Penny has decided to commit to Sheldon and their feelings for each other. Now they must figure out how to make this work when they live in different states.

They settled into a regular schedule pretty quickly. Sheldon had found an apartment in the same building as Howard and Bernadette, two floors up. He and Raj had made a very good impression on the CERN delegation. They had been asked to put together a more comprehensive presentation to be presented at a meeting in Cambridge in August. On the second Saturday of every month Penny would fly in and stay 5 days with him. On the last Saturday of each month he would fly down and spend the weekend with her. He hated to fly, but he hated being separated from Penny even more.

It wasn't a perfect arrangement, but it was the best they could do for now. Penny had just been given a raise and he could not bring himself to ask her to give up her job there. He could not give up his here, not when he and Raj were on the edge of something huge. He exited his office and began heading for the cafeteria. He was almost there when he ran into Leonard and Alex.

"Well, if it isn't king of the mountain," Leonard said snidely. Alex looked uncomfortable. When Sheldon had returned he had offered her a job as he promised, but Leonard had thrown a fit. He had went off on a tangent about Sheldon trying to steal her away like he had Penny.

Sheldon moved to walk around them but Leonard stepped in front of him. "Leonard, I do not want to fight with you. I do not wish you harm. I wish that we could have settled things more amicably, but this dispute is not solely my doing. You bear half the blame, whether you wish to acknowledge it or not. I did not have anything to do with the way your relationship with Penny ended. I did not even pursue her for more than a month after. I have been lucky enough to win her affection. I will not apologize for that."

Leonard glared at him, his face red. "You just don't get it, do you? You were always in the way! You were always interfering with me and Penny. Pretending to be her friend, dating Amy as a cover. You planned this from the beginning. From the very first day, you've been weaseling your way in with Penny. Making her take care of you, getting her to give you rides, those stupid prank wars you two were always having! From the very beginning you have plotted to take her from me!"

"You know, I've had enough." Alex shook her head. "I can't compete, Leonard. You say you care about me, but all you ever talk about is Penny. You are so obsessed with Penny and Sheldon that you can't see what's in front of your face! I'm not putting up with it anymore. I don't deserve that. I liked you, Leonard. When you were sweet and nice. But this? This hostile and obsessive version I don't like." Alex looked at Sheldon and held out her hand. Sheldon shook it tentatively. "Goodbye, Dr. Cooper. Good luck with your research." Then she turned and walked away.

Leonard stared after her for a moment before spinning toward Sheldon. "Are you happy now?!" he screamed. "You've taken everything!" Leonard spun and stormed away hurriedly. Sheldon watched his former friend leave sadly.

He walked on into the cafeteria and picked up a tray. He made his selections and walked over to a table. He opened his soda can and looked up to see President Seibert approaching. Raj was just behind him. He felt it instinctively. Something big was about to happen.

"Penny?" She looked up to see Trevor, the other Redfrog bartender, coming toward her. "Penny, there's a call for you. It's from your boyfriend. He said it was very important. You can take it in the supply room."

Penny hurried into the small back room and grabbed up the phone. "Sheldon? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said with confusion. "Why would you assume something was wrong?"

Penny rolled her eyes. "Sweetie, you've never called the ship phone, before. Why else would you use it?"

"Because I have important news that cannot wait for you to check your email tonight."

Penny waited a moment or two. Finally she sighed. "Sheldon, what is it?"

He breathed deeply over the phone. "Raj and I have been invited to do some work at CERN. They want us to come for two months and test out our theories, Penny. They think, as I do, that we are on the verge of a breakthrough."

Penny slumped on a beer keg and felt her pulse race. "Holy crap on a cracker, Sheldon! This is wonderful!"

His voice was hesitant. "You aren't upset?"

Penny smiled softly. "Of course I'm not! This is something you've been working toward for a long time, sweetie. Why on earth would I be upset?"

"Penny, I'll be gone for two months," he said quietly.

"I know," she said tenderly. "But it's only two months, and I'll still be here when you get back. I'm willing to wait for this, Sheldon. This is very big, and extremely important to you and to me."

"It's important to you?"

She smiled. "Sheldon, this is part of who you are. I love your dedication to your work. I love your big beautiful mind. Physics has been the love of your life forever. I would never forgive myself if you passed up this opportunity."

He was silent for a moment. "You're wrong, you know."

"What do you mean," Penny asked.

"You are the love of my life. Physics comes second."

Tears sprang to her eyes and she blew him a kiss over the phone. "You're the love of mine, too, sweetie. Take care, and I'll talk to you tonight, okay?"

"Okay," he said softly. "Bye, Penny."

They hung up and Penny laid her head back against the wall. Two months. She was happy for Sheldon. She truly was. But she was going to miss him so badly.

Sheldon looked over his suitcase one last time. He double checked everything to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything. He was just zipping up his toiletry case when the doorbell rang. He frowned and walked over to the door. He wasn't expecting anyone, so he looked out the peephole. Sheldon scrambled to unlock the door and pulled it open. Penny grinned as he reached for her. He pulled her close and buried his face in her neck.

"Did you really think I was going to let you leave without one last night to remember me by?" she asked huskily. "I don't want you taking up with some rosy cheeked milk maid."

Sheldon looked down at her with a frown. "Penny, why would you think I would do that? Don't you trust me?"

Penny stepped around him into the apartment and dropped her trench coat. Sheldon's eyes bugged out at the black corset and garter belt. "Of course I trust you, sweetie. But why pass up the opportunity to remind you of what's waiting for you here?"

Sheldon shut the door behind him with a predatory gleam in his eyes. "By all means, remind me."

Penny looked around the airport and glanced at her watch. She was starting to get worried. She had been waiting almost an hour and still no sign of Sheldon. She pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed his number. It rang a couple of times before he answered.

"Hello?" He sounded distracted.

"Sheldon," Penny frowned a bit testily. "Where are you?"

"Penny? I'm at work. Is everything okay?" He asked.

"Sheldon, I'm at the airport. You were supposed to pick me up an hour ago." She heard the squeaking of an Expo marker on a white board. She ran a hand over her eyes tiredly. "Sheldon! Are you coming to get me or not?"

Sheldon mumbled. "Penny, you aren't supposed to be here until Friday."

"It IS Friday." She was starting to get upset. She tried to rein it in, knowing how he would get wrapped up in his equations.

"Nonsense," Sheldon said. "Today is only…..Oh sweet Jesus! I'll be right there!"

Penny hung up with a smile. She did love the big lug.

Sheldon placed a line of kisses along her shoulder as she cuddled beside him in the bed. "Forgive me?" he asked softly.

Penny looked up to him and smiled. "Of course, sweetie. You didn't do it on purpose. You're work is very important. Besides, you were only a bit late. It's not like you blew me off."

Sheldon bent his head and kissed her deeply. "I am very glad you're here. I have missed you so much these last two months."

Penny wrapped her arms around him with a wicked smile. "Have you? Show me."