This is one of the best things I have ever written. I hope you are all in agreement. I could edit on this for days, but I am terrified that I will lose something precious. This was a tightrope walk for me between offering detail and keeping it a character piece, I think I accomplished my aim.

Sheldon's tux was based on one that walked the Runway in New York last spring so if you think it sounds ugly, all I can say is that it was well received.

Castle Green actually exists and has been used in multiple movies dating back to the time period that Penny and Sheldon are simulating. The snappy patter between them comes from watching their show, but also William Powell and Myrna Loy and some Carol Lombard thrown in.

If you've never heard of Carol Lombard do yourself a favor and look her up she may have been the wittiest woman to ever live. For sure she was the love of Clark Gables life!

I hope you all accept this as a fitting climax with just one more chapter to come.

Once again I do not own these two...if I did they would already have had that "special" episode by now!

Hey Chuck and Bill...Nah Nah!

The Big Bang Theory

The Reverse Pygmalion Paradox

Chapter. 06

Friday 4:42pm

Penny found herself seated in Samantha's studio for the second time in forty-eight hours. She was wearing the dress from the day before, but Samantha had surprised her with long white silk gloves and a Pearl necklace and earrings to round out the old Hollywood look they were going for. Her hair was up in a complicated bun reminiscent of the ones you see at modern award shows, and one of Samantha's assistants did such a tasteful job on her makeup that Penny had to check in a mirror twice to detect why her eyes were so amazing.

At present she was holding her matching pearl encrusted purse and waiting for Sheldon to be finished.

-

The day before, after she had surprised Sheldon with the dress and he had made his hasty retreat, she took the dress back off and arranged the rest of the details with Samantha. (Included in those details was a special pair of cuff links that Samantha was going to have special made for her.)

She had said her goodbyes and walked out to the car to find an extremely passive Sheldon sitting on the curb with his nose in a portable gaming system, having left before she could give him her keys to unlock it.

He had accompanied her without a word as if nothing strange had occurred. She kept waiting for him to reference it on the way home, but instead he just half-heartedly commented on her endangerment of all motorists on the highway.

They got back to the apartment and she offered to help him study more social programming for the Ball. He quietly assured her that his studies where proceeding quite well, and that she had no need to be concerned.

"But I am concerned sweetie," She blurted, "I'm terrified! You're not acting right and I don't know what's wrong."

He turned to say something to her, but he seemed to lose his train of thought, that or he thought better about what he was going to say. His eye twitched guiltily. "We will have this conversation at a more appropriate time, as it will not help us to achieve our goals for tomorrow night," he had informed her in an unusual patient tone. Then almost as an afterthought, he added, "Please."

Penny's heart nearly broken by his quiet insistence but she let it drop. She wanted to knock him down and find a way to force him to talk about what was on his mind, but she knew that if he said he would talk about it later, he was a man of his word. She would just have to be patient.

She sighed, "Okay, good night Sheldon. I'll pick you up at work for the fitting tomorrow night."

He tried to say several things, but he settled on just giving her a curt nod, and went into his own apartment.

She was not sure how long she stayed in her doorway, before going into her own apartment.

She had cried for a solid hour after she closed the door.

It was so ironic, all this effort to turn Sheldon into something different so he would fit in, and she suddenly nostalgic for the old abrasive Sheldon who left broken egos and dirty looks everywhere he went with an oblivious ease.

She would have given anything to hear another psychotic rant about something inappropriate.

What if she had broken him, and those days when he was uniquely Sheldon was over, and he became just as uncertain and socially aware as the rest of humanity?

The biggest tragedy was that she could not even remember it doing whatever it was that caused this. Suddenly more than anything in the world she wanted to.

After the effort and stress she had been under that day, she fell asleep on her couch before she even knew she was tired.

-

The next day had flown by with her feeling of dread growing. Her shift at The Cheesecake Factory was over before she realized. Her relief (Molly the new girl from the other day.) had to tap her on the shoulder to let her know she could go. She went home and changed into some more comfortable clothes.

