Yay!! Another chapter down! Sorry this one is short . . . At least it's something! Hope you all like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own, I RENT. Except my characters and my storyline. . . those are mine!

Stay

"Hey Collins?"

"Yeah?" Collins looked up to Jo. She was still in the hospital but was finally ready to go home.

"Angel says 'hi'."

Collins froze. ". . . What?"

"Angel," Jo clarified, "Says 'hi."

"You saw . . .?" Collins was dumbstruck.

"She's beautiful." Jo said, "She misses you but she loves you and is proud of you for staying with me when I was . . ."

"Is she . . . happy?"

Jo smiled, "The happiest,"

Tears of joy slipped down Collins' cheeks.

Just then, Ella, Lena, Amber, Kaila, Mimi, Maureen and Joanne came in.

"Ready to go, chica?" Mimi asked in Spanish.

"Yes, I just need to find my shoes." Jo replied in the same dialect.

"English please!" Amber cried, obviously frustrated with something.

"Give us a minute." Mimi told the girls before turning back to Jo. "Mark relapsed again. We're staying at Joanne's place until he gets back on track."

"What? No. He needs me."

"Jo, he's violent. Who knows what he'll do." Mimi explained.

"I don't care. He's my best friend." Jo replied stubbornly.

"Jo . . ."

"No, Mimi, he needs me." Jo returned to English. "I'm going to the loft and I'm going to help Mark. That's final." Mimi sighed and nodded.

"Okay Jo,"

"Jo?" Kaila called, "Jo, um . . . we . . . the girls and I, we have to go back to San Francisco now."

Jo's frustrated eyes turned sad. "Now?"

"In a couple of hours we need to be on the plane." Ella replied.

Jo dropped her bag and ran to her girls. They shared a group hug. "I'll miss you." Jo said after several moments.

"We'll miss you too, Jo." Amber started to cry.

"Shh . . . Amber, don't cry." Jo tried to comfort the red-head as she sniffled and sobbed.

"I don't want you to get hurt again!" Amber wailed, clutching the brunette close to her.

"Am, I won't get hurt again. I promise." Jo tried to reassure her friend. "I've got a family watching out for me. They won't let anything bad happen to me." Amber looked to Maureen, Mimi, Joanne and Collins.

"We promise, Amber." Joanne said to the multimedia artist. "We'll watch out for her."

Finally satisfied, Amber let go of Jo and let her say goodbye to the others.

When all goodbyes were said and done, everyone left the hospital. The San Francisco girls left for the airport while the Bohos left for the loft.

"I'm telling you now, Jo," Mimi said, "Mark's irritable as hell right now. Don't be surprised if he snaps at you."

"I know," Jo replied, "I'm ready."

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"Why can't she stay here?" Mark was in another one of his moods. He was demanding why Jo couldn't stay with them at the loft and why she had to stay at with Joanne.

"She can't stay here because she's still healing and who knows what you'll do while she's here." Roger responded irritably.

"I won't do anything!" the blonde protested, "I promise!"

"Promise" was not a good word to use with Roger at that point in time. Mark had made a lot of empty promises about his withdrawal. "Promise, Mark? I don't believe your promises anymore." Roger was pissed. "She's going to Joanne's, that's final."

Roger slammed the bedroom door and left Mark to throw a fit. This was getting out of hand. Roger had never seen Mark like this before. It was . . . scary. He didn't know how much longer he could deal with Mark before he would have to resort to a rehab center.

Just then, the doctor opened the door to reveal Jo.

"Jo?"

"Where is he?" She didn't wait for an answer. Judging by the ruckus emitting from Mark's room, she knew exactly where he was. Opening the door, Jo revealed a frustrated Mark who was currently destroying his room.

His back was turned when he heard the door open. Not bothering to turn around he started yelling at 'Roger'. "Roger, get the fuck out of my--. . ." he couldn't finish because two thin, female arms enveloped him at that moment. He knew those arms . . . that hold . . .

"Jo?"

Hey Mark," Jo greeted her shaking friend.

"You're here . . ."

"To stay," Jo held Mark close as he turned around to face her. "I promise, I'm not going anywhere."

Mark held Jo close to him, afraid she might disappear if he let go. He started to cry. "It hurts Jo."

"I know, Mark. I know."

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