Sorry about the month-wait. I wanted this to be a Xmas present for you all...then a New Years present...but obviously, that didn't work out. Work, family, the craziness of Christmas, and then classes starting again...plus the fact that I've been watching House pretty nonstop (I set up my parent's TV to record it automatically, since like October, and I finally watched them all...I actually had a dream the other night that I was a patient, and House was yelling at me because I'd forgotten to tell them about my ladacaine allergy, and that somehow screwed up their diagnosis...then someone called me, I woke up, and I spent the next hour trying to fall asleep and get back in the dream lol).

Also, Tuesday I was in Washington DC, baby! I saw Obama's inauguration…and although I was about as close I could get without a ticket, I still didn't get to see him (there was a small dot among all the dots on the Capital building that I imagined was him). It was still A-MAY-ZING though and the 10 hr busride there and back (with no heat btw…our bus broke) and the 10 block walk, and the insanity that was trying to get out of the mall while 2.5 million people were also trying to get out, was totally worth it!!!!!

But Anyways…

First of all, in response to some reviewers:

Yes, there will be smut, eventually. I have planned (although not written, yet...I'm really nervous about writing my first smut ever, so I've been putting it off) two separate sex scenes. That means at least two; I may do more if the first one comes out decent. I'm also going to write the two different scenes in different styles, and this does have a purpose...which I'll explain when we come to them.

Secondly, Yes, there will be an explanation for Roger's behavior, eventually. I'm actually having a little bit of an issue with this, because the original reason for his behavior doesn't seem as good as an idea that I thought it was, a year ago...either because my taste changed, or perhaps because Roger wasn't supposed to be this bad...and since he's ended up more of an asshole than expected, I need to rework my plot a bit....I should have it all sorted by the time we get to that, though...hopefully.... Any creative people/good writers out there that want to help inspire me? ;D

So I hope that answers your questions...if anybody has anymore, just ask, and I shall answer...I mean, unless the answer contains spoilers, claro.

Also...there may be a point in this chapter where Reye seems like she's drifting into Mary Sue turf, but that is not my intent. I've been trying to keep her and Marshall to a bit left of the spotlight...not completely successfully, but remember that they are not the main focus of the fic, I don't ever mean them to become the main focus, they're mainly meant to be instigators and pawns of the plot. Also, Roger's being a dick, there has to be someone to be nice to Mark in the meantime.

I'm trying to keep the spotlight on the relationship between Mark and Roger and also Mark's inner turmoils, and keep my OCs as just people who play roles in his inner turmoils, not as stars...eventually, their importance in the story will change...not saying how though.

Me no own RENT...oh crap, my rents due next week...*pulls out Tip Jar* ...Please? I'm just a starving [artist] college student here. ...please? *puppy dog eyes*

Mi Dulce and A Job

Reye and Mark sat in the cafe, not talking for once, just enjoying each other's company. There was no one else in the place, the two men playing cards in the corner absent, which was a rare occurence. Reye seemed distracted, sitting on a stool beside Mark, instead of her usual place on the counter, as she colored in a Scooby Doo coloring book. Mark was flipping through The Village Voice, every once in a while randomly picking up a crayon and coloring in one tiny piece of whatever picture Reye was working on at the time. .

"You know what sucks about not being a child anymore?" Reye asked, gazing down at her fourth completed page instead of Mark.

"Well...lots of things, but which are you talking about?"

"Coloring books." she said. Seeing Mark's look of confusion she continued. "When I was a kid, I colored things however I wanted...I could make Daphne's hair black and Scooby have rainbow fur... and I mean, I could still do that, of course...but I'd have to think about it, I'd have to consciously decide to go against what I know they look like. When you're a kid, you don't think about how things should look, you just make things how you want them to look... Now I look at a coloring book page and I automatically go to color things in based on how I know they are supposed to be... I have to make a conscious effort to be creative...and now, if I were to color Scooby with rainbow fur, even if I didn't want to feel it, some part of me would feel silly because I know its incorrect. I'd have to acknowledge that the picture is weird, while as a kid I wouldn't have thought it was weird at all. ...And that really sucks."

Mark laughed gently. "Yeah, I suppose it does...but who gives a fuck about how things are supposed to look? Color however you want..maybe Scooby should have rainbow fur. There shouldn't be rules on that."

Reye smiled. "Yeah...I mean, I do color how I want." she held up a picture of Daphne and Fred with tan skin and black hair, the sky around them a bright green. "But I mean, look at this...I like it, nothing will ever stop me from liking this picture...but a part of me knows that this is creative revision...they aren't supposed to look like this. I hate that I'm conscious of breaking rules now...before, I didn't even know the rules to break..."

"I think you're putting too much thought into coloring books, Miss Reye...But, you know, this is all a part of growing up...you lose the innocent, naive, and...naturally creative part of yourself. You'll get used to it, Miss Reye...you're not done growing up, after all."

