My Father, My Brother

*Frank's POV*

"Morning Sugar." Gerard smiled over his coffee cup as I stepped into the kitchen of a house I no longer lived in. I stopped and looked around suspiciously.

"What's the matter? Sit down, I made you breakfast." He nodded at a mug of coffee, a vegetarian sausage sandwich and a cigarette lying on the table. I sat down slowly and lit up, taking sips of coffee between drags. The sandwich was fantasticly cooked. He sat in the seat opposite me and his foot touched the side of mine lightly. He smiled warmly at me and looked into my eyes as he lent his chin on his hand. His black hair was longer. A lot longer... When did that happen? He looked just like he did while we were making the Revenge album. What am I even doing here!?

"Where's Lindsey? And Ellie?" I asked and felt myself frown.

"Who's Lindsey? And Ellie is still upstairs, like she always is at this time. I'll go wake her in five minutes." He finished his own cigarette off and touched my hand over the table. I pulled it away like I'd been electrocuted and he looked hurt.

"Lindsey is your wife Gerard!?" His eyebrows disappeared under his black fringe and he looked amused.

"My wife? Right, Frankie." He chuckled and put his cup in the sink. I sat feeling completely confused. I ran my hand through my hair and made myself jump. The sides were all shaved. I jumped up and ran to the hall mirror and stared in shock at myself. The sides of my head were shaved and blonde, the center and my fringe dark brown. My eyes were lined in day-old red eyeliner and red eye shadow. My lip and nose ring still in place.

"Gee Bear!" A high pitched girls voice called from upstairs. My head snapped up to the top of the stairs and I blinked at the 'tiny-for-her-age' nine year old Ellie smiling shyly down at me. I felt my mouth hanging open slightly.

"Ellie, sweetie..." She waved shyly at me.

"Hi Frankie... Where's Gee Gee?" I walked up the stairs to her and picked her up, sitting her on my hips and cuddling her tightly. I kissed her little strawberry blonde head and carried her back downstairs.

"He's in the kitchen baby." I watched after her as I put her down and watched her jog off into the kitchen. I looked back into the mirror and sighed with relief. I hadn't cheated on Gerard. It had been a nightmare. A terrible, terrible nightmare. Man I must have drank so much last night. I don't remember anything. I followed Ellie into the kitchen and smiled at her sitting on Gerard's hip as he pottered around making her chocolate milk, as he used to do, I mean, as he does, every morning. He had her tiny little arms around his neck loosely. I leaned against the doorway and watched them, hoping my awful dream never comes true.

"Would you take her for a second please Frank while I mix this?" He smiled, handing Ellie to me. I held her like Gerard had. He mixed the chocolate mixture in with the milk while Ellie watched him.

"Gee Gee, can we get a puppy?" She asked in her sweet, innocent little voice. I looked around and noticed a lack of Texas and Peppers.

"Yes we can!" I said quickly, giving Gerard the biggest, cutest grin I could muster while he glared at me over his shoulder, putting the lid with the straw in it over Ellie's drink. I put her down and Gerard handed it to her.

"Shouldn't we talk about this?" Gerard said, coming to lean against the counter beside me.

"Please daddy?" Ellie turned in her chair at the table and gave us the puppy dog eyes. I grinned. Gerard groaned.

"Fine, but nothing too big." Ellie and I high fived.

"I'm gonna call it Peppers." Ellie muttered cutely to herself.

"You owe me." Gerard whispered as he came and stood close to me. His arms snaked around my neck loosely and he kissed my lips lightly. I smiled against his and kissed him back, my hands on his waist. He broke away from me and leant his forehead against mine, sighing happily with a smile on his face. His fingers played with my short hair at the back and he scratched down the back of my neck lightly and affectionately.

"I love you Frankie." He muttered quietly.

"I love you too Gerard. Always."

***

"Frank, Frank! Wake up." I groaned and rolled over, pulling my pillow over my head and doing everything in my power not to cry. Jamia prodded me again and laughed to herself.

"Come on lazy, I'll make you some breakfast. Vegetarian sausage sandwiches okay?" I groaned again and she took that as a 'yes', although it was because that was what Gerard had made me in that beautiful dream. She left the room and I opened my eyes, looking around the room of the house I shared with Jamia. I kicked the comforter off me agressively, feeling seriously pissed off that it had been a dream. I sat on the edge of the bed in my boxers and t shirt for a few minutes to calm myself down before going downstairs. Jamia was just putting my sausages into a bun and she turned to smile at me. I stood behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist from behind and I kissed the back of her neck, breathing in her sweet scent that I actually loved.

"Good morning baby. This looks delicious." I smiled, leaning over to nosy at my breakfast.

"Good, then get it eaten." She turned in my arms and pecked my lips before handing me my plate of food. I smiled and held her against me when she tried to move away, kissing her again, slightly more demanding. She laughed against my lips and slapped my shoulder playfully.

"Your breakfast is going to end up on the floor if you're not careful." She mumbled against my lips. I finally let her go and sat up on the counter, taking a huge bite out of my food and realising I was starving.

"So did you and Gerard have fun last night?" Jamia smirked over her shoulder as she prepared her own. I almost choked on a mouthful of ketchup covered sausage.

"What?"

"You were saying Gerard's name in your sleep." I felt my cheeks burn.

"I had a dream we were... arguing. You know he's moving to L.A?" Jamia stopped what she was doing and turned to face me.

