I do not own Pepe or Penelope (I hope don't make anything here overdramatic!)

I do own Florence

Chapter Sixteen

Intense

Every dawn and dusk her image followed him to love sickness. Night and day she never escaped his mind. Lonesomeness was overwhelming when he dreamed of her being his. Strong desire and hope rested in his heart. Fantasies of her; how gorgeous she would look in a gown of white with a diamond ring upon her ring finger. How he yearned to be close with her. Oh, just to kiss her lips of silk and stare lovingly into her eyes of ebony as she leans into his arms with hers around his neck only once.

What was it that drove him nearly over the edge of insanity? Her! She was different from every other female he had liked. She didn't wear mini-skirts; she wore dresses, and knee-length skirts. She didn't wear pounds of make-up, she hardly wore any. She wasn't independent or sassy, she was gentle and kind. She was the kind that would stay at home and read while others partied the night away. She seemed like a dream and then real with her grace and voice. That and she wasn't a skunk. Everything he didn't notice before, she had caused him to fall in love with. Did she have anyone to tell her how amazing she was? She made him want different. She made him long to love her. She had switched his views on females and now he couldn't bring himself to love another woman as much.

How she was sick of being afraid. Being afraid was a bad habit for her. She couldn't break free from her fears of committing to someone she didn't truly love and/or wanted to misuse her. She felt like a jinx. How long she would lie in her bed praying and hoping for the right one to come to her. Her idea of a wealthy man grew dimmer and she wondered if she would be fine with an average guy; simple, casual, yet romantic. She wondered about what her last name would be and Le Pew never came to her mind.

Both were separated from a distance. Everyday, every single, long, day they saw each other from ways. He saw it as a flirtation. She saw it as nightmare. Only a year later did they speak to each again.

"Come Mademoiselle Penelope," said Florence the seamstress. "Valentine's Day eez a good time to buy a new dress!"

"This is not my choice," muttered Penelope to herself. She was very wet from the rain which had soaked her to nearly catching a cold. She had had a dress fitting a week before for a friend of the family whose wedding was in a month. Now she had to try it on again before the wedding.

As she waited for Florence to bring the dress Pepe came in to pick up hemmed clothes. He didn't want to bother his mother with his laundry since he lived on his own.

"Oh," said Florence. "I almost forgot about you today! Monsieur Le Pew, I'll have your zhings out!"

"You?" stammered Penelope turning to see him. Pepe's eyes snapped quickly to her.

"Penelope," he said. She looked more beautiful than the day before!

"Oh!" said Florence to Penelope. "Eez zhis your boyfriend?"

"No." said the pretty cat plainly.

"Well I have your zhings een zhe dressing room," said Florence to Pepe after a moment of awkward silence.

"Merci," said Pepe as if in a trance. He slowly went to the back dressing room.

"Here's your dress," said Florence to Penelope as she handed a large white cover to her. "Just go change. I have a phone order to get."

Penelope obeyed and went to the only dressing room she found which was where Pepe was. As soon as she stepped in the door swung closed with a bang! She was startled to see him as much as he was to see her. He was gathering an armful of shirts and pants.

"What do you think you are doing here?" she gasped.

"Getting my clothes," he said smartly. "I'll leave. I'm not staying."

He sidestepped to the door. Much to Penelope's embarrassment she had tried to get the door for him and the doorknob fell off. Hurriedly she tried jabbing it back in. Without talking Pepe took it from her and tried. It wasn't much use. Penelope shrunk away from him still holding her dress.

"I have to change," she muttered, avoiding the two chairs in the small space.

"Fine." Said Pepe. He heaved the two chairs away from her side and placed them near the door. He put them together and sat down. The length of the chairs was hardly enough to keep his long legs from hanging over the sides. Drawing his knees up to his chest and covering his eyes and then burying his head into his knees he saw pitch blackness.

"You expect me to change in front of you?" said Penelope with disgust.

"I won't look," said Pepe gently. "I promise. You can trust me. I can't see you!"

Penelope moved away to a different corner. Her heart raced. She could hear Florence very loudly chatting (not taking an order.) It would be hopeless for her to hear; besides Florence was absent-minded dog.

Slowly with her eyes staring at Pepe to make sure he didn't sneak a peek at her, she removed her shirt. Pepe could hear the fabric move along her, then her skirt and the dress being thrown over her shoulders. His heart raced at those sounds. His lips trembled. He pressed his hands against his eyes even more till they hurt. He bit his tongue to focus on the pain instead. The thought that Penelope was almost naked in the same room with him made him feel warmly nervous. It was intense to control any desire. It was intense that he loved her and she didn't give a reply of affection back! It was intense that a seducing feeling was trying to overcome him and he felt weak. He had to be strong and try to think of something else. It wasn't working.

As of now Penelope looked in the small mirror to see how the dress looked. Dark lilac was the fabric with a wrap around skirt. She looked at Pepe real fast. He had still kept his eyes hidden. She took a chance to trust him, despite not feeling fond of him.

"It is safe," she said.

Pepe squinted. Blotches of color appeared before his eyes as he blinked. He rubbed them. He looked at Penelope and how he felt hypnotized by her. He couldn't say anything, but after a few seconds he thought of something and it was abruptly stopped by Florence.

Of course it was only two minutes later when they were free and Pepe dashed off home to write down in his journal of how he felt. In only one sentence he had written:

"Feeling intense has made me love her more."

Author's Note: In three years Pepe and Penelope marry on Valentine's Day! Inspiration for this chapter was the song "What Makes you Different" by the Backstreet Boys. Gorgeous song and fits very well with out cat and skunk pair!