The phone was staring accusingly at Frank as he watched it.

Gerard had been gone for nearly three hours and in that time Frank had managed to find his phone, locked away in the back of a drawer of Gerard's desk he'd forgotten to lock.

Frank drew in a deep death. He shouldn't be doing this. Why would he do this? He wasn't supposed to think about his old life. He was betraying Gerard by doing this, throwing away everything he'd ever done for Frank.

And yet none of that stopped Frank from picking up his phone and listening to all of the voicemails Mikey had left him.

He was sobbing uncontrollably before he'd even listened to half of them, the pain in his best friend's voice cutting through him like a knife.

"Frank, please, just be OK. I'm going out of my mind here, just...I don't know why you're gone, but I swear to God, you need to come home Frank. I feel like I'm dying here," Mikey cried, his voice breaking.

Frank couldn't listen anymore. He couldn't do it.

Mikey picked up on the first ring. "Frank!"

Frank found that his voice had disappeared and all he could do was let his mouth hang open and let the tears spill over and trickle down his face.

"Frank?" Mikey whispered. "Are you there?"

"I...y-yeah," Frank choked out.

Mikey let out a muffled sob. "Oh my God, I thought you were dead! Where are you?!"

Frank swallowed. "I can't tell you Mikey, I'm sorry."

"What? Frank, what's happening? Why are you gone?"

"Mikey, please... I can't tell you anything, but I'm ok. How...how are you?"

"How am I? How am i?! Frank, you disappear for nearly four fucking months after your girlfriend was found dead in her kitchen and then call all this time later and expect me to be OK with not telling me anything?! How do you fucking think I am?!" Mikey yelled at him furiously.

"Mikey, I'm so sorry," Frank breathed, closing his eyes. "I just... I wanted to hear your voice."

"Frank... I've been going out of my mind worrying about you. The least you can do is tell me what's going on. What happened Frank?"

"I can't tell you," Frank whispered.

"Why though?! Is there someone there Frank? Did someone take you?!"

"I... I have to go Mikey. Just promise me you'll stop looking for me. It's better for both of us if you just forget about me," Frank told him, wincing at how detatched his voice was.

"Frank, please don't do this to me," Mikey pleaded, crying again. "I feel like I'm losing everyone, you can't just disappear out of my life! Gerard's not here anymore and I can't-"

"What?" Frank asked sharply. "Gerard?"

"My brother? Remember? He... You never met him. I never told you about him, but Gerard's sick. He has a lot of mental health issues and I'm fucking scared Frank. He won't answer the door and he won't pick up his phone-"

The phone slipped from Frank's grasp and landed on the carpet with a soft thump.

"Frank? Frank, are you there?"

Frank's head was spinning. This couldn't be happening. There was no way this was possible.

I never told you about him, but Gerard's sick. He has a lot of mental health issues..

Frank got up and ran to the bedroom, grabbing Gerard's phone from the floor where it had fallen this morning. He scrolled through Gerard's contact list and stopped when he foundMikey Way.

A picture of his best friend was next to the name on Gerard's phone and suddenly everything clicked.

My brother? Remember?

Gerard's not here anymore.

He won't answer the door and he won't pick up his phone.

Frank slowly walked back to the phone that was lying on the carpet, Mikey's voice still talking.

Frank picked up his phone and closed his eyes. "I have to go Mikey. I'm sorry."

"What? Frank, wait-"

Frank hung up.

He set the phone down just as he heard the front door shut softly downstairs.