AN: It's been a bit, huh? Well, I have midterms soon, so I'm a little swamped. Plus I've been paying some more attention to my poor little HP fic. But here's a chapter for ya! Guess what? Officially LOVE Fall Out Boy! Hee. The titles are hilarious (I Slept With Someone From Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Song Written About Me) and the music is just so awesome and catchy. Also, major love for Bethany Joy Lenz, though I have a thought that I mentioned that already. Ah, well. Fun news! I got in the 91 percentile in the PSATs, so I guess I won't be killed by my mom, huh? Yay! Ok. I'm done now. Now remember, I'm trying to get people to go to read my HP fic, "One Year Left to the Decision: Good or Evil?", so if you could go check it out, that would be awesome. I put a new chapter up last night and everything! Thanks to all my lovely reviewers, as usual. Here goes:

Caitlin – Really? Aw, that's so sweet – thanks! Honey, reviews aren't bugging me. They're fueling me! I'm very glad you liked it – it was insanely fun to write!

Bohogirl – Fluffiness is fun, isn't it? Hmm, maybe he will. Hee. We'll just have to see, huh? About him, and the Roger/Mimi-ness.

Brandi – Why, thank you.

Magdaleina – That's very true, and a very good catch. It's been pointed out to me before, and I'll tell you the same thing I've told others. While HIV and AIDS are very obviously different things, the disease is frequently referred to as AIDS, and not HIV. For example, when Angel talks to Collins after Collins' got mugged, she refers to herself as having AIDS, as does Collins, even though they surely had HIV. So while the distinction is very important, I'm talking through the characters here, and they, like most people, refer to themselves as having AIDS, not as being HIV+. So that's why I refer to it as AIDS, not HIV. This review is very coincidental, because in a couple chapters, I'm going to actually have someone point out the difference. And much love to your friend. A guy who was in my theatre group recently died of AIDS. He was born with it, and he was only 18. He had the best voice. Ugh, enough sadness! I'm glad you like the story, and I hope you'll understand why I continue to use AIDS instead of HIV, and keep reading.

Disclaimer: I'm not entirely sure who owns Rent, but it definitely isn't me.

Eye Opening Meeting

Abby peered around the room nervously. "You're sure this is a good idea, right?"

Dave nodded firmly. "Lauren got so much help here, sweetie. You need some perspective," he told her gently. He scanned the familiar faces as he added, "Speaking of Lauren ... hey, sis!" he called to a dark girl across the room. She looked up and smiled, waving them over.

Dave half dragged Abby over to her. "Abs, meet Lauren. Renny, meet Abby." Dave smiled widely. He hadn't known what to do when his Renny had gotten AIDS, but it wasn't like that now. He could do something now.

He noticed Abby looking Lauren over, talking in her olive complexion and bouncing brown hair. "Abs, if you want her, just jump her," he told her sympathetically in a stage whisper.

Abby rolled her eyes at the same time Lauren, which made the two girls laugh. "I just ... I dunno. I guess it's just a relief. Knowing you, and Roger and Mimi and Collins, have had AIDS for as long as you have, and you look so ..." Abby paused, looking slightly abashed.

"Healthy?" Lauren supplied with a chuckle. "No, it's alright. I felt the same way. It's like you know in your head that you can lead a normal life with HIV, but you just expect everyone to look like they're dying or something, right?"

"I'm just not sure what to do right now," Abby told her forlornly, but with her head up, looking straight into Lauren's eyes. Dave couldn't suppress the huge grin on his face. He knew they'd hit it off!

Lauren pulled Abby down into a seat and cast a significant look at her brother. He smiled innocently back. He'd gotten them to meet. No way was he going to miss this! Lauren sighed, annoyed, and then looked back at Abby. "Look, you don't have to tell me what happened to you right now. Actually, I can just tell you what happened to me." She held up her hand as Abby began to protest. Dave couldn't help rolling his eyes. Sisters. So bossy. "Don't worry, it won't take long."

