Authors' Notes: Thanks so much to all of you who review and leave detailed ones at that. I am fully aware that what Angel did to Collins was very OOC, but there is a reason for it. Please trust that I know what I'm doing. Finals week is coming up in a couple weeks, but with my free time I'll be trying to put up another chapter or more chapters up soon. It's a curse and a blessing with this story, I enjoy writing it, but it takes up so much time that I need to have a good half of an evening to write a chapter. But oh well. I love RENT and it's worth it.

I OWN NOTHING.

Please Read, Review and Enjoy!

Italics are thoughts and memories.

Chapter Nineteen

With Sunday

Well that was it, he had left her for good. No contact whatsoever, nothing. Sunday sat upon her knees sobbing into her hands thinking of what her life has come to. She picked up the money that he had thrown at her and counted it. Four dollars. Was that all she was worth to him? After all they had been through together. She gave him everything, including her virginity. The young woman felt used and lost, she had put up with so much shit from him and this was his thanks, four measly dollars.

"I packed up your stuff Sunday. I don't want it in my house anymore." He said as he placed her bag and her coat on the ground beside her. She looked up into his eyes, the eyes that she thought were so caring were cold and empty. He had changed before her eyes and she didn't even notice it, or didn't want to notice it.

"What am I going to do?" She asked him grabbing her things as she stood up.

"I don't know. But I parked your car across the street, here are the keys." He handed her the keys, trying to keep from touching her at all.

"What did I do?"

"Look, don't get all mushy about it alright? We had a thing once and that was all, a thing."

"What do you mean a thing!" She said as her anger began to get the best of her. "You said you loved me!"

"I gotta get going. Use that money for gas and go home alright? Your parents will be worried about you." He said beginning to walk to the edge of the curb.

"I hope nothing good happens to you, ever."

He stopped and turned around to face her. "What did you say Sunday?"

"I said I hope nothing good happens to you."

The man looked at her with desolate eyes as he walked across the street.

"Fuck you!" she yelled as he climbed into his car.

She could go home, but what was there but pressures and people whom she knew truly didn't love her? Her parents made her into a trophy daughter, which is not how she wanted to live. The sirens had broken her train of thought and she looked to where it was coming from. There were tons of people around trying to find out what happened. Seeing nothing better to do, Sunday grabbed her things and walked toward the crowd.

"What happened?" Sunday asked a homeless woman who was trying to see what was going on.

"Some drag queen shot his man." The lady said as a matter of factly. "Ain't nothin' I ain't heard of before."

"Drag queen?"

"Yeah, I know a few of them so I'm trying to figure out who it is."

Sunday searched for the money in her pockets and looked at the woman whose coat was torn and ripped. "Here, take this."

The woman looked back at her. "Why thank you darlin', I really appreciate it."

Sunday smiled. "You're very welcome." I don't need it.

As the older lady stuffed the money into her pockets, another homeless person came up to her. "It's Angel! It's Angel!"

"What!" The woman shouted. "Not my little Angel!"

"Yeah, I don't know what happened but I'll let you know what happens." With that he was off.

Angel? Wasn't that . . . oh my God!

"Angel!" Sunday shouted as she pushed through the crowd. "Please . . . excuse me . . . Angel!"

Angel sat in the police car staring straight ahead crying his eyes out. Sunday eagerly knocked on the window to get his attention. "Angel! Angel!"

Immediately Angel turned his head, his face clenching from the handcuffs. "I love Collins. I didn't mean to hurt him." Angel mouthed.

Sunday tried to get what Angel was saying but to no avail. "What? Angel I don't understand!"

"Hey you girl! Stay away from the suspect!" A police officer said grabbing her shoulder. "What in the world are you doing down here? I know you don't belong here." The police officer took her to the crowd, shoving her just a bit. "Go home girl!"

What the hell could Angel have done?

As she watched the police car speed off with Angel looking back at her, Sunday wondered how she would be able to help when she herself had nothing and didn't know where the hell she was going. But something told her to follow the car with Angel inside, so she ran over to her car which was surprisingly filled with gas.

Wow. The asshole actually did something for me once.

So Sunday set out to follow the cop car with a healthy distance in between them. She was hoping Angel would turn around to know that she was behind him, but he never looked back.

With Maureen and Joanne

As the two began to get ready to go, Joanne knew that she would never have enough time to go over to Angel's and then the Theatre.

