A Penny Saved is a Love Earned Pt. 03

"What's wrong?" I asked, "Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine, Bry," he chuckled, "But you still need to get over here as soon as you can."

"Aw hell," I laughed, "Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Well see you in a few minutes then," he smiled, "Oh, and bring Doctor Brennan with you."

Okay, bye," I grinned, as I hung the receiver back on the hook.

"Who was that?" Megan asked, concerned.

"That was Earl," I replied, smiling at Penelope, "He said Penelope and me need to come down to the new factory."

~~~~~~

I walked into what was one Earl's shop, which now had been expanded and become the new "Strong-Arm Chair" factory. The roar of the assembly machines let me know that the factory was now online and ready to begin production.

I'd left the staffing of the plant to Mark, who'd hired the people who were all now standing at different positions on each assembly line. It made me feel proud that production was about to start on something that we'd all hand a hand in creating, and in doing so, I sported a grin that stretched from ear-to-ear.

Earl, Mark and Tommy all stood at the head of the first of three assembly lines, and with smiles on all their faces, Earl handed me a remote control and said, "Push the green button and the lines will start rolling, Boss."

I pushed the button and all three assembly lines came to life all at the same time. I watched as every piece was set in place, and then put together with the other components, which were pieced together at measured intervals, similar to that of an automobile production line.

I can't begin to describe the feeling of pride that welled up within me when I tested the first chair to come off of the assembly. And after showing her how to work the controls, Penny squealed as she wheeled the chair all over the factory floor as if it were some kind of go-cart or something.

"Wow," she giggled, flushed from excitement, "That was fun."

"I'll bet it was, Speed Racer," I laughed, "So, what do you think about the chair, Doctor?"

"I tested all of the functions," Penny smiled, "And I think it's pure genius, sweetie."

~~~~~~

The moment we arrived home, I got on the phone to Richard Boles, in New York.

"Hey, Bryan," he smiled, when he realized I was calling him, "How're things down in Nashville?"

"Great news," I proudly replied, "The factory is up and running, and 'The Strong Arm' is now in production."

"That is great news," he excitedly replied, "How about if I come down on Monday, a week from today, to have a look for myself, if that's okay with you?"

"Are you kidding me?" I laughed, "You don't need my approval to visit the factory. You've got a standing open invitation so, come on down."

"Alright then," he chuckled, "I'll see you then, take care," and then he hung up.

~~~~~~

"I have a feeling that the Strong-Arm is going to be a big hit," Penelope gushed, "And to think, you created it so that you wouldn't have to use a bed-pan, that's funny," and then she began to giggle.

"Yeah, yeah," I chuckled, "You've never had to use a bed-pan, have you?"

"No," she laughed, "But that's because I've never had to."

"Well, I hope you have to either," I smiled, "But then again, you're a lot smarter than that, aren't you, my beautiful Doctor Brennan?"

"Speaking of which," she softly replied, "You know that I have to go back to work next week, don't you?"

"I'm trying not to think about it," I quietly replied, "Let's just spend what time we have left, together, please?"

"Aw, don't look so sad, baby," she tenderly said, "It's not like I'm going anywhere. I'm just going back to work...and so should you."

"I know," I smiled, "It's just that, well...I'm better when you're around me, that's all."

She slid her chair across the floor so that she sat right next to me, and then placing her hand on the inside of my thigh, right next to my groin, leaned up to my ear and breathed, "I love you, Bryan. You're the light in my life that makes me shine, baby; and I'll always be near you from now until time is no longer time."

"God, I love you," I softly replied, holding her tightly against me.

~~~~~~

"So, how did it go at the factory," Megan asked, as she came into the kitchen.

"Holy shit, Megan" Penelope excitedly told her, "I got to ride in the very first one that came off of the line."

"So, how was it?" Megan grinned, "Was it fun?"

Are you kidding me?" Penelope giggled, "That fucker hauls ass."

The next thing I knew, Megan and Penny fell into a fit of giggles, and when Sam entered the room and asked why they were laughing, I knew it was time to make an exit from the sea of estrogen that was about to flood my kitchen.

~~~~~~

That evening, Penny and I went to bed around eight-thirty, as Megan and Sam were flying back to Dallas, Texas the next morning. As we lay there, I held her against me as if I were almost guarding her. But in a sense, that's exactly what I was doing, and I didn't care who knew it either.

