Once Penny seemed settled, Christian released his hold on her and sat back on the bed. He listened attentively to Penny as she explained what had happened. The concerned expression remained on Christian's face, his eyebrows pinched together while she spoke. Nightmare. Christian sighed, sitting back and looked away from Penny.

"Yes, I worried this would happen. Dreams and nightmares are a part of the subconscious trying to work through what happened. They can be...intense." He had worried this would happen and that it would be rather violent. Christian knew it was beneficial for Penny to work out the trauma, but he found himself growing more and more protective of the woman who sat before him. He could easily take these memories and the pain associated with them away from her. He opened his mouth to offer this when Penny suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck.

Christian's arms automatically wrapped around Penny, one encircled her waist while the other angled up her back, his hand resting between her shoulder blades. Christian was impressed with the strength in which Penny used while she clung to him; and that was really the best way to describe it. Christian rubbed his hand up and down Penny's upper back, hoping to soothe her further.

"I'm just glad I was here to do so. Penny...do you want me to take the memories away?" Christian's voice wasn't as strong as he wished it to be. To take away memories would be to take a piece of Penny away, and because Christian was the one to show up to reap her, he would have to erase himself, as well. But he would do it for her. Christian was quickly realizing he would do anything for Penny.

Penny loosened her grip, in shock over what Christian just offered. She pulled away, but not completely- her hands still on his shoulders. "Take them away...?" She trailed off, her mind racing at the outcome of the offer. "But then, I'd forget everything. Reconciling with Luke, the vampires, almost dying," She paused looking into his eyes. "You," she whispered.

Sadness and regret gripped her heart when she thought about forgetting everything she's been through. Her feelings for Christian- whatever those were. If she said yes, she'd be free of the nightmares and the constant worry and paranoia. She'd be free of the heartbreak she knew she'd have to endure in the future if Christian decided to leave.

But she'd also be missing out on reconnecting with her brother and building her first genuine relationship with someone. Penny shook her head, her eyebrows furrowed. "It's a tempting offer, but I'd regret it if I accepted. Everything that's happened has made me a stronger person. I see the world differently now and you're the first genuine connection I've had for probably my entire life," Penny tightened her grip on his shoulders, reassuring herself that he was here. "I've had nightmares before. They're not real and go away after a period of time. I'll be okay."

Especially now that you're by my side, she thought. There was so much Penny wanted to say to Christian, but was too afraid to do so. If she clung to him too much or got too close, would he push her away? Would he think she was clingy and annoying? Penny didn't want to find out nor did she want to forget. No, she and Christian would stay as they were. Friends that taught and comforted one another.

When Penny shifted back to look at him, Christian relaxed his hold on her so only his hands rested on her hips. He smiled sadly at Penny’s statement. ”Yes, but you wouldn’t be plagued with these nightmares anymore.” However, it seemed that Christian didn’t have cause to worry, for Penny was completely against the idea.

He tried to refrain from showing too much joy at Penny’s rejection. Christian offered her an out, but she didn’t want it, despite what it was doing to her personally.

”Okay, if they happen again and I’m around, I could enter your dreams. Maybe I’ll be able to help you move past them that way,” he said. Christian looked away from Penny, thinking she could use something to drink. A bottle of water floated through the air before Christian grabbed it and offered it to Penny.

Penny removed her hands form his shoulders and took the waterbottle. She gulped half of it down before she screwed the cap back on and set it beside her on the bed. "Thanks. And I wouldn't mind if you entered my dreams." Penny didn't know what her dreams would entail in the future, but Penny found that she didn't mind it if Christian rooted through her mind... which scared her a bit. She was slowly realizing that she'd let Christian do what he wanted, consequences be damned.

Penny looked at the time and saw it was five in the morning. She groaned slightly, disappointed she couldn't sleep a little longer. "Well an early start never hurt anyone. I know I won't be able to go back to sleep. If we leave within the next hour or so, we can drop the car off and grab the camper with plenty of daylight left," She paused and tilted her head to ask a question. "Are you okay with driving the car through the city? We can take it slow. If not, I can park the truck a little out of town and drive the car there..." Penny looked at him with a small smile. "Can you teleport people other than yourself without getting into trouble? That would be the best way to get back to the truck. Plus I want to experience it. Just once." She clasped her hands together and gave him what people would normally call a 'puppy face'. Wide sparkly eyes and a small pout.

A small smile started on Christian's face while Penny planned out their morning, but as she continued to talk his smile grew wider until he started to laugh. The look in her eyes as she tried to beg him to take her teleporting was adorable, and Christian hoped he would get to see such looks on her face again. His laugh turned to a chuckle as he shook his head.

