Crash

Monaco

"Penelope Jonas, I swear if you don't stop talking I am not afraid to quit."

***************

The first thing Penelope noticed about Monaco was the weather. 

As soon as she and Jane stepped off the plane, she was hit by a wall of dry heat, the sun bright despite her sunglasses. Even though they were in the private region of the airport, it was still fairly busy, with people making their way towards the main airport building in drones. Penelope squinted through the sunlight, trying to find the right exit, but in truth she was lost. Normally she flew with a whole legion of people who knew where she was meant to be going and when she was meant to be there, but now it was just her and Jane. They had to figure it out on their own. 

Fortunately, Charles had other plans. 

As Penelope and Jane descended the steps, Penelope spotted a dark haired man waving at her, holding a white sign with words she couldn't yet make out. 

Jane shielded her eyes from the sun, staring at the man. "Is that..."

Penelope's heart swelled, her eyes stinging with happy tears. "Yeah," she whispered. "It's him."

"Go!" Jane encouraged, nudging her shoulder. "I'll follow."

Penelope didn't need anymore persuasion. She ran down the runway, Charles greeting her with outstretched arms as she tackled him with a hug. His hands ran up and down her back as he kissed her, hair ruffling in the summer breeze.

"I missed you," he murmured in her ear, pointing to his discarded sign that led face up on the tarmac that had her name written in his usual scruffy writing. "See?"

Penelope kissed him again, smiling so widely that her cheeks hurt. "What are you doing here? You didn't tell me you were coming!"

"Couldn't have you getting lost at the airport. Plus, I wanted to surprise you."

"You're so sweet," she mused, his arm resting comfortably around her waist as she moved to look for Jane. Her friend was only a few metres away, dragging the suitcases over unnaturally slowly. Penelope wasn't a fool - she could tell that Jane was trying to inconspicuously listen to what they were saying without being caught eavesdropping. 

When Jane saw her looking, she suddenly sped up. She smiled sheepishly, extending a hand to Charles. "Hi! I'm Jane, Penelope's PA. Nice to meet you!"

Charles batted her hand away, pulling her in for a quick but friendly hug. "I'm Charles. Penelope has told me a lot about you."

Jane blushed. "Nice things, I hope."

Charles winked at her, taking the suitcases. "Of course. Come on, I'll show you around."

****************

The rest of the day was pretty much a blur. Charles helped them to drop their stuff off at his place, promising to show Penelope around properly later, before whisking them off for dinner in the city. The three of them shared stories and laughed until their cheeks were sore, Penelope's worries about how Charles would fit in with her friends and family vanishing almost as soon as they arose. 

The jet lag, however, was a bitch. It wasn't long before it was time to go, both Jane and Penelope ready for bed, exhausted. Jane was staying in the guest room, and she said a swift goodnight to the couple before heading straight to bed. A few minutes later, when Penelope walked past her room to get water, she heard her snoring softly. 

"I like your place," Penelope told Charles as she climbed into bed beside him, her head resting against his chest. 

"Thank you," he said quietly, placing a tender kiss on her forehead. "I bet it's a little different from your mansion though." 

"Honestly? I don't even like my house that much. I mean, the dance studio is useful and its pretty and really, really expensive but...I don't know. It's never really felt like home. I go back to my Abuela's house and I feel like I belong there. My house has never really felt like that."

Charles ran his fingers through her hair, which didn't help in her battle to stay awake. "Does this place feel like it could be home? Maybe one day?"

Penelope considered the question for a moment. "I feel at home when I'm with you. That's all that matters."

Charles shifted, pulling the blanket so that it was draped over her shoulders. He kissed her once, twice, then again. When he spoke, his voice was so soft that it was barely audible, yet the words were important. "You're mine, too."

That was the last thing Penelope heard before she drifted away into sleep, falling into a gentle peace as Charles held her, together again at last. 

******************