~~~~~~

"You two have a safe flight back," I said to Megan and Sam, at the airport, "Sam, I'll see you and Sara back here in a little over two weeks."

"I'll see you soon, Uncle Bryan," Sam smiled, hugging both Penelope and I, "You, too, Aunt Penny."

"Take care pretty girl," Penelope giggled, "You take care, too, Megan; and thanks for everything."

"You're welcome, sweetie," Megan sweetly replied, as she hugged Penelope as well, "And I'll be back here in a couple of months."

"Bye, Megs," I said smiling, "And thanks for looking after me, I love you."

"I love you, to, Bry," she impishly replied, "But you don't have to thank me for something I've been doing your whole life."

"Get on the plane," I laughed, playfully smacking her arm, "Silly ass girl."

~~~~~~

As we drove home from the airport, Penny looked at me and said, Bryan honey, there's something I need to talk to you about, okay?"

"What is it," I smiled, "You can ask me anything, you know."

"Do you remember when we hit that big fight?" she asked, I nodded my head and she continued, "I wanted to tell you how bad I felt about how one minute we were telling each other how much we loved one another, and then the next minute we were saying really terrible things to each other. I'm really sorry about that and I don't ever want us to do that again, please?"

"You're right, sweetheart," I quietly said, "But I'm just as guilty of being that way, too so; I promise you that from now on I'll talk before I yell, okay?"

"It was my terrible temper that started the name calling," she said, "And I was...."

"Listen to me, baby," I politely interrupted her, "How about if we admit that we were both wrong, and that we promise each other not to let it ever happen again, okay?"

Sounds good to me," she sweetly giggled, sliding across the bench seat of my truck, sitting right next to me the rest of the way home...

~~~~~~

We had just eaten a brunch of sorts and were sitting in my den as the music of Don Henley softly wafted through the air.

"I think I know why you have bad drams about your parents, sweetheart," I told her, "And if you're willing to talk about this, I think you might be able to put this all behind you."

"I know it's way overdue," she replied, as he yes filled with tears and her bottom lip began to quiver, "But I'm so afraid, Bryan."

"You haven't made peace with their deaths," I tender said, gently caressing her face, "And until you do; you're going to keep having those terrible dreams."

"Please help me, Bryan," she began to cry, "I don't know what to do."

"I've got a plan," I smiled, "But you're going to have to blindly trust me."

"Alright then, baby," she relented, "If you say that it's going to help me, then I trust you."

"Great," I smiled, "Then here's what we're going to do...."

~~~~~~

I made arrangements for a private jet to take us to Washington D.C. while Penny was getting ready to go. Although she didn't know where we were going, and wouldn't know until we got there, she still trusted me to take care of her and that is exactly what I was doing. I even called a limo to pick us up at the house so that I would have to drive and could focus solely on my beautiful Penelope, She was going to need all the help she could get to deal with what she was about to face.

~~~~~~

"Hey, Bryan," said Sculley Hayes, our pilot, as we stepped aboard the Lear 212 jet aircraft, "Long time no see, bro."

"Hi, Scull," I smiled, "It has been too long. I'll have to take care of that when we get back."

"Very cool," Sculley grinned, "Climb aboard and we'll be on our way."

~~~~~~

"Where are we going, baby?" Penelope asked, once we were in the air.

"I love you, sweetie, I really do," I grinned, "But trusting someone blindly means that you're not supposed to ask questions."

"You've got a lot to learn about women, my beautiful love," she giggled, "Don't you know that we're the nosiest creatures on earth?"

"I guess I do, don't I?" I laughed, "But then again, I'll just have to let you teach me, okay baby?"

"Mmm," she purred, snuggling up next to me, "That sounds like fun."

~~~~~~

DULLES AIRPORT CHANTILLY VA.

"What're we doing here?" Penelope smiled, once we landed and were in the limo.

Once again," I smiled, "You're gonna have to trust me, my love."

~~~~~~

Our limo pulled up in front of the "Four Seasons Hotel" in Washington D.C., and as we walked into the lobby, a bellman was there to meet us.

"Mister Rogers, Doctor Brennan," he smiled, "Will you follow me, please?

"My, my," Penelope giggled, "You sue know how to treat a lady, don't you, Bryan?"

"Nah," I teased, "You just caught me in a good mood, that's all."

"Smart ass," she giggled, smacking me on the butt.

