Chapter 4

Leonard is only alive today because of how he jabbed his counterpart's arm to the side, making his shot embed itself in a wood post. Everyone not in their own universe then ran to hide behind the free standing counter.

"Penny, Amy, I'm gonna need some back-up." Leonard 2 shouted across the hall.

"Screw you." Penny shouted as she shot up from her hiding place. Amy and Kripke saved her from by grabbing her shirt and pulling her down, (only later did they have time to enjoy that they got to touch Penny's perky firm breasts in the process… although for Kripke, that fact they were breasts period was all he needed.)

"He wasn't talking to you." Leonard hissed.

"Come on out, you good for nothing…" Leonard 2 shouted. He finished that sentence with words that shocked both Sheldons.

"Damn." Raj said. Not even a moment later, an idea came. "Penny, show Leonard 2 your breasts."

"What?! No!" Penny said. "That Leonard's trying to kill me."

"Key word: Leonard." Raj explained hurriedly. "He's not going to shoot the girl he loves and he's still a nerd, guaranteed."

"The Sheldon here isn't a pain in the ass. That's not a guarantee." Penny said softly but venomously. Just after she said that, she felt a slap on her head. The culprit was Bernadette.

"You got a better idea?" Bernadette hissed softly.

"It's actually not that bad a plan." Leonard admitted.

Penny rolled her eyes, lifted the front of her shirt and bra, stood up and flashed, then ducked down as two shots whizzed where her head was, one just barely missing.

"One, that Leonard wasn't interested. Two, I'm not that interested. Three…" Penny said, trying to calm herself. "I was wearing a Star Trek costume."

Leonard was surprised to hear that and peeked over. He knew his eyes weren't fooling him only because Penny had seen it too and he had already seen two Sheldons and another him today. There stood another Penny, standing next to Leonard 2 and decked out in a blue Star Trek TNG uniform, holding a rifle aimed at him. It was almost too late when Leonard thought that last bit again, about the rifle aimed at him, and ducked.

"Okay, new plan." Penny said. "Someone distract the other me and Leonard… the one shooting at us, Sheldon!… and me and Bernadette will tackle the two."

"Who's going?" Kripke asked. Almost immediately, all eyes turned to Sheldon.

"Very well." Sheldon said, understanding. "I will sacrifice myself for our survival. Just remember, years down the road, when your children look at my statue and ask 'What was Sheldon, the man with the magnificent mind, like?' you'll say…"

"I'll go." Raj offered. "I was always good at dodging paintballs." And we don't have to listen to Sheldon. he thought. Not listening to Sheldon's speech was higher on his list of priorities. Raj prepared himself to run on Penny's signal.

"Okay Raj." Penny said, readying herself with Bernadette. "One, two,…"

"AHHHH!"

A monkey jumped on Raj's head and he began to run around the apartment. The others followed, frantically trying to get the monkey off their friend's head and getting knocked about by the panicky Raj, all while proving whether the girls or the guys screamed more like little girls (Guess).

"Get your stinkin paws off me, you damn dirty ape." Raj shouted.

Leonard 2, Penny 2, Sheldon 2, and the recently arrived monkey owner Amy 2, wearing a red Star Trek TOS mini-skirt uniform, stood back. The visiting Amy emptied the flour jar, grabbed the monkey by the scruff of its neck, and threw him in, hugging the jar so the monkey wouldn't escape. She hugged the jar the wrong way, which she realized as the lid fell from the jar. It was then Amy realized the monkey had a counterpart in her universe.

"Maurice, eedov!" Amy shouted. The monkey settled down, sitting back in the jar. Amy handed the jar to her extremely shocked counterpart.

"Training primates for warfare?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, how did you kno…? Amy 2 asked.

"Do you sometimes hide the monkeys in the girls' room?" Amy asked, this time with a mischievous grin.

The same grin appeared on Amy 2's face as she put an arm around Amy's shoulder. "I like her."

"How much are you going to like her when she steals Sheldon?" Leonard 2 asked as he aimed at the Amy he knew wasn't from his universe. A Sheldon slapped the gun from Leonard 2's hand, with a furious look in his eyes.

