FicWad

Gerard looked up with an expectant look marred by a slight edge of nervousness as Edward walked into the living room. For his part, Edward offered another reassuring smile; the news of the security guard’s knowledge of all their visitors had clearly disturbed Gerard, even though realistically and rationally it was essential. Waiting for Gerard to gesture to a seat at the table, Edward sat and leaned forward, placing his arms on the table.

“What do you want to know?” He finally asked after a short pause.
“First of all, I want to know why you’re checking up on my friends.”
“And second?”
“What’s been happening to Frankie and for how long?”
“Okay,” Edward nodded, this had to be handled carefully and sensitively so as not to scare either of the boys. “Do you have any idea how important you are?”
“Me?” Gerard pointed to himself.
“You and Mikey,” Edward smiled at the boy’s innocence. “You’re both very important to BLI.”
“Why?” Gerard asked, a puzzled expression creeping onto his face.
“You are the official faces of BLI. You feature in their marketing and literature.”
“So?”

Edward looked down and smiled; Gerard really didn’t understand.

“You are the safe faces of BLI. You reassure the public that everything is good and that BLI are looking after them.”
“How?”

Edward pursed his lips and looked briefly to the left. This was a question that he hoped Gerard wouldn’t ask. Now he had the difficult question of whether to tell him the truth or concoct a plausible story.

“What don’t you want to tell me?”
“You’re astute,” Edward laughed. “Okay, I’ll tell you. The television commercials and dynamic advertising all through Battery City includes subliminal messages that all is well, along with your face. It happens too fast for the eyes to register, but the brain does.”
“So it’s like hypnosis?”

Edward shrugged his shoulders.

“I guess, but it’s in their interests.”

Gerard couldn’t help but notice that even Edward couldn’t manage an expression that suggested he was convinced by the words.

“I still don’t see why I’m important,” Gerard replied flatly.
“You have a great deal of wealth and privilege in the city, this apartment for one...”
“This isn’t standard?” Gerard was surprised by the statement.
“Have you never been anywhere else?” It was Edward’s turn to be surprised.
“You know we haven’t, Edward. I haven’t even been to Frankie’s. Korse won’t let us out of his sight. Petra’s here all the time, sometimes he is, I assume that you report to him too.”
“I provide security information, but nothing more.”
“So, if I went out, you wouldn’t tell him?”
“Alone?” Edward raised an eyebrow.

Gerard laughed and shook his head as the ludicrous reality occurred to him.

“I’ve never been anywhere alone! There’s always a driver and either a security detail or a handful of crows.”
“BLI have a great deal invested in both you and Mikey. It’s not cheap or easy to set up all the subliminal marketing they have and you have to be protected. Can you imagine how it would look if you were kidnapped and BLI didn’t succeed in doing absolutely everything to get you back? There would be riots by people seeing a discrepancy between how they portray themselves and how they act. Like I said, you’re very important to them. If anyone were to get their hands on you, they could potentially bring BLI down.”
“Me or Mikey?” Gerard clarified.
“Mostly you,” Edward shrugged. “Mikey’s in the printed literature, but because of his age he’s been kept out of a lot of the subliminal advertising so they don’t have to update it so often as he grows.”
“So, you have to check everyone out who comes here to make sure they aren’t potential kidnappers?”
“Or murderers, or blackmailers, and any number of other things.”
“Okay, but why Frankie? He’s just our friend.”
“I know, but Lawson isn’t and I had to be sure that Frankie hadn’t become your friend to perhaps gain access to the building only to be able to get Lawson in.”
“Oh,” Gerard lowered his head and nodded. “And has he?”
“No,” Edward smiled. “Frankie is a very loyal friend and has done everything he can not to bring trouble to your door, despite all the beatings he’s suffered. This time is different.”
“And?”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he’s come here. He needs to get away from that man and you have the power to enable it to happen.”
“Why haven’t you told me about this before?” Gerard’s voice turned clipped and angry.
“What would you have done?” Edward asked carefully.
“I’d have got him out of there!” Gerard insisted.
“He wasn’t ready,” Edward objected.
“What do you mean?” Gerard’s voice flattened in surprise as he heard the unexpected statement.
“Lawson repeatedly tells him he’s useless, that he’s a bad boy, that he deserves what he’s doing to him.”
“He believed that?” Gerard gasped.
“Frankie’s a good boy, fiercely loyal and always tries to do his best. He wanted to please Lawson but everyone has their limits. I can only guess he finally realised for himself that Lawson was probably going to kill him if he stayed. He’s tried leaving before and all it’s done is make things worse, but this time he’s come here because he’s so desperate he’s, as he sees it, brought his troubles to your door.”
“I’d do anything for Frankie,” Gerard appeared distressed. “How could he think it’s too much trouble for me?”
“I don’t know, Gerard. If I had to guess, perhaps he thought about him being a ward of BLI and you essentially fronting BLI? If there was a conflict of interest, he wouldn’t want to risk your friendship by asking you to choose.”
“There’s no conflict,” Gerard grew angry again. “And that man will never touch him again! Can I get him arrested for what he’s done?”
“Yes, but perhaps you’d get a better result if you told Korse that Lawson was consorting with rebels.”
“Is he?” Gerard’s eyes widened.
“Oh,” Edward grinned. “My men can prove anything if they put their mind to it.”

