AN: Um, so you know how this used to be so funny? Well ... there will still be funny, but there will also be some sadness. I feel the need to warn you all of this. Just so you know. Why? Because life is like that. There are those really good moments, and then there's the drama. So some good stuff's happened, so here's a bit of drama. I'm dedicating this chapter to AmberCloud – because not only do you give lovely reviews, you write lovely chapters of one my favorite fics. Yay for you! Thank you for all who review – you keep me happy! And writing. Now for all those anonymous reviews:

looking-at-the-stars – You are so right! I actually meant to put a part where they all gripe about having to pool together the money to pay for the car (which is a rental) for the wedding but I couldn't find a place to put it, so I gave up trying, and hoped no one would pick up on it. I should have known better. Nice catch! And how true. For once Mimi's going to live for a while. And I repeat: There will never be a Mark and Roger in this story. I hope this makes more people happy than not.

cherry 7up – It was a car phone, not a cell phone. See the explanation for how they got that above. I guess I really should have added that part. Ah, well. Now you know. And I love Marky, too! He's my favorite.

socogal – Oh, you're going to hate me later. Not about Benny (well, I don't think so), but not everything will stay happy. There will happy chapters, but there will be drama. I hope I do it well enough that everyone still likes it. Fingers crossed!

Moving On

He really hated to make her upset. He really did. But, dammit! The thought of Benny ... of her and Benny ... of her sleeping with Benny ... ok, now he just wanted to punch something. Preferably Benny.

"Roger ..." Mimi looked partly nervous and partly nonchalant, as if she was trying to play it off. "It's not that big of a deal. I haven't seen him in a year ... I didn't think he was coming." Mimi stared at him pleadingly. He kept his eyes on the floor and shrugged. "Come on, baby ..."

Roger stood up abruptly. "I'm getting a drink." He left the side room they gone to right after the ceremony and headed to the reception next door. He could feel the guilt starting to mingle with the jealousy. He hated that he acted like this. He really didn't want to screw things up with Mimi. Maybe some time to cool off and think would keep him from saying stuff he would regret later.

He scanned the room. Maureen and Joanne were off to the side of the room, not fighting for once, but looking more like they wanted a fast way out of the room, to go do, well, what happily married couples do. Roger decided he wasn't going to be the one to stand in their way. Maureen was scary when she was horny.

He saw Dave and Collins and started to make his way over to them. Then some of the crowd shifted, and suddenly he could see Benny standing next to him. Roger hadn't seen him since Angel's funeral, and now he was just thirty feet away. Roger was torn between the desire to go kick his ass and tell him never to come near Mimi again, and the longing to go get back the roommate he'd known, and the friend that he missed. He didn't think he was ready for either just yet.

The only left for it was to join Mark. Roger had avoided it because he was in deep conversation with the bridesmaid he'd been staring at earlier. But Mimi was at the door of the reception room, looking for him, so he plopped in a chair next to Mark.

"Hey, Rog." Mark gave him barely a second glance before turning back to the bridesmaid. "You know my friends Collins went to Italy once. Ran naked through the Parthenon ..." Mark noticed her looking at him expectantly. "What?"

She sighed and rolled eyes. "Hi. I'm Abby." She stuck her hand out at Roger.

As crappy as he was feeling, Roger couldn't help but smile. Mark always did have the most interesting girlfriends. He liked this one. "Roger Davis. Roommate."

Abby gave a pointed look at Mark. He shrugged and grinned. "Well you knew me, so I thought you might know him. Maureen loves to tell stories. Roger, Abby actually went to Italy to sing!"

Abby shook her head, and her brown curls bounced. Cute, evaluated Roger. "I didn't actually go there to sing. My parents sent me there so I would forget about singing. I just ignored them and started singing in the streets."

Roger nodded. "Ah, the unsympathetic parents. Old story."

Abby nodded. "Well, mine might actually have something to back them up. I did get pretty smashed at their last company cocktail and tell their boss about my boyfriend who broke up with me for another guy."

Roger started cracking up. Mark glared at him. "You think it's funny now. Wait until Mimi breaks up with you for her boss."

Abby put a placating hand on Mark's shoulder (which seemed to make him rather happy.) "It's ok, Mark. Yeah, he was cheating on me with a guy." She grinned wickedly. "But I called his parents and told them their son was gay the next day."

Mark gave her a quizzical look. "Is that really so bad?"

"They're priests."

"Hmmm." Mark looked thoughtful. "You got dumped for a guy, and I got dumped for a girl. Your boyfriend was cheating. My girlfriend was cheating. You sold the guy out to his religious parents. I filmed her wedding." He held up his camera and pointed it towards himself. "Close in on Mark, all around doormat."

Abby tweaked his nose. "But such a cute doormat," she proclaimed in a voice that was half joking, half serious. They shared a look, then looked away. Roger grinned. It was so different from his relationship with Mimi. Then again, it was at its earlier stages. Very early, seeing as they couldn't have met more than an hour ago.

