FicWad

"Sole custody goes to Mr Stump."
"Oh, God." Patrick said, through his hands as he cried. He choked back the tears, and Pete hugged him.
"You did it! You did it, Patrick, I'm so proud of you!" He yelled, almost crying too. Patrick was oblivious to his surroundings, just clung to Pete's jacket and cried into his shoulder. He did it. He had his kids. His kids were his and they always would be. Pete watched from over Patrick's shoulder as Christina stood up and stormed out of the room, pushing Danny away as he tried to console her. Not that she needed emotional consoling.
"And that's the last we'll ever see of them!" Pete grinned, holding Patrick at arms length, looking at his tear streaked face.
"I get to keep my babies." Patrick spluttered.
"Yeah you do!" Pete grinned.
"Mr Stump, you're free to go."

Amanda looked at Patrick's blotchy face, his shaking hands and listened to his gasping breaths as he cried, making his way to the front door with Pete's arm around him.
"Oh my God." She said, her heart plummeting to the pit of her stomach. She put her arms around him and pulled him closer.
"Shh, it's OK. I'm here, don't cry, Patrick, please."
"I can't help it." Patrick stammered. "I get to keep them."
"I know, but if there's..." She started and stopped. "What?"
"I get to keep them!" Patrick said, looking up at her.
"Oh my God!" Amanda cried and kissed him, despite he tasted of salt and tears.
"I have the contract in my pocket. I thought he might end up crumpling it." Pete said, waving the letter around.
"Where are they?" Patrick whispered to Amanda.
"They're in the living room."
Patrick stumbled through to the living room, and fell down to his knees, not caring he was wearing his best suit, and that he now had carpet burn.
"I love you guys so, so, so much. I'm never letting go. You're my everything." Patrick whispered, as they crawled towards him. He lay down on his stomach and lay opposite them, as they pulled at his hat and smiled.
"God, I hope he's not one of those possessive fathers." Pete whispered to Amanda in the doorway.

"Hey! We heard the news! We're so happy for you." Patrick was greeted with Andy and Joe at his door.
"Thanks, guys." He replied. He hadn't stopped smiling for the whole day. He couldn't. He was just too shell shocked and happy at the verdict.
"We have something to show you." Joe said excitedly, pulling Patrick into the street. Pete and Andy followed, Andy shaking his head.
"Here." Joe said, leading Patrick over to his car. Patrick looked at the back window. There was a yellow novelty sign that said 'baby on board', except the 'baby' had been crossed out and replaced with 'bab/ies/'. Patrick laughed.
"Thank you very much."
"Hey, it was the least we could do."
"It was Joe's idea, as you can tell." Andy said, rolling his eyes.
"Well, it would make it unique. How many Honda Civics do you see driving around with a baby on board sign?"
"Uh, loads?" Pete informed him. Joe's face fell.
"Oh."
"It was the thought that counts. Thank you, Joe." Patrick said, putting his arm around him.
"I've never seen you this happy." Andy said, with a smile.
"I have." Joe said.
"When?"
"When his kids were born."
"True. But I've had many other happy moments. Most of them being with you guys." Patrick said. Joe opened his mouth, about to ask about whether he'd been happy with Christina, but Pete could almost tell what he was thinking as they walked back to Patrick's apartment.
"I don't think we ever need to mention Christina again." He whispered to Joe, before slapping him on the back with a grin. Joe nodded.
"Good riddance to the Devil."

That night, Amanda woke up at around 3AM, to find Patrick's side empty. She walked through to Danielle and Josh's room where she saw him just standing over their cribs, watching them sleep.
"Baby, it's three in the morning."
"I know." Patrick whispered.
"What are you doing?"
"I just want to watch them. I love them more than anything."
"How long have you been here?"
Patrick glanced at his watch and looked back at Danielle and Josh.
"About four hours."
"Why don't you go to sleep?"
"I don't want to stop looking at them."
"Baby, you should just get some sleep. Otherwise you won't have the energy to look at them in the morning."
As Patrick slept half an hour later, he dreamt of the moments he would share in the future with his children, now there was no fear of there being no future with them.

"Haha, here we go. I managed to cook. I should get a medal." Patrick said, walking over to the kitchen table with three plates.
"Oh, no." Pete said from the table. As usual, he couldn't be bothered to make himself a meal, so he came over to Patrick's. Patrick's home was always a lot more eventful anyways.
"Oh no." Josh said from the table. His chin barely came up to the table surface, and he peered adoringly at his Uncle Pete as he copied him, swinging his tiny legs on his chair.
"See? Josh doesn't wanna eat it." Pete pointed up.
"No eat! No eat! Yuuuck." Josh sang, banging on the table.
"Hey, manners, boy." Patrick said, putting the plates down.
"Hey! Manners boy!" Josh said, pointing at Patrick, his voice becoming louder. He had a habit of copying everything people did or said, especially Pete. He absolutely adored Pete, and vice versa.
"Josh, stop that, please. It's rude to point." Patrick said. "Alright, try it."
He watched as they tried to eat the dinner, and Josh mirrored Pete's facial expressions as he ate. Patrick looked at Danielle, who had been sitting patiently and quietly while he cooked.
"Nice?" He asked. She shook her head, unable to swallow the food.
"Daddy, can we get take out?" She asked sweetly. Patrick rolled his eyes.
"YUCK!" Josh yelled, grinning at Pete when he started to laugh.
"Josh, remember your manners, alright?"
"Sorry." He said politely. Patrick nodded and smiled.
"Good boy."
"Daddy?" Danielle asked.
"Yes?"
"You cook bad."
*


