You're Not In This Alone

GERARD'S POV

I'm so tired but I don't want to sleep until I can make sense of what's happening. Frank has gone to sleep and the very pretty teenage girl who I'm told is Ruby stays with me, holding my hand. I stare at her face for the millionth time today and her features are familiar but I'm still not sure what's happened. "Ruby?" I say to get her attention again. "Yeah daddy." "I don't remember..." I trail off, unsure of what to say and she says "It's ok. It'll come back to you. Maybe this will help" she tells me as she grabs a sketch book and opens it to a certain page before showing it to me. It's a sketch of her and Frank laying on a couch and she says "You drew this a little while ago, do you remember?" I shake my head as I look at the picture and say "Tell me about it, where did I draw it?" She takes a deep breath before saying "You drew this right after something very traumatic happened to me, I couldn't be left alone and dad and I fell asleep on the couch and when you came home you drew this." "What happened to you baby?" She takes a deep breath before saying "I was raped by my boyfriends friend while he watched." My mouth drops open and suddenly it comes flooding back. "I did something to him didn't I?" She nods her head and I sigh, unsure of what I did but knowing it was bad. "Are you ok?" "Yeah daddy, you and Ryan are getting me through it." "Ryan?" I ask and she says "Yeah my new boyfriend, you know him from the gallery. He's an artist too." I nod and I feel myself unable to keep my eyes open any longer.

I dream of being with Frank in an apartment building, running down the hallway and Frank bashes on the door screaming out for someone named Matt. I hear a girl scream out "Daddy" and I just know it's Ruby. Frank kicks the door in and we run inside, splitting up as we search for her. I follow a noise to the back of the apartment and stumble in on a horrific scene. Ruby is laying unconscious on the bed, her hands tied and her face bleeding. One man is kneeling between her legs, his dick thrusting in and out of her and another man is in the corner watching. I scream out in anger as my vision goes red and I lunge forward and that's when I wake up, screaming out "No fucking stop. No not Ruby." Warm hands touch my face as my eyes snap open and I come face to face with Frank. I start to sob as I choke out "I remember, oh god Frankie how could they do that to her?" Frank leans in and pulls me into his arms and lets me sob into his neck until I calm down and he pulls back and says "Shh baby it's alright, she's alright now." "They....they....Matt..." "I know baby, you need to calm down though ok." I focus on his face as I try to control my breathing and when I can breathe properly again Frank sits back in the chair beside my bed, holding my hand. "Where is she?" "She went to Ryan's for the night, she's perfectly safe with him I promise. She's been running herself empty and she needs a break." I nod before saying "I need to apologise for not remembering her before." "She understands babe, we knew there would be a few things to work out once you woke up" and I nod, letting my eyes drift shut again and I let sleep take over.

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