Authors' Notes: I apologize if there are any grammar problems, it's late but I wanted to get this out to you guys. I promise I'll check it when I'm more awake. It's a cliff hanger ladies and gentlemen! Thanks so much to you who keep up with the story, I really appreciate it. I know this is dark, but don't worry we all know that the group will make it through . . . right?

I OWN NOTHING (just the add-ons).

Please read, review (detailed if you can, let a girl know what you liked and what you didn't) and enjoy!

Italics are thoughts and memories.

Chapter Twenty

With Angel

The radio from the police car droned on and on, telling the officers that were escorting him to his unwanted destination about other crimes going on in the city. So many members of Angel's family were criminals and didn't care that they were. Angel never wanted to be one of them, never. But there he sat handcuffed in the back of a police car, just like he remembered seeing his family members. Angel only hoped that Collins would forgive him when this was all over with, hell he hoped that Collins survived this whole ordeal. So much was going on that it made Angel's head spin, so much that could be avoided. Why didn't he just let David go? Why did he go and grab the gun that he had asked Collins to get rid of months ago? Why was it happening to Angel?

Before Angel knew it, he saw the police station slowly coming into view. How long was he going to be here? How long would he be in jail? Angel in jail? Fear immediately crept over the petite street drummer, the thought of what would eventually happen to him in jail was almost to much to bear. At least he could run on the streets when men would try to make advances that Angel didn't want, in jail you can't run. "Come on, let's go." Said one of the officers. Angel unwillingly got out of the car which he found to be difficult with handcuffs on. The two officers led Angel into the police station that buzzed with sounds of phones ringing and papers rustling. Angel looked around the place being all too familiar with the inside of this place. Never had Angel been up here for things that he had done, but for things his family members had done. It seemed like every week Angel and his grandmother would come up here trying to bail out an uncle or cousin of Angel's when his grandmother knew they couldn't afford it. That's where Angel's kindness for others came from, his Abuelita.

"Have a seat." Said a detective who guided Angel into a chair.

Angel said nothing, ashamed of who he was and what he had done to the love of his life. The detective pulled out a pen and paper from the desk and looked up at Angel who was silently crying.

"What's your name son?" the man said. He was a tall, Hispanic man who had kind eyes.

"Angel." The street drummer said quietly.

"Is that all? Can you speak English?"

Angel looked up at the man. "Yes I can speak English."

The man was taken aback at how straightforward Angel had become. "Oh okay, well can I have your full name Angel?"

"Angel Dumott-Schunard."

"How old are you?"

"22."

"Okay, I'm going to have Officer Jones watch you here. I'll be right back." Angel watched the detective walk away and go over to a desk. He began typing things into a computer which Angel assumed was the database for criminals. Angel knew he wouldn't be in there, which might make it easier for Angel to get out of here. But then again, he did shoot Collins who doesn't deserve anything bad in this fucked up world. All Collins did was love him how he wanted to be loved.

The man quickly came back and sat down at the desk once more.

"Alright, well Angel do you know why you're here?"

Angel looked up at the man. Why was he being so nice to him? Wasn't he going to throw him in jail like his family members or the rest of these people here?

"Yeah, I shot my boyfriend."

Angel was so blunt with things. Why bullshit? Why pretend like things don't happen? Yes, he shot the only man that truly loved him despite all of the shit that Angel brought to the relationship. He would never be able to live with himself. But Angel knew that if he kept the attitude he had up, these men would put him away for good. It wasn't that Angel didn't care about Collins, he just couldn't fathom the thought of Angel hurting someone he loved. He hated himself. He would always hate himself because of what he did to Collins. The man cleared his throat, he thought Angel was a little on the feminine side, but this confirmed it.

"Right. Now was this self defense? Because if it is-"

Angel cut the man off quickly. "No, he wasn't even trying to hurt me. He would never hurt me. I don't know why I did it, but I did." A tear fell down Angel's face as he thought of Collins laying in Mark's arm. "I know. You're going to tell me that I'm done for good. You're going to put me away."

The man felt for Angel. He didn't know why he did. He had helped so many people in the past. Why couldn't he help this one?

"I can't answer that right now, but I need you to tell me if you have a lawyer because if you don't you can have one provided for you or you can call the one that you have."

Joanne!

"I do. I have a lawyer. May I call them?" Angel said, his eyes widening.

"Sure. Jones, kill the cuffs please."

When the officer unlocked the handcuffs, Angel held his wrists which had bruises on them from the hard metal rubbing against them. The detective pushed the phone toward Angel, and he quickly dialed Joanne's cell phone number which he was surprised to have memorized. That was one thing Angel appreciated of himself, his memory. He made it a point to memorize everyone's number just in case an emergency came up, this was such an emergency.

As the phone rang, Angel thought back to Sunday who had been following the police car he was in. Why in the world was that girl following the police car? Angel shook his head as he counted how many rings there had been already, three.

Please Joanne, if you don't pick up the phone any other time pick it up now.

With Mimi and Roger

Mimi stayed in that fetal like position for almost an hour before Roger came over and held her.

"Babe, I'm sure Angel is alright."

Mimi said nothing.

Roger sighed. "Do you want to watch t.v.? I just had Collins fix it a few days ago."

