Chapter 24: Beyond

"Perhaps your talk of my sexual prowess renewed her faith in love." - Sheldon

Carly found herself in Burbank's movie theater that weekend, standing in front of the new Star Trek's movie poster. She stared at it in thought, while her boyfriend stood in line at the concession stand to buy them popcorn and drinks.

Carly had been surprised by Sheldon's sudden suggestion for them to see the movie, especially since he'd already seen it with his friends and they'd never been to see a movie in theaters before.

Actually, Carly had never been on a movie date at all. Although he had not declared it a date, a small part of her felt like it was.

He was wearing a dark blue polo and his jacket. He, of course, was also wearing khakis as per usual. She was surprised by his lack of superhero shirt and figured he'd not want to wear a Batman shirt to a Star Trek film. Either way, he looked absolutely handsome as always.

She, on the other hand, was a little more dressed. She wore black and white Gangnam pants, with a cream turtle neck and a mustard yellow sweater she had bought recently from a resale shop. So far she was in love with it. It wasn't too hot but wasn't too light for a Californian Autumn.

She had liked her outfit even more when Sheldon had commented on her choice of pants, finding them fun and whimsical.

She held onto her leather purse and turned away from the poster, watching him wait for his order impatiently. She smiled, finding her love for him to be unceasing.

Sheldon returned to her moments later, handing over her drink which she took gratefully, and then followed him to their theater. She wasn't sure what to expect of Sheldon. His mind was very focused on the movie and had been talking her ear off about it since they'd got into the car. Yet, she wondered if he also thought of this as a date.

She couldn't see him wrapping his arm around her in the darkened theater, nor could she see him kissing her. Especially not with how much he loved Star Trek.

As they entered the room, finding it close to empty, Sheldon stopped her with a hand.

"Here hold the popcorn and hang on," he told her, his no-nonsense tone halting her in her tracks. She distractedly took the popcorn from him.

"Sheldon, what-" she tried but he was already walking away from her. She frowned from where she stood by the wall.

In a matter of five minutes, Sheldon had sat down in several seats around the theater, making loud "hoo!" And "haaa!" sounds. Carly gaped, watching him make a spectacle of himself and disturb the other couple in the room.

Finally, he decided upon seats near the middle and then waved her over happily. Carly felt the eyes from the other people stare at her and she made herself go to him, avoiding their eyes in fear she'd faint from embarrassment.

She felt bad for being mortified by his behavior but she couldn't shake off her social anxiety so easily.

As she moved past the couple, she heard the man mutter to the woman next to him, "I feel bad for her."

Carly frowned. She didn't feel bad for herself. She loved Sheldon. Everything about him. Sure he was quirky and could be embarrassing, but he always had a reason for everything he did. Even if it wasn't apparent to anyone else except him.

Carly sat down in her seat next to him, handing him back the popcorn. "What was that about?" She questioned lowly to him, placing her drink in the cup holder next to her and looking over at him.

Sheldon smiled, his eyes twinkling in the lights from the walls. "Just checking the acoustics. I wanted to make sure we had the perfect seats to see the movie."

The way he said it: how excited he was and how he just wanted everything to perfect for them had her previous embarrassment disappearing.

Those other people could go away. Her boyfriend was the most thoughtful, kind man she'd ever met.

She gave him a bright smile. "Good thinking. Thanks," she told him happily and he preened under the praise.

The lights dimmed soon, and trailers began. Carly was surprised to see that there weren't many people there to see it. She supposed it was because it had been out for quite a while now.

A trailer for the upcoming Star Wars movie came on and Carly glanced over to see Sheldon adorably enamored by it. Even in the dark, he was absolutely the most handsome man she had ever seen, especially with his boyish charms and interest in sci-fi.

This man was so layered and interesting. Not for the first time did she find herself in awe of him. Someone so intelligent, so talented and gifted, could be so childlike at times. It never ceased to bring her life so much light after so many years of darkness.

