"Pelican Town to Sims Town" - A Stardew Valley, Sims 3 Fanfic

Chapter 5
Part 1

Just before the men departed from the ladies’ humble, otherworldly abode that evening, it was decided who would be doing the investigating tomorrow and who would be staying behind at the houses to gather various information from there. Harvey wanted at least one person to stay behind at each house in case one of them needed to return home due to an emergency and would need some help. Also he felt it good to have someone around in case any random visitors showed up at their doorsteps for whatever reason. It would be a great way to interview a local, and hopefully be a good thing making themselves known to the general public.

Abigail chimed in to express finding what she assumed to be a handheld gaming device sitting deep within one of her pockets. Her two guy friends cried out, “Seriously!?” as they reached into their pockets and found the same device too. “Sweet! Playing a video game anywhere we go? Rock on!” Not everyone shared their enthusiasm for gaming on the go though, particularly Harvey and Maru, for they felt there had to be an even greater and more purposeful use for the small electronic device.

Upon closer inspection Maru quickly discovered that the device was a wireless telephone, with all of their numbers miraculously programmed in, and much smaller and more portable than the ones they were used to back home. Everyone found that to be even more cool, particularly Haley who scared everyone with her scream-like outburst while they were checking out their new phones.
“OMG! You can write little messages to people and send them off! Check this out!”

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One press on the screen and soon Alex’s phone made a little chime and lit up to show Haley’s message to him. He shot her a smile after reading it.

“Ooooooh!” They all breathed in fascination.

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“These are perfect!” Harvey declared. “They will be most helpful in keeping us in touch with each other, especially during our explorations in the morning.”

Right after Harvey spoke, Shane somehow dropped his phone and cursed under his breath as he bent himself down to pick it up. The Doctor lifted an eyebrow at him, wondering. Once Shane stood upright and saw that all eyes were on him, he asked in a rather rude tone, “What? These things don’t have a very good grip on them.”
“Totally!” Abigail agreed. “And with my butterfingers that’s double the chance I’m gonna--,” and as soon as she said that, she dropped the phone. Instead of instantly going to pick it up like Shane did, she just stood there with her hands behind her back wearing a very cheesy grin on her face with flushed cheeks. They all chuckled.

“These are the spiffiest things ever!” Emily declared, tapping and swiping away on her phone. “I could see myself getting addicted to this thing pretty quickly!”
“They will most likely require some charging,” Maru gathered, “at least every night. I wonder how we do that?”
They all thought for a second. “Well, there’s wall outlets here too,” Alex said, “so maybe there’s a way for us to plug these into them.”
“Perhaps,” Maru said, drawing her lower lip between her teeth as she more thoroughly inspected the phone. “It doesn’t have a plug, but it looks like a much smaller plug goes into it through this port here. So maybe that has a cord that connects into the wall.”
“Guess we’ll find that in the kitchen,” Haley expected.
“Or our bedrooms,” Leah said with a little shrug.
“Yeah I vote the cords are in the bedroom,” Sam said, “that’s where I’d be charging my phone every night.” Then he turned to his buddy. “Quick Seb! Let’s head back to the house and see if I’m right! That’ll be so RAD!” And they bolted for the door.

“Hey! Wait for the rest of us!” Harvey called out to them, but they were already heading off down the road. Shane had promptly followed after them, as well as Alex. Elliott stayed behind for a moment to hold Leah and kiss her goodbye.

Harvey then turned to face Abigail with a sigh and said, “Alright. I’ll be here first thing in the morning to check on Penny, probably around eight.” Abigail nodded. “Then right after that we’ll lead our investigative parties into the town and countryside alright?”

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“Yes sir,” she replied, throwing out a playful salute.
Harvey smiled. “You ladies have a good night,” he wished them and turned towards the door. Elliott stood aside to let Harvey out first and then blew a kiss toward Leah before exiting and shutting the door behind him.


