Chapter 5:

Maureen was draped across her bed in the black negligee Joanne had gotten her for Christmas before she left. The diva flipped through the photo album in front of her. She traced a photo of Joanne lightly.

"Happy birthday Pookie," she said quietly. A knock on the door shattered Maureen's thoughts. She grabbed her matching knee length robe, and went to answer the door. There was another knock. "I'm coming, I'm coming dammit!" Maureen tied the sash around her waist, and opened the door. The diva froze. "Joanne?" Joanne smiled weakly, and shoved her hands in her pockets.

"Hey Maureen," she said quietly. Neither one knew exactly what to say. Maureen realized that she was standing in the doorway in her nightgown.

"You want to come in?" The diva stood to the side, so Joanne could go inside.

An uncomfortable silence filled the lavish apartment. Joanne glanced around. Everything looked exactly the same as the day she had left.

"So, how have you been?" she asked Maureen.

"How have I been? How the hell do you think I've been? You leave two years ago without as much as a fucking goodbye! How do you think I am? You're back now, and you probably expect me to welcome you back with open arms. Well I have news for you. I, I…" Maureen stopped. Was she really going to push Joanne away again? "I love you Pookie." Maureen threw her arms around Joanne's neck, and pressed her lips against the lawyer's. Joanne deepened the kiss, and wrapped her arms around Maureen's waist.

"I'm sorry I left," she said when they broke off the kiss. Maureen stroked Joanne's cheek. Both women were on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry I yelled."

"I deserved it though." Maureen held Joanne close, and buried her face in the nape of her neck. The lawyer still wore the same perfume, felt the same in her arms. Their bodies still molded together perfectly after two years. Tears slid down Maureen's cheek. Joanne gently stroked the diva's hair.

"I missed you so much!" Joanne kissed Maureen with years of lost passion. The lawyer slowly united the sash around Maureen's waist. The robe slid to a puddle at the diva's feet. Somehow, the couple made their way over to the couch. Soon, it was flesh on flesh for the first time for both of them in two years.

Maureen's eyes fluttered open. She felt something heavy on top of her. When she realized that it was Joanne, she wrapped her arms around the lawyer even tighter, and drifted off to sleep.

Sunlight streamed through the window, waking Joanne up. She was lying on top of Maureen who was still fast asleep. Her full lips were parted slightly, and her dark curls spilled past her shoulders. Joanne gently kissed Maureen's cheek, and got up carefully. Before she went to shower, she covered Maureen up with a blanket. Joanne found that Maureen had left all the stuff she had left behind exactly where she had left them. The lawyer closed the bathroom door, and began to take a shower.

Maureen rolled over on the couch. She pulled the blanket around her. Had it all been a wonderful dream, or was Joanne really back? The sound of the shower running quickly answered her question. Maureen got up, wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, and trudged over to the bathroom. She climbed into the shower, and wrapped her arms around Joanne's waist. Joanne leaned back against her girlfriend, and kissed her tenderly.

"Morning," she said.

"Morning yourself." Joanne put her hands over Maureen's. "I thought that all of last night was a dream." Joanne turned around, and squeezed Joanne's ass.

"Then that was one hell of a dream." The lawyer began to kiss Maureen's neck, causing the diva to moan loudly. Soon, they were in the middle of an all out make out session.

Later, Joanne was digging through her old clothes while Maureen finished showering. The photo album Maureen had been looking through was still on the bed. Joanne flipped through the album. All seven of them looked so happy together. So many things had changed over the past few years. Joanne pulled on jeans and a sweater, and went to go make some coffee. Half an hour later, Maureen waltzed out of the bathroom.

"Mmm, coffee," she said as she leaned against the counted next to Joanne. "Listen Pookie, I want to know why you left." Joanne focused on the coffee pot.

"It's complicated," she replied simply. Maureen grabbed Joanne's shoulder, and spun her around to face her.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's fairly simple, but you'll make it complicated with your damn Ivy League vocabulary!"

"It's complicated because I'm not even sure at times!" Joanne cried. "After losing Angel, and nearly losing Mimi, I knew that I couldn't watch my friends die. I was always the strong one, and I was afraid of what would happen if I stayed and couldn't take it anymore." Maureen pulled Joanne close. She had never seen the lawyer so emotionally unstable. "I'm not proud of my choice to leave, but I needed a break. I should have stayed, I'm sorry." Maureen kissed the top of Joanne's head. Since Joanne had left, she had become more grown up and responsible. Maureen calmed Joanne down, and they finished making breakfast.

That afternoon, Joanne sat on the couch with Maureen's head in her lap. Sometimes they'd talk, but they were mostly enjoying being together.

"Hey Pookie?" Maureen asked. Joanne gently ran her fingers through the diva's soft hair.

"Hmm?"
"We were going to go to the Life for dinner. Do you want to go?" Joanne stopped to think. "If you don't want to though, I can think of some other things we could do." A seductive smile crept across Maureen's face.

"I want to go see everyone. It's been so long." Maureen nodded; she was trying to be understanding even though she wanted to stay in with Joanne all night.

Joanne paced back and forth while waiting for Maureen to change. They were going to meet everyone at the Life, but the rest of the Bohemians didn't know that the lawyer was going to be joining them.

"Maureen, hurry up!" Joanne yelled.

"One sec, I have to look perfect!" Maureen replied from the bedroom. Joanne rolled her eyes. Some things never change. Five more minutes passed.

"Maureen!"

"I'm coming! Keep your fucking pants on!" Joanne heard the bedroom door being slammed shut only to be opened two minutes later. "See? Was it that hard to wait?" Maureen walked into the room in her black leather boots, green camouflage pants, and a black V-neck with small green rhinestones along the V that showed off some cleavage.

"You're going to freeze, it's January!"

"And you're going to drive me crazy with your constant nagging," Maureen shot back as she pulled on her jacket and fingerless gloves.

"Well excuse me for giving a damn about my girlfriend!"

"I'm a big girl, and can take care of myself. Not that you'd know." Maureen's words stung Joanne. The lawyer opened and closed her mouth several times before speaking.

"If you don't want me here, then I'll leave." When Joanne tried to go grab her jacket, Maureen grabbed her wrist.

"Please don't leave," she said quietly. "I can't lose you again." Joanne pulled on her jacket, and wrapped her arms around Maureen's neck.

"I'm not going anywhere." Maureen began to kiss Joanne tenderly, and slid her fingers into her girlfriend's jeans. The diva moved her lips down Joanne's neck. "Mo, mo, we really should get going. They're going to be waiting."

"The hell with them all," Maureen whispered in Joanne's ear. "The lawyer gently pushed her girlfriend away.

"Later, I promise." Maureen pouted and took Joanne's hand. The lawyer was nervous about going back, but at the same time, she couldn't wait.

A/N: One more chapter.

Tina101