Listen (Patrick Stump / Fall Out Boy Fanfic)

Chapter 33 - Have You Got Room For One More Troubled Soul?

A/N: I accidentally wrote an entire chapter during my free period today, so I hope this doesn't suck. Let me know what you think, lol <3  

          "Patrick!" Aria giggled, stumbling slightly in the parking lot. I had my hands clasped over her eyes, and I was laughing as I tried to guide her toward the medical building in front of us. Pete was walking slightly ahead of us, shaking his head as he held the door open. We were about to see Dr. Mary Feltman, a doctor who specialized in performing the surgery for the cochlear implant that Aria would be receiving. Today, she would be meeting Aria for the first time. As it turns out, Dr. Feltman's practice was based in the last city of the tour, Salt Lake City.

It was only a month before our wedding, and I had told Aria this morning that she was getting her wedding present from Joe, Andy, and Pete today. Meagan was with us as well, and knew all about the plan. She was waiting in the car for just a few minutes, as she was already crying by the time we pulled up, but Aria had no idea because my hands had been over her eyes since we left the house. So, as I gently led her through the door, I finally dropped my hands to my sides and watched her with careful excitement. She blinked a few times, and then her eyes landed on the sign hanging behind the reception desk. She read the words there, and furrowed her brow in confusion. Feltman Medical Practice, Otolaryngologist / Ear Specialist.

She read the words over a few times, and then a conclusion dawned on her. She clapped both hands over her mouth and looked at Pete, tears already welling in her eyes. He was quick to calm her, raising his hands to sign haphazardly to her. "It's just a meeting with your doctor today. You can always decide not to go through with this, but we thought you might want to hear your husband tell you he loves you on your wedding day." Aria turned to me then, a tear finally escaping her eye and sliding down her cheek. I wiped the tear away with my thumb and leaned in to kiss her chastely. "I'll go sign her in," Pete muttered from beside me, and then he was gone. Aria flung her arms around my neck and buried her face in my shoulder, just as the door opened again and Meagan walked in. She took one look at us and held her hand over her heart, smiling with happy tears in her eyes.

Pete came back and led us all over to a row of seats, and I held tightly to Aria's hand as we waited for her to be called. When she was, we went into the office together, leaving Pete and Meagan behind. The nurse left us in Dr. Feltman's office, and we were given a few minutes alone. I looked to Aria with a small smile, and she looked at me and took a deep breath. "What do you think?" I asked her.

She hesitated, then slowly lifted her shaking hands. "They're spending a lot of money on me, if this is going to be what I think it is."

I chuckled at that and shook my head at her. "Don't you worry about money. What do you think this is going to be?"

Aria sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, looking down at her lap before responding to me. "They're going to fix me," she said, "So that I can hear again."

I frowned at that and reached over, curling my fingers around her chin. I made her look up at me and shook my head before I let go. "You are not broken, Aria. That's not why they're doing this."

She smiled then, relief evident in her eyes. "I love you, Patrick."

"And I love you, Aria. And I want to tell you that."

She teared up again, but quickly wiped the tears away as the door to the office opened and a woman stepped in. She smiled at the two of us, chuckling a bit at Aria. "Not crying already, I hope?" She asked, winking knowingly at me as I smirked. I reached for Aria's hand and laced our fingers together for a brief second, squeezing in encouragement. "Hello, Aria," the doctor signed, "I'm Dr. Feltman, and I'll be performing your surgery on Thursday."