A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! You guys/girls (lol) are so awesome! I was thinking that I should put a different title for this story, it just seems too common.

Any ideas for a new title? I would give full credit to you guys… Hehe… Okay well REVIEW please and tell me if you've thought of a new title.

Tell me how you like this chapter and if it was confusing. Okay… One thing I want to explain is that thischapter is titled: SantaFe, even though there is one line from AnotherDay... Yeah well it's not going to be called Another Day just because of the oneline. Oh and Another Day is not present in this story... Hmmm, PLEASE TELL ME IF ANYTHING WAS CONFUSING! IWILL EXPLAIN IT!Well xI'll Cover Youx signing off, until next time!

I DO NOT OWN RENT!

I Should Tell You

Summary: Who is April? What if she was still alive? Would Roger and Mimi still fall in love? Would Angel and Collins still meet the same way? How would the plot of the movie/play change? Would Mimi, Angel, Roger, and Collins still have AIDS? Read to find out.

Santa Fe

(Present Day)

December 25th 1989

12:17am E.S.T.

"Oh my god." Angel's mouth was slightly open as she stared at her best friend and the rocker that April and Mimi were in love with. Mark Cohen and Collins stood next to Angel, but April was nowhere in sight.

"What are you doing?" Mark questioned and walked over to Mimi and Roger. Mimi let go of Roger and stepped back, her eyes searching Angel's. Her voice seemed to disappear and she couldn't answer Mark. Angel nodded in her best friends' direction.

"They were just visiting?" Angel suggested and stepped forward tugging at Mark's sleeve. "We should go…" Mimi looked at the two of them.

"I should tell you… I should tell you…" She turned back to Roger. "I should tell you – no… Another time, another place." She shook her head and looked towards the door. There was always a second option. There was always a way out of this nightmare. She looked back towards Angel and everybody else.

This was her first option she could stay there and explain herself; she could tell them that this was a mistake. That she didn't mean to kiss Roger or fall in love with him. She didn't mean too… Did she? She looked at Angel who was eyeing her. Did she know about April? How she had threatened her? Probably because April had went out to dinner with them tonight. Where was she anyways? Her second option was to run away from this and new look back. She sighed and turned towards the door and ran.

She ran.

From everything that was haunting her… She shouldn't have, but she couldn't handle it anymore. Her body wasn't made for this type of stress. She ran down the stairs as fast as she could.

"Mimi!" Angel called, but she was already far down the building. Mimi Marquez had always found a second option for everything that had been important to her. Hating her life before coming to New York didn't mean working out the problems with her mother, it meant running away from home, leaving everything behind just to be free.

She was now running along the sidewalks of New York City, the lights were blinking and her eyes hurt now. They were probably burning from crying so much. She didn't want this anymore. She sighed and ran into one of the alleys, falling against the brick wall and burying her into her hands.

-:-

(Present Day)

December 25th 1989

12:20am E.S.T.

"I should – I should go after her." Angel said and looked in shock at the door still. "She could get hurt." Angel made her way out of the room without another word. Collins flopped down on the couch and looked from Mark to Roger.

"What were you doing with her anyways?"

"I – I don't know." Roger answered and looked at Mark.

"April's not going to be happy when she finds out." Mark said and took off his jacket and his scarf.

"April?" Roger questioned and looked at his friends in shock. "What are you talking about?"

"Roger… Are you alright? April's been living downstairs forever… You didn't know she was still living down there?" Collins laughed slightly as Mark tried to explain. Roger wasn't getting this, what was wrong with him?

"April… April's still alive?"

-:-

(Present Day)

December 25th 1989

12:30am E.S.T.

"Angel." Mimi breathed as Angel peered into the alley way that Mimi had fallen into. Angel ran to her side and flung her arms around her scooping her up into her lap as Mimi's head fell against Angel's chest.

"Chica… You shouldn't have left, it's freezing out here and you're not wearing a jacket." Angel wrapped the jacket she had brought along with her around Mimi's thin shoulders.