She bit her lip. "Yeah...I wish I could prevent myself from growing up entirely..."

She picked up a purple crayon and raised it to Daphne's hair in the next page of her coloring book before sighing and lowering it to her dress instead.

There was a moment of silence as Mark turned back to the paper before Reye interrupted him again.

"Hey Mark."

He frowned, surprised at hearing his real name. "Hm?"

"I know he's your boyfriend and all...but would you ever keep a secret from Marshall? ...for me?" she asked hesitantly, her fingers curling in her hair, a sign, Mark had learned, that she was nervous.

He put the paper down, fully facing her. "What's do you mean, Reye? ...Is something wrong? ...I mean, you tell your brother everything."

She worried her bottom lip. "I know but...I can't...just, would you? ...if it was important?"

He thought for a moment before nodding, "Yeah...I mean, I can't if you're in danger or anything...but otherwise, for you... yeah, I would."

She nodded in acknowledgement, seeming to be composing her thoughts for a few minutes before, "Mark, I think I'm pregnant."

Mark felt all the air whoosh out of his chest. "Oh fuck."

She smiled wryly. "My thoughts exactly."

"What...I mean, how...no, not how...just...Who?" he stuttered.

She swept her hair back and sighed. "Well...you remember that boy I met in Chicago? The one I told you about...the reason I insisted on staying a couple extra days?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah...the one you met in Little Village...Antonio something-or-other, right? ...Wait...its his?!"

She nodded again. "Yeah, Antonio Regalado, mi dulce...It would have to be his. He's the only...boy...that I've slept with in about two months. I mean...we used condoms...mostly..."

His eyes narrowed. "Mostly?"

She shrugged guiltily. "Well, one time it broke...and we did it again a couple hours later, and didn't see a point since the one earlier had already broke and all...I mean, the harm was already done so might as well, right? ...Don't give me that look, Mark, I know that it was stupid." she sighed. "It was just...god, he was so gorgeous! And so nice...and so smart and... I mean...he really was the perfect guy! He was funny and sarcastic, he cares about politics, he reads philosophy, he's fluent in Spanish, he plays the guitar, he's only two years older than me...and God, he was goodlooking! ...Can't I be forgiven for going a little stupid over him?"

"I think your present dilemma is answer enough to that."

Pouting, she shoved him gently. "Jerk! ...and its only a potential dilemma..." she took a breath, holding her forehead in her hand. "Ay Dios..." she murmered. "Oh fuck...oh shit, Mark...what if I am? What am I going to do? ...Marshall is going to kill me....Fuck! ...Ay Dios, que debo hacer, que debo hacer?"

Mark, startled by the strange scene of Reye in panic mode, reached out and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, forced to his feet as she suddenly yanked him into a hug, her face buried in his chest.

"Its going to be okay, sweetheart...do you hear me? It'll all be fine...I'm going to help you...worst comes to worst, I'll punch you in the stomach." he joked, smiling when he felt muffled laughter against his chest.

She pulled her face up. "How about you help me find a way to fix it properly? ...A Mexican baby could take a punch better than you could, unborn or not."

He laughed. "Sure, that sounds fine..."

LINELINELINELINELINE-Two Days Later-LINELINE

"You falling asleep?"

"No." Mark murmured.

Marshall smiled. "Promise?"

The filmmaker chuckled. "Promise...keep reading, I want to finish it tonight."

Marshall affectionately ran his fingers through Mark's hair before turning back to the book he'd been reading to the blonde, a few chapters at a time, over a few nights. Marshall lay on the floor, Mark's head on his chest listening to his rich voice just over the sound of his heart beating. They'd gone through a couple books this way; every once in a while it was a nice change from going out. Sometimes Reye joined them, lounging on the couch behind them as Marshall read.

It had been her who had suggested the idea in the first place. She'd been recounting how Marshall used to read to her when she was sick, even when she got older, and recommended Mark ask Marshall to read to him at some point since he enjoyed doing it.

It turned out to be good advice, and they were just now coming to the close of The Hobbit.

Reye came into the room after a few minutes, sitting on the couch she seemed to be waiting more than listening. At the end of the chapter he was on, she quickly spoke, "Hey, I'm bored stiff...wanna take a break to smoke?"

They both looked up at her, silent for different reasons.

"Please? I feel edged up...just a quick circle?"

Marshall smiled softly. "Actually, that doesn't sound too bad...Babes, you in?"

Mark didn't answer him, eyes hard as he stared at Reye. If she was pregnant, the last thing she should be doing was pumping hard drugs into her system. If she decided to keep the baby, the damage to the fetus would be substantial.

"Do you really think its the best idea for you to be chasing right now...I thought that you haven't been feeling well?" he said, speaking as subtlely as he dared.