***************************


Early the next morning, Harvey arrived at 8 o’clock sharp and Abigail was quite impressed with, although not expecting, his punctuality. Glad I didn’t wait long to get myself dressed once I woke up! She shuddered to think.

Once Harvey stepped over the threshold his eyes met with Leah’s, standing a few feet before him, who was in a silk nightie and just about ready to enter the bathroom for a shower. His face flushed a little, but his presence didn’t seem to bother Leah at all. “Oh you’re here,” she addressed him, “I just woke Penny up and told her you’d be here any minute and that she should get dressed.”
He nodded.
“So I’d give her a couple of minutes…”
Harvey simply nodded again. He wasn’t used to seeing a woman so exposed, except for in a professional setting like his clinic, and he rubbed at the back of his neck while thinking, Perhaps I should’ve called to let them know I was on my way over. Then again I did say…

“You’re thinking you should’ve given us a little heads up call before your arrival huh?” Abigail asked him with a smirk, interrupting his thoughts.
“How’d you know?” he asked, his arm falling back down to his side.
She shrugged. “Lucky guess.”
“Well I told you I’d be here at 8 o’clock. I just assumed you’d tell the other girls.”
“I did, but you said you’d be here around 8 o’clock, not AT! Besides, since when are Doctors on time for appointments?”
Harvey shot her an unamused look, but wasn’t too insulted by her comment as it was more often true than not. “I apologize for not being more specific,” he said, “I just assumed that...you know what? Nevermind.” He always had a hard time understanding women and would forget that they don’t think along the same lines as he does.
“No I should’ve advised the girls to be all up and dressed long before eight,” Abigail said, “I’m just not used to telling anyone what to do, even something as simple as this, and half of these ladies are older than me.” She sighed. “It’s not going to be easy with all of us living under one roof like this. It feels like Summer girls camp when I was a teen all over again…” Her eyes bugged out at the thought.
“Ohh I understand,” Harvey said, with a muffled chuckle. “Back at our place it’s like a very un-enjoyable Boy Scout Campout where everyone’s bickering with each other because they don’t really want to be there.”
Abigail burst out laughing! “Oh man,” she whispered, rubbing at her eyes. Her dad once told some humorous stories about those Campouts when he was a boy. “Anyway, I’ll bet Penny’s ready for you now,” and said, gesturing her head towards the bedroom.

Harvey stopped before the door for a second to compose himself and then lightly knocked on it. “Come in,” he could faintly hear Penny say.
“It’s me, Harvey,” he informed while slowly entering. He froze a few feet before her bed when he discovered her still laying upon it in her somewhat revealing pajamas.
“Oh...Doctor,” she greeted, lifting her head up a bit. Her heart suddenly fluttered. “You arrived sooner than I was expecting.”

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“Forgive me,” Harvey said with a flustered look, “I should’ve allowed you more time to get dressed…”
“No, it’s alright,” she assured. “I sat up for a moment to do so, but,” she paused, “I got really lightheaded so I laid back down.”

“I see,” Harvey said, pulling the chair close to the bed again. “Did you sleep well last night?” He asked while sitting himself down.
“I did for the most part,” came the reply. “I woke up a couple of times tossing and turning. I think it's because I’m not used to this bed.”
Harvey cracked a smile as he’d done the same last night in his new bed. “Were you feeling any nausea then? Or now?”
“No, just lightheaded.”
“Have you had anything to eat or drink yet this morning?”
She nervously shook her head.
He noticed and thought it was a little cute. “I want you to drink a lot of water today okay? At least eight glasses full; that should ease your lightheadedness considerably.”
She then nodded.
“Alright then, how about you try sitting up again so I can take a better look at you.”

Hearing him say that made Penny blush a little, but she knew he was being totally professional while she was being completely silly. She told herself to quit crushing on him, but seeing him in this new world light kept making her heart go pitter-patter and was keeping her anxious thoughts at bay and...she rather liked it. Not to mention that’s just what she needed right now; a distraction from her worries.

