My Chemical Life

~*~Three Weeks Later. Unknown P.O.V.~*~

I slowly walked into the graveyard for a fourth time this week. I slowly walked to the back where she had been buried. Her tombstone was surrounded by flowers. From friends, family, fans, even enemies she had had sent her flowers. Even the orphanage back in Chicago had sent some. I placed my fourth bouquet, this one was of lily’s. They were her favorite. My fingers traced over the words scripted in her tombstone.

“Alexis Darlene Iero. A daugher, a niece of many sorts, a best friend, and an idol. May she rest in peace with her birth mother and father and live on in our spirits.”

I could feel my eyes fill with tears as I thought back to the funeral a week ago. She looked so beautiful, even if she was just in normal clothes. Everyone couldn't stand to see her buried in a dress, even she had told us no a long time ago. No one could stop their tears. Keith was one of the most hysterical. The strangest thing to see was Matt cry. The toughest looking of all of Avenged Sevenfold had cried like a baby. We all did though, there’s no point in lying. Even Leana, who Lexi had never made up with, cried her eyes out.

“Frank?” I turned and saw Gerard slowly walking down the path to me. I looked away to stared the pictures we had begged the tombstone maker to build in, covered by Plexiglas. One was of Greg, Jessie, Lexi, Edward, and Keith all posing in front of the bus they had used in the tour that we were on with them. Another was of the Avenged guys. They were all in their swimming outfits. Johnny was on top of Jimmy’s shoulders in the pool, Matt was sitting on the edge laughing with a beer in his hand. Zacky was doing a cannonball into the pool, it caught him still in the air. Brian had Lexi in a hold on her waist, she was obviously screaming/laughing while Brian was jumping in the pool with her.

“Come on Frank. We need to get you out of the cold.” I couldn't even feel it. The New Jersey air was cold due to winter coming but I didn’t feel anything but my sorrow. It took everything I had to talk everyone into burying her in New Jersey. Everyone thought it was right to put her in California, but after some negotiating they agreed. Jessie, Edward, and Keith decided to go on the tour still in memory of Lexi.

“No. I’m fine,” I mumbled. I was staring at the last picture put into the tombstone. It was the picture Lexi had in their new home. I have the exact copy in a frame above our fireplace at home. It was a picture that we took the second week after we adopted her. We were in the living room on the bus. Mikey and Gerard was sitting on the floor, looking up at the camera grinning with Nintendo controllers in their hands. Ray was on the edge of the picture, looking like he just woke up and happened to walk into the shot. Bob sat on the couch next to me while laughing. I sat on the couch, hugging Lexi around the shoulders with my infamous grin. Lexi also had a huge smile plastered on her face. I miss those days.

“Frank, I know you miss her but I don’t think she’ll want you getting sick over her,” Gerard pointed out. I subconsciously rubbed one of my bare arms. I could feel the goose bumps from only wearing a short sleeve shirt but I didn’t care. I ran my fingers along the cursive writing of her last words. I couldn‘t listen to or play through “Helena“ without breaking down now. “Come on Frank. If not for me, for her.” I sighed, knowing he got my weak spot.

“Fine,” I muttered, standing to my feet. I ran my hand along the top of her gravestone before starting to walk away. Gerard grabbed my hand as we walked towards the exit of the cemetery. I peeked over my shoulder one last time to see her grave before it disappeared in the distance. What I saw made me stop and turn around with wide eyes.

On top of her tombstone sat an almost transparent Lexi. Back when we first found her. She was dressed in some white skinny jeans, a black MCR tee, and some black chucks. The outfit we buried her in. She smiled at me. Suddenly a man and woman stepped up on either side of her. The woman looked a lot like Lexi herself. She had long, black hair that reach the middle of her back. She stood in a black dress and high heels. The man had shaggy brown hair but Lexi’s eyes. He was in black dress pants, black dress shoes, and a white button down shit. He smiled at me, nodding his head in what seemed like thanks.

“Come on Lexi. Let’s go home,” the woman’s angelic voice said. She laid a hand on Lexi’s shoulder.

“Okay Mommy.” Lexi jumped off the tombstone and grabbed one of her parents’ hands. She looked and me with a happy look. “Thank you for everything Frank. I have my parents again, we can be a family. You and Gerard are still two of my dads. Please take care of yourselves. And please watch out for all the guys and Jessie.”

“I will,” I whispered. I knew she was talking about Bob, Ray, Mikey, the Avenged boys, Keith, and Edward. She grinned at me once more before the whole group walked forward. Suddenly they all disappeared in a white flash of light. Tears streamed down my face as I fell to my knees. But this time it was tears of happiness.

“Frank? Frank! What’s the matter?” Gerard asked worriedly.

“I saw her. She’s with her parents. She loves us still. My baby,” I sobbed out. We just sat there, me crying and Gerard holding me.