FicWad

The hotel room was relatively small, with two single beds in the middle, two beaten-up beside tables and a wardrobe stuffed into the corner, next to the ugly brown wallpaper. ‘’Well this is…quaint…’’ Lauren laughed, taking the bed nearest to the door, placing her suitcase down on top of the bed next to her.
‘’It’s fine, for all intensive purposes...I’ve stayed in worse.’’ Gerard walked into the room, following her.
‘’I’ll bet…’’ Lauren stared at Gerard curiously, wondering what he had been doing for the past six years. ‘’So...What have you been doing for the past six years?’’ she decided to ask.
‘’I’ve been travelling…’’,
‘’Where did you go?’’,
‘’You and your questions… you can’t just leave things unsaid – can you?’’ Gerard asked her himself.
‘’I want to know more, Gerard, I was waiting for you to come back and help me.’’ Lauren patted the empty space that was next to her, on the bed. Gerard stared for a moment before sitting down,
‘’I was killing people as I travelled across, taking drugs, and fucking – does that answer your question?’’ he narrowed his eyes at her.
‘’Yeah, pretty much,’’ Lauren actually laughed, looking down at her lap. Gerard held his body rigid, staring straight ahead in the dingy, shit-coloured room, and then turned to glance at Lauren;
‘’Why are you doing this to yourself?’’ he asked,
‘’Doing what? ‘’ Lauren looked confused when she turned to face him.
‘’Dragging your ass to your parent’s house to kill them.’’ Gerard answered her question, but didn’t extinguish her confusion. Didn’t he think that her need to kill her parents was viable?
‘’I have to do this to feel whole again,’’,
‘’And since when have you ever felt whole?’’ Gerard spat back.
‘’As if you know my life story!’’ Lauren sniped,
‘’I know that we’re the same – we were both fucked up as kids, and now we’re both killers.’’ Gerard said quickly.
‘’I’m not a killer yet, Gerard, but I want to change that.’’ Lauren sighed,
‘’Why? You have a life, you’ve got Mikey and Dahlia – why would you want to risk that in order to kill your parents – who for all intensive purposes have no contact with you now.’’,
‘’It was the same with your step-father,’’,
‘’But I’m not you, Lauren, I have killed so many people, I’ve lost count. Life is like a light, you flip a switch and it goes out - to me. But you have a sense of value for life; I can see it when you look at me with those eyes. Your eyes that change colour and tell what you’re afraid to say.’’ Gerard grimaced, ‘’Got me tangled around your little finger, though. With your bloodlust one minute, then your normal, fuckin’ innocent act,’’ He stopped.
Lauren stared back at him, and he could see that she was ready to shoot back with a flurry of rage, but she just stayed impassive, staring up at Gerard with wide eyes, ‘’I’m not trying to wrap you around my fingers, Gerard.’’ She retorted. ‘’I need your help,’’,
‘’I’m giving you my help....’’ Gerard stood up, looking back at Lauren as she watched him move. ‘’Just don’t try and blame me when you don’t want to stop killing.’’ He walked over to the other bed, taking off his jeans, and crawling under the thing cotton sheet – and closing his eyes.

Lauren waited until she was sure Gerard was asleep, and then she kneeled down on the floor, digging through her possessions in her suitcase, taking out her cell phone. She dialed Mikey’s number, curling her legs underneath her body as she leant against the bed. He answered after five rings; ‘’Hello?’’,
‘’It’s me, Mikey…how are you doing?’’,
‘’I’m doing great – I got back home a while ago – Dahlia’s asleep right now…I could wake her up, if you want..’’ he murmured into the phone.
‘’No, I wanted to talk to my husband…’’ Lauren smiled to herself,
‘’Ah, and I want to talk to my wife,’’ Mikey smiled to himself, in turn. He had been glad that he had been able to take the day off of work; he glanced over at Dahlia, who was asleep soundly on the sofa.
‘’It’s hard being away from you two…I’ve never done it, and it’s kind of scary – but I know I have to do this for myself… seeing these relatives will help me to feel closure.’’,
‘’Closure for what, Lauren? I just…can’t understand what you’re trying to say.’’ Mikey sounded so confused, it made Lauren frown. She should’ve told him – but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She felt like it was a connection, a connection between her and Gerard that shouldn’t be tainted. They had been through a lot together, but she’d only told Mikey a simplified version of what had happened, even when he had pressed her to tell him more.
‘’Mikey…I can’t come back until I’ve taken care of this. It isn’t just for me – it’s for my family – for you guys. I just want to keep you all safe.’’,
‘’Let me help you – I’ll come and get you, I’ll leave Dahlia with my mom, and then we’ll go and do whatever you want to do!’’ Mikey looked over at Dahlia after he’d yelled those words – she was awake, and looking curiously over at him.
‘’Is that mommy?’’ Dahlia questioned, slipping off of the couch and walking over to Mikey.
‘’Shhh, Dahlia, wait a second,’’ Mikey snapped,
‘’Mikey, don’t snap at her!’’ Lauren frowned,
‘’Tell me what is going on! I’m your husband, and I have a right to know!’’ Mikey didn’t lower his voice – Dahlia scrabbled to grab her stuffed unicorn, and ran out of the room, into the kitchen. She jumped up on a stool, covering her eyes and leaning forwards, closing her eyes. She hated it when her mother and father argued – it was, as far as she was concerned, the worst thing in the world.