She arrived at Cal-Tech and picked up Sheldon at the curb of the visitors parking lot outside of his building. There was an unspoken agreement between them that Leonard and the boys needed to be out of the loop for as long as possible, neither of them wanted the distraction of explaining what was going on, especially when she suspected that neither her or Sheldon had a clue at this point.

He was wearing a red t-shirt with a large yellow lightning bolt on it. It was similar to her Flash t-shirt but it did not have the white circle behind it.

"Is that shirt also The Flash?" she had inquired expecting a lecture. (She actually was hoping for a rant if just to get things back to normal!)

"No this one is Captain Marvel," he replied simply. He did not choose to follow up and explain it further, the ride to Samantha's studio was a quiet one with him staring out the window. She chalked it up to nerves and him trying to remember all of that information he had been cramming into his brain. She wanted to believe that was what it was, of course the fact he had a photographic memory made that explanation invalid.

-

Sam had taken charge of Sheldon when they came in leaving Penny's make over to a couple of the assistants that helped with her runway shows.

Penny knew that Sheldon was flirt-proof but she hoped Sam was behaving herself a little better today than she did the day before. In Sheldon's frame of mind, who knows what would happen if he was embarrassed too much.

"I am good, I am so good I amaze myself," said Sam's voice from behind Penny.

Penny turned around to see her friend with a pencil behind her ear, measuring tape draped over her shoulder and thimbles on both index fingers. She looked a little tired but triumphant.

She was standing in front of the curtain leading back to the dressing room. Penny turned in her seat to give Sam the attention for which she was obviously lobbying.

"May I introduce you to Dr. Sheldon Cooper?" she said waving someone through the door.

Penny had seen the 3-D virtual clone of Sheldon dressed up the day before but Sam was right, the reality was something else entirely.

He obviously had activated what he called a social interaction sub-routine, because he strolled out with a lazy confidence, and casually placed a hand against the door frame, then leaned on it his long legs partially crossed in a very slick and calculated manner.

The tuxedo he was wearing fit him like a second skin. The wider notched lapel on the four-button black coat gave him a broader looking shoulder and the coat swept back into small tails at the waist. His shirt was ivory and his bow tie was white, only true color was in the elaborately woven emerald silk vest that hugged his slender frame perfectly. The shoes added a modern touch. Black with white tips they tapered to a point. His normally perfectly parted brown hair now had some tousled touches that made him look carefree and unconcerned, just the right touch of imperfection to set off the flawlessness of the rest of the look. The entire ensemble was classy, cool, and elegant, and Sheldon worked it as if he was born to wear it.

He cocked an insouciant eyebrow at Penny, "So what do you think, Penelope my dear?" he called in a smooth inflected tone like Cary Grant, "Will this do, or do I get a veto?"

Samantha had walked up to Penny, she gently put a hand on her friend's dropped jaw and pushed her mouth closed, "You're drooling," she murmured. She sat down beside Penny, "What do you think?"

Sheldon checked his watch as if he was completely bored with the entire situation.

Penny shook herself out of her shock, "I think you're a genius."

Samantha beamed, "Admittedly, this was one of my biggest challenges, but he does clean up rather well."

Penny turned to Sam. "Did you get those cuff links?" Sam nodded, "My favorite jeweler specializes in novelty items, this is California after all, and he was able to get them done in less time then I thought."

She walked over to the counter where the computer was; she pulled out a key and unlocked a drawer with a lock box in it. She removed a dark velvet jewelry box and handed it to Penny. Penny held it reverently. "I don't know how to thank you Sam," She mumbled.

To her surprise, Samantha's eyes were tearing a little bit. "You forgiving me is all the thanks I need, sis." They hugged.

Penny stood and crossed to Sheldon who looked a little confused. "Here are your cuff links."

He studied her a moment, then opened the box. They were two smooth emerald cabochons in a silver backing; each one had a symbol painted on them in pure silver.

Sheldon lost all cool as he removed them, his eyes showing his awe. "That's the Green Lantern's symbol," he managed barely above a whisper. She thought he would have a conniption as he did at Christmas with the Nimoy napkin, but he got control of it, and held out his cuff for her to put them on for him. She obliged, and he checked them in the light, a new confidence in his eyes.

