A New Addition to Bohemia

Chapter 1:

Roger lay in bed with a sheet around his waist while Mimi pulled on something to wear to the Life. Mimi picked up a pair of boxers and threw them at Roger.

"Get your pale, white ass outta bed and get dressed," she ordered. Roger rolled his eyes. As Mimi walked past him, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down on top of him.

"No, I like it here with you," he said huskily before attacking Mimi's neck. A knock on the bedroom door shattered the moment.

"I'm leaving, I'll see you there," Mark said.

"Whatever," Roger replied. Mimi squirmed out of his grip and got to her feet.

"Later, I promise." Roger got up and pulled on his clothes. He wanted to spend more time with Mimi.

Once Mimi and Roger were dressed, they went out to the front room to grab their coats and shoes. Roger wedged Mimi between him and the wall and began to kiss her ferociously.

"Roger…we…need…to…go," Mimi said between kisses. Reluctantly, Roger stopped.

"But I don't wanna," he whined. Mimi wound her fingers through Roger's unruly hair and pecked him on the lips.

"I said later. Come on, let's go." Mimi entwined her fingers with Roger's and pulled him out the door.

Roger wrapped his arm around Mimi's shoulders and entwined his fingers with her right hand. Mimi wrapped her arms around his waist and held his free hand. Roger kissed the top of her head.

"I love you," he murmured in her ear. As the couple exited the building, Mimi saw a young girl, about four or five, sitting on the stoop. This caught Mimi as weird, but she figured that the young girl was just waiting for her parents to so she went back to Roger.

At the Life, the Bohemians were already drinking. The manager rolled his eyes when he saw Roger and Mimi.

"Glad to see that you two finally decided to join us!" Collins announced. Roger sat down and pulled Mimi onto his lap.

"We were busy," he defended.

"Oh, you guys have fun?" Maureen asked rather loudly. Mimi reached across the table and grabbed Collins' beer.

"Our sex life is none of your damn business," she said before taking a sip of the beer and returning it to Collins. "We don't ask you about your sex life."

"No, you just offer it up freely," Roger said simply. Mimi elbowed him in the stomach, and Maureen stuck out her tongue.

It was after midnight by the time all the Bohemians emptied out of the Life. Maureen stumbled drunkenly down the street. Joanne grabbed her lover's shoulders and held her steady.

"See you all tomorrow," Joanne called over her shoulder before leaving with Maureen. Roger began to kiss Mimi again.

"Can't you guys at least wait until we get home?" Mark asked. The kiss broke off. "Thank you." Roger took Mimi's hand, and they began to walk down the street towards Avenue B.

When Mark, Roger and Mimi got to their building, Mimi stopped. Curled up on a step, fast asleep, was the same little girl from earlier.

"What's wrong?" Mark asked.

"That girl, she was here when we left for the Life earlier," Mimi replied.

"Come to think of it, she was here when I left for Collins' place this afternoon," Mark said. Mimi knelt down in front of the little girl's sleeping form and gently shook her shoulder.

"Sweetie, sweetie wake up."
"Mimi, what are you doing?" Roger hissed. Mimi shot him a dirty look. The girl's brown eyes opened.

"Zia?" she asked sleepily.

"No sweetie. Who's Zia?"

"My sister. She said that she had to go somewhere and would be back later."
"When was that?" Mark asked.

"This morning." Mimi shed her jacket and wrapped it around the girl's shoulders.

"It's the middle of January, why don't you come home with us?" Mimi stood up and picked the small girl up.

"Mimi," Roger warned. Mimi shot him another dirty look and went inside. Roger and Mark looked at each other and went inside too.

Meanwhile, Zia watched from the shadows across the street. Good, her plan had worked. Her little sister was now someone else's problem, not hers. She was free to do whatever she wanted now; she could now live her life as she wanted.

Mimi carried the small girl up to the loft and set her down on the duct tape covered couch. Mark and Roger pulled off their jackets and tossed them on a chair.

"What's your name?" Mark asked.

"Dani."

"Dani, when's the last time you had something to eat?" Mimi asked. Dani shrugged.

"I dunno."
"Are you hungry?" Dani nodded. Mimi leapt into action. "Roger, could you heat up some soup? Mark, I need you to get a fire going, it's freezing in here." Mark listened to Mimi. Roger, however, hung back near the door. "Roger!"
"Okay, okay; keep your pants on," Roger grumbled as he sulked off to the kitchen to follow Mimi's orders.

While Mark and Roger carried out Mimi's commands, Mimi sat next to Dani on the couch. Dani was still shivering pretty badly.

"Do you want a blanket?" Mimi asked. Dani nodded.

"Yes please." Mimi got to her feet.

"I'll be right back." She went into her and Roger's bedroom and grabbed a spare blanket out of the closet. When she went out to the other room, Mark was trying to talk to Dani.

"How old are you?" he asked. Mimi wrapped the blanket around Dani's shoulders and sat on the arm of the couch.

"Four and a half," Dani replied quietly.

"Wow, you're such a big girl." Mimi smiled; Mark was so good with kids.

"Do you have any kids?" chuckling, Mark shook his head.

"No, but I have two nephews and a niece out in Scarsdale." Roger handed Dani a bowl of soup. Mimi stood up.

"Come on, you can help me," she said. Without waiting for an answer, Mimi dragged Roger off to their room.

Once alone in the bedroom, Mimi began to dig around the closet. Roger leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Mimi, we need to talk about this," he said firmly. "This isn't right; we could be kidnapping a little girl." Mimi spun around.

"Or we could be saving a little girl's life. The streets are a scary place at night; they even scared the hell out of me. She's not even five years old, and her sister left her on her own on the streets of Alphabet City; obviously someone doesn't want her." Roger sighed. Mimi went back to the closet.

"I'll talk to Joanne about it tomorrow." Mimi produced a sleeping bag and pillow.

"I want Dani to stay with us."

"Like adopt her?" Mimi shrugged. She set up the sleeping bag on the floor. "You just met her! besides, you don't know if she needs to be adopted."

"I have a feeling in my gut. Besides, she's already warming up to Mark." Roger looked at Mark and Dani; they were talking and chatting happily.

"First we need to talk to Joanne," he said firmly. Mimi put her hand on his cheek and pecked him on the lips.

"Thanks baby!" she exclaimed happily before going back out to the front room with Dani and Mark.

Dani yawned. She leaned against the arm of the couch and closed her eyes. Mimi sat down and rubbed her back.

"Time for you to go to bed," she said as she gently pried the empty bowl of soup from Dani's small hands. Mimi stood up and picked up Dani's small form. "Goodnight you guys."

"Goodnight Meems," Mark said.

"Night," Roger said.

Mimi carefully put Dani on the bed and pulled out one of Roger's band t-shirts for her to wear. Once Dani was changed, Mimi helped her into the sleeping bag.

"Now, if you need anything, Roger and I will be right here, okay?" Dani nodded.

"Are you an angel?" she asked. Mimi stopped. "My Mommy said that they're the nicest people in the world who help anyone." Mimi kissed Dani's forehead.

"I'm just someone who's worried about you. Now, it's late, time for you to go to sleep." Mimi stood up. she got up, got changed and went to bed herself.