Not happening!...(edited)

Linda Iero was panicking outside the house, waiting on the police that she could hear, somewhere in the distance, headed their way.

She was just considering going and banging on the front door herself, when a taxi pulled up beside her and an angry looking Mikey Way jumped out and headed toward the house.

"Wait..."

She called after him. Mikey looked back at her.

"My son's in there."

Mikey raised his eyebrows.

"Frank?..."

She nodded, tears filling her eyes.

"I'll find him."

Then he let himself into the house and shut the door behind him.

Mikey could hear scuffling coming from the back hallway, and slipped his hand into his inside pocket, thin fingers wrapping around the reassuring weight of the hand gun his mother had reluctantly given him.

Pulling the weapon out, he clicked off the safety and crept toward the dull sounds of choking and cursing. Rounding the corner he saw that asshole, Major General Raymond Briggs, with his hands wrapped around Frank's throat, throttling the life right out of him. Briggs didn't see him and Frank looked all but dead now, so Mikey raised the gun with shaky hands, aiming it at the older man...and fired.

The shot sounded like an explosion going off in the tiny space and Briggs yelped, letting go of Frank who fell silently to the floor, and staggered sideways.

Mikey had caught him in the shoulder, and now the angry man was advancing on him. He fired the gun again and Briggs fell, lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling, blood quickly pooling beneath him.

Mikey's hands trembled and his eyes filled up, but he quickly regained his composure as he heard his dad's voice coming from the basement.

"Thought you were going to strangle the little shit, not shoot him?!"

Mikey looked over at where Frank lay in the doorway of the bathroom.. He was waking up.

"Frank..."

Mikey hissed at him as he stepped over Briggs' dead body.

"I'll hold off my dad, you get Gee out of here."

"M-Mikey?...how are you here?"

Frank croaked out as he dragged himself to his feet.

"Mum broke down and told me what dad did. She gave me this..."

He held up the gun to show Frank.

"She told me to finish it..."

Mikey grimaced as he heard his dad's footsteps start up the basement steps toward them. He quickly dragged Frank into the kitchen.

"Now, if you love my brother like you say you do?..."

Frank nodded enthusiastically, though the movement seemed to cause him pain.

"...then you'll get him out, and don't look back. I'll deal with my dad."

Frank sobbed slightly. He couldn't leave the 13 year old to face his psycho father alone, could he? Mikey quickly got him to hide in the corner so he could sneak down to the basement while the Lieutenant General was otherwise engaged, then Mikey slipped back out of the room.

Don Way stepped up into the kitchen and headed back toward the bathroom. He wanted to know why Raymond hadn't answered him before, and why he'd felt the need to use his weapon in the house. That seemed like a bit of overkill if you asked him. Reaching the bathroom, he froze in his steps. On the floor, clearly dead, with a large hole in the middle of his face...was Briggs...and standing over him, gun hung from his fingertips at his side, was Mikey.

"Michael James Way..."

Don seethed, anger flowing through his veins.

"What the FUCK did you do?"

Mikey shivered with fear and slowly raised the gun to point at his father. Don shot him a disgusted look and quickly pulled his own gun from the back waistband of his pants, levelling it at the terrified teen. Mikey swallowed heavily...he had a feeling that this wasn't going to end very well for him, but all he really wanted was to give Frank enough time to get Gerard to safety. He breathed, shakily.

"Why dad?..."

He stalled.

"Why did you do it?"

They stood there in a standoff, Don glaring daggers at his youngest son. Meanwhile, Frank had made it down the rough wooden steps and scooped the unconscious Gerard into his arms, before quietly creeping back up into the house.

He thought for a moment about going to help Mikey, but the thin pale boy, whimpering softly against his chest made his mind up for him, and he quickly slipped out the back door.

As he reached the front of the house, ambulances were pulling up and his mother was running across the dry grass toward him, tears leaving mascara tracks down her cheeks.

"Oh Frank...oh thank God..."

She pulled him into her arms, awkwardly hugging around him and Gerard.

"I thought I'd lost you."

She cried.

Paramedics ushered them over to an ambulance, and Gerard was laid down in the back, while Frank sat on the back step as they were both examined. While the medics worked on Gerard, giving him oxygen and pain relief, two police cars arrived and four officers hurried over to find out what exactly was happening.

Frank explained as best he could, though the shock he was apparently suffering from made intelligent speech rather difficult...but the cops got the gist of what he was telling them and were soon drawing their own guns and heading toward the house.

They hadn't taken more than a couple of steps though, when two gunshots rang out from inside the house.

Everyone froze for a moment, then the police officers were all running in and Frank and Linda were being loaded quickly into the back of the ambulance and driven away at speed.

Linda held Frank against her side as they headed toward the hospital. It was a short journey, and Frank kept hold of both his mother's and Gerard's hand the entire way.

He wanted to know what was happening back at the house, but no one here knew any more than he did at this point. He would have to wait.

When they reached the hospital, Gerard was whisked away into one of the main emergency rooms, while Frank was taken to cubicles to be examined.

He didn't want to leave Gerard's side, but right now, pain and exhaustion were getting the best of him and soon after a pretty nurse with blonde and green hair and purple tunnels in her ears gave him a pill to help him relax, he passed right out.

Linda slept in a chair by his side, all that night.

~Time Lapse, 10 days later~

"Frank..are you ready?...we gotta go..."

Linda stuck her head around her son's bedroom door and smiled sadly at him.

"You look so handsome."

Frank looked at his mother's reflection as he finished tying his tie.

"I hate wearing suits, Mumma..."

He frowned as he turned to face her.

"It's not me."

Linda shook her head as they left the room together, heading down the stairs.

