Disclaimer: I do not own MCR or know them. All of the events in this story are purely fictional and never happened!

Chapter 1: Fear

Caroline opened her eyes, trying with great difficulty to focus on her surroundings. "What the fuck?" she thought, as she ran a trembling hand through her jet black hair, finding it was wet. She unwrapped her arms from around her torso and pressed her hands into the cold earth, trying to push herself up from the ground. She failed at her attempts, her body feeling like a dead weight on her frail arms. "Where am I?" she whispered, noticing small, white wisps float into the air, accompanying her words. "It's so cold. How did I get out here? Where is here?" she pondered, beginning to panic slightly.

Caroline was a very strong, independent woman. She had never been in a situation where she felt so helpless, and she didn't like it. She decided that weakness was not an endearing quality, and began to plan her survival. But what was she surviving? She felt so lost and confused, trying desperately to remember what lead her to this. She concluded that it didn't matter, she just needed to make it home. It was a pitch black night, not a star in the sky due to the dense fog that had settled over the land. The moon brought what little light there was, only to be blurred and dimmed by the damp, grey clouds. There was nothing but darkness as far as the eye could see. Not a glimmer of hope for Caroline, but she was determined to make it home.

She gathered every ounce of strength left in her body, and pushed herself forward, managing a weak crawl at best. "It's something, at least I'm moving!" she thought, still not understanding why she couldn't run. She wanted to run!

Caroline continued on like this until realizing that she had no place to go. It was blank scenery for miles, and she was already loosing strength, her elbows and knees sinking into the cold sludge, making her journey all but impossible. She gave up, dropping her tired body to the ground, her hands shielding her pale face from the dirt. She could feel fear consuming her as a warm tear fell onto her almost numb arm. "Why is this happening to me?" she screamed, now terrified and shaking, she hated losing control.

As she began to doubt her sanity, Caroline suddenly felt a familiar, yet imposing weight on her back. She attempted to turn her eyes to see her attacker, but her head was immediately shoved back into the soft ground. She tried to cry out, but the thick mixture of earth and water was blocking her airways, making it difficult to breath. Now she was panicking, kicking and squirming with no success. Just as she thought she may pass out, her attacker grabbed a handful of her long hair, and roughly pulled her up to safety. "Thank you!" she cried, gasping for air, not even knowing who she was thanking, or why.

"Your Welcome." came a voice.

"Oh my God, that voice! I know that voice!" she thought, all at once beginning to laugh and cry with relief.

"Gerard, how did you find me? Where are we?..." her voice trailed off, horrible yet logical thoughts now swamping her mind. She knew this wasn't right, he wasn't here to save her. She could feel the anxiety rising up into her chest and constricting her lungs. Why would he do this? If she could only look into his eyes, maybe then she could understand.

"Gerard?" she spoke. "Please, just let me look at you." she pleaded, hoping for a response.

Gerard gently pulled her toward him, sliding an arm around her shoulders and turning her to face him. "Is this better my love?" he asked, looking down at her with blank eyes. It was as if he didn't have a soul.

"Gerard, why are you doing this?" she whimpered, "I love you."

He took her face into his hands and wiped away a stray tear with his thumb.

"Don't be afraid." he sneered, "This is your lucky night." He gave her an almost perverse grin, gently rubbing the tip of his icy nose against her warm cheek.

"Gerard Way, If this is your idea of some kinky action, you are seriously fucked up!" she spat, knowing that kinky action would be the best outcome for this situation, and not likely.

"No honey, it's not like that." Gerard whispered into her ear, his voice void of all emotion, and his humor dry. As Caroline pulled away from him, she caught a glimpse of his delicate features, the moon casting it's glow upon his face. She moved a string of raven hair that had fallen across his eyes, and shuddered at the sight. His eyes were black and sunken against a stark white pallet, his cheekbones defined and dark. Now terrified, Caroline began to struggle, trying to release herself from his grip.

"GERARD, FUCKING LET GO OF ME RIGHT NOW! LET GO YOU SON OF A BITCH!" she cried, only to feel his grip tighten around her shoulders. She thrashed angrily in his arms, clawing and biting at whatever she could reach. Caroline continued to fight, her breathing rapid, while Gerard calmly held on, waiting for her to give up.

"What would you do if I let you go? Who would help you? Where would you go? I'm the only one who's here for you, and I wouldn't be wasting my precious time if I didn't love you." Gerard questioned.

His words felt like knives to Caroline's heart. She knew this wasn't the man that she loved, but she missed the real Gerard so badly that she was considering giving in to this monster, if only to feel the comfort of his embrace one last time.

She took a moment to catch her breath, and then collapsed into his arms, feeling completely defeated. As he gently stroked her hair, Caroline asked "Gerard, what do you want from me?"

Gerard pulled back and looked into Caroline's tear stained eyes. "I want you for eternity." he stated simply, leaning close and pressing his cold lips to hers.

He kissed her gently, but only for a moment. She gasped as he roughly pulled her to his chest, moving in, and gaining full access to her mouth. It was as if he was trying to steal the last bit of warmth she had left in her tired body, and keep it for himself. Caroline knew this couldn't end well, but even now, his kisses sent tingles up her spine, and she didn't want him to stop.

Gerard began to move down, planting soft kisses on Caroline's chin, and tracing his wet tongue over her neck. She let out a small sigh, briefly feeling content and secure, but soon, Gerard's affectionate nibbles became violent.

"Gerard?" she spoke..., no response.

"Gerard?" she questioned again, feeling the terror rise in her throat as the delicate flesh on her neck began to tear.

"GERARD, NO!"

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Caroline awoke with a start, immediately grasping at her throat, rubbing away the pain that was never actually there. She was drenched in a cold sweat, and her heart was beating rapidly. She looked around to find that she was safe and warm in her apartment, her fiance' sleeping peacefully beside her in their bed.

"Oh fuck, that felt so real!" she said, her words heavy with relief. She looked over to Gerard, his cheeks rosy and full of life. "All is right with the world." she thought, and snuggled close to him, hoping to get some well needed rest.

After lying there for a few minutes, Caroline was finding sleep difficult, her mind still cluttered with vivid imagery from her dream. She lifted herself up, propping her head with her hand, and stared down at the sleeping Gerard. "He always looks so angelic when he's sleeping." she thought to herself, "My angel."

Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she giggled at the thought of what she was about to do. Caroline gently ran a finger across Gerard's soft lips, causing his mouth to curl up at the corners. She carefully separated his lips, smiling slightly at the site of his tiny, not so sharp teeth.

As Caroline laughed and sighed in relief, Gerard opened an eye and looked up at her curiously.

"Umm, baby...what are you doing?" he slurred with a smile, Caroline's fingers still firmly attached to his lips.

"Oh, I was...I just needed to....well, oh, never mind!" she cried, her cheeks flushing a scarlet shade of red. "I'm just really tired, that's all. Let's get some sleep." she suggested, hoping he wouldn't question her any further.

He continued to look at her with amusement, but soon decided to comply, at least until morning. "Great idea care bear, I think you need it!" He flashed her one of his trademark grins before snuggling his head into her neck, falling fast asleep. Caroline took a deep breath, soaking him in, and closed her eyes as she thought "I've never been so anxious to set eyes on the sun!"

Chapter 2: Inspiration

Gerard's POV

I buried my face into the pillow, and pulled the sheets over my eyes. The suns rays were blazing through the window, reflecting off of the glass panes to create an abnormal amount of warmth for January in New York. I groaned, slowly pulling back the sheets to find that the curtains on all three of my bedrooms windows were drawn back, beckoning the light to shine through. I looked for Caroline, finding that the opposite side of the bed was empty. Knowing that my Caroline was no more interested in the wee morning hours than myself, I wondered what had drawn her out of bed so early.

I slipped out of the warm bed, pulling a black t-shirt over my head, and retrieving yesterday's jeans from the floor. Running a hand through my unruly hair, I made my way to the bathroom, noticing on my way that every window in the apartment was exposed. "Strange..." I thought, knowing that Caroline was a firm believer in the myth that she'd surely turn to dust if she spent to much time in the sun. "I wonder if this has anything to do with her awkward behavior last night?".

I studied my reflection in the mirror while brushing my teeth, taking an extra close glance at my pearly whites before placing the toothbrush back in the holder. "Nothing special, What the Hell was she doing?" I laughed to myself, remembering the look on her face when she realized I was awake.

"Baby!" I called through the hallway, waiting for a response.

"In here!" I heard her call, sounding bright and chipper for someone who spent half the night tossing and turning.

I rounded the corner, walking into the office where I found Caroline, typing away passionately at her laptop. I loved watching her write, especially when she looked truly inspired. I'll never forget the day we met. It was two years ago, just another ordinary day with another ordinary interview for an alternative music magazine. But when she took my hand, and greeted me with that magnetic smile, I knew there was nothing ordinary about her. She was smart and funny, and she actually asked intriguing questions, which was refreshing. But I have to be honest, I was so taken with her that she could have been asking about my house plants, and I would have answered with enthusiasm!

"Good morning!" she sang cheerily, snapping me back into reality.

"Good morning to you." I said, wrapping my arms around her neck, and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"So, you look like you must have gotten over your writer's block?" I asked, noticing that she hadn't stopped typing once since I entered the room. It was Caroline's dream to be a writer, but by the time we met, she was really growing tired of journalism. Suggesting that she take some time off to work on her novel was one of the best ideas I ever had. Now that we were engaged, she could afford to quit the magazine. The band alone is more than enough income for the both of us, and when she's happy, I'm over the moon!

"I think I finally have!" she smiled, taking another sip of her coffee.

"Want some?" she asked, drawing my attention to her mug.

"Yes, of course! What would I be without my morning coffee?" I replied.

She began to make her way to the kitchen, but I quickly stopped her and led her back to the desk.

"Sit down!" I demanded.

"There's no way I'm going to interrupt your writing process for coffee! I'm not helpless, you know?"

"I know." she said.

"I just love to serve you!" She winked and flashed me a seductive grin

. "Well, not today!" I protested, before really thinking about what she had said.

"I mean, at least not until tonight." I corrected, kissing her softly on the lips.

" I have some work to do down at the studio today. I'll grab my coffee and then get out of your hair for a while." I informed her.

"Okay, that should give me time to at least get a few chapters completed, but I'll miss you sweetie." she said, a slight frown forming on her face.

Shit, this was nothing! It's been great being able to leave for work and actually come home in the afternoon! My Chemical Romance had been touring non-stop for so long that I almost forgot what it's like to live a normal life! Okay, so this still isn't normal, but it's as close as it gets for me!

"I won't be too long, I promise." I told her, making my way to the door.

"Oh, before I go, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

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Caroline's POV

"Oh shit, here it comes." I thought, pretty sure I knew what he was about to say next. Last night was so embarrassing, the last thing I want is to have to explain my dream to him! He'll just think I've lost my mind, maybe I have. My imagination has been working over-time lately trying to come up with interesting ideas for this book. "Sure!" I said happily. "What do you want to know love?"

