FicWad

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Chapter 19 - Don't You Know How I (think) Am?
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Being told they'd caught Lucas a couple of miles away and that he'd been arrested brought a form of comfort to Petra.

She'd shown how steely her nerves could be and Patrick had witnessed what an incredibly strong individual she was, confirming to himself that this was exactly the type of woman he needed. A woman who wouldn't crumble when he had to leave, a woman who could cope without him and stand on her own two feet. He always had known that about Petra but seeing her stand up to Lucas had made his love for her spread in a transverse way, helping him to see who the real Petra was.

Petra had been shocked by Patrick's character when Lucas confronted them. She would never have expected the aggression she saw in him. Although frightened at first, she began to understand that she would have done exactly the same thing if some crazed whack face had threatened her family. In fact, her showing aggression in opposition to an attack on her was what had gotten her into this mess.

They were staying at Joe's place until they sorted themselves out.

Walking into the kitchen Petra stopped and stared.

"Ew!" She called out as she saw CeCe's hand squeezing Joe's ass in his jeans.

CeCe quickly stopped and they played their affection down.

"Where's Patty?" Petra frowned, opening Joe's fridge and raiding it obnoxiously.

"He went out." Joe said, Petra closed the fridge door and looked at him.

"Where is he Joe?" she asked him again, Joe's eyes diverted to CeCe and she then looked at the floor.

"I really should clean this floor..." she said.

"What?! You two are being plum crazy, what's going on?"

Joe and CeCe satred at her.

"Plum crazy?" Joe asked.

"Hey!!" His distinctive happy voice called and Petra turned to see Patrick walking in, throwing his stuff down.

"Hey...." Petra frowned and stared at him as he approached her.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

"Out." He said with a smile.

Petra eyeballed him, studying him very carefully.

"See, you're looking at me trying to figure it all out but-"

"-you have paint in your hair." Petra said, reaching up and pulling on the hair that had paint on it.

"I do? Wow." Patrick said, making a cute face at this obvious revelation.

"What are you up to - you're hiding something..." Petra said quietly, keeping her big brown eyes on him very squarely.

"I'm not hiding anything!" He said with a smile.

"You're lying."

"I'm not lying!" he argued.

"Your lips curl up at the sides when your lying - tell me what you're doing!"

"They do not!"

"Tell me now."

"You're ruining this Petra." He said, she stared at him suddenly.

She took his face in her hands softly.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, kissing him gently.

"I'm sorry - I'm a nosy bitch - I can't stand secrets!" she said, he pulled her close to him, he wanted to her feel that bump against him.

With that, she tried her hardest to forget about what ever it was he wanted to surprise her with. When it was time, he'd tell her and she knew she'd love him more for it.



They'd been trawling around with the Property agent for 4 hours now and Petra was exhausted. None of the houses they'd been to where anything remotely what she had in mind. Patrick had liked one, but only because it had a huge sound proofed loft conversion.

Patrick took her hand and helped her out the car and Petra stared at the house, her hand resting on her tummy.

Petra's eyes opened wide when she saw the insides and Patrick stared at the how the house was overrun with character. They spent 20 minutes wandering around the beautiful home.

"I love it!" she gasped, Patrick stared at her quickly.

"You do?" he asked with a huge smile. Petra moved slowly to the different rooms, her finger tips feeling the wood, the door frames and she closed her eyes for a moment. She could hear Patrick's music drifting through the walls, she could hear her baby crying, she could feel how happy this home could be.

"Could we have a few minutes alone?" Petra asked the Property agent.

"Of course." He smiled and he closed the front door behind him.

Petra quickly wrapped her arms around Patrick.

"Is this the one you want?" he asked, Petra nodded excitedly.

"It is!" she said smiling. He looked above them, it was a perfect home, it wasn't flashy, it wasn't modern, it was a solid built family home and he could sense Petra's comfort already.
Petra kissed him longingly.

"This is where I wanna be with my family..... with you." She whispered. Patrick caught her lips in his and kissed her firmly.

"Then it's yours." He said gently.

"Ours?" she clarified.

"Ours." He smiled, they kissed softly.



Petra shook the snow off her hat, Patrick's hat, and she carried the small box into their new house.

Suddenly it was lifted off her.

Pete had taken the box and was taking it into the house. Petra stood in the front garden, looking up at the heavy snow that was falling. People where everywhere lifting furniture, boxes and pieces of Patrick's home studio.

"Careful with that!!" he said anxiously as they haphazardly carried it to the back of the house.

"Petra!!" He called. She snapped out of her day dream.

"Yeah??"

"Come here!!" he beckoned her, she trudged over the snow and into their home and he was at the top of the stairs. She slowly waddled up the stairs and he took her hand as she got to the top.

