Of course it would be a Saturday when I see him. I had a feeling that no matter what the boy would still stick to certain routines.
What I didn't' expect was Sheldon hauling down damn near everything in his closet.
He said that he was leaving. I didn't want to believe him. My head refused to believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. I won't believe it. I can't.
He's leaving.
He's leaving me and he doesn't care. He's going back to Texas, said that he was gonna put notice at the school and then leave. Sheldon is leaving by train no less.
Who the hell takes a train anymore? The answer is simple really: Sheldon does. He can say whatever he wants about trains, I think he's scared of heights.
I got him to agree to take a vacation instead of resign. Time to heal, time to get over things.
I still have no clue how I did that other than I asked him. Sheldon isn't as difficult as people make him. If he can see the logic in something he agrees. The problem is finding logic that he will agree with.
I'm going with him and he can't stop me. He needs someone to help him pull himself out of his head.
Saturday night used to equal parties and fun for Penny. It used to mean drunken nights and slutty dancing with men whose faces she wouldn't be able to recognize the next day. It was the promise of a hangover on Sunday even if she worked. Ever since she was eighteen (alright, sixteen) that was the pure definition of Saturday.
For the past year and half it meant the smell of laundry detergent and lectures about the proper way to maintain clothing.
If anyone asked her she would deny it, but she much preferred the new meaning of Saturday.
Penny grabbed her dirty laundry and shoved it in the basket then headed downstairs fifteen minutes before Sheldon would. As she reached the laundry room she shook her head with a small smile. If eighteen (alright, fine, sixteen) year old Penny could see her now...
She had just started the washer when Sheldon appeared. Penny jumped on top of the washer and watched him carefully. He had filled out more, although he was still too skinny. His motions were much more controlled than they ever were. She couldn't see his face, it seemed like he was trying to ignore her. He was way too focused on the task at hand.
Penny blinked rapidly. That was way too many clothes. Far too many. It seemed like every piece of clothing he ever owned was currently being washed. What was going on here?
"Hi Sheldon." Penny whispered with a soft smile. She didn't want to spook him.
"Penny." Inwardly Penny rolled her eyes. One word answers Moon Pie, really? She watched him as he mechanically added the recommended amount of detergent to the first two loads of laundry.
"How is everything in 4A?"
"Oh. You wish to catch up even though my refusal to communicate with you indicates my reluctance to continue our friendship." Sheldon tilted his head at her as though he was trying to examine her. Just when Penny started to get uncomfortable being under his gaze he started to talk, "Very well. Other than the prefunctionary apology about the Arctic situation Leonard has only spoken to me to bemoan his fate. He condemns me as the one who destroyed his 'chance of a lifetime', namely you."
Penny gave a very unladylike snort. "Maybe in his head he had a chance with me. In reality? No." A scary thought flashed through her head. "You aren't gonna move out because of him are you?"
"My departure is scheduled. I find myself unwilling to tolerate the inevitable." The word departure stuck in Penny's head and stared at him, trying to make herself believe that wasn't what she heard.
"Departure? Where are you going?" Penny fought to keep her expressions as neutral as she could, but her voice couldn't hide the shock and fear that she felt.
"Home." Great, just what she needed, more one word answers.
"But Sheldon, you are home." How could he not understand this?
"Penny. A home is defined as a dwelling place where a family or a social grouping is occupied. I have no family in California, and no longer possess a social group." Sheldon said as he readied his next load of clothes for the washer.
Penny forcefully turned him around and made him look at her. "So the guys fucked up. They fucked up big time. I can understand why you don't wanna be around them Sheldon, I really do. But what about me? Are you gonna leave me too? What did I ever do to you?" Suddenly it was Sheldon holding on too tight to her.
"What did you do to me?" He asked her in a steely voice, "You honestly have no idea what you have done?" Just as quickly as he grabbed her, he pushed her away again. "This discussion has reached its end because there is nothing left to say. I am going to Texas. I am going to be with my family where I belong."
Penny blinked several times, trying to understand the emotions that were swirling around in her head. Anger that she couldn't understand how this really affected his career, guilt that she didn't know something was wrong when he stopped talking to her in the Arctic, desire to be where he was no matter what, and the need for revenge floating in the background.
She was so busy trying to organize her thoughts that she almost missed the small smile that was fighting to show up on Sheldon's face. What was that smile for? Did he think that leaving her behind was funny?
"Then I'll go with you."
"No, you won't." Sheldon told her. Penny could tell that he was trying to fight the hint of hope that showed up on his face.
