A/N::: Thank you guess for the reviews!! Much loved. Thank you for the alerts and favs. I love the love!

Sorry it took a little while for updates, I got into a reading mood.

Previously...

When they walked in the hotel doors Sheldon stopped at turned to Penny. He looked panicked and for a moment Penny feared that Leonard was coming at them. "What Sheldon?"

"We forgot flashlights."

"Sheldon Honey, It's OK. We wont need Flashlights for what we'll be doing OK."

"But Penny-"

"Hey guys, how you doing?" Sheldon and Penny turned their attention toward the voice. Howard, obviously in pain, holding his arm protectively, and Bernadette, in a mild panic, were walking toward them. Penny took a couple of steps toward them and held her hands out for an explanation.

"Oh, you want to catch up with the events of the day, OK. Well Penny and I had breakfast at the diner down the street. The food was acceptable, but the service was lacking. Then we walked to the drug store for supplies. Walked here, in horrid conditions," Sheldon said, still oblivious to Howard's pain.

Howard winced and took a deep breath. "Supplies huh? Whadya get?" He took another shaky breath.

"Oh well," Sheldon said as he looked into the bag. "Some dehydrated fruit, horribly over priced chips and pretzels, bottled water, latex contraceptives of three sizes, feminine shampoo and conditioner."

"Latex contraceptive? Are you anticipating coitus?" Howard asked. Bernadette even in her mild panic still managed to backhand Howard. Howard yelled out in pain, Bernadette apologized.

"What happened?" Penny asked.

"We where walking in the back lot, and he fell," Bernadette said as she wiped a tear from her cheek. "It's all my fault! I wanted to make snow angles. I saw a couple making snow angles last night, it was so romantic. Well, he was falling backward into the snow," she sniffled again. "And he tried to brace himself."

"See. I told you last night that falling backward on to the ground like that was unsafe. Noooo, it'd safe Sheldon, just fall back, see like me," Sheldon mocked. "Now look, perfect example." he motioned to Howard.

Penny noticed that Bernadette picked up what Sheldon just said. Bernadette's face light up and she forgot about Howard for a moment.

"It was you!" she said as she covered her mouth with one hand.

"Was who?" Howard chimed in.

"Shhh. Hey Lets deal with you Howard. How about we get you to the hospital?" Penny rushed, not wanting Bernadette to elaborate on what she saw last night.

After a short heated discussion, Penny convinced the hotel to drive them. The drive, was slow and nerve racking for Sheldon. When they walked into the local ER department the felt a weight lift form their shoulders.

Howard chuckled. "Oh my God, I just realized something." Sheldon looked at Howard with a mild annoyed expression.

"What?" He asked. Howard chuckled again and took another shaky breath.

"I'm totally cock blocking you. My injury is preventing you from coitus."

"I've never liked that phrase, 'cock blocking'. I've never really understood the whole calling a penis a cock. A cock is a rooster, a penis is a penis." Sheldon looked puzzled as he shrugged.

"Fine, I'm penis blocking you. It's a first for me."

Sheldon begrudgingly agreed to go back with Howard. He looked at his options as what would be required as a 'friend' in the present situation.

Option one, would be to stay with Bernadette, assist her with filling out the paperwork and provide comfort to her as she continued to sob. Not good with the comforting part of that situation.

Option two, go with Howard, who seemed to only need to talk through the pain in his arm. That's doable.

The nurse finished with her assessment of Howard and left the room in a poor mood. He didn't understand why she would be so irritable, he only corrected her technique a couple times.

"So, you and Penny. How you manage that?" Sheldon didn't feel like answering that, so he shrugged.

"I think as long as those involved are happy, then I'm happy. I didn't know it was like it was between Leonard and her until today." He shifted around on the gerny.

"Well yes, it was rather uncomfortable in the apartment with them arguing. You know how much I dislike arguing." He hated his parents fighting. The yelling, the mean names. He also didn't like when they did have evening fights, Missy would sneak into his room and crawl into his bed. He didn't like having to console someone that hour of the night, when he wanted to be consoled. Hence the birth of 'No ones allowed in my room' rule. Well that and Missy would always play with his things.

"I don't know how you can stand it. How do you do it?" Howard asked. Sheldon didn't know what he was referring to.

"Do what?"

"Well you know, become a sexually active partner with your roommate slash friends ex-girlfriend. I don't think I would be able to."

"That is a complete false statement and you know it. You have made it clear on several occasions that you would be more then acceptable to the idea of entering said relationship with Penny."

"No. Before the Arctic, yes. After the Arctic and they made a real try at it, no. I've only halfheartedly flirted. But really, you're comfortable hooking with with someone, that was with your roommate slash friend?"

"I don't see how the persons prior relationships would play a factor in the current relationship."

"Really?" he said with sarcasm.

"You had no problems with entering a 'friends with benefits' relationship with Lesley Winkler," Sheldon shot back.

"I got the OK from Leonard. But didn't it go through your mind even once, that Leonard moves out, lets say you get a new roommate, Raj maybe, and you two have your inevitable end and then she just moves to the next bedroom. Like a sexy ping pong game."

Sheldon could feel his jaw clinch and his neck redden. He didn't like this conversation one bit. It wasn't like that. She wasn't like that.

"Shut up Howard."

"I'm just saying, look at her track record. I don't want you to bet hurt. She's major league, your still playing tee ball."

"What's that American baseball reference supposed to mean?"

"It means: She has many innings under her belt and this is, to my knowledge your first time up to bat. Again, I don't want you to bet hurt."

"But she's Penny," Sheldon murmured.

"Exactly."

~~~~Don't hate Howard, He's just looking out for his boy.