A/N: I forgot to say this in chapter one, but this is the same story as the one juneflower16 was writing, and it's the same person writing it, just a different account.

Also, none of this belongs to me

Chapter 2: Friendship is Thicker Than Blood

"Where have you been?"

"Santa Fe."

That seemed to stop Mark. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times with no sound coming out. I thought he looked rather fish-like and told him as much. At least now he wasn't gaping at me.

"What's so strange about Santa Fe?" I asked. In reality I knew, that had always been Collins thing – opening a restaurant in Santa Fe. I wondered if Mark knew that it was something Collins had fabricated, something to lift our spirits during the dark days. Also, Santa Fe was where Roger had planned to go, before I left. Mark's voice forced me out of my head, "Huh?" I asked.

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why Santa Fe, why did you leave, I mean Collins told us a little, but – why?"

Ok, so he had been listening. I sighed deeply. I hadn't been counting on running into anyone and getting into my past. I sighed again.

"Well?" Mark demanded.

"Mark, it's a long story, a complicated one…"

"I've got time."

I looked into his eyes. He seemed to really need this – closure I was guessing, a chance to finally move on. Collins had told me he hadn't seriously dated anyone since I left, and I know he hadn't before that, which means the last time Mark had a serious relationship was – shit, it was me. I was the last girlfriend Mark had. If I hadn't owed him an explanation before, I certainly did now. Figures, the two people it would be hardest to explain things to, Mark and Joanne, were the two who needed and deserved the explanation the most. Especially Mark.

"Let's go someplace a little warmer then."

Mark nodded, "I've just gotta drop something off at the loft first if you don't mind – I still live there."

"I know, and I don't mind," I smiled weakly, "sentimental reasons right? You feel like you should move, let go, move on, but at the same time it's just about the only thing you have left of them, of -," I stopped, the blank was supposed to be me, but I couldn't bring myself to say it. I plowed on, "of them, and you feel like if you leave the loft it'll be like you're betraying them or forgetting about them." I suddenly realized what I had said. Shit Maureen, you see the boy again for all of ten minutes after being practically M.I.A. for ten years and you immediately have to get all shrink-y on him, smart move.

"Yeah," Mark seemed surprised that I knew about the loft and shocked at everything I had said. I had a feeling I was going to be seeing this expression of his a lot more very shortly. "How did you figure all that out?"

"It's all part of the story, come on, are we leaving?" Yes, even for all I had changed, I still was not the most patient person, especially in the cold.

The walk to the loft was a silent one. Mark quietly filming the streets of New York, occasionally mumbling to himself – or the camera, I wasn't sure which. As for myself, I walked alongside, lost in my own head. Being back in New York, specifically Alphabet City and specifically with Mark, was bringing back a lot of old memories.

Climbing the stairs to the loft was like a pound of déjà vu. So much happened on these stairs, so much of my life, of me… We reached the top and Mark spoke for the first time since we left the cemetery.

"If you want to just wait out here, I'll, uh, only be, uh..."

"That's fine," I smiled to let him know I didn't mind. Being alone would give me sometime to sort through my thoughts. Not to mention prepare myself for what I was about to tell Mark.

Mark looked back at me like he wasn't sure he should leave me alone. Probably afraid I would run away. I nodded in the direction of the door and he finally walked inside.

I looked around the hallway – not much had changed. It was still dark, dingy, and covered in graffiti. Speaking of graffiti… I walked over to the back corner of the hall. Kneeling down, my eyes searched the dark wall – yes, there it was, mine and Angel's contribution to the wall. I traced the outline with my finger. It was a tree, our family tree. Angel and I had been slightly drunk and were sitting in the tall talking, everyone else passed out on the floor. We had been discussing the theory that friendship is thicker then blood when Angel said that what we had wasn't a friendship, it was a family. So we drew the tree, a memorial of us, at least that's what it was now.

I looked at the tree more closely. Collins and Angel were at the top of the tree, as they were our lifelines, our angels. The next line Angel insisted would be Mark, Me, and Joanne. With me connected to both of them. I flashbacked to what I thought at the cemetery – here it was, right in front of my eyes. Under my row were Mimi, Roger, and then April – that time I was the one insisting. The last row was Benny. I felt like we had to include him, after all, he was once part of our family.

I felt tears well up in my eyes. God I was crying a lot today. I wiped the tears from my eyes with the back of my hand, Mark would be ready soon, and I didn't want to answer more questions than I had to. I stood up slowly, this place brought back so many memories, good, bad, everything in between. I wasn't sure how I felt about being thrust into the past again. I had worked so hard to do something right with my life, I didn't want to fuck that up like I did everything else.

