Here it is, the last chapter! And for those who didn't know the song from last chapter, it's Another Suitcase in Another Hall from Evita.

Last Disclaimer: I don't own, I RENT. Except for my characters and Storyline . . . those are mine.

Epilogue

Emma May was twenty-seven years old and engaged to a man by the name of Vincent Gabor. It had been seventeen years since she and her family had lost the lovers Jo and Mark. Jo to the fatal bout of Leukemia and Mark to suicide; Emma didn't cry at their funerals, she was just very sad. About three years later they lost Collins to AIDS. The virus had taken over his body until finally he just gave up. He joined Angel in late October.

Next came Mimi who died two years after Collins. Emma was 15.

"Mimi, please hang on, love." Roger pleaded with his dying lover. The whole family was in the hospital room where Mimi lay on her deathbed. Diagnosis: Pneumonia; Mimi had stayed outside one day for just a little bit too long and caught the sometimes fatal illness. That combined with AIDS did nothing for her immune system. And now, she was dying. The doctor said the end was coming soon.

"Roger . . ." Mimi coughed, "Play me my song, baby . . . please . . ."

"Of course." Roger grabbed his guitar And started to sing:

"Your Eyes
As We Said Our Goodbyes
Can't Get Them Out Of My Mind
And I Find ICan't Hide From
Your Eyes
The Ones That Took Me By Surprise
The Night You Came Into My Life
Where There's Moonlight
I See Your Eyes
How'd I Let You Slip Away
When I'm Longing So To Hold You
Now I'd Die For One More Day
Cause There's Something I Should
Have Told You
Yes There's Something I Should Have
Told You
When I Looked Into Your Eyes
Why Does Distance Make Us Wise?
You Were The Song All Along
And Before The Song Dies
I Should Tell You I Should Tell You
I Have Always Loved You
You Can See It In My Eyes . . ."

Mimi smiled a worn smile before whispering: "I love you." Mimi Marquez then closed her eyes for the last time.

After Mimi died, Roger's love of life disappeared. It was one year later that Roger past away of pneumonia as well. Emma didn't cry at either funeral.

Now all Emma had was Amber, Ella, Lena, Kaila, Maureen, Joanne, and Benny. The Loft now belonged to Emma and Vincent who moved in when he proposed to her. Benny had kept paying the rent for Emma until she was old enough to own the Loft herself. She was now alone in the loft, thinking.

"Guys, I'm worried about Emma." Kaila said as the gang ate at the Life Café. Emma was currently at home doing homework and had opted out of going to the Life for dinner.

"What do you mean?" Benny asked.

"I mean, it's been 5 months since Roger died and she has yet to shed a single tear." Kaila pointed out.

"So? She didn't cry at Mimi's funeral, or Collins', or . . . theirs . . ." Amber said, not wanting to remember the painful deaths of Mark and Jo.

"I know, that's what's got me worried." Kaila said.

"Maybe she's like Mark." Maureen suggested. "I mean, he never cried either . . . except for when Jo died . . ."

"But that's not good." Joanne countered, "Mark bottled thing up until he . . . well . . . until he snapped."

"So, you think Emma's going to snap?" Lena asked, eyeing Joanne carefully.

"I don't know. But if she ever got anything out of living with Mark it would be this." Joanne said.

"So, what do we do?" Ella inquired, "I mean, we can't make her feel sad. She's got to do that on her own."

"But she won't." Benny said. "If she did get this from Mark she won't budge until she's well worn out. And that might take a long time."

"Well, one thing's for sure: she sure isn't the innocent little girl she used to be . . ." Amber said sadly.

As Emma sat on the ragged duct-taped couch that had lasted all these years, she remembered what life used to be like before her parents died. Sweet innocent childhood; if only she could go back in time . . . she'd stop her parents from getting in the car. She'd tell Jo about the leukemia ahead of time. Mark wouldn't have committed suicide. Collins wouldn't have gotten sick; nor would Mimi or Roger. They would all be happy together and Jo would have walked Emma down the aisle to her soon to be husband instead of Benny. Everything would've been perfect. But it wasn't.