The movie began and Carly turned her attention to the movie, happy to be there next to him and enjoy something that he had been so excited to share with her.

It did wonders to her heart.

The first hour of the movie, she allowed herself to watch the screen in rapt attention. She was happy to remember quite a bit of the first movie and so she was able to recognize what was happening and who the people were. Especially Spock... who always took her back to Comic-Con where her boyfriend had dressed as him, looking attractive as ever.

She had stolen many looks at Sheldon, her heart swelling at how he was completely mesmerized by the movie. She couldn't help but smile lovingly at him.

At some point, Carly had shifted in her seat, her hand going down absently on the arm between them, and was surprised to find Sheldon's hand already there. She jumped, removing her hand quickly, and met his eyes in the darkened theater.

She almost gasped, surprised that he was staring at her so intently. She swallowed, unsure how to take the look and bit her lip. "Sorry," she whispered to him and then adjusted herself in her seat to look back up at the screen.

A moment later, his hand found hers in her lap, shocking her, and she whipped her head back to look at him. He was intent on staring at the movie and she blinked, gazing at him in wonder.

Was he... really holding her hand in a movie theater? It was so unlike him. Despite the way, they were progressing in their relationship, and how comfortable he had become with the physical contact they had experienced, it wasn't the same as doing something obviously romantic. He wasn't the sentimental type. Those situations always made him uncomfortable.

She dropped her eyes to their hands, watching his long fingers entangle with hers. Her heart raced in her chest as she felt weak in the knees. This had to mean something right?

Carly composed herself enough to close her fingers around his, enjoying the electric way it felt to hold his hand. They'd done it many times but something about the setting they found themselves in, made it different.

To make things worse, or better, his thumb under her hand slid along her thigh, enacting a sudden jolt through her. Did he know what he was doing? Was he doing it on purpose? She couldn't tell and she was scared to look away from the screen, that her movement would suddenly make him stop whatever he was doing.

Carly held her breath and repeated the action of his thumb, upon his wrist. She felt his arm twitch against her and she knew he had reacted similarly to the touch.

His thumb slid over her thigh, again and again, making her lightheaded. His hand was so close to her center that it had her almost becoming unglued in her seat.

Although her eyes were unwavering on the screen, she had no idea what was happening. Her focus was pinpointed on exactly where he was touching her.

Carly felt him shift in his seat and his arm brushed against her breast, making her breath hitch. She briefly closed her eyes, succumbed to what was happening. When she opened them, she gained the courage to peek.

He wasn't looking at her, instead, he was staring at their hands on her leg, his tongue darting out to lick his lips as his thumb caressed her over and over again.

Her mouth ran dry and she almost wished to take a drink of her soda next to her. She didn't, in favor of keeping him this way. It was sudden moments like this with him that kept her up at night. That made her go crazy. Didn't he know how he made her feel?

Unable to keep the distance between them, she leaned over to him and pressed her cheek along his shoulder. His muscles tensed and his thumb paused. She didn't want to look at him again. Instead, she closed her eyes to just relish in the moment of her closeted sensual boyfriend.

His head turned, his nose pressing into her hair and inhaling deeply. Her heart hammered in her chest relieved he wasn't stopping her. He sighed into the strands and she felt goosebumps litter over her skin, despite the warmth of the cardigan and blouse she wore underneath.

Carly nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder, sliding her nose up to his neck where the scent of talc and pure Sheldon infiltrated her nostrils and being.

Sheldon lowered his face and ran his nose down the side of her face towards her jawline and she lifted her head, trailing her own along with his Adam's apple.

Movie long forgotten, she shook as his breath left trails along her face, making her lose her mind. She placed her other hand on their interlocked hands and pressed, holding his hand to her thigh without a thought.

Sheldon buried his face into her hair then, her own against his neck, needing to feel him close and wanting. His fingers twitched underneath hers, his breathing picking up as he moved them. She loosened her grip on his hand and was surprised when instead of removing himself altogether, he held her thigh, his fingers curling around the appendage and running down the inner length of her. They were so close, it made her gasp into his collar bone.