Still Mimi said nothing.

Roger rubbed Mimi's back and walked over to the t.v. turning it on. Sure enough, the t.v. came on showing the news which Roger loved to watch. The guitarist walked back over to his girlfriend and placed her into his lap. An anchorwoman came onto the screen and began to talk . . .

"This is Rhonda Whinship reporting live in Alphabet City where an attempted murder of a New York University professor in being investigated as we speak."

"Holy shit." Roger said staring at the screen. This statement broke Mimi out of her trance.

"They say the professor's name is not being disclosed, but what they are saying is that it is a lover's quarrel gone wrong. Apparently at around 10 o' clock this morning, the professor and his alleged boyfriend were arguing when the boyfriend ran into the bedroom and shot the professor in the stomach."

"Holy fucking shit!" Roger yelled. Mimi's heart began to race. "No fucking way it's . . . " His sentence was shushed by Mimi who was intently watching.

"The 911 call was called by a friend of the two, who witnessed the whole thing. The professor has currently been bused to a nearby hospital, clinging to his life. The accomplice however is said to be a local street drummer named 'Angel.'"

"Oh my fucking God!" Mimi cried out.

"Mam you said you know this Angel?"

"Yes I know her and she ain't never hurt no one!" the homeless woman said into the microphone.

"Her? Why do you call him a her?"

"Because Angel is a her, don't call him a him . . . she's a her!"

"Oh no, oh my God Angel!" Mimi was hysterical. The dancer turned to Roger who was still in complete shock. "Mark, Mark must have been there. Oh Jesus."

"We have to get over there! I need to get to Angel! She needs me!" tears were pouring out of Mimi's eyes as she frantically looked for her coat.

"Mimi we need to get to the hospital to see about Collins! They're probably holding Angel. He should be alright until-"

"They're going to eat him alive!" Mimi shouted. "Do you understand what they will do to Angel!"

Roger was hysterical now. "Of course I know! But Collins could be dying! He's one of my best friends!"

"Angel is my best friend!"

The guitarist paced back and forth trying not to argue anymore. "Fine, we'll just have to split up. You go to Angel and I'll go to Collins."

Mimi collapsed to the floor sobbing. "I knew something was wrong. I knew it!"

Roger walked over to his girlfriend holding her. "It's alright babe. We have to be strong for them. We need to get to them. They need us. I wonder if Joanne and Maureen know."

Now that the strong ones in the group were the ones who needed the holding, Mimi and Roger had to take it. They had to be the strong ones now.

The dancer shook herself out of her sadness and raised her head strongly. "Come on, my Angel-Chica is waiting for me."

Roger nodded and ran toward the bedroom to grab his jacket.

As the two headed down the stairs and were out of the building. Roger turned toward Mimi was had a look of distress on her face. He held her face and brought it up to his. "I love you, please be safe and I will see you later."

Tears came down Mimi's face once again. "I love you too. I'll meet you at the hospital as soon as I can."

"Which one do you think they took Collins to?"

"There's only one that's around here."

"The one that Angel was in?"

"Yeah."

Roger pulled Mimi's face into a sweet kiss before they broke apart. "Go to Angel Meems tell him that we don't hate him and that we are all here for him." Roger said walking away. "Tell him that!"

"Keep Collins here! Let him know that Angel loves him despite what he thinks!"

The two finally ran toward their opposite directions with millions of thoughts running through each of their heads. What was to become of the group? Would they be able to make it through this?

With Mark and Collins

As the nurses hurried about Collins' seemingly lifeless body Mark could only sit and watch. Wasn't this how he wanted it? To watch and never be apart of? Mark finally realized that he couldn't just sit and watch, he had to be apart of it he doesn't have to be in the background. He knew this more than ever. Blood was everyone as about three more ER doctors came in working on Collins.

"Hurry! This guy's losing too much blood!" one of them shouted.

This startled Mark. The film maker looked down at his clothes and at his hands, soaked with Collins' blood. Never did Mark ever think once about Collins having AIDS. He was to busy worrying about his friends life. Although he was sure that he wouldn't have contracted it, Mark didn't care either way. If he didn't have his friends, he didn't have a life anyway.

"Come on guys, this guy's heart rate is getting too low!"

Just as the doctor said that, those sounds that you would only hear in movies happened. Mark turned around in horror.

beep . . . beep . . . beep . . . beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

"Oh my fucking God Collins!"

With Joanne and Maureen

In the Theatre Joanne and Maureen were welcomed with cheers and whistles from the kids and their parents. Many hugs were given, as well as pats on the back. Joanne walked onto the stage where all the kids were waiting to rehearse, and just as she was about to do a small speech to begin rehearsal her cell phone began to ring.

Dammit, I knew I should have turned it off.

Maureen walked over to Joanne, speaking through her teeth. "I thought you turned the damn thing off?"

Joanne reached into her pocket quickly. "I thought I did too!"

"Well turn it off, the Mayor's wife is here to watch the rehearsal."

"Alright, alright!" Finally finding the power button Joanne shut the phone off.

Even though she still had those weird pains in her stomach, Joanne would have ignore them for right now. But somehow she knew that whatever was going on as she gave her welcoming speech, was going to be a series of shit that was going to threaten to tear the group apart.