Thank you again for the reviews, alerts and your overall interest in the story. *Lynn
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Amy stepped out of her apartment building to greet Penny. The two women proceeded to the visitor parking lot where, with a big smile on her face, Penny led them to a red Toyota Corolla.
"Ta da," she said joyfully.
"Practical and attractive—a definite combination of Sheldon and you," said Amy with a quick smile.
Penny pressed the remote to open the locks. "Well this baby sure had its growing pains. I thought we'd be tossed from the dealership with the way Sheldon haggled."
"Did it work?" asked Amy as she opened the door.
"I think the agent cut an extra five hundred just because I interrupted Sheldon."
"He is a tad tenacious," said Amy diplomatically. "I see you upgraded your stereo."
"Came with the car," corrected Penny as she turned the ignition. "The original owner took the stereo with him so for an extra fee the dealership put in a USB port one. I wasn't sure about it but Leonard thought it a cool idea and since I was borrowing the extra thousand off of him I thought to give him a say in the vehicle."
After putting on her seatbelt the Nebraskan pulled out of the lot and onto the roadway towards the local coffee shop for a much needed iced mocha and a cup of tepid water.
"I'm surprised Sheldon agreed to the red color," said Amy. "Statistically speaking, police pull over red cars at a higher rate according to insurance underwriters and brokers."
Penny shrugged. "My Volkswagen was red and I didn't notice any difference from when I was driving my dad's truck in Nebraska." She'd been stopped several times by the police in both States but that's beside the point.
Amy smiled to herself. "You know Bestie I believe I'm being struck with a moment of whimsy. We should arrange a night with Bernadette and go for a drive in your new 'wheels'."
"Sounds good to me. Hey, there's a martini lounge I wanted to check out in LA. We can relive Bernadette's bachelorette party extravaganza."
"Too bad we couldn't get Devon. He was a scream," said Amy as she straightened her skirt. She hoped Penny wouldn't notice the slight color to her cheeks.
"Yeah, he was—wait a minute! He gave me his number." Penny bit her lip as she thought over where it could be. She shook her head. "I'd have to look for it although I'm not sure it's a good idea for me to call him since he was kind of interested in me."
At this Amy snorted. "'Kind of interested'. Penny mosquitoes are 'kind of' attracted to warm blooded creatures. Devon was wild for you."
"Hmm. Maybe not such a good idea then." Penny signaled left and waited for traffic to clear before turning into the strip mall.
"I've got an idea. Give me the number and I'll call him. I'll explain the situation that we're all interested in a chaste encounter and if he's up for it he's more than welcome."
Penny parked and killed the engine. "Sounds good to me." She really liked Devon and hoped he'd come out. Maybe he'd bring a friend for Amy. At the very least she'd have to take the neurobiologist shopping for some appropriate clothes for the martini lounge. Somehow wool tweed never quite made the fashion list in LA. "Howard's going to have a fit over the whole thing."
Amy nodded. "Not everyone can have a cool head like Sheldon."
"You got it, sistah," Penny smiled as both women got out of the car. "Although it'd be nice to figure out a way to warm it up a little."
"From what I learned at Cub Scouts before I was unceremoniously thrown out it takes gentle coaxing to get the spark to catch fire," said Amy as she held the glass door open for Penny to enter. "In your case the spark's already there and I dare say there's a little flame. Keep adding fuel but don't smother it and don't blow too hard or you'll put it out."
Penny sighed. "I know, I know. 'Baby deer. Baby deer.'" Amy raised an eyebrow.
"'Baby deer'?"
"It's a long story…."
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It was a pain in the ass getting up so early but as she had extra bills to pay this month in the form of car rentals Penny took the extra shift when it became available. Taking a last swig of coffee she was heading to the door when it struck her—the purse! She dashed into her bedroom and dug out the handbag she used at the bachelorette party. Sure enough she found the crumpled napkin with Devon's number. With a smirk on her face she grabbed her current purse and headed for the door. She'd call Amy on break and—At once Penny frowned. No, she couldn't take a chance losing the number. She'd call when she got home. Looking for a spot she lifted up her key bowl and placed the napkin underneath. It'd remind her to call as soon as she got in.
Besides, she seemed to remember that Amy was going to be busy with Raj today.
XxX
"Do you mind?" Amy asked as she leaned into Raj. He swallowed nervously and shook his head. She flashed a quick smile. "You're acting virginal. I've done this before and I'm sure you have at one point or another so stop worrying and come closer." Tentatively Raj closed his eyes and obeyed.
