Take My Breath Away (Rhcp fanfic) PART ONE

Funerals

The silence in the apartment was peaceful. It was in the middle of the night when the dark and quiet room was disturbed by the phone ringing. Kate stirred rubbing her eyes. She groggily reached for the phone and asked, "Hello?" A deep voice rose from the other line.

"Dad?" She gasped.

"Katie pie! I'm sorry to bother you it's about your mother."

"No problem, Dad. What's up?" She asked standing up. It's been a while since she's heard from her parents. They usually send her letters but it's been such a long time since she's heard her fathers voice. She had been born and raised in California. After Kate graduated High school her mom started to have an alcohol problem. After she cursed Kate off one night, Kate decided to move out. She couldn't take the mental abuse anymore. She hasn't spoke to her mother since but her father occasional sends her a letter and forges her mother's name on it, to make it seem like she cared. Before the alcohol she loved her mom. Things just never seemed to be the same after there huge fight.

"Kate...Moms dead. She passed away a couple hours ago. Alcohol poisoning-" she dropped the phone falling to her knees. Wiping the tears that were falling out of her eyes she stuttered into the phone, "M-Moms dead?" She heard her father sniffle on the other line and stutter, "I-I know you two were never close after the fight. But I would like you to be here tomorrow for the funeral-"

"I'll be there." She softly cried into the phone. After saying goodbye to her dad she slid down, leaning against the bed. She cried into her hands, hoping she would drown in her tears. She thought of her mother before the alcohol. How she would always pack her lunches in middle school, with a little sticky note that said, love you Kate-pie! Her heart ached. She wish she could turn back time and erase all the mistakes she made. She wished she hadn't gotten into a fight with her mother. She wished she would be able to still hug her and say I'm sorry. She felt as if it was all her fault. She was trying not to wake up John. He noticed her presence was missing and sat up rubbing his eyes. He saw her head at the foot of the bed and mumbled, "Hey...Are you crying?"

"My mom died." She croaked wiping her eyes. John quickly moved off the bed and sat down next to her, pulling her fragile body into his arms. She put her face in the crook of his neck and softly cried. "I never got to say goodbye. We haven't spoken in two years. She had an alcoholic problem and we got into a fight. My dad just called and said she died due to alcohol poisoning. It's all my fault."She explained.

"Hey! It's not your fault. Don't ever say that." He snapped kissing her forehead, "I'm sure she's in a better place now." Nodding her head, she sniffles wiping her eyes. He reached for a tissue and held it up to her nose mumbling, "Blow." She blew into the tissue and he tossed it into the garbage can hugging her. "The funerals tomorrow?" He asked and she nodded yes.

"I'll be there tomorrow." He said running his fingers through her hair.

"You don't have to."

"Your my girlfriend. I'm going. Not because I have to, because I want to."

"You'll get to meet my dad. He's chill."

"Cool. Does he know you have a boyfriend?What was your mom like?"

"I wrote to him about you several times, so I assume he knows. My mom was great before the alcohol. She would always get me chocolate, and flowers telling me I could be whatever I wanted to be when I grew up. She always made me believe I was unstoppable." John smiled watching her eyes light up as she talked about her mother. Running his fingers over his knuckles he listened to her talk as she slowly grew tired. In the middle of there conversation she fell asleep in his arms. He slowly picked her up and placed her under the bed kissing her lips. He walked over to the phone and dialed Candy, and the rest of the band. He let them know what happened, and that the funeral was tomorrow. It was very late at night, and he wasn't able to go to sleep after what had just happened.

Instead of going to bed he looked around in his closet for a suit. He was able to find one that he had wore to his cousins sweet sixteen, about five years ago. He ironed his suit out and hung it on the back of the bathroom door. I never knew she had an alcoholic mom, he thought to himself as he filled a vase with water. Placing sunflowers into the vase he yawned stretching. He was nervous for the funeral. What would her father think of him? This would be the first time he would meet him. First impressions matter. He crawled back into the bed. Feeling her arms circle around his waist he turned his head kissing the top of her head and closed his eyes, hoping he would be able to sleep.

"My baby." Candy sighed hugging Kate. Kate wore a long black sundress. Her hair was straightened and she wore black flats. Her eyes were stained with tears. Anthony nodded hugging Kate. They stood outside the funeral home. She didn't want to go in. "Come on...Your dad's waiting." Candy tried convincing her and she shook her head no crying, "I-I can't. I can't look at her. My mom." Chad tucked his hands into his pockets. Flea walked up next to Chad and made eye contact with John darting his eyes to Kate, motioning for him to comfort her. John nodded and hesitantly took her hand and smiled, "Look at me." She hesitantly looked up and he continued, "I wanna meet your dad. You told me all those nice things about him. And your mom. Remember last night?" She slowly nodded and he wrapped his arm around her waist as she led him into the building.

Reaching the room that read, Stacy Viverette John squeezed her hand assuringly as they made there way into the crowded room. People stared at them whispering, "That's the daughter." There stood an older man by the casket with curly brunette hair and blue eyes. He turned and smiled, "Katie pie!" John could tell they were related by the hair and the way he fumbled with his hands. The two embraced for a long time whispering to each other. Breaking away from the hug Kate smiled, "Dad. This is John. My boyfriend." She referred to John. Her dad smiled shaking his hand thoroughly. "Thank you for taking care of my Katie-pie! Before you two were boyfriend and girlfriend she used to send me a bunch of letters gushing about how cute you were." She blushed looking away from John as he smiled and continued talking to her father. She strayed away from there conversation to the casket. Anthony walked up next to her wrapping his arm around her as she cried into his shoulder. Her mother looked so peaceful.

Sitting in the room made her want to pass out. She couldn't stop crying during the speeches, and the slideshow of the happy times she had with her mother. In the middle of a speech she slowly stood up, walking out without being noticed. John noticed she was missing and made his way outside to her smoking a cigarette under a tree. She handed him the cigarette and they exchanged long drags underneath the tree. "I'm sure she's not mad at you. She's probably looking down at you and admiring how strong you've become." He said blowing smoke into the air. She nodded and sighed, "Too many memories flooding in. Makes me wonder why I ever left. I wish I could've helped her."

"I get it. But it's not your fault." He said turning to her. They made there way back into the funeral home. After the ceremony they made there way back to the apartment. Flea raised his beer bottle and smiled, "To Stacy." Everyone else cheered, "To Stacy." Clinging there beer bottles together. After a moment of silent Candy stood up smiling, "Enough sadness! Let's play some music!"

Candy grabbed Kate's hands pulling her up and the two girls danced to the spice girls. Both girls imitated there favorite spice girls, dancing around the apartment making John hysterically laugh. The two girls fell to the ground hysterically laughing at there poorly dancing skills. Kate smiled looking around at her friends. They were here for you when you were down. These are good friends, she smiled to herself laughing with everyone else.