Chapter 4: Staying In for the Day

Author's Notes: hey there everyone! Due to my mid-terms coming up in the next two weeks, this will probably be my latest update until further notice. I know it sucks, but hey school comes first! The song featured in this chapter is Bon Jovi's Never Say Goodbye so I don't own it. Anyways I'm really thankful for the reviews and keep them coming! Well on with the story!

The next morning Roger slowly woke up. He couldn't remember much about what happened last night, but he remembered after waking up to the aches and pains in his body. He felt completely sore all over, however everything to him was a nearly a blur. Roger was surprised to find himself back in his apartment but then he noticed the bandages all over him. Someone took the liberty of changing his clothes and he found himself in a t-shirt and pajama pants. There was a white bandage around his head and all over his arms and his abdomen. He noticed the bruises and scratches and then he remembered…he nearly got beaten last night.

"Hey good morning…I see you're awake," he heard Mimi bringing a bowl of soup, "Here I made this for you just in case you were hungry."

"Mimi? Is that you?" Roger wondered, "What's going on? Why are you here? Where's my daughter? Is she alright?"

"It's about 9:30 in the morning right now," Mimi replied, "I called your friend Collins and Angel to take your daughter to school. You were still asleep after the beating you suffered last night. I called you contact list of people you know to assure them everything was under control. Your roommate Mark was here this morning and he took the liberty of informing your work you weren't going to be in today. Besides, you need to rest up after the state I found you in last night. Luckily I managed to bring your daughter home when you didn't show up at the community center last night to pick her up. You managed to make your way back here before you were slipping in and out of consciousness."

"You…were the one who found me?" Roger asked, "You…were the one that was here the entire night with me and my daughter? Mimi…I don't know what to say."

"I'm glad you're okay and I'm glad I was fortunate you miraculously made your way back here last night," Mimi sighed with relief, "You…gave Courtney a scare last night. She was worried about you all night. Poor girl tried to stay up but she couldn't so I tucked her in last night after she fell asleep. Do you…remember what happened last night?"

"Most of it…I guess including that part where those whacked out junkies beat the shit out of me…and then they made off with my stuff," Roger sighed, "They took my phone, cash, my labtop, anything that was used for work. Thank god I had my files on backup here at home. I tried to find a phone…but I was in a lot of pain and the only option I made was…to try to make it back home and then the rest was a blur."

"I found you shortly after I arrived home with Courtney and you passed out." Mimi had some herbal medicine as she sat next to Roger on the couch as she was taking off some of the bandages to be replaced. "Here let me check your injuries."

"Mimi it's okay…I'll be fine I heal fast."

"Roger don't be a baby…here I promised I wasn't going anywhere last night and I keep my word that I'll look after you today. Besides, I don't have any classes until tomorrow. At least you can be grateful for my hospitality of nursing you back to health after nearly saving your life. I guess you were in need of an angel last night?"

"Excuse me?" Roger wondered confused, "Did…something happen that I miss last night?"

"Not really," Mimi slowly smiled, "Except probably the delusion that the medicine I gave you might have caused. You…kept calling me an angel in the moonlight last night while I was putting your bandages on. You were barely on conscious last night to not realize that. I gave your thanks to your daughter for that comment you made last night."

"Courtney…my little miracle girl...always knowing about divine intervention," Roger replied.

"Here just sit up a bit and let me take a look at you," Mimi replied as she was changing the bandages on his arms and abdomen, "Well the good thing is that your bruises are healing up and they're not swollen. It will be a few days before you completely make a full recovery. I wanted to thank you again…for helping me with the boxes a few weeks ago."

"Well I should be the one who should repay you back Mimi," Roger slowly smiled, "Besides you saved my life last night. I thought…it would have been done and over with and I would have been dead on the street. I don't know…but somehow you were there at the right place and at the right time. I am in debt to you for that."

"There's no need for that," Mimi added, "All that matters is that you are alright now and Courtney wouldn't have to worry about you. So is it just you, Courtney and your roommate living here?"

"Yeah for five years," Roger said, "Mark moved back into the loft after my wife died five years ago. She died in a pedestrian accident. She was struck down by a speeding taxi. The way you smile reminds me so much of her. I was married to her for two years and then we had Courtney. April was a big music fan like me…but she was usually into Bon Jovi. You see that shelf near my daughter's bedroom? That there is my collection of vintage records and various CDs. Do you want to see?"

