Swallowed in Grief, Healed by Time

I was lying in someone's lap as the ran their hand through my hair. My eyes refused to open as I tried to remember what was going on. I knew that I wasn't supposed to be in the position that I was currently in but I didn't know why. Something wasn't right but I couldn't remember what happened. The last thing I remember is getting off of work, then my car broke down and I called Gerard. Gerard came to picked me up and dropped me off at home. Aaron wasn't happy that I wasn't home yet. Shit! That's when he started to beat me before...oh my god. He...he...oh god, I can't believe he did that. I remember him throwing me down the stairs and trying to get to something but I was too weak. There's blood in the living room and Aaron runs out leaving us alone. Someone picked me up and I see...

"Mom!" I scream sitting up abruptly.

"Holy shit!" I heard Braden say.

"Mom, where's mom?" I asked looking around to my brother who had been holding me in his lap.

"Elise, calm down," Braden said pulling me back into his arms. "Everything's going to be ok."

"Braden, where's mom?" I asked as my eyes teared up. "Where is she?"

"We're here."

I looked towards the front of the car to see Gerard and Frank. Mikey was sitting beside Braden and I in the back. Braden pulled me back to him tightly. Gerard turned from his position in the passengers seat and stared back at me with teary eyes. I looked over at Mikey to see that he was just as teary as his older brother. Something clearly isn't right, these guys don't cry. Braden tightened his grip around me as he slowly forced me to face him. Tears were running down my brothers cheeks as he looked at me. There was my answer.

"Braden," I whispered as I felt tears come to my eyes.

"They called the police and she was pronounced dead on the scene. He killed her," Braden whispered as tears fell from his eyes. "She's dead."

"No," I whispered shaking my head. "No, she's stronger than that."

"Baby girl the knife hit her heart," Gerard said. "She didn't stand a chance."

"No," I collapsed into my twin.

Braden held me tightly as I cried into him. Mikey unbuckled his seat belt and pulled us both into a hug with him. Together we all cried for the mother and friend that we had lost. The car stopped and I was transfered from Mikey and Braden to Gerard. That's when I really thought about the situation I was in. There was a blanket covering me tightly but I was so sore that I could barely move. When Gerard picked me up I had flashes of what Aaron did came back.

"Let me go," I screamed trying to get away from the man that held me.

"Elise, calm down baby girl, it's just me," Gerard said as he held me in a tight grip.

"Gerard?" I whispered as his voice flooded my senses.

"Yeah girly it's me," Gerard whispered. "It's ok. You're going to be ok."

I tampered down my instinct to fight him off of me. They had brought us to the bus they were using for tour. I guess the police were letting us stay with the guys which I couldn't be more willing to do. The last thing I needed would be to go away with some people who I have no idea who they are. Plus the chances of Braden and I staying together would be very slim. At least now I am with people who know what's going on so I have nothing to explain and Braden is still with me.

"Elise, do you want to head to bed or get something to eat?" Gerard whispered as he carried me on the bus.

"Do you happen to have some cloths I can change into?" I whispered.

"Yeah, I'll have Braden bring them to you. How are you feeling?" Gerard whispered.

"I'll be ok," I replied.

"If you need anything me and the guys are here. Alicia will be joining us on tour along with Jamia in about two weeks," Gerard replied.

"Thanks," I said as he set me down in one of the bunks.

"Braden will be here shortly," Gerard said. "Yell if you need anything."

"Thanks," I whispered as I pulled the blankets around me.

Clearly this was Gerards bunk that I was currently laying in. I wonder exactly what the guys are going to do since they now have two extra people on tour with them. We were just going to get in the way, especially once Alicia and Jamia get here. I've only met them a few times but they aren't going to want some moody teens hanging around while they visit their husbands.

"El?"

I rolled over to see Braden holding one of my bags. Apparently the guys had packed some cloths for us as well. They always thought of everything. Slowly I pushed myself up and took the bag from Braden. I cautiously walked towards the bathroom while trying to hold the bag and the blanket around me. This is not an easy feat when you are in pain. I'm not going to let Aaron win though so I'm going to push myself through this. He's not going to do to me what he did to my mother.

As quickly as I could I got dressed and threw my old cloths in the trash. One of the guys would take it out tomorrow or I would. There was no way in hell I was getting back into those. I will deal with them after I sleep though cause I don't even want to think about anything anymore. I left the bathroom and walked over to my brother who was sitting on Gerards bunk. Braden looked up at me before he pulled me into his arms. I hugged my brother tightly knowing that he was all that I had anymore. We were both all each other had now.

"Are you guys ok?" Frank asked as he sat down beside us.

"Give me a few weeks," Braden replied as he gently ran his hand through my hair.

"Ha, give me a few years," Frank replied. "I can't believe Aaron did that. We all knew he was trouble we just didn't know the extreme of it."

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Eli, you have nothing to be sorry for," Frank said soothingly.

"I could have told you what he was doing. You guys hinted at it so many times but I denied it and now mom's dead," I whispered. "Aaron killed her."

"Elise you had nothing to do with that," Frank said. "Aaron killed her and even if we had known she wouldn't have come with us. She wouldn't have left him. Your mother was stubborn beyond belief. You inherited that from her."

"Haha, I did nothing of the sort," I told him with a small laugh.

"Oh I don't believe you for one second," Frank replied.

"What's going to happen now?" I whispered.

"What do you mean?" Frank asked.

"Mom's gone, there's no way in hell I'm living with Aaron and we have no money for a house of our own even if the government would somehow forget about us," I told him. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, you are going on tour with us for now. After that we will just have to see what happens. We are about to start a new tour in a few days so it will be a while until we stop. It's a year long tour," Frank explained.

"Who are you touring with?" I asked. "Are they any good?"

"We are touring with two opening bands, Escape the Fate and Shinedown. We are co-headlining the tour," Frank explained.

"Who is headlining with you?" I asked.

"Just a small time California band called Avenged Sevenfold."