*Here we go! I have no idea how long this story is going to be, I'm just writing until I feel it's finished. It should be interesting! Thank you for joining me on this journey! A special thank you goes out to misssnapepotterscamander for your WONDERFUL comments! You made my day!

*Chapter 3*

Penny shivered at the touch of his hand in her hair. It had felt so good, she had to keep herself from leaning into his hand. Sheldon, a total romantic, and knowing how to treat a girl right? Who would have thunk it? She needed to get things back on track, so she didn't fall head over heels for her favorite wackadoodle before the date was even over.

"So, Sheldon, what was all that back there with David?"

Sheldon quickly cleared his head "Oh, that? David's daughter was in a car accident involving a drunk driver two years ago, along with his wife, who unfortunately, did not survive the crash. I helped him get in touch with the proper medical personnel to assist. I don't feel comfortable discussing his daughter's medical records without his express agreement. I'm sorry, Penny, but I can't give you any details. I hope you understand."

"Of course, I understand. That is very thoughtful of you. Can I ask you something else?"

"Naturally, you may ask me anything you wish."

Penny chewed on her lip. It was a bad habit whenever she was nervous. Sheldon was shocked to find there was a part of him that wanted to reach out and pull the lip away from her teeth. He wanted to rub the sting away with his thumb, and he even wanted to kiss her, which was a strange new sensation. Something must have shown on his face because Penny was tilting her head and staring at him quizzically.

"Why do you own a limo?"

"Oh!" Sheldon cleared his head "Well, that's easy. Years ago, Leonard, Raj, Howard, and I rented a limo for a University function. To say it was filthy is an understatement. Leonard had found it online, and didn't thoroughly check the company first. Suffice to say, I refused to ride in it. We ended up taking Leonard's car, and it soured the mood for the evening. The next day, I bought a limo, and set up a contract with a local company. Now we always have a clean limo, waiting at our disposal."

Penny had to take a moment to process that. She laughed "Sheldon, you are the only person I know, that would go a buy a limo for personal use just so it would always be clean." she smiled gently at him to take any sting out of her words "So, am I the first girl you have taken out in your limo?"

Sheldon rolled his eyes and gave her an exasperated look "Penny, you know you are."

Penny laughed again "I know, sweetie, I was just teasing you a bit." She patted his thigh next to hers. "So, where are you taking me, Moonpie?"

"Only my Meemaw calls me Moonpie. You know that."

More laughter "Yes, sweetie, I know."

Sheldon huffed, he had to keep up appearances after all. If she knew how much he loved it when she called him 'Moonpie', then she would know exactly how much power she held over him. "If you must know, we have dinner reservations at the Greenleaf, and then we'll head across the street to the Pantages Theatre to see a showing of 'The King and I'." Sheldon blushed.

Penny was flabbergasted. No one had ever taken her on such a nice date. Most guys just took her out to a cheap diner and maybe to a bar for a bit of drinking and dancing. "How did you get tickets on such short notice?"

He shrugged in reply "I hold season seats. They come in handy. If there is something I want to see, I already have tickets. If there is a show that I'm not interested in, I can always give the tickets to someone else. It's a great way to butter up Gablehauser or one of the other department heads if I want something. I usually attend at least three shows per year. I keep five season passes, that way I can take whoever I want. My mother and Meemaw come up once a year to see something, and sometimes I take Missy if she's in town. It's just easier this way." He replied bashfully.

Before Penny could say anything else, the limo came to a stop. Sheldon opened the door, stepped out, and reached his hand back in to assist her. She gratefully took his hand and stepped out onto the pavement. The sun was setting, and the colors in the sky made a magnificent backdrop to the man in front of her. Without thought, she went up on her tip-toes and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Sheldon, you never cease to amaze me." Penny smiled.

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"Missy, you better not be pullin' my leg." Mary Cooper set a pitcher of fresh lemonade on the table and sat down.

"I'm not mama, I promise! But you can't say a word to Shelly, he'll know I told and he'll never confide in me again." Missy grabbed the pitcher and began pouring glasses for everyone.

