So Long and Goodnight...

When you woke up the next afternoon, you discovered you were in Gerard’s bed with no memory of how you had gotten there. You assumed you had fallen asleep on the couch and he had carried you up to his bed. The thought of him being so sweet and you being in his arms brought butterflies to your stomach. You smiled and stretched noticing suddenly that Gerard wasn’t next to you in the bed. Blinking sleep from your eyes, you sat up and dropped your feet to the soft black carpet and sniffed the air. Someone was making bacon. If there was anything in the world you knew without a doubt, it was the smell of someone within a five mile radius frying bacon. You were still in your clothes from last night and they were wrinkled and a little grungy looking but you figured you were among family so you let it go and opened the door to the hallway, the smell of bacon now fully assaulting your nostrils. You practically floated down the stairs.

Gerard looked up from the stove and all but dropped his jaw when he saw you with your slept in hair and sleepy eyes.

“Damn,” he said. “Just when I thought you couldn’t get any more beautiful.”

Mikey who was sitting next to Brooke at the granite topped island that divided the kitchen from the living room knew he was talking to you but butted in anyway.

“Thanks. I moisturize.”

“Shut up, Mikey,” you and Gerard both said in unison.

Gerard smiled and opened his arms and without question, you walked over to him and in to his embrace. He stood in front of the stove frying bacon with one arm and holding you in the other.

“I’m never letting you go,” he said playfully kissing your neck, making you giggle. “I’m going to hold you forever.”

“That’ll make going to the bathroom a little difficult,” you joked.

A thoughtful look crossed Gerard’s face. “We’ll make it work,” he decided, and you both laughed.

Standing next to Gerard, his arm around your waist, watching him cook, a smile danced across your face. Being with him felt so perfect and so right. Loving him came as naturally as breathing. Your mother had once told you and your sister that when god created a person, he actually created two and he gave them each one half of a whole heart. Your job was to go out and find that person who held the other half of your heart and when you found them you would know because it would be like two puzzle pieces coming together and you would never question their love for you or stay up late at night wondering where they were. You would never have to ask who their heart belonged to because you would know that it was yours.

For the majority of your life, you had felt lost and alone almost every second of the day, unless you were with Gerard. Even as a kid Gerard could ease your fears or lighten your mood with the simplest of words or gestures and as you got older that bond only grew stronger to the point where saying goodbye to him made you want to cry and being without him for any period of time made your heart ache for him. You felt like you had loved him your entire life. In a way, you had. There was a word for what your mother had described to you and it came to you in a brilliant flash of light. Soulmate. You closed your eyes and relished in the warmth of that word. Gerard was your puzzle piece. You knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you had found the missing piece of your heart. You were finally whole.



Gerard served breakfast for lunch to the whole house and everyone sat around talking for a few more hours like they had the night before. At one point, Gerard excused himself to go into the kitchen. You heard him open a cabinet before the conversation in front of you pulled your attention away. A few minutes later, Gerard’s voice floated out of the kitchen to meet your ears.

“Hey sugar,” he called. Your heart skipped a beat at the sound. You loved when he called you that. “Can you possibly come in here for just a second?”

“Sure thing, my love,” you cooed back to him. As you got up and walked into the kitchen you didn’t notice Brooke put a hand to her mouth to quiet the squeal she almost made, or Mikey chuckle and gently shush her. You also didn’t notice that at the sound of Gerard’s voice, all conversation from the rest of the group came to a grinding halt.

You walked into the kitchen to find Gerard standing there, a sly smirk on his lips.

“You rang,” you said jokingly.

Gerard smiled and without a word wrapped his arms around you and pulled you into a kiss that made you think very inappropriate thoughts.

“Just missed you,” Gerard said after your lips had finally parted.

“I like being missed,” you replied breathlessly. “What did you come in here for anyway? Still hungry?”

“Nah, just a little thirsty. Would you like anything?”

“Just a glass of water if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. I’ll bring it out to you.”

