"I never wanted to marry early. I just want to find the perfect girl and give her the ring. If I can get engaged then that problem will all go away," he said, leaning against the wall and staring up at the ceiling. He coughed again at the dustiness of this filthy room. Where were house elves when you needed them? "Thanks. I may just need you." He doubt Trixie would be you never know what that girl could do. Like drop her trunk on your foot!

"It's just the way we are with parent's most of the time," said Patrick with a shrug. Him especially. He barely ever listened to a word his parent's said. Pshh. They were no use to him anyway. He smiled down at her. "I'll try it since you seem so convinced." Well he would!

He watched closely as her face changed with the realization. His arms went around her as the tears came and started falling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry Vanessa. I'm so terribly sorry," he whispered, in her ear as he held her. He felt sad for both girls. This wasn't fair. He held her a little tighter as he felt himself hurt.

"I guess it's harder than you think. I mean if you thought about it all the stress is on the guy. He usually has to pick and the girl doesn't. All what she has to say is yes, then get married, then more and more and more." She said. She was particuarly glad to not be the guy. She smiled and nodded in agreement.

Vanessa laughed. "Well I'm glad you're going to try it, I feel special now." She said smiling. "I'm not really close with my mum, it just seems like it whenever my friends come over to my house. Like before when you came. It might've seemed like we were close, but we weren't. I would usually spend my time up in my room alone while Bonnie and mum would hang out downstairs." She shrugged.

Vanessa fell into Patrick's embrace and cried like no other. She held Bonnie in her arms as she cried. "There's no one to take care of her, except for me, Patrick. I can't do that." She said, her voice cracking.

"We do have a lot of stress but I guess the girl has more after she says yes. All panicked about that perfect dress and dream wedding. Us guys just sit back and watch the show," he explained with a chuckle. He'd help of course with his fiance but not as much as one may assume. He always was excited in picturing his bride walking down the aisle though. It was a special moment for both.

He listened as she spoke how she and her mum aren't very close. "You still care though. I still care even if I'm not close with my parent's and can't stand their guts." He would be extremely sad if one died. He just never wanted that to happen as annoying as they may be. He would try just because this was Vanessa.

He felt his throat tightening up. It was literally killing him to see her like this. "What about your dad? Is there any chance you could live with him? Or grandparent's? Aunts, uncles?" he asked, making all these suggestions, hoping there was someone out there. He ran his hand down her hair comfortingly.

"That's true it probably would be stressful after she says yes." She said. Just thinking about it made her feel stressed. Too much work. She laughed to herself and shook her head. However if you thought about it once you're at the wedding it's pretty emotional, happiness everywhere. She smiled at the thought.

Vanessa nodded. "I guess that's true." She said cringing at the thought. She loved her family, even if it was just her mum and Bonnie. She cherished them too much. It would hurt her to see if they got hurt.

She shook her head. "I haven't seen my dad for two years now. I don't know where he is at. My mum was an only child and then we never seen/met any of my relatives from my father's side." She said wiping tears off her face. She was trying to be strong for Bonnie, but it just wasn't working.

He nodded in response to both of her answers. There wasn't much more to supply with that. Was he stressed about the prospect of marriage? Yes. He knew though if he found the right girl than everything would be just perfect though. Who was that right girl? He wished he was better at Divination. He wasn't terrible at it really. He could see into the future a teeny bit. His gran had been a seer.

Patrick didn't know what to do. Who would take care of them? "It will be alright. Something will be worked out Vanessa. How about your grandparent's on your mum's side?" he asked again, wiping tears falling on his cheeks and then hers. He turned his head to couch once more then turned back and just held her.

Vanessa shook her head and sniffed. "Our grandparents had died quite a while ago." She said frowning. "I don't know what to do, Patrick....What am I going to do?" She asked pulling her knees close to herself and wiping some more tears off her face. "I know I'll get everything, the house, the money. I just don't know if I can handle all of it." She put her head in her hands. "My mum would do everything to keep Bonnie and I alive. Although I wasn't close to her and she would hurt my feelings every now and then, telling me that it would practically not work out between me and you, I love her. Why did this have to happen?" She muttered.

So obviously this wasn't going to work out very well. "I don't know Vanessa." He wasn't good at coming up with ideas so quickly and was feeling so sad it was hard to think straight. "Well you'll be home for holidays this upcoming rest of the year. Then summer....you could always sell the house and buy an apartment for you two," he suggested, trying to think of anything. He felt another tear go down his face. "Sometimes you don't know why," he comforted, his grasp tightening around her once more. Then a sudden thought came to him. "If--if you still wanted to keep the house--and you wouldn't mind and felt better---I could possibly stay with you during holidays," he offered a little shyly. He didn't want to see her so sad.