"Did something happen to give you this sudden burst of creativity?" he asked, looking genuinely curious.

"Nothing really, why do you ask?" I knew why he was asking, but I wasn't ready to give in just yet.

"Well, you've just been acting kind of strange the last couple of days, I thought maybe something was going on."

I decided to give some credit to his theory, after all, there really is no good reason to keep it from him. Yes, he'll probably make fun of me, but he's always supportive.

"I just had this really strange dream last night, that's all."

He kept quiet and looked at me attentively, waiting for me to continue.

"It just felt so real, it was really scary, but passionate, all at the same time!" I finished.

"Was I a part of this dream?" Gerard asked, smirking slightly.

"Yes! And you were terrifying, but I still loved you anyway."

I smiled, but then looked at him seriously.

"I think you were going to kill me, but then I woke up! Anyway, I couldn't stop thinking about it, everything about that dream is so vivid in my mind, so I figured it would be great material for my book!"

Gerard took a few steps closer to where I sat, a smile still playing across his lips.

"You think I'm nuts, don't you?" I asked.

Gerard took hold of my hands, lifting me up from my chair and pulling me into a warm embrace. "Would this dream also have anything to do with the late night tooth inspection and your sudden affection for the sun?" he asked, glancing toward the multiple open windows, bright light spilling through. I guess I did go a bit overboard with that this morning!

"Yes.." I giggled, feeling myself blush. "I'm sorry, I'm just not all there sometimes, but you already knew that!"

"Well, that's true, but I'm not worried. I don't think the institutions are ready for you yet!" Gerard stated simply, giving me an affectionate pat on top of the head.

I laughed at his honesty, but stopped when he leaned in closer, his hazel eyes burning into mine. "You know I'd never hurt you, right?"

"Gerard! Of course I do! It was just a silly dream, it's over now." I answered, hoping he believed me. He looked at me for a moment more, and kissed the tip of my nose before taking a step back.

"Good." he said. "I want you to trust me, always."

"I do baby, I do."

"Okay, then I'm going to get to work and leave you to your writing." he said, smiling at me sweetly.

"Do you have to go so soon?" I asked, pouting as I reached for his hand.

"The sooner I leave, the sooner I get home, and I do believe I remember something about you serving me later tonight!" he winked and made his way out of the room.

"I love you!" I yelled

. "Love you too care bear!" he shouted, and he was gone.

Chapter 3: Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground

Caroline's POV

I looked up from my keyboard to glance at the time on the computer screen.

1:06pm.

"Wow, I can't believe I've been writing for over five hours straight!" I thought excitedly. It's rare to have that kind of motivation, but when you do, go with it! I don't know why, but last night's dream just continued to replay in my mind, and the ideas were flowing freely. I had even continued where the dream left off, and I was in love with this character I had created! Maybe it's because Gerard was my inspiration, but really, there wasn't much resemblance other than physical features. This guy was sick! And, well, Gerard is nothing if not perfect.

I decided to save my work, and leave the computer for the day. Gerard was on my mind, and I had wedding planning to do! The date was set, location reserved, and I had the perfect wedding gown! Really, the only important thing left to do was walk down the aisle, but there were so many little things to attend to. Seating charts, flowers, oh, and the never ending discussion of what filling to put in the cake! Gerard was partial to chocolate, myself butter cream. I think we'll just do both. Why not? The two flavors go great together, just like me and Gee! "Oh Caroline! You are such a lame ass!" I laughed to myself, deciding it was time to rest my brain!

As I made my way to the bedroom, I heard my purse begin to sing. I quickly glanced at the caller, finding it was Elise; my maid of honor, and very best friend.

"Hey! What's up?" I asked happily.

"Oh, nothing much." she responded.

"Only that I'm standing here in the bridal shop modeling my scarlet dress, and I look fucking hot if I do say so myself!"

I laughed at her bluntness, and the fact that she had just screamed fuck in the middle of a bridal shop!

"I bet you do, but there's no way you're going to show me up on my wedding day bitch!"

"I know, I know..." she sang. "I just wanted you to know that the dresses look incredible, and the fittings are running smoothly. No worries here!"

"Elise, thank you! I have no idea what I'd do without you! Frankie better put a ring on your finger soon, if he knows what's good for him!"

Frankie, also know as Frank Iero, was one of Gerard's best friends, a guitarist for My Chemical Romance, and also happened to be Elise's boyfriend. The fact that Gerard had proposed before Frank was a sore subject all around!

"No problem!" She said. "Anything for you and Gee! Oh, and as for Frank, I won't be holding my breath!"

"Your day will come honey, I know it will. Just wait until he sees you in that dress!"

"You know, I think you're right." Elise acknowledged. "This wedding could be the beginning of great things for all of us!"

I ended the call, and pondered her last statement. Things were almost perfect, I couldn't imagine them getting any better. That thought frightened me. Was it normal to be so happy? Could things actually stay this way? I shook it off and decided that I needed to go back to what I was doing before Elise's call. "I am in desperate need of a nap!"

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I soon fell into another fitful sleep. I was back in that damp, dark setting, chill bumps quickly forming on my skin. I walked forward, hearing the crunch of dead leaves beneath my bare feet. The night was deathly silent, and just like before, I had no direction. I continued to make a path, as if being drawn into the unknown. I shivered, running a warm hand over my arms, attempting to wipe away the cold. All of a sudden, I could hear faint voices in the distance. I picked up my pace, eager to find the source of the sounds. As I approached, I could see the outlines of a man and a woman through the thick fog. I moved even closer, focusing my vision on the couple. They didn't acknowledge me. It was as if I was not a part of the dream this time, but rather an outsider looking in. I watched intently, listening to their heated conversation. The woman was breathing heavily, definitely frightened and uncomfortable.

"I don't understand what you want with me." she whimpered. She was pale and teary eyed.

A sarcastic smile spread across the man's face

. "Don't you understand?" he drawled, "I don't want you, I need you. I need you to get to him. He is perfection, he is what I want! I just need a little tramp like you to lead him home!"

I felt so much pain as I watched her suffer. I don't know why, but as the tears streamed down her face, I began to cry with her.

His hair swept across his face as he jerked her body into his violently. She let out a small scream, struggling to free her wrists from his grasp.

"NO!" she cried, "I WON'T BE A PART OF THIS!"

He glared at her through gritted teeth and spat "YOU HAVE NO CHOICE MY DEAR!" And with that, he lunged at her throat with his open mouth, viciously sucking the life from her pulsing veins. She cried out and shook with fear, but soon succumb, feeling numb to his bite. It wasn't until she was completely limp in his arms that he released her from his grip, and dropped her to the wet ground. He studied her lifeless body, taking pride in his work and laughing. "You will be a part of this, beautiful, and he will be mine!"

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Gerard's POV

"Alright, so we've got lyrics and music for ten out of twelve songs. I think we're making good time!" I said, expressing my approval to the rest of the guys. Really, we had gotten quite a bit accomplished today, and I was just ready to get home. I stifled a yawn.

"Long night?" Mikey winked, finding his own joke way more humorous than anyone else.

"Yes actually, but not in the way you're suggesting little brother!" giving him a hard punch to the shoulder while retrieving my coat and scarf from the rack.

"Is everything okay?" Frank asked, probably hoping there was trouble in paradise so he could win some points with Elise!

"Yeah, of course, everything is great!" I encouraged.

"Caroline was just a little restless last night. She was acting strange, but I think it's just the stress of the novel and the wedding plans. It is a lot to take on, I'm just glad we're home for a while now so I can help her with some of it!"

With that, I turned and opened the doors of the studio, stepping out into the chilly evening air; saying my goodbyes to everyone but Frank, who had followed me out.

"Hey man, just let me know if I can help with anything. I mean, I know Mikey's the best man, but I'd be happy to get involved! This wedding is all Elise can talk about!" Frank said, giving me a pat on the back while walking me to my car.

"I really am sorry about that man! You know, proposing first and all? I didn't mean for it to cause you so much grief!" I laughed.

"Oh please! Don't worry about it, it's no big deal. I've got my eyes on the big picture!"

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By the time I made it back to the apartment, the sun had set and the sky was dark. As I made my way to the large double doors of the building, my phone began to ring.

"Hey sweetie!" I answered. "I'm on my way up now."

"Perfect!" Caroline replied. "I'll see you in a bit!"

I made my way up to the third floor, and down the long hallway to apartment 32A. I reached for my keys, opening and closing the door behind me, throwing the keys on a small table that seemed to catch everything from my pockets.

"Why is it so dark in here?" I thought, feeling my way to the back of the apartment.

"Caroline?" I called, opening the door to the bedroom.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

"OH HOLY FUCK!"

Chapter 4: Everything Changes

Gerard's POV

I stared at Caroline in utter shock! I've always thought she was damn sexy, but this took the cake! She stood before me wearing nothing but a black silk slip, the straps slightly falling from her shoulders. The length reached the middle of her slender thighs, but there was a slit running up to her hips that left little room for the imagination. Caroline's straight, black hair fell loosely on her back, and her lips were painted a crimson red, making them stand out from her pale complexion.

"Wow!" was all I could manage to say as I walked toward her, removing my coat and scarf.

"What's this all about?" I asked with a smile.

Believe me, Caroline was always full of nice surprises, but this was not normal behavior for her!

"What ever do you mean love?" she cooed, "I'm just happy to see you."

She made her way over to me, and began playing with the hem of my shirt while nibbling passionately at my neck. A moan escaped from the back of my throat, I was putty in her seductive hands.

"It sounds like you're happy to see me too?" she questioned, now lifting my shirt, and lowering herself to waist level, planting delicate kisses over my chest and stomach.

"Oh fuck Caroline, you have no idea how happy I am to see you right now!"

"Oh, I think I do!" she smiled, tracing her fingers over the crotch of my jeans.

"I'll do anything you want! Anything, just ask!" I growled breathlessly, cupping her face in my hands, and pulling her up to meet my lips.

She returned my kiss, deepening it in fact, so much that I had to pull away for air. I waited for her to make the next move, but noticed a distracted look in her eyes.

"I'm hungry." she stated simply. "Let's eat!" she said, casually making her way to the kitchen.

"Are you fucking serious?!" I panted.

What kind of sick game was she playing here? I followed her to the table where dinner was already placed, waiting for her to speak.

"Yes, I'm serious. I'm hungry!" she said, reaching for the wine rack and selecting a bottle of burgundy.

"What's your rush? We have all night! You should have a drink and relax." she suggested, passing me a glass.

Okay, now this is really getting fucked up! She knows I'm a recovering alcoholic, and would never offer me a drink!

"Seriously Caroline! What has gotten into you? You know I don't drink!" I scolded, looking into her fiery eyes, searching for answers.

"Fine, more for me!" she said, pulling the glass to her, and blowing me off completely.

She was really starting to worry me now. Yes, this started out great, but something just wasn't right, and I was far from impressed. I eyed the food on the table, again thinking the situation odd. Our plates were topped with large cuts of steak, still mooing, I might add!

