Yeah, I know, but I couldn't resist making Howard sweeter.
They all settled into a routine fairly quickly. After two weeks, Missy had to go home, so Sheldon took some time off from work. By now, Penny was pretty good at getting herself dressed and only taking a shower posed any problems, that being her hair. It was tough to wash it with a broke wrist. Leonard would check on them before work and after work the group usually gathered at the apartment. Some nights it was just the guys, some nights it was just the girls, and the rest of the time, it was all of them. Stephanie joined them occasionally. It was obvious she was interesting in rekindling the romance with Leonard, who didn't seem too opposed to it.
Having the doctor around was a blessing, too. Sheldon tended to act like a mother hen. He hovered a lot. Stephanie would occasionally have to make him back off a bit, insisting Penny do some things for herself. On laundry night Penny turned to Leonard and Raj. "I want to get out. I need fresh air. Can we go somewhere?" The boys exchanged strange looks.
"Um, that might not be such a good idea," Leonard said gently. Penny felt her smile fade.
"Well, maybe going out somewhere isn't feasible," said Stephanie, "but how about the roof? Penny could sit in the fresh air and look at the stars. It's only one flight of stairs and she can go that far on her crutches if we help."
Penny almost wanted to hug the woman. She turned pleading eyes to Raj, leaving Leonard to his girlfriend. With a sigh the boys agreed. So, in no time at all Raj was guiding Penny up the stairs while Stephanie and Leonard carried up Penny's old sun bathing chair. It was a beautiful clear night and Penny breathed deeply. It had been so long since she had been outside except for her check ups at the hospital. And who counts that?
It wasn't until Leonard's phone began to ring that they realized their mistake. He answered to hear a frantic Sheldon. "Where is Penny?! Where are you?! Is she okay?!"
Leonard immediately turned to the stairs, speaking quickly. "Everything is fine Sheldon. We're on the roof. Penny just wanted some fresh air." In seconds they could hear quick footsteps. Sheldon stormed out and glared at them all. Before he could berate anyone Penny burst into tears. Sheldon rushed over and sat beside her.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to make you mad. I only wanted some fresh air. Please don't be mad. I'll come back inside."
Sheldon closed his eyes and hugged her close. "I'm sorry, too." he said "I was just worried. Next time just let me know, okay?" Penny nodded against his chest. On impulse he slid into the lounge chair beside her. Her sobs became quieter. "Penny, look up here." She raised her head to see him looking up. His arm was extended toward the sky.
"Do you see that little cluster of stars? If you look to the right you can see one of the constellations. Here, follow my finger." Raj, Leonard and Stephanie sat down nearby and watched Sheldon teach Penny about the stars. Leonard put his arm around his girlfriend and Raj sent Missy a text. The night was more than half gone before any of them left the roof.
Surprisingly, Stuart from the comic store dropped in. Howard had told him about Penny's accident and he brought her a graphic novel. Penny was surprised by the gesture. She made sure to tell him how much she enjoyed V for Vendetta the next time he visited. What made her even happier though was the obvious attraction between Amy and Stuart.
One night it was just her and Howard. She had insisted Sheldon make a trip to the comic book store. She had overheard Stuart telling Sheldon he had been putting aside books for him until he could come get them and she had "thrown a hissy fit" as Howard put it. So, after she yelled and then pleaded, Sheldon agreed to go as long as someone stayed behind in case she needed anything. She chose Howard since he was the one she knew the least. She was making a concerted effort to get to know all of these people who were doing so much for her. Sheldon had spent several moments glaring some sort of warning at Howard that Penny didn't understand, but he ended up agreeing. Once the others were gone the two of them just kind of stared at each other awkwardly.
For once Howard didn't feel the urge to flirt. Almost losing Penny had changed his perception of her. Finally Penny turned to him and asked him about the insults she had heard him flinging at Raj a few days ago.
"Oh, that was Klingon," Howard replied. "A language spoken be an alien race in Star Trek." Penny knew what the show was, since Sheldon had them watching the first season. She asked him what the words had meant, and Howard began explaining them to her. An hour later, the guys ran into Amy and Bernadette in the lobby, and they all walked up to the apartment. None of them were prepared for what they saw when they walked in. At the kitchen island, Penny and Howard turned to them and raised their water bottles in a salute. "tlhIngan maH!" (We are Klingon!)
Amy and Bernadette looked at each other in confusion. After a moment of shock Sheldon responded with "majQa" (well done) and a smile. Leonard leaned over and translated to the girls.
Penny smiled warmly. "Howard is teaching me to speak Klingon! I already know 4 greetings, 7 threats, several curses and how to sexually proposition a female Klingon! It's fun!" Howard flushed at the formidable look Sheldon was giving him. Then Penny patted him on the shoulder. "Ignore sourpuss. He just doesn't want to hear me call him a DenIb Qatlh (Denebian slime devil) the next time he almost drops me on my head."
