"Penny, what are you doing?
The blonde jumped as she turned around to take in the tall form of Sheldon leaning against her door frame with his arms folded over his chest. His eyes were trained on her every movement as he took in her ragged look and the clothes overflowing from her small Hello Kitty suitcase.
"Where are you going?"
"I would've thought that you would recognize a suitcase when you see one, Sheldon." Penny's voice shook a little as she continued to shovel more and more clothes. "I'm leaving, Sheldon. I need to."
"Where are you going?" He, once again, repeated. Only, this time, there was a small hint of impatience lining his voice. Really, he wasn't asking any difficult questions. He were merely curious about where she thought she was going.
"I'm leaving, Sheldon." She repeated. She finally stopped throwing her clothing into her bag and looked up at him, tears flowing freely from her eyes. "I can't stay here. I don't know where I'm going. Every time I think of this place, all I remember is what happened here. Sheldon ... I-I was-"
"You were not raped."
"Like I don't know that? Oh my God, I'm not that stupid, Sheldon! I'm sorry that I'm not as smart as you but I should think that I would know what's going on with my own body!" Penny screeched. Sheldon opened his mouth to say something that was going to have a smart remark but promptly shut it from the icy glare that she sent his way. "Don't you dare say anything stupid right now. You wanna know why they thought you were my boyfriend? Huh? Well, you wanna know?"
"I was informed that you were asking for me."
Penny pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Yes. I was."
"Why are you going to tell me something that I am already aware of?"
"Oh my God, Sheldon!" Her arms flailed about as she stalked up to him and made sure she was in his space. "I kept asking for you because I wanted you there! I didn't want Leonard or Howard or Raj there! I wanted you there!" She inhaled sharply as she blinked away more tears, "You are the dumbest smart person I have ever met! (1)"
"Would you like me to point out all that was wrong with your statement?"
Penny stared at him for a moment. He stared back at her. "Dammit, Sheldon!"
His face was beginning to twitch a little at her constant yelling. His eyes were watching her arms still flail and with lightning speed he caught her wrist, causing her to hold completely still and stare at her wrist within his grip (which was surprisingly tight). His grip was getting tighter and tighter as he stared at her.
"Sheldon," Penny winced, "Let go. You're hurting me."
Those words seemed to have hit Sheldon a little harder than anybody else could have done. As if Penny's wrist were on fire, he dropped it but didn't move away from her. As a matter of fact, neither did she. They only seemed to stare at each other the entire time before Sheldon broke the silence, "You're not going anywhere." His voice was smooth and calm. "Also, how did you know what the nurse told me?"
Penny looked sheepish, "I told her to tell you that. I knew you all wouldn't pester me if I asked her to lie."
"She lost her job."
"What?"
"Your doctor fired her shortly after she told me what happened. I confronted the doctor and asked him to look into it."
Penny's green eyes saddened as she stared at the man in her apartment. She didn't know what to say or think. Unintentionally, she had caused a woman to lose her job. Now she was going to have to live with that guilt for the rest of her life. Running away definitely sounded like the best idea in the world right now. That in mind, she turned away from him and went back over to her bag. Silently, she struggled to zip up her bag without even lifting her head.
She grabbed her bag and attempted to leave her room but was stopped by Sheldon's unmoving body. No matter which side she moved to, he moved the same direction and stayed directly in her way. Neither were saying anything to the other and neither really planned on actually breaking this awkward (yet entirely comfortable) silence. Huffing a little, Penny put her bag down and stared up at him. "Move, Sheldon."
"No. I told you, you're not going anywhere."
"Watch me."
"I fail to see how you're going to accomplish this since I am, currently, in your way. Furthermore, I fail to see how you're going to accomplish moving when you can barely afford to keep your place in your name due to your insistent need to go shoe shopping or shopping for more things that you, simply, cannot afford." Sheldon spoke in his usual manner. Penny wanted him to be nicer, but then that wouldn't be Sheldon.
"I don't know how I'm going to do it, Sheldon. I don't know anything. All I do know is that I'm leaving. I'm not staying here anymore." She sighed before continuing, "Look, I'm sick and tired of being a waitress. I haven't got an acting job since that commercial and that was only it. Nothing else is going the way I wanted it to go, Sheldon. Nothing else. I'm a nobody. I'm washed up."
"Penny, you're not leaving."
Penny gestured to her bag, "I don't know how many times I have to say it, Sheldon, but I'm leaving. You've seen my bag. You're in my way."
"I don't plan on moving either."
"So, you're going to make me stay in a place that I don't want to stay?"
Sheldon sighed, "You do want to stay. I saw you grab the photos of all of us that you have. Obviously, you don't want to leave." Ignoring his own personal boundaries, he stepped closer to Penny (who took a few steps backwards). The two continued this little dance until she was pressed back against the wall with a little bit of fear in her eyes, "Unlike the other steroid infused males that dwell within your life - aside from Leonard, Wolowitz and Koothrappali - I am not leaving, nor am I letting you leave. I have worked too hard to accommodate you into my life and I will not let you leave so easily."
"What are you saying, Sheldon?" Her heart raced. She didn't tell him why she was asking for him in the first place while she was in the hospital. She figured she'd let him figure it out on his own. She wouldn't tell him why she snapped so easily at Leonard but was so comfortable around him. Deep down, Penny couldn't find it to admit that she cared for him and had always hoped that he would notice how she felt. Then again, that dream went out the window shortly after she had met him (she learned that he wasn't all that keen on picking up emotional cues). It wasn't like she wasn't used to being in charge of how things went in her previous relationships, it was just that she wasn't too sure that she was ready for an actual/real relationship.
Sheldon was different from every other guy that she had ever had in her life. Most guys were after sex, whereas he was only after the Nobel Prize. Penny was always up to a challenge but this challenge was more than a little rodeo challenge or seeing how long it would take until she could get the other to give in while using sex as a motive. If she got Sheldon to agree to what she was thinking, it'd be an actual relationship.
"I'm saying, Penny, that I will not allow you to leave from here. If you're worried about anything, come to me." His voice dropped. For once, he shut off his brain. Normally he wouldn't be caught dead doing anything, but something was telling him that he needed to put aside his own idiosyncrasies and help the frightened woman standing before him. Usually he wouldn't do what he was about to do, but now it was time for him to actually man up and get over some of the things. Gently reaching out, he wrapped his arms around the young blonde and held her close to his chest.
Penny went as stiff as a board as he continued to hold her against him. Her mind wandered a little as she slowly wrapped her arms around him and then proceeded to sob into his chest.
Author's Note: So, I know I said that it would be a little while until I updated again. Surprise, surprise. This chapter was just bothering me to get out. After this, I'm gonna work on my other stories and update them (the story's begging for it =P). Look for more updates around mid-January. Thanks for sticking with me! =D