FicWad

Part Twenty-Six

Keliah's POV

We finally arrived at Detroit the next day. Farrah and I were sitting in the bus alone and bored as the boys were off at the sound check for the venue. Farrah was sprawled out on the floor and I was laying down on the couch. Farrah had the tv going, but turned it off.
"I'm so BORED..." she whined, lazily throwing the remote to the other end of the bus.
I sat up slowly; the baby bump was starting to slightly get in my way after these past two months. "Well, what do we always do when we're bored?"
"...SHOPPING."
"Then, let's get to it. We'll leave behind a note for the guys just in case they get back before us."
"Good. I cannot wait to get some new clothes..." Farrah said excitedly, whipping out a piece of paper to write on. I left behind the note and we headed off the bus, going towards downtown Detroit.
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Patrick's POV

"And I read about the afterlife,
But I never really lived,
And I read about the afterlife,
But I never really lived...
Two more weeks, my foot is in the door..."
I strummed the chords, casually singing. I never put much effort into these sound checks. I stood still, I didn't sing too loudly. I saved the wreckage of my voice for the actual concert, as always. My mind was always somewhere else during these things. Thinking about Kel, our baby, the rest of the tour, the fans, how much I already missed Chicago...all sorts of things that were important to me.
"Saturdaaaaaaaayyyyyy..."
I finished the song, and quickly flung the Stump-O-Matic behind me, hanging loosely by the strap.
"We done with this, then?" Andy said, setting his sticks on the drum-set. Rob nodded at us from the edge of the stage, and we all put our equipment away. As I put my guitar onto its stand, I turned to the rest of the guys. "Hey, will you guys be the godfathers of the baby?"
Joe stared at me for a second, a dumbstruck look on his face. "Well, that was abrupt...and random."
Pete nodded as he set his bass down. "I'll gladly do it. Like, seriously. Not like I've joked about. I'll do it for serious. Really."
Andy agreed. "Yep. You can count me in."
"I guess that leaves only me left. I'm totally in." Joe said.
"I have no idea whether it's like, proper or whatever to have 3 godfathers for a child, but fuck it. I couldn't just pick one. I still don't know what the gender of the baby is, so I can't guarantee you'll have a boy that you can play video games with."
Joe smiled. "Well, I have no issue with playing Pretty Princess if it's a girl."
That made us all laugh, trying to picture Joe in a ridiculous princess outfit.
"Ok. As long as that's cool and all."
We all walked off the stage, heading back to the bus, and I shoved my hands in my pockets as we walked. Pete came up behind me putting a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, dude, are you ok?"
I looked up at him in surprise, but shook my head. "Nah, I'm fine. Just...a lot of stuff on my mind, that's all."
"Is it the whole kid thing?"
"Yeah. As the months go by, I get more and more nervous. What am I gonna do when it comes? I have no idea how to be a dad. The only things I know is all the stuff my dad did for me. I haven't the first clue of how to be a father. I mean, what am I gonna do if it IS a girl? I can barely speak to girls my own age, let alone one that's just a baby! What am I gonna do?" I felt my breathing get quicker and my speech speed up as I spoke. Pete patted me on the back as he opened the bus door for me. "Well, first off, you need to take a deep breath and chill for a second."
I walked onto the bus and Kel and Farrah were nowhere to be found. They'd left a note saying they would be back soon and that they were out shopping. I folded up the note and stuck it in my pocket, collapsing on the couch with my hands over my face. "I want to be a dad, I really do, I just... don't know how."
Andy sat down across from me and leaned forward. "Alright, well, look at it like this. You wanted to be a boyfriend at first right?"
"Right."
"You did ok with that. You got Kel, you asked her out. It was a success. Correct?"
"Yes."
"You being a boyfriend soon blossomed into you turning into a husband. You haven't done that bad as a husband, am I right?"
