*Thank you all for your lovely comments! I am amazed and humbled by the amount of kind words, bookmarks, and kudos this little story of mine has garnered. I am so thankful every day that there are people out there interested in reading what I write down. You are all amazing! Thank you for reading! *^.^*

*Chapter 7*

Dirk knocked on the apartment at 4A. He had just left Alice with Penny to get ready for their double date. The girls seemed very excited, and were quick to shoo him from the premises so they could get "All dolled up". Sheldon opened the door looking very flustered.

"Oh, thank goodness. You're here. Come in." Sheldon stepped back and waved his new friend into his apartment.

"Everything okay, Sheldon?" Dirk inquired.

"Certainly not. We arranged for this 'three star' date, and I don't have any 'three star' clothing!"

"Uh...I don't know what that means."

Sheldon explained about how he asked Penny out on a date for the first time, and how she explained the different dress codes for the different types of dates, based off the five-star rating concept. He mentioned how their date tonight would fall under the 'three star' rating, but all his clothes were for two and under, or four and above.

"I wouldn't worry about that, if you have both, then you can mix and match to create a 'three star' look."

"Can I? But how? I don't know anything about this kind of stuff, and usually Penny is the one that helps me in these situations." Sheldon wrung his hands nervously.

"No worries, I can help. Let's see what you got." Dirk followed Sheldon into his room and took a look in his closet. He wasn't a complete lost cause. Dirk had a similar collection of shirts, but he tended to lean towards jeans. He pulled out a few pieces and laid them out on the bed. Dirk then dug into Sheldon's dresser drawers. He was careful not to mess anything up, he just took out the pieces that he needed. He made a few adjustments to two of the outfits, then gestured to Sheldon. "Here you go, four 'three star' outfits to choose from."

Sheldon was flabbergasted. "How did you do that so quickly?"

"I live with someone who makes clothing for a living." He laughed "It's really easy once you get the hang of it. Just take a 'four star' shirt, and pair it with a 'two star' pair of pants, add a belt, tie, or vest, and voila! A 'three star' outfit. You could even pair a "two star' shirt with a 'four star' pair of pants. The objective is to mix pieces from each category so they complement one another."

Sheldon considered this as he looked at his options. He quickly set up the equations in his head, he calculated the men Penny had over at her apartment over the years, and eliminated any who didn't dress similarly to the outfits on his bed. He made a few mental adjustments for his own tastes "What if I switched that shirt with this one, and added that, and that?" He pointed to the pieces as he spoke.

Dirk was impressed. "I'd say I'll wait in the living room while you change. Looks like you have your 'three star' outfit." He patted him on the back and headed down the hallway.

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Penny was so excited for tonight. Yesterday morning, Alice and Dirk had invited Sheldon and Penny to come over to their house to watch some videos they shot at different Melvador events. They ended up spending the whole day together. It was funny, but somehow it felt like they had always been friends. Sheldon and Dirk had a lot in common, and got along great, and while Alice and Penny were fairly different, they somehow complimented one another.

The four of them sat in the living room and watched the short movies. It was interesting to see how Melvador operated. There was one video Penny liked more than any of the others, it was almost like a home movie. Everyone was running around and playing, then it would switch to a shot of breaktime. People were milling about, eating, exchanging stories and high fives. You could feel the happy energy of the group. Sheldon had lots of questions for Dirk regarding battle and different weaponry. After the video was over, the two of them headed out to Dirk's 'workshop' which was an old shed converted to fit his needs. Alice stood and led Penny into the kitchen where she poured them each a glass of wine.

"They'll be out there for a while, might as well get comfy!" Alice laughed.

They went back into the living room and sat on their couch. "If you don't mind me asking, how were you able to afford this place? It's gorgeous!" Penny had been amazed when she pulled into their driveway. They lived in a cute little colonial home with a yard full of grass, purple and yellow flowers, a wisteria tree, and it was all enclosed by a white picket fence. It was so adorable, but she knew how expensive houses like this were in Pasadena.

"It's easy, the house is already paid for." she was quick to clarify when she saw the look on Penny's face "It was Dirk's parent's house. About five years ago, they decided they wanted to travel, so they 'sold' us the house and got an RV, and they travel the country in it. The northern states in summer, and the southern states when it gets cold. They love it." She took a sip of her wine "Dirk and I had been saving for a house, so they gave us the house using a quitclaim deed, and we bought them the RV of their dreams." she paused "the kitchen is a bit smaller than I would like, but overall, I'd say it was a fantastic deal. Since we just have the utilities and property taxes to pay for, we've been able to put a large chunk into updating and renovating the house. It's pretty old, so it needed it."

