FANFICTION for The Big Bang Theory

(Note: Performed some minor editing/grammatical fixes on all chapters on 6/11/13, resulting in updating of all chapters)

"The Rogue Wave Precipitator"

Chapter 1 - A Long Summer Ahead

Penny stood before her bathroom mirror, finishing her makeup. It was 6:45PM - the whole group was expected at Sheldon's at 7PM for Chinese take out. As she looked in the mirror she focused for a moment on the heart locket that she had worn since Leonard gave it to her in the car at the airport. It was the first jewelry he had given her and she treasured it. Six weeks since Leonard left for the North Sea - she hadn't imagined just how much she would miss him. Another nine weeks until he'd come home. "It's gonna be a long summer," she whispered to herself as she flipped off the bathroom light.

The dinner party across the hall would be the first time that everyone would be together for dinner since Leonard had left on May 16th. She'd shared a weekly night of talk and wine with Amy and Bernadette and spoke with Sheldon almost daily, but without Leonard there the group events hadn't happened. Tonight was Bernadette's idea, probably, Penny thought, because Bernie wanted to give Penny a boost during Leonard's absence.

The party might be good for Raj, too, who was still hurting after the break up with Lucy. Penny felt really bad for Raj, but she wondered if it wasn't for the best - Lucy's social anxiety problems were pretty severe, and all of Raj's support and love probably weren't going to "fix" Lucy's fears. If there was a positive to the sad ending it was that Raj seemed to have somehow conquered his selective mutism. Now if he'd only come up for air once in a while and let someone else talk!

She thought for a moment about how much her life had changed over the past six years, well at least socially. She could see in her mind's eye that first meeting with Sheldon and Leonard the day she moved into Apt 4B at 2311Los Robles Avenue. They were so awkward and, in their own way, very cute. Then there was Raj, who until recently couldn't speak to women while he was sober, and Howard, the sometimes creepy guy who thought he was such a lady's man. Penny's friend from the restaurant, Bernadette, had changed Howard for the better. Amy, the arranged blind date for Sheldon, was an odd one, but she had gradually opened up and seemed to love being part of their family of friends. Penny was grateful that she had found such a close group of friends, all of whom were, she knew, way above her educational level. But Penny also realized that her own street smarts sometimes trumped their academic degrees in day-to-day living.

Penny grabbed the chilled bottle of Riesling and the cheese from the fridge to take next door. She heard Howard and Bernie knocking at Sheldon's door, and she'd heard Amy and Raj arrive earlier. It would be good to be together, but Penny knew that Leonard's absence would be palpable.

But first, one more peek at her laptop to see if there was a new email from Leonard - he was pretty faithful with at least one long email a day, mostly stuff about the experiments he was working on. Although Leonard tried in the emails to explain his work in a way that would be easier for Penny to understand, she still didn't make much of that high techie-techie stuff. But she always smiled, reading the emails, at Leonard's enthusiasm and excitement about the trip, what he was learning and contributing, and how important it was to his career. She was really proud of him. "My boyfriend, the experimental physicist," she laughed out loud. Who'd have imagined?

Leonard's emails were also spiced with personal things about their relationship and what it meant to him. His expressions of love didn't scare her like they used to, and she thought back to the airport goodbye and her "I love you" to Leonard. She had said it first that day (Leonard was a little gun-shy about saying it first, given Penny's past reactions). She was proud of herself for telling him how she felt as they sat in the car. And she knew how happy it had made Leonard to hear her say the big "ILY" so deliberately and passionately.

Penny shared her daily life in her emails to Leonard too, and she had become more open about expressions of affection in her emails to him. In contrast to the excitement of Leonard's life aboard the Research Vessel Copenhagen, Penny's life was pretty quiet - mostly waiting tables at the Cheesecake Factory. She'd recently had a couple of acting auditions, one of which went especially well. But she hadn't heard back yet, and Penny had learned to keep her hopes in check with these acting calls. She wondered when, or even if, she was going to get her big break.

The phone connections hadn't been as reliable as Leonard had thought, and, for some reason, Skyping didn't seem to work well either, so those precious emails served as their primary link. Although she ached to see him and hold him, Penny was the happiest she'd ever been, with Leonard firmly in her life. He was unlike any man she'd ever dated before, and she knew that the feelings she had for him was unlike any feelings she'd ever had. These next nine weeks can't go by fast enough, she thought.

She'd written him earlier in the day, telling him about the group's dinner plans at Sheldon's, and she'd hoped she'd have something back from him which she could share with the others. She'd received a brief email from him early this morning, but Leonard said the weather had gotten a little rough and uncomfortable, and he needed to get out of his cabin up to the vessel's bridge to calm his stomach.

But, Penny realized, it's 4AM now on the R/V Copenhagen - Leonard will be fast asleep so no more emails from him till tomorrow. Closing the laptop, she sighed. "Can't wait till tomorrow's update from Leonard", she said quietly.