Gerard opened his eyes, cursing as he sat up in his bed, ‘’Lauren – keep it down,’’ he growled.
‘’What the hell was that?’’ Mikey asked, he had heard someone else’s voice.
‘’It was nothing – just the manager telling me to keep it down.’’ Lauren covered, holding up a hand in a hope to silence Gerard.
‘’Fucking liar!’’ Mikey snarled,
‘’I’m not going talk any further with you if you’re going to be like this. Goodbye,’’ Lauren put down the phone, ignoring it as it began ringing a few moments later. Gerard was standing over her – his eyes half-open with sleep;
‘’What the fuck was that about?’’ his voice was slightly slurred with sleep.
‘’I wouldn’t tell him anything, and he got angry.’’ Lauren pulled herself up, staring at Gerard, ‘’sorry that I woke you,’’ she apologized.
‘’Its fine…’’ Gerard looked around, walking over to the bedside table next to his bed, and grabbing his packet of Marlboros. He handed one to Lauren without even asking her, and once again sat next to her – lighting the white stick after Lauren had placed it between her lips. She took a drag, expelling the smoke, and relaxing;
‘’Shit, I needed that…’’ she laughed a little, running a hand through her hair. ‘’I hate it when he yells at Dahlia when we fight – it isn’t fair – she’s just scared…’’,
‘’Why haven’t you told him about your parents? ’’ Gerard around one of his eyes, speaking as he did.
‘’I’m allowed secrets – hell, I’m sure he has at least one thing that he doesn’t tell me... I don’t ride his ass over that....’’ Lauren gave a short laugh, and Gerard laughed, too.
‘’That’s a nice way to put it.’’ He shrugged once he’s stopped laughing,
‘’Aren’t you going to have a cigarette?’’ Lauren raised an eyebrow questioningly,
‘’Na, I’m just going to go back to bed. Try and be quiet, please,’’ Gerard stood up,
‘’I’m going to get some sleep, too,’’ Lauren nodded, watching as Gerard once again got under the cover of his bed, and turned around to face the wall.
Lauren stubbed out her cigarette, and pulled her dress up over her head, crawling under the covers and closing her eyes.


Mikey entered the kitchen, and immediately felt guilty when his eyes fell upon Dahlia – still hunched over the counter, perched on the stool and clutching her toy. ‘’Dahlia, honey…I’m sorry…’’ Mikey walked over to the girl, and she peeked up from underneath her hair, her hazel eyes still wide and fearful. ‘’I promise, it’s all over. No more yelling,’’ Mikey soothed. Dahlia sat up slowly, and her eyes lost the fearful quality,
‘’Why were you yelling? ’’ She frowned with confusion.
‘’Daddy and mommy got angry at each other – that’s all.’’ Mikey explained,
‘’Is it about the man with the red hair?’’ Dahlia asked, and Mikey’s eyes grew wide;
‘’What man, Dahlia?’’ he asked.
‘’A man who came here and talked to mommy…. Uncle Gerard!’’ Dahlia grinned, proud that she’d remembered the man’s name. Mikey had visibly paled,
‘’Was mommy sad when she was talking to the man?’’ Mikey enquired,
‘’No…mommy was happy…she was smiling,’’ Dahlia thought back to when she had seen her mother with Gerard. Mikey snarled, pushing himself away from the counter, and picking Dahlia up from her stool,
‘’Where did mom say she was going with Gerard?’’ Mikey asked.
‘’She said she was going to slay some monsters, and she helped Uncle Gerard slay a monster before…’’ Dahlia struggled to remember everything that Lauren said to her. Mikey walked quickly up the stairs, placing Dahlia in her room,
‘’We’re gonna go and find your mom, okay? Just stay here, I’ll pack some clothes, then we’ll pack some of yours....’’ Mikey stalked out of the room, leaving Dahlia sitting in the middle of her room, wondering what was happening between her parents.