Penny looked around her. All the rooms she had been in were light and had plenty of windows. The color scheme was very relaxing, lots of pale blues and yellows. The furniture was all basic, but comfortable, and there were bookshelves and side tables filled with all sorts of nerdy knick-knacks. It gave it a very homey look. "You've done a fantastic job. Don't get me wrong, I love my apartment, but I miss having a yard. I grew up on a farm with lots of land, so it's been weird." She turned and pulled her knee up on the couch so she was facing Alice a bit more, and relaxed into the couch "At first, it was so nice, because I didn't have to worry about yard work, mucking out stalls, feeding animals, or riding fences, but after a while, I started to miss it. I don't want to live on a farm again or anything, but I like being outside. Having a small yard where I could maybe plant a small garden would be nice."

"If you ever want to putz around in a yard, mine is always available. Right now, I pay one of the neighbor kids to mow the lawn. I'm usually holed up in my sewing room making costumes or clothing. If it wasn't for my stomach, I would forget to come out." Alice laughed.

"That sounds like Sheldon. There have been times where I've had to man-handle him into quitting his white board before his food got cold." she pondered that for a moment "Really, all the guys can get that way at times. I can't imagine being so wrapped up in something, that I tuned out the rest of the world."

"Dirk doesn't get it either. He loves what he does, but he doesn't get lost in it."

"Speaking of which, what do you think those two are up to? They've been out there a long time." Penny replied.

"With those two? It could be anything."

Penny chuckled internally when she thought about how they'd gone out to investigate, only to find Dirk giving Sheldon a lesson in the proper use of a sword. Alice pulled out two lawn chairs, and they gave the boys mostly helpful tips. Occasionally they would throw out a joke or innuendo, and would laugh when Dirk had to explain them to Sheldon. At the end of the day, Sheldon mentioned that he was talking to Dirk earlier about the date he had planned, and the two of them had solidified details, and had decided to make it a double date. Now Penny and Alice were in her room, picking out outfits and doing their hair and make-up.

"Girl, you got some serious style! Look at these shoes!" Alice was eagerly digging through Penny's closet.

"I have a small issue with retail therapy."

"Me too! We should form a club!" Alice laughed.

Penny looked through the pile of clothes and accessories Alice had brought over. "You've got some serious style as well! Look at this dress! It's gorgeous!" She held up a delicate pale pink dress with a sweetheart neckline and an illusion lace overlay going from the center of the sweetheart cut, up and outward in a 'V' shape to the outer edges of the shoulders, into lace butterfly sleeves. The dress had a two-inch waistband under the breasts, where it flowed down into a knee length handkerchief skirt with tiered lace overlay. The lace had a delicate flower pattern. It was beautiful.

Alice stood up and walked over to Penny, she wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "It's a good thing you like it, since I made it for you."

Penny's jaw dropped "You made this for me? When?"

Alice shrugged "This morning." she dropped her arm and fingered the skirt of the dress thoughtfully "It came to me in a vision last night after you left. I've actually had that material for a few years now. I bought it on sale thinking it would come in handy, but I just never had anything I wanted to use it for. Until now."

"Penny reached over and hugged Alice "Thank you so much!" she leaned back and looked at her sternly "But I'm paying you for this. It's only fair. This is how you make your living, you deserve to get paid for your time."

Alice waved away at her offer "Nonsense. I got that material on a steal. This is a gift, you can't pay me for a gift."

Penny placed the dress back on the bed carefully, held up a finger so Alice knew she'd be right back, then ran off into the other room. She came back with a small box and handed it to Alice. "Fine, but then you're accepting a gift from me in return."

Alice took the box and opened the lid. Inside was a set of five beautiful flower pins, one black, one midnight blue, one burgundy, one burnt orange, and one in a deep green.

"I call them Penny Blossoms. These are a set of new ones that I've been working on. They are a nicer version of my usual Penny Blossoms. I added a soft boa type backing, a feather, and a higher quality silk flower and gemstones. You wear them in your hair, but you could also clip them to an outfit or purse."

Alice looked up at her friend in astonishment "You made these?"

Penny blushed "Yes, the one's I normally sell are just the plain flowers with a gemstone, but I've been looking to expand my line. I haven't really sold a whole lot of them, it's mostly to friends and co-workers, but I've also made some sales on my online store."

"Would you consider making custom orders? I could sell these in our booth, but I'd want a variety of flowers, roses, gardenias, chrysanthemums, and others. Maybe you could add specific charms in place of some of the gemstones? And maybe you could make some of them into hat pins?" she asked excitedly.

