Chapter Text
Chapter 4 - You Are The Reason
“Three broken ribs and a concussion”
“How did you manage that?!” Amelia asked, looking stunned.
Penny had dragged him off to the naval facilities in the morning, and had refused to leave before he had gone through scans and evaluations with specialists. She was a stubborn and determined woman when someone she loved was unwell.
He had learned that this morning. Sure he had always known she had a protective personality but he had never known the extent of it until this morning. She was furious with him for spending an evening with her at the bar instead of taking care of himself.
She had wasted no time in telling him she thought he was absolutely insane an irresponsible for not taking care of himself. He didn’t blame her. She was right to be mad at him. He knew where it came from and instead of annoying him like it would have in the past, he smiled and held her closer. He greatly appreciated her love and concern for him.
“Punched out of a crashing F-18 after it was hit by a missile - it’s no joke to do that” he smiled, rubbing her small hand in his.
After his appointment this morning, Penny had taken him back to her house and sent him straight to bed for a few hours. She had to go back to the bar, but he had strict orders to rest and call her if he felt worse.
He had slept like a rock for 6 solid hours and then gone downstairs to find something to eat. While he was digging through the fridge, Amelia had come home from school and offered to take over. He was grateful to her for this. Despite his long nap he felt drained. He was in quite a bit of pain and felt lightheaded.
Leading him to the couch, Amelia had cooked him an omlette and served it with some toast and a large bottle of water from the fridge.
In many ways she reminded him of her mother. She was just as caring and attentive as Penny. He was amazed. No teenager had ever been this kind and gentle with him. She seemed geniunely worried about him, and after he finished the meal, she had sat down next to him and taken her hand in his, asking him about what happened.
“What happened up there?” She asked, her face slightly pale.
“We had a target to hit and we managed, but the enemy had missiles lined up and launched them at us as we were headed out. I took at hit to my tail to get one of the missiles off Rooster’s six” he said, smiling as she squeezed his hand.
“But I thought you had a parachute on?” She asked, looking confused.
“I did, but it was partially torn by the force of the missiles blowing up around me”
“Oh” she said, frowning.
“I’m fine sweetheart - I just need a bit of time” he smiled, trying his best to reassure her. He didn’t want to worry her.
“Mom is pissed at you” she smirked, looking relieved that for once it was him and not her that Penny was pissed off at.
He chuckled, then winced; “you know I’m not worried before she’s not angry with me anymore”.
Amelia laughed; “yeah good point - if she’s not mad that means you’re really in trouble!”.
“How was school?” He asked, immensely enjoying her company.
“It was alright,” she smiled; “have bit of group work to do with a project in history class so I’ll head over to Karens later and stay the night if mom’s okay with it”.
“I’m sure she’ll be okay with it,” he smiled; “What is the project about?”.
“Each team had to pick a subject so we could study it and make a presentation to the rest of the class,” she said and he smiled thinking that was a brilliant idea; “so Karen and I picked the gulf war”.
“Desert storm” he mumbled to himself, smiling at the memories. It was bittersweet as it was with most of his deployments.
“Huh?” Amelia said, obviously confused at his reaction.
“Desert storm,” he repeated, louder this time; “that’s what we called it”.
She frowned; “You were there?”.
“Yeah,” he smiled; “I was deployed to Iraq as a part of operation desert storm”.
She gaped at him; “Oh wow - I had no idea”.
He smiled and rubbed her hand; “You know if you need anything let me know? I don’t know the whole thing but I could provide an eyewitness account if you need it”.
A broad smile spread across her face and her eyes lit up like stars on a dark night; “That’d be so cool! I’ll talk to Karen about it - if you’re up for an interview tomorrow maybe?”.
He grinned and squeezed her hand; “Of course - just say the word”.
“Awesome!” She said and he was quite impressed at her enthusiasm with her school project. That was certainly something he never had been. He had always been too bored, impatient and restless to focus much on school projects. She was a great kid.
Silence fell between them for a while. He didn’t mind. His head was pounding again and he enjoyed her company.
He wondered when Penny would be home. He wished he could head to the bar and spend the evening with her there, but he knew she would be pissed at him if he didn’t rest up. Neither of them had said anything, but he had a feeling she had asked Amelia to keep an eye on him. The thought made him smile. His girls.
Amelia chuckled beside him. He turned his face towards her.
“What’s so funny?”
"I just can't believe mom kicked you out and made you jump out of the window" she laughed.
He laughed with her, then clutched his side, silently cursing the ribs again; “You know it’s not exactly the first time”.
“It’s not?” She asked, smiling broadly.
“Not at all” he chuckled, fond memories of their past flowing back to him; “I’ve climbed out of the window all the years we’ve known each other. First it was because her parents couldn’t know and this time it was you she wanted to hide it from”.
“Pretty silly to make you climb out the window this time - I knew you were here” she said, grinning.
“Before you saw me?” He asked, frowning.
