Note: Thanks again for all the reviews! This is a fairly emotional chapter. I tried to get everyone involved, but there's no Benny, Collins, or Joanne. Never fear, they'll return with larger roles in the coming chapters. We're entering the high drama portion of the story. Those of you who have suspicions with regards to Angel, you're probably right. PM me your guess if you want to know whether or not you're right.

Mimi strolled into the Life Café and smiled to see Angel already there. She went to the back table.

"Angel!"

"Mimi," Angel said, her voice not as perky as usual.

Mimi sat down across from her. "So what's up?"

"Okay, I need you to promise not to tell Collins about this."

"Why not?"

"I don't want him to worry."

"Okay."

Angel held out her pinkie. Mimi rolled her eyes but linked pinkies with her.

"Okay," Angel said, taking a deep breath. "I, um…I've been getting bruises."

Mimi frowned. "Ang, everyone bruises."

Angel glanced around to make sure no one was looking. She didn't need people thinking she was being abused, which she had to admit is what the bruises would look like to an innocent bystander. Biting her lip, Angel pulled up her shirt sleeve to reveal a large bruise on her forearm.

"Fuck! Angel, what the hell happened?"

Angel quickly yanked her sleeve down. "I don't know! And it's really freaking me out."

"Angel, that's a huge bruise. How do you not know where you got it?"

Angel sighed and shrugged. "I don't know…but I woke up this morning and there's one on my leg too."

"And Collins doesn't know?"

"He knows about the one on my arm. He saw that. He noticed it before me, actually. I just blew it off and figured I'd hit it and just didn't notice. But then this morning…"

"Have you called a doctor?"

"I hate doctors."

"Angel…"

"No, seriously, Meems. I hate doctors."

"I'll go with you."

"Mimi…"

Mimi's expression grew serious. "We're going to the doctor or I'm telling Collins."

Angel sighed and gave a small half-smile. "Fine. You win."

"Don't I always?" she teased.

"Can we at least have a nice little lunch first?"

Mimi nodded. "Great idea."

--LINE BREAK--LINE BREAK--

Roger stood in the kitchen stirring the sauce. He'd been trying harder to learn to cook. Maureen had given him a few pointers and basic recipes. Maria now insisted that her daddy could cook better than most daddies but not as good as Grandma or Mrs. Cohen.

"Daddy!" Maria called.

"In the kitchen, honey."

Maria appeared in the doorway. "Is we gonna eat soon?"

"Yep. Just another five minutes or so."

"'Kay…is Uncle Benny comin'?"

"Not tonight."

"Is Joanne coming?"

"No."

Roger sighed and turned to face her. He lowered the heat on the stove so the sauce wouldn't burn. Maria waited for her answer. He knelt down.

"Honey, Mrs. Cohen told me what you asked her about Joanne and I think we should talk about it."

"Is Joanne gonna be my mommy?"

"No, honey, she's not. She and Daddy are just going to be friends."

"Like Mrs. Cohen and you?"

"Yeah."

"How come?"

"Because…" he searched his mind for a reason a six year old might understand. "Because we decided we only like each other the way that friends do."

"Oh." Maria hesitated a minute, twirling her hair around her finger. Roger smiled when she did that. April used to twirl her hair like that. "Daddy?"

"Yeah?"

"Am I ever gonna get a mommy?"

Roger bit his lip. "You have a mommy, baby."

"Yeah but I can't see her. The other kids all get to see their mommies and stay with 'em."

"Your mommy is always with you, Mar. Always."

"Well can't you get me a pretend-Mommy that I can see?"

Roger blinked back tears. "We'll see."

"But don't Daddies need a mommy too?"

"Grandma's my mommy."

"I know that," she said with a giggle. "I meaned, don't you miss Mommy?"

"I miss Mommy every single day."

"Then let's get a pretend-Mommy. Then I'll have a mommy I can see and you won't have to miss Mommy."

Roger smiled, forcing back his tears. "It's not that simple, honey. We'll see, though."

"What's 'we'll see'?"

"It means maybe."

She put her hands on her hips. "Maybe like when you say maybe we could have ice cream and then we can't or maybe like when you say maybe we could watch a movie and we do."

Roger laughed. "Maybe like when I say maybe."

"Daddy!" she giggled. "You're so silly!"

"Well so are you, Little Missy. Now, you go play for a few minutes till dinner's ready."

"'Kay."

Roger smiled until she'd disappeared. He turned back to the stove and put his hands on the counter. A few tears dripped down his cheeks. He took a deep breath and then wiped the tears away as he reached for the spoon and stirred the sauce.

--LINE BREAK--LINE BREAK--

Mark had been pacing the living room for the past several minutes.

"Is it ready?"

"Is what ready?" Maureen asked, flipping through the magazine.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the little stick thing that's going to decide our fate?"

"Okay, one: it's called a pregnancy test. Two: don't be dramatic, that's my job. It's determining if we're having a baby yet, not our fate. And three: no, it's not. We set the timer, remember?"

Mark nodded. "How can you just sit there?"

"What the hell else do you want me to do?"

The timer on the oven beeped.

"It's done! It's done!"

"Mark! Would you calm down for five seconds?"

Maureen went to the kitchen and turned off the timer. Mark followed her into the bathroom where she'd left the stick. She stared at the stick, then the box and back. Without letting Mark see it, she pulled out the directions sheet and skimmed over it, glancing back to the test from time to time.

"Well?"

Maureen sighed. "I'm not."

"What?"

She handed him the test. "I'm not pregnant. It's negative."