Authors' Notes: No more cliffhangers for a little while guys! When I had read over my last chapter I realized that I had done it again! Sorry about that! Had a day off from work today so I could work on my stories, hope you like it! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, I don't know why. Thanks to all of you review, thanks a million. Have a great weekend!

I OWN NOTHING (only add-ins).

Please read, review and enjoy.

Italics are thoughts and memories.

Chapter Twenty-Three

With Joanne and Maureen

After dropping Miss Abram off at home, the two bohemians dreadingly walked up the stairs to the Jefferson's home, Maureen holding Joanne's hand a bit too tightly.

"Jo, I hate coming here! All your mother does is look at me like she's going to take me to the gallows!"

Joanne looked at Maureen, surprised at her choice of words. "Maureen, it'll be pretty quick, they'll yell at me and then tell me to apologize to the Mayor's wife. We'll be out of here soon."

"Will you do it?"

"Do what?" Joanne said as she looked around her.

"Apologize."

"Nope. But I do know that I'm going to have to listen to my mother go on and on about it."

Maureen rubbed her girlfriend's arm lovingly. "I'm proud of you Pookie."

Joanne blushed a little. "Thanks Honeybear."

Ringing the doorbell, Joanne fixed her coat jacket readying herself for what was to come. But no sooner could she breathe in, Mrs. Jefferson tore the door open her face painted with anger.

"Come in." she said coldly.

The two followed her inside, handing their coats to Joanne's father who kissed both women on the cheek. "Maureen, I'd like to talk to my daughter alone if you don't mind. Mr. Jefferson was just putting on some tea for all of us." The pained smiled Mrs. Jefferson had on her face frightened Maureen slightly so she happily obliged hopping over to Mr. Jefferson who was waiting for her.

"What has she done to make you act this way Joanne?" Mrs. Jefferson said as she rubbed her face, exhausted.

As her mother continued to talk, Joanne brought her cell phone from her pocket, turning it on.

"Do you understand Joanne?"

"What?" Joanne obviously wasn't listening.

"I just said…" Mrs. Jefferson's voice trailing off as Joanne's cell phone began to ring. The sound filled the room shutting Mrs. Jefferson up.

"Don't you pick up that phone Joanne, I am speaking to you."

The lawyer ignored her mother's demand and got up. "Excuse me mother, it could be important."

The older woman yelled loudly, her voice filling the room.

"Joanne Jefferson."

"Joanne?" Mark's voice sounded hoarse.

"Mark? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine but…but Angel and Collins…"

"GET OFF OF THE PHONE!" Mrs. Jefferson shouted.

"Mother hold on! What were you saying Mark?"

"Angel shot Collins, and we're in the hospital."

Joanne stood there in a state of shock, all of her feelings that she'd been having were for Collins and Angel.

"What the hell do you mean he shot Collins? Is Collins alright?"

"They said that he'd be fine, but he's really weak."

Joanne shook her head. "Where did they take Angel?"

Mark panted, obviously tired out. "We don't know I was wondering if you and Maureen could head up there and find him. You should have seen the look on his face Joanne; I don't think I'll ever be the same again."

"Just calm down Mark, of course we will find Angel. We'll find him." The lawyer looked around for Maureen, who was laughing with her father in the kitchen.

"We're at Centinela Hospital. Please, we've got to find Angel."

"We will Mark don't worry. We'll be in touch." When Joanne heard the click on the other line, she knew that was her cue to get going. While her mother was flailing her arms in anger, Joanne got up shoving the phone into her pocket. "Maureen! We've got to go!"

Maureen and Mr. Jefferson came in with worried looks on their faces. "Going so soon kitten?"

"Yes daddy. Maureen, Angel shot Collins and they don't know where Angel is."

Maureen's face turned into utter horror. "Oh my God!"

"I think I have an idea of which police station that they took Angel too."

"You're not leaving! I'm not finished talking with you!" Mrs. Jefferson said angrily.

As Maureen helped Joanne into her coat, the lawyer turned toward her mother. "We will talk later mother, I've got to find Angel."

"Who is this Angel anyway? What has she got to do with the Mayor's wife!"

Maureen was tying her coat around her as Joanne fumbled in her pocket for the car keys. "Bye daddy." Joanne said kissing her father's cheek, Maureen doing the same.

