Disclaimer: I do not own My Chemical Romance. I do, however, own the plot, Noelle, and Mellie.
Email: mercipourlevenin_lyssa@yahoo.com

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I ran through the thick forest, tears blinding my path. I wouldn't let them get me. No. I needed this.

I could hear their voices behind me. "Gerard! Gerard, come back!"

'No!' I thought. 'Leave me alone!' I ran faster and faster until their words faded. I tripped over a tree root and sprawled across a pile of dead leaves. I curled up against the rough bark of the tree and nursed my injured knee. My slacks were torn and my black jacket dirty and worn. It was over. It was all over.

"Gerard?" I whipped around. She was there. My love. She was waiting for me.

"Mellie?" I cried and fell into her arms. "Mellie. Don't leave me here! Let me go with you!"

She smiled warmly and sat down beside me. "No Gerard. I'm sorry, but he made me promise. You're too young to go."

"So are you!" I yelled. "That didn't stop him! I don't belive it! I don-"

Mellie pressed a cold finger to my lips. Her beautiful golden eyes filled with sadness. "Gerard, there will be another. And don't hope for me to come back. There's no use." Her lips tenderly pressed against mine.

"Mellie. Please. I love you."

"I love you, too." And she was gone.

I don't know how long I lay there, dazed and wondering if it was a dream or not. I stared at the gray sky and watched the snow begin to fall. The soft cold flakes caressed my pale skin, and numbed my body. My body convulsed in hard, broken sobs. My chest felt heavy. My heart was breaking. No. It was broken.

"Gerard." My little brother whispered. Mikey fell to the ground beside me. "Gee. Wake up. It's four degrees out here."

I moaned. "I can't move, Mikey." It was true. My legs and arms were stiff, and tears were frozen to my eyes and cheeks.

Mikey brushed all of the snow off of my body. "Your lips are blue. Oh My God. Ray! Bob! Frank! I found him!"

My other friends gathered around me. Frank and Ray draped a blanket over me; Bob picked me up and carried me to the car.

On our way back to the Sebaru, I took a look at the cemetery and at the last headstone. It read:

Melissa "Mellie" Fratello Beloved Daughter and Fiancee April 31, 1980-December 22, 2006

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I sneezed so hard, my ears started to ring. I moaned. I felt miserable. It turned out, I was lying in the snow for a little more than four hours. My head thumped loudly and ached horribly. Mikey forced me to stay in bed.

"Gerard, I'm going to the grocery store with Ray. Frank is watching TV and Bob's in his room, if you need anything. And what ever you do, don't you dare go outside." Mikey warned.

I nodded. He smiled, kissed my forehead, and bustled out the door.

After I heard the car turn out of the drive way, I threw the blankets off of me and climbed out of bed. The whole room began to spin. I fell back onto the pillows and started to cry. I had to get out. I stood up and gripped the bed stand until the room slowed down. Then I grabbed the bag, I'd packed when Mikey wasn't paying attention, and silently snuck out of my room.

Frank was fast asleep on the couch. "This is too easy." I whispered to myself and quickly stole out the door.

I stared at the small gravestone under the dead tree. "Mellie." I dropped to the ground and opened my bag. The framed the picture of Mellie and I on the day we got engaged and a small rose. It was dying, but I knew she'd still think It was beautiful.

I lay my cheek against the cold stone, and sighed. My eyes started to fog up with tears, and I quickly brushed them away with my hand. I started to relax, until I hear a twig break. My head shot up. "W-Who's there?"

A girl stepped out from the shadow of the tree. Her pale skin was flushed slightly from the chill. Light blonde hair covered her thin petite shoulders. She was clad in a black trench coat, and baggy blue jeans. A small gold heart dangled from her neck. She couldn't have been older than seventeen. "I'm sorry." She looked down at her beige snow boots.

"Sorry?" I asked, wiping my tears with my sleeve. "For what?"

"Watching you. Usually, I'm the only person here. Especially in this weather." She walked closer. "What are you doing here if you don't mind me asking?"

"My fiancee died," I said sadly. "I came to visit her. And you? You're all alone."

She smiled weakly. "I came to see my parents. They died last year." She sat down beside me and stuck out her hand. "I'm Noelle Byrd."

"I'm Gerard Way." I shook her hand and looked back at the stone. I scooted off of the grave.

"Oh, from My Chemical Romance?"

I nodded. I inhaled deeply, which resulted in a bunch of gasping coughs. "I'm not supposed to be out." I sniffled.

Noelle reached into her pocket and gave me a tissue. I blew my nose, and looked back at Noelle. She smiled daintily at me; I let out a raspy chuckle.

Noelle and I chatted for about an hour until she asked, "How'd she die?"

"Mellie was killed in a car accident." I whispered. I started to cry again. "I'm sorry." I wiped my tears on the tissue. "It was too sudden. I just proposed. She said she's see me at home. And when she never came back..." I wailed.

Noelle cradled me in her arms. "That's how my parents died, too. You're not alone. There's more to life than just mourning. You've got to carry on. And I'll tell you, we'll carry on... together. Forever." I looked up into her misty blue eyes and wide happy grin. I grinned back. "Let me drive you home."

