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Description
Weiss sat at Penelope's bedside, running a hand through her hair. She hadn't woken since they had returned to the Labs, several hours earlier. It was well into the night, and Weiss was beginning to envy Penelope's peaceful sleep. Occasionally, he would start to nod off, but a terrifying memory form earlier that day would inevitably jolt him awake. That man-Yrajia-had nearly killed them both. It was, Weiss thought, a miracle that they were both safely in the Labs.
At least, that's what it seemed like at face value. But as he thought about it, he realized that, perhaps, it wasn't a miracle at all. Flashing back to the moment in which he had, without thinking, threatened Yrajia, he remembered feeling nothing. No apprehension, no grief-he had lost all of himself, and that thought frightened him almost as much as the thought of losing Penelope.
She was such a strong girl-independent, smart, resourceful-but lying in her bed, wounded and unconscious, she seemed so fragile. It wasn't like her to be helpless and weak. Weiss had tried his best to treat her wounds, but without Penelope's guiding hand, he felt like he had forgotten something. But there was nothing left to do but wait. With a sigh, he took her hand-and to his surprise, she squeezed back.
"Weiss?" Penelope murmured, her eyes adjusting to the dim light of her room. "Is that you? Are you there--did we make it?" Her voice was weak and unsteady--she was in a lot of pain.
"Yeah, Penelope, it's me. We're home."
"That's good. I was worried. Have you… been here this whole time?"
"Almost. I got you some water a little while ago, in case you were thirsty when you woke up."
"That's very sweet, Weiss. Thank you." She took the glass from the box at her bedside, and took a drink. As she lay back down, she winced as a jolt of pain shot through her stomach. She checked her midsection, and found it neatly bandaged. As she did so, she noticed she wasn't wearing her suit any more--she had her old nightgown on.
"Angel let you take it off?"
"What? Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry, I had to, to, you know... the bandages…"
Penelope smiled, covering herself up again. "It's okay," she said, "Don't worry about it. You did a good job."
There was a silence then, broken after a moment by the sound of the fans revving up. A draft blew through the room, and Penelope shivered, drawing herself closer to Weiss. He sighed, putting an arm around her.
"I'm sorry, Penny. You've been through so much recently, and... it's all my fault. You wouldn't have had your whole life turned upside-down if I hadn't just kept my nose in my own business."
She smiled and looked up at him in admiration. "That might be true, but if you'd never shown up... I wouldn't have ever met you."
Weiss's breath caught in his throat as his eyes met Penelope's.  She was staring at him with a bashful, yet hopeful and sincere look, and she held his hand a bit more tightly than she had before. He turned away with an exasperated sigh, his heart racing.
"But… I've been nothing but trouble for you."
"Trouble?" She laughed. "You haven't been any trouble at all. You saved my life, and on several occasions at that."
"Not without you there to kick my ass into shape to begin with. Without you, I'd be a hundred years into the future, living on ancient junk food."
"And without you, I'd be bleeding out on the floor of that mansion."
Weiss shook his head. "You're not going to give up on this, are you?"
"I just don't want you looking down on yourself. You're worth a lot more than I think you know… at least to me."
"Oh, right," said Weiss, rolling his eyes. "I've really done a lot, haven't I?"
Penelope sighed-the conversation wasn't going in the direction she wanted.
"Well, we've had some fun, haven't we?"
"You've got one hell of an idea of fun."
"Maybe. But you've been great. I couldn't have asked for a better person to spend these last few months with."
Penelope smiled, squeezed his hand, and let her head fall down onto the pillow.
"Weiss?"
"Yeah?"
"You're going to stay here all night, aren't you?"
"I was planning on it."
"Would you do me a favor, just for tonight?"
"Of course."
"Would you get some sleep? I promise I won't go anywhere."
"You mean... sleep here? With you?"
Penelope nodded. "I heard what you said when you were carrying me back to the truck."
Weiss's heart lurched. He hadn't exactly planned on saying that-it had just slipped out. He hadn't thought it over, and there was a lot to think about. He was unsure of what role he wanted Penelope to play in his life, or how close he wanted to get to her. He opened his mouth to protest, but Penelope got to it first.
" I want to show you... that you mean everything to me, too."  She put a hand to Weiss's face. "Stay with me tonight, okay?"
With that touch, all of the doubts he had disappeared. He knew exactly how close he wanted to get to this girl-his partner. There was a pause, and he nodded, taking the hand in his.  "Alright. But you have to promise that you'll try to sleep now."
"I will, as long as you're here.
They talked for a while, as the night wore on. Weiss talked until he realized that Penelope had fallen asleep. Watching her sleep peacefully, he too felt exhausted. He lay down next to the girl, who curled up next to him with a contented sigh. He was comfortable and happy at Penelope's side, so he only watched the girl sleep for a brief moment before he, too, closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Then it was only the camera that the Cosmic Alliance had installed in the room that watched over them.

