A/N: Since these are all AU, let me set the characters and scene. Penny is a Midwestern girl who in an undergraduate at the university, working in the college library to earn money. She was never a cheerleader, just a normal girl, who has several friends and is just trying to get through school. She is wearing a simple dress with a sweater at work, her hair up on her head and her glasses (that look a lot like the ones from the show). She doesn't have a boyfriend. Leonard is a graduate student working on his PHD and has no girlfriend. Since this is the holidays, the story takes place between Christmas and New Years.

Number 25 - Librarian/Avid Reader AU

Penny cleaned up the counter, the library would be closing in thirty minutes and the few people that had been there, were gone, except for him. She had been working there for over a year now and, during the last four months, every Friday night she worked she found him at the same table reading. It was something she just couldn't understand why a guy as cute as him spent his Friday nights in the library. Maybe it was because she wore glasses, but she always liked guys in glasses, especially ones like him, whose looks and complexion made him look so good in the black frames, making it seem more like a fashion statement than a need.

Penny sighed, she hated she had to work, especially since it was the holidays and she would be normally being spending this time, between Christmas and New Years, with her family back in Nebraska. But even if it wasn't he holidays, she rather be spending her Friday nights out with her girlfriends then being in stuck in the library. But one thing she couldn't deny, this was a great part-time job, especially now, getting all the hours she wanted, while everyone else was on vacation, with some of those days at holiday pay. Plus that extra money would provide her more money for books and other things, making the burden of her parents helping her less severe.

Even though it made logical sense for her to be there and working, like every young single woman, she still wanted to be with her college friends, out having fun rather than working. However when she thought more of it, if she went out she knew she would be crushing on guys like the guy at the table, so she might as well be at work and enjoy the scenery for the next, Penny looked at her watch, fifteen minutes. So Penny tried to look busy as she took peeks at the young man who was pouring over several books, his serious expressions making Penny think about how incredibly sexy he looked.

Time ticked on and Penny wiped the counter again, as her mind started to wander, like it did many times like this, when she had nothing to do. She though about how much fun College had been the last two years, and she was happy she was doing okay, her parents happy with the 'B' average she was keeping with her classes. But being a farm girl from Nebraska, she still hadn't gotten use to some of the wild ways her fellow college girlfriends had adopted, the partial nudity at parties, getting so drunk you didn't know who you woke up with, and blowing off classes to party. Now being in her third year, she even found herself wanting more, to just have a boyfriend instead of just dating around anymore, even though dating had been haphazard with her the last two years. It was with that thought she looked up from the busy-work she was doing till closing, and looked at him again thinking, 'Someone cute like him'.

Her watch beeping made her come out of her trance, of staring at him, and she hit the cancel button, like she had done hundreds of times before since working there. It was strange having to wear a watch but they would not let her use her phone while she was at work and she always wanted to know when her shift was over, so she could leave on time. She looked once more at the guy and sighed, knowing she was going to loose her eye-candy once she told him he had to go and wishing she had been brave enough to talk to him earlier, before it was too late like now.

"Hi, the Library is now closed, so if you have something to check out, you need to do it now." Penny leaned down to say to him, a little nervous at even talking to him.

Leonard looked up at her and swallowed, suddenly at loss for words as his mind focused on her eyes behind the glasses. The silence started to get uncomfortable before Leonard found his voice. "Sorry…..Yes….I mean I would like to check out this book." he finally got out, feeling like a fool.

It took Penny a second to register what he said, her own eyes staring into the dark brown pools that were his. "Okay, if you could bring them to the desk…" Penny quickly stood up and walked to the checkout desk trying to keep her face turned away from him so he wouldn't see her blushing.

When they both finally got to the counter, Penny looked at his library card and noticed his name, 'Leonard Hofstadter', immediately thinking how interesting it sounded, as she scanned the card then the book. She wasn't even thinking straight when she looked up at him, and she had to force herself to concentrate to assist him. "Leonard, the normal check out time is a week, but if you want it for longer, I can make an exception." She said quietly, being captivated by his eyes again, then she shyly looked down at the thick book, surprised when she saw the title, 'Advanced experiments of light frequency alignment in capacitor fired lasers', looking back up at him, "I could give you a month if you need it."