"Caroline, you don't like red meat, and why isn't this cooked?" I asked, concern lacing my words.

"It's cooked sweetie," she said, placing her foot ever so gently between my legs under the table. "It's just rare, that's all."

"What the fuck are you doing?" I asked angrily, removing myself from the table quickly. I have to be honest, she was scaring me.

"What the fuck are you doing?" she responded, her voice raised.

"Sit down and EAT!"

"Fuck you!" I cried.

"I don't know what the hell is wrong with you, but I've had enough for the night! I'll be in the bedroom if you need me."

She just smiled and waved as I walked away...

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Caroline's POV

I quietly opened the door to the bedroom where Gerard was sleeping soundly. Walking over to where he lay, I examined his face, It was wrought with concern. Hmmm, I find that awfully attractive!

I slid into the bed next to him, kissing him lightly on the cheek. He let out a small sigh in his sleep, and rolled over onto his back.

"Perfect!" I thought, leaping up and straddling his waist.

His eyes shot open. "Caroline! What the fuck are you doing?" he yelled, looking startled.

I leaned down to meet his gaze, our noses just barely touching.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I hate it when you're angry with me." I sighed, pouting slightly for effect.

He looked at me with confusion, and gently took my hand in his.

"Care bear, I'm not mad at you, I love you." he stated. "This is just all very strange, and I'm really worried about you!"

This all made sense, but then he surprised me by asking "Do you still love me?" Could he really doubt that?!

"Of course I love you!" I replied, pressing my hands into his chest and grinding into his hips.

"Why do you think I want you so badly? I need to feel you!" I lowered my head, and ran my tongue over his soft lips, but they were trembling, and he quickly pushed me off of him and sat up straight.

"You know I love you Caroline, and I think you are the sexiest, most beautiful woman in the entire world, but this just doesn't feel right! I don't want it, not like this!" he pleaded, his face flushed and his shoulders tense.

"Whatever Gerard! You bore me."

Oh my God, did I just say that? I could see the hurt in his eyes. I might as well have just ripped his heart out and fed it to him whole! It didn't matter though. I couldn't stop myself, and I had already said it anyway. Oh, the look of sheer agony on his face was killing me! I had to leave, I couldn't stand the sight of him! I slinked out of the bed, and walked into the living room, gathering my coat and shoes. Gerard followed behind me, a panicked tone in his voice.

"Baby, where are you going? It's 3:00am!"

"I have someplace to be." I stated matter-of-factly.

It was as if I had lost my voice, and someone else was speaking for me. Gerard grabbed my arm, tears in his eyes, and begged me to stay.

"Please Caroline! I don't know what's going on, but we can fix this, I can help you! Just please don't leave!"

I stared into his pain filled eyes for a brief moment, said nothing, and then walked out of the door.

Chapter 5

Gerard's POV

I can't believe she walked out of that door! In the two years I've known her, she's never been so cold or heartless. I could feel the anger rising inside of me, bringing my blood to a boil. "What did I do to deserve this?!" I cried, realizing that there was something more present in my emotions than anger. I was hurt and heartbroken, but there was something else. It was fear, not for myself, but for her. The tears fell freely as panic consumed my body. I paced the floor, running a trembling hand through my hair while contemplating what to do next. I walked to the phone, almost instinctively dialing Frank's number.

"Hello?" he answered, his voice muffled by sleep.

"Hey, it's me." I managed in between sobs, trying to gain my composure. "I'm so sorry to bother you this late, but I need your help."

"Gerard?" Frank questioned, now sounding genuinely concerned. "What's going on? What's wrong?" He was talking quickly, and I could here him already fumbling with his belt, getting ready to leave.

"It's Caroline. I came home and she was acting really weird! We got in a fight, she said some terrible things, and then she left! She just walked out man!" I realized that at this point, I was sounding frantic, and wasn't sure if anything I had just said made sense. "It's three in the morning Frank! Where would she go?"

"Okay, calm down, we'll find her Gee." Frank said soothingly. "Alright, I'm going to call the rest of the guys so they can help too. If we have more people, we can spread out and find her faster! We'll meet you at your place in a few."

"Thank you Frank. And hey, bring Elise! I know she and Caroline talk about everything. Maybe she'll have a better idea of what's going on with her!"

"She already has the keys in her hand, Gee. Try to take some deep breaths and relax. We'll be there soon."

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I heard footsteps approaching the apartment door, and prayed they were Caroline's. Flinging the door open, I found Frank, Elise, and the rest of the band, looking tired and worried. Okay, so it wasn't Caroline, but they were definitely the next best thing!

"I'm so glad you guys are here! Thank you for coming." I said, reaching for my keys.

"Gee, wait." Frank stopped me, "Don't you think you should stay here? I mean, in case she comes home? We'll cover the city, I promise."

I paused and thought about Frank's suggestion. He was right, she may come back to me, and I definitely want to be here if that happens.

"Okay, I trust you. Just promise me you'll find her!"

Elise took a step closer to me, and questioned my concern.

"Gerard, obviously this argument was serious, but why are you so upset? Couldn't you maybe be overreacting a bit?"

"Yeah," Frank agreed. "You said she was acting strange, maybe it's just that time of the month or something!"

Elise quickly shot Frank the look of death and kicked him in the shin, causing him to wince with pain.

"What!?" he cried, "It could have something to do with it, I just don't want him to worry so much!"

I could feel my temper rising.

"Frank, she tried to get me loaded, attempted to rape me before calling me a 'bore', and then walked out of here at 3am in nothing but lingerie and a trench coat!" I screamed. "Please excuse me if I'm worried, but I don't think you can chalk that up to fucking PMS!"

"I'm sorry." Frank replied, his eyes directed to the floor. "You're right, that's fucked up! We should get out of here and start looking."

As he turned for the door, I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him to face me.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lost it like that. I'm glad you're helping me, all of you." I said, directing my attention to the rest of my friends. "I just....the wedding is only three months away, and I'm just so confused! She was fine this morning!" I explained, running my hands over my tired, tear streaked face. "What happened?"

Elise removed my hands, and looked straight into my eyes. "Gee, next to you, I know Caroline better than anyone, and I know how much she loves you. There has to be a good explanation for this, we'll work it out." she said, walking to the door, beginning the search with the rest of the group.

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Caroline's POV I made my way out of the large apartment building, taking in a deep breath as the cold night air hit me. The longer I walked, the more I realized that I had no place to go. My head was now pounding, and my legs were growing tired. "What have I done?" I whispered, remembering the look in Gerard's eyes as I walked out of the door. I felt a single tear run down my face as I approached a park bench, and decided to have a seat. I just needed some time to think. My thoughts had become so cluttered lately, and it was hard for me to separate reality from fiction.

I was lying on the bench, staring off into the distance when the voices returned. I quickly sat up, looking for them, knowing who it would be.

There she was, beautiful and frail, like before; but this time there was something different. She had an air of confidence about her. She was no longer weak or afraid. And her killer? Rather than approaching him with hatred, she was smitten and flirtatious, obviously happy to see him.

"I've been waiting for you, Thomas. I thought you may never come back for me." she spoke.

Thomas, that's his name?

Thomas was tall and slender. His long, brown hair just reached his chin, framing his pale face. He was bathed in black, down to his shoes, and he responded to his prey with a smug tone.

"Well my dear Emily, normally I wouldn't have returned for you, but you have something I want, remember?" he questioned, running a tongue over his blood stained lips.

Okay, Thomas and Emily...

"Right, now that you mention it, I do remember something about that. But what could you possibly want from me?" she answered, moving herself closer to him, and running her pink tongue along the side of his neck.

Thomas quickly moved his hand to her throat, gaining a tight grip, and lifting her from her place.

"Don't ever touch me like that again you whore!" he spat before dropping her to the cold ground, cursing under his breath.

"Let's get a few things straight here Emily! First, I have no attraction to you, you make me sick! You are my way to Derrick, and you'll be dead when I am through with you! Second, I know you'll need to feed in the meantime, but that will not be from me! Stay away from my throat you stupid little bitch! You'll just have to find blood on your own, preferably not from people! I don't need you fucking up and drawing attention to us!"

Oh my God, he's horrible! And who the Hell is Derrick?

Emily looked up at him with anger and disgust.

"I don't understand!" she cried. "Why would you kill me? You're the one who made me! And what do you want with Derrick?"

I could finally see fear in her eyes.

"I can't bring him to you! I love him!" Tears were now flowing freely down her delicate face.

Thomas took a step and placed his foot firmly onto Emily's throat.

"It's not up to you anymore! You are now one of us, and soon, Derrick will be too!" he screamed at her, removing his foot and leaving her alone, broken and crying for mercy.

I watched the disturbing scene play out, and took a relieved breath as I saw the monster known as Thomas walk away.

As I moved to stand from the bench, I felt a hand on the back of my shoulder, urging me to sit back down. I could feel his breath on my neck, and knew immediately that it was Thomas. I could feel him moving closer, and then he whispered into my ear "Pay very close attention, my dear Caroline. I wouldn't want you to leave anything out!"

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Frank's POV We had been searching the neighborhoods near Caroline and Gerard's apartment for over two hours. I was beginning to think we'd never find her when I saw a dark figure in the distance, lying on a park bench. As I moved closer, I noted the long hair and trench coat, and knew that we had found her.

"Elise, over here!" I called as I ran to Caroline, panic filling my lungs.

"Oh my God Frank, is she...." Elise began to speak, but I didn't let her finish.

"No baby, she's breathing, but she's freezing, and she's not waking up."

I retrieved my cell phone, quickly making three calls. First, the paramedics. Second, Mikey; so he could inform the rest of the group, and Third, Gerard, the one call I was looking forward to the least.

Chapter 6

Gerard's POV

I could feel my heart racing as I pushed through the imposing doors of the hospital. My mind was racing with all the possibilities of what could have happened to Caroline. I hadn't given Frank much of an opportunity to explain when he made the call. As soon as he mentioned the name of the hospital, I was out of the door.

As I made my way through the crowded waiting room, I took note of the countless emotions that surrounded me. There was hope, pain, joy, and sheer agony; prominently displayed on the many faces in the ER that night.

Not finding anyone familiar, I walked to the nurse's station where a line of impatient people had formed. Just as I began to think the anxiety would surely suffocate me, Frank appeared in the distance, hand in hand with Elise. I ran to meet them, relieved, yet frightened by the sight of Elise. She had obviously been crying, her eyes swollen and pink.

"Frank, what the fuck is going on? Where is she?" I questioned, the words spilling out of my mouth so fast, I could barely keep up with myself.

"She's okay Gee! She's going to be okay!" he spoke, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Where is she? I have to see her!" I asked, already walking away.

"Gerard, wait!" Frank commanded, looking at me with concerned eyes. "You should hear more before you talk to her, I think it's important."

I stopped, feeling my heart drop. The tone in Frank's voice was not encouraging. "What?" I asked. "What else do I need to know?"

