Timeline, FINAL CHAPTER. Gerard Way x y/n (female reader)
tags: angst, time traveling au, gerard way x female reader.
Check de Masterpost for the rest of the chapters!!!!
TW: emotional distress, angst, therapy mentions and longing
Y/N’s case had become a media sensation—first at her university, then throughout the city, then in nearby towns, until the story reached the entire country.
Of course, the news outlets only framed it as “the girl who disappeared from her dorm room,” never digging deeper.
And Y/N was far too devastated to speak publicly about what had really happened—besides, they’d think she was insane.
She went from being an average college student to something of a circus attraction.
Eventually, she came to the conclusion that she had returned to her time because, after being intimately close with Gerard, she had entered a state of deep relaxation—similar to the meditative state that had triggered her journey in the first place.
The abrupt separation from Gerard had left her visibly shaken.
She had to pause her studies due to harassment from classmates and professors, abandoned her research, and began attending therapy for a long time.
She also distanced herself from anything related to My Chemical Romance, so she had no idea what consequences her journey had left behind.
To begin with, Y/N had left a profound mark on Gerard’s life.
He left traces of her in every piece of work—songs, illustrations, comics.
Every path led back to her.
From time to time, Y/N was vaguely mentioned in interviews, and for years Gerard held onto the hope that he might see her again.
Even as time passed, he would scan every crowd, searching for her face.
The echoes of Y/N were always present in some way, though Gerard remained silent out of respect for his later partners.
Still, he rarely formed a connection as deep and complete as the one he had with Y/N.
After all, the predictions she had made about his life came true—just a little slower than they were supposed to.
Despite her progress in therapy and moving back in with her parents in her hometown, Y/N cried for him every night.
She would sit by the window and watch the sun rise, thinking about how much she wished he were beside her again—how much she longed to spend her nights wrapped in his arms, by the fire, lost in deep conversation.
Unlike Gerard, Y/N’s heart never reopened.
Her life felt hollow, despite the support of those around her.
To channel her grief, she began writing her story.
She spent hours at her computer—typing, deleting, revising—until she began publishing it anonymously on Tumblr as a novel.
She changed names and details so no one would suspect anything.
Because of its emotional depth and originality, the story was warmly received.
It started with a handful of readers, then grew into thousands—people who read every chapter religiously, eagerly awaiting updates.
Though everything was anonymous, some fans speculated that the story was about My Chemical Romance, based on certain details and the few things the band had revealed in past interviews.
But Y/N never confirmed or denied it.
In fact, she avoided answering those kinds of questions altogether.
When the story finally came to an end after a long year, Y/N received a message asking for her email address.
It was a serious and promising offer, but they needed a professional channel to contact her.
Her mind raced with possibilities—maybe MCR’s team had found the novel and wanted it taken down.
But… it was actually a publishing house, deeply interested in turning her story into a book.
It felt like a ray of sunlight piercing through her life—a sign that things might finally get better.
Gerard’s impact on her had been monumental.
But to move forward with the process, she would have to let go of her anonymity.
Though many had forgotten her disappearance, Y/N still feared public scrutiny—that her face and name would once again become a topic of conversation.
But her intuition told her she was on the right path.
So, after two years, Y/N took another leap of faith and signed the contract with the publisher.
While the story catered to a very specific niche, her loyal readers were thrilled to hold the material in their hands—to read it all over again as if for the first time.
They were also excited to finally learn who had been behind the novel, beyond a vague username and a profile picture that revealed little.
The publisher had made the right choice.
Just as they had predicted, the copies sold like wildfire.
Readers couldn’t get enough.
It wasn’t enough to simply own the book—the publisher wanted her to go on a tour across various U.S. cities for book signings.
She visited New York, Boston, Michigan, Chicago, Austin, Dallas, Seattle—and ended her tour in Los Angeles.
The signing in Los Angeles was special.
It wasn’t just a book signing—it included a Q&A session, giving many lucky fans the chance to ask questions about the story.
One more car pulled into the parking lot of that Barnes & Noble.
The driver struggled to find a spot, as the event had filled most of them.