Leonard sadly chuckled, "I wish I had a month."

His sad response made Penny suddenly felt sorry for him, "Is something wrong." She stopped processing his checkout and now was just looking at him.

"No and yes. I have to come up with a good idea for my Thesis dissertation in the next week, so when classes start again next Monday, I won't probably need this book anymore." he explained.

"Oh, I see." Penny looked back at the book, "What is your major, Lasers?"

Leonard shook his head, "Physics. Experimental Physics to be exact. I'm working on my Doctorate."

Penny looked back at him in shock, he didn't look old enough to be a doctor, all the PhD's she had seen where much older, even the young ones. "You seem young to be a PHD. Are you one of those beautiful minds, I heard about?"

Leonard smiled, "I'm older than you." he teased.

Penny smiled, "Yeah but I am an undergraduate, mister almost a doctor." She teased back, she liked him and suddenly talking to him didn't seem so hard.

Leonard nodded, "I got my Bachelors degree at 20 and I'm 23 now. This is my last year."

"Wow, I'm 21 and only a junior. You really are one of those beautiful minds." Penny was truly impressed.

"So what is your major?" Leonard liked talking to her.

Penny blushed, "Psychology, I like talking to people and helping them so I thought maybe I could be a therapist."

Leonard nodded, "You could start with us Physics graduate students, some of us are already quite crazy."

Penny giggled, "First rule Leonard, if you think you are crazy, you probably aren't. It's the ones that think they aren't crazy, but are, that you have to watch out for." Penny couldn't believe how easy it was to talk to him.

Leonard chuckled, "I'll remember that…"

"Penny, it is short for Penelope, but everyone just calls me Penny." She told him.

Leonard held out his hand, "Nice to meet you Penelope." he teased.

Penny giggled as she shook his hand, "And in is also nice to meet you almost a doctor Leonard Hofstadter."

"Hey you said it right." Leonard smiled at her.

"What do you mean." Penny asked confused.

"My last name, you said it right." He explained.

"Well I do work around books." Penny said proudly.

Leonard nodded, "Right, I forgot."

It was just then that four out of every five lights went out in the library, surprising them both. "Oh, I didn't know it was so late, the lights don't go off till a half hour after closing." Penny then looked at his book, "I didn't even get to complete your checkout and the computers are shut down now."

"That's alright, I should probably getting something to eat, instead of reading a book tonight anyway. I can pick it up tomorrow, if you can hold it for me." Leonard said to her.

"I'll put a note on it and put it on this back shelf, so you can get it tomorrow." Penny then looked at him, trying to think of anything to keep him talking, she didn't want him to leave just yet. "You normally eat this late?"

"Sometimes, I have too. I had to work in the labs all day, to catch up on some work, so I haven't eaten anything today except of bowl of cereal this morning." he confessed to her.

"Oh that's terrible, I know I am starved when I miss two meals, you definitely need to eat." She said with a hint of concern.

Leonard smiled at her, "I really hate eating alone, have you eaten dinner?"

That was an obvious pickup line if Penny ever heard it, but also he was probably telling her the truth about not eating, plus he was cute, interesting, funny and did she think cute already, she didn't remember. "Well, I don't know about guys who try to pick up girls at a library."

Leonard stood back and held his hands up in surrender, "No offense meant. I just like talking to you, and would like to continue the conversation, dinner at the same time just sounded like a good idea."

Penny smiled at him, as she thought 'dinner sounded like a great idea, especially with him'. "Okay, just let me lock up."

Leonard walked away from the library with Penny after she locked the door, "So what do you like to eat?"

"Well there is this great burger place that has the best French Fries in the world. I love the crispy ones." She told him, as she grabbed his arm while they walked.

"Me too." Leonard responded, liking the physical contact with her, as they talked and smiled to each other.

Penny was happy, now thinking working the holidays was the best, and she couldn't help but wonder what he was doing New Years night.

THE END