FicWad

Pete sat on Andy and Freeda's couch, watching as the random people surrounded him, chatting about the past months. It was a sad excuse to help cheer Patrick up, it only somewhat helping. He sighed and let his eyes drift, trying to find a familiar face.

He heard her laugh nearby and sharply turned his head to see her smiling brightly at something William was telling her. Pete gulped and looked away. He hated losing Lexi, but he wouldn't let losing to William happen again.

"Petey," Pete glanced to see Sadie tugging at his jeans and smiled, picking her up and placing her in his lap.

"Yea?" he asked and she bit her lip.

"You love Lexi?" she asked and Pete gulped, looking up and over at the still beautiful Lexi in her autumn, dark red dress, having a good time. Pete looked back down at the girl in his arms and sighed, nodding.

"I love her very much, Sadie," he spoke with a sad smile. Sadie bit her lip and shifted slightly.

"Why you let her go?" she asked next and Pete felt horrible. He sighed and shook his head.

"There was nothing else I could do..." Sadie creased her eyebrows together, trying to understand.

"Tell her," Pete copied her questionable face and hummed.

"Tell her what?" he asked next and Sadie sighed throughout her nose before jumping off Pete and standing in front of him.

"You love her," Pete blinked as she scampered off once more. He sighed and looked back at Lexi who had happened to be looking over, her eyes now following Sadie.

Pete sighed and looked away.

He hated himself.

----------

"Yo Lex, what's up with you?" Lexi shook her thoughts away and glanced up to see Aloe staring at her as she sat on the couch, her stomach pocking out a lot larger than before. She sighed and shook her head.

"A lot of things, Aloe," Aloe bit her lip and Freeda coughed.

"Is it Pete?" she asked and Lexi jumped slightly.

"Who told you...I mean," Aloe laughed at her friend.

"Jesus Christ, Lexi," Lexi pouted and looked away.

"I told myself I wouldn't go back," Freeda nudged her from where she sat in-between Aloe and her.

"But...you want to," Freeda began to lead Lexi on. Her friend let out an exasperated sigh.

"I don't know," she groaned and Aloe placed a hand on her leg.

"Lexi, babes...maybe it's time that you gave him another chance..." Lexi shook her head.

"That's the thing...if I do, what happens when he fucks up again, huh?" Freeda shook her head.

"Listen...this is why you sit Pete down and talk to him...and...then see if you can work it out, I mean, I hate seeing you both so..." Aloe smirked.

"Emotional," she mumbled and Lexi snorted.

"I love you guys but I...I don't know," Freeda patted her friend on the back.

"Just think it over, ok?" she asked and Lexi nodded before turning and facing Aloe, eying her hand.

"So..." Aloe raised her eyebrows.

"What?" she asked and Freeda caught on, leaning over Lexi as the two stared at their pregnant friend.

"When are you and Joe getting hitched?"

----------

Pete sucked in a big gulp of air as he listened to Patrick randomly plucking at his silver guitar, sitting on the stool, the four guys occupying the studio they had in his basement.

"So...what's with the sudden meeting, Joe?" Patrick asked, twirling slightly and looking up through his glasses at Joe who was leaning against the soundboard, dazing off.

"Oh!" he piped and smiled widely.

"What do ya got up your sleeve, Joe?" Andy asked and he shrugged.

"Who wants to be my best man?" he asked and the three widened their eyes.

"Whoa," Pete started and cleared his throat. "You.../proposed/?" he asked and he couldn't help but let his voice falter. Joe shrugged again as Andy punched him in the arm.

"Well, kinda..." Patrick smirked.

"How do you kinda ask a girl to marry you?" he asked and Joe laughed to himself.

"We've decided to wait until the little tyke is born...you know," he explained and Pete bit his lip, trying to stay in the conversation.

But for Pete, he couldn't help but to think about his recently broken engagement with Lexi. He sighed and looked back up to see his friends staring at him.

"What?" he asked and Patrick coughed lightly, before taking his guitar off his lap and putting it on its stand.

"Are you still...you know, not over the whole engagement thing with Lex?" he asked and Joe looked over, Andy perking his eyebrows up.

"I guess," Pete said awkwardly. Andy smirked.

"I wonder if she's feeling the same way..." Pete looked over.

"What do you mean?" he asked, knitting his eyebrows together.

"I mean, that...I wonder if Lexi feels bad about practically breaking that off so suddenly," Pete sighed, looking away.

"I deserved it," he mumbled and Joe shook his head.

"Pete, you know...it just seems it's taking longer for your relationship to rebuild. Yea, I was furious that Aloe had cheated," he paused and crossed his arms. "Especially with one of my best friends, but... when she told me she was having our kid, my god," Patrick spoke up, raising a finger in the air.

"So, Pete should just wait for Lexi to tell him she's pregnant with their second baby?" Andy smirked while Pete jerked forward, nearly chocking on the water her was drinking.

"I'm afraid not...well, we could always ask Pete," Pete raised an eyebrow.

"Ask me what?" he quirked and Joe laughed at his friend.

