Disenchanted

I walked out of the studio into the foyer to see the three men still there.
"Hey, what are you guys still doing here?" I asked as I walked closer.
"Just... waiting on you. You seem so familiar to me, but I can't quite place you... Have you been to one of our shows before?" Mikey asked, frowning.
I blushed, embarrassed.
"I actually hadn't heard of you guys before today... So, no," I admitted sheepishly, flicking my hair out of my face.
Mikey's face went white as I did so and his eyes were fixated on my scars.
Fuck, I thought, and immediately swept my hair back over my scars, self consciously. I forgot I had them sometimes. It had been something Bob and I had worked through once coming back to Chicago. It had taken years, and now I felt it all coming back.
"Sorry, I-I just forget, y'know," I mumbled quietly, wishing I'd never stopped to talk to them.
Mikey took a few steps closer to me and pushed my hair away from my scars. I looked up at him and he looked down at me. My heart was beating in my chest furiously and I felt... scared.
"Dude, what the fuck are you doing? You're being creepy!" Frank hissed, smacking Mikey.
"When did you get those scars?" Mikey asked quietly, his face giving away nothing.
"I don't want to talk about it..." I whispered.
"Please," his voice had a note of desperation in it.
"High school. In New Jersey. I made someone angry," I found myself answering.
"Bells," Mikey whispered and gathered me up into a massive hug.
"Mikey?!" I exclaimed, my voice high with shock and disbelief.

"The fuck dude? Do you guys know each other?" Ray asked.
"We all do. It's Bells. From New Jersey, high school, Bells," Mikey explained, letting go of me and fixing his glasses, which had been knocked askew from our hug.
"Are you fucking serious?!" Frank exclaimed, looking at me hopefully.
I nodded, looking from one man to the other. My heart was now soaring and aching at the same time, I had missed these guys terribly.
"BELLS!" Frank squealed and dragged me into a hug and Ray was quick to squish me between the two of them.
I was now crying and i had an arm around both of them.
"I fucking missed you guys," I was crying, repeatedly.
"We missed you Bells, we really did," Ray said quietly.
We pulled away and I had to wipe the tears from my cheeks, but they just kept falling.
"Jeez, Bells, did Mikey poke you in the eye?" Frank teased lightly.
I laughed through hiccups and coughs.
"Not quite Frankie, dearest, I just... I missed you and I thought I would never see you guys ever again..." I answered.
"Do you forgive me?" Mikey asked me softly.
I turned to him and I thought back to him calling Family Services and tearing me away from everyone and everything I'd ever known... But also reuniting me with my real family and brother.
"Not at all. It's because of you that I know my family. I have a family. A real one," I said.
"What do you mean?" Ray asked.
I turned to them surprised.
"Didn't Gerard ever tell you?" I asked.
"Tell us what?" Frank asked, confused.
"I was adopted," I said plainly.
As if on cue all their jaws dropped.
"What?" they exclaimed.
"Yeah, the people I was living with were my adoptive parents. Usually, they wouldn't contact my real parents but... I was special, I guess," I shrugged.
"Wow..." Frank murmured.
Suddenly I realised something and looked to Mikey aghast.
"Elena's dead?!" I exclaimed.
His lips pursed together and he nodded as more tears filled my eyes. I'd only met her the once, but I loved her and she made me realise what I felt for Gerard, and gave me courage. That made me think of Gerard, he and Elena had been so close, her death must have rocked him.
"Oh, my God... How is Gerard? Is he okay?" I asked.
The guys all exchanged looks which I thought was odd.
"He's... coping as best he can," Frank finally said.
"Whoa, I just... I can't believe this..." I murmured.
"Yeah, who knew we'd be meeting up with the one person we thought we'd gotten rid of for good," Frank teased, bringing the mood up.
I gave him a withering look.
"Whoa! That was such a mother's look," Ray commented.
I blushed and smiled, thinking of my beautiful little boy who should be sound in bed.
My phone rang as if on cue and I saw Bob's name pop up.
"Excuse me, I have to take this," I said to the boys, before moving away.

"Bob?"
"He's having night terrors again, he needs you back."
My heart clenched and I could hear my baby screaming.
"I'll be there as soon as I can, I promise!"
"Thanks."
Then Bob hung up, presumably to try and soothe my child.
"Hey, I'm sorry but I've gotta go back home, um... Mikey, give me your phone," I instructed.
Mikey gave me his phone, giving me a curious look. I punched my numbers in and saved it.
"I've gotta go home, but you have my number. Text me at some point or else I will find you and beat you down," I threatened. "I do not ever want to lose touch with you again."
"I promise," Mikey said, seriously.
"Anyway, I will see you again sometime soon, and I can't wait," I said, before walking away and calling Will.

"Hey, Bella, are you done already?"
"Yeah, and I need to get home as soon as possible, it's Alex."
"I'm on my way."
"Thank you, Will."
"Anything for you, Bella."
I blushed and smiled before hanging up.
I walked outside and waited in front of a street lamp. I saw a car pull out of the undercover parking and it tooted at me. I waved as I saw Ray at the wheel. A breeze picked up and I shivered. I wrapped my arms around me and I looked around as the hair on the back of my neck prickled. I felt like someone was watching me and it made me nervous. A crash sounded from a nearby alley and I felt all my muscles tense and my hands form fists, readying for a fight.
Moments later a stray dog trotted out with the remnants of a burger in its' mouth and I laughed. So that's what scared me, a hungry dog.

