You're My Favourite Sound

Halloween came around quicker than expected, and Frank walked into October's room just like he had been doing for the past three and a half months, only this time, with a bunch of red roses and an acoustic guitar. He laid the flowers on the table at October's bedside and sat down in the normal chair with the guitar in his lap.

"I'm thirty one today, Octy," he told the silent room, before shaking his head and whispering, "Damn." He'd made a habit of talking to October like she could hear him. He hoped she could, he really did. Sometimes he found himself having a one-sided conversation with her, blabbering on about how his day had been and what the weather was like.

The rest of My Chemical Romance had gone back to New Jersey, but promised their youngest member they would come and visit when they could. As much as Frank missed his hometown, he was determind to remain in Los Angeles until his lover awoke, until he saw those beautiful green eyes again.

"I've got your birthday present ready," Frank told her, removing a pick from his pants pocket. His broken arm had healed and he'd wasted no time in getting back on his guitar, learning the one song that meant so much to him and to October. "As you know, I'm not that great at singing, but I hope you like it anyway."

As he began strumming the first chord, he didn't realise, but Billie Joe was stood in the doorway of the room, silently, as he listened to Frank sing to his daughter.

"All this feels strange and untrue, and I won't waste a minute without you... My bones ache, my skin feels cold, and I'm getting so tired and so old..."

The father recognised the song from when October used to listen to it over and over in her bedroom in her late teens. He watched as Frank's fingers flowed across the fret board of the guitar, as his brow creased in concentration, as he let out the feelings Billie didn't know Frank had.

"The anger swells in my guts, and I won't feel these slices and cuts... I want so much to open your eyes 'cause I need you to look into mine..."

His voice was filled with such passion that filled Billie's stomach with a rush of butterflies, and it got suddenly bolder as he started the chorus.

"Tell me that you'll open your eyes... Tell me that you'll open your eyes..."

She listened to this song, hoping he would see what was in front of him, but now Frank needed October to open her eyes. Because he was here, right in front of her, waiting.

"Tell me that you'll open your eyes... Tell me that you'll open your eyes..."

Whenever the shop was quiet, Hazel liked to doodle, whether it be new tattoo ideas or random thoughts. Today's effort was starting to take the form of a sacred heart with stylised flames and a banner across the front.

Although not at Hollywood anymore, Kat had asked Hazel if she wanted to go for a drink after work, but the redhead declined. Tonight she would meet Joshi and the two of them would spend the evening at the hospital for their best friend's twenty second birthday.

"Get up, get out, get away from these liars, 'cause they don't get your soul or your fire... Take my hand, knot your fingers through mine, and we'll walk from this dark room for the last time..."

Putting the last of his clothes on, Joshi sighed lightly to himself. He checked his cell to see that he had to be at work in less than a half hour. Quietly, but quickly, he pulled a sneaker on one foot just as a voice came from behind him.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Joshi turned to see a man laying naked under the bed sheets, and turned back, pulling on his other sneaker.

"I'll call you," he simply said, before making his way out of the random man's apartment.

Of course Joshi wasn't going to call him, it had been like this for a while now. The blonde dancer would wake up in a new bed every day, sleeping with a new man every night. He didn't know why he did it, but he knew he couldn't stop.

Joshi was addicted to being a slut.

"Every minute from this minute now, we can do what we like anywhere... I want so much to open your eyes 'cause I need you to look into mine..."

After picking her son up from school, Adrienne made a discreet escape from the house and lit up outside the back door. Letting the delicious smoke swim around her lungs, she closed her eyes and let it out, sighing heavily.

She wished she could have done more for her little girl before all this shit happened. She wished there was something she could do to just get her to wake up. She didn't want her slipping away without living her whole life, knowing that her mother would be by her side at all times.

Adrienne looked out into the back yard, replaying all the memories she held locked away in her mind of October out here. The most vivid was the swing set right at the back, under the big tree that stood there. Since they moved, she'd always go back there and use the swings as a thinking ground, going over all the times she'd fucked up and how she'd solve her problems.

"What the hell are you doing, mom?"

"Shit, Joseph," Adrienne breathed, cluthing her chest, "Don't creep up on me like that."

