FicWad

“He's in the what?” I say panic stricken and Mikey nods. I stupidly get up and quickly circle the table towards Mikey. I had to see what he was looking at… But it was pointless cause by the time I had gotten over to him Gerard simply reached across the table and grabbed the paper away from Mikey.

Gerard snatched it up off the table and leant back in his chair and was reading it over kinda expressionlessly as I looked over at him from the opposite side of the table.

“Well what does it say?” I ask him urgently and he shrugs.

“Nothing baby.” He replies sighing a bit as he folds it in half.

“What?” I gasp and he shrugs again.

“Its nothing.” He repeats. Bullshit!

“Let me see.” I tell him and I hold out my hand for the paper he just looked at me but didn’t move. “Gerard, let me see.” I say adamantly.

“There's nothing to see, Mikey was wrong.” He says looking past me a little… He was lying. I don’t fucking believe this!

“No I'm not wrong, I know how to read-” Mikey starts to say and Gerard shoots him a nasty look.

“Yes you were.” Gerard tells him through gritted teeth. Mikey just looked at him understandingly.

“What did it say Mikey?” I say turning to him.

“What?…I…” Mikey stalls a little. “… I guess I was wrong Elle.” Mikey says weakly as Gerard glared at him. He wasn’t quite sure why Gerard didn’t want him to say anything but it was obvious he was afraid of what Gerard would do to him if he did… Maybe if he knew what I was gonna do to him if he didn’t he’d be more willing to talk.

“Mikey! I swear to God if you don’t start talking!” I start to scream at him. I figured I had a better shot at getting Mikey to talk then trying to wrestle the paper away from Gerard…

“What the fuck is going on in here?” Bobs voice rings out and I look up and he's in the doorway.

“There's something in the paper Gerard wont show me.” I tell Bob and he shifted his eyes a little.

“Its just about the robbery Elle.” Bob tells me and I shake my head no.

“I already saw that Bob.” I whine. “It’s about Chris Hunter!” I cry out and Bob raises his eyebrows up.

“What, that dude from your bank statement.” He says and I nod as he reaches for the paper on the table in front of Gerard. Gerard pulls it back.

“From your what?” Mikey says looking at me and then at Gerard. Fuck… Mikey didn’t know what we were talking about… I mean Gerard and I only told Bob. And I think maybe Gerard told Ray but I'm not sure.

“You shut the fuck up Mikey.” Gerard yells over at him.

“Gimme the paper.” Bob tells Gerard and Gerard just smirks and doesn’t hand it to him.

“I can’t believe you're doing this to me Gerard!” I say sniffling a little.

“Doing what?” He says getting up and taking a step back from the table… Back from Bob… Back from me…

“This! You fucking promised me…” I cry out wiping my eyes. Bob looked over at me and then Gerard and frowned. But the look he gave me was more like I'm sorry you're hurting frown. The look he gave Gerard was more- I don’t know I lost my train of thought as Gerard stood up.

“That’s right I fucking promised you!” Gerard yells over at me waving his finger a little. “I fucking promised that nothing will ever happen to you again baby and it wont.” He says and I roll my eyes at him as he steps towards me. “Come here Elle.” He says lowering his voice down as he pulls me into the laundry room with him, away from Bob and Mikey.

“You can’t keep protecting me Gerard.” I tell him as he leant back against the washer. He was still clutching the paper tightly.

“Why?” He replies softly as he pulls me into his arms and I sigh a little looking up into his eyes. They were filled with such love. That’s why he does crap like this… I know he doesn’t mean to hurt me but he does. Just I like never mean to hurt him but I always seem too…

“Because Gerard.” I say and I try to take the paper from him and he resists. “Don’t even say it!” I tell him threateningly.

“What?” He chuckles.

“Don’t you trust me baby” I say mimicking his tone and he smiles.

“Oh so you don’t.” He teases me.

“Oh course I do Gerard.” I tell him and he smiles. “But you need to trust me too.” I say and he makes a face. “You need to trust that I can handle myself when you're not around.” I tell him and he just looked at me. “I'm stronger then you think.” I tell him and he laughs.