"I left because I always run away from my problems."

"That's not true." Angel said and rubbed Mimi's shoulders gently.

"Of course it's true Angel! We ran away from home when we probably could have worked it out with our parents… I'll never see them again…" She stopped. "April told you didn't she?"

"Told me what honey?"

"About how she threatened me to stay away from Roger or else…" She couldn't say anymore.

"Oh Meems," Angel said and brushed some hair that had been stuck to Mimi's face.

"I'm guessing she told you." Mimi muttered.

"Why didn't you tell me? I would have listened and she probably didn't even tell me the right story!"

"What did she tell you?"

"That she had told you to stay away from Roger or else you would have to leave the apartment."

"That's it?"

"That's all she told me."

"She also said that I would never be allowed to talk to you or her again."

"Why me? I can make my own decisions!" Angel said and Mimi nodded.

"She just wants to tear us apart." Angel nodded and gently got Mimi off of her lap. "Come on; let's go back to the apartment. And don't worry sweetie, nothing can tear us apart. You're my best friend, and only best friend." They stood up and Mimi threw her arms around her best friend.

"You're my only best friend also." Mimi muttered as they broke apart and linked arms. Mimi and Angel, best friends for life and forever. Nothing could tear them apart.

-:-

(Present Day)

December 25th 1989

1:00am E.S.T.

Angel pulled Mimi's wet hair back into a low pony tail as Mimi's eyes closed. She was tired from all that had happened and was now warm instead of cold from just taking a shower. Angel let go of Mimi and let her fall back on the bed with a 'thump'. Mimi was dressed in a pink long sleeve night shirt and pajama pants. Angel pulled the sheets over Mimi's small form and sighed as she walked towards the door. Mimi opened her eyes slightly.

"Good-night Angel… I love you."

"Love you too honey." Angel said and smiled at her best friend before closing the door behind her. April sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee cupped in her hands as if she didn't hold the cup of coffee that tight everything in the world with disappear.

"I'm glad you found Mimi before she froze to death." Which I wouldn't have minded very much… April thought to herself and smiled at Angel offering the cup of coffee which she took greedily. Angel ignored April's last comment, not wanting to deal with this now.

"I'm going upstairs to check on the boys… Want to come?"

"Nah, I'd rather not. Too many memories. Tell Markie that I said 'hi' and tell Collins' that also if he's there." April said and Angel nodded.

"Alright, well I'll be back in a couple of minutes." Angel said and placed down the cup of coffee and opened up the door. "See yah." Angel teased and walked out the door. She was so freaking tired, but she still treaded up the stairs to make sure everybody was okay. She knocked lightly on the door and Mark answered it.

"Need something Angel?" Angel made her way into the loft and sat down next to Collins.

"Nothing, just checking on you boys… You know we can't trust you." Angel winked at Mark. "April says-"

"April." Roger repeated and Angel glanced at Roger.

"Honey? Are you alright?" Angel saw how pale Roger's face was and how his eyes looked distance. He wouldn't answer Angel. Angel looked back at Mark and Collins.

"What's wrong with him?"

"April's what's wrong with him." Collins quickly said and rested his arm on the back of the couch around Angel. Mark sat down on the armrest of the couch.

"He thought that April was dead."

"Dead? Is that possible? She lives downstairs."

"He thought that she was dead. They had a fight one day and April left the building-" Mark was interrupted by Angel.

"Yeah I know about that… I was there."

"Well a couple of days later, probably after you two had moved in. I guess you were gone or something, so April tried to kill herself. Roger found her and thought she was dead, but really was passed out. He fled the scene while I went down there and took her to the hospital. She was fine and was discharged after a couple of hours. Roger never saw her after that and had just assumed that she was dead."

"I remember that day; she was home and packing everything up. She said she wanted to get out of here while she still could. She never explained why she was so frantic."

"Well that's what happened…" Mark trailed off.

