Everyone Deserves The Flame (Adopted By Patrick Stump)

The "I" In Lie (Iris's P.O.V.)

"Do you do you think we could watch a movie?" I asked Patrick who was in the kitchen grabbing a glass of water. He practically jumped five feet in the air when I spoke up causing me to giggle. He turned around, and tried to act angry. He failed miserably, causing both of us to laugh.

"Yes. And how come you walk so nobody can hear you?" He answered my question asking one of his own.

"I used to do theatre classes. You have to be completely silent when walking on the stage or you won't be able to hear the others person lines, which means you could miss your own line. And plus it's very disrespectful to stomp around on stage." I answered. His eyes went wide, and so did his smile.

"I didn't know you were an actress." He said. And I just nodded as we headed into the living room. Patrick pulled out a few movies, and I choose the one that looked more interesting. I honestly had no clue what we were watching, but it was great movie. It was hilarious, and we both laughed along with each joke. By the time the movie was almost over when someone pulled into the driveway.

"I thought Elisa was going to be gone all night, I guess you can meet her tonight." He stated smiling down at me. I noticed there were two people in the car. Patrick didn't. Then they got out, and begun making out. I pulled in a sharp breath. Patrick came to my side by the window, and saw what I was seeing. I felt him tense beside me. Patrick turned off the television, and DVD player. There was no sign we were ever in the house.

They opened the door, and begun again. Patrick singled for me not to make a sound. I obeyed I sat there the whole time. The man she was with followed her in, and tugged at her jacket. She didn't even fight it. In fact she gladly embraced him. I was going to be sick.

"Won't your husband be home?" The man asked when he pulled away from Elisa's lips. She shook her head, and laughed.

"No, he wants a girl so he's out adoption hunting. He won't be back until the morning. Declan's at his uncles, and I'm sick." She laughed pulling him closer to her. That's when Patrick flicked the lights on. Elisa turned in horror. The man looked down at the ground. Patrick was fuming.

"I'm home honey." Patrick said venom laced in his voice. I was curled up a corner watching the whole thing.

"Pat, it's not what it looks like. I swear." She said putting her hands up in the air.

"Well then what is it?" Patrick asked giving her a chance. I could tell that he wanted to be wrong so badly. He wanted his eyes to be tricking him. He wanted his wife to still be faithful. He wanted to believe that his eyes were playing tricks on him. To bad this was the ugly truth.

"I was lonely Pat, you were always leaving on tour. I didn't what to do. So I got out and made a mistake. It means nothing to me. I swear he was just your replacement for when your gone." She said approaching Patrick. Just a replacement. Oh my gosh. That's messed up in every way.

"I went on those tours. I went alone. Every time you could've came. There was always that option. I never cheated on you. I think you need to leave." Patrick fumed at Elisa. Elisa turned around. She grabbed a vase at threw it at the wall. Not even five feet away from me. The glass shattering sounded like someone laughing.

*+*

The glass shattered above my head. Dad had his teeth bared, and was getting ready to throw more stuff. I couldn't move. My ten year old self knew this was going to happen. It has been happening for five years. But this time was worse than I've ever seen.  I was grounded in my spot. Dad yelled at me not to move. So I didn't. I wouldn't. I couldn't. It would only get worse. I couldn't breathe.

"She left because of you! You're a boring child! You bored her out of her mind! I've waited five years for her to come home! If I got rid of you, she'll come home. I just have to get rid of you. She would've stayed if it wasn't for you!"  Dad roared at me. The tears fell from my face. The glass felt like ice on my burning cheeks. I gasped for breath. He turned on his heels. He thought I screamed.

"Did you scream?" He asked, I wildly shook my head no. I was reaching out to grasp for a word. I couldn't find the right words. Why couldn't I find the right words? Why was I stunned into so much silence. "I told you not scream! And what the fuck do you do? You fucking scream! You ungrateful brat!"

His fist collided with my ribs. I gasped. I wouldn't scream. I shouldn't scream. I couldn't scream. Things would only get so much worse. I didn't want things to get worse. He threw my back against the wall. He kicked my stomach until I couldn't breath. That's when I screamed. The world went black.

The next thing I knew I was in the hospital. I was told that my fall down the stairs broke two ribs, punctured my lung, and snapped my wrist. I wanted nothing more than to tell the truth about what actually happened, but I didn't know how, or what would happen.

Dad came into the room smiling at me. It wasn't a sweet smile. It was a sick, twisted smile. The kind of smile that screamed 'you're in so much trouble when we get home.' That's when I screamed. I wasn't sure why I did it. I just did it. The guards pulled him out of room, and the next thing I knew my mouth wouldn't stop moving. I had confessed everything. I was orphan. It all happened so quickly. One thing never went away was the memories from that day. No matter how hard I tried.

*+*

"Iris? Honey, are you okay?" A voice was soothing me. I still couldn't open my eyes. I had them squeezed shut. I realized I had been screaming. Hands were rubbing my back, and I was pulled into someone's lap. I just shook my head. I wasn't okay. I hadn't been okay since the day my mom left, and my dad started to beat me. I didn't know when I'd be okay again.

I remembered where I was, and tried to pull myself together, but I couldn't. I slowly opened my eyes, and saw that Patrick was sitting on the ground where I had been before, and was holding me in his arms. The glass was still beside us, but any traces of Elisa being here were gone. I mean all her stuff was gone. Pictures, blankets, anything that was hers was gone. I looked at Patrick noticing how well he was keeping himself together. He had just kicked his own wife out, after finding out the cold hard truth. A pit in my stomach grew as I realized he should be venting, but instead he was here with me. I tried to push him away, but he wouldn't let go.

"Please l-let go of me, I-I don't like it when people t-touch me." I stuttered still trying to push him away from me. He let his arms drop, but I didn't move. He still soothed my hair down. I wiped away the tears I didn't realize I had let fall.

"What happened?" Patrick asked me, slowly rubbing his hand up, and down my back. I was slowly finding the breath I had lost. I was gaining myself back.

"I don't want to talk about it. Please, don't make me talk about." I pleaded, and felt him nod. "What happened with Elisa?" I asked my turn.

"Only if you somewhat give me an idea of what your thinking about will I answer that question." He argued. I got it though. It was supposed to help.  One answer, for another. But the thing was I didn't know how to tell him without breaking down, and never knowing how to build myself up. I shook my head. "What if it's just a hint?"

"M-my father, he beat me. For five years." I whispered softly. He heard it though because his eyes softened instead of hardening, like the rest of the worlds did when they didn't hear something I said. He tried putting his arms around me again, but I pushed him away again, and he understood because he didn't fight me this time.

"She threw the vase against the wall. And you started screaming. I told her that she needed to leave, take all her stuff, and never come back. She did just that. She tried to talk to me, but I was here with you. You wouldn't snap out of it. I was going to call Pete when you opened your eyes. He would understand what your thinking better than me. You scared me."  He explained while I nodded. He really cared. Patrick held me like that before I got up.

"I'm going to go to bed. It's been a really long night." I told him, while I walked up the stairs. He nodded and followed me, until I went into my room, and he went into his. I closed the door softly, and ran to the bathroom. Why did I have to break down in front of him? He was the one who needed to break down. He probably just went through a living hell, and had to deal with me. It's because your selfish. I grabbed my wrists like I always did. I never cut. I just pinched. I don't know why, I just did. I fell onto my bed staring at what I had just done.