You're In Time for the Show 8/13/06-8/14/06

The excruciatingly long sixteen hour flight that began in Tokyo at 4pm actually ended in Charlotte, North Carolina at 6pm the same day. They arrived just in time for them to get ready for another show. The guys were playing at the Warped tour show that night in Charlotte.

As they were being escorted through the back halls of the venue to their dressing room, another band was taking the stage. The sound of the crowd and the band's opening song were deafening.

"This is crazy!" Andie said grinning.

"WHAT?!" Gerard yelled.

"I SAID THIS IS CRAZY!" Andie screamed and laughed.

"I KNOW!!" Gerard had a devilish grin on his face. He thrived on this shit!

They reached the dressing room and the guys all immediately started changing their clothes with Andie in the room. She ignored it and quickly got out her make-up kit and a few hair products. There wouldn't be much time, but she'd do what she could.

"So what do you think of this crazy touring shit, Andie?" Frank asked as he buttoned up his shirt.

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world right now." Andie replied.

"That's a good thing!" exclaimed Ray, tying his shoes. "Because this weekend was nothing. Wait 'til you see what Brian's got lined up for us next month!"

"Ah, I have faith in you, Andie. I think you can take it," said Mikey. "And if not, Gerard will be right behind you pulling you to the next stop."

"HA! HA!" Gerard laughed at his brother as he buckled his belt.

"Shit!" Bob was stressing out. "Does anyone know how much fucking time we have? I gotta tape my fucking leg again!"

Brian had just walked into the dressing room when he overheard Bob. "It's 7:30, you've got 45 minutes. So, relax!"

"Ray," Andie called over to him.

"I know. I'm coming," he responded before he sat in the chair beside her so she could do his hair.

In the short amount of time she had, Andie helped the guys get into their stage look, regardless of how exhausted everyone was from the long flight. She would have liked to have had more time, but it could have been worse.

The guys played five songs in the show that night as they shared the stage with several other bands. Andie watched them from backstage this time, since they would only be on about thirty minutes total.

As soon as they finished "Helena", the guys said their goodbyes to the crowd and rushed off the stage. Gerard grinned at Andie as he grabbed her hand and they headed back to the their dressing room.

Gerard had to be in San Diego tomorrow (Monday) for Comic-Con. He and Andie were booked on a late flight to San Diego and found themselves rushing to the airport once more.

Gerard let out a big sigh as they settled into their seats on, yet another, airplane that day.

"Okay, I give. This weekend is almost too much for even ME. How come you haven't complained once?"

Andie rested her head onto his shoulder and yawned.

"That's easy..." she said before nuzzling his neck with her nose. "I love you."

Gerard kissed her forehead and rested his head on hers.


The plane landed in San Diego a few hours later. It was just after midnight there when they finally reached the hotel room Dark Horse had reserved for Gerard. Exhausted from travelling basically all but four of the last 24 hours, they took showers and collapsed in the bed.

Neither of them stirred once thoughout the night until the alarm went off at 9am the next morning. Andie felt rested and ready to go, but Gerard didn't want to wake up. It seems his restless sleeping habits decided to give him a break last night for a change. Either that or the jet lag had finally set in.

Andie turned off the alarm and put her hand on Gerard's bare chest.

"Gerard..." she whispered.

"Noooooo..." he groaned.

"Yesssss..." she mocked him and kissed his chest.

Andie pulled back the covers and he snapped them back up over them.

"Noooooo..." his eyes were still closed but he had a grin on his face. He snuggled up under the covers like he was going back to sleep.

"Gerard... C'mon...this is a big deal for you! You have to get up."

Gerard pretended to ignore her.

"Gerard..." Andie waited. Nothing.

"Geraaaard!"

He grabbed her sides and tickled her under the covers. Andie laughed and smacked at his back trying to get him off her.

"Haaa!!" he laughed.

The sheets and pillows scattered as they wrestled on the bed. Gerard ended up pinning her arms down as her hair sprawled out over her head.

"I got you! I got you good now, Andie! Now what are you gonna do?" he teased.

"Me?" She grinned up at him hovering over her.

"Yeah, you!"

"I'm not gonna do anything. It's YOUR ass that will be late for your own shit. But we can lay here in bed all day if you want," she said as she closed her eyes. "Suits me just fine."

Gerard blinked. "Fine!" He blew a raspberry on her stomach before he crawled off her.

He teased as he headed towards the bathroom and left the door open. "But I'm not picking up this mess you made."

"What?" Andie called after him, laughing. "I thought you were supposed to leave your hotel room a mess? Isn't that like some kind of band code or something?" she teased.

Gerard walked back into the room as the toilet flushed. "Ha ha...funny," he said slyly.


Comic-Con was unlike anything Andie had ever been to. Gerard, wearing his new suit jacket and striped tie like one of his characters, showed her around the still closed to the public convention. It was packed with promotional booths and merchandise from all the major comic book corporations making last minute preparations.

Andie didn't want to be in Gerard's way, but he still insisted she come with him. It was a convention, afterall. But Andie had a plan. She decided if anyone seemed to suspect she was "with" Gerard after the fans arrived, she would play it off herself, regardless of his whole 'I don't give a fuck' theory about it. She knew how it worked. He was better off if his fans didn't know they were a couple.

First, Gerard was to do the interview with Scott Allie. They walked over to meet him at the Dark Horse exhibit. During the interview, Andie took a look around the Dark Horse Star Wars exhibit.

When the interview was over, Gerard found Andie and held her hand as he proudly showed her the promotional items for his comic. They smiled at each other. Andie knew he had looked forward to doing something like this for years, and she was happy for him that now he had his chance to do so.

Gabriel Baj came over to greet them. Gerard had never met Gabriel and was really excited to finally get to talk to him face to face about their upcoming project.

It was announced that the doors were opening and the fans started coming in. There were people dressed up as their favorite characters and posing for pictures with other fans. Andie couldn't believe how many people were there.

As Gerard was led to the booth that he would be signing from, Andie walked around checking out the exhibits. When it was close to the time that he was supposed to stop signing, she came back to the Dark Horse exhibit. But he was still busy and there was still a small line.

Gerard looked up to catch Andie's eye and grinned at her. A young fan standing beside her noticed this slight interaction between them and stared at her wide-eyed.

"OH...MY...GOD...Did you see Gerard just smile at you??" she said to Andie.

"Did he?" she grinned, acting like she didn't notice.

"GIRL...he was SO checking you out!" the girl confided in Andie.

Andie walked away from the fans and waited off to the side of the exhibit. One of the Dark Horse reps announced that Mr. Way would only be here for a few more minutes, and announced who would be signing next.

When Gerard was finished, he was being led behind the exhibit to a different exit.

"Hey, wait! Where's Andie?" he asked the security guard.

"Who's Andie?" the man replied.

"My girlfriend!She was with me... She had a pass like mine. Where did she..." Gerard saw her. "There! Wait a minute."

He caught up with Andie who was trying to find a way to get back to him, but the hall had being blocked off again by security.

"Shit! I didn't know how I was going to get back here!" Andie said as security moved the barricade for her to come with them.

"I know! I was like 'wait a minute! no!'" Gerard laughed as they walked off with the guard to the private exit.


They drove the two hours North to Los Angeles to her apartment, talking about the convention and laughing. They would have a few days rest before the next whirlwind began.