“You think that I think that you're not strong?” He says shaking his head a little and I nod. “Aw fuck Elle.” He tells me pulling me closer against his chest. “You're the strongest person I know, all the shit that you’ve been through… I….” He says and I shut my eyes a little leaning against him. “I just don’t see the point in making it worse.” He says stroking my hair gently.

“Worse?” I say panicking a little… I mean how much worse can things get? And he sighs.

“Not ‘worse’” He says trying to soothe me. “Its just don’t like to see you get upset baby, especially not over stupid shit like this that’s all.” He tells me and I pull back from him.

“But don’t you get it?” I tell him and he just looks at me. “You make me more upset by NOT telling me.” I say and he frowns. “I mean fuck Gerard what does it say.” I ask him and he just looked at me and doesn’t answer. “I mean you know, you don’t tell me and I’m left to imagine things that are probably ten times worse then any thing it could say.” I tell him and he still doesn’t reply which is making me more upset… Does his silence mean I'm right? That it is just so horrible! That it’s even worse then anything I could imagine… I was getting upset just thinking about it.

“Elle.” He sighs as I unsuccessfully try to pull the paper again from him.

“And the fact that you wont show Bob either Gerard.” I tell him softly and he snickers.

“Bob!” He cries out.

“Yeah Bob.” I repeat.

“Bobs just as bad as you.” He tells me and I make a face.

“What's that suppose to mean?” I demand.

“He's just as emotional as you are!” Gerard laughs. “I swear the two of yous.” He says and I frown.

“What?” I say pouting my lip out and he smiles at me.

“He's just as bad as you Elle.” Gerard tells me. “He flips out at the drop of a hat you know.” He says and I shrug.

“So?” I reply defiantly.

“So, he gets you all worked up.” Gerard tells me frowning.

“He does not.” I argue.

“Last night Elle.” Gerard says and I just stare at him. I knew what he was getting at but I didn't want to admit it. “He almost fucking threw Frankie through the wall Elle.” He says and I look down at the floor.

“That was my fault.” I say softly and Gerard lifts my face back up to his.

“No it wasn’t Elle.” He says and I shrug. “It wasn’t your fault… Its not your fault that Bob can't control himself-“ Gerard tries to tell me but I won’t listen.

“No, I shouldn’t have gotten so upset about what Frankie said.” I mumble looking down at the floor and I can hear Gerard sigh.

“Naw baby.” He says rubbing my shoulders, trying to comfort me.

“I just didn’t know what to say.” I sniffle. “I mean if Bob didn’t- I don’t know what I was gonna.” I start to freak out a little.

“It’s all right Elle.” Gerard tells me and I shut my eyes a little and shake my head no… It’s not all right. It cause I act like that, that’s why he feels the need to protect me...

“I just…” I pause looking for the right words.

“Don’t worry about Frankie okay, he's not gonna bring it up again.” He tells me.

“You didn’t say anything.” I blurt out and Gerard froze up and looked at me.

“What?” He said and there was a hurt in his eyes for a second that mirrored my own.

“When he said that you didn’t-“ I sniffle.

“Of course I didn’t say anything.” He says and I bit my lip a little. “And I wasn’t gonna say anything either.” He tells me and my heartaches in pain. “Not in front of you, not like that.” He adds as he wipes the tears in my eyes. “I was gonna talk to Frankie later Elle. When you weren’t around.” He says and I frown.

“About what?” I ask and he looks at me like he can’t believe I just said that.

“About what he said.” Gerard tells me.

“No I mean why when I'm not around?” I ask.

“Why?” He repeats back. “Cause look how upset you got with what Bob did.” He says and I just looked at him not sure of what to say. “That wasn’t right Elle, what he did.” Gerard tells me. “I was gonna talk to Frankie about it, I just don’t see the need to make you more upset like that Elle.”

“What?” I say a little confused.

“He fucking flips out like that right in front of you.” Gerard says talking about Bob.

“Its not on purpose.” I defend Bob a little.

“I know it’s not Elle.” Gerard says. “But if he fucking thinks for a minute instead of just reacting.” Gerard says and I sigh. Thinking before you react? That was like a foreign concept to me… I always did things on impulse. “He fucking flips out and upsets you more thinking it’s your fault he's upset.” He says and I shake my head no. “And I fucking told him to-“ Gerard starts to say and I cut him off.