"Now, Mary, don't you go puttin' your nose where it don't belong. You just let that boy figure this out on his own. If you go stickin' your oar in, he's libel to get spooked." Connie knew Mary had been praying for years that their little Shelly would find himself a nice young lady, but if there was one person she knew better than anyone, it was her Moonpie. He would buck at the first sign of interference.

"I'm not saying that I'm going to reserve the church or anything, I'm just talking about making a family trip to see him. After all, we usually go around this time of year anyway. This year we'll just happen to all go at the same time." Mary replied with a shrug.

"What if we invite him here instead? If we all fly to California, he'll know something is up. We need an excuse to get him to bring Penny here." Missy stirred a little extra sugar into her lemonade.

The three women sat quietly thinking for a moment. "I got it!" Connie exclaimed.

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The meal was delicious and the atmosphere was phenomenal. Penny was having the best time. Sheldon had reserved a secluded little booth table in the back corner, along the wall on a plush bench. All the food was farm to table, and Sheldon even arranged a tour of the kitchens. He had been there before and inspected them, but he wanted her to see for herself. It was sweet, but unnecessary. She didn't have the heart to tell him that she wasn't concerned about it. They had talked about all sorts of things, from new quests in Age of Conan, to a local LARPing group that Sheldon had considered checking out. They verbally mapped out a plan for paintball that weekend, and discussed the merits of adding a small corner bookcase to Penny's bathroom to store all her beauty products so they wouldn't litter the small counter around the sink. Sheldon was putting in extra effort into keeping the conversation light and easy, and she really appreciated it.

"So, which one did you like better, the chicken or salmon?" Penny was amazed when Sheldon agreed to split each dish in half so they could each try both. He insisted on cutting them in half himself so he could make sure they each received an equal portion. It was adorable.

"Hmmm. While the Salmon Filet had a lovely flavor, the Almond Crusted Chicken Breast was cooked to perfection. I would have to go with the chicken."

"I agree. I also really liked the hummus. Much better than the one we serve at work." Penny replied.

"I confess that I have yet to try the hummus at the Cheesecake Factory. Maybe I'll consider adding that to my order next week." He placed his napkin on the table next to his plate "If you are ready, I suggest we walk over to the theatre. I calculate that if we leave right now, we'll have twenty-two minutes to study the architecture, ten minutes to look in the gift shop, five minutes to use the washroom, and ten minutes to find our seats." Sheldon stood and held his hand out to help maneuver Penny out of the booth seat. They had sat next to each other during dinner, and it was more pleasant than he expected it to be. He could still smell the green apple shampoo she used on her hair, it teased his senses throughout dinner, but he found it quite enjoyable. Once she was standing, he wrapped her arm in his and settled her hand on his arm once again.

Sheldon kept his hand over hers which she found warm and comforting, and he held the door for her and placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her until they were outside. Once they cleared the door, he claimed her hand again and escorted her carefully across the street to the theatre. She was going to have a lot to write in her diary tonight.

Since Sheldon had been here many times before, and had an eidetic memory, it allowed him to ignore his surroundings and study the reverence on Penny's face as she took in the majesty of the theatre. Penny let go of his arm and stepped forward while looking at the octagram ceiling and the statues along the walls. She looked back at him in wonder.

"Sheldon, this is the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my life! Thank you so much for bringing me here." She walked back over to him and wrapped her arm around his. "Really, you have no idea how wonderful this whole evening has been."

"Your pleasure is all the thanks I require Penny. I wanted to show you that there is more to me than my love for comics, schedules, and science. Most people don't take the time to see past all that, and you have always made the extra effort to understand and accommodate me. You are my best friend. It is as complicated, and as simple, as that."

She smiled beautifully and tugged lightly on his arm. "Come on, Dr. Wackadoodle, show me the architecture of this place, I'm sure you know the history of the whole building. Just make sure to use small words so I understand you."

Sheldon smiled and allowed himself to be dragged away "I think I can manage that."

