Hey guys!

So here was my day today. I woke up late and was like 'oh no!' I went to wake up the other childrens in the house only to find out I had no voice! At all! But I didn't even feel sick! So I woke up my parents and their just like 'tell your brothers to go back to bed then go back to bed'. So I basically got a free day off today! sweet. Lots of time to write. ;-) Wrestle marks 20! 80 left!Wrestle was actually a writers choice and I had a dream about this once so it couldn't be ignored any longer. Enjoy!

Dru

PS. The first one, if you remember the little AZT issues Roger was reminiscing about in 'New Year', this is the incident he was remembering.

PPS. And the 2nd one is very much Mimi/Mark fluffiness. Aww! K go read!

94. Independence

Roger felt silly. He felt like a parent who had just noticed that their little one was growing up. There was once a time, during Mimi's withdrawals, where he would do everything for her. He would make her food and tuck her deep underneath the covers next to him. Roger was slowly realizing that Mimi was becoming more and more independent. She would call for him to help her less and less. And it made him a little sad. He was happy she was becoming more independent. But she pushed him away more. She wanted to do things for herself now.

"I'm not a baby."

It seemed to be one of her favorite things to say these days.

"I know Mimi," Roger would say. "I just want to help." Mimi would giggle. His heart still felt alive when he heard that giggle.

"You don't have to help me put my shoes on Roger, really." She sat on the couch, absentmindedly swinging her feet back and forth. Roger was knelt down next to her, her shoes tucked neatly at the base of the couch.

"I know but I like to," he put his hands up on his knees so every time Mimi swung her feet they'd lightly tap the middle of his palm.

"But you don't have to," she insisted. "I can really put my shoes on all by myself."

"I know," Roger repeated. He gently pinched the skin around her ankles and she stopped swinging her feet.

"Rooooooger!" she moaned. She grabbed her shoes and shoved them on over her feet. "Can we just go now? You're acting silly!" Roger sighed.

But there were still things she needed help with. A big thing being the AZT breaks. She had no problem taking the pills until there came a time where the anemia would kick in and she would be in pain. The next dose following the bad one, she'd be scared to take. That's when Roger came in.

"It'll be okay," he whispered into her hair. She was lying on the bed with him, panting and sweating, her body trying to compensate for the forgotten dosage she hadn't taken in the afternoon time.

"No it won't," Mimi said her voice barely audible. She grabbed Roger's arm. "Please make me better."

"Take the pill Mimi." He would follow in an order of steps to get Mimi to take the medicine. Step one was to see if she would take it by herself. Sometimes that would work, but not this time.

"I can't," she panted. "I don't want to be sick!"

"This'll make you better." Step two was the soft coaxing and the gentle kisses. "It won't make you sick this time." Roger could almost taste the salty sweat on her as he laid a trail of small kisses along the bridge of her nose. "Please?" Mimi's breathing became shallow. But she still wouldn't take the small 400 mg pill. Time for step three. The step Roger didn't like so much. He eased the pill into her mouth only to have it promptly spat back out.

"Please Roger," she pleaded. "No more." Step four was to force the pill back into her mouth. Roger straddled Mimi's lap, not quite resting all of his weight on her. He took hold of her wrists and pinned them above her head. He could feel her struggle underneath him as he rested his forehead on hers.

"Swallow," he instructed softly. "Just swallow the pill, it'll all be over." Step five rarely ever had to be put into place. By this time Roger was tired. When the pill made its way back out of Mimi's mouth for the second time, Roger crawled off of her. He grabbed the bottle of pills off of the nightstand and fished out a new one.

Mimi was sitting up now, debating whether or not to continue to fight. Roger was quick to grab her, pin her loosely up against the headboard and ease the fresh pill into her mouth. He tilted her head back slightly and began to massage her throat. Mimi closed her eyes and let out a small whine as Roger blew into her nose and she felt the pill slip down her throat. He let her go and watched for a minute until her eyes opened again, usually tinted with confusion and hurt, sometimes betrayal.

"I love you," he would be quick to say bringing her into his arms and whispering sweet things into her ear until she fell asleep. Independence was becoming a good thing. Those were definitely nights of struggle spent in the past.

"So who's making dinner tonight?" a tired Mark asked from the couch one night.

"I will!" Mimi hopped up excitedly. Mark groaned.

"Does anyone else want to make dinner?" Roger laughed.

"Let her." Once Mimi bounded into the kitchen Roger turned to Mark. "She's…she's becoming more independent. We have to embrace that." Mark snorted and wiped at his eyes like he had been crying.

"Our little Mimi is growing up."

99. Wrestle

"I don't like you anymore."

"Fantastic. That's the best news I've heard all day," Mark grumbled. Mimi hit him in the arm and gave him an angry glare. "Leave me alone Mimi." Mimi sat back against the sofa. Roger was supposed to be home in a half hour or so. Until then Mimi and Mark had to entertain each other like they had been forced to all day long. They sat in silence for a long time.

"I don't really not like you Mark," Mimi said after a while. Mark was busy winding his film at the end of the coffee table.

"Yeah, yeah I know," he mumbled.

"Can I help you?" Mimi asked.

"No," Mark barely looked up from what he was doing. Mimi kicked him gently.

"Your no fun do you know that?" Mark shrugged.

"Heard it once or twice."

"Do something with me!" Mimi begged.

"Like? We've already done every single thing possible. Gone to the park, the store, the alley! What else could you possibly want from me?"

"Let's wrestle," Mimi bounced a bit on the couch. Mark snorted.

"Yeah right."

"Wrong answer!" Mimi cried stubbornly, pushing Mark off balance and climbing on top of him.

"Mimi!" he yelled. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Wrestling!" Mimi answered as if he should have already known.

"Get off of me!"

"Make me!"

Mark growled softly and managed to reverse the tables and soon had Mimi pinned underneath him. She giggled hysterically.

"You're wrestling."

"I am not," Mark pulled off of her.

"You do not quite understand the whole 'wrestle' concept!" Mimi said tickling Mark's side before he had a chance to stand up. He let out a squeak of surprise and was soon back underneath Mimi who continued to tickle him without much mercy. He laughed hysterically trying to find away to push her off of him. When he finally did she fell back a few inches, hitting the edge of the coffee table.

"Ow!" she moaned, rubbing the back of her hurt arm.

"Alright, you done?" Mark panted, completely embarrassed now.

"I guess so," Mimi crawled back up on the couch, lying on her belly and crossing her ankles. Mark went back to winding his film when Mimi giggled again.

"What?" he turned to her.

"Nothing," she snorted.

"What?" Mark cried, fully annoyed with her at this point. She continued to laugh.

"Not only are you ticklish but," Mimi paused to take a breath. "You shriek like a girl!" Mark's face was soon heated with embarrassment. Mimi watched his ears slowly turn a red color.

"I don't like you anymore," Mark grumbled. Mimi giggled, flicking his ear affectionately.

"Fantastic."

hehe. Cute huh? Hope everyone enjoyed!