“Yeah! Not exactly rocket science to figure it out since your bike was out front” she laughed.
He shook his head: “of course - I forgot”.
“Thanks for the inspiration though” she grinned; “now I know how to get people in and out without you or mom noticing.”
You or mom. He smiled. He liked the sound of it. It almost sounded like she was counting on him to stay this time. He was staying but he hadn’t talked to her about it. He’d talked to Penny but not Amelia.
“You know you can always tell me right?” He said, grabbing her hand again, squeezing it gently.
Their eyes met and he couldn’t quite place the look in her eyes. Then, completely unexpectedly, she got up and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. Instinctively he wrapped his arms around her small frame and held her to him, rubbing her back gently.
“Thanks Mav” she muttered.
His heart broke a little as he realized where this was all coming from. He was thrown right back into the first time he saw her after returning to North Island. He’d asked her about her dad and she had replied very matter-of-factly that he with his new wife in Hawaii. A sligth bitterness to her voice had told him that she barely had any contact with him.
It made him sad and angry at the same time. Sad because she was a great kid. Smart, kind and funny. Angry because she didn’t deserve to be discarded the way her father had done. He promised himself right then and there that no matter what happened, he would protect her for the rest of his life. He would never betray the trust she had shown him.
“Think you’d be okay with me staying this time?” he asked, pulling back slowly.
Their eyes met and she smiled broadly; “I’d like that”.
He smiled, feeling happy and relieved at the same time.
“Think you’ll be alright here?” She asked, looking at him with concern.
He smiled and patted her arm; “I’ll be just fine - thanks for lunch and everything else”.
She smiled and hugged him briefly again before pulling back; “I’ll be at Karens - Mom will be home in a few hours”.
“Have fun sweetheart - I’ll see you tomorrow!” he said, waving as she headed out.
Sighing he lay back, smile on his face. Not only had he made it out of a nearly impossible mission in once piece - he was also back with Penny and Amelia and they had both forgiven him. He felt like the luckiest bastard on the planet. He closed his eyes, recalling the look in Penny’s eyes when she had welcomed him back into her life.
Those eyes would stay with him forever. The burning look of desire and love. The smile on her face. Her warm, soft skin against his own as she held him tight. He couldn’t imagine anyone he wanted more than her.
He slipped into unconciousness, sleeping peacefully. How many hours had passed, he had no idea. He was very confused when he woke up. It was dark and quiet and it took him a full minute to remember where he was and why.
Just as he was about to get up and turn on the lights, the front door opened and the lights switched on.
“Pete? Why are you in the dark?”
It was Penny and she looked stunning as always. He smiled, moving to sit up.
“I only just woke up” he said, smiling at her. He couldn’t help it. He’d missed her.
She smiled, walking towards him, then sitting down in front of him; “How are you feeling?”
“I’m alright. A bit sore but other than that okay” he said, grabbing her hand to reassure her.
“Have you had dinner?” She asked, squeezing his hand.
“I had lunch a few hours ago - Amelia has been great” he said, smiling warmly thinking about how they’d been bonding a bit.
She chuckled; “It’s past nine - lunch must have been like 8 hours ago! I’ll make you something”.
She moved into the kitchen and returned shortly after with a sandwich that he finished quickly while she told him about her day. She looked absolutely exhausted. Taking his plate to the kitchen, he grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the fridge and turned towards her;
“Bedtime?”
She got up from her seat and nodded; “That’s an offer I can’t refuse - I’m beat”.
He chuckled and grabbed her hand, the two of them headed upstairs together. A few minutes later she curled up against him. Her head resting on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around her body. He sighed happily. There was no better feeling than his - having her close to him. The smell of her hair. The smoothness of her skin.
“I missed you today” he said, kissing the top of her head.
She looked up at him and smiled; “I missed you too”.
She moved a hand to his face, and pulled him to her, her lips moving against his slowly. He could taste peppermint from her toothpaste on her lips and smiled against her. He tightened his hold around her body and moved his other hand into her hair, caressing every inch of her he could.
He had a primal urge to feel her, every inch of his body and soul screaming for closeness. He deepened the kiss, tongues playing that old game that he loved playing with her. In fact he couldn’t imagine playing it with anyone else.
“Pete” she gasped, pulling back for air.
“Everything alright?” He muttered, nose buried in her hair, inhaling her scent.
“Fine, just can’t do this right now” she breathed, resting her head against his chest.
He chuckled; “I know - I just miss being this close to you”.
She looked up at him, a smile on her face; “I’m right here you know”.
“I know” he breathed, an overwhelming sense of need washing over him once again. It was sort of like falling in love with her all over again. He supposed that what he had gone through with her - especially recently - changed the dynamics between them. It had made him appreciate her even more than he used to.
Life was short. It had almost been a lot shorter for him than he had ever expected it to be. So to be here, back in her arms was a blessing. It was something he would never take for granted again.
“Had a good day here?” She asked, her hand running over his chest.
