*authors note: I do not own the characters in my story, they are real people and names. I only created the plot and story, I hope you enjoy.*

Chapter One

He pulled his coat around his body tighter, trying to keep the heat inside. It was definitely cold out tonight, his breath came out as fog, visible in the dim streetlights. It had been a long night, his body felt heavy and it took more effort than usual to simply pick up his feet. He had always loved going to concerts, but it was different without Frank there. He hadn't been out much since Frank disappeared, it hurt too much to be in the places they used to go. He missed Frank, so much. It had almost been three months now. Gerard had replayed that night in his head thousands of times, each time he had saved Frank. Why couldn't he when it mattered? If only he fought back, Frank might still be here.

After a while people decided that Frank was dead. That he'd been killed by the man who took him away and left Gerard bleeding on the pavement. Almost every night since, he's woken, tears falling down his cheeks, onto the duvet. Frank had been his best friend, why couldn't he do something as simple as fighting back? He may not have been the strongest, but he could have done so much more. It wasn't until tears were splattering onto his shoes that he realized he was crying again.

He pulled his hand out of his pocket and wiped it across his cheeks in an attempt to dry them. He sniffed and tried to stifle a small sob to no avail. The tears were blurring his vision and he tried to wipe them away but they were coming out too fast now, he couldn't see. He stopped walking suddenly, afraid of running into sometime and getting injured. He pulled out his cell and straightened himself up enough to call his brother.

"Mikes?" He said, when he finally picked up.

"Gerard? Hey man are you alright? It's late."

"No, no I'm not alright can you come get me? I'm on the sidewalk by that old gas station, the empty one." There was this old has station that shut down years ago, he and Frank used to hang out there just to get away for some piece and quiet. They loved their friends, they really did, but sometimes they just wanted to get away together. They'd get teased about going on secret dates but it just wasn't like that, Frank had been his best friend for years and then how could imagine life without him, but here he was.

Mikey didn't live far, about ten minutes down the road, so Gerard leaned against a pole to try and calm down. This would happen to him a lot, he'd just be doing something normal when Frank would go through his thoughts and he'd just break down. Mikey was always there to help him, he'd be there to comfort him while he cried.

"Gee!" He looked up to see Mikey's old pickup truck on the street in front of him, the window rolled down. "Hey man get in, it's freezing out." He wiped his face again and sniffed as he walked over and opened the door, the metal was cool from the night air.

The ride back to Gerard's was quiet, they sat in silence until Mikey pulled into Gerard's driveway.

"Hey," he started "if you want I can stay the night, I don't have to get into work early tomorrow." Gerard knew how much his brother cared and he appreciated everything he's done for him, but it's been three months. He knows that he needs to move on, to forget Frank.

"No." He said after thinking about it. "No, I can't keep dragging you away from your life just because I can't deal with shit." He opened his door, the harsh wind sending chills down his spine. "I love you Mikes, but I think I just need to be alone right now, sort everything out. Thanks for the ride home, I'll see you later?" He said as he stepped out and heard the gravel crunch beneath his boots.

"Yeah," Mikey finally replied "okay, just be careful Gee, don't hurt yourself." He warned before driving off. Gerard sighed, looking up at the sky to admire the stars. Maybe Frank was up there, watching him. If he was did he miss him? Or was it better up there and Gerard meant nothing now. Maybe he isn't even dead, he could be suffering, being tortured. He couldn't stand the thought of Frank hurting like that, so he decided that he was dead, he was happy.

Gerard was woken from a loud noise coming from his backyard. He groaned and rolled over to look at his clock. 3:37. It was early. He decided that it must have been a tree or something and he should just get back to sleep when he heard it again. He sat up and blinked, trying to get his eyes to focus in the dark. Hoping this wasn't something stupid he swung his legs over the side of the bed, kicking the sheets away.

It seemed colder outside then it did earlier, though it may just be because he's in nothing but old rain boots and his pajamas. Staying where he was by the back door he looked off into the woods. Everything around him seemed to be in place, he knew he heard something out here. It didn't sound anything like an animal, something or someone had to have been out here. It was eerily quiet out, he should have been hearing the crickets sing, but all he heard was silence. His porch light flickered above his head, adding to the creepiness.

