It lasted barely a millisecond. The flash of green was gone the moment it hit their eyelids, and the three of them stood blinking the spots off their eyes. No one else seemed to have noticed.

The first thing that registered with Klara was that she really, REALLY wanted to go to the Life Café. Strange, since it was 15 blocks away, and she had never felt any particular need to go there, but still. This unsatiable urge filled her, and she stood, dazed.

The first thing that Caleb noticed was the surreal shift in the air in front of him. It felt as though he was standing in a fog, but a thin, transparent one. He swayed a little, squinting to see clearly. Did he need glasses all of a sudden? Had the bright green light made him blind? He shook his head and leaned into Chris a little. It would pass soon.

Chris didn't notice anything except the beepers that went off simultaneously from each of their waistbands.

AZT break.

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All three swallowed their medicine as they trooped outside. It was lucky they had each other, truly. Only the three of them could tell the other that they understood what it was like to have AIDs in the 21st century.

Chris put his hands behind his head and twirled in front of them. "Where we headed now? Cuz I am awake and ready to buy a fabulous new hat!" He sang. Caleb just squinted, while Klara turned her head this way and that, as if she was trying to locate something.

"Okay guys, what the shit. You're freaking me out. What's going on?" Neither answered, just continued to look slightly dazed and off. Klara opened her mouth, then closed it.

She opened her mouth again. "I think we should eat at the Life Café." She looked slightly surprised at her answer, like she hadn't meant it to come out of her mouth.

"Why? It's like, a million miles away. I was thinking we'd just buy a hotdog or something from a street vendor."

"I dunno. I just…Maybe it's something to do with the musical and everything, but I just really wanna go. Haven't you ever felt curious about it, Chris?" It occurred to Klara that she really did want to know about the place Jonathan Larson so loved. It might have almost been a temple, something sacred to visit.

"Not really. But mostly because we live a MILLION FREAKING MILES AWAY. Didn't you hear me the first time? I know I don't have to wear heels today, but I like my legs fresh and ready for duty. Not walking 20 blocks." Chris raised his eyebrows at her.

"15."

"Whatever."

"I think we should go." Chris and Klara turned in surprise to Caleb, usually the least adventurous of the group. He smiled faintly at both of them. "Something happened in there, and the first thing you say is that we should go to the life café? C'mon, Loverboy. Lets hoof it."

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Twelve blocks later and soaked through due to poring rain, Caleb was no longer so enthusiastic. Plus, he could barely SEE, dammit. Klara and Chris were skipping along, dancing in the raindrops and sticking out their tounges. They didn't seem hindered by a lack of vision.

Muttering angrily under his breath, Caleb was taken by surprise as his feet lodged themselves in a crack in the sidewalk, allowing his head to bang into the cold concrete, and get his whole front even wetter.

"FUCK!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. Chris swiveled around and rushed back to his lover, helping him up and alternately attempting to hug the breath out of him. "You okay, baby? You've been weird all day, we're almost there, you absolutely sure you're okay?" He babbled a worriedly, as he took his hand and squeezed it, searching his face for scratches. Caleb grinned for the first time since the rain started, and put an arm around Chris' waist. He started walking again, watching his feet carefully.

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They arrived at the Life Café soaking and shivering, and gladly rushed inside. The wind had picked up, and it was like a regular gale outside. The temperature had dropped significantly also, and they were thankful to have arrived at their warm destination.

The café was mostly empty, as regular patrons had decided not to brave the weather. Klara, Chris, and Caleb hustled to a table in the back, near the radiator. Caleb blinked rapidly. His vision had been reduced to coloured blurs, and he instinctively gripped his lover's hand. He sighed, and set back. It would be a while to wait out the storm.

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Michelle Kennedy stepped off the train, stretching her aching muscles. Nine straight hours of sitting next to a lecherous businessman who made a point of eyeing her ass every time she stood up was not her idea of fun. Anything for love, eh?

She thanked the conductor and walked through the platform, hiking her small duffel up on her shoulder. She was dressed respectably, in dark jeans and a white button up shirt, tucked in nicely. Her shoulder length brown hair was tied into two braids, and straight bangs fell into her eyes. She impatiently pushed them away.

Stepping outside, Michelle was dismayed to notice the ferocious storm occurring before her. This was not the welcome she expected of New York City. She sighed, and flipped open her cellphone. Speed dialing a number, she lifted the phone to her ear.

It rang on with no response. Finally she came to the answering machine. "Hi there, you've reached Klara Duleana, I'm obviously not in, so leave a message or expect me to call you back at 4 AM. Just to spite you." Michelle giggled faintly and stumbled over her next words.

"Um, Hi, KK, it's me. Michelle. Uh, I'm here, in New york. I wanted to come and see you, if you're willing, uh…well, I, Klara, what I'm trying to say is, I made a mistake, and I was just wondering if we could get together and talk sometime, maybe—" The cellphone responded with an irate beep, cutting her off. Michelle bit her lip. She was cold, wet, and just stepped off a one-way train 500 miles from her home with no one to greet her.

She really was the clever boots.

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A/N: well, I was gonna give y'all who actually read this a little more to chew on, but I still need to figure out how to introduce Michelle and Klara's past together, and how to make it relevant to the story. Don't worry, your beloved RENT cast will come in to play in the next chapter, or possibly the one after that.

Reviews are crack, and I'm an addict. Srsly. Press the damn button.