The tree branch banging on the window, reminded Penelope of a very unpleasant memory of a few days before. A trash can blowing over caused such a bang that she woke up instantly. She was still in the hospital, she had suffered a broken leg trying to escape from a crazed gunman in a local mall. She was troubled by the memory. The nurse wasn't looking towards Penelope's bed, so she decided to make a run for it. She grabbed her crutches. She needed to get out of there.

Penelope had only got to the door leading out of the ward, when her dad appeared.

"Where do you think you are going? You need to get back to bed and sleep."

"I can't sleep. I keep having flashbacks to that day." She paused "How come you are here? You visited me earlier."

"It was an emergency." Let's go in this room, then I can tell you better" he stopped so they could go into the room marked relatives room, "I wanted to come see you." Penelope was shocked. She didn't know what to say, she forgot she needed crutches to walk, she started walking and suddenly fell to the floor. "Pen? Are you alright? Let me help you." Her dad, Peter, helped her up and got her crutches and helped her back to her bed.

"Dad, can you stay please? I don't want to stay here alone. Where's mom?" She asked her dad.

"I will stay but there is something you need to know." He paused, he didn't know how to tell her about her mom. "I came here as I got a call saying your mom died as a result on her gunshot wound. My darling, I sorry I have to go back home as I've got to go to work early. I will get Uncle Jeffery to pick you up in the morning."

"Why do you have to go to work early whilst I'm in here? I want you to pick me up not Uncle Jeffery." Penelope protested. She didn't want to go to a home, which was empty.

The next day she was waiting for Jeffery, one of her dad's security guards. When he arrived, the nurses didn't know who he was, so he told them he was Penelope Winters uncle who was picking her up to take her home.

"Hi there kiddo. Come one let's get you home."

"Hi, Uncle Jeffery. I don't want to go home yet. Can you take me somewhere like Starbucks for something to eat please? I haven't had anything to eat today."

"Yeah that will be nice. Come on kiddo. Does your dad know about this?"

"Nope. And he doesn't need to does he?"

"No. come on, I will pay for it today, and you don't need to get your money out for this. Anyway, your allowance won't go in until tomorrow."

Penelope smiled as she walked to Jeffery's car, she was in pain, but a Starbucks lunch would make her feel better. She thought so at least.

A few months later, Penelope was sat in the doctor's office, she knew something was wrong with her, but she didn't want to worry her dad. The past few months had been hard for them. She left the doctor's office feeling like she had made some progress, but she knew she had to tell her father, but he was always too busy.

When she got back her dad was in his office talking to a senator, more like they were disagreeing on something.

"Mr President, I admire you for doing this on your own, but you need to address it to the public."

"No, I don't. What happens in the rooms upstairs are private and the public don't need to know about it." He stopped. "Pen how did it go at the doctor's?"

"It went ok. Anyway, I think the public deserve to know so that they can understand you better don't you agree Senator Jackson?"

"Yes, I do actually. Sorry sir but she does have a point."

"I have to go sir, I need to go upstairs and sort somethings out."

Once in her room Penelope burst into tears, she had forgotten to take her tablets, SNIR. (Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors).

At dinner that night, Penelope and her father had an argument, it was so bad.

"I can't believe that you took Senator Jacksons side. I'm your father, I deserve you to take my side. I know everything about you."

"Really? Well you don't that I have depression do you? I have to go now. I don't have any appetite." Penelope went to her room. She didn't want her dad to see her cry, she regretted telling her father like that but at least he knew.

Minutes later her dad came into her room and found her on her balcony. He put his arm around her to keep her safe.

"Penelope, can you turn around please? I need to talk to you." She turned around to look at her father. "Look, I know that I've been avoiding you, but I miss your mom just like you do. I know it can' t have been easy for you to me that you have depression. Pen I will be here for you and I think you know that don't you?"

"Dad, of course it wasn't easy, I had been planning to tell you in a different way but that was the fifth argument this week. Daddy I'm not well and all I want to know is that you will be there whenever I need to talk to you instead of having to book an appointment. Please daddy."

"Baby girl, if I knew you had to book an appointment…" he pulled her closer as she started sobbing. "You don't have to ask me to be there for you. I will always be here for you, it's my job as your dad. Tomorrow we have a visit to do about that day for the survivors and those who have lost someone. You don't have to go if you don't want to."

"What and let him win? I don't thinks so. He isn't going to win. I'm going to prove everyone wrong that mental health isn't debilitating."

The next day on the visit was upsetting and Penelope didn't let anyone know that there was something wrong. Halfway through the visit, Penelope saw someone she recognised from that horrific day, they lost someone close to them. She didn't think they saw her, but they did. They jumped out of the queue and started running towards her, Jeromy (another one of her father's security guards) stopped them.

"Jeromy, leave her alone. She isn't going to harm me, are you?"

"No. why would I? Anyway, Mr President, I think I should explain I was in the mall with her that day. My name is Lorna Matthews, my son was shot defending the mall, and he was an off-duty police officer."

