Title - Written By The Victors
Chapter title - The In-laws
Author - OblivionsGarden
Genre - Romance/Adventure/Friendship/Drama
Disclaimer - I do not own the Uncharted Series in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the games. For this chapter I own, Penny Kingsley.
Chapter Word Count - 2414 words.

A/n - Please leave a review, I'd greatly appreciate it. Hope you enjoy, xx (:

"Samuel Drake, I have never seen you so nervous before."

"Leave him alone, Victor."

Penny scolded the older man as Sam stood in front of the hotel mirror, looking over his reflection. Victor Sullivan laughed to himself as he pulled his cigar from his mouth, watching his work partner brush his fingers through his hair for the sixteenth time in the past two minutes.

The group had come together, meeting in Sam and Penny's hotel room, to head to the Kingsley museum for an evening meal. Penny was surprised when Sam had agreed to come let alone actually get nervous about meeting her parents.

"Meeting the in-laws... terrifying." Nate murmured earning a glare from Elena.

"You guys aren't helping." Sam snapped, brushing over the in-laws comment. "How do I look?" He was wearing a deep purple shirt and black slacks, going for a casual but still smart look. He didn't want to go all out with a suit, thinking it'd be too much for a simple family meal.

"Dashing." Penny smiled, smoothing down his collar and letting her hands rest on his chest. "And just relax... Don't go expecting the welcome wagon... they aren't a warm bunch."

Penny was managing to keep her nerves below surface. She knew her grandfather would love Sam, just because Sam took care of her. But her parents were something else entirely. Sam didn't have a steady, normal job, he wasn't wealthy and he didn't come from a family with a high social standing. She knew they weren't going to like him but she was hoping they'd have manners enough to keep it to themselves or at least only express their distaste when Sam was out of hearing range.

They were headed to the museum, rather than the house as Penny's grandfather thought they might like a private tour being that they were all so interested in their history. The tour consisted of their small group being lead by her grandfather, her parents insisting that they would meet them in the private dining area they kept for meetings with special clients.

Penny enjoyed showing the group some of her favorite exhibits, such as the Egyptian exhibit which held a mummy that still had a little tuft of ginger hair on the skull. Sam found it endearing, watching her eyes light up as she told them about each piece, adding her own little stories about her favorites. He decided then and there that he could listen to her talk about her favorite things forever and not get bored.

Eventually they headed for their meal and Sam stiffened up again at the prospect of finally meeting the parents. Nathan had to hide a chuckle as Sam checked his reflection in the glass of a display case only for Penny to pull him along by his elbow, insisting he looked fine.

Robert Kingsley was a tall man, dark haired and dark eyed with an air around him that said he never really smiled much. Even as a child. His wife, Maria, had the same chocolate eyes as her daughter but in every other respect she looked like her father, Stanley. Maria was quiet and Sam suspected she lived under the rule of her husband.

He found it strange meeting these two stony people after having been around Penny for so long and having just met Stanley. Penny was so warm and loving and Stanley was all smiles and handshakes. They were a stark contrast to the two that rose from the table to greet them.

The meal began as a quiet few questions about jobs and backgrounds until Stanley asked about their trip to find Avery's treasure. Sam and Nate took hold of the story, Sully and Elena adding quips here and there but Penny stayed quiet, watching her parents and wondering when it would begin. She would only have to tell her grandfather of the Portugal job with Sam and Sully them to start.

"Tell me, Victor..." Her father finally spoke. "Do you think it's appropriate for an elderly man such as yourself to be dragging a twenty one year old to Egypt?"

"Dad!" Penny hissed, eyes wide. "I asked him to come with me, not the other way around."

"Well who knows what his motives were." Her fathers snooty tone always had pushed all of Sully's buttons, not to mention Robert Kingsley wouldn't know how to be a good father if he was given a step by step guide.

"Now what exactly are you implying?" Sully asked, knuckles white as he gripped his cutlery.

