A/N: Your reviews are my drug! Loving the feedback, follows & favorites! Keep 'em comin'. ;]

And I can't tell y'all how awesome your response to George Jr. has been. As a writer, it feels like maybe I'm doing something right to evoke such a multitude of feelings from you guys. Enjoy chapter 9!

Dishwashers whirred, grease in the frying pans fizzled, glasses clinked together and customers were still demanding and tiring just like any other day at the Cheesecake Factory, but Penny felt like she was looking at the world with a whole new pair of eyes. Her boss had to snap at her twice for dragging ass in between tables because she would catch herself daydreaming about yesterday's goodnight kiss with Sheldon. She felt light and playful, smiling a little more at the customers and joking around a little bit with her co-workers, but every time she was in danger of floating away, something anchored her to the ground and that something came in the form of thoughts of Leonard and Amy.

When her 30-minute break finally came around, she retreated to her car and turned the ignition, not planning on going anywhere but since the heat of summer was licking her skin like flames, she had to turn on the pitiful AC. She pulled the phone out of her apron and stared at it, wondering who she should call. She wanted to hear Sheldon's voice but something her reigned in her desire and directed her to Amy's number. She didn't bother calculating the time difference before she hit 'CALL'.

The phone rang four times and Penny was almost relieved to leave a voicemail but then Amy picked up and answered with a chirp, "Hey, Bestie!"

"Ames." Penny smiled into the phone even though her heart lurched forward. "How are you? I didn't call at a bad time, did I?"

"Not at all," Amy assured her, muting something in the background so that Penny could hear her clearly. "I was just having a glass of wine before bed."

"Very European," Penny teased.

"Oh, you'd love it here, Penny. The atmosphere, the architecture…it's all amazing. I started my lecture circuit today. Not that I will bore you with the details of such, but I'm meeting so many cool, new people. And they all feel like they know you for how much I sing your praises!"

Penny's eyebrows furrowed together and she shook her head. "That's so nice, Amy. I'm glad you're having a good time."

"I am. So how are things on your end? You said last night you were going on a date?"

"Yeah, but it wasn't like a date date. Just catching up with old friends." Penny silently cursed to herself. Not that Amy was in danger of telling Leonard about her going on a date, but with how careless she had been to text her that the other night, right after she had just got done making out with her boyfriend.

"Interesting," Amy mused. "Hopefully you're not trying to replace me already!"

"You are irreplaceable, my friend," Penny promised. "But listen, I really have to get back to work. Just wanted to say hello."

"No problem, but Penny, can I ask you something really quick? It's about Sheldon."

Penny winced; she had almost rejoiced too quickly in believing she would escape a phone call with Amy and not have her mention him. "Sure, what's up?"

"Well, is he okay? He hasn't answered any of my calls or texts, he has been signed off of Skype for the last couple of days, and our last chat together wasn't exactly a success." Penny heard Amy take a big gulp of wine and suddenly she felt overcome with guilt. Amy wasn't just drinking to pass the time; she was genuinely distraught over Sheldon's behavior. "I know he said he hadn't been feeling well and I guess I kind of feel bad that I've put this opportunity before him and have been wondering if I should come home to take care of him. Do you think he's angry with me for not being there?"

"Don't come home!" Penny blurted out with a little more feeling than she had intended. Get your shit together, woman! she yelled at herself before continuing. "I mean, Sheldon's fine. You can't throw away this amazing opportunity for him. I promise I'm looking after him for you."

"I know you are," Amy said then hesitated before continuing. "I just…I feel like we had made so much progress lately in our relationship and that maybe I acted too hasty in leaving for England for three months. It sort of feels like he's regressing and that when I come home, we'll be back at square one where I'll have to draft a petition 72 hours in advance to have him hold my hand in a darkened movie theater." Another big gulp and a sigh.

"Amy," Penny muttered into the phone. She suddenly felt terrible, a hundred years older, and like the knife she had wielded in her friend's back was suddenly cutting through her own gut. "That won't happen. I'll…I'll talk to Sheldon for you."

"You will?" Amy asked, her voice suddenly light and cheery again.

"Yeah, of course." Penny bit her lip and willed her voice to stay even. "I don't want you to worry. I've got it under control."

"Thanks, Penny."

"Anytime, sweetie. Alright, I'll let you go. Have a great night."