Penelope was crying, everyone thought she was upset by Lorna's story, but she remembered that Lorna's son died defending her as he knew who she was. "Mrs Matthews, may I tell you something that you didn't know." She nodded "Your son Daniel, was defending me from him and I was saddened to hear that he died. Our condolences Mrs Matthews."

Chapter 2

Once they were back at the white house, Penelope's dad said to her "I didn't know that the officer who died was defending you. I know you don't like talking about that day but please tell me why you didn't take Jeffery or Jeromy."

"Look dad, I didn't take them as I wanted to go out on my own. I won't ever do that ever again. Can we go see mom tomorrow as it is her birthday?"

"Pen you don't have to ask to go see mom. Yes, we can go. It will be hard, but it will get better, I know that and I'm sure you know that too."

Their time at the graveyard was over far too quickly, but they had a nice time relaxing and chatting about anything and nothing. One thing Penelope didn't tell her dad was that her boyfriend was cheating on her as she didn't want to ruin the pleasant time in the graveyard. Once back home, things changed. Penelope's dad started acting as if nothing was wrong and as if the past few months hadn't even happened. This annoyed Penelope as she thought her relationship with her father was getting better. It wasn't. She tried everything to get her dad to talk to her, what she didn't realise was that her dad knew about her boyfriend. She didn't know until a few days later at lunch when her dad sated "Pen, Ben is coming around today. I invited him. I am going to have a chat with him about cheating and how it effects people." As he said this Peter took a stab at his bread.

"Dad, why did you invite him around? I didn't know you knew about him cheating on me."

"I didn't until you told me just now. I was inviting him around anyway. On a unrelated topic, did you see where I put my gun?"

"Yeah in your draw in your room." She paused "What are you going to do". Peter didn't reply.

Ben arrived as he normally did, late. This wasn't unusual. What was unusual was Peter not greeting him. When Penelope took him into the lounge, Peter just happened to be cleaning his gun.

"Hello, Mr Winters. "

"Hello Ben" replied Peter. "Now tell me, why are you cheating on my daughter?"

"I'm not sir. I would never do that."

"Don't lie to me. I trust my daughter, she told me the other day. Tell me the truth and you won't get hurt. Much"

"Sir, I don't understand, I would never do that to your daughter."

At this point things were becoming tense, so Penelope stepped in and showed Ben the messages her best friend Beth got from Ben, who was also dating Claire. Peter was shocked at what he read. He almost flew at Ben but somehow managed to keep his temper under control. Penelope, spoke with tears in her eyes "Ben, you have to choose. Me or Claire, who is expecting you baby." She paused "It's simply me or her Ben. The truthful answer please not some lies like you have been telling me for the past few months."

"Look, you want the truth? I will give you the truth. I'd pick her over you any day. I'm sorry but you wouldn't even let me meet your dad until a few months ago. No competition." Ben went to slap Penelope.

"I don't think so. You need to leave NOW! DON'T YOU EVER COME BACK YOU SON OF GUN!" (Peter didn't say gun.) He took Pen into his arms and whispered, "He won't come here ever again."

"I haven't heard you shout so loud since you found mom and him together."

Chapter 3

The event that Penelope was referring too, took place almost two years ago.

Penelope had just arrived home after being out with friends, she noticed that the front door was unlocked. She had her dad on speed dial. He came around instantly.

Peter went upstairs and found his wife in bed with his best friend! All hell broke loose. "I DON'T BELIEVE IT! YOU SON OF BITCH." Peter ran downstairs, he grabbed Penelope by the arm and they left. "Pen listen to me; your mum and I are getting a divorce as you know however we are still legally married that's why I kicked off the way I did. You are not to speak to them ever again. I have got full custody of you and your mother can see you every three months."

Penelope looked out of the window, staring at the passing scenery. She felt so conflicted. She knew her mom was acting differently but didn't know how to explain it to her dad.

"Pen, get out here and go to the mall, here's $46. Spend it on whatever you want. I will pick you up at 5."

"Dad, you're not going to do anything stupid are you? I don't want to go on my own to the mall, can you come with me please."

"Penelope, I need to go for a drive to calm down. Call your friends. See you in a while."

Penelope was wandering around the mall when she spotted her mom heading her way. Penelope, didn't know what to do.

"Penelope. Why on earth did you tell your dad about me and Paul?"

"I didn't. I saw the front door was open and called dad as I didn't know you were going to be home so I was panicking slightly."

"I don't want you to ever come back to my house, your stuff will be at your dads. Bye."

Penelope was really upset, all she did was call her dad about something that could've been something really dangerous. She was seething with anger when her dad picked her up. She didn't speak the entire way back to her dad's house.

The relationship between Peter and Penelope confuses a lot of people because one day they can be really close and the next they might not even be talking to each other. Penelope was timid and afraid of most things.

"Hey Pen, you ok? You seem off."

"Yeah dad I'm fine…" She paused she suddenly felt uneasy on her feet "Dad can I have a sleep on your sofa while you sort tea out."

"Course, you don't have to ask. I will get a blanket in a minute once I've found the takeout menu.