He let out a shaky breath against her, his hand sliding upwards towards her warmth. She stopped breathing altogether, her eyes squeezing shut. He'd never even shown interest in touching her there. What was he doing? Was he trying to kill her? If so, it was working.

Carly gasped into the crook of his neck when his fingertips grazed her over her pants and a hand went to his arm in surprise. Sheldon lifted his head slightly, and when she opened her eyes at the movement, she was left stunned at how he looked at her.

Even in the muted theater, she could see his darkened eyes full of excitement. She watched them become hesitant as they gazed at each other and she held her breath, his heated fingers still there against her center.

Carly wondered if he was wrestling with himself. His eyes searched hers and she bit her lip, feeling quite tingly where his hand was. Although they were horribly inexperienced, she knew people messed around in theaters all the time. There was barely anyone in there and it was dark. No one would notice, right?

Carly steeled herself and figured he needed guidance. He hadn't done any of this before and she couldn't help but be curious about what he'd do. Any time her relationship with Sheldon progressed, her love and want for him grew.

Carly dipped her head once again to his neck and slid her nose up towards his ear, feeling him take in a ragged breath at the action. "You can stop at any time," she breathed into his ear, reassuring him because she didn't want him to feel forced in any way, but she knew he was curious. That much was apparent.

Carly pressed a little kiss to the underside of his earlobe and took his hand with hers, settling her fingers along with his for direction. Taking a deep breath, she was surprised at how he allowed her to move his hand, settling his fingers over her completely.

"Oh..." he gasped lightly and threw his head into her hair, hiding his face from the world. His voice made her shake, the sound ricocheting through her body.

His finger twitched against her center, making her tremble against him. She didn't remove her hand, not wanting him to feel vulnerable. After a long couple of beats, he experimentally pressed his fingers into her, earning a small barely audible whimper from her against his skin.

His breath heaved into her hair and she closed her eyes, unable to believe he was touching her. Actually touching her and wanting to.

Sheldon rubbed his fingers lightly under her hand, making her shake and shift under him, feeling herself get wetter and warmer under his ministrations.

Then, without any notice, a particularly loud scene startled them, tearing them apart as the other people in the theater spoke excitedly about what was happening.

Sheldon held his hands in his lap tightly, his eyes glued to the screen while his breathing and heart were unable to slow. Carly stared blankly at the movie, unseeing it as she tried to calm herself from the spellbinding arousal coursing through her.

Neither said another word for the rest of the movie, watching it in disinterest, their eyes trailing to one another when the other wasn't looking.

Afterward, they both got to their feet and silently left the movie theater, both still shaken from the occurrence in the dark.

With shy glances and the tension building between them, they went to dinner at a Mexican restaurant that Sheldon had picked out for them.

Once seated in the loud, Saturday-crowded restaurant, they both were glad for the distraction. They both had removed their outerwear to accommodate the warm atmosphere.

Carly moved the ice cubes around in her water using the straw and looked up at Sheldon who was taking a drink of his. He met her eyes briefly and she felt like she was stung, jumping slightly and fidgeting in her chair.

"How did you like the movie?" Sheldon suddenly asked her after a moment and she shot her eyes to his, making him glance down uneasily.

Only one thing was sticking out in her mind at the moment but she doubted he was referring to it.

"It was great. You were right. That one scene was really sad," she told him, and he nodded knowingly.

"I know right? I get chills every time," he expressed with a little shake of his head. She smiled at him, feeling herself relax with the innocent conversation.

"Thank you for bringing me," she smiled and he returned it easily.

"Of course. I knew you'd like it since you liked the first one."

"I did." Carly settled into her seat and took a drink from her water, letting her eyes wander around the room. "This is a nice change of pace," she told him thoughtfully.

Sheldon shrugged with one shoulder. "Well, I had a hankering for Mexican and I've been here a couple of times before. They have really good food, you'll enjoy it."

Carly smiled sweetly. "I'm sure I will."