"But she just lives downstairs… Is it possible for him to think that she's dead and never meet up with her again for about three years?"

"Well ever since Roger thought April was dead, he stays in the apartment all day long and April would go to her life support meetings. She never came up here anymore; they never had a chance to meet up again."

"So what are you saying?" Angel questioned. "Should we make them meet up again?"

"I don't know…"

"What about Mimi?"

"What about Mimi?" Mark asked and Angel shrugged.

"I just think… I just think her feelings should be considered also."

"It's not like they're going to fall in love again are they?"

"It's just, it's just… Never mind, it's not important."

"Okay," Mark looked back at Roger who was starring at the wall absently.

"Roger?"

He would speak; he just sat there thinking to himself. "April's alive." Was all he could say. Mark got up and gripped his best friends arm tightly.

"Come on Rog, we're going to get you to bed. You look horrible." Roger said nothing but didn't argue with Mark as he was guided to his bedroom. "I'll see you tomorrow Angel." And with that the door to the room was closed and they were gone.

"So… We're still going to Maureen's protest tomorrow right?" Collins questioned and Angel nodded.

"Yeah… Do you think I could bring Mimi and maybe April if Roger allowed it?"

Collins thought for a moment. "I think that would be fine, just let me check with Roger okay?"

"Yeah…" They sat in silence for a second.

"Hey Ang, all of us are going to go to the Life Café tomorrow night and I was wondering if you guys wanted to come with us." Angel smiled and nodded.

"We'd love too. I'll tell Meems, I'll talk to you tomorrow morning right? We're still going to rehab with Mark and Mimi right?"

"Yeah, talk to you then." Angel stood up and walked towards the door.

"Good-night Collins."

"Good-night Angel."

Angel pulled back the door and walked out closing it behind her. She smiled and rushed down the stairs despite how tired she was. She couldn't wait to meet the two people who completed the whole family. Except for Benny of course, but she couldn't decide whether he was still in it or not. Probably not, but oh well. The two people were: Maureen Johnson and Joanne Jefferson. They sounded like very nice people from what Collins and Mark had said. April had added they that were very nice too even. Angel just couldn't wait.

But for now, she would sleep and dream of what tomorrow would bring. She wished that tomorrow would bring her courage to tell Collins how she really felt about him.

-:-

(Present Day)

December 26th 1989

10:00am E.S.T.

Mimi was perched between Angel and Mark while Collins sat on the other side of Angel. Mark stood up and started to film their meeting. They had all agreed to let Mark film for his newest documentary.

"Now everybody, this is our last meeting before New Years. We will not be meeting that day, so I hope everybody will have a wonderful end of year! We will see each on January 10th 1990! Is everybody okay with that?"

"Yes." Everybody said in unison and Angel squeezed her best friends' hands. Roger walked in at that moment and sat down next to Collins. Angel leaned over Collins and placed her hand on his squeezing it gently.

"I'm glad you came." Angel said and sat up again.

"What is he doing here?" Mimi whispered and Angel smiled slightly at her best friend.

"I invited him."

"Oh." Was all Mimi said before she focused her attention back on Paul who was leading this meeting. She sat through all of it even though her instinct was telling her to go and talk to Roger, to say something about last night.

After the meeting, her chance came. She looked at him and pulled him aside. "I'm sorry about last night." She said quickly and ran her hands up and down her arms as they were crossed against her chest.

"It's fine… It doesn't really matter anymore…" Roger looked at her and smiled. "You know, some of us are going out after Maureen's protest. I heard you were going so I was wondering, do you want to come?" Roger asked her and she returned his smile.

"I'd love too. Come on."

Angel watched the two and thought about last night when April was in the picture. Was she still in the picture? What was going to happen tonight? April had been invited to come along with them to the Life Café and her answer had been that if she felt up to it she would go. Did he remember last night? About April? Angel pushed those questions aside and watched as the two of them came over.

"So we're going for lunch does anybody want to come?" Angel questioned and looked at Mimi.

