Leonard couldn't believe he had driven over 1500 miles in the last 23 hours. He drove 13 hours yesterday before stopping for the night at a nondescript motel along the interstate. Today he had driven 10 hours, but he had made quite a few stops along the way. Sure, he was in a hurry to get to his destination, but today the pace had been more, well, more leisurely. He had taken breaks at various times: to stretch his legs, to get gas, and to eat. His GPS told him that he was now just a few miles from his destination. He was glad because the events of yesterday and all of the driving had exhausted him and all he wanted to do was go to bed.
Leonard drove up the long gravel driveway and came to a stop. The house before him was exactly like he had imagined. He got out of his car and approached the front door. He was glad he still saw lights on inside so he knew the occupants of the house hadn't gone to bed yet. Leonard knocked on the door and soon a familiar face appeared. Leonard was greeted with a big grin and a handshake. "Good to see you Leonard. Come on in. We wondered when you'd make it here. Did you have any problems finding the place?"
"No, my GPS gave me exact directions. It was a long drive, but it gave me time to think about things. Thanks for letting me visit and stay with you. I really appreciate it."
"No problem. I know you must be tired from your trip so once you get your luggage from your car. I'll show you where you'll be staying. You can meet everyone else tomorrow morning."
Leonard paid close attention as the man showed him the bedroom where he would be staying, the bathroom he would be using, and where he could find clean washcloths and towels.
"My wife and I are just down the hall if you need anything, Leonard. If not, I'll see you in the morning."
"Thanks, Wyatt. Everything looks great. See you in the morning."
No one could question that Sheldon Cooper was a genius. He just didn't easily understand or always follow social norms. One social norm that Sheldon did understand and adhere to however was friendship. For that he could thank one Leonard Hofstadter. Over the years, Leonard had showed Sheldon what true friendship meant. Sheldon knew he was difficult to be around and work with, but Leonard had always been loyal to Sheldon, even when no one else had. Sheldon knew that loyalty was a two-way street and so convention specified he return Leonard's loyalty. "To heck with convention Sheldon thought, Leonard is my best friend and he's been deeply hurt. I'm going to do something for Leonard because I want to and because it's the right thing to do, not because convention demands it." With that thought in mind Sheldon sat at his computer and typed up two notices, one to Raj and one to Penny. After typing the two notices, Sheldon put them in envelopes, addressed and then sealed them. Satisfied, Sheldon picked up the two envelopes, picked up his jacket and left the apartment.
"Knock, knock, knock, Penny."
"Knock, knock, knock, Penny."
"Knock, knock, knock, Penny."
A disheveled Penny opened the door to her apartment with a scowl on her face and said, "What do you want Sheldon?"
Sheldon looked at Penny and with a serious tone said, "Howard explained everything to me. He told me what you and Raj did and where you did it. Now I know why Leonard reacted the way he did. Raj is lucky that's all Leonard did to him. If we had been in Texas and Raj did something like that, a broken nose would be the least of his worries. Penny, you and Raj hurt Leonard very badly. Leonard is the best friend I've ever had and since he isn't here to take additional action I will. You are hereby banned from our apartment for a minimum of one month and a maximum of six months. Here, I've put the ban in writing so there's no misunderstanding. Only Leonard can lift your ban and that's if he ever comes back. I hope it was worth it."
Penny stood there in the doorway with tears in her eyes. She didn't think this day could get any worse. She was wrong. Now, not only had she lost Leonard, but she couldn't see his friends as well.
In a quiet voice she couldn't tell if Sheldon heard or not, she said, "No, it definitely wasn't worth it."
As Sheldon headed down the stairs he shouted out, "If it's any consolation, Raj is banned from the apartment for a minimum of three months and a maximum of nine months. He's also required to take a class and pass a test on man rules. Like you, only Leonard can lift the ban, and again that's if he ever comes back."
Penny rushes out of her apartment and down the stairs all the while calling out Sheldon's name. Penny finally caught up with Sheldon right before he exited the building.
"Sheldon, do you have any idea where Leonard is? I really need to talk to him. You know how important it is that I fix this."
"Sorry, Penny, but I have no idea where Leonard is. Leonard invoked the fail-safe clause of our roommate agreement and part of the agreement is that I cannot under any circumstances ask him where he's going, why he's going, when he'll be back, or if he'll be back. The fail-safe clause is only to be used in the direst of circumstances to avoid even worse circumstances. Neither of us has ever considered invoking that clause till now, so you can see how devastating your and Raj's actions were to Leonard."
"Sheldon, I need to ask you a question and I need you to be completely honest. Why is Leonard so upset about what Raj and I did? I understand about where but not why. Leonard is with Priya now and Raj and I are both single adults. We're both free to do what we want."
"Penny, Leonard and Priya broke up the same night that you and Raj engaged in coitus on Leonard's bed. Priya is going back to India soon, but she never told Leonard. I'm sure Raj must have known but he never said anything to Leonard either. When Leonard found out Priya's plans, he came back to the apartment and spent the night on the couch. You know the rest of the story. On top of all that, Leonard is still in love with you or he was. Now, I don't know if he can ever forgive you or Raj."
"Sheldon, I swear I didn't know that Leonard and Priya had broken up. If I had I never would've done what I did. I'm so sorry."
"I know. What you need to know is that Leonard feels hurt, betrayed, and humiliated by two people he thought he could trust. That's not something that will be easy to fix, but if you ever cared for Leonard at all, you'll have to be the one to pursue him. You'll have to be the one to make the first move towards redeeming whatever relationship you two can have. Now Penny, if you'll excuse me, I have to get to Raj's and deliver this letter before he lights his aromatherapy candles for the evening. Those things nauseate me."
"Thanks for the advice Sheldon. You're a good friend to both Leonard and me."
"You're welcome Penny. If it's any consolation, I'm rooting for you and my best friend."