I do not own Pepe or Penelope (or the cartoon Really Scent.) These chapters are inspired by.

(I'm on a roll with this story! I'm also working on Brother and Sister. This multiple story writing is stressful and exciting, kind of like a race. I've also just realized if this romance goes on five years before Pepe and Penelope tie the knot I'm going to have to spread everything out. So I may come up with my own ideas of look through comic books for inspiration!)

Chapter Eleven

Really Well Said and Smelt

"Now down this dock you will find the two yachts that my momma and poppa gave me for my birthday," said Ambrose. He stuck a cigarette between his gapped teeth. "What do you think Penelope? Amazing toys huh?"

"Yes they are," said Penelope half-heartedly. "I suppose you will be going on one of them soon?"

"Not without you," said Ambrose. "I would love to share this with someone who is a pretty as you."

"But not someone like me," thought Penelope. She was smart enough to see what Ambrose thought of her.

"I think in a year or so I will go on a cruise," continued Ambrose. "Maybe one following spring, summer, autumn or winter you would come with me."

"I do not know if I could leave my family," said Penelope and she folded her hands delicately in front of her. "I do not know if I would be comfortable outside of France. I did not like it much when is Casablanca."

"Also known as the Cas Bah," said Ambrose. "I went there for a month while on a tour with my poppa."

"Really?" asked Penelope as she glanced down at the shaky boards of the dock. The water underneath was almost green.

"Really." said Ambrose. "Quite fun. We should go again, just you and me."

"That would be…wonderful." said Penelope so as to not offend him. Inside she rolled her eyes awkwardly.

"Terrific," chortled Ambrose. "One of these days we will sail away onto the big blue horizon!"

"Would it be-" asked Penelope which made Ambrose eye her coldly. "I mean, sunsets are on the horizon most of the time and they are reddish-pink."

"You are ridiculous," replied Ambrose. "Now forward on to the town to show you the store I would love to by."

Penelope followed him very carefully so as to not get her high heels stuck in the dock boards and hoping there wouldn't be any strong wind that would blow her airy, yellow dress up.

The rest of the day had been boring. Ambrose showed Penelope an old abandoned limberg cheese factory.

Penelope looked around her cautiously for Pepe and held her breath if he came around. Since he was nowhere in sight she was glad to exhale in relief that he wasn't close by.

It wasn't until two days later she was crying by herself. Ambrose gently told her he wanted to court someone else, but he also said that she was too much of a nervous wreck which hurt her feelings. He was hoping to try one of her sisters. She just sat there on the back steps of the hotel she had been staying at crying and crying. Tears dripped onto her light purple dress and feeling enough pain in her heart slipped off her high heels that ached her feet.

She didn't feel pretty now after someone had dumped her. Just the night before she dreamed that Pepe was holding her as she squirmed around in his arms. He called her "belle femme skunk creole." She didn't feel like a "belle femme skunk creole," especially the "skunk" part.

"Really!" she sobbed. "Why do these things happen to me? They hurt me really deep."

Pepe knew she was a cat, but yet he still found himself wanting her near. It might have been a feeling of protecting her or something else he couldn't grasp yet. Feeling that Penelope was repulsed by his normal odor of being skunk he purchased from different stores in Paris every type of deodorant he could find. He put heavy coats of it on his neck, arms, face and tail. It was a mix of success; while he had picked out masculine ones, he also grabbed hold of feminine ones which smelled flowery and fruity.

"Really?" he grumbled when he sniffed his arm. Spices, oranges, jasmine and mint greeted him making him cough. If that would help Penelope, then he would survive.

He saw her the next day when she was home. He put a bouquet of yellow roses on her doorstep.

"Penelope?" he said calmly. She didn't answer. "Penelope would you just open zhe door?"

She cracked it open to see him. Faintly white smudges were on his nose.

"What is that one your nose?" she asked.

Pepe swiped at it and smiled politely. Penelope could smell the deodorant, which made her feel nauseous. It was like being in a perfume department with every brand sprayed in the air.

"Eet's deodorant," he said as he rubbed his foot against his ankle to shine up his shoes.

"Really?" she asked with a small smile thinking it was a little funny. "Well, I suggest you get a better brand. This one is too strange if you are not offended from a little criticism."

"None taken," he said. He nudged the bouquet of roses that were leaning on the wall in a box. "Um, I brought you flowers."

"Oh," she said surprised. "I will take them. Thanks."

"You're welcome," he chuckled. He stared at her eyes. They were so beautiful! Penelope was not staring at his; she was staring at his smudged nose. A part of her wanted to clean it and then part of not wanting to bother.

"Good-bye." She said and reached for the box and shut the door softly.

"Right," sighed Pepe. He glanced at her door longer hoping she would come back out to kiss his cheek out of thanks for the gift. She did not. He wanted to kiss hers again.