This chapter is a little bit longer then my usual ones. Okay, that's a lie, it's a lot longer, but you'll see why. It's a long chapter slash filter because I love Penn and Luce chapters, even though Penn is dead, she's still one of my very favorite characters. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the fallen series. If I had maybe Penn would have lived a little longer. :3

"Okay," Luce replied, leaning back and still kneeling on the ground. "Penn….you were only eighteen when you died."

"Yeah," Penn answered, with a sigh, crossing her arms. "I never even got to graduate. What a bummer,"

Luce nodded sympathetically. "I bet,"

"So," Penn smiled down at Luce. "I can't believe it. My little Lucy has gotten all grown up and gone to college. And Emerald University, huh? Not very far from your backyard, right?"

"What?" Luce asked, her hazel eyes widening.

"I know, I know," Penn held up her hands defensibly. "You're from a sleepy town in Texas. Right? You don't know me or that hellhole over there," Penn jerked her thumb towards the grey building behind her. "Trust me, you do,"

"I'm confused…" Luce admitted standing up. "I know you?"

Penn threw her hands up in the air again. "It's a confusing subject, I know!" She jumped down from the tombstone and cocked her head to the side, much like Nora did when she was thinking. "You do know me, Lucinda. But you just don't remember me,"

"Then…." Something gnawed art her memory. Something about this school. Something…

"You've changed a lot, you know," Pen's clear voice ripped Luce form her thoughts.

"I have?" Luce wondered.

"Well," Penn changed her head's direction, sticking out her tongue and squinting with one eye open. "You have. You're hair is longer, much longer, in fact. Like before I even met you, before you had to cut it all off,"

"Had to what?" Luce nearly screamed grabbing her long hair defensibly. She'd never shear off her hair; it was like a part of her.

"Oh, relax," Penn told her, rolling her eyes. "That was a long time ago."

"I don't understand," Luce repeated, releasing her death grip on her curls and letting her hands fall to her sides.

"Well," Penn said, as if trying to word things right. "We were friends. But you were different. Your hair was short, because a lot of it burned in the fire and you weren't as….you as you were before. At least when I met you. You were caught up in a world you didn't understand."

"What?" Luce asked. "When did I- What happened to me?"

"What happened to me more like it," Penn scoffed. "I'm dead, before I could even graduate. Doesn't that seem a little more interesting than my ominous story about a girl I used to know who used to go here but doesn't remember me?"

"Well…" Luce's voice trailed off. She wanted to know more about the other Luce. She had too. "How do I know you then?"

"You….dreamt me," Penn said with a secretive smirk.

"I dreamt you." Luce repeated doubtfully.

"Of course," Penn said with a grin, which was starting to resemble the Cheshire cat's. "But you just don't remember the dream,"

"Okaaaaaay," Luce said trying to fight the urge to roll her eyes. "I dreamt you, but I don't remember you,"

"Nope, you don't remember a thing," Penn explained. "And that just plain sucks. It was a very good dream,"

"What was it about?" Luce asked. It seemed oddly ironic. Talking about a dream, while in a dream.

"It was about you, obviously." Penn explained. "You came to a school, called Swords and Cross and met a bunch of people. Let's see there was crazy Arriane and Roland, he could get his hands on anything through his black market connections. This total bitch named Molly, and sweet southern belle Gabbe. How she ended up here, I'll never know. And then there was Cam, who seriously was into you for all the wrong reasons and Daniel-"

"Daniel?" Luce asked, perking her head up.

"Of course," Penn said smiling. "You and I used to go around stalking for him. Even in your dreams you were totally into him,"

Luce blushed. She wouldn't put it that way….

"And then, yours truly," Penn gestured to herself. "You're best friend,"

"What did we do together?" Luce wondered, leaning next to the other grave that stood near Penn's. Could it have been her father? Instead Luce let go of it and sat down on the cold damp grass.

"Lots of things," Penn replied. "I met you when Molly poured meat loaf all over your head in the middle of the cafeteria and followed you into the bathroom. It pained me to see a vegetarian covered in meat, you know? Scored some shampoo and conditioner and we became buds. We broke into the main office once and went to one of Roland's signature parties. You let me hang out with your parents on parent's day too." The stranger let out a loud chuckle. "Boy, were they freaked out when I told them we usually only had twenty minutes for lunch."

Luce smiled. In whatever dream this was, it sounded like she and Penn were good friends. "What else?"

"Well, there were some bad moments too, Luce." Penn told her, starting to get serious. "There was this fire in the library, and we lost someone. A…friend of ours. Todd. You were with me when I brought my letter to my dad's grave too. No matter what challenges we had to face, we never did it alone. Hell, I was there when Cam and Daniel started beating the crap out of each other right in the freaking library. "

Luce smiled pulling her legs close to her body and resting her knees on top of them as she stared at Penn. There was something her friend wasn't telling her. Something big. And Luce felt her throat go dry.

"Penn…." Luce whispered, not meeting the girl's gaze. "How did you die?"