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Leonard looked at his watch, it was a quarter to eleven, and he was getting worried. Sheldon had a very strict schedule, which included getting to bed between nine and ten o'clock. Everyone knew his schedule, after all, he sent an email out each week. Raj and Howard had decided to stick around, because they wanted to see how the date went. Leonard wished they would leave so he could talk to Sheldon alone. He wasn't sure why Sheldon had gotten so upset earlier, he had said similar things in the past and it had never seemed to bother his crazy roommate before. Something must be up, there was no other explanation for it. Maybe it was payback for all the teasing about Amy and Stuart? Yes, that must be it. No way did Sheldon have a deal, and no way was he seriously interested in Penny. He grabbed a water out of the fridge and started back.

"Guys, are you sure you don't want to head out? It's getting late and we all have to get up early for work tomorrow." Leonard adjusted his glasses, sat back down on the couch, and twisted open his bottle.

"Are you kidding me? And miss grilling Sheldon about his date with Penny? No way, I'm staying here." Howard laughed.

"Sorry dude, he's my ride home." Raj said with sympathy. He could tell Leonard was on edge. He wasn't surprised though, while it had been a while since they had broken up, everyone knew Leonard still held a torch for Penny and was hoping they could get back together some day. Raj thought it was a waste of time, but he didn't want to hurt his friend's feelings.

"I'm just saying, I don't know what time he's getting home, and I'm thinking of going to bed." That was a lie, but he was hoping to confront Sheldon alone.

"You are free to go to bed if you like, Raj and I will be quiet, we can just pop in a movie and hang. We'll even make sure to lock up when we leave." Howard smiled and settled deeper into the couch.

Leonard wasn't going to bed until he spoke with Sheldon, and he wasn't much for confrontation, so he sighed and stood up. "Well, if we're going to watch something, let's at least take advantage of Sheldon not being here. Babylon 5?" He walked over to the bookshelf and grabbed his collector's edition blue ray.

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Sheldon helped her into the limo that was once again waiting outside for them. Penny sat down and looked around in panic. "Sheldon! What happened to the flowers you bought for me?"

Sheldon settled in his seat and placed a hand on her arm until she turned her head towards him. "Please don't be mad at me, but I gave David my spare key, and I asked him to take the flowers to your apartment while we were watching the performance. He is completely trustworthy. I did a complete background check and finger printing on all three drivers before hiring them. He had strict instructions on where to place each vase, and he would never even consider touching any of your personal items. You have my word."

Penny exhaled in relief. "I'm not mad, sweetie, I trust you, I was just worried. Thank you for doing that, I was a bit worried about how I was going to get all those flowers upstairs. But, poor David! That is a lot of stairs to go up and down."

"You concern for David is appreciated, but unwarranted. I hired the other two drivers to assist him. There were a lot of flowers after all." Sheldon leaned over and grabbed a small box off the small bar across from him and held it out to Penny. "I thought a little dessert might be in order."

Penny opened the box and smiled when she saw the two pieces cheesecake.

"I know you said our date couldn't be at the Cheesecake Factory, but I wanted to make sure you had your favorite. I didn't know what else you would like."

Penny leaned over and for the second time that evening, she kissed him on the cheek. This time however, Sheldon had moved his head slightly her way and her kiss landed on the corner of his mouth. She pulled back quickly, unsure if he would start ranting about germs. Instead, when she looked up, he was wearing a goofy crooked smile. He passed her a plastic fork, and gestured for her to dig in.

Sheldon tried to keep his smile from shining too brightly. She had kissed him. Granted, it was on the corner of his mouth, but it was still a kiss. And even more surprising, he wanted more. He wanted to explore her lips, and savor the taste of her chapstick. To press his lips against hers, and tangle his fingers in her hair. This was nothing like the fantasies he made up on Wednesday nights, alone in his bed. Oh no, this was so much better than he ever imagined. He could feel the endorphins rushing through his brain, the dopamine sprinting through his body, and the serotonin racing through his blood. It was a heady feeling, and he thought he now understood his fellow man on a more primal level. He could see why men throughout history had gone to extreme measures all for the love of a woman. He had scoffed at his colleagues in the past, but Penny had opened a door that he didn't think could be closed again. More than that, he wasn't sure he wanted it closed. She took a bite of the cheesecake and smiled at him. He smiled back. This was the best night of his life.

