"I don't know if I can do this, Roger." she told him holding on to him tightly.
"Marty, you don't have to if you don't want to, but if you don't. He'll go out and do this to someone else and I know you don't want that." Detective Benson told her quietly looking up at Roger.
"Baby, you need to do this. You need to face him so you can see what a coward he is. He can't hurt you anymore." Roger told her kissing her head.
"I know, you're right, Roger. I need to do this. Will you be with me?" she asked as Detective Stabler cut in.
"I'm sorry Marty, Roger can't come in with you. But Detective Benson and I will be right there with you. Roger will be right out here." Detective Stabler told her as he reached for the door knob.
"OK. Will you stay right here, Roger?" she said looking up at him desperately.
"Of course. I'm not going anywhere, Marty. I'm right here. Just pick out the guy who hurt you." he told her as she and the Detectives entered the room.
"Now Marty, you can see them but they can't see you. Just take your time and if you recognize anyone tell us what number he is holding and tell us where you know him from. It's as simple as that." Detective Benson told her bringing her further into the room to the large window.
"OK. I think I'm ready." she told them as the curtain opened and she saw 5 men standing in the other room holding numbers. She recognized him right away. "Number 4. He's holding number 4." she said turning her head away beginning to cry.
"Where do you recognize him from, Marty?" Detective Stabler asked her as Detective Benson rubbed Marty's back.
"He is the man who hurt me. He raped me in that alley last night and then beat me repeatedly." she told them as Detective Benson and Detective Stabler exchanged a confident look.
"Thank you, Marty. You did really good. You can go back out to Roger now." Detective Benson told her opening the door for her where Roger was waiting anxiously.
"He was in there, Roger. I recognized him." she told him crying as she put her face into his chest.
"It's OK, Marty. Detectives Benson and Stabler are gonna make sure he pays. Can I take her home now?" he asked caressing her head.
"Yes, Roger. Thank you for coming in. You were really brave, Marty. Thank you. Call me if you need anything." she said handing Marty her card smiling at Roger.
"Thank you Detectives." Roger said as he turned around with his arm still around Marty as they left the station. They walked home in silence. Marty was walking more confidently, but Roger held her tight. They got to the building and slowly climbed up the stairs. Roger held Marty as she made the trek on her own.
"How did it go?" Collins asked as he and Mark came out of Marty's room.
"It went fine. I identified him. It's weird, you know. When I first saw him, I was so scared. But then when I left the building, I felt like a weight was lifted off of me. I don't know, I guess it's because I faced him." she told them smiling.
"That's great, Baby girl. We are so proud of you." Collins told her kissing her on the head.
"Thanks, Collins." she said holding onto Roger who was now smiling bigger than he has in long time.
"Hey, we have a surprise for you." Mark said smiling at her.
"What did you guys do?" she asked coming into the loft more looking at Mark.
"Close your eyes." Collins told her as they took her arm and brought her gently into her room. "Tada." he exclaimed as Marty opened her eyes.
"You guys did all this?" she told them looking at her room. It was decorated simply with some of her things. The bed was made and a couple of Roger's pillows were on the bed. There was a lamp in the corner which lit the room softly.
"Guys, you did all this when we were gone?" Roger asked them pulling Marty closer.
"We even went to Marty's old place to get the rest of her things for you. Your old roommate is a uber bitch, by the way." Collins told her standing behind them in the doorway.
"You guys are incredible. I have never met anyone like you." she said with tears brimming in her eyes.
"Well, we try." Mark told her glad to see her so happy.
"It feels like home." she told them as Roger took her in his arms and kissed her.
"Ew straight people kissing." Collins teased as he grabbed Mark. "I think that's our cue, Mark." he continued as Roger and Marty broke their kiss laughing.
"No. I'm sorry, guys. It's just this is the happiest I've been in a long time. I mean, especially since last night." she told them holding on to Roger's shoulders.
"We know, Baby girl." Collins told her touching her head gently with his large hands.