"Baby," Amy chided as she stuck a medical electrode to his temple. She peeled the backing of another and placed it on his other temple before attaching the wires. "Now this won't record the full synaptic response but it will give us a look-see into that pretty little brain of yours." She sat down and adjusted some controls before she turned on a voice recorder.
"Experiment four five three. Commenced on oh five, twenty second, twelve at thirteen thirty seven hours. Subject Rajesh Koothrappali. Age twenty eight.
"Premise: to explore the parameters of subject's selective mutism towards women not related to him. Test one will be the control setting as there will be no alcohol-based stimulant." Amy pulled out a set of cue cards. "The questions and statements are preselected. I shall begin with a salutation. Hello Rajesh."
The astrophysicist opened his mouth to respond but failing to make a sound he bashfully waved a 'hello'.
"Subject has attempted and failed to respond. Coloration noted on cheeks. Increase in heart rate and—ooo boy. You're thinking faster than a politician at a press conference." She flashed a little smile. "At least we know you're not deficient upstairs." She glanced at her card. "Query section one: What is your full name and occupation?" Raj couldn't meet Amy's eyes. "Where is your place of work?" He looked at his hands. "What is your current area of research?" Raj gave an apologetic smile.
"All right Rajesh, we'll switch to an argument format. Statement One: Star Trek is not a detriment to science. Defend."
Raj's eyes opened wide in surprise at the topic. He took in a breath of air only to let it out. He shook his head.
"Statement Two: Reading comic books isn't a waste of time. Defend." A frown crossed his brow but still he said nothing.
"Statement Three: Sex and the City mocks the idea of feminine bonding. Defend." At this Raj veritably bounced in his seat.
"End of test one." Amy turned and pulled out a bottle of rum and a shot glass from a paper bag. "Test two: subject will be given one ounce of rum and will be retested on preset queries." She poured and set out the glass in front of Raj. Almost immediately he downed the glass.
"Hello Amy. My name's Rajesh Ramayan Koothrappali. I'm an astrophysicist at Caltech University where I'm currently working with Dr. Sheldon Cooper on string theory implications of gamma rays from WIMP annihilations. Star Trek has brought forth many ideas to the real world such as communicators/cell phones, the advancement of artificial intelligence, matter-antimatter power generation and the idea that hot chicks can be respected scientists. As for comic books, they promote literacy and stimulate the imagination and prove that hot chicks can be respected crime fighters. As for Sex and the City if you haven't laughed, cried and rejoiced with Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda your heart is truly stone." Raj let out a big breath to calm himself before clasping his hands on the table. "So, what else do you want to talk about?" he said with a suave smile. "Maybe dinner after we're through here?"
"Fascinating," remarked Amy as she wrote in her notebook.
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Knock Knock Knock "Penny."
Knock Knock Knock "Penny."
Knock Knock Knock "Penny."
"Door's open Sheldon."
He turned the knob and stepped into the apartment. Immediately he frowned as he saw a bunch of magazines strewn about the coffee table and couch. Granted, he'd won one battle as she now put her clothes in the laundry hamper and hung them up immediately after being laundered but he still had a way to go before winning the war.
"Our dinner has arrived and you didn't answer your phone," he said.
"Ok, I'll be done in a sec," she replied from her bedroom.
Good Lord she's left garbage on the stand. Sheldon made note to purchase a little garbage can to put by the door. With pursed lips he picked up the empty gum package although he refused to touch the Kleenex. He spotted a napkin under the key bowl and made to use it to grab the contaminated object.
"I hope you've gathered your costume for ComicCon this weekend. We'll coordinate tomorrow evening after work…." Sheldon said, voice trailing. Odd. He noted the napkin had a man's name on it. Even more peculiar was that it had a telephone number written underneath. Sheldon turned the napkin over and read the name of the bar.
"I swear if I have to kill everybody from the factory floor on up there will be a standard shoe size in America," grumbled Penny as she neared her bedroom door. Sheldon quickly replaced the napkin under the key bowl and left the gum package next to it. "You guys have it so easy: standard clothes, standard shoes, standard pricing for hair cuts. It's a conspiracy I tell you." She crossed the room to her boyfriend and gave him a light kiss. She stood back and looked at him. "What's wrong?"
"Our food is getting cold," he said evenly. Penny rolled her eyes as she ushered him out the door with her hand.
