Chapter Text
Penelope sat in her business class seat, looking out the window as they descended into Heathrow airport. It had been a year since she had returned, even longer since she lived in London. She took a generous sip of her prosecco as buildings got bigger and the city came closer.
Last she had been in London was for Daphne’s wedding to Simon Basset. She was looking forward to reuniting with her chosen family, the Bridgertons, as she had not been in the best headspace at the time, having had a messy breakup of her own with her last lover, Cressida. She had no desire to be around happy couples, though she was nothing but pleased to see Daphne and Simon so in love. It gave her hope that maybe… maybe she would find someone.
Prior to the wedding, Penelope had been deep in grad school for Public Relations at Northwestern University in Chicago, while also getting a secondary diploma in Gender studies. She had worked tirelessly for four years, and grad school abroad offered her a perfect chance for time away. She needed to grow. She needed to evolve. She desperately wanted to understand herself better.
Her sisters were betas, but her mother had been an omega. Unfortunately, Portia passed away from a devastating heart attack several months after her father abandoned them when Penelope was 17. He had accumulated so much debt gambling, they all assumed he left unable to face his own shame. Portia never let him live it down. Penelope watched her mother harass her father day in and day out. After he left, she and her sisters say that she stressed herself into an early grave. The silver lining was that they were able to use Portia’s life insurance to cover the debts her father left.
Penelope had been so grateful for the Bridgertons. Philippa (Pippa) had been happily married at that point to her college sweetheart. Prudence settled for a wealthy man who would rather entertain himself with mistresses, traveling the world, while she lives comfortably with her four dogs and bottomless credit cards. Penelope was left to deal with much of the aftermath on her own as Pippa wasn’t exactly what you’d call intelligent, but she had her strengths and she often checked in. However, after trying to lean on Pippa one too many times, she decided it was less work just dealing with the fallout alone.
Anthony and Violet offered to support Penelope dozens of times, but she was too proud. She was also so used to being let down by people, she didn’t want the Bridgertons to fall into that algorithm. They were all she had, and she wanted to keep them safe in her heart and mind, rather than leave any disappointment to chance. While she didn’t take any money from them, she did accept help from their lawyers and agreed to live in a flat with Eloise while she got back on her own footing. Being as smart as she was, she was able to land and maintain a full ride to Oxford, allowing herself to work and save.
Looking out the window, she was hit with years of memories, many of them fond, many of them she wished she could forget. She hoped this was a new chapter, a fresh start in London with a fancy new consulting job with a PR firm. She was a problem solver and she got hired at a top firm in London, allowing her to move back. She would consult with companies to help rebuild their reputations after scandals or major terminations that required support to keep staff happy, maximizing retention. She would network businesses with respectable non-profits that benefited the companies and their public image. It was always a win-win. Non-profits would gain more attention and funding for their causes while private businesses got an overall boost. And she was excellent at it.
She was looking through the pictures on her phone, smiling at photos of her and Eloise laughing, being absolutely ridiculous. They had remained closer than ever, texting nearly every day and talking at least once a week while Pen lived in Chicago. She could not wait to hug her best friend. She texted El that she was about to land. She happily tapped her feet on the floor, antsy to get off the plane. Suddenly, she heard a low grunt from her right side. She looked over to see a large man getting his carry-on, smiling down at her, giving her a lookover, his eyes resting on her cleavage.
“Not a chance.” She told him as she looked back to her phone. He raised his eyebrows and sat back down a couple seats behind her. She shook her head, something she did often when she had to deal with men. Pen continued to focus on looking out the window, bracing herself for the wheels to hit the tarmac. She popped her daily suppressant, as she downed the rest of her prosecco, handing the glass to the flight attendant as she collected any trash or waste.