Description
Weiss sat at Penelope's bedside, running a hand through her hair. She hadn't woken since they had returned to the Labs, several hours earlier. It was well into the night, and Weiss was beginning to envy Penelope's peaceful sleep. Occasionally, he would start to nod off, but a terrifying memory form earlier that day would inevitably jolt him awake. That man-Yrajia-had nearly killed them both. It was, Weiss thought, a miracle that they were both safely in the Labs.
At least, that's what it seemed like at face value. But as he thought about it, he realized that, perhaps, it wasn't a miracle at all. Flashing back to the moment in which he had, without thinking, threatened Yrajia, he remembered feeling nothing. No apprehension, no grief-he had lost all of himself, and that thought frightened him almost as much as the thought of losing Penelope.
She was such a strong girl-independent, smart, resourceful-but lying in her bed, wounded and unconscious, she seemed so fragile. It wasn't like her to be helpless and weak. Weiss had tried his best to treat her wounds, but without Penelope's guiding hand, he felt like he had forgotten something. But there was nothing left to do but wait. With a sigh, he took her hand-and to his surprise, she squeezed back.
"Weiss?" Penelope murmured, her eyes adjusting to the dim light of her room. "Is that you? Are you there--did we make it?" Her voice was weak and unsteady--she was in a lot of pain.
"Yeah, Penelope, it's me. We're home."
"That's good. I was worried. Have you… been here this whole time?"
"Almost. I got you some water a little while ago, in case you were thirsty when you woke up."
"That's very sweet, Weiss. Thank you." She took the glass from the box at her bedside, and took a drink. As she lay back down, she winced as a jolt of pain shot through her stomach. She checked her midsection, and found it neatly bandaged. As she did so, she noticed she wasn't wearing her suit any more--she had her old nightgown on.
"Angel let you take it off?"
"What? Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry, I had to, to, you know... the bandages…"
Penelope smiled, covering herself up again. "It's okay," she said, "Don't worry about it. You did a good job."
There was a silence then, broken after a moment by the sound of the fans revving up. A draft blew through the room, and Penelope shivered, drawing herself closer to Weiss. He sighed, putting an arm around her.
"I'm sorry, Penny. You've been through so much recently, and... it's all my fault. You wouldn't have had your whole life turned upside-down if I hadn't just kept my nose in my own business."
She smiled and looked up at him in admiration. "That might be true, but if you'd never shown up... I wouldn't have ever met you."
Weiss's breath caught in his throat as his eyes met Penelope's.  She was staring at him with a bashful, yet hopeful and sincere look, and she held his hand a bit more tightly than she had before. He turned away with an exasperated sigh, his heart racing.
"But… I've been nothing but trouble for you."
"Trouble?" She laughed. "You haven't been any trouble at all. You saved my life, and on several occasions at that."
"Not without you there to kick my ass into shape to begin with. Without you, I'd be a hundred years into the future, living on ancient junk food."
"And without you, I'd be bleeding out on the floor of that mansion."
Weiss shook his head. "You're not going to give up on this, are you?"
"I just don't want you looking down on yourself. You're worth a lot more than I think you know… at least to me."
"Oh, right," said Weiss, rolling his eyes. "I've really done a lot, haven't I?"
Penelope sighed-the conversation wasn't going in the direction she wanted.
"Well, we've had some fun, haven't we?"
"You've got one hell of an idea of fun."
"Maybe. But you've been great. I couldn't have asked for a better person to spend these last few months with."
Penelope smiled, squeezed his hand, and let her head fall down onto the pillow.
"Weiss?"
"Yeah?"
"You're going to stay here all night, aren't you?"
"I was planning on it."
"Would you do me a favor, just for tonight?"
"Of course."
"Would you get some sleep? I promise I won't go anywhere."
"You mean... sleep here? With you?"
Penelope nodded. "I heard what you said when you were carrying me back to the truck."
Weiss's heart lurched. He hadn't exactly planned on saying that-it had just slipped out. He hadn't thought it over, and there was a lot to think about. He was unsure of what role he wanted Penelope to play in his life, or how close he wanted to get to her. He opened his mouth to protest, but Penelope got to it first.
" I want to show you... that you mean everything to me, too."  She put a hand to Weiss's face. "Stay with me tonight, okay?"
With that touch, all of the doubts he had disappeared. He knew exactly how close he wanted to get to this girl-his partner. There was a pause, and he nodded, taking the hand in his.  "Alright. But you have to promise that you'll try to sleep now."
"I will, as long as you're here.
They talked for a while, as the night wore on. Weiss talked until he realized that Penelope had fallen asleep. Watching her sleep peacefully, he too felt exhausted. He lay down next to the girl, who curled up next to him with a contented sigh. He was comfortable and happy at Penelope's side, so he only watched the girl sleep for a brief moment before he, too, closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Then it was only the camera that the Cosmic Alliance had installed in the room that watched over them.