"No, it's not..."

She agreed.

"You suit your skinny jeans and band tees more. But today's important..."

She sighed as they left the house and climbed into the car.

"This is for him."

Frank hung his head.

"I know Mumma. I'd just be more comfortable in my own clothes."

He clipped in his seatbelt as Linda started the car. Then they were off.

The journey took a little under an hour, and Frank spent most of that time staring out his window at the passing cars that became fewer the closer they got to their destination.

When Linda turned the car in through the huge black, cast iron gates, Frank flicked off the radio that had been playing quietly the whole way there, and turned to look at his mother. He could see she was trying to be strong for him, trying not to cry, but she seemed to be fighting a losing battle right now.

"Do you think he'll be here?"

He asked, quietly. Linda parked up and turned off the ignition, before turning to face Frank.

"I don't know sweetie..."

She sighed.

"He's been through a lot."

Frank looked up at the small red brick building in front of them. It didn't look like he'd imagined it would, not as grand somehow. He felt a little disappointed, like they were being cheated. He shook his head to clear these useless thoughts. Today wasn't about him. Getting out of the car, Frank looked around the small parking lot and saw other cars parked neatly in rows.

Linda came around the car and gently took his hand.

"Let's go in."

She said, quietly.

Inside the building there were several rows of chairs, all facing toward a raised platform at the other end of the room. Many of these seats were taken, but Frank only recognised a handful of the people there.

At the front of the room, he could see Donna's bright blonde hair, her head hung low. He thought briefly that her hair looked too brash for such a solemn occasion, but he guessed that she wasn't really in the mood for a trip to the hairdressers right now, so he let the thought slide.

As they made their way down the centre aisle, in between the seats, Frank's heart skipped slightly as he saw who was sitting to Donna's left.

"He's here Mumma."

Frank whispered as they slid into a seat, a couple rows back from the front. Linda squeezed her son's hand reassuringly. She knew he just wanted to go over there now, but he'd have to wait until after.

About ten minutes later, a tall dark haired man in a somber black suit stepped up onto the platform. What small amount of quiet talking that had been going on, stopped as he cleared his throat.

"Good morning. We gather here today to celebrate the life of a young man, who has been returned home to his place with God far earlier than he should have been..."

The minister spoke of how sad it was to lose one so young and how he would be greatly missed by all who knew him. Frank felt tears slide down his cheeks and didn't bother to wipe them away.

The minister then told of how good the boy was, always caring for his brother even when times were hard. Frank sat, numbness spreading through his mind as the minister's words bled together.

"Let us go in peace to live out the Word of God."

The service ended and everyone stood, making their way slowly outside, following the coffin as it was carried toward the graveyard behind the building.

Frank wanted to go to him now but Linda kept him close, holding onto his hand as they trailed between the headstones. He could just see him, being pushed in his wheelchair by his distraught mother. His head hung low, his hair hiding his pale face from view.

When they reached the open graveside, everyone watched in silence as the coffin was carefully lowered into the ground. The minister spoke softly, lines he'd said a hundred times before.

"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return to God who gave it. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust..."

He formed the holy cross over his chest.

"Amen."

Everyone quietly echoed the word, and the burial service was over.

Looking around the faces as they started to drift away, Frank saw that everyone without exception had tears falling from their eyes. A few feet away, Donna stood holding her son's hand and weeping openly.

"Please Mumma?..."

Frank pulled at his hand.

"I need to see him."

Linda sighed and smiled softly, pulling him in for a small hug.

"I'll be at the car."

She whispered, then turned and walked away. Frank took a deep breath and stepped toward the grieving pair.

"Mrs Way?..."

Donna peered at him through wet eyelashes.

"I am so sorry for your loss."

He looked down at his feet.

"You should be..."

She spat out, bitterly. Frank cringed.

"You left him in that house to face that monster alone."

Gerard finally lifted his head and looked up at his mother.

"Don't blame Frankie, Ma..."

His voice was scratchy from crying.

"He saved me, he did what Mikey told him to do..."

He turned his head toward his little black haired boy.

"Hi...I like your suit."

He smiled weakly. Frank stepped closer and crouched down in front of Gerard's chair, gently taking his thin cold hands in his.

"I like yours too..."

He lifted Gerard's right hand and softly kissed his fingertips.

"I am sorry, ya know?..."

Gerard nodded slightly, looking down.

"If I could've gone back in for him, I would've...you know that, right?"

Gerard lifted his eyes up to meet Frank's again.

"And then I would've lost both of you..."

He sighed deeply, leaning forward in his chair.

"You did the right thing, Frankie Angel."

Frank smiled softly.

"Am I still your Frankie?...Do you still want me around?"

Gerard frowned.

"Of course you are...how could you think otherwise?..."

Gerard pulled Frank into his arms, hugging him awkwardly as Donna watched nearby.

"I love you, Frankie..."

He whispered in Frank's ear.

"That won't ever change."

Frank smiled properly for the first time in nearly two weeks.

"I love you too, baby...always."

Gerard pulled back to look in Frank's gentle eyes.

"Let's go home Frankie..."

Frank grinned as he stood up, his knees popping as he straightened them out. He stepped behind Gerard's chair and pushed it away from the graveside.

"Goodbye Mikey..."

Gerard breathed as they headed toward their cars.

"I'll miss you."

At the side of the graveyard, just out of sight in the edge of the wood, Don Way watched the three sad figures walking away. A tear slipped down his cheek for all he'd lost.

"The wrong one..."

He muttered, stepping back between the trees.

"Soon. I'll fix it soon."

THE END!

Notes

Thanks for reading, hope you liked it.
xxx