FicWad

2 - Well, I've Been Holding On Tonight.

They sat, scarcely moving, upon the floor. Their arms wrapped protectively around each other as if to keep the other protected from the words still ringing in the frozen air. Occasionaly a soft sniffle would be heard as one of the brothers held back a sob but otherwise, it was quiet. Then there was a loud banging.
"Gerard! Mikey!"
They didn't move as they head a familiar voice calling their names just outside the front door. They staryed, almost frozen, on the floor.
"Guys, open the door!"
Silence and then a hushed whipser. On the front steps two men stood in front of the door. The shorter of the two quickly knelt down and grabbed the key from beneath the welcome mat. Another hushed whisper and then he slid the key into the lock.
Inside the house there was silence and then a click as the locked released and the door was pushed open. The two men entered the house and froze at the sight before them.
The brothers were soaked with their own tears and their eyes were tightly shut as more droplets fell from beneath their eyelids. Neither of them acknowledged the fact that there were two other men in the room. Neither of them could escape the pain that took hold of their hearts.
The two men stood in the doorway and blinked away their own tears. Quickly they moves forward and took hold of either brothers arm. They let themselves be pulled to their feet and dragged over to the stairs that led to the second floor. Suddenly the younger brother, Mikey's, grip tightened on the arm of the man that had pulled him to the stairs.
"Ray," he choked out and he met his gaze. "She's gone."
That was all he said, and that was all it took for tears to flood Ray's eyes. He stood at the bottom of the stairs, still supporting the younger man as the other shorter man helped the older brother up the stairs.
"I'm so sorry Mikey," he whispered before beginning to pull him up to the second floor.
As he reached the top of the stairs he saw the younger man exit one of the bedrooms and shutting the door behind him before rushing to help Ray.
"Frank," he said as he grabbed Mikey's other arm, "Did you put Gerard in his bedroom?"
"Yeah," The shorter of the three replied. "He was just laying there when I left."
Ray nodded as they both shuffled over to the second bedroom and akwardly pushed to door open.
"I got it," he said to Frank as he gently lowered Mikey on to the bed. "Can you go downstairs and call Bob. Ask him if he can stay over here with us."
Frank nodded and left the room as Ray went to the closet and grabbed a blanket from one of the shelves. When he turned back around he noticed Mikey had turned onto his side and was curled into himself, staring blankly at the wall, his tears now dried on his face.
"Ray," he called quietly, his voice still trembling. "Do you think that I'll ever see Grandma Elena again?"
He could feel the tears that gathered in his eyes and threatened to slip down his face at the tentatively asked question. The overwhelming sadness that Mikey felt was placed into the question and Ray could feel it, feel the absolute sense of anguish that almost seemed to drag Mikey into it's icy depths.
He froze and stared at Mikey, unsure of how to answer. Was there any way that he could answer this question without seeming like it was just to comfort him? Was their even any way he could begin to think the question over?
"Mikey," he began and then stopped himself.
He heard a low even breath and glanced at the bed again. Mikey's eyes had slipped closed and he was breathing evenly. The face that had been flooded with such unhappiness was now smoothed into a calm expression.
"I don't know, Mikey," Ray murmured gently. "I don't know."
He carefully placed the blanket on Mikey's curled body and let a few tears escape his eyes for the brothers before leaving the room and silently shutting the door behind him. Hastily, he wiped his tears away and started downstairs.
"Hey, Bob, I've been trying to reach you for the longest time!"
Ray could hear Frank's voice carrying up the stairs from the living room as he took each step carefully.
"Ray and I are at Gerard and Mikey's house. Mrs. Way.."He paused and then continued as Ray reached the foot of the staircase. "Oh, she called you too. Yeah, she said that she was trying to get through to Gerard and Mikey but the call wouldn't go through. We were wondering if you could stay here for a few nights with us. Gerard and Mikey....they aren't taking it so well."
That was an understatement was the thought that crossed Ray's mind as he sat down on the sofa and heard a soft sob from upstairs. His eyes roamed across the ceiling, trying to figure out who it would have been.

Up the stairs, laying on his bed, Gerard sniffled. Finally he let his tears take control. They streamed down his face and soaked into his pillow.
"Why?" He spoke in a broken whisper that quickly died as it left his lips. "Why did you leave?"
There was no answer. As he expected he was speaking to an empty room. No voice called to him from the heavens and ansered his plea.
He clenched his eyes shut and let memories dance along his eyelids. Memories of happier times, of times when his Grandmother had sat with him at the piano and gently placed his small hands on the ivory keys before telling him which ones to press. Memories of when his Grandmother had played the piano herself and told his which song he was singing today. Times when she had placed a pencil in his hand and urged him to draw anything he felt needed to be on the paper. And times of when she would tell him stories about how she danced across the stage and had actually shown him the videos of her performing.
He remembered and he was saddened even more.
Never again would he see her place her hands on the keys and play a joyous tune. He would never see her smile while he sang along with the songs she played. Never see the far away look that crossed her face as she remembered the many times she had danced.
He would never see her again.

A few feet across the hall Mikey curled on his bed. His eyes were open now that Ray had left the room. He had felt how uncomfortable Ray had grown once he had asked his question and decided to just shut his eyes. Yet the question still danced across his mind. It still plagued him.
Would he ever see her again? Would she ever speak to him as she once had.
He could remember he large grin whenever he and Gerard would visit. The way her eyes had lit up when she saw them. He could practically still see it.
It would start as a soft smile and then gradually spread across her whole face. It would light up her eyes and there was always a joyous sense of fulfillment that he felt whenever he saw this. As if they had made her whole day by going to see her.
He would always remember the way she would praise them, tell them what a wonderful thing they were doing whenever they gushed over the songs the band had recently recorded. Or the way she would smile, nod, and listen to whatever was bothering him. Giving him gentle words of advice that always pushed him in the right direction.
As the thoughts entered his mind another, darker thought crossed him.
He would never see her again.