The Reluctant Fall

Fifteen.

'She's awake'

That's all he heard before he dropped his phone and ran.

His heart was pounding as entered the car parking area and then even more so as he pressed the lift button. He failed to keep a lid on his emotions as he grumbled with anyone not heading to the same floor as him. He thought he was going to physically faint as time slowed as the levels deliberately seemed to take their sweet as time to change on the small screen at the top of the elevator. His palms were sweaty, and truly even though all he wanted to do was to see her - he had no idea if she even wanted to bloody see him.

Penelope was awake though, and that's all that mattered.

He finally got to the floor and saw Francesca on the phone outside the room gesturing him in with tilted head motion to the door. She looked at him with a little sympathy and the pointed to the phone. It sounded like Eloise (her voice was that loud) – Frannie was no doubt updating her best friend who was currently miles across the ocean about Penelope and her condition.

That's when he heard her voice filtering through the door.

That sound.

He felt his chest tighten and his throat constrict.

His mouth went quickly dry.

He slowly opened her door and saw her.

She was smiling talking with Daphne while each of their hands were entwinned.

"Hi," he said softly, he could barley manage to get the words out.

She rapidly turned and he saw her eyes glaze over.

He rushed to her side and kissed her forehead, "Jesus Penelope, I thought I lost you."

Daphne wiped her eyes at the scene and stood up, "I'll give you guys a minute."

She walked by her brother and squeezed his forearm, "I love you both," Daphne said on the verge of tears herself. Seeing her big brother like this was a rare occasion and she was happy that they had found each other – no matter how weird it was.

Anthony watched as his sister closed the door and then he turned his attentions back towards Penelope, his girl.

His emotions were uncontrollable as his eyes turned bright red and instantly filled with tears. He looked at how fragile she looked on top of the hospital bed, she looked so vulnerable and wounded. He'd give everything to take all this back and make it alright again.

He picked up her hands and kissed them incessantly. 'I don't know what I would have done if I lost you' he mumbled against her skin. She stayed silent. He felt her run her fingers through his hair and she shushed him sweetly. Her touch, her bare touch against him was sorely missed.

"I'm here, I promise I'm not going anywhere," she whispered.

Her voice sounded croaky, and a little strained. It must have been due to the tubes down her throat for so long. Anthony reached over for the water, and she smiled, "thank you."

He swallowed a little nervously and brushed the back of his hand against her cheek, "I'm sorry I was mad," he said. She looked straight at him and gulped a little sheepishly. Somehow the revelation of Whistledown seemed so trivial when it came to her life or death.

"You have every right to be mad, I get it, I understand it was a shock, it couldn't have been easy finding out I was hiding this from you all."

He slowly let go of her hands and paced a little at the side of her bed.

She wasn't sure what he was thinking – neither was he if he was perfectly honest.

"I-I thought you were dead Penelope, that pretty much trumped everything, I don't fucking care about Whistledown. I mean it wasn't pleasant to think that the girl I am totally fucking falling in love with thinks those things about me, but if I'm completely honest..." he stopped to turn to her, "... I was a little bit of a dick back then."