AN: Ok, I know – I suck. I realize this. But my dad had cancer, my net was out, I'm giving you a really chapter, and I'm very, very, very, on-my-knees sorry. Forgive me and read on!

I have a MySpace! The blog's here: http/blog. It's like my random ANs, but more frequent and longer. So check it out as often as you want – if you want. I feel slightly self-conscious now. Ignore me while I scurry to a corner.

I love Weird Al Yankovic! Damn, that man is funny. "They seem me strolling/They laughing/They rolling their eyes cause I'm so white and nerdy/Just because I'm white and nerdy/Just because I'm white and nerdy/All because I'm white and nerdy/Holy Cow I'm white and nerdy." To "Riding Dirty." So. Humorous. Oh, and I downloaded "Don't Download This Song." And yes, I do love the irony. And I think, no, I know, that Al would approve. I guess I'm "evil hard-bitten criminal scum." Who knew? "What a bummer being you." I just can't stop!

My other songs include "Stolen" by Dashboard Confessional, "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol, and "Junky Love" by Christy Carlson Romano. Yay for wonderful music!

Yay for anons, too:

Bohogirl – I think the thing with torturing the prisoners has made it "learning dumbasshole." I don't care if it's not a word. I just made it into one. Mark is a funny one when he's not all emo or whatev. Hee. The Roger cliff of, what, three months. Oops. Thanks. Um, by soon, did you mean within the next six months? Cause I made that mark ... hee. I'm sorry.

Disclaimer: "Go and buy the DVD like you know that you should." I don't own Rent, or Weird Al songs. All I own is the ability to turn good songs and shows into obnoxious quotes like "Eye of the Tiger" or "Fly Like an Eagle." Someone should really do something about me.

Ren, Abby, and Roger: Changing Times

It was an hour later, and they were still outside the store. Neither one of them had said anything. And silence was just not something Ren dealt with well.

"So." Benny tugged his jacket sleeve nervously, glanced down at the bench, then up at the sky.

"So?" Ren was not in the mood for his bullshit. It was Valentine's Day, dammit, and she didn't want to sit on a bench in front of a store because of something this stupid. "You're the guy Dave's been trying to set me up with. We're going to hear about this until we die. I know. You know. It's done. Let's move on." She stood up impatiently and brushed bench snow off her ass.

Benny stayed seated. "I can't believe I didn't know you were related to Dave. Or your full name. Or anything."

Ren rolled her eyes in frustration. "We've known each other for how long? What does is matter? I thought that going out was supposed to clear up these sort of things. So let's go out."

"I don't do stupid things," Benny informed her slowly. He straightened up and looked at her intently.

She snorted. "Really? Then get up and let's go!"

Benny shot up. "This – this thing we've got, Ren! This is a very stupid thing!"

Ren was blazing with anger in a second. "Why? Because I'm Dave's sister? Sounds you're the only stupid thing around, Benjamin."

He ran his hand over his head. "Not because of Dave! God, we've got all this shit, and we're jumping into a relationship, and it can only end badly. How did we think this was going to work? And having all of our friends involved is only going to make it worse when it doesn't! I don't ..."

He shut up pretty quickly when she slammed her lips against his. Ren decided to remember this was an effective way of winning arguments.

When they broke he looked at her seriously. "I can't be in something that isn't going to last."

She kissed him softly this time. He leaned into her, making shivers play up her back. She disconnected for a moment. "It'll last as long as I can help it." He captured her mouth again, and she pressed herself as close as she could get to him.

It was angry pizza guy who eventually broke them apart, clipping them with pizza boxes and shouting something about getting a room. As they laughed, Lauren remembered exactly why she loved this insane city. She looked up at Benny and grinned. "You're not going to be the girl in this relationship are you? Because I ..."

It was Benny who cut her off with a searing kiss this time, the kind of kiss that made her feel weak, and kind of stupid for feeling weak, because it wasn't really her style, being weak for a guy, but not really caring that she felt weak. It was complicated, that kiss.

She realized Benny knew most of this when he released her, smirking. "So, who's the girl in this relationship?" Ren didn't have a very good answer, so she punched his arm.

He glared at her a little, so she kissed his lips quickly in apology. "God, I'm freezing. Let's get the hell out of the street. You think there's anything to eat around here that doesn't cost so much I have to sell myself sexually to the owner?"

Benny wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled her toward him. "Just one. A jazz club."

Ren's eyes narrowed. "You're an evil boyfriend. I'm almost willing to sell my body just to irritate you."

Benny kissed her neck. "Thoughts for later. First, you find out just why you're so wrong about jazz."

"Or it'll just confirm what I already know. Classical rules and jazz drools." She smiled at him in an infuriating way.

He rolled his eyes. "I thought we were adults. Clearly I was wrong. Because you're five years old."

Ren laughed. "I know you are, but what am I?" Not a great witticism. But it made him laugh, too. She liked it when he laughed. Even though he laughed with a kind of bravado, she still thought it was cute. Even if this was the fastest relationship she'd ever been in, and she wanted it to be the longest.