"Got a question for you Penny," said Leonard as the couple entered 4A. "Charlie Brown trying to kick the football held by Lucy: perpetual optimism or failure to calculate statistical data?"
"How 'bout good ol' stubbornness?" she replied as she sat down on the couch. "Like heck he'd let that witch get the best of him. I wouldn't." She took the food container from Howard. "Thanks."
Leonard cocked his head to the side. "Never even considered that." Raj whispered in Howard's ear, causing the engineer to smile.
"Probably because on some level it requires a self esteem," Howard interpreted. Leonard flashed Raj a sneer.
Howard passed Sheldon his chicken satay and mi krop. "For you."
"Thank you," Sheldon said in a quiet voice. He looked to his roommate. "Extra peanuts?"
"Of course," replied Leonard.
"Napkin?" Penny asked as she held one out to her boyfriend. There was a pause before he took it.
"Well I still say Charlie Brown's an optimist," said Leonard as he opened his food container. "He knows success isn't necessary as long as he's striving to attain his goal."
"You'd almost think he's a perfectionist. It'd break his record if he ever did kick it," smirked Howard. Again Raj whispered in his ear. "Of course we have a prime example of a perfectionist sitting in this very room." Sheldon quit chewing as he felt four sets of eyes on his person.
"I most certainly am not," he said defensively. "Perfectionists have a persistent compulsive drive toward unattainable goals and valuation based solely in terms of accomplishment. Furthermore they reject the constraints of human ability." A pause. "My goals are not unattainable."
"So tell me homo novus, have you found your unifying formula for the creation and structure of the universe? while pursuing your Nobel Prize?" asked Howard innocently and received a glare in response.
"In Sheldon's defense perfectionists tend to delay ambitious projects rather than fail," offered Leonard. "He's had setbacks and hasn't let them get the best of him."
Howard thought about it for a moment. "True, he did try to mount a campaign to save Firefly."
"And cancel Babylon 5 at the end of Season One," added Leonard.
"And won me over in spite of himself," grinned Penny.
"It helps when he dials down the Vulcan—unless you're into analytically detached sensuality," said Howard to Penny before taking a bite of his noodles.
"As an assertive woman I'm sure if Penny were dissatisfied with me she'd confront me rather than seek solace elsewhere," scowled Sheldon.
"Umm, that's not what I meant," Howard said awkwardly.
"Besides, where am I supposed to find someone better than you?" Penny said soothingly.
"They're coming along with cloning technology every day," quipped Leonard. "Sheldon'd be his own rival."
The lanky physicist set down his food container. He began to wipe his hands with his napkin before stopping to regard the object. "Achieving a serial immortality like in 'The Prestige' is intriguing," he admitted. "Although killing any incarnation of me would be a detriment to the human race."
"Trust me, one Sheldon is more than enough," said Howard. "I think the first person you'd clone is Leonard Nimoy. You still have that napkin, right?"
"Of course I do," replied Sheldon.
"DNA's all primed and ready to go," grinned Penny as she remembered her boyfriend's reaction to her Christmas gift. She knew she'd be hard pressed to ever top it.
"Indeed," Sheldon replied although at this moment there was another napkin he'd extract the DNA from first.
XxX
Knock Knock Knock "Leonard."
Leonard squinted at his clock.
Knock Knock Knock "Leonard."
Twelve fifteen. It was definitely a twelve at any rate.
Knock Knock Knock "Leonard."
"What is it, Sheldon?" The door opened and his roommate entered. "Let me guess, you can't sleep." Sheldon was still a moment before turning to go.
"I'm disturbing you."
"Sheldon, I'm awake now. Tell me what's going on," sighed Leonard as he reached for his glasses. Again Sheldon froze, his hand on the door knob, before he faced his friend.
"I'm confused about something."
"Uh huh," coaxed Leonard.
"I'm correct to assume that Penny and I have established a formalized relationship?"
"Yes, though I believe 'seeing each other' is the colloquial term," Leonard smirked as he propped up his head with his pillow.
"Then why would she need a man's name and number on a cocktail napkin?"
The shorter man's smile vanished. "What are you talking about?"
Sheldon shuffled his weight from one foot to the other, obviously uncomfortable with the topic. "I was at Penny's and noticed what I took to be refuse under her key bowl. It turned out to be a souvenir from 'Devon'."
Leonard's tongue rubbed the side of his cheek. "It must be old. I mean when has she had the chance to go out and meet anyone?"