“Yeah - Amelia has been a real champ. She made me lunch and we talked a bit” he smiled.
“Talked? She’s usually not much of a talker” she said, sounding quite surprised.
“Really? We talked about my job and her school project - I promised to help her out”
“How? You gonna do her math paper for her?” She chuckled.
He grinned; “You certainly wouldn’t approve of that - no she’s working on a history project on the Gulf War and I offered an eye-witness account of what I saw in Desert Storm”.
“Oh,” she said softly, clearly surprised at his words; “You sure you’re okay reliving all that?”.
He smiled against her; “Definitely,” he planted a kiss to her forehead; “don’t worry about me”.
“I always worry” she whispered.
“I know you do sweetheart - that’s one of the reasons you’re such a great mother” he meant it. Every word. It was something he had been thinking for a while but never found the right time to tell her.
She looked up at him, surprise etched on her features.
“I mean it - she’s a great kid. She reminds me of you in many ways. You’ve done such a great job with her” he said, the surprise in her eyes turning into raw emotion as she looked at him.
Seemingly lost for words, she leaned in, capturing his lips again, kissing him slowly. This time he went with her lead, keeping it slow and gentle. She sighed against him and pulled back, moving to rest on her front, propped up on her elbows so she was facing him just like their first night back together.
“I can’t tell you what it means to me that you bond with her” she said, looking into his eyes.
“It means everything to me to be close to her. You, Rooster and Amelia are my family.” He said, thinking of Amelias words from earlier. He chuckled at the thought and Penny frowned.
“Care to let me in on the joke?” She smiled.
“Oh it’s just Amelia - she had a bit of a laugh at the way you had me jump out the window on our first night back together” he grinned.
She smiled; “I wasn’t aware that she knew about that”.
“She knew,” he grinned; “She saw my bike out front and when I jumped, she was standing in the window”.
She laughed; “of course she saw your bike. I didn’t even think about that”.
“You know she joked that at least now she knew how to sneak someone in and out of the house” he grinned, thinking of Amelias cheeky expression when she had said it earlier.
“I hope you told her to forget about ever succeeding in hiding anything from me!” She said, smiling at him.
“Actually I told her that she could always tell me anything” he said, running a hand up and down her back.
“And what did she say?” She asked, quietly, looking stunned.
He smiled; “She thanked me and gave me a hug”.
She had tears in her eyes; “What else did you talk about?”.
“I asked her if she would be okay with me staying this time” he swallowed the lump in his throat. It felt as if he had been accepted into their family today.
“And?” She said, breathlessly.
“She said she’d like that” he said quietly, feeling oddly nervous for some reason.
She smiled, then exhaled; “Have to admit I’ve been a bit nervous about what she might say”.
“How come?” He asked, worried he might have overstepped a boundary.
“It’s just always been the two of us, well since her father left anyway. I wasn’t sure she would be okay sharing me and this space with someone else” she said, shaking her head.
“I’ll never betray her trust,” he said quietly, caressing her back; “or yours”.
She leaned in and kissed him; “You better not” she smiled against him.
He smiled too; “Oh I wouldn’t dare”.
She smirked and moved a hand to caress his face; “You know - just a few week ago I wouldn’t have dared to even imagine seeing you again and then you showed up here…”.
“Took us both by surprise. I never thought I’d be back here” he smiled.
“Fate sure has a sick sense of humor” she smiled, her hand still on his face, her fingers caressing his cheek.
He loved her touch. It felt right. He was at home with her.
“You know - no matter where I went I always had you with me” He confessed.
She frowned; “how so?”.
“Remember that summer we spent all night out on the beach and watched the sun go down and then come back up?” He said quietly, smiling at the memory.
“The same summer you got busted for taking me on a joy-ride in an F-18?” She chuckled.
He laughed; “yeah that’s the one”.
“That was a magical day” she whispered.
“I took a picture of you just before the sun set - out on the beach”
“You did? I don’t remember” she frowned, smiling.
“I did, yeah. The picture of you has followed me around whereever I’ve been” he smiled.
She chuckled happily; “You’re such a sap”.
“Only for you” he smiled.
She leaned in, kissing him slowly; “I love that about you”.
His hand found her face, holding her to him. He couldn’t find words to describe what her words meant to him. It stirred something deep inside him. Something that he had kept down, buried beneath everything else for years, decades. It was as if that something had broken free at last and was now soaring inside him, filling him up.
And then it hit him. It was the depth of his feelings for her. The emotions he had kept hidden because they were too painful to deal with when he couldn’t have her and stay with her. There had been other lovers, his job and her husband between them. Now all obstacles were gone.
They could stay together for good.
“You are the reason I breathe Penny” he whispered against her lips and she met his gaze. Her were shining with unshed tears and he smiled. Moving his hand into her hair, he pulled her back to him, lips moving slowly against hers. He meant what he said. She was the reason he was still here and he couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with her.
~*~