"Oh nothing." Robert smiled in a patronizing manner. "But you are and always have been a bad example to our daughter. Perhaps you should stop playing these treasure hunting games and retire."

"Robert." Stanley spoke in a warning tone but it seemed his son-in-law was only just getting started.

"And not to mention the kind of... degenerates you introduce her to!" He gestured to Sam and Nate. "Treasure hunters? What kind of stability is that going to provide? Hm?" Robert had rounded on Penny now, ignoring the glare Sam was giving him. "We have given you everything you could ever want for and this is how you repay us? By running off to find treasure with this lot?"

"I was never happy!" Penny shouted, standing from her chair. "You gave me material shit I didn't want but I was never happy!"

She turned on her heel, brushing past everyone and leaving the room. Sully tried to catch her arm but she shook him off, leaving the room in a dark silence.

"Do you get your kicks from pretending to be her father, Sullivan?" Robert sneered, wanting to have the last word.

"Well someone's got to." Sully growled before he followed Sam out of the room after Penny.

Penny was out on a balcony off the side of the buildings function room. She let her sobs out, tears running freely down her cheeks, ruining her make up. She wished she'd bought a jacket with her as the cold London air whipped around her shoulders.

"Hey, sweetheart. Don't let them upset you." Sam arrived at her side, his heart breaking to see her look so defeated.

"I'm sorry." She choked back a sob as she turned to him. "I just don't understand why they can't be happy for me for once in my life." She glanced at Sully who was waiting a few paces back and gave him a smile. "I mean, I'm finally happy... I'm not hiding anything about myself anymore and yet they still want me to be that upper class rich kid they always wanted for a daughter."

"We should've given them Rafe, huh?" Sam joked, pulling her into his chest as Sully finally joined them. "Look, they can be as snobbish as they like but they don't get to see your eyes light up when you think you're onto something. They don't get to see how happy you are when you're on the trail of something huge. They don't get to see how you blush every time I call you doll, or princess or sweetheart."

"Shut up." Penny fought to keep the smile from her cheeks.

"Kid, you're one of the strongest people I know. And after everything you've been through you're gonna let some upper class snobs make you cry?" Sully scoffed, already knowing the answer as he draped his jacket around her shivering shoulders.

"No, you're right." Penny wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, forgetting the eyeliner and mascara that was probably making her look like a panda. "I've got a great life. I've got you," She smiled up at Sam. "I've got Nate and Elena, I've got my surrogate dad." She linked her arm through Sully's as he gave her a warm smile with a twinkle in his eyes. "I think I'm better off out of it, don't you agree?"

"Smartest thing you've ever said, darling."

Stanley Kingsley approached the three of them, Nate and Elena a few steps behind him. Penny rushed forward into his outstretched arms, letting him stroke her hair for a while.

"I'm sorry about your parents, sweetie. I don't know what possessed your mother to marry that man."

"Money."

"Well, yes." Stanley laughed with his granddaughter as he held onto her hands and moved out onto the balcony. "You should be thankful for those two." He pointed at Nate and Elena. "I've never seen anybody tell your father off before but they make a very good team."

"Tell me about it." She joked, mouthing a thank you to the couple.

"Penny I want you to forget about this place." He pulled something from his pocket, keeping it clasped in his hand. "Go with your Sam, who if it's any consolation, I think is perfect for you..." Sam puffed his chest out in pride and Penny giggled. "Go with him and have your adventures. Forget your parents, forget the museum and forget London and don't look back. Do the things that are going to make you happy."

He opened his palm and Penny lifted a necklace from it. It was a gorgeous silver, oval locket with an intricate filigree pattern on the front. When she clicked it open she found the face of her grandmother Joanne staring out at her. Sam smiled over her shoulder.

"You look just like her." He murmured as Penny held a hand over her heart.

"That's where she gets the red hair from." Stanley smiled. "Take her with you. Let her have the adventure that she never got."

