"Baby, you two were really great tonight." Charlie said as she and Roger got into bed.
"I was so proud of her. She really held her own up there, huh?" he asked spreading his arms out to her.
"Yeah, she truly is her father's daughter." she said leaning up to kiss him.
"Thank you Baby." he said caressing her face.
"For what?" she asked smiling up at him.
"For giving me the most incredible daughter any father could ask for." he said smiling back at her.
"Roger, you're her father you know. In every sense of the word. More of a father than any other man would be." she said getting serious.
"Yeah well, it's their loss." he told her kissing her head.
"Roger, I think you and Michelle should make a demo." Charlie suggested looking up at him.
"I was thinking the same thing." Roger said smiling down at her.
"Have you spoken to Michelle about it yet?" she asked smiling at him.
"No, I figured I'd take my girls out for breakfast and I'd talk to her about it then." he said leaning down to kiss her.
"You do realize she's gonna be really excited, right?" Charlie asked laughing.
"I hope so, I am." he said smiling at her.
"I love you Roger." Charlie said smiling at him.
"I love you too Charlie." he said kissing her again.
"Mom, dad are you up?" Michelle asked knocking on the door.
"Yeah Babygirl, come on in." Roger called out as Michelle opened the door.
"What's the matter sweetie?" Charlie asked looking up at her.
"I can't sleep, I'm too wired." she said plopping on the foot of the bed.
"So you had fun tonight?" Roger asked laughing.
"Oh my God, it was the most amazing night of my life." she said crawling up to Roger to hug him.
"Mine too Babygirl." he said kissing her head.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Are you ready, Michelle?" Charlie yelled from the kitchen as Michelle came running down the stairs.
"Yeah mom, where's dad?" she asked looking around.
"Him and Uncle Mark are running late. They said they would meet us at the studio." she said grabbing 4 bottles of water out of the refrigerator.
"Is everything OK?" Michelle asked pouring herself some coffee.
"Yeah, your dad said the doctors office was a madhouse this morning." Charlie said putting the water in a bag.
"OK. We gotta go mom. I don't want to be late." Michelle said drinking her coffee before rushing to the closet for her coat.
"Don't worry sweetie, the studio isn't going anywhere." Charlie said smiling at her.
"I know, I just don't wanna make dad wait that long." she said smiling back at her.
"OK sweetie, let's go see your dad." Charlie said as she left.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Hey Baby, how was the doctor?" Charlie asked kissing Roger as she and Michelle entered the studio.
"It was OK. Are you ready Babygirl?" Roger asked smiling at her.
"I am so ready." she said excitedly.
"Roger, can I talk to you for minute?" Charlie asked looking up at him sensing his unease.
"Charlie, we have to get started." he said trying to avoid her.
"Roger, just for a minute." she said dragging him ou the door.
"Baby, what is it?" he asked as they got outside.
"I want you to tell me what the doctor said, and before you even think about lying to me and telling me you're fine just remember, I know you well enough to know when you're lying." she said pointing in his face.
"Baby, can we talk about this later? I really should get back in by Michelle." he said looking down at her.
"Roger, what did he say?" she asked as tears formed in her eyes.
"My t-cells are low." he answered quietly as he took her in his arms.
"Oh my God Roger." she said starting to cry.
"Baby, I'm OK. He gave me a prescription for the new meds. I'm gonna be fine." he told her caressing her back.
"How are you gonna be fine? Roger, your t-cells are low." she asked looking up at him, her face wet with tears.
"Baby, they're not that low. I'm gonna be fine. I'll start on my new meds and they're not gonna get any lower." he whispered wiping her face.
"Roger, don't do that." she yelled pulling away from him.
"Do what?" he asked confused.
"Act like everything's gonna be OK. You are HIV positive and your t-cells are low. That's not good." she said turning away from him.
"Baby, it's not AIDS yet. The meds can work." he said reaching out for her.
"Or they could not work and we'll lose you." she said crying as she turned to him.
"Charlie, whatever happens, it's gonna be OK." he said taking her face in his hands.
"You keep saying that, but how?" she asked looking up at him.
"Charlie, please. It just is. You have to believe me." he whispered leaning down to kiss her.
"What are we gonna tell Michelle?" she asked as tears rolled down her face.
"Nothing. I don't want her to know." he answered moving back from her.
"Roger, we have to tell her." Charlie said as he wiped her face.
"No Charlie. I don't want her to know anything." Roger insisted as she lowered her head to his chest.
