A song fic based on a prompt by medusa20. I only hope it lives up to their standards and I haven't ruined a great song for them. The song is "Taking Chances" by Celine Dion. It's basically how I think Sheldon would think about his feelings for Penny- by needing prompting and in a thoroughly clinical way. This one was a lot of fun to write because I got to explore Sheldon's smart and witty side in response to the questions. And I apologise to Joseph Gordon Levitt. I do think he's hot, but I suppose Sheldon wouldn't. Hahaha. Enjoy guys.
AN: I do not own the song, the characters and I can only say I own half of the idea. The other half belongs to medusa20.
Don't know much about your life.
Don't know much about your world, but
Don't want to be alone tonight,
On this planet they call earth.
He was aware that it was quiet. He was aware it was dark, as for anything else, well that required more study.
As he sat up, the snow he found himself lying in was not like he would have expected. It was softer, not icy and it certainly didn't belong in the category of cold. As he scooped a handful up and examined it he had to conclude that this was not regular snow. He stood and dropped the handful of snow in disdain, childhood memories doing nothing to lower his resentment for the semi-frozen water particles.
He looked around the darkness and as his eyes adjusted, he found himself in a clearing, surrounded by pine trees and covered in a thick blanket of snow. But it wasn't cold.
"Hmmm. Curious." He muttered to himself. As he looked skyward, he saw a myriad of constellations dotting the dark sky. Looking towards the North Star, he began to contemplate whether to head in that direction to try and find someone else... A village maybe.
"Hey Sheldon!" A voice that was all too familiar came out from behind a pine tree.
"Penny?"
"Who else would it be?"
"Robert Edwin Peary?"
"Who?"
"Never mind. But maybe you could explain to me where we are?"
"I think you know Sheldon. I mean, we're apparently in the North Pole somewhere and it's not cold."
Sheldon remained silent for a moment. Drat.
"Penny, am I dreaming?"
"I would hope so Sheldon."
"Why would my psyche drag me out here? And more importantly, with you?"
"Are you holding anything in Sheldon? Anything that has been stressing you out?"
"Penny, my mind is far too advanced for the common thing you call stress."
"Fine, worrying?"
He shot her a look.
"Thinking about?"
He cast his mind back to his life outside this damned arctic purgatory he was currently stuck in.
"I was watching a movie with you... That so called "comedy" you picked."
"'Ten Things I Hate about You' is completely a comedy."
"Yes, with incredibly well vocalised teenagers more intent on sleeping with each other than to further advance their obvious talent for the English language."
"It's a parody of Shakespeare."
"Yes, and I'm sure he's rolling in his grave at the thought of the supposedly "hot"-" he shot Penny a disbelieving look "- Joseph Gordon Levitt as one of the male leads. Bravo."
"Back to the thinking Sheldon. I have places to be."
"Where do you have to be? You're a figment of my psychological mind."
Penny merely stood with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot.
"Ok, ok. When you fell asleep on my shoulder for the umpteenth time, I looked down at you and felt a strange urge of... Protection, one might say. It was strange and worrying at the same time. It was a feeling normally reserved for Meemaw, Mom and Missy."
"I think we're getting close now Sheldon." Penny whispered.
"You don't think...?"
"You know I don't think Sheldon."
"That I know all too well."
"I mean, I'm a figment of your imagination, I only say what you want me to. Tell you what; come for a walk with me. I found this great little spot just behind the trees. A cliff right above the ocean. You'll love it."
"If you are a figment of my imagination, you'll know that's the last place I want to be."
Penny merely grabbed his arm and dragged him off behind the trees.
You don't know about my past, and
I don't have a future figured out.
And maybe this is going too fast.
And maybe it's not meant to last,
"Do you ever think that you're meant for something more Sheldon?"
"Yes. A Nobel Prize."
"No, I mean, aside from all that smart guy stuff."
"Well, what other stuff is there?"
She looked out over the cliff out to the stars as she swung her legs back and forth over the edge. The flip flops she was wearing balanced precariously between her toes. She turned back to him.
"A future." He must have looked puzzled, for she continued. "You know... The house with the picket fence, the SUV taking the 2.4 kids to soccer practice on a Saturday morning? The atypical golden retriever dog?"
"Penny, I'm merely going to give you the look I reserve for Wolowitz. The one of haughty derision and exhaustion."
"Sheldon, don't look at me like that."
"I apologise."
For a moment, neither said anything as they stared out into the nothingness.
