FicWad

Molly spent the month of January getting re-adjusted to living in Chicago. Both getting a job (assistant to the Talent Buyer at The Metro) and just in general getting reacquainted with the city and her friends. When she didn't hear from Patrick regarding the letter she forced herself to accept the fact that it was over between them for good. She threw herself into her job and her friends and soon enough Molly was thrilled to realize that it didn't feel as though any time had passed. No one had forgotten her.
"What? You thought the Chicago scene would forget you? One of the few females in world who didn't worship Pete Wentz?" Elyse had said over lunch one afternoon when the two friends had decided to have a shopping day.
"Eh...I've been gone a while."
"Yea, and you're best friends with one of the hottest bands to come out of our fair city girl. These kids, esspecially the ones that are actually kids still, worship you."
"I wouldn't go that far."
"Oh I would. Remember, I work in radio. I know things."

"Hey Molly?" Molly jumped as she was shaken from the past.
"Yea Elyse?" Looking up from her laptop Molly saw her roomate standing in the doorway of her bedroom.
"Can you be scarce tonight?"
"Til how late?"
"Til...um...really late?" Molly laughed at Elyse's response.
"Sure. I'll go home and visit the brat."
"Thanks!" Elyse ran back down the hallway towards her and James' bedroom leaving Molly laughing at her desk.

Molly parked her car and headed up the front walk. Opening the door she stepped into the house and set her overnight bag on the floor by the front door. Closing and locking the door behind her Molly called out,
"Is anyone home? Dad? Jamie?"
"In the kitchen Molly." her father's voice answered back. Molly walked down the hallway and waved. "What are you doing home?"
"Elyse wanted some privacy and it's been almost a week and a half since I've been home."
"Oh. Ok. You hungry?" He asked gesturing towards the remains of dinner.
"Nah. I ate already. I'll clean up though you look exhausted."
"I am. Jamie had detention today so I had to pick him up late at school." At her father's words Molly's jaw just about hit the ground.
"Detention? Little Jamie?"
"He's not so little anymore you know."
"I hope you grounded the stuffing out of him."
"He's grounded, although I don't know what good that'll do. I can't help but think this is his way of reacting to your mother's death."
"Yea, well. He could react better. I'll talk to him. He can be a teenager all he wants...but detention is another thing all together." Jack O'Conell laughed at his daughter's words as he started walking up the back stairs.
"See, I got lucky with you. You didn't do this kind of stuff until you were out of the house."
"Hey Dad, just for curiousity's sake, what did Jamie do to get detention?"
"Told his teacher to fuck off."
"...and they only gave him detention?!"
"Something about first time offense."
"Oh." Molly shook her head and grabbed a plate to put into the fridge as her father finished going upstairs.

Once the kitchen was completely clean Molly walked upstairs and immedately went to Jamie's room. Knocking lightly she opened the door and saw him sitting on his bed glaring at the wall. Looking around Molly almost laughed when she saw the missing lap top, and all the wires removed from her brother's tv and game systems.
"Tough break huh kid?"
"What do you want?"
"Honestly? To beat the living shit out of you. Except I'm afraid I'd kill you I'm so mad. You're lucky Dad didn't snap you know."
"He wouldn't touch me. He hit you once, and I don't think I've seen him get that mad ever since."
"Yea you aren't supposed to remember that. And you're right, he did it once. Now what the fuck is this behavior all about?"
"What behavior."
"Ah...ok. Is this the part where you play sulky "woe is me" teenager and act like the world is out to get you and that you didn't do anything?"
"No."
"Oh I think it is. Trust me kid. I was much better at it. You're practically an ametuer." Molly said as she walked into the room and sat down in his desk chair.
"You don't know what you're talking about." Jamie mumbled.
"Yea. I do. You aren't the only one who's hurting Jamie. You aren't the only one who misses her."
"You don't act like you miss her."
"How often do you really see me? And if that's another reason you're acting like a spoiled petulant teenager--Stop."
"I'm not acting spoiled."
"Ok right. Telling your teacher to fuck off, not doing your homework, being rude to me. Who might I remind you, essentially raised you. I think I deserve more respect then that."
"Whatever." Jamie said rolling over and putting his back to her. Molly rolled her eyes and stood up. Walking over to the bed she sat down on it and ran her fingers through her little brothers hair.
"When you're ready to start acting like the smart, sweet kid I know you are you can come talk to me. I really didn't think we'd have to deal with this from you, let alone this early. The way I see it I still have at least three more years of a nice kid before you hit fifteen and all hope is lost until you're nineteen." Leaning down she kissed his head and got off the bed. Closing the door behind her Molly leaned back against it and closed her eyes for a second.
"Ugh. I didn't want kids until I was at least twenty-seven. This sucks." Molly muttered as she walked down the hallway and down the front stairwell.

