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Dru

Chapter 4

Uncertainties: The condition of being uncertain; doubt.

"It wasn't that funny Roger," Mark growled in frustration at the rocker who was doubled over on the couch in hysteria.

"Yes it was," Roger giggled wiping at his eyes. "You should've seen your face Mark."

"Shut up!" Mark snapped, setting his glasses right on the bridge of his nose. When he had sat on the couch Roger had very maturely jumped out to scare him. It had worked magnificently. Mark went to the kitchen, looking in their empty cupboards for some inspiration for dinner. He made sure he made as much unnecessary noise as he could as Roger went back to the song he had been working on earlier in the afternoon.

"Roger?" Mark called after there had been silence for a little while.

"Here," his low voice came right near Mark's ear. He jumped and Roger laughed still getting over his little prank.

"Stop sneaking up on me like that," Mark scolded, his face heating a bit in embarrassment.

"Oh what's a matter with you?" Roger hooked his thumbs in Mark's belt loops, gently tickling his sides before pulling him into a kiss. There weren't any complaints from Mark's side. Just more blushing. Just more wandering hands. Just more uncertainties about the future.

Mimi held the baby uncertainly in her arms as Roger handed her one of the other bottles Joanne had left for them.

"I can't believe the microwave actually works," Mark commented, rubbing his tired eyes as Mimi looked up at Roger with her wide ones.

"I don't think I can do it Roger," she said gently, holding the warmed bottle in her hand, the baby beginning to cry.

"Yes you can Mimi," Roger sat on the other side of her and helped her ease the bottle into the little boys' mouth. Once he began to suck he let go and let Mimi take over.

"Oh my god," Mimi swallowed, her eyes locking into his. "He's so beautiful." The little boy smiled around the bottle and waved his little arms in the air. Mark smiled.

"I think he thinks so too." Roger put his hand on his head again, gently stroking as Mimi continued to feed him. He sucked hungrily until it was empty and even after made little noises like he was attempting to have more.

"Should we get going?" he asked after wiping the baby's mouth and setting the bottle on the coffee table.

"He's going to be so cold," Mimi observed softly. The tiny boy was still wrapped in the blanket Roger had put around him last night but other then that all he had was his diaper which hadn't been changed since Joanne had left last night.

"I'll take him," Roger smiled as the little boys' eyes widened when he caught sight of him. He zipped him up into his jacket like he did last night, still snuggled into his little cocoon. "You coming Mark?"

Mark looked up at Roger wanting to laugh at how ridiculously adorable he looked with the little boy zipped up close to his chest.

"Yeah…yeah I'm coming."

Joanne met up with them outside the front of the police station.

"How is he?" she whispered, pulling Roger's leather coat back just a little bit to gaze at the little boy. He was sound asleep completely warm and content close to Roger's warm body.

"He's doing pretty alright," Roger whispered back. "He slept through the night."

"That's good," Joanne smiled gently. "Did he drink the other bottle?"

"I fed him," Mimi beamed proudly. Joanne smiled. "Good girl Mimi." She giggled. Mark stood a little off to the side, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his coat. He was kinda sad to see the little guy go. It had been fun to watch Roger play 'all knowing adult' for once. Not that he didn't like taking care of Roger. But that was a whole different story for a whole different time. Joanne sighed.

"Well, after you," she grinned sadly as she followed Mimi up the steps to the police station. Roger lagged behind a bit to stand with Mark.

"Are you okay?" he whispered.

"What? Yeah why?" Mark asked, growing flustered for no apparent reason. The baby stirred against Roger and let out a little whine.

"It's okay Mark," Roger reached out to stroke his cheek. Mark turned red immediately and grabbed his hand.

"Not here Roger," he pleaded weakly. He wasn't quite yet sure how their relationship was going to work into the scheme of things with Mimi back in the picture. But what he did know was that he wasn't quite ready to be caught and questioned about the affectionate little touches. Roger wasn't afraid. Mark was terrified.

