Chapter 38 - Plans
Leonard spent most of the next day with Howard, going over the requirements for the power module and then finally showing him the actual machine, before lunch. He didn't like having to show him the machine but it would not be possible for Howard to complete the power module interface with without a detailed understanding of where it all had to fit. So it was with much trepidation he unlocked the room and brought Howard into the room, Leonard cringing a little as he saw Howard's eyes go wide. Leonard knew Howard was an gifted engineer, so he could almost see the gears working in Howard's head as his eyes scanned around the room.
"Wow Leonard, it looks like you are trying to generate some sort of field, with this thing." Howard observed.
'Crap' Leonard thought, Howard already had a good idea what the machine did, it was now time for Leonard to lie. "Yeah. Howard this is all theoretical, but I think we have an idea how to produce a force field."
"You're kidding! A force field, like Star Trek and Star Wars?" Howard was truly surprised.
"It's a theory, but this field generator was built to try and see if it will work." Leonard hoped his lie wasn't too absurd for Howard.
"That is so cool. But you are going to need huge amounts of power to maintain a force field, I don't think the university power system will be able to maintain the power you are going need." Howard told him.
"I think you are right, that is why we have capacitor banks in the rear. We will charge them then supplement their power from the university, to get the power we need for 15-20 minutes. That should be enough to stabilize a force field and give us time to run tests on its properties." Leonard tried to sound sincere.
"I see. So you need the power module to control all that power, I got it." Howard then went further into the room to look at the power system.
Leonard relaxed a little as Howard checked out the power system, he hated to trick his friend but the fewer people that knew about the true purpose of this machine the better it was for mankind. He sat down at the computer console and resisted the urge to turn the system on as he watched Howard crawl around the power transformers. Leonard thought everything was finally going along okay for once, until he saw Howard walk towards him shaking his head. "What's wrong."
"What are you not telling me Leonard?" Howard seemed a little hurt as he stared at him.
Leonard swallowed, thinking, 'he couldn't know, could he?' as he looked at Howard, "What do you mean?"
"This thing has been used already, I can see some weak power connections that are almost ready to overload and need to be replaced, from this machine being on before. Also, there was a place in the circuits for a power module already, and based on the size of that space you had something exotic you were already using as a power module. What is up Leonard?" Howard just stared at him.
Howard was good, too good, Leonard thought and he quickly came up with a lie he hoped would work. "Howard, we tried to fire this thing up the first day we completed it and fried the power module. It was a special module built by NASA for the space station and we can't get another. They were actually quite pissed when we sent the burnt out one back to them."
Howard nodded, the stern features on his face softening. "Okay, can you provide me the specifications on that module and I will beef mine up. Also I'll fix the weak connections you have already."
Leonard smiled, "Thanks Howard."
Howard and Leonard spent lunch socializing and going over Howard's equipment needs to repair the machine and build the power module. They even talked a little about video games as Leonard noticed Howard getting more and more relaxed from the first day he and Penny visited him in his home. It felt so good to be around him again and as they talked he couldn't help thinking of Raj. He had to do something about that, today, he thought.
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Penny grabbed something quick to eat at the Cheesecake Factory before she went into work, mostly to see Cheryl again, but also to see Bernadette if she was there. She didn't have much time, so she got there just when the doors were opened for the day and there was almost no one there. She smiled when her friend greeted her and smiled even more when she saw Bernadette come out of the employee area to check her tables. "Hey girl, you still coming to my show Thursday?" Penny greeted her friend.
"Yeah, I wouldn't miss it, but I only need one ticket." Cheryl told her.
"What about that guy you said you wanted to take?" Penny was confused.
"That didn't work out." Cheryl sighed.
"What is wrong, Sweetie?" Penny put her hand on her friends shoulder.
"I don't know Penny. It seems all the guys I seem to get anymore, just want a couple nights of in and out, then they get bored and leave. I mean my whole dating live is going to bars, getting picked up and getting screwed, in more ways than one." Cheryl confessed.
Penny looked at her and slightly shivered, because before Leonard, her and Cheryl where the same and she wondered if she hadn't met Leonard, would she be just like Cheryl now. Then Penny thought of Raj, "Cheryl, things change, you will find someone, maybe you just need to broaden your horizons." Penny tried to cheer her up.
