Sheldon's therapy hit a bit of a snag with his inability to understand Penny's work. He's decided to continue anyway. Now he has a guest, too. His sister, Missy, in an attempt to get away from a matchmaking Mom, has come to visit.

When Sheldon and Missy pulled up, Penny was just coming up the sidewalk in front of the building. She was holding a couple of bags. Sheldon got out and reached for one. Penny smiled and said thanks. Missy stepped out of the car and walked over.

"Hi. I'm Missy. You must be Penny." She held out her hand and looked Shelly's therapist over carefully. Very pretty, very confident, and quite stylish, too. She wondered if her brother even noticed.

Penny smiled and shook the proffered hand. "Hello, Missy. It's nice to meet you. Will you be joining us?"

Missy shook her head. "Oh no. I'm on my way to pick up a dress for the fund raiser." She turned to Sheldon. "Before I forget, you're not wearing that awful plaid suit are you?"

Sheldon frowned. "There is nothing wrong with my suit!"

Missy rolled her eyes. "Okay, after your session, we are going shopping for a suit. A nice suit."

Sheldon shook his head. "Oh no, I am not! I hate shopping. I am not going to a store and trying on suits. What if someone walks in? Do you have any idea how many people try on the clothes over and over? Absolutely not!" Sheldon turned to Penny and froze. She had a speculative look in her eyes that he didn't trust. He cringed away. "No! You wouldn't!"

Penny smiled slyly. "I had intended to take you to the hospital and have you visit the children's ward. So, which will it be? Fingerpaints or men's store?"

Missy grinned widely. "Go on, Shelly! Choose hospital."

He glared at his sister, wondering how they could possibly be siblings. After a moment he sighed and his shoulders slumped. "Men's store," he said finally.

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Penny and Missy sat on a couple of chairs and waited for Sheldon to try on the suit. Missy looked at the blonde flipping through a catalog and wondered if she could ask her questions.

Penny smiled slightly. "As long as you don't ask for details about any specific patient, you can ask," she said without looking up.

Missy giggled. "Am I that obvious?"

Penny nodded. "Yes, but that's okay. I get lots of questions all the time."

Missy nibbled on her bottom lip. "Shelly says you deal with all sorts of problems. He says you've really helped him. It sounds like you do pretty good with regular mental issues. Why do the sexual surrogate stuff?"

Penny closed the catalog and smiled wryly. "Why not? Mental problems aren't the only ones that effect people's lives. Emotional, medical, and even sexual problems can make it hard for people to lead happy, fulfilled lives. I work with individuals who can't talk to their friends and family about what is wrong. They need an objective party to help them. Someone who can empathize, understand, and not be judgmental. 80% of my work is just listening. I'm a sounding board for people to bounce their problems off of. The other 20% is a bit tougher. That part usually deals with patients who have been through abuses, or tragedies."

"Isn't it hard to see people who have been abused, though? I think it would be difficult to deal with," Missy said.

Penny shrugged. "Not really. I was abused and raped. I can understand their fears and pain a lot better because I've been where many of them are."

"You were ….." Both women turned to see a distressed Sheldon standing a couple of feet away. Penny stood and walked over to him. She looked him over carefully and shook her head.

"I don't know. What do you think, Missy? Is the cummerbund okay, or should we try a vest instead?"

Missy stood and looked at Penny for a moment before turning to her brother. "Let's try the vest. Take off the jacket, Shelly."

Sheldon was still looking at Penny with dismay. "Penny?" His voice was cautious, wary. "You were abused?"

She looked up at him with steady eyes. "Yes, Sheldon. I was in an abusive relationship. When I finally left him, he tracked me down and raped me."

He fidgeted a bit. "Is that why you are a surrogate?"

Penny tilted her head. "I have been a therapist for four years. I was assaulted three years ago." She looked up at Sheldon carefully. "Is it really important to you why I do this job?"

Sheldon hesitated and finally nodded. "I need to understand."

"My mom," Penny said. She took her seat again and looked at Sheldon. "My mom has a severe case of haphephobia and a fear of vulnerability. She fears being touched. Her fears stemmed from loss. After she had my siblings and I, she lost a child. That same year she lost her dad, a brother and was in a wreck that almost killed her. It took her many years to learn to cope with a lot of her fears. To this day it is something she struggles with. It wasn't until she was referred to Marie, her current therapist, that she began to get any better. I was in high school when Marie came into our lives. My parents were on the verge of divorce, my sister and I were emotional wrecks because we blamed ourselves for Mom's lack of affection toward us. Marie saved my family. She used surrogacy techniques to help mom learn how to tolerate touch, and to express her emotions. Seeing what she did, the way she helped us all, inspired me. I can't tell you how many families Marie saved. I'm not being arrogant when I say I have helped a few myself. What I do is not exactly conventional, Sheldon. But it IS necessary."