"I think I'm ready if you are."

Penny held out her glove-clad hand, and he took it.

They walked down the stairs to find a limousine at the curb with an older driver wearing the traditional gray uniform. She glanced at Sheldon, and sure enough, he looked guilty.

"I determined that you going to all of this trouble, and then still having to drive us there was unacceptable. I checked reputable limousine services and this chauffeur has the best driving record and the most commendations for safety in the Pasadena area."

She nearly balked. What? Did he think I can't afford a limo?

She afforded him an irritated glance, and then relented when she saw how tense he was.

She offered him her arm. He accepted it eagerly.

Oh well, so Cinderella is going to the ball in style!

Friday 6:03pm

Castle Green was legendary in Pasadena. Penny did not know the history, and Sheldon was too self-absorbed to lecture her so she just enjoyed the sights as they pulled up and a door attendant opened the door for them. Sheldon got out first and turned to her gallantly offering her a hand out of the backseat.

The building lived up to its name, it was definitely a Castle! She did not know any of the architectural terms, or what style in which it was built, but the garden paths lit for the night the elegant furnishings and the sheer opulence took her breath.

They were ushered into the Palm Terrance Ball Room; and were announced at the door as Dr. Sheldon Cooper and guest.

Sheldon was already in character. He leaned in and said in her ear, "Looks like time to mingle with the common folk, you wearing your hip-boots, baby?"

She cracked a wry smile, "Lead the way you big strong man, I'm just an innocent girl after all, and I'm not your baby."

His eyes twinkled as he answered, "Madam, you're about as innocent, as a Politician on pay day."

Penny gave him a little slap on the shoulder, "Oh stop it, complimenting me won't get you anywhere you want to go."

He cracked a smile that was eerily similar to William Powell. "You seem to have plenty of ideas about my intentions."

"Why, are you being intentionally boring?" she shot back giving him a pat on the cheek.

They turned back to the room, and Penny realized that she might have underestimated how good they looked good together. It seemed they had just about all eyes in the room focused on them. She did her best to match Sheldon's confident stroll as they reached their reserved seats.

She had attended more than one of these parties over the years hoping to be noticed. She had begun her waitressing so she could get into these venues. That never worked because most if not of the wait staffs were aspiring actors as well.

She took a flute of Champagne to calm her nerves; Sheldon turned the one offered him down. The last thing he needed was alcohol.

The band began to play some music. It sounded nice, it was not the kind of music that Penny listened to everyday, but it helped her get into character, a good thing because they were under scrutiny almost from the moment they sat down.

"So, how long have you two been together?" asked an austere woman who looked like she had so many face lifts her cheekbones were about to split the skin.

"Long enough," Sheldon replied cryptically.

"Oh?" she inquired one perfectly shaped eyebrow cocked.

"Long enough to be acquainted, but not long enough for the lawyers to get involved," Sheldon remarked with his arm casually around her shoulders.

I am really regretting letting him watch The Thin Man now. Penny thought to herself. To the lady she elaborated, "Nearly two years, now. He's still in obedience school."

Sheldon winked at the woman, "Good thing I'm pedigreed, if I was a mutt, she wouldn't breed me."

Penny slapped his shoulder as the woman gasped.

Okay, it has been confirmed, Sheldon's still in there somewhere.

For the most part, he behaved himself, and he was moving through the conversations following her lead adeptly.

He pointed out an attractive distinguished looking man, who had slick bearing of a used car salesman as Dr. Gablehauser.

The man saw them, and the utter complete shock on his face at Sheldon's attire and his date made all the previous days efforts worth it.

Sheldon leaned in. "What say we go make nice with the good doctor," he said with an eagerness that she did not like.

"Only if you behave yourself!" she hissed back.

"Trust me," he replied.

Penny let him lead her over to say hello. (Be good Sheldon, please!)

"Dr. Gablehauser, fancy meeting you here." Sheldon called out as they walked up, "I wasn't sure you came out of your cave at night."