"How the hell am I gonna do this? I can barely ride a bike myself." Patrick hissed out the side of his mouth to Pete.
"Relax. It's not that hard. They already know how to with the training wheels." Pete whispered back. They watched as Danielle and Josh jumped around the street, excited at the prospect of riding their bikes without training wheels.
"Daddy! Come on!" Danielle called.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming." Patrick said, walking towards them, Pete beside him.
"I'll take Danielle, Josh might kill me if he falls. He has a kinda violent streak when it comes to dealing with me." Patrick said.
"Right." Pete nodded. "Come on squirt."
Pete picked Josh up and carried him under the arm, Josh squealing as he was turned upside down.
"Right, Miss. Let's get cracking."
"I'm scared, Daddy. What if I fall?"
"Then you get straight back up, sweetie."
"Will you be here?"
"I'm right here. Forever and ever." Patrick said, holding one hand on the handle bars and the other on the back of her seat as she sat down.
"God, you guys are slow." Pete yelled, already running down the street with Josh.
"Pete! Don't run with him! You're supposed to start off slow!" Patrick yelled after him.
"What can I say? Life moves pretty fast!" Pete called with a grin. Patrick shook his head.
"If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." He said to himself, rolling his eyes at Pete.
"Daddy! I want to beat Josh!"
Patrick opened his mouth to argue that she didn't have to beat him, but closed it and started walking, still holding onto the bike.
"Oh, Josh won't get very far with Pete teaching him."

"No, Josh, look. You have to listen." Pete said, exasperated.
"I want to go now!" Josh said, jumping up and down.
"I know. But look, first you have to sit on the bike."
"You'll make me fall again."
"No, I won't."
"You said I'd be first to learn!"
"And that, Pete, is why you don't promise a six year old things you know won't happen." Patrick said from behind. Pete stood up.
"I can do it." Pete said.
"Sure." Patrick scoffed.
"Oh yeah? And exactly how far along is Dani?"
Patrick stood back and pointed at Danielle, gingerly riding along, slowly but surely, by herself.
"Want me to take over?" Patrick laughed.
"No." Pete said. He bent down again and Josh scowled at him.
"Alright, dude, now you just pedal, and I'm right here, OK?"
Josh nodded, almost scared. He always tried to be brave, "like Uncle Pete", he said, but now he was looking at Patrick as if he was sending him to boot camp.
"You'll be alright, Joshy." Patrick said, with an encouraging smile. He held his thumb up and Josh did it back.
"Ready?" Pete asked, supporting the bike. Josh just nodded and looked straight ahead.
"OK Mister. Pedal." Pete said, walking beside him slowly. "That's it, keep going."
He kept encouraging until Josh was confident, and then Pete let go.
"You're doing great!" He called. "Keep going! Awesome!"

"Hey, hey, Josh, look, it's alright, it's only a little cut. See?" Patrick bent down and held up a band aid, pressing it gently to Josh's knee.
"All better. Right?" He said.
"All better." Josh repeated. Patrick smiled and ruffled his hair.
"That's my boy. You're as brave as a lion, right?"
Josh nodded and Patrick grinned, picking him up.
"A soldier, even." He said, carrying him into the house, where Pete was sitting watching the TV with Danielle.
"See, I can totally do it." Pete said proudly at the sight of Josh and Patrick.
"Yes, but you ripped his knees in the process." Patrick whispered, putting Josh down next to Danielle. Pete shrugged.
"What's a few cuts and scrapes for a lifetime of knowing how to ride a bike?"

*

"And then they lived happily ever after." Patrick said, closing the book and placing it on Josh's night stand.
"Daddy?"
"Yeah?"
"Why do all those people have mommies and daddies, and I only have a daddy?"
Patrick closed his eyes and shifted beside Josh on his bed. This was the moment he'd waited for and dreaded. It was almost as bad as waiting for them to ask where babies came from.
"Well, see... there's different kinds of families." He said, as he tucked him up in bed and kissed him. "There's families with a mommy and a daddy, and then there's families with just one mommy, or just one daddy, that's us. And then there's some families who don't have any mommies or daddies at all."
"Why don't I have a mommy?"
Patrick handed Josh his teddy and stood up, pressing his finger against Josh's nose.
"Your mommy is... like the not so nice people in the fairy tales. Like Snow White's step mommy."
"Can't I have a nice mommy?" Josh asked, and it was such an innocent question from a child who knew nothing about what had caused him to get here, it made Patrick ache.
"I don't know, sweetie. I don't know."

