A/N: First off - THANK YOU for the amazing reviews! I love that you are feeling this story so much! Please keep them coming and any ideas or concerns you have I love it all.

Vanessa curled her legs under herself on the couch, clicking mindlessly through the channels. If Sheldon was there they could go see a movie or get dinner but he was gone and she didn't have any desire to hang out with their mutual friends. "You can't just sit in this apartment forever, V. Sheldon's gone back to his life. Don't waste yours waiting on him..." Her friend's advice wasn't something she wanted to hear tonight. Somehow they would make time for each other even if they lived five hours away from one another. They would still be friends.

A sigh escaped her pouted lips at the thought. She didn't want to be Sheldon's friend anymore. In the past year he had become her dearest friend, the smartest, sweetest person she had ever met and she wanted him, in every sense of the word. That innocent school boy charm he always seemed to have made her heart skip a beat. She sighed again, glancing over at her phone as it lit up - Sheldon's smiling, handsome face looking up at her.

"How'd you know I was thinking about you?" She answered, smiling for the first time since she'd seen him last. "You probably think about me every second of the day. It's not that hard." He assured with a grin, causing her to laugh. If only he knew how true that was. "Whatever. You left me. I don't even remember your name, Dr. Cooper."

The line went quiet for a moment. There was something about the way his last name rolled off her tongue that made him want to get in his car and drive to Vegas to do ungodly things to her. He swallowed the lump in his throat, "I miss you Vanessa."

"I miss you too, Sheldon."

Sheldon looked down at the ticket in his hands, "I bought you a round trip ticket to Pasadena. I'm mailing it out tomorrow. I want you to meet my friends here and show you around town."

"I don't think your girlfriend would want you showing me around town."

A beat passed between them. "I don't have a girlfriend anymore, V."

"You can't break up with your girlfriend of four years and then bring some new girl nobody knows to town. That's not cool."

"It was their idea for you to come spend the weekend with us. I need to see you Vanessa. Being without you makes me want to quit my job and come clean casinos for a living."

Vanessa laughed at the thought. Germaphobe Sheldon cleaning disgusting casinos for a living. He must really care about her. "Well we can't have that, can we? Alright I'll come but no more kissing! My grandmother use to say if you can't be the tablecloth don't settle for the dish rag."

"I have no idea what that means." Sheldon assured, "...and there will be kissing. I can't stop thinking about the way you kiss me."

Vanessa was at a loss for words, "Goodnight, Sheldon. See you Saturday."

"Goodnight, V. Looking forward to it."

Vanessa clicked her phone off and sighed, placing her hand over her racing heart. Sheldon Cooper was going to be the death of her.

x-x-x

"How could he do this to me, Penny?! I've put up with so much crap from him in the past four years! How could he just fall for some trashy blond bimbo!"

Penny held her phone away from her face as Amy yelled into it, sighing as he looked over at Leonard who was lost in an episode of Modern Marvels. This was not how she pictured spending their night together.

"Amy... Amy! Calm down."

"I can't calm down Penny! He broke up with me! My life is ruined! I'm going to die a lonely miserable person!"

Leonard looked over at his finance and gave her a sympathetic smile. She had been on the phone with Amy for thirty minutes already and it didn't seem like she was doing any better since Sheldon had dropped the bomb and broken up with her.

"Amy, sweetie. You have to see that Sheldon wasn't the right guy for you. He said he still wants you in his life..."

"You talked to him?"

"Well, yeah... I..."

"Oh my god! I should have known Sheldon couldn't come up with something like this by himself! Did you tell him to break up with me?!"

"What? No! I mean... he was already going to break up with you Amy. You weren't happy and he isn't happy. I just think it's time for you both to move on. There's someone out there for you that you truly deserve."

"Oh so he deserves that Vegas whore?! Thanks a lot Penny. Some friend you are."

Penny's eyes went wide. "Amy. Don't be mad. We're besties remember?" She glanced down at her phone and sighed as the call dropped - looking over to Leonard. "Don't worry about Amy or Sheldon anymore tonight. Just come over here with me." He assured, reaching out to her as she fell into his lap.

x-x-x-x-x

Vanessa stepped into the airport lobby wearing cut off shorts and a peach top that really brought out the green of her eyes. Her hair was pulled straight and fell just past her shoulders in soft blond strands and her smile lit up the entire airport once she met his blue eyes.

Sheldon felt his heart flop in his chest at the sight of her.

"I'm glad you couldn't stay away from me for more than seven days." She assured with a grin as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into her for a long, needed hug. Sheldon scooped her up in his embrace and held her for what seemed like hours. "I couldn't stay away from you for seven seconds even if I tried." He whispered against her ear, breathing in her tropical perfume. After another long moment they pulled away from each other and he took her carryon bag, slipping it over his shoulder.

"I thought we'd run by Caltech and I'd show you my office. I've got to grab some paperwork to look over this weekend and the guys should be there. You've already met Penny and Bernadette but they'll be over sometime this evening."

"Okay." She assured, a bit nervous about meeting Sheldon's friends. The girls looked pretty normal but meeting his genius coworkers was a bit intimidating. The smartest friend she knew beside Sheldon was the guy that had given him his tattoo and that was saying a lot for old Greg. "We could run by the store after that and grab some things for dinner? I'd love to cook for your friends and also get some practice in before class Monday. Mrs. Belcher is going to be grading our dishes from now on and I really want to pass her class with high marks. It could be the difference between working at McDonalds or L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon."

"You're the best cook I've ever known, V. Even better than MeMaw but god help you if you ever tell her that. I'll have to kill you."

Vanessa giggled at the thought and let Sheldon lead her out into the parking lot where his blue Honda Civic was waiting.

x-x-x

"Guys. I want you to meet Vanessa. Vanessa this is my roommate Leonard, Bernadette's husband Howard and Raj."

Vanessa extended her hand and smiled at them, "V is fine." She assured, glaring at Sheldon. "Vanessa is my grandmother."

The guys laughed and greeted her. "Well, we are off to get some papers from my office and then to the market. V wants to cook dinner for everyone tonight."

"That sounds great. I'm sure Bernie will help. She loves to cook."

"Awesome." Vanessa assured with a smile. "Hopefully we'll be ready around six?" Everyone agreed to that time and Vanessa said it was great to meet them as Sheldon took her hand and guided her to his office. A minute later he was ushering her inside the large room, placing his hand on her back as he closed the door behind them.

Vanessa turned around as Sheldon closed the space between them and took her face in his hands, pressing his mouth against hers quickly. A gasp escaped her as he walked her into the room, running his fingers into her hair as he kissed her with every bit of passion he could muster. Once they were inside the room he wasted no time; lifting her so she could sit comfortably on top of his desk.

"God, Vanessa..." He whispered, searching her face as she looked up at him with her waiting lips parted, breathing hard. "I've pictured this in my head since Monday morning. I can't..." He kissed her again, "I can't get any work done without you here. All I can think about is you."

He didn't give her a chance to answer as his mouth found hers again and she leaned back against the desk allowing him to advance on top of her. There had never been anyone in his life that he wanted to touch as much as Vanessa, to feel every inch of her soft skin against his. She was the only person to make him think about things other than string theory. To make him think about sex.

Sheldon pulled away from Vanessa enough to look at her; her chest heaving with anticipation. There was no denying the look in her eyes. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. "We should probably get to the market before it closes." He whispered, pushing himself up from the desk slowly. Vanessa sat up and smoothed her hair as she watched him move. She didn't want dinner or to meet his friends. She wanted him.

x-x-x