He made a pained sound as Penny pinched the underside of the arm she was holding. "Don't be silly, Sheldon. He has such a good sense of humor doesn't he?" she said leaning on his arm like she adored him, mean while she was making sure he'd have a bruise in the morning.

She held out her hand to the older man anticipating he was a womanizer from the way he had been eyeing her.

He took her hand gently, "We all know about Dr. Cooper's sense of humor I'm afraid. Your name is?"

Sheldon tensed. "Her name is Penny, and the fact she is currently on my arm, is not a coincidence of vicinity," he informed his boss in a short clipped Sheldon tone.

Penny smiled at Gablehauser, and led Sheldon away before more he could cause more damage.

"Ow! That hurt by the way. Was that entirely necessary?" he inquired in a wounded tone.

Penny glared at him. "Well your arm had to do, because your testicles would have been too obvious."

He was about to retort, but the music turned to a waltz. She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the dance floor.

"Let's see how you dance with a partner," she informed, she angrily pulled him into the proper form, "Maybe if I can keep you out here long enough, you won't torpedo everything we have been working on all week!"

He held her stiffly at first, trying to figure out where to put his hands. She moved his right hand into the proper position.

They were awkward at first, but as the music progressed, he seemed to get the rhythm, and in spite of her irritation she was starting to enjoy herself.

When she noticed how carefully he moved throughout his environment, it never occurred to her that his precision with the movements of his body in the day to day would translate to ballroom dancing.

He began to take over the lead from her, and she let him, staring into his face from inches away as he moved them around the floor. He had those cute wrinkles between his eyes, as if he was concentrating, and Samantha was right about the green tint in his hazel eyes.

"Just float with the music Sheldon, relax sweetie." She coached.

His eyes found hers and everything around them faded, it was just the two of them in that moment. They made their way around the strangely silent ballroom with a connection that astounded her. He was there, Sheldon Cooper was right there in those eyes, no pretension, no arrogance, just the awkward wunderkind who alienated people because he couldn't stop being brilliant long enough for them to be comfortable. It was a moment of ultimate truth for her; she knew that she would never forget it.

He shut down the connection as the music ended, and his eyes turned away from hers. They broke apart and clapped politely for the band.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," came an announcement from a cultured looking man on the dais, we want to thank you all for coming out. We think that this investment opportunity will pay for itself, but we do not expect you to contribute to this venture sight unseen. We have prepared a script prospectus and a short trailer with the actual actors we are proposing to use, if you will watch the screen.

The screen lowered as they all found their seats.

The trailer, impressively done, and very expensively produced, but as they watched, Sheldon made a familiar scoffing noise several times. To Penny, it looked like a formulaic love story, with the couples on screen speaking dialogue and emoting about how he Schrödinger needed to choose the woman he was going to love. The boards of calculations served as a backdrop for most of the scenes, Sheldon leaned forward when they were on the screen and Penny could tell he was upset.

"They messed up the sequence," he grumbled, "I gave them the calculations with a carefully dictated order. They have them all jumbled up!"

"Shhh," hissed Penny, she had a sinking feeling that things were going irretrievably wrong.

The lights came up and the perfectly coiffed man stood again and spoke of the movie in glowing terms. Sheldon stared at his hands the entire time, as if they were somehow dirty.

"As an added bonus, I think it is a very interesting feature to this movie that we had our own genius helping us develop the technical elements of the plot. He's the second youngest to win the Stevenson Award and one of the leading minds in the world concerning Quantum String Theory and possibly America's leading candidate for the Nobel Prize in Physics."

The spot light found Sheldon brooding. He gave a halfhearted wave, as the polite applause broke out around him. Penny prayed he would behave. At the same time, she was appalled that they were using his reputation to sell their movie. She saw Dr. Gablehauser talking to an intense looking balding older man as they both watched his reaction.

This was not a matter of embarrassing the university anymore this was about Sheldon's reputation, one of the things he held most sacred.

She leaned over as the spot light went back to the man on the dais, and his song and dance about box office projections. "Let's leave, Sheldon, you've made your point."

