"Marty, are you ready to go? We have to be at the hospital in a half an hour." Roger asked pacing around outside her room.
"Will you hang on. I'll be out in a second." she said getting around better than she had in a week.
"But Baby, we gotta go. We're gonna be late." he told her still pacing.
"OK, I'm ready. How do I look?" she said, her bruises had faded enough to be covered with make up and her hair hung down past her shoulders.
"You look... wow." he told her kissing her before pulling her into an embrace.
"Roger, I thought we had to go." she asked smiling at him.
"We do. It's just... you look so beautiful." he told her smiling at her.
"Well thank you. The miracles of make up." she said smiling as he leaned down to kiss her again.
"You really do look great without all those damn bruises covering your face." he told her smiling before leading her out of the loft.
They took the train to go to the hospital so Marty could get her HIV test results. Marty was nervous, but Roger couldn't keep his eyes off of her. A week ago, he found her in the alley next to his building and she was a helpless young girl who was bruised and bloodied from a horrific attack. Now she was his girlfriend and she was beautiful. More beautiful than he could ever imagine she would be under all of those cuts and bruises. When they arrived, Marty checked in and Roger sat with her. They held hands until the nurse called her name. She got up and led Roger to go in with her.
"Miss O'Brien, you will be happy to know your results came back negative. But you are not out of the woods yet. You still have to come back in 3 months and I still want you to continue taking the AZT, just in case." the doctor said as she and Roger held each others hands.
"Thank you so much, doctor. I'll be back in 3 months." she said as she and Roger left the hospital.
"Well at least you're negative this time." Roger said holding her close.
"Yeah this time. But I still have to come back in 3 months and keep taking the AZT." she said as they walked home.
"Baby, it's just a precaution. If you're positive, we'll deal with it. Together." he told her leaning over to kiss her.
"I know we will." she said looking up at him as they arrived at the loft.
"So how'd it go?" Collins asked anxiously.
"I'm negative this time, but I have to go back in a few months and keep taking my AZT just in case." she said as he wrapped his arms around her in happiness.
"Oh thank God. Baby girl. That's the best news I could have ever heard." he said smiling at her.
"That's really great, Marty. We're happy for you." Mark said smiling at her.
"Does anyone notice anything different about my girl?" Roger asked smiling at her.
"Your bruises are gone. You are one beautiful girl." Collins said holding her face in his hands.
"Not completely gone, but make up helps a lot." she said smiling at them.
"He's right. You are really beautiful, Marty." Mark said beginning to film her and Roger.
"Thank you Mark." she smiled at him.
"Oh great. Now you're in trouble Baby. He's gonna be filming you all the time." Roger said holding her in his arms.
"That's OK. I don't mind being filmed with you." she said leaning up to kiss him as Mark filmed.
"That's going in my new documentary." Mark said winding his camera.
"Oh yeah? What's this one gonna be about?" Marty asked still in Roger's arms.
"It's gonna be about Love and HIV." he said filming again.
"That sounds great, Mark." Collins said as Roger kissed Marty on her head and held her closer.
"Are you OK, Roger?" she asked looking up at him.
"Yeah I'm fine, Baby. I just need to lay down for a little while. Do you wanna come?" he asked playing with her hair.
"Yeah, I'd like that." she said smiling at him.
"We'll go celebrate after our nap, OK guys?" Roger asked smiling at Mark and Collins.
"Sure, Rog. We'll call Maureen and Joanne. I'm sure they would love to hear the good news." Mark said smiling at them as they disappeared into Roger's room.
"Is everything OK, Roger?" Marty asked as she sat on his bed.
"Yeah, I wanted to tell you something." he said smiling at her.
"Well I wanted to tell you something too. But you first." she told him smiling.
"OK. Marty, I know we haven't been together that long, but a lot's happened in that time. Marty, I'm in love with you." he said smiling at her with tears in his eyes.
"I love you too, Roger." she told him smiling at him.
"You do?" he asked surprised.
"Yeah." she said as he jumped up and took her in his arms.
"I love you, Marty." he said kissing her over and over again.
"I love you too, Roger." she said laughing as she kissed him.
"I want you to know that this doesn't change anything. I mean, I'm still OK waiting as long as you need to make love." he told her tenderly.
"I know. And I appreciate that. Because I don't think I'm ready yet." she told him hugging him.
"Good, because I like holding you anyway." he said kissing her.
"Let's lay down. I want to hang out tonight with everyone. Without those damn bruises." she said leaning up to kiss him before laying down.
"I love you, Marty." he said kissing her head.
"I love you too, Roger." she said laying on his chest.
"Rog, Marty are you guys decent?" Mark asked knocking on the door.
"Yeah Mark, come in." Roger said as he and Marty woke up.
"We're meeting Maureen and Joanne in an hour at the Life." he said standing in the doorway as they lay in bed on top of the covers.
"Thanks Mark. I should shower to at least fix my hair." Marty said leaning up to kiss Roger before getting up.
"Marty, I love you." Roger said swinging his legs over the side of the bed.
"I love you too, Roger. Thanks Mark." she said smiling as she smiled, leaning up to kiss Mark's cheek before squeezing past him to go in the shower.
"You love her? Since when?" Mark asked smiling at him.
"I told her today when we got back." Roger told him smiling back as he ran a brush through his hair.
"Roger, that's great. I'm really happy for you, but it's only been a week since..." Mark started quietly.
"I know. Mark, but I love her. I'm not gonna rush her into sleeping with me. Besides, I like the way things are. When she's ready, she'll let me know and I'll make sure it's the most special night of her life. But for now, I just want to date her." Roger said leaning against the dresser.
"The great Roger Davis, rock star, sex god is in love. Wow, I thought I'd never see the day. At least not like this. Rog, you're really in love with her, aren't you?" Mark asked looking up at him.
"Yeah Mark, I really am. I mean holding her is enough. I love just being with her. She makes me feel whole." he said smiling at him.
"Rog, that's great. I'm really happy for you." Mark said hugging him.