A Handful Of Moments You Wish You Could Change (Patrick Stump Imagine Story)

A Family Vacation

It's the next morning and you're in the living room, watching this new TV series based on the 2015 movie Descendants with Gabby, who's sitting on the floor with her head tilted back to look at the flat screen TV mounted above the fireplace. Your head is in your hand as you fight to stay awake. Ethan's sitting on the couch next to you, drawing in his coveted notebook. Patrick's still in bed.

"Hey, Mom?" Ethan asks, not breaking his focus on what he's drawing.

"Yeah?"

"What are we going to do this summer? You know...now that Dad's here."

"Probably the same stuff we always do during the summer. Go to the beach, go to museums, get ice cream...it'll probably be just like any other summer."

"But Dad's here."

"So?" You glance over at him.

"So...it won't be like any other summer. Dad'll be here."

"You're saying that like it's a bad thing," You retort. He remains silent. "You should be excited, Ethan. It'll be the first summer in a long time that we get to spend with your dad."

"But I like the summers with just you and Gabby..." He mumbles under his breath, glancing over at you, "You take Gabby and me places we like because you know us. Dad doesn't know shit about us."

"That's not true," You try to convince him, "And watch your language. I don't need Gabby repeating words like that."

"Excuse me, I'm trying to watch TV here!" Gabby shouts at you and her brother, glaring at the two of you. You stick your tongue out at her and she can't help but return the gesture. You smile.

Unbeknownst to the three of you, Patrick had woken up and sneaked downstairs, hiding behind the wall and listening to every word that came out of yours and Ethan's mouths. Tears brim his eyes, his son's words hurting him like stab wounds.

All Patrick ever wanted was to have a family, like Pete's. He wanted to be as happy as Pete was whenever he saw his children. But all he got was a son who claimed his father didn't know him at all and a daughter who thought he was the greatest thing going when he really wasn't. But that's because she hadn't gone through the years of him being absent like Ethan had. Give her a few more years and she's start feeling the same way.

Patrick sniffles and blinks the tears away. He needs to change this, and he needs to change this now.

He turns into the room and forces a smile on his face, " 'Morning, everyone."

You look back over your shoulder at him and smile, " 'Morning." Ethan keeps his eyes locked on his notebook, not even caring to acknowledge his dad's presence.

"Daddy! Come sit next to me! Sit next to me!" Gabby exclaims. He walks around the couch and sits down on the floor next to his daughter. "Yay!" She claps.

He smiles before leaning down and kissing her on the head.

Ethan rolls his eyes in disgust, continuing to scribble whatever nonsense he always seemed to be working on.

Patrick looks back at you, the corner of his lip curled up into a smirk and said, "So, I was thinking about what we could do, you know, now that I'm home for the summer. And I was thinking maybe we go on a family vacation."

"A family vacation?" You repeat.

Patrick nods his head, "Yeah. Just the four of us. I was thinking somewhere far away." He begins to twirl a piece of Gabby's hair around his finger, "Like Italy. I was thinking we can stay there for the whole summer. You've always said you wanted to spend a summer there, right?"

You're stunned, struck speechless.

"Italy?" Ethan interjects, setting his notebook aside and sitting up. Patrick glances over at him. "But what about the beach Mom takes us to? Or the museums she takes us to?"

"We can still go to the beach and museums, just when we come back..."

Your son crosses his arms, "And when'd you get this idea, huh? Been working on it for months while you were away playing music and Mom was stuck here taking care of Gabby and me?"

"Ethan," You place your hand on his shoulder, giving him that look that meant you wanted him to stop.

"Maybe I don't want to go to Italy. Maybe I just want to stay here for the summer," He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes growing narrow.

Patrick hangs his head, "I was just trying to-"

"Trying to what? Make up for all the time you missed while touring around the world with your best friends?" He interrupts Patrick, rising to his feet, "If playing music is what you wanted to do, Dad, then you shouldn't have had kids. You shouldn't have gotten married. Who knows what band sluts you fuck behind my mom's back while you're away!"

"Ethan!" You scream, your eyebrows furrowing together as Patrick covers Gabby's ears. "You can't talk to your dad like that!" Ethan glares back at you. "Apologize to your dad and sit down or go to your room," You growl under your breath, "Now."

Your son glances back at his dad before snatching up his notebook, "You know what? I hate this family! I've got a dad who couldn't care less about us and a mom who doesn't want to admit that she's not happy anymore! Why couldn't we be more like Bronx's family?" And with that, he stomps away, storming up to his bedroom and slamming his door behind him.

You put your head back in the palm of your hand and sigh. Patrick lowers his hands away from Gabby's ears and frowns. Gabby looks up at her dad with a confused expression on her face.

"Patrick, you know he didn't mean anything he said," You murmur.

Patrick shakes his head, "Of course he did, (Y/N). Why else would he have said it?"

You stand up and walk over to your husband and daughter, sitting down beside them and wrapping your arm around Patrick's back. "He's just going through a rough time right now. He's in high school and his dad is never there for him. You can only imagine how hard it is on him."

"So you agree, I shouldn't gotten married or had kids. I would've just been better off sleeping with a bunch of random roadies."

"No, not at all." You rub his back comfortingly, resting your head on his shoulder, "I'm glad you married me and I'm glad we have two lovely children together. I wouldn't want it any other way."

Patrick scoffs and stands up, leaving you and Gabby on the floor, "Just admit it, (Y/N), you'd much rather be with Pete! Just like Ethan!"

"What? Pete? No! Patrick, I love you."

He shakes his head, letting his emotions get the best of him, "Don't even bother lying to me, (Y/N), I know things haven't been the same between us for a long time. Might as well just make Gabby's nightmare come true and go to a lawyer to get the divorce papers!"

"Patrick!"

"Divorce papers?" Gabby repeats, baffled as to what those were.

"I just want us to be happy!" Patrick cries, "I want my son to remember all the times I was there for him. Not all the times I wasn't. And I most certainly don't want Gabby to turn out the same way, hating me so bad that she wants to be part of someone else's family."

"Pat-"

He walks away and says, "Maybe I shouldn't have even woke up this morning! You'd all be better off if I was dead anyways!" He runs stairs and slams the door to yours and his bedroom behind him, much like Ethan had minutes ago, never giving you a chance to respond.

You heave a sigh and look down at Gabby who has no idea what's going on, running a hand through her hair, "It's going to be okay, Gabby. We just have to give it some time."

Her eyes glisten with tears as she slowly pieces together the pieces, asking, "My nightmare is going to come true, isn't it?"

"Oh, Gabby..." You murmur, pulling her into your lap and hugging her tightly as she breaks down in your arms. "Your nightmare's not going to come true..." You shift your gaze over to the stairs and sigh.

At least I hope so.