FicWad

"I'm really worried," Jamia said nervously, staring at the floor with fear showing in her eyes. "I've never seen him like that before...it was horrible."

"I've only seen him like that once," said Gerard. "It was when Ray accused us of helping with the war. I don't think he had learned to control himself yet. He really was a monster."

"My teeth hurt," Alicia broke in, holding one hand to her mouth and wincing. Gerard smiled kindly.

"You'll get used to it."

Just then, they heard the front door opening. Frank slowly walked through the doorway, weakly closing the door behind him. Jamia rushed to help him before he collapsed on the floor. It wasn't long before they all noticed he was covered in blood.

"Frank...what did you do?" Gerard asked in disbelief. Frank shook his head, still breathing heavily. His hands and fingernails had returned to normal, and his teeth had retracted. He looked incredibly weak and was letting Jamia support most of his weight, one arm draped over her shoulders.

"They won't threaten us again," he said simply, half-limping down the hallway to his room. They heard the door close, and an uncomfortable silence filled the room.

"Do you have any idea what could have happened?" Gerard asked, seated in his favorite chair. Alicia thought for a few seconds.

"I don't know exactly," she said, shaking her head. She looked directly at him, allowing
him to look through her memories again. His eyes widened as his own mind processed the thoughts.

"He...he attacked /Ray/..." he said in a low, almost whispering voice. He buried his face in his hands. "Why would he do that?"

"He was trying to protect me," Alicia responded with a monotonous tone. Gerard shook his head.

"Ray used to be one of our closest friends...just like Bob. We were almost like brothers. More than brothers." He sighed sadly. "How could things have gotten like this? I used to think nothing would tear us apart."

"Well, time changes people, I guess," she offered, not sounding certain of her words. Gerard shook his head.

"If there's one thing I've learned, it's that people don't change," he said quietly as many old memories jumped into his mind. The concerts, the interviews, the fights within the band...and as he thought about them, he realized how similar they all were. No two were exactly alike, but the similarities were there. "People never change. The world changes." He sighed deeply. "And I'm starting to think that...maybe...if the world hadn't changed-"

He suddenly stopped speaking, lowering his gaze to the ground. Alicia saw several black drops fall from his eyes.

"You miss her, don't you?" she asked softly, lifting her gaze from the floor and looking at him thoughtfully. He nodded.

"If the world hadn't changed," he continued, "we would all still be human. And me and Eliza could be together. It's such a stupid reason...just because we're different...but I know she's right." Alicia stood from the couch and walked over to him, wrapping him in a hug.

"You'll find someone," she said as he continued to cry. A new image leapt into her mind, and she smiled. "I know it." He pulled away from her.

"Mikey's lucky to have you," he said with a smile. "I'll make sure he never does anything to mess it up."

"I don't think he will, but thanks anyway," she said with a light laugh. She stood and walked toward the door.

"Where are you going?" he asked, frowning slightly. She laughed again.

"Somewhere," she responded simply, walking outside and closing the door. Gerard just blinked a few times and shrugged. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs and looked up to see his brother as the cause.

"I take it you heard our conversation?" he questioned, wiping away the last of his tears. Mikey nodded, smiling. "And you're planning on following her."

"Would I ever do anything else?" Mikey asked pointedly as he walked out the door as well. Gerard just laughed.