"Gerard!" Frank screamed as the balcony collapsed before his eyes while he stood there helplessly, unable to do anything to stop this tragedy from occurring.

This couldn't be happening, none of this was real. Frank squeezed his eyes shut, praying that when he opened them, he would be sitting beside Gerard in the restaurant, and all of this would be some crazy hallucination brought on by too much champagne - or something.

But even without his sight, Frank couldn't block out the shaking of the ground under his feet, and he knew that wishing this situation away wasn't helping anyone - especially not Gerard, and if he wanted to save his husband, he had to accept this and actually do something about it.

Frank strained his ears, but he couldn't hear if his husband had responded or not over the shouts of the terrified civilians and the car alarms that were going off all over the street. The fall might have knocked him unconscious, or maybe he was buried under so much debris that his voice wasn't able to reach Frank, but either way, he was obviously in trouble.

Frantic with worry, Frank attempted to scale the wall which led back up to the patio that Gerard had been standing on, but it was sheer rock, and there were no handholds to help Frank heave his short frame upward.

Frank glanced around rapidly for something he could stand on, but it was hard to pick out individual items among the press of bodies that were streaming down the narrow walkway, and Frank had to fight to keep his stationary position as the crowd washed over him.

Tremors continued to wrack the area, and Frank knew he needed to seek shelter before something fell on him, but he couldn't leave yet, not without Gerard. His husband still hadn't emerged from the rubble, at least, not that Frank could see, and he was truly beginning to panic now.

"Help! I need help!" Frank cried out, trying to catch someone's attention, maybe that way they could lift him up so he could reach Gerard, but no one stopped. Everyone was too worried about their own safety to bother with Frank.

Frank ran a bit down the street, trying to spot a police offer, or something - anyone that would be willing to offer him some assistance, but there were no officials in sight, and Frank didn't want to waste any more time searching for someone he might never find when Gerard could be hurt...or worse.

Not knowing what else to do, Frank reached into his pocket with a shaky hand and pulled out his cell phone, dialing 911 as fast as he could.

"911 operator, what is your emergency?" a friendly female voice chimed out, and Frank exhaled a sigh of relief now that he was connected to another person. For a second there, he had been worried that no one would answer, and he would be left alone to try and figure out a way to save Gerard.

"I need help! I am downtown, on Main Street. There was a giant earthquake - or something, and my husband is trapped. I can't get him out on my own." Frank rambled off quickly, trying to explain his situation without wasting any more precious time.

"Emergency services have already been dispatched to the area that the earthquakes have hit, but they are stretched thin because of this unexpected catastrophe. Officers will be in your location soon though, would you like me to stay on the line until then?" the lady asked in a calm manner, but that wasn't the answer Frank wanted to hear.

"No - you don't understand, I need someone here now. My husband is in a restaurant, it's called Symphony, and the balcony fell in while he was still on it," Frank explained in a snappy tone of voice, trying to make this woman comprehend how urgent his predicament was.

Frank knew that other people were hurt, and he wasn't the only one who needed assistance, but this was Gerard...he couldn't lose him - not like this, and he refused to give up so easily.

"I am sorry sir, but you just need to stay calm and wait. I have radioed the location to the nearest officer, but first they need to get everyone off the streets, they will begin searching the buildings when the tremors are over," the operator sighed wearily, but Frank really didn't care if he was pissing her off, because the feeling was mutual.

"This is fucking ridiculous -"

"I understand you are upset sir, but there is nothing I can do, and cursing isn't going to change that," the woman cut Frank off, and he could tell she was actively trying to tamp down her own aggravation. Getting snappy obviously wasn't working, so he would just have to try another tactic.

"Please, I'm sorry - I just can't reach him, and I have to make sure he is okay..." Frank pleaded, bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet as he spoke.

"I'm sorry sir, but you will just have to wait," the woman exhaled heavily again, leaving Frank fuming. It took all the self-control he possessed not to throw his phone into the street, but he managed it.

Frank was done with this conversation; the operator obviously wasn't able to help him anyway, so he hung up the phone with an irritated sigh, running his hands through his hair in agitation.

The quaking of the earth had finally started to slow down, and the streets were mostly empty by now, but when Frank jogged back over to the site of the collapsed balcony, he still didn't see Gerard anywhere.

Fighting back tears of frustration, Frank took off down the street as fast as his legs could carry him. If he couldn't climb up this way, he would have to go through the front of the restaurant, so that was exactly what he was going to do.

There were no side streets leading the way Frank needed to go, so he would have to take the long way around. He chafed at the delay, but it was only a couple of blocks, he could make it in a few minutes if he kept running as long as there were no obstacles blocking his path.

