Fireman Sam SAM&PENNY ONE-SHOTS

Helper in grief

Hello everyone! I hope the emotions after the last chapter had already fall down enough for you to see what happened next. It is not what I thought it should be here, but I guess I couldn't do any better. So I hope you will have better time with this one;)

The rainy October certainly didn't help Penny get her act together. Since her grandmother's funeral, Penny had barely laughed at all, the only faint smile appearing on her face when she spent time with Reilynn.

After two weeks, Sam had to go back to work. Jerry Lee's presence made Station Officer Steele feel even more like a family member and took care of Sam and Penny as much as he could. However, even Sam's presence did not bring any results. Penny became cold, indifferent and deprived of the spark of life she always had around her. Only with Reilynn did she show warmer feelings. In Sam's presence, she only allowed herself to cry.

It was the evening after the funeral. Sam went with Penny to Newtown first thing in the morning, while Reilynn, unaware of anything, was once again under the care of Station Officer Steele. The ceremony was beautiful, although sad. Sam felt like the pockets of his black coat were bottomless as he pulled out more tissues. He stayed with Penny all day long. It was obvious that she needed him, even though she didn't have the courage to ask for it.

By the time they returned back to Pontypandy, it was almost evening. Sam and Penny found Station Officer Steele sitting in a chair in the firestation common room with Reilynn on his lap. From behind, it was a strange sight as the older man was making weird faces that made Rei laugh as she rocked back and forth. But as soon as Penny walked through the door, Reilynn, as if on cue, stopped swinging and stretched her arms out towards her mother. Sam let Penny go ahead and allowed her to have a few words with Station Officer Steele in private. The experienced man said goodbye to his "granddaughter", letting her pass into her mother's arms.

Penny hugged her all the way home. When Sam got changed and went down to the living room, Reilynn held out her arms to him and raised herself slightly to let herself be caught in her dad's arms. Meanwhile, Penny managed to change before she came back and sat down silently across from Sam and Reilynn, sitting Cinnamon on her lap to let him snuggle into her hoodie and lick her hand as invisible tears rolled down her cheeks.

"It's time to go to bed," Penny said weakly as Sam tried to put the last piece of the puzzle back in the box, but Reilynn stubbornly tried not to let her dad do that. "Come on," Penny stood up from her chair and walked over to her husband. She lifted Reilynn into her arms as Sam finally managed to close the puzzle box.

When Sam caught up with her in Reilynn's room. The small lamp was on, causing the shadow of Penny's hair to cover her eyes as she sat in the armchair. But it was obvious from the restless movement of her chest and breathing that she was crying. Reilynn was sitting on Penny's lap, playing with the strings of her hoodie, but she wasn't laughing like usual, obviously feeling the change in her mother's behaviour.

"Everything's all right?" Sam asked, walking into the room and leaning over Reilynn.

"How should it be?" Penny looked at him blankly until Reilynn's yawn distracted her. "Sweet dreams," she managed to sound cheerful as Reilynn slowly began to fall asleep in Sam's arms. Sam carefully placed Reilynn in her crib while Penny covered her with the covers and leaned down to kiss Rei on the forehead.

"Come on," Sam stopped her hand, gently grabbing her wrist as she was about to spread her sleeping bag on the floor. When Penny looked up at Sam, she was still upset, but also surprised.

"What?"

"Reilynn is already half a year old, she sleeps more than half the night in a bad case" Sam took Penny's hand. "Get some rest, we both know that being apart won't help anyone."