Grrrr... I can't believe that nobody caught the line!! This chapter isn't dedicated to anyone. You have to read this chapter to know what I was talking about. Thanks to PinkElf for beta-ing this. I want to thank everyone who's reviewed and faved. It means a lot to me. Glad to know people like my writing. Enjoy!

-Serendipity Kat

The Theater

The next morning, around 1, Maureen awoke to the sound of her cell phone ringing from where she left it in the charger. She sleepily reached over to the other side of the bed and grabbed the phone. The top flipped open and she held the phone to her ear. "Hello?" she mumbled.

"Maureen?" the voice on the other end responded.

"This is Maureen. Hi Jo." Maureen sat up.

"Hi, I have a question for you." Joanne's voice sounded a bit pinched.

Maureen yawned. "Shoot."

"Ok. For the Reaser Fund, do we need to contact the subscribers or the founders?"

Maureen's eyes widened. "You mean to set up the gala? Shit. I thought I had taken care of that before I left. Darn it. When is the gala supposed to happen again?"

"In 3 ½ months. The reason I'm asking is because I found a memo on your desk dated from the 15th telling you about it."

Maureen got out of bed and threw a thin robe on. She cursed under her breath. "Damn. Ok… um. You should first contact the subscribers and then contact the founders with all the info. Tell them to send you the budget and the list. They'll know what you mean. Remind them that it needs to be by fax as the postal service in London is slow. Then I want you to make a copy and fax it to me. Call me as soon as you get it in and I'll give you the number."

Jo sighed in relief over the connection. "Thanks. This is harder then I thought. I'll call you later."

Maureen heard a click and threw the phone on her bed. She wandered naked into the shower and turned on the water to full heat. As the steam filled the bathroom, she stepped in and popped open her body wash. Why hadn't she taken care of the Reaser Fund Gala ahead of time? She asked herself as she rinsed and began to wash her hair. She shouldn't have left it to Joanne. Joanne was good, yes, but she wasn't experienced enough to handle the Gala. And the Gala needed to be a success. Without it, they wouldn't receive 40 of the needed money to finance all the programs and keep the theater in order. She rinsed her hair and stepped out of the shower pulled one the luxurious towels about her slim form.

She went into the bedroom again and began to hunt for clothes to wear. Her and Mick were to meet Alison's ex-husband at 3 for a tour of the theater. She looked at the scribbled address. Avenue B and 10th. Was that… she paused, her eyes widened. She knew that place! She used to sneak in and play there when ever she was upset. The Mandarin Circle was a beautiful theater even though it had been in a fire. She was excited to go back. She finally decided on a form fitting dark purple sweater with black slacks and her black heeled boots. She felt sexy and professional at the same time. She stood in front of the mirror and started to French-braid her hair. She did the top half and left the rest loose. She completed the ensemble with her cream colored fur-lined Channel jacket.

She waltzed into the living area and called out, "Micky! Let's go."

Mick came out of his hallway and smiled at her. "You look stunning. Ready?"

She nodded, curls flying. He held out his arm and she slipped hers into it and together they left the hotel and slipped into the limo that was waiting for them.

As they cruised through the city into it's heart, Maureen was silent. She was going home. Well, almost. But oh so very close; the loft was only 8 blocks away from the theater. She began to fiddle with her necklace when suddenly a hand reached for hers.

"You'll be fine." Mick said soothingly as she softly caressed her fingers.

She swallowed her fears and gave him a small smile.

Soon, they were in the East Village. As they passed Avenue A, Maureen saw the red, blue, yellow, and white sign of the Catscratch Club go whizzing by. And there, on the corner, was the Life Café. As they passed by, she tried in vain to see inside the windows. It was no use. She wondered if any of her old friends were in their, drinking their lives away.

Stop it! her mind chastised. You were once there doing the same thing.

But I've stopped doing that! She snapped back mentally. I've done something with my life and I'm HAPPY!

Are you really? The voice asked. What would you do to be back there right now, drinking with them?

Maureen felt tears sting the corners of her eyes. I'd give a lot… even in her mind was the sadness evident.

Soon they pulled up to a dilapidated building. It was fairly large. Half the roof was missing and there were boards nailed up everywhere. Standing in front facing the building was a tall bald black man. The limo stopped and the driver got out and opened the door. Mick got out and held a hand out for Maureen. She stepped out and shielded her eyes. They walked up to the man.

"Excuse me?" Are you-" Mick started to ask as the man turned around.

"BENNY!" Maureen yelled as she recognized her old friend. She stood still and stared. He still looked very much the same save for a few more wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. He still looked good. He was dressed in a dark blue turtleneck, black jacket, and black slacks. He was as handsome as ever.

The man stared. "Maureen? Is that really… you?" the last part was almost a whisper. He continued to stare at his former friend. She looked good; different, but damn good. She was still as sexy as ever. But there was a different kind of sparkle in her eyes. Gone was the sparkle of naivety and in its place was the sparkle of knowledge. She had matured into a stunning woman. He felt a funny feeling in his stomach when he looked at her. She still had her trademark million-dollar smile on her face, but this time there was sincerity behind it. He held out his arms and she ran towards him.

Maureen jumped into his arms and he spun her around. "Benny. It's good to see you. I knew you'd do something productive eventually." She said in his ear, her breath floating over him. She felt him shudder.

He shivered as her breath touched his ear. "I thought you were in London." He set her down, arms still around her, hands on her waist.

Maureen kept her arms around his neck. "I was, er, am. I came to look at the theater to buy." She stopped talking and her eyes got wide. "Wait! You're Alison's ex!"

Benny let go and got a bit red. His hand came up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. I'm her ex. I- wait, how did you know?"

Maureen looked down at the ground and then looked at him through her lashes.

He thought he'd melt.

"Mick and I," she said as she gestured to him and he came over. "met Mr. and Mrs. Gray and Alison at the after-show party for WICKED last night. Mick somehow has connections. This is Mick Anderson. Mick, this is Benny. We used to live together in the loft."

Mick held out his hand. "I vaguely remember you. You were the one who helped Maureen out the door, wasn't it?"

Benny smiled a bit tensely and replied, still looking at Maureen, "Yes, that was me. I always knew she'd be famous."

Maureen blushed. "You never said anything."

Benny looked embarrassed. "I didn't want Mark to take it the wrong way." He looked around. "Look can I show you guys the theater?"

Mick felt a bit uneasy throughout the whole thing. He saw how Benny looked at Maureen. He saw the lust in his eyes, but he also saw something else and he couldn't place it, but it made him feel uneasy. But… he also saw the way Maureen looked at him. She looked happier then he'd ever seen her aside from the stage. He told himself to back off and that if Maureen was happy, he was happy and he shouldn't let his personal feelings get in the way pf her making her way to glory. He smiled the best he could and followed Benny, who had offered his arm to Maureen, around the side and to a metal door that had a padlock on it.

"You know… there's a better way to get in here." Maureen said a bit shyly.

Benny's eyebrows shot up. "How do you know?"

Maureen smiled a little smile and got a faraway look in her eyes. "I used to come here after Mark and I fought and vent my frustrations out from the stage. I wrote some good protests here…" her voice trailed off as Benny unlocked the door it opened with a creek.

Ominous... Anyway, bet ya didn't know that was coming, did you? Well, I've decided that I like the Benny/Maureen pairing. And not just because of Taye and Idina. I watched part of Daybreak last week. OMG! Taye is soooo hot...

For those of you who are curious, the pun was when Mrs. Gray says that she'll set up Maureen with Alison's ex-husband, it becomes literal. I was giving you guys a hiint of the pairing to come... but... (sighs) nobody got it... oh, well.