"When's the last time you and Lexi had sex?" he asked and Pete stared at his friends before shifting slightly.

"Considering the fact we've been broken up for three months now, and before then I'd been putting off...being with her...I'd say about four months," Patrick smirked.

"No way she'd be four months. Last time she was well showing by now," Pete stared wide eyed at Patrick.

"You knew she was pregnant?" he asked and Patrick bit his lip.

"Well, yea...the first people she told was me and William," he paused and shook his head. "That's beside the point," Joe nodded, agreeing.

"When are you going to sincerely apologize and...maybe even propose again?" Andy nodded.

"I did get to see that wedding dress that Aiden made for her," Pete raised his head, interested again.

"Really?" he asked and Andy smiled before laughing.

"You're missing out, Pete," Pete gulped and smiled.

"What did it look like?" he asked and Patrick stared wide eyed at him.

"Haven't you ever heard of not seeing the gown before the wedding?" he asked and Joe raised an eyebrow.

"I thought it was the bride..." Patrick shrugged.

"It could be both," they paused for a moment before their attention was turned to an appearing body from the staircase.

"There you guys are..." Lexi came into view and smiled at everybody before shaking her head at Joe. "You sly dog," she joked and Andy high fived her. She proceeded to sit next to Patrick on the piano bench, her fingers lightly playing with the keys.

"What's up, Lex?" Andy asked, glancing up at Pete who shifted uncomfortably. She shrugged and coughed a little.

"Where are the kids? I was with the girls all day, so..." Joe spoke up.

"We took them to daycare," Lexi widened her eyes.

"Oh, I hope Sadie's ok," Patrick nodded.

"She's so much like me," Lexi smirked.

"You got that right," Pete tried to be happy and joined in on the conversation.

"What? She's a short geek with sideburns?" Lexi slightly laughed and pinched Patrick's cheeks as he stared seriously at the piano keys. She frowned next and looked at Andy.

"Dude, Patrick...you ok?" a slow smile appeared on his face and Patrick jumped up.

"I'm a freaking genius!" he yelled and the other four stared at him.

"What are you on, Patty boy?" Joe asked and he smiled at Lexi.

"Do you want to do a show?" he asked and Lexi creased his eyebrows together.

"Um, Patrick..." Patrick shook his head.

"You can sing...I can play in place of Heather...come on...it..." he paused and used his hands as emphasis. "All our friends can play, I mean, William's in town, and he can get the Academy boys and...and..." he took a deep breath. "Our two bands could play in secret; nobody would know we're there!" Lexi seemed to be thinking about it and she took a deep breath.

"But what about Island?" Andy asked and Patrick whipped around and shook his head.

"Who /cares/? Didn't we always say that it was all about the scars and stories?" he asked and looked at Pete, waiting. Pete smiled.

"Not the fame," Patrick nodded feverously and Lexi stood up, jumping on Patrick, wrapping her arms around his neck and lifting her legs up behind her.

"God I love you, Patty Cakes!" He twirled her around and placed her down.

"Come on guys...we have a long night ahead of us," Joe jumped up.

"It's gonna be just like four years ago! SLUMBERPARTIES!!!!" Lexi giggled and Pete sighed, smiling and watching as she nodded.

"I'm so excited..." she whispered and soon they were all upstairs, Lexi disappearing into the kitchen to grab some drinks. Pete followed and snuck up on Lexi.

"Lex?" he asked and watched as she jumped, whipping around.

"Hey Pete," she mumbled and scratched her neck before turning around and taking a sip of her drink, gripping a bottle and pouring some of the liquid in it.

Pete eyed it.

"Is that Jack Daniels?" he asked and sighed, stepping closer. "I thought you didn't drink," Lexi smirked and took another sip before throwing it in the trash.

"I didn't three months ago," she whispered and Pete gripped her arm lightly, a sad smile on his face.

"But why?" he asked and Lexi shrugged.

"Old habits just started to kick in. I told myself ten years I would only drink if situations got worse than what happened so long ago," Pete creased his eyebrows together.

"What happened ten years ago?" he asked and Lexi smirked.

"Mom and step-dad get divorce. Real dad kicks the bucket, new dad that's a jerk. Then, another divorce. Good step dad dies too," She finished and shook her head. "And then I realize that my mom is all I have left in this family," Pete sighed.

"What about Ethan?" he asked and Lexi shook her head again.

"He's been in my life for two and a half months, Pete," she whispered and looked away.

"I was never an alcoholic," she whispered and looked up, locking eyes with him. "It's just an alternative to crying and wishing for things to be ok,"

Pete nodded but didn't really pay attention to when she dropped her hand from his shoulder. He cupped the side of her face and saw her eyes close half-way.

"Will you stop if I ask you?" he asked and Lexi shrugged, Pete bringing her closer.

They were close to kissing when Lexi took a sharp breath in and placed both her hands on his shoulders, pushing him away. She stumbled off, back into the living room while Pete stared at the ground and at his striped socks. He closed his eyes and saw stars.

Taking it as a sign, he decided on something drastic.


Lexi was ready for him again...it was just a matter of how to get her back...