Just then, their waiter returned with their food and the conversation paused as they began eating.

"Did you know that in space, astronauts can't cry because there's no gravity to make tears fall from their tear ducts?" Sheldon asked suddenly and Carly looked up at him from her food to raise an eyebrow.

"No, I didn't..." She wondered if he was talking about Howard. "Do you think Howard's having a hard time up there?"

Sheldon scrunched his nose, opposing the thought. "Who's talking about Howard?"

Carly paused. He had a funny way of showing how he cared. He'd berate Howard any chance he got, yet Carly knew he was worried about his friend.

"Well, I'm worried about Bernadette. She's been a wreck since he left," she replied in thought, going back to her food.

Sheldon looked up at her then, giving her a once-over in a slight panic. "How worried? You're not going to start crying are you?"

Carly smiled softly at him, trying to reassure him. "No, of course not. I'm just saying that I hope she is doing okay. It must be hard for your husband to go up into space, especially right after marrying him. If it were you, I'd be depressed too."

Sheldon froze at her words but she didn't notice, not really paying attention to what she was saying. That had been the second time she'd referred to being married to him. He didn't know how to feel.

He shifted as he spooned rice into his mouth. After swallowing, he shrugged. "Yes, well, of course, you would. Everyone would be. I'm a delight."

Carly hid her grin behind her glass of water. "Yes you are," she told him happily.

Sheldon made an "aha" face and grabbed his phone, pressing the record button. "Can you say that again right into the mic so that Leonard believes me?"

Carly was taken off guard by the sudden action and frowned at his phone then at him. "Believe you? That you're a delight?"

Sheldon nodded. "The other day he said that you only say it because you're dating me."

Carly's frown deepened. "That's not true though. I do think you're a delight. You're my favorite person to be around."

Sheldon faltered at her words, touched greatly, but was moved to reiterate his request. "Ooh, that's a good one!" He pressed the record button again. "Now say it again, but in that mushy gushy way you use when you say you love me."

Carly laughed, her heart fluttering, unable to help herself. "Okay, I'll try." She leaned forwards to his phone and looked away from his anticipating smile, and used her best alluring voice. "I think you're a delight and you're my favorite person to be around."

She looked up at him afterward, hoping it'd been what he had been looking for and was surprised to see him staring down at her mouth with darkened eyes.

The suddenness of how he'd changed from playful to sensual startled her. She sat up in her chair, looking down at her almost empty plate, and grabbed her fork. In a second, she thought of how his hand had been on her and she closed her eyes briefly.

Good lord, he was sex on legs and he didn't even know it.

"Thank you," Sheldon murmured, taking his phone back and sliding it into his pocket. "I'm sure that'll work."

Carly nodded distractedly and gave him a shy smile. "Any time."

They finished their food and then headed back to the apartment. Their date had been nice, all things considered.

"The trick is that you have to use the actual spices for the pumpkin pie, not pumpkin pie spice. I use actual ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg," she told him as they entered the building, somehow coming to a conversation about her baking.

"Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously," Sheldon helped, to which she glanced at him in alarm.

"I don't think I'll ever have a hankering to inject nutmeg into my body, so there's no need to worry," she laughed nervously and Sheldon shrugged.

"Either way, it's a good factoid to keep in mind if the situation ever arises."

On the way up the stairs, Sheldon couldn't help but try to keep the tension at bay. He was saving his reaction to what they'd done in the darkened theater for when he was alone. Carly didn't need to be privy to how much his actions had startled him. At the time, he'd just wanted to feel her.

He still didn't know where the thought had come from. It had just spiraled out of his control. At first, he had just planned to hold her hand after she'd accidentally touched his. Yet, when his hand had touched her thigh and felt the emanating warmth coming from between her legs, it had driven him into an aroused curiosity.

The idea of touching her there had spurred a possessive need to act and he'd done so, wanting to fulfill his body's craving. It still made his fingers tingle and his body turn hot when he thought about it.