“You told him?” I interrupt.

“Yeah I fucking told him to cut it out.” Gerard repeats like its no big deal.

“When?” I ask.

“Last night.” He says and I bit my lip a little thinking… Fuck… Gerard told Bob to stop making me so upset… Bob told Gerard to stay away from Jessica… Fuck I wonder what else was said...

“Wait Gerard-“ I try to say and he shushes me.

“Elle just please okay.” He says as I try to take the paper again.

“You have to let me see.” I tell him harshly and he lets it go. I scan over the paper quickly in my hands and nothing jumps out at me… No big screaming headline with the guys name it…although that didn’t really surprise me… If it was that obvious I would’ve noticed it when Paul handed me the paper.

“Where is it Gerard?” I say and he doesn’t answer me. “Fuck.” I mumble stepping back into the kitchen.

“How’d you-“ Mikey looks surprised to see me holding the paper. Bob doesn’t.

“What the fuck Mikey?” I kinda yell at him and he just looked at me.

“Huh?” He replies as I shove the paper towards him.

“Where does it say- show me.” I demand.

Mikey adjusts his glasses and looks over at Gerard. Gerard kinda shrugs.

“Fucking give it to me.” Bob grumbles and snatches the paper from me.

“I can’t find it.” I tell him and he frowns a little reading something but I'm not sure what.

“Guys why didn’t you tell me, I could’ve helped.” Mikey says and I look over at him a little confused.

“What?” I say as Gerard shook his head no.

“Dude I could’ve helped.” Mikey insists and Gerard sighed a little and I make a face. I should’ve fucking figured detective Mikey would’ve wanted to help. I look over at Bob reading the paper. “I mean if you give me the other names maybe I can look them up or something.” Mikey says and I frown.

“Look them up in what?” I ask and Mikey raises his eyebrows up at me like he can’t believe I just said that. “What?” I ask as he snickers at me. “Is there some kind of fucking criminal encyclopedia I don’t know about?” I ask and Gerard frowns as I get my bank statements down from the cabinet.

“What are you doing Elle?” Gerard asks me as I hand Mikey the papers. “Elle don’t.” He tells me but it was too late. I had already handed them off to Mikey.

“What Gerard?” I snap at him. “If Mikey says he can help I want to see.” I tell him and he frowns.

“Well, what does it say Bob?” I ask him as he folds the paper up and he doesn’t answer me either. What the fuck! “What does it say Bob?” I repeat and he just looked over at Gerard and then at me. “Just fucking give it to me.” I demand and he does. I look it over and still don’t see anything. “Show me Bob.” I tell him and he hesitates but then points to an article in one of the bylines.

Missing Woman’s Body Found in Hudson River. I read where’s he pointing and he nods. I make a face… “Bob, that can’t be the right article.” I tell him and he nods reluctantly.

“Keep reading.” He tells me and I read softly out loud…

The body of a Manhattan jeweler was found floating in the Hudson River yesterday, more than three weeks after the jeweler disappeared while carrying diamonds estimated to be worth $500,000. According to officials the body of Samantha Chambers-Hunter (32) was discovered in the river near Battery Park late last night. Police are seeking to question the victim’s brother Christopher Hunter age 38. Police officials stress he is not a suspect, merely a ‘person of interest’. Christopher Hunter was recently released earlier this year from the Sing Sing maximum security correctional Facility in upstate New York, for good behavior. However parole officials have been unable to locate him. Hunter had served 18 years out of a 20-year sentence for the murder of officer Edward Emerson during a bank robbery…

I couldn’t read any more… Bob reaches over and takes the paper back from me as I just stood there in shock.

“Read the last line Elle.” He tells me but I couldn’t… my eyes had welled up with tears...Gerard reached over and pulled me into his arms. He didn’t say anything… There was nothing to say…

“What?” I mumble pressing my face into Gerard's chest.

“This part here Elle-“ Bob says pointing at it. “About being unable to reach his attorney for comment.” Bob tells me and I shrug.

“Who gives a fuck Bob.” I sniffle as Gerard squeezes me against him.

“His attorney… J. Reefer and associates in the city.” Bob says and I can feel myself going faint in Gerard's arms… “Isn’t that your attorney too Elle?…”