Last Christmas.

A Covenant Christmas short story. Pogue Parry/OFC

My god, I thought you were someone to rely on.
Me? I guess I was a shoulder to cry on.
Wham- Last Christmas.

Penny had her heart broken the same day she fell for a silly boy, with shaggy hair and a leather jacket, and warm eyes that could melt the coldest of hearts.

She blames the mistletoe for that, and the way he walks with his hands in his pockets, and how he always smells like summer even in the dead of winter.

"Penny! I'm not paying you to stand there and gawk, get a move on it. And for the love of god, do not drop the tray."

'yes, mommy dearest' she wants to say, but doesn't. Her stomach is playing on a seesaw and her heart decided it likes it better in her throat.

So she just takes the tray of something that smells weird, and way to expensive for her taste and makes her way through the Garwin's mansion, trying her hardest not to be seen, yet wishing like hell she was.

Always keeping him in her view, turning when he turns her way, hiding behind balding business men when he walks past.

"Miss, Miss?"

"Yes?" nervously she adverts her eyes from Pogue and to the man who's speaking to her.

"there's nothing on the tray." She glances quickly at the tray, he's right. She wonders how long she's been walking around trying to serve people nothing.

The business's puffy cheeks are getting red with anger, and reminds her a squirrel with nuts and she wants to tell him he doesn't need to eat anymore anyways, that he's giving Santa a run for his money without the extra calories. "Sorry, sir-"

"Isn't it your job to notice?" He shakes his head, "Hired help these days." glaring at her "how do you expect to make it in the real world, if you can't even do a simple job like this, eh? Such a waste. No ambition whatsoever to make it in-"

"Mr. Johnsons, I didn't think you'd be here." A hand her memory has traced a thousand times over the past year reaches out and takes the squarely hand. A voice her dreams never got truly right, and the body heat of someone only as fiery as him, radiating off her skin and breaks through her conscious.

"Ah, young mister Parry. When have I ever missed it? I was just telling this girl here-" She watches his hand as it reaches for her tray, and she flinches. It's one thing to get called in idiot from some squirrel, a whole other to be thought incapable by him.

But that doesn't happen. Because somehow when he reaches for food on the tray its there. Which stops the squirrel in his tracks nuts and all.

Blinking rapidly Penny looks from the tray to Pogue. He smiles at Mr. squirrel businessman, "You should have one Mr. Johnson. They are delicious" He takes a bite out of something that looks like a chocolate fudge brownie. Which makes no sense at all. She's sure there was something escargot-ish when there was something there, which there wasn't.

"I- I think I might go sit for awhile. I'm feeling quite odd at the moment. It's been a long night." A smile to Pogue and a glare to me he walks away, leaving Penny alone with the one person she wants to be away from. She has a urge to find a bag of nuts and shake them at his retreating figure.

But she doesn't have to worry for long, because when she turns back to Pogue to tell him thanks, for whatever it was he had done, because she was positive the tray was empty, he's gone. Not truly gone, like nowhere to be found, but he walking away from her which is just as gone as no where to be found for her.

*O*

"It's been a year." Stephanie tells her.

"Actually, it's been a year one week and two days, but who's counting."

"Apparently you," inhaling her cigarette Stephanie looks at her with tired eyes, "You have to get over it. Over him. It was one night girl."

One night Penny thought would be a lifetime. It's stupid, she knows that now. She knows she had hopes that were impossible, touches that meant nothing to her everything. "It was one night but, I thought-" she thought like a silly school girl that it meant something. "he'd remember me, at lest."

Snorting, "That boy gets more ass then a public toilet seat hun, you were just one of many."

But he was just one of one. Which was one more then she wanted, one she regretted, one she foolishly wanted again.

"I-"

"No I Pen," shaking her head Stephanie flicked her cigarette, not bothering to put it out. "That night was a rebound for him. Everyone saw him and his girlfriend break-up. It had nothing to do with you, but everything to do with her."

Penny flinched. Somehow that truth hurt worse then the goodbye.