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Leonard paused the movie and signaled the guys to be quiet. He quickly stood up and tip-toed over to the door, Howard and Raj close behind. He could hear Penny laughing.

"Sheldon, you didn't!"

"I most certainly did! She refused to heed the sign on my bedroom door that strictly prohibited anyone else from entering. She thought that being my twin gave her rights that others did not possess. She was wrong."

"But filling her shampoo bottle with mayo? Really?" Penny laughed again "She must have been so mad!"

"Oh, she was. In retaliation, she set my comic book collection on fire. When mama found out, she sent us both to bed without supper. But you know what?"

"What?"

"Missy waited until everyone was asleep, snuck down to the kitchen, and brought up some food for the both of us. While we didn't always get along, we stuck together."

"Awww! That was sweet of her! It must have been so cool to grow up with a twin. I mean, I know it wasn't always the most fun, but to have a connection like that? I was never that close with any of my brothers. It would have been nice to have someone that just got me, you know?"

"Missy and I converse on a regular schedule, I will admit that it can be nice not having to explain why I do things the way I do. Sometimes she irritates me, but she's the closest family member I have, besides Meemaw that is."

"Sheldon, I had a great time tonight. Thank you again for a lovely date. I know it is past the time you usually go to sleep, but would you like to come in for a cup of hot cocoa before you go to bed? I would love to hear more stories about Missy and Meemaw."

"Why thank you, Penny, that would be lovely."

Leonard had heard more than enough. He opened the door quickly. "Oh! Hi, Penny." He thumbed over his shoulder "Raj and Howard were just leaving."

"No, we weren't." Howard interrupted. "Penny, might I say that you look absolutely delectable tonight." he waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

Raj quickly whispered in Howard's ear. "Alright, alright." Howard waved Raj away from him impatiently. "Raj says you look very beautiful, and he hopes you had a good time on your date with Sheldon." Raj nodded happily.

"Awww, thank you guys. I had such a wonderful time that I'm willing to overlook the 'delectable' comment from Howard." Penny replied with a bright smile.

"So, where'd you two kids go?" Howard asked.

Penny twined her arm with Sheldon's "Sheldon took me to dinner and to the Pantages to see 'The King and I'. It was a very romantic evening." She smiled up at Sheldon.

Leonard didn't like the way Sheldon was smiling down into Penny's upturned face, he didn't like that Sheldon could make her laugh, and he certainly didn't like Penny's arm wrapped around Sheldon's so tightly. "You know, Buddy, it's way past your bedtime, why don't you say goodnight to Penny, so we can all get some sleep, huh?"

Penny hated the way Leonard always talked to Sheldon like a child. She knew she could be guilty of the same thing time to time, but she would make it a point never to do so again. Before she could say anything, she watched as Sheldon took care of it for her.

"Thank you for your concern, Leonard," Sheldon almost sneered "but, I made sure to speak with Gablehauser earlier this evening. I have taken the next three days off so I can afford to stay up a bit later tonight. This also offers me the opportunity to spend more time with Penny over the next couple of days since I happen to know she is off for the weekend. I know you have to work in the morning, which is why I told you earlier that you didn't need to wait up for me. I would hate for you to lose out on much needed rest."

Raj and Howard just stood back with their eyes wide open, watching it all unfold in front of them. Neither one was going to say a word. Raj because he couldn't talk in front of Penny, and Howard, because he was hoping to see someone's head explode.

Leonard pushed his glasses back up and stood to his full height. "Sheldon, this is ridiculous. It is way past your bedtime, and you know you get cranky in the mornings if you don't get enough sleep. This is for your own good, now, say goodnight to Penny."

"You know what, Leonard? Shut up. I am sick and tired of listening to you talk to Sheldon like a two year old. Knock it off right now." Penny was quickly losing her temper with Leonard and his crap.

