Into hiding (a sequel for Time and Again)

Chapter 3: a morning walk

Penny:

When I woke up this morning, I didn't know where I was. Again. When I saw the wooden walls, I remembered our current situation. Talon and I talked about it over Pizza last night.

I looked outside my window, only to find that it wasn't even dawn yet. I stood up, softly treading across the wooden floor and opening the window. A biting cold breeze blew in, and I shut it again. I tied my hair into a quick bun, not even bothering to brush it first.

I grabbed my hoodie from my closet and threw it over my pajamas. Once my sneakers were on as well, I shuffled out the front door. It was a clear, crisp morning. The birds weren't even awake yet.

I breathed in the cold morning air, and exhaled it with a sigh. I sat down on the front porch. "Morning, Princess." I heard from behind me, before Talon appeared and took a seat next to me, holding two inviting cups of tea. "Good morning, sleepy head." I replied, gladly accepting one of the cups and taking a sip of the warm liquid.

"Mm." I hummed with pleasure. "Hey. After we're finished, do you wanna go for a walk? There's a lot of beauty in this place that I'd like to show you." He said, and I nodded in reply. After I finished, I set my cup down on the porch and stood up, linking arms with Talon.

With our hands in our pockets and our noses tinted red from the chill, We began walking through the forest. Talon started telling me stories of the adventures he had with his grandfather. After a while, we grew silent as the birds started singing.

It was a while before Talon broke it, when he chuckled beside me, his gaze downcast. "What are we gonna do, Penny?" He asked softly.

"About what?"

He gestured to everything around him. "This. This whole thing. We don't have any specific instructions, and we have no idea what we're gonna do once we've reached the queen of spades. Nevermind that, we don't even know how to find her in the first place!" He said, frustratingly running his hand through his hair. "Don't we have Johnson's information?" I asked.

"Well yeah but it's not worth much. It doesn't cover a lot of ground. I mean, I know that she was my uncle's wife, and I know this is about revenge."

"But that's good, right? That's a pretty good heading. Besides, the information came with her previous location."

"New Mexico. We were in New Mexico two weeks ago. The information is two weeks old. She's been tracking us. Think, Penny! What the hell is our actual mission?" He demanded in a harsh voice that I didn't expect.

I decided it was best not to answer, so I just kind of shrugged and tucked my fringe behind my ear. He ducked his head down and sighed, regretting his outburst. "I'm sorry, Princess." He whispered and pulled me into a hug.

I started rubbing his tense back in a soothing manner to calm him.

"Look, baby. I know you're tense, I know this is hard. But we'll get through this. Remember what you said to me at the ball?" I said over his shoulder. "We're gonna get through this." He answered and I nodded my head, pulling away just far enough to see his face.

His hands were on the small of my back, and my hands went to the sides of his face. "That's right. And do you know why?" I asked him, and he shook his head in reply.

"Because we have each other. We're in this together, and we're a team. We need each other... I need you, Talon." I said softly, never breaking eye-contact. He glanced at my lips, and slowly leaned in until our lips met.

The kiss was neither fast, nor slow. It was as thrilling as the one we had on the beach, full of soft meaning and raw emotion. It lasted about five seconds that felt like centuries, until we broke apart, breathless, and folded into the tightest and longest embrace I've ever been held in.

I clung onto him as if he would slip away with the wind if I let go. Then, he said the most surprising words. "If we finish this mission alive, I want to quit the agency and I want to marry you, Penny." He said slowly.

It took me a few seconds to fully absorb his words. When the reality hit me, my eyes widened and my breath hitched in my throat. "Did- did you just propose to me?" I sputtered out, watching the grin spread on his face.

"Well... Not formally, no. So... Here it goes." He said and got down on one knee. My hands were clasped over my mouth as he dug around in his pocket, finding a small navy blue box.

"Penny Brown... The last five years have been hell for me. I was beaten to a pulp numerous times and yet, everytime I saw your face on the field, even as the enemy, I had a reason to smile again. You made me forget the past, because the present, with you in it, is so... Amazing. I never want to be unhappy again, so I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know I'm not formally dressed, and there's no romantic etiquette like a guitar or rose petals or candle lit dinner or anything, but... Penny... Will you marry me?" He said and opened the box to reveal a beautiful emerald ring.

I choked on the happy tears I failed to hold back. "Yes! Yes! A million times yes!" I cried and jumped into his arms, immediately engulfed into his warm embrace once more. "I love you! I love you so much!" I cried into his shoulder, staining it with my tears.

He slipped the ring onto my finger, which fit like a glove. It was a princess cut emerald ring, with silver and blue specks surrounding the sparkling jewel on my finger.

"That is, if we survive our last fall, I hope." He joked and I laughed, feeling happier than I've felt in the last three days.