At 8.00am, Sheldon knocked on Penny's door in his usual manner. Penny stirred in her bed, she had slept so well, the bed had been like a cloud. Sheldon knocked once more, Penny grabbed the hotel robe and walked over to the door.

"Morning sweetie." she opened the door to let him in.

"Morning Penny, I trust you slept well."

"I want to take this bed with me." Penny jumped back into her bed, but in doing so her robe opened up and Sheldon got to see more of Penny than he would like and she meant. She was wearing a tank and knickers, but she knew that Sheldon was embarrassed, she quickly tied her robe around her again.

"Well Penny, you have 30 minutes to get ready, then we need to get some breakfast, I think the hotel breakfast room should be adequate, the rooms appear to be very clean, I would assume that the hotel's kitchen too would be."

"Ok, now you must leave so a girl can get ready." she ran into her bathroom and turned on the shower, 5 minutes later she was blow drying her hair. She had decided to only apply moisturiser until she got to Omaha, and let her skin breathe for a few days, so that saved time too.

15 Minutes later she was dressed, packed and ready to go. She knocked on the adjoining door and entered Sheldon's room. He was still in his bathroom. Penny sat on his bed and waited for him, he hadn't heard her enter his room and when he walked into his room.

He startled when he saw her sitting on his bed, he hadn't expected her to be ready so quickly. He looked at her and she looked more attractive than normal he thought, she should wear no makeup more often.

The train to Omaha was due to leave Sacramento at 11.09am, and Penny and Sheldon were at the station 30 minutes before the train was to depart.

They would spend two nights on this train, arriving into Omaha very early Friday morning.

The train arrived at the station and they boarded their carriage, the porter took them to their rooms, except there was only one.

"Excuse me," Sheldon said to the porter as he went to leave, "but you have obviously made a mistake."

"Sorry Mr Cooper, but your tickets are for berths 4A and 4B, and there is berth 4A." he pointed to the lower bunk, "and 4B, he pointed to the top bunk."

"It's Dr Cooper, " when he got excited his Texan drawl came out "and no, I purchased two rooms, one for me and one for Penny." he showed the porter his tickets again.

"I'm sorry Dr Cooper but you haven't, you purchased two bunks"

"How could I purchase one bunk? Would I have to share my room with a stranger?"

"No Dr Cooper, we would only make up the one of the bunks for you, you only paid an extra $50.00 for the extra bunk."

"Well you have to find a room for Penny." Sheldon extended his height and looked down at the porter trying his best to intimidate him.

"I'm sorry Dr Cooper we are fully booked."

"No, this is not acceptable, Penny cannot be in my room."

The porter looked at Penny, he would share a room with her, what is this guys problem?

"Sheldon, calm down sweetie." and she looked at the porter and smiled at him, "Thank you, we'll sort this out."

"If you could fill this in and leave it on your doorknob, I will come by and collect it later" he left the paperwork on the table and shut the door behind him.

"Penny I checked it twice, I purchased two rooms."

"Sheldon, it doesn't matter there are two separate beds, we just have to share the room. You obviously didn't understand that you booked two bunks not two rooms."

"Didn't understand, Penny I have an IQ of."

"I know 187." Penny sat on the bottom bunk, "This will be fun Sheldon," she pat the space next to her "see this can be your spot."

Sheldon sat next to her, "Change places," they swapped seats "this is better."

Penny and Sheldon sat silently on the seat, very soon the train started to pull away from the station and they were on their way to Omaha.

Sheldon broke the silence first.

"Penny, on this trip to Omaha with you for your class reunion. What role am I to play? Am I a friend? Am I a boyfriend?"

Penny thought he knew what role she needed for him to play, she looked at him "Well I was hoping that you would play the part of my boyfriend."

"I thought so." he looked away from her, his head downcast, he closed his eyes. He knew that Penny had promised no hand holding, but he was sure that she would ask him to hold her hand at least once during the class reunion.

"Sheldon, I thought you understood."

He looked at her. "No physical contact at all, no hand holding."

"We will dance together?"

"Penny you know I don't dance."

"Please Sheldon."

"Penny what do I get in all of this?"

"We came by train?" she answered but is was more of a question that wasn't that enough.

"Penny I will play the part of the boyfriend for you whilst we are in Omaha, but on one condition."

"Anything sweetie."

"You promise that when we return to Pasadena that you will return to study."

"Study what?"

"Whatever you like."

"But I want to be an actress Sheldon, I won't give up on it."

"Very well, then study that."

"Sheldon I'm not like you."

"Meaning?"

"I was really bad at school, it wasn't easy for me."

"Penny you are intelligent enough, you just need to apply yourself."

"It was easy for you."

"Easy? Can you imagine going to college at the age of 11? Can you imagine going overseas at the age of 15 and being the travelling professor? "

"Were you lonely Sheldon?"

"I had my work, as I do now. But I saw their jealously and envy Penny, no the work was easy for me granted, but nothing else was. I came from a home where my father was more interested in the local bar than his children, where my mother turned to Jesus to help her through, where my accomplishments were never awarded the same respect as my brother's on the football field. No it was never easy for me."

"Sheldon, I'm sorry I know your childhood wasn't easy, but we all have things in our lives that we have had to bear. Your life now is filled friends and you are at the top of the ladder in your field and you have the love of your mother, she does love you Sheldon."

Penny grabbed his hand, half expecting him to pull it away, but he didn't. She didn't hold it long remembering her promise to him. She stood up and walked into the bathroom, she washed her face with cold water. She walked back into the cabin and saw the Sheldon had taken out his laptop and started at work.

"I promise Sheldon that I will enrol in some classes to better myself when I return to Pasadena."

He looked up and her and smiled and then returned to his work.