"Hello?" He called out finally. It seemed like he was in one of those horror movies, his heart sped up. He waited for some sort of reply, feeling stupid that he actually expected one. Nothing. He was about to turn around, he was shivering violently now, craving the warmth of his bed when he heard it. It was a high pitched scream, like someone was being murdered, coming from the woods. He knew that he was being stupid, running through the woods in the middle of the night, following a scream. He knew it would probably get him killed but he remembered Frank. How he could have saved him if he just tried harder. Maybe if he died tonight he'd see him again in heaven or hell or purgatory or anything else there might be. He heard twigs snap under his feet, the leaves crunching with each step. He felt thorns and branches scratching and clawing at his face and bare arms as he ran. Tripping over roots and rocks, his chest burning, the cuts stinging, he kept running. He didn't know how long he had been running but he could barely breathe when he came to an opening in the woods. It was like a small field, tall grass, scraggly bushes, thorns everywhere. He bent over to place his palms on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. This might have been one of the dumbest things he has ever done.

He looked around, suddenly realizing that he has no idea how to get back. His heart was pounding, his chest feeling like it might burst. Gerard suddenly regret slacking off in gym class a few years back, when he was still in high school. Frank was four years younger, he would have been graduating this year. He wanted to become a guitarist, start a band or something. Frank was good, real good. He definitely had a talent for rock and roll. Gerard remembered the times they'd play their favorite songs. Frank said he loved Gerard's voice, so he sang for him. They'd spend hours in Gerard's basement just playing, and if it got too late Frank would crash there. He always liked it when Frank stayed over, it made him feel less alone.

He felt really alone now. He straightens himself and rubs his hands against his arms in an attempt to warm himself. The adrenaline from before has warn off and he wishes he was back in his bed, duvet pulled up to his ears and the slight hum from the heater across the room, lulling him back into a deep sleep. He got so turned around in his search he doesn't know which way to go.

"Fuck." He swore to himself. He was screwed. Probably going to get hypothermia and die out here, no one came out to these woods so his body would rot, never to be found. He imagined crows pecking out his dead eyes and worms crawling out of his mouth, maggots eating away at his innards. It was a disgusting image. A nice meal for the wolves. They'd hollow out his insides and some poor animal would crawl inside, looking for shelter and warmth. If he had his sketchbook with him he would have enjoyed drawing it.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the snap of a nearby twig. He tightened his arms around his body, hugging himself. He heard footsteps, someone was walking towards him. Gerard looked around, trying to see, but it was dark out. His only light source was the full moon above, giving everything a beautiful, but creepy glow. Shadows of trees danced around him as the wind whistled, almost like it was singing. No, it was singing. It was getting louder, he couldn't make out any of the words, but it was singing for sure.

He listened closely, squeezing his eyes shut, the footsteps long forgotten. It was a man singing, the tune was familiar but Gerard just couldn't place it. He knew he should run, running would be the smart thing to do, but he was exhausted. He felt his knees buckle and he landed with a thump in the leaves. It was almost winter, Frank's birthday would have been next week on Holloween. He would have been eighteen, a legit adult. When Gerard has turned twenty one earlier in the year, Frank would beg him to buy him alcohol. Being the responsible friend he was, he'd buy Frank beer and they'd get drunk together. God, Frank was only seventeen. He was too young to die.

Gerard was still kneeling on the damp ground when the footsteps stopped, he knew there was someone in front of him, but he didn't dare open his eyes. He felt moisture seep through the knees of his sweats. The person in front of him sunk down to Gerard's level. Gerard was sure he was going to die or get kidnapped or something but instead he felt a cool hand cup his cheek. The fingers were rough and round, they had to belong to man. Though the hand was cold, as if there was no or little blood circulating in it, it seemed…familiar.

Gerard leaned into the hand seeking comfort of some sort.

"Gee…" The man in front of him whispered, if he wasn't so close it wouldn't have even been audible. At the sound of his name, Gerard's eyes flew open. The man immediately took his hand back and ran, just a black shadow in the night. Gerard blinked, trying to process what had just happened, he'd only a glimpse of the man. He saw nothing but his eyes, he had been dressed in nothing but black but those eyes…

There was something about them, Gerard knew that he'd seen them before, looked into those very eyes many times. He just couldn't place it though. The man knew his name, his nickname even. They must have met before, but where? Gerard felt his own eyes grow heavy, begging for sleep. He knew that he would have little or no luck finding his way home so he stay where he was, curling up in the mud and leaves, hoping he'd be okay until morning came