Betrayed

Loss and treasure

When Penny came into the office, she saw not only Station Officer Steele sad face, but Chief Fire Officer Boyce dissapointed face as well. She stood for a moment surprised to see them both here undeniably wanting to talk with her and, suspecting by their faces, it wouldn't be great.

"I'm sorry firefighter Morris, but I have already heard about what happened on the quey" Chief Fire Officer Boyce told sternly walking to the window, while Station Officer Steele avoided the gaze of his employee, looking at the floor.

"With all respect, sir, but I don't understand what does that have to do with me. It was an accident" Penny tried to protect herself, when she felt how fast her heart bit of the fear.

"Yes, however it is why the firefighters are sent to check everything, that such accidents wouldn't happen. Moreover Pontypandy is renowned for its firefighters. We cannot have it known that on of our best and most respective firefighters - failed one of the simplest of safety checks. Unfortunately, Pontypandy is going to loose the trained lifeguard, certified scuba diver and professional mountain rescuer for a while, but I haven't had any other choice" Chief Fire Officer Boyce admited sadly, but he used the voice usually using to ordering something.

"I understand, sir. I can't be a firefighter until this is investigated further" Penny guessed weakly, feeling how tears were trying to fight their way out of her eyes. She fought against them with success, but the fear what would happened won with her. This time its appearence wasn't tears, but with quick and strong heart beat, literally Penny felt like her heart wanted to jump of her chest. She looked down, trying to calmed a bit, but what she saw on the table didn't help her. There were laying her helmet. She totally forgot she still has got her firefighting uniform on and her hand went to walkie talkie, then it gently rubbed the badge. It calmed her that at least they were at their places.

"No, Penny. You can't be a firefighter... at all" Chief Fire Officer Boyce announced. Penny froze hearing this and slowly looked up. It couldn't be true! The job meant too much for her. It was her life, her passion! She spent all her childhood dreaming she could be a firefighter someday, she made this dream came true, despite all fears, doubts, problems and adversities, she managed to do it. And in time of one show with accident that happened before everything has ended.

"But... Sir!" She tried desperately to say something, but Chief Fire Officer Boyce interupted her.

"I'm sorry, firefighter Penny Morris. This is something I never thought I would have to do. But a decision has been made."

Penny placed the badge and walkie talkie at the table next to her old helmet and slowly turned back. Now she couldn't hold her tears anymore, they ran down her cheeks. She tried to be strong and hold the rest of them back, but unsuccessfully, it even became worse. She quitely sobbed few times. Then she forced herself to took a deep breath and slowly went to the door.

When she reached it, she hesitated for a moment, thinking what would wait for her now. The memories of this good years came back. All actions, some dangerous and scary, some rather laughable and safe. But Pontypandy Fire Station was more a home for her than a place to work. She has met her friends here, a people she could always count on. She spent with them all time in work at working and talking, cleaning and joking, playing and dancing. It all seemed so far away of her now. She was totally sure nothing could replace it all to her. Because something like that was just unreplacable. Especially frinedship and love... She woke up from her thoughts, once again took a deep breath and squeezed the handle down.

"Great tangled hoses!" It was the last thing she heard when she went ou and shoot the door behind her.

Suddenly someone threw himself at her neck, hugging her tight. She looked at dark brown hair, when that person looked up and their eyes met. Surprisingly for both of them, they both were crying. But it was a mistery for Penny why Ellie was crying now.

"Penny, I'm so so sorry. Can you forgive me?" Ellie asked through the tears, looking please at her old best friend.

"What I need to forgive you?" Penny asked sceptically.

"That thing why you didn't talk with me earlier" Ellie said embarrassed.

"The question is more like: can you forgive me?"

"I'm your best friend and I'll always be" Ellie left without comment the question what she would have forgiven Penny and free her from her hug, but it didn't help, because whole team: Sam, Elvis, Arnold and Ellie gave Penny another hug, when she started crying again. They secretly were standing behind the door and listening the whole time Penny was inside, so they knew everything. Penny knew them too well and too long to think they wouldn't have known yet. It calmed her a little that she didn't have to tell them it personally. And they knew it too. After a long, quiet minute they broke away. They stood in the circle, Penny in the middle, and they confortingly placed their hands at Penny's shoulders. She looked at them and smiled weakly. They smiled encouragically, but their facial expressions said her they were really sad.

When they heard the door opened, Arnold and Elvis were called to Station Officer Steele, so they waved to Penny one last time and walked there absent-mindedly, while Ellie put her hand at Penny's back and gently pushed her forward. Penny forced Ellie to look back at Sam, who was still standing next to door with his hand rose up. It seemed like he wanted to knocked. But Sam hesitated when he felt Penny's gaze on himself. He couldn't bear how unfair Chief Fire Officer Boyce has just treated her. He saw on his own eyes how she did some of the checks. As a best friend, he mustn't let it stay that way.

"What do you want to do, Sam?" Penny's voice brought him out of his thoughts. He looked at her for a moment without a word, then take a step forward.

"I want to talk with Station Officer Steele."

"About me?" Penny asked. She knew him too well, he was sometimes like an open book for her. "Leave it, Sam, it won't change anything" she said sadly.

"I can't leave it that way. You did the checks, I saw it" he argued.

"You saw it. The key word is saw" she underlined it. "Even if they believe you, you don't have any proof."

Sam hated to giving up. Even if the situation was hopeless, he still keep fighting. But this time Penny was right. He didn't have a proof, so the talk was hopeless after all. It wouldn't change anything.
But Penny needed his presentance now and it could change something, because she wouldn't feel alone in it all. He knew it from himselt too. When he was fired, his friends were with him. Penny and Elvis talked with him when he met them walking near the fire station. He could talk with them about it and took off the weight of losing job from his shoulders. With Ellie and Arnold too. They all were there for him, but with Penny and Elvis he could talk the most opened. In that time, in team only they knew his other side, not just always calm and responsible team leader's side, but also how he was inside it. A funny, reliable friend, who liked to joke from time to time too and was scared or sad either. Penny and Elvis knew him like that, so with them Sam didn't have to hold his tears and his fears for himself.
He also got his brother by his side in that time, it was a diffrence between him and Penny, she only had a family of friends in Pontypandy while he had a family by blood on with he could rely on.
All of this was an answer why Penny needed him now so much. He was her best friend, she didn't have any family by blood around, he didn't even wanted to think how he would deal with Penny leaving Pontypandy. Undeniably she need him and he wouldn't let her down. He worried about her, she loved her job as much as he did, so it surely has hurted her hard.

They helped Penny packed her things in silence, then they both wanted to go with her a little, but Station Officer Steele interupted them. Ellie and Sam turned their heads to him expectantly, but also a little impatiently.

"Sam, come here, we need to talk. Ellie you can go" Station Officer Steele ordered. When Sam slowly went in his direction, he added. "I'm sorry, Penny" he would missed her too. She was like a daughter for him. He treated all team like his family, but every member of it knew he have got weakness for two of them. One was Penny and the second was Sam. And now it all would changed, two would become one.

Hello everyone! I hope you aren't too angry at me after this chapter, are you? If it cheer you up, I have already been angry at myself a little.
What happen here made me, just in time, angry and sad, it wasn't too easy to write. Belive me or not.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter at least a little or in upside-down meaning. Have a nice Sunday:)