"Thanks Collins, Mark. You guys have been really great to me. And you Roger. You've been totally amazing. I don't think I could get through this without you." she told him looking up at him.
"I'm only following my heart." he told her holding her face.
"I know. Are you guys hungry? I'm starving." she told them as she looked at Collins and Mark.
"I could eat." Collins answered rubbing his stomach.
"Do you guys have anything to eat around here?" she asked leaning up to kiss Roger before heading to the kitchen.
"Not really. How about I take everyone out for dinner? Maybe we'll run into Joanne and Maureen while we're out." Roger suggested as he came up behind Marty carefully putting his arms around her waist.
"Who's Joanne and Maureen?" she asked looking up at him.
"Mark's ex and her girlfriend." Roger told her as Mark gave him a dirty look.
"Is she gay?" Marty asked caressing Roger's arms.
"Yeah. A decision she made right before she broke up with him." Roger told her kissing her neck.
"Thanks for that, Rog. That never gets old." he told him as Marty looked at him sympathetically.
"I'm sorry, Mark. Don't worry. You probably get plenty of girls. I mean, who could resist a nice guys like you?" she told him breaking away from Roger and hugging Mark.
"Thanks, Marty. I appreciate that. How about we go get something to eat now?" Mark said as he grabbed his camera and they left the loft.
"I love my room, guys. Really. I can't believe you guys got that all done in the time we were gone." she told them as they approached the Life Cafe.
"Yeah well you deserve to have your own room. You can't be expected to keep sleeping in Roger's room. It smells like a sweaty gym sock." Collins joked looking at Roger.
"It does not smell like a sweaty gym sock." Roger told him with his arm around Marty's waist.
"It smells safe to me. I don't know what it is. Maybe because it smells like Roger and he makes me feel safe." she told him as Roger pulled her closer and stuck his tongue out at Collins.
"She's only saying that because she is your girlfriend." Collins said as Roger and Marty looked at each other strangely. "Did I say something wrong, guys?" Collins asked as they stopped in front of .
"No, it's just we haven't discussed what we are yet." she answered looking up at Roger who was looking at her with a goofy smile. "What's with you?" she asked hitting her elbow into his stomach.
"Nothing. I just like the thought of you being my girlfriend." he told her rubbing his stomach with one hand and pulling her close with the other.
"Can we talk about this inside please? I am starving." Mark asked as he reached for the door.
"Why don't you guys go in? We'll be in in a minute." Roger told them as they entered the Cafe as he and Marty stayed outside.
"What is it, Roger?" Marty asked looking up at him.
"Be my girlfriend, Marty. I've been wanting you to be since this afternoon, but I don't want to rush you. This has been a very stressful 24 hours for you and I didn't want to..." he rambled until he was silenced by Marty's lips on his. "What was that for?" he asked looking down at her.
"You talk too much when you're nervous. You asked me to be your girlfriend. Why don't you wait for my answer before you start rambling on explaining why?" she told him smiling up at him. "Now ask me the question again and then wait for my answer." she told him with her arms around his neck.
"OK. Marty, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked her smiling.
"Of course I will, Roger." she answered smiling back at him.
"Yesss." he yelled as he lifted her up by her waist kissing her. He reached for the door and carried her in smiling.
"I take it she said yes." Collins told him sitting at the table laughing.
"Yeah, she did." he said kissing her again.
"So is this the famous Marty? I'm Maureen." Maureen asked looking up at them.
"Yeah, Maureen, Joanne this is Marty. We met last night." he told them as he set her down and pulled a chair out for her to sit in.
"Damn girl, what happened to you?" Maureen asked extending her hand to Marty.
"It's a long story. It's actually how Roger and I met. I'd rather not talk about it right now, if that's alright?" she told her sitting at the table as Roger sat next to her and putting his arm around her.
"That's fine. You tell us when you're ready. If your Roger's girlfriend, we'll be spending a lot of time together." Joanne told her smiling.