"I am afraid I have to deny you that. Teleporting a human is strictly against the rules. There are things you are not meant to see." His tone apologetic and his eyes searched hers for understanding, even if she wasn't happy. He brushed his fingers lightly across her cheek, capturing a strand of hair that had come loose and tucked it behind her ear.

Christian wore a soft smile on his face as he tended to this action. It wasn't until his hand fell away from her ear that Christian realized what he had just done. His entire body tensed and cheeks burned.

"I'll uh... I'll meet you by the cars," he said and vacated the room quickly.

Penny felt slightly disappointed over Christian's denial, but she couldn't bring herself to show it or complain about it. Not when he was smiling at her so tenderly as he tucked her hair behind her ear. Penny studied his face, wondering what he was thinking about, returning his smile with one of her own. "I understand," She responded.

All of a sudden, he went rigid and pulled away before excusing himself from the room, leaving Penny slightly confused. She brought her hand up to the strand of hair that was put behind her ear and she let a goofy smile spread across her face. Was he bashful? Penny's stomach fluttered with butterflies as her mind replayed the action and her cheeks felt slightly warmer than usual. She cleared her throat and decided it was best to get ready for the day.

Penny met up with Christian in the parking lot. He was leaning up against the car he was going to drive and Penny stopped to admire his tall figure for a second before making herself known and greeting him. "I think I'm ready," She called out. "Uh... just message me in my brain if you want to pull over- I guess. You don't have a cell phone, do you?"

Penny wondered if she should get him one just for... emergencies.

Christian rested against the car after he had been pacing for ten minutes. He fidgeted with the watch he wore, which seemed to follow the planetary cycle rather than time itself. What happened to him in Penny's hotel room was strange. It unnerved and excited him, and the fact that Penny didn't seem to mind his advances made his feelings stronger.

He was looking at his fingers, pressing the tips of them together when he heard Penny's voice and looked up. He leaned away from the car and smiled wryly at her statement of sending her mental messages.

"I don't have a cell phone," he confirmed. "I suppose it would be easier to get one. Perhaps after we get the trailer," he suggested.

Christian got into the car after Penny got into her truck. Excitement overtook him as he turned the car over and proceeded to follow Penny. The lessons from the day before helped him to remain calm and in control. During the night, Christian had read up on traffic laws and how to navigate city roads. No book could have prepared Christian for the chaos of driving in town. Once or twice he very nearly had an accident. It was with immense relief that Christian pulled into the dealership and handed over the car keys. But after Christian got into Penny's truck, he wished for the privacy of the car once more.

Thoughts of the morning filtered through Christian's head while he sat in the passenger seat. His hands on her waist, her face close to his, and the feeling of her skin against his fingers were all sensations that seemed to come to him unbidden and frequently. Christian continued to shift uncomfortably in the seat while they drove, unable to carry on a conversation with Penny that didn't leave him blushing or staring at her for longer than necessary.

Penny barely had the vehicle in park before Christian jumped out of the truck and walked over to the trailer. He kept himself busy by looking around it and getting it ready for Penny to hook up to. This was something else Christian had read up on while Penny had slept. He wanted to be more useful to Penny. She needed him to teach her how to hunt, but that seemed very minor compared to everything a human had to worry about.

Penny pursed her lips as she watched Christian almot throw himself out of the vehicle and pace around the camper. He had been acting strange since he left the hotel room. Penny didn't think anything had happened to make him so on edge and antsy. Unless it was something related to his job? Or... maybe Penny made him mad somehow?

She backed the truck up to the front of the camper and jumped out. She stared at the hitch with her hands on her hips and frowned. She tapped her foot in thought before sighing. She forgot to read up on how to hitch something to a truck. She doubted Christian knew, but she turned to ask him anyways. "Do you know-"

Penny blinked in surprise as she watched Christian already putting the parts together. A smile adorned her lips soon after the shock wore off and she found that she was impressed by his knowledge. And maybe a little attracted to it, but she buried that emotion and tried to keep her face from heating up. "Look at you! Driving, eating, hitching a trailer... you're on a roll with this human stuff," Penny exclaimed, hoping to get him to open up a little bit and explain why he's been acting so weird.

Christian plugged in the electrical for the lights on the trailer to work while Penny complimented him. He stood back up, wiping his dirty hands on a rag with a chuckle.

”Thank you. It feels good to be useful and get my hands dirty. I'm glad this at least was easier to put together after reading up on it. Reading about driving a car is nothing like actually having to drive a car,” Christian noted.