Penny wrapped her arms around her grandfathers shoulder, tears falling once again but this time out of pure love. She uttered a thank you before pulling back to look at the necklace again.

"I don't want you to have the same ending she did, darling."

"I won't." Penny smiled handing the necklace to Sam and lifting her hair up. "I promise." Sam clasped the necklace in place, giving her a warm smile when she turned to ask how it looked.

The group began to make their way back through the museum, Penny holding onto Sully's arm, Nate and Elena leading the way. Stanley pulled Sam to the back of the group, wanting a chance to talk to his potential future grandson-in-law alone. They spoke for a moment about always keeping Penny safe and he was happy to find that Sam was on the page with him.

"I would give you the 'hurt her and I'll kill you' speech but I imagine she'd do it herself." Stanley chuckled as they finally neared the front doors. Sam laughed along with him, nodding his head in agreement. "It was nice to meet you Samuel." Stanley held out his hand. "And make sure you marry her whilst I'm still alive alright?" Sam shook his hand with a hearty laugh as Penny watched them with a fond look in her eyes.

"Oh don't worry, sir. I plan on it."

The five of them had a few drinks in the hotel bar before they all headed off to bed. Penny had noticed that after leaving the museum, Sam had drifted off into his own head and become much quieter than usual. Even Nate commented on it only for his older brother to brush it off as jet lag.

When they got back to their room Penny attempted to get him to tell her what was on his mind but it seemed that once their door had clicked shut the only thing he wanted was to get her out of her dress. He had her striped naked in a matter of seconds and was thrusting into her against the door of the room, rattling it in it's frame. She wondered what people passing by would think of the noises they were making.

Once they were both finished, fully satisfied and jelly legged, Sam had carried her over to the bed and pulled the duvet over them. He lay on his side, head propped on his hand as he traced his finger along her collar bone.

"Are you happy?" He asked suddenly.

"Of course I am." Penny didn't hesitate to answer. "Why are you asking?"

"I don't know." He sighed, letting his hand rest on her stomach, eyes lingering there rather than meeting her concerned gaze. "I know this life is still pretty new to you and it's not like working at the museum. It's not stable and it's not always safe. It's not as easy as living here... Life with me is different, I can't give you that." Sam bit the inside of his cheek, a habit Penny had noticed he did whenever he was nervous or felt insecure or self conscious. "I mean... I nearly ruined Nathan's marriage by dragging him back into this life."

"No you didn't." Penny said in a stern tone. "If you think Nate and El would break up cause of that then you're dumber than you look." He frowned at her words causing them both to chuckle. "And I spent my childhood craving adventure. And you've given it to me in the least conventional way possible." She let her palm rest on his cheek, smiling when he let his eyes drift shut. "I wanted to be Anne Bonny and you got me her treasure. And as for the dangers... Call me crazy but I think it's part of the fun."

"You're crazy."

"I know but having the BFG to pull me up onto ledges and running around in places that have never been explored before is so much better than typing away at my computer in my office and reading about other people doing this stuff."

"Oh so you're just with me for my height, huh?" Sam smirked, squeezing her hip.

"That and your dashing good looks." She laughed. "Hey, you're Nate's big brother and he loves you, ok? He wouldn't be doing any of this if he didn't want it. Elena loves you too, she thinks you're great. And Sully... I think he's mentally adopted you and Nate as his own. They all love you."

"And you?" Sam's breath caught in his throat when she leaned up to press a kiss to his lips.

"Me too." She smiled. "Sam I-"

"No, no, no!" Sam pressed his finger against his lips, still grinning from ear to ear. "I wanted to say it first." Penny laughed against his finger but allowed him to continue. "I love you, princess."

"I love you too, handsome."

A/n - The ginger haired mummy is a real thing in a museum in my hometown. He was always my fave as a kid, even if I did think it was gonna sit up and eat me sometimes.