"Thanks guys. You are all so nice. I can't believe what great friends Roger has. Collins and Mark set up my room at the loft and it's really nice." she told them taking a sip of some water.
"Your room at the loft? How come you're not sleeping in Roger's room with him? You are his girlfriend right?" Maureen asked taking a sip of beer.
"It's a long story. We are taking things slow." Roger told her taking Marty's hand on the table. "How do you feel, Baby?" he asked Marty squeezing her hand.
"I'm OK. I feel better than I've felt in days, believe it or not." she told him smiling up at him.
"Good." he said kissing her again.
"You guys are so cute. It's nice to see Roger smiling and happy again." Joanne commented as everyone nodded.
"What do you mean?" Marty asked picking up a menu.
"Well, Roger isn't always this happy, let's just leave it at that." Collins said seeing Roger's eyes lower.
"What's wrong, Roger?" Marty asked looking at him and seeing his facial expressions change.
"It's long story. I'll tell you about it when we get home." he told her kissing her head.
"OK. Whenever you're ready." she said smiling at him, prompting him to smile in return.
"Thanks. So what are we gonna get?" Roger asked as the bohemians looked at each other and smiled.
"Wine and Beer." they shouted as they laughed, confusing Marty but she laughed along anyway. After a long night at the Life Cafe, Marty was exhausted, so her, Roger and Mark left to go home. When they entered the loft, Roger and Marty were in each other's arms.
"I'm gonna go to bed, guys. I'm tired." Mark told them as he headed to his room.
"OK. Good night, Mark. Thank you again for my room. I love it." she told him as she and Roger stood in the living room holding each other.
"No problem, Marty. I hope you sleep OK. I'll be right in there if you need anything." he told her smiling as he turned to go into his room.
"OK. Thanks." she said turning back to Roger who was looking at her lovingly. "What?" she asked pushing him a bit with her body.
"Nothing. I'm just looking at my girlfriend, is that OK?" he replied pulling her closer to him into an embrace.
"Of course it's OK." she told him kissing him.
"Did you have fun tonight?" he asked as he kissed her back before going to the kitchen for a beer.
"Yeah, you're friends are really nice. And cool. Roger, can I ask you something?" she said taking a bottle of beer Roger had offered her.
"What is it?" he asked taking a swig of his beer.
"What did Joanne mean when she said it's nice to see you happy again?" she asked sitting at the metal counter.
"Well my last two girlfriends kinda died in pretty fucked up ways. The first one April, killed herself when she found out she had HIV, which she got from sharing needles with people, me being one of those people and Mimi died of a drug overdose on the streets. I tried helping her get clean, but she just didn't want to, so she ran away and we found her in the park dead. So I don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to women." he told her sitting next to her with sad eyes.
"Well Roger, if it means anything our relationship didn't exactly start out with a candle light dinner and a violinist. Hopefully the worst is behind us." she told him looking into his eyes.
"I know. I'm so sorry that happened to you. I would have preferred not to have meet you if that was the only way. But we can't change anything that's already happened. All we could do is go on from here." he told her putting his arm around her and holding her close.
"I understand, Roger. And thank you so much for asking me to move in and giving me space. Not all guys would be like that, you know? But I am quickly realizing that you aren't like other guys. Are you?" she asked smiling at him.
"Not exactly. I've been through a lot and it changed me." he told her holding her in his arms.
"Well, now you've changed me. I have never met anyone like you and your friends. It's amazing how nice they are to someone they just met. I mean, Collins and Mark setting up my room like that. I can't believe they did that." she told him burying her face into his chest.
"They wanted you to be comfortable." he told her caressing her head.
"It feels like home." she told him looking up at him with tears in her eyes.
"It should. This is your home, Marty. I... I want you to stay here as long as you'd like." he smiled leaning down to kiss her head.
"Can... can you sit with me until I fall asleep? Please?" she asked looking up at him.
"Of course, Baby. I'm... I'm here for anything you need." he smiled as they entered her bedroom and closed the door.