As his feet pounded against the cracked pavement, Frank prayed that he wasn't too late - he couldn't be - any other option was unthinkable.

~~~

Gerard fell through the wooden floor with a cry of dismay before landing roughly, the sudden stop knocking the air out his lungs forcefully. Planks continued to splinter and crack around him, but the pile of wood he was lying on seemed stable for now.

He needed to get up and try to climb out of here, but he couldn't move; something was pinning one of his legs harshly, and no matter how much he twisted and turned, he wasn't able to free himself.

"Help me! I'm trapped!" Gerard tried to scream, but it came out in more of a hoarse whisper instead. His throat was full of dust and debris, and talking hurt at the moment.

"Fuck..." Gerard muttered under his breath, heaving his torso into an upright position so he could assess his situation.

The balcony had collapsed in the middle, but the edges were still mostly intact - probably not for long though. Each tremor that shook the earth caused the beams to wobble unsteadily, and Gerard knew he didn't have much time before the entire thing fell inward. He needed to get out of here before that happened, or else he would be crushed for sure.

That was easier said than done though; a large beam was lying across his legs horizontally, and it was buried under other debris, making it difficult to move. When Gerard tried to shift it with his hands, the entire structure creaked menacingly, and he stopped touching it in fear of bringing even more of the balcony down on top of him.

Gerard was scared - terrified actually, but he was trying his best to stay calm. Panicking wouldn't help his situation at all, and he needed to keep his emotions under control if he was going to get out of here in one piece.

The wood began to shudder under him again, and Gerard squeezed his eyes shut, shielding his head with his arms as small chunks of the patio rained down around him.

"Help!" Gerard tried to call out again, and even though his voice emitted clearly this time, no one came to his rescue. The restaurant was already deserted, and Frank was on the other side of the wall, so Gerard was alone.

At least Frank was safe though, that thought calmed Gerard more than anything else. He couldn't bear it if anything happened to Frank, and even if he did die down here, Frank would be okay, and that was all that mattered.

Gerard wasn't ready to give up though, no matter how hopeless his situation seemed. Frank was out there waiting for him, and Gerard would never stop fighting to get back to his husband as long as he had breath left in his body.

So with trembling hands, Gerard shoved on the beam again, managing to move it from his knees down to his ankles before the shaking of balcony forced him to pause in his efforts. The heavy piece of wood was pinching his legs painfully now, but he was almost free - he could do this.

Twisting one foot at a time, Gerard managed to release his limbs for under the large piece of debris, losing some skin in the process, but otherwise he was relatively unscathed. Nothing seemed broken at least, and his bruises and scrapes would heal with time.

Gerard regained his feet carefully, mindful of the unstable wood he was currently standing on, but the tremors seemed to be calming down, and he hoped that the earthquake was finally over.

Now all he had to do was climb out of the pit he had fallen into, and there were plenty of beams with which to grab onto, he just had to make sure they were sturdy enough to support his weight.

Testing the closest one that he could reach, Gerard placed his foot on the broken piece of wood, and even though it creaked alarmingly, it didn't move, so Gerard swung up onto it, holding his breath as the entire structure shuddered for a moment before falling still again.

Repeating this process several times, Gerard managed to pull himself about halfway to the top, but his arms were quickly tiring, and there were fewer handholds the higher up he got. He hadn't realized how large this hole was, but it massive, maybe twenty feet wide and thirty feet deep, and it was a miracle that Gerard hadn't sustained any serious injuries when he had fallen.

Pushing his exhaustion aside, Gerard forced himself to climb higher, his lungs stinging as he inhaled the dust clogged air. He was almost there, he could see the top of the hole now, and he felt a renewed burst of energy imbue his aching limbs as he inched his way forward at a faster pace.

When he placed his hand on a protruding piece of wood in an attempt to heave his weight up on it, the beam snapped suddenly, and Gerard barely had time to scream before he was falling again. This was it, he was going to hit the ground much harder this time, and he would be lucky if he didn't break his neck when he landed.

Gerard tried to grab onto something to stop his downward motion, but all he managed to accomplish was to tear the skin of his hands as they glanced off the splintered pieces of wood, and the further he fell, the more the sides of the pit sloped away from him, removing even that slim hope from his grasp.

As his body continued to descend, Gerard felt as if time had slowed down, and each foot he fell seemed to take years instead of seconds. Gerard spent his last few moments thinking of Frank, silently apologizing for leaving him alone.

Just when Gerard had squeezed his eyes closed and was trying his best to prepare himself for the end, something grabbed his arm, stopping his downward motion so suddenly that Gerard thought he had reached the bottom of the pit already, but there was no accompanying burst of pain, so that couldn't be the case.

When Gerard opened his eyes, he saw a hand wrapped firmly around his wrist, and before he had time to react, he was being hauled upward, his arm protesting as the limb was stretched painfully, but there was no way he was going to complain right now.

