Gerard flew back and forth anxiously, his eyes never leaving the last place he had seen Frank before he had disappeared inside the mouth of the Leviathan. Frank had only been absent for a minute at most, but Gerard was terrified that something had gone wrong already.

What if Frank had gotten hurt, or his blow had been misplaced and it hadn't affected the creature at all? He could be dying at this very moment, waiting for Gerard to come rescue him while he hovered out here oblivious to his husband's distress.

Gerard was tempted to make his way past the jagged row of teeth which were blocking his view of Frank to see if his mental hypothesis had been correct, but Frank had been very firm about him waiting until he was sure the Leviathan was dead before he attempted to retrieve him, and that hadn't happened yet. The beast was still as alert as ever, its scaled body making its way through the shallow waters as it attempted to escape the winged beings that were continuing to harass it.

Gerard noticed that most of the angels surrounding him had pulled back once Frank had made his way into the Leviathan's mouth, most likely because of a mental message that Gerard hadn't received because of his different species. He didn't recognize anyone near him except Billie Joe who was hovering to his right with a nervous look on his face, and he silently prayed that all of his friends were still alive and well.

"Is Frank okay? Has he said anything?" Gerard asked Billie when another thirty seconds had passed, his anxiety climbing higher with each metaphorical tick of the clock. Gerard knew if he didn't distract himself soon, he would tear after Frank without a second thought, so he hoped that carrying on a conversation with Billie would help ease his worries for the time being.

"He hasn't communicated with us yet, but he's alive," Billie Joe answered, and Gerard couldn't tell if the choked quality to his tone meant that he knew something that Gerard didn't or if it was simply a byproduct of the fear that Gerard could feel emanating from both of them in palpable waves.

Gerard briefly considered questioning Billie Joe further, because he was aware that he had powers that other angels didn't possess, including the ability to see if one of his brethren were destined to die soon, but he honestly didn't want to receive an answer to his queries, especially not if they ended up being negative.

Gerard flew slightly closer to the beast instead, wanting to be able to get to Frank as quickly as possible when the moment came. He was so on edge it was as if his bones were physically vibrating, everything else had faded away besides his concern for Frank, including the dull ache in his hands that still hadn't been tended to, but Gerard didn't want to bother Billie with his minor injury when he would need all of his strength to heal Frank very soon.

Just when Gerard thought his skin was about to split open under the pressure of the nervous energy that was coursing through his veins, the Leviathan threw its head back violently, an earth-shattering cry escaping from its throat seconds afterward, the thunderous sound emitting so loudly that Gerard swore it was audible miles away from their location.

Gerard's breath caught in his throat as the screeching died out, his eyes locking with Billie Joe who nodded in confirmation, even though Gerard already knew that Frank had succeeded. The creature was obviously seriously wounded, its eyes had fallen closed and it seemed to be sinking back down into the churning waves bit by bit instead of advancing like it had been previously.

"Is it dead?" Gerard yelled out loudly, having to project his voice to hear himself over the harsh ringing that was filling his ears.

"I don't know...I think so," Billie Joe answered, his face going blank for a moment before he returned his attention back to Gerard. "You need to go now - Frank is calling for you," Billie announced hurriedly, "I'll be at the shore with the other healers, bring him there."

Gerard barely caught the end of Billie Joe's sentence, because he was already hurtling in the direction of the injured beast, his wings pumping faster than they ever had before as he rushed to save his husband.

Gerard was forced to pause when he reached the creature's mouth, because it was mostly closed now, leaving him with hardly any room to maneuver unless he wanted to risk getting nicked by its sharp teeth, but Gerard didn't have time to wait for a better opportunity, so he darted through what seemed to be the largest gap, ignoring the blossom of pain that erupted across his shoulder blade when one of the incisors scraped against his back briefly.

"Frank!" Gerard screamed as soon as he was inside the creature's jaws, unable to make out his husband in the darkness that surrounded him.

Gerard received no answer, so he made his way deeper into the dank space, straining his eyes to their limits as he searched for any sign of Frank, moving as quickly as possible while still attempting to make sure that he didn't bypass any place that his angel may have been hidden in.

