Thank you to all the people that took the time to review, follow, and favorite. I can't even tell you how much I loved that! Here's chapter 2. Let me know how you like it.

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Chapter Two

By the time they got home that night, they had come up with a plan. The first thing they both did was make phone calls to both of their families together. They informed them what would be going on and that they were more than likely going to be called by Leonard and Amy.

The two laid out their plans to the parents and told them in no uncertain terms that they were to keep themselves in Nebraska and Texas. Her father said that she would be better off back home, his mother told him that as weird as she was Amy was her best bet for grandkids, and Meemaw exclaimed it was about damn time. Neither of them knew what to make of that one, but thanked her nonetheless for her support.

Next they called his sister Missy, who jumped in to help them out, as it would be able to get her and her husband a vacation out in California. It was while they were out to dinner that Sheldon and Penny explained to her what she and her husband would be doing.

"You need to find us a house," she told her. "And we need to have everything wrapped up with us moved in by the nineteenth of September."

Missy blinked at them both, as she took the time to absently burp her son.

"That seems awful fast," drawled Sam from next to his wife. "Why do you need it in just over a month?"

They looked to each other and back over to them, saying together, "We have our reasons."

"You two aren't eloping, are ya? 'Cuz Ma will have herself some kittens if ya do," Missy said with a laugh.

"Nothing of the sort," her brother muttered. "We need to move out as soon as we break it off with our soon to be exes. And seeing as neither of us wish to be there any longer than need be, we need to move straight into the house that day."

"Then why do you need the house by the nineteenth?" Sam asked, taking his son from his wife and putting little Max into his stroller.

"You're just going to have to find out," Penny told them. "On the day in question."

It took ten days, three websites, and a near nervous breakdown (the real estate agent retired shortly thereafter, claiming that Sheldon was enough to break the spirit of any sane individual), but they found what was deemed the perfect house. The two story bungalow house was in one of the older areas of Pasadena. Penny had fallen in love with it on sight and Sheldon said it was acceptable as soon as the building inspector said it was in perfect shape both esthetically and structurally.

They argued over several things, not the least of which was which bedroom was theirs or the schedule of chores that came up as they would be now sharing responsibilities of owning a house. The one thing they were in total agreement on was the backyard. They loved it. It was on the small side, but it was one of the bigger ones in the neighborhood.

"This is perfect," Penny said to Sheldon, as they stood looking out to it. She point over to where there was some shade in one corner. "We can put the outdoor kitchen and bar over there, don't you think?"

Thinking that over, he murmured, "That could work, but, Penny, neither one of us would be able to build it."

"That's what Zach is for, sweetie," she told him. "He's dumb as a brick, but he's a great carpenter and has made more than a few barbeque areas. He told me that he'd be happy to do it. All we need to do is get the supplies."

"Really?" he asked, looking back over to it. "Do you think he could put up a big whiteboard in my office?"

"I already asked him and he said that he could make all your walls whiteboards if you wanted it. All we'd have to do is buy the special paint," she told him, making him grin happily at the news.

"Excellent," he murmured. "But I just need two walls."

The alarm on her smartphone went off. She looked over to Sheldon. "I have to get going to my appointment. I'll call to let you know how it went." Smiling hopefully. "Wish me luck."

"Poppycock," he told her, turning to face her. "There's no such thing as luck and they'd be fools not to take you on as a sales representative for their company."

"I'd never been able to have done as much without your help with those online business classes, Sheldon. Thank you."

"You are most welcome," he told her. "Now you'd best get going. Being late to a job interview isn't a good thing. And when you get back, we can have a celebratory pizza."

Blushing she went to tiptoe, kissing his cheek quickly. "You're such a sweetie-pie!"

Penny rushed off in order not to be late for her appointment, never knowing that she had left a stunned Sheldon and his sister fighting off laughter by burying her face against her mountainous husband's strong shoulder in her wake.

Moving and packing, in comparison to picking out the house, was a lot more difficult. They had to time it perfectly, while trying keeping the others unaware of what was going on. This was made slightly easier, as Leonard had several symposiums all in New York and it was to last approximately two weeks. Unfortunately, this left the others there to distract from what they were doing. It involved several madcap schemes, not the least was which was arranging for Howard and Bernadette a "Free" three day vacation at Half-moon Bay, signing Raj up to ten consecutive nights of speed dating, and Sheldon spending far too much time with Amy at a Neil Diamond convention in Solvang.

More than once Penny had been tempted to tell Bernadette about what was happening, but she knew the moment she even let it slip even a bit every one of their friends would know what was going on. Damn gossip hounds. And that, she told herself, was the last thing either Sheldon or herself had wanted.

This wasn't helped by Sheldon's totally and complete inability to keep anything in his head from coming out of his mouth. This only had Penny wanting to have them packed and moved all the faster into their new home. Zach and his pals were fixing up the house, not to mention assisting with the move—which was a great big help, as it wasn't like they could ask any of their friends without letting the secret out too soon.

Finally the day came when everything was done. Now all that was left was breaking up with Leonard and Amy. Penny took Leonard out to eat and Sheldon stayed at the apartment with Amy.

Leonard started going on and on about what he wanted them to be doing later that night, even as Penny was trying to get his attention.

Finally out of patience, she snapped, "Leonard!"

He stopped and blinked at her. "Oh, I'm sorry, Penny. You wanted to say something?"

She just stared at him a moment before wiping her mouth off with the napkin. "I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry." She pulled off the engagement ring and put it on the table.

"What?! I love you and you love me!"

"My grandma told me that there's a wide gulf between wanting and needing and when I found out the difference, I would be a grown up." She stood up. "I've found out the difference and I think you have to find out too. I need my life back and I'm taking it back with both hands."

"Meaning I've taking your life from you?" he demanded. "I never…"

"No, what you did was worse," she told him in a low voice. "You used what I was feeling for you to get what you wanted whether it was sex or isolating me so that the only friends I had were you and yours. And what has me so pissed off was that I let you get away with it."

"Oh I did not…"

"Really?" she asked, going back onto her heels. "So you don't recall me calling your mother when you were trying to get pity sex wherever you wanted…"

Jumping to his feet, he tried to talk his way out of her temper, "So I may have gotten carried away…"

"And I let you. So I know I'm just as much to blame as you are," she told him.

"Just sit down and we'll talk…"

"I've had enough talking to last me," she told him, backing away. "I'm sorry, Leonard, but you're going to have to call dibs on some other girl. Perhaps you can have those smart, beautiful, not to mention, imaginary babies that that you've already named with her."

TBC...

Thanks again for your support and have a wonderful weekend.