Chapter 12

Legal Disclaimer-The characters belong to Jonathan Larson's estate. Not mine. Thanks to him though, I have the creative juices following. I appreciate it.

Author's Note-Thank you. No, seriously, all of you who have reviewed and have read this know that I appreciate it. It's so much fun to do this, it's feeding my rent obsession, and this is humbly dedicated to a co-worker and serious Renthead…you know who you are..LaPadre. Warning, some naughty language here. Some violence.

Roger and Mimi stopped for a moment outside of the Life Café. They had met up after work and were going to meet the other two couples, a chance to get away and enjoy themselves in the company of friends.

"God, we have needed to do this for so long," Mimi said, as Roger drew her in close.

"I agree," Roger said, kissing her, "And we've needed to do that too."

Mimi's smile broke the kiss.

"I know, we've both been busy," she laughed, "Let's get in there, Romeo, I'm starving."

Roger kissed her again and opened the door, acting the gallant gentleman. He looked around the busy street as he did so, familiar neighborhood faces going by. One face stood out, he noted it and continued inside.

Mark waved as Mary smiled. Collins and an Asian man were sitting across from them. Collins stood up and hugged Roger, after kissing Mimi on the cheek.

"Meems, Roger, meet Charles Chang," Collins said, "The love of my life."

Chang blushed.

"Pleased to meet you guys," Chang replied, "I've heard about you guys."

"All of it good," Roger sat down at the end of the table with Mimi, "I hope."

"You know it, " Collins replied, "Now, what will you two have? It's on me."

"Collins, mi amigo," Mimi began, "We can…"

"I invited you guys, therefore I am paying," Collins insisted, "Anyway, consider it rent."

Mark took his tea from the waiter and put his hand over Mary's. She looked at him, then wrapped her fingers in his hand.

"How was your day, really?" he asked softly.

"Wonderful," Mary replied, "The freedom of getting back out on the stage and just simply dancing is something I missed."

"Even though you did it two days ago?" Mark asked.

"Yeah, I guess I'm a workaholic," Mary laughed, "Comes with the territory."

Roger leaned over to Mimi.

"They are perfect for each other," he whispered, "The only problem is work. They work too damn hard to see it."

Mimi giggled. Roger was right. Mary and Mark's dedication to their chosen professions was stunning. It was also inspiring.

"I know, mi amo, I know," she said, "They don't see it."

"Mark's beginning to," Roger said, "Aren't you."

"Aren't I what?" Mark said, distracted, "You going on about my working too much again?"

Roger smiled. Mark was good at the mind reading still.

"You'll have to excuse my roommates, Mary," Mark laughed, "They still seem to think that I make mad passionate love to my camera."

"You don't?" Collins asked in mock indignation.

The glare Mark gave him could cut diamonds.

"Ha, Ha," Mark said, blushing.

"Need I remind you Mr. Davis," Mark began, in his best Benny impersonation, "That my job pays for the roof above our collective heads."

"And need I remind you that without me and Mimi, you wouldn't have heat, or power?" Roger laughed.

"Touché," Mark replied.

"You guys always do this?" Mary asked.

"Welcome to the family," Mark laughed, "With one you get 6, oops, 7, sorry Chang."

"Not offended," Chang replied, laughing along with the group, "Nice to be included."

"Nice to include you, "Roger commented, "It took Collins a long time to bring you around."

"Thanks," Chang replied, "The bad part is that I have to go. Family calls. I will see all of you tomorrow."

"I look forward to it," Mary said, smiling, "Have a great evening."

Collins stood up.

"I'll walk you out," he said, following him, "Be back in a few guys."

As the couple left, Roger, Mimi, Mary and Mark stared at each other. The silence was good, Mark observed, it was a normal part of relationships.

"How you doing Mary?" Roger asked, "You looked like you were at home on the stage."

"Thank you," Mary smiled, "It was like home. I only had one cop waiting for me when I was done. Turns out they're looking for Erin's ex-boyfriend as the main suspect. They don't have any photos of him."

"What does he look like?" Mark asked, "If he was stalking her, maybe I have him on film?"

Mary stopped for a second. She had forgotten that he had shot the ballerinas for a while until she said hello.

