FicWad

When her cell rang early the next morning Monica opened one eye and looked at it or at least she tired to focus on it. The daiquiris from last night had hit her harder than normal. That would teach her to skip meals and eat only cheesecake and a piece of pizza. Since the girls had all convinced her she needed to talk to Gee the next time he called, she picked up the phone. She answered with a frosty "Hello"
Gerard had returned to the hotel after the interview and wanted to try to talk to her before leaving for concert venue. He was shocked when she answered, he was sure the call was going to go to voice mail once again. At least that would be better than Alicia answering and telling him his dick was gonna fall off. He paused then said, "Monica, how are you?"
"I'm fine and you?' she responded without emotion. He noticed her tone immediately and sank down in his chair.
"Monica I can explain. I know about the pictures and it's not what you think."
"Oh, really? Please tell me just what do I think?"
He lit a cigarette trying to phrase his words carefully. "You think I've cheated on you." He needed to make her understand that he hadn't.
"You think?" she answered sarcastically. She sat up in bed and rubbed her forehead.
"Monica, Eliza and I have been friends for years." He said tiredly. He hadn't been able to sleep at all last night.
All the anger Monica had been trying to hold in escaped. "Yep, I got that. You and Eliza have been very good friends for years. Such good friends in fact that she and her sister are following you around from venue to venue just to give you moral support."
"For years she was Mikey's hairdresser." Gerard began to explain but she cut him off.
"Yep, I got that too. She was Mikey's hairdresser and she did your makeup. Jamia and Alicia told me that much. Funny thing is Mikey isn't on tour with you so I'm pretty sure his hair doesn't have much to do with this. Is she doing your makeup?" she asked sarcastically.
"No, she isn't." he answered taking a deep drag off his cigarette. He had a feeling he was going to be smoking a lot during this conversation.
"So she's with you why?" Monica tried to keep her voice calm but was finding it impossible.
"She and Katlin just happened to be in Europe and we met up. Monica, there is nothing going on between us, please believe me." He said slowly.
"So you're telling me she is just a friend, she's always been just a friend." Monica held her breath waiting for his answer. When he didn't reply right away she felt her heart flutter.
"There was a time when she was more. Eliza liked me when I was with Liv. I loved Liv and wanted to stay faithful to her."
"Oh shit, you wanted to stay faithful." Monica repeated. She felt her world tilting.
"Yes, damn I wanted to stay faithful but there were times I didn't. Liv and I would have a fight and Eliza was there for me." He closed his eyes and thought back in guilt. "Once I had a fight with Liv and she stormed off the bus and disappeared for three days. Eliza stayed with me. Another time Liv had stayed home and Eliza was on the tour with us. I didn't mean for it to happen but I was upset and everyone hated Liv so much that they made me believe it was okay"
"Shit, shit, shit." Monica said laying back on the bed. "Way too much information, Gee. Just a simple 'yeah I slept with her' would have sufficed. Making excuses for cheating on someone sucks. Acting like a little boy and saying everyone said it as okay so I went for it, makes you a major asshole."
He had been trying to be honest with her but now he had just made it worse. "Monica I was a different man then. I was drinking and taking drugs. I did stupid, thoughtless things all the time. You wouldn't have liked me then." He grew quiet, smoking and remembering. "You would have hated the kind of man I was."
Monica honestly didn't know what to say. She never before thought a time would come when she didn't' trust him. "From the first time you called late and said you were out with friends, Eliza was one of them, wasn't she?" She didn't wait for him to answer, "every time you have called late or been at a party she has been there hasn't she?"
He exhaled, "Yeah, but nothing happened between us. I've told her how much I love you."
"And I'm betting you told her back then how much you loved Liv" Monica said softly.
The fact that she was saying the same thing Frank had said angered him, "Monica what kind of a fucking relationship do we have?
"Maybe that's the kind of relationship we have, 'fucking'." She said softly.
"No, damn it, don't say that. You know that's not all we have. I love you Monica, you have my heart."
"Then why have you been with her? Why were you kissing her?" Monica whispered.
He closed his eyes, "It meant nothing to me. Don't you trust me? When we get married I'll be on tour a lot, you know that. Every time I leave town are you gonna think I'm screwing around on you?" his tone was harsh. His emotions were soaring out of control. He could feel her slipping away.
"I don't know Gee, is Eliza gonna be with you?" She shot back.
"Fuck, this is stupid. I didn't do anything wrong. Are you saying I'm not allowed to have friends?"
"Friends are fine. Someone you've slept with while you were cheating really doesn't seem to fit in the friends category." She was so angry she was near tears. It took all the control she had not to blurt out that while he was having a good time with Eliza she had been taking care of Jamia and babysitting his daughter from a previous love. A love he had cheated on with Eliza.
He snuffed out his cigarette angrily, "I'm sorry you don't trust me. After all that we have been through together I can't believe you don't trust my love for you."
"Yeah, we've been through a lot together and after all that we've been through I can't believe you don't understand how upsetting this is to me. Seeing pictures posted all over the Internet of you and her upsets me. Deal with it" she shouted.
"Look I don't think we should talk anymore right now. We'll just say things we shouldn't." Gerard said while lighting another cigarette.
"Fine" Monica replied she disconnected the call. His last words 'I love you' were never heard.