Vanessa nodded. "Maybe. I just hope I can keep up with everything." She said wiping some more tears away. Her heart hurt, all those memories with her family will be gone. She looked up at him and saw a tear fall down his face. "Why are you crying, Patrick?" She asked wiping the tear off his face. She looked back down at Bonnie and hugged her as she cried. She looked back up at Patrick as he asked if he could stay during the holidays. "You are free to stay whenever you want, Patrick. That might help though." She slightly smiled at the thought. She knew he just wanted to help her and was glad he was trying.

He knew it wasn't fair for a 17 year old girl to left with the responsibilities of an older adult. He was sure that people would be able to help out. She had plenty of friends. He just smiled a very tiny smile a said in a choked voice, "Because you're hurting," Patrick answered, looking down at her. He felt his face turn a tiny shade of red. "Then it's settled. I'll stay with you at Christmas. It's not like my parent's will honestly mind either," he informed her and looked over at Bonnie.

Vanessa slightly smiled as he blushed. She kissed his cheek and looked back down at Bonnie. She nodded as he said he would stay with them at Christmas. "Thank you." She said looking back up at him. She couldn't imagine coming home with no mom there. No family whatsoever. No memories could be established with her mum or dad. Just Bonnie and her living together, alone. She felt more tears fall down her face at the thought of it.

Patrick felt himself blushing as she kissed his cheek. They were some sort of family and family was there for each other in the worst of situations. "It's my pleasure," he replied. He really was hating seeing how terrible she felt and how she kept crying. "Me and my family are here for you Vanessa. Along with all of your other friend's. You aren't alone," he reminded her, glancing out at the stars. Her mum was one of them now. He was sure she wouldn't have wanted to come back a ghost.

Vanessa nodded and leaned her head on his chest. "My mom must of had some heart problems if she had a heart attack. Why wouldn't she tell me about this?" She asked taking deep breaths to keep from crying anymore. "She didn't tell me anything. She didn't tell me why my father left us, why we moved, nothing." She said frustrated with everything now. Her mother had died, she had no father, no family. She had friends but didn't know who she could trust. It all hurt too much.

"I wish I had explanations V, I really do," he assured her, putting his hand on the back of her head. "But I don't. I can only assume she had good reasons not to." There were ways they could get to the bottom of it like finding her dad and asking or maybe she had a diary. Right now he needed to get her to calm down. "You know, when my aunt was about our age her sister died from a seizure. Do you know what happened? Her family blamed her. Just don't blame people Vanessa. It hurts them. Your mother must of been wonderful at times and she was a nice woman when I met her. She's out there you know." He pointed out the window at the stars and the moon. She was out there watching them and they weren't going to be orphans. He was going to make sure of it. Vanessa was an adult who had the capability of taking care of her sister.

"I'm sorry." She muttered, frowning a little. "I'm just stressed and worried. There's so much drama and events happening all around me I'm overwhelmed by all of it." She said holding onto him and crying some more. She wanted to stop crying but she couldn't help it. Her mother had died, the only person that she was related and loved, Bonnie was there too but her mother had taken care of her. She wouldn't be able to hug her mother or have the special cake that she makes. Her mom wouldn't be able to get her letters either. She looked out at the stars where Patrick pointed to and she thought about it. Her mother was looking out on them, protecting them even though she didn't know it. She wiped her tears from her eyes. "Why are you doing this Patrick? Helping us? Helping me?" She asked looking up at him.

"I would think you were crazy if you weren't overwhelmed," he mused with a sad chuckle. A person goes a little crazy when brought upon by tons of crashing news and events. "You need to take some deep breaths and contain yourself sometime though," he added, running his hand through her dark hair. It usually made a person feel better. It seemed to work for girls somehow. He sat there as she asked him why he was doing it. "I care Vanessa. I care a lot about you and Bonnie. I'm not just going to completely say see ya suckers and leave am I? I want to help." He honestly wanted to be a better person and Vanessa was someone he would do this for out of everyone.

Vanessa slightly smiled. "Tell me why you are the one that makes me feel better?" She asked him, shaking her head in disbelief. She looked back down at Bonnie. If she wasn't crying right now she would probably be making gagging noises or saying that they were together or something. What would Ella say if she heard about this incident? Probably laugh or something. Would Trixie stay if she wasn't in the Hospital Wing right now?

Patrick thought about her question with a slight smile and shrugged. "It has something to do when we first met," he figured, nodding his head. Then a thought came to him and he looked at her. "Tell me why you are the one that makes me feel better?" he asked, directing the question back to her since it was the truth. Ella would smack him since he promised not to flirt but this really wasn't flirting in his opinion.