"And enjoy the rest of your day at work. Later, girlfriend!"

Penny barely let the words leave Amy's mouth before she hit 'END', tossed her phone into her passenger seat and her hands flew to her face, cradling her head as she sobbed. Never in a million years would she have imagined herself as a boyfriend stealer (she used to beat the shit out of other girls for doing that to her) and here she was, doing it to one of her best friends. Her resolve began to weaken, and for the first time since Junior walked into their lives, she was beginning to doubt what she was getting into. Perhaps she needed to get out now and distance herself from Sheldon for the sake of maintaining the peace in her circle of friends. She had almost destroyed it once before after a drunken night with Raj, and she had vowed to herself then and there she would never do anything to hurt her friends, to hurt Leonard, again.

But then the thought of walking away from Sheldon caused her to cry out softly as her breathing became shallow and the tears came out faster. Practically hyperventilating over the thought of leaving him was a sure sign that she was already in too deep. It was a long time before she was able to control her breathing, the nerves from speaking to Amy, thinking about Leonard, and almost deciding to abandon Sheldon had rattled her to the core. She willed herself to relax, leaned back in her seat and counted backwards from ten. When she reached seven, three sharp knocks on her window, followed by a loud "Penny?!" caused her to shriek in terror. Her eyes flew open and she recoiled from the window before she made eye contact with a pair of deep blue orbs that were wide with concern.

-Knock-Knock-Knock-"Penny."

Sighing, she furiously wiped her eyes with the back of her wrist before grabbing her phone and stuffing it back into her apron, then turning off her car ignition and opening the door. As she slowly pushed it open, Sheldon stepped back and quietly completed his last round of knocks before whispering "Penny," and slammed it shut for her. He regarded her in silence as she took a deep breath and Penny found it difficult to meet his eyes. "What…what are you doing here, Sheldon?"

"Junior and I were about to go train when he mentioned that he was hungry. I know it's not Tuesday but I recommended the best barbeque burgers in town and insisted we come here. I hope that is acceptable." He peered down at the asphalt in the parking lot and back up at Penny. Dressed in his Green Lantern shirt and lime green thermal undershirt along with his signature khaki slacks, he looked halfway between uncomfortable and concerned and Penny knew it was because of her tear-stained face. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Penny lied and felt her bottom lip quiver. "Where's Junior? How did you guys get here?"

"By taxicab. He's already inside." Sheldon took a tentative step towards Penny as she leaned against her car, allowing the sun to dry her moist cheeks. "I saw that you weren't inside and one of the waitresses told me you were on your break. I came out here and found you in your car. I…" he hesitated and took another step towards her. She could smell his familiar baby powder fragrance. "…I'm not an expert in human emotion, Penny, but I'm willing to bet you're extremely upset and I am very concerned as to why." He looked up at the sky suddenly and grimaced in the sunlight. "Plus, it is extremely hot out here and I'm afraid that you'll dehydrate quicker as you continue to cry without consuming water."

"I'm scared, Sheldon," Penny finally croaked. She watched his face relax from its grimace and smooth over as he studied her. Then suddenly he leaned towards her body and Penny held her breath, thinking he was going to kiss her but he ended up reaching around her and yanked on her car door, opening it wide. "What are you doing?"

"Get in," he insisted, motioning towards the open door. Penny obliged, folding her body to slip into the driver's seat and watched as Sheldon closed it then walked around to the passenger's side to climb in. "Can you turn on the air conditioning, please?" he asked after slamming his door shut. Once again, Penny obliged and turned her ignition, trying it twice before it finally roared to life on the third turn. All was quiet except for the whirring of the AC before Sheldon cleared his throat. "What are you scared of?" His intense gaze was fixed on the side of Penny's face as she stared straight ahead at the entrance of the Cheesecake Factory, watching people enter and exit.

"Everything," she admitted in a hoarse whisper. She cleared her throat and wiped at another fresh batch of tears. "I'm terrified of you getting hurt, by Marky, by Junior. I just got off the phone with Amy not a minute before you knocked on my window. She's worried about you and your behavior and trusts me to…" Penny couldn't finish her sentence in fear that she would sound like a monster to Sheldon and that perhaps he would see her as one, too.