Jamia, looked up from the kitchen table as Monica walked in. The anger on her face was echoed in her words. "Do you think you should have mentioned to me that he had fucking slept with Eliza?" She was so angry she couldn't see straight. "So do you really believe he's not sleeping with her this time cause his friends are telling him it's okay like you did when he was with Liv?"
Jamia looked stricken. "Monica, that was so different. Liv was so evil and Eliza was so nice to him. We all just hoped for anything that would make him leave Liv."
Monica shook her head; "Well Eliza is obviously being so nice to him now. Guess he doesn't need any encouragement to screw around." She turned, walked back into the bedroom and slammed the door.

About an hour later, Donna arrived with Kelly in tow. Monica opened the door and was engulfed in a hug before she could say hello.
"Honey, he's my son and I love him but he's not always the sharpest knife in the drawer. Especially where Eliza is concerned. I do know in my heart how much he loves you." Donna said with her arms still tightly around Monica.
"Mama, it's gonna be okay." Kelly said standing beside her.
Donna released Monica and stood back. "So my little psychic says it all gonna be okay?" Monica tried to keep her tone light.
Kelly smiled sadly, "I just think so, I mean I don't think Gerard would lie to us and he said he loves us."
They all walked in and settled in the living room. After Donna spoke to Jamia about her pregnancy she got to the point of the visit. "Have you talked to him?"
Monica nodded, "It didn't go well. He admitted to me what kind of a relationship he had with Eliza in the past."
Donna groaned and rolled her eyes, "Well, he was being honest with you."
"I know" Monica said with a sign, "but if he hadn't started hanging around with her and staying out so late it never would have mattered." She looked away, "Now it does."
Kara walked in from the bedroom and joined them. "Hey Donna"
"Sweetie how are you today?"
"I've been better." she answered tiredly.
Donna looked at them and shook her head, "Look you two, this is a mess but as soon as they get home it can be fixed."
Monica looked at her, "I'm not so sure, Donna. He's with her because he wants to be. Maybe that's how he wants it to stay."
"Did he say that?"
"No" she admitted quietly.
Donna looked over at Kara, "Have you talked to Bob?"
She shook her head no.
"Honey, you gotta give him a chance to explain. Look, I've seen the pictures. Kelly showed them to me. They look bad but give him a chance to explain."
Kara stared at the ground.
Donna looked back at Monica, "Now, tell me about Elena. You've spent time with her?" Donna couldn't control the excitement in her voice. Ever since she had seen the little girl she had wanted to admit she wanted to get to know her grandchild.
"Actually the first time I saw her was at the park when I was there with Gerard." Monica started to explain.
Donna interrupted her, "Gerard has seen her? Why the hell doesn't anyone tell me anything?" The hurt in her voice made Monica cringe inwardly.
"He didn't know it was her" Monica explained what had happened.
"Oh hell" Donna said, "So Gerard doesn't know he met his daughter nor I'm guessing that you have been babysitting her."
Monica frowned, "I didn't want to tell him while he's on tour. I know how hard this has been for him without Mikey and Ray. It just seemed wrong to tell him about Liv and Elle while he was so far away."
Donna sighed heavily, "All that you have been dealing with here just makes my son look like a bigger jackass."
Monica didn't answer. She didn't need to.
"Tell me about her." Donna said softly.
Monica's smile was genuine; "She's a beautiful little girl, so sweet. She has Gerard's eyes and his smile. I've loved spending time with her."
"And how is dealing with Liv?" Donna wondered.
"Not as bad as you would think. She's not friendly but she's not rude to me."
Kelly broke in "She's very sad"
Monica looked surprised for a moment then agreed, "Yeah, she is. But she loves Elle and is raising her right."
"Well that's something. But I'm still confused as to why she has brought you into Elena's life. Does she want her to get to know her father, is that why?"
Monica shrugged, "I'm not sure." She asked Kelly to get her a glass of water and waited until she had left the room, "She was here when I saw the photos of Gee and Eliza. She warned me about Eliza.
"Liv hates Eliza, she always has."
"Well he did cheat on her with Eliza. That's probably a good reason to hate her, don't you think?" Monica couldn't help it but sarcasm echoed in her words.
"I'm not saying what he did was right. He never should have stayed with Liv but no, he shouldn't have cheated on her."
"Donna I'm just so confused and hurt. He had so many chances to tell me he was hanging with her but he didn't. I asked him outright who he was staying out so late with and he would only say he was out with friends. If he had nothing to hide then why not tell me?"
"Because he was afraid you would react like this?" Donna guessed softly.
"That's not an excuse. He knew it would upset me so he just didn't tell me? Do you think that sounds like we have a good relationship?" She was near tears again and anger made her add, "I think it shows just what kind of relationship we do have."
"Monica, if you love him so much as you say then you won't just give up like this. You and he need to talk this out. Tell him what you just told me and see what he says. He's lost without his brother. I not making excuses for him but I'm just saying that right now things are very hard for him. He doesn't have Mikey or Ray and I'm sure he's having a hard time."
"So he turned to her?" Monica said sadly. "Is that something I should just expect and accept? When things get bad for him she will just show up and take care of him? I can't accept that and I don't think I should."
Donna leaned over and took her hand in hers, "If you love him you will find a way to deal with this. I know he loves you, I have no doubt about that at all."
"Just like he loved Liv?"
"Don't give up on the love you two have, work it out."
"Let me get this straight. Are you saying that I should just take him back no matter what he may or may not have done just because he's having a hard time in Europe? Am I just supposed to accept his bad behavior because he is the great Gerard Way? If the shoe was on the other foot, you would not be counseling him to accept whatever I had done just because he loves me."
"Life is too short, you and he need to fix this together."
"If he really wants to fix it," Monica said sadly. "But I'm not sure that he does."
"Just promise me that you will have a long talk and try to listen to what he has to say."