Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to get this third chapter up! Work's been kinda crazy this week. But the good news is, chapters 4 and 5 are done (and being beta-ed) and chapter 6 is in progress. Thank you ALL for all the story alerts, reviews, and favorites and thanks so much to Sarah for being a wonderful beta for me!

Disclaimer: Still don't own The Big Bang Theory, however much I wish I did.

Sheldon was safely back in 4A, mind racing. Penny had romantic feelings for him, and that knowledge did not displease him. Certainly if he can come up with an algorithm for friendship, he can figure this out. Half an hour later, he was still rooted in his spot, staring at his laptop, and finding nothing but some very crude websites that he was sure his mother would say make Jesus weep.

He could be attending to more important matters right now, and he eschewed romantic relationships for that very reason. Sheldon firmly believed that the world would be better if everyone spent more time focusing on important things and less time attempting to find a partner for coitus. Inferior libidos drove so many of his colleagues to distraction, and he was sure that he didn't want to join them. He remembered watching the size of his undergraduate class slowly dwindle as romance distracted them. He vowed then that base biological urges would never keep him from winning the Nobel Prize. Certainly Wolowitz would have his doctorate by now if he weren't constantly distracted by his own desires.

If he couldn't find an equation for romantic relationships, how was he to solve this problem? He briefly considered using his whiteboard to list the facts as he knew them but realized that he was unsure when Leonard would be home. Social constructs would rule that Leonard should have no knowledge about this particular subject matter, as it was unacceptable to pursue a friend's former paramour. Was he pursuing Penny? Was this even something he wanted to pursue?

Pursue was not the correct word choice. Study? Understand? Yes, understand. He grabbed a composition notebook and began to write feverishly.

Penny is romantically interested in me.

I am satisfied by the idea of Penny being romantically interested in me.

Penny is very aesthetically pleasing.

Penny's highest completed level of education is high school, which took her four years to finish.

He continued to write and began adding small plus and minus signs to denote whether he construed each as a positive or a negative, adding the symbols to facts he had already listed. He quickly added pluses for his satisfaction with Penny's interest and her being aesthetically pleasing, a negative at her education level. It was the first item, however, that he couldn't quantify. Was it positive that Penny was attracted to him? He continued to add more items while he considered it.

Penny has subpar cleaning and hygiene standards. (-)

Penny is caring and kind. (+)

Penny seems to continue to do things purposefully to aggravate me. (-)

Penny touches my food. (-)

Penny always gets my food order correct. (+)

He thoughtfully tapped his pen to his lips, head tilted slightly and eyes narrowed in concentration as he continued. He noticed that the positives were increasing while the negatives would frequently have a positive attached.

Penny comes in my room (but often to care for/comfort me) (-+)

Penny sings "Soft Kitty" for me. (+)

Penny makes Mom's spaghetti for me. (+)

Penny defeats me at video games (which makes her a worthy opponent). (-+)

Penny sits in my spot (but is able to tell others why they shouldn't). (-+)

Penny does not give in (which makes me respect more than the others). (-+)

Penny is one of my closest, if not my best, friend. (+)

Penny calls me Moonpie, even though I have repeatedly told her that only MeeMaw is allowed to call me that. (-)

Penny does not admonish my behavior as the others do. (+)

Penny adheres to my schedule. (+)

He continued to write, adding what he felt were the two most important facts in large letters at the bottom of the second page.

Penny is Leonard's ex. (-) He thought deeply about that one before adding two extra minuses. Social convention stated that this was very much against something Howard referred to as "the bro code."

Penny will likely never understand my work (but also would never purposefully sabotage it). (-+)

He kept pen to paper, completely losing track of time until he felt someone touch his shoulder.