Guess who didn't die in the hurricane or from my first set of exams! Anyway, this was inspired by a piece of fan art by desib717 (link in my profile). Some spoilers for v8, but also partly AU. Enjoy!
It's quiet now.
Normally, Penny isn't one for quiet—she loves being around people, loves talking and listening to the others chatter, hearing the noises of the city and surrounding territory—but after hearing that harsh, monotone voice in her head for so long, drowning out her own thoughts and forcing her to do terrible things as her friends desperately tried to help her, Penny is grateful for the silence.
She's in control now. She's not trapped in her own body, forced into a small corner of her mind, powerless to stop what was happening around her. Her limbs are moving because she wants them too, not because some nasty virus was overpowering her and making her do it.
She's fine now. Really.
"Are you okay, Penny?" Ruby asks, her voice soft and gentle, just like the arm she has wrapped around Penny's shoulders, and the hand that she has resting at the small of her back. She's been sticking close to Penny's side since she'd been freed from the virus' control, starting with the hug she'd tackled her with after realizing that Penny was safe.
"I'm okay," Penny reassures her, smiling slightly. "I'm just—" She tries to rack her brain to describe how she's currently feeling and fails miserably. None of the words she knows can quite capture the mixture of emotions, the relief, the guilt, the joy, the fear, the exhaustion, the comfort.
Previously, Penny hadn't known it was possible to feel this many contradictory emotions at once.
Fortunately, Ruby comes to her rescue. Just like always.
"You've gotta be tired, I bet." Ruby smiles gently at her, warming her from the inside out. "Your dad said that you'd probably need a recharge."
"That would probably be wise," Penny admits. She can feel how drained her core must be without even doing a systems check.
"Then let's get going." Ruby pulls Penny impossibly closer, and together they make their way through the ruins of Atlas to her father's lab.
Ruby keeps her arm around Penny's shoulder the whole way, subtly guiding her as they walk. She doesn't really need the help to make it there—she could find her way to the lab even with all her senses switched off—but she finds the contact comforting. Plus, she knows that it helps Ruby to feel better if she can feel like she's helping somehow, and making Ruby feel better is something that Penny will always support.
They chat quietly as they walk, Ruby filling her in on what she missed while she was—gone—and both of them discussing the best ways to help rebuild Atlas after Salem's attack. In fact, everything is fine—until they step through the door to her father's lab and begin to approach the charging port, and Penny is suddenly overwhelmed by a surge of fear.
"Penny?" Ruby asks uncertainly, tilting her head in confusion as her friend stops in her tracks.
"I—" she cuts herself off, slipping out from under Ruby's arm as she takes a small step back. "I can't."
"What's wrong?" Ruby sounds concerned, now, and Penny hates seeing that worried look on her face—especially when she's the one putting it there.
But she can't seem to overpower the terror holding her in place. "I—" It's silly, really. Definitely not worth getting all worked up like this, and especially not worth making Ruby upset. But she doesn't know how to get past it. "I don't—"
"Penny." Ruby steps forward, gently clasping Penny's hands in her own. "It's okay, just tell me what's wrong. I promise I'll find a way to fix it."
The earnest look on her face, the conviction in her voice—Penny has never been able to deny Ruby when she's like this. "It's just—before, when I was—" she can't quite bring herself to say it — "they got to me before by using my swords, and it's silly, but I can't stop thinking that what if they could get to me through—" she cuts herself off, glancing over at the charging port, sitting innocuously over in the corner.
"Oh, Penny," Ruby says, her voice so soft and warm that Penny can practically feel it enveloping her like a cozy blanket. "That's not silly at all. After everything that's happened, I don't blame you at all for being scared." She squeezes Penny's hands in her own, before pulling Penny closer and pulling her into a tight hug. "I promise you that it's safe, though," she says firmly, releasing her grip on Penny after a long moment. "Your dad already did a full scan of the system. There's nothing in there that could hurt you. And trust me, he's already working on an upgrade so nothing like this can happen again."
It doesn't completely erase the fear, but the certainty in Ruby's voice dulls the sharp edges of her terror, allows her emotions to ebb back to more manageable levels. "Okay," she says finally, voice quiet. But still, she finds herself hesitating. "But maybe—you could—could you stay?" she asks, hoping that she sounds less desperate than she feels.
"Of course!" comes Ruby's instantaneous reply. She squeezes Penny's hand again. "I'll stay right by your side until you're done."
"Thank you," Penny replies fervently. It's not nearly enough to express how grateful she feels, but it's the best she can do for now. She steadies herself. "I'm ready."
"Let's do this, then." They walk over to the port together, Ruby's arm once more wrapped around Penny's shoulders. Ruby helps her get set up, fusses until Penny assures her that she's comfortable, and keeps a hold of one of Penny's hands as the charging process starts.
Penny keeps her eyes on Ruby as she begins to fade out, allowing the feelings of safety and comfort at knowing that her friend is standing guard over her to follow her down into the dark.
Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you liked it.