Sheldon was silent for several seconds as he processed what she said. Finally he looked at Penny with a sincere and apologetic expression. "I am sorry for ever doubting your work, or integrity."

Penny smiled and stood back up. "Thank you, Sheldon. Now, go try on that vest. Time is wasting."

He took the item and hurried away. Penny looked over at Missy who was regarding her with sympathy. "You know, maybe Shelly isn't the only one who could learn a thing or two. I don't suppose you have room for a new client, do you?"

Penny looked surprised. "That might not be such a good idea. Usually couples see different therapists or they attend one therapist together."

Missy started to laugh as Sheldon walked back over. He frowned at his sister before looking at Penny who shrugged. Missy wiped a few tears away and took a few deep breaths. "Sorry," she gasped out. "Don't worry, it shouldn't be a problem. Shelly is my brother."

"Oh," said Penny. "Well, then, I guess that would be okay. Give me a call next week and we'll set up a consultation."

Missy nodded, still giggling a bit. The two women turned to look over Sheldon and nodded approvingly. "Excellent," Missy said.

Sheldon looked at Penny who was looking just over his shoulder. He frowned a bit, wondering what she found so fascinating. He looked behind him, but only saw racks of clothes. He looked back in time to see a flash of pain in her eyes. He opened his mouth to ask her if she was alright, but Penny turned and picked up her purse.

"Well, if we are done here, I really need to get back. I have some work to do, and a couple of friends are coming to dinner," Penny said calmly. Sheldon and Missy nodded and he walked back to change while Missy paid for the suit. When they left the store, Penny shook both their hands and walked to her car. Sheldon watched her pull away, wondering what had just happened.

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Sheldon stood beside Penny's door and watched Missy flip through a magazine. He wasn't sure having Missy see Penny as a client was a good idea. Missy could be very sneaky. What would she trick Penny into revealing? He sighed silently and thought back to the fund raiser. It had been a complete success. He had helped secure a record amount of funding for the school. Personally he had managed to get generous backing from three very wealthy patrons of the school, one of which was notorious for making only scant donations.

The door finally opened and Penny stepped out with Bo. Penny gave the Cooper siblings welcoming smiles before turning to Bo. "Okay, so I'll see you in three weeks, okay? Don't forget, if you need to speak to someone, you can call Dr. Martin."

Bo nodded. "I will remember. But I doubt I will," he smiled with chagrin. "Dr. Martin's a nice woman, but she's no you."

Penny laughed humorously. "Well, if you do call, don't tell her that. Take care, Bo." She turned to Sheldon, and waved him inside. He stepped into the corridor and walked to his chair. Penny closed the door and followed, taking her spot on the small loveseat.

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Missy watched the exchange between Penny and the young man curiously. He was a handsome man. Closely cropped dark blond hair, deep chocolate eyes, and a nice smile. She wasn't surprise by the spark of interest, he was very handsome. She was surprised by how nervous she felt when he glanced at her. It made her feel flustered, which was a very unusual emotion for her. She bit the inside of her lip, confused. She was an attractive woman, young, slim, and graceful. So why had this guy looked at her so dismissively? Sheldon went inside and Penny closed the door.

The guy turned to walk away and Missy jumped up. "Hello. I'm Missy," she said as sweetly as she could.

He paused and looked over his shoulder before turning halfway. "Bo. Have a good day."

Missy took a quick step forward. "Wait!"

He looked at her curiously. "Yes?"

Missy hesitated and then released a heavy sigh. "Listen, my brother is going to be an hour, would you like to get a cup of coffee? Or maybe just sit and chat?"

"Why?" he asked. "Aren't you worried about having coffee with a stranger? Especially one you know is seeing a therapist?"

Missy shrugged one shoulder and smiled. "I …I don't really know why. I just know I want to."

Bo watched her carefully, making her think of a small kitten she once rescued. Skittish was the best description she could come up with. Finally he nodded. "Okay. There's a Starbuck's at the end of the block."

Missy walked over and fell into step beside him.

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Penny watched Sheldon, waiting on him to speak. He cleared his throat. "As you know the university fundraiser was two days ago. It, or rather I, was quite successful. I managed to secure more than adequate funding for my work."

Penny smiled slightly. "That is wonderful, Sheldon. I am sure you are quite pleased. "

He nodded quickly. "Which brings me to why I asked you for this session." He looked hesitant for a moment before taking a deep breath. "I would like to continue therapy."