I'll go after.

"Maureen! Come on or we're going to be late!"

"I'm comin' Pookie. I'm comin'!" Maureen said holding a huge bag of dog kibble.

Joanne stood dumbfounded. "What the hell is the dog food for Maureen?"

Maureen slammed it down on the floor and grabbed her coat. "For Benny the Bulldog! I'm going to add them throwing it at him!"

"I don't think it's a good idea to have the kids throwing things at the other kids Maureen, it's not safe." Joanne said as she opened the door.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Maureen said as she walked, struggling to hold the dog food.

When the two were in the car and on their way to Theatre Joanne had a horrible feeling in her gut. "Maureen, I don't feel very well."

"Aww Pookie, what's wrong? Did you eat something bad?" She said rubbing her girlfriend's stomach.

"No, it's not that. Something's wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Something's wrong, with . . . one of us."

Even though Joanne never admitted it, but she always got the feeling of something bad when it happened. Why she didn't know. It never happened if it had to do with a family member, only with the group. It could easily be explained that the group was on a level like that. They all loved and cared about one another so much that they felt it when someone was sick, in trouble or hurt.

Maureen immediately knew what Joanne meant when she said that. "Who is it Joanne?" Playfulness gone in her voice.

"I don't know. I can't pin point it." The lawyer tried her best to concentrate on the road, but she wasn't doing very well.

"Joanne be careful!" Maureen shouted as they almost hit the curb.

Joanne shook herself out of the semi-trance and grabbed the steering wheel tightly. "Let's just get to the Theatre."

When they arrived at the Theatre, there were tons of reporters trying surrounding Miss Abram, who looked stressed.

"Oh my goodness, Miss Abram." Joanne said taking her seat belt off.

The two got out of the car and ran toward Miss Abram in an effort to help her not get trampled on by anxious reporters. Joanne and Maureen worked like a team answering questions about the mayor and about the show's prosperity.

"Do you think that it would make it on Broadway!" A male reporter asked.

"Broadway?" Maureen and Joanne both said.

"Yes, there are talks of Broadway for your show how do you feel about that?"

"I say that we're ready!" Maureen said excitedly.

Joanne stood completely surprised. "They are only talks, we're just a couple of . . . Theatre people who wanted to help the community Theatre do a show."

The lawyer began to escort Maureen and Miss Abram into the building but stopped when she heard a reporter scream it out loud. Joanne turned around to look for the reporter, finally she spotted the lady and pointed to her. "What did you say? What did you ask me?"

The lady pushed her way to the front of the crowd and fixed her skirt. "It is said that you two are actually lovers. Is that true? Because if it is, you'll be the first lesbian couple to do a show here at the community Theatre."

Joanne stood there, not knowing what to say. She looked to Miss Abram who smiled at her and finally she turned to Maureen who looked at her with expectant eyes. The lawyer smiled at her girlfriend and then back to the reporter. "Yes, she is my girlfriend...and the love of my life."

Maureen beamed and kissed her girlfriend on the cheek before a waving and stepping inside the Theatre. Joanne and Miss Abram did the same after saying no further questions and walked inside.

With Mimi and Roger

Mimi woke from her nap, which wasn't very long but she felt better already. The dancer slowly rose out of bed, feeling more energy coming to her every second. She sleepily opened her eyes and looked to see if Roger was next to her, which he was sleeping soundly. Mimi quietly got out bed and closed the door behind her. As soon as she got out of the room she walked over to the phone to check if Angel had called which he hadn't.

They couldn't be fucking this long, could they?

She decided to call anyway.

ring, ring

No answer

ring, ring

Finally an operator came on saying that the number was no longer in service instead of Angel's tricky voicemail.

"What the hell?" Mimi said aloud.

Thinking that she might have dialed the wrong number tried again but got the same response.

Three times a charm.

Even the third time. The operator came on.

"What the fuck is going on?"

"Yeah what the fuck is going on?" Roger asked, his hair a complete mess. "Why aren't you in bed next to me? It got cold."

Mimi smiled at how terribly cute her boyfriend was right now, but shook her mind back Angel. "I tried to call Angel-Chica but the number isn't in service anymore."

"Really?" Roger yawned grabbing a mug for water. "Maybe Collins didn't pay the bill on time, you know how Angel always has to stay on him about shit like that."

Mimi looked down at the phone as she hung up. "That doesn't make senses, when I called earlier the voicemail came on just fine."