"Bye Mrs. Jefferson!" The performance artist said sweetly.

As the two jogged down the stairs and toward their car, Maureen couldn't stop asking questions. "Why did Angel shoot Collins? Collins has a gun? Why would Collins have a gun? Does Mark know what happened between them to cause this? Where's Mimi?"

"Maureen I don't know dammit!" Joanne shouted, stressed out already. Maureen fell into tears at Joanne's yelling.

As Joanne drove down the road, she tried to console the performance artist who was balling. "Honeybear, I'm so sorry for yelling at you. But I don't know any more details then you do, all I know is that Mark asked us to find Angel, so we're going to."

"It's not you!" Maureen said in between sobs. "I just can't believe what's happening!"

The lawyer reached her hand over to grab Maureen's. "It's alright Mo, we'll be alright. Collins and Angel will be alright."

"What about Collins' job! They don't know he's gay! He'll loose everything he's worked his ass off for!"

Seeing Maureen so concerned about someone other than herself baffled Joanne, but she wasn't about to make her stop now. They had to work together. They had to find Angel.

With Mark, Roger and Collins

The guitarist didn't know what to do as he saw one of his best friends of almost 10 years lying there, tubes coming from all kinds of places. As uncomfortable as he felt right at that moment, he wasn't going to leave Collins' side for anything in the world. Roger pulled the chair he was sitting in, scooting it next to Collins' bedside. Taking the older man's hand in his, he stroked it gently with his thumb. Mark was outside talking to Joanne.

"Tom, can you hear?"

No answer. Collins' eyes were closed, but Roger could see them moving. He was trying to survive.

"Collins, we're all here for you man. We love you."

This kind of sincerity was unheard of Roger, he never liked to show his emotions but Collins was his friend and he wouldn't let him down.

"I don't know what happened between you and Angel, but whatever it is we'll fix it…together. You two have always helped me and Mimi, now it's our turn man. But I need you to get better so we can get the fuck out of this hospital. God, you know how much I hate hospitals. Man, what I wouldn't give for some stoli right about now." Roger chuckled; remembering the times when he and Collins would get completely wasted talking about what they could have been in life. The guitarist wanted that back so badly.

"You've got to make it Tom; I don't know what I would do without you. First April and now you? Just…just make it for me man." Tears slowly fell down his cheeks as he laid his head on Collins' hand.

"I don't know what I'd do without you either Davis." Came Collins' faint voice.

"Tom!" Roger said immediately wiping his tears away from his face. "How are you feeling man!"

"Where's Angel?" Collins said weakly. Roger's face fell.

"We don't know Tom. They arrested him."

Collins' eyes opened wide at this. "Where did they take my girl?" The professor tried to sit himself up but the pain was too great for him to bear and he slumped down into the bed.

Roger tried to gently push him down so he wouldn't move. "Tom, you need to rest."

"I want to see my Angel. I want to tell her that I love her." Collins said as tears streamed down his dark face, causing a trail on his cheeks.

For once, Roger was completely at a loss for words.

"Collins! You're awake!" said Mark as he fixed his glasses. Running to the opposite side of the hospital bed that Roger was currently on, the film maker grabbed Collins' hand.

"Thank you Captain Obvious." Roger snickered, which caused Collins' to laugh a little.

The professor sharply breathed in at the pain he was experiencing. "It hurts to laugh."

Mark rubbed his hand. "You'll be alright Collins; I promise you'll be alright. But you need to lie down and get as much sleep as possible.

The medicine began to kick in and Collins' eye began to get heavy. "Mark, where's my girl?"

Mark sensed that Collins was about to fall asleep and he let go of his hand gently. "Joanne and Maureen are trying to find him…her as we speak."

Slightly nodding, Collins drifted off to sleep. The two room maters sighed simultaneously. "What a fucking mess." Roger said as he ran his fingers through his long sandy blonde hair.

"Yeah, no fucking kidding." Mark said as he plopped himself down in the chair that was available. "At least he's talking."

"He wants Angel man. He actually still wants Angel." Roger couldn't believe it. Sure, he cared about Angel, he'd never tell anyone that he ever loved Angel but now that Roger could see the condition that Angel had put one of his best friends in he regretted what he told Mimi earlier that day.