"Well, we spoke with the doctor who examined Caroline. He said that physically, she's fine, but he's really concerned about her emotional state."

"Her emotional state? What the hell does that mean, Frank?" This was so confusing. She was fine this morning!

"Gee, did you know that there's a history of mental illness in Caroline's family?" I could tell that Frank was nervous. I can't blame him, I am extremely unstable at times.

"What? No! That can't be....unless it's a distant relative or something. She would have mentioned that!" I argued, not sure if I was convincing Frank, or myself.

"It's true Gerard, and it's not a distant relative, it's her mother."

"Okay, so maybe it's true, and she was just to embarrassed to discuss it with anyone!" I defended, wondering what this had to do with anything. My Caroline isn't crazy!

"Maybe you're right, I'm sure that's the only reason you didn't know." Frank assured me. "But, the doctor is concerned by her behavior tonight. He seems to think the stress of leaving her job to take a chance on this book is triggering her illness."

"What illness?" I screamed. "Just because her mom was mental doesn't mean she is!"

"Gerard, she was diagnosed with severe depression and mood swings years ago. It's been controlled with medication for half of her life." Frank informed.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing! How could I not know this about my own fiance' after two years of being together... sharing everything, I thought?

"The doctor seems to think that she must have stopped taking her medication when she met you. She must have been really happy, and thought she didn't need it. Now, with the stress of the book and the wedding, she was a melt down waiting to happen!"

"Oh my God, what am I going to do?" I whispered, praying silently for someone to wake me up from this nightmare.

"Elise, did you know about any of this?"

"No, Gerard, I swear! I love Caroline! I would have never let this happen if I had known!" Elise cried.

"You have to remember, I met her after you." I knew she was telling the truth. Elise was a good person, and a wonderful friend to both myself, and Caroline.

"Gerard?" she asked, looking at me pleadingly.

"Yeah?"

"Please don't give up on her. The doctor said that if we can get her to take her meds, she can be healthy again."

"Are you kidding me?! Elise, I would never give up on her! I love her!"

"I know....I knew that, I just wanted to be sure." Elise said, retrieving what looked like a day planner from her purse.

"I have all of Caroline's appointments with the wedding coordinator right here." she observed, looking over the book carefully. "Anything that Caroline doesn't have to be present for, I'll take care of on my own. And I'll make sure I'm there to assist her with everything else. I know what she wants, I can take care of it!"

"Thank you Elise. I know she'll appreciate the help." I noticed Frank looking at me, as if he had something else to say.

"Um, Gee. There's one more thing." he said, waiting for my full attention.

I looked at him, and he continued.

"Caroline doesn't remember anything that happened tonight. She said she spent the morning writing, spoke with Elise, and then took an afternoon nap. Everything after that is a blank."

"So, she doesn't remember the things she said to me, or leaving?" I asked, hopeful that she didn't. If she didn't remember saying it, then she couldn't have meant it, right?

"Nope." Frank stated. "She went to sleep in her bed, and woke up here.... Are you going to tell her what happened?"

I took a moment to think about Frank's question, and then answered.

"No, I don't think I will. If she can forget, then so can I."

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I gently pushed open the door to Caroline's room, trying not to disturb her. She looked like she was sleeping peacefully, and I just wanted to hold her, comfort her. The room was dark and quiet, the only sound was the muffled footsteps of doctors and nurses outside. I took a seat beside her bed, and reached for her hand.

"I'm so glad you're finally here." she said.

"Hey baby, you're awake?"

"Well yeah, I feel like I've been asleep all day!" she laughed weakly. "What took you so long to get here?"

"I've been here for a while sweetie, I just had some things to go over with the doctors."

"So you know?" Caroline asked.

I could see the fear in her eyes. What was she afraid of? Could she actually think that I would love her any less because of this? Fuck, I'm mental! The only difference between she and I is that I'm happy to admit it!

I nodded, and gave her an encouraging smile.

"Yes, I know, but everything is going to be okay! I just wish you would have trusted me with this from the beginning."

"I'm so sorry Gee. I wish I would have, I just thought that I could leave that part of my life behind, you know? I just wanted to find some form of happiness that wasn't drug induced! And I did! I found you, and everything's been great! I just don't understand why this is happening now?"

"Hey, hey...it's okay. I understand." I said, kissing her softly on her cute little nose, and running my fingers through her hair to soothe her.

"We'll get through this, we will! Elise is going to take over with the wedding planning, and help you with every little detail! And I am going to make sure you relax, and take your time with this book! There's no reason to make yourself sick over it!"

"NO!" she screamed. "I just mean, I need to finish the book. It's important to me."

"Baby, isn't your health more important?" I asked, hoping she'd agree. "You scared me tonight... I need you."

"I'm sorry, you're right. I won't stop writing, but I'll try to take it easy, okay?" she asked, giving me a reassuring wink.

"Well, you should probably get some rest." I suggested. At this point, I just wanted to hold her and sleep.

"Will you stay with me?"

"Of course! Where else would I be?!" I responded, reaching out, and rubbing my thumb across her smooth cheek.

"Will you snuggle with me?" she asked, moving over to make room for me in the small hospital bed.

"Yes, and I'll never let you go, I promise."

I crawled under the stiff white covers, taking comfort in the warmth of Caroline's body. I curled my body around hers and closed my eyes, happy to be holding her again.

"Gerard?"

"Yeah babe?"

"I'm not crazy..."

"I know."

Chapter 7

One month later

Caroline's POV

"Umm, I really don't know where to begin..."

This is how I always started my sessions; nothing to say, and each visit more confusing than the last. I laid stretched across the brown leather couch in Dr. Brenda Linly's office. The room was richly decorated in muted, soothing tones. I stared at the ceiling, waiting for her to engage me in conversation.

"Well, why don't you begin by telling me how you've been feeling since our last talk." She said softly with a smile, patiently waiting for me to respond. Some say patience is a virtue, but I say when you're getting paid $150 for the hour, whether I speak two words, or two thousand, patience really should come easy. I have to admit though, I rather enjoyed unloading on Dr. Linly. I could say things to her that I could never say to Gerard, or even Elise for that matter. I had been taking my medication regularly for almost a month now, yet I was feeling less like myself with each passing day. Dr. Linly was a professional, therefore she could diagnose, but not judge. Gerard, on the other hand, could judge; or even worse, he could fall out of love with me and leave. Loosing Gerard...that was my greatest fear.

"How I've been feeling? Well, basically, I feel like I'm loosing my mind, and I'm afraid." I said honestly.

"And why would you think that?" Dr. Linly asked. "Have you still been having the recurring dreams?"

"Yes, Every night! And each time, it's like it picks up right where it left off the night before." She looked at me attentively, waiting for me to continue. "At first, I thought it was great! I had never ending inspiration for my book, but now...."

"But now what?" she questioned.

"Now it's taking over my life! I just don't understand, I thought being back on the medication would make things better, but I feel worse by the day! I haven't been eating, I can't concentrate, all I ever want to do during the day is sleep, and then at night, I continue to write down everything I've seen in my dreams. It's like an obsession, and I can't stop! I know it's hurting my fiancˇ. We're getting married in two months, and I don't even sleep with him anymore, I'm always in my office writing!"

"How do you know this hurts him? Does he tell you?"

"Well, no, not really...he's just trying so hard to be supportive. But I know him, I can see the hurt in his eyes, and I know he's worried." I sat up on the couch and directed my eyes to the floor.

Thinking about Gerard made me want to cry, but when nightfall came, it was like I no longer had a conscience. I had been having such severe moods swings, that even Dr. Linly wouldn't understand. As a matter of fact, she'd probably have me institutionalized! These were things I would have to keep to myself, like the fact that Thomas, the main character from my book, had now began speaking to me when I wasn't asleep. That's right, on top of everything else, now I hear voices! I looked up, and noticed Dr. Linly looking at me with a curious expression.

"I can see that you're deep in thought. Would you mind sharing?" she asked.

"I...I just...I just don't understand what's happening to me!" I cried, desperate for answers.

"Even before I was diagnosed with depression, I never had problems like this! I never had a fictional character telling me what to do!"

Her face was blank, her mouth open, but she quickly remedied that, trying to hide her surprise at what I had just said. Shit! I didn't mean to say that! What do I say now?

"What did you mean by that, Caroline? What does this 'character' tell you to do?" she probed, apprehensively.

"Oh, well...that didn't come out quite right." I said nervously, attempting to sound like I had a shred of sanity left. "What I meant was...it's like the character in my dreams is trying to give me some sort of direction. It's like he's urging me to tell his story, and I do it. I can't stop myself!"

"Oh, I see." she said with a comforting nod." This just sounds like a bit of obsessive compulsive disorder, nothing abnormal considering your history."

Oh, you don't know the half of it! This is not normal!

"I'm sure we just need to give the medication some time to work it's way into your system again. Let's give it another week, and see what happens." she said politely, now looking at her computer screen, searching for an available appointment. "How's next Tuesday at noon?"

"That'll be fine. Thank you." I added, and then left the comfort of her office to head back out into the twilight zone.

I knew what was coming, I knew I'd hear him again. Why couldn't I stop this? Why was I so intrigued by what he had to say? I unlocked the car door, slipping into the driver's seat, and throwing my purse over to the seat next to me. I reached to turn on the radio, finding that the station was dead.Must have music! I quickly reached for my cd wallet, pulling out The Dresden Dolls, and placing it gently into the player. Still no sound.That's weird... I began to frantically push buttons to try and make the damn thing work when I heard him.

"Caroline..."

Thomas.

I could feel my skin crawl at the sound of his voice. I searched the car for a source, but there was no one. I shut my eyes, and gripped the steering wheel tightly, waiting for it to be over.

"You've been talking about me." he said, a hint of anger in his voice.

"I'm sorry, I just don't understand. Why are you doing this to me?" I questioned, fear lacing every word.

"Shhh...it's okay Caroline, don't be afraid. You're doing a wonderful job." His voice was just above a whisper, and his tone was menacing.

I continued to sit there, eyes shut tight, praying that this wasn't real. Praying that I really was just insane! A single tear slid down my cheek, bringing me back to reality.

"Doing a wonderful job with what? What have I done for you?"

"Oh, don't you see, you're very important to me." he said, sounding honest, with a hint of sarcasm. "You, my dear, created me. Then, you gave me a voice. Now, there is only one thing left for you to do, and that, Caroline, is to give me life!"

Chapter 8: Frank and Elise

Franks POV

I returned home from a day out to an empty house. This was becoming a regular occurance lately, with Elise working so hard to help Caroline with every little detail of the wedding. If it takes up this much of her time to plan someone else's wedding, I can't imagine what it's going to be like when she finally gets to plan her own! I walked to the kitchen, placing my things on the counter, and retrieving a note from the refrigerator door.