He finally found one a bit far from the entrance, which frustrated him slightly—but he needed to pick up some calligraphy supplies.
Entering discreetly, he found himself surrounded by a sea of young people asking questions.
He didn’t pay much attention and headed straight to the section he was looking for.
“How did such a specific plot come to you?” asked one of the young attendees.
“It has such precise details—unusual, in a good way, of course—but I’d love to know how the idea came about.”
The question stirred a faint ache in Y/N’s stomach.
“Oh… well, there are details I can’t reveal too openly, or people will think I’ve lost my mind,” she said, prompting laughter from the crowd.
She paused, licking her lips and gathering her thoughts.
“I lost someone I never thought I’d even meet in my lifetime—just like my protagonist and… Bernard.
There were so many things keeping us apart.
It was something that devastated me, and to be honest, it still hurts a lot.
But considering everything we went through, and all the pain, I wanted to turn my sadness into something beautiful.”
Y/N’s voice echoed through the bookstore.
Upon hearing it, the man who had come for supplies paused, his thoughts swirling and his heart racing.
He dropped the small basket he’d been carrying and tried to push through the crowd—but it was impossible.
Between the heads of the attendees and the low stage, the man in dark sunglasses couldn’t see who was speaking.
“So, if you’re saying this basically happened in real life… what happened to the real Bernard?” asked a girl around fifteen or sixteen.
Y/N raised her eyebrows, wondering if she’d revealed too much.
“Mmm… as far as I know, he’s a successful man.
He achieved his dream, and I’m truly proud of him.
But we lost contact, so all I know is that he’s out there, living his best life,” she replied with a soft smile—though her eyes clearly held the weight of nostalgia.
The man gave in and quickly bought a copy of the book, which would grant him access to the signing—he needed to put his doubts to rest once and for all.
But the moment he saw her name on the cover, he knew everything he needed to know.
The moderator closed the Q&A session and announced the start of the signing.
In no time, the line stretched long, and unfortunately, the mysterious man ended up near the very end.
Though nerves were devouring him, he waited. And waited.
Y/N took her time signing each book.
Though tiring, she was deeply moved that her story had reached so many people and had been so warmly received.
Some even compared her success to the first Twilight novel, which was an enormous compliment to her.
She saw young faces, older ones too—all smiling from ear to ear, offering kind words full of gratitude.
Until finally, the man in the sunglasses stepped forward.
“For whom should I dedicate the signature? For you, or someone else?” Y/N asked cheerfully, opening the book without yet lifting her gaze.
“Uh… yeah… um…” he stammered, his voice trembling as he tried to steady his visibly shaking hands.
He was interrupted by the start of the next song on the event’s ambient playlist—none other than Cut Here by The Cure.
“Oh, sorry—I couldn’t hear you over the music. Who’s the signature for?”
At that moment, Y/N lifted her gaze and found herself face to face with a much older Gerard.
His hair was its natural chestnut brown, with a few silver strands beginning to show.
Her eyes lit up, but she couldn’t speak. She was frozen, mouth slightly agape.
He slowly removed his sunglasses, and that’s when she saw it.
Though time had gently etched itself onto his face, his hazel eyes looked at her just as they had when he stepped out of the recording booth all those years ago.
That same tender gaze—one that didn’t need words to say a thousand things.
“I found you,” he said, locking eyes with her—realizing that, just like him, Y/N had preserved her essence, though she had visibly changed.
She’d lost a bit of weight, her hair had grown longer, and her face looked more mature.
Y/N was still overwhelmed. She wanted to throw herself into his arms and never let go, but she knew that might be inappropriate. After all this time, he had built a life of his own.
Besides, she had to maintain a degree of discretion—no one else in the room had realized it was Gerard Way standing before her.
“I know this is hard. You don’t have to say anything, Y/N,” he said gently. “But I want you to know… I’m really happy to see you again.”
As it was getting late, the event organizer announced the end of the signing.
Those who hadn’t gotten their books signed—thankfully just a few—would receive a signed copy by mail.
This gave Gerard a little more time to speak with her, though Y/N could barely string together a few sentences.
