Who are you?...Who am I? (RE-WRITE!)

Frank looked over at Gerard, curled up on his side and for once...sleeping peacefully. He didn’t want their happy vacation to end and he didn’t want Gerard to be scared again, but he knew he couldn’t keep this from him...he could let him rest for a little while more though. He crossed to the side of the bed and picked up his cell, then took it into the bathroom and called the front desk of the hotel. His call was picked up on the second ring.

"Aloha, Ohana Waikiki Malia hotel, Kona Kalakaua speaking, how can I help you?"

"Aloha..."

Frank greeted the woman quietly, not wanting to wake Gerard up.

"This is Frank Iero in room 316, I have a problem and need to speak to the manager...if that’s possible?"

"Certainly Mr. Iero, he’s here right now. I’ll pass you over."

"Thank you."

Frank listened as the phone was passed over to the manager, a few quiet words exchanged before a deep male voice sounded in his ear.

"Good morning Mr. Iero, I’m Adam Noshimuri, the general manager. Miss Kalakaua tells me you have a problem?"

"Yes, Good morning..."

Frank took a breath, then continued...picking his words carefully.

"My fiancé and I have been subject to harassment for some time now, which is why we came here to the island...to get away..."

The manager hummed for Frank to carry on.

"A note was slipped under our door a few minutes ago that indicates that we’ve been followed here. I was hoping that you could check your security cameras and see if there’s a clear picture of whoever left the note."

"I can certainly do that Mr. Iero. It was a few minutes ago you say?"

"Yes, about five minutes."

The manager hummed again and Frank heard tapping that sounded like fingers on a keyboard for a minute, then the manager's voice returned.

"Mr. Iero?..."

Frank hummed in acknowledgement.

"I have cctv of someone in dark jeans and a dark hooded top posting the note under your door...but they kept their head down, the camera didn’t see their face..."

The manager grumbled something that Frank couldn’t hear, then let out an audible sigh.

"I’ve just used the hotel's cameras to track this person from the moment they entered the hotel, to the moment they left...and the cameras didn’t catch their face once. It actually looks like they knew where the cameras were and actively avoided them. I’m sorry."

Frank sighed heavily.

"It’s ok. I should’ve expected that, they’ve been pretty clever so far..."

He rubbed his hand over his face tiredly.

"Could you possibly make a copy of the video tracking them?...there might be something that could help the police back home."

"Of course. I’ll have it waiting for you at reception when you’re ready to collect it. Is there anything else I can do for you?...a change of room perhaps?"

Frank thought about it, and sighed.

"I’ll discuss it with my fiancé when he wakes up and let you know. Thank you."

"Of course. Anything to help. Enjoy your stay Mr. Iero."

"Thanks, we'll try."

Frank hung up and looked at the paper in his hand again. Whoever had taken Gerard, had hurt Gerard...they were here. They’d followed them, but to what end? Were they just trying to scare them, or were they coming after Gerard again? Either way, Frank knew he had to keep Gerard safe, but that he couldn’t keep him in the dark forever...he would have to show him the note when he woke up.

*

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*

Of course, the note had Gerard in tears. He cried and clung to Frank, shaking in terror.

"Why won’t th-they l-leave us al-lone?"

He sobbed, burying his face in Frank’s shirt as Frank held him tight, rocking him gently and trying to reassure him that everything would be ok...even though Frank was no long so certain that it would be.

"I don’t know baby, but I’m not gonna let them hurt you. I swear to you Gee, I’ll kill them before they ever lay a hand on you again."

Gerard lifted his face, wet, red rimmed eyes staring up imploringly at the older man.

"Y-you’d k-kill them?"

He stuttered out disbelievingly. Frank nodded slightly.

"I’d do whatever it took to keep you safe."

Gerard nodded, then rested his head against Frank’s chest, trembling and sniffing as he tried to calm his breathing and listen to Frank’s heart beating strong and true next to his ear.

"I...I want to go home..."

He whispered after a minute, then looked up through wet lashes.

"Take me h-home Frank?"

"Of course my love, anything you want."

Once Gerard was calm enough, he started to pack up the few things they’d taken out of their bags, while Frank called the airline and changed their flights home. They had booked the vacation for a fortnight, but luckily the airline was understanding and only charged them a small amount for altering their return date, rather than charging them for completely new tickets.