He glanced up, and she saw a look of determination in his eyes. "I'm sorry Penny," he said quietly.

She felt alarmed. "What for?"

He met her gaze, "For everything."

He stood up and made his way to Dr. Gablehauser and the gentleman with whom he was having an intense conversation.

Penny grabbed her purse and tried to keep up with his long legged stride.

"Excuse me Dr. Stroud."

The balding older man looked up, "Yes?"

"I need you to take me off of this movie as a consultant," Sheldon stated with steel in his voice.

Penny caught the look of success that crossed Gablehauser's face.

Dr. Stroud blinked in shock, then in a low angry tone he inquired, "Do you want to give me your reasons? Or am I just to accept your resignation right here?"

Sheldon did not even wince. "If you want my resignation, I will give it you sir, but I cannot in good conscious be connected with this travesty."

Dr. Stroud's intense glare made Penny uncomfortable but Sheldon seemed immune. Finally the shorter man spoke, "Give me your reasons."

Sheldon held his long fingers counting off his objections. "Where to begin, oh yes, the equations I gave them were for a certain scenes matching up to problems he was supposed to be solving in the movie. Having him say he is solving this equation or working on that postulate when the board does not bear that out is a fabrication.

Schrödinger opposed Nazism at first, then recanted when his position was threatened, then after Hitler fell in World War 2 he renewed his objections to it, they considered him politically unreliable, he had to apologize to Einstein over this.

The love story is not even that compelling, Schrödinger treated women like his harem, his wife was well aware that he had multiple mistresses; she even had a woman friend of her own. In the end, he was openly raising his child by another man's wife, a fact that cost him very prestigious positions later in life, and you are trying to make him into a romantic lead?

He bore in on Dr. Stroud with intensity. "Erwin Schrödinger was one of the most brilliant men that ever lived but let's let this dead cat out of the box, shall we, he was a horrible person! If you get by the protesting women's groups, and holocaust survivors, all that you have left willing to see this movie are scientists and historians, which will pan the movie when they realize the math is not right, and they have rewritten his domestic situation to make him more likable. This movie is going to flop harder than a cornstarch and water mixture on a sub woofer and everyone here knows it. Take my name off sir, or I will take my objections to the press myself. I will not keep a position because I am willing to say anything to anyone like some hack scientists I know."

He glared at Gablehauser, "Speaking of which, your attempt to fire me tonight will not meet with success, because I am quitting. Good day sir."

He stalked off and left them standing there like the stunned aftermath of a bombing. Others who were around them and heard the diatribe were putting the scripts down and making movements for the door.

Penny was certain that this movie was not going to be made at this point.

Dr. Stroud looked thoughtful. "Young lady I have an important question for you."

Penny felt uncomfortable. "Me? I really don't know anything about this sir."

He smiled, and his face became kind. "This question is about young Dr. Cooper."

She was about to tell him she did not know Sheldon that well, but in these last days she believed she had acquired more knowledge then she ever thought possible. "Sure, go ahead…shoot."

The man studied her a moment, "Who is Dr. Cooper? The dapper man I saw earlier, who was moving around the floor like he was born to it, or the man who was willing to sacrifice a promising career, because he would not overrule his own conscious?"

Penny felt the weight of the question and realized there was more riding on her answer than she could fathom. She thought of Sheldon, and told the truth.

"The last man you saw. That was the real Sheldon Cooper. By the way he's always right. So your movie's a turkey. Just don't tell him I told you that, he would never let me live it down."

Dr. Stroud smiled. "I thought so."

He turned to Gablehauser. "Why is one of the most brilliant and honest Physicists in the world giving you his resignation, Eric? Is there something you want to explain to me?"

Penny crossed her arms and settled in to watch the show. She had a hunch it was going to be entertaining.

-

There he was on the salon just off the Terrace. It was in earshot of the music and party goers, but quiet enough to think. He was sitting on an ottoman with his arms crossed staring at the floor.

Her heart went out to him. He had been doing so well, but she knew he was getting overwhelmed. She debated just taking him home.