Carefully she sat herself up and once she did she rubbed at her forehead, feeling wobbly. She took in a few breaths to help keep herself erect and conscious.
“You alright?” Harvey asked, placing a caring hand on her arm while trying to look into her eyes.
“Yeah,” she replied, boring her fingers into her forehead. “Oof, I’ve never felt this lightheaded in all my life!”
“It’ll get better soon once you start moving around and get re-hydrated,” he said, while reaching into his coat pocket. “Alright look at my nose here while I shine this light into your eyes. Good.”
She meant to look at his nose, but she got lost in his beautiful hazel eyes instead. He went on to feel at her neck a bit and then took her left wrist to check her pulse. She caught him cracking a smile as he stared down at his watch counting and she wasn’t sure why.

“So how do you feel mentally?” he asked, stopping the check-up for a moment and looking her in the eye, his fingers laced together in his lap. He wanted to assure her she had his undivided attention.
“Well...I definitely feel a lot less freaked out than yesterday,” she replied. “It’s really a comfort to know more of you from Pelican Town are here too.”
He nodded. “Anything feeling overwhelming to you? Even something simple like getting out of bed or dressed?”
“No,” she answered, shaking her head. “Mostly I’m just worried about what’s going to happen to us here or what I’m meant to do here. And I’ll always be concerned about my mom, Jas and Vincent back home. I can’t help that.”
“Of course not,” Harvey sympathized. “And speaking of, let me tell you everything we discussed as a group last night and what we think this quest is all about.”

Penny listened very intently.

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“I see,” she said when he was done, staring down at the floor. “I can’t imagine what greater happiness I’d find here, since it’s given me nothing but anxiety. I was really happy and enjoying life back in Pelican Town. I mean...for the most part. I was finally beginning to discover my purpose there.”
“I could see you were,” he smiled, “but the Wizard seems to think we all need something better in our lives and this was the way to make it happen so,” he sighed, “here we are.”
“Well who is he to say what I need in my life?” she asked rather bluntly. “He doesn’t know me!” She closed her eyes and lowered her head again. “Why did he do this?” A tear tried to escape from her eye.
“That’s still the greatest mystery,” Harvey replied, “but all we can do is focus on accomplishing this quest as quickly as possible so we can return home as soon as possible. Do you feel like you’re up to it? Like you can handle it?”
“I don’t know…,” she sniffed. “I want to be...but I don’t think I’m strong enough for this.”

“Hey,” Harvey said, gently lifting her chin and brushing away a tear. “I’ll admit I don’t feel like I’m strong enough for this either, but you Penny...you’re a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for.” She stared at him curiously. “These past six years I’ve seen you endure many hardships, some that would knock most people down hard, and yet you always walk away from them with your head held high, a smile on your face, and burying yourself in the service of others. To me that’s a rare gift to have. You haven’t lost it being here. You can DO this!”

Penny smiled brightly at him with a blush, her heart fluttering once again. His sweet words buoyed her up and almost literally took her breath away, especially the touch of his finger on her chin. “Thank you,” she said, as he removed his finger, working to catch her breath for a much different reason than anxiety. “And forgive me for not properly thanking you earlier for looking after me. I’m sorry to have been a bother…”
“You weren’t,” he assured, “and I’m glad I was here to help.”
“I wish there was some way I could repay you...”
“You don’t have to repay me,” he said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’m a doctor, it’s what I do.”
“Still, I have to find a way to repay you. It doesn’t feel right not to,” she continued breathlessly. “Wow,” she paused, holding her hand to her heart, “I don’t know why I can’t seem to catch my breath again; I’m not feeling anxious!” That's right, don't give yourself away!
“Here,” Harvey said, taking her hands. “Let’s try standing up and we’ll practice that breathing technique again okay?”
“O-Okay.”
“Steady now…”

They did the breathing exercise together for a good couple of minutes until Harvey felt she was relaxed enough to take a quick listen to her heart. Penny had her eyes closed, focusing on relaxing and taking those deep breaths when Harvey jokingly stated, “Heeey, it’s a normal heartbeat!” Penny’s eyes shot open as they were met with Harvey’s smile. She couldn’t control what her heart did next, as usual.

