Disclaimer: I own nothing, just the little plot bunny (kinder!)
A/N: Another chapter down... hope you liked and thanks for all the reviews, favourites and alerts as always! =)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- When The Sky Falls -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Derek heard the thud of his heart before he realised it was still pumping away harshly in his chest. It was as he became more aware of the world around him that he realised he was still standing.
He was so close. His wife was just a few yards in front of him. She was so close, but it seemed like he was too late.
The flicker of hope hadn't died though. It was as he recognised the burning desire to have proof that all was lost that he charged for the building. Refusing to believe the love of his life had perished with the collapse of the bank. The screams of women and children seem to reverberate against the rubble that lay strewn across walk ways and roads. The sound echoing off some of the partially still standing buildings and the still intact ones.
"Penelope!" He yelled at the top of his lungs before dragging in a deep breath, one full with dust and grit and death. "Penelope!" He yelled out again and began to move bricks and concrete.
A woman grabbed him, "help me!" She near enough screeched at him, "I can't find my daughter."
Selfishly Derek declined helping her, he felt evil but Penelope was right in front of him somewhere and he had to find her. As he ran from the crying woman he got his phone and rang Penelope's numbers. Praying that cell reception was still running like it had.
He heard its distinctive ring, but couldn't quite make out which way it was coming from it. The noise distorted by the layers of concrete and brickwork. Trying his hardest he kept ringing it and following it.
"Derek!" Penelope screamed out, she looked down at the lumps of concrete covering her and she just wanted Derek here. Either have him, or close her eyes and be back in bed with him again. "Derek," Penelope shouted but broke down into a sob mid call. "Please," She cried as the feeling of hope completely disintegrated from within her. She could see her bag across from her and she wished it was with her, so she could grab her phone and just call him.
Several times she had seen it light up her bag and several times she had felt more tears attack her lashes and descend down her cheeks. It was like torture knowing she still had cell reception and she couldn't abuse it.
"Oh God," Derek said as he made his way into the small opening, seeing Penelope laying trapped under a fallen arch from the bank, "Baby Girl, I'm here." He said as he rushed to her side and began to pull the debris from her body. All the while praying she wasn't too hurt under it all. "I'm going to get you out, you hear me?"
Penelope hiccupped on a sob for a moment, raising a dirtied hand to her mouth to stop the full blown sob, "You found me," Was all she said, "I didn't think you would."
Derek stalled for a moment; he went to her side and kissed her on the lips, showing her that he was well and truly there. "I couldn't just leave you here, Baby Girl. I wouldn't be the man you married if I just ran now would I?"
"I know," She whispered, "Now get me the hell out of here please." She near enough begged me, "Go all super agent on me, I don't want to be here any longer."
"Count it as done," He promised her and went back to freeing her. It was as the rocks were moved he could see she was cut and bruised and it only spurred him to get her free quicker. It was as one of the last pieces of debris was moved part of the broken structure groaned and began to fall apart before their eyes.
"Not now," Penelope begged as she began to slide herself away the best she could, Derek still working to move the masses of broken building. Penelope didn't look at anything but the crumbling building and then all of a sudden she was pulled from the floor and out into the open as the arch she was trapped under gave way and fell in on itself.
Derek wrapped his arms around her, thanking whatever good God was left that he had saved Penelope, that she had survived this much. He kissed her, over and over again, showing her how relieved he was that she was still alive. "I love you, Penelope and I tell you now we are going to survive this. We're going to get out of this together."
"How can you say that?" Penelope asked him incredulously, "Don't make me promises you cannot guarantee your keeping."
"I can promise you that we are going to make it through this. We're going to make it and we're gonna grow old like we planned," He continued confidently, trying to fight her inner demons away.
"Don't promise me our happily ever after when we don't know who's going to survive this," she said as tears fled her eyes and streaked her dusty cheeks.
"I am going to live a long and happy life," He said and lifted her head a little to look at him, "With you." He finished and caught her tears and smiled at her. "Got it, Baby?"
Nodding she sucked in a shaky breath, "What do we do now?" Penelope asked him as she looked from his somewhat serene face out to the chaotic environment around them.
"Reid," Derek said simply, "He's closest, we need to get to his and then we'll go from there. You going to be okay to walk?" Derek asked as he kept his arm wrapped around her, keeping her stable on her feet. She gave him a vigorous nod as she bit her lip and then allowed him to start the journey.
"We need to check that my sweetie pie's intact," Penelope joked as they walked hurriedly along the road. Penelope not telling him the pain she was in, she knew he knew she was hurt, but she didn't want to admit how much just yet. "What about the others, Handsome? What are we going to do about getting to them?" She asked as she looked around at the carnage.
"Let's get to Reid then we'll contemplate getting to the others," Derek told her, "Sound a plan for now?"
"Sounds like the best plan I've heard since leaving the house this morning," She replied and gave him a short smile, "I shoulda stayed in bed. You do realise I hate you for always being right."
"Na uh, Goddess," He argued back, "You love me for being right all the time."
Penelope let out a loose laugh, "That's because you're too easy to love."
Derek pushed a kiss to her forehead as they walked along, pausing momentary when more destruction struck the ground. However, Derek had noticed that the attacks weren't as common and frequent. There seemed to be less and less meteors hitting the ground and an eerie calm seem to settle across the now deserted streets.
The pair just ended walking in perfectly complete silence. No words uttered between either of them.
"Can we stop," Penelope groaned as they closed in on Reid's house a while later, "Please. My stomach hurts." She said as she wrapped one of her arms around her stomach. She could feel the bruising from the rubble coming out and causing tenderness across her abdomen and down her legs.
"Course, P," Derek said, even with the sky seemingly falling he couldn't pressure her to continue if her body wasn't up to it. He had to look after her as well as protect her the best he knew how.
He watched her sit down gingerly before she doubled over for a moment.
"Pen..." He said as he stood scared at what to do in that moment. "Princess, what's wrong?" He asked ambiguously, "Talk to me." He pressured as she remained silent for a moment longer.
"I'm pregnant, Derek," Penelope told him as she sat up a little straighter, the pain subsiding some. She looked up at him, "That was going to be your present, our first ultrasound. I had a doctor's appointment to confirm it today. I'm pregnant," Penelope couldn't allow their doomed fate eclipse the happiness she was feeling at the thought of finally being pregnant.
Derek just felt his legs turn to jelly and he needed to sit, to gain perspective and make a master plan to keep himself, Penelope and their unborn baby alive long enough to find salvation.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- When The Sky Falls -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-