"It wasn't there before, of that I'm sure." Again Sheldon paused. "Why would she keep it unless she was planning to call?"
"Ok, don't panic. After all we don't even know who this guy is. He could be a new coworker—"
"It's written on a cocktail napkin."
"Or old friend—"
"Who happened to be carrying a cocktail napkin."
"Sheldon, what do you want me to say? Penny's not cheating on you. She wouldn't do that."
"I never said she was," the lanky man said indignantly. "I was just curious as to why she had the number in such a prominent place in her apartment."
"Ri-ght. What was I thinking?" said Leonard as he rolled his eyes. "Look, she picked you ok? She came back because of you. Hell she left because of you to begin with. There's nothing to be worried about." He leaned on an elbow to sit himself up. "If it bothers you, talk to her."
"I can't do that," Sheldon said at once.
"And why not?"
"I don't want to sound as if I'm—troubled."
Leonard sighed. "You are troubled by this."
"You know what I mean," muttered Sheldon.
"Look, this all boils down to one thing: do you trust Penny?" Leonard said seriously.
Sheldon straightened. "Of course I do."
Leonard gave a little smile. "Then your insecurities are irrelevant."
"I just wish I understood why they exist in the first place."
"You like her. A lot. It's scary stuff being that open to someone." Leonard threw back the covers and slid his legs to a sitting position. "Any time you feel yourself panic just remember you trust her. Make it a mantra if you have to."
Sheldon nodded. "I should get to bed. Goodnight Leonard."
"'Night Sheldon." Leonard ran a hand through his hair. "Glad one of us can sleep," he muttered as he got up to use the washroom.
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Penny had a frown on her face as she paused her 'Sex and the City' dvd and looked at the VCR clock. Ten twelve.
"Where the frak is he?" she muttered to herself. She resumed the dvd although her mind was elsewhere. After stewing for an additional five minutes she again paused the dvd and got up. It had been over an hour since she'd gotten home. They were supposed to assemble their ComicCon costumes tonight. So where the hell was Sheldon?
She crossed the hall and tried the handle but the door to 4A was locked.
"Huh." Penny knocked but no one came to the door. Her jaw jutted to the side as she thought about where Leonard and Sheldon could be. The gang had been at the Cheesecake Factory as per usual and her boyfriend didn't say anything about going out afterwards.
Back in her apartment she grabbed her phone.
Where R U? she texted Sheldon.
Five minutes later she got an answer but not what she'd expected.
I'm preoccupied so will talk with you tomorrow. Goodnight Penny.
Penny dropped the phone on the pillow next to her and took up the remote. He hadn't told her where he was. Not that he had to. It was just weird for him to cut a conversation short. She began chewing on her lip. He practically dismissed her. After she rushed home to work on their frakken costumes so he could cross it from his list of things to do. That did not sit well with her. At all.
It was a little after eleven when she heard the sound of keys jangling in the hallway. Scowl on her face she opened the door to find a surprised Leonard turning towards her.
"Hey Leonard. Where's Sheldon?" she asked. She was aiming for a nonchalant voice but the best she mustered was mildly annoyed.
Leonard was confused. "At home. I assumed he was going to hang out with you tonight." He quickly opened the door but instead of finding his roommate dead on the floor from a home invasion or heart attack the room was empty; the hall light was on as it always was when one friend had gone to bed while the other was out.
Relieved, he turned back to Penny. "I think he's asleep." Penny frowned.
"That's weird."
"Why's that?"
"Because he texted me about an hour ago telling me he was 'preoccupied'"-here she used finger quotes-"and that we'd talk tomorrow." She folded her arms across her chest. "Why didn't he just say he was tired?"
"Maybe he was too tired to say he was—tired," Leonard said nervously. Immediately Penny's eyes narrowed on her neighbor.
"What's going on, Leonard?"
"What? You know how crazy Sheldon thinks sometimes. Once he texted me that he finally got the third 'Matrix' film. Pure madness." He began cleaning his thumbnail with his key.
"Leonard…."
He raised his head. "Penny, if things were reversed and I was dating your roommate how comfortable would you be telling me something she said to you in confidence?"
Penny was stunned. She certainly hadn't expected that to come out of Leonard's mouth.
"What's wrong?" she breathed. Suddenly she felt her skin grow cold. "He isn't having second thoughts about us, is he?"
"God no," Leonard said quickly. "Far from it, Penny. He's feeling a little vulnerable right now. You know he's only been in one other relationship and I don't think we can call what happened with Amy exactly 'typical'."
