureen could feel Mark smile against her lips, but he didn't let go. "Do you hear anything?" she managed to whisper in between their kisses.

"Hear what?" was his mumbled reply as he moved to nibble on her neck.

Collins let out what sounded like a disgusted sound, but he was obviously very much amused. "You guys are so cute, almost sickening. If you're gonna do any of that, do it later. Mark, put it on film and send it to me. We need to pack now."

Maureen could hardly listen to what Collins was saying as Mark trailed his kisses from her neck back to her lips. What was it? Something about them being cute… and film… another film… "No… filming…" she muttered through closed eyes and pulled Mark closer.

"Well, if you're going to do a live show, do it when I'm not busy, huh?" He sighed, but didn't sound angry or anything. More as if he missed it. Was he thinking of Angel? "Quit it you guys, you know I can't stand this cuteness."

Mark's hands came to rest on her hips as he pulled away reluctantly. His fingers found their way under the material of her tank top, but he didn't go any further. She flashed him a smile. "You CAN stay after the party, can't you?"

"You know I can."

"You know I can," mimicked Collins childishly, in a high pitched tone, then burst into a giggle.

Maureen frowned and was about to say something when her gaze suddenly focused on something behind Collins' back. She looked at the pillows on his bed, then at Mark, hoping he'd get it. She moved away from him, then grabbed one pillow and smacked Collins with it.

It took him completely by surprise and he stared at her wide-eyed for the longest time. Then, trying desperately to hide the grin that slowly appeared on his face, he said, "I know you did not just hit me with that pillow, girl."

He could hardly finish his sentence, when Mark grabbed a second pillow and hit him with it. "Sorry, Collins."

Maureen fought to keep a straight face as she said, as seriously as she could, "Quit it, boys, we have work to do."

Mark lowered his arms. "Right."

It was the wrong thing to do. Collins took hold on Mark's pillow before he even had a chance to blink, and smacked Maureen with it. That act caught her completely off guard and she yelped in surprise, nearly losing her balance.

"Cheater, my shields were low!" laughed Mark just as another pillow hit his face, skewing his glasses. He just stared at Collins blankly.

Maureen launched herself forward to defend Mark, smacking Collins with one pillow, then with the other.

He fell on his bed, laughing uncontrollably. "AGGHH! You're both going to die!"

She was straddling him now, holding one pillow close to his face. A similar image flashed through her mind, with Alex just couple of weeks before. "Surrender?"

"Surrender? Tom Collins never surrenders!" He managed to snatch the pillow from her, even though she held it tight. Then he threw it aside and flipped them over, so that she was now lying on his bed. "Mark, make one move to save her and you're next!" he threatened. And then the torture started. His hands were everywhere, tickling her mercilessly.

Her protest was a mixture of screams, squeals, giggles and yelps. She was ticklish. VERY. And Collins knew it. "NO! Collins, STOP IT! Come on… MARK! Tell him to stop! PLEASE MAKE HIM STOP!" She couldn't bare it, she couldn't fight it, and Collins seemed to enjoy seeing her suffer so much.

"Collins, phone for you," said Mark all of a sudden, holding the receiver for Collins.

And thank God, the tickling stopped. Collins turned over his shoulder to look suspiciously at Mark. "Funny, I didn't hear it ring." He sat up and took the phone. "Hello?"

Mark made sure that Collins was well distracted, then he helped Maureen up the bed. "Run, run, run!" he urged her in a whisper, grinning, just as Collins shot him another suspicious look.

Maureen cocked an eyebrow. "Run? You're supposed to carry me in you're arms away from here. The fire escape should be good enough."

Mark gave her a funny look and laughed softly. "Too late now," he turned to Collins, as if expecting him to grab Maureen again, but he didn't. Instead, he was standing quietly. His head was lowered down as he felt his forehead carefully.

Maureen's smile died out immediately as she moved closer to him. It didn't seem like he was faking it. What was going on? "Collins? Is everything okay?"

Collins raised his head to face her and did his best smiling at her. "I didn't take my AZT this morning. Actually I missed a couple of days. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"What do you mean you've missed a couple of days?" asked Maureen, already on her way to the kitchen. He never forgot to take his medicine. This trip to Jersey was making him confused. She came back to his bedroom a moment later, and handed him a glass of water. "What are you, five?" she added, only half serious.

Collins took the glass from her with a weak smile. "Thank you Mother Theresa." He took the pill, and looked at Maureen again. "I just… didn't have time. There was so much to do this week, I told myself I was going to take it… and I just missed it."

There was a bit of silence, then Maureen raised an amused eyebrow. "Mother Theresa?" That was a new one.

Collins shrugged. "It's a stretch," he said, smiling. "You're a saint, baby."

She was about to protest when she felt Mark's arms snake around her waist. He laid a small kiss on the crown of her head, and said, "No. She's an angel."