"He's taking Ellie with him I presume?" I nodded at her and took another bite of my breakfast.

"Well what about you? Don't you get a say in this?"

"Apparently not. I tried to confront him about it but he insists it's what's best for Ellie, saying I can see her during school vacation and during tours and recordings and stuff."

"That's not enough though Frank. She's your daughter just as much as she is his."

"I know, but there's nothing I can do." I finished my food at the same time Jamia started hers.

"This doesn't seem fair. He's moving in with Lindsey right?" I nodded and drank a mouthful of coffee.

"Does Ellie want to go?"

"I don't know. He hadn't told her when I talked to him about it. I can't see her wanting to though. She'd be away from all the guys and her friends from school."

"He can't just uproot her like this."

"He's already made his mind up. I don't know when he's going though."

"Well, don't worry. I'll try and get them to arrange something with you so you can see Ellie more." I nodded and smiled half heartedly at her. She patted my hand, almost like Gerard had in my dream last night.

*Ellie's POV*

"Well, what if you moved in with Frank instead?" Kayleigh said as we walked to homeroom. I sighed and shook my head.

"I couldn't do that to Gerard. Plus, Frank's house is already a little crowded with dogs."

"You love dogs!"

"I love Pepper, Mama and Texas. Sweet Pea and Professor Buckley are just a little creepy. Plus they've got a few pugs running around now, and they scare me, with their squished up, evil faces." Kayleigh loved pugs, and she was almost flailing beside me.

"I love pugs! But please don't leave N.J Ellie. We'll only be able to speak online. Or whenever you stay at Frank's during vacation."

"I don't have a choice. He's made up his mind." I pushed open our homeroom door and glared at Lindsey, knowing this was her idea.

"Good morning girls!" She said brightly from behind her desk. I nodded in her direction as a form of greeting and her face changed instantly. She knew then that Gerard had told me. She shuffled some papers on her desk before beckoning me over.

"Ellie, can I have a word?" I glanced at Kayleigh and forced myself back out of my seat, not even having time to drop my back pack. I dragged myself over and leaned against her desk.

"I take it he told you the news. Honey aren't you excited? Even a little?"

"No I'm not. You're both taking me away from Momma Donna and Papa Donald, all the guys, and my friends. You're making me leave this school, which I happen to like as far as schools go, and you expect me to be okay with it!?"

"You'll get used to it Ellie. We can be a family over there."

"We're not a family Lindsey Ballato, and you'll never be my mom!" I stormed out. Slamming the classroom door behind me. I didn't even look back or regret the fuss I made. I was planning on going to the art room and sulking in there, but then I realised I'd just stormed out of there, so I went to the music room instead. I took one of the guitars down from the wall and played a few chords quietly, calming myself down with the soft music. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths while I did it, waiting for the bell to ring so I could just go to... math. Screw it. I'll just skip the rest of the day in here.

*Gerard's POV*

"She did what!? Okay, yeah I'll come collect her. Yeah... Okay... Yeah I'll be right there." I hung up the landline and slammed it down on the table. Ellie had never skipped a class before. I shrugged on my leather jacket and grabbed my car keys as I headed out, fully expecting to see a remorseful teenager when I pulled up in the schools visitor parking lot. I buzzed myself in and met Ellie's principle in his office. Elie was already in there, sitting in a chair facing his desk with her back to me. She didn't even turn around when I came in.

"I'm sorry to have to call you in like this Mr. Way. I know we've never had any problems with Ellie in the past but skipping classes is serious."

"I know sir, and I'm very sorry for any inconvenience she's caused. I can promise you she'll be punished at home."

"But Gee that's not - " I held my hand up and silenced her.

"I'm not having you skipping school Ellie. That's not who you are and that's not how anyone has taught you to be. We'll be having words when we get out of here." She threw herself back into a sulk in her chair.

"Well I'm glad to see you're working with us to demonstrate to Ellie the seriousness of the situation."

"You have my full support sir."

"Well since the day is almost out you can take Ellie home, but I want her back here, in homeroom, at eight thirty sharp tomorrow morning, and ready for a full school day ahead. We'll be issuing her an hours detention everyday after school for the rest of the week." I saw Ellie's fist tighten in her lap but she didn't say anything.

"That's completely understandable. I'll be dishing out my own punishment at home. Thank you for letting me know." We all stood up and left the office. I led Ellie back to the car and drove us home. Neither of us said a word until we got in the house.

"You didn't even let me talk! Don't I get to give my side of the story!?" Ellie yelled as she slammed her bag to the ground. I leaned against the hallway wall, my keys still in my hand.

"If you'd have given me a chance I was about to ask you. I have no intention of punishing you Ellie. I know you're not happy right now. I just want to know why you skipped classes. Where did you go?"

"Oh... I'm sorry for my outburst then... I was in the music room all day reteaching myself songs that Frank taught me. I stormed out of homeroom because Lindsey started talking to me about moving to L.A and it got me mad. I really don't want to go Gerard. I knew if I went to any of my other classes I wouldn't be able to concentrate, and I'd get yelled at anyway so I figured it would be easier to hang out in the band room for the rest of the day instead."

"Lindsey wants what's best for you just as much as I do. She'd never have meant to upset you. I bet she's been feeling really guilty all day about this."

"Good." She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. I sighed at her and went to make us both a coffee.

"Do I still have to serve those stupid detentions?" Ellie called from the hall before following me into the kitchen.

"Yes Ellie, you do."