"What does it have to do when we first met?" She asked curiously. She thought about her answer for a minute, truth be told she really didn't know. "I don't know. I just......I have no clue." She shrugged, wiping another tear away from her face. Her tears were dying down but she was still hurting on the inside. Could it be that they made for each other? No, it couldn't be because then he wouldn't be with Ella. He wouldn't have said that it would be better if they were just friends. "Are you going to tell Ella about this?" She asked a bit worried if he did.

"Oh I really don't know. I just said it as a random moment thing," he figured, glancing at her with another shrug. It did have something to do with it though. If they would have never met what would she be doing at this moment right now? He smiled lightly as she said she had no clue and his grasp tightened around her once more. "No. I won't tell Ella if you don't want me to. She may find out eventually though," Patrick answered softly.

Vanesssa nodded. "I guess it's hard to actually answer that question. Maybe we were meant to be friends for some reason. I mean there's always a reason." She said shrugging. She smiled up at him as he said he wouldn't tell Ella. She was glad she could trust him and hopefully he didn't break that trust. She has major trust issues with people and it wasn't pretty. "Please don't tell her. I just don't want drama that I already have with her then her knowing about this. I would probably breakdown again." She said rolling her eyes at herself. "She will find out sooner or later but she can find out by other people telling her." She said simply.

Bonnie cried louder. The whole thing was awful. Just awful. She waved the letter infront of Vanessa's eyes. "Why would I be joking?!?!" She tried very hard to be angry, but at a terrible time like this, how could anyone? All Bonnie could do was cry. It was a useless cause, trying to be angry. Sadness kept seeping back in. A few spots on the letter was splodged with tears and the writing in those parts was blurry. Ugggggghhhhh.

"A heart attack!" Bonnie almost screamed. The sadness was leaving her now. Just replaced by angry. Never acceptance. She felt the urge to throw something. A damn desk, maybe? They were always in the way! She moved away from Vanessa and was ready to throw the nearest when a memory suddenly past through her mind. 'Bonnie, my little sweetie, be good. Don't get yourself in trouble. Remember, I'll always love you no matter what. You and your sister are the most important things in the world.' Young Bonnie blinked. 'Why would I get myself in trouble?' Dani laughed. 'Bonnie, I love you but you do have some anger issues...' Bonnie, instead of throwing the desk, sat down and messaged her temples.

Bonnie sighed. "Nessy... I don't think I would be able to live in that house. Mom died in that house." Burning tears filled her eyes again. "How about a three bedroom apartment?" Her eyes spun to Patrick but the she focused on Vanessa again. "For guests." she added quickly, with a smirk, though her heart really wasn't in it. And finally, it drove her mad. Nessy and Patrick were flirting like mad, when Nessy and Bonnie's mom had just died. Ooh, but it was so sweet. She had really bonded with Nessy over boys and she smiled. They should SOOOOO kiss. Just like one of them, oh what are they called, MOVIES!

Vanessa rubbed her head. "Okay fine, we won't live there anymore." She said sighing. She looked up as she suggested an apartment and looked towards Patrick. "Why exactly are you looking at Patrick like that?" She asked her raising an eyebrow. She shook her head with confusion. "Bonnie, are you okay if Patrick helps us for a bit during the holidays? You can have your friends come if you want." She said thinking about how much stress there would be once she got home.

She was right. There was always a reason for something to happen. Patrick looked at her and nodded. "I promise I won't tell her," he assured her, giving her a light squeeze. He meant what he said. Especially when this concerned Vanessa. Patrick looked at Bonnie with a light smile as she suggested a three bedroom apartment. "Your sister has a point you know," he said, looking down at the girl. "I'm going to help you move," he added. This was something he could do to help a friend he cared about out.

Vanessa slightly smiled up at him and looked back down at the ground. "You're going to have alot to help with." She said laughing a bit then fading away. "I also had talked to Nikki, my friend and she said she was going to help as well. So she can help with half of it and I guess you could help with the rest? That is if you want to." She shrugged. She wiped another tear from her eyes as memories kept on going through her mind of her mom and her redecorating the house almost every month but now they were moving somewhere else. Somewhere away from where her mom and her and Bonnie had so many great memories.

"I'm up for the challenge," he assured her, giving her a gentle squeeze. Everything was different when a death occurred. Everything. "Of course I'm helping Vanessa. Don't think otherwise," he told the girl, giving her a look that said I can't believe you'd even assumed I would. It was probably over hours to be out and figured they should be heading back to their separate common rooms. "Come on. It's time for bed. I'll walk both of you girls to your common room," he said, looking from Vanessa to Bonnie.