AN: Sorry this has taken a while, RL knocked me out for a bit, just getting sorted out now, and yes, I plan to continue with this story!

The climb up the stairs was silent, usually Sheldon would try to fill the silence with some facts on one of Newtons laws or a question about some other odd thing that Howard had said or done which had left him baffled, but today he was silent.

What was there to say really?

He could talk about Frued, or mention that Penny seemed to like the actions he'd taken in the movie theature which he'd read about in some sexology thesis when he was fifteen and curious about it, but the thought of her giving him a blank stare and quirking her lip in that way which told him he was talking too much stopped him.

Not for long.

He'd make sure to bring it up later.

He may even have to go see if that thesis had ever been published online, in order to refine a points now that he had a more working knowledge of the topic..

But stairwells were meant for talk about banalities.. And in his present state he couldn't think of any.

The weather was fine, but she knew that already. The weather is always fine in California. Even when it's raining, it doesn't really get cold.. Damper than Texas maybe.. And warmer than Nebraska..

"What is the population of Nebraska?" He asked suddenly.

Penny's shoulders relaxed slightly.. He was talking.. This was good.. She'd begun to get worried he was going to have a freak out session.

"I don't know Sheldon." She replied. "Why?"

"Just wondering if it had changed since the last time I checked." He mused...

Penny giggled. "You check the population stats for Nebraska?" She smiled at him brightly.

"Of course." he gave her an aghast look. "What if I have to go there one day? I'll need to know things."

"Like what?"

"Well, how many days supplies I should pack in my survival kit of course. I'd have to pack enough for your immediate family as well, and the population size will dictate how long.."

"Aww..Sheldon, you'd save my family? Thats sweet!"

"Only if I had too." Sheldon muttered. "It'd be best if the world ended while we WEREN'T in Nebraska."

"Oh." Penny frowned. "Why's that?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she heard a little voice that sounded like leonard in her head saying "Here we gooo..." and she winced.

Sheldon shrugged slightly. "I have my escape routes here planned."

They were on the last flight of stairs, and silence decended on them again..

When they reached the landing, Sheldon paused by his door.

"Penny?"

She turned back to look at him, suprised that he wasn't right behind her. "What?"

"This was our first date, correct?"

"uh, yeah, sure, why?" She tilted her head, puzzled.

He looked uncomfortable. "Coitus occurs on the third date, correct?"

Oh... The gears whirred in Pennys head. Right... Of course..

"Well.. We could say that Spagetti night was our first date." She offered. "Then this would be our second?.. And sometimes if things are going really well, stuff can happen on the second date.."

Sheldon thought for a minute. "What things happen on a second date?"

Penny almost smirked at the slightly hopefull note in his voice, but she settled for biting her lip and reaching for his hand... "Come on MoonPie, I'm going to show you.."