Gerard wasn't sure how long he had spent in the Leviathan's mouth at this point, but he knew that every minute counted, and each one that slipped by without a sighting of Frank had his heart rate accelerating and tears gathering in his eyes when he continued to fail in his task of locating his husband.

Gerard began to shake with fear when Frank didn't show himself, because he was letting down the person that mattered most to him. Gerard should have argued harder against Frank's plan, or he should have convinced him to allow Gerard to go with him. Frank had trusted Gerard with his life, and now he was most likely paying the price for that misplaced faith.

Worst case scenarios began to assault Gerard's mind, leaving him to wonder if Frank had maybe been swallowed whole when the beast had tilted itself backward, or if he had missed him earlier on, leaving him torn between turning around so he could comb over the area he had already bypassed or continuing forward into the seemingly never ending maw of the beast.

Gerard gasped aloud when something hot and wet fell on his neck, followed by a familiar burning sensation that Gerard now knew was caused by the Leviathan's blood. When he looked up, he spied Frank's sword lodged in the roof of the creature's mouth, which meant that he was close to Frank's last location, and that realization was worth the pain brought on by the continuous stream of blood that was steadily pouring down around him.

"Frank - are you here?" Gerard called out again, hovering as close to the monster's tongue as he could since he assumed Frank wouldn't be able to fly. If his wings were functioning, he would most likely have made his way out already.

Finally, Gerard spotted a darker shadow against the deep red coloring that surrounded him, and when he threw himself toward it at a breakneck pace, he saw that it was indeed Frank. He was splayed out with his arms extended in front of him, his tattered wings covering most of his frame, the once flawless feathers now rumpled and stained with the Leviathan's blood.

All of the relief Gerard felt at finding his husband dried up as soon as he observed the state he was in, because even though Gerard had known what was going to happen if Frank was successful in killing the beast, his wildest imaginings hadn't prepared him for this.

Frank was barely recognizable when Gerard turned him on his side; most of his hair on the left portion of his head was singed away, and his body was covered in blood, both his and the black sludge that the Leviathan secreted. Underneath the fluids, his skin was scarred and blistered, his beautiful tattoos broken up by burns and sores that were so gruesome to look at that Gerard briefly felt the urge to vomit clawing at his throat.

But none of that mattered though, because Frank's chest was still rising and falling, which meant that he was alive, and it was up to Gerard to make sure he stayed that way. Being as careful as he could, Gerard hooked his arms under Frank's knees and back, pulling him to his chest protectively as he forced his aching muscles to propel them both forward, even though his own injuries were beginning to take a toll on him.

"I've got you baby, you're going to be okay," Gerard whispered, not quite sure if Frank could hear him or not, but his husband's damaged hands did clutch tightly to his shirt, and even though Gerard had to bite back a sob when he saw how mangled they were, he reminded himself that Frank could still move, and that he was aware of his surroundings, which had to be a good sign.

Gerard didn't halt his rapid flight this time when he approached the Leviathan's teeth, uncaring of the numerous lacerations he received as he raced through them. His wellbeing didn't matter right now, only Frank's did, and a few more cuts weren't going to make a difference either way.

Once Gerard had successfully escaped from the Leviathan's mouth with Frank still firmly clasped in his arms, he angled their path downward, submerging both himself and Frank beneath the waves briefly, hoping that the water would wash off some of the blood and halt its corrosive effects before it could do any more damage.

The cool spray did feel soothing on Gerard's damaged skin, and it removed most of the dark liquid from Frank's frame as well, but Gerard couldn't tell if it had truly made a difference or not, and really - he knew Frank wouldn't make it much longer without a healer's touch.

Gerard rushed toward the distance shoreline as quickly as his aching body would let him, continuing to mutter reassuring words to Frank who was breathing harshly, his lungs seeming to rattle where they were pressed against Gerard's chest in an alarming fashion.

Gerard called out mentally, unsure if anyone would receive his message, but that didn't stop him from letting Billie Joe know they were on their way, keeping his eyes peeled the entire time for the black haired angel that held Frank's only chance of survival.