Gerard grinned in return at the unexpected offer to help.

“You’d do that?”
“Consider it done. I’ll make my report; no one will ever see him again. Trust me.”
“Thanks, Edward, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”
“It’s my job to protect you, and as I see it, this is in your interests. Is there anything else?”
“No,” Gerard was smiling, he felt very reassured and much calmer. “I better go check on Frankie. I guess I’ll be sleeping on the couch tonight.”

Edward smiled and nodded; he wasn’t worried. Rising to their feet, Edward headed towards the elevator and Gerard towards his bedroom.

“Thanks again, Edward,” he called back.
“My pleasure,” the security guard replied.

*

As Gerard opened the door to his bedroom, the scene was exactly as he expected to find it.

“He woke up, Gee, I swear,” Mikey gabbled as his older brother walked in.
“I can see that,” Gerard smirked.
“By himself, I mean,” Mikey was on his feet now, protesting his innocence before Gerard had even spoken a word. “I didn’t wake him, honest.”
“I believe you, Mikes,” Gerard laughed at his suddenly high-pitched voice as he spoke the last word of his sentence.
“Thousand’s wouldn’t,” Frankie chuckled, earning a panicked stare from the younger brother.
“But I do,” Gerard rolled his eyes at Frankie, as usual, stirring up unnecessary trouble, as was his way. “Mikey, can I have a few minutes with Frankie?”

Mikey huffed a loud sigh at the request.

“It’s past your bedtime, anyway.”
“Aww, Gee! You’re as bad as Petra!”

There was something in Gerard’s change of expression that unexpectedly resonated with the younger boy and without warning, Gerard found Mikey’s arms wrapped tightly around him as if he never wanted to let go.

“Sorry, Gee, I didn’t mean that. Even when you’re grown up, you’ll never be as dull as her!”

Gerard and Frankie locked eyes over Mikey’s head, trying hard not to laugh at what seemed a backhanded compliment. But, Gerard knew, in Mikey’s eyes it was the ultimate statement of appreciation. Gerard would never be dull and he accepted it as it was meant with grace.

“Thanks, Mikes. Now off you go, brush your teeth and get to bed, I’ll come in in a bit to tuck you in, okay?”
“What about the doc?” Mikey asked.
“I’ll listen out for her. Off you go, you need to rest.”
“Okay,” he smiled as he let go. “Goodnight Frankie!”
“Goodnight, Mikey,” Frankie replied with a smile, despite his injuries hurting him.
“I’ll be in soon,” Gerard repeated, waving as Mikey left the room, closing the door behind him.

Changing the position of the chair Mikey had used at Frankie’s bedside, Gerard sighed.