"Go to Angel Meems; tell him that we don't hate him and that we are all here for him."

"Fuck that." Roger muttered to himself, now he was pissed.

"What did you say Rog?" Mark said.

The guitarist felt his hands begin to shake. "I said fuck that."

Mark was very cautious with his words, when Roger was angry he did and said whatever came to mind, which wasn't the best thing to do right at the moment. "Rog, calm down. What are you talking about?"

Roger tried not to shout for fear of waking Collins, but his tone of voice was so cold that it reminded Mark of when Roger was going through withdrawal. "I don't want to see Angel's face around here. He's hurt Collins and I'm not going to let him do it again! I don't want him to even see Collins! I swear I could fucking kill him!"

The film maker sighed. "Roger, you and I both know that Collins is going to want to see Angel."

"I don't fucking care, all I know is, if Angel shows his fucking face around here…he's gonna wished he stayed in jail."

With Angel

"I want to see Collins." Angel muttered to himself.

Linda Lopez crossed her legs, thinking of her next move. "That wouldn't be a good idea chico, I'm gonna need you to lay low for a little while before I go before to the District Attorney's office tomorrow."

Angel looked up at the woman. "So, I'm not going to jail?"

The lawyer laughed loudly. "Never that chico, this was self-defense! No reason for you to be here in this dirty ass jail, you need to rest and be ready for tomorrow! No client of mine ever spends a night in jail!"

"I wonder how my man is doing. I can't believe what I did. He'll never forgive me; none of the group will ever forgive me." Angel began to cry, tears falling in between the spaces of his fingers.

"Come on now chico, don't worry about that now…all you need to worry about is your case alright?" The woman said handing Angel her handkerchief. "Here."

As Angel wiped his eyes, he looked at the beautiful embroidery that was all around the edges. "This is beautiful. You did this?"

Linda looked through some papers. "Oh no chico, mi Abuela did that for me when I was a little girl. But she went to be with her God when I was 18."

"I just lost mi Abuelita last year in February." Angel said remembering his grandmother's face.

"I'm sorry to hear that love." Their conversation was interrupted as an officer came in.

"Miss Lopez, there is someone to see your client."

The lawyer was immediately on the defensive. "Who is it?"

"She says it's a Mimi Marquez, there is a man with her also."

When Angel heard that name he jumped up. "Mimi! Please let me see her! She's my best friend!"

The woman turned around. "Alright chico but be careful with what you say, there are reporters all over this shit hole." And with that, she walked out the door moving out of the way for Mimi who was panting.

The two friends stared at one another for what seemed like ages. Angel looked down at his feet, ashamed to even look his best friend in the face. Mimi didn't are about what happened, she just wanted to see her best friend, the person who had saved her life on many occasions. "Well chica aren't you going to hug me!"

"I can't." Angel said sobbing once more.

"Why the hell not!"

"Because of what I've done."

The dancer rushed over to her crying friend and pulled him into a tight embrace, cooing comforting words into his ears. "Angel, you know I would never leave you. I love you baby, I die without you."

"Everyone hates me!" Angel screamed into Mimi's shoulder.

"No they don't Angel. No one hates you; everyone is just confused at what the hell happened between you two. One minute you're all over one another and the next…" Mimi trailed off, not wanting Angel to relive the afternoon's happenings even though Angel would never forget.

"I'll never find anyone as good as Collins ever! How could I have fucked this up!"

Mimi was speechless, Angel's once fearless and cheerful spirit had been broken. "Oh chica, you know Collins loves you. He always will love you."

"Now I'll be alone again!" This statement hurt Mimi, did Angel always feel this way even when it was just the two of them living in a shitty apartment on Avenue A? They only had each other back then, was Angel lonely? The dancer decided not to look into it more than she needed to, Angel was just talking. Wasn't he?

"Angel." Came a timid voice from behind the door.

The street drummer sniffled. "Who is that?"

"It's Aaron. Do you want to see him?" Mimi said pulling away from their embrace so she could see Angel better.

"Of course. Let him in."

The dancer got up from Angel and walked over to the door, letting Aaron inside.

Angel walked over to Aaron, who enveloped him into a tight embrace. Angel broke down again. "It's okay girlfriend, we're here. Don't worry sweets."

I guess now wouldn't be a good time to give her that box. Nope. Not at all.