Never in his life would he have thought he'd want to touch a woman there, it was foreign, different, and... mind-boggling. Even so, he couldn't help but be curious. He knew the anatomy of a woman, knew what would give her the most pleasure, but actually doing it? That was a whole different story.

He gulped at the thought, coming to a stop in front of her apartment door. She looked up at him then, giving him a sweet smile that made his insides turn to mush.

God, what she did to him with just one look.

"I had a great time, Sheldon. Thank you," she told him, her brown eyes glittering in the light above them.

Sheldon smiled. "The pleasure was mine-" When he realized he'd used the word 'pleasure' he backtracked hastily, his hackles going up and his ears turning red. "I mean... that is to say, I... you're welcome. I had a nice time as well."

Carly blushed furiously but tried to keep herself steady. She reached for him then and leaned up. He dropped down slightly, knowing she was going to kiss him and she did. A sweet, chaste kiss that left him yearning for more.

She dropped back down to her toes and gave him another smile from underneath her lashes, her hand caressing his. "Goodnight, my Mr. Spock."

Sheldon gasped a little at the Star Trek reference and watched her saucily give him a grin, before entering her apartment.

The door shut before he could say anything and he gaped. She couldn't just call him by his favorite fictional character's name and just leave him there!

Collecting himself after a moment, he shook himself and made himself go up the stairs.

"That vixen!" He breathed under his breath, putting a hand on his racing heart.

oO0Oo

"I'm so glad you decided to come shopping with us, Bernie," Penny said happily, as the three girls walked through the mall, bags in their hands.

It was only a couple of weeks till Christmas and they had taken a day, without the guys, to buy Christmas gifts. The mall was crowded on that Saturday, but the girls didn't mind. They hadn't spent much time together since Howard had left for Space.

Bernadette smiled at Penny. "Me too. It's nice to be around something other than Howard's mother."

Carly raised her eyebrows, surprised by the declaration. "You've been hanging out Mrs. Wolowitz?"

Bernadette sighed, her smile turning wry. "Well, not at first. Recently, yes. We had lunch the other day and you know what I found out? That Howard told his mother that he wasn't moving out. Can you believe that?"

Penny snorted. "Of course I can believe that."

Carly shook her head. "What are you going to do?"

Bernadette pressed her lips together, obviously stressed about the current situation she was in. "I talked to Howard, naturally. He just came up with a bunch of excuses, of course. I told him either tell his mother he was moving out he'd need to find a new wife when he got back."

Penny and Carly gaped at her, shocked by her animosity. Bernadette shrugged.

"What do you expect of me? I mean, I am not living with his mother. Especially not now that we're married. Would either of you want to live with your husband's mother?"

Penny winced, thinking of Leonard's mother. "God no."

Carly tilted her head. "I don't think Sheldon's mother would be too horrible to live with, but my boyfriend would probably throw himself out a window if he had to endure all that bible talk," she laughed lightly, however it was true.

Bernadette smiled at them sadly. "Well, either way. He's supposed to tell her on his next Skype call to her, so we'll see how it goes."

Penny patted her on the shoulder. "It'll be okay, Bernie. Howard loves you. He'll definitely pick you over his mom..." she trailed off, remembering who they were talking about. She gave Bernadette two more pats. "I hope."

Carly bit her lip, stifling a smile. Penny had a point.

"Ooh, let's go in here-" Penny urged, a wicked smile growing on her face as she pointed to a gift store called 'Spencer's'.

"Isn't this the place you bought that Wonder Woman swimsuit?" Bernadette asked Penny curiously, eyeing the Flash Christmas shirt in the window and the poster of a scandalous-looking woman wearing a skimpy Batman outfit.

Penny grinned over her shoulder, already walking inside. "Yep! Leonard couldn't keep his jaw off the floor."

Bernadette exchanged glances with Carly and they smiled, before following the blond inside.

Carly was shocked to see how many lewd, and sexual references were in the shop. As they neared the back, it just got worse. There were lingerie and even sex toys on the walls.

