Disclaimer: I own nothing but the triumph of this plot bunny!

A/N: So no holding breaths of superheroes busting down doors any time soon guys!

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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- If It Hadn't Been For Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Penelope found that she had no concept of time; no light penetrating the room meant that she had no sense of when night fell and when day light set in. It was just her and the four walls, the one wall covered with weapons to cause mass destruction to a body. Some had been used, some hadn't, some she prayed never got closer than they already were.

She had forgotten what fresh air smelt like, what it felt like to eat proper food or drink fresh water, she had forgotten what life felt like on the outside and she knew it couldn't have been that long since she was here.

As she lay curled up on the floor, awaiting Andrew's return, she tried to remember what it felt like to have Derek near, to hear his voice, feel his touch, feel the wrap of his arms around her and she couldn't remember. For the first time since her and Derek's downfall she forgot what it felt like to have him around. After weeks of holding on tightly to those memories she now found that they no longer worked.

Curling up in the corner more she ran her hands through her greasy hair and let out a scream of insanity. She couldn't understand how she could let herself forget the only thing that had kept her going for weeks, the things that helped her sleep.

The door opening flooded the stair way with light and then the over head light flickered on and Penelope squinted, the empowerment of the light in her eyes excruciating and she had to shy away like some wild animal.

Andrew's heavy steps came one by one until he hit the bottom and went towards her. "Nice to see you up," He told her as he went towards her, putting a plate down. He laughed as Penelope looked at it and then looked up at him, bewilderment shining through, "No food I'm afraid," he shrugged. "Well maybe you might get some, but once I understand what Morgan's got that my little brother hasn't."

Penelope just flicked the plate at Andrew, she would endure the same torture at not talking, but she had no answers to the questions he was asking, well not desirable answers.

She didn't even flinch as Andrew went for her.

"Disobedience is not a marriageable trait, Penelope," Andrew said as he again held her hair in his vice like grip. "I've given you countless chances to say what I want to hear, but not once had you've said it." He then dragged her to a steel round tub that he put there the previous night, and then held her over it. "I thought you needed a wash," He said and pulled her up, giving her an indication to get some air in her lungs and then he threw her down into the water, holding her there for a moment before bringing her out for air.

After several rounds he looked at her, intently and smirked. It was as if she wasn't there at that moment. It was as if she had switched off on him and he decided that he was going to awaken her back to her reality sooner rather than later. Plunging her into the murky water repetitively he began to get the desired results.

"I thought of another little thing to spruce this room up," Andrew said as he chucked her down to the stone floor, her breathing heaving after the multiple rounds of being submerged into the water. Her body shivering from its coldness, something she couldn't get used to.

She lay there, just listening to him as she tried to clear the water from her lungs and she couldn't think of anything but these four walls surrounding her.

"Seeing as water torture doesn't even have an effect, I did this," He said grabbed her by the ankle, pulling her towards the wall farthest from the stairs, he then dropped her foot, aggravating the pains in her broken toes. He then grabbed her by one of her wrists, directly on where he had had fun cutting away bits of her skin the day before.

Penelope gritted through the pain, some tears coming to play on her lashes, blurring her vision.

"Take a look," He coached her as he stepped back a little, showing her the display on wall. It was all photos of Derek, some were surveillance type, others were ones from her apartment, cherished moments she had kept hidden away in photo albums or in her bedside table.

Now she sucked in a difficult breath to try and stop the tears, but it failed

"Now some proper fucking emotion!" Andrew taunted her fiercely, "He's doing okay by the way, he's up and about. Looking for a quick exit from that hospital too, even if it has been only three days," He could see something flicker in Penelope and he crouched down, getting closer to her level, "They think you left them, Penelope. That you ran. They think you had something to do with Derek getting shot."

Penelope looked up into his eyes with disbelief, "B-but I didn't," she whispered as she felt her entire life cloud around her, "It was Kevin!" Penelope mustered some strength and tried to stand, leaning on the tub of water to stand in front of Andrew, "Your brother shot him! Not me! You're brother's the murderer!"

Andrew lashed out then, punching Penelope. He felt something give before her body flew the length of the room. He looked down at her as she lay recovering from the punch, her cheek cut.

"You know your loyalties shouldn't lie so heavily with them back there." He then pulled her back towards the tub, "Kevin still loves you."

"I don't love him," Penelope admitted, "Not after all this," she managed before she was plunged into the icy water again, this time though she wasn't pulled up and out to get more air before the following round. She fought with the side of the tub, fought against Andrew's hold on her as air became tight and she swallowed water in her struggle.

Pulling her out he watched her cough and her body retched to get rid of the water, he smirked and mid cough plunged her back down. Not giving her the opportunity to get ready for the intrusion of water.

He could feel her weakening to the water, the coldness chilling her straight through to her bones. Her lungs getting tired from fighting the water forced into them, her mind becoming disillusioned due to the lack of the oxygen.

While she lay on the floor trying to gather some of her bearings back, he kicked her in her stomach, winding her, causing her to curl up in a ball to protect herself.

"Maybe, just maybe, we should get Kevin down here to have some fun," He suggested and heard her whimper of a cry and laughed before leaving her alone again.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- If It Hadn't Been For Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Andrew got on the floor where Penelope lay motionless hours later. Her eyes were just a wide stare; her lips parted showing her laboured breathing.

"I thought you were feistier than this, Penelope." He spoke to her, his face flat on the floor like Penelope's and he stared at her. "Why have you given up?"

"I have nothing to live for." She whispered back strained and tears finally fell down her face.

He laughed then, "You've got everything to live for. You have time to find a man that loves you, marry him, have a family, grow old. Someone like Kevin." He continued with a twisted smile, "It's never too late."

"It already is," She whispered to him.

He got on his knees then, manoeuvring closer to her, he just carefully and quickly slipped a strip of wire under her head and pulled up hard, strangulating Penelope in the process. He watched her near enough gurgle and gag against the wire, but she never begged for freedom, sure she tried to get free but it was never more than that. Pulling a little tighter he watched her eyes begin to roll back as the wire dug into her throat, causing deep red blood to ooze out from underneath it.

"Whatcha gonna beg for, Penelope?" He asked as he leant in, getting right up close, "Gonna tell me why you did it? Why you broke my little brother's heart the way you did?"

"N-nev-" Penelope spluttered against the wire, "N-neve-r."

Andrew laughed and then let her go, taking the wire with him, "Fair enough," He told her and stood up, dusting off his jeans, "You know I've got more, Penelope," he then started to walk away, "let's just see how much more you've got shall we?"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- If It Hadn't Been For Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-