Sam & Penny Short-Stories *English*

BACK TO THE PAST - Back to the Future

Despite the fact that the days could be long, especially because of boredom, the time passed surprisingly quickly and they had a good life among the pirates, who grew close to their hearts like a second family. They gave them the familiar feeling that they loved so much about Pontypandy - the lightness, the cheerfulness, the sense of togetherness and that everyone was always there for everyone, as they had known so well from their Pontypandy for over 300 years in the future. Nevertheless, they longed more and more for their home and all the comforts of the 21st century.

Penny at least saw something good about these times, because she dared to doubt that in their time she would have been able to enjoy her pregnancy as much as she could during this one. She had a lot more free time, but she also paid a lot more attention to herself and her body, since there were no doctors available to her who could relieve her of any doubts or give her certainty, and Sam also seemed like a different person and almost corny when they were alone and he usually talked more to the baby than to her.

When the day of the winter solstice came at the end of December, Sam asked Pete to take him and Penny to the coast, as he had done for them several months ago. But the last attempt had also failed and their last hope of traveling back to their own time before the baby was born was today.

"Are you crying, Pete?" Sam teased quietly as the pirate pulled away from him, having pulled him into a warm hug one last time.

"Nonsense! I just got something in the eye," he replied grumpily, while the Phillips sisters turned from Penny to Sam and punched him left and right in the shoulder as a farewell, thus wiping the grin off his face. The two women were even rougher than their female descendants.

"Ouch!" he protested and rolled his eyes in annoyance when the two women ignored him and called out to Penny again that she should take good care of the children, especially the giant baby - which is what they had been teasing Sam about since they caught him talking to the baby in Penny's womb for the first time. Since then he had nicknames like giant baby and softy, but it didn't bother him much. He just didn't hope it would get him mentioned in any history books.

"Goodbye, you two, and remember, like last time. If your pickers don't come, there's a rowboat waiting back there to take you to Pontypandy Island, where we'll wait for you for a few more days," Pete reminded them remembering how they got back to the pirates on the island last time. They had told the pirates that they were in contact with itinerant Scottish merchants who wanted to take them back home. After their last attempts failed, they kept returning with the excuse that their caravan hadn't come. But today it had to work. Come what may!

"We'll remember that, Pete. Thank you for everything," Sam replied again and put his arm around Penny as they watched the Phillips sisters go back to the boat, in which four other pirates were sitting. who, together with the other boat with 6 other pirates, had served as an escort for them in case someone noticed them or there was something unexpected to spontaneously plunder on their way.

"Maybe we'll see each other again, grim Sam. It would be a pleasure for me to dance on deck with your bride again and cross swords with you before we go hunting together," Pete exclaimed euphorically as he too climbed into the rowboat in which they had crossed to the mainland, leaning one leg on the frame of the bow as he grinned and pointed his blade towards the sky to accompany his words. How often had they passed the time like this? They would miss it very much too.

"I wouldn't mind either, Pete. Who knows," Sam remarked with a smile after laughing quietly at the cheerfulness the pirate was displaying. He gave Penny a questioning look and she nodded with a smile before they waved to the pirates again and turned to make their way into the mountains. They didn't get far, however, before a loud roar to their left startled them and they turned in that direction. "What the..." gasped Sam as he saw a horde of red-clad men on the beach rushing towards them from the direction of the town, led by a well-known face in a red robe and a white wig on his head, who charged towards them on a horse with a drawn saber.