"If you're having doubts about helping Junior and I, Penny, I won't fault you for leaving me…"

"No!" Penny cried, her voice hitching as tears threatened to fall again. Sheldon studied her with renewed interest, no doubt finding her outburst of emotion unsettling. "It's not that at all, Sheldon. In fact, the mere thought of leaving you, of not being around you all the time, it's suffocating. I literally cannot breathe when I think of it." She demonstrated by closing her hand around her throat and fanning her face with her other hand. "I don't know what we're doing here, Sheldon. I care about you, more than I ever thought I could." She didn't dare describe just how strongly she felt about him, knowing that it would scare him as much as it scared her.

"I'm experiencing the same distress, Penny," Sheldon admitted, his eyes never leaving her face. "I understand that I've put you in a compromising position. I feel as though I'm being selfish, and I know there will be consequences for this behavior in the future with Leonard." He looked through the windshield with a thoughtful expression. "But you're going to have to let me handle Amy." His voice took on a slight edge as he continued to look forward. "I don't want you to cry."

"I know," Penny gave a small, humorless laugh as she sniffed. "You don't do weepy."

Sheldon smiled a bit then shook his head. "I don't mind it if you're weepy. I just hate seeing you in pain. If it were possible to extract human emotion from another and install it into oneself, I would do it…for you."

His confession took Penny by surprise and she waited five full heart beats to speak. "That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me, Sheldon." She smiled and felt around for his hand, and when he allowed her to take it, they rested their entwined fingers on top of his thigh. "Thank you."

Sheldon finally looked at Penny again and nodded. "Are you feeling well enough to go inside? Junior may come out here searching for us."

"Yeah," Penny assured him and reluctantly let go of his hand so she could wipe her cheekbones again. "I'll just go splash some water on my face and be there to take your order." She winked at him and turned off the ignition. As they climbed out, Penny suddenly felt that light, airy feeling once again and waited at the front of her car for Sheldon. Holding out her hand, she watched as he took it without hesitation and they walked into the restaurant, together.

Sheldon and Junior ended up staying at the Cheesecake Factory until Penny finished her shift so that they could all go to the gym together in her car. Sheldon had watched her carefully as she took their orders and buzzed around between tables like a bee serving other patrons their food and drinks. He was relieved to see that no more traces of distress were evident in her demeanor, but he felt a heaviness in his chest every time he remembered walking up to her car in the parking lot and seeing her in there. He had felt an initial panic, a tightness in his ribcage and he nearly busted the window open as he knocked on it. Relief had washed over him when Penny opened her eyes and screamed at his sudden presence, but watching her cry after that had taken a lot out of him. He was usually repelled by outpouring of emotion, especially dramatic female tears, but watching Penny cry ignited a fierce desire in him to shield her from what ailed her, to somehow build her own shell to protect her from pain.

As their lunch commenced, every once in awhile Sheldon would catch her eye and she would give him one of her dazzling smiles that caused his breath to hitch in his throat. And on more than one occasion, Junior would catch him staring. "Little brother, you've got it bad," he groaned after Penny took Junior's cash to pay for the tab. Sheldon did a double take on his brother and raised an eyebrow.

"What are you going on about?" he asked impatiently.

"Oh, just how you've been undressing poor Penny with your eyes since the moment we sat down."

"Must you be so crass?" Sheldon asked and stared down at his glass of lemonade.

"You're the one eye-fucking her in public," Junior retorted. "If you ask me, that's pretty crass."

"Just clocked out. You guys ready to go?" Penny suddenly appeared behind Sheldon before he could reprimand his brother again. He turned around and looked up at her green eyes.

"I am ready. Junior?" Sheldon scrutinized his brother with a look that was half-pleading, half-murderous.

"I was born ready." Junior grinned and handed Penny another stack of bills. "You're an excellent waitress, Penny. Thanks for having us."

"No, I'm not," Penny chuckled. "What's this?" She held her hand flat as the bills were placed on her palm.

"It's your tip," Junior said as he closed her fist around the money. The three of them began to walk out of the restaurant as Penny tried to protest and give the money back to him. "No, I insist." He walked a few steps ahead of her, dodging her attempt to stuff the money in his hands.

"Just take it, Penny," Sheldon advised as they all climbed into her car, him in the front seat ("Eternal dibs," he explained to Junior) and his brother in the backseat. "Junior loves spending money for the sake of showing it."

