This Still Belongs to You and Always Will

Chapter 38

Gerard's P.O.V:

I pulled Frankie down into me, wrapping my arms tighter around his neck. He smirked against me and pressed himself down harder into me. I emitted an 'Mmm' sound into the back of his throat. His hands roamed me freely. I spread my hands over his shoulders and tightened my grip, if possible. His smirk grew wider against me as his tongue wrestled furiously with mine. I wasn't giving up that easy.

"Feisty, aren't we?" Frankie mumbled, fisting my hair and feverishly kissing harder.

"Mmhm." I replied eagerly.

After a further glorious ten minutes of making out, I was relctant to try and tell him to stop when I heard the front door open. He groaned into my neck, refusing to be torn away. I shifted to try and get him to stop but he growled at me. I chuckled and pushed him lightly, sliding my hands up his shirt to feel his warm skin. I have this theory that his extreme enthusiasm from the previous night and all through today were his way of venting his anger over the odd, almost disgusted, looks nasal spray guy gave us at the club.

"Frankie - No, stop it! Stop it, I just heard the door go!"

"Just ignore it." He half-cooed, half-whined.

"Oh so tempting!" I breathed out into his ear.

So I just let him kiss and suckle at my neck keenly until there was a cough from the doorway. We tore apart in an instant and both shot our heads up to look at the doorway like a pair of naughty over-hormonal teenagers. Elena was leaning against the doorframe, rolling her eyes at us both. We smiled sheepishly at her and Frankie got off of me, allowing me the freedom of movement again.

"Frankie had mistletoe!" I stated accusationally, pointing to the green bundle that had been thrown into the middle of the room.

Elena smiled momentarily.

"Um...there's someone at the door, Dad, and I think you'd better...um..."

I shrugged and got up. Frankie jumped up behind me, resting his hands on my hips and kissing my neck. He giggled into my neck and then went off to make coffee. I stopped momentarily to check out his beautifully crafted ass as he happily bounced off to the kitchen, then followed Elena to the front door. She hovered on the stairs so that I had room to open the door...

My eyes widened as I saw her smiling face. She looked thinner than I remember her. It was a shock to see her face again after so long. To be honest, I was pretty certain she was dead from a drug OD or something. I know it sounds cruel but that's what I told myself when I never heard from her again. I couldn't believe she was still alive and standing here on my doorway. I wasn't sure how her presence made me feel.

"Dad...you remember-"

"Yes."

"Hey, Gerard." She said softly.

"Hi, Michaela." I replied awkwardly, uncertain of how to behave towards her.

Elena spoke for me.

"D'you wanna' come in?"

"Um...Elena, I dunno' if that's-"

"You're not gonna' turn away a pregnant woman, are you, Gerard?"

"Pregnant?!"

"Ah, Elena hasn't told you?"

I shook my head, staring wide-eyed. Thirty three wasn't too old for having kids but it's the sort of age when you're getting on a bit. She smirked and patted her flat stomach. Irritation twinged me from the inside. I know where a baby grows, thank you.

"You're not gonna' invite me in?"

But I was given no choice in the matter as she stepped forwards so that I was forced to stand aside and allow her in. She swept past me airily as if she owned the damn place and unpeeled her jacket, waiting for someone to take it from her and hang up on the hooks. Elena scurried forwards and took the red zip-up from her, pointing her through to the living room. I gave her a 'What the hell is this all about?' look before going into the living room and seating myself on the sofa Frankie and I were on a moment ago. She was glancing around the room with interest, peering hard at all of our photos.

"You're married now?" She questioned, picking up a photo of me and Elena at mine and Frankie's wedding.

"Yes."

Elena drifted into the room and perched herself on the other sofa, watching her mother's every move with some strange fascination. It was like Michaela was some amazing, mind-numbing tv show that we all wanted to watch. She was looking closely at the photo of me and Elena.

"So you used to be a pink-loving kinda' girlie, eh?" She questioned, turning to Elena "Or did your Dad make you wear it?"

"She chose it herself."

"Ah, so she was a pink-loving girlie?"

"Ever so."

Michaela smiled and put the photo back on the mantle, looking at all the other photos. She cooed at one of me with Elena when she was six. We're both sitting on Frankie's sofa and having a mini paintbrush fight 'cause she decided to try and paint my nose red.

"So, who's the lucky lady, Gerard?"

"Lady..."

"Hey, Elena, did you want a coffee?" Frankie questioned entering the room "Oh...hello." He said awkwardly when he saw Michaela.

Her smile changed to a smirk when she saw him. She was never stupid. And she still isn't. Frankie stared at her, looking from her to me and back to her. I knew he was waiting for an explanation or an introduction.

"Um...Michaela, this is my husband, Frank." I introduced "Frankie, you remember me telling you about Michaela?"

"Hi, Michaela." He nodded politely, forcing a smile into place.

"Hello." She replied curtly, turning back to me "So it's not a lucky lady, it's a lucky guy." She smirked in my direction.

"Yeah, I am a very lucky guy." Frankie agreed.

