AN: Ugh, I just had the WORST day! Don't ask. Just know I might take it out a little on this chapter. It probably won't help that I'm listening to Aida right now. But yay! I just got two more awesome CDs – Aida and Hairspray! So very good. I saw Aida at a local theatre called Toby's Dinner Theatre just a couple months ago, and it was awesome. But Toby's always is. I saw Ragtime there, and DAMN, it so friggin' awesome! It's a round theatre, so you're right there and it's so intense! Amneris is definitely on my list of characters I must be before I die. She is awesome! I know, everyone loves Aida, and don't me wrong, she kicks ass, but I think Amneris is a more interesting character, and anyway, I'm white. Sorry. I'm rambling. Hee. I was Miss Pingleton in Hairspray – insane fun!

I saw Beauty and the Beast at a local theatre on Sunday. A bunch of my friends were in it (I didn't think I had time at the time to do it, and I regret it so much) and it majorly amazing! God, Belle was so insanely awesome that if I didn't know her and know it was her voice, I would've been like, "Ok, come on, now I know they're using the movie soundtrack. She's totally lip-synching!" So yeah, that was so cool!

Favorite non-Rent song of the moment: A Step Too Far – sing it, Adam Pascal! Oh, right, and Sherie Rene Scott and Heather Headley!

Love reviews, but I observe that they're starting to lessen. Now if the hits were decreasing, that'd be one thing, but they're going up – I reached 10,000 hits this chapter (so much thanks!), coming from 9700-some and going up to 10352 – but I got less reviews! Now while I love you so much for even paying attention (just like Jesse L. Martin), in the interest of making you better little fanfic reviewers (with both selfish and unselfish reasons, I admit), I have just one word for you:

BUS.

Now that that's said, here's the anons:

bohemianangel716 – Well, it would be very sad if Collins were left alone as well. If I had control over anything, Angel wouldn't have died in the first place, but as I can't do that, I did the second best thing. That, in my mind anyway, is to get Collins a boyfriend and make sure he can love again. Thanks very much ... but you know I've gone beyond chapter 1, right? Just double checking...

EAmphetamine – Aw, thanks. Have fun in school ... if that's possible. Hee. Good coincidence!

EmMm – It's all good. Ouch ... good luck! I'm dreading them – mine start Friday. Ugh! Hee. I'm actually surprised at all the Benny love. I always thought that people would get angry at me, but turns out people like it. Yay! And Dave's fun. I'll totally take eloquent. I'm kinda blushing right now. Thanks so much! Aren't they awesome? Though I don't listen to them as much as I would've in days gone by, because I discovered that not all musical soundtracks are like Music Man or Annie, and can actually be listened to in the car, while doing homework, or pretty much any other time I can play them. Currently Aida/Children of Eden. For some reason I'm in that kind of mood. I'm babbling. I'll stop.

Caitlin – Unless I work Snape into this story, or possibly Bush (because I'm sorry, but I can't stand the guy. No offense to the Bush supporters, and please don't tell me about why he's a great president. I've already had a bunch of people try to convince me. I mean, I live in DC). Then we could throw one of them in front of a bus. Sorry, that was mean, anyway ... Yay! I'm glad that people are getting happier with Dave – I was so surprised with the Dave hate I got at the beginning of the story! Very happy you like him. Hee. I must say, I will never understand the appeal of Mark/Roger. It would make the weirdest ship name. MaRo. Of course, mine's either MaAb or MA, so that's kinda weird too. Sorry, continuing. Yeah, some people do that, it's true. But there are many others that stay true to Larson's stuff – I'm so honored you count me among them. And line up. I'm a 17 year old, too, and I know that it just drives me insane when people make about five different people talk in the same paragraph. DIFFERENT PEOPLE, DIFFERENT PARAGRAPH, PEOPLE! Well, generally, anyway. That's just my thing. No SATs as of yet, but I'll be taking them in spring. And right now I have midterms. Gag.

BohoGirl – We'll see, eh? Roger/Mimi taken care of! I always loved Life Support, so it was a lot of fun to write. Look! More to read!

lilacorn – Happiness! Hee. Fall Out Boy's awesome, huh? And again – look! More to read!

Another insanely long AN. I write too much.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rent, but Adam Pascal is in my purse! Sorry, it's a joke I could explain, but once I do, it'll be less funny ... point is, I don't own Rent.

Awkward Meetings

Joanne knocked on the door and waited. Maureen had called and promised a surprise for the evening. She was a little worried, but more excited. Maybe it was against her better judgment, but after that stunt Maureen had pulled in her office, she believed her. Besides, this whole relationship was against her better judgment, and look how far it had gone.

Joanne gave up on knocking (which she had done in an effort to give Maureen a little more time to prepare) and unlocked the door. She pushed it open to reveal her wife hopping on one foot while putting a scarlet stiletto on the other. Maureen looked up, flushed red, and smiled brilliantly at her. "Hey baby!" she cried triumphantly as she slipped her shoe on and straightened up.

Joanne didn't answer. She just closed the door, walked up to her, and kissed her. She had missed her so much. Maureen responded eagerly and backed her up to the door. Hands were roaming and then –

Someone knocked on the door.

Maureen released Joanne with a groan of annoyance. Joanne chuckled lightly and reopened the door. Mark was standing there, looking awkward and slightly intimidated under Maureen's glare. "I'm sorry ... I didn't know you two were ... I just wanted to talk and Mimi and Roger were making out and ... I interrupted something, didn't I?" he added lamely.

Maureen rolled her eye and Joanne laughed a little more. "How could you tell?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I went out with Maureen in her pre-exclusive days, remember?" Mark cracked a small smile. Joanne was excited just to seem him slightly happy; she probably wouldn't have been in his shoes. "Besides, Maureen's dress is kinda off."