Attention Frankie! Hi sweetie, just a note incase you get home before me. I'm with Caroline, but I shouldn't be too long. Don't worry about dinner, I shall return with take out! XOXO, Ell

I smiled to myself, leaving the note on the counter, and heading off to wait for Elise. I turned on the TV, hoping to find something to entertain me for the time being. A short ten minutes later, Elise walked through the front door, dinner in hand.

"Hey babe! Let me help you with that." I said, jumping up to take the bags, giving her a quick kiss on the lips before heading into the kitchen.

"I hope Chinese is okay?" Elise asked, removing her coat, and rushing around to get our drinks and silverware. "I just stopped at the closest place, I didn't want to keep you waiting. Are you starving?" she asked, looking at me with genuine concern, as if I may turn to dust if I don't eat dinner before 7pm.

"Baby, sit down." I commanded gently. "You worry too much! I'm fine, especially now that you're here." I smiled, and passed her the Mandarin Chicken. "Now, let's eat!"

She returned my smile, and relaxed into her seat, graciously taking the container of chicken, and scooping a small portion onto her plate. She looked up at me with those emerald green eyes that still owned my heart after all these years. We had been friends since grade school, lovers since high school, and even now, I couldn't imagine my life without her. She pulled a small hair clip from the pocket of her jeans, and pinned her fiery red locks away from her face, preparing to eat.

"So, what did you do today?" she questioned, bringing me out of my trance.

"Missed you." I replied sincerely, not taking my eyes away from hers.

"Awe, Frankie," she cooed, "What's gotten into you?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.

I guess she had the right to wonder. After being together for a lifetime, the romance tends to take a back seat to everyday life.

"Nothing!" I replied, doing my best to muster up a hurt look. "I just really missed you, I wanted to tell you how I feel. Is that so wrong?"

"No, not at all." she said softly. "I actually missed you too, a lot."

I know we've always had these feelings for each other, our love has never faltered, but things had gotten a bit routine. I think seeing our best friends go through such a hard time lately was really reminding Elise and I of what we had, and urging us to never take it for granted.

"I uh..actually spent the day with Gerard." I admitted, wanting to talk about this with her.

"He called and asked if I'd go with him to his tux fitting, I think he really just needed a friend."

Seeing Gerard like this was extremely difficult. The last couple of years had been amazing for him, with the band's success and finding Caroline. Things had been so wonderful between the two of them, I just couldn't understand the recent events.

"How is he? What did he say?" Elise questioned with concern.

"He's doing okay, I guess. He's just worried and confused, but he seems to think that everything is going to work out." I explained. "I just think the distance between them is getting to him. I mean, did you know that she hasn't even been sleeping in the same bed with him at night? That's got to be tough when you're about to get married!" I tried to read Elise's face, but couldn't, it was blank. She seems just as lost as me.

"Yeah, um...she actually mentioned that today. She said that she's been spending every night writing." she said, sighing. She stared down at the food on her plate, pushing it around with her fork, but never actually taking a bite. "I don't know Frank, I'm really starting to worry about Caroline."

"Do you think she's having second thoughts about marrying Gerard?" I asked, hoping it was a stupid question.

"No!" she replied quickly, sounding more sure of that response than anything else. "No, that's the thing Frank, whatever is going on with her, it's not about Gerard! She even talks about how she hates the way her behavior is affecting him. It's killing her that he's hurting! I just don't know what to think anymore...Caroline seems so distracted, and I think she's even scaring herself, but she says she can't control it."

"Control what?" "I don't know exactly. I guess her obsession with the book, her distance from Gerard, everything! She says she feels like she's loosing control of everything." she answered, her voice shaking. She sat quietly in thought for a moment before continuing. "I think I want to find Caroline's mother, you know, to talk to her, or at least find out what happend to her." "What? Why?" I asked, not understanding how that could help matters. "Caroline is sick Frank. What she's going through, it isn't normal, and the medication that was supposed to fix everything isn't helping shit! She studied the expression on my face, and continued to explained herself, only this time, calmly. "If her mother went through a similar experience, I think it would help us to know what happened....do you understand what I'm saying?" Elise's POV "Yes baby, I understand." Frank replied, reaching around the table for my hand, and pulling me up to sit in his lap. "And I think you're a wonderful friend, and an amazing person for being so concerned. I just don't want you to get too wrapped up in all of this. We need to be there for our friends, and we will, but interfering too much may only cause more trouble, you know?"

I looked into Frank's sweet face, his eyes honest and his smile sincere. That smile. It's like I fall in love all over again every time I see it. I pushed his black fringe away from his eyes to get a better look, and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on his adorable nose.

"I know baby. I won't get too involved, I promise." I said, giving him a reassuring wink.

I snaked my arms slowly around his neck, and brought my warm lips to his ear.

"I don't think I'm very hungry anymore." I whispered.

Frank pulled back to look at me, and immediately knew what I meant. I stood from his lap, and reached for his hand, which he gladly took, and led me into the bedroom. I took a seat at the foot of the bed, Frank kneeling in front of me. Now taking both of my hands into his, he looked up to meet my eyes.

"Elise, I love you more than life itself, and when all of this stuff between Gerard and Caroline blows over, I am going to marry you. You know that, right?"

I could feel the tears begin to glaze over my eyes. I knew Frank was commited to me, but it was still nice to hear him say it. I reached up, placing my hands to cup his beautiful face.

"Thank you." I whispered, before pulling his face to mine, kissing him passionately. He let out a soft moan, and deepened the kiss, pushing me back onto the bed. I wasted no time, running my hands gently under Frank's red t-shirt, and lifting it up over his head. I admired his shirtless form for a moment, tracing a finger over his colorful body art. He shivered slightly as I ran my fingers along his sensitive skin, down his stomach, soon reaching the buckle of his white studded belt. I quickly began to work with the buckle, successfully removing the belt, and moving on to the button of his tight, black pants.

"Wow, you're not wasting any time, are you?" he asked breathlessly.

"Absolutely not!" I replied, removing the pants, and leaving him in only his black boxer briefs.

He quickly retaliated, removing my jeans while I got rid of my white t-shirt for him. Soon, we were completely undressed, wrapped up in each other's warm embrace. He took a moment to look me over, taking in the sight, while planting soft, wet kisses all over my body, starting at my stomach, and ending on my neck. I let out a gasp as he entered me, feeling his hot breath brushing across the side of my face.

"Oh fuck, you feel so good!" he cried, lifting his head to look into my eyes.

"I love you so much Elise. It's only been you, it will always be you." he managed in between short breaths, leaning in and kissing me deeply.

I ran my fingers through his hair, and pulled him up to meet my eyes again.

"I love you too Frank...always you."

Chapter 9

Caroline's POV

The early morning sunlight greeted me, bringing me to the realization that I had, once again, fallen asleep at the computer. Thank God this book is almost finished, maybe then I can get a decent night's sleep again! My wedding is now only a week away, and Gerard and I have never been more distant. It's completely my fault. I'm obsessive, crazy, delusional; you name it, that's me! I can't get rid of his voice, Thomas' voice, urging me to finish "his" story. So, I've excepted the fact that I'm mental, but have chosen to disregard everything else until the book is finished. I've given up on eating, sleeping, and the most important thing, Gerard. But I know I won't find peace until the final chapter is written, and that has to happen tonight. I can't bare to see that look in his eyes one more day. I can't even figure out why he's still here, ready to marry me. But he is, and for that, I will be eternally grateful. No one has ever loved me so much.

I stretch in my chair, reaching to rub away the sore spot in my neck, surely the result of sleeping slumped over a keyboard for three hours. Just as I was making my way out of the office, Gerard rounded the corner, and met me in the doorway.

"Hi." I said sweetly, hoping he could forgive me for leaving him to another lonely night in our bed.

"Good morning." he replied flatly.

If I didn't know Gerard so well, I would think he was angry, but he wasn't. I could see so many emotions in his eyes; hurt, concern, loneliness, but not anger.

"I uh, have another recording session with the band today, so I just wanted to let you know where I'll be, um...you know, in case you need me for anything."

He stood there before me with his hands in his pockets, and his eyes directed to the floor. He looked like he was dying inside, and it was because of me.

"Okay, well I have a few things to finish up for the wedding, so I'll be with Elise." I said, waiting for him to look at me. When his eyes finally met mine, I asked, "The big day is only a week away, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." he responded, smiling an obviously forced smile, and turning to leave.

"Gerard, wait!" I reached for his arm, and gently pulled him back to me.

He looked into my eyes again, a blank expression was written on his face. I lightly brushed my fingers across his soft cheek, and he closed his eyes, breathing out a sigh of relief.

"I can't remember the last time you touched me like this." he said, his words bringing tears to my eyes

. I never meant for things to be this way, I still can't even explain what's going on in my head.

"Thank you, Gerard."

"For what?"

"For letting me know where you'll be in case I need you. I want you to know, I'll always need you Gee." I placed a soft kiss on his lips, now tasting his tears mingling with my own.

He pulled me into a tight embrace, causing me to shiver as he ran his fingers through my hair.

"I hope you do, Caroline." he whispered, his lips pressed to my ear, "Because God knows I need you."

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As I stared at my reflection in the fitting room mirror, it finally dawned on me that this was really happening. In one week, I will be Mrs. Gerard Way. The thought was unbelievable. How could I have ever gotten so lucky?

"Hello, you still there?" Elise called, abruptly bringing me out of my thoughts.

She was smiling at me, glowing, as a matter of fact. "You look incredible Caroline! You're just stunning!"

Is she about to cry?

"Oh, don't do that! You'll make me cry too!" I said, my eyes still fixed on the dress.

It was finally finished, and perfect. I wouldn't call the style of the dress traditional, but Gerard and I have always been far from traditional. I have to admit, when I saw the original sketches, I was worried about how it would turn out, but Elise convinced me that it would look amazing, and she was right! The raw silk was a deep grey with just the right amount of sheen. The fabric fit to my form, starting with a straight line across the breast, then fanning out ever so slightly at the hips. The chapel length train was breath taking, made of the same raw silk, but underlined and trimmed with black satin. And the finishing touch, a simple black veil, pinned to the nape of my neck with a single black silk rose.

"Elise, why is this happening to me?" I asked, tears suddenly falling freely from my eyes.

"Oh, what do you mean?" She said sympathetically, pulling me down to sit with her, the fabric of my dress pooling around us.

"This...is just so perfect. Everything about my life is perfect! Why do I have to be so fucking insane?! I could be ruining everything as we speak!"

Elise looked at me with concern, rubbing my back, and brushing a tear away from my cheek.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about this, but I just didn't know how to bring it up." she said.

"Talk to me about what?"

"Caroline, what happened to your mother?"

I didn't know how to respond, I never talked about my family. It was easier to just forget.

"Why do you want to know?" I asked.

"I just want you to be able to talk to me Caroline, that's all. I want to help."

Well, I'm not sure how it will help, but Elise is my best friend, I can do this.

"Well, um...she's dead. She committed suicide when I was fourteen."

"Oh, Caroline! I'm so sorry, I had no idea. Was this a result of her illness?"

