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"So he just up and left?"

"Yep."

"Are you going after him?"

"No."

"So you're going to let him leave?"

"No."

"O...K..." Mikey was greatly confused with his brother.

"If I go after him, I'll probably kill him." Gerard said, pulling one of Frank's hoodies and sliding his keys into its pocket.

"What are we doing then?"

"You're going to try and find Frankie," Gerard held the phone between his ear and shoulder as he put on his shoes, "And I'm going to get Ray. He's been in hiding for too long."

"Wait," Mikey's voice grew louder, "You know where Ray is?!" He was practically yelling.

"Duh; It's not that hard to figure out." Gerard told him, taking the phone back into his hand. "He only goes one place when he's really uspset."

"I've been fucking freaking out about him and you've known where he's been the whole time?!" Mikey was furious and Gerard laughed. "You asshole!"

"Calm down Mikey." Gerard opened the door to head to his car, locking it behind him. "I'll go get him and bring him here. You go find Frank." He walked to the car, slid the key in, and opened the door. "He didn't take his medication with him so please try to hurry." Gerard got into the car, slamming the door shut and putting the key in the ignition.

"Ger-" Gerard hung up on Mikey and let his car warm up for a moment before heading out to get Ray. He had made everyone worry long enough. It's been almost a week. Gerard's phone started to go off again but it was only Mikey so Gerard just ignored it, pulling out of the driveway and onto the road. He was only concerned with finding Ray. They needed to make things right because Ray was Gerard's best friend and he didn't want to lose him too.

The sun began to rise as Gerard headed to the place he assumed Ray was at. There was only a slight chance he wasn't there but Gerard figured he would be. He turned the radio on as he drove so he could focus on that rather than think. If he started to think, he would think about Frank; which was the last thing he wanted to do at the moment since he was still pretty upset, and more importantly Gerard was really worried about Frank. He didn't take anything with him just like he told Gerard in the note so if he got in trouble or hurt, he was on his own which worried Gerard greatly.

Traffic began to pick up as people headed off to work. Gerard just slid his sunglasses on and took his place among the long lines of cars, slowly moving along the road until he reached his exit. Gerard wanted to take his time for fear of what might happen when he finds Ray, but he wanted to hurry to not only make sure Ray was alright but also so he has someone to talk to him about Frank to help him feel better.

By the time Gerard reached his destination, the sun was about two thirds of the way in the sky. It was a small camp ground/park area with a few cars there already. No one really ever camped anymore but everyone enjoyed the park. Gerard parked the car then got out, throwing his keys into his pocket again as he headed into the wooded area to the park. He wandered down the main path, hearing the laughter and screams of small children playing as he got closer to the main ground. Stopping and looking around, Gerard found where he was going and headed away from the main site.

A tree with two large branches sprouting from the thick base was the marking point for the invisible path created by a small 'x' on trees which Gerard and Ray created when they were younger. Gerard veered off the path to start walking through the underbrush, heading deeper and deeper into the wooded area. Noise began to die as he walked, the trees muffling everything around them. Following the marked trees, Gerard pushed through some bushes and ended up exactly where he wanted to be.

Before him was a large, cleared area almost like a 'Garden of Eden' in a sense. There were no trees in it other than a large willow tree next to a small stream. There was no underbrush but rather the ground was covered with a soft grass and occasional patches of 'flowers' which were really just pretty weeds. The entire area was surrounded by the rest of the woods, the trees looming over the clearance to create a somewhat roof. It was where Gerard and Ray would go to escape reality and clear their heads. They found it when their overactive imaginations caused them to wander away from their parents and into the woods. No one else knows about the place, and that's exactly how they like it.

Gerard looked around, taking a deep breath of the peaceful serenity before heading into the clearance. Just like he expected, Ray sat at the base of the willow tree, playing a peaceful melody on an acoustic guitar which carried through the air, swirling around Gerard as he walked. Trying not to disturb him, Gerard quietly sat down in the soft grass next to Ray who didn't take his eyes off the guitar. "I was beginning to think you forgot about this place." Ray mumbled very quietly to Gerard.

"How could I forget this place? It's what kept us somewhat sane for most of our lives." Gerard leaned his head against the trunk.

"It's a good place to think." The music Ray played was making Gerard really relaxed and he began to think he was in a dream. "What do you want?"

"To apologize." Gerard opened his eyes again and looked to Ray. "I shouldn't have talked to you the way I did." Ray set the guitar on the grass next to him then sighed.