Reye frowned at him, immediately understanding, while Marshall stared in total confusion. "Don't worry about it, Mark...I know what I'm doing."

Marshall frowned. "Is there something I should know about? ...have you been sick or something, m'ija?"

Reye shook her head. "Nah...well, I was dehydrated or something the other day. Had a real bad headache, and felt kinda weak...but after Mark left, I just ate and drank a lot and it hasn't come back. S'not a big deal." Mark frowned at the easyness of her lie, but remained silent.

Marshall bought it easily enough, and sitting up so he was leaning against the couch and Mark was lounged between his legs, they sat and watched as Reye got the heroin ready.

Mark felt a little surprised at himself. It was a little over one month after Reye had gotten back from Chicago, and therefore one month since he had first tried heroin. If he smoked tonight, which he felt no doubt that he was about to, it would be the fifth time that he had. Five times, in one month... and each morning, he would wake up without a single feeling of withdrawal or even a craving...and also without a single regret. The more he did it, the less hesitance he had to do it again. It was always a nice experience, and it gave him a sweet calm that reminded him slightly of life before the pain of Roger's mood swings, Mimi, Angel, April, HIV...back when he had just been a dumb kid full of dreams and naive of real loss. It couldn't take it all away, but it gave him a glimpse. He was a little worried of where it was going, but two things reassured him:

1. Marshall and Reye had both been doing it for longer than he had, and still did it more than he did (at least Reye did...Marshall did less than her..he was about even with Mark) and neither of them were addicted...so as long as he stayed at their level, he should be fine, he figured.

2. He felt nothing stopping him from turning it down at times. As long as he could still say no, as long as he didn't want to chase at every opportunity shown to him, he was fine. Or so he figured.

Reye was done preparing and Mark watched as she took a hit. For a moment, he stared at her flat, unsuspecting stomach. For your sake, potential baby, I hope you don't actually exist. ...You haven't got that long of a life, if you do.

LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE

Mark went home a little while after he sobered up. He was afraid to go home high, since he knew Roger knew the signs only too well…and he wasn't sure what his roommate would do if he ever caught him. The thought didn't make him consider stopping though, just made him careful to always hide it.

He slept through the rest of the night and most of the morning. When he woke up, he made a decision: he needed a job.

He'd had jobs before, of course, but since college it had only been a few, Buzzline being the lowest he'd ever stooped. He'd always been too concentrated on his work [his movie] to be bothered with actual…work. But now his film was done, and he didn't even have a new idea, so there was no excuse to remain unemployed but pure laziness. Hell, even Roger tended bars every once in a while. And he couldn't keep depending on Collins and Roger's tips to get them food, heat and AZT.

The problem was, he was kind of a quitter. He'd quit tee ball, the Boy Scouts, the trumpet, tango lessons, track, college, and every job he'd ever had. The only things he hadn't quit were his filming, writing (screenplays mostly, but he'd also written a couple short stories), and the science club (which, had it gone longer than just 7th grade, he probably would have quit). He had always been endlessly loyal to people and to ideals; he just got bored of routines very quickly. Anything that required daily or weekly practices/meetings/attendance never lasted long.

But he'd kept a job for about a year and a half once, so he figured that it wasn't impossible to keep one for at least that long again. And if not…a month or two of paychecks would be good enough for a while.

He took a shower, shaved, gelled his hair and then put on clean pants and a dress shirt. Grabbing a ball point pen and his ID, he went out into the city for the worst part of job searching: applications.

LINELINELINELINELINELINE

Okay, lame ending, I know…and as for that beginning with Reye… *covers face* please don't hurt me. I swear, she is not going to become a Mary Sue…and that this is not going to go in the direction that I bet you all are thinking its going to now.

Also, it is totally not farfetched for this to happen to her. I'm almost 21, and have been in college for three years. In my lifetime, I have had about thirteen friends who had a baby, got an abortion, had a miscarriage, or had a 'I might be pregnant' scare. These girls were all aged 14-23 when this happened to them. And those are just the friends who I've been close enough for them to tell me. I, myself, have taken the morning-after pill once, so who knows if I would have had a scare or gotten pregnant had I not. (FYI, ladies and girls, alcohol, weed, and boys do not mix). So yeah, because of that, I felt that this whole thing with Reye was totally reasonable.

Also, I have planned what happens next, so criticize or say what you will and don't worry about influencing my next chapter.

I'm kind of at a loss for things to happen between now and lets say…chapter 29, wherein big things will happen. Is there anything in particular you want to see? Some scene you wish would happen between my characters/canon characters? Or maybe some random OC I named a while back you want to see a return of or something like that?

Please, give me input…I need small things and time to pass before I work up to the craziness that is ahead.

REVIEW!!!