Burn As Bright (Frerard)

43

Ray rushed into the space, face pale as he moved past the group and to the cock pit of the vehicle. Mikey rose to his feet to follow the Force soldier, leaving Gerard with the others.

Gerard found himself leaning with his head resting on Patrick's shoulder, unsure of how it got there. The rose petal rubbed against his fingers that slowly moved back and forth. He wasn't sure how much time had passed. He wasn't even sure time had passed. All he could think about was Frank's blank expression. How empty the boy he had stolen away felt.

He could hear voices addressing him, but he couldn't make out their messages. It wasn't until the faint tingling of a familiar magic hummed against the ear that rested on Patrick's shoulder.

"...ard, don't you get lost too." Patrick's voice was soft and silent, speaking through his magic rather than actual words.

"I couldn't feel him." Gerard's voice cracked as he spoke. He didn't move from how he sat. He kept his eyes forward, blinking to avoid more tears he could feel building behind his eyes. "I couldn't feel him."

He felt a hand squeeze his arm. He brought himself upright, but couldn't bring himself to stop leaning against Patrick. He turned his head to look at Ryan, who sat on his other side. His eyes were sad as he reached out with another rose petal, brushing it just under Gerard's eye.

"Was he not there?" Ryan asked softly, voice seeming uncertain in his question.

Gerard shook his head. "I... I couldn't feel him."

Ryan tiled his head as he moved the rose petal to Gerard's other eye. "His magic?"

Gerard brought a shaky hand up to grasp Ryan's wrist, holding it in place where it hovered in front of Gerard. "Even without magic, I can feel you." Gerard brought his eyes to match Ryan's. He could see a faint pink swirl of his magic around the other boy's eyes as he stared back. "Your presence... But Frank..."

"Gerard, you need to rest." Patrick's voice was soft in his ear again, more of a whisper of magic than something fully audible. "Please, recharge."

"Frank's presence wasn't there..." Ryan shook his head, shaking away the pink of Gerard's tired magic. "He..." Ryan yawned, shoulders slumping slightly. "Gerard?.."

Gerard released Ryan from his grip, jerking his hand back and pressing it against his chest. "I'm sorry, Ryan, I-" He could feel his magic swirling around his gut, threatening to squeeze. It had just been somewhere it shouldn't have been. It had been pulling from energy it shouldn't have been.

Ryan flashed a tired smile with a confused sounding hum. He yawned again, bringing his hands up to rub against his eyes.

"He needs rest too."

Gerard turned to look at Patrick. He had one hand resting on Pete's forehead while the other rested on Gerard's leg. He seemed tired as he blinked at Gerard. Without moving his mouth, Gerard could hear Patrick's voice in his ears again.

"This is still a good path. I see him down the line."

The tears brimmed in Gerard's eyes. "But not in the now. Not when he needs to be here. Not when he needs to be safe."

Patrick frowned at him. "There is still a future with him in it."

Gerard looked down. The pain he felt after seeing Frank like that was overwhelming. He couldn't imagine what Frank was feeling... if he could feel anything in the state he was in...

"What if he doesn't make it to that future?" Gerard finally whispered. He kept his head down as he said it, unsure he even wanted a response.

How were they supposed to save him? Gerard was the leader, he should have a plan of action ready or in the process but... He felt so lost, despite Patrick telling him not to be... How could he be the leader everyone needed?..

"You've been through so much." Patrick's voice soothed as Gerard felt his eyelids grow heavy. "Please, just rest..."

Gerard gasped, bolting upright as his eyes shot open. His chest rose and fell rapidly as his eyes darted around his surroundings. He was in the vehicle. He could feel its movement all around him. To one side, Patrick sat with his head down and eyes closed. A hand rested on Pete's head as the darker haired boy blinked tiredly at the ceiling. To the other side, Brendon's face was rested on Ryan's shoulder as they both seemed to be sleeping. Tyler was beside them, curled up on the floor with sleep still written on his expression as his eyes trailed over the space they were in.

Gerard directed his eyes towards the entrance to the cock pit. Mikey stood in the doorway with his back to the group. He held onto the metal that framed the separation of the space with a white knuckle grip.

Gerard forced himself up to his feet, struggling to stay upright as the vehicle jolted. He managed, however, and moved as quickly as he could over the rumbling metal beneath him to get to his brother.

"What's happening?" He asked, gripping the metal near one of Mikey's hands.

His brother turned to him, a slight surprise in his expression. "Didn't you feel the world trembling?" He asked, "It was calling out again."

Gerard's eyes widened as he looked at his brother. Is that what had pulled him back into consciousness? He didn't remember feeling it since the cells.

"We saw him." Jamia's voice cracked as she spoke. A sniffle escaped her, followed by a shaky breath. "Everyone stopped and we saw him."

"Frank?" The name was barely a breath past Gerard's lips. He could immediately see that blank expression at the front of his mind. The way all color had been drained from his eyes.

"He... stopped it." Ray's voice shook. Gerard couldn't see his face, but he could see his hands tightly gripping the vehicle's steering wheel. "He just... lowered to his knees and pressed his hands against the ground..."

Mikey shook his head. "I've never seen so much magic, Gerard." He gulped before making eye contact with his brother, "Not even from you."

"Who's magic was it?" Gerard asked as the vehicle jolted again. "What color?"

Mikey shook his head again, "It was pure darkness. It looked like it swallowed everything."

Gerard's heart skipped. The magic was dark. That was Frank's magic. Did that mean Frank was still in there? Could they really save him?

"It just happened." Jamia's voice was soft, like she was trying to hold her emotions at bay. Gerard couldn't see her face either. "There was a moment... it was like..."

"You could feel him?" Gerard asked, more hope building within his chest.

There was a brief pause before Jamia responded, making Gerard's breath catch. "It was like I could feel him."