Chapter One; Even Angels Fall

'Looks like you could use a ride home.' Patrick said, not releasing his hold on Kat. She didn't object, she didn't need protecting, but right now she did need a friend.

As they pulled to a stop outside the Stratford house Kat removed her helmet before turning to Patrick, 'Dad's away for the weekend, so your safe to come in, you know, if you want?'

'Makes a nice change coming through the front door, but does that mean I'm not gonna get to see that slideshow again?' he laughed and followed her into the house 'damm.'

'Hey Kat about...' but Kat interrupted him, 'Look let's just not talk about it ok? I screwed up.' Spreading her arms in emphasis, she sat down, 'news flash, I'm not perfect!'

Patrick went round behind her resting his arms on the back of the couch, 'if your Dad has any hidden cameras in here can I have a copy? I want to remember this moment.' Kat just looked at him, the same 'you're lucky I haven't got a weapon to hand' look she tended to use more frequently in his company. Patrick chuckled and wandered round to sit beside her, 'Oh come on so you're not going to save the world one school dinner at a time, any college would still be crazy to accept someone named Blank over you!' Kat glanced sideways at him.

'I should have just gone to Nepal,' and the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. Patrick studied her before responding, 'you wouldn't have gone, you wouldn't be able to stand to be away from me,' he smiled. Kat felt like screaming. As soon he started to resemble a normal human being there was that giant ego again. She made to get up, but was prevented by his arm pulling her back down, and suddenly Patrick was much closer than she'd been expecting, 'I know' he whispered, 'because I couldn't stand to be away from you.'

'So why didn't you try to stop me,' her voice wavered. Christ even Bianca would be ashamed of the affect this boy was having on her.

'Since when have you done anything I've asked?' he said louder this time, 'Besides did it ever occur to you that it hurt me to think you'd even wanted to go in the first place! I never even wanted you to stop being my girlfriend,' his voice seemed to get even deeper. As she turned, too shocked to speak, he cupped her head in his hands any pulled her towards him. Kat didn't resist, she felt herself forget everything, the election, her car, what her father, or even Bianca, would say if they walked in right now... She eased herself off the sofa and pulling him with her, and led him upstairs, 'this doesn't mean you 'have' me though you know,' she said, catching her breath, as they reached her room. Patrick ran his finger along her cheekbone and down her neck, 'fine, but just so YOU know, you have whatever you want from me' he gave a crooked smile as he kicked the bedroom door closed...

'Well I'm not leaving!' Walter stammered. In truth, he couldn't move, he had completely lost any feeling in his legs. Kat just stared, paralyzed with shock.

Patrick buried his head under a pillow. Walter was going to kill him. At least being a doctor he'd know a quick way to do it, and what a way to go, he couldn't help but smile to himself. 'You better not be grinning under there manboy', boomed Walter picking up a discarding pair of jeans and flinging them at Patrick. However they were Kat's jeans, and, as Patrick made to sit up, her knickers, which were tucked inside having come off at the same time, came loose and hit Patrick square in the face. Walter gripped the door for support. Kat snatched up the offending article and reached under the bed fishing for an old t-shirt.

'HOW COULD HE DO THAT TO ME!' the shrill sound of Bianca's voice diverted Walter's attention just long enough for Kat to throw her t-shirt and underwear on while remaining under the sheets. She was too mortified to look at Patrick. Walter decided one daughter drama at a time and turn back to Kat.

'Put some clothes on and meet me in the car and if IT,' pointing at Patrick 'does get out of this house now I'm calling the police;' drawing himself up to full height he turned and strode downstairs.

'Wow your dad isn't wasting anytime in shipping you off is he! Hmm, maybe it'll be to an all girls school,' chuckled Patrick as he put his jeans and t-shirt on, 'I'd definitely come visit you if you went to an all girls school' he stood up, avoiding the pillow flying at his head, and went to wait by the door while Kat pulled on her boots.

'Um where are you going?' Kat asked confused, 'it might be better for you to go out the window.' It was going to be bad enough having to deal with her dad by herself, she wasn't sure she could cope if she was constantly waiting for Patrick to realise she wasn't worth the hassle. But he didn't move, he just leaned against the door frame grinning as if enjoying a private joke before speaking softly, 'I hate to break this to you, but I'm pretty sure he already knows I'm here,' he winked and started off down the stairs.

Well, she thought to herself as she followed him, if Dad was going to send her away, or just kill her there and then, what a way to go.

'Bianca calm down,' Walter pleaded, as he didn't have the energy for this.

'Calm down! CALM DOWN!' Cried Bianca, 'my boyfriend has just been cheating on me, and the entire national has seen,' she screamed as she dramatically threw herself back on to the couch, only vaguely aware that Kat and Patrick were also now witnesses to her humiliation. Walter vowed he was never going out of town again.

'We'll talk about this later,' he said trying keep his voice calm as he grabbed Patrick by his shirt and started to force him towards the door.

