It was late. Raj had fallen asleep on the chair next to the sofa where Penny and Howard were sitting. Sheldon and Leonard were asleep in Leonard's room and Howard and Penny were on the couch discussing Shelby. They'd gotten some Motrin in Leonard and the fever had gone down almost instantly. Sheldon had offered to stay with him. Leonard was feeling better already. They figured the best thing now was sleep.
Shelby had seemed to be the best medicine for him. Penny smiled. Leonard and everyone were just counting down the days until she arrived.
"So, what's up?" He asked sitting her down on his left. Since he proposed to Bernadette he'd acted so much more mature. However, he still acted like a child sometimes. She'd be worried if he didn't.
"It's just Shelby." She said embarrassed.
"What about her?" He asked extremely concerned. "What's wrong with our . . . your Shelby."
"Wait you just said our," she said with a small smile.
"Bernadette and I . . . last time she was here over Christmas . . . well we, she and I, sorta babied her and watched movies with her and she was my influence to propose . . . actually."
"Oh, gosh . . . that's so sweet." She smiled.
"Yeah. Shelby was walking hand in hand with Bernadette down Main Street USA in Disneyland and . . . I don't know. I just noticed that she . . . you know . . . looked so beautiful with a little girl holding her hand. I wanted it to be that way forever. Then we came home and watched Tangled and it was right then . . . I knew that I wanted to be there for her . . . or him or whatever . . . like my dad wasn't for me."
"I want you and Bernadette to talk to Shelby." Penny said.
"That doesn't tell me why." He pushed.
"She's hurting Howard and you made her happy. You two made her feel like she had a mom and a dad somewhere. She's told me . . . my sister is never there for her. She loved being with you because you made her feel like she had someone out there who cared. Someone who was . . . looking out for her. She's hurting and they don't care."
"How Penny how is she hurting? I'm not going to judge you. Her hurting is NOT going to change my opinion of you."
"She's getting picked on and I don't know how to fix it okay? I was always popular. ALWAYS Howard. I can't help her. I can't fix it. You, Sheldon, Amy, Leonard, Raj and Bernadette, you all can fix it. I can't. I don't understand how it works. I don't understand what it's like to be shunned. I almost wish I did so I could fix it . . . so I could understand . . . so I could help." She hung her head.
"Why didn't you just say something?" He asked. "We'd be happy to help." He offered her a hug which she gladly accepted.
. . .
It was a long night. Penny skyped with her niece. Her niece also talked with Leonard over Skype. Penny noticed how she was helping him and he was having a similar effect on her. Leonard talked to her about her mother and her listened. He learned something from this conversation . . . everyone needs a little TLC sometimes.
"You know Shelby," he said to her with a small smile, "There are those strange times in a person's life when they realize no matter what their mothers think . . . you can't program the need for care out of a person. It's simply human nature. I was sick. I didn't ask for help. If I hadn't had such wonderful friends I could have become dyhdrated. Don't become dehydrated Shelby."
"Thanks Leonard. I can't wait to see you this summer. You will be here right?"
"Of course I will." He smiled. "I'm not going anywhere. It's just the flu. You're not getting rid of me that easily. . . I promise."
"Good. I'll see you soon." She smiled. "Tell everyone I miss them?"
"We all miss you too," he promised her. "So much."
"Night Leonard." She waved.
"Night Shell-Bell." He grinned.
"We love you Shelly," Penny smiled.
"See you in summer Nebraskan."
"Keep smiling," Howard grinned.
Raj waved. Shelby waved back and hung up.
Penny looked at everyone. "Alright all of you except for Sheldon and Leonard to the living room. Night you two." She said.
"Night." Leonard yawned.
The last thing she heard exiting the room was Sheldon's voice singing
Soft Kitty
Warm Kitty
Little Ball of fur
Happy Kitty
Sleepy Kitty
Pur Pur Pur
The End
This story is a bit shorter than orriginally intended but this was my first sick fic [that I've finished]! I'm so proud of myself! Small accomplishments should be celebrated. So please, constructive critisism only no flames.
Keep smiling was a reference to Eeyore in the Tigger Movie.
