Ficlet: If I Could Turn Back Time (GH, Patrick, Lana)
Title: If I Could Turn Back Time
Author: empressearwig
Prompt: 88 - Time
Pairing/Character(s): Patrick, Lana
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Sadly, not mine.
Word Count: 753
Spoilers/Warnings: Part of the Lana!AU.
Summary: “Are you sure you didn’t think going to PCU, through?"
Author's Notes: Written for theechochorus.
“Mom!”
Seated at his desk in his home office, Patrick winced slightly at the volume of his daughters’ voice. He took a quick look at the clock, and realized Robin was probably picking Matt up from soccer practice and therefore wasn’t at home to answer to their daughters every entreaty.
“Mom!”
Patrick sighed, and pushed himself back from the desk, and headed out of the office and up the stairs. He got to Lana’s bedroom, and leaned against the doorframe. “Your mother isn’t home. What’s wrong?”
Lana looked up from her seat on her bedroom floor, where she was surrounded by boxes. “Oh. Nothing’s wrong, I was just looking for something.”
Patrick tried not to stare at the boxes, which only served to remind him that she was leaving home in a matter of days for college. “Can I help?”
“Not unless you know where Mom stored my sweaters when we put them away for the summer.”
“Sweaters?” Patrick asked, trying not to let the panic creep into his voice. “Are you not planning on coming home at all this fall?”
Lana rolled her eyes. “Dad.”
Patrick crossed his arm over his chest. “What? It’s a legitimate question.”
She laughed and stood up, picking her way across the crowded floor. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Patrick’s cheek. “I’m sure I’ll be home sometime this fall.” She dropped back to her heels and started back towards her closet, but Patrick caught her wrist.
“Once a month?” he asked plaintively.
“Daddy!”
“Once every month and a half?” He tried again.
“I will come home when I can,” Lana said firmly. “I’ll be here for Thanksgiving for sure, and I’m sure I’ll want to come home before that.”
“Promise?”
“You have got to get a grip, Dad. I’m going to be in Boston, not the other side of the planet.”
Patrick pouted. “It may as well be the other side of the planet.”
Lana shot him an amused look. “What are you going to do if I decide I want to spend a semester at the Sorbonne like Mom? Move to France with me?”
“I think a multi-cultural experience like that would be good for your brother,” Patrick sniffed. “Help him learn a foreign language more quickly, your mother would love it, and well, I’d love the vacation.”
Lana laughed again. “I was going to grow up eventually, Dad. You had to know I was going to go off to college eventually.”
“Couldn’t you have waited a few more years?” Patrick grumbled. “Or taken a gap year like people overseas do?”
She rolled her eyes. “Those people generally go do volunteer work abroad, not stay at home with their overprotective parents, you know.”
“Oh,” Patrick said flatly. “Are you sure you didn’t think going to PCU, through? It’s a good school.”
“Compared to Harvard?”
“Whose idea was it for you to go to that school anyway? Your mother and I’s alma maters weren’t good enough for you? Something wrong with Yale or Columbia?”
“Now you’re just being ridiculous.” Lana reached for a box on the top shelf of her closet, standing on her tiptoes to reach, but not quite able to grasp it.
“Here, let me,” Patrick offered, crossing the room and easily plucking the box down from the shelf. He handed it to Lana, who dumped it on her bed, and wrapped her arms around Patrick in a quick hug.
Patrick wrapped his arms around his daughter and breathed in the scent of her hair. “What’s this for?”
“You know I’m going to miss you too, don’t you?” Lana asked, voice muffled by Patrick’s chest.
He smiled softly, and stroked her hair. “It’s nice to hear, either way.”
Lana sniffled a little, and pulled back. “Alright, now unless you’re going to help, you need to get out of my hair. I need to get this done.”
Patrick raised an eyebrow and asked with amusement, “Do you really want me to help?”
“Good point. Scram, Dad.”
“Alright, alright, I know when I’m not wanted.” Patrick picked his way back across the room, and when he got to the door, turned back to watch his daughter settle back onto the floor with all of her things spread around her. For a moment, he could clearly see her as a little girl in the same position, with her toys surrounding her.
He shook his head to clear the memory, and headed slowly back down to his office.
