Hi everyone!

First of all I want to thank everyone for their lovely reviews! Also thanks to those who added my story to their favourites and to their story alerts- I was shocked by how many! And I'm sorry for the delay in uploading. I do apologise for any mistakes, grammar, punctuation and character wise.

As for this chapter, Sheldon may seem out of character but when watching TBBT I noticed that when situations arise concerning his mom, Memaw and of course Penny, he tends to act a bit out of character.

Enjoy anyhow!

…

Penny was anxious- not only had she walked her anger off 20 minutes ago, but she had been locked inside Sheldon's apartment.
Of course during her earlier rampage she had forgotten her key, and the cause of this situation had locked himself in his own room so she couldn't get the emergency key.

Wanting retribution by hearing Sheldon's mom giving him an earful she had decided to stay and listen, but when it became apparent she wasn't going to leave and he certainly wasn't going to physically remove her ( especially not in her current attire), he had glared and ran off to his bedroom.

Ergo Penny was stuck wearing a towel in the idiot physicist's apartment and had been for the past 40 minutes.

Surely the scolding couldn't have been going on for this long?

Leaning against the door again, she tried to make out the hushed words…

… Until the door was ripped open.

She jerked back from the door and slowly drew her eyes up.

Standing in the doorway, hands gripping the doorframe so tightly his knuckles were white, there was no question at all that Sheldon Cooper was angry.
Eyes drifting to his face, she let out a breath.

He had never looked so furious.

His piercing stare locked onto her and held her gaze, unwavering and so predatory, that Penny found herself looking away.

"I believe congratulations are in order, Penny." He drawled, voice rougher and more Texan than normal.

Surprised at his tone she looked up, soon wishing she hadn't when she saw that fake joker smile plastered across his face. The smile, teamed with the dark eyes and his meaningful step towards her rang her alarm bells.
Oh God she had done it. She had broke Sheldon.

Stumbling backwards and out of the hall she tried to get distance between herself and the nutjob; she'd clearly pushed him too far this time, and he needed time to reset to his default factory settings.
Thinking back to when Leonard previously used to keep her key, Penny ran to the bowl by the front door begging that it would be there, and swore blind when her fingers closed around the metal key.

Jerking 4A's door open she strode over to her own door in a panic trying to get the key in the right way, which wasn't helped when she heard Sheldon's voice.

"It's rather ironic that we find ourselves in a similar position to a few hours ago don't you think?
Especially when all you needed to do back then to avoid this situation now was to simply turn around and listen to me." Hearing him approach she purposely ignored him. "And yet here we are now, and after listening to my Mom rattle on for 40 minutes and because of you, I might add, I find myself with a severe migraine…and a dislike for ill-tempered neighbours." He hissed near her ear.

Flustered Penny shifted so she could yell directly into his face but was even more ruffled when she realised how close he was. Mr Don't-come-closer-than-a-metre-and-half had stood so close that she could feel the rising of his chest for his heavy breathing- neither clearly a good sign for the emotionless robot man.

"You realise this is all your fault Penny? If you hadn't of slammed the door on me earlier none of this would of happened," he stormed on, "Your lack of intelligence and wit often astounds me but usually your social awareness is of an average level. I was clear in every way earlier that I had something of upmost importance to discuss with you, but instead you act like a child. Lord knows why any man let alone Leonard would wish to date someone as bipolar and idiotic as yourself." He snarled.

Anger flaring at the snide comment and at the hurt she felt at his words Penny found herself growling whilst forcefully poking his chest with the hand that didn't contain the stupid keys, "Okay Mister Genius, its clearly my fault for not telling my neighbour that it is my sister's wedding and the fact that she was invited to it. Not only did I not tell her that I had already agreed to the both of us going, but that it was this Saturday. On a final note, I guess it would have been best to add in a warning not to answer any phone calls off the family, because I have no intention of actually going to my own twins wedding." Staring at him defiantly she smiled and finished with a hand slamming against his chest, "Oh wait, it's your twins wedding and all your own stupid big mess!"

His eyes darkened.

Acting out of sheer frustration and desperation he retaliated.

Grabbing her bare shoulders he forced her backwards against the door and muttered softly, "I don't think you understand Penny. We've got to go to Missy's wedding. Memaw... I've upset Memaw."

Bewildered at his slender fingers clutching her bare skin she was lost for words. Since when was Sheldon so …masculine? And so Fragile?

"I can't I have work" fell from her lips. And she found her hand that was still pressed against his chest had gently been patting him to placate him.

His fingers tightened around her shoulders before slowly releasing one's hold to retrieve a cell phone from his pocket. Penny glanced down to his hand, it was her cell phone.

Upon seeing where her attention had drifted to Sheldon held out the device to her, "I think you'll find that you don't have work from today, 'being Wednesday' until Tuesday's evening", he smirked, "So you see Penny, you are completely free to come to Texas."

"You can't be serious Sheldon! You can't have just cancelled all of my shifts for a week."

"I think you'll find I did", he drawled.

Clearly not believing him and not having the patience to wait for his iconic 'Bazinga' she snatched the phone from him and proceeded to dial the Cheesecake factory.

"Yeah hello Mandy, it's Penny. I was just wondering what time my next shift is?" She pointedly stared at Sheldon who was now leaning back and crossing his arms with a knowing, anticipatory look.

Upon Mandy's next words she tore her gaze away from him, focusing on the phone; "What do you mean I have no shifts for a week?"
"A personal emergency?" covering the phone with a hand she hissed, "You told them I had a personal emergency that would leave me emotionally unable to work for at least a week?

He shrugged and started to speak before Penny's attention was redirected to the phone.
"Yes everything will be alright Mandy, I just didn't want you all worrying" she said grudgingly.

"He said that, did he… yes he is very sweet isn't he?" she smiled painfully, "Thanks Mandy, I will. Bye."
Snapping her cell-phone closed she turned to Sheldon, who clearly already knew where this was headed.

"So apparently my sweet, sweet boyfriend rang up and told my manager that I had to have a week off because of a personal situation."
-Silence
"This situation happens to be me suffering from depression and becoming rundown from being a failure of an actress and still being a waitress 5 years down the line. And so I need to go back home to 'stabilise' myself.
They think I'm having a midlife crisis and…- Christ Sheldon. Couldn't you have thought of something less dramatic?"

"Well it's based on physical facts; you are still a waitress, and yet to be involved in a paid acting job. Besides, some time off would be favourable towards you, and I'm sure I mentioned that in times of emotional emergencies , having worked there for so long, the time you have off to deal with it is is of course paid."

"No, she didn't" Penny muttered.
"Then I don't see why you have any reason to be angry with me. I did literally get you a paid holiday." He gloated.
"But how did you get my shifts cancelled? At the factory you have to go in, in person and request it off."

"I simply told them I was Sheldon, your Tuesday 'Barbecue bacon cheeseburger, barbecue sauce, bacon and cheese on the side' regular customer, and upon hearing of my concern over your well-being and doubts over your ability to further carry out my order I drew conclusion that either Mandy should serve me from now on, or you should receive time off."

"They think you're my boyfriend Sheldon."

"Do they now?" he paused, "Perhaps I overestimated Mandy's intelligence?"
"-or underestimated my own acting ability" he added upon seeing Penny's sharpened look.

"Okay Sheldon" crossing her arms over her own chest she met his gaze, "before I consider agreeing to this, is there anything, anything at all I need to know?"

"Why yesss" he drawled.

"What?"

"That's not your apartment key."