We Are Broken

I was in the hospital for a night. The staff wanted to keep me for testing, and to make sure that Xavier didn't do anything bad to me. My father and my uncle stayed by my bedside for the entire night, making sure that I was okay, and that there was nothing to stress me out.

My dad was pissed when he was told what had happened to me. I was sort of relieved that the doctors were able to figure it all out so I wouldn't have to go through it all again. The doctors told me that I would have a scar below my breast from Job's knife. I didn't mind, mainly because I wouldn't really see it ever. But in the back of my mind I was a bit upset that I wouldn't be able to fully run away from what happened.

The doctors were also relieved to tell me that I wasn't pregnant. Marco never used a condom so they ran tests just to be sure. My father was relieved as well, saying that I wasn't really ready to be a parent. I knew he meant it as a joke, but I wasn't really in the mood for laughter.

That night, I fell asleep holding his hand. Uncle Mikey played with my hair, stroking it. Gerard was telling me a bedtime story like I was a little girl. I was nice falling asleep to someones voice like that. Growing up in the orphanage we never really got the parental attention like that. The staff never had the time to sit down at knight and read us Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Anderson. So hearing the tale of Cinderella from my father had me falling asleep smiling.

I wanted my father and his band to finish the tour. In fact I insisted on it. I almost threw a fit. My dad wanted to go home, to keep me safe. He talked to Billie Joe about removing his band, but after me insisting that they stay on, he changed his mind. They finished the tour, and then finally they went home.

I moved my stuff from the tour back into my room, and smiled at the walls. It felt nice being able to come to a place where I could call home. Setting my stuff down on my bed, I ran down to the second floor where my uncle was and knocked on his door.

Opening it he looked down and smiled at me, "Hey, Maura... what's up?"

"I want to learn how to play bass."

Mikey looked at me and smiled, "Really?"

I nodded, "Yeah."

"Come on in."

I entered the room and he pulled out the chair from his desk. Sitting down, he handed me a bass and took one for himself. He made sure that the guitars were tuned before he started in. He helped me refresh my memory of 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' and then started to teach me the nitty gritty, the notes, the chords, the names of the strings, what the parts of the bass were called and what they did. By the time the second hour went past we stopped for a break then he asked, "So, why so set on learning the bass?"

I looked at him then said, "When I was in the basement.... My mind sort of freaked out for a moment, and I promised myself that I would learn to be the best bass player ever... if I made it out, I mean."

Mikey frowned, "You didn't think you were going to make it?"

I looked away, "My mind freaked out... I didn't want it to, but it did."

Mikey moved on his bed to place his arm around me, "You're safe now, Maura.... You're with us now."

I smiled and said, "I know."

"Are you hungry?"

I had to take a moment to register how exactly I felt, then said, "Yeah actually.... I'm starving."

Mikey laughed and said, "Come on... lets get you something to eat."

(Gerard's P.O.V.)

Mikey and Maura came down stairs after spending two hours in his room playing the bass. I smiled at them as they entered the kitchen, Mikey helping her find something to eat. He opened the fridge and started naming off all of the possibilities he could do. Maura stood and listened, then said, "I have an idea."

Walking away, she grabbed the loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter. Going back to the fridge she grabbed the jar of jelly and smiled up at Mikey. He looked down at her and said, "PB and J?"

She nodded, "Yeah."

Smiling he said, "Alright."

I watched as the two of them made their dinner, Mikey helping her spread the jelly. When they were finished making them, they sat down next to me, Maura handing me a plate as well. I didn't even notice she was making two sandwiches. Setting it down in front of me, I smiled at her and pulled her chair closer to me. Wrapping my arm around her, I hugged her close to me, loving the feeling of her small body against mine. My parental instincts kicked in and I wanted nothing more but to make her happy. Taking a bite of the sandwich, I smiled down at her, and at my brother, then realized how lucky I was to have my family around me.

Later that night, I was in my room reading my copy of Edgar Allen Poe short stories when a knock came at my door. The door opened and Maura shyly came into the room. I smiled, "Hey love... come in."

She walked slowly over to my bed and said, "I um.. was wondering if um... I could um... sleep h-here-"

"Hop on up."

She shyly climbed onto the bed and pulled the covers back and slid in under them. She sat next to me and looked at the book, "What are you reading?"

"Poe."

"My favorite one is the Tell-Tale Heart."

I smiled, "Mine too."

She smiled and said "'I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. H had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture - a pale blue film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees, very gradually, I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.'"

I smiled, "That's verbatim."

"I said it was my favorite," she smiled, "I must have read his stories a thousand times over when I was at the orphanage."

I smiled, "Did you ever read his poems?"

"'Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, while I nodded nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, as of someone gently rapping, rapping on my chamber door. "Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door." Only this and nothing more.'"

Smiling again I said, "'Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, and each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow from my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore - for the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore - nameless here for evermore.'"

Maura smiled, "It's my favorite poem."

I replied, "Mine too."

She moved closer and snuggled into me, "Thank you for coming for me."

I was quiet for a moment, shocked that she had said that, "Of course I came for you... you're my daughter."

Looking up at me she said, "It was just something that I'm not use to."

I hugged her close to me, setting my book down in order to do so. "Maura.... You're my daughter. You're my family. I'll go to the end of the world and back for you." Looking down at her, I smiled and said, "You're the love of my life, babe."

She giggled, "I love you daddy."

"I love you too, Maura."