"I guess so."
"Well, you haven't fucked up anything yet, so I think you're on the right track. But, anyways, this is my point: you didn't have a CLUE how to be a boyfriend before you met Kel. But it came pretty easily to you, didn't it?"
"Yeah."
"Being a husband has been the same as well. You don't probably notice it, but you're alot different than that shy teenager you once were, Patrick. You've turned into a husband with a stunning amount of grace and charm. Being a father will come to you just as easily."
"And how the hell do you know all this stuff?"
"My dad told me this whole speech when I had my first girlfriend. He gave me this whole thing, thinking I was gonna marry her, just like he married his first girlfriend, and yeah. That totally didn't happen."
"Oh. Well, it does sort of help confidence a bit. Thanks."
Joe was sat next to Andy, and Pete sat next to me. "See? We're here for ya, Trick. If you ever get stuck in some deep shit, we're here to help. That's what we do. That's how we roll." Pete said, acting like a gangster. Joe nodded.
"We're basically family by now, so even if you didn't want us to intrude on your life, it would probably happen anyways. Just like a normal family. You're stuck with us."
I grinned at all of them. "Thank you. That's really awesome for you guys to have my back like this."
Andy shrugged. "We're all sure you'd do the same for us. We've known each other for AGES, Patrick, it's the least we can do."
"Well....thank you, nonetheless."
As he said it, the bus door burst open with Kel and Farrah leaping into the bus. 
"You'll never guess what Farrah found..." Kel said in a sing-song voice.
"Well, then....what did she find?" I said, looking back and forth at Kel and Farrah.
Kel reached inside her bag and pulled out a hat. "Look at this amazing hat. Isn't it awesome looking and completely totally nifty cool?"
It was a black fedora hat with a purple satin ribbon around it with black feathers sticking out of it. I couldn't help it; I grabbed it.
"It's BEAUTIFUL."
Pete rolled his eyes and grinned. "Aw, look what you've done. He's gonna start making out with the hat now."
"Will not." I said defensively. I ran my hands around the brim of the hat. "Where'd you find this?"
"Hat shop downtown." Farrah said proudly.
"How'd you know there was a hat shop around here?"
"Kel and I grew up around here. Well...born here at least. We visited around here ALOT."
"I never knew you were born in Detroit!" I said excitedly, turning to Kel.
"Yep. I know this town like the back of my hand."
Joe sprawled out on the couch. "We've been around here enough that we do too. It's probably the closest thing to Chicago we have."
"That's true." I said. "So...what're you gonna do with this amazing and lovely hat?"
Farrah smiled and pretended to be decisive. "Well...I dunno...maybe give it to someone who is obsessive over hats....maybe somebody who just happens to wear a lot of them..."
"You mean like....someone like....I don't know...ME?!?"
"Maybe...YES."
I grinned. "I love it! But, why'd you get me a hat?"
"Eh, think of it as a wedding present or something. It's also kind of a thank you for protecting me from these guys." she said, pointing her thumb at the three guys lazily spread out in the bus.
"That's incredibly nice of you, Farrah. Thanks." I pulled the hat off my head and replaced it with the fedora in my hands. Kel giggled.
"Ah, yes. That looks perfect."
I smiled as I grabbed her hips, setting her down on my lap. "So, does anyone wanna do anything, fun or something before our concert?"
Pete shut his eyes as he leaned back on the couch. "Yep. Sleep."
"Amen to that." Joe said, flopping down onto the floor.
Farrah yawned. "Aw, now see, look what you guys did. Now I'm all sleepy."
Kel put a hand on my thigh. "Well, then, let's leave these sleepy heads alone and go take a walk or something."
"Fantastic idea. Just a second." I pulled the fedora off my head and put the other one back on.
"What, you aren't going to wear your amazing hat out and about?"
"That hat is special. And used for only special occasions. Besides...it doesn't match my outfit today."
She laughed as we walked out of the bus door.
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Keliah's POV

