One Man, Two Lives Destroyed

Summary: AU She can think of many reasons to explain to her daughter why her fathers not around – just none of them are the truth. MCxMJ MMxRD JJxOC ADSxTC

Authors Note: So sorry about the delay! It's taken me along time to get everything together in this story and I've been busy with Christmas and all that jazz. So I'm sorry about the delay. This is not the last chapter! I REPEAT THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER! There are going to be two more chapters and then it'll be the end! Thanks for the reviews!

Co-writer and editor: xx Screaming Infidelities (She changed her pen-name from xI'll Cover Youx to that)

Disclaimer: WE DO NOT OWN RENT!

Enjoy!

Oh and at the end it's a little rushed, but I hope you still like it!

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Chapter 27

Elsewhere

Mark was sitting at the table fidgeting with his shirt and the paper that was clutched in his hands. He was sure that he was right about this, but he just didn't want to make a mistake. He didn't want to be stuck here forever and have to wait for everything to fall back in place without him. He didn't want to miss a moment of Maureen's life, Natasha's life, Grace's life, Mimi's life, Roger's life, Angel's life, Collins's life, Joanne's life, Sara's life, and Mark Jr.'s life. He didn't want to miss a moment of it. Of any of theirs lives. He looked up and found himself looking at somebody different then the person he had met before. She was a girl; she wasn't the same man that he had seen before.

"Mark, I didn't think that you would come here so fast."

"Who are you?"

"That's a funny question and I can't answer that." She smiled and laughed slightly, "So why are you here?"

"I remember and I know why I'm here." Mark said quietly and the woman smiled at him. Mark looked down at the ground and then felt the paper in his hands weighing him down.

"I knew that you would… But are you sure about this? You only get one chance at this."

"I'm sure, I'm sure." Mark said and the woman nodded for him to go on, "I'm here for only one reason. It's not a complex reason that I would have never figured out, it was actually very simple and if I had put my head into thinking about it I would of gotten out of here faster. I'm here because I'm in a coma. Before I was in a coma my memory was gone and I couldn't remember anything, nothing at all. That's why I'm here. I'm here so I can remember, so I can get my memory back." He finished and looked at the woman in front of him. She smiled and shook her head.

There was silence before she said anything.

"It's about time that you figured that out." The she said and reached forward to hit a button. There was a beep and she spoke into the microphone. "Darla? Will you send in Mark's things? He's going home."

"What?" The response came back, sharp and bitter. "He's going home? But how did he guess about why he was here? He's the first one in many years April."

'April.' Mark knew her; it hit him like a brick in the face. He was talking to April, he was looking at April, Roger's ex-girlfriend that he hadn't seen in years. April looked up at him and then back down at the paperwork that she was doing. She had a faint smile of her face and she was jotting stuff down quickly. The door opened the woman named Darla came in. She carried two bags and she handed them to Mark. He took them and furrowed his brow. He looked at April who nodded and let him open the bags. He found only one thing in the bags. His scarf in one and his camera in the other. He discarded the suitcases and looked at April.

"April… Why are you here?" Mark questioned and April flipped her red hair back. She didn't say anything and Mark knew that she didn't know why she was here and she couldn't answer Mark's question. "Ah… I see. Well I'll miss you."

"Don't worry Mark, I've been here for many years, too many years, but that's just too bad. I know that my body is somewhere but I can't remember why I'm here. That first day that you were there, I couldn't come to greet you so I sent one of Roger's band-mates to greet you. You remember Sam right?"

"I thought that Sam died in a car-crash." Mark said and April shrugged.

"I don't know, I wasn't there. I just know that he came here about four years after I did. You have only a couple minutes left here… I just want to know how Roger is and how Mimi is also."

"You know about Mimi?"

"How could I not? They put me on top here so I'm allowed to look down on Earth every once and awhile, just not that often. So… How are they?"

"They're married, but I don't think that they're planning any children anytime soon." Mark smiled and April smiled back. "I really miss you April."

"I know, I miss you guys too." April said and wiped at her eyes, "I really wish I could remember what had happened to me and why I'm here, but I guess that this life is just good enough for me. I'll see you when you really do die. Not that that will be anytime soon." April smiled at him, "Have a good time with Maureen and tell them I love them and I miss them all terribly."

"I will April, I will. I love you."

"I love you too Mark, you were the best friend I ever had." She covered her eyes with one hand and then pressed a button on another. Mark saw April peaking through her fingers and she gave a worried smile. He then felt himself drop, he felt himself falling down towards Earth and he heard April words following him.

"… And tell them I love them and I miss them all terribly."

He was falling faster then ever and he had never felt this way before. He had never thought that this would be so painful. April had forgotten to tell him about how painful this would be. He hadn't been expecting that he would just fall from Elsewhere to the Earth. He was entering New York City and he found himself falling into the hospital and right where he belonged. He felt pain in his head and then… Nothing at all.

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New York City

Maureen brushed Natasha's hair and then turned her around in her seat and heard her daughter squeal out in happiness. She was so happy that her mother was back to caring for her and was going to come to her graduation. It was the last day of school and she was graduating. She couldn't wait to go to it. Natasha wore black pants and a pink lacey long-sleeved shirt while Maureen wore a black knee-length gown with high-heels and her wasn't pinned up at all, she let it fall down her shoulders. Grace was watching them closely; she wore just a nice little purple dress. Maureen smiled and clipped a necklace on her neck and then put in her earrings.

"I'm so glad that you're coming to this mom." Natasha said and Maureen's smile brightened. She leaned down and kissed Natasha's cheek.