“Thanks, love,” you said and kissed his lips tenderly.

Just as you passed the island that separated the rooms, Alexa stopped you. “Hey, can we chat for a second?”

You thought it was a bit of an odd place for a chat. The rest of the entire group sat just a few feet away and though their conversation had continued it seemed quieter somehow. Staged almost but that was silly. You chalked it up to whatever the bus version of jet lag was and told Alexa you had time.

“I just wanted to apologize …for everything. Helena I had no idea. What I said in L.A. was the truth. I never would have helped that sick bastard if I had known…”

“Alexa, it’s ok. I believe you.”

Alexa’s shoulders dropped a little like the weight of the world had just been lifted off of them.

“I want to apologize for even more than that.” She hesitated as if trying to find the right words. Only one seemed to fit. “Gerard.”

“Alexa,” you started to tell her that was ok too but she cut you off.

“No. I have to say this. I knew damn well you liked him in school. I could see it every time you looked at him but being the selfish, entitled bitch that I am, I had to have him. I had to have everything that wasn’t mine. I ruined the best friendship I have ever had just so I could say that I won. And what I did five years ago was even pettier. I was single and alone and no one wanted me and Gerard was the nicest man I’d ever dated. No one else ever treated me like he did. He was a fucking prince and I guess …I missed that but I don’t know how to treat someone like that, Helena. I took advantage of him and I used him.” By this point she was crying and all you wanted to do was hug her. Fuck the past and all your differences. Friendship was friendship. But she had more to say and you could see she was determined to get it out so you let her speak. “I was the reason he started drinking and I fucking hooked him up with the guy that sold him his …other stuff. I ruined him. I’ll never understand how I always manage to take such a flawless diamond and turn it into dirty coal. You do just the opposite. I’ve never seen him this happy, Helena. You belong with him. I had no right to interfere. You should have knocked my ass out the first time I laid eyes on him. I deserved it. I still do.”

You didn’t know what to say. You were stunned and flattered and wanting to comfort her instead of kill her for the first time since jr. high. You started to say something but Alexa took the words right out of your mouth.

“What I really want to say is I know we’ve been through a lot of brutal shit but we were friends once and the happiest moments of my life revolve around that friendship. I know it’s much too little, much too late but if there’s still even half a chance to be your friend again, I want to take it. I’m so sorry, Helena. I hope you can forgive me someday.”

There were tears in both of yours eyes when she finished and you already knew what you were going to say. “Of course I forgive you Lexie. You know I can never stay mad at you.”

She hugged you so hard you thought your lungs were going to burst. When she finally released you, she looked past you into the kitchen where you couldn’t see and smiled wide, her tears beginning to fall again. You had no idea what she had seen but you had a feeling you were about to find out. The living room had fallen silent again and much to your surprise, all eyes were on you.

Alexa squeezed your shoulders gently and looked into your eyes. “Honey,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. “Turn around.”

You turned around with nervous anticipation, not sure what to expect but what you saw, you had only seen in your dreams and your mind didn’t paint it anywhere near as magnificent as it really was.

Gerard was in front of you, down on one knee, a single red rose in one hand and both hands gingerly holding a small black velvet box. The box was open and inside was the single most beautiful ring you had ever seen. Your hand flew to your mouth and your knees got weak. You felt like you couldn’t breathe and tears fell like waterfalls from your eyes. But they were happy ones. Gerard was close to tears himself but he spoke with the grace and eloquence of a poet.

“Helena, I’ve always known you were something special. You’ve been with me my whole life. You know me better than anyone in the world. Your love is unlike anything I’ve ever felt and I’ve felt it for so long. I just didn’t realize.” He choked back a sob and fought on. “You are the most beautiful person inside and out that I have ever met or will ever meet. You light up the darkest of rooms. You make me feel …whole, like I found the missing piece to my puzzle after all these years. I can’t imagine spending another minute apart from you. I need you in my life forever and I don’t ever want to let you go. I found my soul mate in you, Helena. Will you make me the happiest, luckiest son of bitch to ever walk the face of the Earth? Will you marry me?”

