This story is a sequel to The Assistant Conundrum. The plot: Sheldon and Leonard are booked for a lecture series at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. While they are gone, both couples learn some important things about marriage, friendship, and life. If you haven't read the previous story, here are some clues as to what's going on: Leonard and Penny are still married and Penny is now a successful actress. Sheldon is married to Niki, his old assistant. They met when both of them were grieving the death of their respective spouses. They, along with Raj, won the Nobel Prize for Physics for their studies on using Black Holes for navigating the Space/Time Continuum. Raj is married to Amanda, a dark-haired beauty who is a professor of astrophysics at UCLA. Everyone else is canon. The group no longer works at Cal Tech. They have started their own research facility. This facility is located in Altadena and they own it along with their ghost partner, Binary LLC, a secret organization of powerful men who knew and admired Sheldon's work and his wife Niki's, ex husband, who was a very powerful attorney. Howard and Bernadette have a daughter who is 11, named Kelly. Leonard and Penny have a son, Blake, who is going on 2. Sheldon and Niki have a daughter, Lori, who is a few months younger than Blake.

Now that all that is out of the way, here's the story:

Chapter One: Two Couples Face a Departure

The setting:It is close to midnight.Sheldon and Niki Cooper are in their bedroom discussing his upcoming lecture series at the University of Heidelberg.

Sheldon Cooper was pacing back and forth across the bedroom, venting his reluctance about his upcoming lecture trip to his wife, "But Niki, I don't see why I have to go to Germany. Why couldn't Binary have found someplace closer to home for me to have a lecture series?"

Niki , who after being with him for three years was by now used to her husband's issues with change, threw a robe over her negligee and headed for the kitchen, "Two simple reasons, Sheldon. We are both Nobel winners. Guest lecturing is part of the deal. We get money and recognition; the public gets a piece of us from time to time. I'll be doing it, too. I'm going to be spending the summer back at Stanford as a visiting professor. It's just how it's done. Plus, you used to be a guest professor at Heidelberg back in the day. They are proud to have you back with them. Even if it is for just a month."

Sheldon grabbed his own robe, wrapped it around his spare frame, and followed his wife out the bedroom door, "You make it sound so easy. Just a month. That is four entire weeks away from you, Lori, and all of our friends and family."

Niki filled a kettle with water for tea and put it on the lighted stove, "Not so, Cooper. Remember, you're taking Leonard with you. He was invited, too. They are very interested in the work you guys have been doing on dark matter. If you guys play your cards right, there could be more accolades coming your way in the future."

He came up behind his wife and put his arms around her, "I can't hold an accolade, and an accolade can't talk to me late at night."

Niki reached up and grabbed two cups from the cabinet, "Sheldon, it's only for a short time. We're now prominent scientists, we have to keep our names out there."

He hugged her tightly, "But I will miss you and Lori."

She turned and kissed him gently on the cheek, "And we will miss you. But we have to do what we have to do. I'm surprised Binary hasn't sent either one of us somewhere before this."

Sheldon watched as Niki took two tea bags from the box and placed them in the cups. He attempted to explain the fact of that to her as she did so, "Well, we do have a small child. Perhaps they knew we didn't want to leave her when she was an infant."

Niki grinned broadly at the mention of their daughter, "A small child who we both love and adore. But we are a team, Cooper. When you're on the road, I'll have my turn to be the main parent. I haven't had much of a chance to do that the last six months. You've had the opportunity to do the lion's share of the parenting lately. Now I want my turn. You're the one who saw her first steps, gave Lori her first taste of solid foods, heard her first word…"

Sheldon interjected, "Which was DaDa, if I must remind you."

Niki looked at him in exasperation as she poured hot water into the cups, "That's what I mean. I want my chance to experience some of her firsts."

He took the cup she offered him and stated, "Nobody forced you to go back to teaching".

Niki turned to him, her eyes a blazing, molten silver, "No, Cooper, they didn't. I wanted, no, needed to do that. Sheldon, research is all fine and good, but my heart has always been in teaching. You know that. I've never hidden it from you."

Sheldon placed a hand on his wife's arm in an effort to placate her. He was used to his wife's temper by now. Niki Cooper was an intelligent, thoughtful woman, but her temper sometimes got the better of her. Sheldon most often knew how to defuse it before she exploded. So, he continued with, "But why at PCC? You could have taught at USC or UCLA. They both wanted you for their schools. Amanda even offered to team teach with you."

Niki sighed and did a credible eye roll, much like her husband, "Cooper, I took the job at the community college because it's right down the hill. It's much closer to home than those two schools, wonderful though they are. You and Lori are very important to me. I wasn't about to drive an hour or more each way just to teach. Amanda loves teaching at UCLA because she and Raj don't have any children and Raj spends the night out there with her all the time when she doesn't feel like driving. We can't do that."

Sheldon sipped his tea and was immediately contrite, "I'm sorry, Niki. I didn't mean any disrespect. I just know you're better than teaching at that level."

Niki put her own tea down and challenged his assumption, "Excuse me, but there are some very bright students at PCC. Who knows? One of them could be the next Sheldon Cooper."

His eyes went wide and he gave her a sly smirk, "Niki, be honest. Another me? At a community college? I highly doubt it."

Niki picked up her cup and smiled at her husband over the top of it, "Perhaps not. The world can barely handle one. But still, some of my students there were very capable. Even so, I took this semester off to stay here with Lori while you're in Germany."

Sheldon finished his tea and wrapped his wife in his arms once more, "I will be lost without you both, Freckles. Please, give me one more reason why I should go."

