I'm the Last One That You'll Ever Remember

Gerard knocked on the door of Frank’s Aunt Edith and Uncle Peter’s home. He discovered by the open garaged filled with moving boxes that he only had a limited amount of time to get the information he needed pertaining to Frank Iero’s current whereabouts before the couple headed back to true home in Pennsylvania. Still, he was relieved that he hadn’t arrived too late. With an impatient sigh, Gerard lifted his hand to knock again when the door opened to reveal Uncle Peter in his Sunday’s best suit. Lowering his hand, Gerard stepped back and flashed the older man a friendly smile. “Good afternoon, Mr. Conrad. How are you today?”

“Uh, I’m fine.” Peter answered, confused as to why their old babysitter was there standing on their front porch. He couldn’t help but stare at the young man with a frown. “Forgive me, what was your name again, young man?”

“Gerard, sir. Gerard Way.” Gerard answered honestly, not taking the opportunity to come up with an alias name when he had the advantage too. It was a huge Killjoy mistake to have allowed the people in Frank’s life know him by his true name, but Gerard hadn’t ever been ashamed. For once, it truly felt like people were talking to HIM, and not someone else he was pretending to be…well, yeah he was pretending to be a babysitter when he didn’t possess the requirements to be one, but still. “I’m sorry to bother you today while you’re busy packing your things, but I was wondering if you could use a babysitter at any time before you move? I’d love to see little Lorenzo and Venetia again, they’re great kids.”

Peter’s eyes widen in awe as he appeared taken aback by Gerard’s vast knowledge of his and his wife’s plans to move back to their home state of Pennsylvania. “Wait, how did you even know we were moving?”

“Oh, your garage door was left open and I saw all the cardboard boxes labelled ‘kitchen’ and ‘bedroom’ things like that.” Gerard explained with a harmless smile. “I just assumed that meant you and your family were planning on moving. Was I wrong?”

“Ah, of course!” Peter chuckled at his own paranoid stupidity. For a minute there he thought this young man to be a stalker of some sort. “No, son, you were right, we are moving. We’ll be gone by next week.” He hesitated when the subject arose of his grandnephew and grandniece. “And as for the twins um…well…”

“Peter, who’s at the door?” Edith called from down the hall behind her husband. “We have packing to do, mister, remember? Don’t think conversating with the mailman will keep you from getting your chores done!”

Peter sighed and rolled his eyes at the mention of chores before glancing over his shoulder to call out to his wife. “I’m not talking to the mailman, Edith, I’m talking to Gerard Way, the kid who babysat the twins!”

“Gerard Way!?” Edith exclaimed from deep within the house before rushing over to push her husband aside to face the young man herself. She gave him an almost convincing smile, but judging by the jitteriness of her movements, Gerard could tell she knew something he didn’t know, and he was determined to find out what it was. Unfortunately, he’d have to do it the long way which meant no torturing carried out or verbal threats thrown to either of the couple. He couldn’t chance losing Frank forever by hurting any of his beloved family members. “Oh, my my, look at you, young man! It’s surely been a long time, hasn’t it?”

“It has, Mrs. Conrad. How have you been?” Gerard genuinely asked her, keeping up his average Joe persona with a friendly smile.

“I’ve been wonderful, dear. We both have.” Edith shared before they all fell into a short awkward silence that felt like hours. “So, what brings you by today, Gerard?”

Gerard got down to business and made sure to be cautious of every word he said. He had to appear oblivious of Frank’s disappearance, and the Iero’s animosity towards him, all while acting the part of a walking angel innocent of any ill-intent. “I’m walking the neighborhood looking for anyone in need of a babysitter. My little brother wants to go to a football game this coming weekend and I’m trying to grab onto every money opportunity I can to make it happen on short notice. Would you two happen to need a babysitter at all before your move? I could really use the help.”

Peter glanced at his wife for help, making it clear that she wore the pants in the house. “Um…”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Gerard.” Edith apologized, taking the helm of the ship through these dangerous waters crashing between them and Gerard. “We don’t have any use of your services. We’re quite busy packin-”

“I can help you with that.” Gerard cut in, trying to show only a little bit of his own desperation on the surface. “I don’t need that much money left, just another $10. I promise I’ll do a much better job than that amount earned, I won’t slack in the least bit.”

“We can spare that much, Edith.” Peter told her with a nudge to her shoulder. “I can use the help.”

Edith shot him a look of doubt. She knew her husband was just being lazy, but still they could do some good helping out a wonderful kid like Gerard Way who was in need of some extra cash. She gave the waiting young man a nod of agreement. “Alright, you two get to work. I better see all the boxes in the house tucked into the garage neatly, or else they’ll be trouble.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Gerard assured her with a salute and wink. Peter clapped his hand over his shoulder with a chuckle and led him inside.

____________________________________________________________________________

Gerard was pushing the last boxes up against the right wall of the garage. During his time here, he had developed a million more questions that before. For one, why were they going back to their home for? Two, where was Frank? And last but not at all the least, where were the twins? The little one’s rooms had also been completely cleared out…just like Frank’s. Gerard found himself having to hold his tongue to keep from asking them about the twin’s whereabouts. His mission was to find Frank, not the twins.

“Ah, look at you!” Peter cheered from behind him with a grin, in his hand was a pile of envelopes. “You’re just a regular old Hercules, ain’t you?”

“I suppose.” Gerard shrugged, his compliment actually making him feel a bit smug about his physical strength. He stepped back from the wall of boxes to face Frank’s Uncle. “Was that the last of them, Mr. Conrad?”

“Thank god, yes!” Peter huffed as he stepped further into the garage, his eyes now wandering over the stack of envelopes he carried along with him. “Call me old and lazy, but I hate manual labor. It’s a pain at my age.”

“Hey, I’m headed in that direction myself too.” Gerard nodded, before his eyes wandered towards the envelopes in his hands. Could they hold the key to Frank’s location? There was only one way to find out. “Junk mail, I’m assuming?”

Peter nodded, completely forgetting who he was talking to. Gerard had made him feel so at ease in his company the old man opened his mouth without even thinking of what information he was sharing with him. “Junk mail every day…except this one from my nephew.” Without glancing away from his mail, he lifted the enveloped and showed the front of it where the address was.

Gerard lapped up all the information like a dog would a hamburger. He scanned that enveloped in seconds and had memorized the address in his head so fast you would think he had a photographic memory. “I see. Well, if you can, tell Frankie I said hi and that I hope he’s doing well.”

Peter didn’t answer for a long time, too engrossed in his mail to acknowledge him for a short moment. When he finally did, he lifted his head and gave him a smile. “Alright, Gerard! I think you earned that $10, wouldn’t you say?”

Gerard nodded graciously. “Yes, sir, thank you!” He grabbed the bills offered to him. “You have no idea how much this means to me and my kid brother.”

“No problem, my boy!” Peter once again clapped him behind the back. “After all the heavy lifting you’d done, it’s the least I could do.”

“You’re too kind.” Gerard thanked him again, flashing him a warm smile while his mind was storming with questions.

Washington State?

Why would Frank go all the way across the country from him?

In the end, it didn’t matter why. Gerard planned on asking himself next time he saw him which would be very soon.

Frank Iero, you can run as far as you want, but you can never be saved from me…