"Not true," Junior said as Penny finally relented and stuff the cash into her apron. "Penny is an excellent server."

"No she isn't," both Penny and Sheldon said at the same time before they both cracked up. Sheldon looked at Penny with a sideways glance as she pulled out of the parking lot and made a left, merging into late afternoon traffic. She was in stark contrast with her gloomy mood from earlier, and Sheldon felt better as well. He knew that they would have to deal with the ramifications of whatever had transpired between them when the time came, but for now, Sheldon was content being close to her and having her within his reach. This day, which he had initially been dreading, had turned out to be surprisingly pleasant. After an awkward morning and ongoing silence between the two brothers, Junior and Sheldon quickly fell into planning moves and attacks to practice at the gym before breaking for lunch. Not willing to admit it aloud, he had enjoyed the time with Junior as they regaled each other with old stories from their days of spotting matches. Not that Sheldon ever considered it an honorable past time, but like he told Penny, something about engaging in the atmosphere of a bloody throw down had gotten Sheldon's blood pumping in a disturbing way.

Still, he found himself unwilling to enjoy Junior's presence too much. Since they were kids, Junior had always been a magnet for things that were good and bad alike. His personality was that of a social butterfly. He was a hit with the ladies and a good friend to his male comrades. But Sheldon grew up watching George Cooper Jr. manipulate those around him to get them to do his bidding. He had even done it to Sheldon, and he was innately sure that he was doing it now. So when Sheldon felt his tenacity to keep his brother at arm's length softening, he forced himself to remember all trouble that follows Junior around as well.

His thoughts were interrupted when Penny parked the car and turned to face him. "We're here, Sheldon." He nodded at her in appreciation and unbuckled his seatbelt but stopped when he felt Penny's hand on top of his.

"I'll head inside," Junior said as he climbed out of the backseat and took his duffle bag with him. Alone in the car, Sheldon looked at Penny with a questioning gaze.

"I just wanted to thank you again for earlier," she said shyly. "It was crazy how much I was thinking about you while I sat in the car, wishing you were with me, and then suddenly you were there."

Sheldon didn't trust himself to speak as he watched Penny's lips move. The blush he loved so much on her skin was back and it made her face glow. Instead of replying, he nodded mutely.

"You're sort of my unlikely knight in shining armor, Sheldon." She giggled and shrugged her shoulders. "Okay, let's go inside." She lifted her hand away from Sheldon's that was still grasping the buckle of his seatbelt, but before she could move away entirely, Sheldon softly grabbed her fingers and pulled them towards him, causing Penny to lean over the center console until she was just an inch away from him. She opened her mouth to speak but Sheldon quickly covered it with his own. He left his eyes slightly open as he kissed her, fascinated by the tiny moans that formed at the back of her throat as he deepened the kiss, slightly grazing his tongue against hers. Then he pulled away and they both backed into their respective doors, gasping for breath while they considered each other. He gave her a weak nod and as if on cue, they both unlatched their belts and stepped out of the car, slamming the doors in sync. He watched Penny walk next to him, her knees slightly wobbling and he noted her peculiar behavior to research later, along with where this sudden urge to reach out and kiss her had come from. Holding open the door to the gym, he allowed her to enter first and they were immediately met with the cold blast of air conditioning fueled by the establishment. It felt good on Sheldon's red face and he looked down at Penny as she exhaled in pleasure.

"God, it feels so good in here," she purred, running a hand through her hair.

"Indeed it does," he agreed, trying not to let his stare linger too long on the way she played with her long, blonde locks. He scanned the building and spotted Junior off in a far corner with the weights. "Come on, Penny." He led her through a maze of people that were performing different tasks to help build endurance and pummeling bags with their fists at high speeds.

"This isn't like a gym with a membership requirement, is it?" Penny suddenly asked, her eyes wide as she surveyed the crowd of men and women who were involved in intense grappling techniques in front of a wall of mirrors.

"No," Junior said as he heard Sheldon and Penny approach. He had taken the liberty to change into some black trunks and a plain white wife-beater while he waited for the pair of them to come inside. Now pulling on a pair of black gloves with holes for the fingers, he looked right at home with the crowd with his rugged looks and bright tattoos that sleeved both of his arms. "These sorts of gyms are mostly for people who train to fight. They're not owned by big chain corporations and their weight-lifting equipment isn't exactly up to federal standards," he pointed at the piles of benches and metal that surrounded them. "It was hard finding this place. But worth it."