'To be fair I don't think the ENTIRE nation watches Biggest Poser,' ventured Cameron trying to be helpful. It wasn't. Bianca berated Cameron, although, most of what she said was inaudible between sobs, Cameron shouted an incoherent defence, while Dawn, tried to keep the peace and began a high pitched arbitration. Patrick, muttering about the entire house needing therapy, slipped out of Walter's grasp and returned to Kat's side slipping his arm round her shoulders. Kat, while enjoying it, knew that unless she wanted to give her father a heart attack, now was not the time for gestures.

'EVERYBODY STOP,' yelled Walter. He had finally cracked. 'You two,' pointing as Cameron and Dawn, 'I think it's time for you to leave. Bianca when I get back you'll have my undivided attention, but right now,' he breathed deeply turning to face his eldest daughter, 'you are going to come to the clinic with me and get tested. Now get in the car.' He went to hold the front door open, and Cameron and Dawn dutifully left, Bianca, suddenly putting her dad's last comment together with Kat's dishevelled appearance, just started open mouthed.

'Dad there is no need to go anywhere, we sorted all that before.' Kat tentatively stepped towards her father.

'Besides,' chimed in Patrick, 'I should be the one to take her, I took all the previous girls, so it's only right.' Now it was Kat's turn to lose the feeling in her legs. Walter turned red quickly, but he was now becoming purple. 'Okayyyy,' Kat finally said, 'breathe dad, he's joking', I hope, she added silently to herself, 'and maybe you should go,' she turned to Patrick and began to lightly push him out the door mouthing that now really wasn't the time, but smiling when he responded with the universal 'I'll call you' sign.

Walter just stared, 'This is not good.'

'Kat, can I come in?' Bianca began pushing the bedroom door open.

'You're the first person today to ask,' was all Kat could reply. She was lying on her bed staring at her phone, although it was actually her father's phone, as hers was now locked in Walter's study along with her car keys. It wasn't as if she could drive her car at the moment anyway, but to actually ring up the phone company to switch his phone to emergency calls only, while confiscating hers so she couldn't even get Patrick's number off it, was unbalanced, even for Walter.

'I thought you two broke up?' asked Bianca as she sat down cross legged besides her sister.

'And I thought Joey loved you,' Kat snapped back, but then regretted it after seeing the pain it caused. 'I'm sorry,' she said sitting up and hugging her sister, 'have you spoken to him?' she asked in the most sympathetic tone she could muster. 'No, he normally calls about eleven, but I'm not sure if I want him too, there's nothing he can say,' her voice trailing off. The girls just lay back on the bed in silence.

Downstairs, Walter was flicking through an old photo album, pausing to stare down at the face of the young girl with long wavy brown hair, big brown eyes, and a friendly but determined smile. He sighed and muttered to himself, 'It's all very well for you to smile; you're the one who left me to deal with this situation on my own.' He turned to the next page, the same girl, but a few years older, was now holding in her arms a baby girl with a 'daddy's little angel' baby grow. Mother and daughter were so much alike. Their passion, their values, but her pigheadedness that was certainly something she's got from him. Maybe he should try talking to her again. Their original 'conversation' had not gone well. Annoyingly, she seemed to understand the full weight of her decision, and he was worried her impassioned plea about how Patrick had promised not to break her heart, would just give Bianca ideas about her and Joey. But she was still his little girl. He'd talked about them not wanting to end up like all the teenage girls whose babies he delivered, but it was more than that, he knew what it was like to have loved and lost, and he couldn't stand for his girls to ever feel that emptiness. He went upstairs to put his head round the door and saw Bianca holding Kat in a tight embrace, both fast asleep. He sighed, then grinned, now there is not a bad idea he said to himself.

Kat and Bianca woke the next morning to sound of their father cursing under his breath. On going to investigate, they found Walter in Bianca's room moving her bedside cabinet out the way, making room for the bed they recognised as being the one from the spare room. Bianca was mortified. 'Dad,' she said screamed running over to stop him doing any further damage to her beautiful room, 'What are you doing?'

'Well,' he began, 'after seeing your impromptu sleep over in Kat's room last night, and given that Kat clearly doesn't like to sleep by herself anymore, it occurred to me, you two have been so close recently, so why don't you share a room?' He smiled, evidently pleased with himself. Kat was speechless.

Bianca flapped her arms widely, pointing at Kat. 'Just because she has no self control every time her loser boyfriend comes round, why am I being made to suffer?' She sat down, feeling she was about to fall down, while her dad launched into what seemed a very prepared speech. He never backed down when he got in this mood. 'Why not Kat's room?' she squeaked as she began picturing her gorgeous shoes being replaced by Kat's boots and Converse trainers, this couldn't be happening. 'It's closer to mine,' smiled Walter as he placed a clean set of sheets on the dresser before leaving, closing the door behind him. Bianca burst into tears and buried her head under her pillow.