All Seven Of The Deadly Sins (Richard Z Kruspe Fan Fic)

Chapter 31 - A Frank Lace Tour & Hope

Katie's P.O.V

"Next we have 'Alone'. You can see the mother holding her child, waiting for the father to return. We see the mother is sad, looking out the window for her husband. Frank Lace used the dark colours to represent the mothers sadness, as we can see." Alan, the tour guide explained.
"Wrong again." I spoke up, making Christoph laugh out loud.
"Care to take over?" Alan sighed at me, getting annoyed at my constant butting in.
I walked round the group of sixteen, including Christoph, and stood in front of the painting.

"This painting is called 'Alone'. Frank Lace painted this when his wife was sick and couldn't help care for their young daughter. We see the mother holding her child, in sadness, 'cause his wife adored their daughter. In this painting, we can see the child is paler, then the mother, showing the baby is sick and the mother can't do much for her child. She looks out the window, hoping for the child's health to return. The dark colours we see, surrounding the room, represent the sun setting. You can see the colour get lighter, as we move to the top right corner. The mother has been unable to get her baby to rest, and sleep for the night, hinting within her sadness." I explained, pointing everything out.
Some people actually 'ah'ed at my explanation.

"Thank you, miss." Alan frowned at me. "Now, if you turn around..."
"The Plague." I looked at the painting opposite, feeling sad again. This one hit hard...
Christoph looked at me, sadness in his eyes, as everyone gathered around the painting. He walked through the group and stood next to me, as I was frozen on the spot. He knew about this painting.
"The last painting he did. My personal favourite. He told me about plague doctors and crows." I spoke quietly. "I saw one and was scared. He told me the doctor was my friend. He didn't want to hurt me... My guardian angel."

In the painting there was a plague doctor, with his mask on, standing in a graveyard at night. He was looking right at the viewer, a very haunting look. Crows were sat in a dead tree, in the background. The doctor was my father, and he was looking at me, with sorrow. He let me down and he knew it. My mother died and we started to lose each other, within the first year.
"It's a beautiful painting... Why does he go by Frank Lace?" Christoph asked, looking at 'The Plague'.
"Lace was his surname." Alan answered, hearing us talk.
"No, it wasn't." I shook my head.
"Of course you'd know." Alan spoke, with sarcasm.
"I only wore shoes with laces. He called me Katie Lace, as a joke. He took my name. His early work, was all re-named. Everything he did, he wrote 'Lace' on them. You can see 'Sixx', faded on some, if you look close enough... I'm done now." I looked at the painting as I spoke, then up to Christoph, as I finished.
"Let's go." Christoph nodded for the door.

. . .

"Did you get it?!" Naomi ran over to me, as we just got in.
I hugged her and smiled. "We got it, for $10,000. Christoph wrote a check."
"THANK YOU!" Naomi screamed, hugging me again.
Bonnie walked over, smiling.
"We've got flowers, a band, a venue... for what date?" Naomi looked at us.
"18th of April." Christoph replied.
"She's taking it!" Naomi walked to the balcony, to call her sister.

"You alright?" Bonnie asked, hugging me.
"We looked at my dad's room." I told her. "Scary."
"It's OK... You don't have to go back in there." She smiled.
I nodded and we forgot about it. Roxy was on her laptop, at the kitchen table, looking for a DJ, so I sat with her, for company.

"Richard left, but he said he'd be right back." She smiled at me.
"Buy something special. My treat." Christoph sat on Roxy's left, as I was on her right.
"I'm good." Roxy shook her head.
"I mean a dress. Buy whatever you want." Christoph smiled at her, putting his arm on the back of her chair. When Richard did that to me, I felt really safe.
"Are you serious? What about the girls?" Roxy asked, turning to her boyfriend and future roommate.
"Bonnie's got her dress. Katie, have you got one?" Christoph looked at me.
"Uh, no..." I shook my head.
"Want to go shopping with me tomorrow?" Roxy offered.
"No. Thanks." I shook my head, again.

I got up and grabbed a soda can, from the fridge.
"She doesn't like dresses." Roxy whispered to Christoph.
"She'll be fine, meine Liebe." Christoph replied.
I walked through the living room and into my room.

I placed my cola on my side table and lay on my bed, with a sigh. My day has not been good.

I don't know how long I was lying there for, but Richard knocked on my door and came in. He frowned at me and came to lay with me, closing the door as he did.
"Are you alright?" He asked. "Roxy said you were in here."
"Today has not been my day. How's NayNay?" I turned over to look at him.
"She's alright. Telling her sister about her own wedding. Not sure what her sister has planned, really." Richard shrugged and chuckled.
I nodded, with a small smile.

"Can we go on a third date?" Richard asked me.
"When?" I asked him.
"When I can get some time off. I'm busy everyday, until Need For Speed, but I'll be finished in the studio, real soon." Richard smiled.
I smiled back at him and nodded. "I'm sorry I'm like this."
"Don't apologize." Richard played with a strand of my hair. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" He then asked me.
"I'm an only child. I thought I told you that?" I looked at him.
"Ah, you did. I'm sorry, I forgot." Richard clicked his fingers, as he remembered.

"Can I hear you play?" He looked at my bass.
"I guess..." I shrugged. I got up and plugged my bass into the amp, next to the stand.
I placed the strap over my head, onto my shoulder, and looked at Richard.
"Any particular song?" I asked.
"Surprise me." He smiled.
I smiled back at him and thought for a second. Falling In Love Is Hard On The Knees, by Aerosmith, was my first song, so I may as well play that.