Disclaimer: Yup. I still don't own it. Or tick,tick...BOOM! Either (that'll make a lot more sense at the end of the chapter.

Authoress note: Thanks again for the reviews. I'm glad you guys like Alexia! She is most defiantly not a Mary Sue. Thanks to SparklyDragnStrikers for suggesting that I show that. This chapter's not going to be as slapstick-y funny.

I'll update soon.

Sorry it's so long.

TTYL

Chapter Two:

Mark wasn't up yet, and Alexia sat on the couch, already showered and dressed in her little pink collared shirt and olive green shorts, flipping through Vogue, a cup of rapidly cooling tea in her hands. Maureen flung the door open, and Alexia shushed her, pointing to the closed bedroom door. Maureen just sighed, clearly pissed.

"Joanne used some of my paper last night."

Alexia retorted "I bought the building last night."

"That's cool", a short pause, "WHAT!"

Alexia shushed her again. "I'm waiting until they get up to tell them."

Maureen practically fell over what Roger and Mark called the coffee table that Alexia completely intended to replace soon, trying to sit next to Alexia on the couch. " You bought the building! How?"

"Threatened Benny." Alexia laughed, "But no one else needs to know that."

"Threatened him, How?"

"I told him I'd have someone at my father's office check into his back tax records." Alexia pulled a piece of paper out of her magazine. "Here, read this, is it obvious enough?" She handed the paper to Maureen. In Alexia's handwriting, it read:

Marky,

I, Alexia Hemmingway, forever forgo any collection of rent to be paid by the tenants of this apartment. A copy of this document is on file at Senator Alex Hemmingway's office, and at the realty office of Hemmingway, Hemmingway and Cavanaugh.

I Love You Pookie,

Alexia Hemmingway

Maureen blinked a few times.

Pookie? That's what she used to call Mark. But, then she shook her head. "No, there's something missing."

Alexia looked confused. "Somethings Missing?"

"Yeah," Maureen was now digging in her purse, and taking things out that weren't what she was looking for, setting them on the couch between she and Alexia. First, a roll of toilet paper. Dear God, Alexia thought, She's even carrying it around. Then, her keys, then an apple. Alexia looked at her strangely. "Lunch." Maureen explained.

Alexia just nodded.

Maureen pulled her cosmetics case out of her bag and thrust it at Alexia, who replied "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"There's some lipstick in a shiny green case and a mirror in there. Put some of the lipstick on." Maureen paused, Alexia didn't do anything. "Well, hurry before Mark wakes up."

Alexia obeyed, but, as she was gliding the red over her lips, she looked over the top of the mirror and saw Maureen folding the paper right beneath her signature. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

Maureen just shoved the paper at her. "Blot." she said, and unfolded the paper, gingerly smoothing it out so that it appeared to never have been folded. She looked at it proudly, and passed it to Alexia. "There. You signed it with a kiss." She got up to place it on the table, where Mark would see it.

Mimi came out of the bathroom, and tip-toed over to Alexia "We've gotta go." she said

"I wanted to wait until Mark got up and saw the note."

"No time, we'll be late and they'll think it was my fault."

Alexia looked toward Mark's door, as if she expected it to open, "Fine" she grabbed her jacket and handbag and started to leave with a simple "Bye Maureen."

"Wait, wait, wait, where are you going?"

"The theater." Alexia answered, "Mimi wanted to see how being an actress worked."

"Why didn't you invite me?" Maureen whined. She really was trying to make friends with Alexia, for Mark's sake if nothing else. They were pretty serious, who knows, she might be around for a while. God, they way Mark talked about her, she may be around for ever, but Alexia was making it kind of hard.

"Well," Alexia answered earnestly, "I thought you wouldn't want to come, because you're so popular for your pieces around her and I thought coming to a rehearsal for a three person musical might bore you."

Maureen grabbed her coat. "Are you kidding me?"

And with that, they left, leaving Mark and Roger to see the note informing them of their new landlord, er, landlady.

Walking down the busy New York Street, busy with people rushing in and out of building, talking on cell phones, and answering beeping pagers, Mimi suddenly turned to Alexia.

"Have you ever thought what it would be like to, you know, settle down."

Both Alexia and Maureen stopped dead in their tracks.

"What?" Alexia asked, confused. "Settle down?"

Mimi just kind of smiled. "Yeah, you know, get married, buy a dog-"

"Adopt a dog." Alexia interrupted. Maureen glared at her as if the words have just been stolen out of her mouth.

"Fine, fine adopt a dog, have kids-"

"No way."

"Oh, why not Alexia?"

"I don't like kids. They're all like Mark's little nieces and nephews. Snot nosed little germ balls that are dumped on you at the most inopportune moments."

Maureen had to think a minute. Then, she shook the thought from her mind. "Good." she said. "Honeybear and I can just drop ours off with Auntie Alexia and Uncle Marky, and then we can have a night out on the town!"

Alexia and Mimi couldn't help thinking the same thing. God help the kids Maureen is a parent to. Luckily, she, in her current relationship anyway, ever have kids. Alexia told her so. "Maureen, you and Joanne can't have kids."

Maureen tisked "If you can adopt a dog, than Joanne and I can certainly adopt a kid."

Alexia just nodded with a simple "Whatever you say Maureen.".

It grew quiet between the three of them for a while, and then Maureen asked abruptly "Alexia, are you and Mark serious? Like, really serious?"

Alexia looked at her oddly. "I certainly hope so."

"Do you love each other?"

