-1A/N: Yeah sorry I waited so long to update...but I kinda forgot. This chapter's shorter too...sorry, but I thought I had a good place to stop.

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

After that horrible experience, Joanne thought she would never take Maureen for granted again.

She was very wrong.

Yes, the two went out that day. Yes, they had a great time. Yes, Joanne told Maureen she loved her a few more times than really necessary. Yes, they had a wonderful weekend. But by Monday, it was like nothing had happened.

It was the same situation they had come across Thursday night. Joanne was at the computer, and Maureen was on the couch. Except this time, Maureen's whining was more persistent. Finally, Joanne snapped.

"Maureen, please," she pleaded, ready to pull her hair out of her head, "go somewhere. Anywhere. I just need peace and quiet."

"Like where?" Maureen whined.

"I don't know. Call Mark. See if they're doing anything tonight."

Maureen made a face and groaned. "But I want to spend time with you not them."

Joanne tapped her fingers on her desk in thought. "Well, how bout I make you a deal."

Maureen lifted her head, hoping it would be something that involved her and Joanne doing something together. "Ok."

Joanne bit her thumb nail a little. She did that when she was thinking. "Be home by eleven," she said, "and I'm all yours."

Maureen's face lit up with a smile. "And I can do whatever I want with you?"

Joanne smiled. "Whatever you want."

"Deal."

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

Two in the morning. Joanne was still at her computer. Angry. Very angry.

Maureen had wound up going to the Life Café with the rest of the crew. She had left around 8, and had failed to return home.

Joanne had opted not to call the Life and see if she was there figuring Maureen would be terribly embarrassed. She had more consideration on that part than her girlfriend did, who felt free to call her at anytime she was at work. Maureen had a habit of "borrowing" Joanne's phone when she wasn't around and...altering some of the settings. For example, once the drama queen had made it so that when she called the phone, the ring tone would be a recording of her declaring, "Pookie! It's Maureen, your sex slave! Answer the phone!"

It had rung like that during a meeting. Joanne ran out of the room, red in the face, and had quite a long conversation with Maureen about "acceptable behavior."

She guessed she would be having this conversation with her again. Coming home at two AM when you promised to come home at eleven is not "acceptable behavior."

Joanne shook her head, and was about to call it a night when she heard a knock on the door.

Joanne froze. Who would be coming here this late? Maureen had a key.

Had something happened to Maureen?

Memories of that horrible dream came back to her, as she blinked tears from her eyes. Was this a dream too? Was it for real this time? Had Maureen forgotten her key?

Joanne stood up, and opened the door. Behind it was Collins, cradling her beloved Maureen in his arms. Passed out.

"She um.." Collins started. He didn't know how to explain to Joanne why her girlfriend had let her down once again, "She got into a drinking contest. With Roger. She won."

Joanne was fuming. She couldn't care less whether or not Maureen had beaten Roger.

"She stumbled off afterwards...we figured to the bathroom, or home, or whatever. Then hours later we found her under the table, passed out. Too much to drink. She'll be fine in the morning, though. She used to do this all the time."

He gave Joanne a weak smile, before trading Maureen over to her. He bid her goodnight, and closed the door behind him, leaving Joanne standing there, dumbfounded, with Maureen in her arms.

Joanne took Maureen back to their room, lying her down on the bed, and shaking her head. This was the last straw. Joanne wanted to settle down soon, to have a family. She thought Maureen was the one, but she supposed she was wrong. The diva was too...well, immature. And unless she made a drastic change, then Joanne was going to have to find someone else. Someone more dependable.

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

Maureen woke the next morning with a massive hangover. Her head throbbed with every move she made, and she was allover sore. She didn't even remember coming home last night. Had she come home last night? Did her and Joanne do anything? She wished for the life of her that she could remember. All she could recall was walking into the Café, and Roger challenging her to a drinking contest and...o yeah.

She hadn't come home last night.

She turned her pounding head, half hoping to see Joanne, but finding no one.

She stumbled out of the room, tripping over herself. "Pookie..." she whined. Upon entering the living room, she saw Joanne at her damned computer, and two packed bags at the door. "Honey are we going somewhere?" she asked.

"You are, " Joanne replied, not looking up.

Maureen was confused, and the hangover wasn't helping. "Going where?"

"Anywhere. I don't care really. As long as you're out of here." Joanne had turned around in her seat now to face Maureen.

Things started to click. "Honey please, it wasn't that big a deal," she protested, "Just give me one more chance."

Joanne sighed. "Maureen," she started, "you know I love you."

"Then what's the issue?" she begged.

"You're not serious enough. You're immature and irresponsible," Maureen looked hurt, but Joanne continued, "Maureen, I want to have kids some day."

"I do too!" Maureen shot back, "We could have kids together! We could adopt!"

Joanne shook her head, "If I had kids with you, then who would help me take care of them? Obviously not you, Maureen. You can't even take care of yourself."

Maureen was hurt. Joanne couldn't possibly mean this. She wasn't that irresponsible, was she?

"So," Joanne continued, picking up the bags and handing them to Maureen, "it's over. Maybe we can talk again when you've grown up."

Maureen didn't even bother arguing. She knew when Joanne had made up her mind. So she held her head high and left her key to the apartment on the table. And with that, she was gone.