"Sheldon, what the hell?!" Leonard 2 asked the Sheldon who slapped, bewildered.

"They were only joking. They're not taking me anywhere. That's what I was trying to tell you." Sheldon 2 said, from behind the Sheldon who slapped the gun away. Leonard 2 thought nothing more than Oh, wrong Sheldon as he walked towards his counterpart. Those visiting this universe… well, let's just say Sheldon earned a little of their respect that day.

"You weren't going to take Sheldon?" Leonard 2 asked, keeping his pistol pointed away.

"Well, I'm not gonna lie, I thought of it." Leonard said with a smile. "But I wasn't. I just wanted to mess you. I wouldn't wish him on anyone." he finished quickly when Leonard 2's pistol started to rise and looks of Shut up, Leonard came from his friends, both Sheldons included. "Weren't the guns a tad unnecessary?"

Leonard 2 smirk and told of how different universes would come and try and take their Sheldon by force, including universes where they were Romans, lizard dogs, knights, and even purple badgers. The others tried to picture purple badger version of them when Sheldon 2 spoke.

"You know, there were plenty of universes that didn't try to take me." Sheldon 2 said.

"Well, maybe you should've told him not to joke like that." Leonard 2 hissed.

"I did." Sheldon 2 retorted. Several slaps to Leonard's head proved Sheldon 2 right. Sheldon 2's watch beeped as the last slap was performed, by Leonard himself.

"You are free to stay and watch Star Trek VI with us, but if not, please leave then comeback at ten if you want." Sheldon 2 said as he took his spot.

"See you next time." Penny said, high-tailing it to the vortex, still present.

"Oh god, I feel sorry for your boyfriend." Penny 2 said with a smirk. "Can't stomach a little Star Trek for him?"

"I agree." Leonard said, mirroring (or attempting to) the smirk from Penny 2 while looking at his Penny. "Can't you stomach a little Star Trek for your boyfriend?"

Leonard turned around and just in time. He would never have believed what happened otherwise. Penny 2, showing off every curve both Pennys possess in that uniform, walked straight pass Leonard 2 and sat next to Sheldon 2, giving him a big kiss. When they broke, Sheldon 2 was… smiling, like he enjoyed it, like he was enjoying the snuggling being done by Sheldon 2. If this was a cartoon, the floor would be littered with holes from the dropped jaws. Those not residing in this universe looked to Leonard 2 and Amy 2, but they were locked in a passionate embrace and heading out the door.

"You're cleaning my bears if you get sweaty on them." Penny 2 shouted as the door slammed shut. She snuggled back into place but then noticed the stares from the universe travelers. "Is something wrong?"

"That's a very common expression they have." Sheldon 2 explained as the others looked on, unable to speak… of course, save one.

"How on Earth can you consider that hillbilly, actress-wannabe, a potential mate?" Sheldon asked incredulous.

Sheldon 2 stood up, went to Sheldon, and punched him in the nose, flooring his counterpart.

"If you come back, please don't bring him." Sheldon 2 asked as Leonard and Amy picked up their friend, careful not to touch hands. The two nodded and, with their fellow travelers, left for home through the vortex. About a minute later, it disappeared, leaving the couple alone.

"This is nice." Sheldon 2 said softly as he sat back down.

"Sheldon, do you mind if I take off the uniform?" Penny 2 asked after a few minutes.

"Of course." Sheldon 2 said, only a little disappointed. "You might have a hard time going into your apartment with Leonard and Amy there, but Amy does have some clothes in Leonard's closet."

"I was kinda thinking something more along the lines of nothing on but a smile." Penny 2 said in a sexy way, rubbing Sheldon 2's ear.

"Oh, I get it." Sheldon 2 said. "Take off your uniform and I'll get a towel for you to sit on." Some things just stay the same across multiple universes.

"Get more than one towel. I like to see my naked praying mantis" Penny 2 said. This time, Sheldon 2 couldn't mistake it for anything else.

"Can it wait until after the movie?" Sheldon 2 said, as though Penny 2 had asked for something innocent like a taco or to borrow a book he needed to find.

"Sure sweetie." Penny 2 said with a smile as she kissed his cheek and settled in. This is why I love you. she thought as the moon of Praxis blew up.