Alexia just started rambling, she didn't even think about it. "I've never been in love before, Mo, I don't have a very big frame of reference. Hell, I don't have a frame of reference, all I have is the matted print. I feel giddy, like I'm being tickled when I come home from the theater at night, and he's there, asleep on the couch, trying to wait up for me. I feel safe, safer than I've ever felt when I'm with him. And, when it's really cold, and Mark's sitting there on the window seat, watching the snow falling, I'll go over and cuddle with him. And even though it's cold and I know that, I feel warm, and I know he feels the same way, too. And when I'm away from him at a really long rehearsal, my heart hurts Mo. You'll probably think I'm insane, but, I'll call him just to hear his voice. Just to hear him say I love you." She took a deep breath and looked Maureen right in the eyes. "Yes Maureen. I'm in love."

Maureen smiled. Alexia did love Mark more than she ever did. "Yes, you are in love."

Mimi ran a few steps ahead of Alexia. "Mrs. Alexia Cohen." she looked at Maureen. "It does sound good, doesn't it?"

"So does Mrs. Mimi Davis!" Alexia retorted playfully, sticking her tongue out. They laughed.

They both turned on Maureen. They didn't even have to say it. She did for them, "Or Mrs. Maureen Jefferson."

Alexia stopped laughing for a second, and then, chuckled, to hide the fact that she didn't think that name sounded right. But, then she smiled warmly for real. She and Maureen and Mimi were acting like they were sixteen again, giggling like school girls with crushes. Only, their crushes were the real thing this time.

She didn't need the real sisters she had longed for so much in her childhood. She had a perfect pair right in front of her.

Maureen opened the door to the theater for Alexia. "Right this way, Mrs. Alexia Cohen."

Alexia smiled. It did sound good.

Maureen had been wrong back in the loft. Very wrong. She was bored, and dozing off in the tiny Workshop space.

Then, there was screaming and jumping up and down, and Maureen was suddenly awake. "Lincoln Center! LINCOLN CENTER!" she heard Mimi and Alexia scream. The director, a red head who Maureen had noticed earlier and resolved to get her phone number in case things with Joanne went sour (they had been bickering more than usual lately), tapped Alexia on the shoulder.

"Okay, calm down." then she spoke to everyone, all three cast members and six crew with Mimi and Maureen sitting in, "This is the big time. Not usually does a three person show get to Lincoln Center."

Alexia crept back into the apartment around two-thirty in the morning, having sent Mimi home at ten, and Maureen at eleven. Rehearsal had run late, really late. She was supposed to be out of there by six, but with everything that happened.

It was hard to believe that Lincoln Center wanted them. Her and the two other actors. And in six days. Crazy.

She turned on a nearby lamp, and saw Mark on the couch, waiting for her. She got that tickled feeling. He was waiting up for her. On closer examination, she realized that he had fallen asleep. She wondered if it sucked having an actress for a girlfriend, having to wait for her when rehearsal ran late, possibly having to watch her kiss other men for the sake of art, not being able to film her rehearsals for copyright reasons.

But, if Mark cared, he never said anything. She did love him, and he loved her.

Alexia sat her bag and libretto down, then went over and sat down next to Mark. He woke up immediately, and sat up, straightening his glasses. When he saw who it was sitting next to him, he said "I got the note. You actually bought the building."

"Yeah."

"You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to."

"You don't have to forgo the rent, either. Rog and I'll come up with it somehow."

"You are not paying rent to your girlfriend." she paused, then took his hand, noticing that it was colder than hers, and she always had cold hands anyway. "We made Lincoln Center."

"What?" Mark asked, not sure he had heard what she had said correctly.

"Lincoln Center wants us, the play, I mean. Didn't Mimi tell you?" she asked, shocked that Mimi could keep anything to herself.

"Damn, I must have fallen asleep before she came in." Mark yawned.

"Then go back to sleep."

"What about you?" he asked.

"I'll be right back." Alexia answered, and then went off to take a shower, noticing that Mimi wasn't in her room, or Roger's, who was up and playing his guitar. He motioned Alexia into his room. She hesitated for a moment, and then entered.

"Is Mimi with you?" he asked.

"No," Alexia retorted, "I sent her home at ten. She was starting to fall asleep. She's not here?"

"No." Roger grabbed a sweatshirt, threw it on, and before she knew it, was brushing past Alexia.

"Do you want me to go with you?" she asked, worried where Roger may be heading.

"No. Mark's been waiting all night for you to get home. Stay with him." And with that, Roger was out of the loft.

So, Alexia went into the bathroom, undressed and stepped into the shower. The hot water felt good. She was sore from running the second number so many times. And now, she was worried about Mimi.

As she stepped out of the bathroom, she heard the door open, and Roger and Mimi entered, kissing, and kept kissing until they were right past her and into Roger's room, without even noticing her.

Alexia didn't even want to know.

She turned of the lamp, and head Roger's door slam shut. In the darkness, she walked over to the couch and laid down next to Mark. Why she hadn't told him to go to bed, she didn't know, and laying at the odd angle she was, trying not to slip of the edge, wished she had. But, then, still asleep, Mark put his arm around her, holding on to her, and she knew she couldn't fall of the couch if she wanted to.

A strange thought floated into Alexia's head:

Mrs. Alexia Cohen.

Mimi and Maureen were right. She did want to settle down eventually. She wanted to settle down with Mark, and do the whole thing. Marriage, dog – well, okay, not the kids part. She still wasn't crazy about little kids, and she and Mark would be stuck babysitting Maureen's all the time anyway- and it would be perfect

It was a wonderful thought.

And she was asleep before something else could push it out of her mind.

Love? Alexia, Maureen and Mimi talking about marriage? Alexia's show making an appearance at Lincoln Center? Alexia deciding she did eventually want to settle down with Mark? What will Mark think about that?

I'll update soon, I promise.

TTYL