It's a little shorter than my usual chapters, but it gets the job done. I think… :D hope you like it! There will probably be one more after this one. That's the plan, anyway, but you know how my plans change! All I can say for certian, is it is not done now.

Still own nothing of significance.

Sometime between noon and two P.M. on the Friday of the Penny War Week, the lobby went from being a quiet place only occasionally disturbed by noise or a package for one of the residents to a buzzing hive of human activity. A table was set up along the wall that could be seen by people coming down the stairs, and carts were wheeled in and set in the corner alongside stacked plastic storage boxes. A notice was taped to the front doors of the building as well as the door to the elevator. "All participants in this week's Penny War Fundraiser should deposit the contents of their jar or jars into the available boxes before six o' clock tonight. The name on the box is your official entry, make sure all names are spelled correctly and everyone is included. Please write who the money was from on the duct tape and secure it to your box or boxes, so our volunteers can determine the winner or winners."

"Winners, indeed," Leonard said, smirking as he and Sheldon returned from work at three-thirty.

"Are we even sure this is allowed?" he asked. "You and Penny failed last night to provide me with sufficient documentation, ergo the original flyer for this fundraising event."

"Penny e-mailed me a copy while we were at work," Leonard said, taking a printed sheet out of his pocket. He stopped on the third floor landing and listened for any sound of mirgration between floors. There was none. "Okay," he said, opening it, "and I quote: 'Starting tomorrow there will be jars outside of each of your doors. Pennies are positive points; silver coins and paper money are negative points. Whoever has the most positive points at the end of the week is exempt from rent next month. Feel free to sabotage other tenants with your spare silver change'." Leonard looked up at Sheldon. "See? That's all it says. And Penny called the person who planned this last night and asked him. He said he never thought of that, but nowhere does it say we can't."

Sheldon took the sheet from Leonard and studied it. "Fair enough."

When Amy entered the apartment building at four, she noticed two totes labled. The first, with one of the original blue jars filled almost to the top inside, was labled, Mrs. Grossinger, 2A. The second, filled with maybe fifteen dollars in pennies and the stray dime, was marked with Ruido, 2A. So that was why she had two tubs outside her door.

Amy raised an eyebrow, wondering why Mrs. Grossinger would have a separate entry for her dog. There were many pennies there, and not many dimes. Granted, the pennies weren't near as many as she had, but her box had much more silver in it, too.

Perhaps that was her strategy, Amy figured. Win with the dog, who nobody would bomb because they either thought it was a second jar for her or there wouldn't be enough pennies to matter. But if everyone else got most of their pennies cancelled out, the fourteen dollars in Ruido's jar would win, and as he was a resident of 2A, his owner wouldn't have to pay the rent money.

By five, jars labled Mrs. Gunderson, Mr. and Mrs. Richardson, and Ms. Fountain and Mrs. Taun 5A and 6A were down in the lobby, the last two being a single woman and her married upstairs neighbor, who had clearly compiled their earnings when the latter's husband refused to participate. Now, only 3B, 4A, and 4B hadn't brought down their money.

"She's waiting to be last," said Sheldon after returning around ten after five from his second round of espionage. "She wants to surprise us."

"Wouldn't she want us to be able to see hers when we come down?" Amy asked.

Leonard shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Should I take the money over now?" Sheldon asked.

Leonard mulled over the suggestion for a few seconds. "Why not?"

"Help me lift it, Amy," Sheldon said, and the other scientist bent and picked up their second jar. "And the rest?" Sheldon asked Leonard.

"Hang on," he said, looking at his phone. A minute later it buzzed, and he read the message, nodding. "Okay, go ahead. I'm right behind you."

They reached the lobby. Penny was there, her own jars and coffee cans filling a storage box and a half. "I got one for you guys," she said, handing them a box, which they filled. The remainder of their collection went in the half full one of Penny's, they closed all three and pushed them into the line which had started against the far wall, labled, Mrs. Gunderson, 3A, Mr. and Mrs. Richardson2B, and Ms. Fountain and Mrs. Taun Ruido 5A and 6A, Mrs. Grossinger, 2A, and Ruido, 2A.

Penny stuck duct tape on each of the boxes, each labled identically.

Fourth Floor

They studied the line up. They didn't know exactly how much Mrs. Vartabedian had, but this was the best they could do. "We're sure that everyone's good with only getting one – third off of our rent?" Leonard asked, looking over at Penny and then at Sheldon.

They nodded. "Better than nothing," Penny said.

Leonard nodded back. "Here's hoping she doesn't have any more hidden stashes."

"Amen," Sheldon said, "…is what my mother would say."

One more chapter, where they announce the winner. And even though they combined their money…there was still a bet going on of who could raise more, remember? We'll find out who that is, too. :D