"I can't sorry Ang! I'm going back to help Jessica get ready for the show. She's taking my shift tonight." Angel nodded as Mimi waved good-bye to the group and walked down the streets.

"Anybody else?"

"I'd actually-" Mark cut Roger off.

"We're going to help Maureen with her sound test. Isn't that right Roger?" Mark questioned and elbowed Roger in the ribs.

"Yes, that's right. But we'll take the subway with you."

"Okay!" Angel said cheerfully and made her way down to the subway entrance.

"New York city." Angel started as they entered the subway station and scanned their cards looking for the subway to come.

"Uh-huh." Mark said and packed his camera away in his bag as he tightened his scarf.

"Center of the universe!" Angel said as they entered the subway.

"Sing it girl."

"Times are shitty, but I'm sure it can't get any worse."

"I hear that." Roger said thinking about Mimi and April at the same time and debating who he should go too. Angel saw this, but continued on with the song.

"It's a comfort to know, when you're singing the hit-the-road blues… That anywhere else you could possibly go, after New York would be... A pleasure cruise." Angel said as they walked into the subway. She sat down on one side as Roger and Mark sat across from her.

"Now you're talking." Collins was standing up as the subway started up. He fell back against the pole and laughed.

"Well, I'm thwarted by a metaphysic puzzle, and I'm sick of grading papers that I know. And I'm shouting in my sleep, I need a muzzle… And all this misery pays no salary, so let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe. Sunny Santa Fe would be nice." Collins was now holding out a paper cup that he had found on the ground and Roger threw a quarter into the cup. Collins laughed and threw it back.

"We'll open up a restaurant in Santa Fe, and leave this to the roaches and mice… Oh-oh." Mark was now standing up as the subway was moving. He was filming Collins and walking around. The others on the subway didn't seem to notice them at all.

"Oh-oh-oh-oh." Mark, Roger, and Angel sang as Collins walked around the subway car.

"You teach?"

"Yeah – I teach – computer age philosophy, but my students would rather watch TV."

Angel threw her arms up. "America."

"America." Collins, Roger, and Mark agreed.

"You're a sensitive aesthete; brush the sauce onto the meat. You could make the menu sparkle with rhyme. You could drum a gentle drum; I could seat guests as they come. Chatting not about Heidegger, but wine! Let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe… Ah oh – Our labors would reap financial gains Santa Fe."

"Gain." Mark said first as Collins pointed to each of them.

"Gain."

"Gain." Roger finished and smiled slightly.

"We'll open up a restaurant in Santa Fe and save from devastation our brains." Collins started and the rest of them joined in. Angel and Collins were moving around the subway car by now.

"Save our brains, we'll pack up all our junk and fly so far away. Devote ourselves to projects that sell… We'll open up a restaurant in Santa Fe, forget this cold Bohemian hell. Oh, oh… Ohhhhhh, ohhhhhh, ohhhhhh, ohhhhhh." They were all not sitting on one bench. Roger on one side of Collins, Angel on the other and Mark sitting next to Angel.

"Do you know the way to Santa Fe? You know… Tumbleweeds, prairie dogs…" Collins asked and they all nodded.

"Yeah…"

Angel laughed and looked up at the map. "Come on you guys, this is our stop." Angel said and stood up as they walked out of the subway.

As they exited the station, Roger spoke up. "So we're all meeting at Maureen's show right?" He questioned and they all nodded.

"Okay, we'll meet there. I'll bring Mimi… Do you mind if April comes along?" Angel asked and Roger shook his head.

"It wouldn't matter to me." He looked at the ground.

"Okay, we'll see you then."

"Yeah, we're already late for Maureen's sound check. See you." Mark said and grabbed Roger's arm, pulling him along as he jogged away from Angel and Collins. Collins looked at Angel and smiled. His hands were in his pockets.

"Cold." He said and Angel nodded.

"Come on." This is the perfect time to tell him. Angel thought to herself as they walked down the sideway side by side.

End of Santa Fe