I was curled up on the couch while Gerard was at work. He should've been home half an hour ago and I was starting to get a little worried. I was just about to call him when I heard rustling outside and the door opened. Gerard walked in with a big smile and a bouquet of flowers.

"Are those for me?" I asked.

Gerard held them out and I smiled, taking them with my arm that wasn't in a cast.

"Oh, I love them, thank you," I said.

I gave him a hug and frowned when I smelled booze on him.

"Why do you smell like that?" I asked.

"Oh, some drunk guy spilled something on me," he said.

But when he walked by he stumbled a bit, setting his keys onto the counter.

"I'm pretty beat, I think I'm gonna head to bed," he said.

Gerard went back to the bedroom and I bit my lip. I sighed, going to grab my pill bottle off the counter. It felt oddly light and when I opened it I found only five left.

"Gerard, where did all my pills go?" I asked.

But Gerard was passed out in bed so I called Lindsey over. She smiled when she saw me, giving me a hug.

"Oh, I've missed you," she muttered.

"Lindsey, I'm a little worried about Gerard," I said. "He's just been drinking a lot and—"

"Wait, he's drinking?" She interrupted and I nodded. "Frankie, he's relapsed, he's an alcoholic."

"I-I didn't know," I whimpered. "S-some of my pain pills are missing."

She took the bottle and stormed back to the bedroom, throwing it at Gerard's head.

"Ah, what the fuck," he muttered.

"You're drinking again?!" Lindsey shouted. "And fucking popping pills?!"

He sat up, shaking his head.

"Listen, I have this under control," he said.

"I can't believe you," she muttered. "I can't believe you would go back to this, go back to chasing the high. You wanna be fucking strung up on cocaine and heroin again?"

"You what?" I gasped.

Lindsey left the room and I stared at Gerard but he wouldn't make eye contact with me as he looked down in shame.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Please tell me you're not doing drugs," I begged.

"O-only coke," he whispered. "I promise I won't do it again, it was just a one time thing."

"Don't listen to him, that's not true," Lindsey said. "I've dumped out all the liquor I could find."

Gerard's eyes glanced to the dresser in panic and lindsey went over to pull out a bottle of vodka.

"You're unbelievable, Gerard," she muttered. "You didn't tell Frankie you had a drinking problem? You needed to tell her, you're partners. You're getting all mixed up in the drugs again because the booze isn't enough anymore. When did you start?"

Gerard shrugged, laying back down.

"You're going back to rehab," she stated.

"You can't make me," he denied.

"So you're just going to keep getting strung out on drugs and just overdose?" Lindsey asked and Gerard stayed quiet. "We need you, Gerard, how are we supposed to have you when you're just drunk or high? You're gonna leave Frankie behind?"

Gerard looked at me with guilty eyes.

"Frankie would be better off without me," he mumbled.

"N-no I wouldn't," I whimpered. "Gerard, I need you, I love you."

He laid down, staring at the ceiling.

"Can't believe you fucking relapsed and stole poor Frankie's pills," Lindsey said. "She needs those, you know."

"I'll be fine," I said.

"No, don't make excuses for him," Lindsey said, swatting Gerard's arm when he started to pass out. "You're fucking going to rehab."

"I am fucking not," Gerard denied. "I've got it under control, I told you that."

"You don't!" Lindsey shouted.

"Please, Gerard," I whispered. "Y-you need help, if you have a drinking problem then you need to get help."

Gerard buried his face into the pillow as Lindsey went to dump the bottle of vodka into the bathroom sink. I crawled into bed, careful not to put too much pressure onto my broken arm.

"Gerard, it's okay to go to rehab for a little bit," I whispered, caressing his cheek. "I'll be fine here and after rehab we'll be better than ever."

"I-i didn't mean to hurt you," he whimpered.

I nodded, cuddling up close to him.

"But you've gotta go, Gerard," I said.

"I don't wanna go back, it's too hard," he whispered. "This is easier, chasing the high is easier."

"You have a problem, this explains why you've been coming home late and missing our dates and acting all weird," I said. "A relationship where one person is just drunk or high all the time isn't a real relationship, at least not a good one."

Gerard's lip quivered and I snuggled close to his chest.

