Obligatory disclaimer: I don't own TBBT or the characters.

a/n: Wow, fanfiction is so much fun to write (don't know why I haven't done it for so long…) Anyway, here's the next bit! I should probably mention, I'm not a scientist so I'm hopelessly lost with quantum physics. I'm not an American either, so hopefully I don't make any major mistakes

Chapter 2: Aftermath

Penny rolled over in bed and groaned. Last night – ooooooooooooh, stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She did truly stupid things when she drank too much. What the – had she been thinking?

She liked Sheldon, she really did like him – when he wasn't being a complete whackadoodle. But she knew kissing him wasn't for kicks and giggles like with any other guy. He might not talk to her ever again. Oh shoot, this might have messed him up for good…

Blood pounded behind her temples as she stood up. Splitting headache. Maybe if she felt like this before she started drinking it would remind her how miserable it always made her feel the next morning. She felt like dying. If only she remembered how much stupider her decisions were after she'd had a few too many. Though some of her decisions were stupid enough when sober, come to think of it, which was probably why she drank in the first place.

Oh, did she ever feel nauseous.

There was a triple rap on the door. "Penny!" Three more raps. "Penny!"

At least he was still talking to her. She waited. Three last knocks. "Penny!"

She did not want to open that door. Wanted to bury herself in bed and pretend she wasn't here. But she knew Sheldon was smarter than that, would know she was here, or hear that she was here, and he'd never give up till he'd said what he wanted. That was the problem with Sheldon, you couldn't avoid him.

She staggered down through the apartment and managed to find the doorknob and yank the door open. "What?"

"Penny." Sheldon blinked. "I trust you have recovered from that truly toxic amount of alcohol you ingested last night?"

"Shut up, Sheldon, my drinking's none of your business." Though it looked like she was taking the effects of it out on him again.

"Penny, cirrhosis of the liver – "

She couldn't comprehend Sheldon-talk in the state she was in right now. "Just get on with it."

He cut off, mid-sentence. "Penny, during the course of the evening last night – "

"Unfortunately, I haven't managed to black that part out from my memory," she said. "Just spit it out." And steeled herself for a lecture on germs and unhygienic practices.

Instead he fixed her with a firm stare. "While it was an interesting anomalous experience, I do not wish it to be repeated ever again."

She rolled her eyes. "You have my word. Is that all?"

"Yes. Leonard is awaiting my arrival at the car at this precise moment. Good day." He turned and scuttled down the stairs. Penny stared after him with amusement.

Any normal guy would be at her door right now, not to tell her off, but to see if there was any chance he could turn last night's kiss into the possibility of a little action later on. Or, scratch that, he probably would've already spent the night with her. But Sheldon had never acted like anyone else.

She sighed and closed the door. She supposed it was a step in itself that he had characterized it as an "interesting experience."