Fireman Sam SAM&PENNY ONE-SHOTS

Putting it all back together

Hey everyone! Here is the next chapter that follows that former three-parted nasty idea. But here is also in someway a big change for this collection as a whole because from this chapter on, the oneshots would be written in pov-s. So we say goodbye to 3-rd person narrative and I really much hope you will like the result of this decision. Also I hope you will enjoy this chapter ;-)

Time passed slowly for us. Ever since Penny opened up and explained to me what happened, I haven't been able to find myself a place. I felt a great need to be with her and for her. I saw how devastated she was by what happened and I wasn't surprised at all. I had known Penny long enough to immediately notice that something was wrong. In fact, I suspected something had happened even before Penny disappeared. While she was still visiting me in the hospital, I noticed the color of her wristband, which was identical to mine, and not similar to those worn by, for example, Charlie. This made me wonder, but I didn't feel like asking because I could see at first glance that Penny didn't want to talk about herself. She also stayed away from the topic, so I didn't press it. I trusted that if she wanted, she would tell me.

However, in my most terrible nightmares, I did not foresee the impact it would have on me. Earlier, as soon as I woke up after the accident, the first thought that ran through my mind was how Penny had reacted. I found out from Charlie that Station Officer Steele called her as soon as Ellie and Elvis told him the news. We had never talked about it openly before, but I had a feeling that Penny was as worried about me as I was about her. The fear of losing her one day was even more painful knowing that she had already faced it.

I knew Penny could be stubborn, but when she disappeared without a word, I didn't know what to think. Still limping a bit and with one arm still bandaged from burns, I knew I wouldn't be able to take care of Reilynn and Griffin alone. So I managed to ask my parents to take care of them some more, although I had the impression that my mother just wanted to tease me a bit. However, she agreed without hesitation, and I tried to come every day so that Reilynn and Griffin would not forget what their dad looked like. I felt sorry for them that Penny wasn't there, but now I understood why. Before, I couldn't deny that I was even a little angry at Penny for abandoning us so without a word, but now I couldn't stay angry any longer. Just the thought of losing Penny made everything inside me turn over.

So I didn't waste time arguing, I just let Penny cry that afternoon and shed a few tears myself. Then she fell asleep and I sat staring at the ceiling, trying to calm down. The next morning we went to pick up Reilynn and Griffin from my parents and I was surprised to discover how well Penny could mask her emotions. Her eyelid didn't even twitch, although when she greeted the kids, I noticed she was more nervous than usual. It was only after a few days of normal activity that Penny began to noticeably improve. She even went back to work, which took its toll because she had to interact with others and could no longer run away with her thoughts at every moment.

But despite all this, I was still there for her. In both the bad and the good days. I wouldn't admit it openly, but I needed her as much as she needed me. When Penny had a bad day, we usually cried together in the evening, of course when Reilynn and Griffin were already asleep, and when she had a better day, she even managed to laugh a few times. It still happened rarely, but every moment made me smile, too. I supported her as much as I could, and as she returned to work, so did my old Penny.

However, today, as soon as I came home from work, I noticed that it was one of the worse days. Penny sat on the couch and watched expressionlessly as Reilynn and Griffin played with Cinnamon. She didn't respond to my knocking, and only when Griffin and Reilynn ran to greet me did my wife turn her head and look at me, trying to smile. I've seen the same one many times, so I immediately realized what was going on.

But before I could approach her and say anything, I heard the doorbell ring.

"I'll open it," I announced as I passed Cinnamon in the hall, who was starting to go crazy, spinning around and wagging his tail like crazy. "Dad?! Mom?! What are you doing here?" I asked in surprise as soon as I opened the door.