8
They talked all night.
"Sheldon, I would have thought you'd have that Nobel Prize by now."
"I still expect to receive it. Eventually. It just hasn't been my top priority for a long time."
"What has?"
"Do you really need to ask?"
"That is so not fair. You're blaming the entire world not having the answer to its biggest mystery on the cowardice of a stupid stripper."
"I did no such thing. And you are not stupid. And you are much more than a stripper."
"Then how can you stop doing your work? How can you just stop?"
"I've never stopped. I am still searching for the answers. It just ceased to be my reason for waking up every morning. It was replaced with the hope that each day would be the day that I found you and Cyndee. And something else."
"What else?"
"I can't say at the moment. Please don't ask."
"That's not like you. You never liked secrets."
"I still don't. It is just inappropriate for me to reveal that information at this time. You will know soon enough."
"So everyone else is good?"
"They are well enough. Raj and Leila are still together and have a little boy and a little girl. Raj is still at the University as a tenured professor. Howard is now at JPL and is greatly valued there. When Howard and Bernadette finally decided to have children they had a great deal of trouble conceiving but things have finally worked out for them and Bernadette is now seven months pregnant. Alex and Nora are of course still together and Alex is teaching at the University and doing some very interesting work, some of which has been very helpful to me."
"What about you, Sheldon?"
"I believe I already covered that."
"So you haven't seen anyone since I left?"
"I see people every day."
"You know what I mean."
"Not really."
"You're being evasive."
"Penny, I believe I am one of those who mates for life."
"So you never even seek some stress relief. If I recall you developed quite an appetite."
"Penny!"
"Sheldon!"
"Alright. There is a person. A friend who I occasionally seek the company of in that way."
"Who? Is it someone I know?"
"Penny, in this area I believe we share similar tastes."
"You're shitting me."
"I would never do such a thing."
"You and Nora?"
"We've always enjoyed each other's company. If you recall she always took great pleasure in teasing me."
"But what about Alex?"
"Alex is quite aware and has given us her blessing. It isn't as though we are having an affair. We care for each other and occasionally have coitus."
"I'm sure you remember that I don't like that word."
"I believe that in this situation it is apropos."
"No. You're wrong. Even if what you two are doing is casual and completely above board, it's still sex or making love. There is nothing clinical about it."
"Penny, how do you feel about it?"
"I think I probably gave up the right to an opinion a long time ago."
"Penny, we are still married. You are still my wife. I am still your husband."
"I don't have the right."
"Penny, I'm fucking your best friend. How do you feel about it?"
"Wow, I've never heard you be so blunt about anything. Okay, honestly I don't know how I feel. A little jealous, maybe, that Nora can have you and I can't."
"That situation is and always has been entirely within your control."
"So you're saying that I could just waltz back into apartment 5A at any time without warning and you'd take me back no questions asked."
"I never said there would be no questions asked. They just wouldn't be asked first. But yes, I would accept you back in my life. Do you really need to ask such a question?"
"No, probably not."
"So, if I hadn't sent Carli down to get you, you and Nora would have slept together."
"There is but one bed and no couch. But the operative word is slept. We discussed purchasing an additional bed tomorrow. Had we known prior to our arrival that there was only one bed those arrangements would have been made in advance."
"Sheldon, how long are you planning to stay?"
"As long as we are needed. As long as we are wanted."
"So you just up and dropped everything?"
"Not entirely. My longtime service at the University allows me some freedom. I have rarely taken all of the time off that is due me. And while I am here I will be doing some lecturing in the area. It's been some time since I've been in the New York area and a number of people have expressed interest."
"Yeah, you haven't been here in four years."
"I'm surprised you know that."
"You shouldn't be. I know how to use a computer. I have an alert programmed for you. Besides, I went to those lectures. Almost every one of them."
"Why didn't you…"
"Are you going to keep asking that?"
"You still haven't really answered."
"I suggest that we concentrate on right now and when we're comfortable with that we start thinking about tomorrow. Yesterday is gone and there isn't a lot we can do to change it."
"What would you like to do right now?"
"Maybe get a little sleep. Maybe be held by a guy who I haven't been held by for too long."
"I believe I could do that."
"Goodnight, Moonpie."
"Goodnight, Penny."