"I don't know really, I always assumed it was. Everything just happened so fast. She was a wonderful mother, and happy, but then it started. She'd have these severe mood swings, and she avoided my father and I. She basically stayed locked up in her room...until the day she died. I guess I was just too young to understand. I don't think I'll ever understand."

I was now sobbing on Elise's shoulder. She handed me a tissue, and continued to question.

"Does Gerard know about any of this?"

"Sort of. He knows my parents are dead, I've never had the urge to go into details, and he's never asked."

"Parents? What happened to your father?" Elise asked, now looking truly shaken.

"Umm, well, after my mother's death, he just kinda gave up. He stayed with me for a few years, he was really trying, but I don't think he could ever really let go of his grief. He said it haunted him. He finally killed himself when I was seventeen. I've been on my own ever since."

From the look on Elise's face, I could see she was in complete shock. We sat together in silence for a few moments, then she took a shaky breath before continuing.

"Caroline, I don't think you're ill, I don't think your mother was either."

"Of course she was! She had to be to do what she did. Why would you say that?"

"Caroline, you know me. You know that I believe things aren't always what they seem. You said that you hear a voice, telling you to do these things, did you ever think that maybe this isn't all your imagination?"

I looked at her, trying to read her expression. She's...serious?

"I believe in the supernatural Caroline! What if the voice you hear is real? What if the same thing happened to your mother?"

"Elise, you know I love you, but now you sound crazier than me!"

"No, Caroline, listen to me! Was your mother a writer too?"

"Yes, but what does tha..." Elise cut me off before I could finish.

"Caroline, you don't have to believe me, but it does make sense. I don't think this is all in your head!"

"Okay, okay, I'll think about what you've said... and Elise?"

"Yeah?"

"You have no idea how much I love and appreciate you being here for me like this. Next to Gerard, you are my best friend in the entire universe!" I said with a smile, giving her a tight squeeze.

"You're my best friend too Caroline. I just want you to promise me that you'll be careful! Take care of yourself, and Gerard."

"Of course, I promise." I said, lifting the skirt of my dress, and standing to face the mirror again. "Now help me get this dress off so it can be ready for its grand appearance on Saturday!"

"Yes princess!" She laughed, beginning to un-lace the ties to my corset. She looked at her watch, and counted silently in her head.

"Only six days, eighteen hours, and thirty-seven minutes before you say 'I do'!" I smiled at the thought, closing my eyes, and seeing only Gerard.I do.

Chapter 10

Caroline's POV

I laid in bed that night, replaying the days events in my mind. The wedding, the dress, my conversation with Elise. I always knew Elise was a bit eccentric, that's one of the things I loved about her, but could anything she suggested actually be true? I couldn't think about that right now, I just needed to finish the book. I can't let this get the better of me, and drive me crazy. When I finish Thomas 's story, it will all be over. I won't hear him anymore, I won't feel these unnatural things, and I will be happy with Gerard. I turned to look at him, he was finally asleep. I gently climbed out of the bed, trying not to disturb him. He rolled over, throwing an arm to my side of the bed, and burying his face into my pillow. It was killing me to leave him alone again, but at that moment, I made a silent promise to myself. This was the last time, it would all end tonight. Once out of the bedroom, I quickly made my way to the office, and began to write. There had been so many dreams, so many vivid images of Thomas and Emily, Emily and Derrick. It was as if these characters had become a part of me. I could see them every time I closed my eyes, and feel their pain. I was writing the tragedy of Emily and Derrick, Thomas always close by, urging me to continue.

The words seemed to spill onto the screen as I completed the final chapter, relieving Emily and Derrick of their suffering, and giving Thomas what he so desperately wanted; life. I sat back and admired my work, praying that this would mean the end of my psychosis, and a new beginning for myself and Gerard. I needed to say goodbye to Thomas.

"Not so fast, my dear Caroline." I could here his voice now, clearer than ever. His cold breath brushing the back of my neck, sending a shiver up my spine.

"Thomas?" I asked in a shaky whisper, tears threatening to spill.

"Well, who else would it be? Do you have many imaginary friends Caroline?" His voice was full of mirth, I could almost hear him smirking.

"I just, I thought you would be satisfied now. I thought you would leave me alone!" I cried, now squeezing my eyes shut, and holding my head tightly in my trembling hands, wishing him away.

"Oh, you thought this was the end?" Thomas laughed. "Oh Caroline, this is only the beginning, for me anyway."

"I don't understand, I don't understand..." I whispered repeatedly, trying with all of my being to block him out.

"Okay Caroline, then why don't you let me explain. Hmmm, where should I begin?" he spoke, with mock concern. "I chose you, I knew you would serve me well, and I was right. You told the story of Emily and Derrick, beautifully, I might add, and with every word, you brought me closer to life. Now that my story is complete, the only thing left for me to do is to take what is mine!"

"Oh God, this can't be happening! This can't be real!" I continued to hold my head low, covering my ears, and praying softly under my breath.

"Hmm, you still seem confused, let me try this again." he sighed, now sounding slightly annoyed. "Why do you think you relate so well to Emily?" he asked.

"Um, I don't know...I guess because I created her." I replied softly.

"Caroline, you didn't just create her, you are her. Emily is you! Now, I think I've explained enough. Everything will be clear to you soon. I have important things to tend to, so I must go for now, but you will be seeing me soon Caroline. I promise."

I could feel his presence leave me, the cold chill in the air was now gone. I slumped out of my chair, and fell to the floor, fresh tears now gracing my cheeks. I contemplated everything Thomas had said, trying desperately to understand what was happening to me. "...you are her. Emily is you." What does that mean? I began to replay the story in my head, putting myself into Emily's situations, paying close attention to her words, and Thomas 's. Okay, so Thomas needed Emily to get to Derrick. Thomas needed me to tell his story, to give him life. In the story, Thomas took his life force from Derrick, after using Emily to get to him. If I am Emily, then Thomas is using me to get to.....Oh God, Gerard! I quickly ran to the bedroom, shaking Gerard vigorously to wake him up.

"Gerard! Wake up!" I cried. At this point, I was scared out of my mind, and I had to talk to him about it. Gerard jumped up quickly, looking me over and taking in my frightened figure.

"Caroline, baby what's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked, holding my face, and looking deep into my eyes, searching for answers.

"No, Gerard, I'm not! I'm scared, and I can't keep this from you any longer!" He pulled me into him, and gently ran his fingers through my hair.

"Shhh, calm down, it's okay baby. You know you can tell me anything." he whispered soothingly. "I want you to confide in me Caroline."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I just thought I could handle it!" I sniffled, burying my head into his chest, soaking up his scent.

I pulled away to look into his eyes, and continued.

"It all started with these dreams. I was driven to write about them, and then these characters, they were so real that I even started to behave like one of them. Then, I started hearing a voice, the voice of the villain in my book, but not when I was sleeping! I finished the book tonight, hoping that it would stop everything, but I just heard him again! I think I gave him control by writing his story, and now I think he wants to do the same things to us that he did to the other characters in my book!" I could hear the words spilling out of my mouth, barely making sense, and then I noticed Gerard.

He was crying, looking at me sympathetically. He feels sorry for me!

"Gerard, please listen to me, I know I sound crazy, but even Elise brought up some things today that make me believe that this could be real!"

"Elise knows about this? And she tried to convince you that a character in your book was real?" He looked so sad, and very confused.

"Yes, but Gee, some of it makes sense! I never told you how my parents died, but I think now it's relevant. My mother committed suicide after going through a phase very similar to what I'm going through now. she was a writer too Gerard, she was in the process of writing a book at the time of her death! What if she wasn't crazy, what if the same thing happened to her?"

"Oh baby, I am so sorry that you had to go through that with you mother." he said, wiping away his own tears, and then reaching to wipe away mine. "I love you so much Caroline."

"I know you love me Gerard. I love you too, but the question here is do you believe me? Because if I don't have your faith in me, then I have nothing. Maybe I should just end things the same way my mother did."

"No! Caroline, don't you ever say that!" he screamed, holding my face in his soft hands, and touching his nose to mine.

"I believe in you Caroline, I do! you will always have that! Please, don't leave me. I need you, remember?"

"Gerard, as long as I have you, I'm not going anywhere. You are everything to me!" I said, placing my hands over his, and kissing him softly on the lips. "I just want all of this to be over, I just want to be your wife Gerard."

"You will baby, you will. And I will be your husband, and we'll live happily ever after. No matter what happens, I promise you that." he said, pulling me back into a firm embrace.

"Everything is going to be okay baby, I think you should get some sleep." He laid me down gently onto the bed, and lovingly wrapped his arms around me.

He brushed away the last of my tears, and kissed me sweetly, washing away all of my negative thoughts.

"Good night, care bear."

"Sweet dreams, Gee."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Gerard's POV

I fell into a fitful sleep, filled with pointless dreams and strange imagery, and then, I saw him. He walked toward me slowly, and smiled.

"I've been waiting for this moment, Gerard."

"What? How do you know my name?"

"I know everything about you, and your precious Caroline."

"What does Caroline have to do with this?"

"Oh, I was sure she would have spoken of me. I'm Thomas, and I promise, this will be painless. As a matter of fact, you might even enjoy it!"

He continued to make his way to me, finally meeting me, a little too closely. I could feel his breath along the side of my face.

"Enjoy what? And what the fuck to you want with Caroline?!" I spat, pushing him back and glaring into his eyes.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm finished with Caroline, and I'm almost finished with you." he said, moving closer, and again coming face to face with me. He placed a cold hand on my cheek, and looked deep into my eyes. I wanted to pull away, but I couldn't. I feared him, yet I was drawn to him, all at the same time. I tried to speak, but couldn't. It was as if everything in me had just, shut down. He wrapped his free arm around my waist, and continued.

"You are stunning!" he said, moving his hand away from my face, and bringing it into my hair, running his fingers through it gently at first, then gripping it tightly, asserting control.

"Don't be afraid Gerard, I would never hurt something so precious. Just close your eyes, and give into me." Thomas 's lips crashed against mine, his hand holding my head firmly in place. I struggled to free myself from his grip, feeling him force my mouth open with his tongue. I shoved him forcefully, only to have him tug harder at my hair, and bite down hard on my lip, causing me to gasp.

"Ooh, I like that!" he laughed seductively, "I think you're enjoying this! Just relax and give into me Gerard, this will all be over soon."

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Caroline's POV

The sound of Gerard gasping for air pulled me out of my sleep. He was breaking out into a cold sweat, and struggling to breath. I panicked, calling his name, and trying desperately to shake him out of his state. It took several frightening moments before Gerard's eyes flew open with a start.

"Baby, look at me! Are you okay?" I asked, lightly slapping the side of his face, pleading for his attention.

He was breathing heavily, and looked as if he was trying to gather himself, and take in his surroundings.

"Gerard! Answer me! Are you alright?" I asked again. I sighed with relief when he finally looked at me with a reassuring smile.

"Yes baby, I'm fine...As a matter of fact, I'm better than ever!"

