I don't own The Big Bang Theory. I make nothing from my stories. Unless you count friends.

Penny glanced at her ringing phone and frowned. Why was Howard Wolowitz calling her? If this was some stupid come on, she was going to hog tie him. "What, Howard?" she asked with a growl.

"Penny, if there was anyone else I could turn to, I would have called them," he said swiftly. "Please, don't hang up. I need help."

Something in his tone told her that whatever was wrong, it was very serious.

It was almost 7 pm when Sheldon slipped his bus pants on. He had worked late and was finally finished. He opened his door and stepped out into the hall, only to be surprised by what he saw. It was Penny, turning the corner at the end of the corridor. What was she doing here? Especially so late. He moved down the hall and peered around the corner.

Penny was knocking on the door to Howard's lab. The door opened and Howard stepped out. What was Howard still doing here, and why was Penny visiting him? He couldn't hear what they were saying because their voices were too low. He watched, appalled, as Penny reached out and wrapped her arms around Howard's back. Howard clung to her tightly and her hands stroked his back.

Sheldon stepped into the hallway and began to approach them. They heard him coming and broke apart from each other. Penny looked at him and then turned back to Howard. He cleared his throat and clasped his hands behind his back. "Hello, Penny. Hello, Howard. What are you both doing here?" he asked calmly.

Howard looked at Penny pleadingly. Sheldon could almost see the thought process as they both tried to find a valid excuse for their presence. She sighed and shrugged. She turned to him and smiled sweetly.

"It's none of your business, Sheldon." Then Penny reached out and moved Howard back into the lab. "Excuse us, please." Sheldon watched in disbelief as Penny followed Howard inside and shut the door. Sheldon slowly made his way to the bus stop, his mind firmly fixed on the hug he had witnessed.

Something unexpected and decidedly wrong was going on, and he didn't know what to do about it. It had been a week since he had witnessed Penny and Howard's embrace. Since then he had seen them talking in hushed tones in the apartment stairwell twice. And last night Penny's phone had buzzed while she was watching a movie with him and Leonard. Penny had hopped up and walked into the kitchen to view the message. Out of curiosity he had walked over to get a water out of the fridge and looked over her shoulder. She was texting Howard.

Sheldon sat down at their usual table and looked at his treasured acquaintance. Howard had been scarce lately, rarely coming over. He claimed he was working on a project, but Sheldon had noticed that most of those times, Penny was absent, also. Penny approached to take their order and stood beside Howard's chair. Once the guys had all ordered, she reached out and squeezed Howard's shoulder gently. Howard smiled at her and she walked off. Sheldon was just about to ask Howard point blank what was going on, when Leonard spoke up.

"What was that," he asked testily.

Howard looked down and fiddled with his straw. "What do you mean?"

Leonard's eyes narrowed. "Penny squeezed your shoulder and you smiled at her. No pick up lines, no come-ons, no flirting. You just smiled at her. What's that all about?"

Howard shrugged. "Penny is our friend. She's just being nice, so I responded in kind."

Raj smirked and shook his head. "What are you doing? What's up?"

"My temper," Penny said sternly as she set glasses of lemonade on the table. "Leave Howard alone. I mean it." Leonard's jaw dropped and he sputtered a bit. Penny leaned down and looked him in the eye. "Don't test me, Leonard."

Leonard sulked back into his chair and Penny rubbed Howard's back soothingly. Howard looked around the table and seemed to be on the verge of saying something. Then he just shook his head and sipped his lemonade. When the meal came he ate quickly and then pleaded a headache and left.

Leonard spent the entire drive to work the next morning ranting about how he was going to corner Howard and get some answers. Sheldon wasn't sure he wanted to know. All he could think about was the tender way Penny was acting around the engineer. Could Penny possibly harbor feelings for Howard? Sheldon cringed from that thought. Surely not.

When they got to work they were stunned to find that Howard had arranged for a couple of weeks off. He wasn't due back for 33 days. No one except President Seibert knew what was going on, and he wasn't talking.

When they got home they had another surprise. Penny was gone. She had left a note on Sheldon's desk asking him to pick up her mail for a couple of weeks. She said something important had come up and she was going to be out of town.

Leonard tried to call Penny, but it went straight to voice mail. Then Leonard sent her a text, but after a couple of hours, Sheldon was certain she wasn't going to answer.

Sheldon stood in the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror. He was confused. Why was this so unsettling to him? Why was the thought of Penny and Howard absent together causing his stomach to churn? He clenched his hands tightly on the sink. His pulse was erratic and his head was pounding. He hoped he wasn't getting sick. Penny wasn't here to take care of him.