"Are you sure you can make it off the couch?" Mimi asked, "I don't want you to strain yourself out. You need to take it easy."

"Here help me up I want to show you something," Roger said as Mimi helped him up and lead her to his shelf of CD collections and records, "The least I can do since you're nursing me back to health is entertain you. Is there anything you see?"

"You are right…your wife must have been a big Bon Jovi fan when she was alive. My dad used to be a Bon Jovi fan before he died a few years back…he suffered from a stroke. His favorite song used to be Never Say Goodbye from his Crossroads album. Do you huh mind if I could…"

"I'll get that for you," Roger replied as he put the CD in the stereo, "I like this song."

"As I sit in this smokey room
The night about to end
I pass my time with strangers
But this bottle's my only friend

Remember when we used to park
On Butler Street out in the dark
Remember when we lost the keys
And you lost more than that in my backseat

Remember when we used to talk
About busting out - we'd break their hearts
Together - forever

Never say goodbye, never say goodbye
You and me and my old friends
Hoping it would never end
Never say goodbye, never say goodbye
Holdin' on - we got to try
Holdin' on to never say goodbye"

"You must have loved April a lot didn't you?" Mimi asked, "Do you miss her?"

"Everyday I miss her," Roger sighed, "It's been five years and not a day goes by where I think about her. All I just want to do is…move on with my life for my daughter's sake. I'm sorry if I'm talking too much about my dead wife to you. I know it wouldn't matter to you and you hardly know me well enough to know what I've been through raising Courtney on my own without April around."

"I understand your position fully," Mimi sympathized, "You must have been through a lot in your life and I wouldn't want to pry in your personal life. The least I can do right now is maybe offer you my friendship…if you want it?"

"I think I would like that. Thank you Mimi."

"I have to confess…that I'm not really not what I seem to be right now," Roger sighed, "I've been a wreck for five years and I had to deal with a lot of excess baggage in my life that I don't want to disclose. Please understand Mimi that…I have issues to deal with."

"Listen don't sound like that you're guilty of doing something horrible," Mimi assured, "I don't really know your situation well and I don't want to pressure you into something or try to get you to open up to me right now. We can go…slow if you want it wouldn't matter to me."

By the afternoon, Mark arrived home with Courtney in toll. They found Roger and Mimi on the couch as Roger was showing Mimi his album collection and all the momentums he got from various concerts and shows he attended. Mark was surprised to find Roger actually talking and chatting with someone else beside either him, Collins, Joanne, Maureen or Angel in five years and he was seeming to enjoy himself. Courtney couldn't wonder why her dad was happy talking with Mimi but she was happy to see her dad.

"Roger you're awake dude," Mark replied, "Are we interrupting something? Here I picked up your daughter."

"Daddy! Daddy!" Courtney smiled running to her dad, "You're alright! I'm happy you're okay!"

"Thanks to my little miracle girl…always knowing when to call for divine intervention," Roger smiled giving his daughter a hug, "So how was school today?"

"We had to paint pictures today," Courtney replied showing her picture, "This is a picture of an island with tall tress and a blue ocean. What do you think daddy?"

"A picture that is worth a thousand words," Roger smiled, "I like it. I'll hang it up next to my desk with every other picture."

"Daddy? Are you sure you are okay? I was scared last night but Miss Marquez was here," she replied, "She read me a story last night too about Clifford the Big Red Dog. I liked it."

"And it was very thoughtful of her to do that wasn't it?" Roger said looking at Mimi, "So what do you say to Miss Marquez tiny?"

"Thank you for last night," Courtney smiled, "Will you still be my dance teacher?"

"Of course and you can call me Mimi instead. If you want…if in any case if any of you guys are having difficulty looking after Courtney I'll be more than happy to and look after her," Mimi offered, "Besides…after all she is one of my students."

"I think that sound like a good idea besides she's close to home and I wouldn't have to worry about rushing to pick her up," Mark said, "What do you say Roger? Does it sound like a good idea so you wouldn't have to drag our sorry butts out of work when you can't pick up your daughter on time?"