Through a wave of overwhelming emotion and a stream of happy tears, one word shone like a star and you grabbed onto it with everything you had.

“Yes!” you sobbed. “Yes, Gerard, I’ll marry you!”

The living room roared with applause and cat calls and with shaky hands and wet eyes, Gerard placed the rose into your hand slipped the ring onto your finger. You admired it for a moment, and melted when the light hit it just right and it sparkled like the flawless diamond that it most certainly was. You leapt into Gerard’s arms and would have been perfectly happy staying there forever. You were engaged to the most amazing being in existence. Just when you thought you couldn’t get any happier.

“How the hell did you have time to get this? I was with you the whole way up here!”

“Well,” Brooke spoke up from the living room. “Remember when we made that pit stop at Kay Jewelers because I ‘needed to get my ring cleaned’?” she air quoted. “Yeah I lied.”

Your jaw fell open in shocked disbelief. “You sly little minx,” you said admirably.

The next hours were filled with laughter, merriment, and sparkling cider in champagne glasses due to the fact that Don and Donna had rid the house of any and all alcohol so as not to expose Gerard to it but Gerard wasn’t craving it anymore anyway. He had everything he needed right beside him. You talked of wedding plans and guest lists. Of course arrangements had to be made to fly Uncle Charlie out. Who better than he to walk you down the aisle? Don accidentally brought up a question about the bridal party much to everyone’s eventual dismay.

“So who’s going to be your best man, son?”

“Well it’s obviously going to be me, dear father,” Mikey said matter-of-factly. We’ve had this planned since we were five. I’m going to be his and he’s going to be mine.”

“Aw, what?” Frank cried, disappointment oozing off every word. “Dude, come on.” He looked at Gerard with puppy dog eyes. “Best friends since third grade, looks damn fine in a suit. Any of this ringing a bell?”

Gerard laughed and addressed frank with sympathy. “Sorry dude. He’s my baby brother. I made him a promise. We got blood, ya know?”

Frank sighed and slumped back in his seat “Fine. Guess I can’t compete with that. But don’t get mad at me when Ray’s my best man, fucker.”

“Thanks bro,” Ray said dejectedly. “Always feels great to be the backup plan”.

“Hey, anytime, man.”

“So what about you, Helena,” Donna said. “Have you thought about who your maid of honor is going to be?”

You sat very still because you could feel the four pairs of laser eyes boring into your skin. Alexa understood why she probably didn’t have a shot but this was a contest and she had a thing about winning them. You swept a careful gaze across Autumn, Brooke, and Raven.

“Yeah, answer the question, Helena.” Raven said pointedly. “Who’s it going to be? Even though we already know it’s me.”

“Umm excuse me?” Autumn asked. “I was friends with her first. And I’m older. So your vote doesn’t count little sister.”

“I got your little right here mother f-“

“Hey I helped pick the ring out,” Brooke interjected.

“Congratulations,” Raven growled. “Do you want a fucking cookie? Pipe the fuck down. The adults are talking.”

“Wow! Rude much?” Brooke huffed.

“Oh my lord,” Helena said, burying her face in Gerard’s chest as he tried valiantly not to laugh. “I think we just triggered World War Three.”

“Ahem!” Alexa was about to make her thoughts known and Helena cringed. This was going to be bad. Alexa’s competitive side knew no limits. “I let her have Gerard in the first place.”

For a moment the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop and even Alexa clapped a hand over her mouth as soon as the words left it. She hadn’t meant it. She just wanted to win. She really couldn’t control it.

“Oh hell no,” Raven said turning on her heel. “I know you did not just say what I thought I just fucking heard. Because I will make you bleed from places you don’t even know exist.”

“Um no,” Alexa said sitting back down “I didn’t say …anything. Must’ve been the um …echo? Or something? Is it hot in here? I think it’s hot in here. I should go outside.”

