FicWad

OK, this chapter was pretty hard to write. Mainly because I actually managed to go out with my best friend yesterday and didn't spend all day cooped up in my room with my headphones on typing away. And also because I got writer's block - my worst enemy, and couldn't think what to make some of the character's conversations lead to, etc. Maybe you thought I had died because I hadn't posted for like an hour. Or maybe you didn't notice. Whatever your thoughts, I wrote this for you and so I hope you guys like it. Judging by your reviews you like it so far. And I appreciate you guys taking the time to read and review it, and rating it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

A few weeks passed by, and there was a notable change in Patrick. Instead of moping around the house, scanned the papers and looked for houses, frequently apologizing to Pete for staying for so long. He was a lot happier, spending less time in his room and more time with everyone else, laughing and joking and smiling, and knowing he was happier made him more determined to get his life back on track. There was only so much time he could spend crying over being lonely. He had other things to think about. Other people besides himself to think about. His babies.
He spent hours staring at the photo, still trying to see what the doctor had pointed out.
"I'm useless." He'd whined to Joe after they had all attempted to point out facial features which were incredibly wrong.
"No, you're not. It's just really... really hard to see." Joe said, frustrated that he couldn't see it either.
Asides from trying to figure out what they looked like, he sat and day dreamed. It was beyond on his dream, two babies instead of one. He stared at the photo so often he was surprised his eyes hadn't blurred over, or the details of the picture had faded. He lay awake and thought about what his life would be like - maybe there would be some chance Christina would see how good he was with them and want him back. Or maybe he should shut up and let Christina live her own life. After all, Patrick's was going to change so it was only fair hers did too. Instead of the nauseous feeling he had had in his stomach a few weeks ago, he could feel the butterflies in his stomach whenever he thought about them or his future, his stomach doing flips and causing him to grin without realizing.
"Dude, if you keep day dreaming like that, you'll get a shock when they're born and they don't look anything you've imagined them to." Pete had told him after waving him out of his many thoughts.
"Sorry." He apologized, but knowing full well he couldn't help it. He didn't want to help it.

"Jesus, Patrick, I swear if you show me that one more time I think I might punch you." Pete said, looking up from his book as Patrick came into the living room waving the scan photo.
"I got a new house." Patrick sang, waltzing around the living room.
"Huh?"
"Yeah! I got the house! And me and my babies are gonna live in it and we'll paint their rooms and get a trampoline and..."
"Wow, dude, slow down before you hurt yourself." Pete laughed.
"I can't help it. I'm so happy." Patrick said, doing a little dance.
"So when do you move in?" Pete asked, a little saddened that Patrick would have to move out. He'd gotten so used to him being there, mostly because he had shut himself away a lot and he was hardly noticeable as he moped around.
"Anytime next week." Patrick grinned. He danced out of the living room calling;
"New house, new start! I'm living the American dream! Wooop!"
Pete shook his head with a smile on his face and turned back to his book, a sinking feeling in his stomach. He was glad Patrick had gotten back onto his feet and was taking responsibility for himself and his unborn children, so they had the greatest life they could when they were born, but Pete realized life sucked. And the thought of living the American dream was always better than the reality. He had a strong feeling Patrick's 'American dream' wasn't going to be as blissful as he was planning.

