Of course, nothing's mine. It's all Jonathan Larson's work. Thank you Jonathan! Please read and review. It's my first true one-shot. Before you ask, yes the letters match up!

Summery: Pre-RENT. What happens when you give Maureen a crossword puzzle?

It wasn't usual that Maureen would be up as early as Collins was. Most of the time she was sleeping off a hang over, still out, or in bed with Mark. Today, however, she was up and walking around the cold loft wanting something to do. Collins was grading papers for his class at M.I.T. and sipping at the bad tasting strong coffee that could wake anyone up and keep them up for hours.

"Collins! I'm bored!" Maureen whined slumping into the couch. "Mark's still sleeping and he won't wake up."

"Sorry, I gotta get done with these papers."

"You sure you're gay? I mean…I would have thought Mark was before you."

Collins nearly choked on his coffee as he looked up at her. That was Maureen, always completely honest and never knowing when not to say something. He laughed at her and went back to grading papers that he already knew about. After a few moments of silence he heard her pick up the paper from yesterday that they had taken.

"I haven't done the crossword yet. You can do that for a bit," he told her while tossing over a pencil.

After a few minutes of thinking Maureen got a smile to spread over her features and began filling in some spots and letters. Not too long after Mark came out of his bedroom still sleepy and rubbing his eyes looking rather childishly. Grabbing a box of Captain Crunch he sat on the couch leaning against Maureen for warmth.

"What are you doing?" he asked sliding under the blankets with her.

"Puzzle. Get away! You're freezing!" she yelped hitting him with the paper. Grumbling, he moved away slightly.

"How you doing on that girl?" Collins asked looking up from a paper that was putting him to sleep even after drinking a cup of that coffee.

"Great! They really should make this harder. I already got seven done," she said with an I'm-up-to-no-good grin.

"Glad you found something to do. Now I might be able to do something more than film, sleep and…well, the thing that we usually do," Mark said with a blush as he got up to make some tea.

"Pookie? When you're done with your tea, let's go to the 11th Street lot and fix the equipment," Maureen told him putting the paper down and following him. "How does that sound my big head albino?" she asked with a smile while putting her arms around him.

"Do you have to call me that?" he whined knowing that he couldn't tell her no. To hide his blushing he sipped at the hot tea.

"Yes I do. Now go get changed. I'll help," she said pulling him into the bedroom and kissing him. "Can't have you looking like a geek during my performance."

Once they both were dressed and fulfilled they emerged from the small room. Mark was in one of his sweaters and his corduroys and of course his beloved camera. Maureen was dressed in skin-tight leather pants and a rock shirt. Together they got their coats, and Mark got his scarf and they readied themselves to get to work.

"See you later Collins," Maureen told him with a smile.

"Bye you too," he answered looking up from his papers to wave.

"Check my answers to the crossword!"

Laughing at them as Maureen pulled Mark out the door he waited as the door slid to a close. Once they were out he quickly finished up his papers without interruption since Roger was still out with April. Now feeling rather bored he picked up the paper Maureen had been working on. After a few moments he was howling with laugher at her answers.

"What's so funny Thomas?" Roger asked coming through the door with April in tow. The best answer he could get was the paper pushed to him. He read the hints

ACROSS

Person who has no skin pigment.

Attractive

Not from this planet

Evil

Shabby, contemptible

Obsessed (2 words)

Junkie

Drugged

Nerd

Collins explained the correct answers to be…

Albino

Beautiful

Alien

Demon

Mangy

Taken over

Enthusiast

Benumbed

Geek

But Maureen's answers showed that they were better suited than the ones the Time's cooked up this time. They couldn't help but become hysterical over how well her answers fit both as answers and that they all filled correctly in the boxes. They read in her writing that filled in the blocks meant for the right words, meaning Collins answers. Maureen's answers were…

Pookie

Maureen J.

Marky

Benny

Roger

Film maker

Roger Davis

T. Collins

Mark