A/N: Another one-shot! I love them and have found that I have thing for writing scenarios where one of them is distressed. This is probably really fluffy, but I don't think I'll see anyone complaining too much. Enjoy!

One Good Reason

All she could see was red - fiery, hot red.

Leonard's face was scrunched in fear and he winced and flinched with every shout her mouth produced. With the amount of venom she was spewing, he looked like he was having a constant epileptic seizure.

"How could you, Leonard? He's your best friend!"

"You weren't there!" he finally responded, and Penny paused to take several much needed breaths. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. "You don't know what it was like, so don't judge me!"

"Don't judge you?" she spat. "I have every right to judge you! Friends don't do to each other what you did to Sheldon - lie and manipulate and deceive! What's the matter with you, Leonard? I never thought you could do such a thing."

"He was driving us crazy!" He gripped his hair between his fingers and pulled. "It was the only way for us to get him to shut up - we didn't think it would escalate this far!"

"What did you expect?" she began, positioning her hands on her hips. "He'd been working on the theory for ages and thought he'd found a breakthrough - he thought he'd won the freakin' Nobel Prize, for God's sake! All he's ever strived for. How could you not think this wouldn't break him?"

"I thought he was unbreakable," Leonard whispered sadly, hanging his head low.

"Despite popular belief, he's still human; capable of human emotions and forming attachments and getting hurt. He may not be able to do those things as freely and easily as everyone else, but it stills happens. I thought you understood that. But apparently I was wrong."

He rubbed a tired hand over his face, the air lingering in the small hallway between apartments 4A and 4B stagnant and oppressive.

"Where is he?" She asked finally.

"I don't know," he sighed. "He left the apartment earlier today and I haven't seen him since."

"Have you tried his cell?" She snapped.

"It rings out," Leonard replied.

"Jesus," she muttered. "He could be anywhere." She wracked her brain, putting herself in the body of a hurt and upset Sheldon with no friends to turn to. She jumped when the sound of her ringtone filled the hall, and she scrambled to grab the vibrating cell, hoping with all hope it was Sheldon. An unknown number flashed on the screen, and whilst she usually hesitated answering a number she didn't know, she swiped the screen immediately and brought it to her ear.

"Hello?" she greeted.

"Penny? Is that you, dear?"

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, looking to a confused Leonard. "This is Penny but I'm not too sure who I'm speaking too."

A soft, feminine chuckle floated through her ear. "I'm glad you answered then, sweetie. It's Meemaw speaking."

"Sheldon's Meemaw?" she asked in awe, although mentally figured there weren't many other Meeemaws she knew about. Leonard looked surprised.

"The very one," she chuckled again, and her kind, motherly tone instantly had Penny relaxing.

"It's lovely to finally speak to you," Penny said sincerely. "Sheldon talks about you all the time."

"My Moonpie never stops talking about you either."

She blushed, although wasn't entirely sure why. She turned and went inside her apartment, ignoring Leonard's shout as she left. This conversation seemed oddly private. "Did he give you my number?"

"In case of an emergency, dear." She said. "You know Sheldon, always so prepared and thinking ahead; he would never want to be under-prepared in an emergency."

"Trust me, I know," Penny murmured, although she couldn't deny the affectionate undertone in her voice. Meemaw didn't miss it either.

"You two are very good friends," Meemaw chirped with a mysterious lilt to her voice.

"Probably the best," Penny replied honestly.

"I'm so glad he has a friend like you, Penny. I've watched your relationship grow through the letters he's written; he's always telling me a story involving you and the shenanigans you find yourselves in. He never had many friends when he was a boy."

A knot formed in Penny's throat at the sadness in her voice. "I'm hoping to make up for lost time - he deserves great friendships."

"That he does," the older woman sighed. "Which is why I was so upset when I received a call from him earlier today."

"He called you?" she asked, hope in her voice.

"That he did," Meemaw confirmed. "I was surprised - we never really yap on the phone, we always send letters. But he was quite worked up, spurting off words so quick. I managed to work out that he had plans to return to Texas."

"Oh no," Penny gasped. "He can't."

"That's what I said - he was quite adamant, though."

