Jislane: Thanks, buddy!:)

Texican2436: Haha, thanks:) and yeah, I know he can. But I can't...so...

I-love-you-long-time: Again, I love you long time too! And thanks!:D

Mazie: LOL I'm sure it did, bud:P

Riff Firestone: Good:D and thanks yous bunches, palio!

I'mSexyAndYouKnowItGlitch: Yes, quite drama-fied...well, we'll see what happens, shall we?

I am SOOOOO sorry for the delay! I wrote this about a week ago in my journal and I never got around to typing it! I am SO sorry! But, I hope you like it nevertheless. AND, I challenge ALL of you (yes, story-alert and favorites as well:P) to review with your favorite part of this chapter...please? I wanna know what ya'll like. Thanks!:D

"Morning!" Nikki exclaimed as Sheldon walked into the kitchen. Her smile was big and her eyes lit up.

"Good morning," he replied, smiling back. She tucked some hair behind her right ear and ran around the kitchen island to hug him. He was surprised, and returned the hug uncertainly. "Why are you so happy?"

"It's Valentines Day!" Nikki replied, looking up at him. "You know, lovey-dovey day, romance, boyfriends do nice things for their girlfriends..." She let her sentence trail off.

"Do they?" Sheldon asked, surprised. "Oh...well, what would you like?"

"What makes you think I want anything?" Nikki asked, smiling plafully and sitting at the island. "All I want is to spend all day with my amazing boyfriend."

"You mean me, right?" Sheldon asked, making Nikki laugh.

"No, I mean my imaginary boyfriend Pedro, yes I mean you!"

"How do I look?" Penny asked, stepping from her bathroom. Nikki didn't even look up.

"With your eyes." Penny rolled her eyes, frustrated at her friend.

"I mean do I look all right?"

"Oh," Nikki said, looking at Penny. She was wearing a red cocktail dress. Her hair was down and very simple, very pretty. "You look beautiful, Penny. I'm so happy you and Leonard are going on a double date with Sheldon and me!"

"I don't know if I am or not," Penny said indifferently. "I know I still have feelings for him, but is going on a date with him what I want to do? I mean, I want..."

Nikki listened like the good friend she was. She would just let Penny talk herself out.

"...how it'll turn out," Penny finished.

"Yeah," Nikki said faintly. After a pause, she said, "So it'll be fun!" Penny rolled her eyes again.

"How do I look?" Leonard asked nervously walking up beside Sheldon. His blue shirt was not yet soiled with sweat at the armpits and chest.

"With your pupils," Sheldon replied. Leonard rolled his eyes.

"Ha-ha. I mean seriously, do I look okay?" Sheldon turned in his swivel chair to see his best friend.

"You look fine," he told him, turning back to his laptop.

"What are you wearing?" Leonard asked.

"This," replied Sheldon, looking down at his red shirt and long sleeved purple-and-grey striped undershirt.

"That?" Leonard asked. "But it's Valentines Day."

"This shirt is red," Sheldon said defensively.

"Yeah, but I bet the girls are going to be really dressed up..."

"You want me to change?"

"Yes," Leonard said. Sheldon sighed and stood saying, "Fine." He walked to his bedroom, shaking his head slightly.

"Hi," Penny said, answering the door. Sheldon and Leonard were in front of her, Sheldon much taller than her but Leonard her height.

"H-hi," Leonard said. "You look nice."

"Thanks," Penny said, smiling nervously.

"Hi, Shelly, hi, Leonard," Nikki said happily, bouncing up to the door. Her hair was down around her shoulders, going down to her midback. The dress she was wearing was pink and flowy, down just past her knees.

"You look breathtaking," Sheldon said, looking down at his girlfriend.

"Thanks," Nikki blushed, smiling at him slightly. "You look nice too." He was wearing a white button down shirt, but the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, of course, and black slacks.

"Thank you," Sheldon said. They all stood there for a minute in silence, but then Leonard said, "We gonna go, or...?"

"Gosh, it's fancy in here," Nikki whispered as she sat across from Sheldon. Penny sat beside her, across from Leonard. And it was; the place was dimly lit by candles, and there were red velvet cushions on their seats.