Michaela gave him a look that said 'Was I talking to you? No, I wasn't. So don't talk to me unless I talk to you. Scratch that. Don't talk.'. He noticed this and excused himself to retrieve our coffees. She looked back at me, smiling politely and looking at more of our photos. Then she discovered the wedding photo of me and Frankie. It was taken after we cut our cake. We're both stood together with a glass of champagne each and our free arms wrapped around the others waist. She picked it up to get a closer look.

"I remember now. I got told you had a husband," She mumbled to herself "Cute couple." She added, smiling at me again.

"Thanks."

"How long have you guys been married?"

"It was our seventh anniversary yesterday."

"Oh, happy anniversary for yesterday, then."

"Thanks."

Elena was watching Michaela still while she looked at all of our photos. I glanced at her, she was just staring blankly. I hoped she was ok. I'd take her outta' the room and ask her but she'd probably very much resent it.

"Here you go, guys," Frankie said, entering the room with three coffees "Can I get you a drink, Michaela?" He offered after placing all three coffees on the coffee table.

She turned to him and smiled politely.

"You wouldn't happen to have any orange juice, would you?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Thanks," She smiled in a sickly sweet manner "I've been getting these cravings for the stuff recently. And peanut butter and pickle."

Frankie didn't reply, he just swept from the room to retrieve her drink. She turned to me again.

"Call it those pregnancy cravings, if you will."

"If you don't mind my asking," I began curiously "Who's the father?"

Elena glanced at me almost fearfully. I looked straight back at her and she shook her head briefly. But I ignored her gesture and turned back to Michaela's smiling face.

"Oh, she probably doesn't wanna' talk about that, Dad. Right?"

Michaela shook her head and said she didn't mind.

"You already know him, I believe," She replied "Bert McCracken?"

I froze. Instantly, I realised why Elena was so reluctant for me to hear it. He was responsible for that innocent child growing inside her? The only thing I could feel was sympathy for the poor kid. He or she has been landed with, possibly, the worst father to exist. Michaela smiled like it was the greatest thing in the world and patted her flat stomach proudly. I forced a smile into place despite the sickness I felt inside.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you," She beamed "Bert told me the two of you used to be in a relationship?"

"Um...relationship is one way of putting it."

Then Frankie came back in and handed Michaela a glass of orange liquid. She thanked him and sipped from it gratefully. Frankie turned back to me and bent down to place both hands on either side of my head and kissed me deeply. Taken by surprise, I let him in without hesitation and crept one hand to the back of his head. I realised this was his comeback to Michaela's seeming disapproval of him. It was his way of getting to her.

When he finally broke from me, pulling back a few centimetres and lightly brushing our lips one last time, and flopped down next to me on the couch, I could see Michaela was watching us. Frankie's arm slithered around my waist and my arm crept around his shoulders in reply.

"Don't feel you have to stand, Michaela." Frankie suddenly said, gesturing towards the sofa Elena was sitting on.

"Thank you, I don't." She replied, turning back to look at the photos.

I could see the surprise on his face and leant closer to whisper 'Don't let her bother you' in his ear. He smiled briefly and snuggled into me contently. Michaela finally decided she was going to sit beside Elena and did so in a familiar wriggle of her hips. She still moves the same way. Like she did at the club.

"So," She smirked, looking at Frankie "Is Gerard still that crazy animal I remember him as?"

Both Elena and I choked and spluttered on our coffee, looking at her in shock. Oh God, please tell me she wasn't doing this. Frankie just blinked slowly at her, cool as a cucumber. Elena looked embarrassed and was trying not to let it show. My eyes had widened as she said it and she was now laughing at me.

"'Cause I always remembered him as wild and untameable," Michaela continued to Frank's stony expression "Or have you managed to break him?"

"Are we talking about Gerard or a horse?" He practically spat back.

"What?"

"I'm no expert on horses but I do know that you break a horse. You don't break a human."

"Yes. Of course."

"And, without meaning to sound rude, our sex life is none of your business."

"Yes, of course, I respect that-"

"Hey, why don't you tell Frank your good news?" Elena cut in quickly to prevent a fight from erupting.

"Good idea, Elena!" I exclaimed, vowing to double her allowance for the next month "Frankie, Michaela's pregnant." I appealed, turning to face him.

"Oh?" He began "Congratualtions." He added dryly.

"With Bert's baby." Elena added dumbly.

Oh his face. I thought it was stony before but now I was being proved wrong. He glanced at Michaela's stomach and up at her face again. And stood up.

"Again, congratulations." He spat, fleeing the room.

We could all hear his feet on the stairs as he fled to the studio. All I wanted to do at that point was follow him and give him a big hug to show I understood how he felt. But he probably wanted some time alone first. I know my husband.

"Was it something I said?" Michaela questioned.

Actually, it was something she did. With Bert if you want me to elaborate. And the consequences are what it is... Ok! He's had enough time alone! And I can't sit in this room with her any longer without a break.

"Excuse me a sec." I apologised, getting up and pursuing Frankie up the stairs.
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Merry Christmas all you sexy people! And thank you for reading this!