"I don't want to impose on Mimi she's already done too much for me in one day," Roger protested, "She nursed me the entire night and not to mention today, she looked after Courtney and brought her home last night and not to forget…I'm in debt that she saved my life last night. I feel guilty relying on other people to look after my daughter and I'm suppose to take responsibility for her. I will definitely have to repay you back…somehow for this."

"Roger stop you're not imposing on me," Mimi replied, "Besides…I'll be more than happy to look after Courtney whenever. You don't have to worry about repaying me back."

"Hey Mimi, can you come play with me?" Courtney asked pulling on her arm, "Do you want to play dolls with me?"

"Okay I guess I can spare a few more minutes before I have to switch your bandages again Roger," Mimi smiled, "I'll leave you guys alone to chat up for a few minutes. It gives me the chance to bond with your daughter Roger."

"Be careful with her she likes to pout a lot when she doesn't get her way," Roger teased.

"Daddy! I don't pout!" Courtney replied as the two girls went into Courtney's room to play for awhile, "Besides…I'm a little princess and I'm a big girl."

"So how are you feeling Roger?" Mark asked, "I'm sorry you lost your stuff last night."

"It's alright…besides the company entitled to the right of a replacement labtop," Roger said looking at his bandages, "Thank god Mimi was around last night. I thought…I would have been dead if I didn't make it back here last night and she found me. I'm not a firm believer in miracles and stuff but last night…I was fortunate to get one. I guess there is such a thing as atonement and amends."

"You put it in a way that you should have been left for dead last night," Mark replied, "Just a few minutes ago I find you in here and you're a completely different person from the moody and disgruntled Roger who believes he doesn't deserve to live. I guess you talked about April to her then? I heard you kept calling her an angel in the moonlight."

"I was delusional from the medicine she gave me," Roger said, "I…didn't know it was her until I realized this morning. She stayed with me the whole afternoon and we listened to some music. I busted out Bon Jovi for her. She is something I tell you Mark."

"So exactly…how are you going to repay her back?" Mark asked, "You said you wanted to repay Mimi back for everything she's done for you. What about…taking her out on a date as a thank you for saving your life?"

"A date huh?" Roger hesitated, "I don't know…if I'm ready yet…she seems nice and I don't know her well. I guess…maybe that might be an option."

"What can be an option?" Mimi asked as she appeared at the door, "Is something wrong?"

"Well I guess…I can repay you back by asking you out on a date," Roger replied, "If it's not too much? It's just my way of thanking you."

"I guess a friendly date wouldn't be no harm," Mimi smiled as she began to switch Roger's bandages again, "Here it's time to change your bandages."

"Thank you Mimi," Roger smiled, "How about next Saturday we go out?"

"I would like that," Mimi replied, "Under one condition?" She went back to the stereo and she put the song back on again, "Let me finish patching you up while we listen to the rest of this song okay?"

"Remember days of skipping school
Racing cars and being cool
With a six pack and the radio
We didn't need no place to go

Remember at the prom that night
You and me we had a fight
But the band they played our favorite song
And I held you in my arms so strong

We danced so close
We danced so slow
And I swore I'd never let you go
Together - forever

Never say goodbye, never say goodbye
You and me and my old friends
Hoping it would never end
Never say goodbye, never say goodbye
Holdin' on - we got to try
Holdin' on to never say goodbye"

Meanwhile, Courtney was in her bedroom playing with her dolls when Mark came in to check up on her while Roger and Mimi occupied the living room. She liked seeing Mimi talking with her dad and Mark was surprised that Roger was starting to open up.

"Uncle Mark, did Mimi ask daddy out?" Courtney asked, "What's going on?"

"Oh little Courtney one day you'll learn about the world of dating," Mark said patting the girl on the head, "It's a complicated world or romance and love."

"You don't make any sense Uncle Mark," Courtney replied confused, "Does that mean I get to see Mimi a bit more?"

"Probably I guess…besides she's your dance teacher," Mark replied.

"I like her," Courtney smiled, "She's fun to play with and she is fun to play dolls with. I hope she and daddy hook up together."

"I guess…you would want that or do you know what you're talking about?" Mark asked.

"I don't know…maybe you say that," Courtney smiled with curiosity, "Since those two are in the living room, you can play dolls with me Uncle Mark. Do you want to be Ken?"

"Do I have a choice?" Mark asked sarcastically as he sat in Courtney's room playing dolls with her while Roger and Mimi occupied the living room for the rest of the day.