Walking into the living room Molly sat down on the couch and flipped the television on. Molly laid down and started flipping through channels not really stopping to process anything. After about twenty minutes she turned the tv off in disgust and tossed the remote on the coffee table.
"Well....this is amazing." she said to herself. "Did I leave any books here?" Molly started trying to remember if she had left any books upstairs before she made the trek all the way to her old attic room to check however nothing came to mind. Her internal debate was cut short a few minutes later by the ringing of the doorbell. Glancing at the clock showed that it was only eight o'clock. Shrugging she got up and walked over to the front door. Pushing aside the curtain slightly Molly froze at the sight of the figure on the other side of the door.
"What the...." She whispered and didn't move. Pushing the curtain aside again she jumped as she was face to face with Patrick who waved slightly. Closing the curtain and taking a deep breath to gather her courage Molly unlocked the front door and opened it.
"Hi..." Molly said softly trailing off and staring at her ex questioningly.
"Hi. So...I got your letter. I just didn't want to respond to it over the phone."
"Oh. And..."
"And...let's see. The best way to do this would be. Shit. I knew I would fuck this up."
"Patrick. Listen I'm tired I don't have tim" Molly started to protest in order to protect herself but was cut off by Patrick stating firmly,
"Hi, I'm Patrick Stumph, with an H. I like meeting new people and from what I've heard you are an amazing one. You see, there was this other Patrick, this evil Patrick, who took residence in my brain for a while but I have summarily killed him."
"and what? You think that's just going to fix everything? That I can just ignore what's happened the past few years?" Molly said after a few minutes of him looking at her hopefully.
"I know it isn't. I know you can't."
"Then why?"
"Because I love you. Too little too late maybe. But I never stopped Molly... Can I come in?" Molly looked him in the eye for a full minute before stepping back and allowing him enterence.
"Explain." Patrick smiled at her order then stopped taking his jacket off when she added, "but don't get too comfortable."
"I don't want to ignore what happened Molly, but I do want to try and fix things. Learn from our, yes our, mistakes. I love you too Molly. I feel like part of me has been missing when I wasn't with you. Maybe things will get hectic, but we're so much better when we are together then when we are apart."
"You sound like a Halmark card."
"I am not that bad. But seriously...please."
"Yea you're right. That was out of line. I don't know Patrick. I've given you chance after chance and you've thrown them back in my face."
"All I can say is that I was stupid and I'm sorry. No excuses. I fucked up Molly."
"Why now? What made that letter so much different from any other time I've apologized?"
"This little birdie finally sat me down and made me realize how much time I've wasted being mad at you, being mad at the world, being mad at circumstances that I couldn't control. So this is me Patrick, asking you Molly to take me back?"
"What do I do when you realize you can't handle my baggage in the future."
"Won't happen."
"How do I know that? You got to protect yourself. Isn't it my turn now?"
"Because without you I don't know if I can survive any longer Molly." Patrick said with a tone more serious then Molly had ever heard him use. "I'm lost without you. I have been for a long time, and I just can't fake it anymore."
"This doesn't seem like something you've just come up with."
"It isn't. But in my naievite of youth, I believed you were perfect. And then when you turned out to be very much not perfect I couldn't handle it. You weren't supposed to make mistakes. You were supposed to be this perfect girl who I could run to when everything else sucked."
"That isn't fair to me Patrick."
"I know that now. But you see, I was right at least a little bit. You are perfect--perfect for me. You're my other half Molly." He said bringing a hand up to wipe away a tear that had fallen from her eye at his final sentence. "I love you."
"Damnit." Molly mumbled.
"What?"
"I love you too you fuck." Molly threw her arms around him and pulled him down to kiss him. Molly opened her mouth under Patrick's and moaned as his tounge entered her mouth and he pulled her closer. For the first time in years she felt like he was truly kissing her with everything he had. Pulling away slightly Patrick grinned down at her before opening his mouth to say,
"Marry me?"
"Uhhh...."
"In about four years?" He added with a laugh and then didn't quite dodge her punch on his arm "Ow. Shit Mol that hurt."
"Don't scare me like that!" Molly said laughing with Patrick until he silenced her once again with a kiss.
::::THE END::::

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A/N: Title is from "Skeptics & True Believers" by The Academy Is... which is of course what the title of the whole story is also from.