AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have Kirsten Vangsness (Penelope Garcia) in mind to play Cecile.

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Letting himself into the apartment, Raj flicked on the light and found himself staring at a mess.

The curtains were shredded at the bottom. The rod was on an angle and the curtains touched the floor. There was a yellow stain on the carpet.

Raj closed the door and moved slowly through the apartment. "You little bitch, you know I rent, right?" he asked. He kept wandering, exploring each room. Sugar had even ripped off the clothes in his closet; and hangers littered the floor. His favorite shirt was torn to bits, and beside it there were droppings.

"Do you want to go back to the pet store?" he asked. He sat on his bed and quickly stood again. Lifting up the covers he made a face at the dark wetness on his blanket. "Dammit," he grumbled.

He stepped out into the hall and there stood Sugar, lifting her lip at him in a snarl.

"You little devil," Raj said harshly. "This is totally unacceptable and it will not stand!"

Suddenly she was coming at him. "Whoa!" Raj said, trying to move too quicky for her. "You wee little Lucifer! You are so not the one!" He bent and picked her up by the neck, and she yapped uselessly. "That's it. You wore out your welcome by pooping in my closet. Now you're a goner."

He carried Sugar to the carrying case he had put on his kitchen table. He set it on the floor and opened it, and Cinnamon bounded out, eager to be free. Stuffing Sugar into the case, he quickly closed and locked the door. "Maybe Kripke will take you home," Raj grumbled, and he picked up the case and moved resolutely to the door. "Better yet, Kurt. He'll take you under his foot and squash you like a bug. And I won't mind."

He let himself back out.

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"I thought I told you to relax," Cecile said, as Bernadette walked into the kitchen with the broom.

"You did. I can't. Howard never does housework; if I didn't, the house would look worse than the ruins of Tornado Valley."

"Sit," Cecile ordered. "I'm here to help." She took the broom from her and leaned it against the counter.

Bernadette moved slowly to the table. "I knew the windows looked cleaner."

"Bernie, what's Howard doing right now?" Cecile asked.

"Well, unless he's already on his way home, he's playing video games at a friend's house."

Cecile didn't look surprised. "You spoil your husband. He should be here treating you like a goddess. I know, I know, for the sake of the child you put up with him. That doesn't explain the not-pregnant stage of your relationship."

Bernadette sighed. "I thought I could change him."

Cecile's brows went up. "So you're telling me he's improved?"

Bernadette shook her head. "Not really."

"Good. You had me worried."

"Last week I told him he could cook his own dinner. The next morning I found a pizza box in the garbage," Bernadette told her.

"See? You're not strict enough. You put up with and put up with and put up with. You can't do that when your kid gets here."

"I know..." Bernadette pursed her lips. "Maybe fatherhood will change him."

Cecile didn't look convinced. "What would you do if it didn't?"

Bernadette didn't respond.

There was a knock at the front door, and Bernadette started to get up. "I told you to relax," Cecile said, patting her sister's arm. "You just think about what I said and I'll cook dinner." She got up and left the kitchen. Coming to the front door she pulled it open.

"Hello, Bern..." Raj stopped and squinted into her brown eyes. "You're not Bernadette."

"She's in the kitchen, can I help you?"

"Uh, no, I need to see her husband Howard; I'm a good friend of theirs." He walked inside and she closed the door before following him into the kitchen.

"Oh, hey, Raj; what brings you here?"

"Actually, I was hoping to talk to Howard, is he here?"

"No, he's not. I thought he was with you."

He explained, "We went to Sheldon's for Halo Night, but Sheldon wasn't home, so we went to Leonard's. Howard left before me."

Bernadette shrugged. "Have you tried Kripke's place?"

"I...thought about it," Raj answered.

"Well, let me know when you sense him like Professor X," Bernadette answered crisply. "Is it something I can help you with? Don't tell me to relax," she added, as Cecile opened her mouth.

"Uh, maybe. I could use more opinions. My new dog is misbehaving, and mean. Given what all Kripke's done to Howard lately, I thought maybe I could give Sugar to Kripke, and...I was wondering what Howard would think."

Cecile jumped in before Bernadette could speak. "I'm friends with a dog trainer local to here. Maybe I can pull some strings."

"Oh. Cool."

"Raj, this is my sister Cecile; Cecile, my friend Raj."

"Nice to meet you," Raj said, shaking her hand.

"You, too. I'm staying here; just call Bernadette to reach me and I'll drive you."

"Thank you, Cecile. That's very kind," Raj answered. "Goodnight, ladies."

"Goodnight, Raj," Bernadette answered, and he left.

Cecile sat next to Bernadette. "He's pretty cute."

Bernadette smiled at her sister. "Yeah?"

"Totally. He's got beautiful eyes."

Bernadette's smile became bigger. "Well, he's single," she sang.

As Cecile began to cook dinner, Bernadette thought about what Cecile had said regarding Howard. And as her thoughts wandered, it was the notion that Leonard and Sheldon might possibly become stepbrothers and Raj become her brother-in-law that made her smile.