Way Wedding

Dealt A Shit Hand

Lindsay's words swirled around my head as I walked past Kristen and Mikey on the porch swing. Ignoring them and walking inside to try and calm myself down even a fraction so that I could go in and help call B down. I walked to the sink ignoring the pieces of mug, and splashed cold water on my face feeling the anger start to tingle down and out of me as I braced my body against the counter with my slippery hands. Running up the stairs I walked in to Bandit's room her small body laid across the bed, back heaving with every sob. As Gerard sat beside the bed cross legged singing to her. The sound of his voice singing even after all of these years sending a chill down my spine. 

"Bandit?" I asked walking toward her as she began to hiccup through her cries. My hand laying on her back as I sat on the edge of her full sized bed rubbing in small circles the way I always did with Lily, Cherry, and even Miles when they got upset. I could hear the footsteps of Mikey and Kristen trailing in as her cries started to calm. "Baby girl, we love you. I'm sorry you had to hear that. You are beyond cherished by everyone in this room." I sighed tears prickling into my eyes as Kristen crouched right beside Bandit's head whispering into her ear. Small giggles started to replace the sounds of her crying as she sat up my thumbs flying to her little flushed cheeks wiping at her puffy eyes. 

"I love you." she whispered tossing her arms around my neck nuzzling close to me. Gerard coming up on his knees to hug her as well. Her hugs making a round across the room, making sure to kiss each of our cheeks. Kristen snaked her hands around Bandit's side tickling her feverishly making B's infectious little laugh fill the room which made a smile cross each of our faces. Standing I walked over to Mikey and poked his side in a brotherly manner.

"She's going to be an amazing god damn mother one day." I smiled as he nodded watching the event playing out in front of him. As I watched what it must look like when i watched Gerard, and feel even further in love with her. Gerard coming over to kiss my cheek and then join Kristen in the tickle fight until Bandit exclaimed loudly that she surrendered making all of us laugh hysterically and tease her with tickle monsters as she called them. Within a half an hour the pain that had coated each of us heavily like honey seemed to wash partially away. After 3 tickle fights, a pillow fight, and Mikey stubbing his toe on the bed frame making him curse loudly. "Mikey!" I scolded as Kristen jabbed him in his side making Bandit only laugh. I loved the Way brothers, but even around kids they never knew how to hold their profane tongue. Making me increasingly sure that Bandit's first word must have been fuck.

"Hey B, wanna get all dressed up with me?" Kristen asked leaning down taking each of her hands with a smile. Bandit's small little eyebrow cocked upward in confusion that reminded me among all of the drama what today was. "We have to get dressed for the wedding remember?" she smiled ruffling up my daughter's brown hair that was as crazy as he father's. She nodded running into her closet, and then back out kissing Gerard and I's cheek and returning to her small walk in closet to retrieve her red and blue plaid dress that she had glued a flash patch to. A touch that only the spawn of Gerard would require. Not that I had room to talk with my two twinzillas and my tasmanian devil that could craft the entire house, and cover me in glitter within two seconds flat. The girls scooted us out while Bandit babbled on and on about wanted to do Kristen's hair. An offer that Kristen smartly but politely refused, but returned making B squeal happily as if this morning hadn't happened. I made a mental note to call her therapist Monday and schedule an emergency appointment. Gerard and I walked to our room to get dressed, and Mikey retreated into the spare bedroom to probably finish calming fully down, and do the same. Gerard and I slipped into our bedroom quickly both collapsing in each other's arms murmuring I love you's and tracing each others ring fingers and chest.

"I will never let her hurt you again, or our daughter." I whispered as I kisses away one of the tears that sprang free from his eye.

"This is why I love you Frank Iero. This is why i'm marrying you, because you are fearless with love." He kissed my lips walking to the speaker and turning on our music again as I helped him tie his bow tie and snuck small kisses in between equilibrium fighting our confused heads as it settled back. Revealing full smiles by the time Kristen, Mikey, Bandit, Gerard, and I met downstairs in our wedding best. "Let's go get hitched!" Gerard announced picking up my jeep keys spinning the keychain around his finger. Bandit holding both of our hands as we walked down the walk and loaded up in the car to go pick up Miles, Cherry, and Lilly. Then head to the court house. 