He looked so handsome in that tuxedo, so elegant. At the same time, he still had that Sheldon stiffness about him, like someone trying to assimilate into an alien culture that mystified him. If anything, it made him even more attractive to her. She had been around so many men (like those jerk actors in that ballroom!) who moved effortlessly through crowds without any problem because they had the emotional depth of a mud puddle. They expected to be adored, and appreciated. Here was a man who saw that crowded ballroom as a minefield, carefully navigated with no knowledge of when it would all blow up under his feet. He came anyway; he mingled and did his best to be human, all the while so painfully self aware he could not relax for one second.

Her decision made, she called out "Sheldon? It's time to go sweetie."

He turned slightly, she saw him in profile, that cold guarded Sheldon was back as if the man she had glimpsed on the dance floor never existed. "The party is scheduled to last for another hour or so. Why don't you make some contacts who could help your career. Since mine is now over. I insist, go back inside. I will await you here."

She sighed and rolled her eyes, "How long have you known me now, Sheldon?"

"I can give you the exact chronology if you want me to be specific," he replied.

She smiled. "Well, you should know by now what happens when you insist I do something."

His lips quirked in the approximation of a smile, "Normally the probability increases that you will do whatever action is most against my wishes."

She crossed the room and sat down in the chair behind his ottoman. "Bingo."

He turned around on the ottoman, his head bashfully lowered. "I have something I need to tell you."

She sighed. "I know you do."

He glanced up confused. "How long have you known?"

She traced his jaw gently, "That you've been keeping a secret? You've got more nervous ticks than a Lyme Disease research facility, sweetie."

He made the connection; causing him to laugh in that odd little giggle snort. "You remembered?"

Penny smiled. "Of course, I wound up Googling Lyme Disease later after we talked. Once I knew what that meant I thought the joke was funny." She lowered her face to catch his eyes, "What do you need to tell me Sheldon?"

He fidgeted with his cuff links for a little bit, carefully composing what he was going to say next, she waited.

"That night you don't remember. Nothing happened."

She relaxed, for the first time in days. "Oh, I'm so glad."

He looked hurt, "I guess I should not be surprised at your relief."

Penny laughed. "I'm not relieved because I didn't sleep with you, I'm relieved because you didn't sleep with me."

He looked extremely confused. Then he recited one of her lines back at her. "Sweetie, you think you're explaining yourself, but you're really not."

She gave him a light smack on the cheek for being a smart ass.

"Sheldon, your first time should be with someone special," she informed with a smile, "you are one of the smartest men in the entire world, and you deserve someone just as special, not a dime-a-dozen actress who can't even get a call back for a hemorrhoid commercial!"

The look he gave her was a mixture of amusement and bewilderment, "I was attempting intercourse for the first time with someone special. I have tried numerous ways to show you how important you are to me. I offered to help you pack. I gave you my favorite Flash t-shirt because you liked it so much. The only reason I submitted to the entire ordeal I have been through this week was to escort you to this party. I changed everything, my mannerisms, my dress, my social tendencies, and all the time knowing this outcome was inevitable. What is it going to take you to realize that I care? Me tattooing your name in Old English script on my buttocks?"

"That would be a good start," Penny said smirking.

Sheldon looked perplexed, "Tattoo artists use needles, I'm not too fond of needles, is there a viable alternative?"

"Sheldon?"

"What Penny?"

"Sarcasm."

"Oh!" Sheldon stated as stared off to the side, "you think I'd get the hang of that sometime."

Penny gave up. She had been fighting these feelings the whole week. She let it out in a sigh.

"Sheldon, what did happen that night?"

Sheldon looked relieved as if he was finally releasing the burden he had been under the entire week. "I went to the bar because you were scheduled to work. I was going to ask you to stay around a few days to come with me to this party."

Penny nodded encouragingly.

He sighed, "I never expected you to come get me. When you did, and you took me home, I realized I was not ready to say goodnight. Therefore, I faked losing my key. I think being drunk might have helped me lie more effectively."

Penny nodded. She had suspected this much.

He got a pained look on his face. "We were sitting on the couch and you had a sufficient amount of alcohol in you to make you pliable, so I decided to see if I could interact with you in a more bio-chemical manner."