"Of course I have Penny. But I cannot say I have ever met anyone who has lived up to my standards."
"What standards are those?"
"Someone to challenge me, someone who is aesthetically pleasing but who is still normal enough to not take it for granted, someone interesting in growing as I do. Someone with the same interests." He turned to look at her. "Someone like you Penny."
"Is that why you felt protective of me do you think?"
"Do you mean, I could see you as my mate?"
"Well, not like that obviously."
"I have thought that before and I suppose I will think of it again."
"Before?"
"Yes. Before your ill conceived venture of a relationship with Leonard, I thought you would be better suited to me. I sometimes do think that. However, it has been made abundantly clear to me that it is inappropriate of me to think like that about my room-mates ex girlfriend."
Penny merely smiled at him. A smile that lit up her whole face and sent a warmth through Sheldon's body.
But what do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?
I just want to start again,
And maybe you could show me how to try,
And maybe you could take me in,
Somewhere underneath your skin?
What do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Penny leaned over the edge.
"Jump with me Sheldon." She whispered.
"I'm sorry. What? I must have misheard. I thought you wanted me to jump off this cliff."
"Jump with me. Take the leap."
"Penny, I'm not sure this is safe."
"Don't you think it's time you leapt?"
"I'm waiting for the 'bazinga' here Penny."
"Jump."
"Any minute now."
She stood and slid her shoes off her feet.
"I'm jumping, with or without you."
"Penny, I can't swim."
"Sheldon, it's a dream. You could fly if you wanted to. Now jump!"
She stepped back three steps and gracefully leapt off the edge. A few moments, Sheldon heard a splash.
"Forty feet." He muttered. Looking around the cliff edge, he noticed how bland it was. It was just covered in white snow. Nothing else was here. He looked over the edge and saw nothing but darkness below.
And I had my heart beaten down,
Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?
But I always come back for more, yeah.
There's nothing like love to pull you up,
When you're laying down on the floor there.
So talk to me, talk to me,
Like lovers do.
Yeah walk with me, walk with me,
Like lovers do,
Like lovers do.
There was nothing else for it. She had left him up here with no way of getting out of this crazy dream. He took three steps backwards, just like she had and ran for the edge.
The first thing he became aware of was that the fall was over relatively quickly.
The second was that the water he had landed in didn't feel like liquid. It felt more like air. It was light and definitely not the cold water his mind had been expecting.
The third is that Penny was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she had swam to shore?
"That is just like Penny." Sheldon seethed. "Make me jump and then not have the courtesy to be down here when I get here?"
Sheldon kicked his legs awkwardly as he kept himself afloat. It may not be a lifeguard regulation swimming style, but it was working. His mind was more preoccupied anyway.
"She made me jump because she said it was time. Time for what? Jumping obviously, but what does the jump signify? Blast you psychology!"
The thought came to him as quickly as he imagined relativity coming to Einstein.
"I need to take the leap with Penny. Penny is the leap!"
As he performed a rather awkward celebratory leap in the water, he became aware that he was not waking up.
"Penny? I want to go home now. Hello? Penny? Penny! Penny! Pen-"
What do you say to taking chances, Don't know much about your life
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?
And I don't know much about your world
"Sheldon!"
He awoke with a start. Penny's face was mere inches away from his.
"Penny?" He mumbled.
"Yeah sweetie, it's me. You scared me. Are you ok?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" He replied, sitting up as he rubbed his eyes.
"Well, you were screaming my name in your sleep. It woke me up."
"I apologise. I was having a nightmare. You were there..."
"Oh thanks honey." She replied sarcastically.
"Well, I didn't imply you were the cause of the nightmare so I don't understand why you are offended."
"It's nothing." She rubbed her eyes and Sheldon felt a sudden flip in his stomach. As she yawned, he felt his eyes drawn to her lips.
A leap huh?
"I need to do something, so I would appreciate it if you would not resist for a moment Penny."
"... huh?"
He took her moment of confusion to gently cup the sides of her face in his hands. The warmth in her cheeks spread throughout his palms and she closed her eyes.
"Sheldon?" She whispered.
He leant in and gently touched his lips to hers. For a moment, she seems stunned. Then her lips gently move underneath his.
After a second, he pulls away. She looks at him, cross eyed as she tries to focus on the face just an inch from hers.
"What are you doing?"
"Penny. Someone very intelligent once told me to take a leap. And once I figure out whom that truly was, I do believe I owe them something of significant monetary value."