Penny's eyes widened "Ummm...I could do that, but do you think people would buy them?"

"Absolutely! I can already picture it! If I draw up what I'm thinking of, could you make them?"

Penny shook her head quickly in amazement "Sure! I can do that!"

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Sheldon paced the hall nervously. Penny said they would meet in the hall precisely at 5:15pm, which gave them over an hour to get to the Castle. He wanted to be at the front of the line to get in, so they could get the best seats. He splurged on the Queen's Royalty Upgrade, so they would be guaranteed seating in the first two rows, but he wanted to make sure they could sit in their chosen knight's section. It was 5:13pm, he had two minutes. Two minutes to agonize over every detail. He had a plan, and while Dirk had assured him Penny would love it, he still felt on edge.

Penny's door opened, Sheldon checked the time, 5:15pm, right on the dot. He quickly took a breath and held it as Alice stepped out of the apartment, closely followed by Penny. His breath whooshed out of him, and he felt lightheaded. Penny was resplendent in a dress, so pale in its color, that it made her green eyes look darker and deeper than he'd ever seen them. It swished gently around her legs as she turned to lock the door. Her delicately strapped high heels dragged his eyes downward to her ankles wrapped in pale pink ribbons that matched her dress. As she turned back he forced his eyes to travel back up her form and to her face. She had minimal make up on, if any at all, and her hair was twisted up into a riot of soft curls pinned atop her head. She looked elegant, and there was a part of him that wished he was better at all this. Wished he was better for her. It was never something he'd cared about or given much thought to, but in this moment, he wished he knew more about this kind of stuff. He stepped over to her, held out his arm, and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Penny, you look stunning."

Penny had a hard time keeping her hands steady when she'd locked her door. When Alice had moved out of the way, she'd been overwhelmed with how handsome Sheldon looked. She'd never seen him like this before. He was wearing a dark pair of jeans that looked like they'd never been worn, a light blue-gray button up shirt with the sleeves folded up a quarter of the way, a leather belt, navy blue tie, and a gold chain pinned to his vest, looping down into a small pocket. The darker colors suited him. She was going to have a hard time keeping her hands off him tonight. Sheldon always looked handsome, even in his geeky layered shirts, but in this? He was hot with a capital 'H'.

She placed her hand on his arm and smiled up at him "Thank you. No one will even notice me with you standing there. You look very dapper and handsome." she squeezed his arm lightly, then frowned "I hope you don't feel like you have to dress up for me. I mean, I know I said you needed to dress up for certain types of dates, but I don't want you to feel like you have to dress a specific way to please me."

"Nonsense, Penny. Dirk assisted me with the concept of mixing and matching my clothes to make a 'three star' outfit for tonight, but I picked this outfit because I liked it. I would never keep any piece of clothing that I didn't like, I just happen to have a regular style I prefer for daily wear." He began leading them down the stairs "I'd like to point out however, that if the way I dress does please you, then that's just an added bonus."

Alice and Dirk smiled as they followed their friends down the stairs. Dirk leaned over to whisper to Alice. "You look stunning too."

Alice giggled "Thank you, you look very handsome as well." She flicked her eyes to Sheldon and Penny who were also chatting close together "You did a good job." she nodded her head in Sheldon's direction.

"I can't take full credit for that. I laid a few options out for him, and he mixed those up to get that."

They reached the bottom floor and walked outside. David was there waiting, holding open the limo door. "Good evening, Sir."

"Good evening David, how are you?" Sheldon inquired.

"I'm doing very well, thank you."

Penny smiled "Hi David!" she waved to their friends "These are our friends Alice and Dirk. Alice, Dirk, this is David."

They exchanged greetings and everyone piled into the limo. The four friends laughed and discussed what they were each looking forward to about their evening. Penny was most excited to see the jousting, Alice wanted to see the costumes, Dirk wanted an up-close look at the weaponry, and Sheldon wanted to see the falcons. They spent the drive chatting about nothing and everything all at once. Dirk and Sheldon were comparing different science theories and their corresponding articles, while Alice and Penny spoke of the current fashions and their favorite tv shows. When they finally arrived, Dirk and Sheldon stepped out first, so they could help both Alice and Penny in turn. Once Penny was on the sidewalk, she turned to stop David before he walked to the other side of the limo. She pulled a pair of small rectangular boxes out of her purse and held them out to him. "Here, these are for your girls. They're hair clips. I wasn't sure which colors they like, so I gave them each a small assortment." She watched as David opened the boxes, she had given each girl six Penny Blossoms, four regular ones, and two of her fancy ones.