"Can't you at least give me a hint?" she pleaded.
Leonard was sympathetic. "Something happened and he isn't sure how to interpret it."
"What did I do?" Penny wracked her brains as she thought over the previous night.
"You didn't do anything. It's all him," Leonard said.
"Crap on a cracker," she muttered. "I can't even buy a break." Penny sighed. "Thanks for the heads up. And Leonard—I know you'd tell me if something was really wrong."
He flashed a little smile. "There's only so much loyalty I can give the 'Roommate Agreement'."
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The apartment door opened and Penny entered. With a determined stride she made her way to Howard on the couch and held out her hand.
"Give it," she ordered.
"Yes, my queen," he replied as he offered both the game controller and his seat. Penny settled in the spot and began playing Halo.
The room was silent save for the clicking of buttons. After a couple of minutes Leonard dared clear his throat to speak.
"You didn't come over last night," Penny said to the television screen.
"I was busy," replied Sheldon who sat in his usual spot.
"You live across the hall not in Burbank."
"I was at my whiteboard."
"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Yeah I get it," said Penny through pursed lips.
Leonard logged off and nudged Raj with his foot. "Maybe we'll go for a walk."
Howard had some color on his cheeks as he looked from Penny to Sheldon. "But this is my first fight." Raj frowned as he slapped his friend on the arm before standing up. "Fine, but I call dibs by the door."
"We'll just let you two—we're just going," stammered Leonard as he and the others made their way into the hall and closed the door.
"All right, what gives? You were all gung ho on Monday to get our costumes together last night and then you're a no-show," said Penny as her Halo persona changed weapons before moving towards the blown out tower where she knew Sheldon would be.
"I was preoccupied," replied Sheldon. He'd spent a good part of the day thinking about what Leonard had said and took the evening to map out why he felt threatened by a mere napkin. His 'worry' was not warranted yet it continued to persist; there was nothing wrong with his logic so this hollowness he felt in his chest had to be emotional in origin. He'd hoped to contact Amy tomorrow for advice but obviously that plan had fallen to the wayside. Instead he'd have to wing it.
His avatar crouched behind a burned out wall and aimed his sniper rifle towards the tower. He knew Penny would think to look for him there.
"'Preoccupied' enough to skip preparations for ComicCon? Hell no." Sheldon frowned but said nothing. "I'm asking you a second and final time: what's wrong?" She could sense him hesitate. "I swear Sheldon it's probably not as bad as you think."
"Who's Devon?"
On the other hand…. Penny's jaw cocked to the left at the question but she kept her voice nonchalant. "He's a guy we met at the bachelorette party." She started moving her avatar to the left looking for Sheldon.
"I see." Silence. "I noticed you kept his number."
Penny paused the game. "Is there something you're trying to say, Sheldon?"
"Not really. I'm sure there's a completely logical reason why you kept the number of a man you only met once at a bar." He resumed the game.
"Actually there isn't. I totally forgot I had it until Amy brought it up." Penny fired a few rounds at the tower and kept circling. "I left it out so I'd remember to call and give it to her."
Sheldon was stunned. "Why would Amy want his number?"
"She has an itching to go out dancing again and wanted to invite him along. He's a nice guy."
"So far as you know given your inebriated state at the time you met," he amended.
"I guess," shrugged Penny. "When you meet someone you kind of have to go by feel, y'know?"
"As I have little experience with alcohol I'll have to take your word for it." Sheldon was getting antsy and began moving his character to the left. A tracer bullet zipped over his head and he turned only to get shot in the chest and shoulder. He glared at his girlfriend.
"I knew that you knew that I knew you'd be at the tower," she said with a wry smile. "Leonard might have complained I wasn't well-read but I can definitely read you." She paused the game and put the controller on the table. "I'm going to count this one as a freebie, Sheldon. Next time you let something drag out like this I'm junior rodeo, got it?"
"Alright," he said after a moment. Penny nodded and gave him a quick kiss and stood up.
She tried not to be annoyed as she heard a set of feet scurrying away from the door and down the stairs just as she was leaving.
Wolowitz was a dead man.
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Now that they were finished dinner Sheldon moved his whiteboard into a prominent position so the list could be easily read by the room's occupants.
"Nothing like good, clean, wholesome, regimented fun," grinned Howard. Sheldon gave him a glare.
