A/N:
Okay, here we go. I'm so crying over this chapter and the fact that I've been noticed by some of you just after posting the prologue which, as a matter a fact, wasn't showing the most of my abilities. You can't blame me though, I haven't written anything in around six months and truth be told TBBT miraculously inspired me. So here it goes. I do hope you're going to enjoy it.
PS. I'm really sorry for spelling mistakes, I could really use a Beta...
I own nothing of The Big Bang Theory. This is for entertainment purposes only.
Penny didn't know what to think, really. She truly believed that Leonard was going to freak out when he finds out what she was about to do, but she also believed that he'd understand. Eventually. It wasn't that her... bestie was a goddamn five years old child and needed her constant help, right?
With a short sigh, she sat down on her couch and hummed in appreciation once she got a hold of a bottle of wine. Pouring herself some, she leaned against the cushions. Of course it was her – kind of - family and her fiancee was in no place to say anything, especially when he did not live with her just yet. Besides, she hasn't seen one of her closest friends in quite a while and it saddened her. She cut herself off after graduating and left Nebraska as soon as possible which caused her former friends to back off a little. Of course, she still kept in touch with them through Facebook, but that was so not the same.
Sipping on her wine, she looked at her watch. It was barely half past one but she knew better than to leave everything for the last moment. Penny got up from her spot with a sigh, shaking her head before finishing the wine with one last swallow, only to nearly spit it out at the sudden knock at her door. Or knocks. Yeah, she knew who's on the hallway before she even heard the oh-so-familiar voice.
Knock, knock, knock...
"Penny!"
Knock, knock, knock...
"Penny!"
Knock, knock, knock...
"Penny!"
"I am not driving you anywhere, Sheldon! I don't have goddamn time to babysit you, you giant robo-child." The woman sighed loudly yet opened the door, squinting slightly as she looked at the man before her. It always amazed her how weird of a person he was but she did not say it out loud. Kind of. Maybe mentioned it a few times, but, hey, everyone has bad days sometimes.
"But, Penny! I need to get to work today. What could possibly be more important than helping me, your neighbor and possibly a good friend?" His tone suggested that he was more than surprised with her statements. "Besides, I doubt you've got any other plans since Leonard is definitely not here, so chances for you two to have any coitus are undeniably low."
Jesus, it's been nearly a decade and she still couldn't get used to this stupid, little prick. Truly, there was a time when she really considered the promising opportunity of moving, but Leonard's face was enough to shush her before she could even open her mouth. Sheldon was Sheldon. An annoying little shit with OCD and many, many more not-so-fun disorders like the one he was showing off right now. What was it called? Asshole Disorder?
"I'm really sorry, Sheldon, but I have some place to go as soon as possible. There was a reason why I took the day off, I hope you understand." She replied with a sigh, rolling her eyes whilst grabbing her purse and car keys, soon locking the door behind her.
"But, Penny! Who's going to drive me, then?"
"Damn it, Sheldon!"
She felt... Insecure. It wasn't in a way any woman would understand, no, and it definitely bothered her with its unlikeness but she came to the conclusion it was normal since she hasn't seen her friend in quite a while. Yes, fine, she talked to Penny on a quite regular basis, at least that's what she thought but in the end they hasn't seen each other in years. Once Amy moved to Seattle, there was no possibility for her to come over and have a chit-chat anymore; fine, there was Skype, phone calls and all that jazz but the truth was that Amy missed their weekend sleepovers and the shopping center they used to go to every single Friday and even drinking nights. Not that she remembered any of them, truth be told, since she was usually the one ending up bent over the toilet with Penny holding her hair but that was not the matter. She just couldn't imagine going back to those moments, they were both grown ups now and...
Amy sighed out loud, which - as she noticed with visible annoyance - was becoming her new habit. She had to pull herself together, really, or else she would once again end up over the toilet. Not literally, of course, but still.
Gripping her suitcase tightly, she began to walk over to the escalator, knowing Penny was waiting somewhere down there. She doubted that her friend changed one bit, she was definitely not the type to go with her age, and it made it easier, for sure. She stepped on the first step, her suitcase right beside her and her purse tapping against her hip. Amy looked around, searching for the familiar blonde hair that Penny always denied being dyed, only to spot a familiar silhouette right next to the exit, waving a small cardboard with an "Dr. Ames Farrah Fowler" written in a neat, black font. Of course. She could not leave out the "Doctor" part. Amy rolled her eyes but grinned slightly once she reached the bottom of the escalator, taking a step towards the woman standing a few meters away.