~~~~~~

"Oh, my God,' Penelope gushed, once we'd checked in and were in our suite, "This is beautiful, sweetie."

"This is all for you, my precious angel," I breathed, taking her into my arms, "All for you."

~~~~~~

That night we made slow and tender love to one another, where afterward; we fell sleep in each other's arm. I still thank God this day that my beautiful Penny slept all night long, safe in the arms of the one who loved her the most.

~~~~~~

I awoke around six o'clock the next morning, and while Penelope was still asleep; I snuck quietly out of bed and into the main room of our suite. I opened the doors on our balcony and took in the morning air while the pot of coffee I'd set the night before began to brew.

Today was going to be a very stressful day for Penelope, and I knew that she was going to be experiencing an emotional pain, the likes of which she'd never experienced before. However, I don't know how I knew, but I somehow knew that everything was going to be all right; I could literally feel it.

~~~~~~

Once the coffee had brewed, I called room service and ordered breakfast for us, and then took a cup of coffee into the bedroom to wake my sleeping beauty.

~~~~~~

"Wake up, baby," I softly spoke, sitting beside her on the bed, "Rise and shine, my angel."

"Hi, baby," she sleepily smiled, as her big beautiful brown eyes fluttered open "I love you."

"Good morning, beautiful," I smiled, leaning down and kissing her lips, "I love you, too."

~~~~~~

After breakfast, which was absolutely delicious, Penelope and I made love in the morning light, leisurely talking afterwards.

"So, tell me my love," Penny sweetly smiled, "What's on the agenda for today?"

"Today we start healing your beautiful broken heart, my love," I tenderly replied, "But I'm telling you now, it's not going to be pleasant, I assure you."

The smile on her face suddenly vanished, leaving her with the look of a frightened child, as she told me, "I'm afraid, baby."

"There's nothing to be afraid of, I promise," I softly replied, pulling her into my arms, "This is something that you're going to have to face in order to help rid you of your nightmares."

"You're going with me, aren't you?"

"Going with you?" I smiled, "Baby I'm never gonna leave you."

"I love you, Bryan," she said, hugging me tightly, "I love you so much."

~~~~~~

Once we'd showered and gotten dressed, Penelope and I took the elevator down to the lobby. I made it a point to stop in florist shop that was there in the hotel, where I bought a red rose, a daisy and a white carnation, wrapped in baby's breath, then bound together with several small red, white, and blue ribbons.

"What're those for?" Penelope asked.

I simply smiled, and then handed them to her and said, "They're for you to hang on to for a little while, until we get where we're going this morning."

~~~~~~

Because everything had all been prearranged, the cab driver knew where to take us without my having to tell him.

"Where are we going, Bryan?" Penelope asked smiling.

"I told you," I grinned, "You're gonna have to trust me, sweetie."

~~~~~~

When we pulled up next to the Vietnam War Memorial, Penelope looked at me and asked, "What're we doing here?"

"You'll see," I smiled, helping out of the taxi, "Come with me, baby."

~~~~~~

As we walked into the pavilion at the beginning of the wall, I read aloud the words on the placard there:

"If you are able, save for them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go.

Be not ashamed to say that you loved them though you may or may not have always. Take that they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own.

And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind."

Major Michael Davis O'Donnell 1 January 1970 Dak To, Vietnam Listed as KIA February 7, 1978

By the time I finished reading the inscription, I found myself so deeply moved that I could barely speak.

However, I was broken from my reverie when a member of the memorial staff told us, "Mister Rogers, Doctor Brennan, will you come with me please?"

~~~~~~

He led us to a place on the wall where we found an attendant standing beside a small stepladder, holding I small piece of paper in one hand, and a piece of charcoal in the other.

"Hello, Doctor Brennan," he smiled at Penelope, "Please allow me to help you while you get a charcoal rubbing of your father's name."

I was so proud of her that day as she handed me the flowers and climbed the ladder. Per the man's instructions, my beautiful Penelope placed the paper over her father's name, rubbed the charcoal across it, and then kissed her father's name on the wall before she came down. After thanking the both men, I watched them as they turned and walked away taking the ladder with them.