"Please refrain from gibber-jabbering. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation." The lanky man grabbed a bundle of stapled packets and distributed one to each person. "As you can see I've laid out a structured itinerary for our weekend. Penny, you'll note your package is edited since you won't arrive at the convention until Friday evening."
"A whole day of missed fun," Penny said in mock pout. Leonard flashed her a quick smile.
"Don't worry, we'll have more than enough to do on the weekend proper." He laughed at Penny's eye roll.
"If we're all finished," said an annoyed Sheldon. "Right, page one details our route including designated rest stops so please train your bladder accordingly." Here he looked at Raj, who blushed. "Further down we have registration details for both the hotel and the convention proper. Once we're 'official' as they say, we can have lunch before familiarizing ourselves with the layout so we can operate on Saturday at maximum efficiency."
Leonard sighed as he flipped through the itinerary. "Sheldon, we've been going for eight years. The layout doesn't vary that much from year to year."
"Yes Leonard, but the last thing I want is to miss a prime viewing spot for the Star Trek 2 presentation because of you dismissing that 'much'." Sheldon turned back to his whiteboard as Raj whispered in Howard's ear.
"Maybe while we're there we can exchange Sheldon for an authentic Vulcan," Howard interpreted.
"You mean half-Vulcan," corrected Sheldon.
"Wait, wait, you mean Zachary Quinto's going to be there?" asked Penny, suddenly interested in the conversation. The chemistry his Spock had with Uhura made the first film that much spicier.
"So is Chris Pine," added Leonard. "The new Captain Kirk," he said when Penny drew a blank.
"Don't forget the Q and A with the Next Generation cast," reminded Howard.
"Aw man, am I going to miss that?" pouted Penny. Not that she was so much a NG fan as she liked to hear actors talk about their craft. She'd be all over the 'Inside the Actor's Studio' were it not for that short balding guy with the glasses hosting.
Sheldon frowned. "People, you're jumping all over the place. Time is linear and so is the itinerary. Penny as you can see the Star Trek presentations take place on Saturday. But I'm digressing since we're still on Friday."
"'The Hobbit' preview is later on in the afternoon," Howard said, more to annoy Sheldon than to provide information.
Penny turned to Leonard. "You still have that ring?"
"So, Friday?" said a blushing Leonard. The ring was still a sore point among the guys.
Somehow Sheldon was losing control of the situation. "According to her schedule Penny will arrive around seven o'clock. At seven thirty there's an interesting seminar on replicator technology."
"Speaking of interesting seminars I want to go to the slasher flick one on Sunday," said Howard. He noted Penny's curious look. "It's called 'Fornicate and Die: Slasher flicks promote abstinence in young adults'."
She thought this over and started to laugh. "That's so true!"
"Penny!" Sheldon chastised.
"Sorry," she blushed.
Sheldon closed his eyes and swallowed to control himself.
"Count me in," she whispered to Howard.
"What, in the fornicating or the seminar?" he said with a grin. Penny stuck out her tongue.
"Guys, Sheldon's about ready to have an aneurysm," said Leonard as he indicated his roommate. Sheldon's face was a series of twitches.
"Oh no, Leonard. Let's let whimsy dictate our trip even though the convention runs on a regimented schedule," he said hysterically. "While chaos reigns supreme we can buy Babylon 5 souvenirs at the vendors' promenade and spend our nights praising Ben Affleck through rousing rounds of filking." He stormed from the room.
"What's 'filking'?" asked Penny.
"Science fiction meets folk music," answered Howard. He hadn't expected Sheldon to leave like he did. The silence was unexpected—and nice.
"Ah," she said as she got out of her seat. "Sheldon," she called while walking down the hall. "Come on Moonpie." Hearing nothing she knocked at his door. "Sheldon."
"Go away," came the response. Penny opened the door to find Sheldon sitting on his bed with a scowl on his face.
"Come on sweetie. We'll be good. I promise. Well maybe not for Howard," she amended. Sheldon folded his arms over his chest and turned away. Penny sighed. "Unless you want me to violate your 'no one can be in my room' policy you better talk to me."
"Penny, ComicCon is only once a year. I look forward to it and want to experience as much as possible. Just going willy-nilly means missed opportunities and I won't stand for that."
"Fair enough," she said seriously. "I'm sorry." At her tone he looked at his girlfriend. She held out her hand and smiled.
Silently Sheldon rose from the bed and let her lead him into the living room.
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A/N: Hokey smokes! No Wikipedia references!
Thanks for reading!