Something Worth Fighting For (Patrick Stump Imagine Story)

Breaking Up...For Real This Time

(Y/F/N) = Your Friend's Name

"You're what?" Pete asks in disbelief.

"I'm Janie's dad," Andy repeats what he said.

"Why didn't (Y/F/N) tell you sooner? You know, maybe when her daughter was still a baby? Not a nineteen-almost-twenty-year-old?" Joe interjects.

The drummer shrugs his shoulders, "I-I don't know. She told me she didn't want her boyfriend who ended up being her husband finding out that she cheated on him, so she...she told him Janie was his."

"Wait, she cheated on him with you?" Patrick contributes to the conversation that they digressed to, trying to keep Zachary from snatching the hat off his head. "How did I not know about this?"

"I don't know," Andy murmurs, hanging his head, "(Y/F/N) was a summer thing, you know? I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved her just the same - she's probably the only girl I ever really loved - but...after that summer, we just, we just never talked again. I guess I know why now."

"I just don't see why she would tell you now," Pete adds, leaning back in the armchair he's sitting in, "Like, what does she want from you? Child support? Because it's a little late for that, Andy, don't you think?" Joe nods his head in agreement.

"Guys, I really don't know," He replies, "I just...I don't know what to think of it all. I've never had a kid before and I don't know what to do." He meets the gaze of his three friends who, although today's been going well and everything seems to be like they used to be, are slowly drifting away. After this meeting, there's no knowing whether or not there'll be another one. "What do you guys think I should do?"

"I think you should talk to (Y/F/N) and clear things up," The singer advises, standing up and holding his son in his arms - Zachary's back to his chest in an attempt to keep him from stealing his hat, "You don't want to do something and then have it backfire, you know? I know (Y/F/N) and she...she's that kind of person, where you do one thing and she takes it the wrong way and gets upset. It's happened to (Y/N) plenty of times."

"But this is different, Patrick," Andy mutters, "(Y/N) isn't the father of her daughter."

"Well yeah, because that would just be weird," Joe retorts jokingly. Andy shoots a glare in his direction. "Sorry, not the time," The guitarist apologizes, tilting his head down and twiddling his thumbs in his lap.

"Guys, I'm serious. This is huge and I don't know what to do."

"Well why don't we figure out this whole thing before you figure out that whole thing?" Patrick suggests, wanting to leave because Zach's beginning to act up, squirming around in his arms in an attempt to get out of his father's hold, "Because, I know that's important, but so is this. Are we going to stay a band or not?"

Silence blankets over the room, a tension rising. The question has been on all their minds but it's a question none of them want to answer. They all knew this was bound to happen some day - hell, it's why they got together - but they didn't want to think about being apart from one another. The band is the only thing keeping the four of them together. They all have families to worry about (including Andy, now) and on top of that, things haven't been quite the same among them ever since what happened last summer. Pete and Patrick's relationship has significantly changed, it has been for a while, but that summer changed it for good. After that August, circumstances had forever changed between the two, and subsequently, the group as a whole.

"Do you want us to stay a band?" Joe inquires.

Patrick's throat begins to swell - it was hard enough for him to voice the question, now he had to answer it? "I...I don't know," He cops out, "What do you think, Pete?"

The bassist shrugs, "I don't know. Andy?" He turns his head to the band member who's now standing and pacing back and forth. He doesn't get a response. He sighs and looks at the last one to give their opinion. "Joe?"

"You guys are my friends," He mutters, sitting forward and resting his elbows on his knees, "My only true friends, that is, and I don't want to lose you guys, you know? I just kind of feel like...if we were to give up on this band...we'd be giving up on us too."

Another tension-filled silence fills the room.

"But it's obvious that something's different and staying a band isn't making us happy anymore," He tacks on, tilting his head down, "I want it to, I really do, but if it's not, then..."

"We should break up," Patrick murmurs. Andy stops in his tracks and looks back at the band.

"Yeah," Joe sadly agrees, the corner of his lips curling down into a frown, "We should break up."

"So it's decided? We're calling it quits?" Pete asks, his voice nearly cracking, "Just like that?"