"You know, I judged Priya too hard," Penny said, as Leonard helped her stagger up the stairwell. "She's a lotta fun. At least she is now that she's married a pizza girl."

Leonard grimaced when Penny didn't lift her foot high enough, causing them both to wobble.

"Has there always been like a gazillion stairs?" Penny asked.

"No, just thirty-nine."

"That's like, more than a gazillion!"

Leonard tried not to telegraph his disappointment in her. "You drink too much," he stated blandly.

"I do not! I don't drink enough."

"Penny, my mom is a therapist. She associated me with a whole bunch of problems. I think I can recognize a dependency when I see one. You are an alcoholic."

"Lick. Lick. That's a fun word. Kinda splashes."

"Only when you drool." Reaching the top of the final flight, he took her arm off his neck. "I mean it; you couldn't live a day without some sort of alcoholic beverage."

"Could, too!" Penny tottered again.

"I'd love to see you try."

"Fine! Fine, but two can play at this game. If I can't wine any drink, then you can't play nerd games, talk about nerd movies, or go to the comic book store. One week!"

"Deal." They shook hands and Penny swayed.

"Um okay, Um okay," she tried to assure him.

"Yeah...Go to bed." He began to steer her toward her apartment.

"Leonard! I can by walk myself."

"Fine." He let her go and she bumped into the door as she tried to insert her key backwards.

"Why'd'ja let go?" she slurred, ineffectively poking the key against the lock.

-0-0-0-0-

"And you can't even come with us to the comic book store?" Raj asked.

"Nope."

"And you agreed to this willingly?" Howard asked.

"There's more to life than a bunch of comic books!"

Raj considered and shook his head. "Not my life."

"Then that's exactly why you should try to give it up," Leonard told him.

"Seriously?"

"It's just for a week," Leonard said. "Aren't you strong enough?"

Raj tried to blow it off with a short laugh, but then he said, "I'm strong enough. Screw it, I'm in."

"Good! You and me, no comic books, no comic book characters incorporated into movies. Howard, you in?"

"I really don't think a sack of sorry magazines is challenging enough for me," Howard answered.

"Good point," Raj said, "You should give up humor. For a week."

Howard was nonresponsive, but his eye twitched.

Leonard smiled and looked at Sheldon. "What about you, Sheldon, are you up to the challenge?"

Sheldon didn't answer; he silently continued to toy with his food.

"Sheldon? Did one of your circuits short out?" Howard asked, and Sheldon looked up. "We're talking to you."

"Just because I didn't answer, doesn't mean I didn't hear you," Sheldon answered.

"So you're just not interested, then," Raj guessed.

"Not at all. I have real things to think about, gentlemen...Perhaps if you tried to live in the real world, you could relate." Sheldon set his plate down with a clatter, stood and abandoned his Spot.