Disclaimer: I own nothing, just the little plot bunny!
A/N:So just a little oneshot, takes place after Emily's 'death', call this a little tie over as my university work takes over my life =/
Enjoy!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Reason For Things -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
With the sun beating down, Penelope watched the rolling waves wash in the new waves and then cast them out. The continual twinkle of sunlight resting on the surface sparkling mesmerizingly. A sight like this was one that Penelope could just watch for a lifetime and never get bored.
There was such a subtle beauty to the bounce of light.
She closed her eyes as the sun warmed her skin against the cool sea breeze and she inhaled deeply; calmingly. Opening her eyes she saw how, in the mere seconds she had taken for herself, things had changed. Feeling her heart clench some at the thought she realised that in the blink of eye everything could change.
You could fall in love. You could be shot. You could go with second best. You could be left heartbroken. You could have nightmares. You could have perfect dreams. You could lose people you love most. You could keep a smile on your face or you could break and cry. You could keep secrets or bare them.
Everything could change in the flash of light, in the beat of a heart. The here and now wasn't set in stone and the saddest thing was; was that Penelope still believed that some things could remain the way they were.
"You really need to get new places to run to, Baby Girl." Derek said softly as he slipped down onto the sand next to her, he looked at the serenity sat on her face, her gaze not moving. "I need more of a challenge."
Penelope laughed a little at that, "I like it here," she told him quietly. "I can think, rationalise."
Leaning in, hitting her shoulder with his gently, he smiled faintly, "Wanna talk it out?"
Penelope was silently thoughtful for a moment and she looked up him, her head falling to the side slightly, "I hate change." She finally spoke up, her tone clearer.
"Why?" He questioned her, "Change is healthy."
"Is it?" Penelope asked him, "Is it worth going through what we do? Going through watching our own fall, or is it worth falling in love for it to just always fail? Is it worth settling for what you love for it to be snatched away?" Penelope searched Derek's eyes for answers. "Change isn't healthy when you're a person down." She finalised and turned her head back towards the sea, biting down on her lip as she went to halt the tears.
"We all had to adapt to Emily," Derek said calmly. "We all lost there."
"I'm not saying you didn't, I would never begrudge you that and say I'm the only one that suffered there." Penelope told him apologetically, the tears forming and scorching her lashes, "Never."
Derek put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in, "I didn't even think you were doing that, Baby. What I'm getting at is that we all lost and we all, individually, carried on. Doesn't mean we liked it, but life just, you know, it goes on." He soothed her, keeping her close. "Everything happens for a reason."
"Not all the time." Penelope grumbled as she placed her head to his chest.
"Oh no you don't! You don't get to give up on that now," Derek scorned her heavily. "Especially when it's the truth, Princess. Everything really does happen for a reason."
"My parents dying?" Penelope asked him almost hopelessly, her eyes watering.
Derek thought for a second, "Giving you the path to your life now." He leant his head down, a smirk on his lips, "Giving you the reason to walk into my life."
Penelope giggled lightly, her tone not even near what it usually would be, "Getting shot?"
"As much as I hate to say it, give you Kevin. Offer you something good after something bad." Derek said, his heart still being scorched with the thought. "Make me realise what I've been thinking all along."
Penelope pulled away then, and just looked at him; saw a familiar look in his eyes that she recognised as something she had felt. She didn't want to jump in feet first and make a complete fool of herself in front of her favourite man, the man that had made her fall in love more times than she could count.
"Kevin breaking up with me?" She asked him coyly at asking the touchy subject, "What reason is there for him leaving me high and dry?"
"Because, it meant that I could finally show the world what the world's wanted to see," He started and moved forward, staring into her eyes, breathing heavily, he could feel her breath hit his and his lips couldn't withhold the boyish grin they were trying to stop. "I could finally stake claim without fear of doing it at the wrong time."
Penelope went to speak, to demand answers, but she guessed Derek was past verbalising as he finally kissed her, his hand immediately running up into her hair to keep the kiss in a state of perfection.
Penelope felt like the sparkling sunlight on the sea surface then. Here she was, remaining in a state of utter bliss, her mind spiralling to heaven and higher while the world continued to live on around her and her chocolate Adonis.
The sea still swept in to hug the shore before leaving it again, the sun still shone, the clouds still passed, people still continued to have fun in the sand, the breeze continue to wisp around them, even if they were frozen for the moment.
Needing air, they pulled apart and just stared at one another. For once, realising that all of their teasing and flirting, their touches, their habits, everything that made them all accounted for one thing. They were all the pieces that fit the love they had of one another together.
Sensing the shift in her mood, Derek claimed the moment. Was going to usher away all doubts that were clouding Penelope's mind at that moment. Was going to really settle this once and for all.
"Change is happening everyday of our life, Penelope, and we can't stop it," Derek told her in a low husky tone, "And God, if we stopped it we wouldn't make it to the perfect places in our lives."
"Perfect places," Penelope mused dreamily, her head still swirling around at what had just happened. "You're right, change is healthy." She said as she opened her eyes a little wider and stared at him. "Would you laugh if you were told a certain tech kitten's been smitten over you for years?"
Smiling, Derek shook his head, "I'd say I was a blind fool for not noticing sooner than I had. I could've had you so many years ago and I let fear drive me."
"Don't let it then, Handsome. I'm here now; I'm giving you me, all of me. What do you say?" Penelope asked him as her body buzzed with confidence. "What would you do?"
"Simple," He told her as he pushed her down onto the sand and lay over her, blocking out the sunlight from blinding her. "I would get you under my power and then kiss the hell out of you. Claim you as mine at last and promise to the stars and back that I was never, ever going to let you get away from me for many years."
Penelope smiled as he kissed her again, this time with extra passion, with extra lust, his hand roaming down her body, his attention ignorant of anyone else around, his senses filled with Penelope and only Penelope.
It was then, within this newfound glory and lost that Penelope knew one thing, because just like Penelope knew, things could change in the blink of an eye.
Pulling back a bit, Derek had a cheeky look in his eyes, "Next time we're here we're building the best sandcastle possible."
"If we have time, you big kid," Penelope said as she finally pushed him off of her ready to finally move this elsewhere.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Reason For Things -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-