FicWad

Bob carried several grocery bags in and sat them down on the kitchen table. “Kara.” He yelled hoping she’d come and help him with the rest. “I’m home.”
In the doorway Kara and Gerard appeared. Bob was shocked. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“He was just leaving.” Kara snapped.
Gerard laughed, “Nice. I’ll make sure to visit you more often.”
Kara walked towards the door. “How many more bags are in the car?”
“Just a few.” He said as she disappeared from sight. He turned again to Gerard. “I mean it. What are you doing here? Your mom called me about an hour ago frantically looking for you.”
Gerard sighed, “I needed to talk to Kara. Tell her I’m sorry for what happened.”
Bob blinked, “You did?”
“Yeah, I did. Come on we better help her get the rest of the groceries.” Both men walked out to the driveway and gathered up the rest of the bags. Once they were placed on the kitchen table Kara told them to go ahead into the living room to talk and she’d put the stuff away.
Bob waited until they were seated to speak, “Gee, what’s going on?”
“I told you why I was here.”
Taking out a cigarette Bob lit it. “I got that. To tell Kara you were sorry about what happened, but why are you worrying everyone back in Jersey?”
A voice from the kitchen interrupted. “Funny, I don’t recall him apologizing to me.” They ignored it.
“I just need some time to get things straight in my head.” Gerard said lighting a cigarette. He laughed shaking his head, “Fuck, I’m always trying to get things straight in my head but this time it’s for keeps. I need to deal with all my feelings about Liv and put them to rest.” He looked down and added softly, “I need to do this for Monica. If she’ll take me back I want to give her every bit of my heart and soul. Keep nothing back.”
Bob heard the honestly in his voice. “What did Kara say?” He wondered.
Gerard looked up, “She told me to …get my ass back to Jersey and talk to her mom.” Gerard and Kara finished the sentence at the same time.
“So that’s what you’re gonna do?” Bob asked.
Gerard nodded, “Yeah, there’s still a few things I need to do first.”
“Like calling your mom?” Bob said teasing.
“Yeah.” Gerard laughed. “I’ll call my mom and tell her I’m okay. But hey, I don’t want anyone to know I was here.”
Kara walked in and took a seat next to Bob. “Why?” She had heard his last comment.
“I just want to try to get things right in my life before I see her.”
Kara just rolled her eyes. “If you wait much longer there won’t be any life to get straight.”

Gerard called his mom on the way back to the airport. He held his breath waiting for her to yell at him about worrying everyone.
“Son where are you?”
“Just taking some time to myself.” He answered tiredly, “Getting all my shit in order.”
“What about Monica? I thought you wanted to get home and talk to her.”
“I do but I need to deal with some things first.” Gerard chuckled to himself thinking about Kara’s reaction. At least she had given him a hug before slapping him in the back of the head and sending him on his way.
Donna sighed, “Honey, you have to know she’s waiting for you to talk to her. We’ve all been telling her to wait until you got home.”
“Wait?”
Donna struggled to make him understand. “She’s moving on with her life and she thinks it will be a life without you.”
Gerard knew this but it was still hard to hear. “I know that’s what she’s doing. I know she’s got a new place to live, her own car and a job.”
“She’s working for a doctor who’s taken a special interest in her.” Donna needed to make him understand that he shouldn’t wait too long.
“What?” Gerard was shocked.
“He’s the one who helped her with her car.”
“That’s understandable.” Gerard said. “Unless there’s more you’re not telling me.”
Donna sighed, “Look Son. Monica is very vulnerable right now. This doctor seems to be paying a lot of attention to her.”
“She’s seeing him?” Gerard felt his heart stop.
“She says that he’s just a friend but I saw them together having lunch. It looked like he is attracted to her.”
“Oh.” Gerard said softly. His mind tired to process this last bit of information.
“Just talk to her.” Donna whispered. “Make her understand how much you love her.”
“I’m gonna try, Ma.” He said as the cab pulled the rental car into the parking lot of the airport. “I’ll talk to you soon.” He disconnected before she could say anything more.

