FicWad

So people, this is it. The final chapter.
I want to just take a second to thank you all so much for your support through all of this. All of you who rated, reviewed or even just read this mean the entire world to me and I can’t thank you enough. I already have plans for another story which I’ve titled in my head as ‘Nuts and bolts’, so I’m gonna start writing that soon as and I really hope you guys check it out once it’s up :D
But right now, it’s my birthday and my party is about to get started, and as I’m now eighteen I can go legally drink! ;D But it’s sort of lost on me cos’ I’m straight edge... so I’m just gonna go watch everyone else get wasted and gorge myself on cake :D I send you guys mental cake ^_^
So now, is this baby gonna end the way you hoped? Why don’t you go find out ;)
Love and hugs and sex to all! xoxoxox

Frank Sr.’s funeral was a small, quiet event. The man had had no friends, no family who cared for him, no children other than Frank. The only people who attended were there for the free food Frank guessed, and of course even if people disliked Frank Sr. Frank was loved by most of the town, so many came simply to provide him support. Support that the young man neither wanted nor appreciated.

Frank said nothing through the service, keeping his head down and his eyes on his shoes as the priest talked monotonously over his old man’s coffin. His heart had hurt with each strained thud, his fists had stayed remained clenched at his sides. He refused to cry, his eyes showing not a single tear as the service ended and he followed everyone out to bury his father six feet in the ground. He didn’t utter a single whimper as he threw a rose down onto the coffin and crossed himself, his voice didn’t tremble when he whispered a tiny “goodbye dad.” Behind him people whispered about detachment and denial. In Frank’s head he imagined them all getting struck by lightning.

It had been three days since Bob had killed the final thing Frank felt was worth living for. Three agonising, hazy days since Bob had murdered the man who had saved his life.

Frank had forced himself not to think too much about anything that had happened or was happening around him as the days had passed, telling himself to just wait for his father’s funeral. It was important he made peace with and said goodbye to his old man, and as the first shovelful of dirt hit the black oak coffin he felt some of pain inside his chest lift. The pain he harboured for his father had gone and he knew that part of his heart was dead now. Ready to rot and fester like his father’s corpse in the ground. The part of his heart still prepared to keep beating was dedicated entirely to Gerard, and Frank knew it was only a matter of time before that died too.

Frank sighed and rolled the glass of vodka around in his hands, Bob walking over to him with a look of concern. The wake was being held in the Horseman’s Lodge and a table of food had just been declared open. Everyone present had gone to help themselves to the buffet but for Frank the thought of eating any of those stale sandwiches or so much as looking at the cold quiche made him want to hurl. In fact, the only thing he had eaten since watching Gerard bleed to his death was a bowl of cereal Bob had practically forced down his neck. He knew the blonde was concerned about him but Frank really didn’t give a shit, though he did feel bad for making Christine worry.

“Hey...” Bob bit his lip as he slowly sat down on the barstool besides Frank, looking at the shorter man with hopeful eyes but it came as no surprise when Frank acted as if he couldn’t even hear him. “You okay?”

Frank was silent as he lifted the glass of vodka and knocked it back in one. The alcohol burnt his throat and his heart beat a little faster for it, the pain so substantial, so solid compared to the torturing ache that was permanently settled in his chest and in his stomach, it reminded him he was alive. For the first time ever he could actually understand why Bob ever slit his wrists. The pain inside could be forgotten about for just a few seconds when physical pain over rode it. But Frank knew he could slash at his wrists all night long and it still wouldn’t stop his grief from coming back to cripple him.

“Frankie... please talk to me.” Bob begged softly, tears in his blue eyes. He had known all along that Frank would be angry at him for what he did, but he still believed whole heartedly that he had only done what he had to do. If he had let Gerard live then Frank never would have escaped his clutches and Bob wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he knew he had just stood by and let it happen. At least now Frank could get on with his life and meet a nice guy to fall in love with. He just... he just had to get over his grief first. Not that knowing that made it any easier for Bob as Frank ignored him completely. He hadn’t said a single word to anyone for the past three days.

“Frankie... please Frank... Just talk to me. I don’t care what you say. I don’t care if you wanna have a go at much just please say something.” Bob begged, touching his hand to Franks and biting his lip when Frank didn’t flinch away like usual. He sighed and turned his face to look at Bob, meeting his pained blue eyes and sighing softly.