"Are you guys coming?" Mimi called.

"Yeah," Roger gave Mark a last glance before grabbing his arm loosely and tugging him along with him. It was early in the morning and the police station was pretty much deserted. Two officers were behind a desk, one at a computer and one filling out a chart of some sort.

"Excuse me officer," Joanne went up to the desk. The officer filling out the chart looked up.

"May I help you miss? Jefferson is it? I bailiff-ed at one of your cases last week."

"Oh yes…," Joanne said even though the man didn't even look vaguely familiar to her. "Well see my friends," she paused to gesture to Mark, Roger, and Mimi. "Were out walking last night and they stumbled across this little boy." She pulled back Roger's coat again to reveal the tiny face of the little boy who had opened his eyes and was blinking around blearily at everyone.

"Oh wow," the officer at the computer looked up. "Was he abandoned?"

"It looked that way," Roger spoke after clearing his throat. "He was all alone. Near a dumpster. He didn't have a note on him or anything." They looked expectantly at the officer that had recognized Joanne.

"Does this…happen a lot?" Mimi asked softly after he had been silent for a while. He let out a long sigh.

"Unfortunately miss. People stricken with AIDS…some get scared and abandoned their infants. It's rare we get a bigger guy like him. He looks to be what? 4, 5 months old?" Mimi and Roger nodded mutely both feeling the same tightening in their chest at the mention of the disease that had taken away Angel and was slowly eating away at them as well. Mark spoke up.

"What can you do?"

"Well we can put him into the system and search for the mother. Family members, things like that."

"How long will that take?" Roger asked the boy beginning to squirm in his arms, whining up somewhat of a storm now. "Hey shhh…boy-boy it's alright." The baby quieted some at Roger's voice. The police officer spoke again after a period of silence.

"It could take days, weeks, months. It's hard to really give an exact amount of time," he gazed sadly at the baby who Roger had now cradled and was looking up at him with big blue eyes. "We can take him from you." He stepped out from behind the desk.

"Wait…where's he going to go?" Roger asked.

"More then likely foster care. A group home. Somewhere temporary while we locate his mother."

"Can we…," Mark swallowed. "Can we be his foster care?" Roger, Mimi, and Joanne all gave him the same look. The same look that said 'at least you were brave enough to say it'. The officer stared at Roger and the small baby again who fisted up the fabric of Roger's shirt and cooed happily as he tickled the skin under his chin.

"You understand this is quite a commitment? A child isn't like an animal you can send away when you're not in the mood for it anymore," he said, raising his eyebrow slightly.

"There are four of us," Joanne spoke. "And two more at home that can help." She was talking about Maureen and Collins. Mark smirked. Maureen and Collins with a baby. Now that definitely almost guaranteed many hours of entertainment.

"And you do understand there are financial responsibilities that come with this? Formula, diapers, clothing?"

"Yes well…you do know that police stations, fire stations, the works…usually help people like us with things like that?" Joanne smiled at the officers' smirk.

"You guys truly and honestly want to do this?"

They nodded simultaneously. But also simultaneously they were all silently asking themselves what they were really getting into.

"Okay…I'll need some contact information and you'll need to sign some forms," he went back behind his desk.

"What are we doing?" Mimi asked gently, stroking the little boys head. "What are we doing? We don't know how to take care of a baby."

"He needs us," Roger said softly. "It'll be okay…we'll work through it together." Mimi followed Joanne to fill out the paperwork, again leaving Mark and Roger alone with the baby. Roger stared intently at Mark for a second.

"You do think we'll be okay…don't you?"

Mark swallowed. "Of course I do Rog." The baby gurgled from Roger's arms and started to cry again. Mark blushed at the sideways glance Roger gave him before going over to Mimi and Joanne. More thoughts clouded his head. More what ifs of what was to come.

More uncertainties about the future.