The mouth came out a nowhere, clamping over Frank's and forcing air into his lungs. He coughed and threw up repeatedly, wishing he would just die.

When he finally rolled over, he was expecting to see Gerard, thinking he'd come back to make sure he was dead this time, but he didn't. He saw a face he'd never seen before.

"Are you OK?" the guy asked, eyes blown with worry and panic, strong, tanned hands gripping Frank's shoulders.

Frank just stared at him, his eyes still blurred and his head still throbbing. He lent away to throw up more water on the floor, nothing but liquid left in his stomach.

"Can you tell me your name?" he asked in a softer voice this time.

"Fra...Frank," he rasped, blinking as the face came into view properly.

The man was only young, perhaps a few years older than Frank. He was good looking with bronzed, skin kissed skin, a thick head of messy blonde curls and cornflower blue eyes.

"Frank...OK, we need to get you to the hospital, Frank," he said. "I'm Neo by the way."

"No," Frank groaned, limpy grabbing Neo's arm. "You have to go before he comes back."

"Before who comes back Frank? What happened?" he asked, glancing over to the bath. "Did you...did you try to..."

Frank shook his head, struggling for breath. "No, I didn't, I swear, but you have to leave."

Neo frowned. "I'm not leaving you here. We have to get you to the hospital, you can still drown if there's water in your lungs."

"Doesn't matter," Frank insisted. "Please, you have to go. He'll kill you if he finds you here!"

"Wait... wait, fuck, you're that Iero kid, right?" Neo demanded, eyes widening. "What happened to you?"

"It was Gerard, he killed her. He killed Jamia and then he just... He just took me and he's fucking insane! You have to go, I mean it, he'll kill you and he'll make me watchand I can't do it again, I can't, there was so much blood and she just screamed and screamed and he didn't even care, he-"

"Frank, calm down, it's OK, he's not here!" Neo said, trying to calm the hyperventilating boy.

Frank was sobbing now, shaking and crying. He could feel the anxiety and panic creeping up on him and he couldn't breathe again and it felt like Gerad was drowning him all over again, plunging his head back under the water and holding him still whilst he drowned, as if he was killing off an unwanted pet.

Frank felt himself being pulled to his feet and tried to stand, but his legs felt like jelly.

"How did you get in here?" Frank asked him as they both struggled out of the bathroom.

"I was out running and I thought I heard a scream and I thought I was imagining it, but I went towards where I heard it from and I found this house. The door was wide open and I just... I know I shouldn't have come in, but it's just as well I did," Neo explained.

"Thank you for saving me," Frank breathed, wincing as his head continued to throb and his lung ached with each breath. "But you really shouldn't have come in."

"Look, I told you, there's now way I'm leaving you here," Neo insisted. "Do you know where he is? The guy who kidnapped you?"

"No," Frank replied, shuddering. "And that scares me. He's a monster."

"We have to get out of here quick then, he might come back-"

Neo was cut off by the front door slamming shut. He turned to look at Frank with huge, terrified eyes. Frank looked like he was about to throw up and he was trembling, his eyes fixed forwards at the bottom of the stairs.

Neither of them moved as Gerard's footsteps got louder and he came closer. When he came round the corner and into sight, his face was scared. He was petrified of what he was going to find waiting for him in the bathroom.

But instead, he found Frank on the stairs, in the arms of another man.

Gerard's blood began to boil immediately.

"Who the fuck are you?!" he spat, advancing towards them.

"Gerard please, he's helping me, he-"

"Did I fucking talk to you Frank?" Gerard hissed, glaring at the shaking boy.

"Please," Neo begged, gripping Frank tightly. "He needs to go to the hospital, he nearly died!"

"Get your arms off of Frank before I rip them off of your body," Gerard snarled, grabbing Neo and sending him tumbling down the stairs, landing in a heap on the floor.

Frank fell, clutching the banister for support, too weak to stand on his own. He reached out and wrapped his hand around Gerard's ankle, causing him to look down at Frank.

"Don't do this Gerard," Frank pleaded. "If you love me, please, please don't do this, just let him go."

"You must think I'm an idiot Frank," Gerard said, smiling sweetly. "You really think I'm just going to let him go?"

Frank couldn't do anything but watch as Gerard descended the stairs towards Neo, who groaned in pain when Gerard kicked in the ribs and rolled him over onto his back.

"What were you doing with my boyfriend?" Gerard hissed, kicking Neo again. "Did you come round and fuck him? Is he cheating on me with you?"

"No," Neo replied, trying to crawl away from Gerard but hitting the wall behind him. "I came to help him, I saved his life! He would be dead if I hadn't have come here and found him! How could you drown him? He could be dead!"

Gerard's face fell and the raised arm that hung in the air, ready to strike Neo, limply dropped and fell by his side. Neo swallowed loudly and Frank slowly moved forwards.

"Gerard," Frank whispered gently, "please, just listen to him. He's telling the truth, I swear. If it wasn't for him I wouldnt be alive."

Gerard closed his eyes and exhaled heavily through his nose. "I still haven't forgiven you."

"Exactly. You haven't forgiven me, this has nothing to do with him. Just let him go, he won't say a word."

Gerard's eyes snapped open and he spun round, hitting Frank square in the face and sending him sprawling across the floor.

"Don't you dare lie to me! Took the first chance to get another guy round here and fuck him, didn't you?! You unfaithful, cheating, lying slut!" Gerard screamed at him, fisting his hands in his own hair, his face frantic.

Frank just covered his head with his hands, whimpering and terrified. All the while Neo had been edging towards the door, crawling slowly on his sprained ankle. Gerard saw him moving in the corner of his eye and shot forwards, grabbing Neo and dragging him back.

Gerard pulled him up against the wall, holding him up by his shirt. "I don't know who the fuck you are and I don't care. What I do care about is Frank. He's mine and he's always been mine. I don't like other people messing with my things and you've done exactly that. So I'm going to show you what happens to people who upset me and try to take Frank away from me."

Neo was sobbing by now, a hysterical mess. Gard just dropped him on the floor, spitting at him in disgust before bringing his foot down on Neo's head until he was unconscious.

Gerard then turned to Frank, a sick, excited smile plastered across his face. "Looks like you're in for quite a show Frankie."