The Darkest Hour

Sound check was going really slow, and Mikey had a bad case of the shivers, though he felt absolutely fine other wise. He needed to get on stage and get his nerves worked out. Alicia could see that, and she smiled as she stood up and wrapped her arms around Mikey. She kissed his cheek, earning a small smile back from Mikey.

"You guys are on in two," Mikey heard. He couldn't tear his face away from Alicia to even so much as nod, but he knew Alicia didn't mind. After all, she did agree to marry him. She agreed to make her his for the rest of their natural lives together. She promised to make him happy, and Mikey knew that even though he had his bad days and utterly shitty days, she did just that. Alicia would always make him happy, he knew.

"Mikey, let's go! Al, he needs to get his ass moving already!" Gerard cut in. Mikey quickly kissed his fiance (God, how he loved to call her that) then adjusted his bass and followed his brother out of the dressing room towards the stage. Being the headliner meant always going on stage last, and Mikey wasn't a very patient person anymore.

But the younger Way brother smiled as the lights on the stage dimmed. He watched as Bob made his way to the drum set, then Frank and Ray take their places. Finally, Mikey was pushed slightly by Gee up the two stairs that lead to the stage, and he found his way between Ray and Frank. Gerard came up on stage, practically screaming into his micro phone. "What's up mother fuckers!?" he asked.

Mikey slightly giggled (yes, giggled) at his brother's straightforwardness, but shrugged it off as Bob started to pound on the drums behind him. He knew the beat-of course he did; he co-wrote it with Bob and his brother-all too well. Cemetery Drive was first that night, though he had no clue why any one of them would pick it to be first.

Whatever. Just play your heart out, kid. That voice....sounded a lot like...Jimmy Urine? Mikey almost started freaking out because Jimmy Urine was suddenly telepathically talking to him, but he remembered he'd had a pretty good day and that he was on stage now. He had to focus on being a bassist for under two and a half hours, then he could co freak out on the way back to the hotel.

So, Mikey found himself focusing on his bass guitar and played his heart out. He felt like his old self, pre-depression, pre-anxiety. Mikey wanted to keep that feeling through the whole set, and he silently prayed that his confidence would stay where it was until....well, he kind of wanted to always feel like this. Breakthrough much?

Through out the set, Mikey felt like he was on top of the world. He could picture Alicia's face at his happiness on stage, and he liked what he was mentally seeing. If it were up to him, Alicia would smile every second of every day and just for him. He lived to see her happy, to see her in love with him. Sure, he sounded selfish, but he wasn't even beginning to think about how much he did to see Alicia like that.

Half way through the set, Alicia came onto the stage as Gee droned on about one thing or another. Alicia headed across the stage to Mikey and smiled, taking his hand in hers. "You doing okay?" she asked Mikey. Her fiance smiled and nodded, leaning down slightly to peck her lips. "Good. I love you."

Mikey pushed his bass onto his back and pulled Alicia into her arms. The crowed seemed to roar in awe as the two of them shared intimacy on stage, but neither seemed to care. They were just enjoying each other, and public display of affections didn't mean a thing to either of them. "I love you too," Mikey said to Alicia once she'd pulled away from him.

Too soon, Gee was heading into the explanation of the next song, meaning that Alicia had to exit stage left and wait for Mikey to get off again. But that didn't take as long as Al thought it would, seeing as the second half of the set seemed to move a lot faster than the second half.

When the lights finally re-dimmed on the stage and the crowed died down just a bit, Mikey followed Gee off the stage and around the side of the arena to where the dressing room was. Alicia was in his arms before he ever saw the door though, but Mikey couldn't complain. Just knowing she was always with him made him all warm inside.

----Later----

"You were great, baby! And you didn't freak out; I'm so proud!" Alicia said, holding Mikey tightly. Back in their suite room, Mikey smiled as her arms wrapped around his waist from behind. He stood up from putting his bass back in it's case after tuning it again and turned around in Alicia's arms, kissing her lips like he always did.

"Thank you babe. You know, you're the only fan that has an opinion that matters anything to me," he said. Alicia smiled and nodded, knowing just that. He'd told her that so many times......before his anxiety and depression had started. He's getting better! Alicia's mind shouted at her. If he was telling her things he'd only said before all of his bad and worse days started, that was definitely a sign of progress.

For a moment, Mikey just stared at the happiness in Alicia's eyes, then kissed her again. Oh yes, he's much better now. Alicia smiled into the kiss, holding tighter onto Mikey. She was so glad he was getting better, and she hoped he'd continue to return to his old self. She couldn't imagine what the next day would be like now, but at this rate, she was hoping it would be a lot like today.