"OK. We won't tell her anything, but if she asks I'm not lying to her and I don't want you to either." Charlie said lifting her head again.
"I don't want to upset her Charlie." he said as tears filled his eyes.
"Roger, she's 19 years old. If we lie to her, that will upset her more." Charlie said reaching up to hold his face in her hands.
"You're right, but you know I hate when she's upset." he said crying.
"I know but Roger, she's our daughter. I don't like keeping things from her." she said as he held her close to him.
"Me neither. I just don't like hurting her." Roger said kissing her head before wiping his eyes. "I should get back inside, she's waiting for me. Why don't you go by Collins' place. I'll tell her you had things to do and we'll meet you at home." he said as she looked up at him.
"Yeah, that might be a good idea. I love you so much Roger." Charlie said leaning up to kiss him.
"I love you more than you will ever know Charlie." he said caressing her face before wiping his face.
"Don't worry Roger. I know." she said wiping her own face.
"How do I look?" he asked faking a smile.
"Gorgeous, as usual." she said leaning up to kiss him.
"I do love you Charlie." he said caressing her face.
"I love you too Roger." she told him before leaving to go to Collins apartment. As Charlie walked to Collins apartment, she couldn't help but cry. Roger's t-cells were low and no matter how cool he played it, she knew it would mean she would lose him. Soon. When she reached Collins door, she couldn't help but collapse outside his door. She leaned against the wall just crying. Collins heard her and opened the door.
"Charlie, what happened?" he asked kneeling down next to her.
"It's Roger. He's low." she cried as he took her in his arms and brought her into the apartment.
"Oh Baby, I'm so sorry." he said holding her as she cried in his arms.
"How Collins? How am I gonna live with out him?" she asked looking up at him, her face was soaked with tears.
"How low is he?" he asked looking down at her.
"I don't know. He just said he was low and the doctor gave him new meds to keep him stable." she told him still crying.
"Does he have AIDS?" he asked wiping her face.
"He said no. but you know him. I don't know if I believe him." she told him still crying.
"You know Roger would never lie to you. He can't. He knows you see right through him." he said pushing her hair out of her face.
"I'm scared Collins." she told him burying her face in his chest.
"I know Baby, I know. But this is Roger we're talking about. He's the most stubborn man on the planet. He ain't givin in to this without a fight. Especially if fighting it means he gets to stay with his girls." he said kissing her head.
"Yeah, he is pretty damn stubborn, isn't he?" she laughed despite herself.
"No one knows better than us, do they?" he laughed as she looked up at him.
"He doesn't want to tell Michelle." she said sitting up.
"Maybe that's best for now." he said looking at her.
"Collins, you know how devastated she'll be when she finds out we've been keeping this from her?" she asked looking over at him.
"I know, but Charlie, do you know how devastated she's gonna be anyway when she finds out that he's sick? She idolizes him. They are each others world." Collins told her looking over at her.
"I know. Sometimes I get jealous of the relationship he has with her." she said smiling over at him.
"What do you mean?" he asked confused.
"I don't know, it's just I mean when she needs to talk to someone or needs help with something, she always goes to Roger. I wish I had that relationship with her." she said looking down at her hands.
"Charlie, don't take it personal Babygirl, but you know your husband is like a big teenager. He's just always been easier to relate to. You're the responsible one. You're the mom. Plus, no offense, but I think Roger has a way of striking fear into people that you don't have." he said laughing.
"Yeah, you got that right." she said laughing with him.
"Listen, from the moment he saw that little girl, he wanted to be her father. Maybe some of it had to do with Mandy and the baby he lost when he lost her, but mainly it was because of the love he feels for you. Charlie, he loves you so much and I happen to know that if he leaves this earth today, he will be leaving it the happiest man on earth and that's because of you and what you gave him. Unconditional love, an amazing life and a wonderful daughter." he told her as her eyes filled with tears again.
"And the same goes for me. I mean, even though he is not her biological father, he is the greatest father I could have ever asked for for my little girl. I'm just not ready for me and my daughter to lose him. Not yet. It's too soon, you know?" she said starting to cry again.
"I know Babygirl, it's OK. We're not losing him yet." he said taking her into his arms again and rocking her back and forth as she cried.
"I just love him so much Collins, you know? I can't lose him yet." she cried as he stroked her hair.
"You're not losing him yet. He's got some more hell to raise before he's done here." he said trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, no one raises hell like you guys do, huh?" she said trying to laugh.
"You know it." he said kissing her head again.