Hell's Reign (Patrick Stump/Fall Out Boy Fanfiction)

Chapter 9 - Where Do We Go From Here?

            The van sat in the driveway of Patricia Stumph's house for well over an hour. It was almost noon by the time Patrick and Victoria were left alone in the van, while the boys tried to get into the house on their own. Patrick had chickened out at the last second, and even though Tori was disappointed, she understood why he didn't want to go inside. If she could go back and change the day she found her family dead, she wouldn't have gone into the house either.

Tori and Patrick were still in the back of the van, sitting in a tangled mess of blankets, facing one another. Her mind was reeling with thoughts of what last night might have meant, and his mind was caught up in wondering if either his brother or sister had at least survived. Still, when Tori reached over and took his hand in both of hers, she didn't miss the sparkle in his bluish-green eyes. "Hey," she whispered, giving him her best reassuring smile. "It's okay. We're all here for you, alright?"

"Yeah," Patrick breathed, shifting closer to her and placing his free hand over hers. "I know. And if...if they aren't...."

"Don't even think about that yet," Tori stated, "Just think positive things until the boys come back."

Patrick looked up at her and she could see the tears in his eyes, but he gritted his teeth and nodded slowly. "Okay. If they are in there, then...promise me something?"

Tori hesitated, wondering what he could possibly want her to promise him at a time like this. "Sure, Patrick," she whispered, looking at him expectantly as she waited for his request.

"If they're alive," he breathed, "promise me you'll stay."

"Stay?" Tori asked, searching Patrick's eyes in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Stay," he repeated, suddenly shifting closer and removing his hands from hers. Instead, he moved them to the sides of her neck, cupping her face in his hands and pulling her to him until their foreheads were touching. A tear ran down his face then, having escaped his eye, and Tori froze in shock and confusion. "Promise you'll stay with me and my family, even if the guys don't. I want you to be safe, Tori. And you deserve a home, not a van."

She stared at him, tears forming in her own eyes, and her hands moved up of their own accord and held onto his arms, as if to keep him there. "Okay," she breathed, "I promise." He blinked back more tears and looked at her as if he might kiss her, and while part of her wanted him to, another part of her was screaming at him not to. It wasn't the right time, and he was just vulnerable. What if he didn't mean anything he was saying? She knew it was a good chance that he just wanted something, anything to fill the void that his family might leave behind. And like he said last night, she was the only girl in the van, a van full of young, hormonal, teenage boys. It only made sense, didn't it?

"Tori," Patrick said, breaking off like he wanted to say more, but didn't know how to find the words. She watched him anxiously, but just as he opened his mouth again to speak, the sound of a gunshot broke them apart and sent Patrick scrambling to the window. Two more gunshots rang out in the seconds that followed, and Patrick stood frozen on his knees, his hands flat against the window. A short moment later, Tori moved up behind him, and could see the three boys walking out of Patrick's house. Pete stopped the other two, spoke to them, and then they suddenly branched off in either direction down the street. He continued to the van, pulling open the side door solemnly and climbing inside.

"Patrick," he whispered, "I'm so sorry, man –"

"Where are they going?" Patrick asked, falling back into a sitting position on the floor. Pete stared at him in confusion for a moment, knowing full well that Patrick had heard the bullets Pete had just put into his family's brains.