CH. 9 - "Simple as do, re, mi."

A/N: Kenneth Alan Powell is based on Dr. Alan Guth who is the real-life originator of inflationary universe theory. And yes, I gave Penny a last name or more appropriately I borrowed it from an author whose fic featured it, unfortunately I can't remember it at the moment.


Penny sat on a bench outside West Pasadena Elementary, she was substituting today for a 4th grade class, while being monitored from the back by the regular teacher and the principal. If all goes well, she will be hired full-time starting next school year teaching 2nd graders. Internally, she could feel the butterflies, either that or her choice of Double Mocha Carmel has her too worked up. She looks at her watch, 7:45, classes start at 8:15. She looked at all the little ones getting out of cars and vans and heading inside, few smiled at her.

Oh, how she wished Sheldon were here to give her some words of encouragement or a kiss for good luck. It had been a week since he returned and aside from changing his schedule slightly to accommodate two hours on Tuesday and Thursday for the gym, he is still the OCD, germaphob, and slightly anal person he's always been, just with a killer body.

Howard and Raj flipped when they saw him the next day following Penny's amazing 'Welcome Back' surprise.

(***)

"Dude with the hell happened to you?" Raj said in astonishment looking at Sheldon at his white board.

"Yeah, you look like an athlete; how much do you weigh, now?" Howard asked.

"210."

"Impressive," Raj said nodding.

"Thank you, that's what Leonard said as well."

"Bet Penny's happy with the new you, huh?" Howard stressed suggestively.

"Quite, she said my new physique will and I quote, 'Gets you extra sexy bonus points'," Sheldon says transferring to his desk.

"Ooo, nice," Raj said as he sat down in a chair.

"I guess Switzerland really agreed with you," Howard commented.

"I suppose," Sheldon replied not looking up from his paperwork.

A silence fell over the three of them until, a young woman with long strawberry blonde curls and hazel eyes, knocked and entered. "Dr. Cooper?" She said.

Raj and Howard were stunned, the last time a hot girl came in Sheldon's office it turned out to be his twin sister and the last time a girl approached him and referred to him as 'Dr. Cooper' they were all subjected to the weirdness that is Ramona Nowitzki. Hopefully, this isn't another one. But the two sat and watched.

"Dr. Cooper," the young woman repeated.

Sheldon looks up from his work, "Yes?"

"Hi, I'm Molly Powell, I'm in your Theorem of Neutrinos class that starts Spring quarter, I heard you just got back from your sabbatical and I was wondering if you would like to have dinner...,"

"Oh no..." Howard whispered to Raj, but quickly turned back in time hear the rest.

"With me and my parents. My dad would love to talk to you."

"Ms. Powell I am flattered by your invite, however I've already had an incident involving a graduate student wanting to get to know me and it did not turn out well. Therefore I must graciously decline."

This rather saddened Molly, so she tried again, please Dr. Cooper, my father wants to speak to you about your latest work and that's why he sent me."

Sheldon sighed, he hated seeing women he was interacting with sad, "Who is your father, Ms. Powell?"

Molly brightened up a bit, "Kenneth Alan Powell," she knew her father was famous for his work so maybe just a name drop will do the trick.

"Kenneth Alan Powell, as in the man who came up with cosmic inflation?" Sheldon asked with a bit of a tremble.

"Yes."

Kenneth Powell is a heavyweight in the world of physics, what did he want to talk about and to Sheldon nonetheless. Sheldon sighed again, "Ms. Powell," Molly's face brightened. "I begrudgingly accept."

Molly let out a little squeal of excitement, one, Sheldon noticed was very similar to Penny's.

"Oh thank you, thank you," she shock his hand, jumping up and down slightly. Suddenly in her excitement she kissed him on the cheek.

Pulling back quickly, she apologized profusely, face suddenly crimson. "I'm so terribly sorry, it was just the adrenaline of the moment, I'm so sorry."

"Quite all right," Sheldon assured her as he remembered the first time Penny kissed him on the cheek because of the heat of the moment.

"My father will be in town a week before the quarter starts, may we have dinner then?"

"That is reasonable."