Grabbing her purse, taking out a small mirror, she took a look, making sure she wasn’t a hot mess. It had been a long flight and she was ready for a hot shower and decent food. She took another glance, looking at herself and she felt content. It had taken her years to feel this confident. Her boobs and hips developed way earlier than her sister’s did and she had received unwanted attention for as long as she could remember. It had always been assumed that she would eventually present as an Omega, so she would get boy after boy making comments about her body, trying to cop a feel. As she got older, it didn’t get better. Eloise, being an Alpha, was incredibly protective. It helped that Pen realized in college she was actually bi, and felt immensely relieved she had other options. Eloise did consensually make a move once, or twice, after Pen came out, but they quickly realized there was no sexual chemistry. It didn’t stop them from sharing a kiss here or there, especially on a drunk girl’s night out. Eloise took great pride in humiliating men at every chance, which Pen found incredibly endearing and funny. Her brothers needed someone to keep them in check.
Without El by her side, she decided to fully commit to the idea that she was a Beta while abroad. She never felt safe without a trusted alpha nearby and those were few and far between. The Bridgertons were always reliable, well… except Colin.
“We want to thank you for flying British Airways. We hope you enjoy your stay in London. Please make your way to the terminal or baggage claim.” Pen unbuckled herself, collected her carry-ons and made her way off the plane. She stopped at the bathroom to freshen up a moment, making sure she didn’t reek of B.O. before seeing El for the first time in a year. She let her hair down, smoothed it out with her fingers to put it back up in a slightly neater messy bun. She washed her hands and did a quick outfit check for any spots or stains. She was wearing snug beige linen wide leg pants with gold strappy flat sandals. The pants were slightly high-waisted, emphasizing her shapely hips and accentuating her waist. On top she had a soft pink fitted crop top that showed off her soft mid-drift with an oversized white boyfriend cardigan. She used to be self-conscious about her body, but she eventually realized she didn’t care. With all the attention her curves afforded her, she decided to embrace her figure and screw everyone else. As RuPaul says, “If you can’t love yourself, how you gonna love somebody else?” During their Oxford years, Pen and Eloise lived on Drag Race.
She spritzed a little Fenty body spray over herself and walked out confidently to get her many pounds of luggage. She had hoped El brought a big car. Since she had just gone through a rough break-up, El was offering her the guest room and planned to lean on Pen while healing from her cheating ex, Thea. After a few months, Pen would be able to afford her own place. She had used much of her current funds to relocate, even though the company covered a good chunk of it. She didn’t want to be straining herself for the first few months while she was getting back on her feet, replanting her roots.
Her best friend’s excitement was so contagious. She was thankful to see at least two of her three bags coming round in the first group of luggage. Packing her luggage cart with her bags, she folded her arms, impatiently waiting for the last and biggest one. About ten minutes later, the last of her sunflower-patterned luggage came round. She happened to pack half her library in it and struggled to get it off the luggage belt as it continued to rotate. An older man approached to help and put it to rights on its wheels.
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“What does a pretty little thing have in such a heavy suitcase?” He smiled down at her.
“A body.” Pen said innocently, smiled and winked before walking away. She pushed it onto its side on her luggage cart before pushing it, albeit with lots of effort, towards the pick-up area. It was about 11am when she got outside and located Eloise. She pushed the cart as fast as she could but El met her more than halfway to the car, embracing her all the way to the ground as she tackled her gently.
“Hey hot stuff! Welcome home!” El gave her a kiss on the cheek and hugged her tightly before removing herself and helping Penelope up. They were both laughing and it felt good. Pen forgot how warm Eloise’s presence was.
“Fuck I missed you.” Pen told her as she pulled her into another hug.
“It’s mutual this time.” They both laughed again. “Damn you look good! Should we try to get together one more time?” Pen sighed, smiling and rolling her eyes.
“We both know your sexual prowess is wasted on me. I wish it could be that easy.”
“I know, right!? What can I help with?” They walked to the car, sharing inside jokes and laughing. El helped Pen get her luggage in the car. She had the rest of her items shipped from Chicago and would arrive within the next week.
“I got you a cold brew with some oatmilk and cinnamon. Still your fave?”
“MMM yes.” She took a sip and shimmied in her seat. “You’re so good to me.”
“Only the best for my best bitch!” They both laughed and El made their way to the flat. It felt like no time had passed. Pen let the comfort of her closest alpha seep in and truly relaxed for the first time in years.