She helped me up off of the ground. "Ok, but you have to come in, too, so my brother doesn't kill me."

Noelle laughed. "Your little brother?"

"Yes, my little brother. And Ray, and Frank, and Bob. Whoa, especially Bob." I laughed. Bob would be on a murderous rampage.

"Ok. So, Mikey will be less likely to murder you if there are witnesses?"

I laughed again.

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Noelle followed me up the porch steps, and in to the front door. Smells of baked chicken filled the house and warmed my bones. Mikey walked into the living room from the kitchen, a dish towel draped over his right shoulder in a maid-like manner. "Where have you been, Gerard? I was worried sick!"

Noelle linked her arm to mine and cuddled into my shoulder. I walked over to Mikey. "Sorry, Mom." I joked and kissed his cheek.

Mikey snorted and then took a double glance at Noelle. His face turned a bright pink and he threw the dish towel into the kitchen. A startled "Hey!" came from the door.

"Hi. I'm Noelle Byrd." She said to Mikey. I looked down at her and grinned. She smiled back at me, then Mikey.

"I- uh... would you like to stay for dinner?" Mikey asked. He knew I was happy.

Noelle giggled. "I'd love to."

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Almost every day for a year, Noelle and I met at the cemetery, and ate dinner together. She was my best friend. We sometimes watched movies, or we'd stay over at my house and sit on my bed, talking for hours until we fell asleep. The greatest thing was, she liked me for me, not for what I did.

Then one day, I got a call from Noelle's aunt. Noelle was in the hospital. She was really sick.

I left a note for Mikey and the boys, and hurried to the hospital to see her. Noelle lay there, looking more fragile than ever. I sat beside her bed in a nearby chair. "Gerard," Her eyes fluttered open. "I knew you'd come."

Tears filled my eyes. "What happened to you?"

"Gee, I have leukemia."

"What? No!" I started to bawl my eyes out. "You can't have leukemia!"

"Gerard," She took my hand. Her's felt small and cold. "I'm going. I can't go on like this. It hurts." She started to cry too. "It really does."

"Noelle, what happened to 'we'll carry on together forever'?" I whispered.

She reached up and touched my face. Her small fingers reminded me of the snowflakes that tried to drown me a year ago. "My forever just wasn't long enough."

"Noelle," I grabbed her hand and pressed it to my lips. "You can't leave me."

"I-I love you, Gerard. I always wished our friendship would be more. But, I guess it never happened." She yanked the gold heart chain off of her neck and pressed it into my palm. "I love you."

The heart monitor started to speed up. Noelle started to convulse. "No! Nelly! No!" One of the nurses stopped and stared. "Do something!" I cried. "Do something!"

"Gerard," She held my hand with so much strength, I thought she'd pull through. "I need you to tell me... you love me."

"No!" I sobbed. "No! You can't go."

"Gerard," Noelle looked at me with her watery blue eyes. "Please."

"I-I love you, Noelle. Don't go..."

But the final ticks of the monitor slowed and flat lined. I buried my face in the sheets. "Noelle!" I wailed. "No!"

Mikey ran into the room and saw me crying. He looked at Noelle's crumpled form on the bed. "Oh. Gee." Tears filled his eyes. He came to hug me, but I pushed him away.

"NO!" I screamed. "NO! SHE'S NOT DEAD!"

Mikey jumped back, startled. "Bob." Bob came into the room and locked my arms behind me.

"I'm sorry, Gerard. But it's for your own good." I could hear the sadness in Bob's voice.

I fought against him. "No!" I kept kicking and screaming and fighting to get back to Noelle, but they won.

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It's exactly a year ago today, I met Noelle. It's also the day of her funeral. Mikey strands beside me solemnly, Frank on the other side, and Ray and Bob are behind me to keep me from running away. Again.

After the casket is lowered into the freshly dug hearth, I turn to Mikey. "I'm going for a walk." I say.

Mike shoots me a warning glance. "Gerard..."

"Relax," I say. "I'll be back in a few." I walk towards the woods. As the snow crunches beneath my feet, I keep thinking to myself. Will Noelle be happy in heaven?

"Gerard?" Two beautiful angelic voices startle me. I turn around. Two angels are standing behind me.

"Noelle! Mellie!" I hugged both of them.

Mellie smiles. "It's great to hear you say that to me again."

Now I start to cry. "It's great to say that again."

Mellie laughs. Her giggle sounds airy and happy. "Noelle will be fine with me. He told us to come say goodbye."

I furrow my brows. "Who?"

"God." Noelle takes me in a hug. "I love it up there, Gerard. Just remember, I'll be there for you."

I sob into her shoulder. "I love you, Noelle."

She lets go. "I know." Mellie takes Noelle's hand and they disappear.

I'm not upset. I shed tears of joy. "Gerard?" I heard Mikey call. "Gee? Where are you?"

I touch the gold heart around my neck and grin. "I'm right here. I'm coming."

Mikey see the smile on my face and mirrors my grin. "What are you so happy about?"

I throw my arms around my brother in a hug, and remember what Noelle told me the day we met. "There's more to life than just mourning."