Time had gone by so quickly.
Author: empressearwig
Prompt: 88 - Time
Pairing/Character(s): Patrick, Lana
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Sadly, not mine.
Word Count: 753
Spoilers/Warnings: Part of the Lana!AU.
Summary: “Are you sure you didn’t think going to PCU, through?"
Author's Notes: Written for theechochorus.
“Mom!”
Seated at his desk in his home office, Patrick winced slightly at the volume of his daughters’ voice. He took a quick look at the clock, and realized Robin was probably picking Matt up from soccer practice and therefore wasn’t at home to answer to their daughters every entreaty.
“Mom!”
Patrick sighed, and pushed himself back from the desk, and headed out of the office and up the stairs. He got to Lana’s bedroom, and leaned against the doorframe. “Your mother isn’t home. What’s wrong?”
Lana looked up from her seat on her bedroom floor, where she was surrounded by boxes. “Oh. Nothing’s wrong, I was just looking for something.”
Patrick tried not to stare at the boxes, which only served to remind him that she was leaving home in a matter of days for college. “Can I help?”
“Not unless you know where Mom stored my sweaters when we put them away for the summer.”
“Sweaters?” Patrick asked, trying not to let the panic creep into his voice. “Are you not planning on coming home at all this fall?”
Lana rolled her eyes. “Dad.”
Patrick crossed his arm over his chest. “What? It’s a legitimate question.”
She laughed and stood up, picking her way across the crowded floor. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Patrick’s cheek. “I’m sure I’ll be home sometime this fall.” She dropped back to her heels and started back towards her closet, but Patrick caught her wrist.
“Once a month?” he asked plaintively.
“Daddy!”
“Once every month and a half?” He tried again.
“I will come home when I can,” Lana said firmly. “I’ll be here for Thanksgiving for sure, and I’m sure I’ll want to come home before that.”
“Promise?”
“You have got to get a grip, Dad. I’m going to be in Boston, not the other side of the planet.”
Patrick pouted. “It may as well be the other side of the planet.”
Lana shot him an amused look. “What are you going to do if I decide I want to spend a semester at the Sorbonne like Mom? Move to France with me?”
“I think a multi-cultural experience like that would be good for your brother,” Patrick sniffed. “Help him learn a foreign language more quickly, your mother would love it, and well, I’d love the vacation.”
Lana laughed again. “I was going to grow up eventually, Dad. You had to know I was going to go off to college eventually.”
“Couldn’t you have waited a few more years?” Patrick grumbled. “Or taken a gap year like people overseas do?”
She rolled her eyes. “Those people generally go do volunteer work abroad, not stay at home with their overprotective parents, you know.”
“Oh,” Patrick said flatly. “Are you sure you didn’t think going to PCU, through? It’s a good school.”
“Compared to Harvard?”
“Whose idea was it for you to go to that school anyway? Your mother and I’s alma maters weren’t good enough for you? Something wrong with Yale or Columbia?”
“Now you’re just being ridiculous.” Lana reached for a box on the top shelf of her closet, standing on her tiptoes to reach, but not quite able to grasp it.
“Here, let me,” Patrick offered, crossing the room and easily plucking the box down from the shelf. He handed it to Lana, who dumped it on her bed, and wrapped her arms around Patrick in a quick hug.
Patrick wrapped his arms around his daughter and breathed in the scent of her hair. “What’s this for?”
“You know I’m going to miss you too, don’t you?” Lana asked, voice muffled by Patrick’s chest.
He smiled softly, and stroked her hair. “It’s nice to hear, either way.”
Lana sniffled a little, and pulled back. “Alright, now unless you’re going to help, you need to get out of my hair. I need to get this done.”
Patrick raised an eyebrow and asked with amusement, “Do you really want me to help?”
“Good point. Scram, Dad.”
“Alright, alright, I know when I’m not wanted.” Patrick picked his way back across the room, and when he got to the door, turned back to watch his daughter settle back onto the floor with all of her things spread around her. For a moment, he could clearly see her as a little girl in the same position, with her toys surrounding her.
He shook his head to clear the memory, and headed slowly back down to his office.
Time had gone by so quickly.