"Penny, I'm just trying to avoid problems in the morning. You know how he gets." Leonard tried to pacify her. She wasn't supposed to get mad at him. He was the good guy. Just because Sheldon acted normal for one night, did not mean he was suddenly changed. He was still the anal-retentive genius he always was, but in a suit.

Sheldon completely ignored Leonard's hissy fit and turned to the beautiful woman on his arm. "Penny, I suggest we adjourn to your apartment where we can drink hot cocoa, and we can see if you like the placement of flowers. If you don't, I am more than willing to move them wherever you want, but I have a feeling you will find the current set up to be astatically pleasing."

"Flowers?" Howard blurted out in confusion.

"Sheldon, can I speak to you for a moment?" Leonard said at the same time.

"Penny, will you excuse me? If you wish to get started on the hot cocoa preparations, I promise to be there in a minute to help."

"Of course, sweetie." She turned her head "Howard? Raj? Thank you again, for the compliments. Have a good night!" Penny smiled at the boys, Howard could be disgusting at times, but she also knew he was fairly harmless. Raj was just a sweetheart, she wished she could find a way to help him with his talking to girls problem. She glanced at Leonard and dropped her smile. "Leonard." She acknowledged with a nod and turned toward her apartment.

Sheldon stood his ground, which forced Leonard to shuffle over with his shoulders all tense, and wringing his hands as he was wont to do. Sheldon tilted his head and studied his former best friend. Beverly had been right on many accounts, Leonard's insecurities and lack of self-confidence really worked against him, and while Sheldon could certainly use that to his advantage (after all, he had done so before), he knew that if he really wanted to be with Penny, he would need to do it the right way. No shortcuts. "Leonard, what is it you wish to speak about?"

Leonard waved his hands, indicating all of Sheldon, and gestured to include Penny's apartment. "This! All of this! Seriously, Sheldon, what were you thinking?"

Sheldon restrained from rolling his eyes. Typical Leonard, with his non-specific queries. "If you are referring to my date with Penny, I fail to see why it should concern you. I happen to like Penny very much. I have since the day I met her. Just because I didn't 'call dibs' and claim that 'our babies will be smart and beautiful' doesn't mean I didn't have feelings for her. I just happen to have more respect for women, and don't feel the need to express my emotions as openly as you do."

Leonard wasn't sure what to do now. Sheldon was predictable, you could set your clock to him. Literally. But in one day, with one date, he seemed to be a completely different person. Maybe if he appealed to Sheldon's logical side. "Buddy, I'm just worried about you. Best friends do that, they worry about each other. Let's face it, Penny isn't known for long term relationships, I would hate to see her take advantage of you. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

Sheldon held up his hand to stop Leonard "Leonard, allow me to respond, one point at a time. First, the title of best friend was transferred to Penny after the disastrous trip to the Artic. Second, Penny had a long term relationship, that is how she wound up in California to begin with, granted, it didn't end well, but I would definitely categorize four years as long term. Third, she has never taken advantage of me, but we both know that you have no compunction whatsoever about doing that yourself. What was it that my Meemaw used to say? Something about those that live in glass houses?" he tapped his chin as if in thought, then stared down his nose at his roommate "I have no interest in entertaining your false concern a moment longer. Now, if you'll excuse me, my date is waiting on me. Goodnight Howard, Raj. Leonard, I'm sure I'll see you tomorrow."

Sheldon walked away, unaware of the astonished stares behind him.

Howard looked at Leonard, who seemed to be frozen to the spot. He glanced over at Raj in question, who shrugged in return. "Well, I guess Raj and I will be off then. See you tomorrow at work!" Howard scurried down the stairs.

Raj stepped over to Leonard and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry dude. I'll see you tomorrow." Leonard didn't even acknowledge him, so Raj turned and walked down the stairs after Howard.

Leonard stood like that for a few minutes before his head finally cleared. "What the hell just happened?" He called out to the empty hallway in exasperation.

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"Is it heated to precisely one hundred and sixty-five degrees?"

"Let me double check the candy thermometer. Yep."

"Did you use the hot cocoa my Meemaw sent you?"