Suddenly, Emma felt a sort of prick at the back of her eyes. Something she hadn't felt since she was a little girl . . . With a heavy heart, Emma started to cry. She cried heavy sobs that she didn't know she was holding in. She cried for Jo who had died too young, Mark who couldn't bear a life without Jo, Collins who was now with his Angel, Mimi who also died too young and Roger who only had his one song glory.

A few minutes later the family and Vincent entered the loft to find Emma sobbing on the couch.

"Emma?" Amber asked, quickly running over to the crying girl. "Baby, are you okay?"

"Don't call me that!" Emma spat suddenly before breaking down again, "They called each other that."

Shocked, Amber turned to the rest of the family. Vincent quietly went to his fiancé and rubbed her back.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" He asked, concerned, his soothing voice echoing through the loft. "I've never seen you cry before . . . especially not like this."

"They're gone . . . They're gone! And they can't come back . . . I miss her so much! I want her to walk me down the aisle! But she can't because she's dead!" Emma sobbed uncontrollably. It then hit everyone what was going on with the girl in front of them. Emma was finally crying for the deaths of all they had lost.

"Emma," Joanne said. "I know it's hard, but you know that everyone's watching over you: Jo, Mark, Mimi, and Roger, Collins and even Angel and your parents. They're watching you everyday."

Emma continued to cry. "I know, but it hurts . . . so much . . ."

"I know, but that's why we're here." Joanne said, comforting the small girl easily.

"I know. . ."

"What brought on this sudden sorrow?" Ella asked. All the bohemians were gathered around Emma.

"I-I was thinking . . . about them . . . and . . . I don't know, all of the sudden I just felt extremely sad." Emma choked out. "I don't know why . . . I never cry, especially like this . . ."

Everyone looked at each other. "Emma," Maureen said, "Do you think it's because you've been holding everything in for too long? I mean, you were a child/pre-teen/teenager when everyone died. So, maybe all that pain has finally caught up with you?" Maureen guessed.

"Maybe, but it doesn't matter. They're all gone and I'll never get to tell them how much I love them all." Emma continued to cry as Vincent held his lover close.

"Love, you can tell them that every day, you don't have to see them to let them know." Vincent said.

"I know, but . . . I want them back . . ." Emma's sobs had become nothing more than soft hiccups.

"I know Love," Vincent comforted, "I want my parents and friends back too."

The couple held each other close for several minutes before anyone dared to speak.

"Emma?" Lena called, "Are you going to be okay?"

"I want to go to the cemetery." She said quietly. Nothing more was said between anyone until they were at the cemetery and Emma was at Jo's gravestone.

Josephine Eva May

Loving Sister and Lover

1966-1996

"Because I knew you, I have been changed for good."

Emma read the inscription carefully and started to cry again. Little did she know, Jo was there with her in spirit.

"I miss you so much Jo." Emma cried

"I miss you too, sweetie." Jo said to deaf ears.

"Why did you have to leave me? Why couldn't you have just fought harder?"

"Because it was my time to go . . ."

"It's not fair! You were so young!"

"I know Emma, if I could change the past I would but I can't."

". . . I don't know why I'm yelling at you . . . I'm just . . . frustrated."

"It's okay to be upset sometimes, sis. Lord knows I used to have the biggest bitch fits ever." Jo said, touching Emma's shoulder. Emma shivered as she felt something cold close to her.

"Jo? Are you here?"

"You know I am."

"If you're here, do something . . ."

Jo sighed and the wind blew which was odd since it was early July.

"Jo?"

"I'm here sweetie." Jo said comfortingly.

Emma smiled, "You are here, aren't you?"

"You know I am." Jo petted Emma's hair.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

THE END

So? What did you think? Did you like it?

I want to thank all my friends and reviewers who have been so supportive of me throughout this story. It was a long trek, but now it's over. I also want to especially thank Kandechan who wrote that one chapter for me and has been my BFF throughout all my madness. Thanks Kande! And last, but not least, I want to thank the readers. You guys are amazing. It was you who kept me going! :) I'm currently working on a story that involves a Mark/Roger romance. I'm not sure when it'll get up here but hopefully it won't take as long as it took this story . . . FYI: This story took me about a year and a half to write before I published the first chapter.

Again, Thank you SO much for everyone's support! And I'll see you next time!

Much Love,

Patsy