"I have never dropped you," Sheldon said sternly. "Yet." Penny giggled and winked at the other women.
These people were like quarks in a hardon (thank you to the science magazine that Sheldon left laying around), she thought to herself. Separately nothing special, just average people. But put them all together and they formed something really cool.
The only draw back was her feelings. The more time she spent with Sheldon, the more she noticed Sheldon. She was starting to see not just the friend, but the man. This worried her. It felt like taking advantage. Every time she caught herself staring at his long hands, or watching the way those legs ate up the floor, she gave herself a mental slap. It wasn't right. Friends didn't think like that about one another.
Then Bernadette called to say Elliott was at the restaurant and was insisting on seeing her. Penny looked at Sheldon. She had no idea what to do. Sheldon took the phone and said to send him over. Amy asked Penny if she would like help getting 'spiffy' but she just shook her head. She was still wearing her pj's, but her hair was combed, and her face clean. Besides, she was on the couch, leaning into Sheldon. They had been watching Thor with Amy and Stuart and she didn't want to move.
Sheldon cleared his throat. "Penny, this is the guy you were going to meet the night of the accident." She turned confused eyes to his. "If you want, we can go next door to give you some privacy. I mean, you liked this guy enough to agree to a date, so if you…"
Penny began to fidget. She was getting better at quelling the panic attacks. "Please," she mumbled, "don't leave me. I don't care who he is. Don't leave me alone with him." Sheldon smiled and hugged her close.
"I won't," he answered. He looked over and saw the slight censure in Amy's eyes. He sighed internally. "If that is truly what you want." He knew eventually he would have to go back to sharing her with the world. He was dreading that more and more. Having her here in his home, every day, was both a blessing and a curse. He liked having her there when he got up, and when he went to bed. Knowing she was just in the next room was comforting. Unfortunately, with each passing day, it was less and less satisfying. He wanted more. And now, here he sat, waiting on someone who could destroy him. She had chosen this man over him once before. Would she do so again?
Half an hour later there was a knock on the door. Amy stood and opened it up. She was awed. The guys hated him immediately. He was tall, about 6'3". His hair was blond and perfectly styled. His smile was straight and white. His eyes were like warm chocolate, as Amy would tell Missy when she called that evening, and he only had eyes for Penny.
He carried a small gift for Penny. He sat down beside her, only the flicker of his eyes showed he was displeased by how close she was to the skinny guy. He took in the splint on her wrist and leg and smiled sympathetically at her.
"I was upset to find you had been in an accident," he said to Penny. He watched her eye him warily. He wasn't used to that. He had women falling all over him with just a smirk. He smiled nicely and held out the gift. "Your friend at the restaurant told me about the car crash. I hope you are recovering."
Penny looked at the box carefully before slowly reaching out to take it. "Thank you for your concern. I am doing well," she murmured. She looked up at this strange man and felt nothing. Sure, he was very handsome, but he wasn't appealing to her. His hair too blond, his frame to muscled, his eyes didn't hold even the slightest blue. She sighed to herself and opened the box. Inside was a small music box. It was pretty, shaped like a piano, and she momentarily wished that it had come from Sheldon instead. At that moment she knew it was too late. She was in love with her friend. Completely and irrevocably in love.
She smiled wanly at Elliott. "This is very pretty, but I can't accept something so nice." Elliott was no fool. He was very good at summing up a situation. He could see which way the wind was blowing. Oh well, he thought. Penny was very attractive, but there were other fish in the sea. He pushed the box into her lap.
"Keep it. We might not have ever had that date, but I really do want you to have it. I hope you make a full recovery." He stood and grinned. "I had hoped to ask you out again, but I can see that's not such a good idea. Goodbye, Penny." He nodded to the others and headed to the door. He opened it and gave her a mischievous grin. "If you ever change your mind, call me."
Penny waited until he was gone before she raised the lid. The song was light and airy. She looked at Amy who was sighing softly. "I love Candle in the Wind," she said with a smile. Penny broke out into a pleased smile. She held it out to Amy who took it to listen to the song. Once it ended she held it back to Penny who shook her head.
"You keep it," she said. "You like it a lot more than I do." Amy shook her head quickly at Penny's words.
"It was a gift for you, Penny! I can't take this."
Penny's smile faded. "Amy, I would really like it if you kept it, honest. To me it's just a music box with a cute song. But it made you smile. I like your smile more than I like the box."
Suddenly Amy was on the couch, her arms wrapped around her friend tightly. "Thank you, Penny! Your effervescent beauty is only surpassed by your exuberant kindness!" Penny laughed softly. She was quite used to Amy's strange way of complementing her.