Penelope stood silent as she simply looked at her father's name on the wall while tears poured down her face. And then after taking the flowers from me, she laid them on the ground at the foot of the wall. While placing her right hand against it, I heard her as she softly cried, "Goodbye, Daddy, I love you so much."

After a moment's pause, she stood up, wiped her eyes with the handkerchief I'd handed her, then looked at me and sadly said, "Please take me away from this place, Bryan."

~~~~~~

Penelope was quiet for the rest of the day, saying very little, if anything to me about that morning's events, but it was perfectly understandable after what she'd just been through. Still though, I left her alone in order for her to deal with the turmoil that I knew she was feeling at this point.

~~~~~~

Around six in the evening, I was sitting in the main room of the suite watching television, when Penelope came out of the bedroom looking more refreshed that I'd ever seen her, and she wore a smile on her face that was shinning like the sun.

"I love you, Bryan Rogers," she smiled, sitting in my lap and kissing my lips, "You're the best man a girl could ever want."

"Hi, there," I softly replied, "It's so good to see you smiling."

"I've got a lot to smile about," she lovingly said, "I'm in love with most wonderful guy on earth."

"He sounds like a pretty lucky man," I teased, "Who is he?"

Oh, you are such a brat," she giggled, "Come take me to bed and let's work up an appetite for dinner."

"You lead and I'll follow, M'Lady."

~~~~~~

At the suggestion of the concierge, I took Penelope to a restaurant called "Two Quails". The food was excellent, and the atmosphere was impeccable, as was the whole dining experience. And when we got back to the hotel, we slept comfortably after having a small brandy before bed.

~~~~~~

That night as I lay sleeping, I dreamed that I was floating in a sea of something warm and tender. And although I couldn't really make out any distinctive color, I heard Nala's voice gently warning its way into my heart.

"You are now on the right path, my child," she tenderly said, "Stay focused on your love for one another, and together, you shall find peace."

"Thank you," I heard myself say, "Will I see you again?"

"Perhaps so, perhaps not," she softly replied, "Once my daughter has found peace, my spirit will pass from this world to be with her father, but I'll always be in your hearts...always...I'll always be in your hearts."

~~~~~~

I gently woke to find my beautiful Penelope sleeping softly beside me, a cute little smile on her face as she slumbered, God, how I loved her. I looked at the clock on the bedside table to find that it was only four o'clock so; after gently sliding out of bed so as not to wake Penny, I wrapped a large towel around my waist and went out onto the balcony to look out at the stars.

As I thought about everything that had taken place that day, as well as the dream that I'd had earlier, I felt the beginnings of a satisfied and peaceful smile making its way across my face. And it was then that I knew that the next part of my plan would now be a warm welcome for Penelope as opposed to the emotional inferno she'd dealt with the day before. Still though, she'd come out of t seemingly no wore for the wear, and because of that; I was very proud of her.

~~~~~~

Chapter Four

The next morning found us back at the airport bright and early, and as I expected, Sculley was there, waiting for us in his Lear.

~~~~~~

"It's going to be nice to get back home," Penelope sighed, snuggling up in the seat next to mine.

"Not yet," I smiled, "We still have one more place to go."

"I'm not even going to think about asking where," she giggled, "Because I know you're not going to tell me, are you?"

"You learn quick, don't you?" I chuckled, strolling her head as she laid it on my shoulder, "Smart girl."

"Mmm, Hmm," she contentedly sighed. ~~~~~~

We landed at Billings, Montana's Logan International Airport four hours later, and the moment we stepped out of the plane and onto the tarmac, I immediately sensed feelings of excitement coming from within Penelope.

in awe at her surroundings.

"Trust me," I reassured her, "It's gonna be okay, baby."

"Oh, I know that," she giggled, "I guess I'm just a little nervous about not knowing what's going to happen next."

"I can understand that," I smiled, "But once we get where we're going I think you'll start feeling better."

"And just where are we going?" she sweetly asked.

"You're going home, sweetheart," Richard Boles gently announced from behind her so as not to startle her, pleasantly surprising her instead.

"Uncle Richard," Penelope delightfully squealed, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him, "What are you doing here?"

However, before he had a chance, I looked at rich and said, "Is everything good to go?"

"You betcha," he excitedly grinned, "We're stocked, locked, and ready to rock. The horses will be waiting for us at the entrance trail tomorrow morning. I also made sure that we've got more than enough food to last us while we're up there."