Gerard was faintly aware of a few cries still emitting from behind him, and a part of him wanted to look back to make sure that the Leviathan was truly dead, otherwise this was all for nothing. Gerard belatedly realized that he had left the sword of Michael lodged in the roof of the beast's mouth, but it was too late to retrieve it now, even though they would need it if the creature had someone managed to survive the lethal blow Frank had dealt it.

That was a problem for another time though, and right now, Frank's condition was his first priority, so Gerard continued to push his taxed pinions to the limits, ignoring the weakness inundating his limbs and the hot spikes of pain that erupted down his back every time his wings moved.

Gerard forced his mind to shut down completely as the wind whipped past them, because if he allowed himself to keep thinking, he would make himself sick with worries and what ifs. The harsh air currents agitated his numerous wounds, but he refused to slow down. Gerard did his best to shield Frank as much as he could, knowing that the agony he was currently in was nothing compared to what Frank was suffering through.

A soft snarl which emitted from behind him caused Gerard to turn slightly, only to be met with a stray wyren that seemed to have sensed his weakness and had taken the opportunity to score an easy kill. Not allowing himself to be deterred, Gerard shifted Frank's weight so he could free one of his hands, raking his claws across the beat's strange snout which distorted its human-like features in a gruesome way.

The creature screamed in pain before darting away, obviously not expecting Gerard to fight back as quickly as he did. Gerard didn't bother with finishing off the monster, leaving it to someone else as he continued on with his original trajectory, sheathing his claws in the process so he wouldn't scratch Frank accidentally.

After what seemed like an eternity to Gerard, he finally caught sight of land, a rush of vitality surging through him when the yellow sand of the beach came into view. Gerard headed toward a gathering of angels that were off to his left, praying that it was the group of healers Billie Joe had said he would assemble, because if they weren't, Gerard didn't know if he would be able to fly any further in his current state.

Gerard's knees buckled when he made contact with the ground, a soft cry escaping his lips as he tightened his grip on Frank's instinctively. A sudden wave of dizziness assaulted Gerard as he struggled to keep his feet, and if it wasn't for the supporting hands that seemed to come from nowhere that grasped his shaking limbs, Gerard was sure he would have fallen on his face despite his unwillingness to drop Frank.

"Gerard, it's Billie Joe, can you walk? We need to get away from the sand so it won't get in either of your wounds."

"I - yeah..." Gerard stammered out, allowing himself to be led to where Billie Joe was taking him. "Did we do it? Is the Leviathan dead?" Gerard asked after a brief period of time had passed during which he hadn't been able to focus on anything besides trying not to stumble, not wanting to jostle Frank any more than he already was.

"You did," Billie Joe beamed, "Brendon just sent out the announcement that it is indeed dead, it's sinking to the ocean floor as we speak."

"And everyone is okay...my brother too?" Gerard continued with his questions, having been so focused on Frank and their task that he hadn't had time to check up on any of his friends and family until just now.

"They are, we did have some casualties, but your brother is not one of them."

"Frank, did you hear that?" Gerard looked down at his husband who was still cradled in his arms, a weak grin tugging at his lips even though the sight of Frank in so much pain had him choking back sobs. "You did it, we won, and it's all because of you."

Frank didn't respond, not that Gerard expected him too, but he continued to watch him as they walked, timing his breaths to make sure that Frank wouldn't slip away from him before they reached their destination, and even though Gerard might have imagined it, he swore he saw an answering smile gracing Frank's features for a brief second, and that small gesture - real or not - gave Gerard hope that everything was going to be all right, that Frank would heal, and that they would live out the rest of their lives together just like Frank had promised him they would.

Another short update but this length seems to be working for me right now. I go back to work tomorrow though so I'll be slowing down for a bit again until I get my next day off.

I think we have two more chapters left and then an epilogue - wow, it is going to be so weird to end this series, but I am excited for how I am going to tie it up and I hope you guys are too.

Votes and comments are my favorite things.

Chapter dedicated to Krunkest

I'm a pain in women's clothes

xo starr