“So… did you finish your studies? What happened with your research?” he asked, hungry to catch up on her life.
“Gerard… I had to give it all up. Life hasn’t been easy for me,” she replied, avoiding his gaze as she carefully tucked her things into her bag.
“It was either that… or spend the rest of my life in a psychiatric hospital.”
“I don’t think it was easy for either of us, Y/N,” he said after a pause.
“After all, it’s not exactly simple to process how someone… just disappears from your arms overnight. Watching that happen—it really shook me.
So much so that, in one way or another, I’ve immortalized it in everything I’ve done.
There are references to you everywhere, if you listen or look closely.”
Though she had distanced herself from everything related to him, the biggest shift in the timeline was that many things were born—or took on new meaning—because of her.
Even if, on the surface, nothing seemed drastically different.
One of those details was Number Five and his ability to travel through time.
Gerard had also requested that Klaus Hargreeves’ time-travel arc be included in The Umbrella Academy adaptation—where Klaus travels to the Vietnam War and falls in love with a soldier.
But their love is cut short by death, leaving Klaus deeply wounded for the rest of his life.
Songs like My Way Home Is Through You or This Is How I Disappear were born from Y/N’s constant fear and guilt about hurting Gerard.
What had to happen, happened—but in a different way.
Gerard no longer missed Y/N romantically, but he still remembered her with deep affection and warmth.
Even though it was comforting to see that both of them were thriving, just seeing him stirred so many feelings in her—memories and questions.
She knew everything could be solved easily if she went back in time.
After all, she now knew how to do it—and how to return.
But it would come with great responsibility.
When she arrived at her hotel, she ordered dinner from room service and locked herself in her room to rest.
With the lights off and the television as her only light and company, she browsed for something to watch.
She found Gremlins, but no matter how many times she hit play, the screen kept loading Back to the Future Part III instead—as if by some glitch.
Y/N had always rejected anything related to time travel.
But seeing the stubbornness of the TV, she decided to give it a small chance.
The movie didn’t help her emotional state at all.
In the end, Doc chooses to stay in the past to be happy with Clara Clayton—the woman he fell in love with in the Old West—regardless of what consequences that might bring to the future.
Yet he never forgets his friends in the present, traveling between past and future.
And that gave Y/N an idea.
In the notes app on her phone, she wrote:
“I just received a very tempting offer to adapt the book into a movie or series, so my stay in Los Angeles will be extended.
I think I’ll need to rent an apartment here to oversee everything.
There’s a lot of paperwork, so I’ll be a bit absent—but don’t worry, I’ll visit as soon as I can.”
The next step was to fulfill at least 50% of that note—just enough to make it believable.
Fortunately, Y/N could afford to rent or even buy an apartment in a prime area, thanks to the success and recognition of her book.
After all, she was no longer “the girl who disappeared”—she was now “Y/N, the writer.”
She spent her days in L.A. reflecting on what to do next.
She wasn’t sure what the future held, and she didn’t want to return to her parents’ house—not because she didn’t love them, but because it was time to move on, especially now that she had the financial means to do so.
The idea of traveling through time again was tempting—maybe just once more.
But she also knew it would be a whim, so she asked for a sign.
One that would be clear and unmistakable.
That sign, apparently, never came.
Months passed, and she traveled back and forth between her hometown and Los Angeles, until she finally found a well-located apartment in the city.
On the very day she received her long-awaited keys, she decided to celebrate her independence by going to one of those pretentious Italian restaurants—where the pizzas are wood-fired with the finest herbs, and the pasta has more lettuce than cheese.
Scattered throughout the restaurant were televisions, but none could be heard over the chatter of the diners.
With no one to talk to, Y/N decided to pay attention to whatever was playing—luckily, the subtitles were on.
After a string of exhausting commercials, bold letters announced the next film: Back to the Future Part III.
And with a sip of her orange juice, she thought: I know what I have to do, the aftermath is secondary.
That same night, in her new apartment—though a bit luxurious—it still felt somewhat bare due to the lack of furniture.
But with her bed, headphones, and phone, Y/N had everything she needed to try one more time.