_________________________________________

I couldn't help but shake my leg vigorously playing with my white tie paying special attention to the black skull stitched in the bottom. It shocked me that Hot Topic carried good shit anymore, and even more shocked me that I had managed to enter and escape undetected when shopping the other day. Times were changing, and so was the store that had a big hand in putting us on the map merch wise. It hurt to see, but also gave me hope that maybe Gee and I could have a quiet life. Peering over at him standing against the coffee station with Mikey their low whispers about something I couldn't place most likely trying to sort out the Lindsay shit or swooning over Kristen splayed out with the all of the kids reading a book to them on her ipad. The fabric of her lavender knee length dress splayed around her covered in small butts and dirty shoes but she didn't care. Lilly and Cherry matching in their little puffy yellow dresses, and pink sandals. Miles beaming from ear to ear in his blue button up shirt with a matching tie with mine that I had spent hours trying to trim and half ass stitch like some frankenstein project. I couldn't help but feel a pang in my heart that Jamia wasn't here, and the fact that Bandit had been dealt a shit hand in the mother department.

"Iero-Way wedding." A voice called over the loudspeaker making me hop to my feet drinking the image of my future husband in his white suit and red bowtie in. The fact that the red matched Bandit's dress flashed into my mind as she hopped away from Kristen to Gerard grabbing his hand talking her little head off about how excited she was that he was marrying Uncle Frank. Lilly and Cherry grabbed hands following behind Mikey and Kristen as they walked in Bandit tearing away from Gee to run after her siblings leaving Gerard and I staring at each other. Our suits starting to feel weird on a floor that wasn't towering over a group of fans.

"Are you ready, sugar?" he asked reaching his hand out making me almost skip to him like a schoolgirl.

"I've been ready since the day we met." I smiled grabbing him and pulling his body to mine laying my lips on his quickly before leading us in hand in hand to start the rest of our lives. We took our place in front of the judge as Gee's brother and his wife settled the kids into a bench before joining us as our witnesses. Mikey beaming over his brother finally happy that we had "fixed our shit", and Kristen stood to my right side smiling happily probably on the account of all the stories Mikey had told her. As she noticed my hand shaking she reached her small finger to mine giving them a small squeeze that brought me back to earth in Gerard's hazel eyes. "I love you." I mouthed at him as the judge started the ceremony. Our faces lighting up as he drew closer to the moment we could pour our love toward one another. Letting the words flood the room like a hurricane, the wind pushing us closer and closer until our kiss ended the storm and sealing the damage forever. The damage of my name forever carrying his last name, and our fingers to always be wrapped in silver. Mine in Elena's, and his even though he had no clue wrapped in the silver my grandfather had worn to symbolize his love for my grandmother. The hope that if heaven was real they were sitting back popping champagne over this happy moment crept up into my mind making me smile like an idiot as the judge offered Gerard to start his vows.

"Stop, stop, fucking stop; I oppose this fucking wedding." a voice yelled from the doorway in a panting wheeze. The head matched the face to the voice quicker this time as my neck clicked to the right far enough to see his eyes staring at my husband. My fists slammed shut as I lost my temper for the third time today. Shooting Mikey and Gerard a look to stay inside I walked past the kids mouthing at them to stay put i'd be right back and grabbed the figure by his shirt collar dragging him out of the chapel doors, down the hall and finally tossing him out of the front door. 

"Fuck!" I screamed loudly up to the sky before looking at a bewildered and sober looking Bert laying on the ground. The bewilderment left quickly as his mouth turned up into a toothy shit eating grin not near as menacing as Lindsay's

"Hai Frankie." he said standing dusting himself off. "Well it seems I managed to make it just in time to stop the wedding." he smirked my arm drawing backwards as it connected with the left side of his jaw causing him to fall backwards and down the 3 short steps leading to the door my fist immediately throbbing, and my lungs filling with anxiety ridden rage.