Things got quiet for a moment and Penn let out a long sigh, sitting back up on her tombstone.

"You can blame Sophia for that one," Penn told her, shaking her head. "One night, when I told you something….big. I followed you outside to the cemetery. There was a lot going on that night. Big stuff. Like Daniel and Cam's fight all over again. And Sophia, this librarian, she wanted to take us some place safe. But she wasn't….right in the head I guess.

"I'd fallen, and gotten really hurt. I remember that much. I think I got cut in the shoulder and you were there the entire time, telling me I'd be okay." Penn smiled at the memory. "And then Sophia brought us somewhere safe, where no one would be able to find us, she told you. And you kept telling her, begging more like it, to help me. But she said I was dead wait….and she slit my throat open. Right in front of you."

Luce didn't know she was crying until Penn was kneeling in front of her, her pale face only a few inches away from Luce's.

"Don't cry, Luce." Penn told her. "I was okay. When Sophia killed me, the last thing I saw was your face. It was all okay. And I got to go to heaven. I saw my dad again, and my mom too. Even Todd."

But the worst part of it all, was that this was Luce's doing. This was her dream and she couldn't change it. Because Penn wasn't even real.

"Do you want me to be?" Penn asked.

"What?" Luce whispered wiping her face.

"Do I seem real to you, Luce?" Penn asked, seriously. "Do you want to remember me when you wake up? To remember me as someone you really knew?"

Luce didn't even have to think about it. "Yes," Even though Penn wasn't real, she was just in her head; Luce wanted her to be real. She wanted Penn to be happy, to be in heaven with her family again and Todd, who Luce could tell Penn liked more then she let on. She wanted Penn to be real.

"Then let me be real," Penn told her. "Remember me. Remember what I told you, remember all of this." Penn gestured to the world around her. The cemetery, the static grey walls, herself. "And remember who you are,"

"I will, Penn." Luce promised, feeling her eyes grow wet. "But…."

"You are Lucinda," Penn stated her. "You are smart and stubborn and fun and crazy and beautiful and you don't need to be led by anyone but yourself. Sometimes, you are going to have to make hard decisions. And when everyone around you will tell you one thing, you need to find your own voice, past every single one of theirs. Because it's your voice that you need to listen to, above all others,"

Luce smiled up at Penn and wished that she had known tis girl in real life, but knew that she would remember her as if she was real.

"Now, come on," Penn was smiling again, but it was sadder. She held out her hand to Luce who took it. "You've gotta wake up soon. You've got your first college class to attend."

"I've got to go, already?" Luce asked, hoping her voice didn't come out as a whine.

Penn's smile widened. "Come on, I'll walk you there."

As they walked down the crumbling path of the cemetery, Luce asked more questions about the dream she'd had with Penn. What other things had they done together? Why had she come to Swords and cross in the first place? Why couldn't she remember the dream?

That was the one that Penn took the longest to answer. "Sometimes, we're just not meant to. And it's easier if we don't,"

"Will I remember this one?" Luce asked, crossing her fingers behind her back.

Pen shrugged, trying to seem aloof but her smile gave it away. "I'm much too memorable to forget this time, Luce."

They were at the gates now and both girls stopped staring at one another. Finally, Luce engulfed Penn into a hug, even though she'd only just met her, and even though it was only just a dream, she did it anyway.

"I'll never forget you," Luce promised softly. "

"I won't forget you either," Penn promised, pulling back so she could gaze at her friend's hazel eyes. "I'll always be with you, you know that? I know how corny that sounds, kind of like a star wars thing, right? But honestly, Luce. I'll be watching over you, no matter what you do." Penn whipped her eye with one of her hands. "Damn it. I can't blame these on alleges anymore, can I?"

Luce smiled, but she still felt her eyes growing wet as she released her friend and took a step away. "Will I see you again, Penn?"

Penn shrugged. "Hell if I know,"

Luce grinned, and took a deep breath, taking a step forward, and then another. Finally, she turned slightly, looking over her shoulder. "I love you, Penn. Whether you're just in my head or not…I know you're my very best friend."

Penn sniffed, wiping her eyes again. "I love you too, Luce. And I'll see you again. I promise."

Luce smiled and nodded, taking another step, and turning her back on the gates so that the last thing she'd see was Penn, standing there in the cemetery. And at the very last minute, Luce could have sworn she saw a boy with her, with dark brown curls and a mischievous smile on his lips.

Told you it was longer than usual. I'm up to about 2000 words which is a lot. Anyway, what did you think of it? Was I wrong to bring back Penn from the dead to talk to Luce? Because if I was, then I do not want to be right. Please review! Oh, btw I have a proposal. There is a new forum that I have joined regarding the fallen series and its cool cause tis kind of like a role play. This isn't my role play but I have joined it. You can play as a character or invent your own demon or angel which is really cool. Daniel, Roland and Arriane have already been taken, so you might wanna hurry, because tis really cool. I suggest you check it out. The admin is edwardsbeautifulbella so good luck finding it. You can role play, talk about rapture, do all the good stuff. Thanks for reading! Btw!