Note: Sorry for the delay...the next chapter will be up in a little while though. This story's winding down. Thanks for all the reviews!

Maureen stared at Mark for a minute before speaking. "But my dad met you…he never…"

"It was before I got my glasses and my hair was longer then. Even if he had recognized me, he didn't know it was my dad that hit you guys."

"You never mentioned that your dad…"

Mark's eyes glittered with unshed tears. "I know and maybe I should've. I just… I had no idea…I didn't know how to bring it up."

"Mark, you do know it's not your fault, right?" Maureen asked.

He looked away, a few solitary tears sliding down his cheeks. Roger stood and went to him. He grabbed Mark by the shoulder and turned him around.

"It is not your fault, Mark," he said, tears in his own eyes.

"My dad killed your son."

"Exactly. Your dad did it. Not you," Maureen said.

"If I had been home—"

"Don't. Don't do that. Maureen and I have done that enough to ourselves. I won't let you do that to yourself too."

Mark jerked away from Roger. "It's true, though. If I had been home, he-he would've had a way to…he would've been too busy…he never would've…"

"Mark, he beat the hell out of you. You had a chance to get the hell out of there and you did. That's what any normal person would do!"

He wouldn't face Roger or Maureen. He was shaking slightly. "I should have known. Then I would've come home and he—"

Roger stepped towards him. "Not your fault, Mark. I'm Aaron's father and I'm telling you, it's not your fault."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Maureen said.

Mark turned and looked at her.

"Don't," she said. "It means you did something wrong and you didn't. Roger's right. It's not your fault."

Mark turned towards the door, wanting to bolt again. Roger wrapped his arms around him, holding him in place.

"Roger, let go of me."

"No."

"Let go of me!" Mark squirmed in Roger's arms. Roger held Mark's back firmly against his chest.

"Not until you say it."

"Say what?"

"That it wasn't your fault."

"Don't do this, Roger," Mark said softly.

"Say it. I'll hold you here all night if that's what it takes for you to say that it wasn't your fault," Roger's voice cracked as he spoke. He refused to let Mark blame himself for what Roger felt was his own fault.

The trio sat in silence for a minute.

"You're…you're right," Mark mumbled.

"About what?"

"Everything."

"Say it."

"You're right about everything."

"Mark, just say that it wasn't your fault. I need you to know that it wasn't your fault."

Something in Mark crashed away and he began to cry. "It wasn't?"

"No. It wasn't your fault," Roger whispered, still holding him tight. "Say it."

"It wasn't…it wasn't my fault…"

Roger took a deep breath. "No, it wasn't. It wasn't your fault."

"It wasn't my fault."

Mark turned in Roger's arms and hugged him tightly. The two cried, Mark repeating over and over, "not my fault, not my fault." Roger whispered reassurances to Mark that he didn't blame him, that it wasn't his fault. When they pulled apart, Maureen was standing beside them, new tears on her cheeks.

"It wasn't your fault, Mark," she said, hugging him.

He managed a nod and hugged her tightly.

Roger called downstairs to Mimi's loft. "You guys wanna come back up?"

"Yeah, we'll be right there."

A minute later, Benny and Mimi returned to the loft.

"Everything okay?" Benny asked.

Mimi saw that Mark was now crying to and went to him, hugging him. She didn't ask what was wrong, didn't try to reassure him. After a minute he pulled away.

"I think they should know," Mark said.

Maureen nodded. "If you want them to."

Mark nodded and looked at Benny and Mimi. "My dad…my dad was the drunk driver that hit them. I didn't realize it was Maureen until she was telling us the story and…" he shook his head as he broke off in tears.

Maureen turned him towards her and put a hand on either side of his face. She touched her forehead to his, both staring into each other's eyes. "Mark, listen to me. It was not your fault. And you had no way of knowing it was me."

Mark nodded and moved out of her reach, sitting on the couch. She followed suit but didn't touch him. Benny took a seat on the floor, resting his elbows on his knees. Mimi hugged Roger tightly and snuggled down in his lap in the armchair.

"Can I ask something?" Benny asked.

Mark nodded.

"How is it that your dad's not in jail?"

Mark shrugged and sighed. "Tell you the truth, I'm not sure. He was arrested and everything. Mom wouldn't even hire an attorney for him so he just had the public defender."

"And what happened? Did he go to trial?"

He shook his head. "There was some sort of plea bargain. I never knew the details. I was trying to find somewhere to live by that point."

The loft door slid open and Collins and Joanne came in.

Maureen's face lit up. "Pookie!"

She ran towards Joanne but stopped when Joanne held her hands up. "Maureen, wait…I have to tell you something. You and Roger."

"Should we leave you guys alone?" Benny asked.

Joanne shook her head. "You guys deserve to know too. And if you guys want nothing to do with me after I tell you, I understand."