"No one's seen him all day," Penny said. "Did he tell you where he was was by any chance?"

"Not a word, sweetie," she sighed tiredly. "He always runs away from problems he can't work out."

"He's used to knowing the answer," Penny said sadly.

"He can't know everything," his Meemaw agreed. "I tried telling him to calm down and stay in Pasadena but he wouldn't listen- he's a stubborn mule, that's for sure."

"I have to help him," Penny said, determined. "I just need to find him first."

"It is a beautiful night," she mused absently. "He always did enjoy stargazing when he wanted some peace and quiet. He told me that the stars were harder to find in California than back here in Texas - would never stop him trying, though."

And suddenly Penny knew exactly where he was.

"Meemaw," she said quickly. "I have to go. I think I know where our Moonpie is."

"Atta' girl!" she swear she could hear the older woman smile. "I knew you'd be the one, Penny. You look after him in a place where I can't."

"Thank you for calling, Meemaw. It was so great speaking to you."

"You too, precious. Give Sheldon my love. And Penny?"

"Mmm?"

"Maybe you should give him yours, too."

The dial tone filled Penny's ear, comprehension evading her over Meemaws words. She shook her head, vowing to think about the conversation later, and grabbed the first jacket her hands landed on, locking her apartment door behind her and racing up the stairs.

The frigid air hit her harshly as she stepped through the door leading to the buildings roof, and she spotted his figure immediately sitting with his back against the wall and head tilted upwards to the sky. He had his knees bent, his hands dangling uselessly over his knees.

"Oh, sweetie," she whispered. She walked with small, uneasy steps in his direction and it was a testament to how upset he was that he didn't even lower his head to see the intruder of his solitude. But maybe he knew it was her, just like she had known where he was hiding.

She slid down next to him and mirrored his position, silence encompassing the pair for several minutes.

"I thought they were my friends," he finally whispered.

"They are, Sheldon." She said gently. "They were just a little misguided."

He shook his head vehemently. "Friends do not do that to another friend."

"I'm angry at them too, sweetie." She soothed. "What they did was not okay - but this will all blow over soon enough, just you wait and see. You won't feel like this forever."

"Friendless? Even before this occurred I felt that way."

Her heart broke a little more. "Oh, Sheldon." She breathed. "You are not friendless, okay? Leonard and Howard and Raj are your friends - trust me on this. It was the environment and the situation that made them act the way they did and do those things. And I'm not making excuses for them because that's the last thing that anyone should do. I just think its the truth."

He made a grumbling noise.

"And you can't forget me," she teased, bumping his shoulder with her own. "I don't know if you know this, but you've sorta' become my best friend."

"Really?"

"Of course you have," she gushed. "We bicker and tease each other all the time but you're the first person I would call if I needed help or was in trouble or just wanted to talk; and that ranks you pretty high in my books."

His gaze was still fixated on the stars. "And I know I don't know anything about comic books and even less about physics, but I'll always try. I'll always support and encourage you, Moonpie."

She didn't know what force compelled her to do so, but she had his long, soft hand in her own before she even knew what was happening. His head finally whipped to hers and she smiled softly. He didn't grip back, but at least he didn't pull away.

"I'm leaving for Texas," he gulped, blue eyes never leaving green.

"Sweetie, please don't." She said desperately. "You're whole life is here."

"Only my job is here, and now even that will be in ruins. I talked to my Meemaw, and she didn't sound too supportive, but I know it's the right thing to do."

"She doesn't think it's the right thing at all." Penny said. His eyes furrowed.

"How do you know that?"

"She called me. I had just finished yelling at Leonard and I was looking for you, and normally I-I don't answer unknown numbers but I did it because I was worried and it was her - and she was so sweet and so, so worried about you, Sheldon. She loves you so much."

"I love her too," he whispered.

"She helped me find you. She told me you liked to look at the stars when you were a little boy. I thought looking up here was worth a try."

"It's the only time when I don't feel bigger than the universe itself," he admitted. "As an occupation I try to uncover the secrets and inner workings of the universe - it's time like these when I take a moment to remember that it can consume me, that I'm not as big as I may think."

A tear slipped from Penny eye and she surreptitiously wiped it away with her free hand.