She gulped, feeling every part of the virgin that she was.

Penny came up behind her as she gawked at a colorful lollipop in the shape of male genitalia. "Find anything you like?" She teased and Carly shook her head hastily.

"What kind of store is this?" She asked incredulously and Penny laughed.

"Goodness, you're about as clueless as Sheldon. No wonder you two work out," she teased, making Carly blush. "It's got a little bit of everything. However, I was more wanting to come in to show you this."

Penny raised her hand, holding something Carly hadn't noticed before. On a hanger, was a red and yellow ruffly two-piece. It was thin, and obviously lingerie. However, it was the yellow lightning bolts where the nipples would be that caught her attention.

Carly gaped at it and glanced up at Penny. "What is that?"

Penny snickered at her reaction and red face. "This, my dear friend, is Sheldon's favorite superhero on sexy lingerie. Could you imagine what he'd do if he saw you in this? You have to get it."

Carly began shaking her head no as soon as Penny had said her boyfriend's name. "No, I couldn't possibly- he, I, we don't do anything like that. He hasn't even seen me topless since I was sick and I... no. I can't push him. He'd run so far away. For good probably."

Penny rolled her eyes. "Either you buy it or I'll buy it for you. Consider it your Christmas gift from me."

Carly widened her eyes. "No, don't do that. It's- no, don't," she stammered, looking back down at the treacherous thing.

Bernadette appeared at their sides and got a good look at the lingerie. "Oooh, is that for Sheldon? He'd die," she giggled and Carly threw her hands in her face, turning from them.

Penny laughed heartily. "Oh stop being so shy, Carly. You know he wants you. If he didn't, he wouldn't have gotten an erection. Plus you make out all the time."

"Erection?" Bernadette gasped, eyes going wide from Penny to Carly in exciting interest. "What? Sheldon's capable of getting an erection?"

Carly snapped her head back over to Penny, narrowing her eyes like, how could you?

Penny grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Carl's. I didn't mean to let it slip, but I mean come on." She looked to Bernadette, catching her up offhandedly. "Carly gave him a handjob and he freaked out."

Carly groaned with embarrassment, leaving the girls standing there as Bernadette gasped in shock. If only they knew that he'd touch her too, albeit over clothes but still.

Carly left the store, her face burning and her limbs shaky. She leaned up against the glass fence across from the door and took a breath to calm herself.

It was awkward, talking about that sort of thing with her friends. Of course, there was nothing to feel ashamed about, yet she supposed since she was inexperienced with the whole sex thing, she was sensitive.

Minutes later, Penny and Bernadette exited the store and she watched the blond hand her over a small Spencer's bag.

Carly eyed it, not taking it. "I don't want this..."

Penny insisted stubbornly. "Even if you don't wear it now, at least keep it for when you two are intimate. He'll love it."

Carly gulped and looked down at the bag, before signing in defeat. Dang it, he would love it. She took it from Penny and ignored the whoop of excitement her friend gave her.

Bernadette grinned. "Oooh, I can't wait to hear how he reacts! You should totally bring it with you when you go to Texas. It may come in handy," she told her, waggling her eyebrows.

Carly rolled her eyes at their antics and slid the small bag into one of her larger ones.

The girls finished their shopping and stopped for a latte before leaving. They sat down to rest their feet at a table outside a Starbucks, chatting happily about their plans for Christmas.

Bernadette would be spending it with her family and had invited Raj. Penny and Leonard were going to have a quiet Christmas, decorating the apartment and having a good time without Sheldon there to tear down their spirits.

Carly, of course, would be going with Sheldon to Texas, something his mother was absolutely beside herself with excitement for. She had called Carly, surprising her, thanking her for convincing her son to attend Christmas with them. Sheldon had given her Carly's number apparently.

"So, back to the topic at hand," Bernadette said after a comfortable moment of silence. Christmas music rang through the mall, creating a magical atmosphere around them. "Since I've been out of the loop, what exactly is happening with you and Sheldon?"