"I see," Penny said softly, her eyes still fixed on the people wrestling in front of the wall of mirrors. "So what are you going to do first?"

"He's going to warm up with some basic crunches and push-ups to get his blood flowing," Sheldon spoke up, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows and reaching into Junior's duffle bag for a stop watch and clipboard. He wore the watch like a necklace and studied the check list he printed that morning that was clipped to the board. "Then we are going to attempt some moves that I drew up."

"When you say 'we'…" Penny said slowly, her eyes darting from Sheldon to Junior and back again.

"Yep," Junior replied with a grin. "Shelly here has volunteered to be my punching bag." Sheldon shook his head with a slight look of derision before opening his mouth to speak, but was quickly interrupted by Penny who took a large step between the two brothers and faced Junior with a menacing glare.

"The hell he is," she nearly growled, causing Junior to jump back with his arms up and laugh.

"Penny," Sheldon began, placing two hands on her shoulders and turning her around to face him. "No one is going to punch anybody. But it will be necessary for Junior to practice grappling with a partner therefore I will be stepping in."

"Unless, you're interested," Junior tried, but quickly shut his mouth when Sheldon tossed him a warning glare. "Just a suggestion."

"Oh," Penny sighed. "Alright. Just…be careful." She gave Sheldon a concerned frown that he felt a rush of amusement for.

"Of course, Penny," he assured her and released his hold on her shoulders. He pointed to a small set of bleachers that were propped up against the wall and she followed his gaze, watching them the whole time as she took a seat and leaned forward with rapt attention.

"Alright, Junior, on the mat," Sheldon ordered, his voice firm as he faced his brother. "I'll get our moves ready." He began to sketch more notes on the clipboard as Junior laid flat on the blue mat and began his first rep of crunches.

The time had come when Sheldon joined Junior on the mat and Penny felt her heart begin to pump blood at an accelerated rate. Even though Sheldon was volunteering to stand in to help Junior practice some of his take downs, just the visual of him being pinned down and helpless against a man truly stronger than him caused her to panic slightly.

"Alright, big man, let's see whatchya got," a drawl sounded from the center of the mat as Sheldon and Junior faced each other in their respective crouches, grinning like fools from ear to ear. Penny was nearly overcome with shock when she realized the southern twang she had just heard was not from Junior, but had come from Sheldon. He was still dressed in his Green Lantern T-shirt and slacks, but he was poised to spring on Junior as if he were a wrestler from way back.

"I've been waiting for this all day," Junior sneered, sweat dripping from his face as he leaned in closer to Sheldon, swiping at his younger brother with his thick arms. They countered each other's steps, mirroring their stances exactly and still smiling like predators about to pounce on their prey. Suddenly, Junior leapt forward, opening his arms to wrap them around Sheldon and Penny cried out in surprise when Sheldon barrel-rolled to the side, landing on his feet in a split second and effectively dodging Junior's attack.

"Whoa!" she breathed, her brain finally catching up with her sight as she realized Sheldon had moved out of the way in time with the stealth of a man with complete focus. Impressed but still vaguely concerned, she peered back at Junior who had sprawled flat onto his belly after missing the takedown. He scrambled back up to his feet as Sheldon chortled.

"Big tree fall hard, huh Junior?" he teased, his eyebrows low and a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

"Let's find out," Junior yelped and before Sheldon could jump out of the way, Junior fell purposefully on his thigh and kicked out a leg, swiping Sheldon's ankles from beneath him and caused the physicist to hit the ground hard. Penny let out another yell of panic when she saw Junior lunge on top of Sheldon, pinning his arms flat by his sides and nudging his forehead into Sheldon's throat, pressing down hard.

"Oh, my God," Penny jumped up from her seat, tortured between running to the mat to kick Junior in his side or just allowing them to continue training. She waited for a beat longer before she saw Sheldon buck his chest up so high that he wiggled and arm loose from Junior's grasp and bent it, bringing his sharp elbow down hard on his shoulder. Junior yowled in pain and flip over onto his side, where Sheldon had managed to sit up in an upright position and yank Junior's arms over his head. He released Junior's right arm and clenched his thighs tight around his left arm, pulling it straight up towards him while digging his heels into Junior's ribs.

