Trollhunters: Never Alone

To Present Love

Patrick's POV

"So, what's with the emergency meeting?" I asked Elizabeth as Monica and I sat across from her at our favorite cafe in Arcadia Oaks. She called us twenty minutes ago with 'urgent' news and told us to meet her here. Knowing her, this actually is an emergency or she just decided on what movies to marathon this weekend. Hard to tell sometimes. Monica and I shared a look. Before Elizabeth finally answered,

"Well, I just thought that I should warn you both that... Nate arrived home last night and he's going to be in town for the week."

Elizabeth immediately stared me down, but I looked away and focused on Monica who was looking quite solemn. Monica sort of just leaned back, nodded, before looking up at Elizabeth and saying with a shrug, "Guess we're marathoning at Patrick's house this weekend since Elizabeth's neighborhood is infested."

I fist bumped her, commenting, "Nice burn."

"I think you mean... nice Burnham." Monica corrected with an amused look. I gave her an awed head bow while Elizabeth pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers and groaned, "Your guys' puns are going to the death of me. Well, now that you have been thoroughly warned, I will be taking my leave."

Before she was out the door, I jumped to my feet, ran to her, and kissed her on the cheek, but she just gave me a look that told me without the need for words that if anyone should avoid Nate, it should be me. Because, clearly I was the one that Elizabeth was worried about. Not Monica...

"Are you ready for Monica to come on Monday?" I asked him. I felt internally giddy knowing the surprise that was in store for him this weekend. Nate sighed on the other end of the phone call, "Of course, you know that I'm excited. It's definitely going to be eventful."

I nearly jumped on the bed exclaiming, "Oh! You've got something big planned, bud?"

"I'd say it's pretty big." Nate admitted, sounding very low energy. Maybe he was tired from just getting out of class? I toned down my excitement.

"I bet you're pretty nervous about it." I prodded.

Nate let out a huge groan, "That's the understatement of the century."

"Don't worry about it, man. Just be smooth about it. Monica is going to be so excited." I basically squealed. Nate muttered something under his breath, but I wasn't able to catch it, so I questioned, "What was that?"

"Um... Nothing. Uh, so Monica is coming on Monday, right?" Nate confirmed.

Out loud, I proclaimed, "Yep! Expect Mon on the Mon." But on the inside, I remembered Monica warning Elizabeth and I to not let slip to Nate that she would be arriving Sunday to surprise him instead. Poor lad. He's going to be so excited. Hopefully, it doesn't mess his proposal plans. At least based on my expert people reading skills, I'm about 99% sure that this is what Nate has been acting weird about. He always had stage fright. This is why he always preferred to be behind the camera.

"Copy that. I'll be prepared." Nate stated grimly...

"So, according to my best source of information in this town, the Arcadia Oaks rumor mill. I discovered that you got two tickets to an event tonight. This event being a rock show. Not a music rock show like I first thought. A rock show about rocks. Are you planning to take Elizabeth to this? If so, have you met your girlfriend?" Monica interrogated.

"I see that Elizabeth's mother has ratted me out." I stated.

Monica brought her folded hands to her lips and admitted, "Mrs. Cloud was a key witness. But, my main concern with you, Mr. Stone, is that your girlfriend is under the impression that you are taking her to dinner and a movie tonight. You know, something that she'd actually enjoy."

"I can see Ms. Lake that you've never considered the beauty of taking the woman you love to a rock show before... presenting her with the most romantic rock of them all." I explained while miming opening an engagement box.

That's when Monica lost it. There must've been a solid five minutes of her dancing around the café in glee before sitting back down in front of me with her face dead serious as she asked, "Did you really just plan a whole proposal based off a pun, if so, I must ask you again, Mr. Stone, have you even met... your soon to be fiancé?" Monica concluded with a mischievous grin on her face.

I looked her square in the eyes, "I have met her, which is why I want to marry her."

Monica gave me the nod of approval and said, "Right answer."

With a sigh, I leaned forward on the table and said in a lower voice, "On a less exciting note, are you sure you're doing alright with him being back in town?"

"Are you sure you're doing alright?" Monica teased, although she wasn't meeting my eyes anymore.

"Hey. You know that I was there." I reminded her.

She rolled her eyes and stated, "Yeah. Audibly. You know, you really are more sensitive then you let on."

"You try not being sensitive after hearing how much you cried. Also, stop trying to change the subject." I said. Monica looked down...

"Okay. So, you said his dorm is near the fine arts building. Is that on the east or west side of campus?" Monica wondered on her side of the phone call.

"West side. Did you spot the griffin fountain yet?" I questioned.

"Oh. I think I see it up ahead!" Monica exclaimed. I knew she had been uneasy recently because her and Nate's time spent apart in different colleges had made all of their interactions thus far, awkward, to say the least. It was undeniable that we all had hopes that when they saw each other again in person, it would do them both a lot of good and give them both some clarity.

"How do you remember where everything is so well? You've only been here once." Monica commented.

"Hey. If I can memorize all that medical jargon, then memorizing where my best friend's dorm room is, is a piece of cake." I declared.

"Yeah. Yeah. We get it, Mr. Valedictorian." Monica muttered.

"Wow. That's quite a compliment coming from my favorite Salutatorian. Still bitter from being ranked second?" I asked.

"Now's not the time to pick at old wounds." Monica said.

"You're right. You're right. Do you see Nate yet?" I inquired.

"I believe I see some auburn hair in the distance. I'm going to scope it out." Monica announced.

The silence on Monica's end felt like it lasted a lifetime. But, I wished the silence would come back after she finally did start speaking again because her words were clouded by intermittent sobs. The main sentence I was able to decipher was clear though.

She had caught Nate cheating on her red-handed...

"I'll manage. Arcadia Oaks is his home too. I need to get back to my students." Monica said grimly.

She was about to get up and leave, but I stopped her and gave her a hug before she had gone out the door. I promised, "I'll send you a text when we're heading to the rock show, and I promise to call you once I propose to Elizabeth."

Monica lightly punched me on the shoulder and chuckled, "You don't need to text me when you're on the way to the rock show, but I will be expecting the call after you propose."

"Done deal." I promised. Once she left, I began to devise what to say because I wanted to 'rock' this proposal. Just, uh, yeah. Monica was right that I needed to leave the puns out of the actual proposal.