She slid back in her chair and seemed to think. "Well, I guess it basically started with all the boyfriends in high school. Then there were the after high school boyfriends, and the after high school boyfriend sex. Then there was the cheating on the after high school boyfriends. Then I got sick, had blood drawn, got a call, found out I had AIDS." She smiled sadly at Abby's surprised face. "I had no idea who I got it from, or who I gave it to. It was a huge wake-up call, believe me," she added with a laugh that had a hint of bitterness in it. Dave felt the urge to go up and hug her, but decided he shouldn't interrupt. "I haven't been in a relationship in about a year and a half. So that's my story." Lauren took both of Abby's hands in her own and peered into her eyes. "Maybe if you spend some time here, you can tell yours."

Abby looked down and was silent for a moment. Then she looked back up. "It was my boyfriend." The two girls seemed to have a moment of perfect understanding, and Dave felt outside of it. Quietly he backed away, turned around ... and ran straight into Collins.

"Hey, baby." Collins leaned down and gave him a deep through kiss. Dave decided for the thousandth time that bringing Lauren to Life Support had been the best move of his life. Look what, or really who, it'd brought him.

Dave flashed a sparkling smirk at his boyfriend when they finally broke apart. "What was that for?" he asked, snaking his arms around Collins' neck.

Collins laughed, a deep base chuckle. "You've been running around so much today, I thought I'd better do that while I could." He glanced over at Lauren and Abby, who were deep in conversation. "I guess that's why."

Dave followed his gaze, smiling as his sister laughed. "Yeah. It's good to see her happy again. Both of them."

Collins kissed him again, lightly, then looked at something over his head. "Mimi! Roger! Stop groping and get y'all's asses over here!" Dave turned to see their friends half concealed by a wall and a couple chairs. The two seemed to be meshed together, and only one feature stood out: Roger's finger, ostensibly middle.

Dave dissolved into laughter as Collins grinned and shook his head. "Guess that's a no." Collins scanned the room. "Looks like everyone's here."

Dave sobered quickly. "Almost everyone."

Collins looked down and read him instantly, as he always did. "Mark's hurting. He hasn't even had 24 hours. Give the boy some time. You and him got more in common right now than you think."

Dave gave Collins a look. What the hell was he talking about? He'd never abandoned Ren after he found out that she had AIDS? But he wasn't able to ask Collins what he meant as Paul started gathering the group together. He continued to puzzle as they began the credo.

There's only us, there's only this,

His gaze roved around the circle of people. Collins, then Mimi and Roger, just like always. Gordon had Ali on one side, and an empty chair. Steve had died last month, Sue just a few weeks before him. They had been dating, and had both caught the flu from a mutual friend. But already Abby had taken Sue's spot, and Mark would hopefully be taking Steve's chair soon.

Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.

His eyes swept over his friends and family. Ali, who could make the most beautiful paintings anyone had ever seen. Gordon, an insanely focused businessman who now worked with his brother at his restaurant, connecting with his family he said. Pam, a severe book critic with a dead cheating husband. Mimi and Roger, who looked like they wanted to go back to making out. Abby, who looked as if she was trying to memorize the words already. Lauren, his best friend and sister. Collins, so funny and full of life, the man he was crazy in love with.

No other road, no other way,

And suddenly Dave understood. Who knew how long all these people, these people that were the most important in the world to him, would be here? Even his own boyfriend, the person he wanted to be with for the rest of his life, couldn't be there. There was no guarantee that any of the people in his life, minus Maureen, Joanne, Mark and Benny, would be around for much more of his life. And there was always the possibility of his other friends leaving. And Mark had just realized he was in the same boat and didn't even know it. And that his girlfriend could leave him just as easily as Collins could leave Dave, and there was absolutely nothing either of them could do about it. Waves of empathy flooded Dave, and he squeezed Collins' hand a little harder. He decided the moment he could, he was going to have a talk with Mark. They could help each other. He just knew it.

No day but today.

AN: Short and sweet, I think! Kind of tired, again, and didn't put as much time into this as I would've liked, but I think (i.e. hope) it came out ok. Love? Hate? Review, review, review!