"Arm bar!" Sheldon cried triumphantly in his high-pitched voice. Penny watched in mild horror as Sheldon continued to yank on Junior's arm, pulling it so tight that he began to recline and the arm looked in danger of being pulled out of its socket. Then Junior's thick fingers frantically tapped Sheldon's thighs. The younger brother immediately released his hold and unclenched his thighs that had trapped Junior's arm between them. He rolled over and scrambled to his feet, pumping his fists in victory so high that his shirt rode up and Penny could see a faint trail of hair underneath his belly button disappear into his slacks.

"Fuckin' shit," Junior muttered, still on his knees as he peered up at Sheldon with tired eyes. "I forgot how quick you were."

By now, a few people training in the gym had stopped what they were doing to see what all the fuss was about, some showing blatant interest in Sheldon's submission move on his brother who was obviously stockier than he was. Sheldon composed himself and clasped his hands behind is back, still grinning. "Want to go again?"

Penny couldn't help but smile as she saw Junior look up from his kneeling position at Sheldon and a fiery, focused look crossed over his features before he smiled widely and nodded. "Goddamn right, I do." Then much to Penny's surprise, Sheldon crossed the mat in two steps and leaned forward, extended his arm for Junior to take, which he did, and helped his big brother up to his feet.

Before he knew it, two hours had passed and Sheldon felt more alive than he had in years. His heart was racing, he had sweat through his shirts so much that he was seriously considering removing them all together, but he was still Dr. Sheldon Cooper, so that was out of the question. He was lying flat on the mat when Junior had tossed a clean towel on his chest. "Nice workout, little brother. You really created some kick-ass moves for me to use." Then he collapsed on the mat next to him and they both tried to catch their breath.

"Is that all you guys got?" Penny asked playfully as she walked up to them from her spot on the bleachers. "That was amazing. I didn't know you had it in you, Moonpie." Sheldon opened his eyes and found Penny's face beaming at him from above.

"I know," he replied breathlessly. Drenched in sweat, he flapped his arms before adding, "And don't call me Moonpie." Junior let out a wheezy laugh somewhere behind them. I'm going to have to burn these clothes, Sheldon realized. "I feel disgusting. We must leave so I can get out of these clothes and into a shower." He watched Penny sit down in her Cheesecake Factory uniform and cross her legs Indian-style on his other side. She caressed his hair out of his eyes, the sweat he had accumulated allowing it to lay flat against his head. He grinned up at her.

"I don't know," she said softly. "You look kind of sexy when you're all sweaty and stinky."

"Penny," Sheldon said scornfully and moved his head away from her touch. "Don't be ridiculous." Still, the smile didn't leave his face. He had seen her watching him from the bleachers and though he had initially been worried to act like such a brute in front of her, soon all caution was to the wind as he got into the zone with Junior. Sheldon was relieved to see that Penny seemed like she was enjoying herself, as well.

"Alright, love birds," Junior groaned and sat up straight. "Tomorrow is Tuesday, which means Penny is going to go watch Kurt train, where hopefully 'Rob'," he made air quotes, "will be there, too." He looked at Sheldon who was still lying flat on the ground, catching his breath. "Is this still the plan?"

"Yeah," Penny answered, nodding confidently.

Sheldon struggled to sit up and leaned on his elbows, regarding Penny carefully. "Are you sure you want to do this, Penny?"

"I am."

"Then it's settled," Junior said. He got to his feet slowly, looking around the gym at the crowd that had begun to thin out. "Let's get out of here."

Penny got to her feet as well before helping Sheldon up, and he winced as his back ached in pain. "I guess you're not as young as you once were," she whispered to Sheldon in a teasing voice. Immediately, Sheldon was taken back to the night where Penny had twisted her ankle and he had massaged her leg and said something similar to her. He rolled his eyes as Penny laughed and the three of them gathered their things and headed out into the parking lot. While Penny drove, Sheldon kept sneaking looks at her face. Today had ultimately been a good day, but he couldn't fight the coiled feeling in his stomach knowing that tomorrow, being that Penny would be stepping into a dangerous situation to record Marky, could be a different story.