*O*

One Year One Week Two Days ago

"Please tell me you are not stalking him," Laughing squatting beside Penny, "Girl, you have lost your mind."

"I'm not stalking him," Penny said, not taking her eyes off of him, "I'm just admiring the view."

"From down here," looking she smiled, "Never mind I get it, I do. But for the past ten minutes, really? Your mom is going crazy looking for you."

"Shit." Turning around to face her friend, "It's been ten minutes?"

Rolling her eyes Stephanie couldn't help but grin, "Actually it's been twenty, but your mom's only noticed the past ten min-" Penny covered Stephanie mouth with her hand. "Shh,"

"Kate! I said I was sorry!"

"Sorry doesn't cover it anymore Pogue."

licking her palm, Penny grossed out let go.

"Kate-"

"God Pogue. I'm just over it." kate shaking her head, disgusted "I'm over you. I can't do this anymore." her purple dress, fit for any princess clung to all the right places, "i'm sorry. I'm just, done." walking away, proper and perfect.

"Whada bitch" Stephanie said, "Can you believe Waaaaaaaaaaaaa" knocking her over, Penny smiled. "they broke up!"

"YEAH!" Stephanie snapped at her, "So why did you knock me over?"

"Cause I can go talk to him, I can go-"

"Woah, slow down Pen. they just broke up, and rumor has it they break up more then the kids on 16 and pregnant. And even if they stay broken up. He's Pogue Parry, son of Ipswich Pogue Parry."

"yeah but-"

"Yeah but nothing," standing up, she helped Pen up "He goes to Spencer, You go to Ipswich. The most mixing they do with us, is at Nicky's."

Frowning, Penny looks back at Pogue who is now joined by the other son's of Ipswich. "Yeah, I guess..."

"Now come on, before your mom kills both of us." grabbing her hand, Stephanie lead her away from a disaster waiting to happen.

*x*

"Damn it, Damn it, damn it!" Kicking her tire, Penny let out a frustrated sigh. 'A flat, of-course. As if this night could get any worse. After a major blow out with her mom after droping nearly a dozen trays, she felt as if everything was falling apart by the seams, crouching down she inspected the tire.

"flat?"

"Nope," she snapped without thinking, "Just as god made me." Looking up at the tall shadow person that loomed over her. Eyes wide she seen laughing eyes, and warm smile.

crap.

"I think he did a pretty good job," smiling, "but I was talking about the tire." Kneeling down beside her he let out a low whistle. "Looks like someone slashed it."

"why can't anyone ever leave me a nice surprise. Like a puppy."

"A puppy?" he asked, amused.

"Yeah, I mean. the world would be a better place if instead of running around slashing tires people left, puppies." She was rambling, she knew it. but couldn't stop. "Or ponies. though, I don't think they'd fit a car."

He smiled, "You need a ride crazy girl?"

'god, he thinks I'm crazy. but he offered mea ride. So he can't think i'm that crazy. right? right!' "Yeah, I'd call someone but," holding out her cellphone, "My phone died. even though I'm sure it was charged, but nope. here it is dead as a door nail."

He stood up, giving her a hand to help her stand, "I just have to get my keys from inside, and i'll let Reid know about the car so his parents don't have it towed."

"Sure..." she watched him walk away, her heart moving a million miles a minute. As soon as the back door closed, she let out a giant sigh leaning back against.

feeling something hit her forehead she looked up, "you gotta be frickin' kiddin me. Seriously" running to the back porch not to get hit with the rain that just started to pour.

"Are you okay?" turning around quickly, almost losing her balance. "It'srain." beat, "that's why I'm on the porch. to get out of the rain." I'm an idiot. He smiled, "Lets get goin." nodding, she began to walk, hit a wet spot at the top of the steps, and almost went down, but she didn't. Not with Pogue there, his arms around her.