Niki laid her head against his chest and smiled at his use of his seldom spoken nickname for her, "The money. They're paying you very well for this. Plus, Leonard could use the exposure. We have our Nobels. Let's give Leonard a chance to let people see and hear about his work. He's been a good friend to you all these years. Don't you think you owe him this?"

Sheldon released her, but not before kissing the top of her head tenderly, "Very well, you've convinced me. But we still have two days until I leave and I want us make good use that time."

She grinned up at him and asked, "Okay, what do you have in mind?"

His hands went under her robe, "You know very well what I want."

Niki nuzzled his neck and replied, "Well, let's check on Lori first, then we'll make our way back to the bedroom."

When they had made sure their daughter was safely asleep in her crib, they both returned to the kitchen to clean up after themselves. When the cups were rinsed and put into the dishwasher, Sheldon pulled her closer to him and whispered seductively, "Does it have to be the bedroom?"

Now it was Niki's turn to let her hands explore under her husband's robe, "Cooper, you're so bad! I love it!"

Meanwhile, over at the Hofstadter residence…

Penny Hofstadter was pacing the area directly in front of the couch in the Great Room, waving her hands in the air to better make her point. They had put their son to bed hours before and they were having a little disagreement about Leonard's traveling plans. "I don't know why you have to go to Germany with Sheldon for a whole month!"

Leonard stood up from the couch and went over to join his wife, "Honey, we've been over this whole thing before. Sheldon and I have just published an important paper together. He's a Nobel winner. It's almost an honor to be asked to be a guest lecturer with him. Plus, this little lecture series we're giving will make sure our paper gets the attention of the right people.

Penny turned to him, agitation written on her face, and asked, "But for a whole month?"

Leonard sat back down and attempted an explanation of his situation, "Penny, guest lecturers going from the States to Europe generally stay at least a semester. They took into consideration that both Sheldon and I have small children at home, so we only have to stay there a month. Be glad that it wasn't longer."

Two tears escaped from Penny's eyes and made their way down her cheeks, "But Blake and I will miss you."

Her husband patted the seat next to him on the couch, inviting her to sit there, which she eventually did. Once seated, he told her, "And I'll miss you guys, too. But think about it. If this paper gets me better known, this could just be the beginning of my travels. Remember when Sheldon and Niki went on that speaking tour a couple of years ago?"

Penny nodded miserable, "Yeah. They only came home for a few days a month to eat and sleep. Then, they went right back out again."

Leonard then tried using reason to make his point, "I know that sounds pretty bad, but hey, you go out of town, too. Remember when you went to Georgia last year to film that miniseries? You were gone three months and you and Blake only came home every other weekend."

"I know. But the weekends I couldn't come home, you came to see us. This is different. I won't see you for a whole month!"

Leonard walked over to his wife, put his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "Why don't you come with me?"

She responded to his suggestion with an annoyed, "You know I can't do that. I'm starting a new play in a couple of weeks. And I have rehearsals and costume fittings before that."

Leonard's curiosity was peaked and he asked her, "What play are you doing again?"

Penny almost sounded as if she was bragging as she replied, "I'm playing Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire."

Leonard's face brightened, "Hey, I've heard of that one. Not like most of your plays. But whatever. I know you're going to be fabulous in it. Besides, once the run ends here, you'll probably be taking it on the road."

Penny shook her head and held up a hand with the palm facing Leonard, "Oh no. I don't go on the road. It's written in my contract. And we've got an open-ended run. I might be here for a while if the reviews and the attendance are good."

"They will be. Look, honey, when I get back we'll go up to Napa for a week. You know you love it up there."

Penny became glum once more, "When you get back. That seems like a million years from now."

Leonard began trying to reason with his wife, "Penny, when you went back to acting I told you that I didn't care how it would disrupt our lives. I would support you no matter what. I just wanted you to be happy. Do you remember that?"

She nodded solemnly and answered, "Yeah. I do."

Leonard took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Could you please do the same for me now? Look, we'll Skype every day, I promise. And Sheldon and I have already made plans to make a trip over to Paris while we're there and pick up some gifts for you and Niki. What would you like? Niki's already put in an order for some Chanel perfume and a Hermes bag."

Penny pulled her hand away angrily and told him, "I'm not Niki! I don't want any perfume or an old handbag. I want you!"

Leonard responded to that by placing his hand on her forehead, as if feeling for a fever, "Penny, your turning down perfume and a designer bag? Are you feeling okay?"

She took his hand once more and gave him a look of sincere appreciation, "Look, Leonard, I'll try to be supportive. You've always done that for me."

"And you and Niki can hang out together when neither of you is busy. You can even have playdates with the kids."

For the first time that evening, a bright smile appeared on her face, "Hanging out with Nik does sound like fun. And god knows the kids love playing together. Okay, I'll try to be supportive of this, even if I'll miss the hell out of you."

Leonard hugged her tightly and nuzzle Penny's neck, "That's my girl. Now, what do you say you show me how much you're going to miss me?"

Penny's mood immediately brightened and she asked him, "Oh? What do you have in mind?"

"I think I can come up with something."

Penny gave playful grin and grabbed him by the seat of his pants, "You're a devil, Leonard Hofstadter, and I love you to the moon and back."

Leonard grinned and took her hand, "Ditto. Now, shall we head for the bedroom?"

"What's the matter with right here?"

Leonard began to kiss her neck and replied, "Nothing. Nothing at all."

It looks like the guys are going to get a good send off, doesn't it?Do you think things will continue to go smoothly?