"You were right though." He mumbled. "I do need to move on."

"I still shouldn't have talked to you that way." Gerard leaned his head on Ray's shoulder. "You're my best friend." Ray laughed a little, his head falling on top of Gerard's, avoiding the sunglasses which now rested on his head of course. "Mikey wants to kill you by the way."

"I assumed my abruptly leaving like that would piss him off." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as he stared at the clump of trees across from them. "Just needed some time to clear my head."

"I know." Gerard remained calm. "That's why I wasn't freaking out like everyone else even though I was worried about you." He looked to Ray again. "Not calling or letting anyone know what happened for a week was really bad Ray. Mikey was close to having private detectives and shit look for you."

"I know. I just didn't feel like talking to anyone. You were mad, I didn't feel right talking to Bob, Mikey is too optimistic, and Frank, well you know. Plus I didn't really want to go to a therapist." Gerard could tell Ray was still pretty upset and he didn't want to tell him about Frank but he knew it would only make matters worse if he didn't know.

"At least we found you." He would take it slowly. "One down, one to go."

"What?" Ray took his head off Gerard to look at him. Gerard pulled the crumpled note from the hoodie then handed it to Ray who, with a confused look, uncrumpled the paper and read it. His face went from confused to almost horrified, while Gerard stared at the cloudless sky, hands in his hoodie. "Holy fuck." Ray said quietly and Gerard nodded. "When did this happen?"

"Found it this morning." Gerard told him watching birds fly around the tree, playing with each other. "I assume he left last night when I fell asleep." He pulled Frank's ring from his pocket and held it in his hand with an open palm, staring at it. "He laid down after we got home yesterday then had a horrific nightmare which caused him to scream." Ray's hands fell to the ground , still holding the note. "Last I saw of him."

"What the fuck happened to us all?" Ray sighed, looking at the sky himself.

"Damned if I know." Gerard said, examining the small gold band on his palm, replaying Christmas night in his head. It was the best night of his life. "It all just...fell apart."

"We need to rebuild it." Ray gave the note back to Gerard. "But not right now. Now, we relax." He smiled and Gerard put everything in his hoodie, laughing slightly. "I assume you made Mikey go after Frank, afraid you would flip out when you found him if you did it yourself."

"You know me too well Toro." Gerard said with a smile.

"Best friends do." Gerard nodded, laying down so his feet touched the trunk of the tree and his face pointed towards the sky. They were silent for a bit before Ray spoke again. "I remember when we found this place."

"So many memories under this tree."

"Your first kiss." Ray laid down next to Gerard.

"I'd hardly call your drunk ass kissing me a first kiss." Ray hit Gerard lightly.

"You didn't pull away." He said with amusement. "Even if I had dangerous amounts of alcohol in my system and was unable to think about anything, I remember you being all over me."

"I'm a whore." Gerard said, laughing a little. "I can't help myself."

"Yes, I'm sure it's a lucrative life."

"Plus, you tasted like beer." Gerard sat up, still smiling. "That's what I was after."

"Alright;" Ray sat up as well. "How do you explain the blow job?" He smiled somewhat evilly, putting his arms behind him to hold his body up.

"Boredom." Gerard got smacked by Ray, causing him to fall back to the ground as they both laughed. It was good to have Ray back to joke with; he made Gerard feel a lot better. "How about you? Care to explain that?"

"I was doing you a favor." Ray smirked then got up and began to wander towards the small stream. Gerard stood up, following Ray and grabbing a fallen willow branch, hiding it behind his back as he got closer.

"Well," he got up close to Ray, "let me return the favor." Gerard snapped the branch on Ray's leg, Ray falling to the ground, half laughing and half yelling. The branches of willow trees hurt extremely bad because they made excellent whips.

"Gerard!" Ray yelled, gripping his leg in pain, still laughing. "That fucking hurt!"

"How bad?" Gerard stood over Ray, smiling.

"You tell me." Ray reached his arm to the side, grabbing a branch off the ground, then whipped it at Gerard; hitting him right in the groin.

"Fuck!" Gerard screamed and birds flew frantically from the tree. He fell to his knees, gripping himself in pain, Ray laughing hysterically. "I think you just fucking castrated me!" Gerard fell completely to the ground, groaning in pain. "Christ Toro!"

"I'm not the son of God." Ray sat up, rubbing his leg and still laughing. "Stop whining."