"When did you start smoking?" Joey questionned, frowning at the cigarette in his mother's fingers.

"I-I don't," she stammered in reply, receiving a look from her son.

"It's okay, you don't have to lie to me," he said. Adrienne sighed, dropping the cigarette and stumping it out with the toe of her shoe.

"I just find myself needing one every now and then," she told the twelve year old and looked at him worriedly, "Are you ashamed?"

Joey frowned again, "I could never be ashamed of you." She smiled wobbly and pulled her son in for a hug. Joey held on tight, breathing in the smell of his mother's shampoo. "October would say the same thing, so stop worrying about it, okay?" he said, pulling away to look at her, "You've been a great mom to us both."

"Not the best," she replied with a light sniffle.

"You're the best mom a child could ask for," Joey said truthfully, "October said that so many times."

Adrienne smiled again, a bigger smile that held feeling, and cupped her youngest's face in one hand.

"What would I do without you, too, Joey?"

"Tell me that you'll open your eyes... Tell me that you'll open your eyes..."

Dropping a duffel bag onto the bed, Ethan began throwing things into it, piling it up so everything that belonged to him in the bedroom was packed.

He couldn't do this anymore, he couldn't do any of it. Running away seemed like the only option and that's what he planned on doing. He'd go back to the city he was born in and he'd start over, a whole new life.

When he first met October, back in high school after his battle of cancer was over, never did he think he'd be where he was right now four and a half years later. It was so overwhelming that it made him sick just to think about. If he had known in high school, what he'd go through in his future with her, he would have to re-think everything. He would have done so many things differently.

Zipping the bag up, Ethan took one more look around the room, before falling to his knees and letting the tears stream down his face.

"Tell me that you'll open your eyes... Tell me that you'll open your eyes..."

Frank's eyes were closed as he sang the painfilled words out into the silent hospital room. Billie Joe could feel his eyes stinging at the younger man's cover of the beautiful, heartaching track. He didn't realise someone could put so much emotion and passion into one song.

"All this feels strange and untrue, and I won't waste a minute without you... Wake up, baby," Frank whispered, finishing the song.

Blinking back the tears, Billie stepped into the room and closed the door, revealing his presence.

"We'll have to get a vase for those roses," he announced steadily. Frank snapped his head to the older man, shocked.

"How long have you been there?" he asked, going a slight shade of pink.

"I heard the whole thing," Billie answered with a brief shrug, and nodded, "It was nice." Frank moved his eyes down to his lap and put the pick back in his pocket.

"You probably wanna be alone with her, I'll go..." He began to get up from the chair, but Billie put a hand up.

"No," he said, stopping him, "No, it's okay."

Frank placed himself back in the chair and smiled weakly, "Thanks."

Billie Joe moved to the opposite side of October and looked down at his daughter. Frank watched as the father slowly raised a hand and tucked the girl's hair behind one ear. It'd grown a couple inches.

"So what's the meaning behind the song?" he questionned. Frank carefully placed the guitar down against the wall before answering.

"When October first heard it back in high school," he began, "She said it reminded her of me, how she wished I would open my eyes and see what she could have given me... All that love..."

Billie frowned, "She has so much love inside her, Frank, and back then, you ignored it. You led her on with a kiss, you were just leading her on. You only want her now because she's older."

"No," Frank disagreed with a shake of the head, "No, I love her, Billie. I've always loved her, I just didn't want to admit it to myself. I-I was scared back then... but I'm not afraid anymore."

"Then why did she marry Ethan?"

"Because she has a pure heart and she put everyone else first," said Frank. "She was willing to live the rest of her life in the way that made everybody else happy but herself. Now, you can't tell me that that's what you wanted for her. She would have had to suffer in all the lies if I hadn't had said anything at that wedding."

Billie Joe just stared at Frank, taking everything he said in and letting it register, until he slowly began realising that the younger man was right. Of course he didn't want his daughter to be in a marriage she wasn't happy in. It would have all been a lie, her life, everything. Lies.

He didn't tolerate liars and he sure as hell didn't want his daughter to be one of them.

"I'm gonna go get a vase," said Frank, breaking the tension as he stood and left the room.