It had been 15 days since Penny and Howard had disappeared. According to Mrs. Wolowitz, Howard had told her he was going to a series of lectures and then to a seminar. The only problem with that was there was no seminar, and no lecture series. Penny's boss would only say there was a medical emergency in Penny's family and she was due back soon.

Leonard was hostile (when his new girlfriend wasn't around to see it). Raj was feeling abandoned. And Sheldon? He was feeling more and more confused each day. When he didn't come down with any illness, he had to rethink his problem. He was alarmed by his new theory. Was it possible that his physical discomfort was a result of Penny being absent, possibly with Howard? Sheldon sighed and sat at his desk looking at his laptop. He read the email Penny had sent earlier this week again.

Sheldon, I need a favor. I hope you are willing to help me. Zack, a friend of mine, will be coming by the apartment. I made him swear to be there at 8 am on Saturday, so you would know when to expect him. Please let him into the apartment with the spare key. He's going to do a bit of construction for me. I miss you, and hope you are okay. I'll see you soon. -Penny

As promised, the friend showed up at 8. He was a large, not very bright guy who only knew that Penny had called him and asked him to install a swiveling shower seat in her tub, secure a large eye hook over her bed, and to remove her bed and replace it with a larger one that sat a few inches lower to the floor. None of it made any sense to Sheldon.

He was left with a fairly certain premise that he had feelings for Penny. He had never been interested in romance before, but the more he thought about Penny, the more sure he was becoming that he was interested in Penny. He was worried about her. He was upset that she was gone. He was jealous that she was with Howard.

A knock on the door signaled Leonard's arrival. Sheldon stood and closed his laptop. It was comic book night. Once again, they would be playing Halo one person short.

Three days later Sheldon was returning from the laundry room when he discovered Penny's door was ajar. He cautiously stepped inside and found her suitcase by the couch. He could hear the shower running. He rushed across the hall, glad Leonard was with Stephanie. He put his basket in his room and grabbed Penny's mail. He was just re-entering Penny's apartment when Penny came out of her bedroom. She looked up at him with a soft smile and he gasped.

Penny made her way to the kitchen and put on a kettle of water. He looked at the huge dark circles under her eyes, the wane skin tone, and the lines of exhaustion on her face. He tried to find a delicate line of inquiry, but too many questions tumbled through his head at once.

Penny smiled. "Yeah, I look like hell." She shrugged nonchalantly. "I just need some rest."

"What is going on?" he finally managed to ask. "Penny, I am quite concerned."

Penny sighed and turned to grab three tea cups. "I know, sweetie. It's a long story. Let me make some tea and we'll talk."

Sheldon stepped toward Penny. He didn't want to know, but he had to ask. "Where is Howard?"

"I'm right here."

Sheldon looked over to see Howard standing in Penny's bedroom door wearing pajamas. His gut twisted. So it was true. Penny and Howard were together. Sheldon felt as if he had been kicked by a mule. Before anyone could say anything else, they heard Leonard, Stephanie and Raj coming up the stairs. Howard looked toward the door apprehensively and Penny moved around Sheldon to go to Howard's side.

Leonard, and Raj noticed the door open and stepped into view. Penny slipped her arm around Howard's waist and they moved slowly toward the couch. Sheldon watched with astonishment as Howard leaned heavily on a cane with one hand while holding tight to Penny with the other. Sheldon darted forward and moved Penny's suitcase out of the way, and Penny smiled at him warmly.

Stephanie stepped up behind Leonard and watched with a clinical air. Once Penny and Howard had reached the couch, Stephanie stepped forward and helped get him into a comfortable, half-reclining position.

Stephanie looked him over quickly and checked his pulse. "What has happened?" she asked as Penny placed a pillow under Howard's hip. Penny just looked at Howard silently. He smiled and grabbed her hand to pull her close. He kissed her cheek and she smiled slightly. Howard turned to look at his friends.

"Come on in, and I'll explain," Howard said. He told them everything. His yearly check-up had spotted something unusual. He had a growth on one of his kidneys. A few tests later and it was cancer. The doctor had quickly suggested surgery, and made him an appointment with a surgeon in New York. He had known his mom would not take it well, and decided not to tell her. But he was scared and didn't think he could do it alone. So he called the one person he could be certain would be supportive enough to help, firm enough to not let him get panicky, and strong enough to see him through it.

Howard told them how Penny had been by his side the entire time. How she had spent the three weeks helping him prepare, go through, and recover from the surgery. Penny handed him a cup of tea and then offered some to everyone else. She walked back to the kitchen after they all declined and sipped hers while looking out the window.