Penny sighed. (So you got me drunk, then made a pass at me, come on Sheldon just tell it like a human!)

He started studying his hands. "I leaned in to kiss you, not expecting you to respond, but you took the initiative. I should have known you would."

Penny smiled. "Yeah, I'm a big ole five, remember."

He nodded. "You proceeded faster than I anticipated, then you stopped, because you said I looked terrified. You stated that I was not ready for this. Then you asked me if I would just lie down with you, because you didn't want to be alone."

Penny saw him start to fidget. "You mentioned you didn't have any non-sexual sleep clothing and wanted to borrow my shirt. I was nervous at first then you pointed out that you had rubbed Vapor Rub on my chest so you had seen it before. I thought your argument was sound, so I let you have it. I went to change into the pajamas I had with me, you asked me to leave the shirt off, so I obliged."

Penny smiled in a way she hoped was encouraging. "Your underwear got turned inside out, how?"

He blushed. "I did not know the protocol for "lying down", so I changed into clean underwear, my level of inebriation must have interfered."

Penny laughed, she could not help herself, and she knew it was embarrassing to him, but it took her a few minutes to get it under control.

He was smiling sheepishly.

Penny finally got enough control to ask him, "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

He suddenly looked like he was in deep pain. She sobered up immediately.

"What is it sweetie?" she said brushing his hair away from his forehead.

"I lay there with you for hours, wishing I could just touch you. I couldn't even bring myself to brush the hair from your face," he murmured studying his hands. "I want to love you, Penny, I just don't know if I can. I might be able to manage an equivalency, or an approximation, but actual intimacy may never be in my grasp."

He looked up and met her eyes; the look in his was so tortured she nearly had to look away. "This is me, Penny, this is all I am, and this is all I have to give, would it ever suffice?"

When faced with moments like these Penny always thought of movies. "Do you remember Rain Man?"

He looked utterly confused, but analytical Sheldon took over. "Yes, Dustin Hoffman did a passable portrayal of a man with Autism; I believe he won the Academy award."

She nodded. "Remember when Raymond and Charlie said goodbye, but Raymond couldn't reach out of himself to hug his brother?"

Sheldon nodded.

Penny leaned in and touched her forehead to Sheldon's.

They stayed there for a while; she was not sure how long.

"Is this my answer?"

"Figure it out, genius."

"Oh, okay I heard yes."

She leaned back, she had to wipe her eyes, Sheldon offered her a handkerchief. She used it while composed herself.

"Oh and by the way, Dr. Stroud wants you to come to his office Monday morning so Dr. Gablehauser can apologize. He said your resignation is not acceptable.

Sheldon looked confused as he waved to her to keep the handkerchief. "Did I miss something?"

Penny smiled happily. "Yeah he was happy someone had the guts to tell him the truth, as it turns out, that's what saved your hide. Being yourself."

His shoulders straightened up and he got his arrogant Sheldon look in his eye. "I guess I should have assumed as much."

Penny rolled her eyes.

Sheldon stood and offered her a hand up. "Well since you are stubbornly refusing to make some connections to further your acting prospects, I guess I'll accompany you home."

Penny felt an evil grin touch her lips. "You've been such a good boy tonight, I was wondering if you wanted to stretch those super villain muscles, Sheldor.

He peered at her out of the corner of his eye; a sly smile touched his lips. "Are you proposing a rare Hero/Villain crossover event, Queen Penelope?"

She smirked. "I am proposing that there is a large number of gigantic inflated egos right through those doors in bad need of a rusty nail."

He smiled, one of the first unfeigned ones she had seen tonight. "So you're turning me loose?"

Penny gave him her brightest smile. "I'm saying; let's cause some tears and therapy bills before they kick us out."

Sheldon nodded eagerly. "I'm in full agreement."

Penny poked him in the shoulder. "Be sure you get into character."

"Mua-ha-ha."

"That's my boy!"

Next Time...As Sheldon and Penny begin their new relational paradigm, will Leonard stand in their way?