The flight home was set for 8:40 that evening, so they spent the day quietly cuddled up in their hotel room before taking a cab to the airport just after seven.

Gerard clung to Frank and barely spoke, keeping his head down and trembling whenever anyone came too close. Frank hated whoever had done this to his baby, more than he ever thought he could hate anyone.

The plane was on time and there was a slight headwind, so it landed back in a rainy and cold Jersey at a couple of minutes before midday. After collecting their bags, they made their way to the long stay parking and found the car, then drove back to their house in a tired silence. Gerard was curled into himself, wearing one of Frank’s baggy sweaters with the sleeves pulled down over his hands and his arms wrapped around himself as he stared unseeingly out of the window at the rain...Frank had to say his name four times to get his attention when they pulled into the driveway.

"We're home baby. Let’s get inside and I’ll order us a pizza...how does that sound?"

Gerard shrugged slightly, eyes cast down.

"I’m not hungry."

He said flatly. Frank frowned, reaching up to tuck the boy’s hair behind his ear.

"You gotta eat baby. You can’t let them win."

Gerard swallowed, looking up sadly.

"Haven’t they won already Frank?"

There was a defeat in his eyes that broke Frank's heart in two. Gerard sighed, then climbed out of the car and walked up onto the porch, waiting under the shelter for Frank to come open the door. Frank clenched his fists on the steering wheel...he really wanted to hit something right now. He wished he still had his old punching bag in the garage, but that was long gone. Taking a breath, he climbed out and fetched their bags from the trunk before joining Gerard on the porch. He unlocked the door and let them into the house, then Gerard went straight to the bathroom and locked himself in.

Frank tried talking to him through the door, but all Gerard would say was that he was ok and that he just needed to be alone for a while. Frank heard water running and assumed Gerard was taking a bath. He told him that he would be in the living room if he needed anything, then told him that he loved him, and left him to bathe in peace.

Frank was sat on the couch with an old movie on low an hour or so later when he heard the bathroom door open. He heard light footsteps along the hall, then the bedroom door closing. He sighed and waited, hoping that Gerard would come down soon. After a while, realising that Gerard wasn’t coming, he stood from the sofa and went upstairs. Cracking the bedroom door open slightly, he peered into the dim room. The curtains were closed and Gerard was curled up in the bed, snoring quietly, dark hair spread out on the pillow and the tip of his thumb tucked into his mouth. Frank sighed, shook his head sadly, then closed the door and headed back downstairs. He thought about ordering food, but honestly he wasn’t feeling that hungry either.

The movie Frank had put on was finished, and now there was a rerun of some old sitcom that he was fairly sure he used to watch with his mom when he was small, but now it was only background noise. He lay on the couch, eyes on the tv and mind on his beautiful boy. He wanted to go back up there and cuddle with him, but Gerard had said he needed to be alone for a while...he would give him that...for a while.

*

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*

Frank didn’t remember falling asleep on the couch, but it was dark when he was woken up by the sound of screaming...coming from upstairs. Suddenly wide awake, he dashed up the stairs two at a time and barrelled into the bedroom, nearly falling over in shock at what he saw.

In the corner of the room, curled up in a ball with his arms over his head was Gerard...and standing over him was a man in black. Regaining his senses quickly, Frank rushed the man and tackled him to the ground. A knife that Frank hadn’t seen flew from the man's hand and slid across the wooden floor, disappearing under the dresser in the corner. The man struggled to break free, grunting and cursing at Frank as he tried to hold onto him. The man's hood slipped down and Frank gasped, shocked recognition rendering him immobile for a moment...just long enough for the man to elbow him in the gut and wriggle free. The man was up and running from the room before Frank could even catch his breath again.

Hearing footsteps thundering down the stairs, then the front door opening and slamming shut, Frank knew that the man was gone. He turned his head to the corner, where Gerard was curled up, shaking and crying, white as a sheet with eyes as big as saucers as he stared open mouthed at their open bedroom door.

"Gee?..."

Frank moved slowly, spoke quietly so as not to spook him.

"Baby, look at me..."

Gerard’s eyes flicked to Frank, then back to the door...Frank could see him shaking and hear his breaths coming in quick, panicked gasps.