“I’m gonna go out for a walk. I’ll be back soon.” He said softly, Bob staring at him in shock. Not only was he not expecting Frank to say anything at all, he certainly hadn’t been expecting him to say that.

“W – What? No, Frankie you... you have to stay here. It’s your dad’s wake, it’s –”

“I just need some air. Time to think. I won’t go far.” Frank interrupted, his voice soft and delicate. Emotionless. Bob got to his feet as Frank did, wanting to stop him but then Frank did something that made all coherent thought disappear. He lent forward and hugged Bob.

Bob’s lips parted in shock and his arms wrapped around Frank automatically, tears building as Frank hugged him tight and tenderly kissed his cheek. It felt like he was trying to comfort him even though it should be the other way around and Bob mewled softly. “Frankie?”

“I love you Bob.” Frank sighed, wanting to force a smile but his lips refused to work and so he simply looked at the man who had been his friend for his whole life. Bob felt tears slowly drip down his cheeks from Frank’s words and his voice came out broken and strained as he whispered a soft ‘I love you too Frank’ back.

“Go make sure you’re mums okay for me? I know this hard on her.” Frank sighed as he gently smoothed out the lapels of Bob’s suit jacket, the blonde nodding slowly and he bit his lip, grabbing at Frank’s hand when the shorter man turned to leave.

“Frankie I – ” Bob paused, taking a deep breath to stop his tears as best he could. “See you soon yeah?” He asked quietly, Frank nodding and gently squeezing his hand.

“Course.” He whispered back, even offering the tiniest of smiles before he turned and left the lodge.

>X<

Frank felt safer when he was in the forest.

The pain he was feeling numbed slightly once he was in the darkness of the trees, the cool breeze lifting his hair and soothing him somewhat. He loosened his tie as he walked and popped the top two buttons of his crisp white shirt. He hated wearing suits but he had been strictly told that formal dress was all that was acceptable when attending a funeral. Especially the funeral of someone you are so closely related to. Inside though Frank knew his father wouldn’t have given a damn what people wore just so long as someone actually turned up.

Frank sighed and walked the familiar trail with his eyes lifted up to look at the canopy above him. He could walk this path with his eyes shut if he needed to, his feet knew where to go even if his head kept telling him to turn back. But Frank wouldn’t turn back, not even if what he saw killed him.

As Frank walked he looked about for signs of scalding or ash on the trees, but it was as if nothing had touched them. That seemed strange... the manor may have been in the clearing but he had expected the fire to burn down all the trees surrounding it too. Surely it would have spread and wiped out the entire forest? How could it not? Frank bit his lip and felt his heart thud a little, his emotionless exterior beginning to crack as a painful burning appeared in his heart. He tried to force it down, hating himself for feeling it but it refused to go away. A tiny, stinging, flickering flame of hope.

Frank gnawed on his lip ring and increased his steps, starting to rush a little. He turned a corner and his heart beat erratically when he saw the wall of trees, completely unscathed. He jolted a little and breathed heavily, tears welling up in his eyes as hope tore through him, his legs breaking into a run towards the barrier as his body tensed.

Please be there. Please, please be there.

He had to see him. He had to hold him, if only for one last time. Though deep down Frank knew that if he had the chance to be with Gerard he would take it, no matter what it meant. He would run away, he would leave Salem, he would kill and maim and murder if he had to. He needed to be with the vampire, he needed it.

Please God. Please let him be there.

Frank burst through the barrier of trees with no resistance as usual, skidding to a halt with wide, hopeful eyes, his chest heaving as he panted. His hazel irises were sparkling with hope but the light soon died, his face crumpling and his heart tearing itself into a million tiny pieces as he saw the ruin that had once been his sanctuary.

All that was left of the manor was a skeleton. Some of the walls were still half standing, though the whole of the second floor had gone. The first three stairs of the staircase were intact but they looked fragile, as if they would crumble at any minute. There was some wallpaper on one of the walls left, just a small, scorched patch, and all of the furniture and doors had created mounds of crispy black substance. Frank’s chest heaved as pain ripped through it, a dry sob escaping his throat but no tears came. He would never let himself cry again.

All through the air ash drifted about like snow that had become stuck in one place. Sunlight filtered through the canopy to create emerald green spotlights over the ruin and behind it some of the garden was still left. The fire had burnt most of the flowers but right at the back some were still standing, all of the statues and fountains visible though many had a new blackened coating. Frank didn’t feel afraid, but what he looked upon was like something out of a horror movie. The manor didn’t seem like a building anymore, not even a burnt building. It looked more like a monster that became pathetic and pitiful in its death.