"Hmm," Sheldon hummed, taking a drink of his water. The waitor came and filled their wine glasses with red wine, but Sheldon ignored his.

"PDA much?" Leonard asked, nodding at a couple making out.
"That's disgusting," Sheldon said indignantly.

"Like you two don't do it on a daily basis!" Penny exclaimed, nodding from Sheldon to Nikki.

"But we do it at home," Nikki argued. "They're in a five-star restaurant."

"There's nothing wrong with showing how much you love someone in a fierce...French way!" Penny said, having made out like that in a public place many times.

"Whatever you say," Nikki said, sipping her wine. They were all quiet, drinking their wine with the obvious exception of Sheldon, until the waitor came to their table and said, "Are we ready to order?" They all gave the curly haired man, Rick by his nametag, their orders and he left with a smile.

"So..." Nikki leaned on the table. "This is fun."

"Yeah," Leonard agreed, smiling at Penny, who smiled back immediately.

Nikki's mind was on her older brother, Jimmy. He hated Valentines Day, as did Emma. But she, Nikki, always loved it. It was her favorite holiday, but this was the first time she spent it with a man she knew there was a future in.

She could see a future with Sheldon when she looked in his eyes, heard him laugh, made him smile, felt his lips on hers. She never thought she'd fall for a tall, nerdy, OCD scientist, but she was sitting across from him, looking into his eyes. Nikki loved his eyes. They were the perfect shade of blue, the perfect size, the perfect shape, just...perfect. Not like her huge eyes that couldn't decide if they were blue or grey. Sheldon said he loved her eyes. And that he would always get lost in them, and that they made him think only she, Nikki, mattered.

Sheldon did think that about half the time. The other half she was frustrating him, but then he'd find something he loved about her and she'd be the center of his world again. She was the only thing that could take his mind off science. Sheldon understood Leonard's obsession with Penny if she made him feel like that.

Penny did make Leonard feel like that. After all those years, she still took his breath away. Just the thought of her made his heart beat like a drum. He knew they'd grow old together. They had to.

Penny knew it too, although she wasn't as ready to admit it as Leonard was. She knew she had strong feelings for him, and she was really sorry she broke up with him, but it still confused her. She wished it was as easy as it was for Nikki and Sheldon. They were smiling at each other with inmistakable adoration in their eyes.

"Aren't they cute?" Penny whispered, nodding at them. Leonard looked at his two friends as the food arrived.

"Okay," Rick the waitor said, handing their food out. They all thanked him and began eating. After a moment, Nikki said, "Have you guys ever been on a date on Valentines Day?"

"No," Sheldon said as the others said, "Yes."

"That was fun," Nikki said as they walked into the building. She took Sheldon's hand as they began ascending the stairs, engaging him in a conversation about The Lord of the Ring. Penny and Leonard walked behind them in a slightly awkward silence.

"So," Leonard began as they got to Penny's door. "I, uh...I had fun."

"I did too," Penny said, watching Nikki drop her purse while searching for her key.

"So, uh...goodnight." Leonard leaned in and kissed Penny. The second their lips touched, Penny's heart beat wildly in her chest.

Nikki had frozen in the act of unlocking the door, having seen them.

"What?" asked Sheldon, looking at the door, as if expecting something to be wrong with it.

"They're kissing..." Nikki said slowly. Sheldon hardly glanced at them.

"So? We kiss all the time, they don't gawk."
"We do not kiss 'all the time'!" Nikki argued, knowing that they did but hoping the argument would lead to a kiss.

"We do so," Sheldon said, "and you know it."

"Fine," Nikki said. "Maybe I'll just stop kissing you so you don't have to complain anymore."

"I'm not complaining!" Sheldon exclaimed quickly.

"Prove it," Nikki giggled. Sheldon said, "Fine," and leaned forward, kissing her. Leonard and Penny had pulled apart by then and noticed their friends.

"Is that all they ever do?" Leonard asked.

I hope you liked it! REMEMBER MY CHALLENGE AT THE TOP!

-AlwaysOrange73