"Baby, he’s gone now. Look at me..."

Gerard’s whole body shook as he took in a deep, shuddery breath...then he swallowed and slowly turned his head toward Frank, eyes still frighteningly wide. Frank smiled softly as he moved slowly toward him.

"It’s ok now...I’m here..."

Gerard sobbed, then swallowed and nodded slightly...Frank could see the tears soaking the boy’s ghostly white cheeks, and he wanted to kiss them away. He got to within a couple of feet of Gerard, and stopped, opening his arms to him. Gerard stared at him for a moment, then practically threw himself into Frank’s chest, cling on tight and burying his face as huge ugly sobs sounded muffled through the room. Frank wrapped his arms around him and held him tight, rocking him and humming softly as he swore to himself that he would kill that bastard if he ever laid eyes on him again.

*

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*

An hour later, Frank was sat in the living room with Gerard curled up in his lap and the two detectives who had been dealing with their case, sitting on the couch opposite them. There were CSIs upstairs taking fingerprints and retrieving the knife, while the detectives took the two men's statements.

"And you recognised him?"

The older detective asked with interest. Frank nodded.

"Yeah...yes, I did. We went to school with him, his name's Bob."

"Bob?"

"Yeah...sorry...Robert, Bryar."

"Robert Bryar..."

The detective wrote down the name.

"And do you know why he would’ve done any of this?"

Frank sighed, hugging Gerard a little tighter as he felt him shudder against him.

"He asked me out once, a long time ago. I said no cause I already knew that Gerard was the only one for me."

"How did he take that?"

The other detective asked. Frank chuckled, but the sound held no mirth.

"We never spoke again, but I’d say he took it badly."

"Do you think he would be capable of taking Gerard?...do you think he could’ve done it all?"

Frank frowned, thinking for a minute...then shrugged.

"I don’t know. Like I said, we never spoke again. Who knows how far he’d go?"

The detectives both asked a few more questions, then left the pair in peace...with two uniformed officers in a car out front and another two in the house with them. Neither of them slept that night.

*

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*

It was two days later when the detectives returned with news. Robert 'Bob' Bryar had committed subside by cop after a three hour armed standoff with the local police. He had used his eight year old niece as a hostage until somehow she’d managed to get far enough away from him for the cops to move in, then he’d refused to drop his weapon and attacked the officers. They’d had no choice in the end and he’d died of a gunshot wound to the chest, bleeding out in the ambulance five minutes away from the hospital.

Bob's apartment had been searched and details of a farmhouse in Wyoming that had been passed to him when his uncle died, were found. There was also a box full of graphic photos of Gerard from during the time he was held captive, and video files on the man's laptop of him beating and raping the terrified boy.

The detectives told Frank and Gerard that the police in Afton had already been to the farm and found a soundproof room in the basement that was set up as a torture chamber. There was blood and other things that the CSIs were testing, but they were already certain that this was where Gerard had been held.

"There’s no indication that anyone else was involved. Of course, we’re waiting on all the fingerprints and swabs to know for sure, but as of right now...I feel confident to tell you that it’s over."

Frank smiled softly, holding Gerard to him.

"I think we'll wait til the tests are in before we relax though...if you don’t mind."

The detective chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"Of course...and I’ll let you know personally when those results are in, Ok?"

"Thank you...for everything."

The detective smiled and shook Frank’s hand, then Frank and Gerard were left in peace once more...without uniformed cops in their home this time.

*

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*

Three days later, at just after four in the afternoon, the detective turned up at their front door to give them the good news...the tests were all back and the fingerprints, blood and other samples had been checked thoroughly, and apart from Gerard’s and Bob's, there was no sign that anyone else had been in that basement room...ever.

It was official...it was over.

*

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*

Finally, after all the pain, fear, heartache and heartbreak...finally, Frank and Gerard could get on with their lives...together.

NOTES

So we’ve come to the end of the story, but there is just a little more to tell...so, stick around, because there will be an epilogue. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this fic as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.

Xxx

Notes

Hi there chipmunks, how’s you?

Sorry this update is late, but life’s a bitch and she’s been kicking me in the head for a while now...but here you are, the last proper chapter. There will be an epilogue, but you’re gonna have to be patient and wait for it.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Until next time...PLEASE COMMENT and peace out babies!
<3