"Thank you, I'm sure my girls will love these. It was very kind of you to think of them." He smiled brightly.

Sheldon overheard the conversation, and couldn't help but feel proud. He had the most genuinely nice woman he's ever met on his arm tonight. He stepped over and offered her his arm, he smiled down at her as she looked up at him with a gentle smile and placed her arm on his. It felt so natural to him now, he couldn't imagine shying away from her touch. He was beginning to crave it, and while the feeling was foreign, it wasn't completely unwelcomed. He took a breath to clear his head and turned to David. "We should be back in approximately three hours time."

Penny frowned "You don't wait out here the whole time do you?"

David smiled "No, Miss, Dr. Cooper told me I could go home to the girls. I'll be back before you get out."

"Oh, good."

David nodded to them and went around to the driver's side of the vehicle. They turned and walked up the sidewalk to the entrance. Sheldon looked around and the people gawking and leaned down close to whisper in Penny's ear "Why is everyone staring at us?"

Penny laughed "Sweetie, we just pulled up in a limo. Most people don't take a limo to go to Medieval Times."

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Sheldon and Penny stepped up after Dirk and Alice had finished being knighted. They were fighting when they stepped forward to stand before the King. "Why can't I be knighted too?" Penny asked irritatingly.

"Because you are a Queen, and a Queen can't be knighted." Sheldon's voice raised as he replied logically.

"Sheldon, that's only in Age of Conan." She furiously whispered back as her eyes darted around to those watching.

"A Queen you say? Pray, step forward." The King held his hand out for Penny, as she nervously took his hand and allowed him to assist her up onto the dais. "I am King Leopold the Great, and what may I call you, fair lady?"

Penny looked around nervously, and back at the man standing in front of her. He was taller than her, but Shorter than Sheldon, had black hair with a matching beard and was wearing a black set of robes with gold accents. Penny figured the only option was to follow the script set before her. She took a deep breath, mentally stepped into the role and curtsied. "Tis' a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace. I am known as Queen Penelope." She replied loudly enough for others to hear.

The King smiled "Queen Penelope, the pleasure is all mine." He gestured to the man standing in front of him "Is this the man you wish to see knighted?"

"Yes, Your Grace." Penny acknowledged with a regal nod of her head.

"And what name do you go by my good sir?" The King bellowed loudly enough for anyone nearby and watching to hear.

Sheldon bowed "My name is Sheldor the Conqueror, your Grace."

The king gestured to his assistants to cover Sheldon with the cape they used for the ceremony. "Pray! Kneel good sir!"

Sheldon kneeled as commanded and bowed his head. He felt the sword tap one shoulder, then the other as the King intoned "I dub thee, Sir Sheldor the Conqueror, protector of Queen Penelope, and knight of the Order of the Lion. Rise Sir Knight, so everyone may see the honor bestowed upon thee."

Everyone clapped as Sheldon stood and bowed first to the King, and then to his Queen. The king leaned over to Penny and whispered "My dear, I think this one's a keeper." he straightened "May the Royal Scribe take note and send forth messengers across the land to deliver the good news!" He held his hand to Penny and assisted her off the dais. "Your Grace, it was wonderful to meet you, and I hope you will consider visiting my kingdom again soon."

"Thank you, Your Grace." She curtsied again.

Sheldon and Penny walked over to where Alice and Dirk were standing on the sidelines. Alice laughed, her eyes open wide in amazement "Guys, that was awesome. Yuletide is going to rock this year with you two. Sheldon, I'm sorry, but I have to side with Penny, she HAS to be Queen Penelope. We can figure out the details, but there is no way we aren't adding that this year."

Penny's smile reached her eyes "Really? Do you think we can create enough of a back story to make it work?"

"Absolutely! We'll talk with the rest of the board and sort it all out. With a few adjustments, your costume would be perfect for a Queen on the battlefield." Alice could already picture it in her head. Her hands itched to get started. When her muse struck, she struck hard.

"I suppose we could work on the details later. Right now, I want to head over to the gift shop, and then to see the Falcons." Sheldon replied absentmindedly, he was already staring at the entrance to the shop. He pulled his pocket watch out of his vest and noted the time. We have exactly forty-two minutes until we need to be in our seats, so we should have about fifteen minutes to shop, fifteen to look at the falcons, and twelve minutes to get to our seats. If anyone needs to use the restroom, I highly suggest doing it during our shopping time, unless you are less interested in the Falcons."

"I agree, let's go check out the gift shop, I saw a sword in the window that I want to take a closer look at." Dirk interjected.

"Let's do it!" Penny said enthusiastically.