"His name is Kevin, Kevin McCardle," Mary continued, "He's about six feet with long black hair. You would say that he looks like those "Black Irish" type folks. From what Erin said he was a hunk."

Mary grew distant. The fact that her roommate was dead was finally sinking in. Mark noticed her face and squeezed her hand.

"It's okay, baby," Mark said, "When we get back home, I'll look through what I have shot, you look with me."

Mary nodded. Collins came back in and looked at them.

"Hey, hey, party time, no dark moments," Collins said, "We're alive. Reason enough to celebrate."

"Amen," Mary said softly, "Thanks for reminding me Collins."

"You're welcome, Mary," Collins replied, "Now, where were we? Picking on Mark?"

Mark threw his napkin at Collins as the group erupted into laughter.

About and hour later, the five found themselves heading back to the loft. Much to Mark's chagrin, it had started to snow, and he was without film in his camera. Roger explained to Mary that Mark loved to shoot snowfalls, trying to get the white snow on the dirt that is New York City. Mary understood and tried her best to comfort Mark, Collins laughed at the scene as their peace was suddenly interrupted.

The guy was about six foot, brunette, and in one lightning stroke, had Mary in a choke hold, knife to her throat. She reacted very calmly, barely moving.

"Mister, we are so not the people to hold up," Mimi said, staring the knife down, "We don't have two nickels to rub together."

Knife holder laughed. Mary took the moment to elbow him fiercely, getting him to let her go, but he still held the knife to her back.

"I'm not here to rob you guys," he said, "I'm here to tell this dancing bitch to forget who I am."

"And you are?" Mary asked snidely, "I don't know who you are."

"Your whore of a roommate did," he continued, "I'm Kevin, you know, the guy who you think killed her."

Mary stopped. She remembered the voice on her answering machine when Kevin couldn't find Erin one night. It was him.

"You are the only one who could have," Mary's voice was calm, but her hands shook.

Mark had frozen. He was mentally drawing the picture of the scene in his head of what had happened. He knew that he would be asked by the police what he looked like. He also realized, he had him on film.

"Bullshit, that little whore was sleeping around," Kevin continued, "Can you handle it little virgin? You know that's what she called you."

"Yeah, so what?" Mary replied, the anger rising in her voice, "She told me that she envied me for it, so I didn't have to worry about deranged trash like you."

Roger and Collins gave each other a sideways look. Mark, who found himself able to think again noticed their change of position and didn't want to see what was going to happen. He just knew he would follow it the best he could.

"Me Deranged?" Kevin laughed, "That's bullshit. The little whore gave me AIDS, you know that?"

Mary took a breath. Roger took that moment for action and jumped him. As Kevin went down into the snow, Roger screamed. Collins jumped him as well, pulling the attacker up in a choke hold. Roger stayed down, his hand under his jacket. The knife laid in the snow, covered in blood. Mark pulled Mary away from the drop, pulling her close to him.

"He cut you?" Collins yelled, "Dammit, you asshole, you don't know who you just messed with, Mark, Fuck, Mark snap out of it and call the cops."

Mark ran to call the cops as Mimi knelt to help Roger. Mary started to join her as Roger's pained voice stopped her.

"Don't touch me, Mary, I'm bleeding and I don't want you exposed," he said, "Mark would kill me."

Mimi muttered soothing words in Spanish. Her hands worked on his shoulder as she got him to expose his hand to her. It was cut open badly and bleeding. She pulled her scarf from around her neck and quickly wrapped it around the bleeding wound.

"Collins," Roger said, starting to stand up.

"You okay Roger?" Collins asked.

Roger stood unsteadily and turned to look at the man squirming under Collins' hold.

"Dude," he began, staring the man down, "I know where you're coming from, but killing her was not the way to handle it."

"What the fuck do you know about it?" McCardle growled, struggling with Collins.

"My girlfriend gave it to me then killed herself," Roger said blankly, "Killing her wasn't an option. I wanted to, but then again, I chose to live."

"You assholes jumped me," he screamed, "You deserve what you got."

Roger took a deep breath, pain beginning to replace adrenaline.

"No, we all didn't deserve it," Roger continued, as the sounds of sirens started to wail in the distance, "You're more than likely the one she got it from, you understand you shithead?"

"I'm no fag," McCardle replied.