Cheryl smiled at her, "Know any good nerds available where your husband works. You have been so happy since you met him, maybe I need to look at a different type of guy. Someone who could actually love me and I could trust."
Penny looked at her in shock, she had to tell her, "Cheryl do you remember that guy from my Halloween party years ago. The party Kurt acted like an ass to Leonard." Cheryl nodded. "Would you like to see him again?"
A little smile formed on her face, "Yeah, I would."
"Okay you leave that up to me." Penny smiled back. She couldn't believe how good she felt playing match-maker and as she looked at the restaurant floor she saw Bernadette, again. Penny looked back at Cheryl an idea immediately forming in her mind. "Cheryl, I was thinking of inviting Bernadette to the taping too, now that there is an extra ticket. Is that okay with you?"
Cheryl nodded, "It would actually be nice to sit with someone I know."
Penny smiled. "Great. I love you girl, but I'm going to sit at one of Bernadette's tables now to ask her. I'll say goodbye before I go." Both girls hugged each other, then Penny went to sit down.
Penny was grateful that Tuesdays usually started out slow because it gave her a chance to talk a little with Bernadette when she came over to get her order. "Hey Sweetie."
"Oh, Hi Penny. Nice to see you again." Bernadette was pleasant and didn't seem as tired as before.
"Working a lot this week?" Penny was trying to find out if Bernadette was off this Thursday.
"Really not bad, I work mornings all this week, so I get home by 4 every day. It gives me the evenings with my boy." Bernadette told her.
'She has Thursday evening off', Penny thought. "Sweetie, We are taping the last episode of our show, this season, Thursday, you want to come see it?"
Bernadette looked at her surprise written all over her face. "You have people there?"
"Yes we have a studio audience at all the tapings. Cheryl is coming and I have another VIP ticket so you could come too." Penny tried to make sound as exciting as she could.
Bernadette's expression went from interest to sadness before Penny's eyes. "I don't think I can Penny. It sounds really nice, but it is too late to get a good babysitter and my mother watches Joey all day, I can't ask her to watch him at night too."
Penny felt defeated, then a thought came to her mind. "Leonard will watch him for you. You can come over to my house and ride with me to the show, it will be fun."
"Your husband? Penny I can't impose like that." Bernadette responded.
"Sweetie, Leonard loves kids and you need a girls night out. Your son will be fine, I promise." Penny practically begged.
Bernadette looked at her torn. "That is so nice of you, but I don't know."
Penny tried one more thing. "Sweetie, All this success that happened to me was great except for one thing, I lost track of my friends, my real friends. I want that back, you guys are the people I love and I have been gone away far too long. Cheryl and I were old friends and I thought you and I were becoming friends too, so I want that to continue. I miss you guys."
Bernadette stared at her for a moment, "I guess it has been a long time since I had a girls night out."
Penny nodded, "Your son will be fine with my husband, he is a great guy and we will have some fun, I promise."
Bernadette smiled, "Okay."
It was 20 minutes later that Penny sat in her car to leave, she had set a time for the girls to arrive at her home to go to the taping. She would ask the studio to send a limo for them, in case they had any drinks after the taping, during the little party that usually happened after the taping. She also was happy the girls were coming, because when she thought about it, she didn't want to be around the people of the show when there was alcohol, without someone there with her.
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Leonard and Howard had just gotten back to his office when his cell phone rang. "Excuse me Howard, I need to take this. The wife." Leonard shrugged and Howard smiled, then stepped out of his office to give him some privacy.
Leonard hit accept on his phone. "Hi Penny." Leonard then listen for five straight minutes while she explained everything to him from her car as she drove to work. "Baby sit?…That is good to know he is 3 and not a baby, but me?….I know, you're right, but is there any other way?…Okay….Yeah he is here outside my office….I don't know, you think that will work?…..Okay, I'll ask him, but I can't promise anything…Okay, I'll make him come, I'll think of something…See you later, take care." Leonard hung up and stared at his phone a second, wondering how he just got stuck babysitting Thursday. He went to his door to wave Howard back in his office, offering him a seat. "Howard, what are you doing Thursday evening?"