"Amy Farrah Fowler! Damn it, girl, come here so I can give you the huggest of my hugs!"
Nope, some things never change.
She chuckled quietly at the thought before rolling her eyes and walking over to her friend, only to get nearly crushed in blonde's arms. The familiar scent of Chanel No5 and strawberry shampoo hit her nostrils as she let go of her suitcase, hugging her bestie tightly.
"God, Penny, you're going to crush my ribs! Let go!" Amy laughed quietly, her quiet persona coming out once more at the unbelievable lack of change in her friend's looks. Fine, she might've gained a few pounds and changed her haircut but, holy crap, she had the same charming smile and lovable persona she remembered.
"Jesus, you haven't changed a bit. I missed you so much! God, just wait till I shower you with questions and stories and... Damn, have I mentioned how much I missed you, Ames?"
"Yup. But I don't mind, I missed you, too." The brunette grinned slightly, rolling her eyes in a manner that only fit a teenager, really. But she suddenly felt like the sweet, not-so-charming twenty years old girl that buried her nose in a pile of books and notes. She knew it was a good idea to come here, to see someone that won't judge or bash her; if she was worried before, it all went away once the blonde pulled away, her smile just as Amy remembered.
"How was your flight, Ames? I know how much you hate airplanes."
"It was okay. Two hours flied quickly, especially because I had something to read. Besides, I had so much to think about that it hasn't been that painful after all." She grinned a little wider, shrugging with one of her shoulders before gripping the suitcase once more. "Shall we go, though? I'm starving. The airplane buffet is awful."
"Yes, of course! But you need to tell me everything. How come you quit your job at the University? I thought you enjoyed it. And that you made some progress with that empathy project you've been working on." Penny snorted quietly, shaking her head as they began to walk.
It wasn't that simple, though. Nothing was quite simple when it came to Amy and she knew it, but god damn it. She could not admit the failure over such a simple project, she could not possibly tell her friend that she felt like her studies and commitment were burning out. She couldn't tell Penny that she would rather go and get a role in an adult themed movie, than to go back to her work. Everything went down. Everything, really, when she realised she's going nowhere with anything.
"I think... I need a break. A short one, to get away from all the rambling about the genius Dr. Fowler with IQ that hit 183 and innovative sides of neurobiology she's recently tried to discover." The brunette sighed, pushing the door open and welcomed the warm wind with an undeniable pleasure. The airplane was loud and stuffed and she truly didn't know how the hell she is going to survive two hours of misery once she got on. But she left that out - she didn't want to throw a pity party just because her inner little goddamn girl popped out.
"Well, you're more than welcome to..."
"Penny! What could possibly take you so long? You said you were just going to pick someone up and go back, not have a pointless chit-chat that costed me quite some time of waiting in this car that smells like old, burning grape juice and hairspray!"
Amy nearly jumped, hearing an annoyed voice coming out of her friend's car. The window was pulled down and she could see some man - or more likely his head - dangling out and looking straight in their direction. Penny let out a short sigh and something that sounded like "I could've just strangled him with a pillow while he was asleep".
"Sheldon, this is my friend, Amy. Amy, this man that can never get his manners right is Sheldon. Now, I hope we can all have a pleasant ride." She sighed loudly and Amy cocked her head to the side, squinting her eyes lightly. He was pale. That's what she noticed first. Too pale even for her and it made a weird contrast with his dark hair and blue eyes that seemed to looked focused yet a little confused once he settled them on her.
"Hello." She nodded at his direction curtly, reaching out a hand which seemed pointless since he didn't even get out of the car. Gentleman.
"Please, I'm not comfortable with any kind of physical contact, so it's pointless of you to stand there with your hand reached in such a manner." He sighed with an "isn't this obvious" roll of his eyes, shaking his head ever so slightly. "Dr. Sheldon Cooper, I can't determinate whether it's nice to meet you or not yet but I truly hope so."
"Amy Farrah Fowler." She sighed and opened the car door, pushing her suitcase on the backseat and soon sitting herself. "So, Penny, tell me more about your life. There's so much we need to discuss, how's Leonard? Are you still dating him?"