For a second, Gerard thought that Frank had managed to get back up on the balcony, and it was his husband who was pulling him to safety, but no - that wasn't Frank's hand, and Frank was much too short to have been able to reach Gerard; he had been almost at the bottom of the pit when his descent had been halted after all.

And now that he thought about it, Gerard realized that no one could be tall enough to be able to grab Gerard from the top of the pit, unless they had propelled down on some sort of cable, but he had been close to the surface when he had fallen, so he would have seen if anyone was around - right?

It really didn't matter though, because Gerard was safe, and he probably shouldn't be questioning the logistics of his rescue, but his analytical mind wouldn't shut up, and Gerard just couldn't see how any of this was possible.

Gerard tried to get a glimpse of his savior as they ascended back up to the top of the pit, but his recent fall had stirred up a flurry of dust and debris, and whoever was dragging him to safety was obscured by it. All he could discern was slender fingers and a faint outline of an arm as they continued to heave Gerard higher into the air.

The angle at which they were rising was another anomaly that Gerard couldn't seem to understand. He was being lifted straight up, as if whoever was above him was standing on the empty air over the pit, but that was impossible - maybe the clogged air was just making it seem that way.

They were almost to the top now, so Gerard stopped worrying about how this was happening. He would get to see his savior soon enough, and maybe then they could answer all the questions Gerard had running through his brain, but first he had to get out of here.

Keeping his body as still as possible so he didn't make his rescuer lose his grip on accident, Gerard continued to strain his eyes as they emerged out of the hole. It was almost completely dark now, but the last rays of the sunset illuminated the ruined balcony, allowing Gerard to just make out a man pulling him skyward - literally into the sky. The strange man was suspended in mid-air somehow, that was how he had managed to lift Gerard out of the pit without having a proper foothold.

That wasn't what made Gerard's breath seize in his chest and his heart stop beating for a moment though - no, it was when he finally got a good glimpse of his savior that Gerard began to realize that this was truly a miracle.

At first glance, he looked like a normal person; he had slightly long brown hair, pale skin, and almond colored eyes. He couldn't be older than twenty-five, and he was relatively unremarkable, except for the stunning wings that were connected to his shoulder blades, the appendages pumping as he continued to lift Gerard airborne and away from the collapsed balcony.

The feathers of his pinions were mostly white, with some soft gray shading twined within them, but they were coated in a grimy layer of dust, and Gerard wanted to brush them off and examine them properly, just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

He couldn't be though, because when he looked down, he was definitely soaring in the air, his feet dangling beneath him lazily. Gerard's stomach dropped into his knees, and he had to squeeze his eyes shut to quell his rising nausea. Even though this was a once in a lifetime experience, Gerard was beginning to freak out slightly, and he just wanted to be back on solid ground again.

Finally, the stranger began to descend, setting Gerard down gently on the sidewalk outside the ruins of what had once been the restaurant he and Frank had been in before the earthquake struck. The building had collapsed completely, but it seemed as if everyone had gotten out before it fell inward - thank god.

The streets were deserted except for Gerard and his mysterious rescuer, and Gerard was eager to confront him about his wings. Maybe he was a relative of the bat looking people that had attacked Tokyo, either that or an angel, but Gerard had a much easier time believing that a strange race of mutated winged creatures existed than in angels.

While Gerard had been lost in thought, the nameless man tried to slip away unnoticed, but Gerard reached out his hand and grabbed his shoulder at the last second, effectively halting his retreat.

"Wait - don't go," Gerard pleaded, clutching tightly to his rescuer as he tried to pull out of Gerard's grip.

"I have to - I shouldn't even have saved you," the man mumbled quietly, refusing to meet Gerard's eyes as he spoke.

"Why not? What are you?" Gerard couldn't decide which question to ask first, so he fired them off as quickly as he could before this stranger bolted.

"I'm nothing - just forget you ever saw me," he hissed out, and before Gerard's eyes, his wings retracted into his body, giving him the appearance of a normal human being once again, but that didn't erase Gerard's memory of the glorious pinions, and he wasn't going to drop the subject that easily.

"I just want to know, I won't tell anyone - I promise," Gerard spoke rapidly, but the sound of pounding footsteps broke through the air, momentarily distracting Gerard from keeping his hold on the strange man, and he took that opportunity to break away before Gerard could do anything about it.

"Don't let Frank know I was here," the man yelled back over his shoulder.

"Wait - please!" Gerard called after him, but it was too late - the winged man was already gone, and Gerard was too weak and tired to even attempt chasing after him.

I am finally starting to feel better after my strep throat incident, so I managed to write something halfway decent today.

I actually wrote a lot more than I planned on, but when I realized this chapter was almost four thousand words long, I decided to split it in two, so you will get the next update a lot sooner this time.

This chapter is dedicated to xoxogerard because I feel bad for leaving you hanging for so long, and hopefully this made up for the wait.

((((loving vibes))))

<3 starr