This is my first time writing anything in months and also my first time writing for ODaaT. If the characterization isn't perfect, I apologize. Schneider deserves happiness and I love him, but I also love writing h/c, so oops.

After a long day at her fairly new job as a nurse practitioner, Penelope was exhausted. She was pleasantly surprised when she got home, finding that Alex and Elena weren't home yet, and Lydia still at church. Ever since Schneider's relapse, Lydia had been going to church more often, and staying longer.

Penelope sat down on the couch with a huff and closed her eyes. Just as she was starting to fall asleep, she jumped awake as her phone started to ring. She picked up her phone to see that it was Schneider. As much as she wanted to just nap and ignore him, it wasn't often that he'd call instead of just walking into her apartment.

"Hey, Schneider." Penelope greeted.

"Pen, can you come over? I called Nick, but I just really need my best friend right now." Schneider's voice broke halfway through his sentence, and even if she wouldn't say it, it broke Penelope's heart.

"Yeah, okay. I'll be right up." Penelope hung up and headed up to her friend's apartment.

Penelope decided there wasn't a need to knock, and walked right in. Schneider was sitting on his sofa, with his face in his hands.

"Are you okay?" Penelope asked softly, sitting down next to him. He didn't smell like booze, but he didn't smell like booze at the dinner with Victor and Nicole either.

"I thought that after 30 days it would be easier. But like I am most of the time, I was wrong." Schneider sounded so defeated and hopeless. Penelope didn't know what to say, so she decided to just be upfront with him.

"Did you relapse again, Pat?" It was odd that she never knew his first name for so long, but she didn't even think before the name came out of her mouth.

"No. I-I just don't know if I can do this, Pen. I've been through it so many times, you know? And to think that after eight years, I still was able to pick up that bottle so easily…" Schneider trailed off.

"I know you can do this. You may have been through it a lot, but that just shows how strong you are. You were able to pick yourself back up so many times, and you can do it again." Penelope put her hand on his shoulder and smiled reassuringly at him.

Schneider half-smiled, and hugged his best friend. Penelope didn't let go until Schneider did. Once he let go, Schneider wiped away the tears that he didn't even realize he had shed.

"Are you gonna be okay? I should get home." Penelope wasn't going to leave until she knew Schneider was okay.

"Yeah, I think so. Thank you." Schneider smiled at Penelope and lightly waved as she left his apartment. He felt so lucky to have a family like the Alvarezes.

Title from the song "Giving Up" by Sylar