"So how's Christina getting on?" Patrick's mom asked him. She had invited both Pete and Patrick round for dinner, she usually did every few months and they obliged, Pete because he adored Patrick's mom, vice versa, and Patrick because, well, it was his mom. And he never saw her. Plus there was a bonus, his brother was in town with his wife and kids, so maybe he could get some practice watching his niece and nephew to see how they functioned. After all, he had to get used to keeping an eye on two people. Asides from Pete, that is.
"She's good." Patrick replied, struggling to sit up on the kitchen counter. It had always been too high for his waist, he used to try and jump up when he was a kid but always ended up using a chair. One of his peeves about being small was that he could never jump up onto counters or tables without looking stupid.
"Don't sit on there, sweetie." His mom said. Patrick let himself slump against it, defeated and feeling stupid like he always did when his mom told him off when he was in his twenties. He sang under his breath and tapped a beat on his legs as his mom cooked the dinner for them. Pete was in the living room, happily watching cartoons. Nothing could distract him.
"I gotta say, honey, I'm proud of you."
Patrick looked shocked and puzzled at the same time. His mom had always said that, but it had always been about his music. If he wrote a drum part he would play it for her and she always said she was proud of him, same if he wrote a guitar part, etc. He'd never really done anything else apart from music for her to be proud of him, asides from getting good grades in school and being a nicer son and a more genuine guy than most people.
"Why?"
"Well, because of the way you're handling everything that's happened. And that you're creating solid ground for your children to stand on."
"Yeah, well. I don't fancy living with Pete when I have my kids for the weekend." He replied with a laugh, "That would be disaster. I'd rather them have morals in my house. Pete would let them trash the place."
"Hey!" Pete called from the living room. OK, so the mention of his name could distract him. Not enough for him to get off his ass, though.
"I really am proud of you, Patrick. You've created life, well, two of them, and now you're taking control of yours."
"I had to some time. Life's so hectic and rushed on the road, I had to get everything sorted one day. So it's nothing to get proud of, mom. Everyone does it."
"Yeah, but since you were little I always thought you'd follow Kevin, you know, get married and have kids. I mean your sister's getting married soon so I expect she'll do the same... But the way this has all ended up, and the way you're coping... well, it makes me proud."
"To have your youngest kid get his girlfriend pregnant then be dumped by her? I didn't want my kids born out of wedlock, mom."
"I know you didn't. But you're not the type to stamp your foot when you don't get what you bargained for. You just adjust to it and you never complain."
Patrick shrugged. His face was turning red and he was shaking his leg, like he always did when he was nervous. He always hated receiving compliments, unless it was about his music. And he could never understand how people could figure out his personality, how he would step back for people and help them out without complaining. And to hear his mother praising him for something he wanted to be proud of but had a nagging feeling holding him back was strange. His mom probably knew him best, apart from Pete or Christina, but it had always been oddly weird how she watched how he reacted and figured out solutions to help people.
"No use in complaining. Shi... stuff happens anyway." Patrick said, rethinking the curse in front of his mom. He laughed suddenly.
"What's so funny?"
"You're a Grandma. And you're gonna be again." Patrick laughed.
"Oh, thank you for making me feel old." She said, pretending to swat him over the head as the doorbell rang. "Oh, that'll be your brother." She made for the door but Patrick stopped her.
"I got it, mom. You just concentrate on not burning the dinner."
"You're a cheeky boy, Patrick, I'll tell you that. How many times have I ever burnt dinner?" She asked as he walked out of the kitchen into the living room.
"Oh, too many times to count." He grinned, turning his head as he walked to the front door.
"You all right?" He asked Pete, who was still watching TV. Pete waved him away with a nod that meant 'yes, leave me alone,' and Patrick opened the front door to suddenly have two small children clung to his ankles.
"Wow. My legs are magnetic." He said in surprise and looked up to see his brother, Kevin grinning at him.
"Hey, bro." He said.
"Hey. Come in." Patrick replied, struggling to move with the kids on his legs.
"Oi, you two, mind letting my legs go so I can say hi to you?" He peered down at them and they suddenly let go, both hankering to be picked up by him.
"Me! Me!" His niece, Amy yelled, holding her arms up. Her brother, Alex, pouted and copied her.
"Me! Uncle Patrick! Pick me!" He cried, scowling. Patrick laughed and picked up each one in each arm.
"I'll have to work out if I'm gonna get used to this."
"It's not easy, bro, I'll give you that. Once you have them you wish you could send them away."
"Kev!" Patrick looked shocked as he followed him into the living room. "That's just mean."
"Oh, man, it's troublesome two." Pete said, nodding at Kevin as he passed to go into the kitchen to see his mom. Pete folded his arms and stuck his tongue out at them when Patrick set them down on the floor.
"Small fry!" Amy exclaimed, pointing at Pete and giggling. Pete's mouth dropped open and questioned Patrick with his eyes. Patrick shrugged.
"If you're small fry... I dunno what they call me."
"Titch!" Alex chipped in. Patrick looked at him.
"Yes, OK, thank you."
"What a mouth those kids have on them." Pete said.
"Says you."
"I'm not two and four years old." Pete said, pointing at Alex and Amy.
"Kev, can I ask you something?" Patrick asked half an hour later, while they watched Pete being beaten up by Alex and Amy on the living room floor.
"Sure." Kevin said, turning his attention on Patrick.
"What's... what's it like?"
"What's what like?"
"This." Patrick said, gesturing at the two children.
"Being a dad?"
"Yeah."
"It's... I'm not gonna lie to you Patrick, it's hard. But it's the greatest thing ever. You've got the biggest responsibility in the world - this is much bigger than keeping an eye on kids at shows to make sure they don't hurt themselves."
"I understand that." Patrick nodded.
"You'll be great, Patrick, don't worry about it. Well, you should worry about the things you need to when you're a dad. Like saving for college and stuff, but with your occupation I doubt you'll have to worry about that." Kevin laughed. Patrick tried to smile.
"Guess not."
"Quit worrying. You're already a dad inside."
"I said that!" Pete yelled from the corner, where Alex was jumping on him and thumping him with a cushion.
"You have nothing in yourself to worry about, bro. You're gonna be great, it's natural for you. You're great with my kids, you'll be amazing with your own. You were practically born to be a dad someday."
Patrick ducked his head. There were the compliments again.
"You are happy about it, right?" Kevin asked. "Like, I know twins is a huge thing, but you're all right with it?"
"No, I'm not." Patrick said, shaking his head, his face covered by his hat. Kevin's heart sank. He'd really thought his brother would have been on board for the whole thing.
"I'm ecstatic." Patrick said, looking up, with the biggest smile on his face which he was trying to conceal.
"Uh, guys?" Pete called. Patrick and Kevin looked around at him to see him trying to shield himself from being attacked by cushions and tiny fists.
"A little help here?"

Patrick lay on his bed, again staring at the scanned photo. His face hurt from grinning at it, and he was careful no one came into his room and saw him. They were all getting bored of seeing the same photo every day. He couldn't help but whisper to the photo as he turned over onto his stomach, running a finger across it, careful not to leave fingerprints.
"I won't ever let you down, I promise you two. I won't let anyone hurt you. Me and your mom - we love you so much. And I know there'll be times when I'm not here in person, but that doesn't mean I'm not thinking of you, or wanting to be with you. I swear you're gonna mean everything to me. And if you can't see me in person you can always listen to my CDs, right? You just gotta get used to my voice, that's all."
He grinned at the thought of how stupid the guys would think he was, talking to a photo.
"I'll be everything that you need.
I love you more with every breath, truly madly deeply do...
I will be strong, I will be faithful,
'Cause I'm counting on a new beginning,
A reason for living
A deeper meaning, yeah..."
He sighed and wondered what Christina was doing right now. He hadn't thought of the break up for a while, but the feelings of loss and need were flooding back to him. He tried to shake them off but he rolled over, helpless.
"It's official. I'm smitten with you and your mom."

Note: The song is Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden. That bit where he was singing might have been a bit corny but I was listening to it and wanted to add it in somewhere. Sad I know. Stay tuned!