Hey y'all. I started this story here while writing Darkness falls. It's not quite finished yet and was actually planned for a reading night, but I don't want to withhold it from you any longer. I think you need something less disturbing right now too ;) I'll try to keep up with updates regularly, but I can't promise anything right now. Have fun while reading.

>Penny's view<

"Why are you making that face, Penny? They'd think someone had died." Ellie almost spoke true words as she leaned against Hydrus next to me and sipped the tea she had brought with her while looking at me expectantly.

"Believe me, I'd rather have that than what's really in store for me."

"Tell me. There's nothing that can't be fixed." I sighed at her awakened curiosity. But maybe it was good to get that off my chest. I've been hiding it for too long. But I really didn't want to talk about it.

"There's nothing to fix. The problem is that I'm just too alright," I murmured sullenly.

"How am I supposed to understand that now?"

"I have the perfect job, a good salary and a nice house to call my own. But I know that's not enough for what's coming."

"And what would that be?"

"I'm invited to a wedding. My cousin's, to be exact." I pulled the invitation card from the inside pocket of my jacket and handed it to Ellie. She looked at it quietly and read the text until she turned it over and found the handwritten note on it. I'd read it so many times I knew it by heart: Your mum told me you're not married yet. You've always preferred to bury yourself in your books than check out the boys with us ;) But if you have someone to accompany you, you're welcome to bring him (or her) with you. Otherwise Alex would be happy if you came alone. He's still solo and doesn't miss an opportunity to ask me for your number. X Susie X

"Your cousin is mean," she stated as she handed the card back to me.

"That's just how she is. She has her heart on her sleeve."

"Don't go if you don't feel like it."

"Ellie, I have a big family. I've already called off the weddings of two cousins ​​and an aunt because I either had to work or was ill. Eventually it will be noticed. I can't hide forever."

"What's bothering you about it? The fact that you're alone or is this Alex a pimply-faced creep with braces?" I laughed out loud for the first time and looked up at Ellie gratefully.

"I have no idea what Alex looks like now, but he was pretty good-looking back then. It's still true about the creep, though. All he ever wanted to do was get into the girls' pants. If he's alone now, I'd bet he's at least not changed."

"Then you need a date!" Ellie stated, now visibly determined, as she slammed her fist into her palm. I didn't get distracted from my work. I was too logical for that.

"I haven't had a date in years and then I'm supposed to go straight to a wedding with a guy where he's going to meet my whole family?! This is doomed to fail before it even starts. Let's not even talk about that I have no idea who the unlucky guy is."

"Oh, I have an idea," Ellie murmured grinning, and I followed her gaze, now skeptical after all. My eyes widened in shock when our three colleagues, plus Ben and Tom, entered the hall gate, chatting excitedly. Before I could stop her, Ellie was yelling, "Guys, come over here!"

"Ellie?!" I hissed at my best friend as the five men turned to face us. I felt myself blushing and burrowed back into Hydrus' engine bay as my gaze briefly met Sam's, who was visibly confused by my reaction.

"What is it, Ellie? The engine isn't working anymore?" Tom then asked her, as he already rolled up his arms, assuming that they should push Hydrus right away.

"No, no. Penny can handle that, as always." I looked up at Ellie and my eyes grazed Sam's who, to my surprise, was still looking at me and now smiled. I replied, until,"Penny urgently needs someone to accompany her to a wedding this coming weekend so she doesn't look like a total failure in front of her family."

"ELLIE!" I protested immediately, bracing myself with my arms on Hydrus frame to bury my fiery red face in my hands.

"Well, I'm not really into family celebrations. There's a reason why I'm so far away from home. Sorry, Penny," Tom answered immediately and I took a deep breath, relieved but still embarrassed.

"And I can't dance. Also, it sure would look pretty desperate if you came with a younger man," was Arnold's apology.

"Unfortunately, I'm on duty all weekend, otherwise I'd love to accompany you, even if weddings aren't really my thing. They scare me, to be precise." Annoyed, I rolled my eyes in Hydrus' protection about Ben's nervous comment.

"Nobody said go on your own, Ben!" Ellie snapped at him, fists on hips.

"God forbid!" he groaned, but he was completely overwhelmed by the thought of having to commit himself one day.

"I'd go with you in a heartbeat, Penny. I only have this gig on Saturday and I don't think you want to have to introduce a clumsy man like me to your family. I..."

"It's okay, Elvis. Thank you all, but actually it was just a crazy idea on Ellie's part," I replied, attempting a reassuring smile before giving Ellie a deathly glare.

