FicWad

Ah! You guys are too kind. Seriously. I would give you all cookies and whatever you wanted as a thanks for rating and reviewing. But I can't, so let's stick with virtual appreciations. And as an appreciation from me to you.... here we go. I don't usually like to write chapters with this as the main point, if that makes any sense. The whole thing makes me really nervous but I thought it would show you another side of Pete. You might want to take time, go to the toilet, get a drink, etc before you read this...


The next few weeks came quicker than ever, and before the guys knew it, they were on the road, finding their first stop in New York.
"Question... why do we have to take two cars to the airport?" Joe moaned, as they all threw their bags into the cars they were traveling in.
"Um, because there's not enough room for six people in one car?" Pete replied, smacking him over the head with one of his carry bags.
"So why can't Andy and I take a plane?"
"Take one if you want. But bear in mind those two will want to fly with you. And I prefer driving. If you do take a plane then you can take them with you." Patrick told him, pointing to Danielle and Josh as they attacked Andy on the sidewalk.
"Uh, I'll pass." Joe said. "Andy, get your ass over here."
Patrick rolled his eyes. He'd lost count of the amount of times he'd told them off for using language he knew Danielle and Josh would chance using afterwards.
"Anyway, how come you and Pete get to travel with them?"
"Because I'm so much cooler." Pete said, sticking his tongue out.
"Also because I know you guys would tear your hair out on a long drive with these two." Patrick said. "Plus you two in one car is enough to handle."
"Not true!" Andy said.
"Right, you guys can follow us. Seeing as we're super cool." Pete said, sitting in the car and leaning out the door.
"What if they get lost?" Patrick asked, with a laugh.
"Which they will." Pete added. "We'll call each other when we get to the hotel, then."
"Whoever gets there first is the coolest human being on the planet." Joe said, running to his car with Andy at his heels. They sped away without saying goodbye and Patrick sighed and looked at Pete.
"I guess we better go then."
"Correct. I'm driving." Pete said, clambering in the car to the driver's seat.
"It's my car!"
"Yes, but like I said, I'm so much cooler." Pete pointed out. Patrick gave in and looked around.
"Alright you two, in the car." He said.

"Patrick? Hellooo? Hey, you. Yo! PATRICK!" Pete poked Patrick with one hand while steering with the other. Patrick was asleep, leaning against the car door and, let's not be surprised here, snoring.
"Uh? Wha-?!" He asked, jumping.
"Answer your damn phone. It's driving me crazy. It's such a shitty ring tone. Answer it!" Pete said.
"Should I hang a sign over my head that says 'please don't swear around me anymore'?" Patrick grumbled, fishing around his pocket for his phone.
"Hello? Oh, alright! Hang on a second." Patrick's eyes widened and he held his hand over the receiver while he looked at Pete.
"What did you forget?" Pete groaned.
"Pull over." Patrick said.
"No, Patrick, we've come this far, we're not turning aro..."
"Pull over!" Patrick yelled.
"Jesus Christ." Pete said, sighing and pulling the car into a lay by.
"What?!" He asked, rounding on Patrick. Whenever they took long drives together, they always ended up fighting. Let's not forget the gas station/strangling incident here.
"Um, you might want to take this." Patrick said, handing him the phone. Pete raised his eyebrows at him and put the phone to his ear as he got out the car to get a better reception. While he did, Patrick climbed over into the driver's seat and put his seat belt on.
I bet you're all thinking he's going to leave Pete on the highway with a crappy signal on his cell phone.
Pete ran around to the other side of the car and threw himself in.
"Go home!" He said. "It's baby time!"
Patrick laughed as he swung the car around and sped down the highway.
"Excited?" He asked, as Pete drummed his hands on the dashboard, breathing heavily.
"I'm terrified. If I miss this I won't be a man anymore!" He said in a whimper. Patrick shook his head. He couldn't help but admit it was amusing to see Pete terrified because of a girl.

*

"Did I miss it?" Pete asked, stumbling into the hospital room, nervously, his face terrified.
"No. It's barely begun." Libby said, encouraging him into the room. He stood frozen, breathing heavily from having run all the way up the stairs instead of taking the elevator for fear of it breaking down. That would be just his luck.
"Come on, it's alright." She laughed, guiding him.
"Is she being mean? Has she shouted?" Pete asked, a scared tone in his voice.
"Not yet." Libby replied.
"Pete! Where the fuck have you been?" Rachel almost yelled as her head hit the pillow in pain.
"I ran! Patrick gave me a ride because we were about to..." He objected. "I took the stairs!"
It broke his heart to see her in so much pain, and he took his jacket off and collapsed into the seat next to her. He took her hand and leant over to kiss her.
"None of that matters, though. 'Cause I'm here now and I always will be." He said. "I told you I wouldn't miss it."