Penny rolled her eyes "Yes, would I bother to serve you anything else?"

"I suppose not. Do you have the mini-marshmallows that I like?"

"Yes, sweetie, I have them right here." Penny passed him a jar filled with mini-marshmallows. She turned and grabbed the kettle off the stove then poured the milk into the mugs. She took out the canister of hot cocoa his Meemaw had sent her, and placed two scoops into each mug. She was pretty sure the cocoa mix was just name brand cocoa, but Sheldon truly believed that his Meemaw's hot cocoa was some sort of magic, and who was she to dissuade him? She gave each mug a good stir and passed one across the island to him. He smiled as he placed four marshmallows in his mug.

"Thank you, Penny, this is the perfect way to end the evening." He took a sip and sighed in happiness. It tasted perfect, just like his Meemaw used to make it for him. "You know, quite unintentionally, you have also provided me with a hot beverage to comfort me after being angry with Leonard."

Penny laughed "I guess you're right, and since I was also mad at Leonard, this can comfort me too."

They both sat quietly at the island and drank their cocoa. Sheldon kept thinking over his conversation with Leonard. "Penny, may I ask you something?"

"Of course! Ask me anything."

"Why haven't you participated in any long term relationships since you moved to this apartment?"

Penny wasn't sure where this came from. How to answer? "How about we sit down on the couch, and I'll do my best to explain it to you?"

"I find that to be acceptable." Sheldon got up and carefully carried his mug of hot cocoa to the couch. He reached over and placed two coasters out for their use.

Penny got comfortable and took a sip of her cocoa. "Kurt was my first real boyfriend. We had all these big plans to come to Hollywood and become big stars. When we got here, everything seemed to be going very well, until I found out he was cheating on me. Four years of being faithful to him and doing whatever I could to please him, only to find out that he'd been cheating on me with multiple women. Not only that, but I found out he'd been doing it all throughout our relationship. That's when I realized that I was nothing more than a big ol' five to him. It really messed me up. It's just easier to keep things light, that way nobody gets hurt."

Sheldon thought about that for a while. "Can I ask you another question?"

Penny was getting nervous, usually if Sheldon didn't comment directly on what you said, that meant he was dissecting it. She wondered what he would find once he finished dissecting her. "Ask away."

"You broke up with Leonard because he wanted you to be someone else, he wanted you to be what he wanted, and not who you already are, correct?"

"Well, basically, yes. I thought Leonard was one of the good guys, then I found out he just wanted to be able to show me off like a trophy on his arm, but I wasn't smart enough for him, and he didn't think I was smart enough to see right through him. It made me feel like crap."

Sheldon finished off his hot cocoa and set his mug down on his coaster. "I know that at times I have made you feel less than what you are, and I am sorry for that. I don't want to change you, I like you just the way you are. Even when you push me out of my comfort zone, and even when you refuse to follow my rules. Maybe even especially then. You are like a hurricane to my carefully structured heart, chaos to my logic. I have no interest in any other women. Based off the failures of Kurt and Leonard, I can imagine you would find it difficult to trust anyone else. That is the kind of person you are." Sheldon stood and held out his hands, when Penny placed hers in his, he pulled her up with him "But, Penny, I'm not going anywhere. If time is what you need to be sure a relationship with us will work, I have time." He took the initiative and kissed her on the cheek this time "Thank you for a lovely evening, I enjoyed your company immensely. If you are amicable, I would like to take you out for a late breakfast tomorrow. I thought maybe you would be interested in joining me for the afternoon, there is a LARP festival going on tomorrow. It is an hour drive, but they will have different LARPing groups there, along with people selling gear and crafts. It's kind of like the Renaissance Festival, but for LARPing. David has already agreed to drive us. Would you like to join me tomorrow?"

"Sheldon...I'm not sure..."

"I know you aren't a morning person, but I promise to bring you coffee."

Penny sighed. He was simply adorable. How was she going to resist him? Did she even want to? "Okay, I'll be ready at nine, but no earlier."

Sheldon smiled "Perfect."