Am I More Than You Bargained for Yet?
Chapter Seventeen, Part II
Chapter 18
Eight months ago
Gerard's POV
"Ray! How the hell could I leave her there for 18 months with people that I don't even know! I had to have been out of my fucking mind!" I paced around the room feverishly as Ray just sat in a chair.
"You had to, Gerard. She had a problem. They know what's best for her, they're trained professionals." Ray commented, sitting forward.
"But I'm her father! I wasn't with her for most of her life, I get her back now and look! She's gone!"
"They probably think it might have something to do with her finding out that you're her father. It would put most people into shock. Even you see a councelor sometimes, though it's for different reasons. Everyone's allowed that right. Just think about what I said, even though you miss her I'm sure she misses you even more."
I sat down on the couch and stared out the window, just taking in everything Ray had said. After a few minutes I sighed and stood up, knowing that he was right. "I know, Ray. Thanks, man. I'm just worried about her."
"Any good father would be." Was all he said before flicking the TV on.
xX:Xx
"Mr. Way, Mr. Way! Could I have a moment of your time, please?"
The rest of the band and I all turned around to see a very out of breath reporter following behind us. He finally caught up to us and began launching into a speech about how he would only take a minute.
"Yeah, sure. Now which Way did you want?" Frank asked bluntly.
"Gerard, please." He said and turned to face me and pulled out a photograph. "There's been some speculation going around about how your daughter was admitted into an institution for treatment concerning an issue about harming herself. Would you care to comment on this?" He showed me the photo of myself and Alex hugging when we said goodbye, roughly 8 months ago.
I stared at him, dumbfounded. "How the hell did you get that?" were the first words to come out of my mouth.
"Sir, an anonymous source gave these to us. Would you care to make a statement about it?"
At this point Mikey pushed his way between us. "You think it hasn't been hard on us? I'll tell you something, jackass, every day since she checked in we've all been missing a piece of ourselves."
"I'm sorry for your...loss, shall we say, but I would perfer that her father comment on the situation." The reporter answered and disregarded Mikey, turning to me once again.
Once my sorrow had faded, all that was left was pure anger. "I'm sorry that she caused such a disruption so that bastards like yourselves actually have to bother the band with such ridiculous notions that require you to bother us incessantly!" I spat out. I turned around on my heel and strode away, livid. Ray stayed behind with Bob to smooth things over with the reporter while Mikey and Frank followed close behind me.
"Gerard, holy shit! I've never seen you snap on the press like that!" Mikey said, awestruck.
"Same could go for you, Mike." Frank answered from beside him.
"What you said was entirely true, Mikey. I am missing a piece of myself, and I'm going to try and get it back."
xX:Xx
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU WON'T LET ME HAVE HER?! I'M HER FATHER! HER LEGAL GUARDIAN!" I shouted at the attendant, who frowned at me.
"That may be, sir, but Alexandra is required to stay here for another ten months at the least. These are legal documents that you signed handing custody of her over to us for this time period, and until the time expires I cannot allow you to see her."
Mikey shoved me aside and began discussing with the woman at the desk. "You see, I don't think you realize the gravity of the situation. We're getting questions from the press about this, and it would help immensely if you would at least allow us five minutes with her to tell her what's going on."
The woman glanced up at him. "Sir, that's what telephones are for."
"I don't give a fuck about a telephone, it's not really Alex and you're not the actual doctor, let me speak to him about it!" Mikey demanded, making me raise my eyebrows. Mikey never demanded anything from anyone under normal circumstances. Not that I hadn't heard otherwise in the middle of the night while I was TRYING to sleep, but still....at least the girls obeyed him.
Her frown deepened and she walked off, only to return with a doctor moments later. Mikey walked to another part of the room with him and began talking, gesturing wildly with his hands. That's another bad trait he picked up from me...anyways, he returned a few minutes later.
"He still won't let us see her, and if we continue on with it they're going to arrest us. I'm sorry, Gerard, but spending time in jail is not what you or the band needs right now. Let's go." Mikey said quietly, trying to see the sanity in his own statement. He began walking toward the exit.
"Fine. But I will have my daughter back, mark my words." I said before walking out the door to the car, Frank following Mikey and I.
We picked up Ray and Bob, who had smoothed over the fact that I had ever screamed at him. I was tired as hell physically and emotionally, and all I could do after Frank parked the car in the garage was walk to my room and collapse on the bed, crying my eyes out.
Now (16 Months into Alex's stay)
Still Gerard's POV
"GERARD, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!" Frank shouted, throwing a magazine my way. "REMEMBER THAT PRESS GUY THAT YOU BLEW UP AT? HE DID SOMETHING!"
I took one look at the magazine in front of me and hit my head on the table, repetatively. "Shit. Shit shit shit shit SHIT!"
There was an article about Alex and her admission into the institution. And the heading "Like Father, Like Daughter." I read it and became even more pissed.
"Frankie, call the lawyer and sue everyone that can be sued. I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but just do that much for me." I spat from between clenched teeth.
Frank ran off, pulling his cell phone out on the way.
What the hell am I going to do now? I'm supposed to protect her from this shit.