"You have to go," I whispered. "I-I can't be with you if...if you're gonna be like this."

"Where will you go?" He asked.

"She'll live with me until you can get your stuff sorted out," Lindsey said. "If you don't go to rehab then she'll move in with me, I'll take care of her better than a drunk could."

"I'll go, okay?" Gerard cried. "I'll go, just please don't leave me, Frankie. D-don't leave me."

"You need help," I whispered. "You took my pills, Gerard, my arm hurts."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he sobbed. "I wasn't thinking, I wasn't. I didn't mean to, I would never hurt you ever."

"I'm gonna sleep in the guest room, we can go tomorrow morning," Lindsey said.

Gerard took a deep breath and nodded. She left us alone and I sighed, looking at Gerard's clothes.

"You should get changed into pajamas," I said.

I helped get him changed before changing myself into a soft purple nightgown. He grabbed a sharpie and began doodling on my cast. It wasn't until he passed out that I got a full look at it. He had drawn some polka dots, ranging in all different sizes.

I couldn't sleep that night, I just watched him calmly. I went out to the guest room, finding Lindsey awake on her phone. I sat beside her and sniffled, holding her hand.

"He Really has a drinking problem?" I asked.

"He used to be really bad, Frankie," she said. "He never spent a single second not drunk. He would get into trouble for stupid things, public intoxication, disorderly conduct, even public indecency because he pissed in public behind a building, thankfully we were able to talk the court out of putting him on the sex offenders list.

"And then he started the drugs. He was driving one day and crashed into a playground, thankfully there were no kids hurt but he was close. He almost killed himself but we talked him down and talked him into rehab. He's been clean for a few years now."

"D-did I—is it my fault?" I whimpered. "Did he relapse because if me?"

"No, no, this isn't your fault," she denied. "He loves you so much. Something might've happened at work or with his brother or something. But it wasn't you, I know it isn't."

"How can you tell?" I asked.

"Because if it was you then he would've pushed you away," she said. "But he hasn't, he still loves you so much. He agreed to go back to rehab because of you."

"Is he gonna be okay there?" I asked.

"Yeah, he'll be in good hands there," she said. "The only thing is that the place he went to last time doesn't like contact of other people. So you won't be able to contact him while he's there. But this treatment works for him. It got him sober last time and it'll get him sober again."

I nodded, sniffling sadly.

"How long will he be in there?" I asked.

"There's no way to tell just yet," she said. "Listen, you're a strong girl, you'll be fine no matter how long he's gone."

"Will I live with you?" I asked.

"If you want," she said. "I've got an extra bed waiting for you."

"No, I-I think I actually wanna stay here," I said. "It'll be a bit lonelier but I like it here, I'm comfortable here in my own bed."

"That's Okay," sHe said.

When morning came I helped Gerard pack. He was crying and I hugged him tight, kissing his cheek.

"Be careful, babygirl, don't hurt your arm from hugging too tight," he said.

I nodded and let go. Lindsey came in with a suitcase as she sighed.

"Alright, I'll bring this down to the car," she said. "Say your goodbyes, try not to make it too heavy."

Lindsey left and I sniffled as I looked down. When I looked back up I saw him eyeing my pill bottle.

"Stop it," I said.

"Just one for the road?" He asked. "Just...Just one last one."

My lip quivered as I moved to sit on the couch.

"I can't stop you," I said and he perked up. "But If you take one then that's it. We're done."

Gerard froze as he looked between me and the bottle.

"Baby, I won't choose pills over you," he said.

"How long until that becomes vice versa?" I asked. "how long until you're  choosing to pop pills over spending time with me? You've already missed dates because you were too drunk to come home."

"I-I'm sorry about that," he said. "You know I didn't mean to."

He gave me a kiss, holding me close.

"I'm gonna get better," he cried. "I'll get better for you."

"Get better for yourself, you should get better for your own health, not just for me," I said.

Gerard nodded and I stood up, wiping his eyes.

"I love you so much, babygirl," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around me. "I promise I won't be gone long. I'll work hard to become better."

"You should go," I whispered. "I love you and I will miss you so much."

I gave him a soft kiss, holding him tight. We finally pulled apart and Gerard gave me one last guilty look before walking out the door.