"Great, how about Thursday of that week at The Palms in West Hollywood, say 7:30?"

"That will work just fine."

"Great, thank you so much! You may bring someone if you like," Molly said as she exited.

"Thank you, Ms. Powell."

Molly left and Sheldon returned to his work only to be interrupted seconds later by Howard and Raj.

"Okay, seriously what the hell is it with you and grad students?" Howard practically shouted.

Calmly looking up Sheldon replied, "I don't know what you mean?"

"First Ramona, okay, a little crazy, but she wanted to spend time with you. Now, little Ms. Hottie-daughter-of-a-famous-scientist wants to have dinner with you and her father. Sheldon, you have to tell me your secret!" Howard said dropping to his knees.

"There is no secret, I do not seek these women out, and besides you have Bernadette who is lovely and doctor so why do you care? If anyone should be asking it should be Raj, but he has select mutism until a copious amount of alcohol is consumed."

"Hey! It's not a copious amount, just enough to take edge off," Raj defended himself.

Howard stood, "Okay, fine but she was also flirting with you and that kiss on the cheek."

"Howard, as she pointed out it was a heat of the moment thing, it was completely innocent. I have Penny, I resolutely have no intention on cheating on her nor do I believe this is any of your business," Sheldon huffed.

When Sheldon was lanky his verbal outbursts were about as scary as a stare down from Bruce Wayne before the Batsuit, you were scared but not shit-your-pants scared; now though with his increase in body mass and muscle Howard felt like Alfred after seeing the cowl put on. He shut up immediately and ran, leaving Raj and Sheldon to their work.

(***)

As Penny sat there wishing Sheldon would show, she wondered if Sheldon ever felt the way she's feeling, if he was nervous before talking to an auditorium full of students for the first time. Suddenly she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Simple as do, re, mi."

She turned her head to look behind. Standing there was Sheldon in a dress shirt and khakis. He was temporarily wearing them as his re-order of all his t-shirts was processing. Medium was too snug a fit now.

She looked at him and so quietly, "Really?"

"Indeed, although I was dealing with 20-somethings, while you'll be dealing with prepubescents, so there's a slight maturity gap."

That's an understatement. Penny thought as Sheldon sat down beside her. At the same time Penny wondered how he knew what she was thinking and why exactly he's here, not that she's complaining, just curious.

"Sheldon...," Penny began but was cut off by a kiss, because there were young impressionable children present, it was quick and chaste.

"Thanks," it was exactly what Penny needed. She could always count on him to deliver in the clutch, so to speak.

"So," Penny began again nerves dissipating, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see my favorite teacher off on her first day."

Penny was touched, somehow Sheldon knew she would be a ball of nerves and came to her rescue as he had done when she dislocated her shoulder, ran out of money, that incident in San Francisco and saved her in paintball countless times. He truly is the best boyfriend she ever had.

"When are you going to head in, it's 8:00," he said.

"In a few minutes. I just want to be here a little bit longer," she said as she rested her head on his shoulder.

After a few seconds Sheldon spoke.

"Penny, have you picked out an appropriate dress for the dinner in a few weeks?"

"Sheldon, that's nearly a month and a half away, I have plenty of time."

"Yes, but...,"

"No buts, Sheldon I will pick out a dress so flattering and elegant that if that grad student so much as makes googly eyes at you, you won't even remember because your attention will be on me. I just want to wait a little."

They had talked about Molly and her incidental peck on the cheek, the night it happened, Penny had been a little vivid, but after reassurance from Sheldon that he didn't feel a thing, that he didn't find her attractive and that Penny was his and his alone, she calmed down but still threatened that, "If she dares mess with my man, a visit to the Junior Rodeo will be on her itinerary." Sheldon snickered when she said that, but knew that his girlfriend would make good on it.

"Very well Penny, just make sure it doesn't distract Dr. Powell as well."

"Okay, sweetie." She kissed him on the cheek, before looking at her watch, 8:05."

"I better head in."

"All right, have a good day Ms. Lincoln," He said as he kissed her forehead and stood.

She smiled.

"You too, Dr. Cooper."