Hold My Hand (Sequel to Saved: Adopted by Brendon Urie)

Chapter 16

"Bye Abby!  Have fun on tour!" Paige called from Abby's group of friends as she climbed into her dad's car. It was February and they were heading on the European leg in two days. They would be gone for three weeks that were pretty jammed with shows, but there was still plenty of downtime.  Brendon had made sure of that initially, but he had told management that he would do no press, no interviews and no meet and greets on this leg. His downtime was going to be spent with his daughter.

"Ready, kiddo?" Brendon asked his daughter from the driver's seat. It was Friday afternoon and the sun was shining. Abby was all smiles.

"Yep," she said, stowing the cane she now used for balance beside her in the front seat. She had stopped using the walker almost immediately, it felt like. The cane, which Brendon had had decorated and painted in the colours of his latest album, was simply a way for Abby to maintain her balance if needed. But she worked out in the back yard frequently with Eric. They now did exercises to help Abby with her mobility and balance, much like she had done after her assault at school. And often, like those early days, Abby tripped over her own two feet and fell onto the grass. But she always laughed. She didn't seem upset at all when she fell.

"Eric's coming over at five for your last session before tour, and I was thinking we could maybe go out for sushi for dinner?" Brendon said.

"Okay," Abby agreed.

"And Bonnie is coming over to meet you tomorrow," he said.

"Who's Bonnie?" Abby asked.

"Your tutor for while we're away. And yes, I'm sorry, she'll also be your nanny when I'm working. But I promise you, Abby, this time will be different. I'm not doing any press, no meet and greets except for a few very specific reasons. A couple of 'Make-a-Wish' types. But really, I promise. My downtime is for you this time."

Abby thought about that. Was her getting mad, running away and getting hit by a car the reason her dad was scaling down so much? And he said when they were done in Europe, he was taking an extended break. Abby couldn't help but feel responsible for that decision. She didn't say anything.

"Abs? You okay?" Brendon asked. Abby nodded. Brendon wasn't convinced, but decided he'd give Abby a little space and let her work through whatever it was she was pondering. But he looked over at his daughter and smiled. She had been through so much and her tenacity had just grown. Abby was going to do amazing things in her life. Brendon could just tell. And he was beyond happy that he could be the catalyst to whatever the world had in store for Abby.

When they got home, Abby went into the kitchen, got herself a snack and sat at the breakfast bar. Brendon had a few things to tend to out in the studio, so he went out there with the dogs, did what he needed to do and went back into the house.  Abby wasn't in the kitchen. Her plate had been put away and her school bag was sitting by the breakfast bar but Abby was nowhere to be found. Brendon frowned. Had he been outside that long? He looked at his watch and saw he'd been out in his studio for less than an hour.

Brendon climbed the stairs to Abby's room. Her door was open. So was the bathroom door. No Abby. Now Brendon was getting worried. She'd seemed troubled by something when he'd driven her home after school. It was coming up on four o'clock and while Eric wasn't expected for another hour, he needed to find his daughter.

He couldn't imagine where she could have gone. But what terrified him was that she could have gone anywhere within the past hour. She was a resourceful kid and knew L.A. well. Brendon forced himself to calm down before he started calling people. Then realized he could call Abby's phone and see if she answered.

He called it and heard it ringing in the living room. He frowned, because he was certain he would have seen Abby on the couch.

And he was right. Her phone was on the coffee table. But she wasn't in the living room.

Brendon realized the dogs weren't in the living room with him. They'd gone running to the front door. Had Abby left? Had she run? Why would she have run? Was she scared of Europe and what happened in Chicago happening again?

Worrying and not knowing how long of a head start Abby had on him, Brendon hurried to the front door. He heard voices as he got closer to the door and knowing he wasn't expecting anyone, was concerned who could be at his door. Could Tracey, Abby's former foster mother, have found out where Abby lived now? Brendon didn't know what had happened to her after the incident last summer at the pier. He really didn't care as long as she stayed out of their lives. But who was outside now?

Brendon threw open the door and was shocked to find Abby sitting on the step outside the front door.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Brendon fumed, suddenly angry that he couldn't find his daughter and she had been here the whole time.

"I've been right here!" Abby said, angrily, back at him.

"You have to tell me if you're going somewhere! I need to know you're okay!" Brendon fumed at her.

"I have to tell you if I'm going to sit on the front step?! Since when do I have to tell you I'm going outside!?"

"Since always!" Brendon shouted.

Abby looked at him furiously. 

"I thought I only had to tell you if I was leaving the house if I was actually going somewhere that isn't the front fucking porch!"

"Watch your language!" Brendon said.

"Why?! You swear all the time! And you said I can too, as long as I don't swear at someone! You're such a fucking hypocrite!" She yelled, stood up and slammed her way back into the house.

Brendon sighed. He'd deserved that. He was being unreasonable. He realized that. He'd just been so scared when he couldn't find Abby. He hadn't stopped to think logically and then, finding she hadn't actually gone anywhere, he was mad. But really, at himself for worrying. And he had taken it out on Abby. That wasn't fair. And he knew it. But he also knew Abby's temper and knew she'd need time to calm down some before either of them could have a rational conversation.

He looked down at Penny and Bogart who were sitting and looking up at him.

"Yeah. I know. I screwed up," he said to the two pups, walking back into the house.

He had an idea and went into the kitchen. He went about making a chocolate milkshake for Abby as a peace offering, then went upstairs and knocked quietly.

"Go away!" Abby yelled from inside. Brendon turned the knob anyway and stuck the milkshake through before peering around the door.

"I brought a peace offering," Brendon said. Abby frowned at him.

"Fine," she said, her arms crossed over her chest. Brendon went into the room and handed her the milkshake.

"You didn't hide anything in it, did you?" She asked.

"Like what?" Brendon asked. "I mean other than the mind control, I mean milk."

Abby smirked at him.

"Look, Abs, I'm sorry. I flew off the handle. I didn't stop to think and I let myself get out of control. It's just, I worry so much about you."

Abby looked down at her feet and kicked her legs. She could have never been able to move them again if things had gone differently. And her dad had been by her side every day, first waiting for her to heal and get released from the hospital and then cheering her on as she learned how walk again.

She sighed and told her dad everything she'd been feeling from the day of the accident on.

There were tears and hugs and laughs. But both of them felt like a huge weight had been lifted off their shoulders, and a shadow that had been following them around was gone.

With a hug, Brendon kissed his daughter's head and both of them went downstairs.