If your heart stops beating

~*Alec’s Point of view*~

I rolled over and opened my eyes, taking a moment to focus on the clock beside my bed.
“Yesss...”
Katie muttered in her sleep. I sat up, smiling.
“Oi Katie.”
“Mmnhhh... Not that one... the other- other one...”
“Katie.”
“Mh...?”
“Katie!”
She turned her head, looking blearily at me.
“What?”
I grinned.
“Happy Birthday to you... Happy Birthday to you...”
“Your singing sucks, Alec. Wait, what?”
She sat up.
“What did you say?”
“Happy Birthday.”
“What?”
“It’s your birthday, stupid.”
“Really?”
“N’duh!”
“Ooh, ooh, yay!”
“Heh heh, stupid.”
“Shut up!”
She threw her pillow across the room at me and I jumped out of my bed, running to the kitchen. Gerard was sitting at the table drinking coffee.
“Is that all you ever do? Drink coffee?”
He nodded.
“Pretty much, yeah.”
I poked him in the shoulder.
“It’s Katie’s birthday today.”
He nodded again.
“I know.”
I poked him in the neck.
“Did you get her a present?”
“Yep.”
“God, you’re really Mr. Enthusiastic today, aren’t you?”
He nodded yet again.
“I really am.”
I poked him just below his ear.
“What did you get her?”
“A five-hundred-dollar necklace.”
“What? You’re joking, aren’t you?”
He shrugged.
“Maybe.”
I poked his nose.
“Meep.”
I giggled. Then I heard footsteps in the hall and Katie burst in.
“It’s my Birthday!”
Gerard jumped up, catching her around the waist and lifting her off her feet.
“God, you’re light. You’re tiny, Katie. How old are you?”
“Ei- Nine!”
He laughed, setting her down at the table.
“I shall go wake the troops.”
He left the room, leaving me and Katie grinning at each other across the table.
“You’re gonna have to get used to saying nine now.”
She nodded.
“And, you’re gonna get fat. Every girl does when she gets to your age. Either that or they eat nothing and then make themselves throw up because they think they’re fat.”
I grinned evilly at her shocked expression.
“I believe I may have just scarred you for life. I’m just kidding, Katie.”
She scowled and reached across the table to thump me on the arm.
“Aw, you punch like a baby!”
She leapt up and proceeded to hit me.
“Hey, what’s this?”
Frank walked in, closely followed by Bob and Ray.
“Ooh, are we playing beat up Alec? Can I join in?”
I stuck my tongue out at him.
“Shut up, you fag.”
“Oh! Oh no! He called me a fag! God, they grow up so fast, don’t they, Ray?”
Gerard backed into the room, carrying a small pile of presents.
“Here we go! Happy Birthday, Katie.”
Her eyes widened.
“Wow! Thanks...”
She picked up the top present, eyeing the gift label on it.
“Alec, is this what I think it is?”
“I dunno. Depends what you think it is...”
She carefully pulled off the wrapping paper, then dropped it and flung her arms around my neck, kissing every inch of my face.
“Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you...”
I struggled away from her, my face bright red.
“Jeez, get a grip, Katie.”
Gerard stared at the small pile of carefully folded items.
“Alec, what the hell? That’s something her grandma’s supposed to get her.”
“Yeah, well, she doesn’t have a grandma so I figured why not?”
Katie sighed happily.
“I love you so much, Alec.”
“Hey, Mum was never interested and Dad didn’t care, you need someone to look out for you. Actually, Ray’s on board with this, his present is the other half of the equation.”
“What? Really?”
Ray nodded.
“It’s true. Count the presents.”
She counted quickly.
“Five.”
“Correction: Five and an envelope.”
He pulled from the centre of the pile a blue envelope which he handed to Katie. She tore it open and read the note inside.
“This card entitles you to ballet lessons, paid for by us, all expenses, and no exceptions. From Ray.”
She looked up, her eyes double their normal size.
“Thank you so much.”
Her voice was a trembling whisper. She turned back to the present on the table, laying out the articles the better to inspect them.
“Leotard, tights, shoes, character skirt, character shoes, belt...”
She beamed at me.
“I love you so much Alec!”

~*Gerard’s Point of view*~

Alec flushed red as Katie hugged him again.
“Okay, okay, moving on. Get off me, Katie.”
Katie picked up the next gift in the pile, a small rectangular box. I grinned.
“That one’s mine.”
She ripped off the wrapping paper and slid the top off the box.
“Oooh! Thank you! Thank you so much! Wow, I’m really spoilt today.”
I laughed, taking the necklace out of the box and clipping it around her neck.
“Pearls for June.”
She examined the pendant charm, a small cat curled around a pearl.
“Is this real?”
“You bet it is. Real pearls, real silver.”
She dropped the box back onto the table and threw her arms around my neck.
“Thanks Gerard.”
“No problem.”
Bob picked up the next box and held it out to her. She took it and carefully unwrapped it.
“They do say the best things come in small packages...”
She opened the box.
“Ooh, thank you Bob!”
Her face fell.
“I don’t have pierced ears though.”
Bob smiled.
“I thought of that. This afternoon me and Frankie are taking you to get your ears pierced. I asked Cheryl, and she’s fine with it.”
“Yay! Thanks!”
She held up one of the pearl earrings.
“I can’t wait to wear these.”
She put it back in the box and set it down on the table before picking up the next present and opening it carefully.
“Wow! An i-Pod!”
Mikey grinned.
“Every girl needs one. Currently loaded with all your favourite songs, courtesy of Alec, who knows what you like.”
She beamed.
“Thanks Mikey. Thanks Alec.”
Frank handed her the last present.
“That’s right, you always save the best till last.”
She tore off the wrapping paper. The package contained a black t-shirt, which she shook out, holding it up to the light so she could read the white writing on the front.
“MCR’s Little Princess.”
She turned it over.
“This shirt was handmade by Frank Iero.”
Beneath that was Frank’s signature in white pen.
“Cool! I’ll wear it today. Thanks Frankie.”
She hugged Frank and picked up the pile of presents.
“I’m gonna go get dressed.”
She walked out. I smiled at Alec.
“We spoil her so much.”
He nodded.
“You weren’t kidding about the $500 necklace, were you?”
I grinned.
“It wasn’t quite that expensive. Somewhere between $100 and $200.”
“My god, you guys spent so much on her. An i-Pod, ballet lessons, an expensive necklace... Jeez, where did all this money come from exactly?”
“Um... Somewhere...”
“COUGHparentsCOUGH!”
I glared at Frank.
“Shut the fuck up!”
He grinned as Katie walked back in, now dressed in jeans and her new shirt.
“People at school are gonna be so jealous.”
She put her hand to the necklace, still around her neck.
“You guys are so nice.”
Frank laughed.
“That is why your brother lives with us.”

**Author's Note: Yay, fuzz! That is all.**

**Author's Note (Again): COMMENT! 99 PEOPLE HAVE READ MY STORY, 26 HAVE SUBSCRIBED AND I HAVE ONLY 41 COMMENTS. Some of them are notes and explanations from me. 8 people have read the latest chapter and how many comments do I have for that? 0. Zip, zilch, NONE. Comment or I shall stop writing. I mean it. There's no point continuing if no-one tells me what they think. Is there something you don't like? Then TELL ME. *Gnashes teeth* Okay, I'm done raving.**