Chapter 3: The Competition Proposition

I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS JUST HAVING FUN*

LPOV

"Come on Sheldon, you have to do it" he said.

"Dude, don't be that way, you know you are the only one that knows enough about this for us to stand a chance" Raj whined taking a sip of his beer.

"You know what this can mean for us Sheldon, Star Trek honeys all over us, Comic-Con is like a wonderland for us."

"This holds no challenge for me and you know this, would you make Einstein compete in a science contest?" Sheldon answered waving us off as he sat at his laptop.

Leonard knew he had to pull out the big guns, he found he had to do this last time when he wanted Sheldon to join their physics bowl team. Thinking back now that might have been a bit ill-advised of him to have done, but in this case, he knew Sheldon was the only one that could help them.

"Do we have to quote Spock's dying words again Sheldon?"

Leonard saw Sheldon's head shoot up and he knew, he knew he had touched the Vulcan at his core.

"Okay Leonard, you got me. Tell me about this competition you are so keen for me to participate in"

Leonard and the guys gathered around Sheldon and Leonard begun "Well the studio that is filming the sequel to the last Star Trek film is sponsoring a contest to help choose the actress or actor to play the new junior science officer, but get this, the new junior science officer will be"

"But get this, someone I know told me on the down low…" Howard started "Who do you know on the down low?" Raj asked "I know people…" "Who? Eddie Crispo again?" Raj asked a smile creeping on his face. Leonard couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yes! Dammit Raj. Eddie Crispo told me that the junior science officer would be a either a Vulcan that was saved from the planet just before it was destroyed by the Romulans or a Klingon and that the studio will hold a competition at Comic Con to test the knowledge of these actresses against fans like us. Since we know it will be about we have an advantage." As Howard said this he looked over at Sheldon.

"I do not see why I of all people would want to participate in this, what is the benefit to me?" Sheldon asked his faced held in a mask of derision. Leonard knew they were losing his interest.

"Sheldon, the winner and three of his friends get walk on roles in the movie and also a bevy of other prizes, including a sit down dinner with Zach Quinto and Leonard Nimoy and tickets to the premiere and after party. The winner will also serve as a consultant on the film. How does that sound?" Leonard's voice was breaking a bit at he saw Sheldon's face change a bit.

"We would be Gods among the mortals at Comic Con" Howard added.

"Also we have the chance to meet the dreamy Zach Quinto" Raj added a bit too enthusiastically.

"Consultant, hmmmm. That does sound appealing; I cannot tell you how many mistakes I find on these movies. Plus a chance to meet Spock is certainly a selling point. Okay I will do it."

"Yeah!" the three guys jumped and cheered in unison. Leonard knew that if chosen there was no one that knew more about Star Trek than Sheldon.

SPOV

This was an interesting turn of events. A competition in which he could best the rest, not that he needed to he knew his intellect far exceeded most of the population. He knew some poor actor or actress would have no chance against him.

"Leonard, have you already entered my name for this competition?"

"Y-y-yeah I figured you would want to do it" Leonard answered nervously as he pulled all the Star Trek DVDs that they would watch tonight to brush up on all things Trek.

"I accept your excuse for being so bold, let's begin"

Sheldon was excited however he still had something bugging him. There was a disruption in the force. He knew what he had heard and seen at the Cheesecake Factory earlier today, but he knew that Penny, while she did not possess the intellectual prowess that he did, did possess a cunning mind. She was street smart and he was sure she would not admit to anything that he had seen.

There was something else that was bothering him as well, why did he care? He didn't really care for anything much except for his Meemaw and his comic books. But he found himself oddly drawn to his boozy neighbor across the hall. She had taken care of him countless times, taken him to Disney. Funny she didn't get mad when he threw up on her shoe. Even his mother had gotten mad.

But she is presumptuous, rude and she continually makes it a point to call him Shelly or Moonpie when he has told her countless times not to do it. She ate the last dumpling, the prized piece, without care. She also sang to him when he was sick. She was the only person Sheldon could really count on. Why wouldn't she share this with him? Was she ashamed? I know that Leonard made her feel stupid more than once, insulting her belief in psychics and suggesting she return to school. While Sheldon did not agree with all that hokum of horoscopes and psychics, he knew Leonard was wrong in not accepting her for what she was and trying to change her. He would never try to change Penny. He enjoyed his banter with her. The 'tango' that she eluded to earlier that they danced. It was a very provocative way to describe their interactions, the Tango is a very sensual dance, or so he had read. She must have misspoken. Their arguments and fights were becoming a regular thing, but even with that she bought a chair for him to have a spot in her apartment…and she made him spaghetti with little cut up hot dogs. She was his friend. He had never had a friend like her before. He doubted he ever would again, that is why what happened today bothered him. There has to be a logical explanation.

He was happy that Penny never tried to change him. On the contrary, when she made him buy that black suit, he knew he looked good in it; he just did not want to accept it to her. But he could tell by the flush in her cheeks and the way her pupils dilated that she also thought he looked handsome. The way she held her hands to her heart as she watched him made him say the stupidest thing he could think of 'I look like a clown'.

Penny was a conundrum that he was just starting to realize he needed to solve. He looked to his whiteboard and began to think...