Days passed after the funeral, everyone thought Phil would slowly start to get back into his normal life but it wasn't happening. He would constantly stay in bed and only leave during meal times. Even then he would still set up a place where Dan used to sit. No one said anything at first but then it became something he always did. "Phil.. Dan's not coming back." Rachel said quietly looking at the empty seat with a plate set in front of it. "I don't care, Dan always sat there." He replied simply. After dinner he would go straight up to his room and lay in bed, he didn't cry anymore, he just laid there starting blankly into space.
"Pop get up, you've been in bed for days." Joey said pulling Phil's blanket off of him. "Go away Joey.." Phil mumbled covering his face with his pillow. Joey sighed to him, for the past week he's been trying to get Phil out of bed and back into life but all Phil did was push him away. "Pop you've been like this for over a week, you need to get up." He sighed pulling the pillow away. "Just stop it Joey! I don't want to get out of bed, I don't want to do anything leave me alone." Phil said raising his voice slightly. Joey stared at him in disbelief "I didn't only lose Dad, I lost you too.." He whispered looking down, "you just ignore me and Chloe now. You might as well just send us to an orphanage." Phil looked at him guilt taking over, he opened his mouth to say something but Joey left the room slamming the door shut.
"Hey what's the matter?" James asked sitting next to Joey. "Will you adopt me Uncle James?" He asked hugging his knees his eyes tearing up. "And why do you ask that?" James asked chuckling but stopped as soon as he saw how serious Joey was. "Because my dad just ignores me and Chloe now, whenever I try to make him leave his room he just yells at me." Joey explained trying not to cry. James sat closer putting his arm around his nephew. "Look, Phil is just really upset right now, he lost your dad too. Rachel is upstairs talking to him right now." He said giving Joey a hug. Joey looked up at James and gave him a small smile. "Hey Joey! Your painting's dry." Jake said coming downstairs with the painting of Dan in his hand. James took the painting from him and looked at it amazed at Joey's skill. "This is amazing, you just got better and better over the years. Do you want to hang it up?" He asked, Joey nodded in response. "I bought a nice frame for it yesterday I'll go get it." Jake said running into the supply closet and pulling out a frame.
Meanwhile, Rachel was up in Phil's room trying to get him to get out of bed. "I don't want to.." Phil groaned pulling the blanket over his face. "Well you have to Phil, I'm not letting you ruin your life lke this." She said pulling his blanket away. "Why? Why can't you just leave me to be Rachel!?" Phil asked his eyes tearing up, it took everything he had for him not to cry the entire week and suddenly it was all going away. "Because you're my best friend Phil, you never left my side and I'm not doing that to you." She said putting her hand over his, "Your kids need you Phil, they lost Dan too and they're worried that theyre losing you." Phil sat up wiping his tears away. "I'm a horrible parent.." Rachel pulled him in and hugged him tightly. "No you're not, I know you're just hurting but your kids will be the one who will help you through this and you'll help them." Rachel whispered. "Now come on let's head downstairs."
"Alright there we go." James said straightening the picture above the fireplace. Joey looked up and smiled proud of himself. "That looks great Joey." Phil said standing by the door smiling weakly, Joey looked back at him surprised that he had left his room. "Papa!" Chloe giggled running into his arms, Phil reached over picking the little girl up resting her on his hip. "Your brother did such a great job did he?" Phil said smiling. "Yes it looks exactly like daddy." She said looking at the picture. Phil walked up to Joey putting his arm around him giving him a one arm hug. "I thought you didn't want to do anything.." Joey asked looking at Phil. "Look Joey I was wrong to yell at you, you were just trying to help and I pushed you away. I'm sorry for that." Phil apologized crouching down so he could look at Joey directly in the eyes. "I was so busy thinking about my own feelings I didn't think about how you and Chloe might be feeling and that you needed me." Joey smiled hugging onto his father, "I didn't mean it when I said I want you to send me to an orphanage.." He whispered. "I know little lion." Phil said using his old nickname for Joey that he hasn't used in years. "We'll get through this as a family. Your Dad is still with us I know he's watching over us right now and he would want us to be together as a family." He said moving Joey's hair from his eyes. "You really think so?" Joey asked, a single tear drop fell from his eye. Phil smiled wiping Joey's tears away holding his own back. "I know so." He whispered pressing a kiss to his forehead and Chloe's cheek. Everyone was right, he couldn't just mope around in bed anymore, his kids needed him, just being Dan wasn't with them didn't mean that he's not in their hearts and that's where he will remain.
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A/N: This chapter was loooong overdue! But yeah that's it for this story my co-owner and I actually really enjoyed writing it and we hope you all liked it :) Thank you for reading! Check out our other fics too if you're interested!