"You know how the phone company is babe. They like to fuck around with people." Roger said sitting next to his girlfriend.

"I don't know why, but I'm worried."

Roger felt Mimi's hair with his fingers. "Meems, you're worried for nothing. I bet they're still going at it."

The dancer got up and began to bite her nails, which she did when she was worried. "No, they couldn't be. Collins lasts long, but not this long."

Roger grimaced. "I really didn't want to hear that. And I don't think that the loft wanted to hear it either." The guitarist patted the couch for Mimi to sit next to him, which she did. "Why would Angel tell you something like that anyway?"

Mimi turned toward her boyfriend. "Because she's my best friend and I'm hers. There aren't any secrets between us."

Great.

"Babe, you know Angel will call when she gets ready. Just chill and don't worry about it."

Mimi grabbed her legs and brought them to her chest. "I don't know . . . I have a really bad feeling for some reason."

With Mark and Collins

"Come on man, come on man stay with me." Mark told the unconscious Collins.

"He should be stable enough until we get to the hospital." The paramedics told him.

Mark could not believe what he had just witnessed. Collins and Angel arguing violently. Angel shooting Collins and now Collins fighting for his life with Angel in a cop car. In a matter of minutes everyone's lives were changed, even if some of them didn't know it yet.

"Do you think he'll make it?" Mark said as he stroked Collins' hand.

"We won't know until we get that bullet out of him." As soon as the man had said that Collins' monitors began to beep frantically. Mark lunged out of the man's way so that he could help his old friend. The man opened up the small window and yelled at the driver. "We've got to get this guy into the ER now!"

The film maker felt helpless. If Collins died, he didn't know what he would do. Collins was always there for him, especially during the times when Roger was completely high off smack. When Mark had no one to talk to, Collins was there. Mark couldn't stand the fact that Collins might not be able to stop by and bring his traditional stoli to wish them a Merry Christmas. Mark thought back to the night that Mark was about to end it all . . .

Mark had written his notes to everyone and was ready. He dressed in his favorite pair of jeans, shirt, scarf and coat and walked over to the fire escape. There was no reason for him to be there any longer. There was no Maureen. Without Maureen Johnson, his life was a blank, there was no purpose, no energy, no life. Mark held onto the fire escape bars and climbed until he was almost completely off balance. This was it, all or nothing. He was sure that he wanted to do this and nothing or no one would stop him. As Mark took in a deep breath, he heard a familiar voice.

"Mark, what the hell are ya doin' man?" Collins asked rubbing his arms for warmth. "Get off of the fire escape."

"No Collins, I want to do this."

"Mark don't do this man. It isn't worth it."

Mark turned toward his old friend with tears streaming down his pale face. "Maureen is worth it."

"What will it prove to her that you do this?"

He thought for moment. It would only prove that he was the 'obsessed and needy Jewish boy' that Maureen had called him earlier that day.

Collins reached out to Mark. "Come on man, let's talk. You don't have to do this."

"Yes I do!" Mark shouted almost losing his balance.

"Why do you need to do this Mark? Why?" The professor asked still calm as ever.

"Because I want Maureen!"

"How is this getting her back? How is you not being here anymore going to help Maureen? Or any of us?"

Mark thought to Roger who was getting heavily into the smack and to Collins was struggling with his favorite Aunt's death.

"No one needs me! Everyone can do fine without me!"

Collins looked at his friend with sad eyes. "You know that's not true. You and I both know that. Roger needs you. April needs you . . . I need you Mark."

Mark froze. "What?"

"I said I need you Mark. You are one of my best friends if not my very best friends." Collins said as he walked up closer to Mark without him noticing.

Tears poured from Mark's eyes. "You have Roger."

"Roger isn't the right state of mind to help anyone, not even himself."

Collins reached out to his friend again. "Come on Mark, don't do this . . . don't leave me . . . alone."

Without even realizing it Mark was being pulled by Collins onto the floor of the fire escape and helped into the loft.

Collins and Mark never spoke of that night again, but Mark loved Collins even more for it. Collins was a true friend, being the definition of one. He would fight as long as he could, he just hoped Collins was doing the same.

After Collins was finally stabilized enough and when the hospital came in sight Mark crawled back over to his friend's side which he vowed right there he wouldn't leave.

"Collins . . . man . . . please don't give up . . . don't do this . . . don't leave me . . . alone."