Slowly, so she wouldn't be thrown off of him again, Penny pulled him closer and gave him a hug. She loved how she felt against him. She felt small being tucked up under his chin, but she didn't feel closed in. She felt safe. Penny gave a small sigh when Sheldon stopped being rigid and willingly wrapped his arms around her, squeezing slightly.
"Yes I will." She pulled away just far enough so that she could look him in the eyes, "I'm your friend and I want to help you through this. I want to help you because even though I don't exactly understand what happened up there, I do know that it was a shitty thing to do. I wanna help you because I don't wanna see you retreat into yourself."
"And if I don't desire your presence?" He whispered.
"Sweetie, you ignored me for the three days that you have been home. This is the longest conversation that I have had with any of you since you've been back. So if you don't want me to go that's tough cause I'm going. But I'm only going with you on one condition."
At this point Sheldon pulled away from her completely and crossed his arms across his chest. "The interloper has a condition? Very well, amuse me. Name your condition."
"That this isn't running away. That you are coming back where you belong. That this is just a vacation, not tucking tail and hiding. Promise me Sheldon. Promise me that we come back."
"Why does it matter to you" Why does it matter if I come back or not?" He asked her.
Penny turned to toss her clothes into the dryer and tried to gather her thoughts.
Why did she want him to come back?
Well, Penny was pretty sure that she was in love with him, but she thought she was in love before. It didn't work out. He knew he was smarter than her and he used it to his advantage...a lot. It was his way or the highway most of the time. It was considered to be a hell-worthy offense to eat Chinese food on a Wednesday. He didn't have a car because he was too neurotic to drive and he considered a night in watching Star Trek exciting.
What she felt for him couldn't really be called love though. It didn't feel like anything that she had recognized as love. He did try to use his intelligence against her, but she gave as good as she got. Penny loved sparring with him and sensed that he liked it more than he would ever admit. It might still be a hell-worthy offense to eat the wrong food on the wrong day, but only if you were Sheldon. He never forced his schedule on her. Sheldon wanted her to be a part of it sure, but if she craved pizza on a Tuesday she would have pizza on a Tuesday. He would complain and go into great detail about how his food schedule was put together for optimum digestion, but he would never try to change her mind. And the driving? Based on what Penny has seen, Sheldon should never be allowed behind the wheel of anything unless it was connected to a video game.
With all of this in mind Penny slowly closed the dryer door and turned to stare at Sheldon.
"Because Raj is here. No matter what you think, he's your friend. The...trip proved that. I'm here too. Well, I'll be back here eventually, I have a job and everything. Because you are not a coward, you are stronger than the bullies now. You don't belong in Texas, you belong here. So, you and me, we are gonna take a vacation to Texas. We are gonna see your mom and I'm gonna get to meet you brother and Meemaw and you are gonna show me where you grew up. Then we are gonna come home and you are gonna have to re-evaluate some friendships and stuff." Lame. Penny thought. She was sure that she wouldn't be enough.
Sheldon's mother couldn't keep him in Texas, what made Penny think she could keep him in California?
"I still fail to see why you need to accompany me. As you have pointed out, I am not a coward. I am a grown man capable of making my own decisions."
Penny rolled her eyes. "Not the right decisions."
She couldn't help but notice the gleam that entered his eyes. "Penny. My IQ cannot be measured by any standard tests. I have two doctorates. I make the right decisions." Sure you do Moon Pie...sure you do.
Silence reigned in the laundry room, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was Sheldon thinking about her offer. Penny could tell because he kept sneaking glances at her while he finished up his laundry.
Just when Penny was starting to bite her tongue so that she didn't disturb him, he spoke. "I concede to your requests. You may accompany me to Texas. We will leave by train in three days time. I will print out an itinerary for you when I return to my apartment."
Penny gave Sheldon's back a smirk. "Alright then. I'm gonna go pack." She gave him a slight tap on the shoulder as she walked past him to the stairs.
Penny gave a small laugh as she walked up the four flights of stairs. When it came to things that Penny considered important, she always won.
Just as she opened her front door two questions hit her at once:
What was inevitable?
Sheldon hated using absolutes. He would say that there was absolutely nothing absolute about absolutes and then give his little gaspy laugh.
And did Sheldon say train?
Oh crap on a cracker, he was gonna make her take a fucking train.
A/N: Ok, this chapter kinda got away from me. Whenever I get the two of them talking for more than a paragraph they refuse to shut up!
On an unrelated note, has anyone heard the song One More Night by Maroon 5? Not a big fan of them but when I heard this one on the radio I jacked up the volume. It has to be Penny and Sheldon's anthem!