"You're as big as you want to be, sweetie. And running away isn't the answer."

His expression was pained. "What am I meant to do, Penny? Meemaw is the only one that wants to take care of me."

She squeezed his hand tighter before entwining their fingers, and this time he gripped back, albeit loosely but it was there.

"Do you know what your Meemaw said to me? Just then, on the phone?"

He shook his head.

"She said, 'You look after him in a place where I can't'. She trusts me to take care of you, and you should, too. I'm here for you, Sheldon."

He swallowed. "But what am I meant to do?"

"You're meant to pick yourself and sing Soft Kitty and sit in your spot. You're meant to play Halo on Wednesday nights and eat Thai food and pizza and oatmeal and French toast on specific days. Your meant to- to tell random facts and talk about trains and fight over comic books. You're meant to knock on my door three times likes a crazy person and you're meant to lecture me about my apartment and my job and you're meant to stay here and be yourself, Sheldon. You're meant to stay here so I can be there for you an you can be there for me."

"That's easy to say, Penny." He said bitterly.

"It kinda wasn't," she said, and it was strange because she felt like she was confessing something.

"One good reason," he said. "One good reason why I should listen to you and stay."

"Because..." she fumbled to formulate the words. "Because of this."

She grabbed his face in her hands and yanked it towards her, her lips enveloping his in a way she had experienced many times. What she hadn't experienced before was the tingling sensation that spread so rapidly throughout her body, like her nerve endings were on sensory overload and were trying to escape the confines of her skin. She had her eyes closed, not even wanting to see the expression on his face, and held his still lips against her equally still ones with baited breath.

His body was rigid and unresponsive, and her heart sunk at the prospect of ruining everything they had over a silly moment of impulse. She began to pull back oh so slowly and their lips were only connected by a sliver of flesh when he suddenly leaned forward and brought their lips together once more. She gave a surprised grunt as his hands rose to cradle the back of her head and neck. His lips began to move and they were all over the place all at once and Penny couldn't have that. She moved hers against his, slowing his pace, which she knew would make it more enjoyable. She relished the feeling of being held in his hands and returned his fervent kisses with equal passion. The kiss was languid and they disconnected to gasp for air before reconnecting once more, unable to get the desired amount of one another. She shifted and swung a leg over his lap, settling down and making herself at home in his lap, his hands moving down her sides until they landed on her hips. Damn, she thought, who knew he was such a good kisser. Their heads tilted and noses caressed the others as they made out, and Penny found herself becoming quite worked up over it all.

She whimpered and pulled back fully, looking at him through hooded eyes as he gulped for air.

"This is certainly not how Meemaw takes care of me," he said, voice low and gravelly.

"And let's thank God for that," she giggled, attacking his lips again as he squeezed her hips tighter. She encouraged him to run his hands under her jacket and shirt, making contact with her bare skin. She tore her mouth from his and ran them down his neck instead, licking and nipping and sucking and making him groan and throw his head back. His hands made their way to the back of her bra and that was when she knew they should probably stop.

"Sheldon," she gasped. "We need to stop."

"Don't wanna," he muttered dumbly against her skin.

"Sweetie, this could get out of hand really quickly. It shouldn't happen like this."

He digested her words and then nodded, pulling his hands from beneath her clothes and carefully straightening them out. "I apologise, I don't know what came over me."

"Hey, it's okay. I certainly wasn't complaining - that was amazing."

He nodded, staring straight into her eyes. "Is that the reason? The reason I shouldn't leave?"

"Oh, there are so many more but...I don't know where that came from but I really liked it." She smoothed a hand over his forehead.

"Can you walk away from that?" she whispered. "From me?"

He studied her features that were floating in the moonlight, her hopeful, emerald eyes and pouty lips and tangled blonde hair.

"Of course I can't," he sighed. "I'm a fool to think I ever could have."

She smiled.

"But we're not best friends, Penny." He said seriously, grabbing her fingers and fiddling with each digit. "That's so frivolous compared to what I think we are. We're more than that."

"Can we figure out exactly what that 'more' means?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, I suppose that's the logical thing to do."

"But you have to stick around for us to figure that out."

"I believe that can be arranged."