He looked at Penny and nodded to the truck. ”Do you want to get in and test the lights?” If the trailer lights weren't working, they would have to figure something out.

Once Christian was satisfied that the lights were working, he returned to the driver's side of Penny's door. ”I think that's it then. Should we head back to the hotel room you've been staying in and gather anything you've left behind?”

Penny shook her head with a smile as she conversed with Christian through the driver's side window. "I actually put everything inside the trailer before I left for Luke's house. Everything should be in there so no need to go back to the hotel. I guess our next step would be to find somewhere to park- though I think we should find a problem to solve and park near there."

Penny pointed at the passenger seat next to her with pursed lips. "Are you coming with?"

Christian glanced at the passenger seat before checking his watch, watching the many hands shift. ”I should go and follow through with some of my duties for a couple of hours at least. My suggestion would be to find someplace local or within the state to set up camp for now. That way, we can train until you feel comfortable taking on a case.” Christian leaned away from the truck and took several steps back.

”I’ll come find you then. Perhaps I’ll have a present,” Christian said, grinning before he teleported from the space.

While Christian eased himself into the familiar work of reaping souls, he grew calmer. The clarity allowed him to think more assuredly about his relationship with Penny. He thoroughly enjoyed her company and the adventure she wanted him to participate in. It was everything Christian had yearned for while watching humans from between worlds.

It had felt good to use his hands, and rewarding to accomplish tasks that seemed medial. Not to mention the praise he received from Penny upon completing the work. At the thought of Penny, Christian’s mind drifted to the hotel room. His fingertips tingled from the memory of touching her skin, and he found himself searching for her in his mind, wondering if she had found a campground and what she was doing. As his awareness of Penny grew, he realized what he was doing and snapped himself back to the present moment, where he watched a soul cross over to the other side.

”Concentrate, Christian,” he berated himself and ran a hand over his head before smoothing down his jacket. Once he felt settled, Christian continued with his work.

A few hours after Christian left Penny, he reached out again until he found her. He had cleaned up from earlier and changed into something a bit more relaxed and comfortable. Something he could easily move in to help train Penny and help around the campground.

Rather than teleport nearby and announce himself to Penny, Christian decided to surprise her this time and appeared just behind her. ”Do you want your surprise now, or later?” Christian asked, a smile and a glint in his eyes.

The same calm he felt after returning to work surrounded him now that he was in Penny’s presence again. It was strange how he felt similarly in two different situations, but it made him smile all the more.

Penny rarely got gifts or surprises, so she was shocked when Christian left immediately after claiming he might have a present for her. Butterflies danced around her stomach and almost made her forget about why he was acting so strange. She sat in the drivers seat, lost in her thoughts for a few moments before shaking her head and pulling out her GPS to find a campground. There was one just outside of town and she figured it looked like a nice place to stay. Once she parked, she got to unpacking her meagre personal items and rearranging her camper. Her bathroom was finally stocked, her bed made, the kitchen stocked... kinda.

She wondered what kind of meals Christian would want to eat, now that he was trying food. She decided that she needed to go grocery shopping and buy a few decorations for her new home. She wanted new curtains and cushions for the seats and windows, as well as a cute table runner for her tiny table and maybe some fabric flowers. Penny exited her camper, locking it behind her before realizing she didn't know how to disconnect the trailer from her truck and reconnect it. She pulled out her phone and pulled up a few videos, skimming through them in hopes of understanding what needs to be done.

Eventually, she figured it out and when she got back from the store, she put all of her groceries away and put up her new curtains and decorations. The camper definitely had some of her personality sprinkled through it now and she loved it. Some fabric sunflowers sat in the middle of the table on top of a yellow table runner and cute blue curtains were tied back on her windows. She look at her watch and hummed in contemplation. She didn't know when Christian would be back but she figured she might as well start dinner and save some for him if he chose to eat. She pulled out the necessary pans and food before getting to work, though halfway through her mind lingered on the possibility of Christian bringing back a gift for her and she got all nervous and excited again.

About thirty minutes later, Penny jumped and swung her spatula at a voice that suddenly appeared behind her. The spatula whacked the stranger in the chest, but Penny quickly realized that it was only Christian. He looked down at her with a smile and a mischevious glint in his eyes and she felt her face grow red in embarassment. She had totally screamed the girliest scream and hit him with a spatula. "Christian Jones!" She reprimanded, her hands on her hips. "You almost gave me a heart attack! Imagine, surviving vampires and red caps only to be done in by the very reaper that saved her!"

