Chapter 5

For the past several months, Penny tried to stay clear of Leonard's apartment to avoid awkwardly running into Leonard and Priya. She tried to put more hours at the restaurant to distract her from thinking about them. She told herself to give it time and she'll eventually be able to accept that she and Leonard are not meant to be together.

It was almost eight in the evening when Leonard entered their building and walked up the stairs to his apartment. He was only a few steps from his apartment when he heard Penny yelling and arguing with someone in her apartment. Her apartment door opened and he saw Penny pushing a guy out.

"I told you no is no!" she yelled at the guy as she pushed him out of the door.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I thought you wanted to…" the guy protested. They noticed Leonard standing by his door. Leonard saw Penny looking distressed so he decided to butt in.

"Penny is everything alright?" he asked her. Penny didn't answer.

The guy cut Leonard off. "Everything's fine here buddy….this is none of your business." he said. Leonard didn't pay him any attention and spoke to Penny again.

"Penny, I'm gonna ask you again….are you alright….did this guy hurt you?" he said calmly.

Penny choked and just gave Leonard a scared look.

"Listen buddy….why don't you just back off and mind your own business okay!?" the guy faced him.

"Or what!?" Leonard yelled at him. He stiffened his stance and looked him in the eye. The guy was a little bit intimidated even though Leonard was shorter than him. Leonard didn't move until the guy broke off his stare and glanced at Penny.

"You know what….I don't need this!" he said as he walked away in a huff.

Penny was stunned and touched by Leonard's gesture.

Leonard waited for a minute and decided to speak to her. "Are you alright?" Leonard asked her.

Penny didn't say a thing and just ran to Leonard and hugged him tight. "Leonard!" She put her face against his neck and began to cry as Leonard rubbed her back to calm her down. She missed hugging him and was relieved to feel his warmth again.

"It's alright Penny...you're okay now…." Leonard said to her trying to calm her down.

Penny was still hugging Leonard when his apartment door suddenly opened and Priya came out looking at them. Penny saw Priya and immediately released Leonard, backing away. Leonard turned around and saw Priya.

"What's the meaning of this?" Priya demanded the two. "How dare you!?" she said as she approached Penny with a hostile intent. Luckily, Leonard managed to come between the two ladies before Priya can reach Penny. The whole gang emerged from the apartment, curious at what's happening in the hall.

"So is this what you want Penny?…..to take Leonard away from me?...you had your chance and now Leonard is with me!...why can't you just let him go!?" Priya almost yelled at Penny. Leonard held Priya to prevent her from reaching Penny.

"Priya, it's not what you think….and you need to calm down." Leonard held onto her.

Priya turned to him. "So you're taking her side now!?" she glared at him. "Is that what's happening here huh?" she said.

"I'm not taking her side….I'm trying to prevent you from hurting her." he said calmly to her.

"You can't have him back Penny…..over my dead body!" Priya was becoming hysterical.

Penny just stood there without saying a word.

Bernadette decided to come to Penny's side. "Hold on a minute there Priya….you have no right to talk to Penny like that!" she said. Leonard rolled his eyes.

Amy also came to Penny's defense. "She's right….wait….can anyone tell me what's happening?" she asked.

"Oh I'll tell you what's happening Amy….I saw Penny here crying and hugging Leonard….obviously trying to lure him back!" Priya was furious.

Leonard finally lost his cool. "Okay everybody just stop!" He turned to Priya. "It's not what you think!" he said to her. He then turned to everyone. "Now can everyone just please come into the apartment so Penny can explain what happened!" he yelled. No one dared argue with him and decided to go inside the apartment. He pulled Priya to the kitchen island to put some distance between her and Penny. "You stay here." he told Priya. Penny sat by the couch being consoled by Amy and Bernadette. Leonard went to the fridge to get a bottle of water. He opened the bottle and gave it to Penny. "Here, drink this."

"Thank you Leonard." Penny said as she took a sip.

Howard then asked Penny. "Penny, can you tell us what happened?" he asked.

Penny took a deep breath and started to tell them her story. "I met this guy Jeff at the restaurant the other day and he asked me out….he seemed like a nice guy so I agreed and went out to dinner with him." She continued. "he walked up with me and I invited him in my apartment…..we had some wine and started kissing but he wanted more….I told him no and he got angry." She added. "He tried to hold me but I pushed him away and out of my apartment...that's when Leonard saw us at the hall….Leonard intervened and stared him straight in the eye….Jeff just gave up and left." Penny put her face on her hands and began to cry. Sheldon took the tissue box and gave it to her. "Thank you Sheldon." she said.

