[SLOW UPDATES] The Stroke of Midnight

Four.

As Gerard cried in his bed, ugly, loud sobs escaping his throat, all of his pent up emotions began being released at once. He just didn't understand. He'd been so unbelievably nice to his stepmother and Mikey, and he just gets tossed to the side like a pile of garbage. Was that all he was to them? Worthless garbage?

What was the use of having hope anymore? Look how far hope has gotten me, he thought to himself. He can't be himself in his own home, he's forced to work like a slave. He couldn't just leave; he had nowhere to go. He didn't think he had any other family, and he certainly didn't want to bother Miss Lindsey. He couldn't bear the thought of even telling her that all the gowns she had given him were taken by his nasty stepmother.

Gerard felt another wave of sadness wash over him, and he sobbed loudly into his pillow. "It's just no use," he cried to himself, "I can't hope or believe anymore. There's nothing left to believe in, nothing at all!"

As he cried, Gerard began feeling someone stroke his hair, which he had let down from the ribbon as soon as he began crying. It was comforting, making Gerard feel safe. "Nothing, sweetheart? Now, you don't really mean that." A voice said, sounding as smooth as silk.

"But I do!" Gerard cried, sobbing into what he previously thought was his pillow, until he felt it move.

"Nonsense! If you truly lost all hope, I wouldn't be here!" The voice said, making Gerard quickly sit up, wiping his teary eyes as he stared at the figure that manifested out of nowhere. It was a man, wearing a metallic blue suit, a black shirt visible underneath. His short hair was styled like nothing Gerard had ever seen before, and he smiled down at Gerard. His jawline was sharp, and he seemingly had an eyebrow scar. The man tilted his head as he stared down at Gerard, cupping the boy's cheek with his ringed hand. "Dry those tears, dollface. You can't go to the ball looking like that!"

Gerard furrowed his eyebrows, shaking his head slightly. "The ball? B-But I'm not a girl, I can't go-"

"Of course you can, but we must hurry! Even miracles take a little time." The man said, beginning to search around in his suit jacket. "Now, what did I do with that wand..."

"Wand?" Gerard repeated, his eyes lighting up. "You must be-"

"Your fairy godfather? Of course." The man smiled, his brows shooting up. "Oh! I remember, I put it away." With a smirk, his eyes never leaving Gerard's, he reached into the palm of his hand, and pulled out a white wand, rainbow sparkles emitting from the end of it.

Gerard stared in awe, watching as his fairy godfather laughed. This couldn't possibly be happening.

"Now. I'll let you in on a little secret, honey. You're gonna meet someone at this ball that is going to make all your dreams come true. Just because it's a 'girl's only' type of thing, doesn't mean you can't go! Besides, you're more beautiful than half the girls that are gonna show up!" The fairy godfather said with a smile, making Gerard blush. "We're gonna make you a pretty girl, sugar. Just you wait until I'm done with you."

He began waving his wand, the sparkles emitting at a faster rate. "Don't move, sugar, this isn't gonna hurt, but you're gonna make these high heels work!" He pointed his wand at Gerard, a bolt of something - magic, Gerard thought - shot out of the sparkling end, going straight to the boy.

The bolt swirled around Gerard, emitting white bits of light as it went. Gerard watched as his apron seemingly grew, wrapping around his waist and flaring out into a large skirt. He watched his shirt sleeves shorten up to his biceps, and sheer, elbow length gloves weave up his arms out of nothingness. When he looked down at his shirt, he saw that it was now a sequined bodice, sewed onto the skirt, creating a gorgeous, black ball gown.

He felt his hair being lifted up and styled, then felt it being tied up with a ribbon. Gerard looked down, seeing heels on his feet, seemingly made of glass. The bottoms were black, making the refraction through the glass dark. The shoes were beautiful, he thought.

Soon, the sparkles and light dissipated into nothing, leaving Gerard in absolute awe. He walked over to his mirror, his heels clicking on the wood floor. His hair was lifted up, hanging in slight curls behind him. His cheeks appeared to have some sort of blush on them, eyeliner rimming his eyes and his lips painted a light pink.

For a moment, Gerard almost didn't believe that it was him. He looked like, well, a girl.

"I-I can't-" He stuttered, at a loss for words. 

"Don't try to thank me, sugar; it's my pleasure entirely." His godfather said, watching as Gerard laughed and twirled around, giddy at his new look.

"It's like a dream come true!" He exclaimed, smiling widely at his fairy godfather, but the serious look his godfather was giving him made him deflate slightly. 

"Yes, child, but like all dreams, they don't last forever. You have until midnight-"

Gerard gasped. "Midnight? Oh, thank you so much."

"Wait a minute, young thing. You must understand what I'm telling you. At the stroke of midnight, the spell will be broken. Everything will return to how it was before I came here." Gerard's godfather spoke seriously, watching Gerard nod.

"I understand...this is everything I've ever hoped for." He smiled, earning another smile from his fairy godfather.

"Oh, I-" Then, upon turning to the large clock outside of Gerard's window, his godfather gasped. "Goodness! It's getting late! We must get going, the ball can't wait!"

Gerard didn't have time to protest before his fairy godfather was waving his wand again, light swirling around the two of them, their surroundings becoming blurry. Soon, they were enveloped in a white ball of light, the godfather smiling warmly at Gerard. The light began to dissipate, and Gerard felt his heart rate increase as they appeared in front of the palace, no one around to question their magical appearance.

Gerard watched as his fairy godfather conjured up a horse and carriage, giving himself more appropriate attire and sitting down in the driver's bench at the front of the carriage. He turned back to Gerard, who could barely recognize him now, long hair hanging over his forehead, a white shirt on his torso and black pants covering his legs. "I'll be waiting here for you at midnight. Please, my child, be wary of the time."

The boy nodded, uttering another rushed 'thank you' before going inside the palace, hearing a voice announcing the names of different girls. He followed the voice, being led to a giant ballroom, watching different girls go up to a man and curtsey at him, while the man bowed back at them. Gerard didn't want to draw attention to himself, so he went out onto an area of the palace that was partially outside, and began looking around.

The voice that was announcing names, suddenly announced, "Madam Donna Way", making Gerard tense. If his stepmother had any idea he was here, who could tell what would become of him.

He turned towards the crowd of people, seeing the man the girls were bowing at making his way over to him. Gerard felt himself begin to shake, not knowing who this man was. His eyes were squinted as he made his way to Gerard, but as he got closer, he looked more familiar.

Long, dark hair, neatly parted and resting atop shoulders covered in an elegant tan suit, adorned with patches and a red sash across it. Gerard stared into familiar hazel eyes, and the man smiled back at him. The man bowed, and Gerard did his best to curtsey. The man stood up straight once more, his hands behind his back.

"Hello. I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon." He said, his voice making a shiver run down Gerard's spine. The man took one of Gerard's hands in his own, placing a gentle kiss onto it. Gerard blushed at the handsome stranger and gave him a small smile. The stranger held onto Gerard's hand, one of his eyebrows raised.

"May I have this dance?"