But before she could answer, Amy could hear something between a snort and a huff coming out of that man's mouth.
"It's fine." Penny sighed, throwing a glare at her other passenger. "We're still engaged, nothing's changed except the fact that he might to move in in a nearby future."
"Oh, excuse me, but we did not discuss this matter yet." The pale whack-a-doodle cut in once more and Penny took a deep, slow breath in hope not to pull the car over and throw him away at the nearest bus station. "The Roommate Agreement says, that Leonard..."
"The Roommate Agreement? What's that?" The brunette snorted loudly, nearly letting her hand collide with the skin on her forehead only to meet with a loud groan coming from Penny. "Or, wait, I shouldn't ask."
Sheldon looked over his shoulder, his brows arched lightly and a lenient look plastered over his face.
"What do you not understand about my statement, The Roommate part or the Agreement?" He asked with a loud sigh, nodding a few times and speaking up before Amy could even open her mouth to come up with any kind of snarky comment. "Judging by the look on your face, it's both - so let me enlighten you. Both me and Leonard signed up a form which contains some simple rules and duties which make our lives..."
"You mean, which makes Leonard your slave..." Penny sighed quietly, rolling her eyes with an unamused expression. Either way, the man did not bother to correct her once more, finishing his earlier statement.
"Like I was saying, it definitely makes our lives easier and I can sleep peacefully knowing everything's perfectly arranged." He nodded with a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, barely noticing the interruption. "Like, for example, my morning routine. I would not bother to fill you in, but everything's exactly on time, every day, so no one gets lost and roll around in a puddle of that hippie - dippie stuff."
"Hippie - dippie?"
"Don't ask." Penny sighed loudly.
She didn't. But she got the answer anyway.
"Damn it, Pen, are you serious?"
She was certain that if she had to go through anymore stairs, she would faint. Amy did not know how the hell was she even able to go through that many and she was glad that she could finally drop her suitcase beside the couch and sit down.
"Say whatever you want, but I don't even need any workout anymore." Her friend grinned and rolled her eyes, walking over to the fridge and took out two bottles of beer, popping them open in no time. She walked over to the couch and plopped down, handing one to Amy.
"Drinking so early? It's not even four yet." The brunette chuckled but took the drink obediently, taking a small sip.
"What can I say, it's not easy to live with a bunch of nerds next door."
"And have one as a fiancee."
"True."
The blonde sighed but grinned, shaking her head lightly. She took a sip herself and hummed, crossing her legs before looking at her friend once more. Amy did change, after all. Despite the fact that she still had her hair a little curly and kept leaving it this way, Penny could also see that her eyes weren't that transparent anymore. Maybe it was the eyeliner that did the job but she could also see the signs of confidence and definitely lack of that girly dream she could see a few years back. Her face changed a little, too, looking more stern and serious.
She shook her head, trying to get back on track once she heard her friend's voice.
"So, Penny, tell me everything. I've heard you gave up acting? How was that even possible? I was almost sure you'll never going to do so." Amy grinned briefly, shaking her head.
"Well, I guess we all have to grow up at some point. There was no chance I could get myself into a movie or even a TV show that didn't require me having a gorilla hair plastered all over my skin, so..."
"I get it." The brunette snorted, leaning against the couch and took off her shoes, curling her legs up to her chest. "I feel you, though. It's been hard a couple of years. After mama and papa... You know, we both needed to grow up, I needed to grow up at least. I just wish I was as lucky as you." She finished with a slightly crooked smile, shaking her head and taking a sip of her beer.
Penny frowned lightly, her lips pursed to the side at the memory.
"It's been a few years, darling. I'm so sorry I wasn't there when you needed me the most but your decision about moving... It startled me a little. I wasn't quite sure..."
"It's okay." Amy cut in, looking at her friend with a slight warning in her eyes. "Let's drop off the topic, I shouldn't have said that. I don't need to think about that as well, not when I'm taking a vacation from my problems. Now, tell me, what are we going to do today? And, most importantly, are we going to remember this evening?"
"Well, since you've asked, I did think of going out. But maybe we could leave it for tomorrow? I mean, I thought you'd like to meet my friends today, it's Pizza Night at Sheldon's." Penny smiled apologetically, cocking her head to the side.
