"Penny did Sheldon tell you that?" Even though it was Leonard's party he wasn't drinking, he was too worried that if he got drunk and someone happened to go into Sheldon's room or damaged the apartment in any way he would never hear the end of it, and that kept him sober.

"Well not in so many words Leonard. Has he ever told you who he is in love with?"

"We are talking about Sheldon here, he doesn't talk about feelings Penny."

"But I am so certain that he meant me. I mean he didn't exactly say it was me, but I could see it in his eyes."

"Penny is there something here that you aren't telling me? My god I cannot believe I am asking you this, but are you in love with him?" he placed his head in his hands.

Penny thought for a while. Is being in love looking forward to seeing a person every day? Is being in love thinking about that person when they aren't with you? Is being in love just wanting to be with that person? Is being in love wanting that person in your life forever?

"Yes I am, " she started to cry. "oh good what a fool I am."

Leonard didn't know what to say or what to think, the woman that he had hoped he would one day be able to call his own, had just told him that she is in love with his best friend and room mate. Why couldn't she have loved him?

Finally he replied to Penny "You're not a fool Penny." he didn't know what else to say, he blinked away his tears, he was so glad he came into the hall to take this call away from all the others.

Leonard closed his eyes. "Penny, I can't help you here."

Penny could hear the pain in Leonard's voice.

"Leonard, I'm sorry I never meant to hurt you. "

"Penny, you and Sheldon are going to have to work this one out yourselves." and with that he hung up.

Oh god, why did she have to move into that stupid apartment?

Why did she ask Sheldon to come with her? She knew the reason, she wanted people to think that he was her boyfriend, because she wanted him to be.

The next morning Penny woke early, showered, dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen to get her morning coffee. Looking out the kitchen window she could see Sheldon sitting under the Elm tree in the backyeard. She wanted to go out and talk to him, but she really didn't know what to say. They were due to leave Omaha tomorrow for the longest leg of the journey. If she could take back time she would, she knew that she had altered their friendship for ever.

Meg walked into the kitchen, Penny hadn't noticed her. Meg looked at Penny and followed her line of sight, Sheldon.

"Penny for your thoughts." Meg joked.

"Gees , Meg, you scared me, sorry was miles away."

"Don't think you were that far away sis, perhaps 20 metres under a certain Elm tree sitting with a certain guy." she opened the fridge and grabbed the milk and poured it into her coffee cup.

Penny turned to look at her sister. "Very funny."

"So how was last night, did you two go parking afterwards Pen?"

"With Sheldon, god no. Meg he's just a friend really."

Meg smiled at her sarcastically. "Friend my arse, ok so when I walked in the kitchen just now, why were staring at him, answer me that?"

Penny opened the pantry in a feign attempt to ignore her sister's question. "MMM no Apple Jacks, mom always has Apple Jacks."

"So Pen, you didn't answer my question. Oh look here he comes. He is quite cute there Penny, bit of a strange one though, but yeah I can see the attraction."

"Meg! OH well I best go and, " Penny quickly left the kitchen.

"Disappear." Meg watched Penny run up the stairs. "You can't stay in your room all day you know." Meg turned and smiled at Sheldon as he walked into the kitchen. "Oh my god what happened to you?"

Sheldon looked at Meg "I got into a fight with I believe an old boyfriend of Penny's."

"You did, didn't you." Meg raised her hand to touch Sheldon's cheek where he was bruised.

He pulled away from her. "What are you doing?"

"I was just going to touch your bruise there Sheldon."

"Well I would rather you didn't. I don't like being touched."

"At all?" Meg asked.

"At all!" he replied.

"Woo! You must be a riot in the sack." she laughed.

"Sack? Oh as in a potato sack, I don't participate in potato sack races. Why would you think I do?" Sheldon looked at Meg and shook his head.

Meg looked at him, is he serious she was thinking to herself. "OMG!"

Just then Pamela and Whyatt walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning, my god Sheldon what happened to you?" Pamela asked " Did Penny punch you?"

Meg laughed "Hilarious mom, just don't try to touch him you'll freak him out."

Sheldon looked at Meg with his look of delrision and then replied to Pamela. "No I believe it was an old boyfriend of Pennys, he was manhandling her and I stepped in."

Pamela looked at Sheldon, her daughter's hero. "Did you need any antiseptic on that at all Sheldon, I can seen some grazing there."

Sheldon touched his bruise and felt for the grazing. "Yes please Mrs Collins."

"Well you just take a seat my lad and I'll go get the cream." she walked to the laundry.

Wyatt sat next to Sheldon, "What happened buddy?"

"Buddy? You mean me?" Sheldon pointed to himself. Whyatt nodded yes.

"I believe that one of Penny's old boyfriends was at the reunion last night, and he and Penny exchanged some words and when she turned to walk away he grabbed her forcefully and knocked her to the ground. Then I punched him, and then he punched me, much harder."

"Was it that Tucker Garland joker?" Whyatt asked.

"I believe that is his name."

Pamela walked back into the room and placed the antiseptic creams and cotton balls on the table "You want me to do that Sheldon or you want to do it yourself.".

"I'll do it." Penny said as she walked back into the kitchen.