Penelope shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she sat with Chris in his hospital room. Derek had insisted on getting some food into Rita before she pulled an all nighter in the hospital room with Chris. Reluctantly Penelope agreed that she and Derek would stay at their hotel room and return early the next morning. Chris watched his sister for awhile, he had woken up a good ten minutes before and he had been watching her since.

"Mattie honey, what's up?" Chris asked finally. Startled Penelope looked up at her brother and smiled.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" she asked standing up taking his hand in hers.
"Better thank you. Now tell me what plays on your mind." Penelope bit her lower lip before telling him about what she and Derek had agreed upon earlier that afternoon.
"So don't you want to know once and for all? Won't that finally release you both? Either way kiddo you'll know, if he doesn't feel that way then at least you know how to place yourself in his life."
"I guess."
"Are you scared that he won't feel the same way, or you're scared that he does?"
"Both?" she admitted softly. Their upcoming discussion forced her to face the truth of her feelings. She had denied it for so long that she had convinced herself that they didn't exist. Yes he consumed her, but she wasn't in love with him. Or so she justified to herself, hence it had hurt so much when he dropped out of her life so easily, as though she didn't matter at all.
"Chris, if he had consumed me for so long as my friend, how much more is it going to consume me if I am admittedly in love with him? That scares me."
"Hiding from it doesn't make it go away Pen. If anything it makes things harder. What makes you think he doesn't love you as much as you love him?"
"He has a girlfriend and he dropped out of my life." She answered.
"Not his finest moment, but could it be he is just as scared as you are?"
"Of what? He has nothing to lose, while I have everything to lose and already have."
"I know honey, but you need to tell him that. You also need to listen to what he has to say. You may just be surprised. I know it's a huge risk, but you're tougher than you think Mattie. If it turns out that you're not on the same page, isn't it better to know and go from there? Instead of doing this dance forever?"
"Not everyone gets the same ending you and Rita do Chris? Not everyone's that lucky. You love her and she loves you, there was never any doubt about it."
"Are you doubting Derek loves you?"
"Yes, No, I don't know. I know he cares about me. Love me, that too I guess."
"But,"
"I wasn't important enough for him to keep me in his life."
"Listen Kiddo, no one would like to kick his ass more than I do for doing that, but after everything you have been through, does he maybe deserve a chance to plead his case? Rita and I were lucky, it's always been just the two of us that there was no reason to doubt where we stood in each other's life, but I almost left Rita and move to Boston with Jillian when she got the job promotion."
"What?" Penelope exclaimed. She had heard bits and pieces about Jillian DuPree but not that part.
"It made sense. I loved Jillian, and I could be a cop anywhere as she put it. The only thing keeping me at Palm Beach was Rita. Eventually I decided that the now was better than what could be, and I preferred to live in the now with Rita than go to Boston with Jillian."
"Wasn't that a hint for you?" Penelope joked.
"Yeah, but after Jillian left I was sort of an ass. I was moody, and I bit her head off every chance I got, as though I blamed her for the decision I made, so she did was Rita does. Kick me in the ass. She told me to go to Boston and work out once and for all what I wanted because she didn't want me around if all I was going to be was be a bear. That I needed to stand by my decision, and that I needed to go to Boston to figure out what it is I wanted because it wasn't fair to her that I blamed her for the decision I made."
"That sounds like Rita"
"I went to Boston, and the moment I got there, I knew my initial decision was the right one. On the way back I got a call from Cap to say that Rita was involved in a car bombing and that she was hurt. I have never been as scared as I was at that moment, obviously with the exception of twenty something years ago, but that goes without saying. I got to the scene and all I could do was pull her into my arms and I never wanted to let go. I made her come home with me that night, so I could look after her, and that's when I told her."
"And everything worked out from there right?"
"Not exactly. the next morning we both wigged and tried to convince each other that we had both made a mistake and we can move on from it. So after a couple of days of denial, we both finally gave in. Thanks for Michael Price who made a point of being obnoxious just so we could admit to it once and for all, but not without hurting each other in those couple of days."
"Chris is being a generous. I wigged. He was ready to take the next step, but I completely freaked out." Rita said as she entered without Derek.
"He's parking the car." Rita answered the unspoken question as Penelope nodded with relief.
"I freaked because as much as I wanted it to be true, I couldn't help but be scared that it may not work out and I lose him. Chris was the closest thing I had to family and I would rather have lived in denial to keep him than risk it all and lose him at the end of it. But P, it's worth the risk. I promise." Chris grinned as Rita took his free hand in hers.

Penelope appreciated what they had shared, and it did help, but she and Derek were different. A part of her refused to believe there was a happy ending for her and Derek. In the last few hours she realised just how much he had hurt her when he walked away, and she wasn't ready to trust him just yet.

Chris knew that despite all that he and Rita had told her Penelope battled with her feelings. Derek had blown her trust which she didn't part with easily. Sure she loved wholeheartedly and without measure, but the people in which she trusted were a few. Chris knew that Derek had a battle ahead of him and hoped that he was up for the challenge.

"Hey P, you ready to go?" Derek asked as he stood awkwardly at the door. Penelope looked at Chris before looking up at Derek. Chris saw the fear in her eyes,
"Yup, I'll be right there." Penelope turned back to Chris and leaned down to give him a hug.
"You'll be okay. I promise. No matter what, you're not alone. We'll be right here." He whispered in her ear as she nodded. Rita walked over to her and pulled her into her arms.
"Be honest, despite what you may think you have nothing to lose. Either way, being honest will release you both."

Derek watched from where he stood. It looked like Penelope had the weight of the world on her shoulders and his heart ached. He wasn't sure what their talk was to bring before them, but Rita was right, it was time that they were honest with each other, despite what it might cost them.