Howard explained that Penny was insisting he stay with her so she could watch over him. She had put in a bar over her bed to help him get in and out, a seat in the shower so he didn't have to stand since he was still weak and had replaced her bed with a hydraulic one for his comfort.

When Howard was done, Raj burst into tears. Partly because Howard hadn't come to him, but mostly because Howard was alright. Howard laughed and told Raj he was too emotional. Leonard looked relieved to find that Howard and Penny weren't a couple. He did get a bit jealous when he discovered that Howard was staying with Penny until he was able to get around on his own.

Sheldon told Howard he was pleased the surgery was successful. He commended Penny on her gracious spirit. Then he left 4B and returned to his own apartment. He walked back to his room and began putting away his laundry. When he was done he looked up to find Penny staring at him from his doorway. "Penny, people can't be in my room," he said softly.

Penny stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. She leaned back against it and crossed her arms. "What's wrong, Sheldon?"

He looked away and fiddled with his comic book boxes. "I do not know what you are referring to."

Her voice was soft and gentle. "You left so fast. Is it Howard? He's cancer free, Sheldon. You don't have to worry."

Sheldon shook his head and looked down. "Don't misunderstand me," he said quietly. "I am pleased that Howard will recover fully."

"But?" Penny prompted.

Sheldon looked over at her. "I thought you were with him. That you and Howard had entered into a romantic relationship."

Penny nodded and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed. "Yeah. Seems everyone did. I never even considered that you guys would think that."

Sheldon turned to face her. "Penny, you don't understand. I thought you and Howard were a couple. And it hurt."

Penny's eyes widened and she licked her dry lips. "Oh," she finally managed to say.

Sheldon stepped closer, his heart pounding in his chest. "I was jealous, Penny. I disliked the idea of you with Howard so much, it was all I could think about. The thought of you with any man was distressing." Sheldon took a deep breath. "I do not know how to be in a relationship. I have never been attracted to anyone ever before. But if you would be willing to take a chance on dating me, I would endeavor to make you happy."

Penny stared at him for a long time. Sheldon was just starting to believe she was trying to find a gentle way to turn him down when Penny stood up. She moved in close and looked into his eyes. "Kiss me," she said.

Sheldon blushed and twitched nervously. He slowly leaned down and pressed his lips to her lightly. He drew back and looked at her strangely. A second later he kissed her again. His mind whirled as he tried to control the overwhelming sensations. She tasted like peppermint. The skin of his vermilion zone tingled electrically as he moved it against hers. How had he ever been able to disregard this activity before? His arms slid around her waist and pulled her closer. Sheldon groaned as he felt her warmth against his body.

Penny pushed back from him a little bit. It was a bit of a struggle because Sheldon didn't want to let her go. His eyes were a little unfocused and Penny smiled. "Sheldon? Are you with me, here?"

He looked down at her and slowly focused on her face. "Penny, I don't understand. I have been kissed before. Once out of curiosity, and a couple of times unwillingly. None of those felt like this. Why?"

Penny wrapped her arms around his neck and he shuddered slightly before dipping his head to kiss her again. After a couple of seconds Penny separated them again. "Sweetie, it's different when you like someone. It means more."

Sheldon blushed shyly and smiled. "I like it. Does this mean we are a couple?"

Penny laid her head on his chest. "I'd like that."

Sheldon grinned. "I'll draw up a relationship agreement immediately." He paused. "Well, not immediately. I want to kiss you some more, first."

Penny quirked an eyebrow at him. "I'm not signing a contract to be your girlfriend, Sheldon."

He frowned. "But you have to."

Penny pulled away and headed to the door. Sheldon scrambled around her and blocked her way out. "Fine. No agreement." He looked down at her sternly. "But you have to agree to let me kiss you whenever I want, no matter where we are, or who is there."

Penny laughed and hugged him close. "Yes, Sheldon."

Leonard wasn't happy at first, but Stephanie soon had him forgetting all about his crush on Penny. Raj turned out to be a great help getting Howard back on his feet. Soon Howard was back to his mostly normal self. The only difference was that he no longer hit on Penny. If anything he treated her like a sister. And Sheldon? Well, he finally understood his friend's obsession with coitus. Although he made sure to never call it that when Penny was around. Or else the likelihood of his having it was diminished.

(A/N)

1. Anon13, you are always welcome. Don't feel like you can't tell me if a story is good or bad. I love getting feedback from you.

2. The title is courtesy of wolfofsheep. She gave me few great ideas and this one was my favorite.

3. Thank you to Fatil Cosgrove, who reminded me that Howard is a sweetie. I was stuck for a bit trying to decide who Penny was helping. I thought of Stuart, Wil, Zack, even Kurt. But Howard is perfect for this one.