It was nice just strolling around Detroit. Nobody but Patrick by my side, nothing else in the world mattered. It was just like when we'd met. No tours, no hassles, no problems. I loved the tour and the fans and all the other stuff that came with it, but it did get tiresome after awhile. But now, the cool breeze flowing through the air, and the sun shining down on the sidewalk already made me feel more relaxed. Sometimes you just wanted the whole world to just stop spinning for a minute to give you some time to catch your breath.
Of course, I wasn't the one that had to do all the press and all of the playing onstage like the guys. I knew how hard they worked to get where they are. They still work just as hard, if not harder. But as of right now, work wasn't even an issue. Just holding hands with Patrick as we walked was good enough for me. 
"Kel?"
"Yeah?"
"Oh...just seeing if you were still with me. You spaced out there for a second."
"Yeah, just...taking everything in, I guess. Slowing down for a while is nice."
"Tell me about it. It gets insane. I'm sorry you got dragged into the whole media circus and stuff. None of this would've happened if I wasn't famous, or whatever the hell I am nowadays..."
"You don't have apologize, Trick. I know it's not your fault. People are just nosy, that's all. All that nonsense doesn't mean a thing to me. As long as I have you, famous or not, I'll forever be happy with my life."
He smiled and looked down at his feet as we strolled.
"Hey...wanna play a game?" he said, a childlike gleam in his eye.
"Sure." I giggled, "What game?"
"20 questions. Ready?"
"Alright, shoot."
"Is your hair naturally that color?" 
I laughed. "Yes."
"Ok...uh...do you like comic books?"
"Love them."
"Do you think Pete is attractive?"
"Not in the slightest."
"You sure? Everybody seems to..."
"Absolutely positive."
He grinned. "Finally someone who agrees with me. Um...do you like popsicles?"
"The orange ones."
"Fair enough. Do you like Marvin Gaye?"
"Definitely."
"Tom Waits?"
"Of course."
"Vanilla Ice?"
"No."
"Oh, thank god."
I laughed out loud. "I was worried for a second there, I thought you were gonna say that you liked him!" He laughed with me and then paused to think. "Alright, now all my stupid questions are aside...now we'll have some semi-serious ones."
"Come on, give 'em. I got this." I said, egging him on.
"What do you see yourself doing in...5 years?"
"Raising a child. Starting a career maybe. Being happily married to you."
"Okay...10 years from now?"
"Maybe having a few more kids...I don't know. Where is all this coming from Patrick?"
"I don't know." he said, defeated. "Just...curiosity I suppose. I want to know everything about you. Your plans, your life, your past....everything."
"There's not much to tell. I was born in Detroit, grew up not too far from here in a small town. My parents died after I graduated high school in a car crash, leaving behind nothing more than an empty house to come home to and a lot of saved up money. Farrah has been by my side ever since. We moved in together into an apartment, and we've lived together for at least a couple of years. I've always aspired to be a singer, I've always had a passion for music. Farrah and I alway had a dream to come to L.A, so when we finally decided it was time to go, we just...went. I saw myself growing up as a...hard-headed, 'I-won't-take-any-bullshit-from-anyone' kind of person, and as I grew up into my 20s, I learned I just couldn't be so selfish about my own needs. It had to be about other people. I knew that if I wasn't very forceful, I might not make it into the music industry. I knew that very early on. However, in the short time I was in L.A, and meeting you and the band, I realized quickly that singing, yes, I enjoyed it very much, but I wanted to be something much more important. I wanted to be a wife, and a mother. I wanted a home life, sort of. All this came true much sooner than I had expected, but...my life has gone in fast forward for awhile now. I expect things to happen quickly nowadays. So...that's about it."
He walked in silence for awhile, seeming to be taking it all in. "You have a fascinating life, Kel. As strange as that may sound. You don't have a conventional life, like most people. Two parents raise them, they graduate, they go to college, start a career, start a family, all of that stuff. But you...you were almost forced to skip that whole enjoyment of freedom after high school. It's insane. I can't imagine losing my parents like that. You put me in constant awe of you, Keliah. You're like no one I've ever met in my life."
"Well...I tend to have that effect on a lot of people. They won't understand that losing my parents so early has made me grow up in a short amount of time. Maybe that's another thing we have in common. Alot of people call us both 'wise beyond our years'." I giggled, and he joined me. We walked in silence again, the wind stinging my face.
"Well, so much for that 20 questions deal then." he said, gently laughing.
"Yeah, I suppose so."
"Come on, let's head back to the bus. It's almost time for us to be onstage anyways. They're gonna need plenty of time to get ready. You know how diva some of them get...ahem Pete..."
"Yeah, we should head back. That wind is getting to be killer cold..."
"Glad I'm not the only one who noticed that."
He quickly wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling us closer together as he kissed my head. I leaned onto his shoulder and I sighed. Life is so much more enjoyable sometimes when you just sit back and relax a little.