"Hey, guys!" Maureen draped herself in the chair next to Roger. "Joanne's off talking to some family. I told her she needed to hurry up so we could we go ... hey, sweetie!" she suddenly exclaimed, noticing Abby. "How's my cousin doing in NYC?"

Cousin? Mark was falling for another Johnson. Shit.

"Crappy. I can't find a job or an apartment." Abby frowned. "I can't stay with your parents anymore. They keep asking me if I have a girlfriend. Every time I say no, they give me this look and tell me 'That's what Maureen used to say.'"

Maureen and Roger chuckled at Abby's accurate impression of the Johnsons. Mark grinned. "At least I wasn't the only one scarred by that."

Maureen punched in the arm (hard), then turned to Abby. "You have to stay with me and Joanne! And you can join in my next protest!" She got this intense look on her face. "They're trying to shut down the Life Cafe!"

Mark looked up at her, concerned. "What! They can't do that!"

Roger shrugged. "It's not like they let us eat there anyway." Maureen glared at him.

Abby shook her head. "Thanks, Mo, but I'd like to earn my own money. But I'll take up your offer on the apartment. Just until I can get my own," she added quickly. Roger got the feeling she wasn't one to like being helpless.

Maureen frowned, deep in thought. Then she snapped her fingers. "Roger! Wasn't your boss saying just the other night she wanted a singer on your night off? Abby could do that, maybe do some bartending on the weekends. You can put a good word in for her, can't you Rog? You and Mimi. I mean, you have so much in common! You both have," she cast a swift look at Abby, then continued, "a, um, strong love for music. Please Roger?" She gave Roger her large puppy dog eyes.

"Alright, alright," he relented grumpily. He had caught sight of Mimi; she was talking to Joanne, and taking worried glances over at him. Were they talking about his problem with Benny?

Maureen didn't seem to notice. "Great!" She looked at something over his shoulder. "Oh. Benny. Hi."

Roger was on his feet in a flash. He glared at Benny, who glowered right back. They remained that way for a full thirty seconds. Roger was deciding what to do in his head. Tell him he missed him or take a swing at him.

"Guys! Chill!" Mimi was suddenly beside him, a restraining hand on his arm. She was looking straight at him. "Roger. Please." He looked at her for a moment, then slowly sat back down.

Benny laughed humorlessly. "Boy, she's got you whipped."

Roger smiled at him sarcastically. "At least I have someone to whip me. You and Muffy still separated, or did she finally kick you out for good?"

Benny sobered. "Kicked out."

Roger sucked in a painful breath, all the wind knocked of his sails. Oops. "Sorry, man."

"Yeah. Look, can I talk to you?" Benny looked nervous, but determined.

Roger sized him up, then looked at Mimi. She was looking away from Benny determinedly, obviously afraid that even looking in his general direction. His stupid jealousy had done that. He sighed. "Sure. Let's talk." The sun-shiny smile that lit up Mimi's face was enough for him to know he'd done the right thing. Mark and Maureen's looks of encouragement helped as well. Guess it's time to leave the past behind, he thought before following Benny out the door.

Benny stood there, looking at the floor with his hands shoved in his pockets for a while. Finally, when Roger was about to ask him exactly what he was out here for (or just go back in), he spoke. "Look. Mark said he'd ask you, but I thought I'd better." He looked Roger in the eye. "He asked me to move back in with you."

Roger couldn't quite process it. "He asked you to what?"

"Move in. Now, I know we have our history. But I want to try to move on. I don't love Mimi anymore. And never mattered anyway," he added with a wry grin. "She always wanted you."

Hearing that went a long way for Roger. He really didn't want Benny in the loft with him and Mimi. But he had to learn to trust her sometime, he guessed, and wasn't just thinking about how he missed Benny? Maybe he couldn't forget the past, or even forgive it just yet, but he could start moving on. Besides, Mimi worked the shifts he played at the bar almost every night, so he wouldn't have to worry about leaving her along with him anyway.

Maybe it was time to let some things go.

"Ok." It was gruff, but it came out.

Benny, who had the look of someone preparing for an epic battle, looked utterly shocked. He blinked a few times. "Really?" he squeaked.

Roger shrugged. "We could use someone else to pay the rent," he told him, echoing his excuse to save Mark from earlier. "Maybe we could afford some Cap'n Crunch." He grinned a little. Benny grinned back. Roger relaxed a little. Maybe this would be ok.

When he found Mimi again, she was alone at the table, playing with a stray napkin and looking towards the door; when he sat beside her, she immediately slipped onto his lap. She looked at him, worried. "So?"

He returned her look seriously. "Benny's moving in with us."

Her jaw dropped. "You can not be serious."

He nodded. "I'm ok with it, though."

She arched her eyebrows at him, clearly skeptical. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah." Roger smiled at her a little. "I kind of missed having him around. No day but today, right?"

The kiss she laid on him then really confirmed it. He had done a very good thing.

AN: God, I am just producing these chapters like a factory, aren't I? Dang. Roger's viewpoint was hard to do, as well as his fight with Benny. It's not over with those two – just not as hostile. Love? Hate? Please review!