*

Patrick sat cross legged on the couch, his headphones on, playing around on his GarageBand like he had so many times before. He couldn't get the drum part of the song to flow with the guitar and bass, and it was frustrating him, He looked at the clock, 11:30 PM.
"Josh, get to bed." He said as Josh sauntered into the room.
"Why?"
"I told you you weren't allowed to watch TV." Patrick said, watching him flop onto the armchair and turn on the TV.
"So?"
"So, that's the result of your pathetic report card and the fact you told a teacher to 'shove it' and then telling me it was all right because Pete said it."
"Pete does say it."
"Is that all you say? We've had this argument so many times before." Patrick scolded. He watched as his son just ignored him and changed channels.
"Go to bed."
"No."
"Go!"
"Why doesn't Danielle have to go to bed? She's still out!"
"I know, and I'm going to deal with her when she gets home. Now get to bed."
"Jesus, you are so 1950s." Josh taunted him. "Get to bed by 9 otherwise the world will end and you won't be a good boy."
"If you want to stay up late, then get better grades on your report cards. And have more respect for people, I have no idea why you're so rude to them."
"Because they're dumbasses." Josh shrugged.
Patrick stood up, ripping his headphones off his head.
"I'm warning you, get to bed."
"Wow. Your surname really does match your looks. Stump. Stumpy. There's kids in kindergarten taller than you." Josh laughed. He, of course, had inherited Christina's long, lean body. Every time Josh stood near him, it made Patrick feel smaller and stubbier by the second.
"Go! Now." Patrick said, his voice raised. Josh shrugged and sloped off. He passed the front door and Danielle came through it, her face tear streaked and her mouth screwed up.
"Look what the cat dragged in."
Danielle didn't say anything, just walked past him into her room and closed the door. Patrick looked up from his laptop as he heard Josh's voice again, and got up as he heard Danielle crying in her room.
"What's wrong with her?" Patrick asked, only to be replied with Josh closing his own bedroom door in his face. That kid really had copied Pete's teenage angst.
"Dani?" Patrick knocked on Danielle's door, and listened. The crying stopped and he knocked again.
"I'm coming in." Patrick said, opening the door. He entered Danielle's extremely pink decorated room, and caught sight of her on her bed. She was sitting on her bed with her legs pulled up to her chin, crying.
"What's wrong?" Patrick asked, sitting next to her on the bed.
"Todd... he broke up with me!" Danielle whispered. Patrick felt his heart melt, his daughter had her heart broken for the first time. The first time he'd had his heart broken... well, we all remember that.
"Aw, honey. You'll be OK, don't worry." Patrick said, putting his arm around her.
"I just want everything to be back to normal." She said.
"I know." Patrick said. And he did know.
"He's such a fucking jerk."
"Don't use that word, Dani."
"And you know what? He'll probably go off with that Stacy Rogers now. She's such a whore."
"Hey, Dani, it's not nice to call someone a whore. What if that was you?"
Danielle shrugged. Patrick turned around and looked at her.
"That Todd guy doesn't know what he's missing. He's missing a wonderful, sweet, beautiful girl who makes everyone laugh and makes them feel good just by being in the same room."
Danielle ducked her head, not looking at him. Patrick put his hand under her chin and made her look up.
"Look at me. You have your whole life to date guys and find someone you love. Love isn't easy."
"I know."
"And boys your age are always immature. Being 15, they always are."
"Were you?"
"Was I what?"
"Immature at 15?"
"I probably was." Patrick admitted. "Everyone's immature until they get older and realize what they said and did in the past seemed so stupid."
"I guess."
"Honey, you'll be just fine. Trust me. I know it seems like the end of the world, but you'll get over it."
"I will?"
"Sure. Just don't sit here and listen to sad music. Or watch sad movies. You know? Listen to, I dunno, Robert Palmer or David Bowie. You can rock out with them. Or watch a funny movie like, Drop Dead Fred or something like Friends. Classics are the best."
"Alright."
"Good. And before I go leave you to do that, there's something else."
"What?"
"You're not allowed to stay out until gone eleven. Especially without calling me."
"I'm sorry. I just..."
"I'll let it slide. One more time and then you're for it." Patrick said, but said it with a smile. He wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Deep down you're still just my little girl." He said, before leaving her room. When he was in the hallway, Josh was standing in his doorway.
"You totally favor her. You're such a jerk."
"And you were such a sweet little kid. What happened?"
Josh slammed his door and Patrick rolled his eyes and went into the kitchen, wondering when Josh became so resistant to everything he did. Was it because he was a musician or did he just have some kind of grudge against him simply for being his dad? Sometimes when he caught Josh looking at him, he felt like he was silently wishing Pete was his father instead of Patrick. Did he rather Pete than himself? That was the question Patrick always wondered, driving himself crazy about. He stopped as he heard the radio, and shook his head at the irony.

"Hold on little girl
Show me what he's done to you
Stand up little girl
A broken heart can't be that bad
When it's through, it's through
Fate will twist the both of you
So come on baby, come on over
Let me be the one to show you..."