"I'm not the only one whose coming Nati. Roger, Mimi, Collins, Angel, Joanne, Sara, and Mark Jr. are all coming… You know that right?"

"Mommy! You forgot me!" Grace said and Maureen walked over to Grace. She grabbed her and lifted her off the ground. Maureen kissed her forehead while Grace laughed. Natasha ran over and started to tickle her sisters' stomach. It was something that they used to do together when Grace was being cute.

"I didn't forget you Gracie." Maureen said and laughed. She shifted her daughter to one of her hips and grabbed her purse. She shifted it to her other arm with Grace and then grabbed Natasha's hand. They walked out of the apartment and met the whole gang on the street.

"I'm so glad that you're all coming!"

"Of course darling! Like we would miss this wonderful day?" Angel questioned and took Natasha's hand from Maureen. Maureen smiled gratefully at her and they walked a couple of feet ahead discussing things like who Natasha liked and what she would like for this special day.

"Are you okay Mo?" Mimi questioned and Maureen nodded.

"Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"I don't know, you just seemed distant."

"I'm just thinking about how this is my first night out in a really long time since… Since…" She paused, "Since…"

"It's okay Mo, you don't have to say it." Roger cut in and Maureen smiled at them.

"I'm okay, I love sending time with you guys, my whole life doesn't revolve around Mark and how much I miss him. I still have to be a mother to Grace and Natasha and I still have to be your friend…"

Sara pushed the carriage with Mark Jr. ahead a little; she then fell in step with them. "I think that's the right attitude Maureen and I'm inspired by you."

"Thanks Sara." Maureen said and smiled. "We're going to have fun tonight because it's Natasha's big night and she wants everybody to be there. So that's what we're basically doing." She heard their laughs and she wished that she could just laugh carelessly at all those things, but she couldn't. She couldn't force herself to laugh anymore.

"I'm really glad that you decided to come Mo."

"Yeah me too Joanne." Maureen said and then watched as Grace rested her head on her shoulder and closed her eyes. "But maybe it wasn't the best idea to take Grace." She said quietly and they all nodded towards the stroller. It had two seats, she had just noticed that they had all been planning on putting Grace in there when she fell asleep.

"Thanks you guys, you're the best." She placed Grace down carefully and then they continued to walk. Before her phone even started to ring, Maureen reached down and grabbed it. The ring let out a shrill noise and she flipped it open.

"Hello? Maureen Johnson speaking."

"Maureen, just the person I was looking for."

"May I ask whose calling?"

"Oh, silly me, sorry about that. This is Kristin Letch. I'm Mark's doctor." She muttered something else, but Maureen couldn't hear her.

"Oh Dr. Letch, it's good to hear from you… Why are you calling again?"

"It's Mark…" She trailed off and Maureen pressed the phone closer to her ear.

"Something's wrong with Mark?"

"No, uh… He's asking for you."

"What Dr. Letch… How can he be asking for me if he's in a coma?" She almost dropped the phone. How could she be so stupid? Mark was awake and she hopped that this time it was for good. "Should I come now?"

"I won't stop you if you do." Kristin said and Maureen smiled.

"I'm on my way." She shut the phone and looked at everybody who had stopped walking. Natasha was at the front still and she was looking at her mother in a very confused way.

"Mommy… Are you going somewhere?"

"Great news everybody," Maureen said, "Mark's awake and he's asking for me!"

Nobody said anything.

"Well… Isn't that great news?"

"Yeah Mo, of course… Awesome news." Mimi said and Maureen rested her hands on her hips.

"What? What did I do? I have to get down there-"

"But what about my graduation mom?" Natasha questioned and had tears forming in her eyes, "You promised me that you would come."

"But Natasha… I-I… And you're father…" She looked at everybody else and then lowered her hands to her side and walked towards the school. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." She took Natasha's hand and walked with her to the entrance.

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It had been about two hours since the phone call from Kristin to Maureen. She walked faster then ever to the hospital. She knew that she probably should of called when she didn't show up, but she just couldn't let Natasha down again. She was happy that she had stayed. It made Natasha happy so of course it made her happy. She walked into the hospital and turned straight into Mark's room. He was sitting upright and was looking out the window.

"Mark… I'm sorry that I didn't come sooner."

"I know, you had to take care of Natasha right?" He questioned and turned his head towards her. He was smiling and he looked better then he had in many years.

"Yeah, it was graduation tonight at Natasha's school and I couldn't miss it."

"If I were you I wouldn't of missed it either. Natasha would have been heartbroken." Maureen sat down at his side and smiled.

"Yeah… So how are you feeling?"

"I'm better and I remember most things now." Mark said and rested his hand over Maureen's. She smiled and simply let the moment set in before she asked him anything else. She pushed back her hair with her other hand and smiled bigger.

"How far do you remember back?"

He looked puzzled and Maureen sighed.

"It's okay Mark, if you don't remember anything I'll still love you." She smiled and he smiled back at her. "I love you Mark." She leaned forward and was about inches away from Mark's face.

"I love you too Reen."

She pulled back surprised that he had even said that.

"You… You remember?"

Mark nodded, "Everything, and I'm here to stay… For good." She threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek lightly. She was so happy and she was so alive at that moment that nothing could bring her down.

Life was good again. For Mark was finally back in Maureen's life.

End of Chapter 27

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Ending Note: So did you like it? I know it was rushed at the end! I'm sorry about that! I'll update as soon as possible!

PLEASE REVIEW!