Okay, fine. It was not the best of Amy's expectations for the night, she really needed to get things off of her mind and the fact that she would have to spend the evening with one of the most repulsive men she's ever met wasn't the best option ever. But she truly needed to stop being anti-social and uptight.
"Well, okay." Amy sighed quietly, taking a sip of her beer. "But you do know I still wonder how the hell did you survive with that... That man next door? Who the hell is he, anyway? I mean, aside from being a total jackass that thinks he's more than any of us." She spat out, shaking her head once she did so. So much hate, Amy. So much hate.
"I... He's not that bad, trust me. You just need to get used to his... Unique personality." Penny tried to sound convincing but the look on her friend's face was enough to tell her that she failed terribly.
"Unique? You mean annoying and repulsive?"
"He's CalTech theoretical physicist and Leonard's best friend."
"That you're obliged to drive to work every day?"
"Not every day." Penny whined, shaking her head. "Only sometimes, when Leonard is busy or needs to get off early. Besides, trust me, he gets more and more annoying if you don't help him."
"And you call him your friend?" Amy groaned, her hand colliding with the path of skin on her forehead. "Damn it, Pens, what you've got yourself into?"
"Not much, he's okay. Every one of them is okay. You'll see in no time, trust me." She grinned devilishly, taking a sip of her beer. "Now, we've got more important things to discuss."
Oh, yeah, this was so going to be one of the best nights... Or nah.
Sheldon did not like changes. Or breaking points. Or unexpected turns. And he surely did not like unexpected guests.
Well, of course, he would not mind Stephen Hawking or Stan Lee coming by once in a while but that... That girl was definitely not someone he would like to give beverage to. She was small, her glasses made her emotionless eyes look like she was going to eat him alive and the look on her face... He cringed lightly, his brows furrowed and lips pursed. No, she was definitely a no. If her name would be enough reason to banish her, he would definitely do so.
With a loud sigh, he sat down next to his friends, his tray with food making an unpleasant noise as he put it on the table. His friends seemed to be engaged in a wild discussion, not bothering to greet him properly once he settled.
"Well, hello to every one of you, too. Due to social expectations, I am obliged to ask how are you." He smiled briefly, taking his fork and looked over at each of the faces. "So, how are you?"
Leonard sighed, shaking his head. Oh, boy.
"Why did you ask Penny to drive you to work again? Couldn't you take a bus?" He asked in a definitely resigned tone, dabbing in his food himself. Sheldon sighed with a sigh that - hopefully - gave out more than any words could and took a mouthful of his early dinner. Or very late lunch.
"Well, what was more important than me, her friend? Besides, she herself said that she took a day off." He exclaimed, nodding as if to assure them of the authenticity of his statement. "Besides, I do not feel very well. I was afraid a ride with multiple people in such a small space could possibly affect my health even more." Sheldon sighed, ignoring the roll of eyes of his friend before shrugging with one of his shoulders.
Something, however, made a small, red bulb light up in Leonard's head, making his eyebrows arch.
"Hold up, wait. Penny took a day off? But she didn't tell me anything."
"Well, yes, due to my eidetic memory I can surely recall that she said so." Sheldon nodded, not quite understanding the look on Leonard's face. "She went to pick up her friend from the airport. Amy Farrah Fowler." He nodded once more, taking yet another bite of his meal.
"Wait, who? She didn't tell me anything about that, either." Leonard looked even more surprised now, as Sheldon finally guessed, which made the taller male think he might've once again said a little too much.
"Hold up, what did you say? Amy Farrah Fowler? You mean the famous neurobiologist, Dr. Fowler?" Raj spoken up, his tone suggesting that the news surprised him, too.
Sheldon cocked his head to the side. He was sure he did not misspell her name or anything like that, but then again, was it possible for such a person like the one he met in Penny's car to be a woman of science, after all? If someone wanted to admit that biology was a serious kind of science of course, and not trying to catch a few frogs just to cut them open. He, as a man of science - which was hard to deny for anyone - personally leaned towards the latter. He definitely was not going to take her seriously.
"I don't really care, Raj." Sheldon sighed with a hint of exasperation in his tone, too busy to notice that he might've caused Penny some trouble with his talking. "I just really hope Penny won't take her in for tonight's Pizza Night."
He, Dr. Sheldon Cooper, had much more important things to do than to take care of a guest that didn't even seem worthy of sitting in his apartment.
