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

Reality Check

"They're getting a divorce?" Gabby repeats, tilting her head back and looking up at her older brother. "What's a divorce?"

"It's when a mom and dad get separated and have to split things between them," He explains to her, meeting your gaze, scathingly adding, "Including kids."

"What? No!" Your daughter shrieks, quickly becoming terrified.

"No, Gabby," You walk over to her and bend down so that you're eye level with her, "Daddy and I aren't getting a divorce. We're not going to separate you and Ethan. Your dream isn't going to come true. Trust me."

"Trust you?" Patrick chimes in, "How can they when you're lying straight to their faces?"

"Because I'm not lying to them!" You snap, jerking your head back to look at him, "We're not getting a divorce, Patrick, and that's final. You can't do this to the kids, to me, to us."

Patrick shakes his head and pushes his way past you and the children, running downstairs.

"Patrick!" You shout, standing up and darting after him. He rips the front door open and rushes out. "Patrick! Stop!" You scream, following him out there.

He stops in the middle of the lawn and spins around to face you. "What?" He asks bitterly, "What do you fucking want now, (Y/N)?"

"I want you to come back inside and stop acting like a child!"

"I'm acting like a child?" Patrick retorts, laughing coldly, "You honestly think that I'm the one being childish here? You're the one who's been playing pretend this whole time!"

Tears swell in your eyes, "Patrick, just stop this nonsense right now and get back inside."

"Is that all you do?" He continues, ignoring your remark and the appearance of Ethan and Gabby in the front doorway, "Pretend because you don't want to face reality? Well, reality check, (Y/N), I'm not happy with you anymore. I haven't been for a really long time and it was only a matter of time before it all boiled down to this."

"What do you mean?" You croak.

"I mean I don't want to be a husband anymore, (Y/N). I don't want to be a father either. I just want some time to myself. Because Ethan's right. I shouldn't have gotten married or had kids. You guys aren't my top priority. My music is. It always has been and it always will be."

His words hit you like knives.

"You bastard!" Ethan yells, dashing outside and tackling his dad to the ground. He sits back up and starts throwing fists, hitting Patrick repeatedly in the face, "You motherfucking bastard!"

"Ethan!" You shriek, quickly pulling your son off your husband and wrapping your arms tightly around him, restraining him from attacking his dad again.

"You're never here and then you say you want some time to yourself? What the fuck is wrong with you!" Angry tears stream down Ethan's cheeks as he stares down at his father who's now sitting up in the grass, his hands covering his face as blood flows from his nose.

"You have a four year old daughter who needs you..." Ethan continues, struggling to break free from your hold, "...who looks up to you and loves you with all her heart. You have a wife who's done everything in her life for you. Dropped everything she was doing for you. And you're just going to leave them? Leave us?" Ethan shakes his head, "You weren't there for me, Dad," He capitulates and heaves a sigh, "Hell, you don't even deserve to be called my dad."

Patrick lifts his head out of his hands, blood smeared all over his face and staining his palms, "What are you talking about? I tried to be there for you as much as I could be!"

"Well it wasn't enough," He replies, calming down, "Maybe you should've tried harder." The teenager steps out of your arms and turns around to face you, "And you wonder why I didn't care to say hi to him when he came home."

You frown, a tear rolling down your cheek, "Ethan..."

Without saying another word, he brushes past you and storms inside, Gabby - who stood in the doorway during the entire fight - turning around and following after him.

"Help me up," Patrick murmurs, extending his bloody hand out to you. With hesitation, you place your hand in his and pull him up. He staggers a little before balancing himself out and telling you he's getting in the car and that he wants you to take him to the hospital. You nod your head in understanding and rush inside, retrieving your keys from the kitchen.

As you pass the living room to leave, you notice Gabby sitting alone. You can only assume that Ethan stormed off to his bedroom. She sniffles and glances back at you, her eyes that resemble her father's red and puffy. "I thought you said it was going to be okay, Mommy."

A heavy feeling falls on your chest as you tell her, "It is."

"No it's not." You sigh and run your free hand through your hair. You don't have the chance to formulate a response before Gabby murmurs, "Daddy's going to take me away, isn't he?"

"(Y/N)!" You hear Patrick scream impatiently from outside.

You bite your lip before replying to your daughter, "Look, I'm going to take Daddy to the hospital. Be safe, okay? Ethan's here if you need him." Before she can remind you that you didn't answer her question, you walk over to her and kiss her on the head, "I'll be back to tuck you into bed and read you Goodnight Moon, okay?"

"Mommy! Wait, I-"

You rush out of the house and close the door behind you, locking it. You turn around and slip into the car Patrick's been waiting for you in. He's got a wad of napkins from the glove box held up to his nose to try and stop the bleeding.

"What took you-"

"I don't want to hear it, Patrick," You snap at him, shoving the key into the ignition and starting the car up. "You're lucky I'm even taking you to the hospital right now, after everything that's happened tonight. So just shut up and try not to bleed all over my car, okay?"