Monica peered into the bedroom and saw that Elle had fallen asleep clutching her stuffed bug; the bug Gerard had asked them to buy her. Quietly she snuck into the room and looked down at the sleeping child. She was so beautiful and innocent. Earlier when she’d asked about her mommy again Monica’s heart had ached. A few minutes later when she asked about “Dadgee.” Monica’s heart had been broken. Elle rolled over and murmured in her sleep. Monica wiped the tears from her eyes and walked back out of the room. She found Kelly in the living room talking to Luke on the phone. She decided to make herself a cup of tea and take it to her bedroom.
“Night Mom.” Kelly called out a few minutes later as she walked back through with her teacup.
“Night, Hun.” She answered.
Kelly waited until she head her mom close the bedroom door before she spoke to Luke. “Why the hell hasn’t he called her? I don’t understand.”
Luke didn’t understand either. He had assumed Gerard would call him as soon as he got back into town. That was what Gerard had told him he would do when he got back. Luke hadn’t told Kelly Gerard had asked him for his help and now he was glad he hadn’t. He didn’t want to get Sunshine’s hopes up any more. “I don’t know.” He answered softly.
“Donna called earlier and told Mom she’d talked to him.”
“So where is he?”
Kelly sighed, “According to Donna he didn’t say. I could tell Mom was pretty upset but she tried to hide it.”
“I just don’t know what to think, Sunshine.” Luke said sadly.
“And I thought he told you he wants to talk to me?” Kelly said unhappily.
“He did tell me that.” Luke confirmed.
“This is just all so stupid.” Kelly said with anger in her voice. “I just don’t understand what’s going on.”
“Me either.” Luke said. He heard his Dad call his name. “Hey, the old man is calling me. I gotta go. I’ll come over tomorrow and we’ll take Bug and Frank to the park, okay?”
“Yeah, okay.” She agreed. Luke hated the sorrow he could hear in her voice.
“Sunshine, I love you.”
“Love you too, Luke.” She whispered before hanging up.

Luke walked out into the living room and was surprised to see he had a visitor.
“Hey, Man.” Gerard said as Luke came further into the room.
“Gerard.” Luke tried not to appear happy to see him. He still had some reservations about Gerard that he wanted to address.
Luke’s dad nodded to them both and left the room. Luke turned to Gerard. “What’s up?”
“I need to talk to you.” Gerard said.
Luke nodded, “Yeah, I need to talk to you too.” He motioned for Gerard to take a seat.

Kelly knocked on Monica’s door and waited until her mom answered before going in. “Mom, I’m gonna go to bed now.”
Monica nodded, “You okay? You’ve been kinda quiet tonight.
“Are you okay?” Kelly asked taking a seat at the foot of the bed.
Monica tried to smile, “I’m glad he called Donna.” She knew they were both thinking about the same thing.
“Why hasn’t he called you?” Kelly asked softly.
“Kelly, I know you’ve wanted to believe that he would come back and that everything would be okay but that’s not going to happen.”
Kelly grew upset at her words, “It still could.”
Monica sighed, “Gerard broke off our engagement.” She started to say more but Kelly cut her off.
“Yeah because he was messed up about Liv.”
Once again Monica realized Kelly knew more than anyone else about what had really happened. “Kelly, please don’t talk about that.”
“I won’t ever say what I know but Mom, even knowing that I don’t understand why he broke up with you.”
Monica decided she needed to tell her the truth. “He overheard Liv tell me. I didn’t know. I was never going to tell him. I knew how badly it would hurt him.”
Kelly nodded, “Yeah, but what about Mikey? What did Gerard say to him?”
“Mikey doesn’t know.” Monica said softly. “Gerard said he’d never tell him.”
Kelly nodded. “He shouldn’t. We are Gerard’s family. All of us.”
It hurt Monica to see how all of this was affecting Kelly. “Honey, not anymore.”
She said softly.
Kelly stood, “No, you’re wrong. You’ll see.” She quickly left the room.
Monica leaned back and closed her eyes. She prayed for sleep but it wouldn’t come.


AUTHORS NOTE: Thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing. You'll never know how much it means to me. New chapter on Monday. Take care. Love you all - SanDee XOXO