“Aaaand there it goes again,” Harvey playfully continued with a smirk, removing the stethoscope from her chest and then draping it over his neck.

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Now Penny’s cheeks really got red! “Oh gosh,” she whispered in embarrassment, facepalming and chuckling. “Ohhh I’m so sorry Doctor. Really, I am.”
Harvey just stood there grinning with his arms folded and let out a sigh. “So what do I have to do to get you to not feel so nervous around me anymore?”

Penny’s heart fluttered more wildly than it had earlier, being presented with this rare, golden opportunity. She laced her fingers together behind her back and smiled coyly at him with her head tilted. “Well...maybe if we spent a little more time together,” she hesitated at her boldness, “and became friends...then the fact that you being a doctor wouldn’t make me feel so nervous anymore.” Though she knew perfectly well her racing heart was no longer the result of “White Coat Syndrome.”
Harvey nodded in thought for a moment. “I like that idea.” Now he was blushing. “And I’ll start off this new friendship by insisting you call me Harvey.” He smiled.
The hopeless romantic side of Penny felt like squealing, but she managed to keep herself well composed. “Well, Harvey, whatever you all discover out there that looks like a great place to have dinner or a good spot to hang out, be sure to let me know.”
“Will do.”

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At that moment Penny seemed to have lost her footing, feeling a touch of dizziness, and Harvey instinctively reached out to catch her while saying, “Woah...careful…”

He held her so closely that their faces were mere inches from each other. Staring into each other’s eyes for a moment they both blushed and then quickly stepped back from each other, nervously scratching at their heads.
“So...umm...you should take it easy today alright,” Harvey counseled her, “Lay down and rest if you need to and I’ll go get you a glass of water.”
“No,” she stopped him, softly placing her hand on his arm. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll get it. Promise.” She smiled. “You should really get going with the exploring. I’m sure the others are waiting for you.”
He returned the smile with a nod. “If you start feeling any worse give me a call right away okay? And I’ll be here. If you feel some anxiety coming on, don’t forget to breathe.” He winked.
“I won’t,” she grinned, her face beaming. “Guess I’ll...see you later?”
“Yeah. See ya,” he said and turned toward the door. When he opened it he looked back at her with a little smile and then closed it behind him.

Penny stepped backward a couple of feet until her calves hit the bed and allowed herself to blissfully fall back onto it. Feeling so love-struck she couldn’t stop smiling while staring up at the ceiling, the image of Harvey and his flirting back with her consuming her mind. That was a pleasant surprise. I guess his interest in Maru has passed? She thought for a split second and then shrugged it off. She felt like a giddy teenage girl again swooning over her first real crush, wanting nothing else in the world, but to BE with him! It’d been years since she ever felt this way about a guy, almost to the point that she’d forgotten what it felt like to fall in love. Was she falling in love? She couldn’t be sure. Harvey was the last guy on her attraction radar so how did he suddenly jump to the front here and now? Perhaps because he is an actual MAN compared to other guys she dated in her life thus far and that aroused her. Or maybe it was due to his gentle, compassionate nature and caring personality. Either way she found herself falling head over heels for him and he seemed to reciprocate her affection. She began to wonder, her smile finally chilling out, would dating Harvey be a way for me to find that happiness I’ve been missing in my life? She pondered on the thought.

Oh surely there's more to it than that! Besides...what does the Wizard know about love?





Gonna end this with a cute, and very accurate, song to express just how Penny is feeling laying on her bed there. ;) Give it a quick listen.

Any of y'all remember The Wilkinson's? I LOVED their music back in the day! <3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sajb7rypbCQ