Even if the normalcy of it all, the banter and kissing and the way she fit into his arm, felt weird to her, she thought, with her lips still buzzing from his lips' touch, she was ok with that.

Mark laughed at Abby as she scoured the kitchen supplies in the crappiest store he'd ever been to. "What the hell are you doing with that?"

Abby glared at him. Wasn't it obvious? "I'm going to buy it."

Mark grinned. "Because we need a chocolate fountain now?"

Abby shook her head. "No, we don't. And this will probably break within two seconds of trying use it, since it's only ten bucks."

Mark cocked his head. "You know, I usually follow conversations better than this."

Abby grinned back at him. He was absolutely adorable, bad scarf and all. "If Mimi gets her crappy coffee machine, I want something, too." She shook the chocolate fountain box at him. "I choose this. And that's that."

Mark grabbed his camera from inside his jacket. "February 14th, 2 PM, Eastern Standard Time. Abby buys our first appliance. It is a sad, sad excuse for her to bring more chocolate than any living person should eat into the Loft. She pretends not to realize the very bad things Roger will find to do with this, that will likely involve me. If it works at all. And if we can afford chocolate to put in it."

Abby pulled his camera down and glared at him. The first thing she was going to do in that apartment was find a place to hide that thing. Or maybe she'd stick it in the chocolate fountain. "Put it down, smile pretty, and say 'yes, dear.'"

Mark stuffed the camera back, smiled brilliantly, and said "Buy a toaster."

When they walked out of the store twenty minutes later, he was still rolling his eyes as she hummed excitedly, carrying the crappiest chocolate fountain ever under her arm.

Roger was apprehensive. So much so that he was using words like apprehensive, instead of fucking scared, which was what he really meant, but would make him even more nervous and apprehensive and fucking terrified, except now he was more worried than if he had just admitted to what he had been thinking about in the first place.

And now he was babbling. In his head. Shit.

Mimi didn't do surprises. She did ass-kickings. At least then he knew what to expect. This? This made him seriously friggin' nervous. Like those few times when Mimi got quiet on him, and she wouldn't speak to him for days. He'd end up sleeping alone, and would wake up every morning that she wouldn't be on the couch, and her stuff wouldn't be in the closet. It sounded stupid, but he'd almost rather tie her down and force her to stay with him before he let her leave again. Except she'd probably break free in ten seconds, kick his ass, and then leave. If she wanted to leave him, that is.

Babbling again. Fuckfuckfuckshittyshitshit.

He drummed his fingers on the couch. He realized that the tune was Musetta's Waltz, and grinned.

"Baby?" He gulped and looked up. There was Mimi. Looking nervous. Was that good or bad? Double, triple, whatever-the-hell-comes-after-triple shit.

She sank on the couch next to him. "I got some news," she said, tracing patterns with her index finger on the hand he had let lie on the couch. "It's pretty big."

"Yeah?" Ok, his voice only scratched a little bit. And his throat was only somewhat dry. God, it was hot in here.

"I got in a dance group." She smiled at him hesitantly.

Stars exploded in Roger's brain in relief. "God, that's it?" She raised her eyebrow at him. "No, I mean – baby, that's fantastic!" He leaned over to kiss Mimi, hell, jump her bones, he was so relieved. She pulled back. Oh. It wasn't over. Dammit.

"Rog, look. I shoulda asked you first. I know that. I was just so damn excited, and you know you told me yourself I should try out more. And then, afterwards, I guess ..." She trailed off, and dropped her head. "I didn't wanna jinx it, you know? What if I didn't get in, or whatever? We would've gone through all this for nothing."

Roger's lips were dry as hell. "What's going on, Mimi?"

"I'm sorry, Roger. I screwed up, I know." Mimi was clutching his hand now, making their joined skin bright white. Neither of them noticed, too intent on the other's face.

"Mimi." It was all he could say. What the hell was happening?

"I don't have to take it, ok? It's a big opportunity, baby, so I really want to, but if you don't want to ..." Her other hand was twisting thread of hair after thread of hair, her eyes now flickering to look anywhere but at him.

"Mimi!" It was more urgent now. He couldn't get angry or comfort her until she told him what was going on, and sitting here in this limbo was killing him.

She breathed in deeply and dug her nails into his hand. She finally looked up to his eyes, meeting them in a dead stare.

"Roger, if I accept this, we have to leave New York City."

AN: Oh, my damn! I'm off to an interesting start, aren't I? Two schmoopy points of view, one dramatic. Not as long as I would've liked, it's true, but I gave a lot of viewpoints, had less anons, and I 'm tired to boot. Goddamn, I'm tired. I must go and sleep quickly. I meant to put in lots more Weird Al Yankovic quotes to sum this up, but I've got nothing. Oh, well. Hope you like, hope you review, and hope you don't hate me for being gone so long. Love? Hate? Review!

"You sit half-dressed/Eating chips off your chest/Playing Halo 2."

Look, I had one more in me!