"No, but the guy holding you is," Collins replied, "We're all exposed, but we choose to go on living you son a bitch. You killed her, therefore you stopped living. You know what the murder charge is in the state, right? The needle. The virus isn't going to get you, the state is."

Roger was torn between crying and hitting the man as hard as he could.

"Don't, this piece of shit isn't worth it, baby," Mimi said, knowing the look, "Let's get you looked at."

Roger nodded. There had been enough death in the past week. It was time for some living.

Mary took the moment. She had held herself back long enough. This man had killed her roommate and made her life a living hell for the past two days.

Mark arrived back on the scene, wanting to stop her, but finding himself not able to speak.

"Kevin," she said, walking in front of Roger, "This one's for Erin."

She hit him with every once of emotion that she had left. While it didn't draw any blood, you could hear his jaw crack. He whimpered the look in his eyes of pain and fury. Mary turned from him back to Mark, who was both stunned by the scene and scared for Mary. Her eyes had gone from wild animal to completely and totally lost. She had started to cry, a cry somewhat animal, but that of a lost child. Mark took her into his arms, and simply held her.

The cops pulled up and took McCardle away, waiting for the medics and started to take comments from everyone. Mark, Mary and Collins all spoke to the cops, Mary still shaking from her anger. Mimi sat with Roger as the medic looked him over, stitching his hand while she waited, and her hand gripping his good one tightly.

It was a minor wound, the gauze, the two stitches and the 'happy to help' medic making sure that Roger was okay. He had been the first medical person that hadn't flinched or refused to look at Roger since he was diagnosed and was even going against regulations to do the stitches then and there to help him go through less pain. Roger was grateful that the medic understood and surprised when he gave him a mild painkiller for the next morning.

After they were done, the five returned to the loft. Collins opened the door quickly, walked into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of Vodka. He found five glasses and poured shots into each one of them.

"We all need this," Collins said, handing them out, "To being alive."

They all silently drank, lost in their own thoughts. Mark turned from them and went to the table where cut scenes from his movie were still laid out. Wordlessly, he pulled a length of film and loaded it into his moviola.

Watching the tiny screen, he noted the scene with a wax pencil. The group watched him. Roger a little disgusted, both by the pain in his hand and Mark not speaking.

"What the fuck are you doing, Mark?" Roger asked.

"Helping put this bastard behind permanently," he said, his voice anger flat, "The cops asked me if I had any footage of him. I do."

"From when you and I met," Mary said, softly, "Damn, if I hadn't gone chasing after you I might have saved Erin from him finding out…"

Mary stopped, her face turning slightly green.

"I think I'm going to be…" she said, running for the bathroom.

She managed to make the bathroom before she vomited everything that she had eaten. Between the tears that strangely formed in her eyes and throwing up, she didn't feel the gentle hands pull her hair back and let her vomit. When she was done, a hand gave her a small wet towel to wipe her face.

As she did, she realized who her benefactor was. Mimi.

"You, hermana have been through a lot," she said, "Not your usual day in the life of a ballerina."

Mary laughed. Mimi had a point.

"Mary," Mimi started, "You have a guy out there who would move the world for you and probably will. You also have many other friends who care. Don't forget it. Okay?"

"I won't, mi amiga," Mary said, "Thank you."

Mimi handed her the glass Mary had drunk her vodka from. She then reached into the cabinet and pulled out a small unopened bottle of Listerine. She poured it into the glass and gave it to her.

"See you in a few, okay?" Mimi replied.

Mary nodded, gargling

She headed out the door a few minutes later to a concerned look from Collins, Roger sitting on the couch nursing his hand, and Mark with his arms open.

"You okay Mary?" he asked, hugging her.

"Now I am," she replied, "Thank you for being you."

"No problem," Mark replied, "Besides, I never want to piss you off."

"Why?" Mary was confused.

"You don't realize you broke his jaw?" Collins asked.

"No," Mary looked at him, "Really?"

"That's what the medic told me," Roger said, "Thought I did it."

"Really? I didn't realize I was that angry," she replied, sitting down next to Roger, "By the way, thank you for doing that."

"Doing what?" Roger smiled a little drunkenly.

Mary kissed him on the forehead, then stood up to join Mark on the window ledge.

"Being heroes, all of you," Mary said, "I appreciate it."

The five sat in the loft, realizing their joy in their life together.