Heaven's Gate - A Geetrick AU

Five: Sorry

"Hey!" Joe rushed down the street, wrapping his coat tighter around him in the cold, snowy Chicago night. "Hey! Patrick! Where are you?"

He squinted his eyes, looking around for any sign of his friend. He noticed a silhouette of someone walking away and followed it.

"Hey!" He called, catching up to Patrick. "Where are you going?"

"Go away," Patrick brushed off, somewhat rudely.

"Patrick, it's me!" Joe shouted. "Stop walking and let me talk to you!"

Patrick turned to face Joe, nearly jumping back with shock as he realized who he was talking to.

"Joseph?"

"It's Joe now, but yeah." Joe shot a friendly smile over at Patrick. "It's me."

"Where have you been?" Patrick asked. "I thought... I thought you were-"

"Dead?" Joe chuckled.

"Why are you laughing?" Patrick inquired. "This doesn't seem like anything to laugh about!"

"Woah, woah," Joe quelled. "It's okay, I can explain exactly what happened."

"Please, do." Patrick folded his arms.

"Patrick, don't be upset," Joe cautioned. "I have a good explanation."

"What?" Patrick shouted. "What could your reason possibly be?"

"What does that matter?" Joe shrugged. "I mean, I don't have that job anymore, but that was more of a resignation, to be perfectly frank."

Patrick didn't speak-he merely looked on in confusion at what Joe was telling him.

"Okay." Joe took a moment to think about how he could explain it all. "I know it doesn't seem like we have choices about our own lives because of all of these rules and deadlines, but really, we do."

"But you're an angel, you're not allowed-"

"That's what I thought too," Joe said. "But I'm not gonna question the new life I have. I'm... I'm happy now, Patrick."

"You were happy before, weren't you?" Patrick asked, curiously. "Being an angel? Helping humans fall in love with each other? Weren't you happy enough living your own life?"

"Are you happy living yours?"

Patrick didn't speak one word in response-everything he'd ever known was crashing down around him and he had no idea how to respond. All he felt was a sharp pang in his chest telling him that something was eerily wrong with him. Joe looked on, realizing that something was going through Patrick's head that he wasn't talking about.

"Patrick-"

"What's wrong with me?" Patrick asked, beginning to panic. "What's going on? I've been feeling like this since I got here, I don't know what's happening to me-"

"Calm down," Joe tried to comfort. "What's going on?"

"I- I don't know," Patrick panicked once again, his breath becoming shallower and his heart beating faster. "I think I'm sick or something... This-this doesn't feel right."