Pet Names (Frerard)

Eleven- Cemetery Drive

Gerard had been shyly refusing to eat since they got back to New Jersey, and Frank was tired of it. It had been two days. He brought him to his kitchen with a bowl of applesauce on the table, sat in a chair, and pulled him into his lap.

"What are we doing?" Gerard asked, glancing at the applesauce. "Sexy food activities?"

"Eating." Frank picked up the spoon and held it near his mouth. "Open up, lovely."

Gerard shook his head. "I'm not hungry."

"Bullshit!" Frank softened when Gerard flinched. "I know you're hungry. I want you to be healthy. Why are you refusing to eat?"

"I don't know, sir. I really don't know. There's nothing wrong..." Gerard frowned. "Scratch that. There is something wrong. I feel guilty."

"About what?"

"My grandmother. I promised to take you to visit her. And I lost her earrings, again."

"I have her earrings." Frank stood them up. "Let's go take them to her."

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

They walked out to the garage together. Frank unlocked his car, and they both got in.

"Where to?" Frank asked.

"Um...go down Main Street, turn right onto West, and then left onto Cemetery Drive."

Frank pursed his lips. Cemetery Drive was not his favorite street. He'd had to bury so many people there. But he knew there was a nursing home near the cemetery, so that's probably where Gerard's grandmother was. Or maybe she was an undertaker.

He followed Gerard's directions and pulled into the nursing home parking lot. Gerard shook his head. "A little further down the street."

Frank pulled back out of his parking space. "Past the cemetery?"

"No."

Frank didn't say another word as he pulled into the cemetery parking lot. Gerard got out, and so did he.

"Where to?" he asked softly.

Gerard took his hand and led him through the gates, down through the aisles of the rows and rows of graves. They stopped in front of a stone wall.

"Are you okay, angel?" Frank squeezed Gerard's hand.

"I haven't visited her in so long. I just feel so...guilty. I'm a horrible grandson."

"No, you're not. You've been busy with your life. You just got fucking kidnapped, for Christ's sake. If she's as good a woman as you make her seem, she'll understand. I know she will, princess. She loves you, doesn't she?"

Gerard nodded. "Yeah, but-"

"No buts. Except your cute little butt leading me to her because I don't know where she is."

Gerard's lips twitched into a smile. He squeezed Frank's hand and turned left.

They stopped in front of a particularly well taken care of grave. There were flowers (although dying) and a framed photo of a kind looking old woman.

"Hi, grandma." Gerard settled down in front of the grave. "This is Frank. He's my boyfriend."

"Hi." Frank settled down next to Gerard. "It's nice to meet you, uh..."

"Grandma."

"Grandma. You have an amazing grandson."

Gerard's heart soared as he watched Frank interact with his grandmother. When she was in the hospital, Elena had said that her spirit would always be by her grave when the family needed her.