hot_guitarist (hot_guitarist) wrote in btvsal, @ 2009-09-16 13:00:00 |
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Current location: | Pat and Patience's Home |
Current mood: | aggravated |
Entry tags: | jack delany, pat mcconnell, place: la |
Screwy, Messed Up Life
Who: Pat and Jack
Where: Pat and Patience's House
When: Nighttime
In Pat's mind, it had been a pretty productive dinner. For one, Patience not only cooked, but proved to everyone present (most importantly, herself) that she CAN cook if given the chance, but the three of them had had a true, family dinner. Which Pat felt all three of them needed right now. While he and Jack tended to act all 'manly-man' around one another... Pat knew that the two men were pretty much the only family the other had, outside of Jack's daughter. Now that dinner was over, Patience had casually left to presumably do dishes or something, although Pat knew she was trying to give the two men time to talk alone, for Jack to be able to open up without feeling odd talking privately in front of her. "So... Jack? You've been the closest thing to a brother I've ever had. Hell... you've been there for me when me own sister won't even talk to me, which is pretty much all the time. So now it's time for a turnaround. Talk to me... I'm not dumb, I can tell you haven't been yourself lately."
Jack wasn't himself. For once, he was more quiet and contemplative than usual, which was downright scary when it came to the extreme extroverted personality that he had. He thought for a moment before saying anything. "What did it feel like to have someone show up when you had basically given them up for dead or at least gone for good from your life?" he asked. Strangely, he felt that Pat could relate to his situation more than anyone else could right now.
"When I found out Patience had been brought back..." Pat thought carefully about his words. "It was, all at once, a complete relief, and a weird feeling, like someone was taking my life and shaking it like a snow globe. Don't get me wrong... now that she's back? I feel like the part of my life that was missing has been returned. But it was still one hell of an adjustment."
It what almost seemed like switching topics, Jack asked, "Have I ever told you about Louise?" He honestly wasn't sure. He never talked about his ex and Mere's mother, but never knew what he said when he was too drunk too remember.
"You've... mentioned her." Pat said, trying not to laugh at the memories. "Usually when drunk. And usually her name was surrounded by insults and proclamations of how you'll never NOT be a bachelor again."
Jack snorted. Sounded like him. "I'll be honest with you; she broke a heart that most people would claim isn't there." There were certainly a lot of women and a few boyfriends of those women who would call him heartless, anyway. "She showed up at my doorstep last week, Pat."
"Jesus..." Pat almost sneered there. Hey. He was protective of Jack. Brother, guitarist, best friend... he served too many purposes in Pat's life for him not to be, "Please tell me there's a guy involved. I need to be able to beat SOMEONE up for you..."
That just made him laugh. An almost crazed laugh, actually. "You know, if she left me for another guy, or just couldn't really cope with being a mother, I could at least wrap my head around that." He shook his head, indicating it was none of those things.
"So... what was the deal? I mean, is she at least trying to give you closure? Or am I about to get severely pissed off?" He raised an eyebrow. "Because I meant it, Jack. You're my best friend. I don't take kindly to anyone fucking you over."
"The night she disappeared...she was turned into a vampire, Pat," Jack said with a slight laugh again. "Is it me or am I surrounded by vampires?" He let his head drop to the table. Maybe actually telling this to someone else who wasn't Mere (who had her own issues with it) was making it all really sink in.
"Fuckin' A, Jack..." Pat couldn't help but give an ironic chuckle there. "You really are kind of a vamp-magnet, aren't you?" Still, he reached across the table and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "And she didn't try to.. you know..." he made a biting gesture. He didn't want to say 'kill you'.
"She left so she wouldn't," Jack pointed out. "When she showed back up? No, she hasn't." Of course, a little voice in his head added 'yet.' He lifted his head back up. "I told Mere...I think she's getting the strange idea that it runs in the family now. Is it really that strange, though?"
"I think more than anything, the question is... did she come back for closure, or to get you back?" He asked, concern in his voice.
Jack thought for a moment...and then shrugged. "I really don't have an answer to that question." He figured that mentioning that he spent the night with her recently was a BAD idea. Not that anything happened (for once), but it still sounded bad.
"Look, Jack." If nothing else, Pat needed him to know that no judging would go down here. "All I want is for you to be safe and happy. And... Mere's proof that not all vamps are necessarily evil. Devious, mischievous, but not always evil. If you guys still... have feelings for each other, and you're sure this isn't gonna result in me having to get a new guitarist, then you know what? Don't let what anyone thinks get in your way. And I'm not just saying that because I expect a killer bachelor party."
"Well...we'll just have to see if any of that advice is actually needed," Jack said after taking all of that in. "I really don't know what to think of much of anything right now." That was the honest to god truth. Or, was it honest to gods? He really wasn't sure what the proper thing was for this situation.
"The thing you need to remember, more than anything, is this:" Pat paused, grinning to his friend. "Me and Patience... we're like your family, brother. Any time you need something, even just someone to vent to, cry to, or just get drunk with... we're here. Both of us."
"Probably be needing a lot of times to get drunk with someone in the near future," Jack admitted. "A lot of venting, too." This was going to be a strange time for him. That much he knew.
"And you know what? We'll be here. Both of us love getting our drink on from time to time." He laughed and shrugged. Neither of them drank with NEARLY the frequency or talent Jack did.
"I'll keep that in mind." Other than music, drinking seemed to be the only other thing that he had any talent in. Too bad that he couldn't make a career out of that.