Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Brief mention of drug use, mild language
Song Featured: "There You'll Be" from the movie Pearl Harbor
Disclaimer: RENT is the sole property of Jonathan Larson. Also, the song "There You'll Be" is the sole property of its writer(s).
Mark watched the images flickering by, making notes of which clips to cut, which ones to save. He smiled to see the Life Café footage.
When I look back on these times
And the dreams we left behind
I'll be glad 'cause I was blessed to get to have you in my life
Angel and Mimi dancing on the tables. Collins and Roger tangoing down the table towards Benny and an appalled Mr. Grey.
The screen was black for an instant before a new scene opened, this one on New Year's Eve. So long ago, he thought. He watched Mimi and Roger laughing and kissing as they stumbled down the street. Roger flipped off the camera. Funny, Mark couldn't remember what he'd said. Too bad that old camera didn't have sound.
Onscreen, Maureen is laughing and kicking at the camera. Mark laughed. He'd forgotten that cat costume. No one was quite sure why she'd worn it.
When I look back on these days,
I'll look and see your face
You were right there for me
The next scene was on the rooftop. They'd had a picnic for Roger's birthday. Twenty-eighth, if Mark remembered correctly. He smiled as he watched Maureen making Roger reenact the Titanic 'flying' sequence on the rooftop. She'd scared the hell out of Joanne with that one. Roger was laughing, his arms securely around her waist as she stretched her arms out.
In my dreams I'll always see you soar above the sky
In my heart there'll always be a place for you, for all my life
The next scenes were out of order. He made quick notes to correct it. Either organize it or edit it so it wasn't so obvious. These clips were before Mimi died. Before Collins died. Some even before Angel died.
Mark had to blink back tears when he noticed something he hadn't before. It was a short clip. Roger and Collins lying on the roof, Collins with a joint and Roger with a cigarette. In all the years since he shot it, in all the times he'd watched it, he'd never noticed the drumsticks sticking out of Collins's coat pocket.
I'll keep a part of you with me
And everywhere I am, there you'll be
The next clip was Roger shoving a flier at the camera. A local film festival. Roger smiling and pleading with the camera. Mark smiled, remembering how afraid he'd been of entering his first contest. He remembered, too, how insistent Roger had been that if Mark didn't win, then the judges were heartless bastards. Roger's insistence had given him the courage to enter.
Well you showed me how it feels to feel the sky within my reach
And I always will remember all the strength you gave to me
This was getting really out of order. Mark briefly wondered if telling Will to just put all the footage on one reel was a mistake. This was before they'd even met Angel and Mimi. Roger's withdrawals.
Mark winced at the on-screen Roger shaking and sweating, cursing at Mark, arguing with Maureen before breaking down and sobbing in her arms.
Your love made me make it through
Oh I owe so much to you
You were right there for me
Now jumping ahead. Mark continued scribbling in his notebook. Mimi's smile lit up the screen as she danced and twirled down the street.
In my dreams, I'll always see you soar above the sky
More Life Café footage. No table dancing this time, but now baby Cassie was there. Mark blinked back tears.
In my heart, there'll always be a place for you, for all my life
Then came the footage without Mimi. Just after she'd died. Roger looked thin and sick in the footage. Mark smiled when he realized just how much of the footage showed him with Cassie. There was plenty of footage of the baby with the rest of them, but Roger was hardly in the footage without her.
Mark wondered how Cassie was doing. The paternity test, taken solely because of Allison's insistence, showed what they all knew. Cassie was Benny's. Mimi had said that from the minute she found out she was pregnant. After her death, Benny and Allison took custody of her. Benny tried to keep visiting them, but as she grew, she remembered them less and less. Mark felt tears on his cheeks as Cassie drifted out of the footage.
I'll keep a part of you with me
And everywhere I am, there you'll be
They'd published Collins's memoirs seven years after his death. It had taken that long for them to find a publisher and then get the legal side of things worked out. Mark smiled at the footage of Maureen dancing through the loft with the first copy of I'll Cover You. It had been Collins's last wish and they'd finally been able to grant it.
'Cause I always saw in you my light, my strength
Now there was Collins bringing them groceries. God only knew when that was from. Him bringing food to the loft had become so routine, there was no way to tell. The philosopher was smiling and laughing, ruffling Roger's too-long hair.
And I wanna thank you now for all the ways
You were right there for me for always
The individual posing. Mimi in her newsboy cap and leopard print coat. Maureen laughing. Roger and his guitar. Joanne, looking serious and then breaking into a shy smile. Angel laughing and dancing around. Collins laughing. Mark laughing. Benny looking straight into the camera, almost frowning, then laughing too. We were happy, he thought. We were.
In my dreams, I'll always see you soar above the sky
In my heart, there'll always be a place for you, for all my life
Mark sighed and brushed at his tears. The final images. The ones without people. Angel's drumsticks. Collins's leather jacket. Roger's guitar. Joanne's briefcase. Maureen's protest fliers. Benny's notebook. Mimi's leopard print coat. Mark's scarf.
I'll keep a part of you with me
And everywhere I am, there you'll be
Mark sighed and jotted his last notes down. He felt a hand on his shoulder.
"You okay, Dad?"
He nodded. "Fine. Just fine. This is gonna be a good one."
Will chuckled. "Dad, your standards for yourself are way too high. You've won how many awards?"
"Don't do this for awards, Will. You should know that by now."
The man nodded and patted Mark's arm. "I do, Dad. I know."
Mark nodded and closed his notebook, turning to face his son. "You make sure those kids of yours see this one?"
"Of course, Dad. They've seen everything you've ever done. Katie's even been asking when we can go to Alphabet City and declared that cows are her favorite animal."
Mark smiled.
"And Oliver, I'll have you know, nearly got himself suspended last week for calling his teacher yuppie scum."
He laughed. Will tapped his shoulder and pointed to the window. "Hey, it's beginning to snow."
There you'll be