Gulping, "Oh." she looked up, "Sorry I-" she saw his eyes go above her head, shaking his head he smiled, leaned down; she knew somewhere in the back of her mind he was about to kiss, but it seemed impossible so she just kept talking "didn't see the-" his lips met hers, they tasted like heaven. It tasted like summer, warming her bones even with the chill of the night.

"Oh," Penny touched her lips when he backed away. Shocked, confused. "Mistletoe." he said, smiling pointing up.

"Oh," misltoe. right.

He looked at her, really looked at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. "Do you wanna go grab a cup of coffee somewhere?"

"Coffee?"

He smiled, "Yeah coffee."

She smiled back, "Make it a hot chocolate and you got yourself a deal." She was surprised she got a sentence out, let alone one that you could understand.

*x*

Every place was closed. Which is how they ended up there, sitting in his small apartment sized living room with nothing but hot chocolate between them. They talked about nothing and everything; from the weather to the moon landing conspiracy and everything in between.

Time passed in a blurr as smiles were taken and given as if it was nothing but a simple hello to a stranger.

"So what do you plan to do after graduation?" he asked her, at the hesitant look on her face he smiled, "come on' I promise I wont laugh."

She rolled her eyes, "Its never going to happen, but..."

"You want to be clown?"

she shook her head laughing, "No, not even close. I wanna," she bit her lip and looked away, taking a minute before talking again. "It's silly really, my dad was a pararescuer for the air-force. And I always wanted to follow in his footsteps, but seeing as how I'm not a male I can't try out for it." she shrugged her shoulders, "So I made my mind up on the coast guard as a rescue swimmer."

"Which explains the swim team." he smiled, "you're one of the fastest swimmers I've seen."

"I'm part fish." She laughed, "But really, I need to start training. Start pushing myself if I want this." You don't just wake up one morning being able to run a mile and a half in ten and a half minutes or less. Plus, swimming twenty five meters underwater in one breath, swimming one thousand meters in twenty six minutes, doing eight chin ups in a minute, fifty sit ups in two minutes, fifty push ups in two minutes, fifty flutter kicks in two minutes, all one after another, all within three hours.

He smiled at her, "You know, I never would have guessed you'd be off trying to save the world."

"Not the world, just the people in it." shaking her head, she grabbed her cup of hot chocolate, now cold but still delicious. "So what about you? What are your plans?"

"Honestly?" he began frowning, "I'm not sure. I just know I want to get out of this town."

she nodded her head in understanding, "Here's to getting out of this town," she said holding up her cup, he smiled, reached for his own and held it up "And here's to saving people."

*x*

"Oh god, It's three in the morning," Penny stood up, "My mom is going to kill me!" grabbing her purse, and her shoes she started towards the door, then remembering she didn't have her car she turned back to a very amused Pogue. "You mind giving me a lift?"

"I wouldn't..."

She raised her brow,

"But if you haven't noticed its wicked out there. We wont make it down the street let alone across town."

"Damn!"

"Hey, calm down" he stood up and went to her, his hands automatically going to her shoulders, gently rubbing them. "My mom is going to kill me!"

"No she wont," he smiled, "Just tell her what happened, the tire and that you stayed at a friends house." Some reason, without really knowing why she smiled. It was as if his words had magic in them that irrationally calmed her. "Okay."

*x*

It's four thirty, and she's so tired she's giddy. Laughing at everything, smiling at none sense but its okay, because he is too.

So when the soft hum of the radio that has filled the air all night suddendly hums with a song she loves, she doesn't think twice (or even once for that matter) about getting up and taking his hand. "I love this song," she smiles, "Dance with me."

"No way, no way in hell. I don't dance." He tells her, but laughing the whole time, and not really trying to move from her embrace.

She puts her head on his shoulder as if it was always meant to go there, his hands went to her waist as if they've been there before.

I loved you in the morning, our kisses deep and warm, your hair upon the pillow like a sleepy golden storm, yes many loved before us, I know that we are not new. In cities and in forest they smiled like me and you, but now it's come to distances and both of us must try, your eyes are soft with sorrow.