"I don't think I'll ever be able to piss again!" Gerard pushed his face into the grass, still gripping himself and groaning. "Uggghhh...."

"Diva." Ray told him, finally coming down from his laughing high. By this point the sun was his high in the sky so Gerard figured it had to be at least noon. Gerard laid on the ground, bitching, for at least ten minutes. Ray in the mean time got up and went to the tree to collect his stuff, limping slightly, then returned to Gerard. "Come on." Ray pushed Gerard a few times with the foot of his hurting leg until Gerard finally got off the ground. "Should I call your brother to tell him I'm still alive?"

"Yeah." Gerard pulled his cellphone out and gave it to Ray, taking Ray's bag and hauling it over his shoulder so Ray could use the phone. "Tell him he has a sister now." Gerard continued to whine, walking slowly and awkwardly while Ray dialed the number, still laughing.

"Hey Mikey." Ray said when Mikey answered. "Yeah, it's really me." The two got back onto the main path again, making their way to the road. "Yes, I'm fine."

"I'm not!" Gerard called into the phone, parents pulling their children back since Gerard was still gripping himself. He just laughed to himself and ignored them.

"No, he's fine." Ray smacked Gerard's shoulder only to receive more bitching. "He's just being...Gerard." Ray smiled and Gerard could hear laughter coming from Mikey's end. "I'm sorry about the past week...Just time to clear my head...yeah he told me...still nothing huh?" Gerard reached his car and leaned against it. "We're heading home now...ok...ok...yep, will do. Bye Mikey." Ray shut Gerard's phone and crammed it into Gerard's pocket. "Mikey says to stop being a diva." He smiled at Gerard.

"Where's your car?" Gerard ignored Ray.

"Down the road more." He told him, shifting his stuff and taking the bag back from Gerard. "I'll meet you at your house." Ray headed down the road.

"If I can sit long enough to drive myself there!" Gerard called after him.

"Diva!" Ray yelled without looking back. Gerard laughed then got into his car, shifting himself into a comfortable position then starting the engine and pulling onto the road to head home. The trip back seemed to be nothing. When he reached his house, he parked his car then went inside, falling onto a couch and groaning some more.

About ten minutes later Ray came in, punched Gerard in the groin just to make him writhe in pain while Ray fell onto a chair, laughing some more. "At least it's still there."


"How do you know?" Gerard whined, rolling a little on the couch.

"You won't stop whining." Gerard fell on to the floor and laid on his back, staring at the ceiling. "So, have you come up with anything new?" Gerard pulled himself back onto the couch and finally shut up. It still hurt but it was down to a mild sting.

"No, not really." He brushed his hand over the scar on his chest as he pulled the hoodie off. "I've been a bit busy." Gently, he laid the hoodie next to him since it was Frank's and he missed him terribly, though it had only been half a day or so. "What do I do or say if they find him?" Gerard's voice began quiet and pain filled.

"They will find him." Ray got off the chair and walked to the couch, sitting next to Gerard who's head fell to Ray's shoulder again. "You just need to keep calm and continuously tell him he didn't ruin his life as well as how much you love him." Ray put his arm around Gerard's neck and ran his hand through Gerard's hair, half petting him as he spoke. "Frankie is like a small child." Gerard laughed in agreement. "He needs to constantly be reminded and reassured that people care for him or this happens."

"I tell him all the time that I love him." Gerard mumbled.

"You have to do stuff to remind him as well." Ray was calm and gentle as always. "You know, like Christmas; only it doesn't have to be so grand." He continued to pet Gerard who's mind floated back to Christmas again. Frank did seem happier than Gerard had ever seen him that night. "Maybe he should see a therapist or something too."

"'Oh Frankie, I think you're psychotic; go see a shrink'." Gerard said sarcastically. "That should go over well."

"We not if you put it like that." Ray smacked the side of Gerard's head. "But I think something's not chemically balanced or something with him since he keeps hurting and blaming himself every time something goes wrong. A therapist might be able to help him find other ways to deal with those problems."

"Maybe." Ray went back to petting Gerard as they sat in silence. Their quiet sitting was broken by the ring of Gerard's cellphone. Sitting up, Gerard dug around in his pocket until he found it, flipping it open to talk to Mikey. "Hey."

"We found him." Mikey said and Gerard became excited.

"Bring him here."

"No." Mikey sounded really upset. "We're taking him to the hospital." All of Gerard's happiness quickly died. "It's not good."