Carly huffed, not wanting to get back into the intimate details of her relationship after the whole Spencer's fiasco. "It's going fine," she copped out, taking a sip of her coffee and hoping they'd drop it.

Penny rolled her eyes at Carly, never one to take the bait on any occasion. "Oh please. You know good and well it's going better than fine."

Carly bit back a blush and Bernadette searched her face for clues.

"You said he freaked out when you gave him a... you know?"

Carly sighed and reluctantly nodded. "Had a panic attack actually. For a moment there I thought we were going to break up," she confessed greatly, putting her chin in her hand.

"Wow... was it just too much for him then?" Bernie asked, eyebrows worrying over her glasses.

"I'd say," Penny answered wryly.

Carly gave her a look before eyeing Bernie. "We haven't done it again. He won't even touch my... " she gulped, embarrassed all over again.

Bernie raised her eyebrows in keen interest. "Ooh, touch your what?"

Penny laughed at Carly's bashful look. "Her breasts. He finds them fascinating."

Bernie giggled girlishly. "Oh, wow. Who would have thought Sheldon would be a boobs man."

Carly shook her head. "No, I don't think he is. He likes them just fine but... any time we make out he always grabs me from behind."

"Oooh, a butt man," Penny grinned in amusement. "That's probably good. You're kind of lacking in the boob department."

Carly didn't take offense. She was actually okay with her small breasts. "True."

"Well, speaking of furthering relationships- Penny, when are you and Leonard getting married?" Bernie asked her, relieving Carly from the attention.

Penny straightened, becoming extremely uncomfortable. "Uh, well... I don't know really. We haven't talked about it."

Carly tilted her head curiously. "Not at all?"

Penny shrugged lightly and cupped her coffee cup with both hands. "Nope. It's just, we're not in a rush you know? Things are good right now. I have this great new job. Leonard's got his theory... and I mean we just got engaged a couple of months ago. We have plenty of time to plan a wedding."

"That's true. You guys don't have a deadline or a reason to get married so quick, like me and Howie," Bernadette replied, before looking down at her cup in sad thought.

Carly frowned. "How are you doing though, Bernie? We've been worried about you."

The small blond shrugged lightly. "I'm fine, really. I'm just focusing on my job. I've been to my parents' house quite a few times. It helps I can Skype with Howie from time to time. Thank god for modern technology."

The girls nodded in understanding and Penny took a drink before shifting.

"Speaking of work, thank you again, Bernadette, for the help with my test. I don't think I would have passed if it weren't for you," she told her earnestly and Bernie smiled sweetly.

"No worries. I'm just glad I could help get you out of the Cheesecake Factory."

Penny snorted. "Ain't that the truth."

The girls chatted a little bit longer before deciding to call it a day. They dropped Bernadette off at her apartment and then left for Los Robles.

Penny and Carly walked up the stairs together, both feeling tired from walking all day and dealing with crowds.

"I hope you have a good time with Sheldon," Penny told her as they neared the second floor.

Carly smiled softly at her. "I'm sure I will. I'm looking forward to meeting the rest of his family, although I have to admit I'm pretty nervous."

"There's no reason to be. They'll love you," Penny assured her, sounding confident.

Carly appreciated the kind words. "I hope. I also hope my boyfriend doesn't ruin it," she laughed. "He's not quite happy about going. I think he's only doing it because he was tired of me and his mother talking about it."

Penny laughed lightly. "Probably, but I think it'll be fine. You guys are getting a hotel room so you'll have a safe place for him to relax in."

Carly nodded as they paused by her door. "That's true."

Penny tilted her head with a sudden thought. "I wonder if you'll share a bed this time. Sheldon hasn't said anything."

Carly laughed dryly. "Yeah, I doubt it. He's quite intent on keeping us from getting that close."

Penny sighed sadly. "That's too bad."

They said their farewells and Carly entered her apartment. She dropped her bags down by the door, the flash lingerie taunting her mind.

Next chapter is super long! Hope you enjoy it!