Priya calmed down after hearing her story. "Oh my god Penny….I'm so sorry…..I didn't mean to say those things." she said as she approached Penny.

"I'm sorry for causing trouble." Penny said as she dried her eyes.

"No….it's a terrible thing…..if Leonard wasn't there who knows what might have happen to you?" Priya said.

"She's right Bestie….it's a good thing Leonard intervened." Amy said.

Bernadette turned to Leonard. "Weren't you scared Leonard? That guy could have beaten you up." she asked.

Leonard thought for a while. "At that time no….I saw Penny was in trouble so I decided to step in….after that guy left, that's when I realized how scared I was….good thing he didn't call my bluff." he laughed.

Priya softened and went to Leonard in the kitchen and put her arm around his neck. "It seems like someone deserves a reward huh?" she teased him.

"Someone owes me an apology!" he looked smugly at her.

Priya kissed him on the cheek. "Hmmm….I'm sorry I overreacted." she said to him.

"Dude!?" Raj said.

The couple looked at the gang and released their hug, slightly embarrassed.

Penny stood up. "I think I'll go back to my place now…..thank you Leonard….you're so great."

"You're welcome Penny. Are you feeling alright now?" Leonard looked at her.

Penny nodded. "I'm okay now….bye." she turned and returned to her apartment.

Amy and Bernadette stood up and followed her. "We'll go over there just to make sure." Bernadette said.

Inside 4B, Penny sat on the couch and cried on a throw pillow. Amy and Bernadette sat on either side of her and tried to calm her down. Penny hugged Bernadette and continued to cry. "Bernie what am I gonna do?….I want him back!" she said.

The two girls were noticing that Penny was becoming hysterical. Amy went to the kitchen and poured Penny a glass of wine to calm her down. Penny drank it in single swig and sat there silently.

"Just relax Penny….at least you're okay now and nothing happened." Amy said.

Penny sat upright and wiped her tears. "Thank you guys for being here….I'm such a mess….I don't know where my life is going…" Penny said.

"Penny don't say that…" Bernadette said.

Penny sighed. "I'm such an idiot for breaking up with him….why is it so hard to move on from him?" she said.

The three of them just sat there silently. Amy and Bernadette didn't know what to do or say to make Penny feel better. They couldn't just walk up to Leonard and ask him to talk to Penny, they knew it would cross the line in their friendship. Not to mention that he is currently in a relationship with Raj's sister. After what seems to be an eternity, Penny decided to speak.

"I think I'm okay now guys….I'll just sleep this off." Penny said.

"Are you sure Penny?" Bernadette asked.

"Yeah I'm fine now…..thanks for listening." Penny gave a weak smile.

The two girls stood up and went to the door. "Bye Penny."

"Bye guys." Penny said as she closed her door. She went straight to her bedroom and laid there face down. She knew that Priya will be spending the night with Leonard. She put her face against a pillow and cried herself to sleep.

The next day, Leonard was in the laundry room folding his clothes and putting them in a basket when Penny entered and saw him. Leonard looked at her and greeted her.

"Hey….how are you doing?….feeling better now?" Leonard asked.

"Yeah...thank you for last night Leonard." she said.

"It's alright Penny….I would have done the same for anyone…." he said.

"I was really worried that he might punch you or something…." she smiled at him.

"Well I'm glad he didn't." he said and gave her a half smile.

"Leonard you are so great…" she said.

"It's fine Penny...you don't have to thank me." Leonard said as he finished up with his laundry. "Well I'm gonna go up now….you take care of yourself okay?" he said.

"Okay….bye Leonard." Penny said softly as she looked at him walking away.

Penny just stood there for a couple of minutes. She should have apologized to him right there for all the heartaches she has caused him. She should have admitted to him her fears and regrets for breaking up with him. She should have hugged him tightly right there and never let him go. She should have asked him if they could try again, and that this time she would promise to make a genuine effort to make their relationship work. She didn't notice that she was crying again. She took one of the shirts in her basket and wiped off her tears with it.