“Sorry he woke you,” he shrugged.
“It’s okay,” Frankie sighed lightly. “It was nice to wake up somewhere safe for a change.”
“Why didn’t you tell me it was this bad?” Gerard couldn’t hold the question in any longer. “We knew he would hit you, but you always played it down, said it was your fault. Frankie, this isn’t your fault! None of it! I could have helped.”

Frankie took a deeper breath, grimacing as his back hurt with the movement.

“He blamed me...”
“But it’s...”
“Let me speak, Gee, please. I’ve wanted to tell you for so long.”
“I’m sorry,” Gerard nodded. “I won’t interrupt again.”

Frankie smiled; yes he would.

“I’ve been with him for three years, Gee, since I was five, I barely remember anything different. He blamed me and I believed him. I believed I was useless, that I couldn’t do anything, that I caused so much trouble that no one else would want me and I was lucky to have him.”

Gerard’s brows creased with the agony of hearing his friend’s suffering.

“But you ran away before,” he replied, confused about Frankie’s reluctance to speak to him or let him help previously.
“I was trying to make it on my own.”
“On your own?” Gerard gasped. “In Battery City, alone?”

The idea for Gerard who had never been anywhere alone in the three years since he had been placed under Korse’s guardianship, was a daunting one. Yes, he had memories of before then; he had been ten when Korse had killed his and Mikey’s father, but some of those memories where quite sketchy. He wasn’t sure if that was to be expected or if they had been affected by Korse’s attempts to erase his memories, but he knew an eight-year-old trying to survive alone in Battery City was unthinkable.

“I didn’t say I had it all worked out, I just wanted to get out, get away from him. But the police kept finding me and taking me back and he just got more violent every time. I swear he’s going to kill me if I go back again. I’m really scared Gee. I came here and I’m sorry but I don’t know what to do.”

Tears were rolling down both boys’ cheeks by the end of Frankie’s story and Gerard took Frankie’s hand in his, squeezing it lightly.

“Don’t be sorry, Frankie. You can and always should come here, you’re my best friend and I would die for you. You’re staying here either permanently or until we find you somewhere else, whatever you prefer.”

Frankie pulled a face - a mixture of displeasure and alarm.

“I can’t stay here with her,” he confided, keeping his voice low. “She does not like me, Gee.”
Gerard leaned closer. “She doesn’t like me either,” he grinned.

The pair shared a laugh and Gerard’s spirits were lifted at the sight of his friend happy despite his horrific injuries.

“What about... him? They’ll make me go back. I can’t go back, Gee, I can’t!”

In that brief moment, Frankie was scared and upset again, with more tears rolling down his cheeks.

Gerard reached up and smoothed the tears from his cheeks.

“Shh, it’s okay,” he spoke soothingly. “You won’t ever see that man again.”
“Y-you don’t kn-know that, Gee,” Frankie hiccuped through the words.
“I do,” he replied firmly. “I’ve seen to it already. I promise you, Frankie, he’s gone. You’re free of him. He’ll never hurt you or anyone else ever again.”
“Really?” Somehow the words made even more tears spring to his eyes.
“Really,” Gerard continued soothingly. “Now, you get some rest. Our doctor will be here soon and she’s lovely. She’ll have you better in no time and you’re staying here with us at least until then, okay?”
“Okay,” Frankie offered a weak, tired smile. “Thanks, Gee.”
“Close your eyes and get some rest.”

As Frankie closed his eyes, he sighed happily as he felt Gerard’s lips place a brief, soft kiss on his forehead. He was asleep only moments later.

Gerard barely had time to tuck Mikey in for the night before Edward called to announce the arrival of Dr Roby. Helping her to clean and dress all of Frankie’s wounds took just under an hour. To her unspoken amusement, Gerard found an excuse to step away as she gave him shots to prevent infection, before he returned to help him into a pair of pyjamas. Mikey’s were too small, Gerard’s too big, but it was preferable for them to be loose against the dressings. By the time Dr Roby left with a promise to return the next day it was very late and Gerard was fit to drop. He had long since removed his jacket and shoes and, deciding he was too tired to bother undressing further, gathered up a sheet and a pillow and crashed, fully dressed, on the couch. He barely remembered his head touching the pillow.