Pete waited for Patrick to pick up his cell phone, tapping his foot nervously.
"Come on, Patrick. Pick up the damn phone!"
"Hello?"
"Patrick! Finally. Why didn't you answer your house phone?" Pete asked.
"Is it over?"
"Not even close."
"What? It's been nearly a day!"
"I know that, Patrick. I've been here the whole damn time."
"Everything's alright, though, right?"
"Yeah, it is. Except I should have taken your advice on the painkillers for my hand. I think I'm gonna need a cast."
Patrick chuckled on the other line. Pete heard muttering in the background and Patrick putting his hand over the receiver.
"Yo, Patrick? Talk to me."
"Sorry. Josh is pestering me. Yes, Josh, it's Pete. No, Daddy's talking."
"Put him on."
"Are you sure? 'Cause he's pretty..."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, put him on!"
"Hi." Josh's voice was tiny over the phone, extremely quiet and nervous. Totally opposite to him in person.
"Hey, pal! How's it going?"
"You're having baby!"
"Yeah, I am!" Pete said, grinning. "Hey, you're not still hung up on me forgetting you, are you? 'Cause you know what the answer is, huh?"
"You won't." Josh said.
"Correct. Alright, put your daddy back on, yeah?"
"It's me."
"Are you coming down?"
"I beg your pardon?" Patrick asked.
"Come and keep me sane! And let her crush someone else's hand for a while."
"Forget it, Pete. I'll come when the little guy's born, but not before. I've had my share of hand crushing. Seventeen hours with Christina was enough."
"Please!"
"No. Plus it would take me a while to come back from New York. It's 10PM here."
"You went to New York? That's so mean!"
"Well, I figured you'd be there for a while. And anyway, you won't want to perform two days after your kid's born. So we figured we'd do the show anyways."
"That's bullshit. I'll be there. I'm playing these shows."
"Oh, okay. Leave your exhausted fiance at home with a newborn baby. Come out and have a good time with us, that's fine."
"Don't make me feel guilty. I can do both. Dirty did."
"Dirty's not the bassist."
"You wait. I'll make it work."
"I'll believe it when I see it."
"Yeah? Well get ready. I'll call you when it's over."
"Awesome. Oh, and Pete?"
"Yeah?"
"Remember to drink some coffee."
Pete shook his head and hung up, walking back towards the room. He told Rachel about Patrick denying to come down with the others.
"Maybe he should, he'd be a damn better birth partner than you!" Rachel snarled. Pete looked taken aback.
"You want me to leave?"
"No! Just stop talking."
"Okay. I'll sit in silence." Pete said, sitting back in a huff. He knew it was no time to become moody, but he couldn't help it. He didn't feel needed at all. He glanced at her gritting her teeth and bit his lip.
"You know I'd do this for you if I could, don't you?" He asked, taking her hand.
"Too bad you have a dick!" She replied.
Pete changed positions several times during the next few hours. He knelt down by the bed, resting his head on the mattress, gritting his own teeth against Rachel's grip. He fell asleep at one point in the chair, and was woken up by Rachel slapping him in the face with his jacket to get his attention.
Another ten hours later, Pete was sitting at the head of the bed, his legs crossed as Rachel leant against him.
"I can't do this, Pete."
"Yes, you can!"
"No, I can't. It'll just stay there forever."
"Well, then, that's fine. You just be uncomfortable for the rest of forever. Come on, then, let's go home." Pete said, pretending to get up.
"Help me, Pete! That's not fucking helping."
Pete sat up straighter and took both her hands while kissing her head.
"I'm not going anywhere. Does that help? Or does it annoy you?"
"It helps." She whispered.
"Good." Pete said, linking his fingers with hers. He rocked her from side to side and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"We'll be fine."
"Alright Rachel, I think you're ready." Libby said, a while later.
"Yay." Pete whispered in her ear. He hadn't moved from the bed and straightened up, gently making Rachel sit up too.
"Let's go have a baby." He grinned at her, planting a kiss on her head.

*

"Don't tell me which one." Patrick said, as Pete led him towards the nursery in the hospital. He and Patrick walked up to the glass window and Patrick scanned the room, his eyes immediately resting on one particular baby.
"That's him." He said, stabbing his finger on the glass.
"You bet it is. That's my boy." Pete said proudly. "Peter the fourth."
"Aww. He's so cute." Patrick smiled, tracing his finger down the window.
"You're damn right he is. I'm the daddy!" Pete said, turning to Patrick. "How did you know it was him?"
"He has your hair." Patrick pointed out, looking at the baby's jet black hair.
"Yep. That will be one hunk of a kid." Pete replied, his eye fixated on his new son.
"Aww. I want another one." Patrick said. Pete looked at him.
"You have two extremely over-active children and you want another?"
"Pete, man. I'd have as many children as I could."
"Easy there, sperm man."
"You wait, when he gets older you'll want him to have a brother or sister."
"A brother or sister? Hell, I want an army of kids." Pete said. "Then I could line them up outside my house like guard dogs to get the press to stay away."
"Nice aspiration." Patrick said, leaning on the window sill, standing on his tip toes. He looked at Pete.
"So how do you feel?"
'Tired." Pete nodded. He leant his forehead against the glass and smiled. "But it's so, so worth it."
"Oh my God!" Patrick burst out laughing.
"What's so funny? I know he looks weird now, but your kids were..." Pete asked. "What is funny?" He asked again when Patrick didn't stop laughing.
"You're a dad!"