Chapter 11

Franks POV

"Baby, are you ready yet?" I called through the house, directing my voice toward the bathroom, where Elise had been hiding for what seemed like hours.

I gave myself one last look in the mirror, and adjusted my tie. What is she doing in there? I walked over to the bathroom door, and knocked lightly.

"Babe, our reservations are for 7:00. Will you be ready soon?" I could hear her making her way to the door, and gave a sigh of relief.

"Finally!" I immediately changed my tune when I saw her. Her overall appearance was stunning, but her face told a different story. She was pale, and tears had formed streaks of mascara on her cheeks. She looked so sad, yet she held a nervous smile. I reached for her hands, and lead her to the bed to sit down.

"Elise, honey, what's going on? Why are you crying? Did I do something wrong?"

My nerves settled a bit when Elise began to laugh.

"No baby, you haven't done anything wrong!" she giggled, reaching up to move my fallen hair away from my eyes.

"You are just so sweet Frankie." she sighed. She was still smiling, and she had a look in her eyes that I had never seen before. I couldn't tell if she was scared or excited, maybe it was a little of both.

"You've known me your entire life, and you're just now discovering my sweetness?" I asked, giving her a cute smile and batting my eyelashes.

She threw her arms around my neck, and began to sob, fresh tears soaking through my shirt and onto my shoulder. I did my best to comfort her, even though I still had no idea what was going on.

"Hey, Elise, it's okay. Whatever is upsetting you, you know you can talk to me about it." I spoke softly, gently running my fingers over her back. She took a minute to compose herself before speaking.

"Frank, there's something I need to tell you." she sniffled, finally loosening her embrace so that she could look me in the eyes. "I'm just..um, not sure how to say this. I don't want you to be mad at me."

Now I was really worried. What could she have done to make me angry with her?

"Baby, whatever it is, just tell me. I'm sure it will be fine." I lied. I wasn't really sure, I had no idea what to think, and the anxiety was killing me. "Please, just tell me!"

She looked down at her hands, and then returned her eyes to mine.

"Frank, I'm..." she paused, took a deep breath, and continued.

"I'm pregnant." Silence enveloped us. I just stared at Elise, my mouth hanging open in shock.

"I'm really sorry Frank! I promise, I didn't do this on purpose! I've been taking my pills, I swear!" she cried.

Now I was even more confused. She thought I'd be angry about this?

"Frank, please say something." When I finally found my voice, I began to laugh and cry, all at the same time.

"A baby? We're going to have a baby?" I asked. My hands were shaking as I reached to place them around her beautiful face.

Elise's POV

"Yes." I whispered. Tears were now flowing freely from Frank's eyes. I took comfort in the feeling that he was happy, but I had to know for sure. "Frank, how do you feel about this? Are you okay?"

"Okay?" he laughed, "I am the luckiest fucking man in the world right now!" he screamed excitedly.

He leaned in and kissed me gently. I could feel him smiling against my lips.

"So your not mad?" I asked with a sigh of relief. He removed his hands from my face, and moved down to place them over my stomach.

"Why would I be mad?" he asked, almost beaming. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known, the only woman I have ever loved, and now....you're going to make me a father. I'm happy Elise! You have made me so fucking happy!"

"Oh Frank, that is the most amazing thing anyone has ever said to me!" I cried, "I'm so glad you're happy! Now I can be happy too!"

"You weren't happy?" he asked, looking hurt.

"Well, of course I was happy about the idea of having a baby with you, but I just thought it was bad timing, you know? I mean, we're not married yet...we're not even engaged."

I explained. Frank just stared at me for a moment, it seemed that he was at a loss for words. He took my hands in his, and took a shaky breath.

"Elise, there could never be a bad time for us to start a family together. I have loved you for a lifetime, and this feels so right." Frank stood up from the bed, and then knelt before me, his eyes never leaving mine.

As he reached to pull something out of his pocket, I realized that he was on one knee. I gasped and covered my mouth with my right hand, Frank was holding on tightly to the other. "I was planning on doing this after our dinner tonight, " he said, "but I can't think of a better time than now...and I think we missed our reservations anyway!" he laughed.

I wanted to laugh with him, but I couldn't. I was frozen. I just continued to gaze at him through teary eyes, waiting for what was coming next.

"Elise, you have made me the happiest man alive! You are going to be the mother of my child, and...I hope, you'll also be my wife. I love you more than life itself, Elise."

I watched in shock as he opened the box he had pulled from his pocket to reveal a ring that took my breath away. He removed the ring, and held it out to me, his eyes full of love and hope.

"Will you marry me Elise?" I took in the sight of Frank for a moment longer, I wanted this moment to be etched in my mind for eternity.

I finally lost it, tears streamed down my face as I pulled Frank in for a passionate kiss. I wanted to stay in that kiss forever, but I knew there was something important that I needed to say. I broke the kiss, and waited for his eyes to open.

"Yes." I whispered.

"Yes?"

"Of course Frank! I want to marry you more than anything else in this world! Yes!" I shouted, laughing at the enormous smile that was now plastered to his face. He slipped the ring onto my finger, and kissed it. "It's perfect Frank, I love it!"

"I love you." he stated simply, pushing me back onto the bed with a kiss while running his hands up the skirt of my dress. I was beginning to remove his tie when the phone rang.

"I didn't hear that!" Frank growled, breathing heavily into my neck. I giggled and pushed him off of me, reaching over to the bedside table for the phone.

"It could be important baby! Besides, we have all night!" I said, giving him a wink before answering the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey Elise, it Caroline."

"Hey! What's up?"

"Um, I really need to talk to you, could you come over?" I could hear something present in Caroline's voice that didn't sound right.

"I just...do you remember what we were talking about yesterday?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Well, I believe you. I don't think I'm crazy, and something just isn't right! I just really need to talk to you."

She sounded desperate, and I knew Frank would understand.

"Yeah, I'll come over. I actually have some new for you too! Just let me wrap up a few things here, and I'll be on my way." I could see the disappointed look on Franks face as he handed me my shoes.

"I'm so sorry baby, but she needs me. You know I'll be back as soon as I can, and we'll pick up where we left off. okay?" He smiled and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Yes, of course it's okay! I'll be right here waiting for you baby."

Franks POV

I must have fallen asleep, because I woke up abruptly to the ringing of the phone.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"Frank? It's Caroline...I was just wondering if Elise had left yet?"

"What?" I looked over to the clock. "Caroline, she left over an hour ago, she's not there yet?"

"No, I even tried her cell, but she didn't answer. Did she have anyplace else to go?"

"Um, no, not that I know of....", I trailed off as the doorbell grabbed my attention. I couldn't speak, my breath caught in my throat.

"Frank? Frank!" I could hear Caroline calling to me as I made my way to the door, phone still in hand. My hand was shaking as I turned the doorknob, a million possibilities were running through my mind. I was greeted by two stern men in uniform, and my heart immediately sank. I could hear one of them speaking, but I didn't want to listen to what he would say.

"Good evening. Is this the residence of Ms. Elise Edwards?"

Chapter 12

Caroline's POV

I stood frozen with the phone to my ear. Frank must have been holding his down at his side, because I could hear people talking, but couldn't actually make out what was being said. I know I heard Elise's name, and something about her car, but that was all I could catch. The conversation started out calm, but with each word Frank spoke, I could hear his voice rising. I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had no idea what was going on, but I knew it couldn't be good. Finally, I could hear the door of Frank's house close. There was a brief moment of silence before Frank's phone crashed to the floor, seemingly with him. What came next was the most heart wrenching scream I had ever heard.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

This was followed by uncontrollable sobbing. I could hear him calling out Elise's name, and gasping for air between cries. I began to cry with him, my instincts telling me Elise was gone. The sound of Frank's voice was excruciating, his pain like a thousand knives to the heart. I could just see him doubled over on the floor, cursing the heavens. I finally found the nerve to speak.

"Frankie? Frank, please answer me!" I cried into the phone, hoping he would hear me over his sobs. I waited, continuing to call out his name until, eventually, I heard him fumbling with the phone. I could now hear him clearly, but he didn't speak, he just continued to cry.

"Frank, honey? Please talk to me..." I sniffled, swallowing my tears, "What happened Frank?"

"She's gone!" he suddenly screamed.

Now it was real, it couldn't be taken back. Oh my God, what will I do without Elise?

"She's dead, and so is our baby! My only reason for living is gone Caroline!"

What? Baby? My knees gave out under the weight of my trembling body, and I hit the floor, listening as Frank went on.

"Fuck! She was everything to me Caroline! She just told me tonight that we were going to have a baby, and then I asked her to marry me! She had just said yes five fucking minutes before she walked out of the door! And she promised she'd be back, she promised!" he cried, killing me slowly with each word.

"How could God be so fucking cruel?! To give me everything I've ever wanted in this world, and then turn around and take it away, all in one fucking day!"

This was the last I heard from Frank before the phone made contact with something, most likely the wall, and the call was lost with a crash.

I looked to the framed photo on the table next to me, and reached out to touch it. It was a picture of the four of us; me, Gerard, Elise, and Frank. It was taken on New Year's Eve. Best friends. We looked so happy and full of hope. This was supposed to be the best year of my life. What the hell happened to our lives? Tears ran down the glass of the frame, as I was now holding it in my hands, crying for all that had been lost.

"Oh God, this is all my fault!" I said out loud.

"What's all your fault?" Gerard spoke, entering the room behind me.

"Gerard!" I cried as I lifted myself from the floor, running to him and throwing my arms around his neck.

We had spent most of the day arguing with each other, he had been acting strange and distant, but I needed him now. I just wanted him to hold me, and tell me everything would be okay. Then I thought about Frank.

"Oh, Gerard! We have to get over to Frank's place now! I'm really worried about him!"

"Why? Isn't it a bit late to be going over there? What's wrong with you anyway?" he asked dryly.

"Um, it's Elise...I called her and asked her to come over tonight, and something happened on the way...she's dead." I whispered, crying fresh tears onto his shoulder. "Frank told me she was pregnant, and they had just gotten engaged! He's so messed up right now Gee, he's really going to need you!"

"Oh, wow. That's terrible, but I'm sure he'll be fine. Just give him some time." He gave me a sympathetic pat on the back, and turned to walk away.

"Gerard!" I screamed with all the anger and venom I could muster. "What the fuck has gotten into you today?! Your best friend's pregnant fiancˇ is dead! My best friend is dead! This isn't like you Gee! Don't you care at all?"

"Sure, I care." he shrugged. "I'm just tired, I think I'm going to go to bed."

And with that, he was gone, leaving me to deal with the unbearable grief on my own. That is not the man I fell in love with! He could never be so heartless! I followed him out of the room, and watched as he walked into the bedroom, and closed the door in my face. Have I lost him too? I didn't have time to feel sorry for myself. I quickly grabbed my coat and keys, opening the door of the apartment to go to Frank. Gerard came running from the bedroom as soon as he heard the door.

"Where are you going?" he asked nervously.

