"Yes he's here with me. Yes he's fine and in one piece. No he's not blue, or an elephant. Where did you come up with that one?" I asked into the phone as I stood in front of the mysterious Christmas tree that caused so much turmoil, taking in it's green pine beauty.

"I don't know I was just repeating the questions as fast as everyone shouted them," Ray offered with a verbal shrug to his shoulders.

"Frankie," you both said simultaneously.

"So the plan is for you guys to meet us for lunch and then we're suppose to go buy ornaments and the like for my new tree. And then decorate afterwards I guess," I replied before yawning. Yesterday and last night had been taxing, and being up so early afterwards on a day off was pushing your limits.

"We'll see you then I guess. Thanks for calling and letting us know about Gerard, Mikey broke a pair of glasses last night fretting over him. I think all of us did something along those lines. It's good to know he's back and safe with you. Do you know why he disappeared yesterday?" Ray asked.

"He just had one of those shitty days where you need to disappear for a while is all. We all get them from time to time. Though he is sorry about not calling, his phone is legitimately dead," I replied with the safest answer I could come up with as I watched a groggy Gerard leave my bed room. One hand was in his hair scratching his head, the other rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he yawned. He looked a thousand times better then he had last night.

"Alright, we'll see you come lunch time. Where do you want to eat? Chinese?" Ray asked over the phone.

I smiled at the idea of Frankie handling chopsticks.

"Chinese sounds magnificent Ray, see you then!" I replied before hanging up and turning my attention back to my apartment and the very tired Gerard sitting on my couch in a sun beam with his eyes closed.

"That was Ray, I called and told them that you were safe and sound and with me. We're all going to meet up for lunch before we buy stuff for the tree to decorate," I let out as I scanned over Gerard's body on my couch, looking for any signs that he hadn't started to heal after last night.

"Yeah I heard, thanks for not telling them everything," Gerard yawned as he opened up his eyes and stared up at me. There was some light in them, behind all the sleepy fog. If eyes were the windows to the soul then Gerard had the blinds down but turned so they let the light in. Just enough escaped to get you hooked to their message but not enough that you ever really could say you knew him. I sighed internally over that fact. There was so much to him that I didn't know and while I had been allowed so many glimpses in I still felt like there was more to learn.

"You're welcome. I figured it was up to you what you told or didn't tell them," I offered as I sat down on the couch next to him, just enjoying the morning sun as it caressed my skin.

"So," I said after a good fifteen minutes of sun bathing and dozing on my couch. If I wasn't careful Gerard and I were going to fall right back to sleep.

"How does bacon sound?" I offered as I cracked an eye open and looked over at Gerard.

"Bacon?" Gerard asked, eyes wide open at the one word response. What was it with guys and bacon? It was like a direct jumper cable to their brains.

"Yes bacon. Real, honest to god, cut from the pig bacon. Huge thick slices of the stuff. The stuff that Frankie has nightmares about," I offered with a wicked grin as I made to stand up and make my way into my kitchen. It didn't see a lot of action since I ate so much downstairs, but it saw enough that the beat up butcher block cart I had added to it was needed for extra counter space.

"With pans full of bacon grease?" Gerard asked hopefully from beside me as he followed me into the kitchen.

"That I'll cook potatoes and eggs in," I supplied as I bent to get my cast iron skillet that had been my favorite flea market find here in Jersey. I stood with the fifty pound skillet only to see Gerard standing with a humongous shit eating grin across his pale face, his arms full to bursting with butter, bacon, eggs, cheese, mushrooms and bread for toast.

"Potatoes are in the lazy Susan," Gerard offered with an over emphatic nod of his head. I guess bacon was the magic word this morning.

"That they are," I sighed happily with a shake of my head as I went for the aforementioned potatoes.

Notes

Short but kinda cute!
More to come as always!
I hope you guys are looking to read a handful of new chapters!!!