"Well, I can understand that you don't want to go alone. At weddings, it's particularly noticeable who's taken and who's not. Especially when you've reached 30, it usually doesn't matter what you has achieved professionally in your job. Only the fact of being able to show a partner and children is evidence of sufficient social skills and mental and physical satisfaction. The lack of both is often equated with failure, because the fertile phase of a woman usually at this point has passed its peak and from that age onwards you will also increasingly deteriorate both physically and mentally and it will be difficult for you to raise children. Oddly enough, divorced family members are not exposed to the accusation because they already had a chance that didn't work out for them. A loser is and remains who has not managed to find a partner at all and Penny would be the best example of that. No offense, but I never noticed that you had a boyfriend or a date once since I'm here. Evolution..." Arnold explained to us in his usual matter-of-fact manner.

"Thanks, Arnold!" I grumbled between clenched teeth and I decided to vent the surging anger on the engine better than on my younger colleague, who seemed a bit unsettled by my reaction.

"Arnold, I think we should go have a coffee upstairs and I'll explain to you in which situations you should give up your technical ramblings if you don't want to be alone too at the age of 30", Ben now objected with a grin, as he put an arm around Arnold's shoulders and walked him up the stairs.

"I have to go back to the mountain rescue center. Ellie, can you drive me up? Steele said that would be okay?" Tom now took the opportunity to finally be able to flee as well.

"Oh, then could you stop at Dilys on the way back and bring some grated cheese and pasta plates? I wanted to cook right away," Elvis called after Ellie, who was already standing in the cloakroom and taking off her  turnout clothes.

"Sure. I'll be gone then and don't let your head down, Penny. We'll find a solution."

I didn't reply. What should I say about that? My friend had once again managed to make me look ridiculous, and Arnold had pointed out to me in his charming, smart-ass way that I not only ran out of time to show my family - and maybe a little myself - that I was perfectly capable of being in a relationship, but also that my biological clock was also ticking loudly.

"I can go with you!" I jumped back a step and gasped loudly in shock when Sam said that next to me. I had been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed that he had stayed with me, apparently just waiting for us to be alone. I stared at him in disbelief. Did I hear that right?!"Well, I mean, if that's okay for you...I'm off and have no plans...I..."

"Why?" I interrupted Sam's embarrassed babble with the only thing I could think of and he looked at me confused for a moment.

"Because I want to help you. I know what it's like when everyone just picks on one another because you spend your life alone. We're friends and friends help each other, right?!"

"Yeah sure. Friends do that," I murmured as I used the wrench on the spark plug I'd just changed to tighten it. "I really appreciate that, too, but it's asking too much, Sam. The awkward questions, the stupid comments, not to mention the fact that we had to play a couple in love. You don't know my family." I wistfully thought about all of this for a moment. If I were really dating Sam, I would probably be more than proud of any reaction my family evoked to his presence, and I wouldn't have to play it out that I was in love. That would be the easiest part. I could finally show it for once that I'm.

"I wouldn't have a problem with any of that. It only goes as far as you're okay with and we don't have to sleep in the same bed." He tried to joke but it backfired horribly as I turned deathly pale as I remembered. "What is it?"

"Actually, we will. Friday evening is the rumbleparty, a german tradition because her finance is one, and that night is the bachelor party, Saturday is the wedding...in Cardiff. My cousin has already booked a room in my name for the whole weekend due to the long commute. I...Are you okay, Sam? You're blushing all of a sudden." He blushed violently. Was that his reaction to the prospect of sleeping in a bed with me? Because he was too embarrassed? Did that go too far among 'friends'?

"It's okay. I...too much sun training." He cleared his throat briefly, running his hand over his face while I stole a glance through the hall gates to see that the sky was still completely overcast, as it had been all morning. Somehow he had regained his composure and the color of his face was slowly looking healthier again. "Well, I have no problem with that. We are two grown-up people. If I am a suitable partner for you, I would like to accompany you."

"Really?" He just nodded smiling.

"Okay. So I...thanks Sam." Now there was nothing I could do about the darkening of my cheeks. The thought of dating Sam for a weekend was too good to be true.

"Always happy," he replied with a beaming smile that matched mine when Steele called out to him. "I'll go back to work then," he objected and retreated. Something about him was different, strange even. It almost seemed like he was...nervous.

Sam? Could that be possible? Even if his experience with Hollywood would certainly stand him in good stead next weekend, he was never able to pretend anything to me. I always saw through him. But his embarrassed stammering earlier and the excitement just didn't suit him at all and I couldn't classify it. I suppose I wouldn't have to be surprised if his feet were colder than he was admitting.

To be continued...