Before beginning, she packed a backpack with enough clothes and cash to carry with her during the journey.
She took a shower, put on something cute yet comfortable, got herself ready—and finally, after all that time, it was time to return.
With her phone tucked into her pants pocket and her backpack gripped in one hand, the sensation was exactly the same as before: colors, sensations—until, suddenly, she landed backstage at what appeared to be a venue.
People bustled around, moving equipment, pushing carts filled with props or food.
Everyone was too busy to even question how a girl had suddenly appeared there.
Y/N was now in 2007—during the Black Parade era.
“I loved the crowd tonight, didn’t you?” a voice echoed from afar—one Y/N didn’t recognize.
“They actually sang this time. Not like that festival where everyone was… I don’t know, just bored,” Ray replied.
“Yeah… that’s why I don’t really like festivals. They make me nervous,” added Frank, seemingly mid-bite into a snack.
Though she recognized some voices, she didn’t hear Gerard’s.
But Y/N decided to keep waiting.
Then, riding in on a golf cart, the band arrived.
They all seemed happy and satisfied with the show—except for Gerard.
His hair was short again, dyed black.
He looked… confused, quiet, maybe even a little dissociated.
At first, the guys didn’t notice her presence—they were too focused on their conversation and getting off the cart.
Until Mikey looked up and saw Y/N holding her backpack.
“Hey… I know you,” he said, pointing at her as she waved.
“Y/N! The girl from the future! Hey! How are you?”
Gerard felt a sharp pang in his stomach at the sound of her name.
It pulled him out of his daze, and he turned to see Y/N.
And once again, from that heavy, distant gaze—he looked at her with tenderness.
Everyone was happy to see Y/N again—after all, they had grown fond of her, and still didn’t fully understand what had really happened. They even introduced her to Bob.
But of course, the most moved of all was Gerard.
“Y/N, it’s been almost three years since I first saw you, and I swear there hasn’t been a single day I haven’t thought about you… and everything we went through.”
“I know, Gee,” she replied in a near whisper, slowly reaching for his hand.
“It’s so… awful not being able to tell the truth because you know no one will believe you. I had to keep it all to myself, even with psychiatrists, psychologists, the police, and gossipers breathing down my neck after I disappeared.”
“So… you didn’t do any of the things you loved?”
“Mmm, no. But eventually life rewarded me. I won’t tell you how, because I don’t want to make the same mistake I did the first time,” she laughed softly.
“But there hasn’t been a single night or day I haven’t thought about you. That’s why I’m here again.”
Gerard opened up to Y/N as well, telling her something similar to what the Gerard from her future had once said:
“There are references to you everywhere, if you listen or look closely. And there always will be.”
The moment had become overwhelming.
The exhaustion from the show, the crowd, and Y/N’s return—though hopeful—brought a flood of emotions all at once.
“I have an idea,” he said, gripping Y/N’s hand tightly.
“I know I’m sweaty and still wearing stage makeup—I don’t care. Let’s run away from here and figure it out later. Please, let’s just run far away.”
She intertwined her fingers with his, adjusted her backpack, and as soon as they had the chance, they ran toward the venue’s most hidden exit.
They did cross paths with a few paparazzi cameras that captured the moment for posterity, but they kept running until they were both out of breath.
Between laughter and gasping for air—neither of them had run that much in their lives—they realized that even though they had changed so much, physically and emotionally, the love had never left.
They sealed their reunion with a kiss that made up for nearly three years of absence in each other’s lives.
And though they knew the consequences might ripple through time in a few years, in that moment, they were the happiest and most in-love people in the world.
“Wait…” Gerard broke the kiss almost abruptly.
“I just thought of another song,” he paused to concentrate, then murmured,
“Run away like it was yesterday… Mmm, yeah, something like that. Remind me to write it down when we get to the hotel, okay?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll note it in my phone,” she said with a wide smile, pulling out her smartphone.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Tbh, I wanted a sad angsty ending, but okay, you won, there's a cute ending for them. They deserve it <3 Thanks for all the support and love, see ya in the next story!!!!