"I'm going to check on Frank, not that you'd care!" I spat, turning to walk away.

Gerard retaliated quickly by grabbing my arm, and pulling me back into the apartment. He slammed the door shut, and placed himself against it to block my exit.

"You're not going anyplace tonight Caroline, just go to bed!" he commanded.

"Gerard, why are you being so fucking mean? I don't understand! Your friends mean everything to you, how can you be so heartless?!"

His glare held the answers. It was like he didn't have a soul, like I was looking into a shell of a person. This wasn't Gerard, not completely anyway. Gerard loved me, he loved his friends. He would never act like this. My mind snapped back to last night and my encounter with Thomas. I played his words over and over again in my head, trying to make sense of it all.

"Emily is you....Now that my story is complete, the only thing left for me to do is to take what is mine!"

I looked up again, and into those empty eyes, and I knew, Thomas had taken him from me. He wanted life, and he got it, by using me, and taking Gerard's. It was the story of Emily and Derrick, only this time, it was real. I began to cry, fear consumed me. I didn't know exactly how, but I knew that Thomas was the cause of all of this pain and suffering, and it was my fault. My mother killed herself to escape him, but I just fell right into his hands, giving him everything he wanted. I have to fix this. What can I do to fix this? The story....it gave him power, but what if I change the outcome? I can change it! I have to change it!"

"Caroline?" he asked. I took one last look at Gerard's face, and took off running as fast as I could. I knew if he caught me, he would stop me.

"Caroline!" he screamed after me, following me down the hall and toward the office.

I slammed the door shut in his face, and quickly locked it behind me, heading straight for my computer. I knew I didn't have much time, but I had to make this better, somehow. I typed quickly, but didn't manage to save much before Gerard kicked in the door. I sat frozen in my chair, my eyes fixed on the computer screen. I couldn't look at him, it hurt too much. I held my breath, and waited for his fury. I could feel his presence as he quietly walked to stand behind me. He wrapped one arm around my neck, and with his other hand, he placed the cold metal of a gun to my head.

"I'm sorry my dear Caroline, but I can't let you do that." he said calmly, there was no emotion in his voice.

"Then kill me. I refuse to live without them." I whispered, taking a deep breath, and waiting for the end. Only then would I really see Gerard again. He said nothing, but I could feel his grip tighten on the gun as he pressed it into my skin. I'm sorry. That was my last thought before the gun went off, and the lights went out.

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Thomas 's POV

It was a beautiful funeral. So many people showed up to pay their respects, and to say goodbye. Those girls must have truly been loved. It was a sunny Saturday, the day that Gerard and Caroline were supposed to be married. Instead, this day was held for grief rather than celebration, for some anyway. I, on the other hand, was quite happy with the outcome. Since Elise and Caroline were taken so tragically on the same night, their funerals were held together, drawing a large group of family and friends. Looking mournful was difficult, but I just did my best to avoid the crowd.

I guess I should explain myself a bit. You see, I am an entity that is almost impossible to understand. I came into Caroline's dreams as a vampire, something that people are familiar with. I knew she could make her story work with that, it's easier to wrap your mind around. A vampire is simple, I am not. Although I am not what I presented myself to be in Caroline's dreams, my needs were still the same. I needed Caroline see me, to hear me. I needed her to write my story until she actually believed in me. That was the first step, making her believe. This gave me a voice outside of her dreams, making it easier for me to push her, to drive her to the edge of insanity. All I needed was for her to finish the story. If she gave me life in the story, I could take life in reality. Caroline's mother was weak, she killed herself before I could succeed, but I knew Caroline was strong. I knew she wouldn't give up. Her strength turned out to be her demise. Caroline did everything I needed her to do, and in the end, I was able to come to Gerard, and consume his life. He put up quite a fight, but it didn't matter. Once I've been given control, there is no escaping me. Once I accomplished this, everything else was easy. You see, I had to get rid of Elise. She knew too much, and I couldn't have her helping Caroline. I had to make it look like an accident. I mean, I have this beautiful new human form, I'm not going to waste it in prison! I simply tampered with the brakes on her car. There was nothing she could do when she lost control of the vehicle. Don't worry, she didn't suffer. She was pronounced dead on impact. I do feel bad about the death of her unborn child, but oh well, I wasn't going to let her take away what I've earned! And then there was Caroline. She's a smart girl, I knew she'd catch on, unfortunately for her, it was too late. I was actually hoping I wouldn't have to kill her, she was cute, but she was going to change the story, and like I said before, that can't happen. I worked hard for this, I have to protect it. As far as everyone else is concerned, Caroline committed suicide. I made sure the gun was placed right, and then I left the apartment. I returned home a couple of hours later to "discover" her body. I knew it wouldn't be difficult to pull off. Everyone expected it of her considering her family history, and the death of her best friend.

I looked over at the broken man draped over Elise's coffin. I wasn't worried about him, I knew he wouldn't be around for long. He died inside the moment he lost the love of his life. I knelt down by Caroline's casket. I ran my fingers over the smooth wood, and placed a kiss on the lid.

"Thank you." I whispered.

I did owe her my life, after all. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up to find a young man with glasses staring down at me.

"Hey Gerard, you ready to go?" he asked sympathetically.

Wow, I guess I'm going to have to get used to that!

"Yeah, I'm ready." I responded. "It's time for a new beginning."

Epilogue

Frank's POV

I held on tightly to Elise's arm as we walked down the aisle. She looked absolutely breathtaking in her crimson dress, her fiery red hair swept up to reveal the delicate skin on her slender neck. I kissed her once more on the cheek before separating at the alter to stand next to our friends. The church was beautiful, bathed in a sea of deep silver and red. I looked over to Gerard as the rest of the wedding party was making it's way down the aisle. The smile on his face was priceless as he anxiously awaited his bride. On cue, the music picked up, and everyone turned their attention to the doors where Caroline stood, the picture of perfection. Gerard's father happily walked her to the alter to give her away. With the absence of her own father, Caroline couldn't think of anyone more appropriate than her future father-in-law. He gave her a sweet smile and a kiss on the cheek before placing her hand in his son's, and giving Gerard a wink. I could see that Gerard was taken with the site of her. His smile softened, and his eyes quickly filled with happy tears. My eyes once again fell on Elise, who was crying as well. She's been so emotional lately, but I hear pregnancy has that effect on women. I actually couldn't help but to get a little emotional myself when I thought of how close we came to loosing this day. My mind snapped back to the day of Elise and Caroline's funeral.

I was so sure that my life was over, I had never felt such immense pain. I remember being so lost in my grief, that I didn't speak to anyone, not even Gerard. By the time I lifted my head from Elise's grave, everyone was gone. I had no idea how long I had been alone, and really, I didn't care. But then I thought of Gerard, how he must have been feeling the same pain that I was. I decided to go to him, thinking that we needed each other. I don't know what I was thinking when I drove to his apartment. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot, I realized that he wouldn't be there, it was a crime scene. I knew he would probably be staying with Mikey, but there was something that wouldn't let me leave...a gut feeling that I should go in. As I took the elevator up to Gerard's floor, I remembered all the times I had taken this same ride with Elise, with my friends. The thought of never having those small moments again was killing me. The doors opened, and Gerard's apartment came into view, yellow tape blocking the doorway. I placed a trembling hand on the door, and to my surprise, it opened with ease. To this day, I don't know what drove me to go in, maybe morbid curiosity, maybe divine intervention, but whatever it was, I'm thankful for it. I walked into the office where Gerard had found Caroline's lifeless body, the room hadn't really been touched, and needless to say, the scene was horrifying. What happened next would change everything. I noticed that Caroline's computer was still on. This was strange considering that the investigators had already gone over the room with a fine toothed comb. I touched the mouse, and the screen came to life, displaying what looked like the remains of Caroline's novel. As I scrolled down, I was surprised to see what looked like a letter...to me. I didn't understand why Caroline would do that, if she was going to say good bye to someone, why me? Why not Gerard? I read over the words in confusion and shock.

Frank, I hope to God you read this, considering you are our last hope. I don't have much time, just do what I say, and please trust me! Read over the last chapter of this story, and change it..FAST! Make sure the character Thomas is dead, and that Emily and Derrick are safe! Make sure you save your work, and whatever you do, avoid Gerard! I know this doesn't make sense, just do it, please! It's your only chance of ever being with Elise again! Caroline was right, none of this made sense, but I didn't doubt her as much as you'd think.

What did I have left to lose? Nothing, I had lost everything, and I was willing to try anything to get rid of the pain. Besides, there had to be a reason I was drawn back to this apartment. I quickly read over her chapter, deleting and changing the events carefully, being sure to follow Caroline's instructions perfectly. If this was going to work, I had to do it right. Just as I was finishing up with the last paragraph, I heard the door to the office close behind me. I slowly turned to see Gerard, his hands were balled into fists, and he held a nervous expression.

"What are you doing in here Frank?" he asked, his eyes drawn to the computer. He slowly reached into his coat pocket, and I knew what he was about to do before he even made his move. I quickly hit "save" on the computer, and waited for the shot.

I awoke, as if from a dream, to an empty bed in my house. I reached for Elise's pillow, and felt the grief overwhelm me again upon the realization that she was still gone, but why was I here? I lifted myself up, and placed my hands over my face, feeling the tears fall freely once again. It was then that I heard her.

"Frank? Baby, are you okay?" she asked softly from the doorway, her beautiful voice washing over me, filling me with a sense of peace that only she could provide. I ran to her and held her close. I kissed her softly, and told her how much I love her repeatedly, as if I may never get the chance to hold her again. It soon dawned on me that we had gone back three months, to the day it all began. Elise was leaving for her dress fitting, and I was supposed to be getting ready for work. I don't know how any of this came to be, but for some reason, I was the only one who had any memory of our ordeal. Maybe because I was the only one that never actually died. I would never remind them, however, of what they had been through. I didn't even want to remember. The future looked brighter than ever now, and there was no way I would go back.

And that brings us back to today, Gerard and Caroline's wedding day. This time, the three months leading up to the wedding ran smoothly. Caroline had the brilliant idea to not write a novel. She instead took some time off to plan for the wedding, and will be taking a job with Alternative Press magazine when she and Gerard return from their honeymoon. As for me, I was blessed with the for sight that Elise and I would be having a baby, so I proposed on Valentine's Day, two months before we actually got the news. Believe me, I didn't let her out of my sight that night!

And now, we're here. The first day of the rest of our lives. It was obvious as Gerard and Caroline said their vows, that they had a deepened appreciation for life, and for each other, even if they didn't know where it came from. After being pronounced man and wife, Gerard and Caroline shared a loving kiss, and held each other for what seemed like a lifetime, never wanting to leave that moment together. As we left the church, I met with Elise again, lacing my fingers with hers. I felt that same feeling of peace. Her touch is comforting, and I know I never want to live without it.

I have never been more grateful for my life, and the people that I love. I'll do everything in my power to hold on to these things for eternity. With what I know now, anything is possible.

~FIN~