I guess I'm not all that awesome of a father, am I?
Eight months ago
Gerard's POV
"Ray! How the hell could I leave her there for 18 months with people that I don't even know! I had to have been out of my fucking mind!" I paced around the room feverishly as Ray just sat in a chair.
"You had to, Gerard. She had a problem. They know what's best for her, they're trained professionals." Ray commented, sitting forward.
"But I'm her father! I wasn't with her for most of her life, I get her back now and look! She's gone!"
"They probably think it might have something to do with her finding out that you're her father. It would put most people into shock. Even you see a councelor sometimes, though it's for different reasons. Everyone's allowed that right. Just think about what I said, even though you miss her I'm sure she misses you even more."
I sat down on the couch and stared out the window, just taking in everything Ray had said. After a few minutes I sighed and stood up, knowing that he was right. "I know, Ray. Thanks, man. I'm just worried about her."
"Any good father would be." Was all he said before flicking the TV on.
xX:Xx
"Mr. Way, Mr. Way! Could I have a moment of your time, please?"
The rest of the band and I all turned around to see a very out of breath reporter following behind us. He finally caught up to us and began launching into a speech about how he would only take a minute.
"Yeah, sure. Now which Way did you want?" Frank asked bluntly.
"Gerard, please." He said and turned to face me and pulled out a photograph. "There's been some speculation going around about how your daughter was admitted into an institution for treatment concerning an issue about harming herself. Would you care to comment on this?" He showed me the photo of myself and Alex hugging when we said goodbye, roughly 8 months ago.
I stared at him, dumbfounded. "How the hell did you get that?" were the first words to come out of my mouth.
"Sir, an anonymous source gave these to us. Would you care to make a statement about it?"
At this point Mikey pushed his way between us. "You think it hasn't been hard on us? I'll tell you something, jackass, every day since she checked in we've all been missing a piece of ourselves."
"I'm sorry for your...loss, shall we say, but I would perfer that her father comment on the situation." The reporter answered and disregarded Mikey, turning to me once again.
Once my sorrow had faded, all that was left was pure anger. "I'm sorry that she caused such a disruption so that bastards like yourselves actually have to bother the band with such ridiculous notions that require you to bother us incessantly!" I spat out. I turned around on my heel and strode away, livid. Ray stayed behind with Bob to smooth things over with the reporter while Mikey and Frank followed close behind me.
"Gerard, holy shit! I've never seen you snap on the press like that!" Mikey said, awestruck.
"Same could go for you, Mike." Frank answered from beside him.
"What you said was entirely true, Mikey. I am missing a piece of myself, and I'm going to try and get it back."
xX:Xx
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU WON'T LET ME HAVE HER?! I'M HER FATHER! HER LEGAL GUARDIAN!" I shouted at the attendant, who frowned at me.
"That may be, sir, but Alexandra is required to stay here for another ten months at the least. These are legal documents that you signed handing custody of her over to us for this time period, and until the time expires I cannot allow you to see her."
Mikey shoved me aside and began discussing with the woman at the desk. "You see, I don't think you realize the gravity of the situation. We're getting questions from the press about this, and it would help immensely if you would at least allow us five minutes with her to tell her what's going on."
The woman glanced up at him. "Sir, that's what telephones are for."
"I don't give a fuck about a telephone, it's not really Alex and you're not the actual doctor, let me speak to him about it!" Mikey demanded, making me raise my eyebrows. Mikey never demanded anything from anyone under normal circumstances. Not that I hadn't heard otherwise in the middle of the night while I was TRYING to sleep, but still....at least the girls obeyed him.
Her frown deepened and she walked off, only to return with a doctor moments later. Mikey walked to another part of the room with him and began talking, gesturing wildly with his hands. That's another bad trait he picked up from me...anyways, he returned a few minutes later.
"He still won't let us see her, and if we continue on with it they're going to arrest us. I'm sorry, Gerard, but spending time in jail is not what you or the band needs right now. Let's go." Mikey said quietly, trying to see the sanity in his own statement. He began walking toward the exit.
"Fine. But I will have my daughter back, mark my words." I said before walking out the door to the car, Frank following Mikey and I.
We picked up Ray and Bob, who had smoothed over the fact that I had ever screamed at him. I was tired as hell physically and emotionally, and all I could do after Frank parked the car in the garage was walk to my room and collapse on the bed, crying my eyes out.
Now (16 Months into Alex's stay)
Still Gerard's POV
"GERARD, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!" Frank shouted, throwing a magazine my way. "REMEMBER THAT PRESS GUY THAT YOU BLEW UP AT? HE DID SOMETHING!"
I took one look at the magazine in front of me and hit my head on the table, repetatively. "Shit. Shit shit shit shit SHIT!"
There was an article about Alex and her admission into the institution. And the heading "Like Father, Like Daughter." I read it and became even more pissed.
"Frankie, call the lawyer and sue everyone that can be sued. I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but just do that much for me." I spat from between clenched teeth.
Frank ran off, pulling his cell phone out on the way.
What the hell am I going to do now? I'm supposed to protect her from this shit.
I guess I'm not all that awesome of a father, am I?