Frank swallowed down the lump in his throat and walked forward, trying to imagine the manor as it was before the fire as he stepped into what would have been the hallway. The blackened, charred lumps of furniture and pieces of wall crunched under his feet , the scent of burning still strong in the air. Frank was careful as he picked his way through the wreckage, exploring everywhere but especially the place where he knew Gerard had lay. He couldn’t see a shape like a corpse but admittedly he didn’t look very hard. He didn’t want to find Gerard’s corpse... only a living body. But he could see clearly now that there was no chance Gerard could have survived.

The realisation shouldn’t have been a shock but to Frank it was the final thing to completely destroy him.

He supposed in a way he had foolishly built Gerard up to be this almost God like figure, a creature so spectacular, so strong, that nothing could ever kill him. In his mind he had always known Gerard was dangerous, that if he got angry enough he could kill Frank, and in his heart he had always feared he might one day lose Gerard but he had never once let himself believe the vampire could actually die. Especially not by the hands of someone like Bob. Frank realised now he had come to depend on the vampire too much. Without him, he simply did not want to live.

Frank sighed and slipped the forever present rosary beads from around his neck. Who needed faith when God had so easily snatched his beloved away? He dropped the red beads onto the ground and whispered a soft prayer for forgiveness, his voice catching as he looked about one last time and whispered, “I love you Gerard.”

>X<

Salem was a small town. Everyone there knew everyone else. The town seemed quiet and glum as people made their way to the lodge to offer Frank their condolences and talk about the man who had been Frank Sr. But Frank was not there, and though Bob waited impatiently for his return Frank didn’t come back.

By the time Bob realised Frank had never intended to return it was already too late.

>X<

Frank stared out at the ground below him, his face set like stone and his heart keeping a steady, gently rhythm against his ribs. He didn’t feel frightened, or panicky. Though he did feel a little sad. He had hoped so desperately that things wouldn’t have to come to this. That Gerard would have somehow survived what Bob did to him and come back for Frank. But he knew deep down that that had always been a foolish hope. It was a shame, he supposed, that he would hurt Bob and Christine like this. But they would get over it. Everyone would.

Frank stepped up onto the ledge of the tall building and closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath as silent tears dripped down his cheeks, though he barely felt them. He stood with his head tilted up, his hands relaxed by his sides and for a second he felt as though he could feel Gerard’s last kiss still tingling on his lips, forcing him to smile. He could hear Gerard’s first, and last confession of ‘I love you’ echoing around in his head and he felt some comfort in that Gerard had at least finally said that to him before he died.

Frank kept his eyes closed as he took one final deep breath, hoping that the pain he was about to experience would crush the last of his grief just long enough for him to die. He would be with Gerard soon he hoped. He prayed that there was a place in heaven for them both.

Down on the ground there was no one there to watch as Frank took the fatal step and sent his body plummeting down to the earth, a smile still on his lips as he hoped that somehow, some way, he and Gerard would be together in death like they couldn’t be in life.

Frank felt as if he was flying, time seeming to drag as his heart sung for joy at the adrenaline pumping through his veins before he hit the asphalt at astonishing speed. The impact was like nothing Frank had ever felt, but he didn’t feel it long. Just long enough for his body to crumple like an unwanted toy upon the ground, his bones shattering with loud cracks and his lungs bleeding instantly. Frank’s eyes fell closed and darkness gripped him.

His valiant heart though tried to keep beating, giving a few feeble pumps in the vain hope it might do some good as pale hands lifted Frank’s broken form off the floor. Frank couldn’t feel it, for he was practically dead. He couldn’t feel his broken limbs anymore than he could feel the fangs in his neck or the blood pouring down his throat. He couldn’t hear the soft voice that begged him quietly to drink. But Frank couldn’t drink, he was oblivious. So close to death he couldn’t do anything.

The blood pouring down his throat dripped into his stomach and seeped into his veins, gushing through them even though his heart had stopped beating, filling him from head to toe and forcing death to take him. A different kind of death.

“That’s it Frankie... that’s it... Good boy.” The chuckle was soft and husky, Frank still unable to hear it though he could hear a roaring in his ears. He felt paralysed everywhere and yet he was aware of it, and that delicious voice, whose ever it was, praised him softly as he latched his teeth onto whatever was against his lips and gave a tiny, hesitant suck.

FIN