She hums along with the song, with her fingers on his chest. The feel of his heart beat putting her to sleep with a sort of ease that shouldn't be there so soon.

"This songs sad" he whisperes, but it comes out husky. She smiles but doesn't move, slowly she says "Its heaven" and she's not sure if she's talking about him or the song anymore. But really, whats the difference. Somewhere between school girl crush, the flat tire and the dance she foolish fell for a boy she didn't truly know.

you know my love goes with you as your love stays with me, it's just that way it changes, like the shoreline and the sea, but lets not talk of love or chains and things we can't untie, your eyes are soft with sorrow, hey, thats no way to say goodbye.

she doesn't hesitate when he kisses her. This time she's ready for it, so she kisses him back with everything she's feeling. With words that are unbelieveable to her own heart, so unspeakable, yet she tells him with her kisses.

When his hands start to stray and cloths start to come off, she doesn't hesitate, but rejoices in the touch of his warm flesh on her seeminly cold body. Wondering if this is how it's meant to happen all along. If this is what it always feels like, and she wonders why the hell she doesn't go to him sooner.

Because this right here? His lips on her neck, her shirt on his floor, his shirt on tossed somewhere- the buttons of his jeans becoming undone, the way he makes her back arch; this is perfect. It's her and him, and they fall together perfectly she can't help but let him lead her to his bedroom.

*x*

She wakes up with the sunlight on her face, a smile at her lips and her body glowing with warmth. She rolls over, but when she doesn't feel him next to her she sits up, worried.

But only for a minute, she spots him in the living on the phone pacing back and forth. She holds herself back from getting out of bed and going to him. But when he looks up he smiles and whisphers something in the phone before hanging up.

"Hey crazy girl," He says. "that was Reid," he nodded to the cell in his hand, "I asked him to get your tire fixed, he brought it over here."

Oh. she wants to frown. She doesn't know what, but it makes her a little upset. "You didn't have to do that."

"I know, but I wanted to." she can't help but notice when he sits on the bed he sits further away from her. "He's on his way now with it," he gives her smile "I guess he had an after after party last night, he needs help cleaning the place up before his parents find out."

"Do you need me-"

"So i figured I'd catch up with you later?"

"Oh," she forces a smile. "Sure."

*x*

She's half way home when she notices the unicorn in the backseat of her car. She frowns, pulls over and grabs the stuffed animal. There's a note attached to it. 'It might not be a pony, but its better don't you think? -Pogue' She smiles, and thinks maybe she imagined the whole the awkwardness between them this morning.

*x*

He doesn't call. But he ignores her calls. And when she shows up at his apartment, knowing he's there and hearing him inside. He wont open the door. And she wonders what hap pend. Her mind starts to panic. did something happen to him? Is he okay? Every reason imaginable except the truth.

So it's a surprised to her, when she ends up and Nicky's with Stephanie and she see's him there with Kate on his arm. And it breaks her heart when he looks right passed her like she was never there to began with.

If it wasn't for the hickey still on her body, and the month grounding she got from her mother, not to mention the unicorn that was sitting on her bed as a reminder. She would have thought she dreamt it all, "Lets get out of here Steph," she takes her friends hand and they walk out of the bar. Penny can't help but think, that was a horrible way to say goodbye.

She cries all the way home.

*o*

Two years later.

Penny loves it. the calmness of the ocean at her feet. She knows though, that with the moments that it's calm and loving, it is also deadly and wicked; but it's her home, it's where her heart is at.

She finally gave her heart away to someone who wont break it, who wont give it back the first chance possible. She gave it to herself. And with that love came the control to be anything she wanted to be. It gave her the power to break free of the chains she had put on herself.

Will she love another again? She will. She knows she'll fall once again, but she also knows when she does. She wont lose herself so completely. Because her heart is her.

AN: MERRY CHRISTMAS! even tho it's late :)

So I sorta got inspired for this story by two songs, one Last Christmas (glee version lol) & two Leonard Cohen Hey, that's no way to say goodbye.
hope you enjoyed. :)