His question registered in the back of her mind and she felt her fear replace itself with relief and excitement. What could he have possibly gotten her? Penny gave him a goofy smile before turning back to make sure the food didn't burn. "I'm itching to know what it is, but give it to me after dinner. How was work?"

Luckily, the food was pretty much done, so she plated it and set it on the table for both her and Christian, glasses of water following after.

Christian glanced down at the spatula as it made contact with his chest. Penny hadn't hit him very hard, but he still found it amusing. A laugh quickly bubbled out of him after she scolded him.

"I'm more concerned you think a spatula is an effective weapon," he teased her, slipping his hands in his pockets. Christian remained standing behind Penny, peering over her shoulder while she cooked. He wished he could appreciate the cooking she was doing and be able to cook for her, but with his inability to taste food, Christian didn't imagine he would be any good at it.

"Work was good," he said, taking a seat after Penny had. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Although, I'm sure the next few days will have something exciting." In order to secure some of the items he got Penny, Christian had to pull a few strings and ask for a few favours, which came with being given tasks that he normally didn't enjoy.

"How was your day? I see you've settled in a bit more," Christian noted, glancing around the trailer.

Penny listened as Christian told her about his day, filing away information about him and his job. Penny liked getting to know Christian more and what he experiences, but she was aware that he wasn't able to tell her everything. "My day was nothing special," She took a bite of her food and chewed thoughtfully. "I did some grocery shopping and decoration shopping."

Penny thought to the smores ingredients in her pantry. "Oh! Since we're at a campsite, we can have a fire! I bought marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers for dessert."

Penny finished her food and waited for Christian to finish his before washing the dishes and pulling out the smores ingredients. She placed them on the counter. She was excited to have Christian try smores, even if he couldn't taste or enjoy them. It was the process that mattered. Making smores was also so fun and she never got to do them as a kid. She rarely camped or made smores since she moved away from home either.

She leaned back against the counter, resting her hands by her side. "Soooo what's this surprise you have for me?"

Christian watched Penny curiously while she gathered ingredients for their dessert. Each item on their own didn't make much sense, but then again, Christian was rather confused on what a 'marshmallow' was. He stood up once he saw the strange package on the counter and picked it up, temporarily ignoring Penny's question. It seemed his behaviour from this morning was forgotten as Christian was enjoying teasing Penny by not telling her what her surprise was.

He opened the bag of marshmallows and pulled one out. His eyes widened from the soft springy texture. "What are these even made of?" He pulled the thing apart and squashed it more. It was a different texture on the inside. Christian started, confused more by this before he popped one half in his mouth and chewed. It felt weird in his mouth, but he also noted how it dissolved while he chewed.

"Interesting," he said after he swallowed. He looked back at Penny and smiled. "I'm sorry, what did you ask?" He teased her.

Before Penny could yell at him too much, a box and a large duffle bag appeared in Christian's hands. He set the duffle bag on the ground, finding that containing the less exciting items, and presented Penny with the box first. Inside laid two, long-bladed knives. Along the blade lay a strange serious of symbols that would glow briefly before fading to show the smooth shine of the silver and gold toned blades.

"These are rather hard to come by," Christian informed Penny, watching her face while he spoke. "These blades will aid you in killing almost anything. There are protection spells as well as enchantations woven into the blade to aid in killing creatures like demons, angels, werewolves, vampires, wendigos, wraiths, and several others. They will also help you dispel ghosts, but you will still need to salt and burn the bones of the dead to rid the world of the spirit. Those items as well as anything else you may need right away are in the duffle bag. Consider this the beginning of your hunting tool kit," Christian said, smiling happily.

Christian understood he wouldn't always be there to help Penny when she came across a hunt or found herself in trouble. He wanted her to be as prepared and safe as possible.

Penny smiled as she watched Christian taste and peel apart a marshmallow. "Uh, gelatin and sugar I think." She gave him a playful scowl when he tried to tease her more about her surprise, but beamed when he handed her a box that contained some of the most beautiful knives she'd ever seen. She stared at then with wide eyes before looking back up at Christian. They were smooth and curled like a spiral, almost. One was gold, the other silver, and they had weird symbols and runes that disappeared soon after, melting into the metal.

"Where did you get these? They're beautiful." Penny ran her fingers over the blades, being careful not to cut herself on them. She looked at the full duffle bag and she felt an immense feeling of warmth and appreciate wash over her. Christian really... did all of this for her. He got her special knives and a duffle bag full of weapons and questionable equipment. Her stomach fluttered and she studied his face, wanting to know what caused him to do all of this for her. He was almost beaming, seemingly super happy at being able to gift all of this to Penny. Penny felt compelled to give him something in return for his thanks, but she didn't know what. She knew he would decline anything she tried to give him. But perhaps... she rose on her toes and placed a kiss on his cheek, her face growing slightly hot.

