This was more than alright!!! I loved it, but I am quite sad that it's over. I would really like to read that epilogue. It would be really interesting. Anyway, this was such a good chapter. All is revealed and Gerard finally realizes what Frank meant when he said Mikey needed his brother back, and it's a happy ending. Sorta. I really liked the beating scene. Mikey was afraid of telling him for a reason. What Gerard said alone was just terrible, I can't even imagine the beatings. Well, I know you described it, but you didn't go too far into it. Maybe it was written that way to give you a clue of what it was like, but not to reveal exactly what happened because it was so bad you couldn't imagine it. When Mikey stutters Gerard would be like, "can't you just get it out already?" but then he hears that he used to beat him and he's frozen in place. Sure, I know he was stupid to say all that mean stuff to him, but sorry just doesn't make up for it. I think an epilogue would be nice to show what their realafionship is like after this whole traumatic experience and how Gerard acts now that this information has been revealed to him. I also like that in the beginning of the chapter, Gerard had time to think that he should be the one Mikey is comforting Mikey, not Frank. He still has time to think those silly little things while awaiting the news Mikey is going to tell him. Then he hears he news and nothing like that eve matters. I'm glad to see that Gerard kept his promise to Frank. Gerard's character was so interesting in this story. You could tell that he was caring, wanted nothing more than the two people he loved to be happy, but he was always the first one yelling abuse at them. He was always sorry after, but so soon after that he realized the only way to take back what he said was sorry, and that wasn't enough. It took him a long time to realize that Mikey needed him, as a brother and as a friend, not as a parent. It only took him 32 other chapters to figure this out, yet Mikey forgave him. Mikey was so loyal and loving and insecure and naive in this story. He wanted to make every body happy and didn't take the time out to worry about himself. He was that totally precious character that shouldn't get hurt at all, but always does. Frank was that image of perfection, always able to work out any problem, big or small, yet he made a mistake of his own and couldn't fix it, or chose not to fix it, and that put somebody else's life in danger. It whose that Frank isn't as perfect as he seems. All in all, this was a beautiful, sad, wonderful, fabulous story. It was so worth the read, and I'm glad I found it. This story is the number one best story that I have ever read in my whole fanfiction career on any site. Before I found your stories on here, Ficwad sucked, but now I am on here almost daily. I hope you know how much I mean it when I say I live this story and I love your writing. This was so lovely and magnificent. Thank you.
Author's response
Thank you very much; I'm really pleased that you like it! I'm kinda sad to be saying goodbye to this story, it's the longest thing I've ever written and I tried really hard on it so it kinda feels like saying goodbye to an old friend. If that makes any sort of sense.
I think that I will do an epilogue chapter, I've got a few ideas and will probably post it later today/tonight. I want something really nice to happen to Mikey after all of the crap I've put him through in this story, so it will probably be a happy epilogue. I think that it will either be festive or about him starting at a new school. I'm not sure yet, but I think that I might sneak Pete Wentz into it...
I wasn't too sure about the whole beating flashback thing; I wanted to paint a picture of what it was like without it getting graphic because I don't think that would have been the right thing to do in this case.
I wanted to portray Gerard as caring, but kind of blind as to what's in front of him and to how he impacts things. Thirty-two chapters is a long time to be working out one thing, I hope it wasn't dragge out, but Mikey forgave him because it means that he's finally gotten his big brother back and that's all that really matters to him right now.
Thank you SO much for being so nice about what I write; I'm extremely pleased that you seem to have enjoyed reading this almost as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you so very, very much for taking the time to leave such a kind and detailed reiew; it means a lot to me! :D