Maureen looked down to see her spaghetti strap down her shoulder and the right side of her dress lower then the left. She shrugged unconcernedly and hiked it up while Joanne blushed and Mark smirked. "Whatever, Mark." Then her eyes softened. "If you need to come in right now, what we were doing can wait ..."

Mark shook his head. "No, it's fine. Leave me the keys and I'll just hang out here for awhile. I'll lock up when I leave, if that's ok. I really don't want to go back to the loft. The walls are thin," he added darkly, making both women laugh.

"No problem. We'll be back soon," Maureen informed him, rummaging through her purse and tossing him her keys.

Joanne's curiosity perked up. "Where are we going, exactly?" she questioned. Maureen shook her head and looked mischievous. Joanne had hardly begun to get nervous when she heard a sound from behind her.

"Oh." She whirled around to see Abby standing next to who she vaguely identified as Dave's sister. Mark and Abby stared at each other. Abby was openly anxious, but Mark's face was unreadable.

Dave's sister took one look at Mark and went, "Ah. The new boyfriend?"

Abby nodded slightly, still matching Mark eye for eye. Seeing that the two had no intentions of moving, Dave's sister (Linda? Lana?) rolled her eyes and waved to Maureen. "Hey! And you're ... Joanne, right?" she asked, sticking her hand out. "Lauren," she supplied as Joanne took the preferred hand, but continued to look blank.

Joanne mentally kicked herself as she smiled embarrassedly and replied, "Of course. You're Dave's sister, and you did music for Maureen's last protest, right?"

As Lauren nodded, the stalemate finally broke behind them. Abby issued a faint, "Hi," which resulted in more eye-rolling from Lauren.

Mark stayed where he was. "Roger said you were with Lauren, and I didn't think ..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "I just didn't think. I'll go."

"No, it's ok." Abby took a step towards him, then a step back, looking slightly frantic. "I can go. I mean, it's no big deal ..."

"It's your apartment," Mark protested feebly, looking, if nothing else, a little nauseous.

More awkwardness was interrupted as Dave and Collins appeared behind Abby. Dave looked between the Mark and Abby. "So ... what's going on here?"

Joanne just sat down. This was getting to be a little too much for her. Maureen, however, seemed to regain her voice. "What is going on here? Our apartment is never this popular!" she pointed out half joking, half frustrated. Every head turned to her and she tilted her head in her patented "I'm waiting for an answer" gesture.

Dave shrugged. "Me 'n Collins are here because I need to talk with Mark and Rog said he was over here. Honey, if it's a bad time ..." He took in Maureen's appearance and grinned. "It's a bad time, huh?"

Collins laughed. "Y'all are back together! And you were gonna get it on, huh?" Joanne moaned and covered her head.

Mark, however, looked relieved at the golden opportunity to get out of the room. "Dave, if you wanna talk, let's go over to your apartment," he urged, refusing to look Abby in the eye any longer. Abby looked down quickly, but not before Joanne could see a tear or two forming in her eye.

Dave looked like he wanted to say something, but decided against it. "Yeah, sure," he told Mark, ignoring the glares he was getting from Lauren.

Abby stepped to the side of the entrance way as Mark headed out towards the hall. "Um, bye, I guess," he mumbled as he passed her, and was halfway down the hallway with Dave and Collins before she could reply.

Abby stared after him for a minute, then turned to her new friend. "Lauren, I'll see you at the clinic tomorrow. I gotta ... I gotta go." With that, she darted to her room and gently closed the door.

Lauren shook her head sadly, then said goodbye to the couple and left. Joanne looked up at Maureen. "Well. That was ..."

"Insane," Maureen ended decidedly, looking over at Abby's closed door. Then she shook her head. "But we are not going to let everyone else's drama ruin our night. Go get ready and meet me at that new Italian place down the street. Tonight is all on me, babe!" She kissed Joanne and flew out the door before Joanne could ask how it could possibly all be on her, as her last protest had been month's ago and she'd lost her job at the restaurant – again.

Joanne started to walk towards their room, then hesitated. Quietly she knocked on Abby's door. "Sweetheart? Can I come in?" She heard crying on the other side of the door and took that as consent. She went inside and scooped Abby off the bed and into her lap, letting her sob on her shoulder.

Joanne let her cry for awhile, just rocking her gently. Finally, Abby spoke up. "Why doesn't he want me? Can he forgive me?"

"Of course he can," Joanne assured her, shushing her and smoothing her hair. "You have to give him some time, honey."

"I don't know how much time I have anymore, Joanne," Abby moaned, wiping tears off her cheeks.

"Don't think that way. You have enough time for this, and enough time for him. You could live a long happy life. You know that, right?" Joanne peered down at her friend worriedly. It was all so much to handle.

Abby nodded half-heartedly. "Knowing and believing are two different things. But I'll be fine, I promise. Now go. Go on your date." Her smile was watery, but she seemed sincere. "Congrats on getting her back, Jo."

Jo? Joanne paused, then shrugged. It wasn't the worst nickname she'd ever been given. "I didn't get her back. She got me." Joanne slid Abby off of her legs and started to leave the room. At the door, she turned back and gave Abby a hard look. "He'll come back. I know he will."

With that, she left to get ready, looking forward to a night out with her wife, and leaving Abby alone to her own thoughts.

AN: Go read my HP fic! Sorry, anyway ... That took three days to write! Well, one day, once I got down to it. But I kept starting and stopping because I had so much HOMEWORK and I could never just sit down to write! But now that I have, this is the longest chapter yet. Yay! By like three words, but whatever. I don't know when I'll get another one up. I have midterms, so it's kinda crazy. Well, anyway, you know the drill. Love? Hate? Please review!

BUS!