She returned his smile, excitement evident in her face and tone. "Thank you. I love them! I'll be a professional hunter in no time!" She put the box down and grabbed the ingredients for their dessert. "Let's celebrate with smores!"

They went outside the camper and Penny started a fire in the small pit that sat right outside. She didn't have chairs, but the grass was green and soft, so she sat down right next to the fire. She gave Christian a roasting stick and showed him how to put the marshmallows on and the exact distance to hold it from the fire.

"You don't want to hold them too close, or else they'll catch fire and burn. And keep it on a nice, slow rotation so all the sides get toasted and turn golden!"

”I cashed in some favours and made deals with a few others,” Christian said vaguely. He was glad to do this for Penny and would do it a hundred times more if it were required. Part of her training would be learning to make some of the items in the duffle bag on her own, or making the connections needed to obtain specific supplies, but this would set her up for a while.

Christian blushed when Penny kissed his cheek. Even after she pulled away, the area tingled and felt warm. He resisted the urge to touch his cheek and shoved his hands into his pockets.

”It was no trouble,” he insisted. ”You need to be ready to take on the supernatural world, and I won’t always be around. These items will keep you safe when I can’t.” He watched her prepare the supplies needed to make the dessert, conscious of her every movement and every breath. Even after Penny started the fire and sat down, Christian continued to watch her from a distance. It wasn’t until Penny talked about the art of marshmallow cooking that Christian moved to join her by the fire.

Christian quickly realized he was horrible at the task. He burnt two marshmallows quickly, and on the third attempt, the white, round confection fell into the fire. Christian stared at the coals that burned any last remnants of the gooey substance away before he looked at Penny and handed her his stick.

”Help.”

Penny nodded, but felt a little worried at Christian not always being there to help her. He was right though. She couldn't rely on him her entire life.

Penny had roasted her two marshmallows perfectly and was placing them on a graham cracker and chocolate when she heard a plea for help. She turned with an eyebrow raised before laughing when she realized his marshmallows burned away in the fire. She handed him the smore she finished and took his stick, placing a few more marshmallows on it. "You're holding it too close to the fire. Eat that while I make some more," She smiled and hummed a small tune under hear breath while she made sure the marshmallows were nice and golden. She wanted to giggle when she thought back to how cute Christian was as he watched his marshmallows burn, though her face started to burn right after. He was just a friend. No more, no less... though Penny wondered if friends often wanted to kiss other friends on the cheek and if doing so made their hearts beat faster.

When she was satisfied with the marshmallows, she pulled them off the stick and made a few more smores. Her mouth watered as she placed the last graham cracker on top and bit into it. "They're so good! I can never get enough of these things." She looked at Christian, waiting for his response. She hoped he could taste it.

Christian happily took the finished s’more from Penny. He inspected the creation closely while Penny worked on cooking more marshmallows for herself. He tried to focus on what she was doing, so he understood the technique for next time, but he was more preoccupied with tasting.
The s’more was rather messy. When Christian bit into it, the graham crackers crumbled slightly, and he got some of the goo and chocolate on his fingers. However, Christian was surprised that he could actually taste it. It must have something to do with the high sugar content. Out of the foods he had had so far, only the ones with high sugar seemed to tickle his taste buds.

Christian finished his s’more rather quickly, licking his fingers to get every last bit of marshmallow and chocolate off his fingers. He was just finishing when Penny finally got to enjoy hers.

He looked over at her and chuckled, wondering if he looked like a disaster like she did. ”I can definitely tell,” he teased her. ”You’ve gotten some on your face.”

Penny felt her face grow hot when Christian pointed out the mess on her face, slightly embarassed she had gotten so messy. She grabbed a napkin and wiped her face off before handing one to Christian for his own face. "I'm glad you like them. They're my favorite."

After eating a couple more, Penny put the roasting sticks away and stored the s'more ingredients. When finished, she went back outside the camper and sat down in the cool grass beside the fire. It had gotten quite late, but Penny couldn't go to sleep without sitting and enjoying the night sky and a good campfire. "Ahhh this is the best. It's been a good day," She mused aloud, leaning back on her hands and tilting her head back to look at the sky. "I'm hoping we have more days like this."

'I hope I have more days like this with you, Chrsitian,'she thought to herself.

"Now that you're in the human world and you're sticking around- supposedly- is there anything you've always wanted to do? Something you've never been able to becuase you weren't supposed to make contact with anyone or... just didn't have time for?"