A/N: Yay! Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Made this girl very happy yesterday :D And thus... next chapter! Enjoy!


"The Visitor Complex: The Pierce Intrusion"
Chapter 4 of 6

Leonard had saved him from spending the night in his office when he came to get him for the drive home. Still the next day he did just as he had told and he stayed home from work. He didn't leave the apartment and he had to hope that Leonard and the others would know better than to put him in this situation again. The girl seemed to have some kind of sixth sense when it came to putting herself in his path. On the first day he had met her in the lobby. On the second day she had been in his apartment after Penny had brought her there. And on the third day he had to have her there in the back seat as they drove to the university. The two blondes had spent the whole ride singing at the top of their lungs along with the radio, taking no concern to the fact that they were in a moving vehicle, which one of them was operating as they 'danced' to the music. He would have gotten out of the car, but after the last time he'd found himself abandoned on the side of the road, he knew that as much of a torture as this could be, the alternative was much worse. Oh but for certain he was getting out of that car the moment, the second he could.

The whole ordeal had been relayed in detail to Leonard as he drove them home. If he hadn't expressed the point clearly enough, then there it was. He wasn't looking forward to seeing the girl again, and he would appreciate if that was kept in mind. The next day was certainly a success. Morning to night, there was no sighting. He went to bed, not at ease – one should not let their guard down in a case like this – but at least his day had been peaceful.

The next morning, the fifth day of Brittany's stay, as he once again stayed to work from home, an unplanned event came about disrupting his plan. Leonard was out, he was on his own, and the mailman had called up to say a package was waiting. Despite any amount of arguing with him, Sheldon had not managed to convince him to take the package up to the fourth floor. Sheldon tried to wait… but it couldn't be done. He let out a breath and moved to the door. He put his hand on the door knob, but then he hesitated. Maybe she'd be with her aunt… maybe she'd be off at the Cheesecake Factory again… Maybe his banana bread had made her feel home sick and she'd gone back early… He could at least hope.

He peered out into the hall, at the door across the hall, at the stairs… nothing so far. Carefully he crept along, one foot after the other, no haste - no chance to miss a thing. He went down one floor… no sign of her. He went down another floor – this was the critical one. He had no idea which door led to Brittany's aunt's apartment, so any one of them could be it. With yet more caution he carried along and continued down the stairs. Finally he arrived in the lobby and spotted his package by the mail boxes. He bent over to pick it up, making a silent plea that when he turned around she would not be standing there like something out a horror movie… or a Cyberman…

It wasn't when he stood and turned that she appeared, but as he was starting up the stairs. She was coming down from above, and both of them stopped, startled by the other's arrival. "Hey, Sheldon!" she still sounded as cheerful as ever, while he looked like he'd just been caught and was about to suffer a slow and painful death.

"Hello, Brittany. No shaker filling with Penny today?" he asked dryly.

"It got boring after a while," she shrugged.

"You don't say…" he tried to cut past her and he had to signal with his head for her to step aside.

"I do… I mean I did… say it," she frowned, following him, which it took a few moments before he realized.

He began running the list of the items he would be getting for not responding to what the girl said, as much as he would get for not basically telling her to please not follow him anymore… It was becoming clear to him that he was being short changed, and that they had better sweeten the pot, or he was not going to last. He was sure that to most people she was what his mother would refer to as a 'lovely girl,' but where he was concerned all he saw was… problems, and he had nothing but annoyance to look forward to when in her presence, because what could she possibly show that would impress him and tell him maybe he'd been wrong? Surely in the space of five days something would have manifested itself… But no… they were still at square one, if she could even find it.

"Can I watch TV at your place?" she asked as she continued to follow behind him. He took a deep breath.

"I guess you can, if you're quiet."

"Real quiet," she promised.

"Would you be willing to wear noise-cancelling headphones?"

"Sure, but…" she started, and he had to take another breath.

"You'll still be able to hear the television," he told her.

As he returned to the apartment, with the blonde behind him, he set her up on the couch, with the headphones and the remote, and then he was able to work. At this point he could have gone to work after all, but it would not have been worth the trouble. He would have had to call back Leonard, or Penny, or Wolowitz, they would argue and refuse to come, and he would have to take public transportation… or a cab… and he would have to leave Brittany alone in the apartment. No… Better stay there. At least now she was quiet, so it was almost like she wasn't there at all…

At lunch time, he ordered in – he got something for her as well, better than to let her starve. And in mid-afternoon, in part as a 'reward' to her good behavior, and maybe to help himself in the long run as well, he took up his courage and looked at her, waving for her to take off the noise cancelling headphones. "If you're interested, we have a wide array of video games."

TO BE CONTINUED (TOMORROW)