Penny pulled back and smiled at her friend. "You are special to me too, sweetie. Now, let's finish our movie before Leonard gets back and complains about us watching it again." She settled back in beside Sheldon who was trying to ignore the relief coursing through him.
"Leonard is just jealous of the way you two drool over Hemsworth." Sheldon said with a roll of his eyes. Penny smiled secretively, making him wonder what she was thinking. Amy giggled as she moved closer to Stuart. She caught the look on Sheldon's face.
"I like Thor, true, but he's not why the movie makes Penny hot and bothered." Amy said suggestively making Penny squirm.
Sheldon and Stuart looked at Penny in confusion. She bit her lip and shot Amy a look that said pay back would be had. Amy just smiled widely. Penny looked at Sheldon and blushed a deep red. She muttered under her breath too low for even Sheldon's sensitive hearing to pick up.
"What was that," he asked. Penny threw her head into her hands in embarrassment.
"Loki," she whispered again. She peeked through her fingers at the confused looks the guys had. She raised her head and glared at Sheldon. "Loki, okay?!" She stuck her tongue out at the giggling Amy. "I've got a thing for Loki!"
Sheldon frowned. "Penny, Loki is the villain of the movie. He's not even your type. You usually like men with large muscles and few brains."
Penny glared at him. "Hey! There's nothing wrong with Loki! Okay, so he's a tiny bit evil. But who isn't? He's tall, dark and has that killer smile. Plus, that walk!" Penny leaned her head back on the couch. "Dear lord, that walk! That man can stalk into my room any night!"
Sheldon was stunned. Loki would have been the last person he would bet on. Especially since he, himself identified with many of the qualities of the character.
"My sister likes Tom Hiddleston, also. And she is a fan of Wallander and Henry IV also." Stuart said.
Penny shook her head. "It's not just the actor, it's also the character. Sure, he's super sexy to look at, but mostly it's the attitude. He's not really bad. He feels inferior to his brother. That's what drives him to prove himself. Sure, he goes about it wrong, but at least he does it with style."
Amy laughed. "And a sexy walk." Penny giggled and nodded.
"Yep," she said, popping the P. "Let's not forget the walk."
Amy reached for the remote and restarted the movie. Sheldon found it hard to focus on the plot. He kept watching Loki to see if he could figure out Penny's admiration for the trickster.
XTBBTX
Penny was sitting on the grass enjoying the light breeze when the woman walked up. Sheldon had been asked to submit a paper on one of his theories and when he prevaricated because it meant going to the college, she had suggested going with him. She knew he worried about leaving her alone, and to be honest, she just wanted to get out for a bit. So here she was sitting on the manicured lawn just outside Sheldon's office so he could look at the window to check on her.
"Well, if it isn't Malibu Barbie." Penny looked up to see a woman with dark hair and a nasty smile. "Or is that Amnesia Barbie?" Penny looked away hoping the woman would leave. Instead she just stood there, looking down. "How pathetic do you have to be that you have to rely on Dr. Dumbass for care?"
She didn't think about it. She certainly didn't plan it. She just opened her mouth to ask the woman to leave, but somewhere between her mind and her tongue the words changed.
"I'm not sure. But not nearly as pathetic as a woman so insecure and frustrated that she spends her time desperately trying to belittle others in the vain hope that no one else sees how utterly worthless she feels she is. Not nearly as pathetic as a woman consumed with jealousy because Sheldon isn't taking care of her instead. Not nearly as pathetic as a woman wearing those shoes."
Leslie Winkle gaped for several seconds in anger. She started to speak until she saw Sheldon and Raj staring at her from the window. Quickly she turned on her heel and stormed off. By the time Sheldon and Raj had exited the office and gotten outside, Penny was mortified and almost crying. She had no idea why she had said those things. Sheldon and Raj sat on either side of her and smiled.
"I don't know what got into me," she mumbled. "I should go apologize."
Raj shook his head and took her hand in his. "You didn't start that, Penny. It's Leslie's fault. She thought you were weak, and so she attacked. She had no idea you would go junior rodeo on her."
Penny frowned. "What's that mean? Junior rodeo?"
Sheldon shook his head. "That's actually one thing I wouldn't mind if you never remembered." Penny caught Raj's swift nod of agreement and she narrowed her eyes.
"Are you trying to protect me from something?" she asked.
"No," Sheldon said. "I'm trying to protect me." After a moment Penny smiled at him. He was so cute when he was acting all stiff and stern.
As you can see, little bits of Penny's true personality are starting to shine through again. Teasing Sheldon, junior rodeo, even her use of "sweetie". Not much longer, now.