I waited a little longer and before I knew it Will's car turned up. I eagerly opened the door to see the giant sitting behind the wheel with the heater cranking. I slid into the front seat and closed the door while pulling my seat belt over me. Once I was buckled in Will took off.
"Thanks for coming to get me," I said gratefully.
He gave me a smile and looked over briefly.
"Like I said, any time you need me, just give me a call," he responded quietly.
I gave him a smile and then gave him the biggest grin I'd ever grinned.
"Want to know what happened?" I asked, eagerly.
"I'm surprised you haven't already talked my ear off about it," he teased lightly.
I gave him a light punch.
"I met my Jersey friends! From high school!" I exclaimed. "And, I got the job!"
He gave me a brilliant smile and I had to admit, my heart did a quick flip.
"That's incredible! How did you meet?" he asked.
"I was interviewing them!" I cried giddily.
"Interviewing them?" Will inquired, slightly confused.
"Yeah, they're actually a band, My Chemical Romance. Do you know them?" I asked.
"Oh! I've heard of them, they're kinda becoming a big name in that alternative punk, rock, metal scene. Some call it 'emo' but I don't really give that word any credit. However, I've never actually met them," Will answered.
It was interesting to hear him talk about them.
"They are awesome people, I would absolutely love for you to meet them. They saved my life when I was in high school... literally," I ended softly.
Will gave me another look.
"How so? If I may ask. I feel like there's a story there," Will commented.
I hesitated slightly and Will noticed.
"You don't have to tell me, I was just curious," he said quickly.
"No, it's not that. It's just hard to talk about... I was really depressed during high school... my... my guardians-" I couldn't bear to call them my parents, not after meeting my real ones. "-They used to hurt me."
Will looked at me sharply then and his eyes wandered to my facial scars.
"Not those ones. That was a guy in school. But anyway, my guardians used to hurt me and I... I was suicidal and I had tried several times and I tried again once more after knowing these guys for a month and... they found me. They didn't give up on me and they... helped me mend, I guess," I said quietly.
I was wringing my hands in my lap and I was fighting the urge to cry. Will's hand moved off the gear stick and he placed it on my hands and I stopped. I looked up and he glanced at me with a soft expression.
"Hey, it's okay. It's over now, and you're here. Plus, now I have to meet them, to thank them," he said softly.
"What for?" I whispered.
"For finding you and helping you mend, because if they hadn't, you would be dead, and I honestly can't imagine that," he murmured, giving one of my hands a squeeze.
My face flushed and a smile graced my lips.
"Thanks," I mumbled.
He gave me a smile and then we both just fell into a comfortable silence.

I was home within about twenty minutes and I practically threw myself out of the car, before it had even stopped. I raced inside to where I could hear Alex sobbing. I burst into the room and I saw Bob's strained look turn into relief as he passed Alex to me.
"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay honey, Mommy's here," I hushed, bumping him like he was a baby again.
He was crying so hard he had made himself sick and he was coughing and choking and his fingers were clutching me for dear life.
"Shh, baby bear, Mommy's here, I'll fight all your demons away," I said soothingly, as I sat back in my rocking chair.
I had completely forgotten about William, my sole focus was Alex.
"Shhh, shhh, shhh," I murmured, pulling him close so he could hear my heart beat.
His sobbing had quietened slightly to simple crying and I tucked him under my chin and held him close.
"Step out the front door like a ghost,
Into the fog where no one notices,
The contrast of white on white.
And in between the moon and you,
The angels get a better view,
Of the crumbling difference between wrong and right," I sang softly, rocking both of us slowly.
His crying dissipated into sniffles and the occasional hiccup.

Before too long he was back asleep and this time he wasn't being plagued with terrors. I yawned and looked at the sick on the floor. No one was sure why Alex had night terrors, but I think it had to do with mine and Aaron's fractured relationship. When he was younger he had bore witness to some horrible things and I think it still hung around.
I walked downstairs to fetch the mop and a bucket and was surprised to see Bob and William up and chatting. I had been soothing Alex for a good twenty minutes.
"Hey," I greeted, while getting my stuff.
"Thanks for coming back so quickly, I'm sorry to pull you away from your job trial," Bob apologised, looking weary and guilty.
"It's fine, don't worry. I was finished anyway, I was just chatting," I replied.
I started to fill the bucket and added some antibacterial solution.
"How come you're still here, Will?" I asked.
I thought he would have gone home by now.
"Car overheated. I've been meaning to fix it for a while but never got around to it. I'm just letting it cool off before going home," Will explained.
"Why don't you just stay the night and go in the morning, there's a spare bed," I offered, shutting the tap off.
"Oh, I don't know..." Will hesitated.
"It's no bother, really. Bob doesn't mind, do you?" I asked, directing the last bit to my brother.
"Not at all, man. You're welcome any time," he shrugged.
"Well, if you're sure?" Will asked.
I gave him a bright smile.
"Come on, Will. I'll show you where it is," I encouraged as I grabbed the bucket out of the sink.

I dropped the cleaning supplies in Alex's room and then showed Will to his room.
"This is the bed, the light switch, bathroom's down the hall and I'm just across the hall if you need anything, or you can pester Bob. That's what I usually do," I laughed.
Will just chuckled and we walked to the door.
"I'll see you in the morning okay?" I said quietly, looking up at him.
"Sure, sweet dreams, Bella," he replied just as quietly.
I gave him a smile and started to turn away before he pulled me back and gave me a hug, while also kissing the top of my head. Once again my face flushed dark red and I gave him a slightly goofy smile before giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"Night," I murmured.
"Night," Will murmured and with that, shut the door.
I stood in front of his door for a moment trying to collect myself, before turning to clean up the mess in Alex's room, before heading to bed, once assuring myself Alex really was asleep.