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Sheldon and Penny said goodnight to Alice and Dirk in the lobby downstairs, after inviting them to Halo night on Wednesday. The girls were planning on hanging out at Penny's while Sheldon, Dirk, Raj, and Howard, played Halo. Sheldon held his arm out for Penny, and they started up the stairs together. "I still can't believe they offered me a job."

Sheldon shrugged his shoulder "I can. After all, you played the part of Queen Penelope perfectly." They were all looking around the gift shop when one of the managers had approached them, and asked to speak with Queen Penelope. They told her that they were looking to replace the Kings at all their locations with Queens, and they were wondering if she would consider playing the role of Queen Maria Isabella at their castle. Penny gladly took the position, and set up an appointment to go in the next day to fill out paperwork, and to get sized for a costume. She would start immediately, but the switch wouldn't happen for six more months, which would give her plenty of time to learn the part, and rehearse the new show.

Penny smiled "I still can't believe it." she squeezed his arm "I'm going to have a regular acting job! My dreams are coming true."

Sheldon was pleased with her enthusiasm, and told her so. They truly were the dreamers of the group. "Penny, if your new schedule allows, would you consider joining us at the Cheesecake Factory on Tuesdays since you will no longer be working there?"

"Of course, Sweetie! I would love to."

"Good, then I will feel more comfortable ordering, because you can ensure our order is correct."

"Well, I'll do my best, but once I'm no longer working there, I really won't have any control over it."

"Yes, but you can make sure our new waitress understands my needs before you quit, correct?"

"Well, yes, but I can't control whether or not that person always works on Tuesday, or anything like that."

"True." he sighed "I suppose I'll adapt."

"I'm sorry, Sweetie, I know this kind of messes with your routine."

"This is more important. I have adapted before. If you remember, before the Cheesecake Factory, we went to Big Boy every Tuesday. I didn't want to be there, but Leonard insisted because he was hoping to start a relationship with you. I am confident that I can adjust to this change as well."

They continued up the stairs until they reached their floor. Sheldon walked her to her door, and stood patiently while she unlocked the apartment. "Would you like to come in? We could watch a movie or something."

"Thank you, Penny, but it is getting late, and I promised Missy I would call her before bed."

"I understand, Sweetie. I'll see you tomorrow?" Penny asked hopefully.

"Of course. It's Cheesecake Factory night." He smirked.

Penny laughed "Yes, it is."

"Please text me tomorrow after your appointment, and let me know how it all goes."

"I will."

Sheldon grasped his hands behind his back in nervousness "Penny, can I ask you something?"

Penny leaned against the door frame "Of course, Sweetie, you can ask me anything."

"I would like to initiate physical activity. Would you be averse to what is known as a goodnight kiss?" he asked timidly.

Penny gave him a gentle smile "I would like that very much."

Sheldon stepped into her space a bit more and gently placed his hands on her waist. He slowly pulled her closer to him and cleared his throat nervously. "I feel I should warn you, I've never done this before."

Penny placed her hands on his arms on either side of her "That's okay, Sweetie. I want you to feel comfortable, you set the pace. I promise not to pressure you to do anything you don't want to do."

"I know that. And just so you know, I want to do this. I've thought of nothing but this for the last couple of days." he replied in a low and quiet voice.

"Oh." Penny replied breathlessly.

Sheldon slowly leaned his head down, giving her plenty of time to change her mind if she chose to. He watched as her eye lids fluttered shut, and he glanced down at her mouth before he allowed his to close as well. He felt his lips touch hers and he felt frozen in place. He quickly cataloged the sensations rushing through his system. There was the soft texture of her lips, the sound of her quick intake of breath, the feel of her dress as he slowly moved his hands around her back to pull her against him, and the sensation of her hands gliding up his arms to come up around his shoulders. His heart was racing. His hand moved up to cup the back of her head of its own accord as he pressed his lips more firmly against hers. He had a million thoughts running through his head, but he couldn't capture any of them enough to know what they were. It was like his mind was full and empty, all at the same time. He reluctantly pulled away from her. He licked his lips, tasting her berry flavored lip balm. He watched as she slowly opened her eyes, the green looking like a tossed stormy sea. She hummed quietly in contentment.

"Good night, Penny." he said quietly.

"Good night, Sheldon." she replied. She took a deep breath as he pulled away from her. She stepped into her apartment and watched as he walked over to his door, unlocked it, and started to open it. He glanced back at her and she gave him a soft smile. She closed her door slowly, locked it, turned around, and leaned back against the panel. She smiled.

"Crap on a cracker. I need a cold shower."