“That is a fantastic idea,” Raven hissed. “I would hate to get blood on Mrs. Way’s beautiful rug.”

“Or here’s fine,” Alexa stammered. You’d never seen her so nervous before.

“Ok, Raven,” You laughed, eying her. “That’s enough. At ease, soldier.”

“I still don’t like her.” She pouted.

“What did I say?” you demanded trying to sound as authoritative as possible while stifling laughter.

“Sorry, mom,” she mumbled.

The subject was thankfully changed and as it began to get dark outside, everyone began gathering up their things, getting ready to go home. Frank, Ray, and Bob would go back to the apartment they had all shared since Mikey had gotten his own place with Brooke. The tour was over and they all desperately needed sleep. Avril and Joel would go back home to their house, Raven and Autumn to the apartment they shared somehow without killing each other.

“So where are you two lovebirds off too?” Don asked Gerard.

“I think we’re long overdue for a date. If you’d like, Helena, I’d love to take you into New York, treat you to a nice dinner and a movie afterward. Then I’ll take you up to my place in Brooklyn and we can stay up all night talking.”

“Or doing …other things, right, Gee?” Mikey joked, nudging his brothers arm.

Gerard ignored him and turned his attention back to Helena who was giggling at Mikey’s comment. “What do you say, sugar?”

“I say that sounds like the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard.” You said, your eyes sparkling.

“Get used to it. I’ve got a lifetime to spoil you and I don’t plan on wasting a minute,”

You smiled and kissed him sweetly.

You saw Alexa standing by the door, looking a little sad. You felt sorry for her. She had nothing left, no one to go home to.

“What about you, Alexa? What will you do?”

She thought a minute and then smiled. “I’m going to travel. I want to see the world. I want to backpack through Europe and hike the Appellation Trail. I want to see the world’s biggest ball of twine. I’m not even kidding. I’ve wanted to do this since I was a kid and why not now? I’ve got my whole life ahead of me. I can go anywhere I want.” She looked genuinely happy as she said it.

“That sounds amazing, Alexa,” you smiled. “Just don’t go too far.”

“Why’s that?” she questioned curiously.

“Because I want you to be one of my bridesmaids, of course.”

“What? Really?” she asked in awe. “Are you sure?”

“I’m absolutely sure. I’ll need all my friends beside me on the happiest day of my life.” You squeezed Gerard’s hand and gave him a smile. He wrapped his arms around you from where he stood behind you and rested his cheek on your head. “Can I count on you?”

“Absolutely Helena, I would be honored. Thank you so much,” Alexa beamed.

“It’s the least I could do.” You met her eyes and she knew what you meant. She really had given you Gerard in an odd sense. Every moment had led to this one and it was exactly where you had always dreamed of being. You were surrounded by people that loved you more than life itself and you felt like a princess in Gerard’s arms. Life couldn’t get any better than this.

You said your goodbyes to your friends, knowing that this time would not be the last you would see of them. There were so many memories just waiting to be made. You hugged them all and told them just like you did five years ago how much you valued their friendship and how much you loved them but this time was so much different. This wasn’t goodbye. This was a new beginning, a world full of possibilities and endless tomorrows. For the first time, you were excited to see what the future held. You knew that no matter what it was, as long as you faced it with these people beside you, and Gerard holding your hand, nothing could ever break you.

Gerard walked you out the door to a chorus of “goodbyes” See you laters”, “Call Me”s and a “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do” from Mikey. He slipped his jacket over your shoulders, walked you to his car and opened the door for you proving once and for all that chivalry was not dead. Then he got behind the wheel and fired up the engine. As you pulled out of the driveway, you saw that everyone had migrated to the porch and they were all waving goodbye to you with huge grins on their faces. It struck you again that you had a family, and an amazing life and the thrill and happiness that thought brought with it was almost overwhelming in its intensity. You waved back to them as Gerard honked the horn and whisked you away into the sunset, into your future where you would live …happily ever after.