"Close your eyes." He said, she did as she was told and felt his cold palms come over her eyes too. He guided her to what she knew was the nursery and smiled as she awaited something she knew she would love.

"Open!" he whispered, taking his hands off her face.

There stood a beautiful white cradle, old fashioned in every sense and exactly where she imagined placing her child.

She didn't say a word, only stared at it.

Patrick grew worried when she didn't say anything and she edged forward and touched it, then it made sense, the paint in his hair that time, the surprise he couldn't give her right then.

She cried gently and turned to him.

"It's beautiful!!" she sobbed and he stared, a little horrified.

She looked over it again and continued to sob.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, totally confused.

"Because I don't deserve this!" she sobbed, her cheeks already puffy from the tears.

"Of course you do! You and the baby deserve everything in the world!" he said.

"I don't know what to say!" she sobbed, Patrick smiled and pulled his hormonal wife into his arms and cuddled her gently.



She stared at herself in the mirror. Although the dress was beautiful, she still felt abnormally huge.

"Oh wow, you look incredible!" Patrick smiled as he poked his head around the door.

Petra's arms flapped tiredly by her side.

"I'm a whale....in floaty blue chiffon!" she said, staring at her reflection and dropping the blue material in her hands.

He rushed in and stared with her at her reflection.

"You are stunning!" he said seriously.

"I don't feel stunning, I feel miserable and the baby's kicking the hell out of me, I can hardly breathe!"

"Ria said that would get better, when the baby drops it'll be OK...." He said, softly kissing her neck and then putting his hands over his 8 month old bump.

Petra closed her eyes and allowed Patrick to mooch on her neck and throat softly.

"This is the only thing that makes me feel sexy..." she whispered.

"Well I'm just gonna carry on with that for a bit...." He said gently, kissing the other side of her neck.

---

Despite her insecurities, Patrick did a wonderful job of making her feel special, even when she felt like the most hideous thing in the world.

They left soon after for the award event.

Like usual, he was pretty much separated from her as soon as they got there. That was normal, however, tonight she needed him. She needed him by her side. She felt vulnerable, she felt lonely. Everyone looked so wonderful.

She sipped on her glass of water and waited for Bob to come get her, but Bob never came. She glanced at her watch and tried calling Patrick on his cell. Then she tried Bob. No answer.

After an hour and a half, she decided to go for entrance but was quickly refused of course.

"I'm Petra Stump, Patrick Stump's wife." She said to tall security guard. He glanced over her.

"You gotta pass?" he asked. Petra shook her head.

"You think I can just let you in without a pass-"

"-I'm Patrick Stump's Wife!"

"Yeah - and so are the other 25 girls in this queue." He said abruptly. Petra stared up at him.

"You're a complete tosser you know that?!" She asked, before turning and walking away.

She couldn't help but cry as she slumped into the cab and instructed the driver to take her home.

---

"Where's Petra?" Patrick frowned as he saw the other female members of Fall Out Boy arrive.

"I haven't seen her actually - maybe Bob went to get her?" CeCe said raising her eyebrows, he looked around with no luck.

He made his way to the security guards.

"Hey, you haven't had a Petra Stump sign in have you?" he asked, the security guard stared at him.

"Short pregnant English person?" he said.

"Yes, that could be her." He said, not agreeing with the brutal description of his wife.

"Nice floaty dress, called me a tosser?" he asked further.

Patrick stared at him, then smirked.

"Yeah, she didn't have a pass so I think she went." He said.

"She's VIP, didn't you check your list?" he frowned angrily.

"We don't have a list, it's passes only."

"Shit...." Patrick said gently.

He pulled out his cell and stared at it, 5 missed calls from Petra's cell.

He immediately rang her but it went to voicemail, so did his home number.


---

Petra cried for a long time, she was so angry and it wasn't even Patrick's fault entirely. She'd really needed his arm around her tonight, she felt so scared about everything. She knew he'd have to finish up his business at the award ceremony then do PR which could take hours.

Her reeling thoughts were making her feel sick and she sunk her head to the pillow and still in the dress that Patrick had lovingly bought for her, she fell sound asleep, remember the trouble that Patrick was going to be in when he got home...

He did get home, around 5 hours later.

He rushed into the room and stared at her sprawled out less the gracefully over the entire bed. He knelt down and softly pushed her hair off her face, kissing her cheek softly.

Petra stirred, moaning gently and suddenly her eyes opened and she screamed.

Patrick cried out too and she sat up quickly, catching her breath.

"For the love of God Petra??!!" he said angrily.

She stared at him as the fright wreaked havoc on her nerves before realizing exactly where and when she was.

Her eyes got angry and she glared at him,

"You!!" she growled.

"Uh oh."