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The day was a lot easier on Sheldon than Monday, he mostly had to supervise the movement of his stuff from his old office to a new office in the Nuclear Engineering department. Nuclear Engineering was heavily involved with Physics, so Sheldon's placement there was not unusual, especially since he was now the department Senior Technical Adviser and this new job made him second only to the department head. He was given a large nicely furnished office next to the department head's office, with real wood furniture, a conference table and a nice leather couch, which he quickly picked his spot on, since he knew he would spend more time on it alone, than in his office chair. When he was finally moved in, at the end of the day, Sheldon had to smile as he looked around his new office, and he told himself he was finally getting what he deserved.
"This is nice." Upon hearing the remark, Sheldon quickly turned to see Amy standing in the doorway, a smile on her face, it made him smile back at her. He walked up to her and took her hand leading her into his office so she could see everything better.
"It is quite satisfactory." Sheldon commented.
"I would think more than satisfactory. This wood is real black cherry, not press board and the chair and couch are leather." Amy noticed as she looked around.
"Yeah, they are." Sheldon said with a big smile, thinking the board of directors at the university finally did something right, when they gave him this office. "The department head's office and this one are the same."
"Honey, I'm so proud of you." Amy hugged him.
If felt so natural to hug her back and as he held her, he put a kiss on her head. "Thank you Amy, thank you for everything." His words caused Amy to loosen her grip on him so she could look up at him, making Sheldon want to kiss her as he saw the love in her eyes. Sheldon brought her over to his couch to sit, then kissed her, maybe it was the happiness Sheldon felt for his new office, maybe it was only Amy or both, but they spent the next 10 minutes necking on his office couch, like two hippies.
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When Penny came home she found a fresh box of pizza on the kitchen counter and heard the TV going on in the living room with gunfire coming from it. She grabbed a plate and put two pieces of pizza on it, then grabbed a diet Dr Pepper, before she went in the living room to see what was happening. She almost laughed as she saw Leonard concentrating so hard playing what was obviously a video game on the TV. "Sweetie, having fun." she teased.
Leonard hit pause and looked at her, a little surprised. "I didn't hear you come in."
"That doesn't surprise me, with all the gunfire going on in here." She teased.
"Well it's your fault." Leonard teased back.
"My fault?" Penny tried to act shocked.
"You said to get Howard here Thursday, so I told him we would play this new video game." Leonard pointed to the TV screen.
"Oh, I guess it is my fault." Penny giggled. "By the way, did you see about Raj?" she asked sweetly.
"Of course, I followed all your directions." Leonard smiled up at her, then took a piece of pizza off her plate.
"Hey! I was about to say that was one of the reasons I keep you around, but now I just changed my mind." She fake glared at him, then smiled.
"Well you owe me and I work cheap, so this piece of pizza will be my payment." Leonard teased her back.
Penny stared at him a second, her mind wondering as she thought of other types of rewards for him before she regained control. "Well what happened with Raj?"
Leonard stared at her a second, wondering why her eyes glazed over for a second, but then responded to her question. "I checked with personnel and since Sheldon was transferred to another department, I now have a faculty opening, which I explained needed to be filled by someone like Raj. Bottom line, they said okay and I called him with Howard this afternoon."
Penny looked at him for more, but he just looked at her, not saying a thing, she knew he was doing it on purpose to tease her. "Leooonnnaarrd!"
Leonard smiled, "When I told him we wanted him to come back to Cal Tech and Howard added that he missed him, he cried."
Penny smiled, "That is so sweet. So when does he come here, I need to fix him and Cheryl up as soon as possible."
Leonard chuckled at how serious she was taking this match-making thing. "Well it just so happens that he was in the United States less than month ago, in New York for a conference, so his Visa is still good. He will be here Sunday and Howard has already said he could stay with him until he finds a place."
"That's perfect Leonard, we can double date next week." Penny squealed.
Leonard chuckled, "So I did good?"
"You did great, Sweetie." Penny smiled at him.
"Good, so get some more pizza and drinks, then grab the other controller, I need someone to play against, if I'm going to play Howard, Thursday." Leonard ordered.
Penny stood at attention, a big smile on her face, and saluted, "Yes Sir." then went to get more pizza smiling all the way to the kitchen.