"Hey."

I whipped around, "Oh, Mark, it's just you." I placed a hand on my chest feeling my heart pound wildly. "God, you scared me."

"Sorry, but, uh – there are some… Well, can you come in for a minute, there are some people you probably want to see."

I knew who it would be, and I wasn't sure I actually wanted to see either of them, but I was sure that Mark wouldn't take no for an answer, and truth be told, I didn't feel like arguing with him.

Shrugging my shoulders I replied, "Sure, why not?" I began walking towards the door. "Wait – did you tell them I was here?"

"I figured it's gonna be a surprise." Goody, a surprise.

Mark opened the door, "Hey guys, look who I found!" He grabbed my hand and pulled me into the loft.

As I had expected Joanne and Benny were sitting on the couch. The same couch that had been in the loft long before I ever moved in, Mark desperately needed to buy new furniture. The loft hadn't changed since I was here last. Still old, decrepit, and in desperate need of heat.

Joanne and Benny both turned when they heard Mark, and they both froze staring at me, mouths open. What was it with that fish-like expression today?

As expected Joanne recovered first. "Maureen? What are you doing here?"

"There was a funeral today." Alright Maureen, not two seconds into your old life so to speak and already you're doing the bitchy drama queen thing, you really need to work on that. "I came for Collins," I tried again, in a calmer tone.

"Umm… you do realize he's dead right? You can't see him or anything," Benny sneered.

I glared at him. Really that guy could be such an asshole, and completely tactless.

"Shut up Benny," Mark said, "Let's not start something." Mark – always the peacemaker.

"Why did you come back Maureen?" Joanne was looking at me intently.

Before I had a chance to answer, the loft door opened and a woman walked in with a young girl.

"Sorry, we had to make a stop, she forgot Moo-Moo," the woman said as she walked over to the couch and sat next to Joanne.

"No problem Honeybear."

My head shot up at that one. So this was the girlfriend – or was it wife, I think Collins had said something about a commitment ceremony. I could see them together, she looked like Joanne, neat, classic, impeccable, probably came complete with her own stuffy, boring office job. Even in my head I sounded jealous. It was absurd; I certainly didn't have any feelings for Joanne. Maybe it was just the name – Honeybear. Well, now I know I'm being ridiculous, I'm getting jealous of a name. The more important issue now though was the little girl. Collins hadn't mentioned a child.

"Mamma…Mamma who's that?" The little girl tugged on Joanne's sleeve and pointed at me.

Alright then, I guess she did have a kid. I wonder why Collins hadn't mentioned her. It wasn't like him to keep secrets from me.

"She's an old friend of ours, from a long time ago."

The little girl walked up to me and stuck out her hand, "Hello, I'm Daphne Thompson-Jefferson, how are you?"

I laughed out loud, it was pure Joanne! I knelt down so I was her height, "Hi sweetie. My name's Maureen. How old are you?"

"Five."

"That's what I thought, same age as Aby," I whispered to myself.

"Who's Aby?" she asked. Obviously, I spoke too loudly. Might as well get this over with.

"Aby's my daughter."

Joanne started choking and Mark once again did the fish thing.

"You have a daughter?" They both asked.

"Yes."

Joanne's girlfriend, what was her name – Jasmine was it? Yes, Jasmine, looked at me, "Wait – you're Maureen as in the ex who ran off and abandoned everyone because you were too selfish and self absorbed to care about anything else?"

Oh, so she was one of those, the one's who blame all problems and things that are in no way connected on the ex.

Joanne glared at her, "Honeybear – shh." And then to me, "That's not really how I phrased it."

"It's fine," I said coolly. "Yes, I'm that Maureen, but I'm afraid your missing something crucial in your side of the story."

"What's that?" Jasmine snipped.

"Facts and the truth as opposed to the bullshit you just flung at me."

At that Benny started laughing, "Maureen you haven't changed a wit!"

Mark finally stepped in, "Well, we were going someplace with food and heat so Maureen could give us some explanations.

This had suddenly become a group affair? Well, at least it saved me from repeating myself. Besides they would all have found out, Mark was always terrible at keeping secrets.

"How does the Life sound?" Mark asked.

"That's the only place we ever go." Benny rolled his eyes.

That I laughed at, "I see I'm not the only thing that 'hasn't changed a wit!'"

"Touché Ms. Johnson, touché."